Northeast Platform

New Delhi, Aug 23: Possibly spurred by an investigation launched by this newspaper into the state of the Monika Devi probe instituted by sports minister M.S. Gill and handed over to former chief election commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy, an official statement on Friday released a "status report" on the state of the inquiry.With initial reports suggesting that Krishnamurthy had been given a week to come up with answers on why Monika Devi was deplaned from on the eve of the team's departure for Beijing and the deadline having lapsed two days ago, there was till late on Friday news on when the report would be submitted and what it contained.On Friday evening however, an official statement said Krishnamurthy "has begun the inquiry" and that on August 18, he had "met various officials of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as well as Sports Authority of India"The former CEC also met Monika Devi on Thursday and is scheduled to meet the Indian Weightlifti...

IMPHAL, Aug 23: The UNLF in a press release today said it has imposed a ban on petty non-local traders and artisans settling or penetrating local villages in the wake of the killing of its cadre Cpl Toijam Thengnaba alias Rocky, son of Biramangol of Churachandpur Thenggra Leikai by the 12-Maratha Light Infantry and the Imphal West Commandos, as reported in local dailies today. The release said the slain man was a cadre of its armed wing, MPA, bearing army number MPA No 911, and had just been released for treatment of a serious ailment he was suffering from.Explaining the circumstance, the release said when he was caught he was staying in a house in Uripok while we was undergoing the treatment, and killed after beastly torture.The release also claimed that Thengnaba was arrested not by a combined team of Manipur police commandos and army troops, but by the latter alone.It said the army troopers came disguised as civilians when Thengnaba was arrested. He was eliminated and abandoned with...

NEW DELHI, Aug 19: Commonwealth champion Judoka Khumukcham Tombi (48 kg) who represented India along with Diviya at the Beijing Olympics 2008 has been selected for Arjuna Awards for the year 2007. She was among 11 sportspersons selected for the awards.The government of India today announced the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Awards for the year 2007, Dhyan Chand Awards for the year 2008 and Dronacharya Awards for the year 2007 based on the recommendations of the selection committees constituted for the purpose. Milkha Singh was the chairman of the Selection Committee for selection of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2007), Arjuna Awards (2007) and Dhyan Chand Awards (2008). Kh Tombi from Manipur, presently working with the CRPF, won the gold medal in the Commonwealth judo championship in January this year. She also bagged the bronze in the Asian Judo Championships held in Kuwait last year.26-year old Tombi is the daughter of Kh Munal of Mayang Imphal.Arjuna Awards are given...

IMPHAL, Aug 19: The accumulated losses to the economy of the state due to bandhs and economic blockades during the period from 2004-05 to 2006-07 (i.e. three years) was estimated at Rs. 1319.96 crores, the state directorate of information and public relations stated today in a report.The economic loss due to bandhs and economic blockades on the national highways during the year 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 was Rs. 246 crores, Rs. 553.23 crores and Rs. 520.73 crores respectively while the loss in the per capita per day was Rs. 22, Rs. 24 and Rs. 27 respectively. Thus the accumulated economic loss during the last three years has been estimated at Rs. 1319.96 crores, it said.Reduction of per capita income due to bandhs and blockades was 6.10 percent in 2004-05, 11.79 percent in 2005-06 and 9.93 percent in 2006-07 upto January this year, according to data available with the state department of economics and statistics.An analysis of the Manipur government said that the number of bandhs and...

IMPHAL, Aug 20: Life in the state remained paralysed for the second consecutive day today as another 12-hour nationwide general strike called by the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions kept people off work after the 24-hour statewide strike yesterday.The Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions, Manipur while claiming that 65 different organizations supported the general strike, said that it was carried out successfully and peacefully in the state. They also thanked the people for their cooperation.Normal life was severely affected yesterday owing to the 24-hour general strike called by the coordination committee against the exclusion of L Monika from the Beijing Olympics. The strike concluded at 5 am today. However, another 12-hour general strike commenced from 5 am today.The 12-hour general strike of the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions concluded at 5 pm this evening peacefully. No violent or untoward incidents were reported during the strike hours.Even though the strike was support...

IMPHAL, Aug 2: Womenfolk and students have still not overcome the shock of child abductions in the state even after the proscribed PREPAK outfit clarified that they would stop recruitment of children as child soldiers and the Manipur government stepped up security measures to check kidnapping of children. "We want to know who are the real culprits in the current trend of kidnapping attempts that are being reported every day," said a woman participating in a sit-in protest staged at Khurai Lamlong bazar in Imphal east today. "We have been kept in a confusing situation and fear still exists in our minds as the reports of attempts to kidnap and escape of children from abductors are still coming frequently," she said. The woman while recounting the incident of July 31 in which two boys from a school at Khurai Heikrumakhong were reportedly taken away by some miscreants before being released later after police and locals conducted a massive manhunt for them in Heingang hi...

IMPHAL, Aug 1: Police today said that it has rescued a driver of a truck kidnapped by KRA(U) with the nabbing of three of its cadres including its self styled finance secretary and a woman cadre.On the other hand, two cadres of different militant outfits were detained under the Naitonal Security Act, NSA by an order of the state home department, an official source said Friday.SP, Thoubal police in a statement today said that a team of police commandos rescued a non-local driver hailing from Kohima, Nagaland who was kidnapped by KRA(U) cadres from Kakching in Thoubal district. The driver named Manoj Suraj, son of Man Bahadur hailing from Kohima was kidnapped from Kangpokpi by the cadres of the outfit and was rescued in a follow up action of the commando team who nabbed the cadres of the outfit yesterday from Namdulong, Stadium road, Imphal.Two cadres of KRA(U) including a woman were nabbed by a team of Thoubal district police commandos during a frisking and checking operation from Namdu...

IMPHAL, Jul 31: An international seminar-cum-workshop on the "Spiritual and physical dimension of Manipur martial arts" is to be held at the Manipur University campus in Imphal from August 9 to 12.The four-day event is an attempt to put together at one place the overwhelming complexity of the entire martial arts tradition of the ethnic communities of Manipur and the venture has never been attempted before, according to the organisers.The necessity to bring the various hills and plains traditions of martial arts together at one go is compelled by the need to draw the attention of the academics, the university intellectuals and the general public about the ascent of the cultural practice of Manipur martial arts in the international arena, the organisers said adding that it was the desire of the students from the international community to learn and practice this art.The organisers further mentioned that though attracting unprecedented attention the exhibitory character of its p...

IMPHAL, Jul 31: In yet another episode of child kidnapping a major operation was launched after a complaint was made by school authorities over the disappearance of two students this afternoon to the Imphal east police. The operation was conducted in Heingangching area by the Imphal east police.The matter came to light following complaints from the authorities of Jatra English School Khurai Heikrumakhong under Porompat police station in Imphal east district. The school authorities said they found two students identified as Leimaram Rudrajit Singh, 13, son of L Birbabu Singh of Khurai Heikrumakhong and Akash Sai, 13, son of the school chowkidar identified as Johny Sai, residing at the school campus, missing from the school during school hours this afternoon around 2.30 pm after both went out through the half broken wall of the school and accompanied some unidentified persons who came in a Maruti van.In the meantime, the school authorities on being suspicious over the disappearance of bo...

IMPHAL, Jul 30: At least two suspected PREPAK(VC) cadres who were allegedly behind the recruitment of children into the outfit were killed in follow up action after a child kidnapper was apprehended from Langthabal Kunja today in a operation conducted by the Imphal west police commandos jointly with the troops of 12 Maratha Light Infantry, police said.Two suspected PREPAK cadres were killed today in a shootout with a combined force of Imphal west police commandos and troops of 12 Maratha Light Infantry at Laphupat Tera part-II this afternoon at 12.45 pm.The two were killed during a follow up action of the combined force following arrest of a 19-year old person named Akham Bobby Singh, son of Noren of Mayang Imphal Thana Wangkhei Leikai, a "child recruiter-cum-abductor" of PREPAK(VC) from Langthabal Kunja area, Imphal west SP Kailun said in a statement today.Bobby was arrested today at around 9.30 am by personnel of the Imphal west police commandos after receiving specific in...

Imphal, Aug 1: Protest rally against the ongoing rampant kidnappings of children in Manipur has spread to the hill districts of Manipur today. A rally against the kidnapping of children was held for the `first time` in the hills by the students, staff and parents of Peace Academy , Chadong village in Ukhrul district on Friday. This was followed by a meeting at the newly built village community hall of Chadong. The gathering carried placards such as "Stop child kidnapping", "We want peace", "We want free movement and education", "Make education free zone" etc, and shouted the same. `Peace Academy`, a private Co-Educational Institution jointly promoted by Jesus Gospel Ministry (NE India) and High Hills Development Cooperation for the poorest of the poor and the orphanage, was established in January, 2007. Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Ashang Kasar, Executive Administrator and Chairman of Peace Academy revealed that this rally was the `first time` i...

For the 11th Manipur Integrity Day arrange-ments have been made to observe it at 18 different places across the State on August 4 under the aegis of the All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation (AMUCO). A press release issued by AMUCO informed that the Integrity Day will be observed at THAU ground Imphal, Sawom-bung (Imphal East), Langdum (Imphal East), Sagolmang (Imphal East), Lamsang (Imphal West), Leisangkhong (Imphal West), Nambol (Bishnupur district), Bishenpur, Moirang, Kakching Khunou, Langmeidong, Khong-jom, Yairipok Singa, Yairipok Top Chingtha, Moreh, Churachandpur, Jiribam and Mayophung (Ukhrul district). It appealed to the people and all organisations to participate in the observations arranged at these places and also not to call bandh or general strike on this day. A second souvenir dedicated to the 23 martyrs who laid down their lives for the territorial integrity and unity of Manipur will be released on the 11th Integrity Day. In the people’s movement that erupted on Aug...

IMPHAL, Jul 31: "No to gun and bomb culture," said a slogan displayed at the site of the sit-in protest staged at some places of Khurai area against the frequent attacks at the residence of the FCS minister, Y Erabot Singh.Mention may be made that suspected militants have carried out attacks with bombs and guns several times at the residence of the minister at Khurai Ahongei in Imphal.During July month which ended today, militants conducted at least two attacks on the minister`s house, the latest one being on the night of July 29 in which out of two bombs which were hurled by militants at the residence of the minister at around 11 pm, a bomb went off and caused damage to a vehicle and tin roof structure on the eastern side of his house.Last weekend also militants attacked the minister`s house by firing and hurling a hand grenade which failed to explode.Sit-in protests denouncing the frequent attacks on the house of the minister were staged at Khurai Ahongei and Khurai Telipa...