Wednesday, August 20, 2008

angami traditional attire, a tribe in nagaland

mizoram models


mizoram bamboo dance

mizoram traditional beads

mizo women in traditional attires

a sema couple in traditional attire, one of the major tribe in nagaland

handicrafts of nagaland

manipuri girl in traditional attire

raas lila, manipuri dance

manipuri couple in traditional marriage attire

loktak lake, manipur

zomi girl in traditional attire

mizo girls in traditional attire

paomei traditional attire

kaladan bridge in south mizoram

shiroy lily a flower in manipur

zo people in traditional dress

khuga dam, manipur

Girls in Traditional Attire


North east girls in traditional attire.

Historic: Bnei Menashe Permitted to Move to Israel



In a decision that is being called “historic,” the government has resolved to allow the remaining 7,232 members of the Bnei Menashe Jewish community in India to immigrate to Israel.

The decision comes ten months after another Cabinet decision demanding Cabinet approval each time a group of ten or more Bnei Menashe wished to immigrate to Israel. That decision was called “immoral” and “post-Zionist” by Bnei Menashe supporters.
The welcoming decision was made over the past few days by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, after Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit was finally convinced to remove his objections. It was Sheetrit who led the original decision of last October, voluntarily transferring to the Cabinet his authority to approve immigration - and thus essentially preventing Bnei Menashe from arriving.

Background
The Bnei Menashe claim descent from the tribe of Menashe, one of the Ten Tribes exiled from the Land of Israel by the Assyrian empire over 2,700 years ago. They reside primarily in the Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur, along India’s border with Burma and Bangladesh. In recent years, over 800 members of the community have made Aliyah, thanks largely to the efforts of Shavei Israel, a Jerusalem-based organization that assists “lost Jews” seeking to return to the Jewish people.

The Bnei Menashe in Israel reside mainly in Kiryat Arba, Beit El and Ofrah.

300 Each Month
With the new government decision, it is hoped that all the remaining Bnei Menashe will be brought to Israel within a two-year period, at a rate of some 300 per month. This, in order not to antagonize the Indian government, and apparently to ease the immigration process as well.

Community is Jewish, Individuals Must Convert
Michael Freund, head of Shavei Israel, has been working for over 15 years to provide Jewish and general education to the Bnei Menashe in Israel, and to persuade the Israeli government that they should be allowed to immigrate. Their aliyah [immigration to Israel] is complicated by the fact that though the Jewishness of the community is now a recognized historical and religious fact, each individual must formally convert to Judaism on his own.

Approximately 100 Bnei Menashe used to arrive in Israel each year, until approximately 2003, when then-Interior Minister Avraham Poraz, of the extreme-secularist Shinui party, ordered a freeze on further immigration to Israel from India, Ethiopia and Peru. He explained openly that immigrants from those countries undergo only Orthodox conversions, and that many of them choose to live in Judea and Samaria.

Freund countered at the time that the reason why most of the Bnei Menashe live in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza) was because those localities actively welcomed them, while others did not.
Rabbi Amar Rules
Freund later achieved a breakthrough in the matter when he succeeded in having Israel’s Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar send two rabbinical court judges to visit northeastern India. Based on the findings of that visit, the Rabbi ruled in March 2005 that the Bnei Menashe were, in fact, “descendants of Israel.”

The remaining 7,232 Bnei Menashe members in India comprise an exact list of those whose immigration to Israel the government will allow. The government and the Jewish Agency wish to avoid a situation, such as in Ethiopia, where apparent non-Jews “jump on the bandwagon” and demand to be brought to Israel as well.

Post-Zionist Decision Replaced by Welcoming Hand
Regarding last year’s decision, Freund told Arutz-7 at the time, “The Chief Rabbinate is willing to convert them, but the government is saying it does not wish to allow these people to be candidates for conversion. This is an unconscionable act… Requiring full cabinet approval every time a group of people wishes to move here and undergo conversion is a recipe for bureaucratic inertia, as there is little chance of getting such an item onto the busy agenda of the entire government. Hence, by creating a virtually insurmountable obstacle to approval, [Sheetrit] hopes to bury the issue once and for all.”

“Why, you might be wondering, would Sheetrit and his cabinet colleagues do such a thing?” Freund wrote at the time. “The answer is really quite simple. It is post-Zionism of the ugliest sort, tinged by prejudice and sheer ignorance.”

If so, the government’s latest decision has replaced its “ugly post-Zionism” with a warm and welcoming hand to Jews the world over.

Unification onus on AGP

Guwahati, Aug 20 : Nettled by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) that wanted unification of the regional forces minus former chief minister and AGP (Pragatisheel) president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the AGP (P) today put the merger process ball in the Asom Gana Parishad’s court.


Briefing the media here today, Mahanta said without naming any organisation that the propaganda against him was only helping the Congress. “The unification of regional forces is the need of the hour for all-round development of the state,” Mahanta said.
The AASU is opposed to Mahanta’s re-entry in the AGP and accuses him of the alleged secret killings in Assam. The students’ union firmly declined to support any unification process involving the former chief minister.

Mahanta said the AGP regime under his chief ministership was in no way involved in the secret killings.

“Such killings started during the regime of the Hiteswar Saikia government,” he said and added that killings were still continuing in the state although chief minister Tarun Gogoi was the chairman of the Unified Command formed to fight insurgency.

“The chief secretary was the chairman of the Unified Command during my regime unlike at present,” Mahanta said. He said he was ready for any sacrifice if that helped the unification of regional forces.

Mahanta said his party had recently met President Pratibha Patil and submitted a memorandum highlighting infiltration and other problems.

NE goddess rocks Hollywood

She puts the “sting” back in Scorpion King.
This Indian goddess appears out of the sandy landscape of the desert like a mirage. If you’ve got a DVD player, you can watch this beautiful mirage over and over again.





Today’s Babe of the Day Karen David was born near the Himalayas, in a place called Shillong, Meghalaya. Which, for those of you less traveled than my internet-roving fingers, is in India. She moved to Toronto before relocating to London to study acting. A singer and songwriter, she appeared in the original cast of Mamma Mia! before segueing into television and film.
“Is that The Rock?”
Karen landed a role in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins as “Courthouse Reporter” before appearing in the controversial film Provoked: A True Story, which is about a Punjabi woman imprisoned for murdering her abusive husband. She then acted in the Steven Seagal film Flight of Fury in 2007.

This year, she appeared in the ensemble cast of The Colour of Magic with Sean Astin and Jeremy Irons, based on the Terry Pratchett novel of the same name.Chicks with swords never gets old.

Now she can be seen scorching the desert with her exotic beauty in The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior, out now on dvd. The film also stars Michael Copon of One Tree Hill and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fame and former UFC champion Randy “The Natural” Couture.
We wish all our girlfriends in Canada looked this good.

In Scorpion King 2, Karen plays Layla, Mathayus’ childhood friend and love. Layla is a young feisty, woman warrior with a chip on her shoulder. She needs to prove to men and herself that she can battle as well as the men.

Karen is no stranger to swordplay or action “unbecoming of a woman”, as she developed a strong interest in fencing and sword-fighting while in college despite others’ dismay. Currently, she is completing her debut solo album.

Sadly, those clothes are not a mirage.

Manipur’ Mao tribe revisits its culture via traditional sports

Mao Village (Imphal), Aug 20 : Mao, the Naga tribe of Manipur, has always cherished its traditional games that have since time immemorial given them a medium to keep their tradition and culture alive.

Recently, Mao tribe held traditional games Osu Kaka and Lerii Kaphi Cho, as a gesture to revisit the traditional games.
Located 109 kilometers from Imphal, on Manipur Nagaland border, Mao Village is known for its rich tradition and culture.

Osu Kaka, an indigenous game of the Mao tribe, is held during the post harvest Chiithuni festival, is known for its uniqueness.

Played between the bachelors and married, Osu Kaka, the men only game, offered a break to everyone after hard work in the fields. It is played between two teams, each comprising of six to ten members.

Tradition has it that the members of the winning team invite the other team for a feast.

Kaisii Lohrii, one elderly villager, said: “It is a post harvest festival and since there are bountiful crops available, we play the game as a mark of celebration. The winner of the game will treat the participants with traditional wine. It is a festival filled with fun and enjoyment.”

While Lerii Kaphi Cho, a spear throwing war game of Mao tribe, is held during the Saleni festival.

Lerii Kaphi Cho game showcases a contest between the youngsters and the elderly males and is intended to revive memories of the olden days when spears were used in wars. The game is a means of keeping traditions alive.

Hriiziio Adahe, one player, said: “We want to show how our forefathers used to play this game. They played it during the war and we are just imitating and learning how to throw the spear and learn.”

Thisho Krund, a villager, said: “This war game is the significance of the warriors and this is not in the form of competition. But still while playing this game people will know who the best player is and who the best runners are.”

Saleni festival, which symbolizes purity and cleanliness, marks the end of a month long period of celibacy of tribe members.

They celebrate the occasion with songs and dances. It is a celebration of life. And it is occasions such as these that offer a welcome break from the fear of militancy and violence in Manipur.

Strike affects normal life in Meghalaya

Shillong, Aug 20 : The Left trade union-sponsored 24-hour strike affected parts of Meghalaya, particularly the capital city of Shillong, with functioning in most government offices coming to a standstill.

Functioning in BSNL, postal department, Survey of India, Geological Survey of India and other central offices were paralysed, while state government offices also witnessed thin attendance. The strike also affected public transport.

There was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the state.

Children Die in Chin State Famine

Aizawl, Aug 20 : More than 30 children have died in a famine in Chin state, western Burma, according to the Chin National Council, an exile rights group.

The famine was caused by a plague of rats, which ate rice stocks in many of the state’s villages.
Another Chin group, the Chin Human Rights Organization, said the famine had hit about 20 percent of the state’s population, or at least 100,000 people.

“They have no food,” said Lian H Sakhong, a leader of the Chin Humanitarian and Relief Committee. “Unless we provide sufficient relief soon, the situation will become worse.”

He pleaded with donors to contact the Chin Humanitarian and Relief Committee so that relief can be rushed to the stricken areas.

The famine occurs about every 50 years when the flowering of a native species of bamboo gives rise to an explosion in the rat population. The International Rice Research Institute has warned of “widespread food shortages” because of the crisis.

(It is to be noted that large number of Chin refugees have fled to Mizoram, India)

itanagar

itanagar landscape

indira gandhi park, itanagar

itanagar

itanagar skyline

state guest house, itanagar

ganga lake, itanagar



itanagar

itanagar


energy park, itanagar

itanagar

kohima

hill top view of kohima city

kohima cemetery

kohima cityscape

kohima

war cemetery kohima

kohima cityscape



General strike cripples life in state; schools, colleges spared

IMPHAL, Aug 19: Life in the state was severely affected Tuesday as the 24-hour general strike to protest against injustices and discrimination towards the sportspersons of Manipur by the sporting authorities of the country commenced from 5 am this morning.

Burning of effigies of the IOA president Suresh Kalmadi and SAI director RK Naidu and blocking of main roads including the NH-39 by the strike supporters marked the state-wide general strike which is to conclude at 5 am tomorrow (August 20).

Another 12-hour nation-wide general strike called by the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions on price hike and other alleged anti-people policies of the UPA government at the Centre, which the state branch of the committee has already extend support to, will follow from 5 am tomorrow.

The effigies of the two sporting authorities was burnt today at around 12.30 pm at Lamboi Khongnangkhong in Imphal west by some strike supporters to show solidarity to the cause of Monika and against the discriminatory acts of Indian sports authorities.

No untoward incidents were reported during the strike.

No commercial vehicle including passenger service vehicles plied on the roads during the strike hours and almost all the shops and other business establishments and private institutions remained closed for the day.

Even pharmacies, except in the hospital areas, remained closed as per announcement made by the Manipur Chemists and Druggists Association.

The general strike did not affect normal work in the educational institutions but even though government offices remained open, only few employees attended office.

The general strike was called by a joint body called the Coordination Committee formed in connection with exclusion of Monika Devi from the Beijing Olympic, seeking an apology from the government India to the people of Manipur within a week’s time which expired on August 17.

The general strike commenced from 5 am today and will conclude at 5 am tomorrow (August 20).

However, another nation-wide general strike of the sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions will follow from 5 am of August 20 and will continue till 5 pm of the same day.

Agitations against the exclusion of L Monika from the Beijing Olympics in a discriminatory and manipulative way have been witnessed since the last around two weeks even though Union minister MS Gill has ordered an inquiry into the case.

In the meantime, CPI, Manipur state council in a statement today said that the national general secretary of the CPI, AB Bardhan has acknowledged the representation submitted to the Prime Minister of India regarding Monika’s exclusion from the Beijing Olympics.

In the acknowledgment, Bardhan shared his concern over the matter and informed that the Union ministry of youth affairs and sports is looking into the matter.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, ABVP Manipur has also in a statement expressed its support to the cause of Monika and assured all cooperation to any steps taken by the coordination committee.

Bangladesh importers to visit Meghalaya for better trade ties

Shillong, Aug 19 : With the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government pushing hard to revive trade links with Bangladesh, a 16-member delegation of Bangladeshi importers will visit the state to strengthen trade relations.

The delegation, under the aegis of the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), will meet Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy on August 21 and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi later.
The delegation, led by SCCI senior vice-president Nazim Hussain, also includes prominent Khasi businesswoman Narola Tynsong from Bangladesh.

”We will discuss the strategy to further strengthen trade ties with the visiting Bangladeshi delegation,” Dr Roy told UNI over the phone here today.

Mr Roy is a staunch advocate of bettering ties with neighbouring Bangladesh and has taken up the issue with the Centre.

He also suggested that an enhanced trade link with Bangladesh was a better option than the much-talked about Look East Policy.

”Economic links with neighbouring Bangladesh need to be put on the fast track for overall development of the state,” Dr Roy said.

Friendly trade links with the neighbouring nation would be restored, as in the past, when border haats (weekly markets) were thriving business centres for residents of the border areas, he added.

In fact, the NE states, especially those having international borders and long historical trade, commerce and cultural links with East Bengal (now Bangladesh), recognise the fact that India’s much hyped ‘Look East Policy’ will have little impact without taking Bangladesh into consideration, he stated.

Chief Ministers of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura had urged Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Mani Shankar Aiyar for a joint visit to Dhaka to promote trade, commerce, tourism and cultural exchanges, that will benefit both the nations.

Recently, the Union Minister asked all Northeastern states to lobby hard to convince the Centre about the dire need for better economic ties and transit facilities through Bangladesh.

”One way of cultural exchange and learning about each other could be by holding ‘Meghalaya Festival’ in major cities of Bangladesh like Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet,” the chief Minister added.

In turn Meghalaya could also hold similar festival of Bangladesh in Shillong and Tura.

India has begun modernising customs stations along the border with Bangladesh, in Petrapole, Hilli and Changrabandha in Bengal, Agartala in Tripura and Dawki in Meghalaya, that would cost about Rs 320 crore, he informed.

Earlier, the Meghalaya government had asked Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to start the Tura-Dhaka and Shillong-Dhaka bus services to improve trade ties with Bangladesh.

2000 Khami Chin flee to India due to food crisis

Aizawl, Aug 19 : Around 2000 Khami people from Palatwa township in Chin state have been forced by food shortages to migrate to Saiha and Lawngtlai provinces in India’s Mizoram state.

The mass flowering of bamboo in Chin state which occurs every 50 years has had a devastating impact, causing an infestation of rodents and diminishing food stores.
The newly-arrived Khami, a sub-group of the Chin ethnic group, were surviving by working as general labourers on local farms and as porters in the border trading zone.

The Chin Famine Emergency Relief Committee, formed by Chin people living abroad and in India’s Mizoram state to provide assistance to the food crisis victims, said they had no plans yet to provide help to the Khami Chin.

CFERC general secretary Pu Tehya said the committee had to prioritise other refugees in Mizoram in greater need, as the Khami people had relatives who had settled in Saiha and Lawngtlai.

“They have not had so much difficulty surviving as they have their relatives here,” he said.