Oppn Parties Seek Repoll in Manipur Alleging Poll Malpractices

New Delhi, Feb 29 : Alleging poll irregular ties in Manipur assembly elections held on January 28, opposition parties in the state are seeking a repoll in some places and have knocked at the doors of the Election Commission.

The Election Commission is verifying the complaints of the opposition parties which were aired at its two meetings held with them before initiating any further action in the matter, said an election official here today.

"We have held two rounds of sitting with Election Commission and the EC has promised to initiate action and check the (alleged) poll irregularities pointed out by us," D Raja of CPI told reporters here today.

"We have alleged proxy voting in many parts of the state during the January 28 polls. Besides, we have pointed out to a fraud in postal ballots in the state," he said.

He added that the EC will consider requests for repoll in some places where complaints of proxy vote has been made by us. "It is question of democracy and ensuring free and fair polls in the state," said Raja.

Barring the Congress, all opposition political parties in Manipur including the BJP, NCP, CPI, CPI-M, JD-U, MSCP, Manipur People's Party, National People's Party and Manipur Pradesh Trinamool Congress came together on the issue of poll irregularities.

Among others who were also present today included Manipur's former chief minister Radhabinod Koijam, Nara singh of CPI's Manipur unit and Kim of Manipur Trinamool Congress, besides other leaders

Mizoram Rice Production Increases

Aizawl, Feb 28 : Mizoram has achieved 10.50 per cent increase in foodgrain production during 2011-2012 which had been declared bumper rice harvest year by the state government.

Mizoram produced 51948 metric tonnes of rice during the past year, a significant increase from 47,201 metric ton produced during 2010-2011. This was higher than the department's target of 52,000 MT.

According to sources from agriculture department, as the number of farmers cultivating rice decreased the area of jhum cultivation also decreased by 5.53 per cent. The 51948 metric ton of rice was produced from 2162 hectares of land. The increase in rice production was attributed to the new farming technology- system of rice intensification.

Rice produced from wetlands, however, witnessed 19.61 per cent increase. With the increase of 209 hectares of wetlands, rice produced from wet rice cultivation was 4061 metric ton.

As many as 540 metric tonnes of rice was also produced from 360 hectare of jhum land transformed into wetlands during the past year.

This was considered 100 per cent increase. In jhum cultivation, 146 metric ton of rice was produced, recording a 5.55 per cent increase, the source said.

This was despite sharp decline in the jhum cultivation that decreased by 2736 hectare, a 9.57 per cent low. The agriculture department had introduced the improved farming system in different low-lying areas of Mizoram.

It had been experienced that rice produce under SRI was double that of conventional farming system.

At present, Mizoram produces only 25 per cent of the total rice consumption which is about 1,80,000 metric tonnes.

The department targets to produce 52,000 MT of rice this year. It aimed at increasing rice produce per hectare of land in WRC from 1.6 MT to 2.5 MT and from 0.9 MT to 1.2 MT in jhum areas.

Massive Strike To Cripple India Today

New Delhi/Mumbai, Feb 28 : Key sectors of the Indian economy such as banking, insurance, telecom, transport, mining, postal and manufacturing could be badly hit on Tuesday owing to the nationwide 24-hour strike called by trade unions after the government's attempts to avert it remained unsuccessful on Monday.

This is perhaps for the first time in recent memory that trade unions affiliated to most of the mainstream political parties have come together to voice their protest against price rise, violation of labour rights and the government's free market policies like disinvestment in public sector companies and privatisation of services that could lead to job loss.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier appealed to all the major trade unions and 5,000 unaffiliated unions to call off the strike. But the unions rejected the appeal as it came only 48 hours before one of the largest strike calls in the history of independent India.

The trade union are demanding an universal social security net for all unorganised sector workers through creation of a national social security fund, enforcement of basic labour laws and stringent punitive action against violation of labour laws.

Other demands in the charter of the trade unions demands amendment to the Minimum Wages Act, provision for pensions, abolition of contract-based appointments and for putting an end to the disinvestment process of profit-making public sector undertakings (PSUs).

Major sectors like banking, transport, postal and port operations are likely to take a massive hit due to the strike. Key industries such as steel and power may see a low turnout at factories.

The country's largest lender, the State Bank of India, has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that its operations would be affected due to the strike.

In the transport sector, national carrier Air India said that its operations would not be affected due to the strike, as its unions have not given any notice to the management.

The Indian Railways have said its operations will be normal. But it is widely expected that rail tracks may be blocked affecting services. Also road traffic on national, state highways could be hit as various unions are known to target these.

States like Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal, where the Communist parties have a greater hold, are likely to be affected the most.

It seems political considerations have prevailed over a section of the unions on their earlier decision to go on strike. For example, the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) said it would not be participating in the strike.

"The strike is politically motivated and illegal. We will oppose it tomorrow (Tuesday)," Ashok Choudhary, the newly elected national president of INTUC, said on Monday. The INTUC is backed by the Congress party.

Unions linked to other coalition partners of the United Progressive Alliance government, including the one affiliated to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress -- Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress, will also not be participating.

Others, who oppose the country-wide strike call are the ones affiliated to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK).

The government has been asking the unions to desist from going for the industrial action by trying to reach out to them through open advertisements issued by the labour ministry in leading national dailies.

"Most of the issues relating to labour raised by the central trade unions have already been addressed to a substantial extent. However, I do assure all of them that I am always open to discussion on any of the issues relating to labour at any time and resolve the same amicably through consultations," union Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said in an open appeal published in leading national dailies.

Onus on Mizoram To Take Back Tribal Refugees: Tripura

Agartala, Feb 27 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar Saturday put the onus of taking back the 37,000 Reang tribal refugees on the Mizoram government, and called on the neighbouring state and the central government to do more to resolve the issue.

"The Tripura government would never forcefully repatriate the tribal refugees to their homes in Mizoram," Sarkar said at a meeting here.

Following ethnic tensions sparked by the killing of a Mizo forest official in Mizoram, over 41,000 Reang tribal refugees -- locally called Bru -- had taken shelter in six camps in north Tripura's Kanchanpur sub-division in October 1997.

After a series of meetings, a total of 701 tribal families -- comprising about 3,585 men, women and children -- were sent back last year.

"We wish early repatriation of the Reang tribal refugees to Mizoram as they have been sheltered in Tripura for the past 15 years. The Mizoram government and the centre have to be more proactive to expedite the repatriation process and resolve the ethnic issue," said Sarkar

He said that the matter was discussed with union Home Minister P. Chidambaram during his visit here last week. The home minister is expected to visit Mizoram next month to talk to the state government.

The home minister, accompanied by senior ministry officials had also visited the refugee camps and urged the tribals to go back to their homes in Mizoram.

Sarkar said that the central government still owes Tripura Rs.31 crore for its expenses on relief for the tribal refugees.

Nagaland: Where Life Is A Song...

By Juanita Kakoty,

Those who have been to the Naga Hills would know that the landscape is sheer poetry and the air is strung with melodies — melodies that have a very long past.

At a time when language had no written forms, generations taught the younger ones to act, live and work through songs. These songs also kept the memories of ancestors, brave warriors and legends alive in people’s minds.

Mercy Tetseo, the eldest of the lovely Tetseo Sisters, tells me, “Naga folk music is oral storytelling. It is all about sharing stories about why certain practices and faiths are carried out. For every activity in rural life, there is a song talking about the lessons and processes. Also, these songs help identify the territory of activity and the actors — that is, say, what kind of an agricultural activity is on, conducted by people of which clan, tribe and village.”

Giving an example, she talks of how when people of a clan and village are working together in the fields, they sing some songs through their work. And when the day’s work is done, they sing a different set of songs. “This is like announcing that it is time to return home. Those individuals working far away from the group take these songs as a signal.”

Folk songs have been a part of every Naga’s life. Yet, in current times, the Tetseo Sisters — Mercy, Azi, Kuvelu and Alune — are the cultural ambassadors who have brought Naga folk music, in its pure form, to a larger audience outside the state of Nagaland. They have been performing and acquainting people with this form of storytelling, with much appreciation from listeners, within and outside India and have recently released the album Li: Chapter One. The Beginning.

“We sing the old folk songs of the Chakesang clan. We have not tampered with the melody or words,” says Mercy as she speaks about taking folk music out of a clan and making it available to a wider audience. “We have retained the original story; but dropped the repetition of verses.” The Tetseo Sisters use traditional instruments to accompany their songs like the single-stringed Tati, which has been used for eons by the Chakesang and Angami Nagas. The Tati is made of either dried bottle gourd or the mithun horn. The mithun is the state animal of Nagaland; a semi-domesticated guar found only in the northeastern parts of India.

There are 16 main tribes in Nagaland, each with a number of clans. The repository of folk music in the land, therefore, is huge. But things changed in the 19th century with the coming of Christianity. “That was the time,” Mercy says, “When people forwent their traditional ways of life – their jewelry, music and dance, animistic beliefs, etc. Folk songs gave way to hymns that were made accessible in local dialects. People picked up the new in their religious fervor and forgot the past.” The young crusader tells me that the Tetseo Sisters share an inheritance. In the early 80s, Mercy’s mother and a few others revived folk singing and dancing in the face of stiff opposition from the Chakesang Church and Village Council. “Eventually, the church started accepting folk singing in its premises; and that was a huge shift.”

The modern era, fused with Christianity and westernisation, greatly alienated the urban from the rural in Nagaland. Talking of growing up in a city, Mercy recalls, “Growing up in Kohima, we missed singing out songs in groups while at task as in the villages.

Nevertheless, folk songs seeped into our lives in other ways. I remember gathering around our grandfather and grandmother who used to sing stories to us. Then during festivities, even in the city, we have witnessed people sitting together and singing about various rituals and activities.” In the last 10 years, however, the scenario has been changing. “I have seen younger generations across tribe and clan warming up to folk music. The idea of attending a folk concerts was boring 10 years ago; but now it is cool.”

The Tetseo Sisters should be commended not only for their amazing voices and singing, but also for documenting so well a rich cultural heritage. Going through their blog, one comes across traditional stories that feature in the Chakesang folk songs. The blog sure is a resource. I soak up this useful piece of information on the Chakesang ‘Li’ or folk song from its archives: “Li is made up of chants, harmonised calling usually between two groups or a leader and followers... Li can be sung in eight different voices in unison on both sides (leading side and following side). Most of the Lis are like a conversation thread, so there is the comment and response pattern. Or there is the soulful solo or lilting duet/trio... Adding to the wonderful harmony is the chants and war cry by the menfolk...” And coming from one who has heard it, mark my words, the beauty of Li is mesmerising.

Pilot Loan Scheme For HIV-Patients in Manipur

By Esha Roy

Imphal, Feb 27 : In a first of its kind initiative, the United Bank of India and the State Bank of India have decided to provide customised loans for HIV patients in the country. The scheme to “support entrepreneurship” will be launched under the aegis of the Reserve Bank of India on a pilot basis in Imphal East district. It will then be extended to the rest of Manipur and other parts of the country.

The scheme was announced at an outreach programme of the RBI in Imphal East on Saturday, attended by a high-level team from Guwahati and RBI executive director R Gandhi.

RBI deputy general manager Thotngam Jamang said the scheme had been conceptualised to help HIV-positive people gain meaningful economic activity. “Many of them have skilled knowledge and are well versed in traditional economic activities such as crafts etc. But there are few employment opportunities. These loans will support entrepreneurship. We are also looking at facilities like health check-ups etc,” he said.

“We have already received two applications today from HIV-patients for loans to set up embroidery and weaving enterprises. We will consider these applications, the loans may go up to at least Rs 5 lakh. We will also be looking at providing loans to family members of HIV patients to ease their financial burden,’’ said UBI chief regional manager R Bhattacharjee.

Manipur has one of the highest number of HIV-positive people in the country — around 38,000 according to the 2011 figures of the Manipur State Aids Control Society. “Out of these, at least 70 per cent have contracted the disease through injection of drugs, while the rest are sexually transmitted — it is usually the spouse of the drug user who becomes HIV-positive after marriage,” said L Deepak Singh, president of the Manipur Network for HIV Positive Persons.

“Most of them are school dropouts. Even when they are rehabilitated and cured of their drug problems, they cannot find employment. So starting their own business is the only way out. Since most of them come from poor families, the move to provide loans is a welcome step,” said Singh.

Made to work as slave, says Indian housekeeper

A senior government official in Britain kept an Indian housekeeper as a “slave” and fed her leftovers for four years, according to a media report here.

The counsel for 43-year-old Pratima Das, Ian Wheaton, said she was forced to work 15 hours a day while employed as a nanny and cleaner for Shibani Rahulan, 40, the principle legal officer at the Department of Health.

According to The Sun, Wheaton told the court in London that Das claimed her passport was confiscated and she was not paid. Wheaton went on to allege that she was “a victim of human trafficking...”

Walk With The Kings

By Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty


It took him 17 years to translate the royal chronicle of Manipur into English. Meet Nepram Bihari.

Eighty-one-year-old Nepram Bihari can't stop smiling. This is his first ever media interview. The long retired bureaucrat has reason to feel joyous. He has just completed translating Cheitharol Kumbaba, the royal chronicle of Manipur, into English. An effort that took 17 years. It was worth it. What nobody knows is that unlike other royalty, the Manipuri kings had a strong tradition of writing history.

So Cheitharol Kumbaba chronicled each and everything that involved their kings from 33 A.D. till its last Maharaja Bodhchandra's rule that ended in 1955.

“When I saw a packed auditorium at the launch of the book in New Delhi the other day, I really felt that the years I spent on it was worth it; I always wanted to do something worthwhile for the State,” says Bihari, who lives in Imphal.

For a conflict-ridden State where over 20,000 people have fallen to militancy, and counter insurgency operations, in the last five decades, Bihari's work holds significance.

Wrapped in it is a detailed record of the rule of 76 kings spanning 3000 years.

It's a formidable reference point to why the State continues to remain in turmoil.

Cheitharol Kumbaba gives an insight into a protracted bout of cultural imperialism foisted on the people of Manipur. Like, king Pambeiba banning their original religion, Sanamahism, in 1729 after he was converted to Vaishnavism by guru Shanti Das Gosain, from present-day Bangladesh. He ordered the burning of over 123 holy treatises belonging to Sanamahism to help Vaishnavism set root in Manipur. Like proscribing the people's script, Meitei Mayek — in practice till the 18th Century — to bring into use the Bengali script.

Bihari's work in English will help many Manipuris, who were not taught Meitei Mayek in school, to know about their recorded history for the first time.

“Since Bengali was the medium of education during my time, I had to learn Meitei Mayek, from my elders. This is how I translated the chronicle,” says Bihari. (Since some years now, bowing to people's demand to revive the language, Meitei Mayek has been introduced in State-run schools.) What's stupendous about Bihari's effort is that it took him seven years to gather the chronicle.

“Like many other royal kingdoms, the customs and culture of the people were in the hands of the maharaja. As many as 14 pandits had the sole job of recording history. After the privy purse of the maharaja got cancelled in the 1950's, the work of writing history was taken up by the Govindaji Temple Board formed then. This board is the highest authority of Vaishnavism in Manipur. But it was seen as an effort to only record the Vaishnava history of the State. In 1976, due to people's demand, a bill was passed in the State Assembly to form the Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple Board which now keeps a record of the times, particularly from the Meitei point of view,” explains Bihari.

Easy access

He is the vice president of the Sanamahi Temple Board, which he says helped him to get access to the record books. Bihari spent Rs. 5,600 to photocopy them, consulted the notings with historians, bought many dictionaries (From Sanskrit to English and vice versa, from Bengali to English and vice versa, from Manipuri to English and vice versa, from Assamese to English and vice versa) to decipher words mentioned in the records before coming up with a voluminous book of over 500 pages divided into three parts. As Bihari says, “I have translated the original in toto.”

The book is studded with information on how the royal game of polo had its birth in the State; that the art of making Chinese silk and bricks were commonly practiced here. It brings out the historical proximity with neighbouring Burma and yet the king responded to Gandhiji's freedom struggle by sending 30 of his sepoys to Delhi to join the satyagraha.

With a laugh, he says, “I found some notings quite funny, for instance, recording a marriage, a birth and a death in the same sentence. In one such mention, it talks of Pandit Nehru's first visit to Manipur and the following line was: A royal horse died.”

US Keen To Invest in Northeast India

Guwahati, Feb 27 : United States Ambassador Peter Burleigh on Saturday said trade missions from his country will visit the north eastern region soon to explore possibility of investment in key sectors.

"Trade missions of US to India's major cities are going on and we are in the process of expanding it to other areas including the north east," he told reporters here.

"We are learning about increasing business opportunities in the N E region and American companies have shown interest for investments," the envoy, who is on a visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, said.

Climate change and renewal of energy were being focussed on by the USA, Burleigh said his country was, however, open to collaboration in almost all major areas of interest. "We are open to exploring virtually any area for investment."

USA was currently participating in a conservation programme at Kaziranga National Park in Assam, he said and expressed satisfaction at the 'amazing' pace of development activities taking place in the state and its congenial atmosphere for investment.

We Are Indians, Not Chinkies

By KG Suresh

Long time back, a Pakistani journalist on an India visit was asked about the similarities and differences between her country and India. She said while the sounds, sights, attire and language were familiar, one major distinction was that while here, she was referred to as a Pakistani, back home, she was called a Mohajir, a contemptuous term for the refugees who migrated from India post-partition.

In the 60s and 70s, in Delhi and other parts of northern India, any person coming from South of the Vindhyas was called a ‘Madrasi’, an apparent allusion to the Madras Presidency during the British Raj. But people from Andhra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu detested this description which they felt, and justifiably so, was derogatory as they had their own distinct culture and language. How would a Punjabi feel if he is called a Bihari, they countered.

Much water has flowed down the Ganges and Cauvery since then. Now the nicknames are state specific and more confined to college campuses etc. So, a Bengali is referred to as a ‘Bong’ and a Malayalee as a ‘Mallu’, a Gujarati as a ‘Gujju’ and a Punjabi as a “Panju’ or simply ‘Punj’. And not only that nobody takes offence to such dulcet calls but also proudly identify themselves as one.



However, people from one region of the country who have been clubbed together and singled out and that too for their racial features have been our countrymen from the North East. Often, they are mistaken to be Chinese or from South East Asia and referred to even by the educated as ‘Chinkies’ because of their Mongoloid features. Forced to migrate from their idyllic but underdeveloped states for education and job opportunities, these people, mostly women and youngsters, are not only discriminated against but also have often been victims of eve teasing and attempts at outraging modesty. This has led to a sense of alienation among these people, many of who become susceptible and vulnerable to separatist propaganda. They want to be treated like any other Indian citizen. They have hitched their wagon to our common destiny and they have an equal right over our resources.

Not that there have not been efforts to build bridges of understanding between North-East and other parts of the country, but they have been few and far between. Few Gandhians, some Hindi activists, initiatives such as ‘Ekal Vidyalaya’, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Ramakrishna Mission, cultural centres of the Union Government and even state controlled media have been contributing their bit in this direction.

Of late, there have been some citizen driven initiatives such as My Home India, run by Mumbai based social activist Sunil Deodhar, which seeks to bridge the chasm by helping students and others from North Eastern region in Metropolises such as Mumbai and Delhi, in their hour of need. “We not only strive to help the people from the North East but also sensitize locals about the beautiful region”, says Deodhar.

The organization’s activities include running a helpline for medical services, academics, accommodation, hospitality and social justice, creating awareness about the region through programmes at educational institutions, business organizations and community groups across the country as also through media and internet, cultural exchanges and sports involving students from North East and other regions and an annual award for people contributing to the national cause in the region.

The Global Foundation for Civilizational Harmony (India), an Eastern initiative for conflict avoidance, is working on a documentary film in association with My Home India and with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations under its intra country migration video project series, to remove misunderstanding and strengthen the bonds between the people of North East and the rest of India.

There are many more such silent efforts taking place.

It’s all about creating ONE India, ONE standing for Our North East.

Nagas Rally in New Delhi

Kevin Frayer / AP

An ethnic Naga woman wearing traditional clothing participates in a rally, urging the Indian government to expedite the India-Naga political dialogue for a positive solution in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 25, 2012. India is offering wide autonomy to the Nagas though it has already rejected the demand of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland rebels' for an independent homeland in northeastern India bordering Myanmar, where most of the 2 million Nagas live. The Naga rebels began fighting more than 50 years ago, although a cease-fire has held since it was signed in 1997.

Kevin Frayer / AP

Ethnic Naga men wear traditional clothing and participate in a rally, urging the Indian government to expedite the India-Naga political dialogue for a positive solution in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 25.

Kevin Frayer / AP

Ethnic Naga women wear traditional clothing before the beginning of a rally urging the Indian government to expedite the India-Naga political dialogue for a positive solution, in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 25.

Delhi, Dhaka On Trade Train

By Sidhartha & Surojit Gupta

Kotak Mahindra Bank is the latest Indian firm to line up to be part of the growing India-Bangladesh trade and investment story. The private sector lender has sought permission from the authorities across the border to set up a joint venture with Abdul Mehtab Ahmed, a local businessman.

A Kotak Mahindra spokesperson told ToI that the move is in line with the bank's growth strategy. But any banking analyst would tell you that banks typically follow companies to meet their funding requirements. What they leverage is their existing ties.

With over 100 Indian companies already in Bangladesh, it is not surprising that the country is on the banking radar. From Bharti Airtel, which has invested close to $1 billion, to the AV Birla Group, Arvind Mills and Sun Pharma and even smaller players who make fans, plastic products and garments, several Indian players are sensing an opportunity across the border.

After all, trade ties have improved, which is evident in better trade numbers. In the first six months of the current financial year trade has increased to around $1.7 billion from $1.56 billion in April-September 2011. Although exports from India have increased marginally to $1.4 billion, imports have gone up 85% to $290 million from around $160 million a year ago. The target is to increase trade to $1 billion this year.

"The terms of trade are still tilted in India's favour but we expect this to improve significantly in the coming years," says an official.

Within this it is textiles and raw jute imports that have seen a steep rise. Raw jute imports from Bangladesh rose over 500% to $54 million, while readymade garment imports rose nearly three-fold from $8 million in the first half of 2010-11 to $22 million during April-September 2011. Import of made-ups of textiles also increased to $27 million.

India had offered tariff concessions as well as dutyfree import quotas to Bangladesh to boost trade ties. Numbers indicate that cotton fabric and yarn exports from India rose around 22% to $350 million, indicating that ties with garment makers across the border were improving.

The concessions given on export of textiles are beginning to have an impact and there is already a clamour for protection from Bangladesh, which is now among the largest textiles exporters. Indian officials, however, dismissed suggestions that import of textiles from Bangladesh were affecting the local industry, saying the local market was worth nearly $35 billion (Rs 1.82 lakh crore).

But officials from both sides recognize that there are several bottlenecks, starting with the pile-up of trucks at the border.

Anyone who has visited the Petrapole or the Akhaura border with Bangladesh would tell you that a long queue of trucks on either side of the border is a common sight.

"India has worked on improving the border but we need to upgrade the customs facility. There are very few officers to clear the consignments," says a Bangladesh government official. There are other irritants too such as the absence of money changers at the border.

"On both sides, infrastructure is a big issue," adds another official.

While work at Petrapole is underway for an integrated check post, they say often the attitude of the customs officials at the border posts impacts trade. "There are not enough senior officers and often one can find that the officers who are there are not well versed in the latest notifications. This delays trade enormously," said one official. Adding to the problem is the lack of quarantine officers to take care of farm exports and imports. But some progress is visible as ties between the two countries improve.

New posts are scheduled to come up Agartala, Dawki, Hili, Chandrabangha, Sutarkhandi and Kawarpuchiah. Simultaneously, eight land customs stations are also coming up with the two projects together expected to cost over Rs 600 crore.

There are border haats too which permit weekly trade in select local goods. This is a move aimed at building confidence on both sides of the border and increasing peopleto-people contact.

While the bonhomie is visible, there are several decisions that can help bolster ties. For instance, Bangladesh is sitting on proposals to permit Indian companies to get goods and raw material delivered at the Chittagong and Mongla ports and then transport then through the North East. That's linked to the deal on Teesta.

Politics apart, there are trade irritants too, which Bangladesh terms as non-tariff barriers. For instance, both countries have productwise restrictions on entry of consignments at various entry points.

Bangladesh is also willing to open up more to Indian companies. They have said they are willing to offer one or two special economic zones to Indian companies. So far there has been no takers but expectations are that the plan will soon take off.

Bangladesh officials say the potential for raising bilateral trade is immense. Both sides have recognized the potential and it is upto the policymakers to seize the initiative to nurture the relationship which analysts say can accelerate the pace of regional integration in South Asia and transform the lives of people living along the India-Bangladesh border.

Digitizing Endangered Historical Documents in Mizoram

SFU alumnus Kyle Jackson, who graduated in 2007 with a BA in history/political science, submitted this fascinating article about his participation in a global rescue mission to India to digitize some of the world’s most endangered historical documents. While SFU News traditionally publishes articles only about current students, we couldn’t resist sharing Jackson’s story.


By Kyle Jackson

A big bowl of boiled baby bees was being pushed towards me.

It was the generous honour afforded to us dinner guests in a village home in Mizoram, the remote tribal state at the southernmost tip of India's easternmost frontier. 

I wished then that my hosts were less generous. I wished then that the honour was less larvae-related. I cursed the British Library under my breath. And grabbed a grub.

I was in Mizoram as a part of a four-member pilot-project under the Endangered Archives Programme (EAP), a global rescue mission for the world's most endangered historical documents. Administered by the UK's British Library and funded by Arcadia, EAP researchers have in the past seven years fanned out across the globe, armed with little more than high-resolution digital cameras and strong stomachs.

From the crispy Sahara to soggy Amazonia, the Programme selects from a world of possibilities:  twentieth-century Bengali street literature, nineteenth-century Siberian glass-plate photographic negatives, eighteenth-century Tamil palm-leaf manuscripts. Digitization projects operate literally all the way to Timbuktu.

The stakes are high. The princess to rescue is the world's most endangered written heritage; the dragons that threaten her are called climate, conflict, critters and carelessness.

Our own adventure begins in Mizoram's monsoon-soaked capital of Aizawl—a city perched perilously on the cliffs of the towering north-south running mountains that lay like parallel spines across India's northeast.
The Tibeto-Burman language of the Mizo people that live there demands mental gymnastics for any foreigner to navigate. The Mizo word lei can mean “tongue”, “bridge”, “sand”, “unlevel”, or “buy”, depending on the precise tone you say it with. I could only pray that my tongue would never get sand on it as I was trying to buy an unlevel bridge in Mizoram: an impossible story to recount. Plus, I would have sand on my tongue.

I thus stick to the basics:  i dam em? (how are you?), ka dam e (I'm fine), and a nak ah a zuang chungin a pet (flying kick to the ribs). The latter is what I feel like I have experienced after each of our journeys across the rivers and jungles separating Mizoram's rural villages. The winding roads are some of the worst on the planet. It takes nearly eight hours by 4x4 to cover a mere 150 kilometres, like driving for eight hours from Vancouver to reach Hope. 

We arrive battered. Sometimes the historical documents are already long gone. We find a corpus of old diaries shredded into rats’ nests in Saikao village.

We find a 1928 book of hand-drawn maps pockmarked and perforated by little silverfish.

We find books of the Old Testament (works among the earliest ever printed in the Mizo language), chewed through by a rodent. The rat no doubt especially enjoyed Jeremiah 15:16.

Other times we strike pay dirt.

We find the first letter ever written by a Mizo—a chief writing to none other than Queen Victoria, proudly informing her of his patriotic lighting of bonfires all around his village on her birthday.

We find the diary of a lone-ranger British missionary who worked amongst the secluded Mara tribe—a document that could shine new light onto the shadowy history of a sequestered society.

We find an old record of village rainfall—a testament to a staggering 12,491 inches of precipitation (nearly the same height as Burnaby Mountain's prominence) across the last hundred years.

Such documents capture the exceptionally rapid transition of a society uniquely and fundamentally transformed. Mizo historians are fond of reminding each other that in 1901, nearly no one in the Mizo tribe was literate or Christian; in 1961, nearly everyone in the Mizo tribe was literate and Christian; and in 2012, Mizos command the second-most literate state in all of India.

Much digitization work remains. However, across three months our little team preserved hundreds of rare books, diaries, missionary treatises, church and government records, photographs, and personal letters, all totaling some five hundred gigabytes worth of digital images. As the only foreigner, I feel I did well culturally, too, politely eating all my bees in a total of five mega bites.

The documents that have been digitized will soon have the power to revolutionize not only how Mizo history is understood, but also how the craft of history writing in Mizoram is pursued.  Now in the process of being cataloged, they will soon be deposited for easy access for all at universities, libraries and archives across Mizoram state, as well as online through the British Library.

The evil twin hydras of neglect and humidity daily rob the globe of its history. It is time we took a running leap to give them both a serious a nak ah a zuang chungin a pet.

Source: sfu.ca

Election To Village And Local Councils in Mizoram

Aizawl, Feb 23 : Campaign for elections to the 509 village councils in six districts and 52 local councils within the Aizawl Municipal Council area, to be held tomorrow, ended on Wedesday.

An electorate of 4,06,003 would elect 2,115 village council members from 5,364 candidates in the village council polls while 1,74,868 voters would seal the fate of 1,341 in the local councils which has a total of 522 members.

While the ruling Congress and the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) would be the main contenders in the village council as well as local council polls, other parties like Mizoram People's Conference (MPC), Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), People's Conference (a breakaway group of the MPC) and the BJP also fielded candidates.

The state election commission, which conducted the polls, announced that polling would begin from 7 AM on Thursday and counting of votes would begin after the polling is completed on the same day.

‘AFSPA Violates Rights Given By The Indian Constitution’

 Binalakshmi Nepram

Cambridge, Massachusetts: Armed Forces Special Powers Act known by its acronym AFSPA violates rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution, said Binalakshmi Nepram, founder of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network.

Ms. Nepram was participating in a panel discussion on Irom Sharmila Chanu of Manipur and her 11-year hunger strike in judicial custody demanding the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (1958) in India.

Ms. Nepram who was recently honored with the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year award said that more than 20,000 people have been killed in Manipur since AFSPA first came into force here in 1958. “There is no security in our lives,” she declared.

Babloo Lotongbam, Executive Director of Human Rights Alert, Manipur highlighted the problem in using army for policing. “Police uses power to maintain order while army use of power is to overpower the adversary,” he said. The whole of North East is declared a “disturbed area” to deploy the army. Mr. Lotongbam argues that army is not used in mainland India even though level of violence in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand is much higher.

Irom Sharmila started her career working as an intern for a Public Commission on AFSPA that Mr. Loitongbam organized in 2000. Just a few days later, after ten civilians were killed by members of Assam Rifles, she started her fast that has continued for more than 11 years.

She was arrested for three days after beginning her fast and is re-arrested every year for “attempting to commit suicide.” She is being force-fed through a nasal tube. She has been kept as the highest security prisoner and no one is allowed to meet her without permission from the government.

Declaring that AFSPA has failed, Pradyot Deb Barma, Chairman and Editor of The Northeast Today magazine said, “AFSPA is our 9/11,” referring to not only the date when it was first imposed in 1958 but also the terror that residents of North Eastern states continue to face due to this law.
Dr. Angana Chatterji, Co-convener of the International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Kashmir talked about AFSPA use in Kashmir and its effect on the civilian population.

The story of Irom Sharmila Chanu of Manipur, and her 11-year hunger strike in judicial custody, demanding the repeal of AFSPA, frames the first US symposium on the Act and its use in Jammu & Kashmir and in Manipur, Tripura, and other states in India’s remote North Eastern region. Aspects of the deployment of the Act, the special powers it gives to India’s security forces in handling the country’s border regions, and its impact on India’s democratic, constitutional, and judicial practice, were discussed by a panel moderated by Charlie Clements, Executive Director, Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. Film and media curator L. Somi Roy of New York, and Hun-tré! International Manipur Projects, New York/Imphal, made an introductory cultural background presentation on Manipur.

The event was co-sponsored by the Harvard India Caucus, Kashmir Initiative at the Carr Center, North American Manipur Association (NAMA), European Manipuri Association (EMA), and Manipuri Diaspora Association.

Salaried Doctor Donations, Bogus Manufacturers Claim Subsidy

By Rahul Karmakar

Guwahati, Feb 23 : The Northeast accounts for less than 1% of India’s income tax revenue. But it appears to have taken the lead in tax frauds by salaried employees through fake donations, bogus manufacturing by industrial units enjoying a slew of subsidies and misuse of exemption rules for scheduled tribes.

Officials at the regional income tax headquarters here said they have zeroed in on at least 100 government employees in Manipur who made false claims under section 80GGA (donation for scientific research and rural development) and 80G (donation to charitable institutions) under Income Tax Act of 1961. More cases in Manipur, Assam and other states in the region are under investigation.

“An increasing number of tax return related scams of salaried employees have come to light. Certain employees have been found to claim as much as 60% of their take-home salary as deduction by way of donations,” chief commissioner of income tax RK Gupta said. “Some claims implied they did not have any day-to-day expenditure.”

Manufacturing units established under a new industrial policy entailing subsidies have also come under the scanner for ‘bogus production’. According to Gupta, most of these units inflate production figures by 70% to claim capital, transport, power and other subsidies. Even TDS deducted by local agencies are not paid to the Central coffers.

The industrial policy entails transport subsidy for raw materials procured from outside the Northeast. But most units source their raw material locally. Some flour mills, officials said, have even claimed transport subsidy for procuring tons of wheat on scooters.

If that were not enough, many scheduled tribes have claimed tax exemptions under section 10(26) – applicable for scheduled tribes in special category areas such as Nagaland, Mizoram and Bodoland Autonomous Council of Assam – running into millions of rupees. “There are deposits in banks in crores in the name of members of ST community who claim legal immunity under this section,” Gupta said.

The probe of accounts of tax-exempt communities was facilitated by a recent Gauhati high court directive that said income tax department could probe and issue summons to those falling in the ST category and residing in special areas. This followed a petition by a retired Nagaland officer who cited provisions under section 10(26) after crores of money was found deposited in his bank account on specific dates.

India's Wild East Unprepared For New Myanmar

By Satarupa Bhattacharjya and Frank Jack Daniel

MOREH, India - As dusk falls on a lonely police station in the eastern tip of India, a young policeman nervously keeps an eye on the Arakan hills above him, dotted with poppy fields.

Just 22 bumpy miles from the capital of Manipur, he and his colleagues are outnumbered by gunmen from a faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, one of half a dozen insurgent groups operating near India's border with Myanmar.

Last year, six policemen were killed a few miles away in an ambush authorities blamed on them.
Small groups of men with machetes on their belts can be seen in the winter twilight, openly climbing steep paths through the poppy fields, where valuable seed heads will later be harvested and taken to Myanmar for processing into heroin.

"There are many poppy fields in the hills here," the policeman said in a hushed voice, refusing to give his name to Reuters for fear of reprisals from the men he said were armed rebels patrolling the fields above his office. Growers will either sell the seed heads to agents or openly in the local market , he said.

Opium and insurgency can make for a profitable if exotic business model, but it is not what India had in mind when it launched its "Look East" policy 20 years ago to link its markets to those of booming Southeast Asia.
Now as resource-rich Myanmar emerges from decades of isolation under military rule, India should be a natural partner, with ties stretching back to 3rd Century BC Buddhist emperor Ashoka and, more recently, a shared experience of British colonialism and World War Two.

BRIDGE TO SOUTHEAST ASIA
"Myanmar is India's only bridge to Southeast Asia," Myo Myint, Myanmar's deputy foreign minister, told Reuters last week at a meeting of Southeast Asian diplomats in New Delhi to look at ways to speed up road, rail and telecoms connections with India. "India needs to come forward with assistance."

Myanmar sits at Asia's crossroads, sharing a western border with India, and a northern one with China. Thailand is its neighbour to the east and the Malacca Strait is on its southern flank.

The country of nearly 60 million people has emerged from a half-century of military rule and is courting the West while trying to wean itself from dependency on China for trade and investment. But despite a recent flurry of high-level visits between the two countries, India appears ill-placed on the ground to exploit Myanmar's opening.

Reuters journalists on a recent trip to the Myanmar-India border in Manipur found a region where rebel groups deeply influence politics and business. Opium poppies are grown openly. Cross-border gun-running remains big business.

Manipur and the three other Indian states sharing the 1,640- km (1,020-mile) border with Myanmar were supposed to be India's "Gateway to the East". Instead, the area has become India's Wild East.

Legal trade on the border has dwindled in the last five years to just 0.15 percent of total commerce between Myanmar and India. Checkpoints by security forces and rebel group supporters make the 120 km (75 mile) journey along rutted Highway 102 through the hills from Manipur's capital Imphal to Moreh on the border a painstakingly slow -- and expensive, too, from the "taxes" they impose on traffic.


NO CRIME HERE
The sleepy border town of Moreh had dreams of being a major international trading centre, a key station on the ambitious Trans-Asia Railway that will enable containers from East and Southeast Asia to travel overland across India to Europe.

But work on the $900 million, 125 km (77 mile) stretch of the railway is already two years behind schedule and has only progressed a short distance. Costs are soaring.

At first glance, Moreh seems to be a quiet bazaar of traditional wooden stilt houses, frontier hotels and stores where Myanmarese Buddhist monks and tribespeople in traditional dress and sandal-paste painted faces mingle with traders from across India.

The town of 15,000 people has one bank.

"There is no crime here," acting police chief Akbar Hussein said, chewing on a lump of betel nut at his outdoor desk. "There was only one case registered this month, and that was a road accident."

Opened in 1995 to great fanfare, the Moreh crossing was supposed to be a major trading post by now. Only some small-scale merchants conduct legal trade. Much of that is on a barter system, exchanging flour and soy products for betel, a mild stimulant popular in India.

Despite the police chief's boast, Moreh is a major smuggling centre where outlaws move around freely. Heroin from the Golden Triangle, guns and gem stones go westward; raw opium, tiger bones and rhino horn move east.

"Since 1995, nothing substantial has taken place. The border area is like a 17th-century tribal village," said N. Mohindro, an expert on trade in the state. "It's all about drugs and guns. People can make money so easily."

Some of this business is in the hands of Indian insurgents who run their operations from the Myanmar side of the border. Several of Myanmar's own rebel groups are also based in the area.

A U.S. diplomatic cable from 2006 released by Wikileaks described local politicians either in league with the rebels or supporting them for financial reasons.

Local residents say security forces are also deeply involved in trafficking but a senior officer of the police intelligence branch in Imphal denies that.

"The dense forest cover in this open border region is a nightmare for us," the officer said," the officer said of an unfenced 63 mile stretch running from Moreh, adding that "the easy availability of weapons inside Myanmar has worsened the situation".

IMAGINARY ROAD
It wasn't always this way. Until the early 1990s, Myanmarese flocked across the border to buy Indian-made consumer goods. But as China's workshops cranked up and offered cheaper, more durable products, the market shifted to the other side of the fence.

Now, traders from Imphal endure the serpentine journey along bumpy Highway 102 and its checkpoint shakedowns to visit the Namphalong bazaar on the Myanmar side of the Moreh border gate.

Their pick-up trucks are piled high with Chinese mattresses, refrigerators and TVs to sell back in India, returning along the same road that brought Japanese troops in World War Two through then Burma in an attempt to invade India. The trip from the border to Imphal carrying such contraband can involve payoffs along the way amounting to several hundred dollars.

Highway 102 was supposed to be part of a road network linking up with Mandalay, Myanmar's main city in the North, and on into Thailand. But the only notable improvement on the Indian side is a short patch running through the Manipur chief minister's home town.

"People had plans to open eateries, motels and shops along the Asian highway. Now, the trans-national road is imaginary. It does not exist here," said Lunminthang Haokip, a senior state government official for Moreh's Chandel district. "The Look East policy is no more than power-point presentations in Delhi."

The complaint is voiced often here by residents in Manipur who have suffered decades of rights abuses under draconian emergency powers including "shoot-to-kill" orders aimed at curtailing the insurgencies.

Residents say New Delhi acts like a colonial power, with much of its mistrust of the region stemming from its relative proximity to China.

"The overwhelming presence of military, paramilitary and police officers contributed to the impression that Imphal was under military occupation," the U.S. embassy cable said. "The Indian civil servants were also clearly frustrated with their inability to stem the growing violence and anarchy in the state, feeling their efforts to effectively control the insurgencies was hamstrung by local politicians either in league with or at least through corruption, helping to finance the insurgents."

India, which fought a border war in 1962 with China, has watched with mounting concern as Beijing steadily increases its influence around the rim of the Indian Ocean.

"You can't leave the whole region under an iron curtain just because they look Chinese," said rights activist Babloo Loitongbam, in a restaurant left dark by one of the chronic power cuts in Imphal. "You have to constantly prove you are not anti-national.

Ten years ago India's foreign minister proposed reopening a World War Two highway to the north of Manipur called the Stilwell Road, which connects India's far eastern region, known as the Northeast, with Myanmar and China.

Worried that the road risked strengthening China's influence and the flow of militants and arms to the region, India dragged its feet and Myanmar turned to China's Yunnan Construction Engineering Group instead. India also missed out on the natural gas from two fields in Myanmar it has a stake in, when the government chose to pipe it to China.

During long years of self-imposed isolation, Myanmar's only major economic partner was China. India realised in the 1990s that Chinese investment in Myanmar's military and infrastructure was giving Beijing a strategic advantage in a nation that borders five countries, straddles busy Bay of Bengal shipping lanes and has large oil and gas reserves.

New Delhi quietly dropped its backing for the opposition party of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who went to school and university in India.

Ties have strengthened since then, with President Thein Sein just the latest of Myanmar's leaders to call on New Delhi on a visit to India last year.

Rajiv Bhatia, who was India's ambassador to Myanmar until 2005. says India is still more concerned with its South Asian neighbours, including Bangladesh and Pakistan, and could miss the moment.

"In pure geopolitical terms, Myanmar is hugely important to India. We are now getting a historic opportunity to recover our relationship," he said. " But it is still not a priority for our politicians."

(Editing by John Chalmers and Bill Tarrant)

Rare Snake Species 'Rediscovered' By Zoologist in Mizoram

Aizawl, Feb 22 : A zoologist teacher in Mizoram University said that he has 'rediscovered' a snake species called Liopeltis Stoliczkae, believed to have become extinct from the earth.

H T Lalremsanga said this non-venomous snake was found at two places in Aizawl. He said one of the snakes was sighted at McDonald Hill while three of them were sighted and photographed on the Mizoram University campus.

Earlier found in South Asia and parts of Asia, especially in Sikkim, Darjeeling, Naga Hills (then Assam) and Karen Hills of Myanmar, the noted British scientist W L Sclater discovered the Liopeltis Stoliczkae in Sikkim and Naga Hills in 1891.

After the discovery, Indian zoologists were engaged in a search for the snake species, but failed in their endeavour till it was found by a young zoologist in Mizoram. Lalremsanga said, "This endangered species has been rediscovered after more than a century."

The snake belongs to the family of Colubridae, and the total length of a male Liopeltis Stoliczkae can be up to 600mm. The body of the snake is greyish on top and lighter below, with a broad black stripe on the side of the head, extending and gradually fading, on the front portion of the body; a grey stripe on the outer margins of the ventrals and a less distinct and thinner median one may be present or absent.

The rediscovery was announced after Lalremsanga and his colleagues conducted a detailed study on the snake.

Sumo Wrestling in Guwahati

Guwahati, Feb 22 : People of Guwahati got a chance to witness five champion sumo wrestlers in action during the 19th International Guwahati Trade Fair 2012 held here recently.

The organizers invited five champion sumo wrestlers at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre to popularize the sport in India, especially in the northeastern region.

At the Japanese-style ring installed at the venue, the wrestlers not only took part in exhibition matches but also invited the audiences to join them.

"I can see lot of potential among the youth for this sport. So I thought of promoting Sumo wrestling in the Northeast. Sumo wrestling has been seen many times during trade fairs but this is the first time we are organizing it here," said Rajesh Das, one of the organisers.

Many of the visitors who came to the match had till now only heard and seen these wrestlers on television.

"It's a very nice experience to see Sumo Wrestlers because I have been hearing and watching on TV this sport but I never get to see performing in front of me. So it's a great experience," said Nilakhi Kakati, a spectator.

The wrestling exhibition was organized to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relationships between India and Japan.

How Adele Is Like a Modern Kurt Cobain

He was 'authentic,' too, and it led to lame copycats: Mike Doherty

By Evann Gastaldo

There's no question that Adele is the reigning queen of pop music, and she's frequently hailed for her "authenticity"—much as Kurt Cobain was two decades ago.

But that "early ‘90s fetishization of authenticity" led to a bunch of "dour, humorless copycats" who only brought us "wave after wave of angst-soaked grunge and grunge-lite," writes Mike Doherty in Salon.

(See: Puddle of Mudd, Staind, Creed, Nickelback, etc.) Adele's popularity could inspire the same trend, Doherty worries.

Despite the fact that Adele's genre of music has been dubbed The New Boring in her native England, many others are following suit; consider that even dance-pop stars like Katy Perry have delivered their own earnest covers of Adele's "Someone Like You."

"Authenticity is as much a pose as it is a state of being, but we’re conditioned to value it nonetheless," Doherty writes.

The problem is, sometimes "authenticity" tends not to allow irony or humor.

Adele certainly seems to be ushering in "a new era where displays of 'authenticity' will be de rigueur," Doherty writes. "Let’s just hope it doesn’t do away with fun." Click for the full column.

Now You Can Check Your Sperm Count At Home

It's the first kit to win FDA approval If you've ever questioned your sperm count but weren't thrilled with the idea of dropping by a clinic, worry no longer: For the first time, you can get an FDA-approved home test.

The $30 to $40 SpermCheck Fertility Home Sperm Test, available at CVS.com and Walgreens.com, says it's 98% accurate.

"Sure, it's funny to talk about, but it could also truly change the way couples (and singles) approach conception," writes Brent Rose at Gizmodo.

While nearly half of conception problems are on the male side, men are far more reluctant to head to a clinic for a checkup, he notes.

New Family of Frog Discovered in Northeast India

By Chetan Chauhan

New Delhi, Feb 22 : Indian researchers have discovered a new family of legless amphibians commonly known as Caecilians (one of the three groups of Amphibia) in north-eastern India and parts of Myanmar and Thailand.

The findings reported in Proceedings of Royal Society of London on Wednesday said the new family is different from the nine families of legless amphibians known to mankind.

These amphibians live below the soil and their discovery was after extensive research of five years. “The new family of amphibians from northeast India has ancient links to Africa,” said a study done by SD Biju of University of Delhi with co-researchers from the Natural History Museum, London and Vrije University, Brussels.

Biju said the remarkable discovery came following an unprecedented fieldwork effort of soil-digging surveys in about 250 localities spread over five years (2006-2010) in various parts of every Northeast Indian states (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Darjeeling district of West Bengal). “The work is the most extensive systematic program of dedicated caecilian surveys ever attempted”.

The legless amphibians lead a secretive lifestyle under soil making it extremely challenging to find them. They are reclusive and can be seen normally during rainy days.

It is believed that they separated from other species of caecilians more than 140 million years ago at the break-up of the southern continents (Gondwana). Their DNA was tested to reach this conclusion.

In addition to the surprising discovery of a new family the scientists also found that Chikilidae is a radiation of multiple species as yet unknown to science. “I am so glad because I am fortunate to discover two new families of amphibians, one in 2003 after a gap of 100 years, the famous purple frog, and today, Chikilidae” Biju said.

Globally, amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate group with one out of three surviving amphibian species on the verge of extinction. For the new species, the danger is rapidly disappearing green cover in Northeast India and immediate steps are required to protect the remaining forests from human activities like Jhum cultivation.

“Apart from habitat destruction, local myth also contributes to caecilian depletion; local communities believe that caecilians are extremely venomous ‘snakes’. Actually caecilians are neither venomous nor are they snakes! They never bite. They open their mouth only for feeding,” Biju said.

Hydel Power Project in Meghalaya To Be Inaugurated Next Week

Shillong, Feb 22 : Fighting time and cost over-run, the first unit of the 126 MW Myntdu-Leshka hydel power project in Meghalaya will formally be inaugurated on February 29, officials said today.

The Rs 300 crore project, initiated way back in the 1980s, was constructed in 2004 and completed last year at a final cost of over Rs 1000 crore.

"Chief Minister Mukul Sangma will inaugurate the first unit of the project," Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Ltd (MeECL) Chief Project Manager E Lyngdoh told PTI.

He said the second unit (42 MW) of the project is also ready and will be commissioned next month.

The government had to repeatedly postpone its commissioning because of various reasons both technical and non-technical, Lyngdoh said.

It was first scheduled for commissioning in December 2009, before it was shifted to March 2010, June 2010, October 2010, January 2011 and finally February 2012.

MeECL officials attributed the delay in completion and commissioning of the Project due to many reasons including to the continuous rainfall experienced at the project site and also due to geological conditions.

The 42 MW Myntdu-Leshka hydel project is the only hydro unit which will be contributing power during the 11th plan period, officials said.

The DPR for the project was prepared in 1999 and the government gave its clearance only in 2004 at an initial cost of Rs 363 crore, the official said.

MeECL officials said the project can withstand an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale. Anti-corrosion steel and micro-silica and other admixtures have to be added in the concrete to make it more durable and dense, they said.

Man Beaten To Death By YMA Leaders in Aizawl

Sinlung Says: Philanthropy is one thing, taking law into their hands is another. We think YMA should draw the line. 

Aizawl, Feb 21 : A 42-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by an angry mob at Thuampui near Aizawl on Saturday night for perpetrating domestic violence.

Police said R Ralkhuma of Thuampui, who was suspected to be selling illicit liquor and was under the scanner of the local branch of the powerful Young Mizo Association (YMA), was reported to have an infernal fight with his wife on Saturday night. The YMA leaders went to his house on hearing of the quarrel, where his wife complained to them that she was a victim of domestic violence.

When the YMA leaders asked him about the scuffle and his wife's allegations, Ralkhuma dared the YMA leaders to interfere in his personal and family affairs, resulting in the latter hitting him with a club on his head. Ralkhuma was taken to the Aizawl Civil Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on early Sunday morning.

His relatives filed an FIR at the Bawngkawn Police Station and two leaders of the local YMA branch were arrested by the police.

Zomis Celebrate National Day in Imphal

Imphal, Feb 21 : Mind-blowing hits from Mizo pop diva Mami Varte and Naga folk blues sensation Guru Rewben Mashangva and a spectrum of traditional dance and music staged by different communities marked the 'Zomi Nam Ni' ( Zomi National day) celebration at the historic Bhagyachandra Open Air Theatre ( Boat) here on Monday.

Zomi is the nomenclature of different sub-tribes living in different parts of the world and most of them are concentrated in the Churachanpur district bordering Mizoram.

Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, chief guest of the event held under the theme cultural conformity said, "I'm extremely happy to join this colorful function."

"As we celebrate this day at Imphal, I am also delighted to inform all those who are gathered here that similar celebration are being held in different towns and cities across the world like Singapore, Tokyo, Washington, London, Rangoon etc. and of course, Delhi, Shillong, Chennai and Bangalore," said LB Sona, chairman of Zomi Council. "The Zomi want peace and development. We dream of a 'Glowing Manipur' that is not only shining from the outside but from its very core," Sona said.

He said the Zomi suffered the pains of colonial injustice. The British annexed their (Zomi) land and fragmented their (Zomi) country into three different sovereign states-India, Burma and Bangladesh. Thus, thousands of Zomi leaders gathered for a historic Zomi convention at Falam (Myanamar) on February 20, 1948 and unanimously decided to reject autocratic rule . Since then the day is celebrated by the Zomi as the day of deliverance.

Oscar Voters 94% White

Blacks, Latinos, women are minorities in the academy
Who votes for Oscars?

The list is kept secret, but an LA Times investigation shows 94% of them are white and 77% are male. Blacks and Latinos each make up only 2%. "We need to do a better job" of diversifying, says a governor at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

But he insists the problem starts in the film business itself: "If the industry as a whole is not doing a great job in opening up its ranks, it's very hard for us to diversify our membership."

Another shocker: the academy's median age is 62, and only 14% of 5,765 voting members are younger than 50.

Critics say that explains why The Social Network didn't win last year (too Internet-ey), why Shame is ignored this year (too sexy), and why Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is up for a Best Picture (its middle-aged theme: fathers and sons).

But academy President Tom Sherak seems to blame the excluded for not joining: "If you are sitting waiting for us to find your name in our make-believe book and we are going to call you, we are not going to do that," he says. "Come to us, we'll get you in."

Patriarchal Bias in Mizoram

Woman to be ordained, but not to be made priest in patriarchal

Aizawl, Feb 20 : The Baptist Church of Mizoram, the second largest church denomination, has cleared the decks for ordination of an eminent woman theologian, but she will not be made a parish priest which is not surprising as the state is a strict patriarchal society where full gender parity in political and religious fields still seems to be a far cry.

Though the Executive Committee of the Assembly of the Baptist Church has finally agreed to ordain Dr R L Hnuni, scholar of the Bible's Old Testament and Principal of Academy of Integrated Christian Studies in Aizawl, church leaders clarified that she might not look after a pastoral. "Hnuni will be ordained on March 11 at the Assembly of the Baptist Church of Mizoram, the highest decision-maker of the church in Lunglei after which she would have the title of reverend and become a church minister," a church leader says.

But the prominent theologian might not be given the task of maintaining an independent pastoral of her own like her male counterparts, he adds.

Earlier last year, the Executive Committee of the church's Assembly rejected the recommendations of the Pastoral Committee to ordain Hnuni, but finally accepted the second recommendation in January this year.

The Mizoram Synod of the Presbyterian Church of India, the largest church denomination in the state also is yet to agree to ordination of women as priests and church elders though the church employs many women theologians in different capacities.

Legislator

Lalhlimpuii, the lone woman legislator in the first Lalhlimpuii, the lone woman legislator in the first assembly after Mizoram attained full-fledged statehood in 1987, was the first woman minister in the cabinet of then chief minister Laldenga, who led the first Mizo National Front (MNF) government.

She was not only the first Mizo woman minister but also the only one till date since no woman has ever set foot again in the state legislature till date.

No Mizo woman has become member of parliament even as Mizoram has one member in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha for four decades.

Lalneihzovi laments that even in the lower local bodies like the village councils, the representation of women is hardly two per cent even as women outnumber men in voters' lists.

A woman councillor of the Aizawl Municipal Council (AMC) says that unless women reservation is in place like the 33 per cent in the 19-member AMC, the place of a Mizo woman would always be confined to the kitchen and home in this strict patriarchal society.

According to Lalneihzovi, though women dominate shops, markets and workplaces, even meat-shops, especially in Aizawl, they still remain a minority not only in religious and political sectors, but also in the government service.

"Women constitute only 23.61 per cent of the service sector under the government," she says adding that there were only 579 female group 'A' officials as against 2,369 male group 'A' officials under the state government.

Nengneihat Kom Wins Federation Cup boxing

Guwahati, Feb 20 : Young Manipur pugilist S Nengneihat Kom (48kg) capped of a brilliant performance as she went on to beat Haryana's Neetu in the summit clash of the light fly-weight division in the 8th Federation Cup Women's Boxing Tournament on Sunday.

Kom's aggressive style coupled with her exceptional footwork proved too hot for Haryana state champion to handle.

By the end of first two rounds, the feisty 17-year-old was already leading 13:7 in what was an enthralling display of skill and agility.

Neetu tried hard to make a comeback, winning the third round 5:6 but the Manipuri boxer came back strongly in the fourth to settle the issue 27:18.

The victory led to Kom winning her first gold medal on the senior tour.

Kom, who is a product of five-time world champion MC Mary Kom's academy in Manipur, has shown great potential and hopes to follow in the footsteps of her idol and coach.

"It was a great victory for me. I have been training hard with my coaches, and all the hard work paid off. I am very happy with my performance and hope carry on the form in future tournaments as well," she said.

In the light welter-weight category, it was experience that prevailed over youth. Defending champion Suman of the All India Police team upstaged Current Youth World and National Champion Minu Basumatary of Assam 12:8 in an exciting contest.

In the feather weight division, local girl and 2011 Youth World Championship bronze medallist Pwilao Basumatary barely had to break a sweat against Pooja Pannu of Haryana.

The 18-year-old was at her menacing best as she devoured the hapless Pooja in just two rounds, winning 17:1.

Haryana's Sweety Boora successfully defended her title, drubbing bronze medallist at the 12th Senior Women National Boxing Championships, Alari Boro of Assam in closely fought contest.

In the Super Heavy weight division, former Youth National Champion Nidhi Chopra beat bronze medallist at the senior nationals B V Padmavathi of Andhra Pradesh while in the Heavy weight cadre, Darshana overpowered P Lakshmi Latha also of Andhra Pradesh.

With 4 gold medals, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals, Haryana bagged the top spot. Hosts Assam took the runners-up trophy with 2 gold medals, 3 silver and 2 bronze while AP brought up the third place with 1 gold medal 2 silver and 5 bronze medals.

UN Human Rights Council Recommends AFSPA Repeal

Guwahati, Feb 20 : United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has recommended repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and suggested that security forces should be "clearly" instructed to respect the works, rights and fundamental freedom of human rights defenders.

AFSPA, enacted in 1958, was first enforced in Assam and Manipur, but later extended to other states of the northeast following an amendment in 1972. The Act, which confers special powers to security forces in disturbed areas, has also been enforced in Jammu and Kashmir.

UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Margaret Sekaggya's latest report on India said Manipur, where AFSPA is still in force along with Jammu and Kashmir, is the worst-hit by "militarization" with more than "half a dozen" human rights groups having been branded as "terrorists" due to their "self-determination" advocacy work.

Along with AFSPA, HRC's report has also recommended repeal of National Security Act, the Unlawful Activities Act, the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act and the Chhattisgargh Public Safety Act. "Other security legislations should be reviewed in the light of international human rights standards," the report said.

The report will be placed before the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva on March 5 this year. HRC is an inter-governmental body of UN comprising 47 states responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights across the world.

A copy of the report, which is available with TOI, made an observation that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in 10 years did not visit Irom Sharmila, who has been on hunger strike for repeal of AFSPA since 2000, despite repeated requests by human rights defenders.

The special rapporteur's report, compiled following her visit to India from January 10 to 21 this year, observed that in August 5, 2010 several human rights defenders were arrested as part of a crackdown to end protest against an extrajudicial killings in Imphal by police.

"They were remanded in judicial custody for 13 days and detained under the National Security Act in addition to the judicial remand according to an order of the Imphal West district magistrate," the report said. Further, the report stated, "On August 25 the same year, the president of Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur was arrested by Imphal West Police along with two activists."

On the other hand, an international symposium will discuss the 11-year hunger strike by Sharmila, various aspects of AFSPA in northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir, the Act's impact on India's democratic, constitutional and judicial practices in USA on February 21.

Manipur: The Land Of The Blind

By Chiranjib Haldar

Amidst the hullabaloo over the polling in Uttar Pradesh, we seem to have forgotten that Manipur also went to the hustings last month and is awaiting the results with bated breath. While the Congress-led Secular Progressive Front is aspiring for a consecutive third term under chief minister Okram Ibodi Singh, the opposition People's Democratic Front (PDF) alliance comprising Manipur People's Party, NCP, JD(U), CPM and RJD is hopeful of toppling the decade-old Congress regime.

There are also three fence-sitters expected to play kingmaker in deciding the fate of the 60-member assembly. The Trinamool Congress, Manipur State Congress Party and BJP are being wooed by both the ruling Congress-led front and the opposition PDF alliance. Foreseeing a fractured mandate, the PDF has also welcomed any political party wishing to join the alliance after the results so as to prevent a Congress-led coalition from returning to power.

But no matter which coalition comes to power - probably with a wafer-thin majority - the state machinery can't afford to overlook the ethnic complexity in this strategic northeastern state. Dozens of ethnic groups are squeezed into Manipur; this has turned it into a sim-mering cauldron down the years. Imphal valley has a majority Hindu Meitei population leavened with Pangal (Muslim Meitei) and Bangla-Myanmar migrants. The Manipur hills contain 40% of the state's population - ethnic groups ranging from Hmar and Paite to Zoumi, Nepalese, Kuki and Nagas living in Churachandpur, Chandel, Tamenglong, Senapati and Ukhrul districts. Barring the Nepali and Indian migrants, most of these tribal groups find themselves clubbed into the underground movements and the local mafia.

Electoral politics aside, the Nagas want to unite in an integrated unit including areas from Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and ideally, even Myanmar. But the Meiteis want to maintain the integrity of their territory, which is all of Manipur. And both Nagas and Meiteis want to maintain their independent socio-cultural identities and focus on counteracting the state's assimilation of their communities.

Given all this, it's little wonder there is permanent ethnic strife in the region. To add to the impasse, Kukis migrating from Myanmar have caused their numbers in Manipur to rise. They have laid claim to a Kuki homeland on land the Nagas claim to be theirs in Manipur. Continual clashes between the Nagas, Meiteis and Kukis have given rise to demographic shifts. The truth is that bigger ethnic groups in Manipur have always wanted to win over smaller tribes spread across the state districts.

No matter who forms the new government in Manipur, the state has a bumpy ride ahead with a plethora of existential roadblocks. The United Naga Council (UNC) has severed ties with the Manipur government, causing the Nagas of Manipur to stay away from the significant Lui-Ngai-Ni (seed sowing) festi-val. In addition, protests demand-ing the unconditional release of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) foreign affairs head Anthony Shimray - lodged in Tihar jail - have erupted in Ukhrul, Senapati and Chandel districts of Manipur and are expected to intensify.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to Imphal in December last year reiterated that the Centre was committed to the territorial integrity of Manipur. The UNC has temporarily lifted the ban on two cru-cial projects: construction of the Jiribam-Tupul rail link and exploration for natural resources in Tamenglong. However, the suspension of the ban is only until the new government takes over in Imphal.

The UNC had imposed the ban in protest against the UPA's lack of political will to come up with an alternative arrangement for the Nagas of Manipur. It had also imposed a marathon 100-day economic blockade on the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Silchar routes last year to denounce the Manipur government's alleged attempt to bifurcate Naga-dominated areas in order to create new districts. Any resort to this kind of blockade in the future will again cause immense hardship to the people of Manipur with prices of essential commodities skyrocketing.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is another sore point with most Manipuris. Though many have demanded repeal of this 'draconian' Act, the AFSPA has been lifted only in Imphal city comprising seven assembly constituencies. Although Irom Sharmila's fast for repealing the Act has entered its twelfth year, AFSPA still provides the military personnel in the state immunity from the country's judicial system. Any charge against soldiers has to first have prosecution sanction from the home ministry before they can be tried in court. But sensing the popular mood, chief minister Singh has promised to withdraw the Act from the entire state by "improving the law and order situation" if the Congress is voted back to power.

Mudslinging against opponents has been the hallmark of campaigning in Manipur. All the political parties in the fray are conspicuous by the absence of any coherent and realistic blueprint for the state's future. Hence, their manifestos seem to be carbon copies of each other. The absolute paucity of political vision can be gauged from the fact that distributing money among the electorate is seen as an adequate means of uplifting them. Employment can't be generated artificially by creating more government departments. For that, the government must implement policies than enable job creation in the largely untapped sectors of the state's economy.

The writer is a commentator on South Asian affairs.