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Mizo Youths Rocking Music Charts

Aizawl, Mar 3 : Music is a way of life in the northeast. Over the years it has been used as an effective tool to promote unity in the region. Young Mizo boys and girls too dream of making it big in the world of rock music.

They spend hours jamming together, honing their skills in pursuit of their dreams. Today several bands from Mizoram are enthralling the audiences and round the country.

"Bands in Mizoram are real good. They are going to many places all across the country to perform. Scavengers, Boomerang and other bands are real good and we hope to become like them," said Joseph, band member, Drop Doubt.

The love for music and the popularity of the bands is clearly visible. Over the years these bands have used music to promote unity among the states of the northeast. Many of them have performed in different parts of the country helping raise awareness about the region.

"Music will bond all the communities and races of northeast. It will bring all the northeast states together," said M S Sailo, band member, Drop Doubt.

Music in the norheast, is also being used to promote social issues. Recently a rock concert under the banner of "Youths are the Solution not the Problem" was organized in Arunachal Pradesh to raise awareness about HIV-AIDS.

The concert was a part of the Red Rock fest that was organized under the aegis of National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) and the State AIDS Control Societies. Large crowds thronged the venue making it a successful event.

"Through rock festival we want to catch hold of youths coming to witness the rock music as well as learn and pledge themselves to fight against HIV and AIDS and to do so they have learnt lots of things," said Emi Rumi, project director, Arunachal Pradesh State Aids Control Society.

"Specially, for young people, I think, this message about HIV AIDS is extremely important. many countries face the problem including the US. It is a problem still in India and it needs to be addressed. So, if consciousness is raised, then that is a very good thing and we support it 110 percent," said Peter Burleigh, a visitor from USA.

The music and musicians of the northeast are gaining popularity and in the process bridging the gap between the region and the rest of the country.

Is Ibobi Singh No More The Congress’ Favourite?

By Deepak Nagpal

Imphal/New Delhi, Mar 3 : Is Congress’ Okram Ibobi Singh no more the ‘favourite’ to become the chief minister of Manipur in case the party comes back to power? This is the question that the local media in Imphal has been speculating.

In 2002 and 2007, O Ibobi Singh had single-handedly brought the Congress to power. While this time around too, the party is likely to retain majority in the Manipur Assembly, there are murmurs that Ibobi Singh might not return as the CM.

As per reports, incumbent Commerce and Industry Minister Yumkham Erabot Singh has emerged as a strong contender to incumbent CM Ibobi Singh. Both of them have been lobbying hard in New Delhi to stake their claim to the post of Congress Legislature Party leader in Manipur.

In fact, Y Erabot is reported to have paid a visit to New Delhi after being called by the AICC. Some reports even say Sonia Gandhi had asked for Y Erabot’s resume.

There is another angle to the leadership battle that is fast emerging in Manipur Congress. G Gainkhangam, the current president of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee, is another contender to the post, say party sources in the state.

Is it really media speculation or is the Congress high command in New Delhi really thinking about a leadership change? Local reports say Ibobi Singh may have to go as part of the measure to revamp the face of the government, especially in the wake of the anti-corruption wave sweeping the country.

The high command is also believed to be upset with Ibobi Singh’s handling of the 121-day long state blockade last year, during the course of which the CM had even planned to go on a tour to Europe but later cancelled it due to widespread criticism.

And these factors make the case of Y Erabot strong. He is a man who has been known to be a no-nonsense politician with a clean image.

Another factor which will decide who becomes the CM, is the number of MLAs supporting each candidates. And in case no party gets a clear majority and a coalition government has to be formed, the candidate who is accepted by coalition partners will surely have an upper hand.

In the end, the media can only speculate and it’s the time that will tell who emerges as the favourite of the Congress leadership in New Delhi and becomes the CM.

Here's Why You Can Never Get Tatkal Tickets

Mumbai, Mar 2 :  If you were wondering why it is so difficult to get tatkal tickets, recent arrests by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may help you get the answers.

The CBI has busted a multi-crore railway ticket booking scam with the arrest of four persons, who ran a ticketing business in Wadala. The accused used over a hundred bogus personal user IDs with the railway's proprietary software to book confirmed tickets en masse, seconds after bookings would open, depriving genuine commuters of tickets.

A ticket-booking agent is allotted only one user ID, but the accused allegedly accessed the IRCTC portal with simultaneous logins. Cops are trying to ascertain how exactly they procured the software, and the extent of their ill-gotten gains.

The accused, identified as Mehtab Khan, Mehboob Malik, Santaram Yadav alias Pappu and P Naga Kumar, have been booked for cheating and criminal conspiracy. The agency suspects the men have also violated the Information Technology Act, 2000.

While Khan and Pappu were arrested yesterday, Malik and Kumar were nabbed on Wednesday. Khan, Malik and Naga Kumar have been remanded to judicial custody till March 15, and Pappu has been remanded to police custody till March 12.

System abuse
In the remand application for the accused, Inspector Girish Soni said, "This is a big racket run by the accused persons due to which the general public is deprived of their right to get railway tickets booked under the tatkal scheme. Meanwhile, the accused persons are selling the said railway tickets at exorbitant rates to the public." To book the tickets, Khan used the software, which is capable of getting the railway system to accept around 10 railway requisition forms simultaneously. He would access the website through his several fake IDs just after bookings opened for the day at 8.00 am. As anyone who has tried to book a tatkal ticket knows, the limited seats are sold out within minutes after the bookings open. With the software, Khan could book multiple tickets in seconds.

A railway source said, "The public has to wait to be able to make reservations, but the railway's own software does it much faster. If the person in question had access to the software, booking tickets would be a breeze." At the initial stage of investigations, the CBI is yet to ascertain whether the accused kept the profits made by selling the base price of the tickets, in addition to the inflated rates they sold them at. Sleuths will also look into how the accused managed all user IDs to hack into the system.

According to investigations, Malik supplied the software to Khan and Kumar. He himself acquired the software from Pappu, who in turn had acquired it from Uttar Pradesh-based Salman Ahmed, who is yet to be arrested.

The CBI is now in the process of figuring out how many other ticket agents and travel agencies the software was supplied to.

"The matter is under investigation. We cannot share details at this stage," said Rishi Raj Singh, joint director of the CBI. S V Ingale, chief commercial manager, Central Railway said, "No CBI officials have contacted us in this regard. What the accused were doing seems incredible."

Going by the books
The railways periodically issue licenses to booking agents. These agents, called Rail Travel Service Agents, are officially authorised to vend tickets to the public. Another variant of this is the Jan Sadharan Ticket Booking Service agents. These are persons with their own independent stalls who charge a small commission fee for every ticket they book. Both kinds are provided single login IDs to access the system, but Khan and his cohorts had multiple login accounts.

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/here-s-why-you-can-never-get-tatkal-tickets-181808&cp

Chapchar Kut Celebrated in Mizoram

Aizawl, Mar 2 : Chapchar Kut, 2012 probably the major traditional festival of Mizos will be celebrated on March 2 (Friday) across the state of Mizoram.

It is learnt that the festival will also be celebrated across the district hqrs with much fanfare keeping in mind the religious and traditional values of the Mizos.

Notably, the main celebratory programme on March 2 to be held at Assam Rifles Parade Ground here will be graced by chief minister Lalthanhawla as 'Kut Pa' (Father of the Festival); Mizoram Governor Vakkom Purushothaman as chief guest and visiting Director of North East Zone Cultural Society (NEZCC), Diampur (Nagaland) Som Kamei as guest of honour.

The Organising Committee informed  today that the Chapchar Kut festival is celebrated some time in March every year after completion of the most arduous task of Jhum operation Jungle Clearing or Shifting Cultivation; adding, this is a spring festival celebrated with great enthusiasm by the Mizos in the Chapchar Kut celebration on March 2 at Assam Rifles ground here will have eye- catching items like Bawhhla/Hlado (Chaldailova & Party), opening song by the Central Young Mizo Asociation (YMA) choir, religious sermon from Rev.Dr.Lalhmnagaiha, Presbyterian Church of India , Mizoram Synod), Traditional Costume Show ( Nagaland, Manipur , Mizoram, NEZCC) including solo numbers from popular singers Judith Lalremruati, Lalthuthaa (Mizo Idol , 2011) and not to forget live band performances from X- strings, Scavenger Project and Dream Hunter.

In Arunachal, A Tiny Community With A Huge Suicide Rate

By Samudra Gupta Kashyap

Guwahati, Mar 2 : The Idu-Mishmis are more than just another colourful tribe of Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from their typical hairstyle and costumes and artistic patterns embedded, which distinguish them from other tribal groups of the state, they also have the highest suicide rate in India, according to Tarun Mene, a young scholar from the community.

“Our community hardly has about 12,000 people. But, believe it or not, over 200 persons have committed suicide in less than four decades,” says Mene, 30, who has won a PhD from Rajiv Gandhi University in Arunachal Pradesh.

Mene’s doctoral thesis, “Suicide among the Idu Mishmi Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh”, has opened up the possibility of further studies on this social aspect. Of the 218 suicides that he has gathered from official as well as unofficial sources, most involved young people in the age-group 10-29, with girls and women outnumbering boys and men 53:47. The Idu-Mishmis live in two districts, Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley, the former sharing a boundary with China.

Mene said that in most cases, the suicides had roots in love affairs. “While young people want to choose their life partners, the closely-knit community has numerous barriers brought forward by generations,” Mene said.

The increasing suicides have alerted social activists and institutions in the state. “The state Women’s Commission tried to study the issue,” said Jarjum Ete, a former chairperson. “We found that limited scope for marital relationships (because of the small size of the community) was a major reason for frustration among the younger generations.”

Idu women are good weavers but “they have to face various traditional problems, the most important being forced marriage”, Mene said. In Idu-Mishmi society, a woman, once widowed, can be married by her deceased husband’s brother without any question of consent. A man may marry his stepmother (unless she is his mother’s sister) after the death of his father. And if the stepmother refuses to remarry, she or her parent or guardian has to pay back the bridal price.

“It is an interesting research work that has brought to light a complicated situation faced by a small community. I think two things are immediately required. The first is serious intervention by the government and social groups, and the other is further documentation and research,” said Prof S K Chaudhuri of Rajiv Gandhi University, who was Mene’s guide during his research.

Manipur’s First SEZ Looks To Woo IT Biggies

By Esha Roy

Imphal, Mar 2 : The trouble-torn state of Manipur is all to get its first Special Economic Zone. The state has earmarked 27 acres of land and has engaged Accenture to prepare a detailed project report.

“Apart from IT enabled services the SEZ will be completely self-contained with a hotel, health centre, shopping centre, guesthouse as well as serviced apartments so that the employees can work and stay on the premises,’’ said Chief Secretary of Manipur DS Poonia.

Project-in-charge for the state government N Deben says that an industry was the only way to “bring industries into Manipur’’ and take the state forward. “An IT industry is however appropriate. It is not bound by the environment and that much infrastructure is not required. Manipur is already connected and any shortcomings can always be improved upon,’’ said Deben.

When talking of the inefficient power situation (most households in Imphal are pressed to even receive eight hours of electricity daily) Deben says that a separate substation will be set up within the complex guaranteeing 24×7 power supply.

Accenture will also help the state government set up BPOs within the complex.

“According to the Accenture survey, 25 per cent of the BPO industry is already manned by people hailing from the state. We believe that given the right employment opportunities, most Manipuris will want to come back and work in the state,’’ said Deben.

In January, a team of Manipur government officials visited IT firms in Bangalore to woo them. A team from Nasscom will arrive in Imphal next week to look at the project and the feasibility of setting up IT enabled services. “The plan is to attract a big company like an Infosys or a Wipro,’’ added Deben.

“The state government will therefore be investing between Rs 300-500 crores to get the SEZ up and running and sustainable. This is quite a large figure for a state like Manipur,’’ said Nilaya Verma of Accenture heading the team, adding that the SEZ would take at least 2-3 years to become functional.

Baichung Keen To Promote Football in Northeast

Guwahati, Mar 2 : Former Indian football team captain Baichung Bhutia believes the entire north-eastern region is full of football talents and with proper guidance and support players can be turned to stars. Bhutia, who recently retired from international football, addressing a press conference here today with Gaurav Gogoi and Assam Football Association secretary Ankur Dutta here today, said he is now ready to promote football in Assam along with other north-eastern States.

He hoped, like Manipur and Mizoram, Assam will also be able to produce international footballers soon if proper planning is adopted. Bhutia, who is in Nagaon for a series of friendly matches, advocated hosting soccer friendlies. He said seeing leading players in action youngsters could learn a lot. He also opined that, setting up a football academy is mandatory in order to nurture the talents. Bhutia also said the academies have to tie up with clubs so that the talented players can expose their potentialities through their clubs. He also praised State Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain for organising a series of friendly football matches in Nagaon among the leading teams of the country.

Gaurav Gogoi, son of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while addressing the mediapersons said he is very much interested in the uplift of games and sports in the State.

Gogoi said he in his personal capacity will extend a helping hand to the sports organisations so that the talents could be unearthed and nurtured properly. He said he loves the game of football very much and hoped with proper guidance to youngsters, Assam will be able to produce good teams.

Friendly match: I-League outfit Pailon Arrows of Kolkata will take on Green Valley Sports Club in an exhibition football match at SAI New Field complex ground here tomorrow. Informing this in the press conference, AFA secretary Ankur Dutta said the Kolkata team will reach here from Nagaon and the match will start at 2.30 pm. The match has been organised as a part of promotional venture of the game in the State.