Ray of Hope for Mizoram Sex Worker

For scores of women sex workers in the Christian-majority state of Mizoram, a church supported night shelter run here has turned out to be their only ray of hope.

"The night shelter is aimed at helping sex workers return at night to a secure home. Most women who took to prostitution were driven out of their homes," said Major Lalngaihawmi, who is in charge of the Salvation Army-run home.

The Mizoram AIDS Control Society helps the Salvation Army - an integral part of the church working towards the advancement of religious, educational and other charitable missions - in running the shelter.

"Our home is open at night for any woman, especially for the displaced and those who do not have proper shelter to sleep. They can stay at the home as long as they want for free," Lalngaihawmi said.

An average of 10 women come to the night shelter daily, besides seeking help for starting a new life. Some are willing to return to their own homes.

"This home is more than a counselling centre. We not only try to make these women come to the mainstream of life, but also do reconciliation work with their families to accept them once again," Lalngaihawmi said.

"We never criticise or look down on any woman, nor do we turn away those who have faced the courts and numerous humiliations. We genuinely try to help them return to a normal life," the Salvation Army official said.

During the day, the home acts as a drop-in centre for sex workers.

"We have three peer educators who provide information and spread awareness about implications of drug addiction and sex-related diseases," senior home in-charge Lalnunmawii said.

A 35-year-old mother of two who lived in the home is now a reformed woman.

"This shelter and the counselling made me get rid of my horrible night life. Now I am looking forward to starting a small business in my village," said the woman who did not want to be named.

According to various estimates, there are over 1,000 commercial women sex workers in Mizoram, including around 300 in Aizwal, a majority of them divorcees and drug addicts.

177 villages in Mizoram ravages by rodents

Thousands of rats have destroyed rice fields in Mizoram, fuelling fears of a famine in the region. "At least 177 villages have been ravaged by armies of rats in the state this year. About 70 villages that bore the brunt have nothing left to harvest now," according to Mizoram Agriculture Minister H. Rammawi.

At least 65 villages have lost half the harvest while 42 villages have experienced low intensity destruction.

Mizoram, with about one million people, is dependent on agriculture. Rice and vegetables are the dominant crops.

"In a single night the rodents can clip the ears from every rice stalk in a field," said James Lalsiamliana, plant protection officer of the state's agriculture department and head of the rodent control cell.

Reports of rats destroying farmlands follows vast forests of bamboo bursting into flower in many parts of the state. When bamboo flowering takes place, the rat population shoots up, leading to an invasion of granaries and paddy fields.

The Mizoram government has warned that a famine is going to hit the mountainous state.

The phenomenon of bamboo flowering occurs every 48 years.

According to tribal legends, when bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction follow. Behind the superstition probably lies some truth as blooming bamboo does trigger a rodent invasion that feeds on stored food.

"There is an alarming increase in rat population that has devoured not only paddy but also maize and other crops. During last year's harvest when bamboo flowering began in the eastern part of the state, more than 60 villages lost their entire crop," Lalsiamliana said.

In 1958-59, a famine in Mizoram resulted in the death of at least 100 people, besides causing heavy loss to human property and crops. The famine, locally known as Mautam, broke out after bamboo flowering.

Historical accounts say Mizoram recorded a similar famine in 1862 and again in 1911 following similar bamboo flowerings.

"The state will now have to arrange financial support for these areas," said Lalsiamliana. The agriculture department has projected a minimal 80 percent crop destruction out of the total projected harvest across Mizoram this year.

UNAIDS programme in North East India

The United Nations AIDS programme along with other UN agencies and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has come up with a new HIV prevention programme for four North Eastern states.

The five-year UN Joint Project on HIV, financed by Australian AIDS programme (AusAID), will be implemented in the states of Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram.

The 10.50 million dollar programme will be formally launched in New Delhi on October 12.

UNDP Representative Annirudha Brahmachari told senior officials of Nagaland government that the new programme aims at involving various government departments and NGOs through multi-sectoral approach.

As HIV/AIDS is no more a health issue in the high prevalence states, the on-going efforts of prevention, care, treatment and support mechanism must involve all stakeholders, including the people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), the new programme envisages.

Mainstreaming of prevention programme is key to succes of containing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the North Eastern states. Although the main objective is to contain the spread of the killer disease and creating infrastructure for infected and affected persons, the programme will be state specific as per the ground realities in each state, Brahmachari explained.

For Nagaland, the programme will be youth friendly prevention initiatives while in Manipur and Mizoram, the strategy is harm reduction.

Land of Latex: Tripura

Natural rubber is stretching far and wide in India. After dominating the Kerala landscape, now it is spreading roots in Tripura.

According to Rubber Board officials, Tripura is well poised to emerge as the next natural rubber capital of India after Kerala.

Anticipating this, the Rubber Board has of late stepped up its activities in a big way in Tripura, which is well suited for rubber cultivation. The Rubber Board has identified 1 lakh hectares as potential area under rubber in the state, of which roughly 31 per cent has already come under cultivation.

It is increasingly being felt that only by increasing rubber production in Tripura and Assam, can the country’s growing natural rubber demand be met without resorting to imports.

A major project with Central Government funding in Tripura is a Rs 7-crore Rubber Park at Bodjungnagar industrial estate.

According to Rubber Board officials, even though severe winter can inhibit the growth of some rubber clones, some areas in Tripura were highly suitable for rubber. The board has a large pilot farm at Taranagar area of Tripura.

The Regional Research Station (RRS) of the Rubber Board was set up in 1979 with the mandate to develop high yielding rubber clones, suitable to the state’s agro-climatic conditions, through classical blending and selection, mother tree selection and clone evaluation.

One of the key responsibilities of the RRS was to determine the ability of natural rubber to restore the degraded eco-systems, especially the ‘jhummed’ lands in Tripura.

It was also mandated to develop location-specific farming technology for producing quality planting materials, crop husbandry including soil and nutrient management practices, disease protection protocols, rubber-based integrated sustainable farming, harvesting techniques and primary processing of latex into marketable forms of rubber.

Meghalaya ready to market roses and strawberries globally

Meghalaya, known globally for its turmeric that contains the highest curcumin content, is now eyeing Japan for marketing its Dutch cut roses and Bhutan, Nepal and West Asia for its organic strawberries.

The Dewlieh Horticulture Farm, set up under the horticulture initiative of the Meghalaya government here in Ri Bhoi district, has drawn up plans for focussed efforts to capture these foreign markets apart from those in eastern India.

Project leader (Rose and Strawberry), Horticulture Initiative, B.K. Sohliya, said the north-east’s first Centre of Excellence for Rose, located in the farm, produced 20 lakh rose stems annually. The different varieties of roses produced in the farm included Cherry Lady, Iceberg, Golden Gate, Corvette, Tropical Amazaon, Grand Gala, First Red and Circus.

On Teacher’s Day and this year the 40000 rose stem from the farm were sold in Meghalaya. The department planned to increase rose production to 200 lakh stems in the next three years. Meghalaya was also the third largest producer of strawberries in the country after Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana.

The State now produced about 200 tonne of Sweet Charlie, Camarosa and Chandler varieties of strawberry every season. The department planned to increase the area under strawberry cultivation from the existing 21 hectares to 35 hectares by March 2008. Mr. Sohliya said the strawberries grown in Meghalaya could be easily marketed in West Aasia through Sylhet in Bangladesh.

There were twice a week flights to Dubai from Sylhet, which was only 150 km from the farm and could be reached through the Dawki Land Custom station along the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border.

Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh visited the farm on Tuesday. He urged the Horticulture Department to avail itself of the various transport subsidies announced by the Ministry of Commerce for marketing horticultural crops grown in north-eastern States.

On Monday, Mr. Ramesh said the Ministry of Commerce handed over to the Meghalaya government a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Spices Board with ITC Limited for setting up a spices farm in the State with provisions for buyback, packaging and valued addition, for final comment from the State government.

The Spices Board will provide Rs.10. crore for setting up this farm.

Meghalaya is also the second largest producer of ginger and produces 46,590 tonnes annually.

Festival of the Apatanis: MOROM

Unlike the ‘Dree’, the Apatani tribe of Arunachal Pradesh who resides in the Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, celebrates many religious festivals throughout the year. The ‘Morom’ festival is also one of them which is celebrated with much joy and gaiety in the first two months of the year i.e., January-February. This particular festival is celebrated by the ‘Apatanis’ to welcome the advent of the spring season, similarly as the spring is welcomed in the rest of India in the form of ‘Basant Panchami’. Initially, the celebration of the ‘Morom’ festival was started by the villagers of Bela, Hari and Hang, where the rites and rituals were started of the months of December / January (Kume), but the villagers of the ‘Haja Duta’ do not commence the rites and rituals, until the first day of the months February / March (Kuye). The first day of the ‘Morom’ festival is counted as ‘Morom’ ‘Polo’ (Moon) as soon as the first moon is seen. Aged and elderly people of the village tells the young of clan and the whole village that as the ‘Morom’ ‘Polo’ is seen, that is the right time to celebrate the ‘Morom’ festival. However, according to the Apatani tradition, ‘Morom’ is generally performed in this month only.

People are thrilled, excited and are filled with enthusiasm to welcome the spring season. However, this is considered to be an individual celebration in which only the clan members can participate. But, if someone wants to join the celebration and to celebrate it on a large and grand scale, they should consult their family members and must go to the ‘Nyibu’ priest to express his desire. However, there is no obligation for anyone to celebrate this in any particular year but depends entirely on personal inclination.

About Morom :

The ‘Morom’ festival can be divided into three types viz. i) Runth, ii) Takum Padu and iii) Ronshar. ‘Runth’ in other words (Rungti or Gyamo Pido) is quite a big occasion and is performed on a grand and befitting manner. In this ‘Runth’, the whole of the Apatani Valley participated in one way or other. All sorts of animals, fowls etc. viz. mithun, pigs, goats etc. are sacrificed and the meat is distributed in all the villages of the Apatani plateau. On the contrary, ‘Takum Padu’ is a more complicated ritual which involves only the clan or group of clans. ‘Rungshar’, on the other hand, is performed and celebrated on a very small scale, where only one or two mithuns are sacrificed. In all these. ‘Morom-Mudd’, the master of the occasion proposes the celebrations that he wishes to perform and the priest advises him accordingly. However, the ‘Padu-Lodu’ is celebrated and done before the actual ritual of the ‘Morom’ begins. After this, the priest consults the omens, by chanting hymns and holding an egg in his hand, he invokes the ‘Uyu’. As indicated by omens, he then decides the date to start the activities connected to the celebration. Collecting of fire-wood is considered to be the first work of the celebration. Then the host of the celebration informs everyone in the village or clan about the cutting of bamboos in his garden. Subsequently, one person from each family in the village clan goes to the spot where the fire-wood is to be cut. This action continues for the whole day.

Old and elderly people cut the fire-wood and the youth and children collect the pieces at a particular place. Women of the clan and the relatives and kinsmen of the host from other villages bring cooked rice, apong and meat to feed the workers. Sufficient amount of fire-wood is collected and assembled to last for the whole celebrations. This occasion is known as ‘Yashum Padi’. Even the priest goes to the bamboo garden, where the fire-wood is cut and chants hymns, while the villagers are at work. After the cutting of the fire-wood is over, the villagers are find by the host of the rituals / celebrations and in the evening they go back to the respective houses. Then the priest comes to the host houses in the village and offer prayers to bless them and for their welfare and well-being. After taking food, drink etc. the priest goes back to his own residence for that particular night.

It is always seen that, from that day onwards the host of the celebration is always busy collecting rice-beer (Apong), meat, endi chadar rice, money, fire-wood etc. All the clan members of the host, kinsmen and of course, the neighbours provides all possible aid to the host. Sometimes, they even work throughout the day and the night in the hosts house to make necessary arrangements. Renovation and repairing of the house i.e., “Semla-Mudu” is done with the help of neighbours, relatives and clan members etc. When everything is ready and kept in proper order, the priest is then informed. Then, the priest informs the host the ‘Shikha Lulido’ has to be performed on a fixed date. Generally, in the wee hours of the morning or at cock’s crow or even earlier. However, for “Runth Mudd” the rituals and rites are performed by more than one priest, but, if the “Runshar Mudd” is performed, then only one priest is more than sufficient. The priest wears a traditional religious dress and comes to the hosts house. Then, he sets up a stick at the front of the hosts house which is known as ‘Shikhra’ and starts chanting hymns to worship the ‘Uyu’ to save the people from miseries and to safeguard the welfare of the society. After this, the priest rests for sometime and is offered ‘Apong’ by the host. The priest then performs ‘Shikha Lulida’ on the Verandah (corridor) of the house and comes to the lapang to perform ‘Subu Hido’. Elderly and old people in the village sits on the lapang to witness the performance of ‘Subu hido’ where a mithun is tied up for sacrificial purpose and then the priest starts chanting hymns. Then, the host’s wife comes and performs the ‘Subu-Supundo’. While, the priest performs the ‘Subu hido’ (the lapang on the public platform), the villagers prepares the ‘Sikha Pado’ (altar) where the mithun is to be sacrificed near the ‘Shikhra’. Throughout the day, people are busy in worshipping and for making necessary arrangements. On the other hand, women are busy preparing food and looking after the guests.

Then in the evening, ‘Shikha Botinto’ is performed. The mithun is brought by a ‘mura’ (a person of lower status) from the ‘Apong’ to the ‘Subu-Shikha’ and tied up. Then, the lady of the house stands with ‘Liya’ (cane basket) ‘Linya’ (lao) with ‘attang’ (rice powder) ‘apong’ (beer) to perform ‘Subu-Supundo’. After this, the Nyibu performs and chants hymns to the deities to accept the offerings and to safeguard the welfare of the society. Then, a strong man stands with a Yayu sword to slaughter the ‘mithun’ which is known as “Su-ta-to”. Then the host’s lady is directed to perform ‘Subu-Supundo’. In this, rituals, the lady puts ‘apong’ and ‘attang’ on the head of the mithun with her right hand. The mithun is then slaughtered and several blows of the sword are given to its body till its dead. Thus, the ‘Morom’ festival continues after this rites and rituals also, till the sixteenth day of the celebration, which is other words is known as ‘Midi-Lindo’.

Conclusion :

It is believed that Apatani society was created with a small population, which was not that large as it is today. Destruction and natural calamities have done the toll. According to the myth, ‘mipor’ and ‘hape’ the sons of ‘Doni’ and ‘Libo’ respectively were prominent and important personalities of that time. It happened once that ‘Mipoo’ fell ill seriously and everybody was perturbed and nervous not knowing what was to be done to cure him. Finally, ‘Pahin-Kedo’ (omen) was taken by ‘Nyibu Abra’. He said that ‘Mipor’ was suffering from the displeasure of bad spirits. He also said that ‘Mipor’ can’t be cured until the worship of the ‘Uyu’ was done and also suggest that the ‘Uyu’ should be worshipped in the month of ‘Morom-Polo’ only. The gifts required to worship ‘Donyi’ were long wide leaves of the trees named ‘Hee-zee’, Tali Pessa (Pine) and the plants ‘Tazar’ and ‘Taki’ should be collected from the jungle. After collecting all these items, long ropes were made to tie up the mithun and other animals near the ‘Lapang’. In other to please ‘Danyei’, the ‘Nyibu’ directs the people to bring the branches of the ‘Kra tree’ for making ‘Shekha’ (altar) and shaved bamboo tassels for decorations. After all the arrangements, performance of the rituals were done as advised by the priest.

The name of the priest for these occasions is ‘Morom Mudd’ and since then the Apatani people have celebrated ‘Morom’ every year to make their society prosperous and strong.

Vows to continue struggle for Independence from India

Irengbam Chouren, chairman of the proscribed Revolutionary People`s Front, RPF, has categorically rejected the possibility of any other solution to the ongoing armed struggle in Manipur other than the end of Indian rule, whether it is of its own volition or not.

In a message issued on the occasion of the 29th raising day of the RPF`s armed wing the People`s Liberation Army, Chouren stated that the revolutionary struggle will not end unless the present regime departs of its own will or is forced to depart.

It is not possible for revolutionaries to bring a solution with India other than this, he stated. If India wants peace in Manipur as well as a long-lasting relationship, they should bring the colonial regime to a close, he stated.

Chouren also observed that India has so far refused to recognise and admit that Manipur had been an independent contry that was forcibly annexed to her fold, but rather using democracy as an effective weapon to draw the people of Manipur in the election process in an attempt to show that Manipur is a part of India.

He however maintained that Indian democracy and elections is not real democracy or elections. Real democracy can be there only when Manipur becomes an independent country, he stated.

In this context, he also said that those wielding power in Manipur at present are there as representatives of the Indian State and must bear total responsibility for various inhuman atrocities suffered by the people of Manipur at the hand of the security forces.

On the plank of development, which he maintained is being used as enticement to strengthen Indian rule, Chouren said it is impossible to believe that India, with forty percent of the world`s poor can make Manipur fully developed with her money. The little amount of money that is being sanctioned to Manipur presently is also due to revolutionary activities, he said.

He urged the public to shed the outdated idea of Manipur not being able to survive without depending on India, and shape the future of Manipur through development activities through our own efforts.

He further noted that while India`s pronouncement is for peaceful negotiation with the revolutionaries through dialogue, it adopts violence in action, apparently on the presumption that the revolutionary movement in Manipur can be finished off easily through armed might. This is however fallacious, he mainitained, pointing out that there is no sign of fall in the number of revolutionaries despite the increase in the number of those arrested or martyred.

He also stated that the RPF does not take those of its members who have retired to live a civilian life to have discarded the revolutionary struggle. Rather, it is taking a long term perspective by giving arms training to maximum numbers of youth to prepare them for an imminent war, he stated.

Chouren also stated that the RPF has been built as with the character of a true revolutionary party. The fact of building the party without any division into factions shows ideal discipline and mutual trust among cadres. The RPF has now become one of the unassailable revolutionary parties of Manipur, he said.

Regarding unity among the revolutionary organisations, Chouren said it is the party`s desire that various revolutionary parties come under one platform. However, as seen from past experience, it cannot be taken for granted that revolutionary work can be undertaken once a few parties with the same vision come together. It is necessary to explore a path for revolutionary parties even with different ideologies and visions for undertaking revolutionary work together.

This is however not easy in the present different state of affairs prevailing within the revolutionary organisations, he admitted, noting that effort first needs to be taken up bring unity to various factions of some revolutionary organisations.

Expressing the RPF`s stance, he said assistance or encouragement from other parties will not be enough to bring long-lasting unity, unless they come to agreement of their own will. Such organisations beset with factionalism should be allowed to search the parth for their unification on their own, in the process learning to discharge their duties responsibly.

He said there is no question of RPF recognising or working jointly at present with various factions, as this will only cause more bitterness.

He also urged the public to stop helping different factions, rather to put more pressure so that factions come together. Otherwise no end to factionalism, he remarked.

The RPF chief also called for urgent introspection among the revolutionary organisations of the direction of revolution works in the light of the whope people of the work undertaking a new united movement against terrorism. If the issue is not taken seriously, they may fall prey to Indian propaganda to portray the independence movement as terrorist activitiy, thereby lossing support of the international community. In this connection, he appealed to all organisations to desist from using terrorist tactics.

On the covert understanding in the name of negotiations between the Indian Army and rebel groups of various communities, he said this is aimed at causing destablisation by driving a wedge between various communities. Warning that the inevitable result of this is a communal war, he appealed to the revolutionary organisations to come together and work unitedly for Manipur with new ideology and vision instead of reposing faith in India.

While urging the media in Manipur to work in an unbiased manner, Chouren also appealed to all sections not to intimidate or inconvenience the media by interfering unnecessarily with media freedom.

Expressing concern over ever depleting forest and receding hill cover, he also urged the public to take responsible steps to protect the environment, particularly intervene in areas where the Manipur governemnt departments have failed.

He also the need for inculcating a sense of patriotism and dedication to the motherland among the children by educating them in Manipur itself, for which good schools, right academic envornment, as well as new and relevant methods of teaching, are required. It would be a disaster for the future of Manipur to send students indiscriminately outside state for their studies, he said, and observing that instead of dragging the schools with their young and budding students into ever increasing strikes and bandhs, it would be more rewarding to raise and discuss specific issues in the classroom.

Chouren further said no one can be isolated from the revolutionary struggle, and all must prepare to take their part so that the struggle is not put in danger.

Non Violent Resistance For The Teesta In Sikkim

The Sikkim government’s plans to expedite a major plumbing exercise — involving 26 large hydroelectric projects in the ecologically and culturally sensitive Teesta river basin — is meeting with resistance. Protestors have joined together in an organisation called the Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT); they have been on satyagraha against these plans since June 20. The ongoing protests are focused on projects proposed in North Sikkim, particularly in Dzongu, the holy land and exclusive reserve of the Lepcha tribe. The satyagraha has been characterised by a prominent youth presence; another important feature was the support lent by the state’s Buddhist monks, who have been offering prayers to protect the satyagrahis and the sacred landscape threatened with desecration.

While Sikkim has seen dam-related protests before, there have never been any on this scale. The 1990s saw the construction of the 60MW Rangit project, clearances for the 510MW Teesta V project (currently under construction) and the scrapping of the Rathong Chu project following protests about its impact on a sacred landscape. But in the last three years, the state government has signed MOUs for no less than 26 large hydroelectric projects in the state.

On December 12, 2006, ACT met Chief Minister Pawan Chamling. They demanded the scrapping of the projects in Dzongu, and sought a review of the other projects in Sikkim. Based on an assurance from the CM that these issues would be looked into, they called off a proposed rally in Gangtok. But ACT’s concerns were not addressed and in the months preceding the satyagraha, the state government started land acquisition procedures for the 1200MW Teesta III and the 280MW Panan projects, both of which involve construction work inside Dzongu. This was the last straw and ACT started its satyagraha on June 20, with 34-year-old Dawa Lepcha and 20- year-old Tenzing Lepcha on an indefinite fast, while others supported them with a relay hunger strike.

The arguments used to justify these large projects in Sikkim are: exploitation of the state’s perennial water system to produce power for the nation; economic benefits to the state through power export; employment generation and low displacement of local communities. However, several unique features of the state — its ecological and geological fragility, its indigenous communities, their cultural and spiritual association with the river system and the landscape — pose a challenge to these ambitious plans.

The erstwhile kings of Sikkim had accorded special legal protection to Dzongu and North Sikkim, further reinforced after the merger with India through constitutional protection of old laws and traditions. “The spurt of large hydel projects in Sikkim is in direct contradiction of the constitutional and legal protection given to us. The simultaneous construction of so many projects is going to involve an influx of a huge number of outside labour for a long period of time. These demographic changes are going to have a serious socio cultural impact, particularly in North Sikkim. We want the seven proposed projects in Dzongu scrapped and others in Sikkim reviewed,” says Dawa Lepcha of ACT.

The ministry of Environment & Forests (MOEF), while granting environmental clearance to the 510MW Teesta V project in 1999 asked for a detailed ‘carrying capacity’ study of the entire Teesta river basin. The clearance letter states: “No other project in Sikkim will be considered for environmental clearance till the carrying capacity study is completed.”

Pemzang Tenzing, a civil engineer and ACT member, says: “We were hopeful that this process would enable a comprehensive assessment of the cumulative impact of the many proposed hydel projects and a serious options assessment for ecologically and culturally sensitive development in Sikkim. But even as the study is being finalised, the MOEF has already granted environmental clearance to at least six hydel projects in Sikkim since 2004 in violation of its own condition.” At least two of these — the 1,200 MW Teesta III and the 280 MW Panan — are on the border of the Khangchendzonga National Park. A large part of the first is, in fact, inside the biosphere reserve and the second involves carrying out ancillary works inside the national park in violation of Supreme Court orders.

Tenzing adds, “Even as per official figures, the projects involve diverting up to 85-90 percent of the river flow in the lean season through long tunnels before the water is dropped downstream. Not only will this destroy the riverine ecology but a cascade of projects will mean the Teesta is in full flow only in brief stretches between the two hydel projects. That is why we are saying that the Teesta is being converted into an underground river.”

There have been repeated appeals from the state government to withdraw the satyagraha and at least six rounds of talks were held between the government and ACT, but none led to a conclusive breakthrough. After a personal appeal from the CM, Dawa and Tenzing withdrew their indefinite fast on August 21 after 63 days, but the satyagraha continues with the relay hunger strike by other members.

On September 6, the government informed ACT that a seven-member review committee is being set up to “examine various issues related to implementation of hydel projects in Dzongu area of North Sikkim” and that until the submission of a report by the committee within 100 days all activities related to five projects in Dzongu would be stopped with immediate effect. The government has conveniently left out two major projects directly impacting Dzongu — TeestaIII & Teesta IV. While it has chosen to leave out Teesta III where land acquisition procedures have been on, four of the five projects it claims to stop work on are yet to get necessary clearances to start work. On September 10, ACT rejected this proposition and renewed the demand for scrapping all hydel projects in Dzongu.

During this entire period there has been tremendous support to the satyagrahis from around the country and the world. The Lepchas in the Darjeeling hills have also lent their support to the cause, with a road blockade of NH31A as well as ongoing relay hunger strikes in Kalimpong and Darjeeling. Opposition parties have also taken up the issue, but this has been conveniently used by the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front government to dismiss the entire protest as being “politically motivated”. In a speech on Independence Day, the CM made personal attacks on several individuals associated with the protests, including respected Buddhist monk Sonam Paljor Denjongpa. The attack was condemned even by those who support the hydel projects.

Sikkim’s Information and Public Relations secretary MG Kiran says: “We do not yet know what their (ACT’s) problem is. These are benign projects and we can handle them well.” It is ironic that just a few months ago, the state Chief Secretary admitted to an environmental governance crisis in the 510MW Teesta V project in an affidavit to the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee. The affidavit says the power company has “grossly violated the terms, conditions and guidelines” of the MOEF and dumped excavated material “into the river Teesta obstructing its free flow causing thereby huge damage to the forest and environment.”

Indian Army prepared to defend border with China

The Indian Army is fully prepared to defend its borders along China and would ensure that a situation like that of the 1962 was not repeated in the event of any military engagement with that country, Chief of Army Staff, Gen J J Singh has said.

"I can assure you that a 1962-like situation will not be repeated. We are fully prepared to defend our borders," Singh said during a media interaction at Fort William, the Army's Eastern Command headquarters.

Necessary infrastructure was being developed in Arunachal Pradesh which borders China. Roads have been built upto Walong and would be constructed right upto Dichu located along the border, he said.

Asked about reports of incursions by the Chinese into the the Fish Tail-II area between Dichu and Madan Ridge in Arunachal Pradesh, he said the matter had been amicably settled at the local level.

"There is no cause for concern about Madan Ridge. Flag meetings are held at the local level and the issue has been settled without tension," Singh said.

Both India and China were handling the boundary issue with maturity, he said, adding, "the National Security Agency on our side and its Chinese counterpart have taken the right approach in settling the boundary issue.

Pointing out that a Sino-Indian joint military excercise was slated next month, he said it would help the two countries learn from each other's experiences.