'Hiring the interpreter'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 06 2011: DIPR Assistant Publicity Officer (Press) Lalrongbawl Hmar has been suspended on the charge of recommending the particular person who interpreted the speeches of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at Kangla on December 3 .

An order was issued by the IPR Commissioner towards this effect on December 5 .

On the other hand, an emergency meeting of the DIPR Employees' Association was held today.

The meeting resolved to urge the Government to revoke the suspension order of APO (P) Lalrongbawl Hmar and also send a condon letter to the Govt.The public meeting addressed by Dr Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi at Kangla was conducted by Pastor Tomba and RK Shubra Devi.

Pastor Tomba also interpreted the Prime Minister's speech into Manipuri.

According to reliable sources, Pastor Tomba was assigned the task of interpreting the Prime Minister's speech into Manipuri after face to face meeting and with due approval of the IPR Minister.

The Govt asked the DIPR to select an interpreter on November 30 .

Subsequently, a list of probable interpreters was compiled and it included RK Shubra Devi, AIR News Reader Sapam Dilip and Pastor Tomba.

In addition to this list, Art and Culture Department re-commended its Programme Executive Heigrujam Debendra while Manipur University Mass Com Department recommended Elangbam Natasha.

When Tomba was asked if he could interpret the Prime Minister's speech into Manipuri, he replied in the affirmative.

Later, a panel list of Pastor Tomba, news reader Sapam Dilip and RK Shubra were submitted to the Government.

All three of them were called up and they held a meeting with IPR Minister TN Haokip in the afternoon of December 2 .

The Minister reportedly suggested to select Pastor Tomba as the interpreter as Sapam Dilip is relatively junior.

After this, TN Haokip went to the Chief Minister taking along with him the file containing the panel list of interpreters.

He came back after obtaining approval from the Chief Minister and thus Pastor Tomba was assigned the task of interpreting the Prime Minister's speech.

Enraged by the misleading and wrong interpretation of the Prime Minister's speech, Chief Minister O Ibobi chastised the IPR Minister.

The IPR Minister then called up Pastor Tomba and asked who contacted him.

To this, Tomba replied that it was Lalrongbawl Hmar who first contacted him, disclosed the sources.

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