PLA steps up war against Drugs IMPHAL, Jan 1, the outlawed peoples Liberation army (PLA) of Manipur further

stepped u its all out war against durgs. Recently this correspondent and another colleague from a news agency were singled out by the PLA to be present as witness to watch their guerillas burn up heroin which they had earlier siezed from a Burmeses women courier trying to sneak into Manipur with the killer white powder. Bulk of it was said to have been destroyed at the borders before but the portion that was destroyed in our presence was well over one kilogram, this alone was worth over Rs. One crore in the international Drugs market. The torching ceremony was down by the commanding officer of the PLAs unit No, 1. Present to supervise it was the Finance Secretary of the people Revolutionary Front the Apex political organization of which the PLA functions as theArmed wing or the Army. The Finance Secretary who introduced himself as Ksh. German is also said to be a member of the Fronts standing committee which places him as one of the top leaders of the underground movement. When asked the reasons behind this camapign against drugs and alcoholism the leader replied that heroin is gradually beginning to turn entire generations of Manipuri youths into vegetables or one of living deads. Drug addition, he also pointed out, brought in AIDS to Manipur and today it has the highest HYV positive cases in Asia. There is a very real danger the AIDS will wipe out Manipuri society like a plague both physically as well as psychologically. There is thus a crying need to save manipurs future. To drive home their point they admitted to the killing of Father M. Matthew, the Keralite Catholic priest, saying that he was kingpin in the

drugs business and that refused to heed to their warnings. They further warned that many more will follow his footsteps if they do not give up their Drugs dealings. They also confirmed having served closure notices to at the licensed liqour shops selling Indian Made. Foreign Liqour to down the their shutters for good from the new years. Today with the people becoming more and more concious and concerned about drugs and AIDS an watching the esbalashments helplessness to contain or control it to the common man in Manipur the PLAs actions have been welcomed almost at every home. To them it is not a question of within or without the Indian constitution it is just a matter of saving the youths and children from a nightmarish existence as drug addict and that of a painful death as an AIDS patient, and the relief and assurance the PLA is providing.

A parliamentary whodunit (19 September 1992) IMPHAL, sept 9 a controversy erupted in Manipur with the approval of the Language Bill by Paliament, placing Manipuri along with Nepali and KoKani in the Eight schedule of the constituation. Parliament, showing a rare unity, approved the bill without any debate and the Lok Sabha passed it with only one of the 343 members present from voting. There wer no negative votes. The question is, who is the abstaining M.P? The indications available at imphal point towards the congress(I) M.P from Manipur,Mr Meijinlung Kamsong, who represents the Manipur outer parliamentary seat in the Lok Sabha. The outer seat comprises the hill districts of the state and is reserved for the bribals. Mr kamson is a kabur Naga who has the rare distinction of being the only tribal in manipur to have taken part in the RSS sakhas. Elected to

the Lok Sabha for the second consecutive term, Mr Kamsong benefited largely from the over one lakh manipuri-speaking voters in the valley form part of the outer constituency. There was strong resentment among the tribals of mainipur who feared the recognition of Manipuri by the constitution would undermine their position. Possibly Mr kamsong decided to swim along with the tribal sentiment and abstained from voting. The Manipuri Chief Minister, Mr R.K. Dorendoro, could not say whether Mr kamsong had voted in favour of the bill. School (teachers) for scandal? IMPHAL, June 3, Manipurs catholic community, though only about 60.000 strong, with the priests belonging to several order, particularly the Salesian, is today the real force controlling quality education at the high-school level. Two high schools, Don Bosco and Little Flower, have been producing the bulk of the first division winners. Even education officials admit that these two institutions perform better than hundreds of Government high schools put together. So when two suspected insurgents shot at Father sebastianSebastian, the head master of Don Bosco, initially, there was widespread sympathy. But the priests, overreacting, closed down all their nine institutions in the valley indefinitely, in the name of the Catholic Educational society. They also printed pamphlets, urging the governor and minis ters to condemn the incident and called upon parents to combat insurgency. Journalists, they demanded, should apologize for the allegedly biased reporting against the community, In Short, they wanted an open war against the valley insurgents as well as those in the valley who would not join them. However, all this while,

they were allegedly shielding the Naga or hillinsurgents. The Catholic community spokesman has called for an end to extortion by the valley insurgent they themselves have been collecting money for the Naga insurgents in the name of donation. Work affected at Imphal medical college IMPHAL, June 3. Work at the prestigious North Eastern Regional Medical College at imphal has been affected following a strike by the teachers association, in protest against the appointment of a former teacher, Mr Nimaichand Luwang, now a ruling party MLA, as a honorary professor and another faculty member as the Medical superintendent of the Hospital, allegedly without submitting any certificate before the interview board. Dr Luwang was an associate professor at the college for about two years till he joined polities. During the recent political developments that saw the coming of Mr R.K. Dorendra Singh to power as Chief Minister, Mr Luwang Supported the latter. So barely 12 hours after he was sworn in, Mr Dorendra Singh, in his capacity as chairman of the college society, approved the appointment of Dr luwan. An angry teacher remarked: how can we have an active politician working along with us and in any case the order is against the rules prescribed by the Medical council of India. Another added that this medical college should not become the last refuge of politician. Rajiv road proposal angers Manipuris IMPHAL, June 3. A row over rajiv road has started here. It all began with what Manipurs Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Rishang Keishing, thought to be a perfect act of loyalty. He announced that, henceforth, the 80 km Imphal-Ukhrul Road would be renamed Rajiv Gandhi Road. So far so good, but little did he realize that instead of applause coming in to

coincide with the late prime Ministers first death anniversary, strong criticism and resentment swept across the state. People see this as a deliberate attempt at erasing the ethnic character of Manipur and make it appear as a part of the Hindi belt. And to a population already conscious of losing its identity and this being a main factor of insurgency the Rajiv road proposal has added insult to injury. The resentment here is that the place is too small to accommodate the pantheons of Indian leaders and that nothing much has been left for its own. Ukhrul, incidentally, is the home district of Mr Keishing and the present fountainhead of the National Socialist council of Nagaland. Mr Muivah, constituting a challenge to the Center more potent that the ULFA Manipur cabinet expansion Soon IMPHAL, June 3, the nearly two-mionth old Dorendra Singh Ministry is being expanded this week. This was stated by the Manipur chief Minister, on his return from Delhi. He told reporters that his coalition Government would have about 25 Ministers. Four miore ministerial berths would be allotted to the Congress (I)s partner. the Manipur Peoples party. The MPP already has two of its members as cabinet Minister. The bone of contention, the Chief Minister admitted, was the Speaker, Mr haobam borobabus desire to be inducted as a minister in his Government on the one side and the silence of the MPP president on the matter on the other. The speaker belongs to the MPP.

Communal tension in Manipur IMPHAL, June 3, tension is mounting between the Muslim, community of Manipur, Meiteis . The trouble began a few months ago when an attempt by some Manipuris to construct a temple at chingei ching was thwarted by the Muslim community of Lilong. While the Manipuris claimed that the area originally contained an ancient temple dating back to a few thousand years, the Muslims said it had been their traditional burial ground. The history of the muslim settlers is only 300 years old. Things began hot up after some manipuri youths were allegedly attacked in the area. Then the porlamen Apunba (PA for short) stepped in. the pa is a consortium of former underground member belonging to different groups and is headed by Mr N.Bisheswar singh, former chairman of the banned peoples liberation Army. They have in turn issued notices to all Muslims staying in the nonMuslim areas to leave. Pakistan not to aid Manipuri extremists AGARTALA, June 3, Both Pakistani and chinese diplomats in Dhaka are believed to have declined to help Manipuri extremists, fighting for a sovereign state of Manipur evenas the pakistani high commissioninBangladesh seems to be keen on aiding the United Liberation Front of Asom. Disclosing this during their interrogation by senior state police officers, three top level leader who were handed over by the Bangladesh Rifles to the Border Security Force onMay 24, were learnt to have said that they had met Pakistani and Chinese

diplomats in Dhaka along with Major Khalek, a senior oficer of Bangladeshs Military intelligence. The secretary general of the peoples Revloutionary party of Kangleipak and Mr yembam Dhiren, external affairs secretary of the Revolutionary peoples front, the political wing of the outlawed peoples Liberation Army of Manipur, however, felt that the handing over of the three militant leaders to the BSF by the Bangladesh Rifles during the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Begum Khaleda Zias visit to India Was simply a political stunt These three outfits are now operating in the imphal valley. Rebel leaders have told the police that theywere determined to liberate Manipur they however, did not give the reasons why Pakistan was reluctant to help the minipuri extermists. They also refused to divulge the details of their talks with Bangladesh military intelligence officials. The rebels visited Dhaka, Sylbet and chittagong and Manipuri villages in Greater Sylhet and Coxs bazar were providing sanctuaries for extremists form the Imphal valley. Interestingly, the UNLF chief has said that he was not interested in having any link with the ULFA.