Thursday, August 14, 2008
MSAD sit-in-protest against action of Sports Authorities on the back-drop on L Monika "doping" handling on Aug 12 2008
More than 100 Manipuri students on protest in Delhi arrested; N Biren, Meinya secure their release
The Imphal Free Press
New Delhi, Aug 12: Demanding CBI investigation of the doping conspiracy which led to the expulsion of Laishram Monika from the Indian contingent for Beijing Olympics 2008, a large number of Manipuri students staged a protest against the authorities managing Indian sports today at 3 pm at the ITO junction here.
In the protest organized by the Manipur Students Association Delhi (MASAD), the students shouted slogans like, “Indian politics can’t suppress Manipur sports”, “Punish doping conspirators”, “Stop discrimination”, “RK Naidu and Satish Rana - go to hell”, “SIN Authority of India”, “We demand immediate suspension of RK Naidu”.
The MASAD also distributed a leaflet “Doping conspiracy is an insult….”. The leaflet said, “The recent controversy on Monika who was being framed as positive in a dope test conducted on June 6 under the Sports Authority of India is a conspiracy that was cooked up to humiliate the sporting spirit of shining sportspersons of Manipur. The conspiracy clearly shows the deep rooted corruption in Indian sports.”
It also stated, “People of Manipur work so hard to support all the sportspersons in their formative phases and this toiling should never get cheated like the way it is being done to Monika by refusing her to go to Beijing for the games on the false charge of using banned drugs. The doping conspiracy has displayed sports officials’ callousness to show how big a sporting event the Olympic is to a sportsperson like Monika and her supporters and how sharp they will be hurt if they are falsely implicated.”
It further stated that the dramatic developments from being tested ‘positive’ to being reincarnated ‘negative’, and finally directing to ‘fly’ to Beijing and later being rejected ‘entry’ was all that happened to an international weightlifter from Manipur.
Dr Thokchom Meinya, Member of Parliament from Manipur also joined the protest. Endorsing the Manipur government’s move on CBI inquiry into the Monika issue, Dr. Meinya also demanded a white paper on the manipulative game of the authorities.
The students started rallying towards the Indira Gandhi stadium where the head office of the Sports Authority of India is located, but were stopped by the Delhi Police. The protest continued at the spot upto 4.30 pm as there was security seal in the areas along the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg from 5 pm today to 2 pm tomorrow for rehearsal of Independence Day which is to take place at the Red Fort.
The Manipuri students then boarded three buses and headed towards SAI office, but the police obstructed them again. The buses then moved towards the Shastri Bhawan, where the office of the Union minister of youth affairs and sports Dr. MS Gill is situated. After the buses reached there, the students came out from the buses and shouted slogans before the ministry. The students were then picked by the Delhi Police and kept in police custody at the Parliament Street police station.
On hearing the news, Manipur minister for YAS, N Biren and Manipur MP, Dr. Meinya rushed to the police station to get the students released from police custody.
New Delhi, Aug 12: Demanding CBI investigation of the doping conspiracy which led to the expulsion of Laishram Monika from the Indian contingent for Beijing Olympics 2008, a large number of Manipuri students staged a protest against the authorities managing Indian sports today at 3 pm at the ITO junction here.
In the protest organized by the Manipur Students Association Delhi (MASAD), the students shouted slogans like, “Indian politics can’t suppress Manipur sports”, “Punish doping conspirators”, “Stop discrimination”, “RK Naidu and Satish Rana - go to hell”, “SIN Authority of India”, “We demand immediate suspension of RK Naidu”.
The MASAD also distributed a leaflet “Doping conspiracy is an insult….”. The leaflet said, “The recent controversy on Monika who was being framed as positive in a dope test conducted on June 6 under the Sports Authority of India is a conspiracy that was cooked up to humiliate the sporting spirit of shining sportspersons of Manipur. The conspiracy clearly shows the deep rooted corruption in Indian sports.”
It also stated, “People of Manipur work so hard to support all the sportspersons in their formative phases and this toiling should never get cheated like the way it is being done to Monika by refusing her to go to Beijing for the games on the false charge of using banned drugs. The doping conspiracy has displayed sports officials’ callousness to show how big a sporting event the Olympic is to a sportsperson like Monika and her supporters and how sharp they will be hurt if they are falsely implicated.”
It further stated that the dramatic developments from being tested ‘positive’ to being reincarnated ‘negative’, and finally directing to ‘fly’ to Beijing and later being rejected ‘entry’ was all that happened to an international weightlifter from Manipur.
Dr Thokchom Meinya, Member of Parliament from Manipur also joined the protest. Endorsing the Manipur government’s move on CBI inquiry into the Monika issue, Dr. Meinya also demanded a white paper on the manipulative game of the authorities.
The students started rallying towards the Indira Gandhi stadium where the head office of the Sports Authority of India is located, but were stopped by the Delhi Police. The protest continued at the spot upto 4.30 pm as there was security seal in the areas along the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg from 5 pm today to 2 pm tomorrow for rehearsal of Independence Day which is to take place at the Red Fort.
The Manipuri students then boarded three buses and headed towards SAI office, but the police obstructed them again. The buses then moved towards the Shastri Bhawan, where the office of the Union minister of youth affairs and sports Dr. MS Gill is situated. After the buses reached there, the students came out from the buses and shouted slogans before the ministry. The students were then picked by the Delhi Police and kept in police custody at the Parliament Street police station.
On hearing the news, Manipur minister for YAS, N Biren and Manipur MP, Dr. Meinya rushed to the police station to get the students released from police custody.
Sack four docs: CCPur District Administration
Imphal, Aug 12 : District administration Churachandpur has recommended four doctors engaged under NRHM and posted in the interiors for termination as they have been continuously eluding their duties.
The doctors, including two locals identified as Dr Yahia Khan, Dr Meijinlu Lousa, Dr Laljen Gangte and Dr Vunghoihkim Simte were all posted at Parbung PHC but except for their first visit they have been eluding the interior ever since, said a source.
The district administration axed this time and it was the second such recommendation on the four doctors.
On April 25, 2008 a letter recommending their termination was dispatched to the Director Health Missions, Manipur.
As the four were adamant enough to ignore such development and the Director still lenient in its approach another recommendation was sent on July 4 .
A highly placed source said that the recommendation was made as reports obtained from Army and Assam Rifles besides the SDO/BDO contradicts the medical department reports of the four attending the CHC.
The Chief Medical Officers present and his predecessors have given their consent for payment of salaries to the doctors who elude their duty allegedly on the ground that they have insincerely attended their duties.
When questioned by the concern authority the CMOs were said to have justified their move by claiming that they are relying on the information given by the MO concern.
Show-cause notices in this regard have been issued to the CMO and MO concerned, said the source.
Besides the doctors, most of the medical staff under Parbung CHC was eluding their place posting, one ANM and a Ward Boy has hired a local sub-let to represent them.
While another doctor, Dr C Tonsing is said to have at least visit the CHC once every month and stationed himself for a day or two.
The doctors, including two locals identified as Dr Yahia Khan, Dr Meijinlu Lousa, Dr Laljen Gangte and Dr Vunghoihkim Simte were all posted at Parbung PHC but except for their first visit they have been eluding the interior ever since, said a source.
The district administration axed this time and it was the second such recommendation on the four doctors.
On April 25, 2008 a letter recommending their termination was dispatched to the Director Health Missions, Manipur.
As the four were adamant enough to ignore such development and the Director still lenient in its approach another recommendation was sent on July 4 .
A highly placed source said that the recommendation was made as reports obtained from Army and Assam Rifles besides the SDO/BDO contradicts the medical department reports of the four attending the CHC.
The Chief Medical Officers present and his predecessors have given their consent for payment of salaries to the doctors who elude their duty allegedly on the ground that they have insincerely attended their duties.
When questioned by the concern authority the CMOs were said to have justified their move by claiming that they are relying on the information given by the MO concern.
Show-cause notices in this regard have been issued to the CMO and MO concerned, said the source.
Besides the doctors, most of the medical staff under Parbung CHC was eluding their place posting, one ANM and a Ward Boy has hired a local sub-let to represent them.
While another doctor, Dr C Tonsing is said to have at least visit the CHC once every month and stationed himself for a day or two.
Snail menace hits Umrangso villagers
Haflong, Aug 13 : Snails, the slowest creatures on earth, locally called sugathai in Dimasa, chengkhol in Hmar or longdak in Karbi, are creating havoc for the villagers of Hebron and its nearby areas of Umrangso, people alleged.
The villagers have disclosed that the number of these creatures was very negligible during 2003 but within a few years, the population has gone up drastically so much so that it has posed a great threat to agriculture.
People in and around these villages have failed to cultivate their land due to snail menace.
MS Tuolor expressing concern said that “pumpkins, jackfruits, etc., are the favourite edibles for this creature. During day time they are not visible, but from evening thousands of “chengkhols come out from their hideouts and begin to eat whatever they get. These are very poisonous. Now we are killing thousands in number using salt but the population of snails seems to be endless.”
Hmingthang Tuolor, gaonburah of Hebron village said, “We have become helpless since these creatures have started destroying our vegetable gardens, we had to shift our agricultural activities at least 8 to 9 km away from our localities. Tuolor said if the authority concerned does not feel it necessary to check the menace in time, then people of entire Umrangso would suffer a lot in near future.”
Kur Rongpi, Member of Autonomous Council, Garampani constituency, also expressed serious concern over the ‘snail menace’. Rongpi while talking to this correspondent said “this slowest creature longdak has really created a big problem for this locality.”
The villagers have disclosed that the number of these creatures was very negligible during 2003 but within a few years, the population has gone up drastically so much so that it has posed a great threat to agriculture.
People in and around these villages have failed to cultivate their land due to snail menace.
MS Tuolor expressing concern said that “pumpkins, jackfruits, etc., are the favourite edibles for this creature. During day time they are not visible, but from evening thousands of “chengkhols come out from their hideouts and begin to eat whatever they get. These are very poisonous. Now we are killing thousands in number using salt but the population of snails seems to be endless.”
Hmingthang Tuolor, gaonburah of Hebron village said, “We have become helpless since these creatures have started destroying our vegetable gardens, we had to shift our agricultural activities at least 8 to 9 km away from our localities. Tuolor said if the authority concerned does not feel it necessary to check the menace in time, then people of entire Umrangso would suffer a lot in near future.”
Kur Rongpi, Member of Autonomous Council, Garampani constituency, also expressed serious concern over the ‘snail menace’. Rongpi while talking to this correspondent said “this slowest creature longdak has really created a big problem for this locality.”
