Protest against DD appointment

GUWAHATI, May 23: Hojai Sub-division Students Union has sent a letter to the director general of Doordarshan in connection with appointment of two technicians for the two low-power transmitters (LPT) at Lumding and Hojai under the Doordarshan Maintenance Centre in Dimapur. A section of Doordarshan employees have expressed deep resentment over, what they termed, nepotism in Doordarshan appointments.

The vacancy for two technicians at Lumding and Hojai LPTs under Doordarshan Maintenance Centre in Dimapur was advertised two years ago. Written test and interview was conducted on May 12 last by the AIR chief engineer posted in Kohima in absence of a station director in Dimapur. 14 candidates appeared in the interview and two of them, both relatives of people already working under Doordarshan, have been selected. One of the selected candidate’s relative, who is already working for DD in Guwahati, is so powerful that he obtained the offer of appointment proposal which is normally delivered by post. The fact that both the selected candidates are related to some Doordarshan personnel raised suspicion among fellow employees who also noticed that the relatives of the selected candidates are prominent leaders of some associations of Doordarshan employees. In this backdrop, a forum of Doordarshan employees also have raised a demand for immediate halt of technician recruitment process.

Thriving market of illegal goods, Rhino horn in Dimapur

From our Correspondent

JORHAT, May 21: Dimapur is the hub of almost all kinds of illegal activities and trade in the Northeastern region of the country. The racket of illegal arms and rhino horn is controlled from Dimapur. After killing rhinos in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) the poachers sell it in the clandestine market of Dimapur and then the black marketeers take it away to Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. The Myanmar market is the biggest market of rhino horn in the world where international traders assemble. This sensational statement has been revealed by the seven arrested poachers, who have been arrested by the KNP forest guards on May 19 last. Police sources also informed that a number of well trained poachers hailing from Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram are involved in rhino poaching in the KNP.

This apart, sources also informed that, the local people, those springing along the border areas of the Park provide shelter to poachers. These villages are located at the Kohora, Bagori, Harmoti and Kuthori area of the National Park.

It is pertinent to mention here that, The Sentinel in its May 13 issue published a report on the growing population along the KNP border areas which pose a threat to the Park, but the KNP authority as well as the State Government has not taken up any step.

Agriculture Department not releasing funds, allege farmers

From our Correspondent

JORHAT, May 18: Even after the Centre released funds for distribution of power tillers among 500 farmers who had applied for 100 power tillers from the government under the Rastriya Krishi Vikash Yojana (RKVY) in 2009-10, the farmers are yet to receive the tillers. With the Kharif crop season round the corner and apathy on part of the Agriculture Department, the farmers are facing a lot of problems.

The farmers said that they applied for the power tillers by forming self help groups (SHGs) in 2009. They alleged that the Agriculture Department was not showing any concern to release the power tillers to the farmers for reasons best known to them.

Despite SSA, 57,000 children miss school

Despite SSA, 57,000 children miss school

From our Correspondent

JORHAT, May 16: Though Parliament makes education one of the fundamental rights, there are many who fail to realize significance of education. Lakhs of people are there in the State who, due to reasons like poverty or child labour, fail to appreciate the greater needs of primary education for their children. This apart, there are thousands of children in the State who are engaged as domestic helps with well-off families. The so-called upper strata of the society deliberately snatch the childhood and primary education of these poor children. As a result, the entire efforts of the government for primary education in the age group of 6-14 have become worthless over the years.

In line with other parts of the country, the Central government had introduced the Sarba Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Assam way back in 2001 focusing on primary education for all children in the age group of 6-14. But, even after of nine years of launching the SSA programme and implementing various projects in the last decade, there are, according to District Information School Education (DISE) record 2009-10, as many as 59 thousand children still out-of-school in the State. As per the record with Government department, the total number of enrolled children in schools is 57.18 lakh.

Manipuri women protest against Muivah’s proposed visit

Manipuri women protest against Muivah’s proposed visit

Vehicles queue up for fuel rations in Manipur

Imphal, May 14: Around 1,000 women staged a sit-in protest here on Thursday against the visit of National Socialist Council of Nagalim’s (Isak-Muivah) leader, Thuingaleng Muivah, to the State. The protest was carried out by the Advanced Women Society at the Awang Sekmai Bazaar in Imphal.

After the sit-in protest, the women took out a rally in Sekmai area shouting slogans against Muivah’s visit. “We are opposing Muivah’s attempt to enter Manipur with an intention to destroy Manipur. We are expressing our anger. We have decided to close down all our business establishments and have stopped our daily errands as well. And so we have been staging today’s sit-in protest,” said Memcha Devi, a protestor.

The protestors also allege that Muivah’s homecoming is only a ploy to cause communal crisis in the State. “Even though he was born in Manipur, he has never spoken for Manipur and instead supports Nagaland. He has made Manipur suffer a lot,” said Amubi Devi, secretary of Advanced Women Society.

Border villages of Manipur, gateway for trade

Border villages of Manipur, gateway for trade

Chandel (Manipur), May 13: The border areas of Manipur’s Chandel district, adjacent to Myanmar, function as a gateway to promote international border trade. A visit to some of the remote villages in the area would indicate the important role played by them in the region.

Manipur, which occupies a stretch of 1,463-kilometres along the border with Myanmar, is considered the gateway for India’s trade with Southeast Asian neighbours. Moreh town in Manipur, 110 km from capital Imphal, is an upcoming commercial hub under the “Look East Policy.” The Central Government has undertaken construction of roads for better connectivity along the Indo-Myanmar border.

Construction of a bridge over the Khujairok River and work on border fencing are also under way. “Twenty five items have been selected and short-listed under Indo-Myanmar border trade agreement. Another 15 items are being added. Altogether, 40 items were selected as trade items……. Both the countries will be benefited. India will get things at cheaper price,” says Lunminthang Haokip, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Moreh.

Another interesting place is Ngamkhai village. Surrounded by lush green mountains, it is predominantly inhabited by the Kuki tribe. Main occupation of the villagers here is making charcoal, collecting timber from the forest and sand stones from riverbanks. It is located close to Moreh, but still it lags behind in terms of development. Limited health care facilities, insufficient water supply and erratic power supply are some of the problems faced by the villagers.

“Health care is practically nil. We depend on the primary health centre, which is not properly set up. It lacks doctors, nurses and instruments,” said Hill Tribal Council General Secretary Ginsei Lhungdim. “We usually face water-shortage as we live at higher elevation. The supply that we receive doesn’t even last for half and hour and it is not enough for all of us,” said Tong Khongam, a local resident of Ngamkhai Veng Village.

Even though insurgency led violence is less in the area as compared to other parts of Manipur, there are frequent economic blockades and shutdowns. According to Moreh Additional Deputy Commissioner Lunminthang Haokip, practical problems are there. The road between Pallen and Moreh is not good. Moreover, other problems like bandhs and economic blockades hamper trade. Villagers believe that the suspension of operation agreement signed between the Centre and the Kuki National Front (KNF) has considerably reduced militancy in the region.

“There is no of violence in the Valley by any tribal militant group, following the signing of Suspension of Operations agreement,” said Hill Tribal Council General secretary Ginsei Lhungdim. It is hoped that with proper development of infrastructure, the immense business potential of these border villages can be realized that will transform the lives of the villagers. (Agencies)

Naga blockade pushes Manipur into economic crisis

Naga blockade pushes Manipur into economic crisis

Imphal, May 11: Manipur is in the throes of a breakdown with hospitals putting on hold all routine surgeries due to non-availability of oxygen cylinders while stocks of all essentials, baby food, and life saving drugs have almost dried up.

An indefinite economic blockade for the past one week enforced by various Naga tribal groups to protest the Manipur Government’s decision not to allow separatist leader Thuingaleng Muivah to visit his birthplace has literally brought the State to a halt.

Hundreds of trucks carrying essentials and medicines were stranded in the adjoining State of Nagaland with protesters laying a siege on National Highway-39 –– the lifeline of Manipur –– to protest the State Government’s decision not to allow Muivah, general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) separatist group, to visit his birthplace in Ukhrul district, about 220 km from Mao.

Tackling erosion yet to become a reality

Tackling erosion yet to become a reality

Staff Reporter

DIBRUGARH, May 9: Monsoon every year brings reminders of the proximity of the Brahmaputra to Dibrugarh. Large chunks of land disappear under water, rousing fears about the fate of the town. Erosion has become a reality for the people of the area since the 1950s.

The great earthquake in the last century saw the River Brahmaputra heave itself up and eat up a major portion of the town. Old timers still recall the Henduri Ali, Protestant Church, the old post office and other important edifice of Dibrugarh giving way to the expanse of the river waters.

Daimary falling on security net a blow to NE militancy

Bangladesh has once again demonstrated that it can arrest terror in Northeast India if it wants to. The 50-year-old chairman of the NDFB’s anti-talk faction Ranjan Daimary, alias DR Nabla – directly named by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for involvement in the October 30, 2008 serial bombings in Guwahati and elsewhere that killed 88 people and injured 540 others – is the second chief of a frontline insurgent group in Assam to have been captured and handed over to India by Bangladesh. On December 4, 200

Government blind to the needs of only all-women PS

Government blind to the needs of only all-women PS

The State Home Department headed by none other than Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is perhaps proud of having to showcase the only all-women police station in the Northeast at Panbazar in Guwahati. The police station was set up on October 2, 1993, taking the rising crime graph against women into account. The police station has a vast area of operation — right from Khonamukh to Bonda to Khanapara to North Guwahati — an area that is covered by about 20 general police stations. Since crimes against women like dowry, sexual harassment, domestic quarrels etc are on the rise, the all-women police station has an uphill task to perform.

Land acquisition delays highway construction in NE

Land acquisition delays highway construction in NE

From Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, May 2: Chief Whip of Congress Parliamentary Party and Dibrugarh MP Paban Singh Ghatowar has said that construction of highways in the Northeast India including Assam is delayed owing to problems in land acquisition and environmental clearances.

In a letter to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath, the Congres chef whip in Lok Sabha Ghatowar said, “The alignment plans of the projects considered in Assam may kindly be intimated along with probable time of starting those projects, so as to enable the state governments to start the preliminary works like land acquisition and forest clearance, which are otherwise very time-consuming processes. If land acquisition and forest clearance can be completed beforehand, the implementation of the projects can be expected within stipulated time without any hindrance.” The Northeast is a land locked region. Road connectivity is one of the major problems of the region.