Barak Valley students’ memo to Mizo CM

KARIMGANJ, Sept 26 – The ACKHSA and MYSA have submitted a memorandum to Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla demanding protection of non-Mizo people residing in the State of Mizoram.

The memorandum informed the Chief Minister that non-Mizo people who are living in Mizoram for last 40 years are being harassed by some NGOs like Young Mizo Association, Mizoram Business Organisation, etc. In view of developing situation in Mizoram, ACKHSA and MYSA sought protection of non-Mizo and urge the Chief Minister to take effective steps to restore normalcy in the State so that victims of physical and mental torture can resume their business and sundry works.

The student organisations also requested the Chief Minister to see that trade licences and inner line permit of non-Mizo, which have been snatched away, are returned soon and that adequate security is provided to them.

Mizoram sympathises with Sikkim quake victims

Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla today expressed his sympathy to the people of Sikkim affected by the devastating earthquake that rocked the Himalayan state on Sunday. In a letter to his Sikkim counterpart Pawan Kumar Chamling, Lal Thanhawla said he was deeply saddened by the loss of lives and damage to property that the recent earthquake had caused. He hoped that under his (Chamling s) Chief Ministership, rescue and rehabilitation process would go on unabated. Mr Lal Thanhawla pointed out that the Mizos sympathised with the quake-affected people and were willing to extend all possible help to them.

Mizoram cm extends helping hand to quake-hit Sikkim

Aizawl, Sep 23 (PTI) Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla today sent a letter to his Sikkim counterpart Pawan Kumar Chamling extending all possible help to the people of Sikkim and condoling the deaths due to sunday's powerful earthquake. In his letter, Lal Thanhawla expressed his condolences for those who had lost their loved ones in the quake and said that rescue work would be carried on smoothly under the able leadership and guidance of Chamling. The Mizoram chief minister also said that the state government and the people of Mizoram were ready to render any assistance possible for the people of Sikkim.

One dies in Mizoram landslides

Aizawl, Sep 22 : At least one person was killed, several houses damaged and many roads blocked following incessant heavy downpour since yesterday.

A heavy mudslide buried two of three villagers who were on their way back home after collecting crabs.

Official sources said Zarzosanga, who was spared by the mudslide, managed to pull out one of his friends Hruaitluanga from the mounds of mud. Their friend Lawmvela, who hailed from Parbung village in Manipur, remained buried in the mud.

Leaving the seriously injured Hruaitluanga behind, Zarzosanga rushed to their village Sailutar (in Serchhip district) and sought the help of the villagers. After working for the whole night, the villagers retrieved the body today, the sources said.

IIMCs to award degrees

New Delhi, Sept 21 (PTI) Government is working towards upgrading Indian Institute of Mass Communication to award degrees and a draft Bill is being finalised in this regard, a top official of Information and Broadcasting Ministry said today."A draft Bill is being finalised so that it can be presented before Parliament and enacted at the earliest so that IIMC is empowered to grant degrees," I&B Secretary Raghu Menon said.Speaking at the IIMC's 44th convocation function here which saw 318 students being conferred PG diplomas in journalism and advertisement and public relations, he said government is in discussion with the state governments of Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala for opening regional centres of IIMC.Two new regional centres of IIMC at Aizawl, Mizoram and Amravati in Maharashtra have started functioning from this academic year.They are at present functioning from temporary campuses provided to IIMC by Mizoram University and the Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University but the Institute will be going ahead with the construction of its own permanent campuses at these places, for which land has been identified, he said.Menon said the Indian media and entertainment industry, which is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, is registering a positive growth after a slowdown during the global recession.23 students of PG diploma courses 2010-11 in Hindi, English, Oriya, radio and TV journalism and advertisement and public relations were also given awards on the occasion.

Deepak Sura steals the show

The Services Sports Control Board boxers contested nine of the 13 finals spread across various weight categories and won eight titles, their only loss coming in the 70 kg final. Over to Nandakumar Marar.

SSCB's Manjeet (right) lands a punch on Neeraj (Chandigarh) in the final of the 63 kg category. Manjeet won the bout on points.
Mizoram's Lal Dinmawia (bantam weight) received the Best Boxer award, while Maharashtra's Kallicharan Kharare (feather weight) was named the ‘Best Loser' as the under-16 boys from Haryana, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh vied for top honours with the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) pugilists in the 27th National Junior Championships recently.
SSCB contested nine of the 13 finals spread across various weight categories at the Balewadi indoor stadium in Pune and won eight titles, its only loss coming in the 70 kg final, where Deepak Kadian went down to Deepak Sura of Haryana on points (13-15).
SSCB's champions were Ankur Banswal (46 kg), P. L. Prasad (48 kg), Naveen Kumar (50 kg), Sandeep Badri (52 kg), Manjeet (63 kg), C. Dadu Singh (6 kg), Sandeep Sharma (75 kg) and K. N. S. Rathore (80+ kg).
Deepak Sura gave up cricket to become a boxer upon watching the action from the ringside for the first time. According to his father Sukhbag Sura, Deepak took to boxing when he was in Standard IX and he hopes to represent India in major championships some day. “My role is to provide Deepak the backup; he has to do all the punching,” added Sukhbag.
With Akhil Kumar and Vijender Singh as their icons, the kids in Bhiwani and Sonepat are now familiar with boxing. Deepak enrolled himself in the Universal Boxing Academy in Hissar to further his career in the sport under coach Rajesh Sheoran.
That Deepak chose boxing ahead of cricket — which offers a lucrative career — does not bother Sukhbag. “Children today have many choices. There is money in cricket, but money isn't everything. If boxing continues to fascinate Deepak, he may end up realising his dream of representing India one day. The prestige associated with boxing in India is more valued in our society,” he explained.
SSCB's C. Dadu Singh (welterweight champion) initially faced some resistance at home for choosing boxing. “My father felt boxing was dangerous for children and he asked me to think again (over my decision),” said the Manipur lad, who played football and trained in judo like most kids from the north-east.
“The army unit I joined had facilities for boxing,” said Dadu Singh, a trainee at the Army Sports Institute (Pune). He underlined his dominance in the ring in Balewadi, unleashing a flurry of punches to his opponent Akshay Rawal's head in the 66 kg final before the referee stopped the contest.
Dinmawia is a good example of the natural boxing talent available in the north-east. Four other boxers from Mizoram — N. Lalbiakkima, Ronusanga, C. Lalchhanthuanga and Lalramtana — won bronze medals in the championship after entering the semifinals.
The Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) is attempting to spread its target area by planning coaching clinics in states on a zonal basis.
“India's first world champion, Zoram Thanga, was from Mizoram. The performances of the Mizo youngsters are due to the work done by the Sports Authority of India centres there. We want to assist the state coaches, update techniques and prepare better teams by conducting zonal clinics,” informed Brig Muralidharan Raja, Secretary-General of IABF.
“We are trying to involve the National coach, G. S. Sandhu, now part of the AIBA Coaches Commission, and the Cuban coach, B. I. Fernandez, in the zonal clinics that are being planned,” he added.

THE RESULTS (FINALS)
46 kg: Ankur Banswal (SSCB) bt Amit Pangal (Haryana) 11-4
48 kg: P. L. Prasad (SSCB) bt K. Shyam Kumar (AP) 16-10
50 kg: Naveen Kumar (SSCB) bt Rakesh (Haryana) 10-6
52 kg: Sandeep Badri (SSCB) bt A. Silambarasan (TN) 11-7
54 kg: Lal Dinmawia (Mizoram) bt Arun (Uttarakhand) 17-8
57 kg: Deepak Pahal (Haryana) bt Kallicharan Kharare (Maharashtra) 9-8
60 kg: Sukhdev (MP) bt Sanjay Thapa (Uttarakhand) 8-7
63 kg: Manjeet (SSCB) bt Neeraj (Chandigarh) 10-9
66 kg: C. Dadu Singh (SSCB) bt Akshay Rawal (Uttarakhand) RSC
70 kg: Deepak Sura (Haryana) bt Deepak Kadian (SSCB) 15-13
75 kg: Sandeep Sharma (SSCB) bt Deepak Sheron (Haryana) 9-2
80 kg: Gurwinder Singh (Punjab) bt Jay Sayena (Uttarakhand) 18-11
80+ kg: K. Navneet Singh Rathore (SSCB) bt Rishabh Purohit (MP)

Chin Refugees Robbed, Their Shelter Burnt Down in Malaysia

Kampar, Malaysia (Source: Google Map)
11 September 2011: A group of six Chin refugees working in a farm were robbed in their sleep by a gang of 'unknown' thugs in Kampar, Perak State of Malaysia in the early morning of last Monday.
The Chins, Bawi Thang from Matupi, Ling Bu, Näng Khäng, Ling Ling, Bawi Näng and Zo Hlei Thang from Mizo Community, were forced to sit down and threatened to give all their belongings by a group of thugs with weapons, according to one of the victims.
"The door was knocked in the middle of the night, and we thought it was the Malaysian authority on patrol trying to arrest us. On answering, one of our friends was beaten up with hoes," one of the victims told the Voice of Chin Refugees.
The victim said four of them managed to escape and run away while the thugs were busy shouting at and beating up Niang Khaing inside their shelter.
A total amount of 250 Malaysian Ringgits and mobile phones were taken away, according to the victim, who is currently living with one of the Matu Community leaders in Kuala Lumpur.
Later in the morning, their shelter, farm tractor and other vehicles belonging to their employer were set on fire.
The Malaysian police are known to be investigating the incident after their employer made a report to the authority.
One of the Chin community leaders said the Chin refugee men are physically in good health but still mentally distressed and tired.