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.....
General Articles
By : Waikhom Damodar Singh
Lo! The Kukis have also come out on the stage
It is quite interesting, instead of feeling alarmed, that the Kukis of Manipur have also now come out openly and quite bravely on the scene demanding their legitimate share of forming a greater Kuki-land by carving out a large chunk of the area (nearly two-third) of the present, already much shrunken, territory of the erstwhile kingdom in which all the indigenous ethnic groups of Mongoloid people had been living under the “royal canopy” of deitic king Pakhangba and his descendent rulers who lived quite in “communal harmony” for ages.
More interesting to find is while the Nagas under the deep influence of the NSCN(IM) have scaled dawn their demand of farming a greater Nagalim, as learnt from the Media publications, the Kukis have wokened up and stepped up their demand from that of the district level to a much greater area of a full fledged State of their own, Bravo! their people will say. If the demand of a sort of a “lebensraum” by both the communities are to be considered as their democratic rights then the Meitei Pangals (the Muslims), the Kabuis of the valley, the Punjabis and Mayangs of Imphal area should also not remain in deep slumber - they all should hurry up to come out to press for their rightful demand of greater Pangal-land. (of area of Lilong, Yairipok, Thoubal and Mayang Imphal), Kabui-land (of Langthabal, Moirangkhom, Keishamthong, Mahabali, Shahib-manai, Majorkhul, Keikhu, Thangmeiband, Terakeithel, Sangaiprou, Ragailong etc.), Punjabi and Mayang-land (whole of the area of Khwairamand Bazar and Bapupara). Is it not an interesting “proposition” quite viable for implementation as the democratic rights of the concerned people at par with the Nagas and the Kukis as guaranteed under the so called noblest and longest written constitution of India?
If the Government of India, only for the sake of accomoda-ting Muivah anyhow in the jurisdiction of Manipur, agree to an alternating arrangement that is working out clandestinely, as 95 per cent of the people of Nagaland are said to be against his leadership in the new political set up envisaged strongly by the Government of India to come up under its constitution amended, then in the context of the similar demand of the Kukis latestly come up be also given to them the alternative arrangement to cover all the Kukis inhabiting Manipur, in majority in the hills, Nagaland, Assam, and Tripura?
Apart from whatever charges made by both the parties against the earlier “hegemony” of the Meiteis under the powerful ruling kings, the crux of the question that may be put and analysed is - suppose it is hypothetically fully agreed to be given the two greater Lands of the Nagas and the Kukis, under what agreable terms to both the communities with their areas so claimed existing in a state of encroaching with each other be “demarcated” ?
While dealing with the most “knotty problem” of Manipur at hand the conclusive para of the article in the Hoi Polloi & Mundanity column of the Sangai Express of Sunday 11 November 2012 may be very seriously considered. It says without any bias - Quote - “The Government of India must not commit any “fait accompli”. The resolution to seek pre-merger status should not be treated as “mere rhetoric or an argument just for the sake of argument”. Manipur is a very ancient kingdom, much older than the Indian Union and the present State of Nagaland. Just like today Nagas were there in the independent kingdom of Manipur as well as in the Ahom kingdom of present day Assam but Naga irredentism was a very recent origin which took birth only with the creation of Nagaland State within the Indian Union. Pre-merger status assumes great significance because Naga irredentism might not be there at all or the situation could have been dealt with differently had Manipur enjoyed the same status till day. And one should not overlook that the Government of India has been indirectly supporting the Naga irredentism wittingly or unwittingly in order to appease the Naga militant groups and save its own territorial integrity. This is reflected glaringly when NSCN(IM) scaled down its core demand from Naga sovereignty to Naga integration which the Government of India responded quite positively. But the Government of India must first answer how many irredentist claims it can fulfill within its own political boundary. Unquote - the latest claim of the Kukis that has come up is the most glaring and unbiased, fact that has been put in the question. In addition to the demand of the Kukis, the Bodos, the Kacharis and others may also come up again with their similar demands soon who knows!
The Article I of the Merger Agreement signed by Maharaja Bodhchandra Singh at Shillong in September 1949 is reproduced - His Highness Maharaja of Manipur hereby “cedes” to the Dominion Government full powers and exclusive authority, “jurisdiction” and powers for and relation to the governance of the State and agree to transfer the administration of the State to the Dominion Government on the Fifteen day of October, 1949 (herein referred to as the said day).
Unquote - the pertinent question that has clearly come up is - the “jurisdiction” so ceded by the Maharaja, though beyond his power and authority, was only of the valley area exclusive of the hill areas of Manipur as is very wrongly and biasedly presumed to be so by some of the sections of the peoples of the hills? Secondly, since the agreement was signed on 15 October 1949 much after it had been out-right rejected by the Manipur Legislative Assembly on 28 September 1949 it has become a document more of a unabiding agreement, legally, constitutionally and politically as well.
The writer had already pointed out in his recent article published, entitled “Forced and Unratified Manipur Merger Agreement of 21 September that the Dominion Government of India had grossly violated the mandates of the Charter of the United Nations contained in the Article 2(4) which strictly “obliged” (real meaning forced) them to honour the “territorial integrity of Sovereign Manipur”, they being a Member of the benign Organisation since the year 1945. This is the most relevant fact connected with the pre-merger agreement and status of sovereign Manipur that the Government of India, as respondents, have to answer and clarify on its being a highly illegal and dictatorial matter or action taken if an aggrieved section of the people of Manipur happens to come up and lodge a complaint before the United Nations in that regard.
It is very unfortunate that a futile and hostile idea of “separatism” has developed very lately in the heads of some youth leaders of both the Nagas and Kukis, perhaps unduly incited and misguided them towards wrong path by some extremist groups. Such blooming up young leaders of both the parties may not torget that nothing more will be achieved by living in their lands under their “ethnic apellations” changing from the “very neutral and godly given name, Manipur” which the majority of the people, the Meiteis at no time thought of calling it, Meitreibak, the Land of the Metteis, who have been living in the divine Land as the senior Members with all the ethnic groups of people in “full communal harmony with kindred loving spirits” for ages.
Whether Meiteiland or Nagaland or Kukiland its indigenous peoples, Meiteis, Nagas, Kukis and all others, may well remember that their fates and destinies, made them “born and live together”, and as very emotionally and sentimentally said by late Bodhchandra Singh, Maharaja of Manipur in his inaugural speech given on the august occasion of the opening day of the Legislative Assembly of the resurgent sovereign Manipur on 18 October 1948 of 53 honourable Members elected by the people including 18 indpendent Members from the Hills that their fates have bound them as one Nation to die indissolutely in this hoary Land of Manipur, carrying away nothing of it by any of them in accompanyment with his death.
It may also be seriously noted by the farerunner arganisers of both the parties of the Nagas and the Kukis that their adventurous (hazardous, risky) actions would have full appreciations and sympathies of the people at large had they not indulged to the most inhuman, unwanted, highly illegal and unconstitutional method of “strangling” the peoples’ throat i.e. the savage mehtod of “economic blockade”, which actually does not bring or yield any desired fruitful result except of causing deep silent angers and cursings in the hearts of all the qurters of the people, particularly the poor ones whose very survival becomes very difficult and precarious if the free flow of economic essential goods and comodities is blocked, particularly coming mainly from outside the State, “sine-die”.
Senses
Dear Mr. Damodar, It is not the time for Meiteis to find fault with the demands of Kuki or Naga. Instead Meiteis should be talking about where they are heading without the hills - whether greater autonomy under Indian constitution, or pre 1947 status, or whatever else. Because the present setup of Manipur is not working and it will break up one day or the other. The divide is beyond repair. Any amount of vilifying or bad-mouthing on NSCN, or Muivah, or Nagas, or Kuki, or KSDC, or KNO, or Govt of India, or anybody else, will not protect the territory of present Manipur. Slandering everyone else except themselves (Meiteis) does NOT make a very interesting community to be neighbours (forget about living together). It shows a very selfish and self centred community.
Ibo
Dear Sense, First upon, u must have common sense of living together. The divide among the people is within repair. The only thing what we have to do now is to sit together, and discuss together - how to live together.
Manipuri
Sir, Your article cannot be refuted, as you have stated the facts. The question is why the people are so restive and ready to disturb anything and everything? 1. Manipur govt fail its people in all front- governance, law and order, livelihood,education, etc. 2. It fails to protect its citizens during ethnic conflicts between Nagas and Kukis. 3. It fails to achieve unity among different tribes. 4. The ruling govt is mostly represented by majority community and minorities feel insecure and unrepresented. 5. Why all activities of development is concentrated in Imphal only? 6. Kukis and Nagas feel highly deprived, why? their fear should be taken seriously. 7. Kukis never demanded Statehood before Naga-Kuki conflict, but the mushroming of arm groups is due to govt's failure to protect their lives and livelihood. 8. First address the rootcause and the rest will fall in its place. 9. history and Facts only cannot improve the present situation. If you want to protect Manipur Integrity, protect every citizen first. 10.The way forward is give justice to the victims of Arm conflicts. Instead of blaming Kukis and Nagas, you must dirwect your question to the Govt of Manipur. If they cannot bring peace, they have no moral rights to govern. 11. I am a Kuki but I have no desire to break Manipur as long as Manipur protect my rights and livelihood. Otherwise, I want to break into a thousand peace.
Hejang Misao
Next time please take care of your vocabulary, spelling and grammar :)
@Ibo
The 1980s and to some extent the 1990s was the period to sit together and find solution but it is too late now Mr. Ibo
Ibo
The thing that happened in USA long back between Black and White is not the scene right now in Manipuur. What is happenning in Manipur is good for the betterment of Manipur 2morrow. The fact is everyone want peace and development. The peace will come definitely only after we work very hard together to bring peace. Nothing More.
life
"Refugee"....! Meiteis' are becoming Refugee at his own land. and the Real Refugee are becoming the Owner! guess who ??????????
Tathiba LINDU
Very neatly written, with rich inputs of historical items (mystical and facts) dotted with trivial grammatical mistakes and distorted word flow. Hmmm... It seems the cry from the valley dwellers are a bit toned down. This is indeed an evolution in itself. Though it seems very unlikely that people on the move, whether it be from kuki's side or the Nagas would easily come for a peaceful settlement, we can still hope for the best, taking into account the looming hatred and the possible inferno that may spark out of it. I m lost to think what would our own self style power boys of the valley be thinking at the moment. Alas, it’s a stage for utter helplessness for them. Pity scene. Piles of money collected through forged contracts, lootings and plundering etc. would only give them hillocks of misery. A big moral to learn indeed... live and let live. But brothers from the hills should not take up the forbidden lesson newly. It would be incongruous. So let’s try and find out for a peaceful solution. Greed will only give us.... a dance of sadism, turning eloquent beauties of the hills and valleys into an endless... ever expanding graveyard, pains and agony echoing and haunting us from every nook and corners of the pristine land...
Thathai
Respected Editor, 'The Sangai Express' and Dear Damodar, I have been following the Sangai Express for sometime, and it is unfortunate that a newspaper of such esteem should publish articles containing words and statements which are blatantly disrespectful. In this age of political correctness, the appearance of such words and statements hints at a willful neglect on the part of the editor. Dear Domodar, I am not as well read as you are, but would like to point out some of my observations......Sir, I have been studying in Delhi for the past couple of years and we (meitei/tribals) feel the alienation when we are there. It is painful to see the direspect that we are subjected to sometimes, as minorities we expected some kindness and understanding from the majority brethren outside Manipur. So, when agitations, or unhappiness arises sometimes instead of playing the blame game a little retrospect is usually more constructive. And as conscience keeper, if the fourth estate is not truthful and outright the glory of Sanaleipak will only be a fable of past yonder that we tell our children.
Mr J
It is a thought provoking good article giving a lot of information with reasonable logical arguments about the present political crisis created by politically ambitious tribal leaders. There is no issue of alienation of tribal people; the divisive tribal leaders want to alienate tribal people using their divisive propaganda. It create chain reaction in the political system of tribal and leads to the disintegration of the present set up of Naga and Kuki. The root cause of the present turmoil in Manipur is greed for power by the elite sections of all the communities. Tribal is comparatively well of than Meitei under the protection of government. Many unemployed educated youth in Imphal are driving auto rickshaw, cycle rickshaw for their livelihood. Since tribal are more spoon feed than non tribal, they want more and more larger share than their entitlement. It is reflected in their agitation without sacrificing any self. Their demand is not legitimate at all.
Nohkhopao
This is the write-up of a fanatic meitei who always find fault with others which will be appreciated by someone like the write such as MR J (J Meaning Jangko).
Revolution
Havent been Meiteis coward n communal at times of needs,all these wouldnt have happened. So, nw keep quite n watch da shw just like u always have been doin.
