Tag: Articles-Opinions

By: Tinky Ningombam

A long time has passed since I got a greeting card leave alone a letter for New Year`™s. The last I remember was a small tag card that came along with a gift which just said `Best Wishes`. I think cards and letters have disappeared starting from our generation. How long has it been since one bought a stamp and mailed a letter? How long since one mailed a postcard? We are so used to sending short text mails and instant messages that writing with our hand has become taxing for us. Gone are the days when we needed an Archies`™ card to express our love.

One of my priced possession is a postcard letter that one of my convent Sister sent to me. If I am not wrong that was the first letter that anyone had posted to me in my life. She had transferred to another school in the country and a group of us had written letters that we dropped for her through our school mail. To my surprise and joy, we got a letter back from her, tapped to the notice board. It was hardly two pages from her asking us about our school and telling us about her new one but with it brought the strange joy of receiving a handwritten letter marked with my name.

But this seems like ages ago. Handwritten letters have gradually disappeared from our social life. Despite my infallible love of paper and writing, I have replaced my ink and paper for the fast and edit-ready laptop. I recall the time in school when I used to write most of the friends`™ letters. That used to be a fun affair. I could create elaborate premises, use extended metaphors, show-off my love of words. In the olden days my trade would definitely have been one of writing letters for people.

Now we do not opt for slow communication. Emails and text messages have replaced what was once a very personal and slow process of penning down one`™s thoughts and then sharing it. There is something about the act of thinking and stringing words writing to someone. Then the bittersweet feeling of waiting for the letter reaching someone and the anticipation of a response.

With letters, the thoughts are permanent. We cannot pen down a transient thought. It has to be a commitment to our feeling at that point of time and it captured what we felt at that moment. Whether it was a forceful scribbling with dabs of ink on the corner of the pages or a phrase that was gingerly written after many corrections and cross-outs. I believe that the auto-corrected electronic word documents or type pads cannot capture the personality of a handwritten note.

It is in-fact a secret joy for me to find second hand books where I find small notes at the sides, a small doodle or even a piece of handwritten note as it lends more character to the book which has captured a little bit of the history of the previous owner. And for that I hoard my own scribbled notes. Random bad literature and handwritten notes which once meant something quite different to me. If one asks anyone about the last time we wrote a letter to someone we might not even remember the year. Goethe said that letters are among the most significant memorial a person can leave behind after their passing away. Be it Oscar Wilde`™s impeccable love letters or John Keats`™ pained last letters to his friends. The charm of handwritten letters is one that will have no match to compare with.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/the-end-of-handwritten-letters/

By RK Lakhi Kant

A different playfield on the bridge.
A poor boy running playfully on the
iron floor of the bridge conveys
much more than we can understand.
Boyish fun does not depend on
anything else, sometimes not even
on the bare survival he is living for
on a pan stained over-bridge.
I saw an old mother waiting;
for what I am not sure, but
I think she was begging.
Begone begging, begone! Give the
old mother a better occupation.
The woman I saw sitting on the
lowest step of the staircase on the
entrance gate to the metro rail, when
I was setting out for selling some
books a few stations down
the way, was still in the same
place and the same trouble
when I reached the place a second
time over after finishing my work.
I am not sure how much aware she
was of her condition in the
cold winter day. The sun
which was out in the afternoon
when I left was set and the
street lamp nearby was lit
behind the tree there.
Maybe she mistook the lamp
for the sun; but soon the
realization would come that the
cold night is approaching and
she is without any means to
manoeuvre through the chill.
There`s no end in sight to
this suffering and as I
reach the marketplace I see
a boy, barely dressed for the cold,
leaving the garbage site after
rummaging through the dump
to see if he could find something
of any value for recycling.
The dogs somehow find these
people to growl at dangerously
and bark chasing them away.
I am not sure why the dog
does this because people
without a home deserve to be
given protection, especially
young kids. Dogs are usually
very friendly with young boys
but they don`t like people,
especially kids, to dress up
in filthy clothes and be vagabonds.
When did the boy have a bath and
change of clothes the last time,
I wonder.
O ruthless, ruthless this life.
Cooked food and a shelter and
warm clothing for the night.
An easy work made difficult
a thousand times over by the
agents of vice who sell away
and profit from the warm beddings
at the few night shelters for the
poor in the city.
Let`s not break the hearts
of the four-five year old boys
and girls who are just beginning
to find out the truth about a
dreary life, in the cold wintry
nights on the pavements.
Give relief, give relief to my
poor countrymen.
Let not even the slightest
feelings for the candidates
eligible for kindness
go by abegging without any
response. Give them food and
shelter so that they can live
properly, than an inhuman
death, left with no choice,
give them the relief.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/a-cold-bed/

By Ajay Moirangthem

I woke up in a new world,
with dreams being exagerated.
I started my short journey,burled
with a firm hold of fist, unfolded.
I cherrished, the lively days of yesterday.
Time being my patron reflector,
everyday I changed with time.
Everything was new and infantile.
Today I woke up from the day
And walked in front of a mirror.
I`m happy of what I have gained through time,
And I smile.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/time-the-patron-of-man/

By Bobby Wahengbam

`The Good Road` (2012) directed by Gyan Correa, was officially selected to represent India for the Oscars last year. It was a proud moment for the Indian Regional film industry and particularly the Gujarati Film Industry. Luckily, I could grab a copy of the film from the local market. The film was shown at the TC Foundation monthly screening (not commercial in any sense) and everybody likes the film. Actually, the regional film industries excepting the Marathi industry are in the midst of trouble for want of good cinema, good critic and good support. The history of Gujarati film industry- Dhollywood/ Gollywood is simply the history of erosion of its talent pool to the mainstream Bollywood film.

There are the likes of the Bhatts (Mukesh, Mahesh, Alia), Kumars (Sanjeev, Rajendra, Mehul), Banshalis (Sanjay Leela), Patels, Mehboob Khn, Manmohan Desai, Abas Mastan, Vipul Shah and the likes who had ruled Bollywood but hardly contribute to the developmentof Gujarati film. Artistic recognition to Gujarati film is hard to achieve though it has the credit of producing film as early as 1932 with the release of its first full length feature film, `Narasinh Mehta` directed by Nanubhai Vakil. Few films like Bhavani Bhavai (1980, Ketan Mehta,), `Little Zizou` (20009, Sooni Taraporevala) could make a mark in the world cinema. Luckily, after a long hiatus, a Gujarati film shines in the elitist film circle. But it is shocking to learn that the film is criticised to the core by the Gujarati film critics and public alike. It is to wonder, whether the countering is personal as Gyan belongs to Mumbai with a South Mumbai upbringing and who is not familiar in Gujarat. But he has done something the great Gujarati film makers had been shying off through years so long considering Gujarati films far inferior. But many critics became vocal in criticising the film for lack of local flavour and real Gujaratinees.

They claim that child prostitution shown in the film is not a reality in their highways. But to us the debate in this plane is immaterial since the film can move us intellectually. Our readings and impression on the film might be very different from all other critique so far. But our free flow understanding may be a worth gaze on the film and film sensitivity. The film comes in a time where the world of Indian Art film is suffering without remarkable progress for want of universally appealing intellectual films. Sadly, our good films hardly become good in the annals of world cinema. Indeed, there have been very few films that brought laurels for the highest number of film producing country.

On the other hand, Commercial films are gaining momentum with more territory, viewership, popularity and profit. Luckily, Indian cinema is blessed with this amazing film which has the capacity to be a game changer as far as good sensitive offbeat films produced with a stream of consciousness are concerned. The film deserves more than just an Indian entry to the Oscars. Thankfully, an elegant and sensitive film is finally recognized, though late, and prevails over ordinary and conventional films. It is at least a film that can shed away the pretended aesthetically paddling impression on Indian cinema so formed. It is a different Indian film in terms of content, form, treatment and style. Though underplay, the film explicitly speaks volumes of the complexities of the characters and the story.

The story unfolds calmly and naturally where three different groups are introduced, interlaced by the road. Though the film is about three stories around a road journey on a Gujarat Highway in a time frame of 24 hours, the film can`™t be exclusively bracketed under `road movie`™ genre in the sense that the characters carry their own agendas though the three groups are dexterously weaved. And the stories are told with lyrical delicacy connoting more by denoting less. So, in this minimalist expression `less is more`. With few dialogues, appearances and gestures of the characters, the film could convey lots with insightful sensitivity. The film addresses about parental ego where children have to face the brunt, the menace of child trafficking and the organized highway sting operations among others.

Pappu, a truck driver, is occupied with the thought of his family particularly his niece who keeps asking about him. He is expressionless but experienced and human. He even loves and emotionally attached with his truck. That is why the Pimp for whom he is ferrying illegal consignment and staging accident to claim insurance told him that `it is only a truck, not your wife `.His helper, Sauket, acted by Priyank with ease, provides hidden background information to the viewers through casual confrontation with Aditya (Keval), the missing kid. He says that the shopkeeper who directed Pappu to stage accident is actually a pimp who also kidnaps children of rich parents for ransom. Pappu, the driver, is difficult to be understood. He is shown close to his niece and he wants Aditya to be hand over to his parents personally. But he doesn`™t submit the kid to the police who are making publicity on mike about it.

We wonder, whether he doesn`™t trust thepolice on highway duty or planning other things around. Or the child trafficking is so organized and professional that the traffickers could easily brainwash children emotionally to be part with them. Aditya trusts Pappu and Saukat more than the police on the road.

The episode of Poonam, the little girl, who is on the run to make her way to her grandmother in Lathanga, the destination of almost all the characters, has been dropped by a truck driver midway where one can find only a cluster where many young girls house in. At the beginning, it seems to be an oasis and a wonderful place for children. But it happened to be a highway brothel where minor girls are displayed at night for prostitution. The truck driver might have dropped her there intentionally as part of the organized crime. The caretaker stages and acts in such a way that it is only Poonam that approaches him for want of food and other necessities. Though forced, it is never obvious but impressed that he is actually helping the girls including Poonam.

The whole situation is come to light to the mind of the viewer`™s when Rinkle, another girl in the cluster, tells Poonam that everyone, in the beginning, have said that she was leaving in the evening and staying only for the day. And we come to know about the well planned trafficking network. When Poonam is put to gaudy make up and eventually chosen by a customer, she runs away in front of the public. So, the care taker has to deport her to avoid controversy. And the character of Rinkle talks more than she appears. She carries an aristocratic look, polished mannerism all that is required to indicate a girl from a decent urban family back ground. More than that, she carries mini short so well like any metro girl does. Make-up for the night actually destroys her sophisticated look.

But to the sock of all she says she is happy here and doesn`™t want to company Poonam when the later requested her so that they can study and lead a normal life. It connotes the bad world Rinkle had grown up and we are asked to imagine how bad the family members and the relatives of Rinkle must be. It talks about our bad selfish society at large. My view may be different from others but a close look and research on child trafficking will bring you to the same view as mine. The business of Child trafficking is very lucrative and well organized where highway is an important theatre. And that is, probably, one layer the director wants to address.

Today, particularly in the city life, parents are too tight with their respective professions where male/ female alter ego exists in the style of equal status and freedom. Couples normally don`™t have time for children which make the children feel neglected. And it is a common choice of couple to restrict child birth to one or two. David and Kiran, a couple on a holiday tour with their only son, is indexical for the urban couples. Kiran (Sonali Kulkarni) is modern, brave, self-centered, intelligent, independent, dominating, egoistical and probably, a working woman. She wants to relax during the journey and doesn`™t want distraction even by her only son. She is not giving time to her son during the journey. The ego war between husband and wife comes to prominence when they talk about safe driving after escaping a possible accident. Kiran argues, `That was your fault. I`™m always tense whenever you drive`. David, angrily answers, `Have I ever faced an incident? Even a small one!` This type of conversation is very common for urban couples. On top of that she gives a defensive gesture teasing male ego when David asks her to wake up Aditya.

Kiran is intelligent that she doesn`™t drink tea offered by two male strangers. And she has the guts to drive vehicle alone across the desert. She is dominating and self-centered as she only speaks, without giving room for David to talk, during the filling of FIR. But the ego, alteration, self-absorption have a back seat when their only child gets missing as a result of negligence and they have to cry, literary, for the unbearable pangs when hope of finding the child exhausts. And finally, the parents learn a lesson in life. And it is a lesson of life for every urban parent.

The director basically talks about poor parenting in our urban society where children are facing the brunt of the misdeed of the parents. If the home environment were healthy, young Poonam would never run away alone to find her grandmother; Rinkle would never smile if landed in a whore house. The film ends in a positive note by hinting that the road we are travelling our journey of life is good that every one finds his desired destination though face hardships around. Pappu doesn`™t need to stage accident, Poonam will reach her grandmother soon and the family of David reunites at the end. And it is dawn once again.

The idea of the film seems to have been constructed before the advent of mobile culture. For people in the move, mobile plays an important role. In the film only the Pimp/shopkeeper uses the mobile only twice. Police, the modern couple, the truck driver, the helper, the brothel caretaker- no one in the film except the pimp ever use mobile phone. That is something illogical in today`™s world. It would have been far better if mobile is not introduced at all to indicate an earlier time frame. All said and done, In totality, the film is a text book of intelligent film making inspiring regional low budget film makers to think big in spite of limitations.

Manipuri film makers can queue from Gyan`™s success, the notion `Small is Big`. As a matter of fact, highways in Manipur are more complex, challenging, dangerous and associated with lots of drama. Good films could be made around here including the existential predicaments of the people. Oken Amakcham, an award winning Manipuri film maker, who has been a jury member for the national award several times, praises the film in the same rank of Gautam Ghose`™s `Paar` and Di Sica`™s `Bicycle Thieves`. He opines that the film has the capacity to become a Masterpiece and would have recommended for more awards if he were in the National Award jury that year

The selection of the film for the Indian entry to the Oscars for the Foreign Film category rejuvenates the pedestal of high art. Because, in a consumerist world, the intellectual is under pressure to accept this criterion letting mediocrity at the forefront. It is a triumph for the road less travelled that used the universal language of cinema. The film will remain as one of the most influential films for the lovers of good and intelligent cinema. I can`™t help but to praise Gyan.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/riding-on-the-good-road-a-joyful-ride-indeed/

By Dr Jayadeva Phurailatpam

In this cold weather, getting up early in the morning and pushing myself to drive to my workplace is a real pain. If you can afford the luxury of having a driver, the tension of traffic jams in the small streets of Imphal city must not be an issue. But for me, every single day comes out as a struggle, especially during the office hours.

Though Imphal city has smaller area compared to its counterparts in India, the time to cover the destination takes extraordinarily longer.

Reasons are various. It may be due the potholes of various shapes and sizes (Nagamapal areas are famous for varieties of potholes since decades!) or the many unlicensed or rather untrained share autorikshaws and not to mention the increasing number of `new`™ cars that we see on roads with various registration numbers starting from AS, ML, WB and ending to GJ!!

All these add to the chaotic traffic that we see daily.

The autorikshaws are uncountable and uncontrollable on Imphal roads. They reached every hook and corner of the city and adjacent districts. They are a boon for many middle class families and young students. But unfortunately, most of the drivers seem less responsible. Many of the drivers, abruptly stopped at the middle of road when they see a passenger waiting. The vehicle coming behind the autorikshaw may not realised and end up having an accident. Even I had experienced similar situation and ended up with a broken headlight. Lucky enough for me, there were no casualties.

Manipur has become dumping ground for other states old cars and other vehicles. Hardly a day goes, without seeing cars with registration number of all the possible states of India (one including a Maruti 800 with Gujarat registration!). Some also includes from neighbouring Myanmar. The temperature of Manipur has been increasing every year, I wonder if the unchecked number of cheap vehicle emitting noxious fumes may come out as one of the reasons for the climate change.

As for the number of potholes in and around Imphal city, I am so used to it that I am literally adapted now. The Nagamapal road has plenty of potholes of various shape and sizes. That road happens to be one of the most crowded and important link to the market areas and RIMS for people coming from the northern part of Manipur. Just crossing the 1.5 km road takes almost 20 to 30 minutes in office hours.

In addition to these, the Sanjenthong Brigde that was supposed to be completed before Sangai festival 2014 is still in its skeletal form. I wonder how many more Sangai festivals it will take to complete and help in diverting the traffic in Minuthong and Thumbuthong.

Lastly, as the person who happens to be driving cars or two wheelers, we should be bit more responsible and try following the traffic rules. Five minutes late would not affect you much than a broken leg or even worse, death!

Though I appreciate the traffic policemen and policewomen for their hard work in averting the traffic jams in various traffic junctions, I would also like the concerned higher authorities to look into some of the preventable issues above, so common people like myself doesn`™t have to feel the heat every day before work time.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/imphal-traffic-a-commoners-perspective/

By Seram Neken

When the first HIV positive case in Manipur was detected in the last week of February 1990, the report ignited massive response from various sections of the population including the Manipur Police, NGOs, Meira Paibees, Civil Society bodies and underground elements leading to adoption of compulsory measures which in turn caused rapid increase in the prevalence of HIV among Injecting Drug Users (IDUs).

The HIV prevalence among IDUs increased from 1% in 1990 to 50% in just six months and to 80.7% in 1997, which was the highest record in the world. Manipur was at one time known as AIDS Capital of India. The leadership of the State AIDS Committee in Manipur, at that time, took a bold decision to introduce a State Policy to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic on scientific lines. Hence, Manipur State AIDS Policy was passed on 3rd October 1996 as the first and the only state policy in India. Following the footsteps of Manipur, the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) also introduced the National AIDS Policy later in 2002. The leadership of the Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MACS) also introduced the Rapid Intervention and Care Project (RIAC) as a harm reduction programme among Targeted Population for the first time in India with support and funding from NACO. This project has so far been duplicated in many states in India.

In fact, Manipur was the pioneer in introducing many innovative AIDS control programmes in India. As a result, the HIV prevalence rate among Injecting Drug Users dropped from 80.7% in 1997 to below 15% in 2010. Today, more than 40 NGOs are working with dedication and commitment in the field of Targeted Intervention for IDUs. The latest sentinel surveillance report indicated that the HIV prevalence among pregnant women, Female Sex Workers, Men having Sex with Men, and Migrant Workers have shown a significant decline during the last 20 years. The NGOs must be given credit for their commitment, dedication and good achievement.

Still Manipur is one of the worst affected states in India requiring action on a war footing. We need to achieve the target of Getting to Zero – zero new infection, zero deaths, zero discrimination by 2015. This is a great challenge requiring coordinated and concerted action from all agencies and departments. This is not the time for lethargy, delay or negligence. However, the present working of the MACS is far from achieving the desired goals. Although the present Project Director of MACS is not responsible for these lapses, he can easily correct it. He needs to assert his authorities without hesitation in the best interest of the AIDS Control Programme in the state.

Unfortunately, the state government keeps on changing the Project Director of MACS very frequently and also he is given additional portfolios like Home, Finance etc. Since Home and Finance are very important departments, the Project Director has little time to think about HIV/AIDS. It is as if, he is acting as a part-time head of MACS which actually affects the programme adversely. Moreover, the MACS was established as an autonomous body with its own rules and regulations in 1998.

The present finance section of MACS is headed by a young and inexperienced officer of Manipur Finance Service who apparently assumes MACS as a government department and applies all the rules and regulations of the government leading to failure, delay and inefficiency of the programme. While being successful in delaying and objecting to many important proposals, the finance section of MACS cannot appreciate the difference between autonomous and government institutions. The finance section of MACS requires a senior officer who knows both the functioning of autonomous bodies and the urgency of the AIDS Control Programme.

The Project Director needs to ponder over the fact that ownership of AIDS Control Programme belongs to the Project Director, not the Finance Officer. This reminded the people of the fate of MSRTC, Spinning Mill, Cement factory, Sugar factory etc. which remained defunct due to mismanagement of deputed officials. The responsible heads of these institutions were deputed from the state government and they had destroyed these institutions leading to loss of crores of rupees, loss of manpower, and loss of prestige of the government. People from various circles ask whether the finance management in MACS is trying to convert MACS into an institution like MSRTC, Spinning Mill, Cement factory, or Sugar factory.

The working of MACS needs urgent revamping and overall improvement. Presently, all the files are put up to the Health Minister for a decision curtailing the authorities of the Project Director and the Principal Secretary, causing unnecessarily delay in the procedure. The undue process may also lead to corruption and nepotism. The decision of the Executive Committee and the Governing Body should be taken as final. Acknowledging that HIV spreads very fast through needle sharing and sex, we must also work faster than HIV to control the epidemic.

About six months back, nine NGOs were terminated on the basis of findings of the Evaluation. Subsequently, over 6000 clients are left without any intervention and care. They must be sharing needles and syringes and must be having sex without condoms. In other words, they must be spreading HIV to their injecting partners, sex partners and common people. Even though the MACS already invited other NGOs to replace the nine terminated NGOs, the process has been trapped in red tapism. The MACS may immediately finalise the NGOs at the level of Project Director and the Principal Secretary and put up to the Executive Committee under chairmanship of the Principal Secretary for final approval. The special attention of the Project Director/MACS and the Principal Secretary (Health & FW) is invited to examine these issues and take remedial measures for revamping MACS without further delay. These actions are required if we are to achieve the target of getting to zero by 2015.

(The writer is an Imphal-based Journalist. He is available at nekenseram@gmail.com)

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/do-we-need-revamping-of-macs/

By Bobby Wahengbam

Sensing the urgency of formal education and training in film making, the Manipur Government under the able- leadership of the Chief Minister is trying its best in setting up a Film and Television of India in Manipur. The central government is looking forward to set up its third institute in any of the North Eastern states where Manipur is a strong contender. Assam has already established its own state film institute (Jyoti Chitraban) at Guwahati. So, common sense says that Manipur is the ideal place for such an establishment and calls no controversy. Force landing of the same in any unfertile environment will invite resentment from the rest of other states. So, one can only zero it on to Manipur for a `win win situation`™ as it will benefit all the parties and strike at the core of the objective of the Institute.

The main objective of a Film Institute is to groom quality students who can strike a chord in world cinema and to provide professionals and skill technicians to the existing film industry. Learning the craft and technicalities is not enough to get the desired goal. The rich tradition of Theatre ( of Ratan Thiyam, Kanhailal, Premchand, Lokendro, Ibotombi etc etc.,), Dance (both classical and colourful dances of so many ethnic groups), other art forms, traditions such as Natsankritan and cultures like Laiharaoba, religions and many others will help the students immensely in the endeavour of great artiste.

Repertory of versatile, qualitative and dedicated theatre and film artistes are always in standby whenever the students require. It would not be possible for the students and the authority to call in artiste from outside for each and every project work. On top of that technicians are always available to assist the students. There are Universities which are available for assistance and help of any kind of research. A good director knows history, psychology, sociology, philosophy, religion and other subjects. Though one can produce a sensible film only by intuition and get recognition but he can`™t be part of academic discourses.

Manipur is strategically located which can be connected easily by Air and by road. It is `gate way`™ to the South East Asia. R K Nimai, during Film Convention, MFDC, Nov, 2014, reiterated that South Asia market could be catered back through the film institute in Manipur. As a matter of fact, films can be a trade item in the `Act East Policy`™ and India would be able to occupy a privileged space in the transaction.

The institute is expected to get Manipur back to the world cinema which is now in a rough path caught in a time-warp. The world does not exist as we ourselves are the world totally cut off from the changing dynamics prevailing around. The Institute will get back the world to us. It can also bail us out from the pedestrian fare we are synonymous with at the moment for lack of aesthetic sensibility. Such institute normally has lots of programmes and short period crash courses for the benefit of the film industry on top of the regular main courses which are difficult to get through as intake is normally 8 students per discipline. The discourse in the institute will provide mileage to our fast learner professionals opening unlimited avenues. We have talents in abundance but unguided.

Luckily our government is sensible enough to support this project with open arms. Land and other basics have already been earmarked. The government is optimistic and firm on establishing the institute that the state cabinet has approved of State Film City close to the site of the proposed institute. Wish the film policy can see the light of the day! Now, I am convinced that the state government has the capacity to open its own film institute with its talents pool even if the proposed Film and Television Institute of India is hijacked by powerful lobby from our deserved hands.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/film-institute-in-manipur-need-of-the-hour/

By Amar Yumnam

The Government of India`™s policy towards the North East has undergone a dramatic behavioural transformation on the external front. Both the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister of the post-UPA government (read Narendra Modi and Sushma Swaraj) are talking of the development issues, challenges and opportunities of the North East while visiting the neighbouring countries of the South East and the East Asia. This is marked contrast to the pretentions of the Congress-led governments and the bluffs under the Look East Policy. This is an issue I have dwelt on in this column quite many times post-the Tokyo Declaration of Modi and Abe of August this year.

While there are external manifestations portraying changes favourable to development instead of the purely militaristic framework and approaches, the scenario in the home front is still dark, and particularly so in the context of Manipur. First, there is no governance application of mind on how to dovetail the development responses of the province to the unfolding challenges of the Act East Policy. The administration fundamentally needs to move much beyond the Thikadar Mentality wherein one looks only for the schemes which would come from without and scope for the contract work possibilities therein. Well, it is a general feature in regions of poor regulations and weak governance that the people in the decision-making positions look at governance predominantly from this perspective. For the public it is as if what Rousseau wrote in The Discourse on the Origin of Inequality: `All ran headlong to their chains, in hopes of securing their liberty; for they had just wit enough to perceive the advantages of political institutions, without experience enough to enable them to foresee the dangers`¦ Such was, or may well have been, the origin of society and law, which bound new fetters on the poor, and gave new powers to the rich; which irretrievably destroyed natural liberty, eternally fixed the law of property and inequality, converted clever usurpation into unalterable right, and, for the advantage of a few ambitious individuals, subjected all mankind to perpetual labour, slavery, and wretchedness.` No we cannot allow such a situation to prevail and sustain in Manipur. There is a fundamental contract between the people and the government for attending to the needs for general welfare. As James Buchanan writes in his celebrated Calculus of Consent the collective choice responsibility is given to the government because: `The attainment of consent is a costly process, however, and a recognition of this simple fact points directly toward an “economic” theory of constitutions. The individual will find it advantageous to agree in advance to certain rules (which he knows may work occasionally to his own disadvantage) when the benefits are expected to exceed the costs. The “economic” theory that may be constructed out of an analysis of individual choice provides an explanation for the emergence of a political constitution from the discussion process conducted by free individuals attempting to formulate generally acceptable rules in their own long-term interest. It is to be emphasized that, in this constitutional discussion, the prospective utility of the individual participant must be more broadly conceived than in the collective-choice process that takes place within defined rules`¦`¦. The areas of human activity that the reasonably intelligent individual will choose to place in the realm of collective choice will depend to a large extent on how he expects the choice processes to operate`. The government of any day is supposed to work within this framework and keeping the expectations of the people in mind. I would like the prevailing provincial government to remember what Jon Rawls has said in his classic A theory of Justice that `each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others` and inequality is to be accepted only in so far as it means to promote the `greatest benefit of the least advantaged,`

Second, the security forces (particularly the Assam Rifles) need to be taught how to perform their functions in the context of the changing scenario wherein the border trade would be transformed into larger relationships across neighbouring countries. I say in particular because of the continuous presence of this force and my own experience with the. Only this week I was in Moreh and Tamu. Just before reaching Moreh, there is a check-post at Khudengthabi of the AR 24. Here I came across a young officer in civil dress who is completely illiterate about the changes under way, and absolutely poor about the organisational skills in public domain. But his poverty of organisational skill and knowledge was coupled by his arrogance in full bloom. This has been a continuing character of the Assam Rifles all along in this route.

Third, we need to be fully aware of the functional capabilities of the road linking Imphal with Moreh. The section from Pallel to Moreh could be good tourist roads. But it can in no way perform the role of attending to the economic functions of highways with hugely heavy vehicles with supersized manufactured products.

Fourth, the very quality of Moreh needs improvement. It is a dirty place with no urban characteristics. There is no point waiting for the demand to create supply in this context. Rather it should be a case where supply precedes demand.

Fifth, just across the border, the overall quality of a urban centre is richer. But there is a hitch here. The auto-services on the Tamu side indulge in collective cheating and extortion. It would be in the long-run interest of Myanmar herself to attend to this issue.

In the end, we would appeal to the government of land by quoting to what Hobbes has said: `A commonwealth is said to be instituted, when a multitude of men do agree, and covenant, every one, with every one,`¦`¦ the right to present the person of them all (that is to say, to be their representative)

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/act-east-policy-and-the-behavioural-collapse-in-manipur/

By RK Lakhi Kant

There`s clarity now in my vision
of the world moving around me.
The instance is an old man
coming out of the jungle with
his load of firewood for the day
and placing it on the sidewalk
to rest for a while with some
friends, also chatting and
resting there.
The juxtaposition of life
speeding by on the freeway
and another at walking pace
shows how much Indian
conditions have deteriorated
over the last half century.
The economists are exclaiming
they are on top now, so much
is the economic upswing
in the country.
But those who look at life
otherwise know how much
misery is being created when
fuel for cooking is
being equated in terms
of rupees and not with
the hard work required
in cutting wood and carrying it.
It makes me excited to think
how much better it would be
if everyone started living
at a pace the old man is walking at.
I feel instant ease
with everything around me
when I think this way,
and conclude – why
join this madness
they have created and
force us to live in.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/upfront/

By Deben Bachaspatimayum

From what has been going on it seems like three sets of people do not want AFSPA 1958 repealed in India and each of them do that for all sound reasons. In the first place, the Chief of the Army and the Defense Minister have been very clear and consistently against any move for repeal of the Act. They do it obviously for their own security on ground in the first place and justify that as national interests. Any elected members in the seat of defense minister and Chief of Army of a nation do not need any review on this Act as long as Govt wants them in counter-insurgency duty. There is a valid reason. The second set of people is Coutinho `“ British born NRI who reportedly have contacted an affair with Sharmila. Mr Coutinho`™s clearly wants court to drop the `attempted suicide case`™ on her and release her honourably so he may get married and settle somewhere else. The third sets of people are those within the state who are in power and positions in the Government and those who are drawing direct and indirect benefits from the ongoing violent situation. This set of people also clearly does not want to repeal AFSPA because they badly need the army for their own security within the state.

From the above observations, it is not difficult to surmise how these three sets of people work together in tandem to ensure that anti-AFSPA or for that matter, the anti-security struggles are demoralized and trivialized to insignificance in the international community which has taken serious note of the Act. It is difficult to find how Coutinho eavesdropped into the struggles for repeal of AFSPA in 2006 but it is becoming easier to make out how Coutinho `“ a foreign hand is apparently weakening the struggles for repeal of AFSPA by stealing Sharmila`™s heart on a diversionary tract. If Coutinho were from Pakistan or China I am sure New Delhi would have made him a threat to national security. How and why is that Coutinho whose background is dubious allowed to play so easily out on critical issue like `Right to Life` for the politically threatened and marginalized sections of people in Manipur for eight long years without any restrictions from the concerned ministries and intelligence?

This is the second time Coutinho has come to Manipur knowing very well how he will be treated after earning even more foes of the people than friends in Manipur through his own arrogance and provocative email communications. This man clearly and whole heartedly supports Sharmila with his own vested interests not the people for who Sharmila has been consistently fighting since 2000. For his own interests he even goes to the extent of alleging that Human rights activists, individuals and women groups who are supporting Sharmila to be working in collusion with police and intelligence for her death!? All that, he wants is Sharmila ends her fast and get married with her as soon as possible. Compare Coutinho with Michael Aris, the British Anthropologist and an authority in Tibetan and Bhutanese studies (who married Aun San Suu Kyi `“ a political leader fighting for democracy in our neighborhood). While anybody may have any judgment on how Coutinho impacts our struggles for life and dignity his feelings for Sharmila may also be honoured with dignity. Sharmila`™s tears for Coutinho while being whisk away from the Court campus on that fateful day must guide our community responses to him and the situation lest we should end up losing all: our child, bathwater and the tub. Possibly, Iron Sharmila became an easy and soft target for national security especially when she has been experiencing legal and social isolation for years together for the alleged crime of asking for `Right to Life`™ for ordinary people in India`™s own home grown insurgency ridden geo-strategic region. Coutinho owes the credit of filling in emotional, socio-psychological, intellectual vacuum and personal material requirements of Sharmila`™s prime time life in isolation.

However, any sensible person would not have meddled with the sensitive situation and Sharmila`™s life after the incident of burning and banning the Telegraph Newspaper by civil society organizations for reporting about Sharmila`™s personal life stories which was perceived as an act of sabotage in the struggles for repeal of AFSPA 1958. But Countinho braved to venture in Imphal by forcing himself to be part of the observation of decade old struggles of Sharmila way back in 2010. He even tried to sit close to Sharmila to the extreme displeasures of her support group staging Dharna. His act was considered blatant and lacked of traditionally approved gendered behavior in public. Resentment caused by his behavior triggered hostile behavior among women leaders sitting Dharna and created a contemptuous scene in public. But Coutinho did not learn any lesson and continued to be a romantic hero while acting as someone who represents the international solidarity for Sharmila. Not that, how he was treated by the women folk was any worthy behavior towards a foreigner Coutinho dared to challenge the social norms governing around how a man who wants to have a love affair with a woman should conduct in front of elders in the society and the consequences of not following the norms.

Knowing well how he will be treated again this time Coutinho not only dared to stay for longer time, met many times with Sharmila by taking legal help from the law court and also reportedly tried to influence Sharmila`™s opinion in the court proceedings but what was surprising most absence of any security arrangements for Coutinho `“ a foreigner who was an unwelcome guest!

Alongside Sharmila`™s unprecedented struggles for repeal of armed forces; civil society groups, coalition of legal and human rights activists in the state has been tirelessly sensitizing and mobilizing people across length and breadth of India through national network, and across countries and the international community to put pressure on Indian Govt to repeal the back on basis of Govt`™s review committee reports. AFSPA also figured in the election manifesto of national and regional political parties during the last General Assembly and Parliamentary elections in 2012 and 2014, respectively. However, the defense ministry under pressures from the chief of army has been stiffly against repeal of the Act as something that is not only against the national security and interests but immediate threats to it.

Given the context in which AFSPA is considered an essential instrument for keeping the politically disturbed regions in India it is easy to understand how a nondescript person like Coutinho `“ who, Dr Rebello, a medical doctor turned international peace activists once reported in a personal communication as having a mental condition `“ continued to be allowed to come to Imphal for his personal mission without any hindrance from the state Govt and making any security arrangements accorded to a foreigner on tourist visa, especially when his presence could infuriate Sharmila local support groups. The scene of manhandling Coutinho by Sharmila supporters and the ways he was allowed to be chased outside the court campus freely under the nose of police personnel and security arrangements was revealing of a plan. Coutinho is known as Sharmila`™s closest supporters in some quarters of Europe and social network. Surely, the news of manhandling Countinho in Imphal court complex through electronic and social media is expected to discredit the decade long struggles of the people for rule of law and democracy in this part of the world.

Reliably, Coutinho seemed to have won the hearts of Sharmila and succeeded to influence her deeply. Clearly, Sharmila is in love, and so also, the Defense Minister and the Chief of Army are in love with their own national interests. Love is blind. It is blind to the truth, democracy, reality of and justice to the people who struggle for it. But the struggles for right to life and dignity do not end here. Those who are against the repeal of AFSPA and take decisions to prolonged its operations against all democratic standards, norms, and practices of rule of law are also our own very powerful people who we dutifully elect every five years and strengthening their positions further, term after terms! The enemy is within and it is the most powerful and oppressive. Any amount of Leikai wayels, mobo-cratic and arbitrary actions cannot repeal a legislation of the Parliament rather it can only strengthen the prevailing lawlessness in the society to our own detriments. AFSPA is a political and legal act and it must be fought by the same means. While we may think our local action of manhandling a foreigner was legitimate for disrespecting local sentiments and violating social norms we must also ensure that our thoughts are in tune with the global community.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/people-who-dont-want-afspa-repealed-are-also-our-own/

By Ajay Moirangthem

The song played,
The book puzzled,
The mind set,
The light blushed,
Challenging the darkness.
This is how i stay in my room.

The aim determined,
The goal unseen,
Came to challenge the world
But failed to overcome myself.
Despite with a hope i live.
This is why i stay in the room.

Far from home
Came here with a vision
To fulfill mine and others will.
Instead juxtaposed between the two,
Confusing and overshadowing the goal.
Worrying for my future
With accord to the others.
This where you can find me in the room.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/the-room/

Malangba Bangormayum

I have known some wonderful women. One of them is clearly my grandmother who is no more. I saw in her something `“ a something that if a percentage of the human population follows would usher in unimagined peace and serenity. She used to tell me that one need not always try to prove that one is right. She used to tell me that let the other feel that they have won. If you throw stones at one another, there would never be dearth of stones. In the throwing you give ammunitions, you arm the other. Such is the nature of conflicts she told me. May be she had a point though one would suspect her to be naive. Whether she is right or wrong that is another thing, whether one accepts it or not is another thing but it was clear to me that she believed in this strategy of non-retaliation for the greater good. In the extended family situation, there are bound to be conflicts. When these happened she used to try persuasion, she used to reason and entreat. If she knew that these were not going to work, when she felt that temperatures were rising and heat was generated, she would remain silent and let the other feel good in the victory of words instead of letting the heat turn into a spark. I sometimes saw tear-glazed eyes in her smile of concession. She was hurt in such instances, for this unlettered grandmother of mine had a soul that was missed by icy rhetoric and logic.

In one of my cheeky moments, I remember asking my grandmother whether there were romance in her times. She narrated me then, how courting were done during her times. Any man, whether married or unmarried, would visit the house of the girl or woman he was interested in. This revelation came as shock to my system. She went on to say that the elders would welcome, albeit a guarded one, those who came for such visits. The girl in question would offer a smoke `“ and the way it was offered signalled whether she was interested in further visits from the one who was visiting. This story of courting which existed, before the Great War reached our land, was nothing short of a revelation in how it contradicted the censure against boys meeting girls in our times. It made me wonder how such a u-turn in our outlook towards the phenomena of courting happened. I remember asking my father for an answer. He was not very sure how it happened but he suspected that it had to do with the Great War.

During my teenage days I saw boys coming to court, banging the electric poles as signals for the girls to come out. I used to see girls peeping out when motorcycle passed by only to be chided by the elders for such show of indecency. But who can fight courting when nature is on its side. No matter the level and intensity of censure, courting somehow happened. Courting, nowadays, is helped by technology. The mobile phone and the internet seem to be on the side of courting. Long distance relations happened even before these technological marvels. We have heard about love across the salt desert, across the oceans and across the mountains. Who would contest that? What I contend here is that technological advances in communication and transport seem to have helped courtship across countries and nationalities a wee bit easier. It is now not unimaginable for someone from the other side of the globe, say Ireland, to come and court someone here or vice-versa to the chagrin of those who safeguards the modesty of their women.

At the end of the narration of how courting used to be in her times, I asked my grandmother whether she prepared smokes for suitors. She replied in a matter of fact tone that there were many suitors and she did prepare many a smoke but since she was already betrothed, in a sense, which I shall not go into the details here, she made it clear to them that she was not interested in further visitations.

How wonderful it all sounded to me, how civilized it all sounded. One could underscore `civil`™ in `civilized` in the previous sentence. My admiration was for those gentlemen who were not offended by the rejection. They were gentlemen if there ever were such a thing.

Grandmothers tell their grandchildren fairy tales and folk stories. I do not remember my grandmother telling me any bed-time stories or fairy tales. But this story of courting could very well pass off as a fairy tale because they sound too good to be true. And as all good things must come to an end, that magical time when people felt confident in their own skin did come to an end.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/grandmothers-tale/

By Khura Seraton

As usual, Tamoyai was in his usual shorts and jersey burgundy walking barefoot unwaveringly by the side of the road. He looked tired and old today. Winter has cracked his lips badly. The lines on his face were very much noticeable. Is it because the year is coming to an end that I saw Tamoyai in an appalling shape? What you had for lunch in the morning, Tamoyai, I asked. `I did not have lunch`, he replied. Why? Did you not eat at the Bijoygovinda? `No. There was no Ushop today`, Tamoyai replied with the same smile that he wear for most of the time, widening the cracks on his lips. And he went away, looking here and there. As if he was looking for something that he had lost in the morning; searching for it till evening.

With time Tamoyai have also changed. Comic books, Filmfare magazines and VHS cassettes were some of Tamoyai`™s favourites. Anyone who knows Tamoyai would give him happily of those things whenever he asks. Sometimes his demand would include old newspapers as well. But nobody knows what Tamoyai do with the VHS cassettes. Though, he can watch the images on the comic strips over and over. `Leishabi. Mashak yam phajeiko. Meenakshi maliko` (Girl. You look so beautiful. Just like Meenakshi), is Tamoyai`™s favourite line. He would use it when he sees a damsel of his fancy walking on the road. I am not sure of who is this Meeakshi in particular. But I know that Tamoyai have a fondness of the name. Tamoyai`™s compliment was always received well by the girls.

With the comic strips and cassettes on his hands, Tamoyai would navigate around so many Leikais within Sagolband area. I have never found him venturing out to far-away places other than Sagolband. During the spring month when Shumang Leelas are played in plenty, Tamoyai would get busier. He would somehow gather the news of Leelas to be played at specific places and timings. If it is eshei Leela Tamoyai would say `Eshei Leela ne. Gojen na mike khongni` (It is a Eshei Leela. Gojen will operate the mike). There was only one mike operator during those days. During the Leela show, Tamoyai always prefer to sit near Gojen and his mike. Precisely near the amplifier.

Nowadays Tamoyai has stopped giving compliments to the damsels. Does he consider himself too old to be giving compliment? Does he know his own age? He has also stopped asking for comic strips, newspapers or VHS cassettes. But at times, he would ask for old CDs. He will not accept new ones. He will simply not accept saying that he don`™t like them, always, with his cheerful smile. Tamoyai`™s smile has got that innocence of a small child. He has even stopped giving publicity about Leelas taking place in the Leikai.

But one thing that Tamoyai has not stopped till today is his visits to the families who have lost their near ones. He needs no invitations from anyone. He has a specific timing for his visits. He will show up just the day after the `Asthi`™. He would ask the family to give him a Heijrang (small kitchen knife). No other knife would do. With the knife, Tamoyai would start uprooting the grasses that are grown on the lawn of the house. He would say the grass looks dirty. Tamoyai next demand would be a broom to sweep off the grasses. He would meticulously gather the grasses and deposit at a corner. At that particular corner, Tamoyai would collect all kinds of litters scattered on the lawn of the house and deposit at that corner. Empty disposable plastic glasses, cigarette buds and discarded banana leaves.

Tamoyai knows well that it is important to keep the house and its surrounding clean when someone passes away. Visitors would pour in to share the grief with the family members until the day of Shradh. For the Meitei Vaisnav families, it is customary to hold Lairik Taaba rituals for the elders. This ceremony leaves behind quite a lot of litters around the house. And Tamoyai loves to clean the litters without anything in return. He will not accept any money or a free lunch. As a matter of fact, I have never seen Tamoyai seeking alms from anyone. You will also not find Tamoyai on any other occasions at someone`™s house. They may be those occasions like wedding, grand feast or celebration of a newly born.

I don`™t know why Tamoyai shuns all other occasions. Somebody once told me that when Tamoyai was young, it was the habit of his father to wake him up in the morning by thrashing him. That unthinking habit of his father must have hurt Tamoyai badly. That could be the reason why Tamoyai is in constant search of an unknown thing. It could be his lost childhood. But I do find that innocence in Tamoyai even with the lines getting prominent on his face at the fag end of the year.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/everyones-tamoyai/

By Pradip Phanjoubam

It is not too infrequent that we hear of President of the United States of America, Barak Obama, being in his legacy years. It is his second term in the office, the occupant of which is considered the most powerful man in the world. It is also an office which cannot have an occupant extend beyond two terms, each term lasting four years. In other words, this will be the last term Obama can be President of America. This being what it is, he does not have to worry of so many things politicians normally are bogged down with, most importantly, re-election, therefore the need to cater to demands of petty constituencies of his electorate, often sectarian in nature. He would therefore also be much more free to be himself and to rise above mundane pressures and exigencies of everyday politics.

Knowing in the technical sense he cannot be an election loser any more, for he no longer has an election to contest, he would be liberated in thought and spirit to seek objectives which can leave permanent policy legacies for his country, and his own name written in permanent ink in the annals of his country`™s history. Quite obviously, Obama is aware of this predicament, and many well wishers and observers around the world have the confidence in him that he will be able to live up to this onerous challenge of history, not just of his country, but of the entire world, for American policies do have profound impacts on the fate of the whole world. Conversely, he can also leave behind a bad legacy, which he cannot correct anymore once out of office. He cannot also but be acutely aware of this.

Americans are already beginning to weigh his achievements and failures in anticipation of the end of his Presidential term two years from now in November 2016. He fell short of his promise in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has not done much to improve the employment situation etc. His drones are controversial and criticised, his standing up against the policy of torture by the CIA, his stand on racism in his country, are praised. He is also praised for his role in the Myanmar`™s opening up and stopping a solo run by China in the country and other SE Asian countries… but his most outstanding achievement may yet be just unfolding, as the American media seems to be suggest. This has to do with the sizing up of Russia and its President, Vladimir Putin. The current drop in the international petrol price, from which countries like India are benefiting, some say may actually be a machination of the Americans to undermine the crude oil export dependent Russian economy. With a sliding Ruble, Putin is definitely under pressure, but whether he will collapse altogether, and retreat from his bellicose stance on Ukraine and East Europe, is yet to be seen.

Though on a much smaller scale and canvas, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi`™s predicament is similar. He has been in the most powerful office of the state for three terms of five years each now. He could get another term if he and his party wins in the next election in a few months after Obama bids farewell to the White House, but with his party no longer in power at the Centre, this will not be an easy task anymore. He has received the mandate of the electorate of the people of the state in three successive elections to lead them, and the confidence of the house of elected MLAs for an equal number of years. It is another matter what means he used to garner himself these mandates, but the fact that matters in the end is, he received them unambiguously. Fortune has been kind to him all along. Beginning from the middle of his first term, the toughened Anti-Defection Law made it practically impossible for political horse-trading in which supports of legislators were up for auction, and governments were made and brought down depending on who commanded the MLA auction market. Before this law came about, few or no chief ministers, especially in small states like Manipur, managed to hold out a full term. Most Chief Ministers therefore ended up spending much of their times, resources and energy, minding and culturing the loyalties of legislators, leaving little time for the serious business of governance. The Anti-Defection Law saved Ibobi of this worry, and obviously this would have strengthened his hands considerably. No doubt he would have had to have immense political artistry at his command to be able to stay in office for so many years even with this law, but the moot question is, can he, or should he do more now. Should his achievement be just about his ability to have lasted out three terms, and maybe more, for the Indian constitution does not restrict the number of terms a Chief Minister or a Prime Minister can be in office, unlike in the US. We would be disappointed if Ibobi thinks such an ambition is enough.

In very many ways, this third term can be considered Ibobi`™s legacy term. He is in his mid 60s now and even if he were to return another term when he is closing in on the septuagenarian years, he would probably lack the energy to push policy visions with any vigour. Like Obama, he should also be able to free himself from the pressures of petty politics and politicking and instead be on a path of pursuing dreams and visions `“ not just his, but of the entire state. He should be thinking in terms of leaving a permanent mark for himself in the history of the place too, and he is in a position to do so. He could for instance, leave Manipur with better road connectivity. Increase the mileage of roads in the state, connecting all population centres, but equally important, improve the quality of roads all over. Surely he does not need any more money for himself now, so he could end the contractor-engineer-politician nexus which has left this category of citizenry inordinately and opulently rich, but the roads and other public infrastructures in abysmal conditions. Even the small stretch of reinforced concrete road around the base of the only narrow flyover in Imphal today is beginning to wash away. The lifespan of such roads is generally considered to be at least 50 years, why then do they disintegrate much faster in Manipur?

Ibobi has done well to widen many Imphal roads, and he must now not abandon this project. Imphal city will become unliveable in a decade or so if nothing is done to its roads so that they are able to handle the ever increasing traffic volume. In these times, when the zeitgeist in the state is talks of increasing tourism potential, it is also very much essential for Imphal and district headquarters townships to be given major overhauls. Surely those in the government, and town planners would have read of visitors after visitors, both foreign and domestic, remarking Imphal is a city of ugly buildings and dusty roads, though it could have been one of the prettiest in the entire country. The cue should have been to initiate a fresh effort to overhaul and beautify the city. It would not be too far off the mark to even say private initiatives such as `Blooming Manipur` are doing much more in this regard.

It would be pertinent here to recall, most of the best planned cities in the world and the country are usually synonymous with the names of the architects and architectural firms which designed them. Lutyens`™ Delhi, Le Corbusier`™s Chandigarh etc, to name a few most of us are familiar with. Ibobi could think of a grand plan like these to reinvent Imphal and other townships. Instead look at how even his own hometown Thoubal is coming up, though visibly a lot of public money has been diverted towards its development. Our planners have not grown out of the box-shop, pan-dukan mentality in this age of plush malls, arcades and multiplexes. Even if it was not to be as grand as these latter city trends, at least some distinctive signatures of the township being different and state-of-art, giving it the confidence of preparedness for the future, could and should have been there. Sadly, there are none of these. Let his administration also think futuristic. Our road planners today seem to see only motor vehicles and have forgotten about pedestrians and cyclists. This is unbecoming, especially at a time when cities all over the world are increasingly looking at cycling and walking as the progressive future.

In this term, Ibobi should ensure Manipur does not fall behind in power availability. He must be happy that he is succeeding to a good extent in improving the situation in the past few years. Ten years of extreme power shortage the state has been living with would have killed off many burgeoning entrepreneurial spirits, besides making everyday life a struggle for the entire citizenry. Night life in Imphal and other townships, is virtually dead too today, partly because of the legacy of prolonged period of night curfews during the 1980s and 1990s, but mostly because unlike any other modern cities, nights are virtually pitch-dark in Imphal and other towns in the state. This first of all means shorter working hours, and equally important less time and leisure hours for relaxed evenings after a hard day`™s work. It also means a virtual death knell for a dream of a vibrant tourism industry too.

Another great landmark for Ibobi would be, as this column spelled out in the last edition, if his government manages to have the Kangla recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. It would be a pride for the state to think a part of it owns historical legacy is also what the world considers valuable as its own heritage. Such a status would be a boon for the upkeep of the Kangla too, for there would be more funds inflow for the purpose, and a booster for tourism in the state. This is especially after the recent development in which the Battle of Imphal and Kohima taken together, was voted in Britain as Britain`™s most hard-fought and important victory in all its history. Ibobi `s government should have already constituted a committee to chalk out plans to most effectively campaign for the recognition by now.

Often governments after governments have blamed insurgency as the dampener of their initiatives. This explanation when it persists for decades, cannot but be described as a diversionary tactics to cover non-performance and lack of vision. Insurgency in any case is unlikely to disappear overnight, so it is the responsibility of a tough leader to get things done despite insurgency. Ibobi in his legacy years should have this toughness to push dreams and visions regardless of the odds. He now has everything to gain, provided he has the will, but not very much to lose even if he falls short of the goal of these visions. He would have paved the way for future governments and raised the bars of performance standards for them at least, even if the destinations he set are not reached during his time. He must have the right team to spell out these dreams and visions for him, and then pursue them relentless now. Only such achievements will make the difference between a great and rich legacy he leaves behind and an ordinary nondescript one. It will also decide whether he has his name in gold letters in the history of the place.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/wish-list-in-ibobis-legacy-years/

By Bobby Wahengbam

A paragraph in an article by critic Meghachandra Kongbam (Manipuri Cinema: Chingolnungda asum? Poknapham, 22nd December, 2014) haunts me. He quoted a newspaper item under the heading, `Impressive presence of NE filmmakers at IFFI 2014`. It intentionally teased the proud film makers in Manipur with the paragraph, `It may be mentioned that this year`™s IFFI has two Manipuri film makers as Jury members but not a single film or documentary made in Manipur could hit the National Panorama this year`. This paragraph forces me to have introspection into our film industry. Meghachandra also reminds us that there have been only two films that could win National Awards in the last decade. Even exclusive (quota) `The Best Regional Manipuri Film` category could not been catered by any of the 60 plus odd films that have been churned out every year. It`™s a big shame. On the other hand, some sections in the industry are walking tall with their head high with the impression that the industry is gaining momentum counting the growth quantitatively. As a matter of fact Manipuri film industry has been spreading its wings far and wide in the state. But the unfavourable situation mentioned above easily indicates that the growth is indeed horizontal without any vertical development. And nobody seems to be interested in the quality growth with the fact that only two films made entry for the panorama this year. As a matter of fact we are cut off from the rest of the world because `we, ourselves are the world`™. And many advocate it.

Hard work, determination and knowledge are the important ingredients that are required to achieve a desired goal. And the amount of homework and time taken is also proportionally equal to the level of the goal. The quality inclines as the desired goal becomes wider. For example, if one wants to be famous in one`™s leikai, one can do it soon by starting leikai social work, club activities and other leikai centric work. If one wants to be a National or an International figure, the home work is to be done accordingly. Sarita should work hard to be stronger physically, technically, mentally than the present world champion if she desires to be at the top. And it takes time and planning where Luck is secondary. Unfortunately, the passion for our film fraternity is seen to be restricted to the local scenario. So, home work is restricted to just competition among ourselves. Basically, one enters to a profession by choice or by having no alternative. If most of us belong to the latter category, then, it is crowding who assembled to make their ends`™ meet directly or indirectly and also for instant recognition. Those better positioned enjoyed mass appeal (local market) and earn greater. We are moving around in this bracketed plane. It is written in almost all the art and aesthetic books that `No mass culture have ever been high art`™. Sure, our film industry could provide livelihood to many but it does not provide room for quality production that can challenge the counterparts outside the state. Amazing as it may be there are good numbers of film professionals who have not seen any of Pabung Syam`™s films; forget about world cinema, film theories and academic research. What they need is Television Serials, South Indian flicks, Bollywood Commercial, Korean Serials and Music Albums to tune with the taste of the spoon feeding audience.

Satyajit Ray has catogorised two type of audience- the spoon feeding audience and those audiences who understand the nuances of film senses. Christian Metz compares film viewing of the earlier type as somnambulism, hallucination, and day dreaming. Here, the impression of realty is related to illusion. Our film makers are too busy to work in that plane and can`™t afford the luxury to experiment in the highly saturated production industry here as only the loud and dreamy could be heard by the audience. Surjakanta, noted film maker opined (Souvenir 2010, 3rd Ebudhou Film Creation), `Film making has suddenly become easily available profession. But we are neglecting aesthetics and techniques. We don`™t see any change in the quality though we can exploit so much today with the available facilities. The trend remains the same with same stories of family drama, romance, triangular conflicts and that too with the same artists.`

Artistes of the previous generation were luckier as general masses could appreciate their works of art. But now it is doubtful that a high piece of art will ever get recognition in today`™s highly disposable and consumerist society with the bombardments of so much information into our limited space. There is no room for research or rediscovery or relook in the ultra `no time`™ scenario. Noted critic Chidananda Das Gupta writes, ` The fact is that as consumerism grows, success is measured in harder material terms, and the intellectual is increasingly under pressure to accept that criterion`¦ mediocrity becomes the norm, and deviations from it have to be disguised`( Seeing is Believing, Penguin/Viking Books, 2008, p.144).

And for the dream merchants, knowing the tools, after effects and gimmicking software are dearer than the quest for intellectual films. Nobody is interested in no-audience films since it is not their scheme of things. Because they are enjoying patronage from wannabe producers (60 films per year, remember). If they are enjoying in their own space, let them be. They are not to be blamed. They know it clearly that the more they turn towards artistic expression the more they are distancing from the audience. Successful mainstream (we call it) film makers like Bishwamitra, Romi Meitei, Subash, Oken, Makhon Mani, Gautam could not enjoy the space they used to occupy in the box office after they had ventured into conscious film making.

Another important hurdle is the limited microscopic market which can`™t afford to payback hard cash deserved by the professionals. This limitation has made each and every one a day earner. So, the mind is always occupied for the stomach unlike our forefathers. Manipur is rich in art and culture because our forefathers had ample of time for such activities. After acquiring enough food grains working for only half a season, their minds were, thereby, explored to other activities. But now, with life becoming more and more materialistic, we are struggling for our basic necessities. And artistes, being the most underpaid, become the lowest denomination in our capitalist structure. Can you imagine that the most successful director in Manipur can`™t even earn a Government clerk salary?

Another drawback we can talk about is that no support is available for art films to grow. There are talents, as seen in the documentary and short film making, but they can`™t help it for want of finance and support. All their possessions have already been exhausted in preparation and home work to equip themselves artistically at par with the outside counterpart. In the process, the rich artistic heritage of the state could not be tapped properly. There is urgent need to create an atmosphere conducive to the growth of good cinema.

But tamo Megha and the elitist public should not get dishearten; they will get some good news in two years. Till then!

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/growth-of-manipuri-cinema-horizontal/

By Yambem Laba

IMPHAL, December 23: If the BJP State president Th Chaoba is so fond defending the State against corruption, he should have been demanding a `White Paper` on himself too. For one, he currently has an assistant who had been once detained under the National Security Act for murder, kidnapping and ransom. There is also another under his umbrage implicated in the Rs.6 Crore CORCOM demand note case which this writer exposed in another report earlier.

But more than this, if Chaoba`™s memory serves him right then he should remember the charge of Lt.Col (Retd.) R.K.Ranjendra Singh, former Member of the State Human Rights Commission and a BJP Member since 1998 that he had been once arrested by the Manipur Police whilst he was an MLA in 1973 for having taken bribes from individuals promising them jobs as police constables in the name of the then SP (Central) Chongtham Nandakishore Singh, and sent to jail.

It may be recalled, the matter figured in the Manipur Legislative Assembly when one H. Ibotombi Singh printed a pamphlet on the issue and distributed it. Dr.L.Chandramani Singh who was then the Speaker had this individual arrested and brought to the House and reprimanded for contempt of the House.

But what takes the cake was the fact while he was Revenue Minister of the State in the then Congress ministry, he took full advantage of uncertain land records of the State after a devastating fire in 1990 and transferred 30 acres of land earlier allotted to the Regional Research Laboratory, a Government of India enterprise, to a group called the Kombirei Housing Co-operative Society which was filled with his family members and relatives.

He thought that he had finished his kill when the then Director of Settlement and Land Records, S. Kritibash Sharma had the allotment published in the Manipur Gazette on 26th June 1995.

Then on 31st October 1995 the Hueiyen Lanpao Manipuri daily broke the story as to how land meant for the laboratory had been allotted to private individuals. That report of the Hueiyen Lanpao did not mention the names of the beneficiaries, but I am reproducing the same 19 years later as the case is still going on.

Topping the list is Toijam Seravanu Devi, estranged wife of Chaoba Singh. She is followed by his father-in-law Toijam Ibochou Singh. Also in the list were the late Elangbam Nandakumar Singh his son-in-law and husband of his eldest daughter Bimola; M. Rashmani Devi his then sister-in-law, elder sister of Seravanu; H. Memcha Devi, wife of his younger but now estranged brother Irabot Singh (Irabot had publicly clarified that he had no knowledge of his wife`™s name being incorporated); Thounajam ongbi Leima Devi, widow of his late brother Thaonaojam Shantikumar Singh; and also his daughter-in-law, L.Roma Devi.

Dr. Leishagthem Chandramani Singh, former Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur also found an honourable mention in the list as his daughter Julie Leishangthem is also one of the allotees.

The man who had managed the entire nitty gritty of the affair was someone called Ch. Kaminkumar Singh, who Seravanu told me in a recent interview, took Rs. 25,000 from her to procure the Patta for the land. She also confided that Chaoba, upon their marriage in 1990 had gifted her with a plot of land lying to the north of Hera Talkies.

But when unable to tolerate the mistreatment she was enduring at his hands, she divorced him in 2000, she said. She further alleged that after the divorce he had sent his goons after her and forced her to hand over the lands records.

Politicians hinge their confidence on the belief that the public has a short memory and all their past crimes will soon be forgotten. This refresher to there is to remind the public of Chaoba`™s past, as an acknowledgment of this assumption.

Here is a little more recap. Chaoba Singh began his long and chequered march in politics in 1972 when he was elected MLA on an MPP ticket. He was again re-elected on an MPP ticket in 1974 but soon defected and joined the Congress Party in 1976. A year later he left the sinking Congress ship and joined the Janata Party in 1977. In 1980 he was elected on a Janata Party ticket but when Morarji Desai`™s Janata Party Government at the Centre fell, he almost immediately left the Janata Party and re-joined the Congress Party and won on a Congress ticket in 1984 and 1990 but soon met his waterloo at the hands of debutant N Loken in the Nambol Assembly Constituency.

Thereafter, he changed strategy and with the blessings of Rishang Keishing, the patriarch of the Congress Party in Manipur, stood for Parliament and won in 1996. But the Congress`™s fortunes in the State had changed and the Manipur State Congress Party soon formed a Government in the State. Chaoba once again deserted the Congress party and joined the MSCP and won the elections to the Lok Sabha on an MSCP ticket.

Since the MSCP was a part of the grand formation called the National Democratic Alliance spearheaded by the BJP he was given a berth as a Minister of State in the Union Ministry till Atal Behari Vajpayee dropped him unceremoniously.

Thereafter he joined the BJP and stood as their candidate in the 13th Lok Sabha elections and lost. He then left the BJP and sought refuge with the MPP and was their candidate during the last to last elections to the Lok Sabha which he lost. Then he found himself in a brand new avatar as the President of the Manipur State Unit of the BJP.

It is in this new Avatar that Chaoba Singh began posing himself as a champion of clean politics.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/the-fatal-attraction-of-people-in-glass-houses-to-throw-stones/

Manipuris are now emerging or rather have been made to emerge as a bunch of liars. Anybody who connects with the rest of the world while still staying on the soil of Manipur is necessarily made to look like a liar in the rest of the world. Modern world and her contemporary development stand on trustworthy flows of information, communication and ideas. These flows necessarily demand honouring the deadline and timely response to communication. But these are impossible things to perform while still being a home-stuck son or daughter of the soil of Manipur. Further, information technology is a fundamental medium of communication across countries in the world today. Whenever anyone send a communication from any corner of the world to another corner, it is necessarily and generally expected that a reply should be elicited within twenty-four hours. This is where we are now seen around the globe as the most unreliable and untrustworthy group of people who do not respect time and commitment to the deadline. There would be weeks and months when we would go without access to internet and without the luxury of power; unfortunately information technology does not work with candles. These would necessarily imply that we would remain without responding to any of the communications and respecting any of the deadlines committed to anywhere under the sun. When after days, weeks and months, we would respond to the various communications (because of the large time lag, we cannot even respond to all the communications at one go as the accumulated mail gets piled up) expressing regrets for the delay in responding. We would write that the period of delay was because of the failure of the internet connection and the power outages. Then there would be no further communication from the other end. At this period of the twenty-first century and belonging to one the most venerable emerging economies (India), nobody in this world now believes that we have problems of internet connection and power failures for elongated periods. It is only the miniscule few who had visited the land would realise that in Manipur these are real problems. The end-effect of all this is that the world now sees Manipur and her people undependable for long term connections and relationships; the people in this land care a hoot for the deadlines and continuous flow of communications.

The contemporary world values speed and efficiency. In fact, the relative competency over others are founded on these, individually, socially, nationally and internationally. There are some significant studies emerging of late which examine the ill-effects of cumulative exposure to disadvantages. Three important observations have emerged:
1. `Growing up in a poverty concentration neighbourhood can have a long lasting negative effect on incomes of children as adults.
2. Cumulative exposure to poverty concentration neighbourhoods leads to a lower income later in life.
3. For those belonging to a non-Western ethnic minority there is an additional penalty for growing up in a poverty concentration neighbourhood.`

Now when we extend this analysis beyond individuals and to the land and people of Manipur, and particularly in the context of the Act East Policy, the world outside finds Guwahati and Shillong as more dependable points of communication and relationships than Imphal. One may say and take excuse in it that the insurgency prevalent in Manipur is the culprit. Here I would hasten to assert that it is not. The state of infrastructure and the character and the quality of governance are the spoilers. The significance of infrastructure as foundations of development and much beyond items of interest of the contractors and the contract-providers (read powers that be in government) have long been emphasised. An additional finding of latest research in development is the significance of writing as a strong correlate of development `“ `more statistically robust and significant relationship of writing with state emergence than with agricultural transition, supporting the notion of a special role of states in the adoption and transmission of writing systems`. We can extend this research into the failures of information technology and power by the government imposed on the people and the resultant exposure of the people of Manipur as habitual liars to the rest of the world as the same as the failure to evolve writing in the society. Or is it a case that the government of the day wishes all the people were illiterates and would not bother to write; this would have been a very convenient environment to rule for the powers that be. In one of the most significant articles of this year titled `Why human rights are called human rights`, Alan Sussman writes in the June 2014 issue of the journal of Ethics and International Affairs: `Historical memory`”the memory of what we have done to each other`”is a decidedly human attribute. It could be said that one may scarcely be human without it. It could also be said that without memory there could be no possibility of imagination, and without imagination, no moral imagination.` When the world sees that the Manipuris do not respond in time and do not respect deadlines, the historical memory advises the former to work more closely with the people in the North East other than the Manipuris. This situation has been made inevitably happen due to long failures in power and information technology; these are the areas where the state (read government) is expected to play the pivotal role in societies needing to move towards transformation for better well-being (societies requiring to move from ill-being to well-being). Hussman also quotes the January 1941 State of the Union speech of Franklin D. Roosevelt where he propounded the celebrated `Four Freedoms`: `We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way`”everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want . . . everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear . . . anywhere in the world.` Interpreting this contextually and contemporaneously, we may now ask if reliable access to the information technology and power are not human rights for ensuring movement from ill-being to well-being. In any case, the governance should not be indulging in the collectively damaging game of projecting the Manipuris as undependable and habitual liars to the rest of the world.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/i-am-a-manipuri-so-i-am-a-liar-globally-speaking/

By Dr Khushboo Shah Sawant

Winters are officially here! So it`™s time to bring out all the winter accessories. For the girls, it`™s time to sport the tallest boots and most furry ponchos and the men to put on their trendiest jackets.

The festive season is round the corner with a week left for Christmas and another few days left for New Year`s eve. So this weekend I decided to tackle a more practical problem; a problem which each and every person face during winters, be it a child, young or senior person. And the trouble is battling the severe winters and the toll it takes on our skin and hair etc.

Skin and hair are not just mere accessories to our body that we must beautify. In fact they have some functions too. As we all know, human beings are mammals which means humans directly give birth to young ones, have mammary glands to feed the young ones and also have hair all over the body. With evolution we have shed most of the thick hair and have only bare minimum hair on the body now. But the main function of hair is to provide warmth to the body, along with providing some amount of protection as well. Similarly skin also has certain functions. Few would know that the skin is the largest organ in the human body. It is not a mere barrier between the inside of our body and the environment. It is a protective layer which is meant to regulate the body temperature. It also keeps the inside of the body protected from external harmful agents like germ, dirt etc. Alongside it is a source of excretion of toxins in the form of sweat and other metabolic functions of our body. So while winter is a season to look pretty the damage it causes to the skin and hair must never be ignored and proper care must be taken. During winters, it is a natural process for the skin to become dry, scaly, reddish and sometimes even itchy. But attention must be paid if these symptoms persist even before or after winter, or do not budge despite of protective measures being taken. It must be brought to the notice of a dermatologist or in simple words a skin specialist. As it could be a skin condition like dermatitis or eczema etc.

However simple tips and actions often help greatly in nurturing the skin and hair and keeping them healthy even during winters. To begin with, bathing which is an important daily routine, during winters. It usually is very tempting to bathe in very hot water simply because of the chill. But often very hot water causes the skin to become very dry as it damages the protective natural moisture of the skin. It is always best to opt for a short bath with warm water, followed by immediately using liberal amount of any moisturiser all over the body. Any moisturiser works best when applied on warm and wet skin. The type of moisturiser may depend upon individual skin type and choice. However simple moisturising agents like any natural oil like coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, or mustard oil also work perfectly fine.

Next is wearing adequate winter gear while moving outdoors, always cover yourself up with sufficient layers of clothing. This is especially important for children and young ones. Another important option is to stock up your homes with healthy foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and healthy mono saturated fats which are available in foods like fishes, nuts, olive oil etc. Also it is important to include food rich in Vitamin C in your daily diet, as it helps with the production of collagen which helps in maintaining skin and connective tissues. Another advice which is easily forgotten is to consume sufficient quantity of water, as during winter a person tends to feel less thirsty and ends up consuming very little water which may cause dehydration and further dryness and even constipation.

For dry skin it is often best to immediatly moisturise the skin after bath which helps in trapping maximum moisture in the skin. Drinking milk is also a healthy option as milk contains proteins and fats which are good for the skin. Dry and cracked feet are probably one of the sorriest sights of winter. To maintain healthy feet a person does not need to invest in expensive treatments but a simple foot scrub to remove the dry dead skin and intense moisturising can also help the cause. Petroleum jelly is one of the best options for cracked feet. An ideal night time regime for cracked feet should include daily scrubbing and exfoliation of feet, followed by application of an intense moisturizer and wearing of socks in order to retain the moisture and keep the skin warm and can help heal cracked skin.

Another obvious sign of winter are dry chapped lips. Here the most important tip is not to pull out the cracked dead skin on the lips which will give rise to bleeding and painful lips, as the skin over the lips is thinner and less elastic. The best option is to keep a lip balm at hand always and apply the same as often as possible. For chapped lips, even petroleum jelly or homemade butter or ghee can also prove to be equally beneficial. Dry and scaly hands are also a common occurrence as often as our hands do most of our chores and even bear the brunt of it. Using heavy moisturiser for the hands is a good option. Keep a small bottle of a moisturising lotion near the wash basin, so after washing hands moisturizing them is not forgotten. Also at night if hands are moisturised and gloves are worn, it can help in healing the skin at a better pace.

Our hair also gets very much damaged during winter, as they are also stripped off their natural moisture. Also dry flaky skin on the scalp also is a source of itching. One key rule for this during winter is to always oil your hair before washing it. Also it is important is to avoid very hot water while washing your hair. Washing your hair, especially with a shampoo it anyway steals the natural oil of the scalp and even more so during winter. And so a prior oiling session tends to reduce the hair damage along with moisturising the scalp helping the scaly flaky skin. Another mistake people often commit is to blow dry your hair especially during winter, a blow dryer also tends to dry out the hair even more, especially during winters.

So while it is a season to look your best and enjoy the festivities, a little care and attention towards yourself underneath all the clothes and accessories can help not only to battle the uncomfortable woes of winters but also helps in the long run.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/war-with-winter/

By M.C. Linthoingambee

India is one of the few countries in the world under which environmental protection is mentioned among its top priority measures within the Constitution of India in its 42nd amendments thereby contributing to the idea of enacting well-developed environmental laws. Owing to the United Nations Conference on Human Environment it is imperative to make laws on several areas in relation to air, water, forests, etc. But all these did not help during the Bhopal Gas Tragedy in 1984 that impacted lives of many, till today.

Several lacunas were discovered in the above mentioned legislation. The man behind the crime vanished while many at home suffered gravely. The pain was unimaginable and such occurrences continue till today although in a lesser extent. Has the past taught us nothing? Even then, the people of Bhopal were happy to be given a job at the Union Carbide Factory and today for the very same reason people risk their health further to earn a living. At the end of the day, it all comes down to economic susceptibility and inability to cope up with the needs of the present day.

Days, Months and years have passed and we find ourselves ending up at square one. The Environment Protection Act 1988 was one such act that came in the wake of the aforementioned tragedy. But in spite of that it was on the part of the judges to make the final call. The system of filing Public Interest Litigations came as an aid in time of needs. It was used as a great tool in racking no good doers from their misdeeds so that the judges can offer their fair share of serving for justice on environmental protection. There were many principles and doctrines developing in the track for example: conserving the environment for the future generations, protecting the natural ecology and conserving natural wildlife, etc.

At present stage there are no enough laws that govern India on climate change. It is well noted that India is also among the largest producers of Green House Gases, and hence we need to resort to other means than are environmental friendly. The recent advances in the climate change jurisprudence at the global level poses greater challenges at the national level. The recent approach in dealing with climate change has been from the human rights perspective. This was a welcome shift, changing the focus from states to individuals. Climate change negotiations, according to this perspective, can no longer be a forum for state trade-offs and climate change is no longer a mere issue squarely belonging to science and politics but an essentially human process with demonstrable human cause and effect.

There are many resourceful NGOs, private individuals, researchers, that have taken a keen interest on dealing with the environment. It is observed that pollution has taken a toll in spite of several impositions and restrictions in view of strict and absolute liability. It is about time we clean up the rivers that have so righteously given us water to drink and bring it back to the scenery that were once so adored and loved by poets and writers. The Pollution Control Board should be made more efficient with increase of resources and workers in order to keep a check on any companies that does not deal with precautionary safety standards.

Today, there is more pollution all around us more so ever than yesterday. We all need to do our part for protecting the environment. Men and his greed have allowed him to cut down trees without the thought of planting another in the same spot. The result of which was also seen during the flood that happened in Uttrakhand that destroyed more than a hundred homes with many severely injured or killed. The weather is often unpredictable; scientists around the world have alarmingly tried at their level best to ascertain climatic conditions and its changes.

Although men can now gain excess to weather reports now. But we cannot claim that the system for early detection of natural disaster is the time perfect. It is observed that there has been snowfalls in some parts of India even though winter comes at its best usually in the month of January. These are some of the strange climatic phenomena that have been occurring because of our negligence towards environment. The phenomenon only proves that we are also vulnerable to climate change and its impact. Besides, we are already dealing with problem like water scarcity, which has had impacted on our agriculture and other related issues.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/12/tampered-climates/