Gen strike called

Crying for justice, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against the Brutal Killing of Akoijam Priyobarta has called a 48-hour general strike in the State with effect from 1 am of March 21. Announcing this in a statement, JAC convenor Thoudam Sharat Meitei said that so far the agitation/protest against the brutal killing has been democratic and peaceful, but the JAC has been to go for hard and violent mean of protest as a result of the indifferent attitude of the Govt. The Govt has been given five days time to bring justice and truth but has failed to pay heed to the cry, the JAC rued. The JAC has also categorically warned that the responsibility for any untoward incident during the general strike should rest on the Govt. It may be recalled here that Priyobarta was allegedly killed by the Police Commandos during an encounter at Langol on March 15 and arms recovered from his possession. But the family members have refuted that police claim asserting that he was an innocent person and had gone out from home driving a Bajaj Pulsar and carrying Rs 8000.

Heist at Imphal Post Office mail van Computer components hijacked

IMPHAL, Mar 20: Unidentified persons reportedly hijacked consignments of computer parts and other electronic items worth Rs 15 lakhs from the mail van of the post office here yesterday.The consignments which send in the name of the General Post Office, Imphal had been brought from Guwahati by a cargo plane of the Indian Airlines.In protest against the hijacking, staff of the General Post Office today suspended their normal work and staged a protest demonstration.According to an official source from the General Post Office, Imphal, the consignments have been send from Guwahati in a cargo plane of the Indian Airlines which landed at Imphal airport at around 1 pm yesterday and were being brought from the airport by the van driver of the Post office and four other Group-D employees, when it was hijacked along the way by the unidentified miscreants.As the van carrying the computer parts and other electronic items packed in 51 different packages approached Leirik Memorial Hospital, the unidentified miscreants numbering around four of them who were already there intercepted the van and made it to be driven till Nepra Menjor Pukhri Mapal.There, all the packages from the van were loaded to a waiting DI Tata of blue and white colour and after that the driver and the staff of the mail van were told to go. The released staff arrived at the post office at around 2 pm.Along with reporting the matter, a case has been registered by the Lamphel police in connection with the incident of hijacking the consignments worth around Rs 15 lakhs.Even as the police have recorded the statements of the five staff who have gone to pick up the consignments from the airport yesterday, a departmental inquiry has also been started from the side of the Post Office.

Non-local shot at, hurt

IMPHAL, Mar 20 : After three non-local labourers have been shot dead sometime back at different places in Imphal, unidentified persons shot another non-local labourer and injured him.The injured victim is identified as Pramo Yadav (30) s/o Ganesh of Shyampur, Bihar but staying at Thangmeiband, informed a police source.A carpenter by vocation, Pramo Yadav was working at Lamphel Super Market, opposite to MACS office when he was shot by one unidentified youth at about 9 am today.A bullet grazed through the left side of his chest.Quoting Pramo, the police source said that three rounds of bullet were shot at Pramo. While two rounds got missed, the third round grazed through his chest. He was given first aid at RIMS.This is the fourth incident of targeting migrant la-bourers this yearafter one non-local barber was shot dead at Sagolband on February 28 followed by the killing of one sugar-cane juice hawker at Kwakeithel and another porter at Chingamakhog on March 1. Victim succumbs : After more than 3 months of undergoing treatment, a 24-year old youth who was shot at his neck by unidentified armed persons succumbed to the injuries.The victim identified as Md Tomei alias Nashir Khan (24) of Khelakhong Mayai Leikai was admitted to the Shija Hospitals and Research Institute after being shot on his neck by some unidentified armed persons at a place called Jabar Salam, located not far from his house on the night of November 30 last year. Tomei succumbed to the injuries yesterday after more than 3 months of treatment. His body has been handed over to the family members after post-mortem examination at the mortuary of RIMS Hospital today.

40 percent females illiterate : Dr Jamini

IMPHAL, Mar 20 : Almost 40 percent of the female population of Manipur are still illiterate, said Chairman of the Manipur State Commission for Women, Dr Ch Jamini. Dr Jamini was speaking as chief guest in the inaugural function of a two-day seminar on Women Empowerment and Development with Special Reference to Manipur at Manipur College today. She noted that education is the basic foundation for empowerment and development of women.Irrespective of one’s gender, one can know about an individual’s rights and can improve his/her socio-economic conditions only when they become literate, she observed.As per the census report of 2001, female literacy rate of Manipur was 60.5 percent while the male literacy rate was 77.87 percent. Whereas the female literacy rate for India was 54 percent. Coupled with their illiteracy, customs and traditional beliefs inherent in each community and values of women defined by men have been major impediments in the effort to empower women, Dr Jamini asserted. One major contributing to the relatively lesser percentage of female literacy is the preference of sons over daughters in the society.Although, several laws have been enacted for empowerment and protection of women, none of these laws are implemented in letter and spirit.Giving key-note address of the seminar organised by Manipur College under the sponsorship of Indian Council of Social Science Research, North East Regional Centre Shillong and Directorate of University and Higher Education, Government of Manipur, S Benjamin Nattar, Political Science Lecturer of Manipur College, observed that despite some indicators about development of Manipuri women in certain fields, the condition of Manipuri women cannot be termed any better in several other areas. Various issued being endured by women in the State including violence and discrimination would be studied during the two day seminar, he said. The inaugural function of the seminar was graced by former Chairman of the Manipur Human Rights Commission WA Shishak as guest of honour and Principal of Manipur College Dr Lalit as functional president. WA Shishak was also chairperson of the academic session during which Prof Archana Sharma of Gauhati University, Dr Bijyalakshmi of Manipur University, Dr Priyadarshini, Konika Khuraijam of DM College of Teacher Education, Director of Gender and Child Unit Imphal, Nandini Thokchom, Nalini Nongmeikapam of Thoubal College, retired Science Promotion Officer A Sabita presented papers as resource persons. The afternoon session was moderated by Prof Gangmumei Kamei.