Mary Kom To Be Brand Ambassador Of Northeast India To Promote Region

New Delhi, Mar 16 : The central government will appoint Olympic medallist boxer M.C. Mary Kom as the brand ambassador for north-east India to promote the region in the rest of the country and abroad, officials said on Sunday.

"Under the leadership of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) Minister Jitendra Singh, a committee earlier shortlisted the names of some famous personalities before selecting the brand ambassador for the north-eastern region."

"Finally, the DoNER ministry decided to appoint Mary Kom as the brand ambassador of the region," a Tripura sports department official said.

He said: "Mary Kom as brand ambassador of the north-east India would promote the region to the rest of India and abroad, and highlight the issues of the region comprising eight states."

Mary, 32, who hails from Manipur, is a five-time world amateur boxing champion and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each of the six world championships.

Also a mother of three, Mary Kom recently announced in Imphal that she would quit the sport after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics next year.

The cultural tradition of Manipur is sports-oriented and the state, as a result, has produced many athletes. Mary Kom cemented the north-eastern state's position as a powerhouse of talent with her 2012 Olympic bronze.

Winning medals in many international and national meets, the Hindi film industry made a movie based on her life, starring actor Priyanka Chopra.

Addressing the 10th North East Business Summit on Friday in New Delhi, Singh said: "The government wanted a person who would showcase various aspects of the region, including life, culture and business. A person who was not only an icon locally but also a source of motivation for the youth of the north-east in the country and abroad."

An official announcement in this regard would be made soon, Singh said.

According to a global consultancy report, north-east India offers business opportunities worth Rs.2.4 trillion among various sectors.

6,000 Beneficiaries Misused Mizoram’s Flagship Livelihood Scheme

Aizawl, Mar 13 : Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla admitted Thursday that 6,000-odd beneficiaries have not utilised money they received through his government’s flagship livelihood program as intended, meaning Rs 168 lakhs have “gone to waste.”

Speaking at the scheme’s revitalisation program in Aizawl, the state Congress head also said he expected a 60% success rate for the flagship scheme largely credited with winning his party a second consecutive term in power in the 2013 assembly polls.

The New Land Use Policy or NLUP seeks to dole out, in several instalments, Rs 1 lakh each in cash or kind to more than one lakh families, the criteria being beneficiary families have no member holding a government job.

Attacking it as one reason for Mizoram’s current financial difficulties, the state’s opposition parties have complained about the NLUP to the Union Finance Ministry and NITI Aayog saying the government is using it to seek votes by selecting families affiliated to the Congress party as beneficiaries.

NITI Aayog had last month asked the state for a detailed explanation, but NLUP Implementing Board Vice Chairman P L Thanga has claimed the Centre has additionally disbursed more than Rs 300 crores to Mizoram for further implementation of the scheme after he explained the scheme’s benefits to officials there.

The government has over the past two days held “NLUP revitalisation programs” in six of the state’s eight districts to mark the doling out of funds to third and fourth phase beneficiaries.

Most of these programs have been led by Cabinet Ministers, and they have all spoken about how beneficiaries must use the funds for the intended purpose of livelihood enhancement.

IMPHAL, Over 30 Blasts in Just 80 Days

By Alok Pandey, B Sunzu

There have been 35 blasts in the last 80 days in Manipur.

Imphal, Mar 13 :  Three people were killed and 23 injured in Imphal's latest Improvised Explosive Blast (IED) blast on Wednesday evening that took place near a crowded marketplace. This blast was the latest in a series of explosions that have rocked Manipur's capital this year, continuing a disturbing trend over the last few years, where explosions, loss of lives and a general atmosphere of insecurity have become the norm in Imphal, and across the state.

In just the last 80 days or so, Manipur has seen a whopping 35 grenade or IED blasts, a majority of these in Imphal. In addition, another 15 bombs have been detected, and defused. Among those dead in Imphal's latest explosion was 22-year-old Mintu Yadav from Bihar, a migrant labourer working in Imphal for five years, and someone who just got married four months ago. Imphal has a sizeable population of migrants who mostly work as labourers or run small businesses.

"You know this is very scary. Sometimes I just want to pack my bags and leave," said Arun Mahatong, who settled in Imphal in 1986, and runs a small grocery shop.

In 2014, there were 66 blasts across Manipur, which killed 15 and injured 76. Again, most of these blasts happened in Imphal.

A host of insurgent outfits operate in Manipur , often with impunity. The government says it is tightening up security measures and making CCTV camera surveillance operational in Imphal, but so far, these measures do not seem to be working.

"We have to contain these kinds of things. It is very disturbing that so many blasts are happening. I am not justifying anything, but Manipur is not the exception. These things could take place anywhere," said Manipur Home Minister Gaikhangam Gangmei.

Another disturbing trend, how migrant labourers are increasingly being targetted in explosions. Since December 2014, seven non-locals have been killed in Imphal in three separate attacks. These attacks have come in the backdrop of a violent agitation over the past year and more, for the imposition of the Inner Line Permit rules across Manipur that will restrict the entry of outsiders into the state. The Manipur government says they have no confirmed link between the blasts and the Inner Line Permit Agitation, but it is certainly another worrying factor for an administration, already struggling with so many blasts.

Centre open to 24×7 Channel for Meghalaya

Shillong, Mar 13 : The Centre is open to the idea of having a dedicated 24×7 channel for Meghalaya, said Bimal Julka, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on Thursday.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the Indian Panorama Festival which got underway here on Thursday, Julka said that the Standing Committee on Finance is empowered to take a final call on the matter.

He further said that the Ministry would deliberate on the opinion of the viewers and based on the outcome of the study and necessary requirements a decision would be taken.

Stating that the Ministry was committed to promote regional cinema, the bureaucrat said that the Ministry has been trying to host a number of events with special focus on the North East.

According to Julka, the Ministry has proposed a separate section for Meghalaya in the International Film Festival in Goa since Meghalaya provides a number of opportunities to film makers with its beautiful locations that have the potential to attract a lot of film makers.

Asked about the expansion plans of the Ministry, he said that the print media was growing at 9 per cent whereas the broadcasting media was growing at a rate of 12-14 per cent per annum. In addition to more than 800 channels that are up and running, around 250 more would be coming soon, Julka said, adding that it was the prerogative of the state government on how they wanted to utilize the opportunity.

Earlier in the day, Julka met officials of All India Radio, Shillong and advised them to extend AIR’s reach to benefit the rural masses in the country.

Julka said AIR, as a public broadcaster, will not lack behind in ensuring that news and other programmes of the government are heard by the poorest of the poor.

He also said despite the fiscal deficit, the government was undertaking up gradation of technology in AIR with digitalized transmission.

He also said that private TV channels have progressed in terms of providing entertainment, but people still tune in to Doordarshan and AIR for authentic news.

Internet, SMS Services Remain Blocked in Nagaland

Guwahati, Mar 13 : Though the situation in Dimapur where a rape accused Sayed Sarif Khan was lynched by a mob, has limped back to normal, the internet and SMS services will remain blocked for another 24 hours effective from Thursday even as the district administration in Dimapur has relaxed the prohibitory order under Section 144 CrPC from 6 A.M. till 9 P.M. from Thursday.

“Though the SMS service will be restored on the expiry of 24 hours, the district administration in Dimapur will be requesting the government to continue the block internet services (GPRS)”, said Wabang Jamir, IGP (Range). Internet (GPRS) and SMS/MMS services were blocked since March 7 night after videos related to the lynching of the rape accused in Dimapur were widely circulated on the net.

The police have so far arrested 48 persons for their involvement in the March 5 incident in which an alleged rape accused was lynched.

The police have published photographs of some of the culprits involved in the lynch incident and called for people’s cooperation in nabbing those.

Meanwhile, clarifying on reports published in a section of national media that Nagaland government had submitted report to the Centre saying there was consensual sex, IGP (Range) said that the a section of the media considered only a certain section of the state government’s report to Union Home Minister and changed the whole story.

The report of the Nagaland Government to the Union Home Minister consists of three statements, that of the victim, the accused and the co-accused.
The IGP (Range) while maintaining that the preliminary medical reports conducted at the Dimapur Civil Hospital confirms rape said that the vaginal swabs and other evidences collected from the victim had been sent to Kolkata for DNA test.

Though the evidences were earlier sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Guwahati for test, however due to lack of facility, it was referred to Kolkata for DNA Analysis.

The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has called upon the people of Nagaland and Assam to remain restrained and defeat ‘communal forces’ who were trying to whip up communal tension in the area over the isolated lynch incident.

The rape accused who was lynched hails from Karimganj district of Assam and was residing in Dimapur.

Northeast Study Programme in Delhi School

By ANUSHREE GOEL

New Delhi, Mar 13 : As a special initiative to conduct comparative and collaborative research on the Northeast that informs public policy away from the rhetorical categories that see the Northeast as a problem, the Delhi School of Economics has started a “Northeast India Studies Programme.”

In the last few years, the Northeast region has hit the national headlines for reasons ranging from the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to the insurgency problem to illegal migration from Bangladesh to being victims of violence in metropolitan cities due to their culture and lifestyle, Dr Kamei Aphun, the convenor of the programme, said as he explained its objective.

“This programme aims to have exchange with the Northeast, accelerate social science research by attracting the best PhD scholars and leverage the strengths of the department in comparative research along with closely collaborating with other academic and policy-research institutions such as the Asian Dialogue Society, Singapore; Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia University, print and digital media. This will be the first such programme in the country,” added Dr Aphun.

Appreciating the effort, Robin Hibu, joint commissioner of police and Northeast nodal officer, Delhi police, said, “As a policeman and nodal officer for the Northeast, I feel that such scholarly work should reach out to as large an audience as possible, let your research be available to all, share it with us, policy makers, the youth and give solutions.

I am connected to over 18 lakh Northeast youth from around the world through our FB page and receive hundreds of complaints, suggestions and comments everyday. I feel these youth feel left out somewhere or the other. The benefits of developmental policies have not reached equitably.”

Speaking on what the youth from the Northeastern states feel, Mr Hibu said, “They say they are made to feel like outsiders, like ‘exotic’ people, who are different from others. They want the academia to change perceptions, trap the potential and hope of the youth through their research. Every tribe in the Northeast has its own way of life and we have to accept those differences.”

Man arrested in Delhi for harassing a group of women from Manipur

Police said that the man has been accused of taunting and gesturing at the women. In a complaint to the police the women said that incident had happened around 5pm when they were at the park for an evening walk. The man had started following them and had had passed a few remarks as well.

New Delhi, Mar 13 : An 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly harassing a group of women from Manipur at the Lodhi Garden on Monday afternoon. Police said that the man has been accused of taunting and gesturing at the women. In a complaint to the police the women said that incident had happened around 5pm when they were at the park for an evening walk.

The man had started following them and had had passed a few remarks as well. When the women protested against this the man had allegedly made lewd gestures at them. Following this they called the PCR and registered a complaint.

The man was arrested from the spot by a team from the Tughlaq Road police station. During interrogations, the man has revealed that he works at a multinational company based in Dwarka and was at the park after work. A case under section 354 IPC (outraging the modesty of a woman) has been registered against him.

First Swine Flu Death in Manipur

Imphal, Mar 12 :  Manipur recorded its first swine flu casualty as a 35-year-old woman today died of the disease, state Health Director O Ibombcha said.

The victim, identified as Basaspatimayum Gita of Imphal East district died in a private hospital.

Another woman, whose fluid sample has been sent to Mumbai for confirmation of the H1N1 also died, but it was not yet confirmed whether she died because of the deadly virus or diabetes, Mr Ibombcha said adding the report from Mumbai laboratory was expected either this evening or tomorrow.

Mr Ibomcha said all precautionary measures had been taken to prevent spread of the disease with all government hospitals arranging separate wards for such patients and they would be treated free of cost.

Adequate medicines have been procured, he said and appealed to the public not to panic.