Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Imphal, June 16 : A man and a woman were injured when a powerful bomb planted inside a two-wheeler exploded in Imphal, Manipur on Tuesday. Reportedly, it went off in front of the II Manipur Rifles Battalion office around 9.30 in the morning. "I heard the loud sound of explosion and found that there was a bomb blast. One woman receive minor injurious. She is now hospitalised. Investigation has begun, however at the moment we cannot identify the culprit behind the blast," said L. Chandramani Singh, a police inspector, Imphal. Eyewitnesses said that the magnitude of the blast was so great that the scooter inside which the bomb is believed to be planted was dismantled into pieces. Both the injured were rushed to the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital where they are undergoing treatment. Further, the splinters tore an iron gate located around 100 yards from the blast site. Following the incident, the security personnel in the state were put on high alert while the general public around the...

Left, MPP campaign against inflation: Imphal, Apr 21: Manipur People's Party (MPP) and other political parties have joined the Left parties in the campaign against price hike. Left Parties and United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) have been jointly launching a Nation-wide campaign against escalating prices of essential commodities from April 16.The campaign will continue till April 23 . As part of the ongoing campaign, a peoples' convention against price hike attended by leaders of various political parties was held at Manipur Press Club here today. The convention attended by leaders of CPI, CPI(M), MPP, JD (S), Samajwadi Party among others resolved to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister lodging complaints against price hike and exerting pressure for convening an all political party meeting in this regard. The convention further resolved that all the political parties should extend co-operation and support not only to the campaign being launched by Left parties and ...

Shop owner shot by suspected UGs: A 27-old shop owner was hospitalised after he was shot at by two unidentified gunmen suspected to be UGs on Saturday evening at Kakwa bazar under Singjamei police station at Imphal. The injured man, identified as Konthoujam Pilot of Singjamei Thongam Leikai was reportedly shot with a single bullet at his left thigh by two unidentified gunmen inside his shop at Kakwa bazar at around 7.15 pm on Saturday without any reason. The victim was adimtted to Shija hospital, and Singjamei police registered a case in this connection. Woman hurt: The Joint Action Committee formed in connection with the suspicious death of Charangpat housewife Oinam ongbi Shanti Devi has said a 40 year old woman, one Binodini, has been hospitalised after being hit by a rubber bullet on Saturday in a confrontation with the police in the course of the Mayai Lambi bandh called by the JAC in protest against government failure to deliver justice in connection with Shanti’s death. Another ...

Dr Sidhu greets people: Imphal, Dec 31: On the occasion of New Year's Day 2008, Governor Dr SS Sidhu has conveyed best wishes to the people of Manipur. In his message, the Governor said that New Year's Day is not only an occasion for introspection but also for searching and evolving new resolutions for the coming year. Dr Sidhu also wished every one a new year full of peace, happiness, contentment, progress and prosperity. Greeting the people on the occasion of New Year's Day, Chief Minister O Ibobi called upon all to make a firm resolution to fight and defeat the evil designs of divisive and disruptive forces. The Chief Minister further appealed to the people to join hands in the noble task for restoring peace and prosperity in Manipur. MPCC president Gaikhangam wished that the New Year may bring about peace, harmony and prosperity for all. "Let violence and conflict give way to love and peace in the State with the arrival of 2008," said Lok Sabha MP Dr T Meinya ...

Harps on state integrity issue: Imphal, Dec 26: The MPP on Wednesday wound up its two-week long 40th foundation observation at its office. The closing function started with a trip to the Kangla Laiphamlen and from there the party’s flag was brought which was then hoisted at its office by its president Dr L Chandramani. Dr Chandramani and MLA O Joy graced the function as the president and chief guest respectively. Apart from the party’s MLAs, panchayat members and members of the Imphal Municipal Council turned up in huge drove to attend the day’s closing function. Addressing the gathering, O Joy gave a vivid account of the party, from its inception to its present situation. The MPP was born with the idea that a regional party formed in the State would be in a much better position to look after the welfare of the people than the National parties, which have its roots at New Delhi, said Joy. The first priority of the MPP is to ensure the territorial integrity of Manipur, he said and added...

All Party team petitions PM: New Delhi, Dec 21: The delegation of the All Political Parties of Manipur led by Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Friday morning at 9.45 at his residence here and submitted a memorandum on matters concerning the delimitation process in Manipur. The memorandum stated that the delimitation process on the basis of 2001 Census has been objected by the Government of Manipur since 2003. All political parties of Manipur in their memoranda to the Chairman, Delimitation Commission of India, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister dated September 18, 2005 submitted also raised the same issue and appealed for directing the Registrar, General of Census for a re- census or maintain the status quo. The State Cabinet on July 30 this year again took a decision to reject the census report of 2001 in respect of Manipur. The Manipur Legislative Assembly on August 1 this year also took a resolution objecting the process of delimitat...

Ibobi, Patil condemn blast: Imphal, Dec 17: Conveying deep anguish on the Pourabi bomb blast, Chief Minister O Ibobi has condemned the act in the strongest term. Speaking from Delhi, the Chief Minister lambasted the blast as the most cowardly act. He noted that no human society can tolerate such brutal act. He also pledged that all those involved in the blast will be hunted down and awarded befitting punishment. While sharing pain and grief of the bereaved families, the Chief Minister assured all possible assistance to families of the deceased and injured. On the other hand, along with retrieving the Canter which suffered impact of the blast by the police, bomb experts of state Police Department investigated the blast site on Monday. The owner of the ill-fated Canter (MN03/5286) has been identified as one Konthoujam Chandramani (62) of Lilong Arapti. The Canter was being driven by his own son identified as K Somendro who escaped unhurt. Meanwhile, Union Home Ministry on Monday sought a...

Five member team heads for Delhi: Imphal, Dec 16: To exert pressure on Delimitation Commission of India, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and AICC president Sonia Gandhi in connection with the demand to exempt Manipur from the ongoing delimitation process and to promulgate an ordinance in this regard, a specially selected 5-member delegation of the all political parties left Imphal for Delhi on Sunday. The five-member delegation of the all political parties specially selected for the purpose comprise of MPP president Dr L Chandramani, Legislature Wing leader of the party O Joy, party MLA Dr Ng Bijoy, BJP State unit president Dr Haobam Borbabu and former Minister of CPI Dr M Nara. After an earlier delegation of the all political parties had gone to the national capital to urge the Central leaders not to go ahead with the delimitation exercise in Manipur on the basis of the controversial Census report of 2001, the five-member delegation which left Imphal on Sunday would carry on lobbying...

MPP hardens stand: Imphal, Dec 15: Manipur People’s Party (MPP) has reaffirmed its earlier stance of opposing any move to affect delimitation of the existing Assembly and Parliamentary Constituencies on the basis of the contested census report of 2001 which they termed it ‘abnormal’ during a discussion session held in connection with its fortnight-long 40th foundation day on Saturday. After a serious deliberation on the issue, the discussion session held at the party office here unanimously resolved that the 2001 census report of Manipur is abnormal, and hence should be considered ‘bogus’. So any attempt to carry out delimitation based on the same bogus census report is irrational and should be opposed by all the people as it would have serious implications on the unity and integrity of the State inhabited by various ethnic groups of people. Demanding the Government of India to exclude Manipur from the purview of the Delimitation Act, the discussion session also resolved to forward its...

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...