People Need To Stop Eating These Cute, Weird, Defenseless Animals

By Sarah Laskow

Here are some things to know about the pangolin, according to National Geographic. “The pangolin is not very ferocious. It doesn’t even have teeth. And it’s not very fast.” Its only defense is curling into a tight ball. And as it turns out, that’s not good enough to protect you from a human with a fork.

There are eight species of pangolin, and all eight are in decline. A couple are well on their way to extinction.

Why? Because people are eating them.


Who would eat a pangolin?

People who can, just for the heck of it, John R. Platt writes, at SciAm:

“This guy ordered a pangolin just because he could afford it,” Challender says, noting the man paid between $600 and $700 for the animal. “A friend had recommended it to him.”
The restaurant owners brought a pangolin out in a bag and tipped the live animal onto the customer’s table, where it sat in the defensive ball that both protects and dooms them. “They tried very hard to uncurl it, because they’re very strong animals. It quickly dawned on me that this creature had had it and there was very little I could do to intervene.” A few minutes later the animal was killed, prepared and eaten.

Their scales are also valued in Chinese medicine. In essence, China’s pangolin population has been decimated and now they’re being supplied, illegally, from Southeast Asia. We can’t even. It doesn’t even have teeth! It has no chance! Can’t people just leave the pangolins alone?

Finance Ministry To Discuss Tipaimukh Clearance

By Linda Chhakchhuak

Aizawl, Aug 9 : Dam activists here are on alert once again over the controversial 1,500 MW Tipaimukh dam as the Union Environment & Forest Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) is scheduled to discuss forest clearance for the dam on August 13 and 14. The project area is at the confluence of rivers on the Manipur-Mizoram border.

The agenda before the FAC is diversion of 1551.60 ha of forest land under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 for construction of the dam in Mizoram. The affected people of Tipaimukh dam had recently held a joint public meeting at Khawpuar in Aizawl district to outrightly reject the dam.

The FAC had rejected the forest clearance for the dam on the Manipur side of the river in view of its heavy environment and social cost in its sitting recently. The FAC noted that “It may be mentioned that another proposal for the same project seeking diversion of 27,777.50 ha in Manipur was discussed by the FAC in its meeting held on July 11 and 12 and concluded that requirement of the forest land for the project is large and is disproportionate to its power generation capacity. Also very high ecological, environmental and social impact/cost of the diversion of vast tract of the forest land will far outweigh the benefits likely to accrue from the project. The FAC, therefore, strongly recommended that approval for diversion of the said forest land should not be accorded.

A high level source in the Mizoram Forest department told this reporter that he believes that the FAC is unlikely to accord forest clearance when it has already rejected clearance for 95 per cent of the dam submergence area on the Manipur side.

In any case, the Mizoram Forest department fact sheet for the proposed clearance is full of holes, contradictions and even outright lies, according to the activists. It says that giving the forest clearance will have no social costs, thereby failing to mention that 14 villages will be directly impacted by the submergence of their ancestral jhumlands.

Another matter which needs to be fully exposed is the way the compensatory forest scheme is being worked out. “When a continuous forest area is to be submerged, it stands to reason that the compensatory forest in exchange for this will also be a similar continuous forest area but the department has proposed 17 separate blocks of forests spread out across far flung villages,” pointed out a resident in the dam impact area.

Mizoram Starts Direct Aid To Farmers

Aizawl, Aug 9 : The Mizoram government has started providing financial assistance to farmers under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme.

State government officials Thursday claimed that Mizoram is the first state in the northeastern region to provide financial aid using the DBT scheme to farmers involved in the New Land Use Policy (NLUP), a flagship programme of the state government.

Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and Finance Minister H. Liansailova provided necessary documents to farmers selected to get the financial assistance at a programme held here Thursday.

"The farmers selected under NLUP scheme would get the financial assistance through their bank accounts under DBT provisions," an official of the state agriculture department told reporters.

He said the second-phase programme to provide financial assistance under NLUP was held simultaneously in the offices of sub-divisional officers and block development officers across the state Thursday.

He added: "The Planning Commission had earlier appreciated Mizoram government for its achievements under NLUP scheme and was assured more support to carry forward the programme."

The Mizoram government launched the Rs.2,873-crore NLUP in 2010 to solve food scarcity by moving away from 'Jhum cultivation' (slash and burn method of shifting cultivation) to permanent farming.

NLUP aims to support 120,000 "Jhumia" (shifting cultivator) families over five years so they settle under stable agriculture.

The chief aim of NLUP is to develop and give all farmers in the state suitable, permanent and stable trades. It also aims to make all farmers self-sufficient in rice, vegetables etc. and extend monetary help.

Tribals in the northeastern states practice 'Jhum' or slash-and-burn method of cultivation. This shifting form of farming usually involves cutting down of entire forests in the hills and allow the slashed vegetation to dry on mountain slopes prior to burning. Rice is grown with vegetables, maize, cotton, mustard and others.

Boarding Woes Stalk Northeast Students in Delhi

By Shaswati Das and Mallica Joshi

New Delhi, Aug 9 : Raj Gogoi made his way from Assam to Delhi to seek admission in Delhi University’s (DU) Ramjas College a year ago. Yet, Gogoi did not anticipate the harrowing experience that was soon to follow.

As he searched the length and breadth of the varsity campus and other surrounding areas for accommodation, he was either turned away or asked for an exorbitant amount as rent — nearly twice the normal charge.

“I had to pay Rs. 11,500 for a room that was available for Rs. 6,500 to students from this part of the country. I found this accommodation in the Vijay Nagar area after searching for nearly one month,” he said

The story is the same for thousands of students from the Northeast who flock to DU each year. While the North Eastern Women’s Hostel partially took care of accommodation needs for women students of the Northeast, no arrangement was made for men.

“Landlords ask for high rents. They don’t even refund our security deposit. The property dealers, too, charge very high rates. The university needs to provide some alternative accommodation facility for boys too. Unlike other students, we can’t go home frequently during holidays and accommodation is very important,” said IK Salam, a student of Kirori Mal College.

Yet, even if students from the Northeast manage to find accommodation, their troubles are not over. Students said that because there was no rent-control or regulation in place, landlords charged whatever they pleased.

“The biggest problem we face is finding a landlord who will give us a rent agreement. There are a number of times when we need this document but the landlords are just not ready to part with it. On top of that, we aren’t allowed to cook what we want even after paying higher than usual prices,” said Timothy Chongthu, whose parents moved to Delhi from Manipur in 1980s.

However, house owners claimed that most of their experiences of renting out houses to students from the Northeast had turned sour after several episodes.

“I had rented out my flat once to three boys from Assam. They got into drunken brawls often and smoked and drank in the house. The police had come and hauled me up for misconduct in my building. Since then, I have not rented out my property to such students,” said Raj Mehta, who lets out rooms to students in the Vijay Nagar area.

Home truths
Too high a cost to pay
Rajeev Sonowal, Second year, Hindu College

New Delhi: For Rajeev Sonowal, who’s from Assam, a first attempt at finding accommodation soon landed him in trouble.

Sonowal looked for places in Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar and Kamla Nagar for accommodation, before frustration hit him.

“Some house owners in the campus area told me that they had ‘slabs’ for rent and that it was highest for people from Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura. I refused to believe it and questioned them only to be thrown out,” he said.

Yet, it did not end there for him. His appearance led to landlords questioning him about his “hobbies”. “Some of them told me that people from the Northeastern did not have good habits and, because of the adjustment problems, it was slightly difficult to rent out houses to us. It took me three weeks to get a house,” he added.

An auto ride difficult to forget
Lhusino Sale, law student, DU

New Delhi: Whenever Lhusino Sale takes a ride on an auto-rickshaw, she is reminded of a horrifying incident last year that shook her completely.

The 22-year-old, along with two other friends, had taken an auto from Sarojini Nagar to North Campus. Four men on motorcycles started to follow them.

“They were calling us chinkis and asking us to go with them. They followed our auto till we reached Karol Bagh, taunting and threatening us all the way. We managed to lose them after we passed Karol Bagh. It was one of the most horrifying nights of my life. I did not go out for months after that,” said Sale.

Sale’s mother in Nagaland gets nervous every time a molestation or rape is reported in the city.    

“She calls me every time she reads any such news. I have to lie to her and tell her that I live in a safe area in Delhi,” says the resident of Indra Vihar near North Campus.

Manipur Braces For Back To Back Strikes By UNC and KSDC

By Iboyaima Laithangbam
Imphal, Aug 9 : Manipur braces itself for a long disruption of normal life with the United Naga Council (UNC), calling a 48-hour general strike with effect from August 11 midnight and the Kuki Statehood Demand Committee calling a 72-hour general strike shortly after the end of the UNC strike

This could paralyze normal life in the entire State since the vehicular movement along the two highways will also be affected. The two highways and some state highways pass through Naga villages.

United Naga Council strike

United Naga Council, the apex body of the Naga tribes in Manipur, said that the strike is in furtherance of the demand for an alternative arrangement for the Nagas. For many years, UNC leaders have been saying that the Nagas no longer want to stay under the "communal Manipur government".

There have been five rounds of tripartite talks between the state governments and the UNC. However nothing concrete has emerged so far.

The UNC leaders served an ultimatum to the union government on July 15, 2013 in protest against stonewalling attitude of the government. It said that the sixth round of talks should be held immediately.

UNC further said that all central projects in Manipur should be suspended until a decision regarding this is taken, which includes the construction of the rail lines in Manipur. Moreover, the Nagas will not approve erection of the border fence since this will only divide the Naga villages.

It also said that the Nagas shall not participate in the Independence Day celebrations in protest against delaying tactics of the government.

Kuki Statehood Demand Committee strike

The announcement made by KSDC on Wednesday said that the general strike is in furtherance of the demand for a separate state for the Kukis and will begin from midnight of August 13.

The Kukis are found along the highways and most of the districts in the valley in addition to the five hill districts.

A government spokesperson told The Hindu that the Union government has already made it clear that the alternative arrangement demanded by United Naga Council is impracticable. Besides, a new state for the Kuki tribal cannot be carved out of Manipur which is much smaller than any district of Assam or West Bengal. The Naga organisations have also been saying that the proposed Kuki state cannot include any Naga area.

Security measures have been beefed up to maintain law and order during the two sets of general strikes.

In Bodoland We Burn

A photographer’s memories of seven months in troubled Lower Assam that has seen bloodshed and multiple rounds of ethnic violence over the last year.

By Arkadripta Chakraborty

The announcement to create a new state of Telangana has rejuvenated the long-term agitation for a separate state of Bodoland in Assam.

The violence-ravaged foothills of Lower Assam have stood testimony to years of bloodshed. A brief period of relative peace and tranquillity was restored here in 2003 when the area witnessed some development. This reprieve ended in 2012 when the monsoons seemed to have brought as much fire as rain.

Ethnic riots, attacks and counter-attacks between Bodo people and Bengali Muslims resulted in widespread arson and rioting. Lakhs were displaced in Lower Assam, bringing back memories of a dead insurgency. Curfews were imposed and the security beefed up. 

The ethnic animosity that almost destroyed the area in the 1990s had returned.

I reached Kokrajhar, the epicentre of the hostilities, in January of 2013. An acute sense of fear still loomed large. The air was uneasy and every few months brought fresh news of violence. I started to look for images that spoke of what lay under the current situation of mistrust, what lay beyond all the arson and rioting that had once again brought the area and its people to their knees.

Ethnic conflict, displacement and migration in Lower Assam are not a new phenomenon. These have been used for political gains by, both, State and non-State actors. These machinations have ended sometimes in the mass exodus of whole communities, amounting to a sort of ethnic cleansing.

The tribal nature of the conflict in most parts of western Assam adds to the complications.

Assam has been divided thrice -- Nagaland in 1963, Meghalaya in 1971 and Mizoram in 1985. The Bodo people comprise about 5 percent of Assam’s population, while Bengali Muslim settlers make up about 33 percent.

Today, the area hunkers down into a 72-hour bandh enforced by the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU). The signs of an unfinished democratic process are everywhere. By Arkadripta Chakraborty
 
Arkadripta Chakraborty is a freelance photographer who divides his time between Guwahati, Assam and Agartala, Tripura. His work focuses on people living on the margins of the Indian society. For the last year he has focused on covering the ethnic conflict in northeast India, with particular focus on western Assam. His work is regularly featured in both national and international publications and websites.

Deficit Monsoon Rainfall in Northeast

By Ajit Patowary

Guwahati, Aug 7 : Monsoon rainfall in the NE region has remained remarkably deficit so far this year. Normally, monsoon withdraws from the NE region in September end.

Sources in the Regional Meteorology Centre (RMC) here attribute this situation to the frequent formation of cyclonic circulations over the North West Bay of Bengal. These cyclonic circulations are preventing flow of the moisture-ladden south-westerly wind to the NE region and hence the region is getting less rainfall, said the sources.

When asked to explain the factors that have led to the formation of cyclonic circulations over the North West Bay of Bengal, sources said that several factors like the sea level surface temperature, atmospheric vorticities and other synoptic situations are contributing towards such developments.

This monsoon, the meteorological sub-division of Arunachal Pradesh recorded 36 per cent deficit rainfall, with an actual rainfall amount of 643.3 mm, against the normal of 1013 mm for the period between June 1 and August 6.

Assam-Meghalaya Meteorological Sub-division recorded 40 per cent deficit rainfall, with an actual of 678.6 mm, against the normal of 1135.6 mm for the above period.

Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura Meteorological Sub-division recorded a deficit rainfall of 55 per cent, with an actual of 468 mm, against the normal of 1046.6 mm for the above period.

During this period, Assam recorded a deficit rainfall of 28 per cent, while Manipur recorded a deficit rainfall of 76 per cent, Meghalaya recorded a deficit rainfall of 63 per cent, Mizoram recorded a deficit rainfall of 40 per cent, Nagaland recorded a deficit rainfall of 50 per cent and Tripura recorded a deficit rainfall of 42 per cent, sources said.

Tuivai Hydel Project will Boost Mizoram Economy

Aizawl, Aug 6 : Mizoram MLA and Parliamentary Secretary Lalthanzara said that Tuivai Hydel Project will not only enhance power supply for Mizoram but also boost the State’s economy.

He said this on Saturday while attending the last day of the ‘Review Meeting’ of PHE Department held during the last four days at Aijal Club here.

The department reviewed the initiatives carried out so far in the current year and also over its ongoing programmes.

Besides, the engineers were oriented on the Central government’s approval in recent times for undertaking of power project through Viability Gap Funding (VGF), being the first of its kind in the country, and over the sanction for Tuivai Hydel Project which is proposed to generate 210 Mega Watt of electricity.

Addressing the meeting, Lalthanzara said Tuivai Hydel Project which has been approved by the Central Government is the brainchild of the Mizoram government after several hurdles.

“This is a blessing from god,” he claimed. Recently, the Forest Advisory Committee observed that forest clearance should not be given to the Tipaimukh Hydel Project which is proposed to be constructed at the confluence of Tuivai and Tuiruong rivers.

The mega dam project has been vehemently opposed by the Hmar tribesmen and even the Hmar rebel group – HPC(D)- had declared a “war” against the dam.

The Tuivai dam project issue is also very sensitive since the area comes under the Hmar areas both in Mizoram and Manipur.

“When the Project is materialized, beyond our self-sufficiency in electricity, we shall also have enough power capacity even for export. Moreover, in the coming years, this will help boost the Mizoram economy immensely,” he said.

Talking about the present situation, Lalthanzara said that even the neighbouring states, which have power projects of their own have to resort to frequent load-shedding. “Therefore Mizoram is comparatively in a better position,” he said.

However, Mizoram government said it is confident of pressing forward with the Tuivai dam project. L. Pachuau, Chief Engineer (Distribution) and Engineer-in-Chief Pu C. L. Thangliana said several steps have already been undertaken for Tuivai Hydel Project.

They said the PHE Department has completed its set tasks in 94 villages out of 137 villages targeted under RGGVY.Construction of Substations at Sawkawrdai, Phullen and other 2 villages are also near completion.

It was also mentioned in the meeting that Consumer Indexing, an undertaking to enhance better service to consumers regarding meter reading, proper power supply, and also to prevent illegal connection, is being carried on and the same is expected to be completed by November.

When Consumer Indexing is used, usage of power by the consumers will all be recorded through GIS to do away with illegal connection.

Tuivai Hydel Project, on the other, is proposed to generate 210 MW of electricity. A private company will be taking up the construction work and tender will be floated for selection of the company. The construction is expected to be completed within 5 years.