The state Power department’s renewed intention to enhance revenue collection is welcome but the means still needs to be debated. In earlier drives, the revenue collection team was assisted by… Read more »
The state Power department’s renewed intention to enhance revenue collection is welcome but the means still needs to be debated. In earlier drives, the revenue collection team was assisted by… Read more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/06/aping-the-daroga/
People who burn or flood their own houses will be considered mentally disabled by the society. A government which allows the land to be burnt and flooded can also be attributed similar brickbats. A meaningful and full fledged environment and forest departments are necessary to ensure that we do not use up all the happiness […]
People who burn or flood their own houses will be considered mentally disabled by the society. A government which allows the land to be burnt and flooded can also be attributed similar brickbats. A meaningful and full fledged environment and forest departments are necessary to ensure that we do not use up all the happiness that mother earth has bestowed on us and leave behind a hellish life for the future generations. People are seldom aware about the activities of the departments concerned with forest, environment. Failure of the administration can be seen from the way the surrounding forest is protected near the irrigation projects like Singda. Jhuming cultivation is carried out now where greeneries have to seen. Numbers of vehicles using diesel engines are increasing manifold in the state. The Forest department is a major department and there are large numbers of experts who can carry out the works in a professional way. The Environment and Ecology Wing was established in 1997 and it still remains a fragile department looking after the fragile environment. It should be an independent body with least interference. Political leaders often take it for granted that environmental clearance will be given by the department. It has become a ritual. Works have to be done, constructions carried out but there should be a procedure that we stop polluting our environment. It was not long ago that fan was kept in a corner only to be rusted but now demands for AC are increasing. Life is hard without power supply in summer and in winter it is the same problem. Our contributions to global warming are immense which is bad. We have to control the increase in numbers of diesel engines, many states are doing well and the national capital where one had to inhale harmful gases is now comparatively safe. Serious works should be done in this regard, we are not talking about tender of teak, planting of trees on environment day but about serious business. The government should take environment seriously and works should be coordinated so that we reduce the harms done to the environment. Green house gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide must be in abundance in our state. Green House Gasses are the ingredients of the atmosphere that add to the greenhouse effect. People studying the climate record of the earth have the opinion now that human actions, mainly the discharge of green house gases from smokestacks, vehicles, and burning forests, are perhaps the leading power driving the fashion. The gases append to the planet’s normal greenhouse effect, permitting sunlight in, but stopping some of the ensuing heat from radiating back to space. Based on the study on past climate shifts, notes of current situations, and computer simulations, many climate scientists say that lacking of big curbs in greenhouse gas discharges, the 21st century might see temperatures rise of about 3 to 8 degrees, climate patterns piercingly shift, ice sheets contract and seas rise several feet. With the probable exemption of one more world war, a huge asteroid, or a fatal plague, global warming may be the only most danger to our planet earth. Stop burning your own house.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/burning-our-own-house/
The old family system is breaking down. Concepts, ideas, theories keep changing but there are some issues that seldom change. State killing citizens on religious and political issues were common earlier, now killings for religious issues have come down dramatically. State tolerance on political thoughts however is still low, people fighting for restoration of Independence […]
The old family system is breaking down. Concepts, ideas, theories keep changing but there are some issues that seldom change. State killing citizens on religious and political issues were common earlier, now killings for religious issues have come down dramatically. State tolerance on political thoughts however is still low, people fighting for restoration of Independence in Asia and Africa specially in the last century were subdued with an iron will and great force. The 20th century also witnessed two bloody wars which uprooted the whole social, political and economic orders in the entire globe. When we look at history we understand that the concepts of nation state also concretised in the last century. This century should herald growth of new ideas and thoughts which will bring an end to the fight, clashes that engulf the world. When it boils down to ground level the concept of nationhood as understood and defined is not acceptable to us. The generally accepted theory that a nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, or history is not applicable to India, US and large numbers of countries. The concept is changing now. The concept of Otto Bauer that “A nation is an aggregate of people bound into a community of character by a common destiny.” seems to be acceptable to large numbers of people. The clash of the theory is having its toil in parts of the globe. State has to learn that people have aspirations and state should find out a way to fulfil the aspirations. Political aspirations are hard to fulfil but there are ways to limit people having political aspirations. In the context of India it is debatable if the peace processes with some organisations are done well. Prior to the truce with some Naga groups there was no concept of integrity movement or any political tension among the people living in Manipur. It is generally accepted to all that granting Sadar hills or making changes in the districts would have gone smoothly if done before the talks. People on different sides are sceptical and there is are ‘worry’ and ‘fear’ factors that disturb the harmony. The prolonged talks make people unrest and different theories crop up. The government is not in a position to clarify on every issue and it is not aware of the issues that people discuss day and night. If the discussions are healthy it is good but most discussions are not healthy. When the government decided to extend ‘truce beyond territorial limits’ the political turmoil that engulf the region was unthinkable. The government was not in a position to control the situation. Luckily the government decided to withdraw the truce beyond territorial limit and did practised some sort of undeclared truce or whatsoever. Talks or fights can not go forever, there should be agreement on some issues and when one group finds out that the other party is not a position to give what it desires there is chaos. Why should 18 precious lives give up their lives ? Why should people go out in the streets and do the unthinkable ? It was a frightening experience and such incident should not happen again. The onus of finding a solution lies with the government. But we need a government which knows and understands the problem and try to find out a solution by involving people who matters. Talks should be avoided if it will create more problem. We dream of the day when people can live without fear, inhibitions and travel freely and start new enterprises which will bring happiness and peace to the people and the state.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/political-talk/
Home Minister Gaikhangam’s appeal on Saturday to work for unity between the hills and the valley is indeed welcome in the backdrop of the commemoration of June 18 uprising and… Read more »
Home Minister Gaikhangam’s appeal on Saturday to work for unity between the hills and the valley is indeed welcome in the backdrop of the commemoration of June 18 uprising and… Read more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/06/bridging-the-gap/
Numbers of youths are increasing and also number of unemployed youths. The 21st century has heralded changes that threaten to destroy the planet . Path breaking advancement has also been made in all spheres. The concept of living with dignity and respect is one issue that we need to give serious thought. State actors have […]
Numbers of youths are increasing and also number of unemployed youths. The 21st century has heralded changes that threaten to destroy the planet . Path breaking advancement has also been made in all spheres. The concept of living with dignity and respect is one issue that we need to give serious thought. State actors have to understand that the new generation is not bemused when remnants of the colonial Raj introduce laws that show disrespect to the people and when state agencies carry out activities as done by monarchs. There are serious deficiencies both legal and action that need to be rectified. It will take a long time but the state should start working on the line or numbers of disenchanted youths with the system will increase. It is already increasing manifold. We have to understand that those who have no access to the system resort to illegal activities and the state take up harsh actions against them by branding them with different adjectives. Social , economic and political wind of the state should try to engulf the entire populace. We make laws to safeguard juveniles but we continue to arrest them and even kill them. It is just like killing our own children. The youths who die almost every day in the hands of various state agencies are our own children . In the state there must be over a sizeable armed personnel maintained at a huge cost to target people. Only a fraction of the amount spent in action oriented policies if spent in helping the youths most of the problems would be solved. We can not expect the beggar to be self reliant within a moment. The biggest problem is the end effect. When we kill some persons more problems are created, their immediate family who in turn become stranger to the society and the system. it is a debate which will go on but the problem in our country is the absence of people’e participation in policy formulation. What people think and what they feel should be seriously considered as they are the people in the ground who are directly affected by any policy. Those who decides now are not affected by any of the policy. Simple example is the one way traffice at Paona and Thangal Keithel where vehicles were banned. Whose vehicles were parked when there was ban, even kids will tell, they are the people who decide and frame policies. It took a long time to correct a wrong. The state acted against the policy of the very concept of road, which is to facilitate movement of people and vehicle. If it is congested more roads have to be constructed rather than blocking it. Involve people in policy formation, that is the new mantra of governance now.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/involve-people-in-policy-making/
The pedestrians are out and the vehicles are in. The business lobby has won the battle for space inside the Imphal Khwairanband Keithel. After months of ‘pedestrian only’ experiment in… Read more »
The pedestrians are out and the vehicles are in. The business lobby has won the battle for space inside the Imphal Khwairanband Keithel. After months of ‘pedestrian only’ experiment in… Read more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/06/the-lobby-won/
When we exercised our franchise we did it with the hope that the elected members will lead us to prosperity and guide us and help us face all eventualities. When the government appointed the officials they were expected to discharge their duties well. When we ask questions we expect the ministers and the officials to […]
When we exercised our franchise we did it with the hope that the elected members will lead us to prosperity and guide us and help us face all eventualities. When the government appointed the officials they were expected to discharge their duties well. When we ask questions we expect the ministers and the officials to provide us the correct information. We also expect the people to cooperate and help the administration in fulfilling the cherished dream. We are not demanding that the state reveal secrets which will undermine the security and the sovereignty. The issue is electricity. It was a shocking comment when former VC of Manipur University, Prof IS Khaidem said he and other senior citizens only dream that they can experience uninterrupted power supply before the end comes. There are some issues involved, first regarding proper and equitable distribution of power and proper management of the state of affairs. Joint Electricity Commission of Manipur and Mizoram official feet the state has not done much to improve power supply and there is room for alleged selling of power to other states. The state electricity department should come clean on the matter. In both the hill and the valley the rationing of power is not well managed. Some areas get more power than some areas as expressed by residents for ages. The department has not yet corrected it and continue to serve some areas well and deny some areas continuously for the last one decade or so. Since 2003 power reforms had been executed and the present government had been in power for the last ten years when power reforms were done. Power supply was expected to be improved by 2012 and the way it is going on we do not expect our senior citizens to see the bulb lighted when they read at night and early morning. Power is one sector the government should pay serious attention. For the last one decade we have been hearing that the revenue collection is poor. Why is it so ? Blaming the people all the time for years is not acceptable. Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh has taken over the Power department from Phungzathang Tonsing. Pre paid system for the entire state is not possible. It should be done in most places as it is so far proving to be efficient. A policy has also to be chalked out to ensure that those not having pre paid system also pay taxes and get proper supply of power. There are too many unanswered queries in this sector. Act fast, responsibly and honestly otherwise the blooming industry will be washed away.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/let-us-be-honest-for-one-moment/
When we exercised our franchise we did it with the hope that the elected members will lead us to prosperity and guide us and help us face all eventualities. When the government appointed the officials they were expected to discharge their duties well. When we ask questions we expect the ministers and the officials to […]
When we exercised our franchise we did it with the hope that the elected members will lead us to prosperity and guide us and help us face all eventualities. When the government appointed the officials they were expected to discharge their duties well. When we ask questions we expect the ministers and the officials to provide us the correct information. We also expect the people to cooperate and help the administration in fulfilling the cherished dream. We are not demanding that the state reveal secrets which will undermine the security and the sovereignty. The issue is electricity. It was a shocking comment when former VC of Manipur University, Prof IS Khaidem said he and other senior citizens only dream that they can experience uninterrupted power supply before the end comes. There are some issues involved, first regarding proper and equitable distribution of power and proper management of the state of affairs. Joint Electricity Commission of Manipur and Mizoram official feet the state has not done much to improve power supply and there is room for alleged selling of power to other states. The state electricity department should come clean on the matter. In both the hill and the valley the rationing of power is not well managed. Some areas get more power than some areas as expressed by residents for ages. The department has not yet corrected it and continue to serve some areas well and deny some areas continuously for the last one decade or so. Since 2003 power reforms had been executed and the present government had been in power for the last ten years when power reforms were done. Power supply was expected to be improved by 2012 and the way it is going on we do not expect our senior citizens to see the bulb lighted when they read at night and early morning. Power is one sector the government should pay serious attention. For the last one decade we have been hearing that the revenue collection is poor. Why is it so ? Blaming the people all the time for years is not acceptable. Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh has taken over the Power department from Phungzathang Tonsing. Pre paid system for the entire state is not possible. It should be done in most places as it is so far proving to be efficient. A policy has also to be chalked out to ensure that those not having pre paid system also pay taxes and get proper supply of power. There are too many unanswered queries in this sector. Act fast, responsibly and honestly otherwise the blooming industry will be washed away.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/let-us-be-honest-for-one-moment/
Leader Writer: Paojel Chaoba Struggling to live in the present society, a society that reveres individuals with colossal bank accounts, having en-vogue cars, as with corrupt politicians, smugglers, who made… Read more »
Leader Writer: Paojel Chaoba Struggling to live in the present society, a society that reveres individuals with colossal bank accounts, having en-vogue cars, as with corrupt politicians, smugglers, who made… Read more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/06/of-athenians-and-manipuris/
Monday will remain one of the most memorable days in the history of education in… more »
Monday will remain one of the most memorable days in the history of education in… more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/missing-in-action/
Leader Writer: Hrishikesh Angom The gasoline consumers of Manipur now have to confront with two… more »
Leader Writer: Hrishikesh Angom The gasoline consumers of Manipur now have to confront with two… more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/price-rise-mafia/
An issue that has been lurking in our minds in recent times is the sense… more »
An issue that has been lurking in our minds in recent times is the sense… more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/the-imaginative-manipuri/
Come summer time, the highways of Manipur would be clogged with numerous bandhs and economic… more »
Come summer time, the highways of Manipur would be clogged with numerous bandhs and economic… more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/the-summer-of-discontent/
The schemes taken up in Manipur have to be different from other schemes taken up in different parts of the world. High end technology or new technology is designed to function with uninterrupted power supply. Power supply in Manipur is yet to be satisfactory. We have to look for other means of mechanism. Solar, wind, […]
The schemes taken up in Manipur have to be different from other schemes taken up in different parts of the world. High end technology or new technology is designed to function with uninterrupted power supply. Power supply in Manipur is yet to be satisfactory. We have to look for other means of mechanism. Solar, wind, natural processes seem to be the only choice we have. We have do see what others are doing without power supply. A scientist has developed a simple and cheap way to make water safe to drink, even if it is muddy.Nearly 80 percent of disease in developing countries is linked to bad water and sanitation.It’s easy enough to purify clear water. The solar water disinfection method, or SODIS, calls for leaving a transparent plastic bottle of clear water out in the sun for six hours.
That allows heat and ultraviolet radiation to wipe out most pathogens that cause diarrhea, a malady that kills 4,000 children a day in Africa.It’s a different story if the water is murky, as it often is where people must fetch water from rivers, streams and boreholes.“In the developing world, many people don’t have access to clear water, and it’s very hard to get rid of the suspended clay particles,” Joshua Pearce from Michigan Technological University, said.“But if you don’t, SODIS doesn’t work. The microorganisms hide under the clay and avoid the UV,” he said.Thus, to purify water, you first have to get the clay to settle out, a process called flocculation.Working with student Brittney Dawney of Queen’s University in Ontario, Pearce discovered that one of the most abundant minerals on Earth does this job very well: sodium chloride, or simple table salt.Salt is inexpensive and available almost everywhere. And it doesn’t take very much to make muddy water clear again.“The water has a lower sodium concentration than Gatorade.“I’ve drunk this water myself. If I were somewhere with no clean water and had kids with diarrhea, and this could save their lives, I’d use this, no question,” Pearce said.Salt works best when the suspended particles are a type of clay called bentonite. The technique doesn’t work as well with other kinds of clay. However, by adding a little bentonite with the salt to water containing these different clays, most of the particles glom together and settle out, creating water clear enough for SODIS treatment.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/solar-water-disinfection/
Leader Writer: Hrishikesh Angom The High School Leaving Certificate Examination conducted by Board of Secondary… more »
Leader Writer: Hrishikesh Angom
The High School Leaving Certificate Examination conducted by Board of Secondary Education Manipur is the most notable academic examination in the state. The toppers of this examination are well felicitated by the state government as well as local clubs and organizations every year. The students are quite motivated by such felicitations. Now, there is also a trend of offering lucrative grants to the meritorious students by most private schools. Such incentives should be welcomed in view of the welfare of the students, but keen competition among these schools to procure more number of toppers by offering money is quite disheartening. The students are unnecessarily put in dilemma while choosing his or her school. The motive of these private schools is quite evident from their ostentatious ads put in local papers and TV channels. The toppers and other meritorious students are offered money in the name of grant or assistance by these schools. The performance of these schools is highlighted to the public through the performance of the toppers. The schools will in turn receive greater enrolment of students thus raising the revenue of the schools. The school authorities are making some sort of investment to the toppers so as to gain huge money out of it. It seems the so called “good” schools want to prove that they are excellent only in making the good students good and not in improving the weak students. Those schools which boast of producing position holders in the Higher Secondary Examination also have substantial number of failed students. The benchmark of good schools in the state apparently lies in the performance of the toppers. However, such may not actually be applicable to the private schools in the state.
The toppers are made “items of auction” by the private schools. Soon after the declaration of HSLCE results, the authorities of competitive schools go to toppers’ houses with lucrative offers. The toppers then happen to encounter many of them with offers galore thus creating a dilemma. These schools compete among themselves to procure the toppers by making the highest bids. The parents and guardians of the toppers are also lured by the offers and ultimately send their wards to these schools. Grants and incentives are encouraging to the students, but forcing them to join a school solely on the basis on money is not the right choice. The school which offers huge money may not be his or her real choice, and so this may be a reason for his or her failure in the future. The school authorities always tend to be “business-minded” and subsequently the toppers turn out to be advertisers or promoters of the schools. If these schools are serious about education, why can’t they strive to make each and every student good?
The benchmark for good schools also lies in the performance of weak students.
It would be good on the part of the school authorities to shed off their selfish business motives and work for the improvement of education in the state. The standard of a good school should not only be on the performance of the toppers but largely on the performance of each and every student. Parents and guardians should also be aware of the present trend in the education system of the state. They should also be cautious while choosing schools for their wards. The government as well as social organizations should keep an eye on the private schools so that the educational institutions are not converted into commercial hubs.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/students-on-auction/
As monsoon draws nearer, nobody could sit back and wait for the floods to come…. more »
As monsoon draws nearer, nobody could sit back and wait for the floods to come. One thing is very clear, the floods will come. Flood events are a part of nature. They have existed and will continue to exist. As usual, the IFCD minister has been inspecting the river banks particularly the breach-prone portions as a precautionary measure. There is a saying in Manipur that some people pray for floods and devastation so that they could mint money out of emergency works thrown up by the floods. We hope the new minister Ngamthang Haokip will apply his mind to it and conduct a complete overhaul of the work culture which has been in existence in the department for so long. In the system overhaul, we should keep in mind a paradigm shift has become necessary. One must shift from defensive action against hazards of flood to management of the risk and living with floods, bearing in mind that flood prevention should not be limited to flood events which occur often. In the last SPF government headed by Okram Ibobi himself, massive works for reinforced concrete embankments were taken up along the rivers and nallahs passing through the Imphal city. Large stretches of the Nambul River which is the major source of floods in the city area has been embanked and we have to wait and see whether it could withstand the fury of monsoon and flood pressure. But these are largely defensive measures. The new idea floated by world bodies is management of risks and living with floods. Adding more height or making the embankment sturdier does not necessarily mean that we would able to avoid the flood. Water always finds a way. As we said in the beginning, floods are a natural event and it cannot be avoided. So as far as feasible, human interference into the processes of nature should be reversed, compensated and, in the future, prevented. Flood strategy should cover the entire river basin area and promote the coordinated development and management of actions regarding water, land and related resources. Structural measures will remain important elements and should primarily focus on the protection of human health and safety, and valuable goods and property. We will have to keep in mind that flood protection is never absolute, and may generate a false sense of security. The concept of residual risk, including potential failure or breach, should therefore be taken into consideration.
Another impediment plaguing the functioning of the flood control department is regarding flood information. Every time flood occurs, it is the other way round regarding information. They wait for calls from the press reporters seeking information on the levels of river in the Flood Control room instead of taking a proactive role. The idea of flood forecasting and warning has never been considered by the department. It is indeed a prerequisite for successful mitigation of flood damage. Its effectiveness depends on the level of preparedness and correct response. Therefore the responsible authorities should provide timely and reliable flood warning, flood forecasting and information. A specific preparedness to alert, rescue and safety measures should be planned and implemented at all levels, including the public, by maintaining regular basic information and continuous ongoing training actions. With appropriate and timely information, preparedness, everyone who may suffer from the consequences of flood events should be able to take -if possible- his/her own precautions and thus seriously limit flood damages. Early warning systems will prove useful in the process of evacuation of people to ‘safer areas’ which also should be identified beforehand. The IFCD should also take into confidence other government departments and agencies so that a multi-pronged approach could be developed.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/way-of-the-water/
The Education Minister has set a time-frame of 6 months for overhauling the education system… more »
The Education Minister has set a time-frame of 6 months for overhauling the education system in the state. Perhaps it must be the first time that a minister charged with the crucial portfolio has openly announced a complete overhaul of the system and it indeed surprised us. We have our doubts as to whether he will be able to complete the task in time for it would be a herculean feat. Yet, we pray for his success. First we must say a sense of commitment and political will is necessary on the part of the minister for undertaking the task. There are varied hurdles on the way to achieving success, and the first hurdle would be pressure from his own colleagues in the government, MLAs and different lobbies having vested interests. He has to be prepared for that. Second, the report of the Education Commission is gathering dust in the department and he has to rake up the past recommendations. We need to see the action taken report also, so as to prepare the ground for a new Education Commission with wide-ranging powers and a consultative process. Intellectuals, eminent educationists, experts in various fields including psychologists should be called in and asked to apply their mind. Framing of a good policy needs a multi-disciplinary approach and back-breaking sessions. We also would like to offer a piece of our mind. System overhaul of education is not only about recruiting qualified teachers and an effective monitoring system, good school buildings, a support system in terms of equipments and aids or for that matter a good transfer and posting policy for the teachers. Of course, these are also important. But the most important issue when we talked about education is the CONTENT, or in simple words, the curriculum. What are we teaching our children or our youth? Or what should we teach? The second question would be more appropriate to lead us in the proper direction. Another question crops up in our mind. What kind of citizen do we want to populate our society? Why do we need education or for that matter knowledge to fill our minds? We must carefully ponder upon these questions and begin the debate. For a society to grow and develop in the right direction, we need responsible citizens who are aware of their roots and the heritage that they have inherited and the ability to sacrifice for the good of the society or the state they belong to. And he will automatically become proud of his heritage and will walk with the head held high among peers. No individual will succeed in understanding others if he does not know the self. He must first understand his own society, its history and cultural heritage before he looks for understanding of others and other communities. He has to understand his own society’s world view before he seeks to understand the world view of other societies. He has to understand that Manipur was once a minor regional power in these parts and the Manipuri kings held sway over territories reaching the border of Tripura and Khasi hills in the west and far inside Burma beyond Chindwin even sometimes reaching the Chinese border. Our ancient chronicles called Puyas record the exploits of Manipuri kings in history. A wealth of knowledge is also captured in our timeless Puyas. The Puyas deal in varied subjects which include political and historical, geographical, natural phenomena, religious texts and rituals, genealogy, kinship, migration, medicine and physiology, astronomy, astrology, code of warriors, and monographs. This reflects our civilizational history. In such a backdrop, why should we despair for lack of local content. Appropriate amounts of knowledge could be gleaned from these ancient texts to teach our children and youth. According to the National Curriculum Policy, only 30 percent is reserved for local content which had remained unnoticed for years till the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) raked up the issue. A contentious issue at that time was about our brethren in the hills and their supposed lack of aptitude in science and mathematics. We had voiced our opinion that, it is the system and the mode of lesson delivery which is at fault. The same situation happened in America with regard to the Blacks. Every people or community has its own notion of science and mathematics, and indigenous knowledge systems. That was how the concept of ethno-science and ethno-mathematics was born. We need to take this into account, in the content debate. Last but not the least, we must all understand that there is no such thing as ‘Quality Education.’ Education is simply education.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/in-search-of-education/
Finally, the word is out. There has been no significant development in Manipuri language since… more »
Finally, the word is out. There has been no significant development in Manipuri language since its inclusion in the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution in August 1992. A comment from one the most respected literary figures of Manipur Nongthombam Kunjamohon, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Manipur Sahitya Parishad. The ‘Sahitya Parishad’, although foreign words, is the authority of Manipuri Language. It was in the forefront of the language movement in the 80s and 90s along with several other frontline groups, leading to the inclusion of the language in the Eight Schedule along with Nepali and Konkani. The noted writer lamented on the dismal state of the language and the failure to even develop a standard spelling of the language or a standard Manipuri dictionary. We have also asked in the past – What has the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad contributed towards development of Manipuri language? The question has been nagging the minds of concerned Manipuris since its inclusion in the constitutional schedule. The concern has also been voiced at the celebration of Language Day on August 20 every year. The Parishad has been consistently receiving yearly grants from the state government, underlining its support to various projects undertaken by the Parishad for development of the state language. What has it done to promote Manipuri language besides instituting literary awards every year? Is it turning into some kind of mutual admiration society instead of pursuing its avowed objectives? These questions are on the lips of every citizen in Manipur. It would be unrealistic to assume that, the powers that be in the Parishad had not heard such concerns. Doling out awards year after year is also good; it is a kind of encouragement to the literary crowd and the practitioners of arts and culture. Yet, it should not remain the main activity of the Parishad for there are more important issues confronting the Manipuri language. As the noted writer N Kunjamohon rightly pointed out, we are yet to standardize the Manipuri spelling and a standard Manipuri dictionary remains elusive which is of utmost importance for invigorating the language. And this is the prime responsibility of the Parishad, the government is there only to provide the support structure. If the Parishad bosses think that there is a need for enhancement in the yearly grant for promotion and development of Manipuri language it is for them to simply ask the government. We have an educated Education Minister in the person of Moirangthem Okendro and we are sure he will certainly agree to such a proposal and he wouldn’t dare to refuse the literary circle. Times have changed and the language needs to keep up with the changes. A closer look into Manipuri language will reveal the essence of a pluralistic society and of an accommodative language, able to absorb foreign words in its vocabulary. In its effort to integrate newer groups into the larger Meitei identity, necessary changes were also incorporated into the Manipuri language. This perhaps explains the vibrancy of Manipuri language. It has also absorbed words from English, Bengali and various other languages. Yet the domination of Manipuri is very much there. Like its speakers, the language also went through the rigorous process of ethnic amalgamation and cultural assimilation which continued till late 18th century. A living and dynamic language has to be necessarily accommodative. In recent times, we have seriously failed in developing Manipuri language in its truest sense. The official state language essentially remains the language of the Meiteis and we have failed to accommodate the other language spoken by other communities inhabiting the state. There is a need to accommodate words from other communities, as done in the past by our ancestors, to achieve the dream of a Manipuri language. And without that the Manipuri language can never be complete. This is also the responsibility of the Parishad.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/the-language-of-parishad/
Finally, the word is out. There has been no significant development in Manipuri language since… more »
Finally, the word is out. There has been no significant development in Manipuri language since its inclusion in the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution in August 1992. A comment from one the most respected literary figures of Manipur Nongthombam Kunjamohon, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Manipur Sahitya Parishad. The ‘Sahitya Parishad’, although foreign words, is the authority of Manipuri Language. It was in the forefront of the language movement in the 80s and 90s along with several other frontline groups, leading to the inclusion of the language in the Eight Schedule along with Nepali and Konkani. The noted writer lamented on the dismal state of the language and the failure to even develop a standard spelling of the language or a standard Manipuri dictionary. We have also asked in the past – What has the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad contributed towards development of Manipuri language? The question has been nagging the minds of concerned Manipuris since its inclusion in the constitutional schedule. The concern has also been voiced at the celebration of Language Day on August 20 every year. The Parishad has been consistently receiving yearly grants from the state government, underlining its support to various projects undertaken by the Parishad for development of the state language. What has it done to promote Manipuri language besides instituting literary awards every year? Is it turning into some kind of mutual admiration society instead of pursuing its avowed objectives? These questions are on the lips of every citizen in Manipur. It would be unrealistic to assume that, the powers that be in the Parishad had not heard such concerns. Doling out awards year after year is also good; it is a kind of encouragement to the literary crowd and the practitioners of arts and culture. Yet, it should not remain the main activity of the Parishad for there are more important issues confronting the Manipuri language. As the noted writer N Kunjamohon rightly pointed out, we are yet to standardize the Manipuri spelling and a standard Manipuri dictionary remains elusive which is of utmost importance for invigorating the language. And this is the prime responsibility of the Parishad, the government is there only to provide the support structure. If the Parishad bosses think that there is a need for enhancement in the yearly grant for promotion and development of Manipuri language it is for them to simply ask the government. We have an educated Education Minister in the person of Moirangthem Okendro and we are sure he will certainly agree to such a proposal and he wouldn’t dare to refuse the literary circle. Times have changed and the language needs to keep up with the changes. A closer look into Manipuri language will reveal the essence of a pluralistic society and of an accommodative language, able to absorb foreign words in its vocabulary. In its effort to integrate newer groups into the larger Meitei identity, necessary changes were also incorporated into the Manipuri language. This perhaps explains the vibrancy of Manipuri language. It has also absorbed words from English, Bengali and various other languages. Yet the domination of Manipuri is very much there. Like its speakers, the language also went through the rigorous process of ethnic amalgamation and cultural assimilation which continued till late 18th century. A living and dynamic language has to be necessarily accommodative. In recent times, we have seriously failed in developing Manipuri language in its truest sense. The official state language essentially remains the language of the Meiteis and we have failed to accommodate the other language spoken by other communities inhabiting the state. There is a need to accommodate words from other communities, as done in the past by our ancestors, to achieve the dream of a Manipuri language. And without that the Manipuri language can never be complete. This is also the responsibility of the Parishad.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/the-language-of-parishad/
There is not a single day when we have stopped celebrating our achievers in multi-faceted… more »
There is not a single day when we have stopped celebrating our achievers in multi-faceted fields in the recent months, which is indeed encouraging for the health of our society. And it should continue, as such celebration reflects the inner strength of our society and the inherent urge to achieve more and more, soar higher and higher. If we do not celebrate our heroes, who will. Manipuri film actor Leishangthem Tonthoi won the Best Supporting Actress in the 59th edition of National Film Awards. What a remarkable feat. And why her felicitation should should be left to her native village alone. She should be feted everywhere in every nook and corner of the state. She is the pride of the state. And the film ‘Phiji gi Mani’ won the best regional film. Shouldn’t we be proud of these achievements and why shouldn’t we celebrate their achievement? The idea behind the celebration is to invoke more achievers in the film world. We weep with joy when our talented sportspersons excel in various disciplines. And we weep in despair when they are defeated. The rebel in us had rebelled with joy when our boxer Dingko Singh returned with laurels from the Bangkok Asian Games way back. We bask in the glory of our boxers Mary Kom and Sarita Devi. We are so involved with our sportsmen that we sway as they sway. We are proud of our sports heritage and martial tradition. We dare the Indian state with our sports achievers. There is also a talent spillover to other states that do not have enough sportspersons to represent them in various disciplines’ of which we should be immensely proud. So many Manipuri sportspersons are representing other states in national events. It is because our state is brimming with talent and like water it has to find a way. They are brand ambassadors of a once regional power in these parts and a martial state called Manipur. Not only in the field of sports, our people excelling in the arts like the theatre and the films. We have giants like Ratan Thiyam and Kanhailal who are respected worldwide. We have film icons like Aribam Syam Sharma. We are indeed fortunate that we are walking alongside them. Peoples of other states envy our rich cultural tradition and artistic expressions. Our boys are excelling in the field of education also. Come results season, the newspapers would be full of news of our boys and girls achieving first class first with distinction from different universities of the country and abroad or for that matter achievements of our scientists in the country and abroad. We sometimes lament about the brain drain and the lack of adequate space for our excellent scientists and sportspersons. Yet we should be glad that our achievers are rubbing shoulders with peers coming from other states with far better infrastructure and academic atmosphere. People outside the state are always surprised by the achievements of the Manipuris in different fields, despite the reports of violence and conflict situation they constantly read in the newspapers. ‘How could your society produce so many achievers in such a chaos?’
They used to ask out of ignorance. And we used to say, it is the combination of latent energy in our youth and the chaotic condition in the backdrop of thousand years civilizational history which had effected the release of immense talent in diversified fields. The latent energy is there and it has to find a way out, be it in sports or education or the arts or other alternative careers. In the pure martial tradition, he picks up a weapon of choice or a gun either for the state or the non-state for it is in his blood.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/celebrating-achievers/
