October 24, 2015 – Page 3

High Court suspends resolution of Kumbi Municipal councillors` group to remove chairperson

IMPHAL, October 24: The High Court of Manipur has suspended the resolutions passed by some sitting councillors of the Kumbi Municipal Council during a meeting on October 10 removing the

IMPHAL, October 24: The High Court of Manipur has suspended the resolutions passed by some sitting councillors of the Kumbi Municipal Council during a meeting on October 10 removing the sitting chairperson of the council Moirangthem Bineshwar Singh from his post.

The judgement was passed yesterday by a single bench of Justice Kh Nobin Singh.

It is learnt that the councillors had convened a requisition meeting on July 17 against the chairperson and issued a notice on October 7 considering a no-confidence motion against the sitting chairperson of the council Moirangthem Bineshwar Singh.

In pursuance of the October 7 notice, the councillors convened a special meeting on October 19 inside the Conference room of the Bishnupur Mini Secretariate during which it was resolved to remove the chairperson from his post.

On the same day, the executive officer forwarded the resolutions taken during the meeting to the director MAHUD stating that the post of KMC chairperson was vacant, informed a source.

It is said that aggrieved by the resolutions, the chairperson and two other councillors identified as Ward no 2 councillor Khangembam (o) Pratima Leima and Ward no 9 councillor Wahengbam (o) Indubala Leima filed a Writ Petition before the High Court challenging the meeting proceedings and the subsequent letter submitted to the executive officer on October 19.

The respondents of the case are State of Manipur represented by secretary (MAHUD) government of Manipur, deputy commissioner Bishnupur, executive officer Kumbi Municipal Council and six councillors identified as Nongmaithem Babudhon Singh, Nongthombam Inaobi Meitei, Nongmaithem (o) Shanti Devi, Moirangthem (o) Nungshitombi Devi, Wahengbam (o) Thoibi Devi and Lhangembam (o) Inakhunbi Devi.

In his judgement, the Judge directed to issue notice to the respondents returnable in four weeks and for the government advocate Sh Yangya for State of Manipur represented by secretary (MAHUD) government of Manipur, deputy commissioner Bishnupur to `Accept notice on behalf of the respondent Nos 1 and 2 and hence no formal notice is called for in respect of respondent Nos. 1 and 2.`

The judgement further directed senior advocate N Kumarjit appearing for the petitioners to take steps for serving notice upon the respondent Nos. 3 to 9 by registered post with AID card and dasti in addition.

`List it on 30-10-2015 for consideration of the interim prayer. Till then the proceeding of the meeting held on 19-10-2015 and the letter`™ dated 19-10-2015 addressed to the Director (MAHUD), Govt. of Manipur by the Executive Officer shall remain suspended.`

Lilong organisation blames minister Nasir for neglecting local development

IMPHAL, October 24: Minority Sagei Apunba Lup Lilong has today come out strongly against the local MLA Md Abdul Nasir, alleging negligence on the part of the MLA to develop

IMPHAL, October 24: Minority Sagei Apunba Lup Lilong has today come out strongly against the local MLA Md Abdul Nasir, alleging negligence on the part of the MLA to develop his constituency.

A team of the organisation today accompanied by media persons inspected several Inter Village Roads of the constituency.

Speaking in the sideline of the tour, general secretary of the organisation Md Nasir Ali said the IVRs in the entire Lilong Assembly Constituency could be compared to those in Afghanistan.

This is a symbol of massive negligence on the part of the local MLA, he lamented.

During the inspection, the roads were found to be covered in dust even as the locals continue to face the deplorable road conditions in silence.

The general secretary said the roads had not been repaired for the past four years since Abdul Nasir the present minister of Agriculture and Fishery in the State government was elected as the local representative.

The minister`™s arrogant nature, misuse of his Local Area Development Funds has been reflected by the lack of developmental work in Lilong during the past four years, he claimed.

He further alleged the local MLA of collecting huge sums from several families of the constituency with the promise of appointment in the recent recruitment of Manipur Police constables which has been halted now.

Now, MSAL has decided to raise voice against the local MLA in the near future, he told media persons.

MSAL will also launched various forms of agitations against the MLA if he fails to come clean on the use of MLA funds and others meant for the minority people, take up repairing of the roads and avail the MOBC benefits sponsored by both the State and Central governments at the earliest, he continued.

He further alleged the minister of siphoning the funds meant for the construction of the Industrial Training Institute in Lilong which was inaugurated recently by the Chief Minister.

The ITI was brought to Lilong by the Late minister Md Allaudin Khan for the upliftment of minority Muslims of the State, he said.

It is also a platform for the people of Manipur and especially those of Lilong to gain job oriented trainings, he said.

Although PDS items for Lilong have not been distributed for more than four months now, the local MLA in trying to hoodwink the local populace once distributed a few quantities of PDS items to the people free of cost, he claimed.

Such exercise has led Lilong to become one of the most under-developed constituencies in the State today, he said.

Lilong Haorei College was a gift from former State Chief Minister Alimuddin to the people of the State, however, it has been reduced to a mere namesake of a college today, he rued.

Development of the college has been hampered after several supporters of the MLA interfered, he said.

He further claimed Nasir of using money and muscle power to buy the local voters.

Call for unity reverberates during people`s movement for Manipur`s common future

IMPHAL, October 22: The United Committee Manipur will not budge from its stand on the NSCN (IM) peace accord which was submitted in a memorandum along with other CSOs of

IMPHAL, October 22: The United Committee Manipur will not budge from its stand on the NSCN (IM) peace accord which was submitted in a memorandum along with other CSOs of the State to government interlocutor of the talks between the GoI and the NSCN (IM), RN Ravi during his recent visit in Imphal, reiterated UCM president Elangbam Johnson today.

He was speaking at the campaign `Peoples`™ Movement for the common Future of Manipur` held today at Bamon Leikai Youth Club, Yairipok under the aegis of United Committee Manipur (UCM), All Manipur United Clubs`™ Manipur (AMUCO) and Committees of Civil Societies Kangleipak (CCSK).

The memorandum had demanded a white paper on the peace process with the NSCN (IM) from 1997 onwards and also the details of accord from the government and for the Centre to respect the distinctive historical identity and political status of Manipur and its multi-cultural pluralistic society based on the principles of co-existence and communal harmony while ensuring integrity of its body-polity.

It had also said that political aspirations and socio-economic advancement of all the ethnic communities of Manipur be ensured and protected with the administrative jurisdiction of Manipur and any culture and administrative arrangement on the basis of ethnicity is unacceptable as it directly tantamount to communal and sectarian demarcation of aspirations and voices of smaller communities in Manipur.

The Peoples`™ Movement for the common future of Manipur campaign was launched on October 10 at Imphal Hotel and will continue till the first week of November during which a series of programme like today`™s are being conducted.

Johnson said the peace accord should not be extended to Manipur since it seems to be a conspiracy among a few for their own benefit.

Manipur, he observed is a multi-ethnic State with people from various communities residing together in peace and harmony, however, many are attempting to create a divide by driving a wedge between the communities.

This campaign was launched with the aim to build up a united Manipur and tackle all internal and external influences to break the emotional and territorial integrity of Manipur, he said.

The conduct of similar meetings in various places will strengthened the public movement to challenge all attempts to disintegrate the State, he continued.

Meanwhile, eminent historiam Dr Lokendra Arambam highlighted the history of Manipur and its significance in the present scenario.

He said in order to meet both the internal and external challenges and maintain the brotherhood among the different communities; the people should be well aware of the policies and planning of the Central government.

Laisham Lokpa Village chief H Moses said the lack of unity among the people is due to the lack of proper knowledge about the history of Manipur and the past unity among the communities.

Manipur is formed not only by the Meiteis, but together by the various communities including Meiteis, Nagas, Kuki, Muslims etc. he said.

Everyone should stand for the unity among the communities and act against all strategies to break the State, he continued.

If the people unite together, the plan to break the State will be ineffective, he added.

Social scientist, Dhanabir Laishram appealed to the people to stand together to face the threat against the unity and integrity of Manipur for a better future.

CM lauds efforts to preserve traditional heritage

IMPHAL October 24: The Umanglai Kanba Apunba Lup (UKAL) held the State level annual conference on Umanglai Haraoba at Manipur Film Development Corporation hall today amidst a huge participation from

IMPHAL October 24: The Umanglai Kanba Apunba Lup (UKAL) held the State level annual conference on Umanglai Haraoba at Manipur Film Development Corporation hall today amidst a huge participation from the local populace.

The Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh graced the function as the chief guest.

While appreciating the initiative of the UKAL he emphasized on the importance of preserving the traditional heritage including belief of the people.

UKAL`™s efforts to preserve the Umanglai and Maibi Jagoi have been able to revive the withering rich tradition of the land, he said.

`This is our pride and we showcase it to all the visiting dignitaries as our cultural identity and our rich legacy.`

`Laiharaoba displays the ingrained peace and harmony among communities,` he stated.

He also stressed the need to maintain a secular worldview as `we dovetail with other faiths in the State.`

`The Indian Constitution upholds the secular principle in order to allow all the different religious faiths to coexist in peace and respect` the Chief Minister said.

However he also implored the audience of the land`™s past, before the arrival and convergence of many to Hinduism and Christianity.

`I wonder what the authentic faith of our forefather some three centuries ago was. Perhaps there was a more inclusive worship and celebration among the people of the valley and the hills` he said.

The Cultural University bill has received the accent of the Governor, he said.

We intent to preserve and promote and build the synergy of all the cultures of the State, irrespective of the hills and the valley through this institution, he added.

Let us explore the feasibility of incorporating UKAL as a part of these, he said.

Four awards were also handed by the Chief Minister on the occasion namely Best Amaiba to Uritkhinbam Tompok Meitei, Best Pena Player to Potsangbam Rajen Meitei, Best Amaibi to Wahengbam Priya Leima and Best Lai Haraoba Lai Thougal Lup to Iputhou Sorarel Lai Commmittee, Kakmayai.

During the function, UKAL added two more people to the 15 veterans it already sponsors under its Pension Package.

The two are Maisnam Apabi Luwang and Ch Amar Machang.

A publication titled `Lai Haraobagee Kanglon Ahumsuba Saruk`™ was also released on the occasion by the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh. Wangkhei Panthou was also declared as an Umanglai site.

Five persons were also felicitated on the occasion. They are Loitongbam Iboyaima, O Binarani Devi, Y Shyamlal Singh, Chongsabam Premananda and H Jiten Singh.

Social Welfare minister, Ak Mirabai Devi also expressed concern over the modified traditional dance moves, `Traditional dance moves are losing their originality and modern fusion is compromising the quality,` she said.

K Radhakumar, secretary, Department of Art& Culture GoM, emphasizing on the importance of documentation of our traditional practices said translation from the existing archaic language and further translation to other languages will encourage scholars to delve further on the subject.

`This will also prevent unnecessary verbal feud over different interpretations of our practices` he said.

He said owing to a Supreme Court`™s directive, the State do have constrains in its supports especially in declaring certain sacred places as Protected Sites.

Ng Kangjiya Mangang, Retd. Principal; T Mangibabu Singh, chairman PDA Manipur and K Meghachandra Singh, Parliamentary Secretary MI&DIPR were also present as dignitaries.

Rejected candidates for assistant professor appeal for reviewing their rejection

IMPHAL, October 24: The candidates who were rejected from the screening process for recruitment of Assistant Professor of Education conducted by the MPSC although they have completed their Masters in

IMPHAL, October 24: The candidates who were rejected from the screening process for recruitment of Assistant Professor of Education conducted by the MPSC although they have completed their Masters in other subjects or M Ed and are NET or SLET qualified in Education have called on the authorities concerned to review their rejection.

Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club, one of the candidates, Nomika Nongmeikapam said the advertisement issued by MPSC said `Good academic record with at least 55 percent marks or equivalent grade in the point scale wherever grading system is followed at the Master Degree level and qualified in the NET or SLET.`

In the advertisement it is nowhere mentioned only Master Degree in Education (two years) holders can apply, she said.

So, candidates who have completed their Master Degree in other subjects and who have done MEd and NET or SLET qualified in Education as per UGC norms had also applied, she further said.

However around 35 candidates of them have been rejected during the screening process, she said.

`We have given the NET and SLET in Education as per UGC norms. We don`™t have a separate NET or SLET for MEd,` she added.

From conflict of interest to conflict between doctors and patients

Dr Laifungbam Debabrata Roy In Manipur, the for profit healthcare industry and public academic medicine have become closely intertwined. The financial relationship between industry and academia and the risks of

Dr Laifungbam Debabrata Roy

In Manipur, the for profit healthcare industry and public academic medicine have become closely intertwined. The financial relationship between industry and academia and the risks of conflict of interest are coming under increasing scrutiny. This kind of dual practice, where the professional is in a financial arrangement with both public healthcare services and private healthcare industry has colloquially become known as `private practice`. Physicians and the media, as well as civil society bodies, have expressed concerns that secondary financial interests of individuals and private healthcare companies are creating an undue influence on primary patient care, research and educational goals. Government bodies as well as professional societies have focussed attention on illuminating financial ties between industry and physicians in an effort to differentiate collaborative partnerships that create benefits for patients and society from those that bias judgement in clinical and administrative decision making.

`Private practice` is quite a strange term because medical practitioners, including those in the non-clinical disciplines and other new quasi-clinical disciplines such as biochemistry and bio-engineering, are entitled and licensed to practice their professions. The question arises where the public sees an obvious irregularity in this practice.

Earlier this month, I wrote an article, `Proposed law to shield doctors from patients is against medical ethics and a frontal attack upon access to justice` that raise what I think are issues of very deep concern for the future of healthcare and physicians in Manipur. There is a crisis in the healthcare sector in Manipur. But this is not, as I had mentioned earlier, confined to Manipur.

The prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently this year published a study on this issue of increasing concern. The study (BMJ 2015; 351:h4826 | doi: 10:1136/bmj.h4826) was done in response to a rising concern about dual obligations of physicians in the USA, especially those engaged full time in non-profit academic institutions, to for profit companies and non-profit academic institutions which create diverse individual and institutional conflicts that vary in gravity and reconcilability depending on the academic and clinical roles. The study concludes that such conflicts have not been fully addressed by previous guidelines and warrant additional review, regulation, and, in some cases, outright prohibition when conflicts can be reconciled.
A substantial number and diversity of academic leaders, professors and other healthcare professionals hold consultant and management level position such as directorships at profit-motive healthcare centres, often masquerading as research centres, with compensation often approaching or surpassing common academic clinical salaries. Dual obligations to for profit private clinical and educational institutions pose considerable personal, financial, and institutional conflicts of interest beyond that of simple consulting relationships.

Such conflicts of interest are often translated in practice into a fuzzy world of professional and ethical conduct. The common users of the services rendered in both private and public healthcare institutions, as well as the media, are increasingly becoming aware of the impacts of such dual obligations on quality of care and costs of services. Similar to individuals engaging in consulting relationships, individuals on a managerial position or board enter a formal contract with the private company and receive financial payment for services. However, they are subject to important differences.

Firstly, unlike consultants who are compensated to provide services on a specific issue, management level position holders are subject to a fiduciary responsibility to the private company or institution shareholders to advance the general interests of the company and increase profits. Secondly, such individuals serving as directors or high-level managers are reimbursed both through larger cash fees than typical consulting contracts and through stock options, the value of which is directly tied to the success of the company. Such competing or diverging interests often lead to a conduct conflict for the individual.

It is clear that physicians, medical researchers, or medical leaders develop a conflict of interest between their primary professional obligations and their fiduciary responsibility to private institutions. Though the missions of academia and for profit institutions can overlap, they may also diverge especially when the profit mission competes with non-profit tax-payer funded clinical and research missions of academic medical and research institutions. The problem needs a careful examination of the various relationships and their effects on conflict of interest. The institutional conflicts of interest arise when secondary interests influence or risk influencing institutional processes such as quality of care maintenance, staff selection for hiring or promotion, decisions on purchasing and formulary, setting institutional research agendas, and setting educational goals.

Academic medical and/or research institutions affiliations are a formal position in a government medical institution, affiliating to a teaching hospital, or health system; overseeing research university or medical research institute with medical school partnership. Individuals with academic affiliations as leaders and professors (including assistant and associate professors) as a group hold a different set of responsibilities to their academic institutions that poses unique conflicts with their obligations as for profit services. Leaders are individuals holding positions that involve oversight of the clinical activities of their institution (hospital and health system executive officers and clinical departmental heads) or educational and research activities (university related roles, deans and departmental heads of health sciences including medicine, pharmacy, nursing and public health including heads of interdisciplinary translational research institutions and departments).

These responsibilities have often led to a serious problem of compromises. Clinical professionals, by far the majority, face individual conflicts of interest when their primary duties as clinicians, educators or researchers risk undue influence from the profit oriented goals of private health and research centres. New models of healthcare and new technologies are often diverted away from public academic and research institutes to private companies, thereby depleting their technical competence. Time allotted to primary government or public obligations and duties get whittled down, as clinicians allot increasingly more professional time to profit making. Users are consistently being encouraged or coerced to turn to private hospitals at increasingly higher costs for services. This has led to a denial of cost-effective high quality services subsidised by the tax-payer to the poor and rural masses.

The loss of confidence in the government healthcare services and increasing availability of out-of-reach private services at inflated costs have naturally led to a growing hostility and suspicion towards physicians and their commitment to their primary duties and obligations. The medical fraternity has gradually acquired the distasteful character of a commercial, profit seeking group offering their best services to only those who can pay higher prices for more expensive facilities and technologies. Due to this mounting distance between the doctors and their patients, this stereotyping has also entered the domains of private hospitals too. The conflict of interest has often become transformed in the wards and waiting areas of hospitals into open and violent conflicts between healthcare providers and the users of their services. A legislative `shield` for physicians from patients and `patient parties` is clearly not the answer. Drastic measures to review, regulate, and, effectively prohibit conflicts of interests is the only way forward to replace this loss of trust in humanity`™s most noble profession.

The author is a public health physician engaged in humanitarian health services. He may be contacted at laifungbam@coremanipur.org

Moreh chamber of commerce seeks CM`s attention to expedite AH 1 repairing

IMPHAL, October 24: The Border Trade & Chamber of Commerce, Moreh has submitted an application to the State Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today through the Chief Secretary calling his

IMPHAL, October 24: The Border Trade & Chamber of Commerce, Moreh has submitted an application to the State Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh today through the Chief Secretary calling his attention to expedite the repairing work of the Asian Highway 1 stretch from Pallel to Moreh.

The application was jointly signed by its public relation secretary KB Subramaniam and general secretary Surender Singh Patheja.

The application stated that the recent incessant rainfall and earthquake had badly affected the highway stretch from Pallel to Moreh causing landslides, sunken roads and erosion in many places of the stretch seriously affecting movement of traffic.

Even after three months there seems to be very little improvement in the road connectivity and the authority has banned heavy vehicle since September 24, but there are other heavy vehicles like Saktiman and loaded trucks which continue to ply along the road, it said.

The poor road connectivity has hampered the border trade and the bilateral economic tie between Indian and Myanmar hence BTCC suggest to increase labour and machineries to expedite the work, it said.

It further mentioned that the Assam Rifles and other authority between Pallel and Moreh are handling the situation but it has only led to disappointment and hampering of trade.

It said that at least 30% of business has shifted to Mizoram and the looser being the Moreh business community and the state exchequer of Manipur.

Remembering 1965, forgetting 1965, celebrating 1965

By Garga Chatterjee We, the citizens of the Indian Union, cannot afford to forget the year 1965. The world we live in was shaped in no small way by events

By Garga Chatterjee

We, the citizens of the Indian Union, cannot afford to forget the year 1965. The world we live in was shaped in no small way by events of that year, though not necessarily by the events that the Government of the Indian Union would want us to remember but by those events that it wants us to forget. The Government of the Indian Union is celebrating the 1965 war with pomp and grandeur. While celebrating a war that noone claims was fought for national liberation, human rights or any positive human value, funds have already been pumped in for commemoration.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the war of 1965, where the primary combatants were the Indian Union`s Army and Pakistan`s Army. According to sources that don`t owe explicit affiliation to the propaganda machines of Pakistan or the Indian Union, about 7800 army men were killed in the war. Of this number, about 3000 were from the Indian Union`s Army and the rest from Pakistan Army. Given that there was no `crowning` event like surrender and that both groups of combatants inflicted somewhat similar amount of damage to each other and also gained large swathes of each other`s territories, the answer to the question `who won?` was up for grabs. That opportunity was grabbed with a lot of zeal by the respective governments to tutor their citizens and especially the yeet-to-be-born citizen about their version of who were the good guys, who were the bad guys, who won, who lost and how in all of this we must never ask questions like the difference in caste-class composition of those the jawans and the officers, how many lives of these poor regions of the world could be protected from death by disease and malnutrition compared to the number of lives that were purportedly protected by the war using the same amount of money that was spent in the war and most importantly, did the likelihood of being killed, tortured, assaulted, mistreated or raped by one`s `own` army personnel compared to alien army personnel decrease after this war. It remains an undeniable truth that a citizen of Pakistan is much more likely to be killed, tortured, assaulted, mistreated, subjected to forced laour, kidnapped, `disappeared`, looted or raped in his or her lifetime by the Pakistan Army than the Indian Union Army. This was true then and this is true now. Whether the reverse holds true for a citizen of the Indian Union is something I don`t have the courage to comment upon. I am not a very courageous man. I am a fat, short, rice-eating Bengali after all.

Another spate of killings also happened in 1965. And it was one-sided murder of the unarmed. Hundreds of Tamil young men were killed brutally by Khaki armed forces in what is now called Tamil Nadu. This was no minor affair and was reported extensively for many days across the world, in the NewYork Times, Chicago Tribune, Time magazine and elsewhere. The Indian Union government rushed in its Khaki forces to suppress the unprecedented mass movement of Tamil youths against the planned imposition of Hindi as the Indian Union`s sole official language. The martyred youth of 1965 represent another narrative of glory and bravery, that is drowned down by tricolour drumbeats. But those who remember can never forget. While the Indian Union government today is making the push for Hindi as UN language, it dare not mention these language martyrs on the 50th anniversary of their martyrdom. There cause lingers through the recent Chennai declaration of language rights that asks for linguistic equality for all our mother-tongues `“ a call that is slowly gathering steam. At a solemn event held in Chennai, representatives from Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Orissa, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala paid homage to these martyrs as their own, to the 1965 Tamil cause as their own. The 1965 language movement of Tamils stopped the advancing battle-tank of Hindi imposition. The momentum of Hindi imposition was broken by the Tamil speed-breaker, if only temporarily. The tank that was stopped in its track is restarting its engine with renewed vigour. After the 1965 language movement, the Congress, which had ruled Tamil Nadu till then was defeated for good – never to return again. That should give us an idea what those events and killings meant and their continued reverberations in people`s memory. Its due to these events that complete Hindi imposition on non-Hindi people remains only a partially succesful project. Whether that can be compared to the relevance of 1965 war in people`s lives is something I leave the readers to judge.

50 years after 1965, we must probe why does Delhi want us to celebrate one 1965 and forget another? All nation-state narratives, curated by the government, to create `truth` and `common-sense`, remembers and celebrates certain things and forgets others. It underlines certain things and deletes other things. A comparison of the highlighted with the deleted gives us an idea of who the nation-state is for and who it is not for, who is boss and who is servant. This government narrative gains currency through dominant film-industry, media academia and textbooks and can be be called the autobiography of a nation-state. But no nation-state in the world is one people. All people must write their own autobiographies. They owe it to their martyrs and their children. They owe it to smoke rising from burned wigwams of the native Americans, the smoke that was seen by the people made alien in their own homeland by other people by superiority of arms and numbers, the smoke that rose above disinformation and indoctrination to spread on the wide canvas of the unconquerred starry sky and broke into words that could be seen from far-far-away, words that solemnly whisper in every mother-tongue of this earth that `We shall not forget`. We cannot forget 1965.

Call for unity reverberates during people`s movement for Manipur`s common future – KanglaOnline

Call for unity reverberates during people`s movement for Manipur`s common futureKanglaOnlineIMPHAL, October 22: The United Committee Manipur will not budge from its stand on the NSCN (IM) peace accord which was submitted in a memorandum along with othe…

Call for unity reverberates during people`s movement for Manipur`s common future
KanglaOnline
IMPHAL, October 22: The United Committee Manipur will not budge from its stand on the NSCN (IM) peace accord which was submitted in a memorandum along with other CSOs of the State to government interlocutor of the talks between the GoI and the …
MPP decriesThe Sangai Express

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10th Manipur State League 2015 Easy victories for AIM, NACO – The Sangai Express

The Sangai Express10th Manipur State League 2015 Easy victories for AIM, NACOThe Sangai ExpressImphal, Oct 24 : AIM, Khabam and NACO, Nambul Mapal registered easy victories against their opponents in the ongoing 10th Manipur State League 2015, sponsore…

The Sangai Express

10th Manipur State League 2015 Easy victories for AIM, NACO
The Sangai Express
Imphal, Oct 24 : AIM, Khabam and NACO, Nambul Mapal registered easy victories against their opponents in the ongoing 10th Manipur State League 2015, sponsored by Khumukcham Ingocha Singh Memorial Trust, today at Mapal Kangjeibung, Imphal.

Around 64 encroachers evicted from Heingang Reserved Forest Areas

IMPHAL, October 24: Officials of the Forest department supported by Police personnel today evicted around 64 families of encroachers from inside the Heingang Reserved Forest Area. The families were evicted

A bull dozer being used to tear down an encroachment inside the Heingang Reserved Forest area on Saturday.

IMPHAL, October 24: Officials of the Forest department supported by Police personnel today evicted around 64 families of encroachers from inside the Heingang Reserved Forest Area.

The families were evicted from Keirang to Heingang Awang Leikai.

The eviction exercise which started from 7:30 am and continued even as this report is being filed was conducted as per a notification issued on June 26 under Rule No 81 (1) of Manipur Forest Rules 1971 for eviction of the encroachers from the forest area.

A second notification was served to the people on October 16 against occupation and construction of structures in the Hingang Reserved Forest.

During the eviction drive, tension erupted between the people and the department officials but was subdued by the police personnel present.

Some of the structures evicted belonged to Sericulture Farmers`™ projects; however, the Forest officials were shown leases which were signed in 1982 regarding the occupation of the areas by the farmers.

Speaking to media persons in the sideline of the drive, sericulture farmers whose farms were damaged during the drive said it was a shock for them.

Deputy Speaker calls to safeguard nature during closing function of 60th Wildlife Week celebration

IMPHAL, October 22: Manipur Forest department organised 60th Wildlife Week Celebration 2015 concluded today at Lamyamba Sanglen, Palace Compound. The wildlife week is celebrated every year since the establishment of

IMPHAL, October 22: Manipur Forest department organised 60th Wildlife Week Celebration 2015 concluded today at Lamyamba Sanglen, Palace Compound.

The wildlife week is celebrated every year since the establishment of the Indian Board of Wild Life in 1952 to create awareness among the people of the country on the importance of wildlife and their protection.

Speaking on the occasion, deputy Speaker MK Preshow Shimray highlighted the relation between wildlife and the people of the region.

He said forest offers various natural resources and needs to be protected and conserved for a better future.

Hunting of wildlife, fishing, cutting of trees will only lead to problems in the future, he said.

Trees are being chopped down to find a livelihood, support family, etc. he said.

The Shiroi Hills was once a dense forest, but today it is in a sorry state, the deputy Speaker said.

Now, migratory birds do not stop or arrived in these forests as they are hunted and the forest cover has depleted, he continued.

He appealed to the people to come forward in order to protect and preserve the forest and wildlife for a better future.

In his speech, Manipur Chief Secretary O Nabakishore Singh emphasised on eco-development and finding alternative livelihood for the people living around the bio-diversity rich areas and protected areas of the State.

He said the people should also take responsibility to safeguard the bio-diversity.

Manipur is home to several wildlife but their populations are decreasing, he said.

He said that poaching, hunting and destroying wildlife needs to be checked.

He also observed that reports suggest an increase in the population of Sangai, and said the increase in the State animal’s population is due to the co-operation and protection provided by the locals of Keibul Lamjao and the department.

Prizes of the various competitions conducted as part of celebration were distributed during today’s valedictory programme which included 27 prizes for on the spot painting and article writing competitions, seven wildlife protection incentive awards and 12 prizes for the State level wildlife photography competition.

Is the peace accord a license for NSCN (IM) to extort openly in Manipur: MPP

IMPHAL, October 23: Has the recent signing of the Peace Accord with the Centre given the NSCN (IM) licence to openly extort in broad daylight in the State, Manipur People’s

IMPHAL, October 23: Has the recent signing of the Peace Accord with the Centre given the NSCN (IM) licence to openly extort in broad daylight in the State, Manipur People’s Party president Nongmeikapam Sovakiran deplored following a four day long inspection tour of MPP delegates to Jiribam.

He was speaking to media persons today after returning from a four day inspection of the Imphal-Jiribam Highway condition and functioning of the government administration in Jiribam.

NSCN (IM) cadres had collected Rs 500 from the vehicle they were travelling in in broad daylight from an area in between Noney and Khongsang in Tamenglong district, Sovakiran said.

The militant cadres had collected an illegal tax of Rs 500 from each vehicle as a weekly tax, he said.

This is evidence of illegal tax collection by cadres of the NSCN (IM) who had signed the peace accord with the Centre, he said.

Has the Centre issued licence to the militant outfit to collect illegal tax along the NH 37 after the signing of the Peace Accord, he demanded.

He further demanded the concerned government authorities to take strong action against the illegal tax collection.

He also observed that the government has failed to protect the two lifelines of the State from the threats of bandhs and blockades.

This is not the time for the government to appeal or request against such threats as it is the people who suffer the most due to the prolonged bandhs and blockades on the highways, he said.

The government should forcefully crack down on such agitations imposed on the highways, he said.

And if in case the government is unable to control such agitations, it should implement a scheme so as to stabilise prices of essential commodities or provide essential items on half prices for the public during such agitations, he said.

Sovakiran said it seems the vast manpower of the Home department is only for Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam to use for decorations and not to be used for controlling bandhs and economic blockade on the lifelines.

Meanwhile, on government administration in Jiribam, he said the administration in Jiribam is totally defunct.

He said most of the government departments are not functioning, in fact even the additional DC was found to be absent from his station during the MPP inspection tour.

Above the failure of the departments to function, the infrastructure in the sub-division is also in the worse condition, he added.

Elaborating further he said the check post at the Jiribam Gate for immigrants was found to be very tight, however, the State boundary along the Jiri River was all porous.

The market structure in the sub-division has not changed for the past 15 years as compared to Jirighat, the neighbouring town in Assam where it is far developed, he added.

It is unfortunate to find that no developmental schemes or projects sanctioned by the Centre or the State governments have reach Jiribam, said MPP legal advisor Y Priyokumar.

The main factor for the projects and schemes not reaching the intended beneficiaries is because most of the officials are functioning from Imphal, he said.

The team, he said had also observed that the Forest department has neglected the sub-division.

He elaborated, it is learnt that on a daily basis around 200/300 bamboos cut down from Manipur side are taken across the Jiri River to supply to paper mills in Assam.

He said the bamboos are left on the river current and picked up from the Jirighat side.

The Forest department should control such practice, and the Revenue department should also collect tax from such business, he said.

Mob justice and JAC formations hamper police investigations: Imphal West SP Dr Ak Jhaljit

IMPHAL, October 23: The current trend of mob-justices and formation of the Joint Action Committee in the State has created much hindrances and resulted in delaying of police investigation especially

IMPHAL, October 23: The current trend of mob-justices and formation of the Joint Action Committee in the State has created much hindrances and resulted in delaying of police investigation especially in cases related to crime, said SP Imphal West Dr AK Jhaljit during a one day consultation workshop on Gender, Human rights and Violence Against Women at the Classic Hotel today.

The workshop was held for religious leaders, intellectuals, police officers, judiciary, NGOs leaders, and victims of VAW, and was jointly organised by the United NGOs Mission Manipur (UNMM) and Women Action for Development (WAD).

Speaking on the topic ‘professional experiences and challenges/difficulties specially in dealing with crime against women’, the SP said we live in a patriarchal society and considering the rapid rise in crimes against women in recent times, there is bleak hope of women gaining in status in our society.

He further talked on the need to put a check on the crimes committed against women and even those committed on men.

Addressing crimes against women is one of the biggest challenges, the police officer said.

Mob justices and the formation of JAC tend to hinder police investigations as such acts divert the attention from the real case, he observed.

United NGOs Mission Manipur secretary U Nabakishore spoke on the topic ‘Alternative mechanism for the trial in relation to CAW.

He said the State has witnessed a rapid rise in the number of sexual violence cases during the past few decades.

There is no concrete cause or root cause for sexual violence, he observed.

He said random surveys of sexual violence has pointed out that most rapists are mostly relatives or neighbours of the victims and as such the victims are murdered after rape.

One of the major reasons for the rise in crimes witnessed in the State could be corruption, he said.

Combating corruption is one major challenge of the people, he added.

And in order to fight corruption we need anti-corruption cell in every level, he added.

He further said that South Korea and Singapore are some countries which were once gripped in corruption but with the peoples’ active participation in fighting against the practice, corruption has been reduced to the minimum.

The one day consultation workshop was also attended by director Women Study Centre, Manipur University Prof N Pramodini, department of Linguistics; president High Court Bar Association Manipur Khumanlambam Bijoy, senior advocate; epidemiologist State TB Hospital Dr Sadhana and president All Manipur working Journalists’ Union Wangkhemcha Shamjai as resource persons.

UNC bandh sees mix response in Senapati

KANGPOKPI, October 23: The first day of UNC’s 48 hr total bandh in tribal dominated areas of the state has partially affected the Trans Asian Highway along Sadar Hills today.

Even though, Thadou Inpi (GHQ) has endorsed the 48 hr UNC bandh, traffic movement resumed as usual from Kangpokpi to Imphal as all passengers vehicles including buses and taxis ply normally along the highway with no reports of interruption the entire day.

Business establishments in places like Kangpokpi, Kalapahar, Champhai (KMC), Sapormeina, Motbung till Gamgiphai remained open for the day while government employees attended their respective activities as usual at Kangpokpi.

So far, no civil society organizations within Sadar Hills expressed endorsement and support to the UNC’s 48 hr bandh in tribal areas.

However, deserted streets, shutter down, poor activities in Government offices and banks dons the day one of the UNC total bandh in different areas of Senapati DHQ, Maram and other places, said Hills Hornbill express in Senapati.

According to the sources, border town Mao-gate was partially busy with local shops open amidst both commercial and private vehicles stranded along the NH-2.

With the number of vehicles especially trucks ferrying essential goods expected to increase by tomorrow, some trucks were seen stranded at Hengbung composite check post since October 22 due to the KPLF/KPLA economic blockade, added the source.

It further said that volunteers at Senapati DHQ strictly monitored the movement of even private vehicles but with some relaxation to vans transporting students.

In Maram, both vehicle movements and business establishments were totally off the road.

With second day expected to pass off peacefully, the 48hrs bandh will conclude on Saturday midnight.

However, more trucks are expected to get stranded at Hengbung and Senapati DHQ due to the economic blockade called by KPLF/KPLA, which will conclude only on October 31.

Senapati Police and Assam Rifles were also seen along the highway with attentive patrols to thwart any untoward incidents.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/unc-bandh-sees-mix-response-in-senapati/

Dr Rochung Pudaite to be laid to rest in CCpur

CHURACHANDPUR, October 23: A harbinger of church reformers among the tribal communities and the man behind the spread of the Bible to millions through his “Bible for the world”, Rev

CHURACHANDPUR, October 23: A harbinger of church reformers among the tribal communities and the man behind the spread of the Bible to millions through his “Bible for the world”, Rev Dr Rochung Pudaite’s body was brought home today, to be buried at his ancestral place and home at Sialmat, Churachandpur.

He had also translated the Bible into the Hmar language in the 1950s after his graduation from Allahabad University.

The mortal remains of one of the earliest pioneer of Christianity in Manipur, and it’s spread among the Hmar community in particular, was supposed to reach here days back but due to some issues, his body arrived today only from America where he has been residing after becoming a citizen of the country some decades ago.

It took eight hours for the body to reach Churachandpur from Imphal as many churches, groups and organisation had arranged receptions at several villages along the way.

Dr Rouchung was the son of Rev (L)Chawna Pudaite and (L) Taii from Phualpui Village of Vangai Range.

After his graduation, he studied theology at Wheaton Graduate School, Northern Illinois USA, where he completed his Master’s degree and later did his D. Lit at Ohio’s Malone College.

Starting from 1971, he set up his pet project “Bible for the world” with great zeal and success which was responsible for handing out the Holy Bible to Christian and non-Christians and was lovingly called “God’s tribesmen” after he wrote eight books and was included in the list of “who is who” in USA apart from winning many accolades and at least three awards.

Infact, he was the founder of Evangelical Free Church of India (EFCI) which had grown by leaps and bounds among the Hmar community.

He was also social, religious and educational reformer.

He also set up Sialmat Christian Higher Secondary School, Partnership Mission Society, Trinity Bible College and Sialmat Christian Hospital in Churachandpur district.

The ‘Dr Rouchung Pudaite Funeral Committee’ was set up to organise his last condolence which will culminate in his burial at the Rouchung Bangalow and is expected to be attended people from all communities residing in the district.

The JAC against anti-tribal bills has also relaxed its public curfew until his burial tomorrow in the course of which his mortal remains will be made to be placed on the institution and center set up by the late reverend and Doctor of theology who was in fact a well-known and reverent figure in Churachandpur3 district in particular.

Dr Pudaite, 88, was admitted on October 10, 2015 at the memorial Hospital, Colorado Spring, Calorada, USA where he succumbed and was finally brought home after 13 days from his adopted country via Delhi where he was received by the Hmar Students’ Association, while his body was received at the Imphal Tulihal Airport under the initiative of the HYA GHQ around 9:30 am.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/dr-rochung-pudaite-to-be-laid-to-rest-in-ccpur/

Govt still looking for breakthrough in anti-bills protest: Gaikhangam

IMPHAL, October 23: Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam today declared that there is still no breakthrough in regards to the anti-bills protest in the hill districts of the State however attempts

IMPHAL, October 23: Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam today declared that there is still no breakthrough in regards to the anti-bills protest in the hill districts of the State however attempts are continuing from the government side to bring a solution to the issue.

Gaikhangam was answering to media persons in the sideline of the inaugural function of “Free Cochlear Implant Surgery in Manipur” at the Department of ENT, JN Institute of Medical Sciences, Porompat today.

The first Cochlear implantation in Manipur under the Assistance to Disabled Persons Scheme (ADIP) was launched today at JNIMS

Speaking to media persons, Gaikhangam said “We (State Government) are not giving up attempts to bring a solution.”

“The CM and our cabinet ministers are very unhappy with this situation where the dead bodies of our sons and brothers are still lying without performing their last rites.”

The State government as well as the people of Manipur do not want this situation, he said.

“We are trying in every possible manner and I hope a breakthrough will arrive soon,” he added.

When asked about the government’s stand on the anti-bills protesters intensifying their protest by calling bandhs and highway blockade and even announcing boycott of two Congress MLAs including deputy Speaker and a parliamentary secretary, he replied that “it is not a new strategy and it is something expected.”

“We live in a democratic country so everyone here has the right to expression. What we (government) are saying is to protest in a democratic manner.”

“We appealed not to impose bandh and blockade because it only makes the public suffer.”

“Let’s sort out things with dialogue and discussion,” he appealed.

“As we cannot keep agitating the entire time normalcy will return for sure,” he added.

When asked why the government is not able to take any concrete action against the highway blockade, he said, the issues involved ‘social factor.’

Even though there are laws there is again a matter of whether the laws can be actually implemented or not in ground reality, he said.

“We are handling the situation very carefully. However if criminal activities are reported unabated we will not remain silent,” he added.

When asked about the preparations of his party in connection with upcoming election of two Assembly Constituencies – Thangmeiband and Thongju, he replied his party is always prepared for election.

“We are hopeful of winning the two seats,” he added.

The Cochlear implantation programme under the theme “Free Cochlear Implant Surgery in Manipur” was organized by the Department of ENT, JN Institute of Medical Sciences, Porompat in collaboration with the Manipur Branch of Association of Otolaryngologists of India.

The inaugural function was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam as the chief guest, Social Welfare & Co-operation minister Ak Mirabai Devi, Health & State Mission director Dr O Ibomcha Singh, JNIMS director Deben Laishram as the guests of honour and AOI Manipur Branch president Dr RK Bedajit Singh as the president.

According to a newsletter released at the function, Cochlear implant is an electronic device that can be surgically implanted to stimulate cochlea to provide sense of hearing for severely or profound hearing impaired patients.

It has an internal component which is surgically implanted and consists of stimulator or receiver and an array of electrodes which directly stimulates the cochlea. The external component consists of microphone, processor and transducer or transmitter.

This programme will be continuing programme and three severely deaf children one from Chandel, one from Ukhrul and one for Patsoi, Imphal West are being posted for cochlear implantation in the first programme. These children will develop speech if they start hearing sounds after the cochlear implant surgery.

Padmashree Prof Mohan Kameswaran, Managing Director and senior ENT Surgeon of International repute of Madras ENT Research Foundation, Chennai, a pioneer in cochlear implant surgery and Brainstem implant surgery and Dr Sunil Goyal, also of Madras ENT Research Foundation will be the guest faculty.

BJP to field Joykishan for Thangmeiband bye-election

IMPHAL, October 23: The BJP Thangmeiband Mandal Committee has unanimously endorsed to support Kh Joykishan as the party’s candidate in the bye-election of Thangmeiband Assembly constituency, informed a party insider.

At the same time, it is learnt that two applications seeking party tickets for the Thongju Constituency have been received.

According to a reliable source from the party, a high level Thangmeiband BJP Mandal Committee was held at the residence of former BJP president Meinam Bhorot this morning which was also attended by State BJP president Th Chaoba, vice president I Mangiton, senior spokesperson Salam Ibohal and Thangmeiband projected candidate Khumukcham Joykishan.

During the meeting, the party leaders discussed the party’s strategy for the upcoming bye-election.

It is also learnt that during the meeting, the committee adopted to support and endorse Kh Joykishan as the party’s candidate from the constituency.

During the meeting, Chaoba announced that the party has selected Joykishan as the party’s candidate for Thangmeiband and requested the local mandal committees to support him.

Sources also said that Joykishan sought forgiveness for all that might have happened between him and the Thangmeiband BJP mandal and further appealed to the mandal leaders to initiate the campaigning process.

Meanwhile, the BJP has received two applications for party ticket in regards to the Thongju constituency, the source informed.

Other than Thongam Bishwajit Singh, a BJP State executive member Sapam Dhananjoy has also applied for ticket.

He was persuaded by the State leaders to withdraw his application, but he decided to submit it, informed the source.

Meanwhile, a BJP State election committee meeting was held at the BJP president’s chamber around 4pm today.

The committee will send a recommendation to the party high command regarding the allotment of Thongju ticket, informed the source.

The party’s State president is likely to deliver the recommendation to the party high command himself tomorrow in New Delhi.

On the other hand, it is also learnt that the Congress has also received two applications for party tickets concerning the bye-election of the two constituencies.

While Bijoy Koijam has submitted his application seeking Congress ticket for Thongju constituency, W Jyotin has submitted his application for Thangmeiband constituency, informed sources.

Sources from inside the Congress said the last date for application submission is noon of October 24.

The Congress ticket committee meeting will be held on October 24 at Congress Bhawan at around 4pm, informed the source.

HC quashes ‘Review DPC” for promotion of MPS Grade II officers

IMPHAL, October 23: The High Court of Manipur has today quashed a “Review DPC” conducted on July 1, 2013 of an earlier DPC conducted on January 12, 2007 for promotion

IMPHAL, October 23: The High Court of Manipur has today quashed a “Review DPC” conducted on July 1, 2013 of an earlier DPC conducted on January 12, 2007 for promotion of MPS Grade II officers of the Manipur Police department.

The judgement of the case no WP (c) No 816 of 2013 was passed by a single bench of Justice Kh Nobin Singh.

The joint petitioners of the case are Lourembam Deban Singh of Khuyathong Polem Leikai and Thongom Ramgopal Singh of Chingamakha Yengkhom Leikai.

The respondents in the case are The State of Manipur represented by the Chief Secretary, commissioner/ secretary (Home), Director General of Police and Manipur Public Service Commission represented by secretary, MPSC and 38 police officers.

The final hearing of the court was conducted on October 8 and the judgement passed today.

The judgement said “… the proceeding of the review DPC in its meeting held on July 1 and the government order dated October 18, 2013 are quashed and set aside with the following directions.”

The court’s direction said the official respondents and in particular, the respondent MPSC shall convene/ hold a Review DPC to consider the cases of all eligible candidates who were within the zone of consideration as on January 12, 2007 for appointment on promotion to the post of ‘MPS Grade-II in accordance with the Manipur Police Service Rules, 1965 and submit its recommendation within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment and order.

It also directed all incumbents as on date including the petitioners, private and proforma respondents shall be allowed to continue in service in their respective positions till the recommendation being submitted by a Review DPC and appointment orders being issued by the State Government based on its recommendation.

It also said while considering the ACRs of the eligible candidates as one of the factors of determining merit, the overall grading of ACRs as per the Assessment Chart prepared by the Deputy Registrar (Judicial) which has remained undisputed/uncontroverted by any one and has attained finality, “shall be the only basis so far as the petitioners and the respondents who were parties before the High Court in W.P. (C) No. 265 of 2007, are concerned and in other words, it is made clear that no down-gradation or up-gradation of ACRs is permissible in respect of these persons.

The order further said in so far as the respondent Nos. 6, 7 & 8 and others who were not parties before the High Court in W.P. (C) No. 265 of 2007 are concerned, the overall grading of their ACRs shall be made strictly on the basis of their original ACRs recorded by the competent authorities, as were available with the State respondents as on January 12, 2007, under the provisions of OM dated April 29, 1999 as interpreted/held by the Division Bench of this Court on June 2, 2015 in W.A. No. 39 of 2010 and in other words, it is made clear that no down-gradation or up-gradation of their ACRs is permissible except in accordance with what has been held by the Division Bench of this court in the said writ appeal and that there shall be no order as to costs.

In their petition, the two petitioners had said as many as 41 vacant posts of MPS Grade II were available for appointment on promotion from amongst the eligible Inspectors of police, out of which two vacancies occurred in the year 2005-06 and 39 vacancies in the year 2006-07.

They said that a DPC was convened on January 12, 2007 for consideration of the eligible Inspectors of Police for appointment on promotion to the post of MPS Grade II.

Although there were 41 vacant posts of MPS Grade II, only 40 Inspectors of Police/ Subedars/ Subedar majors were promoted by the DPC, according to their petition.

It also said that challenging the DPC, the petitioners and another person filed a writ petition being WP (c) No 265 of 2007 praying for quashing the said recommendation of the DPC.

The petition was filed citing downgrading of ACRs of candidates during the DPC.

On March 12, 2010, the then Gauhati High Court Imphal Bench in its ruling on the case directed the respondents of the case to review DPC of the DPC within three months.

The petitioners had also filed another petition against the review DPC conducted on July 1, 2013 stating that not only the ACRs were altered but there were also several irregularities in the conduct of the Review DPC.

Lonesome Crusade

Fifteen years ago, before that fateful afternoon of November 2, 2000, on which the Assam Rifles gunned down 10 innocent bystanders at a bus stop at Malom in an Imphal

Fifteen years ago, before that fateful afternoon of November 2, 2000, on which the Assam Rifles gunned down 10 innocent bystanders at a bus stop at Malom in an Imphal suburb, after a failed attempt by militants some distance away to trigger a wired remote-controlled bomb as a convoy of the troops passed by, practically nobody outside of her immediate family and friend circle would have known Irom Sharmila. The troops also went on a rampage in the nearby village for days without end, leading the young woman, then only 28, to her desperate and heroic path of fasting indefinitely to demand the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, AFSPA 1958, which not only gives sweeping powers to security forces in areas officially declared as “disturbed areas”. After a decade and half, she still has not eaten and is kept alive through nose feeding in custody at a special jail ward of the Government’s Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, Porompat. Because of the cause she has taken up, combined with the iron determination that had kept her going for all along, at this very moment she undoubtedly is one of the most wellknown person worldwide from Manipur, if not the best known. One way of making a rough estimate as to how much her name has come to be in circulation is to google search her name, and you will discover there are 233 web pages dedicated to her and her cause, some of them in non-English foreign languages, accumulated in all of the fifteen years of her astounding protest, during which media from outside the state, politicians, social workers and human rights activists have been routinely paying her visits and showing solidarity to her heroic fight. Practically every news organization has done a story on her, from the BBC to provincial newspapers in Bangladesh, vague and little heard of in this part of the world.

It is simply extraordinary how an ordinary mufossil girl, with little or no background in social activism, could have transformed overnight so completely. But then, extraordinary events always throw up extraordinary people with extraordinary commitment. It has also been a pattern through history anywhere in the world that these extraordinary people often are very ordinary people from very ordinary backgrounds. For 15 long years Sharmila battled it alone single-mindedly, braving criticism and taunts initially but persuasions, probably intimidations, temptations of bribes and co-option too as the years rolled by. She had no time or interest in any of them. The only thing she wanted was to have what she steadfastly believed was the cause behind such horrors as she witnessed in her home locality 15 year ago, removed – the controversial AFSPA. She did not get the kind of publicity she is getting now when she started out on her long odyssey, but she did not care either. To somebody voluntarily dating death by hunger for 15 years, publicity and glamour cannot possibly mean much. So, alone in her special forlorn prison cell at the JN Hospital, she kept on running her lonely marathon without ever the thought of looking back.

The energy that has been driving Sharmila can best be described as an irresistible force, but the tragedy seems to be, this spirit, indomitable as it may be, may be running against an immovable object. Even committee set up by the Union government to assess the AFSPA after another explosive situation following the rape and murder of another girl, Manorama Devi, in 2004 by troops, had recommended the abolishing of the draconian Act and to toughen a non-military Act – the Prevention of Unlawful Activities Act – to tackle armed insurrection in the northeast and Kashmir less militaristically but this was left in the cold storage of the Union government to deep-freeze and be forgotten. It is anybody’s guess that the recommendation has been rejected. Obviously, there are hawks amongst policy mandarins in New Delhi who still do not see beyond a military solution to the Northeast situation. The troubling thought is, it is also quite obvious there are many within the state who too sometimes are left to doubt by the lawlessness all around, if there is at all any other real way out. Easier said than done, but there is a way out. Let everybody give peace a chance. That would be a rich harvest for all of us in the Northeast, and a definite way to save the brave lady, Irom Sharmila. It would then be much easier and more convincing to campaign for the total abolition of the draconian AFSPA once peace prevails.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/10/lonesome-crusade/