New Delhi: Moirangthem Muktamani Devi’s journey as a distinguished shoemaker began nearly 30 years ago when she decided to mend her daughter’s worn-out school shoes using woolen yarn.
Muktamani’s shoes are now in demand not only outside her state but also in nations such as Australia, the UK, Japan, the US, and South Korea. This year, she was also awarded the Padma Shri for her contributions in the field of trade and industry.
“It was in 1991, I did not have a single penny to repair my daughter’s school shoes. As a result I took the outsole of her old shoes and knitted the upper portion of the shoes using a woolen yarn. That was my first invention,” Muktamani told the Imphal Free Press.
These handmade and vegan shoes soon caught the attention of teachers at her daughter’s school, who then requested Muktamani to make similar pairs for their children.
There has since been no looking back for her. A resident of Manipur’s Kakching district, Muktamani went on to display her products at state-level and national fairs. She also started training individuals and became the proprietor of Mukta Shoes in 1994.
Arunachal district helps underprivileged kids ‘play sports of their choice’
In Arunachal Pradesh’s Miao sub-division, children can now borrow sports equipment of their choice from the district administration. The idea is to allow underprivileged kids the ‘right to play sports of their own choice’.
This is part of an initiative started by the administration called the ‘Free Sports Equipment Bank’. This sports bank is located at an old library premises in the additional deputy commissioner’s office (ADC).
Miao ADC Sunny K. Singh, who started this project, told EastMojo, “We observed that the children of Miao, who mainly come from economically weaker sections, were finding it difficult to pursue and play sports of their choice despite having the urge and keenness to play the same.”
“One, among many other reasons stopping these kids from playing sports, was the cost of the equipment. This was compelling these talents to watch the games from across the fence rather than playing it themselves.”
The sports bank currently has equipment for cricket, football, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, skating, chess and carrom.
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Assam forest division holds state’s first leopard census
To address human-leopard conflict in urban settlements of Assam, a forest division in the state has initiated the first-of-its-kind census to map the big cat’s habitat and routes.
The aim of this six-month-old exercise is to ‘establish standards’ for infrastructure development. It is being held under the North Kamrup Forest Division that covers urban, rural and semi-urban areas on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river.
“Leopards prefer the fringe areas of jungles and often raid human settlements for food. The objective of this exercise was to map their population, habitat and movement routes for better planning of human settlements,” Divisional Forest Officer Sunnydeo Choudhary has been quoted as saying.
“We should be able to tell the government how to plan the infrastructure projects once we have a fair idea about the status of the leopard,” he added.
Arunachal para-athlete to represent India in Spain, awaits sponsor
Biri Takar, a 21-year-old para-shuttler from Arunachal Pradesh, is the first para-athlete from his state to represent India at an international event.
He is among 42 players who will compete at the Spanish Para Badminton International-II that will begin from 27 February at Zabalgana in Spain.
But Takar is yet to find a sponsor to help him make this journey.
“We have been asked to bear our own expenses for the competition which is quite high (around Rs 4 lakh). I have been managing the same for all the national events on my own until now, thanks to my family, well wishers and the Paralympic Association of Arunachal (PAA), but this time it is different,” Takar told EastMojo.
“It is an international event that is being held in a European country. I don’t know if I’ll be able to participate unless I get some support from the government.”
His father is a Group-D technician at Arunachal Pradesh State Transport Services.
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