Meghalaya’s earthly delightsWHILE Cherrapunjee and Mawsynram, the two wettest places on earth, continue to attract tourists to Meghalaya, the state has now launched a new plan to lure tourists: geotourism.The state tourism department has tied up with the Geological Survey of India to identify all geological sites such as the Dawki faultline, limestone caves and the rich coalmine district of Jaintia Hills. It has also decided to launch an aggressive campaign outside the region to reach out to tourists.Arunachal to create autonomous districtsIN order to protect tribal culture and traditions, the Arunachal Pradesh state assembly last week adopted a resolution to include the state under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.This would facilitate creating autonomous district councils in certain districts such as Tirap, Changlang and West Kameng, so that the tribals living in remote areas could participate better in the developmental process. Currently the Sixth schedule is applicable only in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura.Day of the jackalTHE remote Sendenyu village in Nagaland made news last week when the Village Wildlife Protection Committee announced prize money for whoever killed a pack of jackal which has become a menace in the area.The jackal have already killed several domestic as well as wild animals in the last few weeks. The Committee has announced Rs 1,000 for each jackal killed.School for counter insurgencyTHE Tripura State Rifles (TSR), engaged in assisting security forces in fighting insurgency, has invented a new way to stop villagers from providing shelter to militants.The TSR has opened a school at Daluma, a remote militant-infested area, and told people that they would accept their wards only if they did not help militants. The experimental school at Daluma already has 180 students, and the scheme is now being extended to newer areas.Book on polo in ManipurMANIPUR claims to be the state that gave India polo. Now there will be a book to document the sport’s origin and history in the state.The state government has invited noted Italian writer, anthropologist and photo-journalist Fulvio Cinquini, to write a book on polo. The Manipur government has also announced formulating a state polo policy that will include steps to preserve the particular Manipuri breed of ponies and also set up an industry to manufacture equipment required for the game.
