Trinamool Debuts in Mizoram

Mamata BanerjeeAizawl, Apr 18 : The Trinamool Congress’ Mizoram unit was today launched by its state president Kim Gangte, a former Lok Sabha member here. The main thrust of the party would be to uplift the rural poor and reservation for women in the state legislature and uplift and protection of minorities in the state, Gangte said.  It would also lay emphasis on decentralisation...

Rape Highest Reported Crime in Matrilineal Meghalaya

Khasi women in Meghalaya. Shillong, Apr 18 : Rape is the highest reported crime in Meghalaya where matrilineal system exists among the dominant tribes and victims of over 65 per cent of those cases were minors, the assembly was informed today. “The total number of rape cases registered between April 2012 and 31 March 2013 was 179, out of which 118 cases (over 65 percent) involved victims below...

Meghalaya Minister Doesn't Know Minimum Age For Drinking Alcohol

Shillong, Apr 18 : Meghalaya Excise Minister Zenith Sangma on Tuesday admitted that he did not know about the legal age for alcohol consumption. "I have no information on the legal age, but the provision of law will be enforced," he told legislators, while replying to a cut motion in the Assembly moved by National People's Party (NPP) legislator James K Sangma. Excise officials told IANS that...

Indian hospital to help child with swollen head

Indian daily labourer, Abdul Rahman, 26, fans his 18 month old daughter, Roona Begum, suffering from Hydrocephalus. AFP PHOTO/ STR Source: AFP A TOP private Indian hospital offered Monday to examine an 18-month-old girl suffering from a rare but treatable illness that has caused her head to swell to more than double its normal size. The...

Frog weddings in Northeast India to Appease Rain God

Agartala/Guwahati, Apr 18 : In a ritual to appease the rain god, villagers in Tripura and Assam married off frogs hoping that it would end their sufferings arising out of a protracted dry spell in India's northeastern region.Frog weddings are traditionally performed in northeastern India during drought-like situations before the onset of monsoon."It is believed that the rain god is pleased when...

Empty streets greet President in Imphal

Mukherjee accepted the charge that the Centre had neglected the northeast, saying that the northeast states do not get any benefits since the first-year-plan in 1951. Imphal, Apr 16 : President Pranab Mukherjee landed in Imphal on Monday on a two-day visit to strife-torn Manipur and was greeted by empty streets due to bandh called by several militant outfits. The coordinating committee (CorCom)...

A Golden Gecko recovered from traders in Assam

Guwahati, Apr 15: Guwahati police arrested two people and recovered a Golden Gecko lizard from them, police said Sunday. Geckos are an endangered species, and under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, trading or killing them is a punishable crime. "We received a tip-off that some people were trading in wildlife parts in Guwahati. We sent a team to search a hotel in Paltan Bazar area of the city...

Joint Monitoring Group to Discuss Resumption of Talks With HPC-D

Aizawl, Apr 15 : The Joint Monitoring Group to monitor the implementation of the Suspension of Operations signed between the Mizoram government and the Manipur-based Hmar People's Convention (Democrats) would hold a meeting on Friday next, officials said. The meeting would be held at the Mizoram-Manipur border village of Sakawrdai. It would be presided over by the chairman of the JMG H Ramthlengliana,...