ICHAM honours meritorious students of five hill districts
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, July 21, 2010: The 3rd Meritorious Award distribution ceremony in memory of Late N Thoithoi (Bungcha) organised by the Information Centre for Hill Areas, Manipur (ICHAM) was held with a solemn function at the Manipur Press Club, Majorkhul here today.

Fifteen meritorious students, who secured very high marks in the High School Leaving Certficate Examination-2010, selected from five hill districts of Manipur were honoured by presenting them cash awards with citations at the function where a large number of people from all five hill districts and the valley attended.

Award winning students from five hill districts along with office-bearers and advisors of ICHAM at Manipur Press Club

Recently elected Member of Ukhrul Autonomous District Council, John Raleng was the chief guest, president of All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU), Khogendra Khomdram was the president and editor of Hueiyen Lanpao (English), Brozendra Ningomba, former editor of Prajatantra, Kangujam Madhumangol (both advisors of ICHAM), chief advisor, MK Shimray, Principal Kemp English School, T Gulamjat and social worker and also advisor of ICHAM, Kh Robindro were the guests of honour at the function.

Delivering keynote address at the function, president of ICHAM and donor of the awards, N Rajendro (Boi) said that a number of industrious students from the hill districts of Manipur secured very high percentage of marks thus protecting the image of the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BSEM).

The awards are being given by the Nongthombam family to the meritorious students of the hill districts in memory of his son Late Thoithoi (Bungcha).

He said, the award distribution ceremony was scheduled to be held much earlier.

But due to the series of unfortunate events, it had to be postponed.

Making a dig at the myriad organisations based in the hills and the valley, which are supposed to be working for the people, Rajendro expressed unhappiness over the way those organisations were using the students of the state as tools to achieve their demands for any issue.

He lamented that the organisations were using the students as tools in every agitations�bandh and blockade.

Thus, students' lives had been sacrificed in different agitations such as the Mao gate incident recently and others in the valley.

Were these civil organisations existing to have the students killed, he asked.

He belied the allegations made against him and the ICHAM by certain organisations during the past agitations that he or ICHAM was acting in his/its own interest to earn money by saying that if anybody could prove that he or ICHAM had made money out of its activities, he would worship the person as a God.

He appealed to all the civil society organisations based in the valley to go to the hills to know the miserable life the people in the remote hill areas were living.

He also suggested that organisations belonging to 30 different communities or so out of the 36 ethnic groups should form a single organisation and work for the people and Manipur.

Chief guest of the function, John Raleng said that some people in Ukhrul were earlier saying that ICHAM was an anti-tribal and anti-Naga organisation.

But after observing what the ICHAM has been doing in the last three/four years, it has been felt by many that what it has been doing is good for the people.

ADC Member, John Raleng further said that what the circle MLAs or the Government could not do and did not notice, the ICHAM along with mediapersons went and exposed the stark realities, and put pressure on the Government to do the work.

He said, it is Boi's sacrifice that he donated cash awards in memory of his Late son to be given to the meritorious students from the hill districts.

All the guests of honour also spoke in connection with the occasion and praised Rajendro (Boi) for his generosity in sponsoring the cash awards.

They also encouraged the award winners to study hard and become good citizens in future.

Three students who secured very high percentage of marks from each of the five hill districts were given cash awards at the function.

President of ICHAM, N Rajendro (Boi) also donated a sum of Rs 10,000 to the reporter of Sanaleibak, P Naobi, who is presently living as an incapacitated man after an accident he met with just one day after return from the Jessami trip organised by ICHAM.

The money was handed over to the mother of Naobi at the function.

The amount is meant to be saved as fixed deposit in a bank for the little child of Naobi.