iMizoram : Blog Title the same as above

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Presbyterian Church Commemorates Arrival of Welsh Missionary

Presbyterian Church of India Mizoram Synod, the largest church in the state today observed 'Ramthar Ni' or the day of enlightenment to commemorate the arrival of Welsh Christian Missionary Rev. David Evan Jones.

Special prayer and worship services were held to commemorate the day in all the local churches with pastors and church elders delivering sermons on the need to spread the Gospel throughout the globe.

Jones, who was sent by the Welsh Presbyterian Church to establish the Presbyterian Church in Mizoram, then known to the Bristish colonial rulers as the Lushai country.

He arrived in the Lushai country on August 31, 1897, seven years after the first Christian missionary Rev William Williams set foot in this inaccessible area.

The Presbyterian Church observed the arrival of Jones as 'Ramthar Ni' since 1973.

USD 48,700 seized in Mizoram

AIZAWL, Sep 1 – In an operation conducted by the Assam Rifles, USD 48,700 were seized and one person was arrested near Zanlawn village on Mizoram-Assam border in Kolasib district.

Personnel of the Assam Rifles and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence intercepted a vehicle Friday night and seized the currency in denominations of 100, 50 and 20 dollars, an official release said here yesterday.

The seized US currency is worth more than Rs 30 lakh, and the seizure was one of the biggest in recent times.

On frisking the accused, identified as Khuplianthanga from Mizoram-Myanmar border Champhai town, a mobile phone with contact numbers from Myanmar was also recovered, and the arrested suspect was allegedly carrying the dollars to make payment for an arms consignment from Myanmar, the release said.

The contraband, reportedly smuggled from Myanmar was allegedly meant for the use of a Chakma insurgent outfit – Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samity (PCJSS), a faction of the Shanti Bahini led by Santularma, operating in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, it said.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

PMJDY inaugurated in Aizawl and Mizoram dist headquarters

The Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) or 'People's Wealth Scheme' was today launched simultaneously in Aizawl and all the district headquarters of the state along with the rest of the country.

Acting Chief Minister R. Lalzirliana, who inaugurated the PMJDY handed over State Bank of India passbooks to ten women from the suburbs of Aizawl city.

Lalzirliana urged the Centre and the BSNL to improve telecommunication services in the rural area to ensure that maximum services are rendered to the weaker sections and low-income groups even in the remotest area to overcome the problem of difficult terrain of the hilly state of Mizoram.

He also advocated speedy implementation of transfer of money to the people in schemes like MGNREGS and speeding up of implementation of Aadhar scheme.

State Finance minister Lalsawta also implored the banks in Mizoram to improve CD Ratio as the average CD Ratio of Mizoram was 43.85 per cent as against the national average of 75 per cent.

Lalsawta also urged the banks to simplify small loans so that the people would avoid approaching unscrupulous loan sharks.

State Chief Secretary L. Tochhong said that the financial inclusion scheme was not aimed only to open bank accounts, but access to all the banking and financial services by the weaker sections of the society.

She said that the target under the PMJDY in the state was 1.71 households which would include micro-credit and micro-insurance to all the target groups.

The function was attended by seven ministers, five parliamentary secretaries, top officials of the state government and financial institutions.

Opinion invited on Mizoram Lokayukta Bill, 2014

Aizawl, Aug 29 : The Mizoram Law and Judicial department today issued notification regarding The Mizoram Lokayukta Bill, 2014, the final draft of which has been completed and notified vide The Mizoram Gazette Vol.XLIII Issue No.398 dt.5/8/2014, and also uploaded in the Law and Judicial Department Website www.landj.mizoram.gov.in to get suggestion(s) or complaint(s) if any from the people.

The state law department in its notification said that this initiative (of taking people's opinion) is being taken in order to give opportunity to the people interested in this field as well as the common people come up with their opinions.

The Central as well as other State governments also used to take such initiative in special cases, it said.

The department notification stated that, as written in the foreword of the bill, anyone interested to give suggestions or complaints may submit within one month from the date of the Gazette notification; such suggestions or complaints to be submitted to Secretary, Law & Judicial Department will then be carefully studied by the State government.

As necessitated by Lok Pal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, Mizoram State also needs to implement Lokayukta Act not later than January 2015, hence the need to take quick steps, the notification mentioned.

In the meantime, as said in the law department notification, the people should take note that in formulating any new legislation due considerations are given to many things including whether it contradicts the Constitution, whether it is against the existing rules, and whether it follows the legislative drafting technique, lest it has negative consequences.

Legislation as the present one for fight against corruption especially require due caution and consideration, the authority said, adding, it welcomes any suggestion or complaint but submitted to the right place.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Mizoram put on high alert to face Ebola

The Mizoram governemnt today placed the state health services department on high alert for any eventuality of Ebola break out in the state.

An official statement released here said programme officers of the state health services department met here today to review the preparedness to face the dreaded disease even as no infection has yet been detected in the country.

Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma, Nodal Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, told PTI that though passengers coming to India, especially from infected countries, were carefully screened at International Airports, there was no screening at the lone Lengpui airport near Aizawl.

"We are yet to receive any instruction from the Union Health Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs," Lalmalsawma said, adding that efforts made at the international airports were regarded as sufficient by the Centre.

A State Rapid Response Team, headed by the Principal Director of Health Services was constituted while District Rapid Response Team, headed by the Chief Medical Officer of each district was also constituted in all the eight districts.

Mizo minister orders probe into failure to unfurl tricolour

Mizoram's Minister of State for the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) Lal Thanzara has asked the Deputy Commissioner of inter-state border district of Kolasib Jitender Yadav to conduct a probe into the national tricolour falling from pall after being hoisted during Independence Day celebrations at Vairengte town.

Zoram Industrial Development Corporation (ZIDCO) Chairman Lalrobiaka MLA, the chief guest in the Independence Day celebrations at Vairengte town, on the Assam-Mizoram border, could not unfurl the tricolour during the function despite several attempts.

The flag fell from the pall after it was hoisted, an official statement said here today.

Yadav has appointed Additional DC, Kolasib, Lalfela Sailo to inquire into the incident and submit reports within a month,the statement said.

Monday, August 25, 2014

Acche din promise to Reang refugees

SEKHAR DATTA

Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya at the refugee camp at Kanchanpur on Sunday. (PTI)

Agartala, Aug. 25: Tripura governor Padmanava Balkrishna Acharya yesterday visited two Reang refugee camps in Kanchanpur subdivision of North Tripura and promised achhe din for the camp inmates, raising the hackles of the ruling CPM.

Last week, the governor’s helicopter had made an emergency landing at remote Bairagipara senior basic school field in Khowai subdivision. The governor, accompanied by his wife, partook of the midday meal being taken by students and accepted a memorandum from the students and guardians highlighting their grievances. He had then interacted with the media in Raj Bhavan and dwelt on the Naga insurgency problem and its possible solution. Yesterday, Acharya visited the remote Naisingpara and Ashabari refugee camps.

Addressing the inmates of Naisingpara refugee camp, the governor said ek acche sarkar kendra mein aye hain, ap logoke liye bhi achhe din anewale hain. Both in the Naisingpara and Ashabari refugee camps, Acharya was apprised of the problems faced by the inmates in matters of drinking water, sanitation and schooling of children.

The president of Mizoram Bru Displaced Peoples Forum, Bruno Mesha, told the governor that Lord Ram was sent to a 14-year exile but they have been refugees for 17 years since 1997.

Forum secretary A. Swaibuanga also spoke of the problems faced by refugees in all the camps. The governor, who was given a warm reception by the camp inmates at Naisingpara, assured the forum leaders and the refugees that “good days will soon come for them”.

The ruling CPM did not comment on the governor’s visit to the refugee camps.

A seven-member delegation of the Centre, headed by additional secretary of Union home ministry Rajiv Gauba and comprising HRD officials, Tripura government officials and representatives of three NGOs from New Delhi, Bengal and Assam, arrived here this morning to take stock of the situation in the six Reang refugee camps.

The delegation will head for Kanchanapur subdivision tomorrow where the camps are located.

Speaking on the issue, secretary of the relief and rehabilitation department of the state government, Swapan Saha, said the committee had been constituted by the Centre in compliance with a Tripura High Court order on a PIL filed on June 24 by a lawyer on the miserable condition and sufferings of Reang refugees.

This committee will prepare a detailed report on the condition of the camps and Reang refugees and submit it to the high court on September 12.

Rs 66 lakh worth meth pills seized in Aizawl

Methamphetamine tablets with a street value of Rs 66,50,000 were seized in Mizoram state capital Aizawl in the last two days. Mizoram excise & narcotics department said today its anti-narcotics squad recovered 18,000 more tablets of methamphetamine today from the same woman from whom 20,000 were seized on Sunday last. The woman, a Myanmarese national identified as Lalhnuni(45), has been booked under NDPS Act, 1985. She told investigators that she smuggled the contraband from Myanmar where they are manufactured in underground laboratories. This is the fifth seizure of methamphetamine in Mizoram during the last eight months, a sign that the frontier state is facing a new drug threat in addition to heroin and abused pharmaceutical drugs it has been combating for decades. On July 21 last, three persons were arrested for transporting meth tablets, weighing 1.22 kgs and worth Rs 22 lakh, in Aizawl. Customs officials seized 10,000 tablets of methamphetamine from Melbuk village in Champhai district on April 30 last. The seized drugs had a street value of Rs 1 crore. On March 5 last, excise police seized 15,000 tablets of meth in Aizawl.

Earlier on January 31 last, the excise police seized 120,000 tablets of the same drug in Aizawl. The drugs seized on January 31 were valued at Rs 2.4 crore in the local market and it was said to be the biggest meth haul in Mizoram so far. Most of the meth pills seized in Mizoram are reddish-orange in colour and were mostly marked '88', an insignia the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) identifies as one of the more widespread brands likely manufactured by ethnic militants in Myanmar.

The meth labs in Myanmar are fueled by pseudoephedrine smuggled out of India mainly through the Northeast. Those arrested in connection with pseudoephedrine in Mizoram included politicians, a police official, and renowned drug store owners in Aizawl. With 410 kms of international border with Myanmar, Mizoram is already part of the Golden Triangle, as its main doorway in its western borders.

How is it going to defend the youth of the region from this fresh attack of drugs is the moot question, even as media reports say that the meth wave is sweeping communities around the world. 'It's nothing less than a call for all hands on the deck', as a state excise official said.

Money disbursed to 173 Bru families

AIZAWL, Aug 26 – Mizoram Government has disbursed money under rehabilitation and resettlement package to all the 173 Bru families who returned to Mizoram from six relief camps in neighbouring North Tripura during June 17 to 21 last year.

State Home department officials today said that Rs 80,000 was disbursed to each family for rehabilitation and resettlement expenses while free ration would be given for a year.

The officials said that repatriated Bru families were resettled in 24 different villages in Mizoram-Tripura-Bangladesh border Mamit district after being verified as bonafide residents of Mizoram.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Bru families, who refused to return to Mizoram, stayed behind in the relief camps. A Sawibung, president of Mizoram Bru Displaced People said that Bru people, did not want to return to Mizoram unless their demands were met.

The MBDPF has been demanding, among other things that the rehabilitation and resettlement package should be increased from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh per family and that the free ration to be provided to the repatriated families should be extended from one year to two years.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Mizoram: Four governors in less than two months

Aizawl/New Delhi, Aug 25 : The Congress-ruled northeastern state of Mizoram is likely to have the dubious distinction of having four governors in less than two months.

Maharashtra governor K. Sankaranarayanan was Sunday transferred to Mizoram for the remainder of his term which is scheduled to end in 2017. He resigned later in the day. The successive transfers of the Mizoram governor started with Vakkom B. Purushothaman when he was transferred to Nagaland July 6.
Purushothaman resigned July 11 claiming he was not consulted on his transfer. Gujarat governor Kamla Beniwal was then transferred to Mizoram after Purushothaman was moved as governor of Nagaland with additional charge of Tripura.

Kamla Beniwal, 87, assumed office July 9 as the 12th governor of Mizoram. In less than a month, Beniwal was sacked from the gubernatorial post Aug 6. Former union home secretary Vinod Kumar Duggal, the incumbent governor of Manipur, was given additional charge of Mizoram. He assumed office Aug 8 as the 13th governor of the mountainous state bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Beniwal, who had a strained relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was Gujarat chief minister, was sacked two months before her tenure comes to an end. Beniwal was the second governor removed from her post by the National Democratic Alliance government. Former Puducherry governor Virendra Kataria was sacked July 12.
After the Narendra Modi government took charge May 26, six governors resigned following signals from the government. They were B.L. Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh), Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland), M.K. Narayanan (West Bengal), B.V. Wanchoo (Goa) and Vakkom B. Purushothaman (Mizoram).

Earlier, media reports said the BJP-led government was pressurising some of the governors appointed by the previous Congress-led regime - including Sankaranarayanan - to relinquish office in June. Sankaranarayanan had then said he would resign if asked by “appropriate authorities”.

Octogenarian Sankaranarayanan is a Congress leader from Kerala and has held several posts including that of state minister for finance and agriculture. He was also convenor of the United Democratic Front, the Congress-led ruling combine in Kerala. He was first appointed governor of Nagaland, and then moved to Jharkhand. He was first posted as Maharashtra governor Jan 22, 2010. Sankaranarayanan was re-appointed Maharashtra governor for the second term in 2012 by the previous Congress-led central government. His term was supposed to end in 2017.

A Congress leader in Aizawl said the NDA government has chosen Mizoram Raj Bhavan as a “punishment centre” for governors appointed by the previous government. “This approach and mindset would make the constitutional posts ‘babyish assignments’,” the Congress leader told IANS on condition of anonymity.
The Congress Sunday criticised the government for exercising its power in an “extremely arbitrary manner” over the transfer of Sankaranarayanan to Mizoram. “This government chooses to exercise power in an extremely arbitrary manner. It is like deja vu. Kamla Beniwal was transferred to Mizoram and after that, she saw it on television that she was dismissed as the governor of Mizoram. Authoritarianism is really the DNA of the government,” Congress leader Manish Tewari said in New Delhi.

Transferred from Maharashtra to
Mizoram, Sankaranarayanan quits

Mumbai, August 24 (IANS): Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan, who was early Sunday abruptly transferred to Mizoram for the rest of his term, has announced his resignation. “I have sent my resignation to President Pranab Mukherjee,” Sankaranarayanan told media persons at Raj Bhavan here. Justifying his decision, the 82-year-old Congress leader said he had “respected the Constitution” by submitting his resignation. “During my tenure here as governor, and even earlier in Jharkhand and Nagaland, I never brought politics into my functioning,” Sankaranarayanan said.
In a veiled attack on the Narendra Modi government’s decision to transfer him to Mizoram, he said: “No government is permanent, no individuals are permanent and they have to change some time.” Sankaranarayanan, who was re-appointed Maharashtra governor in 2012, thanked the people of the state for all their love and support during his tenure. He added that from Monday, he would work only as a Congressman, the party which he had joined decades ago as a grassroots leader in Kerala, and later risen up the ranks. “From tomorrow, I shall have no restrictions, I can do whatever I want, go wherever I want and speak on any topic,” he said in a cheerful and relaxed mood.

Mizoram cops: Beware of cheats using pics of ‘attractive Caucasians’ on Facebook

Sometimes the cheats convince the women that they want to settle down with them, and say they will send money for them to buy a house.

The Mizoram Police on Thursday issued a warning about embezzlers creating fake Facebook profiles with pictures of “attractive, young Caucasian men” to befriend salaried women and swindle lakhs of rupees from them.

Sources in the CID said these “FB friends” usually dupe women by telling them that they are sending them a package and then ask the women to deposit money in certain bank accounts to obtain clearances for the delivery.

Sometimes the cheats convince the women that they want to settle down with them, and say they will send money for them to buy a house. The catch is that the victims are asked to pay a certain amount for money transfer transactions.

“The largest sum I have come across has been Rs 80 lakh. Usually it’s around Rs 20-30 lakh. Those who realise they are being duped after losing a few thousands are the lucky ones,” said a senior CID official.

Drafting of Lokayukta Bill 2014 completed in Mizoram

AIZAWL: Mizoram's Lokayukta Drafting Committee has completed the draft Lokayukta Bill, 2014 and uploaded the bill in the state law department's website, officials of the state law and judicial department today said.

The officials said that anyone who has suggestions for changes, deletion and addition could submit to the Law Secretary within a month.

Youth sentenced to life for murder

Aizawl, Aug 25 : A 20-year-old man was today sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment by a local court for killing a villager on the Assam-Mizoram border.

Aizawl District and Sessions Judge R Thanga convicted Raju Samir Das for killing Lalawmpuii in 2012 at Sentlang village in Kolasib district on the Mizoram-Assam border and sentenced him to rigorous life imprisonment.

Das, originally hailing from Hailakandi district in neighbouring Assam, was arrested at Mualkhang village while trying to flee Mizoram after killing Lalawmpuii.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Man arrested for raping minor in Mizoram

A 24-year-old man was arrested in Hnahthial town of Mizoram for allegedly raping a minor girl, the police said today.

Police said that when the girl was going to a church service on Sunday, the man waylaid her and allegedly raped her.

The accused was detained at the Hnahthial police station yesterday.

He will be produced before a district court at Lunglei, the police said.

Landslides cut off Barak Valley, Tripura, Mizoram

Landslides on national highways in Meghalaya and Assam's Dima Hasao district have cut off the Barak Valley, Tripura and Mizoram for the last 30 hours.

Reports said trees, boulders and mud came down the hills on NH-6 connecting Silchar with Shillong at Tansen in East Jayantia Hills district of Meghalaya, 95 km from here, on Saturday.

On the other hand, NH-54 (Extension) connecting Silchar with Haflong experienced similar landslide at Durbin near Harangajao in Dima Hasao district of Assam. Hundreds of vehicles, including trucks, buses and cars have remained stranded on the highways. The affected areas are facing shortage of food and there is hardly any scope for transshipment in both the places.

Authorities said that although Border Roads Task Force and PWD men are engaged in clearing the debris, torrential rain has triggered frequent landslides in the same places and adjoining areas. Sources on Monday said small vehicles are slowly moving through the landslide-hit areas of Meghalaya. The disruption of road connectivity has triggered rise in prices of essential commodities in markets across the Barak Valley and Mizoram.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

New Land Use Policy gets UN financial assistance

Aizawl, Aug 18 : The United Nations (UN) is to extend financial assistance to New Land Use Policy (NLUP), said NLUP Implementing Board (NIB) Chairman JH Rothuama during an interaction with leaders of Mizoram Journalists Association (MJA).

JH Rothuama said that the UN team who came to Mizoram recently found NLUP as a good project and agreed to help Mizoram in this regard.

NIB Vice-Chairman PL Thanga also told media that the Modi led NDA instead of disrupting NLUP project has also found the project feasible and good.

The State Government has encountered no problem in getting money from the Central government, he added.

He said that the UN team who came to Mizoram recently had earmarked Rs 25 crore for NLUP fund as a result of which new steps will be taken this year in respect of NLUP.

"No Indian States had earlier worked with the UN in developmental project.

And for this, we expect NLUP to flourish more successfully than before", PL Thanga said.

Citing about the implementation of NLUP project, the Vice-Chairman said any beneficiary who has not worked out with the project properly as government expected would be disqualified from getting his due share.

NIB Chairman JH Rothuama stated that NLUP project has been implemented successfully in two districts of Mizoram, Kolasib and Mamit.

But in some areas, the project did not reach up to the expectation of the Government.

He added that rubber plantation would be practiced extensively in Southern Mizoram.

"1000 trees of rubber can yield Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakhs profit per month.

As rubber is successfully planted in Tripura, we believed that the plantation will also give successful result in our state", the NIB Chairman said adding that NLUP project would be launched in a stricter form as some people assumed it as just an assistance for waste.

The government of Mizoram on June 19, 2009 had submitted an estimate of over Rs.2,526.98 crore for NLUP project to the Planning Commission.

Subsequently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in August, 2010 had approved Rs.2,873.13 crore for 5 years.

The first phase and second phase of NLUP distributed were already launched earlier.

While the third and the fourth phases are planned to be launched shortly.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Rehabilitation package distributed to 30 Bru families

Rehabilitation and resettlement package were distributed today to the repatriated 30 Bru families at Mamit district bordering Tripura, state home department officials said.

The officials said that Rs 85,000 was disbursed to each of the Bru families and they would also receive free ration for a year.

Forty families were disbursed their shares yesterday, the officials said, adding that 886 Brus belonging to 173 families returned to Mizoram during the five-day repatriation in June.

Hotel owner's son killed by employee in Mizoram

Aizawl: A hotel owner's son was killed allegedly by his teenage employee in a hotel at Champhai in Mizoram, police said on Wednesday.

The body of Lalrinpuia (19), son of the hotel owner, was found early this morning in the corridor of the hotel with a deep injury on his neck, seemed to have been inflicted with a pointed and sharp weapon, they said.

The 16-year-old employee of the hotel was arrested from nearby Hmunhmeltha village where he had allegedly confessed to his crime before the president of the village council, police said.

The boy told the village council president that there was no hatred between him and Lalrinpuia, and he had killed him under the influence of an addictive substance, they said.

The accused is originally from neighbouring Manipur, police said.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

AIDS patients died due to TB

Majority of full-blown AIDS patients died due to tuberculosis (TB) in Mizoram, state Health department officials said today.

The officials said that while 91 per cent of the TB patients were cured, 46 people died due to TB since January till June out of which 15 were HIV positives.

"Out of those 1,021 people found to be infected with TB, 104 were HIV/AIDS patients," they said, adding that the percentage of people cured of TB increased to 91 per cent this year compared to 88 per cent in 2012-2013.

BSF constable from UP shoots self at base near Lunglei, Mizoram

A BSF constable shot himself with his Insas rifle while on duty. Did not leave behind a suicide note.

A Border Security Force constable attached with the 63rd battalion, currently posted near Lunglei in southern Mizoram, shot himself to death with his gun, police said Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Sachin K Sharma (25) from Bhatola village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhulansar district.

Police said Sharma was on duty when he shot himself with his Insas rifle around 12.20 am on Monday.

“Sharma had gone home on leave a month and a half ago. He came back and was currently waiting for another 60-days leave he applied for on grounds that there were domestic problems back home,” said a police officer, adding a case of unnatrual death has been registered.

Sharma’s body has been sent for post-mortem and police have also collected his gun, the bullet and blood samples and sent them to the forensics laboratory in Aizawl.

He did not leave a suicide note, but police have seized his cellphone to look for clues.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Mizoram Church demands SC status for Christians

Aizawl: Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) on Sunday joined National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) in observing 'Black Day' demanding acceptance of Christians as Schedule Caste. Members of the Baptist Church pinned a piece of black cloth on their shirts and held mass prayers in all the local churches in the morning services.

In a message distributed to the local churches, BCM General Secretary Rev H Lianngaia said that Indian Constitution in 1950 allowed only Hindus to become Scheduled Caste while the amendment in 1956 allowed Sikhs and Buddhists. "Christians and Muslims were not allowed to be given Scheduled Caste status," he said.

The Constitutional provision hindered missionaries in their missions to convert Scheduled Caste people like the Dalits as they ceased to enjoy the status once they converted to Christianity, he added. The BCM described the provision as biased and against the spirit of secularism.

Baptist Church demands Schedule Caste status for Christians

Baptist Church of Mizoram (BCM) today joined National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) in observing 'Black Day' demanding acceptance of Christians as Schedule Caste.

Members of the Baptist Church pinned a piece of black cloth on their shirts and held mass prayers in all the local churches in the morning services.

In a message distributed to the local churches, BCM General Secretary Rev H Lianngaia said that Indian Constitution in 1950 allowed only Hindus to become Scheduled Caste while the amendment in 1956 allowed Sikhs and Buddhists.

"Christians and Muslims were not allowed to be given Scheduled Caste status," he said.

The Constitutional provision hindered missionaries in their missions to convert Scheduled Caste people like the Dalits as they ceased to enjoy the status once they converted to Christianity, he added.

The BCM described the provision as biased and against the spirit of secularism.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Opp decries sacking of Mizoram Governor

NEW DELHI, Aug 8 – The NDA government came under attack today over the sacking of Mizoram Governor Kamla Beniwal with the Opposition calling it “political vendetta”, a charge it rejected by saying the action followed “serious allegations” against her and insisted there was no politics, reports PTI.

Eighty-seven-year-old Beniwal, the former Gujarat Governor who had a running battle with Narendra Modi when he was the state’s chief minister, was removed last night, just two months before her tenure as Governor of Mizoram was due to end.

Virendra Kataria, also a former Congress leader who was sacked as Puducherry Governor last month, called the action as “political vendetta” and said it was unjustified and an assault on the constitutional office.

“If Governor Kamla Beniwal was to be removed, why was she transferred to Mizoram only a few days back? Vendetta Politics,” Congress general secretary and communication department chairman Ajay Maken said in a tweet.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Visitors banned from Lengpui airport

Aizawl, Aug 6 : The terminal building of Lengpui airport in Mizoram was closed for visitors from today till August 20, airport officials said.

Only passengers would be allowed to enter the terminal building of Mizoram's lone airport, the sources said.

The restrictions were imposed in view of Independence Day next week, on the orders of additional commissioner of security, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.

Monday, August 4, 2014

YMA to push for removal of B D Chakma

Young Mizo Association (YMA) would put more pressure on Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla to sack Minister of State for Fisheries Dr B. D. Chakma due to his 'divisive' actions.

General Secretary of the central committee of the YMA Vanlalruata told PTI that they would seek appointment with Lal Thanhawla after the latter returns from Delhi.

"Chakma was involved in the boycott of election to the Chakma autonomous district council (CADC) and also attended the meeting of Chakma NGOs in Silchar on July 26 and 27 when the delegates resolved to carve out CADC areas from Mizoram," Vanlalruata said.

He also said that Rs five each would be collected from every YMA member for expenses of head count of Chakma community in Mizoram.

Mizoram Home min felicitates Shaurya Chakra recipient

Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana today felicitated Lallawmzuala of the 18 Rashtriya Rifles who recently received Shaurya Chakra from President Pranab Mukherjee.

Lalzirliana handed over Rs five lakh in cash and a citation to Lallawmzuala, who hails from remote Tuahzawl village in western Mizoram.

Lallawmzuala during an intense combat with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir on July 23 last year killed commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba where he also received bullet injuries in his leg.

The terrorist commander Lallawmzuala gunned down was one of the most wanted terrorists having Rs 125 lakh prize on his head and was one of the masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

The felicitation function was attended by two ministers, a parliamentary secretary and officials of the Sainik Welfare department and ex-servicemen.

Mizoram: Minor Girl Allegedly Gangraped by Seven

Aizawl, Aug 5 : A minor girl was allegedly gang raped by seven persons, four of whom are also minors, in South Mizoram's Lunglei district, police said today.

The girl has eloped with a boy and they were planning to go to Lunglei last night, police said.

"The boy who eloped with the girl was accompanied by seven friends. The girl was allegedly raped when the boy went back to the village to pick up his wallet which he left behind while leaving in a hurry," police said.

Three of the rapists are adults while the rest four are minors. Three of minors are 14 years of age and one of them 16 year-old, they said.

All the seven accused have been arrested, police added.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Mizoram's rail connectivity cut-off temporarily

SILCHAR: Mizoram, the eastern-most state of the country has been virtually cut-off from other states in terms of railway connectivity for over a week now following a rail blockade by a couple of NGOs both in Mizoram and certain areas of Assam.

Mizoram is connected to Assam via the 103-km Silchar- Bhairabi MG railway route under the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

NFR sources on Sunday said owing to the agitations, the 52567 Silchar-Bhairabi Passenger train now plies between Silchar and Lala Bazar stations in Assam and the goods train that used to run between Silchar and Bhairabi (Mizoram) thrice in a week is now plying between Silchar and Hailakandi stations.

Young Mizo Association (YMA), a Mizoram-based NGO has been agitating in Bhairabi station for two consecutive days early this week seeking rescheduling of timing of the lone passenger train connecting Mizoram with rest of the country and also a little change in the route. Again, the Railway Passengers Rights Preservation Committee (RPRPC), an Assam-based NGO, started another protest by stopping the train at Lala Bazar station in Hailakandi district of Assam only to prevent it from reaching Mizoram. RPRPC wants that the present train schedule and the route remain unchanged for the convenience of the passengers.

Sources said while YMA has withdrawn its agitation, the Hailakandi-based NGO continues to stop the trains at Lala Bazar station since last Thursday. This has compelled the NFR authorities to ply the train between Silchar and Lala Bazar until situation turns normal.

RPRPC functionary Govinda Lal Chatterjee said until YMA withdraws its demand the blockade will continue. Chatterjee also alleged that the Assamese traders, who visit Mizoram regularly, are facing harassment. The disruption of train services on the route has left the passengers and the traders' community in trouble, the source added.

2 arrested for blast near Mizoram Parliament Secy's residence

Two persons were arrested for a blast that took place near the residence of the Mizoram Parliamentary Secretary for Home, even as a Manipur-based militant group claimed responsibility for the explosions that rocked the state during the last two months.

A powerful explosion took place near the residence of the Mizoram Parliamentary Secretary for Home, Z S Zuala on Friday, following which two persons were arrested yesterday. However, there was no report of any casualty.

The two have been identified as Lalringthanga, a resident of Mualtluang, Cachar district in Assam, and H D Lalrinpuia of Vairengte, Mizoram Home minister R Lalzirliana said.

He also said that the Manipur based militant outfit, Hmar People's Convention-Democrats (HPC-D) has claimed responsibility for the two explosions in the last two months.

The Home minister said that Lalringthanga confessed to the crime that he exploded five kg of gelatin at the behest of H D Lalhmangaiha, a known sympathiser of the HPC-D.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Explosion near residence of Mizoram Parliament Secretary

Aizawl: A powerful explosion took place near the residence of the Mizoram Parliamentary Secretary for Home in Mission Veng locality early on Friday morning but there was no report of any casualty, police said.

The explosion, suspected to be caused by gelatin, damaged the main gate and brick fencing of Lt Col (Retd) Z S Zuala's residence besides damaging the building of his neighbour, police said.

The walls and windows of the neighbouring building were damaged, but no one was killed or injured in the explosion,they said.

A powerful explosion took place near the residence of the Mizoram Parliamentary Secretary for Home in Mission Veng locality early on Friday morning.

Though no arrest has been made, Superintendent of Police of Aizawl C Laldina did not rule out the involvement of the Manipur-based Hmar People's Convention - Democrats militants. Forensic experts examined the scene of the crime.

Mizoram Home Minister R Lalzirliana and other top officials also visited the place of the incident.