Indian Poker Championships going international, heads to Sri Lanka this September

Bally's Casino playing host to India's premiere poker tournament

In the past decade or so, poker has crawled out of the back rooms and has become one of the most watched sports in the world. The evolution of poker into a worldwide phenomenon has led to people from all walks of life trying their hand at the felt. These days, it’s not surprising at all to see both professional poker players and novice college students playing at a table in the World Series of Poker. In fact, a college student named Pius Heinz, once managed to win the 2011 WSOP Main Event and took home over $8.7 million in cash winnings.
The mainstream popularity of the 200-year old card game has been helped along with extensive coverage from major TV networks like ESPN and the sheer reach afforded by the internet to poker bloggers and online news sites.
Nowadays, all you need to do to get your poker fix is to go online. Don't have the money to play for real cash? Play a few hands on Facebook instead. You can even get updates on the go from PartyPoker on Twitter.
Since the game is taking the world by storm, Asia has not been spared by the poker craze. Players from all over India can participate in all of the drama and action at the felt this September when the five-day-long Indian Poker Championships kicks off. The event, which was originally slated for July, will take place at Bally’s Casino, the biggest casino in Sri Lanka’s state capital Colombo.
This year marks the first time the tournament goes international, so the IPC is pulling out all the stops. IPC players can enjoy hotel packages and deals thanks to IPC’s tie-ups with some of the city’s best hotels and spas.
The Indian Poker Championships will start with a 3k Turbo Mega Satellite w/ Re-Entry on September 4th and will culminate in an INR 25,000 Main Event to be held on September 7th and 8th. A 10k Deep stack Turbo w/ Re-Entry game will also take place during the last day of the tournament.

NLUP Boosts Mizoram's Growth

Aizawl, Aug 23 : A farming scheme that aims to benefit over 125,000 families in the state has helped boost Mizoram's growth rate, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said here.

With the implementation of the new farming scheme, Mizoram has registered a growth rate of 11 percent during the 11th Plan period (2007-12) against the national growth rate of 7.8 percent, Lal Thanhawla said.

An official, quoting the chief minister, told IANS Friday that the Mizoram government's flagship scheme New Land Use Policy (NLUP) has boosted Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth rate to 11 percent.

"In the NLUP, over 125,000 families would be given financial assistance and training for a permanent farming instead of 'Jhum' cultivation," Lal Thanhawla said while addressing a meeting of various stakeholders.

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

Tribals constitute 27 percent of northeast India's 45.58 million people.

The chief minister said that "the per capita income in Mizoram for the year 2010-11 at current prices is Rs.50,956 which has shown a considerable increase... evidently the economy of the state is on the rise".

The Mizoram government launched the Rs.2,873-crore NLUP in 2010 to solve food scarcity by moving away from 'Jhum cultivation' to stable farming.

NLUP aims to support 125,000 "Jhumia" (shifting cultivator) families in four phases so that they settle under stable agriculture.

A major 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 and extend monetary help.

"Packages of activities targeting commercial farming, primary processing, promotion of livestock, pisci-culture, sericulture, plantation of cash crops and similar activities have already uplifted the economic welfare of the beneficiaries," the chief minister said.

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."

He said that the "scheme has made significant impact on the economy by providing alternative and sustainable livelihood opportunities to farmers by reducing their dependence on jhumming".

In the first phase of NLUP, 45,139 beneficiaries have been covered and in the ongoing second phase 45,000 families would be covered while in the third phase 19,861 tribal families are expected to be covered and in the fourth and final phase 15,000 beneficiaries would come under this scheme.

Why You Should Sound-Proof Your Ears

By Stephanie Castillo

Turns out that it's not just loud noises that affect your health.

A new study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives says that everyday sounds, such as cell phone rings and conversation can affect the rhythm and the rate of your heart.

After monitoring 110 adults' daily heart rate activity and noise exposure, German researchers found that as a person's exposure to noise increased, so did their heart rate.

On the other hand, their heart rate variability (variation in the time interval between heart beats) decreased. But the lesser the variability, the greater the heart attack risk, says the study.

Interestingly enough, when the noises stayed below 65 decibels (safe levels), participants' heart rate still went up. The study also says that there are other factors to consider. For example, the way a person perceives a sound-annoying or pleasant-could influence their psychological reaction.

Prevention advisor, Dr Arun Agarwal, director, ENT Department, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, advises the following to keep safe.

Know your limit
The WHO cut-off for safe levels is 85 dB. Normal conversation is between 60-65 dB; the refrigerator hum about 40 dB; heavy traffic, hairdryer, blender is approximately 85 dB; hand drill is around 100 dB.

Habitual exposure to noise above 85 dB will lead to gradual hearing loss in many people. In fact, the 'safe-limit' decreases by half for every 5 point increase in the noise level-your exposure should be limited to 8 hours per day at 90 dB, 4 at 95 dB and so on. Don't expose unprotected ears to noise over 140 dB.

Create a barrier between the noise and your ears wherever possible. Roll up car windows, sound-proof your home with heavy drapes, wear earplugs/earmuffs when you are in a noisy situation.

Myanmar Army Erecting Camp in Manipur Territory

By Iboyaima Laithangbam
 
(Left) Trees have been cut down for the construction of a camp by the Myanmar Army at Holenphai village in Manipur; a Myanmar Army officer talks with Indian officials, near Moreh - the border town of Manipur.

Imphal, Aug 23 : The Manipur government has taken a serious view of the Myanmarese Army preparations to construct a temporary Army camp at Holenphai village, located 3 km from the police station at Moreh — the border town of Manipur. The State government is in contact with the Centre regarding the development, according to official sources.

Attempts to defuse the crisis by dissuading the Myanmarese Army officers from suspending the work till a final settlement is brought about were not fruitful as the officers said that they cannot do anything against the orders from their higher officials.

Meanwhile, several voluntary organisations and political parties in Manipur have been demanding the suspension of the work by Myanmarese Army personnel to erect a border fence as large chunks of the State’s land will be lost. Once the fence is erected, almost half of the 14 tribal villages in Chandel district will be go to Myanmar. In the case of Choro in Ukhrul district, the entire village will be on the Myanmarese side of the fence. These political parties and NGOs have been threatening massive agitations to protect Manipur's land.

Earlier, on the basis of complaints from Myanmar, erection of the 10 km-long border fence at Moreh had been suspended; Myanmar had said that its land had been encroached upon. The construction of the Integrated Check Post office was also suspended on similar ground.

The Myanmarese Army had started cutting trees at Holenphai village for the construction of a temporary Army base-camp, following which the village chief informed the district officials about the development. Robert Khetrimayum, Additional Collector of Moreh, accompanied by sub-divisional police officer H. Balram, and Moreh police commando unit office-in-charge Sadananda visited the village on Thursday.

The official team found the Myanarmese Army cutting trees in the village. The Additional Collector told the commanding officer of 87 Light infantry of the Myanmarese Army to suspend the works till a settlement is brought about. However, the commanding officer was not happy that the Indian officials had come inside the “territory” of Myanmarr. He told the Indian officials that he cannot do anything unless his higher officials gave him orders.

He also told the Indian officials that according to a map of the Britishers, this area is well within Myanmar.

Mizo Church May Do Away With Infant Burial Taboo

Aizawl, Aug 23 : The Presbyterian Church of India, Mizoram Synod, the largest church in the state, is likely to do away with one of the oldest traditional taboos associated with infant deaths.

In Mizo tradition, infants below three months are not accorded a decent burial like adults in village cemeteries. Instead, they are buried in kitchen gardens of the bereaved families. This practice is called 'Hlamzuih'.

A consultation was organized by church leaders in Aizawl recently to discuss the issue. It was presided over by Mizoram Synod moderator reverend Lalramliana Pachuau and was attended by representatives of major NGOs and other churches.

In the deliberations, the Synod leaders, including senior executive secretary reverend Vanlalzuata, said the church wanted to do away with 'Hlamzuih'. At the discussion, the emphasis was laid on the fact that infants below three months should also be given a decent burial just like any Christian adult and that the Bible does not discriminate on age.

"There is no concept of 'Hlamzuih' in the Bible or Christian teachings and the church believes that all souls irrespective of age would be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. So, why continue to make a separate arrangement for the burial of infants below three months?" asked a priest.

The participants were informed that the Catholic Church never had the concept of 'Hlamzuih' and all church members, irrespective of their age, were accorded the same Christian burial.

The deliberations in the consultation would be taken up during the Synod executive meeting in September and a final decision would be taken after that.

The main hurdle in doing away with the concept of 'Hlamzuih' is Young Mizo Association (YMA), the largest social organization of the Mizos. The YMA, in its successive conferences, have discussed the issue but stuck to its stand on 'Hlamzuih' for infants below three months.

LS Redux? Mizoram's 2-Day Session

By Adam Halliday

Aizawl, Aug 23 : Two days was the grand duration of the Mizoram monsoon session this year, a statistic that added little to the already low total number of sittings by the state's sixth legislative Assembly.

Elections just a few months away, this 40-member House has sat just 106 days over five years (or 20 days a year), barely two-fifths of the recommendation for a legislature its size.

The two-day session on July 23 and 24 saw much of the time divided between a rather lengthy obituary session for three former legislators, some business transactions and a closing chapter where a veteran politician announced his retirement from active politics and then treated everyone to lunch.

On day one, just three of the 20 starred questions were replied to on the floor. On the second day, just five of 20. About two dozen reports were laid and three Bills introduced.

But then the truncated Assembly session was unsurprising — a recent report pointed out that 2001 saw 24 days of sessions, 2005 17 days and 2010 just 14. The same report quoted Speaker R Romawia as saying: "If the government has more businesses to be deliberated, then the sessions would be prolonged."

Evidently, that need hasn't been felt. A fair understanding of the number of laws in the state may be gleaned from a quick glance at the 'Local Acts and Rules' page on the website of the Aizawl District Court (Mizoram doesn't have own high court): 11 Acts, 10 rules, two regulations and manuals each, and one scheme and policy each.

Says former Parliamentary Affairs minister F Malsawma: "We have not really had leaders of the House who are strong lawmakers. The actual making of laws is something we still want for, and that leads to a situation where very little business needs to be deliberated by the legislature."

Mizoram is far from the only state to have such a low average in sittings of the House. Best performer Gujarat only manages about 31 sittings a year. However, the people of a state that departs from the rest of the Northeast in eschewing violence can be forgiven for feeling cheated. Ruled till the second quarter of the 20th century by tribal chiefs, they have enthusiastically embraced the vote.

In the first state elections in 1987, 74 per cent voted. In the 2008 elections, it went up to 82 per cent.

Adam is a principal correspondent based in Aizawl adam.halliday@expressindia.com

Mizoram Told To Take Back Refugees

Agartala, Aug 23 : The union home ministry has again asked the Mizoram government to take back over 37,000 tribal refugees, living in Tripura for almost 16 years, officials said here Thursday.

"The union home ministry has again asked the Mizoram government to take back the refugees immediately," Tripura's revenue department secretary Swapan Saha told reporters here.

He said: "In a separate letter, Tripura Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar Panda requested Mizoram Chief Secretary (L. Tochhong) to take appropriate steps so that the refugees could go back home."

The tribals had fled after ethnic clashes with the majority Mizos over the killing of a Mizo forest official.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in New Delhi last month and requested their intervention.

Sarkar told the two that "continuous presence for over 16 years of refugees from Mizoram has been a matter of concern for Tripura".

"The long stay has its own socio-economic and law and order problems. The state government is providing necessary support for early repatriation of these families. However, the process has been extremely slow," said Sarkar.

However, refugees have been insisting that without a formal agreement between the union, Mizoram and Tripura governments and tribal leaders, their rehabilitation will remain uncertain.

The Reang refugees, lodged since October 1997 in six makeshift camps in Kanchanpur sub-division of north Tripura, 180 km north of Agartala, have sent several memoranda to the prime minister and the union home minister in support of their 18-point charter of demands.

In the past, around 4,500 refugees had returned in 2010 and 2011 following continued persuasion by Mizoram and home ministry officials. However, the process got stalled after that.

Mizoram Moves EC For Paper Trail of Votes

By Chetan Chauhan

New Delhi, Aug 23 : The Election Commission has a new demand to fulfill from the north-east. Mizoram, which is going to polls this year in Nov-Dec, wants the voting on voter verifiable paper trail system (VVPAT).

Through the system the voters can see whom they have cast their vote on a small screen attached with the electronic voting machines (EVM).

The system was developed by a team of experts led by former IIT professor PV Indiresan to allay fears of political parties that EVMs can be doctored without the voter knowing about it.

After years of work, the commission has finalised a prototype, which would be used for the first time in a by-election in Nagaland on September 4. The commission would provide two VVPAT machines for each polling booth so that voting is not disrupted in case of a technical glitch.

“The machine will not fail if handling is perfect,” election commissioner HS Brahma told HT. “The pilots have shown that the machines works seamlessly”.