Wednesday, November 19, 2008

US car companies seek $25bn aid

The bosses of the three biggest US carmakers, Ford, GM and Chrysler, have asked Congress for a $25bn bail-out.

They told a Senate hearing that without the rescue package, their firms risked collapse, and warned of broader risks to the US economy.

GM chief executive Rick Wagoner said the firm needed a loan to span the "financial chasm" that had opened up.

However, Republicans and the White House do not want to use the $700bn bank rescue to help car firms.

GM has warned it could run out of cash in a matter of weeks and cannot wait until President-elect Barack Obama - who has promised to help the industry - is sworn in in January.

The BBC's Richard Lister in Washington says the last thing Mr Obama wants is to oversee the death of manufacturing icons during his first few months in office.

Inefficient production

Mr Wagoner told the Senate banking committee that the industry's predicament was not due to failures by management but because of the deepening global financial crisis.
He warned millions of jobs and 4% of GDP could be lost without government action.

"It's about saving the US economy from a catastrophic collapse," he said.

But sympathy for the industry appeared to be sparse among senators from both sides, our correspondent says.

The committee chairman, Christopher Dodd, a Democrat, said that the industry was "seeking treatment for wounds that were largely self-inflicted".

But he agreed that "hundreds of thousands would lose their jobs" if the companies were allowed to collapse.

Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, a Republican, also voiced doubts about the rescue package.

"As we consider altering the Treasury bail-out programme to provide cash and assistance to the domestic auto-manufacturers, I'm concerned that, once again, we're about to employ the 'ready, fire, aim' approach to problem-solving," he said.

Republican critics say the larger financial crisis is not the only reason why the biggest US carmakers are in trouble.

They say that the Ford, GM and Chrysler's production was inefficient, and that their labour costs were higher than many of their foreign rivals.

Mr Wagoner said that despite some public perceptions that GM was not keeping pace with the times "we were well on the road to turning our North American business around".

"What exposes us to failure now is the global financial crisis, which has severely restricted credit availability and reduced industry sales to the lowest per-capita level since World War II," he said.

Economic impact

Car executives argue that the failure of the industry would have a catastrophic impact, with three million jobs lost within the first year.


Ford's president, Alan Mulally, said a failure at even one car company would have widespread consequences.

"The industry is so interdependent," he said.

"We're nearly 10% of the US GDP, and if one of the automobile manufacturers gets into serious trouble, it has just tremendous implications for the entire industry."

Congressional leaders are working behind the scenes in an effort to work out a compromise that could give some financial aid to the carmakers before the end of the year, but the outlook remains poor.

In an earlier hearing on Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson also resisted diverting funds to the US car industry.

Democrats have so far rejected the option favoured by the White House and Republicans, which is to let the industry use a $25bn loan programme designed to help the companies develop more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The hearings are due to continue later on Wednesday.

Prostitute users face clampdown

Paying for sex with prostitutes who are controlled by pimps is set to become a criminal offence in England and Wales, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said.

Anyone who knowingly pays illegally trafficked women for sex could face rape charges, while kerb crawlers could face prosecution for a first offence.

There will also be more "naming and shaming" of kerb crawlers and new police powers to close brothels.

Buying or selling sex is legal but soliciting and pimping are not.

The changes bring the law in England and Wales more into line with Scotland, where anyone looking to pick up a prostitute faces a fine of up to £1,000.

Ms Smith said the government had considered banning paying for sex altogether but had ruled this out as there was no public support for such a move.

Instead, she said the government's efforts would be focused on reducing demand for trafficked women, who were "effectively held as slaves", and there would be a marketing campaign aimed at men who used prostitutes.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "My proposal is that men should think twice about paying for sex. The reason they should do that is actually the majority of women don't want to be involved in prostitution."

She added: "Trafficked women don't have a choice, men do."

Ms Smith said up to 70% of prostitutes were controlled by pimps or had been trafficked into the country and the government was working closely with the police on plans to enforce the new laws.

But Nikki Adams, of the English Collective of Prostitutes, said the government had "made up" the number of women being trafficked into the UK and most prostitution was "consenting sex".

Brothel powers

Under the plan, the Home Office is planning to criminalise paying for sex with a woman "controlled for another person's gain".

Those convicted would get a fine and a criminal record.

Pleading ignorance of the circumstances under which a prostitute is working will not count as a defence.

Under the plans, people who pay a prostitute for sex knowing they have been trafficked against their will could be charged with rape.

Ms Smith will promise that kerb-crawling will be punishable the first time a person is caught doing it, rather than just persistent offenders.

The Home Office said police would get powers to close brothels.

Currently they can only shut premises associated with prostitution if anti-social behaviour or when Class A drugs are involved.

Critics of the government's proposals say they will simply drive customers elsewhere, rather than tackling the problem.

Separate proposals will soon be published to place lapdancing clubs under the same licensing arrangements as sex shops, rather than as pubs and bars as at present.

This would allow people living nearby more chance to raise objections.

For the Conservatives, shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "The government's proposals will not protect the most vulnerable victims.

"Rather than creating new laws, the home secretary should focus on enforcing existing laws."

The Sexual Offences Act 2003 made it illegal to buy sex from anyone aged under 18 and introduced penalties for trafficking adults and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation.

It is not illegal for someone aged over 18 to work as a prostitute in off-street premises but where there is more than one prostitute, the owner of the premises can be prosecuted for keeping a brothel.

Many of the activities associated with street prostitution, such as soliciting and kerb-crawling, are also illegal and it is against the law to advertise sexual services on cards in telephone boxes.

In December last year, Women's Minister Harriet Harman said paying for sex should be outlawed.

India 'sinks Somali pirate ship'



The Indian navy is now patrolling off the Somali coast

An Indian navy warship has destroyed a suspected Somali pirate vessel after it came under attack in the Gulf of Aden.

INS Tabar sank the pirate "mother ship" after it failed to stop for investigation and opened fire instead, an Indian navy statement said.

There has been a surge in piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia.

The latest attack came days after the Saudi-owned Sirius Star supertanker and its 25 crew were seized by pirates and anchored off the Somali coast.

Vela International, operators of the Sirius Star, told the BBC no demands had yet been received from the pirates. The company also said all the crew were safe.

The biggest tanker ever hijacked, Sirius Star is carrying a cargo of two million barrels of oil - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - worth more than $100m (£67m).

Analysts say the pattern of other hijackings suggests a ransom request is likely to follow. Given the value of the tanker and its cargo, that is expected to be a sizeable demand.

Two of the captive crew are British. The UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, said the Royal Navy was co-ordinating the European response to the incident.

"The problem of piracy around Somalia is a grave danger to the stability in the region," he told the BBC.

Somalia has not had a functioning national government since 1991 and has suffered continuing civil strife.

Explosions

India is among several countries already patrolling the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes which connects the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.


The Indian navy said the Tabar spotted the pirate vessel while patrolling 285 nautical miles (528km) south-west of Salalah in Oman on Tuesday evening.

The navy said the pirates on board were armed with guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers.

When it demanded the vessel stop for investigation, the pirate ship responded by threatening to "blow up the naval warship if it closed on her", the statement said.

Pirates then fired on the Tabar, and the Indians say they retaliated and that there was an explosion on the pirate vessel, which sank.

"Fire broke out on the vessel and explosions were heard, possibly due to exploding ammunition that was stored in the vessel," the Indian navy said.

Some of the pirates tried to escape on two speedboats. The Indian sailors gave chase but one boat was later found abandoned, while a second boat escaped.

INS Tabar has been patrolling the Gulf of Aden since 23 October, and has escorted 35 ships safely through the "pirate-infested waters", the statement said.

Last week, helicopter-borne Indian marine commandos stopped pirates from boarding and hijacking an Indian merchant vessel.

Ransoms

On Tuesday, a cargo ship and a fishing vessel became the latest to join more than 90 vessels attacked by the pirates this year.


Carrying 2m barrels of oil
Biggest vessel to be hijacked

The first vessel, a 25-crew cargo vessel transporting wheat to Iran, was attacked in the Gulf of Aden, while contact was lost with the crew of 12 on the fishing boat.

Piracy off the coast of East Africa and the Gulf of Aden - an area of more than 1m sq miles (2.6m sq km) - is estimated to have cost up to $30m in ransoms this year, a UK think tank has said.

The hijackings account for one-third of all global piracy incidents this year and the situation is getting out of control, according to the International Maritime Board.

The pirates who seized the Sirius Star are a sophisticated group with contacts in Dubai and neighbouring countries, says the BBC Somali Service's Yusuf Garaad.

Much of their ransom money from previous hijackings has been used to buy new boats and weapons as well as develop a network across the Horn of Africa, he adds.

Shipping companies are now weighing up the risks of using the short-cut route to Europe via the Suez canal.

However, travelling around South Africa's Cape of Good Hope would add several weeks to average journey times and substantially increase the cost of goods for consumers.



Top ULFA fugitive arrested in Assam

Guwahati, Nov 19 : The deputy commander of ULFA’s ‘B Company’ Ram Singh, alias Mintu Borgohain, who had eluded the security forces since years, was arrested during a joint operation by the Army and police in Upper Assam’s Sivasagar district early Wednesday.

Singh, one of the most wanted ULFA leaders, was arrested from the Jablating area along with his wife Junti and four-month old son Himangshu. A pistol, some bullets and incriminating documents were seized from his possession, police said.

Trained in Myanmar and Kaching, Singh had joined the ULFA 20 years back and was involved in a number of sabotage strikes in the state, particularly in Upper Assam.

After the ULFA’s ‘A’ and ‘C’ company declared a unilateral ceasefire, Singh continued to his allegiance to the ‘B’ Company led by Sujit Mohan.

However, ULFA leadership did not give him any significant position after the entire ’28 battalion’ was reconstituted after the desertion of two of its companies.

Assam, Meghalaya boundary talks tomorrow

Shillong, Nov 19 : Officials of Assam and Meghalaya headed by their respective chief secretaries will meet on Thursday to discuss the long-pending boundary dispute between the two states.

The meeting, to be held at Byrnihat along the boundary between the two states, will be attended by officials from the Revenue departments and Survey of India.

Official sources said both sides are expected establish their claims over the areas of difference along the boundary.

Representatives from Meghalaya are expected to raise the recent reports of fresh encroachment by Assam.

The Chief Ministers of both the states had met in June and constituted a coordination committee to study the differences and resolve the dispute. The committee, headed by the chief secretaries of both the states, was told to submit its report within six months.

The progress made by the committee would also come up during Thursday’s talks.

There are 12 areas of difference between the two states.

Cong Candidate for Mizoram CM has Rs 1.7 Crore in Assets



Aizawl, Nov 19 : Of the three chief ministerial candidates in Mizoram, Lal Thanhawla of Congress is the richest with assets worth Rs 1.71 crore.

He is followed by the current chief minister of the state and Mizo National Front leader Zoramthanga whose worth has gone up to Rs 1.32 crore from Rs 47 lakh in 2003.

Brig T Sailo of Mizo People’s Conference stands third with asset worth Rs 30 lakh. These statistics have come out after the three leaders revealed their wealth, a must to contest the polls.Former CM Lal Thanhawla owns a house worth Rs 1.50 crore at Zarkawt and he has two Maruti Gypsies and a Tata Safari. His bank balance stands at Rs 9.7 lakh and he has Rs 4 lakh in cash. He also has other immovable assets worth Rs 7 lakh. This brings his personal assets to Rs 1.71 crore.

Although he is richer than the current CM, the quantum of his wealth remains unchanged since the 2003 elections. Zoramthanga owns a sprawling farmhouse at Aii Puk near Aizawl, a Baleno car and at least three residential plots in Aizawl.

Besides, his wife Roneihsangi has a Grand Vitara, jewellery worth Rs 1.2 lakh and a house at Ramhlun South in Aizawl. The CM’s family assets have gone up to a whopping Rs 1.32 crore compared to his personal assets worth Rs 47 lakh before the 2003 polls. Brig Sailo, who was CM in 80s, is worth just Rs 30 lakh.

CCpur Villages Remain Steep in Under-development

Imphal, Nov 19 : As a consequent of the deplorable condition of the road connecting Churachandpur district and its Henglep sub-division, the people of the villages located along Doyang and Kailam ranges of the sub-divisions continued to live steep in underdevelopment.

Accompanied by a team of mediapersons, Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO) General Headquarters and Information Centre for Hill Areas, Manipur (ICHAM) had jointly conducted an inspection tour of these villages to take first hand account of the difficulties and problems being faced by the villagers as well as to find out whether the benefits of the developmental schemes and programmes being taken up by the Government reached them or not.

Representatives of KSO Churachandpur District unit and KSO Henglep sub-divisions were also part of the inspection team.

During the course of the inspection tour, it was came across that though Henglep sub-divisions is situated not far off, just 75 kms from Churachandpur district headquarters, underdevelopment has been the hallmark of the region.

The road stretching from Singmun Lamkhai of National Highway 150 and popularly known Henglep Road has been the main lifeline of the people living N Saikot, D Munlui, Dawzang, Henglep, Bongmoul, Damjon, etc which are located along Kailam range on the northwestern direction of Singmun Lamkhai.

But the condition of the road is so bad that only Shaktimas could ply on it.

According to villagers of Henglep, some 10 years from now there used to be passenger bus service from Henglep.

But after around one year of service, it has been stopped as the condition of the road deteriorated.

For all these years, the Government has taken up any steps to improve the condition of the road, atleast to make it usable, the villagers complained.The inspection team, however, came across a signboard on the road side indicating construction work along the 5 kms long road stretch starting from N Saikot with funding from Special Plan Assistant and Additional Central Assistance of 2006-07 .

But no sign of the work is to be seen.

With long years of neglect, the road today bears only tract of Shaktiman tyre with puddles all over.

Following depression of the road at many places, the width of the road has been reduced considerably making travelling along the road not just great hardship but also risky.

The inspection team experienced that it took around 8 hours to cover a distance of around 35 kms from Singmun Lamkhai to Henglep.

Inspite of the deplorable condition of the road and the risky factor involved, the villagers of the sub-divisions have no other option but to depend on the same road.

As for the villagers of D Munlui and Dawzang located along Doyang Range towards east of Kailam Range as well as that of Bongmoul, Mollen, Najang, Bolkot and Songkot villages located towards north of Henglep on the same Range, there has been no road that the Government has ever constructed for them.

Chief in-charge of Bolkot village Tonglal Haokip , while wishing the Government to construct a road that could connect these villages with Henglep, desired that a suspension bridge should be constructed over Dollen river at the earliest possible.

The inspection team, however, came across that construction of a road stretch from N Saikot to D Munlui has been atleast started under NREGS to facilitate movement of people living in the remote villages nestling along Kailam Range.

Media Houses not to bring out dailies from tomorrow in Manipur

I
mphal, Nov 19 : Media houses in Manipur have decided not to bring out copies of the dailies from tomorrow till the state government orders a judicial enquiry to probe the killing of Konsam Rishikanta, a sub-editor with Imphal Free Press, by unidentified gunmen, sources in media organisations said on Wednesday.

They said that they would stop bringing out issues of the dailies unless the government declared that they would order a judicial enquiry into the killing of Rishikanta (22) who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at Langol area on Monday last.

All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) in a memorendum to Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh yesterday demanded a judicial enquiry into the incident and added that they (AMWJU) suspected the involvement of security personnel in gunning down the upcoming journalist.

A copy of the memorendum said no militant outfit could operate at Langol area where all three entry points were heavily guarded by commandos and asked whether Rishikanta was killed because of personal rivalry with some commandos.

Ibobi Singh told AMWJU delegation that a proper enquiry would be done into the matter.

Hundreds of social organisations strongly condemned the killing of the young journalist.

They in separate statements demanded that a judicial enquiry be ordered into the incident to find out the truth.

No invidividual or group has so far claimed responsibility for the killing of Rishikanta.

Hundreds of mediapersons paid floral tributes to mortal remains of Rishikanta at Manipur press club yesterday after which his mortal remains were consigned to flames last evening.

Editor of Imphal Free Press Pradip Phanjoubam said Rishikanta was a hard working, honest and sincere journalist and strongly condemned the killing of an upcoming journalist.

Sources in media houses said the killing of Rishikanta had nothing to do with his professional works and demanded authorities to order a judicial enquiry into the incident.

Hi-Tech Security System for Northeast Railway Stations



Itanagar, Nov 19 : Much to the relief of trouble-torn north-eastern States, the Central Government, under its ‘integrated security system’, is contemplating to install electronic surveillance systems, modern security gadgets, etc. at more than 100 ‘sensitive’ railway stations, including that of NE region, to prevent terrorist attacks on railways and its passengers.

This was informed by Union Minister of State for Railways, Dr R Velu, in a communique, addressed to Lok Sabha MP Kiren Rijiju, who is currently on a Japan tour in connection with ‘Asia 21 Leaders Summit’, being held in Tokyo.

The BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh, during the discussion on Railway Budget 2007-08 and Supplementary Demands for Grants in the Lok Sabha on April 17 last, had sought to know whether the Centre was giving any priority to all the trains running to and from North-east for security.

Responding to the point raised by Rijiju, the Union Minister said besides strengthening its ‘integrated security system’, the Centre was intensifying its machineries for guarding of vital installation and bridges in vulnerable and sensitive areas.Velu, in his letter to Rijiju, said, “Policing is a State subject and prevention and detection of crime on railways is the constitutional responsibility of the State Government concerned through their Government Railway Police.

“However, to provide better security to the travelling passengers in trains and passenger areas, the Railway Police Force Act, 1957 and the Railways Act, 1989 have been amended to enable the Railways to supplement the efforts of the State governments in controlling crime on the Railways.”

In addition to this, Railways has been maintaining close liaisons with the State Police and Government Railway Police for taking suitable preventive measures in vulnerable sections of affected States to avert incidents of terrorist attacks, Velu said.

The Union Minister further said periodical meetings with State administrations of affected States and police authorities are being regularly held by Railway administration to formulate effective joint strategy to combat terrorist attack over Railway system.

Sharing of intelligence between Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police and Intelligence Bureau of affected States has been given priority to combat terrorists’ attack on Railways, he added.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Toshinaro is NSACS Naga Idol 3.08



Toshinaro, from Kohima seen here with other finalists of the talent hunt, after the title ceremony in Mokokchung, November 15. Inatoli, Kenei, Shenieta, Mhathung and Lenden were the other list of finalists.

Mokokchung, Nov 16 : Toshinaro from Kohima was crowned Naga Idol at the NSACS Idol 3.08 grand finale held here tonight at town hall. With a total of 1,66,294 votes she took this years crown along with a cash prize of Rs. 100000 and a brand new car.

Inatoli from Dimapur with a total of 1,41,017 votes finished runners up and also took away cash prize of Rs. 100000.

The other four finalists were awarded cash prizes of Rs.25,000 each. Kenei from Kohima came in third with 1,36,929 votes, followed by Idol number 06 Shenieta with 1,31,470 votes, Idol number 16 Mhathung with 84,800 votes and Idol number 12 Leden with 42,767 votes.

The curtains for the third edition of Naga Idol finally came down with the crowning of Toshinaro. The NSACS Idol 3.08 crown in a way was the perfect birthday gift in advance for the soon-to-be-23 whose birthday falls on November 21.

The audience saw an emotionally-charged Naro as she received the winner’s prize, perhaps remembering the hard work put in and the grueling few months of stiff competition.

Nagaland’s minister of Agriculture, Dr. Chumber Murry was the chief guest.

MeXN

Friday, November 14, 2008

Clash in Assam garden, 20 hurt



Dergaon, Nov 14 : At least 20 labourers were injured, two of them seriously, when two groups clashed at Jamuguri tea estate under Gheladhari police outpost in Assam’s Golaghat district today.

Golaghat superintendent of police Deepak Kumar said trouble started around 9am when labourers of the garden, who had gone to pluck leaf in a particular section of the estate, were attacked by a 10-member group of former tea workers with bows, arrows and sharp weapons.

He said labourers from both the groups were injured in the clash and two of them have been hospitalised.

The ex-tea labourers reside on the fringe areas of the estate, Kumar added.

The section of the garden in which trouble occurred was allegedly encroached by a powerful labour leader, Paulus Kindu, in 2006. Since then, he has been claiming that this portion of the land belonged to him.

In fact, Kindu had uprooted tea bushes in a large area of this section of the garden a few days back.An official of the Calcutta-based Bhumia Tea Private Limited, which owns the garden located south of Golaghat town, said several complaints had been lodged with the police against Kindu, but no action was taken against him as he had strong political connections.

A civil suit has also been filed regarding encroachment of the tea estate land, he added.

A police official at Gheladhari outpost said nine labourers had been picked up in connection with the alleged destruction of tea bushes on Tuesday and today’s incident was being probed.

Kumar said a police picket has been posted at the tea estate after today’s clash.

A tea garden worker alleged that Kindu’s men were always disturbing them and had threatened to harm them if they stepped into the area of the garden which belonged to him.

“They are armed and we feel scared of them,” he added.

Industry sources said during the period of recession, portions of gardens in Assam were neglected because of the costs involved in their up-keep.

“It was during those bad days that such areas in the gardens were forcibly occupied by people who wanted to put the land to alternative use like paddy cultivation,” one of the sources said.

“The Jamuguri garden also suffered a similar fate,” he added.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Mizoram chief ministerial candidates file nomination



Aizawl, Nov 11 : With Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga filing nomination papers on Tuesday, all the three chief ministerial candidates have filed nomination papers for the coming assembly election in the state.Zoramthanga filed nomination papers before Returning Officer of Champhai district for Chamhai North and Champhai South constituencies, sources in the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) said.

The 40-member Mizoram assembly will go to poll on December two.

Former chief minister and state PCC chief Lal Thanhawla filed his nomination papers for Tuipui East seat today, Congress sources said, adding he had submitted his papers for his home turf Serchhip seat on Monday.
Another former chief minister and United Democratic Alliance’s (UDA) chief ministerial candidate Brig Thenphunga Sailo had filed papers for Aizawl West-II seat on Monday.

Nominations can be submitted till 3:00 pm on Wednesdayand scrutiny of papers would be done on Thursday.

Obama, AIDS and a Golden Manipur



Election of Barack Hussein Obama, an African-American, as the head of United States, the richest nation in the universe, will find an effective global leadership for fighting HIV/AIDS. It symbolises the final leg in the march towards the end of racism.

After Aparthied, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is another alert in African and American nations. AIDS epidemic was born in America two and a half decades ago. Many believe in the African origin theory of HIV/AIDS. So, African-American tie-up in the history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) in the world cannot be ruled out. Out of 40 million people on the planet presently living with HIV, 1.2 are Americans. There are around 12 million AIDS infected orphans in Africa. Globally, eight thousand deaths and six thousand new infections occur every single day. No doubt AIDS is set to become the third leading cause of death worldwide in the coming years.

Landmark election of an African American as the head of the richest country in the world marks the total end of racism in the world. Barack Hussein Obama will be sworn in as President of the United States on January 20 next year. It is indeed legendary that a coloured man born to a Kenyan father will lead America.

After profound success in the war against racism, now comes the turn of AIDS that remains a big global challenge for President Obama. Not only America, Obama’s headache will be the burden of AIDS in African nations in particular and the world in general.

In his address on World AIDS Day two years ago, the former Senator said “We are all sick because of AIDS. And we are all tested by this crisis. When you go to Africa, you will see this problem up close, you realise that its not a question of either treatment or prevention – or even what kind of prevention – it is all of the above. It is not an issue of either science or values – it is both. Yes, there must be more money spent on this disease. But there must also be a change in hearts and minds, in cultures and attitudes. Neither philanthropist nor scientist, neither government nor church can solve this problem on their own - AIDS must be an all-hands-on-deck effort.”

The illinois Senator once said “If condoms and potentially things like microbicides can prevent millions of deaths, then they should be made more widely available. That’s my belief.”

Obama will continue to be a global leader in the fight against AIDS. He has pledged to develop a national HIV/AIDS strategy to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care, reduce health disparities improving quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS. To him, microbicides is a tool to women empowerment in the battle against AIDS and the dispute over condoms is a “false argument.”
Vision for an AIDS free Manipur
Manipur, a small state with a population of 25 lakh people in Northeast India is well known as the hotbed of HIV/AIDS. Its world-famed fauna and flora – “Siroy Lily”, the brow antlered deer “Sangai”, the infamous Loktak lake and “Keibul Lamjao” the only floating park in the world have introduced this jewel of India to the whole world. Its excellence in sports and art also speak volumes in the international arena. India’s sports achievements have been made more glorious with native sportspersons of the state Manipur. Sports achievers - Thoiba, Nilkamal, Kunjarani, Basanti, Mary Kom, Dinku, Anita and so many others have made a glorious place for India. In art and culture and literature too, the world knows Ratan Thiyam, Kanhailal, Shyam Sharma, Pahari and so on.

But today, tearful and heartrending stories of HIV/AIDS victims have filled the scenario in Manipur. 30,000 HIV positives, one-third women, more than 5,000 on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) drugs, 200 lining up for second line ART drugs, 1.3 per cent of general population estimated infections. Four per cent of pregnant women in one of its districts Ukhrul are HIV infected. Many stories of young widows and orphans are still hidden.

Manipur shares 357 kilometer border with Myanmar and also with other states of India. At least 30 different communities following varied cultures, traditions and dialects reside in Manipur thereby, hampering smooth HIV control programmes.

Second-line ART drugs will be available in Manipur by December 1 this year. It is a good gesture for the people living with HIV, fighting for their lives. With the opening of first ART centre in Manipur in 2004, there are at present six ART centres.

The story of HIV in Manipur dates back to 1990, when the first report of infection came from among the drug users using injections. Now, the epidemic has turned 20 years in the state.

Sentinel surveillance reports for the year 2007 need to be analysed to trace the trend of the epidemic in the state. Out of every 1000 pregnant women, 13 are HIV positive. It means that for every 50,000 pregnancies in the state in a year, 650 are HIV infected mothers. Manipur will have around 200 HIV infected newborns every year. If the trend continues, let us visualise how much of our young population will survive after 50 years from now. In the course of the next 50 years, there will be only elder persons and small babies in most households in Manipur.

Challenges Ahead
Ignorance is the thing of the past with no lack of information and no dearth of services anywhere today. The only thing lacking is our commitment, our responsibility and our love for the mankind. There are challenges ahead of us. There should be cross border HIV intervention in remote villages, economic empowerment of young widows, orphans rehabilitation, academic researches and studies on media and cultural invasions and their impact on youth.

Monday, November 10, 2008

US 'in secret overseas strikes'



The US has carried out nearly a dozen anti-terror attacks in Pakistan, Syria and elsewhere in the past four years, the New York Times has reported.

The previously unreported attacks were authorised in 2004 by Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Times quoted senior officials as saying.

The order gave US forces permission to attack terror targets anywhere in the world without prior specific approval.

The Times said the defence department declined to comment on its claims.

The White House also made no comment.

'Called off'

The paper said it had spoken to more than six officials, "including current and former military and intelligence officials" as well as senior policy makers in the Bush administration.

They said that the order, signed by Mr Rumsfeld with the approval of President George W Bush, was intended to make it easier for the US military to act outside officially declared war zones at short notice.

In total, 15 to 20 countries were covered by the mandate and attacks had been carried out in Pakistan, Syria and "several other countries," the paper reported.

Some were conducted in coordination with the CIA and one was broadcast live to CIA headquarters in Virginia, via cameras mounted on aircraft.

The paper's sources also claimed that "as many as a dozen" attacks had been called off - "often to the dismay of military commanders" - due to lack of evidence or because they were considered too dangerous or "diplomatically explosive".

The US has carried out many attacks along Pakistan's border areas recently and was blamed for an attack in eastern Syria last month.

READY FOR VISION 2020 : A vehicle makes its way through the slush that passes off as a road at Kasom Khullen



Assam serial blasts
Clues point at ULFA-NDFB combine
Achinta Borah
New Delhi, Nov 9 : More than a week after serial blasts rocked Assam, investigators have found clues that ULFA and NDFB carried out the deadly explosions with the help of Bangladesh-based HuJI's expertise.
Home Ministry sources said the investigators have found enough evidence that the banned ULFA had carried out the October 30 serial blasts with the help of dominant Bodo militant group NDFB.
This comes in the wake of the Centre expressing concern over the "paradigm shift" in the northeast militancy.
Some people have been detained by police and Central security agencies who had provided logistical support including procuring cars used in the blasts that left over 80 people dead and more than 400 injured, the sources said.
The people have an allegiance with the two banned outfits, the sources said.
Interestingly, NDFB is currently under truce with the security forces and is engaged with the Government in peace negotiations.
"We have found that the Bangladesh-based HuJI has provided the expertise to ULFA and NDFB as none of them has the technology to explode such devastating bombs which claimed more than 80 lives," a Home Ministry official said.
Home Ministry sources said the Government is worried over the fact that the northeast militants has started using a deadly mixture of RDX, ammonium nitrate and plasticised explosives to carry out explosions which led to greater casualties which was never seen in the past.
"At least 80 kg RDX were used to carry out the October 30 serial blasts in Assam. Never before in the Northeast such a large quantity of RDX mixed with Ammonium Nitrate and plasticised explosives was used as propellants," a Home Ministry official said.
Each of the cars, which were used to carry out three explosions in Guwahati, was laden with 20 to 25 kgs of RDX.
A maximum amount of explosives used for a single blast in the State was 10 kg at Dhemaji during the 2004 Independence Day which killed 13 people, including 10 school children.
The September 1 serial blasts in Agartala, where terrorists triggered four blasts within an hour, were the first synchronised explosions in the Northeast. The Assam serial blasts were carried out within a span of just 20 minutes.
"Kokrajhar, where three bombs were exploded is 250 km away from Guwahati while Barpeta Road, another place of bomb attack, is 150 km away. The near simultaneous explosions at the three far apart places show how the terrorists worked in precision," the official said, adding "this is also a new trend in the Northeast".
"Neither ULFA nor NDFB has the expertise to carry out such dead explosions. Besides, HuJI has no logistics at a place like Kokrajhar. So a nexus between local outfit with outsiders is evident," the official said.
The November 5 meeting of Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Northeastern States, which was attended by National Security Advisor MK Narayanan, Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar and Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, took stock of the connection between a Naxal group and a Manipuri insurgent group, possibly to procure arms from the Northeast which has a porous international borders with several foreign countries, the sources said.
"Probably this is the first report of any Northeast militant group having link with an extremist outfit of mainland," the sources said.
Unlike in the past, there have been growing collaborations among the different insurgent groups.PTI

Miss Tokhu Emong: Away from the Chaos



Miss Tokhu Emong 2008 Chumlano Kikon

Dimapur, Nov 10 : After the nasty interruption on the night of November 6 in Wokha, the Miss Tokhu Emong 2008 crown was finally placed on pretty Chumlano Kikon’s head, at Hornbill Restaurant in Wokha town yesterday. Chumlano Ezung and Thungbeni Kithan were declared first and second runners’-up respectively.

The annual pageant commemorating the biggest festival of the Kyong Nagas was brought into nasty chaos when the 41 Assam Rifles and public members of the town engaged in a fracas. The pageant had to be halted halfway in the night. A quiet crowning ceremony was held for all the winners at the said restaurant only yesterday.

Miss Tokhu 2008 Chumlano Kikon is a Dimapur resident and a BA II student of SD Jain Girls’ College, also in the city while 1st runner up Chumlano Ezung and 2nd runner up Thungbeni Kithan are standard-X students. In the individuals’ category, the prize for Miss Beautiful Eyes went to Grace kikon; Miss Beautiful Hair to Nyanchumi Lotha; Miss Talent to Zuchobeni Ngullie; Miss Beautiful Smile to Meribeni Humtsoe; Miss Personality to Jasmine Shitiri; Miss Traditional Attire to Chumlano Ezung; Miss Dancing Queen to Thungbeni Kithan; Miss Congeniality to Yanbeni Murry; Miss Fresh Face to Therali Murry; Miss Perfect 10 to Meriyani Patton; Miss Beautiful Skin to Mhayani Ezung; Miss Modern Attire to Chumlano Kikon; Miss Beautiful Legs to Christie Kikon while the Miss Photogenic and Best Evening Gown went to Mhayani Humtsoe.

Senapati Villages happy with Cabbages and Potatoes



Imphal, Nov 10 : Even though many in the state are facing the woe with works to do and nowhere to work, villagers of two small villages located at the top of the hill in Paumata sub-division of Senapati district namely Tungjoy and Liyaii are leading a happy and joyous satisfied live with by potatoes and cabbage produces.

With the nature gift soil which suited with the cultivation of cabbages and potatoes, the villagers could produces more than enough with no application of chemical fertilizers but only with the water they get from the natural streams running in the villages and lead a life of healthy living.

Each family can earned enough income to send their children to send to school even outside the state by extending help to each other.

Together around 20,000 heads in these two villages are living with the cultivation of these vegetables as main earning of livelihood.

Tungjoy village is located at a distance of 24 kilometer from the NH-39 from Tadubi on the east while Liyaii located after going 18 more kilometers from the Tungjoy village.

The hill slopes lying between the two villages are covered with cabbage and potatoes.

Cultivation of cabbage and potato in this hill slopes have been generating from their forefathers, according to the headmen, Seiba Poumei of Tungjoy and Pahari Poumei of Liyaii.

Cabbage can be grow in this hill slopes continuously from March to September while potato till upto January and February, they said.

Due to high fare charge in transportation, the vegetables are not transported to Imphal for selling.

Instead it exported to Nagaland ad other neighbouring state like Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura ad Assam.

Around 11 loads of trucks are lifted from these two villages for sales, headmen said.

As no chemical fertilizers are use at the time of growing the vegetables, the produces from these villages are highly demand.

Despite plenty of production, the villagers sometimes faced heavy loss due to inadequate storage facilities during the rainy season as road communication is not good.

If they could get the facilities of storing their produces in a cold storage, it will help a lot in saving the loss vegetables, said the village chiefs while drawing the attention of the concerned authorities.

When asked on the work culture which seems to be losing among the people of the state, the chiefs said that so far men and women are working well and still maintaining the work culture, they said.

Neiphiu Rio invites Myanmar Ambassador for Hornbill festival



Kohima, Nov 10 : Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has invited the Myanmar Ambassador to India as the states guest during Hornbill Festival, which will start here on December one, coinciding with the Nagaland Day.

Deputy Chairman of state Planning Board, Neiba Kronu here today informed that the Chief Minister had already invited the Ambassador to attend the five-day-long Hornbill festival.He further said the Ambassador would also visit the Border Trade Centers in Mollen-Avangkhu of Phek district, Lungwa in Mon district and Pangsha in Tuensang district in the state on the Indo-Mynmar border for better cooperation and support between both the countries.

‘’The Chief Minister is committed to improve the economic condition of the state through various means like externally aided projects and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in addition to Centrally sponsored schemes,’’ he added.



Saturday, November 8, 2008

At last, Mautam Relief Released




Imphal, Nov 8 : Extending relief to the people of Churachandpur, Tamenglong and Chandel district who have been affected by Bamboo flowering (Mautam) and the consequent destruction caused to food crops by rodent population, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh today handed over the cheque amount of the relief to the respective Deputy Commissioners of the three affected districts at a simple function in his office chamber.

The relief amount has been provided from the Relief Fund of the State Government’s Relief and Disaster Management Department.

According to an official source, the total estimated number of households that have been affected by the calamity in the three districts is 33,248 and the total monetary value of the relief to be provided is Rs 16,67,00,120 .

In Churachandpur district, a total of 13920.609 hectare and 14,307 households are estimated to have been affected and the amount of the relief to be provided is Rs 7,22,83,574 .

In Tamenglong, 13,504.165 hectare of land and 13,879 households have been reportedly affected for which an amount of Rs 6,76,88,570 would be provided as relief.

For Chandel district, where an estimated 4925.226 hectare of land and 5062 households have been affected, a total of Rs 2,67,27,972 would be provided as relief.

The cheques of the relief amount were handed over to the Deputy Commissioners concerned in the presence of Chief Secretary Rakesh, Relief Commission and Commission (Co-operation).

Miss Kut shows benevolent face



Imphal, Nov 8 : Showing her humanitarian side, Miss Kut 2008 Moirangthem Minerva visited the Mahila Kalyan Samiti, the oldest orphanage at Dewlahland today where she distributed sweetmeats and snack items to the inmates.

Incidentally, boxer Ng Dingko who won gold in Bangkok Asian Games grew up here.

Eighteen year old and standing 5′6″, Minerva is not only a beauty but an athlete too.

Before taking up modelling, she was a talented fencer.

She won gold in the Sub-Junior National Fencing Championship held at Patiala in 2003 .

Destined as she was to become a model and an actor, Minerva had to give up sports as her doctor advised not to practice fencing for six months following a problem in her right wrist.
Minerva belonging to Khurai Soibam Leikai is currently doing her pre-university course.

Days after winning the coveted Miss Kut title, Minerva is now flooded with offers for acting in Manipuri feature films.

Talking about the sudden inflow of film offers, Minerva said that she had signed all the contracts so that she could earn enough money to help orphan and destitute children.

“I would love to see them utilise the money I donated for their welfare”, said Minerva adding that she shall donate 50 percent of all her earnings to orphanages.

She is not new to film acting.

Minerva had already acted in some feature films and she would be going to Myanmar next month for shooting a Manipuri film there.

Th fact that Minerva is not a beauty without brain was testified by her witty answer in the final round of the Miss Kut contest.

To a question regarding her preference between her boyfriend and parents, Minerva said, “I prefer my boyfriend for I would live with him for my whole life while my life with my parents would be much shorter”.

Four bids for Northeast regional airline

Shillong Nov 7 : Even as the Indian aviation industry is experiencing rough weather with defaults on payment of jet fuel charges and layoffs, as many as four airlines, including state-run Alliance Air, have bid for operating a regional air carrier for the Northeast.

The bids came following a third tender floated by the North East Council (NEC), which closed on October 30, officials of the regional planning body said.

The council is now in the process of examining the tenders before deciding on which company to rope in for the proposed dedicated service for the region.

Officials said the process is likely to be completed by the end of November. This is the third time that NEC has floated the tender.The earlier two had failed as the companies did not comply with the norms.

Three companies had made bids in the second tender, but all were rejected on grounds that they did not meet the technical criteria as stated in the bid documents.

The NEC plans to run a dedicated airline in the Northeast linking all important cities and towns in the region. About 12 new airports have been planned in addition to the existing 11.

Concerns over economic viability have kept companies away from the project even as the NEC announced that the selected airline would get subsidy from the Council.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

MANIREDA gifts wind power hybrid project to Kotlen



Imphal, Nov 6 : For the third time, MANIREDA has successfully installed an environmentally friendly Wind-Power Hybrid Power Project having the capacity of generating 10 Kilowatt of power along with the co-operation of the villagers at Kotlen in Sadar Hills of Senapati district.

The power project was officially inaugurated and dedicated to the villagers by Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing during a function today.The installation of the power project at Kotlen had started in November 2007 and it was completed in May this year.

Since then it has been put to trial run successfully along with supplying electricity to each and every household.

Expressing happiness over the inauguration of the power plant, chief of Kotlen village Dongyang Haokip informed that at the time of installing the power plant the villagers had provided the required land and also extended labour.

He further informed that in order to ensure smooth implementation and effective maintenance of the power plant, MANIREDA has constituted a Village Energy Committee and training imparted to two of the villagers.

Each of the household is being supplied 3 units of power and the Village Energy Committee has discussed collection taxes at the rate of Rs 50 every month from each of the household, the village chief added.

Addressing the gathering as chief guest after inaugurating the power plant, Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing congratulated MANIREDA on completion of various projects taken up within such a short time while power projects like Khuga and Maphou Dam have not been able to be completed even after so many years.

Stating that the power project which has been inaugurated from today in the village has become the property of the villagers, Phungzathang Tonsing , who is also in charge of the Science and Technology, appealed to the villagers to take care of the project as their own personal belonging.

Chairman of MANIREDA PL Thanga who presided over the inaugural function pointed out that renewable energy is the only answer to the problem of power shortage in a State like Manipur.

Director MANIREDA L Manglem, who was also present at the occasion, said that though the Government of India has already announced to ensure power supply to all the villages in rural area within the next year, whether it would be possible in Manipur is questionable.

The power project which has been inaugurated today would remain as an invaluable asset of the village, he added.

Ex-Minister Ngamthang Haokip was also present at the function.

Prior to the inauguration of the power project, Minister Phungzathang Tonsing also visited to inspect the site for construction of a 40 Kilowatt capacity Micro Hydel Power Project at Sehjang village.

Misrepresented identity of NE women



The gruesome murder of Ch Alena in her Mumbai hostel was unfortunate and has sent a shockwave among the North-eastern community. The incident showcased the appalling negligence and the unco-operativeness of the hostel authorities.

It also highlighted the indifference and the insensitivity of the Mumbai Police in dealing with the issue. The dismissive approach adopted by the police is not co-incidental. The North-easterners have always been subjected to ridicule on the ground of ethnicity by the people and the authorities alike.

So it is not surprising to learn that the police has ruled out any foul play. When looking from every angle the case presented a sinister twist. They didn’t take into account the injury marks on her body.

The fact that they brushed off the case as a mere suicide was disrespectful to the life and memory of Alena. The half hearted treatment of the case left a big question mark on the integrity and the law enforcing power of the system.

An innocent life has been snuffed out mercilessly for no reason in a place which was supposed to provide security and protection. This brought to light the safety of the North-easterners living in big metropolitan cities whose pleas and complaints against sexual harassments, ethnic prejudices are swatted aside like nothing.

This incident has certainly rekindled some issues which are waiting to be resolved in the political realm. Is the so-called political disparity shown by the Indian Government to the NE States visible in this event? Are the big States thrusting its political and cultural supremacy on the minorities by overlooking their predicaments?

Because of its poor track record on account of low convicting rate, is the police intentionally opting for a cover-up of the case so as to salvage its pride?

Is the general misrepresentation of the identity of NE women the reason behind the lackadaisical attitude of the Mumbai Police in dealing with the case?

In Delhi itself, many cases of molestation, rape and murder of NE women have been reported and in more than half of the instances reported, the police refused to register the case until the media intervened.

Some of the related cases:

* Dhaula Kuan rape case, May 2005: A 19 year old Mizo girl was gangrapped by four men in a moving car. The next day, the vice-principal of Kirori Mal College made a press release that the NE girls should wear salwar-kameez to avoid any such happening in the future.

* Chanakyapuri Incident, Nov 2005: A Manipuri girl was molested and mishandled in Chanakyapuri.

* Nehru Vihar case, Nov 2005: One girl was molested by dragging her in a deserted alley, the police refused to take timely action. When a complaint was lodged the police asked the girls to take it easy. They replied action would be taken when she identified the culprits.

* Vijay Nagar case, January 2007: A Manipuri girl was rapped and murdered in her rented room in Vijyanagar. The girl was alleged to be immoral.

* Mahipalpur case, Oct 2007: One girl was molested by a tenant in Mahipalpur. The duty officr of Vasant Kunj Police Station refused to register the case until the mdia intervened. The accused was arrested but the police failed to book a case under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocity Act though the victim belongs to scheduled tribe community.

* Gandhi Vihar case: Jan 2008: Two sisters from Manipur, aged 24 and 18, were beaten and molested by 25 roudies in Gandhi Vihar on 5th Jan 2008. The police registered the case only 2 days after the media intervened. The goons were released on bail after few days. The siblings left the place owing to threats and apprehension surrounding their lives from the thugs.It is generally theorised that the whole NE community has a laid back attitude towards sex, drug and violence by the mainstream society. The women especially are being misconstrued as being immoral and liberal minded enough to give up their virtue without any hesitation.

Racial discrimination and sexual harassment is rampant due to this misconception and mispresentation of the identity of the NE women.

The mainstream society is wrapped up in its conservative ideal and are oblivious of the freedom that the NE women enjoy in their native land, so any kind of freedom shown in their attire or demeanour are strongly identified and they become easy targets of sexual overtures and harassment.

Study shows that 50% of the cases of sexual assault are targeted at women from the North East. The police turns a deaf ear to the complaints filed by the victims against the atrocities. As we can see in the Gandhi Vihar case, the complainants were victimised even more and protesting by the goons.

The death of Lucy Kashung on 16th Dec 2006 at Roop Nagar Delhi questioned the ethics and the authenticity of the media and the authorities in dealing with the case. Lucy was brought dead to the Hindu Rao Hospital at Malka Ganj on the Saturday morning.

The accused Ajay Luthra and his friends tried to flee after leaving the dead body. The police denied any foul play.

The Pioneer on Dec 17 stated that Lucy was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Roop Nagar in Delhi. She was reported as a resident of Meghalaya staying at Mukherjee Nagar.

The Hindustan Times of Dec 18 stated that a murder case has been registered against Ajay Luthara for the death of Lucy Kashung. According to the police Lucy consumed a lot of liquor with Luthra at a party.

It further stated that the accused took Lucy to Hindu Rao Hospital on Saturday morning after her condition worsened. The Pioneer reported that she was in Murkherjee Nagar which was not true. She was staying at Vijay Nagar.

The erroneous conclusions draw by the media were due to the recognition given to the informations provided by the accused and the those known to the accused only.

The opinions of the deceased family and friends were not given due weightage. The question is: can we trust the media for its supplication? The Northeastern women are believed to be easy prey and can be seduced quickly.

Two women from Nagaland aged 23 employed at Accurate BPO in Green Park Extensions, New Delhi were suspended by the Manager when they resisted his sexual advances.

They were sacked from their job without any payments. The police and the authorities took all these issues nonchatenthy and adequate measures to punish the culprits are not issued.

The NE women are made out to be booze-guzzlers party animals, fast and what not. The identity of the NE women is constructed within a stereotypical framework. The misconstrued identity needs to be tackled as it exposes them to the worst forms of sexual harassments.

Not all NE women are saintly. Some of them are being blamed for dragging the names of the NE women in the muck by their untoward and disgraceful behaviours.

Indian ranks 144 in a list of 128 countries in the Global Gender gap Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Agreed, discrimination of any kind is highly prevalent in present day India irrespective of caste, race, gender and culture.

But perpetual negligence towards the plight of the NE women can’t be ignored for long. We need to resist the misrepresented identity for covering to it, would encourage further victimisation of them.

A couple of years back, just a day after the gang rape of a NE girl, the vice principal of a reputed college in Delhi University announced dress code for the girl students from the region.

In the press release issued by the vice-principal it was alleged that the NE girls were sent by militants to be molested and seduced so as to promote anti Indian sentiment.

The police men also alleged that the complaints on sexual harassments are dramas and said that there is no smoke without fire.

Is our own Manipur Government having a blind eye to the escalating crimes against its own people residing in alien places? Is it going to only verbally condemn the issue or is it contemplating asking its Mumbai counterpart for a conclusive inquiries into Ch Alena’s murder?

When some migrant workers were shot dead at Hayel in Imphal district and Takhel, the Manipur Govt took swift action and lost no time back then to bring the real culprits to book. The Govt even went to the length of pleading to the immigrants not to leave the State.

It seems that our Government is only interested in pursuing its hypocritical and opportunistic policies and completely disregarding its accountability to the people of Manipur.

In order to eradicate this menace, social work interventions, concrete measures to fight discrimination and enhance Socio-cultural exchange between the communities are needed.

Law enforcement agencies are not enough to prevent the crimes but local people’s co-operation is a must to uproot this problem.




1,704 hamlets to be electrified through non-conventional sources

Agartala, Nov 6 : The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has agreed to provide financial support to 8,719 remote villages of 10 states, including 1,704 hamlets in the Northeast in the current fiscal.

State Science and Technology Minister Joy Gobinda Debroy told UNI here today that the ministry will support to develop infrastructure for facilitating electrification through non-conventional sources of energy.

According to plan, renewable energy technologies used for this purpose include solar photovoltaic home-lighting systems and decentralised small hydro and biomass gasification systems.Besides, 1,485 villages in Asom and 14 in Manipur, 205 villages of remote villages of Tripura will be electrified under the programme. It was estimated that around 31.7 billion units of electrical energy will be generated annually for feeding into the grid through 13,450 MW of power generation capacity from various renewable energy sources in the 10 states.

Debroy attributed that under Remote Village Electrification (RVE) programme, proposals were received from the state governments, for financial support for creation of facilities for lighting/basic electricity through renewable energy sources in eligible remote un-electrified villages and hamlets including tribal villages.

Implementation of renewable energy programme is routinely monitored at different levels and will be carried out by the officers implementing the programme themselves, or, through other independent agencies, he added.

Great Indian Rock pulls crowd



Shillong, Nov 6 : Integral in the contemporary explosion of innovative and original music in the country, the Great Indian Rock Festival held in ‘rock-city’ Shillong saw a huge turnout of music lovers today.

The Shillong crowd went frenzy with live acts from Delhi, Mumbai and Norway performing for the first time in ‘music-savvy’ Shillong. Enthralling original rock numbers from bands – Lucid Recess from Guwahati, Scribe and Undying Inc. from New Delhi and Bhayanak Maut from Mumbai had Shillongiites overwhelmed.

First timers – Sahg, a Norwegian classic melodic metal band, wooed the audience with its songs mostly based on mystic and mythical themes. “Our songs also deal with issues of racial discrimination and other political problems prevalent in Norway,” said vocalist Olav.
The band was impressed with the ‘exotic’ nature of Shillong and the clean air which they felt was just like back home in Norway.

The Great Indian Rock festival which began 13 years ago was always organized in the capital – New Delhi.

However, with organizational support from Seagram’s Royal Stag Mega Music, this year, the festival has branched out to seven major cities namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Shillong. The festival also has three international acts performing in the festival.

Since its inception in 1995, the Great Indian Rock Festival has over the years provided a launch pad for some of the biggest bands in the country and helped them get noticed. Over the years, it has gradually developed as a platform for musicians to showcase their skills and talent, with a large number of Indian rock bands going abroad to participate in concerts.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

We cannot be cowed down: Shillong Carnival


Shillong, Nov 2 : Peering from his vehicle, tourist taxi driver Karnesh Rai’s sad demeanor was lighted up by the boisterous Shillong Carnival and he smiled: “It’s so nice in here”.

Rai was waiting for the parade to clear up at Police Bazaar Point, so that he could drive back passengers to Guwahati. “I don’t want to go back, I am scared,” he said with an air of despondency.

All through the conversation about Guwahati, Rai, however, smiled and clapped and waved his hands at the passing parade; sometimes at the Manipur contingent decked in their colourful attire or at small marching Tibetan boys and girls beating the drums and playing the flute with utmost synchronisation!

“We love our brothers and sisters from Assam and are together with them. We cannot be weak at this moment, but stand united and fight together,” Suresh Thokchom, president of Manipur Students’ Union, Shillong unit said.

The Manipur contingent comprised students from the Meitei, Naga and Kuki community – the three communities otherwise having various socio-political differences. “We want to leave behind our differences and march ahead together,” Thokchom said.
In the morning today, vehicular and human traffic was below normal in the city here. But people rushed out to have a glimpse of the parade and immediately there was the usual traffic snarls. “Enjoy life,” screamed an old lady with outstretched hands to the cheering parade near Fire Brigade Ground.

The carnival, organised by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF), had school and college students from most of the Northeastern States, who took part in the event decked in colourful traditional costumes. They paraded from IGP Point circumventing Laitumkhrah and culminating at Polo Grounds.

“Whatever has happened in Assam has to be taken up as a challenge. We cannot be cowed down … but join hands and fight together,” RG Lyngdoh former Meghalaya Home Minister and Chairman of MTDF asserted.

Others, like Pushpa and Gymar Tagia, students from Arunachal Pradesh, said that they felt “secure and happy” by participating in the parade. Sudhir Debbarma, adviser to Tripura Students’ Federation, echoed similar sentiments, adding: “we must stand together to fight violence.”

At Polo Grounds, the Carnival assembled and stood for a minute’s silence for those killed and injured in Thursday’s bomb carnage in Assam. “We are investing in youth power for a better tomorrow,” DD Laloo, a MTDF member, said confidently.

Manipur Awards Five Journalists on Information day


Imphal, Nov 1 : Manipur Information Minister T N Haokip today presented Manipur Journalist Award 2008 to five journalists on the occasion of Information and Public Relations Day.

A function was held on the premises of the Information and Public Relations directorate here with the Information Minister as chief guest.

Lalmalsawm Sellate, Editor of a vernacular daily Hmasawna Thar was conferred the award for national integration and communal harmony.
Laishram Shamungou of Sangai Express was given the award for public hygiene.

Ng Liklaileima of Sangai Express and S Sonia of Poknapham shared the award for ‘Women and Children’.

Freelance journalist Sobhapati Samom was conferred the award for Rural Reporting.

All the awards carried a cash prize of Rs 25,000.

Earlier only one scribe was awarded.

Kut Celebrated in Manipur



Imphal, Nov 1 : The Kut festival, a post harvest festival of the Kuki Chin Mizo groups of Manipur was celebrated today with pomp and splendour.

Hundreds of people thronged the Manipur Rifles ground here to participate in the main function where cultural programmes of various Kuki Chin Mizo tribes were organised.

The day has been declared as a holiday by the state government to celebrate the post harvesting festival.

Dignitaries like Governor Gurbhachan Jagat, Chief Minister, O Ibobi Singh, Cabinet ministers,MLAs and senior civil and police Officers participated in the progarmme to enjoy the colourful festival.
Governor Gurbhachan Jagat said the festival symbolizes gratitude, compassion and gaiety. It also provides a platform to people cutting across the barriers of caste, creed and religion to make a sincere introspection of their own thoughts and values.

”Let the Kut 2008, spread the message of peace,harmony,brotherhood compassion and forgiveness and usher in peaceful co-existence in Manipur” he added.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh said, spirit of Kut is all about sharing and understanding harmonious co-existence co-operation and merriment.

” The best way to celebrate festivals like Kut is to strive for building a harmonious society and work for strengthening the bond of amity” he added.