India launches jobs push in Northeast

The government looks to lift 300,000 rural families out of poverty in the insurgency-stricken northeast through a new programme.

By Chandan Das

India is mounting a Rs. 8.92 billion ($143.4m) rural poverty-alleviation initiative in the northeastern states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim where separatist groups threaten regional stability.

• The Indian government launched a rural northeast livelihood project similar to one launched in Chhattisgarh. [Shankar/Khabar]
  

The North East Rural Livelihoods Project (NERLP), which falls under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), follows a similar poverty alleviation effort launched in July in Maoist-affected areas by the Union Rural Development Ministry and UN Development Programme.
The project aims to create jobs or other opportunities for tens of thousands of residents and is geared toward improving the lives of women and unemployed youths, officials say.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio launched NERLP in his state in December, The Morung Express reported.

"Our project not only aims to provide employment and livelihood to the poor, but also stop youths from joining the rebel groups and encourage the misled youths to return to mainstream society," NERLP planning advisor Shri J. Lhungdim told Khabar South Asia.

"By providing a livelihood to the unemployed and poor, we want to ensure that no one from this region is lured to join the insurgent groups."

A World Bank loan will finance most of the five-year project's cost.

"In the initial phase, four districts each in Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Sikkim will benefit from the NERLP, which will cover 300,000 families from 1,624 villages in the region," Ameising Luikham, secretary of the North Eastern Council (NEC), which supervises all development activities in the region, told Khabar.

The project will emphasise the building up of community institutions ensuring self-governance, democracy, accountability and transparency, DoNER Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar said.

"We also intend to enhance the livelihood and economic opportunities by utilising available natural resources, skills development, generating accessibility to finance and developing vital infrastructures," Ghatowar told Khabar.

NERLP would complement Mizoram's three-year effort to solve a food shortage and create more stable farming methods by moving 125,000 families off Jhum cultivation – including a traditional slash-and-burn of farmland, said Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla.

"In the absence of farming facilities throughout the year, many people were faced with starvation and this prompted several youths from the region to join the insurgent groups. However, the new efforts will help stop this tendency," Thanhawla told Khabar.

Tensions Running High Among Northeasterners in Delhi

By

• Saptarishi Dutta
• CONNECT

People from the northeast protested the death of Nido Taniam, a 20-year-old student who was beaten to death, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Feb. 15.

Tsering Topgyal/Associated Press

A wave of panic ripped through the labyrinthine urban village of Munirka in south Delhi this week. The community of narrow alleys and potholed roads is home to many of the students from northeastern India who come to the capital each year to study.

It started with tweets and blogs relaying rumors that the local residents’ association had asked local landlords to evict the northeasterners, members of Tibeto-Burman language-speaking ethnic groups related to those of neighboring China and Myanmar.

Northeasterners, who tend to have East Asian looking features, are often targets of discrimination by their countrymen of Indo-European or Dravidian descent.

Munirka’s northeastern community was already on edge after a number of recent attacks on northeasterners in Delhi. In one case, Nido Taniam, a 20-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh, was beaten to death. Police said the assault was racially motivated.

On Monday, members of the northeastern community led by Binalakshmi Nepram, a rights activist, went to the nearby police station in Vasant Vihar to request that officers prevent any evictions.
There, they met with members of the residents’ association and the police. Sandipan Talukdar, president of All India Students’ Association in Delhi, who was present at that meeting, said members of the residents’ association denied making any such eviction demand and said they had only asked that shops shut by 11 p.m. and CCTV cameras be installed.

Somnath Paruthi, the head of Vasant Vihar police station, said that he had not received any complaints of forcible evictions and would take strong action if anyone was discriminated against in this way in Munirka village.

The residents’ association agreed to print and circulate a pamphlet in the village asking people not to discriminate against northeasterners, according to Ms. Nepram. No one from the residents’ association was available for comment.

“For us this was a preventive measure,” said Ms. Nepram. “The meeting ended with a positive note,” she added.

A storm in a chai cup? Maybe. But the speed at which the rumors sped round is indicative of the strength of the distrust and underlying hostility between the two communities in this area and in the capital at large. Munirka village is largely inhabited by northeasterners and members of the Jat community from northern India.

Caroline Maninee a doctoral student in political science from Manipur in the northeast, has lived in Munirka for eight years. But she says she still feels like an oustider. “They call us Chinkis,” says Ms. Maninee.

Affordable rents make Munirka village ideal for students who account for the bulk of the northeasterners living in the area.  Jawaharlal Nehru University, where Ms. Maninee lives, is located nearby and some colleges of Delhi’s University’s south campus are about 4 miles away. Rent varies from 6000 – 10,000 rupees ($96 – 160) and four to five students usually share a house.
Residents of the area who are not from the northeast say that those who are consume alcohol, stay out late at night and pick fights. “Police never do anything,” said Kukoo, a shopkeeper and a resident who goes by one name, like many in India, and says he is scared to go out at night.
Many said they disliked the way women from the northeast dressed and accused them of being prostitutes.

“If my children look at them every day, they will become like them,” said Kamal, 32, a mother of two daughters. “If they leave the area, that will be good,” she added.
“We consume alcohol but everyone consumes alcohol,” said Brian Singson, 21, a student in Delhi University. He added that women from the northeast prefer wearing western clothes but categorizing them as prostitutes is “very unfortunate and very very untrue.”
Some landlords said they don’t rent their houses to people from the northeast. “I have four houses and not a single Manipuri lives in any of my houses,” said a longtime resident in the area. Others though preferred renting to families from the northeast rather than single people from the region.
Sunny has rented a part of his house to two northeastern families. “I have no problems with families living here,” he said. “Not everybody is bad.”
Prateek Rumba, 24, has been living in the capital for four years and comes from Darjeeling, in India’s Himalayan region, has grown used to discrimination, he says. “This happens every day.”

Mizoram observes 27th Statehood day

Mizoram observed the 27th anniversary of the attainment of Statehood on Thursday.

All the Government offices and educational institutions remained close for the day to mark the occasion.

After the historic Mizo Peace Accord was signed on June 30, 1986 the Bill to make Mizoram (then union territory) a full-fledged Statehood was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August seven the same year.

The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha with 308 votes in favour out of 310 votes and the Rajya Sabha passed the bill with 160 out of 171 members voting in favour of the Bill.

Mizoram became the 23rd State of the Indian Union after the President gave his assent on August 14, 1986 .

The then Lieutenant Governor of Mizoram Hiteswar Saikia was sworn-in as the first governor of the State by the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court at the Raj Niwas in Aizawl.

BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has also sent his greetings and wished the people of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram on their Statehood day.

“Heartfelt greetings to the people of Arunachal Pradesh & Mizoram on their Statehood Day & best wishes for their development journey,” tweeted Modi.

Meghalaya A Domain of Clouds and Hills

Saifur Rahman Tuheen

Shillong Peak

Nature lovers who have already visited the popular tourist spots of Bangladesh and are thinking of travelling abroad to an affordable place should definitely think of visiting Meghalaya. Shillong, the capital city of the north-eastern state of India which shares borders with Sylhet and Mymensingh, is commonly known as the Scotland of the East for its breathtaking landscapes and cool weather. Meghalaya is also home to Cherrapunji, which holds the world record for the most rainfall in a calendar month and in a year.
The geographical structure of the state is very similar to Darjeeling of West Bengal, Gangtok of Sikkim and Shimla of Himachal Pradesh but for Bangladeshis, Shillong would definitely be the most accessible and affordable choice. Bounded with lush green forests, hilly terrain, beautiful lakes, river valleys and exotic wildlife, the monsoonal beauties of Meghalaya is worth cherishing.
How to go
The best way to travel to Meghalaya from Bangladesh is by travelling from Sylhet to the Tamabil border, as that would be cost-effective, and you'd get the chance to enjoy the sights of this beautiful city. You can hire a car or microbus from the city which will take you to the Tamabil check post, which is about 45 kilometres from Sylhet. Wake up early in the morning to start your journey, as customs and immigration offices of both countries are relatively free at that time. If you are lucky, the formalities of the Bangladeshi immigration office will take you around half an hour. Once you are done with the formalities, you can just walk down the road to reach the Indian Customs and Immigration Office. Rest assured, you will be able to complete all the formalities and procedures at the Indian office in a much more efficient and faster manner than you would at the Bangladeshi immigration office.
You can then hire a taxi or a car which will take you to Shillong city. Public transport is also available until 11 am in the morning, but you might not find the commute to be very comfortable. Shillong is just 83 kilometres from the Dawki border and it will take you about two and half hours to reach the city. The journey in itself is a treat, as the uphill road is covered in lush green hills, waterfalls and magnificent valleys. Markets line up the road and you might even find a friendly face smiling and waving at you, silently welcoming you to their land.

Elephant Falls

After You Get There
Make sure that you start from the Dawki border before noon so that you can reach Shillong by afternoon. The Dawki to Shillong road is extremely unsafe for travellers after sunset. Before you embark on this journey, do remember to reserve a hotel room in Shillong online.  Most of the affordable hotels are located in Police Bazar, the heart of the city. Hotel Centre Point, Hotel Mikasa, Hotel JK International, Hotel Boulevard, Eden Residency, Hotel Embassy, Hotel Pine Borough are the reasonably priced and popular hotels of Police Bazar. If you are in the mood for something more comfortable and are not worried about the cost, you could opt for Hotel Pinewood, Hotel Orchid, Hotel Polo Towers, Hotel Pegasus Crown, and Hotel Alpine Continental, which are situated around the city. Many hotels provide package tour facilities with a guide and a reserved cab at affordable rates. To enjoy the beauty of the place, spare at least two to three days to visit all the breathtaking places in and around the city.
Places You Can Visit
Shillong Peak and Sohbetbneng Peak: The peaks are located 10 and 20 kilometres respectively from Shillong city.  Shillong Peak is the highest point in Meghalaya with a height of 1,961 meters above the sea level. On a clear, sunny day, you get a bird's eye view of the entire city from the Shillong peak.
The Sohbetbneng Peak is situated at a height of 1343 metres above the sea level. The peak is regarded as a place of religious importance for the tribes of Khasi, Jainita, and Bhoi. It offers a feeling and essence of spirituality, and is ideal for those seeking a bit of solace from the chaos of everyday life.                         
Ward's Lake and Umiam (Bara Pani) Lake: Ward's Lake is an artificial lake within the city. You should visit the place if you have kids with you, as they will enjoy the boat rides and the flora of the 100-year old lake.
Umiam Lake, which is more popularly known as Bara Pani, is 17 kilometres away from Shillong. If you are interested in riding in a speedboat or want to go for a quiet picnic with friends and family, then Bara Pani is the place for you.
Waterfalls: Sweet Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Meghalaya situated in the Happy Valley. Rengthiam Falls is another cascading waterfall situated at a distance of 15 kilometres from Shillong. Bishop and Beadon falls are two other magnificent waterfalls located in Suna Vally. But if you are pressed for time, and can only visit one waterfall, then do not miss the Elephant Falls, which is within boundaries of the city and is an experience in itself.
Shillong Golf Course: The third oldest golf course of India, the Shillong Golf Course is considered to be the 'Glen Eagle of the East' by the United States Golf Association and Museum. Developed in 1889 as a nine-hole course, it was later converted to an18-hole course in 1924 by Captain Jackson and C.K. Rhodes. It is set in a heaving valley covered with thick groves of pine and rhododendron trees at an altitude of 5,300 feet.
Cherrapunji: Located at an altitude of 4,500 feet above sea level, Cherrapunji has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as a place where the rainfall can be recorded in feet rather than in millimetres. Stunning valleys and rivers elevate the charm of Cherrapunji. The town is located some 60 kms from Shillong city, and you can take a car or bus to Cherrapunji in the morning and still get back to Shillong by afternoon.
Caves: The caves of Khasi Hills, Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills are special attractions for tourists visiting Meghalaya. Mawsmai Cave, Krem Mowmluh and Krem Dem are the notable caves of Khasi Hills while Jaintia Hills is home to Krem Kotsati and The Cave of Eocene Age, which offer a sense of adventure and mystery. Bok Bak Dobhakol, Siju-Dobhakol and Terengkol-Balwakol caves are some of the longest and intricate caves of the Garo Hills.
When to Visit: March to October, particularly March and April, and September and October are the ideal months to visit Meghalaya.

Cherrapunji

Published: 12:00 am Friday, February 21, 2014

DU students develop app for uncommon languages

NEW DELHI: The Indic Language application, when it goes live, may not help you discuss the geopolitics of oil in Ladakhi or Mao Naga (also called Imela) but you should be able to swear in them. After he discovered in school that he could impress friends by writing their names in different languages, Vikalp Kumar, 21, learnt eight. That interest has translated into a rather unique conservation effort for "lesser-known" languages at Delhi University's Cluster Innovation Centre.

A team of four undergraduates, including him, are gathering words from native speakers and will make that corpus-with audio versions -available through a web application. So far, it has completed work on two languages-Ladakhi and Mao Naga. More are in the works.

Vikalp, originally from Chennai, speaks Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, English and Sarazi (or Saradzi)-spoken in one district in Kashmir-and possesses a "workable understanding" of Persian and Sanskrit. Initially, he was thinking large scale-"We wanted to cover South Asia."

As mentor and coordinator of BTech in Humanities, Sukrita Paul Kumar's job was to keep ambitions realistic. An editor for People's Linguistic Survey of India, she knew just how massive an undertaking this project was. The students found out soon enough-spadework alone took a semester; the questionnaire took three months. Typically, this sort of exercise would claim large chunks of funds and field visits. The team found ways around both.

Delhi's 'melting-pot' status helped. "There are speakers of 80 northeastern languages in Delhi," says Vikalp. They found some through friends and student associations. Containing over 2,600 English words (covering 30 topics) and phrases in English, the questionnaire is circulated among native speakers of a language for the closest equivalents in it.

In September 2013, members of Ladakhi and Kargil student associations participated in what Vikalp calls a "rapid vocabulary collection workshop". In about four hours, 2,500 words in Ladakhi were "collected"-"enough for a basic dictionary"-and recorded. He found speakers of Dhatki, from in Sindh in Pakistan, at the South Asian University in Delhi.

Technology allowed Vikalp to cross borders. He contacted a speaker of Khowar (from Chitral, near Swat Valley) in Islamabad through Facebook. Words are "collected" by email and recordings, by instant messenger, Whatsapp.

"When we have about five languages," says Kumar, "We can go public." She's also considering letting future batches of students pick up where the current leaves off, adding to the number of languages.

But the app isn't another online dictionary. It has songs, subtitled videos and indicates the geographical spread of a language. "There aren't equivalents for all English words. In Sarazi, there's 'here', 'there', 'yonder' and 'out-of-sight' instead of 'front', 'back' etc," explains Vikalp, "Some languages have words for 'uphill', 'downhill', 'upper-stream' and 'lower-stream', others don't." "You can see how geography influences language formation," adds Kumar.

Himanshu Patel and Vivek Shekhar worked on "geography, culture and politics" for the first semester. The 'tech' team-Himanshu and Leelambar Soren-had to teach themselves Flash from internet tutorials; help was also sought from linguistics departments within and outside DU.

In his fourth semester, Vikalp is taking a few courses in linguistics from the university department-BTech in Humanities runs in the meta-college system allowing him to pick what he likes. A bachelor's degree isn't offered in it at any college.

Charming vignettes of life in Mizoram

Isha Arora, Feb 20 :

Few Indians ever think of Mizos, fellow-citizens who inhabit the far Northeastern outreaches of the national territory,” the introductory passage entailing the gist of ‘The Camera As Witness: Capturing Mizo Pasts’, a photography exhibition from Mizoram throws light on this stark reality. 

Resonating with the current sentiment in the Capital, post-Nido Taniam’s death and the discourse around discrimination, it seems true not just for Mizos, but for all the Northeasteners. Recently displayed in India International Centre Annexe’s Art Gallery, the exhibition curated by Joy LK Pachuau from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Willem van Schendel from the University of Amsterdam, took us through the period of nearly a century, offering a charming glimpse of life in Mizoram.

The black and white pictures distinctly elaborate how Mizos engaged with their social environment, as the course of history turned from the colonial rule, the arrival of missionaries to the insurgency between the 1960s to the 1980s. With extensively detailed captions and text, the exhibition divides the course of Mizo history as it dwells on different stages such as the prominence of Lushai chiefs (the 60-odd autonomous chiefs who ruled the Lushai (Mizoram) hills before getting incorporated into an administrative system under the British colonial rule); the arrival of missionaries in 1894 that spread Christianity with a focus on education; the staging of culture and tradition by representing local culture pictorially as it became a focus of attention for both colonialists and missionaries; education, troubles, music etc.

Interestingly, the photographs emphasise the underlying reality of how Mizos became the forerunners in search of modernity. What comes across as ‘westernisation’ for the rest of India this side of the Brahmaputra, is indeed the Mizos’ acceptance and adaptation to the global symbols of modernity as they domesticated these symbols to fit their local culture. For instance, their interest in cosmopolitan lifestyles got an impetus during World War II when allied forces spread across the region. That’s where the trend of cowboy-inspired dressing styles and American popular music impregnated the Mizo culture.

Through a sweeping glance at studio photography and wedding portraits amongst other frames, the exhibition provides a comprehensive look at Mizo history with an array of evocative pictures.

Mizoram cops arrest militants in Manipur

Imphal, Feb 20 : Mizoram police and IRB from Mizoram have entered neighbouring Manipur and arrested five cadres of Hmar Peoples Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) in the wee hours today, according to UPF.

HPC-D is one of the outfits under the umbrella organisation of United People's Front (UPF) which is engaged in the Suspension of Operation (SoO) term with the Government of India and Manipur Government.

UPF leader Robinson informed Newmai News Network tonight that a combined team of Mizoram police and IRB numbering around 100 personnel entered the territory of Manipur around 1 am of Wednesday and conducted operation at a village called Parvachawm in Churachandpur district bordering Mizoram.

In the course of operation, five cadres of HPC-D were arrested by the Mizoram security force personnel.

The United People's Front (UPF), one of the two umbrella organisations of Kuki militant outfits in Manipur, condemns the conduct of the Mizoram police for arresting its cadres at Parvachawm, Manipur today.

UPF information secretary Robinson said the Government of Mizoram ought to respect and acknowledge that the UPF is in Suspension of Operation (SoO) with the Government of India and the Government of Manipur, the Government of Mizoram also ought to honour the terms and conditions of the SoO as it is ushering the UPF into the peace process.

The act is a serious violation of the tripartite agreement.

"The un-invited highhandedness of the Government of Mizoram can derailed the hard earned peace in its neighbouring state.

It is merely inviting trouble to itself.

The government of Mizoram should concentrate and maintain peace in their own jurisdiction not in other's state," Robinson stated.

"The concern officer who had granted permission to operate in the state of Manipur is dishonouring the tripartite agreement where in the govt. of India, the govt. of Manipur and the UPF are party to the pact.

In future the government of Mizoram is to honour and respect the agreement," Robinson further said.



Newmai News Network

Why Murnirka’s ‘diktat’ against NE tenants is no surprise

By Shruti Dhapola

New Delhi, Feb 19 : Delhi’s Munirka village is once again in the spotlight, for the wrong reasons. According to reports on social media, a ‘panchayat’ in Munirka held a meeting on Sunday where it was decided that tenants from northeast India would be asked to leave the area. The news caused outrage with many viewing this as a "diktat by a khap panchayat". Munirka is also the same area where a 14-year-old Manipuri girl was recently raped by her landlord’s son.

“The first panchayat meeting took place on 9th February after the 14 year-old from Manipur was raped. Thanks to media pressure, the rapist was caught. That was a first.

At the first meeting, some of the people said that the people from northeast are ‘gandey log’ (dirty people). Then another meeting was held on Sunday, where they said they wanted to rid of all ‘gandey log’.

This is similar to the Khirki incident, and they have said that Northeast girls are loose and of bad character,” says Binalakshmi Nepram, an activist and founder of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network. Nepram was also one of the first people who tweeted about the incident.

Located in South West Delhi, Munirka is a popular place to stay for students from northeastern states given it’s proximity to the Jawaharlal University. Other than JNU, the village is also a mere twenty minutes away from the posh DLF Promenade and Emporio malls in Vasant Kunj. For a south-Delhi location, real estate is also quite conveniently priced. One of the gates into the Munirka village.

One of the gates into the Munirka village.

Why people flock to Munirka

According to a property dealer, a one bedroom flat (with space for a kitchen) is available for as low as Rs 7,500 if one is looking for a slightly newer apartment with a western toilet.

A two-bedroom flat is available between Rs 13,000-14,000. Buildings with older constructions and Indian toilets are even cheaper and apartment rents start at around Rs 5,000.

In fact, the most prominent boards you will notice in Munirka are those of property dealers. The narrow bylanes are filled with four and five-storey houses, some which are relatively new and are modelled on the more fancy constructions that dot upper-class residential areas in Delhi.

While some might consider Munirka a congested area, it is a favourite with students and youths from the northeast states for cheap homes available there. People from the northeast states form a majority of the tenants in the area.

It’s not just students but also families originally from the northeast who live in the area. 'Not against persons from northeast, just drunken, trouble mongers' Munrika’s Residents Welfare Committees, however, deny such a diktat was ever issued. Bharat Singh Rathi, general secretary of RWA, told Firstpost,

“This is a rumour. We only want to make sure that outsiders don’t come, get drunk and create a ruckus.” When asked to define 'outsiders', he says he meant people who don't hail originally from Munirka. "We don’t know who is coming here at night. We wrote to the police about this as well," he added. Other residents also deny that such a decision was ever taken.

"The issue was never about getting rid of people from the northeast. There are some students from northeast and some from our own community who stay out on the roads at night, get drunk and fight at ‘chowks’.

We want to make sure that all shops are shut post 11 pm and that there are CCTV cameras to keep a track of who comes and who goes," Ravi Kumar, a resident of Munirka, said. But Nepram says that the panic had already spread thanks to the panchayat’s decision. "If we hadn’t gone to the police and stood there for 11 hours, the RWAs and panchayat would have done what they wanted. I stand by my tweet. There was already panic among the people from the northeast community.

We sorted it out with the SHO and RWAs and got an assurance that no one would be evicted," she says. Akbar Chawdhary, JNUSU president, says that it was only intervention of the police that stopped the panic from spreading.

"In Munirka, the panchayat tends to take all the decisions. We called a meeting with the SHO because we were worried that this diktat will be used to discriminate against the people from the northeast.

Rumours like this caused massive trouble in Bangalore," Akbar said. History of atrocities While Munirka offers residents cheap accomodation, it has never exactly been safe for people from northeast.

Nepram says that the measures being taken on the pretext of boosting safety in the area were meant to target and drive out people from the northeast states. "Harassment is an everyday concern here for the girls.

Let’s not forget that in 2009, 19-year-old Ramchanphy Hongray was killed in Munirka," she said. In September 2009, a girl from a northeast state was molested and beaten up by her neighbours in Munirka.

Another TOI report from 2011 also highlighted the kind of harassment that many girls from northeast have faced while living in the area - some of them even had to resist attempts at rape. "Who will decide who is behaving in a drunk and disorderly way? The fear is that this deadline, safety argument will be used against people from Northeast as the police and local residents have a certain mindset when it comes to them,” Akbar said.

And where attitudes are concerned, some assumptions about residents from the northeast do exist among those renting out property. “60 percent of these Assamese people are bad. The good ones go to work in the morning, but some of them get drunk and create trouble for everyone else,” declared a landlord, who did not wish to be named.