Day: January 13, 2015

IMPHAL, January 13: The All Manipur VDF Welfare Association held its general conference today at the Irawat Bhavan Complex auditorium hall for the welfare of the Village Defence Force personnel and formed a committee to meet the government to discuss their demands.

The conference was attended by the association`™s president N Shanta Singh, All India Trade Union Congress, Manipur secretary L Sotinkumar Singh, Senior Citizen for Society secretary professor L Sadananda Singh and All Manipur Road Transport and Drivers Motor Workers Union H Kulamani as presidium members.

Speaking at the function, Sotinkumar said surviving in today`™s world with a monthly salary of below Rs 15000 is very tough and the time is ripe for all government employees to give a clarion call through democratic forms of agitation for pay hike.

Prices of all essential commodities have sky-rocketed today he said.

The government only promises and talks without any action he said adding that even the fund meant for all the Central schemes have only ended in the pockets of the ministers and officials.

Today the government is not for workers and only for businessmen and corporate houses, he continued.

It is time for all organisations to stand united and struggle to bring some changes Sotinkumar said.

AMVDFWA spokesperson Md Riyaz said the government has continued to neglect the demand submitted on September 22 in a memorandum.

The demands, he said included a separate battalion, salaries for 13 months, service security, increase in honorarium and routine provision of issued items, according to him.

In Manipur no agitation can attract the intention of the government without violence, he said.

At the end of the meeting, the association took several resolutions including setting up of a committee to meet the government regarding their demands.

The newly formed committee includes AMWJU president Wangkhemcha Shamjai, AMVDFWA advisor cum chairman N Shanta, Senior Citizen for Society secretary prof L Sadananda Singh and three VDF personnel.

It was also resolved that the association will undergo various agitations in case the committee fail to bring any amicable solution with the government and to seek support from the civil organisations, NGOs, meira paibis and local youth clubs.

The general conference was attended by personnel of all nine districts of the State.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/vdf-association-forms-committee-to-discuss-demands-with-govt/

IMPHAL, January 13: Even as the State Education department has issued an order to commence classes in all the Government High Schools from January 12, Poiroukhongjil High School and Moirangpurel High school are facing problems of a lack of text books and other educational facilities.

Students and school authorities of both the schools are demanding that the government must provide facilities under the RMSA and SSA. Students of both the schools are facing various inconveniences due to lack of text books, teachers, infrastructure when the State education department is talking about lifting the state of education in the State to a global standard.

Students, teachers and the school management committee are demanding that their grievances should be addressed within January 20.They have threatened to hold an agitation in New Delhi on January 26 if the concerned authority fails to take positive steps.

A team of media persons which visited Poiroukhongjil High School found that more than 744 students are studying in the school with an additional 200 students being newly admitted. The rush of students from Andro A/C and other areas of Imphal East district have caused an admission overflow.

According to Poiroukhongjil High School Head Master, Mutum Rajendra Singh, now classes in the school are running out of capacity. The school have 25 teachers among which six are being utilised under RMSA and seven being hired under SSA, with two teachers being hired on a private basis. The ratio of the number of teachers is very less in comparison to the number of students present. According to norms, there should be one teacher for every 30 students and a class should have 40 students only. But most of the classes far exceed this norm.

The school authority couldn`t have separate sections for students due to lack of class room, cycle set, computer class and teachers. The school was ungraded to high school in 2014 and this will be the third time that its students will be appearing for the matriculation exam. Most of the new students have joined from other private schools.

Its 32 students will appear in the matriculation exam by attaching to the Azad High School but from the next year onwards, students can appear from our own school, the Head Master said.

Students of the school have urged concerned authorities to provide students their due facilities as most of the students are poor.

Meanwhile, the media team after reaching Moirangpurel High School discovered that students and teachers were given a holiday because students are yet to receive their text books. The school is unique in the sense that it provides night classes to students.

Bimol, the caretaker of the school, said the school resume its session as per the government order on January 12.

Last year, teachers couldn`™t cover the full syllabus as students were bereft of text books. This year also the same problems persist with students facing lack of uniforms, begs, text books, a well furnished computer class room and teachers.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/andro-schools-facing-infrastructure-shortages-even-after-classes-commence/

IMPHAL, January 13: Commemorating the burning of ancient Manipuri scriptures `Puya`™ of Manipur today, the International Observation Committee on Puya Meithaba (ICOP) conducted a mass rally from Thangmeiband Athletic Union (THAU) Ground till the Kangla Fort.

After a ritualistic ceremony at the fort, the main function was held at the THAU ground with people from all communities of the State gathered together.

Manipur titular king Leishemba Sanajaoba attended the observation as the chief guest, while ICOP chairman and former minister RV Minthing, vice chairman ICOP Prof Sairem Nilabir, vice chairman ICOP M Naodalenkhomba, president Tangkhul Naga Wungnaolong Sweeten Rahing, vice chairman ICOP Tokpam Thawailemba Meetei, general secretary United Manipur Muslim Women Dev. Orgn (UMMWDO) Nazma Begum, president Manipur State Shumang Leela Council (MSSLC) Ph Gunachandra, vice president Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillon Apunba Lup, MEELAL M Naokhamba, President Umanglai Kanba Apunba Lup (UKAL) Ch Parihal, advisor Meihourol Inat Kanba Apunba Lup (MIKAL) Maisnam Apabi, secretary All Manipur Recognised Private Schools Welfare Association (AMRPSWA) L Joy Khuman, chief of Maram Khullen Namba Maram, chief of Thoyee Village Ukhrul Ng Khating, chief of Purum Likli Rinwichoung Shongthu, secretary Longa Koireng Village Authority W Khelsong Koireng, Ningthou of Echum Kom Keirap (Pomithang) Thoiba Kom, Maram Center Village Authority T Peter
Kaba and Amaipiba of Moreh Meetei Lai Thougallup N Manihar as president and special guests respectively.

Regretting the burning of the puya, Leishemba Sanajaoba said it is a great loss.

He deliberated the scriptures were the most precious thing which has been lost.

Puya, he said included all aspects of life including both the living and non-living things.

He prayed that the burning or such sacred books should never be repeated.

Sanajaoba further lamented that the day is observed twice by different organisations due to conflicting claims and that he had to attend both functions.

It is not about the day, he said but about remembering the incident.

He said if the different organisations could observe the day unitedly, he would be very happy because observing the same incident on two different days is a sign of disunity of which the people attending are made victims.

The main objective of the day is to bring the people of the hills and the valley together and live in a peace and harmony as they used to before the burning of the scriptures, Leishemba continued.

The ancient scriptures had acted as a binding tool of the hill and valley he observed adding that now is the time to revive the peaceful and brotherly relation between the different communities once again for a better Manipur.

He later appealed to all concern to come together and observe the day together among all different communities of the State.

The `Maichou Ningsing Mana`™ was conferred to (late) Akoijam Nodiachan received by Akoijam Momon Leima while the Ching-Tam Nungshi Khudol Mana was awarded to chairman of R Suisa Trust Dr Ngohor Sai Luithui during the observation.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/titular-king-laments-disunity-in-observing-burning-of-ancient-scriptures-calls-for-unity/

IMPHAL, January 13: The State government will look into the complaints raised by people travelling along the Imphal-Moreh Road that the Tengnoupal AR check post and Khudengthabi AR check post are amounting to daily roadblocks on the highway, stated Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam.

In an exclusive meeting with some media persons at the MPCC office this evening, he said it will be better if people were to submit a formal complaint to the government soon after facing such inconveniences along the road. Anyway, the government has instructed the concerned authorities to convey the grievances faced by the people to the Assam Rifles officials, he added.

`As the road has now become one of the most important routes of the State, the survey on the road alignment of the Imphal-Mandalay International bus service started the day before. The route will be used for cross border trade between the two neighbouring countries. If the passengers and people travelling on the road face inconveniences, it will adversely affect the state`™s policy of connecting with South East Asian countries`, Gaikhangam said.

Some of the passengers and businessmen who routinely travelled on the road have been stopped from entering Moreh by AR personnel at Tengnoupal check post till 10 am while the Khudengthabi AR check post hinders people from leaving Moreh for Imphal after 3 pm. Normally, vehicles are allowed to cross Lokchao Bridge between 10am to 3 pm.

Meanwhile, AR officials have stated that the restrictions will follow until the Lokchao Bridge is fully repaired. This order was issued by the high command of the AR. According to sources, even a Doordarshan team was not allowed to pass the check post.

It further stated that the Lokchao Bridge is repaired by some individual contractors. The restriction has become more stringent from the last three days.

The deputy Chief Minister also termed the allegations made against the Congress government by BJP Manipur Pradesh as unfounded and baseless, adding `his party believes that the people of Manipur will not believe in such wild accusations`.

He was later talking with media persons about the upcoming three-day visit of the National general secretary in-charge and National Secretary in-charge (NER) of the Congress from January 17 to 19.

He further stated that national general secretary in-charge (NER) V Narayan Swami and national secretary in-charge Dr Bidyalaxmi Shardo will kick off a leadership summit for Congress party members at Imphal. The deputy Chief Minister said the leadership summit will be attended by 100 to 200 members. During the meeting, the national leaders will interact with state party leaders and lower district leaders. A national meeting will be held at New Delhi in March this year.

He further stated that allegations made by BJP leaders are like telling 100 lies to make a truth. The allegations are unfounded, untrue and baseless.

People of Manipur are well aware about the past records of the BJP chiefs. People know what they have done earlier in their political careers, he added.

He clarified that no formal report has been received about a raid conducted by State Police Commandos of both the Imphal East and West at the Taphou Kuki area to bust a UG group camp. Reports on the incidents however may arrive later as the combined team is continuing with its raid at the area, he added.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/01/ar-check-posts-on-moreh-road-to-stay-until-lokchao-bridge-ready/