The Mystery Caller at Large

April 30, 2011, Pawan Hans helicopter carrying CM Dorjee Khandu and two passengers took off from Tawang at 9:56 am and lost radio communication after 20 minutes. By around 12:30 pm news of the missing chopper was broke out in news channels. Search operations were pressed on. Meanwhile, Principal Secretary to CM received a call informing him about the safe emergency landing of the chopper somewhere in eastern Bhutan in a place called Tapurejho. Similar information is reported to have received by IG SSB and IG Law and Order Assam. Then around 3 pm interviews were given by top brass of the state, including Governor Gen (retd.) JJ Singh, to various news channels about safe landing of the choppers. Later sources from Bhutan denied having any report of emergency landing of the chopper in Bhutan. Thereafter, in following days based on the images taken by ISRO satellite and IAF Sukhoi 30, search operations were finally zeroed in to Nagajiji area in Indo-Bhutan border west of Sela Pass. On the fifth day, some villagers spotted the debris of the chopper some kilometers east of Sela Pass.

Appears like a plot of mystery movie.

Who is this anonymous caller? Did he have prior information that the chopper is going to crash on its route? Did he call all these important persons to misguide and delay the search and rescue operations so that the survival possibilities from the crash are minimized? Whoever be this anonymous caller, he doesn't appear to be ordinary mischief monger who made prank call for fun. He knew the contact numbers of persons who matter. The Principal Secretary to CM even thought he was Khandu himself.

How could the likes of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, the Principal Secretary to CM and others be so easily duped by the anonymous call? Have any effort being made to trace the caller? Indeed the inclement weather and the terrains of Tawang and West Kameng Districts made ISRO's satellite and IAF aircraft so difficult to trace helicopter which crashed only few kilometers away from where it lost the radio communication?

Indeed, was there conspiracy behind the chopper crash which killed the CM of Arunachal Pradesh? Or is it just a wild speculation?

Nyokum Celebration

Come February 26, 2011, Nyokum festival was celebrated across the state by Nyishi community in a big way. This reporter had set his focus on Mega Nyokum Celebration at Yazali and that of a village level Nyokum celebration at Talo village. They were contrasting yet impressive in their own different ways.

At Yazali the Nyokum celebration was indeed a mega event. The Hon'ble MLA of the area Mr. Likha Saaya was involved body and soul in making it big. Tagged as hi-fi Saaya, he ensured that the event was hi-fi, be it the list of VVIPs attended in the event to the arrangement of Bollywood singers and actors to entertain public. The celebration site was delight to watch-long Nyishi house having a hearth each for all Anchal ssegments of Ziro-II area in a single roof, beautifully constructed food stalls and a grand stage. It appeared like beautifully conceived amusement park. He sent a clear message to the world that he a youthful leader with new ideas and lot of energy.The event was costly but it worth when one intends to showcase culture and tradition of a community.

At Talo, the celebration was simple and participation was complete. Here also youth energy was palpable. This reporter was told that during the late 1990's and early 2000, the Nyokum was not celebrated in the village for some years. Reason: about 90% of the population in the village got converted to Christianity. In year 2008 a group of young people just out from college did the soul searching on their root. They felt necessity of celebration of Nyokum to get reconnected to their root. They formed a team, and started campaining for the celebration of Nyokum and delinking religion from indigenous culture. Thanks to the effort of the Briyani Team, Nyokum celebration was re-instated in the village and has never looked backed ever since.

Popi Sarmin Society Website Launched

Did we tell you that Arunachal Diary has a subsidiary called AG Design that looks after the design needs of Arunachal Diary? Of late, this design house has been taking assignments from the clients (NGO's etc., based in Arunachal Pradesh) approaching AG Design for their design requirements right from print media to logo design to website design, development and hosting.

And it was quite a hectic week for team AG Design as it was giving final touches to the official site of Popi Sarmin Society befor handing it over to the society for it's official launch yesterday.

The Popi Sarmin Society's official site was launched by Chief Guest Padi Richo, Hon'ble MLA and Parliamentary Secretary for Land Management & Labour and Employment in a special function held at Hotel Arun Subansiri, Itanagar yesterday.