February 15, Delhi : A press release from the office of Meitei Nationalist Party(MNP) states that MNSUI (Meitei Nationalist Students’ Union of India), a students’ wing of MNP (Meitei Nationalist Party), has been formed in New Delhi with the approval of the Founding President of Meitei Nationalist Party B. Angousana Sharma. The President of MNP
February 15, Delhi : A press release from the office of Meitei Nationalist Party(MNP) states that MNSUI (Meitei Nationalist Students’ Union of India), a students’ wing of MNP (Meitei Nationalist Party), has been formed in New Delhi with the approval of the Founding President of Meitei Nationalist Party B. Angousana Sharma. The President of MNP
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2016/02/meitei-nationalist-students-union-of-india-formed-in-new-delhi/
by Yambem Laba BY definition, Manipur has been called a “failed state”. Personally, I prefer… more »
by Yambem Laba
BY definition, Manipur has been called a “failed state”. Personally, I prefer the term “functional anarchy” because, going by the events of the day, Manipur should have ceased to exist amidst the chaos and confusion that prevails at the moment. But life seems to go on as though things are normal. How does one exist in a situation where onions costs Rs 60 a kg, potatoes Rs 40 a kg, eggs are pegged at six rupees apiece, petrol costs Rs 150 a litre and an LPG cylinder sells for a “mere” Rs 2000? The going rate for a sub-inspector’s post in the police department is Rs 25-30 lakh and a supervisor’s post in the social welfare department is said to be available at Rs 30 lakh. Everything is available in the state provided you have the purchasing power, to use economic jargon. Manipur is also said to be the place where money pours through many pores.
From “Switzerland of the East’, it graduated to “Bandhpur” and now it can aptly be called “Blockadepur”. There are two blockades running concurrently in Manipur — an economic one called by the Kukis in demand for a separate Sadar Hills District and a counter-blockade called by the Nagas opposing the creation of the Sadar Hills district. Strategically, the battle for the creation of the new district and those opposing it are being fought on three national highways that connect Manipur with the mainland. The first, National Highway No. 39, connects the state with Dimapur in Nagaland and Moreh on the India-Myanmar border; the second, National Highway No. 53, connects Imphal with Silchar in Assam; and the third is National Highway No. 150 that connects Imphal with Nagaland via Jessami in Ukhrul district.
The writ of the Sadar Hills wallahs ends at Kangpokpi, some 45 km north of Imphal on NH-39, from where on it is in the hands of the Naga opposers; and on NH-53 it ends 40 km from Imphal at Tupul and thereafter it is Naga territory till it tapers down to Jiribam on the border with Assam, where another blockade is in the offing, thanks to the demand for a separate Jiribam district. On NH-150, the Nagas have almost full sway all the way through.
The Manipur government seems to have abandoned NH-39 to the protagonists of the new district and those opposing it, as the only bid to break the blockade has been to deploy the Assam Rifles, whom the protesters have accused of bringing in goods meant for civilian consumption under the guise of requirements for the Army. This led to a major confrontation at Kangpokpi on 6 September where some nine fully laden trucks were reduced to cinders and the Assam Rifles ultimately resorted to a baton-charge that left 56 women protesters injured. The state has been concentrating on NH-53, commandeering some 500-700 trucks to ply along it with security escorts. But the Nagas have been able to ambush a few trucks, leading to the truckers refusing to ply along NH-53 because of “inadequate security cover”. They even pointed out that miscreants armed with sophisticated weapons and apparently “belonging” to the counter-blockade wallahs were behind the ambushes.
Theoretically, the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee hinges its drive for a separate district on the full implementation of the Manipur (Hill Areas) Autonomous District Council Act, 1971, (Parliament Act No.76 of 1971). The Sadar Hills has an autonomous district council with an additional deputy commissioner in charge of the area, but technically it forms part of Naga-dominated Senapati district, although in the Sadar Hills area the Kukis are in a majority. Practically, the Nagas see this as a major threat to their dream of a greater Nagalim or the alternate administrative arrangement they are demanding from the Centre for the Naga areas of Manipur. That is why the NSCN(I-M) ambushed Phungyar legislator Wunoshang Keishing of Ukhrul for demanding a separate Phungyar district. Some six of his security escort party were killed earlier this year but he miraculously survived.
Former home secretary GK Pillai was in Imphal the other day and he said the National Highways were the Centre’s responsibility, but one can forget about New Delhi noticing the happenings in Manipur. Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh was likened to Nero fiddling as Rome burned, as he went off on a jaunt to Japan, an extended tour of Europe on the cards. But apparently he had to return post haste from Tokyo upon the Union home ministry’s directive. BJP national spokesman Prakash Jadavedkar was in Imphal too, and he demanded President’s Rule be imposed in Manipur, citing the failure of the state to open up the highways and curtail the runaway inflation that is now plaguing Manipur.
At the height of the Naga-Kuki conflict in the early 1990s, I was asked to define the situation. I had then said that both sides were mad but the Nagas had a method in their madness while the Kukis had none. This was aptly demonstrated when the Sadar Hills wallahs called for a month-long general strike along NH-39, bottling up thousands of ordinary Manipuris who leave the state every day by bus. Mercifully, the general strike has been lifted but a lot of goodwill has been lost in the process. This was coupled with not allowing life-saving medicines in and even ambulances to ply, resulting in hospitals closing down their intensive care units and postponing operations.
The last straw entailed the leadership of the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee issuing a “call to arms” to its supporters. “The decision of the SHDCC is legitimised by the village chiefs and therefore the people must stand by the decision of the demand committee. We must be ready with any weapon grade objects at our disposal,” read a statement issued by the committee, advising people to stock up essential commodities and food for at least two months, adding that “we are prepared for the worst”.
This was something the Ibobi government could not ignore. At a Cabinet meeting held on 13 September, it decided to file FIRs against the leaders of the SHDCC. The Cabinet also issued directives to the state home department to seize the thousands of licensed guns in the hands of the people of the Sadar Hills area. Whether such directives would amount to wishful thinking or not is yet to be seen, but in the meantime I have started using wood to cook my food.
The writer is The Statesman’s former Imphal-based Special Correspondent.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2011/09/a-functional-anarchy-called-manipur/
by Iboyaima Laithangbam The smouldering wrath of the starving people cannot be directed towards the… more »
by Iboyaima Laithangbam
The smouldering wrath of the starving people cannot be directed towards the architects of the crippling blockade for fear of reprisals from some organisations which are frantically trying to quick fix the fragile and tenuous communal harmony. As a result, Okram Ibobi is made the whipping boy. Strangely, the livid people are not attacking the hamstrung opposition members who have shirked their responsibilities and duties in these trying days. Instead of championing the cause of the starving people most of the MLAs are busy making financial preparations for the forthcoming elections or chalking out plans to sock the “social workers” who are likely to wrest the seats from the incumbents. But do not blame it on Ibobi alone. All sections have failed to flex muscles and the newspapermen are not exempt.
To say all these is not to condone the acts of deplorable failures of Okram Ibobi. He has however done the right thing by dodging the NH 39 which has been degenerated to a playground long time back. There had been occasions when the highway was blocked when the telecom services or the erratic power supply were not satisfactory or when some public meetings were held near the highway. While the works executed by the BRO are much below the mark reports say that it has asked the government to suspend vehicular movements as it wants to repair the highway. I would bring it to the notice of the centre since it is easy to put two and two together to make four.
I should have told Revenue Minister Devendra to camp at Jiribam, his constituency to supervise the commercial activities there and to restrain the restive people. Besides all Ministers including those who have drawn flaks with unwarranted remarks against the vehciels owners who queue up for petrol will be asked to camp at different mountain towns and vulnerable areas along NH 37. All available state and central forces will be deployed at the nook and crevice of the highway to ward off supporters of blockade. Divested of the the charges and countercharges what is undeniable is that armed persons are creating problem since even trucks ferrying life saving drugs are torched in front of the state and the central forces. The army and other central forces which were deployed to assist the civil administration should be pressed into service since armed miscreants are making their presence felt.
If the exising forces are not enough to maintain law and order I will rush to Delhi to seek more central forces to ensure unfettered movement of trucks along NH 37. As the performances of the BRO are never satisfactory I will ask the Works Minister to deploy all menpower and machineries along NH 37. The PCC president Gaikhangam will also be asked to camp at Tamenglong, the new trouble spot.
Since there are enough stocks I will ask the price fixation committee to fix the prices of the consumer items much lower than those prevailing before blockade. I have no explanation as to why onion should be sold at Rs 100 or egg at Rs 9. The AMSU campaign which is gathering momentum cannot simply be wished away. In all troubled countries the students had steered the course of dynamics of politics. I cannot tell the press why the students who are asking the traders not to hike prices unreasonably should be harassed and detained since all sections are coming to their rescue. If the crackdown continues in the interest of the well protected and pampered business sharks there will be more troubles. The excuses doled out by the traders for price hike cannot be entertained and elsewhere in the world police and military could not crush the students` uprising.
My government faces blistering criticism for failing to plug the loopholes in the fuel distribution. Only a hundred or so vehicle owners get petrol while the rest have to buy the same at exorbitant rates. There is no dearth of fuel for the ubiquitous roadside vendors. This phenomenon is not seen anywhere and I must tackle it with a firm hand. I will also ask the Minister concerned to desist from making insulting remarks since the vehicle owners are not in the queue just for the game.
Now that the ball is in the court of the UNC and the SHDDC they should hammer out an agreement and the government will attend to the winner of the pyrric victory. Meanwhile Manmohon and Sonia must help me. If Manipur goes to polls in this state of siege the Congress will be defeated. Of course, it is of mere statistical enjoyment that there should be a Congress led Ministry here, this small and insignificant state. The voters of Konthoujam had shown that they can make their resentment known since in those days the disconnection campaign was on. I had to intervene too late.
My silence in the face of the public outcry is defeaning and the situation will soon get out of control. The Hobson`s choice for me is clear and unmistakeable. If the blockade continues my days will be numbered. If the Congress has to come back to power the only way left is to resign after recommending an interregnum of the central rule.
People know I do not buy onion or potato.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2011/09/if-i-were-okram-ibobi/
