Northeast today TruePDF february 2019

Vol.9 Issue.02 February 2019 Cover Story AMENDMENT OF CITIZENSHIP ACT: A LATENT TALE OF LOST PEOPLE ? (COVER IMAGE COURTESY: Manash Das) 24 CONTENTS Partha Prawal delves in deeper into the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed by the Lok Sabha recently and after which the Northeast, especially Assam, has witnessed wide protests demanding for its scrapping 14 16 18 20 22 30 Assam CAB Creates Disarray in Assam Manipur Manipur Stands Firm Against CAB Meghalay CAB Faces Stiff Opposition Sikkim Taking Giant Steps in Financial Security Tripura Tripura Smeared with CAB Stains Nationwide Amendments of Reservations 32 38 40 42 46 48 February 2019 34 Special Report WHAT MAKES ME A LESSER ASSAMESE? Maumita Mazumdar pens down a few words of agony that has hit her hard, thanks to the chaos and commotion created by the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which is an attempt to grant citizenship to those non Muslims who have migrated to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan owing to religious persecution International CPEC and the India USA Jealousy In Conversation 63 Audience Admire Good Work Heritage The Journey of Collections Meet The Artist Pallab Dhar Career Get Paid to Eat Music Kum Chirui 62 50 www.northeasttoday.in EDITOR’S NOTE CEO & DIRECTOR Chombay Kee director@northeasttoday.in EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amit Singh editor@northeasttoday.in MANAGEMENT Executive Editor: Ranjan Engti Managing Editor: Manjari Gupta General Manager: Dogen Sharma Gurumayum Head Admin & Accounts: Pinky Talukdar Business Communicator: Kshitiz Singh Suri ADVISORY BOARD Sudarshan Srinivasan, Dharamsing Teron EDITORIAL Consulting Editor: Pradeep Kumar Behera Assistant Editor: Partha Prawal Goswami Sub Editor: Chirasmrita Devi, Maumita Mazumdar, Arshad Shah Special Correspondent: Aamir Jawaid, Oken Jeet Sandham, Dibya Jyoti Borah Social Media Manager: Kristi Borah Correspondent: Kingson Chingakham, Jeijei Newme CREATIVES Layout & Graphic Designer: Tridip Saikia PUBLIC RELATIONS Ph: +91 7399039904 ADVERTISEMENT advertise@northeasttoday.in HEAD OFFICE Northeast Today Office RG Baruah Road Sundarpur Main Lane,H.No-38 Guwahati,Assam Pin: 781005 Ph: +91 7399039901 +91 7399039904 +91 8638379441 info@northeasttoday.in CIRCULATION Pankaj Prasad Verma +91 7086056516 subscribe@northeasttoday.in OWNER/PUBLISHER/PRINTER/EDITOR Amit Screen Printing, 675 Near Purani Tehsil, Sahadatpura Dist-Mau, UP 275101, India NORTHEAST COULD BURN IF CITIZENSHIP (AMENDMENT) BILL IS PASSED The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) perhaps fears that it is losing popularity and hence maybe so the government is recklessly committing one blunder after another The decision of the Lok Sabha to pass the ‘controversial’ Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, amid protest across the northeast and some parts of India, may be intended to make Bengali Hindus look favourably on the BJP The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) broke its alliance with the BJP in Assam Several BJP legislators have also opposed the Bill along with a number of social scientists and intellectuals have come out in open against the Bill, demanding the government to scrap it A number of constituent parties of BJP’s North-East Democratic Alliance have urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh not to go ahead with the bill If BJP wants to establish a firm ground for itself in the northeast, then this bill is evidently going to misfire; in fact, it is already misfiring! We cannot deny of the fact that the ethno-religious makeup of the northeast region is extremely complex and the region, over the decades, has faced the brunt of waves of migration from erstwhile East Pakistan and now Bangladesh The Amendment bill is a sheer contradiction to the Assam Accord, which has laid down March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for absorbing migrants The cut-off date as per the amendment bill is December 31, 2014 This is nothing but an insulting slap on Assam Agitation, which claimed 855 lives in Assam The CAB also flagrantly violates the constitutional tenet of secularism by making religion a criterion for citizenship What the BJP is doing is wrong and it shouldn’t have stirred the hornet’s nest in the Northeast The region can easily slip back into separatist turmoil which it is just leaving behind The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill must be put on hold or else, the region may burn (again) and if it does this time, the consequences will be much brutal and grave- something we can never ever imagine of! Find Us on : www.northeasttoday.in M AIL JUNCTION G ranting PRC to the non-tribal is going to change a lot of things in the state of Arunachal Pradesh Decisions of the government are either under-estimated or overestimated That is why a change always results in chaos Hope this change is going to be a good one Nabam Techi, Arunachal Pradesh J A N UA RY 201 B ogibeel is the result of long periods of hard work, effort and planning However, the government should now be concerned about the safety of people as right after the inauguration an accident took place The claims are that this happened due to the carelessness of people and their addiction to take selfies on the bridge Through your magazine, I would like to request the government to take this matter seriously S ikkim has always proved to be one of those states in the entire country which is taking steps that actually needs to be taken Thank you for highlighting the fact in your article Robin Gurung, Gangtok Pradip Barman, Berpeta T he article on Digital Shakti was really informative and interesting I was really glad to know about this initiative Kudos to the team of this entire campaign Sanjib Laitonjam, Imphal T he cover story of the January issue was informative as well as entertaining It was fun to know about these people who are doing excellent in their respective areas Keep writing about such achievers Sonam Thapa, Sikkim M I am writing in reference to the career article on Doodling It was really an informative and helpful one I would like to thank the Northeast Today team for making us aware about these kinds of career options I AIL JUNCTION am a regular reader of your magazine I am very happy with the content but I guess the designs and layouts can be made more interesting Pratik Deb, Silchar Subir Sarkar, Tripura I t was nice to read a tribute about our very own Dipali Borthakur in your magazine I would like to request the Editor to kindly revamp the Gearbox and Technology section of your magazine More interesting content can be used in these two sections Neha Borthakur, Jorhat T he fashion article of the January was inspiring I really loved the collections and the story of the owner I would definitely pay a visit Miranda Gogoi, Hatigaon www.northeasttoday.in Seema Kakati, Guwahati I really loved the photos of the photogram section The pictures were telling quite a story Mianak Meetei, Manipur February 2019 Q UICK PICK ITANAGAR TO HAVE AIR CONNECTIVITY T he finance ministry cleared Arunachal Pradesh’s Hollongi airport recently The approval means that Arunachal’s capital Itanagar will finally have air connectivity The airport will be 25 kilometres away from Itanagar and the cost of the project is pegged at Rs 1,055 crore As stated by the state chief minister, “The Greenfield Airport at Hollongi will be a state of the art infrastructure which will propel economic development besides improving connectivity for the local population Tourism will also see a huge boost with this project.” THIRD DWIJING FESTIVAL CELEBRATED T he third edition of Dwijing Festival was celebrated to promote river tourism in rural areas of the Bodoland Territorial Council and the state The 12-day long festival was celebrated in Chirang District of Assam on the bank of the River Aie starting from December 27 to January The festival was graced by the presence of Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal and Bollywood celebrities like singer-composer Himesh Reshammiya, actor Malaika Arora, Shweta Pandit, Neeraj Shridhar (Bombay Viking) and others 10 February 2019 PASIGHAT TO DIBRUGARH BUS SERVICE FLAGGED OFF T he Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Services (APSTS) on January 3, started a bus service from East Siang HQ Pasighat to Dibrugarh in Assam, via the Bogibeel bridge Flagging off the bus service at the APSTS station, Pasighat East MLA Kaling Moyong expressed hope, that it would help patients in a medical emergency, and also create new commercial prospects WOMEN’S POLO TEAM USHERS IN MANIPUR T wo millennia after the first Manipuri polo match, a women’s team is ushering in a quiet revolution The match was organised from January 17 to 21 and the 4th Manipur Statehood Day Women’s Polo Tournament was presented by Manipur Tourism It was produced by Polo Yatra (the Indian women’s initiative of Huntré! Equine) and organised by All Manipur Polo Association In addition for the first time, in 2018, seven highachieving women players were given government jobs by Chief Minister N Biren Singh www.northeasttoday.in FASHION Crowned in the Curls ! FASHION Curly hair is fun, glamorous and flawless But, are you one of those straight haired girls who can die for curls? Yet you cannot afford to damage your hair by heating? We can hear a lot of ‘YES’s!!!! Worry not as Northeast Today brings for you some easy, no-heating hacks to get natural curls without much fuss O vernight Braiding: Wash and condition your hair as usual Gently comb out any tangles Pat your hair dry with a towel Allow your hair to dry until it is just damp Part your hair down the middle and braid the two sections tightly, then fasten the ends with a hair tie or rubber band Wait several hours or go to bed with your hair in braids to allow the waves to set in When your hair is dry or in the morning, removes the rubber bands and unbraids your hair Gently run your fingers through your hair to create natural-looking waves Sock-Bun Curls: Cut the toe off of two socks Roll the “sleeve” of the sock down towards the open toe When you’re done rolling your sock will look like a donut Tie your hair into a high ponytail using a strong-grip hair tie Put your thumb and index finger through the top of the hole of the doughnut and pull the first section of hair through Then, simply repeat the same steps until all of your hair is wrapped around the doughnut When you’re done with one section of the hair, move over to the next and when you get to the tip of your hair, tuck it into the sock bun Then, let it sit! Curls Using Bobby Pins: Separate a two-inch section of hair from near your right temple Gently comb the section of hair with comb Wrap the ends of the section of hair around a couple of your fingers so that the hair rolls away from your face and underneath your fingers Roll your hair towards your scalp Grab another two-inch section of hair next to the rolled hair you just pinned into place Repeat rolling and pinning two-inch sections of damp hair into place until your entire head has been pinned up Keep it overnight or for hours Unpin one curl at a time and gently allow the rolled hair to cascade down Once you have unpinned all of the curls, place your fingers through your hair at the scalp and carefully shake them back and forth to gently loosen the curls www.northeasttoday.in February 2019 55 Baptized in Mother’s Love PHOTOGRAM Sagarika Baishya H ailing from Nalbari, Assam, 20-year-old Sagarika considers photography as her passion She is currently pursuing her masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from Gauhati University Her interest lies in wildlife and street photography She believes that photography teaches us about a new vision in our life The trance of the Horizon TRAVEL ALLURING MANIPUR Meherin Hussain writes about some of the most beautiful and alluring places from Manipur, which are a must visit for any wandering soul M Introduction anipur is pretty much the place anyone would want to inhabit which is carpeted with dense forest and rolling hills This northeastern state is multi- lingual and is endowed with distinct dance forms, scrumptious cuisine and traditional aura that fume like a lighted incense stick in sacred shrines Manipur is a beautiful destination in India that can both baffle and vivify the 58 February 2019 travellers Loktak Lake and Sendra Island The largest fresh water lake in the country, Loktak Lake and the Sendra Island on it, are one of the most beautiful attractions of the state Situated about 50 km from Imphal, Loktak Lake is in the valley of Imphal and is home to all the rivers and rivulets that run across the state of Manipur One is the largest freshwater lake in India while the other a floating island made of organic waste on the very same lake, housing the only tourist home in the area The pristine water, the labyrinth of boat routes, the greenery of the surroundings and the riveting crimson sunset, provides a mesmerizing site Boating and Photography are the most enjoyable experiences here Ukhrul Known for its scenic splendour, Ukhrul is among the best places to see in Manipur The natural beauty is perfect www.northeasttoday.in TRAVEL to practice meditation for hours and find peace of mind Trekking and tea garden visit are among the most common tourist activities in Ukhrul also enjoy local culture while touring landmarks like People’s Museum This blend of nature and culture make it among the best places to visit in Manipur Thoubal Thoubal is a preferred destination for the trekkers who like getting lost in lush environs Beautified with lakes and rivers, the roads here are enveloped with banyan trees Even locals seem to love planting Alongside verdant greenery, people can Ngaloi Ngaloi is a small village located at a distance of km from Churachandpur It is a popular tourist attraction because of the Ngaloi Waterfall The low lying mountains and the greenery provide the perfect background for the magnificent cascading waterfall The white foamy water gushing down the dark rocks is accompanied with the cool breeze of the mountains Tamenglong Tamenglong is one of the most visited places in Manipur.It is a paradise for travellers seeking bliss, and it has a mixture of exotic species waterfall lakes and meadows It is a place that many people like to call the land of “hornbill” as many species of this exotic bird can be found here BON APPETITE For the Naga Palette Being omnivores that we most homo sapiens are, when we fantasize food, we usually tend to think of a plate full of exotic food that looks mouth watering as we lay the first sight on it Well, let’s make another dedication towards one such cuisine that have given humanity plenty of orgasmic dishes- The Naga Cuisines Naga cuisines usually showcase a variety of non-vegetarian recipes that are often smoked or dried as well as the most flavoured chutneys and a variety of boiled dishes Dipanti Lahon hops on to find some popular places in Guwahati that actually serve these treasures on your plate Naga Kitchen: This ethnic Naga restaurant has three outlets in a few busy corners of Guwahati The restaurant offers a humongous menu to choose from basic Naga meals to their stars such as “Akhuni with Pork” or “Pork with Bamboo shoot” A food critic would definitely list this one on top because of the food quality and quantity that is being served here And secondly, due to the varied menu 60 February 2019 it has The third reason you would love this place is the cost of the food being amazingly affordable for a thrifty pocket To mention in particular, the “Naga Pork Thali” comes for Rupees 300 and a full bowl of “Smoked Chicken Naga Curry” is served for only Rs 330 Nagameez: If you are a fan of Naga food and looking for some nice ambience while www.northeasttoday.in BON APPETITE devouring it, this could be the very place you are looking for This restaurant has all kinds of Naga ethnic dishes such as “Smoked pork with Anishi” and “Steamed Fish” The prices are definitely a highlight One of their stars “Pork Thali with Naga dal” costs Rs 255 and all of their exotic Naga Chutney comes under Rs 130 The restaurant has received over 500 positive reviews from their customers on Google which certainly makes it stand out IMAGE COURTESY: CHEF AT L ARGE Naga Hut: The restaurant has aced its place when it comes to prices on their menu Located in Ganeshguri, it has a huge crowd attraction due to their basic Naga delicacies This place is worth visiting if you are craving for a thick Naga Pork/Chicken meal Every single ‘thali’ is served with two types of Naga Dal, two different Chutneys and boiled vegetables The part that would amaze you the most is that the entire ‘thali’ is served for Rs 120! If that raises your brow, you might want to see for yourself And yes, not to underestimate the taste that brings joy to your soul as well as the stomach with every bite of it www.northeasttoday.in February 2019 61 TINSELTOWN RIMA DAS NOMINATED AT 13TH ASIAN FILM AWARDS F ilmmaker Rima Das has been nominated for the ‘Best New Director’ category at the 13th Asian Film Awards 2019 for her latest film ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ The other filmmakers who have been nominated for the same category are Yeo Siew Hua for ‘A Land Imagined’, Phuttiphong Aroonpheng for ‘Mantra Ray’, Shinichiro Ueda for ‘One Cut of the Dead’, Oliver Chan Siu-kuen for ‘Still Human’ and Bai Xue for ‘The Crossing’ ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ is a natural coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl, Bulbul, living in a village in Assam, fighting her way through love and loss as she figures out who that she really is MARY KOM GRACES THE COVER OF FEMINA INDIA B oxing champion Mary Kom makes a splash in the first Femina India issue of the year 2018 belonged to her as she began the year with the glorious victory at the India Open and ended it with a historic win at the Women’s World Boxing Championships Touted as the most successful woman boxer in world boxing history, Kom has struck gold six times in seven world championships The mother of three children is not only a prolific sports personality, but also the first Indian woman boxer to win gold at Asian Games She has also been a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha Actor Priyanka Chopra brought Kom’s celebrated journey alive on the silver screen in the year 2014 BIGG BOSS WINNER DIPIKA KAKAR AT SILCHAR W inner of Bigg Boss 12 graced the launch of the Manik Chand Jewellers Store in Silchar with her presence The unveiling was witnessed by the loyalists of the brand who showered the store with praises for the impeccable craftsmanship and thought provoking jewellery designs that were on show Every customer was welcomed in traditional style MOVIES NOT TO MISS SEARCHING Genre: Thriller T his is a movie where you get an interesting combo of technology, suspense and thrill This is also one of those rare American movies where the audience shall find an Asian actor in lead The movie shows David and Margot live busy lives between work and school, and they mostly communicate through text messages and FaceTime calls But one night, the usually conscientious Margot fails to come home after a study group session, something David doesn’t realize until well into the next day And here’s where the intricacies of the technology have such an impact: We can see all those unanswered text messages from him just sitting there, ominously, lined up in a long, green column We can see the time stamp of the last phone call Margot made to him in the middle of the night We can feel David’s fear growing because ours is, too What makes this movie unique is the fact that the entire movie is shown not through the camera lens but through video calls, TV news or CCTV camera or footage A must watch for all those who have an appetite for thrillers Words: Chirasmrita Devi MUST READ BOOK DRAUPADI IN HIGH HEELS Author: Aditi Kotwal One is more likely to grab this book because of its title The book is an easy read with nothing to speculate or predict much It’s is certainly not for those readers who look for thrills or twists and turns But you are in the relaxed mood and you want something light to feed your brain then this can be one option The novel is about the life of Deeya, a rich, slightly spoilt young woman with a thriving fashion store, and a sharp sense of independence However, her independence is jeopardized when her parents pose the question of marriage to her, and Deeya is left fuming and confused at the same time As she struggles to find a loophole in her parents’ demand she also struggles with her feelings towards two, equally eligible men Yes, you are going to find traces of Mahabharata in the novel with a different ending though (Words: Chirasmrita Devi) BRAIN GAME T his month’s Brain Game brings to you all a wide range of questions from the picturesque Northeast India Surrounded by lush pine groves, the picture postcard Shungetser Lake in Tawang, is a scared lake for the Buddhist Monpa Tribe Since 1996, the lake lost its original name and started attracting tourists in large numbers How is the lake popularly known now? Chizmi, a nondescript village in Northeast, is home to over 200 varieties Some of them areRed Caliph, Cruiser, Tawny Emperor, Wizard and Koh-i-Noor What are we talking about? Syrmaticus humiae, a little known pheasant is found throughout forest habitats of the region, especially in Manipur and Mizoram It is named after Mary Ann Grindall, wife of a famous British naturalist Who was the famous husband of Mary? Ima Market, also known as Ima Keithel, in Imphal with its 4000 odd shopkeepers is one of the busiest markets in the state It is also Asia’s second-largest market of its type What is so special about the market? It literally means ‘coconut snatching’, this indigenous sport is said to be precursor of Rugby What is its name? The dance performed usually by the tea garden workers of Assam, gets its name from the cluster of bells worn around the ankles, which make a clanging noise Name the dance form? The state flower of Manipur, considered to be a very beautiful and shy girl, can’t be planted anywhere in the world other than a particular highland in Manipur Which flower? Please send in your picture clue answer to win three months subscription of Northeast Today to RG Baruah Road Sundarpur Main Lane, H.No-38, Guwahati, Assam Pin: 781005 or mail your answer to info @northeasttoday.in Identify this temple from Assam 1.Madhuri Lake 2.Butterfly Allan Octavian Hume Siroi Lily 5.All Women Market Yubi Lakpi 7.Jhumur 64 February 2019 www.northeasttoday.in HOROSCOPE ARIES (Mar 22 - Apr 20) Love is in the air for the Aries people so make sure to take long breaths this month For couples, trips are on the cards For those who are single, you are very likely to meet your special ones at social gatherings TAURAS (Apr 21 - May 21) Moving on is what we see for you This may seem heart-wrenching but soon you are going to realize it’s worth it This month it’s all about self-love, self-care and self-pampering So, why not book an appointment of your salon in advance GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Lovebirds are going to have a great time and may even think of tying the nuptial ties Time is good for making important decisions in relationships Just sit together and talk it out CANCER (June 22 - July 22) For Cancerians, it’s all about newness this month or rather a breath of fresh air in love and relationships You’ll be able to let the bygones be bygones and look out for new people in life The chances of meeting your soul-mates are damn high LEO (July 23 - Aug 22) New people may come into your life, and there’ll be energy for your relationships to change in meaningful ways—all of which is fantastic The trouble comes in when you don’t really know what you want VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sept 22) This month, the old adage “what you resist shall persist” definitely applies Make a list of all the worst of your petty and vengeful thoughts and feelings so they don’t junk up your reallife interactions LIBRA (Sept 23 - Oct 23) Acting from a place of love doesn’t require you to say yes to every opportunity that crosses your path Love is an expansive and whole feeling, and when you’re able to let it flow, it’s inevitable that it will improve your life SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 21) The way to attain inner peace is not by turning your attention to only the “good vibes.” Inner peace actually includes the messy and the painful stuff too, but what it really requires is your presence and authenticity SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Make it your goal to bring patience, kindness, and grace to your relationships with others and yourself This will require you to sit with your feels before jumping to conclusions or giving into your restlessness, my love CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 20) Make choices about what’s worth fighting for versus what you need to let go of this month You can’t grow very much without also outgrowing things, Capricorn Be willing to change so much that you no longer resonate with people and things you’ve long been identified with AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 20 This month is full of surprises for you from your beloved Even a trip with your partner is seen on the cards Overall, this month is awesome for the people in love You can think of taking your relationship to the next level PISCES (Feb 22 - Mar 21) You will be lucky in love as benefits from your special ones are guaranteed this month As a reward something special for them as happy times together is so certain this month A t the fore Northeast Today family thanks its readers and the followers from all over for showing such love to the magazine Special thanks to the people of Northeast for believing in us, which came in the form of huge number of likes and followers Not only the readers from Northeast but all of India is behind the success of Northeast Today An organic like of over four lakh people is a huge boost to the mechanism of the magazine Our journey as the magazine, on and off the internet began on 2011 and since then we have been bringing to you authentic and factual news from the Northeast, as well as from the national and international spheres So far our readers have been ushering immense support to us and their valuable suggestions and advices through the mails and messages have always been taken with utmost seriousness and worked upon We pray such kind of appreciations and criticisms continue to flow in the future Keep reading, following and sharing! ... Eat Music Kum Chirui 62 50 www.northeasttoday.in EDITOR’S NOTE CEO & DIRECTOR Chombay Kee director@northeasttoday.in EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amit Singh editor@northeasttoday.in MANAGEMENT Executive Editor:... advertise@northeasttoday.in HEAD OFFICE Northeast Today Office RG Baruah Road Sundarpur Main Lane,H.No-38 Guwahati,Assam Pin: 781005 Ph: +91 7399039901 +91 7399039904 +91 8638379441 info@northeasttoday.in... Hatigaon www.northeasttoday.in Seema Kakati, Guwahati I really loved the photos of the photogram section The pictures were telling quite a story Mianak Meetei, Manipur February 2019 Q UICK PICK