11 July 2014

Arun Jaitley proposes Sports University in Manipur, increased aid for sports

By Chander Shekhar Luthra

Arun Jaitley has been a known face for India's cricket fans. Though never been a player himself, his long association of at least one-and-a-half decades with Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) as president and Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) as vice-president ended abruptly only a few months back, but he is still being seen as a sports lover.

So, when he readied to present his first Union budget, there were signs of his eagerness to do something for the development of sports in India. Thankfully, it was not just about cricket.

In the budget he presented on Thursday, Jaitley proposed a Sports University in Manipur and Rs200 crore for the troubled state of Jammu & Kashmir which has 'a lot of sporting talent which was not finding expression due to inadequate facilities'. Not just this, he substantially hiked the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports budget by Rs562 crore.

Sports Authority of India (SAI) grant has also been increased by Rs85 crore with government setting aside Rs405.10 crore, while the National Sports Federations have also got a substantial hike of Rs25 crore in the assistance provided to them with Rs185 crore being allotted to them.

However, the highlight of Jaitley's budget was J&K and Manipur where sports can help bring in youth to the mainstream. Apart from Parvez Rasool, part of the current India 'A' cricket team, there is none coming up from this border state.

But the situation in North Eastern states is different. Though, there are none in the field of cricket, MC Mary Kom of Manipur is a household name in India apart from numerous football talents and clubs. So, a Sports University can actually help the youth here to make a career out of sports.

"It is great news for us and we cannot stop celebrating. This budget helps the northeast to dream of a better future in sports," said Olympic medallist Mary Kom.

Jaitley has also shown interest in inviting neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan to participate in the games of the Sports University.

For J&K, the extra money will help upgrade and develop adequate sports facilities to encourage the youth participation in much better numbers than the present.

In a year of Commonwealth and Asian Games, an additional sum of Rs100 crore for training sportswomen and men has come as a major relief for the sports federations.

"It's heartening to see that sport is being seen as integral for society. The key now will be to utilise the funds in a proper way. For instance, the Asian Games is just a few months away and it will take good governance and quick and efficient utilisation of these funds to benefit the sportspersons participating," said Viren Rasquinha, former Indian hockey captain, on Thursday.

Academies with international level facilities for training of accomplished athletes and for nurturing best talent in the country at junior and sub-junior level will also be set up for shooting, archery, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting and various track and field events.

But there are other voices who feel that this proposed budget is perhaps too low for a country like India. "It is a no-brainer that the budget for sports should be a lot more than what it is. But in a country like India, we must understand that change will come gradually. We thank the government for providing us with the funds we had asked for," said Jiji Thomson, SAI Director General.

Found in Translation

By Suanshu Khurana
Still from Songs of the Blue Hills
Still from Songs of the Blue Hills

Summary

Film-maker Utpal Borpujari’s documentary, Songs of the Blue Hills, seeks out lost Naga folk songs and finds their revival among younger musicians
While setting chords to their famous hymn-like 1960 track, Let it be me, the rock ‘n’ roll legend The Everly Brothers, not even in their wildest dreams, thought that a tribal folk song in India’s Nagaland would have the same chord structure. As for the contours and trajectory, they never factored those in either. The song reached the seventh position on Billboard charts as the English duo transformed popular music of the ’50s and ’60s to create a musical legacy with those gorgeous riffs, unique harmonies and “foreverly” arrangements. Even as they were making their way to the Hall of Fame, far away in Nagaland, Hoya He, a song from the Chakhesang tribe, was getting erased from our musical consciousness. So when Nagaland’s classical pianist Nise Meruno plays and croons both the songs in quick succession, highlighting the similarity between the music from two different worlds — one from the American idiom of popular music, and the other which is not so popular in Indian consciousness, one is intrigued to find this folk song’s relevance in today’s time. Thus begins a journey, which is the subject of filmmaker Utpal Borpujari’s documentary, Songs of the Blue Hills.
Delhi-based Borpujari’s feature-length documentary takes one through the music of various Naga tribes. The film by the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, which was shot and completed last year, is in the competition sections of international film festivals at Gothenburg and Washington this year and is being screened at Eyes & Lenses: Ethnographic Film Festival, Warsaw and Ladakh International Film Festival. “I have always been interested in tracing the roots of music. This endeavour was to understand and find more and see what it would throw at me,” says Borpujari.

The film seeks out folk songs of the Nagas that are lost or have trickled down to the next generation. The arrival of the British over a century ago was culturally helpful in some parts of the nation (they facilitated many musicians such as Gauhar Jaan find fame by allowing them to record), while they banned folk music of the Naga tribes calling it spirit worship. “I’m a Christian and we were told that we would rot in hell if we would sing our folk songs,” says Guru Sademmeren Longkumer, a veteran Naga folk musician, in the documentary. But he secretly documented some music over a period of time and created collections. However, reading them was not easy since the Ao tribe had their script written on leather strips. “Dogs ate them,” he says.

“The Nagas have faced many socio-political issues. Most tribes would remain within themselves and not have anything to do with other tribes or the rest of the world. Since the songs were orally passed down, many got lost in the process,” says Borpujari, 45, who has included almost 20 songs from the Naga folk culture in the documentary. He met bands such as Purple Fusion and Tetseo Sisters, who are reviving their legacy by combining folk with pop, blues and jazz. “Some veteran folk musicians have a problem with musicians wearing cowboy hats and ‘mixing’ their music, but younger musicians believe that this is one way that their legacy can be revived,” says Borpujari.

Collaborations and fusions aside, some banned folk songs are also finding their way into choral hymns, which were considered sacrosanct once upon a time. One finds various choirs including the one in Nagaland Music Conservatory using lyrics and tunes from their folk songs and singing them in hymn-like structures. “The young generation of musicians are allowing this oral legacy to flourish, even in choral singing, where it was once prohibited,” says Borpujari.
10 July 2014

Dry Mizoram To Turn Wet Again

Aizawl, Jul 10 : The Congress government is all set to lift the 17-year-old dry law in the Christian-majority state, despite strong opposition from the influential churches.

Excise and narcotics minister R Lalzirliana, who also holds the home portfolio, will introduce a new bill called Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition & Control) Bill 2014 to replace the controversial Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition (MLTP) Act 1995 at the ongoing assembly session on Thursday.

The 40-member state assembly where the Congress party enjoys comfortable majority with 34 legislators is likely to pass the new bill that will liberate liquor.

Even though the states's largest denomination Mizoram Presbyterian Church, which has a membership of more than 50 percent of the state's population, has vehemently opposed liberating liquor, the Lal Thanhawla-led government looked determined to pass the bill.

The previous Congress government had constituted a study group on total prohibition of liquor which found that it was a total failure.

'After deliberate discussion on the study group's report, it was strongly felt that the total prohibition be made less strict so as to prevent spurious liquor and enable drinkers to drink good quality liquor,' the minister said.

Meanwhile, the Presbyterian Church organised mass prayers in all the member churches across the state on the night of July 5 seeking divine intervention to put the dry law in place. This was the second time that the Presbyterian Church organised mass prayer against lifting the dry law.

The church leaders, who had pressurised then the Congress government to impose the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act in 1997, are still adamant that the dry law is a success.

'Since the implementation of total prohibition, our public areas have become safer and more peaceful, there have been less vehicular accidents caused by drunk driving and alcohol-related violence has decreased visibly,' statement of the church said.

'Given that alcohol harms health, disturbs social relations and even spiritual well-being, we believe allowing alcohol to be more free is not likely to benefit us,' the note added.

The Presbyterian Church believes that 'violent crimes such as murder, rape and accidents are mostly committed under the influence of alcohol.' The second largest denomination Baptist Church of Mizoram also toes the same line with Presbyterian Church.

'The Baptist Church is totally opposed to a government selling liquor,' the church statement said.

CAG Report Slams Mizoram's Home and Social Welfare departments

Aizawl, Jul 10 : Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has slammed Mizoram's Home and Social Welfare departments for parking crores of rupees under civil deposits for months.

The CAG report, tabled in the state legislature today, said that the Home department parked Rs 36.51 crore in civil deposits and retained Rs 13.04 crore in cash.

The report also said that the state Social Welfare department drew Rs 37.21 crore from the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Schemes and parked the same in civil deposits for periods ranging between two and eleven months.

Funds parked in the civil deposits by the home department included earmarked funds under the Modernisation of Police force and Rehabilitation of repatriated Brus, the report said adding that parking funds in civil deposits were done to avoid lapse of budget grants.

Drawing of funds without any requirement for immediate disbursement and retention of the same in civil deposits was irregular and bound to have an adverse effect on the implementation of the scheme, the report said.

Retention of large amount of cash was fraught with the high risk of misappropriation, the report said.

The CAG report also pointed out that under the ICDS scheme implemented by the state Social Welfare department, there was moderate disruption in feeding days in the Anganwadi centres ranging between 15 and 192 days during 2011-12.

"The department failed to distribute most of the items purchased during 2012-13 which resulted in severe disruption in feeding days in the Anaganwadi centres," the report added.

Mizoram Football Eye National Squad

By Zodin sanga

Aizawl, Jul 10 : Mizoram, which has benefited from Fifa’s grassroots football development course in the last two years, has set its sights on the FIFA under-17 World Cup, to be held in India in 2017, to acquire berths for state youngsters in the Indian squad.

The course, inaugurated by Fifa representative Scott O’Donell in October 2012, aims at introducing young aspirants in the age group of six to 12 years to the game of football and is under way across the eight district headquarters.

“Though the programme has taken place in some African countries, this is the first time in India,” said Lalnghinglova Hmar, secretary of Mizoram Football Association.

“The training is crucial in view of the FIFA under-17 football World Cup to be held in India in 2017. We are hoping that Mizo boys will play for India in this event,” he said.

In Aizawl alone, nearly 200 boys are attending the training on the artificial turf at Assam Rifles ground in the afternoons. The programme targets boys and girls aged 6-12 years through school, community and club initiatives. The Mizoram association has been giving them professional training with Indian and foreign coaches and organising tournaments at regular intervals.

The association hopes that the Fifa initiative, along with the state sports department’s Catch Them Young policy, will instil a stronger spirit of football among the young boys and nurture their talents at the right age.

Football has emerged as one of the most promising professions for Mizo boys who are naturally talented footballers. “With already more than 200 Mizo footballers playing in Indian clubs and armed forces, many young kids are now dreaming of becoming professional footballers,” Hmar said.

The state’s apex football association is indebted to the Mizoram government, particularly the sports minister Zodintluanga, who has laid world class artificial turf on four grounds, two in Aizawl, and one each in Lunglei and Champhai.

The state government has spent about Rs 4 crore on every turf.

“If without proper infrastructure and basic training Mizo footballers can reach this level, they are sure to dominate Indian football with the basic requirements coming up,” sports minister Zodintluanga said.

Kamla Sworn-in as new Mizoram Goveror

New Delhi, Jul 10 : Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal, who had frosty relations with Narendra Modi when he was Chief Minister of the state, was tonight sent off to Mizoram in a reshuffle of governors carried out by the government.

87-year-old Beniwal, whose tenure ends in November and who had a running battle with the Modi government over the appointment of Lokayukta and some legislations, will take over from Vakkom Purushothaman.

Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva, who will demit office exactly in a month, will shift to Ahmedabad to take additional charge.

Gujarat Governor's transfer is political: Congress

During her confrontation with Modi, Beniwal appointed retired Justice R A Mehta as Lokayukta in Gujarat against which the state went in appeal to the High Court and later the Supreme Court which upheld it last year. However, it was another story that Justice Mehta did not take up the post and Modi's government named a new nominee.

Beniwal also sat over legislations passed by the state Assembly one of which provided for 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies.

Announcing these changes, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communiqué said Governor of Gujarat is transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram for the remainder of her term vice Vakkom Purushothaman.

Purushothaman is transferred and appointed as Governor of Nagaland for the remainder of his term, it said adding that he would also hold additional charge of the office of Governor of Tripura.

Alva, the Governor of Rajasthan would discharge the functions of Governor of Gujarat, in addition to her own duties, until regular arrangements for the office of the Governor of Gujarat are made.

Earlier there was speculation that new Governors would be appointed before the budget session of Parliament starting tomorrow in place of those who had quit. Many of them were asked by the new government to put in their papers.

Those who resigned after the government's signals are B L Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), M K Narayanan (West Bengal), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh), Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland) and B V Wanchoo (Goa).

Wanchoo's resignation on July 4, the day he was questioned by CBI as a witness in the AgustaWestland helicopter purchase scam. A few days earlier former National Security Advisor M K Narayanan also quit as West Bengal Governor after similar questioning by the CBI.

Two governors - H R Bharadwaj (Karnataka) and Devanand Konwar (Tripura) were allowed to stay in the post till their tenure ended last month. However, a few other Governors appointed by the previous UPA regime continue to remain in office. They include K Sankaranarayanan (Maharashtra), Sheila Dikshit (Kerala), Jaganath Pahadia (Haryana), Shivraj V Patil (Punjab) besides others. Sankaranayanan was among those asked to quit.

Coming From Nagaland? Have Your Visa Ready! Mobile Phone Stores Staff Need to be Trained Well

By Alfie D'Souza

Mangalore: While I am writing this article, persons and business names are not revealed, only for the fact that I don't want any employees to get fired from their jobs because of their lack of knowledge and courteousness.

I really don't blame the store employees for their lack of customer service talents, but would blame the owners/management for not training their staff handling various departments about the company products, procedures and rules etc etc.

Sometimes when you apply for new mobile phone connection or any other matter, you will be surprised at all the documents the staff ask for, which actually is not needed and at same time its waste of your time and energy running to xerox shops to make bunch of copies.

By the way when did Nagaland became a foreign country ? Why do you need a visa to visit Mangalore? I thought Nagaland was still a Indian state, but according to a authorized mobile showroom staff it is not.

Other day I was at the mobile showroom to pay my bill, but since the automated paying kiosk was out of order, I stood in the queue inside the store to pay my bill. At that time there were two youth, I guess either from Tibet or Nagaland, trying to get phone service activated.

I could hear the conversation between the youth and the store employee - at one point I heard the staff asking them for their visa copies. The confused youth with much argument with the staff left the showroom in a grumpy mood.


Minutes later after done paying my bill, I approached the same staff and asked where the youth were from, and she replied they were from Nagaland.

Quickly I asked her again, then why were you insisting on their visa copies, since Nagaland is not a foreign land.

She was all puzzled and confused, and the manager who standing close by who heard us, directed the staff to run outside and look if she could find those two young youth from Nagaland, but all in vain. I bet they went to a better mobile showroom. What a blunder the staff did, just to lose two customers?

Another incident-- once again that too at a mobile showroom - my American friend who was on a visit here for couple of months wanted to see if he could get temporary SIM card. So I took him to the mobile shop, where the staff asked him for his copies of passport, visa and other travel documents etc - which he did.

After a while the store staff came and insisted copies of Voter's ID or a ration card. What a dumb question to ask a US citizen for a voter's ID and a ration card, when she knew he was a American on a vacation with a tourist visa. We didn't speak a word, instead left the shop, and later got him a SIM card under my friend's name at a different shop..

Sometimes getting a new mobile phone service is much more difficult than getting a passport or visa - too much hassles and too many documents to be produced for personal verification. Like few months ago, when I tried to get a new mobile service to be approved I went through hell - after all copies of needed documents were submitted, and after waiting for nearly 15-20 minutes, the mobile shop staff tells me that I look fair on my passport and OCI (Dual citizenship) card, and I look dark on my Karnataka State Drivers Licence. She wanted me to lighten the photostat copies of my DL - I had to go back again to the xerox shop, and after wasting nearly 10 copies, I finally got a perfect copy of my DL photo to match my PP photo. I still don't understand why the photo color mattered so much. I only wished the RTO office had a better camera device to take personal images ?


Source: mangalorean.com

AAPSU-Bandh Affects Life in Arunachal Pradesh

AAPSU-bandh affects life in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar, Jul 10 :
Normal life was affected in Arunachal Pradesh today following the 36-hour state-wide bandh called by the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) in protest against the non-fulfilment of its various charters of demands.

The bandh was total as all business establishments, educational institutions, financial institutions, central government offices remained closed while attendances in state government officers were very thin.

All sort of public and private transport remained off the road while a few state transport buses were seen plying with escort.

The bandh which began at 5am in the morning remained peaceful throughout the state barring a few stray incidents where bandh enforcers pelted stone at police vehicles near Naharlagun, Capital SP Seiju P Kuruvilla informed.

Reports from other districts revealed that the bandh was total and incidents free.

The state government in an order yesterday  had declared the bandh illegal and directed all the departmental heads to ensure full attendance during the bandh period.

The AAPSU had called for the bandh after the state government failed to fulfil its demands even after the union’s first phase of 12-hour capital bandh on June 25 last which was marred by violence including burning down of vehicles.

Police had arrested AAPSU’s president Kamta Lapungon June 25 last and sent him to 14 days judicial custody. He, however, was later released on bail.

The AAPSU has demanded a ‘White Paper’ from the state government on the present financial position of the state besides demanding immediate payment of employees’ salaries and pending bills to the contractors.

The other demands of the union include, ban on the appointment of chairmen and vice-chairmen, providing uninterrupted power and water supply in the state capital and proper maintenance of all sectoral roads and highways in the state.