Bias Against News From The Northeast India

By Aditi Nigam

For three days running, lakhs of people in Guwahati stood in serpentine queues to pay their last respects to the legendary singer, Bhupen Hazarika. Around half a million bid him a tearful farewell on Wednesday. Assam-watchers say this was an unprecedented event. However, the singer's fans and ordinary readers in North India, who depend on ‘national' dailies for news from across the country, had to draw comfort from either a photograph or a news item tucked away somewhere in pages 16, 12 or 11.

Worse still is the space given to the over 100-day economic blockade of two National Highways in Manipur, which has dried up supplies of essentials to this North-Eastern state, leading to unimaginable hardship for ordinary people.

The misfortune of both these happenings is that they concern North East India. Any upheaval in the lives of the people living in the eight states in the region — Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim — is only theirs. Their emotions, demands and needs just don't seem to find any place on the radar of those who decide matters in the newsrooms in the political capital of this country.

It was probably Hazarika's good fortune, as well as that of his fans, that he had moved to Bombay and breathed his last there, and was somehow connected with the biggest news-making industry in India today — Bollywood . This ensured him some space in the ‘national' dailies and television channels initially.

MANIPUR SCENARIO

As for the Manipur economic blockade, it's been more than three months since the two lifeline highways in the region have hit supplies of essential items, such as vegetables, petrol, cooking gas and medicines. Reports say cooking gas cylinders are selling at the rate of Rs 1,500 and petrol at Rs 200-400 a litre, patients are buying oxygen cylinders and life-saving medicines in black.

Can one even dream of this state of affairs being unnoticed by the ‘national' media or the political leadership if, say, the Jaipur or Agra highways were blocked for even a week?

As for our ‘national' political leadership, we all know that the Prime Minister of our country owes his Rajya Sabha seat to this very region (Assam). But we are yet to hear of any reaction of concern, leave alone action from him to end the Manipur economic blockade. Of course, his office did issue a condolence statement after Hazarika's passing away.

What's more, it took the Union Home Minister a good three months to wake up to the grim situation in Manipur. Only after news reports regarding the miseries and sufferings of the people started seeping out, did he decide to land up in Imphal in the first week of November! He expressed concern regarding disruption of peace and harmony, inaugurated a mini secretariat, assured action on the report of the District Reorganisation Commission (the agitating groups are demanding a separate district), and boarded the plane back to Delhi.

The matter rests there, even as the blockade continues.

No wonder, North-Easterners in Delhi and other concerned citizens have taken to social networking sites and alternate news sites to vent their feelings against discrimination by those who call the shots in Delhi's corridors of power and newsrooms.

As one blogger put it — for the ‘national' media, celebrities mean Bollywood and cricket. And as for the ‘national' political leadership — the development of the North East speaks for itself.

No Sex Till Marriage, Vow Mizo Youths

Aizawl, Nov 11 : Those who thought that taboos were a thing of the past might find this uncomforting. More than a thousand young people vowed to refrain from sex before marriage and signed pledges on the issues at Thenzawl town last week.

The youth, who participated at the Salvation Army Youth Congress, signed the chastity pledge organized by the Salvation Army-sponsored Community Health Action Network (Chan).

They inked their promises that they would remain virgin until they marry in accordance with the Christian teachings.

Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla, who attended the Congress, expressed concern at the growing cancer cases and other diseases in Mizoram, caused due to smoking, tobacco consumption and lifestyle of people.

"As Christian teachings emphasize on cleanliness of body and soul, we have to concentrate more on cleaner lifestyles to avoid deadly diseases," said Lal Thanhawla, adding that being the torchbearers of the field the Slavation Army meant generation of more awareness in words and deeds.

The Chan has been working with commercial sex workers and drug addicts to prevent spread of HIV/AIDS and also striving to stop human trafficking.

Supply Of Fuel resumes in Blockade-Hit Manipur

Imphal, Nov 11 : Manipur heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday as the state government took steps to ensure that supply of fuel resumes at 28 selected oil pump outlets.

Fuel though was being sold at an exorbitant price due to the economic blockade that was imposed by certain factions.

The administration has taken the initiative to escort 129 loaded trucks, including 86 oil tankers and 17 LPG bullet tankers into the city.

"There is some sort of relief as most of the pumps are opened and are providing a certain limited amount of fuel through a rationalized system to make the public avail fuel," said Ibochou Singh, a local resident.

Residents said that they managed to get fuel through the rationalized system imposed by the government.

"We appreciate the initiative taken by the government in making us avail the fuel, and has somehow given relief in the hard times," said Meiraba, a local resident.

Manipur has been facing an acute shortage of fuel for more than three months due to a blockade imposed by an ethnic tribal group that has been demanding the creation of a separate Sardar Hills district.

The Sadar Hills District Demand Committee started its agitation on August 1, seeking conversion of the Kuki-majority Sadar hills area in Naga-majority Senapati district into a full-fledged district.

The United Naga Committee, opposing the Kukis' demand, began a counter-blockade.

Lal Thanhawla Wants Mizo Language in 8th Schedule

Aizawl, Nov 10 : The Mizoram government has been taking steps to have Mizo language included in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said today.

Underlining that inclusion of Mizo language in the 8th Schedule is necessary to promote the language in the national level, Mr Lal Thanhawla stated that the state Assembly had also passed a Bill to this effect.

To make all out efforts a success, we need to study how language boards in different states have been performing, Mr Lal Thanhawla said while addressing an inaugural function of a two-day national seminar-cum-workshop on Mizo novels, identity, culture and language here.

The state Legislature had unanimously passed a resolution in 1991 urging the Centre to include Mizo language in the 8th Schedule. Emphasising the need for correct usage of language, the Chief Minister said Mizo language teachers, writers, speakers in the radio and TV and journalists are the most important people to protect the Mizo language from dilution.

He felt the need for formation of language development board at the government level.

Praising the initiatives of the Mizoram University s department of Mizo in co-organising the seminar, Mr Lal Thanhawla recalled that the then Congress government in 1997 allocated Rs 16 lakh for establishment of Mizo department in the Mizoram University.

In 2007, the Rajya Sabha rejected constitutional amendment Bill to include Mizo language in the 8th Schedule, moved by MP Lalhmingliana.

The rejection, after summary discussion, forced the lone Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram to stage a walkout. Young Mizo Association (YMA), the largest organisation in the state, had also adopted a resolution in its general assembly held in 1997 urging both Central and Mizoram Governments to include Mizo in the 8th Schedule and had also brought the attention of the then Prime Ministers I K Gujral and A B Vajpayee during their visits to Mizoram.

Unwanted Babies: Childless Foreign Couples Flock To Mizoram

Aizawl, Nov 10 : Childless foreign couples, mostly from European countries, have started eying Mizoram, the only state in the Northeast India having an international adoption license.

Recently, three couples-from Germany, France and Spain-have given a new life to three kids from a city-based orphanage.

They are the first children from Mizoram to be adopted by foreign couples.

”Adoptions for seven more children from different orphanages by foreign couples are being processed,” said Ruatfela Nu, a child rights activist and member of registered adoption agency, Friends of Children.

In-country and international adoption had involved a long process. It took more than a year for foreign families to successfully adopt an Indian baby.

The Indian government has relaxed its adoption rules to encourage more western couples to reduce the number of orphans living on the streets, and abandoned in squalid and dirty children’s homes throughout the country.

Under the new government plans couples will be able to complete the formalities in just 45 days.

”With this relaxation of rules, we are expecting more western couples to adopt children in orphanages in Mizoram,” Ruatfela Nu said.

There are four recognised adoption agencies in Mizoram which have registered about 300 prospective adoptive parents (PAPs). However, only a little more than 100 kids have been adopted from orphanages as most of the PAPs failed to meet the criteria.

”To adopt a child, a couple has to be financially secure and physically healthy. They should own a house and their combined age should not be higher than 90 years. They should be free of criminal past,” Ruatfela Nu said.

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), an autonomous body under the ministry of women and child development, government of India, has laid down strict guidelines for adoption in India and abroad.

An official in the state social welfare department said it was due to the laudable performance of the state adoption cell that CARA had given adoption licence to Mizoram, among the Northeast states.

At present, there are about 1200 children in about 30 orphanages and children’s homes in Mizoram.

Child activists said there has been an increase of unwanted babies in the Christian-dominated state during the last few years.

An abandoned eight-month-old baby girl was found on a road in Ramhlun locality here on the night of October nine, while a foetus suspected to be an aborted baby was found the next day near a place of worship in Kulikawn locality.

Another body of a newly-born was found near a road in Mizoram-Manipur border Pawlrang hamlet on October 22.

A social worker says that the recent spurt in ‘infanticide’ and ‘foeticide’ in the state may be due to increase in the population of ethnic Mizos from Myanmar and Manipur.

Ruatfela Nu, who is also a member of the state Child Welfare Committee (CWC), said abortion among the unmarried women is prevalent.

She also said many commercial sex workers who were drug addicts or alcoholics were not serious about raising children.

The CWC has taken up 1,100 cases of children in need of protection and care since 2005 and a majority of the cases were for admission in orphanages and children homes.

With the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Indian laws on protection of child rights advocating raising of children in normal families, social workers and law enforcement officials want to avoid admission of orphans and abandoned children in orphanages and homes.

”In-country and foreign adoption is an ideal solution to solve the problem of rising orphans in the state,” she said.

Source: UNI

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Mizoram Will Someday Sell Power To Bangladesh

Aizawl, Nov 10 : Once all the power potential in the state is tapped, Mizoram will enough power to sell to the neighboring power-starved Bangladesh, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said today.

When I accompanied Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka recently, power officials of Bangladesh informed the Prime Minister of their requirement of power.

The Prime Minister told them that once Mizoram taps its 4,500 MW power potential, it will have enough power to share you, Mr. Lal Thanhawla said while addressing a power and electricity engineering officers association s 12th annual general conference here.

The Chief Minister urged the engineers to utilize their technical knowledge to draft a vision for Mizoram to explore the state s natural resources, and to see to it that Mizoram achieves the Central government s policy of power for all by 2012 .

The Chief Minister, who holds the Power portfolio, lauded the state designated agency in saving power.

Regretting that the state could not get enough fund from the Centre due to failure to submit detailed project reports on time, the Chief Minister urged the engineers to work harder to set an example to other states.

Striking Mizo Teachers Defy Church Leaders Plea

Aizawl, Nov 10 : Not paying any heed to the church leaders plea, teachers of Mizoram Presbyterian Church-run schools today joined their counterparts in an indefinite strike.

For the sake of their students, the Mizoram synod, the highest body of the Presbyterian Church, requested the two Presbyterian schools- Synod HSS and PC Girls School to conduct regular classes.

However, the two schools remained closed today along with 14 other church-run schools across Mizoram as teachers of Mizoram deficit mission schools started their indefinite strike from today. About 10,000 students in the 16 deficit mission schools would suffer their teachers strike.

The schools included those of the Roman Catholics, which are considered the best schools in Mizoram.

The teachers had been demanding hike in the salaries in line with Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, introduction of pension scheme and application of modified ACP.

They had taken mass casual leave for a week and decided to go on an indefinite strike after the state Education Minister Lalsawta failed to give them any concrete promise, they said.