| Mizoram |
Biplob Ghosal
The year began with fear of the impending repetition of `mautam` or famine caused by gregarious bamboo flowering resulting in destruction of crops by millions of rodents as
Dendrocalamus Hamiltoni, locally known as "phulrua" flowered during the last part of 2007.
Experts like James Lalsiamliana had warned last year that flowering of phulrua would proved wrong the predictions of village elders that 2007 would be the climax of the Mautam and 2008 would be `a vur kum` or `year of harvest boom`.
Multitude of rats survived feeding on the fallen seeds of phulrua to again ravage the jhums or paddy fields all over the state.
Congress storms back
Mizoram, known as the `land of the highlanders`, went to elections on December 2. Riding on an anti-incumbency wave Congress stormed back to power in this north-eastern hilly state securing an absolute majority in the 40-member state Assembly.
Sixty-six-year-old rebel turned politician Lal Thanhawla from Mizo National Front (MNF), the sixth Chief Minister of Mizoram, set a record, becoming the only one from the state to be in saddle for a fourth time.
Mizoram elections»
Indo-Mongolian CI exercise
Apart from election Indo-Mongolian CI exercise was also conducted in the state. Mizoram`s Vairangte Troops from the Indian and Mongolian armies exercises counter-insurgency manoeuvres at a 14-day camp in Vairangte-based training school in Mizoram.
Bird flu alert
In the last month of the year bird flu alert was sounded after outbreak in Assam, which witnessed more than 100,000 poultry culling in Assam. |
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