Irom Sharmila Must Be Released, Says Court, Rejects Attempted Suicide Charges

By Alok Pandey

Activist Irom Sharmila, who has been on a hunger strike for 14 years

Imphal, Aug 20 :  Irom Sharmila, who has been on a hunger strike in Manipur for 14 years, must be released, a local court said today, rejecting charges of attempted suicide against her.

Irom Chanu Sharmila, 42, has been on a hunger strike since November 2000, in protest against a law that gives the army sweeping emergency powers in the northeastern state.

She has been kept in a room at a government hospital and force-fed by tubes through her nose. For years, visitors needed permission from the Manipur Home Secretary but this changed after the National Human Rights Commission objected.

Her release will mean that she can't be force-fed anymore, which, her supporters say, could endanger her life.

After years of struggle, the activist appeared disillusioned as she spoke to NDTV about her anticipated release.

"My own supporters are not letting my protest proceed on the right path," she said.

Sharmila claims that her protests have been hijacked by the very people in charge of her campaign, the Just Peace Foundation, who, she says, don't even allow her to donate money from her international prizes to causes of her choice.

She began her fast days after 14 people were shot in Imphal, allegedly by personnel of the Assam Rifles. Newspapers published graphic pictures of those killed, which included a 62-year-old woman and an 18-year-old National Bravery Award winner.

Three days later, she was charged with attempt to suicide. She was 27.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, described by critics as draconian, allows soldiers legal immunity when they are operating in "disturbed areas" - states dealing with separatists or insurgents. Soldiers are allowed to make arrests without warrants or raid any location.

Activists allege the law has been misused and has led to gross human rights violations.

Irom Sharmila was not allowed to vote in this year's election because the law does not allow any citizen in custody to cast a vote.

Govt Creates Separate Manipur, Tripura Cadres for IAS, IPS

New Delhi, Aug 20 : The government has created separate cadres of Manipur and Tripura for IAS, IPS and IFoS officers.

Earlier, Manipur-Tripura acted as a joint cadre for officers of all India services (AIS)--Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Forest Service (IFoS).

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has also come out with a draft list of allocation of separate cadres of Manipur and Tripura to these officers.

The move comes following a recommendation from a committee headed by DoPT Secretary.

"It is recommended that the AIS officers would be allocated or distributed on the principle of 'as is where is' basis, which means that the determinant factor would be the current posting of the officers.

"In case of those officers who are not in the cadre right now, the determinant factor would be their last place of posting in the joint cadre of Manipur-Tripura," the Committee has said.

As per the draft distribution list, 91 IAS, 60 IPS, 44 IFoS officers (including promotees) are to be allocated to Manipur. Likewise, 73 IAS, 50 IPS and 57 IFoS officers (including promotees) are to be allocated to Tripura, the DoPT order said.

The Committee, which was formed after the passing of the North Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Amendment Act, 2012, had as members Chief Secretaries of Manipur, Tripura, Special Secretary (Internal Security), Ministry of Home Affairs, Inspector General (Forest-cum-Special Secretary), Ministry of Environment and Forests and Joint Secretary in the DoPT.

"Any factual error in the distribution or any representation may please be brought to the notice of Department of Personnel and Training latest by August 25, 2014," it said.

Manipur Youth Makes it to Guinness Book

By K Sarojkumar Sharma

Imphal, Aug 14 : Even before celebrations over the feat of state athletes at the recently concluded Glasgow Commonwealth Games could die down, a local youth has made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for his eye-grabbing "magic pull-ups".

The 26-year-old weightlifter, Maibam Itomba, stunned viewers during his second successful attempt for the world record on March 15 this year as he did 16 pull-ups with his deft fingers in 30 just seconds during an official function at the SAI NERC complex here.

A resident of Naoremthong Samusang in Imphal West, Itomba made his first attempt on October 14, 2012, at the JN Manipur Dance Academy here.

"I am so happy that the Guinness authorities have given me recognition. I will continue to practice so that no one in the world can beat me," said an elated Itomba on Wednesday.

In 2007, the young weightlifter had bagged silver at a national championship in Imphal.

"On July 24 I received the official mail from Guinness informing me that my name would be included in the book. I received the hard copy of the record certificate yesterday," he said.

Prior to this, in 2002, Manipur agriculturist M Okendra had entered the Guinness book by grooming his 61 feet "Duranta erecta" (an ornamental plant cultivated in tropical and subtropical gardens, locally known as "Sambalei sekpil") at his Sagolband Sayang residential complex in Imphal West.

Making A Deal for Manipur

Positions have hardened to the point of great imminent violence in the state: there may not be a Manipur as we know it

By Sudeep Chakravarti


The greatest bulwark against an NSCN (I-M) assault is the Indian Army, its adjunct force Assam Rifles and paramilitaries like the Central Reserve Police Force.

Hard rain masks the jade-green hills in this unspoiled northern suburb of Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. He then glances at a Walther PPK handgun on a table by his side, and turns to me.

“Manipur nathaki jabo,” he says in Nagamese, the “bazaar Assamese” that linguistically knits a dozen Naga tribes. There won’t be a Manipur. More precisely, there won’t be a Manipur as we know it. It’s not an idle observation from a former general of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), or NSCN (I-M), the largest Naga rebel group; and a council member.

According to him, it’s a possible outcome of one of the deadliest games of political chess being played in India. He maintains that if the government in Manipur, Nagaland’s southern neighbour with homelands of several Naga tribes in the hills across more than a third of its territory, doesn’t agree to the demand of its resident Nagas for administrative autonomy—dealing directly with New Delhi—Manipur will break. It’s what the apex United Naga Council (UNC) of Manipur—which Manipur’s top bureaucrat, in a conversation with me last week, insisted is a front for NSCN (I-M)—terms “Alternative Arrangement”.

Alongside being a pitch for development that Nagas feel has been denied them by the Manipuris of the plains, it is also a bargaining chip. NSCN (I-M)’s general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah hopes to soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It could be an important first step to revive stalled peace talks. NSCN (I-M) has been in ceasefire with the government since 1997. It has led to the absence of all-out conflict, not durable peace. NSCN (I-M), like other smaller Naga rebel groups in ceasefire with the government, has designated camps. Cadres are permitted to carry weapons. Many observers speak of rebels being demotivated after years of ceasefire.

For its part, NSCN (I-M) has also been weakened by factional strife and splits—often facilitated by plays of Indian intelligence agencies that, as a matter of policy, leverage rebel groups’ leadership egos, ethnic insecurities, and both need and greed for money. But the groups still pack a punch. For instance, plump with steady recruitment and arming, NSCN (I-M) alone has cadres estimated by Naga observers at between 7,000 and 8,000. It’s not much less than what the Communist Party of India (Maoist) has across the country.

This heft permits NSCN (I-M) and other Naga rebel groups like Myanmar-centric NSCN (Khaplang) and the smaller NSCN (Khole-Kitovi), and the Naga National Council to run parallel administrations in specific Naga regions, bankrolled by citizens and businesses. This has endured even the recent phenomenon of exasperated Naga citizens’ groups openly protesting against rebel taxes. Businesses can’t function without rebel say-so. If the push comes to shove in Manipur, NSCN (I-M) can exert pressure in the state’s three Naga-majority districts.

The ceasefire with Naga rebel groups does not extend to Manipur—a result of the government of India trying to calm fears among non-Naga people in the state who see the adding of Manipur to a ceasefire deal with Naga rebels as a prelude to breaking up of the state. Even the most generous security analysts don’t give Manipur’s police—and Manipur’s slew of fiercely nationalistic non-Naga rebel groups—a chance against a determined assault by NSCN (I-M). The greatest bulwark against an NSCN (I-M) assault remains the Indian Army, its adjunct force Assam Rifles, and to a lesser extent paramilitaries like the Central Reserve Police Force.

A key reason why the NSCN (I-M)-versus-the-rest conflict hasn’t erupted in Manipur is on account of a studied response by the rebel group as well as Indian security forces to protect the ceasefire in Nagaland. Both sides instead use occasional, low-intensity skirmishing and proxies among civil society groups and small rebel outfits from Manipur’s multi-ethnic stew to try and whittle away the other’s advantages; and create pressure before official negotiations.

In anticipation of such talks, the government of Manipur, non-Naga rebel groups in the state and several non-Naga civil society organizations have steadily ratcheted up their rhetoric against NSCN (I-M) and UNC since June. On 4 August, the influential All Manipur United Clubs’ Organization marked its annual “Integrity Day”—to commemorate its 1997 protest to stall extension of the ceasefire with NSCN (I-M) to Manipur—with more emphasis than usual. Positions have hardened to the point of fracture, of great imminent violence.

All major interest groups will have to be in on a peace deal. Or there won’t be a deal.

Sudeep Chakravarti’s latest book is Clear-Hold-Build: Hard Lessons of Business and Human Rights in India. His previous books include Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country and Highway 39: Journeys through a Fractured Land.

Manipuri Woman Molested By 'Drunk' Youth in North Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 7 : A 23-year-old woman from Manipur was allegedly molested in Roop Nagar area of North Delhi, police said today.

The accused, identified as Vikram, was in an inebriated condition when the incident took place last night, and was nabbed by a constable who was present at the spot.

Vikram works at a printing press in Civil Lines and resides in Sabzi Mandi area.

The woman is a student at a private university here.

"The incident was reported to police around 10 PM. The victim had gone to buy vegetables in the market when the man caught her from behind," a police official said.

As the woman raised an alarm, the beat constable who was posted nearby came to her rescue and nabbed Vikram. He later brought him to the police station, he said.

"A case under section 354 IPC (outraging the modesty of a woman) has been registered at Sabzi Mandi police station," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Madhur Verma.

Vikram was produced before the court today and has been sent to judicial custody.

Manipur Power Pact With Myanmar

Imphal, Aug 6 : India and Myanmar have decided to shape up the proposed joint-venture thermal power project in Myanmar's Sagaing region, boosting the bilateral ties of the two neighboring countries.

A joint meeting to this effect was held on Monday in the office of Tamu township military headquarters in Myanmar, about 5 Km from Manipur's border town Moreh, a source said.

The gateway to southeast Asia and a focal point of India's ambitious 'Look East Policy', Moreh has witnessed rapid progress of the economic development projects since the past few years. If the power project is successfully implemented, India would provide financial assistance and the required equipment for it, while Myanmar would offer the required land, the source added.

Manipur commerce and industry minister Govindas Konthoujam and Indian consulate general in Mandalay, N Nandakumar represented India, while union minister U Khin Maung Soe of the ministry of electric power, Sagaing region, led the Myanmar delegation at the meeting.

U Khin Maung, who was enthusiastic in setting up the power project, said he would discuss the matter with his country's top leaders and inform the same to India. Minister Govindas urged the Myanmarese delegates to extend support to the construction of the proposed Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Moreh aimed at boosting the ongoing commercial activities in Myanmar. On Govindas' appeal to release six Manipuris, who were apprehended by Myanmar Army, the neighboring country's delegates dropped positive hints, stating that the issue of releasing the captives would be considered.

Power officials, trade and chamber of commerce unit leaders both the countries attended the meeting. Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, who addressed the meeting titled "Region Investment and Business Conclave" in the Sagaing region in May this year, had called upon Indian investors not to think for India alone but also Myanmar so that the two countries could co-exist.

Ibobi Singh suggested that investment in the Sagaing region is very much possible in power sector by generating power in the thermal power plants, agro-industries. He suggested setting up of educational institutions and hospitals during the conclave attended by hordes of Indian businessmen.

Manipur To Have Tallest Rail Bridge

Imphal, Jul 30 : The proposed bridge near Noney with pillar height up to 141 metres is slated to become the tallest in the world from the point of pillar height surpassing the existing tallest of Mala-Rijeka viaduct on Belgrade-Bar railway line in Europe where the height of pillars is 139 metre, said an N-F Railway spokesman.
  
The bridge in Manipur is part of the 111 km-long Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway line to connect the capital of Manipur with the broad gauge network of the country, the spokesman said.
  
The alignment of the railway line passes through steep rolling hills of Patkai region, eastern trail of the Himalayas, he said.
   
While Jiribam, a small town of Manipur near Assam-Manipur border, is situated 37 metres above mean sea level (MSL), Imphal is situated at 780 metres above MSL.
  
The alignment has to traverse through not only a number of deep gorges but over several rivers flowing at low ground levels necessitating construction of 46 tunnels measuring a total 54.5 km in length and tall bridges to maintain a suitable gradient for efficient operation of railway, he said.
  
The longest tunnel will be 4.9 km long between Jiribam-Tupul and 10.75 km between Tupul-Imphal section.

Manipur May Miss Out on 'Mary Kom' Movie Screening

By Prasanta Mazumdar

Casting of Priyanka Chopra as Mary Kom triggered protests as there were demands that only a girl from the region should essay the role Mary Kom is a legend in Manipur and India. Yet a movie made on her life is unlikely to be screened in her home state where the militants gave banned the use of Hindi, specifically Hindi movies.

The makers of the film "Mary Kom" are optimistic about its screening in the state and learnt to have been in touch with the state government.

But, so far, there has been no official word on the matter. Calls made to Manipur chief secretary PC Lawmkunga's mobile went unattended.

"We are planning to screen it in Manipur. So, we are in touch with the Manipur government," Neerav Tomar, chief executive officer and managing director of IOS Sports and Entertainment, told dna. The company manages Mary.

The film is set in Manipur and highlights the rise of the five-time women's world boxing champion and Olympic bronze medalist. The biopic, produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and directed by Omung Kumar, is set for countrywide release on September 5.

The film stars actress Priyanka Chopra, who spent a lot of time with Mary to understand her and style of boxing. When she was cast, it triggered protests on the social networking sites with demands being raised that only a girl from the region should play the role.

The uncertainty on the screening of the movie in Manipur has saddened Mary and her family among others. "I will feel bad if the movie is not released in my state," Mary said. Her husband, Onler Kom, expressed a similar sentiment. "We will be very sad if it is not screened in Manipur. One must understand that the film is about Mary's life, family etc," he said.

Asked if the family will make an appeal to the militants, Onler said, "They have already learnt that we want the movie to be screened in Manipur".

The Manipur film industry is equally upset. "The people in Manipur are passionate about the film. They want to see it. But Hindi is the problem," said Epu, general secretary of Manipur Film Forum. "Why is the ban on the screening of Hindi movies in theatres when the satellite channels are beaming them in the state?" he argued.

"Whether it is screened in Manipur or not, I am sure copies of the movie will go viral in Manipur," said N Ibungochoubi, a writer.

Extremist group Revolutionary Peoples Front, fighting for the sovereignty of Manipur, had in 2000 issued a notice banning the use of Hindi and screening of Hindi movies for allegedly destroying Manipuri culture and language. Ever since then, movie theaters in the state have stopped screening Hindi movies.

Source: DNA

UPF Team To Arrive in Delhi on July 30

New Delhi, Jul 29 : A team of United Peoples Front (UPF), the umbrella Chin-Kuki-Mizo underground organisation, will be arriving here in New Delhi on Wednesday, July 30 for a meeting with the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India.

The UPF team will be headed by Araon Kipgen who is the convenor of UPF's representative for 'political dialogue' with the Government, according to a well placed source.

With just 25 days left for the expiry of the present one year term of Suspension of Operation (SoO) with both the Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United Peoples' Front (UPF) there have been hectic consultations going on among the leaders of KNO and UPF. The current one year SoO term for both UPF and KNO ends on August 22.

Meanwhile, both UPF and KNO are not sure whether they will extend the SoO for another term. "Our team will arrive here in New Delhi on Wednesday and a meeting with the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India will be held within this week," said the source, adding, The source further said only after the August 12 meeting the UPF will only know whether to extend the Suspension of Operation with the Government or not after the current term expires on August 22. The source however, did not disclose the venue of the August 12 UPF meeting.

Source: Newmai News Network

Moreh: Pushers, Traders, Soldiers, Spice

By Sudeep Chakravarti

With weapons and narcotics all across—it’s easy to be spoilt in Moreh

Strips of pseudoephedrine dumped in a graveyard in Moreh. Photo: Sudeep Chakravarti/Mint

It’s easy to be spoilt in Moreh. “Beretta? Glock? Llama? Smith and Wesson?” offers one arms procurer. He leans back on a worn sofa in his modest house jammed in a typically crowded ward of this border town in Manipur.

Moreh is marked as India’s key transit point to Myanmar on the ribbon of a planned Asian Highway route—Route 1—linking Southeast Asia with West Asia through India. A Land Customs Station is in the process of being upgraded; it is to be integrated with immigration facilities. A truck park is planned. Perhaps a “mineral park” for Myanmar limestone, copper ore and such.

A regular bus service is to link Manipur’s capital Imphal to fabled Mandalay via Moreh. Products and people from both countries and points beyond will move seamlessly, officially. That’s the hazy future. For now, the underbelly is the belly. Weapons that come in to India. Narcotics of various shades and grades that travel both ways. Imported timber. Red sandalwood from Karnataka priced at Rs.2,500-3,000 a kilo, prized in Myanmar, Thailand, even China.

There are more innocent products: Indian-made pharmaceuticals, fabric for the ubiquitous Myanmarese longyi, juice, chocolate, infant food, tyres for Bajaj autorickshaws—one takes me on a 15-minute ride to Tamu, the nearest town in Myanmar that falls within the radius that Indians are permitted to travel without a visa, from morning till 5pm. In reverse flow arrive LED lamps, blankets, toys, consumer goods, Godzilla brand mosquito repellant, even yongchak beans practically worshipped in Manipur. Official trade data for Moreh with the ministry of development of north eastern region places two-way trade at a little over Rs.4 crore for 2010-11.

Mostly betel nut was imported, cumin seed exported. Mostly agricultural products and medicine are permitted to be traded without application of duty. Unofficial trade figures? Officially incalculable. The duty paid is to government officials, security overseers, and rebel groups. To weapons. The handguns carried by my arms procurer host fire 9mm shells. Llama and Smith and Wesson retail at his arms deli for Rs.1.5 lakh and Rs.1.8 lakh apiece, Beretta and Glock at Rs.2 lakh per piece. Cash only. (Rupees work across the border in northwestern Myanmar.)

The man is one of several weapons procurers in town who feed some Kuki rebels groups, occasionally Naga rebel factions, and an assortment of other Northeastern rebels. (Some rebel groups bypass those like him to directly deal with the source.) He lets me record our conversation and take notes, but requests anonymity. In a place with a population of about 40,000 and tight communities of Kuki tribals, the non-tribal Meitei, the Islamic Meitei Pangal, and Tamil, Sikh and Nepali folk displaced by Myanmar’s decades-old ethnic cleansing, the smallest clue can be a giveaway.

The man claims he would then be open to harassment by—read: additional payoffs to—Manipur’s police, central paramilitaries, and various factions of rebels in Manipur who are at once purchaser and protector. Worse, he might end up dead. I ask him: what about assault rifles? He offers several Kalashnikov copies and variants. AK 47s brought in courtesy of Thai suppliers and from Myanmar’s autonomous Shan state; AK 56 and Type 81s “from China”.

There are ageing American M-15s and M-16s sourced from Thailand. Weapons come used or in “packing”—a term for brand new weapons. Accessories are naturally available: ammunition, sniper scopes, laser guidance, silencers. What else? “Landmines, grenades, RPGs (rocket-propelled grenade launchers)…” Earlier, I visited a nearby village to see dumps containing thousands—even tens of thousands—of emptied pseudoephedrine strips. The medicine is extracted and then transported to Myanmar for use in manufacturing methamphetamines: “speed”.

Then I visited a woman who sells a grade of heroin called No. 4. A “shot” costs Rs.100. Among an estimated 150 such sellers in Moreh, she claims to sell 15 grams of heroin in a couple of days to residents and visitors. Her sponsor pockets Rs.18,000 a day. She profits by Rs.2,000 daily. But like her sponsor, she also needs to pay the local police, bureaucracy and rebels. As I talked to her, in an adjacent room, users injected heroin.

It is now evening. Locals promise smoked fish, Myanmar brand beer or the smoother Dali from China—available openly in Moreh, part of a state where prohibition is law. There’s even Blenders Pride whisky the vendor says is sourced from the “army”, to pass on at Rs.750 a bottle. Free trade? You bet.


Sudeep Chakravarti’s forthcoming book is Clear-Hold-Build: Hard Lessons of Business and Human Rights in India. His previous books include Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country and Highway 39: Journeys through a Fractured Land.

Arun Jaitley proposes Sports University in Manipur, increased aid for sports

By Chander Shekhar Luthra

Arun Jaitley has been a known face for India's cricket fans. Though never been a player himself, his long association of at least one-and-a-half decades with Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) as president and Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) as vice-president ended abruptly only a few months back, but he is still being seen as a sports lover.

So, when he readied to present his first Union budget, there were signs of his eagerness to do something for the development of sports in India. Thankfully, it was not just about cricket.

In the budget he presented on Thursday, Jaitley proposed a Sports University in Manipur and Rs200 crore for the troubled state of Jammu & Kashmir which has 'a lot of sporting talent which was not finding expression due to inadequate facilities'. Not just this, he substantially hiked the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports budget by Rs562 crore.

Sports Authority of India (SAI) grant has also been increased by Rs85 crore with government setting aside Rs405.10 crore, while the National Sports Federations have also got a substantial hike of Rs25 crore in the assistance provided to them with Rs185 crore being allotted to them.

However, the highlight of Jaitley's budget was J&K and Manipur where sports can help bring in youth to the mainstream. Apart from Parvez Rasool, part of the current India 'A' cricket team, there is none coming up from this border state.

But the situation in North Eastern states is different. Though, there are none in the field of cricket, MC Mary Kom of Manipur is a household name in India apart from numerous football talents and clubs. So, a Sports University can actually help the youth here to make a career out of sports.

"It is great news for us and we cannot stop celebrating. This budget helps the northeast to dream of a better future in sports," said Olympic medallist Mary Kom.

Jaitley has also shown interest in inviting neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan to participate in the games of the Sports University.

For J&K, the extra money will help upgrade and develop adequate sports facilities to encourage the youth participation in much better numbers than the present.

In a year of Commonwealth and Asian Games, an additional sum of Rs100 crore for training sportswomen and men has come as a major relief for the sports federations.

"It's heartening to see that sport is being seen as integral for society. The key now will be to utilise the funds in a proper way. For instance, the Asian Games is just a few months away and it will take good governance and quick and efficient utilisation of these funds to benefit the sportspersons participating," said Viren Rasquinha, former Indian hockey captain, on Thursday.

Academies with international level facilities for training of accomplished athletes and for nurturing best talent in the country at junior and sub-junior level will also be set up for shooting, archery, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting and various track and field events.

But there are other voices who feel that this proposed budget is perhaps too low for a country like India. "It is a no-brainer that the budget for sports should be a lot more than what it is. But in a country like India, we must understand that change will come gradually. We thank the government for providing us with the funds we had asked for," said Jiji Thomson, SAI Director General.

Frog Hunters Nabbed in Manipur

Sinlung Says: "There is a huge truck load of Corrupted officials who need to be apprehended and yet resources are still spent on the weak and poor who are just trying to feed their families. Maybe if the business is good, why not encourage farming - after all Frog is not an endangered species."

By Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, Jul 8 : Unlike other poachers, frog hunters in Manipur move in groups searching for good sites. They look for paddy fields in the rainy season by using torch lights made of bamboo tubes. When they switch on their torch lights on the water, the eyes of frogs glitter making them easy preys for the hunters who chase and catch them.

A hunter could harvest about 50 frogs a night and 3/4 hunter groups could harvest about 40,000 frogs in a month if they are lucky enough. Such groups hand over their collection to a collector who purchase them at Rs 5 - 7 per frog according to their size.

The collectors then take it to the master collector who will buy it at higher rates for dispatch to the markets in the State’s hill districts and neighbouring States where frogs are a delicacy. With the hunting made at night and dispatch early in the morning, the business is not visible to the public.

This came to light following a disclosure by a group of frog traders who were arrested in the State during a raid conducted by Peoples For Animal (PFA) Thoubal accompanied by police from Imphal West Police Station.

The raid was conducted at few locations along Dingku Road in Imphal early in the morning, according to a press release issued by PFA Thoubal.

We succeeded in apprehending four female hunters,” said the PFA release. “A total of 523 frogs of Indian Bullfrog species which are listed in schedule 4 of Wildlife Protection Act were rescued from them.”

The arrested frog hunters cum traders have been identified as Ningombam Dashu, Naorem Memcha, Thabitha Ningshen and Jenni Shimrah. They were fined a sum of Rs 2000 each while the frogs were released back to the paddy fields on Tuesday last.

The step was taken in view of the mushrooming of frog trade which has become a flourishing business among the farmers who spend sleepless nights catching frogs in the wet paddy fields.

Thousands of frogs are being caught and are feared to be exported to the neighboring States of Manipur, the release said. The release pointed out that hunting of frog is a very serious threat to ecosystem. Feeding on pests, frogs are the best natural pest controller. Besides, it is food for many wild birds and animals.

Manipur: How To Kill A Highway

The highway and its hinterland have more sinister applications than micro-politics and emotions run amok

By Sudeep Chakravarti

Malaise de Manipur, a worrying condition of sub-continental drift, has a way of infecting things. It weakens India’s security in the North-East and attendant geopolitical imperatives, including the so-called Look East Policy. And it continues to undermine Manipur’s ethnic equity and economic development—including the promise of hydrocarbons and minerals.

Take a tiny example: Asian Highway 1. On 28 June, I attempted to travel on it from Imphal, the capital of Manipur, to Moreh, a border town 110km away at the south-eastern edge of the state and a designated hub for India’s enhanced transport, trade and tourism play with Myanmar and beyond. I didn’t get far. On that day Thadou Students’ Association, a group of the area’s dominant Kuki tribes called a 24-hour blockade of the highway in Manipur’s Chandel district, where Moreh is located. They were protesting the allegedly callous behaviour of paramilitary personnel towards six persons injured in a road accident in mid-June. An “active member” of the association had been among the injured.

A day later a so-called joint action committee of citizens called a 48-hour blockade of the same highway to protest the murder of a resident of Nungourok, a nearby village, by as yet unidentified perpetrators. And so, for 72 hours India’s key overland route to Myanmar, the conduit for thriving cross-border trade—both legitimate and grey—that feeds much of north-eastern India, remained blockaded. The police, Chandel district administration and Manipur government were either unable or unwilling to calm nerves and redress grievances.

This two-lane, poorly maintained strip is also National Highway 102 (until recently National Highway 39). Asian Highway 1 incorporates it as part of a planned seamless link between Myanmar and several other nations of South-East Asia to West Asia and Europe through north-eastern India, Bangladesh and “Mainland” India.

The highway and its hinterland have more sinister applications than micro-politics and emotions run amok. This is also a narcotic artery. In February this year, a colonel of the Indian Army and five others, including a soldier and locals, were arrested on charges of ferrying pseudoephedrine tablets of various brands valued at Rs.15-20 crore, from Imphal to Moreh. The colonel’s car sported defence ministry plates and a beacon. Two other cars in the convoy had “Army” pasted on the windshields. Police chased them down when the officer breezed past a check post flashing his credentials. One of those arrested was an Imphal-based security official with an airline.

Shipping of such drugs as couriered consignments isn’t uncommon. Pseudoephedrine, used to relieve common cold and allergies, travels from India to Myanmar. It is used to create methamphetamine stimulants, which then return to India. The interdiction of a colonel is a rarity in this regional trade that security observers and activists in the area of drug rehabilitation place at billions of rupees a year. They point to the involvement of at least a dozen rebel groups of all ethnic persuasions—Naga, Meitei, Kuki, Zomi—active in Manipur; and that of the political, bureaucratic and security establishments.

All feed off this economy of conflict. To the north and south of the Imphal-Moreh artery lie narcotic havens cradled in hilly terrain. In Ukhrul district to the north, a stronghold of Naga rebels, poppy and cannabis are grown. Poppy is a favoured crop to the south in Chandel and Churachandpur to the south-west, which like Ukhrul border Myanmar; here Kuki and Meitei rebels have sanctuary. Cannabis is largely absorbed into north-eastern India. Poppy sap is cooked into a base to manufacture heroin. It is then transported by couriers using steep mountain trails into Myanmar.

It returns as heroin, distributed using various channels, including Asian Highway 1. Here security forces live cheek by jowl with militant groups that are either actively belligerent or have suspended hostilities as part of negotiations with the government. Either way, there’s coexistence. Drugs are openly sold in Imphal.

A short walk from my hotel in the city’s North AOC area, on a stretch of Asian Highway 1 christened Indo-Myanmar road, everything from “SP” (a code for Spasmo-Proxyvon, a painkiller) to marijuana, and “No. 4” (a category of heroin) to “WY” (a mood enhancer that expands as “World is Yours”), are available. It’s near the barracks of police, paramilitaries and the army.

A modest jog away is the chief minister’s residence and the state’s administrative hub, the secretariat. I’ll be here for a while. The Thadou Students’ Association has called for a 72-hour blockade of the highway from 5 July.

Sudeep Chakravarti’s forthcoming book is Clear-Hold-Build: Hard Lessons of Business and Human Rights in India. His previous books include Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country and Highway 39: Journeys through a Fractured Land. This column, which focuses on conflict situations in South Asia that directly affect business, runs on Fridays.

Business As Usual: Poachers Prey On Frogs in Manipur

By Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, Jul 3 : Unlike other poachers, frog hunters in Manipur venture out in groups in auto-rickshaws looking for good sites. They look for paddy fields in the rainy season. They modify torch lights using bamboo tubes. When they light their torches on the water, the eyes of frogs glitter and then they chase and catch them.

A hunter can harvest about 50 frogs a night and three to four groups can harvest about 40,000 frogs a month if they are lucky enough. They then hand over their catch to a collector who buys them at Rs. 5 to Rs. 7 per frog depending on the size of their catch.

The collectors then take it to the master collector who buys it at higher rates and sends them to the markets in Manipur's hill districts and neighbouring states where frogs are a delicacy.

Hunting of frogs is a serious threat to the ecosystem. Feeding on pests, frogs are natural pest controller.

As the frog poachers hunt at night and ferry their catch through inter-state transport services early in the morning their business is never out in the public.

This is how the frog hunters work in Manipur every day and night.

This came to light following a disclosure by a group of frog traders who were arrested in the state during a raid conducted by Peoples For Animal (PFA) Thoubal accompanied by a police team from Imphal West police station.

The raid was conducted on a few locations along Dingku road in Imphal around 4am on Tuesday, according to a press release issued by PFA Thoubal.

"We succeeded in apprehending four female hunters who were dealing in frogs," said the PFA.
"A total of 523 frogs of Indian Bullfrog species which are listed in schedule 4 of Wildlife Protection Act, including some dead, were rescued from them."

The arrested frog hunters and traders have been identified as Ningombam Dashu of Khongjom Tekcham, Naorem Memcha of KhongjomTekcham, Thabitha Ningshen of Kamjong and Jenni Shimrah of Sangshak both presently staying at Khuman Lampak in Imphal.

They have been compounded a sum of Rs. 2000 each and the frogs were released back to the paddy fields with the permission of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Central Division on Tuesday.

The step was taken in view of the mushrooming of frog trading as thousands of them are being caught and eaten while thousands others are feared to be exported to neighboring states.

Manipur houses number of exotic flora and fauna but instead of conserving them, people always look for easy money by exploiting them.

Hunting of frogs is a serious threat to the ecosystem. Feeding on pests, frogs are natural pest controller and many wild birds and animals eat them too. Their over-hunting could thus lead to a imbalance in the nature.

"This is one of reason why the hill districts of Manipur where frogs are caught and eaten experienced more vector born disease cases as these were spread by fly, mosquito and other insects," the PFA said.

Manipur People Complain of Internet Connectivity

By Anushri Mondal

Imphal, Jul 2 : Regardless of whether it is the service provided by private companies or the government owned BSNL, internet connectivity is always a serious problem in this remote corner of the world.

This is despite the fact that almost everyone, right from the school going kids to working professionals, have started depending on internet for various purposes these days. Of course, the problem of internet connectivity is something that affects almost all users at one time or the other.

But in Manipur, the problem is so 'chronic' that almost every internet user in the state has come to live under the impression that the internet service is like that only. But the truth is that the same device which makes us to wait for hours without end in trying to open a home page in Manipur, works with lightning speed when use in other parts of the country.

Why this is happening so when the subscribers are paying the same rental charges, nothing less or nothing more? BSNL and other private internet service providers definitely owe an explanation to their users for poor connectivity of the internet service being provided in Manipur.

On the hand, adding more woes to the internet subscribers, all the telephone lines and cable wires of BSNL in Imphal areas have been lying non repaired for the last two weeks after the same were damaged during the eviction drive carried out for road expansion along the road stretch from Keishampat to Kwakeithel in Imphal West district.

Interestingly, BSNL authority at Imphal has come up with the most unusual excuse to any request for repairing the damaged telephone, saying that the state government did not give any prior information about the eviction drive that led to damaging its telephone lines.

Perhaps, it is because of this kind of attitude that an increasing number of private service providers are making en-route into a domain which used to be under the control of the government owned BSNL and doing better business.

India To Have World’s Tallest Girder Rail Bridge in Northeast

By Samudra Gupta Kashyap


Tunnel No. 14 on Jiribam-Imphal route.

Summary

At present, the Malarijeka via-duct in Montenegro, Europe, with a height of 139 metre is the highest such rail bridge, the official said.

The much-delayed railway link to Manipur’s capital Imphal is set to get the world’s tallest girder rail bridge on the 125-km-long Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal route.

First included in the 2003-2004 central budget, the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal project has seen many delays and construction is not even one-third the way through, but the Railways says it has so far completed seven of the 46 tunnels on the project, with the NF Railways saying it will complete five more in the current year.

“Last week we completed Tunnel No 14 that passes under the Silchar-Imphal National Highway-37, with which we have so far completed 19.5 km of the 39.4 km of total tunnel-length that the Jiribam-Imphal track will have,” a senior NF Railay official said on Sunday. The longest tunnel on this route will be 10.7 km in length, he said.

But the biggest feat the Railways has been working on is Bridge No 164, which will have a proposed pier height of 141 metre and would make it the tallest girder rail bridge in the world.

At present, the Malarijeka via-duct in Montenegro, Europe, with a height of 139 metre is the highest such rail bridge, the official said.

Declared as a National Project in 2012, the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal project has already missed two deadlines, with the revised target for completion now fixed at 2022.

“We however want to complete the Jiribam-Tupul 84-km section by March 2016 in the first phase.

This portion will require 1,310 hectares of land out of which work is in progress in 1,263 hectares.

There will be 112 minor bridges and six major bridges, out of which 52 minor bridges have been already completed,” the NF Railway official said.

Court Frowns at Delhi Police Over Custody of Manipur Man

New Delhi, Jun 30 : Delhi Police has faced the ire of a local court for ignoring its order regarding handing over to Manipur Police a man from the northeastern state who was arrested in a cheating case here.

The court took strong exception to goof up by Delhi Police by not complying with its order of June 26 asking it to respond to the bail plea of the accused and going ahead with the previous day's order directing it to hand over the man to Manipur Police for his production before a court in Imphal on June 27.

Ningthoujam Somendro Singh was arrested on June 24 here by the Special Cell of Delhi Police and Manipur Police had come to the national capital for his transit remand.

Singh was produced before a court here on June 25 where his plea for transit bail was dismissed by the judge who had ordered that accused be kept in the custody of special cell till June 26 and be produced before the court in Imphal on June 27.

On June 26, Singh, through his advocate Tarun Rana, moved another plea seeking transit bail before the sessions court which had issued notice to investigating officer (IO) of Manipur Police and the special cell directing them to appear in person before it on June 27.

However, on June 27, the court was informed by the special cell that Singh had already been taken to Manipur by the IO to produce him before the court there.

The matter was listed for hearing before the court today where special cell intimated the judge that Singh has been produced before the court in Imphal.

Special judge G P Singh, however, directed that copies of orders of June 26 and June 27 and today be sent to Commissioner of Police for further action regarding explanation for non compliance of the June 26 order passed by the court.

Soon, A Bus Ride To Myanmar

By Moushumi Das Gupta

Giving a fillip to Prime Minister Narendra Modi government’s thrust to boost connectivity with neighbouring South Asian countries, India is set to launch a weekly cross-border bus service between Imphal in Manipur and Mandalay in central Myanmar.

The service is likely to start from October and would cover a distance of 579 kilometres between Imphal and Mandalay in about 14 hours. Though the fare is yet to be finalised, government officials said it would be kept below `2,000. Also to facilitate travellers, visa-on-arrival would be offered on both sides.

Presently there is no direct road link between India and Myanmar. From Delhi, one has to first fly to Bangkok and then to either Rangoon or Nay Pyi Taw to reach Myanmar. 

“The project which was in a limbo for about two years got a impetus after the new government took over. Apart from strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries, it will also boost economic activity in the region” said a road ministry official.

Depending on the response, the weekly bus service would be scaled up and at a later stage will be extended to allow movement freight traffic as well.

“A team of senior officials from road transport and external affairs ministries visited Nay Pyi Taw early this month to finalize the agreement for the proposed bus service,” said an official.

Modi’s predecessor Manmohan Singh was also keen to sign the agreement for launching the bus service during his visit to Myanmar in 2012 but it did not fructify as the memorandum of understanding could not be finalised on time.

The Indian government is also assisting Myanmar to upgrade a 70 km stretch of road which becomes non motorable during the rainy season, according to an official.

Performing Stunts is Not All About Passions

By M. Srinivas

Youngstes from Manipur performing at a thehme park near Vijayawada. - PHOTOs: V. RAJU


16-member team from Manipur perform to help recoup their families from financial woes They perform with rings and ropes in parks. Their feats with fire and wheel amuse all. But, their daredevilry is not only for drawing applause from audience, but also it is the only mean to earn their livelihood.

Sixteen members of a team from Manipur perform 15 varieties of stunts and acrobatics at a theme park in the city to amuse visitors. “I like stunts. But, performing here is not a choice but a compulsion. I stopped pursuing higher education owing to financial problems in the family. But, no regrets! At least, I am now able to support my 65-year-old ailing father (who is recovering from a leg injury),” he said. “Sometimes, we feel bad as we miss our friends and relatives at our home town. But, we do not have any other option,” he adds.

Like Mr. Kennedy, 15 other youngsters, including eight girls from Manipur, came to the city and perform stunts and acrobatics to help their families. “After my three bothers separated from the family, it became difficult to cope with the increasing financial woes. I decided to migrate from home town to earn more and that is why I am here,” explains Mr. Kennedy, who completed Intermediate education. He is now managing to send Rs.10,000 per month to his parents out of the Rs.15,000 he gets as salary.

For the past three years, the team has been performing different stunts like ring and rope jump, fire and wheel acts, ring dance and etc. The show lasts for an hour with various stunts of five minute duration each. “The show is an added attraction for the visitors,” says M. Joel Sanjay, who coordinates the show.

Manipur Vow To Shield Integrity

June uprising day observed in Imphal

















People pay floral tributes to martyrs at Kekrupat in Imphal on Wednesday.

Imphal, Jun 19 : The Manipur government and citizens’ organisations reaffirmed their stand on protection of Manipur’s territorial integrity on Great June Uprising, Unity Day today.

The United Committee, Manipur (UCM), and the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (Amuco) observed Great June Uprising, Unity Day on June 18 every year to commemorate people’s uprising on this day in 2001 against declaration of the NSCN (I-M)’s ceasefire without any territorial limit by the then NDA government at the Centre.

Police crackdown on protesters, who went on burning the state Assembly building, chief minister’s office building and other government buildings, killed 18 people.

The main highlights of the day’s programme were paying floral tributes by members of all communities to the memorial site of the 18 people killed and holding a public convention at Kekrupat here to reaffirm the pledge. A blood donation camp was also organised by two citizens’ organisations to mark the day.

The June Uprising was triggered by the apprehension that Delhi might disintegrate Manipur while solving the problem of the NSCN (I-M).

Deputy chief minister Gaikhangam, ministers and MLAs were among those who paid floral tributes to the “martyrs”. Congress MP Thokchom Meinya Singh also paid floral tributes.

“Today is a historic day. The day reminds us of the need to stand united. The Manipur government’s stand is very clear — nobody can disturb the unity and integrity of Manipur,” Gaikhangam, who is also the home minister, said after paying floral tributes.

Leaders, who addressed the meeting, cautioned people that the threat to Manipur’s integrity still exists as the United Naga Council (UNC) has been demanding an alternative administrative arran-gement and the NSCN (I-M) demand for integration of Nagas. Kukis are also demanding creation of a Kuki state out of Manipur’s territory.

“We cannot accept the alternative arrangement demand of the UNC or the demand for a Kuki state. The threat to Manipur’s integrity still exists. We will resist all attempts to disintegrate Manipur,” convener of the observation committee, T. Gandhi, said in his keynote address.

Amuco president Y. Mani and UCM president Y. Nabachandra reaffirmed the stand and said unity is the only common future of all communities in the state.

“We observe the day to strengthen our stand that we will sacrifice more blood if any move is made against the interest of Manipur,” Nabachandra said.

Manipuris settled in other parts of the Northeast, including Assam, attended the programme. Many Manipuris who settled in Bangladesh and Myanmar could not reach Imphal following a 48-hour strike called by the United Naga Council (UNC) in all-Naga inhabited areas of Manipur.

The UNC has called the strike beginning Monday midnight against the Okram Ibobi Singh government’s decision to establish village development committees in the hills.

Most shops here remained shut during the programme.