North-East exodus: Time for Mainland India to embrace diversities

(Northeast students who…)
By Harish Nambiar

me: aah...did you like it?

Friend: yes makes me proud of Kima and his sensitivity and the Mumbai police becharey unko kya maloom ki North Eastern and Nepali mein phark hota hai

me: Yes...
precisely my point...
It is great sport...to charge people with being racist...without taking into account that racism's Indian equivalent is casteism ...

Friend: hmmm..

me: THIS word itself has been brought out by folks who have ONLY western terms to describe Indian situations...often converting Indians' love of fair skin also into a racist preference...
IMHO the cop was NOT being racist... or even abusing... definitely...

Friend: but??
me: he is guilty of using a fairly regular slur for a regional sect of people...
Friend: yes
me: BUT....
HIS critics tend to be far more educated than him... and USE language and derision WAY too far above...the standards of living/feeling/sensing/responding... than the constable can or does!
Friend: hmm and therefore?

me: the constable becomes a small element that represents... police, Mumbai police.... and then the Indian government...
AND...

Kima...if he was less wise...becomes... another poor, North Eastern victim of racial prejudice..."
That was an online friend; a 66-year-old retired Kumaoni schoolteacher, responding to a heart-warming incident that happened in Mumbai in March and which I had posted on my Facebook page.

Scary Exodus

A Mizo game developer, Kima, had been called kancha, an abusive street name for Nepali waiters and other hotel employees; few know it is considered derisive.

However, the incident had Kima posting on his blog that he would gladly educate the Mumbai police over coffee. As it turned out, some brass invited Kima over, and apologised.

Kima, on his part, accepted that the constable did not know that kancha was derogatorily used for Nepalis or that there were several states in India's Northeast whose people tend to resemble Nepalis more than other Indian ethnicities.

Kima's post cartwheeled across more social media orbits than merely those they directly impact -- the citizens of Northeastern ethnicities in other parts of India and lovers of Mumbai, the city and all that is symbolises in popular imagination.

This traction was aided by the scary social upheaval of August 2012, when 30,000 panic-stricken people of Northeastern ethnicity had scrambled out of Bangalore and several other smaller cities on the back of rumours that they would be attacked in revenge for the attack on Muslims in Assam earlier, in July 2012.

The violence unleashed by Bodos, a largely Hindu tribe, had displaced nearly 40,000 Muslims in Assam and killed 80. But of course, between the events, falls the deadly metro-sized shadow.

Strafing & Treaties
The late-release trigger to light the August 2012 Bangalore tinder was the vandalisation of a memorial for war heroes by several Muslims who were part of a peaceful protest in Azad Maidan in Mumbai.

The vandals, among the protestors who were purportedly protesting the Bodo violence on Muslims in Assam as well as Burmese killings of Muslim Rohingyas, also molested some women constables of the Mumbai police and snatched arms from cops.

This was on August 11. Three days after that, the Bangalore exodus forced the railways to add two special trains to accommodate spiralling bookings past the chicken neck that connects the Northeast region that is home to about 4% of Indian nationals in an area few in the mainland know about and have exposure to.

The panicky situation generated similar, though smaller waves of people, heading back to Guwahati from Chennai, Mysore and Coorg. Since things eased, we have had a fair amount of pious commentary about the alienation of migrants from India's Northeastern states in mainland India, emphasising the old route of greater compassion and understanding.

A lot of these derive their justification from New Delhi's unarguably callous treatment of the subcontinent's primarily tribal Northeast. The Indian army, mostly under the identifiable Assam Rifles, was used as a colonial instrument to subjugate the outburst of idealistic, if geo-politically naive, resistance movements fuelled by identity politics and regional passions considered insurgencies by India when armed, and unheard when unarmed.

Indira Gandhi's aerial strafing of Mizoram in 1966 and her son Rajiv Gandhi's 1986 pact with the Mizo National Front's Laldenga bookended a kind of uneasy peace that descended on the region.
Several other insurgencies bled on, especially in Nagaland where a patchy but lasting 1964 ceasefire held, despite no clear political resolution, but the scenic Northeast was still a fairly more secure geography than it had ever been, when, in 1991, the economic reforms began in mainland India, and initiated an exodus of another, happier sort. More and more educated youngsters moved around the country to places where they were better paid for their skills.

Tripura To Be Declared Fully Literate

Agartala, Apr 15 : Tripura will be declared fully literate in September this year, state finance minister Badal Choudhury said here on Friday.

"On the occasion of World Literacy Day (Sep 8), Tripura will be declared a totally literate state. All our efforts to attain this goal have now borne fruit," Tripura Finance Minister Badal Choudhury told IANS, after a meeting of the State Literacy Mission Authority (SLMA).

"The SLMA meeting, chaired by chief minister Manik Sarkar also decided that the final evaluation of the remaining illiterate people in the state would be complete by August this year," Choudhury said.

According to a government survey conducted by the eight district magistrates in August last year, there are only 1,47,261 people of the state's 3.7 million people, including those aged 50 and above, who are illiterate.

As per the adult literacy guidelines of the union ministry of human resource development, people aged between 15 to 45 years would be targeted under the literacy mission.

"The Tripura government has taken efforts to make people in the 15-50 age group literate, instead of the upper age of 45. Over 8,250 voluntary literacy workers (VLW) are working through 8,152 adult literacy centres to make the leftover unlettered people literate," the finance minister said.

Over 85 master trainers are supervising the work of the VLWs, who are at work at the village and habitation levels. Anganwadi Workers under the social welfare department are also assisting the VLWs in their endeavour.

"Tripura jumped to third position among the states of the country in literacy in the 2011 census, from the 12th position in the 2001 census. Our all out efforts are on to achieve 100 per cent literacy in Tripura," Choudhury added.

He said Tripura would have attained 100 per cent literacy long back had there been no terrorism and their (militants') violent activities.

"The work on literacy programmes had slowed down also due to the recent Feb 14 assembly polls," the minister said.

"Education, developmental activities and agricultural expansion have been affected due to terrorism in the state until 2009," he pointed out.

According to the 2001 census, Tripura was the 12th most literate state in India with 73.19 per cent literacy and the second most literate state in the northeast region after Mizoram, where the literacy rate was 88.80 per cent.

As per the provisional data for the 2011 census, literacy level is 91.58 per cent in Mizoram and 87.75 per cent in Tripura.

The two northeastern states are only behind Kerala (93.91 percent), which continues to occupy the top position in the literacy chart.

The national literacy rate is 74.04 percent.

The Tripura success story is attributed to the involvement of local government bodies, including gram panchayats, NGOs and clubs.

Former census director and incumbent school education department secretary Dilip Acherjee said: "In Tripura, increase of female literacy is better than their male counterparts."

"The literacy rate of females during the period of 2001 and 2011 census rose from 64.91 to 83.15 per cent with an increase of 18.24 per cent, while in the case of men the increase was just 11.18 per cent -- from 81 to 92.18 per cent," Acherjee said.

While Mizoram and Tripura are among the toppers in literacy in India, another northeastern state, Arunachal Pradesh (66.95 per cent), is placed second-lowest in literacy in the country, just above Bihar (63.82 per cent).

Holy Water Of Haflong

Miracle of Maboram village

The ‘Holy Water’ trickling out of a pipe

Maboram Village 10 kilometres from Haflong, the headquarter town of Dima Hasao district of Assam is where a Biblical prophecy seems to have come true. “Jesus predicted in Jerusalem that a source of holy water will spring out from the height of a mountain and we believe that this is the Holy Water.

We think that God has his own way to shower His blessings up on the believers, we have come to collect this water which has a healing effect” said Reverend R.D. Haichang president of the Northeast Baptist churchafter offering a silent prayer near the blessed pool, after coming all the way from Jaluki of Nagaland to collect the blessed water from Maboram village.

The village has become the centre of attraction for thousands of Christians  who come here every day to collect this water for its miraculous affect, thronging to the village from nearby villages and from distant places like the Karbi Anglong district of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. From quite a distance one can see people rushing to the village to collect water in containers of every shape and size, a long queue of men and women coiling the high ridge of the steep hill inching forward near the source has become a common sight in Maboram village now.

“We heard that Bodoruddin Azmal of Hojai gives blessed water to the needy and the water of Garampani geyser located in Karbi Anglong Golaghat border has therapeutic effect but this is completely different from all this, I have never seen people from Karbi Anglong rushing to a village of Dima Hasao with a container to collect water, this is incredible” Sanju Bora eminent an journalist said.

A signboard has been put up near the source where it simply written ‘HOLY WATER’. “If one has a bath with this water surely he will be cured from any skin infection or any other untreatable disease” Sema Zemi the village headman claims.

“The whole matter came to light during a meeting of the village women on 13th February this year. During the meeting a village woman revealed that after bathing with the water from the pool she was cured of a very old infirmity. Since then lots of people have been cured from incurable illnesses, even the blind have got their sight back,” Sema Zemi informed.

Whether one believes it or not, thousands of people including the clergy from Nagaland and simple village dwellers like Nune Rankhel have walked great distances to collect the holy water with great expectation and a strong faith in God’s mercy which can also flow from a pool of water.

Source: easternpanorama.in

Jatinga: Where Birds Commit Suicide

The tranquillity of Jatinga, a scenic village nestling among the Borail Hills range, is shattered every night by a disturbing occurrence - the 'mass suicide' of hundreds of birds. Locals have been witnessing the eerie phenomenon from September to November for the last couple of years. As the sun sets, hundreds of birds descend on the village and fly full speed towards buildings and trees, crashing to their deaths. The repeated episodes are confined to a 1.5 km strip of the village.



With lush greenery and plentiful freshwater, Jatinga, the headquarters of the Dima Hasao district, some eight kilometres from here, is a resting place for many migratory birds. Haflong is 350 km from Guwahati.

Birds that have been sighted here over the years include the kingfisher, Indian pitta, green breasted pitta, green pigeon, black drongo, racket tailed drongo, whistling ducks, spotted doves, emerald doves, and grey heron. But come September, and the locals brace for the ghastly sight.

Is it really suicide, or something else? "It is not a suicide, to be precise. But the fact remains that birds are attracted by light and fly towards any object with a light source. This phenomenon still puzzles bird specialists," said Anwaruddin Choudhury, a well-known ornithologist in Assam, on the sidelines of the First International Jatinga Festival.

The 'suicide', however, is just a part of the mystery. The more baffling question is why birds fly after sunset at all, as reserach shows that most birds are diurnal, that is, active only during the day.

The late Salim Ali, the country's pre-eminent ornithologist, too was struck by this oddity. "The most puzzling thing to me about this phenomenon is that so many species of diurnal resident birds should be on the move when, by definition, they should be fast asleep. The problem deserves a deeper scientific study from various angels," he had written.

Jatinga was originally inhabited by the Zeme Nagas, who came across the bird phenomenon while guarding their paddy fields on a moonless, dark night. Frightened, the Nagas sold the land to Jaintias and left the place way back in 1905.

Jaintias, the new inhabitants of Jatinga, also witnessed the phenomenon but interpreted it as a gift from the gods. "The phenomenon has generated tremendous interest in wildlife circles across the world and has made Jatinga world famous," Brahma said.

The earliest reference to this phenomenon was made by E.P. Gee, a British tea planter in his book "Wild Life of India" in 1957. The Zoological Survey of India had sent a team to visit the place in 1977. Later, leading ornithologists from Europe, the US and Japan too studied the mystery. However, no case of migratory birds plunging to their deaths has been recorded yet.

Some bird specialists attribute the phenomenon to the electro-magnetic forces of Jatinga, which is surrounded by geographical faultlines all round. But no conclusive evidence has emerged till now. The deaths, though perplexing, are not mourned. Locals are quick to trap the birds using bamboo sticks, which are then consumed with relish.

Those desiring a first-hand experience of the phenomenon can visit Haflong - with Silchar (110 km) and Guwahati (350 km) being the two nearest airports. If travelling by train, board a broad gauge train from Guwahati till Lumding, from where another meter-gauge train will take you to Haflong. The route from Lumding to Haflong passes through many tunnels and it is an exciting journey somewhat resembling the Kalka-Shimla track. By road, it takes around 10-11 hours as you have to negotiate bumpy roads.

End AFSPA: Supreme Court’s Sharp Hint

New Delhi, Apr 12 : The comments of a Supreme Court bench, dealing with PILs filed by families of victims of alleged fake encounters in Manipur, are a stinging rebuke of the lack of political will on revoking laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). In this instance, the government's response to the damning report of the SC-appointed committee set up to probe six such cases in Manipur was that it agreed that such fake encounters should not take place.

But mere "taking note" will not do any more. The government must speedily act to revoke this black law from wherever it is in effect, be it the north-east or Jammu and Kashmir.

It is clear that such laws have for long been part of the problem in these areas. Blanket immunity for security forces has led to murder, rape and other crimes. And when the legal framework vests such crimes with impunity, it vitiates the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law that are necessary for the citizens of these areas to feel part of the national mainstream.

The SC also sharply brought attention to another vital fact: keeping these laws, and thereby maintaining an unnatural state where the armed forces are seen as the primary representatives of government, mutates the whole political, democratic system itself.

Take note, for example, of repeated statements from the highest levels of government suggesting that while the desirability of doing away with AFSPA has been recognised, objections from the army remain an obstacle.

The notion that the army has a say in what is essentially a political decision belongs more in Pakistan than in India. Here, Parliament makes decisions. And the government, as well as the whole political class, must show the political will to end a law that perpetuates alienation.

First Woman RS Member From Meghalaya

Shillong, Apr 12 : Congress nominee Wansuk Syiem, 55, a former member of the National Commission for Women and a veteran Congress leader, on Thursday became the first woman Rajya Sabha member from Meghalaya.

State assembly secretary H Mylliemngap, who is also the returning officer, declared her victorious in the bypoll to the Rajya Sabha Meghalaya seat on Wednesday.

Though the election to the upper house was scheduled to be held on April 18, Syiem won unopposed as she was the lone candidate to have filed the nomination papers. She was accompanied by three women legislators - home minister Roshan Warjri, social welfare minister Deborah C Marak and Mahendraganj MLA Dikkanchi D Shira. TNN P3

The by-election to the Rajya Sabha's lone Meghalaya seat was necessitated due to the resignation of sitting member Thomas Sangma. He resigned on February 4 this year to contest the assembly polls from North Tura on an NPP ticket. He, however, finished third. Sangma's term was to end on April 12, 2014.

Syiem expressed her gratitude to the Congress high command and president Sonia Gandhi, MPCC president DD Lapang and chief minister Mukul Sangma. Syiem said, "I feel great! We will try our best to serve the state and its people."

Born in 1956, Syiem joined Congress in 1977. She was an active member of the National Students' Union of India as well as the Seva Dal prior to joining the mainstream political party.

An elected member of the AICC, Syiem has been chairperson of the Meghalaya State Social Welfare Board, besides being general secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee and vice president of the All India Mahila Congress.

Cow Smuggling To Bangladesh Saps Northeast India of Milk

New Delhi, Apr 11 : The north-east region has been facing a milk shortage and falling short of its production targets, mainly because of the continuing smuggling of cattle into Bangladesh.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar recently blamed the falling milk production targets on the cattle smuggling across the border.

“Smuggling of cattle into Bangladesh is a major hurdle before achieving the target of milk production in Tripura,” Sarkar said in Agartala at the inauguration of a new dairy plant. He noted that the fencing along the border has only reduced the smuggling, but not put an end to it.

Compounding the state’s milk crisis is the fact that cattle breeds cannot be imported from other parts of India, owing to the special climatic conditions there.

“Because of the unfavourable tropical condition and other problems in Tripura, breeding of Australian and other foreign cattle are also not viable,” he said.

Agartala Dairy Private Limited managing director Vincent Raju said the north-eastern region was facing a huge milk shortage, despite India producing  surplus milk. “As the situation stands today, the milk requirement in this region is being compensated in the form of milk powder.”

More than two million cows are smuggled from India to Bangladesh, along the entire land border, apparently with the help of security officials. Three out of four cows killed in Bangladesh slaughter houses are from India.

Manipur Pushes Health Visa For Myanmar Citizens’ Imphal trip

By Esha Roy

Imphal, Apr 11 : A crippled health service and severe paucity of medicines has forced Myanmar nationals for years to illegally come to Imphal for treatment after crossing the highly porous border at Moreh in Manipur.

The problem is that while a Myanmar national is permitted to enter India without a visa and travel up to 18 km, this permission does not cover Imphal.

Now the Centre, on the behest of the state government, is working out a special Visa on arrival system for Myanmar nationals who want to visit Imphal specifically for medical treatment. Earlier this month, a delegation representing the Myanmar government visited Imphal on a goodwill tour and discussed the issue of 'health visas'.

"We have been pushing for visa on arrival for Myanmar nationals because of their request and it also benefits our healthcare industry. While the Ministry of External Affairs has already given an in-principal approval, the matter is pending with the Ministry of Home affairs,'' said Chief Secretary, Manipur, D S Poonia who met the Foreign Secretary last week regarding the matter.

The delegation from Myanmar belonged to Sagaing district, neighbouring Manipur. A team of the Bureau of Immigration has visited Moreh last week to inspect the possibility of setting up a customs counter. The delegation also visited Imphal's Shija Hospital which has been running cleft palate clinics at the border.

Says Dr Kh Palin, director and owner of Shija Hospital, "On April 4, our hospital received 56 patients from Myanmar. A week before we received 39 patients. These patients are mostly from Sagaing where there are practically no health facilities. They came for a wide range of treatment — 40 per cent for diagnosis, 30 per cent were surgical patients and the rest for ENT and gynecological problems. There were a large number of patients suffering from Hepatitis C. These patients cannot afford to go to Thailand or Singapore."

The patients and their families risk the possibility of being caught or imprisoned to come to Imphal, he says. "Their travelling to my hospital is illegal. They bribe officials — be it the police or personnel of the Assam Rifles. Sometimes, they pay as hefty a bribe as Rs 5,000,'' says Palin, adding that even Mandalay has poor medical facilities.

However DGP, Manipur, Y Joykumar Singh says, "I don't agree with the allegation that the police take bribes. When we find that the Myanmar nationals are patients, we let them in on humanitarian grounds. This is a matter for the government to resolve." Palin, along with a team of Manipur officials, will visit Sagaing's capital Mongya this month to assess the possibility of setting up camps.