Northeast to Showcase its Dance, Music During CWG Games

Agartala/Aizawl, Oct 1 : Northeast India’s cultural prowess will be in full flow during the Commonwealth Games, with artists from Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram set to perform in Delhi.

On show will be a range of traditional dances and songs during the 12-day mega international event.

The lively Mizo bamboo dance, which symbolises excellence and skills, will entertain spectators at the opening ceremony Oct 3.

“The artists and dance performers from Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland would stage their traditional cultural proficiencies in different cultural venues set up for the foreign and domestic spectators across the national capital,” said Kumar Sinha, a senior official at Tripura’s information and cultural affairs department.

“The artists of the northeastern states coordinated by the North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC) left for New Delhi earlier this week,” Sinha told IANS.

Nagaland’s Dimapur-based NEZCC is one of many regional cultural centres established by the union government to preserve and promote the traditional cultural heritage of India and respective regions.

“Around 80 Mizo dancers, comprising men and women, will perform the bamboo dance, traditionally known as Cheraw dance, at the inaugural function of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi Oct 3,” a Mizoram government official said in Aizawl.

This year the Cheraw dance made it to the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest and longest dance ensemble.

From Tripura, the 10-member Hozagiri dance troupe comprising tribal men and women will mesmerise spectators in New Delhi.

“The Hozagiri dance troupe has earned a huge name for Tripura by showing their skills and competence in many countries, including the US, Russia, Japan and Bangladesh,” Kumar Sinha stated.

While its theme remains almost the same as that of other tribes, the dance form of the Reang tribal community is quite different from others. The movement of hands or even the upper part of the body is somewhat restricted, whereas the movement waist down to their feet creates a wonderful wave.

Sinha explained: “Standing on an earthen pitcher with a bottle on the head and a lighted lamp on it, when the Reang women dance twisting the lower part of the body rhythmically, the dance bewilders onlookers.”

“The Reangs, known as a primitive tribe, also use musical instruments like the Khamb, a flute made of bamboo, and bamboo cymbal. The Reang women prefer to put on the black Pachra and Rea traditional dress.”

Reang tribal women put on coin rings to cover their entire upper body and also big rings made of coins in their ears.

“Wearing colourful costumes and jewellery, Manipuri, Naga dancers and also those doing Assam’s Bihu attract spectators,” Sinha added.

Heidi Klum Quits Victoria's Secret

We never thought we'd see the day, but supermodel Heidi Klum will no longer work for Victoria's Secret after their 13-year collaboration, Page six reports. She told the gossip column, "All good things have to come to an end. I will always love Victoria's Secret. It has been an absolutely amazing time."

We've put together our favorite Heidi as an Angel moments throughout the years. Take a look through and tell us which you'll remember most.

November 13, 2001

November 14, 2002

November 19, 2003

November 9, 2005

November 15, 2007

November 15, 2008

November 19, 2009

November 19, 2009

Mizoram Now Hub of Fake Indian Currency Printing

Silchar, Oct 1 : Gangs printing counterfeit currency notes in the Northeast have shifted their base from Bangladesh to Mizoram and the south Assam border district of Karimganj.

A senior BSF official in Cachar district last night confirmed that fake currency notes were recovered from different places in Mizoram and Karimganj districts in eight raids since January this year.

The investigating agencies, including the BSF intelligence, have zeroed in on some printing hubs, which use computers to print fake notes, in Mizoram and Barak valley district of Karimganj.

The BSF official said from January no trace of any Bangladesh connection to this fake currency note printing or circulation was found, which led the security forces and police official to believe that the counterfeit notes were not being printed in the neighboring country.

He said notes with face value of Rs 7,08,510 were recovered from agents or dealers of this illegal trade in such raids.

The official also said though the printing facilities in Bangladesh had wound up, some Bangladeshis were still involved in this trade. This was evident when four Bangladeshis were picked up by police and the BSF in Aizawl and Karimganj districts during the past nine months.

The total arrests since January stand at 11. Along with them three Bangladeshis were also caught.

He said the biggest haul was on April 14 when three Indians with fake notes with a street value of Rs 2,35,510 were arrested from Karimganj district.

City-Dwelling Anthropologist and Naturalist Seeks Arunachal's Wildlife

By Hema Vijay

As she trekked to Taflagam, the last village on the Indo-China border in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, in February 2006, anthropologist Ambika Aiyadurai was in for a shock. This is a terrain probably never visited by a city dweller so far.

Accompanied by her guide and interpreter, Lobinso, a young man from the indigenous Mishmi tribe, she passed by rows of curious, 1.5 metre-tall bamboo huts on stilts (to keep flood waters as well as wild animals out), before climbing up a carved wooden log - that served as steps - leading into one of the homes. The reason for her visit: A local religious ceremony. She recalls, "It took a while for my eyes to get adjusted to the darkness inside the hut. A strong smell of rice beer, meat and opium hung in the air. The walls behind the men had rows of tar-black objects." A villager casually explained to her that they were animal heads.

On display on the walls of the bamboo hut were rows of skulls of serow, barking deer, black bear and takin. The skulls in the other rooms were mostly of cows and 'mithun' (semi-domesticated cattle found in the Northeast). Apparently such displays are normal in Mishmi homes since the tribe has a long hunting tradition.

Aiyadurai explains, "Such displays can be found in every Mishmi hut. Meat eating is virtually mandatory here, and two 'mithuns', eight cows, four pigs, and 24 chickens were sacrificed for this particular puja that I was a guest at - a puja that was being held to ensure that the hut owner Arindo's father's soul reached the heavens." Incidentally, tribal healers advocate animal sacrifices for getting rid of illnesses, too. "Most people, including the educated ones here, do not realise the environmental impact of their hunting, as hunting is part of their daily lives," says the anthropologist, who has been studying the social lives of tribals in the Northeast.

Earlier her research paper on 'Wildlife Hunting by Miju Mishmi' for the University College of London had evoked academic acclaim. "This kind of research is just what we need. Understanding the reasons and realities behind our tribals' instinct for hunting alone can create sustainable campaigns against hunting," remarks R. Venkatraman, Founder Member, Madras Naturalists Society.

Perhaps equally remarkable is the fact that this woman, born and bred in a city, decided to head for the wilds rather than sit inside an air-conditioned lab to pursue her career. "I have always been keen on nature," she says simply.

For the last several years, Aiyadurai - who now splits her time between her hometown Trichy in Tamil Nadu, her brother's home in Gujarat, the wilds of the Northeast, and wherever else her research leads her to - makes time for her research work whenever she can.

As an anthropologist Aiyadurai also studies man-animal conflicts. She was therefore invited to Arunachal Pradesh to observe the attacks on the local cattle by wild dogs. Going into the area, she was at first appalled at the wildlife trophies she found displayed. Every house she visited in the area seemed to have the skins of wild animals. Another startling observation: While cardamom plantations are common in the cultivated niches of these areas, what is really rampant is opium cultivation.
"I wanted to find out why people hunt here. The answer is quite simple - it is not that they don't have alternate means. These regions have a culture of hunting. For them, hunting is not an economic activity. They are nature worshippers. Their animistic philosophy makes them believe in forest spirits, and their belief is that to appease these spirits, they must hunt. And a lavish spread of meat is mandatory at weddings," explains Aiyadurai.

On her way to Taflagam, Aiyadurai had halted at Chipru, a small village, where she noticed a man roasting a wild bird with a bamboo fork to make a quick snack for his young daughter. Besides this, people generally - whether they are young doctors posted in the Northeast or local MLAs - all have a penchant for jungle meat, according to Aiyadurai. The children too have good hunting skills. Even as they play, they often down birds with pebbles using their catapults, and then roast them for a snack. "Weddings without servings of wild meat are unthinkable for the Mishmi tribe, and brothers, uncles and relatives join the groom's hunting party weeks in advance to ensure that there is no shortage of wild meat," she reveals.

Aiyadurai also discovered that each of these tribes have their own hunting agenda. "Some use animal body parts to make mats and bags, others incorporate it in their attire. For instance, the Nyshi men in east Kameng district wear the casque of the great hornbill to symbolise manhood, while the Mishmi men in Lohit district wear black furry bags made from the black bear skin."

Clearly, hunting has been ingrained in this tribe's traditions down the years and such practices would be very difficult to change. "While once people could sustainably hunt bush meat, now it has reached unprecedented levels. From the hoolock gibbons to the musk deer, the role and value of wildlife in local culture has assumed new dimensions," Aiyadurai observes, and points out how villagers are often surprised to know that there is a Wildlife Protection Act in existence.

Everywhere in the world, whether in the Americas, Africa or Asia, tribals have always coexisted with nature, even while surviving on hunting. Living in the wilds, they converse with the elements, know how to read the signs of change and understand both the lurking dangers and the healing power that is inherent in nature. Their entire universe is limited to the boundaries of the forest. Tribals in Northeast India are no different. But now, with forests shrinking and the need for conservation becoming more urgent, the extraordinary hunting ethos of some of these tribes is emerging as a challenge for the country and its environment. "The tussle is between livelihood, traditional practices and agriculture," observes Aiyadurai.

While it is true that rampant hunting has to be controlled in an era where the world stands in danger of losing innumerable animal species, Aiyadurai believes that we first need to comprehend these local cultures. "It is good to have an understanding of the need for hunting in these communities before setting out to address the issue. Mere enforcement won't work. The only fallout of that would be raising the level of the already existing animosity between these tribals and forest officials." For that matter, enforcement hasn't worked well even in other parts of India.

What may work is to get people to understand that if they continue unsustainable hunting their forests will soon be bereft of wildlife. According to Aiyadurai, tribal knowledge of wildlife must be harnessed and converted into livelihoods that can benefit both the people and the wildlife.

"Remember, there is something called social justice. So this process has to be in partnership with the tribals rather than by excluding them and taking them out of their ecosystem," says Aiyadurai.

While modern societies have to conserve their environment, they also need to be aware of the conservation of communities that exist out of the mainstream. At the end of the day, people matter too.

Womens Feature Service covers developmental, political, social and economic issues in India and around the globe. To get these articles for your publication, contact WFS at the www.wfsnews.org website.

How to Apply For Unique ID From Indian Govt

India's ambitious Unique ID project dubbed "Aadhaar", which aims to give every Indian citizen a unique number mapped to biometrics, was launched on Wednesday in the Nadurbar district of Maharashtra.

The Technoholik.com team got a sneak peek at the UIDAI (Unique ID Authority of India) tech centre in Bangalore, to tell you everything you need to know about the enrolment process.

The setup

The enrollment officer (EO) sits at right angles to you and enters data into a laptop. The insight of the Aadhaar team here is that the person getting enrolled must see what is being entered.

Thus there's a monitor in front of you, which mirrors the enrolment officer's screen so that you can point out spelling mistakes or other errors. If the person getting enrolled is illiterate, he or she can nominate someone to accompany and verify.

There's a small laser printer behind the EO's laptop and a webcam, fingerprint reader and iris scanner account for the remainder of the hardware setup. Unless, of course, you count the light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a white "roll-up" chart behind you for the "passport photo studio" effect!

Compulsory information

Name (first and last name compulsory but middle name optional), Gender (Male/Female/Transgender) and Date of Birth are the compulsory fields.

Whereas postal address is also required, it's more for the sake of mailing your UID number than strictly being a proof of residence. The EO asks you for a PIN code and the city/district fields are automatically populated. The rest of the address is entered manually.

Supporting documents

The UID team acknowledges the fact that a large number of people may not have any supporting documents to prove their identity. In this case, one is allowed to bring another resident who is already in possession of an Aadhaar number to be an "introducer" by vouching for the person seeking to enroll. Of course, there is scope for fraud either with a colluding introducer or by just using fake supporting documents.

However, the whole point of Aadhaar is that one can only fake one's identity once and this prevents large-scale "ghost identity" creation, which is the bane of most Indian government schemes.

The great PAN (Permanent Account Number with the Income Tax department) card scam after all involved a single person creating thousands of different PAN numbers.

Photograph

A photograph is taken of the person getting enrolled, purely for the purpose of printing it out on the enrolment receipt, so that illiterate residents have some way of knowing that the receipt indeed belongs to them. Beyond that, the photograph serves no biometric or authentication purpose.

Biometrics

First there's an iris scan where you look into a binocular-like device held up to your eyes by the EO. After that it's the four fingers of each hand, followed by both thumbs (a process familiar to those entering the US) for your 10 fingerprints.

The wait

The EO makes you review the data entered one final time before giving you a laser-printed receipt. Whereas the residents of Tembhali, the "Aadhaar village", were to get their numbers today, the rest of us won't be that lucky.

We'll only get to walk away with our receipts and have to wait for the actual number to be delivered by India Post!

via tecnoholik.com

Sudden Outbreak of Hepatitis A Epidemic in Agartala

Agartala, Sep 30 : Authorities have issued alert among both health establishments and citizens following spread of Hepatitis A virus in Agartala and its adjacent areas over the past two months.

According to report, as many as 32 positive cases of Hepatitis A were detected among 45 random samples collected from Agartala during the past two months. Experts have advised to drink water after due purification and filtering.

Dr RK Dhar, Director (Preventive Medicine), Tripura, said here today that though Hepatitis A was not as dangerous as the other strains of the virus, it could develop serious complications unless the patient was given proper medication.

''All the hospitals and nursing homes have been advised to keep a close watch on the patients who complain of common symptoms of the Hepatitis virus and preventive measures have been made mandatory in all the health clinics to contain its spread,'' Dr Dhar stated.

Meanwhile, the Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura (HFT) stated that they had already launched campaign and vaccination programme across the state as a preventive measure.

HFT has been administering Hepatitis B vaccine, as people of Mongoloid origin have been identified to be more susceptible to the deadly Hepatitis-B.

''In India 2-7 per cent of the population is affected by Hepatitis. However, China has achieved 100 per cent success in preventing infection at birth as early as 1995,'' HFT officials said.

India's Holiest River 'Ganga' To Become Dry

There will be no Ganga after 25 years: Shekhar Kapur

Mumbai, Sep 30 : Internationally acclaimed Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur feels that the water crisis will get worse in future and if things continue as they are then after 25 years the Ganga will disappear too.

The filmmaker appealed to the people of India and rest of the world to conserve water which, he said, is a social commodity and a fast depleting natural resource.

"Almost 80 percent of the world is water stressed. We need to understand that we have crossed a danger mark and we need to do something about it. If we don't, then in the coming years we won't be able to use water like we do today," Kapur told reporters Tuesday.

"If we don't start taking steps now, we will be remembered by our future generations as the people who ruined our natural resources. Water is a very important natural resource.

"Things are so bad that even Ganga will become a seasonal river at this rate in the next 25 years and might not even be there later. It's shocking but true."

There is a need for strong remedial measures to save and conserve water or the world as we know it may not survive, he said, sounding the loud alarm bell.

Kapur, 64, has lent his support to We Are Water Foundation set up by bathroom brand Roca for water conservation in India.

"I have always tried to attach myself to awareness programmes for water conservation. My next film ('Paani') is also about water and I'm very happy to support this organisation and this initiative," he said.

Explaining his own involvement, Kapur said he would join any sustainable effort to conserve water and "even if my mere presence makes any difference, I shall gladly join it."

"Water is the responsibility of each and every individual on earth, not just the state. Of course, it is the duty of the state to make adequate arrangements for supplying safe drinking water, but each of us also needs to check our own consumption levels and not waste it," Kapur said.

Kapur urged that it is time for the governments to not only focus on mega-engineering feats like the proposed 'garlanding of rivers' in India, but also strongly encourage and promote water harvesting and watershed management techniques, water conservation especially the ground water tables, and check consumption and deforestation all over the country.

At the event, the documentary "Aral: The Lost Sea" by director Isabel Coixet with participation by Sir Ben Kingsley was also screened.

The foundation will promote awareness and debate amongst the public and organisations on the need to create a new culture of water to permit the fair development and sustainable management of the world's water resources. They will also support various cooperation projects in collaboration with NGOs and other bodies.

Source: IANS

Ayodhya Ram Lalla Site Goes to Hindus

Remaining Land Split Three Ways

Lucknow, Sep 30 : The Allahabad High Court on Thursday ruled by majority that the disputed land in Ayodhya be divided into three parts and distributed among the Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and the party for 'Ram Lalla', said lawyers.

Quoting the judges, senior lawyer and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the main Ram Lalla Virajman place, where the idols of Ram have been kept, will go to the Hindus. The remaining land has been divided three ways -- to the Sunni Wakf Board, the Akhada and the Hindus.

The court said since Ram is a deity, the place has significant interest as far as hindus are concerned. Justice S U Khan, Justice Sudhir Agarwal & Justice D V Sharma carried the proceedings to pronounce the judgement in the Ayodhya title suit.

In a split verdict, the three member judge of the Lucknow bench of the High Court of Allahabad High Court on Thursday ruled that the place where the Ram idols are placed will go to the Hindus.

However, the court gave a substantive part to of the land to the Sunni Wakf Board. The remaining land will go to the Akhada.

The Babri Masjid Committe said it was disappointed with the verdict and would move the Supreme Court. Meanwhile K N Bhatt lawyer of Ram Lalla said there was no time limit for passing a final decree. The Allahabad HC has decreed that status quo will be maintained at the disputed site for the next three months.
The historic Ayodhya verdict was delivered 18 years after the demolition of the Babri Majid on December 6,1992.

The landmark 60-year old Ayodhya title suit verdict was delivered by the three-member Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court comprising Justice D V Sharma, Justice SU Khan and Justice Sudhir Agarwal.

Briefing the media after the judgement was delivered, the District Magistrate of Lucknow Anil Sagar said:

The judgement is available at www.allahabadhighcourt.in or www.rjbm.nic.in

Ayodhya dispute: claims and counter-claims

Here are the claims and counter-claims of the contestants in the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi dispute:

Birthplace of Hindu god Ram:

- Hindu litigants say the disputed site in Ayodhya is the birthplace of Ram.

- Muslim litigants argue there is no historical, archaeological or religious proof for this. They say even Hindu religious bodies and 'akharas' in Ayodhya are not unanimous on this issue.

Ram temple:

- Several Hindu organisations claim a Ram temple was built at the site in 10th-11th century A.D. This was destroyed to raise the Babri mosque in the 16th century.

- Muslim groups say there is no historic evidence to back this. According to them, Turkish sultans found a mound at Ram Kot in Ayodhya in 1194.

Temple or mosque:

- Hindu groups claim the Ram temple was razed by Mir Baqi, a general of Mughal emperor Babar, to build a mosque in 1528.

- Muslim groups say there is no evidence to back this assertion.

Archaeological evidence:

- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which carried out excavations, said in a 574-page report that there were distinctive features associated with a 10th centrury north Indian temple beneath the Babri mosque site.

- Muslim groups and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board challange the ASI findings. They say the ASI ignored the discovery of glazed tiles and pottery, besides two graves, which proved that Muslim settlements existed there even before Babar's time.

Possession rights:

- Muslim groups claim they have held the title of the land at the site for centuries. They say that regular prayers were offered at the mosque till Dec 22, 1949.

- Hindus argue that Muslims got possession of the site during Babar's time.

Legal limitation:

- Hindus argue that the Rule of Limitation applies to the suit filed in 1961 by Muslim litigants and organisations. Muslims protected their title though adverse possession.

- Muslim groups argue that they have the legal title. One cannot go back to several centuries ago on the argument of adverse possession.

Here is the time line of the dispute:

1528: The mosque at the site was built by Mir Baki, a noble in the court of Mughal emperor Babar. The Hindu community claimed it was built on a temple which marked the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. This contention festered over centuries.

1949: In the end of December 1949, idols of Lord Ram appear inside the mosque, allegedly put by Hindus. There are widespread protests and both communities file cases, Hashim Ansari for Muslims and Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das for Hindus. The government declares the site disputed and locks the gates to it.

1950: Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das and Gopal Singh Visharad file suits in Faizabad, asking for permission to pray before the installed idols. The puja is allowed though the inner courtyard gates remain locked.

1959: Nirmohi Akhara and others file a case, seeking permission again to conduct puja.

1961: Sunni Central Board of Waqfs in Uttar Pradesh files a case claiming the mosque, and said the surrounding area was a graveyard.

1984: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad forms a group to continue the movement. L K Advani is made the leader of the campaign.

February 1, 1986: Faizabad district judge orders the gates of the structure be opened for Hindus to offer prayers. Babri Masjid Action Committee formed soon after this.

1989:The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi allows shilanyas or a ground-breaking ceremony in an undisputed site close to the structure. The hearing of the case is then shifted to the High Court.

September 25, 1990: Then BJP president L K Advani launches a rathyatra from Somnath to Ayodhya to campaign for the issue countrywide.

November 1990:Advani's rath is stopped and he is arrested in Samastipur, Bihar. Following this, the then V P Singh government, supported by the Left and the BJP falls as BJP withdraws support.

December 6, 1992:The disputed structure is demolished by kar sevaks and a makeshift temple put in its place. PV Narasimha Rao's Congress government then moves court for status quo.

March 5, 2003: The Allahabd High Court orders the Archeological Survey of India to excavate the disputed site to ascertain whether a temple existed where the mosque stood.

August 22, 2003: ASI submits its report to the Allahabad High Court. The 574-page report said the agency found features of a 10th century temple beneath the masjid site.

August 31, 2003: All India Muslim Personal Law Board announced it would challenge the ASI report.

July 26, 2010: The Bench reserves its judgement and asks all parties to solve the isue amicably. But no one is keen.

September 8, 2010: The High Court announces verdict would be delivered on September 24.

September 14, 2010: A writ is filed to defer the judgement but is subsequently rejected by the High Court.

September 23: The plea for an out-of-court settlement reaches Supreme Court and the apex body says it will hear it again on September 28.

September 28: Apex court rejects petition for deferment and gives the go-ahead to the Allahabad High court to deliver the judgement. The High Court chooses September 30 as verdict day.

Source: India Syndicate/Agencies