Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Imphal, June 19 : The one day public consultative programme to maintain peace and tranquillity in Ukhrul district organised by Tangkhul civil organisations at Rashing hall yesterday has resolved to demand immediate withdrawal of IRB and commandos from Ukhrul. A joint press release issued by Tangkhul Naga Long, Tangkhul Katamnao Shaklong, Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long and Tangkhul Shannao Long asked as to what prompted the Government to deploy IRB and commandos in Ukhrul district when there is allegedly no law and order problem. The consultative meet demanded revocation of disturbed area status from Naga areas of Manipur and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act as well. It resolved to participate and support the vexed Indo-Naga peace process. The Tangkhul civil organisations also conveyed deep concern over the establishment of designated camps by the State Government harbouring thousands of Kuki armed cadres in Naga areas, particularly at strategic sites and national highways. After three ...

Dr Meinya petitions Patil on state affairs: New Delhi, April 22: Member of Parliament from Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency Dr Thokchom Meinya, drew the attention of the Union Home Minister for taking up some specific measures for bringing normalcy in Manipur. Participating at the discussion on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Home Affairs for 2008-09 in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Dr Meinya referred to the Status Report on the Internal Security situation in India which pointed out that the main challenges to internal security and law and order situation in the country centred around terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir, North East and Naxal affected areas and communal violence. He observed that while the situation in Jammu and Kashmir continued to show definite improvement, the overall situation in Assam and Manipur in the North Eastern Region remained an area of concern. Even though the counter insurgency operations had been stepped up in the region, killings of civi...

NESO submits memo to PM: Shillong: The North East Students’ Organization (NESO) has submitted its eight-point charter of demands to the Centre seeking its intervention for the welfare of the people of the north-eastern States in Shillong on Thursday. NESO information and publicity secretary and Khasi Students’ Union President Samuel Jyrwa submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh through Meghalaya Governor Dr SS Sidhu demanding steps to develop education in the region. Urging the Centre of assessing the state of education in the region, the NESO has impressed upon setting up of a Special Education Commission to look into the areas pertaining to civil service courses and human resource development. The memo also highlights the serious demographic change attributed to influx of illegal migrants from neighbouring countries which they fear would lead to militancy and fundamentalist activity in the region. In this context, they have pointed out that the Supreme Court verdic...

World Organisation Against Torture confers title: Imphal, Dec 8: The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), the largest network of NGOs fighting against torture in the world, has selected Irom Chanu Sharmila who has been on fast agitation for more than seven years now demanding the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, to be part of the sponsorship project called 'Defending the Defenders'. The project is jointly run by the Swiss Foreign Ministry and OMCT. Announcing this while talking to mediapersons at the office of Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) here this afternoon, research and programme associate of CORE Wahengbam Joykumar informed that the selection of Irom Chanu Sharmila for the project has been communicated by the OMCT Director Eric Sottas through CORE. The purpose of the project is said to link up a human rights defender with a sponsor who will then follow the defender's activities. If the human right defender gets into d...