Northeast Students Asked To Prove They’re Indians

Guwahati, Jan 30 : A group of students from prestigious Handique Girls’ College of Assam was prevented from entering the Taj Mahal by authorities because “their faces were looking like foreigners.”

A group of 29 history students from Guwahati-based Handique Girls’ College, were on a college excursion recently to Jaipur, Agra-Mathura, Vrindavan and Delhi to see India’s historical culture. When the group reached Agra to see the Taj Mahal, the students were denied entry and told to buy ticket for foreigners. The obvious reason was that they had Mongoloid features.

When students showed their Permanent Account Number cards, they were told those weren’t enough as a PAN card did not testify whether the person hailed from Assam or not. When the students flanked their college identity cards, the officials said though the college identity cards affirmed that they were from Assam, nowhere on the cards was written that Assam is a part of India.

A student, who was part of the group said that the horrifying incident left them dejected as authorities went on humiliating the teachers accompanying the students. The authorities frisking tickets at the gate even engaged into a verbal brawl with senior professor. 

“They asked us to name the chief minister of Assam and where in India, Assam is located, which subjected us to sheer humiliation,” narrated the students.

This incident came close on the heels of an incident during the Republic Day parade at Rajpath when a girl from Arunachal Pradesh was humiliated and harassed by the crowd by asking her nationality.

The crowd, which branded her as Chinese because of her face went to the extent of lodging complaints with the authorities asking as to how a foreigner was allowed to sit in galley meant for Indians.

Northeast Students Allege Online Racial Abuse

By Raj Shekhar

New Delhi, Jan 30 : In what appears to be a disturbing trend, a number of students from Meghalaya studying in Delhi have approached police alleging that someone has hurled racial abuses at them on a social networking site in the past few months.

According to the complainants, a particular Facebook page titled, "Save the Hindus of Himalaya", has carried objectionable messages targeting Khasi students. The Economic Offences Wing has lodged an FIR under Section 66 (A) of the IT Act and IPC 153(A) (spreading hatred between two groups).

While Facebook has blocked the page, police are yet to receive the IP address of the user. They said the accused will be arrested once they receive his coordinates. Data released by the northeast cell of Delhi Police reveal that it has registered 28 cases of cyber crime in the past eight months.

In the complaint submitted to the joint commissioner, Satish Golcha, the Meghalaya students' union has said the Facebook page has been active for more than a year, but in the past few weeks, its administrator has shown more aggression in "his" tone. "There have also been incidents of him instigating people to physically harm those from Meghalaya, especially the Khasis. As students from the state of Meghalaya, we feel that our people, especially the students are disturbed and scared with this kind of language being used in social media," said the complainant, Simon Duncan Kharsohtun. A senior police officer said a complaint from Simon and other students from Meghalaya was received. "During inquiry, a notice was sent to Facebook (USA) to provide the details of the page.

Facebook has intimated that the page has been blocked but we have asked for further information," the officer said. Between May 9 and January 29, police received 1,010 distress calls, of these 780 were crime-related. A total of 290 FIRs were registered on these calls in the past eight months.

South district, which has the maximum number of people from the northeast, has recorded 320 complaints while the southeast Delhi stands second with 66 complaints. Northwest district has received 52 complaints, southwest 51, north 48, west 41, east 22, central 18, New Delhi 16, outer 13 and northeast district, which has the least population, has received merely 7 complaints.

Among the police stations in south Delhi, Vasant Vihar received 71 complaints, Safdarjung Enclave 59, Malviya Nagar 29, Kotla 28, Mukherjee Nagar 28, Vasant Kunj 47, Timarpur 17, Mehrauli 19, and South Campus and RK Puram 17 each.

Financial Crisis Hits Mizoram’s Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Aizawl, Jan 30 : Healthcare providers working to stem the spread of HIV in a state with the second-highest prevalence rate in India have warned of a potential surge in new infections as the state government has withheld funds for five months, leading to massive cut-backs in operations such as distribution of syringes to drug addicts, handing out condoms and facilitating blood tests.

“There is definitely going to be a surge in HIV positive cases in a few months from now as more and more people get tested for the virus,” warned John Thansanga, who heads an umbrella group of healthcare providers that directly deal with Mizoram’s HIV patients and high-risk populations, including intravenous drug-users, homosexuals, sex-workers and informal migrant workers.

The umbrella grouping consists of 37 organisations which are at the frontline of the state’s AIDS control society’s fight against HIV.

A vast majority have already scaled down their operations while many have reported they are being asked to vacate their centres because
they are unable to pay their rent while workers and staff are owed up to five months’ salaries, John Thansanga said, adding most are unable to get anymore credit since they have been unable to repay earlier ones.

This means free fresh syringes are beyond the reach of a huge percentage of the more than 12,500 intravenous drug users being treated by these centres, while more than an equal number of sex-workers, informal migrant workers and homosexuals are not being sufficiently provided condoms.

This shortage of protective paraphernalia means it is not just HIV but different kinds of hepatitis, sexually-transmitted diseases and other ailments spread through exchange of blood that are at risk of being contracted by many others.

“It’s a public health issue that is not limited just to HIV,” John Thansanga said.

His colleague, Lalrinawma Chhakchhuak, explained the squeeze in operations has been set off because the cash-strapped Mizoram government is yet to release Rs 820.32 lakhs that has already been transferred to the state by NACO.

The state treasury has a daily withdrawal ceiling and funds for combating HIV are apparently not on the priority list as the government continues to struggle with a lack of finances that has hung over the state for several years now.

Officials from the Mizoram State Aids Control Society, who declined to be named, admitted the nodal agency has not received the funds from the state government for the past five months and therefore could not disburse them to the frontline organisations.

“Right now even we are in the same boat. We’re all broke,” said one senior official.

Among Indian states, Mizoram is officially believed to be second only to Nagaland when it comes to HIV prevalence rates, which is juxtaposed by accounting for the percentage of women attending antenatal clinics who are found to be infected with the virus.

2825 Criminal Cases Registered in Mizoram

Aizawl, Jan 30 : Police stations and outposts across Mizoram registered 2,825 criminal cases of which there were 45 murder cases and 125 rape cases during January to December 2014, according to the records of the state CID (Crime) branch. 

The records showed that at least one murder case was registered every month and seven murder cases in March and June.             

There were 23 attempted murder cases registered  and except in April at least one attempted murder case was registered every month during the year.      

 Police registered 125 rape cases during the same period and suspected that there were many cases which went unreported including rape of minors.       

 The highest number of case registered was theft at 889 cases followed by 484 cases of burglary while there were 234 people died and 103 others were injured in 132 vehicle accidents during last year.

Mizoram Has More Ration Cards Than its Population

Aizawl, Jan 29 : Mizoram has more ration cards than its total population.

The startling revelation was made in the Statistical Handbook of Mizoram, 2014 released by state planning minister Lalsawta on Tuesday. According to it, there were more than 15 lakh ration cards in the state which has a population of not even 11 lakh (2011 Census).

The population of Mizoram, according to the 2011 census, was 10, 97,206. But as per 2, 65,473 ration cards issued by the state food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department, the figure stands at 15, 43,180 till June, 2014.

The names in the cards issued show that there were 11, 78,563 adults and 3, 64, 617 minors. Officials suspect that many retailers who were selling rice at subsidized rates to the public through PDS fraudulently made fake ration cards so that they could sell surplus rice at higher prices, especially in bulk.

"It was impossible to detect such fake ration cards as the shop owners, in connivance with the leaders of village councils or local councils, approach the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department for issuing ration cards," said an official.

A leader of Young Mizo Association (YMA) said the YMA had tried to correct the wrong but it was an extremely difficult task.

Mizoram's First Chakma Minister Nirupam Quits Congress

Aizawl, Jan 29 : Mizoram's first Minister from the Chakma community and veteran Congress leader Nirupam Chakma today resigned from the primary membership of the party.

Chakma submitted his resignation as the senior adviser of the Chakma Autonomous District Council Congress Committee (CADCCC) and as primary member of the Congress party to the CADCCC President.

He sent the copies of his resignation letter to AICC President Sonia Gandhi and Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Lal Thanhawla.

Chakma first contested the state assembly polls in 1987 from Chawngte seat and was elected.

He again won from the same constituency in 1989 and was sworn in as a Minister of State on January 25, 1989 to become the first ever Chakma Minister in the state.

He was again inducted as minister of state after winning the state assembly polls in 1993.

He again won the state assembly polls in 1998 and 2003 during which the Congress sat in the opposition and was denied a cabinet berth after the Congress party returned to power in the 2008 state assembly polls when Nihar Kanti Chakma, a younger man was inducted as minister of state.

He was denied the Congress ticket in the 2013 state assembly and even was not given the post of Chief Executive Member of the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC).

Tripura, Mizoram Officials Summoned Over Refugee Repatriation

Agartala/Aizawl, Jan 29 : The union home ministry has summoned Tripura and Mizoram officials to New Delhi Jan 30 to discuss the repatriation of Mizoram's tribal refugees, sheltered in northern Tripura for more than 17 years, officials said Wednesday.

"The home ministry has convened a meeting of officials of Tripura and Mizoram in New Delhi Jan 30 to resume the repatriation of tribal refugees to Mizoram," Tripura's Relief and Rehabilitation Department Additional Secretary Karnamani Das said.

"The (Tripura) state government has been asking both Mizoram and the union home ministry to repatriate the tribal refugees to their villages in Mizoram. A serious socio-economic problem has cropped up due to the long stay of the refugees in Tripura," said Das, who would represent Tripura in the meeting.

Senior officials of the union home ministry would also attend the meeting.

An official in Aizawl said Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma held a meeting with the home department officials Tuesday to finalise the strategy for the New Delhi meeting.

Friday's meeting assumes significance in view of the Supreme Court directions Jan 16 about the refugees.

The apex court directed the central and the state governments of Mizoram and Tripura to hold consultations within four months to formulate plans to continue repatriation of the refugees to Mizoram from the Tripura relief camps.

"Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla while speaking in the meeting of the North Eastern Council Jan 2 in Shillong, proposed that those refugees who refused to return to Mizoram despite concerted efforts, should be settled permanently in Tripura," the official added.

"In the last road map for the repatriation of refugees, only 6,647 tribals had returned to Mizoram from Tripura till November last year," the official quoted the chief minister as saying at the NEC meeting.

About 35,000 Reang tribals, locally called "Bru", are staying in six camps in northern Tripura since October 1997 after they fled their villages in western Mizoram following ethnic troubles after the killing of a Mizo forest official.

The refugee leaders in the relief camps said they were reluctant to return to their homes unless their genuine demands were met.

"We have submitted a memorandum to a central government team to solve our 10-point demands, including permanent solution to the ethnic problems," refugee leader and Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) general secretary Bruno Mesha told IANS over phone from Kanchanpur, 190 km north of here.

The refugees' demands include economic rehabilitation of the repatriated refugees, adequate security, allotment of land, employment, free ration for two years and financial assistance of Rs.1.5 lakh per family.

The MBDPF leaders also requested the central government team that till the time they are repatriated to Mizoram, the amount of relief items, including rice, should be increased and their living conditions in makeshift camps should be improved.

Following an order of the Tripura High Court, the union home ministry had last year constituted a seven-member committee headed by Rajiv Gauba, the ministry's additional secretary, to oversee the condition of the refugees in the Tripura camps.

The central team visited the refugee camps last year and submitted its report to the Tripura High Court.

Tripura and Mizoram share a 109-km border.

The Tripura High Court passed its order June 24 following a petition filed by a lawyer.

The refugees also demanded that they should be given facilities and status like that of Kashmiri Pandits and Tamil refugees and should be allotted land. They also demanded creation of model villages in Reang tribals' inhabited areas, better security and sanitation and education for the tribals in Mizoram.

Delhi To Have Special Hostels For Northeast Students

New Delhi, Jan 29 : The central government Wednesday proposed to set up special hostels for students from the northeast region studying in Delhi.

Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister Jitendra Singh ordered a sub-committee be set up consisting of representatives from offices of resident commissioners of various states as well as representatives of the DoNER ministry to identify suitable location and land for construction of such hostels.

The minister was addressing a meeting here of resident commissioners of the northeastern states.

The accessibility, security and availability of basic amenities should be important consideration while planning such hostels, an official release said.

Singh also issued instructions for carrying forward negotiations about the venues which were shortlisted as possible locations for these hostels.

The minister called upon the resident commissioners to maintain a regular and closer interaction with his ministry in a more institutionalised manner.

Singh suggested each resident commissioner could collect general information about the profile and composition of the people from his state living in Delhi. This would enable the DoNER ministry to focus its plans on specific needs of students, youth, elderly citizens, women and other sections of society from each state residing in Delhi.

Deal Signed On Grape Sale From Mizoram

Aizawl, Jan 28 : Mizoram's Champhai Grape Growers Society (CGGS) and Radiant Manufacturers Limited signed a deal in Guwahati yesterday in which the Guwahati-based wine making company agreed to buy 3.6 lakh litre of concentrated grape juice from the CGGS annually.

Lalremsiama, Sub Divisional Horticulture Officer and Managing Director of the CGGS told PTI over phone that the agreement was inked on behalf of the Radiant Manufacturer Limited by its Director Roshan Chand and three representatives of the CGGS.

The Radiant Manufacturers Ltd, which used to procure concentrated grape juice from Goa would now buy from Mizoram-Myanmar border Champhai district.

The grape growers, which established its own winery at Tlangsam village in Champhai district, were worried that their sales would plummet after the new liquor law replacing the stringent dry law was in place in Mizoram for the first time in 17 years.

Thangseia, general secretary of the CGGS opined that disposing around 15,000 quintals of grape expected to be produced this year would be a difficult task after the change of the state government's liquor policy and the deal with the Guwahati-based wine-making company was a welcome step.

Close to 500 Bru families return to Mizoram on their own from Tripura relief Camps

By Adam Halliday

Aizawl, Jan 28 : Close to 500 families of the Bru tribe have reported to the Mizoram government that they have “self-repatriated” themselves into the state from relief camps in Tripura since the last formal process in June last year, when less than 280 families returned.

Combined with the more than 530 families who have returned home on their own in the past, the data appears to underline the increasing desire by many to return home, often in secret, from almost two decades of squalid exile despite resistance by community leaders at the camps who want better rehabilitation packages and security.

In all, a little less than 670 families have come home under the formal process, which involves both the Tripura and Mizoram governments announcing dates, arranging for transportation and setting up stalls to facilitate their return.

These formal processes almost always clash with shows of resistance by Bru leaders in the camps, who organize roadblocks and dharnas there to discourage those who want to return. These have been apparently successful, for example in 2012, only seven families returned under the formal process.

On the other hand, as many as 573 families have chosen the “self-repatriation” route in which they sneak out of the camps and simply head towards and cross the inter-state border, only later informing Mizoram government authorities of their return and thus eligibility for the rehabilitation package.

The close to 500 families (455 of them to Mamit district, between 20 and 30 others in Kolasib district) who have reported they have come home on their own await formal verification and thus have not yet been given the rehabilitation packages.

As things stand, what is left of the Mizoram government’s funds for their rehabilitation will no longer be able to meet the expenses required to rehabilitate these almost 500 families if they are all found to be legitimate returnees.

Thousands of families from the Bru tribe fled ethnic tension in Mizoram and settled in Tripura as refugees 18 years ago, where they live in six squalid relief camps.

The Tripura government disallows them from owning land – including for farms – elsewhere, provides them no work under the MGNREGS while they are also not entitled to vote for state elections.

The Brus perforce live on cash and ration doles – Rs 5 per adult per day (Rs 2.50 for minors), 600 grams of rice per adult per day (250 grams for minors) plus Rs 10 per months each to every family for purchasing cooking oil.

The social justice bench of the Supreme Court had earlier this month rapped the centre for providing meagre compensation, and also termed “highly objectionable” the government’s reasoning for the paltry hand-outs – better camp conditions would make the Brus disinclined to return to Mizoram.

The judges’ anger elicited an apology from the Additional Solicitor General.

But Bru leaders have been saying the same thing – that Tripura treats them badly so they are forced to vacate the relief camp land, much of which they say has already been given to local tribals under the FRA.

They also say the state government fears their permanent residence in Tripura because that would greatly add to the tribal population there. Tripura has for generations seen ethnic, often violent, conflict between its Bengali and tribal communities, the latter once in majority but overrun by the former within a few decades after India’s independence and the establishment of East Pakistan and, later, Bangladesh.

Boy Shoots Dead Brother in Mizoram

Aizawl, Jan 28 : An eight-year-old boy has shot dead his elder brother by using their father's hunting gun in Mizoram, police said here Tuesday.

The incident took place late Monday in Serchhip district.

"R.C. Lalchuangkima after returning from the forest, kept his bullet loaded hunting gun in his home Monday night. His son John Kennedy reportedly used the gun to shoot his elder brother David Lalengzuala, who died on the spot," a police officer said.

Kennedy pumped two bullets into his 12-year-old brother's head, said the officer. Police are yet to ascertain the motive behind the killing.

Mizoram To Curb Corruption At All Levels

Aizawl, Jan 27 : Mizoram is fully committed to root out corruption in all its forms and at all levels, and this has been the main agenda to achieve good governance, Governor Aziz Qureshi said here Monday.

"The state government is devoted to eliminate corruption at all levels. The Lokayukta Bill, 2014, has been passed by the state assembly in line with the central Lokpal after holding a number of talks with many NGOs, intellectuals and various stakeholders," the governor said after hoisting the national flag at the Assam Rifles ground here.

He said : "To ensure equality of gender in Mizo society and marriages, the Divorce and Inheritance of Property Bill, 2014, has also been passed by the state assembly in November last year, in line with customs and traditions prevailing amongst the Mizos."

Qureshi said that KG-I and KG-II classes would be introduced in government primary schools from the next academic session (2015-2016) and 148 primary schools were selected, to start with, as a pilot project.

"The food department has undertaken the computerisation of the Targeted Public Distribution System operations in the state and currently 215,463 out of 241,272 ration cards (89.30 percent) have been digitised."

He said that with the view to promote Indo-Myanmar border trade, the land customs station at Zokhawthar in Champhai district (in eastern Mizoram) has been completed and is ready for formal inauguration.

The governor said that a 50-seat Mizoram medical college is also being set up at Falkawn, near Aizawl, and would start its classes from August this year.

"Mizoram has a vast potential for generating hydroelectricity. The power department is taking up construction of two hydel power projects of a total capacity of 9 MW and this is likely to be commissioned during 2015-17," he added.

Republic Day was celebrated across Mizoram, with numerous functions and programmes, including sports and cultural events.

Northeast Woman Treated Like Alien At Parade

By Vishnu Sukumaran

New Delhi, Jan 27 : Couple reports her to police, frisked again

“Do I look like a terrorist or a Chinese?” said a 32-year-old lawyer from Arunachal Pradesh who claimed to have faced racial discrimination when she went to watch the Republic Day parade at Rajpath on Monday.

Liyi Noshi said a couple sitting next to her in an enclosure thought that she was not Indian, and they went to security personnel to find out how she entered the area.

Security personnel then questioned her and she had to undergo frisking in the enclosure despite being frisked three times before reaching there.

Liyi, who hails from East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, lives in a rented house at Pushp Vihar in Saket, and practices at Saket court.

She had reached enclosure number 23 in Rajpath at 7.30 am after standing in long queues for 90 minutes.

As it was raining, she was wearing a raincoat and was carrying nothing other than an ID card, a spectacle case, some keys and a couple of hundred rupees in cash.

She said that a couple and two men were sitting next to her.

 “I was reading a booklet distributed in the enclosure about the two-hour-long procession when the man sitting next to me came there with a security personnel. The cop told me that the couple had complained about me being a security threat,” Liyi says.

Liyi was shocked to hear the allegations, and said no women security personnel were even called to attend to the complaint.

“The policeman asked for my ID card to prove my nationality and then told me to empty my jacket’s pockets. I told the policeman that I had crossed several layers of security to reach there, but he refused to listen. I was treated as if I was a terrorist or some Chinese spy,” she added.

Pockets emptied

On being left with no other option, Liyi emptied her pockets to prove her innocence.

As no incriminating material was found with her, the policeman apologised to Liyi, but did not take any action against the couple.

“I was racially discriminated and humiliated in front of a packed enclosure. I felt so disrespected as an Indian that I tore the invite and left the enclosure,” Noshi said.

“I cried on the way back, but was not able to seek help from people known to me as I was not carrying my mobile phone,” she added.

The matter was reported to Robin Hibu, Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police (Training), who is in charge of north-east affairs.

Liyi has decided against taking legal action.

“This is not the first time that I faced racial discrimination in this city. Being a woman from the north-east community, we are routinely treated like outsiders who can be mistreated and humiliated,” she added.

Deadly Japanese Encephalitis Surges in Northeast India

By Amarjyoti Borah

Guwahati, Jan 27 : Cases of deadly mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis have risen nearly five-fold in five years in India's northeast Assam state as a result of warming weather and changing rainfall, health experts say.

Between 2010 and 2014, the number of annual cases rose from 154 to 744, with deaths rising from 41 to 160, according to data from the Assam health department. The disease, which in 2009 was recorded in only half of the state's districts, now is seen in all of them.

Doctors say climate change has played a major role in the spread of the disease, which once appear largely from May to July, but now is seen as late in the year as November, as mosquitoes survive longer in warmer conditions.

Japanese encephalitis is characterised by inflammation of the brain and high fever.

"Now the temperature ... which is ideal for breeding of the Culex mosquito is present almost until October or so, and as a result of this the cases of the disease are increasing," said Rabindra Nath Talukdar, a senior official of the Assam health department.

"Initially it was only an upper Assam disease ... but now it has also been detected in lower Assam districts, and (now) cases have been reported from all the 27 districts in Assam," Talukdar said.

MORE MOSQUITOES

Health department officials said changes in agricultural patterns may be affecting the rise in encephalitis cases. Warmer conditions have allowed farmers to grow more crops of rice each year, which means rice paddies with standing water offer a breeding ground for mosquitoes for a larger part of each year.

"The Culex mosquito breeds on water in the agricultural land, and now since there is water on the field for several more months than before, it gives more time and space for the mosquito to breed," Talukdar said.

Faced with a surge in Japanese encephalitis cases, the Assam government has announced measures to tackle the problem, including more careful monitoring of cases.

Assam Health Minister Nazrul Islam described the situation as "a huge concern".

"I have asked the senior officials of the health department to monitor the situation carefully and to report to me on a regular basis," he said.

GROWING OUTCRY

Faced with a growing public outcry over the disease's rapid spread, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has ordered officials of the Assam health department to develop a plan to control the disease.

Plans should include "setting up of an intensive care unit in each district hospital for treatment of emergency cases, along with laboratory testing units," Gogoi said.

As well, "I have already asked the health department to procure laboratory testing kits for quick diagnosis of the disease, adequate vaccines and medicines for the hospitals, and also to carry out intensive fogging in the affected areas," he said.

Civil society groups and activists have however questioned why such steps were not taken earlier.

"The data from the state health department itself shows that the disease has taken a deadly turn over the years in the state. Unfortunately the state machinery waited for the disease to go out of control, whereas it should have taken steps to control the disease much earlier," said Sankar Prasad Rai, of the All Assam Students Union (AASU).

Several influential student groups of the state, including the All Assam Students Union and the Assam Jatiyatibadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), have staged protests over the government's failure to control the spread of Japanese encephalitis.

Mizo Women Body Hails Women Reservation in Local Bodies

Aizawl, Jan 26 : The All Mizoram Women Federation (AMWF) hailed amendment to the 62-year-old village councils act that envisages reservation of seats for women in the local bodies elections.

Addressing a news conference here yesterday, AMWF president Dr Jane Ralte hailed the Lushai Hills District (Village Councils) Act, 2014 as a major milestone in regards to political empowerment of women in the patriarchal Mizo society.

As per the amended Act, one seat will be reserved for women in a village council having three seats to five seats, two seats for women in a village council having seven seats, and three women seats in a village council having nine seats.

The State Election Com-mission is gearing up to conduct elections to village councils in Mizoram, with the exception of the three autonomous district councils, during February. This will be the first time that seats are reserved for women in Mizoram village polls.

Addressing a press conference in Aizawl, AMWF President Dr Jane R Ralte said the Mizo Marriage, Divorce and Inheritance of Property Act 2014 was enacted by the State Legislature on November 12, 2014, but was yet to be in force.

Arunachal Woman Inspires Farmers to Ditch Opium

By Prasanta Mazumdar

Guwahati, Sep 26 : A revolution is brewing in an Arunachal Pradesh district and fanning the flames of the energising change is ‘Tea Lady’ Basamlu Krisikro.

A post-graduate from the Delhi University, Basamlu took to tea cultivation to give her cancer-afflicted mother her daily dose of green tea, but the venture soon mushroomed into a thriving business.

Within a few years, her success story inspired several locals, who traditionally grew opium, to switch to tea crops. It is extracted from the poppy plant, which is illegally cultivated in Lohit, Anjaw, Tirap and Changlang districts in Eastern Arunachal, bordering China. Wakro alone has 12,000 to 13,000 opium cultivators.

The land here was once famous for its oranges, but the yield fell drastically over the last decade, leaving the farmers high and dry. Concerned at this, Basamlu and a medical practitioner, Nayil, took it upon themselves to convince the affected ryots that tea cultivation could be an alternative source of sustainable income.

They also encouraged opium farmers to replace their fields with small-scale tea plantations. And their hard work paid off. Within a year, at least a dozen of them turned into small-time tea growers.

“The sudden decline in yield of oranges perplexed farmers, who consulted experts and agencies in vain. Worried about their livelihood, they began cultivating opium. As a result, the local consumption of opium increased alarmingly. Opium gave them a source of income and got them hooked on to it as well,” Basamlu told Express.

“The consumption of the drug, especially among the youth, is increasing. The situation made some of us explore an alternative source of income. It was then that I got into tea cultivation. I approached some opium growers and advised them that they should opt for tea. I volunteered to provide them with technical and financial support,” Basamlu said.

Last year, her plantation spread across five hectares of land, produced 2,000 kg of orthodox and organic green tea.

Songelum, 40, is among those who gave up opium cultivation. “It is like an ATM. You will instantly get a buyer. Work hard from December to March and you will earn enough for a year. If you have a land measuring one hectare, you can get a produce of six to seven kg a year. Around `7,000 is all you will need to invest,” he said.

EC Bars Mizoram AAP Candidate, Two Others From Elections

Aizawl, Jan 26 : The Election Commission has barred Michael Lalmanzuala, who contested to the lone Mizoram Lok Sabha seat as an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate, from contesting any elections for three years.

The punitive action against Lalmanzuala came after he allegedly did not submit his expenditure statement to the EC, sources in the state election department today said.

State Joint Chief Electoral Officer F J Liantluanga told PTI that the EC had conveyed its decision to the state election department.

"The EC issued show cause notices to Lalmanzuala and to two other candidates in the state Assembly polls held during the last part of 2013," Liantluanga said adding the explanations offered by Lalmanzuala and the two contestants - Lalthlahlova and Biakmawia - were not accepted and the two Assembly election candidates were also awarded the same punishment.

Lalmanzuala, when contacted, said he was not involved in any electoral malpractices but was punished as he did not have sufficient time to give detailed expenditure statements.

"The EC's requirements were too complicated to be followed to the letter," he added.

Manipuri Officer To Unfurl Tricolor

Imphal, Jan 26 : A young Manipuri woman officer, Lieutenant Haobam Bella Devi, will conduct one of the most important and prestigious activities during the Republic Day parade — unfurling the national flag — at Rajpath in New Delhi on Monday.

The act will be done in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee, PM Narendra Modi and the chief guest on the occasion, US President Barak Obama, among other distinguished personalities.

"When the President along with chief guest has been seated, the CO of the President's bodyguard gives command for salute. Right after that, the national flag is unfurled and national anthem is played along with a 21-gun salute," said a defence statement.

"Lieutenant Haobam Bella Devi of Ordnance Corps has been assigned the duty this year. Lt Haobam Bella Devi, a second generation army officer, is the daughter of Col H G Singh (Retd), of Top Leikei, Singjamei, Imphal," said the statement issued by Lt Col Ajay Sharma, PRO defence (Imphal).

Another Manipur officer Colonel Nameirakpam Romeo Singh, will be awarded the coveted Sena Medal (Distinguished) on Republic Day for his devotion to duty and successful command of Unit 2 Rajput (Kalichindi) in counter insurgency operations. tnn

New Land Act: Cautious Mizoram looks to Nagaland, decides to consult constitutional expert, before implementing

Aizawl, Jan 22 : As controversy hits the NDA government’s modification to the new land acquisition act through an ordinance, a cautious Mizoram government has set up a committee to look into whether the new law is even applicable for the state to implement given the autonomy granted to it by the Indian Constitution.

The committee met for the first time on Thursday to examine whether The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 passes the autonomy granted to the state by article 371(G) of the Constitution.

“No Act of President,” the article states, “in respect of….ownership and transfer of land, shall apply to the State of Mizoram unless the Legislative Assembly of the State of Mizoram by a resolution so decides.”

At Thursday’s meeting, Revenue Minister R Romawia said the government needs to “carefully examine the law and see whether this or something else may be considered for the state.”

The committee decided that as a first step it will examine how Nagaland, which is also granted considerable autonomy over land and its resources by the Constitution, deals with the new law.

It also decided that a constitutional expert should be consulted before the government starts considering the matter.

Man Posts False Information About PM Modi on Facebook, BJP Lodges FIR

Aizawl, Jan 22 : Mizoram unit of BJP has lodged an FIR with Aizawl Police against a person who allegedly posted false information against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook, police said today.

Officer-in-charge of Aizawl Police Station, Vanlaltluanga told PTI that a case under section 66(A) of IT Act and Section 500 of the IPC were registered in this connection. BJP lodges FIR for false info on PM Modi.

He said that investigation has been launched to nab the accused person. BJP Mizoram Pradesh General Secretary Chhanhima today said that the FIR was registered on Tuesday against a person who had a Facebook account in the name of 'Harry Beth Ce'.

He alleged that the person was spreading baseless and false information about the prime minister on the social networking website.

Mizo National Front Rally in Various Mizoram Towns Against Price Rise

Marchers in capital Aizawl numbered between 1000 to 1200, according to police. (Source: Express photo)

Aizawl, Jan 22 : Thousands turned up Thursday to take part in the Mizo National Front’s “People’s March” in more than a dozen towns against the rise in prices of state-supplied services and commodities in Mizoram.

Marchers in capital Aizawl numbered between 1000 to 1200, according to police, as the state’s eight district headquarters and several other towns also witnessed sizeable turnouts.


The protest marches were peaceful although it disrupted traffic in various places, and MNF leaders poked jeers at the Congress government’s “financial mismanagement” that they said led to between a 50% to 300% increase in prices of various government-supplied goods and services including water supply, subsidised PDS rice and land taxes.

The rally at Aizawl culminated in leaders submitting a memorandum to Governor Aziz Qureshi.

Court Rejects Attempt to Suicide Charge Against Irom Sharmila

By Alok Pandey

Irom Sharmila

Imphal, Jan 22 :  For the second time within a year, a court in Manipur's Imphal has ruled that activist Irom Sharmila is not trying to commit suicide through her indefinite fast against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA. The latest court order in her favour means that Irom Sharmila will be released from judicial custody; she has been confined to a room at a government hospital in Imphal for the last 15 years.

The Imphal court today refused to accept the Manipur Police's chargesheet over a 2014 case, charging her with an attempt to commit suicide

On August 19 last year, a court in Imphal, while ruling on a case lodged against the activist way back in 2000, had ordered that she be released from custody. The court had also observed that the Manipur government and the police had "failed miserably" to demonstrate that she had intended to commit suicide through fasting.

Just three days after her release, the Manipur Police re-arrested Irom Sharmila and charged her with another case of attempted suicide. She was also charged under Section 353 of the Indian penal Code, for stopping a public servant from performing his duty, was also brought in.

Today, the court dismissed both the charges.

An anguished Sharmila told the judge today, "I am tired of this cycle of release and re-arrest. Please put my case to trial once and for all. Let the case be decided".

Babloo Loitongbam, an activist from Imphal and part of the Save Sharmila campaign, says, "She has been released by the court. All of us value her liberty and we hope she will not be criminalised further."

Neither the Manipur government nor the police have reacted on the court's verdict yet.

Manipur Director General of Police Shahid Ahmad told NDTV over the phone that he would only be able to speak later this evening.

Mizoram Tipplers On A High

Aizawl, Jan 22 : More than 20,000 people across Mizoram, which had banned liquor in 1996, have collected application forms to get a card which will allow them to purchase alcohol. With the new liquor law coming into effect from January 2015, wine shops will make an entry in Mizoram from March 2.

The new liquor law -Mizoram Liquor Prohibition and Control Act, 2014 - was passed by the state assembly in July last year. The new law replaced the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1995.

Though the newly-enacted law is still a 'Prohibition act', consumption of liquor is no longer an offence. Anyone, who is above the age of 21 and wishes to drink, will have to apply for a card which will enable him or her to purchase a maximum of 6 bottles of liquor every month.

Long queues were seen outside the Aizawl excise and narcotics department office, near Congress Bhavan. Each application form costs Rs 20.

Three PSUs, the Mizoram Food and Allied Industries Corporation (MIFCO), the Mizoram Agriculture Marketing Corporation (MAMCO) and the Zoram Industrial Development Corporation (ZIDCO), have already submitted applications to the state government to man the wine shops.

The shops are expected to help the PSUs tide over financial problems, state excise and narcotics minister R Lalzirliana said.

Meanwhile, a number of people have been arrested since January 15 for violating the MLPC Act, 2014. Most of them have been convicted and sentenced to do public service by cleaning places like the compounds of the Aizawl Civil Hospital, Aizawl district court and the state excise and narcotics department office.

Others have been sentenced to undergo month-long prison terms or pay a fine of Rs 1,000.

Opposition Plans “People’s March” To Protest Against Price Rise

Aizawl, Jan 22 : Leaders of Mizoram’s main opposition party, the Mizo National Front, have said it will carry out a “people’s march” against price rise in the state at more than a dozen towns on Thursday.

At a press meet to announce the planned marches, the party’s senior vice-president Dr R Lalthangliana spelled out the reasons for the planned simultaneous marches in all eight district headquarters, including capital Aizawl, and several other towns.

These include the upward revision of subsidised PDS rice from Rs 9.50 per kilogram to Rs 15 per kilogram for APL families, the doubling of government water-supply connection charges to Rs 200, the tripling and more of the “Zoram chhiah (tax)” from Rs 15 to Rs 50, and the end of free blood transfusions for patients and the institution of a Rs 550 charge per unit of blood.

The MNF leaders explained that this introduction of charges for blood transfusions has come about because the state cannot meet its 25% share vis-avis the Centre’s 75% share in providing transfusions of blood, which is regularly donated by various volunteer groups.

They also recalled how when the then MNF government mulled an increase in taxes a decade ago, Congress leaders who were in opposition then had vandalised the revenue department offices at Aizawl, but that the same party is now increasing taxes.

The Congress responded almost immediately with a statement, pointing out the increase in prices of subsidised rice does not include those for BPL and AAY families.

The party also alleged it was the MNF’s establishment of two extra police battalions and the “provincialising” of more than 300 schools (which meant they would be eligible for government funding) that has led to a dent in the state exchequer ever since, saying maintaining these entities cost Rs 116 crores per month.

Nevertheless, that the state’s finances are in the doldrums and the need for increasing the government’s revenues has been an oft repeated theme mentioned by government heads including the Chief Minister, who last week presided over a meeting to kick-start various austerity measures to be followed by different departments.

The current controversy over the hike in prices of services and commodities offered by the government comes as elections to local bodies are due in a few months, and also in the wake of the NITI Aayog demanding a detailed explanation over allegations the Congress government is diverting money from various central funds to feed its flagship livelihood program.

Film on Naga folk music invited to US again

New Delhi, Jan 21  : “Songs of the Blue Hills”, a documentary on contemporary Naga folk music, has been invited to the North Carolina Global Film Festival in the US.

Directed by National Award-winning film critic and filmmaker Utpal Borpujari, the 2013 documentary will be screened this weekend at the fest, read a statement.

“Songs of the Blue Hills” takes viewers on a journey of contemporary Naga folk music practices and brings under the focus both the music and debate between purists and those who believe in experimenting with folk sounds.

Produced by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) of Union Ministry of Culture, the film has already been screened at many prestigious film festivals, including Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (China), Parma Internatonal Music Film Festival (Italy), 11th Eyes and Lenses Ethnographic Film Festival (Poland).

It has also been screened at New York Indian Film Festival, Gothenberg Indie Film Festival (Sweden), Visions du Reel (Nyon, Switzerland) and the World Music and Independent Film Festival (Washington).

The 96-minute film was part of the Indian Panorama at the 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, in November last year.

Jan Dhan Scheme Enters Guinness Books

New Delhi: Appreciating the Jan Dhan scheme for setting a Guinness record of opening most number of bank accounts in a week, BJP today lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the achievement and for inclusion of 11.5 crore poor with country's economy.

BJP also accused the Congress of keeping such people out of the economic reform process for last many decades for their own vested interests and for their "corrupt" practices.

"This shows that 11.5 crore poor have reposed their faith in the Prime Minister and deposited their 9,000 crores in zero-balance accounts under the Jan Dhan scheme, whom Congress kept out of the financial system due to their own vested interests and corrupt practices," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

He said this is a clear indication of the Prime Minister's intent of weeding out corruption and not allowing it to flourish, as during the previous Congress regime.

"A certain section of society was deliberately kept out of the financial system due to Congress' 'mission corruption' and its vested interests of leakages in subsidies and benefiting brokers and middlemen to siphon off public money," he said.

Sharma also lauded Prime Minister's efforts in helping those sections kept away from the financial system to be included now under the scheme, through which the poor will benefit largely.

"This is the result of Modi's vision, good governance and commitment that even World Bank is now predicting that India's economy will grow faster than China's in the coming times," he said.

Financial Services Secretary Hasmukh Adhia earlier said that Guinness Book of World Records has recognised the achievements made under Jan Dhan scheme.

In its citation, the Guinness Book said: "Most bank accounts opened in one week as part of the Financial Inclusion Campaign is 18,096,130 and was achieved by the Department of Financial Services, Government of India from August 23 to 29, 2014."

Announcing the financial inclusion scheme in his first Independence Day speech last year, Modi had set a target to open bank accounts for 7.5 crore poor persons by January 26, 2015. The target was later increased to 10 crore accounts

Mizo Govt Shelves Rice Import Plan

Aizawl, Jan 21 : The Mizoram government has temporarily shelved its earlier scheme to import 50,000 tonnes of rice from Myanmar to deal with the shortage in the wake of the six-month project to lay broad-gauge railway tracks, which began last October.

This decision was taken when the Mizoram government had reviewed its rice stock position with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) recently during a meeting with that state government's consultative committee attached to the FCI, a central undertaking, in Aizawl, and found it "satisfactory".

Ronald Sapa Tlau, the state's lone Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha and the chairman of the state government's consultative committee to the FCI, said in Aizawl today that as on January 1 this year, this undertaking, despite the difficulty in transporting food by road from two railhead points in Assam in Changsari and Baihata - both near Guwahati - to Aizawl, had "overstocked" its rice import from other states.

Tlau said the rice stock in Mizoram is "very much comfortable" with the FCI reporting that as on January 7, it has 2,5939 tonnes of rice as against its capacity of storage at 2,5490 tonnes a month.

Mizo Police Deployed After Farmers Asked To Leave Border Area

Aizawl, Jan 21 : Mizoram government has rushed a platoon of armed police to Buhchangphai area bordering Assam after some officials of the neighbouring state asked the farm workers there to leave the area, according to an official statement on Tuesday.

The statement said that Assam officials had asked farm workers in Buhchangphai area to pull down the farm huts claiming that the disputed area belonged to Assam yesterday.

Policemen, commanded by Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Vairengte, were deployed in the area, the statement said.

Areas bordering Mizoram and Assam have witnessed several violent incidents in the past over inter-state border dispute, it said.

Local MLA warns of tit-for-tat

Mizoram’s border row with Assam has continued after a nine-month hiatus, with Mizoram’s Parliamentary Secretary K Lalrinthanga warning the state “may not refrain from entering [Assam] territory to harass [Assam] residents if Assam police and forest personnel continue to intimidate and threaten” farmers of paddy-fields at the interstate boundary.

Assam Police and Forest personnel posted in southern Hailakandi district had on Monday reportedly threatened farmers at Buhchang, a village in Mizoram’s Kolasib district, to dismantle their huts and remove themselves from their farms that Assam claims is part of its territory.

Mizoram has responded by posting armed policemen in the area, just as it had done last April when two platoons were posted there in the wake of Assam police and forest officials dismantling the same huts in the same paddy fields.

Government sources said the SPs of Hailakandi and Kolasib districts have spoken to each over the phone with respect to the latest incident at the border.

K Lalrinthanga, who is also the local MLA, visited Buhchang and nearby areas on Tuesday.

Just after last year’s incident, Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana had accused Assam’s police and forest personnel of “acting like a band of dacoits” and instructed Mizoram Police “not to hesitate to use guns if necessary nor show mercy to the thieves”

DoNER To Launch ‘Make in Northeast’ Brand

New Delhi, Jan 21 : Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet theme, the Ministry of DoNER has decided to launch a ‘Make in North-east’ campaign, while plans have been finalised to appoint a brand ambassador for the north eastern region.

Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh today announced the ‘Make in North-east’ initiative beginning with a comprehensive tourism plan for the region.

He also announced the decision to appoint a brand ambassador who, he said, could personify the heritage and identity of the Northeast and at the same time, inspire the rest of the countrymen to “look east” and “act east”.

Chairing a joint meeting of senior officers of the Ministry of DoNER and the Union Ministry of Tourism, Dr Singh said the ‘Make in North-east’ initiative, inspired by the ‘Make in India’ concept, will in the long run seek to promote exclusive North-east expertise in areas like tea processing, organic farming, food processing, exploitation of wind power through wind mills, Ayush and wellness therapies like spas among others.

A detailed brochure for investors will also be prepared and released across the country to encourage investment in the North-east, the Minister added.

In order to develop the North-east as a destination for investors, holiday seekers and tourists, mega circuit and mega destination projects of the Tourism Ministry in the area will also be pursued.

Revealing his future plans, Dr Singh said his Ministry will soon organise an event in Mumbai for interaction with representatives of the film industry in order to create awareness about the vast potential for location shooting in North-east, which can be done with much greater ease and cost effectiveness without travelling abroad.

It was strange, he observed, that the only filmmaker from Mumbai who had, with commitment, focused on depicting the North-east through cinema was the Late Dev Anand.

One of the important objectives of the ‘Make in North-east’ initiative, will be not only to generate revenue for the region, but also to create job opportunities to prevent the exodus of youths from the region to the rest of the country, which is presently taking place, Dr Singh said.

Govt Proposes 18 new FM channels for Northeast

Mumbai, Jan 21 : The government has approved 18 new FM radio channels in the eight North-Eastern states. Announcing the move, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh hailed it as a New Year gift for the border states of and North-East.

In North-East, three channels each will be launched in the six towns of Haflong and Dhubri in Assam, Jowai in Meghalaya, Lunglei in Mizoram, Mokukchung in Nagaland and Belonia in Tripura.

This is in addition to the existing 12 FM channels which are already functional in the North-East region. Singh said, “The new channels are being launched with the special objective of extending the reach and impact of radio to the border areas, where other means of telecast or broadcast are not available.

Radio is still the most easily available and convenient medium of broadcast even in such peripheral areas where television telecast is not accessible and the added advantage is that radio broadcast can be tuned even without electricity.”

The government has a special consideration for these states, he said, and added that this is evident from the fact that the cut-off population required for introducing an FM channel has been drastically reduced in case of these border areas. Elaborating further, he said that while in Phase II, the cut-off population was minimum 3 lakh, in Phase III it is proposed to be one lakh.

Hailing this decision as an outcome of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special emphasis and concern for these regions, Singh thanked Union Finance Minister and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley for having taken a liberal view of the proposal and helped in the process of Phase III FM channels.

Singh urged upon the concerned Ministries to install these proposed channels with a higher frequency compared to the already existing channels so that they can better broadcast services in the border areas.

These channels may however, not be permitted to put out their own news broadcasts and in case the news has to be broadcast, it will be taken from the All India Radio as per the policy guidelines.

More incentives to Airlines, Bollywood for Promoting Northeast India

The Centre will provide special incentives to airlines for increasing air connectivity to the Northeast and to Bollywood for films shooting in the region.



The Centre will provide special incentives to airlines for increasing air connectivity to the Northeast and to Bollywood for films shooting in the region.

Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh said the government is trying to woo industries to the eight Northeastern states so that enough jobs are created for the youths of the region.

"The issue of connectivity in the Northeastern states is a matter of major concern for us. The road and rail network is not there due to difficult terrain.

"A lot of dependence is on air travel. That is why we are requesting airlines to increase the number of aircrafts and frequency to these states. We are ready to provide more incentives to the airlines," Singh told PTI in an interview.

He said the DoNER is discussing the issue of providing air connectivity with the civil aviation ministry also. Singh said road and rail network is also being given the top priority for the region and efforts are being made in this regard at the fast pace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been emphasising on ensuring social and economic inclusion of Northeast with other parts of the country. It is only after the Prime Minister's directive that now the government has decided to send at least one Union Minister to visit any of the eight Northeastern states -- Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura -- every fortnight.

"There is a lot of scenic beauty in the Northeastern states. It is like going to any other foreign destination. We will ask Bollywood to make films in these states. They are bestowed with picturesque locations," the DoNER minister said.

Stolen From Cops And Seized By Cops, Only They Didn’t Know it

By Adam Halliday

Aizawl, Jan 20 : When customs officials posted near the Myanmar border in eastern Mizoram seized 257 logs of red sandalwood weighing almost six quintals last October, they had no idea the consignment had actually been stolen from their own building less than 30 km away.

Once they did find out — in the last week of November — it kick-started a multi-agency probe that has resulted in the suspension of four customs officials, four men being arrested for the theft, and several unanswered questions for investigators.

It was in the first week of December that customs officials registered an FIR with police, complaining 257 logs of red sandalwood had gone missing from a consignment of 272 logs, worth Rs 1.24 crore, which they had seized earlier and kept at the Zokhawthar Land Customs Station, just a few metres from the Myanmar border in Mizoram’s Champhai district.

A team was sent from the Customs Commissionerate in Shillong while Mizoram Police too began a probe. And what they have unearthed so far has only partly solved the whodunit.

The police probe has established that four men — two of them from Champhai town, two from Zokhawthar — hired 34 porters and a truck with a driver, and broke open the lock of the customs station at half past midnight on October 4.

The men and the porters loaded the seized logs onto the truck, fixed the main lock back with transparent sellotape and drove off towards Tlangsam, a Mizoram village about 28 km north on the hilly border road.
As it turned out, they were caught there along with the stash by the customs officials, who had no clue what they had seized.

It was only on November 26 that customs officials began to suspect the consignment they had found three weeks earlier was actually part of what they had seized more than two months before that, and which they had kept in their building.

Yet it took another three days for customs to actually establish the consignment was not there anymore. An official directed to inspect the room where the seized stash had been kept was reportedly satisfied that the lock was intact.
Once it was eventually found that the lock had merely been resealed with sellotape, customs have been cleaning themselves up. At least three inspectors and a havildar have so far been suspended by the commissionerate in Shillong for alleged dereliction of duty. A vigilance inquiry has been instituted and, according to a senior official, at least one high-ranking official could be suspended in the coming few days by headquarters in New Delhi.

Police have in the meantime arrested four men for stealing the logs, but have so far been unable to make them confess who exactly they had connived with among those posted that night at the station. One of them arrested men has reportedly told police investigators that one among them had simply told the others just before the theft that those on duty at the station had been “taken care of”, but police have been unable to find out who that meant.

And neither senior customs nor police officials are sure how no one heard all the noise that must have come about while 39 men were loading 5.8 quintals wood on a truck.

China Snubs Japan For Calling Arunachal Part of India

By Saibal Dasgupta

India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh.

Beijing, Jan 20 : China has snubbed Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida for his statement acknowledging Arunachal Pradesh as part of India.

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman slammed Japan, asking it to mind its own business instead of interfering in India-China relationship. The Chinese reaction came after Kishida said that Japan was ready to invest in infrastructure projects in India's landlocked north-east, but it would not invest in Arunachal Pradesh, although it did see the state as part of India.

Reacting to Japanese minister's statement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, "We are seriously concerned about this and have lodged serious representation with the Japanese side. We hope Japan can fully understand the sensitivity of China-India border issues and respect the efforts that both sides have taken to resolve the disputes through negotiations."

Hong said that Japan should be "prudent in its words and actions" and added that China and India are trying to resolve the boundary question in a manner that is fair, reasonable and acceptable to both sides.

The spokesman pointed out that Japan had earlier said that it holds no position and it will not intervene in the boundary dispute between China and India. He said Japan should now clarify on the recent statement and 'remove the negative implications' arising from it.

Pointing out that China claims ownership of Arunachal, Hong said the state includes "three areas in Tibet Autonomous Region - Monyul, Loyul and Lower Tsayul - currently under Indian illegal occupation".

China regards the Mcmahon Line as illegal and claims areas in north-east along the line as Chinese territory.

Dog-Bite Toll Rises in Manipur

By Khelen Thokchom

Imphal, Jan 20 : The dog-bite death toll in Churachandpur district increased to 13 as the fear of rabies spread to Imphal East and Thoubal too with similar cases being reported from these districts.

Andro MLA Th. Shyamkumar Singh said a 13-year-old boy, Ahongsangbam Angousana of his constituency which covers Imphal East district, died yesterday after being bitten by a dog some days ago.

Shyamkumar said the boy's death had triggered the fear of rabies in Imphal East and urged the authorities to take precautionary measures in the district as well.

The Churachandpur district monitoring cell of the medical directorate today said a six-year-old boy, Pauzakham, who was bitten by a dog some days ago died yesterday after four days of treatment at the district hospital.

The monitoring cell also received delayed information of the death of a 10-year-old boy, Letminthang Haokip, on January 9. He was bitten by a dog in October last year.

According to the cell, seven dog bite victims died last year while four died this month.

Dog-bite victims continued to pour into the district hospital of Churachandpur, official sources said.

The state government sent blood samples of two of the dog-bite victims to a Mumbai-based laboratory on Saturday for confirmation of rabies. The result is yet to come.

Official sources said four stray dogs have been caught since October last year by the Churachandpur district administration.

The total number of people given anti-rabies shot has been put at 304 since October last year. More than 3,400 dogs have been vaccinated.

Manipur health director O. Ibomcha Singh today toured Thoubal district following reports of dog bites to check preparedness of health centres in the district.

Official sources said 15 cases of dog bite were reported in Thoubal district.

Vehicles Damaged During Bandh in Manipur

Imphal, Jan 20 : Bandh supporters damaged several vehicles in Hatta area in Imphal East Monday during the 24-hour state wide strike call given by the joint action committee (JAC) demanding justice in the death of Md Firoz Khan.

But the strike that began from 6 am was called off following an agreement between the JAC and Agriculture minister Md Abdul Nasir.Traffic movement along Checkon-Hatta road in Imphal East was seriously disrupted due to the strike. A large number of bandh supporters damaged several vehicles while enforcing the strike along the Hatta road. Norma life in Hatta, was paralysed due to the strike.

Police used tear gas and fired rubber bullets at hundreds of demonstrators in Hatta area.

Earlier, the JAC called a 24-hour bandh along Imphal-Moreh road over the death of Md Firoz. In Lilong area in Thoubal district, strike supporters blocked the National- Highway-2 section since morning. The road blockade was supported by the Manipur Muslim Council (MMC).

Md Firoz, a father of four, was found death on the night of January 15 at Khangabok Keithel in Thoubal district.
The JAC has been insisting that Md Firoz was brutally murdered. It has demanded a CBI probe into the killing.

Newmai News Network

SC Criticises Govt Inaction For Mizoram's Bru Refugees

By Soibam Rocky Singh
    
New Delhi, Jan 19 : The Central government affidavit stating that it was giving one t-shirt and a pant, and one bathing soap to each Bru (Reang tribes) refugees per year in Tripura came under severe criticism from the Supreme Court which remarked that such policy was forcing the displaced people to live a "horrible life."

About 35,000 Bru tribals are staying in six relief camps in Kanchanpur and Panisagar, Tripura for about 17 years after they fled their villages in Mizoram following ethnic troubles which began in October 1997.

A social justice bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur was particularly shocked at an excerpt from the affidavit filed by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) which stated that, “Efforts now on creating additional facilities in the camp life would only incentivize the Brus to their camp life in Tripura and shift the focus away from rehabilitation in Mizoram to relief measures in the refugee camps.”

Terming the affidavit as “disturbing” the bench which also compromise of Justice Uday Umesh Lalit said, “Is this how you treat people of this country. The government cannot say ‘I don’t want to improve the condition in the camp, because if it is done they will never leave’. Can you say, tomorrow I am going to throw them in gutter.”

The SC observation came while hearing public interest litigations (PILs) filed in 2005 by Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and another in 2007 by Asian Indigenous & Tribal People's, both voluntary organisation working for the welfare of the tribals

In the affidavit, the MHA said it was making concerted efforts in close coordination with the state government of both Mizoram and Tripura to bring the Bru (Reane tribes) refugees back to their native state. It also claimed that 1210 Reang families with over 5,000 members have gone back to Mizoram as part of the repatriation programme.

While the MHA said it had released about Rs 231 crores to Tripura government and Rs 35 crores to Mizoram government as grant-in-aid for the refugees, the SC said if the number was worked out for the 17 years duration it comes to an amount less than one lakh rupee per refugee per year.

Other measures taken by the MHA such as providing one bathing soap per head once in a year, one t-shirt and one pant piece per adult per year, one mosquito net and blanket per family once in three years attracted the SC’s ire.

The apex court directed the Centre, in consultation with the two states, to file a proper affidavit in four weeks giving a time-bound action plan for the rehabilitation of the displaced tribes. It said the plan should not be "unilateral" and all stake holders including the chief secretaries of the two states must be consulted.

The next date of hearing in the case is February 27.

The Tripura High Court is also seized of a public interest litigation (PIL) on deplorable conditions of Bru refugees in the relief camps.

The petition filed by one Anuradha Debbarma said the Bru community was one of the poorest communities of the area and “probably the most economically, socially backward community in Mizoram.” The PIL contended that the displaced Bru communities in these refugee camps “are not being treated like human beings.”

In May 2014, while hearing the PIL, the Tripura HC had directed the MHA to constitute a seven-member committee to ascertain the condition of the relief camps and submit a report.

Pursuant to the order, a committee headed by Rajiv Gauba, additional secretary in MHA, had submitted its report to the Tripura HC in which it stated: “based on the inspection conducted by the team it is felt that there is definitely need for improvement.”

It had also remarked that that cash dole of Rs 5 per day per adult given by the MHA “appear to be inadequate.” Relief is provided to the migrant families in kind such as rice, salt, and in cash for daily requirements.

The committee had also pointed out complaints by several migrants person that the repatriated families lacked suitable means of livelihood due to which some of them have subsequently returned to relief camps in Tripura.

It had recommended that for a successful repatriation process a revised rehabilitation package was needed. “More than the amount of one time compensation etc, the most crucial element of a successful rehabilitation package would have to be provision of a suitable livelihood.’

The committee had also said that the Mizoram government needed to ensure arrangement for instilling a sense of security among the resettled Bru families.

The hearing in the Tripura HC is fixed for February 9 next.


Source: Hindustan Times