Violence in Northeast Has Gone Down: Chidambaram

Itanagar, Apr 4 : Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday told NDTV that violence in the Northeast has gone down. He said that talks are on with rebel groups, and United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) may join talks.

However, Chidambaram emphasised that splinter groups in Northeast will be dealt with firmly. The Home Minister reiterated the point that Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh is integral part of India. PTI adds: Mr Chidambaram is in Itanagar to review the security situation in the state amid speculation that Myanmar may launch an operation against Northeast militants having bases there, officials said.

The Home Minister, who is on a two-day visit of the state, will hold a high level meeting with the Army and security agencies. He is also scheduled to visit Khonsha, headquarters of Tirap, a district declared disturbed along with adjoining Changlang, under the Armed Forces Special Power Act because of activities of militants from neighboring Nagaland and Assam.

The militants use the forests in the two districts sharing border with Myanmar as corridor to their bases across the international border. After being driven out from Bhutan and Bangladesh, the militants have reportedly taken refuge in camps in Myanmar. Union Home Secretary G K Pillai had visited Naypyidaw, the new Myanmarese capital, in January.

Finnish Idea Explodes Northeast

Sinlung Says:
Northeast India simmering with Issues of neglect, under-development finds itself in the top of activities every day although the mainland Indian media ignore the region.

With strikes, bandhs, Chakka-Jams everyday and every where. Whatever way and method to air opinion – has been tried, tested and perfected in Northeast India.

From catapults in Imphal protests to Molotov Cocktails…there’s an endless possibility set on this path to destruction of public or sometime private property.

And here’s one of them read below.

Molotov cocktail or kerosene bomb becomes a popular tool to vent anger

By E.M. Jose

Firemen get to work with a vehicle torched with Molotov cocktail in Shillong

Shillong : The Molotov cocktail, a crude bomb devised by Finnish soldiers during their fight against the Soviet Union in 1939, has emerged as a handy and cheap tool to ventilate anger and frustration in Meghalaya.

Four Shillong students, arrested for hurling a kerosene bomb at St Edmund’s School, had used the same method to cause damage to the office of the principal and an adjacent room.

It is not known whether or not the disgruntled youths knew about the soldiers from Finland who used bottles filled with petrol as bombs against the Soviet army during the tenure of then foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov, but the method they use has similarities.

Coined by Finnish soldiers after the Russian minister Molotov, the petrol, kerosene, and gasoline bombs were in circulation during the Winter War in 1939.

“We are concerned that the Molotov concept is gaining popularity in Meghalaya and there is a need to put a stop to this,” East Khasi Hills superintendent of police A.R. Mawthoh said.

Miscreants are using the principle of Molotov to settle personal scores, which needs to be nipped in the bud, the official said. The Molotov cocktail is easy to make. It is basically a glass bottle fitted with cloth wicks and filled with petrol, kerosene or other inflammable substances. When the bottles are thrown after lighting the wicks, they can cause damage to buildings or vehicles, which are the usual targets.

Petrol bombs were used during an agitation by NGOs under the banner of the Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy over last year’s jailbreak.

There were similar attacks during protests against uranium mining as well.

In February, goons also threw a petrol bomb at the office of a Khasi daily, but police are yet to arrest the culprits.

“Soon after the agitation sponsored by the Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy, we banned carrying of petrol in bottles or independent containers,” the East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner, J. Lyngdoh, said.

“We also need to think whether we can extend the ban on the use of kerosene in small bottles or independent containers as there are chances that the miscreants can also use kerosene bombs as well,” he said.

A senior home department official said with the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Bill in the Assembly being passed, those who throw petrol bombs at government vehicles and the buildings will be taken to task as they will have to compensate for the damage caused to property during an agitation.

“We hope the proposed bill will contain the use of petrol bombs,” he added.

Divorce to Make Mizoram Women Poorer

Aizawl, Apr 4 : Divorced women in Mizoram will now lose the right to property and the custody of children as the state has allowed the Mizo Divorce Ordinance, promulgated in 2008, to lapse by not bringing in a Bill to replace it.

With the expiry of the Ordinance, brought in by Zoramthanga’s Mizo National Front government nearly a month before the 2008 Assembly elections — a hurried step to get votes by wooing the divorced women, the Congress had alleged — divorced women will be governed by the Mizo customary laws, which do not ensure their rights over property or maintenance. The Indian Divorce Act, 1869 does not apply to Mizoram and other Northeastern states.

This means a Mizo wife loses property and custody of children the moment her husband utters ‘ka ma che (I divorce you)’. She is entitled to take back only the customary ‘hmeichhe thuam’ (a mattress, two pillows and her clothes).

Now if she is divorced for allegedly committing adultery then she is not entitled to even these few things and will have to leave with just the clothes she is wearing. The number of divorced women in the state has been on the rise in recent years.

But why did the Congress government in the state not bring a Bill to replace the Ordinance? Law Minister Lalsawta said they have referred the matter to the State Law Commission “for a detailed study” that will help draw a “more comprehensive Bill to be introduced later this year”. The ordinance, Lalsawta said, did not include “important provisions benefiting divorced women”.

Mizoram Women’s Commission Chairperson Rozami supports the government on the issue. She said provisions of Mizo customary laws “are good enough for divorce-seeking women if interpreted in the right way”.

300,000 Enumerators Not Enough For Census Work in Northeast

Guwahati, Apr 3 : Along with the rest of the country, the massive exercise of counting and profiling India's 1.2 billion people began in the northeast  with enumerators collecting personal details of chief ministers and governors among others.

An estimated 300,000 officials in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim have been detailed to carry out the task of door-to-door headcount for the National Population Register.

'The idea is to list the number of people residing in each state besides providing house numbers and also listing the household goods used by each house,' R.K. Das, principal census director of Assam said. Also taking into consideration the terrain of Northeast India, the current number of enumerators might not be enough to complete the same in time.

The census in Assam would be carried out in three phases - the final figures would be published in the 2011 census report.

'The census report would also provide economic indicators, besides touching on aspects like literacy, housing facilities, amenities, caste, religion and other things,' Das said.

'This is the first time the enumerators would be seeking details of assets, properties, household goods, literacy and other information to create a comprehensive database to be incorporated in the National Population Register,' the official said.

They will first begin the process of house listing, which records information on homes. The headcount of people will take place from Feb 9-28, 2011. The full census results will be released in mid-2011.

'I and my wife filled up all the details as sought by the census officials. People should cooperate with the officials and reveal the truth and not try to suppress facts,' Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.

‘One Laptop Per Child’ To Be Implemented in Manipur

Imphal, Apr 3 : The ‘One Laptop per Child (OLPC)’ project aimed at developing children’s education through computer technology will be launched in Manipur in April 2010. According to L Jayanta kumar, education minister, Manipur Government, laptops for the scheme will arrive in the first week of April and the government has earmarked Rs 155 lakh to get these laptops designed for learning and teaching students in state.

“The state government is procuring1000 laptops for the implementation of the scheme in first phase of the project.  The scheme will be implemented in some selected government schools including those set up as model schools by the education department,” the minister has said.

The laptops cost around Rs 11,000 per unit and come with features designed specifically to meet the needs of Indian school children. The laptops have been tailored in such a way that course content and certain text books can be made available in local languages, so they should prove invaluable to the Indian school children.

The OLPC project was introduced in India in 2007 when students of Khairat village near Karjat received these laptops. The scheme was implemented by OLPC Inc, a non-profit organization funded by multinational companies.

Assam’s NC Hills District Renamed Amid Tribal Protests

Guwahati, Apr 2 : The Tarun Gogoi-led coalition government has renamed ethnically volatile and corruption-riddled North Cachar Hills district as Dima Hasao with immediate effect.

Dimasa groups argue the new name would go a long way in countering the Naga claim on the hill district. Large swathes of NC Hills fall in the Greater Nagaland map of Naga militant outfits.

Tarun Gogoi Assures Economic Package For Manipuris in Assam

By Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, Apr 2 : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has assured a separate economic package for Manipuris living in Assam’s 13 districts.

The assurance was given to a Manipuri delegation which included Dinesh Prasad Goala, Minister Urban Development and Housing, Gautom Roy, Excise Minister, Ajit Singha Parliamentary Secretary (Finance), MLAs of Algapur and Silchar LACs Rahul Roy and Bithika Dev respectively, MLA of Sonai LAC Kutub Ahmed Mazumder, who said is be the lone Manipuri-speaking member of Assam Legislative Assembly was also part of the delegation, a local daily in Imphal, Hueiyen Lanpao, reports on its website.

The Assam Chief Minister has also given assurance for constituting a separate ‘Economic Development Council’ for about 8 lakh Manipuri-speaking people living in Assam’s 13 districts, who play a major role in the State’s general elections following submission of a memorandum, the report added.

The joint memorandum signed by Prof L Gourababu Singha, member, Linguistic Minority Development Board of Assam, Dr M Santi Kumar Singha, general secretary, Manipuri Diaspora Assam, Jayanti Devi, president, All Assam Manipuri Women Meira Paibi Coordination Committee, M Ningamba, vice-president, All Assam Manipuri Students’ Union, Ng Brajakishore, general secretary, Barak Valley Metei Convention, Kamini Singha, general secretary, Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Assam, K Swapon Singha, member, Thougal Marup, Hailakandi, Krishnamohan Singha, member, UMAA, Kunjababu Singha, Guwahati Manipuri Social Organization, Ksh Singhajit Singha, member, Fidam, was submitted to Chief Minister yesterday (March 31), it said.

While submitting the memorandum, Linguistic Minority Development Board member L Gourababu Singha urged Tarun Gogoi for immediate declaration of the formation of the council. Members of Manipuri Women Meira Paibi Coordination Committee (Assam) also presented Assam CM with a traditional Manipuri ‘Moirangkabi Khudei’.

Due to the demographic conditions this community has not been able to rise politically and economically. Moreover, this linguistic minority community is facing a tremendous socio-economic crisis. To solve the present problem and overall development of this deprived community, the Chief Minister has also been urged to constitute a separate Economic Development Council for the Manipuris in Assam.

The Ministers and the MLAs of the ruling Congress party of the State have pleaded the Chief Minister in favour of the Manipuri delegation headed by the apex Manipuri organization, Manipuri Diaspora.

Dr M Santi Kumar Singha, general secretary of Manipuri Diaspora has expressed gratitude to all the Ministers and MLAs of Barak Valley for their support and initiative taken to fulfil the long-standing demand of this deprived community.

Shillong to Have 5-Star Taj Hotel

By Supratim Dey

Kolkata/ Guwahati Apr 2 : Close on the heels of setting up a 5-star hotel in Guwahati, the Taj Group is now exploring the possibility of setting up another such hotel in Meghalaya. Vice president of Taj Hotel Resort and Palaces Rajiv Gujral had a meeting with Meghalaya chief minister DD Lapang in this regard recently.

Sources said that Gujral discussed the “prospect” of setting up a 5-star hotel “in and around” Shillong, the picturesque hill station. It is learnt that Lapang has asked the Taj Group to submit a formal proposal, indicating the places where it would be interested in making investments.

Due to gradual increase in business activities in Shillong, Gujral said that it was a “lucrative” place for investment in various sectors. However, he cited the absence of proper infrastructure for private sector to invest in the state. Sources said that Gujral has agreed to submit investment proposals soon and has asked for assistance of the state government in this regard.

The foundation stone of the Rs 95-crore 5-star hotel in Guwahati by Taj Group, Taj Vivanta, was laid by Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on March 9 in the presence of Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Sons, among others.

The hotel will come up at Khanapra on GS Road, and would be spread over 4.5 acres. It is expected to be commissioned within two years.