Friday, January 16, 2009

NE News | Mizoram education reforms panel soon

Aizawl: (PTI) Mizoram government will soon constitute the education reforms commission to look into the problems in the system and recommend remedies, state Education Minister Lalsawta said on Wednesday.


Lalsawta said he would take immediate steps to root out the problems of education system affecting the quality of the students after the proposed commission submits its recommendations.

He was speaking to leaders of Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo Students Federation) who met him in his office and apprised him of the difficulties faced by students and educational institutions in the state.

The leaders also urged him to expedite framing of rules under the state Education Act to streamline school fees and transfer and posting of teachers. (Shillong Times)

BRU protest

Cadres of now disbanded BLFM, numbering 804 people, would not receive Rs 3,000 each as housing assistance in protest against the decision to resettle around 300 former Bru rebels in Lunglei and Kolasib district, a top leader of the BLFM said.

Rothangliana, Secretary of BLFM said that all the former insurgents wanted to be resettled in Mizoram-Tripura border Mamit district, but the state government insisted that only around 500 of them would be resettled in Mamit and the rest would be spread over in south Mizoram's Lunglei district and Mizoram-Assam border Kolasib district. "If we have to go to Lunglei and Kolasib, travelling expenses would leave us nothing for construction of houses," Rothangliana said.

He said that all former Bru militants were instructed not to receive the money to be distributed by the state government officials in the relief camps in Mamit district. (PTI)

Bandh hits life in Manipur dist

Imphal: A 48-hour general strike on Wednesday began at 0600 hrs in Thoubal district to protest the killing of a person reportedly by troops and police on January 11.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) alleged one Moirangthem Tomba (30), son of late Tolchou of Langathel Lai Kom, was awaiting a bus on January 11 at Kakching Khunou, carrying Rs 32,000 to purchase timber. ''Tomba, who was a timber dealer, was abducted by unknown persons. But, the police later informed that he was killed in an encounter. Both the police and troops have been kidnapping people. Branded as militants, they are killed in fake encounters,'' the JAC said.

Meanwhile, the traffic was hit by blockades, which were organised on National Highway - 39. The Indo-Myanmar trade route was also affected by the bandh and no vehicle plied from Imphal to Moreh, the town along the border. (UNI)

Fighting birds enthral Bihu crowd

From Our Correspondent

Guwahati: Keeping with the age-old tradition, hundreds of people on Wednesday gathered on the forecourt of Madhab Temple at Hajo, a site of pilgrimage located about 35 kilometer west of Guwahati, to enjoy bulbuls fight on the occasion of Bhogali Bihu, the post harvest festival of Assamese community.

About 250 Red Vented Bulbuls, a tiny bird from Pycnonotus Cafer family, were engaged in fight with each other much to the glee of hundreds of onlookers. The tradition of Bulbul fight at Hajo goes back to the days of Ahom Kingdom in Assam.

"The birds are caught by local people in the run up to Bhogali Bihu and are groomed for the fight on the Bihu day. The tiny creatures are fed with 'bhog' - a locally prepared meal laced with herbal intoxicants on the eve of the fight. The tradition of bulbul fight started centuries back when an Ahom king visited Hajo during Bhogali Bihu," a local villager informed.

The locals use bamboo traps to catch the birds in the nearby forest for the fight, a practice that has been vehemently opposed by wildlife activists in the State.

Hundreds of spectators cheered the fighting bulbuls, which were in intoxicated State, amid beating of drums eves as an atmosphere of carnival descended on Hajo on the occasion.

The birds were seen coaxed to fight by their owners.

The birds' owners prepare a meal containing bananas, a small quantity of marijuana, locally available intoxicating herbs, black pepper, clove and cinnamon, and feed the birds regularly in the run up to the fight to gain strength.

During the fight, the owner controls the inebriated bird with a string attached to its leg while it fights aggressively with the opponent amid thunderous clapping by the huge crowd that gathers on the temple ground. Once the fight is over, the villagers set all the birds free.

The owner of the winning bird is awarded with a trophy and some amount of cash by the organisers. - Shillong Times

4 militants killed

Imphal: Four militants were killed by security forces in separate encounters in Manipur, official sources said here. One suspected militant was killed in an encounter with Assam Rifles near Satudai village under Khoupum police station in Tamenglong district on Tuesday. (PTI)

Girl gangraped, killed

AGARTALA, Jan 15 – A 16-year-old girl was gangraped and strangulated to death at Kachucherra in Tripura’s Dhalai district, police said today.

The body of Deepali was found hanging from a ceiling of her house by her father Dhirendra Namasudra after he returned home from a local market on Tuesday night. A post mortem revealed that she was gangraped before being strangulated to death, police said. Police suspected that the victim’s three neighbours, who were absconding, to be behind the crime. – PTI

Probe into Manipur Raj Bhavan blast

Manipur police chief has ordered probe into the hurling and explosion of bomb in the Raj Bhavan on the evening of December 21 last year which the militant outfit KCP(MC) Lanheiba group claimed responsibility.
Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituting the state home department was assigned to investigate the case in connection with the killing of Konsam Rishikanta Singh, a junior sub-editor of the Imphal Free Press.
The team led by IGP (intelligence) LM Khoute would submit an interim report within a week’s time. The order of the state police chief Y Joykumar stated ‘no time bound period for submission of report’ but added ‘at the earliest’.
On December 21, 2008 at around 5.35 pm, one of the two hand grenades hurled targeting the Raj Bhavan exploded at the south eastern corner and another unexploded grenade was found 10 feet away within the Raj Bhavan complex. No casualties were however reported.
In a follow up, a brief note on the case from SP, Imphal west district stated that operations were conducted by the district police, Imphal west at Napetpalli, Khurai Sajor Leikai in Imphal east, Wangoi and Yurembam in Imphal west district.
During the operation one unknown underground was killed and one .32 pistol was recovered at Wangoi area the next morning. Further operations resulted in the killing of one more unknown militant at Patsoi area with the recovery of one .32 pistol from the deceased, the SP added.
It may be mentioned that in the aftermath of the blast, Manipur government had, as a part of stricter security measures decided to shift government offices standing adjacent to the Raj Bhavan apart from blocking the road on the southern and western sides of the bhavan at night which was met with strong public protest. (Nagaland Post)

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