Nagaland State tableaux during the rehearsal of Republic Day 2012 parade.

The tableau of Assam passes through the Rajpath during the full dress rehearsal for the Republic Day Parade-2012.

NE Greens wishes all its members and subscribers a Merry Christmas! During the  season of celebration we often tend to be carefree and wasteful. However, it is that time of the year when we need to show extra care for the environment by inculcating only minor adaptations in our ways of doing things, that can otherwise go a long way in ensuring a clean, green surroundings! We share with you some of these ideas, tips and pointers for a green and much more Merry X-Mas for one and all!

1. Try to give homemade gifts (e.g. baked organic biscuits, a handicraft item you made) . Or give a box of fresh, local, organic and in-season food/fruit.
2. Reuse or recycle gift packing materials. Use recycled wrapping paper or reusable jars/ containers.
3. If you purchase a gift from outside, go for locally made gifts.
4. Look for electronic products which have five star (energy saving) rating or have take back or recycling programmes.
5. Connect with nature. Go for nature walk, bird counts and nature restoration activities like planting trees.
6. Use LED lights for house and Christmas tree lighting. LED (Light Emitting Diode) holiday lights use up to 95% less energy than larger, traditional holiday bulbs and last up to 1,00,000 hours when used indoors.
7. Reduce the size of outdoor lighting displays.
8. To the extent possible, turn off tree lights and outdoor house decorative lighting at bedtime. It will help in saving loads of energy.
9. Instead of choosing artificial Christmas trees, go for a live tree around your house. Adopt a tree, plant it and nurture it.

And remember to be green all year round. Santa’s watching! Merry X-Mas!

Previously on NE Greens:

• Season’s Greetings: A Tree for a Tree this Christmas!

The Ministry of Tourism, through its various plans and schemes, has been working for the development and promotion of tourism in the North Eastern Region. Financial assistance to the NE states for promoting tourism in the region and for tourism related projects is being given by the Tourism Ministry from time to time. Funds have been allocated in the following four areas: Product Infrastructure Development of Destinations/Circuits, assistance to Large Revenue Generating projects, Information Technology and Fairs/Festival and Events.  Besides, North East specific media campaigns have also been launched by the Ministry to promote the entire North East Region as a tourism destination. In addition to this, the Ministry of Tourism has been providing complimentary space to the North Eastern States in India pavilions set up at major international travel fairs and exhibitions. The Incredible India campaign gives due coverage to the Paradise Unexplored: NE India!

Now, the Twelfth five year plan in the country will further boost tourism development in the North East. More and more measures are being taken to ensure the NER becomes a destination of choice for the traveler – first time or frequent! An interesting move came in when the Government of India relaxed the CCS (LTC) Rules 1988, enabling  Government servants to travel by air to NER on Leave Travel Concession (LTC). Group A and Group B Central Government employees can now travel by Air from their place of posting or nearest airport to any city in the NER or nearest airport. Other categories of employees are entitled to travel by air to a city in the NER from Guwahati or Kolkata. At the same time, all Central Government employees are now allowed to convert one block of Home Town LTC into LTC for destinations in the NER. Many more such schemes and package for NER are expected to be announced in the Twelfth Plan (2012-2017).

Image courtesy Arif Siddiqui

Zilla Sabhadhipati of North Tripura, Smt. Hashi Bhattacharjee lighting the lamp to inaugurate the Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign at Kumarghat RD Block in North Tripura district. Shri Bijoy Roy, MLA, is also seen.

MLA Shri Bijoy Roy inaugurating the photo exhibition stall during the Bharat Nirman Yojana and Development Initiatives at Kumarghat, North Tripura District.

A public rally organized during the Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign at Kumarghat, North Tripura District, Tripura.

Munzala: the recently "discovered" forest monkey in Arunachal Pradesh is one among many yet to be known species supported by the fragile ecology of Northeast India.

The Centre for Microfinance & Livelihood (CML) and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trusts (Mumbai) recently organized a consultative meet on the ecological security of North East India. The NE Greens project was invited as one of the participating organisations in the consultative meet, to share experience and ideas for the protection and promotion of the fragile ecology of the region. It was an exciting full-day journey for me from Duliajan to Guwahati to make it to the consultative meet and share from my experience of working in the North East and to learn from others. Several agencies, organisations and NGOs from around the country, especially those working in the NE region, had been called to participate in the consultative meet workshop. The workshop itself was targeted to shape up a thematic map for future prospect and scope of ecological security projects in the NE region.

The workshop began in the IIBM campus in Khanapara with Mr. Biswanath Sinha, Sr. Project Officer welcoming the gathering with a brief introduction about the wonderful multi-dimensional work of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trusts (SDTT). Following this, the participants introduced themselves to the steering committee as well as to each other. After the brief introductions had been made, Dr. S. Phansalkar of SDTT addressed the gathering and articulately clarified to all as to what was the objective of the consultative meet and what specific inputs SDTT is looking for from all the invited agencies and organisations. This was crucial to the success of the Meet since all of us work in different directions and dimensions even though with the same objective of sustainable development in mind. It is therefore important to always be clear of what is the outcome expected in any such discussion that may take place on the intricate and complex issue of environment protection and preservation.

The following sessions in the day witnessed pre-determined presentations from different organizations working on ecological security in the Northeast region. Significant among these were WWF-India, Nagaland Empowerment of People Through Economic Development (NEPED), Samrakshan Trust, ATREE, Aaranyak, all of whom presented their respective work in different subjects and areas related to the strengthening of ecological security in the North East. The presentations were followed by an open discussion to deliberate upon the issue(s) and challenges presented, the methodology of working in order to develop and identify successful models of green working in the North East region.

The post-lunch session at the consultative meet was even more interesting as all of us who were present were asked to identify a topic for promoting North East India’s ecological security, which would then be taken up by SDTT as a broad theme area. This brainstorming session was moderated by Mr. Biswanath Sinha who ensured that an open discussion took place involving all individuals present. There was a rigorous submissions of theme areas to work on and even more rigorous discussion on the pros and cons of every topic. The topic identified by me, which is not getting the degree of attention it deserves in the North East region today, was that of Solid Waste Management. Increasing population and consumption pattern in the region has tremendously increased the waste generation capacity which needs thorough investigation and suitable interventions. The topic was well taken and included in the list of topics submitted by others. A broad thematic map was drawn with everyone’s consensus towards the end of the session.

The much intense session was closed with some articulately condensed concluding remarks by Mr. Biswanath Sinha. The closing of the session also marked the closing of the consultative meet workshop, with an inspirational speech by Dr. S, Phansalkar. Following this, a documentary film was screened which highlighted the role of SDTT in helping organisations around the country in better solving the problems of respective villages and rural areas. The documentary film removed all doubts about the will and intentions of SDTT in taking forward the mighty task of ensuring ecological security of the North East region. A vote of thanks was put forward by Mr. Partho S. Patwari of the CML and all of us who gave our time and inputs to the meet were duly acknowledged. All in all, the consultative meet turned out to be very meaningful and the day turned out to be a resourceful one!

We take you to the culturally rich township of Moirang which is a municipal council in Bishnupur district of Manipur and is located about 45 km away from the state capital Imphal. Moirang is famous for its ancient temples particularly of Lord Thangjing and is also the place of origin of the the graceful Khamba-Thoibi dance.

However, what often remains as the untold story of Moirang is its strategic significance in the Indian freedom struggle that led to India’s independence in 1947. Moirang was the first place that the Subhash Chandra Bose led Indian National Army (INA) had got freed from the British occupation. The flag of Azad Hind was raised for the first time on Indian soil even before 15th August, 1947 at Moirang by the INA on 14th April, 1944.

Image courtesy RKDiana

The following text is among few of the eyewitness accounts of the episode of the INA charging against the British rule during that time. Click here to read the complete account maintained by Lalit Pukhrambam, Ph.D.

“While (the British forces at) Kohima was being attacked, Imphal valley was completely surrounded in all directions by the Japanese army at the hill tops with heavy artillery. However, at that time, the Japanese had directed their air-crafts towards south in the Arakan region where British forces were attacking. The propaganda from the British Government to the local people was that the Japanese were invading Manipur and India. Therefore, Subash Chadra Bose and his Indian National Army (INA) along with the Japanese army did not receive much help they had expected from the natives.

War veterans narrated that two Japanese soldiers disguised themselves as local workers (the British employed a large number of local inhabitants  as labourers and housekeepers) and stole an aircraft from the Palel airstrip.  Subash Chandra Bose used the airplane to drop leaflets narrating that the Japanese and the INA were in fact friends of India and that they were trying to free India from Britain. They had to show the picture of Netaji with Mahatama Gandhi. By that time Manipur already had a large number of followers of Gandhiji’s Indian National Congress and they knew about Subhash Bose’s earlier role in the Congress Party.

Finally, several locals joined INA, and underground movements started. The British army immediately collected all leaflets by offering large sums of money to those who were loyal and would bring it to them. Several members of the Manipur Mahasava and leaders from the hills and plains were rounded up at the Langthabal military camp. Thus, INA led by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose for the first time on 14 April 1944  hoisted the Indian tricolor flag at Moirang, 45 km south of Imphal at Tiddim road.

However, as is the legacy of the very man who led the INA, Moirang’s role in the Indian freedom struggle today lies forgotten and a part of untold history.

Japanese rifles at display at the INA Museum in Moirang, Manipur. Image courtesy ac595

A Netaji Memorial Museum greets the lone and daring traveler who reaches this destination. The complex displays letters, photographs, badges of ranks and other memorabilia reminding the noble sacrifices made by the INA under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Today, as the nation faces issues of skewed development, corruption and lack of good governance, there is an urgent need for good leaders from among the youth. An even more pressing need is that of inspiration from the true leaders who worked for a unified and more powerful India. We hope the spirit of the Independence Day will ignite the flames of freedom from corruption and bad governance, for an overall and sustainable development of the country at large! Happy Independence Day!

The Ecotourism Society of North East India has been celebrating a unique tree plantation festival woven around Rongali Bihu which marks the onset of the Assamese New Year and the coming of Spring! “Tree Bihu”, as the festival is being called, is a week long campaign from 13th to 20th April, 2011 wherein the general public is being motivated to plant at least one tree in the first week of the New Year! The campaign stands firm on the belief that planting a sapling on the auspicious occasion of Rongali Bihu will definitely boost the initiative of saving our environment from imminent degradation. The underlying objective of organizing “Tree Bihu” is to generate large-scale awareness among the masses and promoting afforestation and plantation activities.

This year is the second edition of “Tree Bihu” by the Ecotourism Society of NE India where over 80 volunteers traveled to different locations in the North East Region (NER) and also used new and social media to motivate local people to plant saplings, especially the ones that have good medicinal value. People were motivated to dress up in their traditional attire and carry out the plantation activity and also photo-document the same. The photographs were to be sent to the organizers to be used to inspiring others from around the world to celebrate Bihu in a similar manner. With all the existing beauty and charm of the Bihu festival, that welcomes the advent of nature in the purest form, where we hear the cuckoo and see new buds coming out of the trees, the element of ‘Tree Bihu’ only added to this splendid festival!

The festival of Bihu is closely associated with nature and it has also been this reason that the Ecotourism Society of North East India could not let the trees behind. When we celebrate “Manuh Bihu” and “Goru Bihu”, there is no reason that we should not celebrate “Tree Bihu” to plant and worship trees, which are critical in providing us so much. As the society gets more materialistic and self-involved, our association with nature is diminishing. The NER is an amazing green paradise which exists with a very close association with nature. However, the ‘western’ winds of this change towards a materialistic society are now blowing in several parts of the NER as well. It is very important that we preserve our roots and learn from them if the region has to grow higher and stronger. The ‘Tree Bihu’ festival is definitely another step in that direction and will go a long way in protecting and promoting environmental conservation in the North East.

Image courtesy Gautam Dutta

The Tangkhul Scholars’ Association (TSA), a Delhi based group working towards creating a platform to raise issues ranging from social to economic to political from academic point of view, is organising a one day seminar on “Land, Identity and Rights: the problem of tribal in Manipur”. The seminar is being organised on the 16th of April, 2011 at the Department of African Studies, University of Delhi.

The seminar aims to forge a holistic understanding of the inalienable nexus between tribal and their land, and their inter-dependency of identity and land. It also strives to bring in a new understanding of the problems of tribal in Manipur and their struggle for cultural and historical rights. The seminar  looks forward to disseminate ideas and gather information from different perspectives and outlook. Ever since the inception of the TSA, many scholars from within the Tangkhul community have been motivated to come forward and address various issues academically and help society see things from a broader perspective.

Date: 16 April, 2011 (Saturday)
Time: 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm
Venue: Dept. of African Studies, University of Delhi

The first part of the seminar will be chaired by A.C. Kharingpam and Ramathot Khongreiwo of the Department of History, Laxmi Bai College, University of Delhi will present a talk on “Pre- Colonial warfare and notions of territory : Re-examining multiple claims in Manipur”. The seminar will include topics like “Ritualistic regulation of relationship between community and land among the Tangkhul Nagas” and “Historical and sociological justification for land rights”. Dr. Shimreiwung, JNU and Mes Jajo, Deptt. Of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia will discuss these topics respectively. Dr.Yaruingam, Deptt. Of African Studies who is also the President of the TSA will chair the second session.

Panos Institute South Asia’s RELAY programme invites print/web and television journalists to apply for the ‘Reporting research media fellowship programme’ on dams and development in Northeast India. Three print/web and one television fellowship will be awarded to candidates who regularly contribute to media in Northeast India and are willing to write/ produce media outputs based on collaboration with research or researchers and primary field trips in the Northeast.

The Fellowship will run from May to September 2011. Each fellow will be provided with editorial support by an advisory panel comprising senior journalists and editors and ‘paired’ with research/ers appropriate to developing their features or op-eds. Based on their researchers and primary field trips, selected fellows must produce:

1. Three 1000-1200 word features or op-ed (for print/web) and up to 15-20minute broadcast piece (For television) to be published/ broadcast before October 2011.
2. A ‘learning report’ at the end of the process documenting what they did for their fellowships and the contacts they made, and reflecting on what went well, what was challenging, and how they intend to use and build on the fellowship experience in the future.

Applicants must submit the following no later than April 20, 2011:

• A cover letter outlining motivation and suitability for the Fellowship (not exceeding 500 words in English)
• A draft proposal/story idea for the feature or op-ed (500 words max) including indicative budget for study visit/ travel
• Curriculum vitae
• Between one to three samples of published/ broadcasted/ webcasted work on the proposed theme or another theme where research/experts have been used as a source
• Two references from persons who have known the applicant professionally for at least one year

This fellowship is open only to people who would write media outputs based on collaboration with research or researchers and primary field trips in the Northeast. Women journalists writing in local languages and persons from under-represented areas are encouraged to apply. There is a stipend associated with the fellowship. Pasos South Asia will be offering INR 50,000/- to the print/ web fellowship and around INR 1,00,000/-  for the television fellowship for a period of five months.

Please mail all relevant documentation marked “Media Fellowships” latest by April 20, 2011 to guwahati@panossouthasia.org or send it to:

Programme Manager,
Panos Institute South Asia,
110 Kharghuli Road,
Guwahati 781004 (Assam)

Image by Lingaraj G J via Flickr over Creative Commons

Landslide near Kalijhorra picnic spot in Sikkim

Effective warning systems and adequate preparedness to mitigate disaster events is critical to the survival and sustainability of any nation today. The twin disasters, the earthquake followed by the catastrophic tsunami in Japan last month, is an example of how even the best of technology cannot withstand nature’s fury. The quake measuring 8.9-magnitude was the fifth-largest in the world since 1900 and the tsunami which followed caused large-scale impacts. The nuclear reactors that were damaged by the tsunami are still a threat to the people living around it. Its impacts may remain for long and could even reach other parts of the world.

With respect to the North East region (NER), history has recorded two major earthquakes viz. the 8.7 earthquake of 12 June 1897 in the Shillong plateau and Independence Day earthquake of 1950 of the same magnitude on the Tibet-Arunachal border. The 1897 earthquake had killed 1,540 persons, injured a lot many others and damaged huge property. The 1950 earthquake killed over 1,500 people and triggered a large number of landslides that dammed many tributaries of Brahmaputra River. This changed the course of the river which has had a long-term impact on the environment and livelihood of the people of the region felt even today. It is perhaps for this reason that even today, a small faith induced earthquake forewarning is given more than needed attention.

In order to sensitize the policy makers of the NER about the natural ‘time bomb’ on which the geology, geomorphology and geography of the region are embedded, the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority, the North Eastern Council (NEC) and the Government of Assam recently organized a National Workshop on “Earthquake Risk Mitigation Strategy in the North East” on 24-25 February 2011 at Guwahati. “It brought together some of the most reputed experts who have devoted their life and career in understanding the hazards of earthquakes in the region to interact with the policy makers, jointly identify the strategic issues and develop a road map for earthquake risk mitigation and preparedness for the region”, informed P.G. Dhar Chakrabarti, Executive Director, NIDM.

The Workshop was inaugurated by Shri Tarun Gogoi, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam. P. Chidambaram, the Union Home Minister also extended his support and had this to say about the workshop, “This is a welcome initiative as this region has witnessed several earthquakes and the seismologists have been warning of the recurrence of such earthquakes in future. It is expected that the workshop would bring together reputed experts on earthquakes in the region to interact with policy makers and administrators and develop a road map for earthquake risk mitigation and preparedness for the region.”

The workshop discussed the need for a more focused, sustained and time bound multidisciplinary research agenda and provisions of state-of-art infrastructure and necessary investments for pursuing the agendas under expert supervisions. The workshop made some important recommendations such as coordination of earthquake hazard assessment studies, upgradation of seismic monitoring facilities, seismic microzonation, and assessment of vulnerable structures. The NEC is in the process of developing a Regional Framework of Disaster Management. The council has also initiated the setting up of a North East Regional Disaster Management Decision Support Centre.

“The sharp contrast between the lives lost in two recent (2010) comparable earthquakes, one in Haiti and the other in Chile, has vividly highlighted the heavy cost of delay in preparedness in terms of heavy loss of invaluable lives and valuable property. The lesson should not be lost upon us”, declared P.P. Shrivastav, member of the NEC. All said and planned, it is the political will to implement that will bring a change and save many lives from falling prey to disaster. The issue of installing mega dams in the seismically active NER (especially Arunachal) unfortunately did not get much attention in the recent elections in downstream Assam. Another Japan may already be in the making and the challenge is to overcome unplanned development  and become a better example to a world threatened by known and unknown disasters.

With inputs from Govind Singh | Image by Pragya Lama