NEIGHBOURS MUST HELP PERSECUTED MINORITIES : HOME MINSTER

Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju  said here today if a minority community of a particular country are persecuted on religious grounds, “it is the responsibility of neighboring countries to provide shelter to such people in their Territory.”

Therefore, the Union Minister said, India has provided shelter to Bangladeshi Hindus in India as they were persecuted on religious grounds. He said Bangladeshi Hindus have been residing in India for several decades in this country.

He said the Government is treating these cases of Bangladeshi Hindus on humanitarian ground and there are proposals to grant them citizenship rights. He further spoke on the opposition to grant citizenship rights to such people and said these people would not be accommodated in Northeast alone, but throughout the country.

“The Northeast alone would not share the burden of providing shelter to such people, but these people would be accommodated throughout India,” Rijiju said.

  

On continuation of peace talks with the NSCN (K), he said the Government of India wanted to continue with the peace talks with NSCN (K.) “It is the NSCN (K) which has abrogated the peace talks. The Government was in favour of continuing talks with the outfit,” he said.

Informing about the abduction and reported death of an Intelligence Bureau official, B Singh from Rongra, South Garo Hills, Rijiju said, there is no confirmation about the death.

“It is an unfortunate case (abduction), but there is no confirmation about his death as there is no physical evidence in this regard,” Rijiju added.

Terming the Garo Hills situation as “disturbing” the Home Minister said that the Centre is willing to provide more assistance if the State Government wants. 

PERFORM YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO DEMAND RIGHTS: KIREN RIJIJU

Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju said today people from Northeast would forfeit their right to speak about discrimination outside the region, if they discriminate people of other communities here in the northeast.

“Within the Northeast there shouldn’t be discrimination, or what right do we have to say people from the northeast shouldn’t be discriminated outside the northeast,” the Union Minister said while speaking at the Mega Arunachal Tribal Festival at the U So So Tham auditorium here.

He advised the students: “if you want your right you should know about your responsibilities. Nothing is one way traffic.” Terming racial discrimination as a “mental illness and the worst form of crime” he said, there would be now provisions in the Indian penal code to take “strong punitive action” against those who discriminates racially.

Touching on the large number of organizations and associations, he said, any State having a large number of such organizations indicates the State Government has failed in discharging its responsibilities and duties. “NGOs and associations are formed when people feel their grievances are not addressed by the Government. Such organizations indicate that the Government has failed,” he maintained.

 He urged the students not to form too many organizations, as they are “not to do business here,” and said they should rather concentrate on their careers.  

On the other hand, Rijiju said people from the northeast “need not feel frustrated and angry” when people outside the region remains ignorant about the people of the region as India is a huge Nation of 1.25 billion people.

“We may know about Mumbai, Delhi, UP and Bihar, but how much do we know about the people of Lakshadweep or say Daman and Diu. Sometimes it is not possible to know everything about the people of this huge Nation,” he stated.

Nonetheless he said the Central Government is taking steps to create awareness of the region and from next year all the text books of CBSE would have chapter on the northeast. “Right from nursery to the Ph.D level the CBSE and the UGC syllabus would have chapters on the Northeast,” he added.

Moreover, speaking about the often-repeated term “mainstream India,” Rijiju said: “people speak about the northeast merging with mainstream India, why can’t Delhi-Mumbai merge with the northeast?"

He stated Delhi is not the beginning of the Country; it is in the Centre of the Country and the Capital. “My State and the northeast is the beginning of the country as it borders several foreign Nations and the vanguard of the country. The region is also mainstream India,” he stated.

With the “definition of a toilet changing every 20 odd kms in rural India,” 1.30 crore Government-built toilets doesn’t fit any definition in India and remains unused, with beneficiaries preferring the outdoors for defecation.

Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS), Choudhary Birender Singh said here today: “the definition of a toilet changes every 20 odd kms in the villages and this has been there for years. So to think of bringing about a change of mindset in a fortnight is not possible.”

What the  Minister meant by stating definition of a toilet changes as most of the people in the rural areas defecate outdoors and it depends on the time of topography where they relieve themselves, be it a agricultural field, canal, River etc.

Expressing “deep concern” over the 1.30 crore toilets built by the Government remaining non-functional, he wondered how to bring about a change in the mindset of the people, as merely building toilets won’t address the problem of open defecation.

“The Government has so far built 6 crore toilets in the country. Last year alone we built 80 lakh toilets, but just by building toilets we cannot achieve success in our open defecation free programme,” the Minster said about the old habits of people dying hard. The DWS Ministry has targeted 2019 for every household - which otherwise now goes outdoors for defecation – to have a toilet.

 

“The mindset has to change, if we are to succeed in our Swachh Bharat campaign. The Government alone cannot do everything, the people must come forward and be part of the change,” Singh, who was here for the National Consultation on Sanitation Partnership, said.

Asked about the way forward, Singh said a lot of awareness programme is being organized at the grassroots level. “The campaign is also being taken forward through social media, NGOs and community leaders,” the Union Minster said.

Exuding confidence about the northeastern region achieving 100 per cent success in the open defecation free programme, Singh said, in the next two to three years, every household would have a toilet.

He, meanwhile, said that the Centre is providing Rs. 10800 for the construction of toilets in the northeast, while the amount is Rs. 9000 for the rest of the country. 

WOOD OF THE GODS: MEGHALAYA'S AGAR PLANTATION DRIVE

With a global market share of US $8 billion, it is not called the “Wood of the Gods” for nothing and Meghalaya Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma is sniffing a rural economy turnaround through Agar plantation in the State.

 “The global market share of Agar (Aquilaria Khasiana) by-products is US$ 8 billion and the market is growing,” Sangma said during the launch of Megha LAMP here today, an initiative to link the rural economy with the markets.

Agarwood is used for many religious purposes in India and abroad, such as manufacture of Agarbatti (Incense sticks) to Agar oil. It is also in high demand in the Arab world where the oil is used to manufacture high-end perfumes. Agar is also highly prized for its medicinal properties.

In fact, All India United Democratic Front chief, Badruddin Ajmal built a successful business empire from Agar plantation and now manufactures perfumes which are sold in the Gulf region.

Recalling the 70s, Sangma said, Agar plantation formed a major chunk of the rural economy in Garo Hills and some of the most affluent businessmen in South Garo Hills region were Agar planters.

But, over the years the planters lost interest and there are just a few remaining in the region, which Sangma wishes to change through his Green Economy initiative. In fact, Agar is a “potential endangered species” and listed in Appendix II by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Although, Agarwood is a prized raw material and more expensive than sandalwood, there are challenges to extract Agar oil from the wood. It is sometimes a complicated process as it requires a fungus to infect the tree.  The infection could be natural or artificially inoculated.

After the fungal infection, the Agar tree develops a natural resistant against the fungus by developing a resin and the wood turns dark and heavy at the trunk and roots, which is the ultimate prize for the planters who distill out the resin.

“The Ministry of External Affairs recently asked from the horticulture department for one litre of Agar oil to be gifted to some foreign dignitaries,” Sangma said. He informed the gathering that a Tola (about 11 grams) of Agar oil cost about Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 40,000 in the current global market.

Sangma seems excited about the prospect of Agar plantation and this could be gauged by the number of Agar plantation programmes he is inagurating. In August alone, Sangma has launched the plantation of this tree in Umling, Ri-Bhoi district and in Betasing in South West Garo Hills. The District Horticulture Officer launched Agar plantation programme in Nongstoin, West Khasi Hills.

“Tomorrow I would launch the Agar plantation programme in Chokpot, South Garo Hills in which 4000 farmers have already registered,” Sangma informed the gathering.