BJYM lashes out at Manipur Govt

Newmai News Network

IMPHAL, July 24: The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) today alleged Manipur Government was busy earning huge profit by taking up various projects in the state.Bharatiya Yuva Morcha, North East in-charge H Bill Lotha was here in a two-day visit to the state. He inaugurated the Yuva Sadasya-Yuva Mitra Abhiyan, a special campaign under which youths who are in the age of 15-25 will be enrolled in the BJYM.

He was briefing the media before leaving the state at the Manipur Pradesh BJP office here on Wednesday. 

 Lotha alleged that the Congress Government led by O Ibobi of Manipur has failed in all fronts.  Major needs like agriculture, electricity and road in the state are all messed up by the state Government and instead it has changed all the developmental projects into a lucrative business to earn huge profit, he accused.Citing the issue on the proposed takeover of the Manipur Royal Palace by the state Government, Lotha alleged that the Government is trying to make huge money while renovating the palace after the takeover. The Ibobi led Government is blind-folded while considering the wellbeing of the youths of the state and it is using drugs and corruption as a tool to spoil them, he alleged.He said the rate of drug trafficking in Manipur is very high while comparing to other states of North East and that even relatives of MLAs are found involved in illicit drug business.

Supreme Court--Manipur human rights case

Newmai News Network

IMPHAL, August 7: A mother of a victim who had killed in a fake encounter years back by security forces in Manipur today condemned the state Principal Secretary for submitting a wrong affidavit to the Supreme Court stating that his son was a married man and that he was a father to several children.State Principal Secretary submitted the affidavit to the apex court in connection with the six extrajudicial killing cases being probed by a Supreme Court appointed Commission. The Principal Secretary mentioned in the affidavit that Khumbongmayum Orsonjit was a married man and that he had children.A team of Extrajudicial Execution Victims’ Families Association, Manipur (EEVFAM) went to New Delhi to attend the hearing of the case which was scheduled on August 6. The team briefed reporters on their visit to the national capital at the office of Human Rights Alert (HRA) here.Kh Lata, the mother of Orsonjit said that the state Government has committed a gross error by providing wrong information that her son had wife and children.She condemned the act of the Principal Secretary in the strongest terms saying that he son was a 19-year-old single.HRA executive director Baballu Loitongbam, who was also present at the press briefing, said the next hearing of the six extrajudicial killings scheduled on August 6 was postponed to September 17.It was to be heard by a double-bench of Justices AK Patnaik and Khera.The Supreme Court has sent a reminder to Manipur Government to submit the report of the state independent commission seperately probing 27 extrajudicial execution cases by September 10 this year, Baballu informed.Baballu also condemned the state Government for submitting the wrong affidavit on Orsonjit fake encounter case to the apex court and said that it shows the lack of proper investigation by the state CID.EEVFAM after joining hands with HRA in October 2012 had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the apex court in relation to 1,528 cases of extrajudicial killings that took place from 1979 to 2012 in Manipur.The Supreme Court, in response to the PIL, had ordered an investigation by an independent panel into the six cases listed in the first compilation of the total 1528 cases.

The three-member independent panel appointed by Supreme Court consists of retired Judge of the apex court Santosh Hedge, former Chief Election Commissioner JM Lyngdoh and former Karnataka police Chief Ajay Kumar Singh. Seven victims named in the six cases of the alleged extrajudicial execution are Azad Khan of Mayang Imphal Phougakchao Makha Leikai, Elangbam Kiranjit of Thoubal Haokha Mamang Leikai, Nameirakpam Nobo from Bashikhong, Nameirakpam Govind, also from Bashikhong, Akoijam Priyobarta of Mongshangei,  Chongtham Umakanta of Iroishemba and Khumbongmayum Orsonjit from Keishampat Jailer Leirak.

District bodies condemns killing

Senapati, 6th August, 2013: Coming out vocally against brutal killing of an NSCN-KK commander at Senapati DHQ, the NPO, all Tribe Hohos of Mao, Maram, Poumai, Thangal and Zeliangrong, SDWA, SDSA, KSTC, Makhrelui Village, Ankailongdi Village, Viewland colony has condemned the act of disturbing the peaceful environment of the DHQ. The frontal bodies in a joint statement stated that, those responsible should come out with clarification and bring justice to the victim. Any factional or violent activities in the District will not be tolerated, stated the civil bodies.

Meanwhile, the Ankailongdi village and Viewland colony has expressed anger over the killing of a person in its jurisdiction. We will not accept any activities to make the area a butchering place and inhuman act stated the two bodies. Those responsible should come out with explanation as to why it chose to disturb the serenity of the people.

DECLARATION

In a meeting held on the 6th August 2013, the Youth Executive Members of all the Senapati-Karong –Mt.Everest areas resolved to pass the following declaration. The committee has decided to completely banned the circulation of “Awakening the Horror” (Black Bulls) within its jurisdiction as the circulation carries anti-social messages and prints in signs and symbols. Any individual in connection to enrolling with the gang are liable with heavy penalties. The General public is also asked to be on alert and report any signs of anti-social activities.

SD/- 

Co-ordination Committee

Senapati-Karong Area Youth Organization.

SKAYO

CLEARIFICATION ON FAITH HARVEST MINISTRY

There has been a lot of rumours and false allegation spreading about Faith Harvest Ministry as anti-Christ, satanic church causing fears and misunderstanding and that we have been distributing a form to the people to join the “awakening the horror” Black Bulls gang. All of this is false propaganda and baseless. Whoever is distributing the form for this so called “black bulls” gang, they are doing it at their own risk and we have nothing to do with it. And whoever spread the rumours are doing it to their own harm. Truth shall prevail and the culprit shall be exposed.

Pastor Koheni Ariicho is a member of Pudunamei Baptist Church Mao. I grew up in Kohima and was part of Faith Harvest Church Kohima since 2002. I did my Master of Divinity in Southern Asia Bible College, Bangalore. I work with Living Fountain Gates, a ministry for the North- East Youth in Bangalore from 2005 to 2008 and in Chennai with the same Ministry from 2009 to march 2011. After that I join the pastoral staff of Faith Harvest Church Kohima from 2011 April till 2013 March. Faith Harvest Church is a well known, reputed Evangelical church in Kohima. Rev. Shan Kikon is the senior Pastor of Faith Harvest Church, Kohima. He is a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Centre of Tulsa, Oklahoma. His contact no: 9436005077.

This is our Doctrinal Statement: I believe in God the Father. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary. He was crucified, died and was buried, the third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God. He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in eternal heaven and hell. I believe salvation is by faith alone through Christ Jesus. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. I believe in the Bible as the inspired Word of God and therefore is the final authority for our faith and conduct.

Pastor Koheni Ariicho. Faith Harvest Ministry, Senapati

NSCN-KK Southern commander shot dead at Senapati DHQ

Senapati, Aug 6: Factional killings among Naga militant organizations have re-surfaced in Manipur after a long lull. Today, a cadre of NSCN-Khole-Kitovi was shot dead in Senapati district headquarters by suspected rival cadres. Sources said self-style ‘Lieutenant Colonel’ Pfokrehe James alias Kurishii, 55 years, hailed from NSCN-Khole-Kitovi group ( formerly called Unification) was dragged away from Senapati Bazaar Old Road area around 3:15 pm today by three gunmen and later at around 5 pm gun shots were heard. Around 5:30 pm the body of Pfokrehe James was found lying near a stream lying between Senapati Ankailongdi and Viewland Colony, Senapati DHQ. Police rushed to the spot and retrieved the body. It is said that Pfokrehe James hailed from Robunamai village under Mao-Maram subdivision of Senapati district. Police believed that the incident is related to the factional rivalry of the NSCNs. However, it is exactly not known which group was responsible for the killing. Meanwhile, Mao Council has strongly condemned the incident saying killing an unarmed person is an act of cowardice. The Mao Council also said Pfokrehe had come to Senapati town to participate in the crucial meeting on Census issue today. He was reportedly dragged away in public view with gun point despite his Village chairman protest.

UBI bank branch in Senapati DHQ

Senapati, 3rd August, 2013: Expanding its branches into growing population of hill districts, the United Bank of India (UBI) will set its foot in Senapati DHQ in two months time. According to visiting UBI Chief Manager Pradeep accompanied by Lead Bank Manager, the UBI bank will be established at the earliest possible. After State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC Banks, Senapati DHQ will finally have three financial institutions which otherwise has depended heavily on SBI since many years. With special emphasis and government guidelines of opening bank accounts for any government beneficial projects or programmes like MGNREGS, Old age Pensions, Student’s scholarship, schemes and others, the coming of another bank in one of the most populated Hill District is expected to roll out better financial system and loan facilities. Sources has also claimed that, the establishment of Central Bank of India (CBI) has also been confirmed and in the pipeline to resume its service at Senapati DHQ at the earliest.

Karbi Anglong agitation to affect Manipur and Nagaland

Karbi Anglong agitation to affect Manipur and Nagaland

DIMAPUR, Aug 5: Manipur and Nagaland will face serious impact if the ongoing violent agitation in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district bordering Nagaland prolongs. People in Karbi Anglong district under the banner of Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS) are fast intensifying its stir demanding to declare the district a statehood status. In Nagaland’s commercial hub Dimapur, the pinch of the Karbi Anglong district agitation has begun to be felt as commodities have stopped coming from Assam. A Muslim vendor who deals in birds ( country chicken, ducks, pigeons) told Newmai News Network in Dimapur on Monday that he has been taking rest in the last few days in his home here due to the serious agitation in Karbi Anglong. This Muslim trader, who did not want to be identified, has been bringing local chicken, ducks and pigeons from Assam to Dimapur in the past 20 years or so.

Meanwhile, Manipur and Nagaland bound trucks have stranded in various places in Assam owing to the violent agitation in Karbi Anglong district. Even as the agitation of JACAS is heightening, the Karbi People’s Liberation Tiger (KPLT) has announced to impose Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao 300 hours bandh from 5:00 am of August 5 which will conclude on August 17 in support of the statehood demand. 

Meanwhile, the Eastern Naga Peoples Organisation (ENPO) that had just turned down the Rs 300 crore package in lieu of the Frontier Nagaland, is believed to be indulging in intense discussion on the matter. Attempts to contact the ENPO leaders proved futile by this news agency. 

On July 24, holding rallies in the four districts of Kiphire, Tuensang, Mon and Longleng, the ENPO leaders had demanded that the government of India immediately starts the dialogue on the ‘Frontier Nagaland’ state creation by carving out the four districts from Nagaland state. The ENPO’s demand for the creation of ‘Frontier Nagaland’ was peaked in 2011 accusing the successive Nagaland governments of meting out step-motherly treatments to the four eastern districts of Nagaland. Two years ago, Nagas in four Nagaland districts had carried out massive public rallies demanding the creation of a new state christened as ‘Frontier Nagaland’ by bifurcating Nagaland. The ENPO, which is the apex organization of six Naga tribes including Konyak, Khiamniungan, Chang, Yimchunger, Sangtam and Phom inhabiting the four districts, had submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister urging him to realize the demand

After three weeks, normal traffic on Imphal-Dimapur highway resumes

After three weeks, normal traffic on Imphal-Dimapur highway resumes

Imphal Aug 5: After more than three weeks of total halt of vehicular movement, normal traffic has been resumed on the Imphal-Dimapur section of national highway from Monday. The normal movement of freight trucks on this section of the highway remained total halt after a massive landslide on the intervening night of July 12 and 13 near Heritage village, few kilometers from Kohima toward Imphal brought down around 300 meter portion of the highway. Workers of the 15 Border Road Organisation (BRO) have been put into work day and night in cutting a new road to link up the highway and the same has been motorable today and Imphal-bound freight trucks have started crossing the newly constructed road. Colonel Tejpal of the 15 BRO had earlier informed to the officials of the Indian Oil Corporation in Imphal about remarkable progress in the making of new road to connect the highway. The BRTF under 15 BRO has started repair work of the affected portion of the highway since July 16. Later, road was totally blocked since August 2 to speed up the process. The repairing has almost been completed by now, and loaded vehicles have started plying since yesterday, but the formal permission to use the road would only be given from the morning of Tuesday. Since the cutting of the highway, Manipur has been experiencing petroleum products scarcity as import of these products entirely depend on this route even though other essential commodities were arriving to Imphal on the Imphal-Jiribam section of NH-37.With the petroleum products stocks fast depleting, IOC authority in Imphal has been compelled to distribute petrol and diesel on ration system to the oil pumps at limited quantities to the retail oil pumps. This again compelled customers to stand in beeline queue to get limited quantity of petrol and diesel to meet their requirement. A customer with two-wheeler vehicle could get petrol for Rs 350 at one time while four wheelers light vehicles for Rs 500. With the informal resumption of traffic, around 100 Imphal-bound loaded trucks including oil tankers and LPG laden trucks have reportedly crossed the newly constructed road and headed for Imphal this late afternoon, an official said, adding that they are likely to reach Imphal late tonight. On the other hand, at least 101 loaded trucks have arrived Imphal from Jiribam today. The trucks included 19 petrol tankers, 30 diesel tankers, 42 fertilizers, 18 LPG trucks and one kerosene tanker. More trucks are on the way.

Kuki State Demand Committee to launch agitation soon

IMPHAL, Aug 5: The Telangana effect is fast affecting the North East India region and in Manipur it is the Kuki Statehood Demand Committee (KSDC) that is likely to resort to agitation any day. Interacting with few media persons today, KSDC leaders said they may announce within the next few days its course of agitation.KSDC leaders rued that they have been resorting to democratic forms of agitation in the past few years but the government has chosen to turn deaf ears on the matter. The KSDC leaders then said the Kukis have been demanding the separate statehood since 1960 and had appraised the matter to the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. “Even after 50 years of our movement, the government of India has not acknowledged our sentiment,” the KSDC leaders expressed their regrets. The KSDC has been demanding from both the state and the Central Governments to start peace parleys with two umbrella Kuki armed groups—The Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF)—which are signatories to the Suspension of Operations (SoO) involving both the Central and state Governments. On July 8, while recalling its movement, the Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) had said that it was revived on November 2, 2010 based on the political movement of the Kuki National Assembly (KNA) for creation of Kuki State in the present day Manipur (First memorandum was submitted in 1960 to the then Prime Minister of India Late PT Jawaharlal Nehru). Before the advent of the British colonialists in the soil of the Kukis, the Kukis governed themselves under chiefs in their territories without outside inference in their affairs. Since the merged of the Kuki territories with Kangleipak (Manipur) without the consent of the Kukis which added their suffering increases day in and day out, the KSDC said.KSDC has been leading the mass movement for separate Kuki State within the Constitution of India as Kukis are denied of their rights for life, security and development and peaceful governance of their affairs in their ancestral land even after India got independence and the attainment of statehood by Manipur. Another factor has been the denial of Sadar Hills as full-fledged district as it is dominated by the Kukis is tantamount to denial of development of the Kukis.”The Government failed to address the governance of the tribals under Sixth scheduled which is a constitutional rights; the disparity/negligence of development in Kuki areas; the policy of the Government of alienating and annexation of tribal land through state mechanism; interference of the Government and its machineries in the affaire - de of the Kukis; the Government denied the rights of the tribals in Government employment by alienating the reservation policy; rendering the Hill Area Committee non-functional which is a breach of the privileges’ of the tribals; denial of proportionate representation in the state assembly between the tribals and non- tribals.etc etc., are also some other factors that have prompted us to start this movement,” the KSDC had stated. The Kukis in present day Manipur is left with pamper and has no future for political as well as administration, it had lamented.”The KSDC therefore had led the Kuki people for their political survival leading to mass rally since its inception in 2010 followed by general strikes, public blockade, economic blockade etc.as the Government had failed to address the vexed Kuki political issue,” KSDC had said on July 8. ”In 2012, the patience of the Kuki people was beyond control that led to the boycotting of ASEAN-INDIA car rally. As a face saving measure, the government of India through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA ) had sent a letter assuring the Kuki people that the political dialogue with Kuki underground groups would begin after the Winter session of the Parliament. Taking into confidence, the KSDC had decided to suspend the boycott but nothing concrete steps have been taken by the government of India and that had prompted the KSDC to blockade the BCIM car rally. The Government in spite of addressing the issue unleashed their might by manhandling the peaceful demonstrators at various places in Imphal-Jiribam Road (NH-2) and imposition of curfew under Crpc 144 in Imphal-Moreh Road. It was ashamed for the government as the car rally was welcomed with placards and blackwin-flags at various places which exposed the hollowness of Indian democracy,” the KSDC had recalled earlier. The KSDC will continue the movement till the political solution for the Kukis in the form of Kuki State is attained/achieved, the KDSC affirmed.