10/10/2005: "Naga leader plays federal card"

Naga leader plays federal card BHARAT BHUSHAN The Telegraph
Bangkok, Oct. 9: On the eve of the next round of talks in the Naga peace process at the Thai capital, Thuingaleng Muivah, general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah), has proposed a bold plan to settle the issue.
It consists of negotiating a close and irreversible “federal relationship” with Delhi, recognising and addressing Indian security concerns and a step-wise and peaceful process for the integration of Naga areas.
All this, according to Muivah, of course hinges on India respecting the ceasefire and giving up its “treacherous” attempts to use the ceasefire extensions, in the hope of “attrition in our ranks” or under the illusion that over time “we would be weakened and worn out”.
He urged the Indian leadership to get on with the business of settling the Naga issue instead.
Describing the decision to seek a close federal relationship with India as “positive and bold”, the Naga leader said: “It has taken a lot of time for us to come to this conclusion. If the Nagas withdraw from this position, then you would once again have a situation that existed 50 years ago. Does India want that? Do Indian leaders not realise how far the Nagas have come today to settle all issues with them?”
“Today we have come up to your drawing room for peace talks. Don’t expect us to sit there forever. If India does not settle with us even now, it would be another failure of statesmanship,” the Naga leader argued.
Elaborating on the proposed federal relationship, Muivah said such an arrangement should guarantee “the distinct political and territorial identity” of the Nagas.
“For this we are prepared to explore an appropriate federal relationship made sacrosanct in an agreement that cannot be changed unilaterally by either side in future,” he said.
He explained that within the federal framework, “we can share the various competencies in such a way that they serve the interest of both New Delhi and the Nagas”. By competencies, Muivah means the subjects of governance that would define the areas of authority of Delhi and the Nagas.
The Naga leader said he “fully appreciated” Indian security concerns. “That is why we are suggesting that in the event of any external threat, the Naga homeland would be defended jointly by the Indian armed forces and the Nagas. As for the Nagas themselves, we would never be a threat to India. So which aspect of Indian security apprehensions have we not addressed?” he asked.
On the question of integration of the Naga-inhabited areas, Muivah’s proposal could eventually lead to a breakthrough.
Describing the desire of the Nagas to live together as both “reasonable and natural”, Muivah suggested a two-stage process for achieving integration.
“First, we want that the legitimacy of this desire should not be denied. Then, we can work together with New Delhi to implement this peacefully and in a time-bound manner. We are open to a dialogue with our neighbours if they also feel that the issue should be settled by trying to understand each other,” he said.
Muivah claimed that this was a “very reasonable” way of settling the Naga issue. He said: “It is the first time in our history that such a reasonable position is being articulated. We want the Indian government and people to understand this. It is simply not possible for the Nagas to go beyond this.”
However, almost as a matter of caution, he concluded by saying: “But do not make the mistake of taking our reasonableness for weakness. That would be a grave error of judgement.”
NSCN-IM denies 'demand letter' to Nagaland Minister New Kerala Kohima: The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) today strongly denied having demanded Rs 10 lakh as ''loan'' or otherwise from Nagaland Urban Development Minister Shurhozelie and two social workers.
In a release here, NSCN-IM deputy home 'kilonser' V Hora said the demand letter, served in the name of NSCN with its letter head, did not belong to the organisation and directed to the 'central administrative officer' of the outfit in the Angami region to apprehend the real culprit immediately. Asserting that the NSCN did not operate in such manner, he said, ''we know who are behind this.'' Meanwhile, police registered a case on the demand letter to Nagaland Minister that was pasted yesterday on the notice board of Khedi Baptist Church and the investigation on the case was continuing. The letter from a group claiming affiliation to NSCN-IM demanded the Minister and two others to provide a 'loan' of Rs ten lakh, promising to return the money within exactly one month. However, the 'request' came not without a warning. ''If you are not willing to do what we have said or try to give any excuse, then your children's lives will be in danger,'' the letter had said.
PLACE OF PEACE The Telegraph
It takes hard work to make peace. Hurdles on the way may be unavoidable, but the important thing is not to let them overtake the larger mission. The peace talks between the Naga rebels and New Delhi have survived several twists and turns. There have been encounters between the two sides and other violations of the ceasefire agreement. But the killing of five Naga rebels in Shillong raises serious questions that both sides must try to answer sincerely. The incident may cast its shadow on another round of peace talks in Bangkok. The two sides could, however, use the opportunity to look deeper at the causes of such flare-ups. That can happen only if both sides come clean on their conduct. Mr Thuingaleng Muivah of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim may justifiably question if the killing was not a case of violation of human rights. There clearly is a case for an impartial investigation into the NSCN’s allegation that the rebels were tortured before being killed. If that were true, then the rebels could not have been shot during an “encounter”, as the Meghalaya police claimed. But, Mr Muivah too has to explain why the rebels were carrying arms or why they sought to escape, as the police said, while challenged.
The real problem seems to lie in the ceasefire agreement itself. It applies only to Nagaland, thereby leaving the two sides free to take different positions in other places. The Meghalaya government was thus technically right in claiming that the ceasefire was not applicable in that state. But then, the larger aim of peace cannot be sacrificed over technical points. True, the extension of the truce to other states in the region, as the NSCN wants, is no simple matter. It has long remained a highly sensitive issue outside Nagaland. An attempt to extend the truce to Manipur some years ago ignited a violent protest there. The Manipuris saw it as a threat to the territorial integrity of their state. On the other hand, the current jurisdiction of the truce keeps the hostilities alive outside Nagaland. A way out of this tangle may not be too difficult to find if the two sides agree on a code of conduct for areas other than Nagaland. But no code or unwritten arrangements will work if the rebels use the peace talks as a cover for other battles. The two sides have substantive issues to resolve; stray skirmishes
Nagaland Governor to visit DK Monday October 10 2005 11:18 IST Newind Press
MANGALORE: Nagaland Governor Shyamala Datta will be on a two-day visit to Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts commencing from Tuesday. The Governor who will be in DK district on Monday will visit popular tourist places in the city including Sultan Battery, Shree Manjunath temple, Ullal Beach and the famed 1,000-pillar temple in Moodbidri.

The Governor will visit Udupi on Wednesday. Besides educational institutions, the Governor will also visit Vijaynath Shenoy’s residence. The Governor will cap her tour with a visit to Udupi temple and will return to Mumbai on the following day.
PREPAK addresses a whole range of issues on its 28th B'day Source: The Sangai Express Imphal, October 09: Greeting the people, invitees, leaders of the Central Committee, Red Army cadres, NCO etc on the occasion of its 28 foundation day today, Vice Chairman of the proscribed PREPAK, N Nongdren-khomba touched on a whole lot of issues, ranging from the unity efforts taken up, the ploy and designs hatched by India, the principles of the outfit, economy of the place and the divisive seeds sown by the Indian Government. A message issued to the press today said that the day started with the VC hoisting the flag of the party at its Council Headquarters which was followed by a solemn function. The main function of the day included helping the disabled, distributing gifts to invitees, lighting torches etc.

Later a serious deliberation was held on how to work out a formula to bring unity within the outfit.
Addressing the people, the VC said that since its inception on October 29, 1977, PREPAK has been working towards an egalitarian society, strengthen society and expressed his sincere gratitude to all those who extended their support to the endeavours of the outfit. On the principles of the outfit, the VC said that PREPAK was formed on the foundation of science and scientific reasoning and added that all its members regardless of their positions are treated according to the Constitution of the outfit. The judiciary ensures that all cadres adhere to the principles of the outfit and it has scope for correction, for clemency and punishment of its cadres and others too. All cases are decided by the People's Court which treats each case with the merit it deserves, said the VC. PREPAK will conduct itself respecting the sentiments of the people. On the division within the outfit, the VC said that though there were some differences of opinion between the two groups earlier but today they have managed to work that out to reach a mutual understanding. Efforts are being made in right earnest to work out to unite the two groups.

Acknowledging the agenda of the enemy to paint the revolutionary organisations as terrorists, the VC appealed to all armed groups not to take up any action that can be termed terrorism, to unitedly work for the victory of the oppressed people, the clear demarcation between the works of revolutionaries and terrorists should not be lost on anyone and to unitedly fight all the black laws and Acts enacted by the imperialist forces to defeat revolutionary movements. Asserting that PREPAK will never trade freedom and sovereignty with anything, the VC said that today there are certain forces which have fallen prey to the designs of the enemy and have started training their guns on the people on some cooked up issues. The Red Army of PREPAK is the people's army and it is there for all section of people. To regain the pre-merger status of Manipur, the Red Army has put ion their best efforts and in the process has also sacrificed for the cause dear to the people. The sacrifices by the cadres during the last 28 years have today brought the movement to its mature stage, said the VC and assured that the movement will not be bartered away at any cost. On the recent hardships the people of Manipur were forced to undergo, the message said that it was a master plan of the Indian Govt and its stooges to launch a psychological warfare on the people.

Today, all the revolutionaries know who the enemy is said the message and added that the struggle has now come to the stage of an open war. To sustain the movement and to ensure that it does not lose its momentum, the co-operation of the public is needed all that more. With the revolutionary movement getting global attention, it is now time to show to the whole world that the underground organisations and the people can work together under one common agenda to achieve the cherished goal, added PREPAK. Unity does not merely imply coming together of armed groups but entails respecting each other, fostering the spirit of fraternity, protecting each others' distinct identity and charting out a common revolutionary road, opined the VC. Unification is one of the most important political agenda of PREPAK. Taking note of the recent visit of the Indian Defence Minister, the Army Chief and GOC-in-C of Eastern Command to Manipur recently wherein they reject- ed any talk of sovereignty, the outfit said that the ceasing of hostilities with some hill based armed groups has given rise to certain questions. Does this mean that India is going to grant them their demands for a separate homeland or greater autonomy within the Indian Constitution or is it just a design to set up a resistance group to fight the revolutionary groups, asked the VC. Such tactics is nothing but sowing seeds of distrust amongst the people. The announcement that territorial army for the States of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Kashmir would be set up is also another agenda of the Indianisation process put forward by the Indian Government, charged the outfit.

Ever since Mizoram gave up the armed struggle and became an obedient State of India, every strategy has been used by the Govt to bait the people of North East with the Mizoram example. This is a manifestation of the policies pursued by the Indian Govt, added the PREPAK leader. Touching on the economic structure of Manipur, the VC said that there is no such thing as the Zamindari system in Manipur. There is no also no culture of landlords sucking the blood of the farmers and in the absence of any industrial units, there is no working class. The economic basis of Manipur is farming and fishing. The also exists a class of daily wage earners who live from hand to mouth. There was a time when the people of Manipur were industrious.

Cot- ton was grown in each household and women were engaged in making clothes. This helped in the economy of the land. There is also a class who are dependent on the salaries from the funds doled out by Delhi. This raises the question of whether such an economic structure will help Manipur to join the race of development. The situation today calls for a deep understanding of the economic condition of the place, said the VC and noted that till today, the Indian Government has not set up any resource building units in Manipur. Instead, India is bent on set- ting up project which can benefit them like the Tipaimukh dam. To better the economy the first step is to put in place the required infrastructure, said the message. The needed infrastructure can come only when Manipur regains her independence. Any infrastructure that will come up under India will be aimed at bettering the lot of the bourgeoisie and therefore instead of focusing on the infrastructure to be put in place by India attention should be laid on economic freedom. India will always make sure that Manipur is not economically independent. On the other hand, India has made sure that the keys to the wealth and resources of the land are placed at the hands of outsiders. To protect these outsiders, the Indian Government has been pumping more and more troops, observed PREPAK.

During the times of the British it was the practice to tax the people and even during times of drought and famine, taxes were collected to feed the British masters, said PREPAK. These policies are all policies of colonial powers, said the outfit and added that India did not think twice about gifting away Kabaw valley to Myanmar. Analysis and discussions based only on bookish knowledge is not the need of the hour. What is needed is an understanding of the ground realities and trying to make the necessary changes so that Manipur can attain economic independence, said the VC. Prudence, thriftiness and inculcating the culture of labour is the need of the hour for an economic infrastructure to take shape. The responsibility lies with all of us, added the outfit. Trying to ape the lifestyle of the rich without any source of income will act as a hindrance to the development of the people and the land and this will also pose a grave threat to the revolutionary movement, observed the VC. A good number of people too have fallen prey to the designs of India and those who depend for their livelihood on India are beginning to openly criticise the revolutionary outfits, said PREPAK. Instead of this the time has come for to cultivate the culture of hard and sincere labour. The VC also urged the people to extend their co-operation for all time to come as well as to offer constructive advises and criticisms.
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AR clashes with militants, claims contradict Newmai News Network October 9 Imphal: The Assam Rifles and militants had a fierce gun battle at Zoupi area of Chandel district since last night and continued till this morning. The exact casualty could not be known immediately. The Assam Rifles and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) made contradictory claims. The Assam Rifles said its troops launched an operation on a tip-off that some militants were present at Zoupi area, which is near the Indo-Myanmar border. The troops exchanged fire with the militants and in the clash one UNLF militant was killed. The Assam Rifles, however, said the dead body is yet to be recovered. Reliable information also said that one UNLF cadre was killed. There was no casualty on the army side. On the other hand a spokesman of the UNLF said that its gunmen attacked an Assam Rifles post at about 5 km from Zoupi. In the attack four Assam Rifles personnel were killed. The spokesman admitted that one UNLF cadre was injured in the leg.
In another clash Assam Rifles troops shot dead three PLA cadres in Kamjong sub-division of Ukhrul district yesterday. The Assam Rifles recovered two AK 47 rifles, one M 16 rifle and a large number of ammunition. Meanwhile, Peoples Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) today celebrated its 28th Raising Day. To mark the occasion the party distributed sweets and exercise books to children homes (orphans). Blankets and sports items were also distributed to villagers.
Eco-Tourism, the new mantra for North East The Morung Express
GUWAHATI, OCT 9 (ANI): With peace returning to the north-east, tourists have gradually started visiting the popular tourists spots in the region, and to promote tourism in these seven states, Assam recently organized the first ever tourism and travel expo. The fair held with the idea to highlight the immense tourist potential of the northeast -especially the region’s unexploited culture and history, saw participation from all the seven states as well as from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bhutan. "There is a great potential here and there are number of facilities here too. These type of exhibitions provide a bigger market and help them in a big way," said Subramanium, a sales representative from Tamil Nadu. Seen as a perfect platform for giving a boost to the tourism sector, the fair witnessed a massive display of the unique customs and traditions of the tribals of the region. The exhibits included the region’s fabric, its art as well as craft. Each stall had a distinct identity of its own. For the participants from the northeast, it was an opportunity they had long been waiting for. It provided them a platform, and complemented their endeavours to promote what they have to offer to the outside world. "People are more frustrated in the urban areas. They go to relax in the jungle and tourist spots. They need a different kind of experience and exposure," said Nakul Marsa, a Bamboo architect from Tripura.
A seminar titled Perspective Tourism Vision plan for North East 2020, complemented the expo. The key issue for discussions was eco-tourism for the North East. With 166 tribes, each with its own language and distinct identity and customs, the prospects of eco-tourism are immense. "Tourism will grow as an industry in the North east. We are very optimistic and positive about this. This change has come about even in the government in the northeast. Recently the Governor of Assam, announced that all the eight North-eastern states will join hands along with the private tour operators, airlines and hotels to promote north-east as one destination," said Ashis Phookan, Managing director, Jungle Travel. Promotion of travel and tourism is important to improve business opportunities and it is a sure certain way to boost the economy of the once trouble torn region and enable it to emerge as a tourist hot spot.
Education as Development Akum Longchari The Morung Express
Development and Education are about liberating people from all that holds them back from a full human life. Therefore ultimately development and education are about transformation, a process that involves spiritual and political growth. The role of the educator therefore is to present to the people in challenging form the issues they themselves raised in a confused form. Revitalizing sustainable democracy and economies means rethinking education. Education is a critical aspect in any Developmental policy, which must focus on people and communities. Today modern education is training children all over the world for the centralized global economy with essentially the same curriculum in every environment no matter what the cultural tradition, resource or aspiration. The absence of in-depth and critical learning as to how and why certain ‘truths are truths at all,’ and the lack of connection between mind, heart and hand are all increasing. The end result has been catastrophic; it has led to disorder, confusion and dysfunctional minds.
As Schumacher adds, the problems of education are merely reflections of the deeper problems of our time. They are problems that will and cannot be solved by organizations, administration or money because the problem of education is a metaphysical disease and the cure therefore must be metaphysical. He continues, education which fails to clarify our central convictions, is mere training or indulgence. Hence, as long as the present anti-metaphysical temper persists, the disorder will grow worse. Education, far from being human’s greatest resource, will then be an agent of destruction. Catherine Sneed says that our society and educational system teaches us that solution lies in progress, better and faster technology and more machines. Invariably, on failure, blame is on these machine and technology. But the crisis in not what is wrong with machines but what is wrong with us? The question therefore is how do educational institutes liberate themselves from powers that be and to rehumanize itself. Amilcar Cabra states, "Self criticism is an act of frankness, courage, comradeship and awareness of our responsibilities, a proof of our will to accomplish and to accomplish properly. To criticize oneself is to reconstruct oneself within oneself in order to serve better." Education for its fullest development must be a political act. Transformation is not a process where one person can do the transformation for somebody else. It is a spiritual journey that involves the personal and the collective characters of the human spirit with a continuous process of ‘reflection and action.’ Development must begin with developing people’s minds and capacities. It is not first in the teaching of how to make or build knowledge around simple facts, but in how to live. Humanity and wisdom must be at the core of the process.
UNLF claims killing six AR men The Imphal Free Press
IMPHAL, Oct 9: At least four personnel of the 10th Assam Rifles were feared killed and some others injured in an attack by suspected cadres of the UNLF at Zuopi village under the Chakpikarong police station in the wee hours of today morning, according to a report. Claiming that the attack was conducted by the cadres of the MPA, a statement dispatched to the media by the senior publicity officer of the outfit stated that in the attack six security men were killed and four others sustained injuries. It also said that one cadre of the outfit sustained injuries in the retaliation action of the security forces. In the meantime, the PIB defence wing when contacted said that they had no such information and the report could not be confirmed from the PRO Assam Rifles either as he was out of station, according to his office staff.

A press handout by the senior publicity officer of the UNLF further stated that in a series of offensives carried out by its armed wing MPA against the Indian Army in the remote and interior areas of the state during the past few days MPA had killed at least 12 Army jawans besides inflicting injuries on nine others.
The senior publicity officer of the outfit, Ksh Yoiheiba stated that well armed cadres of the MPA launched an attack upon an Indian Army post located between Joupi and Tengnoupal in Chandel district late last night. The UNLF further claimed that at least six Army personnel were killed in the attack while four others sustained injuries. One cadre of the MPA sustained injury in the firefight, the statement said.

Claiming responsibility for the killing of two non-locals at Chavangphai village located near the border town of Moreh, the UNLF statement said the duo were members of military intelligence of the Indian Army and were killed for spying. The outfit also claimed to have carried out another attack upon an Indian Army post at Aigyajang in interiors of Chandel district on October 6. The attack was carried out by well equipped MPA cadres and in the attack, two rocket shells and 20 lethode grenades were fired towards the Indian Army post. It further claimed that at least four Army Jawans were killed in the attack besides inflicting injuries to three others. A major portion of the Army post had been destroyed in the attack, it said adding two more Army personnel including one havildar were injured in another attack carried out by MPA on September 27 in an area under Henglep subdivision in Chruchandpur district. It went on to claim that the Indian Army had suffered innumerable losses of its jawans in a series of attacks launched by the MPA fighters in remote and interior areas. However, the Indian Army had been concealing the losses its suffered time and again.
Army out in Assam to quell ethnic violence By Indo Asian News Service
Guwahati, Oct 10 (IANS) At least nine villagers were killed and up to 300 houses set ablaze by tribal militants in Karbi Anglong district of Assam even as troops were called in to quell the ethnic violence in the troubled district, police said Monday. Heavily armed militants belonging to the outlawed Dima Halom Daoga (DHD) hacked to death nine villagers of the majority Karbi tribe late Sunday in two separate incidents in the district, 290 km east of the here, a police spokesman said.
'Six Karbis were massacred in one village and three more in an adjoining area with DHD rebels slitting their throats and killing them brutally,' Karbi Anglong district magistrate D.D. Triptahi told IANS on telephone from the district headquarters of Diphu. 'We are getting fresh reports of violence with several houses burnt down Monday morning as well,' he said. The army was called in Monday to quell the violence that has claimed 26 lives in the past one week in the district. 'Soldiers are patrolling the violence-hit areas and staging flag march to restore order. The situation is tense,' district police chief Pankaj Mahanta said by telephone. At least 250 houses belonging to Karbis in six villages were torched Sunday, forcing thousands of villagers to flee. In retaliatory attacks, some 50 houses belonging to the Dimasas were burnt down by angry Karbi tribesmen. 'We have set up at least a dozen makeshift shelters and relief camps to lodge an estimated 5,000 villagers who had fled their homes,' the district magistrate said. 'We believe this is a wilful design by the DHD to instigate violence to give it a communal colour,' he said. The DHD is a rebel group fighting for an independent homeland for the Dimasa tribe in eastern Assam. The Karbi and the Dimasa tribes have been engaged in a bitter turf war for many years with both the ethnic groups fighting for territorial supremacy. In a separate incident, four troopers of the Assam Rifles were killed by heavily armed militants in an ambush in the adjoining Manipur state. The ambush was carried out in eastern Chandel district Sunday by militants belonging to the outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF). 'The soldiers were returning from a routine patrol when UNLF rebels attacked them with automatic weapons killing four on the spot,' a police spokesman said here.
Tribals clash in India's restive northeast Reuters
GUWAHATI, India (Reuters) - At least eight tribal villagers were killed in clashes with rival tribesmen in India's troubled northeast, a senior police official said on Sunday. The villagers belonging to the Karbi tribe, including two women and a 2-year-old child, were attacked by armed Dimasa tribespeople on Saturday. They also razed about 80 houses, most of them bamboo and straw structures, officials said.
The incident took place at the tribal-dominated Karbi Anglong district in the tea and oil-rich northeastern state of Assam. In retaliation, the Karbis torched more than 50 huts of the Dimasas and kidnapped five of them, police said on Sunday. "Both the tribes have been fighting against each other for the past few years over the control of land, blaming each other for illegally occupying their territories," Pankaj Sarma, police superintendent in Diphu, the district headquarters, told Reuters. Soldiers shot dead five separatist guerrillas in different parts of the revolt-racked region, seizing ammunition and automatic weapons, a military spokesman said. India's remote northeast made of seven states, home to more than 200 tribes and ethnic groups and circled by China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, has been racked by separatist and tribal insurgencies for the past more than 50 years.

Six more killed in Karbi Anglong violence From Our Correspondent Assam Tribune
DONGKAMOKAM, Oct 9 – In continued blood-letting six more persons were killed and hundreds of houses were torched last night under Diphu and Bokajan police stations. High tension gripped the entire district today following the fresh round of violence. The slain persons have been identified as Longki Phangeto (60), Sir Phangeto of Bura Phangeto gaon under Diphu PS and Ram Prasad Sharma (50) of Dillai Das Mile under Bokajan PS while three other deceased of Langcholiate area, about 30 kms from Diphu are yet to be identified.

The affected villages under Diphu police stations in which hundreds of houses were torched last night and today are Monsing Ingti gaon, Bura Terang gaon, Kangthar Kro gaon, Norik Teron gaon, Diliram Terang gaon and Longso. According to eye witnesses, the miscreants came to the villages with sophisticated arms and sharp weapons and fired indiscriminately following which the villagers fled to safer places. The miscreants later set the houses afire. NN Goswami, additional superintendent of police, talking to the media at Langcholiate railway station, about 20 km from Diphu, said that it was not a case of ethnic clash betwen the Karbi and Dimasas, but it was the result of a clash of interests between the UPDS and DHD militant outfits, which had led to killing of innocent people while rendering many others homeless.

PTI adds : High tension prevailed in the area and the Army was called in. Additional security reinforcements from Guwahati have been deployed in the area. Troops of 174 Field Regiment were patrolling in the affected areas. The district administration has set up a relief camp near Langsliot railway station where 300 people have taken shelter. Senior police officials and local political leaders are camping in the area to defuse the situation, sources said.

Our Staff Reporter adds : The ongoing violence in Karbi Anglong between the Karbis and the Dimasas has led to fervent appeals from several organisations calling for peace in the hill district. The Greater Guwahati Karbi Students’ Association (GGKSA), while condemning the ethnic clashes, has appealed to all concerned organisations to come forward and settle the ongoing dispute. It accused the district administration and the police for failing to protect the victims of the violence and control the situation before it worsened. It demanded that Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil should visit the affected area. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while appealing for peace, accused the ruling Congress of inaction during the conflict. It said that despite signs of growing tension, the government did not take any preventive measures to ensure that law and order is not disturbed. The party appealed to all people and organisations in the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts to maintain communal harmony and peace. It also urged the State Government to provide relief to the affected persons. All Dimasa Students Union (ADSU), NC Hills District Committee has strongly condemned the violence between Dimasas and Karbis. A press release by ADSU president Mahendra Kemprai appealed for peace by all concerned.

Gogoi ready to take part in ULFA talks Assam Tribune
NEW DELHI, Oct 5 – Welcoming the proposed peace talks between an ULFA-appointed People's Consultative Group and the Centre, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said he was ready to participate in the parleys if need be, reports PTI. “If they (ULFA) want my involvement, I will definitely participate in the talks,” he said and termed the Centre’s offer of negotiating with the proscribed militant outfit as an ‘important step’ towards bringing peace in the state. The Centre on October 4 decided to hold talks with the PCG on October 25 and 26 after a meeting between Jnanpith winning Assamese writer Indira Goswami, mediating between the Centre and ULFA, and National Security Advisor MK Narayanan.

Goswami had also requested Narayanan to include Gogoi in the talks, and according to her, the Centre had agreed to involve the Chief Minister. Gogoi told PTI today, “we all look forward to bringing peace to Assam and I will extend all kinds of cooperation to the peace initiative.” Asked about the reported dissidence against him as well as the formation of a political party by some minorities in the state, the Chief Minister said there was no threat to his leadership and the BJP was behind the floating of the political outfit.

“It was the strategy of the BJP and they are behind it. They are encouraging the minorities to form the political party” he alleged and claimed that the minorities’ support was with the Congress. Gogoi said non-Congress minorities had formed the political front and said the new front would not have any impact in the Assembly elections. Asked about the report of the task force formed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year to recommend a long-term solution to the flood problem of the State, Gogoi said according to its recommendation, the Brahmaputra board had been revamped.
He said the Planning Commission was examining the recommendations of the task force.
8 Karbis hacked to death in continuing ethnic violence Sangai Express
Diphu (Assam), Oct 9 : In continued bloodletting, eight Karbis were hacked to death and 150 houses set ablaze today with the Army being called in to maintain law and order in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.
The death toll in the ongoing violence has risen to 14 since yesterday.
Armed with sophisticated weapons and wearing army fatigues, youths suspected to be of the Dimasa tribe raided 12 villages in the forested area of Langsoliet under Diphu police station killing eight persons and torching more than 150 houses, police said here. High tension prevailed in the area and the Army was called in. Additional security reinforcements from Guwahati have been deployed in the area. Troops of 174 Field Regiment was patrolling in the affected areas.
The district administration has set up a relief camp near Langsliot Railway station where 300 people have taken shelter. Senior police officials and local political leaders are camping in the area to defuse the situation, sources said. Six persons, including a three-year old girl, were killed and over hundred houses of both Karbis and rival Dimasa tribes burnt down yesterday.
Karbi Anglong has been rocked by ethnic violence recently with seven Karbis hacked to death by unidentified people earlier in the week. PTI

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10/10/2005: "Naga leader plays federal card"