'Lost tribe of Israel' to return to Jewish homeland after five-year legal fight

• Villagers from northeastern India will be allowed to settle in Israel
• They claim to be the Bnei Menashe, who were banished in eighth century
• They were recognised by a Rabbi in 2005 but many Israelis dispute it
• Some say they are not Jews and are simply fleeing poverty in India
• Nearly 300 will arrive in the coming weeks
• Ex-minister says Israel is using them to strengthen its claims to West Bank

Dozens of Indian Jews who claim to be the descendants of a lost biblical Jewish tribe emigrated to Israel from their village in India on Monday, celebrating their arrival after a five-year struggle to get in.
The Bnei Menashe, from the northeastern part of India, say they are descended from Jews banished from ancient Israel to India in the eighth century B.C.
An Israeli chief rabbi recognised them as one of the 10 'lost tribes' in 2005, and about 1,700 moved to Israel over the next two years before the government stopped giving them visas.

Overjoyed: Immigrants from the Bnei Menashe tribe of the Jewish community in Manipur, northeast India, reunite with their family members at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv on Monday

New life: Fifty members of Bnei Menashe arrived this week to join the 1,700 already resident in Israel

Emotional: Friends and relatives who were forced apart tearfully embrace, while others prepare to build a life alone or with just their immediate family

Hopeful: No genetic studies have yet proved ancestry for the Bnei Menash, who claim they were exiled in the eighth century BC

'Dream': Family members greet relatives, with a further 7,200 Bnei Menashe waiting to join them from in the Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur

Arguments: Members of the tribe are eligible to emigrate if they convert, although the Indian authorities have resisted the process

Israel recently reversed that policy, agreeing to let the remaining 7,200 Bnei Menashe immigrate.

Fifty-three arrived in Tel Aviv on a flight Monday. Michael Freund, an Israel-based activist on their behalf, said nearly 300 others will arrive in the coming weeks.

 

'This is a very moving aliyah,' he told ynetnews.com. 'We feel like our lost brothers have come home.'

WHO ARE THE BNEI MENASHE?

The Bnei Menashe (sons of Manasseh) claim descent from one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, who were sent into exile by the Assyrian Empire (above) more than 27 centuries ago.
Their ancestors wandered through Central Asia and the Far East for centuries, before settling in what is now northeastern India, along the border with Burma and Bangladesh.
The Bnei Menashe practise Judaism, observing the Sabbath, keeping kosher, celebrating the festivals and following family laws.
An Israeli chief rabbi recognised them as one of the 10 'lost tribes' in 2005, and about 1,700 moved to Israel over the next two years, helped by Israel-based organisation Shavei, before the government stopped giving them visas.
Another 7,200 remain in India, hoping to move, and Israel recently agreed they too would be allowed to immigrate, provided they convert first. India, however, does not support the policy, which may trigger a mass exodus.
Some do not believe the tribe qualify as Jews, however, claiming that they simply want to escape poverty in India.
Avraham Poraz, a former interior minister, said they were not linked to the Jewish people and claimed Israeli settlers were using them to strengthen Israel's claims to the West Bank.
Several genetic studies have been undertaken, but none has yet proved ancestry, according to author Nadia Abu El-Haj.

Freund, who joined the flight from India, said that during the trip 'we all had tears of joy in our eyes, realising that this is part of the closure of a 2,700-year historical circle of this lost tribe.'
Freund stressed that 'their immigration to Israel demonstrates the power and determination of the Jewish faith: Despite being cut off for hundreds and thousands of years, they never forgot who they were and where they want to return to.'
Lhing Lenchonz, 26, arrived in Israel with her husband and eight-month-old daughter.
'After waiting for thousands of years, our dream came true,' she said. 'We are now in our land.'
Ben Asher, 23, who arrived with his family, added: 'Israel is my heritage and religion. Israel is everything to me. We are very happy. We've been waiting for this moment for hundreds of years.'
He plans to join the Israel Defense Forces soon. 'I want to serve my country in any way possible,' he added.
Zimra Danapa, 20, flew to Israel with her mother and sister. 'I have fulfilled my dream,' she said.
'After many years of hoping to arrive in Israel, I am very excited to be here.
'We plan to build our life here and bring more family members here.'
Zvi Kalfa, a community member who immigrated to Israel 13 years ago, leaving his parents behind, said: 'At the airport there was an exciting reunion. Some of the immigrants united with their relatives who have already been here for years.
'Our hope is to bring everyone here.'
But not all Israelis think Bnei Menashe qualify as Jews, and some suspect they are simply fleeing poverty in India.
Avraham Poraz, a former interior minister, said they were not linked to the Jewish people.
He also charged that Israeli settlers were using them to strengthen Israel's claims to the West Bank.
When Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar recognized the Bnei Menashe as a lost tribe in 2005, he insisted they undergo conversion to be recognised as Jews.
He sent a rabbinical team to India that converted 218 Bnei Menashe, until Indian authorities stepped in and stopped it.

Faith: The Bnei Menashe practise Judaism, observing the Sabbath, keeping kosher, celebrating the festivals and following family laws

A former Israeli interior minister, said that Israeli settlers were using the Bnei Menashe to strengthen Israel's claims to the disputed West Bank

The Bnei Menashe come from the states of Mizoram and Manipur near India's border with Myanmar, where, they say, their ancestors landed after the Assyrians banished them.

Over the centuries they became animists, and in the 19th century, British missionaries converted many to Christianity.
Even so, the group says they continued to practise ancient Jewish rituals, including animal sacrifices, which they say were passed down from generation to generation.
Jews in the Holy Land stopped animal sacrifices after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

Disasters, refugee issue dominate Mizoram scene in 2012

By H C Vanlalruata

Aizawl: 2012 was a year of disaster, both man-made and natural, in Mizoram and an acute shortage of essential commodities throughout the year added to people's woes while the vexed issue of repatriation of Bru refugees continued to haunt the government.

With the Christians-dominated state scheduled to go for assembly elections next year, Opposition parties were very vocal in their criticism of the Congress government.

Two issues that dominated the year dealt with minority communities -- Hmars and Brus, also known as Reangs.

Acute shortage of essential commodities, especially cooking gas, resulted in Opposition parties stepping up their attacks on the government and even distributing bags of charcoal to the people.

The main opposition Mizo National Front also distributed candles free of cost to people in protest against the intermittent power supply in the state.

Nine persons were killed and more than 10 injured due to several fire incidents till October while 152 houses were gutted and properties worth Rs 17.12 crore lost.

The worst fire incident was in February when 29 houses and three government buildings were completely gutted at the Bazar Veng locality in south Mizoram's Saiha town.

Opposition parties alleged that most of the fire incidents occurred due to acute shortage of cooking gas and electricity as people resorted to alternate cooking and lighting devices like kerosene stoves and candles resulting in frequent accidents.

More than ten people including a woman and her daughter were killed due to landslides triggered by monsoon rains.

Many people were killed in several road mishaps with the worst accident being when 18 people died and 19 were injured when a bus was swept down to a deep gorge by a massive landslide in July. In March, 16 people died and 23 were injured when a bus fell into a deep gorge near the Mizoram-Manipur border.

In the beginning of the year, Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana said that the state government would not consider resumption of peace talks with the Manipur-based Hmar People's Convention -- Democrats militants with whom the government signed Suspension of Operations in 2010.

The state government even launched a crackdown on the HPC-D after the group's threats resulting in disband of the most powerful body Young Mizo Association in the Hmar-dominated areas adjoining neighbouring Manipur.

In a major setback for the HPC-D, its self-styled army chief Lalropuia and self-styled deputy army chief Lalbiaknunga were arrested. Then its 'chairman' H Lalsangbera was arrested in Delhi [ Images ] in July.

The strained relations between the Hmar militant group and the state government resurfaced when the state election commission failed to conduct village council polls in the Hmar-dominated areas as no nomination was filed despite repeated postponement of the last date of filing of nominations.

The failure of the state election to conduct elections to the 15 village councils in the Hmar-dominated areas during October might have prompted the state government to reconsider its stance on the talks with the HPC-D as the talks on the official level began again on December 13.

Another issue that continued to haunt the state government and the people was the vexed issue of repatriation of Bru refugees lodged in the six relief camps of North Tripura district since late 1997.

Though the repatriation of the Bru refugees was stalled during mid-2011 due to different reasons including demands by Mizo NGOs for rehabilitation on 83 Mizo families displaced from Sakhan range in Tripura, the then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's [ Images ] efforts prompted resumption of the repatriation process materialised from April 26.   

However, the fourth phase of Bru repatriation could not be implemented due to massive opposition from the bodies representing the refugees including the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum as only seven families returned to Mizoram during the fourth phase and the state government submitted its report to the Union home ministry saying that the repatriation could not take off due to opposition from the refugees themselves.

Mizoram also witnessed unprecedented spurt of abductions for ransom by militants with the first case being the kidnapping of six executives of the Assam-based construction company -- the Anupam Bricks and Concrete Industries Limited on March 25 from south Mizoram's Mauzam hamlet by suspected NLFT cadres.

The abducted persons, for whom Rs 120 lakh was demanded as ransom, were released after being held hostage for more than a month, reportedly after the ransom was paid.

In another incident, three non-tribal timber traders were abducted by suspected militants belonging to the newly-formed Borok National Council of Tripura and NLFT combine in November and were taken to and kept as hostages till date in a jungle near Zopui and Thangnang villages in Bangladesh.

On the religious front, the Presbyterian Church of Mizoram, which severed its decade-long ties with the Presbyterian Church of the US after the latter was considered to be too liberal on the issue of homosexuality decided to have relationship with the Presbyterian Church in America.

The Synod of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church made the decision to snap ties with the Presbyterian Church of the United States after the latter agreed to ordain gays as priests and also to the marriage between people having the same sex.

The Presbyterian Church finally agreed to do away with the Mizo traditional 'Hlamzuih' concept, which regarded that infants who died before attaining three months do not deserve decent Christian burial.

Security tightened before Christmas in Mizoram

Aizawl Dec 24 : Elaborate security arrangements were made to ensure peaceful celebration of Christmas in the Christian-dominated Mizoram, police said today.

"Aizawl city has been divided into four zones which would be headed by two Sub-Divisional Police Officers and Officers-in-Charge (OC) of the four police stations, designated as zonal officers," Superintendent of Police in Aizawl, L R Dingliana Sailo, told PTI.

"The four zones are again divided into 12 sectors where temporary outposts were established and more than 100 policemen were on duty round-the-clock since Monday," Sailo said.

Mobile Police patrol and foot patrolling were also pushed into service while senior police officials would also make rounds to visit duty posts of the policemen as also the duty posts of the Village Defence Party (VDP) and Young Mizo Association (YMA), he said.

The police also appealed to the people to cooperate with the law enforcement officials so that the Christmas and New Year festivities were completely peaceful.

Your love is lifting me higher

The world's tallest teenage girl walks hands in hands with her boyfriend, the picture of young love despite a staggering 1ft 4in height difference.
Elisany da Cruz Silva, 17, measures an unbelievable 6ft 8in tall and has to bend down to plant a kiss on her 4ft 4in lover Francinaldo da Silva Carvalho, 22.
The youngster, from Salinopolis in Brazil, has a form of gigantism because of a tumour on her pituitary gland, which regulates growth. Doctors have since removed the tumour.

The height of passion: Brazil's tallest teen, Elisany da Cruz Silva with her boyfriend, Francinaldo da Silva Carvalho in Salinopolis, Brazil

Loved up: At 6ft 8in-tall, Elisany towers over her smitten partner, who is just 5ft 4in

The aspiring model told Vietnam-based broadcaster BTV: 'What really attracted me was his personality, the way he acts with people and the way he acts with me.
'The only thing that really affects us is when we hang out holding hands - it seems like he is my little brother or son.

'But I didn't choose him, God did.'

Tender: The couple says the extreme height difference does not matter

Love no matter what: Francinaldo says his girlfriend, who aspires to be a model, is a 'beautiful person'

The pair are happy together and she loves nothing more than stooping to kiss him and giving him clothes from the top shelf which he cannot reach

Construction worker Francinaldo says his friends ask things about how he hugs her, but he tells them there is a way of doing everything.
He added: 'She is a beautiful person. She is tall but she is so pretty, with a beautiful face. I don't mind having a tall girlfriend.
'I feel free and relaxed as a person and don't care what people say.'

Condition: The pretty 17-year-old who aspires to be a model, has a form of gigantism caused by a tumour of the pituitary gland

Surgeons removed the tumour causing her height condition two years ago after her story was first publicised

Elisany was too tall to ride the school bus and says she left school because of teasing from classmates.
She added: 'It's hard when I'm inside home. I get distracted and hit the wood in the ceiling with my head.
Elisany lives in a small house with her sisters and mother Ana Maria Silva and step-father Luiz Jorge.
Her mother said: 'I want her be like the other girls because I know she feels weird and sometimes wants to be like them.'

Family: Elisany da Cruz Silva with her mother Ana Maria Ramos in Salinopolis in the north of Brazil

Elisany with her mother, Ana Maria Ramos, and sister, Meire. Her quick growth caused her migraines and pains in her limbs

Kelly Brook Wicked calendar shoot

It may not be the most traditional Mrs Claus outfit, but Kelly Brook's admirers certainly won't mind when they get their copy of her 2013 calendar.
Dressing up in an array of temperature raising outfits, this red number was by far the most festive and could very well be the picture to go with next December's page in her annual.
Wearing a lacy cape with matching hotpants, the model showed that although she has dipped her toes in the acting and presenting pool, Kelly's greatest assets are not her performance skills, rather those famous curves.

Festive: Kelly Brooks Mrs Claus outfit may be a little raunchier than tradition but those buying her calendar certainly won't mind

However racy the picture looks, there is something slightly spiritual about her pose.
Hands raised, facing upwards and held out on each side, the glamour model had a crimson crown of thorns positioned round her head, as though she was recreating an image of Jesus Christ.
Another reason why this shot may very well be for the twelfth month, when considering the son of God's birthday.

 

Putting up a fight: Kelly Brook shares raunchy snaps from her 2013 calendar shoot

A behind the scenes video - just over a minute long - documents the shoot,  beginning with a wet haired Kelly telling the camera: 'Hi, I;m Kelly Brook and welcome to my 2013 calendar shoot.'
It then cuts to montage of the stunning model in a range of barely there costumes.
In one scene the brunette star is dancing in a sports crop top with boxing gloves on as she shares a joke with those working on the shoot with her.

Baywatch: Kelly pays homage to Pamela Anderson in a very revealing red swimsuit as a wind machine blows her hair

Ready for action: Kelly poses wearing a pair of boxing gloves while her nipples are covered with gaffer tape

Viewers don't just see her in a range of sexy costumes, there are also glimpses of the star getting her hair and make up done.
In another scene she pays homage to Pamela Anderson's Baywatch character as she slips into a very high-leg red bikini.
And then as if there isn't enough flesh on the display, she pulls together the top half, so just her nipples are covered by the red costume.

Biker chic: Kelly wows in lacy leotard which is see-through as she sits on a motor bike

Wet look: The model slips into a pink swimsuit with a hose pipe in her hand, while she pouts for the camera

Wild thing: The clothes designer peels off her jacket revealing leopard print lining, she also has star transfers up her thigh

Kelly then turns up the heat even more in a see-through lacy leotard giving viewers a glimpse of her nipples beneath, which she wears as she straddles a motorbike.
A fan of fifties pin-up girls, she then wears a leopard print bra with a bow in her hair. As she turns around her bare bottom is revealed.
She then changes from pin-up to Hula girl wearing just a pair of knickers and a flower garland which just about covers her modesty.

Funky headdress: It's not all about her body as Kelly wears a large red headdress with matching red lipstick

American girl: The 33-year-old appeals to her fans across the pond in a stars and stripes tank top, as she hold a banana

According to The Sun a number of the images were deemed too raunchy to actually appear in her calender.
It seems the 33-year-old has spent much of this year in various states of undress.
Kelly took to the stage in November for a stint in London burlesque show Crazy Horse, in which she stripped off each night.
She also had a role in Keith Lemon: The Film and again spent much of the time in her underwear.
Apart from turning up the heat in her calender shoot amongst other things, Kelly has been getting into the Christmas spirit visiting Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park with her boyfriend Thom Evans.

Welcome: A wet-haired Kelly greets fans to her behind the scenes video

Made up: Kelly gets her hair and make-up done ahead of the shoot

Cheeky: As well as being very sexy, Kelly had fun on the shoot posing with a fake mustache on her finger

Hmar Rebels Start Talks With Mizoram

By Lalremlien Neitham

Aizawl, Dec 21 : The Hmar People Convention (Democratic) in its press statement yesterday informed that representatives of the HPC(D) and Mizoram government met at Silchar, Assam on December 13, 2012 to chalk out solutions for a peace dialogue between the two to solve the long pending political demands of the Hmars in Mizoram.

John F.Hmar, info & publicity secretary of the Hmar insurgent group said that before the Mizoram-Hmar political talks, Suspension of Operation (SoO) will be signed by both parties expectedly in January 2013 .

The HPC(D) however added that political dialogues cannot be held and no agreements will be signed without the HPC(D)'s Chairman H.Zosangbera, 'Army Chief' Lalropui his deputy Lalbieknung who are currently incarcerated in the Central Jail at Tanhril near Aizawl.

The Mizoram Police arrested the three leaders in June this year from Silchar & New Delhi airports.

The HPC(D) also said that it expects the Mizoram government to be honest and sincere in its approach to solve the Hmar political issues in Mizoram.

Manipur''s Gangte Tribe Attempts To Create Record in Bible Reading

Churachandpur (Manipur), Dec 21 : More than 7000 people from the Gangte tribe participated in a record attempt to mass read the Holy Bible at an event in Manipur in a bid to enter record books and get recognition for the community on a national level.

The event was organized in the state''s tribal dominated Churachandpur district where the Gangte people gathered to take part in the centenary gospel celebrations of the local church organization on Sunday.

About 7,047 people from the community gathered at a local ground for the event and read all of the 16 chapters from the Bible''s entire Book of Romans portion.

The event started at around 1.30 pm and the feat was completed in a span of about an hour.

The event was also organized in a bid to make it an entry into the Limca Book of Records and get recognition for the community on a national level.
The Limca Book of Records is India''s premier organization that keeps a data of records made by people in various feats throughout the country.
For most of the participants, the event, apart from a record attempt, has also helped in fostering societal bonds among the people from the tribe.
"This is an event of the Gangte, and it is part of the centenary celebrations. So we just want to try for the Limca Book of Records by reading the Bible by a number considering around
7000, through mass reading.
"And it is imparting a lot of education in the society for a better future especially in our community, that is Gangte tribe," said Albert Gangte, a participant.
The Gangte tribe, mostly Baptist Christians, is one of the many tribes in the state of Manipur that come under the umbrella category of the Kukis.

Manipur Actor Molested On Stage

By Kishalay Bhattacharjee

Chandel, Manipur: Momoko, a popular young actor in Manipur, was headlining a fund-raising concert in the state's Chandel town when a man climbed onto the stage.

"He was touching me. I warned him. Then he pulled my hair and threw me on the ground and repeatedly kicked me. He also hit me in the left eye," she said.

NDTV does not reveal the identities of women who have been assaulted, but Momoko requested that her identity not be concealed. She says she is determined to raise awareness of the violence women confront alone even in crowded places.

The man who she accuses of assaulting her is Livingstone Anal, a leader of the once-banned National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM), the armed militia now in a ceasefire with the government of India.

A co-performer who tried to help Momoko was shot at by Anal, but escaped unhurt.

Hundreds marched in the state capital of Imphal today to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh's office, demanding action.

Home Minister Gaikhangam has promised action, but the militant leader is yet to be arrested.

"When we asked the securitymen why they didn't help, they said they are on ceasefire. Does that mean a woman gets beaten in front of the police and they do nothing?" asked the actor.

Ceasefire rules prohibit armed militant groups from moving around with arms, but across the region they violate this with impunity.

US on Arunachal

As territorial disputes between China and its neighbours acquire a sharper edge, how America talks about them becomes an important part of the unfolding geopolitical dynamic in Asia.

In the East and South China Seas, which have become the new theatres of regional rivalry, Washington has carefully avoided backing the territorial claims of any of the parties — neither those of China nor of its allies. On the India-China border dispute, in contrast, we have been just reminded that Washington recognises India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh.

During her visit to Guwahati last week, the US ambassador to India, Nancy Powell, reportedly said that the US acknowledges the McMahon Line as the legitimate border between India and China. Powell’s comments apparently came in response to questions from local reporters. The US envoy added that this is not a new American position and has been in place since 1962, when New Delhi and Beijing clashed with each other.

While that is a separate story in itself, Powell’s decision to reaffirm the US approach to Arunachal and the McMahon Line might be of some political significance. It has been years since the US formally articulated this long-standing position on the India-China border dispute. It is one thing for a country to have a position and entirely another for it to state it, or restate it, in public. What matters is the context.

At a moment when US-China relations have entered an uncertain phase, and the India-China boundary dispute remains unresolved, American support to India’s sovereignty over Arunachal adds one more layer to the complex triangular relationship between Delhi, Beijing and Washington.

Legacy of 1962

An American scholar, Jeff M. Smith, has recently published a brief account of how the Kennedy administration decided to back India against China on the McMahon Line.

As India-China tensions on the border began to boil over in 1959, Smith writes, then US Secretary of State, Christian Archibald Herter, made it clear that Washington did not take sides in the territorial dispute between India and China.

As push came to shove in 1962, US Ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith, pressed Washington to endorse Delhi’s territorial claims on the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), since renamed as Arunachal Pradesh. The US State Department was reluctant and instead proposed a “study” of the issue, a classic bureaucratic device to delay and deny change! Galbraith would not give up and got President John F. Kennedy to overrule the State Department.

A week into the war, Galbraith announced the following in Delhi on October 27, 1962: “The McMahon Line is the accepted international border and is sanctioned by modern usage. Accordingly we regard it as the northern border of the [North East Frontier Agency] region.”

Note that Galbraith’s statement 50 years ago, and that of Powell last week, are silent on the disputed western sector in Kashmir. Smith tells us that Galbraith was not convinced of India’s claims of sovereignty over Aksai Chin. Washington’s current position is that Aksai Chin is a disputed area that is claimed by India but administered by China.

Smith, a fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, concluded that American support to India’s sovereignty over Arunachal has been an enduring legacy from the Kennedy administration that has been forgotten in Washington, Delhi and Beijing. “Not really,” Powell is saying. The State Department, like any good foreign office, can always remember when it wants to.

Asian dilemmas

While the India-China border is relatively tranquil at the moment, the real challenge for US policy comes in East Asia, where China’s growing power is testing American alliances. America’s allies that feel bullied by China have no option but to rely on US power. But many in Washington, despite the recently proclaimed pivot to Asia, are concerned about giving a blank cheque to allies.

An American commitment that is too strong and open-ended, they worry, might encourage the allies to provoke China and drag Washington into a fight against Beijing over small islands that America has no real reason to bother about.

An ambiguous American commitment, on the other hand, would leave China free to take one small bite at a time, none big enough to provoke an American reaction. If America must carefully navigate between the dangers of “entrapment” and “abandonment”, China is unlikely to make it easy for the US.

The writer is a distinguished fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, Delhi and a contributing editor for ‘The Indian Express’

Will The World End Today? NO CHEER UP

There has been tremendous speculation world over about a mythical catastrophe that would end the world today, Dec 21, the winter solstice day, predicted by the Mayan calendar.

Manipuri Arrested For 100-crore Marketing Fraud

New Delhi, Dec 11 : According to the police, the 23,000 victims of the alleged scam are from Manipur, a State from where the arrested person Ningombam Raju hails.

A young man, who allegedly duped people to the tune of Rs.100 crore by promising lucrative returns on their investments, has been arrested by the Delhi police.

According to the police, the 23,000 victims of the alleged scam are from Manipur, a State from where the arrested person Ningombam Raju hails.

“Raju played a pivotal role in luring people to invest in a bogus company called Welkin Real Tech Private Limited where he was employed,” said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

Mr. Yadav said the arrest was made at the instance of the Manipur police which had registered a case against Raju.

He said several persons from Delhi are involved in the scam. He, however, added that no complaint has been registered in Delhi so far against Raju or the company.

Raju had joined Welkin, a company based in Delhi and owned by Kishanveer, in 2010. The joining fee for the investors was fixed as Rs.1,500 and using one identity proof a member could invest a maximum amount of Rs.10 lakh.

“The company made a claim that the money invested by its members was being re-invested in real estate or share market,” said Mr. Yadav.

After amassing a huge amount of money from its 23,000 members/subscribers, Welkin Real Tech Pvt. Ltd. was shut down in February 2011. Following the closure, Raju remained underground for over a year only to resurface in April 2012. He later started another business.

The Manipur police, which had registered an FIR against Raju earlier this year, sent a letter to the Delhi police on December 7 informing them about his presence in and around the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border. Two days later, acting on a tip off the police arrested Raju from Kotla Mubarakpur.

Before joining Welkin, Raju had worked in several other companies including BBS (Base Business System) Marketing Limited owned by another Manipuri who allegedly used similar modus operandi to cheat people and this was where Raju allegedly learnt how multi-level marketing companies work, said the police.

Mr. Yadav added that Raju had also bought a couple of properties in Uttam Nagar in West Delhi. The Manipur police have been informed and the accused would be handed over to them in a couple of days, said Mr. Yadav.

Last month, the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police had arrested a couple for allegedly cheating over two lakh investors of Rs.500 crore on false promises of lucrative returns.

The Date Whisperer

This dating guru will fix your worst habits.

By Diana Spechler

Illustration by Mark Stamaty.

“People feel weird when they meet me,” 27-year-old Blake Eastman tells me. He’s perched on a coffee table eating gummy bears.

Sitting across from him on the couch in an expansive, hardwood-floored rental space in Chelsea getting ready to watch him teach “The Dating Workshop,” I admit that I feel, if not “weird,” a bit self-conscious. It’s hard to meet a master of body language (or, to quote Eastman, “nonverbal communication”) and not worry about what you’re doing with your hands, how solid your eye contact is, and whether he’s reading your mind. Hint: He sort of is.

For eight months, Eastman has been teaching singles on the dating scene to read minds, too, and to use their bodies to send clear signals. For example, you can send the message, “If you touch me, I will gag,” by slowly moving away each time your date invades your personal space. Or you can communicate, “Kiss me! Now!” by playing with the buttons on his shirt, looking at his lips, or softening the tone of your voice just so.

Those moves might sound primitive, but on a first or second date, it’s difficult to say exactly what you’re thinking. Most people opt not to. Eastman’s theory is that if you’re not fluent in body language, you’re likely to give your date the wrong idea, to inadvertently act uninterested when you’re interested or vice versa, to be left mystified by someone’s vanishing act, even though he was telling you the whole time—wordlessly, of course—that he couldn’t wait to get away. Modern dating is one big (quoting Led Zeppelin here) communication breakdown. But The Dating Workshop and Eastman’s other classes, including Body Language Explained and Deception Detected, are designed to help.

“I promise you,” says Eastman, who has a blue-eyed baby face but speaks with the quick cadence of an Aaron Sorkin character, “in about a year and a half, my name will be synonymous with body language.”

Arguably, the writer Neil Strauss has a corner on that market. His 2005 runaway best-seller, The Game, told the story of the years he spent with professional pickup artists learning how to seduce women. Much of Strauss’ strategy entailed nonverbally conveying self-confidence. Eastman, however, didn’t come to the study of body language to get laid. He says he developed his proficiency in nonverbal communication during childhood as an adaptive response to his anxiety. In social situations, he often found himself paralyzed, imagining worst-case scenarios about what would happen if he made the wrong move or said the wrong thing. So he learned to read people to discern what they wanted from him. Years later, he obtained a master’s degree in forensics from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, started teaching psychology classes at LaGuardia Community College, and became a professional poker player. He uses his winnings to fund his own research in nonverbal communication, conducting countless hands-on hours in the field.

Some of his lab settings are cocktail parties; he sets them up, films them, and then studies the footage. In the summertime, he stands between two mailboxes across from the outdoor tables of Blue Water Grill, a seafood restaurant in Manhattan’s Union Square, observes people on dates, and collects data. He shares his findings through The Nonverbal Group, the research and teaching company he founded and runs. In his rental space, he maintains an office—a desk and computer, shelves full of body language and pop-psychology texts including The Brain In Love, Who’s In Charge?, and a couple of books by Malcolm Gladwell (“who I fucking love to death”)—as well as a seminar room where he’s taught more than 2,600 students in the past year.

Eastman tells me that The Dating Workshop usually draws more women than men. But when the room fills up, the crowd is about 50/50, the majority in their 20s and 30s and got tickets to the class through Groupon and LivingSocial. The women have nervous eyes and adjust their tights; the men look like computer programmers with their straight backs, solemn expressions, and wire-rimmed glasses. To begin, Eastman asks his students to shout out questions and writes them on a white board.

“I can feel people making assumptions about me,” says a guy in the back row who wears a blazer over a plaid shirt. He asks Eastman for advice on changing that. “Like, I tell people I went to Harvard, and I can tell they’re thinking I’m a douche bag.”

Eastman nods, watching him for a moment. He tips his head and squints. “Well, you do have a little douche baggery to you,” he says. The room, including the Harvard graduate, erupts into laughter. “We’ll work on that,” he adds. (Later, he tells me that the “douche baggery” he picked up on stemmed from a disconnect between the arrogance in the Harvard graduate’s words and the insecurity apparent in his body language.)

“What about the nice guy theorem?” asks another man. “Nice guys finish last.”

“Not true,” Eastman says. “Those are just nice guys who don’t know how to market themselves.”

He continues to take questions until he runs out of space on the white board. Then he sets about answering them.

“What’s cool in the world of dating,” he tells the group, “is that no one’s ever telling you how they feel. They’re showing you.” He introduces “the orientation reflex.” That’s the move a person makes to orient toward what interests him—turning his head, for example. He insists that people orient toward us all the time, and we should learn to notice it. He talks about “pacifying gestures” we use to diffuse the anxiety of dating, how men rub their palms on their pants and women play with their fingers. He explains that many people do poorly on dates because they’re “emotionally incongruent”: What comes out of their mouths doesn’t match what shows on their faces.

He uses President Obama as an example: “During the debates, he’d say, ‘Mitt, I disagree with you,’ ” Eastman says, making a placid face. “Not, ‘Mitt! I disagree with you!’ ” Eastman says, changing his expression to an angry one. In that case, he explains, Obama came off as weaker than he meant to. But emotionally incongruent people can also come off as odd, and that can hurt them on dates.

So if they’re doing so many things wrong, how can discouraged daters improve their skills? “Video,” Eastman says. “You watch yourself on tape. Then you can change.” It might be a creepy move to set up a video camera on a first date, but Eastman will approximate the experience for you in his workshop by filming you talking to your classmates.

After the first hour, Eastman tells his students to get up and mingle. Everyone stands and starts moving around the room, wearing I-can’t-believe-we’re-all-sober smiles. I talk with one woman, an actress in her early 30s who grew up in Virginia and feels mystified by New York men. “Southern men are so different,” she says. “Here, I’m confused. I’m always horrible on the first couple of dates.” She’s taken two of Eastman’s classes with a LivingSocial coupon, and she believes they’ve made her more aware. She feels more comfortable and less compelled than she used to be to fill every moment of silence on a date. I talk with a computer programmer (I knew it!) who is here for the first time and says he’s benefiting from the class. “I don’t agree with everything Blake says. But he’s good.” I talk with another woman who says that meeting Eastman and his girlfriend has changed her whole life. She has new friends, a new job, a new outlook. She wears the dreamy gaze of a cult member. I meet another man who has taken a few of Eastman’s classes and seems similarly enamored. “He’s just so amazing,” he says.

After living in New York City for six years, I’ve met (sometimes as a seeker, more often as a journalist) my share of self-help gurus: diet experts, sex coaches, life coaches, career coaches, a man who believes he can make anyone a millionaire, an older woman who wants to fill up Madison Square Garden with young women and preach against premarital sex, an angry meditation teacher who demands $2,500 for meditation classes. And all of them, even the angry meditation teacher, have disciples—people who think this guru must be the path to happiness; on the guru’s website, they’ll write testimonials: I don’t know where I’d be without him.

But Eastman seems far more sweet than parasitic: While we were waiting for his students to arrive, he gushed about his girlfriend, whom he met in one of his classes. “Most people don’t communicate,” he says. “My girlfriend and I are completely transparent. We have the best relationship I’ve ever seen.” He talked about how great his friends are, how supportive his parents are. When I asked him what learning nonverbal communication has done for him, he answered, “I don’t know where I’d be without it.” Eastman doesn’t give the impression that he aims to gather admirers but rather that he yearns to help people feel as comfortable as he’s learned to feel. “Communication is the most important part of relationships,” he says. “I want people to learn to communicate.”

Later in the night, the group engages in a second mingle. This time, they seem more relaxed. Still, Eastman has tips: “You were playing with your fingers behind your back,” he tells someone.

“And you,” he tells another student, “have a low blink rate. Guess who else has that? Me. And you know what happens if you stare at people without blinking? They’re gonna think you’re creepy.”

And then, some advice we could all use: “You look upset,” he tells one of the computer-programmer types. “Come on!” he says with a smile. “Relax.”

Business Lessons From a Former Gang Member

Ryan Blair didn’t get off to a good start. At age 16, when most kids born into a middle-class household are starting to wonder which colleges they want to apply to, he was sitting in a jail cell in Los Angeles, the result of his 10th arrest as a juvenile.

In the previous few years, he’d left the family house because of his father’s meth addiction and violent behavior, spent almost a year living in a toolshed in his half-sister’s backyard, and joined a gang. (He’s got the tattoos to prove it.)

His numerous siblings had already spent a collective decade doing hard time, and Blair seemed a good bet to join the family club. Luckily, that last stint behind bars—26 days—scared him straight.

Fast-forward a few decades. Owner of a sprawling home in the Hollywood Hills, Blair today is the chief executive officer of ViSalus Sciences—seller of Body By Vi, a weight-loss and fitness challenge program.

The company is on track to hit $600 million in revenue in 2012. (He sold ViSalus, which he founded, to Blyth (BTH) in 2008.) While he never went to college, he’s still got a résumé an MBA would kill for: as a self-made millionaire, a serial entrepreneur (he’s founded half a dozen other companies over the past decade), and a New York Times bestselling author of a fast-paced guide to entrepreneurship, Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: How I Went From Gang Member to Multimillionaire Entrepreneur. Bloomberg Businessweek caught up with Blair to find out what he learned on the streets that helped him succeed in business.

Don’t Let Anyone Steal Your Milk
“The new guy in jail gets tested right away, usually by someone walking up and demanding their milk at lunch. If you give it away without a fight, you’ve got tough times ahead. The same thing goes on in business every day: People are always trying to get their hands on your equity or get money out of your company, whether it’s by renegotiating agreements or hitting you with lawsuits. You have to stand up for yourself and your principles. Because if you allow one person to steal your milk, others will follow.”

Make People Earn Your Trust
“A lot of times in business, your natural inclination is to trust everyone, in particular potential business partners, financing partners, and the like. That’s a mistake. You never trust a brand-new person on the streets, and I use the same philosophy now as I did then: You have to earn my trust, and I am constantly verifying people’s intentions and motives.”

The Strongest Guy Isn’t the Most Powerful Person in the Room
“The one with the most influence is. This is as true in the boardroom as it is in a street gang. You might be the primary equity holder in a company you founded, but watch out for an influential board member who’s gunning for you. They can take you out just as easily as a guy with a gun.”

Street Smarts Trump Book Smarts Any Day
“If you want to impress me, don’t throw rhetoric, résumés, or buzzwords my way. Tell me a practical vision you have for getting the job done, whether it’s in leadership, management, or processes.”

Get My Name Right
“There are plenty of people in my old neighborhood who didn’t want me to succeed. And there have been plenty of people since with their fancy degrees and who have done it all by the book that don’t appreciate my route to success. Talk about me all you want—good or bad—because I’m not paying attention. But just get my name right, will you?”

Mizoram Bans Crackers During Christmas, New Year

Aizawl, Dec 8 : The Christmas spirit has descended on the hills of the Northeast. But there will be no fireworks in Mizoram this Christmas or New Year.

The state government has, for the first time, banned firecrackers in the state during the Yuletide celebrations.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting convened by Mizoram home minister R. Lalzirliana at the secretariat in Aizawl this week.

A senior home department official said Lalzirliana had emphasised in the meeting that the government would not encourage any raucous celebrations during Christmas in “an un-Christian atmosphere spawned by the random bursting of loud firecrackers”.

The pastor of Presbyterian Synod, Rev. Zosangliana, said bursting of firecrackers during both the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in Mizoram had of late become an “unwelcome trend” in some sections of the urban population in the state. He has welcomed such prohibition.

Lalzirliana had asked the deputy commissioners of all the eight districts in Mizoram to issue an immediate ban on the “procurement as well as sale and use of firecrackers” in their respective areas.

He had asked the deputy commissioners to use the services of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the largest NGO in the state, to check the areas for firecrackers in the run-up to the festivities.

The home department official said the deputy commissioner of Kolosib district, Niharika Rai, had already taken the initiative in collaboration with police, excise staff and YMA cadres to implement the ban on the firecrackers.

Memorial Stone Of Mizo Patriotic Songs Composer Erected

Aizawl Dec 8 : The memorial stone of Laltanpuia, one of the first composer of Mizo patriotic songs and famous composer of Mizo folk love songs, was erected at his native Sialsuk village, about 80 km south of Aizawl today.

Scholars, academics and villagers of Sialsuk and surrounding villages gathered in Sialsuk to pay their respects to the composer who died in 1997.

Lalthlamuana Ralte, Asst Professor of Pachhunga University College, who presented a paper on Laltanpuia, said that the composer was not only a laureate, but a man who embedded the sense of patriotism in the hearts of the Mizos.

"One of his songs - 'Kan Ram Hi Kan Ram A Ni" (This land is our very own) used to give strength and courage to the Mizo underground militants during the Mizo National Front (MNF) independent movement," Ralte said, adding that it is still used by the overground MNF as the main campaign song during every hustings," Ralte said.

Hmars in Delhi to Celebrate Sikpuiruoi

By Lalremlien Neitham

New Delhi, Dec 8 : The Hmar tribals residing in India's capital city will be celebrating the community's post harvest winter festival "Sikpuiruoi" today at Grih Kalyan Kendra Open Lawns, RK Puram-I, New Delhi.

The festival is organised by the Delhi Hmar Sikpui Organising Committee (DHSOC) .

The programme will start from 1:00pm in the afternoon.

Former chairman of Delhi Hmar Welfare Association (DHWA) Darsiemlien Ruolngul will grace the festival as Sikpui Pa (Sikpui Father).

In the first session, which will be co-hosted by Zacharia Varte and Grace Lalthlawnpek, an opening prayer will be graced by Rev.Neilaia Darlong.

Prizes distribution for this year's Sikpui Sports will be handed over to the players who participated in the sports that was held in November.

Pastor Lalsiesang Joute will then release VL Renga Hriler's second romance novel "Chantawk Part 2" .

DHWA Nghak Upa will crown the Sikpui Pa with the traditionally coveted head gear "Tawnlairang" .

The Sikpui Pa will then also formally open the Sikpuiruoi festival and give a Sikpui speech.

Hmar historian and writer Pu L.Keivom, IFS (Retd) will speak on the history and significance of Sikpuiruoi festival celebrated by the Hmar kindred people, followed by the singing of the sacred Sikpui Song led by the youth leaders - Val Upa and Nghak Upa.

A Sikpui dance will be performed by the participants of the festival.

A Sikpui dance can not begin until the Sikpui song is sung.

DHWA cultural troupe will also perform Hmar cultural dances - Sikpui Lam (Sikpui Dance) and Hrang Lam (Victory Dance) .

After the end of the session, there will be a traditionally prepared Sikpui feast - bawngsa chartang le vawksa hmepawk.

The second session, which will start from 5pm will be co-hosted by Henry Haulienkung and Elizabeth L.Sungte.

Beautiful models will be showcasing the unique and colorful Hmar traditional handlooms during the fashion show.

Various Hmar artistes in Delhi will also be performing with a live band.

Lal Pan Liani, popular Mizo artiste from Myanmar (Burma) who came all the way to participate at the Delhi Sikpuiruoi 2012 will also perform during the singing festival.

In the past, the Hmars do not celebrate every year.

It is celebrated only in the year of abundant harvest at a convenient time during December and January and would extend to several days and sometimes even a month.

But usually, the celebration lasts for seven days.

Memorabilia of Sikpui festival - Sikpui stones - can still be seen in Mizoram, Manipur and Assam.

The NC Hills and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam have declared 5th December as a Sikpui Festival Holiday.

Killer Joke: Indian-origin Nurse in Kate Hoax Call Dies

An ambulance and police officers outside the block of flats in London where nurse Jacintha Saldanha lived. Saldanha, who was of Indian origin, was found dead two days after she was duped into transferring a hoax call to Kate Middleton’s room at the hospital where she worked. Reuters

An Indian-origin nurse in London’s famed King Edward VII Hospital who was duped into transferring a hoax call that gave away information on pregnant Kate Middleton’s medical condition to Australian radio presenters was found dead on Friday in a case of suspected suicide.

The body of Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found on Friday morning at an address yards away from King Edward VII Hospital. The cause of death remained unclear, but the British  indicated that Saldanha appeared to have killed herself. Her family, husband and two children have been informed. Scotland Yard said the death was not being treated as suspicious.

The hoax call was made by two presenters – Mel Grieg and Michael Christian – on the Australian radio channel 2DayFM. Grieg pretended to be the Queen, and Christian played the part of Prince Charles and at one point even simulated the barking of the Queen’s corgi dogs.

Jacintha, who was helping out on reception at the time of the prank, answered the hoax call at 5.30 am on Wednesday morning.

After dialling the hospital, Greig asks if she could please speak to Kate, “my grand-daughter”.
Jacintha responds calmly  and requests the caller  - in an easily distinguishable Indian accent – to hold on while she transfers the call.

Greig then gets through to Kate’s hospital room, where a second nurse answers the call.
The early part of the conversation goes thus:

Greig, pretending to be the Queen: “Kate my darling, are you there?”
Nurse: “Good morning ma’am, this is a nurse speaking. How may I help you?”
Greig: “Hello, I’m just after my granddaughter Kate, I wanted to see how her little tummy bug is going.”

The unsuspecting nurse says that Kate is asleep, and goes on to give intimate details of Kate’s medical condition, including the fact that she had been dehydrated and was recovering.

At one point, Christian, pretending to be Prince Charles, too comes on the line and asks when it might be a good time to come by the hospital. The nurse says that perhaps after 9 may be a good time.

When the nurse reveals that Kate was having difficulty sleeping in a strange hospital bed, Christian jokes: “Yes, of course. It’s hardly the palace, is it!” Cackling and hooting, Greig and Christian then disconnected the call and gloated over their prank and their fake British accents. (Full transcripts of the conversation here.)
It may have been just a joke, but it was clearly a joke that went too far.
Even before the tragedy involving Saldanha became known, there had been an outpouring of outrage that the radio hosts had resorted to this sort of a prank, and that the channel continued to promote its prank call on air. The station called it “the prank call the world is talking about” before playing clips of news programmes reporting on the original call.

After the tragic news of Saldanha surfaced, there were growing calls for the presenters to be dismissed. Hundreds of angry comments were posted on 2Day FM’s Facebook page (here); an online petition (here) asking for Greig and Christian to be sacked for “gross misconduct” has secured the support of more than 3,600 signatories (as of 5.30 am IST on Saturday).

Late on Friday, the station issued a statement (here) saying it was “deeply saddened” by the news of the death of Saldanha and extended its “deepest sympathies” to her family and others who had been affected “by this situation”.

Chief executive officer Rhys Holleran said he had spoken to the presenters, who were both “deeply shocked”, and that the station and the hosts had decided that  the two presenters would not return to their radio show until further notice “out of respect for what can only be described as a tragedy.”

Greig and Christian also deleted their accounts on Twitter, where they had received stinging criticism for their “royal prank”, which they had been promoting. Christian’s last few tweets had promoted their hoax call under the hashtag #royalprank. Greig too retweeted messages with the same hashtag to her 9,000 followers hours before her account was shut down.

In a statement, St James’s Palace said: “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Jacintha Saldanha. Their Royal Highnesses were looked after so wonderfully well at all times by everybody at King Edward VII Hospital, and their thoughts and prayers are with Jacintha Saldanha’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.”

The hospital said in a separate statement: “We can confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Jacintha Saldanha. Jacintha has worked at the King Edward VII’s Hospital for more than four years. She was an excellent nurse and a well-respected and popular member of staff with all her colleagues.”

“We can confirm that Jacintha was recently the victim of a hoax call to the hospital. The hospital has been supporting her at this difficult time.”

Hospital chief executive John Lofthouse said: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies at this time are with her family and friends. Everyone is shocked by the loss of a much-loved and valued colleague.”
A St James’s Palace spokesman said: “At no point did the Palace complain to the hospital about the incident. On the contrary, we offered our full and heartfelt support to the nurses involved and hospital staff at all times.”

Stephen's Honours Alumnus For Building 100km Road in Manipur

New Delhi, Dec 8 : St. Stephen's College on Friday recognised the efforts of one of its students whose initiative has spelt development for hundreds of villagers in the hills of Manipur.

For Armstrong Pame -who joined St. Stephen's College in 2005 with Physics (Hons)-the felicitation by his alma mater after all these years, was a proud moment.

The foremost initiative for this Young Turk after joining the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in 2009 was to work for the betterment of Impa village, where he hailed from and spent most of his childhood.

"This village had no roads or electricity and it was my dream to provide a basic road so that in times of emergency at least a four-wheeler vehicle can pass through," said Pame.

After Pame joined the IAS, plans were under way for infrastructure development in the deep recesses of the North East.

As the sub division officer of the Tousem sub division (Manipur), Pame pulled out all stops to pool in resources for the construction of a 100-kilometre stretch of road in this district. While 60 kilometres required intensive repair work, Pame said that a 40-kilometre stretch had to be constructed afresh.

"I got in touch with the villagers and we did a lot of brainstorming, after which we decided that we would work to build roads in the area. So about 150 villagers agreed to provide firewood, manpower and other resources that they could. I requested some of my friends who provided bulldozers and other equipment for very nominal rates," he added.

Even though financing the project was a constraint, it did not prove to be a deterrent.

"I told the villagers that I would pay them a basic salary from what I had saved over the months. My mother pooled in money from my father's pension and my brother and his wife also joined in. But we got a major boost when we put up this initiative on Facebook. Now we have generated almost R16 lakh. In future, I will request the government to help us," he said.

How Climate Change Affected Livelihood Options in Assam

Guwahati, Dec 8 : Climate change leading to natural disasters, particularly flood and erosion, has affected the livelihood options of thousands of people across Assam, a study has found out.

The impact of the climate change is most pronounced among marginalised women, but it has also pushed people from prosperous families into taking up work of domestic assistance and daily wage labour, the study revealed.

In many cases, young women of less developed and remote areas have even been pushed into flesh trade after natural disasters wiped out their options of making an honest livelihood.

The study was conducted by the Centre for Environment, Social and Policy Research (CESPR) in collaboration with the Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change.


It has been observed that during the last few years there has been a significant change in the livelihood options of people due to climate distortions, CESPR spokesperson Sabita Devi says.

The study was undertaken in the six severely disaster-affected districts of Lakhimpur, Majuli in Jorhat.

Morigaon, Sonitpur, Baksa and Dibrugarh. Devi said many people, who were earlier dependent on agriculture, had been forced to take up other avenues of employment due to change in climatic pattern.

“Climate change is generally perceived by the people interviewed during the course of the study as the presence of more diseases, more rainfall, change in climatic conditions and loss of agricultural output,” she said.

It was also an acute necessity that forced people to uproot themselves from their original homes and workplaces to seek livelihood somewhere, Devi said.

Devi pointed out that senior environmental scientists, who have worked extensively on environment and climate change in the Northeast, had noted rapid climatic change in Assam.

According to meteorological scientists who have been associated with studies related to climate in Assam, a change over the past three or four decades and a steady rise in temperature have been observed.

“Due to excessive floods, communication is disrupted for long periods of time and this has particularly affected the girls who are often forced to drop out of schools and colleges,” she said.

Besides, the adverse impact of the flood on the income of the family often forces the women of the house to step out and seek work elsewhere and when this happens, the children, too, suffer, Devi pointed out.

Assam’s devastating floods have had a major impact on the economic conditions of several households, Siddharth D’Souza of the Indian Network on Ethic and Climate Change pointed out.
“This has also made young girls from the tea garden areas vulnerable as they are lured with the promise of jobs but are instead pushed into into flesh trade,” D’Souza said.

“We have come across several instances when some anti social elements had tried to lure away young women outside the state with promises of good job,” social activist Krishna Sundas said.

In Majuli, the world’s largest river island, women who were earlier home-makers are now forced to take up weaving, daily wage labour and other related activities to make ends meet, while in Morigaon several households are taking up fishing to make up for lost agricultural produce, he said.

23 Best Music Videos Of 2012

The most innovative, clever, beautiful, and bonkers clips of the year.

23. Sigur Rós, "Fjögur Píanó"

 

22. Odd Future, "Oldie"

21. Jack White, "I'm Shakin'"

 

20. Flying Lotus, "Tiny Tortures"

19. Grizzly Bear, "Yet Again"

18. Lana Del Rey, "Ride"

17. G-Dragon, "Crayon"

16. Killer Mike, "Big Beast"

15. Father John Misty, "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings"

14. Fiona Apple, "Every Single Night"

13. BigBang, "Fantastic Baby"

12. El-P, "The Full Retard"

11. Skrillex, "Bangarang"

10. Perfume Genius, "Hood"

9. Drake featuring Lil Wayne, "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)"

8. Hot Chip, "Don't Deny Your Heart"

7. Taylor Swift, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"

6. Grimes, "Genesis"

5. St. Vincent, "Cheerleader"

 

4. Aimee Mann, "Labrador"

 

3. Psy, "Gangnam Style"

2. Danny Brown, "Grown Up"

1. Chairlift, "Met Before"

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 Price Dopped by 20pc

Samsung today dropped price of its 10.1-inch Android tablet, the Tab 2 10.1, by approximately 20 percent, according to online retailer Saholic. The tablet, which was earlier priced at Rs 31,990, is now available for Rs 25,900. The timing of the price drop indicates that tomorrow’s impending iPad Mini and iPad 4 launch in India could have something to do with it.

The iPad mini will be priced in India from Rs 21,900 onwards while the iPad 4 will start from Rs 31,900 upwards. Industry insiders and retailers are expecting the iPad mini to be a runaway success in India, where Apple products typically have been expensive and out of reach of most people who aspire to own an Apple product.

Having said that, the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 has better specs with a 10.1-inch WXGA display, 3G connectivity, microSD card slot among others. However, when it comes to tablets, consumers have chosen the iPad over Android tablets even though they offer better specifications and are available at lower price points than comparable iPad variant. We doubt that this price drop would dent the sales of the iPad mini but it is well worth a try.

Read

HTC Butterfly Global Version Announced

HTC today quietly announced the international variant of the Droid DNA, which it is calling HTC Butterfly for the global audience. The device was first announced as the HTC Butterfly J in Japan and was rumored to be called HTC Deluxe. The Butterfly’s calling card is its 5-inch 1080p display, which we believe will have the highest pixel density on any smartphone in the world. Read on for more details.

Apart from the display, the Butterfly features a 8-megapixel camera with a 28mm lens, F2.0 aperture and a backside illuminated sensor, which should give it better low-light performance. Then there is the 2.1-megapixel front camera that can shoot videos in 1080p resolution. As will most top-end HTC smartphones, it comes with a dedicated ImageChip for zero shutter lag and faster image processing. HTC has also added five levels of flashlight that is automatically set depending on the distance from the subject.

The HTC Butterfly runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz and comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage with a microSD card for good measure. HTC has not revealed what version of Android it runs but we are assuming it would be running Android Jelly Bean 4.1. No word on pricing or availability either.

HTC Butterfly key specifications

• Dimension: 143 x 75 x 9.08 mm
• Weight: 140 gram
• Display: 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixels LCD 3 with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz
• Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage with microSD card slot
• Camera: 8-megapixel rear, 2.1-megapixel front cameras
• Battery: 2020 mAh

Indian Boxing Federation Suspended By AIBA

Lausanne/New Delhi, Dec 7 : In a massive jolt to boxing in India, the International Boxing Association has suspended the IABF alleging "possible manipulation" in its recent elections but the body has denied the charge, insisting that the process was "transparent".

The development which has left the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) "stunned" comes within a few days of the International Olympic Committee suspending the Indian Olympic Association.

"Further to the International Olympic Committee's suspension imposed on the Indian Olympic Association, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Executive Committee Bureau has decided today December 6 to provisionally suspend the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF)," the AIBA said in a statement.

"This provisional suspension is also due to the fact that AIBA had learned about possible manipulation of the recent IABF's election.

"AIBA will now investigate this election and especially a potential political link between IOA President, as former Chairman of the IABF, and the IABF election," it added.

During the September elections, outgoing President Abhay Singh Chautala, who was elected IOA President despite IOC's suspension, was retained in the body as nominated Chairman of the body.

The development now also puts a question mark over Chautala's election as IOA President since he came into the fray as an IABF representative. Interestingly, his brother-in-law and BJP MLA from Rajasthan, Abhishek Matoria, was elected as the new IABF President.

Stunned by the suspension, Matoria said that the world body had been apprised of the election process in detail.

"AIBA had specific queries about the election process and we had explained to them that there was no manipulation. Those who got elected were unanimous choices and just because there was unanimity, the AIBA cannot allege manipulation," Matoria said.


"This is a provisional suspension and I am sure it would be lifted soon after we explain our stand to AIBA. If need be, I will personally go and speak to AIBA officials in Lausanne," Matoria said.

"Our boxers are not threatened by any repercussions for the time being because the next major AIBA event is quite far and the matter will be resolved by then," he added.

The next AIBA event is the Junior World Championships in August next year, followed by the senior World Championships in October.

A senior IABF functionary told PTI that there might be a re-election.

"Let's wait and see. Maybe there would have to be a re-election in a proper manner with AIBA Observer being present," he said.

In the September IABF elections, the body had been left in a fix after the Sports Ministry barred it from making constitutional changes that could have facilitated continuation of the incumbent set of office-bearers.

Meanwhile, the AIBA's decision came as a bolt from the blue for the boxers, many of whom are in the national camp in Patiala.

"It is a sad day for Indian boxing and I can't understand how such a development can take place. I don't understand why the matter was not explained to AIBA," India's first Olympic medallist in the sport, Vijender Singh, said.

The Beijing Olympics bronze-medallist was, however, hopeful that the issue would be resolved soon.

"The next AIBA event is quite far but hopefully we would not sit on it for too long and get the suspension revoked as soon as possible," he said.