The Northeast Notebook

Trafficking high in MeghalayaTHE incidence of trafficking of women has been rising steadily in Meghalaya during the past few years. A Shillo...

Trafficking high in Meghalaya
THE incidence of trafficking of women has been rising steadily in Meghalaya during the past few years. A Shillong-based NGO said at least 34 young girls trafficked from Meghalaya were rescued from various brothels in Mumbai last year.

Social workers say the police and government officials in the region were yet to take the problem seriously.

Tripura drops out of literacy race
STRUGGLING to tackle insurgency for years, Tripura is now facing another problem, one that8217;s the result of militancy. The school dropout rate in the state has touched an all time high.

A recent study placed Tripura8217;s combined dropout rate between Class I and Class X at 80 per cent, which is at least 15 per cent higher than the national average. The situation is even more alarming among tribal students8212;about 86 per cent.

Help for Manipur8217;s farmers
WITH Manipur8217;s population going up from 19 lakh to 24 lakh in a decade, Manipur has launched an ambitious scheme to increase the state8217;s agricultural production.

Last week chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh launched a scheme under which groups of farmers were given 20 tractors, 97 power tillers and 132 water pumps that would help increase the output. Being a hill state, only ten per cent of Manipur8217;s land is under cultivation.

Nagaland goes to school
ELEMENTARY education is fast picking up in Nagaland, a state that was in the grip of insurgency for decades. The secret of their success perhaps lies in their handing over to the community, the responsibility of running schools and motivating families to send their children to school.

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With this new system in place for over half a decade, things are now moving in the right direction. The state government has also increased fund allocation to the village education councils.

Trust for Assam8217;s children
ASSAM has the highest number of children affected by violence, including insurgency and ethnic strife. Last week the state established a Trust that would initiate welfare schemes for such children.

Called the Violence and Militancy Children Victims8217; Welfare Fund, the trust is headed by chief minister Tarun Gogoi. This is the second such endeavour in the state. The first was Aashwas8212;a project launched by the Assam Police that trains policemen on community policing.