IMPHAL, April 9 : The Manipuri Students Federation, MSF, has demanded that RK Jhalajit's work 'Manipur from 1508 to 1709' which has been prescribed as a textbook for class XI under the council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur should immediately be withdrawn, and an alternative textbook prescribed. The student body, in an application to the chairman of the council, contended that the textbook contained several controversial and misleading statements which are contrary to known fact, and the authenticated verdicts of scholars of repute. Among other examples, the federation cited Jhalajit's statement on page 4 of the book which says: "Manipur has always been a part of India, it is the eastern frontier of India. Culturally, from about 300 BC, upto the present time, it has been in close contact with the rest of the country..."The MSF pointed out that the author does not refer to any authenticated document to back up this statement. Rather, it said, it is against the authenticated verdict of renowned historians, including Sir Monier Williams, Edward Gait and RC Majumdar. The MSF also objected to Jhalajit's assertion that the Surma mentioned by Panini in his famous grammar is 'as it were, the western gate of Manipur' on page 4 of his book. Citing Jawaharlal Nehru's 'In the Surma Valley', the student body pointed out that it has been clearly established that the Surma is in modern Bangladesh, and nowhere near the boundary of modem anipur.The student body also found fault with Jhalajit's assertion that the modem Manipur is the Manipur mentioned in epic Mahabharat, holding that his statements in this respect were directly contradictory to authenticated documents and tends to seriously misguide the students for whom the book is prescribed. Citing historical documents and the works of renown Indian and international scholars, the MSF pointed out that Manipur was called by that name only in the 18th century, and is not included in the boundary of 'Bharat' in the epic age. Historical texts, and the works of renowned scholars also show clearly that the Manipur of the Mahabharata was a small kingdom in Kalinga (Orissa). Further, the MSF maintained that Jhalajit's assertion that 'the history of Manipur is a piece in the mosaic of Indian history and must be viewed against the background of Indian history' was misleading and contradicted the 'unchallenged fact' that the history of Manipur must be viewed in the back ground of South east Asian history in the ancient and medieval periods. It held that it was only in the modem period that Manipuri history can be viewed in the context of Indian history. The MSF in addition objected to Jhalajit's giving many unauthenticated Sanskrit names to the ancient kings of Manipur, of which there are no references in the royal chronicles and records, including the Cheitharol Kumbaba, Ningthourol Singkak, Meihouron, Ningthourol Lambuba and others. The MSF has also raised objections to the use by private schools and mission schools of textbooks, particularly in social studies, which contains no reference to regional environment of Manipur. Pointing out that under the guidelines of the national education policy, such textbooks should have at least 33% regional content, pertaining to the state concerned, the student federation has urged the director, education (S) to instruct the recognised private schools in Manipur to prescribe such textbooks from the 2001 session, failing which their recognition should be revoked. (Imphal Free Press; Imphal; April 10, 2000)

TEZPUR, April 16: Relics of a palace dating back to 6th century AD was discovered by the villagers of Tarazan-Kumargaon near Tezpur while digging soil at the historic Gardhal site. Hundreds of people are daily thronging the site to have a glimpse of the ancient relics of the building built of bricks situated under Tezpur cadastral village which is believed to have gone under the earth. The entire dilapidated building which appears to be surrounded by brick walls, looks like a fort and is believed to be of Salstambha dynasty. However, historian Satish Bhattacharyya who is doing research on the relics scattered in and around Tezpur is yet to form any opinion about the new discoveries but added that the entire area gives a clue of the ancient civilisation. He recommended immediate preservation of the same through scientific excavation. Meanwhile, local people have sought the intervention of the deputy Commissioner, Naba Kumar Chetia, for the immediate protection of the site by way of prohibitory order so that the site may not be damaged. Official sources said that an extra assistant commissioner has been deputed by the district administration to file a report. Surprisingly, no scientific study has ever been carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India on Tezpur despite the fact that this city possesses a treasure of annals and antiquities. The last studies were carried out in 1930 and 1950 by KL Barua and PC Choudhury respectively. Since then there has been very little progress. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; April 17, 2000)

GUWAHATI, April 19: The much awaited expansion of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) has failed to take off as a large number of encroachers have filed cases in the court against the eviction drive by the park authority in notified areas. Many of these cases are still pending in the court. Last year the government notified six areas as additions to the present KNP area spreading over 430 sq km for expansion of the nationalised park. The park director, BS Bonal, told this reporter recently that there are quite a good number of encroachers in those six additions notified by the government. As soon as the KNP authority tried to evict those people from the notified areas, the latter went to court to file case against the eviction drive. Regarding eviction bid in the addition No. 6 along the Brahmaputra Chapori, which is inhabited by large number of encroachers, the director informed that the High court gave a verdict in favour of the authority dismissing appeals of encroachers in May 1999. In pursuance of the High court verdict eviction was carried out in certain areas in addition No. 6. But again another section of people went to the High court and got a stay order against the eviction. Pertaining to that case eviction process has been stopped by the KNP authority. In some cases lukewarm response from the district authority is also hampering the expansion of the park area. In relation to addition No. 1 in Burapahar area, the director informed that the villagers after receiving compensation left the area. Encroachers were also evicted way back in 1996-97. But the grazers' association which was occupying dag No. 11 in the area filed a case in the High court against the eviction bid in 1996. The court disposed off the case in the same year giving the responsibility of eviction to the deputy commissioner of Nagaon. The KNP authority substantially informed the deputy commissioner abut the court directive and requested action to clear Burapahar area of gazers to pave way for expansion of the national park. The director said, "when all these six additions will be cleared of encroachment, the area for movement of animals in the park will be doubled. The park animals will then get corridors for migration to Karbi Anglong hills during flood." (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; April 20, 2000)

GUWAHATI, April 19: Functioning of the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been affected for the past six months due to absence of it's chairperson on health grounds. Present chairperson SN Bhargava, a former chief justice of Sikkim High court has been on leave since October 13 last year. Inquiries at the AHRC office revealed that Bhargava is an asthma patient at Jaipur and has been advised by doctors to avoid visiting the humid climate of the Northeast. Bhargava's absence has resulted in several important cases getting delayed and there is no full bench decision on many cases. Such cases include cases of custodial death, rape and various other incidents of human rights violations. A prominent case among them is the custodial death case of Bircha Kharia of Laopanigaon of Tinsukia district in December 1998. According to the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, a full bench comprises the chairperson and two other members. (Correspondent; The Hindustan Times; New Delhi; April 20, 2000)

JORHAT, April 19: The Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, situated a few kilometres from is known for its unique flora and fauna . However, now the sanctuary is facing a number of problems including encroachment of land, illegal felling of trees, depletion of endangered species. Although officials sources put the blame on the scarcity of staff, it is not entirely so. For, the existing staff are also not well trained and equipped. Winter compounds the problem of the sanctuary officials. Since, this a time when animals have to face acute dearth of water and food. There has been instances when monkeys sneaked into the houses of the forest officials to quench their thirst. and satisfy their hunger. Residents of the area also complain that they could not grow any vegetables in the garden because of the havoc of animals. Sources, further added though cutting of trees has been banned a long time back, it continues unabashedly in this sanctuary. Last year a number of trees were cut . However, till now no steps has been initiated to curb this illegal exercise. Not only this, officials inform that two Calcutta based tea garden encroached a few hectares of land belonging to the sanctuary some time back. To stop further encroachment of land a joint operation was conducted by the police and forest officials for the purpose of evicting the Nagas at Tiru hill reserve forest of Assam. Sources further said that villagers living in the vicinity have time and again complained against the havoc the wild elephants of the sanctuary create destroying life, property and crops. So frustrated they have become that they have given up growing paddy, vegetables or fruits and has started cultivating tea. (Correspondent; The Northeast Daily; Guwahati; April 19, 2000)

SHILLONG, April 19: Orchids from the Northeast may be sold in the international market in the coming years. According to a study, the tremendous export potential for orchids, particularly cymbidium, in the region could translate into a commercially viable enterprise. A group of floriculturists visited the region recently as part of the UNDP-sponsored 'Preparatory study' being implemented by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority. The visiting team, led by renowned floriculture scientist NK Dadlani of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and also former director of Horticulture, government of India, included I Irulappan (Natural Synergies, Chennai), Arvind Risbud (ministry of civil aviation), DK Saikia (India Carbon Limited, Guwahati), Vinod Kaul and Bidut Baruah (both APEDA). Last year, the team visited Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Shillong and Assam. A draft project was awaited based on their study, North Eastern Council sources said. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; April 21, 2000)

UDALGURI, April 20: The one-horned rhino, found only in Assam, is now on the verge of extinction at the Rajiv Gandhi sanctuary in Orang mainly due to poaching and harmful activities by encroachers. According to a census conducted in 1991, there were 100 rhinos in the sanctuary but during the census conducted in 1994-95, the Forest department found only 52 rhinos. This downward graph indicates that population of rhinos decreased by 48 in four years. Sources said that illegal encroachment and poaching are main causes behind the rapid fall in the rhino population. The sources disclosed before mediapersons that a total of 18 rhinos died of natural diseases whereas more than four rhinos were killed by poachers in 1995 and there are less than 30 rhinos in the sanctuary now. According to available information, 160 one-horned rhinos, 16 wild elephants, more than 10 leopards, more than 1000 dear and many other valuable and rare species of birds have been killed by illegal encroachers and poachers in the sanctuary till now. Some anti-social elements have been selling venison openly in the markets at Dalgaon, Barchola and Rowta. The Orang sanctuary was first known as 'deer forest' among the local people. It was declared sanctuary in 1985 and in 1991, the sanctuary was named after Rajiv Gandhi by the then Chief Minister late Hiteswar Saikia. Even though the sanctuary has attained national status, almost nothing has been done to develop it. Instead, the sanctuary has become a haven for insurgent outfits, illegal encroachers and poachers. The valuable and beautiful flora and fauna of the sanctuary are rapidly decreasing, but the government has so far remained inactive. Meanwhile, the Orang Press Club submitted copies of a memorandum to the President of India and other concerned authorities demanding of them to free the sanctuary from the clutches of illegal Bangladeshi migrants, illegal encroachers and poachers. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; April 21, 2000)

NAGAON, April 20: Two major Bengali student organisations - the All Assam Bengali Yuba Chatra Parishad and the All Assam Bengali Yuva Chatra Federation - have appealed to the Bengalis in the state to declare Assamese as their mother tongue during the current census. The two student organisations also vowed to jointly fight against fundamentalist forces operating in the state and work for safeguarding the indigenous culture, language and heritage of Assam. Addressing a function organised on the occasion of Rongali Bihu at Teliapatty near here Chatra Parishad general secretary, Chitta Paul stated that they should be vigilant so that the indigenous people of the state did not become minorities. The process must be set in motion immediately so that such a situation did not arise, he said. He also appealed to the people to fight against the evil designs of vested interests attempting to drive a wedge between the Assamese and the Bengalis in the state. Speaking at the function, the All Assam Bengali Yuva Chatra Federation general secretary also underlined the need for a concentrated effort from the indigenous people to ensure that Assam was not divided on communal lines. Asam Sahitya Sabha president, Chandra Prasad Saikia, who attended the function as chief guest, appreciated the appeals made by various Bengali leaders for amity and joint effort in the interest of the greater Assamese society. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; April 21, 2000)

NEW DELHI, April 21 - The Northeast will be considered for establishing an embryo transfer centre subject to more fund allocation and expansion of the proposed network of 10 centres, Agriculture minister Sundar Lal Patwa said on Thursday. Replying to supplementaries in the upper House, Patwa said total fund allocated for setting up 10 centres during the current fiscal was Rs 2.4 crore. Assam Agriculture University (AAU) was not considered for inclusion in the scheme by a specialised committee of the Eighth Plan which had worked out the modalities. Whenever a new centre is proposed, AAU would be considered, he added. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; April 23, 2000)

IMPHAL, April 24: The Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament Humayun Rashid Choudhury has stated that Manipuri language will soon be introduced at the primary level in Bangladesh, a late report received here said yesterday. Addressing the inaugural function of the silver jubilee celebration of the Bangladesh Manipuri Sahitya Sansad as the chief guest at Sylhet on April 7, the Speaker said Manipuri language will soon be taught at the primary level and steps would be taken to introduce the language up to the Viswavidyalaya standard. He also assured that a Manipuri cell would be opened at the Bangla Academy. The director-general of the Bangla Academy, Sayeed Anwar Hussain and Prof Kunjamohan who had gone to Sylhet to attend the silver jubilee celebrations said that a Manipuri cultural institute will shortly come up at Sylhet. Hussain said that the Bangladesh government has agreed to the proposal to set up the institute and only the official procedure needs to be taken up. Prof Kunjamohan, who had gone to attend the celebration on behalf of the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, was accompanied by Bhanumati Devi and Sorojini Devi. The silver jubilee celebration was held at Sylhet from April 7 to 8. A huge rally was taken out on the opening day of the celebration. Many non-Manipuris, including Bengalis, took part in the rally. Many eminent personalities of Bangladesh attended the celebrations. A Kabi Sammelan was also held during the celebrations. Noted Bangladesh poet Dilawar and Manipuri poet Padmani Devi attended the sammelan as chief guest and president respectively. Manipuri and Bangla poets recited their works during the sammelan. Cultural troups from Sylhet and other places regaled the gathering with dance and songs. (The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; April 25, 2000)

GUWAHATI, April 28: Assam has reported 295 cases of HIV positive and 83 cases of AIDS so far according to the state AIDS Control Society (SACS). Thirteen cases of AIDS have been detected this year till March of which 12 are male and one female, the additional director of SACS PC Mishra said at a workshop on media planning on HIV-AIDS organised by the UNICEF here on Thursday. He said 69.01 per cent of the cases are sexually transmitted, 25.37 per cent caused by intravenous drug use, 4.48 per cent by pre-natal means and 2.8 per cent by other means. Presenting the national media initiative on HIV-AIDS, Doris Grote, of the UNICEF said, though the prevalent level of HIV was still low in India, the number of infected individuals, however, was extremely high. Data from Sentinel Surveillance point to a rapid growth of the epidemic in the southern and western parts of India with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka overtaking Tamil Nadu to join Maharasthra as states with the highest prevalence of HIV, she said. "A distinct but continuing epidemic amongst injecting drug users in Manipur risks spreading to neighbouring states of the Northeast and major metropolitan centres, she said. Gote further said that the pattern of HIV shifting toward young people and towards women with over 50 per cent of all new infection taking place among young adults below 25 years and approximately 25 per cent of all HIV infection in India are amongst women. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; April 29, 2000)

GUWAHATI, April 29: Preparations for centenary celebrations of the Cotton College are going on in full swing, according to Mahfuza Rahman, secretary of the Alumni Association of Cotton College Centenary Celebration Committee. An Alumini Association was formed recently with the following office-bearers: president - Anil Goswami; working president -Muktideb Choudhury; general secretary - Mahfuza Rahman and treasurer - Biswajeet Bhagawati. The first executive committee meeting of the Association held recently at Sudmersen Hall of the college discussed the aims and objectives of the Association. The meeting decided that the Association will extend all support to the celebrations. It has also been decided that the Alumni Association will act as a permanent body whose aim would be to maintain strong links with its alma mater and its all-round development. The Association has also decided to hold a cultural function by old Cottonians on May 27 as a part of the 99th anniversary of Cotton College on this date. The Association will also hold number of informal meets of past Cottonians in phases beginning with Cottonians who passed out since 1901 to 2000. The secretary has requested ex-Cottonians to enrol themselves as the members of the association. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; May 1, 2000)

GUWAHATI, April 30: Non-bailable warrants were issued against the editor, the executive editor and the publisher of Amar Asom, a local Assamese daily, by the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup, yesterday after hearing a defamation case filed by the noted filmmaker Jahnu Barua for a report published in the daily on November 24 last year, under the caption "Illegal encroachment of tomb" by Barua, says a release. (Staff Reporter; The Sentinel; Guwahati; May 1, 2000)

GUWAHATI, April 30 (UNI): He is not one to let the ordeals of life bother him. A former Joint Director, department of Social Welfare, Assam, is busy charting new direction as the regional manager of the Action Aid. But he is blind. Not that it has been an hindrance to him in any way. Rather he has taken the disability in his stride and crossed one hurdle after the other. Pincha's story may read like a fairy tale. He came to Jorhat in Assam after completing his schooling from Churu in Rajasthan and went on to become a postgraduate in Economics, then a lawyer and finally opening the Jorhat Blind Institution where he had been the principal for 19 years. Pincha, who has taken a lien from the state government after putting in 22 years of service to work for the Action Aid, has his action plan ready to work in the Northeast. "Although disability is one component of the entire Action Aid programme, we hope to make a detailed study of the disabled of the region initially, but there has never been a study on those lines," Pincha said. Despite being a government servant for more than two decades, his fight with the government for the rights of the disabled is legendary. When he was deprived professionally, he went to court and won a favourable judgement which saw him to the post of joint director, directorate of social welfare. But his ability to handle all kinds of problems in a huge department like Social Welfare, where he was also the acting director for some time, fetched him the best visually handicapped employees award from the President in 1998. However, his frustration is growing. Although the country has more than seven crore disabled persons, there has been visible lack of political will to help the disabled. The disabled are not organised and we do not constitute a political threat, he said. He is of the view that a large section of the bureaucracy is insensitive to the disabled persons. He was denied personal assistance despite being the senior-most officer of the department. (UNI; The Sentinel; Guwahati; May 1, 2000)