Imphal: The 'Iron Lady of Manipur', Irom Chanu Sharmila, who is on continuous fast for the past nine years demanding complete withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958, was released on Saturday from judicial custody on the eve of International Women's Day. Official sources said the district magistrate's court here ordered her release. Sharmila, who has been forcibly fed and kept at the Jawaharlal Nehru District Hospital here in judicial custody, has been released and rearrested in the past.
She had gone on fast demanding the repeal of AFSPA after an alleged encounter by the security forces at the Malom bus stand near the Imphal Airport left nine persons dead on November 2, 2000.
She was arrested three days later and charged with attempt to suicide and later sent to judicial custody.
She was once released on October 2, 2006 on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. She had then gone to New Delhi where she visited Raj Ghat and again went on fast at Jantar Mantar.
She was rearrested and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Subsequently, she was moved back to Imphal.
She was kept alive by force feeding her through nose, sources said.
For her enduring sacrifice and dedication, she was among the 1,000 peace women nominated for Nobel peace prize in 2005.
On May 8, 2007, Sharmila was awarded the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in Seoul, South Korea. (Agencies)
Assam legislators assault State Assembly official
Guwahati: Utter chaos descended on Assam Assembly complex for quite some time on Saturday with employees of the Assembly secretariat laying siege to the office of the Bodo People’s Front (BPF) legislature party within the state Assembly building after two of the BPF legislators manhandled an official of Assembly secretariat.
BPF legislators, Maneswar Brahma and Maheswar Bodo had assaulted Assembly under secretary Jyoti Prasad Baruah (56) after the official accidentally bumped on one of the legislators in the corridor of the Assembly building.
The unruly behaviour of the two MLAs evoked vociferous and spontaneous protest from the entire Assembly secretariat staffs who immediately laid siege to the BPF legislature party office, leading to chaos in the premises where one-day session of the state Assembly was convened to facilitate the government to present vote on account for the first quarter of the next financial year.
Senior police officials on duty in the Assembly complex tried hard to pacify the agitated employees who shouted slogans against the two BPF legislators. Assembly secretary Gauranga Lal Das informed that the employees of the Assembly could be pacified later at the intervention of the Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai.
When contacted the two BPF MLAs said, "It was a minor incident that the local electronic media tried to blow it out of proportion as if we had committed a murder . The matter was settled after we compromised with the official."
The BPF which is the only ally of ruling Congress in Assam, is a political party of the Bodo tribe. The party was formed mainly by the former militant of the now disbanded Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) after signing of the Bodo Peace Accord with Government of India in the year 2005.
DHD rebel among 2 shot
Haflong (Assam): One Dima Halam Daogah (DHD- Black widow) group member and a villager were shot dead in separate incidents in Assam's North Cachar Hills district, the police said on Saturday.
Joymir Dimasa, the ultra, was shot dead by the army during a routine patrol at Mahur on Saturday, the police said.
One AK-47 rifle and some ammunition was recovered from the slain ultra’s possession.
In another incident, one villager was shot dead by suspected DHD ultras at Mahur on Friday night.
The police have launched investigation into the shooting incident. (PTI)
Assam’s financial stability depends heavily on Centre
Guwahati: Assam's improved fiscal position for the year 2007-08 is a result of Centre's aid and needed urgent change in allocative priorities and interest cost recovery.
The CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2008, which was laid in the state Assembly on Saturday, disclosed that the State had been able to maintain revenue, fiscal and primary surpluses during 2005-08.
The state had achieved the targets for revenue and fiscal deficits as well as with regard to other variables for 2007-08 even earlier than the timeline stipulated, with the year ending in revenue surplus of Rs 2,581 crore and fiscal surplus of Rs 790 crore.
The improvement in fiscal position was, however, on account of mandatory Central transfers compromising state share in Central taxes and grants-in-aid from the Centre, the CAG report noted.
On the major expenditure heads, the CAG pointed out that three heads - salary expenditure, pension payments and interest payments - constituted 76 per cent of Non-Plan Revenue Expenditure (NPRE) in 2007-08 and observed that these trends indicated the need for changing allocative priorities.
The huge accumulated losses by statutory corporations, especially in financial and transport sectors, resulted in negligible rate of return on government investments, the report stated.
This, coupled with inadequate interest cost recovery, continued to be a cause of concern and needed the attention of the state government.
The CAG report also highlighted several cases of fraud/misappropriation of funds, excess/wasteful expenditure, avoidable/unfruitful expenditure, idle investment and regularity issues. (UNI)
2 NSCN-IM cadres held with arms
Kohima: In continuation with their stepped-up vigil and high alert, Assam Rifles carried out successful operations in various parts of the State and managed to apprehend two NSCN-IM cadres with arms and ammunitions in separate incidences on Friday. Assam Rifles sources said that based on specific information, a column of 24 Assam Rifles established a Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) at Singrijan, Dimapur and intercepted a suspiciously moving white Maruti Gypsy (NL 07-2783). (NNN)
Mother of three kids and first woman driver
Gangtok: In yet another example of breaking into the male bastion, a mother of three kids has become the first woman taxi driver in the hilly state of Sikkim.
Dawa Phutti Bhutia had set the record and given an example of women empowerment by driving her own taxi SK 04-8670 between Panthang and Gangtok from March 3. She hails from Kabi Tingda area of North Sikkim.
''Let's break the practice of gender bias, why can't women shoulder equally with men in every profession,'' says the first woman taxi driver of Sikkim.
A matriculate, Ms Bhutia is married and has three kids. She said she took up the commercial taxi driving profession to provide encouragement to other Sikkimese women.
''It has been more than a year since the state government had approved women taxi drivers in Sikkim. Sadly, no women came forward so I took up driving to encourage others,'' Mrs Bhutia said.
When questioned how she does feels driving a taxi, Mrs Bhutia said it gives a feeling of being at par with the men. She proudly displays her taxi driving licence number which she had been given by the Motor Vehicles Division of the state Transport department a year ago.
''My husband and children have been supportive,'' she says.
Mrs Bhutia is presently plying her taxi, a Maruti van, from Panthang to Gangtok in East Sikkim. (UNI)
UK to donate WW Second artefacts to Kohima Museum
Kohima: British High Commissioner to India Sir Richard Stagg has said the United Kingdom would contribute artefacts of the Second World War (WWII) to add to the collections at the Kohima War Memorial Museum at Kisama.
Interacting with mediapersons here on Friday evening, the British diplomat said he had come to visit three North East states of Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland to see the avenues where the Government of UK could provide necessary help.
The famous Kohima Battle during World War II, where the British Army was engaged and the artefacts in the Kohima War Memorial Museum will be the added attraction.
On the support that Britain could give to Nagaland, he said there is emphasis on providing expertise in the field of education, training in skills and vocational teaching.
He informed that during his this maiden visit to North East and in Meghalaya the IIM at Shillong has a plan to start an outpost at Dimapur and said the project could be aided in terms of faculty development and expertise.
Stressing on the need for more political unity as a necessity for development, he hoped that the standard of living and educational development would be higher in the next decade and Nagas would be a bigger force in India and in shaping Indian society.
He further said he was apprised of the plight of Nagas in Myanmar, who were looked at ''poorly'' and there were concerns about this under-ministered and under-supported Naga community in Myanmar.
''Everybody seems to be concerned about the reality that Indo-Myanmar border is very porous, which is essentially a free floating board with people moving freely,'' he said. (UNI)
Source: The Shillong Times
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She had gone on fast demanding the repeal of AFSPA after an alleged encounter by the security forces at the Malom bus stand near the Imphal Airport left nine persons dead on November 2, 2000.
She was arrested three days later and charged with attempt to suicide and later sent to judicial custody.
She was once released on October 2, 2006 on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. She had then gone to New Delhi where she visited Raj Ghat and again went on fast at Jantar Mantar.
She was rearrested and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Subsequently, she was moved back to Imphal.
She was kept alive by force feeding her through nose, sources said.
For her enduring sacrifice and dedication, she was among the 1,000 peace women nominated for Nobel peace prize in 2005.
On May 8, 2007, Sharmila was awarded the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in Seoul, South Korea. (Agencies)
Assam legislators assault State Assembly official
Guwahati: Utter chaos descended on Assam Assembly complex for quite some time on Saturday with employees of the Assembly secretariat laying siege to the office of the Bodo People’s Front (BPF) legislature party within the state Assembly building after two of the BPF legislators manhandled an official of Assembly secretariat.
BPF legislators, Maneswar Brahma and Maheswar Bodo had assaulted Assembly under secretary Jyoti Prasad Baruah (56) after the official accidentally bumped on one of the legislators in the corridor of the Assembly building.
The unruly behaviour of the two MLAs evoked vociferous and spontaneous protest from the entire Assembly secretariat staffs who immediately laid siege to the BPF legislature party office, leading to chaos in the premises where one-day session of the state Assembly was convened to facilitate the government to present vote on account for the first quarter of the next financial year.
Senior police officials on duty in the Assembly complex tried hard to pacify the agitated employees who shouted slogans against the two BPF legislators. Assembly secretary Gauranga Lal Das informed that the employees of the Assembly could be pacified later at the intervention of the Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai.
When contacted the two BPF MLAs said, "It was a minor incident that the local electronic media tried to blow it out of proportion as if we had committed a murder . The matter was settled after we compromised with the official."
The BPF which is the only ally of ruling Congress in Assam, is a political party of the Bodo tribe. The party was formed mainly by the former militant of the now disbanded Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) after signing of the Bodo Peace Accord with Government of India in the year 2005.
DHD rebel among 2 shot
Haflong (Assam): One Dima Halam Daogah (DHD- Black widow) group member and a villager were shot dead in separate incidents in Assam's North Cachar Hills district, the police said on Saturday.
Joymir Dimasa, the ultra, was shot dead by the army during a routine patrol at Mahur on Saturday, the police said.
One AK-47 rifle and some ammunition was recovered from the slain ultra’s possession.
In another incident, one villager was shot dead by suspected DHD ultras at Mahur on Friday night.
The police have launched investigation into the shooting incident. (PTI)
Assam’s financial stability depends heavily on Centre
Guwahati: Assam's improved fiscal position for the year 2007-08 is a result of Centre's aid and needed urgent change in allocative priorities and interest cost recovery.
The CAG report for the year ended March 31, 2008, which was laid in the state Assembly on Saturday, disclosed that the State had been able to maintain revenue, fiscal and primary surpluses during 2005-08.
The state had achieved the targets for revenue and fiscal deficits as well as with regard to other variables for 2007-08 even earlier than the timeline stipulated, with the year ending in revenue surplus of Rs 2,581 crore and fiscal surplus of Rs 790 crore.
The improvement in fiscal position was, however, on account of mandatory Central transfers compromising state share in Central taxes and grants-in-aid from the Centre, the CAG report noted.
On the major expenditure heads, the CAG pointed out that three heads - salary expenditure, pension payments and interest payments - constituted 76 per cent of Non-Plan Revenue Expenditure (NPRE) in 2007-08 and observed that these trends indicated the need for changing allocative priorities.
The huge accumulated losses by statutory corporations, especially in financial and transport sectors, resulted in negligible rate of return on government investments, the report stated.
This, coupled with inadequate interest cost recovery, continued to be a cause of concern and needed the attention of the state government.
The CAG report also highlighted several cases of fraud/misappropriation of funds, excess/wasteful expenditure, avoidable/unfruitful expenditure, idle investment and regularity issues. (UNI)
2 NSCN-IM cadres held with arms
Kohima: In continuation with their stepped-up vigil and high alert, Assam Rifles carried out successful operations in various parts of the State and managed to apprehend two NSCN-IM cadres with arms and ammunitions in separate incidences on Friday. Assam Rifles sources said that based on specific information, a column of 24 Assam Rifles established a Mobile Vehicle Check Post (MVCP) at Singrijan, Dimapur and intercepted a suspiciously moving white Maruti Gypsy (NL 07-2783). (NNN)
Mother of three kids and first woman driver
Gangtok: In yet another example of breaking into the male bastion, a mother of three kids has become the first woman taxi driver in the hilly state of Sikkim.
Dawa Phutti Bhutia had set the record and given an example of women empowerment by driving her own taxi SK 04-8670 between Panthang and Gangtok from March 3. She hails from Kabi Tingda area of North Sikkim.
''Let's break the practice of gender bias, why can't women shoulder equally with men in every profession,'' says the first woman taxi driver of Sikkim.
A matriculate, Ms Bhutia is married and has three kids. She said she took up the commercial taxi driving profession to provide encouragement to other Sikkimese women.
''It has been more than a year since the state government had approved women taxi drivers in Sikkim. Sadly, no women came forward so I took up driving to encourage others,'' Mrs Bhutia said.
When questioned how she does feels driving a taxi, Mrs Bhutia said it gives a feeling of being at par with the men. She proudly displays her taxi driving licence number which she had been given by the Motor Vehicles Division of the state Transport department a year ago.
''My husband and children have been supportive,'' she says.
Mrs Bhutia is presently plying her taxi, a Maruti van, from Panthang to Gangtok in East Sikkim. (UNI)
UK to donate WW Second artefacts to Kohima Museum
Kohima: British High Commissioner to India Sir Richard Stagg has said the United Kingdom would contribute artefacts of the Second World War (WWII) to add to the collections at the Kohima War Memorial Museum at Kisama.
Interacting with mediapersons here on Friday evening, the British diplomat said he had come to visit three North East states of Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland to see the avenues where the Government of UK could provide necessary help.
The famous Kohima Battle during World War II, where the British Army was engaged and the artefacts in the Kohima War Memorial Museum will be the added attraction.
On the support that Britain could give to Nagaland, he said there is emphasis on providing expertise in the field of education, training in skills and vocational teaching.
He informed that during his this maiden visit to North East and in Meghalaya the IIM at Shillong has a plan to start an outpost at Dimapur and said the project could be aided in terms of faculty development and expertise.
Stressing on the need for more political unity as a necessity for development, he hoped that the standard of living and educational development would be higher in the next decade and Nagas would be a bigger force in India and in shaping Indian society.
He further said he was apprised of the plight of Nagas in Myanmar, who were looked at ''poorly'' and there were concerns about this under-ministered and under-supported Naga community in Myanmar.
''Everybody seems to be concerned about the reality that Indo-Myanmar border is very porous, which is essentially a free floating board with people moving freely,'' he said. (UNI)
Source: The Shillong Times
.::. All my articles can be view here: MELTED HEARTS .::.
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