Mass Prayers To Keep Mizoram Liquor Prohibition

Sinlung's ONE CENT View: Shouldn't the church be concentrating on fighting corruption rather than Prohibition. Corruption is the root of all evil in Mizoram.

Aizawl, Mar 4 : Mizoram Synod's second highest decision-making body, the Synod Executive Committee (SEC) of the Presbyterian Church of India, the most powerful church in Mizoram, decided to organize mass prayers across the state to pray for continuation of the Prohibition law, which has been in force in the state for 17 years.

The church decided that mass prayers should be held at all local churches across the state on March 9 (Sunday) night and also submitted a written statement airing the stance of the church on prohibition to the chief minister.

The SEC, in a statement, said the church believed that Mizoram had been peaceful and the lives of the people pure due to the imposition of the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1995, since February 20, 1997.

"We have information that the state government is contemplating reviewing the dry law and making changes and the Presbyterian Church felt that the stance of the church required to be reiterated," the statement said.

The Synod authority said that in accordance with the teachings of The Bible, alcohol caused serious harm to human beings and should not be allowed to be freely available.

"Alcohol causes so many social evils including murder, rape, vehicle accidents and more," the statement said.

The church said it wanted not only continuation of the dry law but also to strengthen it and appealed to the church members to pray for its continued enforcement in the state.

The SEC had convened a meeting of all newly-elected legislators on Tuesday at the J M Lloyd Hall in the Synod Conference Centre when a written statement in which the church's stance on prohibition was mentioned was given to all the legislators.

The state excise and narcotics department had initiated a change in the prohibition and the Mizoram Excise Bill, 2014, to replace the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1995, was drafted and sent to the state law department for approval.

Excise and narcotics minister R Lalzirliana had earlier said they intended to introduce the bill during the coming budget session of the state legislature commencing from March 18.

Many people in the state, including social workers and civil societies like the Mizoram Journalists' Association (MJA) and the Mizoram Bar Association had said the dry law was an utter failure and had done more harm than good during the 17 years of its imposition.

Powerful NGO Young Mizo Association and other NGOs also felt that the prohibition had not been successful. Many people also felt that the church was interfering with the policy-making of the government which was against the spirit of secularism.

The church, however, stuck to its guns and it was yet to be seen whether the state government would succumb to pressure from the powerful church yet again.

Economics of Pork in Nagaland: Garbage Scavenging Pigs imported

Seen here are pigs feeding on garbage in Nirvana Slum, Uttar Pradesh, one of the places from where pigs are supplied to Nagaland. A report has revealed how unfair trade practices and lack of hygiene mark the quality of Supply Pork in Nagaland.

 

Abokali Jimomi

Dimapur, Mar 4 :  Not all consumers in Nagaland are aware of where most of the imported pork they eat comes from.

For the Nagas, pork is mandatory for any important occasion and for laborious physical work in the field.  “We work in groups especially during planting and harvesting, that way we exchange labour in each other’s farms… it would be shameful if I don’t provide pork when it is my turn to host the group; we usually buy Supply Pork,” explained a woman farmer.

An MBA graduate from Kohima said, “We always buy pork from butcher shops… I have not really thought about where it comes from.”

Tracing the origin of Supply Pork entering Nagaland took Naga veterinary doctor, Simon Ao, to villages and pig markets of Uttar Pradesh and markets bordering Dimapur.
His investigations reveal that in Uttar Pradesh, villagers rear pigs in their backyards with animals let loose for scavenging in the open. Owners with large number of pigs (15 to 40) herd their animals in groups in open fields for daily feeding. “Therefore, the production cost is conveniently reduced,” noted the report.

Usually, middlemen maximize such situations, so it is uncertain if villagers in UP are benefitting out of this. The report, for instance, shows that “Invoice of Consignment for Dimapur, Nagaland,” marked as originating from “Rajakiya Pasu Palan Samittee,” Bewar, Mainpuri, UP, has no Piggery Farm and “Kisan Pig Farm,” Bidhuna (Auraya, UP) does not exist.

This raises grave concerns if the government’s regulatory mechanisms are actively functioning to screen domestic food imports in ensuring fair trade practices in India and what roles are they playing to guarantee food safety for the public?

In UP, the feeding areas were found filthy and unhealthy with the villagers relieving themselves in the open and pigs feeding in the open. In photos available with Dr. Simon, pigs are seen scavenging in open fields and on garbage piles: roadsides of Naini, Nirvana Slum, garbage dumps in the city and villages; pigs seen everywhere, even rummaging through waste on the banks of the Yamuna.

Uttar Pradesh is one of the most populous States of India. NGO Safai Karmachari Andolan’s report to the Supreme Court published in a national daily in 2012 stated, “Uttar Pradesh had 3.26 lakh dry toilets which were cleaned by manual scavengers, which is more than 41% of the national aggregate. It also had the highest number of insanitary toilets (80,291) ‘serviced by animals’.”

Nagaland is on the receiving end of these scavenging animals, posing serious public health risks. We can see why their cost of production is low, gaining an undue price advantage at the expense of Naga public, who, if uninformed, and pushed to the margin with low spending capacity, will opt for lower rates of essential food items.
Naga farmers working on organized piggery businesses in Nagaland are challenged with high feed cost.  Local farmers use a combination of Maize, Wheat Barn, Oil Cake, Rice Polish, Dry Fish Powder, (most of which are not processed locally) green leaves and crops such as Colocassia, Casava and Sweet Potato as feed. In villages, the feed is usually maize, with greens collected from the forest.

Obviously then, the current method of raising pigs in Nagaland is much better than of those imported from Uttar Pradesh.
Infrastructure development and technological innovations for livestock rearing and farming still need to scale up in the State; output is low without economies of scale. It is rare to find Naga piggery units with more than 200 pigs.

According to Dr. Ao’s  report, many locals in order to avoid Supply Pork frequent neighbouring markets such as Delai Gate, Bokajan Bazar, Old Golaghat Road, Market Near Mariani, Assam (towards Mokokchung) and Halluadin, Assam, on the way to Tuli. These markets are generating high revenue from Naga customers. How can our immediate neighbours produce more than our local farmers? What is their cost of production and technological know-how?

We do not know, but it is necessary to research about pork in Nagaland focusing on health risks, types of diseases caused by contaminated pork, and market monopoly issues for consumers’ awareness.

source: Morung Express

Tribunal starts hearing on extremist groups in Tripura

By Syed Sajjad Ali

Agartala, Mar 4 : The central government tribunal has started its hearing in Agartala on Monday to scrutiny legal locus standi over decision of the union government to declare two extremist groups unlawful. The proceedings chaired by Delhi Court Judge Justice Veena Birbal would continue till Wednesday before delivering a judgment.

The union government declared National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) outlawed under unlawful activities (prevention) act almost 15 years ago and renews the ban every year. The state police officials earlier said the ATTF has completely lost its strength to carry on subversive activities following arrest of its chief Ranjit Debbarma and NLFT also lost its ground except some pockets in state's Dhalai district.

However, the CPI(M) led Left Front government is in favour of continuation of the ban order till the extremist groups are completely wiped out. The extremists had taken lives of thousands, kidnapped huge no. of people and displaced a few lakhs in two decade-long insurgency in the state which often triggered bloody strife between tribal and non-tribal communities.

Justice Ms Birbal and 12 other officials including Additional Solicitor General Rajiva Mehra and union government standing counsel Sumit Pushkaran arrived and joined in the first hearing at Tripura state guest house in the afternoon. Tripura government appointed lawyer Gopal Sinha also came from Delhi to represent state in tribunal.

Senior police officials and some witnesses deposed before the tribunal which had issued notices to all concerned parties in November last year to submit representation in person or through representative. However NLFT and ATTF are unlikely to be represented in the hearings.

Protests Against Arrest of Peasant Leader

Guwahati, Mar 4 : Protests were staged in various parts of Assam today against the arrest of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) president Akhil Gogoi here in the wee hours yesterday.

KMSS workers and supporters staged protests in different parts since yesterday against the arrest, blocking roads in some parts, mainly in eastern Assam and outskirts of Guwahati.

They have also demanded unconditional release of Mr Gogoi and his four other associates who were arrested with him.

The KMSS has also launched a movement for the release of their leaders from today.

Mr Gogoi and his associates were arrested in a pre-dawn crack from various parts of Guwahati yesterday.

They have been remanded in four days police custody by a local court, beginning yesterday.

They have been arrested on charges of abetment to suicide and criminal conspiracy after Mr Gogoi, at a press conference on Saturday, said more KMSS workers were ready for self-immolation if they were not given land rights.

A KMSS worker, Pranab Boro, had committed self-immolation in front of the state secretariat here on February 24 last against alleged deprivation of land rights to landless dwellers of Guwahati.

Manipur moots highway protection force

KHELEN THOKCHOM

Imphal, Mar 4 : The Centre has agreed in principle to the raising of two more India Reserve Battalions (IRB) in Manipur for deployment along the Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal-Jiribam highways as a dedicated protection force to ensure free movement of trucks.

Deputy chief minister Gaikhangam, who is also the home minister, told the Assembly today that the force would be deployed once the two battalions were raised after getting formal sanction from the Centre under the national highway protection scheme.

He said chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh had been pursuing the matter with the Centre and hoped that Delhi would give its nod very soon.

Manipur already has eight IRBs engaged in the security of VVIPs and dealing with law and order.

Ibobi Singh had first raised the issue of raising a highway protection force before the Centre in 2008 in view of the frequent disruption of supply of essential commodities during bandhs and blockades on the state’s two supply lines. Hill-based organisations frequently call economic blockades along the Imphal-Dimapur (National Highway 2) and Imphal-Jiribam (National Highway 37) roads to press for their demands, disrupting supplies.

The first impact of such blockades is immediately felt on fuel as disruption of supply triggers panic buying and black marketeers exploit the situation. “Inept handling” of the situation by the state’s consumer affairs, food and public distribution department has at times worsened the situation. The recent four-day bandh in Karbi Anglong also affected fuel supply in Manipur.

Gaikhangam admitted that highway blockades and bandhs were a serious problem as NH37 and NH2 were the only supply lines for Manipur. Any bandh or blockade in neighbouring Nagaland or Assam also disrupts supplies to Manipur.

As an immediate measure, the state government provides security escorts for supply trucks during the blockades. However, transporters are unwilling to continue services during the blockades as bandh supporters attack them despite security escorts.

Gaikhangam said CRPF, state police and village defence force personnel were currently deployed along the two national highways.

Trinamul Congress member Th. Shyamkumar Singh demanded that the state government should immediately deploy two battalions of state forces along the two highways.

The Assembly today unanimously passed the Manipur State Commission for the Scheduled Tribes Bill, 2014 without much discussion.

Gaikhangam, who is in-charge of tribal affairs and hills, said once the commission was set up, Scheduled Tribes in any part of the state could approach the commission to get their grievances redressed.

Mizoram 'Unfriendly' to Disabled Persons

Aizawl, Mar 3 : Lalchhanchhuaha, a visually-impaired, was allegedly made to undergo a physical test just like normal people when he applied for a post in the state's environment and forests department recently.

"It was not until I made a complaint to the central government which issued a notice to the environment and forest department that I was appointed. The 'Person with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Rules 1995' has not been actually applied in job recruitments in the state," Lalchhandama, a graduate, had said.

R S Lalrinpuia, another visually-challenged person, also shared the most difficult chapter of life he had gone through subsequent to losing his sight after he got married. He had been denied admission into a government college in his hometown Saiha in southern Mizoram for three times. Only after social activists intervened he was granted admission.

According to visually-impaired Lalbuatsaiha, who is doing a PhD in JNU, about 10 persons with visual impairment have got jobs under the Mizoram government, not through reservation under the PWD Act, but out of sympathy from officials of the concerned department.

Lalhmingsanga, another visually-impaired youth, has been denied reservation he expected while applying for an admission to B Ed in IGNOU Aizawl regional centre. Seeking information under the RTI Act, he came to learn that his rights provided by the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights an Full Participation) Act 1955 are "violated" by the university.

"Whereas the Act states that people with 40 percent disability be certified as disabled, disability percentage was not mentioned in any of the disability certificates with which the university gave admission under reservation for people with disabilities," Lalhmingsanga said.

In the RTI document, the regional director of IGNOU stated that the guidelines for seats for PH (physically handicapped) candidates framed by the University does not mention the requirement of furnishing percentage of disabilities by the candidates.

"The PH candidates need not attach their disability certificate in application form for entrance test," it added. The disgruntled visually-impaired youth has made a written complaint to the commissioner for persons with disabilities urging her to take action against "violation" of his rights. The testimonies of the differently-abled persons highlighted the lack of awareness about the rights and privileges of the people with disabilities.

"Despite that the state government had adopted the 'Person with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Rules in 1999, the disabled persons have not fully enjoyed their rights in terms of job recruitments," said Vanlalremruata, general secretary of Differently-abled Society. "Besides, little has been done to make the state a barrier free environment for people confined to the wheelchairs," he added.

Manipur - The new Indian consumer economy

Despite being among the poorest states, Manipur’s record on literacy and sanitation was much above the national average, as per Census 2011

Consumption expenditure in rural Manipur grew faster than prices in the nine years to 2013. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

Consumption expenditure in rural Manipur grew faster than prices in the nine years to 2013. Despite being among the poorest states, Manipur’s record on literacy and sanitation was much above average as per Census 2011 data. This is the 14th part of a series in which economics research firm Indicus Analytics and Mint map the trend of a funmamental shift in the consumer economy led by the rural population across districts.

First look North-East, then Look East

By Prasenjit Chowdhury

New Delhi, Mar 3 : The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi cautioning China against repeatedly staking claim to Arunachal Pradesh and exhorting it to give up its “expansionist attitude” must serve the purpose, beyond just warming the cockles of our nationalist hearts, of giving us a foretaste of what, if Modi becomes prime minister, could be India’s foreign policy vis-à-vis China.

But what became problematic was his proclamation in another rally in Silchar in south Assam, that Hindu migrants from Bangladesh must be accommodated in the country, while the others should be sent back.

In the first note, Modi is perfectly in accord with his ideological predecessor since as early as the 1950s, the Jana Sangh was worried about the growing influence of Peking (now Beijing) in Tibet.

In 1959 its working committee reacted to the Chinese incursions along the India-Tibet border by demanding from Jawaharlal Nehru’s government that the territories that had been occupied be ‘liberated’. When the first signs of the Chinese invasion appeared in May 1962 with the capture of two Indian frontier posts, the Jana Sangh called for massive reprisals and to cut off all diplomatic relations.

We are rightly irked over China making territorial claims on Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from last year’s adventurousness, it is on record how in 2010 China stridently staked its claim to the state, and hectored us over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit there and that of the Dalai Lama. Late last year, Modi took the UPA government to task for ‘failing’ to protect India’s borders with Pakistan and China in his first major speech since the BJP named him its PM candidate.

During his visit in 2011, Modi met the top government and CPC leadership in China and raised issues, among other things, related to the wrong depiction of certain areas of Arunachal Pradesh as parts of China and presence of China in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and the security implications thereof. Could we now expect a reversal of a logjam that started way back in 1963 when Pakistan ceded to China the Trans Karakoram Tract, comprising Shaksgam from Baltistan and Raskam from Gilgit, which is as good as forfeited to us?

It is curious to see how a nationalist government in India, should Modi become PM, meets the newly nationalist China, as the communist party having lost its hegemony over Chinese nationalist discourse, popular nationalists now command a large following and exert tremendous pressure on those who decide China’s foreign policy.

Therefore, if Modi wants to put paid to China’s putative occupation of the Aksai Chin region of Kashmir, claimed by India, and Beijing’s claims on India’s far-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, the moot question would be if he would favour ‘shelving’ the ‘difficult’ border issue and improving ties in other areas, as China currently does, at least till India’s defence modernisation programme is complete — perhaps by the middle of this century — or would go for computing the logistics of going hawkish.

Inadvertently, Modi trod on a number of intricate and delicate issues that relate to India’s intractable border issues with China and Bangladesh, to the issues of mass migration. As seen in the instance of 2012, Assam is a virtual communal powder keg riddled as it is by an unresolved illegal immigrants problem and a vicious fight over land and political power among indigenous tribes and multiple ethnic groups.

It should not be unknown to the BJP leadership that the demographic reality is too complex in the North-East and the root of Assam’s problems lies in the unauthorised influx from Bangladesh which has dramatically changed the ethnic landscape of various districts of Assam closer to the international border, starting with Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta and even Nalbari.

Apart from talking tough, neither the Congress nor BJP governments have adopted a viable policy to stop the tide of illegal immigration. This gives one the impression that electoral politics and its lust for minority votes have been allowed to come into play in the region. It is essentially a battle of attrition over jobs and control over land among many stakeholders.

India’s Look East policy has both parties’ fingerprints on it. Modi’s real test would therefore be, should he get a call, to take up a North-East policy with no room for sectarianism.

Prasenjit Chowdhury is a Kolkata-based commentator