Manipur Film Fraternity Protests Against Extortion By Militants

Imphal, Feb 16 : Over the years, filmmakers in Manipur have been using cinema as a medium to expose militant outfits and present a real picture of the insurgency affected state to the world.

In retaliation, militant groups have imposed monetary demands and unnecessary guidelines on the film fraternity.

Cinema halls in Imphal were recently shut for 23 days in protest against threats by insurgents against film production houses. They wore a deserted look from January 9 to February 1 as insurgents demanded money and sent out guidelines about film productions.

"Some of the underground groups are demanding money from film production houses. We are producing films but it does not mean that we have lots of money. Instead we are struggling and working hard for our survival," said Oken Amakcham, a film director.

The film fraternity under the aegis of Manipur Film Forum condemned the threats.

The shut down affected nearly 3000 people associated with the industry. Though the strike has been called off now but uncertainty still exists in the minds of filmmakers.

Manipur film industry is not as big as Bollywood. It produces low budget regional films that have a smaller market. So there is not much for insurgents to extract.

"We want film and education to be a free zone. It is not good to disturb us in our work of film production. We appeal them from now onward not to disturb in our film fraternity," said Surjakanta Sharma, president, film forum Manipur.

" We urge the militant not to do any such demand, threaten and not to do anything, which is going to harm in our film production. We want to work peacefully without stopping or troubling us," added Memma Devi, a protestor.

Over the years, insurgents have been trying to control the entertainment industry in Manipur.

They banned Hindi films in 1990 that forced several halls to shut down as they lacked audiences thereafter. As of today there are only three theatres Usha, Mini Friends and Pratap Talkies in Imphal, all the rest have either been converted to schools or shopping malls.

In 2011 Kangleipak Communist Party had made similar demands that had lead to the closure of cinema halls for 10 days.

India Undertakes $51m Railway Project to Link Akhaura With Agartala

By Nizam Ahmed and Jasim Uddin Haroon

New Delhi, Feb 15 : As part of its bid to harness all-out benefits from the proposed transit through Bangladesh, India has undertaken a $51 million railway project to connect Bangladesh's southeastern border town Akhaura with Agartala, capital of India's northeastern state of Tripura, officials said on Tuesday.

The implementation of the project is likely to start in a couple of months as the authorities concerned in India are expected to allocate the fund under the annual budget for the fiscal year 2013, to be announced in March next, they said.

"The project will be exclusively funded by Indian government, and Bangladesh will cooperate for its timely completion," a senior official of the ministry of railways told the FE.

The 15-km railway track project, when completed by the end of 2014, will open scope for movement of goods trains between Agartala and Kolkata, in Pachimbanga, drastically reducing the distance between the two state capitals, traders said.

Agartala, for instance, is 1,650 km from Kolkata and 2,637 km from New Delhi via Guwahati (Assam) and Pachimbanga, whereas the distance between the Tripura capital and Kolkata through Bangladesh is just about 350 km, railway officials said.

The 15-km railway track project comprising 5.0 km in the Indian territory and the rest in Bangladesh, when completed is expected to greatly hasten implementation of the proposed transit facility for India through Bangladesh.

However, India and Bangladesh presently in talks to implement the transit pledges, will require several more rounds of talks to evolve effective modalities for the desired facilities for India to carry consignments to and from its northeastern states via Bangladesh.

The latest round of a two-day talks between officials of Bangladesh and India to implement road and river transit ended inconclusively in Dhaka on Monday, officials said.

Meanwhile, the railways are seen as most effective and viable mode for transit, which can be implemented in the shortest possible time, while transit though roads and river protocols may take a long time for implementation.

For implementation of transit by road and river links, existing infrastructure are needed to be upgraded at a cost of millions of dollars and these up-gradations are likely to take a decade, experts involved in communications sector told the FE.

Due to poor infrastructure Bangladesh was compelled to stop a test transit through river protocol-cum-road-transit late last year, as existing infrastructure at Ashuganj river terminal and Akhaura land-port were very much fragile, port officials said.

The roads, bridges and culverts along the roads running between Ashuganj and Agartala were also found much brittle compelling the authorities to suspend the shipment of heavy consignments.

Traders said the existing railway connectivity between Agartala and other destinations including Kolkata via Dhaka was still better to withstand the pressure of transit movement, transport operators said.

However in addition to existing air connectivity, train and bus services for passengers were introduced between Kolkata and Dhaka several years ago to facilitate exchange of visits by people of Bangladesh and Pachimbanga.

The 15-km railway track when laid by India, will connect Agartala also with Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, main port Chittagong and the country's northeastern Sylhet, famous for gas fields and tea gardens.

The scheme to connect Agartala with Akhaura was mulled immediately after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had agreed to give transit facilities to India through Bangladesh, during her visit to New Delhi in early 2010.

"The railway project, when implemented, will help Indian traders avoid hazardous journey through mountainous region to carry goods between Agartala with Kolkata and New Delhi," a senior Indian railway officer told Indian press on Tuesday.

For carrying goods and heavy machinery to the northeast from abroad and other parts of the country, India has for long been seeking land, sea and rail access through Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, another FE report adds: India wants to put into operation transshipment through Ashuganj immediately to ferry cargoes to the north-eastern Indian states, official sources said Tuesday.

"For this, the Indian delegation stressed quick implementation of the construction of an inland container terminal at Ashuganj port," said a member of the Bangladesh-India standing committee under the protocol on inland water transit and trade.

The 14th meeting of the committee was held in Dhaka on Sunday and Monday between Bangladesh officials and an Indian delegation that left Bangladesh Tuesday after a two-day visit.

The two sides met in the city where Bangladesh agreed in principle to allow Indian bulk cargoes to use Ashuganj as transshipment terminal.

The committee member, belonging to the Bangladesh side, said the Indian delegation had expressed its interest to invest around Tk 10 billion to complete the remaining construction of the Ashuganj port.

He said Bangladesh government had taken a number of development projects to make the port operational.

The member, who wished not to be named, said once the infrastructural facilities were available, the port could be put into operation for Indian bulk cargoes.

"Bangladesh at the joint meeting agreed not to insist on bank guarantees as proposed by the Indian side," he added.

Currently, there is a system for bank guarantees while ferrying Indian cargoes through the Ashuganj port.

According to agreed minutes, both sides would take necessary steps for providing full-fledged facilities at Akhaura and Agartala land customs stations (LCSs).

Akhaura LCS is on the Bangladesh side, and the one in Agartala is on the opposite side.

However, Bangladesh will form a committee comprising members of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, National Board of Revenue and ship-owning companies in the private sector to make the cargo movement smooth along the water routes.

The committee was formed as the Indian side had wanted that its vessel operators be allowed to shift transshipment from deeper-draft vessels to shallow draft vessels, including their movement through midstream, and cargo carrying from water vessels to trucks, and vice-versa.

Earlier in September, three trial runs were conducted using Ashuganj as a transshipment port by India as had been agreed upon at the 13th committee meeting held in Goa in India.

Crime Against Women Rise in Northeast

New Delhi, Feb 15 : The northeastern states have recorded a sharp rise in incidents of crime against women, the Women Power Connect (WPC) said Tuesday.

Ranjana Kumari, the WPC president, said women were traditionally held in high esteem in northeastern societies.

Unfortunately the situation has changed and incidents of crime against women has been rising, she said.

“What is more worrying is the fact that sex selective abortions are on the rise in the northeast, a term quite unheard of till a few years back,” she said.

Ranjana Kumari was here to address a workshop on “Strategizing Advocacy for Effective Implementation of Women Friendly Laws” organized by Impulse NGO Network, a known anti-trafficking NGO working in the region.

“While poor economic conditions and increasing unemployment remained key factors, another factor that has played a major role for the worsening statistics is the abuse of drugs and alcohol among the young,” she said.
Ranjana Kumari is also the director of Centre for Social Research, a New Delhi based organization.

Chairperson of Impulse NGO Network Hasina Kharbiah said there was an increase of about 40 percent in incidents of crime rate against women in 2011 in the whole of the northeastern states compared to 2010.

Kerala Must Learn From The Northeast

Kochi, Feb 15 : Players of Josco FC (in red) and Malabar United FC vie for the ball during a tournament held in Kochi. Both the teams, which played second division last year, are now defunct.

While the football clubs from the State are groping in the dark, the country has found new champions in the North Eastern States as the teams from there have proved to be the best in the second division of the I League so far.

Exposure, skills and youth development are the fields in which Kerala lags while focus on the same has contributed to the growth of the football clubs from the States including, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Orissa and Mizoram.

The Kerala contingent for the second division consists of just three teams whereas last season it was five teams. Three teams, Chandni FC, Malabar United and Josco FC are not playing this season in the second division while the only additional team that is playing is Kozhiikode-based Quartz FC.

While the Kerala teams were losing emphatically, the clubs from these states were making strides in the group battling for the top position. “If we consider skills, they have improved a lot. Several young and energetic players have added value to the teams.

This is one of the main reasons, they are outplaying our clubs,” said Jo Paul Ancheri, the coach of Eagles FC, which is currently playing in the second division.

“Another problem is the lack of match exposure. A team from Kolkata or Assam is coming to the second division after playing their A division leagues.

This contributes a lot to experience to the players and subsequently they will be in a better position,” he said. Several players of our teams are also wooed by sevens tournaments and after playing there most of them will be unfit to play in the regular matches, he said.

The teams from North East States are also better at spotting foreign players, that is one of the major reasons of their wins. Most of the clubs have also youth teams and training programmes that ensure good bench strength, he explained.

Meanwhile, Kerala Football Association is trying to revive the state league, which was defunct for years. “From next season onwards, we will most probably have the state league. Until now, we were not able to conduct it but we have now understood the importance of the league,” said P. Anil, KFA secretary.

“Most of the clubs are free to participate in several all-India tournaments conducted in every state. So lack of tournaments is not a real excuse of the defeats,” he said.

Save-Lives Campaign Mark Valentine's Day in Mizoram

Aizawl, Feb 14 : It is 'save your own life' and 'save others' lives' campaign that will mark this year's Valentine's Day tomorrow with one group organising an anti-suicide campaign and another a blood donation campaign.

A 19-year-old girl committed suicide in Aizawl on Valentine's Day last year after her boyfriend called it quits to their relationship via text message. Though this shocking incident was the only known suicide on a Valentine's Day in Mizoram, failed relationship was found to be the single biggest factor behind youth suicides in this Christian-dominated state during the last few years.

According to New Life Charity Society (NeLICS), an Aizawl-based organisation for mental health, a disturbing 24 per cent of 72 incidents of suicide were committed by lovers who felt rejected. This prompted the organisation to plan an anti-suicide campaign on this year's Valentine's Day. We recorded 72 cases of suicide during last year, of which 24 per cent was caused by failed love affairs.

We need public awareness on this disturbing trend, said Dr Zawmsanga Sailo, secretary NeLICS.

During last year, NeLICS provided counselling to 472 people having suicidal tendency of which were broken-hearted due to failed marriages and love affairs. We have saved a number of dejected lovers from suicides during last year, the NeLICS secretary said.

According to the doctor, the 19-year-old girl who killed herself last year, had talked to a friend over mobile phone in which she shared her problems. As I was walking on the road when she called me, I suggested that we discuss it later in the night.

But, she committed suicide before that could happen, he said. Besides anti-suicide campaign, mass blood donation will mark this year's Valentine's Day in Aizawl.

Under the theme 'Blood For Your Valentine', the V-Day blood donation programme was started by a popular local TV host Zikpuii since two years back. Last year, 340 units of blood were donated under this programme, an increase from 174 units of blood in 2010's Valentine's Day.

Man Hacks Wife To Death, Lynched By Mob

Aizawl, Feb 14 : In yet another case of domestic violence in the state, a 30-year-old man murdered his wife with a machete on Sunday and was later lynched by an irate mob in Tlungvel village, about 60 km south of Aizawl.

The man, Kapmawia, hacked his 24-year-old wife Vanlalthuami on Sunday afternoon while most villagers were attending Sunday mass in the church.

Eyewitnesses said Kapmawia and Vanlalthuami were at the latter's father's house. They heard raised voices as the couple were having a heated quarrel after which Vanlalthuami was seen running out of the house, chased by her husband. Kapmawia pursued his wife and hacked her to death in front of his father-in-law's residence, the eyewitnesses said.

On hearing the commotion, people came out from neighbouring houses and saw Kapmawia butchering Vanlalthuami, but they didn't dare help her as he was armed with a machete and could've turned on anyone.

However, after more people gathered, the murderer was caught and beaten to death by an angry mob.

Police officials from Bawngkawn PS in Aizawl rushed to Tlungvel village and conducted an investigation till late last night; autopsy on the two bodies will be performed on Monday.

The primary investigation revealed that Vanlalthuami died of multiple injuries inflicted with a sharp weapon, especially on her head and neck. Police said while the motive of the murder was yet to be ascertained, jealousy on the part of the husband could not be ruled out.

Kapmawia and Vanlalthuami eloped in December last year and were living together since then in Aizawl without a formal wedding. Vanlalthuami's father, Lalrama, asked the couple to come to Tlungvel village and formalize the union.

Kapmawia, who works as a manual labourer in south Mizoram's Lawngtlai, returned to Tlungvel village on Thursday. Lalrama was quoted as saying that he wanted to the two to formalize the union and did not suspect anything was amiss between them while the couple lived at his house since Thursday.

Vanlalthuami was reported to have a young son from her first marriage.

Chidambaram To Visit Reang Camps

Agartala, Feb 14 : Union Home Minister P Chidambaram would on February 18 visit camps of Reangs displaced from Mizoram and now residing in Kanchanpur subdivision of North Tripura district.

Official sources said today Chidamabarm would speak to the Reang evacuees and also to government officials of Mizoram and assess the problems of repatriation.

More than 35000 Reangs are sheltered in six evacuee camps at Kanchanpur after they migrated from Mizoram following bloody ethnic clashes with Mizos in 1997.

The sources said a high-level delegation of the Central government headed by Union Home Secretary RK Singh would arrive here a day ahead of Chidambaram and hold meetings with Tripura Chief Secretary SK Panda and officials from Tripura and Mizoram governments to assess the problems of repatriation of Reangs.

Dry Mizoram Continues To Be Dogged By Hooch Deaths

Aizawl, Feb 13 : Mizoram has been dry since February 20, 1997 with the powerful Church holding that Prohibition in the state has been a success, while boot-legging continues to thrive claiming 66 lives in the past 15 years.

The hooch deaths in the state are mainly caused by deliberate mixing of methyl spirits and varnish while brewing a local liquor called 'Zu'.

Dr Lalrozama, head of the department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology at the Civil Hospital here says that methyl spirits, a majority of them used in house construction and for polishing furniture, makes the local liquor deadly.

"The spirits are mixed with liquor while fermenting or afterwards to make the liquor stronger and make it more profitable for bootleggers," Dr Lalrozama says.

Another unique technique in Mizoram is the use of a kind of yeast called BEDC or simply BE made in Myanmar.

BEDC, a reddish powder, is mixed with a specified quantity of water for 24 hours which could then be easily mistaken as Indian-made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), Lalhlupuia, a journalist at Champhai town on the Mizoram-Myanmar border explains.

He says that simple villagers sometimes mistake BEDC as a magic potion that could transform water mixed with it into alcohol.