Rally against violence on Christians taken out in Tamenglong

T
amenglong, Oct 2 : Hundreds of Christians in Tamenglong district of Manipur marched down the streets at the district headquarters to protest against the atrocities meted out to the Christians in Orissa and Karnataka.

The rallyists gathered at the deputy commissioner’s office to submit a memorandum shouted in one voice, “We condemn attacks on Christian minority”, “Don’t repeat such barbaric acts”.As the DC was not present in his office, the memorandum which was meant to be forwarded to the Union home ministry, New Delhi was handed over to the SDC who promised to fax it to the office of the MHA immediately.

The memorandum appealed to the government of India and concerned states to take immediate action to stop killing of Christians and atrocities on them.

It also demanded rehabilitation of the persecuted Christians by providing adequate relief materials and safeguarding the minority Christians in the two states.

The rally organized by various church organizations based in Tamenglong district and participated by around 2000 people including students and youths kicked off from the Tamenglong Indoor Stadium at around 10 am and gathered at the DC office complex, located some half kilometer away from the originating place.

Slogans like, “We condemn all forms of violence in Orissa and Karnataka against Christians”, “Stop killing in the name of religion”, “We strongly condemn the barbarism in Orissa and Karnataka”, “We still have faith in Christianity”, “Stop persecuting Christians, save the minority Christians” etc. were displayed during the rally.

Speaking to this correspondent, a member of the organizing committee said that the rally was organized to show solidarity to the suffering Christians in the two states of Orissa and Karanataka where tens of hundreds of Christians were rendered homeless by the Hindu fundamentalists and many churches were ransacked apart from claiming several lives.

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Reservation norms for Manipur University

Imphal, Oct 2 : Charging the authorities of Manipur University with violating the reservation norms of the SC students guaranteed under the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in admission) Act, 2006, Manipur University Schedule Caste Students’ Welfare Association has warned of taking recourse to legal action among others if necessary corrective measures are not put in place within the current month.
Addressing a press conference in this connection at Manipur Press Club here today, president of Manipur University Schedule Caste Students’ Welfare Association H Sanatomba contended that following the conversion of Manipur University to a Central University, the reservation norms given under the Central Education Institutions (Reservation in admission) Act, 2006 should also be implemented in Manipur University.

However, the authorities of Manipur University have not taken up any step to implement the same.

This tantamounts to denying the rights of not just the schedule caste students but also of all the people in the State, Sanatomba said.

He pointed out that under the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, 15 percent of the seats is being reserved for the schedule caste students.

However, the authorities of the Manipur University have been following the earlier reservation policy of 33 percent including 31 percent for the ST, he lamented, adding that this is in contravene to the provisions of the Constitution.

Demanding that necessary corrective measures should be put in place within the current month of October, Sanatomba disclosed that along with submission of memorandum to the Union Ministry concerned and UGC, the Assn would take recourse to legal action against violation of the reservation norms among other agitational moves.

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Steps initiated to strengthen Assam Police

Guwahati, Oct 2 : With growth of insurgency, the role of the police personnel changed a great deal over the years since the formation of the force by the British rulers and according to records available, as many as 42 police personnel lost their lives while fighting terrorists during the period from 2004 to August 15 this year. The strength of the force, which started with only around 750 personnel, also increased considerably with the growth of population and crime rates and the present sanctioned strength of the force is of 64,792 personnel. However, because of the failure of the Government to fill up the vacant posts, 54,458 personnel are now working in the force and official sources said that steps have already been initiated to fill up the vacant posts.
The Assam Police has come a long way since the days of the British rulers, who formed the police force and the growth of insurgency has added new dimension to the job profile of the police personnel. In recent years, a number of steps have been taken on the modernization of the police force and the Central Government has also extended its help in this regard to enable the force to deal with the present day situation.

The British rulers, who took over Assam in 1826, raised the Cachar Levy in 1835 to guard the new settlements and tea estates. The force, headed by a civil service officer, had only around 750 personnel. Three years later, a similar force, Jorhat Militia was created to protect the border areas. Subsequently, both the forces were merged.

The Police Act of 1861 was introduced in Assam in 1862 and the CRPC code was also made effective in the State in the same year. Under the Police Act, eleven police districts were created. Those were – Goalpara, Kamrup, Darrang, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Lakhimpur, Garo Hills, Khasi and Jayantia Hills, Naga Hills, Cachar and Sylhet. The Police administration of the State was run from Shillong at that time. For better administration, the British rulers divided the police force into four branches- civil police, municipal police, frontier police and rural police, while the criminal investigation department was set up in 1913.

The first IGP of the Assam Police in the post independence era was JE Raid, who served as the IGP from 1947 to 1950 and the first person of Indian origin to take over as the IGP was KR Choudhury, who took over on October 1, 1951 and that is why October 1 is observed as the Assam Police Day every year.

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Violation of SoO will be dealt with sternly: Manipur CM

Imphal, Oct 2 : State chief minister, O Ibobi Singh while informing the state Assembly on the enforcement of suspension of operation since August 22 this year has said the “government is investigating to find out the group responsible for the recent bomb attack at the residence of an MLA in Churachandpur on September 14.”

Ibobi was briefing the House on the trilateral agreement on the suspension of operation, SoO, with 21 Kuki militant groups operating in the state on the first day of the monsoon session of the Manipur legislative Assembly which commenced today, while replying to a question raised by an opposition MLA.
He also said that the government’s effort to sign similar SoO agreements with various valley based militant groups had little success. It was due to the high number of outfits and the mushrooming of factions among the militant groups, he added.

O Ibobi in reply to the question raised in the House by opposition MLA RK Anand of the MPP, said that the state government had inked an SoO with 21 separate Kuki based militant groups working under the banner of Kuki National Organization, KNO, and the United People’s Front, UPF, and the same was already in force since August 22 this year.

Among others, the agreement included abjuring the path of violence by the militant outfits under the two apex bodies, suspension of operation by the security forces and state police against them, deposition of arms and ammunition of the militants at a armoury at designated camps under double lock system, Ibobi said.

He further said that a joint monitoring group had also been set up to oversee implementation of the SoO and arrangement for accommodation in the designated camps, and the process for issue of identity cards to the cadres had also started since the enforcement of the agreement.
The government will provide a reasonable amount as per government norms for the maintenance of cadres of the outfits who stay in the designated camps. Vocational training is also proposed to be provided to the cadres, the chief minister added.

The government signed the trilateral SoO agreement with an objective of bringing a political solution with the warring militants in the interest of the nation as well as the state, the chief minister said while giving a reply to a supplementary question raised by the opposition MLA.

Expressing concern over the reports of some militant groups who were part of the SoO still indulging in violent activities even though they agreed to shun it, the chief minister said the government was making enquiries to identify the group responsible for the bomb attack at the residence of an MLA at Churachandpur recently on September 14.

Suspected Kuki militants, mention may be made, had struck with a Chinese made hand grenade at the home of opposition legislator T Hangkhanpao located at Nehru Marg, Churachandpur. No casualties occurred in the bomb explosion but damage was caused to some materials in the courtyard of the residence.
Ibobi announced “appropriate action will be initiated after finding the exact identity of the particular militant group involved in the attack.”
The monsoon session of the state Assembly which would have only three sittings commenced Wednesday in Imphal. The 4th session of the 9th state Assembly will conclude on October 6.

Three government bills were introduced in House for consideration and passing. The bills are Manipur Municipality Disclosure Bill 2008, Manipur Panchayati Raj (Fifth Amendment) Bill 2008 and Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (Third amendment) Bill 2008.

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