Cultural ethos cementing factor of Arunachal unity: Minister 

Arunachal Pradesh Health and family Welfare minister Dr T Tapak has said that the culture of the State people was the cementing factor of national unity and that was why ‘we are living together in harmony as nation for centuries’. “The diverse cultural ethos did not divide us, rather it cemented our unity,” he said while addressing the gathering at a cultural programme organised by the Arunachal chapter of Sanskar Bharati. He said the Arunachalee youth having talent in performing arts, should get proper guidance and exposure to excel themselves in national level. Talo Mugli, MLA and former minister stressed on the need of preservation of traditional identity. There are 26 major tribes in Arunachal Pradesh which have distinct cultural ethos, but they are living together in peace and amity, Mugli said.

Call them ‘differently able’ 

Meghalaya Minister of State for Sports and Youth Afffairs, Billykid A Sangma, has urged upon the people to desist from calling the differently able persons as disabled. He said this while participating in the celebrations of World Disabled Day. The day was specially organised for the differently able persons by the Social Welfare Department in which the young children displayed their talents participating in various competitions colourfully dressed in the Garo traditional dress. Volunteers from the two main NGOs, involved in training and guiding these children, the Bethany Society and the Montfort Centre for Education rendered their help for successful celebration of the day. This is the first time such a programme has been organised for these specially talented people in the Garo Hills and it included a picnic at the DC’s park and a silent procession with banners and placards to the auditorium. Centre favours immediate repeal of IM(DT) Act The Centre favoured immediate repeal of Illegal Migrants’ (Determination by Tribunal) Act in Assam which was proving to be a hurdle in deporting foreign nationals staying there and grabbing shares in employment, Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand informed the Lok Sabha. Intervening during a discussion on the recent incidents of violence in Assam and some other parts of the country due to recruitment policy of Railways, Chinmayanand said that out of 3.65 lakh foreigners registered in Assam, only 1501 had been sent back . After the Act is repealed, 70 lakh foreign nationals would be sent out of the country, creating job opportunities for the local people, he said.

Ultra outfit threatens to kill Manipur editor 

A militant outfit in Manipur threatened to kill the editor of a journal if the failed to disclose the identity of a writer. Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) told the editor of Manmasi, a monthly journal in Kuki dialect, that he should disclose the real name identity of one Th Saddai Kuki who wrote an article criticising the KRA in the journal. The statement, said the article had been published in the journal without cross-checking the facts.

Congress bag two Town committees in Karbi Anglong   

The Congress won both Town committees of Howraghat and Diphu in Karbianglong district, where Municipal elections were held on December 12.

Citizens flay   poor service by Rajdhani Express   

The North East Commuters Forum (NECF) has expressed great resentment over the deteriorating state of service by the Rajdhani Express, the train running between New Delhi and Guwahati/Dibrugarh. The NECF said a number of complaints have been lodged by a section of conscious passengers travelling on December 6 from New Delhi to Guwahati. The citizens’ allegations include non-providing of required bedding, serving of food less than the prescribed menu and not providing evening tea in time.   O P Singh, Deputy Train Superintendent blamed the bedding provider and catering department for the inconvenience although the passengers asserted that it was the responsibility of train superintendent to look after all these facilities. The passengers in their complaints said that they were entitled to the services as the ticket fare includes for everything.

KSA demands restoration of KA territory   

The Karbi Students’ Association (KSA) has expressed serious concern over the statement appearing in a section of the press, by the so-called KSA led by Pankaj Teron. The statement is baseless and contradictory and has misled the people, KSA said. The KSA reiterated that the border issue between Karbi Anglong and Meghalaya can be solved as per the 1951-52 boundary demarcation. The Meghalaya Government, not by historical evidence, but at the behest of some forest contractors’ lobby, illegally occupied 10 km of the land belonging to Karbi Anglong.

‘Parochial acts need to be countered’   

Expressing its anguish over the recent incidents of violence in Assam and Bihar, the Lok Sabha has unanimously called for resolution of all discords through dialogue. The resolution adopted by Lok Sabha after the reply by Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and intervention by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Swami Chinmayanand, said that such incidents of parochialism should be countered unitedly and with determination. The resolution came at the end of an over-five-hour-long discussion on the recent incidents of violence in the two States. 

KHADC CEM Lyngwi dies in freak accident   

Senior Congress leader and Chief Executive Member  (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) Walter David  Lyngwi died here in a freak accident on December 11. He was 51. He is survived by wife and two sons. Family sources said, Mr Lyngwi was parking  his car in the garage at his residence at Demthring when  the vehicle began moving backwards as the surface is sloped. As Mr. Lyngwi tried     to stop the car from rolling backwards, the car overturned and fell on him, crushing his ribs.  He was rushed to the near by hospital, where he breathed his last. His funeral was held at Laitumkhrah cemetery on December 14.  Despite his  three-time unsuccessful bid to enter to the State Assembly from Sohra Constituency     since 1992, he contested from the same seat for District Council elections and won by huge margin.

Manipur hosts two-day Orange and craft festival 

A two-day state level Orange and Craft festival was held at MINW Stadium of Tamenglong district from December 16.  The theme of the festival was ‘’orange for health, beauty and prosperity’’. Several contests like orange contest, orange queen contest and craft contest were organised. The contest had cash awards and incentives for the orange growers and crafts persons. Traders, growers and entrepreneurs within and outside the state took part in the festival. The festival was attended by the Manipur Assembly Speaker T. N. Aokip and Agriculture Minister K Ranjit.

Leopards on the verge of extinction in Gibon 

The number of leopards is feared to have decreased in the Gibon Wildlife Sanctuary. A census of the leopards will be carried out in 2004. Four years back, there were seven leopards and two tigers in the sanctuary. Three carcasses of leopards were recovered from the adjoining areas of Kakajan Tea Estate recently. Forest Department sources said the carcasses didn’t bear any mark of attack. The Forest Department is not sure what led to the death of the leopards. Samples have been sent to the forensic laboratory and results are being awaited.

AIDS campaign at Churachandpur 

Sur Sangam, a private registered party of Song and Drama division, Ministry of IB, presented cultural programmes on prevention of AIDS awareness campaign in different places of Churachandpur. Nine militants surrender in Tripura Close on the heels of BLT surrender in Kokrajhar district in Assam, nine tribal guerillas recently laid down their arms and deposited arms and ammunition in Tripura’s Dhalai district, state police have said. Of the nine tribal guerillas, four are top cadres of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and five belong to Borok National Council of Tripura (BNCT). BNCT is the sister organisation of NLFT. The militants laid down their arms and ammunition in two different places of the district. They also deposited three self-loading rifles, one carbine, three Chinese grenades and a large quantity of bullets with the security forces.  Police said a group of militants had recently escaped from their hideouts at Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in south-east Bangladesh and crossed over to Tripura. The surrendered militants told the police that the lower rank cadres of the militants had recently revolted against their leaders in the Bangladeshi hideouts. At least six milita nts were killed during an exchange of fire between the two rival outfits of the NLFT militants in the CHT recently, police said quoting the surrendered militants.

NSCN (K) abducts 18 youths

Eighteen youths were kidnapped by NSCN (K) insurgents from four villages near Indo-Myanmar border in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, state Home Minister L Wanglat said. The youths, including six women, were kidnapped on the night of December 15, from the villages of Langpan, Langton, Tinoung and Keyam possibly for forcible recruitment in the outfit, Wanglat said.

Meghalaya House remembers Lyngdoh, Rangad  

Members of the Meghalaya Assembly mourned the demise of former Chief Minister B. B. Lyngdoh, former Home Minister T. H. Rangad, former Minister M. K. Sangma and former Union Minister Murasoli Maran. The house observed a minute’s silent prayer. Heaping praises to the memory of late B. B. Lyngdoh, Chief Minister D. D. Lapang described him as a straight,courageous and determined personality. Recalling a little known facet of his chequered life, Lapang said “As a student Lyngdoh had taken part in the freedom movement of the country. The Chief Minister remembered late Rangad of BJP as “A man of integrity.” Deputy Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy recalled late B. B. Lyngdoh as a founding leader of the Hill State movement. Describing Lyngdoh as the author of ‘coalition politics’, he said the new concept has gained credibility all over the country. He also revealed that Lyngdoh was the first Chief Minister in the country to have introduced MLA schemen.

BSNL plans mobile phone connections in NE   

The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is planning to provide 95, 350 mobile phone connections in the North- Eastern region of the country. This was disclosed by the Union Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology Ashok Pradhan in the Rajya Sabha. The Minister said that the BSNL and the Reliance Telecom Limited are providing mobile phone services in the region and the Hexacom India Limited has also been granted licence.

Lalchamliana elected Mizoram House Speaker 

Former minister of state for finance, environment, forests and taxation Lalchamliana was elected Speaker of Mizoram Assembly unopposed. Lalchamliana was declared elected unopposed by Protem Speaker R. Khawpuithanga and was escorted to the Speaker’s chair by Chief Minister Zoramthanga and Opposition Leader Lal Thanhawla.  Zoramthanga, Lal Thanhawla, Mizoram People’s Conference (MPC) chief Lalhmingthanga and P. P. Thawla of the Mara democratic front (MDF) congratulated Lalchamliana. He joined the underground Mizo National front (MNF) when the organisation launched independence movement and was lieutenant in the MNF. He was arrested and came overground in 1974. He contested the Assembly polls in 1989 as official candidate of the People’s Conference from Lungpho constituency and lost. He successfully contested the 1998 assembly elections from Bilkhawthlir as MNF candidate. He was inducted as minister of state of health and taxation, and later allotted finance and environment and  forest in the previous Zoramthanga ministry.

Tripura ready for first medical college  

The Tripura government is ready to set up the first medical college in the State in a joint venture and Chief Minister Manik Sarkar hoped that the approval for it will be given soon by the Union Health ministry. The medical college would be set up at the BR Ambedkar Hospital in a joint venture with the Manipal group, Sarkar said.

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