The Northeast Notebook

Road to education

DRIVERS in Manipur are now showing others the way to help. The Manipur Drivers’ Welfare Association, an apex body of three drivers’ associations of the state, have pooled funds to support the education of six children who are brilliant but whose families cannot support them financially.

Assam takes the silk route

SUALKUCHI, the largest village in Assam which is also the hub of paat, muga and endi—the three exclusive Assamese silks, has a reason to rejoice: the UNDP will provide Rs 11.5 crore to the state government to improve the weaving facilities in the village and also to draw up an ambitious scheme that can help Sualkuchi emerge as a major tourist attraction.

Just 30 kms from Guwahati, every family in Sualkuchi is engaged in silk production.

Nagaland: click and rule

NAGALAND’S unique Village Development Boards will soon enter the IT age. The state government last week announced it will provide computers and Internet facilities to them in order to introduce e-governance and bring more transparency in carrying out developmental activities in the villages.

Nagaland, incidentally, does not have panchayats and Village Development Boards, which have emerged from the traditional village councils, look after all developmental activities.

Kaziranga’s elephant dance

KAZIRANGA National Park, Assam’s most popular tourist destination, is getting ready for the second Elephant Festival that begins on January 30.

Park authorities, who claim that it is the biggest elephant festival (with over 300 domestic elephants participating last year), has also organised a festival of ethnic Assamese food mela and a craft mela, while the tourism department is expecting about 500 foreign tourists in Kaziranga for the festival’s four days.