Manipur News

Mail News Service
Imphal, Feb 14: Lui Ngai Ni will be celebrated tomorrow. Governor Gurbhachan Jagat said in a message, “I extend my heartiest greetings to the people of Manipur, especially to our Naga brethren, on the happy and auspicious occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni, 2012.Lui-Ngai-Ni, in which the blessings of the Almighty God are sought for a bountiful and bumper harvest for the well being of mankind, is thecommon festival of the Nagas. Since it is also a Tourist Festival it occupies a unique position not only among the Nagas but also amongother communities of the North-East and the country. It also appeals for peace, harmony and humanism. The common objective of all religious and social systems is to ensure peace and achieve progress in the society. I am confident that the festival will be celebrated in its true spirit
and the sense of oneness gets strengthened as well as the bonds of brotherhood and friendship get ensured in celebrating the festival.
Let all of us join our Naga brethren in the celebration of the festival and also pray for peace and prosperity for the State of Manipur.Chief Minister, O Ibobi said in a message, “I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to the people of Manipur especially our Naga brethren on the occasion of Lui-Ngai-Ni festival, 2012.
Lui-Ngai-Ni is the seed sowing festival and the main festival of the Nagas. I hope that the festival will strengthen the bond of friendship and oneness among our people. May this seed sowing festival be celebrated in its true spirit and promote love, peace and unity amongst us and bring happiness and prosperity to all sections of people in the state. I convey my greetings to the people of Manipur and wish the celebration of Lui-Ngai-Ni festival a great success.The RPF also greeted the people on the occasion.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/lui-ngai-ni-to-be-celebrated-today/

Imphal, Feb 14: NNN The People Democratic Front (PDF) today welcomed ‘any political party’ to join in the event of the front forming the next government in Manipur whose polls held recently.
“We do not mind any party tying up with the PDF as the four-political party alliance may not obtain absolute majority though it would become the single largest alliance to win in the recent Manipur polls, Manipur Pradesh NCP president and Opposition leader Radhabinod Koijam said in a press conference at the party’s office in Thangmeiband here. He added, the election commission and the State Chief Election Officer (CEO) have been urged by NCP that further re-poll was not necessary where photographs of voters were not corresponding to another in the process of comparisons, but instead he demanded those votes should be invalidated.
The NCP president added, expenditure of candidates should also be reviewed in case re-poll is needed in the rigged-booths.
Radhabinod added, thousands of photos were found mismatched in respect of Saikul constituency and the more surprising was that photograph of a candidate from the constituency was turned out to be a photograph of a Nepalese.
The Opposition leader added, around 2500 electors were subjected to proxy voting in Wabagai constituency of Thoubal district under which 13 polling stations were rigged by mismanaging photographs.
Meanwhile, BJP Manipur Pradesh acting president professor S. Tiken told the media here that the recent crucial Manipur polls were not conducted in a free and fair manner, saying mass proxy voting was committed during the polling due to “inadequate security arrangements.”
Tiken added, the finding of the two days of photo comparisons has come up with a lot of proxy voters and the decision of the ECI is awaited by the people and said rigged-votes should be invalidated and that they should not be included in the counting of votes slated for March 6.
“BJP Central leaders, including some leaders from Manipur recently met with the Chief Election Commissioner of India and submitted a letter to him regarding illegal voting in the State,” Tiken informed.
It has become certain that there are a number of malpractices such as proxy voting, impersonation, mass rigging, booth capturing, etc. were committed during the January 28 polls based on the result found out by the Central observers in crossed checking of voters’ photo captured on the poll day with that of electoral roll, the BJP stated in the letter.
It also requested the Chief Election Commissioner to look into the matter and issue an order to take up the counting of vote on the basis of genuineness of the votes found in the crossed-checking and declare the other rigged-votes as invalid.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/pdf-looking-for-more-allies/

Imphal, Feb 14 NNN: The protests demanding the unconditional release of jailed NSCN-IM leader Anthony Shimray from Tihar jail were carried out in Ukhrul and Chandel today.
More protest programmes have been lined up demanding the release of the NSCN leader.
Meanwhile, the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) and Naga Women Union under the aegis of ‘Campaign for the unconditional release of Anthony‘ affirmed today that they will continue to protest as long as Anthony Shimray is not released from Tihar Jail.
Anthony Ningkhan Shimray is the head of ‘foreign affairs’, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM), reportedly a key person in the Indo-Naga peace talk.
“Anthony Ningkhan Shimray had participated in the peace talks as part of the negotiating team at least seven times in the past, including meetings in India and it is unacceptable that despite all these he was arrested while on his way to attend another round of peace talk at New Delhi,” said Dr Gina Sangkham and Aram Pamei who are respectively secretary general of NPMHR and president of Naga Women Union.
The two Naga leaders said they have been carrying out various forms of demonstration protesting his abduction and subsequent imprisonment as they believe that isolating him from the peace process is a pressure tactic of the Government of India to derail the peace talks.
“We ask the Government of India under such an atmosphere of suspicion and veiled penal threats how can we expect a solution to the Naga issue which would be mutually acceptable, honourable and long lasting?” the NPMHR and Naga Women Union questioned.
They reaffirmed their support for Anthony Ningkhan Shimray and said they will continue to protest till he is unconditionally released. A sit in protest organized by Tangkhul women Assn. was held at Gandhi Chowk Phuleithang, Ukhrul today.
The protesters are demanding safe release of NSCN (I/M) foreign secy, Anthoni Ningkhal Simray. The NSCN (I/M) leader was arrested from Bangkok in the year 2010 and since then his whereabouts are not known.The people of the area took part in the sit in protest.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/release-of-anthony-demanded/