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05/27/2005: "Naga body’s plea to support NSCN(I-M) peace talks"


Naga body’s plea to support NSCN(I-M) peace talks From Our Spl Correspondent
New Delhi: The Naga International Support Centre, a foreign based human rights groups supporting the NSCN(I-M) on Thursday appealed to all concerned to support the ongoing peace process of the outfit with the Centre while cautioning the Nagas not to be misled by anti-Naga elements.In a statement, the organisation took exception to certain parliamentarians' views that Naga inhabited territory of states other than Nagaland can be unified to achieve 'Greater Nagaland'. It took particular objection to Dr. Thokchom Meinya, Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from the Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency.
Dr Thokchom Meinya had asserted that no Naga inhabited areas of Manipur could be given up. Reacting to this statement, the organisation this would only create confusion and turmoil while it cautioned that it could even lead to loss of life for many "Nagas do not demand a Greater Nagaland and they only want to be reunited," the statement said referring to the widely talked unification of Naga inhabitated areas in Manipur and other NE states. Nagas do not want an inch of other people's land, and they have the right to self determination, it said.
NPCC reiterates demand for white paper
KOHIMA, May 26: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has reiterated its demand for a white paper on expenditure of the Rs 365 crore package given to the state government as peace bonus' by the then NDA government. Briefing news persons after the first executive meeting of the new office bearers of the NPCC, President Hokheto Sumi and leader of the opposition I Imkong said Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has dropped former finance minister K Therie for his inability to come out with a white paper. Now Mr Rio should resign from the ministry if he fails to bring out the white paper just as Mr Therie did, they said. The executive meeting also congratulated the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre for successfully completing one year in office.-UNI

NISC blasts Dr. Meinya statement The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, May 25: The Netherlands based Naga International Support Center, NISC, has reacted sharply to Inner Manipur MP Dr. Th. Meinya’s recent statements disparaging the NSCN(IM)’s Greater Nagalim claim, charging that he is attempting to disrupt the Peace Process between India and the Naga outfit.
The NISC, in a lengthy e-mailed statement, maintained that Dr. Meinya’s statements were devoid of substantiation, and represents the view of only the Meitei people who predominantly live in the fertile Imphal valley. Maintaining that Dr. Meinya has radicalized the fragile cease fire, it said that by ‘dictating’ to the Indian government and the Naga people he created confusion and turmoil that could lead to loss of life for many. ccusing Dr. Meinya of distorting facts, the NISC reiterated that Nagas do not demand a Greater Nagaland; Nagas want to be reunified; they do not want to be dominated by other peoples, neither by India nor by the Meiteis; Nagas do not want an inch of other peoples’ land, and Nagas have the right to self determination.
‘The Indian government has recognized the unique history of the Naga peoples and it realizes that the occupational war unleashed upon the Nagas not only has to come to an end but that lasting peace will come with an honourable solution’, it said, and maintained that reunification of the Naga peoples is one condition to achieve an honourable solution.
The NISC called on all responsible governments, peoples’ organizations and individuals to contribute to peace by adhering to the right of the Nagas to self determination and to support the peace talks which are aimed to achieve an honourable solution to the long standing conflict.
Asiho Mao :Meiteis of 800 square miles Meiteiland think that knowing how to mimick a few Hindi songs makes them more civilized. This is ridiculous! Nagalim and Meiteiland need coordination in many areas for mutual prosperity, and that is possible after Meiteis give up their funny idea of retaining their illegal and inhuman Meitei empire through the stupid help of over fifty thousand Indian troops.
Tony :First of all I cannot comprehend how a community (Nagas in this case) can claim to be reunified of their righful land when in the first place the so called fragments of tribes that make up the "Naga" entity never even had a common medium of communication. Nagas should be thankful to the British and Meeteis for making them learn a language that most tribes can communicate in so I think on the contrary Meeteis have been more a unifier for the Nagas. And then I think Nagas should consider themselves lucky that the indian govt is even willing to listen to their ludicrous demands because I would think Nagas also live in Myanmmar. Try talking to the Myannmar govt to carve out a piece of Myannmar to form "Greater Nagalim" based on your agenda of Nagas have a right to self determination and if they even give you a chance to talk I will sacrifice my paddy field to a naga family.
A Meitei nationalist :Tata Muivah and NISC
Your stand is fying cloud. You change your stand every month. You are like frustrated and hopeless Nangkas ( Nagas ).How did Meiteis in Manipur dominate you nagas. Don't say anything without accountable reasons? Everybody knows Rishang Keising was the longest CM in the history of Manipur's political leadership. When you call out all the non-kuki tribes in Manipur ( you claim as Nagas = naked people )to settle down together with you in Nagaland no one will not disturb you. Because there are many vacant mountainous land which still being empty. You can call out all your people then live together in Nagaland. So you can fulfil your dream Nagas under one administration. At that time Manipuri Kukis and Meiteis will present many gifts to your people in love. If you do so no any state in the north east states will be in your against. Rather they will support you. Otherwise you will be in the boiling pot of N.E. people.
Wanglet Changlang Nagalim :Thank you NISC for trying to make the Meiteis of 800 square miles Meiteiland realize their stupidity. Nagas will never give away an inch of our ancestral land. Meinya is dangerously playing with the deadly idea of the UCM (Unwanted Criminals of Meiteiland). These Meitei fools will bring unprecedented problems and deaths to the Meiteiland people as well as neiboring nations like Nagalim, Zomiland, etc.
CBI may open office at Kohima soon From Our Correspondent
DIMAPUR, May 26 – It was the timing, coinciding with many factors, in actual terms created the media hype over the three-day-long Kohima visit by the high-level team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The visit to the State capital by the team of the country’s premier investigating agency came at a time when the Congress, in Opposition in the State but holding the fort in the Centre, has been demanding a CBI probe into various alleged anomalies of the Neiphiu Rio government including accounts of expenditure of the unaccounted Rs 365-crore peace bonus that Nagaland received in 2003 from the Centre during the last NDA government under Atal Behari Vajpayee and the fake gun licence racket. The other factors, providing ample opportunity to the rumour mill to work untiringly, includes the absence of the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio from the State capital, who is away in New Delhi, and the team’s meeting with the State Governor Shyamal Datta, which seemed to be the first agenda of the visiting sleuths. The lodging arrangement of the team members inside the high security Assam Rifles camp and the security cover made available to them also created the sensation, especially in the political circle. The team headed by its Director, Uma Shankar Mishra, accompanied by his Joint Director, Additional Director in-charge of the North East and other senior officials left Kohima on Tuesday. During their stay at Kohima they also met Thenucho, state home minister, Nagaland Police chief J Chankija and other top state government officials, sources said.

According to a source the team came to survey the possibilities of setting up its branch office in Kohima, as part of its effort to spread wings to the North Eastern Region. Because of the serious cases of national as well as international ramification, such as the recent fake arms license racket, the CBI is keen to set up its bureau in the state. So far, the agency had been monitoring the affairs of Nagaland through its Imphal bureau, which in turn, is under Silchar office, headed by an SP rank of the bureau, and it is very likely that if it would be opening up its branch office in Kohima, that will be of the level of a DSP.
Naga Hoho elections today
MOKOKCHUNG, May 27: The Naga Hoho election is slated for today with Horangse Sangtam as the prime contender for the post of president. There were other names too in the fray for the post of the president, including that of general secretary John Murry. Murry, however, said his tribe’s apex body, the Lotha Hoho, is not participating in the election tomorrow.
“There are still some problems which are not completely clear for the Lotha Hoho,” he said over phone from Kohima. He said as he was not contesting, Sangtam might be the consensus candidate for the next president. Sangtam is also said to be popular with the NSCN (I-M). Following the election, president of the Hoho, M. Vero, will step down after a span of seven years. The Hoho, which represents more than 20 Naga tribes from Nagaland, Manipur, Arunchal Pradesh and Assam as well as a few from Myanmar, has failed in its attempts to bring about reconciliation in the warring Naga rebel factions over the past five years. Groups like the Tuensang Mon People’s Organisation and the Konyak Union, however, have been reluctant to join the Hoho.

Many of these leaders support the NSCN (Khaplang), which has a considerable presence in Mon district. The outfit is against the Hoho’s support to the ongoing peace talks between the NSCN (I-M) and the Centre.
14 die in mudslides in Nagaland Wasbir Hussain in Guwahati | 14:28 IST

Mudslides in Nagaland killed at least 14 people, burying them alive as they slept, officials said on Friday. Bodies of the dead --including those of four members from a single family --were found on Thursday, hours after heavy rain triggered the early morning mudslides in Mokokchung town in Nagaland state, district administrator Imkongtemsu Ao said by telephone from the remote area.
"It rained like never before throughout Wednesday night. The scene was like water pouring out of buckets, resulting in massive landslides at several places in this hill station," Ao said. Six people were injured, he said. Most of the mudslides occurred before dawn on Thursday, wiping out the four-member family of Boken Das, a street vendor. A police officer lost his mother and three daughters, Ao said. Police and paramilitary troopers, helped by civilian volunteers, recovered the bodies. "The entire town is perched on a hilltop and the landslides have not only blocked major roads linking the town to the rest of India, but also have made communication to localities within it difficult," Ao said by telephone.
14 die in mudslides in Nagaland Economic times

GUWAHATI At least 14 people were killed and a dozen more injured in mudslides triggered by heavy rains in Nagaland, officials said Friday.Several houses were demolished when small hillocks caved in Thursday, trapping sleeping villagers in Mokokchung, 120 kilometers east of state capital Kohima.
The dead include at least five children. Fresh landslides continued Friday but there were no immediate reports of further casualties. "Rescue workers are looking for more bodies that could be trapped in the debris," Imkong said. "Up to a dozen houses, some of them mud-and-thatch huts, were damaged in the landslides.” Mokokchung district magistrate T. Imkong told AFP on phone Heavy rains in the past three days triggered mudslides in the mountainous state, blocking roads and disrupting communications in many places, officials said. Meanwhile, authorities in adjoining Assam have asked officials to be on alert amid fears the rain-swollen Brahmaputra River might spill its banks.Last year, officials said some 200 people died and tens of thousands were left homeless by floods in Assam.
ULFA not against aliens deportation, says Rajkhowa By A Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, May 26 – Banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa today said that the outfit had never opposed detection and deportation of “foreign” infiltrators in the State. But, he reiterated, such a sensitive issue should never be viewed from a religious or communal angle, he said in a statement received on e-mail today. Rajkhowa said that the ULFA was only urging the people to exercise restraint and caution while identifying foreigners because the process of identification had been perceptibly targeting the Muslims while adopting a soft stance towards the Hindus. His reaction came amidst an outcry following the outfit’s earlier statement that it does not support the public initiative to boycott suspected Bangladeshis. “There have been instances of harassment and atrocity on Assamese Muslims, and we called for restraint,” Rajkhowa said.
Russia backs India for UNSC seat
MOSCOW, May 26 – In a major boost to India, Russia today expressed its full backing for New Delhi's quest for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, saying it is a “deserving and strong” candidate. “Assessing India as an important member of the international community, the Russian Federation reaffirmed its support to India as a deserving and strong candidate for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council,” a joint statement issued at the end of President A P J Abdul Kalam's state visit to Russia said. Kalam visited Russia from May 23-25, first by an Indian President since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Kalam held detailed discussions with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on May 24 during which they expressed satisfaction that Indo-Russian relationship had “successfully withstood the test of time.”

At their Kremlin talks, Kalam and Putin discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international developments of mutual interest. – PTI
Sino-Indian border peaceful: Army chief
NEW DELHI, May 26 – Asserting that Sino-Indian peace and tranquility agreement was holding all along the 4,000 kms long border, the Army Chief Gen JJ Singh today said if the trend continued, more confidence building measures, including troop reduction, could be considered, reports PTI. “If the present positive trend of peace conng interaction between the two armed forces which may soon lead to holding of joint exercises in counter-terrorism and preparing for international peacekeeping operations,” Singh said. While saying guns were silent across the Mcmohan line in the Himalayan frontier, the army chief said there were few abberations for which mechanism had been institutionalised. He said these minimal cases were due to difference in perception in alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and “we hope that once detailed maps are exchanged in all the three sectors - western, eastern and central, these issues would be resolved.”
Cease-fire with NDFB
Signing of a cease-fire pact with militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) for a period of one year with effect from June 1,is a welcome move and will go a long way in bringing an end to an era of violence in Assam, particularly in the Bodo dominated areas. The NDFB, formed in 1986, is considered to be one of the most dreaded of the militant outfits of the State and was active particularly in the areas bordering Bhutan. It is a known fact that the NDFB maintained close ties with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the two outfits operated together on several occasions in the past. With the NDFB coming forward for talks with the Government for a peaceful solution of its problem, the pressure on the ULFA to come forward for talks will definitely increase in the days to come. The Central and State Governments should try to expedite the process of talks with the NDFB for bringing an early solution to the problem as only the signing of a cease-fire pact will not help in solving the problem. The NDFB, which has been demanding an Independent Boroland, announced a unilateral cease-fire on October 15 last year to express its willingness to come forward for talks and unfortunately it took more than six months to sign the cease-fire pact because of various reasons and such delays should be avoided when it comes to talk on the substantive issues as a delay in solving the problems only complicates matters and gives a chance to those opposed to peace to play their cards to derail the peace process.

Of course, the NDFB suffered serious setbacks in recent past with the arrests of senior leaders, while, the outfit also suffered reverses during the operations launched by the Government of Bhutan in 2003 to evict the militants camping in the territory of the Himalayan Kingdom. The vice president of the NDFB, Dhiren Boro, arrested in Gangtok, is still in Sikkim jail, while, the whereabouts of the high profile publicity secretary of the outfit, B Erakdao, who is missing since the Bhutan operations, is still not known. The arrested general secretary of the NDFB, Govinda Basumatary has been released on bail and he headed the delegation of the outfit, which signed the cease-fire pact with the Government. In a recent interview, the NDFB chairman Nabla Daimary demanded that the Government of India should release the arrested members of the outfit and the Government should also give an account of the cadres missing. Releasing the arrested NDFB cadres immediately may pose problems for the Government but the Centre must formulate a clear-cut policy on the possibility of granting amnesty to the members of the militant outfits, which come for talks by abjuring violence. The Government should also have a policy for the rehabilitation of the militants who come over ground to reduce the possibility of those militants taking up arms again.

However, the Government of India may find it difficult to find an early solution to the problem with the NDFB still sticking to its demand for an independent Boroland. The NDFB chief said that the Government of India should recognise the independence of not only Boroland but also of the entire North Eastern Region. With the NDFB sticking to its demand, the Government may find it difficult to persuade them to give up the demand and accept more powers under the Constitution of India. Moreover, the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was created only in December 2003 after the signing of the peace pact between the Central and State Governments and Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) and it will be difficult for the Government to dissolve the BTC to find a solution to the problems to be raised by the NDFB. But for the sake of restoration of peace in Assam, one hopes that an amicable solution will be found in the discussion table if both the Government and the NDFB show sincerity in solving the problems.
5 killed in Nagaland landslide Newmai News Network
Kohima, May 26 : Fifteen people including five children and four women were killed and many injured in massive landslides which was perhaps the worst natural disaster to have struck Nagaland in recent time. The landslides occured at Mokokchung town and destroyed a number of houses. Official sources informed Newmai News Network today that a series of massive landslides struck in the wee hours today catching everyone in their beds. The landslides were triggered by the heavy rains that lashed Mokok-chung throughout the night. While thirteen were found dead buried in the mud, two succumbed to injuries, sources said.
“Even as the people got buried in sand and mud and walls collapsed, there was little that the neighbours could do as the rains lashed the town throughout the night”, the source said adding, “It was only around 5 in the morning that the sky cleared a bit and people could go in for rescue operations, rushing to the spots. But most were found dead”, he said. Immediate rescue works were greatly hampered due to the heavy rains and the corpses could be extricated from the mud only after the skies cleared at dawn. While most houses in the slide areas have been totally destroyed, communication and power remained intact. However, some of the roads leading to the National Highway-39 have been blocked, the sources said. Among the deceased were seven Nagas and an equal number of non-locals, mostly labourers, sources said adding the five injured, all admitted in the hospital, are out of danger.
The slides occurred at Alongmeren, Tongdeng-tsuyong and IOC wards. Meanwhile, in the rest of Mokokchung district too, reports of heavy rains are coming in and the Government has asked for a report within seven days on the extent of the damage caused by the slides. Following the news of the disaster, the Civil Administration, police, CRPF, Assam Rifles and other NGOs and the citizens swarmed the slide areas and helped in the rescue work. Upon hearing the news, Home Minister Thenucho, Opposition Leader I. Imkong, MLAs from Mokokchung district and senior officials of the State Govt also rushed to Mokok-chung.
Meanwhile, the State Govt has reportedly announced ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 25,000 each to the injured. At a meeting held at the Town Hall later, Opposition Leader I Imkong attributed the slides to poor construction and drainage system in the town and strongly recommended that these be addressed at the earliest, the source said adding he thanked the Government for taking the step of extending Rs 1 lakh to the relatives of the deceased.
Thenucho has, meanwhile, termed the disaster as an alarm bell for the people. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio who is at present in New Delhi has expressed shock. Governor Shyamal Dutta has also expressed shock.
No rest to autonomous state move: KA, NC Hills bodies to Patil From our Correspondent
BOKAKHAT, May 26: In a fresh move to demand autonomy status for the people of the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills, the ASDC, the Karbi Students’ Association (KSA), the Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA) submitted two separate memoranda to the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, recently. Alleging that the people of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills are being deprived of their legitimate rights, both the memoranda expressed serious concern over the fact that the Centre is yet to fulfil its promise made way back in 1971 in this regard.
The Article 244 (A) of the Constitution was specifically inserted in 1969 so that the Karbis, Dimasas and other hill tribes, who have been administered under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution ever since the Constitution was adopted, could elevate their administrative set-up to an autonomous State whenever required. "The Khasis, the Garos, the Jaintias and the Mizos have since got separate States. The people at Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills too have been demanding for autonomous State so that the ethnic hill minority tribes could protect their language and culture and develop themselves socio-economically at par with other people of the State," the memoranda said.
It may be mentioned that to press for these demands, the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) was formed in 1986. The ASDC, along with the KSA, Dimasa Students’ Union (DSU), KNCA and Dimasa Women Society (DWS) have been leading a mass movement in this regard. The ASDC, the KSA, the DSU, the KNCA and the DWS had signed an MoU in 1995 which gave legal and executive powers to the autonomous councils. However, it was accepted as interim arrangement only. "The Government of India was apprised of the uselessness of the MoU soon after. Ten years have passed since then and the apprehension of the people here have turned out to be true. Now, instead of the ethnic hill tribals being more protected, even the original powers of the Sixth Schedule are also consciously being eroded making the people more vulnerable to the social and economic onslaught from outside. This trend would only lead to the extinction of the ethnic hill communities," the memoranda said, threatening that this trend cannot be allowed to continue.
Now, the people of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills are determined to start a struggle to fulfil its prime goal for autonomous State under the provision of the Article 244(A) of the Constitution.



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