Updates and Misc. posts

1) Dialects and language-lets wither away Linky

Narayan Singh Negi, leader of the Rong Ba tribe, in the village of Bagori in Uttarakhand, doesn’t know how to stop their native language Jad from passing into oblivion. The youngsters of the tribe are reluctant to learn or speak Jad and the village elders who use the language still are slowly dying out.

The Rong Ba are not the only people witnessing the slow death of their language. Jad, spoken by about 2,000 people, is among 196 minority languages in India that are either extinct or endangered, according to the recently released Unesco Atlas of Languages in Danger. It’s a disturbing trend, say linguists, as the passing of a language also means the death of a culture since language contains the cultural records of a community.

2) Linky

A recent report of the National Crime Records Bureau revealed that 51 per cent of all train robberies took place in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The jurisdiction of the Patna Railway Police alone accounted for 23 per cent of all crimes in trains committed throughout the country. The bureau’s report also disclosed that in the past eight years, Bihar recorded a total of 2,076 crimes on trains, which is about 11 per cent of the crimes recorded in the country.

Records with the and the railway police show that most crimes in trains passing through Bihar occurred on Patna-Gaya, Mughalsarai-Jhajha, Danapur-Mughalsarai, Patna-Kiul, Gaya-Mughalsarai, Hajipur-Gorakhpur, and Barauni-Samastipur routes. Patna-Pune Express, Punjab Mail and Mahanand Express have recorded the maximum number of train robberies in the past two years.

3) Coal acquisition in Oz Linky

Adani Enterprises is close to buying coal mining rights in Australia from Linc Energy for over $900 million. The deal with the Australian company is likely to take place over the next few days.

4) SATP

Meanwhile, Maoist-backed People''s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) on July 31 declared the name of the new commander in chief, reports the Times of India. On July 31, PCPA spokesperson Asit Mahato told that Tota Hembram will replace Sidhu Soren as new commander in chief. Hembram hails from the Baita area. The outfit has named Monoj Mahato as the new secretary. Sidhu Soren was the founder secretary of PCPA.

4) Meghalaya - SATP

Meanwhile, militancy has adversely affected the Union Government's flagship programme, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), in Garo Hills. There are instances of huge number of people, working under NREGS projects in East and South Garo Hills Districts, who cut short their work to go home early due to fear of being intimidated by Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants. "The villagers do not feel safe to remain out of their houses till late due to the rise in criminal activities of the GNLA," a senior Government official said on August 1. The official on condition of anonymity admitted that implementation of the Centrally-sponsored programme has suffered badly in both the districts of Garo Hills due to this emerging problem. The GNLA has also continued to serve demand notes and send SMS to Block Development Officers (BDOs) and other Government officials asking for millions of rupees.

Had also read somewhere that Champion Sangma led GNLA has looted a state small arms repository and gotten away with it. A massive boost to this terrorist outfit.
5) Anti-talks faction of the NDFB and ULFA are on a resurgent note with many casualties on the police/para outfits.
6)

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) criticised the unity between the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and Naga National Council (NNC) at Monyakshu in Mon District on July 15 terming it as a betrayal of the efforts of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR), according to Shillong Times.

7) Badruddin Ajmal and Rockybull Hassan have united under the Jamiat flag to launch a united campaign against the NRC update. As Tarun Gogoi recuperates, his sub-Bhumidhar Barman is leading a new committee to look into NRC update matters. All in all makes for delaying tactics which will get eroded as the elections near. Linky