Naga activists call for changes in male-dominated society
New Delhi: Naga activists and scholars on Wednesday favoured changes in the state’s male-dominated society saying it barred women from inheritance, land rights as well as political equality. “We are now fighting for our constitutional rights of representation and reservation by going to the Supreme Court,” associate professor at Nagaland University Rosemary Dzuvichu said at a conference on ‘The Eastern Himalaya: Gender, Poverty and Livelihoods’ here. While acknowledging that there were some positive developments, Dzuvichu said the Nagaland government was yet to implement its commitment to reserve 33 per cent of elected posts in municipal bodies for women. Founder-editor of Nagaland Page Monalisa Changkija said the “second-classness” of Naga women and male-stream customary laws have restricted the women in Naga society. Challenging the romantic popular concept of Naga and other tribal women being more equal than other Indian women, Changkija, who is also a poet, said Naga women were “better educated, more mobile and more visible but that does not protect them from customary law”. The sessions also saw scientists, engineers, activists and civil society organisers speaking on the Uttarakhand deluge of 2013 and the grim lessons it held for the northeastern states. Mindless “development, insensitivity to forest and mountain ecosystems and laying of infrastructure expanding dams and roads and poor governance were responsible”, they said. Traditional building structures of wood and stone were being replaced by concrete buildings with state support without caring for safety. “Dams were buried under sediment,” said Ravi Chopra of the Peoples’ Science Institute in Dehradun. The conference was organised by the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research at Jamia Millia Islamia. (PTI)
Assam to ban all non-smoking tobacco products from Thursday
Guwahati: Manufacturing and use of non- smoking tobacco products in Assam will be banned from Thursday with the government to notify the relevant Act, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said today. In July last year, the Assam Health (Prohibition of Manufacturing, Trade, Advertisement, Storage, Distribution, Sale and Consumption of Zarda, Gutkha, Pan masala Containing Tobacco) Bill 2013, was introduced in the House. “We have received the Governor’s assent to the Bill. Today we will notify it and it will become an Act. From tomorrow, all non-smoking tobacco products will be banned in Assam,” Sarma said. It was clarified that tobacco would include all products, which were smokeless and for chewing, and included leaves and parts of Nicotiana-Tabacum. Under the act, those engaged in manufacturing, advertising, storing and trading, distributing and selling zarda, gutkha, panmasala containing tobacco would invite punishment. A violator could be punished with imprisonment up to seven years and a fine not less than Rs one lakh, which might extend up to Rs five lakh. The Act also suggested a fine of Rs 1,000 on the consumer for the first offence and Rs 2,000 for the second and any subsequent offences. (PTI)
Manipur journalist beaten up
Imphal: A journalist of an English daily was allegedly beaten up by securitymen who mistook him for a thief at Kangla Western Gate area here, official sources said on Wednesday. Aribam Dhananjoy alias Chaoba, a reporter of ‘Imphal Free Press’, was beaten up allegedly by personnel of the India Reserve Battalion while he was returning home from office at about 11.30 PM Tuesday night, they said. Chaoba told the security personnel that he was a journalist but security personnel insisted that he was a thief moving around late night and beat him up.He was later taken to the J N Hospital and discharged after first aid. The Indian Reserve Battalion was not available for comment. Later the journalist lodged a complaint with the police. The All Manipur Working Journalists Union condemned the attack on Chaoba and urged the state government to prevent frequent attacks on scribes by drunken security personnel. (PTI)
Mizo Students Union demonstrates in front of Raj Bhavan
Aizawl: Protesting over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl from the North East in Delhi on February 7,the Mizo Students Union (MSU) on Wednesday organised a demonstration in front of the Raj Bhavan here. MSU leaders said that the protest is against the Centre which failed to protect the Mizos and other people from the north east. “Police officials in Delhi refused to register a case about the incident even after an FIR was submitted,” the MSU statement said. Meanwhile, the North East Students Organisation (NESO) would be organising a protest on Friday when the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) or the Mizo students association would also submit a memorandum to the President and the Prime Minister through the state governor Vakkom Purushothaman, it said. (PTI)
4 of a family killed in road accident
Golaghat (Assam): Four members of a family, three women and a child, were killed and another injured on Wednesday when their car hit a tree in Assam’s Golaghat district. The family was travelling from Nagaon to Sibsagar when the car hit a tree at Balijan in Dergaon on National Highway 37 killing four of them on the spot, they said.The driver, identified as Lilaprasad Barthakur, was seriously injured has been admitted to Jorhat Medical College Hospital in a critical condition, police said, adding, that bodies of the women and the child has been sent for postmortem. (PTI)
7 lakh vehicles in Guwahati alone
Guwahati: The number of vehicles in the capital city of Assam has seen a rapid increase over the last 4-5 years and it has crossed over 7.09 lakh units currently, the state assembly was informed on Wednesday. Replying during the Question Hour, Assam Transport Minister Chandan Brahma said the District Transport Office in Guwahati has registered a total of 7,09,363 units of vehicles from all segments. Of these, 2,46,332 units are light vehicles and 3,76,002 units are two-wheelers, he said while replying to a question by BJP MLA Ranjit Kumar Das. Besides, 64,305 trucks, 7,113 buses and 15,611 autorikshaws are registered in Guwahati. On revenue collection, Brahma said the government has received Rs 672.11 crore between 2002 and December 2013. (PTI)