Manipur News

IMPHAL, May 23 NNN: Thadou Students Association-General Headquarters (TSA-GHQ) has formally become the unit of All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM). Three of the TSA-GHQ ‘officials’ have also been inducted to the ATSUM fold today where an oath-taking ceremony was organised at ATSUM office.
L. Mung Khongsai has become the finance secretary of ATSUM, Paominlien Lhouvum is the new assistant general secretary and Nengkholal Haokip is the new assembly affairs secretary of ATSUM.
Meanwhile, Zeliangrong Students Union, Manipur (ZSUM) and Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) has decided to endorse the agitation of All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) to be begun from June 3 on ‘tribal issues’.
TKS has said that the issues taken up by the ATSUM are genuine and the agitation ought to be supported by all the civil society organisations including from the valley districts while ZSUM stated that its volunteers will be fully prepared to take up the agitation in its jurisdiction. TKS then said the move of ATSUM is ‘timely’.
Meanwhile, the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong has said today that banned drugs seized by the police should be destroyed before the civil organisations. “For over a month now that the police in Ukhrul had seized the bannned drugs but the custody of the drugs is not revealed,” said the TKS.
The TKS then expressed its anguish over the Naga River Colony episode where several houses were dismantled by the state government for the construction of a 5-star hotel. The TKS terms it as inhuman and brute action of the state government saying, “Enough time was not given for the people to vacate their belongings.”

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/tsa-joins-atsum/

Imphal May 23: The BJP National President, Schedule Tribes Morcha, nominated Prof. Gangmumei Kamei (Former-Minister) who is also Chairman of the State Policy Working Group of the BJP, Manipur Pradesh as National Vice President of the Schedule Tribes Morcha, BJP. In this regards, BJP, Manipur Pradesh welcome and express happiness to the decision of the National leaders and hope his induction in the said post may help to improve the Schedule tribes’ communities in the North East States especially in the state of Manipur said BJP Manipur Pradesh general secretary AsniKumar.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/gangmumei-kamei-appointed-vp-of-st-morcha/

IMPHAL, May 23 NNN : Gudui-Ngai festival of the Zeliangrong community was celebrated today in many Zeliangrong villages in Manipir valley.
It is an important ritual festival of the Zeliangrong people of North East India.
Gudui means the soup of ginger.
It is also known as Maleng-Ngai. It is a festival of worship of the supreme God for abundant harvest and particularly celebrated by the Rongmei / Kabui Community. It is usually celebrated in the month of April-May for one day only. In this festival, they drink ginger soup ritually. The festival is being celebrated today in every Zeliangrong village in Manipur valley and elsewhere.
In the early morning of the festival, every household performs a ritual called Malengmei. In this ritual, rice-beer and Gutam (crush ginger) are offered to the Supreme God and Majapui, Goddess of paddy with a sort of religious hymn. This is followed by Napkaomei ritual in which an offering a fowl is made to the Supreme God for granting plentiful harvest and toward off the insects and pets.
Ginger is considered to be the most important food and it is also used in various rites and rituals. Ginger soup mixed with chicken meat is served to every member of the family to nourish health and longevity which signifies the deliverance of life from hunger during scarcity or famine. In the evening, elderly men will sing katu, an agricultural ritual song by marching from one end of the village to the other end for plentiful harvest in the year. There is a sport program called Loijaimei meaning tug-of-war between boys and girls as a symbolic representation of competition between God and Goddess for possessing the paddy. Girls ritually win the game, for there would be plentiful of food grains in the village.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/ginger-soup-drinking-festival/

Imphal May 23 UNA : A 25 year youth openly came up to sell his kidney due to extreme poor in a hospital on Thursday here in Imphal.
The youth who came to sell his kidney was detained by the doctor of the government hospital before they inform to the concern police station has other story to tell how his family suffers in repaying the bank loan.
Raju (name changed) said he came to sell his kidney as he can’t see no longer the suffering of his father in repaying the bank loan, which the bank issue an order to cease their house and their jhum field as they are going to be homeless.
According to the youth that her mother expired when they are very young, since that time his father alone took care of them without any proper job.
In trying to give them a good education his father took a loan from a bank by mortgaging the land patta (ownership document) added the youth who was released after a serious of consult given by the expert.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/youth-wants-to-sell-kidney/

IMPHAL, May 23: Two bomb experts of the banned Revolutionary People’s Front/People’s Liberation Army (RPF/PLA) were arrested along with huge cache of arms and ammunitions by a combined security team in Manipur’s Thoubal district last night.
Nongmaithem Naocha Singh aged 27 of Inganglok Tera Makhong, Heirok Part-II and Laishram Kiran Meitei aged 22 of Heirok Part-III were nabbed by a combined team of Thoubal District Police commandos, 15 Assam Rifles and 116 Bn BSF during a search operation conducted under the supervision of Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Yairikpok Police in Inganglok Makhong in Heirok Part-III around 8:55 pm, a release from the district Superintendent of Police said Thursday.
One 9 mm pistol with three rounds loaded in magazine, four cakes of explosive materials suspected to be PEK, one remote control device marked TR, one Sanyo Alkaline Battery of 6LF22/9V, tow module boosters concealed with red and black tape, four electronic detonators, one white transparent plastic jar and one motorcycle bike with registration number MN04-0036 were recovered from the possession of Naocha, the release added.
Naocha disclosed that he joined the outlawed organization in last part of April 2013 along with his associate named Laishram Kiran Meitei of Heirok Part-II. After joining the outfit, he along with his associate went to Tamu in Myanmar and received training in IED and explosive items in the early part of May 2013, the release further added.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/two-pla-cadres-held/

IMPHAL, May 23 NNN: Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam inaugurated the first ever Eklavya Model Residential School in the state on Thursday at Gamnom, Sapermeina in Senapati district.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony organized by Department of Tribal Affairs and Hills, Gaikhangam said Manipur Government has plans for setting up of Eklavya Model Residential School in every district of the state adding the one opened today is the first of its kind in the state.
“If this school functions satisfactorily, another two schools now under construction at Chandel district’s Moreh and Tamenglong district will be finished soon after completing and sending the DPRs to the Central Government,” Gaikhangam said.
Gaikhangam, who also holds the Home portfolio, inaugurated the school along with its hostels for boys and girls. The Eklavya Model Residential School was constructed by the Department of Tribal Affairs and Hillls under the sponsorship of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.
He said, “Both the state and Central Governments are making efforts to provide good education to the poor tribal of the state to make them good citizens of the country.”
Admitting that the Government is unable to implement various schemes, policies and programmes due to lack of cooperation from the people, the Deputy Chief Minister said it has become very difficult to start various schemes in several places of the state owing to land disputes.
State IFCD minister Ngamthang Haokip also spoke at the occasion. Commerce and Industries minister Govindas Konthoujjam, RD & PR minister Francis Ngajokpa, MTDC chairman Manga Vaiphei, TA & Hills Parliamentary Secretary Victor Keishing and Kangpokpi constituency MLA Nemcha Kipgen were also present at the event.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/gaikhangam-inaugurates-first-eklavya-school/