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09/16/2005: "NSCN-IM suspends erring member"

IM suspends truant cadre Newmai News Network
Dimapur, Sep 16 : The NSCN-IM has suspended Pungti Jobson who was arrested by Nagaland police two days ago in Dimapur for smuggling ganja worth more than Rs 4 crores, according to a Dimapur based newspaper.
Pungti Jobson is a depu-ty secretary of Defence of the NSCN-IM.
The daily paper quoted the NSCN-IM disowning and condemning the disgraceful and heinous act of Pungti Jobson and his accomplices.
The outfit further stated that Pungti Jobson has been suspended immediately from the outfit on account of his involvement in the ‘anti-national and anti-social’ act of felony, stated the newspaper. “Such deeds which are contrary to the ethics and principles of the GPRN also endows shame to the Naga people as Christians and needs censorship by all and sundry,” said the newspaper. The NSCN-IM statement has further informed that the outfit has set up an enquiry commission to probe into the case so as to unearth the ganja trade racket and apprehend criminals involved in the business.
NSCN-IM suspends erring member Morung Express News September 15
Dimapur: The NSCN-IM has, in the strongest of terms, condemned and disowned the ‘disgraceful and heinous’ act committed by Pangti Jobson and his accomplices. He has been immediately suspended from the organization on account of his involvement in the ‘anti-national and anti-social’ act of felony. A release issued by Saheni, Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Publicity has stated, “Such deeds which are contrary to the ethics and principles of the GPRN also endows shame to the Naga people as Christians and needs censorship by all and sundry.”
Saheni has further informed that the GPRN has set up an enquiry commission to probe into the case so as to unearth the ganja trade racket and apprehend the criminals involved in the business.
Reflections: Behind those gates COMMENTARY Morung Express
As darkness falls, the town looks like a forbidden city. All businesses are closed. It is hurting the economy of Nagaland... How can outsiders have the confidence and security to invest in Nagaland?" "A. Chang Olivo
Nagaland News has been dominated by news of the Integration of all the Nagas. Recently, Nagas had a historic Integration Rally in Kohima. If we look at our Naga culture and life, we differ very much from one tribe to another, one village to another, one language to another and one region to another. In midst of all these differences, we look for a common ground to be one People and one Nation. My recent trip to Dimapur, Nagaland, made me wonder who are those living behind the huge gates. Do these people know their neighbors? In Los Angeles, we see those huge fences and gates mostly in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Malibu and San Marino. Those are the people mostly in entertainment business. Most of them are harassed by curious visitors or the paparazzi. They have no privacy for their life and family. They hide behind those fences and gates for security and privacy. ked a few residents in Dimapur why most homes are gated. Everyone had the fear of someone breaking into their homes and endangering their lives, or of neighbors stealing the border land. They were all living in fear behind those huge fences and gates. They don’t know who their neighbors are. As darkness falls, the town looks like a forbidden city. All businesses are closed. It is hurting the economy of Nagaland. How are we going to move forward like other states in India or the rest of the world? How can outsiders have the confidence and security to invest in Nagaland. How are we going to create jobs for the young people and the next generation when business can’t function?
Young people have nothing to keep them occupied after the sun sets. They have no jobs, no entertainment, no evening colleges or training centers. To numb their boredom, they drink, smoke and do drugs. To support such lifestyle, they commit crimes. It is hard to find eligible young Nagas especially men, who don’t drink, smoke or do drugs. Our society and culture, which were known for their generosity, even to strangers, are vanishing right before our eyes. We don’t know our own neighbors. Family structure is breaking down. Nagas are not a society that has classes or caste but now we can see the classes of the rich and poor. Freedom, peace and unity start from your own kitchen. Talk to your children. Teach your children what is right and wrong. Be responsible parents. It is a great privilege to be parents but you have the responsibilities to guide your children into the honor of hard labor, respect, honesty and peace. Have a family dinner together. Spend quality time with your children. From your own kitchen, cross over and get to know your neighbor across from you, beside you, and behind you. Have a neighborhood get together once or twice a year. Share a meal; share a conversation with your neighbors. Your neighbor may even be from different tribe, region, village or clan. When American Baptist Missionaries left Nagaland, Naga tribes who already had received the gospel, reached out to most of the eastern tribes. Those early Naga missionaries reached out to the eastern tribes financially to start a church and sent their own people to serve among them. Where has that brotherhood gone today? The advanced tribes should reach out to the advancing tribes. Tribalism in churches and society will hurt our growth and unity. Reach out to your brothers, sisters or churches that are from advancing tribes. Support them with what you can--materially, mentally, spiritually or emotionally.
We are talking about integration, but with so much fear within our own community, how are we going trust each other and proceed towards the goal of one people and one nation? Who is going to believe and support our cause? It takes one person, one tribe, one village at a time, to bring peace and unity. We have a small community of Nagas and North East Indians in California. We don’t distinguish ourselves as Chang, Angami, Khasis or Assamese. We gather together as brothers and sisters from Nagaland or N.E. India. Sometimes, we talk, wishing that in Nagaland they have the same kind of brotherhood and sisterhood as we have here. More unity and less tribalism. We don’t care which tribe is visiting California, we care as fellow Nagas and open our homes to them. This does not mean that we do not love our own people. I am proud to be a Chang--and I would say I love Tuensang more than other towns, but this pride does not mean that I look down on other tribes or regions.
We need to trust each other, learn to love, accept and forgive each others faults and mistakes. Integration of all Nagas will not come through violence or bloodshed. Take the example of great leaders like Gandhi and Nelson Mandela for a better and peaceful Nagaland. The greatest revenge you could give to your enemy is through love and forgiveness. We shouldn’t only look to the leaders for unity, peace and development. Common people should also rise up to the occasion. You may be a housewife. You can communicate about love and peace to your children and husband. You may be a teacher. Educate your students about the benefit of living in unity and loving peace. It is not only for our generation but for the generations to come. You may be in administration. Govern with wisdom for the betterment and peacefulness of all Nagas, not only your tribe or constituency. So, here I humbly urge my fellow country men and women to strive for Peace and unity, accepting each other through love and forgiveness. We don’t need to hide in fear behind those gates in our own land, with our own people. We don’t need to shut everything down by sunset and lock ourselves up in fear. If we live in fear from each other in our own land, how are we going to demonstrate to the world, our desire to live in unity and peace? Rise up to the occasion and make a difference in someone’s life, church, village, town or tribe. My country people, "FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS YOU ARE BORN".
Naga Woman who is also a Mother U A Shimray Morung Express
Not long ago, the Naga Women’s Union, Manipur (NWUM) celebrated its Decade Anniversary at Chandel district. The anniversary theme is "Women and Peace". In today’s new world order, women play crucial role in reconstructing the social system based on human value and participation. The traditional patriarchal social setting dictate women to bend little lower and male to rise their head higher. The concept inevitably constructs the attitude of "weaker section" and "stronger section", "decision-making" men and "obeying" women. Also, terminate "unwanted fetus" and rare only the "masculine population". So far, many people fail to understand the women systematic passionate intervention in the society. Women perspectives are often undermined in the claw of patriarchal mindset. Such intervention also needs to translate it into realism, not just a transiting phrase of addressing as "House-wife" to "Home-maker".
Our Home, Our Mother The Holy Bible says, "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge the grooms are filled with a rare and beautiful treasures" (Proverbs, 12:3). Home is the happiest place on earth. Everlasting phrase always hang "Home Sweet Home" in the doorstep. Home is also the heart of society. In fact the moral strength of the society is directly determined by the value state of the family. Contemporary social scientists have regarded the family as the cornerstone of society. In Naga society, family is not only the social, cultural and religious unit but also the foundation of Naga value system and discipline.
Indeed, in Naga family, woman who is also a mother is the main backbone of the whole domestic affairs. I vividly remember my mother putting me in the Aluminum tub and bathing me. She cleans my whole tiny naked body from head to toe. She said, "God hates children who are dirty. He loves those who obey their parents". Since my childhood days, I am closer to my mother than my father. I always approach my mother first whenever I need new clothes, new exercise book and pencil even to tie my shoelace or button my shirt. I first inform my mother when I get involved in the fight with my friends before I get good spank from my father. For problem, I go to mother. She listened. This is one instance in the society of the importance of a mother and women in home making. Nurturing one home is not an easy job but it involves tremendous wisdom, passion and compassion. Naga society traditionally follows patriarchal system and father is the head of the household. However, mother has no lesser role to play in the family. She occupies an important place in the society. The traditions "expect" women be obedient and humble; also expect to perform the role of wife, mother, child bearer, food producer and household manager. Mother is the first to rise before the crack of dawn and start a day’s works like looking after children, caring the sick, cooking, store food, feed domestic animals, fetch water, cleaning and washing.
I believe Nagas’ patriarchal norm does not reflect the notion of "birth of a male child being auspicious, man as the bread earner and protector of the society" (Although, the concept of male preferences may vary from individual to individual). The fact is many of the Naga parents prefer their first-born child to be female. In the Naga family, there is a requirement of the eldest child to play certain role, which is vital for the good of the household. The daughter(s) are considered to be more competent, obedient and helpful to their parents in the discharge of duties. On the other hand, boy(s) are generally preferred as the customs and tradition implies that the lineage of a clan and family is through male. Weaving traditional clothes are one of the important activities. The young girls usually work collectively as ‘cloth workers’ guild in a particular place. In olden days, Morung (dormitory) is the place where such weaving knowledge and skills were imparted to each and every individual. Such essence of collectiveness helps to develop new designs in the shawls. The beautiful Naga shawl is the sole product of the Naga women’s creativity and wisdom. Her role and contributions in the society are always in sustainable form. This is because mother’s association with the social ethos begins at the family. Through her well maintenance of the family, the Naga society is able to sustain its customs and values. Nevertheless, mother is the first who teaches her children social etiquette and moral conduct in the society. As said, mother performs multi-role as wife, mother, child-bearer and household manager giving enormous tasks. Her life is a juggling act as they try to fit in a range of tasks and responsibilities. Unfortunately, mothers’ "invincible" works are neither acknowledge nor recognised.
Naga Women’s Intervention In olden days, inter-village head hunting was inevitable circumstances. When men had to wage wars, women took the responsibility of giving provision and supplies for the warriors. There is a belief that certain women possessed a spirit associated with wealth and richness. Women also played a vital role in saving the lives of their men. Women were like an "Ambassador" who would volunteer to act as a mediator between the warring villages. These women enjoyed full diplomatic immunity. Nobody could lay hands on her. She was called the "peace-maker", the bearer of torch of peace of the Naga inter-village head hunting war. They boldly used to enter the battlefields and intervened in the fighting of the warriors and stopped the fight between the two enemy villages. Indeed, keeping the essence of home making, we see Naga women playing a crucial role in the present social transition. Since the days of ‘head-hunting’ till now, women’s role in the socio-cultural aspects is immense. Women’s intervention in the socio-cultural sphere is not a new concept in Naga society. Today, we see Naga women doing tremendous work to revitalise the losing customary laws and traditions. Their involvement begins right from their individual capacity as a "lady" of the household. They quietly render great services and fulfilled her duties unostentatiously. In the midst of rapid changes in Naga social scenario, it is noteworthy to mention that new social elements are creeping into the society. To substantiate, it is worthy to mention a few: drug peddling, smuggling, corruption and political hatred. In fact, in the olden days the prevalence of crimes such as rape, forgery, corruption and others were rare, if not obsolete. But our fast quantum leap of so-called social development has made the Naga people to abandon or lose their certain social values and dignity.
In such a state of confusion, women’s intervention cannot be sidelined. The present Naga women’s organisations not only work hard to revitalise social values but maximise the imposition of value system in the society. There are many examples where the Naga women organisations took the lead in social movements. Several women organisations have emerged right from the village level to form apex Naga women organisation. Today, the apex organisations like Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), Naga Women’s Union, Manipur (NWUM), etc are spearheading the various Naga women associations. The NMA with their theme "Shed No More Blood" have been actively involved in negotiating and mediating for peace and justice for the Nagas (also in the Naga society). Naga women associations have organised rallies and demonstrations for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act. Today, the NMA and NWUM are actively participating in the on-going peace talks between the Government of India and the Naga insurgents. As a concluding remark, it shall not be out of place to mention that the Naga women’s role in the Naga society has strong historical, social and political implications. At the same time, women’s intervention should always look at in a positive aspect. Women have more affinity to the socio-cultural and economic activities. Because of such close interaction enable them to develop better sense of consciousness. This unrewarded tradition of Naga women, if encouraged may help to build a better Naga society. Also, sense have self-pride and self-dependence even when the Nagas have become thoroughly "modernised". Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said, "To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awaken. Once she is on the move the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves".
Dr Lotha asks youth to choose the correct path Sentinel
WOKHA, Sept 15 – Nagaland Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Excise, Dr TM Lotha, called upon the youth to be specific of their future and for which they had to choose the correct path.
Addressing 21st annual session-cum-youth conference here at Wokha Village Baptist Church, the minister said the Christian youth in the State had great responsibilities as a believer because God wanted to use their “energetic, enthusiastic and intelligent assets” for the future younger generations.

Dr Lotha referred to people’s saying that the “youths are the future of the society and they are going to live for tomorrow and not the old men and women.” If that was so, he further asked, “What type of life and what type of future you want to live in? The answer lies with you,” the Minister told the youth, adding, the God had opened everything for them. “Therefore the choice is yours,” he pointed out.
Dr Lotha also said the Nagas lacked responsibility in many areas and further pointed out that they seemed to be one-sided. “We only know how to claim our rights and are very assertive and never knowing that we have our responsibilities and duties towards the society,” he stated. “This is the reason why our Naga society has faced many problems.”
NE girls in metros forced into prostitution: NGO Morung Express Guwahati, Sept 15 (Agencies): Gullible young girls from the northeast are being forced into prostitution in the metropolises after being lured by organised syndicates promising them glamorous careers and lucrative jobs, a rights group has said. "The situation is extremely serious with smart operators flooding the northeast hunting for good looking young girls for modelling assignments or jobs in call centres with good salaries," said Hasina Kharbih, chairperson of Impulse NGO Network, a rights group working in rescuing women trafficked from the northeast.
"But in reality, many of these women were pushed into the notorious world of prostitution." Impulse activists recently rescued at least four young girls from Mumbai. "The girls were from Meghalaya and Assam and were lured by agents who promised them good modelling roles and handsomely paid jobs in call centres," Kharbih told IANS.
"We were told by these rescued girls that there were more women from the northeast in the flesh trade racket who were trapped with such baits." A new craze for careers in modelling among teenagers in India’s northeast region, spurred by television and newspaper advertisements, is being cited as reasons for traffickers wooing unsuspecting girls into their net.
"Northeastern girls are generally fair and have good features, akin to Nepali women, who until recently were much sought after by pimps for flesh trading," another rights activist said. "Today northeastern girls are in demand in the flourishing prostitution racket in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, and even Bangalore and Pune." Most of these girls, trapped by organised rackets, come from middle class families.
"Seedy operators also scout for good looking girls from poor families. We have come across and rescued girls belonging to families living below the poverty line who were sold to the traffickers," Kharbih said. The Impulse network, headquartered at Meghalaya’s state capital Shillong, has rescued 12 girls this year from New Delhi and Mumbai - all of them belonging to poor families.
Goswami hopeful of ULFA-Centre talks Morung Express
New Delhi, Sept 15 (ANI): Noted Assamese author and ULFA mediator, Mamoni Raisom Goswami said that she was extremely hopeful that the talks between Centre and the insurgent group next month would be a success. Goswami said that the ULFA was setting up an eight-member team comprising human rights activists and lawyers to hold the initial round of talks. "This is the first time after 26 years, probably this type of positive sign is being seen and this is the reason why I am so hopeful," said Goswami said in an interview in New Delhi. Earlier in January, ULFA had said that it was ready to hold talks with the Centre. Though no terms have yet been spelled out,
Goswami said that the increased action by the army, mistrusted by the villagers, who accused it of human rights abuses were a major concern. "They retaliate only when the army operations get too severe. Only yesterday I have got a telephonic call from Jerai that most of their villages were surrounded by the army. People are bit unhappy about it, that when peace talks are going on why this thing should be there?" she said. Formed in 1979, the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is fighting for an independent state of Assam and has also accused the Centre of economically exploiting the state and neglecting the local economy. More than 15,000 people have been killed in the insurgency in Assam in nearly three decades.
Assam Chief Minister for ULFA-Centre ceasefire NET News Network
Guwahati, Sep 16: The Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today insisted for ceasefire between Centre and the proscribed ULFA and said that talks should continue because that can bring a congenial environment in the State and both the parties should enter into a ceasefire to bring peace in the State”. However, he refused to comment anything regarding the State government’s formal conveying of message to the Centre. He today also denied any role of his party in the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) split and reiterated that both Mahanta and Goswami are indulging in the tussle because of their personal ambitions, which is causing political instability in the state. Gogoi further said that neither Mahanta nor Brindaban could be hold responsible alone for the various incidents that took place during the AGP regime be it the veterinary scam or the secret killings as they both were integral part of the Government then.
“Both AGP and AGP (P) cannot be called regional party instead they should be called ‘vested interest party”, said Gogoi. “They are the people who even deceived the student fraternity with whose support they rose to power”, alleged Gogoi informing that the present president of AGP Brindaban Goswami was the Education Minister then. Regarding the Pratul Dev’s murder mystery, Gogoi informed that it was he who sought for the CBI enquiry even before the High Court ordered the same and the Bharatiya Janata Party who was at the power in the Centre did nothing in this respect. The Chief Minster also informed the press about the setting up of National Thermal Corporation to facilitate the State with better power facilities within 2010 besides coming up with a company on 50:50 share basis with the Guwahati Municipal Corporation for the improving the water problem in the State. Meanwhile, State Planning and Development minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma who was also present in the press meet informed, “ Three new Medical Colleges would be set up very soon and foundation stone for few over bridges would be laid down”. In another development, General secretary of newly formed AGP (P), Hemanta Kalita under the leadership of two-time Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, lambasted Brindaban Goswami for terming the AGP (P) as a political wing of Congress and said that the political career of Goswami speaks volumes about his divide and rule policy. “It was Goswami who divided the AGP for the first time in 1991 and since then he has been consistently trying to create an environment of hatred among the party members”, alleged Kalita.
Bodo Students launch agitation over ban on Dohkna NET News Network
Kokrajahar, Sep16: The influential All Bodo Students’ union (ABSU) today staged a protest dharna in front of Surupeta Circle office in Barpeta district over the imposition of ‘Churidhar’ dress over traditional Dokhna on Bodo girls’ students by the BHB college authority. The student organization also called for a 12-hour lower Assam bandh on Tuesday next if the college authority does not allow the students to attend class in dhokna. On Monday the Bodo students wearing prescribed uniform colour Dokhna were again forcefully driven out from the classroom by the principal of the college.
The male students too boycott the class following the incident. ABSU president Rwngwra Narzary said even after repeated request the BHB college authority neither refused to listen the sentiment of the Bodo people nor tried to resolve the problem peacefully. Some chauvinist people are behind the whole incidents. Mention may be made that a joint meeting of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and ABSU was held few day back in Barpeta and announce a joint statement saying the ethnic community should be given the right to preserve own dress and wear it but the college authority remain adamant to the decision of churidar as dress code.
“In a state like Assam with diverse ethnic group, colour should be the basis of uniform but not the dress and lawfully ABSU would strongly oppose the senseless decision of the college authority for adopting the churidar as the only option for uniform dress. Churidar is not the dress of the Bodos and it cannot be the dress of Assamese people either,” said ABSU secretary Goutam Mushshary. “We have got full right and preserve our own culture, custom, language and tradition as being the indigenous community and nobody can stop us from wearing our traditional dress. This is our right and we will fight to achieve it till the end,” added the ABSU leader.
On the other hand the Bodo students of Kokrajhar and Gossaigaon colleges have joined the protest with ABSU in condemning the same and threatened to enforce similar stringent dress code of Dokhna for all female students studying in their respective colleges and launch a movement for enforcing the same in the colleges of BTC region in case the BHB college authority fails to respond positively soon. The Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) and All Bodo Women Welfare Federation (ABWWF) has also expressed serious concern and anguish over the issue saying its humiliating that the Bodo girls students are not allowed to wear the traditional dress Dokhna and requested the BHB college to allow the students to attend the class in prescribed colour dokhna.
Declare truce: Gogoi to Centre, ULFA By a Staff Reporter Sentinel
GUWAHATI, Sept 16: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has appealed to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the Centre to announce a bilateral ceasefire so as not to allow the rebel group’s peace overture get derailed. Talking to newsmen in the city today, Gogoi said that no peace talks with rebel groups had ever taken place without a ceasefire which, in the case of the ULFA, should be a two-way one so as to make the talks bear fruits. He said that his Government would send a proposal in this regard to the Centre soon. On the ULFA’s demand for suspension of Army operation against its cadres, Gogoi evaded a direct answer and said that the operation would come to a halt only when the formal ceasefire was announced.
Coming down heavily on both the factions of the AGP, the Chief Minister said that there was no ideological difference between Brindabon Goswami and Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. "Their’s is a power struggle. Both of them are desperate to make it to Dispur," he said. On Brindabon’s accusation that Gogoi was behind the AGP split, Gogoi asked: "Do I have a fling with Mahanta? Why should they drag me in their power politics?" He said that the AGP was not a regional force but a group of ‘self-seekers’. "For all the misdeeds, including the secret killings and various scams during the AGP tenure, both Goswami and Mahanta are equally responsible," he added. On Pratul Deb abduction and murder case, Gogoi said that before the Gauhati High Court asking the CBI to inquire into the case, the State Government had requested the Centre to hand over the case to the CBI. "We requested the Centre to hand over the inquiry into the killing of BJP leader Jayanta Dutta in Dibrugarh also to the CBI but the then Home Minister LK Advani rejected the request," he said. On potable water problem in the city, the Chief Minister said that the State Government and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) would float a joint venture on the lines of the Delhi Jal Board with 50:50 investment. According to him, the GMC received Rs 8 crore and Rs 18 crore from the State Government in 2004 and 2005 respectively for potable water.
Bodo bodies oppose maximum satellite autonomy to Misings ABSU: MAC exploiting non-Mising communities From our Correspondent
KOKRAJHAR, Sept 16: The Undivided Lakhimpur District Committee of the ABSU has alleged that the Mising Autonomous Council (MAC) has been exploiting the Bodo and other non-tribal people politically and economically. Talking to this correspondent at Silapathar in Dhemaji district, president of the Undivided Lakhimpur District committee of ABSU (ULD/ABSU) Dambaru Daimary said that the maximum satellite autonomy to the Misings has created new problems to non-Mising communities because the satellite autonomy concept has made other people minorities.
The exclusion of Deoris, Thengals and Sonowal-Kacharis from the MAC has made the Bodos and Hajongs minorities. He also said that the undivided Lakhimpur district units of the ABSU, the All Bodo Women’s Welfare Federation (ABWWF) and ex-BLT Welfare Association (DUBAA) and other tribal bodies have decided to oppose the maximum satellite autonomy to the Misings and urged the State Government to reconsider the matter. Secretary of ULD/ABSU Simangsa Basumatary, while speaking to this correspondent, said that the Government has excluded 68 non-Mising villages belonging to non-tribal communities, besides exclusion of all the Deori, the Thengal, and the Sonowal-Kachari villages, but not a single Bodo and Hajong villages have been excluded despite pressure from various Bodo organizations. ‘‘If the Government of Assam can exclude other tribal and non-tribal villages, than why not Bodo villages,’’ he questioned.
Basumatary said that the MAC which is being run with the fund of the Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) has also blocked the advantage of panchayati raj. As per Clause (U) of Section-II of the MoS of the MAC and core area, 6,38,977 population from 1,239 villages belonging to Sonowal, Deori and Thengal-Kachari have been excluded from the Council. As a result of which, the Misings in core area becomes majority by 90 per cent, Basumatary said, adding that the Council provided only five seats open for all in five constituencies out of 36-member council, but there is no reserved quota for other tribal people as that of the BTC. Under such circumstances, the Bodos and other tribal people of the Council would be the worst sufferers. The ABSU said that land rights is a major subject but the Council reserved the rights of sale or purchase of their land in the Council to which they are going against such exploitation. The situation is quite explosive in Dhemaji district following the fresh threat of mass movement and the TMPK’s appeal for cooperation to implement the maximum autonomy concept on the other.