Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

New Delhi, June 16: Precautionary measures against the Swine Flu virus has been stepped up by authorities in India and Burma along their international boundary, following the positive cases of the disease, which have been detected in India. An official from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department in Tamu Township of Sagaing Division in northwestern Burma, bordering India’s Manipur State, on Tuesday said, his department and the Health Department had increased vigilance on the Indo-Burma border check gate No (2), after the H1N1/A virus was detected in India. “We put up posters that warned people not to import pigs near border check gate (2)…the Health Department also checked passersby, who went in and out from both countries,” an official from Tamu, which shares the border with Moreh in India, told Mizzima. He said, “We launched a programme to educate the people, distributed pamphlets and checked pig farms and compiled the number of pigs.” However, he assured that there were no re...

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...

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...

Cross border arms smuggling in Manipur discussed: Imphal: Giving details of the cross border arms smuggling and other cross border activities of the insurgents operating in Manipur like the existence of training camps, hideouts and transit routes in Myanmar, the Manipur government has hinted at coordinated joint operations by the Myanmar army and Indian security forces, as decided during a home secretary level talks between Myanmar and India. Yunan province of China is the main originating point of the arms and ammunition found in Manipur and the main routes used for transporting it are Thai-Myanmar border through Kachin state and Kalemyo-Tamu in Myanmar and then onwards to Ukhrul district. Arms and ammunition are also being smuggled into Manipur through various routes, such as via Kasom Khullen, Moreh, New Somtal, Behiang etc. said the agenda note for Indo-Myanmar border management which was placed before the home secretary level talks between India and Myanmar at New Delhi in the mon...

Team leaves for Myanmar: Imphal, Apr 24: A delegation consisting of officials of the Manipur government, Mizoram government, scholars and functionaries of the NIPCO will leave Imphal tomorrow for Myanmar for a series of discussions on the future prospects of India`s "Look East Policy" and its 1400 km tans Asian highway. President of NIPCO, Y Nabachandra said the delegation to Myanmar aims at explore the future impact of the trans Asian highway on the people of the state as well as in other parts of Asia where the highway is to pass through. It is a must for the people living in South East Asia to discuss and know the future impact on the living conditions of the people by the coming up of the highway which is to reach upto Thailand border, he said. The programme was sponsored by the department of commerce and industries, Manipur. Professors from Munipur University, traders, senior citizens, entrepreneurs, functionaries of NIPCO and well known scholars in different trades alo...

Bans festivities, Thabal Chongba on Khongjom Day: Imphal, Apr 22: The KYKL has banned all festivities on April 23, the day observed as Khongjom Day in the state in a press release by it Dy. Secy. publicity and research, Apabi Mangang. In particular, the organisation banned all planned thabal chongba in and around Khongjom on the day, and also on all other days until the next Yaoshang except in the case of Lai Haraoba rituals of the nearby sacred places. The KYKL release also expressed utter disbelief at the show of insensitivity to the history of the place and the significance of the Khongjom war by such planned festivities. It said this should have been a solemn occasion to remember the land’s brave forefather and their commitment to freedom and identity of posterity. They fought the British knowing fully well they were no match for the imperial army which had virtually conquered the whole world earning itself the epithet that it is an empire on which the sun never sets. In the face o...

Myanmar, India to step up vigil: Imphal: India and Myanmar on Friday agreed to step up vigil along the international border to curb cross-border smuggling of narcotic substances and help each other in dismantling drug factories. An official source said field officials of the two countries met at Moreh on Friday. The meeting focused on the problems of cross-border drug smuggling and measures to tackle the problem through co-operation. “The meeting agreed to step up vigil along the border and also share information on drug smuggling activities. We also agreed to help locate drug refineries and dismantle them,” the source said. The Myanmarese delegation was led by Lt Col Aung Ten, political in-charge of Tamu district. The Indian delegation was headed by superintendent of police, narcotic and border affairs, Manipur. Senior officials of the Assam Rifles, Narcotic Control Bureau and state police were present at the meeting, held at the office of the Customs Preventive Force. The meeting al...

Bullet in beer smuggler's leg: Imphal, Dec 29: As a follow up action to setting ablaze a truck laden with smuggled can-beer at Thoubal on December 25, the owner of the truck, who surrendered to the proscribed outfit RPF, was paraded before mediapersons somewhere in Senapati district on Saturday before punishing him with a bullet on his left calf. Along with having found out that the can-beer were smuggled in from Myanmar, the details of the cash amount and other gifts allegedly given to police personnel and AR posts for giving safe passage to the smuggled goods have come to light. Parading the truck owner identified as Thounaojam Inao alias Dhananjoy (35) s/o Thounaojam Budhi of Khongjom Papal, a spokesperson of department of communication and publicity of the proscribed outfit informed that Inao would be shot on his leg as punishment for defying the prohibition on foreign liquor and drug trafficking imposed by RPF with the support of the people since 1990. Inao was found with a bu...