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09/14/2005: "Naga people forced to work for Burma junta"

Naga people forced to work for Burma junta Kuknalim.com
RANGOON (Burma), Sept 13: Naga people living on mountains along the Indo-Burmese border regions of Sagaing Division, have been subjected to various kinds of human rights abuses including forced labour practices. A Naga villager told DVB that villagers have been forced to work in stone quarries for road building projects and carry army supplies without being paid a single ‘pya’. He added that villagers are not only forced to work for the Burmese army, they are forced to volunteer in the building of Buddhist pagodas in Leshee Township. The majority of Naga are either Christians or animists or both.

Local Naga farmers also lost hundreds of their working water buffaloes during the raining season due to the outbreak of an ‘unknown’ disease. They went down to lowland regions to buy new buffaloes and when they took the animals back to their villages, Burmese soldiers seized them from them on they way. Only who afford to pay 300,000 kyat could reclaim their animals. At the same time, the local authorities of Leshee Township, led by a man named Hla Tun, have been misappropriating money reserved for the salaries of local school teachers. The children are unable to continue to resume their education as some of their teachers haven’t received their salaries more than six months.
(Democratic Voice of Burma)
Delhi seeks investment in mining Investor meet in Nov. Telegraph
A STAFF REPORTER Guwahati, Sept. 12: The Union ministry of mines is organising an investors’ meet for the first time in the Northeast to attract private investment in the mining sector. The event, to be attended by representatives of private companies with business interests in the mining sector and senior officials, is slated for November 17-18 in Shillong. The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries is helping the ministry of mines organise the meet. “Unless investors come here to have a look at the mining sector in the Northeast, nobody will know the rich reserves that are lying untapped,” said K.P. Lall, adviser to the Union ministry of mines. He said the new millennium had seen significant transformations in the global and national mineral sectors, facilitating large private investment (both foreign and domestic) in these industries. “The Northeast, however, has remained aloof, to an extent, from these national and international developments owing to various socio-economic reasons and the region’s geographic location. However, in the new world trade regime, the corridors of trade have extended beyond international boundaries and there is no difference between domestic and international markets. The Northeast holds tremendous potential for growth of mineral and mineral-based industries,” Lall said.
Officials representing the northeastern governments will discuss the latent potential of the sector and finalise a policy framework, including incentives for private players. The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has estimated that Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland have 909 million tonnes of coal reserves. The GSI has also found 8,793 million tonnes of limestone in Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur. Assam has the potential to set up a granite polishing industry at Bura Mayong in Kamrup district, based on the granite deposits. A mini-cement plant can be set up at Lanka in Nagaon district utilising the limestone deposits at New Umrangsho in North Cachar Hills district. The meeting will identify infrastructure bottlenecks and reassess the role of the DoNER ministry, the ministry of mines and state governments in tiding over these problems. Lall said the participation of Bangladesh and Myanmar in the meet would depend on clearance from the ministry of external affairs. “We are pursuing the matter to ensure their participation.”
There are 14 mines in the Northeast, of which 12 are limestone and the other two are copper mines in Sikkim. Of the 12 limestone mines, five each are in Assam and Meghalaya and one each in Nagaland and Manipur. The GSI, the Indian Bureau of Mines and the Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd will present an overview of the national mineral sector, while the DoNER, coal and power ministries will discuss their role in the socio-economic development of the region.
Naga delegates back home Sangai Express
Dimapur, Sept 13 : The Naga delegations who had been to Bangkok to attend the 5th Naga Consultative Meeting have returned to Nagaland. About 70 Naga leaders participated at the meeting. NSCN-IM general secretary briefed the dele-gations with regard to the ongoing peace process between the Government of India and the outfit.
Reports said that Naga leaders representing their respective Naga tribe expressed their opinions and suggestions on the Naga issue. Views were also exchange among the Naga leaders. From time to time the Nagas have been holding consultative meetings. Early this year the 4th Consultative Mee-ting was held at camp Hebron with various Naga tribes from Manipur, Naga-land, Assam and Aruna-chal attending. Th Muivah and Isak Chisi Swu addre-ssed that Hebron meeting.

Naga teams back from Bangkok The Imphal Free Press

Dimapur, Sep13 : The Naga delegations which had been to Bangkok to attend the 5th Naga Consultative Meeting have come back to Nagaland. About 70 Naga leaders participated in the meeting. The NSCN-IM general secretary briefed the delegations with regard to the ongoing peace process between the government of India and the NSCN-IM.
Sanayaima challenges India to practise democracy Agencies UNLF leader RK Sanayaima
HONG KONG, Sep 13 : The leader of a rebel group in India's Northeast challenged the world's biggest democracy to live up to its name and let the people of the troubled State of Manipur choose for themselves if they want independence. Sanayaima, Chairman of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), said there was no room for peace talks with New Delhi without UN mediation, nor any middle ground short of a plebiscite on the restoration of Manipur's “sove- reignty”. The UNLF was established in 1964 and has been waging an armed struggle since 1990 for independence for nearly two million people in the lush valleys and forested hills of Manipur on India's border with Myanmar.
“Whether we remain with India or whether we become a sovereign, independent Nation : let the people decide,” Sanayaima told Reuters in his first ever interview with foreign media. “I think if India is the largest democracy in the world then they should accept the challenge.”
The softly spoken underground leader, sporting a goatee and glasses, was speaking on a trip to Hong Kong shrouded in secrecy. Refusing to say how he left Manipur or where he was going next, he requested this story be issued only after he left the city. “If necessary, we will continue our struggle for another hundred years because it is the very fundamental right that we are fighting for, the National right that we are fighting for, so we cannot afford to get tired,” he said.
Sanayaima, who turns 58 next week, said he decided to speak out “to reach out to the outside world, so that this Indian occupation is put to an end.”
India's Home Ministry spokesman was not immediately available to comment on Sanayaima's remarks.
India has stationed around 50,000 soldiers in Manipur, but there is widespread popular resentment against the military's powers to arrest and kill suspects. The rebel leader said his force would be prepared to lay down arms if the Indian Government agreed to a UN-monitored plebiscite in Manipur, withdraw its armed forces and allow UN peacekeepers into the former princely State. “For us, without the involvement of any third party, particularly the United Nations, the peace process cannot be trustworthy,” said Sanayaima, who only uses one name. Late last year the Indian army launched a major operation in Manipur, and said it had inflicted heavy losses on both the UNLF and other rebel groups there. But Sanayaima insisted the UNLF, which he said had around 2,000 armed cadres, was not on the run.
“We are not fighting pitched battles against the invading Indian forces, but that doesn't mean we are running away. If at all we are running away then they should be able to come to our base headquarters. So far they haven't done that,” he said. He said New Delhi had yet to respond to his proposal for a plebiscite, first made in January. Nor has the UNLF responded to the Indian Government's overtures for talks, he said.
“The Indian Government sent some feelers for talks. So far we have not responded,” he said. “The peace talks that the Government of India has had with other groups in the region have not produced any satisfactory resolution of the conflicts.”
Manipur is one of seven States in India's Northeast, home to more than 200 tribes. The remote area, ringed by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, has been racked by separatist insurgencies since India gained independence from Britain in 1947. Sanayaima said India was likely to try another offensive in the coming dry season, in a conflict which has cost more than 10,000 lives. “There is no middle point where we can meet with India because we were a sovereign independent country before India annexed Manipur in 1949 and we just want to regain that sovereign independence,” he said. “After that we can become a good and friendly country with India. And ... we have many things to learn from India.”
Manipuris boast of two thousand years of history as an independent Hindu kingdom until the Maharaja agreed, allegedly under duress, to the State's accession to India in 1949.
Sonia inducts Naga leader in place of Ibobi Newmai News Network
September 13
Imphal: The AICC high command Sonia Gandhi named Gaikhangam, a Naga leader and senior minister in the O. Ibobi Singh led Secular Progressive Front to replace Ibobi Singh as the president of the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC). The selection of Gaikhangam was intimated through a fax message by AICC general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi sent to the Congress Bhavan the state unit’s head office in Imphal last night. Gaikhangam is representing Nungba assembly constituency under Tamenglong district and he is the vice president of the MPCC. He is also a minister in charge of power, information and public relations. With the announcement of his name Gaikhangam is likely to resign from the ministry. The announcement came after Ibobi Singh met the party president last week in Delhi. Ibobi Singh reportedly proposed the name of Gaikhangam, who is known to be a close confidant of the chief minister as his successor.
Earlier the MPCC took a one line resolution declaring that anyone named by the party high command would be accepted as their leader. The decision was taken after several contenders showed their determination to fight it out for the post. Ibobi Singh’s term as the president of the party ended about a year back. A party source said Gaikhangam would resign from the ministry and he would be assuming office in the next few days. The MPCC is yet to organize a felicitation programme to welcome the new president. Gaikhangam said he will resign after finishing some urgent official works. He said that his primary responsibility as a new president of the ruling party is to strengthen and streamline the functioning of the MPCC.
Letters to the Editor Morung Express
Upgrade Naga Integration and Manipur Integrity issue
• Sir-The Naga Integration and Manipur Integrity issue had been talked about and enough press releases, statements by civil societies, individuals and by the apex bodies of Nagaland and Manipur had appeared in the news media. The State Assembly in Manipur and Nagaland had passed resolutions time and again for Naga integration and Manipur integrity to convince the central government and gain people’s support. It has penetrated deep into the minds and bodies of the people and emotion is covertly at high tempo. How long this fluid situation is to continue is a conjecture. Some people considered the matter will remain explosive in one form or the other, so long as the NSCN (IM) and Government of India (GoI) peace and settlement process of the protracted 58 years of the Naga issue remains unresolved. What is this Manipur integrity (MI) and Naga integration (NI) is all about. The Nagas consider that NI would effect betterment of the Nagas with uniform rules, regulations and laws for one people one nation. Whereas, in Manipur there are mix and different rules, regulations and laws for two different sects of people namely valley people and the hill people.
The Meiteis consider disintegration of Manipur would create a vacuum and the position they enjoy today may be degenerated in the future. The Nagas claim that by blood they are one and the Meiteis claim by history, the Nagas and Meiteis are one. The Naga Hoho vice president Keviletuo Keihuo in his chief guest speech on the 27th August Martyrs Day held under the aegis of the United Naga Council (UNC) at Mao gate, Song Song village, Senapati District had stated that the Meiteis and the Nagas are different people and have to live in separate territories but will be good neighbours.
Truly, the whole world is a global village, but everywhere the different sects of people have its own land boundaries and demarcations. The effectiveness of these differences in Manipur is clearly laid by the fathers of the law makers that the valley Meiteis are tabooed to encroach by way of purchase of tribal lands. Since this is the line of differences of the world order, it is not far to seek, that the Meiteis and the Nagas of all hues will have to support its own people’s opinion. However, this should not be construed that the Nagas hate the Meiteis nor the Meiteis hate the Nagas. In fact if a conflict ensued between the brown Indians and any of the yellow Mongoloids race of Ahoms, Arunachalis, Nagas, Meiteis and Kuki Chin Mizo tribes, it will not be the brown people to come to the rescue but the Mongoloid race of the North East (NE) will be the first to speak and be in the forefront for its yellow people. Therefore bickering between the Meiteis and the Nagas on MI and NI should be "upgraded" to open discussion with facts, as the famed former Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) secretary general and the present Naga Hoho general secretary Neingulo Krome had called upon the then deputy chief minister Chandramani Singh to sit across the table instead of speaking fires behind the scene at Delhi years back, in his speech at the anti 18 June 2005 declaration as Manipur Integrity day and holiday by the Government of Manipur at Senapati on the 16 June 2005 rally.
The most pertinent matter at this stage may have to be, how to safeguard Imphal valley and the adjoining areas and Nagaland/Nagalim which are landlocked territories. The tragedy with the Meiteis is they have false pride. They think unusually tall, talks big and loudly against its neighbours at New Delhi and on anyone if it were not in their line of thinking. Going beyond the ground realities, they think that no power on earth could disturb them, with enough food production in the valley. But as the universal Bible says, man does not live by bread alone but by every word that he speaks. The highlanders whom the Meiteis think mutes, when they imposes chaka bandh of the state’s National Highways, not for the like of it but out of compulsion, the valley inhabitants used to be in disarray, groan and have to eat their words and bark at New Delhi for not coming to their rescue. On speaking of Manipur integrity, the Meiteis have always been on the defensive, damage control exercise and the decades of continuous lip services as "promise" to look into. Whereas in the valley region projects works and appointments are declared and taken up simultaneously.
As a political furtherance, Panchayati Raj in the valley are strengthened with wide powers and implementing fund are being okayed recently. On the other hand the much talk about "autonomous" hill district councils are not having election for the last so many years due to loggerhead on its power and functions. The writing on the wall of Manipur is terrifying with bandhs here and there everyday as if the people have had lost confidence with the government. This is a bad omen as the Bible says. The NSCN (IM) is in hot pursued and told that diplomatically they are gaining ground but for New Delhi’s obvious practical difficulties it is taking its own time. But in the meantime the NSCN (IM) had indicated that they are not going back on some fundamental points. The question of Naga Integration had met with stiff opposition from the Meiteis with strong backing of the CPI and CPM who are fast turning into a bourgeoisie capitalist party beset with corruption and the so called classless communist ideology is a farce in Manipur. The United Committee Manipur (UCM) should be shrewd to caution the Meira paibis and clubs not to take the Naga MP(s) and MLAs and other leaders participation in the
Naga integration rally at Kohima on 31-08-2005 as a social issue. It is the electorates and the Naga people to decide whose MLAs/MPs are to recall or take up action on the Naga integration or Manipur integration issue. Any wrong moves and rumours may arise sporadic violence and blood shed among the Meiteis and the Nagas.
S. Ashikho, President, Tadubi Twon Committee Senapati District, Manipur
Patrick A Kolakhe, Secretary, Mao Tribe Ex Naga National Workers Shepoumaramth Region Organisation
Awang Kassom condition pathetic Nripeshwar Sharma Kangla
IMPHAL, Sep 13: Among the villages located in the remote areas of the state which had been neglected by the state government authorities Awang Kassom and its surrounding villages under the Chingai sub-division of Ukhrul district top the list. The people of these villages are living with even no basic development activities from the state government side besides basic minimum needs for living.

Looking at the field of health care activities in the area, there is only one PHSC centre at Awang Kassom village which is being run at a room rented by a villager. The state government had finished the building for the centre last year but it is yet to be shifted and the formal inauguration function has not been held. The PHSC has no medical officers and nurses required for the centre and only one helper is providing his services to the centre since 1987 on contract basis. HA Ruichumhao has been working as a helper at the centre for more than 18 years with a nominal payment of Rs. 100 per montha, and the authorities are yet to consider his regular appointment in the state health department.

His pay was increased from Rs. 50 per month only from this year. Before this, right from the beginning of his service he had been getting only Rs. 50 per month. Moreover, most of the time his payment was made annually. According to the villagers, one medical officer namely Dr Manik Rehman and a staff nurse said to be posted at the PHSC came to the centre once in a blue moon. At other times no staff or doctor is visible at the centre. Meanwhile, even as the villagers see electric wires passing through their villages, the people are yet to get the benefit of power supply.

When some projects like those under the north eastern region community resource management project for upland areas taken up by Ukhrul district community resource management society and International Fund for agricultural development (IFAD) under the funding of DoNER and NEC stopped, the hope of getting electric supply in the village vanished from the minds of the villagers.
Another basic problem faced by the people of the area is unavailability of safe drinking water. There are no other sources of water in the area except collecting from the gorges and small streams at the foothills of the surrounding hills. Villagers have to go a long distance for collecting water for all purposes. In order to solve the problem of drinking water, the villagers have many times requested their local MLA, A Aja and concerned authorities of the public health department but all their efforts have gone in vain, the villagers lamented.

The local MLA and the authorities had given assurance for the procurement of pipes so that water can be brought down from uphill to the villages but when the people demanded it as per their assurance, the authorities stated that there were no funds for providing the pipes. There is only one government UJB school at Awang Kassom having around one hundred students but the school has no proper basic infrastructure. Recalling that the school was built by villagers in 1975 with the amount contributed by the villagers and some help from the state government, they lamented that since then no authorities of the government had even looked after the condition of the school building.

The most important infrastructure for a school, the benches and desks, were unseen at the school. The day to day requirement for teaching students like stationary materials, chalk, dusters, chairs had to be bought by the money contributed by the villagers. The school has classes from nursery to V. The brick walls of the school building were supported by wood as they are ready to fall down as they have been neglected for many years. Myanmarese citizens come to the village for doing business there. They reach the village after passing through Chingai from Somara, a village in Myanmar located at the border between India and Myanmar. The main bread earning occupation of the people of the area is cutting pine wood and selling them at Kohima in Nagaland through Jessami. The pine wood logs are sold at Rs. 3 to 3.50 per piece by the villagers which is a meager amount compared to their labour.
Nagaland BJP snubs Congress remarks
KOHIMA, sept 13 (MExN): The BJP, Nagaland unit, has looked right through the recent allegations made by the Congress against it. "The statements of the Leaderless and divided State Congress are only further exposure of the Party’s in depth anguish, panic and frustrations after losing the people’s mandate," a release issued by O Mozamo Ngullie, Spokesman, BJP Nagaland has stated. Ngullie has stated that the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the State BJP had further aggravated the ‘frustrations and discouragements’ of the Congress Party as it was a grand success and turned out to be a ‘Mega Show’ as rightly termed by the opposition Congress. While saying that the propaganda of the State Congress in branding the BJP as a Party against the Minorities and Christians in particular had become a futile exercise, the BJP has further blamed the Congress for obstructing the candidatures of Christians such as GG Swell and PC Alexander for the post of President of India. The Congress has also been blamed for turning a blind eye to the recent arsons and attacks against churches and Christian institutes. Referring to the murder of Graham Staines, Ngullie questioned as to why the Congress failed to disclose the name of the Congress MLA who led Dara Singh to murder Staines. The BJP has also stated that the ‘Bed Rock of Naga Society’ attitude should not come in the way of the Naga Peace Process. While referring to the Prime Minister’s package to Nagaland as announced by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Ngullie has stated, "Contrary to the Party’s claims, the Congress led UPA government had stalled even the Prime Minister’s Special Development Package meant for the people of Nagaland by failing to release the funds meant for the same Prime Minister’s package."
Missionaries trying to create Christian belt : BJP New Kerala
Ranchi: The Bhartiya Janata Party today alleged that missionaries were trying to create a Christian belt in the country through largescale conversion of the poor in the name of spreading education and health services. Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and Jharkhand state unit President Yadunath Pandey alleged that the missionaries were trying to create a Christian belt from Nagaland to Nagpur. ''The missionaries, who are enticing poor people for conversion in the name of education and healthcare, are no less than the mythical demon Taraka, who tried to kill Lord Krishna by trying to breastfeed poisonous milk to him,'' he said. Mr Pandey said the 'vices' of the missionaries should be stopped to prevent any attempt to create another nation. ''Conversion is a big problem in the nascent state of Jharkhand also and the state government is taking measures to check the menace,'' he said. The BJP leader said the missionaries in the state were resorting to divide and rule policy and 'instigating' the poor tribals and non-tribals to fight among themselves.
UNLF leader Sanayaima challenges India to practice democracy The Imphal Free Press
HONG KONG, Sep 13: The leader of a rebel group in India`s northeast challenged the world`s biggest democracy to live up to its name and let the people of the troubled state of Manipur choose for themselves if they want independence. RK Sanayaima, chairman of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), said there was no room for peace talks with New Delhi without U.N. mediation, nor any middle ground short of a plebiscite on the restoration of Manipur`s "sovereignty."

The UNLF was established in 1964 and has been waging an armed struggle since 1990 for independence for nearly two million people in the lush valleys and forested hills of Manipur on India`s far eastern border with Myanmar. "Whether we remain with India or whether we become a sovereign, independent nation: let the people decide," Sanayaima told Reuters in his first ever interview with foreign media. "I think if India is the largest democracy in the world then they should accept the challenge."
The softly spoken underground leader, sporting a goatee and glasses, was speaking on a trip to Hong Kong shrouded in secrecy. Refusing to say how he left Manipur or where he was going next, he requested this story be issued only after he left the city. "If necessary, we will continue our struggle for another hundred years because it is the very fundamental right that we are fighting for, the national right that we are fighting for, so we cannot afford to get tired," he said. Sanayaima, who turns 58 next week, said he decided to speak out "to reach out to the outside world, so that this Indian occupation is put to an end."
India`s Home (interior) Ministry spokesman was not immediately available to comment on Sanayaima`s remarks. India has stationed around 50,000 soldiers in Manipur, but there is widespread popular resentment against the military`s powers to arrest and kill suspects. The rebel leader said his force would be prepared to lay down arms if the Indian government agreed to a U.N.-monitored plebiscite in Manipur, withdraw its armed forces and allow U.N. peacekeepers into the former princely state.
"For us, without the involvement of any third party, particularly the United Nations, the peace process cannot be trustworthy," said Sanayaima, who only uses one name.
ARMY OFFENSIVE
Late last year the Indian army launched a major operation in Manipur, and said it had inflicted heavy losses on both the UNLF and other rebel groups there. But Sanayaima insisted the UNLF, which he said had around 2,000 armed cadres, was not on the run. "We are not fighting pitched battles against the invading Indian forces, but that doesn`t mean we are running away. If at all we are running away then they should be able to come to our base headquarters. So far they haven`t done that," he said.
He said New Delhi had yet to respond to his proposal for a plebiscite, first made in January. Nor has the UNLF responded to the Indian government`s overtures for talks, he said. "The Indian government sent some feelers for talks. So far we have not responded," he said. "The peace talks that the government of India has had with other groups in the region have not produced any satisfactory resolution of the conflicts."
Manipur is one of seven states in India`s northeast, home to more than 200 tribes. The remote area, ringed by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, has been racked by separatist insurgencies since India gained independence from Britain in 1947. Sanayaima said India was likely to try another offensive in the coming dry season, in a conflict which has cost more than 10,000 lives.
"There is no middle point where we can meet with India because we were a sovereign independent country before India annexed Manipur in 1949 and we just want to regain that sovereign independence," he said. "After that we can become a good and friendly country with India. And ... we have many things to learn from India."
Manipuris boast of two thousand years of history as an independent Hindu kingdom until the Maharaja agreed, allegedly under duress, to the state`s accession to India in 1949.

Naga New Year Festival POSTED BY MYANMAR.ONE

Every year in January. NAGA New Year is celebrated. This year, the Festival will be celebrated in Layshi, Sagaing Division, Union of Myanmar.It is the tradition of the NAGA people to share joy and happiness with friends and guests on this auspicious New Year and Thanksgiving celebrations to mother nature for granting bountiful harvest for all year round.Myanmar is a land of diverse topography and national races. High up on the mountains of North West Myanmar are the proud national group, known to the world as NAGA, one of the over 100 different national residents of the Union of Myanmar.
The NAGA Hills, as commonly referred to, have steep slopes and deep ravines. Cold wind blows during the winter months. Summer months are not hot but cool. Streams leap over huge boulders or hiss quietly along. The climate may be harsh for the NAGA people and those of the brethren Myanmar nationals, but the NAGA New Year Festival in the NAGA Hills will give each and every visitor to Myanmar an experience which is closer to nature, and an experience to cherish.
This year's NAGA Festival will be celebrated during the 2nd week of January 2006. The exact dates will be announced soon. The venue of the Festival is Layshi in Sagaing Division, which is accessible from Mandalay to Homalin by plane; an adventurous upstream to Htamanthi by boat or car and to Layshi by car.Further information on NAGA Festival 2006 will be posted on website soon.

Manmohan to hold talks with Bush today Assam Tribune
NEW YORK, Sept 13 (PTI) — Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived here today with a heavy agenda covering meetings with US President George W Bush, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and other world leaders who have assembled for the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session. Singh, who flew in from Paris after a successful summit with French President Jacques Chirac, will meet Bush this evening (0415 hours IST tomorrow) at the American leader's request. This will be their second meeting in less than two months after they signed a historic deal in Washington during the Prime Minister’s visit under which the US offered to resume nuclear fuel supplies to Indian reactors.
The two leaders are likely to review progress on the agreement between the two countries under which both sides are expected to take follow up steps in implementing the deal. Meanwhile, after a two-day successful visit to France, the Prime Minister secured French support for India’s civilian nuclear programme. Singh, who would be addressing the UN General Assembly tomorrow, was given a ceremonial farewell at Orly Airport before he boarded the special Air India flight for New York along with his delegation that included External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran. Prior to his departure, he met India Studies scholars at his hotel. French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin hosted a dinner in his honour last night.
Army operation against ULFA ultras brings untold miseries for Tinsukia villagers
Villagers caught between devil and deep sea From our Reporter
TINSUKIA, Sept 13: More than 10 thousand people of four villages of No.1 and No. 2 Bongaon, Laika and Dhodia are nearly in house arrest due to an operation carried out by the 2nd Mountain Division of the Army against the ULFA, since August 31. This has resulted in widespread anger and protest from various quarters. Earlier, they were under similar pressure from the ULFA ultras. Yesterday, leading organizations, including the All Assam Moran Students’ Union, the Assam Mottock Yuba Chattra Parishad, the All Assam Tea Tribe Students’ Union, the All Assam Tai Ahom Students’ Union, the AJYCP Tinsukia District Committee, the Tinsukia District Women Coordination Committee, Dibru-Saikhowa Bio-diversity Protection Committee presented a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Tinsukia DC to intervene in the matter. It may be mentioned here that due to the ongoing operation since the last 14-day, villagers have been forced to stay indoor most of the time. The villagers are facing food and medicine shortage. The Army is even checking supply of food stuff in the village in order to stop supply of ration to the ULFA group hauled inside the forest reserve. It may be mentioned here that two shopkeepers of Guijan Ghat Badal Chakroborty and C Chand arrested on charges of supplying ration to ULFA cadres.
Just three days back, an 8-year-old girl Kajaluati Mili daughter of Bhadreshwar Mili of Laika Phansidia died due to lack of proper treatment. Villagers here have alleged that due to lack of a boat, the father of the ill-fated child could not cross Laika Nalla for taking permission from the Army authorities in Pamuah for taking the child outside for treatment. Since the entire area is cordoned by the Army, the poor villagers, particularly the fishermen and those whose livelihood is based on animal rearing are not able to carry on with their day-to-day activities. Source have revealed that due to the restriction of movement by Army, several villagers of Bongaon are reportedly missing. Yesterday, in a press meet at the Moran Students’ Union office, villagers of Bongaon alleged that the inhuman torture heaped upon villagers this time round has even exceeded those carried out during the time of Operation Bajrang and Operation Rhino. The villagers have also said that the Army has asked for labours from each household in constructing a temporary Army camp at Laika Pamuah Gaon. Each household has also been asked to contribute bamboo towards the camp. The villagers revealed that from Laika Phansidia village alone, Mahabir Mili, Chamanoi Danotee, Karne Kuli, Ajoy Mili, Babu Murah, Babul Pegon, Sonaahar Pegu are missing. They also questioned that many more must have been missing from other villages. On the other hand, the Army has also seized more than 300 boats in Bongaon and Guijan area, according to sources. Yesterday, the AASU has submitted a memorandum to the district administration urging it to take necessary step so that innocent villagers are not harassed in the name of operation against ULFA. They have further demanded supply of sufficient food, medicine and other necessary items to these villagers. Meanwhile, according to reports, the district administration, got wiser after the event and has finally accorded permission to run boat services in the Bongaon area