Manipur News

What Irish song writer and singer Paul Brady sang 20 years ago in his song titled “The Island”, tormented by the increasingly mindless violence with no seeming hope for a conclusion in his homeland at the time, rings loud in considering the situation in Manipur today. Amidst the sombre mood of the song comes the stabbing line which should make everybody sit up and rethink: “Up here, we sacrifice our children for worn out dreams of yesteryears.” So much water has flowed down the rivers of Manipur in the half century of conflict, it is time now to reassess and re-evaluate the dreams of yesteryears so that they are not out of sync with the needs as well as aspirations of the changed times. Needless to remind anyone that times keep changing, and it is imperative for all to also change with it and remain relevant.
The half century of conflict however has not been of any waste. It served its purpose. The resistance had a driving logic that is why it came up. Had it not been there, it is quite imaginable that Manipur would have lost its will and inner fire long ago, and become content to simply surviving and not living. To all the sacrifices that have gone into this struggle, we all owe our gratitude for making us what we are today, or more relevantly, sustaining in all of us the will to live and be independent in spirit. Nothing, not a single life lost in the revolution that has been raging has gone waste. They all served a grand purpose of saving the soul of the place. Yet, the times have changed, and changed dramatically too. The fight is no longer the same, the fighters are no longer the same and so indeed the enemies are no longer the same. All these dramatis personae, and the valour or villainy associated with them, were determined by circumstance and circumstance alone. Nobody is born hero or villain, it is the given situation that categorises them in their respective moulds. Today’s enemies can be tomorrow’s friends and today’s friends can be tomorrow’s enemies. We have all seen this happen right before our very eyes in so many conflict theatres. It would be sheer obduracy and linearity of vision which would make anybody believe our situation is any different from this.
It is therefore vital for all the various political dramatis personae in our own conflict theatre to be open to self assessment and consequently self renewal. This is the only way to remain relevant. For this to happen, a constant dialogue and vigilance to be in touch with the pulse as well as the aspiration of the public at large, and with this knowledge as the lode star seek to understand the self better, is absolutely essential. Leaders of the people, both underground as well as those in the establishment must be willing to accept this onerous challenge, for this is of vital importance to the future and current welfare of the public they serve. This can happen best if communication channels are always open between these leaders and the public. Manipur is at a very crucial juncture now. It can either chose to be condemned to another one hundred years of solitude or else decide to integrate with the world and give itself a new and modern soul. This is also a crucial juncture because of the proposal from one of the most powerful underground organisations, the UNLF, for a settlement either through a UN supervised plebiscite or else by any other honourable means. We hope similar proposals for a just resolution also come forth from other groups so that a synthesis can be looked forward to and a common programme for a lasting solution to Manipur’s problems can come into sight. For a start, at least the UNLF chairman, who is now in custody, must be facilitated to be in closer touch with the people. This could be by arrangement with the state government. There have been models by which this has been done, some of which seem applicable in the current situation in the state in a realistic way. The ULFA model in which arrested ULFA leaders were released on bail is one. This one seems a little farfetched. The Dima Halong model seems a little more suitable. Here the state declares a house as jail and keeps the organisation leaders under house arrest there. In the case of the arrested UNLF leader too, such an arrangement could be made so that he can be in closer touch with representatives of the people on the ground. This model is also being played out in the case of Irom Sharmila, whereby the state government declares a section of the JN Hospital as jail premises and keeps the hunger striking, gritty, lady there. If it is for the sake of arriving at a solution to Manipur’s vexed problems, there is no reason why the state government cannot think of doing the same again.

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IMPHAL, May 24: Preparations for the smooth conduct of tomorrow`™s Imphal Municipal Council election in all 27 polling stations under the municipal council is all set with all police personnel deputed by the state for the polling stations already stationed at their respective polling stations since this evening and the arrival of the polling personnel with the Electronic Voting Machines to their respective polling stations.

According to the official reports of concerned election Returning officers of both districts, all the poling personnel equipped with the Electronic Voting Machines along with deputed state security forces which were made to dispersed from the respective DC offices of Imphal at Porompat and DC office of Imphal West at Lamphelpat have reportedly reached their respective polling stations and ready for conducting the election of each and every polling stations of the 27 wards of the Imphal Municipal Council which will start from 7 am till 4 am.

In the meantime with the sending of the polling personnel along with the state security forces to each and every polling stations for the ensuing polls tomorrow the activation of regular patrolling by the deputed police commandos team called up from the different police stations of both districts of Imphal East and Imphal West have initiated their regular petrol duties from this evening in an around the polling stations of both districts to prevent any election related violence prior to the poll.

In the meantime, as per the final official figure the ensuing election to the 27 wards including seven wards in Imphal East districts and 20 wards in Imphal West a total of 88 candidates are contesting for the 27 councillors while 179 candidates are contesting for the 54 WDC members.

According to the report, after proper assessment of the wards conducted by the concerned police in both districts of Imphal West district and Imphal East, it has been found that 26 Polling Stations have been categorized as Hyper Sensitive polling stations, 77 Polling Station as sensitive Polling Stations while the remaining Polling Station are counted as normal. There will be maximum concentration of security forces to the polling stations of Imphal East during the poll hours as the maximum polling stations in Imphal East district are registered Hyper Sensitive as a result the state government has made special security arrangement for the smooth and successful conduct of the election to the polling stations under Imphal East as well as in Imphal West tomorrow.

In the meantime, the state government considering the intensity of election related crimes which are expected to rise during the eve of the poll, decided to deploy 12 state forces including six armed personnel headed by an Inspector or SI along with four VDFs and two women police constable or women home guards each at the hyper sensitive polling stations; 10 armed police personnel headed by Inspector or SI along with three VDFs along with two women police constables or home guards in the sensitive polling stations while there will be provision of seven personnel including three armed and two unarmed VDFs and two women personnel either from Police or Home Guard in normal poling stations.

On the other hand, an official briefing have already been given to all concerned SPs of the valley districts of the state by the DGP Manipur very recently to ensure that the official directives for security arrangement in connection to the May 25 election is properly maintained and the concerned SPs of the valley districts have also given their official directives to all OCs concerned of Police stations and Outposts to made available the security personnel from the concerned PS and OP.

It may be mentioned that with the inaction of Manipur Municipality Act 1994, in the state the election of Municipal Councils in the state was first held during 1995 and followed in 2001, 2006 and the ensuing election will be the fourth election of the Municipal Council during which election of additional two members of Ward Development Committee for every wards will be held along with the election of councilors of the ward as per a recently enacted rule of the state for the proper implementation of development schemes and projects in the wards.

The ensuing election to the Imphal Municipal Council could be a deciding factor for the ruling Congress party in the state for next years general election with about 50 Congress candidates fighting in the IMC election which is the highest amongst the political parties of the state.

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IMPHAL May 24: The examination results of the first semester under graduate examinations that were conducted during the month of December under Manipur University has created a major concern, expressed Moirangthem Angomba Meitei, general secretary of the Democratic Students`™ Alliance of Manipur, in a press conference held at Manipur press club today.

The semester system was introduced for undergraduate courses from last year; however, on comparing with the examination result of previous years, the ratio of pass percentage has declined considerably, the general secretary said.

All together 5385 candidates from science, 6520 candidates from arts and313 candidates from commerce had appeared for this year`™s under graduate examination, however, only 2383 from science, 4098 from arts and 71 from commerce were declared pass that is sharply contrasting from the previous years, Angomba stated that the results were very unfortunate as it vividly shows that the new system needed timely revaluation.

Apprehensive about the new system introduced by MU for under graduates, Angomba Meitei, talking to media persons, appealed the concerned authorities to initiate an immediate attention to improve the higher education in the state from further deteriorations.

The general secretary said that DESAM would initiate serious monitoring of colleges where pass percentages are low. He also appealed the teacher to give full cooperation to their students towards achieving positive goals.

He mentioned that various factors are affecting the academic atmosphere of the student, Adding to this, the delay in the declaration of examination results has caused another setback for the students, he added.

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IMPHAL, May 24: The Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council) has reiterated that the outfit has been waging a military struggle to regain the lost freedom of Manipur.

A statement released by Lanheiba Meitei, Secretary Military Affairs Military Council (KCP) said that the outfit`™s Red Army has been carrying forward the struggle with new idea and strategy to bring a socialist society and at the same time to crush the nameshake democracy and neo-capitalist rule in Manipur.

While stating that sacrifice has been the first and foremost ideal of a revolutionary, the KCP (MC) statement said that the outfit`™s Red Army cadres strongly believe that success of the revolution depends on sacrifice.

It also said altogether 18 cadres of the outfit have sacrificed their lives during the revolution struggle initiated by the outfit since August 3, 2007 while many of the cadres are languishing in government jails.

With regard to Operation Clear Cut being launched by the outfit targeted to forced outsiders residing in Manipur to leave the state, the KCP (MC) statement further reiterated that the operation has been taken up to save Manipur`™s fragile economy which is currently at the firm hands of the outsiders.

While asserting that the specific operation has been launched to counter `substantive security`™ operation initiated by the enemy to suppress the revolutionary movement in Manipur, the KCP (MC) appealed the people to extend support to the `OCC`™ and make it a people`™s movement.

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IMPHAL, March 24: Police commandos have arrested at least six militant cadres from different parts of the state while conducting separate counter insurgency operations since yesterday.

A statement issued by the Superintendent of Police Imphal West district, has stated that a team of the district police commandos along with women police constable arrested three cadres of the proscribed KCP (MTF) including two women yesterday from near Shija Hospital at about 7 am in the morning.

The arrested individuals have been identified as one Thonglenmang Haokip, 26, s/o Yanthang Haokip of Dongsum Village, Senapati district, Akim Haokip, 40, w/o Alet Haokip of Dongsum village at present residing at Kangchup Chingkhong and Wahengbam (O) Chaoba alias Asharani alias Asha Devi, 26, w/o W. Tomba alias Shyamkumar of Naransena Maning Leikai at present staying at Langol Ningthou Mathak.

It said that the trio disclosed that they were working under one Tomba since the past one year. A 9mm pistol along with magazine and five live ammunitions, three Chinese hand grenades and three detonators were seized from their possession, it added.

It further stated that in a follow up action another cadre of the outfit was arrested from Langol crossing identified as one Wahengbam Tomba alias Shyamkanhai, 32, s/o W. Heramot of Naransena Maning Leikai Ningthou Mathak.

The individual disclosed that he was working under Tachou alias Ebai who is residing outside the state. He has been assigned to serve demand letters, extortion and kidnapping, it said.

The statement further stated that the same day a combined team of the Imphal East and West district police commandos arrested a cadre of the KCP (Pibarel) at around 6 pm from Singjamei Waikhom Leikai.

He has been identified as one Yumnam Rajen alias Chandra alias Korou, 41, s/o Y. Komol Singh of Langmeidong Mamang Leikai, stated the release.

On spot verification he disclosed that he was working under the command of s/s general secretary of the outfit. One 9 mm pistol having five live ammunitions has been recovered from his possession it said.

On the other hand, another statement issued by the SP Thoubal district police claimed that a team of the district commandos arrested one cadre of the PULF yesterday around 6:30pm while conducting a search operation at Shikhong bazaar.

The arrested cadre is identified as one Md. Warish Khan alias Ibungo alias Shaiba, 20, s/o Md. Etobi of Shikhong Hanuching Manak.

A 9mm pistol with magazine containing two live ammunitions were recovered from his possession, it said.

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IMPHAL, May 24: `Setting up of Guwahati Campus of the prestigious Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Deemed University, to cater to the North Eastern Region is one of the most positive development in education sector in the Region` in the recent past , said B.K. Handique, union Minister of DoNER at New Delhi. `It is heartening to learn that without waiting for physical infrastructure to come up, TISS has already chalked out a programme to begin two Masters Programmes from July-August, 2011 and 5 years integrated Masters Programme on Social Sciences from June, 2012,` he added.

According to an emailed statement of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, when government of Assam, at the initiative of Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam, proposed to the ministry of DoNER for allotting funds under NLCPR towards the infrastructure cost of the institute at Guwahati, B.K. Handique, Minister of DoNER readily agreed and approved, in principle, to release Rs.81 crore towards the project. Assam Government has already identified the land required for the above purpose, it stated.

Five years integrated Masters Programme on Social Sciences will have 120 students per year. Thus, there would be 600 students in five years. This programme is scheduled to start from June, 2012. During 4th and 5th year of the Course, there will be specialization in inter- disciplinary areas like Human Resource Management, Social Enterprises, Public Health Counselling, Education, Social Work and Sustainable Mountain Development. In addition to above programmes, TISS is also finalizing to take up several Certificate and Diploma Programmes from August, 2011, it added.

`Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission has already approved the proposed setting up of Guwahati campus by TISS` said the Minister of DoNER. He also said that out of the 220 total seats, (120 for Under Graduation and 100 for Post Graduate) per year, 2/3rd of the seats will be reserved for students from the NE States. Thus, it makes 146 seats available for the students from the Region i.e. 80 for Under Graduation and 66 for Post Graduation, the Minister said.

B.K. Handique has also stated that he would like TISS to start Campus in other States of North Eastern Region in phases over a period of time so that the required skills for the North Eastern students can be imparted over the development of the region, it maintained.

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The recent statement by the UNLF chairman, R.K. Sanayaima, alias Meghen, that he is ready for a settlement of the Manipur-India conflict by any other honourable means even if it is not by a plebiscite, would come across as loaded with meanings to any close and concerned observer of developments of the underground politics in Manipur. Since the statement was not elaborated, it is never certain what was exactly implied, whether it was just a response to a purported statement by another underground organisation on the issue of plebiscite as a conflict resolution mechanism in Manipur, as was vaguely implied, or if the UNLF leader was unilaterally indicating his and his party`™s willingness to open up to other ideas and formulas which can bring about a resolution to the problem at hand and thus usher back in peace in this trouble-torn state.
This is encouraging, if not for anything else then at least because it means not putting all the eggs in one basket. Ideally, every important blueprint for a peaceful settlement must have a Plan-B, and indeed Plan-C and D, E, F… all of them, it goes without saying, bound together by a single goal. This is important since the project being pushed is important and cannot afford to fail. If one plan becomes unfeasible, there must be other options to replace it.

The million rupees question at this juncture is, does the state have any alternate plan or plans? Quite in despair we are quite certain this is unlikely. This question is relevant not just for the government but also to the numerous peace workers and NGOs in the state. Have they been doing anything in the regards? What about the Manipur University? In the political science department, we can quite confidently say there would be numerous scholars who had done or are doing their M.Phil and Ph.D theses on the issue of insurgency. Quite predictably, most of these would also be virtually the same dog-eared sketches of the history of the phenomenon, with few or none of them providing any fresh insight into what can be the way out. We hope we are wrong, and there indeed are some which can shed light at this crucial juncture on the festering issue. We understand that the university is also developing a peace study centre. We wonder if this initiative has also done anything of relevance when it comes to the crux, as indeed it is now.

The vacuum of intellectual material with relevance to real problems on the ground is frustrating, but more than this, it also points to the trend of academics in the state as a whole. The pursuit today is for degrees which can guarantee government jobs, and not in the real spirit of education, which is generally defined as acquisition of problem solving skills and insights into life`™s myriad challenges. The uneasy reality today in Manipur is, government jobs have acquired a Kafkaesque reality of its own, and they have become ends in themselves, so much so that even the meaning of the pursuit of education and knowledge has come to be skewed unrecognisably to mean only the acquisition of relevant paper qualifications to make the candidates eligible for these jobs. When real problem solving needs, especially very crucial one as the state is faced with currently arise, what everybody is faced with is a big intellectual void on the matter.

This is the tragedy of modern Manipur. The time is simply ripe to begin a new journey to explore peace possibilities, for opportunities are knocking at the door. If these extremely rare openings to a new and peaceful future are allowed to go waste, the history will never forgive the present generation. Though in an intellectual vacuum in matters of peace models currently, the government and the entire intelligentsia must come together to rise to the occasion. The exploration for different avenues for peace and reconciliation must begin in earnest without further loss of time. This reconciliation must be broad based too, for by no means can any resolution to Manipur`™s problems, we would venture to say much more than any other north eastern states, can be a linear one. As much as Manipur is multi-ethnic, multi-linguistic and multi-religion, the divisions within its society are as myriad and complex. To conjure up a holistic vision to accommodate all its problems within a single blueprint, what is called for is what John Paul Lederach terms as the `moral imagination` `“ an imagination that extends beyond the ordinary linear vision of established rules and legality, or individual likes and dislikes.

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From Kaimuanthang
Lamka May 24: The people of Churachandpur district are intelligent, clever and full of understanding due to which the initiatives of SPF government headed by O . Ibobi Singh to signed tripartite Suspension of Operation , SoO , pact with the central government and the various non `“Naga- hill based UG groups had become possible which is a success thus creating a conducive atmosphere for peace and development in the district.

Stating this the MPCC president Gaikhanngam acting as chief guest of the one day seminar training programme on flagship schemes cum general public awareness of different centrally sponsored schemes in the state at the B Vengnuom community Hall, CCpur today disclosed that the state government will play an instrumental role in the settlement of the SoO problem through dialouge and times are not far when there will be lasting peace in the district.

Eulogizing the Congress(I) led state government for its painstaking effort in taking the state towards peace and development Gaikhanngam further pointed out that he cannot understand the philosophy of certain groups in certain pockets of the state why Congress (I) candidates are not allowed to contest and voters not given a chance to vote for them freely.

While maintaining the government will find out an immediate solution to the problems of SoO groups he urged the gatherings to cooperate with the Congress government and vote the party to power in the next general election.

On matters related to the flagship programmes of the government he said it is meant to take the state much ahead of other states in terms of development and for that matter creation of more and more infrastructures and implementing the programmes effectively is needed.

He said the 15 flagship development programmes of the state government are meant to benefit the people living in the most central and peripheral areas of the state abundantly.

Stating the government is meant for the people he said it will be a blunder, if the people remain mute to the government activities and and as such the people need to be vigilant, and then tender correction wherever and whenever required.

He has also appealed to the people to give negative or positive feedbacks on the programmes of the government.

The occassion was also attended by TN Haokip minister IPR/PHED/ Tourism , L Jayenta Kumar Singh minster health , Fw & cooperation , DD Thaisi minister education & YAS, T Manga Vaiphei MLA besides the ADC/ CCpur chairman Langkhanpau Guite who all addressed the gathering.

The programmes which commenced from about 11 am concluded at about 2 pm and the ministerial team left CCpur after lunch.

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IMPHAL, May 24: A big round of applause echoed the office of Khonthaang Delhi in cheering filmmaker Oinam Doren as his timeless documentary film titled Songs of Mashangva bagged Rajat Kamal plaque under the Best Ethnographic category at the 58th National Film Awards 2011.

Khonthang, a Delhi-based Manipuri art and cultural promotion group organised a grand event on May 22 in New Delhi to facilitate the filmmaker. Attended by a horde of (Manipuri) people from different walks of life, the occasion was marked with euphoric celebrations, filled with fun and fiestas stated an emailed statement of the organization.

`I`™m really happy to get such amicable greetings from Khonthaang Delhi. Their appreciations of my work certainly motivate me to move ahead for another moment of triumph in near future,` said Doren while receiving a memento from the group. He added that humble supports from the social organisations like Khonthaang Delhi would help the Manipuri film industry promote outside the state. Along with Songs of Mashangva, two other non-feature films from Manipur, viz. The Zeliangrongs, directed by Ronel Haobam; Heart to Heart, produced by Rotary Club of Imphal and directed by Bachaspatimayum Sanju were selected for the prestigious National Film Awards, added the statement.

Produced and directed by Oinam Doren, Songs of Mashangva is a perfect portrayal of Tangkhul Naga folk music, which had been buried unnoticed by the mass for a long period of time, forgotten in vain in the reign of Christian proselytisation across the region, and its return today as a Naga folk blues. `My protagonist Ruben Mashangva is the hero in the real sense, who has eventually revived the lost lustre of ethnic embellishments in Tangkhul Naga folk song,` remarked Doren adding that the musician should be accredited for the revolutionary change.

Khonthaang Delhi invited Doren for the felicitation programme during the filmmaker`™s stay in New Delhi on his way home after attending Almati International Film Festival in Kazakshtan. Songs of Mashangva is considerably one of the finest ever Manipuri documentary films which received critical acclaim at the international arena. `We encourage everyone involving into the enhancement of the region`™s art and culture,` asserted Elangbam Abung of Khonthaang Delhi. He further mentioned that the group admits an eternal gratitude to Oinam Doren and others for their priceless achievements it stated.

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Nothing should have come as more shocking than the news splashed on the front pages of local dailies today that an underground activist caught in the act of extortion turned out to be a personnel of the India Reserved Battalion, IRB, an armed constabulary of the Manipur government. This is also not the first time such a thing has happened, and indeed the Manipur police constabularies have come to have the extremely disparaging reputation of being infiltrated by various militant groups in a big way. If propriety was the rule of the game, today’s development should have even demanded the resignation of the top executive of the state, the chief minister, Okram Ibobi, himself, or at least his home minister, under whom the police department comes. Unfortunately, Okram Ibobi is also the home minister just as he is also the finance minister. He cannot in his capacity as chief minster possibly fire himself in his other avatar as home minister. In all likelihood, not to speak of heads rolling at the ministerial level, it is quite predictable that not even any of the senior police officers, the DGP included, would he held accountable for what should be described not only as shameful, but also dangerous development in equal measure, in the police department. But then, in the power corridors of Manipur, and indeed all over the country, shame and accountability are terms which have been deliberately erased from official lexicon. It is only recently that strong civil society and media pressures which made the Central government to think of introducing some semblance of accountability and discipline in public administration and public finance handling by those in power. Peripheral states like Manipur, however, are still blissfully left untouched by these waves.
The manner in which militant plants have been routinely discovered in the Manipur Police constabularies in the past one decade should have raised the alarm long ago. There must be something very wrong with the department. In all likelihood, as we had pointed out earlier, a lot of this is happening because of unprecedented corruption in the recruitment process during the period. It is known to everybody that today the bribe price of even the job of a constable in the Manipur police is as high as Rs. 3 lakhs. The price for sub-inspectors and inspectors can go up as high as Rs. 10 lakhs. This certainly would have some very serious implications, the most obvious of which is, those recruited would want to recover the bribe amount they had been made to pay, and this can only be done from means other than their salaries. Money being such a corrupting influence, once someone’s conscience has been breached by it, there is no turning back. So the ordinary newly recruited constable who recovered his money by corrupt means available to his profession and rank, would get addicted to his corrupt ways. Others probably end up seeking quicker ways of making money by joining the extortion racket introduced by the proliferating number of militant organisations.
There is however a scenario much more sinister. Since these jobs can be had by paying a bribe price, resourceful underground organisations can easily invest the money necessary to pay the bribe to infiltrate this key department of the government. This understandably would be far more convenient for the militants, as there would be no commotion over use of coercion, thereby leaving the infiltration process much quieter and shielded from public view or suspicion. Corruption in this way probably would have opened up the backdoor so wide that a lot of undesirable elements walked into government’s vital security and counter insurgency organs without a fuss. The pattern and frequency at which personnel of the Manipur Police have been found involved in the very crimes they are recruited to fight, certainly points towards this direction. What is now needed is a massive cleanup exercise. What is even more urgently needed is to fix accountability through a high level judicial probe. However, even before a probe is instituted, the redemption process should begin with the top executives of the state’s concerned department owning moral responsibility, and welcoming penalty, including resignation from the posts they hold, for indeed they have failed miserably. However, this is unlikely ever to be, considering the thickness of skin of those in power. Instead, at the most some scapegoats among lower and mid-ranked officers of the department would be found and transferred or suspended from service for some time to pacify public outrage. The bigger irony is, those thus suspended would also not see this as a punishment but a paid holiday. What a shame!

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IMPHAL, May 22: As part of the nation wide protest for the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the Just Peace Foundation also organized an event called the Children’s Parliament on AFSPA at Hotel Imphal.
According to a release of the foundation, the participants for the Children’s Parliament on AFSPA was were selected after rigorous screening program from several applicants in Manipur University on 19th May 2011.
The release further added that the house had unanimously pass on that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 which should not have been enacted in the first case and whose time have elapsed long back must be repealed in all its totality, immediately. The parliament was modeled on the existing parliament of the country with the treasury bench and opposition and a speaker.
The program was also attended by over 150 participants from various civil societies, parents, families, friends and several women members from United RTI Women’s Group.This Children’s Parliament is one of the first of its kind against AFSPA in the North East. The idea is to learn on the current trends of violence under AFSPA from the children’s perspective and also to voice children’s concern to an important public issue affecting their life.
The release further added identified the schoold student participants as Anamika Heirangkhongjam,15, from Nirmalabas High School, Chinlemba Naganbam, 17, from DAV Public School, Thingbaijam Thabahanbi Chanu,17, from Royal Academy of Science, Langoljam Kirankumar Meitei, 15, from C.T. Higher Secondary School, Mayang Imphal, Leisangthem Lamyanba Meitei, 18, from Millennium Institute of Science Imphal, Arambam Tingku Devi,14,  from Lamding High School, Wangjing Bazaar, Oinam Bikash Singh,18, from DM College of Science Imphal in the treasury bench and on the opposition bench Miranda Thoudam, 15 , from Sainik School Imphal, Pangei. And the whole program was anchored by Konsam Lamyanbi Chanu, 17,  from Human Resource Development Academy, Ghari.
While, Yambem Laba, Former Member Manipur Human Rights Commission attended the parliament as the speaker, the release added.
Meanwhile, a SOLIDARITY MARCH FOR THE REPEAL of AFSPA AND RELEASE OF IROM SHARMILA, was also carried out in the southern city of Bangalore organized jointly by the PUCL( Bangalore) with National Alliance of People`s Movement (Karnataka), Alternative Law Forum, New Socialist Alternative, People`s Solidarity Concerns, Kashmir Youth Intellect, Centre for Social Concern(St. Josephs College), Maraa, Sangama, Aneka, Pedestrian Pictures, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, Student Christian Movement of India (Bangalore), Stree Jagrutu Samiti, Slum Jagattu, Sichrem, Vimochana, People`s Democratic Forum and many other human rights and communal harmony bodies organised the Bangalore event on Sunday.
The ,march was held at the Town Hall to Mahatma Gandhi Statue, MG Road, Bangalore from 5pm to 7pm.
A press release has stated that the draconian act of AFSPA has been implemented in North eastern states of India since 1958 and in Jammu and Kashmir since 1991. It was on May 22, 1958, that the AFSPA was promulgated in the north east as an ordinance. This law is more draconian than its predecessor ordinance used by the British to suppress the Quit India Movement. It gave extraordinary powers to members of the armed forces, to arrest without warrant and shoot to kill on the basis of suspicion; and no legal action can be taken up against the armed forces without prior sanction from the Centre, the release stated.
Irom Sharmila has been on hunger fast for more than 10 years now demanding repeal of AFSPA . She has been force fed through her nose by the Government, arrested with charges for attempt to commit suicide, criminalized as a high security prisoner, denying her access to family, friends, supporters and the media, it further stated.
Various movements in the North East and Kashmir and human rights groups across the country have consistently demanded the repeal of the Act. AFSPA is not only opposed by the civil society groups but also by the Government’s own commissions and committees appointed to look into the matter. The Committee to Review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, headed by Justice B. P. Jeevan Reddy in 2005, the Administrative Reforms Commission headed by Dr. Veerappa Moily in 2007 and several others have recommended its repeal.
Internationally, UN bodies including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the U N High Commissioner for Human Rights and recently the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders have urged for its repeal, it added.
The release further maintained that the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) hereby calls to all democratic forums, human rights groups , people’s movements and all concerned citizens to initiate various public protest actions from May 22 to August 18, demanding repeal of AFSPA and immediate release of Irom Sharmila.

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IMPHAL, May 22: The Federation of College Teachers’ Association, Manipur (FECTAM) has decided to boycott the upcoming Imphal Municipal Council election schedule to be held on May 25 besides launching a series of agitation in protest against the failure of the government to implement the revised UGC pay scale in the state for the college teachers.
The FECTAM in a statement said that the decision was resolved unanimously during a special general body meeting held today at GP Women’s College.
It said that the meeting was attended by teachers from both hills and valley and discussed issues relating to the failure of the government in implementation of the revised UGC scale despite memorandum of understanding signed between the Government and the FECTAM in the presence of the Chief Minister.
The meeting deliberately discussed the failure to give executive orders despite the MoU and also lamented that the college teachers are drawing the unrevised salary while the other government employees are receiving the revised pay and also two doses of DA, it said.
It further expressed the discontentment of the disparity meted out to the teachers and stated that the situation has greatly affected the enthusiasm of the teachers in discharging their normal duties. Terming it as a great lost to the society regarding the higher secondary education in the state, the teachers view the indifferent attitude of the government as gross violation of article 14 of the Indian Constitution.
Apart from resolving to boycott the Municipal Council Election the meet also adopted several other resolutions which included submitting an ultimatum to the government with June 4 as the deadline for issuing executive orders for implementation of the revised UGC scale pay in to to.
The meet also resolved to launch series of agitations from June 6 in case of failure on the part of the government to meet the deadline.
It elaborated that the agitations would be launched in phase wise, including a protest rally on June 6, sit in protest on daily basis by each college in turn from June 7, one day hunger strike on a date to be notified by the executive committee, cease work strike from June 15 which will be followed by “Mass Resignation” of the college teachers, in the event of unsatisfactory response from the Government. 

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It is amazing that a single day of torrential rain yesterday and Imphal city was water-logged at many different areas. In another month or so, when the monsoon is upon the state in full gusto, it is imaginable what the scenario would be. It is not as if this is a new development. Each year, the problem has been progressively becoming worse, implying that the government ought to have begun its remedial actions much earlier. But as they say, it is better late than never. It must now jump into action without further delay. Let us also remind the government that the loss is not just in terms of inconveniences caused to the general public but also in very real revenue losses as well. Take just one instance. The black topping on the roads of Imphal are not flood proof. As it is, they are done so thin and flimsy that even without water logging, rainwater seeps through them to wet and muddy the ground underneath them, inducing the bitumen and mortar surface to begin crumbling. This being the case, water-logging would definitely mean a great deal more damages to Imphal roads, and this is there for everybody to witness every year. Literally, every water-logged monsoon in the past decade or so has meant the washing away of considerable length of roads in the Imphal area alone.
There are two areas immediately actionable. One is in the area of clearing the clogged drains all over Imphal. In some areas, especially in the suburbs, many of the elaborate traditional drainage systems known as khongban have disappeared, thanks to encroachments by residents. It is perhaps true that the traditional drainage system were too big and but much less efficient than the more scientifically conceived and constructed modern drains, and hence their replacement was necessary to reclaim some valuable land without losing out on drainage capacities. But the problem is, while the traditional khongban have disappeared, their modern replacements are still either missing or where they have been installed they are badly constructed and virtually worthless, with the end effect that drain water easily gets clogged.
The second area of immediate action is the issue of disposable plastic shopping bags. These non bio-degradable bags not only make for very ugly sights at every garbage dump, official ones as well unofficial, but they ultimately become a chief agent for clogging city drains. In fact, as many in Imphal would have noticed, they even clog the Nambul River in the stretch of the river that passes by the western side of the Paona Bazar. The government must without further delay re-impose the ban that once existed on the use of plastic bags. Many other cities and indeed states have done it, and amongst the most successful in the northeast region is Sikkim. Indeed plastic bags are going out of fashion everywhere, including in the national capital Delhi as well as other big cities of the country and Manipur must not remain unconcerned. Not only do they clog, but since they are not bio-degradable, they make for virtually unmanageable city wastes. Banning them would thus also amount to a valuable contribution towards promoting healthy world ecology.
There would definitely be businesses and small industries based on making these bags even in the state. They would definitely suffer, but for the greater common good, they would have to find some other means to continue their businesses. The government, in the name of fair play, can also step in and provide them with easy loans and consultancy to shift their business to making shopping bags with other approved easily bio-degradable materials. But it must not like the last time bow down to lobbies which want the continuance of this extremely destructive practice. It must also be remembered that each year tonnes of plastic wastes are ultimately washed into the Loktak Lake where most of the rivers of the state flow into, and this obviously would hasten the death of the lake. The shift in the ecology of the entire state in such a consequence is beyond imagination, but all the same a very real prospect now. Let the government then act now without further delay and ban plastic bags strictly without any compromises. Slap huge fines as deterrent on any shop offering them. We also wonder what all our brigades of environmental NGOs have been doing in the regards. Should not the state have heard of campaigns by them towards the same end long ago? But let bygones be bygones, and they too must now come to the fore to help in the initiative. The ordinary citizens too must be willing to bear the inconvenience for ultimately they will all be the beneficiaries.

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