Manipur Govt. told to remove restrictions on visitors to Irom

[caption id="attachment_9469" align="alignleft" width="320"] Sharmila, who is on a fast since November, 2000, is being currently forced-fed through her nose by the government[/caption]

The National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to the Manipur Government seeking immediate removal of the “arbitrary restrictions” imposed on visitors wanting to meet activist Irom Sharmila. She has been on an indefinite fast since November 2000.

The Commission, in its notice to the State Government Chief Secretary, has said that Ms. Sharmila, who is facing charges of attempt to commit suicide, must be permitted to receive visitors, a statement by the NHRC said here on Wednesday.

Known as the “Iron Lady”, Ms. Sharmila has been on a fast for over 12 years, demanding repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in her home State.

The Commission has asked the Chief Secretary to report to it by December 6 on the steps taken in response to this recommendation.

The notice was issued after the Commission took suo motu cognisance of the “arbitrary restrictions imposed on access to Ms. Sharmila”.

The rights body has recommended that the Manipur Government immediately remove the restrictions as these are in breach of India’s obligations under the international human rights standards and principles, and a grave violation of human rights.

 

The Commission has also observed that it believes that if the Manipur Government could deny permission to its Special Rapporteur, a retired Director-General of Police and to Special Rapporteurs of the UN, to visit Ms. Sharmila, it is unlikely that it gives others access to her.

“It would appear that, while keeping her alive, since her death would create problems for the State Government, it is trying to break her spirit through this enforced isolation, for which there is no judicial mandate, though she is in judicial custody,” the statement said.

The Commission said that Ms. Sharmila is a person of concern to it on three counts.

She is, firstly, a person in custody, on the terms of whose imprisonment the Commission has received some complaints. Secondly, it has been represented to the Commission, and to the UN Special Rapporteurs who have visited India, that the terms of her imprisonment have deliberately been made harsh because she is a human rights defender.

Lastly, in so far as she is held in conditions that are onerous because of her peaceful opposition to an aspect of government police, a law whose repeal she seeks, she is a prisoner of conscience.

Two Members of the Commission, accompanied by senior officers, had met Sharmila on October 23 during its visit to the State. She was found frail but alert and did not complain of any physical ill—treatment.

However, she repeatedly said that she was rarely allowed visitors, whereas all others in the custody of the State Government routinely receive visits from family and friends.

The State Government officers could not give any satisfactory reply to the Commission on this “egregious exception” made to the practice in her case, but was informed that permission to meet her must be issued by either the Chief Minister or the Deputy Chief Minister, the statement said.

ACAUT not against ‘Naga movement’

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 29 (MExN): The Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) has stated that the “cry of the common man being undeniable,” the ‘Public Awareness Rally’ will be held as scheduled on October 31 and has “requested” the NSCN (IM) to extend co-operation for the rally. This was stated in a press note issued by the Media Cell, ACAUT. It may be mentioned that the NSCN (IM) had taken a decision to “disallow” the rally.

In this regard, the ACAUT has clarified to the NSCN (IM) that it is not against the Naga political solution or the Naga movement. “It is not opposed to any of the Naga Political Groups (NPGs) as is being made out nor is it against any organisation and individual,” it stated. However, the ACAUT is “against a system which has diluted the peoples mandated movement of its sheen and mass support much to the dismay and angst of the Naga people.” “Time and again, ACAUT has reiterated that multiple and unabated taxation has done nothing but harmed the interest of the Naga people and the common man.”

Further, according to ACAUT, “unabated taxation is affecting every strata of society and consequently the emotional appeal of the Naga movement for sovereignty is being undermined.” In that, the ACAUT has merely appealed “to the leaderships of the NPGs to rein in wayward cadres and put its house in order.”

The ACAUT has also mentioned about the memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister on August 30, asking the State Government “to set its house in order too, namely the illegal collections by police and other departments, the DMC imbroglio, the issue of illegal immigrants and corruption in developmental works, etc.” The press note stated that the State Government refused to acknowledge this despite time extension on expiry of the ultimatum. “The ACAUT was left with no choice but to announce the go ahead with its programme on October 31.”

The ACAUT stated that it “sincerely wishes that an honourable political solution is found for the Naga nation,” and also told “the Indian government and its paramilitary forces that it strongly condemns interference in matters which are purely the internal kitchen matters of the Naga family.” “That the Assam Rifles chose to take advantage of family dispute and surround Hebron Camp is most condemnable and an act of betrayal. This action has jeopardized the job of the ACAUT and periled the lives of its members for which the Assam Rifles shall be responsible,” stated the ACAUT and appealed to the Indian government that “in the interest of peace, this provocation be stopped immediately.”

~MExN

WHERE DO WE STAND?

Politic is a complex to visible but that always can be determined by the reflection of the deeds. It is also possible to predict one’s political stand by various dimensions and there is also Cartesian point where all the dimensions meet. Sometime, it can also be defined by complex scientific methods, complex social and politico theories or philosophies. However, people follow different paths depend on the destination that we follow.

Today, when you looked at the faces of Nagas in Burma, the sense of wariness prevailed in every Nagas not because of the fear or inability but the lack of opportunity and strategies being laid for. Eventually, we become neither here nor there! Sometime, the myths which we believe make more muddle on our stepping. The question arise then, WHERE DO WE STAND?

Nagas in Burma are most marginalized and isolated group of people, yet we are struggling to for equality that every nation have. Do we gained enough today? The answer to this question is so obviously, “NO”. Our struggles and thinking stopped right here at “NO”. It is a word that made us weaker and smaller and never! We have seen enough, we need the paradigm-shift!

If we look at the history that we’ve come through, we are the people with uniqueness. Indeed, we have different goal and destination. Nevertheless, this does not meant that the necessary to be isolated from the ground of globalization or global political-shift. Today, no Naga can say firmly “we have achieved …..”! Our political playground become smaller and smallest, it is very hard to see it clearly at the present. We tend to stand firmly for our nation in the midst of the world but pragmatically not beyond our own house! We fight in our house and we die in our own house, what a waste of precious lives we’ve already lost!!

If we started counting, the first achievement is forming “Eastern Naga Revolutionary Council” on 7th April, 1965 followed by peace-pack on 9th April, 2012. These reflect our strengths or politic. We were/are not strong enough to preserve and protect our rights. The consequence of this is; we are enslaved by our consent! We become homeless in our own home and strangers in our own lands. We are completely controlled. The unheard prayer echo for Savoir is stopped at the thick jungle of Pakai hill. I believe, this unheard prayer would definitely be reached to everywhere at least through Facebook!

Today, it reflects more of our strengths. We are left alone at the jungle; we think it was our right to be alone. Yet, we never realized that we are being isolated by the people. Government of Myanmar seems to be not serious with our Naga problem. I am afraid that our demands are not fulfilled. I am more afraid that if we do not have anything to demand. On the other hand, other ethnic groups seem to be assumed that Naga have good relationship with Government of Myanmar. When these ethnic groups are against the Government of Myanmar, they hate Naga more. Being left out in Laiza conference is a good reflection!! Not only in the Burma but also we have serious problem in India too. The India government is very clear that they can’t adjust two Naga groups in the table. We have very few Nagas in India who support the Nagas of in Burma. What more do we have to hope for? Does this situation make you to realize what to do? Tell us, WHERE DO WE STAND?

Whether we think we can or think we can’t, we’re right! It is we who have to choose if we have something to choose. And every choice has its consequences! Looking at the others where they stand and we MUST look at our stand very DEEPLY & CAREFULLY! We are neither here or there, where do we stand!

Ke Jung

Imphal airports get international status

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval for declaring Bhubaneswar and Imphal airports as international.

Declaration of these airports as international airports will offer improved connectivity, wider choice of services at competitive cost to air travellers resulting in boosting international tourism and economic development of the region and the country,’’ an official statement here said. The grant of international status to Imphal airport holds significance because of Manipur's proximity to neighboring Myanmar.

It is expected that with India becoming more aggressive in its `Look East policy’ and Myanmar opening up, Manipur could become a key regional hub for international flights to South East Asian countries. Imphal Airport, which belongs to Airports Authority of India (AAI), is suitable for 'C' type (Airbus 320 or 321) of aircraft operations in all-weather conditions. It has facilities for night operations, 2,746 metre-long runway, apron to park three A-320s and an ATR-72 at a time. AAI had modified the terminal building, having an area of 6,592 sq m, to integrated terminal building.

The Biju Patnaik Airport at Bhubaneswar also belongs to AAI and is suitable for operation of Code 'D' aircraft of type Boeing 767-400. The airport is also equipped with facilities for night operations, with a runway 2,743 metres and apron to park six aircraft and navigational aids. AAI has contracted a new domestic terminal building with all modern amenities for handling 400 arriving and 400 departing passengers.

The airport operator has modified and renovated the existing domestic terminal building into international terminal building. The airport has six check-in-counters, custom counters and immigration counters were being provided. The facilities of customs, immigration, health services and animal and plant quarantine at the airport have also been completed.

Hindu

Three Mizo parties forge alliance to oust Congress

AIZAWL: In a bid to end the five-year Congress rule in Mizoram, three opposition parties - Mizo National Front (MNF), Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) and Maraland Democratic Front (MDF) - formed a pre-poll alliance in the state on Tuesday.

The three regional parties felt that a united effort was needed to oust the Congress from power in the forthcoming assembly polls slated for November 25.

A seat-sharing arrangement has been worked out by the trio with the major partner MNF getting the largest chunk of the pie. While MNF will field candidates for 31 assembly seats, MPC will gun for eight and the MDF will contest in only one seat.

MPC, led by retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Lalhmangaiha Sailo and former chief minister Brig T Sailo, will contest in Tuirial seat in Kolasib district, Chalfilh, Aizawl North-I, Aizawl North-II and Aizawl East-I in Aizawl district, Champhai South seat in Champhai district, Hrangturzo seat in the central district of Serchhip and Lunglei East in south Mizoram's Lunglei district.

The MDF will field a candidate in the Palak seat in southernmost Mizoram's Saiha district.

MNF senior vice-president Tawnluia made the alliance announcement at a press conference here on Tuesday. Leaders of the MNF, MPC and MDF were also present at the conference.

Tawnluia said the alliance was being made by the three regional parties to form a true democratic government in the state, protect its people, land and religion and for all-round development. He said the alliance partners will kick off a joint poll campaign in Aizawl.

The alliance is also likely to announce the names of the candidates during the poll rally. The united opposition's first election rally would be addressed by all the presidents of the three parties.

The MNF and the MPC had formed a pre-poll alliance in 1998 and swept the polls by defeating the Congress which was ruling the state for two consecutive terms since 1989. MNF had then won 22 seats and MPC bagged 11 seats while the then ruling Congress managed to win only six seats. But, the alliance could not last more than a year and the two parties snapped ties in December 1999

~toi

5 hurt in Assam as cops fire at student rally

KOKRAJHAR (ASSAM): Five persons were injured when police opened fire during a student rally at Basugaon in Assam's Chirang district on Tuesday where protesters attacked the men in uniform with stones demanding a separate Kamatapur state.

Though they were denied permission by the district administration to hold the rally, members of the All Koch Rajbongshi Students' Union demanding a separate Kamatapur state and scheduled tribe status for Koch Rajbongshis, began gathering near the venue in morning, police said.

Police prevented the protesters from entering the venue, but they gathered in a field opposite turning a deaf ear to appeals by police to disperse.

~toi

The Orphans - Zeme Folktale

Once upon a time there was a boy called Amang, and his parents died when he & his sister were very young. Some people gave them a little, most people did not. When all the villagers went with daos to clear the new jhums, Amang went too, but he had no dao and had to pull down the bamboos and jungle with his hands, and in so doing blocked the path. Some of the villagers came along and found it blocked and were angry, and pushed it back again, but a few others were kindly disposes and cut a little here and there till his jhum was cleared. He asked a man for some rice to plant in his field, but the man gave him cooked rice, which was useless. In this way he had much trouble.

One day his sister was preparing thread & the boy sat by. A tamaopui (dove?) came and sat in a tree near the house and sat there cooing. The boy saw it, and said: "I want that. Give me some of your thread."

So she gave him some thread and he made a bow (tabaimpi) and shot the bird. He took it home & cut it up for food and in its crop he found rice/dhan. He plucked out the wing feathers and put them under the bed, and when he got up in the morning and looked, they had all turned into spears and daos and kodalis.

The he told his sister: "Don't tell anybody. Just fetch plenty of water. He sat down inside the house with water & a stone and began sharpening all the tools and weapons. There were so many that his sister was doing nothing but fetch water, & people asked her why.

"My brother has bad diarrhoea, and can't get up from his bed; so I am carrying water to make things clean."

Then people called out that the house smelt, but the girl went on carrying water.

Then Amang took his new tools and went and prepared a jhum and planted the dhan he got from the pigeon's crop; but no dhan came up, only big gourds (nraolu).

"What shall I do?" he said. "I planted dhan and got nothing but gourds. I will clear the weeds and see if the gourds are good for carrying water." So he cleared the plants & leaves with his dao, and accidentally cut open a big gourds, and inside it was dhan.

The he went and built a big granary, and people laughed at him and asked why he built a granary (nsaou) when his crop was only gourds.

"Oh," said Amang. "I shall put the gourds in it."

Then he carried the gourds back to his granary and cut them open, and so much dhan came out that he filled the whole granary.

Now it happened that the villagers' crops were all very bad, so that everyone came to him and asked for help, as they were starving. To those who had given to him he gave freely, but to those who had refused he gave only a very, very little.

One night his father came in his dreams and called him, and said: "Look up in the cane tray over the fire and you will find some of the rope we tied our mithan with; take it up to the pool above the village, cut it into little bits and throw it into the water, and come back after five days."

Next morning Amang looked in the cane tray and found a little of the rope. He went to the pool and chopped it into little bits and threw them into the water and went away. When he came back he found a lot of tiny mithan as big as beetles. Next day they were as big as rats; next day as goats; and then full grown mithan with huge horns, so he built a stone fence to stop them escaping and went back to the village. There he went to the tingkupeo (priest) and said: "To-morrow I shall drive all my mithan into the village, and they are very large and very many, so warn everybody to stay indoors, or somebody may get trampled on."

The tingkupeo went round the village calling out and warning everybody, but one old woman said: "What? What sort of mithan will he bring?" Next day everybody stayed indoors but the old woman and when Amang drove all his mithan in, one of them kicked her hard on the leg.

Amang had now become very rich, so he married and built a big house and made a feast for everybody, all the men and birds and animals. Everybody got themselves up in their best to come, and the Bhim-raj said to the rat: "Friend, arrange my tail, and I'll arrange yours." So the rat chewed and chewed at the feathers till there was nothing left but the rib and a little tuft on the end. Just then the call to go to the feast, and the Bhim-raj flew away without doing the rat's tail. "Oh, my friend has gone away!" said the rat, and cried with disappointment. Then he took some earth and plastered it on his tail himself and went to the feast, and to this day when a rat sees a Bhim-raj he tries to bite its tail.

The sambhar and the langur also agreed to arrange each other's tails; the sambhar prepared the langur's beautifully, but just then the people began calling out: "The feast is ready! Come, come! Is there anyone else to come?" and off ran the langur. The sambhar was left calling out: "Oh, who will do my tail? Who will do my tail?" but nobody came, and he had to do it himself and so it is short and stubby to this day.

The owl said to the hornbill: "My eyes are so big and my face is so ugly I am ashamed to show myself. Let me hide under your wing." So the hornbill hid him. When they got to the feast, Amang said: "Who will be King of the Birds?" and all the birds said: "The hornbill." "Very well," said Amang. "Show us what you can do. Get up and say your say." The hornbill got up and squawked and everyone applauded and said he should be king; and then the hornbill flapped his wings, and out fell the owl. Everyone was so shocked at the ugly thing he kept under his wing that they cried out he should not be king. So they chose the Bhim-raj, and Amang told him to get up and show what he could do. The Bhim-raj flew round and round trailing his long tail and chattering like a Bengali and saying "Coolie! Coolie!" and they all applauded and chose him for King of the Birds.

The civet cat said to the jungle rat: "My smell is very bad, and I'm ashamed to go. Let me hide behind you." So he hid behind his friend. When one of the people who were handing the food and drink came to where they were, he called out: "Oh, what an awful smell!" The jungle rat said nothing, but the second time the man came round he exclaimed again, and the rat was ashamed and said: "It isn't me, it's my friend." Then the civet cat was overcome with shame and said: "I shall go away and hide by the road. You come along later, calling out, with a parcel of food for each of us." And he went away.

In the path leading away from the village was a huge heap of dung and filthy refuse, and all the guests had to jump it as they went away. The Nagas jumped clean over it and never got dirty at all, and if they had not become dirty since through eating dogs and pigs and so on, they would be the cleanest race of all. The Manipuri and the Kachari each touched it with their hands, and so are particular about washing when they eat. As for the Thadou Kuki, he landed right in the middle.

Then Amang disguised himself and went and sat by the road and asked all the guests as they went whether they had had enough to eat. The Kachari said: "Oh, I've had a lot, but I could still eat a little more."

"Very well," said Amang. "Even though you get a lot to eat, your belly will never be quite filled."

Exactly the same thing happened when the Thadou Kuki came along, and Amang said the same as he had to the Kachari. Then the Nagas came along with their spears and daos, ho-hoing and yelling as they went, and Amang asked them if they had had enough to eat.

"Oh, yes," they said. "We've had any amount. You go along too. There's plenty left."

"Very well," said Amang. "In future, even though you only get a little to eat, it will last you for a long while."

After the Nagas the mithan came along, and Amang asked the same question. The mithan said: "I've had as much as I can eat, and I'm quite full". So Amang said: "All right, you go into the jungle. Half the day you can eat, and the rest of the time you can lie down in a shady spot and chew the cud."

So Amang's mithan all went into the jungle, and all the wild mithan are descended from them.

After the mithan came the buffalo, and when Amang asked him, he said: "Oh, there wasn't too much, and there wasn't too little." "Very well," said Amang. "Even though you eat for days, you shall still be the same - neither too much nor too little."

After a while the jungle rat came along with two parcels of food, and kept calling out as his friend the civet cat told him to. The civet cat heard him, and leaping out of the jungle, he bit off the rat's head in revenge for what had happened at the feast, and ran off with it into the jungle. Then all the birds came along, and found the rat's headless body in the road.

"Oh, oh!" they cried. "Here's someone been killed! Let us pick up the body and carry it." Then they all picked up the body and carried it, but the little hekupui was so short he had to balance his share on his head, which was stained by the blood. The bul-bul thought this so handsome he rubbed himself with it too, but he put it on the other end of him. The ngerui-na dabbled his wings and tail in it and made them red, and the crow rolled himself in the dark blood and mess in the road, and in doing so burst the jungle-rat's gall-bladder and so is black to this day.

'Note to Amang'

When all the animals were assembled at the feast, the tiger was not afraid of any of them, but when the men came along, shouting and hallooing, with their daos and spears all polished and flashing in the sunlight, the tiger blinked and shrank back a little, and so the men took the place of honour above the tiger, and so to this day the tiger is afraid of nobody but man

`Folktale collected by Ursula Graham

The Naga Warrior: A daughter travels to Nagaland to retrace journey of her mother

[caption id="attachment_9553" align="alignleft" width="660"] Ursula Graham Bower, a British woman, had made her home in these hills in the 1940s. (IE Photo)[/caption]

Her daughter travels to Nagaland to retrace the fascinating journey of Ursula Graham Bower, the British woman who made her home in these hills in the 1940s, learning the ways of the Nagas, and leading them against the Japanese during WWII

It was an arduous journey for 62-year-old Catriona Child. A flight to Guwahati from New Delhi, a train to Dimapur, a night halt and then a 15-hour drive across the sparsely inhabited Peren district of Nagaland. But as she rode through yellowing fields of tall reed encircled by bluish mountains; as she hurtled and slipped while climbing slushy mountain slopes on foot, and hitched rides on dilapidated World War II trucks and newer gypsys, on her way to the remote village of Magulong on the Manipur-Nagaland border, she was also coming home.

At the entrance to the village, children stood in a line, welcoming them with a song sung to the tune of God Save the Queen. "They had been waiting for us for several hours," says Child, who was accompanied on her journey by a group of friends and cousins. As was their tradition, the villagers offered to carry their guests in but when they protested, they tied a rope to the front bender of the gypsy and pulled it all the way to the church at the centre of the village.

With that, Child had travelled through an arc of time — Magulong was where her parents Ursula Graham Bower and Colonel Frederick Nicholson Betts were married by Naga rites over 60 years ago. Her mother, the amateur anthropologist who lived for several years with the Nagas, whose life and customs she was documenting in the 1940s. Her mother, whose image was splashed on the cover of Time magazine in 1945, celebrated as the woman who led a squad of Naga warriors against the Japanese during World War II.

Graham Bower, who was described by her mother to the Time magazine, as one who "never would sit still", arrived in Assam in 1936, a disappointed woman. Having fought all her life to be sent to the best private schools in England, the 22-year-old had been denied a chance to study at Oxford because of a financial crunch at home. "She felt that her life was over. Till a friend, Alexa Macdonald, whose brother was an Imperial Civil Service officer recently posted in Manipur, invited her to join them. My grandmother, who never understood my mother's ambitions, felt it was a good thing and that she would find a husband here. Instead my mother found the Nagas," says Child.

In the beginning, Graham Bower, a plump, academic woman, did what other white women of the Raj did — shop at a bazaar in Imphal or watch a polo match on a sunny afternoon. Then, on a trip to Kohima, she spotted the muscular Nagas for the first time, in their traditional kilts and ornaments. Graham Bower would tell Child much later that she felt a strong connection with these mysterious people, a sense that her destiny was tied with them. She began visiting Naga areas and photographing them. When she went back to London and showed her anthropologist friends the photographs, they encouraged her to return to finish the work she had started.

Between 1939 and 1946, Graham Bower travelled to remote villages, helping the people with medicines and rudimentary medical care, as well as photographing them and documenting their traditions. She spent many years among the Zemi Nagas, the object of her study, in Laisong village in north Cachar, Assam.

In 1942, thick in the middle of World War II, her presence and familiarity with the villagers was a strategic advantage for the British, who did not have many friends among the local, often hostile, tribes. "Maybe, because she was a woman and not an official, people began to accept her,'' says Child. Graham Bower's medical kit had become popular among residents. There were few antibiotics available, so the medicines she carried would be the only care they had for sores, fevers and infections. Over time, she developed an unshakeable bond.

When the Japanese army invaded Burma in 1942 and threatened to push forward to India, she was recruited by the British to scour the jungles for the enemy. Bower mobilised the Nagas against the Japanese, placing herself at the head of a formidable band of 150 warriors, armed with ancient muzzle-loading guns. She herself would carry two sten guns. They came to be known as the Bower Force, for rescuing wounded Allied pilots and ambushing enemy missions.

It was in the hills that she met Lt Col Frederick Nicholson Betts, a fellow adventurer, who she married in 1945. The newly-married couple set off toward Magulong a year later to meet the tribes in "Manipur State, outside British India and 30 miles off across forbidding hills". First down into Jiri valley, over a steep hill, climbing over Maovam in lashing stinging rain and running down hills to finally reach a camp where the headman of Magulong, Khutuing, was waiting for them. He was carrying a ge-ze — a human hair-tufted shield and two long strands of human hair in his two ear lobes — a sign that he had taken the head of a Kuki. It was from Khutuing that Graham Bower learnt the headhunter's war cry. "My mother really loved them, as Magulong was a warlike village, very much like Khonoma, where the Angami (tribe) lived,'' Child says.

In her 1952 book, Naga Path, an account of her life in the hills, Graham Bower writes of her second wedding in this village. "Tim and I had been married, the village knew, by the sahib's laws and rites. But there ought to be more. It was right that I, who was a Zemi, should also be married by tribal rites as well — the only rites that the Zemi recognised. Magulong, therefore, proposed to see it done." Not only had the Zemi accepted Graham Bower as one of their own, but she had also started dreaming in their language, believing herself to be one of them, says Child.

 

For the ceremony, Khutuing adopted Graham Bower as his daughter and another family of warriors adopted Betts. There was singing and dancing and drinking till the early hours of the morning. A villager stumbled upon a bear in the middle of a field and speared it. He said he had killed it on behalf of Betts, in honour of his bride Asaipui, or the queen, as she was known by the Zemi.

Child is here to visit the two families who adopted her parents. Over a meal of meat, boiled greens and rice beer, she tells Gobi and Rimzam Disuang, 88 and 85 years respectively, the descendants of Khutuing, "I only have a sister, no brothers. You are my Naga brothers.''

Rimzam was six when Graham Bower first came to Magulong village, now in Manipur's Tamenglong district. "We had never seen a white person before and were frightened. She had different skin, hair, eyes, ears. She was so big! One of her thighs was the same size as a child. We all ran away. Then she took her gramophone to a small knoll in the middle of the village. There she started playing music. We went up to the knoll and looked around for the person singing the song. But there was no singer. Only a box from which these songs emanated in a strange language. One of the gaon budas (village elders) warned us. He told us not to listen to these songs as they would attract us and convert us to a strange religion,'' recalls Rimzam.

Child first came to India in 1986, intrigued by her mother's stories, and tried to visit north Cachar. "But there were many restrictions then and I was turned away. I never told my mother I was attempting the trip. When she later found out, she was furious, first of all because it was a dangerous journey to make at the time and also because she was jealous that she couldn't be with me," says Child. It was only much later in 1996, after a decade of building contacts, that she met the Nagas from Magulong in Shillong.

~http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-naga-warrior-a-daughter-travels-to-nagaland-to-retrace-journey-of-her-mother/1187642/4

Bomb blast in Imphal

One powerful foreign-made bomb exploded on Tuesday morning near Marwari Dharmasala in the Imphal city. There was no casualty. Police sources said the bomb was planted under a hand-cart and activated by a remote control device. There have been series of bomb blasts in the Imphal city all these days. Earlier, nine migrant workers from Assam were killed and 11 others wounded, when a hand grenade was hurled inside the shack of the labourers in Imphal.

Home Minister, Gaikhangam Gangmei said the bomb attacks are intended to create law and order problems. Describing the attacks as cowardly, he said that the government will come down with a heavy hand to curb this.

Every morning, scores of migrant workers assemble at Marwari Dharmasala to start their daily works

~hindu

THE BOY WHO BECAME A HORNBILL- Zeme Folktale

Once there was a boy whose parents had died, and he lived in the house of some relatives, but the man and his wife constantly ill-treated him. When he went with the other young people to work in the fields the woman used to give him food to take with him; but she mixed rats' dung with the rice and gave him a porcupine's quill to take so that he could pick out what grains he could from the mess.

Every day the young men and girls used to gather in the field- house and eat together, but the boy was ashamed to let them see what his food was like, and always ate by himself, at a distance. One day he went to wash his hands and mouth before eating, and two of the girls, both of whom were fond of him, said to each other; "Why does he never eat with us? Let us go and look and see what food he has." They went very quietly and unpacked his parcel of food, and found the rice all filthy and mixed with rats' dung.

"Oh!" they said. "So that is why he would not eat with us! Let us throw it away." They threw it away, and each contributed a little from her own food and made it up into a parcel as before. They looked in his zu-gourd, but there was only water, so they threw that away, and each contributed zao kasang from her own gourd.

When the boy came back and opened his food he found good rice instead of what had been there before, and he said to the others: "Who does this belong to? It isn't mine. Mine is not like this." They all said: "It must be yours. Look, every one of us has his own." Still he insisted that it was not his, and they that it must be, but he refused to eat or drink any of it.

For several days this happened, the girls waiting till he had gone to wash and then supplying good rice and zu from their own store, but every time he declared it was not his and would not touch it, for he guessed what had happened and was ashamed.

One day he said to the girl he liked the best: "Which do you love most, me or your clothes?" She answered: "I love you the best."

"Then will you give me your skirt?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, and gave it him. "And will you give me your breast-cloth?" "Yes," said the girl, and she took off her black breast-cloth and gave it him, and he put the two cloths on.

"How do I look?" he said.

"Oh, very fine," said the girl.

"Will you give me the neck of your zu-gourd?" he said.

"Yes," she said, and broke it off and gave it to him. He put it to his mouth like a beak, and said: "Now I'll get up on the field house and see how I look from there." When he had scrambled up on the roof he called to her: "How do I look now?"

"Oh, very fine indeed," she said.

"Very well," said the boy. "If it looks all right from here, then I'll go up higher into a tree." He climbed up into a tree and sat there and became a hornbill, and cried out harshly, as hornbills do. When the girl saw what had happened she began to weep and cried out: "You look very handsome, but come down and let us go to the village. Come down, and let us go!" But he was a hornbill, and was ready to fly away.

"After a long while I will return," he said to her. "When you hear the sound of hornbills' wings overhead, come out of your house and sit outside; I shall be the last bird in the flight, and I will let fall the very best of my tail-feathers for you."

So he flew away, and the girl went weeping back to the village.

A long time later, after the girl had married, she heard the sound of hornbills' wings overhead, and she left the house and sat outside. As she looked up at the last hornbill in the flight, the bird let fall the finest of its tail-feathers, and it floated down and landed between the girl's breasts.

The boy's adoptive mother was also watching, and when she saw this she called out: "Oh, give me something too!" but all that came down were the bird's droppings, and they landed right in her eyes and blinded her. The girl kept the feather and treasured it, and she and her husband had great good fortune and had splendid crops and became rich.

 

~Ursula Graham's Collection

KATSINGPEO'S WIFE - Zeme Folktale

There was once a slave-girl named Reile in Hangrum, and one feast-day one of the dekachangs made a song on her name, as if she were a mithan for sacrifice. Having made the song, they killed her or she died, I do not know which, and they buried her.

In the morning the earth over the grave was all burst open, because Katsingpeo had come and taken her away, but Hangrum did not know that. Her great friend went with a party to the bazaar by the old road going over Mahadeo hill. When she came near the hill she suddenly had a very bad colic, and said to the others that she could not go on, she must lie down and rest. When she was asleep Reile appeared and talked with her. Reile was wearing a necklace of serow horns. When she had talked with her friend she went away, and it is so long ago nobody knows what they said. By this it was known that Katsingpeo had taken her for his wife. After that anyone from Hangrum who went near the hill was taken ill and died, and so they were afraid and pretended they came from other villages when they went that way. There is a pool near the hill, and formerly those who were unfortunate saw Reile there, bathing and washing clothes soiled by menstruation, so that the water was all red. Her hair was very long, they say, and tied on her neck like a Naga woman's, and anyone unlucky enough to see her was sure to be taken ill before he got home. Those who were lucky did not see her.

~Ursula Graham's Collection

No common opp candidates for Manipur LS election

Proposed fielding of common candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats by the opposition political parties in Manipur seemed to be a far cry as after BJP Manipur Pradesh hinted of going alone in the elections, the CPI Manipur state council has projected its candidate in one of the seats in the elections due early next year.

With the sole objective of defeating the Congress in both the Lok Sabha seats in Manipur, 12 political parties in the state have held several rounds of meetings to form a common platform of the opposition since the humiliating suffered by them in the 2012 elections to the Manipur Legislative Assembly which Ibobi-led Congress returned to power for third consecutive term.

The efforts seemed to have gone in vain as with the approaching of the Lok Sabha elections, major political parties of the 12 opposition parties were parting one another.

Despite having open protest from some of the opposition parties, the CPI Manipur State Council, it one of its council’s meeting held on Friday resolved to its incumbent state secretary Dr M Nara to send out as party candidate in the Inner Manipur Parliamentary Constituency in the forthcoming 16th Lok Sabha election.

The announcement was amidst the strong protest from the Manipur People’s Party (MPP) and BJP state unit from the beginning when the CPI has hinted fielding Nara as consensus candidate of the opposition parties in the inner seat of the Lok Sabha.

Recently, the state BJP has expressed its willingness to go alone by fielding party candidates in the elections, asserting that fielding of a consensus common candidate by the opposition parties is now appearing more and more remote even though efforts are still on to field a common candidate.

While the opposition parties were parting each other, ruling Congress in Manipur had already invited applications from nominating as its candidates in the forthcoming elections.

With the list of the applicant, chief minister O Ibobi Singh has met with party high command during his camping in New Delhi. Ibobi who was camping in New Delhi came back today in Imphal.

6 new orchid species found in Manipur

Six more new species of orchid were found in Manipur by the scientists of the Orchid Research and Development, Hengbung in Manipur Senapati district.

One of the six newly discovered orchid species has a unique character as it has no Chlorophyll, according to Prof TK Chandrashekar, secretary of the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Government of India who talked at a function held at Orchid Research and Development Centre, Hengbung in connection with inauguration of a visitors’ house there.

Of the total 286 reported species of orchids grown in Manipur, 26 species were found last year by a research team of the Centre for Orchid Gene Conservation of the Eastern Himalayan Region, which conducted a survey in the forests of Manipur.

Out of these the centre at Henbung hill range in Senapati district had collected 211 species so far apart from the 26 new species found in Senapati and Ukhrul districts in the last five years.

Orchid Preservation Centre at Khonghampat in Imphal West district under the state wildlife wing of forest department was preserving about 220 species of orchids including the rare and endangered species.

Among the highly threatened species of orchids specified in Schedule-VI of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, three species namely, Blue vanda (Vanda Coerulea) (Kwaklei), Red vanda (Renanthera imschootiana) (Kwaklei Angangba) and Lady’s slipper (Paphiopedilum spp.) (Khongup Lei) are at present preserved at the Centre, a source from the centre said.

There are also three other orchid species endemic to Manipur, namely– Ascocentrum ampullaceum var.auruanticum (Nachom Lei), Schoenorchis manipurensis and Kalimpongia narjitii.

The Northeastern region of the country was estimated to have about 600 species of orchids. As per Biological Survery of India (BSI), Manipur alone have about 450 species.

The Khonghampat Centre is an ex-situ preservation centre with about 220 species of orchids.  The Centre is also preserving various species of trees, bamboos and other imortant rare and vanishing plants of the state.

Among them, species such as, Agar (Aquileria agalocha), Ushingsha (Cinamomum zelanicm), Hing (Ferula asafoetida), Ficus krishnae (Makhan katori), Tairel (edrela toona), Heirangoi (Amoora rohituka), Budha’s bamboo (Babusa vulgaris forma waminii), Apatani bamboo (phyllotachys), Kwamanbi (Smilex lanceifolia), Yendang (Cycas pectinata), Chandrika (Rauwolfia serpentine), Bokul (Mimusops elengii), (Nageshwar (Mesua ferrea), Glory lily (Gloriosa superba) and Ashoka treee (Saraca indica).

~NP

Minor raped in Karbi Anglong

Incident of another rape on minor resurfaced in Karbi Anglong, when a minor girl, aged around 13 was raped by a youth at Batplang village of West Karbi Anglong.

The incident came to light only on October 26, when the minor disclosed the matter to the police.
According to the victim, when she and one of her friend (name not disclosed) was returning from Jenkha after visiting Durga puja festivity on October 12 around 5 kilometres from her residence, a youth identified as Ranjit Tisso “forcefully” took them both in an auto rickshaw to an isolated sugarcane plantation, by the road side between Jenkha and Menmazi, and raped her, while her friend managed to escape.

The incident was not reported to the police immediately, as the village headmen tried to resolve the matter according to customary law but realizing the limitations of the community justice parents of the victim ultimately took the matter before police. Ranjit Tisso is on the run.

~NP

THE HORNBILL'S FEATHER.

A Zemi Folktale collected by Ursula Graham

A number of women once went down to the river to fish, and one of them who was a little ahead of the others found a spot where a hornbill had been killed by some bird of prey, and its feathers were scattered all over the ground. There was one very fine tail- feather, and she quickly damped it and made it dirty so that it looked the shabbiest of the lot. When the others came up she cried to them: "Come, all of you, and take the feathers home for your children. When you have had your pick I will take what is left over."

The others all chose the feathers they wanted, but the tail- feather looked so dirty that nobody took it and the woman carried it home carefully and gave it to her brother's son, whose name was Ngoi, and he cleaned and smoothed it and made it as good as new. It was a magnificent feather, and as wide as the length of two fingers. When he had cleaned the feather he put it on, and all the girls thought they had never seen anything more handsome.

Now there was a young wife in another village; she and Ngoi had been lovers when she lived with her parents in his village, but she had married someone else. Just at this time her parents performed the feast of merit called Hekwi-ki, and they sent to call her and her husband to the celebrations.

When the day came the girl's husband said to her: "Get out new clothes from the jappa. Everybody else is putting on their best clothes, and we shall feel ashamed if we look shabby."

"Why should we put on new clothes?" said the girl. "When I lived there, there was not a single boy I liked: who then should I please by putting on new clothes?" Her husband said nothing more, and they went in their old clothes.

On the way she said: "Don't accept zu from anyone else; it is my father's house, and I will bring you everything you want," and her husband agreed.

When they reached the house Ngoi was standing by the door, splendidly dressed and wearing his hornbill's feather, and as soon as she saw him the girl went straight in to her parents, put down the zu she had brought to help them out with the feast, and asked them for new clothes. They took out good new clothes and gave them to her, and she put them on and went out to serve zu to the guests. Both her husband and Ngoi were sitting there, but she was always pouring zu for Ngoi and never gave any to her husband at all. The husband sat and watched this for some time, and he began to be sore at heart. He whispered to a friend from the same village who was sitting next to him: "I have dropped my tobacco. Take a bamboo torch and creep about looking for it, and when you come near Ngoi, set fire to the feather in his hair."

The friend did as he asked, and when he passed behind Ngoi he brushed the father with the torch and set light to it.

"Oh!" cried Ngoi, in rage and distress. "I loved that more than any other thing!" So saying, he took the ruined feather and stripped off the ash and swallowed it.

While his friend was searching for the tobacco the girl's husband had sat still, but when the feather was burnt he flung down his cup of zu and hurried away, singing as he went: "I shall not drag my wife away, I shall not fight because of her; let her do as she pleases, and be the wife of whichever one of us she likes. I am going to my own village."

His brother-in-law came out of the village after him, and sang in reply: "Be not angry, be not displeased, speak not angry words; all the necklaces, all the mithan you gave, you will have again."

NOTE.

The song from this story must be sung (and then only) at the building of a big house for the feasts of merit called Hekwi-ki and Krreo-dung. It may not be sung at other times.

On these occasions two men who know the song will come from a distance towards the house, singing as they come, until they reach the porch. They must sing the first two or three words alone and then the others, who may be forty or fifty strong, may join in. With the next line the two soloists must lead again, and so on. When the song is finished they go off again and return singing something else, and they go on doing this as long as they like.

Before this particular song can be sung two others must be sung, and unless there is someone who knows how to sing them the ceremony cannot be performed. If there is no one suitable in the village, someone must be fetched from another village.

THE BIRTH OF THE SPIRITS - Zemi folktale

First of all Bangklawong fell from heaven. There was no earth, only water, and on top of it was a wild taro leaf, onto which he fell. He said to himself: "If I am to be king, then my feet will not touch the water," but as he came down one foot touched the leaf and the other the water and he knew he would not be king for long.

He asked everything and everybody whether they could make land, but none of them could. At last he asked the King Worm, and the King Worm said he could.

"If I do, will you give me what I ask?" he said.

"What do you want?" asked Bangklawong.

"Every day a thousand shall die, and I shall eat their bodies," said the King Worm.

"If that happens, there will be no one left," said Bangklawong.

"Every day a thousand more will be born to take their places," answered the King Worm.

"Very well," said Bangklawong. "Then I will give you what you ask."

The King Worm went down to the bottom of the water and made worm casts until he had made all the earth, and the crow patted it flat and smooth, but by the time he came to do the hills he was too tired to flatten them properly, and that is why the plains are smooth and the hills are steep and full of cliffs. Then Tingwong told Bangklawong in a dream:

"If you do not want to live alone, then cut off two of your fingers, and one will become your wife and the other your sister."

So Bangklawong cut two of his fingers, and one became his wife and the other his sister. The sister was a very hard worker, and so quick and skilled that when she went to fetch wood or water she was back so soon that Bangklawong never had any privacy in which to enjoy his wife. At last he took a basketful of katsing seeds and spilled them in the grass, and told his sister that if she did not pick them all up even to the last one, he would take his dao and kill her, and he stuck his dao in the ground beside her and went back to his house.

The sister picked up the seeds so quickly that she returned, saying: "I have brought them all," when Bangklawong was having connection with his wife, and the sight so affected her that she cried out that she was going to lay an egg. Bangklawong told her to go to Tallaurok, at the source of the Barak, taking with her a dao, a plantain-tree and a huluk [a gibbon], and lay her eggs there. She went to Tallaurok, and there, by a cliff where there was a waterfall, she laid eight eggs, and then planted the plantain- trees, put the dao by it, and went away, leaving the huluk in the tree to keep watch.

Out of the first egg to hatch came Katsingpeo, and although his eyes were not yet open it seemed so bright outside that he was frightened and ducked down again inside his shell. The next to hatch was Tsiuperai, and he was not frightened, but stood up straight up and cried: "I am the first and the greatest!"

Hearing this, Katsingpeo came out again and said: "No, I hatched first, but I was frightened and hid again. I am the first and the greatest."

"No!" said Tsiuperai. "You were frightened and hid, whereas I stood straight up. I am the greatest."

Presently the other eggs hatched out, all except one. Tsiuperai said: "Our mother must have left us something." He felt about until he found the plantain-tree and its fruit. "Then there must be something else," he said, and felt about until he found the dao, and with that he cut down the tree and took the fruit. He gave the plantains out, one to each, but the huluk (gibbon) put its hand out each time and took the fruit.

"Now have you each had one?" he asked, but they one and all said they had not.

"I gave one to each," said Tsiuperai. "I will give them out again, and I will catch hold of each hand as I find it, and whoever it belongs to must say who he is." He began to give out the fruit again, and the first hand he found he caught and held, and called out: "Whose is this?" It was the huluk's hand, and all the spirits answered: "Not mine."

"Very well," said Tsiuperai. "Since it is none of ours, I'll cut it." He slashed at it with the dao, and the blood spurted up into his face and all at once his eyes opened and he could see. Then he took the blood and smeared it on the eyes of Katsingpeo and of all the others, and their eyes too opened.

They waited there a long time for the last egg to hatch, but it did not. "It must be addled," they said. "If it were good it would have hatched out long ago," and they rolled it down the bank into the river and went away to find their mother.

As they went along Tsiuperai and Katsingpeo did nothing but argue and quarrel as to which of them was the greater, and at last they agreed to throw pebbles across the Barak, and he whose stone reached the other side would be the greatest. Katsingpeo and all the others threw their stones, and they fell into the water before reaching the far side, but Tsiuperai picked up a beetle by mistake and threw that, and it zoomed off right across the river.

"There!" he said. "My stone has reached the far side, and I am the first and the greatest."

They went on their way, but Katsingpeo continued to argue, and presently, when they reached a smooth, grassy place, they agreed to throw stems of 'hpi' grass along the ground, and he whose shot went farthest should be the greatest. All the others threw without their stems going very far, but Tsiuperai, in hunting about for one to throw, took hold of a snake and threw that, and it shot off away beyond the others.

"There!" said Tsiuperai. "My stick has gone the farthest, and I am the first and the greatest."

Next they came to their mother's house, and changing themselves into crows, they perched in a nearby tree. Their mother came out and saw them, but when she counted them there were only seven.

"These cannot be my children," she thought. "For I laid eight eggs." And she went in again.

The seven spirits looked at her, and Tsiuperai said: "That must be our mother. Let us call out 'Mother' to her and see what happens."

"No, no!" cried all the others. "If we call out 'Mother' to her and she is not our mother, we shall feel ashamed."

While they perched there arguing about this, their mother came out several times and looked at them, and at last Tsiuperai said:

"Whatever you others do or don't do, I am going to call out 'Mother'." Then he called out to her: "Mother, we are your children."

"You cannot be my children," she answered. "For there are only seven of you, and I laid eight eggs."

"There were eight eggs," they said. "But the last one never hatched, so we thought it must be addled and pushed it down the bank into the river."

"Alas, my youngest child!" she cried. "Fools that you are, he would have been wiser and stronger and greater than any of you."

Then she asked them which was the eldest.

"I am," said Katsingpeo. "I hatched the first, and I am the foremost and the greatest."

"No, I am!" said Tsiuperai, and the two of them began quarrelling.

"I will show you which is the first and greatest," said their mother. "All of you stand here, and I will press out the milk from my breasts, and he to whom it goes first is the first and foremost."

They did as she told them, and she pressed out the milk from her breasts. First it went towards Katsingpeo, but turning from him, went straight to Tsiuperai's mouth, and after him back to Katsingpeo, and after him to all the others in order.

As for the egg which went into the Barak, it hatched, and out of it came the python.

Five killed in 6 serial bomb blasts at Modi rally

[caption id="attachment_9494" align="alignleft" width="292"] An injured being carried by policemen after serial bomb blasts during BJP's Hunkar rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna on Sunday. Photo:Ranjeet Kumar[/caption]

Hours before the multiple explosions, a crude bomb went off in a newly constructed toilet at the Patna railway station, two km from the BJP’s ‘Hunkar rally’ venue.

Five people died from blast injuries and 66 others were being treated for these injuries, according to Vimal Karak, Deputy Superintendent of Patna Medical College Hospital.

Five low intensity blasts occurred on the outer periphery of the Gandhi Maidan, Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami told PTI in Delhi. One bomb went off before the Eliphistine cinema hall on the western side of the rally venue, police said. Tens of thousands of people had gathered at the rally venue.

Immediately after the explosion at the railway station, bomb disposal swept the area and recovered two more crude bombs, Railway Superintendent of Police Upendra Kumar Sinha said.

One security personnel was injured while defusing a bomb recovered from the toilet, he said.

People were seen rushing the injured to the hospital as the explosions sparked panic.

At the rally, plumes of smoke billowed from a couple of sites even as BJP leaders, including Mr. Modi, addressed the crowd.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts and appealed for calm. He spoke to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and asked him to speedily probe the blasts and ensure that perpetrators are punished.

“The Prime Minister has condemned the blasts in Patna and called for urgent steps to identify and take action against those responsible,” a PMO statement sai

The Home Ministry sought a report from the Bihar government on the explosions and has sent teams of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG) to the state.

“I can’t say whether it was a terror attack or political conspiracy. Only after the investigation, we will be able to tell anything,” Union Minister of State for Home R P N Singh said.

Mr. Modi later said he was saddened at the blasts. “Blasts in Patna are deeply saddening and unfortunate. Condolences with families of deceased and prayers with injured. I appeal for peace and calm,” the Gujarat Chief Minister said in a tweet.

Hours after the blasts, one live bomb was found at Gandhi maidan and it was being defused, police said. The entire maidan was also being searched thoroughly.

Mr. Singh said besides the Prime Minister, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had also spoken to the Chief Minister.

Four persons have been detained from different areas of Patna and are being questioned by police, according to Patna SSP Manu Maharaj.

Mr. Goswami said the Centre will give all assistance to the Bihar government. He said it was up to the state government to decide on what kind of arrangements were to be made for the rally.

Mr. Nitish held a meeting with Chief Secretary A.K. Sinha, Director General of Police Abhyanand and Principal Secretary Home Amir Subhani on the law and order situation in the wake of the serial blasts.

He also cancelled his scheduled tour to Munger where he was to address an international yoga conference.

Mr. Nitish’s carcade was ready at his 1, Anne Marg residence to leave for the airport to fly to Munger when the visit was cancelled, sources in the chief minister’s office said.

He was scheduled to go to Munger and from there to Rajgir to attend a two-day JD(U) convention in Nalanda district.

“The chief minister’s programme at Munger to attend an international yoga conference has been cancelled in view of the blasts in Patna,” Munger DM N K Singh told PTI.

Krishna, an eyewitness, said the gathering was first told that the tyre of a vehicle had exploded after the first explosions went off near the rally venue.

“But it didn’t seem so. I went there to check. I knew they were bomb blasts. The sound of the blasts was too loud,” he said.

PM condemns blasts, appeals for peace

Condemning the blasts in Patna just ahead of Narendra Modi’s rally, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for peace and asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to urgently identify and take action against the perpetrators.

The Prime Minister spoke to Mr. Kumar soon after the blasts to enquire about the situation and impress upon the need for immediate and firm action.

He assured the Bihar Chief Minister of all help from the Centre in the investigation.

“The Prime Minister has condemned the blasts in Patna and called for urgent steps to identify and take action against those responsible,” a PMO statement said.

“He appealed to the people to maintain peace and calm,” it added.

~hindu

Dr. Singh, during his telephonic call to Kumar, called for “immediate and firm action”.

Tripura to get second software tech park

Agartala, October 26: A second Software Technology Park would be set up in Tripura to boost information technology in the country's northeast region and to reach out to people of rural and remote areas with e-governance, a minister said here Saturday. The proposed Software Technology Park (STP) would be the second such technological complex in Tripura and sixth in the northeast region of India.

There are 54 STPs functioning in India. The minister said the state government would soon declare Information Technology and Electronics Policy. The Tripura government, with the financial assistance from the central government, has been setting up a STP at Indranagar in the outskirts of the city at a cost of Rs.43 crore to further boost the information technology industries in the industry-starved northeastern region.

There are four other STPs that are either functioning or ready to function in Guwahati, Imphal, Gangtok and Aizawl. Chowdhury said the technology park would provide all sorts of facilities for the growth of information technology industries in the region for the purpose of socio-economic development. "The STP would help the authorities to reach out to citizens with more efficient and productive government services," the minister said. He added that it would serve as an important tool to create maximum job opportunities as well as absorbing a large portion of the educated unemployed.

~MExN

Hornbill festival 2013 to be bigger

[caption id="attachment_9487" align="alignnone" width="890"] File Pic of Hornbill Fest[/caption]

Taking note of the increasing popularity of the Hornbill Festival world over, department of Tourism Wednesday reasoned that the Hornbill Festival, 2013 has been extended to 10 days.

This was also done in order to promote inflow of more tourists and to commemorate the 50 years Celebration of Nagaland Statehood Day, to be inaugurated by the President of India on December 1.

Food Festival, Chef Award

In a bid to promote Naga culinary skills in the international arena, Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has contemplated the idea of introducing Food Festival and the Hornbill Chef Award, during the upcoming 10-day Hornbill Festival, 2013.

Hornbill 2013 will witness the ‘shopping festival’ to promote Naga products and handicrafts.

 

Hornbill International Rock Contest

The Hornbill International Rock Contest and music festival, organized by the Music Task force, Government of Nagaland may well be the longest music event in the country. Attractive cash prizes and music loving crowd makes the event a unique experience for performers.

Such extravaganza is in keeping with the essence of the many Naga festivals; marked by feasts, dances, games and music, all in full measure. Nagas do not do things in small instalments. These celebrations invariably coincide with agricultural lean periods such as after-harvest, and therefore the feeling of gaiety and generosity, even to a fault. In the old days the rich used to host several-day-long feasts in which the villagers revelled, and guests from other villages were feted. These were times when the youth were pitted against each other in friendly competitions in performing arts and traditional sports, while the old proudly looked on.

Circumstances have changed; some have moved on while a few still embraces the old ways. Nevertheless, in either case the joie de vivre of the Nagas lives on. The annual Hornbill Festival, and therefore the Hornbill International Rock Contest, is set in this background. In time, the event hopes to go international.

Over the years, there have been some great performances by bands from all over the country. The very fact that a band is selected to perform at the event is an achievement.

Prizes 2013
Band Prizes:
First prize : INR 10,00,000/- (1 Million INR)
Second prize : INR 2,50,000/- ( 250 thousand INR)
Third prize : INR 1,50,000/- ( 150 thousand INR)

Individual Prizes:
Best Vocalist
Best Guitarist
Best Drummer
Best Bassist
INR 30,000/- each and other surprise Sponsored Prizes

 

For further details log in to the official Hornbill Festival site at http://www.hornbillfestival.com/index.php

Incessant rain kills 29 in Andhra, creates havoc in Bengal

HYDERABAD/KOLKATA: Incessant rain has claimed as many as 29 lives in Andhra Pradesh during the past four days while more than 72,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas.

The rain and flood-battered southern state is unlikely to get respite anytime soon as the Met department has forecast heavy downpour in the next 48 hours.

According to an official note from the commissioner, disaster management, more than 72,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas in nine districts. Also, crops spread over 5.64 lakh hectares and 6,597 houses had been damaged.

The government has set up 178 relief camps in nine districts, including 36 in Srikakulam.

Hundreds of villages across Andhra Pradesh remained submerged, while road and rail routes were affected as the rain fury continued on Friday.

Rain-related incidents like drowning and wall collapse have claimed 29 lives so far. Prakasam district accounted for the maximum deaths at six, followed by Guntur (5), Mahabubnagar (4), Hyderabad, Kurnool (3 each), Vizianagaram, East Godavari, Nalgonda and Warangal (2 each), the statement said.

Besides, two people have been reported missing in Visakhapatnam district.

River Krishna was in spate following which 3.15 lakh cusecs of water is being discharged into Bay of Bengal from Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada. Vast stretches of Vijayawada-Hyderabad Highway were submerged in floodwaters, leading to traffic diversion.

Rail track at Bommayipalli on the Secunderabad-Guntur section was damaged and repairs were being carried out. All important trains on this route are being diverted via Warangal and Vijayawada, official sources said.

The East Coast Railway has cancelled Bhubaneswar-Bengaluru Prasanthi Express and Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam Express trains due to heavy rains. The Puri-Tirupati Express and Coromandel Express also stands cancelled, they said.

A dozen teams of National Disaster Response Force are carrying out relief operations in Srikakulam, Guntur, West Godavari, Nalgonda, Prakasam and Mahbubnagar, they added.

Vehicular traffic has been thrown out of gear as 900 km road stretch has been marooned. As many as 117 minor irrigation tanks were damaged in the rain-ravaged districts. Tens of village tanks have suffered breaches inundating settlements and crops.

Rain throw life out of gear in south Bengal

Three people were killed in heavy rains in south Bengal on Saturday with normal life thrown out of gear in the metropolis and adjacent districts and the weatherman predicting it would continue till midday tomorrow.

The rains left two people Sanjoy Mondal and his son Ashis, dead after a balcony of an old house collapsed on Cotton Street here, police sources said. A woman, Dulai Mohanta, died in a wall collapse at Bhurigram in Burdwan, district police said. Kolkata received the season's highest of 140 mm rainfall, Met officials said.

Widespread rain was reported from Durgapur in Burdwan district, which recorded 112-114mm rain. Purulia district reported 65mm rain which affected Bagmundi, Jhalda and Jaypore blocs.

At least 1,334 huts collapsed in Burdwan district, disaster management sources said. Bankura district magistrate Bijoy Bharati said the rains affected Barjora, Sonamukhi, Patrasayar, and Mejia blocks while the Kangasabati river crossed the danger level.

The DVC said that 30,000 cusec of water needed for hydel power generation was to be released, but it was reduced to 25,000 to 26,000 cusec after the chief secretary requested that the release be checked.

Railway sources said the Howrah-Chennai Mail scheduled to leave Howrah at 11.45pm was cancelled. The Howrah-Hatia Express scheduled to leave Howrah at 10.15pm would leave tomorrow at 8am.

A number of other trains including the Howrah-Secundrabad Falaknuma Express, Yesvantpur Duronto Express, the Santragachi-Kochuveli Weekly Puja Special and Santragachi-Chennai AC Superfast Weekly Puja Special were cancelled.

The Santragachi-Tirupati Express scheduled to leave Santragachi at 4.05pm tomorrow was also cancelled. All south bound trains were being diverted via Jharsuguda-Bilaspur-Nagpur route or via Jharsuguda-Sambalpur-Titlagarh route.

Emergency controls have been opened in all the four divisions — Kharagpur, Adra, Chakradharpur and Ranchi.

~toi

Iran hangs 16 in reprisal for Pakistan border killings

Tehran: Iran said it executed 16 "rebels" Saturday in reprisal after gunmen killed at least 14 border guards near the border with Pakistan, in a rugged area often rocked by violence.

The ambush happened overnight in the mountains of Sistan-Baluchestan, a province in southeastern Iran.

The province is home to a large community of minority Sunni Muslims, unlike the rest of Shiite-dominated Iran, where drug traffickers and Sunni militants operate.

"Fourteen border guards were killed during armed clashes in the region of Saravan, and five others were wounded," the official IRNA news agency said, citing what it called an informed source.

The unnamed source identified the gunmen as "bandits or rebels opposed to the Islamic republic".

But Deputy Interior Minister Ali Abdollahi said the guards were killed in an ambush set by Iranians who were "members of hostile groups".

"Three soldiers have been taken hostage and taken to the other side of the border in Pakistan," he said, adding Iran would "take measures to secure their release".

In retaliation for the attack, the Iranian authorities said they hanged 16 "rebels" held at a prison in the region.

"Sixteen rebels linked to groups hostile to the regime were hanged this morning in the prison of Zahedan in response to the death of border guards in Saravan," Mohammad Marzieh, attorney general of Sistan-Baluchestan, was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.

Abdollah said "we warned the rebel groups that any attack targeting civilians or members of the security forces would not go unanswered".

He also called on the Pakistani government to "take measures to control the border more seriously".

The region has seen bloody clashes during the past few years.

Officials say more than 4,000 police officers and soldiers have been killed there in three decades of fighting with drug traffickers.

Iran is a major transit route for drugs that originate in Afghanistan and are trafficked across its territory, much of them bound for Western countries.

People smugglers also use the route to trafficking illegal immigrants to Europe, via Iran and Turkey.

Officials say Iran has spent millions of dollars to build a "wall" along lengthy stretches of its 1,700-kilometre (1,050-mile) eastern border with Afghanistan and Pakistan in a bid to stop the trafficking.

Work on the barrier began in the 1990s and is expected to be completed before the end of next year.

The Islamic republic says it is fighting a deadly war against drug traffickers who make up half of its prison population.

But Sunni militant group Jundallah (Soldiers of God) has also launched attacks on civilians and officials in Sistan-Baluchestan, including a December 2010 suicide bombing in the city of Shabahar that killed 39 people.


The Iranian authorities hanged 11 suspected members of Jundallah at Zahedan prison in December 2010 in response to the deadly bombing of the Shiite mourning procession in Shabahar.

Jundallah, whose leader Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged in June 2010, has been waging a deadly insurgency in southeastern Iran for almost a decade.

The group says it is fighting for the rights of the ethnic Sunni Baluchis who make up a significant part of the province's population.

AFP

PM urged to take decisive step on Indo-Naga talks

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 24 (MExN): A delegation of the Naga Students’ Federation today went to the Prime Minister Office at North Block New Delhi and submitted a Memorandum in regard to the Indo-Naga peace process.

The NSF while pointing out that exactly 16 years have been completed ever since the Government of India initiated the Peace Process with the Naga people, expressed regret that there is “very less progress in these sixteen years of collective search for honourable solution to the Indo-Naga political issue”.

Stating that the enthusiasm shown by the GoI during the initial stage of the Peace Process was overwhelmingly acknowledged by both the Nagas and Indians, the NSF stated that “the slow pace of the political talks has made us to believe that the Government of India seems to be addressing the issue very callously instead of entering into serious political negotiations.”

“It is disheartening to note here that the level of hope and confidence of the people has gone down tremendously because even after a lapse of more than a decade no tangible result has emerged out of the political dialogue,” the NSF said.

In the memorandum the NSF further informed the PM that if the political talks continue at this present pace without any ostensible outcome, there is every possibility a situation will break out where the Government of India “will find it difficult to encounter with; and ultimately leading to the pre ceasefire situation”.

In light of this, the NSF urged the PM, “to concretize the political talks and take a decisive step in bringing an honourable solution of the Indo-Naga Political Talks”.

The NSF stated that it was still confident that the PM will “definitely exhibit” his “profound leadership in bringing logical conclusion” to the ongoing Indo-Naga Peace Process before the end of his tenure. The memorandum to the PM was also addressed to all national political parties

~MExN

BlackBerry unveils Z30 smartphone at Rs 39,990 in India

[caption id="attachment_9475" align="alignleft" width="380"] Blackberry Z30[/caption]

NEW DELHI: Candian smartphone maker BlackBerry unveiled its premium flagship Z30 phone in India, pricing it at Rs 39,990, as it took on competition from iPhone and Samsung to save its dwindling market share.
BlackBerry Z30 has a 5-inch superAMOLED screen and the device runs on BB10 operating system powered by a 1.7 GHz processor. The device boasts of 2GB RAM with 16GB internal memory, which can be expanded upto 64 GB. The phone has a 8 megapixel rear camera and 2MP front camera. The phone comes packed with a 2,880 mAh capacity, which the firm claims will last up to 25 hours.

The other features include stereo speakers, BlackBerry Natural Sound among others. This is biggest phone from the BlackBerry stable so far.

Introducing its high-end smartphone with an eye on the festive season demand rush, BlackBerry said Z30 -- which was originally priced at Rs 44,990 -- will be available in retail stores across the country early next week.

The handset maker, that saw more than 10 million global downloads of its popular chat application BBM in the first 24 hours of re-launch, said it will organise promotion programmes to attract urban youth to the chat app.

The firm is offering 12-month EMI options for purchasing its latest premium segment offering.

"BlackBerry Z30 is the ultimate smartphone for the urban youth and consumers who are looking for a bigger screen size, long-lasting battery and a best in class productivity experience,"BlackBerry India Managing Director Sunil Lalvani said here.

Besides, the latest version will add more refinement to communication. The BBM script now supports 'Hinglish' as a text, which is the first-of-its-kind feature in the domestic market, he claimed.

Analysts feel that this festival season the Z30 will face strong competition from other flagship smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 & Galaxy S4, Apple iPhone 5s, 5c, LG G2 and Sony Xperia Z1.

Once a dominant player in the handset market, BlackBerry has lost market share to rivals like Apple (iPhone), Google's Android-powered devices and now Nokia's Lumia range, which are powered with Microsoft's Windows phone OS.

The company about ten months back had launched its first touch phone Z10, which failed to live up to expectations.

According to research firm IDC, globally Windows Phone shipments have been surpassing BlackBerry for the first two quarters in 2013 calendar year.

Similarly, Gartner said among worldwide device shipments by operating system (OS), BlackBerry sold 35.58 million units in 2012. The firm predicts that its global shipments will decline to 23.10 million units in 2013 and 19.3 million units in 2014.

BlackBerry will establish 20 centres across the country to allow people to experience the Z30.

On apps for its latest premium segment offering, BlackBerry said it has close to 140,000 apps in its app world.

On BB10 OS 10.2 version updates, Lalvani said Z10 and Q5 customers will receive free updates starting this weekend, while update for Q10 will follow next week.

Meanwhile, global response to BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), which was re-launched on October 22, has given the firm the much needed shot-in-the-arm and it is all set to launch promotional programmes in India to attract youth.

The company will launch the programme in two stages -- college activation and cafe activation.

Under the college activation, BlackBerry is targeting 70,000 downloads of BBM, while under cafe activation, in which it will collaborate with Cafe Coffee Day chain, it is targeting 50,000 downloads of the app.

In September, BlackBerry had paused the global rollout of its instant messaging service BBM on rival phones, blaming the delay on issues caused by an unreleased old version of BBM.

Three bombs recovered from Guwahati-bound passenger bus

GUWAHATI: City Police added a feather to their cap by recovering three crude bombs and averting possible explosions in Guwahati. The bombs were recovered from a Guwahati-bound passenger bus at the Jalukbari point on Thursday.

The passenger bus, which was carrying at least 60 passengers, was coming from Udalguri town in Udalguri district and was scheduled to reach Machkhowa bus stand around 2pm. Though no one was arrested, police suspect that two women were carrying the bombs.

"On the basis of a tip-off, we launched a search operation and recovered the crude bombs from the bus. The bombs, which weighed around 2.5kg, were prepared manually with high-quality explosives. However, these explosives can't be triggered through remote control," said a police official. The bomb squad diffused the bombs later.

Police suspect that two women, believed to be in their twenties, who boarded the bus at Bhebarghat in Mangaldai in Darrang district, were carrying the bombs. "They hid the bombs in a jute bag wrapped in polythene packets under a passenger seat. We believe the women were supposed to hand over the bombs to someone here. During checking, they managed to flee taking advantage of the commotion caused by the recovery of the bombs. A search operation is on to nab them," said the policeman. He added that the two women belonged to some tribal community.

"No extremist element is involved in the incident. Some anti-social elements must have brought the bombs here," said senior superintendent of city police, A P Tiwari.

This is the third consecutive time in the last three days that police have seized explosives in and around Guwahati. On Wednesday, city police seized and diffused one IED from Dudhnoi. Prior to this, Kamrup police recovered another crude bomb weighing 1.5kg from Hajo area near the city.

~toi

NHRC team meets Irom Sharmila for first time in 12 years, hears 40 rights abuse cases in Manipur

[caption id="attachment_9469" align="alignleft" width="320"] Sharmila, who is on a fast since November, 2000, is being currently forced-fed through her nose by the government[/caption]

IMPHAL: Twelve years after rights activist Irom Sharmila started a hunger strike seeking repeal ofArmed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Manipur, a team of National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) met her for the first time in the security ward of JN Hospital here on Wednesday.

Sharmila, who is on a fast since November, 2000, is being currently forced-fed through her nose by the government.

Led by NHRC chairman KG Balakrishnan, the team, comprising 20 members and officials, is on a three-day visit to the state. The team will also hold a sitting in Imphalon Thursday to examine the human rights situation in the strife-torn state. Complaints of extra-judicial killings, public distribution system, plight of fishermen whose huts in Loktak Lake were destroyed by the government, irregular release of salaries of government school teachers, healthcare system and condition at prisons are the issues which the commission will examine.

Accompanied by rights activists, including Human Rights Alert (HRA) executive director Babloo Loitongbam, Balakrishnan and some members recorded Sharmila’s statement on the state government’s frequent denial to grant permission to visitors, including her family members, to meet her.

On Friday, the members of the panel will meet representatives of social organizations, state chief secretary, DGP and jail officials, a source said.

In the meantime, Reach Out, an NGO, will file a representation to the commission against the government’s denial to clear salaries of SSA and RMSA teachers for some months. “We are all ready to file the representation to the commission on Thursday for doing the needful,” said the NGO’s chief coordinator, Kshetrimayum Onil.

Following cases filed by HRA and the self-explanatory Extra-judicial Execution Victim Families’ Association, Manipur, the Supreme Court had recently asked the commission to visit Manipur and take stock of the situation.

The two bodies, in their petitions, demanded a probe into over 1500 cases of fake encounter killings by the forces in Manipur.

 

NHRC hears 40 rights abuse cases in Manipur

IMPHAL: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) heard nearly 40 rights violation cases at its camp in Imphal on Thursday.

Led by its chairperson justice K G Balakrishnan, the commission heard cases of extra-judicial killings by government forces, lack of healthcare facilities and ecological imbalances in the Loktak Lake.

On Wednesday, commission members justice Cyriac Joseph, justice Satyabrata Pal and director general (investigation) Kanwaljit Deol met Irom Sharmila Chanu in the security ward of JN Hospital here where she is being forced-fed by the government. Seeking repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, Sharmila has been fasting since November, 2000. The 'Iron Lady of Manipur' told the commission that she will continue her democratic agitation till the military Act is scrapped.

The NHRC team arrived here on Tuesday on a three-day visit to the state to study the human rights scenario.

Tripura man returns home after 10 years in Bangladesh jail

AGARTALA: Twelve-year-old Papia could not recognize her father Sanjib Das (48) when he returned home. After all, she was only a toddler when Sanjib went to Feni district in Bangladesh to attend a wedding.

It was supposed to be a short trip. But it took Sanjib 10 long years to return home, accompanied by BSF jawans and pushed into Indian territory through the Mohurighat border in South Tripura on Wednesday.

Papia is the only daughter of Sanjib and Bina, residents of Dolbari village in Sabroom. Upon seeing her husband after 10 years, who is by now ailing and weak, Bina burst into tears. As her parents wept, however, Papia was silent.

"I have seen my father's picture many times in the family album. But I could not recognize this man, who they introduced to me as my father. I couldn't believe it. But now I understand. My father is ill," Papia told mediapersons.

Her father had gone to Bangladesh along with his friends Manik Banik and Dipak Chandra Das on May 18, 2004. One mistake caused them to lose 10 years of their lives. They weren't carrying their passports.

On the very night they entered the foreign country, Sanjib said, Bangadeshi police arrested all three of them for illegally entering Bangladesh. After a week, they were sent to Feni jail and were to be released after thee months. Obviously, that didn't happen.

Sanjib blamed the external affairs ministry and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka for their sufferings in the Bangladesh jail. He alleged that they had not been given proper food and even deprived of medication during their stay in jail.

"From jail, we communicated with the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Our family in Tripura made several communications with the external affairs ministry, but unfortunately our government did not take up the issue properly with Bangladesh," Sanjib said.

He said more than 500 innocent Indian villagers have been suffering ill treatment in Bangladesh jails over the years even after their jail terms had been served due to inaction on the part of the Indian authorities.

Sanjib recalled how any tension on the Indo-Bangladesh border would have its repercussions in jail. He alleged that the Bangladeshi jail officials would treat the Indian inmates badly, abuse and ill-treat them openly and even deny them their meals.

On Wednesday, however, Sanjib returned home along with his two friends.

Along with these three, 52-year-old Uttam Basak of Amtali village in Sabroom was also pushed back by the Border Guards Bangladesh through the Mohurighat check post.

Uttam too was arrested under the Passport Act for crossing the riverine border through River Feni on April 25, 2007.

Uttam recalled that he was swimming in the river on the summer afternoon when suddenly, three or four persons surrounded him.

"I was taken to a police station and the next day, when I was produced before a local court, I found out that I had crossed the border illegally while swimming. I was sent to jail for six months," Uttam said.

Six months turned into six years for Uttam.

In a related development, Mobile Task Force personnel of Tripura police have detained at least seven Bangladeshi nationals during three separate raids in Boxnagar on the western border of the state on Wednesday. All of them were sent to jail by a local court for illegally entering Indian territory.

~toi

ACAUT mass rally on Oct 31

With the vision to “set our house in order” and “to send a strong message to the concerned authorities/organizations”, Action Committee Against Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) would be organizing a “Public Awareness Rally” on October 31 at Clock Tower junction at 9.30 a.m.

In a press release, ACAUT media cell urged “all citizens having concern for the dismal affairs of our state, to attend the rally without fail”.

ACAUT appealed and invited all Churches of every denomination, tribal hohos, youth organizations, all colonies and villages between Dimapur and Piphema, all businessmen, business organization, student unions, all members of Tibetans, Nepalis, Biharis, Bengalis, Marwaris, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu and Indian Muslim community organizations etc., under Dimapur district, all mass-based organizations including Naga Hoho, NTC, NSF, ENPO, ENSF, NMA to attend the rally.

Stating that “taxation issue has hit the womenfolk the hardest”, ACAUT fervently appealed for their participation.

Schools and colleges have been requested to send the appropriate numbers, members of the The Naga Blog have been asked to take the starring role and to attend the rally in not less than thousands.

“Leaders of the mass-based organizations and frontal tribal hohos of Nagaland wishing to address the issue of taxation and illegal collections shall be given time to speak.

Chamber of Commerce of other districts are requested to send two members each and express solidarity,” ACAUT stated.

Meanwhile, ACAUT further informed all citizens to express support and solidarity with the committee by signing on the banners put up at the Clock Tower roundabout.

~NagalandPost

NSF meets PM hopefuls on peace process, development

[caption id="attachment_9462" align="alignnone" width="450"] A delegation of the NSF met BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at his office in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on October 22.[/caption]

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 23 (MExN): A delegation of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) met Rahul Gandhi, Vice President AICC at 10 Janpath, New Delhi on October 22 and apprised him of the ongoing peace process as well as establishing a national or regional technical institute in Nagaland. According to a press note from NSF President Tongpang Ozukum and Assistant General Secretary Christopher Ltu, the Congress leader “assured the NSF that he will take up the matter with the concerned ministry for establishment of the institute without much delay.”

Gandhi stated that the Indo-Naga political issue is complex as it involves many stake holders but the present Congress led UPA Government was seriously working to resolve the issue.

Later, the NSF delegation went to Ahmedabad to meet the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, also BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, at his office in Gandhinagar. The delegation while wishing him luck also briefed him about the “step-motherly treatment” of the Government of India towards the Nagas in many aspects, especially the Naga political issue.

The delegation raised the need of establishing technical institutions in Nagaland with him. Further, the delegation reminded Modi that Nagas have sentimental attachment with the people of Gujarat given that it was Mahatma Gandhi, the only Indian leader so far, who understood the rights and desire of the Nagas to be an independent nation.
Modi gave a half-hour “patient hearing” and assured the NSF delegation that he will do whatever he can in ventilating the genuine issue raised by the NSF.

Considering both as future leaders of the Indian Republic, the NSF “strongly urged” them to pay special attention to the only airport in Dimapur. “Dimapur Airport with a single flight, plying 4 days in a week with exuberant fare charges, is becoming a liability for the Nagas, particularly the students’ community, studying in mainland India.”

The NSF questioned the intention of the Government of India and its “apathy even in the present arrangement within the Indian Union in regards to the transferring from erstwhile external affair to home ministry, funding allocation to the present state of Nagaland and most importantly the continued effort on the part of GoI to forcefully take away the inherent and legitimate rights of the Nagas.”

The NSF will submit a memorandum each to the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Civil Aviation to address the issues.

Storm lashes Jorhat, injures 16, kills 8 storks

JORHAT: A sudden storm with strong winds lashed Jorhat district in upper Assam on Sunday injuring 16 persons and killing eight Adjutant Storks, besides uprooting trees, electric poles and damaging tea bushes and farm fields.

The storm hit over 50 villages between Jorhat and Dergaon towns for over 15 minutes around 4.30am damaging more than 70 tin roof houses and injuring 16 persons, including three children seriously, police said.

The injured were admitted to Jorhat Medical College Hospital, the sources said.

The storm uprooted two trees where the Adjutant Storks were nesting at Dehotia besides National Highway 37 crushing to death eight of them and injuring seven others, which were sent to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga.

The storm uprooted hundreds of trees and over 20 electric posts cutting power supply in the district, the sources said.

Tea bushes in several tea gardens were damaged by uprooted shade trees, the herb garden of the North East Institute of Science and Technology, Toklai Tea Research Experimental Station, besides standing crops in 100s of acres of agricultural fields were also damaged by the storm.

NH-37 was blocked by uprooted trees for several hours affecting traffic movement before it was cleared, they said.

'Volcanic Eruption' on Manipur hill, locals flee to safety

[caption id="attachment_9413" align="alignleft" width="275"] Illustrative Image[/caption]

Imphal: A suspected volcano-like eruption has been reported in a remote village of Manipur near the Indo-Myanmar border which forced locals to evacuate the area, official sources said today.

According to locals in Tusom village in Ukhrul district of Manipur, a deafening sound was followed by the rolling down of a huge boulder from a nearby hilltop which then released a lava-like liquid that charred trees and plants on the hill slopes.

Although the incident reportedly occurred on October 13, road link between the district headquarters and Tusom was so bad it took the villagers several days to reach the information about the matter to the officials concerned, sources said.

The district headquarters is 120 km away from the village.
No casualty was, however, reported in the incident.

Official reports from the district said mud, water and other discharges were still flowing from the hilltop.

Villagers have moved to safer places in the neighbourhood, they added.

Sources said it would take time to assess whether the event was a volcanic eruption or not.

Deputy Speaker of Manipur Assembly, MK Preshow said he would lead an official team to assess the damages. Tusom village falls under his Assembly constituency of Chingai.

Preshow said he would ask officials to take precautionary measures in the area, which falls near border pillar No.129.

Villagers in the said area rely entirely on the Somra area of neighbouring Myanmar for their items of daily use, Preshow said. However, since the road to Somra was blocked following the incident, steps would be taken by the state government to supply the villagers with essential items, Preshow added.

~NDTV