Kohima gets ready for 70th anniversary of 1944 war

GUWAHATI: April 4, 1944, is etched in the history as a day when Japanese advances into India was stopped in Kohima where one of the fierce battles of the World War II was fought.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of this momentous event and the war, vice-chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Air Chief Marshal Sir Joe French will be visiting the northeast.

The vice- chairman will be visiting the Kohima War Cemetery along with Barry Murphy, director of Africa and Asia Pacific Area (AAPA) at CWGC, on April 4. The event is dedicated to all those soldiers who gave up their lives in stopping the advancing Japanese forces. As of now, the cemetery comprises 1420 graves. The site also has a cremation memorial in memory of 917 Hindu and Sikh soldiers who were cremated as per their religion.

"It has been confirmed that both the dignitaries will be visiting Kohima to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic event. It will be a solemn and yet memorable event. The vice-chairman will inaugurate an information panel to be set up at the cemetery. The guests will be visiting only Kohima," said Salew Pfotte, regional manager (northeast India), CWGC.

Spring of 1944 is marked for a special historical event associated with Manipur where close to 200,000 allied and axis forces fought tooth and nail over control of the strategic potentialities that northeast offered to the colliding warring forces. The National Army Museum of the UK last year described the Battle of Kohima and Imphal as Britain's greatest battle.

The Imphal War Cemetery comprises 1465 known burials and 138 unknown burials. British, Canadian, Australian, African, Indian, Chinese, Burmese, New Zealander and South Rhodesian soldiers were buried at the cemetery. Manipur Tourism Forum and Second World War Imphal Campaign Foundation will be organizing an event commemorating the battle that will commence from March and continue till June. The CWGC has been invited to attend the event. Special invitations have been sent to the Australian, Canadian, American, British, New Zealend, Nepal and Japan embassies as well.

Freed by court, Sharmila resumes fast

By Iboyaima Laithangbam

Fasting Manipur activist Irom Sharmila was on Thursday set free by the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal Central, in a case of suicide attempt.

Immediately thereafter, she resumed her fast, a protest she began on November 4, 2000 demanding repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.

Law permits authorities to detain her for one year in one go. All these years she has been released at the end of one year of detention.

Ms. Sharmila was concerned over increasing massacres of innocent people by security personnel long after insurgents had escaped after ambuscades. For her, the last straw was the killing of 10 persons including a woman on November 2, 2000 at Mallom near Imphal, long after the escape of militants who detonated a bomb.

However, the Manipur and Central governments have refused to concede her demand, saying repeal the AFSPA would amount to giving the foreign-trained militants carte blanche.

On Thursday, soon after she was released by the court in Imphal East district, the activist resumed her fast inside the shed where activists of the Save Sharmila Organisation have been assembling every now and then to extend her moral support. Police sources said she would be arrested shortly for continuing the fast.

A court in Delhi had ordered her to appear on March 30 on the charge that she tried to commit suicide by staging a fast there.

Two Peeping Toms Spy On Manipuri Women, Arrested

New Delhi, Mar 13 : Two women from Manipur have alleged that their neighbours used to spy on them by forcing an opening in the window of their house in south Delhi’s Mahipalpur.

On the basis of the allegations, police have arrested two men on charges of stalking.
The victims work at a mall in Gurgaon and live in a rented house at Mahipalpur.

In their complaint to police, they claim that two men named Vikas and Johnny used to stare and follow them regularly in the area. They also used to knock on the main door of the house and run away before the door was opened.

“It is alleged that the two men also ogled the women through a hole drilled in the windows of the victims’ house,” a police officer said. The women came to know about the secret peephole late on Monday. And they decided to inform Vasant Kunj South police station.

Police recorded their statements and filed a case under section 354-D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code.

“The accused persons were arrested before they came to know about the complaint or try to escape from the area,” the officer added.

At present, police are probing if the peephole was being used to make video recordings of the women’s personal life.

Vikas and Johnny are relatives and hail from Deoband in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. During interrogation, Vikas told police that he works with a five-star hotel near Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Johnny was unemployed and came to the capital recently in search of a job. Investigating officers have seized their mobile phones for further probe.

Mizo Woman is Northeast Woman Entrepreneur of the Year

Jayanti Patnaik awarding Lalmuankimi the 'NE Woman entrepreneur of the year' award.

Aizawl, Mar 13 : The first Vasundhara – NE Woman entrepreneur of the year (2012-13) Award was conferred upon Lalmuankimi of Mizoram during a glittering function yesterday at the Pragjyoti ITA Center for Performing Arts, Guwahati.

Jayanti Patnaik, the First Lady of Assam, gave away the award to Lalmuankimi, an innovator and entrepreneur from Aizawl who has made remarkable strides in the sphere of business and entrepreneurship with her herbal medicinal product branded as K. C. Face Pack. The award consisted of the Winner’s Trophy, a citation, an Eri shawl and a cheque of Rs 25000.

Patnaik speaking during the award function lauded the efforts of Sreemanta Sankar Mission of Guwahati for instituting this regional level award to identify and honour the women entrepreneurs of the region. She praised the organizer for the commendable work and also congratulated the winners. During her brief speech, Patnaik also reiterated the fact that despite mounting pressure from various women based organizations and institutions, the women’s reservation bill could not been passed till date because the parliament of India is dominated by males. She urged the women of Northeast to carry forward their enterprising efforts besides struggling hard to achieve their chosen goals.

The programme saw seven other enterprising women from seven other states of NE India including Sikkim being awarded with state awards for excellence in their business initiatives.

The state awardees conferred the Vasundhara– NE Woman entrepreneur of the year (2012-13) award were Yangchen Doma Lepcha (Sikkim), Hemaprava Devi (Assam), Basamly Krisikro (Arunachal Pradesh), H Lemei Phom (Nagaland), R. K. Ongbi Purnima Devi (Manipur) and Marina Marak (Meghalaya). The state winner from Tripura Santa Debnath could not attend the program. The winners were awarded with the Winner’s Trophy, a citation and an Eri Shawl each.

Many from Northeast queue up to get voters’ ID, lose ‘outsider’ tag

Over 550 forms submitted at a special voter registration camp at Chanakyapuri

By Ruhi Bhasin

At the special registration camp on Wednesday.( PRAVEEN KHANNA)

New Delhi, Mar 13 : Kisimyile left her home in Nagaland to come live in the capital seven years ago. As she fills out her forms at the special voter registration camp for people from Northeast at Chanakyapuri on Wednesday, she has her fingers crossed. She hopes that she will finally be given the chance to vote in Delhi on April 10 and lose the “outsider” tag.

“Last time, my application was rejected as I did not have an address proof. I hope I am more successful this time,’’ Kisimyile said.

Manga Vaiphei from Manipur has been living in Delhi for 10 years now. He said he wanted to vote, “because when you vote you matter. You become an important part of the system’’.

A paper board kept on one of the tables reads, “Special Voter Registration Camp for people from Northeast. We pledge to vote for better democracy.’’

The words are barely discernible under the signatures of those who had turned up to register.

According to Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office, around 550 forms were received at the camp, a first-of-its-kind initiative to reach out to those from the Northeast residing in Delhi.

Chirsty, who presently works in Italy, said she turned up to get herself registered along with her sister because it would provide her with an ID proof which would go a long way in making her life easier in Delhi.

“I am from Manipur and have been living in Delhi for 10 years before I got a job in Italy. It becomes impossible to rent a house in Delhi. Once we are registered as voters here, we hope that it will change,’’ she said.

Most of the people who turned up for registration had found out about this camp through Facebook, friends or student unions.

According to booth level officers at the camp, in case a person does not have an address proof, an official will be send to the applicant’s residence to collect papers.

“We have collected applications from everyone who turned up and will visit the addresses personally to collect documents which they didn’t have with them,’’ a official said.

As a first time voter, 18-year-old Lamkhosei Kipeen is excited. “I live in Vasant Kunj and am studying in Deshbandhu College. I came here in search of a better education, but things can get tough sometimes,’’ he said.Thirty-nine-year-old Bendangienla too will be a first-time voter. “I was never motivated enough to vote earlier. But I now want to play a more active role instead of just complaining about how things don’t change. I have been living in Delhi since 2011, but am yet to really feel a part of the city,’’ she said.

“This camp was organised to ensure inclusion of people from the Northeast in the electoral process. They usually face difficulty in filling up forms and providing residential proof. We are working on resolving these issues through such camps,’’ CEO Vijay Dev said.

Zico Lives Up To His Name

Mizoram soccer captain is the ‘toast of Indian football’

ZODIN SANGA

Mizoram football captain Zico Zoremsanga and (above) Brazilian football great Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Zico) Aizawl, Mar 13 : Naming a child after a legend is nothing new in this world of hero worship. But whether that child lives up to his/her name is a separate issue. So, when government schoolteacher F. Lalvulliana christened his firstborn Zico — after the Brazilian football star often called the White Pelé — little did he know that one day his boy would lead the state football team to win the country’s most prestigious football trophy. “I was a great fan of the Brazilian football team, Zico in particular. Even though Zico was past his prime when my first son was born, he was still my hero,” Lalvulliana, now 50, told The Telegraph today. From his small village of Khuangleng, near the India-Myanmar border, Lalvulliana watched his 23-year-old son, Zico Zoremsanga, lift the Santosh Trophy on Sunday night. Zico lived up to his name, netting a brace in the final. There was not a single television in Khuangleng when Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Zico) was part of the Brazil squad during the 1982 and 1986 Fifa World Cups. But Lalvulliana watched his favourite player on television sets at his friends’ and relatives’ houses in Aizawl. The schoolteacher always wanted his son to be a footballer but the realisation that his son finished with nine goals in the Santosh Trophy still hasn’t sunk in. “I was overjoyed to see my son’s name on all the leading national newspapers. And I was proud that some writers described him as the ‘toast of Indian football,’” Lalvulliana said. The proud father came all the way from his village, about 240km from the state capital of Aizawl, to witness the hero’s welcome accorded to his son and his teammates. Amidst the fun-filled celebrations at Assam Rifles ground here today, Zico said: “I am overjoyed that I captained a team that has scripted history. I thank God for giving me this opportunity, my coach for making me what I am and the people of Mizoram for their overwhelming support.” The skipper, whose ultimate goal is to play for a major I-League club and represent India at the international level, added, “This is not the end, I have greater heights to scale.” Zico played his first football matches at his village schoolground barefoot, like Mama (S. Malsawmtluanga), currently playing for East Bengal and Jeje Lalpekhlua, who plays for Dempo. He also had a crucial role in Mizoram’s victory in the recent T. Ao Memorial Football Tournament, a Northeast-level competition. Zico has played many inter-village matches and different age-group tournaments but the Mizoram Premier League (MPL) was his ticket to fame. He currently plays for Dinthar FC, the reigning champions of MPL. The high-profile MPL, which was introduced two years ago, is also the driving force behind Mizoram’s success in the Santosh Trophy and the T. Ao Memorial Football Tournament. “The MPL basically aims to provide a platform for talented footballers in Mizoram. Through the MPL, we have put in place a system and a roadmap to take Mizoram football forward. It has paid off,” said Lalnghinglova Hmar, secretary of the Mizoram Football Association. The MPL was introduced after artificial turf was installed at three football grounds, two in Aizawl and one at Lunglei in south Mizoram. Most of the matches during the second season of the tournament were played under floodlights. Th recent success of football in the state is also due to the Mizoram Football Association’s grassroots development programme, which has been declared by the All India Football Federation as the best in the country. “The grassroots development programme that the MFA initiated in collaboration with the AIFF follows the FIFA model. Youngsters between the ages of six and 12 are a part of this programme,” Hmar said.

Air Service Launched

Assam governor J.B. Patnaik lights the inaugural lamp at the launch of Purbayan air service, in Guwahati on Wednesday.

Guwahati, Mar 13 : City-based Purbayan Group has taken wing towards making air travel between the Brahmaputra and Barak valley convenient and cheap with the launch of a twice-daily Guwahati-Silchar flight.

“The service will bridge the gaps in regard to connectivity between the Brahmaputra and Barak valley. I would request the company to sustain the service in the long run,” Assam governor J.B. Patnaik said while inaugurating the service here today.

Purbayan will operate the 45-minute flight in two shifts from tomorrow morning.

“Passengers from Guwahati can avail of the service at 8.30am and 2.30pm while those from Silchar can fly to the city at 9.30am and 3.30pm every day. A one-way fare would be Rs 5,500,” Kaushik Biswas, the managing director of Purbayan Group, told The Telegraph.

The company has acquired a Cessna Caravan nine-seater aircraft on a year’s lease from a Delhi-based aviation company. “We will expand to other routes such as Guwahati-Tura-Shillong and Guwahati-Kohima-Shillong-Aizawl soon,” Biswas said.

The company has also introduced air ambulance services. “Our clients can avail of the services at Rs 65,000 per hour (excluding taxes). We also have joy rides and chartered flight services for tourists, corporate and entrepreneurs,” he said.

Purbayan has recruited four trained pilots.

“The aircraft is one of the safest and economical modes of air transport. Barring water, it can land on any surface,” said Capt. Kazim Razaa, one of the pilots with a four-year stint in the aviation industry.

“Air India and Jet Airways now operate services between Guwahati and Silchar. The average fare booked for flights within a week in the two airlines would range between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000,” said Bhaskar Sharma, a travel consultant.

Northeast Shuttles, a private airline, could not make much headway in the region after it ran into losses. Given the odds, how viable a service will Purbayan be? “It will be a challenge as we are starting from scratch. But we are optimistic,” Biswas said.

Myanmarese goods not Profitable Anymore for Northeast Traders

By Iboyaima Laithangbam

Traders who had started going to Namphalong and Tamu markets in Myanmar after several weeks of sealing off of the international border, are not happy with the changed situation. Many of them may not be going further to bring foreign goods for sale at various towns in the north eastern States.

The traders and the community leaders at Moreh, the border town, had sealed off the international border following the grisly murder of two traders - S. Singh and D. Singh from Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai respectively - on February 11 by unknown persons. Though they were believed to have been kidnapped from Tamu town, about 30 km from the international border on Fberuary 11, their decomposed and mutilated bodies were found near a tribal village some weeks later.

When the Myanmarese Government did nothing to track down the killers, the traders and community leaders at Moreh had sealed off the international border and did not permit anyone to cross the international gate. Following a meeting among the officials of Manipur and Myanmar, the restriction was lifted from Sunday. The Indian traders had started rushing to Namphalong and Tamu to fetch foreign goods.

However, talking to The Hindu, some of the traders said that there is a changed situation and a fear psychosis among Indians who venture into Myanmar. They feel that any one of them could be murdered any time and the criminals would never be accounted for. The killers of the two Indian traders have not been arrested so far and the fear is that they will never be booked. In other words, these criminals and some potential criminals may be tempted to commit more crimes as they know that they will never be brought to justice.

The traders said that since they feel quite unsafe, many of them are thinking of not sticking out their necks. In any case, the legalised border trade had undergone a radical change. The traditional trade between the two countries was legalised after much official red tapism on May 12, 1995. The country’s exchequer had not gained much in the sense that the underworld business is still flourishing and the taxes imposed on the common items are negligible.

Much later, the Myanmarese government had constructed a shopping complex at Namphalong across the international gate. It means that the days of the business monopoly by the south Indians, collectively known at Moreh as Tamils, came to an end. In the beginning, they bought all foreign goods in bulk and sold them to the Indian traders at huge profit later. Since the Indian traders are going straight to Namphalong, these Tamils were left holding the empty sacks. Representatives of the Tamil Sangam in Moreh told The Hindu that most of the traders had left Moreh to start business elsewhere. The growing sense of insecurity among the traders who have been going inside Myanmar to fetch goods is the last nail in the coffin.

Indications are that Champhai in Mizoram is fast emerging as the alternative trade centre of the two countries. Besides, the traders also say that there are over “15 check posts” between Imphal and Moreh which has a distance of 110 km. They have to grease many palms in these check posts with the result that they do not get much profit from the sale of the foreign goods brought to Manipur and other NE States.

There are no banking and foreign exchange facilities at Moreh. As criminals of many hues rule the roost there, the traders do not feel safe to carry huge amounts of money needed for trade matters.