Rescuers search for South Asia storm survivors

Many were killed by falling trees or debris

Rescuers are searching for survivors after a powerful storm killed 130 people in India and Bangladesh over the last two days, officials say.

Many more are injured or trapped in rubble as about 100,000 houses were hit by winds of up to 160 km/h (100mph).
Officials said the toll was expected to rise as many areas were still cut off and phone lines were down.
Medical and food supplies have been rushed to the area after the cyclone struck overnight on Tuesday.
The worst-hit area is the eastern Indian state of Bihar with 76 deaths.
Officials said 42 people had died in the north-eastern areas of West Bengal state and five people were killed in Assam.
At least two people were killed in the Bangladeshi district of Rangpur.
It is the most violent storm in this area since Cyclone Aila hit eastern India and Bangladesh in May last year, killing more than 150 people.
'Worst storm'
West Bengal's civil defence and relief minister Srikumar Mukherji told the BBC that 50,000 houses were flattened by the storm in Uttar Dinajpur district alone.


"We have send 25,000 tarpaulin sheets to the district, so that people could use them to cover their rooftops which have been blown away," Mr Mukherji said.
The storm started in the Bihar-Nepal border region and cut its deadly path through north Bengal and into Bangladesh's Rangpur region, before ending up in Dhubri district of India's north-eastern state of Assam.
Mohammad Ibrahim, a 40-year-old resident of Hematabad village in West Bengal, said it was the worst storm he had ever seen.
"God has saved me but taken away my home and everything," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.
Bihar state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did an aerial tour of the disaster area. He said the damage was more extensive than initially thought.



Schools across the region have been damaged

Seventy-six people are reported to have died and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed in Purnia, Araria and Kishanganj districts, officials said.
The storm was followed by heavy rains that further added to the woes of villagers.

Telecommunication links have been hit hard, with railway lines damaged and roads closed in West Bengal and Bihar.

Indian authorities say emergency supplies have been rushed to the area and temporary shelters have been set up for those who had lost their homes.
Officials say that the storm was an extreme form of what is locally known as a "nor'wester" - a weather pattern that develops over the Bay of Bengal during the hot months of the year.

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Mizoram spends Rs 180 crore per year on meat

Aizawl, April 15 : People of Mizoram spend approximately Rs 180 crores a year on different kinds of meat, according to the State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department. The total expenditure of the residents of the State capital per month on meat is calculated to be Rs 61 crores.
About 250-300 cattle and 400-400 pigs are slaughtered on a weekly basis in Mizoram even as the State is far from meeting its requirement of meat. The amount of money flowing out of Mizoram for importing cattle per year is calculated to be Rs 32 crores, the department source said today.
Even as three truck trips of eggs are imported weekly from Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, Mizoram requires 1,200 lakh more eggs a year to meet its demand. Animal husbandry in Mizoram accounts for only 17 per cent of the Gross Stae Domestic Product (GSDP) whereas the same contributes 32 per cent of the GDP.
It has emerged as the most important sector in New Land Use Policy (NLUP), the Mizoram governments flagship programme, to transform the states economy as 60 per cent of the policys stakeholders have opted for animal rearing. The NLUP veterinary sector was launched by the State Home Minister R Lalzirliana at the AH& Veterinary farm complex at Selesih near here on Friday. “The basic objective of NLUP veterinary sector is to make Mizoram self-sufficient in meet, milk and eggs,” a statement of the department said. Doctors and staff of the department were sensitised to the programmes of the NLUP which they will further impart to the beneficiaries.
“The government wants to ensure the success of the flagship policy. It wants to ensure that the beneficiaries use the money for the right purpose,” member-secretary of State Planning Board and Vice-chairman of NLUP apex board PL Thanga said.
“It is crucial that the beneficiaries focus on their projects instead of the money,” he pointed out. The NLUP aims to help farmers move away from the traditional slash-and-burn method of cultivation, on which about 80 per cent of the States farmers still depend, to more sustainable land-based means of livelihood.
The Rs 2,527-crore eco-friendly project in the first five years aims to support 1,20,000 families involving the departments of agriculture, horticulture, veterinary, industries, forest, fisheries, sericulture and soil and water conservation. “The NLUP intends to keep 60 per cent of the States total geographical area under forest cover and the remaining 40 per cent for land-based development,” officials said. (UNI)

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Vehicles stay off roads in Manipur

IMPHAL: All vehicles, including inter-State buses and trucks, in Manipur remained off the roads on Tuesday following the 12-hour strike called by some tribal organisations in the five hill districts protesting against the government attempt to hold elections to the Autonomous District Councils (ADC) for the election of 144 council members. The government had issued notifications for holding the elections on May 17 and 24.
The tribals have been protesting against the amendment of the Manipur State Hill Peoples' Administration Regulation, 1947 on September 11, 2009. In the 1947 notification, village names had been clearly mentioned and all the villagers have to pay house taxes.
Errors in notification
However in the amended delimitation notification about half of the villages have been left out. Besides, there are errors in the names of several villages. A Public Interest Litigation challenging the amendment is scheduled for hearing in the court on May 5.
Tribal organisations have aired their objections. They also burned the copies of the amended copies of the ADC Act, 2008. They told journalists that they failed to understand the motive of the government in ordering the elections now after a gap of 20 years.
As the tribal organisations including students' associations have said that there will be other forms of agitations if the elections based on the defective notification are not cancelled, indications are that there may be rethinking on the part of the government.

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Workshop for environment protection held in Guwahati

Guwahati, Apr 13 (ANI): An NGO "Environmental Watch and Management Institute" recently held a workshop for village school students in Assam to create awareness about the need to preserve environment.

The students were taken for a practical study of Deepor Beel of Cakar Doi village in the outskirts of Guwahati and also to a bird Sanctuary.

"We have all gathered here and collected polythene bags here. These are very bad, as it doesn't decay. Near our school there is a Deepor Beel, and there are different varieties of fish and other things and so many birds come here. We have to build effort to protect this and we don't have to throw plastics there," said Babul Das, a student.

Awareness about environment is important to create interest among the students to preserve it.

" All of the residential people and even the students should provide some information because people working for an NGO come here once or twice a week. But these people live here and know everything about this place." said Raviul Hazarika, member of the NGO.

A drawing competition was also organized to encourage the students.

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Lafarge be allowed mining in Meghalaya forest: Centre

New Delhi, Apr 14 The Centre has concurred with the views of Attorney General G E Vahanvati that French cement giant Lafarge should be allowed to resume mining in the forests of Meghalaya provided it deposit Rs 55 crore for the welfare of the locals.

"Whatever the Attorney General (Vahanvati) has said yesterday (in the Supreme Court) we support it," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said on the sidelines of a function here.

He was responding to a query whether the Ministry agree with the Vahanvati's suggestion on imposing conditions on the company before giving it a go-ahead.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court had sought a response from the Centre on an expert committee's report as also other conditions put by the Attorney General for allowing Lafarge to resume mining in the forests of Meghalaya for its Bangladesh plant.

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Relook at Lafarge mining

New Delhi: The Centre is engaged in an exercise to determine whether French mining firm Lafarge could be given the green signal to mine limestone from the forest areas of Meghalaya.

Lafarge uses the limestone at its cement plant across the border in Bangladesh.
On February 5, the Supreme Court stayed mining by the firm on a report that it was violating the Forest Protection Act. The government soon moved the court asking the ban on mining be lifted as this was endangering the country’s relationship with a friendly neighbour country.
Attorney-general Goolam E Vahanvati on Monday told a special forest bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan to adjourn the hearing for two weeks to enable the government take a decision.
The court is hearing a petition by Shella Action Committee, a civil group of the Shella tribals of the East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya.
Vahanvati said the government would decide within a fortnight if it is feasible for it to give Lafarge Umiam Mining the forest clearance certificate if the French firm abides by certain monetary stipulations for the development of tribals and the region around its project area.
He said the government is contemplating to grant forest clearance certificate to the firm in case it pays a sum of Rs 55 crore.
Lafarge will also have to deposit Rs 90 per tonne for limestone mined so far into a special purpose vehicle for welfare of the local population.

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Northeast India Film Released at International Meet

By C. M. Paul

Guwahati, Apr. 12. SHILLONG, SAR News -- India`s high profile Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Sashi Tharoor released a musical expose of Northeast India, produced by Don Bosco Institute of Management, Guwahati, at an international seminar in Shillong, 9 April. The eight minute film entitled ``Mist & Magic`` is a video presentation of the hidden beauty and charm that is Northeast India.

Union MInister of India, Sashi Tharoor in conversation with Fr. VM Thomas sdb at the release of `Mist & Magic` Shillong 9th April, 2010 View actual size ``Come and see this land, and feel its emotions ...`` serves as the chorus that captures both the heart and mind of the listener/viewer. The theme music was composed by well known Assamese Mrs. Tarali Sharma and the lyrics are from the psalm ``Northeast India, Bless the Lord!`` by Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil sdb of Guwahati. Salesian Fr. Joseph Pulinthanath, an international and national award winning director, from the region directed the film along with a professional camera man. While location shooting was done in the seven States of Northeast India, the editing was done at Thiruvananthapuram and the colour synchronization at Hyderabad. Among those present at the release were Governor of Meghalaya Shri Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary, Vice Chancellor NEHU Prof. Pramod Tandon, and Director of Don Bosco Institute, Guwahati, Fr. VM Thomas. While stressing that the Salesian society will continue to serve the region, Fr. Thomas also said he saw ``great significance and relevance at `Mist & Magic`, being released at a Northeast-centered International seminar.`` Shri Tharoor released the song and handed a DVD of the same to Shri Mooshahary, the Governor of Meghalaya. Neighbouring Countries Attend Seminar The seminar on `From land locked to land linked, Northeast India in BIMSTEC, 9th-10th April, 2010, held at Northeastern Hill University Shillong was attended by high-powered delegation consisting of Ambassadors and High Commissioners from neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand. The acronym BIMSTEC means ``Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.`` Clarifying the interest of the Don Bosco Society in the meet, Fr. VM Thomas, the director of Don Bosco Institute said, ``For us Salesians the tryst with Northeast India dates back to the beginnings of the congregation and time has proved it to be momentous for the destiny both of the region and the congregation.`` The visual tour de force, `Mist and Magic` deliberately showcases the best of Northeast in the hope that the wide-spread but false perception of the region as a backward place would be corrected. The speakers at the seminar also highlighted the various programs of the `Look East Policy` of the Government of India that are being implemented in the region. People from various walks of life gathered at the multipurpose Auditorium of North Eastern Hill University to listen to the galaxy of speakers. Among those invited to the Inaugural function of the Seminar were Salesian priests, PV Joseph (DB Cultural Institute, Shillong), George Plathottam (media Commission secretary to Catholic Bishops Conference of India, New Delhi) and Joseph Pulinthanath (Award winning film director, Agartala). Reflecting on Don Bosco`s involvement in the region, Fr. VM Thomas said, ``At such time as this when the region is seriously considering strategic alliances that could have far-reaching political, social and economic import, we consider it our responsibility and privilege to accompany the people of the region through and beyond these vital thresholds.``

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Tripura wants improved connectivity with Bangladesh

Agartala/New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) The Tripura government has asked the centre to improve air and surface connectivity between northeast India and Bangladesh to boost trade and people-to-people contacts, officials here said Wednesday.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Finance Minister Badal Choudhury met Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in New Delhi Tuesday. The state’s annual plan allocation of Rs.1,860 for 2010-11 was finalised at the meeting.
“Tripura chief minister has asked the planning commission deputy chairman to take necessary steps with the centre to introduce a direct flight between Agartala and Dhaka and develop the national highways in the northeast to get access of the Chittagong international port in Bangladesh,” a senior official told reporters.
The Bangladesh government has agreed to allow India to use the Chittagong port, about 75 km from Tripura’s southern town Sabroom.
Sarkar said the centre should constitute a dedicated committee to closely monitor the implementation of the India-Bangladesh agreements signed during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit in January.
He said all the four districts of Tripura be covered under the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF), which provides financial resources for supplementing and converging existing developmental inflows in the backward districts.
He also asked for development of the cargo handling facilities in Agartala airport to support the growing food processing industry in the state.

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Rooted in reality

At the play reading of 'Dear Dirty'

A play reading of 'Dear Dirty' captures the fears and eccentricities of people mired in conflict

Swar Thounaojam's “Dear Dirty” is a play deeply rooted in present day Manipur, attempting to unfold the fears and eccentricities of a people mired in conflict. The premise chosen by the young playwright is an interesting one. Thounaojam describes the play as a freewheeling spin on clarifications and letters to editors. She attempts to de-contextualise the play, even with the premise, so as to allow a director to employ his or her own sensibilities in it. “I wanted to see what this dislocation of context would do,” she says.

As part of the spoken word line-up organised by Toto Funds the Arts, at the Crossword Bookstore, “Dear Dirty” was read by actors Vijay Nair, Spatica Ramanujam, Shashank Purushotham, Sunil Bannur and Sheila Govindaraj.

Nair, a writer and director, played the “old man” in the dramatised reading. As the central character of the play, whose letter forms the basis for the narrative, the old man seemed like someone each person may have known at some point. Thounaojam says that the idea for the play was triggered at a book reading — also where the play begins — where two noted writers and historians were confronted by an elderly person during the Q&A session.

The play twists many of her childhood experiences in Imphal to be used as devices in telling the story, and then creating a narrative of oppression.

However, Thounaojam's work is very different from much of the writing coming out of the North East. “I want to create an idiom for myself,” she says. According to her, many plays about the North East do not allow for critique as theatre productions. She says, “If you critique it, you're often looked upon as insensitive.”

So for her, creating the space for critique, in both content and form are essential in the process of writing a play, where she can imagine “violence, oppression and victimhood on its own terms.”

Having seen both State and non-State actors in the political stage of her State perpetrate violence, she thinks the articulation of conflict should not just be to elicit empathy or sympathy, or build a case for either group.

The interesting title of the play, she says, comes from the intention of corrupting a salutation written at the beginning of a letter. “Corruption is also a huge part of the daily Manipuri life,” she says. The title also comes from a song, says Thounaojam.

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'Police acting under political agenda'

JANKHVAV (MANGROL, SURAT): Leading thinkers and tribal leaders charged the police with acting under a political agenda by arresting tribal leaders at a meeting called by Adivasi Janasangharsh Morcha (AJM) here on Sunday. They also passed a resolution in support of the tribal leaders, who were arrested by the police for their alleged association with Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Janashakti.

"Avinash Kulkarni cannot kill a bee then how can he be involved in any Naxal activities. He is a humble human being. I am surprised that he has been arrested under charges of spreading naxalism," said Ganesh Devy of Adivasi Academy at Tejgadh.

Among others present were Prakash Shah, Indu Jani, Babu Desai, Dilip Chandulal, Raman Chaudhry and Uttam Parmar.

Shah said, "Police have become a tool of political agenda. Jayprakash Narayan had asked the police to read the police manual before taking actions against people of the country. The tribals of Gujarat want their rights as the citizen of the Republic and these should be given to them."

The intellectuals at the meeting were of the opinion that the government was trying to harass the tribal activists, who are fighting for their rights and land. They said the tribals are demanding land under Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Instead of giving them the land, the state government is targeting the tribal leaders, they said.

Anand Chaudhry, Mandvi Nagarpalika Pramukh, said, "Makabhai Chaudhry was one of us and if he is a Naxalite then we too are. Makabhai was working for the tribals since years and has not done anything unlawful. But suddenly police found him to be a Naxalite."

Uttam Parmar said, "Police are not able to take action against liquor brewers and bootleggers. The arrested tribal leaders have not done anything wrong."

It was decided at the meeting to hold a dharna in Surat to oppose police action against the tribal leaders.

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