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Journalism of Courage
Educating Tripura
IT’S probably something to do with its proximity to Mizoram, the second most literate state in the country. Now it’s Tripura turn to aim high. The Continuing Education Programme (CEP), which is the third phase of the total literacy campaign launched in the state in 1995, has involved over 3,000 volunteers and roped in about 1,800 self-help groups to make it a success.
Of the 4.9 lakh illiterate people identified in the state in 1995, over 3.85 lakh have been already declared neo-literates, which is likely to take Tripura’s position further up in the all-India table. Tripura is currently rated India’s 12th literate state.
Award for book on drugs
DRUG abuse in the northeast is higher than most other states of India and that probably inspired Ajanta Talukdar to write a book on narcotics, drugs and psychotropic substances that have been a cause for concern to both governments as well as parents of young people in the region. The book may not have sold too many copies, but it has bagged Talukdar the coveted Gyanshree award instituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Talukdar, incidentally, is the first person from the northeast to have bagged this award.
Elephant raids
WITH the onset of winter, elephants are once again straying into villages. Last week two people were trampled to death by a herd that strayed away from the Baramura hills in west Tripura and raided a village in the foothills. In Assam too, elephants raided villages and paddy fields in Sonitpur and other districts bordering Arunachal Pradesh and killed four people the previous week.
Indo-Myanmar export
EXPORT-import business in the Moreh sector in Manipur resumed on Thursday following suspension of an agitation by the Indo-Myanmar Export Import Association over seizure of several consignments of betel nuts and dry ginger legally imported through Manipur by customs officials in Bihar this September.
Moreh is the busiest international land route for trade between India and Myanmar, with large number of Manipuris earning a living from export-import business. The seized consignments were released following an intervention by the central government.
Grant for Manipur colleges
THE student community in Manipur at last has a reason to be happy. The cash starved state government last week received a Rs 7 crore grant from the Ministry of Human Resource Development to construct new buildings, repair old ones and provide basic equipment including blackboards and desks to as many as 17 colleges of the state.
