Karnataka CM Writes To Mizoram CM

Aizawl, Aug 30 : Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has written to his Mizoram counterpart Lal Thanhawla assuring him of safety to the people of Northeast and Mizoram living in Bangalore, in the wake of the Northeast exodus.

In a letter faxed to Lal Thanhawla today, Shettar assured that the security of the Northeast people and those of the neighbouring Bhutan and Nepal is one of the priorities of his government and that every possible measure has been taken to provide them safety.

Informing Lal Thanhawla of the measures that his Karnataka government has taken in the wake of the SMS and MMS threats, Shettar said that his government became aware of the threat that the NE people would be attacked after the end of Ramazan on August 15.

Swinging into action, the Karnataka CM sent his deputy, who also holds home portfolio and top police officials to the rail stations to stop the NE people from fleeing Bangalore and assured them full protection.

The steps taken by Shettar included setting up telephone help lines for the NE people, deployment of RAF and CRPF troops at different strategic locations, meeting with various religious leaders and different NE organisations.

The Karnataka police have registered 13 cases after complaints from NE residents and arrested six persons. The Karnataka police have been working round the clock to track the rumours mongers and to maintain law and order, Shettar told Lal Thanhawla.

Bandhs Become illegal in Assam

A day's bandh in Assam costs the state exchequer Rs.41.14 cr according to a 2005 study.

Guwahati, Aug 30 : The Assam government Wednesday decided to ban calling of bandhs for the next one month in the state.

Assam's Home Secretary G.D. Tripathi said the decision was taken in accordance with the Guwahati High Court order on January 2010 that declared bandhs as "illegal and unconstitutional".

"First, the Kerala High Court termed bandhs as 'illegal' in 1997. In November 1997, the Supreme Court upheld the judgment of the Kerala High Court. The Guwahati High Court passed its order in 2010," Tripathi said.

"We have decided to put a ban on calling of bandhs by any group or individual," he said, and added that cases will be registered under Section 188 of the IPC against those who violates the ban.

A report by the Federation of Commerce and Industries in the North Eastern Region in 2005 had indicated that a day's bandh in Assam costs the state exchequer of Rs.41.14 crore.

There were 75 days of bandhs in Assam in 2005.

Nagaland Capitalizes On It's Musical Talent

A musical performance at Nagaland's annual music festival, Hornbill Nagaland is known as a hub of musical talent.

There are songs of love, there are even songs of war here. The rich musical tradition of the state could now become a source of revenue.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio announced Monday that music would be declared an industry in the state.

"Definitely, there is music in our blood, we have huge potential. Therefore, taking into account the innate talents of Nagas in music, we have decided to make music an industry," Rio said, while inaugurating the Nagaland Music Conservatory (NCM).

The chief minister, however, clarified that the government role would be limited to being a "facilitator", offering support to musicians without "owning" music or pushing only particular genres.

Rio said that music was one arena where Nagas can catch the attention of the world. The chief minister encouraged youths to fully realize their in-born musical talent.

Congratulating the co-founders of the music conservatory - Lipokmar Tzudir and James Swu - Rio termed their dedication to establish a world-class music institute a "giant step" that would propel Naga musicians into the global arena.

The NCM will offer a full-fledged degree course in music, and it will have leading foreign and local musicians on the faculty.

"Our students will come out of the nutshell and compete in the international level", Tzudir said.

"Only dedicated musicians and institutions like the Nagaland Music Conservatory can make music an industry in the state," Rio said, even as he announced a grant of Rs.79 lakh to the new conservatory.

Terming the new music institute a dream come true for not only aspiring musicians but also the state as a whole, the chief minister said the state government would like to enter into partnership with the institute to promote music in this part of the world.

"Music is a multi-billion dollar industry. It is with the perspective of tapping into this that music has been declared an industry," Additional Chief Secretary Alemtemshi Jamir said.

Jamir said that the Nagaland government in its bid to promote music as an industry set up the Music Task Force in 2006. The strategy was initially to popularide music. The Music Task Force has been conducting live road shows around the state.

Jamir said the task force was allotted a budget to offer support to musicians, to enable training, the acquisition of necessary equipment and recording.

"The state government is also supporting a series of initiatives for the development of music, including support for setting up of music institutions. The next step would be setting up high quality recording studios" Jamir said.

Rough Road To Empowerment

By Ninglun Hangal



Women's Feature Service Towards change: Members of the Nagaland Mothers Association. Photos: Ninglun Hangal/ WFS


The slogan: Right to reservation. Women's Feature Service Fighting against all odds, Rosemary Dzuvichu is fervently working towards a rightful place in politics for women in Nagaland

Rosemary Dzuvichu, 50, wears many hats with élan. She is advisor to the Naga Mothers Association (NMA), an apex body of women in the State; teaches literature at Nagaland University; and is actively involved with organisations working on human rights and political empowerment. Earlier, this single mother of three became the first woman general secretary of the Lhisema Khel Council, a local administrative body, and she has even had a successful stint as president of the Kohima District Mahila Congress, which drafted its first-ever party manifesto on women during her tenure.

In a State ravaged by violence and where women traditionally do not enjoy equal status with men, Ms. Dzuvichu has not only managed to create an independent identity for herself, she is also fighting for the rights of others. Through the NMA, she is fervently working towards implementing the 33 per cent reservation for women in local governing bodies and the Assembly, even though the move has been opposed by various tribal apex bodies.

Being politically active and speaking up for thousands of voiceless Naga women is something Ms. Dzuvichu has learnt from the women in her family. Although she grew up in a secure environment, enjoying Hans Andersen's fairy tales and local folk stories as well as writing poetry, she was well aware of the turmoil around her. Living a few metres away from an Army camp in Kohima, firing between the armed forces and underground Naga groups was a part of everyday life. With everyone from her grandmother to her mother involved in the political uprising, it was hard not to get involved. “During those peak years of militancy during the 1950s and 1960s, the Naga movement for sovereignty and self determination was very strong. Any non-sympathiser was instantly ostracised,” she recalls. “State oppression” left a “deep imprint” on youngsters like her, who grew up harbouring feelings of alienation. Even today, she has reservations about interacting with Army personnel.

An early influence on her life was her grandmother Zeliezhu, who was one of the first women leaders of the underground Naga National Council (NNC). In later years, her mother, Alhouu Albina made sure to talk to the children about Zeliezhu’s tough character and staunch beliefs. Her mother was her other idol. “I learnt a lot from her. She was the first woman member of the local council and the Naga People's Front (NPF) party,” says Ms. Dzuvichu.

While the resistance movement influenced her early life — her father led a number of operations against the Army as the then secretary to General Thongti of the NNC, once the underground movement leaders decided to directly engage in talks after the Indo-Naga war of the 1950s, it was peace-time activities like going to church and doing social service that marked people’s lives. Politics, however, did not take a backseat even then for Ms. Dzuvichu, as the family home continued to be frequented by powerful Naga leaders like A.Z. Phizo, NNC’s founder leader, and others.

Despite the freedom she enjoyed in her own home, Ms. Dzuvichu realised very early in life that traditional Naga society expected women to tow the line and play second fiddle to the men. She belonged to the upper strata of society, got the best of education and was given the option to choose her own career, but she was also constantly reminded about behaving like a typical Naga girl, “which meant washing our brother's clothes, cooking, weaving and respecting all the elders”.

Political and social activism stayed with her even after marriage and motherhood. Eventually her 11-year-old marriage broke down as she refused to give up her work to become the perfect wife. “It was my traumatic divorce that taught me to stand up for women's rights and speak for those who dare not talk about their problems,” she says.

After she filed for divorce, she faced many challenges — she was called names, discriminated against and even banished for a while from polite society. But today she seems to have overcome those odds and has emerged as a prominent women's rights activist. “I know I could not have managed to do half the things I have done, had I still been married,” she says.

Last year, Ms. Dzuvichu’s team, under the aegis of the NMA, filed a writ petition at the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court, urging the court to direct the State government, State Election Commission and Urban Commissioner to immediately hold elections for municipal and town councils throughout Nagaland with a third of the seats being reserved for women in accordance with Article 243 T (3) of the Constitution of India and Section 23A of the Nagaland Municipal (First Amendment) Act, 2006.

They also hoped the step would overturn the cabinet's decision to indefinitely postpone the elections of the municipal councils and town councils, which were originally scheduled for January-February 2010.

In October 2011, Justices Goswami and Indira Shah directed the State Election Commission to hold civic polls on or before January 2012 pronouncing that “the reasons cited in the cabinet decision does not amount to exceptional circumstances for postponement of election and cannot be sustained”.

Objecting to this judgment, State officials subsequently filed an affidavit and petitioned for an extension to implement the court order. Citing the memorandum received from tribal apex bodies such as the Naga Hoho and the Eastern Nagaland People's Organization, which objected to the move, the State maintained that if elections were held — and if women were to contest — it would not only lead to severe law and order problems but would also disturb the ongoing peace process between the government and the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN).

While Ms. Dzuvichu and her team are disappointed at the outcome, they maintain that traditional tribal bodies are like all-male clubs where women are deliberately kept out to ensure that they have no real say in their social and political environment. For now, she is willing to be the lone female participant at meetings that deliberate on the peace process in the state.

(Women’s Feature Service)

Fury At 'No Indians, Asians' Job Ad

'No Indians, Asians' job advertisement causes outrage

By Hannah Martin

The job ad which appeared on Gumtree asking for cleaners. It ahs since been removed.

A COLES contractor has been slammed for a racist job advert, banning Indian or Asian applicants.

The online advert was posted on Sunday, seeking cleaners for a supermarket at Eastlands Shopping Centre in Hobart, The Mercury reports.

The ad in part read: "Store requires no indians or asians please. Must speak english (sic)".

The advert, on the Gumtree website, generated outrage on social media sites, with calls for people to boycott the store and lodge complaints.

"Which supermarket is this so I can boycott them?" one Facebook user said.

"What planet are they on?", asked another.

The job ad was later removed from the site.

A Coles spokesman yesterday admitted the advert had been posted by a contract company responsible for cleaning its Rosny store.

"The ad was placed without Coles' knowledge and we were extremely concerned to learn of the ad and its contents," spokesman Jim Cooper said.

Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Robin Banks said she wanted to track down the cleaning contractor to pursue possible legal action.

Assam Floods Likely To Worsen

The flood situation in Assam might take a turn for the worse.

Guwahati, Aug 28 : The flood situation in Assam today turned grim with the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries rising in five districts following incessant rainfall in the catchment areas.

Over one lakh people have been affected by the third wave of floods in the five districts of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Sonitpur and Kamrup, official sources said.

Vast areas of human habitation and crop land have been inundated by the rising water of the Brahmaputra which was flowing above danger level at Nematighat, the Jia Bhoroli in Sonitpur, Gai Nadi in Dhemaji and Singora in Lakhimpur districts.

Relief and rehabilitation are being provided to the victims and relief camps have also been set up in the affected districts, the sources said. There has been, however, no loss of human lives so far.

In the worst-ever flood to hit the state during the last decade, 126 people lost their lives this year during the first and second waves of floods while 631 animals perished in Kaziranga National Park alone.

The ‘Kannadiga Born in Mizoram’ Feels Bangalore Trouble Was An Exception

By Y P Rajesh

New Delhi, Aug 27 : It is both an irony and reassuring when H T Sangliana, a Mizo-born, Karnataka-cadre former IPS officer, says “we Kannadigas” have always been accommodating and welcoming of outsiders, and the recent events that forced people from the Northeast to flee Bangalore are an exception. In fact, the panic could have been nipped in the bud if the Karnataka police had been more responsive, he said. He should know.

Arguably Karnataka’s most famous police officer, Sangliana is also the most well-known among people from the Northeast who made Karnataka their home. A tough officer who became a legend while in service, he has served as the Bangalore police commissioner and was tasked to nab forest brigand Veerappan. He was the theme of three Kannada hit movies — the second and third were sequels — named after him.

Stories about him and his exploits, real and apocryphal, abound. Among them is one that three non-Mizos in Karnataka legally changed their names to Sangliana, taking him as their role model. The 1967-batch IPS officer became known as a “giant killer” when he defeated Congress veteran C K Jaffer Sharief in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls on a BJP ticket from Sharief’s bastion, Bangalore North.

Based in Delhi since the end of 2009 after he was appointed vice-chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, Sangliana said he was in Bangalore on August 15 on a private visit when people from the Northeast began fleeing the city. “Some trouble had started on August 12 itself,” Sangliana told The Indian Express, citing calls he got from northeastern people in the city as well as information passed on by a daughter who lives in Bangalore.

“Besides the rumours about imminent attacks, there were complaints of some Muslim boys stopping Mizo students and asking where they came from. Some others were teased or verbally threatened. One man called me up and said that some boys on a bike had shouted expletives at his wife,” Sangliana said. “Many such incidents were reported from several localities. In some places, swords and clubs were brandished, I am told.”

Many complained to the police verbally or by phone but local officers did not take them seriously, Sangliana said. “Even entries were not made in the station house diary saying there is no evidence,” he claimed. “It seems the police could not gauge the seriousness of the situation. If they had verified these complaints and taken some proactive steps, thousands from the Northeast could have been saved all the hardship.”

While some of the blame should rest with the inexperience of Karnataka’s political leadership, much of it is due to the lack of alacrity of the police, Sangliana said, even though the acting chief of Karnataka police, Lalrokhuma Pachau, is a fellow Mizo, 10 years junior and a good friend.

The episode though, Sangliana adds, has not shaken his faith in what he says is the “friendly and easily accepting” nature of Kannadigas even as he joins the national discourse and admits ignorance about people from the Northeast is widespread and they continue to be branded variously.

“When I joined and came to Karnataka in 1968, people thought I was Chinese,” he said. “When I went to villages in South Canara as a probationary officer, children would make fun of me by calling me ‘chi chi’ or ‘chu chu’. But I was confident they would grow up to understand that I am an Indian and a Kannadiga.”

Sangliana, 69, has spent 31 years in Karnataka — he retired as DGP (Prisons) in 2003 — and his four daughters were raised in the state, studying Kannada in school and learning Kannada songs from his orderlies. “They all speak Kannada. This sense of belonging has to be there, a sense of ownership,” he says, referring to the need for people from outside to integrate into the local culture.

He says he will return to Bangalore after his NCM term ends in December and is willing to return to politics if the people of Karnataka and his party, Congress, want him to. “One day, I will be buried or cremated in Bangalore,” he said. Sangliana was expelled from the BJP in 2008 after he voted in favour of the UPA government in the confidence motion linked to the civilian nuclear deal. He contested the 2009 polls on a Congress ticket from Bangalore Central but lost to the BJP candidate.

For now, Sangliana is writing to Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and other senior officials, requesting them to improve the efficiency of the police so that it is better prepared. He also wants the state government to appeal to educational institutions, employers and landlords to take back people from the Northeast who are returning to Bangalore. “Our friendliness has been the reason for people to come and work peacefully (in Bangalore). We have a mindset of accommodating people,” he said.

1 Lakh Mizo Families Will Have Permanent Occupation in 3 Yrs

Aizawl, Aug 27 : By the end of the next three years, around one lakh families in Mizoram will have permanent occupation, provided they judiciously utilize the money they received from the Lal Thanhawla government's New Land Use Policy, and if the Congress is still in power by that time.

"There is enough fund to cover 1,20,000 families in five year.

We will not allow any diversion of fund in the NLUP. So far we have not had any such case, except for a few number of dishonest people among the beneficiaries," Lal Thanhawla said, while inaugurating a rural haat constructed by Nabard at Thenzawl on Saturday.

As the ambitious project was formally launched on January 14, 2011, two years after the Congress came back in power.

"The NLUP aims to provide sustainable and more profitable occupation to the farmers, who constitute about 60 percent of the state's population. The farmers will have permanent occupation of their own choice, and will do away with the age-old shifting cultivation," he said.

Reiterating that his government has done everything for the success of the ambitious project, the chief minister informed that such dishonest beneficiaries have been identified and they would not get fund any further.