Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Congress candidate Prithiviraj wins Imphal, Dec 30: Continuing its good show in last assembly polls in the North-East, the Congress on Tuesday won the by-election to the prestigious Moirang assembly seat in Manipur. The Congress' candidate M Prithiviraj defeated his nearest rival H Bira of Manipur People's Party (MPP) by over 4,800 votes in the by-election to Moirang in Bishenpur district, election office said today. While Prithiviraj secured a total of 16,225 votes Bira came close by getting 11,338 votes. By-election to the seat was held on December 27. The by-poll was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA M. Manindra who was the father of Prithiviraj some months ago. The Congress-led Secular Progressive Front ministry has 35 seats (Congress 31 and CPI 4) in the 60-member Manipur legislative assembly. Of the rest 25 seats, the opposition Manipur People's Party (MPP) has 5, Rashtriya Janata Dal 3, National People's Party 3, Nationalist Congress Party 4 and i...

Rights activist flees from hospital Imphal, Dec 29: Sapamcha Kangleipal, a rights activist who was arrested under National Security Act for criticising the government for its move to arm villagers of Heirok, escaped from the security ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital today. Official sources said Kangleipal escaped through a window between midnight and 5am this morning. Police investigators found iron bars of the only window in the room cut. They also recovered a piece of hacksaw from the room this morning. Later tonight, three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were suspended. The security ward is an extension of the jail. “We cannot say how he escaped. An inquiry will be held to find out everything, including security lapses, if any,” inspector-general of police (law and order), M. Karnajit Singh, said. The deputy commissioner of Imphal East, Y. Thamkishore Singh, visited the security ward as did the superintendents of police, Imphal West and East, L. Kailun and Th. Rdheshyam Singh...

Manipur theatre artists enthrall Delhi New Delhi, Dec 30: Various theatre lovers in Delhi had a special treat from north-east India, recently as they attended a Manipuri play here. The play "When we dead awaken" was staged by Ratan Thiyam, the noted Manipuri playwright and theatre director during the Delhi Ibsen Festival organized by Royal Norwegian Embassy in collaboration with Dramatic Art and Design academy. In 1899, Henrik Ibsen wrote a story "When we dead awaken", which is about the celebrated sculptor Arnold Rubek and his wife Maia. The play, based on this story, was reflected an intense desire for life. The festival offered a platform to theatre artists for showcasing their talent. R.K Bhogen, one theatre artist, said: "We encourage those who are interested in joining theatre. Everyone is welcome. Be it a Tangkhul, Kuki or Meitei, if they are interested, we will train them." Ratan Thiyam, the theatre Director on this occasion, said: "We are ver...

Manipuri girl found dead Imphal/Mumbai, July 15 : A 27-year-old Manipuri girl working as a customer relationship manager in a Mumbai five star hotel was found dead in her hostel at Marol in Andheri shortly after midnight on Friday. Ch. Alena’s body was found hanging by a dupatta from the balcony of the hostel she shared with three other girls, authorities at Hotel Leela Kempinski said. But injury marks in her private parts have raised suspicions that she may have been sexually assaulted before being strangulated. Though family members performed the last rites at Kongpal Kshetri Leikai of Imphal East this afternoon, they demanded a thorough probe by the Mumbai police into the circumstances leading to her death. Chabungbam Ashok Kumar Singh, who brought his sister’s body home, said the family was “informed over phone on Saturday by hostel authorities that she was seriously ill, so come fast”. When Ashok Kumar reached Mumbai on Sunday, his sister’s body was already in the morgue. “They (t...

Private schools continue steal the show : Imphal, May 22: Scoring a total mark of 601, Romen Chongtham of St Joseph's School, Sangaiprou topped this year's High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) Examination 2008conducted by the Board of Secondary Education Manipur. Sanasam Sangita of St George High School, Wangkhei missed the top spot by a single mark. The third position was bagged by Chetanbala Hijam of Nirmalabas School, Imphal with a total score of 597 . The overall pass percentage is the highest in the last five years. This year's result made a considerable improvement at 58 percent over last year's 52 percent. The pass percentage for male candidates is 67 percent while that of the females is 56percent. As per the merit list, Catholic School, Canchipur and St Joseph's School, Sangaiprou performed the best producing seven and six position holders respectively in the top 25 . St George High School, Wangkhei and Don Bosco School, Imphal produced three position hold...

Legislation in place to curb Atha-phum: MLA Imphal, May 22: To prevent growing of Atha-Phum (artificially grown floating bio-masses) in Loktak lake again, a new legislation has already been enacted and implementation of the same started, MLA of Thanga Assembly Constituency T Mangibabu has informed. Mangibabu was speaking at a reception function hosted in his honour at Thanga Khoirom Hill today. The MLA has been recently felicitated with three awards, namely Bharat Excellence Award, Gems of India and North East Golden Personality Award in recognition of dedication to the service of the people. The awards have been given by Friendship Forum of India and International Penguin Publishing House, New Delhi. The reception function was hosted jointly by Thanga Artistes' Association and Reception Committee, Thanga Part-II. Addressing the gathering, MLA Mangibabu, who was also the chief guest of the function, said along with completion of the task of removing Atha-Phum from Loktak lake, Indi...

Rotarians extend help for Nargis victims : Imphal, May 22: In solidarity with the suffering of the people of Myanmar in the wake of cyclone Nargis devastating the low lying area of Irrawaddy Delta relief materials were handed over to Myanmarese authorities on behalf of 77 Rotary clubs from Rotary International District 3240 . The relief materials hand-over was initiated under the leadership of DG, Rtn Parbhat Kedia to convey solidarity with people of Myanmar in this hour of sorrow and bereavement. The items including emergency medicines were delivered at Burma Border Trade Centre (Tamu), the official point of aid centre as volunteers are not permitted to reach the affect zone physically, said a release of Rotary Club. Reports on radio, TV and official figure provided by the Myanmar authorities confirmed more than 1,34,000 killed or missing apart from a large section of the population rendered homeless, facing starvation and susceptible to disease outbreak since the cyclone hit the Delt...

40 Oil trucks damaged in stoning : Imphal, May 22: Windshields of more than 40 goods trucks including oil tankers were broken in stoning by economic blockade supporters along the Imphal-Mao section of the NH-39 even as most of the oil pumps closed down today due to non-availability of stocks at the oil depots. A truck transporting sand from Dimapur was also set ablaze by blockade supporters last night at around 8.30 pm at Tadubi. The indefinite economic blockade along the NH-39 imposed by the Naga People`s Organisation, NPO, Senapati district commenced yesterday in protest against the state government`s failure to take up positive action in matters of PDS items and water supply even after its 24-hour district-wide bandh on May 20. Reports said that truckers leaving Mao gate late yesterday afternoon with security escorts were caught in heavy stoning from the blockade supporters on their way from Tadubi to Senapati. Windshields of more than 40 loaded trucks were shattered, reports said. ...

Dipsubaba's thoughts: It is bizzare as well as tragic. Imagine a man suffering from HIV/AIDS would also have to face the emotional trauma of social indignity with his breasts starting to develop like that of a woman after taking ART drugs. He must have cursed himself or the fate for contracting the fatal disease and now he will have to cope with something unusual. Let's have a thought of the plight of the man, his name rightly not been disclosed by the media. A newspaper report described the insult he was subjected to by security personnel while frisking, making sneering remarks and even molested his breasts. "Although the weather is simmering with summer heat, I cannot help wearing thick jackets just to cover up my enlarged breasts," he said, adding that he has been staying aloof from all social functions and religious ceremonies for the same embarrassing reason. It could perhaps also be the first of its kind in the medical history of HIV/AIDS treatment. A study/rese...

Heirok to study JK guidelines for SPOs: Imphal, May 18: Sticking to its earlier proposition that it would oppose utilisation/engagement of SPO personnel in counter insurgency operations, the JAC formed in the aftermath of the Heirok firing incident has asserted it would closely study contents of SPO guidelines prior to accepting actual setting up of SPOs in Heirok. Despite the renewed assertion of the JAC, the Government had set into motion recruitment exercises for enrolling 300 SPOs in Heirok village of Thoubal district. Plans are also afoot to recruit 200 SPOs for deployment/stationing at Lilong Chajing. It may be recalled that people of Heirok and Lilong Chajing had demanded weapons from the Government to protect themselves from unwanted elements following incidents of gun firing some months back that claimed the lives of four persons apart from injuring a teenage girl. "The SPOs will only protect Heirok and its surrounding villages from rebels' threat. We will, however st...

General strike partially disturbs normal life: Imphal, May 14: Normal life in the state was partially disturbed today due to the statewide general strike called by the Manipur Forward Youth Front, MAFYF demanding release of its president Sapamcha Kangleipal who was re-arrested and detained under the National Security Act, NSA yesterday. In the meantime, after the torching of an oil tanker (MN01-6469) carrying kerosene oil by some suspected supporters of the ongoing ATSUM economic blockade at Lairouching along the NH-39 in Senapati yesterday at around 3 pm, snatching of registration books and other vehicular documents also continued on the highway. The 24-hour general strike commenced from last midnight and ended at midnight tonight. During the general strike hours there were no reports of any untoward incidents. Mention may be made that the MAFYF president, Kangleipal was released yesterday after sedition charges leveled against him were dropped by the court, but the police re-arrested...

Union minister opens new Paying Ward at RIMS: Imphal, May 14: "I don`t believe the underground will disturb the development of health care centres," said Union minister for health and family welfare Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday while promising to bring up the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, RIMS to be one of the best among the health care centres in the country. The Union minister while giving his speech at the inauguration of the Paying Ward of the RIMS today also announced free of cost treatment facilities for the people living below poverty line, BPL and other poor people under the initiative of his ministry. Dr. Ramadoss laid the foundation stones of a new OPD block, dental college and nursing college of RIMS with a sanctioned amount of Rs. 129 crores. He said that in the next two years, people of the state would witness RIMS as one of the best health care centres of the country. The announcements he made include increase in the intake of MBBS course student...

Approves ADC delimitation commission: Imphal, May 14: The state Cabinet today approved the constitution of a state delimitation commission for reconstitution of the constituencies of the Autonomous (Hill Areas) District Councils and raising of a 8th IRB battalion as commando battalion during discussions. The Cabinet also approved rehabilitation works of the Thoubal dam affected people, a proposal of the IFCD department and also framing of rules under the Manipur Loktak (Protection) Act 2006 for effective implementation of Loktak development programme. The election to the ADC will be held under the state election commission after completion of the delimitation exercise for redrawing of the ADC constituencies extending over six hill districts. The Cabinet also agreed to appoint retired IAS officer, Ch Birendra Singh as commissioner of the newly formed state delimitation commission, a source said. The deputy commissioners of the six districts will be the ex-officio members of the commissi...

Manipur tops in number of casualties : Shillong: Manipur tops the list of insurgent related incidents and casualties in the past one year. The Union Home Ministry status paper on internal security situation spelt out 414 militancy related incidents in the Northeastern region, where 131 civilians lost their lives in the process, 171 extremist killed . In the past one year, there were 153 militancy related incidents in Manipur alone. 57 civilians lost their lives in Manipur and 64 extremists were gunned down, revealed the status paper. Altogether there were 153 incidents reported in which the security forces lost 39 men. In Nagaland, the number of insurgency incidents was reported as 67, in which 15 civilians and 10 extremist getting killed in the process. The paper reveals that during the same period, there is 152 incidents in Assam, out of which 55 civilians lost their lives and 35 extremists were killed. The security forces lost 7 men in the process in Assam. Tripura known for its vol...

NEC mulls on development projects: Imphal: Manipur government representatives who attended the 56th North Eastern Council meeting which concluded on Tuesday at Agartala drew the attention of the council and the Central government to the need for looking into the Look East Policy of the country. They urged all concerned to give a major thrust to the development of the Imphal airport, National Highways-39, 53, 150, Trans Asian Highway, border trading point at Moreh and Jiribam to Tupul railway line, an official source said. In the meeting, Manipur urged for upgradation of the Imphal airport into an international airport with cold storage facilities stating that the airport would soon have night landing facilities. They also urged for improvement of the three national highways which run across the state into four-lane roads for easy flow of heavy vehicular traffic. The state highways and border roads also need to be strengthened and improved to meet trade and commercial requirements, they...

JAC demands guns, calls bandh: Imphal: In a reverse case of the Heirok incident where people demanded guns to defend themselves after some civilians were shot dead by UG cadres, the JAC Against the Brutal Killing of Wangkheimayum Shyamjai of Ngangkhalawai has asked the State Government to issue them guns for self-defence after security personnel killed Shyamjai. A statement issued by the JAC informed that this resolution to demand guns was adopted during a public meeting held at Ngangkhalawai ground on Tuesday. Strongly contending that Wangkheimayum Shyamjai shot dead by troops of 15 J&K Light Infantry at Ningthoukhong Kha Khunou under Bishnupur police station at about 3.30 am of May 11 was an innocent citizen, the meeting condemned the stoic silence of the State Government on the issue. The JAC asserted that Shyamjai was pulled by troops of 15 J&K Light Infantry at about 11 am of May 8 before he was shot dead in cold blood after three days on May 11 in a fake encounter. Mainta...

Patil says NE situation improved Heirok JAC decries Govt's vague stance Bailed Kangleipal rearrested under NSA UCM prez advocates peace for development Sema tribe fires salvo at IM, Rio Relief material sent to Myanmar HKL opposes UADC proposal to demarcate Ukhrul Anti-dam activists reject Engineers' explanations Scribes take threats complaint to CM

Cancer centre in all NE States mooted: Imphal, May 13: Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss who arrived here today as part of his North East itinerary has expressed satisfaction over the measures taken up in the health sector particularly on Immunisation, HIV/AIDS, Cancer, TB and Malaria. Interacting with the media at the Jubilee Hall of RIMS this evening, the Health Minister said that since the North East people are susceptible to Cancer, the Centre has decided to open Regional Cancer Centres in all the North East State. Significantly, RIMS had earlier announced that majority of the lung cancer cases reported in the country are from the North East States particularly Manipur. Though health care facilities are perceived to be poor in the remote areas of the State, Ramadoss however noted that the health care scenario in the North Region is satisfactory. There are plans to improve the infrastructure at the Primary Health Centres, Primary Sub-Health Centres, Community Health Centres et...

Civilians to Combatants: Heirok and Lilong Chajing, are two immediate demonstrations that legitimacy of the establishment, or more pertinently its challengers, cannot be sustained by appeals to nationalism alone, whatever hue that nationalism is of. In the end, the only lasting legitimacy of any establishment or its challengers will rest on the ability to qualify these legitimacy appeals with actual guarantees of quality of life. So if arbitrary executions, detention, intimidations, murders by mistake, etc, are sought to be justified in the name of upholding nationalism, or dismissed as collateral damage in this war, the only casualty ultimately would be the awe with which the same brand of nationalism is held by the public. Interestingly, it is Manipur more than anywhere else, which has seen the public saying no to these “nationalistic” atrocities regardless of which side of the battlefront the atrocities are committed by. In this sense, it would not be very wrong to say that the show...

Hundreds turn up for physical test: Imphal, May 5: With the Government deciding to provide arms to the people of Heirok for their self defence, the recruitment drive for selecting 300 Special Police Officers started on Monday with the physical test held at Heirok Part II Mela Ground from 8 am to 4 pm. Personally supervised by DGP Y Joykumar, the physical test was conducted in the presence of Thoubal SP, Clay Khongsai, officers of Thoubal police and officers from the IRB. Candidates aspiring to be SPOs at Heirok wait for their turn for the physical test From early morning, hundreds of aspirants started streaming to the Mela Ground to take part in the physical test armed with the needed documents and waited for their turns in a long queue. Altogether 460 candidates applied for the posts of the 300 SPOs. After screening through the applications, only candidates who have passed Matric and above were shortlisted, as per the norms laid down by the Government. This however did not go down we...

Lawyers boycott court : Imphal, May 5: Lawyers in Manipur today abstained from duty, bringing the functioning of all courts to a grinding halt, in protest against militants targeting the judiciary. The Kangleipak Communist Party (Military Council) had asked Bishnupur chief judicial magistrate Tara Devi to surrender before it or face dire consequences. The outfit, in a statement issued on May 2, had accused the CJM of being involved in the killing of one of its members by Assam Rifles troops and asked her to surrender within five days. Tara Devi, however, denied any connivance with the Assam Rifles as alleged by the outfit. The High Court Bar Association today held a meeting to review the situation and discuss the threat.The meeting, presided over by its president S. Jayenta Singh, resolved to endorse a decision taken by All Manipur Bar Association on Saturday not to attend court until the threat was withdrawn. The association said it would send the resolution, adopted today, to the chi...

Associate Professor confessed to RPF: Imphal, May 5: An associate professor of the Manipuri department, Manipur University, Rajen Toijamba has made a confession to the RPF/PLA in front of mediapersons on MOnday in connection with mark tampering in the recently held entrance test for the selection of Ph.D students in Manipur University on January 30 this year. The spokesman of the department of communication and publicity, RPF/PLA during a press conference held somewhere in Churachandpur district this evening disclosed that the associate professor had voluntarily turned up after being summoned by the RPF in connection with mark tampering in the selection test for Ph.D students in Manipuri department of the university. The spokesperson further mentioned that the RPF in the interest of the students and for bringing quality education at the university had put suggestions from time to time to the concerned lecturers of various subjects mainly during the time of examinations and selection te...

Suspension of bus service to go on: Imphal, May 5: A meeting of the Inter-State Bus Association held at Hotel Imphal on Monday resolved to continue with the ongoing suspension of inter-State bus service. Inter-State bus service along NH 39 was suspended since May 3 because of unaffordable monetary demands made at different check-posts and by numerous UG groups. During the meeting, it was agreed to suspend tourist bus service until all the monetary demands from UG groups and the 'taxes' being levied at different check-posts are withdrawn. Even as a joint meeting with civil society representatives was convened today to discuss the unfolding situation following suspension of inter-state bus service, the meeting has been deferred to another date as attendance from civil society representatives was poor. On the other hand, because of the 120 hours economic blockade being imposed by ATSUM on national highways, a large number of loaded vehicles are being stranded on the highways unabl...

Rule of law collapses in Manipur: The deterioration of the rule of law in Manipur and its near total collapse today is not unpredictable. To say that governance in Manipur has failed completely is also no exaggeration. The mere presence of government machinery with all the trappings of power does not mean anything if it fails to deliver. In Manipur, the government simply exists to carry out perfunctory duties. It has lost the drive to govern because its preoccupation is not unlike that of the non-state actors, which is to make money. Here is a state where you see a happy co-existence and a convergence of interests between state and non-state actors. However, the proliferation of non-state groups to the point where you lose count of the numbers also means that the share of the pie gets smaller everyday. In that case, government funds alone do not suffice to meets the needs of these groups. They encroach into other semi-state and non-state establishments. The commercial space is inflicte...

Sangma suggests railway, bus links with Dhaka: New Delhi, May 4: Dhaka has been cold to New Delhi’s request for transit facilities to the Northeast, but leaders in the region hope the ice will melt soon. Lured by the success of the Calcutta-Dhaka Moitree Express, Meghalaya wants transport links, including railway connectivity, with Bangladesh. The chairman of state Planning Board, P.A. Sangma, hopes to open negotiations with Bangladesh for a bus service between Tura, the headquarters of West Garo Hills, and Dhaka. He is also pitching for a railway link from Baghmara, the headquarters of South Garo Hills, to the nearest railway line in Bangladesh, which is 17km away. “Only that much needs to be constructed by us. I have written to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee expressing my wish to visit the neighbouring country,” the former Lok Sabha Speaker, who hails from Tura, said. Meghalaya chief minister Donkupar Roy urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week for a transport link...

Polluted Nambul river devastates fish and humans: Manipur's Nambul river's role in the context of maintaining the climatic conditions of Manipur cannot be ignored as it directly falls into the Loktak lake - the largest fresh water lake in North East India, which plays a vital role in controlling the ecological balance of the region. But urbanization and taking up of various developmental projects in other parts of the state have started showing its fangs - the most palpable being the pollution of the Nambul River running through the city. The river becomes polluted once it starts entering Imphal's main market area. The most polluted part of the river in its 10 kilometre stretch in Imphal city begins from Hump Bridge until it reaches Keishamthong bridge - a distance of almost 1.5 km. Nambul river has now become not only the most polluted river in the state but also a model river of pollution in Manipur. During the wet season, solid waste - tons of toxic material - are being ...

Moirang and Shishak's INA flag: It is hard to find a Bengali who has not heard of or read about the legendary Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Many of them also know of the existence of a well-kept memorial to the Indian National Army at Moirang in the picturesque Loktak Lake area, 32 km from Imphal town, but have not visited it. It is built on the site where, on 4 April 1944, Netaji hoisted the INA flag on Indian soil for the first time (Meitei insurgents assert Manipur was never part of India and still is not). A contributor to Imphal Free Press, Waikhom Shana, reported last week that an INA flag, made of khadi and with an emblem of a springing tiger and which was hoisted for the first time on Indian territory, “is still in good shape and is in the custody of YA Shishak of Sangshak” in Manipur’s Ukhrul district. Now in his 70s, Shishak told Waikhom that he had worked for the Maratha Infantry as well as for the Japanese as a peon and that he had also been taken to Japan twice. INA men ...

Between militants & faltering forces, why jeopardise civilians further? IF Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh commits himself to a joint action committee’s suggestion that civilians be allowed arms in defence against militants, it will amount to a tacit admission that his government has failed in the duty it promised to fulfil in the first place. It was only in March, following the killing of two girls and a man by militants at Heirok during Holi celebrations, that the committee came into being, and its demand, apart from asking for the supply of 300 arms, include better electrification of areas surrounding localities and the installation of loudspeakers. It probably has in mind something on the lines of a village resistance group or citizens’ protection committee. Which means its volunteers will have to be trained to handle arms. In which case, given militant sophistry, can the government afford the responsibility of equipping civilians with sophisticated firearms? It is wel...

NESO opposes move: Shillong, May 4: The North East Students Organisation has opposed the recommendation of the Administrative Reforms Commission to abolish the DoNER ministry. Neso member and Khasi Students Union (KSU) general secretary Hamlet Dohling said it was illogical to abolish the ministry instead of strengthening it. “It was because of Neso’s initiative that the DoNER ministry was set up a few years back with the aim of accelerating development in the Northeast,” Dohling said. According to the reforms commission, headed by former Karnataka chief minister Veerappa Moily, DoNER should be done away with and the Union home ministry could take up the task associated with the ministry. The responsibility of developing the Northeast could be entrusted to the Union home ministry, the reforms panel said. The commission, in its report, also said the Union home ministry should initiate measures to attract investment to the Northeast. The Centre should also set up a transport development f...

Arrests defang PULF: New Delhi, May 4: Fifteen years after its formation, the Manipur-based outfit, it was the beginning of the end for the People’s United Liberation Front (PULF) despite efforts by the Bangladeshi militant group Harkat-ul-Jehad-al-Islami to resuscitate it. Last week, nine of the PULF’s top leaders and activists were arrested in Assam and Karnataka. “General secretary” Md Ibrahim alias Qusi alias M.I. Khan, “secretary external affairs and chief of army” Md. Nurjaman alias Deny, “organisation-cum-publicity-secretary” Md Abdul Jabbar alias Belal Khan and “deputy commander in-chief-cum-finance secretary” Md Nasir Khan alias Thadoi alias Keshorjit alias Boy, were arrested from a Mysore hotel on April 27. Three more PULF militants were arrested from a rented house in Guwahati on the same day. The PULF was formed by a group of Meitei Pangal (Muslim) in 1993, the year Manipur witnessed a bloody communal clash between Meiteis and Meitei Pangals, which left more than 100 dead. ...

Feels like Gaza, says Israeli singer: Imphal, May 4: Roy Avital, lead singer of Dub L.F.O., a leading band from Israel, had little idea about Imphal or Manipur. He did not take too long to form one, though. "Manipur is like the Gaza strip," he exclaimed. "It seems here army is more important than culture, like in Israel," he said. Avital, who was a soldier for four years, is in Imphal to perform at the Roots Festival, an annual event held across the Northeast to hunt for local talent and also "inspire the youths to think differently from the daily killings and strife in the region". Roots festival will be held at Dimapur, Diphu, Itanagar, Guwahati, Aizawl and Shillong, where it will end on May 25. This will be the sixth annual edition of the festival, which has seen foreign bands like Aurora Jane and Massive Change from Australia perform. Avital, along with six members of Too Late Lucy, a band from London led by singer Ben Champniss, are the "guest ba...

Heirok derides 'doubting Thomases': Imphal, May 4: Objections raised by civil society organisations and former Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam on the State Cabinet's decision to provide arms to people of heirok and Chajing villages have evoked sharp reaction from JAC functionaries of Heirok. Interacting with news-persons at heirok today, JAC president Kh Ibomcha reiterated that the proposal put to the Government for supply of guns is for self protection of the people from anti-social elements and not for killing 'our own blood brothers'. Recounting that suffering of the heirok people following multiple killings in March this year did not evoke condemnation against the perpetrators or solace to the bereaved families, Ibomcha ridiculed outbursts of these social bodies and the former CM that issuing arms would trigger bloodshed among blood brothers. While asserting that people of Heirok would not tolerate atrocities committed by security forces, if any, and is prepare...

Inter-State buses suspend service: Imphal, May 4: Following the All Manipur Inter-State Bus Services Association (AMISBSA)'s decision to suspend buses services indefinitely due to 'heavy' monetary demands from various elements, all buses plying along the National Highways have suspended service from Sunday. The association has been compelled to take the decision owing to various elements, undergrounds and overgrounds demanding heavy amount of money from the transporters, a spokesman of the association told media persons on Sunday evening. The spokesman said transporters, mainly passenger buses, are facing many problems due to the heavy imposition of monetary demands and 'taxes' by different underground groups operating in both hills and valley districts. The inter-state bus services were financially overburdened as they had to ay 'taxes' at every police checkpost in neighboring Nagaland state. The decision was taken during a meeting held on Saturday at its o...