Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Media Asked to Focus on Development of Northeast States


By Shreeraj Gudi

rspandey New Delhi, Apr 1
: Union Government's interlocutor for Naga peace talks R. S. Pandey on Wednesday asked the media to report more on progress and development of the northeast region than just covering problems.

"Northeast has more stories on prospects and development than problems. There is a vast region of peace and tranquility. The areas which are enjoying peace and harmony should be shown to the outside world," Pandey said.

His comments came while participating in a dialogue on "North East: Fallen off the media map?" organized by the Foundation for Media Professionals (FMP).

Pandey asked the scribes to highlight the basic human values in their reporting when he said the northeastern part of the country can really produce good and sellable news. But he expressed concern that the mainstream media did not have much focus on that region.

In his address, Pandey stressed that the psychological gap between northeast region and mainstream or metropolitan cities-centric media should be bridged.

"There is an immense psychological difference, this needs to be filled with," Pandey said.

He said covering northeast is a big challenge and a bit difficult but even in that one can achieve success.

"This is the time of media proliferation. If the bosses in the media can decide, they can send and get report extensively," Pandey said.

He said there are commonality as well as differences in the homogenous group of northeastern states, which are home to over 200 tribes.

Pandey, who also served for over a two decade in Nagaland as Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer acknowledged that infrastructure development in the region is still a big challenge, though the region showed good in Human Development Index (HDI).

He expressed confidence that the things were improving compared to 30 years ago, but they still need more focus.




Pre-Paid Power Supply Soon in Manipur


maphou dam Maphou Dam Site (Manipur), Apr 1 : In a move to control power theft and monitor loss of power in transmission, a new mechanism of power supply in a ‘pre-paid’ system is likely to be introduced in the State of Manipur.

Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh informed this to a group of media persons on the sidelines of his day-long inspection visit at the Thoubal multi-purpose project site on Monday.

“We’re planning to introduce a pre-paid mechanism of power supply,” Ibobi said while replying to a question on shortage of power supply due to loss in it’s transmission process and frequent report of power theft. “Laying of underground cable is also in full swing in this regard,” he added. Manipur received around 100-110 MW against it’s requirement of 145-150MW of power in the peak hour.

The Chief Minister is confident of getting 145MW as the State’s share once the 2000MW Lower Subansiri (Arunachal Pradesh), 750MW Bongaigaon (Assam) and Palatana (Tripura) projects are commissioned in March next year (2011).

He also expressed need to upgrade the existing 132 KV Yurembam power supply transmission station, 8 km west of Imphal, and appealed to the people of Yurembam village to cooperate with the government in the interest of the State by allowing to acquire necessary land for the project.




Mizoram Govt To Assists Anthurium growers


Anthurium Aizawl, Apr 1 : As per the latest record, there are 472 families in Mizoram engaged in anthurium cultivation who get financial assistance from the horticulture department, government of Mizoram.

Aizawl district tops the list in family wise with as many as 313 families while Lunglei seconded with 67 families followed by Serchhip district with 43 families.

Horticulture department also assisted anthurium growers from Kolasib, Mamit and Lawngtlai districts. The department estimated a sell of 9,60,000 anthurium flowers to various customers.

The flower, which has a unique beauty with lasting charm is not only fascinated by the Mizo people, rather it has a very high demand from other states of India and even from abroad.

In fact, decorated and medicated anthurium flowers have been exported in huge numbers to countries like Japan, UAE, European countries through an agency called Zo Anthurium Growers Society (ZAGS) working for marketing and others improvement of anthurium farmers in Mizoram.

Besides this, ZAGS also organized anthurium exhibition-cum-sale in various places of the state to promote farmers and selling the flowers at reasonable prices to the public.

Earlier, Lalhmangaihzuali, secretary, Zo Anthurium Growers Society (ZAGS) informed that the society has exported 13,81,629 stems of anthurium worth Rs. 96,69,123 during 2008-09. She added that during 2008, the society sold anthurium stems worth Rs. 53,00,639.

"During 2009, ZAGS has sold anthurium stems worth Rs. 3,01,118 to Puja Florist & Himalayan Florica, New Delhi and also exported Rs. 1,02,400 worth to the Sutton & Sons (I) Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata during 2008-09", Lalhmangaihzuali said.

A single flower could usually fetch between Rs 5 to Rs 10.

via Newmai News Network




SC Asks NCPCR to Inquire Into Trafficking of Manipur Children


india trafficked kids New Delhi, Apr 1 : The Supreme Court today ordered an inquiry by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) into the trafficking of children from Manipur and Assam to Tamil Nadu.

A Bench, headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, asked the Commission to place its report within four weeks and posted the matter for hearing in May.
The court asked the Tamil Nadu government to furnish names of the children who were rescued from Kanyakumari district and and their parents.
It was hearing an application based on a media report about recovery of 76 such children.




Chidambaram on 4 Days Arunachal Trip


pc1 Itanagar, Apr 1 : Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will visit the Buddhist town of Tawang close to India-China border tomorrow as part of a four-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, officials said today.

Chidambaram is also scheduled to visit the famed 400-year-old monastery in Tawang and Lumpo and Chuna border outposts.

Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu will accompany Chidambaram from Guwahati in Assam to Tawang.

The home minister will also visit Itanagar on April 2, according to official sources here.

He would also visit Tirap and Changlang districts, declared disturbed under the Armed Forces Special Power Act because of militants activities from neighboring Nagaland and Assam.

He is also likely to visit some Assam Rifles outposts there.

He will review the overall law and order situation with Army




Ripe For Talks?


By Rupakjyoti Borah

With most of the ULFA leadership either in prison or on the run, the militant outfit is in bad shape – an opportunity for New Delhi and for peace.

ULFA Chairman Rajkhowa arrives at court

The controversial ‘arrest’ of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju Baruah in early December caused a localized storm that nonetheless quickly died down.
Whether Bangladeshi authorities picked up the two leaders and handed them over to Indian authorities, or whether they surrendered in India itself remains shrouded in mystery.

But what is certain is that apprehending such prominent leaders represents a turning point in Assam’s separatist politics. Past attempts at peace have consistently fizzled out, leading the insurgency to rage for more than three decades.

Indeed, much water has flowed down the mighty Brahmaputra since the ULFA was founded on 7 April 1979 at the historic Rang Ghar in upper Assam, an amphitheatre dating back to the Ahoms, the pre-British monarchs who ruled for some six centuries.

In the early 1990s, after successive operations by the Indian Army attempted to root out the outlawed group, the ULFA began to shift its bases to Bhutan.

By 2003, there were about 30 camps inside Bhutan, housing around 3500 militants. In December of that year, however, the Royal Bhutan Army launched Operation All Clear against ULFA as well as cadres with the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) holed up in the country.

During this action, around 650 militants were either killed or captured. Subsequently, many senior ULFA leaders fled to Bangladesh, again operating from across the border, until Dhaka began a serious crackdown late last year. This has now led to the arrest of eight prominent leaders, including Rajkhowa and Baruah.

Even as this changed context has sparked hopes of peace in Assam, any optimism is tinged with a sense of the numerous past failures in this regard. When on 7 September 2005, for instance, ULFA nominated an 11-member group, christened the People’s Consultative Group (PCG), led by writer Indrani Goswami, to prepare the groundwork for eventual talks with New Delhi, this turn of events likewise raised hopes. Yet while the much-awaited first round of talks between the PCG and the Centre were held soon after, the peace process quickly ran into rough weather.

The ULFA leadership put forth three conditions for the talks: that sovereignty be the core issue; the release of five ULFA Central Committee members; and information on the whereabouts of cadres who had been missing since Operation All Clear. The interlocutors in New Delhi, however, were unwilling to accept any of these. After a yearlong stuttering relationship, the PCG pulled out from the peace process, alleging lack of sincerity on the part of the government. Thereafter, ULFA resumed its armed tactics and army operations resumed.

All the same, the militant outfit suffered a significant setback on 24 June 2008, when the ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies of its 28th Battalion – ULFA’s strongest unit in terms of both military and fundraising prowess – announced a ceasefire. Some 200 cadres, led by five high-ranking commanders, came aboveground and advocated continuing the talks with the government.

But whoever thought that the ULFA epitaph had been written were quickly  proved wrong when, four months later, on 30 October, serial blasts rocked Assam, claiming at least 66 lives and injuring over 450. Though ULFA denied involvement, security officials have refused to buy the argument.

Against this backdrop, there are many reasons why New Delhi should take the initiative to resume talks with ULFA in the current context. To begin with, ULFA is arguably farther on its back foot than at any time in the past, with ties between India and Bangladesh showing a notable turnaround after Sheikh Hasina took over the reins last year in Bangladesh.

In a significant step, during Prime Minister Hasina’s official visit to India in January, the two neighbors signed three major agreements dealing with mutual law-and-order concerns, which have surely made life increasingly difficult for ULFA leaders remaining in Bangladesh.

Indeed, matters are already moving forward. In addition to the earlier arrest of Rajkhowa and Baruah, Dhaka has hinted that ULFA General-Secretary Anup Chetia, who was arrested in Bangladesh in 1997, could soon be handed over to Indian officials. Further, on 1 November last year, ULFA Foreign Secretary Sasha Choudhury and Finance Secretary Chitraban Hazarika were also arrested in Bangladesh, and are already in jail in Assam. As such, with most of the senior leaders under arrest, and the group in shambles, New Delhi may well have the upper hand if negotiations ensue.

At the same time, even as Thimphu and Dhaka appear to be cooperating fully with New Delhi, it is important to keep ULFA’s ties with Burma in mind. Indeed, reports are currently circulating that the group’s military chief, Paresh Baruah, is hiding in Burma.

This may not be particularly problematic for New Delhi, however, considering its close ties with the junta, and the latter’s brutal treatment of its own homegrown insurgencies.

Indeed, Naypyidaw and New Delhi even staged a joint operation, codenamed Operation Golden Bird, in 1995 to hunt down ULFA operatives hiding in Burma. There is no reason to believe the junta would shy away from a similar exercise now, should New Delhi be keen on the idea. 

Gateway
With New Delhi in such a strong position, analysis must now be pointed to the future. Much would be gained from talks between government officials and the ULFA leadership.

If these were to succeed, the state and the central governments could finally devote their energies to addressing the pressing concerns of the people – unemployment and illegal migration from Bangladesh, and offering a concerted effort to deal with the devastating annual floods.

Meanwhile, tourism could prove to be a big earner for the state and its populace if potential visitors can be assured of their safety. On a larger level, peace in Assam would have a positive spill-over effect into the other parts of the Northeast, where many of the states are also reeling under violence.

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), for instance, has operated under a ceasefire with New Delhi since 1997, while its leaders, Thuingaleng Muivah and Isak Chisi Swu, recently held more talks with Home Minister P Chidambaram. If ULFA follows a similar track, there would be pressure on the other insurgent groups in the area to do likewise.

A period of peace could also help to turn Assam and the Northeast into a gateway to Southeast Asia. Under its Look East policy, New Delhi has for years been trying to figure out how to develop closer ties with the economies of Southeast and East Asia, even mooting a highway project involving Burma and Thailand and a rail link between New Delhi and Hanoi. The possibility of the re-opening of the historic Stilwell Road, which runs from Ledo in Assam to Kunming in China via Burma, is also being discussed. Assam and the entire Northeast have much to gain from better ties with the Southeast Asian countries.

In late February, Tarun Gogoi, the chief minister of Assam, stated that his government was indeed willing to talk to the rebels, but on the condition that the issue of sovereignty is taken off the table. To back its rhetoric, and pave the way for peace talks, the state government also did not oppose the bail appeal of two senior ULFA leaders in custody, Pradip Gogoi and Mithinga Daimary.

In the current context, the only hold-up appears to be the Dispur government’s insistence on bringing in ULFA Commander-in-Chief Paresh Baruah, as no peace deal is likely to last without his nod.

Rupakjyoti Borah is a doctoral student at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.




100 Percent Job Placement at Shillong IIM- Cheers Allover


By Syed Zarir Hussain

IIM-shillong Shillong, Apr 1 : All the 63 first-batch graduates of the youngest Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Meghalaya have got job offers, with an annual average salary of around Rs.10 lakhs and the highest pay package worth a whopping Rs.34 lakhs.

The mood is upbeat and one of utter jubilation at IIM Shillong (IIM-S).

“We are indeed very happy with the placements considering the fact that we are the youngest IIM and had to overcome several odds like logistical problems,” Arijit Majumdar, the institute’s corporate relations and external affairs head, told IANS.

Not many outside India’s northeast probably know that there is an IIM in the Meghalaya capital named after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. It started in 2008 from a makeshift campus and still functions out of an interim facility.

Surrounded by pine trees, lush green lawns and mountains in the backdrop, the institute is functioning from the Mayurbhanj Complex — the erstwhile summer palace of the kings of Mayurbhanj, Orissa.

“We may be logistically handicapped in terms of the distance and location, but we can boast that IIM Shillong is one of the best tech savvy campuses in the country and more than 35 percent of the recruiters offered jobs by way of video conferencing,” Majumdar said.

In the just concluded placements, recruiters, both domestic and foreign, offered good pay packagaes to the young managers.

“The highest domestic offer annually was around Rs.1.8 million. A few of the students were offered jobs by foreign firms with salaries ranging from Rs.3.3 to 3.4 million,” Majumdar said.

The recruiters include big names such as Deloitte, Infosys, Power Finance Corporation, Jumbo Electronics of Dubai, Hewlett Packard, Essar, Shipping Corporation, TELCON, Tata Motors and Escorts.

The job categories were varied - from IT to finance, human resources to marketing, besides other domains.

“I am thrilled to be part of the first batch and get a reasonably good job offer. The facilities or other logistic support may not be at par with the other IIMs in the country, but the faculty here is simply exceptional,” said a graduate from Assam, requesting annonymity as his recruiter demands privacy.

The institute offers a two-year post- graduate programme in management (PGP) and plans to offer other courses like the fellow programme in management (FPM), management development programmes (MDPs) and research and consultancy, along with some short-term certificate courses.

“Our goal is to achieve excellence in the field of managerial education, training and research. Beginning with the meticulous short-listing of candidates till the finalizing of electives for the students to specialize in, there is just one word to describe the methodology here - rigour,” Ashoke K. Dutta, director of IIM-S, said.

“The 63-strong student force, an army of corporate generals, has been trained under ‘eight day’ weeks, in cutting edge finance and economics, as well as on sustainability and governance,” Dutta added with pride.

The Meghalaya government has allotted a 120-acre plot on which work is under way for a state-of-the-art academic-cum-residential campus.

(Syed Zarir Hussain can be contacted at zarir.h@ians.in)




Biometric Card For NREGA Schemes in Assam


NREGA Guwahati, Apr 1 : The Assam government will soon launch a biometric smart card for ensuring transparency in the payments made under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA).

“For ensuring transparency and speed in making payments under NREGA, my government is planning to launch a biometric smart card”, chief minister Tarun Gogoi told reporters in Guwahati on Monday.

“The government is going to bear a two per cent service charge for making the system helpful for rural workers and for better supervision of schemes my government has taken a decision to provide a vehicle to all the block development officers”, he said.

For generating avenues of self employment in rural areas under the chief minister’s special employment programme of 2010-11, an amount of Rs 35.50 crore has been allocated to the State Institute of Rural Development (SITD) to assist around 12000 farmers, women weavers and unemployed youths, Gogoi said.

“My target is to generate eight crore man-days under NREGA in the next financial year”, he said.




Unsustainable Traditional Land Clearing in Northeast India


jhum cultivation Guwahati, Mar 31 : Traditional land clearing for planting of hill rice and vegetables (jhum) in Northeast India is now a part-time job.

Looking at the extent of burning on the hillsides, jhum has gone beyond its sustainability as a way of life. There are too many people practicing it with too little land for a 15-year cycle.

And this means that people can no longer simply live off the land in order to survive, send children to school, and meet the basic needs. They now need some level of government employment as some sort of “multi-cropping”1 to augment their income needs.

Of course for those families that don’t have one member employed at a basic level by government, it is a different story. Half the year is spent first clearing the land and burning just before the rains, then planting and guarding until the harvest of rice. For the other half of the year, they will wait or look for other work on a construction site or labor elsewhere.

The hills are burning today as people expect rain in early March. For two months there has been no rain at all and that is unusual. The first flush of leaves on the tea farms in Assam will be lost if rain does not come in a week, and also much of the ash from the burnings will have blown away.

The burning is extensive, and fires go way beyond the area to be planted in a season. In a nearby village, part of a tea farm burned along by the road and a transformer close to the scrub also burned. Often, a catchment area for water gets burned and in the last few days someone’s house also got caught up in the fires.

Marginal trees get sapped of their life when they could have been a source of production. Bananas are scorched and people have to wait for a new sucker to emerge. When the hillsides burn, much of the nutrient goes up in smoke and the ash gets blown away. When the rain comes, it often carries off any ash left on the surface.

[ via ESSC News ]




Nagalim: NSCN (IM) Celebrate Republic Day As Talks Continue


nscn-photo Kohima, Mar 31 : The celebration of 30th Naga Republic Day on 21 March 2010 in Nagaland by both NSCN factions are significant in view of New Delhi’s ongoing peace process with the NSCN (IM) and also its ongoing truce with NSCN (K).

Below is an article published by Asian Tribune :

The observance of the 30th Naga Republic Day Celebrations on March 21 in Nagaland by two NSCN factions is remarkable for the fact that the two celebrations organized in their respective Camps were addressed by their respective Prime Ministers.

Prime Minister of NSCN (IM) Th Muivah addressed the 30th Naga Republic Day Celebration at their Camp Hebron, while Prime Minister of NSCN (K) N Kitovi Zhimomi at their Camp Khehoi. The celebrations also assumed significance in view of New Delhi’s ongoing peace process with the NSCN (IM) and also its ongoing truce with NSCN (K).

Yet, if the speeches delivered by both the PMs of the two NSCNs are closely studied, things do not augur well. It appears that things aren’t going to the direction as expected, though there has been, no doubt, a marked progress in New Delhi’s talks with the NSCN (IM).

Because as per the statement made by NSCN (K) Prime Minister N Kitovi Zhimomi while addressing the 30th Naga Republic Day on March 21 at Camp Khehoi, the solution with one group would lead to another “bloodshed.” A veil threat indeed to New Delhi’s current talks with the NSCN (IM).

On the other hand, New Delhi’s talks with the NSCN (IM) have progressed to certain level and Muivah’s praising Indian leaders particularly Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram is “unprecedented” this time.

As soon as he arrived at Delhi from Amsterdam, he held fresh rounds of talks with Indian top leaders at Delhi. The Government of India and the NSCN (IM) were committed to solving the Naga problem and the Indian leaders were more serious this time to resolve the issue, he said while addressing the gathering on the occasion of the 30th Naga Republic Day Celebration on March 21 at Camp Hebron.

His remarks have plainly shown that both sides have reached to certain but crucial level as far as solution to the Naga political issue is concerned. The biggest hurdle coming on the way is its rival group---the NSCN (K), whose top leaders’ agenda to Naga solution is nothing less than the “Naga sovereignty.” Zhimomi even said their organization (NSCN-K) would welcome the “other Naga group” holding talks with New Delhi, if they could bring “sovereignty” to the Nagas. This is something New Delhi has out rightly rejected.

Historically, the Naga political movement was started for a “Naga sovereign nation.” The past leaders including legendary Naga freedom fighter AZ Phizo put their best to resolve the issue. Today, the issue has really become a critically complex one.

The situation of the current political negotiation, though the Government of India announced that solution would be found within 12 to 24 months, is still fragile. Having seen the warning sounded by the NSCN (K) leader Zhimomi, New Delhi’s political negotiation with the NSCN (IM) leaderships would face many hurdles and may lose its path in the maze of complex situations if they fail to handle the fast developing situation carefully. They both need careful study before making another move.

Zhimomi had even gone further in cautioning the Naga civil societies that in the event of their supporting to one group for solution, “they will also be (held) responsible for any bloodshed that comes.” He cited examples of the past accords---like the 16-Point Agreement, The Shillong Accord, etc---that led to more mistrust and bloodsheds among the Nagas. “An accord was signed with India and bloodshed had flowed,” he recalled and asked, “Do we need another accord to start another round of bloodshed.”

In recent times, of course, New Delhi has categorically told that final solution to the vexed Naga political issue would only come about when they could talk to the entire Naga underground groups. And NSCN (K) asserts that unity amongst the Naga underground groups should precede the talk with New Delhi.

It is a gruesome reminder that many Naga underground cadres belonging to various factions lost their precious lives due to fierce factional fights. This madness had not only widened gaps between them but also inflicted badly to the psyche of the innocent civilians.

Today, over the last one year, a semblance of peace is seen throughout the length and breath of Nagaland. The general publics feel more secure. Factional killings has almost stopped and in fact on many occasions, functionaries from both factions formed a team and played football match against the team drawn up from civil societies.

The credit of creating such environment should go to the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR). They have been playing a very important role in bring leaders of various Naga underground groups to come closer and even successfully constituted “Joint Working Group” of various underground groups.

However, the NSCN (K) leaderships are still asking the validity of the NSCN (IM)’s continuing talks with New Delhi, while searching for “Reconciliation.” They feel that real reconciliation can only come about if the other group withdraws from the talks with New Delhi.

It is still unpredictable as to where the talks will be heading to if one sees the hardening posture, contradicting to the agenda of the current talks. Unfortunately, nobody is around to mend their ways.




Road Map For Bru Repatriation Submitted


http://www.achrweb.org/images/BRUS2010_cover.jpgAizawl, Mar 31 : The Mizoram Government has submitted a road map for the repatriation of Bru refugees from Tripura which the Ministry of Home Affairs has accepted in principle, Home Minister R Lalzirliana said today.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, though accepting the road map in principle is yet to sanction the Rs 85.27 crore proposed for expenses of the repatriation process, Lalzirliana told the Assembly.

He said that due to some problems arising out of the demands of the Bru organizations, the dateline for repatriation could not be determined till date.

“The demands of the representatives of the Bru community included their return to two districts, formation of large Bru villages, protection by Central security forces and special projects,” he said.

He said that resettlement of Brus in large villages after repatriation was not feasible as there would not be sufficient land for jhum cultivation.

“We formulated plans to begin the repatriation process from November last year, but the process was derailed by the murder of a Mizo youth by suspected Bru rebels just before the repatriation began,” he said.

pic courtesy: ACHR




NH 40 4-Laning to Begin This Year


National Highway 40 Kolkata/ Guwahati Mar 31 : Four-laning of National Highway 40, which connects Shillong, capital of Meghalaya, with Guwahati, is expected to commence in 2010. Work on Shillong bye-pass would also start by the end of this year, said Mukul Sangma, finance minister of Meghalaya, while presenting the state budget for 2010-2011.

"Both projects are now at an advanced stage of consideration for award of work by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)," Sangma said.

In the current year, he said, the state government provided Rs 180 crore from the state plan for construction of roads and bridges, by which 368 schemes will be completed by this year. This will result in 46 km of new construction; 227 km blacktop roads; 42 km improved and widened roads and 895 metres of bridges.

Of this, 8 are ongoing projects with a target of 44 kms of upgraded roads and 6 are under-construction bridges under North-Eastern Council (NEC) sponsored schemes.

Sangma said that Rs 30.24 crore has been provided for additional land acquisition for upgrading Umroi Airport, near Shillong. The land will be acquired shortly, he added. He further said that steps had been initiated for setting up a permanent helipad in Shillong.

On power sector front, Sangma said that to meet the shortfall, some hydro projects have been identified for completion in the 11th Plan. Capacity of 193.5 MW is expected to be added to state's own generation during these five years. He added that the state government was in the process of allotting hydro and thermal power projects to NEEPCO and other parties.

The state's generation capacity is 186 MW, which is exclusively hydel-based. Meghalaya's share of power from central utilities in North-East is around 130 MW. However, due to transmission constraints, only 60 MW of power can be drawn during peak hours and 80-100 MW during off-peak hours.

As a consequence, power availability is only around 40 per cent to 50 per cent of total requirement. The present unrestricted power demand of the State is 610 MW, of which 480 MW is industrial demand and 130 MW is domestic demand.




Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Air India Did Not Take Permission Before Using Ao Naga Shawl: Rio


By Deepti Kashyap

AI did not take permission before using Ao Naga shawl: Rio

Kohima, Mar 30 : Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has informed the state Legislative Assembly that the Air India has imprinted the picture of Ao Naga shawl on the aircraft without the permission of the Nagaland government.

Replying to a question of Congress legislator I Imkong on whether the Air India has taken permission to use Ao Naga shawl on planes, Mr Rio said they had not sought permission from the Government, but it is the pride of the Nagas that the picture of Ao Naga shawl has been used on the body of the aircraft.

''We are glad that they are popularizing our culture,'' Mr Rio said in his concluding remark on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's Address on Saturday and assured that the Government will look into the matter if any misuse was reported. He also stated that the Government would patent the Naga textiles.




Media Dialogue Invite on Northeast India: Fallen off the Media Map?


Or, why does the media give so little space to this vast region?

The Foundation for Media Professionals (FMP), in association with the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML), invites interested individuals to a panel discussion on whether the mainstream media is neglecting the Northeast at the nation’s peril.

Date: March 31, 2010 (Wednesday)
Time: 10.30 am to 1.00 pm

Venue: Auditorium, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Teen Murti House, New Delhi

Topic: Northeast – Fallen off the Media Map?

The panelists have been specially chosen to bring out the diversity of the Northeast India:

  • Subir Bhaumik, BBC Eastern India Correspondent and Author of “Troubled Periphery”
  • Geoffrey Yaden: Owner-Editor, Nagaland Post
  • Pradip Phanjoubam: Owner-Editor, Imphal Free Press
  • R S Pandey, Former Chief Secretary, Nagaland
  • Syed Zarir Hussain, Managing Editor, News Live, Assam
  • Dibang, former Managing Editor, NDTV India
  • Moderator: Sevanti Ninan, Editor, thehoot.org, a media watch website

The issue at focus would revolve around questions such as does the media contribute to the isolation of the states lumped together as the Northeast, and to their exclusion from the mainstream discourse?

Would reporters in Delhi or Bombay be able to even name  the capitals of all these states if asked? How much news space do all the Northeast states together average in newspapers across the country, compared to the coverage given to Kashmir?

via delhigreens




Moscow Subway Explosions: Dozens Killed By Two Female Suicide Bombers


Photos taken around the scene of the Moscow subway attack.

Moscow, Mar 30 : Terror returned to the heart of Russia, with two deadly suicide bombings on the Moscow subway at rush hour, including an attack at the station beneath the headquarters of the secret police.

At least 38 people were killed and more than 60 wounded in Monday morning's blasts, the first such attacks in Moscow in six years.

Russian police have killed several Islamic militant leaders in the North Caucasus recently, including one last week in the Kabardino-Balkariya region, which raised fears of retaliatory strikes and escalating bloodshed by the militants.

As smoke billowed through the subway tunnels not far from the Kremlin and dazed survivors streamed out of the vast transportation system, al-Qaida-affiliated Web sites were abuzz with celebration of the attacks by the two female suicide bombers.

The bombings showed that the beleaguered rebels are still strong enough to inflict harm on an increasingly assertive Russia, and they followed a warning last month from Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov that "the war is coming to their cities."

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who built much of his political capital by directing a fierce war against Chechen separatists a decade ago, promised to track down and kill the organizers of what he called a "disgusting" crime.

"The terrorists will be destroyed," he said on national television.

In a televised meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev, Federal Security Service head Alexander Bortnikov said the remains of the two bombers pointed to a Caucasus connection. "We will continue the fight against terrorism unswervingly and to the end," Medvedev said.

Umarov, the Chechen rebel leader, has relied on al-Qaida's financial support and has several al-Qaida emissaries in his entourage, said Alexander Ignatenko, the head of the independent Moscow-based Institute for Religion and Politics, who has closely followed the Islamic insurgency in the Caucasus.

"Al-Qaida has established a presence in the North Caucasus, like they did in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia and Europe," Ignatenko told The Associated Press. The militants' links with al-Qaida also are recognized by other experts on terrorism.

Militants in the Caucasus have declared the creation of an Islamic state as their top goal. Radical Islamic sects have spread throughout the Caucasus region and parts of Russia as well, with religious schools set up. In Chechnya, Kremlin-backed strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has conducted a campaign to impose Islamic values in an effort to blunt the appeal of hard-line Islamic separatists.

Monday's first explosion took place just before 8 a.m. at the Lubyanka station in central Moscow, beneath the notorious headquarters of the Federal Security Service or FSB, the KGB's main successor agency. The FSB is a symbol of power under Putin, a former KGB officer who headed the agency before his election as president in 2000.

About 45 minutes later, a second blast hit the Park Kultury station on the same subway line, which is near renowned Gorky Park. In both cases, the bombs were detonated as the trains pulled into the stations and the doors were opening.

"I was getting off the train when I heard the sound of an explosion and saw clouds of smoke," said Yegor Barbatunov, 29. "The (Park Kultury) station was jammed with people trying to get out, but there was no panic. I saw a young man walking past, blood pouring off his head and neck and trickling to the floor."

Added Alevtina Rogatova, a 23-year-old student who was on the same train: "I smelled burning plastic and heard cries of 'let the wounded through.'"

Amateur video on Russian TV showed wounded and possibly dead commuters on the floor of the smoke-filled Lubyanka station. One video showed gruesome images of dead passengers sprawled inside a mangled subway car and a bloody leg lying on a station platform.

Passengers streamed out of the stations, many crying and making frantic calls on cell phones. The wounded were put on ambulances and helicopters, some with their heads wrapped in bloody bandages, as sirens wailed.

Traffic was paralyzed as large sections of downtown were closed off. Some gypsy cab drivers jacked up their rates for panicky passengers trying to get to work, drawing a harsh rebuke from Orthodox Patriarch Kirill later in the day.

"Any desire to profit on the grief of others brings nothing but grief in return," Patriarch Kirill said after a liturgy.

At 4 p.m., the two subway stations reopened and dozens boarded waiting trains.

"It's really terrifying," said Vasily Vlastinin, 16. "It's become dangerous to ride the metro, but I'll keep taking the metro. You have to get to school, to college, to work somehow."

Both stations had been scrubbed clean. Holes left by shrapnel in the granite were the only reminder of the day's tragic bombings.

The ornate Moscow subway system is the world's second-busiest after Tokyo's, carrying around 7 million passengers on an average workday, and is a key element in running the sprawling and traffic-choked city.

The last confirmed terrorist attack in Moscow was in August 2004, when a suicide bomber blew herself up outside a subway station, killing 10 people. Chechen rebels claimed responsibility.

In February 2004, a suicide bomber from the North Caucasus attacked a subway train during the morning rush hour, killing more than 40 people and wounding more than 100.

Dozens of contributors to three Web sites affiliated with al-Qaida wrote comments in praise of Monday's attacks. One site opened a special page to "receive congratulations" for the Chechen rebels who "started the dark tunnel attacks in the apostate countries," and all wished for God to accept the two women as martyrs.

"Don't forget Russia's crimes of genocide in the Caucasus and Chechnya," said one writer. "The battle has been shifted to the heart of Moscow," another wrote.

Ignatenko said Islamic militants in the Caucasus often recruit women whose relatives were killed by Russian security services.

"They tell them that if they become martyrs, they will join their husbands, brothers and fathers," he said. "And they also persuade them that the Russians as a nation share a collective guilt."

While the Russian army battered Chechen rebels a decade ago, the separatists continue to move through the region's mountains and forests with comparative ease despite security sweeps by federal forces and police under the control of local leaders loyal to the Kremlin.

Rights groups say that abductions, torture and killings of young men suspected of militant links by Russian security forces have helped swell the rebels' ranks.

World leaders, including President Barack Obama, condemned the subway attacks. Obama telephoned Medvedev to convey the condolences of the United States.

New York increased security in its transportation network with officers assigned to subways overnight held in place so they overlapped with the day tour. Special units also were assigned to transit facilities. Washington, D.C., Metro police conducted random inspections of stations and rail yards. Atlanta's public transit system said its police department was increasing the number of officers and patrols in the system.

In London and Madrid, two cities hit by terrorist attacks, officials said there were no immediate plans to tighten security.




Indian Govt, Indian Army Disagree on Changing Harsh Law


Frog jumping on road in Manipur- Thats AFSPA Sinlung Says: Not sure what Indian government is thinking. Can the Bureaucrats, Army Officers, Union Ministers work and have sane thinking if their heads were forcefully pinned down with the cold barrel of the INSAS rifle stuck to their heads. If they can, they are not human beings. Everyone (we mean every citizen) in the states where the draconian law is in place has a story to tell. Their uncles beaten up, sisters molested, raped, parents humiliated; brothers made to do frog-jump on roads because they went to school. When children get to know what sound what gun makes instead of what kind of music the guitar makes.

When the male family members of villages are herded together at 4 in morning into small village playgrounds, leaving women in the houses for the Indian forces to molest, rape them, touch them unnecessarily. Yes, you can hear the women cry from afar. what can the the men do? What is their fault? AFPSA.

Many a families are broken because of these Indian Security monsters. Why do Armed Men with Guns need protection? They already have all the protection they need, their guns, their uniform, their terrorizing ways.

Has it solved the people problems since India’s independence. It aggravates a youth to die for a cause he/she knowing that someone from his/her village was shot dead in a Fake encounter. How many hits have the Indian Security forces really made on the so called militants. We believe it might be close to 1 or 2 per cent. the rest are Fake Encounters, for sake of promotions, kidnap, money, and everything else that comes with power.

Yes Absolute power does corrupt…and this is a fact with Indian Security Forces, they don’t need any protection if they are supposed to do what they are supposed to do. Provide Security, protect.

That’s a Far cry any way in India.


By Varghese K George & Aloke Tikku

does this India Security know this student is on his way to the library New Delhi, Mar 30 : Changes in the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) — in force in Jammu and Kashmir and some northeastern states — will have to wait “until the army comes on board”.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised to consider amendments to AFSPA to make it more “humane”, but the army has found a draft proposal prepared by the home ministry “too drastic”, according to government sources.

“The army needs to be persuaded first before the government moves Parliament,” a source told HT.

The Centre or a state government can notify an area as disturbed under AFSPA and invoke the Act, giving security forces — the army, a central paramilitary force or even the police — wide-ranging powers, often criticized as draconian.

It is in force in parts of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and J&K now. Manipur protester Irom Sharmila has achieved iconic status with her long-running hunger strike against the Act.

Two government panels — the Administrative Reforms Commission and the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee — recommended scrapping the Act and amending others laws to give the army the powers it needs to fight insurgents.

Following resistance from the army, the ministry decided to tweak the law rather than push for a complete overhaul, which again has been found unacceptable by the army. “It will mean asking us to fight with our hands tied,” said a senior army functionary, refusing to be identified.

The key change proposed is to remove any explicit reference to the power of a non-commissioned officer, such as a Havaldar, to “cause death” if in his opinion it is necessary for maintenance of public order.

The ministry also sought to provide for a grievance redressal mechanism.

The Reddy panel was set up in 2004 to study the law in keeping with the PM’s promise to consider replacing AFSPA “with a more humane law that addresses both the concerns of national security and rights of citizens”.

Lt-Gen (retd) V.R. Raghavan was a member to ensure the army perspective was reflected. A government functionary said there was disappointment  at the army’s reluctance  “but the final view was it wouldn’t be advisable to ram it down the army’s throat”.




India's Remote River of Tea


By Roderick Eime

India's remote river of tea

CARRY ON: Hindu men pray to the Hindu Sun God during the religious festival Chhat Puja in Guwahati, Assam.

The engines pushed and pushed, churning great clouds of silt in the water, but we were stuck.

The Brahmaputra River, a wide voluminous waterway, carries enormous amounts of water and silt all the way from Tibet on its journey to the Bay of Bengal, where it joins forces with the mighty Ganges just north of Calcutta.

The current flows strongly around the port town of Guwahati (Guwahati) and spreads out to create immense sand bars - and the MV Charaidew is stuck on one.

The local newspaper trumpets our misfortune with headlines like Ship stuck in sand, foreigners taste the Orient while two heroic river tugs work noisily throughout the night to free us. By breakfast, however, we are under way, embarrassed, but otherwise undamaged.

The 24-berth MV Charaidew is one half of Assam Bengal Navigations (ABN) fleet of classic river steamers plying both the Brahmaputra and Ganges on cultural and nature-based itineraries throughout the region.

In 2003, the ABN found her languishing sadly in the mud and duly rescued her from despair. The subject of a complete refit, her life of toil was over and new adventures on the river awaited.

Our snail-paced journey upstream allows us plenty of leisure time on the broad rooftop, sundeck. We mingle with the fellow passengers and generally take it easy, enjoying the delicious local tea by the gallon.

"May I?" inquired a dapper old chap with a Sandhurst accent.

I indicate the chair is free and as he sits, careful not to spill his steaming cup of chai, I notice a nasty scar across his shoulder.

"Ah, yes, that. A Jap sniper got me just as I was about to toss him a grenade."

As the discussion unfolds, I learn I am taking tea with Colonel James "Jimmy" Evans (retired) who served as a young officer with the Gurkha Rifles when the Japanese made their last ditch effort to invade India in 1944.

I find his tales enthralling as he relates to me the story of a largely forgotten campaign during which he was awarded the Military Cross.

Jimmy and his charming wife, Jenifer, are accompanied by more retired Gurkha Rifles officers and our entourage soon takes on a jolly "Carry On Up the River" feel.

The tone is lifted further with the arrival of the British High Commissioner, his wife and son.

Apart from tea and toffs along the river, the itinerary expands into numerous shore excursions that include village visits, wildlife safaris and temple tramps.

At the farthest extent of our travel, we overnight 32km past Tezpur at Diphlu River Lodge, ABN's newest jungle lodge, strategically placed to allow access to nearby Orang and Kaziranga National Parks.

Both are inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage catalogue and home to species of endangered Asian Rhinoceros, Barking Deer, tiger, birds and elephants.

Take an elephant-back safari and be sure to see the elephant feeding as the infant pachyderms scramble around the grounds playing tag with visitors while their mothers, munching contentedly, look on unperturbed.

Among the surrounding villages are acres of tea plantations. The produce, described as red, black and white is often marketed under the breakfast tag and can be purchased directly from the factory door.

Assamese tea, as distinct from highland varieties, has a strong brisk taste, bright colour with a characteristic maltiness due to the hot, humid weather.

Ladies in bright saris move slowly among the bushes, their arms delicately caressing the branches as they pick and stow their tiny harvest. On a good day, a woman will pick 20 kilograms and earn about three dollars.

While travel in India is a test of patience and endurance for many, Assam is devoid of much of the intense, fatiguing tourist experience common in the major centres. While poverty is ubiquitous throughout rural India, Assam seems less affected by obvious hardship. Even the usually nail-biting road travel is a little more docile here.

My pack crammed and wafting fragrant aromas, from now on every simple cup of tea will transport me back to Assam and my many riverside adventures.

IF YOU GO

Travel in India is subject to Australian DFAT warnings. Check the latest updates at smarttraveller.gov.au.

Assam Bengal Navigation conducts four, seven and 10-night cruises along the Brahmaputra combined between October and April with lodge stays and wildlife safaris. Prices are calculated at $US350 (NZ$495) per person per day plus taxes. Single supplement applies. Discounts are sometimes offered.

The RV Charaidew accommodates 24 passengers in 12 air-conditioned, twin cabins, each with private facilities. Included buffet meals are served in the dining room and there is a separate lounge/bar/library in the bow plus a large rooftop sundeck.