The Manipuris in Kolkata (MIK), an organisation formed by the people from Manipur living in Kolkata, commemorated the 133rd Patriots Day on 13 August this year, remembering their brave Manipuri forefathers who once sacrificed their lives in the defence of the motherland at Anglo Manipuri War, 1891.
North Bengal is the only part of India that shares land borders with three countries—Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and in close proximity to Tibet—and three Indian states as well—Bihar, Sikkim and Assam.
In the heart of Manipur, a state often marred by ethnic strife and turmoil, the recent conflict between the Kuki and Meitei communities has left deep scars on the land and its people.
Responsible officials confirm that the last wave of the Assam flood snatched away the lives of 13 one-horned rhinos, whereas it took six years to lose a similar number of precious animals to poaching inside the highly protected forest reserves like Kaziranga and Manas.
The land-locked region sends 25 members to the lower house of parliament, and the electorates exercised their franchises through electronic voting machines in all three phases, with more than 10 per cent more voter turnout than the national average.
They would regularly round up tipplers and make them confess in the local newspapers to express regrets for their actions. This move had also given rise to many anecdotes, the most famous one being when the cadres would make drunkards do four laps of the local ponds in winter. Then it so happened that a particular gentleman was asked to come ashore after four laps, but he had replied “brothers let me gift you with one more lap of backstroke.” Then the PLA resorted to shooting the hardcore tipplers on their legs
Apart from the cow protection law, population control, shutting down of madrasas, financial aid to temples, namghars etc. leaving out mosques, eviction drive, demolition of madrasas -- the long list has made the Sarma's intentions clear, he wants Assam to be a highly polarised state.
Mohendro recalls his long trek from Demagiri (now in South Mizoram) to Aizawl (the capital of Mizoram) to Anipur in Assam and finally back to Agartala (Tripura) that spanned several years with stays at several refugee camps.
The MLSS literally translates into House of Skill Empowernment for the Meetei Women. In existence since 1983, the group’s birth coincided with the outbreak of the HIV/AIDS virus and the drugs scourge both of which exploded like an epidemic in Manipur at almost the same time.
The first proposed change is from the existing provisions of having not more than six autonomous districts; it was to be changed into 10 autonomous districts in sub-section (1) of section 3. The time is ripe for deletion of the term “autonomous” which has created serious misunderstanding due to its varied interpretations.
