State lad youngest Indian to conquer Mt Everest
IMPHAL, May 18: Even though it was nearly five-decades back when New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Nepali companion Tenzing Norgay scaled Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, on May 29, 1953, Nameirakpam Chingkheinganba became the youngest Indian .....
CM for decorum in Palace compound
IMPHAL, May 18: Strongly emphasising on protection, maintenance and renovation of historical monuments and sites to uphold Manipur's glorious past, chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has called upon private land owners in Palace Compound to relinquish land .....
Burmese Language Studies programme
A resource persons speaks during the Burmese Language Studies programme organised by Meetei Council Moreh at the border town on May 18. The programme was conducted under the sponsorship of Bhuban Gems, whose propreitor Naorem Nabachandra is also the presi.....
Anti-AFSPA rally in Ukl
Ukhrul, May 18: The District social organizations and NGOs of Ukhrul today jointly organized a silent protest rally demanding repeal of AFSPA (Armed forces special powers) act 1958 from the region. Addressing the participants, president of Tangkhul you.....
Govt okays MoU with UPPK
IMPHAL, May 18: The State Cabinet has given its approval for the State Government to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UPPK which has given up arms and returned to the mainstream. In this regard, Ministry of Home Affairs, North East in-char.....
BJP alleges project anomalies, demands CBI probe
IMPHAL, May 18: Referring to comment in a local daily about the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh charging some of his ministerial colleagues of depleting the State exchequer crores of rupees, the BJP Ma-nipur Pradesh today demanded a CBI inquiry on the matter.....
Leakages waste 60 Kls
IMPHAL, May 18: Around 60 Kls of SK Oil are wasted due to leakages every month out of 2080 Kls allocated to Manipur by the Government of India for a month. With the State Government accepting that 60 Kls of SK Oil are wasted every month due to leakages.....
Shija's Cleft Project goes on
IMPHAL, May 18: With the objective of faciliting formal education of all children with deformed lips and palates, Smile Train Shija SSA Cleft Project is going on in Shija Hospital as a joint project of the hospital and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. After 10 c.....
TNAL protests
IMPHAL, May 18: The Tang-khul Naga Aze Longphang (Southern Tangkhul Naga Union) strongly denounced the Cabinet decision which prohibited entry of both Sailent and Saijang villagers to the ‘disputed site.’ An emergency general bo-dy meeting of TNAL .....
UGs clash
IMPHAL, May 18: A suspected NSCN (IM) cadre died in a gunfight with ZUF rebels at Lunghshai Chiru, located at the border of Bishnupur and Chu-rachandpur districts at around 2 pm today. The gunbattle broke out at the bank of Thongjaorok riv-er under Upp.....
NPF, ATSUM flay vacate order
IMPHAL, May 18: An order from the state government was issued today (Saturday) asking the residents of Naga River Colony in Imphal to vacate by May 19 (Sunday). The government of Manipur is planning to construct a five-star hotel in the area. Registeri.....
Gym inaugurated
IMPHAL, May 18: Khurai AC MLA Dr Ng Bijoy inaugurated AL-UMMAH gym at Khabeisoi today. The MLA was the chief guest of the function while Mohtamin Principal MV Abdul Kareem Dasmi was the president. Animal Gym founder and Real Heroes 2012 awardee RK Vish.....
Dr NT Kom felicitated
IMPHAL, May 18: Civil Services Examination 2012 successful candidate Dr Neilenthang Telien Kom was feted in a reception function organised in his honour at Lower Kom Keirap Baptist Church today. Taking part at the function, IFCD Minister Ngamthang Haokip .....
Mayek Chatpa Numit
IMPHAL, May 18: Marking the 7th anniversary of State Government’s declaration to replace Bengali script with Meetei Mayek in the school syllabus of Manipuri subject, Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillon Apunba Lup (MEELAL) today observed Mayek Chatpa Numit at .....
High tension electric wire falls on Ukhrul school
Ukhrul, May 18: A High Tension (HT) wire fitted across the campus of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Hungpung Ukhrul, fell on the school today. The incident occurred at around 11 am while the cadets of Scouts and Guides were performing drill exe.....
Veterinary directorate
IMPHAL, May 18: The Directorate of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services has invited candidates for undergoing one year Vety Field Assistant Training course for the academic session 2013-14. Intending applicants could have the detailed information from.....
Fishermen refute charges
IMPHAL, May 18: Refuting the charge that fishermen of Loktak Lake had used chemical to clear phumdis (floating biomass) on the lake, the All Loktak Lake Area Fishermen’s Union, Manipur has urged the Govt of India to institute prompt, independent, impart.....
Introduction of Hindi in DU NEFIS urges, cautions
IMPHAL, May 18: Urging the Prime Minister Office to effect scrapping of the set of 'reforms' introduced by Delhi University in its four-year undergraduate courses, the North East Forum for International Solidarity has cautioned of launching democratic agi.....
Vitiligo Day observed
IMPHAL, May 18: Vitiligo, a common pigmentary disorder of the skin also widely known as Leucoderma, is neither infectious nor has any similarity whatever with Leprosy, according to Dr Karam Lokendro, Manipur State Branch President of Indian Association of.....
Victim, sister called to Court of Inquiry
IMPHAL, May 18: Even as the warrant of arrest issued by Court in connection with the rape attempt on a sweeper by a CRPF personnel has been accepted by CRPF authority, they have asked police to send the victim and her elder sister to assist in their court.....
Sunday Sentiments
By : Urmila Chanam
The lamp that lit my path
“Teachers are like candlesWhich burn themselvesTo give light to others.”
I first met him in the district meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office for all the line departments which were a part in the implementation of a Government programme in Meghalaya. It was the meeting to discuss each one of our roles in the operations of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in our State. As a new recruit and someone totally new to this field of social development, I would have been the most comfortable in the last row but luck was not on my side when I found all of them were occupied but for the middle seat in the front row right in front of the DC’s chair! With the head of each department present there in that dignified Government conference room, I was humbled to total submission, to go and take seat when I was ushered to that highly unlikeable position of the front row.
I met Mr Sampath Kumar, IAS and the Deputy Commissioner (Meghalaya), and my employer, for the first time that day.
There was swiftness in the way he spoke, a sharpness with which he defined the programme, its vision of how it was to raise the per capita income of the rural households and the role each one of us would play to realise that vision. It was an exhaustive discussion which I found myself totally absorbed in, perhaps because the man who chaired the meeting had a vision which was so very infectious! Equipped with a clear goal and fired with enthusiasm I went ahead to play my part. That was the summer of the year 2007.
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is a historic employment programme in our country which aims at raising the income of the rural community by ensuring 100 days of waged employment to a rural household whereby the adults of the household shall volunteer to do unskilled manual labour. It’s a plan to break the poverty line of the nation focussing on rural India. For a country where 73% of the population lives in villages, this scheme, if implemented well, would do wonders for our country. Unlike earlier Government programmes it is unique for its transparent procedures, the role of local community and constant vigilance, and for the way it has been comparatively corruption free.
I experienced hardships and challenges which no text book prepared me for. I learnt that in any development programme the biggest hindrance could be the people themselves who could garner suspicion on your motives. They could resist the very development initiate you were bringing them. The villages we were to reach were remote, the people new to such programmes and on the whole they had long lost their faith on the Government to do anything good for them! I didn’t know which was worse, travelling three hours on a muddy road to get to these project sites or to convince the people and persuade them to participate in this programme.
If I do a recap today, it makes perfect sense to me now when Mr Sampath Kumar took it on him to first work on the fundamental issues which were blocking the major programme which was to win the confidence of the rural community. He did so by giving full information to the people by personally going to as many villages that it was possible for a DC to visit and telling them of how NREGS would benefit them. I remember him focussing on identifying the ground irregularities with respect to development programmes. However, what I remember most about him was the way he facilitated the formation of the Village Development Council in each village with a view to let the people run the programme. This shook the entire political set up in Meghalaya whereby at this instance he was even questioned by the higher authorities to explain his initiative. Followed by a series of debate, it was a personal victory for him and for the people of Meghalaya when this local innovation was finally accepted and included in the NREGS as a role model for curbing malpractices.
A man who engaged the NGO sector in the NREGS implementation to the optimum and a phenomenon called Social Audit, I remember my boss as someone who believed in the power of community participation in all Government development programmes. I still remember the dynamic, zealous, inspiring man that he used to be. What set him apart was the humility with which he dealt with the village head men, with heads of the Government line departments and grass root workers like myself. My friend Saidul Khan who was a free lance journalist covering entire Meghalaya and now heads the News & Content for Frontier Television in the North-East, still remembers our common challenges and victories under our DC.
Mr Sampath Kumar is now the Mission Director for Poverty Alleviation in the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and CEO for the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana (RGMVP) in Rae Bareli Uttar Pradesh. I called him few days back to take his blessings before I get into social development again, after a brief break from it for 2 years. Nothing has changed—not his voice, nor his enthusiasm. It was then I realised that we need to find people from whom we take our aspirations and weave our own inspirations in life. Sometimes in the periphery of our classrooms, sometimes in our homes, in our relationships or even at work, we find these people I call ‘teachers’.
* I wish all the eleven IAS toppers 2010 from Manipur all the very best—Haulinalal Guite, Kumam Mini Devi, Hungyo Worshang, L Prabhunanda Singh, Maharabam Pradip Singh, Pauzakham Ngaithe, Kayio Kayina TH, Thari Sitkil, RN Ranmung, Wormila Jasmine Keishing and Michael Khamsei Touthang. May you become men/women of stature, integrity, vision and commitment to make a difference in how we live today in our country. I found a teacher in my boss, an IAS officer. I am certain you will find yours.
The writer works in an IT Consultancy in Bangalore as a HR Manager
Saidul Khan
Dear Urmila, Your article reminded me some of the best days in my career as a Journalist, i remember under Mr. Sampath Kumar i designed a motivational film for the rural people in Garo Hills. It was an enriching experience to work with him as well as to
Missi
Too many compliments too lttile space, thanks!
