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08/25/2005: "ANSAM to question CM’s refusal to talk to them in Delhi"

ANSAM to question CM’s refusal to talk to them in Delhi The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Aug. 24: The state chief minister O Ibobi Singh has denied having talked with representatives of the ANSAM at New Delhi during his stay there, even as the students body which is agitating over the demand for revocation of declaration of state holiday on June 18 as “state integrity day” is likely to demand another explanation as to why the CM had refused to have talks with them at the national Capital, a reliable report said here.
The decision to demand an explanation from the CM was reportedly taken in a meeting of the ANSAM held today at Senapati.
The students body has been alleging that the state government is not reciprocating the gesture shown by ANSAM and has threatened to re-launched various forms of agitation including economic blockade along the national highways leading to the state. However, the date and time of the re-launching of the agitation has not been declared by them as yet although there is talk that it may start from September 1. According to a highly reliable report from Senapati, the date of re-launching the agitation is likely to be confirmed after a mass rally scheduled to be held at Kohima on August 31 under the aegis of the Naga Hoho.

Peace grows in thin soil in India's restive Nagaland Reuters REUTERS/ADNAN ABIDI By Simon Denyer
KHONOMA, India, Aug 25 (Reuters) - The tiny village of Khonoma in the thickly forested hills of remote northeastern India is littered with war memorials. A memorial to British officers who lost their lives when Naga tribesmen ambushed them in 1879. Memorials to scores of villagers killed in five decades of resistance to Indian rule. Today, there is peace in Khonoma, but there is growing concern that it might not last. Eight years of ceasefire between Christian Naga rebels and the Indian government have brought little sign of a solution.
"We had high expectations when the ceasefire started, that there was going to be a solution after long years," said village council chief Vishulie Mor. "But people are not very confident now. And if the ceasefire breaks we are back to square one."
Outside, children in grey uniforms come home from school, umbrellas up against the drizzle. A massive concrete Baptist church dominates the highest point on the ridge. In the valley below, farmers tend their rice paddies, the bright green terraces contrasting with the dark green of the steeply forested slopes above them. For half a century, Naga tribesmen fought the army in these mountains, before agreeing to the ceasefire in 1997. India's oldest insurgency had cost more than 20,000 lives.
Few places symbolise the Naga independence fight like Khonoma. The village was burned down by the British in 1850, resisted a fierce British assault after the 1879 ambush and was home to the first leader of Naga resistance to Indian rule.
REBELS LOSE SUPPORT
Farmer Lhulie Mayse does not know his birthday. Records, he says, were lost when the Indians burned down Khonoma when he was seven, in 1956. Today, the army is trying to win the hearts and minds of villagers by distributing medicines, the rebels gradually losing support by only showing up to collect "taxes". "In our childhood, we used to hear the sound of the Indian army vehicles and we would run and hide. But we would welcome the undergrounds," he said. "Now it is the other way round."
But Mayse is not quite sure he believes the Indian army's claim, written beside every camp of the Assam Rifles, that they are the "Friends of the Hill People".
"After the ceasefire the Assam Rifles have become friendly, they don't molest our women now," he said. "But we know that if the ceasefire breaks they will go back to being hostile to the people."
In July, the main rebel faction -- the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isaac-Muivah) -- extended its ceasefire with India for only six months, instead of a year, frustrated by the lack of progress in talks, and India's reluctance to give ground. At the same time, the NSCN-IM has been extending its grip over Naga society, and is recruiting hundreds of new fighters every year.
It is probably the strongest rebel group in northeastern India and a settlement in Nagaland is considered critical for a broader peace in the under-developed region. "Time is running out," warned Neingulo Krome, secretary-general of the Naga Ho-Ho, the supreme tribal council which represents all 32 tribes; three million people in northeast India and Myanmar. "Within these six months something new must come, and I don't know how the government of India will do it."
LACK OF UNITY
But of even greater concern to most Nagas is the lack of unity in the "freedom movement". Three factions, partly divided along tribal lines, claim to represent the Naga cause. Instead of fighting India, though, they often seem to be fighting each other. "You can't really say the conditions for peace have been built," said one Naga intellectual, who declined to be named because of rebel threats in the past. "Violence could happen at any time, and the worst will be between the factions."
In Khonoma, 33-year-old schoolteacher Ronald Meru says many of the younger generation want peace above independence. "I am a Naga," he said. "But those of us who have seen the outside world, seen Delhi and Calcutta, we feel we are just a small part of our country. We don't have so much to boast about, we should just obey the rules and live our lives."
In many other hearts, especially those who have lived through the darkest days of the insurgency, the dream of an independent Nagaland burns as strongly as ever. One thing is sure; the government can ill afford to take the Nagas for granted. "People are fed up with the violence, the killing, the fratricide," said the intellectual. "On the other hand the overall sentiment for independence is still there. Something honourable has to be worked out."
Council chief Mor says his "blood" is Naga: "That is God's decision. That does not mean India is bad, but we are different."
"In 1956 our parents would say freedom first and peace second," he said. "Now in 2005, peace and unity is the first priority, then comes freedom." Mor pauses for a moment. "But if the rebels were united," he added, "I would fight for them tomorrow."

India, Naga rebels hold talks to preserve ceasefire 23 Aug 2005 04:45:39 GMT Source: Reuters
NEW DELHI, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Indian officials and Christian separatists from the remote state of Nagaland have held talks to preserve a four-year ceasefire and resolve a deades-old revolt, seen as the key to peace in the country's turbulent northeast. The talks, held late on Monday, were the first formal dialogue between the government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (S.S. Khaplang), which has observed a truce with Indian forces since 2001.
"They discussed the ceasefire and how to continue talks," an Indian home ministry official told Reuters. "The Nagas had some demands about the ceasefire monitoring group and they will be examined."
The two sides would meet again but no dates were set, he added. The Naga tribal rebellion is India's oldest insurgency, and security analysts say peace with the Nagas is crucial to a broader peace in the northeast -- seven states connected to the rest of India by a thin strip of land and home to dozens of insurgent groups. The Khaplang faction of the NSCN is the second most powerful separatist group in Nagaland, a mainly Christian state of two million people on India's far eastern border with Myanmar.
A more powerful group, the NSCN (Issac-Muivah) has held repeated talks with the Indian government since it started a ceasefire in 1997. But there has been little progress over the rebels' central demands -- the unification of Naga-dominated areas in northeast India and ultimately independence.
Both NSCN factions, which split in the late 1980s, have thousands of fighters, and raise money mainly through "taxes". More than 20,000 people have died in the over five-decades-old Naga insurgency. (Additional reporting by Biswajyoti Das in Guwahati)
Ibobi to hold talks with ZSF Newmai News Network ugust 24
Churachandpur: A delegation of the Zomi Students Federation (ZSF), which has been agitating for the past several weeks, will be meeting the chief minister, O. Ibobi singh at 1 pm tomorrow at the latter’s office in Imphal. The venue and timing of the talk were decided when Ibobi Singh met representatives of the students organization at Khuga Rest House in Churachandpur district during the chief minister’s trip to Khuga to inspect the progress of the multi-purpose project being taken up there.
The student delegation led by its President H. Mangchinkhup agreed to come to Imphal and hold the talk tomorrow after Ibobi Singh accepted the precondition set for the talks by the ZSF. Ibobi, who is also the home minister, ordered the district police to withdraw all the warrants issued against student leaders and cases registered against several of them to fulfill the pre-condition. Students last week burnt four government vehicles including three of the local police station demanding release of arrested students without any condition. The ZSF is demanding payment of ex-gratia to families of 11 persons killed recently by security forces as well as underground groups, sending of adequate number of teachers and improvement of infrastructure of government offices in the district.
Ibobi was accompanied by Phungzathang Tonsing, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister, Songchinkhup, Assembly’s Hill Areas Committee chairman and Congress MLA Charltonlien Amo. After the meeting the chief minister told media persons who were part of the entourage that a delegation of the student organization would meet him tomorrow in Imphal. The students also agreed to suspend its agitation during the negotiation. Ibobi Singh who is facing prospect of another round of economic blockade by All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM) may meet leaders of the Naga students during such visits in one of the hill districts. The chief minister said that he is trying to meet the Naga students’ representatives. He said that he finalized a tour proogramme of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong to assess the extent of damages caused by arsons by Naga students last month. A large number of government offices were burnt by the Naga students during the peak of non cooperation movement sponsored by ANSAM. Naga students rejected Ibobi’s invitation to hold the talk in Imphal. ANSAM is saying that the negotiation should be held outside Imphal and even outside Manipur. Ibobi’s known stand so far is that the talk should be held in Imphal. The chief minister said that he was planning to visit Chandel tomorrow. But the programme has been cancelled in view of the meeting with Zomi students.
ZSF suspends agitation, signs MoU with state government Sapam Aruna and M Kaimuanthang

LAMKA, Aug.24: The Zomi Student Federation, (ZSF) suspended its agitation today following a understanding reached with the government of Manipur during a meeting at the guest house at the Khuga Dam, when the chief minister arrived at the Dam site to inspect the progress of construction works there. A memorandum of understanding in this regard was also signed today between the students body and the state government. All preconditions set by the ZSF for talks with the government including withdrawal of all cases against ZSF leaders and its activists, official invitation and judicial inquiry into the police excesses on unarmed students have been agreed to by the government. A formal meeting between the ZSF leaders and government will however be held tomorrow at the chief minister’s office in Imphal at 1 pm.
Today’s meeting was attended by the chief minister O Ibobi Singh, IFCD minister T Phungzathang, deputy chairman, state planning board Dr Chaltonlien Amo, chairman hill area committee N Songchinkhup, and MLA T Manga Vaiphei from the government side.

Riding on the conducive atmosphere thus created the government and the ZSF leaders will further hold a series of talks starting from tomorrow at the CM’s office from 1 pm. How long the suspension of their agitation will be in effect will depend on the success or failure of the talks, the ZSF president said.

The ZSF has been demanding restoration of school infrastructure, teachers in the hills’ government schools, implementation of ST quota as per rules and filling of all backlogs, rectification of names of places in the hills which have been distorted and payments of ex-gratia for 11 persons and compensation for those injured in land-mine bomb blasts planted by UGs at Thanlon and Singngat subdivision recently.

Earlier, the ministerial team led by the chief minister conducted an inspection of the progress made so far in the Khuga dam construction.

Briefing media persons, the chief minister O Ibobi Singh expressed satisfaction at the progress of the dam construction work made so far saying that some progress has been made since he visited the site earlier this year.

He however expressed apprehension that the dam will not be completed by the deadline of May 2006. He also said that fresh contract will be made with other agency/corporation to assist the current work focus while working hours would also be increased.

Construction of the dam has been hampered since the ANSAM economic blockade began as transportation of some construction materials were blocked, Ibobi said.
It may be recalled that the chief minister, dissatisfied over progress of construction work, returned in a huff during his last visit.

Stating that steps are being taken to hold talks with the ANSAM to bring to an end the economic blockade issue, Ibobi said that he is planning to visit the district headquarters of Senapati, Ukhrul, and Chandel to inspect government offices burnt down recently and to find ways of restoring them. He would visit Chandel tomorrow to begin with and hold consultation with various local leaders for settlement of ANSAM’s problems.
Maintaining that all problems can be settled through discussion irrespective of the venue of such talks the chief minister urged the civil society groups and associations to open the door for discussions to solve their problems.

Centre urged to exempt Nagaland from delimitation
KOHIMA, Aug 24: Associate members of the Delimitation Commission from Nagaland have urged the statutory panel to exempt the state from the current exercise as it could create an upheaval in the ethnically-sensitive state. The Nagaland delegation conveyed to the Delimitation Commission at their meeting in New Delhi yesterday the collective stand taken by the State Assembly, all political parties and the State Government on the issue. The Nagaland assembly had passed a resolution in its just concluded session urging the Commission to exempt the state from the exercise of redrawing assembly segments till a fresh population census was carried out and the Naga issue settled.
In a statement issued here, State Home Minister Thenucho, an associate member of the Commission, said the Nagaland delegation also met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil yesterday apprising him of the decision of the State Assembly and government. The delegation also urged Patil to take initiative for amending the Delimitation Act, 2002 in order to exempt Nagaland from the exercise, the statement said. The delegation is likely to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Union Law Minister today, it added. –PTI
ULFA warns political parties, leaders NET News Network
Guwahati, Aug 24: The proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on Wednesday warned all political parties and leaders to refrain themselves from using the outfit’s name for their own selfish benefit. Reacting to the recent incidents of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) President Brindaban Goswami’s charges against Congress government maintaining links with ULFA and its aftermath, the outfit’s chairman Aurobindo Rajkhowa expressed concern at the recent trend of involving the outfit’s name by various organizations and individuals for its selfish gain and subsequently maligning its image. Taking potshots at section of AGP leaders over their reaction to apology demand from Brindaban Goswami for dragging ULFA’s name into “dirty politics” Rajkhowa pointed out that his outfit has no intention of involving itself with the internal matter of AGP as alleged by a section of its leaders but expressed surprise at the party’s silence after initial enthusiasm at the floor of state assembly over the issue of three Congress ministers paying money to the outfit. Citing this as not a solitary incident, Rajkhowa also accused former ADG (Law & Order) of Assam GM Srivastava and present DGP, P V Sumant of using surrendered ULFA militants for collecting money in ULFA’s name. “ Even contractors procures contracts on the pretext of paying money to us,” pointed out the e-mailed statement of the outfit.
Tension in Manipur-Nagaland border NET News Network
Imphal, Aug 24: Tension is brewing up over the land dispute in Chokha between villagers of Jessami in Ukhrul and Zephoro villager of Phek district in Nagaland. The dispute over Chokha, which has standing crops dates back since 1960. According to report, the latest instances of row occurred on July 19 last when over one hundreds Zephoro villagers armed with dagger swooped down on Choka land and destroyed crops planted by Zessami villager. The crops includes maize, banana etc and damage amounted around 1.3 lakhs. Some of Zessami villagers maintained that the said land at Choka has been under the ownerships of Zessami village and Zephoro villagers have been intruding under instigation of some neighbouring village in Nagaland since 2000.
Reacting swiftly to the matter, the SDO/SDM of Chingai sub-division had clamped prohibitory order on the Zessami, but however there was no indication of such things from Nagaland side, alleged village chairman W.Ayete. The matter has been apprised to Chingai MLA, A.Aza and same has been intimated to chief minister O.Ibobi Singh. For the record CM Ibobi on earlier occasion had visited Zessami on different tour programmes.
Bodo women condemn move, demand AASU intervention
BHB College uniform row From our Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, Aug 24: The uniform row in BHB College, Sarupeta in Barpeta district has taken a new twist following the condemnation by the All Bodo Women’s Welfare Federation (ABWWF) the new decision of the authorities of BHB College to impose a ban on entry of dokhna-wearing Bodo girls in the college premises. "It is an attempt to distort the cultural identity of the Bodos," the ABWWF said. Terming the decision of the college authorities as an insult to the Bodos, Kanan Basumatary and Mithinga Basumatary, president and secretary of the ABWWF respectively, have said that no one has the right to violate the cultural identity of the tribal people by imposition of salwar kameez as the college uniform for girls. Severely criticizing the college authorities for the ‘unique’ decision, the ABWWF has strongly urged the governing body of the College to refrain from the attempt to distort the cultural identity of the Bodos.
Meanwhile, the ABWWF has urged the ASSU leadership to intervene in the matter soon. It may be recalled that the ABSU has expressed its anguish over reports that Bodo girls have been refused permission to wear the dokhna by the authorities of BHB College. The ABSU has asked the college authority and the government to respect the sentiments and culture of the Bodo society and to allow the girl students to wear the dokhna to their college. The ABSU felt that it was important to nip the problem in the bud lest it might take a turn for the worse. The ABSU cautioned the College authority of grave consequences if it persisted with its rigid stand. However, the ABSU has asked the College to be flexible in its approach towards what they termed as a ‘sentimental issue’.
It may be mentioned here that the authorities of BHB College had recently decided to introduce salwar kameez as compulsory dress for girls. Despite repeated requests for a flexible approach to the Bodo girls on the issue, and submission of memoranda to the college and district authorities in this regard, no solution was arrived at. Even the Bodo girls wearing dokhna with permitted colour were also allegedly prevented to enter the college campus on August 20. They were, in fact, warned by the principal of the college to comply with the college order or to take transfer certificates. The ABSU has condemned this ‘insulting and humiliating’ behaviour of the principal. The student body was of the view that in Assam, colour should be the basis of uniform but not the dress. It also cited the examples of Cotton College and Handique College in Guwahati where authorities have refrained from enforcing any dress code.