SHILLONG: The Pyndensohsaw Polling Booth Youth Congress (PPBYC) has extended its support to the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) for its decision to suspend KHADC CEM P N Syiem.
In a press communiqué, president of PPBYC, Babatskhem Wanniang lashed out at Syiem by stating that the credit for his victory at the assembly and council polls should go to Congress. The youth Congress body lauded the MPCC leaders for suspending Syiem stating that it will ensure victory for the Congress at the Mawsynram constituency in the forthcoming council by-poll and 2018 assembly elections.
Youth Cong body supports MPCC on Syiem’s suspension
Mother, toddler missing from Jowai
JOWAI: A woman and her son, who went missing from Lumpariat locality of Jowai on October 13, are yet to be traced. As per the FIR, the young woman identified as Rosamystica Siangshai (20) and her two-and-half-year-old baby boy Adrian Siangshai went missing early in the morning from her aunt’s house at Lumpuriathuh. After ten days, the missing woman’s mother lodged an FIR at Jowai police station on Sunday.
When contacted, police said that investigation was on to trace the whereabouts of the mother-son duo.
4.7-intensity quake hits Assam
TURA: A voters’ awareness campaign was organised here recently as part of the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme.
The campaign, organised by the West Garo Hills DC (election), was to sensitise people about the importance of electoral photo identity card. DC Pravin Bakshi urged the people, especially young voters, to enroll themselves. Those who want to enroll have to fill Form 6 and submit it to booth level officers at respective polling stations.
Bakshi also urged all citizens who wish to enroll as well as those who want to make corrections or deletions to furnish proper documents in support of their claims and objections to ensure an error-free electoral roll that will be published on January 1, 2017.
Such campaigns, which also aimed at encouraging school students and people with disabilities who are turning 18 on or before January 1, 2017, are being organised in all blocks to propagate the message of the special summary revision of electoral rolls.
The last date for submission of enrollment form is October 31.
Inter-school competitions on iodine deficiency held
TURA: An inter-school drawing and essay competition was organised recently by Dobu PHC in East Garo Hills on the occasion of Global Iodine Deficiency Disorder Prevention Day at Dobu Secondary School. Students from 10 schools participated in the competitions. Rikrak Napak, Medical and Health Officer in-charge of Dobu PHC, gave a power point presentation on global iodine deficiency disorders and prevention.
Invitation
The Meghalaya Association of Professional Counsellors will hold a meeting for counsellors on October 25 at 3:30pm at St Anthony’s Higher Secondary School. Those attending can contact 8974599017.
Nagaland Cong resolves not to apply Uniform Civil Code
Kohima: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) said that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was not applicable and acceptable in Nagaland.
According to a press release issued by NPCC Working President, P Ayang Aonok, the Executive Committee of the NPCC has resolved that the UCC was not applicable and acceptable in Nagaland.
“This was resolved in a meeting on Friday to examine and deliberate on the questionnaires put forward by Justice B. S Chauhan, Chairman Law Commission of India to all concerned to engage with them on the comprehensive exercise of the revision and reform of the family laws, as Article 44 of the Indian Constitution provides that ‘the state shall endeavour to provide for its citizen a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India’.
The NPCC meeting resolved that Nagaland was “part of the Union of India with special provision under Article 371A of the Indian Constitution, which quotes that “notwithstanding anything in the Constitution, No Act of Parliament in respect of (i) Religious or social practices of the Nagas; (ii) Naga customary law and procedure; (iii) administration of civil and criminal justice involving decision according to Naga customary law and procedures; and (iv) ownership and transfer of land and its resources shall apply to the State of Nagaland unless Legislative Assembly of Nagaland by a resolution so decides, the release said. (UNI)
CM clarifies Zeliang’s Naga comment in Manipur
Kohima: The media cell of the Nagaland Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang’s Office has clarified that the Chief Minister, during his visit to the Senapati district of Manipur, had “spoken about the need for the Nagas of Manipur to be united to protect their birth-right over their land, customs, culture and tradition.”
Reacting to the statements made by Manipur Chief Minister O. Ibobi against Nagaland Chief Minister Zeliang during his visit to Senapati district, the CMO media cell said, Zeliang at no point had mentioned about territorial integration or disintegration, which Ibobi seems to have assumed.
However, the CMO media cell avoided any reaction to Manipur BJP spokesperson O. Joy’s statement accusing Zeliang of “instigating disintegration not only in Manipur but also unity of India.” O. Joy had also demanded Manipur Government to take up legal action against Zeliang.
The CMO said Zeliang had only expressed his opinion that the August 3, 2015 Framework Agreement seemed to be a Preamble, and not the final agreement, which was indicative of the intention of both the negotiating parties to settle the issue amicably without use of force or violence.
Zeliang had also specifically stated that he believed that the agreement would be finalised after having wide-ranging consultations with the stake-holders.
It alleged that “Ibobi had already segregated the communities of Manipur, injected the politically-major valley voters with venom, and on the eve of every election, unfailingly raised the issue of integrity of his State just to gain political mileage.”
Accusing Ibobi that he had already emotionally disintegrated the state into pieces, the CMO said Ibobi had once again shown how he retained power all these years. It said Ibobi has the habit of making wild speculations against the tribals of Manipur, especially Nagas, to ensure that the people of the Valley, comprising various communities and ethnic groups, are kept on tenterhooks before the elections and vote for him. (UNI)
Killing of wildlife continues in Nagaland
Kohima: In Nagaland, despite continued awareness programmes, seminars, workshops, warning to impose fine to Village Councils and ban order by local students and youth bodies, killing of wildlife continues unabated.
In a release, the Wildlife Crime Control Unit of Dimapur said on Wednesday last during routine highway patrolling along National Highway 29, it seized 32 dead wild birds from different road side stalls between Medziphema Town and Pherima Village under Dimapur district. The WCC unit informed that the culprits selling the illegal wildlife items fled on seeing the patrol party, leaving behind the items.
The seized wildlife items includes 2 Red Jungle Fowl, 12 Yellow Footed Green Pigeon, 3 Red Vented Bulbul, one Blue Throated Barbet, 2 Mynah, one Asian Pied Sterling, one Golden Fronted Leafbird and 10 larks. All the seized wildlife items were disposed of by burning and burying in the presence of officials of the Department at Forest Office Complex in Dimapur on the day the items were seized, they claimed. The WCCU of Dimapur said even after extensive awareness and repeated warning given to the public to abstain from wildlife crimes; certain individuals had been involved in those unlawful activities.
The unit noted that such activities were a serious offense under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and arrested offenders can be penalized with fine up to Rs 25,000 or imprisonment up to 7 years or both. Various assistances had been given to villages, under whose jurisdiction the wildlife offences has been detected, would be curtailed, the unit warned. (UNI)
Assam CM launches guiding programme for youth
Guwahati: Stating the youth of the state must be mentored by the right persons so that they can contribute meaningfully to the society, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said that all the IAS, IPS and IFS officers posted in the state should be able to inspire the youth to aim big and become worthy citizens of the country.
Inaugurating the mentoring programme “Arohan” here in the presence of 200 IAS, IPS and IFS officers of the state, both serving and retired, Sonowal underlined the importance of the mentoring programme in guiding the youth to show them the correct path and fulfilling their career aspirations.
Aarohan (the ascent) is a mentoring programme which would look after the proper guidance and mentoring aspect of next generation with a vision to create a resource pool of able mentors and mentees within the period of three to five years. With an aim to nurture young talents in different fields and give them opportunity to showcase their potential the mentoring programme would seek to ensure quality educations reaches every household.
By identifying 3000 young students mainly from underprivileged strata of the society with brilliant academic records hailing from remotest corners of the state, “Aarohan” will engage the services of both serving and retired IAS, IPS and IFS officers of Assam cadre to mentor them during this financial year itself in fulfilling their career objectives imparting knowledge from their vast experience and exposure to different situations.
The mentorship will be purely on volunteer basis where the officers will take it upon themselves to guide the upcoming generation of the state towards excellence. Explaining the importance the programme Sonowal said that quality of education today would determine the quality of life tomorrow.
Only material riches would not be enough to give life’s satisfaction but character building through spiritual strength is of prime importance in today’s world, he said.
Sonowal made a fervent appeal to the top officers to willingly take it as a mission to shape the future of the state by mentoring the youth through dedication and passion so that the state can make rapid progress in building human resources for the future.
Speaking on the occasion Minister for Education Himanta Biswa Sarma said that along with “Arohan” another programme “Gunotsav” is also started where the IAS, IPS and IFS officers will visit all schools of the state and monitor the functioning, take part in the activities of the schools for the day and have mid day meal with the students.
Informing that only 8 districts of the state namely Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Kamrup Metro, Barpeta, Chirang, Hailakandi and West Karbi Anglong have been selected for the 1st phase of the programme where around 12000 schools would be monitored by the mentors and help in improving overall standard of the schools by identifying problems and providing solutions.
Sarma said that this programme would be able to usher in revolutionary changes to the education system of the state.
Bodos call for rail roko bandh in Assam on October 24
Guwahati: Several Bodo organisations have given a call for a 12-hour ‘rail roko’ stir on Monday in support of their long-standing demand for the creation of a separate Bodoland state, a senior Bodo leader said on Saturday.
All Bodo Students Union President Promod Boro said rail tracks will be blocked at Basugaon (in Kokrajhar district) and Udalguri (in Udalguri district) in Assam to press the central and state governments on their demand. In the bandh over one lakh Bodoland supporters will converge at Basugaon and Udalguri.
The protestors belong to the Peoples’ Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM), a conglomeration of civil society organisations, and National Democratic Front of Bodoland’s pro-talk faction. Movement of most of the up and down trains in Assam and other parts of the north-east region will likely be affected since these pass through the Kokrajhar and Udalguri districts.
“We have met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh at least seven times and Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju at least 10 times after the BJP came to power in May 2014. It seems the government is only interested in delaying action on the legitimate demand of the Bodos,” Boro said. (IANS)