CAMPAIGN AGAINST RED BEACON

Citizens in Meghalaya has been urged by a civil society organisation here to take photos with their cameras and file FIRs with the evidence against misuse of red beacons on cars, for contempt of a Supreme Court ruling.

The Supreme Court in a recent verdict stated that red beacons on vehicles can only be used by “high dignitaries,” as mentioned in the Constitution, on their vehicles and that too when they are on official duties.

Launching the “red beacon campaign” against “VIP culture” of politicians and bureaucrats in Meghalaya, the organisation,Thma U Rangli (TUR) is encouraging people to file FIRs against the misuse of red beacon on vehicles and hold the guilty for contempt of a recent Supreme Court order. “We will help those who are willing to file the complaints,” Angela Rangad of TUR said.

The red beacon accompanied with the siren, which is used mainly by politicians and bureaucrats, is meant primarily to cut through traffic. But off late this has become some sort of status symbol for many.

However, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said that he would not intervene in the use of red beacon by his colleagues.  Rangad said that Sangma’s statement reeks of “crass arrogance of a nouveau riche.”

“Abuse of power is also corruption and that way the Chief Minister is corrupt by saying he would do nothing despite a Supreme Court ruling on the misuse of red beacons on cars,” she stated.

Rangad said that misuse of the red beacon means contempt of the Supreme Court ruling and Sangma should be aware of that. “If you are politically matured, you would not be abusing power,” she added.

On the other hand, Rangad said that the Lokayukta Act passed by the Government is “weak and toothless” citing many flaws in it.

Citing one of the many weaknesses, she said that although the CM has said that his office would be covered under the purview of the Lokayukta, the Act under section 22 excludes “certain class of public servants” from the purview of the Lokayukta.

Moreover, for filing complaints it has been made extremely difficult as there are penalty clauses for bring in “frivolous” complaints. “Who and how do you decide what is a frivolous complaint. This is only to discourage people to come forward and file complaints,” he said.

The organisation demanded that the Government must “stop wasting people’s time and money” and bring in a Lokayukta by incorporating the best practices adopted by similar Acts in the country to fight corruption. 

DC HOME PAGE ON FACEBOOK TO BE DYNAMIC

The Deputy Commissioner’s office here would try to poke young indifferent voters to cast their ballot through its somewhat defunct Facebook page and effort would be on to make it “dynamic” – LOL.

The DC and his colleagues are trying to infuse innovation under the Systematic Voter's Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme and after tapping the potential of the conventional media; the free space of social networks to woo young voters seemed obvious.

Although the effort of DC, Sanjay Goyal maybe noble, he seems totally offline with the Facebookers who speak in a jargon as odd as the DC’s effort to make the FB page dynamic. Making the page dynamic… naah! Funky, yea!  

The issue with the approach is that “dynamic” smacks of a bureaucratic jargon of the Baby Boomers (BB). So, ASAP a tightrope walk between dynamic and funky is needed so that both the BBs and Y generation go satisfied to bed at the end of the day.

What is therefore required is not an altogether tech savvy geek to administer the page, as FB is already a tech-driven apps, but a team who can deal with the content. A team which is techno-art savvy and speaks the language.

The emphasis on language in not altogether in the literal sense, but importantly on dealing with the language of aspirations of these future generation and giving them DIY projects so that they subscribe to the idea of tagging themselves to the democratic process and Nation building.

Under the SVEEP campaign during the last Assembly elections, the DC’s office carried out a number of awareness campaign to attract voters to come and cast their ballot. The activities included air balloons strung from different locations with messages to come and vote - LOL WUSS. There was also paragliding - OMG.

As one of the participating Campus Ambassadors or teacher from a prominent college pointed out that the efforts of the district administration maybe well-intentioned, but an air balloon with message and paraglider surfing in the stratosphere does not give feedback on the questions of voters’ cynicisms on the present system - BTW one balloon was untagged from PB.

“The young voters are disillusioned many of them about the present system and efforts to answer their questions do not come from such activities. The message to these indifferent voters must be that they can be part of the change by voting or the EPIC can be also used for other important purposes as identity cards etc., or similar healthy interaction through various modes” the academic ambassador said.

It is platforms such as FB that the Y generation are glued to and constantly demanding feedback to their ideas and opinionated minds. And if that feedback is not forthcoming they become restless and eventually “unfriend” whoever concerned.

The DC’s office also tried to attract the young voters by drawing graffiti on the walls of the city street. Would it be different if the same effort was taken to paint the walls of its FB page?

At the end of the day, MLAS does not necessarily mean Members of Legislative Assembly for the younger generation. It could also mean My Lips Are Sealed, similarly as LOL is Laugh Out Loud, ASAP As soon as Possible, DIY Do it Yourself, LOL WUSS  Laugh Out Loud with a snorting sound, BTW By the Way. 

NON-TRIBAL BUSINESSMAN SET ON FIRE IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN SHILLONG MEGHALYA'S STATE CAPITAL

A businessman from the non-tribal community was critically injured after unidentified men set him afire in broad daylight here today, exposing the poor security situation in the Meghalaya.

Vikash Nandarwal (34), the owner of Meghalaya Machineries at Motphran has been rushed to Guwahati with severe burn injuries, after unidentified people entered his shop at about 12.30 pm and poured petrol on him and set him on fire.

The police have not ruled out the involvement of pro-Inner Line Permit (ILP) activists in the attack.

The incident has sent shock amongst the minority community here as the incident took place during rush hour and reflected poorly on the security situation in the State. In fact, police patrols were stationed some yards away from the shop.

There have been similar attempts to burn shops belonging to the minority non-tribal community in different parts of the State capital reported this afternoon. In the past few weeks, at least four shops belonging to the non-tribal community were gutted and goods worth crores were damaged. People have also been injured in these attacks.

A BSNL warehouse was also gutted and costly equipments inside worth crores were damaged after it was set on fire. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the BSNL arson case.

Meanwhile, the night road blockade has entered its third night on Wednesday called by the NGOs who has been fighting for the implementation of the ILP in Meghalaya.  These groups have decided not to call any further agitation programme in view of the Durga Puja celebrations beginning October 10. 

DC'S OFFICE FB PAGE TO BE DYNAMIC - LOL

The Deputy Commissioner’s office here would try to poke young indifferent voters to cast their ballot through its somewhat defunct Facebook page and effort would be on to make it “dynamic” – LOL.

The DC and his colleagues are trying to infuse innovation under the Systematic Voter's Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme and after tapping the potential of the conventional media; the free space of social networks to woo young voters seemed obvious.

Although the effort of DC, Sanjay Goyal maybe noble, he seems totally offline with the Facebookers who speak in a jargon as odd as the DC’s effort to make the FB page dynamic. Making the page dynamic… naah! Funky, yea!  

The issue with the approach is that “dynamic” smacks of a bureaucratic jargon of the Baby Boomers (BB). So, ASAP a tightrope walk between dynamic and funky is needed so that both the BBs and Y generation go satisfied to bed at the end of the day.

What is therefore required is not an altogether tech savvy geek to administer the page, as FB is already a tech-driven apps, but a team who can deal with the content. A team which is techno-art savvy and speaks the language.

The emphasis on language in not altogether in the literal sense, but importantly on dealing with the language of aspirations of these future generation and giving them DIY projects so that they subscribe to the idea of tagging themselves to the democratic process and Nation building.

Under the SVEEP campaign during the last Assembly elections, the DC’s office carried out a number of awareness campaign to attract voters to come and cast their ballot. The activities included air balloons strung from different locations with messages to come and vote - LOL WUSS. There was also paragliding - OMG.

As one of the participating Campus Ambassadors or teacher from a prominent college pointed out that the efforts of the district administration maybe well-intentioned, but an air balloon with message and paraglider surfing in the stratosphere does not give feedback on the questions of voters’ cynicisms on the present system - BTW one balloon was untagged from PB.

“The young voters are disillusioned many of them about the present system and efforts to answer their questions do not come from such activities. The message to these indifferent voters must be that they can be part of the change by voting or the EPIC can be also used for other important purposes as identity cards etc., or similar healthy interaction through various modes” the academic ambassador said.

It is platforms such as FB that the Y generation are glued to and constantly demanding feedback to their ideas and opinionated minds. And if that feedback is not forthcoming they become restless and eventually “unfriend” whoever concerned.

The DC’s office also tried to attract the young voters by drawing graffiti on the walls of the city street. Would it be different if the same effort was taken to paint the walls of its FB page?

At the end of the day, MLAS does not necessarily mean Members of Legislative Assembly for the younger generation. It could also mean My Lips Are Sealed, similarly as LOL is Laugh Out Loud, ASAP As soon as Possible, DIY Do it Yourself, LOL WUSS  Laugh Out Loud with a snorting sound, BTW By the Way.

INDO-BANGLA BORDER: BSF FIGHTING AGAINST WEEDS, CREEPERS

The Border Security Force (BSF) are not only fighting against human infiltrators across the Indo-Bangla border, but also against weeds and creepers infiltrating up the fences and obstructing view across the border.

Although the International fence has acted as a tremendous force multiplier and saved much of the BSF’s work against infiltrators in several areas, the same fences have now posed a challenge with weeds and creepers growing on them.

The barbed fences are generally, eight to twelve feet in height and with thick vegetation growing on these fences, they turn into monstrous walls and the BSF is unable to see across.

Another aspect that needs to be considered is that these fences are erected away from the zero line and so the land 150 yards beyond the fence are Indian Territory and their vigil is absolutely necessary and the BSF is tasked to patrol these areas.

To find a solution to this problem, the BSF has recently requested the Hindustan Insecticide Limited (HIL), a Government enterprise, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, to specially manufacture chemicals for the border forces to stop the growth of weeds and bushes on fences.

The official said that after the request, a team from HIL, Kolkata, visited Meghalaya to take soil samples and also understand the kind of vegetation to concoct the chemicals, which are now being applied.  

Currently, at least five Border out Posts in the Meghalaya sector are now applying chemicals, as a pilot project, at the base of the fences so that weeds, creepers and other vegetations don’t grow on the fences.

“Such vegetation growing on the fence not only destroy the costly fences, but importantly obstructs our vision across the border, which is a hurdle for our patrol work,” a BSF official said.

He said that based on the success of the chemicals in these BOPS, the chemicals would be used on the fences passing through all BOPs of the Meghalaya frontier. Meghalaya, incidentally shares a 433 km border with Bangladesh, but many stretches are unfenced, owing to different issues like land acquisition and also due to opposition.

Fighting for revolution and wearing che guevara T-shirt not same

Fighting for revolution is not exactly as romantic as wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and flaunting it in colleges, Sanjay Kak, director of Red Ant Dream observed.

The documentary on Maoists and other revolutionary ideas persisting in India may seem romantic for afar, but in reality it is quite the opposite, Kak said here today.

“Maybe not a single Maoist has ever worn a Che Guevara T-shirt. The realities at the grassroots are different,” he says briefly, while his documentary elaborates about the people fighting for different causes in India.

The documentary films the peasants’ movement in Punjab, the Maoists in Bastar, Chattisgarh and villagers in Niyamgiri Hills, Odisha and tries to connect the different ideas behind these movements – some may interpretate the ideas as radical, just as the Meghalaya police did.

In fact, the documentary was not allowed to be screened here at the Indie8 film festival by the police for its “radical” ideas, but Kak is okay with it as it got free publicity.

“Earlier, a few college students would have seen it now a larger audience wants to see the documentary just because of the police’s action,” he said.

On his experience filming the documentary, Kak says he just shot, but is amazed that so many revolutionary ideas still persists in India, which he wants to show to the audiences.

“I just shot for the movie and at the end people would see and interpret their own way, some may connect with the ideas, others would reject it, that how it’s with films,” he said.

In Punjab the documentary shows the peasants’ movements and they take inspiration from Bhagat Singh. In Bastar region, the fight is against the administration, as the people want their rights over their land and have taken up arms.

On the other hand in Niyamgiri, the villagers are fighting against the mining industry. “Every movement is different from the other, but somehow they seem connected,” Kak says.

Meanwhile, after screening the documentary at the Youth centre for the public, the director would move on to Guwahati where it would be screened in two venues.

WITCHCRAFT-Man forced to eat dog excreta

In another inhuman act, a man was assaulted in confinement and forced to eat dog excreta by seven villagers at Sohryngkham after alleging him of practicing witchcraft.

The Incident occurred on July 30 at the village Mawting, Sohryngkham here at the city suburbs. According to the East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, M Kharkrang the man was first assaulted by the group of villagers and later was confined, alleging that he practiced witchcraft.

The accused then forced the victim to eat dog excreta, Kharkrang said. “An FIR has been filed regarding the crime and all eight men have been arrested by the police in a pre-dawn raid today,” the SP said, adding, they have been remanded to five days police custody by a local court.

The accused are in fact relatives of the victim and have been identified as Broswel Pyngrope, Elbinus Myliemngap, Sanil Myliemngap, Rani Kharmunuid, Mildret Kharmunuid, Khrawbor Kharmunuid and Johny Kharmunuid.

This incident follows another similar case last month where a man one Noping Khongsit was forced to eat human excreta at Wahkdait village near Pynursla, about 50 km from here by the village chief, Thwer Tynsong. The village chief later surrendered before the police.

Four girls of the village alleged that Khongsit used to appear in their dreams and frighten them with snakes. Based on this allegation the village Panchayat called Dorbar in Khasi Hills punished the victim by forcing him to eat human excreta on July 20.

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo moto cognizance of the media report and has issued notices to the State Government to file its report on the inhuman act within four weeks.

In many parts of Meghalaya superstition is rampant primarily those related to witchcraft. Believers of such superstition say that witches and wizards have the power to make people ill to the pint of killing them and by doing so they please the malevolent deities for their own good.

ABOUT 10,000 THESE SEIZED FROM CMJ UNIVERSITY

From studying the “emotional intelligence of a Kho-Kho player” to “marketing low cholesterol oil in India,” the Chandra Mohan Jha (CMJ) University is a treasure trove for knowledge seekers with the CID seizing over 4000 such PhD theses during a raid at the sealed University here today.

Such were the diverse and strange topics that the sleuths of the CID were left dumbfound and also in good humour as they slogged to note down all the 4000 topics into their files the whole day.

As the skeletons, literally, continued to tumble out of the closet the entire day, some from the Chancellor’s (CM Jha) now sealed office and others from the security room, a not so amused State Government issued a dissolution notice to the University.

“We have served a show cause notice to the University asking it why it shouldn’t be closed,” Education Minister, RC Laloo said after a Cabinet meeting. The University is yet to reply to the notice, Laloo said.

Meanwhile, the seizure at the University’s Laitumkhrah campus today is just the tip of the iceberg, the CID sleuths said, as there are another 6000 such theses that have been found at the University’s Jorabat campus, vindicating former Governor RS Mooshahary’s claim that the University was functioning flouting all norms.

The seizure is also significant, not because of the subjects, but also in terms the market value of the theses. It comes to a whooping Rs. 127 crore. “To get a PhD degree the University charged Rs 1.27 lakh, so these 10,000 odd theses would cost about Rs. 127 crore,” a CID official conducting the raid and investigating the case said.

The investigating team also said that the theses seem to have all been printed in Kolkata as they bore tell-tell signs of it and the officials believe that the University did everything from printing to making the theses material to award of the degrees to those who sought such degrees across India and abroad.

“We have to investigate who ordered these theses to be printed at this printing press in Kolkata,” this is clear case of a bigger scam an official said while showing a thesis titled: Corruption in India – hurdles and remedies by one S VenkataLakshmi and submitted vaguely to faculty of Public Administration.

There were other bizarre copies of thesis with the hardcover tilled “Role of ICICI bank in housing finance – a case study NCR by one Sheikh Rafik Afsar, while the inside page was titled “A study of emotional intelligence and self concept of Kho Kho players and non Kho Kho players,” by one Amit Naru. Naru’s papers were supervised by Anurag Agnhotri, Assistant professor, CVS College, Delhi University.

These seizures followed after Jha the Chancellor of the University got a temporary relief from the Supreme Court in his anticipatory bail application where the apex Court held that he would get bail till the next hearing on the case. The order was passed last Friday.

The CMJ University as well as the Chancellor’s office has remained sealed for the past two odd months. In the first raid, nothing credible was found to substantiate the allegations leveled by Mooshahary against the CMJ University. The computers with the vital data were found damaged before the CID could conduct raids. (Eom)

ENVIRONMENT CARE-INTRODUCE GARDENING AS A SCHOOL COURSE

With the entire world focused on ways to protect the environment, a school student from Hyderabad had a unique proposal: introduce Gardening as a subject in schools, to bring students closer towards environment protection and care.



The proposal was made by a school student, Nidhi, from Vijay Residential School (VRS), Hyderabad, during the three-day National Conference on Environment for schools students from across India here at the North Eastern Hill University Convention centre today. About 500 students and teachers from different schools are participating in this Conference called, PEAS.



Nidhi said the importance of gardening is normally overlooked, but if it is introduced as a separate course in schools and even colleges, it would not only help in Botany and other classes, but most importantly bring students closer to nature.



“Most schools, colleges have gardens which are maintained by the gardeners, this responsibility must be shifted to the students where they water and care for the flowers and other plants. This would definitely bring students closer to the environment in terms of protection and care,” Nidhi said.

Calling environment as her first teacher, Nidhi said her attention towards music was drawn by the “songs of the birds.” “I am learning music and dance and it was the birds that first attracted my attention towards these activities, so the environment is my first teacher,” she said proudly.



Nidhi’s school principal, Vijay Rani feels that her ward’s proposal is not only unique, but is urgently required to be implemented in the country. “This idea of gardening as a course would definitely attract children's interest towards protection and care for the environment,” Rani added.



Apart from sharing ideas amongst fellow students on ways to protect the environment, the organizers have also asked students to bring waste, so that it could be demonstrate how these could be reused.



“I have brought coconut husk and cardboard from old diaries and would be demonstrating how these can be made into beautiful pen stands and picture frames,” Nidhi added.



Deepak Mishra, Sishir Mishra and Imran Alam, the team from Assam Rifles Public Schools, Laitkor, on the other hand have brought wrappers, bottles, shoe polish and deodorant cans, which could be reused meaningfully.

Similar demonstrations would be undertaken by students from other schools in the workshop with their litter during the workshop called “zero litter” slated later for the day.

HAIKU TO MARS

MY HAIKU (JAPANESE STYLE OF POETRY) FOR THE SEND A MESSAGE TO MARS CONTEST (MAVEN MISSION)
THREE ENTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST PUBLIC VOTE WOULD GET A CHANCE TO SEND THEIR MESSAGE AND HAIKU WITH MAVEN SPACECRAFT. PLS VOTE



Bang! White feather float
Thud! Earth burdened and troubled
Maven Lamp, Uh-huh...


LINK:
http://lasp.colorado.edu/maven/goingtomars/entry/?25371

NARENDRA MODI PM MATERIAL: FORMER LOK SABHA SPEAKER PURNO SANGMA

Describing Narendra Modi as a “Prime Minister material,” former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Sangma today questioned the Congress party’s stand on secularism, saying, the Congress party usually sends Christian leaders to Christian majority states for election campaigns.



Sangma, who is touring the country and trying to create a new political equation by floating the National Peoples’ Party (NPP), with an eye on the tribal vote, said, he and his party “has no problems working with Modi” as the Gujarat Chief Minister has all the qualities of a Prime Minister.



“The less we talk about secularism the better it is for India…who exactly is secular,” Sangma said when asked about the Congress party’s attack on Modi’s secular credentials.



Recalling his days as a senior Congress leader, Sangma, who calls himself a “devout Christian” said, the Congress party usually reserved him and other Christian leaders to campaign for elections in Christian majority States of the country.



“Every time before the elections, myself and others like Margaret Alva, CM Stephen were send to Northeastern states like Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya to campaign during the elections,” Sangma said.



Stating that the Gujarat Chief Minister’s has proved himself and is accepted for his style of “governance, development and delivery” mechanisms, Sangma said, the country needs similar initiatives so that differences on caste, creed and religion could be done away with.



Sangma, however added, that the next two months would be crucial for Modi as he would try to reach out to the people across the Nation probably as a Prime Ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance

NEEPCO LOSING 12 LAKH EVERY DAY DUE TO ACIDIC DISCHARGE FROM COAL MINES

The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) is losing an estimated Rs 12 lakh every day due to damage to its Kopili hydel project caused by acidic discharge from the unscientific coal mines of Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya.




The project built on the River Kopili, a tributary of the River Brahmaputra, has an installed capacity of 125 MW. The project has four major units with an installed capacity of 50 MW each.

However, in the past two years, two out of the four turbines of the project are routinely down for repair works, due to corrosion of its parts caused by acidity in the reservoir water.

Shut down of a single unit lowers production of the project and the revenue loss is Rs 6.19 lakh for a single day.

“For the past two years at least two, out of the four turbines, are routinely shut down for maintenance. The revenue loss therefore is over 12 lakh per day,” a senior NEEPCO official told theAssam Tribune.

The official said that most of the damage to the machinery is underwater as the Water of the River is acidic and has corroded the machine parts. “We are trying to replace the machine parts temporarily with stainless steel parts,” the official added.

The long term solution to the problem is of course in persuading the Meghalaya Government to put a check on the acidic discharge from the unscientific mining in the coal mines of Jaintia Hills.

Moreover, NEEPCO is also in touch with the Union Power Minister and there are also studies being conducted to find a solution to this problem. “IIT, Guwahati and others are also conducting research to find a solution to the problem, but until then NEEPCO is losing out on production and revenue,” the official maintained.

The Kopili hydro electric plant, the first hydro electric power plant constructed by NEEPCO, was commissioned in the year 1984 built on River Kopili which has its source in the upper reaches of Meghalaya. The plant comprises of two concrete dams- Khandong and Umrong dam.

Meghalaya and Assam are the two “host” States of the project as the reservoir falls in Meghalaya and the Power House is in Assam. Therefore, Meghalaya and Assam each gets 6 per cent free power from Kopili project.

Meanwhile, NEEPCO came out with a statement today stating that the “recent forced shutdown of the project was taken for safety of the power station as there was heavy leakage of water while running the units.” The leakages were caused due to corrosion of the machinery, NEEPCO said.

MEGHALAYA GOVERNOR RECOMMENDS CMJ UNIVERSITY DISSOLUTION

Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary has recommended to the State Government to dissolve the Chandra Mohan Jha (CMJ) University for “failing to accomplish the objectives of the University, apart from criminal liabilities.”



The Governor in his letter to the Governor last evening said “established facts clearly indicate mismanagement, maladministration, indiscipline and failure in the accomplishment of the objectives of the University, apart from criminal liabilities.”



Mooshahary added that in the interest of maintaining proper standards of higher education it is desirable that CMJ University “be wound up.” “The State Government is accordingly being addressed to consider dissolution of the CMJ University in terms of Section 48 of the CMJ University Act, 2009,” the Governor said.


In his four page letter, the Governor gave out the details of the violation, as the visitor of the now sealed University, under seven points. First he said that CM Jha the Chairman of the CMJ Foundation has remained “incommunicado all these days,” and termed the attitude as unfortunate, despite the Institution being sealed for wrongdoings.



The Governor further said that the University’s office was vandalized and the students were accused for the criminal act. “According to the police it was engineered by the University staff at the instance of one of the Directors. It was a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence and the case is under police investigation,” Mooshahary pointed out.



The other issue pointed out was that the University started to function without a Chancellor. The Governor said it was a “breach of trust.” During this period the University awarded B.Ed degree through distance mode without requisite approval from regulatory bodies and without affiliation.



Moreover, the University awarded PhD degrees to 434 students and enrolled another 490 students. “Information is also available with us that another 29 students have also received PhD degree from the University and more information is coming on a daily basis,” he added.



The Governor said the University awarded PhD degrees even in subjects like Bodo and Punjabi languages “where guides and faculty are not easily available,” Mooshahary pointed out. The number of faculty members with PhD degree as furnished by the University is “inaccurate.”



Based on the facts cited, Mooshahary said, the University repeatedly acted in contravention of Section 52 of the CMJ University Act 2009 in respect of maintenance of standards and other related matters applicable to private Universities,” and therefore recommended its dissolution.