Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Naga factions come together, declare truce: Kohima, Dec 7: In a historic development, the warring Naga underground factions have agreed to an inter-factional ceasefire for six months starting from today in Kohima. The representatives from NSCN-IM, NSCN-K and NNC have unanimously resolved to accept and pursue peace amongst all the different groups without any discrimination on the line of tribes or places. The joint meeting organized by the Joint Forum Working Committee of Nagaland Gaon Buras Federation and Nagaland Dobashis Association with Naga National groups to maintain peace was held in the Red Cross Conference Hall, Kohima. Full Story: Another Story:

Dissident MLAs returning Saturday, Chauhan coming on Dec 11: Imphal, Dec 7: Following days of camping in New Delhi to present their case to AICC leaders in their oust Ibobi campaign, most of the rebel MLAs will touch down at Tulihal airport tomorrow (Saturday). After meeting Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh yesterday (Thursday), the rebel MLAs met AICC chief Sonia Gandhi today (Friday) at about 11 am and made their stand against the continued leadership of O Ibobi clear. Sonia Gandhi is also the Chairperson of the UPA. The rebel MLAs were led by senior Congressman, Th Debendra and during their meeting with Sonia Gandhi, they gave a detailed account of the deteriorating law and order situation in the State, the 'total flop' of the administration, tardy development works as well as the growing dissatisfaction among the Congress workers in the MPCC (I) against the Chief Minister's leadership. Though details of what were discussed at the meeting were not disclosed, the dissiden...

Ibobi-led team leaves for New Delhi to pursue matter: Imphal, Dec 7: An 18-member delegation of political parties of the state, led by chief minister O Ibobi Singh left Imphal for New Delhi this afternoon (Friday) to pressurise the Central authorities not to conduct delimitation work in Manipur based on the flawed 2001 census. The political delegates from the state led by the chief minister will meet the Union home minister Shivraj Patil tomorrow (Saturday) at 11:30 am to be followed by a meeting with the chairman of the Delimitation Commission of India, Justice Kuldip Singh. The team will also meet other Central leaders to seek immediate moratorium on the delimitation exercise for Manipur state based on the 2001 census, according to a source. The delegation from the state includes MPP president Dr L Chandramani, RJD state unit president W Nipamacha, and RJD MLA Md Hellaluddin Khan, state secretary Sarat Salam and Dr Y Mohendro Singh of the CPI(M), health minister Ph Parijat and ex-MLA...

‘Rebels’ ban short skirts: Imphal, Dec. 7: The People’s United Liberation Front (PULF) has imposed a ban on Muslim girls wearing tunics and skirts to schools and colleges from Class I and above from the next academic session in Manipur. In a statement issued yesterday, the militant outfit, whose cadres were drawn from Muslims known locally as Meitei Pangals, said Muslim girl students should wear either phanek, a long skirt, or salwar, that covers the ankles and sanctioned by Islamic law. The statement issued by the outfit’s information and publicity secretary Belal Khan said the colour of the dresses should follow the colour of uniforms of the educational institutions. Khan said the step was part of the outfit’s campaign to instil a sense of discipline in growing children who would grow up and preserve the community’s culture and identity. “If one knows and preserves his own culture and identity, he or she would also honour and regard the culture and identity of other communities. Thi...

IFCD EE Konjengbam Bheigyachandra abducted: Imphal, Dec. 7: An executive engineer of the Manipur irrigation and flood control department was abducted by unidentified persons on Wednesday, senior officials of the department said today. They said Konjengbam Bheigyachandra Singh, posted at Khuga multipurpose project in Churachandpur district, went missing after he left the head-office here on Wednesday morning. The department came to know about his abduction yesterday after Bheigyachandra Singh did not turn up for a meeting of senior engineers of the department and officials of National Project Consultative Corporation. The family of the engineer, who comes from Moirang in Bishnupur district, informed the department about the abduction. However, no group has claimed responsibility and the family could not offer any clue in this regard. Police today said a suo motu case of abduction had been registered and efforts were on to find the engineer. Officials of the department have apprised irri...

5.0 quake rocks NE: Guwahati, Dec 7: An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale shook India's northeast and parts of Myanmar Friday, triggering panic among residents here, officials said. A scientist at the Regional Seismological Centre in Shillong, capital of of Meghalaya, said the tremor took place at 12.36 p.m. and had its epicentre along Manipur's border with Myanmar. Full Story :

Motor rally denounces crime against women: Imphal, Dec 6: As a part of the forthnight long observation of Violence Against Women, a motor rally was taken out under the aegis of the Women Action for Development (WAD) in Imphal East district on Thursday. Full Story: Commandos gun down UG suspect: Imphal, Dec 6: Imphal West commandos shot dead a suspected underground activist along the road of RIMS Doctors' colony at Lamphel just opposite to RIMS morgue at around 1.45 pm on Thursday. According to a statement issued by SP of Imphal West District Clay Khongsai, acting on a credible information about some suspected PREPAK activists exhorting money from offices located in Lamphel area, commandos of Imphal West District conducted search operation at the said area at around 1.45 pm on Thursday. Full Story: Truck drivers rescued from KLA militants: Imphal, Dec 6: Two truckers who had been detained in the custody of a Kuki militant group since December 2 were rescued safely by a strong team ...

5.9 pc growth rate expected: Imphal, Dec 6: The Planning Commission of India is expecting 5.9 PC growth rate during the 11th Five Year Plan period. However, out of the 50 Departments from which plan proposals were invited to fix the state's plan size for 2008-09, only 17 submitted plan proposals so far. Against the overall growth rate of 5.9 percent during the 11th Five Year Plan period, the Planning Commission is expecting growth rate of 1.2 percent in primary sector, 8 percent in secondary sector and 7 percent in service sector. Meanwhile, a reliable source informed that following intimation from the Planning Commission to submit a list of 21 projects which should be taken up on priority basis, the State Government has submitted a list which prioritised road communication, power, Loktak development and improvisation of education in hill districts. On the other hand, the DONER Ministry has convened a meeting of all the Governors and Chief Ministers of the North eastern States on D...

CCpur starts reaping NREGS fruits: Lamka, Dec 6: In less than a month after Churachandpur actually witnessed the implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), its facet has been successfully transformed to the extent that has never been seen or anticipated earlier. As the Deputy Commissioner has issued strict instructions to immediately dolled out job cards to the concerned BDOs and initiate work following media reports about the sluggish pace of progress, job cards has now reached to a good proportion of the populace and its progress have now been noticeable even in the remotest region of the district. In the proper township of Lamka, the transformations brought along by the NREGS were substantial. Those paths touched by the scheme were sparklingly fresh and orderly. At points it even appears that the corridors were extended or widen as filth that have shared a prominent space along the roads were removed. The scheme has been initiated in the east, west, north ...

Villagers grateful for good road than anything else! Changjal (Chandel), Dec 6: Even if there was no problem in connection with the presence of UGs in their villages, proper repairing of the deplorable condition of the roads along with the arrival of the army is something that the people of villages seem to cherish the most. Talking to a team of mediapersons from Imphal who were facilitated to go by the IGAR (South) upto Tuitung along the New Samtal Road in Chandel district where army operation is underway to flush out militants, the villagers of the areas, which were earlier considered the stronghold of the UNLF said that there was no instances of torture and atrocity committed by the UNLF cadres while they staying in their villages. The Chief and the villagers of Selon village, where the UGs had even set up bunkers, said instead of harassing the villagers, the UGs brought food and other essential commodities for the people apart from taking care of their medical needs. As to the alle...

Tousem villagers prefer Nagaland solace: Imphal, Dec 6: Disconnected to Imphal or other parts of Manipur, people of 13 villages of Katang and surrounding area in Tousem sub-division of Tamenglong district have been heading to Nagaland for marketing and shopping and other purposes to the neighbouring State. Here, all educational programmes, health facilities and other development schemes under the Tribal Development Department have turned out to be an unpalatable joke. Katang is a frontier village of Manipur located about 20 kms north of Tamei sub-divisional Hqs. Hemmed in by the Barak river and the Maguiki river, the Katang villagers are most vulnerable to diseases spread by mosquitoes. But bad transport infrastructure or absence of it has been the worst misery of these hapless villagers. The harsh reality of the Katang villagers came to light only when a team of reporters went to interior areas of Tamei sub-division along with members of the Information Centre for Hill Areas Manipur (...

Security forces to sanitise Samtal before X-Mas: Joupi (Chandel), Dec 6: With the Operation Samtal launched by Assam Rifles and the Army to drive off insurgents from Samtal (Somtal) and surrounding area of Chandel district completed by almost 70 percent, the operation is likely to be over before Christmas. By that time, the security forces will be able to drive off all UG elements from the area, said commander of 26 Sector Assam Rifles Brigadier Raymond Noronha who is commanding Operation Samtal. Security personnel at a bunker in Sehlon village previously occupied by UNLF cadres Briefing media persons at Joupi AR post, Brig Raymond said that Operation Samtal launched since November 18 to secure Samtal-Sehlon ridge from the clutches of UG groups, particularly the UNLF has been completed by almost 70 percent till date. Within 15 days, all UG elements will be driven off Somtal area which they have earlier claimed to be 'liberated zone', Brig Raymond assured. Except for the diffic...

Dr Meinya demands separate High Court: New Delhi, Dec 6: Participating in the discussion on "Need for harmonious functioning of three organs of the state" in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Dr. Thokchom Meinya, MP from the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency stated that the basic structure of the Indian Constitution was the separation of power among legislature, judiciary and executive. He said, "There appears, at times, some so-called conflicts rather apparent conflicts in the working and functioning of these three vital organs of the state. The one and only way to avoid and to have these conflicts or aberrations resolved is to practice self restraint and self respect and to practice true professional ethics". He also added that none of these organs should try to give directional instructions to the other organs and vice-versa. This would definitely go a long way towards harmonizing the smooth functioning of these organs of the state. Dr. Meinya referred to Article...

Party disowns Hellaluddin Khan statement: Imphal, Dec 6: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Manipur, has disowned the statement issued by one of its MLAs, expressing support to the dissidents in the Congress in their ongoing campaign to oust chief minister O Ibobi Singh. A press release issued by S Natum Singh, general secretary RJD, Manipur, termed these statements as very unfortunate, and clarified that they do not reflect the stance of the party. The RJD has been supporting the SPF government in the state since the beginning and continues to do so. It does not support any particular faction within the CLP, the press note clarified. It also cautioned the MLAs concerned and others within the party, not to issue such statements in the future without the consent of the party. Any flouting of party disciplie will be taken seriously, the statement warned. It may be mentioned, RJD legislator Md Hellaluddin Khan has reportedly stated in a section of the media that the RJD supports the Congres...

Wungnaoshang hits back at rebel MLAs, Rishang: Imphal, Dec 6: Wungnaoshang Keishing, Independent MLA representing Phungyar Assembly constituency has reacted fiercely to criticism from the dissident Congress MLAs over the supposed Opposition interference in the internal crisis in the state Congress, asserting that they have every right to speak their minds concerning the state government. Wungnaoshang, addressing a press conference today (Thursday) at the state Assembly secretariat however clarified that the recent trip by Opposition MLAs belonging to the Hill Area Committee of the state Assembly to Delhi had nothing to do with Congress internal crisis, nor was it at anyone's behest. The HAC members had discussed the situation in the hill areas, and the problems faced by the hill people with the Central leaders, Wungnaoshang said. He however admitted that they had praised the initiatives taken by Ibobi Singh for the development of the hill areas. “Eikhoidi apha mibu phei hairamba ...

Chauhan likely to visit Imphal on Sunday; ‘rebels’ to return home: Imphal, Dec 6: The campaign to replace Okram Ibobi as chief minister by the rebel Congress MLAs who are now camping in New Delhi continues unabated despite the unexpected turn of events in which 10 opposition MLAs including the six sponsored by United Naga Council, UNC, professedly coming out in support of the chief minister. The rebels have in fact, seemingly succeeded in advancing another pawn on the political chessboard, predicted to cause another serious threat to the chief minister`s defence. At 11.15am this morning (Thursday), the man projected as a possible replacement for Ibobi, Th Debendra, met the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at his office room at the Parliament House. Although the details of what transpired are not known, the meeting presumably had to do with the campaign to remove Ibobi as Congress Legislature Party, CLP leader. Interestingly, the rebel MLAs also met with the PM at 3.30pm again in his r...

Rebels meet PM on shake-up: Imphal, Dec 6 : The rebel Congress MLAs who have been camping at Delhi for more than a month in their campaign to remove O Ibobi from the post of Chief Ministership, called on the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Thursday for an Ordinance so as to stall the delimitation exercise besides sustaining their oust-Ibobi move. Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Th Debendra who is being projected by the dissident group as their leader and Rajya Sabha MP Rishang Keishing called on Dr Manmohan Singh at about 12.30 pm and apprised the Prime Minister of the prevailing political imbroglio within the CLP. The two senior Congress leaders reportedly told the Prime Minister that replacing O Ibobi with another leader as Chief Minister of Manipur will be able to end the protracted political impasse. Acknowledging the stance of the dissident group and considering the reports culled from different quarters, Dr Manmohan Singh entrusted the party's North East in-charge P...