Manipur Forms Team to Tackle Naga Issue

By Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, Aug 6 : The Secular Progressive Front government in Manipur has decided to send a ministerial team to meet Naga leaders to end the blockade that began on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh finalised the team on Wednesday.

It comprises Information Minister T.N. Haokip, Sports Minister N. Biren and Tribal Development Minister D.D. Thaisii.

“The ministerial team is planning to visit Senapati district headquarters for the meeting on August 7,” a state government official said.

But the blockade organisers, the United Naga Council (UNC) of Manipur and the All Naga Students Association, are not yet ready to welcome the team.

“Since the Nagas have severed political ties with the Manipur government, the intervention of the government of India for an alternative arrangement is sought by the Nagas of Manipur,” said the UNC in a press release on Thursday.

The release said, “Therefore, we will not welcome the Manipur government and its representatives into Naga areas.”

The Naga groups resumed the economic blockade in protest against the Centre’s alleged inaction on their ultimatum to Prime Minister on July 27.

After 10 yrs Train Reaches Jiribam

Imphal, Aug 6 : After a gap of about ten years, a goods train has arrived at Jiribam in the Manipur-Assam border ferrying goods for Manipur.

Reports said that a train loaded with food grains had reached Jiribam carrying 770 metric tons of food grains for Manipur this evening.

The food grains will be unloaded into a godown in Jiribam by tomorrow and the transportation to Imphal will follow soon after, according to the reports received. Jiribam is a Manipur subdivision located in the Manipur-Assam border.

Meanwhile, a source said that 60 loaded goods trucks have arrived Imphal through National Highway-39 today while 127 empty trucks have left the state capital along the same route. CRPF personnel are escorting goods trucks along the NH-39.

Reports said that the trucks are reluctant to travel along the NH-39 but the state government used the state security forces personnel to round them up to ply along the NH-39 as the stocks of essential commodities in the state are fast depleting.

Meanwhile, the Transporters and Drivers' Council (TDC) has re-iterated its earlier stand never to ply again the Imphal-Dimapur route.

The TDC appeals the general public and the concerned authorities of the state to put their effort in making the Imphal-Silchar route of NH-53 as the main life-line of the state.

Via Newmai News Network

Speedy CIC Appointment Sought in Mizoram

Aizawl, Aug 5 : The Aizawl-based anti-corruption watchdog People’s Right to Information and Development in Mizoram (PRISM) today said it has sent a memorandum to president Pratibha Patil seeking quick appointment of a chief information commissioner for the State Information Commission.

Copies of the memorandum were also sent to prime minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, PRISM said in a statement here.

The State Information Commission has been functioning without the CIC since the retirement of Robert Hrangdawla in early February, the statement said, adding that it had urged the state government to appoint a CIC immediately but without any success.

The committee set up to appoint the CIC was yet to meet to make the appointment till date, the statement claimed.

The committee comprised of chief minister Lal Thanhawla, information minister Zodintluanga and opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) legislature party leader and former information minister Dr R Lalthangliana.

PRISM alleged that many government departments refused to honour the applications seeking information by journalists and common people under the Right to Information Act.

Blockade Back in Manipur

By Iboyaima Laithangbam

Imphal, Aug 5 : Empty trucks waiting for escort to lift essential commodities from Assam to Imphal on Dimapur NH-39 at Khuman Lampak, on Wednesday. Photo: Bipin Sharma

The United Naga Council (UNC), ignoring an appeal from the Manipur government, reimposed its blockade from Wednesday morning.

The UNC and the All Naga Students' Association Manipur (ANSAM) also spurned the Union Home Ministry's call for talks to address their grievances.

Owing to the blockade, no vehicle plied on Highway 39 that passes through Nagaland. However, over 400 trucks that left Jiribam, bordering Assam along Highway 53, on Tuesday moved towards Imphal after several days of being stranded. Manipur witnessed a 68-day blockade that was “temporarily suspended” on June 18 at the intervention of the Union government. Normality is yet to be restored since the drivers had been boycotting Highway 39, while Highway 53 is practically impassable due to landslips and bad road condition. The drivers are demanding compensation for the 14 trucks torched by tribal miscreants during the blockade and a commitment to check extortion of illegal taxes from Manipur's vehicles in Nagaland.

No participation

The UNC and the ANSAM leaders refused to participate in a meeting chaired by Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh on Tuesday. It was convened to discuss the proposed amendment to the Manipur Hill Areas District Council Act, 1971.

The two Naga bodies imposed the blockade saying that the Act curtailed the tribals' rights. They demanded that the results of the Autonomous District Council elections held under this Act be nullified.

A spokesman of the UNC said they decided not to take part in the talks since it was a government ploy to arrest the presidents of the UNC and the ANSAM.

It may be recalled that the two presidents were declared “wanted” by a court order for having sponsored the blockade against Manipur. Other Kuki tribal bodies also did not attend the meeting.

The blockade was reimposed demanding the cancellation of the arrest warrants against the presidents, institution of a judicial inquiry into the firing on May 5 in which two activists were killed at Mao gate, the withdrawal of the prohibitory orders in the hills and recalling the State forces from the “Naga areas”.

M.C. Mehanathan, Director of the Union Home Ministry (North east), Hrushikesh Panda, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, and Surendra Kumar, Director of the Development of North Eastern Region (Doner) represented the Union government in the meeting, which also saw the participation of top State officials and people from all walks of life.

Meanwhile, the Manipur government, on instructions from the Union Home Ministry, decided to requisition trucks, oil tankers and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bullet tankers for lifting fuel and essential commodities along Highway 39 from Thursday.

Mr. Ibobi Singh and Health Minister Pheiroijam Parijat said the State government would not remain a silent spectator to the reimposition of the blockade and that everything would be done to ensure uninterrupted passage of trucks.

Mizoram to Spend Rs 236 to Pay Hiked Salary

Aizawl, Aug 4 : Mizoram Chief Secretary Van Hela Pachuau today said the state government would initially incur an additional expenditure of around Rs 236 crore for implementation of the enhanced salaries for the government employees as per the central sixth pay commission recommendations.

Addressing a press conference here Pachuau said the Pay Commission recommendation as examined and recommended by the state Cabinet Sub-Committee, headed by H Liansailova Minister for Department of Personal and Administrative Reforms was accepted by the meeting of council of ministers held yesterday which also decided to give the enhanced pay to the employees from the August salary.

The enhanced pay would be made effective from January 1 in 2009, he said adding that the arrears on the enhanced pay from the effective date would be disbursed to Group 'D' employees in cash while for other employees the arrears would be impounded in their Provident Fund.

Earlier the recommendations of the Fitment Committee on implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, constituted by the state government was rejected by the government and the Cabinet Sub-Committee was formed to re-examine the pay structure and submit its recommendations.

Acidity in Water Causes Damage to Dam in Assam

Shillong, Aug 4 : Acidity in the reservoir waters of Assam’s first hydro-electric project Kopili has damaged underwater parts of the dam, prompting the State-run North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd. (NEEPCO) to replace the parts.

The NEEPCO, which runs the dams, has begun an exercise to repair underwater parts of power houses of the 275 MW dam, located in North Cachar district.

“The exercise commenced in February and we are nearing completion. Work at the two power houses at Khandong and one at Kopili stage II is complete. Repairing and welding at the four other power houses (50 MW each) are being undertaken phase-wise,” a NEEPCO official told PTI.

Underwater parts of the turbine components and hydraulic structures have suffered wear and tear due to the acidity in the waters of the reservoir, he said, adding that most parts used in the dam were of ‘mild steel’

The NEEPCO has of late placed equipment orders with Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) which was expected to replace the older ones in the next two years.

While the repair work in each power house has cost around Rs. 1 crore, the fresh equipment orders - all of stainless steel material - are likely to cost Rs. 30 crore.

The project, first to be executed by NEEPCO, was commissioned in 1984. Since then, it has contributed around 20,000 million units of energy, supplying 12 per cent of its generation to Assam and Meghalaya in the form of free power, a NEEPCO spokesman said, adding that cost of power generation in the dam is less than Re 1 per unit.

The water in the reservoirs of the dam was first found to be acidic in 2006 and since then the acidity has been rising.

A study by Geological Survey of India (GSI) found that geological formations, human activity, effect of pollution were some of the possible causes of the acidity, NEEPCO says.

Fresh Census Begins in Tripura Refugee Camps

Agartala, Aug 4 : A fresh Census for Reang refugees lodging in six camps of North Tripura for over a decade following ethnic clash in Western Mizoram began last week with the initiative of the Mizoram government.

Officials in North Tripura today said owing to a miscalculation in the head count of refugees, the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF), the apex body of the Reang refugees, had initiated rechecking of the numbers to clear all ambiguity.

The head counting had begun on July 31 following instruction from the Mizoram government to pave the way for repatriation of Bru refugees and is expected to be completed by August 7, Elvis Chorky, MBDPF president, said.

He said the refugees were categorized into two groups - those who migrated en masse in 1997 and those in 2009.

The first category of refugees had fled Mizoram following communal tension triggered by the killing of a forest guard inside Dampa Tiger Reserve in October 1997 by militants belonging to the erstwhile Bru National Liberation Front.

Mr Chorky informed that after finalisation of the number, the Mizoram government was expected to take back the remaining refugees who were evicted from their homeland in November 2009. At present 422 Bru families are still living in different camps.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had also assured Bru leaders that the Mizoram government was instructed to ensure return of all refugees before October this year and the Union Ministry would take all efforts to ensure the repatriation.

Flaming Hot Naga Chillies

By Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal

Flaming hot Naga chilli

The Naga chilli has a wonderfully fruity flavour.But to taste it,you have to survive its incendiary spice ...

Ever since the Naga chilli scorched its way to world fame as the hottest chilli in the world,dethroning the selectively bred Red Savina, it has been the hot favourite of cooks and foodies.

But there's much more to the Naga chilli,also known as the Naga jolokia and Raja mirch,than its heat.I had the good fortune to discover the Naga chilli when a friend and fellow food writer,Theyie Keditsu,presented me with 12 chillies.

This fiery number,however,first caught my eye when I was interviewing Chef Vivek Singh of London's Cinnamon Club restaurant a couple of years ago.He was in the news for having created the world's hottest curry.A curry so hot that diners were asked to sign a disclaimer before daring to sample it.

That curry contained six Naga chillies along with other hot peppers.

Naga chillies clock in at over one million units on the Scoville scale (the measurement of spicy heat).That's more than double the spice quotient of the Red Savina pepper,100 times spicier than jalapeno pepper and 20 times hotter than cayenne pepper.

The only thing hotter is pepper spray that's used as a weapon in chemical warfare and used to fend of assailants.Which is probably why India's military is set to harness the Naga chilli's firepower to combat terrorists,immobilise criminals and quell riots.

When Theyie,who is Naga,delivered her precious gift to me,I just looked at my treasured bounty at first.What a riot of colour. Who can forget the glorious colours,from lemon yellow to raging orange,deep to almost fluorescent green,and every imaginable shade of red from glowing auburn to flaming crimson... If only we could make a salad of these beautiful chillies,but it would be a killer since a single chilli can season a full pot of curry,I thought.

I needed to get an idea of its intrinsic taste,so I decided to taste a tiny bit.Slicing the tiniest corner of the tail end of one of the chillies (the most potent bit of a chilli is towards the head,where the seeds are located) released a distinctly viscous,sweet scent that gave way to a sharp grassy after-note as the tiny sliver reached my tongue.

Heat is the natural defence mechanism of chillies,in fact almost all spices.So it was but natural that this little thing would hurt me back.But once the pain of the heat had flared away on my tongue,I was left with a far deeper flavour that was sweet,juicy and savoury all at once.It was well worth the pain.

The fruity flavours suggested that the chilli would do well in a sweet-spicy chutney.So I concocted an apple and Naga chilli chutney and had Theyie taste it.Her eyes widened and a smile appeared,along with a purr of delight.

Theyie explained,as she dug into the chutney with a spoon as if it was an ice-cream,that in Nagaland the chilli is taken very seriously.Mostly eaten in chutneys or preserved as pickles,the chilli's formidable heat is always the highlight of dishes to which it is added.Priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 a kg,the chilli is expensive by local standards.

It's a matter of prestige to offer dishes containing Naga chillies,and hosts make sure guests know what they're eating.So my chutney was cheeky after all,as it allowed chilli connoisseurs like Theyie to rediscover the flavour of the pepper that is often overpowered by its heat.

Now I needed to preserve the rest of my chillies so I could savour them for longer.First I sliced one chilli and dropped the pieces into a glass jar. Then I heated 250 ml of rice bran oil till it was hot,but not smoking,and poured it over the sliced chilli.Since the aroma of the Naga chilli is quite overwhelming, I could already smell the whiff rising from the oil.

I discovered its real aroma when I opened the bottle a few days later.Sitting on my shelf,the oil had turned a pale orangey-red and absorbed the fragrance and heat of the chilli,becoming a great condiment in itself.Fruity,spicy and delicious,it was great to drizzle over soups,add to salad dressings and dress grilled meat.

I got almost similar results from dunking one of the chillies into vinegar.It worked beautifully in tandem with my Naga chilli oil and as a pre-cooking marinade for meats.

The vinegar also gave me the idea of a Naga chilli vodka. And since good ideas should never be ignored,I sliced up two chillies and tossed them into a bottle of vodka.

They are doing well there if the last whiff I got of them is anything to go by.I am looking forward to deliciously warm winter tipples this year.

To focus on heat as the sole merit of the Naga chilli is to do it an enormous disservice.But then,one must be clueless about an ingredient to widen the scope of its use.