As ethnic tensions rise over kidnapping of Mizos, Bru leaders send envoys to gain release

Aizawl, Dec 4 : With Mizo groups' pointing out of Bru militants' involvement in the Nov 23 kidnapping of three men near the Indo-Bangladesh border getting shriller, Bru leaders have pooled money to finance a team of four interlocutors who entered Bangladesh Tuesday to speak to the kidnappers and get them released.

In a joint resolution with the Mamit unit of the Young Mizo Association, Bru leaders in Mizoram also called upon the 5000-odd Bru refugee families in Tripura's relief camps to return home by next year because "there is a perception of anti-social elements being active in and because of the camps," according to Bru Coordination Committee chairman Elvis Chorkhy.

Twenty Bru village councils are contributing about Rs 2000 each to finance the team's travels, and the resolution falls in line with demands of various Mizo groups who condemn the continued existence of the relief camps in spite of a repatriation package for the Brus to return to Mizoram.

Meanwhile, Mamit SP Rodingliana Chawngthu said police have located the kidnapped men who he said are safe, and that they expect to bring them home soon.

The kidnapping of three men, two Mizo drivers Sanglianthanga and Lalzamliana and a Kolkata-based telecommunications professional Deep Mandal, has been roundly condemned by various Mizo and Bru groups and rallies demanding their release taken out at various towns and villages over the past week.

But with fresh ethnic discontent simmering for more than a month now after the Election Commission's move to allow 11,000 Brus to vote in the just-concluded Mizoram Assembly elections from within Tripura, the involvement of Bru militants in NLFT kidnappings within Mizoram is taking an ethnic turn although no incidence of violence has occured thanks to community leaders' calls for non-violence.

Groups such as the powerful Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP, or Mizo Students' Association) have demanded the Brus in Tripura return before the Lok Sabha elections or be removed from Mizoram's electoral rolls, a demand supported by incumbent CM Lal Thanhawla.

The MZP is planning a "Long March for Peace" from Aizawl to the western town of Tuipuibari, near where the kidnappings took place. The MZP is one of a few Mizo groups blamed for the burning down of Bru villages in 1997 after Bru militants shot a Mizo game warden at the Dampa Tiger Reserve. That ethnic conflict led to a mass exodus of Brus from Mizoram to Tripura.

MZP President Lalhmachhuana said Tuesday the student's body "is aware some Bru leaders in the relief camps instigated this kidnapping to incite Mizos to violence to disrupt the repatriation process. It is in their interest to have as many families in the camps so they gain financially from the dole-outs they receive. But we are not going to fall for it, and this long march is going to be completely peaceful."

An ongoing repatriation process for displaced Brus has been able to bring only 1000-odd families home: many in the Mizoram government believe Bru leaders in the relief camps gain financially from informal taxes recovered from the thousands of families there who receive rations.

The Home Department blames this "incentive" as a motive behind the killing of Mizo youth Zarzokima ny Bru militants in 2009 just as the repatriation process was about to begin.

Village Chiefs reject bill to restrict entry of outsiders to Meghalaya

Shillong, Dec 4 : Tribal village chiefs today rejected the proposed bill aimed at containing entry of outsiders and illegal immigration by regulating tenancy in Meghalaya, saying it was not relevant to the issue.

"We resolved to reject the proposed bill outright as it is not related or relevant to the influx issue, but instead provides more scope for infiltration into the state," General Secretary, Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong, R L Blah, said in a letter to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

Synjuk ki Rangbah Shnong (SRS) is a conglomeration of locality chiefs and chiefs of 43 villages in the state capital and on the outskirts of the city.

The SRS did not mention an alternative to the proposed bill nor did it mention whether they supported the pressure groups demanding introduction of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act, 1873, that facilitated the restriction of outsiders into the state by way of an Inner Line Permit.

A ministerial committee headed by CnRD Minister Prestone Tynsong is in the process of conducting public consultations across the state on the proposed Meghalaya Regulations of Landlords and Verification of Tenants bill.

Students of colleges under the North Eastern Hill University have also rejected the bill during a special consultation held with them last month.

NGOs Being Used To Spread Political Propaganda

Aizawl, Dec 3 : The Zoram Nationalist Party has expressed "sadness" for what it says is Mizoram's major NGOs being used to spread political propaganda just before the Mizoram Assembly polls that concluded on November 25.

Speaking at a meeting of party workers at the party headquarters in Aizawl on Monday, ZNP Vice-President K Liantlinga said the state's powerful NGOs "need to rethink" on their actions just a few days ahead of polls, accusing them of becoming "political weapons".

The state's major NGOs and student unions had, in the last days of the week before the November 25 polls, issued joint public statements condemning the use of violence and militants to garner votes.

While the NGOs had not directly named any party, word was fast spreading on social media as well as in public discussions that the ZNP was being supported by Hmar and Paite militants to intimidate voters.

The Congress and the Mizoram Democratic Alliance had also accused the ZNP of working with these militants, soon after which the NGOs had issued statements appealing to people not to vote for parties working with ethnic militant groups.

Mass based voluntary civil society organisations hold great sway over public opinion in Mizoram, with some claiming to have members in every Mizo family.

"The ZNP does not and will never have written agreements with these groups unlike the other political parties who have signed pre-poll covenants with them in the past. Even these NGOs had not found any evidence of us working with these groups and yet they allowed themselves to become weapons of political parties to spread their propaganda," K Liantlinga said.

'Brus in Tripura Should Be Given Last Chance To Return'

Aizawl, Dec 3 : Bru refugees in Tripura should be given one last chance of returning to Mizoram, failing which they would forfeit the chance of returning to the state, Mizo and Bru civil societies at Mamit district have demanded.

"The meeting of Mizo and Bru leaders decided that the Bru refugee issue should be resolved once and for all and that one last effort should be made by the government to repatriate all Brus from Tripura relief camps," leaders of Young Mizo Association said today.

They said that this was the demand at a meeting held on Saturday by village councils and NGOs at Mamit - on the border with Tripura and Bangladesh.

The meeting said that those refusing to return to Mizoram during the repatriation process should not be allowed to come back and they should remain in Tripura for the rest of their lives.

It was alleged that some Brus living in relief camps were into abductions after acquiring arms and working under the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura.

Look Northeast

It came a little late, but New Delhi’s realisation that its long neglect of the northeastern States had proved costly both for nation-building and India’s strategic interests has led to a more proactive approach to the region in the last decade. These efforts, though, are still nowhere near what they should be.

During his three-day tour of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, President Pranab Mukherjee rightly underlined the shortcomings, urging political leaders, policymakers and administrators to give “the utmost importance and attention” to the region. Connected to India only by a narrow corridor, and sharing borders with five of India’s neighbours — Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Nepal — the Northeast has potential that is far from being realised.

Though it has been repeatedly held up as the gateway for India’s Look East policy, the country’s growth story has left the region behind.

While the Northeast itself aspires to take advantage of India’s increasing ties with East Asia, it is hardly in a position to do so.

While some social indicators for the northeastern States, such as health and literacy, are far better than in other Indian States, they lag behind in many others. Infrastructure development — roads, railway lines and air links, and power generation — is woefully inadequate.

A study published earlier this year by the Indian Chamber of Commerce estimated that between 2011 and 2021 the region would create a mere 2.6 million jobs, while the number of job-seekers is likely to be eight times that number.

In his address to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of Nagaland, President Mukherjee spoke about the role of the people of the State in “establishing and maintaining a peaceful environment” so that it could prosper — an allusion to the Naga separatist insurgency, which has given way to a ceasefire and peace talks but no settlement yet.

It is significant that the President appealed to both the Centre and State governments in the region to ensure that the people of the Northeast can take their due place in India.

In Arunachal Pradesh, his reiteration of the State as an “integral and important part of the North East region”, in an address to the Legislative Assembly, was predictably followed by a statement by China that its position on the “disputed area ... is consistent and clear-cut.”

Reflecting the recent improvement in ties, the reaction was not as sharp as in 2009, when Beijing said it was “deeply upset” by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the State. The problem will not go away soon.

The challenge for New Delhi is to shore up its territorial claims with speedy efforts to ensure that the State is developed, and better integrated, and connected, with the rest of the region and the country.

Source: Hindu Editorial

India's Athlete Factory

By Salil Bera

Manipur is riddled with ethnic conflicts, insurgency and AIDS, but the people find hope in sports

WARRIOR PRINCESSES: Girls at an archery class in Imphal.

PACKING A PUNCH: Mary Kom trains boxing enthusiasts for free at her open air academy at Langol games village. The 3.3 acre was alloted to her by the state government after she won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics. BEND IT LIKE US: Youngsters warm up for a Judo session at the Imphal SAI complex. FIRE IN HIS BELLY: An athlete shows his weight-lifting skills in Imphal.

 
In 1892, the poet Rabindranath Tagore saw the kingdom of Manipur in a fresh light when he made its warrior princess, Chitrangada, the protagonist of a dance drama. A brave protector of her people, Chitrangada was a champion archer like her husband, Arjuna of the Mahabharat.

Shots of different kinds—drugs and bullets—have troubled the state of Manipur, where a violent separatist movement has been raging since 1964. Human rights violations by the paramilitary forces have forced Manipuri women to march in protest, stark naked. And yet, the state has produced 50 champion boxers. The most famous of them, Mary Kom, is a five-time world boxing champion. She is the only Indian woman boxer to have won a medal at the Olympics. Several other athletes from Manipur have made India proud.

Dingko Singh won a gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games. Kunjarani Devi, with 52 medals, is one of the most feted Indian sportswomen in weightlifting. The 'Maradona of Hockey', Thoiba Singh, is another international player from Manipur, and Renedy Singh is a well-known professional footballer.

I am on a visit to the various sports camps in Imphal, and the games village at Langol, which is close to the state capital. Mary Kom's boxing academy in Imphal, established in 2006, focuses on talented underprivileged youth who are offered free training, accommodation and food. The other sports academies in Manipur are run by the Sports Authority of India, the National Sports Academy and the state sports department.

Youth from different ethnic groups of Manipur flock to these academies for training. For them, practising a sport is a way of establishing their social identity. Ignoring the politics of violence and repression, they motivate themselves, to carry on with their rigorous training.
“The number of students coming into boxing has certainly increased. They come from different districts of Manipur,” says Ibomcha Singh, the boxing coach who received the Dronacharya award in 2010. “It is not easy. One has to be careful all the time. One ethnic group has been threatening action [against me]. As a safety measure, I desist from using a mobile phone. But the daily training continues without any interruption.”
He is confident of the talent he has seen in the boys and girls. “Some of them will definitely make a mark on the national front,” he says.
Watching girls and boys sparring in the boxing ring, I am overwhelmed by the equality of spirit and gender. A slogan on a wall of the room reads, “No risk. No game.” Somebody had tweaked a popular saying and made it a telling comment on the troubled condition of Manipur.
Sporting facilities in the city are far from ideal. At the SAI complex, one large hall, which has the boxing ring at its centre is also the venue for judo, fencing and weight-lifting.
At the SAI facility is a stadium where hockey coach Inaocha is training a group of young girls. On another part of the complex, the archers are at practice. Coach Sonachand Sharma calls the shots here.
Mary Kom's Olympic medal has given the youth of Manipur the confidence to pursue sports as a decent means of survival. But it is far from a level playing field for aspiring athletes. Ethnic conflicts, militancy, extortion and drug addiction loom large in the lives of Manipuris. Though Manipuris make up less than 0.2 per cent of the country's population, their state has nearly 8 per cent of HIV positive cases in India.
It is a test of resilience for the sporty people of Manipur, where against all odds the quest for excellence continues.

source: week.manoramaonline.com

Zauka Takes Over As Head Of Vanawia Pawl Sect of Mizoram

Aizawl, Dec 2 : Vanawia, the high priest and topmost spiritual leader of the Vanawia Pawl sect of Mizoram, was accorded a tearful farewell by his followers on Saturday. Vanawia (78) passed away on Friday following a battle with lung cancer. He is survived by 15 wives and many children and grandchildren.

Vanawia was known throughout Mizoram for his religious belief which was to stay away from the 'world' as his followers were 'Van thar-lei thar pawl' or the new heaven on earth church. His seniormost wife Siamzingi - known among the sect members as 'Laldiheli' - was regarded as a prophet who could predict the future through writings on her arms.

Zauka, the second-in-command in ideology among the members of the sect, is now the leader after Vanawia's demise. Zauka has 36 wives.

C S Lalhmangaiha, who now resides in Lunglei after leaving the sect, said the Vanawia sect believed in the advent of the thousand-year kingdom on earth.

Earlier known as Laldarinsap among the Vanawia sect members, Lalhmangaiha said he left Vanawia in 2001 to join the Presbyterian Church. He lives in Lunglei now.

Vanawia, known as 'Lalzahabar', received an 'order from God' in 1974 and began to travel across Mizoram, besides Meghalaya and Manipur, to spread the 'word'. He and his followers believed that the writings on the arms of 'Laldiheli', whom he married in 1977, were the words of God and the sect's beliefs were completely based on the writings.

The presence of the sect was even acknowledged by the Centre after the writings on Laldiheli's arms predicted the sudden death of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Lalhmangaiha said they sent letters to Indira Gandhi and even met her regarding the prediction. "I was among the group which met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to warn her," he said, adding that Gandhi was given the first warning in 1982 and the last one on March 5, 1983.

"We met her twice. After we told her about the danger to her life, she said, 'Everyone is going to die'. I told her that she would not die like her father Jawaharlal Nehru and other members of the family. She asked me who would kill her. I said that I did not know that and the killer might be someone she never thought would harm her," Lalhmangaiha said.

Indira Gandhi was gunned down by her security guards at her official residence on October 31, 1984.

He said after the assassination, intelligence officials visited the members of the sect a number of times at Thaltlang village, the abode of Vanawia and his followers in Mizoram's Lawngtlai district.

The members of the sect moved from place to place while they remained at Thaltlang village in the Phawngpui mountain, the highest mountain in Mizoram, Phawngpui was earlier known the Blue Mountain.

Lalhmangaiha said some members migrated to Bangladesh in 1991. In Bangladesh, they began to go astray and began returning to Mizoram. He said that a small group went to Thenzawl in the central Serchhip district form where they returned to Sangau village near Thaltlang and remained there.

Gospel Music Rules Over Rock in Mizoram

New Delhi, Dec 2 : It is tough to sell rock albums in Mizoram because of the dominance of gospel music in the northeastern state, says Atea, vocalist of Boomarang, a rock band from the state that is trying to meander its way into the country's mainstream music scene.

Boomarang, which also consists of Boom (guitar), Joshua (bass) and RS aka Rosangliana (drums), was formed in 2005 but has only now come up with its debut album "Home".

"We have a number of rock bands in Aizawl (capital of Mizoram). But the general music scene is dominated by artists who sing church songs. Not hymns, but gospel songs. Rock songs don't sell that good. Gospel artists' CDs sell more," Atea, who performed with band members in the capital earlier this week, told IANS.

He believes religion plays a role in the success of gospel music in the state. "Most of us are Christians (nearly 90 percent of its one million population); so a major part of the population listens to gospel songs," he said.

Bands or artists in his hometown also have limited ways to make their music reach out to the masses.

"If people want to come up with an independent album, they need to sell it themselves. Usually 10,000 copies are sold for Rs.100 or Rs.200 each. There are a few NGOs like the Young Mizo Association that help in selling CDs. They distribute to the community by visiting houses," said the singer.

The band, which has also been named 'Top ten bands to watch out for' in India by the Rolling Stone magazine, had to start off by singing covers.

Now, the members are glad they don't have to take the difficult route to make their music known. Their three-year association with Contrabands, a joint venture between record label Universal Music India, entertainment channel Vh1 and live music venue Hard Rock Café has given them the right platform.

"Contrabands has helped us a lot. We got a chance to frequently play our video on a channel like Vh1. For bands like us, it's the perfect platform. We are able to play more live shows and we finally got a chance to share our music with the country," said Atea, who is on a multi-city tour with his bandmates.

As part of the contract, they will get to play in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad. They have also played alongside international acts like Korn, Lamb of God, Aurora Jane, Fire house, Tribal Tech and Enslaved. But for them, the capital turned out to be the most exciting place to perform in.

"We have played in a lot of places like Silchar, Guwahati, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata. But Delhi is the most exciting place for us. We have a great number of followers and supporters here," Atea said.

The band likes to write on themes like love and politics. It has been working on original songs since its inception, but could only manage to pull off an album with the help of Contrabands.

"Our debut album is called 'Home'. There are 14 original songs written and composed by us. It was released last week in Mumbai's Hard Rock Café," said Atea.