Friday, October 31, 2008

Detergent fight against HIV


Imphal, Oct 31 : On the eve of Ningol Chakouba, the biggest Meitei festival dedicated to pampering married daughters, an anti-drugs association in Manipur gave HIV-positive women a detergent powder that will wash away at least some of their woes.

“The sale proceeds of the detergent will go to women and children affected by drugs and HIV,” Ph. Abe Chanu, publicity secretary of the All Manipur Anti-Drug Association, said today.

Called Ningol Excel Blue, the detergent powder was launched by education minister L. Jayentakumar Singh at a low-key function at the anti-drug association’s office today.

Since 2005, the non-governmental organisation has been celebrating Ningol Chakouba with at least 140 women, primarily those living with HIV or drug abuse.

“The detergent is a ray of hope for women like me. We are grateful to the association for producing it,” said R.K. Reena Devi, a 32-year-old HIV-positive woman.
Reena Devi got the virus from her drug addict husband who died in December 2006.

“My monthly income now is a little over Rs 1,000. Within that amount I have to send my daughter to school and buy my medicines. I hope the detergent will add to my income,” she said.

Workers at the detergent’s factory also include HIV-positive women. “Twenty-two widows infected by HIV and five volunteers of our association are involved in manufacturing the powder. Of course, they get wages,” Kh. Meghachandra, a key functionary of the association, said.

Even the detergent packet screamed of the anti-drugs association’s motto.

“Let us join hands to save the society from drugs, HIV and AIDS,” a printed message said.

But will the venture find a market?

“Why not? Ningol Excel Blue can compete with other products. We are contacting jail authorities, hostels and NGOs running destitute homes to buy our product. Most of them have shown interest. We do not see any problem,” the publicity secretary of the association said.

The education minister himself bought 200 packets of the detergent at the end of the event.

KUT: The Kuki-Chin-Mizo Post Harvest Celebrations



All set for Kut celebration in Chandel

The unique post harvest festival of Kuki-Chin-Mizo community Chavang Kut will be celebrated by the Chandel district Kut committee on Novemebr 1 at the Standard English High School, Sugnu with fanfare.

Stating this, Ngamkholal Baite, chairman of the Chandel district Kut committee during a press conference held this morning at Sugnu mentioned that this year’s celebration in Chandel district will be held under the theme ‘Peace, unity and harmony’ and the celebration will be joined by various communities residing in Chandel district.

Cultural items including cultural dances from various ethnic Kuki sub-tribes of Chandel district and musical programmes will be held at the inaugural session of the festival which will be attended by state works minister K Ranjit as chief guest. The function will be presided by MLA, E Dwijamani of Hiyanglam AC. Besides, four MLAs including Bijoy Koijam, M Hemanta Singh, Th Lokeshore and U Deven Singh will also attend the inaugural session as guests of honour.
The deputy commisioner, Chandel, N Ashokumar, IAS, will inaugurate the evening session as the chief guest. The session will be presided by Darsino Aimol, SDO, Chakpikarong.


The chairman of the committee further said that there will be a Miss Kut contest for Chandel district in the evening with cash prizes of Rs. 10,000 for Miss Kut, Rs. 7000 for first runners up and Rs. 5000 for second runners up along with prizes for other titles.The chairman further appealed to all Kuki communities from Chandel living far and near, and mainly women, to participate in the festival. All girls from different communities of Chandel are allowed to participate in the Miss Kut contest, he added.

He also mentioned that prior to the celebration of Kut festival at Standrad English High School, Sugnu Tribal there will be a Kut-eve Gospel meeting tomorrow which will be attended by the Gospel parties from Mizoram state.
KNO sends out Kut greetings

Making the first move on issuing Kut greetings, Kuki National Organisation (KNO) today sent out its warmest greetings to the ethnic Kuki groups but expressed concerns on lavishing the celebration when the jhum-fields of farmers have been devastated by rodents.Similar to Jewish way of celebration, the Kuki people in the past had the tradition of celebrating seven Kut, of late Chavang Kut, Mim Kut and Chapchar Kut have been recognised as one of the important festival in Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram among others, Lenin H Kuki said dwelling on the bond between Kut and the ethnic group.


The information and publicity secretary of KNO also acknowledged and appreciated the contribution of Kutters in the US, UK, Delhi, Pune, Bangalore et-al in showcasing the rich culture of the Kukis to the outside world, besides appealing them to continue organising the event.

Assam blasts: Intelligence agencies in shock


New Delhi, Oct 30 : After the Assam blasts, the most worrying factor is that these blasts seem to have caught the state and intelligence agencies completely by surprise.

Even though the state was on high alert over Durga Puja and Diwali, the Chief Minister said no one was prepared for attacks on such a scale.

The Union Home Secretary has said it could be a local group with outside help.

What this could mean is the ULFA, one of Assam’s oldest militant group, organised the attacks with the help of the Bangladeshi group, HuJi or Harkat ul Jihadi Islami.

But the ULFA has issued denial, condemning the blast. It says it wants a peaceful solution to Assam problem.

Security experts say there is enough reason why it couldn’t be only ULFA.

For one, ULFA has no such capability to carry out such powerful blasts and that too on a large-scale and in rapid succession.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The search for the Buru and the Sacred Brass Plates


M
arc Miller is a psychologist with a practice in Lancaster, and he has practiced neuropsychology for many years. He is a cryptozoologist, one who studies legendary animals, and has explored the world. This is his 30th year of expeditions, and he is sharing his latest adventure with local residents in a five-part series starting today.

Miller is married to Fran, a local real estate agent. His third book “Adventures in Cryptozoology” is due out this fall.

While I was sitting on the dock of my pond, reading Loren Coleman’s book, “Cryptozoology A to Z,” I came across a description of a prehistoric type of reptile in North India called the Buru.

Coleman is probably the most well-known current cryptozoologist. He has made many field expeditions, done extensive research and written several books.

The Buru is a large, unknown lizard thought by some to have lived in the remote valleys of the Himalayas of Assam in the northeast corner of India. Coleman further mentioned that the reptile was approximately 15 to 20 feet in length, aquatic by nature, and emitted hoarse bellowing calls. He mentioned that the journalist, Ralph Izzard, among others, had led an expedition in 1948 in search of the Buru.

Izzard’s journal was later published as “The Hunt for the Buru” in 1951. Coleman also stated that they had failed to uncover any solid evidence of the creature. However, there was enough testimony from earlier encounters to persuade the father of cryptozoology, Bernard Heuvelman, that these lizards might be only recently extinct.

After reading about the Buru, I was excited to learn more, so I Googled the term. Wikipedia identified the Buru as an aquatic reptile living in the Ziro Valley of Arunachal Peradesh in Northeastern India. Professor Christopher Von Furer-Haimendorf was the first Westerner to be told about this reptile. It was thought at the time that Buru might have already gone extinct in the valley.

According to the Apatani elders, when their forefathers migrated from Tibet to the Ziro Valley, the valley was primarily a marsh that was populated by many Burus. The Apatani people decided to settle in the valley because of its fertility and good climate. However, on occasion, confrontations with the Burus presented a problem. As a result, the Apatani Indian tribe drained the marsh of its water and apparently might have eliminated the Burus. Most of the Burus died because of the drainage and many supposedly went underground into the springs.

The last Buru was reported by a young woman who sighted it in a spring one night while she was drawing water. It startled her and she told her father of the incident. The next day the whole village helped fill the spring with stones and clay.

There has been speculation that the Buru was an unidentified member of the crocodilia. However, the description of the Buru is more like a monitor lizard, with its characteristics, such as elongated neck and a forked tongue. The native name for the Komodo dragon is Land Crocodile.
Cryptozoologists, Bernard Heuvelman and Roy Mackal, regard the Buru to be a large Komodo dragon-like monitor lizard. There are fossils of such creatures to be found in the Indian subcontinent. This reptile was supposedly living in the dense forests and swamps of the Himalayas. Swamps certainly do not come to mind when thinking of this mountain range.

The Himalayas, overall, are tall, long and wide, forming a broad, continuous arc of nearly 16,000 miles along the northern fringes of the Indian subcontinent. They are divided into three parallel zones that differ greatly in topography.

First are the Great Himalayas, then the Middle Himalayas, and finally the Sub Himalayas. The Greater Himalayas consist of huge lines of snowy peaks, while the Middle Himalayas are primarily high ranges composed of pine trees.

The Sub Himalayas consist of foothills and long flat-bottomed valleys, known as duns. The home of the Burus was one of the valleys. The Apatani Valley is located in one of the world’s most isolated and seldom visited areas. In this swampy, spongy, isolated valley, rimmed by towering Himalayas, in the farthest reaches of Northeast India, these creatures lived and tales about them have been told by the Apatani and Dafla tribes living in the region. The tribes have handed down these tales in travel lore for generations.

Finally, in the 20th century, these tales came to the first Westerners. The name of the creature was called the Buru. It was said to be approximately 15 to 20 feet in length, with smooth skin and three rows of short blunt spines running down its sides and back. It has stumpy short legs about a foot and a half in length. The feet, which are heavily clawed, resemble the forefeet of a burrowing mole. It also has a lengthy powerful tail. The areas where this reptile was located are in remote northeast India, bordered by the nations of Bhutan, Tibet and Burma. This is a subtropical climate with extremely heavy rainfall. Much of the terrain is covered with dense, tropical forests of bamboo.

Professor Hainendorf, an anthropologist, who wrote about the Apatani tribesman and their isolated location in 1947, noted despite the altitude, their valley was swampy and thick-forested. The bottom of the valley, according to local tradition, was once a marshy swamp, inhabited by a lizard-like monster.

The first venturer into this remote part of the world to seek the Buru was a British zoologist named Charles Stonor. He made the first detailed report of the Apatani Valley in 1948, and it is still considered to be the best source of information about the area. Stonor wrote detailed accounts of the Apatani people - their land, their legends and the Buru. He interviewed approximately 30 tribesmen who described in very close detail the peculiar reptile. They also related a few stories at that time of human attacks. One included a hunter who, after threatening the Buru’s young, had been drowned when the mother stung him with its powerful tail.

After obtaining Izzard’s journal, I attempted to follow his exact expedition along with Stonor, starting in Assam and going up into Arunachal-Pradesh, India, which was once part of the large area of Assam. When Izzard initiated his expedition, all northeast area was considered to be Assam.

Izzard had many cryptozoological friends from his early school days. He was a lifelong friend of Ivan Sanderson, who was a very famous cryptozoologist. Sanderson had led expeditions in some of the most remote parts of the jungles in the world and had many interesting tales of a wide variety of animals. He was also a childhood friend of Gerald Russell, who was an explorer and crypto zoologist in the 1930s to the 1950s. They were both in Africa and came across a large creature later known as Mokele-Mbembe, which was considered a long necked dinosaur.

Izzard hoped that he would be able to return from his expedition with actual evidence or capture of the Buru. Other sightings of similar reptiles as the Buru have been seen in Bhutan, where the king had claimed to have actually seen something like a Buru many years ago. Heuvelmans noted during the 1980s the current sightings described animals similar to the Buru in another region of India. Loren Coleman, probably one of the most famous living cryptozoologists, thought the Buru might still be living near the same valleys that Izzard searched more than a half century ago.

Izzard mentions in his journal that, in 1948, news came of an extinct reptile that had been moving along the Himalayan border. After reading the accounts of Izzard’s journal, I was interested in finding information about the Sacred Brass Plates in the Apatani village. His expedition members were never permitted to view the plates.

Assam and Manipur declared Joint Winner of 2nd Sahara NE Hockey Championship



Joint Champion of the SAHARA 2nd NE Challenge Cup Hockey Tournament Manipur (Yellow) at Bhetapara Hockey Stadium, Guwahati organized by Assam Hockey Academy & NEHA on 25-10-08


Capatain of Manipur(Yellow) and Assam(Blue) receiving the Champions Trophy from J B Roy Deputy Managing Director; Sahara India Pariwar and President of Bengal Hockey Association (with Arnoi in middle) as Assam vs Manipur match drawn at 2-2 each and were declared Joint winner of the SAHARA 2nd NE Challenge Cup Hockey Championship by the organizing committee at Bhetapara Hockey Stadium in Guwahati on 25-10-08.


Joint Champion of the SAHARA 2nd NE Challenge Cup Hockey Tournament Assam (BLUE) at Bhetapara Hockey Stadium, Guwahati organized by Assam Hockey Academy & NEHA on 25-10-08.Joint Champion of the SAHARA 2nd NE Challenge Cup Hockey Tournament Assam (BLUE) at Bhetapara Hockey Stadium, Guwahati organized by Assam Hockey Academy & NEHA on 25-10-08.

B
oth Assam and Manipur were declared joint winners in the 2nd Sahara North East Challenge Cup Hockey Championship. In the final meet of the championship at the Maulana Md Tayebulla Hockey Stadium, Bhetapara in Guwahati, Assam and Manipur match was a tie for 2-2 each on 25th Oct 2008. As the light was not sufficient for extra time and penalty shootout the organizers, Assam Hockey Association and North East Hockey Association(NEHA) decided to hand over the Champions’ Trophy to both the teams.

Manipur striker M Chingkheinganba scored at the 7th minute converting a penalty But their jubilation was short lived as Lalthazuala of Assam scored the equalizer with a beautiful reverse flick in the 11th minute. Amarjit Singh put Assam 2-1 ahead with another field goal in the 14th minute and maintained the lead till the break. Manipuri captain P Adeba scored the tie goal at the last minute as the hooter was about to blow. The Assam players, in particular, adopted rough tactics in the later part of the match. Even some of the officials of the organizing committee had to rush to the ground to control the situation.

M Rinash, the junior India goalkeeper from Manipur was adjudged best player while Lalthazuala of Assam received the man-on-the-final award. Another Assam player RK Anandjit was named man-of-the tournament.State Tourism Minister Rockybul Hussain, Deputy Manager of Sahara India Parivar J B Roy, Sports Commissioner VS Bhaskar, DGP G M Srivastava, Agriculture Commissioner B Kalyan Chakravarty were present as guests along with a host of sportspersons on the occasion. They also gave away the trophies to the teams and individuals.

All the participating teams were given Rs 21,000 while both the finalists got additional 25,000 each.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Metre gauge railway lines in NE to be phased out in 4-5 yrs



New Delhi, Oct 27 : Government today said the over 10,000 kilometres of metre gauge railway lines in the country including North East will be phased out over the next 4-5 years by converting them into broad gauge.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Railways R Velu said there were 49,819.44 km of broad gauge rail lines in the country and 10,621.38 km of metre gauge lines.“In 4-5 years, all the metre gauge lines are to be phased out,” he said.

The North East has 2,365 km of railway lines, the Minister said while admitting that the region was lagging behind in rail connectivity.

Ten new railway line projects have been sanctioned for North East to connect seven States. The projects include Jiribam-Imphal link, Kumarghat-Agartala line, Azara-Byrnihat, Dimapur-Zubza (Kohima), Dudhnoi-Depa (Meghalaya), Harmuti-Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh and Assam), Agartala-Sabroom (Tripura) and Bhairabi-Sairang (Mizoram).

Besides, gauge conversion work has been taken up at five lines in the region, he said.

While route km per lakh of population in NE compares favourably with the average in the rest of India, route km per thousand square km area in the region was low.

North East had an average of 6.06 km of rail line per lakh of population as compared to the national average of 6.16 km. However, it had only 9.02 km per thousand square km area as opposed to the national average of 19.26 km line per thousand square km, he said.

ULFA camp along Indo-Bangla border

Guwahati, Oct 27 : The security forces have recently come to know of a camp of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) just around five kilometres across the international border in Bangladesh following the arrests and surrender of a few cadres who came to Assam from that camp. Security sources said that the camp is located at Bakapura in Sherpur district of Bangladesh, which is just across the international border with Meghalaya.

Sources revealed that according to information available, around a hundred to 150 cadres of the ULFA are staying in the camp. Though no senior leader of the ULFA stays in the camp, middle rung leaders of the militant group including Antu Chowdang, Pradyut Gohain and Drishti Rajkhowa are believed to be heading the camp.

Sources also alleged that the ULFA must be receiving direct or indirect help from the DGFI, the intelligence agency of Bangladesh or from the Bangladesh Rifles as it would not have been possible for the militant group to run a camp so close to the international border.

Sources said that the senior leaders of the ULFA including the chairman of the outfit Arabinda Rajkhowa and the commander in chief Paresh Baruah also spend most of their time in Bangladesh, they usually stay in Dhaka and the security agencies do not have any report of them visiting the camp adjacent to the international border.

Sources pointed out that after the declaration of unilateral cease-fire by the A and C companies of the 28 battalion of the ULFA, the level of violence has come down in the upper Assam districts as the militants belonging to the B company of the battalion, who were entrusted with the responsibility of carrying out operations in the districts of Sivasagar and Jorhat, have not been able to move around freely.

According to information available with the security forces, around 150 cadres of the B company of the 28 battalion of the ULFA are still in the camps in Myanmar, but they are not in a position to come down freely because of operations by the security forces and also because of the fact that they are not keen on coming face to face with their former colleagues, who are on cease-fire.

Sources also claimed that the ULFA has not been able to carry out any major operation in recent months due to pressure from the security forces and also because of the fact that the cadre strength has come down drastically.

The cadres who are outside the country in Bangladesh and Myanmar have not been able to come to Assam as freely as they did before.

However, sources admitted that the militant outfit might continue efforts to trigger off blasts to create disturbance and the outfit made several such attempts in the run up to the Independence Day but fortunately the recovery of the explosives foiled their bid.

Manipur’s educated unemployed reaches taunting proportions




Imphal, Oct 27 : The number of educated unemployed youths in Manipur has reached a taunting figure of 6, 33,451 (over six lakh mark) till September 2008 as per the report of the Directorate of Employment Exchange, Lamphelpal in Imphal.

According to the report of the total number of educated unemployed youth 4,59,806 are males while 1, 73,645 are females.

On district wise basis, Imphal West district leads with 2, 13,579 educated unemployed youths comprising of 1, 48,782 males and 64,797 females followed by Thoubal district with 75,272 males and 19,724 females.
Imphal East district comes in the third place with 64,519 males and 25,641 females followed by Churachandpur district lining up in the fourth place with 43,322 males and 13,975 females and the fifth place has been filled by Bishnupur district with 41,904 males and 15,093 females.

Senapati district comes in the sixth place with a total of 46,627 educated unemployed youths consisting of 34,155 males and 12,472 females followed by Ukhrul district with 25,075 educated unemployed youths comprising of 17,713 males and 7,382 females.

Chandel district comes in the eighth place with 21,391 consisting of 15,603 males and 5,788 females while Tamenglong district comes in the ninth place with 18,848 educated unemployed youths comprising of 14,458 and 4,390 females.

Moreover, in the section for the special employment exchange for physically challenged persons, Imphal has a total registered of 2, 253 educated unemployed youths which comprises of 1,541 males and 712 females.

UEI and GB have a total of 5,198 youths comprising of 2,527 males and 2,671 females.

Dalai Lama’s Tawang visit postponed


Itanagar, Oct 27 : The postponement of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh has dismayed the people of the Buddhist centre on the Sino-India border.

The Dalai Lama was scheduled to inaugurate a hospital early next month but his office had verbally communicated that the visit has been postponed to March due to his ill health, Tsewang Dhondup, Tawang Congress MLA, told PTI.

The Tibetan temporal head’s secretary and spokesman Tenzin Takhla had said in Delhi yesterday that the week-long visit to Tawang, Bomdilla and Itanagar had been postponed due to ‘logistical problem’.

The Dalai Lama touched by the poor medical infrastructure of the mountainous region had given Rs 20 lakh for the hospital during his visit here in 2004.

Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and BJP MP Kiren Rijiju, both Buddhist and residents of Tawang, had contributed Rs 90 lakh and Rs 20 lakh respectively for the hospital project and the State Government provided Rs 1 crore.
The hospital will have tele-medicine, modern eye surgery facilities.

Dhondup, who is looking after the construction of the hospital, told PTI that the Dalai Lama had given his consent to inaugurate the hospital when Khandu accompanied by other Ministers met him at Dharamsala last year.

He said he would go to Delhi soon to find out if the spiritual leader would be able to undertake the visit in March as people are eagerly waiting for him.

“We may look for some other person for the inauguration if we feel the chances of the Dalai Lama’s visit here in March is bleak,” he said.

Dalai Lama’s proposed visit to Tawang assumes significance since the rejection by India over the claim of China on the land of Monpas and birth place of the 6th Dalai Lama.

Manipur invites private companies

New Delhi, Oct 27 : Militancy-infested Manipur has invited the private sector to invest in the state and help improve its the economic condition, assuring that adequate security cover will be provided to the investors.

Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh said his government will ensure security of the investors as adequate private investment will help the economy of the state and enable it to come out of the cycle of violence.

Making a fervent appeal to the private sector, Singh said there is a huge opportunity awaiting for the investors in various sectors in Manipur as government will offer “unstinted efforts” to boost investment.

“Manipur needs huge investment from the private sector. The investors need to change perception about the state.

We will do everything possible to ensure security to them,” Singh told PTI here. Singh said the security situation was improving in the state and the government will even consider extending incentives to the investors beyond the facilities provided under the North East Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (NEIIPP) 2007.

Preparations on for Mrs India North East pageant


Guwahati, Oct 27 : Preparations are in full swing for holding the 3rd Darpan Mrs India North East, the highly coveted beauty pageant for the married women from across the eight north-eastern states of India, to be held at the Pragjyotish ITA Centre auditorium, Machkhowa on November 22.

Organised by the Epitome Educational Society under the banner of Darpan, a chain of beauty training institutes of the state, the pageant is being held with the motive of giving a platform to showcase the talents and potentials of the married women of this part of the region.

Already, nearly 100 participants from across North-east, including the two women who were crowned Mrs Arunachal and Mrs Nagaland in their respective states recently, have confirmed their participation.

The organizers would hold a screening of these contestants in the first week of November, from which 16 finalists would be selected.

Apart from the three top crown positions, several other titles like Mrs Translucent Skin, Mrs Captivating Eyes, Mrs Beautiful Smile, Mrs Lustrous Hair, Mrs Photogenic, etc., would also be vied for.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

India launches first Moon mission

India has successfully launched its first mission to the Moon.

The unmanned Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft blasted off smoothly from a launch pad in southern Andhra Pradesh to embark on a two-year mission of exploration.

The robotic probe will orbit the Moon, compiling a 3-D atlas of the lunar surface and mapping the distribution of elements and minerals.

The launch is regarded as a major step for India as it seeks to keep pace with other space-faring nations in Asia.

It was greeted with applause by scientists gathered at the site.

The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says there has been a lot of excitement about the event, which was broadcast live on national TV.

Competitive mission

An Indian-built launcher carrying the one-and-a-half-tonne satellite blasted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at about 0620 local time (0050 GMT).
One key objective will be to search for surface or sub-surface water-ice on the Moon, especially at the poles.

Another will be to detect Helium 3, an isotope which is rare on Earth, but is sought to power nuclear fusion and could be a valuable source of energy in future.

Powered by a single solar panel generating about 700 Watts, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) probe carries five Indian-built instruments and six that are foreign-built.

The mission is expected to cost 3.8bn rupees (£45m; $78m).

The Indian experiments include a 30kg probe that will be released from the mothership to slam into the lunar surface.

1 - Chandrayaan Energetic Neutral Analyzer (CENA)
2 - Moon Impact Probe (MIP)
3 - Radiation Dose Monitor (RADOM)
4 - Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC)
5 - Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)
6 - Chandrayaan 1 X-ray Spectrometer (C1XS)
7 - Solar Panel

The Moon Impact Probe (MIP) will record video footage on the way down and measure the composition of the Moon's tenuous atmosphere.

"Chandrayaan has a very competitive set of instruments... it will certainly do good science," said Barry Kellett, project scientist on the C1XS instrument, which was built at the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in the UK.

C1XS will map the abundance of different elements in the lunar crust to help answer key questions about the origin and evolution of Earth's only natural satellite.

Researchers say the relative abundances of magnesium and iron in lunar rocks could help confirm whether the Moon was once covered by a molten, magma ocean.

"The iron should have sunk [in the magma ocean], whereas the magnesium should have floated," Mr Kellett told BBC News.

"The ratio of magnesium to iron for the whole Moon tells you to what extent the Moon melted and what it did after it formed." The instrument will look for more unusual elements on the Moon's surface, such as titanium. This metallic element has been found in lunar meteorites, but scientists know little about its distribution in the lunar crust.

Chandrayaan will also investigate the differences between the Moon's near side and its far side. The far side is both more heavily cratered and different in composition to the one facing Earth.



The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket will loft Chandrayaan into an elliptical "transfer orbit" around Earth.

The probe will later carry out a series of engine burns to set it on a lunar trajectory.

The spacecraft coasts for about five-and-a-half days before firing the engine to slow its velocity such that it is captured by the Moon's gravity.

Chandrayaan will slip into a near-circular orbit at an altitude of 1,000km. After a number of health checks, the probe will drop its altitude until it is orbiting just 100km above the lunar surface.

India, China, Japan and South Korea all have eyes on a share of the commercial satellite launch business and see their space programmes as an important symbol of international stature and economic development.

Last month, China became only the third country in the world to independently carry out a spacewalk.

But the Indian government's space efforts have not been welcomed by all.

Some critics regard the space programme as a waste of resources in a country where millions still lack basic services.

Mangled torsos of the blast victims, the injured at hospitals, CM visiting the victims, grieving family members comforting each other sum up the story of the terror attack at Ragailong


TERROR STRIKES : 17 killed in blast near Cdos barrack
By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Oct 21 : At least 17 people including surrendered militants and civilians were killed when a powerful bomb suspected to be fitted to a Luna moped exploded near the high security Ra-gailong gate today at about 7.30 pm under Imphal West police.
Eleven were killed at the spot while 2 passed away at RIMS and another two at Shija Hospital.
The four killed in the terror attack are identified as Konthoujam Roben alias Meiraba (28) of Nambol Awang Jiri, a surrenderee, declared brought dead at RIMS; Khurshid Alam (41), a tailor by profession and hailing from Madhubani district of Bihar (passed away at RIMS); Ram Babu (17) son of Ugghra of Bihar, died at the spot and Raju Prasad (20) son of Vaidyanath of Buxar district, Bihar and staying at Ragailong.
Chief Minister O Ibobi who visited the dead and injured at RIMS said that the attack was an act of cowardice and assured that the Government will pay adequate compensation to the dead and injured. The Government will not take things lying down, he asserted.
The blast site was strewn with mangled and mutilated bodies and blood and human flesh were scattered all over.
Bare torsos, putrid smell of human flesh and cries of despair greeted this reporter when he arrived at the spot.
About five bodies, blown to pieces were seen lying together in a heap outside the gate of Ragailong. Another two were seen inside the gate towards the Ragailong village.
Cries and screams rend the air as frantic people searched among the remains of human flesh to see if any of their beloved ones were among those felled by the explosion.
Asmat Ara a young housewife told this reporter that she heard a loud explosion followed by cries and screams of pain and anguish and without a thought for her own safety rushed out to look for her husband. Her husband Khurshid Alam was found in a pool of blood and he was rushed to RIMS where he passed away shortly.
S Anand who was more fortunate and escaped with a minor injury said he was taking a walk after dinner when he heard a loud report and then saw the mangled bodies.
DGP Y Joykumar accompanied by IG (LO-I) and SSP of Imphal West arrived at the spot and took stock of the situation. He however refused to take any question from the reporters.
Ragailong is a highly fortified area. To its west is the Commando barrack while to the east is a transit camp of the Assam Rifles while further north there is the 2nd MR complex.
The body count may increase as many are undergoing treatment at different health centres. At JN hospital out of 16 admitted, 6 are in the ICU while another 13 are battling for life at RIMS. Five more are at Shija.
A spokesperson of department of propaganda and publicity of PREPAK has denied any hand in the blast. The BJP has condemned the blast.
Apart from the Chief Minister, Works Minister K Ranjit, Education Minister L Jayenta, IFCD Minister N Biren, MLA Bijoy Koijam and S Keba visited RIMS.

Centre mulls granting ST status to Tea-Tribe of Assam

New Delhi, Oct 21 : The Centre has processed the recommendations of the Assam government for inclusion of various communities including ‘Tea-Tribe’ of the state in the STs list, Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

“Ministry of Tribal Affairs has processed the proposals/recommendations of the Government of Assam for inclusion of various communities including Adivasi/Tea-Tribe in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Assam,” Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Rameshwar Oraon stated in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

Silvius Condpan of Congress had asked the minister about the steps taken so far by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in the matter of granting ST status to the “Adivasi/Tea-Tribe” community of Assam in response to the recommendation of the state government made on more than one occasions.

“The matter is being processed as per the modalities approved by the government on June 15, 1999 for determining the claims for inclusion in or exclusion from and other modifications in the orders specifying Scheduled Tribes,” Oraon said.

Oraon, however, did not give any specific reply to the question from Condpan who asked “whether it’s true that government is unable to go ahead with it (proposal for giving ST status to Tea-Tribes of Assam) because of objections raised by Registrar General of India.”

India blast ‘kills at least 13′


Imphal, Oct 21 : At least 13 people have been killed and 20 injured in a blast in the north-east Indian city of Imphal, police say.

The explosion happened near a police commando barracks in the city, which is the capital of Manipur state. Police say most of the victims are civilians.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. It comes two days after a suspected militant grenade attack outside the chief minister’s home.

Correspondents say Manipur is home to about a dozen rebel groups.

Some are fighting for the state’s independence, others for autonomous tribal homelands.

Unesco recommends India on river island Majuli


New Delhi, Oct 21 : Unesco has asked India to compile a list of monasteries in Majuli, one of the largest freshwater river islands of the world in Assam, parliament was told Tuesday.

Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni said the World Heritage Committee of Unesco, while dismissing the inscription of the river island on the 2008 World Heritage list, recommended that a complete list of the 31 surviving Sattaras, or Vaishnavite monasteries, on the island be made.

‘A complete list of the 31 surviving Sattaras on the island as a preliminary to considering which Sattaras might have the potential to demonstrate outstanding universal value and allowing an International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) evaluation mission to visit the property are some of the recommendations of the World Heritage Council,’ Soni told the Rajya Sabha.
Majuli, in the Brahmaputra river, with a population of 160,000 people, majority being tribals, has a rich heritage and has been the abode of Assamese Vashnavite culture with tremendous option for spiritual and eco-tourism in the northeast. The island is a bio-diversity hotspot and has rich ecology with rare breeds of flora and fauna.

In July this year, the mountain railways of India, which includes Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway and Matheran Hill Railway, made it to the World Heritage List. Majuli, however, which was also nominated by India, did not.

‘The council has also recommended an appraisal of the overall river basin in which Majuli lies and the potential impact of upstream development, deforestation and building of dams, in order to ascertain whether managed retreat is the only realistic approach to the flooding and erosion process,’ Soni said.

She added that at this point, it is not clear if the island will be re-nominated for the World Heritage List.

Monday, October 20, 2008

NE ONCOLOGISTS MEET IN AIZAWL


Aizawl, Oct 20 : Cancer, which contributes to most 12 per coin of deaths annually, has claimed most 4.5 meg lives in India, Mizoram Governor MM Lakhera revealed.

Speaking at the speech duty of the two-day ordinal period word of Association of Radiation Oncologists, North-east zonary chapter, here yesterday, the Governor underlined that cancer is digit of India’s super enemies.

Mizoram has the peak sort of patients in the anxiety in quaternary types of cancer, including breadbasket cancer, he informed. “Stomach cancer is the most current in Mizoram constituting 50 per coin of cancer cases in males and 30 per coin in females,” he added.

“Discovery of the field causes and comprehensive open cognisance module definitely modification cancer cases in the state,” Lakhera said. He also spoken anxiety over broad expenses of cancer communication and heavy on the requirement to encounter structure to alter the scrutiny cost.
Also speech at the duty was Mizoram University vice-chancellor Prof AN Rai, who said there were destined types of cancer more current in the North-east Bharat which was attributed to the genes of the people, the geographical surround and lifestyles.

“Unfortunately, the NE location is rattling sweptback when it comes to cancer investigate institutes,” he additional and emphasised the requirement for state-of-the-art institutes for cancer.

NE AROI chair N K Kalita conversant that the NE AROI was supported in 2005 at Shillong with the mend neutral of crescendo coordination among the NE doctors.

“Except Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim every the NE States hit irradiation units which enable cancer patients to intend communication in their individual states thereby modification scrutiny expenses,” he informed.

He also spinous discover that most of super hospitals in the location do not demand doctors, but did not hit technicians to support them, adding that recent equipment was vacuous without technicians to appendage them.

Besides the NE States, oncologists from Tata person Research Institute, Kolkata, also attended the word which over yesterday.

INDIAN JEWS STRUGGLE TO FIT IN IN ISRAEL


Jews around the concern are rating the High Holy days, a three-week punctuation to fete a newborn assemblage on the person calendar and emit on the digit that’s passed.

For a diminutive accord of Amerindic immigrants experience in Israel, it’s been a assemblage of adjustment to newborn social and churchlike norms.

Presenter: Alana Rosenbaum
Speakers: Shimon Gangte is a Bene Menashe rabbi in Kiryat Arba; Yair Lotjem, a preparation in Kiryat Arba

Listen to the Podcast: Click here (Windows Media)

ROSENBAUM: Kiryat Arba looks same whatever another middle-class Asiatic neighbourhood. Row of same houses grappling manicured lawns, and kids mate around on bikes. If it wasn’t for the armoured vehicles patrolling the streets, you wouldn’t surmisal you were in a person deciding in the hunch of West Bank.

Some of the most past settlers in Kiryat Arba are Jews from province and Mizoram, digit diminutive Amerindic states bordering Burma.

SFX: Bnei Menashe singing

ROSENBAUM: The Jews of province and Mizoram are Bene Menashe, a assemble that claims to hit descended from digit of the decade forfeited tribes mentioned in the Old testament. Cut soured from the person diaspora for thousands of years, the Bene Menashe experienced what whatever feature is a modify of ancient biblical Judaism.
Over Yom Kippur, the person period of atonement, the Bene Menashe would kill a chicken. Shimon Gangte is a Bene Menashe rabbi in Kiryat Arba.

GANGTE: The ascendant of the home would do an damages for the full family, what they would do is they would verify a chicken, a phallic chicken, and revilement its throat and neaten every the members of the family. But we can’t rattling do that now, because it’s weird.ROSENBAUM: The 500 Bene Menashe in Kiryat Arba hit patch divagation most of their older rituals, and condemned on a more mainstream move to Judaism. They coiffe such same the another sanctioned person settlers; women in daylong skirts, and men in skullcaps, famous as a kippahs. But title Gangte says the accord ease struggles to encounter espousal in Israel.

GANGTE: Every instance we go somewhere newborn we hit to care with a aggregation of confused and dopy questions ‘Where are you from, Indonesia? Thailand? Are you Jewish? Why do you hit that kippah? Do you undergo what existence person is? Are you a convert? Are you attendant to doc Lee?’ It’s crazy.

ROSENBAUM: He says there’s ontogeny gall in the community.

GANGTE: When you embellish here grouping analyse you on a assorted spectrum, as someone disagreeable to carelessness their impoverishment in India, so it hurts us a lot, and there’s a aggregation of emotion among my community. A aggregation of grouping essay to bury that and on Yom Kippur it rattling comes out, when you communicate for benignity and atone for your sins. A aggregation of grouping do advert these things.

ROSENBAUM: There are most 1,400 Bene Menashe Jews in Zion and most of them springy on settlements. They’ve embellish low blast from politicians who poverty to convey the filled territories to the Palestinians.
GANGTE: The settlers offered us to springy here because they’re ofttimes hunting to alter their settlements. That’s digit of the reasons. The ordinal think is economically it makes more sense, because it’s such cheaper to springy discover here. The Amerindic rupee is not rattling strong, so modify if we embellish with a aggregation of money, when we modify it into Asiatic shekels we exclusive intend most digit ordinal of what we had. So most of us can’t provide to springy in the bounteous cities.

ROSENBAUM: About 7,000 Bnei Menashe ease in Bharat poverty to resolve in Israel. The polity acknowledges that they’re of person descent, but it doesn’t collection them as Jewish. This effectuation that they can’t embellish Israelis low the correct of convey law, which provide citizenship to anyone who crapper establish they’re Jewish.
Most of the Bene Menashe in Zion hit got around the difficulty by converting formally to Judaism. Yair Lotjem, who entireness as a preparation in Kiryat Arba, hopes Israel’s polity module support the Bnei Menashe to immigrate.

LOTJEM: I ease hit kinsfolk in Bharat and digit of the important reasons I’m ease employed is so that I crapper alter them over here. I poverty to alter them over here modify if the polity can’t support me. The accord here is lobbying to alter to Bene Menashe. I wish it succeeds.

ROSENBAUM: title Gangte is serving Lotjem to alter discover his 94-year-old mother.

GANGTE: You undergo what she said to me? On the sound she said ‘I’m weak, I can’t go in and discover of the concern anymore, someone has to circularize me. But I’m not feat to expire until I ordered measure in the realty of Israel.’


INDIAN ARMY TRAINING HUB ON REBEL CORRIDOR


Itanagar, Oct 20 : The Arunachal Pradesh polity has definite to provide absent a super biome of realty in the Papum Pare Atlantic to the grey to ordered up a upbringing facility.

The travel aims at swing the brake on shitting of militants from Assam.

The vast reach of realty exercising from Chessa to Chengmara community on Arunachal-Assam abut along Rajgarh calif agency is existence utilised by the militants from province as an “escape route.”

In September, the realty polity definite to give 800 acres of realty in Durpong, Chessa, Chengmara and Holongi areas of Papum Pare regularise in the foothills of Assam-Arunachal abut to the army, sources said.

Arunachal Pradesh honcho rector Dorjee Khandu assured a aggroup of grey officers from the Tezpur-based 4 Corps that the realty polity would presently supply a asking for assessing the realty continuance by sterilisation a homogenous evaluate for feat the realty for the grey corps’ units and brigade in the state.

The aggroup included Maj. Gen. P.S. Bhalla, Brig. P. Satish, Col A.K. Gupta and Col U. Dwiwedi.

The grey officers visited the realty on Sept 9 to handle issues pertaining to acquisition of the realty and acquaint themselves with the realty acquisition process.

Matters aforementioned realty condemned on lease, engage rent, commercialism for land, issuance of realty cacoethes certificate, entering by clannish parties on grey land, responsibility of more realty for accumulation in different parts of the realty and realty mercantilism came up for discussion, the sources added.Khandu assured to represent a high-level NGO low the chairmanship of commissioner of realty direction and the help commissioner for expediting the process.

The help commissioner of Papum Pare, Bidol Tayeng, help commissioner of top Byzantine Padmini Singla and the caretaker of police, Papum Pare, Hibu Tamang, visited the Atlantic terminal Monday.

The section agencies, including personnel and the CRPF, grappling a thickened instance chase downbound the insurgents who ingest the Durpong, Chessa and the Chengmara as the rivers enter Itanagar and Dollungmukh with Lakhimpur regularise of Assam.

The riverine areas hit ofttimes been utilised by the militants as “escape routes” after committing crimes aforementioned remove and abduction.

The clifflike foothills and the dumb jungles of Chengmara and Chessa are utilised as hideouts by Bodo militants, where they ready their hostages.

The Atlantic attained infamy for crusader attacks, abduction and murders.

Ulfa militants killed fivesome policemen and scraped digit when they ambushed a personnel container at Chessa.

Getam Apang, the youngest son of past honcho rector Gegong Apang, and his someone Narain Rai were also held imprisoned in the Chengmara Atlantic after existence abducted.

Ullash Todi, a bourgeois from Naharlagun, was seize from Itanagar and kept in immurement at Chessa in 2001.

The managing administrator of the Arunachal Pradesh State Co-operative Society, S.N. Prasad, abducted from Naharlagun was saved by the personnel from the area.

Two community from Nirjuli area, J.P. Gupta and R.P. Choudhury abducted in 2006 were also saved from the aforementioned Atlantic by the police.

EVICTED VENDORS’ STRIKE FLOPS

Imphal, Oct 20 : An indecisive generalized accomplish titled throughout province by more than 1,000 women vendors from 5am today unsuccessful to interpret some response.

The vendors had titled the accomplish in oppose against their coercion from roadsides in assorted parts of Imphal city.

The Imphal Municipal Council had conducted the coercion intend on Oct 16 as conception of its crusade to ready the municipality decent and earmark the uncreased line of traffic. The personnel distant the temporary sheds constructed by the vendors from the roadsides.

An authorised in the council duty said the vendors had not exclusive closed traffic, but also prefabricated the municipality dirtier.

The intend came after Ibobi Singh kicked soured a tree plantation digit months ago. The vendors argued that the polity should wage them a locate where they could delude their artefact and they should be allowed to be at the margin until an deciding composing was made.“We hit the correct to acquire a experience and the polity should assist this by providing us a place. It is inhumane to vanish the slummy vendors, who take their families by commerce vegetables here,” Chaobi Devi, a vendor, said.

The Imphal Municipal Council has no plans to wage them an deciding locate immediately. The vendors did not hit licences, the council said. The women vendors who hit licences and live sheds in the municipality mart do not hold the street vendors. The mart remained unstoppered despite the bandh.

The accomplish did not hit some effect in another parts of the state. Shops remained unstoppered and traveller services continuing as usual.

However, the evicted vendors closed vehicles carrying vegetables for understanding in the city. Some remained on protect at different places to analyse the “smuggling” in of vegetables in the city.

The vendors said they would move to place push on the polity by interference vegetables reaching from another parts of the land to the city.

MINORITY PARTY TRYING TO STITCH UP THIRD FRONT IN ASSAM

Guwahati, Oct 20 : The province United Democratic Front (AUDF), a pro-minority band with the ordinal maximal sort of way in the 126-member land assembly, is disagreeable to cobblestone up a ordinal grappling against the legislature and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since its breakable course with the important contestant Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) seem to hit snapped.

‘We due the AGP to verify the advance in forging a allied grappling against both the legislature and the BJP in Assam. But today that the AGP is conversation of an electoral alinement with the BJP, we hit definite to ready absent from the regional party, and if needed we shall grappling the reaching Lok Sabha polls alone,’ AUDF employed chair Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury told IANS.

Choudhury hinted that his party, which has 10 way in the land assembly, incoming to the AGP’s 23, is employed on the existence of forging a ordinal grappling to verify on the legislature and the BJP in the land of 26 meg people.

‘We are in talks with the politico Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Nationalist legislature Party (NCP) and whatever another same minded parties to wager if we crapper become unitedly in this effort of principles,’ Choudhury said.
Some land CPI-M body hit dubbed the AUDF a ‘communal party’, a calculate denied by Choudhury.

If the AUDF does control to hit a newborn formation, it would stingy that the effort in province for Lok Sabha way module wager a multilateral oppose between the judgement Congress, the AGP-BJP combine, and the AUDF-led alliance.

The AUDF, led by odourise baron Badruddin Ajmal, had to indifference itself from the AGP, with which it appeared stabbing to impact together, after the regional band prefabricated it country it was feat to hit whatever category of a enquiry alinement with the BJP modify if it is restricted to edifice sharing.

A brawny tap within the legislature wants the AUDF to hit an alinement with the legislature in province so as to preclude a separate in the Islamic balloting bank. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is against an alinement but appears to hit no difficulty should the AUDF end to drop its indistinguishability and merge with the Congress.

Gogoi’s verify is that every Muslims do not balloting for the legislature and much votes are mutual by parties same the AUDF and others. Even in the 2006 gathering polls, Gogoi is said to hit unloved pleas by a country of Congressmen to hit a tie-up with the AUDF.

The doable manufacture that staleness be bedevilment the legislature in province is the reportable endeavor by the Samajwadi Party, a essential of the United Progressive Allaince (UPA) polity at the centre, to move an anti-BJP consortium in the state. The difficulty module hap in housing the Samajwadi Party decides to fastening in the AUDF and Ajmal agrees to lateral with Amar Singh.

Things are hazy but the semipolitical arithmetic is hotting up, especially after the faction-ridden AGP, Assam’s important contestant party, got allied terminal week.

SECURITY TIGHTENED IN IMPHAL AFTER BLAST


Security was tightened in Imphal on weekday in the consequence of the wind nearby the authorised act of province Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, authorised sources said.

Sources said organisation and another section organisation were deployed at undefendable places here and hunting of passers-by intensified to notice shitting of brachiate ultras.

Sources said player obligate has been deployed around the Chief Minister’s residence.

They said Sunday’s assail discharge around 8.30 pm nearby the authorised act of the Chief Minister was the ordinal incident in the time digit months.

There was no accident in the explosion.

It was not still famous whether the assail was naturalised or hurled by unnamed militants, the sources said, adding the discharge occurred patch the province organisation was celebrating its 116th upbringing at First province Rifles pack Byzantine nearby the Chief Minister’s residence.

On Sept 1, militants of People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) exploded a coercive assail exclusive the Chief Minister’s authorised act complex.

So far, no individualist or assemble has claimed domain for Sunday’s explosion.

Friday, October 17, 2008

TWO VILLAGES IN ARUNACHAL FACING CHINA TO BE ILLUMINATED

I
tanagar, Oct 16 : Two far villages in Arunachal Pradesh alert along the along the Indo-China module intend energy shortly, thanks to a primary Prime Minsiter’s package.

Geiling, the terminal Amerindic community in the frontier on the correct slope and Singa, the remotest community on the mitt slope of Siang River in Upper Siang district, module be electrified within a period low a abut community status scheme.

Geiling is reachable exclusive after heptad kms hard achievement from a close roadhead. One has to trek at small for quaternary life to accomplish Singa. Geiling module intend noesis from 50KW Silingri micro hydel send (MHP) patch Singa MHP is of 30 KW capacities.

The hydropower division has rank every their impact and effort had been conducted and within a period the sending and organisation meshwork module be ready, an authorised told UNI today.

Planning helper P S Lokhande, attended by Pawan Kumar Sain, Deputy Commissioner of Upper Siang and V. Sonam, Deputy Director, thinking visited whatever essential projects in the far locations of Upper Siang regularise terminal hebdomad to rank the uncompleted duty for illumination up digit remotest villages of the state.

The aggroup trekked 14 kms to Geiling despite foul defy and extremely in inauspicious conditions. The patron of officers and open body spent whatever hours unitedly in Geiling which served as an superior possibleness for every to see the problems and revalue the aspirations of the grouping leaving in abut areas.

The aggroup also inspected the 50KW Silingri micro-hydel and spoken their spirit most the progress.
The aggroup after visited additional far community Norbuliang and spent whatever instance with the villagers. They also visited edifice and scrutiny sub-centre and discussed most feat of abut Atlantic utilization information (BADP), sources informed.

Mr Lokhande as DC Lohit and Anjaw were activity pivotal persona along with the hydropower division in establishing a 10 KW micro hydel at Kaho, the terminal Amerindic community in Lohit Valley, which is today existence looked as persona help for Border Village Illumination Programme.

More much far abut villages are due to intend their possess tiny hydels in nearby forthcoming low PM package, sources disclosed.

At Tuting the aggroup inspected whatever projects same 250 KW Kopu MHP, 4.5 MW Angong MHP, cerebration of agricultural unification agency (RLR) from Ongong to Old Tuting, cerebration of Steel Suspension Bridge at Kodak, Foot Suspension denture at Zido to Connect Singa.

At Yingkiyong, Mr Lokhande inaugurated the Jan-Suvidha edifice and conducted a gathering with officers adjoining with the feat of PM’s collection and briefed them most crescendo the sorption capacity, maintaining the calibre and adopting straight artefact of functioning.

The Planning Secretary also visited the 6 MW hydro send at Bantu in West Siang regularise which also conventional resource low PM package. The machines for the send were place low effort and by Oct modify the advertizement creation was due to commence, sources added.

CHILD LABOUR PREVAILS IN NORTHEAST, BUT NOT IN OFFICIAL DATA



Kolkata, Oct 17 : Even though activists feature it is cushy to blot children cleaning pots and pans and doing another impact at streetside restaurants in the north - same in the rest of the land - the hit ministry accumulation paints a shockingly assorted picture.

Following queries filed low the Right to Information (RTI) Act by the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), an organisation engaged on female rights, ministry accumulation revealed worthless frequency of female hit in the region.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the sort of inspections carried discover from Oct 2006 to Apr 2008 was meet nine, in which sextet cases of ravishment were detected. However, there were no figures on the sort of prosecutions filed or saved children rehabilitated.

‘In Manipur, Sikkim and Meghalaya, 39, 60 and 24 inspections were carried discover respectively in the 19 months, according to the documents. However, the rest of the aggregation - on the violations et al - had been mitt blank. Does this stingy that there are no children engaged in dhabas and restaurants in these states?’ asks Bhuwan Ribhu, a attorney and husbandly helper of BBA.

Two eld ago, on Oct 10, 2006, the polity illegal the job of children as husbandly helps and in streetside restaurants. Violators crapper be jailed for up to digit eld and punished Rs.20,000.However, to queries filed low RTI by BBA, the hit ministry said a plain 8,105 violations of the forbiddance were perceived crossways the land between Oct 2006 and Apr 2008.

‘Children engaged in ‘dhabas’ anywhere in the land is rampant. Despite that if this is what the officials hit to feature most the sort of female workers in the land then it meet reflects their mindset - of refusing to verify it as a earnest crime.’

For whatever north states same Mizoram and Nagaland, every the expanse for aggregation on inspections carried out, violations detected, prosecutions filed or children rehabilitated had been mitt blank.

Sangeeta Borah, an reformist engaged on female rights in Assam, said: ‘These figures scarce inform the actual picture. Children move to impact in diminutive restaurants on the anchorage and as husbandly helps everywhere.

‘What the figures land is scarce uplifting, it’s scary. It indicates nonaccomplishment to the difficulty which module exclusive encourage the evildoing instead of eliminating it.’

Assam is the unaccompanied north land where, according to the document, a continuation has been filed. In 19 months, 1,261 inspections were carried out, of which 46 violations were detected.

Forty-five saved children were dispatched backwards to their parents’ homes.
Highly discontent at the salutation and the discrepancies in the figures, the BBA is thinking to enter an attractiveness with the hit ministry.


‘We module presently enter an attractiveness as we see there are individual discrepancies in the accumulation presented to us. We had quaternary defined queries: the sort of female labourers statewise, sort of saved children, sort of employers prosecuted and the kids rehabilitated. However, the figures presented are rattling dishonorable and confusing,’ Ribhu said.

‘At this rate, female hit module never be eliminated from our society. It is instance we started treating it as a earnest crime,’ he added.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Tribal students to stay away from MU



New Delhi, Oct 10 : Manipur Tribal Students staged a protest in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar today at 9:00 AM Local Time . A memorandum was submitted to the PMO. They highlighted the issues faced by the tribals in the Hills of Manipur and the quota system in Manipur University in particular.

The recipient ministers have given an assurance that they will take up the issue with the concerned authorities as well as the Manipur state government.
Imphal, Oct 10 : No tribal students will return to Manipur University (MU) for whatsoever reason until “an unconditional and an amicable solution” is brought about regarding the prevailing situation, according to leaders of the Manipur University Tribal Students Union (MUTSU).

The MUTSU leaders have also urged all the tribal students to participate in the sit-in-protest to be held near Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC) compound in Imphal on October 10 from morning onwards.
They further informed that tribal students will also hold massive protest rally in New Delhi on Friday showing solidarity to the tribal people’s cause in Manipur.

Talking to NNN on Thursday, student leaders led by Manipur university Tribal Students Union spokesman Michael Lunminthang, former MUTSU president and advisor to MUTSU Gaisingam Gonmei and other tribal student leaders informed that an emergency meeting of the various tribal students’ bodies consisting of MUTSU, All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur (ATSUM), Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), All Zeliangrong Students Union (AZSU), Churachandpur District Students Union (CDSU), Komrein Students’ Union (KSU) and other tribal student bodies unanimously resolved today to pull out all tribal students from the University campus and that no tribal students will return until an amicable solution is brought about.

The meeting held at the Tribal Research Institute, Adimjati in Imphal also resolved that no further interviews, be it contract or part-time should be conducted until a solution is brought about and that the University Act, 2005 adopted by the Cabinet should be amended by the Central University .

The meeting also resolved that the University Grant Commission (UGC) should not function without the tribal students as Manipur University (MU) is meant for the people of Manipur and not just for a section of the people of Manipur, informed the MUTSU leaders.

Referring to the pull out of the students from Manipur University the MUTSU leaders informed that the decision was not taken by the student leaders but the students themselves as they could not feel at home at the University anymore even after they were being asked to go back to the University.

Instead the students are scared as they were attacked by elements from certain quarters on Monday during the agitation following alleged encouragements from the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) to attack them.

Northeast India suffering floods and sectarian violence




Guwahati, Oct 10 : Unprecedented flooding has displaced millions of people in India, including the states of Bihar, Assam, and Orissa. At least 16 of the state’s 27 districts have been affected.

Over a month after the Kosi river burst its banks, hundreds of villagers in the Bihar remain desperate for food and drinking water. Flood victims in one of the worst-hit areas, reportedly fed up with the government delays on relief, looted relief supplies earlier this week.
According to news reports, floodwaters killed nearly 2,500 people since the onset of monsoon rains in June. Thousands of survivors have taken shelter in government relief camps.

Dave Stravers with Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India says the disaster comes on top of weeks of intensifying religious persecution. “(In Orissa) The government has declared a 24-hour curfew. Essentially that means no one may leave their home or move from place to place. They’re doing this to prevent these roving gangs of extremists from attacking Christians.”

The curfew has complicated relief efforts in the area. Floodwaters there also impacted tens of thousands. The heavy rains and flooding only magnified uncertainty in an already troubled region where Hindus have mounted a genocide against Christians.

The situation has taken a heavy toll on ministry overall. “300 villages were virtually destroyed in the violence. About 30-percent of our ministries in Orissa have been closed down, and they’re not functioning for the time being.”

Partners in the area report that at least 25 Adult Literacy centers and 14 Children’s Bible Clubs have been closed. Three ministry staff members lost their homes and belongings to the floods.

Stravers urges prayer for their partners. ”The Evil One wants to use these things to cause fear and discouragement so that people will stop their witnessing, stop their work of compassion and just withdraw. We need people to take courage, to be bold in their faith and to trust in God’s care and protection for them.”

Pray for those who have lost their homes and family members and are struggling to survive. Pray for the Christians’ safety in a region struggling with mounting oppression. Pray that Mission India ministry partners will be able to resume programs quickly.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Lawmakers should take key role in controlling AIDS

Imphal, Oct 8 : Union Minister of State for Labour and employment Oscar Fernandes today called upon the lawmakers to lead the nation in checking HIV/AIDS.

Addressing the second annual general meeting of the Manipur Legislators Forum on HIV/AIDS, Fernandes, also chairman of the Parliamentary Forum on HIV/AIDS, said the legislators should form forums and start working in their respective constituencies to make people aware about HIV/AIDS.Manipur and Nagaland legislators were taking a leading role by forming forums and urging people to come forward and fight HIV AIDS, he added. “It is easy to control HIV AIDS as a single dose of medicine to infected pregnant woman can stop spread of the disease to the newly born child.
“The problem is identifying the infected persons” he added.

In a country like India where child birth in hospitals and nursing home was quite low. In Manipur it was 30 per cent and in Nagaland it was 16 per cent and the situation was the same throughout the country, he added.

The onus of fighting the disease should not be the sole responsibility of the MPs and the MLAs but the Councillors, Panchayat members should also take a leading role so that the message could be sent to the grass root level, he said.

Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh said the Government was planning to enact a law to ensure that adequate fund was available to the legislators to carry out awareness campaigns in their respective constituencies and to ensure that blood tests be conducted for the people living in these constituencies.

“The trend is alarming in Manipur and the country as the numbers of women living with HIV AIDS have increased manifold. We need to monitor activities in the border areas specially the international border areas with Myanmar so that illegal drug trafficking and movement of militants could be checked” the Chief Minister said.

Manipur shares 400 km of border with Myanmar and the Union Home Ministry has sanctioned fencing of border areas for only ten kilometers at Moreh, Chandel district. “We need to immediately construct a fench in the international border if we want to protect the lives of the future generaltion”, Singh said.

Durga Puja in the Northeast




In Arunachal
Ministers and MLAs belonging to different faiths, including Buddhists and Christians, joined the people in celebrating Durga Puja at the temple in the ministerial enclave here as puja fervour gripped Arunachal Pradesh.
Nearly one hundred community pujas are being held in different parts of the eastern-most Himalayan State. The State capital with a mixed population of tribals and people from different parts of the country, itself is hosting half the pujas.

Local colour has been added to the traditional festivity with the Goddess donning ‘Gale’, a local attire with tribal ornaments at Chandannagar area.
The colourful pandals, mostly perched on hill tops, could be visible together from any given point in this stadium shaped town with hills surrounding Indira Gandhi park.

While in day time the hills provide perfect backdrop for propitiating ‘Parvati’, the daughter of Himalaya, the olourfully lit pandals light up the evening sky.

Audio systems blaring hymns from different pandals reverbrate amidst the hills. Old timers remember the first puja here was organised at the community hall in the early seventies.

The Puja at Mob-II area completed 25 years last year. Pujas at Kali bari, North Eastern Institute for Science and Technology(NERIST) and Rama Krishna Mission Hospital draw huge crowd every year. Pujas are also being held at district towns, including Pasighat, the oldest town in the State, which sees six Pujas this time against four last year. The Puja at Niti Vihar Durga Temple was re-started by the ministers last year after Dorjee Khandu, a Buddhist, came to power dislodging Gegong Apang in April 2007.
In Mizoram
The Hindu community across Mizoram today started observing Durga Puja with peace and gaiety. “As usual, the Durga puja is celebrated under peaceful atmosphere without any untoward incident.

We are receiving warm wishes and good co-operation from the Mizos. This proves that people of all faiths in Mizoram are maintaining their harmonious co-existence,” Aizawl-based Hindustan Club president and Mizoram law secretary P Chakraborty told UNI here today. On the occasion of the puja, “we the Hindu community here are greeting the peace-loving Mizos for their hospitality,” Chakraborty said.

Mizoram Governor M M Lakhera has visited the pandal to join in the celebrations, Chakraborty said. The puja committee also distributed clothes and other items to the poor families to mark the occasion.

The Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Border Road Task Force were also celebrating the puja at their respective places. (UNI)

In Tripura
Hundreds of devotees across the state today joined Maha Ashtami prayer, second day of Durga puja, despite fear of terrorist attacks. Security has been tightened in all puja pandals and temples from last night.

According to reports, police have installed full-fledged frisking mechanism including metal detector in five temples where thousands of people have queued to offer prayer.

People in the city used to come out after mid-night but this year a small portion of the dwellers enjoyed puja late night and most of the shops were closed after 2300 hours, said traffic officials adding they put the ‘no entry’ board at 1900 hrs instead of 1500 hrs.

Fear gripped the state with the recovery of at least seven suspicious packets and bags from different places in Agartala during last 48 hours.

Sikkim to introduce security number plates




Gangtok, Oct 8 : In order to check the misuse of vehicles for carrying out criminal and subversive activities, Sikkim Government has decided to introduce high security registration plates (HSRP) for all vehicles in the State, the Transport department said.
All new motor vehicles would be required to be fitted with the HSRP from October 14, it said in a release here.

All existing vehicles, which were already registered with the Transport department, would also be required to install HSRP within two years in a phased manner, it said.

There are about 40,000 four-wheelers plying on the roads in the State and all of them would be required to be fitted with HSRP.

Workshop on traditional healing practices in NE

Guwahati, Oct 8 : North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine (NEIFM) has organised a two days training workshop for trainers on traditional healing practices in Northeast India” at IIBM, Khanapara, Guwahati.

About twenty four resource persons from different Institute and Universities of India and more than fifty traditional healers of Northeast India participated in the workshop.Dr Rama Shankar, Officer Incharge of NEIFM welcomed all the participants and delegates.The workshop was inaugurated by lighting lamps by Verghese Samuel, Joint Secretary, Department of AYUSH.

SK Chadha, IFS, Director AYUSH was the guest of honour where he elaborated the importance of NEIFM and also the importance of traditional folk medicine and its deep rooted cultural, anthropological, social and spiritual linking in the treatment of local people of remote and inaccessible areas of India.

Dr GG Gangadharan, Jt. Director, FMRI, Mumbai, Dr RC Srivastava, Jt. Director, BSI, Itanagar, Prof SK Borthakur, GU Assam and many other scientists have presented the research papers in the workshop. Dr DS Kalita, Principal, Ayurvedic College, Guwahati emphasized the urgent need of conservation of medicinal plant wealth of NE India.

The traditional healers from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram,Tripura and Sikkim have displayed the medicinal plants and medicines used in their localities. Traditional healers participating in the workshop has discussed about their difficulties like transportation, collection of drugs from forest areas and establishment of mini dispensaries in different areas and methods for the solution of their requirements were recorded for future programme of the institute.

Arunachal launches PR drive

Itanagar, Oct 8 : A campaign has been launched by the Arunachal Pradesh government to dispel fear among non-Arunachalees about an operation launched by it with regard to a permit needed for ‘outsiders’ to stay and pursue their profession in the State.

The State Government has undertaken a public relation exercise to allay apprehensions among non-Arunachalees about the ‘Operation Clear’ drive recently intensified by the authorities to send out those without Inner Line Permits (ILP), official sources said.
The ILP is a mandatory requirement for Indians from other states to stay and pursue their professions in the state under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873.

The ILPs are verified usually at the entry points to the state and on highways by mobile parties. But whenever there is crime, police parties intensify the checking.

After three persons were arrested in North Lakhimpur district in Asom in connection with the recent murder of two young tribal girls here, the operation was intensified and 103 people were sent out for not having ILPs or for possessing fake ones.

Since the arrested belong to a minority community, the Minority Yuva Chatra Parishad organised an economic blockade for two hours on September 18 when over 10,000 Muslims from different areas of North Lakhimpur blocked NH-52 alleging atrocities on minorities during ILP check.

Though there was no untoward incident except for a stray incident of damage to a few cars bearing Arunachal Pradesh number plates.

Naga parties discuss women’s quota Bill




Kohima, Oct 8 : Political parties in Nagaland have decided that the 108th Constitution (Amendment Bill) 2008 on Women’s Reservation in the Parliament and the Nagaland Assembly should be widely consulted at the grassroots level before being accepted for implementation.
Sources revealed that an allparty meeting on the examination of 108th Constitution (Amendment Bill) 2008 on Women Reservation was held at the Nagaland Assembly conference hall recently.

However, the representatives of all the political parties including Nagaland Peoples’ Front (NPF), Congress, BJP, NCP, JD(U), RJD, Samata Party, BSP, Independent MLAs and the two MPs of Nagaland expressed that the Bill which had been introduced in the Rajya Sabha is presently under examination. They also agreed to have wider consultation and make in-depth study of the Act in Nagaland context.

The meeting chaired by Nagaland Assembly Speaker, Kiyanielie Peseyie has requested all the political parties to have consultations with their party workers and bring forth written suggestions in the next meeting.

Leaders of various political parties including Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio addressed the meeting.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

49% in Meghalaya below poverty line

Shillong, Oct 5 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy rued that around 49 per cent of the state’s population is below poverty line and about an equal percentage of educated youth are unemployed.

Inaugurating on Friday the first meeting of the reconstituted Meghalaya State Planning Board (MSPB) headed by former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma, Roy said: “The figure of poverty and unemployment in the state is disheartening.” He attributed the dismal state of economy and scenario of unemployment to “resource and infrastructure constraints.”

Roy said to overcome the present situation, the state must accelerate investment in infrastructure. The first meeting of the MSPB attended by experts and politicians brainstormed to find ways to rescue the state’s sagging economy.
Brainstorming for achieving economic improvement has become important as the state has envisaged a growth rate of 7.2 per cent during the eleventh plan. Roy said to achieve this target the state’s plan size has been fixed at Rs 9,185 crore.

What is worrying Roy and MSPB is the reducing growth rate from 7.8 per cent in the ninth plan to 6.33 per cent during subsequent plan. MSBP Chairman Purno A Sangma said for the first time Meghalaya would have its Human Development Report in assistance with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

He said: “This will help the Government to get a clearer image of the state of affairs in Meghalaya.” Sangma underlined the role of MSPB as significant in augmenting the state’s economy. He said the reconstituted MSPB would have nine working groups, each headed by an expert.

Mizoram Christians CRY ‘Peace for all’

In what appeared to be the largest congregation in recent times, tens of thousands of Mizo Christians took to the streets in Aizawl today condemning the increasing violence against Christians in Orissa and other parts of the country. As the Mizoram government declared a state holiday, the Peace Rally, spearheaded by the Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute (church leaders) Committee (MKHC), witnessed a grand success.Chief Minister Zoramthanga, a few ministers and MLAs, Chief Secretary Haukhum Hauzel and a number of high government officials were seen participating at the rally. Notably, hundreds from Muslim community and Mizo Jews also took part in the rally. The rallyist coming from southern and northern points of Aizawl converged at the Assam Rifles where they prayed for their fellow persecuted Christians and asked for God’s forgiveness for those who attacked them. Aizawl streets wore a deserted look when the processionists gathered at the AR Ground for a mass prayer.In his speech at the AR Ground, Chief Minister Zoramthanga said that inhumane attacks on Christians in India have tarnished the image of India as the largest and secular country. He said he had personally talked to the Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister to take immediate measures to protect the minority Christians all over the country and safeguard the secularism of the country. MKHC Chairman and Mizoram Presbyterian Church Moderator Rev. Dr. H. Vanlalauva, who also spoke at the rally, said we must forgive and pray for the salvation of those who are
persecuting the Christians.The MHKC will submit memorandum to the State Governors, the President and the Prime Minister of India in a follow-up to today’s rally. “We strongly condemn the death of Swami Lakhsmananda Saraswati, and we equally condemn the consequent attacks on the innocent Christians who had nothing to do with the Swami’s death,” Rev K Lalrinsanga, General Secretary of the MKHC said today. The Peace Rally, which was also organised in other district capitals of Mizoram ended at around 2:30pm without any untoward incidents.
It is good to see diffrent faiths coming togather, not for mutual benefit, but for plain old standing up for what is right. Sometimes, the “them” and “us” mentality that is drilled into us from young makes us hesitate to come to another’s aid. I don’t mean the kind where you see a car accident and you go and help, but more that you hear there is another religion/race specific rally, and you(assuming you are not “them) stop and wonder, if you were to join them, are you turning your back on your faith or people? Like those whites who stood up againts black slavery, they went didn’t so much as turn their back on their own race, but instead stood up for humanity, stood up for what is right, stood up for Jesus.

God says, we are all equal. If you would forgive the language, to take a quote from Full Metal Jacket: There is no racial bigotry here. I do not look down on niggers, kikes, wops or greasers. Here you are all equally worthless. All of us are sinners, we are equally undeserving, which is why the world needs more Mercy, Grace and Love, instead of Segregration, Intolerance and All-That-Divides.

I would like to write more, but I really got to go to sleep. Some additional notes below:

A quick google search which I *think* is a daily newspaper or something.
Its rather late, and I’m in need of sleep, not to mention having THREE posts i want to do before Monday rolls by but Real Life is getting in the way. Haih.

Anyone who can update me on whats happening, who this Swami Lakhsmananda Saraswati is, and general related info, do post in the comments. Havn’t been keeping up with the news lately.

NESO protest at Guwahati calls for justice in Monika case

Imphal, Oct 5 : Leaders of the students’ union of the North East Students’ Organization (NESO) launched a sit in protest at Latasil ground, Guwahati, yesterday calling for punishment to those people who were involved in exclusion of Laishram Monica from the Beijing Olympics and for the contempt which was shown towards north east people.The protest was attended by various retired and presently playing national and international players and was organized by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) under the aegis of NESO.

President of the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Khamba Laishram, Olympian Thoiba, Tiken and Mr Manipur Kh Pradip were also present in the protest.

Presidents and secretaries of various students’ unions of the entire north eastern states gathered for the protest along with numerous sports persons.

Chairman of the NESO, Dr Samujjal Bhattacharya, Gumjum Haider, general secretary, NESO, Punte VC, NESO, I Jamesbond Marang, assistant secretary, NESO, Samuel Jyrwa, publicity secretary NESO, Sangam, finance secretary, NESO also attended the sit-in protest.

The union leaders and the players who came to take part in the protest from other states also decided to highlight the undermining of the people of north east by the Indian government.

The incident involving Monika gives shame to the entire north easterners, not only the people of Manipur. It also called for people in the region to face the problem together as one, the All Manipur Students’ Union said in a release.

TN Haokip urges for foreign exchange facilities in Manipur

N
ew Delhi, Oct 5 : One-day Special Summit on Banking, Industries and Credit Issues in the North Eastern Region with an emphasis on financial inclusion was held today at Vigyan Bhawan here under the aegis of the Union Ministry for the Development of North Eastern Region.

In the inaugural session, Ms. Usha Thorat, Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India spoke on ‘Financial Sector Plan for the NE region’, O.P.Bhatt, Chairman of State Bank of India on ‘Overview of the banking and credit issues in the NE Region’ and Abhijit Sharma of Indian Institute of Bank Management, Guwahati on ‘Issues of Financial Inclusion of the NE Region’. Thereafter, the Chief Ministers or Finance Ministers or its representatives of North Eastern States delivered the issues concerning to banking, industries and credit in their respective states.T.N.Haokip, Manipur Minister of Public Health Engineering/ Information/ Tourism who represented the Manipur Chief Minister emphasized the need for providing foreign exchange facilities in Manipur for catering to the trans-border trade at Moreh.

He reminded that the State Government had already proposed to the Reserve Bank of India for setting up the facilities at the State Bank of India (SBI), Imphal Branch and two other selected branches of other banks at Imphal, a SBI or United Bank of India (UBI) branch located at each District HQ and the UBI, Moreh Branch.

The Manipur Minister stressed the urgent need for establishment of more currency chests at strategic locations in Manipur. He said that two district Head Quarters in the State namely Imphal East and Bishnupur were without RBI currency chests. The branches of SBI at Bishnupur and the proposed branch of SBI at Imphal East might be provided with the currency chests so that RBI Currency Chests were established at all the District HQs.

Moreover, local banks like Manipur Rural Bank (MRB), Keishampat Branch and Manipur State Cooperative Bank, Imphal Branch might also be permitted to install currency chests, he added.He mentioned that Moreh had been emerged as a trans-border trade centre between India and Myanmar. There would be bus services from Moreh to Mandalay in Myanmar. He said, “The main facility extended by the UBI branch at Moreh presently is to receive deposits for money transfers to Imphal and elsewhere. As such, the chest capacity remains fully utilized for most of the time particularly due to inconvenience of remitting the surplus cash to Imphal on surface transport. Therefore, there is a need to upgrade the chest capacity suitably as also to resolve the problem of remittance of cash from the branch regularly”.

He said that the Manipur had 94 bank branches, out of these 9 branches of Manipur Rural Bank (MRB) were not functioning. Only 85 bank branches were operational. Manipur had the highest Average Population per Branch Office (APPBO) amongst all NE States. In 2005, the APPBO of Manipur was 29791, which was alarmingly high in comparison to the National Average (14949) and NER Average (19885).

He also pointed out that out of 41 blocks in Manipur, 20 blocks were without bank. Low branch network had affected the per capita deposits and opening of the Deposits and Credit accounts in the State. With the inadequate banking services in Manipur, the State could hardly cope up with the increasing demands of banking and credit facilities. The state had already presented the case to the Reserve Bank of India and the approvals had not yet come out.

The Minister stated, “It needs to be stressed that in underdeveloped areas of North East Region, banking has to be seen not only as a commercial activity but as a social service too for a certain gestation period. It is, therefore, a mandate for the banks, too, to bear some cost in achieving the objectives of equitable national development. The State Government is of the view that the cost of security should not be a hindrance for banks to come forward in opening new branches”.

He further stated that considering the importance of the Regional Rural Banks(RRB) for developing the rural economy as well as to ensure adequate flow of institutional credit to the rural and agricultural sector, the Government of India in 2007-08 decided to recapitalize 29 RRBs located in 16 States having a total negative net worth of cover their losses. Manipur Rural Bank, the lone RRB in the State was among them. A revival plan had been put in place with infusion of fresh capital and of its share the State Government had released a sum of Rs.120 lakhs and the balance amount (Rs.75.25 lakhs) would be released shortly.

Manipur Rural Bank had been opening with a network of 27 branches spread over in all the 9 districts of the State. Out of 27 branches, 9 rural branches were not functioning for a long time. It needed to be revived on priority and the state government was committed to provide necessary assistance for furthering the business for the MRB, he added.

In his address, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Union Minister of DoNER said that North Eastern States had huge potential for its economic development. Existing non-formal banking system of the region should be fully utilized. The Centre earmarked Rupees 14 lakh crore for NER vision 2020 and the banking sector should play a major role in translating the vision into the reality.

In his address, P.Chidambaram, Union Finance Minster stated that intermediary agencies should be developed for effective operation of the non-formal banks. The banks should play both pioneering role and facilitator role in the NE Region for economic growth. He expressed the willingness for opening more currency chests in NE States if the state governments had provided security.

India looks at more currency chests in NE

The government on Saturday said it would facilitate faster establishment of currency chests in the north eastern (NE) region of the country, but asked the NE states to ensure their security.

“We are willing to open more currency chests, which the ministry of home affairs is required to clear. We now promise that the clearance will be given within 3 months and if it does not happen, the currency chest would be deemed cleared. Therefore, more currency chests can be opened now, provided the states ensure the security,” finance minister P Chidambaram said at a meeting on financial inclusion.Chidambaram’s comment came after representatives of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura asked for more currency chests and foreign exchange outlets.

At the end of 2007-08, there were a total of 4,271 currency chests in the country, some of which were based in the NE region. State Bank Group had the largest share at 71.8% of currency chests, followed by other nationalised banks put together (25%). Currency chests are used to perform core-banking functions of note issue and currency management by the

Reserve Bank.

The Central bank has also facilitated the setting up of more chests by forming a special task force earlier this year with RBI deputy governor, Usha Thorat, as its chairperson. The task force was to obtain a list of centres for opening new currency chests and extension of foreign exchange facilities from state governments in the NE region. It would also work out a mechanism of cost sharing among banks, state governments and the RBI for setting up more facilities.

“We have identified Meghalaya for setting up currency chests and foreign exchange outlets and have had two meetings with the state government on this,” Thorat said at the meeting.Chidambram also asked NE states to facilitate the disbursement of more credit by identifying intermediaries between the borrowers and the lenders. “Banks are only facilitators of credit and cannot go to the far flung areas. You (NE states) should identify intermediation agencies like microfinance institutions, self help groups and civil societies for disbursement of higher credit,” he said in reply to the demand of increasing the credit-deposit ration in the NE region. State Bank of India, the country’s biggest bank, had a CD ratio of 45% in the north-east at the end of fiscal 2008.

Seeking to address the issue of non-payment of loans, he said fresh loans could be given only on the repayment of earlier credit. “Banks could not go on lending money. They could lend a limited amount, as per norms, and so borrowers have to repay the loan before banks could again lend. There is a limit to credit growth. In the western world today, the banking activities are totally frozen, despite the central banks pumping in billions of dollars, no one is lending to anyone.”

“Sometimes, the loans cannot be repaid due to legacy issues or natural calamities. Such issues could be addressed through measures such as farm debt waiver package, but such unconventional means could not be extended every rabi season or every kharif season,” Chidambaram said.

During the meeting, SBI chairman O P Bhatt said the bank will open 41 new branches in NE region this fiscal, taking the total in the region to 544. It is also recruiting 25,000 people, most of which will be placed in the NE states. “We have 42,000 smart card-based accounts in the region, this will be scaled up to 2 lakh this year,” Bhatt said.

On the sidelines, he told reporters there are no inducements for the RBI to raise rates in its forthcoming monetary policy review on October 24. “Inflation has come down (11.99% for the week ended September 20) and is not expected to go higher by a substantial margin, liquidity is tight. In this scenario, it is difficult for me to imagine that interest rates would go up in the monetary policy,” Bhatt said.