The decision to suspend the agitations was taken at the CCIB meeting held here on Saturday, which was attended by top leaders of KSU, FKJGP, HNYF, SSSS and Federal Council of Ri-War Mihngi (FCRM). Earlier, the CCIB had announced a series of agitations including two-day office picketing on April 10 and 11 followed by a 48-hour road blockade from April 12.

The NBCC suspended the fencing following a directive from the State government to do the same.

"We have temporarily suspended all forms of agitations which we have announced earlier after we got the information that the border fencing work has been kept in abeyance in all areas of the State's border with Bangladesh," CCIB spokesman GH Kharshanlor told The Shillong Times soon after the meeting.

He also said that the CCIB had received a letter issued by the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of the Political Department Ms D Syiem informing about the government's decision to issue a directive to the NBCC to suspend border fencing. "We are satisfied with the decision of the government," he said, adding that the CCIB would take part in the second meeting of the government-constituted Coordination Committee on Border Fencing (CCBF) on April 12.

Churches like the Presbyterian Church, Roman Catholic Church, Church of God, Baptist Church, Church of North India and others have made arrangements for special programmes to mark the day. Besides special sermons on the significance of Christ's resurrection, the Churches have also arranged choir singing and plays to commemorate Easter.

Shops selling confectionaries witnessed a heavy rush of people on Saturday buying cakes, Easter buns and eggs which are part of the celebration. The local All India Radio station and Doordarshan Kendra would also air special programmes during the day.

Mr Pariat, who was expelled from the Congress, was holding the post with the support of eight Congress and four UDP MDCs. But his supporters withdrew support from him and elected Mr Nongtdu as their leader. After his expulsion from Congress Mr Pariat became the lone Independent MDC in the 30-member Council.

Meanwhile, Mr Edmund Lyngdoh was declared elected unopposed as Chairman of the House. Filing of nominations for the post took place on Saturday.

Mr Pariat also filled his nomination but it was declared invalid as nobody supported his candidature. Mr Pariat later informed that he had advised his supporters to extend support to the new leader Mr Nongtdu, adding that otherwise, they would have invited disqualification.

Mr Pariat also made it clear that he would contest the next Assembly elections from Jowai. However, he did not specify from which party he would contest. He hoped that the Congress in Jaintia Hills would reform itself in the near future.

Shillong: Around 20 thousand plus people from various parts of Shillong including school children witnessed the spectacular exhibition "Know Your Army" held at the Jawaharlal Sports Complex, Polo here on Saturday.

The event unfolded with the high voltage event, the Motorcycle display by the 'Tornadoes' team, the holder of the Guinness Book of World Records for forming the largest human pyramid. This was followed by another spectacular display of skills by sky divers of elite para-commandos of the Indian Army.

School children were thrilled and excited on the skills of military canines put up by the Army Dog Unit.

Latest generation of weapons and equipment including the Bofor guns, mine protected vehicle, battle field surveillance radar and communications equipment were on display.

The people also witnessed the vibrant and colourful display of 'Flash of Sword: Warriors of the North East' and heli-borne operations by the soldiers of the Assam Regimental Centre were execute with absolute perfection.

Apart from the above events, the acrobatic display of gymnasts of international repute of the Assam Regimental Centre was a rare show of physical agility and vitality. The performance clearly manifested the immense sporting potential of the people of the North East.

Outside the sports complex, people also visited the stalls showcasing the glorious history of Army, operations including United Nation operations, training adventures activities and human forces of the Army put up by the Field Composite Signal Regiment, 58 Gorkha Traning Centre and Shillong Military Hospital.

The free medical camp, free dental and free eye check up facilities provided by the Shillong Military Hospital and the career counselling facility by Zonal Recruiting Office, Shillong attracted a huge crowd.

The dignitaries present on the occasion included the Governor MM Jacob, Chief Minister DD Lapang, General Officer Commanding 101 Area Major General Vinod Nayanar among many others.

It may be mentioned that young boys and girls from Shillong NCC Units actively participated in the exhibition.

Earlier in the wee hours of Friday, Laitumkhrah police noticed a Maruti Local Taxi (ML-05 E 3830) parked suspiciously near Assam Auto Agency. On inspection, the police found five persons sitting inside. When the police asked the reason for parking the vehicle in this area at such late hours, the accused replied that there was no petrol in the vehicle.

The police, however, after checking the vehicle, said they found that there was enough petrol in the vehicle which raised suspicion that the youths were upto some hideous activities. As there was no clarity in the answers, the police took possession of the vehicle and arrested the five youths.

The police then raid the vehicle and recovered five car tapes and other stolen equipment from the vehicle. On further interrogation, the police said the five accused confessed to being involved in various criminal activities.

Shillong: The first general meeting of the Nongpoh Region Auto Rickshaw Owners' and Drivers' Association was held on Saturday at Paham Syiem NSCA Stadium at Nongpoh.

Speaking as a chief guest on the occasion, Chief Minister DD Lapang, while emphasizing on the importance of public safety and security, called upon the Association to cooperate with the Government in its efforts to ensure that all public service vehicles' drivers should maintain discipline while driving. He said there should be a sense of security among the passengers who traveled by public vehicles.

He also informed that the State Government will deal firmly with indisciplined drivers especially those who are found under the influence of intoxicants while driving as it poses a threat to the lives of passengers. He also proposed that the Association should have a welfare fund so that they extend financial assistance to their members in time of need especially on medical grounds.

Others who spoke on the occasion included the president of the Association, RB Shadap.

In his speech, Mr Shadap said that the main objective of forming the association is to look into the welfare of the auto rickshaw owners and drivers in many aspect so that they can unitedly fight against any discrimination and also to have a body that would see that the drivers adhere to public discipline and ensure public safety and security.

Shillong: The West Khasi Hills Students' Union (WKHSU) has demanded appointed of a full-fledged District Transport Officer (DTO) for West Khasi Hills stating that the post had remained vacant since 2005.

In a statement issued here, the students' body said that the absence of a full-fledged DTO had caused severe inconvenience to the public particularly vehicle owners and drivers in the district while it also said that the post is being looked after by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Mrs I Mawlong.

The WKHSU also said that time and again it had sent letters and reminders to the sucessive Commisioners of Tranport on the matter but nothing was done on the issue. It also said that recently, a delegation of WKHSU leaders have met Commissioner of Transport Mr MS Lyhuid who assured to look into the matter besides filling up the post of Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) which is lying vacant in West Khasi Hills.

The students' body demanded for sending recommendation to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for inclusion of Tiwas of Meghalaya in the scheduled tribe list, construction of road communication from Umsiang Maiong to Amjong via Makro and from Mawker to Lumphuid vial Amkhang and electrification, irrigation and water supply to the Tiwa villages.

The over-reaction to the Indian cricket team's early elimination from the World Cup after its defeat by Sri Lanka has been so gross that one must worry about the future of that sport in India, with all its identifications with national self-esteem, honour, or "humiliation", and its numerous connections with media exposure, advertising, corporate sponsorship, and not least, gambling. The Indian players, once elevated to the status of gods and demi-gods, have suddenly become demons, devils, villains, and worse, traitors. They are the prime targets of vilification, mock funerals, and vulgar sexist abuse.

Millions of otherwise-sensible Indians can be heard publicly bemoaning that "a nation of one billion can't even produce a half-way decent cricket team". Such self-flagellation is based on making performance in cricket a touchstone of patriotism and professionalism. It's a pity that the self-esteem of a billion people has come to rest on one game.

Yet, excellence in sports, in particular cricket, has never been a function of population. That's why Australia, West Indies and Sri Lanka have done well at cricket. It's not just individual excellence that counts in the game. Teamwork, planning and strategising also matter, at which India has traditionally been weak. Besides, uncertainty is built into the very nature of cricket, including the weather, state of the pitch, order of batting, audience response, etc.

To look at the issue soberly, India was ranked Number Six in the world, and wasn't widely expected to win the Cup. It hasn't won a limited-overs tournament played abroad since 1985! It passes comprehension why many people cannot accept that another team may be better than ours, and must instead impute the vilest of causes and motives to our defeat, including lack of "the killer instinct", loss of will, or absence of national pride. The Sri Lankans played well. The Indians didn't. So that should be the end of the story.

However, we have elevated cricket into a perverse yet powerful passion and denuded it of its content as a sport and source of joy. A cricket victory is seen as affirmation of Indian nationalism -- a sports version of "Mera Bharat Mahan". Nothing excites Indians as much as cricket -- to the exclusion of all other sports. Perhaps cricket turns on Indians even more than politics, leave alone social issues, which periodically divide this country bitterly.

Cricket is more than our national pastime. It claims a higher loss of social time than strikes and lockouts do in industry. Someone has just calculated that if India were to reach the World Cup finals, the sport's fans in our 81 million television homes would have "lost" (spent) 106.5 million man-days in front of the Idiot Box. This is more than 3.5 times the number of man-days lost to strikes and lockouts (30 million) in a year!

This cricket obsession isn't natural or spontaneous. It has been systematically cultivated or manufactured through multi-billion dollar marketing, sales promotion and advertising. Our cricket stars aren't visible on the playground alone. They are omnipresent-in advertising for colas, processed foods, shampoos, cars, ayurvedic remedies, and eggs-, on Page 3, and in lifestyle and glamour stories churned out daily by hundreds of channels and thousands of newspapers.

This is part of the corporatisation of cricket and its apex organising bodies. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has annual revenues of Rs 500 crores. Last year, it sold telecasting rights for a humongous Rs 2,750 crores! The International Cricket Council sold broadcasting rights for the current and the next World Cup for an even higher $1.1 billion (Rs 4,950 crores). Sony Entertainment Television sold advertising at Rs 5 lakhs for each 10-second spot, raking in an estimated Rs 350-400 crores. Doordarshan made another Rs 160 crores. Dwarfing this is the money invested in betting, estimated at Rs 4,000 crores.

Now take the star players. Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid make Rs 12 to 20 crores a year for endorsing products ranging from shoes and cosmetics to life insurance. Ganguly charges an annual fee of close to Rs 1.5 crore per endorsement. Even newcomers like Dhoni have become multimillionaires overnight.

Corporates now invest in everything, from cricket-related ground events, trophy tours, consumer promotion and glamour shows. The all-pervasive, predatory and manipulative influence of corporations in cricket wouldn't have become possible without ICC, BCCI and even city- and state-level boards being turned into commercialised and mercenary entities.

Cricket now has a uniquely ugly and grotesque side: an international match-fixing mafia. Its scale of operation far exceeds the magnitude of the South African, Pakistani and Indian scandals of the past, itself staggering. Nothing highlights this more starkly than the murder of Bob Woolmer-cricket's most sordid crisis ever. As more details emerge of this shameful episode, it becomes clear that international cricket is acquiring the same gangster-dominated character as Mumbai's real estate business, where deals are struck or annulled through blackmailing, extortion and outright murder. The shadow of "D Company" and other mafiosi hangs as ominously over cricket as it does over Mumbai's mill-lands.

We are witnessing the transformation of a sport into an organised, criminalised business through its corporate takeover. Whatever corporates touch turns into dust, often bloody dust. Corruption is integral to it. The influence of corporate sponsorship is baneful.

Such influence is now visible in other fields too, especially culture, even "high culture". Culture was long monopolised by the state, which would patronise classical music, dance and other performing arts (or rather, performing artistes), and the fine arts. Now, culture is becoming dependent on corporate sponsorship. Sponsorship comes at a high price. Corporates, working through event management companies, typically only want to support "star" events which generate huge billings or attract high-profile audiences.

Thus, in Hindustani classical music, only a handful of performers-like Amjad Ali Khan, Pandit Jasraj, Kishori Amonkar, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Shama and Vishwa Mohan Bhat-get top-level sponsors, irrespective of quality or integrity. Others get left out-not because they are less virtuous, but largely because they don't know how to play the sponsorship-publicity game, or lack a glittering Big Star profile. The only exceptions are long-established sabhas and 3-to-5-day sammelans, with multiple performances each day.

The "Star system" is equally dominant in dance, and to a lesser extent, theatre. One reason for this is the paucity of good auditoria and theatres, and their exorbitant rents, going up to Rs 20,000 to 50,000 for an evening. Unless performers somehow find such huge funding, they cannot stage events. And unless their art conforms to the parochial tastes and preferences of corporations and event managers, they won't get funding. "Big" names count. Quality doesn't. Serious experimental forms and "non-mainstream" performing arts don't figure in corporate calculations.

The sponsors are omnipotent. They can cancel scheduled performances at the last minute because the audience may not generate enough billings. Often, they nominate their invitees to flood the audience. Recently, two big jazz stars, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, performed in three Indian cities. In Mumbai, only 10 percent of the seats were sold through tickets, the rest were allotted to sponsors. Their philistine nominees ensured the concert was a dud. Thousands of genuine jazz-lovers couldn't get entry into the hall.

In the past, government- or AIR-sponsored sammelans would see great artistes performing to empty front-rows reserved for Ministers and bureaucrats who wouldn't turn up. Now, the artistes play to equally empty front-rows or pander to dark-suited businessmen more concerned to answer their mobile phone calls than to enjoy the music.

Perhaps the most corrupting influence of corporatisation is to be seen in painting. This art form has become big as a source of investment, not appreciation. The art market turnover has ballooned from Rs 5 crores in 1997 to over Rs 1,000 crores. So huge is this boom that artists have started employing imitation specialists to produce "their" work, which they sign. Art auction-houses and commercial ventures have sprouted in city after city to cater to the business investor-typically, without taste or understanding of quality-who is looking for an appreciating asset.

As especially grotesque form of such art-commerce amalgamation was a recent venture under which 100 artists and 110 "eminent citizens", including Ministers and CEOs, collaboratively produced 120 paintings. So you had Finance Minister P. Chidambaram sharing brush-strokes with Anjolie Ela Menon, Ratan Tata and Laxman Shrestha producing a painting over three sittings, and Tina Ambani and Jogen Chowdhury creating extraordinarily shoddy canvas. The artists were all known names, none of them hurting for money. It's shocking that they agreed to destroy the integrity of their discipline by allowing "eminent citizens" to mess with their paintings.

Corporate sponsorship corrupts. It always will. We must rescue art, culture and sports from it before it's too late. (IPA Service)

Sir,

The local taxis are a major cause of traffic congestion in the town. They first do not move, inspite of being on the main road and second, they stop anywhere on the road. With this problem in mind, I, as a concerned citizen of the State, would like to suggest some steps in the recent traffic changes that have been made in MG Road.

According to me the divider that has started from ICICI Bank should be only for the taxis going to Keating Road and therefore the divider can be opened in front of Raps Manison where all the vehicles merge to go towards Police Bazar, Motphran, etc. The reason being, the taxis halt at the turning to Keating road for passengers and this causes unnecessary traffic congestion. I believe that the movement of normal traffic will not be disrupted if this system is implemented.

Yours etc.,
Albert Lyngdoh.
Via e-mail.

Sir,

Apropos the letter, "BPL scam", (ST, March 5), I wish to bring to the knowledge of the Deputy Commissioners of all districts of Meghalaya as to the rampant existence of ghost ration cards created by the greedy fair price shop owners with the help of staff of the offices concerned. It may be even be brought to the information of the respective DCs that the supply of rations (including kerosene oil) hardly reach the poor beneficiaries.

Though in the official record there could be right names of the beneficiaries, but more than 80 percent of the rations issued by the Supply department to the Fair Price Shop are openly sold to wholesale traders in the market at higher prices. This unethical practice is so rampant because the beneficiaries being illiterate do not know how to lodge the complaint against the unscrupulous Fair Price shop owners and the officers concerned further never bother to conduct proper checks to stop this age-old and deep-rooted racket.

I sincerely hope that this letter will certainly wake up all the Deputy Commissioners of Meghalaya to take the right steps to cleanse the increasing corruptions in PDS and punish the culprits rightfully.

Yours etc.,
R Lyngdoh,
Shillong-3
Via e-mail

Apang, who returned from Delhi during the day after consultations with the central leadership of the Congress, said he discussed the political situation in the state with with Union Minister Oscar Fernandez, in-charge of party affairs in the northeast, and Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"My position is safe. I told them that they should send the dissident MLAs back to the state (from Delhi where they are camping)," he told reporters after the swearing in of K Sankaranarayanan as governor of Arunachal Pradesh at the Raj Bhawan here.

Denying that he went to Delhi on Friday after being summoned by the Congress leadership, he said: "I went to discuss Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the state with the Union home minister."

Asked if he had met Gandhi, Apang replied that he had not as she was away electioneering in Uttar Pradesh.

Asked whether he would abide by the central leadership's decision on the dissidents' demand, Apang said, "We will see to it."

Asked what had prompted a majority of Congress MLAs to revolt, he said: "I don't know. But if they have any grievances these can be discussed within the party. It is an internal matter of the party. They should not run away from the people and take refuge in hotels and resorts in Delhi and Haryana."

He said the dissidents had not even informed the state Congress president about their grievances.

Very few MLAs of the ruling Congress attended the governor's oath-taking ceremony. No minister besides Apang was present. (PTI)

GUWAHATI: A 162-year- old historic Baptist church in the heart of the Asom's capital city here has been 'requested' by the State government to shift to make space for a multi-storeyed parking place proposed to be constructed at the site by city development authority.

The area where the Church is located is adjacent to the Northeast's biggest business center, Fancy Bazar which doesn't have sufficient space for parking of vehicles.

The Church as well as the entire establishment of the Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India (CBCNEI) located in the same compound was notified in mid-February last by the state revenue department. Since then the CBCNEI has been running from pillar to the post to have the notice withdrawn. It s representatives have also brought the matter to the notice of the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi seeking redressal. The notice stated the Kamrup (Metro) district administration and the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) have identified "some vacant locations" in the compound of the CBCNEI and have requested the Council to hand over the entire plot of land to the development authority for the proposed car parking

However, the government authorities promised to arrange for an alternative site for the heritage establishment and bear the entire cost of shifting to a new site that is yet to be notified.

The unprecedented notice came as a shock to the CBCNEI and the entire Christian community in the state "This is an unprecedented insult to the sentiment of not just the Baptist or Christian community, but to the entire people of Assam. The heritage site has strong emotional bondage with the entire Assamese community ," said Azizul Haque, the pastor of the Guwahati Baptist Church .

The Baptist Mission in Asom was instrumental in safeguarding and developing Assamese language in early 19th Century when the then British colonial ruler put the fate of the language at stake by imposing Bengali as the official language in the state. The American Baptist Mission that arrived in Asom (then Assam) in 1836 is credited with the launch of the first Assamese newspaper "Orunodoi" in January 1846.

Guwahati: The banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on its 28th 'Raising Day' on Saturday reiterated that 'restoration of sovereignty of Asom' was the only solution to the prolonged 'Asom-India political conflict'.

In a statement e-mailed to the media here, the chairman of the ULFA, Arabinda Rajkhowa said, "There can be no other solution than restoration of sovereignty of Asom to the on-going conflict between Asom and India."

The ULFA leader stated that if the Centre had no heart to discuss the issue of 'restoration of Asom's sovereignty' it should allow the matter to be settled through a plebiscite. Citing examples of Macedonia, Timu and Buganbil that attained independence through plebiscite in the year 1991, 1998 and 1999 respectively, the ULFA stated that the biggest democracy (India) in the world shouldn't hesitate to heed to the ULFA's demand for plebiscite on the issue of Asom's sovereignty.

The banned insurgent group on Saturday called upon all ethnic groups in Asom to remain united behind its revolution against the "Indian colonial rule' with an objective to liberate Asom and its people.

It also extended its gratitude to certain insurgent groups of Nagaland, Manipur , Tripura and North Bengal for backing it during the last 27 years of its armed struggle against 'Indian occupational forces in Asom'. The ULFA chairman took names of UNLF and RPF of Manipur, NSCN of Nagaland, TPDF of Tripura and KLO of North Bengal in this regard.

The ULFA chairman stated that it has so far lost over 10,000 cadres in the struggle that took root on April 7, 1979 and said that the group drew inspiration to carry on with its struggle from the extreme sacrifices made by these cadres.

The fired a broadside at the Indian security forces for perpetrating a reign of atrocities and terror on the innocent civilian population of Asom in the name operation against ULFA insurgents.

Imphal: Police resorted to firing in several places of Manipur to stop bandh supporters from blocking roads during the 13-hour bandh which started At 0500 hrs.

The Joint Action committee (JAC) had called the bandh to protest the killing of three youths--Sapam Paka (27) , Wahengbam Bobo (28) and Thangkhenmung (27), by Imphal West District Police Commandos at Kwakeithel here on Friday.

However, the bodies of the three persons were not yet claimed by their family members, police said.

Imphal West District SP Clay Khongsai said a team of Imphal West District Police Commandos asked three persons riding a bike to stop. When they refused the commandos lobbed hand grenades and in the firing they were killed. Another unexploded hand-grenade was also recovered .

The Leimarol Leishem Yaipha Thouram Kannalup, Kwakeithel Heinoukhongnembi Nongshaba Lambi (Puthabi) Meira Paibi, a women's organisation, however, claimed the three were 'innocent' and killed in a 'cold-blooded' manner.

All inter-state bus services were cancelled and most educational and business establishments remained closed. (UNI)

An Angami girl from Nagaland by the name of Akuonuo Khezhie is one among the 25 beautiful damsels of India whose fate is to be decided on the April 8, the grand finale of the Sony Femina Miss India 2007 .

The winner of the title will represent India in the Miss Universe contest while the first runners-up will go for the Miss World contest and the second runners-up will be contesting represent in the Asia Pacific beauty pageant.

Akuonuo Khezhie hails from Kohima and is very optimistic in the venture. (NNN)

Guwahati: More than a year after Asom Gana Parishad's (AGP) defeat in the State Assembly elections, efforts to unite the splinter groups of the regional party are gaining momentum.

During a party meeting here on Saturday, as many as eight district units of the party advocated the unification of the splinter party groups, including the faction led by former Asom Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.

After today's meeting, AGP general secretary Atul Bora said all eight district committees present in the meeting were of the opinion the party should unite if it had to come out of the present situation.

''The district units felt the regional forces should be strengthened before the ensuing panchayat elections and unification is the only way out,'' Mr Bora added.

Another meeting of the district unit is scheduled to be held later this month.

A couple of weeks back, the AGP legislature party also resolved to unite the breakaway AGP factions ''if the party was to fight the Congress in the ensuing panchayat elections''.

A recent study conducted by some 'neutral leaders' of the AGP on the defeat of the party in the last Assembly elections also found that the party had to suffer defeats in as many 17 LACs as a fallout of the 'splits'.

The AGP, presently the single largest opposition party with 24 MLAs in the 126-member state assembly, was formed in the aftermath of the Asom Movement (1979-1985) by the leaders who spearheaded the historic agitation.

Even as it came to power two times since its birth, the party suffered a number of 'splits' after the late nineties, with its members either jumping into other parties or floating their own political outfits. (UNI)