Nagaland 'Green Village' Turns Tables On Hunters

Conservation efforts at a remote community in Nagaland state hailed as a model for protecting the environment.

By Amarjyoti Borah

Conservationists say the Khonoma model can be replicated in the rest of India [Amarjyoti Borah/Al Jazeera]

Khonoma, Nagaland - An idyllic "green village" in northeast India is being hailed as a model of conservation after an innovative project to protect wildlife began to lure tourists to the area.
India's government is now promoting Khonoma in the remote state of Nagaland as a successful example of what can be done by a small community to tackle hunting and logging and safeguard the environment.

The spirit of conservation has penetrated so deeply among villagers that local youths are signing up to be "wildlife wardens" in the community, 20km from Nagaland's capital, Kohima.

"The whole process has brought about a revolution here, and everyone has started to look at things through the eyes of a conservationist," said Kevichulie Meyase, a member of the Khonoma Tourism Development Board.

Sanctuary
In 1998, villagers formed the Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) extending across a hilly terrain of 70sq km.

The whole process has brought about a revolution here, and everyone has started to look at things through the eyes of a conservationist. - Kevichulie Meyase, Khonoma Tourism Development Board

The aim was to protect local wildlife including the endangered Blyth's Tragopan, a pheasant that inhabits wooded areas, and the village established strict rules banning hunting and logging.

"If anyone is found coming to hunt in the sanctuary he is fined 3,000 rupees ($50) as a punishment," said Mhiesizokho Zinyu, a conservationist associated with the KNCTS.

In an effort to ensure the bans were strictly enforced, the regulations stipulated that offenders' families would also face the prospect of collective fines.

"All this meant that the villagers complied with the council's strictures," said Pankaj Gogoi, a researcher associated with the non-profit organisation Destination North East, who has worked in the area.

The success of the initiative is striking given that awareness about conservation was almost completely absent in the village until the early 1990s.

The Gujarat-based non-profit Centre for Environment Education (CEE) played a pivotal role in raising local consciousness about the importance of conservation, and this was reinforced by the leading role played by Khonoma's village council.

Monkey feast
"I still remember when we had visited the village for the first time in 1994, the residents there threw a lavish feast for us - we were served monkeys and endangered deer meat," said Abdesh Gangwar of CEE.

Gangwar said he is wonderstruck when he sees the conservation efforts now embraced by Khonoma's residents.

An woman walks down a street in Khonoma village [Reuters]

Soon after establishing the new initiative, the villagers launched a tourism programme to generate income lost as a result of the prohibition on hunting and logging.

In 2003, they formed the Khonoma Tourism Development Board, which now gives local youths and women opportunities to work as tour guides, operators and interpreters.

"This was done so that the livelihood of all those people who were dependent on logging of trees and hunting will not be affected, and it worked out very well," said Meyase. "The sanctuary is ideal for trekking and research work, and it has a variety of ecosystems ranging from semi-evergreen forest to savannah grasslands."

Riding on the sanctuary's success, the government adopted Khonoma as a "green village" and awarded it 30 million rupees ($500,000) to develop infrastructure.

"The money was used to construct footpaths, toilets, roads within the village, solar lights, viewpoints, and for the purchase of trekking equipment," Meyase said.

In tune with their mission of conservation, the roofs of all homes were painted green so everyone knows it as the "green village".

The villagers' efforts have been lauded by Nagaland's state government, and former chief minister Neiphiu Rio has said Khonoma offers the world lessons about what people can achieve while protecting nature.

It has been a great success and can also become a role model for other states and communities as well. - Firoz Ahmed, Aaranyak conservation group

Rich dividends
The villagers' efforts are paying rich dividends and the sanctuary has turned into a hotspot for tourists - yielding clear economic benefits.

Visitors who want to experience rural life can pay for "home-stays" - accommodation in a village household costing about $17 a night, enabling them to eat local food and enjoy the natural surroundings.

The tourism board said at least 1,000 tourists - both domestic and foreign - now visit the village annually.

"Payments are made to guides, to performers at cultural programmes, and to individual families who run the home-stays," said Meyase. "This has improved the economic conditions of several households."

Conservationists working in the region say the model established by Khonoma can now be replicated in other parts of India - and beyond.

"It has been a great success and can also become a role model for other states and communities as well," said Firoz Ahmed of Aaranyak, an environmental group.

Source:

Al Jazeera

Mizo Like Truce Plan Mulled For Nagaland

By Sekhar Datta


Isak Chishi Swu

Agartala, May 28 : Nagaland is likely to go the Mizoram way, 17 years after peace talks began with the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) in 1997.

As part of the formula, NSCN (Isak-Muivah) chairman Isak Chishi Swu — and not general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah — will become the chief minister of Nagaland, taking along some of his close followers in the council of ministers, and will face fresh elections within six months.

A senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) official said the proposal by central interlocutors was being fine-tuned after which it would be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Rajnath Singh.

“All this is in an embryonic stage and the formula will have to be approved by the new political dispensation in which Neiphiu Rio will play an important role,” he added.

Rio, who resigned as the chief minister of Nagaland in the second year of his third term in office, has already been elected to the Lok Sabha. He is likely to be included in the Union council of ministers in the next reshuffle of the NDA government. It is believed that his chosen successor T.R. Zeliang will resign to pave the way for assumption of power by the NSCN (I-M) leaders.

The official said Rio, an influential Angami Naga leader, had all along been a votary of peaceful settlement to Nagaland’s insurgency problem. He had been upset with former chief minister S.C. Jamir’s attempts at scuttling the peace talks and had also resigned from the Congress in 2002. He floated the Naga People’s Front (NPF) and with other regional parties and the BJP, formed the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, which won Assembly elections thrice in 2003, 2008 and 2013. Before the 2013 Assembly elections, Rio had said all 60 members of the Nagaland Assembly had offered to quit to pave the way for a settlement.

“He resigned as chief minister and contested the Lok Sabha polls only to help the process of peace,” the official said.

He said the tripartite Mizoram Peace Accord was signed by then Union home secretary R.D. Pradhan, late Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga and then Mizoram chief secretary Lalkhama on June 30, 1986. Following the accord and as per a tacit understanding, Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla, who headed a Congress government, resigned, paving the way for assumption of power by Laldenga and his colleagues, who were required to face Assembly polls within six months. Laldenga won the Assembly polls held in February 1987. That had put an end to the two-decade-old insurgency in Mizoram and peace still prevails in the state.

“The Mizoram Peace Accord formula is now being thought of as the most effective solution, specially in view of NSCN bosses Swu and Muivah’s adamant stand on Nagalim, which will set a larger part of the Northeast, specially Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, on fire. They are being persuaded to scale down their demand for Nagalim (greater Nagaland) by incorporating the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh,” the official said.

He pointed out that making Swu the chief minister would be easy because he belongs to Sema group, a mainstream Naga clan predominant in Zunheboto district of Nagaland. Besides, Swu had led more than 300 Naga nationalist guerrillas on a hardy trek to Chin as “political officer” in 1969 with commander Mou Angami.

“Muivah has a similar halo as he had led the first large group of Naga guerrillas as political officer along with commander Thino Selie to China in 1966. He was accorded the status of ambassador of a friendly country by the government of China,” the official said. But, he pointed out, Muivah hails from the peripheral Tangkhul Naga community of Manipur and his elevation to the post of chief minister in Nagaland might not be acceptable to all.

However, the main worry of the government interlocutors and the NSCN top brass is keeping the dissident NSCN factions, led by S.S. Khaplang and Khole-Kitovi, on board before making a final announcement and a serious effort is continuing in this direction.

Zeliang Tipped To Be Next Nagaland CM

Kohima, May 12 : T.R. Zeliang, Nagaland minister for planning and coordination, is likely to become the chief minister, with more NPF legislators joining his bandwagon.

Zeliang has been camping at Kaziranga National Park in Assam for the last four days with 22 NPF legislators supporting him lodged at the Iora resort.

“More MLAs are expected to join Zeliang’s camp,” said a source close to the minister. He said eight Independent MLAs have also decided to extend support.

He said the NCP, which has four members in the 60-member House, was likely to extend support to Zeliang. “We are expecting the NCP, the BJP and the JD (U) to extend support to our minister,” the source said. So far, Zeliang has the support of 27 NPF legislators, including senior cabinet ministers like Khuzoluzo Nienu and Keyanielie Peseyie.

Sources said the new chief minister could undertake a minor reshuffle in his cabinet and did not rule out axing a few ministers and parliamentary secretaries. But Zeliang’s aide said the NPF will maintain status quo, whoever becomes the next chief minister.

Noke Wangnao, who is another contender for the top post, criticised the rival camp for politicking from the jungles in Assam.

NPF president Shur-hozelie Leizietsu said the party would intervene if legislators failed to find a consensus candidate for the chief minister’s post. The party has formed a core committee consisting of several senior leaders for the smooth transition of power.

The committee has been meeting both the camps to solve their differences, while chief minister Neiphiu Rio has convened a meeting of NPF legislators tomorrow.

Can't promise on Naga settlement: Rahul Gandhi

By Xavier Rutsa

KOHIMA: Speaking on the Indo-Naga peace process at a rally in Kohima on Thursday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said, unlike Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, he did not want to promise something that he could not fulfill.

"I am not like your chief minister. I do not like to make promises in the air," he added.

Rahul came to Kohima to campaign for K V Pusa, Congress's candidate for Nagaland's lone Lok Sabha seat.

Taking a potshot at Rio for having claimed that he would bring about a solution to the Naga political problem within three months during the 2003 assembly election in the state, Rahul said, "Unlike your CM, I cannot promise to bring about a political settlement within three months after returning to power."

He added, "The UPA government has taken a bold decision by inviting NSCN for talks."

However, Rahul also added, "I promise that I will do all that I can to bring about an early resolution of this problem. I will help the state of Nagaland, but I cannot promise to solve the problem in exactly three months."

"I am trying to bring peace and harmony to the state," Rahul said to a roaring crowd who clapped energetically after every statement he made.

Addressing the problem of communication in the region, Rahul said connectivity was one of the biggest problems the state faced time and again. If the Congress-led UPA returned to power, the government at the Centre would focus on improving roads and infrastructure development for better rail and air connectivity, he said.

The party was committed to creating 100 million jobs in the country in the next five years, Rahul added.

He said Nagaland was one of the few states in India that was actually moving backwards.

"Normally, a car has four gears - first, second, third and fourth gear. But the Nagaland government has put the state into reverse gear. This is definitely not good for the people of Nagaland," he added.

Instead of making empty promises, the CM should ensure that Nagaland progressed at top speed, he said, adding that the growth rate of Nagaland had slumped from 8.3 per cent to 3.5 per cent.

Rahul told the gathering that in the last 17 months, the Centre had paid Rs 300 crore for building roads in Nagaland, but not a single road had been constructed in the state till date.

"Now the DAN government wants to revise the estimated rate by two-and-half times, thereby not only driving the car in the reverse gear but also failing to build a road in the first place," he pointed out.

On his first visit to the state, Rahul said he was happy to have come to Nagaland and seen its beautiful people. The attire they wear signified the glorious aspects of Naga history, he said, adding that he respected the culture and tradition of the Nagas.

"To make our country really great, we first need to respect each other's culture and I believe in your history and culture," Rahul added.

He mentioned that some Naga students, who had met him in Delhi, had told him that 70,000 youths were unemployed in Nagaland.

He then said Nido Tania was killed by a small group of people who did not understand and respect the culture of the northeast and stated that the ideology of Congress was to spread love, peace and brotherhood. He added that people from the northeast had the right to feel safe and comfortable whenever they went. Nagas and other northeasterners should not feel alienated and should be able to live fearlessly in any part of the country, Rahul added.

He also announced that he would be the "special representative" of the region's people in Delhi and asked them to contact him anytime as his door would always be kept open for them.

Kohima gets ready for 70th anniversary of 1944 war

GUWAHATI: April 4, 1944, is etched in the history as a day when Japanese advances into India was stopped in Kohima where one of the fierce battles of the World War II was fought.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of this momentous event and the war, vice-chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Air Chief Marshal Sir Joe French will be visiting the northeast.

The vice- chairman will be visiting the Kohima War Cemetery along with Barry Murphy, director of Africa and Asia Pacific Area (AAPA) at CWGC, on April 4. The event is dedicated to all those soldiers who gave up their lives in stopping the advancing Japanese forces. As of now, the cemetery comprises 1420 graves. The site also has a cremation memorial in memory of 917 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who were cremated as per their religion.

"It has been confirmed that both the dignitaries will be visiting Kohima to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic event. It will be a solemn and yet memorable event. The vice-chairman will inaugurate an information panel to be set up at the cemetery. The guests will be visiting only Kohima," said Salew Pfotte, regional manager (northeast India), CWGC.

Spring of 1944 is marked for a special historical event associated with Manipur where close to 200,000 allied and axis forces fought tooth and nail over control of the strategic potentialities that northeast offered to the colliding warring forces. The National Army Museum of the UK last year described the Battle of Kohima and Imphal as Britain's greatest battle.

The Imphal War Cemetery comprises 1465 known burials and 138 unknown burials. British, Canadian, Australian, African, Indian, Chinese, Burmese, New Zealander and South Rhodesian soldiers were buried at the cemetery. Manipur Tourism Forum and Second World War Imphal Campaign Foundation will be organizing an event commemorating the battle that will commence from March and continue till June. The CWGC has been invited to attend the event. Special invitations have been sent to the Australian, Canadian, American, British, New Zealend, Nepal and Japan embassies as well.

Dimapur Police Busts Call Girl Racket

Dimapur, Mar 10 : Dimapur police busted a call girl racket and apprehended three persons in connection with the illicit trade being run in Dimapur and in bordering Lahorijan area of Assam.

The three accused have been arrested for their involvement in the illegal flesh trade. Police sources said the three accused have been dealing with call girls from Dimapur to satisfy customers in nearby Lahorijan area in Assam.

The three arrested have been identified as Hari Kumar Debbarma alias Rahul, 27, son of Usha Ranjan Debbarma of Doyal Sanghpara village under Sonamura district in Tripura and presently residing near Sunday Bazaar in Burma Camp Colony, Suken Das, 36, son of Narayan Das of Longka village under Karimganj district in Assam and presently residing at Signal Bosti, Dimapur and Anil Baishya, 35, son of Makan Baishya of Nagaon district in Assam and permanently residing at Lahorijan near Sunday market.

Two of the traffickers, Hari Kumar and Suken Das, were arrested from Dimapur on March 3 along with a group of Naga girls considered to be victims of sex trafficking while their accomplice Anil Baishya was caught the next day by a team of Dimapur police.

All the three accused have confessed to their crimes, police sources said. It was learnt that the three traffickers were involved in the illicit business for almost a year.

According to police, the three arrested pimps started as contact persons of girls from Dimapur, but later they set up their own network as autonomous pimps after building better contacts with call girls. The pimps used to take their share of money both from the clients and call girls.

The arrested pimps disclosed to police that the price varies from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 per customer, depending on the beauty and age of the call girl. The younger and more beautiful the girl is, higher the charge, they said. The customers are both from Assam and Nagaland.

The girls involved in the sex racket were said to be mostly Naga girls who run after easy money and comfortable lifestyle. Even some college going students were reportedly earning easy money by involving in the lucrative business.

It has also come to light that the business had not only been a night affair, but even a day hang-out affair in hotels and restaurants at Lahorijan and nearby areas on a daily basis.

The three arrested traffickers are now in Dimapur police custody.

Economics of Pork in Nagaland: Garbage Scavenging Pigs imported

Seen here are pigs feeding on garbage in Nirvana Slum, Uttar Pradesh, one of the places from where pigs are supplied to Nagaland. A report has revealed how unfair trade practices and lack of hygiene mark the quality of Supply Pork in Nagaland.

 

Abokali Jimomi

Dimapur, Mar 4 :  Not all consumers in Nagaland are aware of where most of the imported pork they eat comes from.

For the Nagas, pork is mandatory for any important occasion and for laborious physical work in the field.  “We work in groups especially during planting and harvesting, that way we exchange labour in each other’s farms… it would be shameful if I don’t provide pork when it is my turn to host the group; we usually buy Supply Pork,” explained a woman farmer.

An MBA graduate from Kohima said, “We always buy pork from butcher shops… I have not really thought about where it comes from.”

Tracing the origin of Supply Pork entering Nagaland took Naga veterinary doctor, Simon Ao, to villages and pig markets of Uttar Pradesh and markets bordering Dimapur.
His investigations reveal that in Uttar Pradesh, villagers rear pigs in their backyards with animals let loose for scavenging in the open. Owners with large number of pigs (15 to 40) herd their animals in groups in open fields for daily feeding. “Therefore, the production cost is conveniently reduced,” noted the report.

Usually, middlemen maximize such situations, so it is uncertain if villagers in UP are benefitting out of this. The report, for instance, shows that “Invoice of Consignment for Dimapur, Nagaland,” marked as originating from “Rajakiya Pasu Palan Samittee,” Bewar, Mainpuri, UP, has no Piggery Farm and “Kisan Pig Farm,” Bidhuna (Auraya, UP) does not exist.

This raises grave concerns if the government’s regulatory mechanisms are actively functioning to screen domestic food imports in ensuring fair trade practices in India and what roles are they playing to guarantee food safety for the public?

In UP, the feeding areas were found filthy and unhealthy with the villagers relieving themselves in the open and pigs feeding in the open. In photos available with Dr. Simon, pigs are seen scavenging in open fields and on garbage piles: roadsides of Naini, Nirvana Slum, garbage dumps in the city and villages; pigs seen everywhere, even rummaging through waste on the banks of the Yamuna.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the most populous States of India. NGO Safai Karmachari Andolan’s report to the Supreme Court published in a national daily in 2012 stated, “Uttar Pradesh had 3.26 lakh dry toilets which were cleaned by manual scavengers, which is more than 41% of the national aggregate. It also had the highest number of insanitary toilets (80,291) ‘serviced by animals’.”

Nagaland is on the receiving end of these scavenging animals, posing serious public health risks. We can see why their cost of production is low, gaining an undue price advantage at the expense of Naga public, who, if uninformed, and pushed to the margin with low spending capacity, will opt for lower rates of essential food items.
Naga farmers working on organized piggery businesses in Nagaland are challenged with high feed cost.  Local farmers use a combination of Maize, Wheat Barn, Oil Cake, Rice Polish, Dry Fish Powder, (most of which are not processed locally) green leaves and crops such as Colocassia, Casava and Sweet Potato as feed. In villages, the feed is usually maize, with greens collected from the forest.

Obviously then, the current method of raising pigs in Nagaland is much better than of those imported from Uttar Pradesh.
Infrastructure development and technological innovations for livestock rearing and farming still need to scale up in the State; output is low without economies of scale. It is rare to find Naga piggery units with more than 200 pigs.

According to Dr. Ao’s  report, many locals in order to avoid Supply Pork frequent neighbouring markets such as Delai Gate, Bokajan Bazar, Old Golaghat Road, Market Near Mariani, Assam (towards Mokokchung) and Halluadin, Assam, on the way to Tuli. These markets are generating high revenue from Naga customers. How can our immediate neighbours produce more than our local farmers? What is their cost of production and technological know-how?

We do not know, but it is necessary to research about pork in Nagaland focusing on health risks, types of diseases caused by contaminated pork, and market monopoly issues for consumers’ awareness.

source: Morung Express

Hornbill Festival concludes

Miss Nagaland Benjongmenla Jamir lighting the bonfire at the Hornbill closing ceremony, Kisama.

Kohima, Dec 11 : The 10-day-long Hornbill Festival culminated at the Naga Heritage Village at Kisama, 12 km south of State Capital Kohima, with a grand finale today.

The biggest indigenous festival and the annual tourism promotional event of Nagaland government ended with 17 Naga tribes performing the ‘Unity Dance’ around a bonfire lit by Miss Nagaland Benjongmenla Jamir in the presence of a number of dignitaries. The tourists joined the cultural troupes in dancing to the tune of Naga drum beats around the bonfire.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that Nagaland has become a favoured destination to experience a culture closest to the nature. “This was proved by the increase in the number of visitors to the Hornbill Festival this year,” he stated.

Rio said, “The Hornbill Festival is the festival of festivals, because this is the coming together of all the tribes of the State at one place to showcase the cultural and traditional vibrancy of the Naga people.”

He said each of the Naga tribe celebrates its festivals in their respective district and the Hornbill Festival is the only place where all the tribes perform together and one can witness the vibrancy of Naga culture and tradition in one place.

He said that as on the eighth day of the festival this year, over 1.50 lakh visitors attended the festival.

“Over the years, we have improved and the number of visitors has also increased accordingly and I hope this will get bigger and better in the days to come,” he added.

Declaring the Hornbill Festival close, Nagaland Minister for Tourism EE Pangteang acknowledged the participation of cultural troupes and visitors for making the festival a grand success.

The Hornbill Festival, which coincides with the statehood golden jubilee celebrations, was officially launched by President Pranab Mukherjee on December 1.

Pic Source Nagaland Post

Hornbill International Rock Contest Underway

Hornbill International Rock Contest (HNRC) 2013 presented by Airtel would kick-start Friday at Naga Solidarity Park, Kohima.

On day five, Alo Wanth, Making Merry and Parikrama enthralled the crowds. Altogether 27 bands are set to compete for the highest prize money from across the India and abroad.

The organizers have asked all participating bands to report at the Nag Solidarity Park by 10 a.m., December 6 for draw of lots/sequence followed by briefing from MTF project director G. Chishi.
The audition will take place on December 6, 7, 8 and 9 (declaration of the 9 finalist). During the event, band from the UK will also perform as special guest band.

The grand finale would be held on December, 10. The Hornbill International Rock Contest (HIRC) 2013 from December 6 to 10 is also part of the annual Hornbill Festival, the annual cultural extravaganza in Nagaland showcasing the rich Naga culture, organized by the state government’s Music Task Force (MTF), department of Youth Resources and Sports and the event is managed by XL.

Source: nagalandpost

Hornbill Festival Gets Off To A Colourful Start

Kohima, Dec 2 : Ten-day Hornbill Festival – festival of festivals – got off to a vibrant opening ceremony at Naga Heritage village, Kisama here. The inaugural function witnessed various special items and presentation from various tribes and organizations.

Day one of Hornbill Festival also witnessed around 224 international tourists and 149 domestic tourists besides thousands of local visitors.

More visitors are expected to witness the North East Cultural Day on day two to be held at the Main Gallery.

In the evening, a concert “a tribute” to 50 years of statehood would be held where popular and audience pulling stars of state including Methaneilie Jiitakhrie, Zowe Madrigal and band from Delhi Mixed generation would perform at Solidarity Park at 5 p.m.

Rio opens exhibition cum competition

Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio inaugurated the exhibition cum competition of flowers, fruits and vegetables December 1 at Hortiscape, Naga Heritage village, Kisama.

Rio congratulated the horticulture department for adding another success story through the exhibition cum competition of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

He said flowers symbolised good spirit and character and urged the department to set targets and produce for commercial purpose so that the state can earn revenue through export, stated a DIPR report.

Stalls have been set up by different associations, self help groups and floral companies from within and outside the state showcasing varieties of flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Prizes were given out for different categories in the flower section such as Orchid, Cactic and Succulents, Perennials, Bulbs and Tubers, Bonsai etc and in the fruits section prizes were given out in categories like Carrot/Raddish, Peas/Beans, Ginger, Naga Chilli, Mushroom etc.

Nagaland observes archive week

The 14th Annual Archive Week, organized by the department of art and culture, is being observed at the Heritage village Kisama.

To create awareness on the importance of archive treasures, the department has set up a stall to draw attention on the importance of archives as the state’s documentary heritage and to stress the role of archival institutions in restructuring future development.

According to a DIPR report, the documents displayed in the exhibition have been chosen from both official records and private papers.

The Nagaland State Archive is displaying some rare documents relating to attainment of Nagaland Statehood and other documents such as newspaper clippings from 1960-68, Gordon P Means collection, maps, rare books, private letters of some important Naga personalities etc.  A 10% discount is also offered on departmental publications.

Hornbill Art Festival

Hornbill Art Festival, sponsored by Nagaland government department of Art and Culture in collaboration with Rattle and Hum society & XL Nagaland, opened up exhibition-cum-sale of painting of photos at the WW-II museum site Naga Heritage village, Kisama.

Art and Culture department along with Dreamcather has setup a stall showcasing various types of paintings by Naga Artists. Photos are also being exhibited by some local photographers. Price of the paintings ranges from 2000 to as high as 3 lakhs. Painting demonstration and competition are also being held at the site.

Centre, Naga Insurgents Begin Fresh Negotiations

Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah. File Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

No prospect of breakthrough, but government optimistic, sources say

The Union government began a fresh round of negotiations with leaders of the largest Naga insurgent group on Thursday, hoping to hammer out a political settlement to the decades-old conflict ahead of Lok Sabha elections next year.

Former Petroleum Secretary and Nagaland Chief Secretary R.S. Pandey, the Union government’s interlocutor, met with the top leadership of the National Socialist Council of Nagland — Isak-Muviah, or NSCN-IM, represented by its chairman Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah — the latest in a series of closed-door negotiations that have continued for more than fifteen years.

Neither side made statements after today’s talks, which are expected to continue for several days. Prior to leaving Kohima, Mr. Swu refused to speculate on the outcome of the negotiations. Mr. Muviah said that “we want a solution as soon as possible.”

The talks, have been shrouded in secrecy, but a senior government official told The Hindu, centred around a deal which would give Naga communities in both Nagaland and Manipur similar substantial rights across State lines — but without territorial concessions from Manipur on Naga-inhabited areas in the districts of Tamenlong, Senapati, Ukhrul and Chandel.

“In essence,” the official said, “the best-case outcome would be a deal which created a institutional mechanism to give Naga communities across the region full recognition and rights, but without redrawing state boundaries.”

“There is no immediate prospect of a breakthrough, but the government is optimistic,” he added.

Pressure on NSCN factions

Pressure has been mounting on the NSCN-IM since early this year, which some experts believe could bring a deal within reach. Notably, there have been growing protests in Nagaland against the parallel taxation structure insurgents use to fund their operations. Thousands defied NSCN-IM calls to rally in Dimapur on November 1 under the banner of the Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation to protest against taxes imposed on underground organisations on salaries, businesses and contractors.

Former Indian Administrative Service officer and social activist K.K. Sema said the protests were organised “not to fight with any underground faction but to reason with them that there has to be the rule of law.”

“Take tax but through rules,” Mr. Sema said, calling for “one government, one tax.”

Formations like the NSCN-IM came under further pressure in May, when the Nagaland government was reported to be considering granting tribal status to the Mao Nagas — a legal decision that brings with opportunities for government employment and benefits. The Maos already have tribal status in Manipur.

However, the move encountered resistance from some Naga tribal groups within Nagaland—a development with direct repercussions for the NSCN-IM, whose leadership are made up of Tangkhul Nagas, whose lands are mainly in Manipur.

Though the State government later denied it was granting the Mao tribal status, the issue led to friction between the Naga Tribal Alliance, a newly-formed association of tribes within Nagaland, and the Naga Hoho, which claims to speak for all Nagas.

Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have passed resolutions in their assemblies that no territory will be given up for a Greater Nagland, and New Delhi fears it could stoke the ethnic-Meitei insurgency in Manipur.

Frequent clashes have taken place over the issue. In 2011, Mr. Muivah was forced to defer a visit to his ancestral village of Somdal in Manipur’s Ukhrul district, after it generated a standoff at the Mao Gate on the Nagaland-Manipur border.

Pre-paid Power Meters To Come Up in Nagaland

Kohima, Nov 19 :  In move towards overcoming the Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses to the extent of 60 per cent faced by the state through power supply, the Department of Power, Nagaland would be introducing pre-paid power meters throughout the state in a phased manner.  The pilot project in the state would first be implemented in Dimapur district, said Parliamentary Secretary for Power, C Kipili Sangtam while inspecting the colonies where the pre-paid power meters were to be installed.

It is expected to be completed by the end of November this year.

Referring to the pilot project for implementation of pre-paid power meters, he pointed out that it was already implemented in other states and the department under phase-I was opening a new chapter and hoped it would help build discipline among people.

According to a handout issued by the state Power department, Nagaland is presently reeling under a heavy Aggregate Technical and Commercial loss to the extent of 60 per cent.

In order to bring about reforms in power sector and also reduce the AT&C losses, the state government has taken up the project to install pre-paid power meters to offset the huge losses.

It also revealed that 60 per cent of power allocated to Nagaland was consumed by Dimapur load centre but that the revenue collection in Dimapur was one of the lowest. 

Thousands Protest ‘Underground Tax’ in Dimapur

Dimapur, Nov 1 : Call it an uprising or an awakening call. The message was loud and clear.

The people of Dimapur have come out on to the streets in thousands to express their resentment and opposition against illegal and unabated taxation imposed on them and vowed not to pay multiple tax to any underground group.

They have also resolved not to be cowed down by the barrel of the gun and to take the responsibility to shape the future of Nagaland.

Joining the ‘Public Awareness Rally’ called by the Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) against multiple and unabated taxation in Nagaland at Clock Tower here on Thursday, the rallyists supported the speakers with thunderous applause for exhorting them not to remain blind to the reality.

The rally, the first of its kind in Nagaland, received unprecedented response from the public despite the NSCN-IM imposing ban on it and warning to take steps or measures to obstruct what it called anti-national designs to murder the long struggle for national cause.

Speaking on the occasion as the main speaker, former IAS officer and social activist KK Sema said the issue is to stand and fight against multiple taxation imposed on the people by various underground groups as well as government agencies.

There will be a second plebiscite in Nagaland like the one in 1951 when the Naga movement was recognized as a political issue if all the districts of the State join hands together to curb this menace of taxation. To this end, various tribal hohos in the State have a major role to play, he explained.

“We have not gathered here to fight with any underground faction but to reason with them that there has to be the rule of law, a system to control life,” he stressed. “If we do not point out their mistakes, how will they know?” he said.

Describing today’s rally as the first step towards change in Nagaland, Sema urged the gathering to carry forward the movement, saying no one can make any progress if they continue to pay tax for everything. “How will we live if we have to pay tax for everything?” he asked.

He said the Naga people are not against paying tax. “Take tax but through rules,” he stated.

There has to be ‘one tax one government’, he opined while questioning the existence of so many factions in Nagaland. “Henceforth, there has to be the rule of law, a system to control our life,” he stressed.

Sema also took the opportunity to take a dig at the State Government and said the government is also doing what the underground factions are doing. He referred to various forms of corruption at the government level.

President of the Naga Council Dimapur, Bangeraloba termed the rally the beginning of a social awakening. He hoped that with this awakening, procedures and rules would be streamlined, while also stating that this is an opportunity for the Naga underground groups to sail together with the Naga public.

Naga Mothers Association advisor Rose Mary said women and children are the most affected by taxation.

Appealing to the State Government to play its role to protect its citizens, she called for freedom of thought and expression. “Inaction of the government is forcing the Nagas to go against each other,” she stated. She further assured of all support to the ACAUT in its endeavour to free Nagaland from all forms of illegal taxation.

In his solidarity message, Nagaland Tribes Council president and former IFS officer T Solo recalled that the Nagaland independence movement started on the sole principle of not to pay tax to the British regime. But today in Nagaland, tax is not taken only for sunshine, he quipped.

Solo said he had never heard of any nation taking tax through guns. Tax is collected by pen, he explained. “We will not allow guns to collect tax,” he said. “Pen is mightier than the guns. We will defeat guns,” he asserted.

Leaders of other civil society organizations, who also spoke on the occasion, echoed the same sentiment and extended their support to ACAUT.

After the rally, the ACAUT adopted a three-point resolution recognizing “One Government One Taxation” only and decided to pay only one tax to one entity. This also means that as long as factionalism exists, the Naga public shall not pay tax.

The Naga public also re-affirmed their support to the Naga movement and strongly urged the Government of India to settle the Indo-Naga imbroglio at the earliest. It also demanded that the Government of Nagaland constitute a high powered committee within 15 days to study the whole gamut of unabated taxation and illegal collections involving the Naga Political Groups and government agencies/departments.

The ACAUT said the committee shall consist of atleast five members headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or High Court with at least two members from the ACAUT. The committee should submit its report within two months with its findings published in all the newspapers. If the government fails to constitute the committee within the said period, the ACAUT will initiate further action in consultation with the public.

My Mother, The Naga Warrior

By Esha Roy Full circle Child meets the descendants of the warrior who adopted her mother, Ursula Graham Bower, at Magulong; (below) Child and with her mother and sister Allison in England, in traditional Naga attire

Her daughter travels to Nagaland to retrace the fascinating journey of Ursula Graham Bower, the British woman who made her home in these hills in the 1940s, learning the ways of the Nagas, and leading them against the Japanese during WWII It was an arduous journey for 62-year-old Catriona Child. A flight to Guwahati from New Delhi, a train to Dimapur, a night halt and then a 15-hour drive across the sparsely inhabited Peren district of Nagaland. But as she rode through yellowing fields of tall reed encircled by bluish mountains; as she hurtled and slipped while climbing slushy mountain slopes on foot, and hitched rides on dilapidated World War II trucks and newer gypsys, on her way to the remote village of  Magulong on the Manipur-Nagaland border, she was also coming home.

At the entrance to the village, children stood in a line, welcoming them with a song sung to the tune of God Save the Queen. "They had been waiting for us for several hours," says Child, who was accompanied on her journey by a group of friends and cousins. As was their tradition, the villagers offered to carry their guests in but when they protested, they tied a rope to the front bender of the gypsy and pulled it all the way to the church at the centre of the village.

With that, Child had travelled through an arc of time — Magulong was where her parents Ursula Graham Bower and Colonel Frederick Nicholson Betts were married by Naga rites over 60 years ago. Her mother, the amateur anthropologist who lived for several years with the Nagas, whose life and customs she was documenting in the 1940s. Her mother, whose image was splashed on the cover of Time magazine in 1945, celebrated as the woman who led a squad of Naga warriors against the Japanese during World War II.

Graham Bower, who was described by her mother to the Time magazine, as one who "never would sit still", arrived in Assam in 1936, a disappointed woman. Having fought all her life to be sent to the best private schools in England, the 22-year-old had been denied a chance to study at Oxford because of a financial crunch at home. "She felt that her life was over. Till a friend, Alexa Macdonald, whose brother was an Imperial Civil Service officer recently posted in Manipur, invited her to join them. My grandmother, who never understood my mother's ambitions, felt it was
a good thing and that she would find a husband here. Instead my mother found the Nagas," says Child.

In the beginning, Graham Bower, a plump, academic woman, did what other white women of the Raj did — shop at a bazaar in Imphal or watch a polo match on a sunny afternoon. Then, on a trip to Kohima, she spotted the muscular Nagas for the first time, in their traditional kilts and ornaments. Graham Bower would tell Child much later that she felt a strong connection with these mysterious people, a sense that her destiny was tied with them. She began visiting Naga areas and photographing them. When she went back to London and showed her anthropologist friends the photographs, they encouraged her to return to finish the work she had started.

Between 1939 and 1946, Graham Bower travelled to remote villages, helping the people with medicines and rudimentary medical care, as well as photographing them and documenting their traditions. She spent many years among the Zemi Nagas, the object of her study, in Laisong village in north Cachar, Assam.

In 1942, thick in the middle of World War II, her presence and familiarity with the villagers was a strategic advantage for the British, who did not have many friends among the local, often hostile, tribes. "Maybe, because she was a woman and not an official, people began to accept her,'' says Child. Graham Bower's medical kit had become popular among residents. There were few antibiotics available, so the medicines she carried would be the only care they had for sores, fevers and infections. Over time, she developed an unshakeable bond.

When the Japanese army invaded Burma in 1942 and threatened to push forward to India, she was recruited by the British to scour the jungles for the enemy. Bower mobilised the Nagas against the Japanese, placing herself at the head of a formidable band of 150 warriors, armed with ancient muzzle-loading guns. She herself would carry two sten guns. They came to be known as the Bower Force, for rescuing wounded Allied pilots and ambushing enemy missions.

It was in the hills that she met Lt Col Frederick Nicholson Betts, a fellow adventurer, who she married in 1945. The newly-married couple set off toward Magulong a year later to meet the tribes in "Manipur State, outside British India and 30 miles off across forbidding hills". First down into Jiri valley, over a steep hill, climbing over Maovam in lashing stinging rain and running down hills to finally reach a camp where the headman of Magulong, Khutuing, was waiting for them. He was carrying a ge-ze — a human hair-tufted shield and two long strands of human hair in his two ear lobes — a sign that he had taken the head of a Kuki. It was from Khutuing that Graham Bower learnt the headhunter's war cry. "My mother really loved them, as Magulong was a warlike village, very much like Khonoma, where the Angami (tribe) lived,'' Child says.

In her 1952 book, Naga Path, an account of her life in the hills, Graham Bower writes of her second wedding in this village. "Tim and I had been married, the village knew, by the sahib's laws and rites. But there ought to be more. It was right that I, who was a Zemi, should also be married by tribal rites as well — the only rites that the Zemi recognised. Magulong, therefore, proposed to see it done." Not only had the Zemi accepted Graham Bower as one of their own, but she had also started dreaming in their language, believing herself to be one of them, says Child.

For the ceremony, Khutuing adopted Graham Bower as his daughter and another family of warriors adopted Betts. There was singing and dancing and drinking till the early hours of the morning. A villager stumbled upon a bear in the middle of a field and speared it. He said he had killed it on behalf of Betts, in honour of his bride Asaipui, or the queen, as she was known by the Zemi.
Child is here to visit the two families who adopted her parents. Over a meal of meat, boiled greens and rice beer, she tells Gobi and Rimzam Disuang, 88 and 85 years respectively, the descendants of Khutuing, "I only have a sister, no brothers. You are my Naga brothers.''

Rimzam was six when Graham Bower first came to Magulong village, now in Manipur's Tamenglong district. "We had never seen a white person before and were frightened. She had different skin, hair, eyes, ears. She was so big! One of her thighs was the same size as a child. We all ran away. Then she took her gramophone to a small knoll in the middle of the village. There she started playing music. We went up to the knoll and looked around for the person singing the song. But there was no singer. Only a box from which these songs emanated in a strange language. One of the gaon budas (village elders) warned us. He told us not to listen to these songs as they would attract us and convert us to a strange religion,'' recalls Rimzam.

Child first came to India in 1986, intrigued by her mother's stories, and tried to visit north Cachar.

"But there were many restrictions then and I was turned away. I never told my mother I was attempting the trip. When she later found out, she was furious, first of all because it was a dangerous journey to make at the time and also because she was jealous that she couldn't be with me," says Child. It was only much later in 1996, after a decade of building contacts, that she met the Nagas from Magulong in Shillong.

A freelance writer and editor, Child is now documenting many of the dying traditions and folklore of the area. "I am worried that with the onslaught of modernity, the traditions will disappear. At some point I plan to write a book on my journey, just as my mother did,'' she says.

Child recalls that three villages were particularly dear to Graham Bowers — Laisong, Magulong and Asulu. "Not only did I want to come to the village that married my parents but also climb Mount Kisha which my mother spoke so much of and wrote about in her book. The villagers believe that there are spirits on the mountain guarded by the god, Kisha. Even my father, who was an ardent biologist, said that when they had climbed the mountain before their wedding, he heard strange cries that he could not attribute to any animal he had ever known,'' she says.

The mountain, which is estimated to stand at 1,462 m, lies on the Nagaland-Manipur border. Its north face falls in Nagaland, while the other side drops precariously into a clearing where Magulong village sits quietly, forming the northernmost periphery of Manipur and linked by a new muddy road to the world. Time stands still here. Rice is grown in the flat lands at the drop of the ranges, water is collected from the river which forms a natural boundary between the two states and hunters, armed with guns and slings, travel into its forests to bring back birds, porcupine and jungle fowl. There are no grocery stores, no modern amenities, just thatched huts and a church around which village life revolves.

Soon after India won its Independence, Graham Bower and her husband left for Kenya, where Child was born. She never returned to Nagaland after that.

Graham Bower died in 1988, two years after Child's aborted trip to the hills. The villagers of Magulong and Laisong had got in touch with her a while ago. "She wanted to do something for them,'' says Child. After her death, Child gifted the two villages Rs 2.5 lakh each. Laisong used the fund to build a guesthouse and a recreation centre for its children. Magulong used half the amount to set up an annual award for its best student, the other half to buy traditional attire for its cultural performances. "That my mother would really have approved of. She loved the dances of Magulong,'' says Child.

PICS DEEPAK SHIJAGURUMAYUM

World Vision India Launch Program for Differently-Abled in Nagaland

World Vision India recently launched a special program in Nagaland's Mon district in an endeavour to provide better facilities to people with disabilities.

The project, titled "call me by my name", aims to empower people with disabilities through social inclusion, full participation and support from regular development programs by September 2016.

It will also help in providing equal opportunities and increasing the participation of these people in different spheres. The government has constituted several programmes and provides several facilities to the physically challenged. Through this project, people will be made aware of such rights.

"It is a special project under World Vision India for four years where we are aiming for inclusive education, for a social model where everybody is equal, has equal rights and has access to all the government entitlement and facilities," said NR Kithan, representative, World Vision India.

The project launched under the Mon Area development program is for a period of 4 years. A total of 423 people with disabilities from 20 villages under the Mon district have been identified as part of the project. Wheel chairs, crutches and other items were distributed to the beneficiaries during the event. The project has come as a ray of hope for many.

"World Vision has launched a program for the physically disabled so I am very happy. Even in the future it will be very helpful for us. I am very grateful for the effort and support given by world vision. They are doing their best," said Wangshok, President, Mon District Handicapped Society.

Such initiatives are necessary to improve the living condition of the differently-abled and help them lead a better life.

Read more: World Vision India Launch Program for Differently-Abled in Nagaland | Medindia http://www.medindia.net/news/world-vision-india-launch-program-for-differently-abled-in-nagaland-125904-1.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+allhealthnews+%28Medindia+Health+News%29#ixzz2giOeMN8Y

Nagaland Imports 220-cr Worth Animal Products

Kohima, Sep 6 : Nagaland being a high consumer of animal protein faced a shortfall of 37.34 per cent of such food compelling the State to import Rs 220.12 crore worth of animal products from other States during 2012-2013.

A report of the Nagaland Animal Husbandry department said that the State produced 62.66 per cent of the total requirement of animal products leaving a shortfall of 37.34 per cent.

This report was quoted by senior technical assistant Veterinary and Animal Husbandry, Kohima, Dr Zawhel Mekro during training for capacity building of beneficiaries under Rural Piggery Production 2012-13 in Kohima yesterday.

Advising the beneficiaries to be a producer, he said the department would be providing five pigs, fabricated structure, CIG sheet, food stuff, medicine, cash, balance food and other necessary things to each beneficiary as part of the RPP 2012-13.

Thai man arrested for supplying arms to Naga rebels

Bangkok, Sep 1 : Police here have arrested a Thai man wanted in India for allegedly acting as a middleman in arms deals with Naga rebels worth almost USD 2 million.

The arrested man, identified as 57-year-old Wuthikorn Naruenartwanich alias Willy, is included on an Interpol list as a suspect wanted by India for terrorism offences, sources said today.

Thai police said Naruenartwanich was arrested at his home in Bangkok yesterday.

The next step could be his extradition to India, sources told PTI but did not elaborate.

Naruenartwanich has been accused of buying nearly 1,000 assault rifles and an unspecified number of rocket-propelled grenades to be sold to Naga rebels.

He has denied his involvement in gun running.

India's National Investigation Agency charged Naruenartwanich and three others in 2011 with criminal conspiracy to wage a war against the country. If convicted, he could face a death sentence or life imprisonment.

The outlawed NSCM-IM operated out of Bangkok and several other Thai cities till about a decade ago but most cadres of the group have reportedly moved out of the country.

A ceasefire between the NSCN-IM and the Indian government has held since it was inked in 1997.

Naga Villages Pledge To Save Migratory Amur Falcons

People of three villages of Nagaland have made a pledge to protect and conserve the migratory Amur falcons.

Experts say are usually hunted on a large scale by villagers for the birds' meat.

Village Council Members (VCM) of Pangti, Asshaa and Sungro of Wokha district signed an agreement with two NGOs to assist Nagaland forest department to stop the wide-scale hunt of the birds. The Amur falcons came to light last year, a release issued by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) said in Guwahati on Wednesday, August 28.

Besides the WTI, the other NGO was Wokha-based Natural Nagas, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding earlier this week.

Thousands of these birds were hunted annually for their meat in the district as they crossed the region en route to Africa from Siberia.

Hunters used fishing nets to trap the birds when they come to roost during late evenings or while leaving early in the morning, the release said.

The three villages have pledged to save the migratory raptor in Doyang Reservoir, its largest roosting site in the country, and a resolution was passed by the villages to penalise offenders upto Rs 5000 from this year.

The MoU pledged to generate awareness to engage locals in formulating watch squads to help protect the birds.

It was also agreed to formulate laws and guidelines in accordance with the VCMs to prohibit hunting and poaching of Amur falcons and help mitigate human-wildlife conflicts.

"Following a report on the hunting of Amur Falcons by Conservation India, a Rapid Action Project was initiated by WTI and Natural Nagas to spread awareness on the plight of the species among the local communities," said Natural Nagas spokesperson Steve Odyuo.

Stop Fratricidal Killings: Nagaland Warns Underground Groups

Kohima, Aug 22 : Nagaland Home Minister G Kaito Aye today warned Naga underground groups that the state government would have no option but to intervene to stop fratricidal killings.

“If the factional killings continue then the state government may have no option, but to intervene for the larger interest of the Naga people,” Aye said in a press statement.

Stating that the clashes were narrowing down options for the state government, he said that it could not remain a “mute spectator to the continuing acts of factional kidnappings and killings.

Stating that ‘enough is enough’, he said that patience and time was running out for the factional clashes to end.

He said that the continuing standoff between the groups despite repeated appeals from all quarters and the state government was destroying the “very basic foundation they had set out to achieve in their common goal”.

This, he said, could prove detrimental to the peace process and all that was achieved in the last 16 years of ceasefire between the Naga underground and the government of India.

Aye’s appeal came at a time when the Naga underground groups, especially the Khaplang and Khole-Kitovi faction of NSCN, were continually clashes despite the call for peace and reconciliation from civil societies and government.

The minister said it was with genuine intent that he sought the reconciliation of the cadres of various factions to the agreed ceasefire ground rules because they were under its purview.

“Factional clashes, kidnappings and killings are contrary to the ceasefire ground rules,” he said.

A Writer's Attempt To Promote Naga Literature

A writer's attempt to promote Nagaland's literature

P. Alem Jamir is a writer working against all odds to provide a platform that will help preserve Nagaland's vernacular language and literature.

Expressing his anguish over youngsters forgetting their own culture and identity, he recalls that as a child in school, he use to write essays,short stories and poetry.

He first published his novel in the vernacular language in 2003, and till date, he has written four books of vernacular fiction and two vernacular translations of English fiction.

At 41, Alem Jamir lives with his wife Amenla Jamir and two children aged six and four in a rented house in Dimapur.

His wife is a working woman, but is completely dedicated to help her struggling writer husband. She goes through all of his writings before the final print.

Alem said that the main obstacle that a vernacular writer faces is that the increasingly westernized Naga society does not give much importance to their own language, and prefers to read and learn other foreign languages.

He warns that this trend will one day lead to them forgetting their our own identity.

Marketing of his books is also a huge problem, as there is no publishing house big enough to promote the sale of these books, and smaller publishing houses simply don't have the space to keep such types of books.

Alem, however, is determined to continue writing in the vernacular language so as to preserve the culture, identity and language of oneself in black and white.