No Revealing, Tight Clothes in Mizo Church

Aizawl, Apr 10 : Mizoram's largest church on Monday banned women from wearing trousers or showing cleavage on hallowed grounds. The dress diktat by the Synod Executive Committee, the second-highest decision-making authority of the Presbyterian Church, advocated a return to the tradition attire.

"They should not wear trousers, see-through dresses, or clothes that expose the breasts and show too much skin. Tight garments must also be avoided," the guidelines said. Wearing a traditional Mizo 'puan' (a piece of cloth women wrap around their waists reaching their ankles) is termed "respectable" and encouraged by the church.

The men, who got away with simpler rules, were told by the SEC to wear clean shoes and respectable suits to maintain the sanctity of the church. The committee also encouraged use of cosmetics for women, but advised against going over the top. Wedding dresses for brides should be beautiful and respectable, the committee added.

The Presbyterian Church's decision to issue a dress code did not come out of the blue as the strictly patriarchal Mizo society has always frowned upon dresses they considered 'indecent', with some people even suggesting that incidents of rape have increased due to indecent dressing.

Former chief minister Pu Laldenga had told government employees in 1987 that though law-enforcement officials would not tolerate "indecent exposure" as described in the IPC, no one should impose a dress code for women.

Recently, after pressure from student bodies, the state education department issued a dress code for students, which says that the skirts should be at least knee length. Some church-goers have lamented that Sunday wear have become extremely expensive and that the aisles of the houses of worship have become almost like red carpets for fashion shows.

Not only the church, society-based organizations like the Young Mizo Association (YMA) have expressed strong dislike for girls who attend funeral services wearing tights though no diktats have been issued. Many YMA branches have made appeals to girls to wear Mizo "puan" on a particular day in a week.

Nagaland Earns Rs 8 Cr A Year From Lottery

Kohima, Apr 10 : The Nagaland Finance Department has earned an average revenue of Rs eight crore per year during the last five years, against the average yearly target of Rs seven crore by way of conducting lotteries.

According to the Annual Administrative Report of the Nagaland Finance Department, after the introduction of the Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010, a uniform set of rules issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on April 1, 2010, the total number of daily draws had been reduced from 9000 to 24 draws per day only and 8688 draws in a year, thereby drastically reducing the sales volumes.

However, through timely remedial measures of the state government, the earnings of the department have increased, it said. The ratio of the department's earning is very high as compared to the total expenditure.

The report said in order to improve the revenue earnings, the Department has initiated three measures to charge Rs 2000 per draw from the lotteries of other states being sold in Nagaland as per the Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010, to encourage the distributors of Nagaland State Lotteries to conduct more bumper draws.

If this attempt is successful, the government may even double the existing rate fixed at Rs 7.50 lakh per bumper draw. The Administrative Report, laid in the recently concluded Nagaland Assembly Session, also said that attempts were being made to revive major markets in states like Kerala and Karnataka who have imposed high taxes on sale of lotteries of other states in reported violation of the Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010 passed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

The acts, rules and regulations under which the Directorate of Nagaland State Lotteries functions are, Nagaland State Lotteries Rules, 1972 (for conventional and paper lotteries), Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998, Nagaland State Online Lotteries Rules, 2003 (for on-line lotteries), Nagaland State Lottery Rules, 2007 (for Paper and on-line lotteries) and Lotteries (Regulation) Rules, 2010, the report said.

Assam Rhino Population Swells By 304

By Sushanta Talukdar

A one-horned rhino at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

Assam has recorded an increase in the total population of the world-famous one-horned rhinos over the past three years. The figures of the just-concluded 2012 census have revealed the presence of 2,505 rhinos as against 2,201 found during the 2009 count — an increase of 304.

The Kaziranga National Park (KNP) had 2,290 rhinos and the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park 100. The Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary recorded 93 rhinos while the Manas National Park housed 22 rhinos received through translocations from Kaziranga and Pabitora under the Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 programme.

In 2009 Kaziranga accounted for 2,048 of the animals. The census figures show that rhino population in this world heritage site has increased by 242 over the past three years.

The Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary has recorded an increase of nine rhinos from 84 in 2009. However, the actual increase would be 17 as eight had been translocated to Manas. The sanctuary has the highest density of rhinos in the world. The Orang National Park which accounted for 64 in 2009 recorded 100 rhinos this time, an increase of 36 rhinos.

“The growth is satisfactory. We will be able to achieve the IRV 2020 target of 3000 rhinos in Assam by the year 2020,” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) S. Chand told The Hindu on Monday. The senior IFS official said the growth in population had been possible due to the “dedication and commitment” of the officers and the staff in the field as well as “strong support of the political leadership in the State.”

In 1999, the total rhino population was 1,672 which increased to 2006 rhinos in 2006 and to 2201 in 2009.

The IRV-2020 programme, implemented by the Assam Forest Department with the support of the WWF and the International Rhino Foundation, is aimed at ensuring that the animals are distributed over at least seven protected areas of the State so that in the event of an epidemic afflicting the entire population in Kaziranga and Pabitora, the one-horned rhinos in other protected areas can be conserved.

Talks With ULFA Make ‘Tangible' Progress

By Vinay Kumar

ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa (right) comes out after meeting Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh in New Delhi on Monday.

“Tangible progress” was made at the tripartite talks held here on Monday among the Centre, the Assam government and the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

“There was tangible progress in the talks. Both sides were satisfied with the progress made,” an official release from the Union Home Ministry said after the second round of peace talks, held under the chairmanship of Union Home Secretary R.K. Singh.

While the ULFA delegation was led by its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, the State government was represented by Chief Secretary N.K. Das. Among others, P.C. Haldar, the Union government's representative for the peace talks; Ajay Chadha, Special Secretary (Internal Security), Home Ministry; and Shambhu Singh, Joint Secretary (Northeast), Home Ministry, were present.

The talks, lasting 90 minutes and held after six months, discussed several aspects of the ULFA's “charter of demands,” which sought, among other things, an amendment to the Constitution to find a lasting-solution to the three-decade insurgency in Assam.

“It was a very constructive and fruitful discussion. I think we have achieved very good progress…,” Mr. R.K. Singh told journalists after the meeting.

Satisfactory: Rajkhowa

Mr. Rajkhowa also termed the talks “satisfactory.” “We discussed all issues concerning Assam's peace and development. We all agreed to carry forward the dialogue process,” he said.

The observance of the ground rules, agreed to by both the sides; the surrender of arms; and a total halt to the operations by the security forces against the pro-talks faction of the banned outfit were some of the issues that came up for discussion.

The ULFA has sought an amendment to the Constitution for finding “meaningful” ways of protecting the rights and identity of the indigenous people of Assam.

ULFA's ‘foreign secretary' Sashadhar Choudhury said all contentious issues were discussed. He said the organisation requested the government to bring ULFA ‘general secretary' Anup Chetia back from Bangladesh. He is now lodged in a Dhaka prison.

In September last, the ULFA signed the suspension of operation agreement with the government, after agreeing to enter into talks. Mr. Rajkhowa and his core team met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram early last year.

ULFA's elusive ‘commander-in-chief' Paresh Baruah has consistently opposed the talks, pitching instead for putting “sovereignty” on the negotiation table.

Mizo Student's Killing at LPU: 3 Foreign Students Acquitted

By IP Singh

Phagwara, Apr 9 : Two Sudanese and a Tanzanian student have been acquitted in the case of killing of a Mizoram student, Johny Lalhmangaizuala, during a football match at Lovely Professional University last year.

The court of Kapurthala Sessions Judge M S Virdi acquitted the trio - Hashim Idriss, Ahmed Altgany, both from Sudan and Saeed Feisal from Tanzania - after the prosecution "miserably failed" to prove the charge of murder or even the alternate charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Enquiries by TOI have revealed that the three students who were in jail since the incident have been released. The trial took just less than eleven months after the incident which occured late evening of March 26. It is learnt that Sudanese embassy had especially followed the case very keenly.

A scuffle took place over a trivial issue during the football match between Mizo and Sudanese students and the Mizo student Johny, who was member of the team of his state, died after being severely thrashed on the ground. He died after some hours at a hospital. Johny (22) was student of B Tech (Civil Engineering) Second year.

The acquittal has come after defence counsel Harminder Syal exposed several holes in the prosecution case including raising a Lalkara (challenge for some violent action) for killing Johny even as the Sudanese students were shouting in their own language. The prosecution had claimed that Lalkaras were raised as Johny had scored a goal in the match.

The court found that testimonies of two crucial witnesses Surinder Kumar Khurana, senior security officer of the university and Satish Kumar Sharda, referee of the match, were doubtful and rather full of improvements. Though the duo had built up a strong case against the accused in the Chief Examination but during their cross examination it came out that they were near washroom outside the playground which was at a distance of around 50 meters and on reaching they saw there was free fight among around 50 students and Johny was lying unconscious in the ground. "They had not seen the accused themselves with their own eyes while giving kick blows on Johny," the court found.

The post-mortem by a board of doctors held that cause of death was splenic tear, bleeding to hemorrhage and shock. However the defence counsel had argued that Johny actually died because of medical negligence.

Two other eyewitnesses Sanjay Singh and Liansangzuala, who were part of the Mizo team, did not support the prosecution case. The court found that it was actually a free for all fight and the role of the three accused in killing Johny could not be established beyond doubt. Rather the defence taken by the accused that they have been falsely implicated by the police seemed more plausible as university management faced pressure from student union and media, the court held.

Pre-Paid Power Service Begins in Manipur

Imphal, Apr 8 : The state Power Department has started distributing power through pre paid system in Manipur.

Power officials said power supply in the areas where the pre paid system has been launched will be available for about 16 hours a day. The official said the scheme has already been introduced in some areas of Paona Bazar and Thangal Bazar in Imphal city, adding works are on to start the system at Palace Compound, Ragailong.

It will slowly expand to other parts of the city, they added. According to Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, following poor revenue collection in the department, the state government was not able to purchase adequate power.

Democratic Myanmar is Good For India

Myanmar-in-Transition Opens more Space for India

Myanmar, during the last two years, has undergone many changes of considerable political and strategic significance both for the domestic as well as international audiences. These changes relate to two important aspects – change in the political outlook of the country and change in the dynamic of Myanmar’s engagement with the outside world. Moreover, these changes have been driven primarily by the growing confidence of continuance and consolidation of power within the military leadership and its willingness to engage the outside world.
Change within Myanmar
The change within Myanmar has occurred in two key areas – change in the outlook of the ruling regime and initiatives including politico-constitutional reforms towards national reconciliation. First, the government of the military regime has been replaced by a civilian-looking regime supported by paraphernalia of political and administrative institutions. The new constitution, adopted in 2008, has changed the name of the country from Union of Myanmar to Republic of the Union of Myanmar governed by a bicameral legislature. The political model of Myanmar, in fact, follows quite closely the Indonesian model of Pancasila Democracy under the authoritarian regime of Suharto with both the elected and military-nominated members. The national government is headed by a President. The government, under the new constitution, has also set up various politico-administrative institutions, such as Union
Election Commission, Union Supreme Court, Financial Commission, Constitutional Tribunal, and Union Civil Services Board, to facilitate administrative and governance matters. Second, the government, since the elections in 2010, has taken various reform measures in the direction of gradual political relaxations and greater popular participation in the national political processes. The government has released a few hundred political prisoners in different phases, considered by many as a substantial step towards reforms and democratisation. The government released the leader of National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi in November 2010 and has also allowed her to enter into active politics of the country.
The NLD decided in November 2011 to re-register itself as a political party and Aung San Suu Kyi has decided to join the political process by contesting the by-election under the NLD platform, scheduled to be held in April 2012. The latest step in the direction of national reconciliation came on 13 January 2012 when the national government announced to release more than 300 political prisoners. The national government has taken steps towards greater accommodation of opposition groups. Moreover, the government has also embarked on entering into ceasefire agreements and peace processes with the ethnic insurgent groups.
A democratising Myanmar offers the Indian government a scope for engagement over wide-ranging issues of governance and institution-building. The democratic India remains the largest and best practicing democracy in its vicinity, possessing decades of experience of managing dissent and diversity. Moreover, a democratising Myanmar bridges the gap between India’s normative positions of pro-democracy and its pragmatic approach of constructive engagement with the military leadership. India, despite its engagement with the military-ruled Myanmar, found it difficult to reconcile the domestic support for democratic movements in Myanmar and the strategic imperative of engaging the latter. This reconciliation can allow India to concentrate its resources on developing relations with Naypyidaw. Finally, a democratising Myanmar allows India to tap onto the biggest resource base of engagement – pro-democracy leaders and support groups operating in India. The return of these exiles to their country can further help India strengthen its constituencies within the political leadership of Myanmar.
India can also benefit from the possibility of greater coordination and investment of resources and strategies in combating transnational crimes in India’s northeast, such as armed insurgency, trafficking in drugs, arms and human beings, and illegal cross-border migration. Moreover, the positive changes in Myanmar may reduce the flow of illegal cross-border movement of people that has proved to be an important carrier and conduit of cross-border trafficking in arms and drugs and overall instability along the border.
Myanmar Comes out of Closet
The new leadership has shown willingness to engage the wider world and diversify the avenues of its strategic engagement. The normalisation of political processes has further sped up Naypyidaw’s global and regional rehabilitation. Leaders from various countries, including important global and regional actors, have visited Naypyidaw during the last six months. They have not only welcomed the change taking place in Myanmar’s bodypolitik but also expressed their willingness to lift sanctions, resume aids and assistance, and initiate cooperation over various issues of development and governance. Both the United States and European Union have indicated to lift the sanctions in the wake of reform measures taken under the new leadership of Thein Sein. Moreover, Myanmar will also be taking over as ASEAN Chair in 2014, indicating an important trend towards the country’s regional rehabilitation and growing global recognition of the regime, a process that can further stir up more political reforms in the country.
Myanmar’s growing engagement with the outside world has two important sub-texts – (a) widening horizon of Myanmar’s role as an important factor in the great-power relations, and (b) less pressure on India-Myanmar relations both from the West as well as from China. Myanmar is today regarded as an important variable not only in the Sino-Indian rivalry but also in the Sino-US rivalry. The visit of the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton in January 2012 is understood as the US attempt to break into the Chinese sphere of influence as a part of its larger policy of re-asserting supremacy in Asia. On the other hand, Myanmar has shown gradual detachment from its erstwhile patron – China, indicating its desire to diversify its cooperation with other powers.
In the face of growing domestic opposition, the Myanmarese government scrapped the Chinese hydropower project over Myitsone river worth US$3.6 billion. There  is growing resentment within Myanmar’s leadership as well as people against the dynamic of Myanmar-China engagement that can be termed as neo-colonial pattern of resource-extraction by the superior player. Myanmar’s decision to engage the wider world allows more space for India to engage the country. While the West is going to be more reconciliatory of India’s engagement with Myanmar, China will be less wary of Naypyidaw’s engagement with India and more of the growing role of the US in the country.
In other words, India can engage Myanmar more freely and widen the arena of engagement including defence and security cooperation. Nevertheless, the opening up of Myanmar also poses an important challenge to India’s engagement with Myanmar. In the presence of other players, India has to be more attentive to Myanmar’s concerns and proactive in its policy initiatives for bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Otherwise, India might see the strategic space being taken over by other players both from the West as well as the East.

Doutzen Kroes Doutzen Kroes Dances Along To Jessica Rabbit

As Easter weekend gets underway, many are undoubtedly welcoming the end of Lent and anticipating a chocolate feast on Sunday.

But LOVE magazine has chosen to celebrate in a rather unorthodox way- with the help of Victoria's Secret Angel Doutzen Kroes.

The 27-year-old dances to Jessica Rabbit's famous number Why Don't You Do Right from Disney's 1988 hit Who Framed Roger Rabbit in a new video for the website.

Wearing only a black lace suspender set, high heels and a festive pair of white fluffy bunny ears (which she removes halfway through), Doutzen's isn't exactly the most religious tribute to the season.

Festive greetings: Doutzen Kroes is a cheeky Easter Bunny for LOVE magazine Undoubtedly the song choice is a cheeky reference to the Easter Bunny.
The model glances coyly at the camera as she moves, occasionally adjusting her bra strap for dramatic effect.
Lying on the floor and kicking her long legs into the air, there's no doubt that Doutzen is completely aware of her own allure.
Professional touch: The scenes were directed by photographer Daniel Jackson, who has shot for the magazine many times in the past

Tongue in cheek: The 27-year-old dances to Jessica Rabbit's famous number Why Don't You Do Right from Disney's 1988 hit Who Framed Roger Rabbit The scenes were shot by photographer Daniel Jackson.
This isn't the first time LOVE magazine has celebrated a holiday in this manner.
Last Christmas the site featured a rather unusual advent calendar, as beauties starred in various videos along a similar theme.
Unorthodox: Doutzen's attire isn't the first thing one might think of when Easter is mentioned Working the camera: Doutzen gazes up seductively from the floor Doutzen got involved in the festive fun, with a video showing her dancing around a Christmas tree to Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You.
Miss Kroes is the fourteenth highest-earning model in the world, thanks to her lucrative contracts with Victoria's Secret, L'Oreal, Calvin Klein and more.
Now that two of her fellow Victoria's Secret models are with child, Doutzen Kroes is definitely at liberty to dispense advice on how to get their bodies back to fighting form post-pregnancy.
Ringing the changes: Doutzen took her bunny ears off for some of the 'dance' It's impossible to tell that just over a year ago she gave birth to her first-born.
The blonde revealed she maintains her stunning figure through a combination of diet and exercise in an interview last year.
'I take really good care of my body,' she said. 'I try to sleep as much as I can, and I go to the gym a lot because my body enjoys a good work out.
Not indulging on Sunday? Doutzen rarely treats herself to chocolate or sweets 'I keep my skin hydrated, and I avoid eating too many sweets or too much chocolate. In any job, you have to give up certain things, and I believe that having a good quality of life means enjoying certain things only in moderation.
'I love my job, and so I could never complain about making these sacrifices.' 
And she clearly enjoys her jet set life as one of the world's top models.

In demand: Miss Kroes is the fourteenth highest-earning model in the world, thanks to her lucrative contracts with Victoria's Secret, L'Oreal, Calvin Klein and more 'It gives me the chance to travel to some amazing places,' she said. 'I really value the fact that we are able to represent different kinds of women from all over the world.'