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Fighting Corruption or Vindictive Politics?

During its election campaign in Manipur in the early part of 2017, BJP swore to fix accountability for the gross misrule perpetuated in the border state by the Congress, tagging then Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh as the 20 percent CM alleging, he takes that much commission for each and every developmental projects executed in the state during his 15 year rule of Manipur as the Congress’ Chief Minister since 2002. 

Seven months after assuming power, on September 2nd, the BJP led N Biren Singh government registered an FIR for offences of cheating, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust against the former Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh and three former chief secretaries, DS Poonia, PC Lawmkunga and O Nabakishore Singh in a case pertaining to financial irregularities in managing Manipur’s premier construction and employment generating agency, Manipur Development Society, MDS. The misappropriation amounts to Rs.185.79 crore and it is hashtagged as MDS scam now. The FIR came after the state’s Vigilance Department submitted its inquiry report on financial irregularities of MDS acting on a complaint filed by the Planning Department in November 2016.

Others named in the scam are MDS’s former Project Director, Yambem Ningthem Singh and the agency’s Administrative Officer, S Ranjit Singh.

According to the State Vigilance Commission inquiry report, the officials and staff of MDS flaunted established procedures, norms and rules particularly while awarding contract works to agencies and caused a financial liability to the tune of Rs 185.79 crores.

Police source said the FIR lodged would help in establishing how and who were responsible for the procedural lapses, mismanagement, misappropriation and misuse of public fund. Police suspects Yambem Ningthem as responsible for concealing missing documents that the Vigilance inquiry reported in the case of MBs, DPRs, sanction papers of MDS. It is under Ningthem’s tenure as Project Director that the police are investigating for financial irregularities.

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Indian of North Eastern Origin

What does it feel like to share a national life along with those who do not share the same history? If history forms the foundation of our aspirations, looking to a future together is even tougher. Being a North-Easterner in India is more than just belonging to a different sphere within the contemporary national geography. Historical aloofness is the toughest of realities. Our history has shrunk down to an almost academic nonentity. Northeast history makes no sound in the noisy narratives of “mainstream history”. The rigorous interpretation and reinterpretation of history by the contemporary political ideologues is a new national passion. Every vestige of a particular era is brandished as the final proof of what actual India was like. The redefining of India goes on. One wonders that, if the definition of true India and by the same token, a true Indian, is carried out based on the colour and tone of a particular ancient culture, how many ethnic groups in India would actually qualify to be Indians. Even as we wish to get ahead in time, our cultural genes are being taken back in time for validation of their originality in terms of Indianness.

Recently I came to realize that there is now a categorization of Northeast Indians versus Desi Indians. I was more appalled than intrigued by the categorization. The term “desi” in British India times used to be applied to people from the Indian-subcontinent to distinguish them from Westerners. It alluded to being an original inhabitant of the land as opposed to those who came as colonialists. That was sort of the political implication of the term in those days. And it had a tremendous implication in the context of Indian Nationalism that was born against the backdrop of British colonialism. Now semantically, desi means “of the country”. There is also a subtle connotation of “the culture of the land of India”. There may be, perhaps, no ploy to render the Northeast people “non-desi” meaning “not of the land of India”. However, the fact that such a categorization happens so naturally, even without actually thinking it through, bares an underlying mindset that persists among Indians in general.

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Rohingya Crisis

SEVEN SISTERS BEWARE CHILDREN OF LESSER GODS WILL HARM YOU

The Rohingya refugees, practically speaking, are children of lesser gods. We all sympathise with them. However, the danger Muslim refugees of Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other Arab countries are posing to UK, Germany, France and other European Nations indeed causes serious concern for India in the wake of mass migration of the Rohingya from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

Persecuted by the Myanmar Army, some 389,000 Rohingya have already entered into Bangladesh that shares 4,096-km long international border with India. It is here where the danger of Rohingiya factor looms large. The Modi Government at the Centre has already announced that India would not give shelter to Rohingya and they would be pushed back if they come here.

Nearly 40,000 Rohingya have already entered India and have started creating problems in a number of states including highly sensitive Jammu and Kashmir state. The Union Home Ministry has officially acknowledged that 10,000 Rohingya are living illegally in Jammu. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Rohingya are also living illegally (besides Jammu) in Haryana, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur and Chennai.

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IS NPP THE MAIN PARTY PULLING THE STRINGS IN POLLS 18

The National Peoples Party, which is an ally in the Bharatiya Janata Party - National Democratic Alliance, has confirmed to go alone in th e forthcoming general elections to the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, to contest all the sixty seats, at th e same time projecting Prestone Tynsong, former cabinet minister, of the Congress led Meghalaya United Alliance government, as the next Chief Minister.

This was announced at the Pynursla NPP by the NPP President Conrad Sangma, being also the Lok Sabha member from Tura.

Pynursla constituency is at present the bastion of Prestone Tynsong, elected from the Congress ticket. However in the present juncture, Tynsong would be facing mainly Grace Mary Kharpuri, under the flag of the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), who is at present member of the Khasi Hills District Council, elected from neighbourhood Nongshken.

Certainly Congress votes would splinter, as Prestone Tynsong is now in the NPP. The PDF which was formed recently, would have to however build up from the scratch, and heavily depending upon the personality of Grace Kharpuri herself.

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Acid test for the National Parties in Polls 2018

Former Congress Home Minister, R.G. Lyngdoh, belonging to a family of politicians, right from his father Peter G. Marbaniang, and also his sister Ampareen Lyngdoh, being cabinet Minister of the Congress led-Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) government, has in a straight forward, statement, said that time has come for a change, and that an alternate government should come about. R.G. Lyngdoh, has reflected the mood of the people that enough is enough. Yet this wish might not come about, if the opposition parties, do not form an alliance or understanding, to dislodge the present set up, of the Congress led coalition.

Indeed, the mood of the general electorate is for bringing about a change. However at the present moment, there is no sign that any party, whether national or regional, can of its own win the required number in forming the government. For the first time the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made a challenging entry, specially against the Congress, in the up coming assembly elections. It would therefore be an acid test for both of these two national parties to be locking horns.

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What will happen to North Shillong Constituency?

The Mawkhar region of present North Shillong Constituency, would be missing Roshan Warjri, present Health Minister of the Meghalaya Government, as she has announced that she would this time not contest the 2018 assembly elections. Popularly known as Kong Kei, she has not given any reason of her decision, which she consider to be of personal matter.

Mawkhar region, known as the brain of Khasi Hills, has always been a bastion of regional parties. She  was elected for the first time in 1993, from the Hill Peoples Union, which was then an opposition party in the Assembly. Again she was elected from the regional United Democratic Front, being a coalition partner in the Government, and became a cabinet minister. She did not seek further elections until 2013.

She was one of a very few women members of the assembly, despite Meghalaya being a matrimonial society, where women seldom take part in active politics.

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Is SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR really serious about breaking peace in NORTHEAST?

Is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the Art of Living Foundation, really serious resolving the arm conflict prevailing in the Northeast region and particularly in the restive state of Manipur? This query gains significance after the spiritual leader chaired a session of the North East Indigenous People’s conference held in Guwahati’s Plush Hotel attended by representatives of cross section of Northeast based civil society bodies, student bodies, human rights activists and former armed insurgents with the general secretary of the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam, Anup Chetia playing a major role.

In a press conference held in Manipur in April 2016 on his second visit to the state, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar breaking away from the stereo type of blaming unemployment as the core factor for the insurgency and went on to say, that he admired the insurgents for their sacrifice and saluted them for their commitment to the cause.

“It is tapasya, it is sacrifice. I appreciate them and they need to be saluted for their bravery. I would like them to come forward and sit with me and work out the modalities for peace. Being an insurgent, fighting in the jungle for what he/she believes in speaks volumes about the leadership and commitment of the Manipuri youth. They are intelligent, spiritual, good hearted, extremely talented, and strong. They essentially want sovereignty to see the people prosper and be happy” said the globe icon of peace.

The Gurudev, as his followers fondly call him, asserted categorically that he is the right candidate to mediate as he understands the insurgents’ aspirations and sincerely wants to work for peace in Manipur.

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HYDRO POWER POTENTIAL OF NORTH EAST INDIA AND IT’S DEVELOPMENT

In this modern era of information and electronic technology, power plays a significant role in not only the socio-economic development but also the overall development of human being. All this modern days’ electronic gadgets and equipment which provide information is rely on power. All of them are functioning with the help of power. In brief, it is true that we cannot live without power for a few seconds in one way or other. Unfortunately even after 70 years of independence, our country in general and states of north east India in particular such important infrastructure is still unable to fulfil the requirement in spite of having huge power potential especially hydro power is concern. It is a great issue which all of us have to think seriously. On the other hand, North eastern region of India occupies the major share of having hydro power and thermal power potential among the other regions of the country. The present paper is highlighted onthree main parts. The first part is discussing on the potentialities of Indian hydro power resources in global context, present status, power projection for the future through different plan period and contribution of North Eastern Region to Indian total hydro power potential. The second part is critically examining the potentialities of hydro power in North Eastern Region through state-wise potential, power projects in operation and projects under constructions. Finally, it is devoted to suggestions and conclusion of the study in the wake of the government of India’s Act East Policy.

When our country attained Independence, we did not have sufficient electricity to light up our homes. The iconic lantern and oil lamp were the only sources of light for all of us after getting dark. The oil lamp lit and placed at a window served as guiding torch for travellers or those yet to come back home late night. Today after 70 years of independence, the situation has become much brighter. Electricity has reached most households of both urban and rural areas. According to government report, out of 18,452 villages in the country 14,483 villages have been electrified so far. The electrification work is in progress on 2,981 villages while 988 villages are uninhabited. The government has said it aims to provide electricity to all homes by December 2018, with a target of reaching power to all un-electrified villages by the end of December 2018.