Lacklustre Campaigning Ends in Manipur

Imphal, Jan 27 : A lacklustre campaigning for Saturday's Manipur assembly election ended at 3 pm today with candidates confining themselves to door-to-door campaign and not holding major public meetings.

Reports from districts said the candidates confined themselves to door-to-door campaigning due to threats from insurgents.

"Unlike the past, we could not use loud speakers because of threat from some insurgents groups who said they would eliminate us," Thambou Singh, a Congress worker in Yaiskul assembly constituency in Imphal East district said.

Official sources said major insurgent organisations had been targetting and attacking Congress workers and candidates in the past two weeks by lobbing grenades or exploding bombs.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh had questioned as to why insurgents were targetting only Congress and asked whether the insurgents had a 'hidden agenda.'

Withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 from the state and protection of the territorial integrity of Manipura were the manin issues that that were highlighted during the lacklustre campaign, the reports said.

Except Congress, all major political parties had promised to withdraw the AFSPA, if voted to power.

The Congress said it would lift it only after an improvement in the law and order situation, the reports said.

Shortage of electricity and water supply, bad road conditions of the national highways and problems faced by the state due to frequent blockades on the national highways were the other issues raised during the campaigning.

The few public meetings which were addressed by national leaders in the past one week included a meeting by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee at Langjing in Imphal West district where she promised that AFSPA would be lifted if her party came to power.

BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, Hema Malini and a few central leaders of other parties had also addressed some meetings in interior districts in the past week.

A spokesman of the Maniur people's party (MPP) told mediapersons that the Congress had failed to deliver the results during its last ten-year rule.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javedkar had earlier said that Manipur had witnessed a spurt in corruption and criminal activities during the last ten-year Congress rule.

Alleging that the government remained silent about incidents like the one in which state advocate general Koteshore Singh was shot at by a minister during a tour and the killing of a boy by a minister's son, he asked "Was there at all any government in the state?"

Demanding action against the culprits, he said if the BJP was voted to power it would put the guilty behind bars besides correcting the system.

Mizoram Achieves 100% EPIC Coverage

Aizawl, Jan 26 : All the 6,53,208 voters in Mizoram have electoral photo identity cards (EPIC), state chief electoral officer K Riachho said today.

During an observation of the National Voters Day at Vanapa Hall here today, the CEO handed over appreciation certificates to the district administrators of Aizawl, Lunglei, Lawngtlai, Mamit and Kolasib which had achieved cent percent EPIC coverage during last year.

Now the entire Mizoram has achieved cent per cent EPIC coverage, the CEO said. Mizoram has an electorate of 6,53,208, according to the electoral roll 2012 published by the state election department today.

There are more female voters (3,31,664) than their male counterparts (3,21,544). The increase from the 2011 electoral rolls was 12,454 voters. Tuichawng assembly seat in south Mizoram's Lawngtlai district has the largest number of voters at 25,198 while the Thorang constituency in Lunglei district has the least electorate at 12,039. The sex ratio in the electoral roll was 1031 female in every 1000 male while according to Census 2011 the sex ratio was 975.

The CEO also handed over EPICs to 20 selected youths who got voting rights in the latest electoral revision. Speaking at the function, Mizoram People's Forum (MPF) secretary Lalbiakmawia Ngente said the MPF's efforts in ensuring clean and low-profile elections in Mizoram had received acclaim from the Election Commission of India.

The Election of Commission of India has advised all the states to arrange benches for voters in each polling booth on the polling day as has been practiced in Mizoram at the initiatives of the MPF, he said. Along with the rest of the country, the second National Voters Day was observed in all the district capitals of Mizoram.

How To Deal With Insomnia Or Sleep Disorders

By Hema Subramanian

I sincerely hope you haven’t come across this article in the middle of the night. For many of us, it is troublesome to get the recommended dose of 8 hours of beauty sleep. These episodes of sleepless nights  may come and go, last up to weeks, or be long-lasting (chronic) for many of us.

Insomnia is trouble falling asleep or staying awake through the night.

 How do I know if suffer from a sleep disorder?
 If you’ve have any of the following conditions you might suffer from a sleep disorder:

1. Trouble falling asleep on most nights
2. Feeling tired during the day
3. Not feeling refreshed when you wake up
4. Waking up several times during sleep

 What might cause insomnia?

1. Hormones – Changes in the internal physical condition like hormonal changes or a physical ailment may cause sleeplessness. Also with age sleep patterns tend to change. You might have heard older people say that they wake up more often at nights. Medical conditions, such as thyroid disease, are known to be triggers.
2. Physical pain or discomfort – Obviously, any type of pain will cause lack of sleep and affects one’s healthy functioning and mental state. 
3. Lifestyle habits – Regular night-outs or late night parties, high amounts of junk food (especially at night), irregular eating, sleeping at odd hours, working late nights or working the night shift triggers a random response in the “Circadian Cycle” (responsible for maintaining natural processes) and may eventually cause insomnia.
4. Medications and drugs – One of the side effects of medication for ailments may be sleepless nights. If you have been taking sleeping pills, withdrawal symptoms may cause rebound insomnia.
5. Mental health – Any form of mental distress like anxiety,  sadness and severe disorders like depression and bipolar disorder can cause insomnia. Such times call for professional help.
6. Stress - Mind affects body and body affects mind. Stress takes its toll, whether it is short-term or long-term. This vicious cycle of stress affecting sleep and vice versa causes chronic insomnia.

What you can do to sleep better

1. Sleep time – Each one of one is unique, even with our sleep patterns. Some people feel refreshed with only 6 hours of sleep; others might need 9 – 10 to 11 hours. Know what your body needs. Fix up your sleep time accordingly. Always maintain regular sleep and waking up times to regularize your sleep patterns.
2. Visit the doctor – Your physician can help to review any drugs, medical conditions or stressful situations that may be causing your insomnia or making it worse.
3. Lifestyle management – Maintain a routine that is not extreme. If your work demands it, balance it by other factors like diet and a healthy mental state. Meditation, creative visualization may help you be calmer and restful.
4. Daytime sleepiness – Stop those afternoon naps. 2 p.m.to 6 p.m. is the most susceptible zone for naps. Indulge in some physical activity that requires you to move about during that time.
5. Physical activity – Physical exercise or a walk before bed time is ideal for chronic insomnia. Team up with someone or even with soothing music to help you maintain it as a habit.
6. Diet – Have a healthy dinner, drink warm milk or herbal tea with camomile. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco to help you sleep quickly.
7. Pamper yourself to sleep with warm bath with bath salts, massages, soothing music or chants, stomach rub or a hot water bottle.
8. Avoid any engaging activity like watching TV or reading a book just because you cannot sleep.
9. Do something monotonous – Count sheep or try to chant the alphabet backwards. Keep at it till you sleep out of sheer boredom. 

Follow these simple rules and realize that your body needs rest and therefore it is absolutely imperative that you get enough sleep. Research suggests a lot of diseases, conditions, stress-related disorders, etc. can be avoided by ensuring you get a good night’s sleep.

SEC Cracks The Whip On NECS

Aizawl, Jan 26 : The Mizoram state election commission has cracked the whip on North East Consultancy Services, preventing the latter from observing its foundation day on January 28 where Mizoram chief minister and others were scheduled to speak.

An official statement said today, as the NEC intended to go ahead with its scheduled programme despite the SEC's notification sent to the NEC chief managing director Robert Romawia Royte on the afternoon of January 24, the SEC ordered the Aizawl deputy commissioner to make sure that the function does not take place and instructed the director of art & culture department to ensure that Vanapa Hall remains lock from dawn to dusk on the scheduled date.

Any attempt to violate the election model code of conduct will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law, the official statement said.


According to the statement, the NEC chief MD had sent an application to the SEC to allow the chief minister, Nagaland education minister, Mizoram education minister and MLA and former Mizoram education minister Dr R Lalthangliana to address the function as per schedule. However, the SEC rejected the request on grounds that there could be violations of the election model code of conduct.

However, since local newspapers carried the scheduled programme today indicating that the company intended to go ahead with its scheduled programme, the SEC issued the notification today itself. Reacting to the government official statement, NEC chief MD Royte denied any attempt to defy the SEC s order.

When I received the SEC s letter around 1800 hours on Wednesday, my publicity department had already sent the programme for publication to the newspapers which I did not realise until later. My company has no intention to defy the SEC s order.

Therefore, I have cancelled the observation function, Mr Royte said.

Hmar Students’ Demand Stern Punishment For Rape Accused

New Delhi, Jan 26 : The Hmar Students’ Association (HSA), Delhi, has written to chief minister Shiela Dikshit demanding stern punishment for the accused in the rape of 20 year old girl from Manipur on January 18 in the national capital.  A copy of the letter addressed to the Delhi chief minister was received here today.

The Association stated that: “Considering the seriousness of this case and similar incidents that happened at the National Capital Region (NCR) and the unprecedented racial/gender-based violence meted to the people of North East India living in NCR, we, the Hmar Students' Association, Delhi demands the following to be taken up by your good office at the earliest so that justice be delivered to the victim, who is physically and mentally disturbed by the trauma she went through.”

 The Association demands that the rapist be “punished appropriately without fail as per the law of the country.” It wants that the rapist in the case be “booked under suitable sections of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989,” and  also the victim be compensated under the same Act or any other prevailing laws that cover this nature of crime.

Further, the Association demands that “a special cell headed by an IPS officer from North East India be established within the Delhi Police to pro-actively deal with the issues and problems regularly faced by people from the North East India in NCR.”

Also related the sequence of event which led to rape incident and police inaction thereafter, the Association said that the victim after escaping from the rapist returned to her place and an FIR was filed at Dwarka Sector 28 police station on January 19 and her statement taken by the concerned police.

“The police who promised to arrest the rapist after 2 hours of filing of the report, arrested the rapist only after 5 days after the incident,” the Association explained. The letter was appended by the president James Pusing Sanate and secretary Zacharia Varte.

Congress in Manipur May Buck Anti-incumbency Mood

It is likely to emerge as the largest political party, despite boycott call by militants and stiff competition

Imphal/Churachandpur (Manipur): The Congress party is likely to emerge as the largest political party in the 60-member Manipur state assembly although it faces stiff opposition from new political entrants in the state such as the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which are fighting the state polls for the first time.

Congress is expected to reduce its tally from a high of 30 seats in the last assembly elections to around 20 in the strife-torn state, which will require it to co-opt other parties to form a government.

Tight cover: The residence of Trinamool Congress candidate P. Songlianlal in Churachandpur. The elections are being held under the security vigil of 350 companies of paramilitary forces, with a total deployment of 62,000 personnel. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

The other contenders in the fray for the 10th assembly elections include the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP), the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is fighting the low-key election as part of a coalition comprising the Manipur People’s Party (MPP), the Janata Dal (United) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist, or CPI (M). The Congress has also been boycotted by the Coordinating Committee (CorCom), a coalition of seven valley-based underground outfits.

“There are no such things as issues here. Money will drive elections,” said a weary Hilam Rajesh, editor of The Sangai Express, the largest circulated daily in the state. The stairway to his office is flanked by state police commandoes as the publication has been receiving threats from militant groups.

Also, unlike other states, religion and delimitation are not factors in Manipur. The last delimitation exercise was carried out in 1976. An attempt made in 2002 met widespread opposition with allegations about valley and hill areas misrepresenting the number of voters.

“Manipur politics is all about assertion of ethnic identities,” added Konsam Ibo Singh, who teaches political science in Manipur University.

Of the 60 seats in the assembly, 20 are in the hills, with the balance in the valley, which is primarily inhabited by Meities, who are Hindus. The Nagas and Kukis are tribes with a significant presence in the hills.
The Manipur state elections have seen large fluctuations in voting percentages. While 82% voted in the 2007 assembly polls, the number fell to 46% in the 2009 parliamentary elections.

There is popular sentiment in favour of the Congress in the Meitei-dominated valley.
Sundar Sharma, a 25-year-old Meitei from Imphal, said, “Congress is not much corrupt. We will vote for it.”
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma, said: “Anti-incumbency is very high. The Congress performance has been very bad and the people are angry.”

The NCP is contesting 22 seats on its own and is part of an opposition alliance that is contesting in 43.
Some say the candidates are more important than their parties. “Politics is here more about personalities than parties,” said Radhabinod Koijam, president of the NCP in Manipur and a former chief minister.

To compound problems for the Congress, while the state government had earlier banned Naga separatist leader T. Muivah from visiting his birthplace in the state, Neiphiu Rio, Nagaland’s chief minister, is actively campaigning in the Naga-dominated hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong.
These are among the districts that the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), wants to be carved out to form the Naga state of Nagalim, along with Naga-dominated areas in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.

“The ideology of the NPF is to speak of the political voice of the Nagas. Our voice is not being heard. We are fighting elections for the first time in Manipur as part of our plan to fight elections from the Naga-inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam,” said Abu Metha, press secretary to Neiphiu Rio.
NPF is fighting elections in 12 seats in the four hill districts.

However, Phungzathang Tongsing, Manipur’s power minister, who is contesting from the Churachandpur assembly constituency, commented, while sitting in his palatial compound in Imphal. “What is the purpose of NPF? What is their programme? They can’t do anything for the state of Manipur.”

While the security establishment is strongly opposed to withdrawing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Afspa) from more areas, as it provides soldiers immunity from being prosecuted in any court of law, almost all the political parties are opposing it.

“There are divisive forces trying to break Manipur. Our fight is against corruption. We also want removal of Afspa,” said M. Nara Singh, CPI state secretary, sitting in his election office under a dim light. His party was a part of the Congress government but is now contesting independently in 24 seats.

Arguing similarly, TMC’s Kim Gangte said, “We are against this draconian law. If Manipur is part of India, it is time that the centre should look at it (removing Afspa).”

Underground groups
The CorCom has boycotted the Congress and has warned its candidates and workers against campaigning. Grenades have been thrown at the homes of candidates, cadres and party offices and there have been instances of improvised explosive devices (IED) camouflaged in cabbage being planted to cause damage.
The CorCom has named 38 Congress candidates and their 1,790 supporters in 38 constituencies as being covered under the threat.

“There is a law and order issue,” said Congress’ Tongsing, whose Churachandpur assembly constituency faces a keenly watched contest between the Congress, NCP and TMC. The other contenders are from the Shiv Sena and an independent.

P. Songlianlal of the TMC, who is also contesting the seat, said, “CorCom and NPF don’t have a problem with us.”The election marks several firsts. Apart from Muslim candidates fighting on Shiv Sena tickets, it will be for the first time that elections to all the 60 seats will be held in one phase. In 2007, state assembly elections were held in three phases with the parliamentary elections of 2009 being held in two phases.

The elections are being held under the security vigil of 350 companies of paramilitary forces for the state, with a total deployment of 62,000 personnel. Of the 2,357 polling stations in the state, only 160 are classified as normal by the Election Commission, with 1,325 termed sensitive and 872 hyper-sensitive.
Ratnakar Baral, director general of police (DGP), dismissed the apprehensions. “We are fully prepared,” he said.

Baral replaced Y. Joykumar Singh this month at the directive of the Election Commission.

While P.C. Lawmkunga, additional chief secretary and chief electoral officer for the state, admitted that his “most serious concern is the security”, he added that the Election Commission was “very much prepared in terms of manpower and security”.

utpal.b@livemint.com

Padma Vibhushan for Dr Bhupen Hazarika

Posthumous award

New Delhi, Jan 26 : In what is being perceived as a major let-down, Dr Bhupen Hazarika has been nominated posthumously for the Padma Vibhusan Award despite a growing demand for the Bharat Ratna to the legendary singer and composer. The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service.

Dr Hazarika is among seven whose names have been nominated for the Padma Vibhusan, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the eve of the Republic Day celebrations. Padma Awards, the country’s highest civilian awards, are conferred in three categories–Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

The awards are conferred by the President of India at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan sometime around March-April. This year the President has approved of 109 awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 14 in the category of Foreigners and NRIs and Posthumous. This year, there are five Padma Vibhushans, 27 Padma Bhushans and 77 Padma Shri awards. There are 19 women among the awardees, an official declaration said.

The balladeer and prominent cartoonist Mario De Miranda have been nominated posthumously. Dr Hazarika was the recipient of the Padma Shri (1977) and the Padma Bhusan (2001).

This year, none from the North-east has been nominated for the Padma Bhusan Award, while Sunil Janah of Assam has been nominated for the Padma Shri in the category of Art and Photography. Dr Ralte L Thanmawia of Mizoram has been nominated for the Padma Shri in the category of literature and education.

Meanwhile, notwithstanding pressure on the UPA-II Government to honour Dr Hazarika with the coveted Bharat Ratna, the Centre chose to ignore it. The list of those seeking the highest civilian award of the country is long and quite a few influential names figure in it, said sources, adding that names included that of Choudhury Charan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Dhyan Chand, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bhindra among others.

Others who also desire the award include popular actor Amitabh Bachchan. Further, names of Mirza Ghalib and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya have also been in circulation for the Bharat Ratna.

Supporting the case of the Dada Saheb Phalke awardee was Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who personally took the matter with the Prime Minister following huge public demand. The matter was also raised in the Parliament and the North East MPs’ Forum twice passed a resolution recommending the singer’s name for the highest civilian honour.

Reacting to the development, Kumar Deepak Das, who was among the first to raise the matter in Parliament, described it as most unfortunate. Just because he was from Assam, he was deprived of the highest civilian award.

The Prime Minister is a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam but in this case he has failed to honour the sentiment of the people of the State he represents, Das added.

General secretary of NEMPF Biren Baishya, who had called on the Prime Minister and submitted a petition along with chairman Mukut Mithi, said he is still hopeful.

Meanwhile, Khamliana from Mizoram and Md Abdul Bari of Odisha have been jointly selected for the National Communal Harmony Award for the year 2011 in the individual category.

Khamliana, 56, is the founder president of Mizoram Youth Club established in 1990. The Club is a well-known voluntary organisation rendering social service and strengthening national integration in Mizoram.

Mizoram Chief Secy Urges Officials To Prepare Voter List Sans

Aizawl, Jan 26 : Mizoram Chief Secretary Van Hela Pachuau today called upon officials involved in preparations of voter lists to work without fear or favour to ensure that no foreigners were enrolled in the electoral rolls.

Addressing a function on the occasion of the second National Voters Day, Pachuau said while all the citizens, attaining the age of 18, should be enrolled so that they have the right to vote, utmost care should be taken so that no foreigners were enlisted in the voter lists.

"If elections, the most important exercise of the people in the democratic government, are free and fair, democracy is strengthened while abuse of the elections and the voters' lists can endanger the very foundation of democracy," he said.

All the voters in Mizoram have recently possessed electoral photo identity card (EPIC) and the state became the seventh state to achieve it.