Tag: Articles-Opinions

By B.G Verghese

The new government’s efforts to make a flying start have come a cropper with the effrontery, boorish and indisciplined conduct of one of its Ministers of State, V.K. Singh, former Army Chief. He has rubbished an affidavit filed by the Defence Ministry to damn in the most strident and irresponsible terms the character and appointment of Lt. Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag, next in line to succeed his own successor, Gen Bikram Singh, whom he had brazenly slandered. Singh has accused Gen. Suhagof being a criminal protector of murderers and dacoits.

This broadside followed a Ministry of Defence affidavit in the Supreme Court defending Gen Dalbir Singh’s promotion as Eastern Army Commander, categorically rejecting Singh’s earlier disciplinary ban on him while Chief as “extraneous, illegal and premeditated”. The MOD affidavit was in response to an appeal by another general officer, Ravi Dastane, against an Armed Forces Tribunal order clearing Gen Suhag of the charges levelled against him by Singh.

It is after this stinging rebuke by the MOD that Singh tweeted his infamous diatribe seeking to reopen a closed chapter. The public disquiet and anger this clear case of misconduct aroused in the public mind was only partly put to rest by the Finance-cum-Defence Minister, Arun Singh, who told the LokSabha that the Government “fully defends” the appointment of General Suhag. The Defence Minister pleaded that the armed forces should be kept above politics and then argued that Singh’s tweet should not be raised by Members “as it could prompt the Minister (Singh) to defend himself”. Translated, the advice of the Government to the public is “shut up, and sweep the matter under the carpet”.

That is what the former MOD, Anthony did, and fanned the rot in the highest echelons of the armed services; and this is what ArunJaitleyis now advocating, irrespective of its effect on service morale and discipline. In this midst of this flaming controversy of great sensitivity, the Prime Minister has chosen to remain stoically silent, thereby, approving both Singh’s indefensible conduct and ArunJaitley’squestionable response. Is this consistent with Mr Modi’s slogan of less government with more governance”?

Singh should have been censured and dismissed from the Government for stepping far beyond his limits, politicising the armed forces and speaking with a forked tongue. How can he remain Minister for the Northeast after proclaimingGen Suhaga defender of murderers and dacoitsin the very area over which both will have oversight? The man should go. He gave his solemn word of honour thrice to earn his next promotion and broke his word every time, as the Supreme Court sternly noted – to pave the way for preferment for his own kith and kin. And then he had the temerity to defy and sue the previous government while in uniform on a bogus age controversy, something he is venomously attempting to do again as a minister in clear contravention of his oath of office and collective cabinet responsibility.

On the entrance to the Chetwode Hall at the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun, is emblazoned the armed forces’ hallowed credo:“The safety, welfare and honour of your country comes first, always and every time. The honour, welfare and safety of the men you command come next. Your own comfort and safety come last, always and every time”. Singh conveniently forget his age long back and successively his honour and the welfare of his men, putting his own petty “comfort” first and always, every time. Is this to be the mettle of India’s ministers?

This is too serious a matter to be buried. The incident underlines the importance of appointing a full-time Defence Minister immediately. The Finance Minister is sufficiently burdened and is a stranger to Defence. Less government cannot mean no government. Mr Modi will be making a disastrous start if he does not act swiftly and decisively. Singh is expendable. The honour and prestige of the Army are not.

Another matter that cropped up last week is also a matter of concern. It is an IB report to the effect that the “anti-development” activities of certain foreign-funded NGOS have been anti-national and that their opposition to major nuclear power, mining, railway, dam and infrastructure projects on environmental and other grounds has caused endless delays and cost the country something of the order of two to three per cent of its GDP. This writer has been a long and strong opponent of Ludditism, “nostalgia” and environmental and displacement no-no-ism by the Narmada BacahoAndolan, the anti-POSCO and Vedanta lobbies, the anti-Nuclear fundamentalists and others but has always argued the need for a dynamic balance. Dissent is important and serves as a useful safety valve. It would be grossly illiberal to label all criticism and even opposition to certain development programmes as suspicious and seditious. These NGOs may get foreign contributions but if they keep within FCRA regulations there should be no reason to harass and hound them.

What is particularly worrying is the report that the IB report plagiarises a September 9, 2006 speech of Mr Modi in Gujarat on the occasion of the release in Delhi of “NGOs, Activists and Foreign Funds : Anti-nation Industry”. This reportedly consisted of a collection of articles by RadhaRajan and KrishenKak on the alleged anti-Hindu and corrupt practices of certain NGOs and activists. Is the IB re-activating a private agenda based on old,unproven, partisan prejudices?

This concern is reinforced by other straws in the wind such as renewed calls by right-wing ideologues to revisit history and other textbooks. The withdrawal of certain books, some published long back, on account of “hurt sentiments”, reinforces a sense of liberal disquiet. This is censorship by threat of muscular redress.

As disconcerting is the Chattisgarh government’s plan to deploy more helicopters for logistical use against Naxals in Bastar. This is perfectly legitimate, but will achieve little without reconstructing a broken legal framework under the 5th Schedule, putting in place a proper administrative-cum-delivery cadre, and co-opting the corporate sector to speed, technologically support, manage and market the development effort. Large industries, mines, power plants and connectivity need not be inimical to tribal welfare if put under a strict corporate social responsibility framework, first outlined by the Supreme Court’s Samatha judgement in the 1990s and since further refined.

Meanwhile, there have been some positive developments too. Environmental clearances have been fast-tracked for key projects long stalled and the height of the Narmada dam has been allowed to be raised by 17 metres to the full, project height. This will augment storage four-fold and augment hydro=-electric generation. The argument that the Narmada canal network will take another two to three years to complete and additional storage displacing some 200,000 people is therefore not required, is specious. Raising the dam will increase storage fourfold and augment hydro-electric generation. As for displacement, Madhya Pradesh has no more land to offer. Those displaced, some only partially, will have to accept cash compensation and be aided to settle elsewhere and be trained to take up non-farm occupations. This is increasingly the order of the day as the land can no longer support growing numbers on shrinking holdings.

www.bgverghese.com

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/blot-disgrace-danger/

By Tara Manchin Hangzo
Friend, relatives and acquaintance keep asking me if I am happy living Manipur. “Chin, are you happy staying home, in a nondescript dusty town with erratic electricity and water supply and no outlet for entertainment?” I told them I couldn’t be happier as I am content with my present circumstances. I have adapted and accepted the change I have to endure living in my home town. This set me thinking that happiness is not defined by what other’s perception of what you do or don’t do. People forget that happiness is state of mind, how you feel, how you act, how you behave and how you truly accept your life circumstances. Let me start by quoting A.D. Williams, “Happiness can be found everywhere, and in everything. It’s our choice.”
There are no two way street about how to achieve happiness in life. How to be genuinely happy with our lot, no Mantras or Guidelines but each of us have to learn how to make ourselves happy by experiencing life as it come.
The problem with us human is we spent so much time worrying and thinking we will became happier once we achieve this or that. In the process we waste half our lifetime caring about unimportant things, foolish things, and unchangeable things and being unhappy. This puts a brake in our forward movement. This becomes our thought process; Happiness is conditional to getting married, being in cushy job or running a thriving business. We presume that unless we make lots of money we will not be happy. The greatest danger here is that we put our life on hold until the event happens. We forget to live in the moment and lived in the “if it happens mode”. Sometime the things don’t happen at all making us miserable.
The trick is we must learn to be to be happy now at present and be aware of the moment. Be alive! I know of an example, an elderly lady is always worried and anxious about the welfare of her numerous brood but most of her fears never came to pass and she suffers a great deal in terms of her physical health .She would have been much happier if only she has learn to unburden and surrender her worries to God .
In a small town like ours, our main worry is what will people think if I do this or that, not what do I to make myself happy. Our freedom of choice is curbed, each of us is given a choice, all we have to do is choose but we forget that it’s our life, our decisions and our choices and let other people run our life. We fear being the subject of gossip, of being talked about in a demeaning manner by family, friends, neighbours, and society. My advice would be a little selfish sometime and do things to please you. For nothing better to do people are judgmental about what others are doing. We end up getting hurt by what they say or do which is the same as living our life for them and not for ourselves.
We all commit mistakes at one point in life, we either move on or get stuck but others will not let you forget your past mistakes. The past cannot be undone, the question is: are we going to let our past rules our present life, so much so that we forget to live in the present making us wallow in self pity. People who get stuck in the past are the most sullen and unhappy people I have come across.
In our society how do we perceive success and failure, it’s just our attitude and our thinking towards them. If we see failure as not being an IAS/MCS officer or lecturers then you are just limiting yourselves to a few choices in life, you’re going to be miserable. You have to follow your own heart and passion and do what you love to do and stick by it. See the thousands of tuition classes mushrooming in and around Imphal. Someone who didn’t get a government job decided to start an innovative ways of earning, by doing what he loves i.e. imparting quality education to students. He earns good income and makes his family happy. The best part is that he is following his passion. In the process, he is exercising his brain and keeping his memory active and Alzheimer at bay.
There are so many career choices in life these days, those who love gardening and plants have started nurseries and are earning good income. They do what they enjoy i.e. gardening, watching and nurturing saplings into plants, turning them into beautiful flowers for people to admire.
A good example of leading an abundant life is by appreciating simplicity and nature. Whether you have a special talent or not you can cultivate or learn the skill. Just doing it adds an element of spice to your life. Perhaps it makes you feel important and significant, (who doesn’t need to be valued and appreciated in life) or gives you meaning and a sense of connection to your surrounding which is so important. We need to have a sense of belonging to our roots, our culture and our people.
When I hear the gleeful shouting of children saying “mei lak-e! mei lak -e !“ and Ei-shing lak -e, I find myself smiling because the children’s joyous shout for such simple thing like water and electricity supply for a few hours make them so happy. I too feel energised and bustle about doing laundry and mopping the dirty floors. Everyone seems suddenly very busy. Face light up and I feel we become more alive with the electricity on. What we have taken for granted and failed to appreciate earlier (the constant supply of electricity and water in other cities) elicit so much joy and happiness in us. Basic needs when denied have much more value and we learn to appreciate them more. Our government is teaching us to be prudent and thankful which are the two criteria for happiness.
I know in today’s time we live in a competitive world, the Global age. Someone will always earn better and do better than us. Someone will be is richer and prettier. So is there a need to compare our lives? Do you think the grass is always greener on the other side?
What we should be concern about is our own life, are we happy as a person or do we think we aren’t good enough in this world? And live with low self esteem or just because we don’t have enough of good things in life should we be unhappy? This is an unhealthy negative thought. Always challenge this type of thinking. What is “good enough”? As long as you feel happy with who you are, where you are placed in life, earning a decent income, doing what you love, eating your home cooked favourite dishes, having a loving family and home, isn’t that all that matters? Instead of envying others, burning in jealousy, try and learn to be content with what you have and if not thrive for a better life by working harder. (Sweet success comes only from hard work, not from getting a free salary).
During the lowest period of my life I always maintained a journal where I just scribble down what is going on in my head. I write what needs to come out. I called this “Self therapy” Who goes to a shrink in our culture; we rather hide than share our pain with strangers so the journal can become your confidante. This is a good habit and effective tools of “letting go of issues” that needs to be dealt with if you need to move on and grow in life. On the other hand you can also maintain a gratitude journal and make it a point to be thankful for all the blessings.
What is with the superstitious belief we let it governs our lives? I saw an ad for renowned astrologer in our daily newspapers these days. I am sure people flocked to see him during his 5 to 6 days stayed at our hometown. This reinforced my conviction that people do worry about the future and they resort to astrologer to help them cope with the problems in life. I can understand the need as we live in an armed conflict zone. We are always living in fear so we tend to worry too much even at the point of torturing ourselves. Some of our worries are justifiable as many young men never returned home safe and the next day the corpse has to be claimed from the morgue. The daughter never returned home and her corpse is found next day in the paddy field.
How will an astrologer assuage our fear? We have to do it ourselves, get rid of our insecurities and the wrong mindsets. The astrologer will only feed our fear and make it bigger. What if he tells you something and it never happens, you will continue to worry about it and be obsessed? Isn’t that making yourself more fearful about your future? Why don’t you start by believing in your own self worth?
The best thing is to face worry head on, don’t let worry stop you, face it. There is saying live out your fear by taking action, Pronto! A man who is afraid of heights should try bungee jumping and one who is afraid of water should learn swimming. Then we will soon realize that it wasn’t as bad as we anticipated and that we can deal with it. Be a little braver and see life as an adventure. Remember the “Bucket List”? The movie where you make a list of things to do before you bid goodbye to this world. Prepare your own bucket list and live it out .This will surely enhance the quality of your life. Dream about it and it will surely come to pass someday.
Don’t lead a stagnant live, go travel and enjoy life, be bold enough to accept change, and adapt to your surroundings. The world we live in is constantly changing, try and keep pace with it by doing what you need to do. If you resist change, you might get left behind. So remain flexible
Let me end by saying that Happiness is not an end result of things that happen. Do not pursue happiness – practice it. Smile, even when things go wrong. Create & spread happiness; be grateful and happy you will be.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/the-pursuit-of-happiness/

By Yensembam Samarjit

IFP snatched the opportunity to meet ‘Women Best Footballer of the Year’ from her busy schedule of practice and more practice. Friendly and always wearing a smile on her face, Oinam Bembem Devi of Pishumthong Oinam Leikai, Imphal is the first woman from Manipur to bagged the title of ‘Best Footballer’ for two times. The title is awarded by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for the year 2001 and 2013.

Her title easily earns her a berth among the sports icons of Manipur, but title alone didn’t make Bembem of what she is today.

She was born to late Oinam Nageshor Singh and Oinam (o) Ruhhini Devi of Pishumthong Oinam Leikai, Bemebem is the sixth among eight children; with two elder brothers, three elder sisters and one brother and a sister younger to her. She was born in the year 1980. Her love for games and sports did not affect her studies. Bembem is a graduate in Arts.

Bembem started playing football when she was ten. She remembers playing with the neighborhood boys at the Leikai playground. The year 1991 was her memorable year. Bembem was selected to play for Youth Armature Welfare Association (YAWA) club of Singjamei as a midfielder. From then on, Bembem got more exposures. She got selected in the National sub junior team in the same year. She has played for SUN club of Mongshangei, a women football club. At present, she is associated to Manipur Service Sports Club (MPSC).

1995 was another unforgettable year for Bembem. She was selected to play for the Indian Women Football team, followed by partaking in various Championships organised by AFC. Bembem was already a name in the 10th Asian Football Championship which was held in Malaysia, 1995. Indian women football team was able to secure 5th position in the 11th Asian football Championship held at the Peoples’ Republic of China in 1997. She also took part in the 13th Asian Games at Bangkok in 1998. After a series of International exposures, Bembem led the Indian national team as captain in the 2003 AFC qualifying competition at Thailand. Since then Bembem has been leading the Indian team in various international tournaments namely: pre-Olympic qualifying competitions at Korea, AFC qualifying Competitions at Tehran, 11th South Asian Games, 1st South Asian Football Federation Women’s Football Championship in Bangladesh, 2007 Pre-Olympic qualifying competition at Korea and India, another AFC qualifying competition at Tehran and India in same year; while in 2010 she lead Indian women team for 11th south Asian games and 1st SAFF Women’s Football championship at Bangladesh, FIFA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Round held at Bangladesh in the year 2011 and 2013 AFC qualifying Competitions at Palestine etc.

Moments that Bembem cherished

In a quick chat with IFP, Bembem shared that at first she was not sure about the kind of games she should play. But she realised football is her appropriate event after playing at the national level. Though she has reached her retiring age, Bembem still dreams to participate in the Women’s World Cup.

Her fifteen day training at Germany in 1997 is something that Bembem cherished till today. She said of all the matches she has played at the international level, the match the Indian team defeated Japan by 1-0 in the Asian Games qualifying round was her best performance, in her personal opinion.

Among her achievements, Bembem said, the best midfielder award in the 15th National championship at Rourkela, Orissa was an event she will ever remember.

On the 20th Women National Championship.

Bembem said Manipur team did a good preparation for the 20th National Championship. Practice matches were played with men’s team. There were lots of discussions regarding the game strategy with the senior players of the state. She said the coaches and managers from the Association were also very helpful during the preparations. When the state team played with the Railways in the Championship, Bebem was surprised to see her team mates playing with full energy, like the match was a final match. She could not see any signs of exhaustion among her team, they were determined of defeating the Railways.

Message for the upcoming players

To all those who want to play football seriously, Bembem said discipline is very much important. One must respect their senior, coaches and managers. While playing inside the field one must obey the rules of the game, showing emotions in the fields during the matches could run down the team spirit. It must be avoided as much as possible, Bembem maintained. For the upcoming World Cup, Bembem is all for the host team: Brazil.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/bembem-star-of-indian-women-football/

By: Ngamkhothang Haokip

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” A man of beard was seen in TV, campaigning like a trumpet for his own party politics of election within his own state. He was popularly known as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Later he was seen in his neighboring states and even to the nook and corners states of India. His photos of stickers and party symbol written ‘Modi for Prime Minister’ was seen in vehicles and places around. Even a call-centre campaigner had personally called me up to vote for him. Indeed pre poll statistic shows victory for BJP.

The result of the General election shows victory to BJP by 282 seats, out of 543 in all India Parliamentary seats. Bharatia Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party in the 16th Lok Sabha General Election 2014. After declaration of his victory from the constituency of Varanasi, Narendra Modi went towards her mother. It shows his wisdom of personal respect/honor to his mother as a peculiar child of his mother, seeking her blessing. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother –this is the first commandment with a promise” as mention in the Letter of Paul to Ephesian 6:1-2 scripture of the New Testament Bible (NRSV). Proverb 23:22 of the Old Testament Bible states, ‘….do not despise your mother when she is old’. Manipuri proverb says, “Ema-epa mitna uba lai ni” meaning ‘Parents are the God seen in our own eye.’ Modiji then, went back to his own constituency, Varanasi where he was elected. Rites of celebration cheered with echoes of happiness by his people/voters.

That makes him an ideal leader who cannot forget where he began his journey of personal life and political life. He is also known for his way of seeking ashirwad, blessings from his senior leaders, friends as well prayer blessings from religious Priests, Reverends and the like, in understanding the way that paved to fulfill his determination. The change that makes an arrangement for oath taking ceremony in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan Delhi was unusually creative. The spot and gathering ceremony on the 26th May 2014 was an outstanding and historic event for the Politics of India. Oath-Taking in the name of GOD (ISHWAR) was constitutional, in which every elected and appointed leaders of the nation does. However, one of the most impressive events was Modi’s invitation to neighboring head of Governments of all SAARC nations. The presence of the leaders from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan was remarkable and most significant events in the history of India. Attended by people of VVIP/VIP’s political party including his rival Congress leaders was an awesome moment promoting peace, love and republic.

The cheerful and peaceful event must be a mark of new arena for India’s political transformation. India is now with her 15th Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi with clear majority, secret stronghold for good governance and development. Oath of affirmation taken in the name of ISHWAR/GOD must be a symbolic conviction to serve the country in the fear of creator God/Ishwar for Indian political office, a protocol of the constitution. Shri Narendra Modi must be a theist, who does belief and has faith in the existence of ISHWAR/GOD. Unforgettable remembrance of inviting neighboring country leaders, friends and citizens exalts peace and co-operation with his inclination in love toward neighbors. It spread a message of peace and cooperation. It is encouraging to learn about Modi’s modification that focus on work content and delivery without indulging in old style of functioning by giving quality of governance more important than nomenclature. Some of the most interesting saying of him as an ideal leader (a) the poor and the poorest people of India sent us here in parliament. (b) Let us dream of strong, develop and inclusive India. (c) Belief in the power of technology and social media. It is suggested that in a multi socio-ethno, cultural, religion and economic context of pluralistic India, focus on Justice, Equality and Secularism is an integral part that can make strong, develop and inclusive India.

Shri Modiji’s visioning hope beyond castes, creeds, dalits or tribes is encouraging for good governance and development shows, his inclusivity and understanding the plurality of Indian diversity. However, the well to do upper-caste oppressive attitudes towards Indian Dalits, still need serious attention for justice and development, because of their old-aged untold suffering from evil acts of the hindustani socio-religion. In order to avoid tribalism, the mind and attitudes of Indian people-of-tribes need to be nurture for development through the value of educational-rights and by promoting the spirit of games and sports among the youths. Economic disparities may be solved if one/group thinks not only for self/group in the point of favoring difference in religion, castes, status, creed etc. like dirt hidden under the royal red carpet. Focus must be in favor of the economically poor people of the country. The power of technology and social media created by human is- the wisdom of human given by God, the maker.
Knowing God does not mean to be very religiously fanatic in a framework of religious organizational fundamentalism. However to fear God of Spirit within every human person and to live humanly in the love of one another, is the Godliness for every person. God is not religion made by human civilization but “God is Spirit”, said Jesus according to the Gospel of John 4:24 New Testament Bible (NRSV). So, one of the most important routine for a leader is no-other than his/her personal spirituality. Spirituality must be set right first through prayer and meditation, in order to focus determination and attitude to work for peace, justice and equality in India. For a leader, to attain the Spirit of Godliness is most important because human action is the outcome of his/her spirituality. Setting spirit right in Godliness can help aperson/leaders perform duty positively sincere in proper coordination with co-workers for development as people’s Union Government of India. Therefore, it can be noted that on the way to his succeed for election Shri Narendra Modi followed the major part of the teaching of the Lord Jesus’ Greatest Commandment in the Gospel of Matthew 22: 37-40 (NRSV) Christ Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Taking Oath in the name of GOD/ISHWAR and inviting India’s neighboring countries is a way-to-say of it. His remarkable remembrance of inviting his neighboring country leaders, friends and citizens in peace and co-operation shows his inclination to the love of neighbors. Citizens of India has elected and appointed its leader through casting their valuable votes to whomsoever they like most. In a TV media statement National People Party leader Shri PA Sangma said, “North East Indian have a tradition of voting for the Congress”, still then Bharatia Janata Party Government of India is brand new formed union government with clear majority on the 26th day of the month May, this year two thousands and fourteen, under the leadership of the 15th Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. So, citizens who elect to form their own government needs to obey the Government, in which the government must work for peace, justice, equality, good-governance and development. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist has been instituted by God” in Romans 13:1 New Testament Bible (NRSV). Written by: Ngamkhothang Haokip Delhi. (Email: nkthang.chibai@gmail.com)

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/modi-ji-following-the-greatest-commandment/

By Amar Yumnam

Maynard Keynes was right when he asserted that in the long run we are all dead. But the individual and social functioning are not all short-sighted. The short-run and immediate functions and performances are all oriented to the long term objective of improving individual and social well-being on a lasting basis; the drive for longer term enhancement of life is salient in both individual and social characteristics. But the significance lies in the outcome of the functioning. Every outcome of a functioning and performance leaves a long memory mark at both individual and societal levels.

The point I am trying to drive home is that every action and every outcome at each moment is significant. Occasions do come when a functioning and an outcome are characteristically different from the experienced trend such that these tend to impact on the consequent outlook, functioning and expectations for probable outcomes. When the new and trend-setting functioning and expected outcome are positive, the spirit of the individuals and the society gets enlivened. This is very important. The drive for advancement and the possibility for achievement are strongly dependent on the spirit with which the individual and the society function. Both require and demand spirit enhancing environment, functioning and outcomes. The similarity ends here. The individual and the society operate under different paradigms though they need not be necessarily conflictual. The context and the stimulations are different. There are many moments in an individual’s life where the spirit needs to be enhanced and thus need to search for interventions to do so. One significant component for this in Manipur society are the various prayers and rituals, which do help in sustaining the expectations of the individuals. Such an option is not available in the case of the social collective, and, if available, like in the case of the Lai Haraoba, cannot have the kind of spirit enlivening impact as in the case of the individuals.

The enlivening of the spirit of the society can be achieved only through actions, initiatives and performances which invigorate the collective expectations about positive outcomes in both short-run and long memory. In a modern democratic context, such enlivening can be achieved only through the functioning, performance and performance-based promises of the state and her institutions. An individual or a household may maintain a cattle despite absence of economic returns, but the state cannot and should not do so; the state has to be necessarily driven by the objective of enhancing the collective well-being and affect positive improvements in the collective long memory.

Now the relevant question before us is how has been the character of state functioning and performances in so far as they impact on the collective long memory and collective expectations for future. I would like to talk of two instances here. One is the presentation of the head of the people of Manipur in the pre-Budget discussions with the Finance Minister of India. The second one is the news of the emergence of an Autonomous College in Manipur. Both are significant news items and both have terribly failed to enliven the spirits of the people; the first one in a limited extent and the second in a widespread nature.

It is definitely interesting and important that the head of the people of Manipur was there in a Pre-Budget Discussion of the Finance Minister of India. So far so good. But when the newspapers reported the themes and contents of the presentation of the Chief Minister of Manipur, the whole spirit of positive expectations gets dissipated. We are not to blame the Chief Minister here for these only betray the weaknesses and absence of appropriate understanding of contexts by the bureaucracy of the provincial government. The proposals are perfectly all right if the Chief Minister were interacting with the Finance Commission or the Planning Commission of India. However it was a case of the provincial head interacting with the Finance Minister of India on the national budget. The orientation and issues to be tackled by the national Budget are very different from what the proposals of the province’s Chief Minister desired to be addressed. The concern for macro approach and policy orientation of a national budget should have been digested by the bureaucracy performing the state functions in Manipur and accordingly prepare the proposals of the Chief Minister. There are ample ways to respect the policy orientation of the new government at the Centre and put forth proposals for policy initiatives to address the specific issues of Manipur within a larger framework. Unfortunately, the provincial bureaucracy seems to have confused the institutions and processes of the country, and reduced the intervention of the head of the people of Manipur to a non-starter.

The second major development is the news of a college in Manipur attaining the status of an Autonomous College. The news per se is definitely a positive news. But the question to be answered is: Did this news enliven the spirit of the people of Manipur in so far as higher education is concerned? Without mincing words, we can say that it did not. By any yardstick, it definitely was not a First Best choice decision of Manipur. It definitely did not have the spirit-enlivening impact it could have if it were the D. M. College or the Imphal College. To this extent the challenge before the new Autonomous College is definitely heightened, and we do wish the institution rises to the occasion. Here a brief on what has happened to higher education in Manipur would be of relevance. The late 1960s and the entire period of 1970s were the heyday of expansion of facilities for higher education in Manipur. Unfortunately, this quantitative expansion was not followed by qualitative improvements as required by institutional enhancement and social progression. The social outcome today is that higher education in Manipur is in absolute shambles; the decline is visible daily. Today we may not worry, but two or so decades from now the society would pay the price in terms of lack of competitiveness and inability to face the challenge of compression of space and time; the long memory impact has much to worry about.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/long-memory-spirit-enlivening-and-social-advancement-the-continual-failures-of-manipur/

By Pradip Phanjoubam

Last week has been one of those in which editorial writers, or leader writers as they are called by the Americans, were overtaken and overwhelmed by a deluge of news breaking events of extreme import, which not only called for their attention but demanded editorial commentaries. Because journalists are presumed to be in the ringside seats of developing news events, they are expected by the readers to provide informed perspectives on these events, as is loudly evident in the popularity of chat programmes with them discussing the morning’s headlines on the All India Radio and various TV and cable channels every morning, not just in Manipur, but everywhere.

Many of which these news events may have appeared innocuous at the surface, nonetheless they carried deep and sinister implications deeper down. The busting of an edible oil adulteration racket in Imphal and the unfolding controversy over a Tweeter remark by the newly sworn in DoNER minister, Gen (retd), V.K. Singh, former Chief of Army Staff, are just two of these.

The foremost of the two is that of the DoNER minister’s unreservedly disparaging remarks about the new Chief of Army Staff designate, Lt.Gen. Dalbir Suhag. I have put this development on the top not because the unseemly controversy is unfolding in the New Delhi corridors of power, but because of its relevance to the Northeast, and in the current situation, Manipur in particular. Let me explain.

The DoNER minister, it now appears, while he was still the Chief of Army Staff, had tried to block the promotion of his junior, Lt. Gen. Dalbir Suhag, on the charge that the latter allowed the killing of innocents as well as dacoity by units under his command. What seems to have missed the notice of many is that the Army formation Lt. Gen. Suhag commanded when this objection was raised by Gen. Singh, is the 3 Corps.

The following are the exact words he tweeted when a Supreme Court ruling overturned his ban on promotion of Lt. Gen. Suhag very recently: “If unit kills innocents, does dacoity and then head of organization tries to protect them, should he not be blamed? Criminals should go free!!”

Journalists of the region who have been in the field for long, would all be cognisant of the fact that 3 Corps is headquartered in Rangapahar near Dimapur, and its area of command is Nagaland, Manipur, North Cachar Hills in Assam and parts of Tripura. We know Nagaland has been a ceasefire zone and therefore relatively spared of the brutal bush wars of insurgency and counter insurgency operations for the past decade and a half. Assam and Tripura are low-key insurgency areas currently. This leaves only Manipur as the hot conflict zone.

The debate in Delhi over the DoNER minister’s remarks centres around the understanding of public etiquette and propriety of a minister and former Army chief making a damaging remark about another General who would soon be leading one of the most powerful armies in the world. The opposition Congress has charged that the Supreme Court overruling the ban on Lt. Gen. Suhag by the DoNER minister amounts to a vote of confidence on the minister and that he should be made to resign.

My own feeling is, a ruling by a court of law is a matter of delivering procedural justice, which indeed was what was delivered in this case too. What the court of law is not mandated to read or factor into its judgments is the intangible moral contents of any story. Justice in this sense is defined by the principles of rule of law, and not by the quality of conscience of alleged crime perpetrators. The sublime beauty as well as the frustrating shortfalls of this attitude to adjudication could not have been better portrayed than in the 1954 play about Sir Thomas More by Robert Bolt, “A Man For All Seasons”, which was adapted for a successful 1966 film by the same name.

So while the DoNER minister’s accusations have only evoked debates that revolved around break of protocol, driven and moderated solely by familiar norms of the game of one-upmanship amongst rival political parties, what has missed public scrutiny is indeed the moral content of the entire affair. Understandably, the decibels are already dropping in the Delhi debate, for the issue is now cooled and therefore ceasing to be a handle in this game.

In the Northeast at least, and in particular Manipur, where there have been raging controversies over custodial killings, the nature of this debate ought to have been very different. Unfortunately, not many seem to have taken note of the gravity of the issue raised by the DoNER minister just as yet. Seemingly most missed noticing these underlying connections.

Let me therefore draw attention to the allegations again. Gen. Singh’s allegations against Lt. Gen Suhag, when read in the context of the sketch I have just done should translate as a clear vindication of the public allegations all the while that custodial killings have become a norm of the security forces operating in the region under the AFSPA. Should not the allegations amount to saying Gen. Suhag during his tenure as commander of the 3 Corps gave a free hand to custodial killings in Manipur and elsewhere? If this interpretation is agreed upon, what can be more sensational and earth shaking than this startling alert by a very unlikely whistle blower?

It is a wonder that those seeking justice in this murky murderous matter have not pounced into ring. I know for certain there are activists who have taken the government to court on this matter, and who have compiled long lists of unfortunate souls, mostly young men in their early 20s, who have either disappeared untraced after being picked up by the security forces, or else were found killed under mysterious circumstance in subsequent days. Their silence therefore is, to use a familiar cliché, deafening.

On Gen. Singh’s other damning remark that Gen. Suhag also permitted dacoity by units under his command, my guess is as good as anybody’s.

One thing is certain. Although many in the northeast have raised eyebrows at the appointment of a former Army Chief as the minister in charge of the Northeast by the newly installed BJP government at the centre, enthusiastically re-conjuring up the colonial image of the Northeast where Generals are appointed as Governors, this surprising controversy over a Tweeter remark does indicate this former Army General turned minister is a man with a conscience.

Food adulteration

In direct contrast, the other news is of greasy, loathsome corruption of a businessman. Lest anybody is inclined to take the matter lightly, let me first remind the readers that food adulteration under a new Indian law which came into effect in 2011, is a crime punishable with life imprisonment together with fine up to Rs. 10 lakhs. The crime of food adulteration can also constitute even selling unhygienic and unwholesome foodstuff. In many countries, this crime can attract even the death penalty.

With this preface, let us take a look again at the food adulteration racket busted at a godown of a certain Ajay Traders at Khabam Lamkhai on June 9, the news of which made the headlines in the June 10 editions of all local morning dailies. From the newspaper accounts of the event, there can be no doubt whatsoever the crime was premeditated and therefore deliberate in the most selfish and sinister way.

The businessman in question, one Mulchand from Thangal Bazar, had been clandestinely carrying on with his despicable business, systematically contaminating mustard oil, by far the most popular cooking oil in the state, for illegal and criminal monetary gains. According to officials, his business operations also included, among others, mixing spoilt betel nuts with unspoiled ones and selling them to unsuspecting customers. The reports also indicated the business is worth crores of rupees, for even the goods seized on the day of the raid were estimated at Rs. 30 lakhs.

Our concern however is not the size of his business. He certainly is unscrupulous and insatiably greedy for unwarranted profit. But this he can account for to the income tax department and other revenue intelligence departments of the government. What we are however outraged by is that in the pursuit of his greed, he was for a long time also putting the health of numerous innocent consumers, men, women and children, at risk wilfully.

This atrocious practice, it is also clear from the accounts of the authorities to the media, had been going on unchecked for at least eight months. This being the case, and knowing the past ways of our law enforcement agencies, it is only reasonable that there were suspicions the man was buying his way past the notice of the authorities all the while, and that it was a glitch in the deal-making with his protectors which led to the raid. This being the suspicion, it should be in the interest of the authorities to start erasing this unsavoury reputation they have earned so far by dealing with this case firmly and transparently.

We also expect, and plead, the government not to sweep the matter under the carpet, or let anybody complicit in the crime off the hook without invoking appropriate law to award exemplary penalty to them, proportionate to the crime they have committed against the law and the people.

The government should immediately institute a high level inquiry into the matter to establish the nature as well the extent of the crime. It must come clear whether this food adulteration racket was a unique phenomenon at the behest of an incorrigibly corrupt man, or else just the tip of the iceberg as many have said is the possibility. It should also make the progress report of such an inquiry public. The manner in which it brings this case to a logical conclusion will be important not just towards the cause of justice and retribution, but also to remove another unfair and sweeping stereotypes that it is in the nature of the business community as a whole to be unscrupulous in their profiteering games.

I wonder if, just as the All Manipur Working Journalists Union, AMWJU, and other associations and unions of professional groups are morally bound either to denounce or defend colleagues in their professions in such situations, guided by their own enlightened judgments and intimate understandings of these situations, as well as personal knowledge of the backgrounds of the persons under scrutiny, the Manipur Chamber of Commerce and other relevant bodies of the business community should also not issue statements of condemnation or solidarity with people from their vocation found on the wrong side of the law. This would go a long way in winning the confidence of the people by and large towards their vocational community.

We have many civil society organisations working in the area of government transparency using the RTI, so it is not unreasonable to expect they would ensure the government takes this case to its logical conclusion and the public informed of it.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/a-general-with-a-conscience-and-a-businessman-without-one/

By Tinky Ningombam

Shortage of amenities is not a new phenomenon in a poor state like Manipur. However the self-induced shortage of food and amenities (e.g. Imported food items Fish or Salt which are not locally produced) that we have seen in the recent past is also concerning. When a society becomes increasingly dependent on outside economies to sustain their daily life, problems like these, will not be singular cases.

Globalization has brought in its pluses but it has also made many a local economy crumble. What we need to find is a balance. In that perspective, what we need to ask is how we are looking at localization the economy. Because as we open up our doors to multi-national corporations, we need to understand how sustainable our local economies are still going to be. How do we promote our local cultures, sustain our food chains and sustain environmentally friendly businesses? And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Locally accountable businesses in energy, food or manufacturing sectors is something that we are still lacking behind. For example, there will be soon a time when a basic produce such as local fish has to be bred in a far-off land and sourced for consumption, spending more money in transport and retail when it can be much cheaper locally produced.

Development is a two edged sword. And we know that for ages, the human race has been concerned with development. Development or progress has meant different things for different economies however one thing seemed to have been synonymous and that is GDP growth. Wikipedia’s definition: “Gross domestic product (GDP) is the market value of all officially recognized final goods and services produced within a country in a year, or over a given period of time. GDP per capita is often used as an indicator of a country’s material standard of living.”

To have a good standard of living, we need to have a sustainable economy that is not entirely dependent on global conglomerates.

In the same light, we should look at Bhutan, a considerably poor nation that focuses on strategic trade relations. The current focus on this small haven, led by India’s first prime ministerial visit. Bhutan follows an interesting philosophy for development. It emphasises in trying to keep a balance of their material and immaterial aspects of life. Their nation’s well-being is not measured by GDP growth but with the growth of GNH – Gross National Happiness.

GNH was propounded by His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan in the early 1970s. Because he believed that the measurement of development with GDP does not focus on the one thing that brings up the standard of living- Happiness. As the GNH website quotes “The concept of Gross National Happiness consists of four pillars: Fair socio-economic development (better education and health), conservation and promotion of a vibrant culture, environmental protection and good governance.”

With this outlook, their political and traded policies have to consider whether they will hog for profit at the expense of for instance, their cultural integrity or their environmental considerations. Hence Bhutan’s choice to  remain carbon neutral or its rejection of McDonald’s for public health concerns or for enforcing 80% forest cover in the land are steps to achieve a higher GNH. I am sure there can be loopholes in something so grandiose. However, this is an innovative step. One that is novel yet ambitious step to sustain an economy with foresight and vision.

One thing that our State needs to learn from. Because unlike our grim past, where we have relied on short-sighted reliefs, we need to focus on a sustainable and happy future. The idea then is not just to build developed cities where people can migrate for better lives but ethically “develop” the entire land so that there is no need for people to move to attain a higher standard of living. Hence, strong local economies might just be the answer for some of our long-standing problems.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/localizing-economies/

By Chitra Ahanthem

If we were to draw up a list of things that we in Manipur can well do without, it would be filled up with an interesting mix of power cuts (though thanks to the hoopla over the World Cup in far away Brazil, we are getting some respite during match fixtures at night), poor road connectivity, garbage ridden roads and river banks, corrupt officials taking money for doing their jobs etc. The list would be never ending, for Manipur has no dearth of issues that jar for the common man. Having said that, the above mentioned points are all indicators of bad governance and to do away with these ills would require political will and a sense of wanting to make a difference. Which is why, we will talk of things that we the common people can do away with, if only we would begin to see that there is better sense in bidding good-bye to useless social practices that we have begun to accept as a way of things.

First thing first on my personal list is to make an earnest appeal to the well learned in our society to please keep it simple, short and sweet when they speak on public platforms or at least to keep the duration of their pitch as per the need of the hour and the interest level of those who are to listen in. This appeal has been long called for because every function, every occasion when speakers take to the micro-phone, there are instances when those who are to listen actually groan out aloud and try to work out escape plans. The journalist fraternity have long been the victims of never ending speeches but the truth is that more often than not, the experts and the resource persons, the chief guests and the guests of honors and special invitees and presidents of functions all go into epic speeches at the drop of a hat. Last week, I had to stop myself from walking up on stage to pull off the speakers who were going into half an hour sagas of what is theatre, how is it faring in Europe, what is theatre for children etc. My patience wore thin because the occasion was the culmination of a 20 day long summer camp with the atttendees (all young children) set to perform and the speeches were in the way of their performance. The children had gone for their rehearsals starting at 10 am and the program was at 3 pm. Given a 15 minute delay on account of Meitei Pung and the experts going into ‘I am a better expert than the next/earlier speaker’ mode, by the time the children took to the stage, it was 5.30 pm. Those sitting in the audience were only the parents of the children who were all fidgeting as their children were running about waiting to perform. But those on the stage went about their business of sprouting their wisdom giving little attention to the fact that no one was in the right frame of mind to even care what they were saying. This is a common enough scenario in Manipur where everyone is totally sold on the idea of hogging the microphone for dear life. If only these learned souls would only realize how much of ill will is directed against them when they go into verbal diarrhea mode!

The advent of June brings to mind something we can do without most happily: the microphones blaring around at odd hours, which are set off from Lai Haroupham sites. Even as expert committees and various pressure groups are being formed to look at preserving ‘the real essence of old traditions and practices’ with regard to how Lai Harouba is being observed, why has no one looked into the fact that using microphones (and mostly turned up to the loudest decibel levels) is a ‘modern’ addition and has no connection to indigenous rites and rituals? More than this, the onslaught of mikes blaring with the din of drum beats and hymns even as the mercury levels are wrecking havoc means sleepless nights and unhappy countenances. Surely, Lai Harouba means propitiating the array of Gods, which can be done without infringing on the right of lesser mortals to some well- deserved rest and sleep time?

End-point:
Reading that bit of news about a government official getting a grenade delivered through the local grease payment system of bringing/giving along a big size fish made one think on various levels. One aspect of it is course that the 4 kg sareng must have surely gone to waste. The other is that the family and others with high ranking officials who earlier took in fish when people brought it along as grease money should surely think twice and thrice and many more times before thinking only of what dish awaits them at the family meal. It is not sure if the incident is going to create a fish dive in the market with sales going down but on a serious note, says a lot of how folks can and do come up with ways and means to beat ‘high security measures’ that are in place. Government officials may well invest in metal detectors to scan fishes and their ilk.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/what-we-can-do-without/

By M.C. Linthoingambee

Sports is something that has been existing and binding us as social beings since time immemorial. There have been nothing but celebrations concerning sports which has the power to bind people together and stand as one. The time is now for numerous people (in millions) around the world to glue themselves to their TV sets as the FIFA World Cup 2014 finally kicks off at Brazil. Sports knows no bounds of valuation with even Nelson Mandela claiming that, “Sports has the power to unite the people’. Brazil is where individuals, teams, countries and the whole world are coming together to welcome the true meaning of “We are One” which inspires with the lyrics of this years FIFA World Cup Song with top names like Jennifer Lopez, Pittbull, Claudia making appearances on the world stage. With a little uncomfortable thrust that has embarked on the region with the viability of protests condemning the harm to the Brazilian economy, the host nation did prove their stand by winning the first qualifying match. The mention of the names are enough to spark shivers: Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo C, etc and this is just not the end of the name game with more to expect and more to come in the future. But where does that leave us? Leaving aside all this, does India ever have a chance of competing at these tournaments? Maybe, someday this question will be best answered if we ever do qualify for the final shows.

Although things may look a little dim for the Indian Football team to ever have a chance to go for big leagues given their current standing and management. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) affiliated to FIFA governs over the India National Football Team since 1948. During the peak of its success during the 1950s, India qualified to go for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil but failed to comply due to the nature of the cost concerned with all necessary expenses. How long are we willing to lose in opportunities with the unfortunate events of granting enough sanctions for Indian Sports? We are a poor country with more beggars still looming for a day’s meal on the streets but we are slowly developing to gain the status of a developed nation. It is taking time since it’s not in a day to change the domestic value of a country over mid-night. With its FIFA ranking cornered at 154 today and its statistics records showing its highest scores at 94 in February 1996 and its lowest hour at September-November 2012 with the 169 rank,it is perhaps natural to give up the idea of India ever making to the World Cup. Rather than approaching the Hall of Fame we have reached a certain downfall in the past with the recent ban of the Indian Olympic Association by the International Olympic Association during the 2012 London Olympics and the corruption and embezzlement activities done during the 2010 Commonwealth Games hosted by India that has bought out a lot of illegal truths to the media. We are still overlooking that the fact that sports does not need a world of confrontation but a thrust of hardwork and modesty.

In a more realistic march we have come to the conclusion of ignoring the bye- laws of FIFA itself in the past leaving a memory of a shattered dream.  Former Premier League footballer Michael Chopra found himself in this situation when he looked into playing international football.   His father was born in India and he applied to the AIFF to play for the national team given he had a valid PIO card, however, the AIFF were told in no uncertain terms by the Indian Government that he was not to represent the national team.  This ended Chopra’s dream of playing international football and also meant that the national team were missing out on the services of a player who had considerably greater experience (and skill) than the majority of the squad with which they had to exercise the probability of playing at the real game or simply picking the right players. These denials are a downright disappointment that tears apart the team spirit of real sports. Where does this leave players in the position of Chopra who wish to play for India (or other countries which do not have a dual nationality regime)?  The stance of the Indian Government unfortunately places the AIFF in direct contravention of the FIFA Statues, this being stated under Article 13, Section 1A of the General Provisions (Members’ obligations), “Members have the following obligations…to comply fully with the Statues, regulations, directives and decisions of FIFA bodies at any time.” What could FIFA do to change the situation? FIFA has not been afraid in recent times to issue sanctions against its member associations for what it terms “government interference”.  Most recently, the Cameroon Football Federation has been suspended by FIFA following the fallout from the elections for its President.

This is not the story of Gulliiver’s Travel but the reality of falling out on huge potentials. With a little over than a total of one billion population and being called the second most populous country in the world, can’t we make this work? Developing a game and certainly one of the highly attention seeking play of all time is enough to put us on the map. We can be those little people who are weak when left alone but when united even Gulliver does not stand a chance.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/true-vintage/

By Bangormayum Namiba

The time for khichdi has come. I love my khichdi. My mother makes good khichdi. I remember her telling me that the khichdi in Puri was not to her liking. “Too much ghee”, she complained. She went there to ask for my health, to promise to the deity, as she tied the thread around the banyan tree that she would come back to untie those knots, once my health is restored. Her prayers worked.

“My wife makes good curd”, I told one of my recently acquainted friends. He replied by saying that his wife makes the best muffins.  He was visibly, immensely, happy to have got the context to say that. Though I could not get the connection between milk and muffins then, the remark of my friend set me thinking about what a philosopher said about the importance of ambiguities – the very thing that gives rise to misunderstandings. The systemic ambiguity of words, the in-principle disconnect, gap between ideas and language that clothes them is essential to the possibility of communication. Simply put, ideas are private; language is essentially public. Therefore, language always falls short, or perhaps long if you please, of what you want to convey. Language works through transference, deference. Even the most literal is metaphorical. This framework made me appreciate the disconnect in the conversation above. I wanted to communicate something, but what was communicated had its own mind, its own life. Our words even in their most direct instances reverberate with infinite possibilities of meaning. .

But that’s beside the point, what I want to say is that my wife makes good curd. The trick she says is to make use of a casserole. It gives the right temperature for the curd making bacteria to work at its best. I may add that she can make ghee too. There is a puzzle regarding ghee. When we buy ghee, the container says “pure ghee”. When we buy curd, we don’t expect to find “pure curd” written on it. Why is this so, I have been thinking without any answer. Is this word “pure” arbitrary? I hope not, for many have died for that idea and many are ready to do so. If it were arbitrary then many lives would have been wasted. God forbid that the question is answered in the affirmative. Yet, ‘pure’ ghee, offered to the gods, causes obstruction of the arteries and veins, the doctors say. If purity means exclusion, if purity means the blocking of life, if it means stagnancy, then perhaps it is against life. The measure of life is change. Life needs change as much as stability.

A learned friend once told me about a queer hypothesis. It ran something like this – language makes the world. He explained further that language captures what we can think, feel and do. There are different languages in the world. If you speak a language, you have access to a world. Depending on the conceptual background and resource that the language provides, you feel, think and act accordingly. Different languages mean different worlds. These worlds interact and overlap. This overlapping means that we have access to many different worlds. But it could, and has, lead to anxieties as well. The anxiety that my world could be swamped by another world is a real anxiety. This is a valid anxiety. It is our responsibility that no world goes out of existence. Though this anxiety may be valid the other side of the coin is that, anxiety if disproportionate to the threat is a symptom of pathological condition. If the response is incommensurate to the challenge then it is unhealthy.

To keep babies healthy, they have to be given regular bath. This my wife says. One may not agree with her but many will agree that watching babies being given a bath is quite a pleasure. When my son takes a bath, my entire family members converge to watch the scene. Their faces speak of pride and joy – this amidst his caterwauling. I have also noticed that the mother lifts the baby out of the tub before the dirty, ‘impure’ water is thrown away. It would be quite horrific and morbid if the baby is thrown away with the bath-water in the anxiety to get rid of the impurity.

We are in the danger of throwing away many babies from our world. We can throw away “ghee”, “khichdi” and such other babies which we have adopted. We have adopted these words and given them growth. The baby that has grown is no longer the one that we adopted. “Khichdi” in our language does not refer to the thing that my mother saw and tasted in Puri. It stands for the one that we have in our kitchens. They may share the same colour and perhaps the same religious function but it would be absurd to say that they are the same. If words refer to different things they are different words. But how do we excise the “khichdi” we adopted and retain the “khichdi” which is our own now?  How do I say to my mother that I want some khichdi after the erasure of the word “khichdi”? With the erasure of the word “hing” we would mutilate our world by excising the idiom which roughly translates as “He is a hing” to mean, with lots of colour, that someone is stingy. This idiom is our own. How do we say “Don’t pour ghee on the ashes”? This expression is our own. And if words get their meaning from the sentential context then they are our words since the expressions our own. They belong to our world now.

These are vexed thoughts. Thinking them makes one hungry. I want some of those yellow coloured rice made with pulses, sautéed and cooked in ‘Maroi mara’. Yes mother, I would love some of those.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/of-ghee-and-purity/

By Dr Khushboo Shah Sawant

Moving ahead in the journey towards a safe and healthy pregnancy, we shall now uncover a few common problems faced during pregnancy. Right from conception until the final stages of pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through tremendous changes, be it, physical, hormonal or emotional. During this phase, the body adapts to accommodate the new life growing within itself, nourish it and provide the unborn foetus with everything it needs to stay alive and grow normally. This gives rise to a number of health related difficulties in the mother, many which are a routine part of pregnancy.

Morning sickness and nausea is one of the most common problems of pregnancy, which usually clears up by 12-14 weeks. It may be an uncomfortable feeling but it does not put the baby at any kind of risk. These symptoms may also be aggravated by tiredness. In some cases however, women experience severe vomiting, which is prolonged, for which medical attention is needed, as there is a specific form of treatment. However, most common simple changes can help, like take some time before getting out of bed. Eating plain food like a biscuit or toast first thing may also help to fight off nausea. Also eating smaller meals at frequent intervals help. Drinking plenty of fluids is important and drinking cold water in small sips may also help. It is best to avoid foods whose smells aggravate the symptoms.

Constipation in pregnancy, which can start very early during the pregnancy is the result of hormonal changes in the body. To cope with this, pregnant mothers are advised to include plenty of fluids in their diet, eat foods rich in fiber, wholegrain cereals, vegetables, lentils etc. and to exercise regularly to tone the muscles. . Also iron supplements may also give rise to constipation; the doctor can help manage or change the brand in case it affects bowel movements too much.

Swelling of ankles, feet and fingers often happens during the later stages of pregnancy. This is because the body is holding more water than its normal capacity which tends to gather up in the lower part of the body. To deal with swelling, the mother must avoid standing for long period and wear flat comfortable footwear. Also while resting, keeping the feet raised up with the help of a pillow may soothe the swelling.  Backache during pregnancy is another common problem. To cope with a backache always sit with enough support to the back. Avoid lifting heavy weights, and while bending down, it is advisable to bend from the knees keeping the back straight. Also woman must wear flat shoes, which helps to evenly distribute the weight.

Feeling faint during pregnancy especially when standing up too quickly, or lying down happens as the brain does not receive blood supply too quickly. The solution is to simply slower down your movements. While standing up or moving around, find a chair immediately if you are feeling faint. And while lying down, try changing the posture to lying sideways. Feel increasingly hot is another common feature of pregnancy, it happens due to increased blood supply to the skin. To cope with it, expecting mothers must wear loose clothing made of natural fibers and freshen up or bathe regularly.

The increase in frequency to urinate is seen often from the early pregnancy stahe and may continue till later stages where the urge to urinate is due to the pressure of the baby’s head on the bladder. It can help to avoid drinking fluids closer to bed time, which might reduce the frequency during sleep. There also are skin and hair changes during pregnancy. There may be darkening of the nipples, which may also increase in size. Birthmarks and moles also may get darker. Some women develop a dark line on their belly, while some may notice increased acne break outs. Most of these changes fade away after childbirth. Also there may be increased hair growth and the hair itself may be greasier.

Varicose veins (swollen veins) also affect many pregnant women. For this, the woman should avoid standing for long periods, try and avoid excessive weight gain which adds to the pressure. Also sleeping with a pillow under the feet also helps to reduce pressure. Some women experience sore and bleeding gums during pregnancy. This is caused due to hormonal changes which make the gums more vulnerable to soreness and bleeds. Brushing teeth often and avoiding high sugar foods before bedtime can help. Also use of a soft fiber tooth brush can also reduce bleeding gums.

High blood pressure may also occur during pregnancy and monitoring the blood pressure is important during the prenatal checkups. Though most often the rise in pressure is mild, it may be life threatening to the mother as well as the baby. It may also lead to fits if the blood pressure remains increased and untreated. It is best to go for regular checkups and have the blood pressure monitored. Avoiding increased salt consumption and foods with high amount of preservatives may help. Acidity and indigestion also are a very common feature and may increase as the pregnancy progresses and the size of the baby increases, pushes the stomach higher up into the body. Avoid increased spice and seasoning in the meals, avoiding sleeping immediately after a meal, eating smaller meals more often also helps.

Stretch marks is one of the most dreaded changes of pregnancy. As the skin stretches to accommodate the increasing size of the baby, it leaves behind marks. The marks fade away after childbirth and only remain as silver whitish lines. Nosebleeds occur in some cases, which are caused due to hormonal changes in the body. Using ice packs on the bridge of the nose helps in relieving the nosebleeds. While all the above are routine problems experienced during pregnancy, in case any of the above symptoms increase to a point making life debilitating, it should be brought to the doctor’s attention.

But all said and done, the journey to a health pregnancy is possible and well worth it!

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/towards-a-healthy-pregnancy-ii/

By Ananya S Guha

A lot of discussion is focused on North East India ranging from politics, the identity question, society and even literature. Seminars are held all over the country generating debate and polemics. The recent death of a young student from Arunachal Pradesh has raised the question of racist profiles. One view also challenges the singular view of North East India as one entity, considering factors of linguistic and religious divergence. Many of the seminars and conferences only result in producing books, which publishers from Delhi eyeing the academic market take advantage of. But what exactly is the problematic here is something which belies answer. Why do the people feel alienated? What is the periphery versus the ‘ mainstream ‘ question? Isn’t the concept of mainstream disputatious, but for want of a better expression perhaps, it has gained currency.

First let us look at the alienation question. That this exists is indubitable, but why: this is something which must be answered, or looked into critically. Is it the racial factor, or racial differences and dichotomies, something which was prevalent in certain parts of South India in the 50s and 60s. M.J.Akbar in his lucid book, ” India: The Siege Within ” has pointed out with perspicuity how separatist tendencies, first began in South India, demolishing the myth that all talk of secessionist tendencies stated in North East India.

Secondly, is the sensitive issue that the people of North East India, especially the youth are treated indifferently, or ‘ differently ‘ when they go to the ‘ mainland’, resulting in a lot of protests in the recent past.

Thirdly is the predilection to treat the North East as a separate block and entity. This is tenable to a great extent because of border affinities and lack of development and connectivity. But a seminar in an air conditioned room in New Delhi is certainly no solution. I say it is true to a great extent, because at some social and political level the minds of the people meet, and they identify with one another out of empathy and look askance at New Delhi or the ‘ mainland ‘. This happens out of some experience or by negotiating with people outside their state, rude behavior or derogatory remarks.

Fourthly the carrot and stick policies of governments has created social disparities and divides. The classes have not been a result of a natural evolution, but has been thrust upon societies by sops and lure of money. This has also lead to corruptibility.

Fifthly is the sensitive question of identity, in the face of a threat of being overwhelmed or outnumbered by other communities, especially the migrant. I have always been saying that close knit communities evince such a threat because of small numbers, where there is behavioral pattern akin to a family. This must be comprehended or understand. This is certainly not necessarily parochialism. Parochialism exists in all communities of India, and the rubric of ‘ unity ‘ is tested time and again. This happens with reference to community, caste and religion. That India has withstood such pressures historically, is a grand testimony to its powers of absorption.

The solution if any, rests on subverting the mainland periphery myth. All regions are a part of the country, there is no mainstream or sub stream. In treating North East India as a singular identity we have to also comprehend its rich diversity and intra – tribal communities. Not many know that the official language of Nagaland is English, and also one of the official languages of Meghalaya.The sense of alienation must be perceived as a problem of isolation and not that of parochialism. The people who have lived here for generations must identify with the major communities, and insist on their local identity as well. The identity question is one of allegiance and may not be racial in intent. In fact one person can have multiple identities in a clear headed manner. Also when people from outside the region come say on transfer, they must show a genuine interest in the cultures of the people rather than just waiting for their tenures to end. Cultural assimilation is the only solution to sectarian outbursts.Hurting people by making disparaging remarks about them or their communities can only hurt their feelings, and the sense of alienation festers. Wounds take a lot of time to heal… Community dispersion to other states of the country from this region, can also help not only in terms of economic sustenance, bt that of cultural exposure. I am sure the process has begun, and will accentuate in years to come. The current interest in North East Indian literature is a welcome sign, and many authors of thas region are winning plaudits for their literary talents, as well as in sports. The examples of Meghalaya and Manipur are sheer cases in point.

History, let us hope will be re written.

(The views expressed in this article are personal opinion of the author)

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/can-history-be-rewritten/

By Tungshang Ningreichon

Our house in the village is like a train with a gap, like a bogey derailed. The gap is the living room that was never built and now it stands as the self styled mud room. The gap speaks of hope that one day the house will be completed. The hope has lasted for more than 15 years!

Our home is simple but aesthetically challenged. It reflects a lack of architectural input and resources. People often mistake it for the village primary school a few meters away, or sometimes for the pastor’s quarter, traditionally built in an ‘L’ shape with many rooms to accommodate guests.

Every time I come home there is new “technology” installed. My father loves to experiment with tools, electronics and machines, turning every room into a store room with wires running all over the house; plug points are dictated by his preference for sitting arrangement while typing. He is, by the way, the best typist I have ever known. When he first tried his hands on the computer, I thought the keyboard would break into pieces with the force he is used to, on old typewriters.

This time there were fancy lights installed in and around the house that took me by surprise when I went to use the washroom. I was not expecting tiny bright diodes to light up my night activity. These fascinating patch-like diodes were fixed on the wall, taped on each end like it was hurriedly done for temporary use. Yet again they reminded me how the genes of style and utility are so far away from each other with men in general, and especially my father, for most houses in Ukhrul have wires and plug points hanging messily over the wall or from one corner, speaking of men and designs.

Every house however has a number of interesting lamps, torch and light tools which are mostly made in China or Burma. For those who can afford it, the inverter is placed somewhere shabbily but owned like the most prized possession. The district, you see, has acute power shortage. These days the power supply is for an hour and a half during the day, and tactically from 10 pm onwards when the town is asleep so that mosquitoes, insects and animals can find their prey and their way home.

In Tamenglong, local organizations had to shut the electricity department to register their protest of the dancing truant lights. People of the district have found better use for the electric wires—they take it home. This is legally called “stealing” and is so rampant that the DC of the town had to convene a meeting to take stock of the situation. Why blame the people for making use of resources around them I say with a smirk.

One of the latest reasons cited for the shortage of electricity is the poor rainfall. By that logic, the God of rain is pleased with selective places in the State where people have been holy enough to receive rain and be lighted while the remaining can compensate with candlelight dinners!

I don’t know if any of the reasons we have been hearing past many years is justified anymore but, in the words of Apou, my “memory bank” does not have any data of ever experiencing 24 hours power supply ever since we lived in the village.

The last time people in Ukhrul had two days of uninterrupted power supply was when the Governor of the State was in town as the chief guest for Shirui Lily week. His visit was such a hit that the Facebook status of my town newsfeeders; Yoyo, Tennoson, Kahorpam and Khanthing, expressed “joy” like receiving rare grace that comes home like the uninvited guest.

The statuses seemed to say that the town is beaming with life and energy and also lack of direction; of not knowing what to do with the suddenness of being lighted!

The celebration however had to end the moment the Governor left. The set up, as I imagine it, is like the lineman was watching from a tower and as soon as he saw the dust and smog off the line of vehicles, he pulled the plug puffing a cigarette, much like how the curtains are drawn after a movie ends…ah, how dramatically he must have switched it off, and for the next two days the town was ‘powerless’. Perhaps the electricity department had to reclaim or make up for its generosity and the quota of the two days of lighting the Governor.

We wait for the Governor and his entourage to visit the town again or, even better, if Narendra Modi comes to see Shirui Lily and tour the villages in Ukhrul… yawn yawn…while my father and families acquire newer tools to light homes and the companies and dealers lick their fingers counting the profits!

Tungshang Ningreichon is a happy mother from Langdang and writes occasionally for the love of stories, histories and memories.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/waiting-for-the-governor/

By B.G. Verghese

The new government has set a scorching pace for systemic reform in a bid to streamline the administration. This is as it should be to ensure better governance through the avoidance of delays, weeding out out-dated legislation and rules, reducing fragmentation of responsibility with its resultant turf battles, passing the buck to avoid accountability for decisions and so forth. Few realise that delay oftentimes implies denial and that there is a huge opportunity cost of delay. India has no time to waste, even as Nehru reminded us in 1947 that aaram haram hai(idleness is sin).

The PM met all secretaries to Government and told them he expected them to take and hasten decisions and promised them direct access if they had problems trouble-shooting. This should not however imply by-passing Ministers and making the PMO the focus of decision-making. Collective cabinet responsibility too must remain inviolate to ensure parliamentary accountability. However, too many decisions are pushed up – and sideways to the Party in power – in order to hedge responsibility and insure against wild and indiscriminate charges made years later, even posy-retirement, to hound honest officials.

The Supreme Court’s decision to set aside the so-called single directive to the CBI to seek permission to investigate/prosecute officers of the rank of joint secretary and above is timely, but has aroused undue fear among officials that this will open the door to witch-hunting. Rather than go back on this salutary decision, the remedy likes in awarding prompt and condign punishment for frivolous complainants. The Secretaries have also been told to ensure clean office spaces and corridors, send old files to designated depositories (to end the nuisance of “searching for files” for an eternity), abbreviate and simplify forms, and recommend the repeal of archaic rules and Acts.

The Rajasthan Government has also taken a bold step in announcing amendments to three national labour laws that have come in the way of new and expanding employment in order to preserve a limited number of traditional jobs by barring efficiency norms, innovation and so forth.

Meanwhile, the Government is reportedly looking to fill up to eight Raj Bhavans with new incumbents, many of them party faithfuls or retired officials. While this is understandable up to apoint, Raj Bhavans have a role to play in gosod governance by offering objective advice. Men and women drawn from the field of professionals, academics, public life and the arts can be inspirational and should not be crowded out.

On the side, as a matter of protocol, no band, civil or military should be permitted to take liberties with the national anthem. Quite often one hears unauthorised trills and variations in tempo, especially in the very last jaya, jayajaya, jaya he which slows down to a tired funeral dirge. This is disgraceful and should not be permitted. It is much like allowing the national flag to be painted pink instead of saffron in order to meet somebody’s idea of jollification. No liberties should be permitted in case of the national anthem and other national symbols.

It is altogether another matter, however, when individual freedoms are sought to be curbed, sometimes violently, by ideological vigilantes, busybodies and crackpots on grounds of “hurt sentiment”. Books have been blacklisted and targeted in recent months, resulting in their “withdrawal” by publishers. This is sheer criminal blackmail. The answer to criticism of a certain point of view, whether literary, artistic or philosophical, is to present a reasoned critique, another book perhaps, rather than drown a dissenting voice in majoritarian clamour.

Last week, in Pune, a young Muslim IT professional, was beaten to death, ostensibly by a group of ultra-right Hindu RashtraSena hoodlums, for an allegedly hurtful Facebook posting of Shivaji and Bal Thackeray. The HRS is headed by 34-year old Dhanjay Desai who is already booked in 23 other cases, involving hate crime and Muslim baiting. Just before this incident, Orient Blackswan, publishers, withdrew for “comprehensive assessment and review”, Dr Megha Kumar’s recently-released “Communalism and Sexual Violence: Ahmedabad since 1969”. Objection to the book has been taken by Dina NathBatra, convenor of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan Samiti on whose diktat Wendy Donniger’s book on Hinduism was withdrawn by Penguin. Batra has also targeted SekharBandopadhyay’s 10-year old book “Plassey to Partition: A History of Modern India” on the ground that it defames the RSS.

This kind of banning of scholarly and artistic works by blackmail is intolerable from whatever quarter. Though not necessarily mala fide, there is a whiff of latent mischief in the CBI’s report to the Government that some foreign-aided NGOs are stalling development, such as those that opposed the Kudankulam nuclear power plant, the first 1000 MW unit of which is now feeding into the southern grid, and would like to stall the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor on environmental grounds.

The new Government needs to take a close look at these trends and ensure that development,the environment and a free and liberal society coexist and reinforce one another. There is room for anxiety when the RSS, VHP and other Parivarentities press for abrogation of Article 370, oppose GM technology, seek a ban on cow slaughter and so forth. The VHP leader, Ashok Singhal called on Mr Modi at a press conference in Delhi on May 24 to “restore Hindutva rule … after PrithvirajChauhan” and ban religious conversion “to ensure peace and well-being”. Mr Modi cannot remain silent when such divisive voices are raised.

The Government has done well to announce early visits to neighbours – Bhutan by the PM and Bangladesh by the Foreign Minister – and to host the Chinese and Japanese heads of government within the year. Movement on Teesta sharing and land boundary agreements with Bangladesh, currently vetoed by MamataBannerjee, is imperative for winning Dhaka’s trust and cooperation so important for transit to the NE and India’s Look East policy. The opening up of Indo-Bangla trade and investment could also be packaged in agreements on improved border management, issue of work permits and a resolution of the long-festering problem of “infiltrators”.

Though largely good thus far, even if only in parts, ShashiTaroor was not irresponsible in his praise of the new Modi model which, he said, would hold the PM up to the new standards he is setting for himself. The Congress, however, reacted in a petty manner. Rahul Gandhi has run away from the battlefield to rebuild the Congress “in the streets”. Kharge could be a quiet but effective leader of the Congress parliamentary party in the real forum where it can make a turnaround through constructive debate and playing the role of a responsible and vigilant opposition. Dynastic politics is dead. If Rahul does snort realise this truth then his irrelevance is all the greater.

The past 10 days have also witnessed the disgrace of unabashed rape in UP where goonda raj prevails under a crude father and son duo. Years of feudal mis-governance indicate that the time is ripe to divide the state into three or four units as proposed. Telengana and Seemandhra have come into being howsoever untidily. The division of UP should not be delayed but it must be planned better and more consensually.

www.bgverghese.com

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/good-in-parts/

By Pradip Phanjoubam

Ruins of cities and civilizations have always been material for the poetically minded to take romantic journeys into the past, and explore the supposed glories these stony remains once represented. From P.B. Shelley’s “Ozymandias” in 1817 to William Dalrymple’s “The Last Mughal” in 2006, the inspirations were ruins from the past – Egypt for Shelley and Delhi for Dalrymple. Many works in this genre are stories well researched and told, evoking nostalgia of worlds that once flourished, but which could not withstand the relentless onslaught of the sands of time. The mystic attraction and value accorded to ruins may also have to do with the grim reminder they serve us of the frailty of the human condition – of the transient nature of life which ensures nothing is forever, not the mightiest of civilizations or the most powerful of rulers. Everybody’s time is limited, everything one day will have to come to an end.

But increasingly, other than the fertile imaginations of poets and the desire of historians and political scientists to look for continuity of the march of civilizations, seeing these ruins not just as evidences of life’s finite nature, and striving to discover in them a cyclic continuity of history, anthropologists are now stepping in to look for something else. What made some civilizations fall, and what made others last. Jared Diamond’s “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive”, is one of these. The well known anthropologist, is also the author of the international best seller “Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies,” which takes a look at what made it possible for Europeans to conquer and dominate the world.

It is quite by co-incidence that I picked up this book (Collapse…) at a time Manipur is facing an alarming draught situation, and I would say an uneasy peep into why the place is not immune to possible human disasters in the future. Rainfall delayed by a month is virtually sending panic waves, imagine what it would be like if there were to be a radical shift in world climate, rainfall patterns were to change permanently to make similar draught situations into a routine condition. It is also quite by co-incidence that the World Environment Day arrived amidst this fear of rainfall delay and shortage, and the predictable consequences of crop failures and famine.

No intent to review Diamond’s book here, but some salient points from it will serve the purpose of this column which will look into where Manipur seems to be heading. Jared studies ruins to try and ascertain why they at all became ruins, after all, all evidences point that they were once thriving human habitations with thriving trade and commerce, arts and cultures, games and sports… Why were they abandoned and left to be reclaimed by nature? Not just ruins, but he also takes a look at societies which may not have lived in grand cities but certainly prospered and multiplied in population. Among these were certain Pacific Islands which were for a long time thought never to have been inhabited, but now new evidences confirmed were indeed very much thickly populated once. How did their populations disappear?

To cut the story short then, Diamond conjures up a convincing picture that much more than wars, civilizations fall because of changed climatic conditions. Some of these changes are external, coming about as meta-narratives of the larger universe and creation, such as the cycle of ice ages, and therefore outside the control of any given society. But what is interesting, and relevant, is that the fall of these past civilizations and societies had more to do with their self destructive characters. In almost all cases, unsustainable behaviours of these societies doomed them. Deforestation, loss of soil fertility, ground water depletion, river course shifts, over hunting and fishing, population growth outpacing food production… and by so many other ways of abusing the environment.

For instance, one of the reasons he gives for the ultimate annihilation of the population of Easter Island and the chain of other islands in its vicinity which were interdependent on each other is extremely fascinating. Excessive deforestation for various reasons, including reclaiming land for agriculture, ultimately left these islands with no worthwhile timbre to construct canoes, leaving these sea faring people stranded. Trade and barter dwindled between them, fishing became limited, wild life disappeared, ground water level sank, a perpetual and progressively worsening food shortage resulted, leading ultimately to disaster. Cannibalism made its appearance too, of which Diamond classifies two types. Distress cannibalism induced by desperation or bitter enmities, and non-distress cannibalism, where cannibalism has evolved as an accepted custom, whereby these societies eat their naturally deceased relatives and kin.

Diamond cautions not to be too hasty in making value judgments as so many Westerners have in the past. Some Polynesians he has known intimately confided they were equally appalled by the Western tradition of burying their dead. One of his research assistants, he said left the job as he had to go to another island to eat a prospective son-in-law who died in an accident. Non-distress cannibalism for these societies had become just a way of disposing their dead gainfully, and to them, as honorably as any other societies dispose of their dead. These societies were far from the marauding savages Western ethnographers have portrayed them to be, he says.

The cannibalism bit was a digression. To return to the original narrative then, it is common knowledge that the evolution of food production technology and the birth of civilization are vitally linked. Societies which have learned to domesticate animals, and have also managed to domesticate herbs and weeds to give them staple food grains, have always been where civilizations took roots. Just as cattle, sheep, horses were once wild, so were rice, wheat, corn, once wild weeds.

The obvious conclusion is also that since food surplus and civilization are so important to each other, the loss of food production capacity would jeopardize civilizations and threaten the existence of societies. In today’s interrelated democratic world, where trade relations is a given, things would be a lot different, but still, imagine what would happen if there were to be crop failure in Manipur because of poor or no monsoon for three consecutive years. Half of the population would have migrated out of the state or else perished. Imagine further that the soil in the hills have depleted because of erosion and in the valley have become infertile because of chemical contamination. What results would be nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Let us remind ourselves, these are scenarios not altogether remote anymore. Deforestation in the hills is causing soil and wildlife depletion. In the valley, since everything is drained into it and little is drained out of it, every single plastic bag, every grain of chemical fertilizer, every drop of pesticide, will remain as residue in its water bodies and soil, perhaps forever. If we are not careful, soil salinity and toxicity could climb beyond natural tolerance level.

Just to recall the place’s riverine geography, all or most rivers in the state, except notably the Barak, drains into the Loktak Lake. Only one river, Ithai River, flows out of the Loktak to become a tributary of the Chindwin River system in Myanmar. Now a barrage has been built over the Ithai River to block and maintain the Loktak water level constant so that its water can be diverted through artificial canals and tunnels to the Leimatak River, which would ultimately join the Barak River system.

In other words, just as the hills can become devoid of top soil, the soil in the valley can become contaminated easily. Let us therefore not take the eco-system of the region too much for granted. It is fragile and its fragility can cost us extremely dear if we are not careful. We cannot stop the larger climate change alone. That has to be tackled at a global level. But if we are far sighted enough, we can save our immediate environment and the civilization which it has nurtured from possible disasters.

Let us then act responsibly. Let us take the calls for leaving as little carbon footprints as possible very seriously. If there have to be some sacrifices and extra personal labour to be put in to have this come into effect, let us not hesitate to do so. Such sacrifices collectively would be towards promoting the enlightened self interest of our society as a whole, and indeed every individual in the society. Small sacrifices like refraining from using plastic bags, or at least disposing them properly, making our offices paperless to the extent possible (now in this computer age this is no longer impossible)… will all add up to make big achievements possible. In more eco-responsible societies, people even consciously avoid asking for paper printouts of balances at ATM machines. That ATM machines are programmed to prompt you of this each time you make a withdrawal, is evidence of this consciousness.

On such matters, sights in Manipur are not very encouraging. A look at the Nambul River at the Bazaar stretch will confirm this. The river has virtually become a filthy, plastic clogged drain. People litter everywhere without a thought, as if all the streets of Imphal is their natural garbage dump.

In Diamond’s fascinating book, the pattern he notices of civilizations which failed or survived in the past, apart from all others, is that their failure or survival are directly reciprocal to their citizenry’s show respect and responsibility towards their living environment. Those who lived for the immediate fared worse than those who had visions of the future. Consequently, societies with written histories fared better too, for they remembered their past better, their good times as well as disasters, putting them at a better stead to learn from past mistakes.

We are fortunate that we live in a literate world today. We have collective memories much better preserved than in the pre-literate days, in vast disciplines of knowledge pursuits. Our pasts live and recreate themselves perpetually in our literatures, cinemas, theatres, books, digital world of computers and internet. We have inherited far more insights into our pasts and possible futures thanks to dedicated and innovative scholarship on them though the generations. But all these will not matter at all if our society remains selfish and irresponsible to what we all know is the greater common good.

It is therefore essential for us all to once in a while sit back and do honest reality checks. Do we, as individuals and as a society, live for the immediate or also earnestly try to moderate our present lifestyles with what we as literates think the consequence of these lifestyles would be to the ultimate welfare and longevity of our society. At the moment, where practically everybody, even ministers and bureaucrats are essentially contractors and contract brokers, eager for easy money through organised robbery of the common coffer, signs definitely are not very encouraging.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/eco-responsibility-is-a-question-of-collective-survival/

By Tinky Ningombam

Do you dread family get-togethers? Pardon my French, but if the answer is hell-yeah, believe me, you are not the only one.

It is true when they say that our friends are better than family, because we can pick our friends. Family? Not an option. You get what you get. The quirky ones and the crazies. No escaping that.

I remember with dread those golden moments when all our extended family gather for our family feasts. How can we escape those feasts? It’s always a tricky situation. They bribe and tempt you with good food. And every time you keep falling into that trap. And slowly and steadily, while waiting for the food to be served, you end up surrounded by the dysfunctional members of your family and then it strikes you. The forgotten resolve. The innumerable times when you had sworn to avoid the get-together the next year.

But I must admit, it was harder when I was a teenager, when inappropriate questions used to embarrass me. Who better than family to ask inappropriate and embarrassing questions? But come on, who are we kidding? When you are with your family apparently there are no inappropriate questions. And no matter what crazy questions come up, they expect an answer.

“Do you still pee in your bed, Jamie?”

“No, ma’am, I am 16 now”

“Oh, but you used to do that till you were 12, I still remember changing your diapers”

Well, nothing better than to make an interesting conversation. And reminding people of funny moments have been the favourite past-times. “Remember the time when you fell and then your pants tore, ha ha, that was hilarious!” Imagine if you decide to bring your friends along? Social suicide.

I think there is a direct correlation between your family’s capacity to embarrass you in front of people and how older you become. As in, it goes on increasing. Just last year, I went to a feast and one of my aunts by relation, I think it was an aunt, (Gosh, there are way too many of them!) told me that I gained so much weight since the last she saw me and hinted not very subtly that I looked like a plumped up cow. I obviously didn’t know how to react. Was I supposed to apologize for gaining weight? To her? Someone who I hardly knew. I didn’t even know her name! It seemed a pretty weird observation from someone who had not seen me since I was born. Well I definitely don’t remember meeting her anywhere else, except maybe the pre-historic museum. And surprisingly, the rest of the dozen women gathered around us seemed to agree to her presumably wise comment. Hence followed a long winded discussion on how I need to lose weight before I balloon up and die.

Hence one of the many reasons for my obvious hatred for social niceties amongst my crazy family and back to my futile rant – questioning why older folks in the family take all the liberty to say things to younger ones just because they are older. Social etiquette goes out of the window. So since we are family, for some, they can say anything they want. There is no greater pain than to try and play nice when all you have to deal with are dysfunctional family members who seem to give you all the reasons for you to hate your life.

Familiar scenes repeats itself in such gatherings. The drunk uncle gaffing with stories of how much money he has, the great grand moms who talk of how this generation is a lost cause, the gossiping aunts who squirm when they see our blond hair streaks and tattoos, the groups of women who complain about the other groups, the young mothers who keep on asking you when you will be hitched, the kids who giggle amongst themselves and probably make fun of your dress. And everyone just seems to be fighting for attention, to show the others how good they are. No-one wants to listen, everyone has to tell their great story.

It is in times like these when you hunt for the ones who at least relate to you in a saner way. Your gang. Your support group till the rest of the afternoon. This is where you camouflage yourself and hide before someone catches you to ask more questions, because you are the girl who has come after a long time. You are the new bait. They are bored of harassing the others, they are old news. You are the new fish to fry.

There will perhaps never be a time when you can find everyone in my family agreeing to one thing at a time. Everyone is from a different generation, different histories, different occupations, different struggles, different mindset and religious and political inclinations. But maybe the only thing that I can hope for, at least from my family, is that when worse comes to worse, you can find help from them even if they don’t agree with you. As far as get-togethers are concerned, there is no right answer to how to handle them. Just pray that you are not the bait the next time, maybe pass it on to someone else.

(“I love family reunions. Maybe next year we could pass out samurai swords. – Doug Solter”)

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/we-are-family/

By Chitra Ahanthem

One basic requirement for the sustenance of living organisms is food. The food habits of plants and animals depend on the environment but for humans, as social animals living along with others in communities and societies, our food habits are determined by a host of factors that include weather, terrain, religious factors etc. In South East Asian countries for example, insects are considered a delicacy though the West and Europe are yet to wake up to the ‘gastronomic delight’ of insects. In India, the main food preference is on cereals, pulses and milk and milk products with meat down in the list of priority food. The irony of a nation starving on one hand while having a sizeable cattle population on the other, is often cited by westerners who cannot seem to work out why a nation that is starving is not taking to cow meat, a good source of nutrition. Of course, religious sentiments will not allow a majority of the citizens of this country to eat cattle but starve to malnutrition and sometimes, even death. People in Ladakh whose core belief is non violence and who also practice Buddhism still eat meat for the simple reason that meat helps to increase the body temperature. Interestingly enough, the conflict between the basic need for food and the necessity of keeping the body warm with eating meat is resolved by having animals slaughtered by other communities. Coming to the north-east region, many people from outside the region frown on people who eat animals and rodents. What is not realized is that the people who do eat animals out of the usual fare of chicken, pork, beef and mutton are often from hilly terrain where agricultural crops are scarce and food resources low but where people not only need to eat food to stay alive but to eat meat to keep themselves warm.

Food habits also change with time and when boundaries open up which leads people to get exposed to other food habits and food components. This is true everywhere. In Manipur too, the earlier traditional food preparation processes of cooking without oil and spices have changed into a more pan Indian style of cooking and remains very much influenced and fused with the Bengali style of cooking which is not strange given the import of Hindusim from Bengal. Earlier generations of Hindus in the state brought up with strict codes of ‘pure’ and impure’ stayed away from eating meat even as fish remained the main focus of food in the valley. Those wondering why people who consider themselves Hindus have no qualms of eating fish would do well to realize that fish could not be done away from the food plate of Manipuris and specially those in the valley because it supplements for protein intake as milk is not favored by the people of the region due to their lacto intolerance levels. But the ‘fish only’ as meat contained food amongst people in the valley has over the years changed to meat only and the array of meat centers in every nook and corner of Imphal and beyond is proof of just how many people are taking to meat with a vengeance.

Food can at times be a comfort factor, which is why each one of us believes that the food that our mothers cook for us is the best. When someone grows up eating a particular food item in a certain way of cooking, taste and look, it takes some ‘getting used to’ when it comes to trying out new things that one has never eaten. Vegetarian parents often cut off meat in the diets of their own children who in turn will take a lot of effort (in a manner of speaking) to try out meat. But being used to certain food styles and limiting one’s sense of adventure to the tried and tested would mean never knowing the pleasure of discovering how other people eat. In fact, there is a standing joke amongst our people that till we eat rice, our stomachs are not really full no matter how much chapatti or rotis one has. Contrast this attitude to how culinary trends and food habits are changing around us with the concept of fusion food where different cooking methods and products mold into a new look and taste.

I grew up in a joint family that was staunchly orthodox when it came to food as my grand father was (and continues to be) a strict Hindu. My father told me of a time when he wanted to eat an omelet and my grand father asked him to make one on a broken piece of an earthen pot outside the gate and then take a bath after eating it. That was not all for my father had to change into another set of clothes, ‘purify’ himself with sacred water and then enter the house. It looks rather melodramatic in today’s world where even small children go ‘chicken’ when asked what their favorite dish is but that is how it was and how it is now.

End-point:

While traveling out of the state, I do make it a point to always try the local cuisine. Thanks to a keen knack to try out uncharted territory in terms of food, I have tried my hand at various food items though I do draw the line at sampling dog or cat meat and insects. But my mother says that the best laphu eromba we had in the family that I once pointed out to her actually contained ‘naoshek’ (commonly called water bug I am told, also scientifically known as lethocerus indicus). And there goes the food story: where we eat without any fuss if we are are unaware what is on our plate, for our palate does not really mind!

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/food-for-thought-and-the-soul/

By M.C. Linthoingambee

Marriage is not simply a walk down the road but a union of two hearts as one, and a bigger gain for two families deciding to abide as one. Where does it begin? For some, it may well begin with love acting as a magical spell that binds them to marriage while many enters into matrimony through arranged matches. In both scenarios, there are situations where the union of the two people involved gets fragmented beyond repair leading to friction, conflict, separation or divorce. I was at a wedding last night and trust me, it takes a task force to make a wedding happen without a glitch. Marriages in India are considered far more sacred than in any other places because of its large religious affiliation. Amongst the Hindus, the seven satpadi steps of the marriage ritual is like an existing law that binds a man and a woman to take on their lives together for as long as they live once they get married. There is no room for mistakes sometimes with more orthodox families believing that a woman returning home after marriage is an evil omen bringing ill forces upon the family.

Although all fairy tales muster for a happy ending after being married, most stories in the real world fail to live on to become fairy tales. The legal age for marriage in India for a male is 21 and that of a female is 18 years along with their consent. But as always, there are various ways in which this legal bar is breached that exists with marriages, child marriage being one of them. Child marriage is one of the non-tackled selfish take of the pressure of society. Some poor parents believe getting of their kids married at a young age which save them from a bigger expense is better than getting them married when they are adults. UNICEF defines child marriage as a formal marriage or union before 18 years of age. UN Women defines child marriage as a forced marriage before 18 years of age because it believes that children under age 18 are incapable of giving their consent. Even though these marriages do happen, one cannot hopefully judge that all parties were at consent in such holy matrimony. According to the UNICEF, 47% of girls are married by the age of 18 and 18% are married off by the age of 15. These practices happen in all places but India has its heavily piled up toll to prove that its statistics on child marriage is no lesser than other parts of the world. Who believes that law exist when it comes in these area? Who requires consent?

Indian Law has made child marriage illegal but even so, it still continues to persists in its actions in various regions across the nation. Records prove and shows its highest rates in the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It causes variant affects on both boys and girls but girls are more vulnerable to such a result although numbers are beginning to decline in the recent years. Such rules of marrying young had first been traced to the times of monarch marrying young to carry on their royal lineage and their bloodlines. But today, the situation is totally different from that time and beliefs and practices which means, it is time we changed our thinking. Today there are many victims of sexual and gender abuse as a result of our general social mistakes. It only takes one step at a time to make things happen. The world that existed before us was different much not like it is today.

On given records and findings as per reliable sources, Friedman claims, “arranging and contracting the marriage of a young girl were the undisputed prerogatives of her father in ancient Israel.” Most girls were married before the age of 15, often at the start of their puberty. Most religions, over history, influenced the marriageable age. For example, Christian ecclesiastical law forbade marriage of a girl before the age of puberty. Hindu vedic scriptures mandated the age of a girl’s marriage to be adulthood which they defined as three years after the onset of puberty. Jewish scholars and rabbis strongly discouraged marriages before the onset of puberty. In contrast, some Islamic marriage practices have permitted marriage of girls below the age of 10, because Sharia law is based in part on the life and practices of Muhammad, the Prophet, as described in part in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The Prophet married Aisha, his third wife, and consummated the marriage before she reached the age of 10. Narrated ‘Aisha: that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death). —Sahih al-Bukhari, 7:62:64. Some Islamic scholars have suggested that it is not the chronological age that matters; marriageable age under Muslim religious law is the age when the guardians of the girl feel she has reached sexual maturity. Such determination of sexual maturity is a matter of subjective judgment, and there is a strong belief among most Muslims and scholars, based on Sharia, that marrying a girl less than 13 years old is an acceptable practice for Muslims

If customs and religions still make do of what is an unnatural act shouldn’t we break down the barrier earlier before it takes roots? It is a tough and malicious ruling to go against what has already been existing but it should be left up to the people to decide what is really good for them and if it a child who cannot makes its own decisions, we should learn to wait.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/for-better-or-for-worse/

By Soibam Haripriya

The 6th of June this year is being remembered as the 30th year of Operation Blue Star. Operation Blue Star understandably is an open wound as it is, in most minds associated with the 1984 pogrom against the Sikhs especially in Delhi though in other parts of the country too. As most persecutions against a group or community of people (usually the minorities) in this country it happened with the active participation of the elected representatives of the people and the state police. Political parties use the 1984 as well as the Gujarat pogrom as scoring point against each other with the least intention to bring justice to either. This year general election too saw a repeat of this both by the Congress and the BJP.

The memorial gurdwara – Gurdwara Yaadgaar Shaheedan inside the Golden Temple premises commemorates the sacrifice of ‘martyrs’ of Operation Blue Star. It was built by the Damdami Takshal. The building of the monument inaugurated last year is still a contentious issue. The clash between the two groups –The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) inside the Golden Temple on the morning of 6th of June, 2014 is an illustration of the persistence of the continued appropriation of events and their memory. The recent controversy around the memorial gurdwara also points to the question of whether the event is remembered or the ‘martyr’. This question becomes pertinent while addressing the discussion around Khongjom day also. The discussion on whether or not it should be the 23rd of April or the 25th of April also seemed centred around the question of whether it is the ‘martyr’ – Paona Brajabashi who is to be remembered or the Anglo Manipuri War of 1891. This question will be brought up regardless of the fact that it was the family of the former who first began the commemoration rituals at Khongjom. The controversy regarding the date of observing Khongjom day could be seen recorded in Manipur Gazette as old as October, 1982.

Both the days are, to this date, used to call for a certain ethnic nationalism. In the case of the former, Simranjit Mann’s supporter had raised pro-Khalistani slogans when on a rampage in the process also injuring temple officials at the same time stating that the military operation –Operation Blue Star had disrupted the sanctity of the Golden Temple. Closer home one can analyse the different speeches and press releases that comes out after the Khongjom Day commemoration wherein the Governor, the Chief Minister as well as various groups come out with statements that attempts to give a certain meaning to the event. Here, state representatives take the opportunity to remind people of the sacrifices made for the nation implying an Indian nation, when the statements from the non-state groups states very much the same, however implying another nation, perhaps an ethnic nation.

This day marked out as a day of commemoration does not designate the day as that of defeat but rather sets forth to celebrate the ‘spirit’, ‘courage’, ‘valour’ of fighting for a sovereign which also necessitates that no one talks of the oppressive nature of the then reigning king. However non state groups and other organisations have been year after year using this day as an opportunity to point to the oppressive nature of the present sovereign (state) comparing the British Imperialist to the Indian nation state and to mobilise and fight with the same ‘spirit’, ‘courage’, ‘valour’, at the same time glorifying the reign of the king and falling back on historical nostalgia. Thus memorials serve as a spatial and verbal part of the commemorative landscape.

We think of forgetting as a gradual process, as an inevitability and the marking of a day of remembrance could be seen as fighting against the overwhelming forces of living that conspires to make us forget events. However there are no true events in the past waiting to be unearthed, we enter the past (event) through the present and therefore the past is always reconstructed through the prism of the present.

 

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/the-persistence-of-memory/