Meet Alexandria Mills

The New Miss World

A soft-spoken teen from the United States, won the Miss World crown for 2010 on Saturday, defeating more than 100 other hopefuls at a glittering ceremony in southern China. Alexandria Mills, a resident of Louisville, Kentucky, is said to have graduated from high school recently and wants to become a teacher.

Alexandria Mills, a soft-spoken teen from the United States, won the Miss World crown for 2010 on Saturday, defeating more than 100 other hopefuls at a glittering ceremony in southern China. Miss U.S.A. Alexandria Mills reacts after she was crowned the 2010 Miss World at the Beauty Crown Cultural Center in Sanya, in southern China's island province Hainan. AP

The tall blonde was a surprise winner in the 60th annual contest, reports the Washington Post. Mills, a resident of Louisville, Kentucky, is said to have graduated from high school recently and wants to become a teacher.

Alexandria Mills from the United States, right, Emma Wareus from Botswana, center, and Adriana Vasini from Venezuela, left, applaud as Emma Waldron from Ireland, front, walks up the stage as the top five finalists are announced during the 2010 Miss World pageant contest at the Beauty Crown Cultural Center in Sanya, in southern China's island province Hainan. Miss Botswana Emma Wareus was named the first runner-up while Miss Venezuela Adriana Vasini was named the second runner-up.

Alexandria Mills of U.S.A. gestures after being crowned as 2010 Miss World at the Beauty Crown Cultural Center in Sanya, in southern China's island province Hainan. Mills, who was wearing a shimmering ivory-colored dress for the final, takes over the title from Miss World 2009 Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar.

Alexandria Mills of U.S.A., front, reacts after being crowned as 2010 Miss World at the Beauty Crown Cultural Center in Sanya, in southern China's island province Hainan.

Miss U.S.A. Alexandria Mills, center, Miss Venezuela Adriana Vasini, left, Miss Botswana Emma Wareus, second left, Miss Ireland Emma Waldron, second right, and Miss China Tang Xiao, right, stand together as the five finalists during the 2010 Miss World pageant contest at the Beauty Crown Cultural Center in Sanya, in southern China's island province Hainan.

Contestants stand waiting for the announcement of winners at 2010 Miss World beauty pageant at the Beauty Crown Cultural Center in Sanya, in southern China's island province Hainan.

Assam Massacre: They Saw Their Parents Being Shot Dead

Guwahati: Siblings Anjali and Manoj, students of Class 4 and 2 respectively, were orphaned on Monday.

They watched as their parents were shot dead by Bodo militants in their small village, Belsiri, in Sonitpur district of Assam.

Their parents were among 19 people massacred since last evening by the Bodo militant outfit NDFB in nine attacks across Sonitpur district.

Nine people have been injured. In some cases, bus passengers were lined up and shot dead. Most of those killed were Hindi-speaking people.

The NDFB had earlier threatened to kill 20 civilians for every member of their cadre that they lost in encounters.

Anjali and Manoj witnessed their parents being shot dead near their grandfather's barber's shop in Belsiri.

Their grandfather, Ramji Thakur, settled decades ago in Assam. The children are now with relatives at a nearby tea-garden, their trauma unimaginable.

Manipur Groups Boycott Sonia’s Visit

Imphal, Nov 10 : Seventeen civil society groups of Manipur have called a statewide general strike from 2am to 5pm on November 12 to boycott UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s visit.

During her one-day visit, Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to inaugurate three newly constructed women markets here and the Khuga multi-purpose project in Churachandpur district. She is also expected to launch other development projects.

The organisations have called the strike as a mark of protest against the non-disclosure of the whereabouts of Sana Yaima, the chairman of the United National Liberation Front, who was reportedly arrested from Dhaka and brought to India.

Media reports said RAW and Bangladesh intelligence officials had arrested Yaima alias R.K. Meghen from Dhaka. A UNLF release also claimed that he was arrested from Dhaka on September 29 and brought to India.

Union home secretary G.K. Pillai had denied the reports during his visit here last month but had promised to confirm it from Bangladesh officials.

Yaima’s wife, R.K. Ongbi Ibemnungshi, has submitted representations to the home ministry and the National Human Rights Commission, seeking the whereabouts of her husband.

She has also filed a petition in the Imphal bench of Gauhati High Court seeking directives to the home ministry, defence ministry and the Manipur government to produce Yaima.

The Centre has not made any official confirmation or denial of the reported arrest so far.

“The government is violating all international human rights laws by not disclosing the whereabouts of Sana Yaima after arrest. This is a case of involuntary disappearance. We are boycotting Sonia Gandhi’s visit against violation of human rights,” O. Bikramjit, spokesperson of the 17 civil society organisations, told reporters this afternoon.

The organisations are demanding that Yaima be produced immediately.

Beaten Manipur Woman Sent Back to Husband

Takhelchangbam Ambravati

In my work with abused women, one of the most important things is the support of the family and their resolve to stand by the decision of their daughter.

In a recent case I dealt with, a woman who had been regularly beaten by her husband was forced by her family to go back and live with him.

This young woman, let me call her Preity, had a long history of domestic violence. Her husband, a former drug abuser, was also openly having a long-standing affair with a woman living nearby.

This led to frequent quarrels which would end with him beating her up. Preity returned to her father’s house many times, but every time her husband would come and plead for her forgiveness.

Early this year, they quarrelled yet again and this time she went to stay with an aunt. One evening she thought why should I remain depressed when he is enjoying his life? So in an act of defiance, she dressed up and joined a celebratory dance of men and women, usually unmarried ones, which was being held as part of the Holi festival known in Manipur as Yaoshang.

But as she was walking home, her husband accosted her and tried to stab her, saying he would rather kill her than have her cavorting with other men. Thankfully she survived with a few wounds to her fingers.

At this point her aunt approached me for help. We were earnestly trying to help Preity – taking her to hospital, approaching a legal counsel and so on. We also asked her husband to meet us separately and asked him to make a statement. We even approached his employers to seek their opinion of his character and to ask for their help.

Preity was adamant that she would no longer continue to be victimised. She also wanted to file a legal case against her husband and the paperwork had begun.

However, after some time, we learnt that Preity had gone back to her husband after pressure from her own family to return to him.

I think the lack of strength and support from Pretty’s parents was mainly due to their poverty, as well as the fact that Preity’s husband’s house was very near their own. It meant that every now and then he would come and beg for forgiveness.

People are frightened by the very mention of filing a legal case. The legal process in this country is usually very drawn out and can become very expensive as a result.

People want speedy solutions. And even though the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 stipulates that cases should be resolved within the mandatory 60 days as far as possible, more often than not cases remain pending. As a result people are discouraged and disheartened.

For me, it is sad that a woman has to continue suffering due to loopholes in legislation and lack of support from her own family.

As told to Anjulika Thingnam

via panosvoices.org.uk

Northeast India Media Urged to Play Key Role in Tobacco Control

Guwahati, Nov 10 :  Northeast India states should get serious about tobacco control if people are to be protected from a range of diseases related to its consumption. Concerted action with strong political will is needed to curb tobacco use if scores of lives are to be saved in a region where incidence of tobacco related illness is markedly high.

This was the message that emanated from a workshop for the media organized by several stakeholders including the National Rural Health Mission, Assam.

According to a report by International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, almost 44 per cent of people in North-east India are tobacco users, compared to 35 per cent in the rest of the country. Nine per cent are smokers who do not use less smokeless tobacco, 10 per cent smoke as well as consume smokeless tobacco, but 25 per cent use only smokeless tobacco and do not smoke.

During the period 1009-2010 when the study was done it was found that the total number of tobacco consumers in the North-east was around 12.7 million, of which 9.9 million consumed smokeless tobacco.

Drawing attention to the worrying scene, Dr JB Ekka, Mission Director, NRHM Assam, mentioned that the media has to play an effective role to raise awareness on the issue that has serious implications for a large number of people, including women and children.

Dr Jagdish Kaur of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, expressed serious concern that tobacco continued to be part of the lifestyle for many people, and this social acceptance has acted as a real hurdle in the effort to restrict tobacco consumption.

She identified the strong tobacco lobby as a force that also made it difficult to build and implement laws to reduce tobacco use in the country. The lobby was financially strong, and was even in a position to fund elections.

In an interview to The Assam Tribune, Dr Kaur was clear in stating that the State governments of North-east must formulate and implement a strategy to combat the menace of tobacco use.

Specifically mentioning the issue of children’s access to tobacco products, she described it as a serious challenge.

Uranium Deposits in Northeast Found Only in Meghalaya

Shillong, Nov 10 : Among the Northeastern states, uranium deposits are so far available only in Meghalaya, the Atomic Minerals Division (AMD) said today.

"Over 16,000 tonnes of uranium deposits have been located in the Mahadek basin of Meghalaya. Apart from Meghalaya, surveys in other states have found that there are no economic concentration of uranium anywhere else," regional director of AMD R Mohanty said.

In other states, rock types found are not favourable for uranium mineralisation, but Arunachal Pradesh has the potential though no deposits have been found there so far, he said, adding that surveys were conducted on in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, scientists of BARC and officials of Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) and Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) today met state government officials, Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues on the prospects of uranium mining and sought to allay apprehensions of health hazards expressed by some quarters.

Head of the Public Awareness Division of DAE S K Malhotra said the Centre is eager to start the mining project in the state which has been stalled due to protests from various organisations.

"Locals in the area where the mining is proposed are convinced, but some urban groups are opposing it. But there is no scientific reason for opposing the project," Malhotra said.

Referring to the statutory environmental, forest and pollution clearances, Malhotra said the UCIL is awaiting the state government's nod to start the Rs 1100 crore project that has hung fire for over one and half decades.

Tomorrow the scientists would meet the warring groups in yet another bid to break the stalemate.

The mining issue in Meghalaya has been suspended for over one and a half decade now with some prominent NGOs and political parties vehemently opposing the proposal on the grounds that it would lead to degradation of the environment besides opening the floodgates for outsiders into the tribal state.

Maggie Gyllenhaal Opens Orphanage in Northeast India

London, Nov 9 : Hollywood couple Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard have recently opened a village for orphaned and abandoned children in India.

The SOS Children's Village set up in Alibaug village in northeast India, will accommodate 140 children, who will live in small groups in individual family houses and go to a nearby school.
The couple, which is the global brand ambassadors of SOS International, said they were overwhelmed by the response they received when they visited the village.

"I've never been greeted like this by anyone, I've never seen anything like this," Sky News quoted Gyllenhaal as saying.

"I tried not to have any expectations... I have never been to India before so I didn't know what to expect. It's exceeded anything I could have imagined," she added.

Sarsgaard said he is optimistic that the village will change the lives of those who live there.

"Everyone involved really believes in what they are doing. There is a real sense that this is different... the way everyone reacts and participates is ideal," he said.

The couple toured the village and met the families living there before they were treated to a traditional dance at a dedication ceremony.

The village has been built in partnership with lifestyle brand Esprit.

Meghalaya: First Municipal Polls Called Off

Shillong, Nov 9 : Meghalaya government called off the proposed first municipal elections in the state after the election authorities were compelled to postpone the polls twice in two months since September in the wake of large scale protests.

"There were a number of disturbing incidents that had led to the postponement of the polls twice since September. There was a strong possibility of disruption of the polling process as well as serious implication on the law and order," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said after a cabinet meeting.

While the election process has been called off, the municipal affairs department has been asked to examine and take a call on the issue as to when the government can set in motion the process, he said.

Sangma said the government has also decided to file cases in the court against the Joint Action Committee to recover the losses suffered by the public and government during their series of agitation against the polls.

The JAC, a conglomerate of several organisations, had called for a three-day bandh in the three districts of Garo hills where the proposed polls were slated for October 29 last.

The JAC is apprehensive about holding the municipal elections because it "would be violating Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and lead to erosion of powers of the traditional bodies like Council of Nokma (Village Council)."