"Sinlung" - 9 new articles
Zoramthanga Confident of Winning Elections Joint Chief Electoral Officer Lalhmingthanga told The Hindu that the provisional poll percentage was 72 when reports last came in. "However, the final percentage is sure to go up as there were long queues in a large number of polling stations of Aizawl and other towns even after the polling hours were over," he said. Mr. Lalhmingthanga said the elections were peaceful and there was no report of any untoward incident from any of the 1,026 polling stations in 40 constituencies. In six places, there was technical fault in some electronic voting machines and they were replaced. "I am confident of the victory. We should be able to form a government for another term. People have overwhelmingly voted us to complete the unfinished work of development that was initiated by the MNF government over the past 10 years." The Chief Minister is contesting from the Champhai North and Champhai South seats. Prominent among the 206 candidates are the former Chief Minister and PCC president, Lalthanhawla, and the former Chief Minister and World War II veteran Brigadier (retd.) T. Sailo, who is heading the United Democratic Alliance. The counting of votes will be held on December 8. Has mobile proved a curse for the BSF?
The pocket phone has turned out to be a menace of sorts for the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel deployed along the India-Bangladesh border. What is the reason? They are constantly reminded of domestic worries through cell phones. Such reminders often distract them from their duties. "It (usage of mobile phones) is operationally positive. But when the jawans are constantly fed with information about petty problems at home, they tend to get disturbed", Inspector General (IG) of the Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland Frontier of the BSF, PK Mishra, pointed out on the sidelines of the 44th Raising Day of the BSF at the Frontier Headquarters. Terming the cell phones as unnecessary burdens on the jawans guarding the borders, the IG said it had also led to the BSF personnel living far away from their homes coming under considerable stress and strain thereby giving rise to even suicidal tendencies. Only one jawan had committed suicide a couple of months ago in Guwahati, fortunately. The IG also informed that this year, 36 of the 55 DG's commendation roles were bagged by the Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland Frontier of the BSF alone, for the sterling performance of the personnel in manning the international border with neighbouring Bangladesh. "The 16th Battalion under our Frontier, which is keeping law and order at Karbi Anglong in Assam, was also adjudged the Best Operational Battalion," Mishra further said. Iterating that the BSF would endeavour to ensure that no Bangladeshi national illegally crossed over to India, the IG, however, pointed out that with only about 40 per cent of the international border along Meghalaya having been fenced and with the immigration offices in the region not computerised, the influx of Bangladeshi nationals to the country could not be effectively checked. Nagas Hornbill Festival
Photographers takes pictures of the various Nagas cultural troupe line up to perform during the second day of the Hornbill festival at Naga heritage village Kisama on Tuesday, December 02, 2008. Hornbill festival, the biggest festival of the Nagaland, celebrating the cultural heritage of Nagas New Oil India plan to boost Assam oil output The CMD said apart from operations in 11 Indian states, OIL is at present engaged in exploration work in several foreign countries. "We have operations in Yemen, East Timor, Nigeria, Libya, and many more countries where we are carrying out exploration work for oil and natural gas," Borah said. The new CMD, however, is worried over intelligence reports of terror strikes on vital installations in Assam and other places. "OIL is a major industry and forms the backbone of Assam's economy. There are always threats and one cannot deny or rule out possibilities of forces inimical to the state's interest to carry out attacks. We are in touch with the security agencies, besides we want the support of the locals to foil such evil designs," Borah said. "We shall undertake a recruitment drive and the interests of the north east would be taken care of," Borah said. India produces about 30 million tonnes of crude oil annually, with Assam accounting for about five million tonnes of the total - OIL producing about 3.5 million tonnes and the remaining is produced by the Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Assam has over 1.3 billion tonnes of crude oil and 156 billion cubic meters of natural gas reserves of which an estimated 58 percent of these hydrocarbon reserves are yet to be explored. Assam occupies an important position in the history of oil industry in India and the state accounts for nearly 50 percent of the country's on-shore crude oil production. Assam is home to the world's oldest operating oil refinery, the Digboi refinery, established in 1901. Netaji lives on in Naga Tales
Kohima, Dec 3 : The World War II museum at the Naga heritage village of Kisama, where the Hornbill festival is under way, has evoked memories of the "forgotten" heroes of the Indian National Army (INA) in the minds of hundreds thronging the venue. The museum, with its invaluable artefacts of war, has added not just flavour to the annual winter festival but has provided many a nostalgic Naga an opportunity to recall the selfless sacrifices of the INA led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose — a household name here. There are many here who still remember the tall and handsome INA general assuring better roads, hospitals, better education, water supply and electricity for them. The Naga community had sided with Netaji to liberate India from British reign along side with the Japanese army. The father of Naga national movement, A.Z. Phizo, had led his people to toe Netaji's line. Phizo had to reach Rangoon (now Yangon) on foot along with some of his men to be a part of Netaji's mission. Netaji had established his camp at Chesezu, 60km from here, from where he monitored the battle of Kohima. Later, the allied forces also bombed the camp from where he had to flee. In 1944, around 3,000 Japanese and INA soldiers were killed in the Kohima war. "Today when the state government has opened a museum in remembrance of the World War II heroes, the sad part is that we have forgotten our INA heroes and their sacrifices", says a young Naga scholar Khevito Sumi. "The Centre must honour the INA soldiers, said an officer, who did not wish to be named. He termed the soldiers as "brave sons of India". N. Theyo, a former minister, vividly remembers the tall and handsome Netaji taking on the Japanese army office for harassing the villagers. Today as a mark of respect for the INA leader, a mountain near Chesezu has been named "Mount Netaji". Besides, a Netaji Subhas Bose Memorial Development Society was also formed. But the people thronging the war museum still cannot come to terms with the documentary films showing Netaji dying in an air crash in Formosa in 1944. The Japanese and INA do not have a cemetery here like many defeated armies. But the souls of Japanese soldiers who died in Kohima find solace at the Catholic cathedral here. Protest against Oil Survey The multi-disciplinary advisory group which met in New Delhi on October 3 decided to give the go-ahead to Oil India Limited to start their seismic survey work on the Brahmaputra riverbed in their allocated block. Besides, the advisory group also asked OIL to provide information about the progress of the survey at timely intervals. "The advisory group was constituted by the ministry of environment and forests to study the impact assessment of seismic survey on the Brahmaputra riverbed. It has no business to take a decision on seismic survey," Akhil Gogoi, the secretary of KMSS told a media conference here today. Gogoi said the move by the group was difficult to comprehend as the survey of dolphin habitats and acoustic studies are yet to be completed. He said the seismic survey on the Brahmaputra would cause immense damage to the ecosystem of the river and the fish habitat. Party Workers Barred from Booths, Voters served Tea
Aizawl, Dec 3 : Basking in the mellow December sun, Mizos across the state cast their votes today in a leisurely fashion, on a day devoid of the trappings of the usual election day hullabaloo. There was no report of any untoward incident from any part of the state in one of the most peaceful polling in Mizoram's history, with 72 per cent of the electorate casting their votes. Conspicuous by their absence were gun-toting security personnel, long queues of voters and the overwhelming presence of the youth brigade of political parties outside the polling booths. The voters exercised their franchise under the watchful eyes of a Church-led social vigilance group, the Mizoram People's Forum. The forum ensured that supporters of political parties did not come near the vicinity of polling stations with party flags, banners or stickers. Even party workers wearing caps bearing party symbols were not allowed to loiter around polling stations. "The MPF members have made our task very easy. They are ensuring that all political parties cooperate for a smooth conduct of poll," said Lalngaihzula, a booth-level officer of the Falkawon Government High School Polling Centre under Aizawl South III constituency. Another significant feature associated with polling in the state was the rows of benches placed outside polling booths for the electorate to sit while waiting for their turn to cast their votes. There was no mad rush either. The voters, mostly women, trickled in, cast their votes without much ado and went back to resume their daily chores. Life did not stop to elect a new government. "In the rest of the country, people have to vote by standing for hours in long queues. I am surprised to find voters sitting on benches and having community discussions while waiting for their turn to vote," special election observer Debasish Sen said. Another "unique feature" of the Mizoram poll that drew Sen's attention was the tea served to each voter by the MPF. In Aizawl, most shops remained open and business was as usual. Government institutions and offices were, however, closed as it was an official holiday. Former chief minister and Congress leader Lalthanhawla was among the first to cast his vote. He exercised his franchise at the Bengali School polling station in Babutlang under Aizawl North III constituency, where his younger brother Lalthanzara is contesting. Lalthanhawla is a candidate for the South Tuipui and Serchhip constituencies. Chief minister Zoramthanga, who was camping at his twin constituencies of Champhai North and Champhai South, skipped voting. He is a voter in Aizawl North III constituency. In all, 206 candidates, nine of them women, were in the fray for the 40 Assembly constituencies. Tripura Awaits Rail Extension A high-level delegation of the NF Railway, led by its chief engineer (construction), Mohan Lal, visited Sabroom and held a meeting with Tripura finance and PWD minister Badal Chowdhury at Shantir Bazar government resthouse yesterday. Representatives of its outsourced survey organisation, RITES, accompanied the delegation. Sources here said at the meeting the finance minister requested the NF railway to commence work without delay, promising all possible help from the state government, including timely acquisition and transfer of land. Though the initial survey for railway connectivity up to Sabroom has already been completed, RITES will soon launch the final survey. "In the meeting, Badal Chowdhury assured the delegation that the state government has already prepared the grounds for quick acquisition of land on the basis of an initial survey made by RITES while the NF Railway delegation told the minister that work on the track would commence from the middle of next year," sources said, adding that once launched, the work would progress fast because of the absence of any major hill range on the Agartala-Sabroom track. Bullets, bombs wound Karbi Hills
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The Mizoram Assembly elections on Tuesday saw voting over 72 per cent.
