May 26, 2015 – Page 3

Ibobi attacks BJP, says party trying to mislead people with lies

IMPHAL, May 26: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today urged the people to have faith that his government will assure there is no shortage of funds for the Autonomous District

IMPHAL, May 26: Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today urged the people to have faith that his government will assure there is no shortage of funds for the Autonomous District Council members to work for development of the Hill States.

This is the irrevocable promise of the present government to the people, he said at the District Level Congress Workers`™ Conference in connection with the yearlong celebration of the 125th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar cum ADC election campaign meeting in Ukhrul.

The conference cum campaign meeting was held at the community hall of the Wunghon Village, Ukhrul.

He said today`™s programme was organised at the venue considering it to be a suitable venue for Ukhrul, Sadar Hills and Imphal East.

Ibobi said he does not take seriously all the talks being made in the run-up to the ADC election, however, several Union Ministers including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are spreading lies.

If the lies are repeated often enough, people will also start believing them and it is better if we could clear the air at the opportune time, the Chief Minister asserted.

Ibobi said, India was under the rule of the British for more than 200 years.

The Congress had played an important role in the bringing independence to the country, whereas there were none from the BJP, he asserted.

He said the mere fact that India is today the 3rd most developed country in the world has been possible only due to the 60-years long rule of the Congress.

The BJP had been in power for five years under Atal Bihari Vajpayee and it is one year since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, he said.

What development has the BJP brought to the people of the land, the Chief Minister questioned?

He said it was the Congress who had transferred power to the local bodies. It was also the Congress that worked for women empowerment in the country, he added.

None of these have been brought about by the BJP, Ibobi said.

All the infrastructure development witnessed in the State today were undertaken with funds sanctioned by the Congress when it was in power in the Centre, he continued.

Taking a dig at Union Ministers arriving in droves in the State ahead of the ADC election, the Chief Minister said in recent times the State has witnessed several Union Minister arriving in the State, however, instead of bringing any development packages for the State, they had enquired if there were any project which needs to be inaugurated or of which foundation stones had to be laid.

The Union Ministers visiting the State seem to look down on of the people of the hills, as they have only spoken lies, the Chief Minister asserted.

Elaborating further, Ibobi said the Centre can directly sanction funds to only a few institutes like the RIMS, Manipur University or the NIT, as for others, all funds should come through the State government.

India has a federal structure of government and the BJP government at the Centre cannot deny any necessary funds to the State government, he asserted.

Today`™s function was also attended by Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaikhangam, Commerce and Industries minister Govindas Konthoujam, RD & PR minister Francis Ngajokpa, deputy Speaker MK Preshaw Shimray, MLA Ksh Biren Singh, Saikul MLA Yamthang Haokip, ADC candidates of the party among others.

Sit-in denounces kidnapping of BJP worker`s wife

IMPHAL, May 26: In protest against the alleged kidnapping of a BJP worker`™s wife by unidentified persons, women of 9-Purum District Council Constituency held a sit-in-protest at a waiting shed

IMPHAL, May 26: In protest against the alleged kidnapping of a BJP worker`™s wife by unidentified persons, women of 9-Purum District Council Constituency held a sit-in-protest at a waiting shed along Pallel-Chandel District Headquarters road near Sektaikarong Village in Chandel District today.

Since late in the morning, women of the District Council Constituency staged the sit-in-protest against the kidnapping of M Temoishim, wife of the BJP Worker Angdun Maring of Khudei Khunou Villlage by some unknown miscreants at around 5.30 pm yesterday.

Several placards which read such as `Kidnapping of BJP Worker is a coward act`,

`We demand action against the kidnappers`, `We demand women`™s safety in the District`, “™We demand free and fair election` etc were used by women protesters at the protest demonstration.

Narrating about the last night incident, M Temoishim told media persons that some unknown miscreants came to the village yesterday and after calling her out from the Church they enquired about whereabouts of her husband.

The wife continued that she went back to attend the church service after informing them that she have no knowledge about whereabouts of her husband but after the church service, the miscreants took her to a vehicle in which chief of the village was onboard the vehicle with some unknown persons.

Temoishim maintained that on seeing the village chief, she request him to reason the unknown miscreants but the miscreants forced her to aboard the vehicle and took her away despite repeated appeal to release her.

“™They do not even allow me to see my children or take some cloths along with. Later, the unknown miscreants set me free near Komlathabi Village at around 8 pm last night`™`™, she claimed.

Speaking on the sidelines of the protest, Kim, a resident of Sektaikarong expressed shock on the kidnapping of the innocent wife of the BJP worker, saying there had been another incident of kidnapping of a wife of a BJP candidate in connection with the ensuing ADC election.

Demanding to nab and book those individuals involved in the kidnapping, Kim also warned to launch different forms of intense agitation if such incident of kidnapping of innocent woman occurs again in future.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/05/sitin-denounces-kidnapping-of-bjp-workers-wife/

Law and Disorder

The prevailing chaos in Manipur today, especially ahead of elections, would make anybody rethink the notion of individual liberty upon which the very concept of democracy is based. Democracy`™s ultimate sovereign must remain the individual voter, and the aggregate of the will of the individuals in a given society is what is sought to be determined in any democratic election. So when this freedom is put under shackles, as is overtly happening ahead of the current rounds of ADC elections, democracy can have little meaning. Furthermore, what has also become urgently essential is to take a relook at the notion of the `State` and its relation to individual freedom. This would also imply a re-examination of the very understanding of `freedom`. Is it a standalone value, or must be come predicated to the `State`. In this connection, an episode from the 1970s Hollywood classic, `The Ten Commandments`, rescreened periodically on 24-hour movie TV channels such as the HBO is interesting. After his encounter God manifested as the `Burning Bush`, on Mt Sinai, Moses (Charlton Heston) returns with the inscribed `Ten Commandments` stone tablets to his people, recently freed from slavery under the Pharaoh of Egypt, and finds them revelling, idol worshiping and indulging in other gross hedonistic pursuits. When Moses tells them of the `Ten Commandments`, there were near riots. One among the crowd shouts back at him objecting to the new edicts of the Ten Commandments: `We want freedom`. Moses`™ answer to the man is remarkable: `There can be no freedom without the law` he shouts back.

This single sentence could arguably be the most profound defence, validation and vindication of the `State`. Without the `State` institution, and the `order` that its `laws` establish, all notions of individual liberty and rights would predictably acquire a different meaning, if not cease to have meaning altogether. So in the event of the authority of the `State` withering away, the result is not freedom as many presume, but lawlessness and anarchy. Those of us in Manipur probably would not find this difficult to understand. We live in a condition in which the State has withdrawn its legitimate authority, and everybody virtually has become the law. This is an argument for the `State` in these times of anarchy when so many are given to talking of the `State` as something dispensable. Clearly, we cannot allow it to wither away just as yet, if at all. The `State` and its instruments are still vital, although with good moderations. For the `State` and its instruments can get overbearingly authoritarian, as any unchecked power can, and hence one of the chief functions of the democratic polity is to check this tendency of a centralized power structure from becoming corrupt and authoritarian. This is done by making the authority of the `State` subject to periodic renewal of the mandate of democracy`™s ultimate sovereigns `“ the individual voters. Many of our ongoing debates on issues that impact our lives, including that of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, AFSPA, must be places in this discursive space, so as not to lose perspective.

This renewal process of `State` authority is what is coming under attack yet again on the eve of the elections to the Autonomous District Council, barely a week from today. The freedom with which the voters are expected to exercise their franchise is being violently strangulated by those who scheme to usurp `State` authority. And the tragedy is the `State` and its instruments do not seem to be showing up in all the ways it is expected to, apart from a show of arms it will put up on the day of polling. For between the polling day and the campaign process, a lot that is far from desirable has happened, including, to say the least, intimidation of candidates and their supporters by various vested interests. It is with dismay we note the `State` in Manipur is withering away, not in the Marxist sense where its authority is ultimately and totally transferred to the people (dictatorship of the proletariat) but in the sense of a collapse of its moral hold over the people. And behold we are witnessing the anarchy that only such moral collapses of the State can bring.

Leader Writer: Pradip Phanjoubam

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/05/law-and-disorder/

B Gamnom village chief claims church secy shot dead in cold blood

IMPHAL, May 26: Contradicting the PRO IGAR (S)`™s claim of the army that secretary of Hingajang Village Church was killed in an encounter with underground cadres at B Gamnom formerly

JAC supporters blocking the highway

IMPHAL, May 26: Contradicting the PRO IGAR (S)`™s claim of the army that secretary of Hingajang Village Church was killed in an encounter with underground cadres at B Gamnom formerly known as Hengjang village, Saikul Sub-division under Yairipok Police Station in Senapati district on May 23, chief of the village Henkhothang Kipgen alleged that the church secretary was cold-bloodedly shot in his head by the army while he was lying wounded.

The village chief made the claim during a press meet held at the village yesterday.

He further claimed that the other two persons were killed in indiscriminate firing by a group of army who were already taking positions after the duo tried to flee the area.

Narrating the incident, the village chief said that the church secretary brought two labourers to be engaged in construction of a church on May 22 evening and added that he was not aware of their identities but knew that the two were staying in the house of the church secretary.

On May 23 morning around 9 am, six unidentified Meiteis came to the area where the construction of a church was going on along with villagers and requested the village chief to provide them food which the chief accepted on humanitarian ground and asked his children to arrange food for them.

The six persons were not in camouflage dress but accompanied with a black bag each on their back. Four of them were taking rest at the premise of the house while two were inside the room when a large number of army personnel opened fire indiscriminately from different directions killing three of them including the church secretary, he recounted.

“™The army personnel were requested not to open indiscriminate fire as severe casualties may cause to the innocent villagers but the call was turned down. Even the army jawans threatened to kill me`™`™, the village chief contended.

“™While the church secretary Paokholen was lying badly wounded in pain, some army personnel rushed to him and shot dead cold-bloodedly near a banana tree. Many villagers saw the moment when the army opened fire indiscriminately on the two persons killing them near the gate of the village`™`™, he admitted.

He further said that the army personnel took the dead bodies of the three persons to a vehicle while lamenting that wife of the deceased church secretary was not allowed to identity body of her husband.

Later, the personnel captured a photo of Paokholen on camera and asked the deceased`™s wife whether the person in the photo was of her husband or not, he said.

Taking strong exception to the brutal act of the army, the village chief demanded the government to take up necessary action against the alleged cold-blooded murder of the church secretary.

It may be mentioned that the dead body of Paokholen is being kept at JNIMS morgue though post mortem has been already conducted. Identity of the other two deceased has been established.

They have been identified as Nameirakpam Rajen, 40 son of N Muhindro of Sunusiphai Awang Leikai, Bishnupur district and Maisnam Abungcha, 26 son of M Tombi of Naran Sheina Maning Leikai, Bishnupur district.

Sub Junior National Sepaktakraw: Manipur Girls settle for 3rd – E-Pao.net

Sub Junior National Sepaktakraw: Manipur Girls settle for 3rd
E-Pao.net
Imphal, May 25 2015 : Manipur Girls team secured 3rd position in Regu event in the 18th Sub Junior National Sepaktakraw Champion for Boys and Girls being played at Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu from May 23-26 on Monday. Manipur Girl’s …
National sub-junior sepak-takraw State eves bag third titleThe Sangai Express

all 2 news articles »

Sub Junior National Sepaktakraw: Manipur Girls settle for 3rd
E-Pao.net
Imphal, May 25 2015 : Manipur Girls team secured 3rd position in Regu event in the 18th Sub Junior National Sepaktakraw Champion for Boys and Girls being played at Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu from May 23-26 on Monday. Manipur Girl's …
National sub-junior sepak-takraw State eves bag third titleThe Sangai Express

all 2 news articles »