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Getting to know about Breast Cancer

By Dr Khushboo Shah Sawant Cancer, as we talked about last week is something that brings fear in the minds of people. It is not only a physical ailment but

By Dr Khushboo Shah Sawant

Cancer, as we talked about last week is something that brings fear in the minds of people. It is not only a physical ailment but also affects the person emotionally as well as financially. All in all, it is a condition which affects a person but where everyone surrounding the person affected, also suffer invariably. The last time we discussed the various forms of tumours as well as the details about cancer, its complications and prognosis. This time, we will take one of the most common forms of cancer seen all over the world and discuss some details which all women must be aware of.

So we start with the basics here of what is breast cancer. Breast cancer is a condition which develops because of uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the breast tissue. The growth of these abnormal cells most commonly form a tumour in the breast, which often can be felt like a lump therin. There are various variants of cancer in the breast, however the most common form is the cancer which is formed in the milk secreting ducts is known as ‘ductal carcinoma’

Having said that, we now move on to the next question: what causes breast cancer? The answer to this is still ambiguous, since the exact reason that causes breast cancer in women is still not known. However, it has been seen that the most likely cause may be a combination of a genetic predisposition and age, along with environmental factors. This means that if there is an existence of breast cancer in the family genetic makeup like an immediate blood relative having suffered from it, the chances of the person to get affected increases many fold as well as exposure to cancer causing agents then the chances of suffering from breast cancer has been noted to increase. However, many health experts say that this may not be a confirmed point as there are various incidents noted where women with positive risk factors never suffer from breast cancer while others with no such history may succumb to it.

There have been some risk factors which are seen to be more commonly noted among people suffering from this kind of cancer. The first one being gender as women are known to be more commonly affected by breast cancer, while though rare, it has been seen in men. Next is age, as with increasing age, the chances of breast cancer are seen to increase. After this comes family history, if there have been immediate blood relatives in the family who have suffered from breast cancer the chances of the person increase, for eg. If the mother or sister have suffered from breast cancer, the person stands at a 50% higher chance as compared to any other person who has no such history. Personal history also is important, if a person has already suffered from any other forms of cancer, her chances also increase. Obesity is another risk. Overweight or obese people stand a greater risk as compared to healthier people. Also Alcohol consumption in excess has been noted as another risk factor. Medication : certain medications containing synthetic forms of estrogen are also said to be cancer causing agents when taken without correct medical supervision. Age at menstruation, menopause and childbirth may also play a role in the causing of cancer.

Moving on to our most obvious next question: how can breast cancer be detected? Breast cancer often progresses without any apparent symptom and may show symptoms only after it has progressed to a great extent. However, one of the most common and easy steps in detecting breast cancer is self examination. Some commonly seen symptoms of breast cancer are a lump formation or thickening in the breast tissue, any abnormal discharge from the breast through the nipples, changes in the shape or size of the nipple or inward turning of the nipple, any changes in the shape and size of the breast, scaling of the skin of the breast etc. It is of vital importance to do a self examination on regular basis, to check for any changes in the breast or around the breast. Apart from doing a self examination, there is a procedure called as ‘mammography’ which is the examination of breast that checks for any form of abnormal growth in the breasts.

Today with the advances in science and technology, there are various treatment options available for breast cancer. The key is timely detection of the cancer. Treatment options may be invasive or conservative in nature, like radiation, hormonal therapy, partial or complete breast removal etc. With improved cosmetic surgery, even reconstruction of the removed breast is possible. While often cancer is an inevitable condition we can on our part can do our bit to try and stay healthy. This can be done by maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and staying active, keeping consumption of alcohol to a bare minimum, eating healthy food etc. It is also important to be well aware of one’s family health history as it plays a vital role.

The causing of cancer may not be in our hands but regular checkups and leading a healthy lifestyle is something we can do as our bit, to keep cancer at bay.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/08/getting-to-know-about-breast-cancer/

Boundary And Other Tensions

By B.G. Verghese The Northeast has been in the news for all the wrong reasons: continuing assaults on the person and dignity of persons from that region in Delhi and

By B.G. Verghese

The Northeast has been in the news for all the wrong reasons: continuing assaults on the person and dignity of persons from that region in Delhi and elsewhere, which is an absolute national disgrace, continuing controversy over AFSPA, and killings along the disputed Assam-Nagaland border.

The Bezboruah Committee has reported on the first issue. But over and above its recommendations, there must be swift and condign punishment of those indulging and encouraging hooliganism.Also, it is necessary to propagate nationally, and especially in universities, booklets and film clips on the Northeast to educate local barbarians about their own country and countrymen in place of the totally useless official “Northeast Newsletter” produced today.

IromSharmila’s release from detention after being forced-fed through 14 years of hunger strike in protest against the imposition AFSPAwas short lived as she insisted on continuing her fast.A hunger strike is a weapon of blackmail. Recalling Gandhiji’s fasts under alien rule is wilfully mistaken. Moreover, a fast unto death is tantamount to suicide, a penal offence. If Irom were to perish fasting, the situation could spin out of control and the Government would be flayed by its current critics.

There are legal and constitutional means to battle what one considers unjust laws. The Jeevan Reddy Committee recommended a workable compromise a decade back. This was to remove redundant provisions from AFSPA and incorporate some others in existing laws. AFSPA causes psychological hurt.

Further, since AFSPA can only be invoked in areas declared “disturbed”, public pressure can be applied on the concerned authorities to revoke “disturbed area” proclamations. There has been wrongful use of AFSPA. These cases have invoked speedy investigation and punishment in many cases. But to lift AFSPA totally in areas subject to militancy, cross border mischief and terror may be unwise. Militancy often occurs in remote uninhabited areas where city-based magistrates are not at hand to issue necessary warrants of search, seizure and firing. Hence investiture of such powers in the armed forces is necessary. Ground gained at great cost over time can be lost in an hour.

It might be desirable for the DA Act and AFSPA to be withdrawn in phases in limited areas. But let the armed forces decide on the scope and tempo of such initiatives in collaboration with the local government, whether in the NE or in J&K.

The Assam-Nagaland border dispute has been allowed to drag on for too long. Similar disputes exist between Assam and the new states of Arunachal, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland carved out of it. This stems from the discrepancy between the so-called administrative “Inner Line”, initially drawn in Assam a century ago to safeguard the settled areas with their tea gardens, oil fields and coal mines,and subsequent revenue lines delineated by the Raj to mark out additional forest working areas as valuable sources of raw material and revenue. So when Assam was reorganised, the question arose as to which Line should be the border. Sadly, inter-state disputes have reduced these areas to no-man’s landsand havens for illegal activities.

Central policy has been muddled. In the Assam-Nagaland case, the Sundaram commission recommended a joint survey. Nagaland unreasonably refused and there the matter has rested with periodic conflict. The answer, as this writer has long recommended, is that these disputed border strips be declared Trusteeship Zones, with the two contending states and the Centre as partners for, say, 50 years, and placed under a Centrally-directed joint administration to be developed as rail and road heads, infrastructure, communication and training hubs and special economic zones that attract industry and investment, using cheap NE hydro- power. Higher and technical education and health facilities could be located here. Revenues could be shared. But who islistening?

The same lack of imagination drives the fatuous debate on ways to attract back Kashmiri Panditsto the Valley from where they were driven out under jihadi pressure 25 years ago. Few remember that 50,000 and more Kashmiri Muslims also fled the state – traders to end routine extortion and worse, youth for education and training, and girls to escape forced marriage to jihadi brutes.

The Pandits lost their jobs and homes. If they return they will have to make a new beginning. Where? How? Building new ghettoes is no answer. With the Katra-Bannihal- Qazigund railway likely to be operational within two years, and maybe the planned lower-altitude, all-weather Bannihal tunnel as well, trans-PirPanjal movement will become shorter, quicker and cheaper. With Srinagar becoming an active international airport and an additional 1000 MW of hydro-power coming on stream during this same period, a Baramulla-Srinagar-Qazigund-Bannihal-Katra-Jammu industrial-transport corridor, with a fibre optic transmission line and technical training facilities to boot, could come into being. One can conceive of a series of SEZ hubs along this corridor, specialising in agro-processing, herbal-based pharma, floriculture and IT-enabled services.

J&K residents, whether Pandit, emigrant Muslim or other, would gladly seize the rich opportunities that beckon. And non-State subjects should be welcome if they bring investment together with technical, managerial and marketing skills. Pettifogging arguments by littlebigots crying wolf about “outsider” land grab and demographic change must be slapped down for the nonsense they are. Nor can J&K be condemned to be governed by the idiocy of people who ask why the State shouldnot have a Hindu chief minister or by the diktats of Pakistan’s Hurriyatstooges. Umar Farooq dare not even own up to who assassinated his father in 1990 and joins in celebratingthe late Mir Waiz’s “martyrdom” by his assassins.

Sadly, a section of Pandits have allowed themselves to become pawns in the hands of the Hindu Right which is as fanatical as the separatists. Pilgrimages are planned and opposed as insidious efforts to divide and mobilise communities and disturb communal harmony.

The proposed Indo-Pakistan talks are off thanks to the Pakistani High Commissioner’s boorish insistence in meeting Hurriyat leaders on the eve of the Foreign Secretary level talks, despite being warned against doing so. To argue that Pakistani VIPs have consistently met the Hurriyat over many years does not constitute an extra-territorial right. The parallel would not be Indian dignitaries meeting with Baloch and Sindhi separatists on the eve of talks on J&K with Pakistan, but of defiantly meeting PAK and Gilgit-Baltistan opposition leaders such as Amanullah Khan of the JK Liberation Front and others in Islamabad if they have not been incarcerated or forced to seek refuge in distant shores. These critics have no place in Pakistan’s tightly-controlled Kashmir colonies ruled by the constitutional ideology of swearing by “the ideology of accession to Pakistan”.

Anyhow, Nawaz Sharif is currently embattled in Islamabad with Imran Khan and TahirulQadri, a cleric from Canada, seeking to topple him. This has enabled the Army more obviously to assume control over a weakened premier whose efforts to expand trade with India and try Musharraf for treason are not to the liking of the military as evidenced by spoiling fire across the LOC.

Meanwhile, at home, the BJPin particular continues to debase democratic standards and push for a “Hindu nation”. Mr Modi is in danger of becoming India’s Nawaz Sharif, playing second fiddle to the RSS “army”.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/08/boundary-and-other-tensions/

Warrior State, Pakistan

By B.G. Verghese While India has been invaded from the Northwest, the Northeast and from the coast, it is the Northwest passage that has historically been the main strategic gateway

By B.G. Verghese

While India has been invaded from the Northwest, the Northeast and from the coast, it is the Northwest passage that has historically been the main strategic gateway through which conquerors and caravans have entered. Alexander was an early visitor. It is perhaps easy to see why this should have been so. India was long a source of pepper, spices and fine calicoes for Greek, Roman and Arab traders and regarded as a fabled land of wealth and wisdom lying athwart both the Silk and Spice routes. Hsuen Tsang, Marco Polo, Ibn Batuta and other travellers wrote of its wonders. To those living in the arid or cold deserts of West and Central Asia , the well watered plains of India seemed most inviting.

While the British conquered India from the sea and fought off the Portuguese, Dutch and French for supremacy, it was Russian penetration from the Northwest that it most feared. The Great Game was played out along the wild, tribal marches of the Northwest Frontier and the High Karakoram. The nature of the Great Game changed after the Second World War, when containing communism became the prime Western agenda.

As the Second World War wound down, Britain wondered how it might dispose of India should irrevocable differences between the Muslim League and Congress force Partition. The British “breakdown plan” favoured creation of two Muslim-dominated Anglo-US allies in the north-west and north-east of the sub-continent to halt march of communism. Both would have preferred to partner the larger and more resourceful India; but Nehru’s non-alignment and seeming Soviet-Chinese tilt was suspect. Pakistan, staunchly Islamic and in need of support against what it saw as a larger, permanent and ideological Indian enemy, readily fit the bill. It was also strategically placed, especially as guardian of the passes to Afghanistan and beyond.

No surprise then that Pakistan soon became a staunch ally, a “frontline state”, a strategic partner and a base of operations for the West in containing communism and controlling the emerging oil wealth of Iran and the Arab lands beyond. Ideology, rooted in faith and geography, endowed Pakistan with a strategic value on which its leaders traded. T.V Paul, (“The Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World”, Random House,) sums up this geo-political asset as a “strategic curse”. A feudal, emigre-led people divorced from its historical, geographical and cultural roots to embrace a wholly negative non-Indian, non-Hindu identity, became a rentier state, trading its strategic utility for military and economic assistance.

Jinnah’s very first address to the new Pakistan constituent assembly totally repudiated the two-nation theory as false and untenable. But the twist in the tale is that it was Jinnah who was repudiated by his people and died embracing the two-nation ideological curse.

Pakistan, an “Islamic State”, was born to defend Islam and the “ideological frontiers of Islam” . But it is even today unable to define the true Muslim: not Ahmediyas (banned), Shias, Sufis, Aga Khanis, Nurbakshis; not even Sunni Barelivis but Wahabis, Deobandis, jihadis, the Taliban and such medieval fanatics whose goal is to establish a new Caliphate. The defence of Islam and its borders and integrity against a malign India, the permanent enemy, has reduced Pakistan to a garrison state where a military-mullah nexus has assumed control. The Army, aided by the Inter-Service Intelligence or ISI, together constitute a state within a state with vast, agrarian, corporate, financial, administrative, diplomatic and security tentacles.

Between 1960 and 2012, Pakistan received some $ 73 bn in economic and military assistance , $30 bn of this from the US alone. An over-militarised, garrison state, can find itself developmentally debilitated. In a population fast approaching 200 million, there are only 2.5 mn registered taxpayers. Defence appropriates the largest slice of the budget, with unaccounted amounts going into developing and augmenting nuclear arms, including tactical weapons.

Paul notes that the peoples’ critical faculties have been dulled by tendentious and poisonous textbooks and ideologically-oriented madrassas whose products preach from pulpits. Jinnah, Bhutto and Zia led Pakistan down the slippery slope of Islamisation and militarisation , unabashedly aided by the United States that has been totally unmindful of the tremendous collateral damage to world peace and stability caused by its devious policies and the War on Terror. Paul estimates that around 35,000 jihadis from 45 countries trained in Pakistan to unleash mayhem prior to 9/11. It is today a country at war with itself, and a menace to others.

Paul’s conclusion: Pakistan’s transformation will only take place if both its strategic circumstances and the ideas and assumptions that the leading elite hold change fundamentally.

Paul’s is only one of a whole series of refreshingly critical books on Pakistan being published by domestic and foreign authors about what they describe but do not quite name as a failed state. “The Pakistan Military in Politics: Origins, Evolution. Consequences” by Ishtiaq Ahmed (Amaryllis) is an example. Few are sparing of Jinnah who spoke of Pakistan as a Sharia State as far back as in November 1945.

Ahmed dispels the myth that Mountbatten conspired with Radcliffe to gift India some Muslim majority tehsils of Gurdaspur to justify its award to India. In fact, he notes, this was part of the Wavell breakdown plan so as to ensure that Amritsar, at least, though not Nankana Sahib, both Sikh holy places, remained with India. He equally astutely describes sharing Indus Waters as a geo-political issue linked to Kashmir. Like others, he cites Maj. Gen. Akbar Khan and Air Chief Marshal Nur Khan respectively for affirming that the 1947 and 1965 invasions of J&K were staged by Pakistan. He too cites Prof. K.K. Aziz’s “Murder of History” and then quotes Brig. S.K. Malik on “The Quranic Concept of War”, with an approving preface by Zia-ul Haq. According to Malik, “The Quranic military strategy thus enjoins us to prepare ourselves for war to the utmost in order to strike terror into the hearts of enemies …, (This) is not only a means, it is an end in itself… It is the point where the means and the end meet and merge….. “. This is chilling. No surprise then that terrorist cells have penetrated Pakistan’s military and carried out attacks on its GHQ, the Mehran naval base and similar targets.

Finally, the fairy tale spun by Islamabad about Osama bin Laden’s long and comfortable sojourn in Pakistan over many years, latterly, in the garrison town of Abbottabad, from where he was finally taken out by US Naval Seals in 2011. This showed up the Pakistani establishment as a bunch of complete fools or liars, probably both. The New York Times reporter, Carlotta Gall, comes closest to confirming that the US had information that the ISI knew the whereabouts of bin Laden. (“The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-14″. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

The official story is far too naive to believe. In blaming everybody, the Commission of Inquiry, in blaming everybody, blamed nobody. The truth has once more been quietly buried. Pakistan remains steadfastly in denial. It has once again gloriously lied to itself. Its real enemy is truly within. Truth hurts. But it is the ultimate balm.

www.bverghese. com

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/warrior-state-pakistan/

Rape – No/No

By M.C. Linthoingambee Sometimes a person does not know what or where they are putting themselves at. Mistakes do happen and such turn of events leads to a greater shock

By M.C. Linthoingambee

Sometimes a person does not know what or where they are putting themselves at. Mistakes do happen and such turn of events leads to a greater shock of incapacity to make decisions. And look at where it got us. Time has put us in a much happier place than those inevitable times of the two world wars that had bought untold suffering to mankind as posted in the UN Charter. We have been hurt before and we are recovering today. Everything stands in record of the hinted discovery of the past, perhaps in the hope that history shall not repeat itself at least not on such terms and manners. But new time calls for different measures and different fears. Rape is still one the dirtiest assault that has bought untold miseries on its victims which existed before and now. Sometimes rape happens to a person passing a dimly lit street, sometimes rape happens to prisoners of wars, sometimes rape happens to a person kidnapped for ransoms and these are just a few of the many deleted assault on our dignities.

Recently we even came across several categories of gang-rapes becoming a common crime daily with the national news covering a huge turn of these events. It is true that the Delhi Gang Rape case has turned the table and bought a huge recovery measure in implementing effective and legal sound ways of dealing with person that are responsible for such cases. More courts now hears more complaints from rape victims, more courts register cases for speedy trials, more police station are better equipped with manpower and ways to launch an FIR. Or so did we assume this too? A greater part of India is steeped in the fold of illiteracy where people still believes and roots for child marriage or in not allowing a girl child to be involved in matters of achieving a high academic career. Most of us live in the old world.

The statistics have also turned from the conviction rate of rape victims from a 26. 6 percent in 2010 and went down to merely a 24 percent in 2012. While other cases of molestation and eve teasing have classic records of volatile references in every year, the data source from the National Crime Records Bureau also tells otherwise of violence against women and the legal rights of its victims. The CJI has narrated the tale of the dropping conviction rates of rape offenders and their conviction into being scared in approaching the police stations and in people not knowing of the regulations of such crimes. The perimeter check now quickly rest on the growing force of the youths, those are greatly affirmed with the sufficiency of legal awareness of other persons who does not possess a law degree but trained to make other individuals hear of what has been unheard. While on the other hand there are also other reasons for the conviction rates slowing down, where the authorities responsible for registering rape cases has thus relaxed themselves of the job by ignoring it as a common occurrence. When we are nothing but one individual making a voice, we are more prone to being easily breakable.

Rape is recorded to be the fourth commonly occurring criminal offence in India. Although the Indian Penal Code defines of rape, it still fails to include marital rape as a common criminal offence whereas there are many victims of domestic violence inclined to the atrocity of marital rape with the diminishing effect of rape for dowry. Are we to take note of the convictions or the denials of convictions? Are there even places left to feel a little safer where even so called ‘godly men’ in the name of God rapes small children? We all know that these are not the examples we want to set for our children and their children thereafter. In the recent events of rape that have occurred in a small area in Uttar Pradesh, the resulting news coverage also showed clear clarification of a person’s denial in registering complaints of a missing sister or a missing child and many who have not returned home. This may be because there are many to guard and a few who stands guard. But mind it; these are not the ways we build our home. The measure of clarification needs a giant leap of climbing up the mountain piles of work files that still remains and dissolve them soon.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/06/rape-nono/

Walllowing in Delusion

By B.G.Verghese The Congress Party’s review of its massive electoral drubbing last week shows that it has learnt nothing despite the plain results of its follies,flawed leadership and outdated ideology.

By B.G.Verghese

The Congress Party’s review of its massive electoral drubbing last week shows that it has learnt nothing despite the plain results of its follies,flawed leadership and outdated ideology. India needs a party like the Congress with its century-old tradition of service in nation building but which has latterly come to assume that the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty constitutes the nation.

Sycophancy is ingrained in our politics and Ambedkar long back warned against the danger of “bhakti” which, he said, may be all right in the practise of religion but all wrong in the conduct of politics.Dev Kant Barooah arrogantly claimed in 1975 that “Indira is India and India is Indira”. This puerile notion has not been exorcised and seems to be playing out once again with a failed Rahul and a politically tired and stale Sonia assuming or being accorded a divine right to rule by a coterie that long back abandoned inner party democracy and, removed Fraternity as a founding pillar of the state, reducing the idea of secularism to an empty and divisive slogan for vote-bank politics in a feudal society.

The Congress, with its once hallowed leadership and ideals, is part of the nation’s political and social heritage and not a private club. It is no surprise that the charade played out in the post-poll Congress stocktaking has left party workers and supporters confused and angry. The swelling undercurrent of resentment is being increasingly reflected in statements by members calling for accountability, revamping of the leadership and a review of what the Congress stands for in a fast changing India within a fast changing world.

Nobody knows what Rahul Gandhi stands for since he has failed to articulate a single coherent idea on any subject of national importance in the past five years. Priyanka did better than he did at the hustings but can be no substitute for a democratically elected leader through the AICC, charged with a new mandate for the future. Falling back on lineage will not do. But that precisely is what seems to be planned with the AICC issuing invitations to a national seminar on “Renewing India’s commitment to Jawaharlal Nehru’s Vision”, marking the 50th anniversary of Nehru’s passing to be held on May 27.This is a routine invitation on onereckoning but equally a not-so-subtle bid to evoke a dated past and family nostalgia, with Sonia and Rahul playing leading roles.

Nehru was a great and greatly loved leader who served the nation well. But he was also responsible for some acts of crass folly. We are no longer living in Nehru’s world. What the AICC is seeking to address is not a scholarly assembly but apolitical jamboree. The discussion at its best will be on par with a debate on TodarMal’s land reforms and Asoka’s peace initiative. Interesting historically butotherwise irrelevant.

Meanwhile, the prospective PM has been keeping his cards close to his chest. Perhaps for that reasontoo much has been read of his assumed “master-stroke” in inviting the SAARC leaders and the PM of Mauritius to his swearing-in. This is a purely ceremonial function and is scarcely an occasion for serious talks when his cabinet has to be sworn in and hold its first consultations on policy formulation. A courtesy call and photo opportunity is all that might be possible over a banquet. With Mr Nawaz Sharif coming, a one-to-one courtesy summit has been organised for the 27th morning for 20-30 minutes with each of the visiting leaders. There will be no time and there has been no preparation for serious bilateral talks and so these can at best be breaking-the-ice meetings. A back-channel already exists with Pakistan and has been active. This will probably be directed to continue. Mr Nawaz Sharif will surely invite Mr Modi to visit Islamabad and the new PM will be left wondering how to respond differently from Dr Manmohan Singh after the series of recent cross-LOC attacks and the bombing of our embassy in Herat, events of a kind that were forecast to “test’ the new PM. Symbolism is useful but should not be driven by vanity.

It is necessary give the new administration time to settle down, review and formulate its security and diplomatic policies and then take such measured steps as it deems fit. Cabinet-making has not been easy, with competing claims to one or other of the four “major” portfolios. Many ruffled feathers may need to be soothed. However, it is good that the new PM is in favour of a smaller and more compact cabinet, and proposes to consolidate and rationalise Departments that were fragmented over the years just to accommodate more and more ministers, making for loss of coordination and coherence, avoidable delays and needless turf problems. It is appropriate that departmental secretaries are preparing briefs on nodal issues and action points so as to ensure emphasis on focused goals.

Mr Modi has done well to snub Vaiko and Jayalalithaa who objected to the invitation to the Sri Lankan President to visit Delhi for the swearing in. Such disruptive conduct must rightly be nipped in the bud. Foreign policy cannot be outsourced to the states as has happened hitherto. The Bangladeshi Speaker, representing Sheikh Hasina will surely ask if Mr Modi and hotheads in Assam are going to continue to dictate terms on a Teesta and land boundary accord?

There may be no formal Leader of the Opposition as none has obtained the necessary qualifying strength of a tenth of the membership of the House, or 54 members. However, this need not preclude floor coordinationso that that there is a vigorous and responsible opposition that will not resort to the tactics followed by the BJP and others in the last LokSabha of disrupting the working of the House day after day and for entre sessions.

The length and conduct of the recent polls, gaps in the matter of poll financing, lack of teeth in dealing with the growing menace of paid news, speedier processes for disqualification of those with criminal records, and reviewing the model code of conduct all call for early, collective attention. The electoral system has stood up well to enormous challenges but has to remain ahead of the game.

The regional parties will no doubt review their fortunes and alignments. The AamAdmi Party however appears to be on the path of self-destruction with an irresponsible and quixotic leader in ArvindKejriwal and some of his colleagues who wish to apply different standards to different parties and different occasions. Internal dissensions are growing and the aamjanata is fast tiring of a permanent circuswith far too many clowns. ShaizaImli and Dr Gopinath have quit.The AAP catalysed a certain national mood but is losing the plot.

www.bgverghese.com

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/05/walllowing-in-delusion/

Assam – Nagaland Interim Border Agreement should be scrapped

Assam-Nagaland Interim Border Agreement should be scrapped By Oken Jeet Sandham One of the most humiliating chapters in the history of Nagaland since Statehood would be, perhaps, its inability to

Assam-Nagaland Interim Border Agreement should be scrapped

By Oken Jeet Sandham

One of the most humiliating chapters in the history of Nagaland since Statehood would be, perhaps, its inability to conduct elections on its own soil at Ladaigrah under Longlen District, bordering Assam, due to Assam Police’s deliberate threat and refusal to vacate a Nagaland school building wherein the polling was supposed to take place.

Everyone including the media in Nagaland were stunned when they saw the news along with a picture showing the Assam Police blocking the road preventing Nagaland polling officials from proceeding toward Ladaigarh to conduct polls for the Ladaigarh Polling Station No. 1 under 49 Tamlu A/C. Later in the day, it was declared that the polling at Ladaigarh could not be conducted due to Assam Police’s blocking of road leading to Ladaigarh and thus it (polling) had been adjourned.

In the past also, the Assam police did the same thing. But the previous elections, somehow a makeshift polling station was arranged nearby and allowed the voters to exercise their franchise. But this time, the situation was altogether different that not only murdering the rights of the voters to exercise their franchise but also not allowing the Nagaland polling officials from proceeding towards their polling station at Ladaigarh. But the saddest part was the state government’s inability to make any arrangement for the voters to exercise their franchise. If the Assam police refused Nagaland polling officials from proceeding to Ladaigarh, the Nagaland government could have airlifted those polling officials to conduct the polls there. But they did not.

It is unfortunate that when the state of Nagaland was created in the early 60s, the drawing of the new state boundary was not properly carried out. And once the new state was carved out from the existing state, the boundary had to be drawn and the necessary border machineries should be put into place. These unresolved border issues have really taken quite a toll on the lives of people on both sides.

It is only understandable that such border skirmishes would take place from time to time but they should not be misinterpreted as threatening to the aged old relationship between the two neighboring people. The people of the two states should not, at any cost, allow this issue lingering.

Most of the incidents including the Ladaigrah episode that have been taking place in the Assam-Nagaland border areas were something to do with longstanding unresolved inter-state border issues. Many issues were to do with paddy fields, farmlands, forests, etc. as per the past records. There were allegations from Nagaland border side that some people from across the border descended on their ancestral paddy fields, farmlands and even forcibly grabbed their lands with the help of Assam armed police as well as neutral forces. On the other side, there were also allegations that the Nagas from across the border encroached Assam’s lands or killed wild animals. And sometimes, clashes took place on either side while stepping into either side. Sometimes, such issues became hot debates even during assembly sessions of both the states. Yet, they were also resolved through series of dialogues at various levels.

Regrettably, large numbers of non-locals have been systematically occupying the long stretch of Assam border over the years and their numbers keep increasing leaps and bounds. And the people of Assam have little knowledge of what these non-locals have been doing on the state’s border areas.

To ease the border problem between the two states, the Assam-Nagaland Interim Border Agreement as early as 1972 was made. This Agreement was meant to lessen border tension, while trying to find long lasting solution to the border issue.

The problem is this Interim Border Agreement was not implemented in toto. Rather it became a tool for the Assam government to strengthen their state forces along the border, while Nagaland relegated to a helpless position as they had to oblige to the terms of the agreement. According to information, Assam has 44 Assam armed police posts set up all along the Assam-Nagaland border in violation of the Interim Agreement; whereas there is reportedly 1 Nagaland armed police post all along the border. In other words, Nagaland was sincere if not over-sincere.

As per the Agreement, the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) should be placed under the neutral forces. Interestingly, such forces are placed again under the command of an IG of Assam police. And also Nagaland government temporarily allowed the Assam forest department for the management of the border reserved forests in the DAB. But due to the mismanagement by the Assam forest department, people from both sides started settling in the disputed reserved forest areas. Subsequently both the Assam and Nagaland governments had given recognition to those settlers.

Today, the problem is more complicated because the people living in the border areas of Assam are mostly non-locals but the Nagaland side becomes helpless as they do not know to whom they will talk. We have seen that some non-locals started talking the language of locals to restore aged old relationship between the Nagas and the Assamese. This interesting development might have confused some leaders in Nagaland. We started seeing some statements made by some responsible Naga Ministers saying they would not talk to “Adivasis” for resolving Assam-Nagaland border raw. But they failed to realize that by uttering this way, you would be paying attention to them instead of focusing on the right persons. It looks like you have been asked to talk to these people to resolve border raw with Assam. Let us be wiser and focus on the real issue plaguing both the states.

This so-called Assam-Nagaland Interim Border Agreement 1972 is a blunder and it has become a bond of contention between the people of the two neighboring states. The first step to find solution to the chronic border issue is this “Assam-Nagaland Interim Border Agreement” should be scrapped.

At the same time, both the states should immediately engage in serious business to frame new Border Agreement. Only then should they constitute an Assam-Nagaland Border Committee wherein persons with high social standing from both the states should be appointed as Members for a period of 5 years and their term can be extended on periodic basis. Their main job is to check the border irregularities and also examine the process of implementation of the Agreement.

It is still afresh in our memories about the infamous interstate clashes at Merapani in 1985 over border issue. No one thought the relationship would return as good as before. But the aged old relationship had fast returned. Because both sides can’t afford remaining un-neighborly as they will remain as neighbors till this beautiful God given earth exists.

The construction of “Foothill Road” on Nagaland border is very important for the development of the state. But this should not be misinterpreted as solution to the Assam-Nagaland border issue. The failure to find solution to the Assam-Nagaland border issue is not due to not constructing “Foothill Road.” Nevertheless, you can construct hundreds of new roads. It is your prerogative. But the Assam-Nagaland border raw can only be resolved provided both parties are sincere.

Can the Nagaland Education Minister remain silent?

By Oken Jeet Sandham Nagaland Governor Dr Ashwani Kumar always emphasizes on the “quality education” in the State and once cautioned, while speaking at the 20th Foundation Day of Nagaland

By Oken Jeet Sandham

Nagaland Governor Dr Ashwani Kumar always emphasizes on the “quality education” in the State and once cautioned, while speaking at the 20th Foundation Day of Nagaland University at Kohima last year, that “If we delay in taking corrective measures and do not immediately rework our curriculum and courses, we will be doing injustice to our children.” He called on academicians, politicians and civil societies to start providing quality education to the students of the state.

I think the Governor much have had hunch of the precarious educational conditions of the State. And by now he must have realized of the state of affairs in the State. It is really sad that the educational systems in most of the government schools in the State are in a complete mess. There have been reports that students have to appear their exams without seeing their textbooks. School uniforms are not provided on time or sometimes not at all. Mid-day meal crises have become normal and in a very comical manner, the previous Education Minister in DAN-II Government even admitted on the floor of Assembly that he had taken Rs 51, 00,000/- for use in attending functions as chief guest.

Of late, fresh complaints surfaced from Dimapur areas that the students and teachers from government Town Middle School, located in Half Nagarjan area are reported to have waited for government’s action to deliver the textbooks for the students, before their exams started. The shocking exposé is the Headmistress of the school admitted that all such unwanted thing had happened in spite of their constant submission of details regarding the required study materials to the Education Department. She could not even tell when they would get the textbooks. There were also cases from Dimapur areas that students did not have their school buildings and their teachers were compelled to take classes under trees.

Now, one can easily imagine what would be the fate of thousands of poor students in far flung areas of the State if students studying in the Dimapur areas did not receive their textbooks till now.

It is really painful to see the innocent and extremely underprivileged students going to their schools in far flung areas of the State. These poorest of the poor students have to walk kilometers in some villages to reach their schools, most of which do not have walls, toilet facilities, class rooms, etc. In many places, one or two teachers will run the schools, while in some places one or two students are found to be only students. But on paper, it claimed enrolments of students in Government schools in remote villages are increasing.

The fact is these poor students have been undergoing all kinds of man-made tragedies from the day they started going to schools. Large number of students in extremely remote and inaccessible villages may not even know where they are going and for what purpose because many of them did not see their textbooks throughout the academic sessions. They just appeared their final exams without seeing even once their textbooks, forget about not getting their school uniforms and mid-day meals. These are the stories used to float every now and then.

These students are the children of the poorest of the poor who live in the villages and hardly know beyond their village activities. The reality is that they are born in their village, live there and die there without even seeing their neighborhoods. Their village is their own world. It is this situation that the authority continues to indulge in various forms of corruptions and on rare occasions, student bodies from those affected areas aired their grievances that hundreds of students had to appear their final exams without seeing even once their textbooks.

On the other hand, there have been agitations by the teachers for quite some time affecting educational careers of thousands of students across the State. They said they had not received their salaries for the last four months and for which they had already submitted number of representations to the Government, besides various forms of agitations to release their pending salaries. The other day, these teachers took out a silent procession from old MLA Hostel Junction to Raj Bhavan and submitted an ultimatum to the Governor with a 15 days’ time to address their issue. These agitating teachers are Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers.

SSA is Government of India’s flagship program for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time bound manner, as mandated by 86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory Education to the Children of 6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right.

SSA is being implemented in partnership with State Governments to cover the entire country and address the needs of 192 million children in 1.1 million habitations.

The program seeks to open new schools in those habitations which do not have schooling facilities and strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school improvement grants.

Existing schools with inadequate teacher strength are provided with additional teachers, while the capacity of existing teachers is being strengthened by extensive training, grants for developing teaching-learning materials and strengthening of the academic support structure at a cluster, block and district level.

SSA seeks to provide quality elementary education including life skills. SSA has a special focus on girl’s education and children with special needs. SSA also seeks to provide computer education to bridge the digital divide.

Under SSA, the Nagaland State has received an amount of Rs 21665.89 lakhs (Rupees two hundred sixteen crore sixty five lakh eighty nine thousand) from the Government of India since 2008. The current SSA teachers in Nagaland are part of this scheme and their salaries should not be any problem. Because these SSA teachers’ issue has got nothing to do with the State budget. It does not at all affect the State’s exchequer.

Now the pertinent questions are how many students benefited from this SSA scheme in the State? And also why couldn’t students get their textbooks, and thereby forcing them to appear their exams without seeing once their textbooks. How many school buildings have been constructed under SSA in the State?

Why has the concerned department remained silent while educational systems in most of the government schools have been deteriorating day by day? Why couldn’t the department come up with some ideas as to how the issue could be solved? What is the Minister in-charge of School Education doing? Is he thinking to do something to mitigate the problems or has he exhausted any means to solve the problem? Can he remain silent?

A Report on Performance of MPs from North-Eastern States of India

Progress report of MPs from the Northeastern states of India: Report At last the progress report of our Member of Parliament has come out. For the past five years, we

Progress report of MPs from the Northeastern states of India: Report

At last the progress report of our Member of Parliament has come out. For the past five years, we have been wondering what they exactly do inside the parliament house during sessions?

Being an elector, it is our responsibility to check the performance of elected persons, who assume the role of emissaries in the national capital. And, in turn elected persons should respect the aspiration of the people and act as per the wish of the mass. While representing the views and aspirations of the people of their constituency in Parliament, MPs should participate actively in the legislative, financial and other business of the parliament. In a broader sense they are the representatives of the state and the nation as a whole.

Parliament of India:
A report on the Performance of the MPs from North-eastern States of India

We can check the performance of our MPs by analyzing the way how they engage themselves in the parliamentary business using mechanisms like Debate, Questions and Private Member Bills by which MPs fulfill their responsibilities. Besides, attendance during Parliament Sessions also indicates the commitment to give effect to his/her role.

Altogether, there are 25 constituencies in the eight Northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

Let’s have a look at their progress reports.

Among the northeastern states, Manipur has the highest average attendance of 98%. Encouragingly, Thokchom Meinya, Lok Sabha MP from Inner Manipur constituency has attendance record of 99% in all 16 parliamentary sessions, according to PRS Legislative Research.

Meinya participated in 55 debates (Bills). The teacher-turned MP from Inner Manipur constituency is listed among the top 10 MPs, who attend the parliament regularly. He asked 204 questions including 17 starred and moved one Private Members Bill-”The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2012 (Insertion of new article 371CA).” His Private Members Bill is yet to see the light of the day.

Attendance of Thangso Baite (Outer Manipur) is 98%; just 1% behind from his counterpart from Inner Manipur Constituency. On contrary to his good attendance record, the MP participated only in 3 debates (1- Request to constitute a Board to be known as the ‘National Board for the Development of Himalayan States with full financial assistance of the Union Government’, 2- Need to review the decision of Shri Muivah’s visit to his birth place in Manipur and 3- Statement made by the Minister of Finance on the issues relating to setting up of a Lok Pal) and asked 9 questions, which is a discouraging performance of an elected person representing one of the most economically backward and socially polarized parliamentary constituencies in the country- Outer Manipur.

As per the data, the national average for debates spoken is 38 and P D Rai from Sikkim has the highest number (70) of debates spoken. Most Northeastern states score higher than the national attendance average of 76%.

The national questions average is 300. Among the MPs from the northeastern states, Badruddin Ajmal (Assam) has asked the highest 320 number of questions in the parliament with Khagen Das (Tripura) a close second 310 questions.

Bijoya Chakravarty (Assam) has introduced the most number of private member bills (4). The national average for introduction of private member bills is 0.8.

DETAIL PERFORMANCE OF MPs FROM NORTHEASTERN STATES OF INDIA

MP name	State	Constituency	Political party	Debates	Private Member Bills	Questions	Attendance	Notes
Ninong Ering**	Arunachal Pradesh	Arunachal East	INC	19	0	26	88%
Takam Sanjoy	Arunachal Pradesh	Arunachal West	INC	5	0	76	63%
Badruddin Ajmal	Assam	Dhubri	AUDF	30	0	320	49%
Bijoy Krishna Handique**	Assam	Jorhat	INC	0	0	1	92%
Bijoya Chakravarty	Assam	Gauhati	BJP	37	4	53	84%
Biren Singh Engti	Assam	Autonomous District	INC	2	0	0	96%
Dip Gogoi	Assam	Kaliabor	INC	0	0	0	79%
Ismail Hussain	Assam	Barpeta	INC	0	0	0	94%
Joseph Toppo	Assam	Tezpur	AGP	21	0	147	76%
Kabindra Purkayastha	Assam	Silchar	BJP	34	1	130	87%
Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya	Assam	Karimganj	INC	24	0	22	95%
Paban Singh Ghatowar**	Assam	Dibrugarh	INC	9	0	18	91%
Rajen Gohain	Assam	Nawgong	BJP	8	0	87	53%
Ramen Deka	Assam	Mangaldoi	BJP	62	2	178	83%
Ranee Narah**	Assam	Lakhimpur	INC	3	0	7	83%
Sansuma Khunggur Bwiswmuthiary	Assam	Kokrajhar	BPF	51	0	100	64%
Thangso Baite	Manipur	Outer Manipur	INC	3	0	9	98%
Thokchom Meinya	Manipur	Inner Manipur	INC	55	1	204	99%
Agatha K. Sangma**	Meghalaya	Tura	NCP	0	0	0	49%
Vincent H Pala**	Meghalaya	Shillong	INC	3	0	28	84%
C. L. Ruala	Mizoram	Mizoram	INC	2	0	12	96%
C. M. Chang**	Nagaland	Nagaland	NPF	1	0	33	78%
Prem Das Rai	Sikkim	Sikkim	SDF	70	1	180	87%
Baju Ban Riyan	Tripura	Tripura East	CPI(M)	6	0	0	85%
Khagen Das	Tripura	Tripura West	CPI(M)	37	1	310	75%
Table prepared by: PRS Legislative Research Note: Ministers represent the government in debates, and they do not sign the attendance register, ask questions, or introduce private member bills. ** Participation details for this MP are available until October, 2012 as he was appointed a Minister then.

Save Manipur: Side-effect of Free Salary

Side-effect of free salary Enjoying is good, but requires care Gunadhor S Okram Someone never ever gets attracted by the eye-catching and probably mouth-watering pomegranate in the markets of Delhi

Side-effect of free salary

Enjoying is good, but requires care

Gunadhor S Okram

Someone never ever gets attracted by the eye-catching and probably mouth-watering pomegranate in the markets of Delhi or Mumbai sometimes initially for at least seven years since he gets exposed there as he was repulsive with the highly citric nature of this fruit grown in Manipur. Similar is the case for Manipur apple as well in terms of its taste; compare it with the ones commonly known such as Kashmir apple. The first incidence reminds someone as how much he is hateful of eating it as he tasted first compared with that of Manipur. But he was shocked to know that these Delhi pomegranates are marvelously tasty compared to those in Manipur. Now the questions come: so what?

The reasons are that as Manipuris eat such fruits or food items like this, are their style of thinking and actions directly related to something peculiar to ours? Say, they are so casual, idle, proud and habitual in blaming others and want to get everything without doing anything. All these itself is corruption. Everybody thinks that he is great and should compete anything for no reason. However, when it comes to reasons, there are no takers. They blame the system. However, what is system?

Let us consider this. Casual: Once upon a time, a cow ate the well-protected attractive pea plants as its cow-boy did not take care of it. The cow-boy did not care of it because his lunch was not ready as a consequence of the firewood to cook the meal got wet and unburnable. The firewood was wet because of the rain due to the frog singing loud to cause rain as it is its breeding season. Idle and proud: Once a frog was blowing so much so that he got bursted to death to compete with a bull visiting his colonial canal to quench his thirst even when everyone of his friend and relative ran away to save their lives and the bull even did not notice that the proud frog was showing his strength to the bull. Habitual in blaming others and want to get everything without doing anything: In a religious event, the members decided to contribute milk without necessarily displaying to a caretaker as to how much he has to offer for the festival. When the supposed to be milk was taken out, only water was found, as everybody was thinking that somebody or the other would pour milk. So, why not he poured water instead then? But everybody was right; they pour water only, not milk.

Are these attitudes related to our content of food, say in apple? Let us take the case for employees in general and teachers in particular. Is it then justified to a day’s approximate salary of Rs 500 to 5000 without doing (almost) anything. So what? In 1974, when someone, through his brother, attempted to take a transfer certificate from a nearby high school after sixth standard, every teacher looked to be against this even when the teachers ignore to the request/ complaint of the students for a regular class even though the latter wrote this on a blackboard very big letters so that the teachers can see what was written from a distance of 70 meters whereat they were taking comfort of the winter sunlight carelessly laughing and gossiping. Whatsoever, he took transfer with a bunch of curses.

What happened then? This supposed to be once a fledging high school of the locality is only building now (forty years later) with all the supposed to be honorable teachers and other staffs clubbed together with such other (girl’s) high school with their number of students less than half of the strength of the teachers together. This situation is now a rule, not an exception, in Manipur today, provided in particular if it is a government lower primary/ high/ higher secondary school. That is, a school in Manipur has a life expectancy of fifty years! Why should one so worry about this?

The reason is that it is cancerous phenomenon. It seems, as experts opine, everybody has got cancer cell. However, it is unable to detect when the number of such cells are less in number, which occurs in healthy people whose immune system can prevent the cancer cells from raising its number. This is why, physicians advised, cancer is curable if treated at early stage. The point in this context is that the problem Manipur is facing today could perhaps be diagnosed as a bit late stage of cancer patient for which survival chance is very/ quite poor. However, for a person, his relatives feel never disappointed as they are so worried and consequently ready for using all their resources to pump in for its treatment and set the life further to normal one as far as or if possible.

What is the problem? The problem now is that these cancer cells of dying schools have already been crossed over to colleges with the fact that arguably only DM College and Imphal college are fledging almost as usual as the brand name goes on while all the remaining tens of colleges are already showing the sign of dying, whereat no student in general is ready to attend classes but not stopping from appearing and passing exams. What will these students know or do even if they are passed as usual (without knowledge)? While university(s) in Manipur might survive for sometime due particularly to the students from these colleges but how long and hence university(s) also ought to disappear. What will happen with these kinds of situations? Will it not be a right time for every Manipuri to think seriously to stop this menace and save Manipur from further decay?

Else, how long should we continue to do this, in 21^st century, to unintentionally converting our state to the same state as that of pre-1885 at which our first (Johnstone (higher secondary)) school was established? Otherwise, should the modern Englishmen be invited again to rejuvenate our institutions? Sizable number of Manipuri employees, inside and outside the state, and all who eat/ started with eating Manipuri foods may not agree this proposal. Then, it is never late to start any good thing. It seems therefore imperative that all teachers from lower primary schools to university level and all to find out a solution so that our education becomes better as we go by and accordingly create a harmonious society with realization through proper education and value of life. Outside education (at the cost of about Rs 500 crore annually), if it is, is just selling cheap our pride sports and culture earned while our domestic expenditure on it and administration (from central government?) is (almost) going as a waste!

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/03/save-manipur-side-effect-of-free-salary/

Punish the murderers of Richard Loitam of Manipur

By Jagdamba Mall “Bhaiya mat maaro” were perhaps the last words of Richard Loitam… more »

By Jagdamba Mall
“Bhaiya mat maaro” were perhaps the last words of Richard Loitam – a 19 year Meitei Hindu 1st year student of architecture at the Acharya NRV Institute of Architecture, Bangaluru on 17th April 2012 who came to Bangaluru with the dream of becoming an architect but died instead after being attacked by two of his seniors – Vishal Benerjee and Syed Afzal Ali – both from Jharkhand in his college hostel on that fateful day. The two seniors had attacked Richard Loitam following an argument over watching an IPL match in the college hostel.

As per the report gathered from the fellow students who were present at the time of brawl, Loitam’s head was forcibly pushed against the window rods of hall. His head and vulnerable and sensitive parts of his body bore marks of severe assaults with some blunt object and was bleeding profusely from mouth and nose. When the door of his room did not open next day i.e. 18th April 2012 till noon and he was not responding to any loud call, he was found dead when his door was break-opened. Richard Loitam was a cheerful and obedient son of his doctor parents in Imphal, Manipur. He was an avid footballer, a music lover, cordial, sincere and bright student.

Instead of showing a human sympathy to the innocent victim student and his wailing parents and family members, the police and management concocted the story of Loitam being a drug addict who met with an accident because of which his death occurred. Even on the lapse of 21 days of filing this report on 9th May 2012, the culprits – Vishal Benerjee and Syed Afjal Ali are still not arrested and are in the hostel under police protection. They are neither rusticated nor punished in any manner even though a case of murder has been lodged in the police station under section 302 and 306 of Cr.P.C. They are attending regular classes.

On hearing the news of death of Richard Loitam, the team of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) under the leadership of Ningombam Sanjeev Kumar – a resident of Imphal (Manipur) and a research scholar Ph.D. student in Management in Bangalore University who is a national executive member of ABVP, visited the place of incident, took the stock of situation, met the College Principal, warden and all other concerned faculty member and employees and submitted a memorandum to Principal expressing the anguish over the inaction of police and college authorities and instead spreading over the mischievous propaganda against the dead – Richard Loitam. ABVP organized protest rally and submitted a similar memorandum to Shri R. Ashok, Home Minister of Karnataka Government as well, but in vain.

Back home, the student bodies in Manipur and other States of North-East Region are continuously agitating demanding the justice from State Government of Karnataka and Union Government. The print and electronic media has given a large coverage to this incident. The agitators clearly say if the victim was from any other State out of North-East Zone and the culprits/murderers were from North-East Region, could the law enforcing agencies under the control of Karnataka Government and Union Government remain as inactive as they are in this case? Such step-motherly behavior of Delhi and Bangaluru adds to already existing segregation and disenchantments in the minds of people of NE Region. The anti-national forces most active in Manipur and other NE States add fuel to the fire. To extinguish the fire of discontent and discrimination, the concerned Governments of Karnataka and Delhi must act decisively to do justice to the victim and his parents to restore the confidence.

The Conscription of Children as Ultras in Manipur

Gautam Sen* May 4, 2012 Of late, G. Gaikhangam, the Home Minister of Manipur, has… more »

Gautam Sen*

May 4, 2012

Of late, G. Gaikhangam, the Home Minister of Manipur, has been speaking to the media on the situation of minors below 18 years of age being forced to join the militant outfits in his state. He has been pointing to the increasing instances of kidnapping for conscription, making the case for reversing the situation, and highlighting the action taken by the Ibobi Singh Government in putting all police stations on red alert, etc. This phenomenon of the extremist militant outfits, particularly the Meitei groups, kidnapping Manipuri children and grooming them as their cadres, is not a new phenomenon. However, the situation seems to be gradually worsening.

The forcible recruitment of children, nurturing them during custody, and when in custody, looking after their day-to-day needs of food, clothing and shelter and gradually indoctrinating them to the operating philosophy of the militant outfits, has been evident for over nearly a decade, if not more. This indicates the inability of the state machinery to provide educational facilities and employment opportunities for the youth as well as the abject failure of successive state governments to provide a milieu in which normal life can be led by the citizens. To an extent, the trend also shows that the political parties working within the state have virtually no concern or space for the minors, and even indicates the acquiescence of the local civil society to the decline in social and family bonds, parental responsibilities and control of adults over their children.

This is an unenviable situation. On the one hand, the state does not act decisively against the militants who are destroying the very fabric of family life and the future of the local children. And, on the other, the people at large are either so terrified by the militants and also demoralised by the ineffectiveness of the state machinery that they see no alternative but to submit to the deteriorating situation and cannot organise themselves to reverse the phenomenon.

The militants have been resorting to this method of recruitment owing to the apparent difficulty in maintaining their cadres from grown-up youngsters or middle-aged people. Furthermore, the advantage of having minors who are less expensive to maintain than adults in the age range of 20 to 30 years, and accept the ideology or norms of insurgency by virtue of having impressionable minds, have not been lost sight of by the militants. However, some of the child recruits did get disenchanted while in captivity-cum-controlled environment within the outfits. In small groups, when they organised themselves and tried to break away from captivity and return to their families, exemplary punishment by way of death by shooting them before their compatriots, was resorted to, to instil fear in their minds. It was out of sheer necessity of circumstances and also, consequent on their reappraised methods of functioning wherein, well-knit versatile small groups of militant youngsters operating in a spirit of camaraderie on a long-term basis were deemed more cost-effective and optimum, that the militants embarked on recruiting their child cadres and managed to retain them under their control.

For over a decade, Manipur has been on the downslide in every respect, be it in administrative functioning, policing or financial management. Governance has been on the decline. The political leadership, particularly of the dominant parties led by the Congress, and except perhaps the Communist Party of India led by Dr. Nara Singh, have been accused of lack of probity. Sagacious intercession in the matters of the state by the Manipur Governor, Gurbachan Jagat, has also been minimal. In this backdrop, the serious long-term implications of the forcible recruitment of children or minors do not seem to have been duly considered by the governmental authorities despite periodic public protests. There have been outcries from the affected parents but the state government has only paid lip service to the issue; it has been virtually unresponsive in the matter of taking effective coercive action against the hard-core militant groups. As a result, the common people are in a state of helplessness.

The state of all-pervasive corruption prevailing in Manipur needs to be counteracted in order to bring about a turnaround in the situation. The condition of joblessness among the youth cannot but demotivate the youngsters. Therefore, instances of minors being lured away by the militant outfits with promises of money and mobiles are not uncommon. Only attractive alternatives can wean away the children from the enticements offered by the militant outfits. An approach which is community or locality based could be an alternative, involving the families at least in the Imphal Valley districts. The principals, headmasters and teachers of schools must be required to be associated with the parents of the child students not only in the matter of education but also in the beyond-the-school-hours activities of the students, and promote vocational and youth activities that empower the latter and enable them to achieve gainful employment. The Government of India may perform a catalytic role to activate such community-cum-family based endeavours with particular emphasis on sports-related and youth activities—areas in which the Manipuris naturally tend to excel—inter-alia by promoting tie-ups with youth organisations in other states. This is because the state government machinery has proved to be totally incapable of performing any positive role in this regard owing to all-pervasive corruption abetted by the governing politicians in connivance with the contractors and suppliers with a behind-the scene nexus with the large group of militant outfits.

If action to counter the child conscription phenomenon is further delayed, a generational schism may develop in Meitei society, reinforcing the militancy, anarchism and mafia-like activities presently prevalent in Manipur, thus making it more ungovernable. This would be a sad outcome to a princely state which merged with the Indian Union on 21 September 1949 with a functioning Constitution of its own and concomitant institutions and polity in place, as against the Union of India which was just about to inaugurate its Constitution after independence from the British.

*Gautam Sen served as Financial Adviser of North Eastern Council with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

**Originally published by Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (www.idsa.in) at [http://idsa.in/idsacomments/TheConscriptionofChildrenasUltrasinManipur_gsen_040512]