Armed Robbers Loot, Scare Mizo Villagers

Aizawl, Apr 9 : Masked robbers armed with countrymade guns terrorized villagers of Bungthuam and other nearby villages along the Mizoram-Tripura border after robbing and intimidating a non-tribal and his daughter on Sunday. The incident triggered fear of communal tension in the northwestern belt of Mizoram.

Reports said that eight masked, armed men speaking in the Bru dialect entered a farm hut owned by a Mizo man, J Malsawma, near Bungthuam early Sunday morning. They physically tortured the chowkidar of the farm, Abdul Manaf, and his family members. The robbers also forcibly took Rs 1,500 in cash, a mobile handset and six chickens.

"The robbers, while entering the farm hut, threatened the family members verbally and pointed their guns at them," Bungthuam village council secretary Lalhmingmawia said, adding that the miscreants were communicating among themselves in the Bru dialect.

Manaf and his nine-year-old daughter were beaten up by the robbers when they told the latter that there was no money in the hut, Lalhmingmawia said. Police, after receiving news of the incident, rushed to the village and chased the robbers. Manaf and his daughter were admitted to a nearby rural hospital for treatment.

The village council secretary said he thought that the robbers were not militants, but goons for hire who were trying to make money by intimidating and robbing innocent people.

"The police, accompanied by the village leaders, found that the trail of the robbers led to Khakchangpara relief camp in North Tripura district where many Bru refugees are lodged," he added.

The incident came close on the heels of the release of five people by some Bru miscreants working under a reported renegade commander of the NLFT. The hostages were released after being held captive for 38 days.

A leader of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) said that the patience of the people is wearing thin as such incidents of violence have become very frequent in the border areas of the state and could lead to communal tension.

"Such acts of violence, including abduction, robbery and criminal intimidation, if repeated, could trigger communal tension as the perpetrators of such crimes always target the majority Mizo community," the leader said.

A Conversation With: Soccer Player Bhaichung Bhutia

By SAMBUDDHA MITRA MUSTAFI

Gurinder Osan/Associated Press Bhaichung Bhutia, left, in action during a Nehru Cup soccer match against Sri Lanka in New Delhi on Aug. 26, 2009.

Bhaichung Bhutia is India’s most famous soccer player. He spearheaded the national team’s attack between 1995 and 2011, scoring 43 goals in 105 appearances. Mr. Bhutia was also the first Indian to play professional soccer in Europe, turning out for the English club Bury in 1999. But his most memorable performances came in Indian club soccer, especially while playing for Kolkata arch rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.

Now as an entrepreneur, Mr. Bhutia has brought joy to his home state of Sikkim with his club United Sikkim, making it to the top tier of India’s soccer league. He also recently was appointed as the chairman of the technical committee of the All India Football Federation.

In Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, Mr. Bhutia spoke to India Ink about life since retirement and his thoughts on Indian soccer from the other side of the touchline.

Q.

Tell us about your journey with United Sikkim. How did it come about?

A.

I was born and brought up in Sikkim, and we have a big following for soccer here – it is the only game that’s played. Since the I-League [India's professional soccer league] started in 2007, small tournaments like the Governor’s Gold Cup here in Sikkim started dying out. So big teams and players stopped coming here, and people were deprived from watching them. The only way to bring top soccer to Sikkim was to have a club from here competing in the I-League. It was not easy to get funds for the club because we hardly have any industries or corporates based out of here. But I got some investors from Dubai to fund the club, and that is how it started.

Q.

Was it difficult to convince players, both domestic and foreign, to play for your club? Are they happy being here in Sikkim?

A.

When we started in second division, it was a challenge to bring good players to a small place like Sikkim. But I had played for India and knew the players, so I convinced them to sign for United Sikkim.
The foreigners are adjusting pretty well here. The biggest problem they face is that every time we go out of Sikkim, they have to wait for one hour at Rangpo [a town on the state border] for their permit to get sorted. Especially for the Nigerian players it’s been tough because the central government has put in many restrictions for them – they should make it different for tourists and sportspersons. We are trying to work with the government to find a solution. But apart from this they are very happy with Sikkim. It’s clean and green, so they enjoy it.

Q.

Manipur, which is a neighboring state, has been sending quite a few players to the national team, but not Sikkim. Why is that?

A.

In Manipur, both the environment and infrastructure for sport is better than Sikkim. We need more fields to play on and more age group tournaments. In the last three or four years we have got better. We now have two players playing for India. Also in Manipur, parents want their kids to be sportspersons, while in Sikkim most prefer their children to study and get government jobs. And the rest of India is far behind these northeastern states in parental support for sports. Here, 90 percent of the children come from humble backgrounds and sports is a way out for almost every kid who is playing.

Q.

Indian soccer has shown no signs of improvement despite initiatives like the I-League. We are still ranked 167^th in the latest FIFA rankings. What’s going wrong?

A.

You have to look at what’s wrong with the structure of Indian soccer. The reason the I-League has not taken off is that the game has not spread across the country. That can only happen if more clubs like United Sikkim and Lajong FC [from Shillong] are successful. Otherwise, it will just be clubs from Kolkata, Goa and Mumbai. So the same clubs play each other in the local leagues and then the I-League. It’s not surprising that people lose interest.

Q.

Since you became the first Indian to play in Europe, others have not followed in your footsteps. Why?

A.

Look, everyone wants to play in Europe. But they got to have the opportunity and the confidence. Unless we do well internationally, we will not get chances, and the domestic football scene has to improve. Unless we get results, we will not get opportunities.

Q.

Your most memorable performances came while playing for Kolkata rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. How do you see the state of Kolkata soccer?

A.

The charm and interest has gone down as both clubs have failed to control crowd violence. If you can’t bring in good people, women and children, if you can’t give safety, good stadiums, the interest and the money will dry up.
Middle- and upper-class Kolkata don’t come to stadiums any more. For example, I can never take my wife and kid for my derby match. The clubs have not reached out to these people, to bring them back. The ones who come now are die-hard fans but also rough. Passion is there from die-hard supporters, but you can’t bring violence into the sport. This is where we can learn from England, how they have controlled hooliganism.

Q.

You played for both the Kolkata rivals at different stages of your career. Any favorites?

A.

I have good relations with both clubs, but I started my career in East Bengal, so they definitely have a special place in my heart.
Sambuddha Mitra Mustafi is an independent journalist. Follow him on Twitter at @some_buddha.

India Use Drones To Protect Rhinos From Poachers

Anupam Nath

Mahouts return with their elephants after collecting fodder at the Kaziranga National Park at Kaziranga in Assam state, India, Monday, April 8, 2013.Wildlife authorities used drones on Monday for aerial surveillance of the sprawling natural game park in northeastern India to protect the one-horned rhinoceros from armed poachers. The drones will be flown at regular intervals to prevent rampant poaching in the park located in the remote Indian state of Assam. The drones are equipped with cameras and will be monitored by security guards, who find it difficult to guard the whole 480-square kilometer (185-square mile) reserve. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

WASBIR HUSSAIN

Posted: Monday, April 8, 2013, 10:33 PM

GAUHATI, India - Wildlife authorities are using aerial drones to oversee a sprawling natural game park in northeastern India to protect the one-horned rhinoceros from armed poachers.

Security officers conducted flights of the unmanned aircraft over the Kaziranga National Park on Monday and will fly drones at regular intervals to prevent rampant poaching in the park in the remote Indian state of Assam.
The drones are equipped with cameras and will be monitored by security guards, who find it difficult to guard the whole 480-square kilometer (185-square mile) reserve.
"Regular operations of the unmanned aerial vehicles will begin once we get the nod of the Indian defense ministry," said Rokybul Hussain, the state's forest and environment minister.
The drones will also be useful during the annual monsoon season when large areas in the Kaziranga reserve are flooded by the mighty Brahmaputra River and three other rivers that flow through the game park, park officials said.
Hussain said the Central Bureau of Investigation, India's equivalent of the FBI, will soon begin investigations into the steep rise in rhino poaching this year.
Poachers armed with automatic rifles killed 22 rhinos last year, but have killed 16 rhinos already this year.
Rhino horn is in great demand in China and Southeast Asia where it is believed to have medicinal properties.
A rhino census conducted in Kaziranga reserve two weeks ago put their number at 2,329, up from 2,290 in 2012.
In recent weeks, wildlife authorities in Assam have deployed 300 armed guards to protect the rhinos in Kaziranga but they have been no match for organized gangs of poachers who have been managing to strike at the rhinos with increasing regularity.
"What worries us is the use of automatic weapons like Kalashnikovs by the poachers," said Assam police chief Jayanta Narayan Choudhury.

Assamese Gamocha Makes it To Guinness

Guwahati, Apr 9 : The traditional Assamese gamocha is making headlines - at home and abroad.

In the presence of Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, the Assamese gamocha was given an international recognition on Monday under the category of "the world's longest hand-woven feat of silk" in New Delhi.

Measuring at mammoth 1455.3 metres, the feat was accomplished by Abhijeet Baruah in the national capital and was recognized by the Guinness World Records. Baruah broke the previous record held by one J Mammato from Indonesia.

The silk gamocha had imprints of different historical and heritage symbols of Assam like the Rang Ghar, Majuli, Sankardeva, Bhupen Hazarika and the one-horn rhino.

"It was my idea on which I have worked for the last six months. The main purpose of this was to showcase the Assamese gamocha in front of the world and to tell people that we have more to show and represent. Ten people were involved in making the gamocha and the entire thing weighs around 138 kg," said Baruah.

Baruah, who already has 11 different world records, now has two Guinness records with this feat.

"With the recent Sualkuchi incident, it is now required to protect indigenous items and give them the respect. I want to offer my thanks to Kaziranga University, Joon Hazarika, Sumnagal Dutta and Manna Dey for their help," said Baruah.

The gamocha was put on display at the India Gate lawns. Union DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar and other dignitaries were present. As it was rolled out, the gamocha left everyone spellbound. Baruah was given a certificate by Fortuna Burke, an official of the Guinness World Records. Gogoi was so impressed that he announced incentives for Baruah and the workers.

With Bihu around the corner, it was a perfect gift for Assam and its people.

It may be mentioned that cheap polyester-made gamochas are giving a tough fight to the traditional hand-woven ones these days.

Though the shopkeepers say the sale of traditional gamochas are satisfactory ahead of Bihu, the polyester-made gamochas are surely a threat to the weavers as they are being sold as cotton gamochas in many places.

Gorkha’s Burn Effigy of Former Minister Over Monkey, Dog Eat Remark

Dharamshala: A BJP legislator suggesting that deploying Gorkha or Naga regiment in monkey and stray dog infested area would help to contain their population as they do eat them has angered Gorkha residents, who have demanded an immediate apology from the lawmaker.

Agitated members of Bharatiya Gorkha Praisangh here, today, burnt an effigy of Ravinder Singh Ravi for having stated during a debate in the Vidhan Sabha posting Gorkha and Naga regiments in the state would help to contain the menace exploding monkey population and stray dogs.

Media reports quoted Ravi have suggested during a debate on April 5 that “If Gorkha or Naga regiments are posted in Himachal from time to time, it will definitely have an impact on the population of monkeys.”

He is also reported to have claimed monkey was a delicacy for Gorkhas and Nagas. Ravi also said, “Black dogs are a favourite food of Gorkhas and this would help maintain ecological balance.”

Pained and shocked at this racist jibe against the Gorkhas, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh has demanded action from both the Speakers of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly Brij Behair Lal Butail,  BJP President Rajnath Singh and Himachal Pradesh BJP President Satpal Singh Satti against the erring MLA.

Saying Ravi had misused the floor of a Constitutional House, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh has requested the Speaker to expunge these remarks from the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and to take appropriate action against Ravi.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh told Rajnath Singh that it was especially shocking to have a BJP MLA uttering such demeaning, and utterly erroneous, references to the community because only in the month of March, the Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh had met Rajnath Singh in New Delhi, Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad and Manohar Parikkar in Panaji to apprise them of the status of Gorkhas in India and had been assured of the BJP’s attention both to their issues and their demand for Gorkhaland.

The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh has asked both the Speakers and Rajnath Singh to take action against Ravinder Ravi and have him immediately tender an apology to not only the Gorkhas, but also the Naga community.

Mizo Music Industry Lagging Behind: Mami Varte

Guwahati, Apr 8 : Popular Mizoram singer Mami Varte on Saturday said the Mizo music industry is still lagging behind and young talents are fighting to uphold the state's culture. While receiving the FILadies' Organisation (FLO) Award here, she called for more efforts to popularize Mizo music internationally.

Every year, the FLO, northeast chapter, honours northeast women who have reached a distinguished level of success in their profession. This year, the FLO awards were given to three women from NE. Besides Varte, the two other recipients were Assamsese actress Arati Baruah and singer Archana Mahanta.

Speaking at the awards function, Varte said there are a lot of talented singers in Mizoram but they haven't been able to utilize their talent due to lack of proper platform. She urged the government to take up steps to promote the singers and the industry. Gradually, the interest of the youth towards learning music is increasing, but there is a need for a proper platform to showcase their talents at the national as well as international level, she added.

"The people of Mizoram have a craving for pop music, rock, jazz and hard metal songs for which the folk songs of Mizoram are losing their significance. But now we are trying to revive the folk music by giving it a modern touch. Every song has influence of folk music. Folk music is something where the root of music exists and it reflects our culture. So, we should not forget our culture," she added.

Arati Baruah, while receiving the FLO award, said the Assamese film industry underwent a lot of changes. "Things are not the same as it was in our times. Now, the films made in this part of the state have Bollywood touch as a result of which there is a lack of originality. The films should be made in such a way so that they reflect the Assamese culture and tradition," she said

Speaking on the folk music of Assam, Archana Mahanta said the interest of people towards folk music is increasing. Many new singers have come up and they are also working to promote folk music, she added.

Chinese Arms Fuelling Northeast Rebels?

By Manimugdha S Sharma

New Delhi, Apr 8 : On March 12, a question was raised in the Lok Sabha if insurgent groups in the northeastern states have been acquiring sophisticated weapons from China via Myanmar. Minister of state for home M Ramachandran replied in the negative saying that the Chinese leadership has assured that the country will not fan insurgency or encourage separatist elements in the region.

However, photographic evidence seems to suggest otherwise.

Two photographs accessed by TOI show Chinese characters (possibly indicating firing modes) on an AK-56 rifle, and ULFA cadres assembling sophisticated Heckler & Koch 33 assault rifles somewhere in the jungles of the region. A senior Assam Police officer involved in counter-insurgency operations says they are aware of ultras using sophisticated weapons.

"The favourite sidearm of insurgents nowadays is what we call the star pistol. It's highly accurate and very stable. The ones we have seized don't have the 'Made in China' tag, but have a star and a logo. The star probably is the red star that communist countries use. We have not seized any HK 33 rifle so far, but we know they have it," he says.

The HK 33 assault rifle has a higher muzzle velocity and rate of fire than the AK-47, the preferred weapon of guerrilla fighters all over the world.

The ULFA cadres, like many other militant outfits in the region, allegedly get these weapons from four major arms syndicates based out of Yunnan, China. The syndicates buy these weapons in auctions allegedly held by the Royal Thai Armed Forces every few years.

"These syndicates are believed to be run by retired People's Liberation Army (PLA) men with good access to Chinese military resources," says Rajeev Bhattacharya who has written a pictorial book on militancy titled 'Lens and the Guerrilla: Insurgency in India's Northeast'. He adds that insurgent groups who fail to strike deals with Thai or Burmese arms cartels straightaway approach the Yunnan syndicates that facilitate the deals and supply of consignments through Myanmar. "I was in an ULFA camp when they received the HK 33 consignment. The factory marks and serial numbers had been scratched off, making it difficult for anyone to make out where these weapons originated, but these weapons didn't seem old and performed really well in the firing range."

So is it advantage rebels now? "Not quite. Any sophisticated weapon could be more of a liability than an asset if it's not handled by a conventional army," says strategic analyst Major General (retd) Dipankar Banerjee. "In Myanmar, the Kachin rebels are well supplied and fight pitched battles; they can afford to fight with sophisticated weapons. But in the northeast, rebels face a lot of constraints; years of army operations have blocked many supply routes and brought down weapon proliferation in the region. They need a weapon that needs bare minimum maintenance and also comes cheap. AK is such a weapon." He adds that after the Sheikh Hasina government came to power in Bangladesh, the arms trade through that country has come down substantially. "That is the reason why the insurgents have once more started buying arms from Myanmar and Thailand. This activity may have some tacit support from the Chinese government."

Woman's Murder Sparks Protests in Manipur

Imphal, Apr 8 : In the aftermath of the brutal murder of a  woman  N.Satyabhama Devi, 32, the Joint Action Committee has enforced an indefinite Manipur Bandh since Saturday.

The JAC has demanded immediate arrest of the killer and has demanded punishment within five days.

All business establishments remained closed and schools did not open

Large number of men and women came out on the streets from Moirangkhom  near National Highway 2  to register their protests. They stopped vehicles from plying on the road and appealed to local shopkeepers to close down their shops.

In Kakwa Bazar, from where Sathyabhama Devi hailed, hundreds of men and women along with representatives of civil body organizations held a rally which was followed by a march from Kakwa to Singjamei Chingamakhong.

Slogans were raised against chief minister O. Ibobi Singh by the protesters. They tried to march towards Imphal, but were stopped by police late in the evening.