Mizoram Chief Minister: I am told “you do not look like an Indian!”

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: An awareness deficit among Indians about their northeastern region and its current economic constraints were brought into focus by Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla at an international conference here on Thursday.

Highlighted in particular was the lack of awareness about the racial composition of India.
Mr. Thanhawla was addressing a networking session on the “business of water in India.” The event was jointly organised by the City-State’s public utility agency, called PUB, and the Singapore-based India Business Forum of the Confederation of Indian Industry. The overarching event was the Singapore International Water Week.

Emphasising the identity of the northeastern States as an integral region of India, Mr. Thanhawla said: “Even after [my] landing here, many people ask me: ‘You do not look like an Indian!’ Even in my own country, wherever I go to, Delhi or down south, while I say ‘I am from Mizoram,’ [I am asked] where is Mizoram. I tell them that this is in their own country. And, I ask many people, who claim themselves to be national leaders: ‘Why do you not accept that our great country is populated by at least three major races of the world?’”
In reply to this question, he cited the Dravidians in the south, the Aryans in the north, and the people belonging to the Mongoloid stock in the eastern, mainly northeastern region, besides the aborigines in various parts.
The northeastern region “is far away from mainland-India,” the two being linked by the so-called “chicken neck” bordering West Bengal.

Mizo push for Barak railway plan

SILCHAR: A powerful social organization from Mizoram has extended support to a convention proposed to be held in Silchar, Assam on Sunday demanding immediate implementation of the much-delayed Lumding-Silchar broad gauge project.

Young Mizo Association (YMA) members will also take part in the agitations to be chalked out by the Silchar-based Citizens' Forum during the meet. YMA expressed concern over the "inordinate delay" in implementing the broad gauge project, as the 221-km rail link is considered the lifeline for southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and parts of Manipur.

Sources said this is for the first time a Mizo organization joined hands with its Barak Valley counterpart for the cause of the rail project.

'Notorious' gunrunner not Mizoram resident

Aizawl, Jun 20 : Intelligence sources today clarified that a 'Mizo notorious gunrunner' was not a permanent resident of Mizoram but a Myanmarese migrant.

The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday released a sketch of John Mizo alias Shambhu Pradhan, who allegedly supplied arms to the Dima Halam Daogah(Jewel) and other insurgent groups in the North East.

''We know this man very well. He is a Myanmarese national.

Notorious drug and arm smugglers are mainly from Myanmar and pose as Mizoram residents giving a bad name to our state,'' an intelligence officer here said.

According to sources John Mizo generally operates from areas bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

''His arrest will be crucial to cracking the entire network of arms supply to the NE militants,'' a source said.

John’s role in supplying arms to the militants came to light with the arrest of two DHD(J) cadres. Sources said Rs 1 crore recovered from them was to be paid to John in return of his supplied arms. The sketch was prepared based on the description given by the arrested ultras.

Maoists take over part of India's West Bengal state

New Delhi - A Maoist-backed organization of local tribal people has virtually taken over Lalgarh, an area of India's eastern West Bengal
state, and set fire to police camps and offices of the ruling party, news reports said Tuesday.

Hundreds of supporters of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) set fire to police camps in the villages of Salboni, Rangarh and Dharampur in the early hours of Monday, the Indian Express newspaper reported.

They also demolished offices of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), a leading partner in West Bengal's ruling leftist coalition.

The locals were accompanied by armed cadres of the CPI-M, which is spearheading the rebellion in the area.

Lalgarh town and adjoining villages in West Midnapore district have seen widespread unrest by local tribes since November when the Maoists supported the formation of the PCPA to organize protests against alleged police atrocities.

Barely 200 kilometres north-west of the state capital Kolkata, Lalgarh has been a virtual no-go area for the local administration since late 2008 and the media has largely been barred.

On Monday, the media was allowed in and television channels showed drumming, dancing villagers celebrating.

PCPA leaders were quoted as saying that they were not responsible for the arson or demolitions but that it was a spontaneous expression of anger.

Most local officeholders of the CPI-M as well as police fled the area before the attacks took place.

At least three CPI-M cadres were killed during the violence and two more were missing, PTI news agency reported.

Three police posts were ransacked and set on fire along with a local office of the CPI-M.

Television channels filmed PCPA members demolishing a new two-storey house belonging to a local CPI-M leader on Monday.

After the demolition, a leader of the Communist Party of India-Maoist, identified as Bikash, gave a press briefing with his back to the camera and an AK-47 rifle slung across his shoulder.

'The ground here is already ready and waiting for us. A child is about to be born and we are playing the role of the nurse who will deliver it,' he said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya called a meeting of top officials to discuss future action in Lalgarh.

Bhattacharya narrowly escaped a landmine blast triggered by the Maoists when he was passing through the area in November 2008, following which, locals allege, the police atrocities increased with illegal detentions and torture.

Maoist guerrillas who operate in 13 Indian states say they are fighting for the rights of the landless, poor and tribal people.

They usually target security personnel and government installations.

According to unofficial estimates, at least 400 people, including rebels, have been killed in Maoist violence since January 2009.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist insurgency as one of the gravest internal security threats facing India.

Read more: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/southasia/news/article_1483883.php/Maoists_take_over_part_of_Indias_West_Bengal_state_#ixzz0ImThYBNX&B

Aizawl Theological College inaugurates M.Th in History of Christianity

By Babu thomas

Aizawl Theological College (ATC) will now offer Master of Theology (M.Th) in History of Christianity as its latest post-graduate course.

A special function to inaugurate the opening of the new course was held at ATC Sandy's Hall on Friday 12 June.

The function was led by Rev. Dr. Lalhmangaiha, Senior Executive Secretary of Mizoram Presbyterian Church. ATC Principal Rev. Dr. Roger Gaikwad thanked the invited guests, while Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod Moderator Rev. H. Lalchhanhima announced the opening of the new course.

With the induction of new M.Th (Christian History) course, ATC now offers four fields of study at Master's level including Theology, Missiology and New Testament.

After this function was held, a book written by Dr. O.L. Snaitang, History of Christianity Head of Department, “Historical Methodology & Historiography” was also presented and discussed. Dr. Snaitang is one of the leading Church history in India, he is currently serving as President of Church History Association of India (CHAI).

Currently, there are 22 M.Th students including the three new students in the History of Christianity course.

Aizawl Theological College is one of the leading Theological colleges in India. It is affiliated to Serampore college; the Senate of Serampore is a deemed university based in Serampore, near Kolkata city in West Bengal state. Serampore college was founded by an English Baptist Missionary to India and the father of modern mission - William Carey, and his friends Joshua Marshman and William Ward in 1818.

Mizoram bans import of pigs from Myanmar

AIZAWL: Amid a sort of paranoia of of swine flu, which is spreading to many countries, Mizoram has banned import of pigs from the neighbouring Myanmar.

Sales of pork, arguably the undisputed champion on the Mizo menu, have dropped drastically. "Ever since as the news of swine flu started getting prominence in newspapers and television channels, sales of pork has suffered. We have to sell beef instead of pork now," a pork seller from Chhinga veng locality said.

Normally on Saturdays, women carrying baskets queue up at meat shops for a grand Sunday breakfast. But such queues have now shifted to beef counters.

Owners of Beef, mutton and chicken shops seem to be revelling at pork sellers' loss. "Niow luck is now on our side. Bird flu virtually ruined our business. But now our business has looked up," said a chicken seller called.

State animal husbandry and veterinary department director C Sangnghina said, "No case of swine flu has so far been detected here. We are alert and on the job. Our rapid action team is keeping a strict vigil along the 722-km international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh and also boundaries with Assam, Manipur and Tripura.

Gill's IHF joins hands with Hockey India

New Delhi, Jun 14 In a dramatic turn of events, the erstwhile Indian Hockey Federation and the newly-formed Hockey India today decided to bury the hatchet and joined hands to bring the state associations -- both men's and women's -- into HI's fold.

The erstwhile IHF decided to join hands with HI in its general body meeting here today and formed a six-member sub-committee to work out the modalities of the merger of the men's and women's units in the state level within 45 days time.

"We held a meeting of the IHF general house today with due notice to states and union territories. We have 28 states and five union territories under us of which majority attended the meeting.

"We've been having discussion with Hockey India for quite sometime and in today's meeting the main decision we took was to set up the modalities for the merger of the state associations," Gill told reporters.

"For this purpose we have formed a sub-committee. The main idea is to work out the modalities of the merger and smoothen the process. We have given the committee 45 days' time to complete it," he added.

The members of sub-committee includes Chander Sekhar from Chandigarh, Charanjit Singh (Delhi), Dinesh Reddy (Andhra Pradesh), RK Shetty (Karnataka), Pratap Satpatty (Orissa) and H Khiangte (Mizoram). (Agencies)

Mizo veteran Congress politician passes away

Aizawl, June 12 : Former Mizoram Finance Minister and veteran Congressman John Lalsangzuala died after a prolonged illness at Aizawl Civil Hospital here around midnight last night. He was 84.

He is survived by his wife Zokhumi, three surviving children and a number of grandchildren.

Born at Kulikawn in Aizawl in 1924, Lalsangzuala joined the First Battalion of Assam Regiment during the World War II in 1941 while he was studying at St Anthony's College in Shillong.

After he retired from the Army in 1958, he engaged in social work and later joined the Indian National Congress and got elected for the first time on the party's ticket from Aizawl South constituency in the 1972 Mizoram UT assembly elections.

He was re-elected to the assembly in 1989 from Aizawl East-I seat and again in 1993 from the same seat.

He had held various Cabinet posts in the Lal Thanhawla-led Congress ministries, but was most popular as finance minister in the 1993-1998 Congress ministry during which he earned a nickname of Mr Clean.

Due to internal crisis in the party, Lalsangzuala split the Pradesh Congress party in 2005 to float Mizoram Congress Party (MCP) with two Congress MLAs and a good number of followers.

After remaining an ally of then ruling Mizo National Front, Lalsangzuala dissolved the MCP and went back to the parent party in 2008 before the state assembly elections.

Political analysts attributed the comeback of Lalsangzuala to the storming resurgence of the Congress in the 2008 assembly elections.

His funeral took place at his Mission Veng residence which was hugely attended by Congress ministers and MLAs, politicians, officials, friends and relatives.

Mizoram news briefs

Mizoram Council of Ministers discussed matters relating to establishment of Aizawl Municipal Council today. The Cabinet Meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr. Lal Thanhawla discussed formation of Municipal authority, Mizoram Grant in Aid to Aizawl Municipal Council Rules 2008, filling of 5 temporary posts in the Council and Mizoram Municipality Ward Committee and Local Committee Rules 2008. The Council of Ministers also reviewed Aizawl Municipal Council area and the final decision of the meeting is awaited. Other agenda taken up in this Cabinet meeting included upgradation of the post of Asst. Drugs Controller to Deputy Drug Controller, proposed creation of Buarpui and Kawlkulh PWD Sub Divisions, upgradation of the post of Vice Principal of ITI Lunglei and Saiha to Principal and framing of Mizoram Grievance Redressal Rules 2009 as proposed by Rural Development Department.
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The Border Trade Point at Zokhawthar has been closed again since yesterday afternoon. The SDPO of Champhai, Mr. Lalduhthanga told our Corr. that all the goods held up in Zokhawthar and Zokhawmawi were sent away to their respective destinations during the last 3 days. Meanwhile our Champhai Corr. said, the stalemate in the talks between Champhai Transport Union and Zokhawthar Welfare Committee continue to persist despite earnest effort made to hammer out solution. The bond of contention is how to share transportation of goods coming from Myanmar between Zokhawthar and Champhai. The deadlock being faced in the talks may invite authority in the Government to intervene in the issue, he added.
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Anti Narcotic Squad of Mizoram Excise and Narcotics Department seized 16 canes of heroin in Bawngkawn yesterday afternoon. The Department sources said, the main accused, Hramchung of Halka District in Myanmar, living in a rented house at Bawngkawn was arrested along with the drugs. A case has been filed against him under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act-1985.
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Meanwhile the Excise Squad also destroyed 18 brewing chambers in the jungle below Police Training Centre at Lungverh. They however fail to make any arrest as the involved persons could ran away in the forest nearby.
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A recipient of Sangeet Natak Academy Award, John Lalhluna Chhakchhuak passed away in Tlangnuam, Aizawl yesterday after a prolonged illness. He was 83 and survived by his wife, 4 sons and 4 daughters. He was awarded Sangeet Natak Academy Award-2004 by the President for his genius in Mizo Instrumental music. He was also B High Grade artist of All India Radio, Aizawl in Mizo instrumental music.
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The first meeting of NLUP Implementing Board was held in Agriculture Directorate Committee Room today. The meeting chaired by the NLUP Apex Board Vice Chairman, Mr. R. Selthuama discussed the creation of NLUP Cell in Government Departments and the Rural Development Blocks where the scheme will be taken up first. Addressing the meeting, the Vice Chairman informed the members that 120 crores is expected in the State Annual Plan for implementation of the Scheme which is expected to cover about 25 thousand families in a year. He also said that more care and attention will be taken for proper implementation of the scheme. The meeting was attended by representatives of various Government Departments including Agriculture, Industry, AH & Vety, Soil and Water Conservation, Horticulture, Fishery and Sericulture Deptt.
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The Special Investigation Team of Mizoram Police on Chiahpuam fake investment is currently working with the State Transport Department to complete the formalities to dispose vehicles and 2 wheelers seized in this connection. The Investigation Team leader told our Corr. that public auction of the vehicles and two wheelers seized from the agents will be completed in the near future. In reply to another question, the Team leader said over 6 crore, 82 lakhs, 98 thousand  rupees have so far been received back by the Police and over 2 lakh rupees also is received today which is yet to be recorded along with others.
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Chhimbial Chhantu Committee has decided to ask the Government to shift the State capital to Thenzawl. This decision was taken in Chhimbial Chhantu Committee meeting held in Lunglei today. The Committee also asked the Government to take up Greater Lunglei Water Supply Scheme based on Mat river water as the present water supply scheme can no longer provide sufficient drinking water to the people of Lunglei town. The Committee also suggested introduction of Mini Bus within Lunglei town area and stoppage of issue of permit for Auto Rickshaw. The meeting was chaired by Mr. C. Lalsangliana.
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Education Minister, Mr. Lalsawta warned teachers engaging their substitute that they will be penalized. Addressing the training in District Institute of Education Training, Aizawl yesterday, the Minister said, engaging substitute on their own by the school teacher is illegal and highly irregular practice which will not be tolerated by the Government. He also said that the Government is trying to improve the system and quality of education in the State on the basis of the recommendation to be made by Education Reform Commission.
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Today, the maximum temperature of Aizawl City was 28.2 degree Celsius and the minimum was 20.2 degree Celsius. Rainfall recorded during the day was 3.9 millimetres.
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5 people killed, 54 houses set ablaze in N.C. Hills

Guwahati: Suspected militants gunned down five people, including four women, in a pre-dawn swoop on a Zeme Naga village in southern Assam’s North Cachar Hills district on Wednesday. The militants set ablaze 54 houses in the village.

With this, the death toll in militants’ attacks on villages belonging to Dimasa and Zeme Naga tribes in the hill district since March 18 has gone up to 31.

Deputy Commissioner S. Jagannathan told The Hindu that about 25-30 unidentified armed miscreants attacked the Boro Chenam village, about 40 km. off Haflong, the district headquarters town between 3.40 a.m. and 4 a.m.

A team of National Investigation Agency arrived here to formally take over the two cases of recovery of cash amounting to more than Rs. 1 crore near the Assam-Meghalaya border.

The cash was meant for payment for an arms procurement deal of the militant Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel faction).

Chief Executive Member of the N.C. Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) Mohit Hojai and three others have been arrested in connection with the cash haul.

‘Us’ and ‘Vais’ in the NorthEast

Paritosh Chakma says ‘racial discrimination’ thrives within the North East too:

Outsiders (meaning of course long-nose plains people) are called “vais” in Mizoram. “Vai” is a Mizo word and the term is used in contempt towards the people who look “different” from “us” in Mizoram. The people of Mizoram may contest my claim but I have seen how the socalled “vais” from Silchar and elsewhere are asked to take seat in the backside of the MST bus by the Mizos or for that matter even the Chakmas in Chakma dominated areas.

Prior to award of Bodo Territorial District Council in Assam, a Bodo friend of mine had told me how the Assamese majority discriminated against the Bodo tribals. Even the Mizos of Mizoram had similar grudge against the state of Assam prior to formation of Mizoram.