Mizo Girls Trafficked With Promises of Jobs at Beauty Parlour

Panaji, Oct 11 : The three girls from Mizoram, who were rescued by the Crime branch team on Saturday, have revealed to the police that they were being asked to do sexual favours for customers at the beauty parlour in Porvorim and when they refused they were beaten up by the owner.

The three girls, one of them a minor, were trafficked into Goa with a promise to work in Lotus beauty parlour.

"They are school drop-outs and were contacted by a local lady, who informed them that there is job for girls to work in beauty parlour in Goa. Though they are not trained beauticians, they were told that they will be given training in Goa," said sources.

They arrived in Goa less than a month back. "At first things were okay. But later, they were forced to given in to the sexual favours sought by customers. The customers, mostly male tourists, would ask for a complete body massage and pay ` 7,000 at the counter.

They were then taken to a small cabin where the girls were asked to massage the naked men for almost two hours. They had to also give in to the sexual favours sought by the customers. If they refused and the customers complained, then the girls were beaten up," the girls have revealed in their statement to the police.

The girls told the police that they were again beaten on October 2, and its then that the three of them got together and planned to escape.

Accordingly on October 4 they got an opportunity to escape when they were being taken from the parlour to the flat in which they were lodged in Porvorim. They then contacted their relatives in Mizoram and spilled the beans.

A police complaint was lodged in Mizoram and the Mizoram police along with a local NGO contacted Goa based NGO ARZ with detailed information and FIR copy. ARZ on Saturday submitted the same to the police, who raided the beauty parlour premises and rescued 11 girls who were trafficked into Goa to work in the parlour.

Police have arrested Shanta alias Laxmi Mishra, the owner of the parlour, along with four men for trafficking the girls to Goa for prostitution. They have been remanded to 7 days police custody. Another three of Mishra`s associates have been arrested by Mizoram police in a raid on Saturday.

Incidentally, after going through the documents, police learnt that though Mishra ran a massage parlour in the beauty salon, she had permission only to run a beauty parlour and haircutting salon under the Shops and Establishments Act, said sources. Police are now investigating whether the girls were being taken out in the coastal belt for prostitution.

55,000 Households Affected in Manipur Floods

Imphal, Oct 11 : In Manipur, about 55 thousand households have been affected by flood as per the preliminary reports submitted to the state government by the concerned Deputy Commissioners of the four flood affected valley districts of the state.

Thousands of hectares of paddy fields with standing crops have also been devastated by the flood. Many fish firms have also been washed away by the flood.

AIR correspondent Aribam Sharma reports from Imphal that Manipur Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh has announced an immediate relief of 5 thousand and 5 hundred quintals of rice and 10 lakh rupees in cash for the flood affected families of the state.

State Government has decided to provide 10 kg of rice per affected household and to provide one tanker of SK Oil for each of the flood affected districts.

As per the preliminary reports submitted to the state government by the concerned Deputy Commissioners of the four flood affected valley districts of the state, the number of flood affected households is 17000 in Imphal West and 18000 in Imphal East.

The flood also affected 10000 households each in Bishnupur and Thoubal districts.

State Irrigation and Flood Control Department sources say that water levels of all the major rivers flowing through four districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur in Manipur valley have been gradually decreased below the flood level.

However, the water levels of Iril River, Thoubal River, Imphal River and Nambul River are still above danger level.

Army Commandos Daring Hostage Rescue in Assam Jungles

By Sandeep Unnithan

New Delhi, Oct 11 : A muffled thump of a silenced Micro-Uzi, bursts of AK-47 fire and a frantic jungle firefight. As Delhi warmed up to the spectacular opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games in New Delhi, the army's special forces raced through the jungles of Assam to perform a daring textbook rescue killing four cadres of the banned militant group the National Democratic Front of Bodoland and freeing a businessman they were holding hostage.

Location of the encounter between the army's special forces and militants of National Democratic Front of Bodoland

Rescue missions are delicate surgeries meant to be carried out with scalpel-like precision to ensure that no harm comes to the hostages. This is usually far from the case as these missions end up as messy Pyrrhic victories with the hostages trapped between the good and the bad.

The story of this rare jungle rescue began on September 24 when the militants kidnapped Katan Nandi (36) son of a local grocery and retail store owner Parikshit Nandi in Dimu, Dhemaji district. They threatened to kill him unless a Rs 50 lakh ransom was paid up. Both the ULFA and the NDFB have accelerated kidnappings to generate funds for the groups with ransoms ranging from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

The Assam police dialed an Indian army's jungle warfare trained army Para-SF unit located nearby. On September 29, the unit began its task of locating the hostage. The unit was tipped off about the presence of the militants and began the grueling five-day task of collecting local intelligence.

Based on a local farmer's inputs that he had heard voices in the forest, they moved in to a search area of one kilometer by one kilometer. The wait paid off around noon on October 3. After a six-hour surveillance using spotter scopes, a group of four commandos located two suspicious individuals near the jungles north-west of Dhimaji district of Assam close to the Arunachal Pradesh border.

Weapons that were captured after the forest encounter

The commandos began stalking their quarry. The duo walked to a forest clearing where there were ten other militants. The hostage was bound and put at the foot of a tree while some of the militants sat playing cards, cooking food and waiting for their ransom to arrive.

It was noon but the thick and impenetrable forest cover made it seem like dusk. As the commandos crawled through the dense undergrowth, they were hit by stones and abuses in Assamese. The militants mistook them for foraging animals.

A few metres away, one of the crawling commandos ran into a startled sentry. Before he could reach for his weapon, the commando had whipped out his silenced Micro-Uzi and shot him in the head. The thump of the Uzi traveled across the jungle.

The firefight had begun. The militants began sheltering behind trees and blasting away with their AK-47s. The commandos were outnumbered. They could not use their force-multipliers, an 84mm Carl Gustav rocket launcher and 'Pika' machine gun, for fear of killing the hostage who was left under the tree. One of the commandos shouted out in Assamese asking the hostage not to run, he then darted forward and grabbed him by his legs and dragged him to safety.

The militants began pouring fire in his direction. One of the commandos carefully aimed and brought down two militants. A second commando shot one more militant and the rest fled into the undergrowth.

The end of a successful hostage rescue mission. The commandos then trekked for 24 hours through the jungle to reach the nearest road where a warm reception awaited them.

Naga Folk Dance Takes Centrestage at Dilli Haat

By Meenakshi Sinha

New Delhi, Oct 11 : A good part of the Commonwealth Games bustle and celebration is outside the stadia. While the sporting spirit finds expression in swimming pools, wrestling arenas and hockey fields, the artistic one is taking over at historical sites and other designated spots where art, music and handicraft from different parts of India are being showcased. The ever-popular Dilli Haat is no exception and on Friday, Nagaland was in the spotlight at the 'Festival of India' here.

The ongoing celebrations at south Delhi's indigenous craft hub have already witnessed Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat showcasing their crafts and culture. Gurjarati shawls and saris in riotous colours; intricately woven Sambalpuri saris and dress materials of Orissa; the rich tussar, Benarsi and Murshidabad silks of Bihar, Benaras and Bengal respectively; and vibrant Jaipuri block prints — all are displayed at Dilli Haat awash with myriad hues.

However, the Haat now is not just for shopping or eating. There are cultural programmes galore. Friday, it was Nagaland's turn. Student groups from the tribes of Ao, Sumi, Lotha, Angami, Rengma, Zeliang and from eastern Nagaland performed folk dances. The Lotha students added a skit at the set of performances that had Nagaland MP C M Chang as chief guest.

''There's special food like thukpa, momo and traditional rice from Manipur, Assam, Sikkim and Nagaland,'' said Kuolie Mere, a Nagaland state government official. Handicrafts of Northeast states — cane furniture, bamboo baskets, lamp shades, decorative flowers and woollens — were on display and many foreign tourists thronged the stalls for souvenirs.

Jim from Canada is touring India for the first time but he isn't completely new to the country and its ways, having many Indian friends back home. ''I've heard so many things about Indian culture that I had to make this trip,'' says Jim. He picked up a few trinkets and bead jewellery for his three daughters and one son after enquiring of master craftsman of wooden jewellery and artifacts from Jaipur, Prithvi Raj Kumawat, whether his creations can be worn by both men and women.

J McClellan from Scotland quietly peered into an array of wooden boxes of different sizes, closely studied the kantha silk work and terracotta pots from West Bengal. ''These are so beautiful and intricate. I can't decide what to pick and what not to,'' said a wide-eyed McClellan.

Earlier on Thursday, October 7, it was Bihar on the centrestage. The craft festival will continue till October 13 with Saturday's schedule including programmes from the north-central states Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh showcasing their art, craft and culture.

Assam Village Youths Banish Militancy Through Self-Employment

By Vashipem Kamodang

Guwahati, Oct 11 : Many youngsters in Assam's villages have taken up different vocations instead of looking for jobs. They have changed life in the villages, which once used to be havens for militant activities.

Cheniamguri, a small hamlet of 1,000 people located on outskirts of Jorhat town, presents one such example.

Till recently, Cheniamguri was known to be badly affected by militant activities. However, today the situation has changed and the village is looking forward to better times, thanks to the consistent efforts of the local youth.

Typical of the youngsters of the village are Debojyoti Hazarika and Probita Borah, who are today self-employed.

Debojyoti has been running a small pharmacy store here since 2005, that caters to the needs of the villagers. Probita runs a grocery shop and practices bee-keeping.

"I ask the youth, who are facing financial problems, not to take up unlawful activities, as it affects their parents and friends. They should start a small business and success will soon be theirs," Debojyoti said.

"The government has started various schemes for the unemployed youth. They must take advantage of these schemes to start their own business. And with hard work they will surely be successful. Take my example; I earn rupees 10,000 to 15,000 in a month. Agriculture is the main occupation of the villagers. And, to generate greater revenue, the young farmers are taking up alternative farming," says Probita Borah.

Another youngster is Hemant Boruah, 28, who formed a group of five young farmers, who have jointly started vegetable farming.

In just five years they have increased the land under cultivation three-fold and are earning 30,000 to 40,000 rupees every season.

Hemant Boruah, a farmer, told us that he started farming in 2002, when he failed to get a job.

"I had to do something to earn a livelihood and farming was the best option. I had the advantage of owning some agricultural land and I was confident of earning much more through farming," he said.

Infrastructure facilities in the village have improved considerably, as villagers now have access to potable water, electricity, education, and health services.

Tribujjal Prakash's success is also an inspirational tale that showcases how change has taken place here. He took to playing the guitar when he was in standard one. Today, he is a popular artiste in the upper Assam region.

He has specialized in western music and classical vocal, and has participated in many music competitions.

The village has a Cheni-amguri Sangeet Vidyalaya, a music school for the youngsters.

"Music promotes peace and sends out a message that violence should end. Music is a path to peace " said Tribujjal.

Cheniamguri village has now set an example for people in other parts of the Northeast.

Crushed by Delhi Politics

By Patricia Mukhim

Cradle of knowledge: Nehu campus in Shillong

India claims to be a federal republic but Delhi has a vice-like grip in all affairs of the states. This is evident from the manner in which the Union ministry for human resources development has been running the show vis-à-vis the central universities of the region. While the oft quoted adage, “He who pays the piper calls the tune”, can be appreciated up to a point and Delhi indeed is the appointing authority of all vice-chancellors whose salaries it pays, there is merit in showing respect to the sentiments of the people where such universities are located. Not always are people wrong in their views; nor is Delhi, which is physically distant and emotionally estranged from this region, infallible.

Over the years, we have witnessed how vice-chancellors are appointed not on merit but on the clout they enjoy in Delhi. Hence vice-chancellors pay regular darshans in the corridors of the ministry of human resources, currying favour with all levels of bureaucrats there. It is caste system at its worst. When the MHRD babus come visiting to the North Eastern Hill University (Nehu) they are treated like royalty and given five-star treatment at the cost of the university, in return for favours they do to keep VCs in their chairs. The quid pro quo is so outrageously visible that it can only enrage the onlookers.

Cesspool

Vice-chancellors appointed to Nagaland University seem to come from a junkyard. Instead of being pillars of academic excellence and carrying themselves with the dignity befitting their positions, they indulge in some of the most rotten politics possible.

One reason, of course, is that they also handle huge amount of construction funds; and money indeed is a great temptation. That the MHRD is unable to find a person of academic and personal integrity to head the sanctum sanctorum of higher learning from an academic pool that this country has much to boast of, shows the limited ambit and the muddy pool from which the so-called search committee is fishing from. When you fish from a cesspool you can only get rotten fish!

Despite evidence of malfeasance against the present vice-chancellor of Nagaland University and after having sent the CBI to investigate the allegations of corruption (mind you without even temporarily removing him from the post and therefore allowing him free rein to continue his cover-up exercise), the MHRD continues to patronise the VC and allow him to function although he has lost the last vestige of respect from the students, faculty and civil society of that state. That’s how obtuse and supremely arrogant the MHRD is!

Nehu kerfuffle

Let me now come closer home to Nehu where the VC has been locked in on two occasions, once last year and very recently when he refused to step down after his tenure ended on September 12 last. The Nehu VC Pramod Tandon is alleged to have misutilised money meant for different construction projects — the most prominent one being the caving in of the Mcdonald Road connecting Nehu campus to National Highway 44 near Mawiong. This road would have cut short the travel time to Nehu by about an hour as it would not be bogged down by heavy traffic on the national highway. But this Rs 8-crore project collapsed like a pack of cards because it lacked the engineering design for hill roads. And no one was held accountable.

The normal practice for every VC whose term ends is to step down and allow the seniormost professor to take over. But Tandon stuck on by pulling his MHRD strings. He got a joint secretary of the ministry to send a fax message directing the registrar to allow Tandon to function until a new VC takes over. This, by citing some obscure clause in the Nehu Ordinance. Needless to say, the Nehu fraternity stood up in arms against the arbitrary directive and refused to acknowledge Tandon as VC. He was not allowed to function as his office was under lock and key. Such a crisis does not bode well for academia. But does Delhi care?

On October 4, Delhi announced that A.N. Rai, the serving VC of Mizoram University, would take over the reins of Nehu. This appointment has come as a fresh assault on the students and faculty of Nehu as Rai had evidently been hounded out of Mizoram University for violating an agreement he had signed with the Mizo Students’ Union. Further this appointment is galling because there have been several representations to the MHRD and the President of India who is the Visitor, asking for a local indigenous person as the VC. Nehu is 37 years old and has within its fold some of the best academics from the indigenous community with a track record of being good administrators as well.

Lack of foresight

The civil society of Meghalaya argues that while the Centre trumpets its benevolence towards the people of the Northeast, its actions are contrary to its avowal.

They also argue that the demand for a VC from the indigenous community cannot be labelled as ethnocentrism as the demands are based purely on merit. The students’ body of Nehu, under the banner of the Meghalaya Tribal Students’ Coordination Committee, a conglomerate of Khasi, Garo and other student organisations of the university, rejected Rai’s appointment as the new VC and demanded a VC from the indigenous community by October 8. Indeed, the MHRD’s actions can only be termed as “rubbing salt into gaping wounds”. But here the credibility and wisdom of the Search Committee has to be seriously questioned. Why are VCs being recycled from one university to another? The search committee, comprising former CEC J.M. Lyngdoh, nuclear scientist R.R. Chidambaram and former diplomat Abid Hussian, submitted a list of three names to the MHRD. Ironically, Tandon’s name again featured on the list alongside the names of two other serving VCs. How could a search committee be so limited in its breadth and understanding of the situation and the region? Is there no academician of worth who would wishto take up responsibilities in the Northeast? Does the voice of people from this region merit no consideration at all? Rai, who is now set to take charge of Nehu, is a biochemist. He was given a “rousing” farewell from Mizoram University Would it not have been less tumultuous for the universities of this region if someone who is not holding a VC’s post is appointed?

These indeed are thorny questions that need to be raised at relevant platforms. Nehu has been in a state of flux for the last one year. At the height of the controversy is none other than the outgoing VC himself. Now the student community is bracing for another long struggle to oppose the appointment of a new VC. Where this protracted agitation will take the university is anybody’s guess. But the fault is squarely that of the MHRD and its insensitive bureaucracy and perhaps a minister who is so bogged down by the idea of bringing in foreign universities that he has no time to invest in the welfare of the desi ones. It is time to think of a new search committee that is more representative. Merely having one from the indigenous community with a Brahmin mindset on the committee is adding insult to injury. Period.

(The writer can be contacted at patricia17@rediffmail.com)

.303 Rifles to Give Way to New-Age Weapons in Assam

Guwahati, Oct 11 : The vintage .303 rifle may soon be a thing of the past for Assam police with the British-era Lee Enfield rifle being replaced by self-loading rifles (SLRs), Indian National Small Arms System (Insas) and AK-series rifles as part of the modernisation drive.

The home department has also been contemplating to dispose of these vintage rifles commissioned in 1895 in the British army. Such a move, however, will take time, as it will need the Centre’s approval.

Most likely, the .303 rifles will be handed over to the forest guards who use .315 rifles.

A senior official of the modernisation wing of Assam police told The Telegraph that the .303 rifle being inadequate to fight modern-day crime — where militants and sometimes criminals are armed with sophisticated weapons — it was being replaced by modern-day rifles.

At present, the state police use .303 rifles only for non-operational duties like road patrolling and guarding. “Most of these rifles are being used by the homeguards,” the official said, adding that the police stations were being supplied sophisticated rifles like SLRs and Insas for the last few years to replace the .303 rifle. Police stations are also being provided AK-series rifles.

The .303 is a bolt-action rifle where the firing chamber needs to be reloaded each time, whereas the SLR is a semi-automatic rifle, which has the ability to fire multiple shots.

The Insas and AK-series rifles are gas-operated rifles, having fully automatic firepower.

Compared to an SLR and an Insas, the .303 rifle has less magazine capacity with a maximum of 10 rounds.

The need to modernise the state police force was stressed during the 39th All India Police Science Congress held here in January this year. In fact, several experts who attended the meet were of the opinion that the World War I era .303 rifle should be replaced with modern rifles to fight the new face of terror — sophisticated weapons and gadgets.

Assam police director-general, Sankar Barua, said stress had been laid on modernising the police force to tackle modern-day crimes and track down criminals, as vintage rifles were no match for terrorists and criminals.

“Gone are the days when the officer-in-charge of a police station could identify known criminals under the jurisdiction of the particular police station. Nowadays, an investigating officer may have to fly to a foreign country to catch a criminal. We are training our men on this line,” the DGP said.

Modern equipment are also being procured in a phased manner, he added.

“We have already procured several modern equipment, including sophisticated rifles,” the DGP said. The official of the police modernisation wing said the process to arm the police force with Israeli Uzi and German MP5 submachine guns was also on. “These guns will be used only on special operations,” he said.

Dam – Way To Develop Or Destroy?

By Achungmei Kamei

40,000 tribal people face displacement, starvation as government builds mega dam in Manipur, north east India

Achungmei Kamei, a tribal woman and our correspondent in Manipur brings us this video about sufferings of tribal people caused by a mega dam project. Manipur is a hill state of India that has a fragile ecology, but a great reserve of biodiversity and has been home to about a hundred thousand Naga tribal people like Achungmei. For them land and forest are the main sources of livelihood. Today, nearly half of them are about to becomes refugees as a government mega dam project called Tipaimukh Hydro Electric Project is destroying their land, their forest and will submerge the homes when it is completed.

People of Manipur – tribal and non-tribal alike – have been protesting the construction of Tipaimukh dam for over ten years now. The government says, the dam will generate 1500 megawatt of electricity. But people say, the cost that locals have to pay is much too higher. Besides homes and land, there will be loss of cultural heritage of tribal people which is interwoven with the forest and river by which they live.

For an example, everyone in Achungmei’s community members is a marginal farmer who practices slash and burn cultivation method, growing little rice and vegetables. Those who don’t have enough land, earn a living by laboring into others farms. Building of Tipaimukh will render all of them landless.

Research has showed that the dam will submerge about 27,242 hectares of cultivable land and will also increase salinity of ground water, making it unsafe for drinking.

Achungmei thinks, the biggest reason why government easily ignores her community’s plea is that they are poor, powerless and live in a remote region. They are so poor, even attending multiple protest rallies is difficult for them because they need to labour everyday to afford a square meal. Resources are another issue. The people of her community cannot afford to journey to the capital or other big cities where the government authorities sit and demonstrate there. And if they protest locally, it never reaches out far.

Achungmei, as a community correspondent, has decided to amplify her community’s voice with the help of technology. So for her now her camera is her weapon to fight for her community and defend their right to land, forest and livelihood. Through this video she is making an effort to share with the world how government agencies are spending money on development projects that will be disastrous for her community and garner support for their struggle.