Source: Hueiyen News Service
Lamka, November 27 2012: The Paite Tribe Council (PTC): General Headquarters having its Head Office at Hiangtam Lamka, Churachandpur, Manipur will hold Special Assembly on the forthcoming 5th December, 2012 at Y.P.A.Hall, Hiangtam Lamka, Churachandpur, Manipur.
In pursuant of the resolution adopted in 54th PTC General Assembly held on 27th October, 2012, the Special Assembly will table 11th Amendment of the PTC Constitution which was first adopted on the 18th October, 1968, and would review the Paite Customary Law & Practices.
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Eimi Times : Newspaper launched
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 27 2012: Eimi Times, a bilingual daily in Thadou-Kuki and English, was officially launched today at Kuki Inn, Imphal by Dr S Singsit, retd IFS and Chairman, MPSC.
The newspaper is edited by Thangzalen Ringo Lhungdim while it is published and owned by Ngamminlen Haokip at Bibi's Home, 2nd Street, New Lambulane, Imphal.
The chief guest, Dr S Singsit and other speakers stressed on the importance of daily newspaper in the era of globalisation and exhorted the editorial board members and the management committee to have tolerance and patience with zeal, dedication and commitment.
The Eimi Times launch programme was also graced among others by Lamminlian Vaiphei, member of Manipur State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Peter Mate, president of KSO (Ghqs) as the guest of honour and president respectively.
Pastors, Reverends, journalists and prominent citizens also attended the ceremony.
Artists like Maneithangza, Thethem and Helam enthralled the gatherings with their soulful rendering of heart touching songs
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State's HIV+ figure crosses 42K
Source: The Sangai Express
IMPHAL, Nov 27: In the absence of any specific policy of the State to combat the menace of HIV/AIDS and enable PLHIV’s live with dignity, the number of HIV+ people in the State has reached 42,116 till October this year.
According to an epidemiological profile published by the Manipur State AIDS Control Society, blood samples for 6,52,687 peo- ple were tested between September 1986 and October 2012. Out of them 42,116 have been found HIV+. These include 11,778 women and 2,773 children.
Modes of transmission of HIV among the general population and risk groups are determined according to sentinel surveillance report published by MACS. Sentinel surveillance reports were published every year from 1994 to 2008.
As per the report published in 2008, injecting drug users accounted for 28.65 per cent of HIV transmission, pregnancy accoun-ted for 0.5 per cent, promiscuity 2.9 per cent, female sex workers accounted for 10.89 per cent and MSM accounted for 17.21 per cent.
However, no such report is available for the last four years.
One official of MACS while talking with TSE said that sentinel surveillance reports could not be published any more as National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) withdrew its approval for the same.
All the programmes being implemented are within the framework of the NACO’s Policy Phase III (2006-2011).
Till October this year, 8600 people were receiving ART treatment while 22,735 people were given pre-ART care.
Whereas the figure of HIV+ people has been put at 42,116, the number of people of receiving ART treatment and pre-ART treatment care is only 31,235.
The question is, where are the remaining HIV+ people who are given neither ART drugs nor pre-ART care or does the report published by MACS include duplicates.
Notably, HIV was first detected in Manipur in October 1989 among injecting drug users.
HIV, which was first confined to high risk groups like injecting drug users, female sex workers, MSM (male having sex with male) and migrants is now steadily spreading among the general population including women and children.
The dreaded virus has also spread to rural areas from urban areas.
Observing that HIV has become a serious issue for the society even to the extent of hampering economic growth, SASO general secretary Sashikumar underscored the need to ascertain the common modes of HIV transmis-sion before taking up any programme aimed at controlling the menace of HIV/AIDS.
To ascertain the common modes of HIV transmission, there is growing need to streng-then a mechanism to monitor targeted interven- tion programmes, he said.
There are 56 TI sites and four drop-in centres in Manipur under MACS. In addition, there are 54 integrated counselling and testing centres and 17 early infection diagnostic (IED) centres.
Meanwhile, the condition of PLHIVs in the State has degraded to a pathetic condition.
Thoubal ART centre counsellor Thoibi said that they encountered lot of difficulties at the ART centres due to absence of doctors. Under such circumstances, ART patients were compelled to go private doctors when they had any health complaints. Moreover, most of the ART centres often faced shortage of ART drugs.Out of the nine ART centres opened in the State, there are senior medical officers only in the ART centres opened at RIMS, JNIMS, district hospitals of Bishnupur and Churachandpur. Other centres do not have senior medical officers or MO’s.
MNP+ general secretary Udita lamented that there is no separate programme for women and children living with HIV. Funding agencies which used to provide education, health and nutrition support to children living with HIV have wound up their projects.
It needs a specific policy to ensure that welfare programmes taken up by such departments like Social Welfare, Health and Education reach children living with HIV. It also demands smooth coordination among the concerned departments.
With only four drop-in centres, there is no sign of taking up new measures to check HIV transmission even though the number of HIV+ people has reached an alarming figure, Udita said.
Moreover, drugs for opportunistic infection kept at drop-in centres earlier are now no longer available.
Same is the case in ART centres too.
MACS brand ambassador Pradipkumar said that the revised State AIDS Policy is yet to enforced in Manipur.
It appears that the struggle against AIDS is over once the project period expires. Almost all AIDS control programmes have become defunct in the State.
There are many cases where many people concealed HIV infection from their sexual partners. Such deceitful attitude would cost very dear to the society.
Both NACO and MACS seemed to unaware of the crux of the issue. It looks like officers on deputation are only waiting for the end of their terms.
Even as the number of HIV+ people is increasing every year, there are few people who are genuinely concerned with the epidemic like situation, Sashikumar lamented.
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UNC, Nagas to oppose Govt
Source: The Sangai Express
SENAPATI, Nov 27: The United Naga Council (UNC)- spearheaded movement for “Alternative Arrangement” will witness a renewed vigour from November 30 with the former in collaboration with the Naga tribe organisations, all set to go down to ‘block’ and village levels in its campaign in all the Naga villages in Manipur. The UNC has also issued written ‘guidelines’ to all the Naga tribe presidents and Naga frontal organisations to abide with when any eventuality crops up in their campaign for the ‘Alternative Arrangement’.
The UNC also decided to oppose chief minister O Ibobi Singh and other personalities who are anti-Nagas gracing the Orange Festival slated for next month in Ta-menglong. The UNC has also issued notice to all the Naga churches in Manipur to devote a two-day prayer on De- cember 8 and 9 for the early completion of the ongoing Indo-Naga peace talks.
All the offerings in cash and in kind offered during these two days prayer programme should be entrusted to a particular church to take care of it, a UNC source said.
Information received by Newmai News Network this evening said that the UNC along with Naga tribal organi-sations in its ‘consultative meeting’ cum advent Christmas at Chakpikarong in Chandel district have taken four resolutions on Tuesday.
Sources also said the first resolution has been to jointly submit an urgent memorandum to the government of India by the UNC and the Naga tribe organisations to ‘complete’ the ongoing Indo-Naga peace talks at the earliest. Another resolution is to oppose tooth and nail to the construction of the multi-purpose project at Chakpi River in Chandel district. The third resolution is that the 2013 seed sowing festival of the Nagas, the Lui-Ngai-Ni be celebrated in Chandel district and the last resolution has been that all the Nagas should not welcome Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh and his ‘followers’ gracing the Orange Festival, the sources added.
“Personalities who are anti-Nagas should not be entertained in Naga areas and people like Ibobi Singh and his puppets who have been the strong advocate against the Nagas should be opposed by all the Nagas in Naga areas,” said the UNC leaders in the consultative meeting today, according to the sources, while adding, “For a long, long time the government have been neglecting the tribal people and the hill districts of Manipur but now the much-talked unity shows by organising functions will not do.” The UNC leaders also stated, “It is too late now; the tribal people cannot be appeased now by all these cosmetic shows and stage-dramas.” The UNC leaders however said, “We welcome the spirit of festival pertaining to the Orange Festival.”
Meanwhile, the UNC presented ‘small gifts’ to all the Naga tribe presidents of the Chandel district during today’s advent Christmas.