Jaswant singh returns to Darjeeling

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th touchdown at the Bagdogra Airport near Siliguri, Darjeeling’s unattached MP Jaswant Singh’s first lines were “Gorkhaland is my aim; Gorkhaland is my dream and it tops my political as well as well as personal agenda.”

Singh returned to his self-proclaimed “Karmabhoomi” accompanied by his wife and grand-nephew. He dubbed this as a routine visit which would help him unwind.

Answering questions on Gorkhaland, Singh said that his previous plans on Gorkhaland remain intact. “Recent statements issued by the BJP also talk of their unaltered stand on Gorkhaland. Though I am no more with the BJP, their support will definitely help.”

Singh stated that he would definitely hold meetings with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leaders while he was in Darjeeling. GJM leaders were present at the Airport to receive Singh and his family.

Jaswant also visited the ongoing hunger strike by adhoc DGHC workers at the Pintail Village and also at Kurseong. From Darjeeling, Singh will leave for Kalimpong and return to Delhi on September 19.

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Assam govt promotes Naga chilli cultivation

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UWAHATI: The state agriculture department will cultivate Bhut Jolokias, the hottest pepper in the world measuring 1,001,304 Scoville Heat Units,
in 300 hectares of land. State agriculture minister Pramila Rani Brahma has instructed the directorate of horticulture and food processing to promote cultivation of the chilly in Golaghat and Baksa districts under Technology Mission for Horticulture Development. Until recently, the Red Savina Habaneros developed in Mexico having rating of 350,000-580,000 SHUs was regarded the hottest chilli in the world.

At a meeting in Golaghat on Friday, Brahma said the area of Bhut Jolokia cultivation in the state has to be increased because of its high export value. She said the directorate of horticulture and food processing would provide incentives to farmers who opt for cultivating this variety of chilli.

According to agriculture experts, the demand for Bhut Jolokia has increased recently, especially after it was established that it is the hottest pepper about two years ago. "The demand for Bhut Jolokia abroad is especially for its spice usage. In fact, it is also the tastiest pepper in the world. Moreover, different experiments on multiple uses of Bhut Jolokia has increased its demand," agriculture information officer Mowsam Haziraka said.

Hazarika said the Defence Research Laboratory in Tezpur has found that the chili can be very useful in controlling riots. In fact, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is testing grenades stuffed with the chillis to take on insurgents and rioters. According to experts, the bomb is non-lethal and just the smoke from it can bring tears to the eyes of a person coming in contact besides choking his respiratory tract.

According to elephant conservationists, the chilli can be used as a powder to chase away marauding herds of elephants. Chilli cakes and fences have proved effective in keeping wild elephants at bay. So far, Bhut Jolokia cultivation is more or less confined to kitchen gardens. Wildlife conservationists have suggested that organized farming can only bring about a visible result in using the chilli products for driving out elephants.

"Considering the diverse uses of Bhut Jolokia, we think it is right to start organized farming," Hazarika said. The rate of man-elephant conflicts is very high in Golaghat. Experts said cultivation of Bhut Jolokia would provide livelihood to farmers as an alternative crop.

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Climate change plan: Nagaland shows the way

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UWAHATI: Nagaland has taken the lead in the fight against climate change through bamboo at the VIIIth World Bamboo Congress (WBC) that began in
Bangkok on Wednesday.

Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio shared the podium with Asean secretary-general asserting that his state had made significant progress and was helping in the global process of reversal of climate change. The event was inaugurated by Asean secretary-general Surin Pituswan.

"The raw stock of bamboo in the region is valued at Rs 5000 crore or about one billion US Dollars. Even with a modest range of two-field value in addition to the stock through suitable methodologies, an annual turnover of approximately Rs10,000 crores or 2 billion US Dollars could easily be generated in the region," he said.

On climate change, the chief minister said, "The North-East, which is regarded as the wettest place on earth, is facing a drought-like situation this year. In such a backdrop, more than 10,000 hectares of land have been converted by people from Jhum the primitive tribal system of slash and burn to bamboo cultivation in Nagaland."

Nagaland has a powerful delegation, making a strong case of success for the world to take note. Assam and other northeastern states haven't tried to cash in on the opportunities.

"I think the world will like to hear and know from Nagaland more on the bamboo as they have been successful in bamboo cultivation," said Pituswan.

Bamboo, the strongest tool to fight climate change but still relatively unknown to the western world, is being promoted as a "glimpse of hope" against the losing battle of green gas effect because of carbon dioxide emission by the developed and developing countries.

"A week from now in New York, world leaders are meeting to discuss climate change under the aegis of United Nations. This congress will hopefully turn the attention towards the miracle plant, bamboo, which can play a crucial role in countering climate change. Unfortunately, the West doesn't know much but India has taken the lead with the formation of the National Bamboo Mission (NBM)," added Pituswan.

India has emerged as a world leader in bamboo since it is one of the major producers. However, it lacks the technology and entrepreneurship in turning it into a suitable development for alternative product, a field where the Chinese have made monumental progress.

However, the emergence of Kamesh Salam of India as the World Bamboo Organistaion president has put the spotlight on India, particularly the North-East, which is home to almost 70 per cent of India's bamboo.

Experts from all over the world have converged in the Thai capital to find out ways to make bamboo more usable as well as removing the legal hurdles to use it more as an agricultural product than a forest product.

The WBC is expected to adopt September 18 as World Bamboo Day through an unanimous resolution which has been backed by the NBM.

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Assam-Nagaland border row

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UWAHATI: To counter the Opposition charging chief minister Tarun Gogoi with ignoring encroachment by Nagaland, the state government on Wednesday
said Assam will not part with even an inch of land.

Amidst escalating tension along the Assam-Nagaland border over allega-tions of encroachment on Assam land by Nagas in the Bihubar area of Sivasagar district, government spokesperson and industry minister Pradyut Bordoloi said, "We will not give an inch of land to anyone. However, Na-galand is not our enemy. It is our neighbour and we share historical and cultural ties with them."

He added, "Nagaland government is in touch with us. We must be re-sponsible and must refrain from doing something which will disturb the peace in the area."

AGP has criticized chief minister Tarun Gogoi for being in US at a time when the state's lands were being "encroached" and farmers of the state are reeling under draught.

Bordoloi said neutral forces posted along the Assam-Nagaland border were keeping vigil. There are 57 border outposts along the 434-km inter-state border with Nagaland. For the movement of troops, motorcycles and other vehicles have been provided, he added.

AGP has also alleged that the PMO has also chosen to remain silent de-spite having intelligence inputs about encroachment on Assam's land by Nagaland. The opposition party has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking a permanent settlement of the inter-state boundary dispute.

The government spokesman said with dry spell turning reservoirs dry, the state is facing a peak-hour power deficit of 200 MW daily. The peak hour demand of power in the state has increased from 700 MW in 2005 to 900MW in the current year.

"Assam used to get 125 MW from the National Thermal Power Corpora-tion (NTPC) Corporation. However, as the PSU is facing shortage, we are only getting 60 MW of power," he said.

He added that power projects were not being able to generate power up to capacity due to scanty rain-fall. Assam has faced a rainfall deficit of 33 percent this year, he said.

The minister said the state government has drawn a contingency plan for the winter seasons. "We will have to buy power as most of the reservoirs go dry during the December-March period. Nearly 75 per cent of the state's power comes from the hydel source and 25 percent from thermal plants."

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State museum may soon get national status

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UWAHATI: The department of culture and the directorate of museums is on its way to turn the state museum into a national one by introducing
various features to it, including an oil and tea gallery along with a section, which explores North-East India's connection with the rest of South-East Asia.

"Our aim is to not only make it a national museum but also to transform it into a place of discussion and debate," said Swapnanil Barua, secretary culture. The extension work of the state museum and the library is already on with funds allotted by the Centre and the state. "We will have a separate gallery for oil now as everybody can't travel to Digboi to see the oil museum. We will also have a tea gallery and a gallery focusing on our connection with South-East Asia. We already have an arms gallery that will be further worked upon. A section on art history is also in the agenda," said Barua.

He added, "We will have a special section where we will try to exhibit the varied cultural heritage of different states of India. We have nationally acclaimed scholar and art historian Gautam Sengupta, who has advised us on having a special section for art history that will determine Assam's school of art and its influence on its culture." The museum's advisory panel consists of scholars like Naren Kalita and Birendranath Dutta.

The department is also focusing on archeological tourism. "For this, we will have three documentaries which tourists and other people interested in the archeological heritage of Assam can watch during their visit to the museum. After that, they can decide on their travel plans to the different sites of archeological interest in the state," said Barua. He added that the Archeological Survey of India has been working on the Rangghar and Karenghar in Sivasagar since 1915.

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Arms courier's held in Tripura

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GARTALA: Tripura Police have launched a hunt for criminals supplying sophisticated arms to gangsters in the state. This follows after the arrest
of a "courier," who had escaped from prison along with five Bangladeshis, with three US-made pistols and ammunition on Wednesday.

"We were acting on a specific information," said OC of West Agartala police station Subrata Chakrabarty. He added that the arrested, identified as Siva, was roaming at Battala market when police intercepted him.

"We first found two pistols in his possession. When grilled, he led us to an isolated place near a temple where the third weapon was found," he said.

Siva told police that two persons had given him the weapons to deliver them to some persons in Agartala. Police didn't divulge the names of either the smugglers or the recipients.

"There were eight magazines and Siva claimed he had already fired two rounds. We also found bullet marks and spared cases. It is yet to be ascertained whether Siva had fired bullets or it was the members of the gang. Prima facie it is highly unlikely that a courier' would spend two costly bullets," Chakrabarty added.

West Tripura SP K V Sreejesh said, "There is a strong possibility of US- made fire arms being smuggled into Tripura from Bangladesh. We are not ruling out anything and search operations are being conducted across the district. We are hopeful of rounding up all the smugglers as well as the recipients soon. We have already got some lead."

Though police did not elaborate further, sources said the firearms were brought to Tripura for a criminal gang that may have been planning crimes like dacoity or bank heist in the city. It could very well also be linked with the Durga Puja festival.

A senior police officer said said a greenhorn in such rackets is usually given one firearm to deliver at a time for safety and secrecy. But this time, a young "courier" was given three pistols to deliver which means he had already gained confidence and trust from the smugglers, he added. This is possible only if the person has perfomed similar acts before, he said.

Last year, just before Durga Puja, ATTF militants had triggered blasts in Agartala.

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Blast at Manipur sericulture director's home

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MPHAL: Suspected rebels on Wednesday afternoon exploded a grenade at the private residence of Manipur sericulture department director K
Thaiebema Devi at Top Khong-nang-khong village in Imphal East.

The grenade exploded on the corrugated sheet atop the kitchen's roof around 2 pm, family sources said, adding that no one was injured in the blast. Devi was not at home when the incident took place. A frightened Devi later disclosed that some rebel groups had demanded a percentage of money allocated for the ongoing Manipur sericulture project funded by the Japan Bank of International Corporation. Sericulture minister L Jayantakumar Singh, who also rushed to the spot, said the attack was an attempt to hamper the smooth progress of the sericulture project.

On the other hand, a BSF patrol team detected a powerful IED planted on the road at Nongren Chingkhong in Imphal East on Wednesday. In another incident, suspected militants hurled a Chinese grenade at the residence of an ex-Jilla Parishad member at Urup Mayai Leikai village here early on Wednesday. However, the grenade did not explode.

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Rhino bones seized near Moreh

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MPHAL/GUWAHATI: In a strange twist to the illegal trade in wildlife parts rampant in the North-east, Assam Rifles personnel have seized a large
amount of rhino skins and bones as well as other animal parts from two persons at Tengnoupal near Manipur's Moreh town in Chandel district bordering Myanmar.

On Wednesday, Manipur Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), S Singsit, said, "I have received information about the seizure of Rhino parts and other animal organs from my staff." On Monday, instead of the usual recovery of rhino horns, the jawans found 25 kg of rhino bones, 5.5 kg of rhino skin, 10 bear glands and 482 kg of Pangolin shells from the possession of Darshel Lamkang (21) and R R Romen Chothe (19). The duo was heading towards Moreh when they were apprehended. The soldiers also seized 14,120 acetified tablets from them.

Poachers generally take away the horn and leave behind carcass after killing a rhino. But the present haul hints at a departure, said a wildlife crime expert. "If rhino bones and skin are being smuggled, then it gives a completely new dimension to the illegal wildlife trade in the northeastern region," he added. Assam houses two-third of the world's one-horned rhino population and the animals are frequently poached for its horn, which are smuggled mostly through the Myanmar border into China and Southeast Asia for uses in traditional Chinese medicine.

Both persons, along with the seized items, were handed over to Manipur forest Office at Pallel, Assam Rifles officials said. However, Assam PCCF (wildlife) Suresh Chand said it's impossible to tell whether the bones belong to rhinos till forensic tests at the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) confirm it. "First of all, the bones need to be certified as that of rhinos by WII. Only then can proper probe be undertaken. So far, everyone knows that rhino horns are smuggled, and the claim by paramilitary forces could only be an apprehension," Chand said, adding, "Only WII is authorized to say whether the bones are of rhinos."

The porous India-Myanmar international border near Moreh is one of the major conduits for smuggling wildlife parts. Himalayan black bears are also killed in the North-East for its gall bladder, which is said to have medicinal uses, while pangolin shells are used for making decorative items in China and Southeast Asian countries.

In February this year, two tiger skulls, 16 kg of tiger bones and paws were intercepted from Bongyang in the same district. Singsit reiterated on Wednesday that steps are underway to set up a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau office at Moreh soon, keeping in mind the frequent interception of wildlife parts from the area.

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