Thursday, July 31, 2008

north east sun july cover scan

ne_sun_july

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Bullet-proof glass for 16 engines in NC Hills section

Guwahati, Jul 30 : The NF railway has fortified 16 engines with bullet-proof glass and other such material to resume passenger trains in the NC Hills section from Lumding to Badarpur from July 31 while additional security personnel have been deployed for ensuring security to Railway staff on the stations and along the tracks.

It may be mentioned that train services in the Hills section was suspended following a series of attacks by the Black Widow group militants and though goods trains resumed earlier, passenger train services are yet to resume. However, railway sources said today that at the initial stage of resumption of passenger train services, only three trains would run in a day. The stations in the Hills section, which were closed following deterioration of the law-and-order situation, are being reopened in a phased manner.Sources revealed that the engines to be used in the Hill section have been fortified with bullet-proof glass and other bullet proofing materials to ensure safety of drivers as train running in the section was suspended after the death of a train driver in one of the attacks launched by the militants. Bullet-proof engines are already in use in the goods trains in that section. At present, the Railways are running 10 goods trains, including a security special train, in the section every day. However, night running of trains in the section still remains suspended in the area and even when passenger train services are resumed in the section it is unlikely that trains would run at night anytime soon.

Meanwhile, official sources said that all possible security arrangements have been made in the area to ensure safety of the trains and the Railway personnel. All the goods trains running in the area are accompanied by armed security personnel to thwart any possible attack by the militants.

Sources pointed out that the Railway employees were demanding adequate security arrangements in the stations to ensure their safety and keeping that in mind, five companies of RPSF personnel have been deployed in the area to be posted as static guards in 15 vulnerable stations. Sources said that security personnel including Government railway police men have been deployed in the other vulnerable stations. 25 sections of security personnel have been deployed to accompany the gang men deployed by the Railways for track patrolling, while, the telecom and signal staff are also being accompanied by armed security personnel. The Superintendent of Police of North Cachar Hills has been entrusted with the responsibility of deployment of forces available at his disposal according to requirement to ensure safety of the trains and railway personnel, sources added.

First train to chug into Agartala


Agartala, Jul 30 : The first railway carriage with at least eight bogeys is likely to reach Agartala on August 6, having traversed a distance of 68 km from Ambassa, the headquarters of Dhalai district, said F.S. Mina, in-charge of railway construction in Tripura.

Mina said the chief of railway security, Balbir Singh, would reach Ambassa on August 5 and come by train to Agartala.“All work regarding the laying of tracks and construction of stations is now complete. What we are doing now is the beautification of the stations and tracks,” said Mina, adding that normal movement of the railway would commence after Singh’s nod.

Yesterday, PWD minister Badal Chowdhury, transport minister Manik Dey and PWD chief engineer Sunil Bhowmik visited the newly built Agartala railway station and met senior railway officials.

Official sources said the railway would be formally inaugurated on August 15, according to an informal decision taken by the state government in consultation with railway authorities. “However, all now depends on the trial run of the first carriage on August 6 and the certification from manager railway safety, Balbir Singh,” a source said.

The state government now faces another problem in the poor condition of the 1.85-km approach road from the Agartala station to the Siddhi Ashram area. The sources said: “By August 10, the road will be repaired so that normal traffic can move and after the inauguration of the railway, the state government will acquire land on both sides to widen the road up to 50 metres because of the inevitable rise in traffic movement.”

Monday, July 28, 2008

Linekar’s girl Danielle Bux is Lal Senza bra brand envoy


London, Jul 28 : Former England football great Gary Lineker’s girlfriend, Danielle Bux, has been signed by undie chain La Senza to model its “One Price Fits All” bra campaign.

The 28-year-old model, according to The Sun, is being viewed as “an absolute belter in the sexy scanties.”

Arunachal takes guard against sudden crime jump


Itanagar, Jul 28 : The high-profile kidnapping of Getem Apang, son of former Arunachal Chief Minister Gegong Apang, close on the heels of twin murders of sisters here last month has made the administration in this generally peaceful state sit up.

Crime has never been much of a problem in Arunachal Pradesh exemplified best by the fact that jails are coming up in the state only now.Crimes, if any, hardly found space in the media before, but the scenario suddenly changed after the kidnapping of Apang’s son and murder of two Monpa (local) girls at Kalaktang in West Kameng district last month.

To respond to the new reality, Deputy Commissioner Bidol Tayeng said, three additional police check points have been set up in vulnerable areas in Itanagar as the first measure. The areas are used by abductors to smuggle their catches to Assam through Bodo-dominated areas.

Executive orders have also been issued to regulate the timing of business in wine shops so that they do not remain open beyond the permissible hours.

Night patrolling has also started mostly by magistrates. It has already led to the arrest of 18 drunk youngsters and eight girls from the streets, restaurants and liquor joints.

Seven wine shops have been shut down and show cause notice issued to them for violating rules.

An official release said information leading to arrest of criminals involved in murder, kidnap and rape would fetch Rs 10,000. For crimes like burglary, theft and dacoity the informers would get Rs 3,000 for each case.

Besides having no jail, Arunachal is the only state where the judiciary has not yet been separated from the executive. The deputy commissioners play the dual role of heading district administration and district and session courts.

Interestingly construction of the first jail was completed here in 2005 but it was lying non-functional since then.

If one visits it one will find a plaque at the gate saying Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil had inaugurated it on April 3, 2005. But the fact is Patil came all the way from Delhi to inaugurate it. However, owing to the demise of Pope John Paul II, he had to cancel the programme.

Patil later visited Itanagar to lay the foundation of the airport here but he did not go to the jail complex at Juli overlooking the Rajbhavan, to complete his unfinished job.

IG (prison) C Mishra said, by October next the central jail here with a capacity to accommodate 50 inmates would be ready and 52 prisoners from Arunachal, presently lodged in Lakhimpur jail in Assam, would be shifted.

Another jail in Tezu in Lohit district and five sub-jails in Longding (Tirap), Passiohat, Aalo, Yingkiong and Koloriang have been constructed. Construction of two more sub-jails at Khonsa (Tirap) and Changlang are to be completed.

Financial aid for Manipur uprising victim kin


Imphal, Jul 28 : The All Manipur United Clubs Organisation today extended financial assistance to the families of two persons who died in the uprising against the extension of National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) ceasefire to Manipur in 2001.

The organisation, which is also one of the leading groups of Manipur campaigning to safeguard the territorial integrity of the state, handed over a sum of Rs 5,000 each to the wives and children of Laitonjam Rajkumar and Kshetrimayum Romeo, both of Imphal West.Rajkumar and Romeo were among the 14 people who died during the firing by police and paramilitary forces to bring under control a violent mob that was on a rampage in Imphal city on June 18, 2001 after the NSCN (I-M) ceasefire boundary was extended without any territorial limit.

The mob set on fire the state Assembly building and various other government buildings, including the chief minister’s office-cum-residential complex. Altogether 18 people died during the monthlong agitation, which forced the Centre to limit the ceasefire only to Nagaland.

Rajkumar’s widow Falguni and son Gulshan, 11, and Romeo’s wife Shanti and daughter Goldie, 9, were present.

The secretary general of the organisation, N.C. Khuman, said they were paying special attention to the relatives of those who have died in the June 2001 uprising. He termed the relatives as living “martyrs” and said the help was in aid of the children’s education.

Earlier, this organisation also handed over a sum of Rs 10,000 to Sorokhaibam Sobita of Imphal East. One of Sobita’s legs was amputated after being hit by a police bullet during the same upheaval.

The organisation is preparing to observe the 11th anniversary of the August 4, 1997 mass rally for safeguarding the territorial integrity of Manipur, which was held in Imphal after the Centre-NSCN (I-M) ceasefire came into effect on August 1 that year.

…Ulfa leader’s plea to cadres


Guwahati, Jul 28 : A jittery Ulfa today appealed to its members not to “betray” its cause in these “trying times”, fearing that more cadres may join the peace process initiated by leaders of the outfit’s 28 battalion.

To drive home the message of “commitment for the cause”, the Ulfa leadership chose the occasion of “martyrs’ day” of the outfit today to release a statement.Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa made an impassioned appeal to his “comrades” not to be “afraid” to face the “tough situation”.

He said if they falter now, the people of Assam would lose the faith reposed in Ulfa. “If they (people of Assam) are betrayed by their own children, then they will never repose faith in anyone in the future. It will be an irreparable damage to the people of Assam,” he said.

The statement from the Ulfa chief comes close on the heels of chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s announcement that more Ulfa cadres and leaders were keen to join the pro-talks group.

Rajkhowa also reminded the cadres of their pledge to adhere the Ulfa constitution and the directive of the leadership till the last breath. He said there was “no glory” in what the leadership of the 28 battalion had done.

“There is no justification for them to flee from the movement, blaming the Ulfa leadership,” Rajkhowa said about the pro-talks group.

Rejecting the stand taken by the pro-talks leaders that their move aimed at creating a conducive atmosphere for dialogues between the government and the Ulfa leadership, Rajkhowa said Ulfa has appointed the People’s Consultative Group to pave the way for talks and hence the outfit would not endorse a peace bid by a group which lacks credibility.

Earlier this month, the outfit expelled three pro-peace leaders for anti-organisational activities and initiating talks with “colonial India”.

Rajkhowa had said all the activities carried on by the pro-talks leaders in the name of Ulfa were “illegal and unconstitutional” and appealed to the existing members of the outfit and the people of Assam not to extend any co-operation to the group in its initiative.

“Ulfa’s stand is that the ceasefire should follow only after the commencement of the political parleys. It is the ploy of the occupational forces to force Ulfa to give up arms in the preliminary stage of the peace process,” Rajkhowa today said.

The Ulfa chairman also blamed the Centre for the stalemate in the peace process.

He accused the Centre of trying to create a rift in the rank and file of the outfit.

Saying that the government has no concrete plans for the peace, Rajkhowa said, “An appeal for peace without concrete plans signifies a deceptive plot.”

Reiterating the demand for a plebiscite on its demand for a “sovereign Assam”, Rajkhowa said the government was aware that any such plebiscite under UN supervision would go against India’s interests.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Inner line permit issue causes furore in northeast


Aizawl, Jul 27 : A court ruling permitting non-domicile Indians to settle in three northeastern states without obtaining a permit has created a furore in the region, with the affected states saying they would appeal against this.

The Guwahati High Court, while ruling on a public suit against the Inner-Line Permit (ILP) system, had barred the Mizoram government from arresting or deporting any Indian nationals on the ground that they did not possess the document.
Now, the governments of Mizoram, as also of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh - the other two states where the ILP is in force - plan to move a division bench of the high court and even the Supreme Court to get the verdict overturned.

‘The three states have decided to move the high court division bench or the Supreme Court, besides appealing to the central government to ensure its continuation,’ Mizoram Law Minister H Rammawi told IANS.

He had led a delegation earlier this month to Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh to meet the chief ministers and law ministers of the two states to discuss the matter.

Nagaland Chief Minister Nephiu Rio, Home Minister Imkong Imchen and Arunachal Pradesh Law Minister Tako Dabi ‘told us that the three states should go any extent to continue the ILP,’ Rammawi said.

The ILP, or the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, has been in force in the region since 1873. The tribal-based Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and the Khasi Students Union (KSU) of Meghalaya have also demanded that the ILP be promulgated in their states to protect the indigenous people.

‘The ILP does not affect tourists and other visitors, but the states must have some regulations for outsiders, particularly for suspected foreign migrants, to protect the ethnic and indigenous tribes of the northeast,’ said Arunachal Pradesh Law Minister Tako Dabi.

The high court’s June 12 order has triggered massive resentment in the three northeastern states.

Christian-majority Mizoram June 26 observed a dawn-to-dusk shutdown called by the Young Mizo Association (YMA) against the high court order.

Supported by various political parties, YMA, which is a powerful and non-political organization, also organised protest demonstrations across the mountainous state bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh. It also unfurled black flags over buildings throughout the state.

‘The state government has appealed to the people not to be panicky and has assured that no stone would be left unturned to fight the court’s order legally even up to the Supreme Court,’ Minister Rammawi added.

Protests by NGOs, students’ organisations and regional political parties have also been staged earlier this month at different places in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

The North Eastern Students Organisation (NESO) also vehemently condemned the high court order.

‘The court took a condemnable decision undermining the sentiments of the people in three (affected) states,’ NESO said in a statement.

Mizoram facing famine again, rats devour rice and maize


Aizawl, Jul 27 : After feasting on paddy in the fields and inside granaries, armies of rodents in Mizoram have started targeting maize, devouring the crop by the tonne and leading to an acute food shortage, officials and aid agencies said. The paddy harvest in the state was 736,253 quintals in 2005. It came down to 196,535 quintals in 2006 and just about 85,000 quintals in 2007 due to rats devouring the crops,” Mizoram Agriculture Minister H. Rammawi told IANS Sunday.

The Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has said Mizoram was facing a famine after rats destroyed most of the rice crop in the state.“Aid agencies have reported that many people have been forced onto a diet of wild roots, yam and sweet potatoes,” the institute stated in its quarterly journal Rice Today published last week.

IRRI said the rodent population increased manifold after the flowering of a native species of bamboo, an event that occurs once every 50 years.

Rats have played havoc with the maize harvest, devouring it during the night. This is sad news for the farmers hit by the rat menace, an official in the state agriculture department said.

Official statistics say nearly 150,000 agrarian families have been hit by the rat menace in Mizoram.

“There is scarcity of food and people are unable to get two meals a day. Rice being the staple food, Mizoram is facing a real danger of starvation deaths in the very near future,” said S. Sailo, a church leader.

Bamboo flowering and the subsequent invasion by rats on granaries and paddy fields in the region is a phenomenon that signals an impending catastrophe or a famine.

According to tribal legend, when bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction follow. Behind the superstition lies some scientific truth, as blooming bamboo triggers an invasion of rats that eat away food supplies.

Rats multiply at a very rapid pace after eating the protein-rich seeds that appear soon after bamboo flowering, said James Lalsiamliana, an expert. When the seeds are exhausted, armies of rats chomp their way through rice and potato crops and granaries, causing a famine.

Bamboo grows wild in 6,000 sq km of Mizoram’s total geographical area of 21,000 sq km with the state, bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar, harvesting 40 percent of India’s 80-million-tonne annual bamboo crop.

In 1958-59, a famine in Mizoram resulted in the death of at least 100 people, besides heavy loss to human property and crops.

The famine, locally known as Mautam, broke out after the state witnessed the rare phenomenon of bamboo flowering and an increase in rodent population that started emptying granaries and destroying paddy fields.

Historical accounts say Mizoram recorded a famine in 1862 and again in 1911 after the state experienced similar bamboo flowerings.

Friday, July 25, 2008

David Beckham, Angelina Jolie among ”World’’s Sexiest People”

Melbourne, Jul 25 : Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston, Johnny Depp, David Beckham and Angelina Jolie are among the ”World’’s Sexiest People”, according to WHO magazine.

Australian models Megan Gale and Lara Bingle are also included in the list, reports News.com.au.

The mag’’s annual edition, this year expanded from 25 people to 100, also names Aussies Kristy Hinze, Melissa George and Tasma Walton in 2008′’s sexiest people list.Hinze, Bingle, George and Jodi Gordon posed in swimwear for the mag’’s cover. The list also features Olympians like Matthew Mitcham; basketball beauty Penny Taylor; towering volleyballer Tamsin Barnett and aqua man Eamon Sullivan.

WHO’s Red-hot casts include Home and Away and the Perfect Partners include rock-star newlyweds Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz and super-toned Eva Longoria and Tony.










Will oppose any move to alter boundary of Assam

Guwahati, Jul 25 : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Thursday said that he was not aware of any assurance given by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or the Congress high command to review its stand included in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) about maintaining the territorial integrity of northeast.

Mr. Gogoi, however, said that his government would oppose any move to alter the boundary of Assam and inclusion of any area of the State in greater Nagalim.He issued the clarification when reporters asked him about the Manipur (Outer) Lok Sabha MP Mani Charanamei’s claim that he had decided to support the confidence motion as the UPA assured him to review its stand included in the CMP that on the territorial integrity of the northeast and realigning boundaries of northeastern States.

The Opposition, Asom Gana Parishad, accused the UPA and the Congress party for “bartering” territories of Assam and Manipur for mere survival of the Manmohan Singh government.

Manipuri Families demand child soldiers be released


Imphal, Jul 25 : Child soldiers of the militant outfit People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) were paraded in front of the media this week. PREPAK claims these little soldiers believe in their cause and that they come and go on their own, not under any kind of pressure.

Nineteen school children have gone missing in Manipur over the last three weeks and the families of the children find it hard to believe their children left them for the militants.Across Manipur, grieving families of the missing children present the same picture - school uniforms and text books lying unused in a corner. The parents are desperate to get back their little ones.

“My thirteen-year-old child has been is kidnapped. I will die if I don’t see my son, and all I say is please hand over my son,” a distraught woman can be heard shouting.

“The outfits claim the boys voluntarily joined. How can we believe that such immature and tender boys made such a judgement? They cannot do so,” says a resident of Imphal.

Earlier, people were scared to speak, but today sit-in-protests over missing children are a common sight in the state.

Manipur DGP, Yumnam Joykumar says, “This trend indicates that the underground outfits are getting desperate.”

The general picture of the distraught families is in stark contrast to PREPAK’s claim of voluntary recruitment.

Panel to determine backwardness of tribes


Kohima, Jul 25 : The Nagaland Government has constituted a five-member committee to study the backwardness of nine tribes in the state as well as to give suggestions for their development and recommendations for job reservations.

Official sources said here today retired IAS officer K Kevichusa would head the Committee and the Joint Secretary of Personal and Administrative Reforms would be the member secretary.The other members of the committee are retired IAS officer Tali Longkumer, Reader in Nagaland University Dr Rajendra Singh and Lecturer in Nagaland University T Lorenthung Ezung.

The committee has been constitued to evolve criteria for identifying socio-economic backwardness of tribes in the state, study the socio-economic conditions and status of the nine tribes - Chang, Khiamniungan, Konyak, Sangtam, Phom, Yimchunger, Chakhesang, Pochury and Zeliang - as well as those of the Sumis of Kiphire district.

The committee will also identify the tribes and recommend privileges, including job reservation, reservation in educational institutions, and suggest suitable organisational mechanisms at the government level to identify or review the backwardness of the tribes on a regular basis and monitor the implementation of various privileges extended to them.

The committee will submit its report to the state government within four months, the sources said.

Lalhmingliana admitted to Rajya Sabha today


New Delhi, Jul 25 : Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President Mohd. Hamid Ansari today administered the oath of office to two newly elected Members of the House in his chamber.

The two members who made and subscribed to the oath were Mr Lalhmingliana, MP of Mizo National Front (MNF) from Mizoram and Mr Khekiho Zhimomi, MP of Naga Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan were also present on the occasion.Peoples Front(NPF) from Nagaland.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The JNU scholar accused of brutally killing a dog in his hostel rocsm may have to pay for it with his doctorate


The JNU scholar accused of brutally killing a dog in his hostel rocsm may have to pay for it with his doctorate

Jawaharlal Nehru University is know for debates, political and intellectual. Once again, it’s in the middle of
another, and this one promises to be the most controversial. At the centre of it are a dog, a student from the Northeast and a doctoral thesis.
The dog was killed, allegedly by Yoronsu, who has been pursuing his PhD at the Centre of Political Science for the past seven years. Being debated is his punishment criminal action, suspension from the university or disqualification of his doctoral thesis.
The debate has spread to the virtual world with supporters of both Yoronsu and animal lovers trying to make their point.
On one hand, at great risk is the career of this student if authorities choose to show him the
door. On the other is the ire of animal lovers, who have been feeding stray dogs on the campus for long. Even though the student from the Northeast says he killed the dog in self-defence, others simply refuse to accept his reasoning.

It all began on the night of July 7. Yoronsu was in his Kaveri Hostel room. With him were two friends, who had reportedly not been signed in by him. Suadenly, the silence of the night was shattered by the sounds of a yelping dog. When other hostliers and security guards rushed to Yôronsu’s room, they found it bolted from inside with blood oozing from under the door.

The horrified student called in the police thinking that someone had been murdered. Later, it turned out that the dog had been killed.
Yoronsuu claims that he struck the dog in self defence as it had attacked him. However, it seems strange that someone would bolt the door with a strange dog inside and then claim that it attakéd them.

Now this dog is one of the many that campus bleeding heart Shubhalakshmi feeds regularly. Protests by her and other dog lovers on campus ensured that Yoronsu was fined Rs 2,000, asked to leave the hostel and a proctoral enquiry has been ordered into the incident. There are six different complaints with the police with students giving first hand accounts of what they saw that night.

This incident comes as the latest in several where campus dogs have gone missing. Accordi ig to Shubhalakshmi, the dogs are being specifically targeted, maybe for food. “The dog was called Kali. I had been feeding her for the past five years. I could not bear to listen to the entire brutal story What Yoronsu did was unpardonable. As far as Tam concerned, it Is as If be has killed a human being. There have been incidents In the past where sóme of my dogs went missing. I eat chicken but i don’t catch a hen and cut it myself. There is a proper way. You can’t kill a dog,” she said.

She and other students are demanding that Yoronsu’s doctoral thesis be cancelled. He is to submit it on Monday after seven long years of hard work, while there is a strong dog lobby. there is also an equally vocal group of supporters for Yoronsu. Though no decision has. been taken on the fate of Yoronsu’s thesis, the Proctor has refused to give him clearance.

This incident is not the first of its kind at JNU. Dogs have always been a cause of controversy here. “Two years ago, the hostel President Raja Narayan wanted to make the hostel a dog free zone and it was in his manifesto a well. He had also killed a dog,” said Akhil Alha, President, Kaverl Hostel. He had apparently thrown the dog from the balcony.

“It may happen in their community but they should respect the sentiments of others. We just want the police to register an FIR so that action is taken against these students,” said Sonya Ghosh of Citizens for the Welfare and Protection of Animals.
“If the value of the animal killed is above Rsl0, then the person can be imprisoned for two years but if the value is more than Rs50, the imprisonment can be for five years. In this case, the value is definitely more than 50 because the dog was sterilised and vaccinated,” said Ghosh.


Eva Mendes strips for Calvin Klein`s new underwear line


Washington, Jul 23 : Eva Mendes will soon be making men’s hearts skip a beat, as she’s getting set to pose for a new Calvin Klein underwear campaign. The gorgeous actress will show off her perfect body wearing nothing but Klein’s classy lingerie in the label’s new Seductive Comfort line show.

The new bras will be available in stores later this year (08).Recently, the 30-year-old Mendes lavished praise for the media for not ‘trashing’ her rehab stint.

Mendes had entered Utah’s Cirque Lodge centre in February this year.

As for the reason why she entered rehab, it has been said that she had to ‘proactively’ attend to ’some personal issues’.

Army Act conducive to rights violation


Guwahati, Jul 24 : The need to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act was underlined by Dialogue Form, a civil society group that has closely monitored its implementation in Manipur and rest of the North East. The crux of their argument, voiced in a press conference today: the Act has resulted in serious human rights abuse, and it has been unable to check insurgency in the five decades since it was first introduced.

According to Dialogue Forum, the United Nations Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD) has observed that “AFSPA continues to sanction absolute impunity for serious human rights violations against the predominant indigenous population of Manipur and other Northeast states.”It further suggested that this law be replaced by a more humane one in accordance with the recommendations of the 2005 Jeevan Reddy Committee. It was pointed out that the Jeevan Reddy Committee’s report that has not yet been made public by India states that the AFSPA has become a “symbol of oppression…and an instrument of discrimination and high handedness.”

Similar conclusions were drawn by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, chaired by Congress leader Veerappa Moily, which suggested the repeal of the Act.

India till now has shown no interest in removing the law. Defence Minister AK Anthony rejected the Second Administrative Reforms Commission reasoning that there was a need for the Act to be in use.

U Nobokishore of Dialogue Forum asserted that India’s refusal to do away with the Act is tantamount to rejecting not only UNCERD’s recommendation but ignoring long-standing concerns of other UN Human Rights bodies. “The United Nations Commission on Human Rights also believes that AFSPA has essentially created an undeclared state of emergency spanning almost 50 years,” he added.

Interacting with the media, Nobokishore said that as a civil society group, Dialogue Forum condemned human rights abuses by both state and non-state actors, and demanded the AFSPA be repealed at the earliest as it had resulted in large number of atrocities on non-combatants including women and children.

He felt there was a need to motivate the MPs of the Northeast about the Act, and its consequences so that they could play a role towards its removal. As of now, the State Governments of the region were, however, playing a disappointing role.

Dialogue Forum was also advocating a 15-point programme that could be relied on in a post-AFSPA scenario. That agenda included demobilisation of forces, disarmament, and better functioning of civil society along with a clear-cut role for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Naga MP ruffles feathers


Imphal, Jul 24 : Manipur bristled with anger today after its Naga MP’s admission in Lok Sabha yesterday that he had agreed to vote for the UPA only because he was assured that the clause in the common minimum programme, which promised not to compromise the territorial integrity of Manipur, would be re-examined.

Mani Charenamei, MP from Outer Manipur constituency, drew the ire of leading groups and political parties in the state today which vowed to oppose any move by the Centre to divide the state to please the NSCN (I-M).Charenamei is known for his open support to the demand for integration of all Naga-inhabited areas under one administrative unit, one of the main demands of the NSCN (I-M).

The CPI, a partner in the Congress-led Secular Progressive Front ministry headed by Okram Ibobi Singh, was the first to react strongly to the claim made by the MP.

A senior CPI leader from the state, B. Sharma, termed the MP’s statement very unfortunate and added that his party would not tolerate it.

“The UPA’s common minimum programme was framed by the then constituent partners of the UPA and the integrity provision was made in the larger interest of the country and the Northeast. The Left parties will fight inside and outside Parliament if the UPA tries to violate or change the common minimum programme,” Sharma said.

He said the CPI would seek a clarification from the Congress’s central leadership on the MP’s claim through the Manipur PCC.

Finding itself in the middle of a fresh storm over the boundary issue, the PCC is adopting a wait-and-watch policy. The party’s general secretary, Bidyapati Senjam, said the PCC was not aware of any change of stand by the AICC on safeguarding boundaries of the northeastern states. “The MP has only made a statement. It would be too early for the PCC to react. Let the UPA be reconstituted after the departure of the Left parties.”

The All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation, campaigning for safeguarding territorial integrity of Manipur, condemned the reported assurance given by the UPA to the MP. “We will not remain silent if the UPA makes any step to change boundaries of Manipur in its effort to stay in power,” Y. Koireng, its president, said.

The United Committee, Manipur slammed Charenamei for working “against the interest” of the Manipuri people.


Monday, July 21, 2008

Eee PC 1000H Price Drop by $100



The latest news about the newer, bigger and better Eee PC from ASUS “1000H” is that the company has dropped its price by $100 bringing down the price to $549 from the orginal$649 in the US market, writes Engadget.

This price drop comes less than a week after its launch in Australia. So, no joy for the buyers in Australia. The Eee PC 1000H is an improved version of the original Eee PC with a bigger screen measuring 10-inches, 80GB worth of hard drive space and 1GB DDR2 RAM. It comes equipped with Intel Atom chipset.This version of Eee PC is an answer for those worried about the small screen and keyboard of the original Eee PC, whose small keys took some getting used to. The original keyboard was also uncomfortable to work on for long hours. The rationale for the small size was based on the fact that it was purely targeted at school children. The target audience and differentiation in looks sure caught the attention of users, and created a space for Eee PC 1000H in the market. Let’s see how Eee PC 1000H consolidates its market position in the wake of this price drop.

Jessica Simpson reeling under sex tape rumours


Wellington, Jul 21 : Jessica Simpson reportedly reeling from the news that a sex tape starring her and ex-hubby Nick Lachey has hit the internet.

In the alleged X-rated home video, the 25-year-old star is said to be seen engrossed in various sexual acts with Lachey.”Jessica is horrified her name and seShe’s always been a girl of high morals and principles,” Stuff.co.nz quoted a source, as telling Britain’s Daily Sport newspaper.

Reports suggest that the tape does exist and has now landed in the hands of people who were behind making the Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex video public.

It is also said that these miscreants are now threatening Jessica that they would leak the tape if she fails to pay an undisclosed sum of money to keep the tape a secret.

While Nick is now dating MTV presenter Vanessa Minnillo, Jessica is dating American football star Tony Romo.x tape are being mentioned in the same sentence.

Jiajuri silica set to boost economy

Nagaon, Jul 21 : With discovery of silica in the hills of Jiajuri, the area has now become a focal point of business activities. Located nearly 30 km away from Nagaon town, Jiajuri is completely isolated from the mainland and people living in the area are economically backward. But after the geological survey carried out by the Minerals Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL), the people of Jiajuri are extremely happy.

“It was a near 10-month long study on the hills of Jiajuri and the silica content in the area is over 90 per cent which is conducive to ceramic and glass industries,” J Topno, who was a member of the exploration team, told this correspondent over telephone from Jharkhand today.Providing more information on the exploration, he informed that nearly 100 trenches were dug in the hills to know the texture of soil and rocks for setting up industries. “The entire belt is rich in minerals that are very useful for pottery and ceramic industries,” Topno, who is also a senior geologist observed. He said that the report along with the mapping in the hills were submitted to the Centre for taking further steps.

It may be recalled that the State Directorate of Geology and Mining had conducted a similar kind of study in 1976 and found quartzite rock structure. The department also made a detailed trenching maping, but unfortunately it did not get adequate attention from the authorities concerned.

The new activities have ushered in a ray of hope among the economically weak local residents. “At last our underdeveloped area will witness some kind of developmental activities,” K Borgohain, a senior citizen of Chapanala told this correspondent while sharing his views on the new discovery. Borgohain added that no government pays attention to the area for which Jiajuri has remained underdeveloped and cut off from the main land. “Unemployment is a major problem in the area. Hence, if an industry is set up in the locality, it will herald positive changes,” he added.

Striking a similar note, Manabjyoti Gogoi who is closely associated with social activities hailed the move by Centre in this connection, saying it would boost industrialisation in the district. “The people in Jiajuri have been encountering a plethora of problems for the past several decades, but proper steps are yet to be initiated. We want our place to be prosperous,” he added.

The Federation of Industries of North Eastern Region (FINER) which has been voicing need for industrialisation has welcomed the move. RS Joshi, chairman of FINER while talking to this correspondent said that the new discovery would give a fillip to industrialisation. “We have to harness local potential by using proper technology so that we can compete with international standards,” he observed.

Myanmar: The revived route of NE rebels


Aizawl, Jul 21 : With reports of Myanmarese guerillas being more active in their hinterlands bordering Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Bangladesh, it is now being apprehended in intelligence circles that north east extremists are using the country not only as their bases, though not a new fact, but also as a corridor to ship arms and ammunitions.

The Caretaker Government in Bangladesh under pressure from India has been tightening its noose on North-east militant groups. This has been demonstrated by recent incidents of handing over of some extremists to BDR by BSF and the admission by Tripura based NLFT and ATTF surrenderees that they are facing a sort of crisis in food and support in Bangladesh.Another important factor now coming in the way of the free movement of extremists is the coming up of fencing along border with Bangladesh. It is also a fact that certain stretches of the international border, riverine, tough terrain still leave gaps for infiltration and exfiltration.

Intelligence inputs suggest with zero-fencing all along India’s border with Mynmar spreading from Arunachal Pradesh to Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, North-east militant groups find accessibility for movement easy. This is also facilitated by smaller groups of extremists operating in the area or close to the hinterlands.Way back in the nineties, NSCN (Khaplang), ULFA and UNLF formed Indo-Burma Revolutionary Front (IBRF) for liberation as their joint declaration stated that the people of the region (north east and the north western Burma) belong to the same racial and cultural group bound by a basic unity historically, culturally, socially and economically. The declaration signed by SS Khaplang, chairman of NSCN, Arabinda Rajkhowa, ULFA leader and Sana Yaima, general secretary of UNLF, called for united struggle for emancipation.

This came as a great fillip to the extremists groups to move to Mynmar for base, training and arms build up. Their access to the hills and port of Chittagong also became easier for shelter and to the extremists groups to move to Mynmar for base, training and arms build up. Their access to the hills and port of Chittagong also became easier for shelter and shipment of arms through Tripura and Mizoram. The strategic location of Zampui hills serves as a safe corridor between Mynmar and Chittagong.

Massive build up of bases by other extremist groups like PLA, Prepak, KCP, NLFT and ATTF necessitated joint air and ground strikes by Indian and Mynmarese security forces in the end part of 90’s, which resulted in huge loss to rebels, man and material. For more than a decade, this frontier theatre has been lying low. But, for quite some time, Mynmar is again in focus. Intelligence sources indicate how Arakanese, Chin, Karen and Shan rebels, who are in relentless fight against the military Junta of the country have become more than active.

North east extremists are once again being embraced by the Burmese rebels who have laid their hands on global arms and ammunition stocks which are smuggled through Laos and Thailand, besides the regular help from China, which dumps its arms in the troubled zone from Yunon. The recent interception of a Bolero at Verengtei check gate of Mizoram and seizure of seven AK 47 rifles from it is a part of the larger game plane of this revived Indo-Burma tie up. Mynmar as a corridor has to be brought under serious intelligence and security glare to frustrate subversive activities of the rebels.

Building regulations shatter widows dream for a home


Aizawl, Jul 21 : A widow in downtown Aizawl finds it tough to realise her years-old dream of having a home of her own, thanks to the newly introduced Aizawl Development Authority Building Regulations.

“I need to hire an architect that would cost me at least Rs 40,000 if I go by the new rules,” said the impoverished widow, who did not want to be named.“With a small amount of housing loan I obtained, I cant afford an architecturally planned building,” rued the widow, who has to support herself with a meagre income. Besides her, anyone who is about to build a house in Aizawl, is required to ensure that the building is an earthquake-proof. “As per the rules, I am required to use 20 iron rods per-a-foot square cement concrete beam, which again I can not afford”, she said adding, “What would be the use of my earthquake-proof building if a house next to mine, constructed before the building regulation, collapses on mine in an earthquake”. The building regulations, which came into force from May, require a design by competent engineer and other structural mechanism so that it could withstand big jolt in case of an earthquake as Mizoram falls under seismic zone.

Contravention of any of the regulations would be liable to imprisonment and fine, the regulations said. Among many others, the regulations restrict the height of the building to 12.85m (42.14 ft) from the ground level irrespective of the degree of the slope of the ground. Every building will have rainwater harvest system and garage as compulsory.

The regulations also demand that commercial buildings, apartment (flats), offices, hotels and theatre and auditorium will also have a minimum off-street parking space of 3m x 5m. Any existing building reported to be unsafe or damaged will be examined by a technical committee under the ADA. The authority willl give directions to the owner or occupier to complete repairs or to demolish the building within a specified time.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Churachandpur farmers provided seeds


Imphal, Jul 20 : Extending help to the farmers as part of the Government efforts toward increasing foof production, State Agriculture Department has provided one Kabuta and seeds of various food crops to the farmers of Sumchinvum village in Churachandpur district today.

The seeds and the agricultural machinery were distributed during a function held at the the community hall of the village.he fucntion was organisedby the Department as part of its ‘Model Seed Village and Community Mobilisation Programme on Cereals and Pulses’.

Agriculture Minister L Loken , Director of Agriculture RK Nayansana Devi and Commissioner Letkhozin Haokip attended the function as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.

During the fucntion, Head of Department of Agronomy, Central Agricultural University Dr L Nabachandra and Associate Professor Dr Herojit of Department of Soil Sciences of the same University spoke as resource persons on the topic of ‘Packages and pratices of Soyabean and Black Gram’ and ‘Role of Integrated Nutrient Management to produce high yield in pulses’ respectively.

In his address as chief guest of the function, Agriculture Minister N Loken stressed on application of latest technology and methods in agricultural practices to increase production of food crops.

Agricultural activities being the main occupation of the people in the State, adoption of new technology and methods is essential for increasing production, he noted.

The Minister sought the co-operation of the people in the developmental works being taken up by the Government.

In his presidential address, Agriculture Director Nayansana Devi pointed out that out of the total rice requirement of 7.51 lakh matric tonne for consumption by its 25 lakhs people, the State has been able to produce only around 5 lakh matric tonne of rice.

So the remaining required rice has to be produced from outside Manipur, thus giving a serious impact on the economy of the State, she said.

In view of this, she sought the co-operation of the farmers as well as of the people in the steps being taken up by the Government to increase food production in the State.

Shillong set to become NE business hub



Shillong, Jul 20 : Peace and development go hand-in-hand and its best example is Meghalaya. The State boasts of the first call centre or Business Processing Operation (BPO) in the North-East.

Operational since 2005, the first BPO in Shillong has grown in size over the years. What started as a small call centre with around hundred employees today houses more than five hundred people. It has widened its network to other States of the region like Nagaland.The successful functioning of the BPO has given hope not only to the job seekers but also to entrepreneurs who want turn North-East into a business hub.

“This kind of company is giving us a very good chance to be employed. We can attain international standards. It also prevents young people take to unlawful activities,” said Joseph Poi, an employee.

Neelam Kandoi, another employee said, “My experience in this company has been very good. What I feel that whoever comes out of this company they come out polished.

Wherever they go, they do much better than what they have done here because they learn a lot from this company and their level of knowledge goes high.”

S. Netcom, which started the first BPO in Shillong, is also known as Hero Mindmine Institute. It has diversified into software development, net designing, net working solutions. The institute has diversified into the education sector and collaborates with IT giants, like Wipro and Convergys.

“It is a complete North-East representation. You have Manipuris and Nagas from Arunachal, Assam, Mizoram. All communities are represented here,” said Deboprio Deb, CEO, Hero Mindmine, SS Netcom Company.

Shillong, a home to four universities, 15 colleges and over 100 schools, is chasing the dream of becoming North-East information technology and back-office destination.

The Department of Information Technology has also set up a software technology park, the equivalent of an industrial park for software and BPO service firms that provides high bandwidth connectivity and infrastructure.
No doubt Meghalya is enjoying the peace dividend that States, like Nagaland and Manipur have missed out because of the prevalence of militancy.

Ancient Kamrupa empire lay in Assam or Meghalaya?



Shillong, Jul 20 : Is Guwahati the site where the ancient kingdom of Kamrupa existed or is it the Meghalaya?

This and many more questions, which are still mired in controversy, could be answered when archaeologists excavate the entire Bhaitbari-Tikrikilla area in West Garo Hills district in the state.“Further excavations are likely to reveal the remains of the habitation, besides unravelling the historical antiquity of the plains-belt of the state of which very little is known from recorded history,” says senior government archaeologist Julies Marak.

This area of about 20 sq km hit the spotlight in 1992 when archaeological excavations revealed the existence of a fortified city with places of worship with exquisitely designed masonry oil lamps, besides a ’stupa’.

According to ASI officials, nothing is definitely known at present about the history of the site.

But on the basis of the deities like Ganesh, Parvati, Kubera and Yaksha - depicted on terracotta tiles scholars somehow have arrived at the conclusion that it was part of an ancient fortified city which might be contemporaneous to the reign of Harsha Vardhana, in the first half of the 7th century AD.

Again from the existence of ancient tanks of various sizes, it suggested that it was an important temple township, they felt.

Marak said many scholars say it could be the ancient city of Kamrupa.

“The structures of the ancient Kamrupa described in ancient literature bear resemblance to some of those excavated in the site,” Marak said.

The Meghalaya government is contemplating to tie up with the Northeast Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India to carry out excavations of the remaining areas in the ASI’s Bhaitbari site.

In 1992, A K Sharma of ASI, Nagpur excavated the site and unearthed the temples with numerous Shiva lingas besides the Buddhist stupa.

The mud-cum-brick fortification of the city runs at least five kilometres in a north-south direction in a horse shoe fashion with both ends on the bank of the Jingjiram river.

The fortification is about 15 sq km in area and has been laid taking advantage of the contours of the natural hillock. A deep moat exists outside.

A beautifully planned burnt brick temple lying under a mound was also unearthed.

An octagonal temple with eight miniature octagons each having shiva lingas was also found.

During the excavations the stupa was unearthed with the outer face lined with burnt bricks. It was the first stupa to be found in Meghalaya.

The archaeological findings are yet to be adequately carbon-dated.

It is only after the excavation of the residential area that anything concrete be said about its history, archaeologist said.

MNF entrusts Mizo CM to decide on trust vote


Aizawl, Jul 19 : The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) today authorised party chief and Chief Minister Zoramthanga to make a final decision on which way the lone MP from Mizoram, Vanlalzawma, would vote during the July 22 trust vote in the Lok Sabha.

“Zoramthanga in consultation with Vanlalzawma will make a final decision by Monday,” state assembly speaker and member of Political Affairs Committee (PAC) Lalchamliana said after a meeting in the chief minister’s residence here.The MNF supported the Indo-US nuclear deal, but the PAC did not take any decision on supporting the Congress-led UPA government or voting against it along with erstwhile ally, the NDA, he said.

“Vanlalzawma, now in New Delhi, is closely watching the political developments at the Centre and the PAC authorised Zoramthanga to make the final decision after consulting with the MP,” he said.

He added that the option of abstention from the trial of strength next Tuesday was also raised during the meeting.

The four-hour MNF’s PAC meeting, chaired by Zoramthanga was attended by Home minister Tawnluia, Health minister Tlanghmingthanga, Rural Development minister H Vanlalauva and the PAC secretary R Vanlalruata.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Miley Cyrus shocked to see fan-crowd at NY concert


Washington , Jul 19 : Teen sensation Miley Cyrus was taken aback when she saw the unexpected turnout of fans desperate to get a glimpse of her performing at a free concert in the Big Apple.

The Hannah Montana star thought that her Friday gig in New York would turn out to be a big flop, but what happened was quite contrary to what she had expected.Her performance at Bryant Park for breakfast show Good Morning America saw the crowd pouring in from all quarters.

The singer was surprised to see thousands of fans cheering for her, despite her not performing as her TV alter-ego Hannah Montana.

Cyrus was also worried that her recent photo controversies would keep people away from the morning show.

“I was extremely nervous until today, and now I”m like so excited. Everyone actually showed up, Contactmusic quoted her, as saying.

She added: “I was like, `OK, there are going to be two people, and they”re going to be paparazzi.”

Wary Heirok says ‘no’ to SPOs


Imphal, Jul 19 : Fearstricken villagers in Heirok, who only two months ago had cheered a government initiative to arm them against militants, today said they did not want deployment of special police officers.

Thousands of people marched through the village roads in Thoubal today and gathered at a playground to adopt a one-line resolution: “Heirok no longer wants SPOs.”The U-turn on the “empowerment” issue came after the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup and the United National Liberation Front imposed restrictions on the movement of villagers, including students, as a punishment for accepting the government’s proposal for deployment of SPOs.

Militant threats forced more than 300 students studying in schools and colleges in various parts of the state to return home and remain confined to the village.

The two rebel outfits, however, responded to an appeal by a women’s organisation and lifted the restrictions for 10 days with effect from July 11 to give people time to take a final stand on the issue.

The volte face, however, could not have been more badly timed. The 300 SPO recruits from Heirok are on the verge of completing their monthlong police training at the 2nd Manipur Rifles training centre in Imphal and joining their new jobs.

The government, however, appears adamant on deploying the force at Heirok.

“There is no change in the government policy of raising the SPO force for Heirok. We don’t want to make much comment on this issue,” a senior government official said tonight.

The rallyists, however, urged the government to recruit the SPOs in the state force, a demand the Okram Ibobi Singh government is unlikely to accept.

“Heirok accepted the SPOs without knowing its full implications. Now we are apprehensive that we will be caught between three guns (one from the militants, one from the government forces and another from the SPOs),” Khundongbam Kumudini, president of the women’s organisation, said.

Laishram Mandir, secretary of the action committee, maintained that Heirok had demanded weapons for each house for self-defence and not SPOs.

The village had demanded weapons after militants mowed down three youths during Holi festival in March.

“Taking advantage of the gullible nature of the villagers, the government went ahead with the SPO plan. Now we know what an SPO is and we don’t want a village force that would be used by the government in counter-insurgency operations,” he said.

While Heirok rallied to keep SPOs at bay, two citizens’ groups today vowed to put an end to the “disappearance” of minors by drumming up mass support against child-lifting and recruitment of minors by militant organisations.

The United People’s Front and the Ethno Heritage Council have convened a meeting of professionals, including lawyers, citizen bodies, meira paibis and teachers, on July 21 to take a united stand on the abductions. Official sources put the figure of missing children to 13 since May 1 and admitted that there were several cases that went unreported.

“We want suggestions of people from all walks of life to end this trend of child-lifting or recruitment by armed groups. Hence this meeting on July 21,” L. Ratan, secretary of the council, said.


Rains elude Cherrapunjee experts arriving


Shillong, Jul 19 : The monsoon magic at Cherrapunjee, the wettest place on earth, appears to be fading by the day, with locals seemingly coming to terms with a new sobriquet for their land - the world’s first wet desert.

Meteorological records show that this year during the monsoons, the hill town, now called Sohra, has received about 700 mm less rainfall till June 30. While the normal rainfall in the first 30 days of the monsoon is 2793.9 mm, Cherrapunjee received 2092.6 mm.Officials in the Regional Meteorology Centre in Guwahati hoped that the deficit would be supplemented in the next couple of months of the season.

The average annual rainfall at Cherrapunjee from 1973-2007 (35 years) is 11,952.2 mm.

Due to two consecutive years of below average rainfall in 2005 and 2006 the average has been pulled down to under 12,000 mm. 2007 received little more than the average rainfall at 12,646.8 mm.

The total rainfall at Cherrapunjee in 2005 was 9,758.0 mm and in 2006 8734.1 mm. In 2001, it was 8971.5 mm.

The decreasing rainfall statistics has prompted the authorities to rush experts to study the factors leading to the lessening rainfall.

A team of experts from the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment is expected to arrive shortly to also study the causes leading leading to massive deforestation.

Officials said the team would study and recommend measures to prevent the ecological balance from being disturbed.

Earlier, the state government had inked an agreement with the Centre for International Agricultural Development Cooperation (CIADC) of the Israeli Agriculture Ministry for technical collaboration in rainwater harvesting in Cherrapunjee.

The CIADC of the Israeli Agriculture Ministry would provide sustained education on rainwater harvesting and creation of structures for it besides funding pilot projects for regenerating forest cover.

Cherrapujee receives about 20,000 tourists annually and tourism here depends more on the fame of it being the world’s wettest place.

While tourism department officials were yet to come up with records of recent tourist flow to Cherrapunjee, they said the unrest in the Kashmir valley and Darjeeling have, to an extent, made more visitors opt for the hill station to beat the summer heat.

PTI

Naga, Mizo students protest move to scrap BEFR

Kohima, Jul 19 : The Naga Students` Federation (NSF) and Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or Mizo students union, have jointly resolved to fight against the move to scrap Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873, which is protecting the influx of outsiders into the tribal states of the north east region.

NSF president Imchatoba Imchen and MZP vice president S Lalrinawma in a joint statement issued late last night, while taking serious note of the recent Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed against the Government of Mizoram, seeking to scrap the BEFR 1873 resolved to jointly fight it and termed the attempt as “tantamount to non-violent genocide of the ethnic and indigenous people.”“Without the BEFR, the influx of outsiders, coupled with the entry of foreigners from neighbouring countries, owing to our porous borders, would have reduced the Nagas, the Arunachalise and the Mizos as a minority in our own lands,” the joint statement said.

They also expressed that the people of the north eastern states, where BEFR is not currently extended, need to be protected by the said regulation and therefore urged upon the Union government to extend the same to all the eight states of the north east region.

Further, the two organizations also resolved that the three affected states would observe a protest demonstration on July 21 in the respective capitals by sitting in dharna in front of the Raj Bhawans to mark resentment against the move to scrap the BEFR, 1873. Follow up action would be determined progressively depending upon the situations, they added.

Special police force leaves Manipur village vulnerable

Imphal, Jul 19 : The Senior Citizens’ Forum, Heirok, has urged Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh to abolish Special Police Officers (SPOs) in their village. The 300 SPOs, who are undergoing firearms training, should be absorbed in the police or paramilitary forces, a memorandum said.

Early this year, the government said the SPOs would be recruited in areas where the police could not penetrate. But, as SPOs were not recruited in other villages, was Heirok being singled out to earn the wrath of militants, the memorandum wondered.The forum said government employees could not venture out and attend office, nor could farmers and daily wage earners go to work. The government arrangement to sell rice at Rs 11 a kg in fair price shops was meaningless as the villagers had stopped earning money.

The militants of the United National Liberation Front, the Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup and the Kangleipak Communist Party had imposed a ban on the villagers for daring to recruit SPOs. Five activists who had mobilised the villagers for SPO recruitment were given death sentence in absentia.

The villagers demanded they be given firearms to protect themselves from the militants, who had killed two girls and a boy and injured some others during a folk dance festival on the night of March 24.

Nine militant groups active in Assam


Guwahati, Jul 19 : State Forest and Environment Minister Rockybul Hussain today said in the State Assembly that nine militant outfits, with a total cadre strength of 2,275, are operating in Assam.

The Forest and Environment Minister was replying to a short-notice question in the State Assembly on behalf of the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio.
The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) is the most powerful militant outfit with 1,175 cadres, he said.
The other powerful groups include the United Liberation Front of Barak Valley (ULFBV) with a cadre strength of 250, Dima Halom Daogah (Jewel) (DHD-J) with 240 and Karbi Longri NC Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) with 225 cadres.

Of the other militant groups, the Muslim United Liberation Tiger of Asom (MULTA) has 160 cadres, All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA) with 90, Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) (HPC-D) with 50, Harkat-ul-Mujahiddin (HUM) with 45 and Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) with 40 cadres.

Of the militants currently in jail, the ULFA has 249 cadres behind the bars, while the KLNLF and AANLA have 20 each and DHD has 17.

Meanwhile, in reply to separate questions, Hussain said 14 cadres of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), currently under ceasefire with the Government, have been killed either by miscreants or in encounters with security forces since the truce was declared.

The ceasefire agreement was signed on June 1, 2005, and several rounds of talks have been held since, with the group submitting its charter of demands on May 1 last, which the Government is examining, the Minister said.

Four species of birds in Mizoram critically endangered


Aizawl, Jul 18 : Out of more than 500 species of birds in Mizoram, four have been declared critically endangered, one endangered, five vulnerable, seven near threatened and nine restricted, noted ornithologist Dr Anuwaruddin Choudhury said.

Dr Choudhury has recorded 479 species of birds in his book ”A pocket guide to the Birds of Mizoram”, released by Mizoram Environment and Forest Minister Dr R Lalthangliana’n at Guwahati on Friday.
”Among the rare species of birds, Chinese Babax is found only in Mizoram within the Indian limits. Mrs Hume’s Pheasant is the state bird of Mizoram and among other worth-watching species are Blyth’s Tragopan, Khasi Hills or Dark Rumped Swift, Great Pied Hornbill and White-Winged Wood Duck,” Dr Choudhury said.blyths_tragopan

”There are past records of Great White-beillied Heron and Rufous-necked Hornbill. The status of rare green Peafowl is not known,” he added.

Environmentalists have held the jhum agriculture, logging and cultivation in the valleys, hunting and the proposed hydro-electric projects responsible for the large-scale habitat destruction.

gp_hornbillMizoram has two national parks - Murlen and Phawngpui or Blue Mountains - nine wildlife sanctuaries and six important bird areas.

”The aim of the book is to provide an up-to-date checklist on birds with brief description of a few threatened and notable species found in the state,” the author said.

”However, the ultimate aim is to generate awareness and interest on bird conservation in the state. I hope that this book would be of use and interest to broad section of readers, including birdwatchers, general tourists forest officials, students and researchers et al,” he said.

Mizoram falls under the ‘Indo-Burma global biodiversity hotspot’ and the ‘Eastern Himalaya Endemic Bird Area’.

The entire state is hilly and mountainous and is also at a higher altitude than many countries, including the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Paris Hilton announces battle against gossipmongers

Los Angeles, Jul 17 : Paris Hilton is annoyed! In her latest MySpace blog posting titled “Clearing Up Rumors,” the socialite-singer-actress-businesswoman says she’s sick of gossip sites printing false rumors about her, so from now on she is going to address these head on.

She wastes no time in getting started on the latest rumor.“Page Six reported that I have moved into (boyfriend) Benji’s neighborhood, and that Nicole (Richie who lives with Benji’s twin brother Joel Madden) is upset by this…SO NOT TRUE! First of all, I don’t even live in Glendale. Secondly, I have my own home in a gated community in Beverly Hills — that’s where I live. I haven’t been to Glendale in months. Where do they come up with this?”

She continues: “I am thankful that I know who my true friends and colleagues are, and I encourage my fans to ignore worthless stories like this.”

The New York Post’s Page Six reported that Richie and Joel Madden, who have a six-month-old daughter, moved to Glendale to escape the publicity that was hounding them. But then Hilton and Benji Madden moved in next door, shattering their peace and angering Richie who starred in the TV show “The Simple Life” with Hilton and with whom she has had an on-off friendship.

Thinking of spreading a rumor about Paris? She’ll be after you.

“It’s not fair because these lies then spread like wildfire online … From now on I plan to address these when they come to my attention,” said Hilton.

It’s Hazarika’s turn to answer

Dibrugarh, Jul 17 : Ulfa peaceniks will face the “people’s court” tomorrow for the first time when leaders of the two pro-talks companies of the outfit’s 28 battalion will take questions from “the masses” during a rally in Tinsukia district.

Since they offered a ceasefire on June 24, the Ulfa leaders have been holding meetings of their own volition to put across their views to the people. Tomorrow’s meeting will be the first to be organised by a people’s organisation, which indicated today that there could be “some unpleasant questions” thrown to the rebel leaders.“We welcome their peace initiative. But how do they propose to go ahead with one section of the outfit staying away? What good will such a fractured peace move do to the state? There are many questions to which we would like to have answers,” said Monoj Bora, a social worker and a member of the organising group.

The 15-member platform of co-ordinators includes educationists, social workers, businessmen, advocates and journalists.

Bora said the idea to organise such a rally was to give an opportunity to the people to ask questions, if they have any, to the Ulfa leaders directly and without any hesitation.

Mrinal Hazarika and Jiten Dutta have agreed to attend the meeting and answer queries.

“The people have heard much about the Ulfa leaders’ intention to broker peace with the government. There are however, several questions, which we are sure will be raised during the meeting. We also hope that people would not let go of this opportunity and ask whatever questions they have. After all, the Ulfa has been saying that the outfit’s constitution clearly mentioned that the opinion of the people of Assam will be of topmost priority for the outfit to chart out its future course of action,” Bora said.

Some members of the platform feel the Ulfa leaders owe it to the people of Tinsukia.

“The declaration of ceasefire is encouraging since the people in Tinsukia has been facing the music for insurgency for almost three decades now. We have launched a door-to-door campaign during which we have also approached the common men, housewives, children and students to come forward and take part in the interactive session,” said Sushil Gogoi, another member of the organising committee.

“We have questions forthe Ulfa leaders, and we will ask them tomorrow,” Pranami Kakoty, a housewife, said.

Six more kids go missing bringing total to 19


Imphal, Jul 17 : With report of six more kids missing coming in today, the total number of children who have gone missing in the last one/two months has gone up to 19, though some have been handed back over to family members while two escaped.

Out of the six missing kids, reports have come in that one of them was kidnapped.
Of the six latest cas es of missing children, two are from Mayang Imphal while one child each has been reported missing from Thongju, Kyamgei, and Khongman.

A girl has been reportedly kidnapped from Khurai.

The two kids from Mayang Imphal, Wangkhei Leikai who have been missing since June 19 are identified as Kshetrimayum Suresh (11) son of Achou and Wangkheimayum Sahadeva (11) son of Noren.

Suresh is a Class V student while Sahadeva is a Class VI student.

Both of them studied at Modern High School, Mayang Imphal and both of them were taking Judo classes at club at Mayai Lambi.

With the family members and the local people launching a frantic search for the missing kids, it came to light that they are in the custody of the proscribed PREPAK.

The family members further said that they have come to know that the two kids left with a 14 year old child living next door to Suresh and identified as Akham Bobby.

Thereafter they came into contact with one Chongtham Jiban (22) of Laphupat but originally from Mayang Imphal, helped the two kids in reaching the PREPAK camp.

Thereafter family members along with meira paibis visited the camp of PREPAK on June 23, they said.

The family members were however not allowed to come to the camp and instead a team of meira paibis was allowed to proceed.

When the meira paibis urged them to hand over the two children, they were told that the children will surely come to meet their parents to bid farewell.

A Wakat Meepham was also staged at Mayang Imphal today.

Another kid from Kyamgei Awang Leikai identified as Pebam Biswajit (12) son of Rojit also went missing on June 22 .

Speaking to the media, Rojit today said that a member of the PREPAK (GS) conveyed that since Biswajit is among three brothers and three sisters, he can join the movement for the people.

Nothing was said about handing him back to the family members, he added.

Stating that they came to know that Bishwajit was in the custody of PREPAK after a hectic search, Rojit said that they have also come to know that his son along with one Sinam Somendro alias Bangar (18) of Thongju Part II and one youth from Kalikhong bought some clothes from Canchipur.

Bishwajit is a Class VII student of Ideal High School of Kyamgei.

Another child had also gone missing about 15 days before the disappearance of Bishwajit.

The kid is identified as Chirom Henry alias Khumit (12) son of Ranjit of Thongju Part II.

However no details about the kid are available at the moment.

On the other hand another 14 year old child from Khongman Zone V has also gone missing since 4 pm yesterday.

The child is identified as Keisham Kirankumar alias Nanao alias Dumdum son of Imo.

He left home yesterday after informing his parents that we off to Lilong to get some notes from a friend there.

The matter is yet to be reported to the police.

In another case report of the kidnapping of a 14 year old girl from Khurai Thoidingjam Leikai has come in.

In a statement, Easter Popular Club, Khurai identified the kidnapped girl as Moirangthem Romita (14) daughter of Raghumani.

A champion boxer, she has won many medals in the sub-junior category.

The grandson of the proprietor of Babu hotel and a non-Manipuri helper have been named behind the kidnapping and Babu himself had appended his signature on an agreement that the girl would be produced by July 17 .

A Wakat Meepham was held today at Thoubal Kiyam Siphai to urge for the release of Akoijam Bipinchandra (13) son and Akoijam Ajoy.

A similar sit-in was also staged at Uripok Achom Leikai to demand the release of two kids of the locality Nongthonbam Suresh (12) and Naosekpam Noren.

TSE

Record-breaking Pineapple cultivation

Hmarkhawlien, Jul 17 : In 1916, Welsh Presbyterian evangelist Rev. Watkin Roberts, who led a band of 15 Hmar families from Tripura to settle in the Hmarkhawlien area in Assam’s Cachar district, had taught the people to cultivate pineapples in this hilltop settlement.

In a few days, Hmarkhawlien will create a record of sorts when the farmers begin harvesting over one crore pineapples.Said to be the most succulent among pineapples in the whole world, the Hmar village’s produce is sold across the country. Ngursunthang, a Hmar tribal leader and former chairman of the Cachar Hill Tribal Welfare Board, said the pineapple farmers are now toying with the idea of “giving a brand name to their produce for better marketing and export to other countries”.

Hmarkhawlien is under Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar district.

The Hmarkhawlien pineapples are reckoned to be the sweetest among all pineapple varieties in India as during the monsoon period their sugar content varies between 16 and 28 per cent.Lalpansang Hmar, a pineapple orchard-owner in the village situated 30km east of the district headquarters town of Silchar, said the plant of this fruit is quite unique.

Three varieties of pineapple are generally grown in the farms of Hmarkhawlien. These are Queen, Queue and Giant. The Queue variety (locally known as Gaimpew) is grown in abundance.

However, without any proper marketing superstructure, the Hmars fail to command good prices for their produce. They are being constantly fleeced by the middlemen, alleged Ngursunthang.

Malaria claims 19 in Mizoram


Aizawl, Jul 17 : Nineteen people have died of malaria in Marpara village of western Mizoram in the last one month.

Medical sources today said 15 children, below the age of 16, and three adults had also died of the disease during June and July this year.A medical team, led by Dr Lalkailiana and SMEMO C Thangchhuana, has been rushed to the area. They said lack of medical facilities and awareness among the people was the main reason behind the epidemic, sources said.

The medical team also distributed anti-malaria medicines, mosquito nets and leaflets for awareness among the villagers, sources said.

UNI