Manipur News

Imphal Apr 18 UNA : The 23 children from Manipur who were recently rescued from a children home at Jaipur of Rajasthan and brought back to Imphal by the authority of the Manipur State for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) were Thursday handed over to district child welfare committees for onward handing over to their respective guardians.
The 23 children between the age of eight and ten, from Manipur were among 51 children rescued by the Rajasthan state authority and NGOs including members of Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi (TSLD) from illegal confinement at two illegal child shelter homes in Jaipur on March 13 last.
They were brought back to Imphal on March 30 last and have been lodging at Child Observation Centre at Imphal’s Takyelpat, runs by social welfare department of Manipur government for medical treatment and counseling.
Authority of the child observation centre handed over the children to the authority of district child welfare committees of Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong districts today in the presence of state social welfare minister AK Meerabai Devi.
Of the 23 rescued children, 19 were from Ukhrul, one from Chandel and three from Tamenglong district.
After handing over the children, minister AK Meerabai said that the children would be imparted education to government run residential schools in their respective districts which they would be kept at Adhimjati Shiksha Ashram at Imphal after they passed Class-X for higher study.
The minister said that as a part of government initiative to check children from falling into the hands of the child traffickers, his department was getting ready for conducting awareness programme across the state, particularly in the remote hill areas.
She cautioned parents and guardians from the people who pretended to be pasture and make false promises to send their wards to unregistered children homes outside the state, asserting that rescued of state children from unregistered children homes outside the state and from illegal confinement was not a new thing in the state.
Mention may be made that the 23 children between the age of eight and ten, from Manipur were among 51 children rescued by the Rajasthan state authority and NGOs including members of Tangkhul Shanao Long, Delhi (TSLD) from illegal confinement at two illegal child shelter homes in Jaipur on March 13 last.
The 23 children (14 girls and 9 boys) were rescued from Grace Home runs by one Jacob John, who claims to be a pastor. They were allegedly taken away through local persons who made false promises of imparting good education free of cost at the children homes.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/children-rescued-from-jaipur-join-their-families/

IMPHAL, April 18 NNN : The apex tribal students’ body of Manipur has urged the chief minister of Manipur to appoint the seniormost IAS officer available in the state as the next chief secretary of Manipur.
“We the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM) bringing this plea with the highest respect and great hope that you will kindly give due consideration to our pleadings that we are in the knowledge that the present chief secretary, Manipur is retiring this month after many years of illustrious service,” said the ATSUM leaders today.
“We believe and trust that your government will act as always, keeping the interest of all people of Manipur, by upholding the rule of law and existing convention in the matter of appointing the next chief secretary of Manipur.
“It is our pride that of the available of IAS officers in the state today, the seniormost officers are tribals from the state. It is our earnest hope and prayer that the seniormost officer will be given the opportunity to serve the state as the next chief secretary,” the apex tribal students’ body added. The apex tribal students’ body then said, “Our shared experiences of the past made us cautious about the issue at hand but sir, we are not pessimistic. However, if seniority is not given its due in this appointment, wrongly or rightly, it could be assumed as a communal manifestation of the present government

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/appointment-of-chief-secretary/

UKHRUL, April 18 NNN : The United NGOs Mission, Manipur, Women Committee has reached out to the victimized girl child from Manipur’s Ukhrul district, who has left with severe physical injuries after she was reportedly subjected to severe physical tortures by the house owners for whom she had been working as a domestic help.
A team of UNM-M led by its convenor Sobita Mangshatabam paid a visit to the village and there the team interacted with the family of the victim, village headman and Tangkhul social organization leaders and members of the Joint Action Committee seeking justice for the 9-year-old girl yesterday.
Talking to the media, Homi Chawing, one of the relatives of the victim, sought help from civil society organizations to ensure medical treatment for the minor, who was a class I student of Tasher High School, Ukhrul.
Sobita assured that UNM-M will help out the girl victim. She also generously donated Rs 5,000 to the family of the girl during the visit and urged it to bring the child to Imphal for better treatment.
The victim was working as a domestic help for one Antibas Horam, a resident of Kachai village but presently resides at 7 Finance Colony, Ukhrul.
The house owner’s son and wife named Jim Horam and Edah Horam allegedly attempted to murder the domestic help by physically assaulting her in the house on February 3, 2013.
She suffered severe injuries in the beating that she got multiple fractures and also broken bones.
A criminal case against the Antibas family was registered on the same day at Ukhrul Police Station. The accused are stated to be Government employees.
The JAC has been demanding necessary physical, emotional and medical care to the victim.
Jim is now being lodged in Central Sajiwa Jail, Imphal on the charges of attempted murder of the domestic help, while his mother had been released on bail not long after their arrest in connection with the case.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ngos-reach-out-to-girl-victims/