Man with 39 wives and 94 children tops Ripley’s list
Guwahati, December 18 (HT): Not everybody makes it to the top of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! But the ‘man with the most wives on earth’ would have preferred not to be on the ‘strangest story’ list. Considered to be an authority on all things odd, amazing and unusual, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! published the annual list of the strangest stories of 2011 on Thursday. The story of Zionnghaka Chana, 67, topped it among 11 stories from across the world. “Nice to get the spotlight, but there’s nothing strange about my marriages or my large family,” Zionnghaka said from Baktawng, a village 100 km north of Mizoram capital Aizawl. “Our faith allows us to marry as many women as possible, and I had married 10 in a single year.” Zionnghaka, a farmer with an engineering background, has 39 wives — his first wife at 17 is three years older to him — 94 children, 33 grandchildren and 14 daughters-in-law. His 181-member family lives in a 100-room, four-storey house. Each member has a specific duty, making the family self-sufficient. But, admits Zionnghaka, he is nowhere near his father Challianchana who died in 1997. Challianchana had 50 wives and more than 100 children, and had founded the Christian Channa or Lalpa Kohhran cult after falling out with the church for its stand against polygamy. The cult claims to have more than 4,000 members across four generations.
Three artistes selected for Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, 2010
GUWAHATI, December 18 (TNN): Three young artistes from the northeast have been selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, 2010. They are Assam's Naren Barua for Sattriya dance, and two young female artistes from Manipur - S Thaninleima for theatre (direction) and Ahongshangbam Priyarani Devi for Manipuri folk music. They were among 33 young talents selected for the award instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, the apex body of performing arts in the country. The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar is given to artistes below the age of 40. It was introduced in 2006 with an objective of giving national recognition to outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts. Of the 33 young artistes selected, eight were for music, eight for dance, eight for theatre, and nine for folk and traditional cultures including puppetry. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000. They were among 33 young talents selected for the award instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama. The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar is given to artistes below the age of 40. It was introduced in 2006 with an objective of giving national recognition to outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts.
Assam to get its third private university
GUWAHATI, December 18 (TNN): The state cabinet on Saturday approved a government bill to be placed in the December session of the assembly for the setting up of Kaziranga University in Jorhat . This will be the third and the largest private university in the state with a 50 acre campus. Under the Private University Act implemented by the state government in 2007, two universities, Assam Don Bosco University and Assam Down Town University are already functioning. A government source said, "The Assam Kaziranga University Bill will be placed before the assembly on the first day of the December session on Monday." The university will be run by Northeastern Knowledge Foundation promoted by the Khetan Group and Goel Group. "The university is located at Koraikhowa Gaon, about 15 km from Jorhat. We will be starting with two schools initially, one engineering and technology school with B Tech and M Tech degree programs in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics and communications engineering, and computer science and a business school with BBA and MBA courses in business administration and hospitality management," said Basant Khetan, secretary of the trust.
SSB head constable commits suicide
Araria, December 18 (PTI): Head constable of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)'s 28th battalion L Tikkan Singh today allgedly shot himself with a service rifle at Kaniabagh outpost in Bihar's Kishanganj district, an official said. Singh (40), a native of Manipur, allegedly shot himself on his head with a LMG rifle while on duty at Kaniabagh outpost located on the Indo-Nepal border, SSB's 28th battalion commandant K Ranjeet said in a release from the paramilitary force's headquarters at Araria. The person died on the spot and an autopsy was done. Arrangements were being made to send the body to Manipur.
MP to get 105 MW from North Lakhimpur project
Bhopal, December 18 (PTI): From 2014, Madhya Pradesh will start getting 105 MW power from North Lakhimpur, located on the border of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, as the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is coming up with a mega project there. Madhya Pradesh Power Trading Company Ltd (MPPTCL) signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with NHPC yesterday to source 105 MW energy from August 2014, official sources said here today. The NHPC project is coming up at Subansiri river lower part, they said. NHPC will sell power to Madhya Pradesh for 33 years at a cost of around Rs 2 per unit, sources said. The Centre has allocated 105 MW power to the State from NHPC’s upcoming mega project, they said. A power shortage of more than 2,000 MW was prevailing in the State, sources said adding that to meet it, the distribution companies were resorting to power cuts across the State.
AMRI fire: Manik Sarkar seeks Mamata Banerjee's help
AGARTALA, December 18 (IANS): Chief Minister Manik Sarkar urged his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee to help trace a Tripura man who went missing after the AMRI Hospital fire nine days ago. Banerjee's help has been sought to track down Santosh Das, whose family is distraught, an official told reporters here Sunday.
Guwahati, December 18 (HT): Not everybody makes it to the top of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! But the ‘man with the most wives on earth’ would have preferred not to be on the ‘strangest story’ list. Considered to be an authority on all things odd, amazing and unusual, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! published the annual list of the strangest stories of 2011 on Thursday. The story of Zionnghaka Chana, 67, topped it among 11 stories from across the world. “Nice to get the spotlight, but there’s nothing strange about my marriages or my large family,” Zionnghaka said from Baktawng, a village 100 km north of Mizoram capital Aizawl. “Our faith allows us to marry as many women as possible, and I had married 10 in a single year.” Zionnghaka, a farmer with an engineering background, has 39 wives — his first wife at 17 is three years older to him — 94 children, 33 grandchildren and 14 daughters-in-law. His 181-member family lives in a 100-room, four-storey house. Each member has a specific duty, making the family self-sufficient. But, admits Zionnghaka, he is nowhere near his father Challianchana who died in 1997. Challianchana had 50 wives and more than 100 children, and had founded the Christian Channa or Lalpa Kohhran cult after falling out with the church for its stand against polygamy. The cult claims to have more than 4,000 members across four generations.
Three artistes selected for Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, 2010
GUWAHATI, December 18 (TNN): Three young artistes from the northeast have been selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, 2010. They are Assam's Naren Barua for Sattriya dance, and two young female artistes from Manipur - S Thaninleima for theatre (direction) and Ahongshangbam Priyarani Devi for Manipuri folk music. They were among 33 young talents selected for the award instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama, the apex body of performing arts in the country. The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar is given to artistes below the age of 40. It was introduced in 2006 with an objective of giving national recognition to outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts. Of the 33 young artistes selected, eight were for music, eight for dance, eight for theatre, and nine for folk and traditional cultures including puppetry. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000. They were among 33 young talents selected for the award instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama. The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar is given to artistes below the age of 40. It was introduced in 2006 with an objective of giving national recognition to outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts.
Assam to get its third private university
GUWAHATI, December 18 (TNN): The state cabinet on Saturday approved a government bill to be placed in the December session of the assembly for the setting up of Kaziranga University in Jorhat . This will be the third and the largest private university in the state with a 50 acre campus. Under the Private University Act implemented by the state government in 2007, two universities, Assam Don Bosco University and Assam Down Town University are already functioning. A government source said, "The Assam Kaziranga University Bill will be placed before the assembly on the first day of the December session on Monday." The university will be run by Northeastern Knowledge Foundation promoted by the Khetan Group and Goel Group. "The university is located at Koraikhowa Gaon, about 15 km from Jorhat. We will be starting with two schools initially, one engineering and technology school with B Tech and M Tech degree programs in civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, electronics and communications engineering, and computer science and a business school with BBA and MBA courses in business administration and hospitality management," said Basant Khetan, secretary of the trust.
SSB head constable commits suicide
Araria, December 18 (PTI): Head constable of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)'s 28th battalion L Tikkan Singh today allgedly shot himself with a service rifle at Kaniabagh outpost in Bihar's Kishanganj district, an official said. Singh (40), a native of Manipur, allegedly shot himself on his head with a LMG rifle while on duty at Kaniabagh outpost located on the Indo-Nepal border, SSB's 28th battalion commandant K Ranjeet said in a release from the paramilitary force's headquarters at Araria. The person died on the spot and an autopsy was done. Arrangements were being made to send the body to Manipur.
MP to get 105 MW from North Lakhimpur project
Bhopal, December 18 (PTI): From 2014, Madhya Pradesh will start getting 105 MW power from North Lakhimpur, located on the border of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, as the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is coming up with a mega project there. Madhya Pradesh Power Trading Company Ltd (MPPTCL) signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with NHPC yesterday to source 105 MW energy from August 2014, official sources said here today. The NHPC project is coming up at Subansiri river lower part, they said. NHPC will sell power to Madhya Pradesh for 33 years at a cost of around Rs 2 per unit, sources said. The Centre has allocated 105 MW power to the State from NHPC’s upcoming mega project, they said. A power shortage of more than 2,000 MW was prevailing in the State, sources said adding that to meet it, the distribution companies were resorting to power cuts across the State.
AMRI fire: Manik Sarkar seeks Mamata Banerjee's help
AGARTALA, December 18 (IANS): Chief Minister Manik Sarkar urged his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee to help trace a Tripura man who went missing after the AMRI Hospital fire nine days ago. Banerjee's help has been sought to track down Santosh Das, whose family is distraught, an official told reporters here Sunday.
