Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Patna, June 19 : Bihar CM Nitish Kumar today asked his Manipur counterpart Okram Ibobi Singh to effectively check attacks on migrant, particularly Bihari labourers, in the state. Kumar called up Singh this morning to register his "deep concern and anguish" over the recent attacks on labourers from Bihar and West Bengal by militants in Manipur and requested him to bring an end to it, a spokesman at the chief minister's office here said. Maintaining that the attacks were detrimental to the unity and integrity of the country, Kumar requested Singh to initiate steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents. Kumar also directed state's chief secretary RJM Pillai and director general of Police DN Gautam to depute a high-level officer to facilitate return of those Bihari labourers who intended to come back and co-ordinate with their Manipur counterparts measures to check violence against the migrant labourers from the state. Labourers from Bihar and West Bengal have of late b...

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...

Arming citizens to fight their own people fraught with danger: By Baba There has been an increasing frustration of the people of Manipur to the violence and extortion perpetrated by the underground elements. I feel that for some time now the wanton killings of innocent citizens have exceeded the trigger happiness of security forces. Even as we do not accept trampling of civil liberties and killing by security forces under draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Power Act, we can not also remain as mute spectators to mindless violence by our so-called brethren. The writing on the wall is becoming clearer day by day. The protests by Imphal auto rickshaw drivers, by doctors and nurses of RIMS, by the councillors of Municipal Committees and Nagar Panchayats, shutting down shops in Awang Sekmai – all against extortion by the UGs, the demand to the state government by the JAC formed after the killing of 52-year-old Haorambam Robi Meetei of Lilong and by the people of Heirok to issue ...

U-turn saved MLA Bijoy Koijam’s life: Imphal, Apr 25: It was an unscheduled U-turn that probably saved Congress MLA Bijoy Koijam’s life as the scooter bomb went off in the heavily-fortified VIP Colony here yesterday. Had the ruling party MLA from Thongju of Imphal East not made a U-turn after coming out of his official quarters, his three-vehicle convoy would have received the full impact of the blast that left three bystanders wounded. “I was starting out of my quarters around 10am. But as soon as I spotted the lone scooter parked on the roadside, I got suspicious and immediately asked my drivers and guards to take a U-turn back to my quarters, which was close by. If I had proceeded, the scooter bomb would have exploded as I passed by. I thanked god. The bomb exploded as soon as my car stopped at my gate,” a shaken Koijam told The Telegraph this morning. Koijam, however, could not say whether he was the target. “I cannot say whether I was the target. What I know for sure is that had I...

'Leader' snubs, rebels fume: Imphal, Jan 27: In what could be a significant gesture, Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Th Debendra who is being projected by the dissident Congress MLAs as their leader has snubbed the rebel camp. With Debendra refusing to heed the call to come to Delhi on Sunday and instead go to Jiribam, the rebel MLAs are literally fuming. In the back drop of the new development, the rebel MLAs have convened an emergency meeting on Monday. Some senior leaders of the dissident group noted that the failure of Thoudam Debendra to respond to the call of the AICC to come to Delhi is tantamount to humiliating and betraying the rebel MLAs. "He will certainly reap the outcome of his act of betrayal very soon," they asserted. The alleged act of Debendra to concede to the reported enticement of the Chief Minister with the portfolio of Finance Minister and various other benefits amount to cheating the people of Manipur, the rebel MLAs fumed. The Law Minister...

State braves boycott, drizzle to celebrate R-Day: Imphal: Boycott call by insurgent outfits and the chill generated by the January rain failed to dampen the spirit of the country's 59th Republic Day celebration as an impressive crowd thronged Kangla Fort to witness the riot of colour on Saturday. The celebration culminated with the Beating of the Retreat programme at 1st Manipur Rifles ground on Sunday afternoon with Governor Dr SS Sidhu gracing the occasion as the chief guest. Prizes to position winning march past contingents, cultural troupes and schools were also distributed by the Governor. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh took the salute from the march past contingents, which official report put at 64 security forces, NCC and schools, and 14 cultural troupes apart from taleaux of nine departments highlighting acheivements and policy/programme of the Government. Soon after arrival for the function a contingent of Manipur Women Police under the command of Miss Puspanjali (IPS) a...

Hospital abuzz with Sharmila’s health: Imphal, Jan. 4: Hospital authorities are worried over the “deteriorating” health of Manipur’s human rights crusader Irom Sharmila who has refused nasal feeding for the past 12 days. Sharmila, who has been on a fast unto death since November 2000, is surviving only on nasal feeding for more than seven years now in the security ward of Imphal’s Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital. Doctors and nurses attending on the crusader today confirmed that Sharmila is being fed only once at 9pm instead of the regular five times a day. “She did not give any reason for her refusal to accept the feeding,” one of the nurses attending on her said. She has not made any complaints either. “She takes a walk regularly and does yoga,” the nurse said. The nurses speculated that Sharmila could be disturbed by the death of eight bus passengers in a bomb blast at Pourabi in Imphal East district on December 16. But medical experts warned that if this continued, her health would deteri...

International Tent Pegging Meet: Ten riders have been selected (nominally) to participate in the International Tent Pegging Championship to be held at the Imphal Pologround from Janaury 10 to 14. The shortlisted players are: HC Jaswinder Singh (BSF); SI Jaswinder Singh, Insp Jagdish Singh, ASI Youngbir Singh, SI Talwinder Singh (Punjab Police); HC Suresh Kumar, HC Sashidharan (ITBP); Maj Vivek Rehni, Sub Omprakash (ASC-N); CHM Jitender Singh (ASC-Bangalore). Police equestrian meet from Friday: The 26th All India Police Equestrian Meet 2008, organised by Manipur Police, will be held at Pologround, Imphal from Friday. Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and Youth Affairs and Sports Minister N Biren will grace the opening function as chief guest and president respectively while Education Minister L Jayantakumar and PDA Chairman Dr Kh Loken will be the guest of honour. 196 men and 106 horse will participate in the meet. The participating teams are: UP Police, ITBP, Assam Rifles, Punjab Police, Bord...

Four teams confirm participation: Imphal, Dec. 25: Four teams have so far registered for the National Tent Pegging Championship, which will begin at Imphal Polo ground on Thursday. The teams include Army Supply Corp, Centre North Gaya with eight horses and 23 participants, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (Basic Training Centre, Haryana) with nine horses and 19 participants, DGAR Equestrian Team with four horses and nine participants and Punjab Police with 11 horses and six riders. The West Bengal team and Calcutta Police teams will be arriving late, as they will be participating in competitions elsewhere and are likely to miss the national championship. According to inspector Dilip Kumar, the teams will probably reach Imphal on Sunday and take part in the All India Police Tent Pegging Meet and the International Tent Pegging championship. The teams are coming with 25 riders and six horses for the remaining competitions. Ten teams are expected to participate in the national meet. Manipur chie...

Ibobi baiters await Delhi envoy : Imphal, Dec. 9: Huddled in well-guarded “camp” since their return from New Delhi, the dissident Congress legislators, who have been lobbying for chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh’s ouster for the past month, are waiting now with baited breath for AICC observer Prithviraj Chauhan to arrive here on Tuesday. The 14, who have met almost all the senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Shivraj Patil, returned to the state capital only after extracting the promise of Chauhan’s visit from the party high command. Chauhan will to speak to all the Congress legislators and party leaders in Imphal and submit a report on the impasse to the party high command on his return to Delhi. Their fingers crossed, the dissident legislators are now camping in the well-guarded official residence of Laishram Nandakumar Singh, MLA. The MLAs are not being allowed to visit their homes or official quarters. Only their relatives are allowed to meet them at the camp. “All t...

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...