Mizoram Second in Child Abuse in India

Aizawl, Nov 20 : Mizoram is the second highest in child abuse cases in India, next only to Assam, according to a recent national survey.

Highlighting this with a note of grave concern, state child welfare committee chairperson Lalengruali Sailo emphasised the need and urgency to tackle this menace with concerted efforts of the public, churches, NGOs and the government in Mizoram.

The CWC chairperson, flanked by other committee members, was speaking to the press here today on the occasion of the World Day against Child Abuse.

Keeping in mind the recent gruesome incidents, where two five-year-old girls were raped and murdered, the child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairperson underscored the need to introduce sex education to children to protect the children against the menace.

Urging the government to put more thrust on child protection, the CWC implored that let the recent two incidents be the eye-opener to the need and urgency protecting the children. Of all the complaints against child abuse the CWC has received since 2005, cases of sexual molestations topped the list, the CWC chairperson said.

There were a number of cases of sexual molestation against boys. A total of 641 complaints on child abuse have been received by Mizoram's Child Welfare Committee since its inception on September 22, 2005, Lalengruali Sailo said.

CWC, in coordination with the administration and human rights' bodies, has registered 22 cases of physical abuse and two cases of child labour while there were 18 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by minors.

Manipur Govt Extends Armed Forces Act

Imphal, Nov 20 : Manipur government has decided to extend the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 in the state for one more year from December 1.

The decision to extend the AFPSA was taken last evening during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, sources said today.

As per provisions of the act, the Governor would issue an official gazette notification declaring the state as 'disturbed area' under which the AFSPA could be extended.

Under its provisions, power is given to even a non-commissioned Army person to shoot any suspect, even to death, if the latter acts in contravention of law.

Sources said seven assembly segments in and around Imphal municipal areas would not come under the purview of the the disturbed area status because the act had been withdrawn from these assembly constituencies in 2004 following an agitation.

The act was first promulgated in the entire state in September 1980 when insurgency movement by different outfits, waging an armed struggle for an 'independent Manipur,' was at its peak.

However, according to social organization's, thousands of innocent people had since been killed by security forces "in the name of tracking down insurgents" in "encounters or fake ones".

In 2004, a Manipuri girl who was alleged to have some links with a militant outfit was arrested by Assam Rifles personnel and her bullet-riddled body was found next day in Imphal East district.

This led to widespread protest by various social bodies for several months forcing the state to withdraw the act and disturbed area status from seven assembly segments of Imphal municipal areas.

Well-known social activist Irom Sharmila Chanu had completed 10 years of fast unto death on November 2, demanding withdrawal of the act from Manipur after Assam Rifles personnel shot dead ten "civilians" on November 2, 2002, at Imphal airport area. She is being fed through nose since she began her protest.

Northeast India Comes To The Capital

By Madhur Tankha

Buy eco-friendly goods, exquisite handicrafts at Trade Fair

Shoppers' delight: The Tripura Pavilion showcasing handicrafts at the India International Trade Fair-2010 in

New Delhi, Nov 20 : The Northeast Indian States' pavilions are displaying a wide variety of traditional consumer wares and newly-introduced eco-friendly products at the India International Trade Fair-2010 here that opened to the public on Friday.

The Manipur Pavilion greets visitors with hand-woven carpets, paintings and traditional dolls. Pollution-free room heater and smokeless chulha are displayed prominently near the entrance, bearing in mind the IITF theme of clean and energy-efficient technology, products and services.

Dolls draped in dresses worn by Manipuri classical danseuses and exquisitely-carved wooden statues of urban and rural folks vie for visitors' attention.

“Available for Rs.700, the dolls have been dressed up in our traditional attire. There have been enquiries about our wooden statues from business delegations. Paintings, acrylic on canvas, depicting history of various tribes are also popular with the public,” informed an exhibitor.

Valley Rose from the Ukhrul District Handloom and Handicraft Cooperative Federation is displaying products made by tribal women. “As many as 185 societies are working for our Federation,” she says.

An exhibitor has displayed recycled products like baskets and stationery items.

Sixteen entrepreneurs mainly engaged in handloom and handicrafts in Mizoram have bought a range of products. There is also a live demonstration of handicrafts.

Brooms with bamboo handles are available for Rs.40 to 70. “This year we have brought a big stock to meet the demand of housewives,” said an exhibitor. Also on sale are pencils made from different types of wood for just Rs.10.

Drift wood products are also available. Flower pots made from tyres are selling for Rs.150 to 250.

Meghalaya has come up with a wide assortment of artificial flowers, pickles, honey and spices. Different varieties of pickle made of dry fish, red chillies, bamboo shoots and raja chillies are being bought by food lovers. Spices used in vegetable and meat preparations are also available.

“Traditional bows and arrows made in a village 30 km away from Shillong and used in archery competitions are doing good business this year,” says a representative of Lyngdoh Handicrafts.

Tom Cruise Performs Death-Defying Stunt on The Planet's Highest Skyscraper?

He's well-known for doing all his own stunts, no matter how dangerous they are.

But action hero Tom Cruise may have gone to new heights both literally and figuratively yesterday during a scene for Mission Impossible IV in Dubai.

A figure was clearly perched on top of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, which stands at 2,717 feet - and judging by his adrenaline junkie behaviour, it's very likely to be Cruise.

Mission insane: Tom Cruise sits on the top of the highest tower in the world in Dubai as he filmed Mission Impossible IV in Dubai yesterday

Cool as a cucumber: Cruise performs another hair-raising stunt perched barefoot at the very top of the Burj Khalifa

The last action hero: The Hollywood movie star is filming at the Burj Khalifa, which stands 2,717 feet tall

Reprising his Ethan Hunt superspy role, just a few days ago Cruise was running around the windows below the tower's Observation Deck, 124 floors above the ground during a chase scene.

At a press conference last week, Cruise informed attendees that he would be 'spending many days [and] many hours on the side of this building. I can't give details, but I will be up there.'

The actor's spokeswoman says: 'Tom has been preparing for the stunt for some time. He believes if he performs the stunts himself, the audience believes more in his character.'

Stuntman: Tom does his own stunts, no matter how dangerous they are

Cruise apparently relived his Days of Thunder glory recently on a night out.

The actor took 75 of his Mission Impossible crew and castmates, including British actor Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner, out go-karting at the Dubai Kartdrome.

And he even used his character's name from the 1990 race car film.

A source says: 'Cruise used the name Cole Trickle, his character from Days as his moniker during the outing.'

Generous Cruise also treated the whole group to burgers and fries.

High times: A view of the Burj Khalifa showing where Tom Cruise is performing his hair-raising stunt on in Dubai

Meanwhile wife Katie Holmes is home in the U.S. with daughter Suri, filming new movie Jack and Jill with Adam Sandler.

The film tells the story of Jack who is forced to deal with his twin sister, Jill, when she visits for Thanksgiving, but then won't leave.

Katie plays Jack's wife in the movie, which also stars Al Pacino and Christie Brinkley.

She has also been filming a television movie about former American president John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie alongside Greg Kinnear.

Nothing to see here: Tom on the set of Mission Impossible IV in Prague

Happy Hours Are Here Again in Mizoram

Mizos get rid of ‘dry’ tag with a ‘love potion’

BY SUNEHA DUTTA

Jesus is said to have turned water into wine. Now, Mizoram is trying its hand at wine-making to turn its grape industry around. It has started producing wine of its own, joining the likes of Goa and Maharashtra that produce indigenous wine.

Interestingly, Mizoram is a ‘dry’ state where liquor production and consumption is prohibited. But it is eager to get rid of the ‘dry’ tag. Like Gujarat, Mizoram has been observing the Liquor Total Prohibition Act since 1997. Alcohol was prohibited, and the grapes produced could not be used for large-scale commercialisation despite Mizoram cultivating the Labrusca grape, which is suitable for producing high quality wine. The locally produced wine has been named Zawlaidi, which means ‘love potion’ in Mizo.

After the Act was amended in 2007, it was in July this year that the government decided to kickstart the wine industry, which entailed the sale of wine made from grapes. Wine production began in September and distribution a month later. For good measure, the drinking age limit has been kept at 18.

High spirits The Champai unit can make 1 lakh bottles annually PHOTO: PB LALRAMMAWIA/THE AIZAWL POST

Fruit of plenty Grape farmers can look forward to better profits PHOTO: MALSAWMA PHOTOGRAPHY

Understandably, the people are excited about Zawlaidi, both as consumers — since alcohol is being made legal after 13 years in this Christian-dominated state — and also as citizens, who will now get employed at the new wineries.

Mary Khiangte, a 19-year-old from Sercchip is excited about the upcoming industry. “It feels great that Mizoram is making wine, which is considered a luxury by many,” she says. “Maybe, it is better that Zawlaidi is available only in Mizoram. This way we can make sure all its imperfections are corrected before the wine is sold outside the state, isn’t it?”

So, does the relaxed drinking age limit of 18 years thrill Mary? (The age limit in Delhi and Maharashtra is 25 years.) “It is obviously convenient. That does not mean we will keep drinking. After all, isn’t there also a cap on the amount of alcohol that can be bought?” she is quick to add, referring to the limit on the sale of wine to four bottles per person.

Deputy Director of Horticulture Veanlalruata Chenkual says the wine industry was set up to provide employment and channelise the huge grape cultivation in Mizoram with an incentive of commercialising it and generating more revenue for the state.

“Before the wine industry started, the grapes cultivated in this region could not be used to make a good profit,” says Chenkual, who is also the managing director of the Grape Growers Society, a cooperative set up by the cultivators. “People used to concoct wine at home.After fermentation, some concoctions acquired an alcohol content and would be illegally sold for a small profit.”

Chenkual says the factory-based production will ensure that farmers get a fair price for their crop. Each farmer now gets Rs. 35 per kg of grape. Production under government scrutiny will also ensure that the quality of the wine available legally in the market is excellent. The wine-making process will be monitored by experts from liquor major Shaw Wallace, who will also train and guide the wine-makers in Mizoram to ensure that Zawlaidi conforms to international standards.

AT PRESENT, there are two units producing Zawlaidi — one each in Hnahlan and Champai districts. They aim to produce two lakh bottles of wine in 2010-11. In Hnahlan and Champai, nearly 70 percent of the population is engaged in growing grapes, mostly of the Labrusca variety, from which Zawlaidi is made. The Hnahlan Grape Growers Society claims that it has earned a revenue of Rs. 27.82 lakh from selling 20,957 bottles of wine since 16 October. There are 14 licensed vendors across the state who sell the wine.

Busy season The wineries have created new jobs PHOTO: PB LALRAMMAWIA/THE AIZAWL POST

Wine-making is a huge leap for Mizoram. But not everyone thinks that it is a proud milestone on the path to progress. In Bawngkawn locality of Aizawl, the clergy has protested against the introduction of wine. “The alcohol content in Zawlaidi is as high as 14 percent. It will have as bad an effect as any other alcohol. How can this be allowed?” asks a priest.

The clergy is wary that this government-sanctioned drinking might affect society. As a result, the Church and some community groups have prohibited the only vendor selling wine in Bawngkawn from continuing his business.

An alcohol content of 14 percent is high when compared with beer (6 percent) and other wines (12 percent). But Chenkual says that is precisely why the number of bottles per person is restricted in Mizoram and the government has kept it at 14 percent, even though the amended Act allows up to 16 percent.

Chenkual says the protest is a gimmick on part of the Church to draw attention. “The wine industry is for the farmers’ benefit. We are monitoring every aspect of wine consumption and distribution. Their fears are baseless,” he says.

Aizwal resident Felly Vanchong, 22, says, “Yes, maybe the alcohol content is high but so are the restrictions. Producing or drinking wine is not a sin, so I don’t think it is against any morals as some of the churches are claiming.”

For now, Zawlaidi is distributed under tight controls. Other than the sale limitation, timings are truncated — from 10 am to 4 pm. Priced at Rs. 170 for a 750 ml bottle, Zawlaidi is costlier than the cheapest variety sold in Maharashtra and Goa.

SOME, LIKE 43-year-old Francis Zohming from Champai, feel that Zawlaidi will bring plenty of recognition to Mizoram. He is as enthusiastic about this ‘love potion’ as the youngsters. “I never thought that Mizoram would be producing wine someday. It wasn’t even a distant thought. But it definitely makes a lot of sense, because almost everyone I know in my district is involved in growing grapes. This can change many things for our economy,” adds Zohming.

‘Zawlaidi’s alcohol content is as high as 14 percent. It’ll have a bad effect,’ warns a priest

While lingering questions remain about the ill effects of alcohol, it cannot be denied that it provides new opportunities for Mizoram. As Chenkual says, the people were already consuming homemade alcohol, so why not ensure that at least the quality is regulated?

Chenkual says the state government wouldn’t mind introducing Zawlaidi to other parts of the country but it cannot be done without the support and some incentive from the Central government.

Mizoram is keen on being in the same league as Goa but only time will tell whether the ‘love potion’ will bring in positive attention and money to the state without the negative impacts.

via Tehelka

Frustration Among Garos Could Spawn Hundreds of Kasabs

By AVALOK LANGER

Achik National Volunteers Council leaders Torik Jangning Marak and Janggam Momin tell AVALOK LANGER that Meghalaya will explode with violence if the government fails to meet the Garos’ demands.

Under the dancing shadows of its silver clouds, you can lose yourself in the rock music and laidback lifestyle of Shillong, which is not only the educational hub of the Northeast but also an example of the potential possessed by the region. Unfortunately, that’s just one side of the story. In western Meghalaya, the dense jungles of the Garo Hills have been a hotbed of insurgency. Not only were the Garos (one of the three dominant tribes of Meghalaya) central to the creation of the state’s first vigilante outfit, the Achik Liberation Matgrik Army (ALMA), they also helped create the Hynniewtrip Achik Liberation Council (HALC), the first underground group.

The Garo movement came into its own with the creation of the Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) in 1995. Its demand was simple: a separate state for Garos within the Indian Union comprising the Garo Hills and the Garo-dominated areas of Assam’s Kampura and Goalpara districts.


Reality bites ANVC leaders Marak and Momin admit that an armed struggle is not an end in itself  PHOTO: AVALOK LANGER

The justification behind the outfit’s demand was the state government’s “step-motherly treatment” towards the Garos. Having signed a ceasefire agreement in 2004, the ANVC suspended all guerrilla activities but this has left the cadres frustrated and susceptible to recruitment by the active and growing Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA). Excerpts from an interview with ANVC spokesman Torik Jangning Marak and joint secretary Janggam Momin:

Why did you join the guerrilla movement?
MARAK For too long we have been neglected, suffered step-motherly treatment from the Meghalaya government. The state was carved out of Greater Assam in 1972, but we are yet to see any benefits. We are far behind other parts of the state in terms of education, development and economics. I could never accept the wrongs that are being done to my people, I had to speak out, I had to highlight the problems.

MOMIN To militarily challenge the government is not easy. It is like hitting an elephant with your hand, nothing happens. But our idea was never to challenge the state. All we wanted to do was to knock on the door of the government and be heard.

MARAK In a family, if there are three kids and one of them is naughty, the parents will pay attention to the naughty child. Earlier, the Garo voice barely reached Shillong. We had to make the Centre listen to our demands, so we picked up arms. We never asked for sovereignty. All we wanted was statehood so that we could get what was rightfully ours, but we always knew that an armed struggle was not an end in itself.

Is that why you agreed to the ceasefire?
MARAK It was partly because of that. We wanted to achieve a permanent political solution for the Garo people. But by being holed up in the jungle we could not do that. At the same time, the people of Garo Hills appealed to us to come to a ceasefire agreement. Our movement is for the Garos. They have supported us from the very beginning and we had to respect their appeal. That’s why the ANVC as a whole will never go back to the jungle.

Do you have any regrets about agreeing to the ceasefire?
MARAK Every day, I am haunted by a question that I am forced to ask myself: will we deliver even a small part of the promise we made to our people? After all, we are accountable to them. The movement is not restricted to just the 182 cadres who are still with us, it involves all the Garo people. Today, we feel like we have been cheated. Many promises were made by political leaders and various government agencies when we signed the ceasefire agreement, but nothing has come of them. We are saddened by the government’s lack of sincerity in finding a solution even though we have scaled back our demand from a separate state to just an autonomous council with certain special provisions.

MOMIN Sometimes I wonder if we have come out of the jungle to be repeatedly insulted by these officials. There is nothing that we can do and I feel there is something wrong with this system.

What do you mean by that?
MARAK The government doesn’t see the bigger picture. We have 182 soldiers who are very frustrated. We have kept them under control for six years. These are men trained to live in the jungle and fight like guerrillas. How long can we restrict them to a civilian environment? The government is trying to domesticate a wild animal.

Now there is an added problem. Last year, a renegade Deputy Superintendent of Police, Champion Marak, and one of our deserters, Sohan, got together to form the GNLA. They have recruited 200 cadres and are now approaching our boys. Our cadres are well trained, they know these jungles like the back of their hands and they will be perfect recruits for the GNLA. If they join the new group then we can’t be held responsible for their actions.

‘To militarily challenge the government is not easy. It is like hitting an elephant with your hand. Nothing can come of it’

We don’t support the GNLA, but at times we feel a sense of oneness. We started this movement and brought it to a certain level. Now, they are taking it forward. If the government doesn’t want to deal with us then let them deal with the GNLA. But big problems are in store for the Garos. With the GNLA at large and growing in strength they will turn to other groups for support, maybe the ISI or the Nagas. With the government unable to do anything, it won’t be long before this region explodes again.

MOMIN In a Mumbai jail, Ajmal Kasab is being punished for what he was brainwashed to do. Here, the unemployment and frustration among the youth can potentially create hundreds of Kasabs.

What do you feel about being a part of the underground?
MARAK We are treated like terrorists, made to feel like lepers and shunned by society. Because I joined the underground my family has suffered, they are looked down upon as the family of a terrorist. But to be very frank, it takes courage to join an underground movement. You have to sacrifice your family and youth to stay in a jungle to fight for a cause. It is the cause that we are living for and the cause that we will die for. We all knew that the moment we are a part of the movement, the only certainty is that we are closer to death.

via Tehelka

We’re Against Political Terrorism in All Forms

CPDM chairman Malem Ningthouja tells Suneha Dutta that people in Manipur have taken up arms only as a reaction to ‘police/army atrocities’

The people of Manipur want the Indian government to put an end to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and want to see development in the region on par with ‘mainland’ India, but there are others who are fighting for complete independence.

Campaign for Peace and Democracy in Manipur (CPDM) chairman Malem Ningthouja has been fighting against human rights violations. He was one of the speakers at the recent Kashmir Convention held in Delhi. In a chat with Tehelka, Ningthouja explained why the struggles of Kashmir and Manipur are similar and why both states want to break free.

Why is the CPDM supporting the cause of azad Kashmir?
The CPDM stands for development, peace and unity. On the Kashmir issue, we have two understandings. First, the political community in Kashmir want to enjoy the right to self-determination. The UN has recognised Kashmir as a disputed region. Both Pakistan and India have militarised Kashmir and have fought disastrous wars. Both governments are considered oppressors by freedom-loving Kashmiris.

Is the Manipur movement secessionist as well?
Yes, if you are talking about the movement led by armed organisations banned by the Indian government. If we go by the propaganda of those who are fighting for an independent Manipur, it can be described as an ‘anti-colonial movement’, ‘freedom movement’, ‘liberation movement’, etc.

Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani said that azadi can happen only when Kashmir secedes from the Indian Union. What are the terms of freedom for Manipur?
If the people think that they are living in a colonial state under Indian rule and if they are against it, then the obvious pre-condition would be freedom from India.

Was it a conscious political decision to share the platform with a Naga leader in Delhi, keeping in mind the history of antagonism between Nagaland and Manipur?
I don’t think there is antagonism between Nagaland and Manipur. However, there has been some tension over the issues of Nagalim and Manipur’s territorial integrity. In this matter, the CPDM believes that there cannot be permanent obstruction to the unity of the oppressed people. N Venuh had represented the NPMHR and I had represented the CPDM. We have worked together on common democratic issues.

There are Naga groups in Manipur who want parts of the state to join Greater Nagaland. Manipur has more than 36 recognised communities.
Call it Greater Nagaland or South Nagaland or Nagalim or Zogam; accession or secession should be conditioned by the material relation where every community is a stakeholder of the common territory.

It has been said time and again that Nagaland and Kashmir have entered into talks with the Indian government to resolve their demands while Manipur hasn’t even taken that first step. Has the time come for Manipur to take the initiative?
The government has responded with cosmetic economic packages mostly in the tertiary construction sub-sectors, police modernisation, AFSPA, other black laws, Manipur Police Commando, Village Defence Force and other repressive and divisive tactics. All these responses are the antithesis of democracy.

What about the violence unleashed by the insurgent groups?
We are for peace. We are against political terrorism in all forms.

Will the violence subside once Manipur is released from the ‘oppressive’ Indian government?
In a people’s democracy, there will be justice and no place for political violence or terrorism.

What do you think is the best way to combat the Indian government’s shortcomings?
The media should play an effective role in covering the real voice of the subjugated and the oppressed and expose political terrorism in any form perpetrated by the State.

In Kashmir, the military is held guilty if they fire at a stone-pelter. However, if they fire at an armed insurgent in Manipur, a similar empathy is not earned. Why?
Thangjam Manorama was a cadre of the banned PLA when she was raped and killed by the Assam Rifles in 2004. There was widespread protest that led to the institution of the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee by the Indian government. Whether any section of the people could protest against a particular incident of killing of an underground cadre or civilian would depend on the degree of repression carried out by the government vis-à-vis such protest.

There are peaceful protests by Irom Sharmila and the Manipuri women’s movement. What is your take on them?
Such individual initiatives have to be regarded as an integral component of the democratic movement. We endorse the struggle of Irom Sharmila, who has been on the fasting for the past 10 years demanding the repealing of AFSPA. Such peaceful demonstrations or revolt have not been adequately addressed by the government. This is unfortunate.

Do you support violent forms of revolt?
We do not appreciate violent forms of revolt. However, violent revolts, militancy or insurgency against the police/army are a reaction to the violent character of the rulers. We demand demilitarisation of Manipur, the repealing of draconian Acts and an end to the reign of terror so that political violence does not gain mass appeal.

Kashmir has agreed to hold a plebiscite to abide by the wishes of the people. If the Indian government agrees to consider a separate Manipur, will something similar be done?
What should be the formula of separation or integration will have to be decided by those who are part of the conflict. As far as the people’s aspirations are concerned, there should be a platform where they can have free and fair expression of their democratic aspirations.

So, what methods should Manipuris use to fight for their cause?
We are a campaign organisation. We carry forward the democratic aspirations of the people towards development, peace and unity. We do not work beyond that. The people of Manipur must first try and understand the difference between what is revolutionary and what is reactionary activity. Freedom was in their hands but they did not realise due to the lack of consciousness and unity.

You recently said that the term ‘nation’ has been coined to trump other forms of identity. So, is India just a concept?
I said that India is not a nation in the strict sense of the Stalinist term of nationhood. There can be several collective identities within a nation. But to perceive India as a nation would be anachronous. The perception of an Indian nationhood comprising Kashmir and the Northeast percolated at the conscience of certain section of the Indian population rather informs about the institutionalised process of the down-linear infiltration of statist illusion of an imagined India. The term ‘India = nation’ de-contextualises the genuine democratic movement of the people who do not want to be in India. For instance, there can be killing, harassment, displacement, subjugation and exploitation in the name of Indian national security. To me, India is a geographical expression whereupon the Indian rulers exercise unrestrained armed power to perpetuate semi-colonial condition to fulfill their vested interests.

Should all Indian states then demand separate nationhood?
I’m not suggesting that India should be broken into different countries. All I’m saying is there should be no subjugation or oppression. The European Union had come into being on the basis of a formula acceptable to all members. There should be justice and recognition of the right to self-determination of the communities who are willing to enjoy this right. My simple question is: what is the problem if someone wants freedom?

Nagaland Hornbill Fest Preparation in Full Swing

Naga children wait to participate in a dance during the Hornbill Festival.

Kohima, Nov 20 : The Nagaland government today organised mass social work in Kohima and Dimapur in view of the Hornbill Festival to be held from December 1 to 7 at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, 12km from here.

All government offices, including the Nagaland secretariat, remained closed for the day to let the employees participate in the cleanliness drive in Kohima and Dimapur.

The government deployed police, home guards, youth resources NSS and Nehru Yuva Kendra, to help the public in the cleanliness drive.

Hundreds of trucks, JCBs and earthmovers were also deployed.

Foreign and domestic tourists and dignitaries are expected to take part in the mega festival, an annual affair where Nagas display their rich tradition and culture.

The Kohima Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) is organising the Kohima Night Carnival from December 1 to 7 as part of the Hornbill Festival.

The stretch of road from Oking Footbridge to Razhii point will be utilised for the carnival from 4pm to 8pm.

The KCCI expressed its gratitude to the participants of the previous carnivals and business establishments for the support rendered and sought their co-operation for the carnival.

It has requested all shops and building owners to start preparing for the carnival and especially appealed to all the establishments within Oking Footbridge and Razhü point to keep their shops open till 8pm during the carnival.

The KCCI said it would strictly enforce a ban on the sale of intoxicants.

The Kohima local ground shall be utilised as a parking lot for all vehicles.

The president of the KCCI, Kesao Kesiezie, said the 2009 awards for the best stall, the cleanest stall and the best decorated shop would be announced. Cash prizes will be given for the best decorated building, the best decorated shop, the cleanest stall and the most beautiful stall this year.

Competitions in baking, flower show, carnival painting categories and a photo gallery will be organised. An organic market will be set up at Kezieke.