Mizoram Hindi Teachers ‘Nahi’ To Roman Scripts

Aizawl, Aug 20 : The Mizoram Middle School Hindi Teachers Association today strongly objected to the inclusion of Roman scripts in the Hindi text books for class V and X in Mizoram schools, being prepared by the Mizoram Board of School Education.

The Hindi teachers said in a press statement Roman scripts were being included in the text books to make it easier for the students to learn the pronunciation.

However, the Hindi teachers termed this method as a defilement of the beautiful Indian national language. We are strongly against the inclusion of Roman scripts which would prevent the students from correctly pronouncing Hindi words.

We want the students to master Devanagiri scripts in writing and pronunciation, the communiqué said.

A council meeting of the Mizoram Middle School Hindi Teachers Association on August 17 decided to abstain from the preparation of the Hindi textbooks unless the decision to include Roman scripts was withdrawn, the statement said.

Drawing Simple Pure Lines

Nagaland’s Atsu Sekhose, 34, is an expert when it comes to Western separates with clean silhouettes.

Having grown up with an appetite for fashion, thanks to his environment – Nagaland is known for its music- and fashion-literate crowd that is influenced by popular Western artistes and Sekhose’s mother was a fan of Vogue – his stint at NIFT was a breeze.

He was noticed and hired by Tarun Tahiliani while in college, and spent some time at the high-street Spanish brand, Zara.

Today, Sekhose has a pret line that is big among expats in particular, while he does couture for Delhi socialites and celebrities like Sonam Kapoor.

He is one of the few mainstream designers who designs western wedding dresses (from Rs.1,50,000) and plans are on to include menswear pret for Spring 2012. Here’s more from the designer:

You were quoted saying that Indian men should not wear shorts.

Yes, but I have noticed that recently, Indian men are better dressed and groomed than most women at upmarket malls in Delhi. I’m a simple guy who loves vintage and believes in classic dressing, so my menswear will reflect this.

Since you have not visited South, what comes to mind when you think of this part of the country?

I think of a hot city, and keep colour preferences in mind when I send my clothes.

Tell us about your resort line.

In India, resort usually means those horrible digitally printed kaftans. We don’t do them. I make a lot of oversized shirts but with minimal embroidery and use cotton silk blends and silk voile.

Designers who inspire you.

Manish Arora is unapologetic about his style. And Rajesh Pratap Singh and Tahiliani. I am impressed by Prabal Gurung and what he’s done in such a short span. I also like New York’s Asian designers like Phillip Lim and Jason Wu.

You’ve said the Atsu woman is confident and never wears head-to-toe Atsu.

Brands like Zara and H&M are really good. Sometimes it makes sense to mix and match.

Corporate dressing for the monsoon.

Coroporate women are wearing a lot of skirts and below the knee works this season. Sometimes, trousers look bad on Indian women. Also, some women wear lycra, with the buttons popping. So emphasis must be on the right size. Don’t wear a size smaller than you are, thinking it makes you look smaller!

Atsu’s 2011 resort and spring line is being retailed now. Featuring separates and muted shades like grey, beige, dual tones, salmon pink, off white and yellow. Rs.6,000 onwards.

Details: +91-11-28291443

American girl in Italy: 60 years later

By Mike Krumboltz

‘American Girl’ photo: American Girl in Italy, 1951 © 1952, 1980 Ruth Orkin / Courtesy of …

A stunning young woman walks down a street in Florence, her head held high. All around, men playfully gawk at her grace and beauty. Just then the camera shutter snaps. "American Girl in Italy" is among the most popular snapshots of all time, and it's turning 60 years old this month.

The photo, which was shot in 1951, perfectly captures the fun and romance of being abroad. In honor of its birthday, Ninalee Craig, the subject of the photo spoke with the "Today" show about what happened behind the scenes and what the photo really represents.

In her "Today" appearance, Craig spoke about how, despite what some might say, the photo isn't a "symbol of harassment." Craig insists that the image is "a symbol of a woman having an absolutely wonderful time."

Craig should know--when the photo was taken, she was a 23-year-old traveling alone through Europe. While staying at a cheap hotel, Craig met photographer Ruth Orkin, who was also touring the continent solo. The two spoke about the fun and challenges of being alone while on the road in Italy--and went on to hatch a plan to take photos highlighting that experience.

For two hours, the photographer and amateur model walked the streets of Florence. Orkin took photos at markets and in cafes. The street-scene photo came about naturally. According to Craig, Orkin shot only two pictures of her walking down the macho street. One of them turned out to be the iconic image commemorated today.

As for whether or not the photo was staged, Craig says no way. "The big debate about the picture, which everyone always wants to know, is: Was it staged? No! No, no, no! You don't have 15 men in a picture and take just two shots. The men were just there . . . . The only thing that happened was that Ruth Orkin was wise enough to ask me to turn around and go back and repeat" the walk down the street.

In the interview, Craig also remarked that she never felt in danger while walking among the admiring men. "None of those men crossed the line at all," she said.

Craig is now a great-grandmother living in Toronto. Orkin, who passed away in 1985, went on to co-write and co-direct the 1956 Oscar-nominated film "Little Fugitive." Of course, both women will be best remembered for one indelible image that, staged or not, captured the public's imagination and never let go.

Photo of Ninalee Craig today: Courtesy Keith Beaty/Toronto Star/GetStock

Chin-Kuki-Zo People Are NOT Migrants

Dr. L. Lam Khan Piang

The Zo people are identified with various names such as Kuki, Chin, Shendu, Khongsai, etc. by the anthropologists, ethnographers and colonial administrators.

However, some of them mention that Zo is the name by which they call themselves. So it is imperative to employ the name Zo, as it has cultural implication and a tinge of primordial element, and to clear the confusion due to the various different names given by their neighbors from whom the colonial ethnographers and administrators picked up.

For example, they got the name Chin from the people of the East (the Burman) and Kuki from the West (the Bengalis).

When the first Anglo-Burmese was concluded with the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1926, the British gained control over Assam and Manipur. By that time, the Zo country was neither part of Burma nor India.

It was certainly not a part of Manipur. However, with the intervention of the British colonizers, the Zo country was segmented and part of it was integrated to Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Chittagong and Burma.

Realizing the immorality of the segmentation of the Zo people and their territory for their administrative convenience, the British convened the Chin-Lushai conference in 1892, to keep the Zo people under single administration but the resolution for the amalgamation of the Chin Hills and Lushai Hills is never implemented.

The historical process of the ethnification of the Zo people by boundary demarcation during the colonial regime is very complicated that even some writers made mistakes in their presentation of history.

Some writers are of the opinion that the Zo people migrated from Burma and even branded them as emigrant or nomad. So it is necessary to clarify the historical fact that parts of Zo territory integrated to India, Burma, and Bangladesh were the homeland of the indigenous Zo people inherited from their forefather since time immemorial.

It was the British colonisers, who sliced out part-by-part and bit-by-bit the Zo territory and attached them in the states they constructed such as Manipur, Burma and India (including Bangladesh).

So, in writing history, one cannot keep aside the temporal aspect, as that is the most important aspect in the study of history objectively. The Zo people never migrated to India from Burma as the areas they occupied in the face of the earth was neither India nor Burma.

They were dispersing from certain villages such Ciimnuai, Seipui, Khawrua, Sunkhla, Lotsawm, etc., which were very close to each other and located in the present Chin state in Burma (Myanmar). Group by group and clan by clan they moved from here and dispersed into different directions.

Their movement is necessitated by the practice of shifting (Jhum) cultivation so as to maintain the jhum cycle as well as to accommodate the increasing population.

They expanded until they were stranded by other settlements. It is clear that the territory which they inhabit presently is what they inherit from their ancestors, from where their culture is evolving.

The land where the Zo cultural practices and their festivals are evolving is called by the Zo people as Zogam.

Mizoram To Compensate Former Mizo Chiefs

Aizawl, Aug 19 : Mizoram today agreed to give compensation to the former Mizo chiefs who were dethroned and their lands confiscated by the government in the early 1950’s.

A Cabinet meeting, chaired by state chief minister Lal Thanhawla, decided to send its recommendations on this matter to the Centre for final approval and payment of compensation.

Mizo sovereign chiefs who had ruled the then 'Lushai country' as called by the invading British troops, continued to hold their chieftainship during the British rule, but the government under independent India abolished the chieftainship and replaced it with democratically elected village councils.

The former chiefs and their descendants were rendered landless and without subjects and the government refused to pay compensation while in neighboring states, the chiefs were allowed to continue or dethroned by payment of compensation.

The Mizo chiefs council challenged and fought the decision of the government and even moved the Gauhati High Court seeking justice.

Road, Railway Communications Cut Off in Assam District

By Sushanta Talukdar

PERILOUS CROSSING: People make use of a wrecked railway track to negotiate the flood waters at Tokobari, in Dhemaji district of Assam, on Thursday.

Guwahati, Aug 19 : Flood situation grim in Dhemaji; death toll goes up to six and two others still missing

The flood situation in the worst-hit Dhemaji district in northern Assam continued to be critical on Thursday with both road and railway communications to the district still being cut off, and thousands of displaced people forced to take shelter on embankments and relief camps. The death toll in the district has gone up to six while there were reports of two persons still missing.

So far 1,54,488 people of 261 villages in four revenue circles of the district —Sisiborgaon, Gogamukh, Jonai and Dhemaji — have been severely hit in the floods since August 15. The district authorities have opened 12 relief camps in which 7190 people have been provided shelter. The cumulative figure of population affected in the district in the floods since July is about three lakh.

The flood waters have caused 50 metres of breach on National Highway 52 near Gainadi. Another portion of NH 52 was breached near Komotia bridge at Somrajan while eight roads (under the Public Works Department) were damaged. Several roads in Dhemaji town have been submerged.

Emergency search and rescue teams of 1 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which were pressed into service since August 15, have rescued 217 people in the district amid incessant rainfall. As soon as information was received from Dhemaji district about the sudden rise in water level in River Kumotia and Gainadi that changed course all of a sudden, two NDRF search and rescue teams were mobilised to the affected areas in Dhemaji and Lakhimpur. Two response bases were established in the partially submerged Gogamukh and Sisiborgoan areas, and rescue operation was launched.

NDRF commandant Alok Kumar Singh appealed to the affected people to “activate the human chain of warning (passing threat information by loud cry) in such situations so that everyone could go to higher and safer ground.” He also urged the people not to take shelter in temporary houses or trees as they could be washed away by flash floods, stated an official release by NDRF.

Four other districts — Barpeta, Sonitpur, Jorhat and Dhubri — have also been affected by fresh floods since Wednesday.

Manipur Doesn't Warm Up To Anna Fight

By Rahul Karmakar

Guwahati, Aug 19 : Manipur does not want to be drawn into a debate on whether the fight to scrap a law that gives soldiers the license to kill is bigger than the fight against corruption. But this is at the heart of the northeastern state's disconnect with Anna Hazare's crusade. Manipur was unresponsive

when the nation rallied behind Hazare after his arrest and backed his fast for the Jan Lokpal bill.

An economic blockade by a tribal organisation seeking the creation of a new district (Sadar Hills) was a factor, but so was the Centre's indifference to a Manipuri woman's silent fight against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) of 1958.

"My sister is not fighting for Manipur or Manipuris alone. Her fight is for every Indian who might some day be facing a gun for disagreeing with the government," said Irom Singhajit, 53, brother of Irom Sharmila Chanu who has been on a marathon fast. "It is time people spared time for seemingly isolated silent agitations like hers and made it a mainstream movement."

Sharmila, 38, has been fasting for the 11th year in a row to have the AFSPA repealed. She stopped eating from November 2, 2000, after Assam Rifles troopers gunned down 10 villagers while chasing militants at Malom village near Manipur's capital Imphal. Confined to a hospital ward, she is being force-fed through a nasal tube.

Imphal-based rights activist Babloo Loitongbam said, "Her resilience is remarkable as is her belief in the Gandhian way of protest. India without the AFSPA will not only be a relief for the northeast; it will have a bearing on other disturbed areas where it could be imposed in the name of controlling law and order."

AFSPA is in force in Nagaland, Manipur (barring seven assembly segments), Assam, Arunachal Pradesh (Tirap and Changlang) and areas under 22 police stations in Tripura.

A commission (under former Supreme Court judge Justice BP Jeevan Reddy) had recommended replacing the AFSPA with a more humane piece of legislation, but the Centre didn't listen.

EPL: Stars to watch out for this season

By Richard Sydenham

Fast forward to May 2012. Who to pick for our Select XI for the season? Gaze into Firstpost.com’s Crystal Ball and see some interesting visions while ignoring the likely stars to impress a la Rooney, Cole, Lampard, Vidic, van Persie. Cech and Co.

Shay Given – After his first full season as a Manchester City substitute, precipitated by Joe Hart’s promotion as first choice at Eastlands, Given was subsequently sold to Aston Villa. Already, after one game at the weekend he was man of the match. Expect more of the same. His return to the Premiership limelight could also embarrass three teams with higher expectations than Villa.

Shay Given's return to the Premiership limelight could embarrass three teams with higher expectations than Aston Villa. Ian Walton/Getty Images

Arsenal have needed a top keeper since the exit of Jens Lehmann some time ago and have not strengthened in this department. Man United may yet rue putting all their faith in the 21-year-old David de Gea to replace retired veteran Edwin van der Sar.

Remember how many keepers they went through just to find van der Sar, who they bought at almost the same age as Goiven is now. And there’s Tottenham, who took Brad Friedel off Villa on a free transfer and gave him a two-year contract even though he is now 40, which Given will be at the end of his deal at Villa. Who do you think got the best business done there?

Kyle Walker – After five months at Villa on loan last season Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was able to see Walker as a genuine first team prospect for the 2011-12 season and a better, more permanent alternative to Scotsman Alan Hutton. That’s why he rebuffed Villa’s bid to make the move permanent. Walker was even drafted into the England squad by Fabio Capello so his rise could well be a rapid one during this campaign. He does, though, need to improve on the defensive side of his game and ensure he does not become a Glen Johnson-like rampaging right back minus the tackling and graft when not in possession of the ball.

Jose Enrique – Possibly Newcastle’s best player last season, he is now playing his football with a more ambitious, better team in Liverpool and this should harness and nurture Enrique’s talent further.

He should develop a team within a team with new £20 million left-sided midfield Stewart Downing and that force on the flank could be a tough challenge for most right-sided players during the campaign.

Gary Cahill – Although still a Bolton player, it would be surprising if he remained at the Reebok Stadium beyond the 31 August transfer deadline. Early signs with England and consistent seasons with Bolton reflect a quality defender but also someone who can add rare attacking flair for a defender as his curling 20-yard goal demonstrated at QPR on Saturday. His ability deserves Champions League football and I would expect Arsenal to give him that. If not it would be a huge mistake for the Gunners. One way or another, Cahill will again impress this season.

Chris Smalling – It seemed, when Sir Alex Ferguson paid Fulham £7 million for the rookie defender, that it was an investment for the future. However, his development has been rapid and with Rio Ferdinand’s increasing vulnerability to injuries it needs to be.

He has operated at right back and central defence but I expect Smalling to prosper more in the latter role, alongside Namanja Vidic initially and then Phil Jones.

Jack Wilshere – This midfield dynamo is no longer a hidden secret, for even Andre Villas-Boas described him as one of the best midfielders in Europe recently. That says a lot about Wilshere’s sudden rise.

With the exit of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and the likely departure of Samir Nasri also, the Gunners will be desperate for someone to take responsibility and provide drive to the whole team — don’t be surprised if that someone is Wilshere this season, even though he is still a teenager.

Charles N’Zogbia – He single-handedly retained Wigan’s Premiership status last season but no longer is he a big fish in a small pond. Sometimes that elevation in a player’s standing can unnerve and cause a negative regression. I don’t expect that to happen to this man. Now that he is a recent addition to the France squad, he will see Villa as the ideal stepping stone to an even greater stage ie World Cups and Champions Leagues, which is what his talent certainly deserves. Further, Villa’s loss of their two most creative sparks in Ashley Young and Stewart Downing will mean a significant reliance on N’Zogbia to produce; hence he will see much of the ball.

Luis Suarez – Tricky, goal-hungry, clever and magical. There have been several overseas stars (Litmanen, Garcia and Torres) threatening to write their names into Anfield folklore with some outstanding performances but more often than not their skill has been far too sporadic for Kopites to tolerate (or their commitment questionable in the latter name’s case).

The Uruguayan, though, looks like another Keegan, Dalglish or Beardsley, someone who will make great things happen for himself or the team. This could be his campaign, though I don’t think he has enough support for Liverpool to shoehorn their way into the top four.

Edin Dzeko – The £27 million signing from Wolfsburg last season was anonymous for the last five months of the season after his arrival. But that’s not unusual. Foreign stars often require at least six months to adjust to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

Dzeko was just fortunate that he was not expected to produce results immediately like he would have been at a club such as Villa or Tottenham, where that kind of investment would have been the season’s budget.

But as part of Man City’s billion pound project, he has been allowed to slot in quietly and this season will show the real goal poacher and all-round supreme striker that he undoubtedly is. Sergio Aguero may have scored twice on his debut this season, but things will become tougher for him, than playing at home to a promoted club such as Swansea first up.

Josh McEachran – Chelsea is an ageing team with too many thirty-something’s like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, but in McEachran they have a talent bursting through the ranks and who manager AVB is set to give his head this season.

There is no Ballack or Deco to prevent his development in this side anymore. I would expect the youngster to have enough opportunities to showcase his ability that he could be the find of the season, as Wilshere was in the last campaign.

Ashley Young – This player’s ability is nothing new but the fact he has improved at Villa after his time at Watford, and then flowered more in the England team shows his burgeoning talent and temperament.

He was far too inconsistent at Villa but was allowed to get away with it. Fergie will demand a performance every game and few players do not deliver on what Fergie asks of them.

It could be the making of Young into a European star from Premier League starlet.