Ajay Kaul
Yekaterinburg (Russia), Jun 15 : On his first trip to Russia during his second tenure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev here tomorrow during which the two leaders are expected to give a fresh momentum to bilateral relations which are already "flowering".
Singh and Medvedev, who will be meeting on the sidelines of the Summits of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Brazil-Russia-India-China (BRIC) tomorrow, are expected to discuss a wide range of subjects covering bilateral ties, terrorism and regional issues like Afghanistan.
As he arrived here tonight, Singh underscored the importance India gives to Russia.
"This is my frist foreign visit abroad after my re-election as Prime Minister. That this visit should be to a friendly country like Russia is a measure of our regard and respect for Russia," the Prime Minister told reporters on his arrival.
Ahead of the meeting, sources said relations between India and Russia have always been at their best and "flowering" in all sectors including defence.
On the Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal, the sources underlined that there was no problem. Ze
9:53 PM
9:53 PM
Meira says she won't quit Congress
planetInfo
Sasaram (Bihar), June 15 : Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today ruled out her resignation from Congress as suggested by her predecessor Somnath Chatterjee.
"There is no convention that the Speaker should resign from the primary membership of his or her party. I will function with the same impartiality towards Congress and the other parties in the Lok Sabha," she said during her maiden visit to her constituency Sasaram after assuming office.
"I will not be partisan...I am committed to maintaining the glory attached to the constitutional post," she said.
Chatterjee had made the suggestion during an interview to a private TV channel yesterday saying political affiliation should not lead to conflict of interest.
"It is better if a person occupying the Speaker's post resigns from his or her party post during the tenure so that there is no conflict of interest," he had said.
Kumar, the country's first woman Speaker, hoped that the Women's Reservation Bill would be unanimously passed in the 15th Lok Sabha as all political parties are serious about it.
"The bill could not be passed despite it being tabled thrice in the house during 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha," she said. Ze
"There is no convention that the Speaker should resign from the primary membership of his or her party. I will function with the same impartiality towards Congress and the other parties in the Lok Sabha," she said during her maiden visit to her constituency Sasaram after assuming office.
"I will not be partisan...I am committed to maintaining the glory attached to the constitutional post," she said.
Chatterjee had made the suggestion during an interview to a private TV channel yesterday saying political affiliation should not lead to conflict of interest.
"It is better if a person occupying the Speaker's post resigns from his or her party post during the tenure so that there is no conflict of interest," he had said.
Kumar, the country's first woman Speaker, hoped that the Women's Reservation Bill would be unanimously passed in the 15th Lok Sabha as all political parties are serious about it.
"The bill could not be passed despite it being tabled thrice in the house during 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha," she said. Ze
9:53 PM
Jammu, Jun 15 : The annual pilgrimage to the revered Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmr, which commenced today, was suspended owing to inclement weather and heavy snowfall along the mountainous route.
Hostile weather and snowfall in upper reaches along the Baltal route led to suspension of the yatra, an official spokesman said.
Amidst tight security, the pilgrimage began early this morning with a first batch of 900 worshippers leaving the base camp at Bhagwati Nagar here.
The pilgrims, who left in a fleet of 30 vehicles escorted by security forces, crossed Banihal at around 1955 hours and were on their way to Baltal, nearly 400-km from here.
The pilgrimage to 3,880-ft high shrine was to commence on June seven but was put off due to heavy accumulation of snow on the Pahalgam route.
The yatra, to be completed in five days, traditionally begins from Pahalgam with night halts at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panjtarni. Ze
Hostile weather and snowfall in upper reaches along the Baltal route led to suspension of the yatra, an official spokesman said.
Amidst tight security, the pilgrimage began early this morning with a first batch of 900 worshippers leaving the base camp at Bhagwati Nagar here.
The pilgrims, who left in a fleet of 30 vehicles escorted by security forces, crossed Banihal at around 1955 hours and were on their way to Baltal, nearly 400-km from here.
The pilgrimage to 3,880-ft high shrine was to commence on June seven but was put off due to heavy accumulation of snow on the Pahalgam route.
The yatra, to be completed in five days, traditionally begins from Pahalgam with night halts at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panjtarni. Ze
9:53 PM
Mumbai, Jun 15 : Accused of dilly-dallying on the panel report into the alleged lapses in handling 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Maharashtra government today said it will table the findings in the Maharashtra Legislature tomorrow, the last day of the current session.
"The report would be tabled tomorrow. There was discussion on the issue at the state cabinet meeting here today and it would continue tomorrow," the minister told reporters at Vidhan Bhawan, even as an angry opposition accused the Congress-NCP government of trying to avoid discussion on the panel's findings.
BJP leader Eknath Khadse said if the government was sincere it could have tabled both the reports today itself.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had on the first day assured the Legislature that the Ram Pradhan committee report along with the Action Taken Report (ATR) would be tabled before the end of the monsoon session and discussion would also take place.
Meanwhile, sources said that the cabinet meeting witnessed a heated discussion among the ministers on the report.
A senior cabinet minister, who did not wish to be named, said the panel felt that the administration and the police department responded well to the situation.
"If everything went well, then who was responsible for the mess," he asked. Ze
"The report would be tabled tomorrow. There was discussion on the issue at the state cabinet meeting here today and it would continue tomorrow," the minister told reporters at Vidhan Bhawan, even as an angry opposition accused the Congress-NCP government of trying to avoid discussion on the panel's findings.
BJP leader Eknath Khadse said if the government was sincere it could have tabled both the reports today itself.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had on the first day assured the Legislature that the Ram Pradhan committee report along with the Action Taken Report (ATR) would be tabled before the end of the monsoon session and discussion would also take place.
Meanwhile, sources said that the cabinet meeting witnessed a heated discussion among the ministers on the report.
A senior cabinet minister, who did not wish to be named, said the panel felt that the administration and the police department responded well to the situation.
"If everything went well, then who was responsible for the mess," he asked. Ze
9:53 PM
Midnapore(WB), Jun 15 : Two more CPI(M) cadres were found dead as pro-naxal tribals, agitating against alleged police atrocities, today torched three police camps and demolished house of a Marxist leader, virtually taking control of Lalgarh in West Midnapur district after forcing security forces to leave the area.
The police camps at Belatkri and Dharampur and the Ramgarh outpost in Lalgarh were wound up in the wake of apprehensions that tribals, who have launched an agitation under the banner of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, may loot the arms, the police said.
The tribals later torched the Ramgarh police outpost as also police camps at Beratikri and Dharmapur. They also demolished a camp at Kaima from where the CRPF withdrew, the sources said.
The camps, in pucca buildings, were ransacked before being torced, official sources said.
With this the entire Lalgarh area came under the control of the PCPA, as also most of that under Salboni police station, they said.
Three bodies of CPI(M) supporters who were killed at Dharmapur, were still lying there, bodies of two others reported missing were found at Salpatra, the sources said, adding that four marxist supporters were still missing.
Tribals also demolished the palatial house of a CPI(M) leader Anuj Pandey with crowbars and hammers at Lalgarh, the sources said, adding that Pandey had fled the site. Ze
The police camps at Belatkri and Dharampur and the Ramgarh outpost in Lalgarh were wound up in the wake of apprehensions that tribals, who have launched an agitation under the banner of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, may loot the arms, the police said.
The tribals later torched the Ramgarh police outpost as also police camps at Beratikri and Dharmapur. They also demolished a camp at Kaima from where the CRPF withdrew, the sources said.
The camps, in pucca buildings, were ransacked before being torced, official sources said.
With this the entire Lalgarh area came under the control of the PCPA, as also most of that under Salboni police station, they said.
Three bodies of CPI(M) supporters who were killed at Dharmapur, were still lying there, bodies of two others reported missing were found at Salpatra, the sources said, adding that four marxist supporters were still missing.
Tribals also demolished the palatial house of a CPI(M) leader Anuj Pandey with crowbars and hammers at Lalgarh, the sources said, adding that Pandey had fled the site. Ze
9:53 PM
Cong tell partymen to shun feudal titles
planetInfo
New Delhi, Jun 15 : After winning the Lok Sabha elections on the plank of 'aam aadmi' (common man), Congress today asked partymen to shun all feudal titles which many of them use with their names.
The party has advised all its members at various levels to strike off feudal titles like Maharaja, Raja, Begum, Kunwar, Rajkumar, Shrimant or Maharani with immediate effect.
"Such feudal titles will henceforth not be on official records of the party at any level. This is an advice of the party to all Congress leaders and workers," AICC General Secretary and media department chief Janardan Dwivedi said when asked what the party was doing to stop such feudal practices.
Dwivedi denied that there was any immediate provocation for the move saying the party was contemplating it for a while now.
A senior party leader told Zeack that Congress was against this practice from the very beginning and the issue of dropping such titles denoting feudal values was being considered for quite some time.
"Congress had fought against Rajshahi in the past. A number of organisations like the Praja Mandal were constituted by the party in the fight against feudalism in the past. Keeping such titles, hence, did not symbolise Congress values," he said. Ze
The party has advised all its members at various levels to strike off feudal titles like Maharaja, Raja, Begum, Kunwar, Rajkumar, Shrimant or Maharani with immediate effect.
"Such feudal titles will henceforth not be on official records of the party at any level. This is an advice of the party to all Congress leaders and workers," AICC General Secretary and media department chief Janardan Dwivedi said when asked what the party was doing to stop such feudal practices.
Dwivedi denied that there was any immediate provocation for the move saying the party was contemplating it for a while now.
A senior party leader told Zeack that Congress was against this practice from the very beginning and the issue of dropping such titles denoting feudal values was being considered for quite some time.
"Congress had fought against Rajshahi in the past. A number of organisations like the Praja Mandal were constituted by the party in the fight against feudalism in the past. Keeping such titles, hence, did not symbolise Congress values," he said. Ze
9:53 PM
Mumbai, Jun 15 : Four eye witnesses today identified Ajmal Kasab as one of the two gunmen who had struck terror at the Chhatrapati Shivaji rail terminus on November 26 even as the Pakistani terrorist cried after photographs showing him firing at people were produced in the court.
In the first session, a photojournalist, who had taken pictures of Kasab and his accomplice, produced both negatives and positive frames.
This is for the first time documentary evidence has been tabled before the court, prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.
On seeing the photographs, Kasab was apparently taken aback and sounded low. But he did not react and sat in the dock with his head down.
However, in the second session after the lunch recess, Kasab was seen weeping in the court. He rubbed his eyes and tears rolled down his cheeks as photographer Sebastian D'souza was answering to questions by defence lawyer Abbas Kazmi.
Judge M L Tahaliyani asked Kasab, "Why are you crying? What is the matter?" Kasab got up but did not say anything. Kazmi then said "he is not well since morning.
"Why you did not tell me earlier? Anyway, I do not want you to leave the court but if I find that you cannot sit here then I will send you to barrack," the judge told Kasab.
The Pakistani gunman then quietly sat down and all the while put his head down. Z
In the first session, a photojournalist, who had taken pictures of Kasab and his accomplice, produced both negatives and positive frames.
This is for the first time documentary evidence has been tabled before the court, prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said.
On seeing the photographs, Kasab was apparently taken aback and sounded low. But he did not react and sat in the dock with his head down.
However, in the second session after the lunch recess, Kasab was seen weeping in the court. He rubbed his eyes and tears rolled down his cheeks as photographer Sebastian D'souza was answering to questions by defence lawyer Abbas Kazmi.
Judge M L Tahaliyani asked Kasab, "Why are you crying? What is the matter?" Kasab got up but did not say anything. Kazmi then said "he is not well since morning.
"Why you did not tell me earlier? Anyway, I do not want you to leave the court but if I find that you cannot sit here then I will send you to barrack," the judge told Kasab.
The Pakistani gunman then quietly sat down and all the while put his head down. Z
9:53 PM
Two of Lalu's confidantes join JD(U)
planetInfo
Patna, June 15 : Two of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's close confidantes Shyam Razak and Ram Nihora Yadav, who had quit the party recently, today joined JD(U), led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Welcoming them into the party fold, Kumar said his party has received a shot in the arm as "committed and efficient politicians like Razak and Yadav have come together to join us".
Razak, who was the RJD national general secretary, had resigned from the assembly and the party on June 13, while Ram Nihora Yadav, who was the spokesman-cum-state general secretary had quit the party yesterday.
Both of them took the primary membership of the party in the presence of Kumar at the party office here.
Pledging to carry forward the fight for "uplift of backbenchers in the society" through JD(U), Rajak alleged that the RJD "derailed" from its commitments of ameliorating the lot of mahadalits, extremely backwards and minorities.
Recalling that he was one of the founders of RJD and had extended support to Lalu "as his guardian in odd times", Razak said: "The party now adopts resolutions on national and international issues only to mislead people". Ze
Welcoming them into the party fold, Kumar said his party has received a shot in the arm as "committed and efficient politicians like Razak and Yadav have come together to join us".
Razak, who was the RJD national general secretary, had resigned from the assembly and the party on June 13, while Ram Nihora Yadav, who was the spokesman-cum-state general secretary had quit the party yesterday.
Both of them took the primary membership of the party in the presence of Kumar at the party office here.
Pledging to carry forward the fight for "uplift of backbenchers in the society" through JD(U), Rajak alleged that the RJD "derailed" from its commitments of ameliorating the lot of mahadalits, extremely backwards and minorities.
Recalling that he was one of the founders of RJD and had extended support to Lalu "as his guardian in odd times", Razak said: "The party now adopts resolutions on national and international issues only to mislead people". Ze
9:53 PM
Bhubaneswar, Jun 15 : The National Commission for Minorities today said the Orissa government had failed to take "enough" steps to restore normalcy in Kandhamal district where communal riots had broken out in December 2007 and again in August 2008.
"Steps taken to restore complete normalcy in Kandhamal are not enough though the situation there has improved," NCM Vice-Chairman M P Pinto told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Since about 1900 out of over 20,000 people were still in relief camps, it showed that complete normalcy was yet to be restored in Kandhamal, Pinto said.
"It is the duty of the government to ensure that not a single person remains in relief camps, but 1900 people are still there," he said.
The NCM would also recommend to the Centre to take measures, including the state's demand for retaining the CRPF personnel already deployed for three more months for restoring complete normalcy in Kandhamal, he said.
To a question on possibility of violence erupting in the district in the event of withdrawal of central security forces, he said: "we will look into the matter while making a recommendation to the Centre." During the meeting, the chief minister pointed out that despite the state government's request, the Centre was set to withdraw the CRPF from Kandhamal by June end, sources said. Z
"Steps taken to restore complete normalcy in Kandhamal are not enough though the situation there has improved," NCM Vice-Chairman M P Pinto told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Since about 1900 out of over 20,000 people were still in relief camps, it showed that complete normalcy was yet to be restored in Kandhamal, Pinto said.
"It is the duty of the government to ensure that not a single person remains in relief camps, but 1900 people are still there," he said.
The NCM would also recommend to the Centre to take measures, including the state's demand for retaining the CRPF personnel already deployed for three more months for restoring complete normalcy in Kandhamal, he said.
To a question on possibility of violence erupting in the district in the event of withdrawal of central security forces, he said: "we will look into the matter while making a recommendation to the Centre." During the meeting, the chief minister pointed out that despite the state government's request, the Centre was set to withdraw the CRPF from Kandhamal by June end, sources said. Z
9:53 PM
Jalandhar, June 15 : A day after a boy who had returned from the US tested positive for swine flu, nine other students who accompanied him to the trip were quarantined at a hospital here today after they showed symptoms of the disease.
"We have admitted as many as nine students, who have just returned from America, in the isolation ward of civil hospital after they complained of fever and sore throat. Their blood samples have been sent to Delhi for tests," Dr S S Walia, Civil Surgeon of Civil Hospital told Zeack.
The nine were part of a group of 30 students and three teachers who had gone to an education trip to NASA in the USA.
One of the students in the group yesterday tested positive for the virus and has been hospitalised in Delhi.
The blood samples of these nine students have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi last night and the report is expected to reach tonight, added Dr Walia.
Four of the students have been sent home after medical check up, Nodal Officer on Swine Flu and Project Director of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), Deepak Bhatia said, adding they have been given medicines and told not to venture out.
Others who complained about fever include two from Kapurthala and one each from Bhatinda, Hoshiarpur and Ropar and one from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, Bhatia said. Z
"We have admitted as many as nine students, who have just returned from America, in the isolation ward of civil hospital after they complained of fever and sore throat. Their blood samples have been sent to Delhi for tests," Dr S S Walia, Civil Surgeon of Civil Hospital told Zeack.
The nine were part of a group of 30 students and three teachers who had gone to an education trip to NASA in the USA.
One of the students in the group yesterday tested positive for the virus and has been hospitalised in Delhi.
The blood samples of these nine students have been sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), New Delhi last night and the report is expected to reach tonight, added Dr Walia.
Four of the students have been sent home after medical check up, Nodal Officer on Swine Flu and Project Director of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), Deepak Bhatia said, adding they have been given medicines and told not to venture out.
Others who complained about fever include two from Kapurthala and one each from Bhatinda, Hoshiarpur and Ropar and one from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, Bhatia said. Z
9:53 PM
Swine flu under control: Azad
planetInfo
New Delhi, June 15 : Even as the number of swine flu cases in the country reached 23, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today asserted that the disease was under control as nearly half of them have been cured.
"Medicine is available in plenty and the most important thing is that this disease is 100 per cent curable. Out of total 23 cases, 11 have already been treated and discharged," he told reporters here.
"So your are only left with 12 cases," Azad said.
Keeping in view the size and population of the country, 11-12 cases is nothing as compared to the most developed countries, he added.
Swine flu spread to two more cities - Bangalore and Jalandhar - as six more persons, including three children and two women, tested positive for the virus on their return from the US yesterday.
A 29-year-old woman and her three-year-old daughter, who arrived at Bengaluru airport from New Jersey on June 12, were quarantined at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bangalore and tested positive.
In Jalandhar, a student tested positive for swine flu and admitted to a Delhi hospital. Z
"Medicine is available in plenty and the most important thing is that this disease is 100 per cent curable. Out of total 23 cases, 11 have already been treated and discharged," he told reporters here.
"So your are only left with 12 cases," Azad said.
Keeping in view the size and population of the country, 11-12 cases is nothing as compared to the most developed countries, he added.
Swine flu spread to two more cities - Bangalore and Jalandhar - as six more persons, including three children and two women, tested positive for the virus on their return from the US yesterday.
A 29-year-old woman and her three-year-old daughter, who arrived at Bengaluru airport from New Jersey on June 12, were quarantined at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in Bangalore and tested positive.
In Jalandhar, a student tested positive for swine flu and admitted to a Delhi hospital. Z
1:52 AM
Washington, Jun 15 : Guess how fast can evolution take place? In less than 10 years, at least in fish, according to a new study.
In their study, researchers at California University introduced guppies (small fresh-water fish) from Yarra River, Trinidad, into the nearby Damier River, in a section above a barrier waterfall that excluded all predators.
Eight years later, they found that the guppies in the low-predation environment above the barrier waterfall had adapted to their new environment by producing larger and fewer offspring with each reproductive cycle.
However, no such adaptation was seen in the guppies which colonised the high-predation environment below barrier waterfall.
"High-predation females invest more resources into current reproduction because a high rate of mortality, driven by predators, means these females may not get another chance to reproduce.
"Low-predation females, on the other hand, produce larger embryos because the larger babies are more competitive in the resource-limited environments typical of low-predation sites.
"Moreover, low-predation females produce fewer embryos not only because they have larger embryos but also because they invest fewer resources in current reproduction," lead researcher Swanne Gordon said. Z
In their study, researchers at California University introduced guppies (small fresh-water fish) from Yarra River, Trinidad, into the nearby Damier River, in a section above a barrier waterfall that excluded all predators.
Eight years later, they found that the guppies in the low-predation environment above the barrier waterfall had adapted to their new environment by producing larger and fewer offspring with each reproductive cycle.
However, no such adaptation was seen in the guppies which colonised the high-predation environment below barrier waterfall.
"High-predation females invest more resources into current reproduction because a high rate of mortality, driven by predators, means these females may not get another chance to reproduce.
"Low-predation females, on the other hand, produce larger embryos because the larger babies are more competitive in the resource-limited environments typical of low-predation sites.
"Moreover, low-predation females produce fewer embryos not only because they have larger embryos but also because they invest fewer resources in current reproduction," lead researcher Swanne Gordon said. Z
12:15 AM
London, Jun 15 : Scientists have claimed that a ultrasmall bacterium which has been brought back to life after being recovered from the Greenland ice sheet, could resemble extraterrestrial life.
An international team coaxed the Herminiimonas glaciei bug back to life after it spent 120,000 years buried three kms deep in the Greenland ice sheet, a major finding it claims can resemble microbes that have evolved in ice on other planets.
The bug consists of rods just 0.9 micrometres long and 0.4 micrometres in diameter, about 10 to 50 times smaller than the wellknown bacterium, Escherichia coli.
"What's unique is that it's so small, and seems to survive on so few nutrients," the 'New Scientist' quoted Jennifer Loveland-Curtze of Pennsylvania State University, who led the team, as saying.
According to the scientists, because of its tiny dimensions, the bug can survive in minute veins in the ice, scavenging sparse nutrients that were buried along with the ice. It also has extensive tail-like flagella to help it manoeuvre through the veins to find food.
"Along with the snow, you get dust, bacterial cells, fungal spores, plant spores, minerals and other organic debris. So we postulate that it lives in these microniches in the ice," Loveland-Curtze said.
An international team coaxed the Herminiimonas glaciei bug back to life after it spent 120,000 years buried three kms deep in the Greenland ice sheet, a major finding it claims can resemble microbes that have evolved in ice on other planets.
The bug consists of rods just 0.9 micrometres long and 0.4 micrometres in diameter, about 10 to 50 times smaller than the wellknown bacterium, Escherichia coli.
"What's unique is that it's so small, and seems to survive on so few nutrients," the 'New Scientist' quoted Jennifer Loveland-Curtze of Pennsylvania State University, who led the team, as saying.
According to the scientists, because of its tiny dimensions, the bug can survive in minute veins in the ice, scavenging sparse nutrients that were buried along with the ice. It also has extensive tail-like flagella to help it manoeuvre through the veins to find food.
"Along with the snow, you get dust, bacterial cells, fungal spores, plant spores, minerals and other organic debris. So we postulate that it lives in these microniches in the ice," Loveland-Curtze said.
12:15 AM
Cock-fight thriving in Aizawl
planetInfo
Aizawl, June 15 : Cock-fight is becoming increasingly popular in Aizawl and its outskirts, much to the dislike of animal rights activists.
The fights are usually held on Saturdays near the helipad in the Zemabawk locality and at a garden at nearby Durtlang village on Sundays.
A person successfully betting on a winning cock earns double the amount of the stake, provided the owner of the cock allows other people to bet their money. When people from Kolkata and other places visit Aizawl for the purpose, the stakes are higher and so are the profits.
Most of the fighter cocks available in Mizoram are imported from Myanmar where they are known as either 'Asil' or 'Vang'.
Chhuana, a cock fight enthusiast, says, "Importing a 'she-Vang' from Myanmar costs Rs 10,000 including taxes paid to the military authorities and insurgent groups in the border areas, while a mixed breed in Aizawl is available at half the price." However the real 'McCoy', he admits, is any day better than the mixed-breeds in fighting skill.
There is even a cock fighting club in one of the localities of Aizawl, a local journalist, who did a study on cock fighting, says.
The fights are usually held on Saturdays near the helipad in the Zemabawk locality and at a garden at nearby Durtlang village on Sundays.
A person successfully betting on a winning cock earns double the amount of the stake, provided the owner of the cock allows other people to bet their money. When people from Kolkata and other places visit Aizawl for the purpose, the stakes are higher and so are the profits.
Most of the fighter cocks available in Mizoram are imported from Myanmar where they are known as either 'Asil' or 'Vang'.
Chhuana, a cock fight enthusiast, says, "Importing a 'she-Vang' from Myanmar costs Rs 10,000 including taxes paid to the military authorities and insurgent groups in the border areas, while a mixed breed in Aizawl is available at half the price." However the real 'McCoy', he admits, is any day better than the mixed-breeds in fighting skill.
There is even a cock fighting club in one of the localities of Aizawl, a local journalist, who did a study on cock fighting, says.