Day: August 6, 2012

Serchhip (Mizoram), Aug 6 NNN: Continuing its agitation for the third day, Mizo Zirlal Pawl (MZP) Mamit headquarters (Mizo Stufdents Union) today let the educational institutions from high school level to college level closed down within Mamit district.
Further, if there is no immediate response from the state government, the Education department related offices within Mamit town area will also be forced to remain closed, leaders of MZP informed.
In the meantime, students of Government Serchhip High School, also continuing its agitation, organized a procession rally today in Serchhip town.
As reported earlier, since August 2, Government educational institutions-3 high schools, 1 higher secondary school and 1 college in Mamit town area have been closed, have been closed by MZP Mamit demanding from the state government for posting of teachers in the respective institutions where it is required. The institutions will remain closed till August 8.
According to leaders of students’ body, if the state government does not respond to their demand even after resorting such agitations, they will intimidate all the Education Department related offices within Mamit town area; they will convened an emergency meeting today to finalize the programme, MZP leaders informed. Further, even if the state government does not respond till August 8, they shall not just give up their agitation but intensify it until they succeed.
In the meantime, in Serchhip too, in demand for posting of teachers and showing agitation against the frequent transfer of teachers from the district, students of Serchhip Government Higher Secondary School organized a procession from their school premises at P&E Veng to Serchhip Bazar. Around 300 students participated at the procession.
At the closing programme of the procession held at Serchhip town and demaqnded that they want regular teachers but not RMSA teachers to be posted in their schools. At present, there are no Education and Mathematics teachers in Government Higher Secondary School.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/studentsagitation-in-two-districts-of-mizoram-continues/

Guwahati, Aug 6 NNN: A semblance of normality has returned to Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas where violence erupted on Sunday after a brief lull. The indefinite curfew imposed in those areas continued on Monday.
On Sunday, fresh incidents of violence were reported from Chirang district with miscreants torching several houses. Four bodies were also recovered taking the total toll in the communal violence since to 75 since July 20.
The violence could not spread following prompt action from 104 fixed police pickets in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts. These pickets had been deployed to ensure the safe return of the relief camp inmates to their respective villages.
“Indefinite curfew imposed on Sunday after fresh incidents of violence has been persisted with on Monday to offset more trouble. There have been no reports of arson or killing in the last 24 hours,” said Assam Police inspector general (law and order) LR Vishnoi.
On Monday, chief minister Tarun Gogoi also reviewed the relief and rehabilitation measures in the violence-hit areas of western Assam. “All our energies should be channelized towards providing succour to the displaced people on a war footing,” he said. He also passed on instructions for the deputy commissioners of the affected districts to decongest the existing relief camps by opening new ones to prevent outbreak of diseases.
Further, the chief minister instructed the public health engineering department to ensure one latrine per 100 relief camp inmates and one water pump for every 250 in order to ensure hygienic conditions. Health officials were also instructed to set up separate camps for pregnant and lactating women and children.
Monday also saw a four-minister team visiting the trouble-torn BTC areas besides Dhubri district to take stock of the situation and assess the conditions of the relief camps.
It can be noted that on August 1, intelligence officials had accused that a new Muslim based militant outfit called United Muslim National Army (UMNA) was suspected to be behind the ethnic clashes between the Bodos and the Muslims in Assam’s Kokrajhar district.
This new Muslim militant outfit has been floated in Assam with its agenda to have a separate administrative area for the Muslims in Assam consisting of 13 districts with four in Bodo Territorial Council (BTC), a well placed source informed Newmai News Network in Guwahati recently.
Meanwhile, over 75 people have been killed and nearly 5 lakh people are affected by the clashes in western Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/normalcy-restored-at-assam/

Aizawl, Aug 6 NNN: The remark of Mizoram home minister R Lalzirliana to “forgive” Hmar Peoples Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) Chairman, H.Zosangbera who was arrested from Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport on July 17, has attracted criticisms from other political parties in Mizoram.
On Monday, Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP) leader R Lalawia said only the President of India can forgive a criminal officially.
The Mizoram home minister had given a statement in the state assembly recently.
R Lalzirliana said that the HPC (D) leader and his outfit will be forgiven any time they come back to the mainstream and even said that even the criminals can be forgiven. T
Reacting to this comment, the ZNP leader it is surprising and embarrassing over the remark of Lalzirliana and said that it is not the state government and even not the Home minister who has the authority to forgive the criminals; it is only the President of India who can forgive the criminals. “There is always the limit, and it is really a matter of shame that leaders of the state often speak of what is beyond their power,” said the ZNP leader.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/hpc-issue-discussed/