Society / Mizoram

AIZAWL, Jan 2— Drug abuse killed at least 95 people including seven women in Mizoram during 2002, top state Excise department officials said here today, reports PTI.

The officials, quoting departmental records, told PTI that while 90 people died due to abuse of Spasmo Proxyvon, a prominent painkiller, four people including son of the former state Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla were killed by heroin and one died due to abuse of other psychotropic drugs.

The officials, however, admitted that the toll in the drug-related deaths might be much higher as there was a strong possibility of many...

AIZAWL, June 15 ? The establishment of the apex body of the Mizos, Young Mizo Association, was today observed in the whole of Mizoram and other places where ethnic Mizos live, reports PTI. Mizoram Governor Amolak Rattan Kohli, urged all members of the YMA to expose the spirit of ?Tlawmngaihna? or self-sacrifice, the great custom and tradition of the Mizos to the outside world through cultural exchanges and sports. The day was marked by YMA members, young and old, by planting trees, doing community works like cleaning streets and villages and helping the poor and the sick. YMA, then Young...

AIZAWL, April 7 ? Kawlvela, a close aide of underground Mizo leader late Laldenga, died here Friday. He was 78 and is survived by wife, three sons and three daughter. A former Indian Army personnel, Kawlvela joined the Mizo National Front led by Laldenga in 1966 when it declared independence from the Indian Union and oversaw the recruitment and training of the underground militants. When the erstwhile Mizo National Army chief Biakchhunga staged a coup against the underground government and overthrew its president Laldenga, Kawlvela opposed Biakchhunga and ultimately defeated him in 1978.

AIZAWL, March 21?A 24-year-old Mizo girl returned home after her family accorded her ?a decent burial? at Vairengte bordering Cachar district of Assam, reports PTI. A decomposed body of a girl was found at an empty house at Ramnagar near Silchar in Cachar district on March 10 which was ?identified? as that of Chhandami of Saipum hamlet under Vairengte police station by her uncle, police sources said today. As Chhandami was of same height and sported the same hair style with an identical scar on her abdomen, her uncle was sure that the decomposed body was that of his niece missing for some days...

AIZAWL, March 9 ? ?Chapchar Kut? or spring festival, the most important festival of Mizoram, was celebrated today with traditional gaiety and enthusiasm. The main function was held at Assam Rifles ground here with Chief Minister Zoramthanga as ?Kut Pa? or father of the festival, which marks the end of hard work to clear jungles for cultivation. He urged the people to protect and maintain the traditional values of the Mizos. All the State government offices and educational institutions remained close for the day, which was celebrated by exuberant dancers in colorful traditional attire dancing...

AIZAWL, Feb 5 — Most Reverend Stephen Rotluanga was ordained as the first-ever Mizo Bishop in a grand function held at Assam Refles ground here, reports PTI. The episcopal ordination was conducted by representative of Pope John Paul II, most reverend Charles Schleck, Archbishop and adjunct secretary, congregation for the evangelization of peoples, Vatican City. The ordination mass programme was attended by people belonging to all church denominations of the State, from different parts of the country and abroad. State Governor AR Kohli, Chief Minister Zoramthanga, his Cabinet colleagues...

AIZAWL, Jan 5 — Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod has sent a condolence message to the relatives of Ms Gwen Reef Roberts, 86, the last Christian missionary to leave Mizoram, who died at Bala in Wales on Thursday. Synod sources here said that the condolence message was also sent to the Presbyterian Church of Wales where Roberts, fondly known by the Mizos as “Pi Teii”, was a church elder. Born in Wales on March 2, 1916, she came to Mizoram as a Christian missionary in December 1944. She quickly learnt Mizo dialect and became the first headmistress of the Presbyterian Church Girls School when it...

AIZAWL, Jan 4 — Six vehicles, on an average, are being registered daily in the Mizoram capital which has witnessed a “staggering rise” in vehicular traffic in recent times, reports PTI. Aizawl district additional superintendent of police (traffic) Laldawngliana told PTI the town, with 22.15 km long roads, has a “large” number of 22,730 vehicles, according to information available in November. Last year 29 accident cases were reported in small picturesque town of which 11 were fatal ones. There are 1,026 vehicles for every kilometre in the capital where 315 parking places are notified...

AIZAWL, April 12: Opposition members in the Mizoram Assembly have termed the Mizoram government's decision to adopt Central Board of School Education (CBSE) syllabus as "saffronisation of education" in the Christian-dominated State, reports PTI. Speaking during discussions on the budgetary demands of School Education Minister F Malsawma, the Opposition members expressed the fear that the State government unknowingly might have fulfilled the BJP "hidden agenda" to saffronise elementary education. J Lalthangliana of the Mizoram People's Conference (MPC) urged the minister to ensure that students...

AIZAWL, March 13: Women in Mizoram have asked the Church to consider ordain of women as elders or pastors, reports UNI. The state-level Zoram Presbyterian Kohhram Hmeichhia or the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Women Fellowship adopted a resolution here that the Church should also consider women for the post of elder or pastor in future. At present, while there was no written rule prohibiting women from being ordained, no woman has so far been appointed as pastor or elder by the Church in the past 100 years, an elder said.