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08/26/2005: "Countdown to Naga Hoho Rally"
Countdown to Naga Hoho Rally Morung Express News August 25 Preparatory arrangements Kohima
* The Naga Hoho, with regard to the Integration Rally proposed to be held on august 31 at Kohima, has informed respective Tribe Hohos/Public Organizations of the preparatory arrangements to be made for the said rally. The Naga Hoho has convened a meeting with all Kohima based tribal Hoho leaders on August 26.
All respective leaders have therefore been requested to positively attend the meeting which is scheduled to be held at 10 am. All tribal Hohos who will be attending the rally, are to submit their prepared slogans/ placards to the Naga Hoho on arrival, either on or before the morning of August 31. The Naga Hoho has further appealed to all the Naga public not to be swayed by rumors that may seemingly appear to hamper the Naga Integration Rally.
Dimapur * Pertaining to the Naga Integration Rally proposed to be held on august 31 at Kohima, an emergency meeting between the Naga Council, the GBs Union, the DNSU, and the DNWH was today held at the Naga Council office. The House unanimously resolved to participate in the rally under the aegis of the Naga Council, Dimapur. The Naga Council will be providing at least 10 buses for transportation of Dimapur participants. Respective Tribal Hoho Presidents have been entrusted to arrange sufficient members to participate in the rally. The final details of the program for the said rally will be made known through media publication. Instructions to participants:
• The buses will leave the City Tower point, Di mapur at 7 am on the day of the rally. • Participants are to don their respective shawls/ jackets for the purpose of identification. • Fooding and other miscellaneous expenditures are to be borne by the respective participants/ Tribal Hohos. The Naga Council will be provid ing official badges to the participants.
'No agitation without permission': Angami body KUknalim.com
DIMAPUR, Aug 25: The Angami Public Organization (APO) during an emergency meeting held on Thursday reaffirmed that it would not permit holding of any bandh, strike, procession or rally in any part of Angami area if the organizers did not take prior consent from it. A statement issued jointly by APO president Mhiesizokho Zinyu and its general secretary Sapa Kintso said a resolution towards this effect was adopted during executive council meeting of the APO held on Wednesday.
The reaffirmation made by the APO comes on the eve of August 31 integration rally in Kohima which is being organized by various NGOs of the state.
Support Women’s Reservation Bill: Rio tells MPs Morung Express News August 25 Dimapur: Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has directed both Members of Parliament from Nagaland to support the Women Reservation Bill but with the added concession of including more seats in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Rio said this at the NPF party meting held at his Dimapur residence today. On the delimitation issue, the Chief Minister said that the Government’s stand was that the exercise should come only after political settlement comes. While exhorting NPF party leaders under Dimapur Division, Rio told them that the NPF-led coalition was in power because of the ‘sacrifice and joint effort of party workers right from the central office to the grass roots level.’ It may be mentioned that the ruling DAN coalition formed the present Government with 19 NPF MLAs, 7 BJP MLAs, 5 NDM MLAs, 4 JDU MLAs, and 4 Independent MLAs. The Congress had secured 21 seats in the last assembly elections.
Efforts on to hold talks with ANSAM: Ibobi The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Aug 25: The state government is making hectic efforts to resume talks with the ANSAM to bring an amicable solution to the months long crisis in the state arising out of the declaration of June 18 as state integrity day. A formal invitation has been served to ANSAM leaders for holding such talks in the state capital. This was disclosed by chief minister O Ibobi Singh, in a press conference called just after striking a deal with the Zomi Students Federation.
Speaking in the conference, the chief minister said a 12 point memorandum of understanding with the ZSF has been signed today fulfilling almost all the demands put forward by the students body. The students body has also called off their agitation with immediate effect, Ibobi said adding that state government is planning to arrive at a solution with ANSAM in similar fashion.
Stressing on the need for bringing an end to the ANSAM economic blockade, which is under temporary suspension, Ibobi said ANSAM is sticking to their stand of holding such talks outside the state, which is not acceptable as the issue is purely an internal affair of the state. The state government has also a concrete decision not to hold such talks outside the state, Ibobi said. Reiterating his plan to visit all the four hill districts of Ukhrul, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong to physically inspect government properties and offices razed during the ANSAM agitation, Ibobi said his initial plan to visit Chandel today had been deferred as a meeting with the ZSF leaders was scheduled for today. He however is optimistic of visiting the headquarters of all the four hill districts within the next two or three days, either by road or by helicopter. Earlier, a 12 point MoU was entered between the government of Manipur and representatives of the ZSF on the demands raised by the students body and the incidents which occurred on August 9 and 19 at Churachandpur.
As per the MoU, it was agreed that the government will ensure posting of required number of teachers as per need in the hill districts (including District Council Schools). It was also agreed to consider extension of pension benefits to District Council Employees holding regular post and to take up steps to improve the infrastructures of the schools and office buildings in the hill areas without delay.
Necessary instructions will be issued to the DC`s and heads of departments to commence the execution of developmental works without delay, 5MVA Transformer will be installed at Khengjang within 3 months and the construction of Guite Road by BRO from Churachandpur to Tuivai bridge will be done at the earliest, the MoU agreed. It was also agreed that the department of personnel and all heads of departments will be instructed to work out the back log ST vacancies in the state as per rules including 100 points roster and steps will be taken for filling up the backlog ST vacancies immediately. The concerned DCs will be asked to submit detailed reports in this regard and necessary steps taken for issuing rectification orders of names of villages and maps. Apart from these, the MoU also said that the state home department will be instructed to examine these claims immediately and ex-gratia payments will be made in all eligible cases within 10 days of the joining of new DC. The state government will initiate action to sanitize the entire district at the earliest. Provision of financial assistance to those injured in the incidents of August 19, 2005 was also agreed and payment will be made within 10 days of the joining of the new DC. Consequently, it was also agreed that all files and documents taken away by ZSF from the office of the SDO Churachandpur be returned immediately.
Nagaland hits heroin high Dimapur, August 25, 2005 Hindustan Times
Even for a state that neighbors Myanmar, which is believed to be the biggest producer of heroin in the world, Nagaland has set a record of sorts with 1.4 kg of heroin, 116 grams of Brown-sugar, 3,935 kg of Contraband Ganja, 3 kg of Opium and 80,148 banned Tablets and Capsules being recovered by the state police in the month of July alone. The details of the recoveries, according to police sources, have created quite a stir among law enforcement agencies who it seems may be fighting a lost battle. Another such indicator is the growing spread of HIV in the state. Also alarming is the state's drug-gun running nexus - the police seized an M-20 pistol, a second 7.65 pistol with 16 live rounds, an AK-56 rifle, and an AK-47 rifle along with a .22 rifle and 300 rounds of 303 rifle cartridges. Confirmed in a statement issued by the Inspector General of police GK Rengma. Not surprisingly, the month saw the arrest of five underground activists, 10 extortionists and 110 Inner Line Permit (ILP) violators, the statement said. Being a restricted area, most parts of Nagaland require ILPs for travel a system that is now routinely flouted. Also recovered were 19 vehicles, including two wheelers that point towards the haven that the state has turned into for car smugglers.
Dimapur institution, trains hearing impaired but rich in talents: New Kerala
By Neeraj Kurmar, Dimapur (Nagaland): As a group of hearing impaired students attempt to gain communication skills in a voice therapy class, the clatter of their mechanical learning aids interrupts the sound of English syllables. This is the typical scene at one of the learning sessions being held in the Deaf Biblical Ministry, a special school for the hearing impaired at Dimapur in Nagaland. Selected for an award as “the best school for the hearing impaired last year by the President of India, the institution aims at making its students self-reliant by teaching them vocations. Yanger Walling, who set up the school with his wife in 1987, recognised the need for an exclusive school for the hearing impaired in north-east India. Walling says that he believes in the innate strength of the disabled and does not see them as less than normal people in any way.The children are taught the same syllabus prescribed by the State Education Department for normal schools, in the sign language.
“They are called disabled but they are definitely able in many ways. We find it very interesting to work with them. When we work with them, we learn of many talents that remain hidden in them. We try to motivate them. They can’t compete with normal people but in some ways they do much better than normal people,” Walling says. Typing, weaving and tailoring are among some of the vocations that comprise the curriculam taught in this school. The first four batches of students have successfully passed the secondary school examination. We have a weaving unit here. All the workers are our own trained people who are either disabled or hearing impaired. They are doing very good work. We get orders from the Government and high officials. We weave clothes for our own use like bags and cushion covers. We sell them here and have a good local demand for our products, says Walling.
Walling, who has received special training in dealing with hearing impaired in the United States, runs the organisation with the contributions from friends and well- wishers.
Manipur govt- ZSF signs truce NET News Network
Imphal, Aug 25: The agitating Zomi Students Federation (ZSF) has called of its on-going agitation with immediate effect with the signing of memorandum of understanding with state government today. The twelve point charter was agreed between the two after more than four hours of discussion at the chief minister office. From the state government side the signatory was Binod Kispota secretary to chief minister while its president H.Mangchinkhup led ZSF with other four members today. Apart from chief minister O.Ibobi Singh, other minister and MLA’s present includes IFCD & TD minister Phunjathang Tonsing, State Planning Board deputy secretary Dr.Chaltolien Amo, Hills Areas Committee chairman Songchinkhup and MLA Manga Vaiphei.
After the thorough discussion on the item wise demands, decisions were taken that the state government will instruct the state home department to examine claims to the killings of 11 villagers immediately and ex-gratia payment be made in all eligible cases within 10 days of the joining of new DC, Churchandpur. State government will also financial assistance will be provided to those injured in the August 19 incident payment will be made within 10 days too. The state government will also ensure posting of required teachers as per need in the hill district (including district council schools). It was also agreed to consider extension of pension benefits to district council employees holding regular post. Improvement of school infrastructure and office buildings in the hills areas without delay.
It was agreed that instruction would be issued to DC's and head of departments to commence the execution of developmental work without delay. A 5 MVA transformer will be installed at Khenjang within three months time and to execute the construction of Guite Road by BRO from Churchandpur to Tuivai Bridge at the earliest. The department of Personnel and All Heads of Department has been instructed to work out backlog ST vacancies in the state as per the rules including 100 points rosters and steps will be taken for filling up the backlog ST vacancies immediately. Concerned DC's will be instructed to submit detail report in this matter and necessary step for rectifications orders of names and maps. The state government will initiate action to sanitize the entire district at the earliest.
ZSF to return files and documents taken away from the office of SDO, Churchandpur immediately. These agreements are in addition to those arrived between both the parties yesterday at Khuga Dam guesthouse and with the agreement ZSF had decided to call off the agitation immediately.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister answering question has said that the state government is committed to resolve the issue raised by ANSAM like the ZSF understanding resolved today. Fellers for second round of talks will be sent to ANSAM soon. Though ANSAM had shown their willingness to hold talk outside Manipur preferably New Delhi, but these issue being of state concern, the state government has conveyed its decision of holding in the state. Chief Minister O.Ibobi Singh added that he had planned to visit Chandel today as part of his hills district tours and assess conditions of office buildings and other damage caused during ANSAM agitations but was cancelled due to engagement with ZSF today. However he will be touring in a day or two to Chandel, Senapati, Ukhrul and Tamenglong district. On the question of holding talks with ANSAM during tours, CM Ibobi replied if they want to hold out talks in any of these places, he cannot say no to the idea and talk can be arranged if they desired so, while hinting out strong indication that talks are likely during his tours.
AR, truckers escape IED blast at Sangakpham The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Aug 25: A foot patrolling party of 4 Assam Rifles escaped from an IED attack when they detected the bomb planted by suspected underground activists at a spot near the gate of the quarters of the Regional Tarsar Research Centre, Sangakpham along the NH-39 this morning at around 5.30 am.
The IED however blasted after some time forming a pit of around three feet in diameter and 2 feet deep. The windshied of a truck loaded with empty LPG cylinder parked around five feet from the blast site was damaged but the handyman of the truck escaped as he left the truck minutes ahead of the blast when AR personnel told him to leave the place as there was an IED planted nearby. The front wind shield and most of the front part of the vehicle was destroyed. According to the officer of the AR who was commanding the patrolling party, when they come out from their camp at Chingmeirong only around 100 meter from the blast site in the early morning, a personnel informed him of having detected a bomb there. The AR personnel called for the sniffer dog to confirm the presence of the bomb. However, the IED suspected to be devised with remote control blasted before the personnel with the dog reached the spot. The IG of Assam Rifles visited the spot in the aftermath of the incident.
According to the driver of the LPG truck Ningthoujam Thoiba of Nambol Maiba Lokpaching, his vehicle bearing registration no. MN01-4557 had been parked there since yesterday evening after failing to proceed to Dimapur for the day due to non-availability of security escort. During the time they were parked there they did not see anyone planting the bomb or moving around suspiciously. The truck was transporting gas cylinders for Khoriphaba gas service, Nambol. The handyman Leimapokpam Bijen hailing from Nambol said that when he woke up and and was cleaning the truck, the AR men informed him of the bomb planted there. the IED blasted as soon as he left the place. The driver was sleeping in a house near the place the truck was parked. The vehicle has been seized by the Heingang police after registering a case.
UKLF condemns CM?s actions The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Aug 25 :The united Kuki Liberation Front (UKLF) has strongly condemned the chief Minister Okram Ibobi for holding a meeting at Churchandpur with the Zomi Students Federation yesterday. In a press release issued by the front today it was stated that if the CM can hold a meeting with the Zomi Students Federation why he cannot do the same with Naga students (ANSAM) anywhere to discuss their problems on time. Asking the reason the front lamented that Ibobi wanted to divide the community for war and to cause the problems in the communities.
Charging that the CM is playing divide and rule policy for ethnic clash in the state, the UKLF appealed to all the citizens of Manipur to understand this motive and warned that if the CM persisted with such divide and rule policy in the state in the future the front would not take it lightly. The statement said that in Manipur only kukis, Nagas and Meiteis are living and the citizens of the state like to live with peace and harmony, and to love each other like brother and sisters but the state governmrnt is forcing a ethnic clash. It also stated that if any problems of the Kukis, Nagas and the Meiteis have to be solved as different communities but the state is doing otherwise and is searching for more problems.
‘Right to Information Bill will revitalise democracy’ Assam Tribune Correspondent
SHILLONG, Aug 25 – Chief Minister DD Lapang stated that the legislation of Right to Information (RTI) Bill would empower citizens and revitalise democracy and further help accelerate the pace of development. “Transparency and accountability are the essence of a healthy democracy and the legislation of RTI Act would ensure a more progressive, participatory and meaningful governance,” Lapang said at the inaugural function of a one-day workshop on the ‘Implementation of Right to Information Act, 2005’.
Lapang reiterated that the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance’s (MDA) commitment in implementing the Act before the scheduled date of October 12. The CM stated that there is instruction to all the officers in the state to ‘immediately’ work into the implementation process. The workshop, which was also attended by members from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiatives and other NGOs, brainstormed on common modalities for the smooth implementation of the Act.
Lapang invokes God for peace, indefinite curfew announced By: Raymond R Kharmujai
Shillong, Aug 25: As Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D.Lapang and his cabinet colleagues on Thursday prayed to God at All Saint’s Cathedral to bring normalcy back in the Eastern region of the state, 21 Khasi-Jaintia based social organizations has decided to strengthen its agitational programmes by sponsoring an indefinite public curfew from August 29 next. Chief Minister D.D.Lapang along with some of his cabinet colleagues attended a prayer service organized by the Shillong Khasi-Jaintia Church Leaders Forum (SKJCLF) in wake of the agitations over the mismanagement of the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE). Lapang, himself a senior member of the Khasi-Jaintia Presbyterian church that it’s only through prayers to bring back normalcy in the state, “the government on its own cannot achieve and I request church leaders to continue to pray.”
“For the past two-month, the state has suffered in its economy and developmental activities,” the Chief Minister said adding that to make Meghalaya a mighty state everyone must come forward and work together for a common goal. As they continued to pray, leaders of the 21 Khasi-Jaintia based social organizations under the banner of Civil Society Group (CSG) met at an emergent meeting in undisclosed location reviewing the government attitude towards the charter of demand to solve the state educational Board imbroglio.
“We have decided to intensify our agitation by calling an indefinite public curfew from August 29 from6 PM to 5 AM in the four district,” Meghalaya People’s Human Rights Council (MPHRC) leader Dino.D.G.Dympep said. He said the decision to call an indefinite public curfew came after the leaders of the 21 social-organizations sees that the Lapang led government is not interested in resolving the Board imbroglio. However, the state government maintained that the government would act on the MBOSE mismanagement only after the State Level Committee headed by Chief Secretary submits its recommendations to the government. This committee is expected to submit its report by next week to revamp and restructure the “disorganized” MBOSE. Meanwhile, the two days office picketing sponsored by the 21 NGO’s evoked fair response even as the state government claimed 30 % overall attendance, however, functioning of Financial Institutions and Central Government Offices were totally paralyzed.
NGOs wonder why Environment Policy is labeled "secret" NET News Network Aizawl, Aug 25: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) seems to consider environmental policy matters “secret”, said a group of environment NGOs among whom is the Aizawl-based Centre for Environment Protection. The group said the MoEF had finalised a draft of the National Environment Policy (NEP) and submitted it for clearance to the Cabinet. However, the document is yet to be made public and this has greatly angered the environmentalists as they would have dearly loved to study it.
"Not only has this document not been made public, it is reportedly marked 'secret'. This is a mockery of the government’s professed commitment to transparent governance, and is a violation of the Right to Information Act, which commits the government to 'publish all relevant facts while formulating important policies or announcing the decisions which affect the public'," a statement issued today said. Protesting this step by MoEF, over 70 citizens’ groups and individuals from various parts of India have written to the Prime Minister demanding that the document be made public before finalising it. The statement said they had asked for consultations to be held across the country, particularly with local communities and elected representatives. The signatories to the letter to the PM include mass movements, environmental NGOs, researchers and scientists, women’s and human rights groups, mediapersons and others.
"We have pointed out that the first draft of the NEP was riddled with contradictions, and tended to make the environment subservient to narrow economic interests, the statement said and pointed out that the widespread outcry against it had prompted the National Advisory Council to also take it up in two discussions with a number of its members expressing concern about the draft NEP. The environmentalists and other concerned groups have accused the MoEF of showing total disregard for public opinion and in trying to bypass public consultation by labelling the revised draft “secret” and taking it directly to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
"Should the Cabinet pass this document without engaging in gathering public opinion and consultations, we would consider this a serious violation of the Common Minimum Programme of the government and a significant blow to the democratic temperament of our society. It would also be in contradiction to the commitment made by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech to the nation, in which he explicitly mentioned our responsibility to protect the environment," the statement said. The statement is being released country-wide today, said A.C. Zonunmawia, chairman, Centre for Environment Protection here today.
Goswami shrugs off ‘role’ ‘APCC letter’ to ULFA By a Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Aug 25: A day after the banned ULFA charged ‘some’ political parties and intellectuals of ‘misusing’ its name for personal interests, AGP president Brindabon Goswami today said that it had no intention of maligning the outfit by producing the missive, purportedly written by APCC secretary MH Choudhury. The controversial missive, alleging ULFA-Congress nexus, had created a furore in the recently-concluded Assam Assembly session. Charging the AGP chief of engineering the ‘fake’ missive, the ULFA had demanded an abject apology from him.
Goswami, who arrived in the city last evening after a week-long sojourn in Delhi, told a press conference here that the AGP did not indulge in such ‘cheap’ gimmicks by using seals and letterheads of other organizations or parties, and it was still in favour of a proper inquiry into the letter. Hoping that the ‘issues’ of the ULFA could be solved through peaceful means, he asserted that it was because of the duress from the Opposition that the State Government and the Centre invited the outfit for talks. Meanwhile, the Jatiya Yuba Parishad, Asom (JYPA) today said that Brindabon Goswami should own the moral responsibility on the issue and step down from AGP presidentship.
