north east online - north east india news: May 24, 2008

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Tangkhul Tribe wants protection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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