One of Manipur’s biggest drugs haul reported

Kishalaya Namaram (Dodo) is the Secretary General of North East India Harm Reduction Network, NEIHRN and the Editor of NEIHRNews. He is also a Key Correspondent for International HIV/AIDS Alliance, IHAA and the Moderator of several electronic groups since 2002 (Neihrners, TheeOnes, ARV2ALL @yahoogroups). He is an Accredited State Journalist since 1995 (DIPR, Government of Manipur and Election Commission of India) and contributed towards the state and national level print media. He started his career in the “Conflict Zone” of Manipur as a Reporter, Photographer and later as the News Editor for the print media, including The Imphal Free Press, an esteemed daily, The Eastern Herald Tribune and The Orient Times (dailies). As a webcaster, he served as Resident Editor for Manipur Online (focussing on news and issues @ www.manipuronline.com ). Born and brought up in Imphal, Manipur State, India in 1969, he graduated and obtained honours in Zoology from Manipur University and studied Japanese language (1996). He can read, write and speak English, Hindi and Manipuri and other local dialects. During the early AIDS pandemic era, he had Developed and Translated (1991) documents, handbooks (Home based Care) and pamphlets related to health issues including HIV/AIDS, drug use supported by WHO (World Health Organisation), OXFAM (Oxford Committee for Famine Relief), SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), British Council, Population Council, UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), UNAIDS (United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS). As a Social Activist since 1990, he was involved as Research Assistance and Volunteered for projects related to HIV/AIDS and Injecting Drug Users, IDU, i.e., IDU Sexual Behaviours, Substitution Therapy and Antiretroviral Therapy. He is also a National Table Tennis player (1981) and served as Photographer to the Governor of Manipur, His Excellency, Shri ON Shrivastava (2000) and trained in various fields, i.e., Video Journalism (2002), Web Designing (2002), Information Technology (2003) and Desktop Publishing (1996), DTP and Computer Management (Networking & Maintenance)(1997) and as a Counsellor by Consultants from WHO (1992). He intends to expand his knowledge and bring about a change in the scenario of journalism in the state.