29-March-2015 ~ Page No.

SANGAI DIGEST
Imphal, dated Mar 28
Smuggler held
Troops of 9 Assam Rifles
apprehended a gold smuggler at
Moreh at around 2 am today.
The man has been identified as Narjeet Rai (43) s/o
Tika Ram Rai of Kangpokpi.
Six gold bangles weighing around 450 gm worth
around Rs 10 lakh in the local market were seized from
his possession.
The man along with the
seized items were handed
over to Moreh police station,
said a source.
Storm wrecks
A violent storm devastated
many houses at Khonglong
and Khoirok villages in
Senapati district on March 25
last, said a press release issued
by the general secretary of
Zeliangrong Youth Front
(Sadar Hills).
The organisation urged the
Government to extend assistance to those affected families.
Hackfest
With an aim to provide
employment and community
platform to IT educated youths
of the State, a two-day Hackfest
Manipur has kick started at
NIT campus, Takyelpat from
today.
Member of the organising
committee, Anuradha said the
event was the first of its kind
in the State and over 250
youths were participating in
the festival.
Idea generation and implementation competition was
held in three categories - Idealist, Developer and Designer
- by splitting the participants
into various teams of 2-3
members, she added.
The best idea, best developer and best designer would
be promoted worldwide,
Anuradha said.
Mobimp, Swerve, Cloud
Zack Tech Solutions and
Motion Magik are the recruiting companies of the event,
she said and added that hacking orientation was held on
the first day.
The main programme and
recruitment would be held tomorrow, she added.
CSOs decry
Different
civil
society
organisations have flayed the
State Government for bringing
out a Bill, which according to
these organisation has no teeth
to protect the indigenous people
of the State and their traditions
and culture.
In a statement, Ethno Heritage Council (HERICOUN)
said that the State Government would face people’s
uprising if Inner Line Permit
System or a similar Act is not
enforced in the State.
The civil society organisation said that the State
Government has shown its
insincerity towards public issues by passing a Bill which
is totally against people’s expectation and wish.
The present State Government has also betrayed the
other political parties on the
issue by bringing out a Bill
which did not have the points
suggested by them.
HERICOUN questioned
why an all political parties’
committee was formed if the
State Government was not
willing to consider the points
recommended by them.
It added that the Chief
Minister must understand
that people of this tiny State
would be swallowed by other
bigger communities if necessary measures are not taken
up in time.
Meanwhile, the Apunba
Manipur Kanba Ima Lup
(AMKIL) has said that Manipur Regulation of Visitors,
Tenants and Migrant Workers Bill 2015 would facilitate
easy entry of non-locals instead of regulating their entry
into the State. The Govt must
act according to the wish of
the people, it added.
Notably, five opposition
MLAs walked out of the
Assembly when the Bill was
discussed recently.
State BJP predicts pitched battle with Congress VDF’s demands under
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 28: Election to
the six Autonomous District
Councils of Manipur scheduled on May 30 would witness pitched political battles
between Congress and BJP.
This was stated by none
other than BJP Manipur Pradesh president Th Chaoba.
who attended two political
awareness camps cum mega
enrolment programmes held
today at YPA Hall, Churachandpur and INA Hall
Moirang under the aegis of
BJP Churachandpur district
and BJP Moirang Mandal
respectively.
Chaoba stated that the
ADC election would be a big
battle ground between ruling
Congress party and BJP
which is in power at the Centre.
He appealed to all the electorates of Manipur to elect
BJP to power if they believe
in Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and his efforts to bring
about corruption-free and
transparent governance in all
the North Eastern States including Manipur.
The hill districts (coloured) which would go to ADC polls on May 30
Cong likely to retain Sadar Hills, CCpur ADCs
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 28: The
Congress party is likely to
retain at least Sadar Hills ADC
and Churachandpur ADC,
according to some political
pundits and analysts.
All the six MLAs elected
from Churachandpur district
to the present Manipur Legislative Assembly are Congress
men. One of them is holding
the post of a Cabinet Minister
while another is a Parliamentary Secretary.
Moreover, Dr Chaltonlien
Amo elected from Churachandpur district is the Chairman of the Hill Areas Com-
Three cops killed in Mizoram
Aizawl, Mar 28
Three armed policemen were
killed and five others injured
when suspected militants
belonging to Hmar People’s
Convention-Democracy
attacked members of an
Assembly panel in Zokhawthiang in Aizawl district
bordering Manipur, police said.
Deputy Inspector General
(DIG) Northern Range, L T
Hrangchal told PTI that R L
Pianmawia, Chairman of the
‘Mizoram Assembly Committee on Government Assurances’ and two other members — Lalthanliana and lone
woman legislator Vanlalawmpuii
Chawngthu
—
accompanied by state assembly officials were on official
tour to the area when the
militants ambushed their vehicle at around 8.30 AM.
Three people, including
Sub-Inspector Zoramthara
Khawlhring, driver Chuailova
and constable Hmangaihmawia, all belonging to the
First battalion of the Mizoram
Armed Police (MAP), died,
he said.
Five people including SubDivisional Police Officer of
Sakawrdai, Zarzoliana suffered bullet injuries in the
ambush.
Besides Zarzoliana, Havildar Vanthuama, Lalchhuanmawma (driver of the Com-
Mizoram Guv Aziz
Qureshi sacked
New Delhi, Mar 28
Mizoram Governor Aziz Qureshi, who has had a running feud
with the Centre and even
approached the Supreme Court
against attempts to ease him
out, was sacked today.
A brief statement issued
by the Rashtrapati Bhavan
said that “Qureshi shall cease
to hold the office of the Governor of Mizoram.”
Governor of West Bengal
Keshari Nath Tripathi has
been asked to discharge the
functions of the Mizoram
Governor, in addition to his
own duties, until regular arrangements are made, it said.
Qureshi, who had a tenure
till May 2017, is the second
Governor after Kamla Beniwal to be sacked after having
been shifted to Mizoram
months after the Narendra
Modi Government assumed
office.
Maharashtra Governor K
Sankaranarayanan, who was
also transferred to Mizoram,
had tendered his resignation,
refusing to take charge of his
new assignment.
Qureshi, who was among
the Governors appointed by
the UPA Government and
was told by the then Home
Secretary Anil Goswami to
quit after change in Government, approached the Supreme Court against attempts
to ease him out. He was then
the Uttarakhand Governor.
In his petition, Qureshi, a
veteran Congress leader, had
claimed that after the NDA
Government came to power,
Goswami had called him on
July 30 and asked him to tender resignation and made it
clear that he will be removed
from office if he does not step
down. (Contd on P 8)
mittee on Government Assurances chairman RL Pianmawia), Constable Lalkhawngaiha and peon of the
assembly secretariat Zohminga were injured, the DIG
said.
Those injured were being
brought to Aizawl for medical treatment by helicopter.
The three legislators and
other officials were reported
to have been safe.
The assembly committee
members were stated to have
been guarded by a few armed
policemen and accompanied
by SDPO Zarzoliana and
Zoramthanga Khawlhring
when the ambush took place.
(Contd on P 8)
mittee.
Two Congress men and
Nemcha Kipgen of MSCP
were elected from Sadar Hills
but Nemcha Kipgen later
merged into Congress party.
One of them is a senior Cabinet Ministry in the incumbent
Government.
(Contd on P 8)
Congress party secured
landslide victory in the previous ADC and State Assembly
elections not because people
voted freely in favour of
Congress candidates but on
account of taking recourse to
muscle power, money power
and manipulation of EVMs.
As the Congress party was
elected to power with votes
purchased by money, the
Congress Government has
been misappropriating all the
money sanctioned for development projects thereby
keeping the people in a state
of misery, Chaoba asserted.
Questioning the utility of
Khuga Multipurpose Project
which was inaugurated by
AICC president Sonia Gandhi, the former Union Minister asserted that the Khuga
Dam from which the people
of Churachandpur expected a
lot has turned out to be a
miserable failure.
A large amount of money
sanctioned for construction of
Khuga Dam was already
swindled.
Several corruption cases
and scandals involving a
number of (Contd on P 8)
Bandh passes off peacefully
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 28: The 24hour State-wide bandh, clamped by All Manipur VDF Welfare Association, passed off
peacefully with no report of any
major untoward incident.
Bandh supporters came out
on streets and blocked NH102 for some time by burning
tyres at Lilong in the morning.
However, police cleared
the barricades and restored
traffic movement within minutes.
Similar incident was also
reported at Hiyangthang area.
Although, most of the inter-district passenger services
were suspended for the day,
private and local passenger
vehicles were seen plying on
the streets of Imphal during
the bandh.
Most of the schools, colleges, petrol pumps, business
establishments and shops also
remained open in the capital
city.
A large number of police
personnel were seen deployed
at different parts of the capital
city during the bandh.
It may be mentioned that
the bandh was clamped by the
All Manipur VDF Welfare
Association demanding unconditional release of 17 VDF
personnel, who were arrested
during a (Contd on P 8)
NSCN-K expels CFSB supervisor
Newmai News Network
DIMAPUR, Mar 28:Serious
problem has cropped up within
NSCN-K with its supremo SS
Khaplang expelling Wangtin
Naga, Supervisor of the outfit’s
Cease Fire Monitoring Supervisory Board (CFSB) today, a
day after the latter had
participated in the Cease Fire
meeting with the Government
of India representatives in
Dimapur.
SS Khaplang has reportedly notified the functionaries
of the NSCN-K yesterday
from Myanmar that the outfit
“has resolved to abrogate
Cease Fire with the Government of India”.
In the statement issued by
NSCN-K’s ministry of information and publicity (MIP),
the outfit said that the office
of the Chairman and President NSCN-K expelled
kilonser Wangtin Naga and
kilonser Tikhak from both the
New Delhi, March 28: After a
week of exciting theatre fare in
the National capital, the eagerly
anticipated 10th Mahindra
Excellence in Theatre Awards
2015 were announced at a red
carpet event on Friday at the Taj
Mahal Hotel, Mansingh Road
here.
Towards the promotion of
Indian theatre, the USD 16.5
billion
multinational
–
Mahindra Group based in
Mumbai took the initiative of
awarding talented artistes in
14 different categories in theatre including the Lifetime
Achievement Award every
year. Over the past few days,
theatre enthusiasts in the capital had been treated with the
10 nominated productions of
the country, shortlisted from
290 entries.
Out of ten, three plays
from the North East found
their place in the nominated
zone.
H.Kanhailal with Anand Mahindra
The three plays from the
North East were Dreams
from My Room directed by
Chingtham Banikanta Singh
and produced by Pan
Manipuri Theatre
from
Manipur, Dhou… The Wave
directed by Gunakar Dev
Goswami and produced by
Purvarang and Fall of a KingBurha Manuhor Babe Desh
Nai directed by Palash Protim
Mech and produced by Oftas,
both from Assam.
Renowned music director
N. Tiken Singh of Dreams
from My Room shared the
Best Innovative Sound Design with Hitesh Dhutia of
Rage and Beyond: Irawat’s
Gandhari. Noted dancer
Seujpriya and her husband
Gunakar Dev Goswami of
Dhou… The Wave bagged the
Dy CM Gaikhangam (File pix)
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 28: If only for
the financial constraints and
some technical problems, the
demands of VDF personnel
would have been already addressed effectively. Nonetheless, the State Government
has been considering their
demands, claimed Deputy
Chief Minister Gaikhangam.
NSCN-K supremo SS Khaplang and Wangtin Naga
party and the 'government'
with immediate effect.
The statement alleged that
the duo were found culpable
of the anti-government, antinational and anti-people’s
conduct. Numerous instances
of hatching conspiracies with
India to destabilize the Naga
cause have also been established beyond doubt. It is
hereby clarified that any statements issued by the two
expelled kilonsers pertaining
to ceasefire issues between
NSCN-K and India is rendered null and void, the
statement added.
In another statement, the
MIP, NSCN-K said the unjust peace is no peace at all
and 14 years of ceasefire between the outfit and India has
become a mockery and futile
exercise. Shallow commitment and politics of deceit
have become a hallmark tradition of India to engage in
peace and political discourses,
it stated. (Contd on P 8)
Best Choreography. Fall of a
King- Burha Manuhor Babe
Desh Nai was honoured with
the Best Ensemble award.
It was the winning moment for Kerala based
Director Jino Joseph as his
play Matthi, which won the
Best production at META
2015, also bagged the most
number of awards including
Best Director and Best script
for him as well as Best Actor
in Lead Role (Male) for Renji
Kankot. The Best Actor in
Lead role (Female) was
shared by danseuse, vocalist
and actor Sanjukta Wagh for
her stirring performance in
Rage and Beyond: Irawat’s
Gandhari
and
Swetha
Shrinivas for her brilliant portrayal of Seetha in Chitrapata.
The grand event had a
mesmerizing moment for the
audience with a standing ovation when the living legend of
Indian theatre- Heisnam
Kanhailal from Manipur was
conferred with the Lifetime
Achievement Award for his
contribution to Indian Theatre
by Anand Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director
of Manhindra & Mahindra.
The award carried prize
money of Rs 5 lakh.
(Contd on P 8)
tween Manipur Police and
VDF in terms of recruitment,
training and many other aspects. As such, there are
certain technical difficulties to
translate their (VDF) demands into action.
In addition, the State exchequer is not rich enough to
raise their monthly honorarium.
At present, there are
around 10,050 VDF volunteers. At first, they were given
monthly honorarium of Rs
4000 which was inclusive of
ration money fixed at Rs
1000. This figure was hiked
to Rs 5000 recently.
Any further hike even by
at least Rs 1000 would give a
serious blow to the State’s
financial position.
Notably, VDF personnel
called a bandh today demanding monthly honorarium of Rs
VDF suspends strikes,
to resume work
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 28: The All Manipur VDF Welfare Association
has declared that their cease work strike has been suspended and
they would return to duty from tomorrow.
All Manipur VDF Welfare Association spokesman Riyas
Khan made an announcement to this effect at a press meet held
today at Irawat Bhawan here.
He said that an agreement was inked with DGP Shahid
Ahmed and the Imphal West SP for release of all the arrested
VDF personnel and vehicles impounded during March 26
protest rally and today’s general strike without any conditions.
He further added that the DGP promised to recommend the
demands made by the association to the Chief Minister apart
from exploring all possible means to meet the demands at his
personal level.
Addressing a press meet at
his Manipur Secretariat office
today, Gaikhangam clarified
that there is no question of
the State Government sidestepping the demands raised
by VDF personnel. But there
is a gulf of difference be-
10,000, payment of honorariums for 13 months in a year,
service protection and transformation of VDF as a regular
force.
While acknowledging the
exhausting duties performed
by VDF (Contd on P 8)
Land acquisition for sports varsity
Land owners brace to confront Govt
By Our Staff Reporter
Kanhailal honoured with LifetimeAchievementAward
Manipur Info Centre
'consideration': Dy CM
IMPHAL, Mar 28: Stating that
no sportsperson can play any
game on an empty stomach, the
Affected Land Owner’s Association Against Forced Land
Acquisition for Sports University has said that they are set to
confront the Government to
protect their land.
Speaking to reporters at
Manipur Press Club, association president Md Alimuddin
said that they would never
concede to Government’s
forceful eviction for setting
up a sports university at
Yaithibi Loukol.
The State Government is
still not willing to consider
people’s demand regarding
the issue although the association had made their stand
clear in different memoranda
submitted to the Chief Minister, Governor and other
concerned authorities, he
added.
Alleging that the Government has issued ‘patas’ to
different Government Departments without giving any
information to respective land
owners, Md Alimuddin said
that it was a blatant lie that
the Government had completed the necessary process
of acquiring 213 acres of land
at Yaithibi Loukol.
No land owner had ever
given their consent to the
Government regarding the
matter, he claimed.
Issuance of land ‘patas’ to
different Government Departments without the knowledge
and consent of land owners
and villagers was an example
of Government’s insincerity
on the issue, he added.
Maintaining that no sportsperson can play any game on
an empty stomach, Md
Alimuddin urged the Government to set up the sports
university at another place.
Taking part at the press
conference, Protection of Agricultural
and
Natural
Resources Organisation advisor Mutum Churamani said
that it is illogical to set up a
sports university by acquiring
agricultural land.
People are not opposing to
setting up of the univarsity
but they are against turning
the agricultural land, which is
a source of livelihood for
thousands of people, into an
institutional area in the name
of development and promotion of sports.
Saying that 95 per cent of
Yaithibi Loukol is cultivable
land, Md Alimuddin said that
agricultural produces coming
from this land not only feed
the common (Contd on P 8)
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