Social Networking Sites a Hit With Meghalaya Politicians

By Rituraj Borthakur

Shillong, Sep 1 : Popular social networking sites have become a hit with Meghalaya's frontline politicians who swear by their usefulness to stay connected to the masses.

Hailing from both sides of the political divide, the leaders, including Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Opposition Leader Conrad Sangma, are regular users of the sites.

An avid user of Facebook, Sangma said, “Technology should be utilized to reach out to people and be more accessible to them. Social networking has become a platform for the people to get their voices heard."

Stressing on the time-efficiency factor of the social networking sites, the chief minister, a medical practitioner who still finds time to attend to his patients, advocated the use of technology for the betterment of the state.

Education minister and the lone woman legislator Ampareen Lyngdoh found herself at one with the chief minister. "It is indeed a unique way to interact with the masses as our prime agenda is development of the state,” she said.

Among Lyngdoh's 261 'online friends', there are several students of the state staying outside.
“Students who study outside our state contact me, if they have any problem relating to scholarship or any such. I help them in that case,” she said.

Leader of Opposition Conrad Sangma, said, “It is a great way to connect with the people, but I don't think it is a platform for politics. I believe it is a platform for discussion.”

The senior lot of politicians also have their leaning towards the emerging technologies as in the case of Conrad’s father Purno A Sangma, a former Lok Sabha speaker and currently a state legislator.

The senior Sangma is known for his techno-savvy habits and advocates the use of technology for better changes in life.

SC Directs Security Forces To Vacate Educational Institutes

New Delhi, Sep 1 : The Supreme Court today directed the Centre to ensure that all schools and hostels of educational institutions occupied by the Army and paramilitary forces are vacated within two months.

An order to this effect was passed by a bench comprising Justices B Sudarshan Reddy and S S Nijjar during the hearing of the issue relating to the trafficking of 76 children from Manipur and Assam to Tamil Nadu.

While there was a specific direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure that the schools and hostels be freed from the occupation of the Army and central paramilitary forces, the bench asked the HRD Ministry to find out the list of schools occupied by the forces in two states.

Further, the bench asked the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) to hold meetings with seven North Eastern states on various aspects of development.

The directions were passed on the recommendations of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which was asked by the court to inquire into the trafficking of children from Manipur and Assam to Tamil Nadu on the pretext of providing them better education.
The bench also asked Manipur, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka to respond to the recommendation of the NCPCR to shut down unregistered charitable houses running schools and hostels.

It asked Manipur and Assam to file an affidavit in response to the suggestions given by NCPCR.

The court also accepted the plea of the NCPCR seeking authority to review the matter with the state government.

The bench posted the matter after two months.

The names of the 76 children were furnished by the Tamil Nadu government. They have been repatriated to their home in two North Eastern states.

The court had asked the NCPCR to inquire into the matter on March 31 while hearing an application based on a media report about recovery of 76 such children.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier stated that the probe by the Kanyakumari Superintendent of Police has established that the 76 children from Manipur and Assam were brought to Tamil Nadu by one Rev Paul from the north-eastern region on promise of providing them better education.

Manipur Farmers Taking up Pineapple Farming

Imphal, Sep 1 : For farmers like J Hechuon, 62, of Bunglon village pineapple cultivation in his two hectare plot on the slopes of Khousabung hill range in Manipur’s Churachandpur district is his main occupation since the last five decades.

In the eighties, he used to get a profit of about Rs 20,000 annually from pineapple cultivation but now it has increased to Rs 50,000.

“This year, I am expecting a profit of not less than Rs 60,000”, Hechuon, head of a 10 member family told The Assam Tribune during the 3rd Manipur Pineapple Festival which concluded recently.

Like him, almost all the 60 households of Bunglon village including Heshiah(50), a teacher by profession earn similar income from pineapple farming.

The farmers of the neighbouring villages such as Khousabung having around 80 households are also taking up pineapple cultivation. “In the past there was no encouragement from any quarter to go for pineapple farming”, H Soizalal, Chairman of Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee (MPFC) said. But after the introduction of the Pineapple Festival, now more than 10,000 farmers have taken up cultivation of pineapple producing about 10 lakh fruits.

Farmers of Khousabung area mostly women including a young lady Denila Kom, 27 of Phungchongjang village actively participated in the Pineapple exhibition cum sale at the two- day festival.

According to MPFC chairman, around 72,000 metric tonnes of pineapples were produced from a farming area measuring around 80,000 hectares in Manipur, of which 40,000 metric tonnes were consumed locally while the remaining were exported outside the State.

Two most-sought-after varieties of pineapple – Kew (big size) and Queen (small size) are produced on commercial scale in Manipur.

The eight month availability of pineapples in Manipur makes the State highly advantageous for setting up of processing and export units. The Kew variety available here is known for it’s distinctive taste and flavour. This variety is most suited for canning. Thus canned pineapples form a part of the exports from processed fruit industry from this region.

Tips From Heartland, South For Craftsmen

Visitors admire jewellery at the Cluster Conclave in Guwahati on Monday.

Guwahati, Sep 1 : Woodcarvers of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and goldsmiths of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh have helped the carpenters of Baktawng in Mizoram and jewellery makers of Manipur to add quality to their products for better market and value.

The products were displayed at the Cluster Conclave organised by the IIE (Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship), which concluded in Guwahati today.

The artisans from Mizoram and Manipur said the training has provided them access to new technology, which will help their products secure better markets now.

“We did not have access to better tools and hence our products lacked quality. The trip to Saharanpur has helped us to acquire designing skills and gather knowledge to make our products more competitive in the market,” Mawiluizela, a resident of Baktawng of Mizoram, told The Telegraph today.

Baktawng is 70km from Aizawl and is famous for its fine carpentry and wood carvings.

The total number of households in the villages is 140 of which 85 are engaged in wood carpentry.

The training in Saharanpur, internationally famous for its wood carving industry, has helped the artisans of this Mizoram village to enrich the designs and the quality of the wood carvings, which were earlier considered simple.

The finished wooden products of Baktawng cluster include door panels, ventilation frames, tables and dining tabless.

A common facility centre at this village in Mizoram has been sanctioned by the Union ministry of micro small and medium enterprises, which would help them in getting necessary tools.

“It has also helped them in opening up their world outlook and learning new facets, which would help them in getting good markets,” said Sriparna Baruah who heads the Regional Resource Centre that is responsible for cluster development at the IIE.

Similarly, the artisans from the Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster had gone to Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh to learn about the tools for jewellery.

“We had engaged a new designer for the cluster and she has given 15 new designs by blending the intricate Manipuri designs with modern looks thereby introducing costume jewellery in the cluster,” Baruah said.

The Greater Imphal Jewellery Cluster has two villages within its fold, Malom and Kanglambam, which are spread within a radius of 5km.

“People of Manipur love gold jewellery. There are units in the cluster that exclusively make ornaments, which are intricately and traditionally designed for various occasions,” Baruah said.

India: Economic Growth Contrasts With Political Unrest in a Forgotten Enclave

Long sheltered by its remote location, the capital of Mizoram state must learn to manage the maelstrom of modern India

By Paul Grogan

Aizawl, capital of Mizoram state, at dusk. Photograph: STR/EPA

I am sitting on a balcony looking out on one of the more extraordinary places on earth.

Teenage girls and boys "hang out" beside the headstones in the graveyard below me. Pigs squeal and grunt in their little pens amid the banana trees and corrugated iron houses.

I am in Aizawl, capital of Mizoram state, which extends like a peninsula into one of the farthest corners of northeast India. Burma lies about 50km to the east, and Bangladesh is nearly as close on the western side. Steep bamboo-forested hills descend deep below me on almost all sides.

Aizawl's houses are built on stilts that cling to the hillsides – even the mildest earthquake would surely destroy this place in minutes. The city sprawls across several ridge tops that are connected by steep narrow roads and hundreds of hairpin bends.

Driving for the uninitiated is definitely not recommended. In fact, the state banned alcohol in 1995 apparently because there were so many road accidents involving inebriated young drivers.

Right now, Aizawl seems to be undergoing extraordinary tensions and changes. The Mizo people are of Chinese/Mongolian origin, and were converted by Presbyterian missionaries at the beginning of the last century. They live simply, using the slash-and-burn form of agriculture that has been outmoded in most of the rest of the world.

These million or so people live at least 30 hours by road from mainland India. Their distinct ethnicity, culture, religion and location might make them easily forgotten within the intense maelstrom of Indian politics.

But while the Mizos are a friendly and relatively peace-loving people, the state's international borders may provide an easy conduit for the movement of arms, fighters and drugs into other parts of India.

Over the past decade, Delhi has poured billions of rupees into Mizoram, and Aizawl now has an airport and a new university. But how can a city with such an extraordinary geography support these developments over the long term? There isn't enough space, the slopes are too severe to widen the roads much, the agricultural base is weak, and an industrial base is almost unimaginable.

The teenagers in the graveyard below have now disappeared – no doubt gone indoors to watch CNN or Bollywood or some such. May they be pacified.

via Guardian Weekly

Science Village Coming in Tripura

Agartala, Aug 31 : A Vigyan Gram, or a science village, is to come up on the outskirts of Tripura's capital, complete with a museum, library, planetarium, botanical garden, bird sanctuary and other attractions to popularise science among the masses.

The Vigyan Gram, to be modelled on the lines of science cities in various cities in India, would be set up at a cost of Rs.35 crore in western Tripura's Badharghat, a village on the outskirts of Agartala.

The National Council of Science Museums (SCSM), an autonomous society under the ministry of culture, has extended all out supports in setting up of the 'science village',' Tripura Science and Environment Minister Joy Gobinda Deb Roy told IANS in an interview.

The Tripura State Council for Science and Technology (TSCST), an autonomous body under the state's government's science, technology and environment department is the nodal authority to look after the management of the proposed science village, which would be a regional level science hub.

Deb Roy said: 'The science village will have a museum, library, planetarium, botanical garden, heritage park, bird sanctuary, aquarium, auditorium, children's park and a laboratory.'

'It would also have an exhibition zone, educational demonstration arrangement, playing zone for children and science book stalls.'

Already 9.20 acres of land has been earmarked for the science village, which is scheduled to open in the next 33 months, when the first phase gets completed. The entire Vigyan Gram would be completed by four years.

'The science village project seeks to develop awareness among people, the literacy and outlook of young students and people, specifically with respect to science,' the minister said, adding that it will help people to learn about science and scientific works through recreational activities and promote research works. The project will also contribute towards generating employment opportunities and promote eco-tourism.

According to the project report, the Vigyan Gram is envisaged to attract students and science enthusiasts from Bangladesh, especially with the government of India planning to enhance connectivity with the neighbouring country by setting up rail, road and water ways links through the northeastern state.

'The Vigyan Gram would attract students, science enthusiasts, teachers, researchers and tourists from different parts of India and neighbouring countries,' the project report said.

The report also states: 'The outreach programmes of the Vigyan Gram are likely to change the mindset of terrorists and surrendered militants by imparting knowledge on various scientific issues pertaining to day to day life and making a habit of logical belief.'

Minister Deb Roy said the Vigyan Gram would also offer 'excellent non-formal educational facility' to supplement the formal science education imparted in educational institutions.

'Setting up of Vigyan Gram would be an integrated approach towards free-choice learning of science for all concerned,' the minister said adding that the main objectives of setting up of the Vigyan Gram includes, to grow, nurture and stimulate a culture of science and develop a scientific temper among the people in the northeastern region and to promote innovative and experimental activities through a hands-on learning process.

'The Vigyan Gram would also help to promote and exhibit interaction of science, technology, energy and environment with human life and to enhance scientific awareness among the people at large and to showcase the latest scientific and technological breakthroughs.'

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)

Northeast Bar Girl Alleges Molestation by Boss in Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 31 : An employee of a restrobar, hailing from northeast India, has alleged that her boss tried to molest her after he found her watching television during duty hours inside the bar located in L-block of Connaught Place.

The accused is the manager of the bar. New Delhi district police has registered a case of molestation.

The victim, a resident of Manipur, has alleged that her manager first hurled abuses at her and then pushed her off her chair before trying to molest her.

"I was alone on the first floor of the restrobar when he attacked me with a fork. I suffered bruises," the woman told police.

She added that when she raised an alarm other employees of the restrobar rushed to her rescue.

"The accused has accepted that he did scold her but refuted all other charges. We have taken the victim, who has been working at this restaurant-cum-bar for the past three months, to RML Hospital for a medical test. We are investigating the case," said an officer.

Additional commissioner (New Delhi) Shankar Dash said, "As it is a case of molestation against a girl from northeast, we are treating the case seriously."

The girl, who lives with her brother and cousin at Kotla Mubarakpur in south Delhi, vowed that she will never set foot on the restrobar again.

"Now, I do not want to go back to duty. They did not remove me from my post. I left the job on my own volition," she said.

Livelihoods And Environment: The Pnar Conflict

By Sonata G Dkhar

What mining has done to ‘these hills which we call home’ is unimaginable. The prodigious alterations caused by the extraction of coal and limestone have changed the very environmental, social and cultural precincts of the place. It has engulfed the land and slowly and stealthily whelmed in the people of Jaintia hills, a mineral rich district in the North Eastern state of Meghalaya.

On one of my visits to this coal and limestone rich region, I met Lad Phawa. In 2002, he began what he calls a “thriving business” that of sourcing out water and selling it in this water deficit region, caused by the excessive mining and its associated activities. As we stood overlooking his barren fields he had stopped cultivating in for the past eight years, Lad said “I don’t think I will farm again, I make a much better living by selling water”.

Lad Phawa's Fields - now a water storage area

What he said left me thinking – is this what is engulfing the entire region, is mining going to overtake this agrarian society, what will be the outcome of such a mass shift in livelihood and why are people making the shift, will this not lead to further destruction of the environment of this ecologically diverse land.

In Jaintia hills many men and women are turning to the mining industry, if not directly then indirectly associating themselves with this fastidiously growing economically viable industry. Many from the well- off local Pnar population have either started mining in their own land or have leased their land to other private coal mine owners, this in the absence of any regulation and the existence of a complex land ownership system that grants direct control of the land to the tribal people, qualifying Meghalaya as the only state in the country where mining is done privately. While many working the coal mines are migrant labourers, a number of the local folk work as supervisors of the coal dumps or as daily wage labourers loading trucks. There are those like Lad who utilise sources at hand and market water, while others work in making and selling the small tools needed for mining.

“Why should I even consider stopping mining” says Kong Rit (name changed) from Sohkynphor village who overlooks the loading of trucks at Kongong, a coal dumping ground adjacent to national highway 44. “I can now feed my family properly, send my children to school and even have enough money for medicines” she adds trying hard to explain to me why mining should not be stopped in these hills. This may not be a unified voice of the Pnars/Jaintias but it is a powerful dominant opinion, which many are fearful to contradict. It is this opinion that has allowed the rampant spread of mining and overlooked the harm and destruction caused by unchecked, unscientific mining to the land and the environment.

Many paddy fields have been left barren; the Jhum (Shifting) cultivation has reduced. Even though 70% of the state is dependent on agriculture, in Jaintia hills personal stories of people tell us of a shift in livelihood. According to a study by Dr K Sarma with the help of the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, the cropped area in the coal region of Jaintia hills has reduced from 2.65% in 1975 to 1.62% in2001 while the mining area has increased from 3.26% in 1975 to 10.75% in 2001. The dense forest cover in Jaintia hills has also dramatically reduced from 22.5% of the total area in 1975 to a mere 12.34% in 2001

Coal dumped and extracted next to what once paddy fields

Jaintia hills is undergoing major environmental changes due to private coal mining and the extensive limestone quarrying and the many cement plants that have mushroomed in the past couple of years. The water bodies in the area are polluted, the water table is declining, there have been changes in land forms, and the numbers of forests have decreased. In fact according to the Meghalaya Pollution Control Board air pollution levels have increased leading to warmer temperatures in the coal belt region of the state. The report states that the average concentration of suspended particulate matter is 200 micro gram per cubic metre while sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen is 6.5 and 25.5 micro gram per cubic meter respectively. Shortage of rainfall over the years in a region famous for heavy rains is another indicator of the changing climatic conditions in the region.

The situation is worsening by the day and the effects on the environment and the people deleterious. “Every year we used to collect rain water for our daily use” says Puson Gympad, a resident and the secretary of Lumchnong village. “...but this year things are different, ever since the year’s first shower till now the rain water is so dirty we do not even dare use it for anything” he adds while showing me the water collected from the rain that poured as we were sitting and having tea. This is the plight of people residing in Lumchnong village which is situated along the national highway 44, whose two main sources of water – the kotsati cave and the Wah(river)Larung were polluted ever since a staggering 9 cement plants and a few captive power plants were set up within a five kilometre radius around the elaka (area) within the span of 10 years.

Unfortunately despite that most of the problems the elaka is facing is because of the setting up of the many cement plants in the region, most people still opt to work in the factories. “None of the youngsters know how to go and cultivate, they all lie by idle or even if they work they go to the factories” says Thrin Lamare, Lumchnong’s oldest woman and the last generations of farmers in the village. Puson looks at this as people “being short sighted” as one day the resources will be exhausted, the factories will close and nothing will remain, but the situation is far more complex.

Nearly 60% of the village land has already been leased to the different cement plants and this is not the situation only in Lumchnong. Vast areas of the limestone rich Narpoh elaka as well have been leased off for a mere RS 30 - 40/kmsq. While walking around some of the villages, numbered rocks and cut trees and untended orange orchards are witness to the transactions that have already been made, transactions where benefactors will always remain a handful. For the rest, earning a livelihood is of key importance, even if it means working in those very places that are causing harm to the land and environment they live in, even it means to move away from a practise integral to their way of life.

“Our land will be stripped naked” Puson’s indignant words resonate in my head. They tell me of a Jaintia hills that is being destroyed and desecrated, they tell me of the infinite woes that the people are confronting and they tell me of the irresponsible extensive mining that is killing the people and the environment

**Sonata G Dkhar is an independent film maker, currently based in Shillong. sonata84@gmail.com

** Sonata is Panos South Asia Fellow 2010 whose current work deals with conflict and environmental changes in Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya.

via Countercurrents.org