Mizoram's Saiha District Selected Among 100 Districts for Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao

via Northeast Today on March 11, 2015

New Delhi: The Government of India’s Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save Girl-child, Educate Girl-child) programme, which was announced by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has been formally launched in Northeast and the Saiha District in Mizoram has been selected among 100 districts from across India for this unique initiative.

Disclosing this, Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh said here today, there could have been no better Womens Day gift than this for the underdeveloped region of Northeast. He said, this is also an indication of the high priority and concern that the Shri Narendra Modi Government has for peripheral States of Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir. In addition, the decision is also motivated by a progressive decline in the number of girls in the region, he observed. However, he added that unlike in other parts of the country, the decreasing number of girls in Northeast is not only the result of female foeticide but also due to high incidence of infant mortality rate.

Complimenting the Maraland Autonomous District Council and its Chief Executive Member Shri R.T. Zachono for having formally flagged off medical teams to cover rural areas of the region under the scheme, Dr. Jitendra Singh hoped that the example will be followed by others as well and soon, people across the country will begin to Look East for inspiration in matters of women empowerment.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said Northeast is endowed with rich cultural and vocational heritage, and women folk in the region have always worked shoulder to shoulder with their men peers in every sphere of life. Therefore, grooming the girl child and empowering women can, in fact, prove a great asset for overall development of the region, he added.

Unlike in some of the more developed states of the country, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, Northeastern States suffer from a dearth of appropriate avenues for higher education. As a result, while the boys travel to other parts of the country for higher education, the number of girls travelling out is lesser which adds to lower rate of higher education among women, he said. To that extent, the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme will help to create awareness regarding literacy among women in the region, he added.

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Rescued Children Sent Back Homes in Tripura & Assam

via Northeast Today on March 11, 2015

Guwahati: The 19 tribal children rescued from Guwahati railway station in Assam by security forces and Childline, an NGO, have been handed over to their parents, officials said on Tuesday.

“Fourteen of the 19 tribal children rescued from the railway station by the Assam Police CID, Government Railway Police (GRP) and Childline, an NGO, were handed over to their parents on Monday at Kanchanpur in Tripura,” north Tripura district magistrate Sandeep Rajan Rathod said.

All the children were safe and healthy, he said. Five children were also sent back to Hailakandi district in Assam and handed over to their families, he said. Acting on a tip-off, the Assam Police CID, GRP and Childline, an NGO, rescued 19 children from the Guwahati railway station on February 25.

A team of officials from Tripura’s child welfare committee went to Guwahati and brought 14 children back to the state. Of the 19 children, all below 18 years of age, 11 belong to Reang refugees of Mizoram who are currently living in seven camps in Tripura, five are inhabitants of Hilakhandhi of Assam and remaining three are residents of Tripura.

Childline officials in Guwahati suspect it was a case of child trafficking. Assam Police started the investigation of three adults accompanying the children. An official of Tripura social welfare department said the children were being trafficked to northern India to be forced into child labour.

“The children accompanied by three adults would have boarded a Delhi-bound train, had the Assam CID, GRP personnel and Childline functionaries not reached the railway station in time,” the official said. The three people accompanying the children told Assam Police that the children would be taken care of in a ‘math’ (ashram) in Himachal Pradesh and planned to provide good education.

Around 31,300 Reang tribals have been living in seven camps in Tripura, adjoining Mizoram since October 1997 when they fled western Mizoram after the killing of a Mizo forest officer which triggered ethnic troubles.

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Pregnant Housewife Raped in Ghagra in CHT

via chtnews.com on Saturday, March 07, 2015

CHT: A Jumma housewife who is expecting a baby was reportedly gang- raped in Headman Para under Ghagra Union of Kaokhali Upazila, Rangamati district. 

The incident happened on Thursday night (5 March) when five Benali settlers broke into the house of Aungsi Mong Marma in Headmen Para.

The miscreants bound him, pressed his mouth and beat him before taking turns raping his wife.

Two of the attackers have been identified as Saddam Hossain, 21, Son of Hashem Hossain and Bappi Majumder, 22, son of Gouranga Majumder.

They also took away a mobile phone sets from Aungshi Mong.

On Friday, Aungshi Mong went to Kaokhali police station to file a case, but the on-duty officer refused to register the case on the pretext that the officer-in-charge (oc) was not at his office.

The Hill Women’s Federation and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Women’s Association condemned the rape of the Jumma housewife and demanded that the culprits be brought to justice.

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Nikhil Kumar Chakma urge the Authorities to bring 2 lakh acres of fallow lands under cultivation in CHT

via The Daily Star on March 10, 2015

Rangamati (CHT): About 2 lakh acres of arable land remain uncultivated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) every year due to various reasons, said DAE sources.

Altabur Rahman, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE),  said about 3.5 lakh tonnes of food grains worth over Tk 4 crore can be produced annually if those lands are brought under cultivation.

He said the lands remain fallow due to lack of agricultural inputs, irrigation and credit facilities and absence of agricultural and technical knowledge.

Nikhil Kumar Chakma, chairman of Rangamati Hill District Council, urged the authorities concerned to take measures to bring the fallow lands under cultivation without further delay in three hill districts--Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.

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Indigenous Girl Raped in Khagrachari, Awami League Student Leaders Arrested

via Amar Bangladesh Online on March 10, 2015

Khagrachari (CHT): Four settler student leaders belonging the ruling party Awami League students wing gang raped an indigenous girl student (13) all the night in turn by keeping her two male class mates tied with rope.

One Muhammed Sohel Mia, President of ruling Awami League's Students wing of Dighinala Upazila unit called BCL (Bangladesh Chhattra League) was arrested, three were absconding.

It is believed that justice for the victim will be murdered, as usual.

Settlers, who have been transferred by the Bangladesh government from other parts of Bangladesh to CHT as part of its demographic invasion and ethnic cleansing policy against the Jumma indigenous people, are directly responsible for two major concerns in the region, namely land-grabbing and rape against the indigenous people often with impunity and with direct or indirect support from Bangladeshi security forces.

So indigenous rights activists suggest resettlement of settlers in their original areas outside CHT and demilitarization of CHT as a way of stopping land-grabbing and rape and restoration of democracy and peace in the region.

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4th Annual Festival celebrating Northeast India, NEF 2015 at Hindu College, Delhi Date : March 26 and 27, 2015

via E-PAO on March 10, 2015

NEF.2015
Celebrating Northeast India, together! 

Hindu College announces the 4th Annual Festival celebrating Northeast India, NEF 2015. It will take place on March 26 and 27, 2015. 

A platform for cultural exchange, NEF 2015 aims to integrate the diverse cultures of Northeast India into the national fabric through food, sports and entertainment. 

Initiated by the Northeast Cell of Hindu College in 2011, this is NEF’s fifth year in existence. Only awareness can lead to understanding; therefore, NEF believes that if it can engage the nation with the lesser known cultures of this diverse country – the culture of Northeast India – then it will have achieved its goal. 

This March 26 and 27 will showcase a cultural extravaganza bringing the variety and colour of Northeast Indian food, music, fashion, sports and dance to the capital. 

Having had an impressive turn-up last year, we expect to host more participants and audience this year. 

The event line up is meticulously planned to ensure that you learn and imbibe as much of Northeast India as may be possible in two days. 

Having said that, NEF 2015 is packed with a lot of fun, besides all the goodness of cultural enrichment! 

This gala carnival will feature a fashion show, a photography competition, a football tournament, a food festival, dance performances, battle of bands and many more. 

Join the Hindu College as it welcomes spring in impeccable style – visit NEF 2015! 

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Taiwan Keen to Help Mizoram in Agriculture

via IANS on March 9, 2015

Aizawl: Taiwan is keen to help Mizoram in developing its agriculture and in value-addition of bamboo and capacity-building of human resource in the northeastern state, Taiwan’s ambassador to India Chung-Kwang Tien has said.

“We are ready to help Mizoram in agriculture, value-addition of bamboo and capacity-building of human resource,” Tien told reporters here on Sunday.

He said there were similarities in terrain and typography of Taiwan and Mizoram, bordering Myanmar.

“Agriculture and bamboo are two important sectors of possible co-operation that can be worked out,” the envoy said, adding that he discussed with Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla about the possible cooperation between Mizoram and Taiwan.

Tien, accompanied by two officials of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India, came here on March 6 to witness the Mizos’ biggest festival — Chapchar Kut.

The visiting ambassador held discussion with Lal Thanhawla about sharing of experience between Mizoram’s and Taiwan’s experts on agriculture, value-addition of bamboo and capacity-building of human resource.

Tien said two agricultural experts, one specializing in grapes, would visit Mizoram later this month to study the agricultural and horticultural pattern in the state and suggest possible areas of intervention that could lead to concrete actions.

He said entrepreneurs engaged in value-addition of bamboo and its products could visit his country to see the kind of industry expertise that Taiwan has in bamboo products.

The envoy invited students to apply for scholarships in Taiwan at various levels of education.

The Mizoram University could explore the possibility of running a Mandarin language centre, he said.

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