Manipur MP Moves Bill To Protect State Territory

Guwahati, Apr 29 : Inner Manipur MP Thokchom Meinya Singh on Saturday moved a Private Member Bill in Lok Sabha calling for protection and preservation of the state's territorial integrity.

He proposed insertion of a new Article - 371 CA - in the Constitution as a special provision for Manipur.

The bill said that Article 3 of the Constitution of India shall not apply to the state of Manipur - meaning the Centre's power and authority to change the boundary of any state of the Union under Article 3 shall not apply in the case of Manipur.

According to the MP, the new Article envisages complete protection and preservation of the geographical area of Manipur as it existed at the time of its merger with the Indian Union in 1949.

An amendment in article 3 to protect Manipur's boundary has been a longstanding demand of Manipuris who fear that the Centre might sacrifice the state's territory while negotiating with Naga rebels.

Meinya's move came at a time when the Centre is planning to finalize a peace deal with NSCN (IM), which is demanding integration of all Naga-inhabited areas of the northeast under one administrative roof. Manipur has been opposing any move to slice its territory while trying to bargain for a solution with the militants.

During the summer of 2010, the Manipur government had barred NSCN (IM) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah to visit his native Somdal village in Ukhrul district of the state despite getting a clearance from the Union home ministry. Manipur government had argued that Muivah's visit will disturb peace in the state.

In June 2001, Manipur erupted in anger when the Centre tried to extend the ceasefire with NSCN (IM) beyond Nagaland.

Around 18 protestors were killed in police firing when agitators burnt down the state assembly building in protest against the Centre's move. The government had to make a U-turn and limit the ceasefire within Nagaland to tame the violent protests.

Assam Youth's Sex Change Surgery Issue Reaches Bombay High Court

By Sandip Chaudhary


Mumbai, Apr 28 : The case of a 21-year-old youth from Guwahati, Bidhan Barua, has reached the Bombay High Court with the youth pleading that his parents be restrained from preventing the sex change surgery.

On Wednesday, Bidhan Barua filed a petition in the high court alleging that his parents have stalled a scheduled sex change operation at Saifee Hospital on April 17.

Bidhan is in a relationship with an Indian Air Force flight lieutenant and wants to undergo sex change surgery to play wife to his lover.

Bidhan's father Supta Ranjan Barua told India TV over phone that "such a thing has never happened in our society".

Bidhan's father denied charges that he was giving threats to his son. "He is in wrong company and is working under pressure".

The youth's father also said, "if parents do not want, no court on earth can change the sex of their offspring. It is the duty of every Indian to bring my son on the right path, and I would request his lawyer to abstain from this case."

Bidhan, who prefers to call himself Swati, told India TV in a live telecast that he had dreamed since his childhood to become a woman.

The doctors at Saifee Hospital, he says, have now refused to operate upon him until they get a go-ahead from the HC.

In his petition, represented by advocate Ejaz Abbas Naqvi, Bidhan, a second year commerce student, says he realised early in his life that he was born the wrong sex. He preferred to dress like girls and was effeminate.

While this caused his family a lot of embarrassment in conservative Guwahati, where the Baruas are based, Bidhan himself was desperate to break free, reports Mumbai Mirror.

“My family was ashamed of me. They would often ill-treat me - beat me up and use abusive language. I was made to do all the housework too.”

When he was in class seven, Bidhan, through help from the Internet, realised medical science could help him become what he wanted to be.

As soon as he was out of school, Bidhan began taking up odd jobs to save money for the operation that would set him free.

On March 2 this year, he got a psychiatric evaluation done in Maligaon, Guwahati to check if he was ready for a sex reassignment surgery. The test was positive.

The doctors recommended Mumbai’s Saifee Hospital for the surgery.

On March 31, Bidhan ran away from his home and came to Mumbai, where he lived with his cousin. But his father, Supta Ranjan Barua, chased him down.

Barua, a cook with Northern Railway, not only threatened Bidhan that he would kill both him and his Air Force officer boyfriend if he went ahead with the operation, but also approached Saifee Hospital and asked them to not go ahead with the operation.

“My father went to the extent of issuing threats to have me kidnapped by ULFA militants,” says Bidhan.

Barua, who has three children (Bidhan being the youngest), has his own predicament. 

I have asked him to complete his graduation before he decides (on the surgery).

"He has always misbehaved at home. I have my own parents to answer to. If a son is born to me and years later says he wants to turn into a woman, isn't it a matter of shame?”

Psychiatrist Dr Yusuf Matcheswala, who did Barua's psychological evaluation in Mumbai, has held him fit for sex
reassignment because he had gender dysphoria.

“We determine if a person has a genuine gender disorder and is fit to take his own decisions.The man should take his parents into confidence and, if required, go for counselling. The parents need to understand that if not allowed to undergo the change, he could even end up committing suicide.”

The surgery costs between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh.

Bidhan has managed to save enough for the operation by doing small-time jobs. However, he is looking for financial help.

Dr Kalpesh Gajjiwala, who was to carry out the operation, pointed out that it was not a onetime surgery but a life-changing procedure.

"It involves many aspects, including psychological and social. It is important to secure the permission and involvement of the parents as well before the person takes the plunge. I will not take sides in this matter. Let the court decide and I will follow the court's order."

Loitam Richard 'Murder' Case: Relatives Say College Authorities Trying To Cover Up The Case

By Manoj Kumar

Bangalore, Apr 28 : Loitam Richard, 19, from Manipur died in Bangalore on April 18 night after allegedly beaten by two of his hostel mates. Richard was an Architecture Engineering first year student of Acharya NRV School of Architecture, Bangalore.

There were various contradicting reports over the death of Richard. Some indicate that he got into a brawl with his seniors for a remote control while watching the Indian Premiere League (IPL) match on TV and they assaulted him that led to his death.

Overdose of drugs was also perceived as another cause.

A minor accident to Richard that took place two days before his death was also touted as a reason.

However, Richard's family members and friends, who saw his body, said that his face was bruised, had injuries all over the body and he would have probably suffered a heavy blood loss before he breathed his last in his hostel bed.

They said the marks on Richard's body clearly indicated that he had been physically assaulted which  resulted in his death. The Bangalore police had not made a single arrest in connection with the case even 10 days after the incident, they alleged.

Talking to the IBTimes, Richard's uncle Bobby Loitam, who is being in close contact with the police team probing the developments related to the case, said: "The police officials informed me that any arrest can be made only after receiving the final postmortem report as there are speculations over the timing of Richard's death."

"Once the date of the death of Richard was confirmed, the police officials said that they would make arrest(s)," he added.

Further, he alleged that the college authorities were trying to cover up the case as it would hit the public image of their institution. The authorities were reluctant to bring out the facts involved in Richard's suspicious death, he said.

"They (college officials) are trying to cover up something. There are eyewitness who said that Richard was assaulted by one student named Syed Afjal Ali in the hostel premises. However, the authorities didn't look into the issue and see what happen to our boy after that," he said.

A doctor was called to attend Richard, who was lying still in bed, by the hostel authorities when they were informed about his condition by fellow students. And he was confirmed dead by the doctor in the hostel itself.

Vasundhara Potsangbam, a Civil Engineering student studying in the same college and a close friend of Richard, refuted the speculations that his friend died of drugs overdose.

"In any chance Richard was a drug addict, his roommates would have surely been aware of it and would have informed to the warden regarding his 'drug abuse'. But, no such complaints were made," Potsangbam said.

"I didn't witness the fight or I don't know the reason for the fight, either, as I was out of the hostel. But one thing is for sure that it was a 'murder', he was beaten to death," he added.

The metropolitan cities in India often witness incidents where students from Northeast are harassed and attacked for various reasons, which amounts to racial discrimination.

A rally demanding justice for Richard will be held at Town Hall, JC Road, Bangalore, and other Indian cities on Sunday.

Vintage Cannons Set To Return To Mizoram

Aizawl, Apr 27 : The statement said yesterday that chief minister Lal Thanhawla was given the assurance by the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and the Director General of Assam Rifles Maj Gen R K Lakhanpal in New Delhi that the two cannons used in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 would be returned to Aizawl on or before May 15, 2012.

"The Union Home Minister and DG of the Assam Rifles understood the sentiments of the Mizo people and told Lal Thanhawla during a meeting in Delhi recently that the cannons would be returned soon," the statement said.

INTACH (Mizoram Chapter) has been demanding the return of the two pieces of the historic artillery after the first battalion of the Assam Rifles took them away in 2003 and their absence from the Quarter guard of the Assam Rifles battalion headquarters, after being there for more than a century, was extremely conspicuous.

Earlier, the Union Home Ministry and the Assam Rifles authorities had said that the cannons were war trophies and should be kept by them while the INTACH said that J Shakespear, who displayed the cannons at the quarter guard of the Assam Rifles that time, was a civilian administrator.

World Bank Now in Myanmar

Washington: The World Bank will open an office in Myanmar in June, a bank official said Thursday.
"In early June, we will be opening an office in Myanmar, which will be led by a new country manager," said Pamela Cox, World Bank vice president for East Asia and Pacific Region, Xinhua reported.

Cox said she will travel to Myanmar to gain a firsthand assessment of the situation.

"Our primary goal is to help the people of Myanmar," Cox said. "This is a country which has been closed to the outside world for decades -- so we're now preparing a strategy to guide our work with the government to improve services for the people -- and assist in tackling the country's development challenges."

Before the Bank launches its program in Myanmar, the unpaid debts of the country should be cleared, which include $393 million to the World Bank, about $500 million to the Asian Development Bank, said Cox.

Sunny Leone Sells Mobile Phones Now

Sunny Leone as brand ambassador of Chaze Mobiles

New Delhi, Apr 27 : India's moral police may soon have a tough task at hand with an unknown, small firm launching what would pass off as India's first phone endorsed by a real-life porn queen.

Having signed on Canadian porn star of Indian origin Sunny Leone as its brand ambassador, Chaze on Thursday said "the upcoming Bollywood actress" would launch its mobile handsets with "mass appeal". It even released a picture of Leone as if she were at a press event launching the phones since having her to do that at an actual event in New Delhi may well have been fraught with unforeseen reactions.

When queried, the PR representatives of Chaze Mobiles, PerceptProfile, revealed the still had been shot during the porn star's "first-ever TVC shoot" for the firm at "exotic locales" of Thailand. The ad will soon be beamed during prime time on Indian television.

The imagery and association with Leone who is better known as a porn star than as an actress seems to indicate how Chaze Mobiles wants to position its product in an extremely cluttered low-end handsets market. However, steering clear of Leone's controversial past, the company described her simply as a "rising actress".

"I am very excited to be associated with such a young and vibrant brand like Chaze. I chose to associate with 'Brand Chaze' because I am really impressed by Chaze's ideology of bringing out mobile technology for the masses and personally feel connected with their vision," the press release quoted Leone as saying.

It remains to be seen how the market takes to Leone-endorsed phones. Boosted by a saucy TVC by Leone, Chaze may well gain an upper hand in the segment still dominated by cheap Chinese phones.

Chaze has launched two entry-level models C123 and Jewel; C555 which boasts a "big screen and big sound" (sans any specs whatsoever); C234 (a "touch and type"phone) and C99, a "full soft touch multimedia phone".

The company claimed its phones will be powered by "avant-garde features" such as dual SIM, auto call recording, answering machine, multimedia, big speakers, and last, but not the least, a spy camera! All models are priced between Rs 1500 and Rs 3500.

Are You Sexy? You Could Travel For Free

• New website sets up attractive travellers with high-rollers
• Calls for open-minded people who lack money for travel
• Founder denies allegations it's a "front for prostitution"

A new website aims to set up beautiful but broke women with high-rolling male travellers. Picture: Screenshot from Miss Travel

SEXY and you know it? Longing to travel the world?

A controversial new website promises to set up attractive women with high-rolling and “generous” men willing to pay for a beautiful travel companion.

The Miss Travel site launched this week, calls for “open minded people who love to travel, but lack the budget to do so”.

The site has been accused of being a front for prostitution, with Gawker calling it the “#1 prosti-travel website”.

Founder Brandon Wade rejects the claims, telling US media that escorts are not allowed to use the site, no money is exchanged and sex is not discussed on the website.

A quick glance at the site brings up a flood of sexy pictures, including women in bikinis.

As well as having to post a photo, “attractive” travellers are required to reveal their age, build, hair and eye colour, race and height.

Among the ad descriptions are “Hot Girl seeks Financially stable man”, “Naughty babe looking for a sugardadie “, “Model/ PhD student @ yr disposition” and “Smart. Classy, sophisticated lady.”

The site reminds members that online dating is “risky”, and experts say meeting someone in this way is not usually a recipe for a successful relationship.

“Relationships steeped in equality, mutual respect and intimacy do not begin with ‘Fund my travel experience because I'm hot',” sexologist and relationship expert Logan Levkoff told Msnbc.com.

Mr Wade is also CEO of the controversial “sugar daddy” site seekingarrangement.com and seekingmillionaire.com.

Central YMA 'Pained' By HPC-D's Allegations

Aizawl, Apr 27 : The central body of the Young Mizo Association(YMA) today expressed shock over the underground outfit Hmar People's Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) charging baseless allegations against its president and forcibly dissolving YMA branches under the outfit's command area.

"The central YMA is deeply pained by the HPC-D allegations of the central YMA president of making remarks that he never did. The HPC-D must provide clinching evidence to its allegations," said a central YMA statement.

Reacting to the HPC-D's allegations that the central YMA leaders did not make any attempt to communicate the outfit's leaders, the central YMA also maintained that every effort was made to locate the HPC-D leaders' mobile numbers right from April 18, the day after the outfit served a diktat to the YMA leaders to resign.

The central YMA managed to communicate with the faction leader H Zosangbera on April 23.

But, he did not pick up his phone when another call was placed on the next day, April 24, the statement said.

However, the HPC-D self-styled army chief Ropuia was communicated with on this day and he was informed of the central YMA's willingness to resolve the issue across the table. The "army chief" too, refused to pick up a call the next day. "The central YMA could not make any progress in its attempt to talk to the HPC-D leaders. The central YMA, however, remain open to any dialogue," it said.

Refuting the HPC-D's allegations, the central YMA maintained that it stands for unity of all Mizo ethnic tribes within and outside Mizoram.

"Contrary to the HPC-D's allegations, the central YMA has done its best to give comfort to Mizo ethnic tribes who had taken refuge in Mizoram following communal violence in the neighbouring states," the statement said. The central YMA will remain intolerant to communal politics that threatens the unity of Mizo tribes and territorial integrity of Mizoram, it said.