Manipur News

IMPHAL, May 29: Get together function of Foodgrains Transport Trucks Owner`™s and Driver`™s Association was held today Kyamgei Heibong Makhong.

During the function, Kh Inaoba of M/s Zimomi Traders, a tranport contractor under FCI, said scarcity of foodgrains is one major factor in creating serious law & order problem and hence procurement of foodgrains and its stockpiling is utmost necessity for a state.

M/s Zimomi Traders along with another sub-contractor of the FCI have managed to regularly transport rice through NH-53 after hiring about 200 private trucks. The duo sub-contractors have been trying its best to sufficiently piled up rice stocks for the state despite of numerous problems, threats and intimidations, Inaoba added.

While stating that ferrying trucks along NH-39 has caused numerous problems due to frequent disturbances either in the forms of bandh or blockade, Inaoba also said using NH-53 instead of NH-39 would fare much for the state.

He also said Imphal-Jiri route of the NH-53 has improved since last year but need much more to be improved to fully utilise the highway throughout the year.

He also appeal all the pressure groups not to create disturbance along NH-53 particularly to trucks ferrying foodgrains and other essential commodities for the general public.

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The clamour over the visit by the Nagaland chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, to Senapati district to inaugurate an office of the political party he belongs to, the Naga People`™s Front, NPF, and the whimper with which it all ended was a situation which could have best been avoided with a little diplomatic acumen on the part of the Manipur government. What ought to have been realised all along is that setting up the office of a political party is not what matters in the end, but getting MLAs and MPs elected on the tickets of the party in elections in the state. The government of Manipur, as it had done in the last minute, should have ignored the matter, or even welcomed the chief minister of the neighbouring state and invited him to touch Imphal as well for a tete-a-tete. That would have robbed the wind out of the Nagaland chief minster`™s sail, not so much as a sinister Machiavellian plan, but the goodwill contained in such a gesture would have flattened all political posturing and gimmicks. As all die hard optimists do, we too believe goodwill is excellent diplomacy on its own, intended or otherwise. The Manipur chief minister, Okram Ibobi has clarified later that he had only the consideration of the law and order situation in the state for sending out the advisory to his Nagaland counterpart to refrain from coming to the state for the function, but later relented as the Rio insisted on coming. This explanation seems like an afterthought and a desperate effort to seek an honourable way out of the slippery situation, but it must be conceded he does have a point. After all, the law and order situation Manipur is at this moment, abysmal. Years ago, everybody would remember very well how a former Speaker of the Nagaland Assembly, Thenucho, almost fell victim to bullets of the Manipur police commandos who ostensibly mistook his bodyguards for militants and opened fire killing all in his car, except him. Surely nobody would want to see such a costly catastrophe repeated at any cost.

All well that ends well. The event came and went, and if not for the clamour created by the government, probably it would have been just another ordinary routine event. This however does not mean that the event did not have any ulterior political agenda. It was indeed intended as a symbolic move to send out the message that the push for a Greater Nagaland is still very much alive. The speakers at the function, including the Nagaland chief minister was pretty honest about this. But so long as he does not incite violence, or does anything to disturb the peace, his overture, even if in bad taste, should have been considered as part of his right to free speech. In the opinion of the law of the land too, it had become quite clear after the intense debate on whether the pro-Kashmiri Azadi movement statement made in New Delhi not long ago by maverick social activist and author, Arundhati Roy, amounted to sedition or not. All will remember that the court had in this high profile case, ruled that Roy`™s statement did not, for sedition clause can only be invoked if somebody actually incites violence or calls for breach of peace.

But let those pushing the issue also not be so naive as to believe the NPF is a national party and has the mandate of the provisions of the Election Commission of India, to open office anywhere in the country. It can open offices anywhere but not as a recognized political party by the ECI. A political party can become a national party only if it manages to poll at least one percent of the total electorate in four different state in elections held in these states. Likewise, it will be a state political party if it manages to get the same percentage in a state election. The NPF has fulfilled this clause in Nagaland elections, but in not in any other states as yet. It can aspire to be a national or a regional party but for the moment it is a Nagaland state political party. Moreover, for a political party to be a regional or national party, its primary membership would have to be open to every Indian and not confined to just one ethnicity. The NPF obviously does not satisfy this criterion either and is confined to just the Nagas. If this was otherwise, and the NPF membership was open to all, we would have advised all other communities in the state to flock to it, enrol themselves and domesticate it to make it look like another Manipur party. Jokes aside, the matter could have been handled in a much more matured way, and in the process deflated many trumped up egos as well.

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By Pr. Kungsong Wanbe
First of all the Bible says,`A merry heart doeth good like a medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones.` Proverbs 17: 22 KJV. A recent medical and psychological research has proved beyond all doubts what the wise men always know intuitively that `Laugh and be well` is no more catch-phrase. People who are unable or cannot laugh are sickly people. The same has been detected by modern medical science that anyone who cannot laugh is in the state of sickness. Man or woman who cannot laugh is not a member of any tribe or community. One renowned doctor of the Paris Institute of Psychology proclaims that laughter releases toxic emotions, which through the medium of the sympathetic nervous system, causes a sudden nervous discharge and change the physiological reactions of the individual. He (the doctor) once gave weekly lessons in the art of socially infectious laughter to large groups of people, and secured constant proof of laughter`™s wonderfully efficient respiratory means of leveling off supercharged emotions.

Not only does laughter instantly relax on the threefold levels of the physical, the mental and the emotional and we laugh because we enjoy ourselves and it shares enjoyment to others. At an experiment held at New York University in which two groups of students under the name group `A` and group `B` were formed and placed on exactly the same daily food. That the group `A` had to occupy itself immediately after meals with serious scientific discussion led by an academic instructor, while group `B` was regularly entertained by a light comedian. After only fortnight it was found that the general health and spirits of group B were undoubtedly better than those of group `A`. Group B`™s digestions and overall emotional tone were also noticeably improved over those of their less fortunate fellows.

Even on the purely physical level, a good laugh wonderfully relaxes muscular tensions in the whole body, especially in the chest and abdomen. By relaxing the diaphragm during the heavy breathing that accompanies all hearty laughter, inner tensions are specially relieved. This in turn leads to a deeper rhythm in the respiration, allowing oxygen to circulate more freely through the blood to every part of the frame. From the vocal chords to the soles of the feet we are stimulated and then relaxed. Even after a short time of laugh a person has enriched and enlivened his whole organism in a unique way. The doctor says, `Burst with laughter and get well`. He also says, the time we live now is a bad stomach problem, this may also be cured by a happy laugh.

Laughter being the pleasantest infection in the world, audibility is its first essential. All men laugh more or less, but those who laugh the most are the ones who live the longest and enjoy the best results. Laughter dissipates fears and apprehensions and certainly minimizes mental strains. The British association for Mental Health states that laughter is the greatest enemy of worry. People who cannot laugh themselves usually suffer seriously the sense of inadequacy, which makes them refuse to admit that they are foolish or wrong. It is very much sure that people who refuse to laugh suffer heart and mental retardation.

According to a French psychologist Dr. G.W. Valentine, when things go really wrong to a small child or an infant, everything looks black and natural laughter disappears. So a sick child who can still laugh is already halfway to recovery. The doctor also said that an infant`™s first smile is the first true expression of well-being and pleasure that infants begin to laugh at about twelve weeks, though they may smile when as young as six days. The older baby laughs not because he or she is physically better able to do so than the new born child, but because he or she is psychologically better equipped and they understand in some obscure instinctive way that the general meaning of some uttered human sound is good. That the development of laughter from the earliest age is connected with development of speech, which seems to suggest that, like speech, laughter is a fundamental means of human communication.

The doctor further said that laughter maintains this laugh among nations as among men because it helps preserve a sense of promotion. `No man ever distinguished himself who could not bear to be laughed at`, someone has said in a flash of insight. Laughers generally are more sensitive and sympathetic than those who show only stiff sad unsmiling faces and dogged expressions to people. If laughter is the pleasantest of all the emotions, it is also the most useful. Above all, it is an interacting social phenomenon, which invariably exercises a humanizing effect upon all who practise or enjoy it. It is beyond all doubt, a sudden glory, the happiest convulsion which humankind can summon back again and again as long as sanity prevails.

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IMPHAL May 29: Charges have been alleged upon the Khadi and Village Industries Commission for misconduct and nepotism in regard to awarding of work tenders by the Comission officials.

A reliable source revealed that a `drama`™ was staged at KVIC office by its officials and selection committee members on May 27 with respect to engaging of an agency for data collection and data entry for electronic tracking system for Prime Minister Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) units under the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt. of India.

A tender notification in respect of engaging the agency for data collection and data entry for e-tracking system for PMEGP units was published in local dailies calling for willing Agencies (DEA) to apply for the bid. According to the tender documents issued to the applicants for the bid,it was mentioned that the applicants has to undergo initial scrutiny for fulfillment of basic requirements, secondly for the technical appraisal where a bidder is required to make presentation of their company`™s profile, experience and also the methodology to be adopted for conducting the assignment and thirdly the applicants who have been shortlisted after the technical appraisal would be notified and thus qualify for opening of the financial bid.

The source maintained that ,four agencies (bidders) namely MANITRON, Computer Gallery, Capital Information Technology Park and Green Foundation had applied for the said tender. Although, all four agencies assembled last Friday at 1 pm as per direction by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission office staff, out of the four agencies, only one had been singled out and called in the selection committee room and witnessed the selection process and later the bid was also awarded in its favor namely Green Foundation. The remaining three Agencies was confined to another room for two hours only to be called in to pronounce that they have awarded the tender to the agency.

The source pointing out the discrepancies stated that out of four agencies, three were not allowed participation in the opening of the sealed tender documents which was supposed to be an open tender. Secondly none of the three agencies had not made presentation of their company profile, experience and also the methodology to be adopted for conducting the assignment which was a prerequisite for the technical bid. Thirdly, the remaining three agencies have not been intimated which agency qualified the technical bid. The source questioned how the selection committee could open the technical bids and financial bids without the knowledge of majority of the tender applicants,and such action points out the ignorance of the selection committee members and KVIC staffs.

Although the profiles of the selection committee members was not informed to the agencies, it is assumed that officials from different government department were on the selection committee. The majority of the applicants felt whether there were any motivating factors for the selection committee members to act in such a fashion. Values and duties of the participating agencies have been completely ignored. From the aforesaid points competence of the selection committee members is doubted and favoritism might have occurred in awarding the said tender, it alleged.

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By RS Jassal
1. In this conflict ridden situation, the announcement by Shri RK Meghen @ Sanayaima UNLF Chief to hold a plebiscite to end Indo `“ Manipur confrontation has been construed by various individuals and organizations in divergent ways. Mostly civil society orgs (CSOs) are taking it as a means to ascertain whether merger was legal or illegal, people be given liberty for self determination , full sovereignty & so on has echoed out of it. Day by day, media is puffing it up whatever big or small meetings are taking place with no analysis. No doubt, at certain occasions and under differing situations or difficult circumstances, communities or even nations were forced to take recourse to plebiscite on matters like applicability of one law for people of those particular communities or nations though such cases have been very far and few to count . That is valid only if 100 or so percent participation of the people is there. Here in Manipur `it`™ assumes special importance because of multi- ethnicals. Without touching constitutionality or sentimentality of a good number of people, I wish to offer my views being a citizen of Manipur.

2. Meghen has not spelt out terms of reference to be contested by people in private since it has to affect all the people mainly — Meities, Nagas, Kukis, Hmars, Pangals and non `“ Manipuri`™s (now Manipuri`™s). One wonders if all adults & above out of the 22.5 million will participate in the plebiscite even if Govt of India wish to give a trial . Will there be some significant outcome in the wake of demand of NSCN (IM) `“ UNC for Nagalim, and UNLF pledge to ensure integrity of Manipur. The political demands and social agenda of various UG groups differ, contradict and imbalance the scales to match with solution thus leaving no room for single point agenda for the plebiscite to achieve.

3. Compare to the differences caused with shift of stand each major UG group has undergone from start of revolution to current period from secession to reconciliation but with conditions India became independent on 15th Aug, 1947. There was no political demand as on that day. Naga Hills was an out district of Assam & out of NEFA admin box. Manipur was single district administration unit even up to 1960`™s and there was only one IGP for entire Assam. So roughly speaking, it was treated as part of Assam (erstwhile greater Assam) for national policies & social percepts. In 1964 open skirmishes ended with 6 Sep signing of SoO in Nagaland after expansion of Naga Hills to Nagaland by clubbing adjacent areas up to permissible extends. UNLF (1964) started its basic operations of mobilizing awareness against apprehensions of Manipur breaking into three parts like Naga areas going to Nagaland as per then action plan of UNIC under Rishang`™s leadership. Manipur however retained its supreme, serene & pristine form as self with dissolution of UNIC in 1972, UNIC mergering with Congress & Manipur gaining statehood status i.e., nine years later than Nagaland.

4. After six decades of up & down wading through muddy waters of insurgency, Naga UGs have been persuaded to agree to appreciate the typical constitutional position & obligation of India towards its people & has made them almost agree to not to break Manipur. Fat economic packages are under way. UNLF Chief may also have the idea that plebiscite is to regularize the merger to assuage the hurt feelings of a section of hard thinking people so that confrontation may be called off honourably and with dignity. IT MAY NOT BE FOR SECESSION, who knows, but the way discussions are going on & political pundits who are acknowledged nationalists also titling in their thinking to plebiscite, it is feared current discussion in the valley may go astray. It may prompt Nagas- Kukis – Zous Hmars – and Sadar Hills occupants (where Gorkhas are also in countable numbers) may isolate themselves from plebiscite . As early as recommendation of State Re Organization Commission during the Premiership of late Jawaharlal Nehru, Manipur was threatened to be stripped of hill areas & valley was to be left as a district of Assam, which was out rightly turned down by him & Manipur remained as it is today. So Manipur tided over that unsuspected threat and moved on & on .

5. Going a bit century back, in 1891 uprising of Manipur Kingdom against British Power & devastation of Kangla Fort, dismembering of Manipuri armed strength, the recommendation was made to the Queen at London by the British Viceroy, Delhi after a Military Court of Inquiry, that Manipur to be merged into British Indian State. It is on record. Her Excellency Queen refused to do so. It was ordered Manipur – be kept as a native kingdom & King from right lineage be selected & taken to Mayo College, Ajmer for education & princely upbringing. Young boy of 5 years age Churachand was identified. Manipur territories thus remained intact and tutor of young prince Mr. Johnstone also moved to Manipur as Political Officer latter when same Churachand took over as Maharaja. Coronation was held with appropriate gun salute. Manipur retained its status as it is today when there was nobody to take care other than the Regent. Manipur had faced similar situation of forced hibernation during 1825 `“ 1832 known as Seven Years of Devastation caused by Awa men of Burma( recall Chahi Taret Khuntakpa period) but Manipur emerged phoenix like out of Yandaboo treaty ending conflict with Ava permanently.

6. Negotiation table is also lying without activity because what UNLF wants PREPAK, RPF and KCP may not agree to. It is suspected . It is therefore suggested Civil Society Organisations, Frontal organizations, influential intellectuals be organized into pressure groups to contact important UG leaders and suggest solid measures to uphold the spirit of Manipur so that its body culture is not disturbed . I humbly ask, is Spirit of Plebiscite conducive to the body culture of Manipur ? What is expected out of it by UNLF from plebiscite without participation from Hills. And Hills firing repeated salvos of various sorts for changing directions can not be under scored. If plebiscite is intended for secession (ism), one wonders how public meetings are being allowed to hold discussions on plebiscite in light of constitutional amendment No 16 of 1963 under sub head right to secession which clearly says ` even discussion of secessionism will invite no protection to freedom of speech`. which is guaranteed to all Indians under Fundamental Right in the Preamble of Constitution.However it can be a negotiation instrument for UNLF chief/ as & when his team sits with Govt. of India on the table to discuss.

7. For final and close to acceptable solution `“ three(Tarun Gogoi, Ibobi & Rio) political hat scorer including two in line up need to sit together with Hon`™ble HM Shri. P. Chidambaram, at Guwahati with Rajkhowa (ULFA) , Muivah (NSCN IM) and Meghen (UNLF) as special invitees and chart out key map for peaceful solution. Other are all wasteful efforts.

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Kohima, May 28 (NNN): The 61st meeting of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG) was held on Saturday at Hotel Japfü, Kohima. However, representatives of the NSCN/GPRN were absent from the meeting.

Briefing media persons after the meeting, the chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group, Eapen Jacob Kochekan Major General (Retd.) said representatives of the NSCN/GPRN chose to stay away from the meeting, while divulging that the group members had been keeping away from the meeting for the past several months adding that, earlier meetings were cancelled for this reason.

In this regard, he reminded that the CFMG is a mechanism set up by the Government of India and NSCN leadership to strengthen the ongoing political dialogue process whereby, certain ground rules had been set up. The chairman felt that the absence of the NSCN/GPRN is for consideration as to whether non-participation in the deliberation of the ceasefire monitoring group is in line with the spirit of the agreement. He said while many issues were discussed during the meeting, most of the points required the views of the NSCN and informed these issues have been conveyed to the organization by the office of the chairman and response would be awaited. As chairman, he expressed hope that all parties would attend future deliberations of the CFMG so that the group would be able to help and support the political Elaborating on this, the chairman disclosed that since the shooting incident at Namsa in August, 2010, the NSCN/GPRN has not attended the meeting citing several reasons as stated by the NSCN/GPRN which include, ground rules are not being implemented and that the previous meeting was chaired by a representative other than the proper chairman. He said the NSCN/GPRN further argued that the chairman had been appointed without consultation. Stating that the NSCN/GPRN has been giving one reason or the other, the chairman explained that discussions during the meeting are held when the parties give their views and on questions of ground rules, the chairman decides and directs parties involved within the ambit of the ground rules set up.

On extortion and taxation, the chairman read out a reference section from the Ceasefire ground rules where it is stated the government of India had raised concern on forcible intimidation on individuals including government officials. It is mentioned, the NSCN representative had stated that they being a people`™s organization did not resort to such activities. However, in view of the concern expressed by the GoI, and the interest of promoting the peace process, the NSCN representatives reportedly agreed that such activities would be prevented. The chairman opined, if somebody is indulging in extortion, since the NSCN claims it is against their mandate, people have to be made aware that whatever activity is taking place is not with the expressed approval of the group and people should desist from giving.

On the rape incident at Chedema, the chairman said he had not received any complaint so far, but information had been received from the Assam Rifles. He felt everyone feels the pinch of extortion and taxation and people need to be bolder, while lamenting that, unfortunately, fear is all pervading in such cases. He further opined a lot of criminal activities are taking place in the name of various groups and it has now become a convenient excuse for a lot of unscrupulous business people and the entire brunt is being borne by the poor people.

The Ceasefire Monitoring Group consists of five representatives each from the Government of India including the State DGP, IGAR, DIG (CRPF), and Secretary to the chairman from the GoI, the NSCN/GPRN and civil society, NSCN/GPRN. However, representatives from the civil society have reportedly not attended a single meeting so far. Besides the chairman, the meeting on Saturday was attended by Thechamo Lotha, Addl. DGP Nagaland, Banuo Z. Jamir, Addl. Chief Secretary and Commissioner Nagaland, Major Sandeep Kumar IGAR (N) and Prabhanjan Kumar, Commandant CRPF.

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by Soibam Haripriya
Phijigee Mani: Directed by O. Gautam
Produer: Medha Sharmi

Phijigee Mani as the title alludes to, reveals the beauty of subtle sensibilities of the Meiteis anchored on the universal essence of human relationships. The huge billboard in red with silhouette of archers in the background and a woman`™s angst ridden face in the foreground is a prelude to the promise of a different experience. The poster juxtaposed between others which stares at you with blood shot eyes of men and streaming eyes of women beckons yet it was with reluctance that I pulled myself to watch a Manipuri Feature film wary of insensitive dialogues and proclamation and preaching of the ideal Meitei nupi and mou.

Phijigee Mani opens with beginnings born of love and passion with seas of emotion surging within and yet not outpouring onto you. A mother`™s sweet irrationality, a sport person`s struggle amidst the politics behind the glory of the games for a land one traces one`™s belonging to, are all hinted at brief moments.

The movie which breaks stereotypical image of the lead protagonist Bonny must have disappointed many fans. One shouted from the backseat of BOAT at the premiere show `Bonny nang yaamna pharamle ko`, but it could be a good moment for actors, directors and producers to come up with challengingly chiselled out roles. Tonthoi`™s role as Yaifabi was the thread tying the various characters and anchoring moments. The angst of Yaifabi and her parents, when uninvited at the hour of white garlands of their beloved Phijigee Mani `“Sanajaoba (Bonny) `“ the son and brother embedded with the burden of living up to the hopes and dreams of the family, each hide within the safe corner of the infinite within.

The anxiety for a brother who has cast away yesterday`™s hopes and has begun to forge new ones and the desire to find the nook in his heart was Yaifabi`™s quest. She succeeded and the message at the core `“ of love, forgiveness and reconciliation were arrived at without a surprise. One admits that the film has tedious scenes and the chemistry between Sanajaoba and his wife Jessica could have been better etched to highlight the promise and perils of inter-community marriages. However, Sanajaoba`™s mother did the job- struggling to accept his son`™s beloved, embracing her granddaughter Langlen to her bosom and finally at the time of farewells blessing her daughter-in-law, without reluctance of either feelings or tears. Many used to thundering emotions bordering on the spectacular might take time to revive feeling numbed by the former, yet I believe the time is right for a more mature cinema, the time is right to nurture subtle sensibilities and mature audience. At the end of the film, one understands that everyone dies to be borne anew to beginnings.

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IMPHAL, May 28: Apollo Cancer Institutes (ACI) has launched a nationwide massive Oral Cancer Awareness month starting from May 28. The primary focus of this campaign is to make people aware about oral cancer and its prevention.

According to an emailed statement, the Apollo Cancer Institutes is organizing free oral screening camps in various cities in the north-eastern part of the country which will also include Imphal. Cancer specialists from various Apollo hospitals are participating in these camps to screen patients for any symptoms of oral cancer. Other activities like awareness ads, leaflet distribution and education program for local doctors are also being undertaken in this part of the country, the statement added.

The statement further stated that Dr Rupali Basu, chief executive officer, Eastern Region, Apollo Hospitals Group, said in a communication `Apollo Hospitals have been the frontrunners in providing the best cancer care in the country. Our hospitals are known for introducing new technologies and the team of cancer specialists are relentlessly offering their expertise and services to help our thousands of patients who need world class cancer care. We are committed to bring all treatment modalities to fight cancer in our hospitals`. She also added, `Apollo Cancer Institutes have undertaken a massive awareness drive to make people about Oral Cancer `“ Its causes, prevention and treatment. We are conducting our first oral cancer screening camp at Imphal today`.

According to the statement, Dr Litan Naha Biswas, consultant Radiation Oncology of Apollo Gleneagles Cancer Hospital, Kolkata is in Imphal to screen the patients who are attending the screening camp. He said,` we all know the best way to beat oral cancer is by detecting it early. This is especially important for those who chew tobacco, smoke cigarettes, use snuff, and/or consume alcohol`. According to him one must get himself/herself screened immediately if they have persistent skin lesion, lump or ulcer in the mouth area, lump on the neck, pain in the neck or throat, numbness in the face, frequent headaches, and difficulty in swallowing or chewing.

Oral cancer usually demands a combination of treatments like surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. That`™s why, instead of an individual doctor, the fight against oral cancer needs a small army of professionals. Like a medical oncologist, a radiation specialist and a surgical oncologist. Each an expert in his/her field and work together, it added.

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By Chitra Ahanthem
One wise saying has this for people to ponder over: you fear what you don`™t know. And if there is one stage of life where fear plays a central part, it is the world of childhood where in each one of us try to make sense of the outer world. The growing up years is when we want to explore our surroundings yet scared to step out. It is also the stage when grown up people in their own beliefs of protecting us or trying to steer us out of trouble, tend to fill our ears with stories of doom and punishment. I am pretty sure that most our parents or family elders used the medium of stories to scare the living day lights out of children in the belief that they would be more obedient (with the threat of punishment with `proof` from stories).

The scare factor in my younger years was Tapta. Looking at the story now, one cannot help but be impressed by the very basic premise of Tapta: a creature that does not exist with the two main protagonists (the tiger and the thief) both believing the worst of this non-existing creature. But the narrative power of the story when the mother trying to soothe down her wailing baby says `tapta laak ae` (Tapta has come) and the immediate aftermath of the child stopping its wails immediately builds up the suspense of this `creature` and how hideous and mean it would be in its appearance. Lai khutshaangbi was another creature who made the windows in our house assume a very terrifying structure. The thought of a long stretchable arm that would swoop down on `children who do not behave` looked like a reality given my rebellious nature. Since there were no comic books then with local fables, it was our imaginations that drew our own mental pictures of the ogress with the stretchable arms. For me, she was someone with bloodshot eyes, unkempt straw like hair and hands that would go on and on. I remember a part of me trying to visualize how she would have rested her long arms when she tried to sleep. My imagination failed me but made up with the heart stopping terror of being lifted away. When my grand father told me that the `red` patch that we find in sugarcane is actually the blood of the lai khutshangbi after a father of a child cut her arms off, it bred more questions for me: would her arms grow back? No one gave me any answer and that scared me further. Thinking of an injured ogress meant conjuring the image of a very angry woman who would want revenge!

Yet, Tapta and Lai khutshaangbi sounded more mythical but with Churanthaaba, it was a different chapter altogether. Here was another entity whose features we were not told about, a being who was supposed to go about with a huge sack to collect unruly children. One major concern that occupied a lot of thought was what would happen to the children so caught. But the scariest `explanation` about what happened to the children caught by Churanthaaba was that they were being used as sacrifices while building huge bridges. The elders in the family said that Thong Nambobi (the humped bridge that connects Waheng Leikai with the bazaar area) was full of children!

I can only laugh at my naivete then. Yet, the fear of these entities were more or less shared by many of our generation and earlier. With later generations of children bred on story-books and fables, the terror made out by fictional characters just does not stay since they would discover much earlier in life that they were make belief. With TV and cartoon shows and video games exposing them to visual imagery, they did not have their imaginations creating a greater atmosphere of fear. They have no baggage of heart stopping terror of the unknown. Rather, they come up with startling conjectures. I remember my now 6-year-old son coming back from his school about a year ago. He looked very excited as he blurted it all out in a rush, `Mama, Tapta does exist! He sings songs. One is called `sambru`™ (mole)!` He was connecting the fictional Tapta with the singer`™s artistic identity and that was his discovery for me to acknowledge.

End-point:
Child psychologists may not approve of the tendency of parents and elders to tell children about scary characters or stories. Also, there is a certain feeling of being let down when we discover that our elders have often lied to us to make us behave for often, the stories were not often told as mere stories. Rather, they were used to scare us into `behaving`. Of course, it is now a different story altogether for the children we see around us now. Their world reflects the environment around them. The sad reality for them though is that their world of bandhs, blockades, murder, gun violence and more is scarier than the make belief characters our own parents told us about.

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by Rajen Singh Laishram
I have no travel experience beyond parts of Oriental Asia. Yet encounters from such sojourn are reminder of the visible contrast of conviviality among the officials and people in Asia and glacial attitude of my fellow Indians.

One does not face the harrowing tales of harassment, physical attacks, and continual attitudinal discrimination while living and travelling in India for being a Chinki. Chinkiness rather paves way for a normal bonding, unusual in many parts of India. Not surprising, though, as various communities are interspersed along the political boundaries with history of shared migration.

It is probably also the cosmological union and Karma that is reorienting our curiosity, memories, quest for restoring normal pattern of relationships with East and South East Asia.

Exploiting the apparent similarities in language, culture among the communities in North East India and East and South East Asia may augment the Indian state`™s foray in East Asia with its stress on Look East policy and public diplomacy.

Involving communities from North East India can be a fillip in erasing the perception of neglect, provide some scope for participation in the developmental process, bridge the cultural and racial hiatus with the Indian state, hence worth deliberation as a policy option.

Many communities in India traces their origin south of the Yarlung Zangbo, source of the Brahmaputra River, including the Tai-Ahoms or Ahoms, an offspring of the Tai people who are called Shan in Myanmar, Thai in Thailand, Lao in Laos, Dai and Zhuang in China and Tay-Thai in Vietnam.

The oral history of Chin-Kuki-Mizo communities places their origin to Sinlung/Chinlung or closed cave, probably the Great Wall in China. The exodus of Chin-Kuki-Mizo people from China was necessitated by the forcible conscription of people for the construction of the Great Wall by Emperor Shi Huang Di around 200BC. The personal names of many Chin-Kuki-Mizo groups have many similarities with the Chinese hint to a connection.

Cathay is the old name of China then, the term Kathe which is used by Burmese to describe the Meitei is a pointer of the possible migration rather an original or early settler of China proper. Similarities in the nouns between Chinese languages and speeches used among communities in Northeast India and Southeast Asia are also a point worth investigation.

Many of us are not aware that the Meitei, who is assumed to be a part of the Black Tai, out of the three kindred of Tai: White Tai, Black Tai and Red Tai, are addressed as Tai mi meaning Tai people by many hill tribes in Manipur. Even the Manipuri vernacular meaning of the universe as Taibangpan, meaning the world in which the Tai reign, is suggestive of the old connection with the Tai community in Yunnan.

The similarities in the name of places may be no coincidence. A predominantly Loi village Tairenpokpi, which is situated at the foothills of Imphal West may be one of the early settlement of the Tai people who probably migrated from Yunnan, as the name suggest.

In Yunnan there is a place called Damenlong, pronounced as Tamenlong. Whether Tamenglong in Manipur and Damenlong has any mythological and historical connection even in the oral history and tradition must inspire our Anthropologist, Linguists and Historians alike.

I am also reminded of Professor Horam, who mentioned in passing over our habitual rounds of Scotch and Royal Sekmai that Tangkhul Naga legend has that Yunnan is the place of origin of the Tangkhul. Many Naga friends from Nagaland, when inquired about the origin of the Naga shares that some of the Naga may have migrated from South East Asia, as there are oral history and discovery of fossils and shells peculiar to ocean.

While staying in the Montien Riverside Hotel in Bangkok, the food and beverages manager of the hotel, who happens to be from Chiangmai, took special care of me once he learnt that I am from Manipur and volunteered assistance. The manager was aware of the Trans-Asian Highway and talked about possibility of having renewed contacts through this.

Exploring the similarities in the cultural and settlement patterns of the Chiangmai in northern Thailand and Sekmai in Manipur could be the beginning of Manipur`™s nongpok thong hangba. In an international conference at Gwalior, Amara Prasithrathsint, emeritus professor of Linguistics in Chulalongkorn University, narrated Manipur is known as Manipura in the Thai chronicles.

If the Khasi, one of the few matrilineal communities in India, have migrated from Yunnan before being pushed out of the Red River delta of Vietnam, then what should interest us is the possible connection between the Khasi and the Mosuo community of Lugu Lake in Yunnan.

The Mosuo is one of surviving matrilineal community in China and has been attracting internal and foreign tourists. The Mosuo community practices a system of marriage called zouhun or walking marriage, where one can choose a female partner for a day, months, and year or for a life time.

Although Hinduism became a state religion of Manipur in the early part of the 18th Century, influence of Hinduism was traceable in 1474 with the worship of Pha (God) ? stone image of Lord Vishnu ridding over the Garuda, when Pong (Shan) king Sabwa Khekhomba gifted to Meitei King Thangwai Ningthouba also known as Kyamba.

This idol which is still worshipped in a temple at Bishnupur bears resemblance to Chandis temple of Java as in the Chandi Punta Deva of 7th century such as the corbelled arch in Borobudur and ventilation holes in Chandi Pawon. This should be reason enough for us to ponder over the early connection.

Balinese dance and Manipuri dance form may have visibly similar gestures. But we are reminded by a lady Professor from Chulalongkorn University, who led a troupe at the Jawaharlal Nehru Manipur Dance Academy that some of the Thai dance forms have more similarities with Manipuri Dance. The Balinese dance gestures are played above the shoulder with direct eye gestures and contacts, whereas Manipuri and Thai dance form are gestures from below the shoulder with no direct eye-contact.
I am not a temple-hopping Hindu, but the bliss of visiting a Hindu temple was experienced in Besakih temple?derived from Sanskrit word wasuki which means saviour?in Bali, Indonesia. There are no touts and beggars imposing their service and wares in this temple, largest in Bali.

Manipur history has valorized King Khagemba`™s defeat of Chinese giant Khagi king of China. Inquiries into this matter with some Chinese scholars suggest that there was no such record. There are suggestions that King Khagemba might have defeated one of the chiefs of the Yi tribe and the word Khagi probably means Kha Yi meaning South Yi. Nonetheless this testifies the fluctuating links either through conquest or expeditions on either side.

The ubiquitous yellow color among the Tais in Yunnan reminds me of the yellow khudei Meitei grooms traditionally wears day after the wedding and yellow muga silk suit that adorns the bride on the mapam chakouba the possibility of Tai lineage.
The copper plate used in the Umanglais bust and in idols at Kondong Lairembi and Eengourok are reminder of the Buddhist influence from South East Asia. A Mahidol University faculty is tracing the possible routes of this past.

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IMPHAL May 28: Among the six people injured in a poll related incident at 19/9 polling station at Mahabali Rongmei LP School of ward No.19 on May 25, the condition of Sumitra Palmei, 32, d/o (L) Laldun Lungpu who was severely injured on her face and scalp area has worsen and is now admitted in the ICCU of Shija Hospital, said Lamta Golmei, 54, who was also badly hurt during the incident, in a press conference held at Mangge Makhong, Bhamon Leikai, today.

Narrating the incident, Lamta Golmei, strongly denied the statement made on several local dailies by the supporters of Y. Ratikanta, BJP councilor candidate for ward No. 19.

He said that on May 25 at 19/9 polling station at around 3.30 pm, a grey colored Bolero came speeding along the narrow road leading to Mahabali Rongmei L.P. School and came to a sudden halt without any concerned for the people who passing by the road.

He stated that the sudden commotion caused a gust of dust to blow all around the place that caused serious inconveniences to the nearby people, and added that he saw Y. Ratikanta, BJP candidate for councilor of ward No. 19 came down with few of his associates from the Bolero. On seeing the commotion a woman complained to him of the consequences in which he readily showed unbecoming attitudes to the people present at that time that later led to the altercation. He alleged that the candidate himself came with an intention as there were already 10/20 workers stationed in that area who later joined in to the altercation.

The candidate along with his several workers beat several people including women and drove off leaving no time to react for the others, he said alleging the action as a premeditated and well thought out plan.

Lamta further alleged that without any reason he was also beaten up black and blue along with his son Rocky Golmei, 27, who came running after him on seeing the situation. He stated that all of the injured persons were supporters of RK (ongbi) Bina Devi, INC councilor candidate.

He further condemned Y. Ratikanta, BJP councilor candidate for making false charges by tarnishing the facts. The other injured persons were Maja Gangpu Palmei 25, brother of Sumitra Palmei, Jolsian Golmei 25, s/o Amusanna Golmei, Bijoy Malingmei 26, s/o Khuman Singh Malingmei, Abui Kamei 32, Asing Puina Golmei, 26, and Konjengbam Nanao, 27, all from ward no. 19, Mahabali, he added.

Talking to the media persons, Thounaojam Vikramaditya, president Yaiskul Block Youth Congress committee, the convenor for the press meet refuted the charges and alleged that Prof. S. Tiken, vice president of BJP state unit had wrongly labeled charges by concealing the facts and encouraged Gundaism or hooliganisms. He charged that the high honourable esteem position held by such national party like BJP has been maligned by fielding such an incompetent person.

He added that it was very unfortunate that several baseless labels were also framed by S.Tiken on Rk. Dorendro husband of Rk (ongbi) Bina Devi, Congress councilor candidate of ward no. 19.

He further termed the derogatory remark made by Tiken as unfounded as no such incident of threatening with a licensed revolver to anyone by Dorendro took place, Th. Vikramaditya added.

He has also demanded that Prof. S.Tiken, should immediately clarify on the derogatory remarks and wrong allegation made on several local dailies on May 26 that were subsequently published on May 27.

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By Amar Yumnam
The Mega Manipur School recently had her Sixth Foundation Day. This function is going to be particularly memorable for me. After my speech at the function and while I was coming down from the dais a little girl, lovely one at that, of the Pre-Primary Class and whom I had just met asked me straight on my face as to what all I was talking about. This had multiples of lasting impact on me. First, in any case, I was completely floored by her straight innocent query. Second, what was my point of speaking any if I could not communicate with all who were present at the function? Was it a case of my suffering from the usual community habit of taking the children for granted? Should we not be altering our way of looking at things as in every generation the children were getting smarter? Above all, I was taught a lesson by this little girl about the need for communication. In fact, there cannot be any thriving society without an effective communication flows across communities, ages and space. Thanks to that little girl of whom I have taken photographs; I would forever cherish her refreshingly inquisitive face.

The necessity of communication is further reinforced by what is happening in connection with the political conclave at Senapati. The absurdity of all sides is being established by this and the reactions to it. It is absolute and unwarranted political gimmick which amounts to nothing more than a social noise for a head of people of one province trying to fan political instability in the neighbouring province. It is equally funny for the opponents of such political gimmicks to come to a reactionary mode and organise actions dictated by this. Neither side has nothing to gain nor proves any point whatsoever. While the organisers would presume to themselves as barking successfully, those opposing are to be blames for their own failure to endeavour for effective communication and surfacing only when something is being planned. The political class has to be cursed for its failure to evolve a system of communication and inclusiveness while being busy in self aggrandisement.

Absence of Enlightenment: All these make one seriously think of as to when Manipur would usher into a phase of Enlightenment like the one experienced by Europe in the eighteenth century. Well here it would be relevant directly to quote from a recent book on the phenomenon and impact of what we call Enlightenment: `Radical Enlightenment is a set of basic principles that can be summed up concisely as: democracy; racial and sexual equality; individual liberty of lifestyle; full freedom of thought, expression, and the press; eradication of religious authority from the legislative process and education; and full separation of church and state. It sees the purpose of the state as being the wholly secular one of promoting the worldly interests of the majority and preventing vested minority interests from capturing control of the legislative process. Its chief maxim is that all men have the same basic needs, rights, and status irrespective of what they believe or what religious, economic, or ethnic group they belong to, and that consequently all ought to be treated alike, on the basis of equity, whether black or white, male or female, religious or nonreligious, and that all deserve to have their personal interests and aspirations equally respected by law and government. Its universalism lies in its claim that all men have the same right to pursue happiness in their own way, and think and say whatever they see fit, and no one, including those who convince others they are divinely chosen to be their masters, rulers, or spiritual guides, is justified in denying or hindering others in the enjoyment of rights that pertain to all men and women equally.` (Jonathan Israel, A Revolution of the Mind: Radical Enlightenment and the Intellectual Origins of Modern Democracy, Princeton University Press 2010)

We do not observe any of the Enlightenment principles taking roots in the soil of Manipur. While all are busy with communitarian-based politics, the society in Manipur today does not show any signs of positive engagement on issues capable of taking the collective forward. The long years of non-inclusive governance and development interventions had had a lasting impact on the propagation of non-inclusive politics. Now this has reached such a level that we are at a stage where it looks as if nothing positive is going to happen at the politico-economy-wide level. This indeed is the issue the political leadership has to address in right earnest so that a legacy of exclusion and chaos is not left for the generations to come. What Manipur needs today is initiation of a cycle of honesty, honest communication, inclusive approach and initiation of a cycle of positive loop for collectively shared progression. The current ruling paradigm of looting through contracts, supplies, nepotism and favouritism have failed and would fail to serve any social purpose today, and the scenario would only worsen once the larger Asian integration process starts impacting Manipur.

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