From CK Nayak

 New Delhi: In a significant development, the Director General Mines Safety has constituted a high-level task force to look into the rampant deployment children as labourers in coal mines of Jaintia Hills district.

The three-member task force, which will have a member from the Meghalaya Government, will submit its report within a specific timeframe, Dr Yogesh Dube, Member of the National Commission for Protection of Child’s Rights (NCPCR) informed The Shillong Times here on Tuesday.

Dr Dube recently visited the coal mines of Meghalaya and held a series of meetings with all concerned.

The Dhanbad based DG was recently summoned by the NCPCR since the state Government failed to take any substantial action against the rampant deployment of children as labourers in the rate hole coal mines, Dr Dube said adding the DG constituted the task force following a directive from the NCPCR.

The Directorate General of Mines Safety, DGMS in short, is a regulatory agency of the Central government for safety in mines and oil-fields.

The NCPCR recently came down heavily on the State Government for its “lackadaisical” attitude towards addressing the problem of child labour in the State especially in Jaintia Hills.

Dr Dube said, “The commission is monitoring the situation in the Jaintia Hills where child labour is rampant.”

Incidentally, following Dr Dube’s visit the National Commission for Human Rights had also taken up the matter with the Meghalaya Government.

Meanwhile, the rampant deployment children as labourers in the rat hole coal mines of Jaintia Hills found its echo in a function organized on the occasion of “World Day Against Child Labour” here on Tuesday.

The function was organized by NCPCR in collaboration with ILO and UNICEF where many rescued child labourers from different parts of the country participated.

Ms. Neela Gangadharan, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development in here speech emphasised how child labour whether in coal mines or in other places robs children of their childhood depriving them of their fundamental right of having quality education. “We have come a long way in our policies and programmes. But still we need to constantly remind ourselves of this (child labour) issue,” she said.

Dr Lakshmidhar Mishra, Special Advisor, North East Cell, NCPCR, in his address, said that there is a positive co-relation between work, age, health and strength of the person doing that work. Under no circumstances children should be allowed to work in hazardous coal mines of Meghalaya, he said.

Harping on the need to have an adolescent-centric reform, Dr Shantha Sinha, Chairperson, NCPCR, said: “It is hoped that there are strong legal instruments to abolish all forms of child labour for adolescents in the age group of 14 to 18 years. Providing education to adolescent children, especially after 14 years of age, is a challenging but not an impossible task, she added. A joint statement by NCPCR, ILO and UNICEF issued at the meeting called for ratification of international instruments against child labour.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: To control the spread of malaria the State Government proposes to introduce larvivorous fishes popularly known as ‘mosquito fishes’ in a big way. Meghalaya continues to have high incidence of malaria especially in Garo Hills and parts of Khasi Jaintia Hills.

“We will conduct a detailed study on the efficacy of larvivorous fishes to control the spread of malaria since these fish feed on mosquito larvae. If this option proves effective in controlling the spread of malaria then it would provide the Government with an alternative to control the disease,” Health and Family Welfare department, secretary KW Marbaniang stated during the one-day State Advocacy Workshop to observe to Anti-Malaria month here on Tuesday.

While stressing that on the need for convergence among various departments to control the spread of malaria, Marbaniang said that the Fisheries department would be the best department to help in conducting a detailed study on the effectiveness of larvivorous fish in controlling this vector borne disease.

“The Fisheries department can also help in providing fingerlings of the mosquito-devouring fish. There should be no problem for the department to assist in this effort since they have the State Aquaculture Mission which was launched recently,” Marbaniang said.

In fact, this usage of fish in mosquito control is not a new concept since it is an indigenous practise dating back several centuries.

In India, as far back in 1904 larvivorous fish were used in Mumbai City for the control of malaria vector.

Larvivorous fish, Poecilia reticulata (Guppy), a native of South America and Gambusia affinis (Gambusia), a native of Texas were imported to India in 1908 and 1928, respectively for the control of malaria vectors.

Soon after that use of larvivorous fish became a common practice in India especially in metro cities including Bengalaru and Kolkata. During the mid-1980s the National Institute of Malaria Research demonstrated the use of larvivorous fish as part of an integrated vector control strategy.

Though use of larvivorous fish is an important component for controlling malaria in the urban malaria schemes in India it is not a common thing in the rural areas.

Meanwhile, Marbaniang also emphasized the need to carry out GIS mapping to identify the areas which are highly prone to malaria.

“Many states in the country have carried out GIS mapping to identify the malaria prone areas,” Marbaniang said. Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Health and Family Welfare Rowell Lyngdoh had also endorsed the idea of introduce mosquito-devouring fish to check the spread of malaria.

“I have heard that these fishes are very effective to eliminate insects like anopheles mosquitoes which cause malaria,” Lyngdoh said.

The Deputy Chief Minister also called upon the department to find out if there are chemicals in the market which are more effective than the pesticides which are presently being used to control malaria.

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya State Vector Borne Disease Control Society (MSVBDCS) State Programme Officer Dr RO Budnah informed that the number of deaths from malaria has come down by 50 percent in this current year when compared to last year.

“This year we had only five deaths compared to ten deaths that occurred last year,” Dr Budnah said, while adding that the figure for this year is up to April 31. He also said that the the number of patients been affected by Plasmodium Falciparum (PF) bacteria has also reduced by 23.5 percent in the State when compared to last year. Stating that there were 5017 cases of people affected by PF, in 2011, he said that this year there are only 3040 cases. The State Advocacy Workshop is being organized by the MSVBDCS.

From Our Correspondent

 JOWAI: Illegal and unscientific mining of coal has threatened the very existence of the famous stone bridge over Thlumuwi river, 15 km from Jowai

This bridge on Jowai- Amlarem-Dawki road is close to the regulated area declared under the Ancient Monuments and Archeological sites and Remains (Amendment and validation) Act, 2010.

The Thlu-muwi stone bridge, which was constructed 500 years ago by one of the Jaintia kings, may disappear if precautions are not taken by concerned authorities.

The stone bridge was used by Jaintia Kings while travelling from his summer capital — Nartiang to the winter capital — Jaintiapur (now in Bangladesh). It is believed that stone bridges in War Jaintia are historical evidence of the existence of Jaintia Kings.

The bridge consists of huge well hewn granite stone slabs perched on equally similar pillars. Beside the stone bridge is also the Muwi Waterfalls.

Thlumuwi river with the cascading Muwi Waterfall overlooking the stone bridge presents an imposing sight.

It may be mentioned that one of the four stones joining the stone bridge across Thlumuwi River was broken and left without repair for more than 200 years, according to a local resident.

Jaintia people also believe that the stone collapsed when the King’s Elephant was trying to cross the river

Thlumuwi is one of the beauty spot in War Jaintia that can attract tourists. As one travelling along the JAD road while crossing the river, on the left there is the stone bridge and on the right – the beautiful Amwi falls flowing from the famous Thwai Syiem.

With an aim to develop the area as one of the tourist destinations, the Jaintia Hills District Administration repaired the broken part of the stone bridge in 2008 and constructed a footpath to Amwi Falls.

The unscientific coal mining close to the regulated area has threatened the existence of the stone bridge.

Interestingly, a mining pit was opened just on the roadside close to the river near the stone bridge. It damaged the PWD Road. In order to protect the stone bridge from degradation and before the site gets completely destroyed, mining activities should be stopped immediately, feel concerned residents of the locality.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: Infighting within Congress will help my party perform better in 2013 assembly election, said UDP working president Paul Lyngdoh.

Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Lyngdoh said the party is confident of emerging as the single largest party after the election.

When asked if his party is planning to come out of the Government, he said the party has no plan to withdraw its support from the Government at this moment.

“We do not want to be blamed for the fall of the government,” he said adding the UDP, however, is not happy with the performance of the MUA government.

The MUA Government has failed in several fronts, he said.

Despite being in the Government, Lyngdoh said that the party does not have the control on all the policy matters of the Government since they are not in the driver’s seat.

“We are only passengers in the same bus,” Lyngdoh added.

Nongthymmai stalemate: Meanwhile, to end the stalemate over selection of candidate for prestigious Nongthymmai constituency, the UDP’s State Election Committee (SEC) has constituted a five-member sub-committee to study the issue. The party is facing a huge dilemma in deciding candidate for Nongthymmai seat since there are two major contenders for the ticket. They are the sitting MDC from Nongthymmai Latiplang Kharkongor and Dr Jemino Mawthoh, who had contested the 2008 Assembly election from Malki-Nongthymmai on an NCP ticket.

“We have constituted the committee to submit a suitable recommendation which would help the party to select the best candidate out of the two aspirants,” Lyngdoh told reporters after a meeting of the party’s poll committee on Tuesday. “We would like to ensure there is no serious damage to the party due the allotment of the ticket to any one of the aspirants,” he said while hinting that the ticket is also likely to go to Kharkongor even though denying there is an agreement as part of merger of both KHNAM and UDP to give preference to the sitting MDCs while allotting of the ticket. Both Kharkongor and Mawthoh enjoy the backing of the two working presidents of the party, Paul Lyngdoh and Bindo M Lanong, respectively.The committee is headed by party general secretary BG Momin as its convener while senior party leader RA Lyngdoh is the assistant convener.

The other three members of the committee are Mawhati MLA Donbok Khymdeit, former Jowai MLA Sing Mulieh and senior party leader K Lyngkhoi.

Meanwhile, the UDP has also decided to defer the announcement of the party candidate for Jirang constituency since there two ticket aspirants.

“We have decided to defer the announcement of the party ticket for Jirang till July,” Lyngdoh said. The two ticket aspirants are L Peterman Thangkhiew and Wandalin Lapang.

Meanwhile, the party announced candidates four Assembly constituencies.

They are Field Marshall Mawphniang (Umsning), Bires Nongsiej (Mawkyrwat), Ludenberg Momin (Kharkutta) and Locksley Robinhood Momin (North Tura).

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: In an interesting series of developments, the police were forced to arrest the members of the local village Dorbar of Nohron for refusing to hand over an accused who was allegedly involved in raping a 14-year-old girl.

The members of the local Dorbar of Nohron village near Jongksha in East Khasi Hills were put inside the lock up on Monday night after they failed to surrender the rape accused Moon Sumer (31) despite an agreement with the police that they would do so.

According to sources, the local village Dorbar had signed an agreement with the police to surrender the accused within a week’s time.

Sources on Tuesday informed that East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police AR Mawthoh was annoyed over the behaviour of the members of the local Dorbar including the Sordar.

When they refused to hand over the accused, sources said that the Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills directed the police to put the members of the local village Dorbar in the lock up till they surrendered the accused.

After they were arrested, sources revealed that the villagers finally surrendered the accused at Madanriting police station at around 11 pm.

The police later released the members of the local village Dorbar after the accused was surrender, sources informed.

Meanwhile, sources also informed that the accused had raped the 14 year old girl of the same village on a numerous of occasions.

The family members of the victim came to know about the rape only after the 14 year-old girl was three months pregnant, sources said.

Sources revealed that the relatives filed the FIR with the police only last week after the child died in the mother’s womb. “The family members filed the FIR on the advice of the doctors,” sources said.

After the FIR was filed, police went to the village to arrest the accused.

“Police could not arrest the accused since they were chased away by the villagers who were led by the Sordar of the village,” sources informed.

The village Dorbar told the police they would take action on their own, sources said.

The village signed the agreement to hand over the accused only after the police threatened to take drastic action, sources added. Meanwhile, during the interrogation, police sources informed that the accused had maintained that it was consensual sex. The 14 year old school girl is from Siatsim, Jaintia Hills. She was raped by one Small Phawa at Riat Siatsim, Jowai on November 30, 2011.

As per the FIR lodged by the family of the victim, the girl was raped by Phawa while she had accompanied her younger brother to the toilet.

The family also complained that Phawa, who was regarded as an uncle by the girl, called her and dragged her inside a vehicle, put on loud music and then raped her.

It may be mentioned a section of NGOs had tried to protect the accused by helping him to get anticipatory bail from the court.

By Our Reporter

 SHILLONG: While the UDP is awaiting Nongkrem legislator Ardent M Basaiawmoit to reply to the notice to make clear his stand on whether he would contest from the party in the Assembly election early next year, speculations are rife about Basaiawmoit’s future course of action.

According to sources, the UDP MLA is considering other options including joining the HSPDP.

He even did not attend UDP’s State Election Committee (SEC) meeting held on Tuesday.

Sources revealed that a meeting was held at Nongkrem UDP legislator’s residence on Monday evening where the issue of him joining the HSPDP was discussed.

The outcome of the meeting could not be confirmed. While briefing the media persons after the UDP’s SEC meeting on Tuesday, the party working president Paul Lyngdoh said the party is expecting a reply from Basaiawmoit within a week’s time. On May 17 last, party general secretary BG Momin had issued the notice asking Basaiawmoit to clarify his stand on UDP ticket within a month. “The reply of Basaiawmoit is still awaited. On expiry of the deadline, the party would take a final call on the matter,” Lyngdoh added.

By Our Reporter

 Shillong: The KSU’s Shillong Mihngi Circle and the Mawlai Circle on Tuesday apprehended around 312 illegal migrant labourers from several construction sites in Mawdiangdiang.

The union conducted an inspection at the various construction sites in Mawdiangdiang area on Tuesday. Prior to the inspection, the KSU had served a one-month deadline to the respective contractors to ensure the possession of legal documents of their labourers. They informed that around 61 illegal migrants were apprehended from MATI construction site, 88 from IIM site, 112 from Country Side site and 45 from IHM site.

Meanwhile, the KSU Mawlai circle has apprehended around 160 illegal migrants from various places between Mawlai Nongkwar and Mawlai Mawiong.