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‘Blessed are the peace-makers, they shall be called the children of God’.
(Matt. 5:9)

Peace is the crying need of the hour. People all over the world are yearning and hungering for peace. There is very little peace within communities, within nations and religions today. They are also often at conflict with one another. Peace is impossible without love and unity.

True love is forgiving, enduring and self-sacrificing. This is the nature of the divine love that God showered upon human kind in and through his son Jesus Christ, the Lord of love and prince of peace. A civilization of love and a culture of peace in the world can be built only by this strong ‘Corner Stone’ – that God in his great love has laid in human history. It is by being united to Christ and by being united to one another in and through him that we can find true and lasting peace within us and among us in the world. True peace consists of three important dimension: personal, social and environmental. It encompasses the economic, social religious, cultural and political aspects of life. Peace is an all inclusive phenomenon. It is not the mere absence of war and violence. At a personal level it demands repentance, and forgiveness. Socially it requires- justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. Environmentally it needs eco-friendly technologies, renewable energy sources, organic farming and a simple life style. Peace also implies sustainable development and freedom from corruption. The consu-meristic culture and materialistic philosophy are destructive to mankind and environmental. A true activist of peace has to first of all over come the temptations of consumerism and materialism. He/she also has to struggle for justice, liberty, equality and fraternity in the society. We, the disciples of Christ are called to be instruments of peace in our respective areas of work and parts of the world following the path of our divine master.

This is the challenging life mission entrusted to us by God. Our part of the world is Manipur, India. We need to work selflessly, fearlessly and tirelessly for peace in Manipur. So- the Bible says – For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing will be there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:16,17,18). This will mean united effort and joint action for sustainable development and freedom from corruption. Peace is impossible without sustainable development and sustainable development is impossible without justice. In a society of wide-spread corruption, justice is impossible. It is in a struggle for freedom from corruption that we can give a practical expression to our commitment to justice and peace. In such a struggle the non-violent method of suffering love of Lord Jesus Christ is the path of liberation. Mahatma Gandhi demonstrated to the world how to apply the path of Christ for the political freedom of India. Now we have to use this methodology once again, but in a more powerful way for liberating our society from its slavery to corruption. This is the challenge of the era. We need a concerted and united effort to liberate the Mani-puri society from injustice, corruption and violence. This has to begin with peace and justice in our personal lives. We also need to launch a nation-wide struggle in the form of a Gandhian Liberative campaign for corruption free Government and clean public life in Manipur.

Can the Christian Chur-ches in Manipur become the salt of the earth and light of the world in this historic mission of helping people find peace within themselves and of creating a corruption-free society in this State? The National Regeneration Movement (NRM) initiated during the Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence provides an ideal platform for this last of the era. NRM is now being transformed into a second freedom struggle for the economic social and moral freedoms of India as envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi. Peace and value education and a corruption free India are important objectives of National Regeneration Movement.

Today the whole world is going through a deep crisis of values. Violence and terrorism are on the increase we the disciples of Christ are called to be at our best when the world is at its worst. We need to be effective instruments of God for healing, reconciliation and peace. In order to respond effectively to this call, we the members of different Christian Chur-ches need to be united in Christ. This was Jesus prayer to God our Father. (John 17:21) we need to work with ‘one accord’ as the early Christians did (Acts 2:44-47) for a culture of peace in the world. Lord Jesus is the centre of Christian unity for the mission of peace. His path of the cross is the common path in this mission. The vision of the ‘Kingdom of God’ – Love, Unity and Peace presented – to humanity by him is an inclusive vision. Every person, saints and sinners, men and women, rich and poor, married and single, old and young, ‘Jews and gentiles’ .. all alike, are included in the vision of the kingdom of God presented by Lord Jesus Christ. The ‘sermon on the mount’ that greatly inspired Mahatma Gandhi contains within it an integral spirituality for the reign of God on earth. The vision, spirituality and the path of realize that vision presented by Lord Jesus Christ, together constitute the basis of true and lasting peace in the world. What is urgently needed today is a ‘special task force’ of disciples who are prepared to dedicate their lives for the mission of peace following the path of their divine master. Let us join hands and work together for promoting a culture of peace in the world base on ecumenical unity and cooperative action, we United Christian Women Manipur (UCWM) is not part of any particular church. It accepts and respects all denominational churches as part of the ‘one body of Christ’. It aims at Christian unity and harmony. United Christian Women Manipur is spiritually affiliated to our precious Lord Jesus Christ. It promotes a deep and abiding communion with Lord Jesus Christ and among the members of UCWN through Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of peace and son of God. Jesus said to his disciples. ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest’ (Matt 9:37,38). We Christian are all his disciples.

Today we need many more courageous men and women to join this ecumenical communion of love. All those committed to peace and sustainable development following the path of Christ are most welcome to join the UCWM. Together we shall work for a culture of peace and values in Mani-pur and the world. Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Prince of peace. In and through him God blessed us with peace that the world cannot give or take away from us, and the peace that is beyond human understanding. We the disciples of Lord Jesus Christ are called to be the instruments of this true and lasting peace on earth. The world so desperately needs this peace from us today. Manipur and the world are crying out for the healing touch that only the disciples of Lord Jesus Christ can give at this stage in the wounded history of humanity. Let us love one another fervently and let there be unity in the churches and in the families. It should bring peace and harmony in our State. Let us keep marching on realising that love and unity are the hallmark of true discipleship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bible Love:

a) ‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’. (John 13:17)

b) ‘These things I command you that you love one another’. (John 15:17)
Unity:

a) ‘Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brother and sisters dwell in unity’. (Psamls 133:1-3)

b) ‘You may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ’. (Romans 15:6)

May the Lord lead and guide us to work together for the extension of his kingdom and may the good Lord increases love, unity and peace among his people through United Christian Women prayer Ministry, Halle- luyah Amen

The Sangai Express

Is it ceiling problem again or is there something more? The Anti-Defection Law, which ensured a full term for the Okram Ibobi ministry in Manipur, it seems has two cutting edges. If it saved the ministry from falling in the last term, it is now threatening to topple it this time. It will be recalled, dissident movement had become so formidable and the government had seemed almost on the edge of falling in the last quarter of 2003, prompting the chief minister to even resort to skipping the Winter Session of the Assembly to avoid an imminent no-confidence motion, nearly creating a Constitutional crisis. The government was however rescued by the Parliament approving the 91st amendment of the Constitution on December 18, toughening the already existing Anti-Defection Law. Among the clauses that deflated the wind out of the dissidents’ sail that time around was a limit set on the size of the ministry, relieving a huge burden on the shoulders of the head of the government. He then could pass on the buck for his inability to induct everybody into his ministry, to the law. The dissident camp then broke up and never could gather wind for the rest of the term that ended February 2006.

The same law should give the present government, again headed by Ibobi, the same strength and dissidents ought to be rendered as toothless. But not so this time, precisely because the dissidents have cleverly changed strategy. They are no longer threatening to defect, but merely demanding a change of leadership within the same party. The Anti-Defection Law does not have anything to say against such moves.

According to reports, many Congress MLAs who did not make into the ministry this time have headed to New Delhi to camp there and lobby for a change of leadership. Although Ibobi still apparently has the number, he is unlikely to be comfortable in his seat at this moment for a shift in the mood of the Congress central leadership can turn the table easily and leave him without defence. This exactly must be what the dissidents camping in New Delhi must be hoping for too, and their hope hinges on their allegation of non-performance by the government under Ibobi and the ever deteriorating law and order situation. The fact also is, these indeed are charges that Ibobi will find difficult to duck. As of today, not a day passes without somebody getting shot or a government officer abducted. Raids at VIP quarters have also proven beyond doubt the level of penetration of various underground organisations into the core of the establishment; physical infrastructure of the state is crumbling; essential services like water supply are virtually non-existent; most of all, the sense of security of the ordinary citizen is at a nadir.

But the despairing thought is, how good an alternative do we have to the present set of ministers. How much would the putative new set be able to deliver what they are charging the present set is not able to? Would they have any stronger resolve to reclaim and bring back the law and order agenda into government hands? Would they be any different on the question of corruption? More pertinently, is their grievance more about their being left out of the plunder of public money – a crime which has come to be generally treated as an important privilege of those in positions of power, or power brokering. We could be wrong, but we doubt if the motivation of the dissidents has anything to do with any commitment to public cause. This being so, the minute the second set comes to power the first set would automatically become the dissidents. Ding dong bell indeed. But at least one thing is certain. Ibobi can put his patent on a certain and obvious impropriety he has institutionalised. In these times of “one man one post” slogan in the officialdom, he has kept all key posts of the government to himself. He is the chief minister, home minister, finance minister, DP minister, besides holding charges of all other portfolios not distributed to other ministers. These include MAHUD. Isn’t too much power being allowed to be concentrated into a single hand? This can happen only in a tin-pot dictatorship. If the chief minister felt the bad situation made this essential, at least he should have tried to justify it by delivering the goods a good government is supposed to. Maybe the 10th Schedule of the constitution should be amended again to make the anti-defection law forbid any minister holding more than one of any of these key posts.

The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Nov 5: A meeting of the tribal students, civil and human rights bodies in Manipur Monday called upon the Central government and the Manipur government to cease undermining community control over forest lands in the hill areas.

They also unanimously decided to extend their support to the ongoing struggle for the scheduled tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (Recognition of forest rights) Act, 2006, and called on the government to explain the repeated efforts to dilute and delay this key legislation.

Apart from the United Naga Council, the Naga Women’s Union, Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights, the Human Rights Lawyers and other interested citizens participated in the meeting which was held at the Centenary Hall of the Manipur Baptists Convention, Imphal.

Participants raised their protest against forest department’s use of ambiguous and extra-legal terms like “unclassed state forests” when describing community forest lands, according to a joint statement of the leaders of the organizations after the meeting.

After the Supreme Court’s rulings in recent cases, these terms can be used to claim that these lands are actually government forests, and hence are subject to the Central government’s control under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, they observed.

This would mean that any “non-forest” activity, such as jhum cultivation, would need permission from Delhi and all activities would need to pay money for compensatory aforestation, that is planting trees to replace those felled, Shanker Goplakrishnan, a member of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity said.

The state forest department has, as for instance, demanded afforestation funds from the BRTF for the two-lane road from Imphal to Ukhrul, when even the communities who own the land are not asking for any compensation, the meeting revealed.

Such developments are of particular concern in the wake of recent moves by the ministry of environment and forests to institute a legal definition of the term ‘forest’, for the purposes of the forest conservation act, that would also include community forests and “unclassed forest”, the speakers observed.
The participants also condemned the extension of joint forest management schemes in the hill areas of Manipur and other areas of the northeast.

“Such schemes in the hill areas of Manipur and other areas of the northeast seek to bring community forests under the forest department’s management through the JFM committees and constitute back-door method of taking control of community land,” they observed.

All these policies are illegal, the participants stressed, since the community’s right to control, manage and protect forests is enshrined in customary law and in the Constitution and cannot be taken away by official fiat.

The chief minister has also served a blunt warning to the ministers actively involved with the dissidents, saying there are any number of MLAs who would be willing to replace them in the council of ministers.

The chief minister, who spoke to IFP from New Delhi over the telephone this morning, categorically denied the charges of corruption laid against him, stating that if any credible evidence is produced of his involvement in corruption and bribe-taking, he would resign from chief ministership instantly.

‘If anyone produces proof that I have been engaging in corruption or bribe-taking, whether it is in assignment of contract work, sanctioning of bills, recruitment or transfers, I’m ready to quit on the spot,’ said a spirited Ibobi.

Ibobi also denied categorically that he had taken bribes in assignment of ministerial portfolios.

On the question of law and order, the chief minister said, ‘The people of Manipur know better (why the law and order situation is so bad)’.

He remarked that if there is no insurgency, and all the insurgency-related killings and violence stop, law and order situation would automatically improve, and reiterated that his government has been making repeated attempts to initiate talks with the underground groups to bring a political solution to the insurgency.

Referring apparently to Rajya Sabha member and former chief minister Rishang Keishing, who had made some adverse comments in the local media, Ibobi also pointed out that vicious ethnic clashes had taken place during the tenure of previous chief ministers which they were unable to bring under control.

‘Would anyone say that law and order situation was under control at that time,’ he asked.

Regarding the reported involvement of some members of the council of ministers in the move to oust him, Ibobi claimed that he had no idea which ministers were among the dissidents.

However, he made if clear to such ministers that if they are tired of their jobs, there are any number of MLAs who are hankering for a ministership and who were ready to replace them.

Ibobi also said it would be more gutsy on the part of such ministers if they resigned from ministership before taking up cudgels against him. ‘Nupa thokna hanna minister phamdagi resign touraga loabiyu,’ (‘Act like men, and quit your posts first’), he said.

The chief minister went on to observe that the current political unrest was unfortunate, since it could prove to be a hindrance to the development of the state.

At the same time, he said the so-called political crisis in Manipur had made hardly a ripple in Delhi. The postponement of the central working committee meeting called by AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, had nothing to do with the emerging crisis in Manipur, he clarified.

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Congress high command gives Ibobi camp a hearing, rebels made to wait

IMPHAL, Nov 5: The matter of revolt against chief minister O Ibobi Singh’s leadership has finally reached the ears of the Congress high command at the Centre. But not by the efforts of the rebel camp, rather from the chief minister himself.

The chief minister who along with his supporters is camping at the national capital had an audience with the Congress high command including Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late this afternoon and reportedly briefed them on the latest developments in the state.

Interestingly, Congress MLAs in the dissident camp are yet to get a green signal for an audience with the high command despite their repeated pleas. However, reports said that MPCC chief Gaikhangam had a brief meeting with Congress north east in-charge, Prithivi Raj Chauhan.

The chief minister is likely to return to the state capital tomorrow by an Indigo flight. Security from the airport to his bungalow has been arranged by the state police department, an official source said.

According to a minister who accompanied the chief minister to New Delhi, they called on Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Sonia’s right hand Ambika Soni, and Congress general secretary north east Prithivi Raj Chauhan late in the afternoon at around 5.20 pm. PWD minister K Ranjit and IFCD minister N Biren and some other MLAs accompanied the chief minister in the meeting.

During the meeting, the chief minister reportedly admitted that the law and order situation in the state had worsened but also observed that the state alone could not deal with the subject effectively. It needs Central help in restoring the same, an MLA who did not want to be named but who accompanied the chief minister during the meeting said.

After hearing the statement of the chief minister, both Sonia and Manmohan assured of all possible help to the state in dealing with the law and order situation, the MLA added.

The chief minister who is also attending the 4th International Conference on Federalism is scheduled to reach the state by tomorrow without attending the remaining part of the conference which is due to end on November 7.

On the other hand, Gaikhangam who was unhappy with the failure to get an appointment till now with the Congress high command had a meeting with the party north east in-charge Privithi Raj this evening and was still making efforts at his best level to contact the secretaries of the Prime Minister and the Congress chief.

There is still no indication of fixing of any date for the meeting to take place, reports said. Although unhappy with the situation the rebel camp has, however, not lost hope, an MLA of the dissident camp who still claimed to have the support of 17 MLAs informed.

As they had earlier submitted a representation to the high command containing a detailed report of the badly affected law and order situation in the state and the corruption charges against the chief minister, the high command was sure to give them a hearing, the MLA observed.

Even though the Ibobi government has been charged of failing to maintain law and order which has deteriorated since 2002 and lack of transparency and concentration of Central funds to the constituencies of a select few, political analysts however observed that the ceiling on the number of ministers meant that most ruling party MLAs would anyway be left out of ministerial consideration, widely believed to be the reason for the dissension.

Source: The Imphal Free Press