Poultry Culling Begins in Meghalaya

Shillong, Jan 14 : A 13-member rapid response team Thursday began culling poultry birds at a farm in East Garo Hills district of Meghalaya after the birds tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus, an official said.

"The culling operation started this evening, and we are hopeful to dispose of around 560 birds remaining in the government-run poultry farm at Williamnagar," said Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Director D. Lyngwa.

"We are hopeful that the rapid response team completes the culling operations tonight (Thursday night) itself," Lyngwa told IANS.

The government had recently sent samples to the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal, after more than 3,000 birds died in the past few weeks at a farm in Williamnagar, the district headquarters of East Garo Hills.

Though there has been no report of the infection spreading to humans, the health and family welfare department rushed a micro-biologist and a pathologist to Williamnagar after the HSADL Wednesday sent a positive report of the H5N1 virus.

"A team of specialists has reached Williamnagar and they will stay there to monitor human health in view of the birds testing positive for H5N1. The government will provide all necessary medicines," said state medical chief A.C. Hazarika.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who chaired an emergency meeting with top government officials following the detection of bird flu, said the government has taken all steps to prevent further outbreak of the deadly virus.

"We were caught by surprise. The government is trying to find out the link to the outbreak of the virus on the farm from the surroundings or surrounding states," Sangma told journalists.

The government has asked all districts to monitor the health of all poultry. The movement and sale of poultry and poultry products from the affected area has been stopped.

Hasina in Tripura Today

By Samudra Gupta Kashyap

Guwahati, Jan 11 : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will arrive on a two-day visit to Agartala, the capital of Tripura, on Wednesday, in what will be the first visit of a foreign PM to the Northeastern state.

Hasina, who will be conferred a honorary D Litt by the Tripura University during her trip, is being accompanied by a huge delegation, that includes her country’s foreign minister Dipu Moni. Hasina’s younger sister Sheikh Rehana is also part of the delegation.

The Bangladesh PM, who arrives Wednesday afternoon, will address a meeting of business captains in the evening before attending a cultural function at the Raj Bhavan. On Thursday, she will be be conferred an honorary D Litt during the ninth convocation of the Tripura University. She flies back to Dhaka the same afternoon.

“It is a landmark visit that will not only strengthen the bond between India and Bangladesh on the Northeastern front, but also give a big fillip to bilateral trade — of which Tripura will certainly be the biggest beneficiary,” Tripura industry minister Jiten Choudhury said on Tuesday.

“Bangladesh has already agreed to provide us access to Chittagong Port for movement of goods to and from India through road and rail. Both countries have also agreed to operationalise the Sabroom (Tripura)-Ramgarh (Bangladesh) land custom station, which is only about 75 kilometres from Chittagong Port. This will make transit through Bangladesh a reality, and make Tripura the Gateway to the Northeast,” Choudhury said.

Issues that are likely to come up during the trade and business meet include transit of Indian goods from Kolkata to Tripura through Bangladesh, development of road communication and other infrastructure as well as land custom stations at the international border.

“Bangladesh allowed us to use the Ashuganj port to bring in over-dimensional cargo for ONGC’s Palatana power project last year. We want this facility at Ashuganj port to become a permanent arrangement,” said M L Debnath, president, Tripura Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Fire in Guwahati Refinery, 8 Injured

Guwahati, Jan 11 : Fire broke out inside the Guwahati Refinery complex following the burst of the slob oil tank number 56 of the Refinery’s tank firm around 7 this evening. However, the fire was brought under control speedily.

Five fire tenders immediately rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control within about half an hour’s time. Eight persons injured in the incident have been rushed to the Refinery Hospital till the filing of this report, while IGP CWR GP Singh said that the exact number of persons injured in the incident is yet to be ascertained.

Deputy General Manager (Human Resources) of the Refinery WR Barbora, accompanied by Deputy General Manager (Production) Gautam Das Gupta, told reporters that a multi-disciplinary enquiry committee has been formed with the officials from the refinery operations, safety, maintenance, electrical and mechanical departments to go into the incident.

However, contradicting the claim of the anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) that it had triggered the blast in the tank firm of the Refinery, the DGM (HR) of the Refinery ruled out any kind of sabotage.

IGP CWR, who rushed to the spot immediately after the incident had taken place, also ruled out possibility of any sabotage, saying, the tank is too deep and there is remote chance of any sabotage.

Some refinery employees alleged that welding work was going on for a new crude chamber near the tank. A spark from the welder’s nozzle caused the blast in the tank. When the tank went off, around 200 persons were working at the site.

Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) Asutosh Agnihotri also visited the site immediately after the incident and inspected the spot along with the senior civil and police officials.

A large number of people gathered in front of the Refinery after the fire broke out. The refinery workers as well as the people of the locality rushed out of their houses immediately after the fire broke out. The administration closed the road leading to the refinery but the flow of crowd could not be checked.

The people alleged that the refinery authorities failed to take adequate precautionary and safety measures. They also alleged that the refinery authorities could not arrange for adequate number of ambulances to deal with any such eventuality.

Female Voters Outnumber Men in Mizoram

Aizawl, Jan 10 : Female voters have edged past their male counterparts by 10,120 votes in the latest electoral roll for Mizoram state assembly elections which has recorded 12,454 new voters, a 1.94 per cent increase from the electoral roll of 2011.

Now, the total number of voters in Mizoram is 6,53,208 which accounted for 58.96 per cent of the total population of a little more than ten lakhs according to the census 2011.

As many as 3,31,664 voters are female, putting the sex ratio in the electorate at 1,031, as against 975 in the census 2011. In the last state assembly elections in December 2008, as many as 3,08,884 of the total 6,11,124 voters in the eight districts of Mizoram were female.

Women had also outnumbered men by 3,816 votes during the 2003 assembly polls. There are 3,418 service voters in Mizoram.

While a total 21187 voters were added, 9422 voters were deleted in the latest edition of electoral roll.

Of the 40 assembly constituencies, Tuichawng in Lawngtlai district has the largest number of voters with 25,198 while Thorang constituency in Lunglei district has the least electors with 12,039.

With some addition, there are now 1,031 polling stations across Mizoram.

Art exhibition in Mizoram

Aizawl, Jan 10 : A painting exhibition was recently held in Mizoram's capital Aizawl where several artists from the region exhibited their work.

The exhibited paintings gave a glimpse of "Traditional Mizoram" to the visitors. Paintings depicted women in indigenous attire,and showed age-old practices and rituals and traditional Mizo villagesl.

The paintings were the work of 12 veteran and budding painters including Lalbutta, Biaklara, and Jerry.who have been exhibiting their work throughout the country.

"Most of our painters paint realistic paintings like nature, traditions and cultures. Most of our audiences like such paintings. I started painting since my childhood and this is my hobby," said Lalbuta, a veteran painter from Mizoram.

The visitors who came to the exhibition appreciated the works of the artists and considered them at par with their contemporaries residing in cities.

"Most of the people participating here are good and talented. They care about their work and have given good strokes in the paintings. I believe our artists have the talent to compete with other artists in plains or other cities," said V L K Dawngluina, a visitor.

Youth in Mizoram are taking keen interest in fine arts.

Some of them even want to take it up as a full time career even though opportunities are limited in the state.

Laltanpuia, is a Mizo painter who started a school to promote fine arts in the state is now doing well and has changed the lives of many.

The artists association has asked for support from the government to level the ground with artists from other states.

"I have been running a school in Mizoram since 1986 where I have been teaching painting but nothing other than that. So if a school of art is there it will be good for the students," H K Jerry Ramliana, a veteran painter. Mizoram

The exhibition was organized under the aegis of Mizoram Academy of Fine Arts

Man Versus Leopard Clash On Camera

A leopard, which attacked a person (R) in a residential colony, is taken away after being tranquillized by zoo officials in Guwahati. The leopard had injured three persons. 

Guwahati, Jan 10 : A labourer who had his scalp ripped off by a rampaging leopard over the weekend has spoken of his horrific ordeal, saying he was trying to save the cat when it turned on him.

Pintu Dey is recovering in hospital in Assam after being badly mauled outside his house in an attack captured in a series of startling and gruesome photographs.
"My two children were inside the house and so I went to save them when I found some policemen aiming to shoot the leopard," Dey, who is in his 40s, told AFP from his hospital bed.

"I pleaded against killing the cat and literally stood between the policemen and the leopard like a shield, and all of a sudden I found myself attacked and blood splattered all over."

The leopard had strayed into a residential area in the centre of Guwahati, the capital of Assam, and attacked another three people, killing one.

Dey also suffered a fractured hand and cuts caused by multiple bites on his hands and legs.

A former journalist and lawyer called Deva Kumar Das succumbed to his injuries on Sunday. The condition of the other two was said to be stable.

Referring to Dey, a doctor in the Wintrobe Hospital told AFP: "I would say the injury is really severe as he lost a lot of blood and his scalp wound is indeed serious."

The cat was later tranquilised by forest officials and taken to the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati. On Monday it was set free in a tiger reserve in Manas, western Assam.

"I wish the government could take care of my medical expenses as my financial condition is not sound," Dey told AFP, explaining that he does casual work but has no reliable source of income.

Thousands of people are attacked by wildlife in India each year, with tigers, leopards, elephants and snakes the most dangerous.

Conservationists blame a decline in the natural habitat for wild animals, particularly dense forest cover in areas surrounding cities, for the deadly incidents occasionally reported from urban areas in India.

Mizoram govt will not resume talks with Hmar group

Aizawl, Jan 9 : Mizoram government will not resume talks with Hmar People’s Convention (D) ‘merely’ because of the Centre’s pressure to do so, state Home minister R Lalzirliana said on Sunday.

Lalzirliana told PTI here that the Union Home Ministry had recently sent a letter to state chief secretary Van Hela Pachuau instructing the state government to resume negotiations with HPC-D.

“How could the Centre ask us to talk to the outfit now when the Union Home Ministry, a few months back, had itself asked state governments to deal with the insurgent outfits as dacoits? ” he asked.

The Centre had signed Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement with several north east ultra groups, including HPC-D on the condition that their cadres would be confined within designated camps and that they would deposit their arms with the security forces.

The HPC-D cadres had not only not remained in the designated camps but had also never deposited their arms and continued to indulge in violent and illegal activities, including extortion from across the Manipur border, he said.

“Even if we want to comply with the Union Home Ministry’s diktat, it would be difficult to decide to which faction of the outfit we would engage in the parleys as it now has two of them,” he said.

The Hmars belong to the Chin-Kuki-Mizo group of tribes, and are recognised as Scheduled Tribe under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution of India. Literally, Hmar means North or Northern people, as they are living north to the Lusei people.

Hmars live mostly in the hills of south Manipur, Mizoram, Cachar, North Cachar, Meghalaya, Tripura and Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Although these areas are within different administrative divisions, they are geographically connected.

In Mizoram, the Hmars live mostly in the north, especially in the Aizawl District.

With creation of Autonomous Regional Council for the Hmars, in line with those granted to the Pawi (Lai), Lakher (Mara) and the Chakma, as its objective, Hmar Regional Movement was launched in 1964 at Palsang village in north Mizoram. The movement was mainly fostered by the feeling of neglect by the state government.

The Mizoram government and HPC-D had signed a pact on Suspension of Operation to last for six months on Novemeber 11, 2010 after concluding their peacetalks.

The pact was, however, short lived as several differences cropped up between the two sides and the state government officially announced in July last year that it would not resume talks with the outfit as the Centre had already iniatiated talks with the group. The party apparently stood henceforth as representing the Hmars of Mizoram state.

Manipur's Women Not Adequately Represented in State Legislature

Imphal, Jan 5 :  After Mizoram, Manipur is the second Indian state where women voters outnumber men. However, the number of female legislators in the state assembly is minimal.

The outgoing ninth assembly has only one woman member in the 60-member house -- O. Landhoni Devi, wife of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh.

According to an election department official, all the six women, except Landhoni Devi, who stood for election in 2007 lost the race to their male rivals.

Manipur has a total electorate of 1,740,820. Out of this, 889,497 are women and 851,323 are men.

Besides Manipur, another northeastern state, Mizoram has 308,884 women voters as opposed to 302,240 male voters out of a total electorate of 611,124.

“However, very few women enter the political fray and even those who do are rarely elected,” prominent Manipuri writer and intellectual Rajkumar Kalyanjit Singh told IANS.

Several women organisations have been actively spearheading the campaign for women candidates in the state assembly polls.

“Despite constant pressure from various women organisations, very few women candidates were fielded in the previous elections by the political parties. Unfortunately, most of the female nominees were unsuccessful in the poll battle,” said Women Action for Development secretary, Sobita Mangsatabam.

Political parties, including the rulling Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), the main opposition Manipur People’s Party (MPP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and their allies in Manipur are gearing up to reach out to the electorate. They are also busy in selecting their nominees in the crucial polls.

Polls would be held in Manipur on Jan 28. Counting of votes will be done on March 4.