State’s political crisis may end with arrival of Congress observer today, Rival workers start campaigning for support
By : A Staff Reporter 12/11/2007 1:07:31 AM
IMPHAL, Dec 10: The ongoing crisis within the Congress may come to an end finally with the arrival of the AICC general secretary, northeast in-charge, Prithivi Raj Chauhan in Imphal tomorrow.
The state chief minister O Ibobi Singh will also arrive tomorrow. He is likely to arrive before the Union state minister, who is attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, by an Indigo flight. Chauhan is arriving by Jet Airways.
The dissident MLAs are hoping for a successful end to their revolt against Ibobi even as there are reports of Congress workers campaigning among themselves. Workers on both sides of the divide in the party are campaigning in support for and against Ibobi in case the visiting party in-charge invites opinions from the workers.
Representations in support of Ibobi and against his leadership are likely to be submitted separately to the Union minister who will be in the city on a official visit.
Officially he is scheduled to arrive to inspect various development works taken up in the state. Among others, he is scheduled to inspect the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences which is now under the Union ministry of health and family welfare.
Meanwhile, well ahead of the visit of the Union minister, rebel Congress MLAs camping at the quarter of the sitting MLA, L Nandakumar at Lamphel held a marathon meeting to discuss the matters to be put forward before the visiting Congress general secretary, north east in-charge.
The marathon meeting concluded well after 10 pm tonight.
When contacted the rebels’ spokesperson Y Surchandra, MLA, said that the meeting discussed only the matters concerning the move to replace O Ibobi Singh as Congress legislature leader which were to be brought up before the visiting minister.
MLAs present at the meeting also resolved to be decent while meeting the Union minister and approaching him with their reasons for wanting to replace Ibobi as their leader.
After a long deliberation, the meeting resolved to call on the visiting party in-charge and request him to bring an end to the present crisis, Surchandra said observing that the matter was an internal matter of the Congress party.
Regarding the Gaikhangam statement about having no knowledge of rebel MLAs camping and revolting for ouster of Ibobi, the spokesperson observed that he might have said so due to the conditions prevailing at the time he spoke to the journalists.
By prevailing conditions, he meant that at the time of facing the journalists he had to be very careful as Ibobi’s supporters could have been near him. Mention may be made that while Gaikhangam was giving an interview yesterday, he was doing so in the presence of MPCC vice president AK Mirabai and ministers like N Biren, K Ranjit and L Jayentakumar who are not taking part in the revolt for Ibobi’s ouster.
Replying to a querry on how many MLAs were still at the camp and the number of MLAs present in the meeting, Surchandra said that all the rebel MLAs were still together and all took part in the meeting. The rebels have been claiming support of 18 MLAs in the camp, out of the total of 31 Congress legislatures.
It may be recalled that Congress MLAs who wanted to change the chief minister have been pressurizing the Congress high command at the Centre by camping together for more than a month and finally returning to the state capital on December 8.
The rebels returned to the state capital on getting assurance from the high command that the ground reality of the prevailing crisis in Imphal would be looked into. Before leaving New Delhi they were also assured by Prithivi Raj Chauhan that he would personally visit the state to end the crisis.
=============================================================
Advani assures all party team of support in delimitation issue
By : A Staff Reporter 12/11/2007 1:05:27 AM
IMPHAL, Dec 10: Delegates of the state all political party forum currently in New Delhi to campaign for delinking Manipur from the delimitation process met with the Opposition leader of the Lok Sabha, LK Advani today seeking his support for their demand seeking a halt to the delimitation process in the state.
The all party delegation briefed the BJP leader on various aspects of the controversial issue of delimitation in the state, and made it clear that carrying forward delimitation in Manipur on the basis of the ‘bogus’ 2001 census report would result in undesirable consequences, according to a statement of the NCP general secretary K Sharatkumar on behalf of the all political parties delegation.
The BJP leader has assured the delegation that he would suggest to the Central government to convene an all political parties meet to consider the delegation’s demands, particularly for delinking the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which all have outstanding issues pertaining to the 2001 census report, from the current process of delimitation.
The all party delegation, led by Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh, is due to meet the BJP president Rajnath Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister later today, according to the statement.
The all party delegation has also expressed concern over the failure of MPCC president Gaikhangam to attend the meeting convened by the Delimitation Commission today along with associate members from Manipur, to discuss the delimitation work in the state, particularly the proposals contained in the draft working papers prepared by the commission.
Sharatkumar’s statement noted that Gaikhangam’s absence from the meeting was despite the earlier resolution adopted by the All Political Parties Forum to the effect that all associate members of the delimitation committee from Manipur should compulsorily attend today’s meeting.
An explanation would be sought for Gaikhangam’s absence from the meeting, the statement added.
==============================================================
Phailen village - dependent on Myanmar, but Manipuri at heart
By : A Staff Reporter 12/11/2007 1:04:16 AM
IMPHAL, Dec 10: They depend entirely on the Myanmarese but still their hearts belong to Manipur. They don’t know what are elections, what is it about and where it is held. They live in the village because their forefathers left it for them.
Phailen village is a village located in the interior Chandel district bordering Myanmar. While reaching the village from Moreh, the border town of Manipur at the international border, one has to go from the Myanmar side or trek a stretch of two days from Sugnu, a village in Thoubal district, the last point where one can travel by vehicle.
The village (Phailen) is the second biggest village (next to Old Samtal) in Samtal area where the Indian army is conducting mass operations to flush out militants. The army has cleared the village from presence of militants.
The villagers depend on a small market at Bokan within Myanmar for their daily needs.
For the villagers of Phailen (Manipur), Bokan is the only important centre where they can sell their produce and buy their daily requirements. The centre is nothing for the Myanmarese but only a small market located at a small village.
Talking about the road communication, the villagers said, the only road passing through the village from Myanmar and to Sugnu for onward journey to reach Imphal is from the British period.
The British made the road for their own purpose and the villagers still use the road as their main road communication, but the state government never repaired or improved the road. So even though it was jeepable in the early period, now it is not as before, a 75-year old man said.
When asked why they were still staying in the village despite the difficulties, an old woman said, “We are here because we love this land which our forefathers made for us.”
“We are completely dependent on the Burmese but still we are in Manipur as Manipuris,” she went on to say.
The villagers have to cross the international border for their medical treatment whenever they suffer from serious illness. Even though the Myanmar army is very strict about illegal entry into their territory, villagers get relaxation if they go with the patients.
“They relax the rules for entry if patients are with us, but there is no permission to go for buying medicines required for the patients, “ a villager said.
If they happen to be caught by the Myanmar army, they are sure to be sent to jail for illegal intrusion into their territory.
Many of the villagers of Phailen have experienced three to five year jail terms in the Myanmar jails. Many more are still languishing in the jails as there is no one to defend them or seek their release.
When asked about their local representative in the state Assembly who is supposed to look into their grievances, they seemed to have no knowledge of elections or voting rights.
“Some may have heard of voting but we have never cast a vote or witnessed an election at the village,’ said a 60-year old man in Phailen village while interacting with a media team which visited the village with permission from the army authorities.
Interestingly, every election has witnessed election authorities counting votes cast by the electors of this village.
According to the villagers they don’t know who is currently in the state Assembly as their representative.
For the villagers, the one who could visit Imphal was one of the luckiest persons in the village. Very rarely one or two villagers visited Imphal, the state capital of Manipur, in five or six years.
A wonderful thing that was witnessed in the village was a power generating centre set up by their own effort. According to them, the villagers as per the concept discovered by a villager who visited Imphal some five years back, contributed among themselves to buy a dynamo from Myanmar and make a turbine which they rotated in the current of water at a stream in a hillock to generate power.
The power was brought to their village with a binding wire which was also bought from Myanmar and now they enjoy the power supply.
“We too wanted to see the light of development and enjoy uninterrupted power supply. So we are generating power with our own effort,” a middle-aged villager said.
==========================================================================
MHRC observes Intl Human Rights Day
By : A Staff Reporter 12/11/2007 1:03:32 AM
IMPHAL, Dec 10: The Manipur Human Rights Commission observed International Human Rights Day, commemorating the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations at the commission conferrence hall, Lamphel today.
WA Shishak, chairperson, MHRC, and members Ngangbam Nongyai and RS Rajkumar along with Dr Ch Jamini, chairperson Manipur state commission for women were present at the gathering.
Justice Shishak, in his address, recalled that the United Nations had adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of human rights had adopted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948 in reaction to the horrors visited upon millions of people in the two world wars.
He said the state human rights commission was born in Manipur based on the UN principles, and at the initiative of the state and Central governments.
Justice Shishak, in his address also laid stress on the need for the state government to pay greater attention to the commission and to meeting its needs so that it can function smoothly.
He pointed out that since the commission office does not even have a sweeper, twice a week, he has been cleaning his office chamber himself.
He also lamented that the government has failed to appoint a secretary for the commission according to the laid-down norms, as per which an officer not below the rank of a secretary to the state government is to be appointed to the post.
The government has also failed to provide police and investigative staff for the commission, which again under the norms should be under an officer not below the rank of an inspector general of police.
Ng Nongyai, noting that the state human rights commission is an advisory body to the Manipur government said that if the police and judiciary are not doing their duty, the people are left helpless.
A human rights revolution is required, he said, adding that it is the right time for participation of senior citizens and NGOs in such a movement.
He also expressed his concern regarding the need for protection of people displaced due to conflict between UGs and security forces.
RS Rajkumar stressed the need for a environment protection and ecological task force in Manipur.
Dr Ch Jamini, in her address, said the Manipur State Commission for Women will visit the remote areas of Manipur to monitor violation of rights, particularly of women and children, and impact of insurgency, AFSPA and the conflict situation between UGs and security on women and children.
=====================================================================
THE IMPHAL FREE PRESS
By : A Staff Reporter 12/11/2007 1:07:31 AM
IMPHAL, Dec 10: The ongoing crisis within the Congress may come to an end finally with the arrival of the AICC general secretary, northeast in-charge, Prithivi Raj Chauhan in Imphal tomorrow.
The state chief minister O Ibobi Singh will also arrive tomorrow. He is likely to arrive before the Union state minister, who is attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, by an Indigo flight. Chauhan is arriving by Jet Airways.
The dissident MLAs are hoping for a successful end to their revolt against Ibobi even as there are reports of Congress workers campaigning among themselves. Workers on both sides of the divide in the party are campaigning in support for and against Ibobi in case the visiting party in-charge invites opinions from the workers.
Representations in support of Ibobi and against his leadership are likely to be submitted separately to the Union minister who will be in the city on a official visit.
Officially he is scheduled to arrive to inspect various development works taken up in the state. Among others, he is scheduled to inspect the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences which is now under the Union ministry of health and family welfare.
Meanwhile, well ahead of the visit of the Union minister, rebel Congress MLAs camping at the quarter of the sitting MLA, L Nandakumar at Lamphel held a marathon meeting to discuss the matters to be put forward before the visiting Congress general secretary, north east in-charge.
The marathon meeting concluded well after 10 pm tonight.
When contacted the rebels’ spokesperson Y Surchandra, MLA, said that the meeting discussed only the matters concerning the move to replace O Ibobi Singh as Congress legislature leader which were to be brought up before the visiting minister.
MLAs present at the meeting also resolved to be decent while meeting the Union minister and approaching him with their reasons for wanting to replace Ibobi as their leader.
After a long deliberation, the meeting resolved to call on the visiting party in-charge and request him to bring an end to the present crisis, Surchandra said observing that the matter was an internal matter of the Congress party.
Regarding the Gaikhangam statement about having no knowledge of rebel MLAs camping and revolting for ouster of Ibobi, the spokesperson observed that he might have said so due to the conditions prevailing at the time he spoke to the journalists.
By prevailing conditions, he meant that at the time of facing the journalists he had to be very careful as Ibobi’s supporters could have been near him. Mention may be made that while Gaikhangam was giving an interview yesterday, he was doing so in the presence of MPCC vice president AK Mirabai and ministers like N Biren, K Ranjit and L Jayentakumar who are not taking part in the revolt for Ibobi’s ouster.
Replying to a querry on how many MLAs were still at the camp and the number of MLAs present in the meeting, Surchandra said that all the rebel MLAs were still together and all took part in the meeting. The rebels have been claiming support of 18 MLAs in the camp, out of the total of 31 Congress legislatures.
It may be recalled that Congress MLAs who wanted to change the chief minister have been pressurizing the Congress high command at the Centre by camping together for more than a month and finally returning to the state capital on December 8.
The rebels returned to the state capital on getting assurance from the high command that the ground reality of the prevailing crisis in Imphal would be looked into. Before leaving New Delhi they were also assured by Prithivi Raj Chauhan that he would personally visit the state to end the crisis.
=============================================================
Advani assures all party team of support in delimitation issue
By : A Staff Reporter 12/11/2007 1:05:27 AM
IMPHAL, Dec 10: Delegates of the state all political party forum currently in New Delhi to campaign for delinking Manipur from the delimitation process met with the Opposition leader of the Lok Sabha, LK Advani today seeking his support for their demand seeking a halt to the delimitation process in the state.
The all party delegation briefed the BJP leader on various aspects of the controversial issue of delimitation in the state, and made it clear that carrying forward delimitation in Manipur on the basis of the ‘bogus’ 2001 census report would result in undesirable consequences, according to a statement of the NCP general secretary K Sharatkumar on behalf of the all political parties delegation.
The BJP leader has assured the delegation that he would suggest to the Central government to convene an all political parties meet to consider the delegation’s demands, particularly for delinking the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which all have outstanding issues pertaining to the 2001 census report, from the current process of delimitation.
The all party delegation, led by Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh, is due to meet the BJP president Rajnath Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister later today, according to the statement.
The all party delegation has also expressed concern over the failure of MPCC president Gaikhangam to attend the meeting convened by the Delimitation Commission today along with associate members from Manipur, to discuss the delimitation work in the state, particularly the proposals contained in the draft working papers prepared by the commission.
Sharatkumar’s statement noted that Gaikhangam’s absence from the meeting was despite the earlier resolution adopted by the All Political Parties Forum to the effect that all associate members of the delimitation committee from Manipur should compulsorily attend today’s meeting.
An explanation would be sought for Gaikhangam’s absence from the meeting, the statement added.
==============================================================
Phailen village - dependent on Myanmar, but Manipuri at heart
By : A Staff Reporter 12/11/2007 1:04:16 AM
IMPHAL, Dec 10: They depend entirely on the Myanmarese but still their hearts belong to Manipur. They don’t know what are elections, what is it about and where it is held. They live in the village because their forefathers left it for them.
Phailen village is a village located in the interior Chandel district bordering Myanmar. While reaching the village from Moreh, the border town of Manipur at the international border, one has to go from the Myanmar side or trek a stretch of two days from Sugnu, a village in Thoubal district, the last point where one can travel by vehicle.
The village (Phailen) is the second biggest village (next to Old Samtal) in Samtal area where the Indian army is conducting mass operations to flush out militants. The army has cleared the village from presence of militants.
The villagers depend on a small market at Bokan within Myanmar for their daily needs.
For the villagers of Phailen (Manipur), Bokan is the only important centre where they can sell their produce and buy their daily requirements. The centre is nothing for the Myanmarese but only a small market located at a small village.
Talking about the road communication, the villagers said, the only road passing through the village from Myanmar and to Sugnu for onward journey to reach Imphal is from the British period.
The British made the road for their own purpose and the villagers still use the road as their main road communication, but the state government never repaired or improved the road. So even though it was jeepable in the early period, now it is not as before, a 75-year old man said.
When asked why they were still staying in the village despite the difficulties, an old woman said, “We are here because we love this land which our forefathers made for us.”
“We are completely dependent on the Burmese but still we are in Manipur as Manipuris,” she went on to say.
The villagers have to cross the international border for their medical treatment whenever they suffer from serious illness. Even though the Myanmar army is very strict about illegal entry into their territory, villagers get relaxation if they go with the patients.
“They relax the rules for entry if patients are with us, but there is no permission to go for buying medicines required for the patients, “ a villager said.
If they happen to be caught by the Myanmar army, they are sure to be sent to jail for illegal intrusion into their territory.
Many of the villagers of Phailen have experienced three to five year jail terms in the Myanmar jails. Many more are still languishing in the jails as there is no one to defend them or seek their release.
When asked about their local representative in the state Assembly who is supposed to look into their grievances, they seemed to have no knowledge of elections or voting rights.
“Some may have heard of voting but we have never cast a vote or witnessed an election at the village,’ said a 60-year old man in Phailen village while interacting with a media team which visited the village with permission from the army authorities.
Interestingly, every election has witnessed election authorities counting votes cast by the electors of this village.
According to the villagers they don’t know who is currently in the state Assembly as their representative.
For the villagers, the one who could visit Imphal was one of the luckiest persons in the village. Very rarely one or two villagers visited Imphal, the state capital of Manipur, in five or six years.
A wonderful thing that was witnessed in the village was a power generating centre set up by their own effort. According to them, the villagers as per the concept discovered by a villager who visited Imphal some five years back, contributed among themselves to buy a dynamo from Myanmar and make a turbine which they rotated in the current of water at a stream in a hillock to generate power.
The power was brought to their village with a binding wire which was also bought from Myanmar and now they enjoy the power supply.
“We too wanted to see the light of development and enjoy uninterrupted power supply. So we are generating power with our own effort,” a middle-aged villager said.
==========================================================================
MHRC observes Intl Human Rights Day
By : A Staff Reporter 12/11/2007 1:03:32 AM
IMPHAL, Dec 10: The Manipur Human Rights Commission observed International Human Rights Day, commemorating the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations at the commission conferrence hall, Lamphel today.
WA Shishak, chairperson, MHRC, and members Ngangbam Nongyai and RS Rajkumar along with Dr Ch Jamini, chairperson Manipur state commission for women were present at the gathering.
Justice Shishak, in his address, recalled that the United Nations had adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of human rights had adopted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948 in reaction to the horrors visited upon millions of people in the two world wars.
He said the state human rights commission was born in Manipur based on the UN principles, and at the initiative of the state and Central governments.
Justice Shishak, in his address also laid stress on the need for the state government to pay greater attention to the commission and to meeting its needs so that it can function smoothly.
He pointed out that since the commission office does not even have a sweeper, twice a week, he has been cleaning his office chamber himself.
He also lamented that the government has failed to appoint a secretary for the commission according to the laid-down norms, as per which an officer not below the rank of a secretary to the state government is to be appointed to the post.
The government has also failed to provide police and investigative staff for the commission, which again under the norms should be under an officer not below the rank of an inspector general of police.
Ng Nongyai, noting that the state human rights commission is an advisory body to the Manipur government said that if the police and judiciary are not doing their duty, the people are left helpless.
A human rights revolution is required, he said, adding that it is the right time for participation of senior citizens and NGOs in such a movement.
He also expressed his concern regarding the need for protection of people displaced due to conflict between UGs and security forces.
RS Rajkumar stressed the need for a environment protection and ecological task force in Manipur.
Dr Ch Jamini, in her address, said the Manipur State Commission for Women will visit the remote areas of Manipur to monitor violation of rights, particularly of women and children, and impact of insurgency, AFSPA and the conflict situation between UGs and security on women and children.
=====================================================================
THE IMPHAL FREE PRESS
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