Spring

A poem by Bijayata  Akham

They say,
Once the gale blew ,
The fragrance of the flowers
Pervading ,
When the king arrived .

Blandly He was
visiting homes and hovels
to give new hopes
to the young and hoary old .

Today, the weather is hot
The wind doesn’t blow
When He comes
That   I  don’t  feel  His  coming .

And  sometimes at  sunset
I  seeing  the rows
of  herons  flying
From the Nongmaijing hill
Towards the western horizon
Pondered , how long
They will continue coming  there .

Posted: 2013-04-29

Hills of Manipur

Photo Courtesy: Manipur Tourism Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Manipur-Tourism/177605338948534

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World’s Greatest British Battle in Kohima-Imphal and things unanswered

By Oken Jeet Sandham

The people of the Northeast India particularly living in Manipur and Nagaland had mix-feelings and prides when they got the news that the Second World War, which were fought between the British Army and the Japanese Army in the Imphal and Kohima sectors in 1944, was declared as the “Greatest British Battle” in the world. And when this news flashed from London, it hit the headlines here in the region of north east India.

Noted war historians presented their papers on the past British wars fought across the globe. They were given 40 minutes to present their papers. This was conducted under the Britain’s National Army Museum to identify “Britain’s Greatest Battle.” And finally, the two victories over the Japanese, which took place in the same region of the north east India over the same period in 1944, were voted on Saturday as the “Greatest ever battle involving British forces.”

Taken as a single victory, Imphal-Kohima was on a shortlist of five battles which topped a public poll and on Saturday, they were selected as the ultimate winner by an audience of more than 100 guests at a special event at the museum, in Chelsea, west London. Imphal-Kohima, a distance of 145 kilometers and connected through a National Highway 39 (now 2), received almost half of all votes. This remarkable presentation on “Second World War fought in Imphal and Kohima sectors” was done by Dr Robert Lyman, an author and fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Although people living in the northeastern part of India bordering Burma (now Myanmar) borne the brunt of this Second World War, they still have the pride of telling the stories of these historic and great wars fought in this part of the world. I have come across many grand old men and women who are now in their 80s and 90s could vividly tell the stories of the Second World War. Many of them experienced of being “Forced labor” by the British Army and also used to spy against the Japanese soldiers. Even the British Army who stationed in the Chakhesang and Angami areas also experienced untold miseries at the hands of the British Armies and also the Japanese. The British soldiers even burnt down their granaries with the intention to starve the advancing Japanese soldiers.

The Japanese army coming from the Homatin side of western Burma successfully pushed the British army and occupied the Jessami ridge. When the Japanese were trying to push back the British armies from the Jessami position, there were heavy exchange of fires and both sides suffered heavy causalities. The Japanese also shot down British fighter planes in many Chakhesang areas. After about a week of fierce gun battle; the British soldiers could no longer withstand the onslaught of the Japanese attacks. They had to retreat.

The villagers were so simple that they ran out to see whenever fighter planes flew overhead and enthusiastically watching the explosions of the bombs. They hardly realized that the bomb explosions would hurt them. In fact, many of them got hurt and the British jawans had tough time warning the villagers against coming out while fighter planes were coming and bombing. They even taught them how to dig trenches so that they would use them during bombings and even during gun fights between the British and Japanese soldiers. They instructed the villagers how to dig trenches in “V” shape for hiding themselves during bombings and serious gun fights. But the villagers didn’t pay any heed to such advices; instead they were enjoying digging trenches for the Japanese troops. So many villagers became victims as they didn’t take advices of the British.

The British soldiers were well-equipped and well-versed of the areas, besides more associated with the locals as they had been ruling the Indian sub-continent for years together. On the other hand, the Japanese soldiers coming from their homeland thousands of miles away from these areas of north east India were neither familiar with the locals nor area environment.

On one side, they had to fight the British armies. On the other, they faced a lot of hardships as they had to cope with the locals and area environment. They had to depend on the locals for not only fighting against the British but also for their sustenance. Without the support of the locals, it was almost impossible to fight against the British.

The British armies knew very well of this. They told the locals in advance that the advancing Japanese armies would come in different forms to extract the information of them (British armies).
Like the British army, the Japanese army too had their own intelligent armies who would mobilize information of the British army movement and their activities by using the services of the locals. Unfortunately, the ones mostly used by the British armies before the Japanese arrived at, would be again used by the Japanese to extract more information. Such trend became major threats on the lives of many innocent villagers.

In fact when the Japanese was about to be defeated, they even tried to kill many villagers as they thought they would be reused as spies by the British against them. But on many occasions, they faced strong resistance from the villagers.

Kohima, present capital of Nagaland state, was a place where one of the fiercest battles between the Japanese troops and the British troops took place in the history of the Second World War. These memorable battles at Kohima started from April 1944 and ended in June 1944. Japan was literally responsible for pushing Asia into full scale war. But most of the people in this part of the world in the 40s were not aware of that. The Japanese, in fact, attacked almost all the Asian nations and captured them. Their invasions of the Asian nations had prompted the Allies to specifically target their bases and even to the extent of dropping atom bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The Kohima siege and the casualties caused to both the Japanese troops and the Allies during the Second World War in Kohima and Imphal sectors were unimaginable. The wars at Kohima and Imphal claimed the lives of 65,000 Japanese troops and 18,000 British and Indian soldiers.
There are three Second World War Cemeteries; one is at Kohima, the capital of India’s present state of Nagaland, while other two at Imphal, the capital of the India’s present state of Manipur. The upkeep of these Second World War Cemeteries here at Kohima and Imphal is under the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). The Commission is responsible for the continued commemoration of 1.69 million deceased Commonwealth military service members in 150 countries. Since its inception, the Commission has constructed approximately 2,500 war cemeteries and numerous memorials. The Commission is currently responsible for the care of war dead at over 23,000 separate burial sites and the maintenance of more than 200 memorials worldwide.

Today, it has become a history in this part of the world as to how the allied soldiers valiantly fought against the aggressive Japanese troops as Kohima siege. The Kohima War Cemetery which lies at the heart of Kohima City has today become a living testimony. There are over 1000 grave markers and every tourist visiting this war cemetery will still have visualized how they had fought against the Japanese troops during those 13 days of Kohima siege. They gave their lives for freedom. And one of the famous inscriptions which everyone will remember throughout their lives is:
“When you go home
Tell them of us, and say
For their tomorrow
We gave our today.”

Another remarkable feat was the opening of the Second World War Museum at Kisama, some 12 kilometers away from Kohima. Many utensils, helmets, binoculars, wreckages of fighter plans, guns, etc. which were used by the British and the Japanese armies during the Second World War at Kohima are kept in this museum. Present Chief Minister of Nagaland Mr Neiphiu Rio should be credited for the establishment of this museum. Kisama is a place where famed Hornbill Festival is organized yearly in the first week of December and during this festival, there is an event which is exclusively organized in memory of the Second World War.

It is the Second World War Peace Car Rally where they will drive Jeeps, Nissans, etc. – some Second World War vintage cars while some painted ones likening to 1944 War Jeep models and participants included even the Chief Minister himself. Now this rally started attracting participants from other northeastern states of India. This Second World War Peace Car Rally organized as part of the Hornbill Festival is the most attractive events and the British and the Japanese Ambassadors or rather high ranking officials from England and Japan should be invited to witness this program. The most important message of this rally is to spread the message of peace and not war.

Nagaland Parliamentary Secretary Zhaleo Rio’s decision to build Mini Park at the Second World War tank site about half a kilometer away from the Kohima Raj Bhavan is appreciated and timely. The Parliamentary Secretary is the younger brother of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
Today younger generations have forgotten these historic world wars that were fought in their land in 1944 and even not aware that their grandparents had not only borne the brunt of these wars but also joined British Army.Legendary regional politician and two-time Nagaland Chief Minister Vizol himself joined Royal Air Force from 1941 to 1946 during the Second World War.

Many grandparents could vividly tell the stories of these great wars fought in their places till today. Even my grandmother had the experience of running from one village to another when the British fighter planes bombed in the Imphal City in 1944. They left their homesteads and hid in the remote villages for months.

On one occasion at Imphal, there was a ritual program going on and the British fighter plane mistook it as gathering of enemies and they bombed there. Almost all died on the spot and my grandmother was one among the few survivors.
We have seen from the history as to how the British meddled in the affairs of Manipur. On February 21, 1891 Lord Lansdowne, the British Viceroy of India ordered J.W. Quinton, the chief commissioner of Assam, to recognize Kullachandra as the King but to arrest Jubaraj (Prince) Tikendrajit. Quinton arrived in Manipur on March 22, 1891 with 400 jawans under Colonel Skene and asked Raja Kullachandra to hand over Tikendrajit to him as desired by the British Governor General of India. In the evening of March 24, 1891, the British troops attacked Jubaraj Tikendrajit’s residence in the compound of Kangla Palace, killing many innocent civilians including women and children who were watching a Ras Lila dance. The Manipuri soldiers struck back and the British were put on the defensive. In the ensuing chaos, the people whose children, wives and relatives were killed the British army.

On March 31, 1891, the British Government declared war against Manipur (the Anglo-Manipur War) and 3 army columns from Kohima (under the command of Major General H. Collet), Silchar (under the command of Colonel R.H.F. Rennick) and Tamu (under the command of Brigadier General T. Graham) were sent to Manipur. Tikendrajit led the Manipuri army in this war. The British army finally took possession of the Kangla Palace on April 27, 1891.
This “Anglo-Manipur War of 1891” was also popularly known as “Khongjom Lal.” The Manipur Government observes yearly the Khongjom War Memorial.
Major Maxwell took over as the chief political agent. Later, Manipur became a princely state and Churachand Singh, a minor was placed on the throne of Manipur. Tikendrajit and other leaders of Manipur subsequently went underground.

The special court, formed under Lt. Col. John Mitchell for the trial commenced on May 11, 1891. The court found Tikendrajit, Kullachandra and Thangal General guilty and they were sentenced to death. The Governor General confirmed the death sentence passed on Tikendrajit and Thangal General and converted the death sentence of the Maharaja and Angousana into transportation for life. The order was announced on August 13, 1891 and Tikendrajit and Thangal General were publicly hanged at 5 pm of the same day at Kangjei-bung (Polo ground) in Imphal.

After independence, this ground in Imphal where he was hanged is renamed as Bir Tikendrajit Park, while one of the main markets at Imphal named as Thangal Bazar. The British hurt the sentiments of the people of Manipur when their General and Prince were publicly hanged. In memory of this tragic incident, the Government of Manipur along with the people observes “Patriotic Day” on August 13 yearly.
The British is also responsible for the turmoil the Naga people have been facing till today. Sections of people who had seen and studied the Second World War here in this part of the world got attracted to it and formed the opinion that they would be able to achieve what they wanted by taking up arms. But in the case of Nagas, who were fighting to live as a free nation, did not use those thousands of firearms left unattended after the war. These firearms were later collected by the Government. One thinks sometimes if these thousands of firearms, which were left by the British and Japanese armies after the war ended, were used by the rebels in the late 40s, what would be the fate of the Indian administration.

I still wonder as to why they had to take such a decision to feed opium to the Kanyaks while they were here. And because of this acts committed to this innocent tribes, they still remain enslaved as the most backward people educationally, economically, technologically and in fact in many areas. Opium is such a powerful substance that will dull the senses and make people shy away from meeting others. They are still struggling to catch up with their counterparts forget about other people in the world.

I even imagine how our parents and grandparents had endured when the Second World War took place here in Nagaland and Manipur if that particular war was adjudged as the “greatest battle ever fought on this earth.” Only God knows. There might be numerous untold stories of tragedies encountered by our parents and grandparents who witnessed this “greatest war of 1944 on earth.” This “greatest war on earth” did not benefit the people of Manipur and Nagaland. It was only “horror stories” when I listened to our parents and grandparents who witnessed this “greatest war on earth.” It only made us retrograded to centuries back. Had there been no war such as Second World War of 1944 in Nagaland and Manipur, by now we will be totally different.
Sometimes, I think the time has come for the British to acknowledge the services rendered by the people of Manipur and Nagaland not only maintaining the “War Cemeteries.”

There were many things left unanswered till today.
At the same time and of course, it would not be wrong to say that the lives, cultures and traditions of the people of Nagaland and Manipur had been greatly influenced by the Second World War. They knew what war is to them and may not like again to experience another war in this part of the world.
Many of our grandparents could still speak broken Japanese while many of them could also speak broken English though they never had formal education in their lifetime. Interestingly, many people in the north east India today can speak English fluently.

All these were also unique history. And when the war fought by the British armies against the Japanese troops in this part of the north east India was voted as the “Britain’s Greatest Battle” in the world, it only reminds me of what my grandparents and many elderly people said to me and it would never be complete without remembering of our forefathers and leaders who too sacrificed for the defense of our motherland.

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Remembering Wangkhei Meiraba: A Forgotten Hero
Vikram Nongmaithem

Unlike the much celebrated and much remembered Forgotten Army of William Slim of the World War II, most Manipuris seem to forget to remember and celebrate the heroic deeds and acts of Poila Wangkhei Meiraba and his band of nineteen other brave soldiers who gave their lives on 23rd April, 1891 at Manao Ching of Kakching during the course of the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891. Here is a brief and cursory history of this man and his band of warriors.

Wangkheimayum Meiraba was the grandson of Wangkheimayum Amu Singh, Ahallup Lakpa. His son Kshetri (Poila) married a lady of Thingbaijam and two sons were born. Meiraba was the elder one and his younger brother was named Jagat Singh. Meiraba (Poila) lived at Pishum Thong, Oinam Leikai on the bank of the Nambul River, Imphal.

Remembering Wangkhei Meiraba: A Forgotten Hero

An elderly paying homage to the departed souls
Wangkhei Meiraba was the Poila ( a military rank next to Major and above Subedar) in the Manipur army when Maharaja Kulachandra became the king of Manipur. After the Palace revolt and consequent developments which led to the execution of the five British officers including Mr. J.W. Quinton, the Chief Commissioner of Assam on the night of 24th March, 1891, the then British Government of India sent three columns namely the Kohima Column, the Silchar Column and the Tamu Column to invade Manipur which then was still a sovereign state even though much of India had then been under the British. The headquarters of the advance party of the Tamu column was at Palel, 29 miles south of Imphal, the capital of Manipur. Wangkheirakpaand Yenkhoiba Major along with their troops were sent to face the invading party and they encamped at Thoubal. After a few days Major Paona Brajadashee and Major Chongtha Miya with 400 sepoys re-inforced to assist Wangkheirakpa and Yengkhoiba Major. On the midnight of 20th April 1891 two parties, one under Paona Brajabashee and Chongtha Miya Major were sent via Khongjom to attack the British column at Palel and another party under Wangkhei Meiraba Poila were sent via Kakching to attack the British column stationed at Palel in a sort of pincer movement attack. But on the fateful night of 23rd April 1891 some British army under Major Leslie and his troops were holding a durbar discussing war strategy using a petromax at the Wairi side of Kakching were ambushed by Wangkhei Poila’s party .

Remembering Wangkhei Meiraba: A Forgotten Hero

Pena Thougal

The Memorial Tombstone (the white stone in front is the exact stone on which Wangkhei Meiraba fell when hit with bullets)
According to the late Pandit Achouba, in retaliation of the ambush a large contingent of British troops stationed at Palel marched towards the Chumnang side of Kakching and a fierce fighting took place between the well-armed and numerous troops against the Manipuri guerrilla army. Meiraba at this stage asked his outnumbered troops to retreat to the hillside while he himself hiding behind a big tree in a small ravine waited for his chance to shoot and kill as many British officers and their sepoys he could. Due to the superiority of the arms of the greatest empire, the guerrilla army of the Manipuris after the advice of Meiraba himself dispersed in different directions. Even after knowing that he and some of his troops have been surrounded by the British troops they fought to the end of their lives in the true Manipuri spirit where surrender is out of the question. A severe fighting took place at Manao Ching (Hill) of Kakching. It was here that Wangkhei Meiraba (Poila) and nineteen of his band of brave warriors gave their lives to defend their motherland. The exact spot where Meiraba fell had a big stone slab and it is on that exact spot that the memorial is built. In fact it won’t be wrong to say that the battle proved to be Manipur’s Battle of Plassey. Soon afterwards Maxwell blew up the Kangla Uttra which was then a symbol of the sovereignty of Manipur. Thus ended the two millennia old sovereignty of Manipur and it became the darkest chapter in the history of our beloved motherland.

Remembering Wangkhei Meiraba: A Forgotten Hero

M Gourachandra (Founder of People’s Museum, Kakching)
For the last twenty-four years the People’s Museum under the stewardship of Mayanglambam Gourachandra along with the State Archaeology , Department of Art and Culture, Government of Manipur has been observing the death anniversary of these fallen heroes. But the sad thing is that the monument is not getting the attention it truly deserves.The Manipuri people ought not to forget those who gave their Todays for our Tommorows.
( I did this write up based on my personal research, the records and souvenir published by People’s Museum , Kakching)

Remembering Wangkhei Meiraba: A Forgotten Hero

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London, 20th April 2013: The two victories over the Japanese, which took place in Imphal and Kohima in the north east India over the same period in 1944, were voted the winner of a contest run by the National Army Museum to identify “Britain’s Greatest Battle”. Imphal-Kohima received almost half of all votes. It was far ahead of D-Day and Normandy, in 1944 which received 25% of the vote and came second.

At the event, each contender had their case made by a historian giving a 40 minute presentation. The audience, who had paid to attend the day, then voted in a secret ballot after all five presentations had been made.

An M3 Lee tank crosses a river north of Imphal to meet the Japanese advance(1)

The case for Imphal and Kohima was made by Dr Robert Lyman, an author and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
“I had thought that one of the bigger names like D-Day or Waterloo would win so I am delighted that Imphal-Kohima has won. You have got to judge the greatness of a battle by its political, cultural and social impact, as much as its military impact.

“Imphal and Kohima were really significant for a number of reasons, not least that they showed that the Japanese were not invincible and that that they could be beaten, and beaten well. The victories demonstrate this more than the US in the Pacific, where they were taking them on garrison by garrison.”

The contest aimed to gauge the battles in terms of their historical impact and the tactics employed.
The battles of Imphal and Kohima saw the British and Indian forces, under the overall command of Lieutenant-General William Slim, repel the Japanese invasion of India and helped turned the tide of the war in the Far East.

Some veterans of the battles and historians have felt the victories have since been overlooked, partly because the invasion of Europe, starting with D-Day, took place while they were still being fought.

The fight for Imphal went on longer than that for Kohima, lasting from March until July.
Kohima was smaller in scale, and shorter, from April to June – but the fighting was so intense it has been described as the Stalingrad of the East.
In one sector, only the width of the town’s tennis court separated the two sides. When on 18 April the relief forces of the British 2nd Division arrived, the defensive perimeter was reduced to a shell-shattered area only 350 meters square.

The Japanese, who fought alongside some Indian nationalists, eventually lost 53,000 dead and missing in the battles. The British forces sustained 12,500 casualties at Imphal while the fighting at Kohima cost them another 4,000 casualties.

There are several memorials to the British and Indian troops who fought in the area, including one with an inscription that has become famous as the ‘Kohima Epitaph’. It reads: “When You Go Home, Tell Them of Us and Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today’
After their defensive victory, the British went on to clear the Japanese from Burma.

Sources:
1). Second World War clashes named as ‘Greatest British Battle’. The twin Second World War clashes of Imphal and Kohima have been named as the greatest ever battle involving British forces.
By Jasper Copping 7:52PM BST 20 Apr 2013

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/10008053/Second-World-War-clashes-named-as-Greatest-British-Battle.html

2). Win over Netaji’s INA is UK’s greatest battle
The writer has posted comments on this articlePTI | Apr 22, 2013, 06.43 AM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Win-over-Netajis-INA-is-UKs-greatest-battle/articleshow/19671555.cms

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by:Dr.L.Robindro Singh

Edu – Xpo, a giant leap towards Higher Education : Photo: LRS Official Site

A student’s life after 12th standard is full of choices when it comes to building a career, thus stranded in a crossroad they are full of dilemma. Which course or which college to choose is one of the toughest decisions one had to take. Again, lucrativeness of the career and job prospects also plays an important role in decision making. This crucial phase affects their life many years down the line. Therefore, with the vast increase in the number of career options available nowadays, students need to figure out what all are the courses available, which colleges provide which courses, which field suits them the best among all the fields they are good at, how much it all cost, what about the future prospects, etc. Students need to evaluate their interests, skills, strengths, potentials, advantages and weaknesses. Some students already decide their careers even before they enter class 10 which might not be the best career for them as they are not exposed to and are unaware of the other opportunities out there, thus missing out what would actually have been best suited for them. Many follow the herd mentality influenced by their peers and simply follow trends. Just because someone else took the course or their parents want them to take up a course, students should not go for it. Choosing the right career is very important for an individual. An individual spends a considerable amount of time doing his job, so loving one’s work becomes important for personal and professional satisfaction and happiness. Some follows their line of interest even though they came from a different academic career.

At such a turning point, education fair comes as a help and rescue from all such dilemmas. Education fair represents one of the most efficient ways of meeting large numbers of renowned Institutions and Universities which assists students through their representatives in choosing the right field. Delegates from Top Universities will be present, for ON –THE – SPOT Offers, interactions, counseling and admission. Student queries about courses, facilities, placements, activities, hostel, scholarships, loans etc., will be fully acknowledged. Reference materials regarding programs, admission procedures, etc would be displayed.  Basically, the purpose of such education fair is to,

• Bring students and parents face-to-face with representatives from various accredited and recognized Colleges, Universities and Institutes

• Gather valuable information about potential Institutes

• Discuss future plans directly with the delegates

• Ask questions about college, admissions, academic programs, etc.

• Save all your time and headaches

• Eliminate wastage of energy by coordinating with multiple different Universities

• Provide and highlight the most up-to-date and relevant educational programs available today

• Provide guidelines, counseling and a forum for adults to make informed decisions of their future education endeavors

• Institution and University profile distributed to all fair-goers

• Provide one-on-one opportunities for Students, Parents, Guardians, Career Guidance and the General Public to gather available Career opportunities in India and overseas.

• It is the one of the efficient means of promoting higher education in Manipur.

• It promotes Tourism Industry in a wider scale and we get an honor to showcase Manipur from a larger point of view across the Country.

Thus, Education fair in a nut shell serves both i.e., the Student Community, the Education Provider and the law maker.

Edu- XPO is a great platform organized by LRSINDIA that primarily aids in the development and advancement of the educational sector of the state of Manipur. Held twice a year since 2010, this time it is scheduled to be held in Nupi Lal Complex in Imphal on 8-10th April 2013 and 9th & 10th June 2013 from 10 am onwards till 6 pm.

By way of this event, along with the education sector, the overall economic improvement initiative of the state of Manipur will get a positive direction. It offers a great opportunity to the law makers to get candid feedback on new strategies that they are planning to implement for the betterment of the educational sector of the region. The event also helps the attendees to connect with each other and gather relevant information about various educational institutions not only from India but also overseas under one roof. Participated by representatives from renowned Universities all over India, it is the biggest and most sought after education expo of Manipur. It brings together all students, parents and government agencies related to education in one platform. Edu-Xpo also offers a great opportunity to the exhibitors to explore the market and enhance their business opportunities. This event will play a major role in curbing the outflow of young talents from Manipur to other states of India by way of bringing to the fore the development plans that the state is trying to devise in order to give better education as well as employment to the youth.

 
* The article is being sent by Dr.L.Robindro Singh (CEO) LRSIndia Pvt Ltd, contact info director@lrsindia.in

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By Oken Jeet Sandham

We have now four days to go to the crucial poll of the 12th Nagaland Assembly elections on February 23. The state is witnessing this assembly election at a time when the Center keeps talking that solution to the Naga political issue is not very far off. However, the Naga political issue seems to be having no major impact on the electorates this time. Perhaps, the people of the state could hardly be convinced to give their votes under the whims and fancies of the settlement of the Naga political issue. They seem to be more concerned for the development of the state.

The main fight is between the ruling NPF and the main Opposition Congress. There are other candidates of NCP, BJP, JD (U), RJD and UNDP, besides large number of Independent candidates, in the electoral fray. All the political parties keep talking to bring early settlement to the Naga political issue while the ruling NPF squarely blame the Congress-led UPA Government at the Center for delaying the settlement to the Naga political issue.

The main Opposition Congress, while promising to bring early settlement to the Naga political issue, rained charges of corruption against the ruling NPF leaders, their Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, etc. They also attacked the ruling NPF for neglecting the ENPO areas.

Veteran Congress leader and former Nagaland Chief Minister and ex-Governor of Maharashtra and Goa Dr SC Jamir, who did not contest this election, assured a separate Secretariat for the ENPO area if the Congress is voted to power. However, NPF chief Dr Shurhozelie, who also did not contest this time, termed it as “gimmick” only to confuse the people in the area.

In spite of all these charges and counter charges, claims and counter claims by the contesting political parties and their candidates, the reality is half of the present Ministers in the DAN Ministry along with many of their MLAs are not likely to be seen in the next Assembly. At the same time, some new faces in
the NPF are likely to emerge victorious this time.

In the Congress, one-third of the sitting MLAs who are fighting this election may bite the dust but their overall tally may be seen 30% increasing this time than last 2008 result but they will be short of majority.

Till the other day, NPF was doing fairly-slightly ahead of the main rival Congress. But the couple of incidents involving their two candidates including one high profile candidate have largely affected the party image and position as well. But the affect appears to be confining in the Mokokchung district only and its ripple effects in other districts are not seen at the moment. This has given the Congress the edge over others in the Mokokchung district.

In the final analysis, fluctuations on the positions of the candidates are taking place on hourly basis. We have 60 constituencies in the state and as writing this piece, there are 29 constituencies elsewhere in the State where candidates are fighting neck to neck and in these places, their fortunes are unpredictable. Whereas in districts like Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung and Wokha, things are almost clear which party is emerging where and how. But in places like Phek, Zunheboto, Mon, Longlen, Tuensang and Kiphire, where many candidates are seen fighting neck to neck and in fact, both the NPF and the Congress crucially depend on candidates of these areas for their journey to the formation of the next Government in the state.

In this election, record 39 Independents are fighting in 32 constituencies in the fray. Out of these 39 Independents, 9 Independents are fighting in 9 constituencies of ENPO areas. One-sixth of the total Independents may emerge and they will become very important factor in the event of formation of the Government either by the NPF or the Congress. But even in this situation, either of them (NPF or Congress) may still require the support of party like NCP which is having no pre-poll alliance either with the NPF or the Congress. The BJP and the JD (U) are already in pre-poll alliance with the NPF-led DAN.

Although the NCP has set up 15 candidates, one-fifth of the total candidates may emerge and they may ultimately become a “deciding factor” for the final formation of the Government in the state either by NPF or the Congress.

Getting support of one MLA matters especially during such a situation. It is all about number game in the journey of the Government formation.

The Bottom line:
We should not forget “Clean Election Campaign” of the NBCC. Although we hardly see any impact of this novel movement on the electorates or political parties or contesting candidates, but a beginning has started. It has now become a “history.”

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CORPORATE GOALS & RESPONSIBILITIES: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL & HUMAN RIGHT
(Discussion, Debates, Analyses and Recommendations in the light of global financial crisis and economic recession)
Editor: Bishwajit Okram (KEN Member)

About The Editor

B.Okram: B.Okram first graduated as Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) from Delhi University in 1993. His sheer desire to learn continuously earned him few more academic and professional qualifications even after 1993. He did his 2 years post graduation in planning and management from the Indian Institute of Planning and Management, Delhi and graduated in 1995. Alongside with his corporate jobs he went on completing LL.B and LL.M from the Delhi University and the National University of Ireland respectively. He also started writing exams for professional accountant from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA), UK since 2009 and completed all the exams by December 2011. Following this, he became a member of ACCA and a qualified professional chartered accountant. In 2012, he was also awarded with a certificate of distinction in Freelance and Feature Writing course by the London School of Journalism, UK. He is also an Indian qualified lawyer and a member of Bar Council of Delhi. For some years before he came to Ireland, he practiced law at Delhi in many courts including Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India, mainly specializing in business, commercial and contractual law. He has a vast corporate experience of more than 15 years, in the area of accountancy, law, finance and management. Presently, he is working as a Finance Controller of C&F Manufacturing s.r.o, C&F Groups, Ireland. He has keen interests in finance, accountancy, business consultancy, corporate governance and CSR. His key interests are freelance writings and research works in these areas mentioned above.

Order the book online in amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corporate-Goals-Responsibilities-Discussion-Recommendations/dp/3845434120/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360682003&sr=1-1

CORPORATE GOALS & RESPONSIBILITIES: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL & HUMAN RIGHT

Thanks and Regards,
Lakshmikant Laikangbam
KEN coordinator
Boston USA

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Discrimination: How should we deal with it?
By Desperate Dreamer

Discrimination. This phenomenon has for long been the talking point for people who have opportunistic interests in fanning the emotional alienation of the North-East from the so-called mainland India. They talk as if discrimination were some kind of a strange treatment meted out by the mainland Indians to the ¡§fringe¡¨ Indians in the North-East. The truth however is this: discrimination is ingrained in human psychology. Discrimination is universal.

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By Sanjit Laishram

SBI a regional banking giant and is one of the largest financial institutions in the world. The State Bank of India is the largest of the Big Four banks of India, along with ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank and HDFC Bank-its main competitors. The State Bank of India is also the 29th most reputed company in the world according to Forbes. In addition, SBI is the only bank featured in the coveted “top 10 brands of India” list in an annual survey conducted by Brand Finance and The Economic Times in 2010 and boast of having the highest number of customers among all the commercial banks in India is something to be proud of for the banking giant.

Being the largest bank, State Bank of India Services offers products through its well-managed, efficient and deep-rooted networks like Domestic Treasury, Broking Services, Revised Service Charge, ATM Services, Internet Banking, E-Pay, E-Rail, Safe Deposit Lockers, and Gift Cheques. As a premier banking institute every customers expect quick and efficient service form the bank. On the contrary, SBI branches across the Imphal valley i.e. Imphal Secretariat Branch, Paona Bazaar Branch, MG Avenue Branch, Porompat Branch and MU Campus Branch is marred with technical and staffing problem on a regular basic. This is not expected form an institution like SBI. Wondering, what the condition of the banks would be in far-flung areas?

Daily server problem, issuing of limited number of token for early birds, late opening of branch office from the stipulated schedule time is against Banking Guidelines, Arrogant Staffs greets you when you visit a State Bank of India branch in Imphal. These problems are not a mere one off incident for any customers visiting SBI branches in imphal. To feel and see how the customers are unnecessary harassed by all this issues, one can visit in any of the mention branches on any working day. Right form depositing a few amount of money or withdrawing it is a Herculean task for any ordinary customer. Making a Demand Draft or making a challan in any of the mention braches, one need to have a nerve of steel and the perseverance of the saint in order to get the job done. Never had I seen a staff endorse the old and the weak among the hundred tired customers.

Not to forget the ever idle ATM’s or you can abbreviate the name of the ATM’s in Imphal as All Time Moneyless. In addition, 27*7 banking is a distant dream for the customers except for those internet banking and mobile banking users. The ever-growing number of unsatisfied customers is not a welcome sign for SBI as people can always shift to other better service provider in near future. Wonder how the banking ombudsman would react with the entire shortcoming from a banking institute like SBI. In addition, never had I heard of a banking ombudsman giving justice to all this related issues in our state. Indeed, it is time to forward the grievance directly to Appellate Authority of RBI.

The immediate solution is to open more SBI branches in the neighborhoods with skilled and efficient staff that can cater the demand of the ever-increasing number of customers who want to avail its services. The RBI guidelines to open more bank branches for area whose population is about 25000 needs to be implemented ASAP. Only more number of bank branches will ease the work pressure that is being pilled up at the limited branches, which are available now. Whatever be the matter it is for the management in SBI to look after the public grievances and create an atmosphere to the customers who now hate going to Bank our state to avoid the madness and chaos seen everyday in banking offices across the city. After all this is just a reminder to SBI that the customer is still the king and always will be.

Posted: 2012-02-10

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The Class X and the Class XII Board Exams are round the corner for 2013. Every time I come across a student preparing for these exams, I only hear stories of anxiety leading to inability to sleep, eat or study at the same time. Few years back, I met a girl who used to excel upto Class IX. The first month she started her Class X session, she was very scared to think that she will be appearing the board exams. She couldn’t even spend half an hour of study time and had severe headaches. Ultimately, she couldn’t continue and she was taken to Guwahati to be treated by a psychiatrist. She lost a year of her precious career. Examination anxiety is quite common in every phase of a student life. What matters most is how to handle this anxiety well so that you do not succumb to it. What causes such fear and anxiety at the first place? Is it the Fear of Failure? Is it the fear not making to the top 10 or sometimes even top 3? Or is it just that the pressure or expectations from your parents, peers or the school is so high that you feel you will not be able meet those expectations?

Pressure from parents could be very high at times. They can continuously remind you of goals which you may not be able to achieve. They may even announce it to other family members or even in their friend circles. Comparison of children amongst parents is quite common in our society as you are aware. Principal and teachers expecting you to be one of the top 10 based on your school exam records builds additional pressure. Rather than adding confidence, these expectations lead to fear of not making it and thereby the fear of letting them down. Peer pressure and social pressure which is quite common in every field also applies in this case. The fear that your friends can score higher than you or the fear that the society will look down on you since your results are poor can sometimes lead to mental trauma. And besides all these pressures, you have pressures which comes out of your own self. Your goal(s) and dream(s) in life and your fear of not achieving it. You fear that you are not coping up with your own routine which you made sometime back. All these pressures lead to one just thing – Exam Fever.

Following are few tips which can help you tackle exam fever during the next few months.

1. No last minute change in plan: There are many different methods of reading techniques. Each student follows a different pattern, schedule and steps of memorizing. This is not the time to change your plan drastically or follow a new plan that you found out from some source. No new plan is going to work at this point. If you like burning the midnight oil and you are not an early riser, so be it. You should never try to change the schedule. You should never try to alter your Math or Physics formulae chart. Also, do not try to start using a new guide or reference a friend’s notes which is hard to follow. Stick to your plan, stick to your notes and be confident of yourself. Your strategy that work for the pre-board will work indeed.

2. Tuition/Coaching Class: At this stage no amount of tuition or coaching classes or additional explanation from a private tutor is going to matter. You should no longer be in a learning mode. You should be in the revision mode and above all you should be practicing those sections which you want to fully master and commit zero errors. If you have already decided not to touch one chapter, this is not the time to open that chapter. Focusing on the subjects and the areas you are confident of is the simple trick to score all the good marks which will boost your overall percentage.

3. Personal Health: Health is of prime importance during this stage. The winter is cold and if you know that taking bath with cold water can give you that mild headache or fever, you should not. Few hours or days lost due to sickness is going to cost you a lot. Eat light, sleep well and above all do some mild exercise which can relax your muscles. Leisure walking for few hundred meters can help relax your body which generally gets stressed out due to sitting in one position. However avoid any physically activity that can make you feel so exhausted that you have no energy left for your study time.

4. Hobbies: Listen to music, any form of music you like. It can provide that relaxation after several hours of reading. If you like gardening, you should do it for few minutes in the morning or evening. Painting also is a soother but you should not start something which can take several hours or days. Avoid activities that can over stimulate your mind like playing chess or reading novels. Also, never indulge into leisure talking or gossiping for long hours which will lead to distraction.

Well those tips are only to control your exam fever. What about the overall anxiety? How do you tackle that? To an extent if you bring down your exam fever, you will be able to release your mental tension to a large extent which will bring down your anxiety levels. Let’s try to look at the bigger picture. What if you fail in the board exam or what if you do not make it to the top 10? You prepared well, you did your best but you just didn’t make it. If you fail, you lose one year. And if you do not make it to the top 10, you face your teachers and parents in a different way. I am not trying to tell you that you should relax or chill out and stop putting those additional hours. 8-10 hours a day or maybe more is quite common during this time when the exam is just few months away. Even though your board exam results are not so good, you will still be able to pursue your graduation in a good university. You still have the chance to crack the AIEEE or the Medical Entrance Exam. Look beyond these board exams. If you pursue the career you desire wholeheartedly, you will definitely succeed and I am sure you will one day make your parents, teachers and above all your elders in your society proud. You will not live a life in frustration thinking that you have failed due to anxiety because you succumb to the many pressures mentioned above. Give your best shot in every exam you face starting the board exams. Set the bar high, but not so high that you can never achieve it. It is very important to know your limits.

All the very best for your upcoming exams. Cheers!!

The author is a career counselor. With more than 13 years of corporate industry exposure, he has been engaged with student mentorship at MIMS, Manipur University. He can be reached at career.wahang@gmail.com (Published in The Sangai Express Sunday edition 3-Feb-13.)

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