The decision was taken at a meeting called by Higher and Technical Education Minister Robert G Lyngdoh here on Thursday. Senior officials of Education Department and MBoSE were present at the meeting.

"Since we have developed our own textbooks for students from Class I to XII, the parents should wait till the first week of February for the list of textbooks. They should not rush to buy textbooks which are not prescribed by us," MBoSE executive chairman Tony Travert C Marak told The Shillong Times here on Friday.

In conformity with National Curriculum of Framework 2005, a thorough revision of the curriculum for classes from I to XII was done in coordination with the Directorate of Educational Research and Training to bring the State on a par with the rest of the country, Mr Marak said.

Stating that there would be no further change of textbooks for the next five years, Mr Marak said prices of textbooks developed by MBoSE had been fixed following proper procedure.

"We have fixed the best minimum price possible based on the quality, content and number of pages of a textbook," Mr Marak said, claiming that there had been an improvement in quality and content of textbooks as compared to those used earlier.

He also said discount to booksellers was fixed at a minimum of 15 per cent.

On the alleged frequent change of curriculum and textbooks, Mr Marak clarified that MBoSE had so far followed NCERT syllabus and when there was any change of NCERT syllabus, the textbooks had to be changed.

"Change of NCERT books also affected MBoSE students in another way as the books were only made available by May or June at the beginning of CBSE academic year. This is different from MBoSE academic year which starts in February. Therefore, the new books would not be available till May or June," he added.

The MBoSE official said NCERT textbooks did not cover certain issues pertaining to the State in subjects like Social Studies and others. Moreover, they were not available in the market in sufficient numbers on a regular basis.

According to Mr Marak, booksellers in the State used to push for books which were not officially approved by MBoSE. He said most publishers mentioned the name of MBoSE at the covers of textbooks to dupe innocent parents and students.

This practice was followed by booksellers as they got higher percentage of discount from publishers in connivance with school authorities, he alleged.

Shillong: Ascribe it to global warming or the congested concrete jungle that Shillong has turned into today, this winter has so far been anything but ferocious and biting.

Nearly half the winter is gone, yet the Shillongites haven't seen the dreaded side of it. The familiar facets of winter, like frost-covered meadows, overcast sky during the daytime and dipping mercury column, have somehow eluded Shillong.

Days have been exceptionally sunny with clear blue sky all through. As an added bonus, most nights have seen an overcast sky thereby adding to the comfort level.

The minimum temperature has been hovering around a tolerable 6° Celsius, while the maximum has been a pleasant 16° Celsius or thereabout. "This has been a dream winter thus far", said a senior citizen.

The million dollar question is, will the remaining half be as benign?

Tough question to answer. But given the past experience, it would be fair to expect a "parting kick" from winter this time as well.

There is no firm word from people in the Met Department. But come a shower or two, things would dramatically change and send Shillongites scampering for fortification from cold. No doubt, everybody will be keeping their fingers crossed for an uncharacteristic, tolerable winter - never mind global warming for now!

SHILLONG: Former Chief Minister JD Rymbai on Friday took a potshot at Congress for failing to fulfil the aspirations of people of the State. He said Meghalaya wanted a change in governance and that regional parties, specially UDP, could work towards that goal.

Talking to reporters after formally joining UDP on Friday, Mr Rymbai said people of Meghalaya wanted a change in the State as Congress had not been able to fulfil their aspirations.

Reacting to Chief Minister DD Lapang's recent statement that regional parties were limited up to Khanapara, Mr Rymbai said if Congress and other national parties had such thinking "they should not have crossed Khanapara to enter the political scene of the State."

"People of the State are desirous of a change. That is why I have joined UDP," Mr Rymbai said, claiming that UDP had its own identity as a major political force in the State. Two MDP legislators Process T Sawkmie and DP Iangjuh also joined UDP along with the former Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, UDP president Dr Donkupar Roy announced that Mr Rymbai, Mr Sawkmie and Mr Iangjuh would be the party's candidates for Jirang, Mawlai and Mawsynram constituencies respectively. KHNAM leader Embhah Syiemlieh and Youth MDP president Rafael Massar also joined the party on Friday.

Shillong: Seeking to re-establish its withering impact on the people of the State, the HNLC has asked the State Government not to mislead the people in the name of "economic progress," while cautioning any individual or organisation against supporting the proposed uranium mining in the State for personal interests.

Stating that uranium was a natural resource and belonged to indigenous tribals of the State, HNLC in a statement issued here on Thursday said "the Central Government has no authority to decide on this matter."

"The HNLC will not respect any law passed by the Central Government or the Supreme Court if it is in conflict with the interests of local indigenous population of the State," the outfit said.

HNLC pointed out that the Government, in many cases, had claimed that the objective of setting up industries was to uplift the economy of the State and also to bring indirect benefits to local people.

"The end result is that no one has benefited from these industries -- neither the State nor the people," the HNLC said, adding that a lot of negative effects were noticed instead.

Referring to the recent decision of the Government to go for joint venture system with private companies on six major hydel power projects, HNLC alleged that this was another tactic adopted by the State Government to mislead people of the State and called upon all right-thinking citizens to stand up and fight against this "mischievous ploy" of the Government to fool the public.

Informing this at an orientation programme held at the NEC auditorium on Friday, the Controller General of Accounts VN Kaila said the Finance Commission has also released funds to the states to computerise their treasuries, after which they will be linked to a database while informing that some states had already computurised their treasuries with sound financial management system.

He pointed out that computerisation of the state treasuries would bring transparency on the flow of funds, both of the Centre and State schemes, and also check those leakages that were there before the set up of this new system.

"The accountability and transparency regarding the use of public resources and their mobilisation is not only of domestic importance, but is also vital for global investment choices. Every state should have automatic information to assist finance management," Kaila said.

The Controller General of Accounts felt that there is a need for dynamic interface of information exchange between the financial systems of Central and State governments as the institutional arrangements for accounting and information systems in India are slightly different at the Central and State levels due to which there is lack of commonality between the financial reporting systems of Central and State governments.

Moreover, he informed that the Controller General of Accounts under the Ministry of Finance has been entrusted with the responsibility of suggesting design of suitable Management Information and Decision Support System for all plan schemes of the Centre and the States that is based upon and generated from the accounting systems of Union and State governments and other agencies charged with plan implementation.

"This system would also provide online information on the flow of resource and Government finance and scheme implementing agencies up to the lowest level," Kaila said adding the system will also result in proper utilisation of public resources, avoidance of unlawful practices, increased public accountability and better tax compliance through a proper tax information network.

The 'outreach programme' on Integrated Financial Management Information Systems was organised by the Controller General of Accounts and Finance through its training wing the Institute of Government Accounts and Finance.

The meeting also elected the following as new office bearers - Andrew Jyrwa as president, Embhah Suiam and Sunil Nongkhlaw as vice presidents, Alex Dkhar as general secretary, Sudama Shah and Sunita Kharumnuid as assistant general secretary besides other secretaries.

It also nominated 18 executive members representing different localities under Laitumkhrah constituency.

It may be mentioned that Hujon has applied for a Lok Janshakti Party ticket to contest the Assembly elections from 22-Laban Constituency.

The recent electoral drubbing in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab has unnerved the Congress party. It is in a reformative mood to retrieve the lost ground and make the party relevant to the changing political equations in the country. It has recently constituted 13-member AICC committee-Group to Look into Future Challenges-which soon submit a report to the party president, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, with far-reaching recommendations aimed at rejuvenating the party from AICC and PCC down to DCC and panchayat and booth levels-by making the constitution and functioning of these party panels democratic by doing away with the age-old 'nomination raj', thrived on patronage system.

The AICC functionaries would like to even equate the ongoing Congress exercise to how the Labour Party had tried to reinvent itself when confronted by the Margaret Thatcher era, even though the circumstances and priorities of the British experiment were quite different.

The report will deal with the task of making the 'top-heavy' Congress system more sensitive to the challenges and aspirations on the grassroots level and will also try to make the candidates selection process for various elections more local-centric, based on organisational merits than the much abused loyalty quotient. In a way, the report will be an attempt to recognise the 'limits of the high command' and accept the importance of the long-neglected Congress foot-soldiers, shaping the destiny of the party.

The year ended with a successive fourth defeat in Gujarat. Not only did the party lose, it hardly dented the huge lead built up by Chief Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, who has been in campaign mode ever since the warning bell sounded in the last Lok Sabha poll where the Congress actually led in a majority of Assembly segments. In just 42 months Congress slipped from leading in 91 segments to winning just 61 seats in a 182-member House.

Even this pales in comparison with the scene that unfolded in Uttar Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi's campaign did little to retrieve his party's fortunes. It stayed in fourth place in a state that sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The clear mandate given to Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party saw her forge a new rainbow coalition cutting across traditional caste and communal divides. By the year end, she was busy taking her message to states in the west, north and south. Social harmony, not caste assertion, was her watchword.

This twin assault on the Congress from the chief opposition party, the BJP, and from the youngest but most dynamic of the all India parties, the BSP, is what will pose a challenge in the days ahead. Paradoxically, the coalition government itself looks a lot more stable. A revitalised Hindutva party will make the Left think twice about forcing a mid-term poll. But governmental stability may come at a cost if the chief political entity at the core of the alliance continues to be in disarray.

Drift, even more than internal strife, marks the Congress as it moves towards the last laps of the five year cycle of a government. In times past, it ran the country on its own. It was not constrained by allies. More than that, it had ideas aplenty about what to do when things looked awry.

Even prime ministers with a minority on the floor were able to prevail on their adversaries. Indira Gandhi did so in 1969-70 by changing the terms of the political debate. She took the plunge and dissolved the Lok Sabha ahead of schedule and secured a clear majority. P.V. Narasimha Rao ran a minority ministry for just over two years from mid-1991 on. Even though he led the party to a rout, he left an indelible imprint on the economic landscape.

The comparisons are misleading. In the past, the Congress never came to power with as thin a lead in the popular vote. Even adding up the vote share of all its allies, the United Progressive Alliance polled only 39.8 per cent of the popular vote in May 2004. It was ahead of the rival Vajpayee led alliance but only by a whisker. The gap was half of one per cent.

More crucial is another figure: the Congress was on its own larger than the Bharatiya Janata Party. But it only achieved this prize status by entering into pre-poll alliances with dominant regional players. In his incisive work, The Congress: Indira to Sonia, the veteran party watcher, Vijay Sanghvi, shows how the Congress won as few as 83 seats on its own.

A weak party at the apex could still have seized the political high ground and redefined the terms of the debate. This is precisely what Indira Gandhi did at the end of the Sixties. Confronted with a mutiny within and a unified Opposition without, she chose to redefine the contours of the battlefield. It is important to recall this was before there was any hint of a family-based succession system in the party. It was also at a time when most of today's regional parties barring those in Punjab and Tamil Nadu did not exist in any tangible shape or form.

Yet, there were other remarkable similarities of the political climate. The US was engaged then as now in a land war in Asia. Maoism was a major challenge in political as much as security terms. There was a spring in the step of the Jana Sangh which was a power sharer in several state governments. Rural India was in a state of ferment. The Dalit Panthers had caught the imagination of a new, militant generation among the Scheduled Castes. What Indira managed to do for a brief political moment was to pick an issue that combined substance with symbol? The abolition of poverty was not only a watchword to power but a means to capture the political imagination.

By comparison, it is the Congress and not the country that seems to have regressed in time. Rather than set an agenda, it has allowed itself to be guided by a bureaucratic approach to the task of winning the hearts of the common man and woman.

Economic growth means little when price rise puts cereals, and even more so pulses and cooking oil out of the reach for so many. The rural jobs scheme has no political back up to ensure it rebuilds loyalties on the ground. Rural uplift can mean little when the issues that afflict the farm sector merit little by way of concrete attention.

This gap is equally evident on the political front. As for the minorities, the rhetoric on riot victims in Gujarat is not matched by action in Maharashtra now under Congress rule for the better part of a decade. Backward Class aspirations were raised by hopes of reservation but have been dashed by a government unable to renounce, revise or stand up to its own plans.

To do this, it has to be seen to be sensitive to their day-to-day issues. Time is running out. The line of attack from the Hindutva or the Dalit-led party is no secret. Each will reach out in a manner that combines its core agenda with issues of concern to the aam admi. The economic plans and political work of the Congress had better match them on that score.

If one seeks to wrest power, the other hopes to undercut the Congress' historic coalition of the middle classes and the deprived sections.

No one should be under any illusion how high the stakes are. The Congress still has the advantage of the support of its allies and wary neutrality from the Left. Time will tell whether Sonia's Congress succeeds as Indira did in 1971, or, leads her party to a rout at the polls as Rajiv did in 1989. INAV

All the States and Union Territories are up in arms against an order of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Tejendra Khanna, last week. One, making carrying of identity cards mandatory for people in the Capital from January 15. Two, requiring people with driving licences from other States to get them revalidated in Delhi. Little did Khanna realise that his well-intentioned order designed to "step up security in the wake of recent terror attacks" would snowball into a major controversy. Wherein faced with an angry backlash from various Chief Ministers, he was forced to beat a hasty retreat. A livid Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar termed the move as "unconstitutional and anti-Biharis" as they comprised almost a third of Delhi's total population together with the people hailing from eastern UP. Similar anger was expressed by the BJP, JD, BJD and UP's Mayawati who called it "anti-Dalit" and used it to up the ante against the Congress. True, Delhi's Lt Governor may have been forced to backtrack on his ID cards order. Nevertheless, he has once again spotlighted the dire need for all Indians to carry proof of their identity, especially now that factories of terrorism have made India their favourite hunting ground.

More so, after the National Security Advisor, MK Narayanan has sounded a 'red corner alert' to all the Chief Ministers in the country, following former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto's assassination. In a letter to them, he has warned that the jehadis outfits are now posing a major threat to key political leaders and advised them to beef up their security. Especially as the terrorists were using "new wave" tactics. This includes a "great deal of planning, studying the habits and activities of their targets, more sophisticated techniques and the vulnerability of the security forces." Following this missive, the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's security has been upgraded. Surprisingly, however, the Union Home Ministry has rejected the UP Chief Minister, Mayawati's request for SPG cover as there was a threat to her life on the facetious plea that her security was adequate!

Politics has hit a new low in UP. If the criminalization of the polity was not bad enough the latest head-on confrontation between Chief Minister Mayawati and her bete noire, Samajwadi Chief Mulayam Singh, has brought violence to the centre stage of the political theatre. True, we are accustomed to elected legislators coming to blows in various State Assemblies. However, this is the first time that one has witnessed the BSP and SP cardres clashing in several towns and cities in the State, leaving one dead, three injured and many buses burnt . The provocation? The Samajwadi workers' demand for the students union poll. All hell broke lose when Mulayam's brother, Shivpal, and son, Lok Sabha MP Akhilesh, were slapped. Sadly, this in not the end. Mayawati has notified Mulayam to behave or he too would not be spared. Clearly, if this continues, brutality would become a byword for UP! .

A two victory-flush BJP is now busy readying for bigger electoral battles that lie ahead in 2008-09 ---- 9 State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha elections. Towards that end, the BJP President, Rajnath Singh, plans to make kisans one of the USPs of his campaign strategy. He is now undertaking a two-day kisan yatra to spotlight the burning issue of farmers' suicide in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, which continue till date, notwithstanding the Prime Minister's relief package of thousand of crore rupees. Shockingly, a recent survey on the farmers' plight has exposed that a mere 16 per cent of the relief percolated down to the farmers. The rest was taken away by financial and land sharks. What makes the BJP Chief's yatra all the more significant is that it is taking place at a time when strains have developed among the ruling combine, Congress and NCP, with each accusing the other of not doing enough.

Winds of change are blowing across 'Red' West Bengal.The Communist CPM is busy humming a new song: goodbye socialism, hello capitalism. The CPM old warhorse, Jyoti Basu took not only his comrades but also votaries of reform by surprise when he contended that capitalism was the only way to industrialise West Bengal. This has no doubt come as a shot in the arm for Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who has been the lone torch bearer for economic reformation of the State steeped under the burden of antiquated socialist models of economic governance. But it has left the CPM'S Front partners seething. They are aghast that the veteran leader is speaking the language of Manmohan Singh (read reform). Either which way, there is no gainsaying that capitalist winds of change are blowing over Red Bengal!

Is UP Chief Minister Mayawati's honeymoon with the Brahmins over? Though it's too early to say anything, signs of her getting wary are there. The BSP President has dissolved all Brahmin and Vaishya Bhaichara Samitis, formed last year to bring the Upper castes, closer to the BSP. And these did, as the UP Assembly elections proved. However, the defeat of its candidate Vinay Shankar Tiwari in the Ballia byelection last month has made Mayawati angry. At a recent party meeting she blamed the Brahmins for the party's defeat in the Ballia byelection. Moreover, she has announced a reshuffle in the State unit and appointed State coordinators. Significantly, not a single Brahmin has been included. Is Mayawati going back to her party's roots - the Dalits? Time alone will tell.

The New Year has good news for the Goans. Its famed Kaju Feni shall soon "get patent and we will easily be able to export it," says the Feni Producers' Association. Goa is the only place in the world where Feni (liquor) is produced from the juice of cashew apple. Though the process was introduced in Goa nearly 450 years ago by the Portuguese, nowhere in Portugal, or anywhere else is feni produced from Kaju fruit. Goa has over 2,000 distillation outlets and factories working overtime. A team of officers from the Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai were recently satisfied with the Association's claim and the Government expects certification by early May. The GIR will publish the information on the "World Trademark' journal inviting objections. A period of four months hence should see the Kaju Feni, in all probability, patented to the joy of the Goans!. ---INFA

Sir,

I have read in the media about the several reports about corrupt practices prevailing in the Power Department of Meghalaya these days. It is really shameful and disgusting that neither the Department itself has taken any corrective measures nor the public/ NGOs have made any determined opposition to stop all these anti-people activities. However, there seems to be some rays of hope for the State that at least one NGO is now standing up to fight against the dragons. The process of handing over of the hydro electric projects to private parties, which was done hurriedly just before the General Election 2008, lacks transparency. As per the media reports, there are enough evidences to suggest that there exist some kind of clandestine dealing, similar to the Meghalaya House, Kolkatta Sell out and therefore the public must once again be united to force the Government to scrap the deal.

The purchase of thousands of electro-mechanical meters instead of the mandatory Static meters at higher price, the irrational proposal for 100 per cent rise in tariff, the misleading declaration of profit & loss figures of 26 % and latter 46% for the same year, the high loss of power in the industrial areas and the recent glaring case in which the top officials of the Board got direct involvement in the broad daylight corruption as reported in The Shillong Times (Dt December 3, 2007) are some of the irregularities in the Power Department which are ignored and not investigated. It may be presumed that all the top officials in the Power Department may be hands in gloves and that may only be the real reason that no inquiry has been ordered into all these alleged irregularities.

The Power Department appears to be operated in a Mafia style, otherwise it cannot be understood as to how could the MeSEB's Member (Technical) openly grab for himself the supply order worth Rs 1.15 crore without inviting tender in the name of his son. There are many formalities in the Board to become a Large Supplier and rules are more stringent for a non-tribal. As per the information available under RTI at www.meseb.nic.in, new Supplier can be registered through Form-A, only when MeSEB advertises for registration in the News Paper and all non-tribal must have an up-to-date trading license relevant to the business from the Khasi/ Jaintia/Garo Hills District Councils. There has been no advertisement in this respect in January, 2007.

Lastly, it is needless to state that tendering process or public auction is a basic requirements for the award of contract worth crores of rupees by any Government agency as any other method, especially award of contract on nomination basis, would amount to a breach of Article 14 of the Constitution guaranteeing right to equality, which implies right to equality to all interested parties. The people of the state have been deprived of their bread and butter. People must stand up for their rights and officials involved in corrupt practices must be punished so as to root out the cancerous corruption which is detrimental for the development of the State. The Power Department also needs to be overhauled and reformed.

Yours etc.,
Mathiew Lyngdoh
Via e-mail

The Union Minister was here on Friday for the North East India Investment Summit, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association with the Ministry for the Development of the North East Region, where diaspora of the region had also been roped in.

Later elaborating on it, he told newsmen that Hindustan Aeronautic Limited (HAL) had offered Dornier aircraft for the inter regional airline.

''Today the North East enjoys good connectivity with Kolkata and New Delhi but the inter region connectivity is abysmal. Hence we put forward the HAL proposal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which has called for bid and now we are on the verge of selecting the service provider,'' he said. The exclusive airline will crisscross the region handling huge volume of traffic, now depending on the tedious surface transport through mountainous road.

Mr Ramesh said there were 23 airports in the North East and 11 of these were operational. ''Now the other 12 are also being made operational in the next five years so that the people of the region actually have access to air connectivity,'' he said.

The North Eastern Council did try to improve the air connectivity by providing Rs 35 crore annually to the Alliance Air but it had not been able to make any significant change in the inter state connectivity.

The states like Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh are served by a skeletal helicopter service, while a frustrated Nagaland government bought their own helicopter for interstate services.

Mr Ramesh visualised that with Guwahati being a hub, the airline could think of extending service to Kunming in China and Chiangmai in Thailand, which was within 1,000 km of distance. (UNI)

Kohima: The NSCN (I-M) on Friday alleged the Centre was handling the Naga unification issue in an unbecoming way and using vested groups of a particular tribe to befool it.

In a statement, the NSCN(IM) expressed strong reservation against the move for Naga unification in the present form, and accused the Centre of "surreptitiously playing the communal card by using the vested groups of a particular Naga tribe to befool it".

It said Semas led by Western Sumi Hoho and Sumi Hoho in collaboration with Azheto Chophy and his accomplices, stood excommunicated from the Naga community for betraying the Naga cause.

Last November, a section of NSCN(IM) cadres led by senior functionary Azheto Chophy left the group and formed NSCN-Unification Camp with cadres of NSCN(K).

Since then, NSCN(IM) and NSCN-Unification Camp have engaged in a war of words accusing each other of stepping up intimidation, kidnapping and extortion in and around Dimapur town.

The NSCN(IM) said history would bear witness to the indignity of some Sema Church leaders who jumped into the bandwagon of "traitors and deserters", from the group.

"Taking the name of God, these Church leaders even went thus far to denounce NSCN chairman Isak Chishi Swu in preference to Azheto Chophy, a habitual defector," the statement said.

Squarely blaming the Centre for the latest developments, the NSCM-IM said: "The world is watching closely how India is making a mess of the Indo-Naga political issue."

NSCN(IM) General Secretary Th Muivah had earlier said that he favoured broad based unity and unification among all Nagas irrespective of present political boundaries, but strongly opposed the on-going style of unification led by 'defectors in connivance with the NSCN(K) group'.

On the other hand, NSCN (Unification) has charged Th Muivah of being an obstacle to peace and unification of the Nagas, saying anti-Naga forces in Camp Hebron (NSCN(IM) headquarters) did not want unity among the Naga tribes and were allegedly indulging in anti-social and anti-people activities in Nagaland.

In a statement, the spokesman of NSCN (Unification camp) Hokato Vusshe alleged that all past efforts for unification and cessation of bloodshed among the Nagas hit roadblocks after Muivah had opted for a no compromise policy and deviated from the desire of the Nagas, 'to give vent to his ire on those opposing his hegemony'.

Hokato claimed, Muivah resorted to politics by writing to the Government of India that NSCN Unified Team was responsible for the 20-odd cases of abduction at Dimapur because he was apprehensive of being removed from his position. (PTI)

Saying that the areas were now free of all militants, they claimed MPA insurgents and other militants were pushed out from 19 villages during the 'Operation Somtal Two' launched by the security forces since November 18 last. In all 195 IEDs were recovered and destroyed during the operation. (PTI)

Guwahati: Unidentified miscreants attacked a police outpost in Assam's Nagaon district late on Thursday night.

Nagaon Deputy Commissioner J Balaji said the attack took place at about 2230 hours when two motorcycle-borne miscreants lobbed the grenade towards the Nanoi outpost. No injury or damage was caused.

In Sibsagar, an ULFA militant and a linkman of the banned insurgent outfit were apprehended by Army in upper along the Assam- Nagaland border on Friday. Army sources said personnel of the 268 Field Regiment nabbed the two men after receiving a tip-off on the movement of three ULFA cadre in Tangali Bam tea estate. (PTI)

Cultivators in Mizoram have lost at least 88 per cent of their paddy estimated at 38,247.1 metric tonne, Plant Protection Officer of the State Agriculture department, James Lalsiamliana told PTI on Friday.

The farmers' harvest of maize was nil and the rodents also ravaged other crops like pumpkin, watermelon, chili, banana and even papaya, Lalsiamliana said.

The worst hit districts were southern Mizoram's Saiha and Lawngtlai where the percentage of paddy loss was estimated at 99.7 and 98.6 respectively, followed by Kolasib and Lungei districts with a loss of 98.1 and 97.5 per cent respectively.

The State Government purchased 14,56,003 rat tails during October and December last year. The purchase of rat tails was a part of incentive given to the cultivators to decrease the rat population which exploded due to 'Mautam' or gregarious bamboor flowering, he said.

"The armies of rats would soon die of liver disease after they found nothing to eat and starve," he predicted, quoting examples of the last Mautam in 1958-59. (PTI)

"Brave, bold men, these are what we want. What we want is vigour in blood, strength in the nerves, muscles of iron and nerves of steel, not softening namby-pamby ideas. Avoid all mystery. There is no mystery in religion. Mystery mongering and superstition are always signs of weakness" –– Swami Vivekananda.

The National Youth Day in India is observed on January 12, that is the birthday of Swami Vivekananda, the role model for youth.

In 1984, the Government of India declared and decided to observe the birthday of Swami Vivekananda (January 12, according to English calendar) as the National Youth Day every year from 1985 onwards. To quote the Government of India's communication, "it was felt that the philosophy of Swamiji and the ideals for which he lived and worked could be a great source of inspiration for the Indian Youth."

Swami Vivekananda's birthday, according to Indian Almanac (Vishuddha Siddhanta Almanac), is on Pausha Krishna Saptami Tithi, which falls on different dates of English calendar every year. The day is observed in various centres of Ramakrishna math and mission with traditional Hindu rituals which include mangalarati, special worship, homa (fire-ritual), meditation, devotional songs, religious discourses, sandhyarati (verper service in evenings) and so on.

Swami Vivekananda is considered one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the Hindu religion. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and was the founder of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. He is considered by many as an icon for his fearless courage, his positive exhortations to the youth, his broad outlook to social problems, and his countless lectures and discourses on Vedanta philosophy.

During his travels all over India, Swamiji was deeply moved to see the appalling poverty and backwardness of the masses. He was the first religious leader in India to understand and openly declare that the real cause of India's downfall was the neglect of the masses. He advocated that the immediate need was to provide food and other bare necessities of life to the hungry millions and for this they should be taught improved ways of earning and living. He also realised that first of all, it was necessary to infuse into their minds faith in themselves and for this they needed a life-giving, inspiring message. Swamiji found this message in the principle of the Atman, the doctrine of the potential divinity of the soul as taught in Vedanta, the ancient system of religious philosophy of India. He saw that, in spite of poverty, the masses clung to religion, but they had never been taught the life-giving, ennobling principles of Vedanta and how to apply them in practical life.

Thus the masses needed two kinds of knowledge: secular knowledge to improve their economic condition and spiritual knowledge to infuse in them faith in themselves and strengthen their moral sense. The next question was: how to spread these two kinds of knowledge among the masses? Through education - this was the answer that Swamiji found.

Swamiji very well understood that to carry out his plans for the spread of education and for the uplift of the poor masses, and also of women, an efficient organisation of dedicated people was needed. As he said later on, he wanted "to set in motion a machinery which "will bring noblest ideas to the doorstep of even the poorest and the meanest." It was to serve as this 'machinery' that Swamiji founded the Ramakrishna Mission a few years later.

Swami Vivekananda's lectures and writings, deriving their inspiration from Indian spiritual tradition and the broad outlook of his Master Sri Ramakrishna, are a source of inspiration and have motivated numerous youth organisations, study circles and service projects involving the youth.

Swamiji stands out today as an icon for the youth of the world; his immense knowledge and capability has continued to inspire generations. He had said: "Supreme value of youth period is incalculable and indescribable. Youth life is the most precious life Youth is the best time. The way in which you utilise this period will decide the nature of coming years that lie ahead of you. Your happiness, your success, your honour and your good name all depend upon the way in which you live now, in this present period. Remember this. This wonderful period of the first state of your life is related to you as the soft wet clay in the hands of the potter. Skillfully the potter gives it the right and correct shapes and forms, which he intends to give. Even so, you can wisely mould your life, your character, your physical health and strength, in short your entire nature in any way in which you make up your mind to do. And you must do this now. O fortunate youth, recognise this great duty. Feel this wonderful privilege. Take up this adventure."

The India of Swamiji's dreams waits to be unfurled by the youth who are capable of taking up tasks of the country and leading India to a paramount position in the world. Development for Swamiji was not just material or scientific development but the overall development of a person or an Indian -- in body, mind and spirit. Hence, along with apt knowledge of science and technology, today's youth should inculcate in them the principles of Swami Vivekananda. The need for rejuvenation in spiritual culture is necessary to get an understanding of Swamiji's teachings and principles. The national consciousness of the Indians has to be awakened for the overall development of the country.

In Shillong, on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda's birthday, the National Youth Day will be celebrated at Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Quinton Road on January 12 at 10 am. State Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee will grace the function as chief guest while Prof SR Joshi will be the guest of honour. The programme will be presided over by Swami Brahmadevanandaji.