Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Monika wins medals in Asian Weightlifting: New Delhi, Apr 29: Laishram Monika Devi fetched the first medals for India in the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Kanazawa, Japan on Tuesday by finishing overall third in women's 69 kg category. Monika lifted a total weight of 222 kg (100 in snatch and 122 in clean and jerk) to finish behind Liu Chunhong of China (262: 117+145) and Kao Ya-chun of Chinese Taipei (222: 98+124) respectively. The Manipuri girl added a silver and bronze as she was second in snatch and third in clean and jerk. Army Launches Tipaimukh Vigil: Imphal, Apr 29: Troops of the 57 Mountain Division started patrolling the Tipaimukh Hydel Project site in Manipur’s Churachandpur district on Tuesday after militants blew off a drilling rig and brought work to a standstill on Saturday. Militants had blasted a drilling machine using an IED, forcing all engineers and workers to flee the project site, located on the Manipur-Mizoram border. The Hmar Peoples Convention (Demo...

Sanamahi followers want constitutional recognition: Imphal, Dec. 26: The followers of the Sanamahi faith, the traditional religion of the Meiteis in Manipur, are set to launch a campaign demanding Scheduled Tribe status. Nearly 200 leaders of the faith assembled in Imphal East last week and resolved to launch a campaign for constitutional protection. “We will soon approach the Centre and seek ST status,” president of the Laiyingthou Sanamahi Thougal Kanglup, an organisation of the Meitei community, Oinam Menjor Khuman said. A majority of the Meiteis converted to Hinduism nearly 300 years ago following Bengali missionary Santidas Gosai’s influence on King Pamheiba. After the king declared Hinduism as the state religion, the Meities who practised the traditional Sanamahi faith were forced to convert to Hinduism. Descendants of a few families who continued to practise the faith secretly have now launched the movement for reviving the traditional Meitei religion. The number of followers ...

Engineer shot at by gunmen: Imphal, Dec 21: An executive engineer of the state IFCD Soubam Dhanabir, 52, was shot at both legs by unidentified gunmen at his house at Thangmeiband Sinam Leikai on Friday morning at around 7.30 am. The victim was evacuated to Shija Hospital where he is reported to be out of danger. According to Dhanabir, an unidentified youth walked into his living room without a word and shot him twice in both thighs. The youth fled the spot immediately afterwards along with another youth who was waiting at his gate on a motorcycle. Dhanabir was operated on at Shija Hospital and both bullets removed. Hospital sources said he was out of danger. Police sources believe the shooting to be the handiwork of the KCP (MC) group. In yet another incident, unidentified persons left hand grenades at the homes of Laishram Gourakishore, executive engineer, minor irrigation, and one Ningombam Gojen, said to be a relative of chief minister O Ibobi Singh, on Friday morning. According to ...

Khaini, Zarda burnt: Imphal, Dec 20: A considerable quantity of tobacco products including Talab, Khaini, Zarda and mitha mana seized by cadres of RPF Division IV were consigned to flames at about 6.25 pm on Thursday after the seized products were handed over to volunteers of the Khoyathong Polem Leikai local club. Five shops have also banned for three to six months for reportedly selling tobacco products. The shops belong to Chitra Devi (42) w/o Leishangthem Lokendro of Thangmeiband Sinam Leikai, Haikham Sanju (22) s/o Dhiren of Thangmeiband Yumnam Leikai, Khwairakpam Kula s/o Anand of Thangmeiband Yumnam Leikai, Hemabati Devi w/o Achoibam Naocha of Thangmeiband Sinam Leikai and Kshetrimayum Deventi Devi w/o Basan of Thangmeiband Sinam Leikai. Some tobacco items were also seized from the shops of Chanambam Bimola of Leirenhanjaba Leikai, Laishram Ibeyaima of Sinam Leikai, Ngangbam Sarat of Lourungpurel Leikai and Laishram Inao of Lourungpurel Leikai. Posted On: The Sangai Express

Sanamahi Meeteis to demand ST status: Imphal, Dec 16: A demand for granting of Scheduled Tribe status to the practitioners of the Meetei Sanamahi faith has now come up among a section of the community. Resolutions to this effect were adopted during a general discussion organised on Sunday by the Lainingthou Sanamahi Thougal Kanglup, Mayai Loishang, Imphal, on the theme of “finding an appropriate description for the people’s self-understanding and identity of Meitei Sanamahi believers’’ held at the premises of Lainingkol Sanamahi Sanglen, Imphal. The meet, following intense discussions, adopted the view that Sanamahi believers, being practitioners of indigenous religious traditions that go back to antiquity, should be properly treated as tribals, and resolved to pursue their inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list under the Constitution of India. In this connection, it was also decided to submit representations to the President of India, the Prime Minister, and other concerned Central aut...

Seven killed in bus bomb blast: Imphal, Dec 16 : At least seven passengers, including three women, were killed when a bomb planted in the middle of the road exploded and ripped through the bus (407 Mini Canter) in which they were travelling on Sunday at about 5.10 pm at a spot in between Pourabi and Huidrom on the Imphal-Pukhao road under Lamlai police station in Imphal East. While three of them were killed on the spot, another three succumbed to their injuries at RIMS while another died at JN hospital, Porompat. All the dead bodies as well as injured were nothing less than masses of flesh with their limbs blown away. Many more are still in critical custody in the hospitals and the number of death may increase. So powerful was the blast that it flung the bus about 25 feet away from the explosion spot. The bus was a mangled remains of metal, when this reporter reached the spot. Most of the passenger seats were found ripped away by the impact of the blast while the two rear tyres were pu...