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Freedom and friend for five-year-old gibbon

Written by admin on 2:40 AM

Guwahati, May 30 : She was born free and to freedom she has returned.

Five-year-old Siloni is the first gibbon in the country to be released into the wilds after being reared at a rehabilitation centre. She was released at Kaziranga on Sunday but the official announcement was delayed, as the forest department wanted to ensure that she would adapt to her new home.

The department undertook the rehabilitation project in association with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

The gibbon, rescued when she was only a few months old, was supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). She was rescued from Silonijan in Karbi Anglong after poachers killed her mother in February 2003.

Since then, she has been living at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) at Kaziranga.

Moreover, Siloni will not lack company in the wilds, either. Before her release, she was kept in a cage for four months. The cage was hung from a big tree inside the Panbari reserve forest in Kaziranga.

“A male gibbon struck up a friendship with Siloni immediately and has been visiting her ever since. So, when Siloni was set free, the two took off together. We are sure they have found a home by now,” said Rathin Barman, a senior WTI official told The Telegraph.

The male gibbon was monitored for five months to study his home range and behavioural characteristics before being considered as a partner for Siloni.

The governing council of the CWRC, chaired by the commissioner and secretary (forest) and chief wildlife warden of Assam, approved the gibbon’s release.

The official said she was acclimatised for more than four months at the Panbari reserve forest. “Soon after her release, Siloni showed more interest in exploring the forests than in the wild male,” the official added.

Only two other organisations in the world, the Kalaweit Care Centre in Kalleif, Indonesia, and the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in Phuket, Thailand, work towards the rehabilitation of gibbons whose life span is about 20 years.

The hoolock gibbon (Bunopithecus hoolock) is an endangered species listed in Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972). Experts said the survival of the species is threatened because of habitat loss, hunting and illegal trade.“Habitat fragmentation has forced many gibbons in Assam to live in isolation, often without a mate,” a wildlife official added.

Telegraph India

Assam govt lays new conditions for peace talks with militant

Written by admin on 2:39 AM

Guwahati, May 30 : The Assam Government has laid down some new conditions for holding peace talks with the militant outfits. From now onwards, the militants have to come forward with a proposal of talks within the parameters of the Constitution only. This was decided at a meeting of the Unified Command, chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr. Tarun Gogoi at Dispur on Thursday.

It resolved that rebels would now require giving in writing to the Government to abide by the laid down norms for sitting in peace talks. Once the Government approves a peace proposal, the outfits have to surrender their weapons and stay in designated camps till the peace process is over.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of four Corps of the Army Lt. General B.S. Jaswal, who heads the operational group of the Unified Command, was present at the meeting along with representatives from the Border Security Force, the CRPF, State Police and the Home Department.

AIR Guwahati Correspondent reports that the State Government came out with the idea perturbed by recent violences by the Jewel Garlosa faction of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) militants in North Cachar hills district.

AIR News

ADB to check floods with expert help

Written by admin on 2:39 AM

Guwahati, May 31 : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has, for the first time, undertaken an ambitious plan to work out a long-term strategy to check the perennial problem of floods and erosion in Assam.

The bank, which has sought help from international experts for the project, will submit a draft report for the first phase of its work in June. It has identified four vulnerable areas — Palasbari in Kamrup district, Bonpora in Kaziranga, Dibrugarh town and Motmora — for the project.Flood control minister Bharat Chandra Narah said the bank had sought technical assistance from German and Japanese experts to prepare detailed reports for the project. Work is expected to begin in end-2009.

In the first phase, the ADB has decided on a plan outlay of Rs 500 crore that will be given to the state on a 90:10 basis. This means the state will bear 10 per cent of the project cost, while the rest will be given by the Centre as a grant. The bank will loan the money to the Centre.

The project, christened the Northeastern Integrated Flood and River Basin Erosion Management Project, aims at reducing the vulnerability of the areas to flood and erosion through comprehensive planning using new techniques and cost-effective and sustainable methods, Narah said.

“The foreign agencies being involved by the ADB to prepare the project reports are very experienced. They have the experience of handling similar projects in Bangladesh and other flood-ravaged countries,” water resources secretary Paran Baruah said.

He added that ADB was planning to use geo-textile bags instead of boulders to check erosion along a 25-km-stretch on either side of the Brahmaputra in these four places. “Boulders are not locally available. So ADB has decided to use geo-textile bags which will be filled with sand. These textile bags are said to be very strong and durable,” Baruah said. Though ADB is expected to submit the draft proposal in June, the loan will be sanctioned only in 2009, Baruah said. The bank will organise a workshop to sensitise the stakeholders so that work on the project goes on unhindered without facing any protests or objections.

After work in the first phase is completed, the bank may undertake a similar project .

in other flood and erosion-affected areas of the state, Baruah hoped.

Telegraph India

KCP (MC) unfazed, pledges to cleanse RIMS

Written by admin on 2:38 AM

Imphal, May 30 : Reacting to widespread condemnations against the act of exploding bomb at the RIMS Hospital complex some days back, the KCP (MC) affirmed that such outbursts could not stop the armed group from carrying out its campaign to detoxify the premier health care centre from unwanted ills.

A statement issued by the KCP-MC’s secretary military affairs Lanheiba Meitei conveyed of the outfit’s acceptance that triggering the blast at the hospital is indeed an act of terrorism, but hastened to add that under what compelling circumstance the action was carried out needs to be introspected by all.

Expressing that administrative anomalies in RIMS is not a recent phenomenon and the KCP organisation had been striving to weed out vitriolic elements within the RIMS set-up in addition to reminders to RIMS authorities to clean up the mess, Lanheiba said the entire truth could be laid bare for public scrutiny if and when Dr Mohen and Dr Fimate fall into custody of the KCP (MC).

Exuding confidence that had Dr Mohen and Dr Fimate been committed and sincere ills afflicting RIMS could have been easily sanitised, the KCP (MC) also questioned passive stance of various civil society and student organisations on the important issue.

Proclaiming that no sort of security arrangement could deter KFL cadres of the KCP (MC) from accomplishing the entrusted task, Lanheiba pointed to the May 25 blast at RIMS to drive home the point that it could breach any security cordon.

Suggesting that, if willing, there is enough time to mend one’s conduct rather than rely upon newsmedia to project as saintly, the secretary disowned the alleged telephonic threat by affirming that KCP (MC) had never asked for favouritism related to employment in RIMS.

KCP (MC) also appealed to doctors practising in private clinics against levying exorbitant fees from the patient saying that such monetary lust only demeans the noble profession.

Announcing that functions/activities of all medical centres, including the JN Hospital and private hospitals/clinics would be closely monitored, hospital authorities are also advised to ensure food provided to the patients are not sub-standard to avoid embarrassing situation.

Moreover, pharmacies in and around hospitals are also asked to display authentication documents such as licence and issue genuine cash memos for medicines purchased.

TSE

4 killed, 26 hurt in Behiang mishap

Written by admin on 2:38 AM

Churachandpur, May 31 : In yet another disastrous road mishap along the Tiddim Road stretch of Singhat and Behiang four passengers have been killed and twenty six others injured when the bus in which they were travelling in fell into a stream near Sialsi under Singngat sub-division at around 2 pm today.

Swiftly responding to the situation, troops of 57 Mountain Division at Behiang post of 9 Assam Rifles rushed to the site and helped the passengers out of the ill-fated bus.
While the injured passengers were being evacuated to Singhat after providing first aid at Behiang post, two more succumbed to their injuries thus increasing the toll to four fatal casualties.

As per the last report, all the injured passengers along with the deceased were brought to Singhat, the PRO informed.

On January 17 this year, an overloaded truck with about 70 passengers met a devastating accident due to a dilapidated bridge over Ngasuonlui.

Twenty people lost their lives, and more than 26 were injured, some crippled for life and some yet to recuperate even to this day.

According to eye witnesses, today’s mishap occurred near the cemetery of Behiang, the border village which is located about 55 kms from here.

Identifying two of the victims as Mangmuanhang (25) of Tonjang and Hangdoumang (34) of Suangphahmun, an elder of Tonjang village Kamminthang said that at least twenty five other passengers were injured, twenty of them seriously.

He, however, could not identify the third victim.

‘All I know is that he belonged to Panglian village’, Kamninthang said.

As to the improvement that could be seen along the road stretch after the January 17 mishap, Sianzathang of Tonjang said pucca road has now come up till Bualkot village, half way to Behiang.

However, the remaining part of the road is yet to see any positive changes or development.

In fact, the Ngasuan bridge and another over Tuivai river are presently being revamped by the Department concerned.

According to the attendant at the ticket counter of the ill-fated passenger bus bearing with registration number MN 02/ 7293 belongs to one Chandrashekhar, a non-local scrap-dealer and the driver is Lialian.

A team of para-medics from the State Health Department accompanied by 2nd OC of Singngat Police Station Zuala have rushed in to the spot to aid the injured.

Before returning, they are expected to conduct post-mortem on the deceased and investigate into the circumstances leading to the mishap.

It is believed that failure to negotiate a curve road due to the vehicle’s high-speed may be the behind the tragedy.

TSE

CCpur-Tuivai road in March 09′

Written by admin on 2:37 AM

Singzol (CCpur), May 31 : Come March next year and the construction work of the road connecting Churachandpur district headquarters and Tuivai on the Manipur-Mizoram border will be completed.

Speaking to the villagers of Singzol, who rolled out the red carpet for the Minister, K Ranjit said that the road connecting Churachandpur district headquarters and Tuivai, covering a distance of 162 kms, will be upgraded to a State Highway and the construction work will be finalised by March next year.
Significantly K Ranjit is the first Minister to ever visit Singzol.

The construction work of the road was taken up after the North East Council released a sum of Rs 82 crores in 2005 and the actual process of the work started in 2006 .

Different contractors were engaged in the construction of the road.

The Minister was accompanied by the Thanlon AC MLA Hangkhanlian, Chief Engineer of the PWD Dr G Tonsana and media persons during the tour.

The touring team was greeted by a black topped road over a stretch of 20 kilometres on the Churachandpur-Singhat road while the BMW work on the remaining stretch of 14 kilometres was also found completed.

Road widening work as well as construction of culvert along the route from Singhat to Tuivai was in progress as the team traversed through.

However the Works Minister was visibly irritated on seeing that work on the stretch of the road awarded to a special contractor identified as Ch Rajgopal had not made any progress.

Besides instructing that the work should be taken up immediately, the Minister warned that if no progress is witnessed then the special contractor would be black listed.

The road widening work as well as the construction of culverts started in 2006 and the amount released so far is Rs 19 crores.

Striking a positive tone, the Works Minister said that construction of the road will be taken up after the Monsoon from September/October this year.

March is the tentative deadline set for the completion of the CCpur-Tuivai road, said the Minister and urged the people to extend all possible co-operation.

The objective of the SPF Government is equitable development of the hills and plain, said Ranjit and added that the CCpur-Tuivai road is a step towards this.

All along the way villagers came out to greet the Minister and his team and at a village called Tongpam, Ranjit inaugurated a water supply scheme, while the foundation stone of a guest house was laid at Singzol.

The estimated cost of guest house is pegged at Rs 1 crore.

Though the foundation of the said guest house was built earlier, the foundation stone for the same was laid by Ranjit belatedly.

On seeing that the foundation for the guest house was sub-standard, the Minister instructed that the work be started afresh.

Ranjit and the team also inspected the condition of the Tuivai bridge.

Though black topping process is on along the 34 kms stretch from Churachandpur to Singhat, the Minister was not at all pleased to find the work being carried out over a 800 metre stretch.

Ranjit instructed that the work be started anew and added that no bill will be issued pending the fresh work.

The task of constructing the CCpur to Tuivai road was initially entrusted on the BRO, but due to man power shortage, the same was taken over by the State PWD.

TSE

42-day old infant talks to blind mother

Written by admin on 2:35 AM

Imphal, May 31 : This is not Ripley`s believe it or not story. But this is the hottest topic of gossipers in and around Moirang locality in Bishnupur district of Manipur. According to the local people there, a 42-day old infant talks to his blind mother during night time assuring his blind parents that he would make them see after he attained three months!

Whether the news is true or not is for anyone to find out for himself or herself, but curious locals have started thronging the house of this wonder child.

Mema and Oinam Sanayaima of Thanga Oinam village in Bishnupur district, both blind, who had their first contact while attending a blind school run by the Presbyterian Mission, were married in 2006. Fortytwo days ago on April 12, the couple received their first born male child at Churachandpur district hospital.

Doctors at the hospital said that the child would be able to have normal eyesight unlike his blind parents.

Mema is known for her ability to heal sickness through prayers which she proudly claims was a gift of God to her in a vision. Today, she also proudly claims that her child has also been a gift of God, who will change their (she and her husband) lives, something which she has already seen in her vision.

When Newmai News Network went to see the wonder child on Friday at their present location at Moirang Lamkhai Hemam Leikai, 40 kilometers from Imphal, in Bishnupur district, a sizeable inquisitive crowd had thronged their house trying to get a glimpse of the wonder child.

The blind mother of the child, Mema, told NNN that she and her husband have been moving as directed by God in her vision, which also made them stay in their present house at Moirang Lamkhai. Mema said that God had instructed her to venture out from their house before the child attained three months.

As such, they had moved to Thanga Khunjao and Sendra in Bishnupur district earlier before coming to Moirang Lamkhai.

The curiosity that had imbued the minds of the people and that made the topic of discussion searing is - believe it or not, the one and half-month child speaks to his mother during night time and assures his parents they would have a normal eyesight. However, when asked whether rumors spreading around the child are accurate, the mother preferred to conceal the secret.

IFP

Sericulture provides employment to Tripuras rural folk

Written by admin on 2:34 AM

Agartala, May 30 : Sericulture has emerged as a profitable employment avenue for rural folk, particularly women in Tripura.

Various government schemes for sericulture, which involves growing of mulberry trees for the leaf (which is the only food for silk worm), rearing of the silk worms and spinning of cocoon for the silk thread, are in operation in the state.

Women entrepreneurs have been given special preference under the schemes. Tribals particularly the Jhumias (nomadic farmers who slash and burn forests for cultivation) are also involved in sericulture as an alternative to Jhum cultivation.

Most of the beneficiaries use their wasteland to grow mulberry trees where farmers rear silkworms till it reaches the spinning stages of cocoon.

“We have taken to sericulture as we are able to earn handsome amount. We have formed cooperative society for women and carry out this task in our free time. Every year, we earn between 20,000 to 25,000 rupees. But the profit can be more if we are able to look after the worms properly,” said Rita Paul, silkworm farmer.

India produces a variety of silks including Mulberry, Tussar, Muga and Eri depending on the feeding habit of the silkworms.

Some of the northeastern states like Assam, Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram
have accorded a fairly high priority to sericulture.

In Tripura, around 4,500 beneficiaries are directly involved in the subsidiary occupation further improving their socio-economic status.

Besides imparting technical know-how, the government also distributes silk threads to the weavers for producing the finished products like sarees, dress material through the handloom cluster co-operative societies.

” We impart knowledge about silk production to sericulturists in Tripura. We also provide them technical assistance under various schemes launched here. We have our own farm in Madhubani and conduct various activities for farmers under the action plans,” said Shibayan Sen, official, Central Silk Board.

The annual production of silk in the state is little more than 6.00 metric ton worth six million rupees.

At present, only about 30 per cent yarns is being consumed for fabrics and the rest is sold outside the state.

Experts say that the agro-climatic condition of Tripura is highly favourable for extensive growth of sericulture and the allied industry has a great prospect.

“Mulberry grows very well in waste lands of Tripura. The Central Government is giving lot of emphasis for further development. So, silk has a better future until and unless a little bit of problem posed by China. But still Indian silk has a lot of demand all over the world,” said Tripurandra Mohan Ganguli, Retd. Director of Handloom, Tripura.

Sericulture in Tripura is a high priority agro-based industry and plays a vital role in the economy and employment potential, particularly in the rural and semi-urban parts of the state.

India stands second only to China in silk production. While China produces 70,000 metric tons of raw silk, India is far behind at 14,200 metric tons.

According to officials, India requires 120,000 metric tons of silk to meet its share of demand in world market. With better infrastructure facility, the sericulture industry could improve its productivity to 15 per cent as against the current nine per cent.

ANI

Lease of life for Shillong hotel

Written by admin on 2:32 AM

Shillong, May 31 : Since 1986, the Crowborough Hotel here has been a symbol of an ambitious project gone wrong.

Today, the hotel got a new “lease” of life when the Meghalaya government and a local entrepreneur signed an agreement, the first step towards turning the Shillong address into a major commercial space with help from a reputed hospitality chain.Facilitated by Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), the lease agreement was signed today between local entrepreneur Leslee Shylla and K.L. Tariang, managing director of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation in Shillong.

As part of the private-public partnership model, the lessee also tied up with resort developer T.K. Internationals, which will develop the barren structure of Crowborough and turn it into a workable commercial space.

Shyamkanu Mahanta, the Northeast head of IL&FS, said the private-public partnership model would ensure that the state government gets a steady return for 33 years — the term of lease.

The government will earn Rs 1.73 crore per annum with an increase of 10.5 per cent after every three years.

Tourism minister Conrad Sangma, who was present at the signing ceremony, said Meghalaya would take up more projects in the private-public partnership mode.

Work on the Crowborough Hotel, located at Police Bazar, had started in 1986 but was stopped following disputes which led to court cases between the government of Meghalaya and contractors.

An impatient government finally entrusted IL&FS to create a private-public partnership model for the project.

Chairman of the Meghalaya Tourism Development Corporation, Mason Singh Sangma, said the remaining work at the hotel would be undertaken with the help of the lessee at the earliest.

Telegraph India

PRISM demands fresh probe into pastor’s death

Written by admin on 2:30 AM

Aizawl, May 29 : The PRISM (People’s Right to Information and Development Implementing Society of Mizoram) today demanded a fresh investigation into the alleged murder of Reverend Chanchinmawia.

“The fact that Revd Chanchinmawia had received threat mails several times due to his outright criticism of the Government, the circumstances of his death, the manner of the police investigation and the missing of the weapon of crime (found near the pastor’s body) indicated that his murder had been meticulously planned,” the PRISM stated in an appeal submitted to the court of the ADM(J), Chawngtinthanga. The organization also appealed to the court to initiate a fresh probe into the matter.

Revd Chanchinmawia, a pastor of the Khatla Presbyterian Church and president of the Mizoram Presbyterian Synod-sponsored Mizoram People’s Forum, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his quarters at Khatla on October 1, 2007.

Initially, he was believed to have committed suicide, based on the statements of his wife and their maidservant. However, this theory raised doubts on the day itself.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), however, could not find any evidence to support the homicide theory. The SIT report was submitted to the court on December 6, 2007.

Meanwhile, all the Opposition parties also demanded a CBI probe into the death.

UNI

NE states seek central funding for educational infrastructure

Written by admin on 2:29 AM

Gangtok, May 31 : The north eastern states demanded central assistance for building schools and related infrastructure for proper implementation of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

The lack of school buildings and related facilities in the villages of NE states have proved to be an impediment in the education of children in spite of the implementation of the SSA, Mizoram Education Minister R Lalthangliana, who presided over a meeting of the education ministers of the NE region, told reporters here.

The NE states are committed to universalisation of primary education and liberal funding by the Centre was required to implement SSA and other schemes.

Lalthangliana expressed satisfaction over the Centre agreeing to bear 90 per cent of the expenditure for implementing SSA in the 11th plan, keeping with the demand by the NE states.

He also stressed the need for good teachers and said that expenses on providing training to them should also be shared by the Centre in the proportion of 90:10.

There was need for strengthening the higher secondary education too - a fact agreed to by all the NE states, he said and suggested that NGOs be co-opted for spreading education.

Asked, he ruled out the impact of militancy and related activities on the academic activities or implementation of SSA in the NE states.

Meghalaya Education Minister Manas Choudhuri concurred with Lalthangliana and said the two issues were not related.

PTI

Bamboo bloom spells doom for Mizoram villages

Written by admin on 2:29 AM

Lawngtlai, May 31 : In an election year, Mizoram is facing its worst famine in years. Following a bamboo flowering phenomenon and an increase in rat population, there has been an acute shortage of food grains.

More than one lakh people go hungry everyday and many villages are surviving on one meal a day.

“My biggest worry is this famine which affects Mizoram and this year it’s the greatest problem I am facing. With the famine I face elections,” says Mizoram CM Zoramthanga

Part of the destruction has been caused by bamboo bloom with rats destroying entire crops, grain bins, fruits, even houses. Known as Mautam - which in Mizo means death of the bamboo – the phenomenon occurs every 48 years.

However, even prior knowledge does not help. “There is a desperate need for international agencies to give more relief. The government is doing its little bit. But only a little bit. There’s obviously a need for more relief. The government needs to move into these villages,” says Action Aid officer Mrinal Gohain.

Meet Phodoti. It’s an eight-hour walk for her to collect food. After much bargaining, she manages a sack of rice. She will now cross the forest, the river and then climb up to reach her village that borders Myanmar. Not a penny of Central or state funds reaches this corner that’s fighting hunger everyday.

Money was released to build roads under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act but they were never built

“We have no money to buy government ration. All our crops have been destroyed. We search for food everyday,” says Phodoti

With the onset of the monsoon will start landslides and villages bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh will be totally cut off, making things worse for people desperately short of food.

CNNIBN

Russia offers 200 MBBS seats for Mizo students

Written by admin on 2:28 AM

Aizawl, May 31 : With a view to strengthen bilateral relations with India, Russia has offered 200 MBBS seats for Mizoram.

This is a part of Indo-Russian Friendship Society’s endeavour to promote friendly cooperation, particularly in the field of education, Mizoram Higher and Technical Education Director Dr H L Malsawma said here today.

”Mizoram, because of its high literacy percentage, has been given this considerable number of quotas,” he said.

”We have the opportunity to send as many as 200 students to pursue MBBS in Russia provided there are required number of qualified students from here,” the director said.

Dr Malsawma, also chairman of the Indo-Russian Friendship Society in Mizoram, said the EDURUSSIA has been entrusted with undertaking educational concerns for study of various technical courses besides MBBS in Russian universities.

Moreover, the Russian-Asian Centre for University Services (RACUS) has been authorised by various governments to carry out admissions in various medical universities under the Russian government, he stated.

Meanwhile, Mizoram branch of Indian Medical Association has asked the people to be cautious while applying for the offered courses in Russia.

However, education director Malsawma reassured that there is no need to panic as the initiatives were taken at the government level of both the countries.

India and Russia had declared the year 2008 as ‘Year of Russia in India’ and 2009 as the ‘Year of India in Russia’ to strengthen the existing bilateral ties.

Commenting on the bilateral initiatives, former Russian president Vladimir Putin had stated that ‘relations between India and Russia were not based on short term expectations and political conditions and holding the year of Russia in India and India in Russia would open new horizons for bilateral cooperation’.

In his address early this year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also said India and Russia were bound together by civilisational linkages and relation between the two countries was time tested and based on solid foundations.

UNI

PRISM demands fresh probe into pastor’s death

Written by admin on 4:37 AM

Aizawl, May 29 : The PRISM (People’s Right to Information and Development Implementing Society of Mizoram) today demanded a fresh investigation into the alleged murder of Reverend Chanchinmawia.

“The fact that Revd Chanchinmawia had received threat mails several times due to his outright criticism of the Government, the circumstances of his death, the manner of the police investigation and the missing of the weapon of crime (found near the pastor’s body) indicated that his murder had been meticulously planned,” the PRISM stated in an appeal submitted to the court of the ADM(J), Chawngtinthanga. The organization also appealed to the court to initiate a fresh probe into the matter.

Revd Chanchinmawia, a pastor of the Khatla Presbyterian Church and president of the Mizoram Presbyterian Synod-sponsored Mizoram People’s Forum, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his quarters at Khatla on October 1, 2007.

Initially, he was believed to have committed suicide, based on the statements of his wife and their maidservant. However, this theory raised doubts on the day itself.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), however, could not find any evidence to support the homicide theory. The SIT report was submitted to the court on December 6, 2007.

Meanwhile, all the Opposition parties also demanded a CBI probe into the death.

UNI

Aizawl no longer a cool place

Written by admin on 4:37 AM

Aizawl, May 29 : With mercury rising rapidly, ice-cream sells like hot cakes in the sun-baked Aizawl city, which used to be one of the coolest places in the country, and the temperature recently shot up to an unprecedented 34 degrees celsius.

The principal scientific officer of the science and technology wing in the state planning department, Vanlalzara, said that the steep increase in temperature in Aizawl was because of a high rate of urbanisation and increased vehicular emission.

“The slash-and-burn system of cultivation and degradation of forests also contributed in fair measure to the temperature rise in the city,” he said.

However, C Ramhluna, principal chief conservator of forests of the state Environment and Forest department, begged to differ on the degradation of forets being the contributor.

“The forest cover in Mizoram is 88.63 per cent which is the highest among all the states of the country. It is also increasing every year,” he said.

He reasoned that fast urbanization and resultant pollution were the principal causes behind the rise in temperature.

PTI

Mizoram’s little masters want to cash in on IPL

Written by admin on 4:35 AM

Aizawl, May 29 : Mizoram’s cricket is like it’s morning weather, hidden in mist and rain. But on the ground, Mizoram’s little masters are looking ahead to sunny weather as cricket fever catches up with a state known for it’s passion for football.

Joshua, a member of the Durklnag Cricket Club, is only nine years old, but his passion for cricket is infectious.

He says his favourite IPL team is Mumbai Indians and his favourite cricketer is Sachin Tendulkar. And when asked what would he like to excel in if he becomes a cricketer, he says he is a fast bowler.

The captain of a team, Vawnlal Ruata, was busy passing on his skills. Once a member of the national cricket academy who played alongside Robin Utthapa, Ruata is keen to jump on to the IPL bandwagon.

“If they are ready to give me a contract definitely, I am ready even now. It’s a career for me personally and also good for Mizoram to have a player participating in IPL, ICL and a tremendous booster for northeastern states,” says he.

Cricket is spreading fast and deep in the hill state. The Cricket Association of Mizoram was formed in 1992 and with eight first division clubs and 24 second division clubs, it’s appealing to the BCCI for recognition.

At a time when everyones breathing T20, Mizoram is slowly but surely picking up its stance to face the rest of the country.

CNNIBN

Northeast India is poised to tap economic potential

Written by admin on 4:33 AM

India’s remote northeast region has been both blessed and cursed by its geography. The region is rich in natural resources but is landlocked and surrounded by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, leaving it impoverished.

The eight-state region may finally get a chance to start living up to its economic potential with several projects to enhance

connections with Southeast Asia and to increase outlets for such commodities as organic foods, orchids, tea, coal and oil.

Now, the only way to move major quantities of goods between northeast India and Southeast Asia is through Bangladesh.

But authorities in Myanmar and India are nearing final approval of a $100-million river project giving northeast India direct access to the Indian Ocean through Myanmar, said Abhijit Barooah, chairman of the northeastern chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry, India’s premier business association.

The project envisages facilitating movement of cargo from India’s Mizoram state to Myanmar’s port at Sittwe, via the Kaladan River.

In addition, talks have begun between companies in northeast India and Thailand after a trade-promotion conference in Bangkok in October, said Lemli Loyi, assistant general manager at the state-run North Eastern Development Finance Corp. Loyi expressed hope that the talks would result in increased business and possible joint ventures.

India first enunciated a “look east” policy, an economic and strategic orientation toward Southeast Asia, in 1992. It had its genesis at the end of the Cold War, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Having lost the Soviet economic and political support on which it had relied, the Indian government embarked on a program of free-market restructuring at home and sought new markets and economic partners abroad.

Officials envisaged that the eight northeast states — Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Mizoram — would emerge as a trading hub for two dynamic regions connected by a network of highways, railways, pipelines and transmission lines. The region is home to about 40 million people.

But progress has been slow. The region’s isolation dates to the 1800s.

“Nineteenth-century British colonial decisions to draw lines between the hills and the plains, to put barriers on trade between Bhutan and Assam, and to treat Burma as a buffer against French Indochina and China severed the region from its traditional trade routes — the southern trails of the Silk Road,” said Sanjib Baruah, a professor of political science at Bard College in New York and an expert on northeast India.

The British built railways and roads mostly to take tea, coal, oil and other resources out of Assam and into the rest of India and also to Europe.

The problems increased with the partitioning of India and Pakistan in 1947. Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan in the 1970s.

Barooah said trade would be boosted by an expected move by the Indian and Myanmar governments to expand the list of mostly agricultural commodities allowed to be traded by land between northeast India and Myanmar, from 27 to 42 items.

“The northeast is the closest land mass connecting the dynamic economies of south and Southeast Asia,” said Pradyut Bordoloi, Assam’s minister for power and industries. “Besides deep-rooted cultural linkages, we can reap multidimensional benefits in this era of regional economic cooperation.”

Bordoloi is closely associated with a campaign to reopen the World War II-era Stillwell Road, connecting Assam’s town of Ledo to southwest China.

“If reopened, this would be the shortest surface route to Yunnan province of China and other Southeast Asian countries hooking onto the trans-Asian highways,” he said.

The road served as the supply line into China during Japan’s wartime occupation, but it was shut after India’s independence from Britain in 1947.

Bordoloi said his campaign to reopen the road, initiated after he became a state legislator in 1998, scored a victory when India upgraded the road to a full-fledged national highway, developing it up to the Indo-Myanmar border.

Officials say infrastructure development, power, bamboo-based industries, orchids and organic foods are prospective areas of cooperation with Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand.

But significant hurdles remain, including concerns that booming trade relations may fuel rises in insurgency, narco-terrorism and AIDS, all of which plague the northeast. Security in the region is tight, with the army out in force to combat armed groups battling for greater autonomy or independence from India.

“The official restrictions that prevail in northeast India — in terms of travel, land and labor markets — are hardly conducive to intensive cross-border economic relations,” said Baruah, the political science professor.

“Both the reality of insurgencies in the region and the security anxiety of the government of India . . . are major obstacles to dynamic cross-border economic ties,” he added, calling current efforts hardly more than “a bare beginning.”

Also, Baruah said, it was difficult to imagine a big increase in trade given the political situation in military-led Myanmar.

India’s relations with China, a country it has long regarded with distrust since a 1962 border war, would also have to become much more relaxed, Baruah said.

LA Times

Indian Govt holds talks with NSCN-IM

Written by admin on 4:31 AM

New Delhi, May 29 : Amid clashes between rival Naga rebel groups, the Centre today held a meeting with NSCN-IM to carry forward the ongoing peace process in Nagaland.

The meeting discussed the proposals submitted by both sides to find out an early amicable solution to the six decade old insurgency problem in the northeastern state.

“The meeting was held to asses the proposals in order to find out a formula which is acceptable to both sides,” an NSCN-IM spokesman told the media.

The five-member Naga group was headed by senior NSCN- IM leader V S Atem while the government team was led by Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry, M L Kumawat.

The meeting also took stock of the prevailing situation in Nagaland where at least 20 people were killed following clashes between NSCN-IM and newly formed faction NSCN (Unification) and expressed concern over it, sources said.

There were some hiccups in the peace process but both sides expressed optimism to overcome them and carry forward the peace process, they said.

The NSCN-IM agreed to a ceasefire with the Centre in August 1997. Initially the ceasefire was renewed for one year till July 2005 when the rebels insisted for a six month extension which was again extended for another six months in February 2006.

However, in the talks held in Bangkok in July 2006, both sides have agreed to extend the true for one more year. Last July, at a meeting held in Dimapur, both sides agreed to extend the ceasefire for indefinite period. The two side have held numerous rounds of talks within India and abroad since 1997.

PTI

Cell phones ban in schools

Written by admin on 4:31 AM

Shillong, May 28 : The Meghalaya government has banned the use of mobile phones and consumption of tobacco in all educational institutions of the state. Official sources said here today that a notification, banning use of cell phones and consumption of all kinds of tobacco products in educational institutions, had been issued to all the heads of schools and colleges in the state.

The decision was taken after the consensus that it was improper to allow the use of cell phones inside classrooms as it could affect the concentration of students. The intake of all kinds of intoxicants inside schools and colleges was also prohibited as it is injurious to health.

The step to infuse a sense of discipline among the students was also taken.

UNI

Call to check trafficking

Written by admin on 4:31 AM

Shillong, May 28 : Human trafficking is a $ 9million business per year and the same amount of money is spent on the detection and rehabilitation of the victims by various governments, says a United Nations report.

Despite the efforts, trafficking of women and children is on the rise and the Northeast corner of the country is no different.

The chief of Women’s Rights and Human Security Unity, United Nations Development Fund for Women, Delhi, Archana Tamang, today called for better co-ordination between police and NGOs for effective detection of such cases.

Addressing a meeting, organised by Impulse, an NGO, for law enforcement agencies, the state social welfare department and NGOs at the police headquarters here, Tamang said the number of victims rescued was much less than those trafficked and co-ordination was essential to detect the cases.

The commissioner and secretary of Meghalaya social welfare department, A. Bhalla, said several cases of trafficking went unreported. Officials of the department admitted that the exact number of victims of human trafficking from the state was yet to be ascertained. They said the department would carry out a survey with the help of Indian Council of Social Science and Research from June.

The officials also promised to look into the demand for setting up a home for trafficked women and children and stressed the need to launch an awareness programme and activate the existing anti-trafficking committee.

East Khasi Hills superintendent of police A.R. Mawthoh pointed out several loopholes in the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act.

He advocated stringent punitive action and bail provisions and women judge to look into the cases.

Telegraph India

NSCN leaders break 20-yr ice

Written by admin on 4:29 AM

Kohima, May 28 : It’s been exactly 20 years since they spoke to each other.

After his talks invitation to his rival group’s chairman, S.S. Khaplang’s deputy went unanswered and even the Church’s efforts at unification fell flat, NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chishi Swu went that extra mile and called up his former comrade in the undivided NSCN to talk peace.

Sources told The Telegraph that Swu spoke to Khaplang to accelerate the reconciliation and unification process between the Naga militant outfits.

This is for the first time since the split in the NSCN in 1988 that the two top militant leaders from the rival groups had a conversation. The talks come in wake of rising factional clashes in Nagaland.

Before the conversation with Khaplang, Swu had invited the NSCN (K) army chief Khole Konyak to Bangkok. The apex Naga tribal body, the Naga Hoho, too, confirmed the telephone conversation between the two leaders.

Kevilietuo Angami, vice-president of Naga Hoho, said there were at least two telephone conversations between Swu and Khaplang. He said the NSCN (I-M) chairman had called up Khaplang from Chingmai in Thailand, recently.

Sources said Khaplang was eager to push forward the ongoing reconciliation and unification process between the two NSCN factions. “There were at least two telephone conversations,” a source said, adding that Khaplang had even agreed to attend the recently concluded Chingmai Naga conclave sponsored by the Naga Reconciliation Forum but was prevented from doing so because of “differences” in his own group.

However, sources said contact between the top leaders of the two factions would continue. The Chingmai Naga reconciliation conclave was also attended by several foreign organisations from the US and the Philippines to broker peace and unity among the warring Naga groups.

Representatives of various Naga organisations also attended the meeting.

Recently, a senior kilonser (minister) of the NSCN (K), Kughalu Mulatonu, said there was no point going to Thailand to attend the reconciliation meeting as the Nagas were already united.

He also criticised the “reconciliation forum” of trying to help Muivah escape from India.

The NSCN (I-M), however, skipped today’s meeting of Naga organisations and factions held in Kohima under the aegis of the Joint Forum of gaonburas (village chiefs) and dubashis (chiefs of Naga customary courts).

The joint forum has called for a yearlong ceasefire between the Naga factions with immediate effect. At a similar meeting on December 7, the factions, in the presence of gaonburas and dubashis, agreed to a six-month truce but failed to keep their commitment.

Today’s meeting was attended by gaonburas and dubashis of all the 11 districts and representatives of Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers’ Association and Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation.

Quoting NSCN (I-M) members, a senior official from the joint forum said the outfit skipped the meet because of a prior commitment but agreed to abide by whatever decision was taken today.

Telegraph India

Aiyer to survey famine-affected areas

Written by admin on 4:26 AM

Imphal, May 29 : The Sinlung Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights Organisation(SIPHRO) of Manipur today announced that DoNER Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer has promised to visit Tipaimukh in June to take stock of the famine-affected areas of the state.

Making this statement, the organisation’s Secretary Lalremlien Neitham said, ”The members of SIPHRO yesterday appraised the Minister in New Delhi of the acute food scarcity and spread of epidemics in Tipaimukh sub-division under Churachandpur district of Manipur due to bamboo flowering.

Bamboo flowering recurs every 48-50 years and due to its recent recurrence, the sub-division is suffering under acute famine conditions and epidemics. About 50 people, mostly infants, have died due to an unknown disease. The Manipur government had sent doctors to the affected area, but they could not reach the remote villages, which were the most affected by the disease.

As a result, the worst-hit villages were cut-off from medical attention and left to fend for themselves, the organisation claimed. The Muli bamboo species that started flowering again from 2006 has resulted in rapid multiplication of pests like rodents, insects and wild animals.

”These animals destroyed the crops and rendered the self-reliant ”jhum” farmers without any harvest,” the organisation members said and added that this made famine inevitable and the agrarian population, who were totally dependent on their jhum fields, lost their livelihood.

Discussing the spread of famine in the region, the secretary said that Tipaimukh is one of the epicentres of the natural phenomenon and there were no Public Distribution System (PDS), godowns, or Village Grain Banks, where the farmers could have stored their produce safely. ”Even National Highway 150 that passes through the sub-division has not been maintained for more than 20 years,” he alleged. ”In the face of this situation, AAY and BPL rice were being sold at as high as Rs 18 in some villages and for Rs 21 and Rs 25 in other far-flung villages,” he alleged.

UNI

KNF decries Govt’s attitude on SoO

Written by admin on 4:25 AM

Imphal, May 29 : Expressing concern over the conduct of the State Government of Manipur and its security agencies toward resolution of the longstanding political problem of Kuki community, Kuki National Front (KNF) has alleged that the Government of Manipur has been dragging its foot over the ceasefire initiated by the Government of India with the Kuki insurgent groups.

In a statement, information and publicity secretary of KNF LH Stephen said that the attitude of the Government of Manipur toward the Kuki community and Kuki insurgent groups is very disappointing.

Contrary to the positive step initiated by the Government of India toward resolution of the long standing political problem of Kuki community through signing of ceasefire agreement with Kuki UG outfits so as to create conducive atmosphere for peaceful negotiation, the Government of Manipur and its security agencies have been carrying out all sort of atrocities against the Kuki community.

Such action would not encourage any insurgents to come forward to the negotiating table, Stephen said.

Condemning the alleged cold blooded killing of KNF defence secretary Mangboi hours after he had gone to attend a meeting with the Indian Army Authorities at Leimakhong to discuss the issues related to SoO, Stephen said that such action would hardly create trust or lead Manipur to the path of peace.

The Government of Manipur must realise that the spirit and aspiration of the Kukis to establish a separate State and safeguard the interest of the Kukis cannot be crushed with military might.

Cruelty and violence will breed moire violence and without peace, there cannot be any form of progress and development in the land, Stephen observed.

He further pointed out that if the Government of Manipur wants peace and development in Manipur, it must be sincere in its efforts and be realistic in its approach.

The Government of Manipur should also shun away from its policy of discrmination and differientiation in its dealing along with realisation that it is only through peaceful negotiation, respect for every communities’ political, economic and human rights and freedom of choice, not through brute force or suppression by military might that a long lasting peace can be achieved.

TSE

Guwahati to have NE’s first biotech park

Written by admin on 4:25 AM

Guwahati, May 29 : To boost growth and development of indigenous technology and their absorption by the industrial sector, the State Government has come forward to set up a Biotech Park in the capital city, which would be the first such endeavour in the North East. The Guwahati Biotech Park, whose preliminary work is going on, would be taking research activities in the area of biotechnology to a new high apart from adding a touch of dynamism to the overall aspect of science and technology.

When contacted, BC Barbaruah, Joint Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, Government of Assam informed that the Guwahati Biotech Park Society has been formed comprising experts in the field.

It may be mentioned here that as part of Government of India’s ambitious programme to promote newer developments in the field of bio-technology, emphasis is on establishing biotech parks and incubators in the country which are expected to become selfsustainable. Like the existing biotech parks in the country, the Guwahati Biotech Park is expected to thrive after the initial support from the State Government.

“The venture would be on a public-private partnership,” said the official adding that discussion was on with all the stakeholders including the universities and technical institutions in the State.

The existing biotech parks in the country have facilitated research and development simultaneously, leading to commercialisation of indigenous biotech products. The facilities in the biotech parks are customized in keeping with the business plan and objectives of the executing agencies and the Guwahati Biotech Park would be no different, concentrating on the major bio assets of the State which can change its economy.

“Assam is rich in biotech resources and there is lot of opportunities in the field of biotechnology,” said the official adding that there has been impressive employment generation on subsequent stages in the places where biotech parks have come up.

AT

Cracker project on track

Written by admin on 4:24 AM

Dibrugarh, May 29 : The Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Ltd (BCPL) today said the gas cracker project was on track and that it would be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

The chairman and managing director of BCPL, U.D. Choubey, today told the media that a major portion of land required for the project have already been acquired.

Of the 3,030 bighas earmarked for the project, the Dibrugarh district administration has handed over most of the land to the BCPL, barring a 300-bigha-plot.

“We expect that the remaining minor portion of land, which in no way is hampering construction activities at the project, would be handed over to us by the local administration within a very short period of time,” Choubey added.

“We have also obtained necessary environmental clearance from both the central and the state government agencies. Most important, the agreements for supply of feedstock from Oil India Ltd, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd and the Numaligarh Refinery Ltd are already in place and, therefore, there should not be any doubt about the project being delayed,” he said. He kicked off the fencing work on the project site.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone for the project at Lepetkata in Dibrugarh district on April 9 last year.

Dibrugarh additional deputy commissioner Nareswar Upadhaya said the administration had made provisions for rehabilitation of 66 families displaced by the project.

Compensation of around Rs 47 crore had been disbursed till now.

Telegraph India

Dibrugarh varsity lures NE students

Written by admin on 4:24 AM

Dibrugarh, May 28 : For students in the northeast who often migrate outside their home state for better education, here’s some good news. Assam’s Dibrugarh university is planning a number of job-oriented courses, including one in nanotechnology and a flying course for commercial pilots.

The university has been given a grant of Rs.146 million for infrastructure development by the 12th Finance Commission, said Vice Chancellor K.K. Deka.

“Besides upgrading the existing infrastructure, we plan to add an IT building and a core engineering building with the grant. Also, we plan to develop infrastructure for clinical research, for biotechnology and nanotechnology,” Deka told IANS. “Hopefully, the work should be completed in two years,” he added.

Dibrugarh University, which was established in 1965, is one of the premier universities of the state, attracting students from not only Assam but some neighbouring states also.

“Because of lack of proper infrastructure, many students of Assam, and indeed the northeast, leave their home states for higher studies outside. With the development that we have undertaken, we should hopefully be able to address this issue,” Deka said.

Some of the other courses which the university plans to start are bachelors in electronic and communication engineering, material sciences and nanotechnology and one in performing arts too. The university will be one of the few in the country to offer a course in actuarial sciences, where mathematical and statistical methods are applied for risk assessment in the insurance and finance sectors.

“What we are concentrating on is quality, job-oriented courses to the students. In recognition of the demand for professionals in the tea industry, which is of utmost importance in Assam, we started a postgraduate diploma in tea technology and plantation management last year. And it has got a very good response,” he said. Deka, although upbeat about the developments taking place, feels that changing the mindset of the people will be crucial.

“You can’t have quality, job- oriented courses for subsidised rates. A student won’t mind spending heavily on courses in institutions outside Assam, but here they are just not ready to do so,” he said. The university recently introduced a range of subjects - computers, petroleum technology and management to mass communication, journalism, rural development and women’s writings.

Rashmi Borah, a student of the university doing her bachelors in education, said the initiatives would help in attracting students.

“After school, most of the students here either go to Guwahati for their higher studies or outside the northeast itself. But with so many courses and all very job-oriented, I am sure most students will now rethink their decision to leave the state.

“The course in tea management especially is very good. It addresses the need of one of the most important industries of the state,” she said.

IANS

History for Manipur as army team scales Mt Everest

Written by admin on 6:43 AM

A Manipuri has scaled the Mt Everest for the first time, making history for the tiny and strife-torn state.

Nongmaithem Suraj Singh, who hails from Palace Compound of the state's Imphal East district, was part of the army team christened "Snow Lion," which scaled the peak last Thursday.

Thirty-five-year-old Suraj, son of late N Jamini Singh and late Nongmaithem ongbi Khumanleima, is a Central government employee and posted in Sikkim.

All 10 members of the team, including two women, made it to the summit at 7.10 am on May 22. They safely returned to the base camp in Nepal yesterday afternoon.

"We climbed from the Nepal side and it was a wonderful experience to be on the top of the highest point on the planet," Suraj said briefly from the base camp.

An earlier attempt by a Manipuri climber, G Anita Devi on May 5, 1993, was beaten by harsh weather conditions. Anita was just 72 m short of reaching the summit.

Nepal had restricted climbing from May 1 to 9 to prevent the disruption of the torch relay as per China's request ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Since it was first conquered by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, Mt Everest has been ascended at least 3,000 times.

Lok Sabha Speaker to inaugurate NERCP at Aizwal

Written by admin on 10:50 PM

Aizawl, May 26 : Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan are to arrive in Aizwal tomorrow to attend the 11th North East Region Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (NERCP).

Mr Chatterjee will inaugurate the conference at the state Legislative Assembly hall. He will be accompanied by Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Achary and Rajya Sabha Secretary General Dr V K Agnihotri. The conference will last till 30th of this month.
Mizoram Assembly Speaker Lalchamliana said the NERCPA had been established in tune with the CPA formed by former colonies of the British Empire. Speakers, Deputy Speakers and MLAs each, besides concerned officials from the Northeastern states, were expected to attend the conference .This is the second time that Mizoram will host the conference,the first being in 1998.

Anthurium flowers give hope to Mizo famine

Written by admin on 10:49 PM

Aizawl, May 26 : If bamboo flowers and the related rodent multiplication have brought about catastrophic famine in Mizoram, the Anthurium flower is the hope of Mizo farmers to uplift their economic condition. The state horticulture department had introduced anthurium in Mizoram in 2002 for commercial cultivation under the Technology Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture in the NE states.

”The first consignment sold to neighbouring states was dispatched in October 2003, 11 months after sowing the seeds, which proved that the state had the ideal climatic conditions for the flower,” Horticulture Director Samuel Rosanglura said. Now, with its moderate climate has become the largest anthurium producer with the state-produced best quality anthurium in high demand both in the country and abroad.

”The month of June sees anthurium at its peak. Our monthly export is likely to increase to 1,00,000 cut flowers during June,” Zo-Anthurium Growers’ Society secretary Lalhmangaihi told UNI here yesterday. She also informed that about half of the total anthurium flowers produced in Mizoram were consumed in the state and the metropolitan cities, including Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi.

”Dubai is the biggest destination of Mizoram’s anthurium and the exporters are now eyeing New Zealand and Australia. However, the main problem is that we are yet unable to meet the demand within India and abroad,” Lalhmangaihi said. Presently, more than 70 varieties of anthurium were cultivated and more than 400 growers were engaged in it, the Horticulture director said, adding that under the technology mission programme more areas were being covered to be able to meet the global market’s demand.

The export of anthurium was being undertaken by the Bangalore-based Zopar Export Limited. Official sources said the monthly income of an anthurium-grower varies from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. ”This venture has not only brought about a change in the horticulture scenario of the state, but also uplifted the living standard of the farmers,” he said and attributed the success to the cordial relations between the department and the growers.

To promote anthurium flowers among Mizo farmers and attract tourists, the state horticulture and tourism departments initiated a colourful Anthurium Festival a few years ago. Under the sponsorship of the Centre, the state is gearing up for another Anthurium Festival, scheduled on June 20 and 21. ”The Anthurium festival-cum-exhibition aims at promoting the market-friendly flower and attracting tourists to the scenic beauties of Mizoram,” the officials said.

The festival would also serve as an exhibition for various local products — fruits, vegetables, handloom and handicrafts. The organisers hoped that large number of tourists would be attracted by this year’s Anthurium Festival. Following the gregarious bamboo flowering and its related boom in rats’ population last year, rural Mizoram is reeling under acute rice shortage. In the wake of the famine, the Congress slammed the state government for organising such an ”extravagant” festival. The party further alleged that the anthurium flower did not benefit the rural poor, but only the rich people in the urban areas.

UNI

Cong soul-search after ‘bad defeat’

Written by admin on 10:48 PM

Shillong, May 27 : A day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Agatha K. Sangma won the Tura bypoll by a resounding margin, a dejected, despondent Congress admitted that it was indeed a “bad defeat” and “unexpected”.

With Lok Sabha elections only a few months away, the Congress is worried that the party might not win both the seats — Shillong and Tura — in the present state of affairs.

Senior Congress leader and Union tribal affairs minister P.R. Kyndiah is currently representing Shillong Lok Sabha constituency.

Meghalaya PCC president O.L. Nongtdu today said the party expected over a lakh votes for the Congress candidate, Zentih Sangma, the brother of senior Congress leader Mukul Sangma.

“It was a bad defeat for us and we never expected this,” Nongtdu said.

The party also did not expect that the candidate would be defeated in his Rangsakona constituency. In the just concluded Assembly elections, too, the NCP’s Adolf Hitler Marak defeated Zenith, a former minister.

Of the total 24 Assembly segments, the Congress candidate could perform better than Agatha only in three constituencies, the plain areas of Rajabala and Mahendraganj, besides Ampati which is Mukul Sangma’s constituency. Though the Congress had raked up the Meghalaya Board of School Education issue and dynasty politics, those could not influence the voters.

The Congress will meet soon to assess what went wrong, Nongtdu added.

According to the NCP and other alliance partners in the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA), the victory of the NCP candidate would further strengthen the unity of the party.

After a thin margin of only one vote secured by the MPA candidate Sanbor Shullai in the election to the deputy Speaker’s post, Mukul Sangma had predicted that the government would fall within two months.

However, playing down the comments of Sangma, president of the NCP’s Meghalaya unit, W.R. Kharluki, said MPA was committed to complete the full five-year term. He also said the victory had brought more unity to the MPA and the dream of the Congress to form a government in the state would never be fulfilled in this term.

Telegraph India

Tripura tribals taking up rubber cultivation

Written by admin on 10:47 PM

Agartala, May 26 : Septuagenarian Kripasadhan Chakma, a landless tribal living in remote Tabidapara of Tripura’s South district is not a worried man today as he is now earning a living from his own rubber garden with the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council coming to his aid.

Tabidapara is a picturesque tribal hamlet on a hill surrounded by forests, hit by acute food crisis and no jobs.

“I only had a hut on khas (government land) land to live on and sometimes worked in other people’s fields. We faced poverty and food scarcity every day. But those days are gone with work available in rubber gardens,” Kripasadhan, a resident of a village under Karbuk block, said.

“Now I work in my own garden and get wages from the tribal council,” he said.

The TTAADC is motivating the hill people to settle down in rubber cultivation. The council has provided each family one hectare of land and paying wages at the rate of Rs 87 per day for developing the garden which would continue for seven years,” said Development Officer of the Council, Ratnajit Debbarma.

Debbarma said, seven years from now the rubber trees would start producing latex which could be sold in markets at a high price and one hectare of land would earn about Rs 5,000 per month which would gradually rise to Rs 12,000 per month.

After twenty five years the rubber trees, numbering about 400, could be sold at Rs 4 lakh, while with an investment of Rs 1,50,000 a new garden could be prepared.

The State Forest department introduced rubber in Tripura as a part of afforestation in 1963. The first rehabilitation scheme for tribal shifting cultivators or ‘jhumias’ began in 1977 and at present over 12,000 families were resettled in different rubber plantation schemes.

PTI

Sangma’s daughter wins Tura Lok Sabha seat

Written by admin on 10:47 PM

Tura, May 25 : Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Agatha Kongkal Sangma won the Tura parliamentary by-election in Meghalaya Sunday by a record margin, crushing Zenith Sangma of the Congress. An election official said the NCP candidate, daughter of former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Sangma, won by a margin of 181,760 votes.

“I am very happy and thank the people for their overwhelming support. I am committed to keeping my poll promises of working towards the overall development of the region,” Agatha told IANS after her victory.

Elections were held Thursday with an estimated 65 percent of the total 400,000 eligible voters exercising their franchise.

The Tura seat fell vacant after nine-time MP Purno Agitok Sangma resigned as MP to contest the Meghalaya assembly election earlier this year. Agatha is the youngest daughter of the veteran parliamentarian.

With Agatha’s win, the entire family of Sangma, barring her mother, is in politics.

The senior Sangma launched his two sons - Conrad and James - into politics earlier this year. The two brothers contested the assembly elections as NCP candidates.

Both won. Conrad is now a cabinet minister in charge of finance, tourism, power and a few other departments. James is the parliamentary secretary for home.

The senior Sangma, after winning the Tura assembly seat, is now the chairman of the Meghalaya Planning Board although he is literally the de facto chief minister of the state.

The only person not interested in active politics is Sangma’s wife.

Tura, dominated by the Garo tribe to which he belongs, has been Sangma’s bastion. It has elected him to parliament nine times since 1977 and twice to the state assembly.

Agatha is a lawyer by profession and was practicing in New Delhi before she was initiated into politics. She is also a Masters in Environmental Management from School of Geography, Nottingham University, Britain.

Prior to the assembly elections in March, the senior Sangma decided to quit national politics.

Sangma left state politics 22 years ago but made a mark nationally by getting elected to the Lok Sabha as many as nine times from Tura.

He was earlier Meghalaya’s chief minister on two occasions before being toppled by a political veteran. He became nationally well known after being the Lok Sabha speaker.

IANS

Doctors under rebel fire in Manipur

Written by admin on 10:46 PM

Imphal, May 27 : After security forces and politicians, doctors are on the firing line of separatist rebels in northeastern India’s Manipur state, affecting healthcare in the area bordering Myanmar, hospital authorities said Tuesday. The Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), the state’s best-known speciality healthcare facility, has been closed since Monday doctors and paramedics refusing to work after a bomb explosion within its premises late Sunday.

The bomb attack, set off by a timer device, was carried out by the Kangleipak Communist Party-Military Council (KCP), one of Manipur’s 17 or more active insurgent groups. There was no casualty. The KCP has since claimed responsibility for the attack but gave no reason for hitting out at a medical facility.

The RIMS staff had staged a sit-in Monday to protest the attack.

“Doctors and nurses will attend to the in-house patients but not admit fresh patients during the strike,” RIMS Medical Superintendent Y. Mohen Singh said. RIMS authorities have decided to perform only emergence life-saving surgeries.

The blast took place near the Institute’s Microbiology department which is close to the director’s office.

RIMS sources said a caller identifying himself as a KCP member made an extortion demand a week ago. RIMS authorities would not confirm this immediately.

Only last fortnight, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who became the country’s first health minister to visit Manipur in 30 years, had said: “I promise to make RIMS the best in the region and one of the best in the country in two to three years.”

Ramadoss also announced free treatment at RIMS for people living below the poverty line. The minister said MBBS seats at the institute would be increased from 100 to 150 this year and a 100-bed fully-equipped cancer centre would be set up at RIMS.

However, morale among the institute staf has dropped precipitiously since the bomb attack.

IANS

RIMS blast strongly condemned

Written by admin on 10:46 PM

Imphal, May 27 : In protest against the last evening’s bomb blast at RIMS, the functioning of the OPD, Casualty and Operation Theatre of the hospital has been suspended for three days with effect from today.

However, all indoor health care services and emergency operations shall not be affected during this period.
Meanwhile, Director of RIMS Prof L Fimate, while decrying the bomb attack which come at a time when efforts are being made by the Centre to develop RIMS as unfortunate, has urged all the social organisations in the State to raise their voice to ensure against such violence incidents do not recur.

Condemning the incident, a joint meeting of the Head of Departments, president and secretaries of Teachers and Medical Officers’ Associations, Junior Doctors’ Association, Non-Teaching Employees’ Welfare Association, Trained Nurses Association of India, RIMS Branch and RIMS Students’ Union held at the conference hall of the medical institute in the morning today has decided to suspend the OPD and Casualty services for period of three days with effect from today.

All the indoor health care services and emergency operations, however, shall be continued unaffected and Casualty shall re-open on May 29 at 8 am.

The meeting also decided that all classes shall be cancelled during the period, however, the examinations shall remain unaffected.

Furthermore, the meeting decided to submit a memorandum to the RIMS authority to improve security chain and also to restrict vehicle entry for patient party inside the campus and issue an appeal to all underground organisations operating in Manipur to make RIMS a ‘free zone’ and to refrain from repeating such act of violence in future in the larger interest of patients, staff and students.

After the meeting, a relay protest demonstration led by the Director of the Institute has also begun from today.

Placards with slogans like ‘Bomb attack in Hospital is an act of terrorism’, ‘Don’t carry out terrorist activities inside Hospital area’ ‘We condemn bomb blast inside RIMS compound’ etc were seen being put at the site of the protest demonstration.

Talking to The Sangai Express in connection with the bomb attack, Director of RIMS Prof L Fimate said that the bomb attack which come at a time when the Centre has been paying serious attention for development of RIMS was very unfortunate as it may give out wrong signal.

So, all the social organisations in the State should raise their voice so that no such violent incident do not recur in the future.

Pointing out that even in times of war, hospitals are spared, the Director urged all concerned to refrain from attacking RIMS.

TSE

Bomb Blast at RIMS, KCP (MC) accuses, Dr Fimate rubbishes

Written by admin on 10:44 PM

Imphal, May 27 : Stating that the last night’s bomb attack near the office of RIMS Director Dr Fimate was carried out by the 5th Laljaba Unit Demo special team of KCP (MC) under the instruction of its Central Security Council, secretary military affairs of the outfit Lanheiba Meitei has explained that the attack was carried out as part of KCP (MC) ‘Amotpa Sengdongpa Operation’.

In a statement, Lanheiba Meitei appealed to the people not to be taken aback by the attack at a hospital as it was not directed on the premier medical institute as such but to teach a lesson as a last warning to Dr Fimate, Medical Superintendent Dr Mohan and their cronies who have indulging in corrupt practices, thereby belittling the noble profession of doctors.

The attack was in no way related to activities of RIMS or the contract works, Lanheiba asserted.

However, on the other hand, RIMS Director Dr Fimate has categorically refuted the charges levelled against him by KCP (MC) as ‘concocted and baseless’.

‘It is nothing but character assassination and defamation’, Dr Fimate said, adding that interested persons may confirm the truth of the matter from the candidates concerned.

Dr Fimate felt that KCP (MC) has come up with such false charges as RIMS authority has turned down its monetary demand.

Levelling a series of charges, Lanheiba said in the recent appointment to the posts of attendant and nurse, Dr Fimate had taken Rs 10 to 3 lakhs from each of the candidates besides Rs 8 lakhs from one Dr Ranjana (Microbiologist) and Rs 7 lakhs from one Dr Pratima (Gynaecologist) for the post of Senior Resident Doctors.

Rs 10 lakhs had also been taken from one Dr Romeo (Medicine) for promotion to Assistant Professor.

Because of such corrupt practices, Senior Dr Sudha, who cannot grease the palm of Dr Fimate had to take voluntary retirement from RIMS.

Moreover, Dr Ibomcha, one of the most qualified doctors, had been sidelined from an interview recently in favour of an ST candidate who is nonspecialist MBBS citing ST quota for the selection.

If the seat was reserved for ST quota, then interview fee should not have been charged from the general candidates and allowed them to participate in the interview in the first place, Lanheiba reasoned.

On top of this, without displaying the list of the panel on the notice board, various appointments are being made on the sly, Lanheiba said, citing reinstatement of one Dr James who was under suspension in Gynaecology Department and appointment of five MBBS doctors whose names were not even featured in the waiting list in the Anaesthesiology Department of RIMS, Lanheiba alleged, warning that KCP (MC) would not spare Dr Fimate and his corrupt cronies even if they were dying on their sick beds.

TSE

Probe into NC Hills anomalies

Written by admin on 10:44 PM

Guwahati, May 27 : The Assam cabinet today constituted a one-man inquiry commission to probe the alleged corruption and financial anomalies in the ASDC-BJP led North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council.

Government spokesperson and health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently said Raj Bhavan had brought to the notice of the state government how funds were diverted by the council to help DHD (J) rebels.

Justice (retd) R.K. Manisena Singh has been asked to probe the charge. Sources said the commission has been given two months to wrap up the probe. Singh was earlier entrusted with the job of probing the violence that broke out during an Adivasi rally at Beltola last year.

At a marathon meeting tonight, the cabinet also approved the modalities prepared by the cabinet sub-committee headed by Bhumidhar Barman to update the National Register of Citizens.

It also cleared the decks for giving cabinet status to Bhupen Hazarika and Vaishnavite scholar Sonaram Chutia.

In another development, Dispur tonight dissolved the elected council body of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation following advice from advocate general A.K. Phookan.

Sources said the decision was taken since the term of the sitting mayor, Dolly Bora, expired on May 22. Besides, 27 of the 54 councillors have already resigned.

Telegraph India

ULFA recruiting Bangladeshis, rebel arrested

Written by admin on 10:43 PM

Shillong, May 26 : The recruitment of Bangladeshi nationals by the outlawed ULFA came to light on Monday with the BSF arresting an ultra, a native of the neighbouring country, from Meghalaya.

Troops of the BSF’s 35 battalion nabbed Parameshwar Chandra Kotch near the Chandabui outpost in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills district today.

A resident of Sherpur district in Bangladesh, Kotch has been working for the ULFA since 2001 under the direct guidance of ULFA leader Ranju Chowdhury at the Baragajni camp of the group in Bangladesh, the BSF quoted Kotch as saying during investigation.

Kotch said he used to collect information for the ULFA from the Indo-Bangla border areas.

The BSF claims that Kotch was instrumental in recruiting youths of Meghalaya and Assam into the outfit.

He has ferried youths in groups of three-four at least 15-20 times from Assam and Meghalaya to the rebel camps of Bangladesh, he said during investigation.

The arrest comes in the backdrop of India pressing on the neighbouring country to dismantle the ULFA camps working in its territory and flush out the militants. Dhaka has been denying about the presence of Indian militants in its territory.

Agencies

Rebels kill five civilians in Manipur

Written by admin on 11:48 PM

Imphal, May 26 : At least five people were killed in an attack by tribal separatists Sunday in the restive northeastern state of Manipur, the police said. A police spokesman said armed militants belonging to the banned Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) descended on village Saikul in Senapati district, about 50 km north of Imphal, and shot dead five villagers.

“The militants armed with automatic weapons lined up the villagers and shot dead five of them before leaving the area unchallenged,” a police official said.

The provocation for the attack was not immediately known. All the victims were male.

“The village is dominated by people from the Naga tribes,” the official said.

The KRA is fighting for an independent homeland for the minority Kuki tribe in Manipur.

There are some 19 militant groups active in Manipur, bordering Myanmar, with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy.

IANS

Sangma’s daughter wins Tura Lok Sabha seat

Written by admin on 11:48 PM

Tura, May 25 : Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Agatha Kongkal Sangma won the Tura parliamentary by-election in Meghalaya Sunday by a record margin, crushing Zenith Sangma of the Congress. An election official said the NCP candidate, daughter of former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Sangma, won by a margin of 181,760 votes.

“I am very happy and thank the people for their overwhelming support. I am committed to keeping my poll promises of working towards the overall development of the region,” Agatha told IANS after her victory.

Elections were held Thursday with an estimated 65 percent of the total 400,000 eligible voters exercising their franchise.

The Tura seat fell vacant after nine-time MP Purno Agitok Sangma resigned as MP to contest the Meghalaya assembly election earlier this year. Agatha is the youngest daughter of the veteran parliamentarian.

With Agatha’s win, the entire family of Sangma, barring her mother, is in politics.

The senior Sangma launched his two sons - Conrad and James - into politics earlier this year. The two brothers contested the assembly elections as NCP candidates.

Both won. Conrad is now a cabinet minister in charge of finance, tourism, power and a few other departments. James is the parliamentary secretary for home.

The senior Sangma, after winning the Tura assembly seat, is now the chairman of the Meghalaya Planning Board although he is literally the de facto chief minister of the state.

The only person not interested in active politics is Sangma’s wife.

Tura, dominated by the Garo tribe to which he belongs, has been Sangma’s bastion. It has elected him to parliament nine times since 1977 and twice to the state assembly.

Agatha is a lawyer by profession and was practicing in New Delhi before she was initiated into politics. She is also a Masters in Environmental Management from School of Geography, Nottingham University, Britain.

Prior to the assembly elections in March, the senior Sangma decided to quit national politics.

Sangma left state politics 22 years ago but made a mark nationally by getting elected to the Lok Sabha as many as nine times from Tura.

He was earlier Meghalaya’s chief minister on two occasions before being toppled by a political veteran. He became nationally well known after being the Lok Sabha speaker.

IANS

Fashion Fever

Written by admin on 1:46 AM

Fashion is no longer a glamour hobby, it has rather become a serious career option for the North-Eastern youths.

Sandeep Banerjee

The first North East Fashion Week was held in Guwahati from 25th to 27th of April, 2008. The same was organized by North East Institute of Fashion Technology (NEIFT) which has today become the premier institute in the region for grooming aspiring students of make a cut in the fashion world. The three-day event was sponsored and presented by AIRTEL and supported by Silk Mark, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). Vikram Rai Medhi, a big name in the fashion scene of the North-East and the CEO of NEIFT was himself the event director of the fashion week.

The event gave a unique platform to big names in Fashion designing as well as young budding designers from NEIFT to showcase huge variety of clothes design. “This is the first year. The child has just taken birth. The motive is to get industry status for fashion designing. Different designers have come together in one platform. There have been healthy exchanges of views and ideas in the three-day event that will give a big boost to the quality of creations coming out from the region. The other big motive to organize this fashion week is to market the fashion products coming out of the region. Silk received a big thrust in this fashion week. The event was not only supported by Silk Mark but they also participated in the event in a big way. The exhibition features quality silk products from Silk Mark as also products from our own handloom industry. We are striving to also bring up the beautiful products of our handloom industry…give them proper exposure and market them. The first NE fashion week was a small step keeping all these motives in mind. It has been a humble beginning. With time and every passing year, I am sure this event will grow in stature and magnitude,” said Vikram Rai Medhi.

The fashion week and the accompanied exhibition at the venue was inaugurated by K. S. Menon, CEO of Silk Mark organization under Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, along with B. Deb, Director of Handloom & Textiles, BTC and J. L. Chowdhury, Deputy CEO, KVIC.

The first day saw big names like Meghna Rai Medhi, noted designer from this region and Dipankar Kashyap display their creations. On the second day there was a seminar on ‘Silk of North-East and the role of Silk Mark in its growth” that again saw the participation of K. S. Menon, B. Deb, J. L. Chowdhury along with D. K. Sharma, the secretary of North East Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NECCI) and some noted designers like Kunal Kaushik of Assam. Kunal Kaushik also returned in the evening to steal the thunder by his wonderful show named ‘Woven Mystique’ in which he blended the traditional costumes of the North-East with modern day styles to create a fascinating dress fusion. Other talented designers like Anusmita Borgohain and Julie Sarmah (both from Assam) and Sangboihi from Mizoram also featured in the evening highlighting a plethora of fabrics cut in a wide range of innovative eye catching designs. Sangboihi in particular received much accolades for her presentation named Diversion.

The last day saw 21 students from NEIFT drawn from different North-Eastern states (there were eight from Assam, six from Nagaland, four from Mizoram, one from Arunachal and two from Manipur) presenting their creations with a distinct emphasis on the handloom of the North-East. The final show of the same evening and the first NE fashion week was presented by Meghna Rai Medhi who is the first designer from the North-East to be featured in Femina and have dressed the likes of Aishwarya Rai, Celina Jaitely, Koena Mitra, Diana Hayden, Bipasha Basu and other top socialites of the country. Meghna presented her spring summer collection having an Indo-Western look in peach pink and vibrant shades of orange. There was also a separate collection of beautiful Asomiya Mekhala Chadors and sarees. Meghna Rai Medhi was also the fashion choreographer of the entire NE fashion week.

 During the fashion week Bodo handloom got impetus. Leading North-Eastener designers  like Anju Borgohain, Megna Rai Medhi,  Ashish Chanda, Hemanta Adhikari and Dipankar Kashyap displayed work in Bodo handloom and silk.

 “Local fabrics including silk will help future designers have an edge over others. Fashion has a competitive market and they need to excel. Hand woven fabrics from the North-East are gaining in popularity every where. We asked our students who got an opportunity the showcase their designs at the NE Fashion Week to make optimum use of the hand woven fabrics of the region. But at the same time they were also free to experiment with other fabrics and unleash their creativity.’’ , said Vikram Rai Medhi.

 Apart from three models from Russia,  Miss India Pacific Shonal Rawat and Miss Mauritius, Viveka Babaji walked the ramp at the NE Fashion Week.

  On the second day in the seminar on Silk, the discussions led to suggestions on how the future designers can put the idea of importance of silk production and use it at the grassroot level to stop duplicates, which is a threat to North-Eastern sericulture Industry.

Kunal Kaushik speaks

“I am trying a fusion of all North-Eastern fabrics drawn from Bodo, Naga, Mizo, Rabha and Manipur areas. The hand-woven and ethnic fabric of our region has a unique identity and has tremendous potential but due to lack of support our traditional fabrics are dying a slow death. Modernity and western outfits are fine but we must not lose our fantastic traditional fabrics. So the need of the hour is to revive traditional fabrics by giving it a modern touch and making it attractive. The marketing part is also very much important. Here is where an event like the NE fashion week becomes so important. Some people tend to look down at these events as mere exhibitions. But actually here is where business happens. Weavers of the region will perish until they don’t get market…shows like these will provide right market to our fabrics,” he said.

“Attitude towards fashion have changed”: Meghna

“The concept of a North East Fashion Week was always there in my and Vikram’s mind. Only that it took some time to give shape to an event of this magnitude. But with the first  edition having been successfully organised this year, it will now surely become an annual event. For long we have been just talking of giving exposure to the designers and the models of this region.....we felt that the time has  come now to go beyond  mere talking  by doing something concrete in  this area. The North East Fashion Week was borne out of this thinking.  Under one roof people could find out  the worth of the leading as well as the upcoming designers of the region. In fact Vikram and me are even thinking ahead.....of  setting up a mall where all such designers will be provided racks who cannot afford to have a store of their own at the present moment....however, this project will take some time to materialise.’’

“When we started it was very difficult to procure materials. But now it has become lot easier for the present generation of  designers with far greater reach and easier access. Also the mindset of the people towards fashion has changed with the coming of all big brands and designer stuff at their very doorstep. Big names like Ritu Kumar and Satya Paul have come to Guwahati. There are now Pantaloons and Levis showrooms. Siiting here people can purchase Rocky S creations. This atmosphere is very conducive to the present designers and the upcoming ones to also market their products.’’

 “The select batch of students that we have in NEIFT are a very talented bunch.They only need proper exposure of their work. So we encourage them to hold as many shows as possible to reach out to the public. We want them to unleash their creativity and judge for themselves how the audience reacts to their designs. The main thing is the art of presentation. If if you have designed just a single dress but know the art to present it properly , then the job might get done. However , we warn our students not to go overboard from the very beginning in trying to open themselves up but rather expose their creativity in a slow and steady manner. Most of the times we do not even charge the tailoring cost for the dresses designed by our students...however, there are some who are doing it totally on their own.’’

 “I will take the NE models to be of extremely good quality today and they are very hard working . The modelling scene has also undergone a sea change from when we started. During our earlier days we use to literally stop a tall and good looking girl in the middle of the road and coerce her to model for us. But the NE now boasts of  a huge pool of wonderful models at par with the very best in the country.We are now even getting tall and very tall wonderful models from within the NE.......although herein I must say that I do not give too much attention to the height...it is the total persona , charm and presentation that matters   In the NE Fashion Week all the male models were from Guwahati while the girls were drawn from all over the North-East. They matched steps and elegance with the hyped Russian models as well as big names like Viveka Babaji and Shonal Rawat.’’

 “Style and Fashion is something that comes from within. The conception and attitude towards style has also undergone a sea change. Today even parents come to us and say that their girls can be easily clothed in a kind of fashionable dress which till some times back could have been outrightly labelled as vulgar. But when I say this, I feel that all designers as well as models must know and understand the line that separates the fashionable from the obscene.’’

 “I am satisfied with my journey so far and what I have achived but there is always the urge and strive to do and achieve more. My store ‘Meghnas’ is doing very well and I have a very good clientele... ladies who have total faith in me and how I cloth them. I want every woman from this region to take at least one dress from me                (laughs). I have just started my male line....it started with a programme in a local channel whose costume I am doing.’’

 “Our tie up with BTC in the North East Fashion Week was spontaneous.  I have been working with Bodo fabric for quite some time now. I have some very fashion conscious Bodo women as my client. The Bodo fabric is very fascinating and I have designed previously outfits by giving a modern outlook to their traditional fabric. The Bodo weavers are also experts and they dominate the weaving scene of Assam. So Viram and I thought to give a more concrete shape to the relationshipi by involving the BTC in the Fashion Week , a proposal to which they readily agreed. We bought all the materials from Kokrajhar for the Bodo attires.’’

Pride of North East

Written by admin on 1:46 AM

The phenomenal success of Laishram Karuna Devi is an encouragement to all the budding talents of the North-East.

From being a government servant, Lashiram Karuna Devi’s rise to fame has been phenomenal. She is not only a great dancer herself, but also nurturing budding talents and thereby maintaining the great heritage of Indian dancing.

This truly magnificent Manipuri lady set foot on Guwahati’s soil right back in 1968 to get settled here. She spent the better part of her life as instructor in the Song and Drama division of the Information and Broadcasting wing of the Government of Assam. But dance had always been her passion. She didn’t receive any formal training except for a few tips from her aunt when she was young. It is through his single-minded pursuit that she developed expertise in different dance forms like Bihu, Xatriya, Rabindrik, etc. but Manipuri has always remained her forte.

Even during her service days, she was always under tremendous pressure from many quarters to teach dancing. Although it was very difficult for her to manage time after meeting the demands of her job, she still obliged and somehow balanced things. Her retirement in June 2005 made her free and she could start devoting more time to training youngsters. So, the Karuna Dance Academy was formed in 2006. The fruit of her training was realized in later part of 2007 which catapulted the Karuna Dance Academy the ‘icchecho’, as Karuna Devi is belovedly called, meaning elder sister in Manipuri, following big time recognition. In September 2007, Karuna Devi received the National Nritya Bhusan Award in the 15th All India Drama/Classical and Folk Dance competition held in Orissa for her outstanding performance, extraordinary contribution and excellent service to the promotion, preservation and popularization of Indian Performing Arts. Her troupe of classical Manipuri Basanta Raas was adjudged the winners in the dance competition.

So impressed were they with her performance that she and her troupe again got a call up in November 2007 for the Bali Yatra Cultural Utsav 2007 and she was again honoured by Government of Orissa.

The Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Assam also honoured her with the Award of Excellence for taking Manipuri culture to such a height.

Karuna Devi still remains down to earth and simple despite all these honours. She runs the academy totally on her own with the good wishes of her well wishers. According to her, recognition has perhaps come as a shot in the arm to popularize her and her students to set higher standards and go about attaining it.

Train hold-up rattles Dispur

Written by admin on 1:38 AM

Guwahati, May 24 : A desperate Dispur today sought the Centre’s intervention to resume train services through the North Cachar Hills district and provide additional security personnel by formally moving the PMO, home ministry, defence ministry and the Railway Board.

The missives were prompted by the flood of SOS messages from the Barak Valley districts, Tripura and Mizoram warning of a looming food crisis. There are also fears of further delay to the two national projects — the gauge conversion and East West Corridor — conceived to boost the overall economy of the backward district.

Sources said it was important to seek the Centre’s intervention as Dispur, which has also promised better security to railway personnel and stations, is also in constant touch with NF Railway since services were disrupted on May 15.

Militants belonging to the Jewel Gorlosa faction had attacked a patrol train near Mupa station and killed the locomotive’s driver. The group had also lined up and gunned down 10 truckers that day.

Though Dispur has not received any response from the Centre, it is hopeful of a positive result in the “next few” days. “Since the Centre is closely monitoring the two projects of late, it is now only natural it displayed the same concern vis-à-vis suspension of services,” a source said.

Railway sources here reiterated that they were “actually” keen on resuming services but it was equally concerned about the safety of its employees. “As soon as the employees regain their confidence of running trains in this vulnerable section, services will be resumed immediately,” the source said. The railways will acquire eight to 10 bullet-proof jackets for the drivers and bullet-proof sheets and glass to protect the locomotive cabs in the first phase.

“We are organising these on our own. At a meeting held with police and the administration on May 18, it was decided that armed forces would be stationed in engine rooms and guards’ cabins in running trains and along vulnerable stretches, besides at a few selected stations. The confidence of our employees has taken quite a beating,” one of them said.

On an average, five pairs of goods trains and three pairs of passenger trains ply through the vulnerable stretch.

Reports suggest that it was not only the May 15 incident but a series of incidents since March 24 that has upset the employees. “It is not that we do not know about the impact of the suspension. We are in constant touch with the government here and the railway ministry,” the source said.

Telegraph India

Rail contractors to stay away from NC Hills till normalcy returns

Written by admin on 1:37 AM

Guwahati, May 25 : Railways gauge conversion work in Assams trouble torn North Cachar Hills district would not be resumed till normalcy was restored, railway contractors forum said here today. The situation in NC Hills section was not conducive to work and unless normalcy in respect of law and order was restored by the state government.

Work will not be resumed in the said section, the Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway Construction Contractors Association (NFRCCA) said. The members informed that the decision was taken at a meeting with the NF Railway General Manager, Construction, here yesterday.

Conceding that they had problems with ultras in the past also, they said the situation had gone out of hand this time and they wont return to work unless complete security was provided and militants were brought under control. Besides the railway and national highway contractors, NEEPCO and cement manufacturers were regularly slapped with extortion notices by the ultras and their employees targetted.

All railway stations were closed and gauge conversion work, besides national highway construction, was stopped in NC Hills after Dimasa militants killed at least 25 people, including railway and construction employees, last week.

The gauge conversion work, which started in 1997 after being included in the Union Budget in 1996-97, covers total length of 368 km at an estimated project cost of Rs 1676.31 crore. Altogether Rs 1180.75 crore had been spent up to March, with expected project completion target set in 2010. Of the total length, 117.82 km in the Badarpur-Kumarghat section has been complete, while about 70 per cent was completed of 49.61 km in Arunachal-Jiribam section, less than 50 per cent has been done of 201 km in the Lumding-Silchar section.

UNI

39 prisoners hurt in Sajiwa jail skirmishes

Written by admin on 1:36 AM

Imphal, May 25 : Tension brewing inside the prison complex of the Sajiwa Jail for the past few days suddenly erupted into a fierce clash this afternoon resulting in injury of varying degree to atleast 39 inmates.

The injured, who were brought to Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital included 12 PULF cadres, followed by nine PREPAK men, seven KYKL, six undertrial prisoners, two KCP activists and one each belonging to the UNLF, PLA and KRA (U).

Of the injured, condition of one Loya of the PREPAK is stated to be critical.

As report of the skirmishes spread newspersons rushed to the detention centre where Jail officials declined to comment what triggered the clash which, according to an informed source, witnessed the inmates use iron bars, bottles, bricks, molotov-cocktail (petrol bomb) and other blunt weapons.

During an interaction with a team of media persons at JN Hospital one Laishram Korou alias Homen (28) s/o Beikam recounted that on May 21 an inmate misbehaved with one of two female visitors and was intercepted by other infuriated prisoners.

In the aftermath of the said incident, a joint meeting of inmates resolved to bar interview/contact of the particular individual for 15 days but decision to prohibit contact was defied as reports sneaked in that formalities for visiting the accused inmate had been processed leading to another hurriedly convened meeting this morning.

Even though heated and abusive languages were exchanged during the meeting an understanding was arrived at and the inmates returned to their respective cells (Sectors), continued the injured Korou who contended that a few minutes later around 100 imprisoned underground cadres belonging to different outfits stormed towards the Sector I block that houses activists of the KYKL, UNLF, PULF (MI Khan), KCP (GS) and the PREPAK.

The nearly 100-strong group using all available weapons resorted to smashing and setting ablaze jail articles like furniture, beds, chairs etc by lobbing the petrol bombs apart from targeting a particular group of prisoners lodged in Sector I.

A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said security manning the jail that house over 400 inmates are taking sharp vigil to control the situation.

He said a high level inquiry might be initiated very soon to establish circumstances leading to the incident particularly the lapses, if any, on the part of security to control the sudden riot.

Senior officials of state police including the Director General (Prisons) AK Parashar, Inspector General of Police (L&O-1) Karnajit and SP (IE) Th Radheshyam, besides the 109 CRPF rushing additional forces to control the situation.

Moreover, a team of Manipur Fire Service also arrived at the scene and was seen dousing the flame for nearly an hour.

Heingang police have registered an FIR case on the matter and investigation is on.

“So far we have gathered the names of 39 persons injured in the riot”, an officer of Heingang police station, said.

TSE

Manipur SPOs not to be used in counter-insurgency

Written by admin on 1:33 AM

Imphal, May 25 : The controversy over the Manipur government’s efforts to arm villagers to fight back against militants has seen several twists and turns. The state government yesterday took a Cabinet decision not to use the newly recruited Special Police Officers (SPOs) in counter-insurgency operations but only to protect themselves and their own villages.

The government had been put on the back foot after residents of Heirok, who had originally asked the government for arms to protect themselves, raised their voices against Manipur police chief Mr Y Joykumars’s stated intention of using the force for actively fighting insurgents. Representatives of the Joint Action Committee formed by the villagers said they wanted arms to protect themselves, and not to join the police and other security forces in combating the insurgents.

But even as the state government scrambled to undo the damage of the DGP’s statement, central security agencies have again muddied the waters in the village.
Several residents of Heirok were reportedly detained by security forces yesterday and virtually forced to give interviews to a media team from outside the state.

SNS

Arunachal beckons newlyweds

Written by admin on 1:33 AM

New Delhi, May 24 : The Union tourism ministry’s promotional for Arunachal Pradesh — Paradise Unexplored — is all set to change.

In a major victory for the state, the home ministry has decided to relax the norms for the restricted area permit — needed by foreigners — to finally allow couples to enjoy the pristine beauty of its tall mountains.

The home ministry earlier only allowed foreigners in groups of four or more to travel to the state for security reasons.

“We have been pushing the Northeast as a major tourist destination at various international fora,” said joint secretary, tourism, Leena Nandan.

“A lot of money is being spent to develop infrastructure, but there is no point unless we relax the norms. This recent home ministry order is a major victory for tourism.”

Last year, the ministry spent Rs 33 crore on developing infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh alone. The last relaxation of norms for tourists was done 10 years ago.

The order dated May 8 — received by the ministry of tourism on May 14 — also opens up four new circuits for tourists. An existing circuit has been extended to include Tuting.

“The ministry of tourism has been promoting the Northeast as a short-haul destination for Asean countries,” said Nandan. “The area is also being projected as a destination for honeymooners. But unless we had a relaxation in the permit norms, the whole marketing exercise was fruitless.”

Dewy-eyed young couples on their way to escape alone to find romance were unlikely to travel in groups for their honeymoon.

“The circuit period was only for 10 days till now. But the home ministry has also extended this to 30 days, which will also help get tourists,” said Nandan.

Determined to use tourism as a vehicle of change, the ministry is trying to find innovative ways to use the limitations the area may have to its advantage. Using its USP — untouched, undiscovered India — the ministry asked a travel group specialising in adventure tourism to go on a two-week tour of the state.

“The idea was to give them a first-hand experience of the area,” said Nandan. “The feedback we have got from tour operators is that people coming to the area are not interested in a five-star holiday. They just want basic, clean facilities, don’t mind roughing it out a bit, but are looking for adventure.”

The ministry — in an effort to promote the Northeast on foreign shores — has amended its guidelines to offer small travel operators from the Northeast some market development assistance. Under the scheme, the ministry will subsidise travel for these operators to help them be a part of Incredible India promotions abroad.

And while, the relaxation for travel norms is only for Arunachal Pradesh as yet, it is a step in the right direction for the Northeast.

Telegraph India

Parliamentary team to inspect border trade facilities in NE

Written by admin on 1:32 AM

Agartala, May 24 : A team of Parliamentary Standing Committee on border trade is all set to visit five North-eastern States including Assam to review the infrastructure at Land Custom Stations (LCSs) along the international border.

This will be a follow-up action by the Union Government to increase bilateral trade with Bangladesh as well as Myanmar.

They will be arriving here on May 29 to inspect the infrastructure available for promoting export-import in Tripura.

In the recently concluded NEC plenary, DoNER Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer strongly advocated for fresh look at the much-hyped ‘Look East’ policy for overall development of the NE region.

The team headed by Kashiram Rana will visit Akhaura and Srimantapur Land Custom Stations (LCSs) to review the infrastructure. Besides, they will also hold meetings with exporters and officials of Customs to review the latest position of the bilateral trade.

Official sources said, the team would leave the State on May 31.

The visit of the Parliamentary team assumes significance in view of the State Government’s view to improve infrastructure at LCSs inside Bangladesh territory.

In a letter, Tripura Industries and Commence Minister Jitendra Choudhury had earlier requested Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee to pursue with Bangladesh so that infrastructure beyond Indian territory could be enhanced.

Apart from Tripura, the team will also visit West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Manipur to inspect infrastructure available at LCSs.

Sources said, the team would visit Nathu La Pass in Sikkim on May 25 before heading for Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. On May 26, they will visit Guwahati Airport and Amingaon terminal. Apart from this, they will also hold meeting with representatives of exporters, importers and Assam Government officials on May 27.

The Parliamentary team will also inspect the Indo-Myanmar border as well as construction work of a LCS in Manipur.

AT

Rodents cause famine like situation in Mizoram

Written by admin on 1:31 AM

Aizawl, May 25 : A famine like situation has gripped Mizoram with over half a million people affected following the flowering of bamboo and subsequent increase in rodent population. “Even though the state is reeling under the grip of famine, there is no starvation death,” said R. Lalthangliana, the forest and environment minister.

This natural phenomenon occurs after 48 to 50 years and leads to the destruction of crops by rodents and other insects attracted by the bamboo flowers. Rodents multiply rapidly after eating the protein-rich seeds that appear soon after bamboo flowering.

“The government is distributing paddy seeds free of cost to farmers across the state as a majority of the cultivators have lost all their crops due to gregarious bamboo flowering,” Lalthangliana told IANS.

The farmers in the landlocked state lost around 80 percent of their harvest as armies of rodents ravaged paddy fields and destroyed most of the harvest, including horticultural crops, in the past one year.

The seven states of the northeast region received about Rs.380 million from the central government to tackle the problems after gregarious flowering on ‘Muli Bamboo’.

Mizoram received the maximum amount of Rs.198.30 million followed by Tripura (Rs.176.10 million).

Mizoram experienced a devastating famine in 1959 when bamboo flowering led to a multiplication of rodents. The famine ultimately triggered an armed movement by the Mizo National Front (MNF).

In 1959, the famine killed at least 100 people, besides causing heavy loss to crops.

With an area of 21,087 sq km, the state has 20 bamboo species in the grove covering 1,254,400 hectares, contributing 14 percent of all the bamboo produced in India.

Mizoram recorded a famine in 1862 and again in 1911 after the state witnessed similar bamboo flowerings.

With a population of about one million, Mizoram has taken up an emergency plan to stock rice ahead of monsoon in the wake of the food crisis.

According to Lalthangliana, the government has formed a high level task force headed by the chief minister to deal with the prevailing situation.

“The government is providing rural employment and food to the affected people,” he said.

IANS

Tangkhul Tribe wants protection

Written by admin on 10:46 PM

Imphal, May 22 : The Tangkhuls in Manipur today petitioned New Delhi and the governments of Manipur and Nagaland to put an end to reported persecution of members of the community in Dimapur.

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the governments of Okram Ibobi Singh and Neiphiu Rio should immediately intervene to save the Tangkhuls in Dimapur and ensure their safety,” the president of the Tangkhul Naga Long, Stephen Angkang, said.

The apex body of the Tangkhuls who are concentrated in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, today made the fervent appeal after members of the community were being targeted following the clash between the Isak-Muivah and the Unification factions of the NSCN on Friday that claimed the lives of 14 rebels and two civilians.

Sources said after the mayhem, the Tangkhul students in Dimapur have asked their families to come and take them home.

“Unable to move out, our students in Dimapur have requested their families in Ukhrul to fetch them. We have asked the Nagaland Students’ Federation in Kohima to ensure their safety. For the time being, we want them to return to Ukhrul safely with security escorts,” Angkang said.

The tribal leader also appealed to the two state governments to provide the Tangkhul students in the Nagaland maximum protection.

Though the exact number of Tangkhul students in Dimapur is not known, a large number of them is studying in various schools and colleges. There are also many permanent Tangkhul settlers besides family members of NSCN (I-M) leaders in Dimapur. The NSCN (I-M) general secretary, Th. Muivah, is a Tangkhul Naga.

Angkang confirmed that some Tangkhul students had fled Dimapur and reached Ukhrul in the wake of Friday’s violence.

“Yes, some have arrived here in the past few days. But they are small in number and we are yet to organise a headcount of those coming here from Dimapur.”

The Tangkhuls in Manipur fear more clashes and attacks on members of their community in Nagaland. “Some vested interests could take advantage of the situation and foment trouble. The authorities should take every possible step so that innocent civilians are not targeted,” Angkang said.

The Tangkhul organisation has appealed to citizens’ groups of Nagaland, the Naga Hoho and the Church to ensure that civilians are not targeted in factional clashes.

“We appeal to all concerned that no one should target civilians during factional clashes between armed groups,” Angkang said.

The Tangkhul Naga Long is consulting elders of the community to find a way out to ensure safety of the members of the community in Nagaland.

Narrow escape
Suspected militants left behind two gas cylinders that were likely to explode at the gate of Manipur’s agriculture and social welfare minister N. Loken Singh’s Leimaqpokpam home in Bishnupur district last night, reports our correspondent from Imphal.

Police said when residents of Leimapokpam smelled cooking gas at midnight, they enquired and found two cylinders, with gas oozing out of them near the gate of the minister’s private home.

The villagers also found a small rope measuring about 10 feet each tied to the regulators and those who tried to explode it thought of using the ropes as the trigger by burning it. However, villagers found that the ropes did not burn.

The villagers immediately informed the matter to the Nambol police station. Police recovered the cylinders this morning. The minister was not present at his home last night, neither was not available for comment. However, a family member informed the police that villagers saw two persons carrying gas cylinders at around 10pm in the village.

Police and the family members of the minister do not have any clue to the motive and identities of those who had left those cylinders behind.

Telegraph India

Trucks bear brunt of blockade fury

Written by admin on 10:46 PM

Imphal, May 23 : Supporters of an economic blockade along Manipur’s two lifelines went on the rampage late last night, damaging more than 20 trucks and setting on fire another in Senapati district, raising fears of a breakdown in the supply chain of essential commodities.

The Naga Peoples’ Organisation, Senapati, and the Senapati District Students’ Association have jointly imposed the indefinite economic blockade from 6am yesterday.

They are protesting against the Okram Ibobi Singh government’s failure to properly distribute items under the public distribution system and also the non-completion of water supply schemes in the district.

Truckers today threatened to stop plying on these two highways — National Highway 39 (Imphal-Kohima) and National Highway 53 (Imphal-Jiribam) — if the government did not increase the number of personnel providing security to the convoy of supply trucks.

In Imphal, the supply department warned that if the strike continued for another couple of days, the prices of essential commodities would “shoot up and may even lead to a shortage”.

“Though we are keeping a close watch, traders often try to create artificial shortages in such situations. The sooner the issue is resolved the better,” an official added.

Reports said blockade supporters threw stones at the convoy of more than 200 loaded trucks which were passing through Mao, Tadubi, Kangpokpi and other places along the Imphal-Kohima highway, the state’s main supply line, at 10.30pm.

The trucks were being escorted by four security vehicles of armed Manipur Rifles jawans from Mao gate in Senapati district.

The activists also set on fire a truck carrying sand near Tadubi late last night.

Tanker drivers slammed the state government for failing to provide full-proof security to the vehicles. The damaged trucks include 10 oil tankers. However, no one was injured in these incidents.

“The attacks despite escorts prove that the security provided by the government is not enough. We demand that more armed personnel be provided in future,” the secretary of the All Manipur Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ Union, Th. Rajen Singh, said.

He warned that if any driver was injured or killed in the attacks during the blockade, they would stop plying their trucks even with security escorts.

Taking advantage of Manipur’s excessive dependency on the two highways, organisations often try to browbeat the government into submission by blocking the two roads, sometimes even over petty issues.

Telegraph India

NE India to raise funds for Burmese cyclone victims

Written by admin on 10:44 PM

Imphal, May 23 : In a bid to raise funds for cyclone victims in Burma, popular singers and theatre artistes from India’s northeastern State of Manipur will stage a play for a day, next week.

This initiative by the Youth Foundation for Fitness and Service (YFFS), a local NGO based in India’s north eastern state of Manipur bordering Burma’s northwestern Sagaing division, is part of the young artistes’ living up to their motto of serving disaster affected people in Burma.

Prominent singers Khun Joykumar, Naba Volcano and young artistes like Sadananda, Ranbir Thouba and Tapta Jayenta will join their female counter parts including Usharani, Sophia, Nandeswori and Pushparani in a special musical concert at the NCC ground in Imphal on May 31.

This will be followed by a performance - popular court yard plays or Shumang Leela - by renowned artistes of the region at the Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen complex in Manipur’s capital town of Imphal on June 8, according to Hijam Meghachandra, President of YFFS.

“We took up this initiative to help our disaster affected brothers and sisters of Myanmar [Burma] by raising relief funds,” Meghachandra added.

The Burmese junta has stated that over 70,000 have died with more than 50,000 are missing due to cyclone Nargis which lashed the country on May 2 and 3. But the UN said the death toll could reach 130,000 with at least 2.5 million affected.

Volunteers of YFFS, who have records of extending humanitarian services in times of crisis in the region, said they have about 100 volunteers working on fund raising for the cyclone victims in Burma.

“This time around 100 of our volunteers have been conducting fund raising drive across the state since May 17,” W Bobby, an important functionary of the organization told Mizzima on Friday.

He added that the funds collected will be handed over to the Burmese authorities across the border by the organization.

“We’re expecting a lot, but as of now we can’t say how much we’re going to raise and hand over to them,” Bobby added.

On May 16, 77 Rotary Clubs from Rotary International District 3240 in India’s north eastern states under the leadership of Director General Rotarian Parbhat Kedia delivered emergency medicines to the Burma Border Trade Centre in the Burmese border town of Tamu, opposite Moreh in India, as volunteers are not permitted to go to the Delta.

“We are the nearest Rotarians from India’s north east region who cannot turn a blind eye to the sufferings of our brethrens in distress. More aid from our organization will be pouring in. The moment we open our windows to South East Asia, the first glimpse we catch is of Myanmar [Burma],” Kedia said.

Prabhat Kedia said despite their efforts to send in 60 medical doctors to help the cyclone victims, the Burmese authorities have not granted permission.

The medicines were finally handed over to Director of the Burmese Border Trade Department Aung Kyaw Hlain in Tamu in the presence of Soe Myint, Secretary of District Peace and Development Council and Political commissioner Lieutenant Colonel Aung Htein, he said.

Earlier on May 13, The Border Trade and Chamber of Commerce, Tamil Sangam, Moreh and National Identity Protection Committee, sent five trucks loaded with relief materials mostly salt, flour, soyabean, milk powder, pulses, biscuits and medicines worth Rs 10 lakhs (USD 24,390) through the Tamu township border point.

The relief supplies were received by the Tamu township DC Soe Naing in the presence of Secretary of Tamu Soe Myint, Commanding Officer of 50 LIR Lieutenant Colonel Aung Myo Than, Political Colonel Aung Hlain and other district level officers.

Meanwhile, central government of India has also sent at least two navy ships carrying relief and medical supplies, and five aircrafts carrying tents, medicines, roofing material and other relief items. A team of Indian medics have also reportedly been sent into the disaster hit region of Burma’s Irrawaddy delta.

Mizzima.com

Meghalaya: Search for an illusive creature continues

Written by admin on 10:42 PM

Tale of ‘mande burung’, an illusive ape like creature, is not over yet. Researchers can neither deny its existence nor have proved it. But its strange sightings keep on cropping up now and then. Its existence is still shrouded in mystery.

The story of an apelike creature’s existence in remote villages of Garo Hills in Meghalaya continues. A local NGO, A’chik Tourism Society (ATS) is making an effort since the last decade to ascertain whether an ape popularly known as ’mande burung’ is found in the deep dark jungle of Garo Hills or not. Is it a myth or reality?

Searching for the illusive creature, a group of young enthusiast travelled into the deep dark jungles of Garo Hills in Meghalaya. The group usually makes a visit on information received from local people on the sighting of this mammal. Mande burung is assumed to be an ape like Yeti, sighted in Himalayan region of Nepal. The existence of mande burung, as the locals in Garos termed it, has also found place in their folklores.

Those who have seen this ape like mammal have interesting stories to reveal. According to a certain report by some villagers, a man who was passing through a forest was captured by this mammal and breastfed forcibly. This was reported on January 18, 1999. His account stated- “the milk was sour with a mixture of bitterness.”

On July 2005, a lady who was sleeping with her child heard of peculiar scratching sounds, outside her thatched hut sometime at night. Later, a big hairy creature entered her house. She saw the creature in the full light of the firewood, which was kept burning at her house. The creature after sometime simply stamped out the fire and disappeared into darkness, the lady was not harmed in any way, she revealed.

The story of mande burung is a tale or a reality, the facts are yet to be ascertained. Research are still on to locate the existence of the scratch mark and footprints. After the 1997 sightings, the government of Meghalaya ordered a probe. Report is yet to be made available. The A’chik Tourism Society wonders whether government was serious in taking this matter.

The recent sightings of this mammal were in April 2007, in Durabanda village of Garo Hills. Eye witness says that two adults with two young ones were seen. Another eyewitness said a female mande burung chased away a human in the same village. It was also sighted in Chokpot, and was in search for crabs in a nearby stream.

The ATS, which had been in search for this creature has came out with some evidences on the matter. They have collected some samples of hair recently, which is the only biological evidence that they have, other than some imprints, footprints and scratch marks on tree trunks. The hair has been sent for DNA and forensic test. This will throw some light whether the hair is of that unidentified giant creature or not.

The ATS has also come up with a very comprehensive report and descriptions of mande burung or the so called Bigfoot. The most common description of mande burung goes like this :

According to 2002 report, it is big, an ape-like creature with thick hair covering its entire body. The colour of the hair is reported to be black or blackish brown. It has some kind of foul odour/smell emanating from the body. It has a footprint/pug-mark size from 13 inches to 15 inches in length. It may be around 7’5″ to 9’ tall. It may weigh around 300 kgs. It is noted to be a herbivorous creature that eats banana tubes, tree roots, fruits, berries, barks of some trees, like Sawe trees and is also reported to eat crabs. It walks on two legs (biped). As reported in 2002 sighting, it sleeps in a ’nest’ built on open ground. According to the 2005 sighting, it is shy and is basically harmless. It is a creature with phenomenal strength.

There has been many incidents reported on this illusive creature. The 1997 sightings in Silkigre village, near Chokpot is of immense importance. It is said that some village womenfolk who went to the jungle to gather firewood have claimed to have seen a hairy giant near the stream.

This news had spread like wildfire in the jungle. This time because the villagers refused to go to their field for cultivation due to fear psychosis, which gripped the entire village. The forest officials from Baghmara visited the spot and investigated the claim. The report is yet to be made available.

Merinews

Different Plague

Written by admin on 10:40 PM

Aizawl, May 23 : When 29 children die of starvation within two months, it is obvious that the conditions for their starvation could not have been created in a day. It has taken more than two years for the famine in Mizoram to spread and, according to official estimates, 30,000 families are now in crisis and 10,000 are almost starving.

The state is overrun by rats, which appear in hordes when the bamboo begins to flower. They love the bamboo fruit. They eat, multiply and destroy not just the bamboo fruit, but also grain, and all other fruits and crops, devastating fields, granaries and the countryside. The bamboo flowers every 48 years, according to lore; the last mautam or ‘bamboo death’ occurred in 1958-59. This time, the flowering began in late 2005.

Famine was unmistakably prefigured by 2006, yet the government’s efforts have not made much difference. Payment for the tail of each rat killed, first a rupee and now two rupees, has merely cost the government and piled up hundreds of thousands of tails. Mizoram has 9,00,000 farmers, almost half the population. Many have not even planted their crops, knowing they will be devastated. Without their staple, rice, the people are trying to subsist on roots and yams.

Whatever the scale of the ecological disaster, it seems incredible that a famine that takes almost three years to spread could not have been contained. The state government asked for foodgrains from the Centre; it now seems that the alternative supplies have “gone wrong”.

There is a familiar ring to this. The United States of America is now releasing funds that will be administered by Save the Children. That is a multi-national non-governmental organization. Why is it expected that it will be able to do what the Centre cannot? If farmers are now being advised to plant ginger and turmeric, neither of which rats can eat, why was this wisdom not available earlier? The plague of rats could not have been eliminated perhaps, but it is puzzling that it could not have been contained.

Telegraph India

No starvation deaths in Mizoram: Disaster Mgmt Secy

Written by admin on 10:39 PM

Aizawl, May 23 : There has been no starvation death in Mizoram even though the state is reeling under the grip of famine caused by ‘Mautam’ or gregarious bamboo flowering since last year, state Disaster Management Secretary K Riachho said here on Thursday.

Refuting some newspaper reports which said that 29 people died due to starvation in South Mizoram’s Saiha district, Riachho said that there has been no starvation-related death in the state.

“There is no starvation death, and there will be no starvation death,” he said adding the social structure and traditional values of the Mizos will never allow anyone to die even on the face of famine.

He opined that the reports of starvation deaths must be misunderstanding on the part of the national media.

A number of children died due to meningitis during the last part of 2007 and first part of this year in and around Zangling village in Saiha district, he said, adding some section of the media might have wrong impression on the deaths.

State Health Department officials also said that 38 children who died recently in Saiha district were not due to starvation but meningitis.

Agencies

Congress misused power at CADC: MNF

Written by admin on 10:39 PM

Aizawl, May 23 : The Mizoram National Front today accused the three-month-old ruling Congress at the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) in south Mizoram of misusing power and violating rules and regulations of the council.

The Congress-led CADC has allegedly dissolved a number of village councils and defied a Gauhati High Court’s stay order to the dissolution order, a statement of Kamalanagar’s MNF stated.

A contempt of court case is in the offing, it added. The MNF also alleged that the council has also terminated 25 muster roll workers and appointed 30 new employees on the basis of ‘favouritism’ and ‘nepotism’.

“These newly appointed workers are engaged in the private houses and gardens of the Congress MDCs,” a party statement said. Another 80 pro-Congress workers have been appointed as middle and primary schools without advertisements and interviews, it stated.

They also alleged that the CADC appointed advisors to CEM, president, district school education board chairman and town committee with high salaries and facilities, which even surpassed the expenditure on the advisors to the chief minister.

The CADC executive committee had also allegedly transfered teachers en mass resulting in mismanagement of official procedure thus causing problem to the students. The statement pointed out that the delegates of the MNF party from the Chakma district have met the state governor and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate suspension of the present executive committee of the CADC.

UNI

NC Hills leaders face charges of having links with militants

Written by admin on 10:57 PM

Guwahati, May 22 : In Assam, the controversy surrounding allegations of politician-militant nexus in violence-hit North Cachar Hills district took a new turn with the State Government today claiming of having ’strong evidence’ to indict at least three top leaders of ruling Autonomous Hill Council. BJP and Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) coalition is ruling the N.C.Hills Autonomous District Council.

Assam Government spokesperson and Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma told newsmen in Guwahati that the Government is keeping a close vigil on the North Cachar Hills leaders and police have been instructed to create a case against them based on the available evidence.

The leaders, who face charges of maintaining links with militants, include chief executive member Deepolal Hojai and two members of the Council– Prakanta Warisa and Mohet Hojai. Dr. Sharma said the State Government is ready for any judicial or a CBI probe in addition to regular police proceedings, to expose politician-militant nexus in NC Hills.

PTI

Chinese arms reaching insurgent in Northeast

Written by admin on 10:57 PM

New Delhi, May 22 : India Thursday expresssed concern over the possession of Chinese origin arms by the insurgent groups in India’s Northeast and stated that such weapons were entering into the country through Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Chinese made weapons were increasingly being seized from insurgent groups in India’s Northeast and such arms have also reached the illegal arms market in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a source in the Indian Defence Ministry told KUNA here Thursday. “Most of these arms are entering India through the Myanmar and Bangladesh route” it is clear from the design that they are of Chinese origin,” the source said.

“We are concerned over growing Chinese influence in the region. The cost of the Chinese made weapons in the black market in the Northeast region is within the affordable range and this is a cause of concern,” the source pointed out. “While the trend had been growing over the last coupe of years, the seizure of a massive arms consignment in 2004 in Chittagong in Southeast Bangladesh brought things out in the open for the first time. It was one of the biggest-ever arms seizures in Bangladesh and raised alarm bells throughout the region, including us, after it was known that the Chinese-origin weapons were
meant for Northeast insurgent groups,” the source said.

Over 1,700 assault rifles, 400 Uzi submachine guns, 150 rocket propelled grenade launchers and a large quantity of ammunition originating from Hong Kong were seized by Bangladesh authorities in 2004 at the port city of Chittagong.

India’s concerns were also echoed by leading global defence think-tank Jane’s Intelligence Review (JIR). In a report published this month, JIR said that China has replaced Cambodia and Thailand as the main supplier of weapons to insurgent groups in India’s Northeast and Myanmar as well as LTTE in Sri Lanka.

“Rebel group — United Wa State Army (UWSA) — in Myanmar acts as the middleman between Chinese arms manufacturers and insurgent groups in the Northeast, with most weapons routed through China’s Yunnan province, “India’s leading English daily “The Indian Express” reported Thursday, quoting JIR. UWSA is a 20,000-member group operating in eastern Myanmar. “China’s illicit arms trade with rebel groups — LTTE and the Kachin Independence Army in Myanmar — is also on the upswing,” the JIR said. “LTTE websites display photographs of a range of new Chinese weaponry, including the modern 5.56 mm QBZ-95 bull pup-design assault rifles that the rebels cannot claim to have captured from the Sri Lankan Armed forces,” the daily said.

“Taliban militia in Afghanistan have also been gaining access to Chinese arms. So are African conflict zones of Zimbabwe and Sudan,” The Indian Express reported, quoting JIR.

Agencies

NC Hills Dist Council dares CM to prove charge

Written by admin on 8:00 AM

Guwahati, May 22 : The ASDC-BJP-led NC Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) members today brushed aside the allegation of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that the Autonomous Council had a nexus with the Jewel Garlosa faction of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-J) as ‘false, baseless and concocted.’ The Chief Minister had levelled the above allegation against the Autonomous Council at a press conference here on Tuesday.

The members of the Council also demanded of the State Government steps to address the other crucial issues of the hills district like compensation to the families of those killed in recent violence and for resuming railway services in the hills section and lifting of economic blockade by truckers.

The Council members, including Chief Executive Member Depolal Hojai, described the Congress as the founder of extremism in the hills district. “The Congress is supporting extremism till date.”

The members of the Council also called upon the Chief Minister to state in unambiguous terms in what way the Council was ‘hobnobbing’ with extremist organisations. They also requested him to refrain from making such ‘sweeping’ comments from the secured precincts of Dispur.

The Council members, Kulendra Daulagupu, Mohet Hojai, Prakanta Warisa, Debojit Thaosen and CEM Depolal Hojai regretted the attitude of the Congress Government towards the Council and described it as conspiratorial.

“The comment of the Chief Minister smells of a conspiracy to dislodge the democratically elected ASDC-BJP ruled autonomous council in NC Hills,” said Depolal Hojai.

Condemning the bloodshed and mayhem in the hills district, Hojai said that the State Government instead of blaming the ASDC-BJP coalition should take the initiative to resolve the vexed problem by taking the non-Congress Council into confidence.

Another Council member Debojit Thaosen asserted that the problem in the hills district had worsened because of the dilly dally attitude of the Government. “The Government always resorts to a delaying tactic and that is hampering the peace efforts,” said Thaosen daring the State Government either to finish off the extremists or to resolve the issue through dialogue.

“The Government has deployed 41 companies of security forces in the hills district and regrettably even after such huge presence of security forces, the Government has failed to protect people and projects,” said Thaosen.

The Council members firmly said that extremism in the hills district could not be solved through security forces. “Only through dialogue, the situation could be changed.”

Former Member of Parliament and member of the Council Prakanta Warisa alleged that the Congress was behind the birth of all extremist outfits in the hills district and it is an open secret now.

Mohet Hojai demanded of the State Government steps to hand over law and order either to the Council or to the Central Government. “The Chief Minister should not blame others for his failure,” he said.

Meanwhile, State BJP president Ramen Deka criticized Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his ‘frivolous comments’ on the ASDC-BJP-led NC Hills Autonomous Council and described Gogoi’s suggestion for creating a battalion of surrendered militants even after the presence of six thousand security personnel in the hills district as highly ridiculous.

AT

Farewell to arms in merry bonfire

Written by admin on 7:59 AM

Worried parents breathe easy as kids’ toy guns go up in flames

Keinou (Bishnupur), May 22 : If Ernest Hemingway’s classic A Farewell to Arms were to be written afresh, this tale from Manipur could very well be the plot of another heartwarming story.

Over a hundred children from Keinou and its neighbouring villages in Manipur’s Bishnupur district today made a bonfire of their toy guns — almost real-looking AK-47s, 9mm pistols, M-16 rifles and machine guns — igniting a novel campaign to stop children from playing with violent toys.

M. Rohit Singh saw his AK-47 go up in flames, but he seemed more relieved than sad. The toy had injured his best friend during the Yaoshang festival in March this year while they were playing a “war game”.

But at the Keinou playground — where the bonfire was lit — most of the happy faces were that of the parents, who decided on the campaign after having to nurse their children with injuries sustained while playing with the toys. The injuries often led to bitter quarrels among the parents.

“Most of the children in our locality and the state these days prefer these toy guns to anything else. Playing with these toys is dangerous as many children sustain injuries,” said a parent, Mangi Leima.

Marjit Khuman, another parent, agreed with Leima. “The bullets could damage the eyes of the children, if hit,” he said.

Some of the guardians said their wards preferred to “shoot” mostly in the “head”. They even spoke of “ambushing” their friends while playing with the toys.

Though no case studies have been done on the effect of the toys on children, the parents were worried about the psychological fallout of these toys on their children. Many of them apparently exhibit an undesirable fascination for weapons.

“We are worried that playing with the toy guns would have a negative impact on the minds of the children when they grow up. Manipur is a place where violence is a daily phenomenon. So we want to keep our children away from the gun culture,” another parent, Rani Devi, said.

The parents, who vowed to keep their children away from toy guns in future, took out a rally to encourage others to follow their example. The children also took part in the rally, with many carrying placards reading “We don’t want guns, we want football”.

Telegraph India

Shillong schools shine in ICSE

Written by admin on 7:59 AM

Shillong, May 22 : Shillong students led the Northeast in the ICSE examinations with all five schools in the Meghalaya capital dishing out 100 per cent success in the results declared yesterday.

However, students in the region had to pass an agonising night as the they were able to get their full results only today because of an Internet failure all throughout the day yesterday.

All the five schools in Shillong affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate examinations, Pine-mount School, St Edmund’s School, Loreto School, Meghalaya Police Public School and Shillong Public School, had 100 per cent success rates.

Pinemount School also had 100 per cent results in ISC (Class XII) examination.

Arindam Chaudhuri of St Edmund’s School got the best percentage of marks from among all the students in the state who appeared in the ICSE examination but it was Meghna Chada Marak who was the topper among the tribal students in the ICSE examinations.

Meghna, incidentally, is the daughter of former deputy chief minister Debora C. Marak, and a student of Pinemount School. Meghna secured 90.66 per cent marks.

Candidates of Assam schools too did not fare badly.

From the Pinewood Residential School in Tinsukia, 17 candidates were successful with seven of them getting star marks (more than 75 per cent).

Topper Dixita Kakoty, who secured 84 per cent in the exams, said she had to spend some restless moments before she got the results.

The atmosphere at Sanskriti The Gurukul in Guwahati was of joy today following brilliant performance of students at the ICSE and ISC results declared yesterday.

In both results, the school scored 100 per cent pass percentage. It is the only ICSE affiliated school in Guwahati.

B.K. Bansal, a chartered accountant and resident of Silpukhuri, was very happy as her youngest daughter Saloni was the topper from the school in ICSE, with 94.8 per cent marks.

Tripura’s two schools, Holy Cross Higher Secondary School and St Paul’s Higher Secondary School, have also done fairly well in the ICSE and ISC exams.

Holy Cross achieved 100 per cent success in the ICSE exam with all its 129 candidates securing the pass percentage.

Anurima Baidya performed best in Tripura by securing 96.2 per cent marks. In the ISC exam too, Holy Cross maintained its 100 per cent success rate.

The success of St Paul’s School is not as bright as its rival but still it did fairly well. Of the 78 students who appeared for the ICSE exam, 95 per cent of them passed.

The students of Don Bosco School at Kheti in Khonsa, district headquarters of Tirap district, came up with a good show securing 100 per cent success in the ICSE.

However, the authorities of the Assam Valley School in Balipara in Sonitpur district did not provide the results despite repeated requests.

“We can give the results only after the headmaster gives us permission,” said an official at the headmaster’s office.

Telegraph India

IAF to deploy UAVs to combat insurgency in North-East

Written by admin on 7:58 AM

Shillong, May 22 : Indian Air Force will deploy for the first time unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to combat insurgency in Northeast India.

“At least one squadron of UAVs would be deployed by the year-end in the Northeast,” Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief in Eastern Air Command (EAC) Air Marshal S K Bhan said.

“The aircraft, called ‘bird’ by the force, can survey up to 250 km from its station. Sensors and cameras fitted to the aircraft can detect developments and movements on ground. It would be handy in the deep jungles of Arunachal Pradesh and other inaccessible areas,” Bhan said.

The move assumes significance in the wake of reports about regrouping of militants in the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam.

Rough terrains have given an edge to the militants, with security forces facing difficulties in controlling their activities which led to a spate of violence in the region in the last few week.

An UAV aircraft has two teams of pilots, one external and another internal. The external pilot controls the flight of the aircraft while the internal one controls the sensors and cameras to spot movements on the ground.

The Air Marshal said the aircraft would increase intelligence inputs of the security forces and help deal with the insurgents efficiently.

Agencies

Mass ‘weapon’ for Dibrugarh drugs war

Written by admin on 3:52 AM

Dibrugarh, May 21 : Dibrugarh police’s latest and most potent weapon in their war on drugs is a vegetable seller.

Every morning, a wiry middle-aged man pushes a cart loaded with vegetables around a cluster of Dibrugarh neighbourhoods in search of buyers and news on narcotics movement.

Meet Rashid Ali (name changed), an under-cover informer and Dibrugarh police’s new best friend.

The job, of course, is far from easy. Keeping an eye on cocaine and marijuana over mounds of potato and pumpkin requires skill and patience.

It helps, though, that Ali is a former addict. He had been taking drugs since he was a teenager and was booked by the police twice. On being released, he quickly went back to his old ways, as most addicts are wont to do.

Two deaths in the family changed all that.

“Maine apne do bhai ko kam umar main hi kho diya, sab is nashe ke liye (I have lost two of my brothers to drugs at a very early age),” Ali said. He now promises to work with the police till his last breath to root out smugglers from the district.

For a police force that had long realised that mass awareness and participation was as crucial to their movement against drugs as the periodic raids they conduct on narcotics dens, such former addicts are a boon.

“People like Ali show us that we have been successful in our attempts at least to a certain extent. We are making efforts to ensure that such people are secure from addiction,” a police officer said.

Dibrugarh’s notorious underbelly, comprising primarily a flourishing drug cartel, has frustrated policemen, destroyed homes and ensnared youths. And the ease with which drug dealers and petty suppliers walked in and out of custody baffled the law-enforcing agencies.

After forming special squads and running awareness programmes to fight the drugs, the police now feel they have finally arrived at a strategy that would not allow drug dealers to escape as easily. Leading the mission is the district police chief, Anurag Agarwal, assisted by two young IPS officers, additional superintendent of police (headquarters) Diganta Bora and assistant superintendent (probationer) Rafiqul Alam Laskar.

During the last five months, police in Dibrugarh have been able to arrest 12 drug smugglers and conduits. In all, 100 grams of opium, 137gm heroin and 10kg ganja have been seized.

Those arrested had been booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. “None of the 12 have been able to get bail thanks to this new strategy. We often get inputs about people who are related to the drug business. The first thing we do is to watch the person. Whenever we get confirmed information about any person who is carrying drugs, we get hold of him,” Agarwal said.

Catching the drug dealers and conduits with banned substances rather than just picking them up on the basis of suspicion has made their work much easier.

Besides, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Guwahati is dispatching forensic reports of the drugs seized by the police during raids and arrests as soon as they can.

“Earlier, we had to face a lot of problems while producing evidence in courts because of the delay in receiving FSL reports. But after we made a request, they have started sending early reports which has helped us a lot,” Agarwal added.

Telegraph India

Myanmar Meiteis in search of roots

Written by admin on 3:51 AM

Imphal, May 20 : Rajen Singh alias U. Swe, of Yangon knows he is a Meitei. But he cannot speak his language as he has become a Myanmarese Buddhist.

There are many Manipuri-Myanmarese like Rajen who are citizens of Myanmar. Successful in their professions, they are, however, cut off from their culture and identity much to the concern of the Meitei elders who are fighting a losing battle to preserve their roots in their foster land.

There is a flicker of hope though.

Beginning June 7, the Indo-Myanmarese Fraternal Alliance, an Imphal-based organisation, will embark on a 20-day trip to Myanmar to restore old ties between the Meiteis of Myanmar and Manipur.

The 20-member team will visit various settlements inhabited by people with Manipuri origin.

“We will help and also take part in Lai Haraoba (pleasing of the god) — a Meitei religious ceremony — in at least three areas of Myanmar. We will take along pena, a violin-like traditional instrument, artistes and maibis (priestess) who are an essential part of the festival,” the president of the organisation, R.K. Sivachandra Singh, said.

Nearly three centuries back, several Manipuris were taken as prisoners of war by the Burmese.

Emperor Alongpia used the best Meitei cavalries to attack Chinagmei in Thailand.

The cavalries were made to settle at Nadaswe in Saigang division. Those settled in Myanmar constructed temples of Meitei deities and still preserve the culture of Lai Haraoba in their own way.

“We will take part in Lai Haraoba at Nandaswe, Amrapura and Gaave. We will perform all the rituals, including Lai Ikouba (invoking the Lai from water). We aim at reviving the Meitei culture, which is losing relevance among the Myanmarese Meiteis,” Sivachandra Singh said.

He should know. He has been organising trips to Myanmar for many years to restore the old bond. Though the exact number of Meiteis in Myanmar is not known, those frequenting the neighbouring country put the figure not more than a few thousand.

The princely state of Manipur, that now shares over 300-km-long border with Myanmar, had trade and commerce with erstwhile Burma.

A Meitei king even married his daughter to a Burmese prince. The relationship soured after the Burmese invasion.

Another objective of the trip is to find out if any tribal community from Manipur migrated to the country.

“We have been told that tribals, believed to be of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo group, are inhabiting seven villages in Golden Triangle, notorious for heroin smuggling. During the trip we will go there and also visit the villages to unearth the truth,” Sivachandra Singh said.

Telegraph India

Chandel district in throes of drugs and HIV/AIDS

Written by admin on 3:51 AM

Imphal, May 20 : Opium is available in plenty at Japhou bazar of Chandel district and women are being hired by the traffickers to smuggle the drug, according to Molenson, project coordinator, SASO in an interaction with the media at Japhou bazar in Chandel.

Traffickers supply drugs to these women as their wage and also utilise them in trafficking the opium, he alleged while stating that these women were poor and had financial problems.

From Japhou bazar, 60 km from Imphal, it takes two days on foot to reach the Myanmar border through forests.

On these routes, many runners are trafficking drugs including opium, the SASO coordinator said.

Such illegal business are being done by men but they engage women for transporting the drugs, he observed.

Molenson said other reasons for women taking up such jobs was family condition, as most of them are impoverished backgrouns with no livelihood source.

Apart from drug abuse problem, the state government also has been neglecting health care in Chandel district which added to the woes of the people he said.

The condition of the government hospital here is dismal and there are no private clinics in the district where people can avail paid health facilities.

There is no facility for CD4 count, Molenson said adding that people in the interior areas of the district face utmost difficulty in availing CD4 count.

Talking of the difficulties faced by the people while availing CD4, he said people from interior villages often halt overnight at the SASO office and then proceed to Imphal the next day.

In Imphal also they had to stay for two days as after booking for CD4 centre at Imphal, they have to wait for the result. On the fourth day they have to return home.

In the entire four days a person had to spend at least Rs. 200 per day.

Even though officials of the SASO collected the sample for CD4 count for onward test at Imphal, they could not get the accurate result, he went on to say.

SASO and CNP+ have altogether 300 clients in the district. SASO has 40 women clients while CNP+ has 180.

A total of 20 clients of SASO are availing ART, Molenson informed adding that during a survey conducted by SASO, around 50 children were found infected by HIV/AIDS and most of the children were Injecting Drug Users, IDU.

But only one child is taking ART, he added.

So far, 340 IDUs have been registered with the organisation and most of them were users of cocktail, he observed.

SASO reached the district as early as 1999, but the drug problem is still increasing in Chandel district.

The two NGOs, SASO and CNP+, are doing their work on parent to child transmission, PTCT. There is no facility for surgery in the hospital in Chandel, he pointed out stating that when the need arises, they have to go to Imphal or nearby hospitals for the same.

The district AIDS Control Committee, CACC has seven board members but none of them are residents of Chandel district.

The coordinator said Buprenorphine was also not available in the district and as a result 26 IDUs from the district are currently getting buprenorphine at Imphal.

If the medicine be made available in the district, it will benefit the infected people, he said.

The NGO also identified 196 commercial sex workers. But only few are residents of Chandel district while most of them are coming from other parts of the district.

These commercial workers are home based and some are detected engaging in work at nearby security posts, he observed.

Johnson, an IDU who has been using drugs for the last six years, said he was using cocktail and others according to availability.

But sometime ago, when he went to a de-addiction centre at Chandel as he do not want to use drugs any more, only the signboard was found displayed with no work being taken up at the de-addiction centre. It also had no staff, he said.

Later, he went to the Thoubal district de-addiction centre for treatment. “But unfortunately I can`t leave drugs as there is frustration and stress,” he said.

He also observed that if there are facilities for availing buprenorphine in the district headquarters, the number of IDUs may reduce sharply.

IFP

Overview of Manipurs agitations, bandhs

Written by admin on 3:50 AM

Imphal, May 21 : Almost every day, the past 140 days from this year January 1 till today people of Manipur experienced agitations, protests, bandhs or strike which disturbed in one way or the other.

Out of a total of 30 different forms of protest or agitations that were faced by the people, 19 are bandhs or general strike (state-wide and district-wide) which affected the normal life for 20 days during the period from January 1 to April 30.

The number does not include the currently ongoing agitations like the ongoing protest of the volunteers and supporters of Manipur Forward Youth Front, MAFYF against the arrest its president Sapamacha Kangelipal and his detention under NSA.

Protest against injury of a student of Manipur University Imphal in shooting, against the killing of a person at Ningthoukhong in Bishenpur district by troops of 15 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry last weekend are also currently on.

Today also police dispersed a group of protestors storming the chief minister’s bungalow demanding justice to the shooting of the MU student, Ranjit by a personnel of the Manipur Rifles during a frisking and checking last weekend while a local JAC formed in connection with killing of one Shyamjai hailing from Moirang in Bishenpur district is imposing bandh along the Imphal-Churachandpur section of NH-150 (Tiddim road).

The data also did not count the closures of shops and business establishment and other private and government institutions at various parts of the state due to the unbearable extortion demands and threats to their lives for non-payment of the money they demanded.

Many shops located in small market places in the Imphal city as well as in the outskirts of Imphal including pharmacy shops and their agents had and have been facing heavy monetary demands.

Passenger service operators of all kinds (including auto-rickshaw service operators and interstate bus services) had at many occasions suspended their services which disturbed the normal movement of the people repeatedly.

Apart from this many state as well district level student’s bodies also launched various kinds of agitations like the closure of government offices and imposition of economic blockades on the highways.

One such economic blockade imposed by the All Manipur Tribal Students Organization, ATSUM which extended over 15-day had concluded only on May 17 last.

In January, the first month of this year three bandhs were witnessed in Manipur. The Kuki Students’ Organization opened the account of the bandh with the imposition of a 12-hour Manipur bandh on January 11. The bandh was called in connection with their demand for exercise of the delimitation works in the state at the earliest.

Another 12-hour NH-150 (Tiddim) bandh called by Loktak Development Authority Master Roll Employees came up on January 30. This was followed by 24-hour Sadar Hill bandh imposed from midnight of January 31 till February 2.

At least different forms of agitations and protest disturbed the whole month of February in Manipur.

A 24-hour state-wide general strike called by the JAC of 5th and 6th IRB waiting list candidates on February 1 well come the second month of the year. It was followed by another state-wide 12-hour general strike called by a JAC formed against the kidnapped of an assistant engineer named N Kesho Singh of Kakching state electricity department.

Other district-wide bandh in Thoubal district in this month were 24-hour bandh on NH-39 called by the locals on the controversial death of a house wife Santi Devi on February 2. On the same day another Uripok-Kangchup road bandh in Imphal west district disturbed normal lives in the district.

The bandh was called in protest against the rounding of eight women from Mayang Langjing for allegedly shouting slogans against the India government supporting the boycott of Republic Day called by underground organizations in the state.

The All Manipur Petroleum Tankers’ Union suspended their services from February 12 till 24 of the same month demanding transfer of IOC, Imphal depot managers. This had severely affected to the transport system in the state due to shortest of vehicle fuels.

During March, only one bandh in Imphal West against the expansion of Imphal airport was witnessed even though various protest in this regard were launched by the local residence residing in the surrounding of the airport.

The normal lives in the state were severely disturbed in the state in this month after the serial murder of at least 15 non-local labourers which the state authority imposed night curfew till middle week of April. The holy festival was also disturbed by it.

The holy festival which falls in the last week of March which witnessed killing of three persons including a girl at Heirok in Thoubal district and killing of two tribal girls in the same district by the militants rocked the state again during the month of April.

Protest against kidnapping of engineers of state public works department on April 3, rally against the killing and torture of women in Imphal and Churachnadpur on April 5 and 8, transporters suspension of plying vehicles on the Imphal-Moreh highway no. 39 and stoppage of all kinds of passenger services was also witnessed in this month.

24-hour bandh along the NH-39 against the acquisition of land for expansion of Manipur University, CPI protest against price hike on april 17, Tiddim road bandh on April 21 and on NH-39 against killing of a youth by militants and indefinite bandh on Nh-39 by All Tribal Women’s Organisation and 24-hour district-wide bandh in Senapati district on April 24 distrubed lives in Manipur severely.

EP

Khuga canal causes chaos in Church

Written by admin on 3:50 AM

Churachandpur, May 21 : Faced with an unprecedented risk, the local committee of Saidan EFCI Church since Sunday deserts their Church as the Khuga Canal that passes nearby formed an inch wide crack on parts of the floor, keeping them unease and apprehensive.

‘Even the slightest sound inside the Church now makes us terrified,’ the apprehension that our Church could plunge anytime is with everyone now, Upa HV Rama, the local chairman told this correspondent today.

Occupied since 1986, the semi-pucca building initially witness the cracks way back in 1997, when the canal first made its way near the Church.

A minor repairing with an estimated cost of Rs.80,000 and three iron pipes could then retains the structure, however the cracks reappears as the canal construction resumes in early April.

About half a couple of Church elders who accompanied the media team today said they have more than once fore-warned the concern department, and requested them to construct a retaining wall before they resume the work.

A man identified as SE and a contractor has promise me to do the needful in early April, the local chairman said.

They however denied him the promise on papers, as they allegedly claimed to represent the government and told him what they promise is a promise of the government.

Now, that the construction is underway with the promise disregarded, cracks capable of bringing down the Church pave in, and the walls of the canal losing ground with every downpour, muggy soil of about 6 feet is all that holds the building now.

‘Another rainfall is all that holds our Church,’ is how most of the church elders put at.

On their fore-warn claims, the media team was even told that request for faster pace of work was suggested prior to the cracks, at which a minimum of 100 labourers were promise by the officials, but that too was disregarded and with some downpour their apprehension comes to the fore.

With water leaking from the canal on the side of the Church, it is likely that even without a downpour the wall will continue to lose the six foot soil that holds the Church.

The damage that could very well be avoided has been done; a retaining wall will need space for foundation, an earth filling will let loose with another downpour.

The cracks have created a tizzy psychosis on the 350 odd EFCI church members, depriving them of peace even inside a Church.

TSE

SoO meeting with Kuki UGs

Written by admin on 3:49 AM

Imphal, May 21 : Some agreements on the State Government-proposed ground rules of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with Kuki UG outfits operating in Manipur have been arrived at during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh at New Delhi yesterday.

A reliable source said the meeting held at a hotel in New Delhi was attended by Joint Secretary (Northeast in-charge) of Union Home Ministry Navin Burma, DGP of Manipur Y Joykumar and IGP Intelligence LM Khoute.

During the course of the meeting, the State Government from its side stuck to its earlier stand of adopting the ground rules of the SoO formulated by it insisting that the any talks with the UG groups should be proceeded keeping in mind the territorial integrity of Manipur and the Constitution.

The State Government proposed that UG groups concerned should provide the list of their respective cadres and no designated camps should be set up within 20 kms of the International boundary nor along the National Highways or populated areas.

Furthermore, the State Government made it clear that it would issue identity cards to UG cadres and the designated camps would be guarded by the State police or the Central forces, thus making it compulsory for the UG cadres to seek prior permission if they want to venture out of the designated camp area.

After listening to all the proposals of the State Government, even if the UG groups which would enter into SoO could not agree to all the proposals atleast showed sign of agreements on some points, the source informed.

The meeting held at a venue decided by the Union Home Ministry also agreed to hold the next round of meeting very soon, the source added.

TSE

India warns Northeast on bidi smoking

Written by admin on 3:48 AM

Guwahati, May 19 : A report of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a strong note of warning to the North East which has a high prevalence of bidi smoking amongst the younger generation compared to rest of India. In its Bidi Monograph entitled ‘Bidi Smoking and Public health’, the Union Ministry has emphasized the urgent need to protect the poor and illiterate users of bidis, the most vulnerable section of society.

This report, first of its kind concentrating on various aspects of bidi smoking including the socio-economic and public health issues, provides in-depth information on the consumption pattern and the associated usage risks.

As per the report which is a compilation of scientific studies and data and prepared with support from World Health Organization (WHO), Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Sciences and edited by renowned researchers Dr Prakash C Gupta and Dr Samira Asma, the prevalence of daily plus occasional bidi smoking in the North East varied from around 10 per cent to 40 per cent in men and women.

In four of the eight North East states, bidi smoking predominated, while in the rest, cigarette smoking dominated. In addition to cigarette and bidi, ganja smoking mainly by men was also common in the region particularly in Manipur where 23.5 per cent men are into ganja smoking.

Compared to the all India figures, current bidi smoking amongst students in the age group of 13 to 15 was also higher in the region. In Manipur, bidi smoking amongst students, including boys and girls was 14.2 percent, followed by Nagaland at 12.7 per cent, by Mizoram at 10.6 per cent, Arunachal Pradesh at 7.7 per cent, Meghalaya at 7.2 per cent and Assam at 4.6 per cent.

Current and frequent bidi smoking by students was highest in Sikkim with 48.6 per cent.

On the other hand, the report points out that amongst current bidi smokers, over half indicated developing dependence on nicotine. It ranged from 54.5 per cent in Bihar to 98 per cent in Sikkim. Over one tenth of the current bidi smokers also reported using drugs or alcohol which ranged from 0.6 per cent in Manipur to 41.0 per cent in Assam.

The Central report also reveals that current bidi smoking was lowest in Goa, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi etc, intermediately high between 4.6 and 9.2 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya etc and high between 10.6 per cent and 14.2 per cent in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.

AT

Youth movements seek to bring change in Nagaland

Written by admin on 3:48 AM

Kohima, May 19 : Students sell vegetables, tea or even pull rickshaws and shine shoes at Dimapur market under a youth movement in Nagaland promoting work ethics and dignity of labour.

The movement, Oriental Theological Seminary (OTS), Dimapur has come a long way in its 15 years of existence and organises ‘A Day of Earning’ programme twice a month on Saturdays for students.

“Sometimes we gather in teams to clean dirty public areas, hospital compounds, bus stations and rehabilitation centres,” said Sentila, a Master of Theology student at OTS.

Another youth movement, True Love Waits (TLW), launched by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) in February 2005, promotes abstinence till marriage by administering pledges.

Although some were sceptical about the campaign, NBCC youth leaders believe that this does not contradict the official line of battle against HIV/AIDS and instead complements it.

Yet another youth organisation, YouthNet, a network of young professionals, has been creating awareness about positive attitude, rational thinking, employment, dignity of labour, Right to Information, electoral reforms and assertive actions against government apathy.

YouthNet tries to usher in change, enabling the Naga youth to acquire life skills and become positive, rational, productive, responsible and contributing members of society. It was launched by a woman, Hekani Jakhalu, who gave up a legal career in Delhi to do something for the youth of her State.

The YES (Youth Employment Summit) campaign is a decade-old youth movement which was first initiated in Egypt in 2002 jointly by former US president Bill Clinton and the Egyptian president, said Theja Meru, a member of YouthNet and a musician.

Besides contributing to government programmes, the YouthNet also launched awareness campaign on Right to Information Act throughout Nagaland, specifically targeting college and university students.

During the February Assembly election, YouthNet members collected disclosure of assets of all candidates from the districts and made them known to voters under its campaign, ‘Know Your Candidate’.

PTI

John Wesley, the Herbal medicine specialist of Shillong

Written by admin on 3:47 AM

Shillong, May 19 : Since time immemorial herbal treatment of various ailments has been an integral part of life in India, particularly in the rural areas. But a Meghalya-based medical practitioner is popularizing it in the northeast India.

John Wesley Kharduid is a popular name in the northeastern India due to his herbal treatments of patients suffering from various ailments. Dr. John Wesley Kharduid, tin herbal medicine, said: “I treat patients with arthritis, handicapped children, patients who are paralysed or had a stroke. I prescribe only herbal medicine.”

He says that he has visited many countries and is presently working to promote the importance of herbal treatment, as he maintains that it is the most ancient form of treatment without having any side effects.

Recently, a badly burnt child approached him. The facilities available in the local hospital were not adequate to take care of him. It is in this situation of hopelessness that patients approach John Wesley Kharduid.

John is a native of Thangning, about 18 kilometers from Shillong in Meghalaya. He started his career, as herbal practitioner in 1982. Though John didnt have his formal education beyond standard eight in school, it didnt prevent him from carryon on practicing and gained wide popularity. He claims that he learnt the significance of herbal medicines from his late uncle and grandmother.

Today, John claims to have treated all kinds of cases. Over 70 per cent of his patients have been successfully cured. Most of them come from outside the State. Some patients are from Germany who are undergoing cancer treatment.

John plans to construct a 30-bed hospital for herbal treatment at his farm in Thangning. He wants to include a teaching institution at his hospital for interested students from across the world to take up a course in herbal medicine.

Joyly, one paralysed patient, said: “In other hospitals, I did not get any relief at all but now I am getting a little relief.” Christel Ghosh, a German patient, said: “We mentioned about cancer and she told me this doctor could cure the boy with cancer.”

He has for permission to the ministry of DONER last year. He is very hopeful that his skill will be recognized world over. John, who has been awarded many prizes and certificates including the most talented medicinal practitioner award.

He says: “Many letters reach me from Scotland, the U.S, China and also from other parts of India. They want me to come there for herbal practice.” John hopes that his achievements will prompt the Central and the State government to promote herbal medicine in other parts of the country too.

ANI

Cops choke on uranium cake

Written by admin on 3:47 AM

Guwahati, May 20 : A little learning, it is said, is a dangerous thing. That’s what happened to a policeman and his colleagues who balked at the idea of touching a sealed packet supposedly containing a cake of radioactive uranium.

When the team from Shantipur police station in Karbi Anglong caught four youths with the wax-sealed box, they were certain it was a “big catch”. Otherwise why would someone take so much precaution?

When an army team broke open the box and suspected it could be uranium, the jubilation vanished.

So scared was one officer that he even refused to carry the substance to the forensic laboratory in Guwahati since his son, who is a student of science, had warned him about the hazards of uranium radiation.

The police have kept the consignment wrapped in a thick aluminium foil and are contemplating to bury it “deep” under ground.

The arrested quartet, Mohan Thapa, Biju Thapa, Kishor Thapa and Napa Thapa, revealed during interrogation that the consignment was handed over to them by two youths from Manipur a few days ago.

A police officer at Santipur police station said the four were carrying the 850gm consignment containing the yellow cake in a bag and were travelling on bicycles when a police team apprehended them at Deopani near the Dhansiri river last evening.

The officer said the arrested youths, all of them of Nepali origin, were instructed to sell the uranium to militant organisations at a price not less then Rs 6 lakh.

Uranium is a dense, radioactive metallic element found in rocks and soil. It gives off invisible bursts of penetrating energy called “atomic radiation”. Exposure to atomic radiation can cause death within a few days or weeks. Smaller doses can cause burns, loss of hair, nausea, loss of fertility and pronounced changes in the blood.

Still smaller doses, too small to cause any immediate visible damage, can result in cancer or leukaemia in the person exposed, congenital abnormalities in his or her children (including physical deformities, diseases and mental retardation), and possible genetic defects in future generations.

Telegraph India

Peace Rallies Held All Over Nagaland

Written by admin on 3:46 AM

Kohima, May 21 : The Joint Forum of Nagaland GBs and DBs have on Tuesday, successfully organized massive peace rallies throughout the state. The rallies were organized state district headquarters to register their string resentment against the recent unprecedented heightened factional violence in the state. Large number of people including large number of school students turned up for the rallies.

A massive peace rally was held here at local ground with thousands of students and publics joining it. Minister for Home, Imkong L. Imchen addressing the occasion said that a cease-fire agreement should be initiated immediately among the Nagas. He said killing among Nagas, extortion and gun power could not achieve political sovereignty, but added that only peace would achieve their common goal. Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, Sachopra Vero and other public leaders also spoke in the rally. The rally also passed a resolution to stop killing among the Nagas.

In Mon district, the stronghold of NSCN (K), massive peace rally was organized with the theme “Stop bloodshed and factional killing amongst the Naga National Workers”.

DC Mon, Dinesh Kumar, IAS in his speech said that we should first try to bring peace in Nagaland as then only development would follow and the future of the younger generation will be bright.

He deliberated on the principle of non-violence and urged the Nagas to unite and join hands for a better tomorrow. Earlier the programme started with an invocation by Pastor KBCM, Rev. Tenwang and introductory speech was delivered by President GBs Association and President DBs Association. Vice President KU, Chairperson MTC and Executive Secretary KBBB also spoke on the occasion. The function was attended by various NGO leaders, officials, school students, teachers and general public.

Similar rally was also held at Wokha district headquarters under the theme “To stop bloodshed fratricidal killings amongst the Naga national workers”. Deputy Commissioner Wokha, Mikha Lomi while addressing the public, appealed to the people to show solidarity to fight against the gun culture in our society and to stand together and oppose fratricidal killing amongst the Naga brothers. He also appealed to all the leaders to think seriously and take positive steps to stop this long term political problem.

Short speeches were also delivered by the Chairman Lotha Hoho, Chairperson of Nagaland Women Commissioner, President Eloe Hoho, President LSU, SP Wokha, Deputy Chairman, Wokha Town council and Executive Secretary KBES. The rally started from public ground and proceeded towards PWD and culminated at NST junction. More than 10,000 people from all walks of life attended the rally. The function was chaired by P.N. Tsungoe, Convenor GBs and DBs Wokha Unit, while vote of thanks was delivered by P.A. to DC Wokha, Myinthungo Khuvung.

In Mokokchung, more than ten thousand people representing village council members, Ao Senden, Watsu Mungdang, AKM, Ward Chairmen, Town Councils, various School students of Mokokchung town and Mokokchung public assembled at the main police point in the morning and proceeded towards Imkongmeren Sports Complex holding placards, banners and giving slogans such as “We want peace, stop bloodshed, shun violence” etc.

The Vice President of All Nagaland GBs Federation, Chubakumzuk and President Ao Senden Temjenkaba called upon the people to shun violence, fratricidal killings amongst the Naga brothers and further appealed to the people to work ceaselessly for bringing permanent peace in Nagaland. Earlier the peace rally programme began with invocation pronounced by Pastor MTBA, Ponen and benediction by Rev. Alemmeren of ABAM Impur.

In Dimapur, the peace march started from city tower junction and culminated at DDSC stadium where a public meeting was held. Commissioner Nagaland, H K Khulu in his short speech stated that Nagaland state was passing through the darkest hour in its long sixty years of Naga history after the creation of the state. He said that they were living in a fragile atmosphere wanting peace and harmony for progressive society and that they were fed up of the continuing violence and killings among ourselves.

He said they needed to introspect ourselves and learned to forgive our brethrens for peaceful co-existence. He also appealed to the various factions not to do armed operations in civilian areas endangering the lives of the public and their properties.

Deputy Commissioner Dimapur, Maongwati Aier while addressing the gathering stated that one hundred and forty years ago before the advent of Christianity in 1872, Nagas were practicing head hunting culture but when the Nagas accepted Christianity this cruel practice was given up, but what they saw today was that the old habit had come back to them and was haunting them.

They needed to give up this habit as no administration, police or army could give them peace but if they only turned back to Jesus only then they would have everlasting peace and harmony amongst their community, he emphasised.

The state convener for GBs & DBs Joint Forum, Taku Longkumer while addressing the gathering stated that the Joint Forum had undertaken the peace initiative from 2006 and the outcome was six months ceasefire between the various factional groups in the state fighting for Naga sovereignty. However overlooking the ceasefire, killing among the factions had not been stopped, therefore the joint forum had organized peace rally all over the state appealing to the various factions to completely stop this fratricidal killings amongst the Nagas, he added.

Others who spoke in the same function were Speaker Naga Hoho, President Naga council, President NSF, President DNSU and retired Additional Chief Secretary & Commissioner, T.N Manen. All the speakers jointly voiced and aired their displeasure over the random killings amongst the various factions in the state fighting for sovereignty.

Asian Tribune

No decision on uranium mines

Written by admin on 3:46 AM

Shillong, May 21 : The Meghalaya government has clarified that no decision has been taken on uranium mining in the state, despite the Union minister of state for power, Jairam Ramesh’s claim that it was in favour of a nuclear plant.

At a recent seminar, Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) officials claimed that the state was ready to go ahead with uranium mining. However, chief minister Donkupar Roy said the people were still debating on the merits and demerits of uranium mining and no government could go ahead with the mining unless the people of the state were convinced.

“As of now, no decision had been taken on uranium mining. There should be a consensus within the government and it has to be proved to the people that there are no health hazards involved in uranium mining,” the chief minister told this correspondent.

The deputy chief minister and Hill State Peoples’ Democratic Party (HSPDP) president, H.S. Lyngdoh, who is from West Khasi Hills, has been very vocal against uranium mining in the district.

In his recent meeting with Ramesh, Lyngdoh said the present Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government would not allow uranium mining.

Other coalition partners in the government, the United Democratic Party (UDP), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) had also opposed uranium mining in the state during the election campaign.

“There are no differences within the coalition partners, but the members are free to air their opinion on the matter,” Roy said.

If the cabinet comes to a consensus on the issue, all the partners will abide by the decision, the chief minister said.

“As all the coalition partners are opposed to uranium mining, it is not easy on the part of the Centre and the UCIL officials to convince the state government to go ahead with the mining. It is not about saying yes or no to the project. It is up to the people to decide and that will be endorsed by the government,” Roy said.

“We respect the views of the people and as this government was elected by the people of the state, we cannot go against them,” he added.

Telegraph India

Mizoram leads the world in 4 types of cancer

Written by admin on 3:45 AM

Aizawl, May 21 : Mizoram has the highest incidence of four types of cancer in the world and the grim situation is caused mainly by extensive consumption of tobacco by the Mizo people including women, experts said.

Dr Eric Zomawia, head of the pathology department in the civil hospital in Aizawl, said that Mizoram led the world in the number of cases of Hypopharynx cancer (Male), Tongue cancer (Male), Stomach cancer (male & female) and Esophageal cancer (male).

Zomawia said that Mizoram also has the dubious distinction of topping all states in six other types of cancer and Aizawl district is on top among districts, though other districts like Serchhip, Champhai, Lunglei and Mamit are not far behind.

The lifestyle of the people of the state, especially their extensive consumption of tobacco coupled with consumption of smoked meat, leads to the high incidence of cancer, he says.

Around 40 per cent of the cancer can be prevented by changing the lifestyle, he says.

Dr Jane R Ralte, officer-on-special duty and head of the Tobacco Cessation Clinic in the Aizawl Civil Hospital, confirmed the fact that tobacco chewing and smoking is highly prevalent among Mizo people.

Tobacco use:

Quoting the study report of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Women Ministry in 2004, Ralte said that 1,85,557 members of the church are using tobacco which is 77 per cent of the total members of the church.

She said that 86,477 women of the church used tobacco, which is 47 per cent of the total women church members while only 23 per cent of the total church members are free from any form of tobacco.

As much as 22.1 per cent of the women indulge in smoking whereas the national figure is only 2.5, she says.

She said that 60 per cent of Mizo women are using other forms of tobacco (not smoking) while the national average is only 12.4 per cent.

”According to the National Family Health Survey conducted in 1998-99, Mizoram was in the first position in tobacco consumption which is clearly indicative of the fact that Mizoram leads in cancer incidence,” she said during a seminar on Cancer Prevention, organized by the Rotary Club of Aizawl on May 15 last.

Stressing the need for a tobacco-free environment in Mizoram, she said that second hand smoke inhalation increased the risk of heart disease and lung cancer by 25 per cent, endangering the lives of children and other non-smokers.

The traditional way of initiating smoking habit to young people at the tender age of 13 by the Mizo society, though discontinued since the past few decades, still haunts the older people, she said.

Young boys and girls were introduced to smoking by their parents, as they had to work in the jhums infested by mosquitoes.

Zomawia agreeing with Ralte says that stomach cancer has the highest incidence among Mizos, both male and female, and it is 53.1 per cent among the male while it is 32.8 per cent among females.

Lung cancer and esophagus came next and were also mainly caused by smoking, he said.

Factors responsible:

He, however, said that consumption of fermented pork, smoked meat and vegetable and poisoned wild animal meat, including fish and crabs, being consumed almost regularly in the Mizo society is also attributed to the high incidence of cancer.

Zomawia said that the Centre, seized of the gravity of the situation, has given recognition to the Aizawl Civil Hospital as the Regional Cancer Centre and a Population Based Cancer Registry is also established in Aizawl.

The oncology department in the hospital is also equipped with telecobalt machine, day care centre (chemotherapy), brachyterapy CT Scan, Mammography, Bronchoscopy and endoscopies.

He also said that apart from setting up the Tobacco Cessation Clinic, a Diagnostic and Research Centre has been established with specialists in surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology and pediatric and gaynae oncology now in place.

Asked why majority of the cancer patients were referred to places like Mumbai, Delhi and Vellore, he said that it was the lack of knowledge about the technical capabilities now available in Aizawl.

PTI

Lalzama announces ‘IT Vision’ for Mizoram

Written by admin on 3:45 AM

Aizawl, May 21 : Mizoram Information Technology Minister Dr Lalzama today asserted that establishment of an effective telecommunication system, creation of an IT park and a world-class Indian Institute of Information Technology were among his top agenda.

The IT Minister claimed that the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) was the forerunner in the state in the field of IT and bamboo industry. He said Mizoram was one of the most advanced states in the IT sector in the Northeastern region and asserted that the new initiatives taken up by the MNF government would help the State march ahead.

He said owing to the inefficient telecommunication system in the State, the people had to face frequent breakdown of mobile services, internet banking and broadband services.

“The students are the worst sufferers as they do not have wide access to resources and we can not set up Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs) and other IT-enabled Services like call centres and medical transcription owing to the poor telecommunication system,” the minister stressed.

To overcome these problems, the Minister said, the Power Grid Corporation of India had been assigned to undertake fibre optic connectivity in Mizoram. “Work will commence within the next three months to connect Mizoram to the two nearest points, either Kumarghat (Tripura) or Badarpur (Asom),” Lalzama said.

All the districts and blocks in the state are to be connected through fibre optics. Besides, 71 mobile towers are being planned to be installed under the universal service obligation funding that would benefit even the remotest rural areas to access mobile connection.

“We are determined to install an international gateway once we have access to good and reliable connectivity,” the IT Minister told reporters. Moreover, the State Government was looking at setting up Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) in Mizoram, the Minister said, adding that the Business Standard Reporter had identified Mizoram as one of the best locations for IT.

The minister also proposed a one-stop-shopping-centre-cum-IT park in Mizoram, preferably near the Lengpui Airport. “Once the IT park is set up, multinational companies will rush to Mizoram thereby creating job opportunities for our youth,” Lalzama claimed.

On the question over a bureaucrat or a technocrat heading the upcoming IT department, the Minister said a clear-cut decision had not yet been taken. “If we reserve the top post strictly for a technocrat, there could be a problem as we are short of eligible technocrats. We will make the recruitment rules in such a way that both a technocrat or a bureaucrat can head the department,” he said. However, the Minister strongly recommended that a technocrat was the best option for a technical department’s head.

UNI

Dimasa bodies call for talks with DHD(J)

Written by admin on 1:24 AM

Haflong, May 14 : The State Government has sent a fresh proposal to the Centre for deployment of additional security forces to contain violence in North Cachar Hills district, Government sources said here today.

Meanwhile, the Jadikhe Naisho Hoshom (JNH), the apex body of the Dimasa community, has appealed to the Government to instruct its security forces to stop operation against DHD(J) immediately and initiate peace talks with the outfit.

JNH publicity secretary D Bathari, in a statement here, said it seems that the Government is not interested in peace process to respond to the aspirations of the people of NC Hills district despite the fact that the common people of the district welcomed the unilateral ceasefire declared by DHD(J) on March 25.

Echoing the stand of JNH, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the NC Hills Autonomous Council Depolal Hojai said the Council’s request to the State Government for initiating peace negotiation with DHD(J) has fallen on deaf ears. He said due to the alleged apathy on the part of Dispur, the NC Hills district has plunged into turmoil. He also appealed to DHD (J) to shun violence for the greater interest of NC Hills district and its development.

Meanwhile, several organizations, including the Dimasa Students’ Union, have called for a 24-hour NC Hills district bandh from 5 am tomorrow demanding peace talks with DHD(J).

Several political parties, including the BJP and AUDF, have expressed concern over the prevailing situation in the hills district. A delegation of AUDF met Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today and urged him to pay adequate compensation to the families of labourers killed in the recent militant attack, party sources said.

Meanwhile, pro-talk DHD chairman Dilip Nunisa today said the recent violence unleashed by DHD(J) has reflected the immaturity on part of the leadership of the outfit. “They should not have indulged in senseless killing of railway labourers to take revenge against the Government for Army operation against the outfit, despite declaring a unilateral ceasefire,” he said.

SN

Forces split over Jewel

Written by admin on 1:24 AM

Haflong, May 15 : Serious differences have cropped up between the army and Assam police over dealing with the Jewel Gorlosa faction of the Dima Halam Daogah after police’s spadework for revival of the peace process with the outfit has almost been jeopardised by a “proactive army”.

A police officer said the army had fallen prey to a ploy of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim that aimed at disrupting the peace process with the DHD (J). He also backed the outfit’s claim that troops gunned down a dozen of its cadre on Saturday. The army, however, said it had not found a single body despite a massive search.

Contesting the army’s claim that last week’s gun battle took place within the North Cachar Hills district, the officer said the encounter took place in Manipur and added that the army had been tipped off by the Naga outfit about the presence of the DHD (J) militants at Tamei in Manipur.

“After last month’s meeting with the Gorlosa faction, we asked its cadre to lie low. Accordingly, they withdrew from civilian areas and started holing themselves up in areas adjoining the border the NC Hills shares with Manipur,” the officer said.

The army’s hardcore line towards assorted militant gangs was drawn up after Brig. Ashoke Kumar Sarkar joined as the commander of the 57 Mountain Artillery Brigade posted in Haflong for counter-insurgency operation against the Dimasa rebels.

The outfit called off the unilateral ceasefire it had announced after the army went on an offensive against it and raided its hideouts four times in the last one month.

The ceasefire offer was made after two leaders of the outfit met a senior officer of Assam police’s special branch in Guwahati last month.

The army pointed out that in the past the state government and the police had accused troops of being soft towards the rebels operating in the NC Hills and even raised the issue at the highest level.

The relation between DHD (J) and the NSCN (I-M) had soured over the Gorlosa faction’s demand for change of name of the NC Hills into Dimaraji, meaning Dimasa homeland, in the eight-point charter of demands it submitted to the police last month.

The troubled district has a large Naga population. According to the NSCN (I-M), a change in nomenclature will hurt the sentiments of the Nagas living in the district.

Formed in 1993 with the NSCN (I-M)’s help, the DHD fell out with the Naga group in 2000 over division of extorted money. Their relationship worsened after the DHD’s founder chief Jewel Gorlosa, who was accused of being soft towards the NSCN (I-M), broke away to form his own group.

The outfit after waging 10 years of guerrilla war entered into a ceasefire agreement with the government in 2003. But the truce led to a bitter internal conflict between a group led by Gorlosa and another by Dilip Nunisa.

The conflict eventually resulted in a split in 2004 and Dilip with the help of Pranab Nunisa upstaged Gorlosa from the outfit.

Gorlosa soon renewed his old ties with the NSCN (I-M) and formed his own group, DHD (J). The group is also referred to as Black Widow.

Telegraph India

Ultras gun down 11 in NC Hills

Written by admin on 1:23 AM

Haflong, May 16 : Continuing with its bloodbath of innocents, suspected DHD (J) militants, better known as Black Widow, killed 11 people in two separate incidents of violence in the trouble-torn North Cachar Hills district this morning. In the first incident, militants waylaid five trucks belonging to Vinay Cements at a place called 29 Kilo near Panimurh under Umrangso police station around 7-30 am, and gunned down ten people, mostly handymen, drivers and labourers, after taking them to a nearby area named Lamalangso.

The ultras also set fire to two cement-laden trucks besides damaging other three.

Four of the dead have been identified as Shyam Kumar Singh, Narottam Das, Bhabiram Singh and Shambhu Devnath – all hailing from Lanka in Nagaon district.

In the second incident that took place about the same time, militants attacked a goods train coming from Lumding towards Maibong, resulting in the death of the driver, who has been identified as NL Bora. Three other persons are stated to have received injuries.

The incident took place in-between Kalachand and Mupa.

PTI adds: The NF Railways have cancelled all trains in the district between Badarpur and Lumding following increased attacks on its employees and labourers engaged in broad-gauge conversion work. The district had observed a 24-hour bandh yesterday to protest the killing of 13 labourers engaged in broad-gauge conversion work and East-West Corridor highway construction since Saturday by the militants.

The militants had also killed a railway employee and two others at Maibongdisa railway station in the district.

Ultra attack repulsed: In a gallant act, the police personnel of 21 AP (IR) battalion repulsed an attack on their camp by 25/30 heavily armed extremists last night at Kapurcherra in NC Hills district.

The extremists came in Army combat uniform and resorted to indiscriminate firing at the camp. On retaliation by the AP battalion personnel, they fled away under the cover of darkness and thick jungle. A massive combat operation was launched and police recovered five 40 mm morter shells and about 120 empty cases of assorted weapons, an official press release said.

AT

Hint of ceasefire after bloodbath

Written by admin on 1:23 AM

Guwahati, May 17 : Militant leader Jewel Gorlosa’s flip-flop on calling unilateral ceasefire continued as Assam police today said they had reports that his faction of the Dima Halam Daogah would call a truce a day after it massacred 11 people in the North Cachar Hills district.

The police said they were “verifying the authenticity” of the news.

The outfit called a unilateral ceasefire on March 25 but called it off after 12 of their own men were allegedly killed by the army. The army owned up to the encounter but failed to locate a single body.

Speaking to The Telegraph, inspector-general of police (special branch), Khagen Sarmah, said, “I have heard that they have declared a ceasefire. We are looking into it,” he said. The police would watch the outfit’s “behaviour” in the coming days to ascertain the veracity of the report, he added.

However, a section of the police topbrass described the news of “Jewel Gorlosa truce” as “too good to be true” apparently going by its past record.

Police sources described the attacks as “retaliatory”, adding, “the outfit had already declared a unilateral ceasefire but was forced to display its firepower after the killing of its cadres. It was a forced interim act and after its mission was accomplished, the outfit might now have decided to return to its unilateral ceasefire declared on March 25,” a source said.

The NF Railway Mazdoor Union today observed a black day in all the divisional headquarters and also took out a silent rally with hundreds of its members at its Maligaon headquarters, seeking adequate security to personnel engaged in the gauge conversion.

Sources claiming to be close to the DHD (J) quoted the outfit’s publicity secretary, Faiphang Dimasa, to say that all its operations have been stopped from today. He, however, said no work on the gauge conversion and East-West corridor projects in the district would be allowed till the ceasefire was formalised.

A senior home department official said it was in constant touch with the railways and impressing upon it to resume normal services as a series of “counter-insurgency as well as protective measures” have been initiated by the government, the official said. He has also heard about the DHD (J) announcing a cessation of hostilities, he added.

“We cannot react as we have only heard.”

The bloodbath, however, continued in the district. A former councillor of the North Cachar district autonomous council belonging to the minority Biate minority tribal community was shot dead at 10am today by unknown gunmen in his village of Siampui, about 4km from Haflong town. He has been identified as J.T. Namlam, 65, according to the police in Haflong.

Telegraph India

ATSUM to talk with Manipur CM

Written by admin on 1:22 AM

Imphal, May 17 : With an eye to find a resolution to their demands as well as to end the ongoing economic blockade on the NH-39 and NH 53, the All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur has agreed to talk with the Government tomorrow.

Joseph Hmar, the spokesman of ATSUM, while talking to The Sangai Express said “We are ready to talk but at the same time we are also ready to intensify our stir if the State fails to give any commitments”.

The tribal students under the aegis of ATSUM has been imposing the economic blockade demanding 34.2 pc job reservation in Manipur University faculty since May 2, which has been upgraded to a Central University.

Earlier when the varsity was under the State Government the job quota for both teaching and non teaching staff was 10 percent but now it has gone down to 7.5 percent To highlight their demand Manipur University Tribal Students’ Union (Mutsu), a constituent unit of Atsum, imposed a general strike inside MU complex on April 28, during the visit of a team from the UGC President of ATSUM John Pulamte accompanied by the assistant secretary A Haokip have already talked with three Ministers including the Chief Secretary but to no avail, said Hmar.

Since the earlier talks have failed, the student body has decided to accept the invitation for a talk with Chief Minister O Ibobi tomorrow noon, said Joseph Hmar further.

The constituent members of ATSUM have been asked to attend the meeting.

TSE

Filmmakers protest extortion in Imphal

Written by admin on 1:22 AM

Imphal, May 17 : Film personalities of the state today were the latest to join the protest bandwagon against extortion by militant outfits of the state.

Transporters, labourers and rickshaw-pullers had staged sit-ins, launched strikes and demonstrated against monetary demands by insurgents since the past month.

Actors, producers and directors today staged a sit-in to protest against the demands made by an underground outfit and decided to appeal to the militants to withdraw the demand.

An outfit had some days back demanded money from five theatre owners, who screen only Manipuri films.

Unable to accede to the demand, the Film Forum Manipur stopped screening of films from last Monday.

The film fraternity sat in dharna at the Krishna Premi Oil Station at Yaikul in Imphal West from 10am to 4pm.

Playwright L. Dhanachandra Sharma said, “It will have a negative impact on Manipuri cinema which is still developing. So the best way one can bring an amicable solution to the problem is by appealing to the outfit to withdraw the demand in the interest of Manipuri films.”

Actress Lilabati Chanam felt that it was certainly a discouraging factor. “Cinema in Manipur is toiling hard for its survival. We want everybody to support and encourage us with positive thoughts and ideas and appeal to the outfit to withdraw its demand,” she said. Several others also echoed her views.

Manipuri films found prominence with Matamgi Manipur and it has come a long way since then.

The Manipuri film industry has entertained the audience with only a limited number of films owing to huge expenses. But the ban on Hindi films by the Revolutionary People Front came as a blessing in disguise because it gave birth to digital films in the state.

Imphal West superintendent of police L. Kailun said, “We have assured the film owners that they would be provided adequate security. We can provide full-proof security as the theatres are mostly located in Imphal.”

Telegraph India

344 civilians killed in insurgency-related crimes in Manipur

Written by admin on 1:21 AM

Imphal, May 17 : At least 905 people, including 344 civilians, were killed in insurgency-related incidents in Manipur from January 2005 to March 31 this year, official sources said on Friday.

Those who were killed during the period also included 442 insurgents and 119 security and police personnel, the sources said.

Four hundred and thirty-three civilians and 211 security and police personnel were injured in separate incidents during the period, the sources said.

According to a statement prepared by the state government, 118 bombs were exploded by militants at different places in the state during the period, the sources said.

A total of 2714 insurgents of different outfits were arrested during the period, they said.

Major insurgents organisations which were actively operating in trouble-torn North eastern state were United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Kanglei Yawol Kann Lup (KYKL), Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the sources said.

PTI

Talks on ground rules and SoO

Written by admin on 1:21 AM

Imphal, May 17 : Talks with the Kuki UG groups over the ground rules of the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the State Govt will formally begin at the Central level from May 19, a reliable source from the State Home Department disclosed to The Sangai Express today.

According to the official source, Chief Secretary Jarnail Singh and DGP Y Joykumar will be representing the State Government in the talk with the Kuki UG outfits which is slated to begin from May 19 .

The meeting which would discuss the issue related to the Suspension of Operation (SoO) would be chaired by Joint Secretary North East in-charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, the source said, adding that the representatives of United Progressive Front (UPF) which is the apex body of the Kuki outfits and KNO are also expected to take part in the meeting.

The official further disclosed that the talks to be held formally at the Central level for the first time on May 19 after signing of the SoO with the Army would finalise the ground rules of the operation.

The ground rules formulated by the State Government and later submitted to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs after the same was duly passed by the State Cabinet would be tabled for discussion during the talks, the source said, adding that the representatives of the UPF and KNO are likely to express their opinions on the said ground rules.

If case the ground rules of the Suspension of Operation could be finalised without any hitch during the talks on May 19, then the State Government would be facilitating several rounds of meeting with the representatives of UPF and KNO. Contrary to the earlier decision of not allowing participation of KNO in any meeting convened by the State Government, the State Cabinet has approved participation of the KNO.

At the time of signing the SoO with the Indian Army, the UPF camp comprises KNF (S), UKLF, KRA, KLA, ZRA and HPC (D) while that of KNO/KLA include KLA, KNF (MC), KNF (Z), HPC and USRA.

TSE

15 Naga rebels killed in clash

Written by admin on 1:20 AM

Dimapur, May 17 : In continuing turf war between rival Naga underground groups, at least 15 people, including a civilian, were on Friday killed in a gunbattle near Dimapur and a mob ransacked an NSCN(IM) Ceasefire Monitoring Cell office there.

Villagers said there was a heavy exchange of fire between two groups of NSCN in the morning at Seithekim-C village about 15 km from Dimapur.

The police, along with villagers, recovered 13 bodies of cadre of GPRN/NSCN (Unification) but did not find any arms on the bodies, which were believed to have been taken away by the rival cadre.

A spokesman of NSCN (Unification) told newsmen that its members, who had gone to ascertain if the rival group had set up any camp in the area, were ambushed by a large group of NSCN(IM).

It was bloody and turbulent Friday in and around Dimapur when a total of 15 were killed during nearly twelve hours of sporadic acts of violence and arson precipitated by factional clash between rival NSCN groups.

Timeline:

Those killed included 14 from the “GPRN/NSCN” cadre and a civilian, while four other civilians were injured during a series of incidents that began at Seithekima ‘C’.

5:30 am

Fourteen GPRN/NSCN activists were killed at Seithekima-C village. According to GPRN/NSCN deputy kilonser (publicity cell) Alezo Venuh, the activists were killed in an ambush on their return after ascertaining reports about presence of rivals at PCC campus.

Thirteen died on the spot while one, who was seriously injured, later succumbed to injuries. Initially 12 bodies were recovered by police. Later another was recovered. DC Maongwati Aier and SP Liremo Lotha rushed to the spot on learning of the incident.

12 noon

Several hundred people were on hand when the dead bodies were brought in a police truck at the Diphupar Police Station. The national highway 39 was blocked as the crowd shouted slogans “we are all for unification”. The vehicles of former minister Dr. T.M. Lotha and agriculture minister Chumben Murry, which were coming from Kohima, were also damaged.

12:45 pm

The crowd soon rushed to the NSCN (I-M) cease fire monitoring cell office a few yards away as some began pelting stones. Later, some groups began hurling petrol bombs and setting fire to a bamboo kitchen. Armed NSCN (I-M) activists started firing blank shots to ward off the mob.

One youth, armed with a pistol, climbed up the building and started firing at those inside. It could not be ascertained if he was a civilian or belonging to a cadre. Around 30 IRB personnel reached the spot but they were prevented from moving towards the Monitoring Cell when the public, mostly women, blocked the road.

Even as the commotion ran rife outside, gun shots were fired intermittently by NSCN (I-M) activists holed up inside the Monitoring Cell. After nearly two hours at around 2:45 pm, some armed NSCN (I-M) activists arrived and later those inside also came out. The cadres soon resorted to firing in which one civilian was hit on the stomach and died while three other civilians were injured.

The civilian who was killed was later identified as Avi Konyak, an employee of a local cable network. The other injured were not identified at the time of filing this report but sources said one of them was from Chekiye village. The arrival of some activists of the GPRN/NSCN led to a fierce gun battle that went on till 5 pm.
DC Maongwati and SP Lerimo along with DMC chairman Kekhaho Assumi arrived but they could not stop the exchange of fire. The IRB personnel were also helpless. It was estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 shots were fired in Diphupar alone. An irate mob burnt down three houses in the vicinity belonging to some NSCN (I-M) functionaries and a civilian.

5:30 pm

Meanwhile, in another incident, another group of people set fire to two houses at Wungram Colony. There was an exchange of fire between the two factions in the area at around 5:30 pm. A civilian was injured in the crossfire here.

Earlier in the day, unidentified youths forced closure of shops in the city. All shops and business establishments in Dimapur remained closed and denizens remained indoors due to apprehension.

Names of activists killed

1. “Capt” Atoyi Sumi of Yehemi village
2. “Lt” Nokshamba Yimchunger of Old Showuba village
3. “2nd Lt” Vikishe Sumi of Phisami village
4. “2nd Lt” Khetoshe Sumi of Saghemi village
5. “2nd Lt” Moa Yimchunger of Old Showuba village,
6. “Sgt Maj” Kiuthro Yimchunger of Longkonger village,
7. “Sgt Maj”Hokheyi Sumi of Phisami village
8. “Sgt Maj”Hekiye Sumi of Lotovi village
9. “Sgt Maj”David Dimasa of Ghaneshnagar village
10. “Sgt” Samuel Sumi of R. Hovishe village
11. “Sgt” Lokho of Kalinamai village
12. “Sgt” Mughato of Ghokuto village
13. “Cprl” Mughalu of Shikavi village
14. “Pvt” Akito Sumi of Kuhoxu village.

Bangladeshi immigrants corner Northeast funds

Written by admin on 1:20 AM

New Delhi, May 17 : In the North-East, the NREGA, the UPA government’s flagship rural regeneration programme, has become an incentive for infiltration of Bangladeshis.

The union rural development ministry has of late been alarmed over reports that the benefits of the scheme in the states bordering Bangladesh are being cornered primarily by the infiltrators.

Worried over the reports that funds earmarked for the programme are being pocketed by the Bangladeshis, the union rural development ministry has now been constrained to send advisories to the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram to screen the job-seekers very carefully before providing them with work.

“These states have been asked to verify the credentials of the applicants before preparing their job-cards,’’ sources in the rural development ministry said. The diversion of funds earmarked for the NREGA in the north-eastern states lends further credence to the principal opposition party, the BJP’s charge that the influx of illegal migrants from Bangladesh was part of a well-designed pattern aimed not only wrecking the region’s economy, but also