20 dec 04

Dog meat, a delicacy in Mizoram

AIZAWL, DEC. 19. Man's trusted friend and guardian for ages, the dog is seen
in Mizoram as a source of tasty meat, more preferred than even the pork, the
widely available meat in the State.

No wonder dog meat is costlier at Rs. 140 a kg in the State's capital Aizawl
while pork costs only Rs. 120 a kg.

A five-member team of mediapersons from Kerala on a recent visit to the
northeast noticed the absence of stray dogs in Aizawl.

Inquiries revealed that dog meat is a prized food item here. Veterinary
experts and the Director of Animal Husbandry said there had been very few
cases of deaths due to rabies in Mizoram.

The mediapersons came across several meat stalls with dog carcasses hung for
sale interspersed with pork.

Dogs were brought in large numbers into Mizoram from Assam and Manipur for
butchering. Nagaland was another north-eastern State which consumed dog
meat.

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Oberoi, Taj hotels among world's best
Sunday, 19 December , 2004, 21:51

New Delhi: Udaipur's Oberoi Rajvilas and Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel have made
it to the world's best hotels' list compiled by an international travel
magazine.

While the Taj Mahal hotel has been ranked 16th in the Conde Naste
Traveller's first ever Gold List 2005 in terms of location, Udaipur's Oberoi
Rajvilas has bagged the 8th place in terms of quality of services.

The magazine has given Oberoi Rajvilas the thumbs-up for its services,
which, it says, are way ahead of other Indian hotels' and praised the Taj
Mahal hotel for its "staggering view over the Arabian Sea, the Gateway of
India and the city of Mumbai."

"Rajvilas is a purpose-built palace hotel set in immaculate, 32-acre
grounds, which has services head and shoulders above other Indian hotels,
with 24-hour dining and butler services," it said.

Conde Naste described Taj Mahal hotel's services as "a satisfactory blend of
efficiency and hospitablity," and was especially appreciative of its
location (16th rank).

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1984: Britain signs over Hong Kong to China
The British colony of Hong Kong is to be returned to China in 1997 after an
historic agreement was signed in Peking today.
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed the Joint Sino-British Declaration
with her Chinese counterpart Zhao Ziyang.

It formally seals the future of Hong Kong, transferring it from a British
colony of six million people to communist China in 13 years.

The agreement, which will end 155 years of British rule in the colony, also
launches a new era in trade and diplomacy between the two countries.

Chinese president Deng Xiaoping, who pursued the recovery of Hong Kong,
greeted Mrs Thatcher.

The champagne ceremony took place at the Great Hall of the People before
delegates who helped draw up the agreement, including 101 guests from Hong
Kong.

Mrs Thatcher said: "The circumstances are unique. The agreement is unique.

"It is right that we should feel a sense of history, of pride and of
confidence in the future."

The declaration outlines Hong Kong will be "restored" to the People's
Republic of China with effect from July 1 1997 and will apply for fifty
years.

It will be known as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR).

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Think of a high tech Indian village two years down the line.

a.. A village where everyone has easy access to information on
agriculture, education, drinking water, electricity and health.
b.. A village where farmers get latest updates on market prices, cropping
pattern and weather forecast at a finger-touch.
c.. A village where quality inputs on seeds, fertilisers and pesticides
are regularly supplied to farmers.
d.. A village where families can access their children's examination
results on computers.
e.. A village where everyone has access to all government forms and copies
of land records.
f.. A village where your electricity, telephone and water bills are
accepted electronically.
g.. A village where one person in every family knows how to handle the
computer.
Can all these things happen in a poor Indian village?

Yes.

All these things and much more are all set to revolutionise the villages of
Andhra Pradesh. Exactly two years from now, no villager in Andhra Pradesh
will need to travel to the capital Hyderabad with his or her grievances.

Four years ago, former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu scripted a unique
success story when he carved 'Cyberabad' out of Hyderabad.

But the current Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy says his
hearts beats for the rural heartland.

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