Chinese Dam to Hit India

By Kalyan Barooah

New Delhi, Dec 6 : Notwithstanding China’s assurances on Brahmaputra river, the Zangmu Dam may eventually impact flow of water into India, as the dam is half way across the Yarlung Tsangpo river.

This was revealed by Michael Buckley, a Canada-based writer and photographer, who researched on the dams across the Tibetan Autonomous Region and made a film Meltdown in Tibet. Buckley, who has travelled extensively in TAR, screened his award winning film at Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia here on Friday.

However, Buckley was sceptical about the Chinese claim on diversion of Brahmaputra river, describing it as confusing, because Dam is already half way across the river.

Zangmu Dam, is an under construction large dam, on the mid-reaches of the Tsangpo located in a gorge about140 km southeast of Lhasa, at an altitude of 3,260 metres. Zangmu Dam is expected to generate 540 MW of electricity.

Its height is estimated at 116 metres and length 390 metres. Zangmu is the first dam in a series of five planned for the same region, in Shannan Prefecture. The five dams are Zangmu, Gyatsa, Zhongda, Jiexu and Langzhen.

As reported, China has said that it has always taken a responsible attitude towards trans-border rivers.

Foreign Minister of China has clarified that the construction at Zangmu, on the main Yarlung Zangpo (Brahmaputra) river, is that of a small power project, which would not store or regulate the volume of water, and therefore, would not have an adverse impact on the downstream areas, Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur had said in a Rajya Sabha reply.

On Friday Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao had told a seminar at Observer Research Foundation (ORF) that India is alert to reports of China damming trans-border rivers and sought assurances from China that it will take no action to negatively impact flow of the rivers into India.

“China has assured us that the projects on Brahmaputra are on the run-of-the-river projects and are not meant for storing or diverting water. We look forward to working closely with China in the critical area of environmental and livelihood security,” she said.

But Buckley doubts China’s words, pointing out that Beijing is planning mother of all dams the 38,000 MW Motuo Dam on Tsangpo. For one, the dam is located in Metog region and sits right in an earthquake-prone zone.

Plans are for a massive dam at the Great Bend of the Tsangpo identified as Motuo, with a staggering capacity of 38,000 MW, roughly double the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam.

Blocking the Yarlung Tsangpo could devastate the fragile eco-system of the Tibetan plateau, and would withhold the river’s sediments to the fertile floodplains of Assam and Bangladesh, he quoted experts as having observed.

Buckley said construction of these dams on rivers flowing into India and then on to Bangladesh would automatically lead to diversion of water and hit the two lower riparian countries.

Fortunately though, the Chinese engineers have postponed the Motuo Dam Project, still on the drawing stage because of incessant rains in the area. They were not able to build a dam because of rains, said Buckley.

Buckley’s 40-minute film shot on breath-taking locations in Tibet, has shots of under construction dams using his small camcorder. He travelled to the region as a tourist hiding his identity. He travelled to remote locations tracing the tightly guarded construction activities by road and also kayaking on fast flowing rivers in and around the dam sites.

China is building dams like there’s no tomorrow. Over 23,000 large dams are under operation in China today. There are at least 11,000 more large dams in South Asia, including over 4,500 large dams in India. That brings the total of large dams in China and South Asia to over 34,000, which roughly translate into 70 per cent of the world’s large dams.

Both China and India are forging ahead with building of large dams. Both nations appear to be oblivious of the climate change threat—neither is adopting a more cautious approach to dam building in the Himalayan region. It does not make sense to build scores of large dams in a stark future, where there may be no flow of water due to major rivers drying up, Buckley observed.

Somdev Keen to Train Northeast Players

Agartala, Dec 6 : India's tennis sensation Somdev Devvarman, who won two gold medals at the Guangzhou Asian Games last month, is keen to train promising players from the northeast, his parents say.

"As he belongs to Tripura, he would be very happy if he gets the scope to teach budding and young players from the northeastern states, where there is no dearth of talented and skilled players," Somdev's father Pravanjan Kishore Devvarman, accompanied by his family members, said.

"Efforts are on to build adequate infrastructure in Tripura for the coaching and practice of the tennis players. If a good tennis court can be built, it would be of big help for Somdev to give training to the youngsters."

The Tripura government, Tripura Tennis Association and other sports bodies are now busy trying to give Somdev, 25, a hero's welcome when he returns home on Dec 26.

"Somdev is now in Texas in the US for a month's practice with another world tennis star, Andy Roddick, as his practice partner. He will come to India later this month to participate in the Chennai Open Tennis beginning Jan 3," Devvarman, a retired income tax commissioner, said.
Somdev was born in Assam capital Guwahati on Feb 13, 1985, when his father was posted there.

"When I was posted in Chennai, Somdev was a student of Class 3 and was playing almost all major sports. Cricket was his favourite game. Coach Abbas Ali and Gopal Rao turned him to tennis," said Devvarman, accompanied by his wife Ranjana and brother Mukut.

Tripura Tennis Association secretary Sujit Roy said: "The All India Tennis Association is also willing to develop a tennis court in Agartala for Somdev and other northeast tennis players."
He won the men's single gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first to do so as tennis made its debut in this edition.

Replying to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Industry minister Jitendra Chowdhury's congratulatory messages, Somdev said: "I am proud of being an Indian and a Tripuri. I am thrilled by the love and support of the people of Tripura."

Earlier, Chief Minister Sarkar in a letter to Somdev said: "You made our country as well as the state proud by winning gold in both the Asian Games in China and the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi."

"You have become an immense source of inspiration for all the sportspersons in India as well as Tripura. The people of Tripura are eagerly waiting to see you," Sarkar said in his letter to Somdev.

Tripura Sports Minister Tapan Chakraborty said: "Somdev's success proves beyond doubt that there is no dearth of talent in northeast India and that all these bright youngsters need a platform or an opening to prove their capability."

When Drunkards Turn Professional Cooks

Kohima, Dec 5 : Many young Naga boys, who engage in drinking at secret places here in the dry state of Nagaland, turn professional cooks during the week-long Hornbill Festival to give tourists a taste of exotic cuisine from the state.

Having a taste for good food and love for the art of cooking, hundreds of young men take a break from their studies or jobs to set up temporary food stalls as part of the ongoing festive celebrations.

Interestingly, the stall-owners also included young housewives and professionals.
Take for instance Elu Elunglung, a sound engineer by profession, who has brought out his home cooking apparatus, including barbeques and utensils, into his temporary foodjoint – The Flame.

"It is the passion for cooking that has brought me here. Besides, we also make good money as the number of tourists is good," said the 25-year-old, who cooks at home on weekends.
Despite the traditional Naga culture discouraging spending time outside the house after sunset and the ban on the sale of liquor in the state, boys booze in secret places in the evenings during other times of the year.

If not for their love for cooking, then for a handsome pocket money, the young men set up roadside stalls just before the night sets in."It is very satisfying to cook and serve authentic Naga cuisine to tourists from outside the state. We get lot of compliments from them," says 22-year-old Khreto who learnt cooking from his mother.

Known for exotic meats, Naga cuisine has interesting varieties of beef, pork and chicken to suit various tastebuds. Some of the popular dishes include fermented bambooshoot with fish or pork and axone (boiled and smoked soyabean) with smoked pork and beef.

Anisha, made up of yam leaves and smoked dry, is also popular among foodies.

A local industry body started the 'Kohima Night Carnival' in 2005 coinciding with the Hornbill Festival, one of the largest in the Northeast, held every year from December 1 to 7 to showcase the richness and diversity of the tribal culture of Nagaland.

"During other times of the year, they have no space to hang out with friends and have fun after evening. But this gives them an opportunity to get a taste of nightlife and also do something productive," K Chris Krie, vice-president of the Kohima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told PTI.

During the seven days of the fest, the 125 food stalls make an estimated business of Rs 30 lakh as thousands of tourists, including a good number of foreigners, throng the hill city.

"We have made it a point to give priority to youths in setting up stalls. The whole idea is to adapt the society according to the mindset of the current generation and open up newer avenues for them," he said.

Abducted Official Offered Dog Meat by Garo Militants

Shillong, Dec 5 : A Meghalaya government official, abducted and held hostage by Garo rebels for nearly two months, Sunday said he had been offered dog meat during his captivity but subsisted on a vegetarian diet.

'They (the rebels) always went to nearby villages and brought dog meat, pork, dry rotis (chapattis) and (lentil) dal for our meals into our makeshift camps inside the jungle,' R. Syngkon told IANS here.

'They cook very well although my food was very basic, consisting of dal and dry rotis. My nephew shared the militants' diet of dog meat, pork and rice. Everything was very tasty,' said Syngkon, who is diabetic.

Syngkon, the district transport officer of East Garo Hills district, and his nephew Wanbormi Syngkon were kidnapped by Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) rebels Sep 30 from his residence in district headquarters, Williamnagar. They were freed on Nov 24.

He said the rebels kept strict meal timings and there was also a strict restriction on smoking, chewing of tobacco and consumption of alcohol.

'We were given our first meal every morning at 8 a.m. and dinner was served at 4 p.m.,' Syngkon said.

GNLA, one of the five Garo rebel groups, is demanding a sovereign Garoland in western Meghalaya.

The group is also believed to have links with rebel groups like the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).

Syngkon said he had treated well enough by his abductors.

'One day I was unconscious and blood was oozing out of my nose. They (GNLA) immediately brought a pharmacist inside the jungle and gave me an injection and drip (intravenous saline,)' he added.

'They (GNLA) didn't want anything to happen to me and I was told that they will release me seeing my health condition,' Syngkon said.

Asked the reason behind his abduction, especially when GNLA chief Champion R.Sangma and he knew each while in service, Syngkon said he had no clue. 'Yes, he was my good friend, but I don't know why he chose to abduct me.' The GNLA had said that they abducted him for his corrupt practices and wanted to 'teach him a lesson'.

Syngkon said not once did he see the GNLA chairman during his period of captivity. 'I don't know why he didn't turn up to see me, he must have been shy,' he said.

Denying paying a ransom of Rs.50 lakh, out of the Rs 1.80 crore demanded for his release, he said: 'When I was informed about the demand. I told them you can shoot me because I don't have that kind of an amount.'

'Nothing was paid to them for my release. In fact, they had some plans, but seeing my ill-health they didn't want anything to happen to me. In fact the GNLA leader, Sohan D. Shira spoke to me over the phone on Nov 24 informing a vehicle has been arranged to take me to Guwahati,' he added.

Splashed by Waterfalls

By Parul Sharma Singh

Nature's art The formations inside the cave photo: parul sharma singh

Striking natural beauty and quietude makes Shillong worth a visit

Shillong “the Scotland of the East” may be a cliché, but when in Shillong one finds nothing describes the place better. Perhaps the most explored hill station in the pristine landscape of the North-East , Meghalaya's Capital is easily accessible via Guwahati and Kolkata.

With the North-East being largely absent from the Indian tourism map and some States embroiled in conflict, not many travellers venture out to this region. However, Meghalaya being by and large peaceful, Shillong proves to be the perfect gateway to some of the virgin locations in the region.

Nestled between pine trees and located at an altitude of around 5,000 feet above sea level, Shillong looks very English, especially with its beautifully designed houses and high-dome churches. A reasonably big city with far more traffic than it can accommodate, Shillong is naturally pretty with lovely weather round the year and is a perfect post-retirement abode.

Offering a prelude to the natural splendour of Shillong is the mighty artificial reservoir ensconced between lush hills — Umiam Lake (also known as Bada Pani) — about 15 kilometres before the main city. On the outskirts lie Elephant Falls where the mountain stream carves out its way and falls at two spots. In fact, this is just the beginning as Shillong and Cherrapunjee — one of the wettest places in the world — has been gifted with captivating waterfalls. Sweet Falls near Happy Valley is a case in point. The raging water is at a height of over 90 metres and descends to the rocks into the crevice below. Apart from Wards Lake (an artificial lake with a garden ) and Lady Hydari Park (a park-cum-mini zoo) , one must also visit the Shillong Peak. On a bright and sunny day, this peak offers a bird's eye-view of the city and with the traditional Khasi attire available on hire at a shop nearby, many tourists dress in the local costume and pose for pictures with the Shillong skyline forming the prefect backdrop.

If you are inquisitive about North-East India, then a visit to Don Bosco Museum is highly recommended. It offers an educational insight into all the States in the zone, their cultures, tribes, traditional clothing , farming and fishing methods and their way of life.

One must also keep a day for Cherrapunjee, roughly 60 kilometres from Shillong. The drive to Cherrapunjee is breathtaking and shows a surreal world. The route is dotted with stone monoliths (stones placed by the locals in memory of their ancestors) and graveyards that give it an old-world feel. Locally known as Sohra, Cherrapunjee is about 1,300 metres above sea level and is known for its boisterous waterfalls and limestone caves.

Along the main road lies the valley view point and it is impossible not to halt here and soak in the beauty of the hills and streamlets flowing in between. Cherrapunjee being close to the Bangladesh border, one can see the road leading to the neighbouring country from the hillock next to the Pillar Rock (Khoh Ramhah), which is a commanding single rock formation in the shape of a cone. During monsoons water flows down this rock making a magnificent waterfall.

Seven Sister Waterfalls are another attraction. From a cliff one can see a series of seven waterfalls on the opposite side as they flow down the mountain. The Mawsmai Caves have a myriad natural stalactite and stalagmite formations of varying shapes and sizes with its dark interiors.

Another must-visit site is the Eco Park, set up by the State government, that offers a view of Bangladesh plains and houses many indigenous and hybrid orchids in its Green House. The trip to Cherrapunjee can be wound up with a stopover at Nohkalikai Waterfalls, one of the largest in India. From a distance, the surging water appears like white smoke spreading out from the rocks. The site is particularly striking during sunset.

How Delhi Police Cracked The Dhaula Kuan Rape Case

A peculair style of arranging money, a pick-up truck that had far too many identification marks and a phone call made soon after the crime were key leads that helped the police crack what they now say was a "blind case".

When the police drew out records of all phone calls made from around the area minutes after the crime, and matched the caller details with those of criminals involved in such crimes before, they narrowed down on the accused gang, said a police officer.

After the rape, the accused gave the girl fifteen Rs 10 notes, asking her to take a cab home, the police said. The notes were folded vertically and tied with a rubberband. "Money is usually kept like this by three types of people - cab drivers for their toll payments, vegetable vendors and by people who drive pick-up vehicles and have to pay change to passengers," Deputy Commissioner of Police H G S Dhaliwal said.

The police claimed they used this lead to make a broad profile of the accused along with other key indicators, like the phone call that one of the five accused made soon after dumping the girl in Mongolpuri.

Also, the victim provided details of the vehicle that helped police distinguish it from the thousands of others that pass through Delhi.

The girl said the truck's rear portion was painted in green and had a flowery decoration as well as a small Hindi word written in English alphabets, starting with "M", on the left window.

"Using several permutations and combinations, we figured out the word would most likely be `Muskan'... In fact, we even intercepted a truck that had the word written on its conductor's window, but it didn't have the other identification marks," Dhaliwal said.

Later, the police matched all the details to find the vehicle used in the crime, a recovery that could come handy in putting up a strong case during the trial.

Fifteen special police teams consisting of 300 personnel were organised to analyse the possible routes the accused used before and after the crime.

The police also used CCTV footage obtained from an undisclosed building in Mongolpuri to good use. The footage showed two figures alighting from a vehicle. "We called in experts from the IIT to enhance the video quality and that helped us identify the vehicle's type and make," said a senior police officer.

But the victim's information that the accused were carrying a mattress with them that the police initially treated as a key lead later turned out to be insignificant, said an officer. "We checked several such commercial vehicles and found that occupants of one out of every five carried mattresses as they often slept in the vehicle," said the officer.

During the investigation, the police examined and verified at least 400 cab drivers employed by the victim's call centre. Her route was also checked for possible CCTV camera installations, said a police officer. "At least 338 vendors and tentwallahs around Mochi village, from where the woman was abducted, were also examined. We also checked 3,245 tempos for the one with the description provided by the victim.

Also, 105 gangrape cases in Delhi and nearby cities were scanned for clues," an officer said.

Source: Indian Express

'We Wanted to Rob Cattle, Landed Up Raping Woman'

By Sahim Salim


Women from India's North Eastern states hold placards during a peaceful protest against the rape of a girl from Mizoram, in New Delhi on November 29, 2010.

New Delhi, Dec 3 : They tanked up their vehicle with the intention of robbing cattle. On their prowl on Ring Road in Delhi, they noticed two women from northeast India  sitting at the back of their call center cab. They could see the women through the window and decided to follow the cab -- just for kicks.

A little ahead, they saw the women being dropped on the Ring Road itself and the women started walking on the isolated stretch towards Moti Village.

Seeing that the women were alone, the five men -- all in their early 20s –decided to stop their car in front of the women. They wanted to kidnap both the women, but succeeded in kidnapping just one.

They shoved her into the backseat of the car and as she screamed for help, the four men tore her clothes while the driver took the car to a desolated corner and stopped. Here they raped the 30-year-old woman one by one and later gave her Rs 150, so that she could hitch a ride back home.   

This is what the Delhi police learnt after they interrogated two of the accused -- Shamshad and Usman -- arrested for raping a woman from Mizoram. The third accused -- Shahid -- gave himself up on Thursday in Faridabad.

However, the kingpin of the gang, Kamruddin who has been evading arrest for past six years in another gangrape case that took place in Faridabad in 2007, and another accused, Iqbal are still at large. 

After the rape, the men had taken off to Haryana's Mewat area, hid the vehicle in a remote village and went underground. 

A huge team of 500 policemen in plainclothes tracked them to Mewat's Dhauj and Tikri Kalan villages in the wee hours of Thursday.

"We had to wear plainclothes since Mewat is known for its notorious criminals, who have easy access to firearms," a police officer told rediff.com.   

Delhi police commissioner BK Gupta said that accused could not have been arrested without the cooperation of the 'brave victim', who wanted to see her assaulters punished. The victim and her friend had hour-long conversations with the investigators, assisting them with minute details.

"The victim told us that the car in which she was raped had a flowery decoration. She also remembered a word written on the rear window of the vehicle," he said.

The accused had given the victim 15 notes of Rs 10 denomination each and interestingly, the police said, they were folded vertically. "It's a trend among criminals from Mewat to fold notes vertically and here's where we got our clue.

Then we prepared a list of criminals from Mewat who had just got out of jail in and around the national capital region, and finally zeroed down on the accused," said deputy commissioner of police (south), HGS Dhaliwal, who led the operation.

The investigation was not easy. Fifteen police teams worked round-the-clock to catch the accused. Since the victim was not sure of the make of the car, police interrogated the owners of 3,245 vehicles before they nabbed Shamshad and Usman on Wednesday night.

The police have also recovered the vehicle in which the crime was committed.

Kin Seek Govt Job For Rape Victim

NE group to meet Delhi CM

By Hamari Jamatia

The NE Support Centre and Helpline plans to ask the Delhi government to provide the Dhaula Kuan gangrape victim with a government job, at the behest of her family members, in order to spare her the possibility of humiliation at her former workplace.

Madhu Chandra, spokesperson of the NE Helpline told Newsline that the family of the victim is now concerned about her future and do not want her to go back to her former call centre job. “She may face humiliation if she has to go back to her former workplace. The place may also remind her of the incident. To spare her the trouble, her family has asked us to request Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to provide her with a job,” Chandra said.

The NE Helpline, along with civil society groups, will meet Dikshit on Friday to submit a memorandum outlining the request. According to Chandra, the request for a job is not out of place since the crime comes under the purview of the Special SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, under which states the victim can be given a government job.

The Mizoram government is also working to ensure that the identity of the victim remains confidential. She has been shifted from Mizoram Bhavan to an undisclosed location. A friend told Newsline that the victim has also finally started going out. “She is accompanied by family members,” he said. Apart from the Mizoram government, Members of Parliament from the eight Northeastern states of the country have decided to chip in to ensure the safety of Northeastern women in the Capital. Topping their list of demands is the construction of a working women’s hostel for women from the Northeast.

The Northeast MP Forum has also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister, in which they have demanded that more patrolling be carried out in areas where people from Northeast communities reside, and a helpline be set up for them headed by a police officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner Police or above, preferably also belonging to the Northeast.

LH Liana, an MP from Mizoram, said they are also looking at providing financial assistance to the girl. “It is a really unfortunate event, but we also appreciate the fact that the Delhi Police have caught some of the culprits,’ he said.

BPO employees now to be dropped at their doorsteps: Cops

Following the Dhaula Kuan gangrape case, the Delhi Police has decided to make it mandatory for all call centres to ensure that their employees are dropped off at their doorsteps and also accompanied by a security guard.

The victim was dropped a few metres from her house on November 24.

“We will promulgate an order making it mandatory for BPOs to ensure that their employees are dropped off at homes and not on the main roads.

I will issue an order under the Delhi Police Act or Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” said Delhi Police Commissioner B K Gupta.

The order is likely to come out within two days he added.

“If the vehicle cannot reach their residences, a security guard will have to accompany the employees till their houses,” he added.