Miss Luira in Manipur

With the Miss Luira beauty pageant as a salient feature, the five day long Luira Phanit, a seed sowing festival of the Tangkhul community of Manipur was concluded at Hunpun in the state’s Ukhrul district, about 84 km north of Imphal recently.
The Miss Luira beauty contest held in the evening session of the festival was one of the main attractions of the gathering wherein 18 year old Tangkhul belle MC Ngayo was adjudged as the new Miss Luira 2011.The first and second runner up titles went to Shonchui Lungsung (18) and Soreishon Luikham (18) respectively.
Lui Ngai Ni Festival
Lui-Ngai- Ni, the seed sowing festival of the Naga community in Manipur was celebrated at Ukhrul district headquarters, 84 kms north of Imphal recently. Multi-ethnic tribal dances and traditional shows, ceremonial blessing of seeds, cultural regalia and ‘Lui-Ngai-Ni – Nite’ were the main highlights of the gala event at the Tangkhul Long ground of the hill town.
Exhibition cum sale of handlooms, arts and crafts, food, seeds and seedlings, audio visual productions, indigenous musical instruments were the salient features of the day while the traditional fashion displays, etc featured in the evening session.
Naga Chilli No Longer Hottest Chilli
Measuring 1.17 million on the Scoville Scale the Infinity chilli grown in the market town of Grantham in Lincolnshire is so hot that it carries a health warning. Grown by Nick Woods, the chilli made it to the Guinness Book of Records after out-spicing the previous title holder, the Bhut Jolokia from India.
Woods, who runs his own business Fire Foods from his home in Grantham, said he grew the record breaking chilli by accident.  He explained: “I didn’t set out to grow it. One day I just saw this new chilli plant growing. When I tried it, it tasted nice at first and then it hit me. I really wouldn’t recommend anybody eating it raw like that. We do feel quite honoured to get the record because everyone in the world has heard of the Guinness Book of World Records. Even if someone else comes along and beats it, they can never take away from us the fact that we once held the world record.”
ICC Puts Shillong Choir on Hold
The Shillong Chamber Choir that was meant to sing at the ICC World Cup closing ceremony on the 2nd of April was left to hang in limbo because it did not receive confirmation from the organisers about its performance.
Choir spokesman and manager Damon Lyndem says that Showtime Event Management along with Maverick Media had approached them to be part of the closing ceremony, and they were required to sing the national anthems of the two countries that played the finals. The Choir was yet to receive a written confirmation about their travel plans and schedule, even after the World Cup had kicked off.
Manipur lady scribe awarded
In recognition of her work that covers diverse but topical women’s issues from North East India, Thingnam Anjulika Samom, an independent journalist based in Manipur has been awarded The Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity  2010-11 (Eastern Region) by Population First and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) during a function in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. Anjulika, was honored with a special award for consistent writing on women’s issues. She had focused on covering gender issues such as the impact of conflict on women, domestic violence, women achievers, plight of commercial sex workers among other issues through media. She is also an award-winning translator.
Assam Minister Usurps Witches’ Land

Assam Veterinary and Hills Area Development minister Khorsing Engti allegedly branded two girls – his neighbours – as witches to grab their land in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.

“The harassment started on October 30 last year. We were rescued by patrolling CRPF personnel once, but the physical and mental torture from the minister’s men continued. They have branded us witches and accused us of hiding skeletons and bones in our house to practice black magic,” said Radhika Sah. Radhika aged 18, and Gayatri are residents of Pan-Engtigaon near Howraghat town and their 3.12 kathas of land adjoin Engti’s estate. The duo also accused the minister’s lackeys of taking away valuables worth Rs 11.5 lakh. “We lodged an FIR at the Howraghat police station. However, the local authorities were indifferent to our pleas,” she says.

Engti, also battling charges in a major hill tribal council scam, said pressure groups could have made the Sahs target him rather than the neighbours they have a problem with.

“Everyone in the village knows how some local people have been targeting them for allegedly practicing witchcraft. No one can deny that I saved them on a few occasions,” he claimed.