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10/19/2005: "Union Minister asks for patience on peace talks"

Union Minister asks for patience on peace talks Kuknalim.com
DIMAPUR, Oct. 18: Pointing out complexity of the decades-old vexed Naga political problem, Union minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes said “everything is not possible in one go; we have to move step by step”

The minister who arrived today in Dimapur made the comments in an informal interaction with some journalists.

To a query, Fernandes said there could be an interim solution.

“If it is agreed upon (by the parties concerned) interim solution could be thought of”.

The Minister down played demand for maintaining transparency in the ongoing peace talks stating “it’s the final result that matters and not transparency”.

He said it was not viable to update people on the outcome of each and every meeting between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) leadership.

Further, the Minister denied receipt of any threat from the NSCN (IM) about unilateral abrogation of the ceasefire and said the truce could be extended after expiry of the current term.

On the recently-held Bangkok meeting, he said the meeting was “fruitful” and “straight forward” where various issues were discussed in free and frank manner.

“There was a feeling that we should meet more and more as far as possible,” he added.

To another query with regard to Naga integration, he said that the Government of India may hold a central level meeting to discuss modalities about NSCN (IM)’s demand for integration of contiguous Naga inhabited areas.

The Minister also said that it depends on the outcome of the central level meeting and the states that are likely to be affected would be invited to another meeting with central leaders to discuss the contentious issue further.

It may be mentioned that following upgradation of the peace talks from bureaucratic level to political level Oscar is leading the Ministerial delegation that has already held a series of talks with the NSCN (IM).

The Union Minister later left for Kohima where he was scheduled to hold a meeting with CM Neiphiu Rio in the evening. (NNN)

Talks with NSCN-IM fruitful: Oscar Webindia

Kohima Union Minister for Programme Implementation and AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes today described the talks held recently between the Centre and the NSCN-IM in Bangkok as fruitful.
Talking to newspersons after a meeting of Congress workers here this morning, Mr Fernandes said talks with the NSCN-IM in Bangkok had started in a very cordial atmosphere and hoped that some breakthrough would be made as both the parties have agreed to continue the peace process. He said talks should continue in the near future to break the deadlock. He opined that a solution to the Naga political problem was possible and stressed on frequent talks between both the parties.
He said the NSCN-IM had put out two points--autonomy and integration of Naga areas-- over which discussions were held. They also put forward some proposals for the Union government, he said.
Mr Fernandes arrived here last evening and held talks with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and discussed the issue of HIV/AIDS in the state. He left today for Dimapur on his way to New Delhi. UNI AS KK AK DS1330
Govt should show more decisiveness: Naga Hoho NEW DELHI, OCT 19 (PTI) Outlook
Suggesting a time frame for resolving the Naga problem, an apex body of all Naga tribes today warned that there was a danger of talks between the Centre and NSCN(IM) collapsing if they continued endlessly. "I am optimistic about the talks, but equally concerned that it should not go on and on. It is bound to collapse if we fail to arrive at a decision within a specific time frame," Vice President of Naga Hoho Keviletuo Kiewhuo told PTI here.
"Government should not insist on a solution under the Constitution. This may be the last and final opportunity to find an amicable solution," he said. Maintaining that any solution to the problem should be a "durable and permanent" one, he said, "I don't think any military expedition is going to defeat the spirit of the Nagas and Government of India should now show more decisiveness in bringing peace." The Naga Hoho leader expressed optimism about the ongoing talks between the Centre and the dominant Naga insurgent group and said while the Government should not insist on a "resolution under the Constitution" as it might jeopardise the peace initiative, the Naga outfit should also "not go beyond the aspirations" of the people they represent.
He observed that improvement in bilateral relations with China and Myanmar have given India a "dramatic advantage" in its peace parleys with NSCN(IM). The Naga leader, who was present in Bangkok during the latest round of political talks between Union Minister Oscar Fernandes and NSCN(IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah from October nine to October 11, said progress had been made on several points and "positive indications have emerged".
Centre to consult with other states to resolve Naga issue KOHIMA, OCT 19 (PTI) Outlook The Government today said it would take the views of all the states which would be affected if the demand for integration of Naga inhabited areas of the North Eastern region was fulfilled. The government is in favour of broader consultation on the Naga demand towards finding a lasting solution to vexed political problem and that is why the opinions of the states would be taken, Union Minister of State for Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes told reporters at Dimapur. A dialogue process was being conceived at the central level in this direction, he said. Fernandes, the leader of three-member Group of Ministers (GoM) formed by the Centre to carry forward political dialogues with the NSCN (I-M), said the Naga peace process was progressing well and the last round of Bangkok talks was 'fruitful'. However, he admitted that the Naga issue was a complex one and the Centre found it difficult to resolve at one go.
"Considering the complexity of the decades-old political problem, everything is not possible at one go. We have to move step by step," Fernandes, who arrived here yesterday, said. Expressing concern over the increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS in north eastern states, the Minister informed that a meeting of all legislators of eight states of the region would be held in November at Guwahati to chalk out a strategy to tackle the menace. The Minister, who yesterday called on Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, today addressed a Congress meeting at the NPCC Bhavan here.
Hurdles to solution to Naga problem still exit SANAT MUKHERJEE, KOLKATA The Independent Oct. 14 – A hesitant acknowledgement by New Delhi that "some headway" achieved at Bangkok peace talks on Nagaland with Isak Chishi Swu-Thuingaleng Muivah-led NSCN –IM, the most important Naga insurgent outfit in Nagaland was good news for the involved parties. The comment given to a news agency by the Indian interlocutor to Naga peace parleys denoted how complicated was the scenario even after numerous confabulations since 1950 between two main players – New Delhi and Naga insurgents. The government interlocutor the programme implementation and statistics minister Oscar Fernandes simply said, "Some headway is there, I cannot give details". The terse government acknowledgement said that the 3-day crucial peace talks, which ended October 11, with major Naga insurgent outfit – NSCN (IM) – in Thailand capital, was welcome departure from earlier ones since both sides agreed to hold further parleys in the second half of the November.
It was learnt that two sides agreed to approach the Nagaland peace process issue "step-by-step" instead of tackling the vexed problem at a one go. Simultaneously, two sides would try to crack number of existing contentious issues. The most intractable issue, as known to every Nagaland observers, was the insistent demand of the Naga insurgents’ on inclusion of all Naga-speaking zones in the region to be included to Greater Nagaland. As appeared this point was the stumbling block for solution to Naga problem. The people of the adjoining areas were vehemently opposed to this demand. The governments of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam already made known their views to New Delhi on this issue. In Manipur, the situation degenerated into open conflicts between Manipuris and Naga people, mainly living in hilly tracts. Without delving into vexatious issues, the leader of Naga delegation to Bangkok talks, the general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Nagaland), T. Muivah told media in Bangkok, "Suffice it to say for now that we want an extremely close relationship with India. It is for India to decide for itself what that relationship means".
However, the Indian negotiators insisted for clarification about what they meant by "Independence", "Sovereignty" and "Freedom". They felt that unless this point was cleared, the peace dialogue would not attain the desired goal. The Naga team was reportedly told that of their 31-point proposal for settling Naga problems, only five were debatable. It would be worth quoting here the five tricky issues, acting as impediments to five-decade old Naga imbroglio. These are – a common citizenship, joint defence of Naga territory, a separate state flag and control over natural resources. Interestingly, the Indian interlocutors sought clear clarification from Naga representatives what they would do in the case of their demand about sovereign status, if New Delhi "resolve them in the best interest of the Nagas"? Muivah told newspersons that the Indian delegation seeking clarification about the Nagas position in respect of "sovereignty" might construe India contradicting Naga history of independence and self-governance. And "That would be insulting and would upset our people". Suffice it to say for now that we want an extremely close relationship with India. It is for India to decide for itself what that relationship means", he added. The Naga observers insist that one should not expect a final solution via some parleys either in India or abroad. "What the next stage of the Naga peace process needs most is not fresh ideas but active efforts to link what happens behind closed doors with dialogue outside". The Naga leadership and the Indian government must now pool together enough political will to draw a viable blueprint and appropriate roadmap to achieve a prosperous Nagaland.
Finding the centre in Nagaland YOGINDER K. ALAGH Wednesday, October 19, 2005 Indian Express
A few kilometers away from Kohima, on the Hill Road to Mukokchung, is the village of Merema. After the rains the hills have an ethereal quality to them. Nagaland is, of course, very beautiful in every sense of the term. The idea of a plains-man going to a Naga village is not exactly encouraged by the Sahebs, but I would recommend it. Apart from the abundant natural beauty, the Nagas are very deeply rooted in their culture, which in spite of their deservedly energetic, even aggressive image, is actually highly structured and civilised. In the early ’80s I had gone to an Ao village with my friend Mirachiba. This time it was further up and it was an Angami village. The village has around 150 households and it is difficult to give its exact geographical area in physical units. It has given 200 acres for the Kohima campus of Nagaland University. These acres are actually a hill. In the setting sun, which happens early in the Northeast since for some unknown reasons we still have not shifted to time zones in our large country, the hill is breathtakingly lovely.
All that I could say was that we should level as little land as possible, let the landscapers use the natural contours and, for heavens sake, cut as few trees as possible. Also, build the architecture as close as possible to Naga styles as in the master plan of the Lumami campus and we would, I genuinely believe, build one of the more beautiful campuses in the world. I said so and the Morung Post from Dimapur quoted me as talking of the prettiest campus in the world. I hope we will build up Nagaland areas for tourism and the hospitality industry could build its training and planning infrastructure at Merema. To get back to the village, Thiejo Vienhuo, registrar of the university, a former JNU-ite, is connected with the village; he acts as my pointsman and translator. The leaders of the village are respected men — Khirchie, the village council chief and Snokichie, the head of the GB. I really don’t know what’s happening in all of Nagaland and statistics for the state leave much to be desired, but this village is not as prosperous as the one I went to in the ’80s and I only hope wistfully that this is an outlier, not the trend.
They grow paddy, the japonica variety which is coagulated, and by now the Kmenyu bread has arrived with hot tea. It is fried, like a poori, but is made from the local rice and very tasty. There is also a snack made from rice, like a cereal. Of course, they grow the spices and the vegetables which make Naga broths what they are. Very spicy, boiled and very nourishing and tasty. In the Northeast I would any day prefer the ethnic food to the North Indian varieties offered as hospitality. In Kohima’s best hotel, ethnic dishes are tucked away in the last page of the menu. They are rice and different kinds of meats and fish boiled with lots of greens and vegetables and the heavenly spices. I bring them back with me to rural Ahmedabad, and the house hasn’t smelt the same since.
The area is very rich. Nature has showered its gifts in plenty. The Naga king spice is to be touched and tasted to get a sense of its power. I think of Kunming only around 45 minutes from here by plane and the rocketing demand of red chillies in western Chinese food. They are getting vegetarian with a vengeance since the revival of Buddhism and the demands for spices are infinite. I talk of the wonder plant, Stevia. Now that the carcinogenic aspect of saccharine and asarpartame is conclusive, the world is switching to Stevia, originally from the Amazon jungle — a vegetable product which is a sweetener, but good for your BP with no calories for the diabetic. Well, it grows wild here. In other parts of India it fetches upto a lakh of rupees a hectare for factories which package and market the sugar substitute. The biotechnologists and genetics people at the Agriculture Campus at Medzephema talk of documenting the wealth, but even with their enthusiasm, given the neglect of research, it seems a long haul. I make a note to lobby with my friends at the ICAR. Meanwhile in Merema, we talk of exotic vegetables and spices and they tell me they grow a gourd which is like an eggplant. I am puzzled and Neiffii-O, the vice chairperson of the Women’s Khel, runs out and brings in a vegetable which looks like an eggplant and is a gourd in taste. Suddenly, it hits me. This is used aplenty in Thai red curry. Believe me, in decades to come, if all goes well, this region will be the strong arm of the sub-continent as it looks East. Is it providence, but as I wing back to Kolkata, the Nagaland Post on Sunday carries a story on Stevia.

NE under quake Zone-V, Nagaland working on it Kohima October 18, 2005 Webindia
The state governments of the North-Eastern states face a gigantic task of making people aware that they fall in the vulnerable quake prone Zone-V, though Nagaland has already started working on it. This was disclosed by Kewachu Semy, joint director of Administrative Training Institute (ATI) in a disaster management programme held here recently.
He said Nagaland, alongwith the other NE states, was not safe from natural calamities, such as landslides, flood and earthquake. He said, ''We cannot remain susceptible to impending dangers and need to percolate information to all government set-up, institutions, NGOs and civil societies.'' ''Whenever disaster strike, devastation of high magnitude occur and people are greatly inflicted,'' he said. He also informed that in order to deal with natural disasters, the Home department has taken several initiatives.
A Disaster Management Authority, with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio as Chairman, is in place and so is a state steering committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary with other departmental heads as its members. He further said that for quick dissemination of information, control rooms have been set up in the state capital and all the district headquarters, while disaster management framework had been adopted assigning responsibilities to various stakeholders. MORE UNI AS BA AK HS0933
Former Nagaland CM dead Kohima | October 19, 2005 Webindia
Former Nagaland Chief Minister John Bosco Jasokie died this morning at his residence here following prolonged illness. He is survived by wife, two sons and three daughters. Born in 1925, Mr Jasokie started his education in government high school,Kohima and then in St. Edmund's college and St. Anthony's college at Shillong. He served as the guide and scout for the allied forces during World War II and took part in the famous Kohima war in 1955. A keen sportsman, he joined the Naga independent movement in 1953. He worked as the publicity secretary and acting general secretary of the Naga National Council (NNC). He was the organizer of the Naga Peoples' Convention(NPC) and served as its general secretary. The Naga hills district of Assam and Tuensang in Nagaland were under the then north east frontier agency (NEFA-now Arunachal Pradesh) and NPC was the main architect for the formation of present state of Nagaland following discussions with Jawaharlal Nehru.
Mr Jasokie was elected as the member of the then interim body which was constituted to rule the state after getting statehood in February 1961 and appointed the executive councillor in-charge of forest and industries.
He was elected to the Nagaland assembly from Kohima town in 1964 and was Forest Minister from 1964 to 1969. He was re-elected from the constituency till 1974 and later become the leader of the opposition. UNI AS PL VA ND1506
Rule of law fundamental to democracy: Apang
Itanagar | October 19, 2005 2:42:11 PM IST New Kerala

Law and order is fundamental to the existence of a functioning democracy and a civilized society, Arunachal Chief Minister Gegong Apang said. Addressing the inaugural session of the inter-state security meeting at police headquarters here yesterday, Mr Apang said that the rule of law is the foundation of modern economy. ''As the instrument for maintaining the rule of law, an efficient, effective and accountable police administration is one of the most essential institutions of the state'', he said.
The police must have confidence in their professionalism, honesty, integrity and efficiency. The police and security forces must be viewed as friends of the ordinary people, honest citizens, while they instill a sense of fear in the minds of lawbreakers and enemies of the state, the chief minister emphasised. ''Today our focus should be on the grave threat posed by terrorism, which now poses a threat to all civilized societies. It poses a challenge to the democratic societies too. For this, you have to make yourself professionally, intellectually and technologically well-equipped to deal with this new challenge to our internal security,'' he said, urging officers to meet the challenges head on. Stressing on improvement of the coordination apparatus in dealing with security matters, Mr Apang called for involving civil administration in any operation to avoid unnecessary problems.
Earlier, in his welcome address, state’s Director General of Police (DGP) Amod Kanth informed that the meeting was the fourth in the series conducted for tackling security problems involving officers from other NE states and other forces. Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin, Chief Secretiry Ashok Kumar, DGP from Nagaland, Assam and senior Army officers also addressed the meeting. UNI XC PL VD BS1359
Curfew continues in Assam’s Karbi Anglong District New Kerala
Karbi Anlong (Assam): Curfew continued for the third consecutive day today in Assam’s Karbi Anlong district, which was imposed on Monday after rebels killed 22 Karbi tribals, taking the toll in the last two weeks of ethnic clashes to 70. Tribal militants on Tuesday clashed with Army soldiers and torched scores of houses despite an indefinite curfew and shoot-at-sight orders here.

Meanwhile, the Centre has asked the Assam Government to use police and paramilitary forces in order to curb the violence, which caused devastation in the state. “We have told the Chief Minister, who is the Chairman of the Unified Command, to use these forces, not only use these forces but also take some political steps to see that it does not happen again,” said Home Minister Shivraj Patil. Despite of army and paramilitary forces patrolling the area sources have described the situation as ‘tensed’. The Director General of Police P.V.Sumant has been camping in the district since Monday to keepthe situation under control. The ongoing violence between the Karbi and Dimasa tribes in the district has going on intermittently for the past three weeks. The genesis of the violence can be traced to a grenade explosion on September 24 at village Parokhowa, near the adjoining eastern Assam district town of Nagaon, in which eight persons were injured. It was a random attack near a market, and not directed at a particular community. Two days later, bodies of three Dimasa auto rickshaw drivers were found near the town of Manza in Karbi Anglong district, some 320 kilometres east of Assam’s main city of Guwahati. The revenge killings have been going on since then, and if reports from the remote Assamese district are to be gone by, then, 200 homes of the Karbi people have been set ablaze. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogo visited the violence-torn district last week and squarely blamed the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and the Dima Halim Daogah (DHD), of ‘violating cease-fire ground rules’. On Tuesday, he met their representatives to discuss ways to bring a volatile situation under control. Gogoi warned that the state government would be left with no option but to take stern action against these two groups if they did not call a halt to their militant activities.

The UPDS is a rag-tag rebel group fighting for an independent homeland for the Karbi tribe and the DHD is an outlawed militant outfit waging a bush war for carving out a separate Dimasa land. The two groups are operating ceasefires with New Delhi - the UPDS involved in a truce since 2002 and the DHD entering into a ceasefire a year later in 2003. The cease-fires observed by the two groups have become a complete mockery with militants roaming around with automatic weapons.In a district sandwiched between Meghalaya and Nagaland, Karbis are the dominant tribe and account for about 40 per cent of the total 812,320 population. The Dimasas account for about 15 percent with at least half-a-dozen other ethnic groups like the Kukis, Khasis and the Hmars cohabiting together in Karbi

Anglong alongside a sizeable non-tribal population. There are many reasons for the violence escalating in recent weeks. Murky tribal politics at the local level was one of the plausible causes for tempers running high. Politicians from the ruling Congress party in Assam and the opposition parties like the BJP, the CPI (ML), and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) were in one way or the other responsible for the mayhem by instigating either the UPDS or the DHD to carry out a show of strength. This assumes significance as the state Assembly polls are due early next year and like in any other northeastern states, militants often help win candidates from their respective communities. There are, however, just four Assembly seats in the district and in the past many elections it was always the Karbi candidates that won the polls - many believes the DHD was trying to prepare the ground from now on by trying to make a Dimasa candidate win the elections. The two rebel groups want their areas of influence to be dominated by their own community members as any incentives or concessions granted by the government in the near future could be exclusively shared among the respective communities instead of sharing the dollops with their rival members. This is being seen as another reason for the ethnic violence.
Armed outfits drawn into ethnic flare-up Newmai News Network October 18 DIPHU: The militant outfit United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), presently having a ceasefire with the Centre has declared "war" against the Dimasa Halong Daogah (DHD), a Dimasa militant outfit, following the killing of 33 Karbi people by suspected Dimasa extremists yesterday in the Karbi Anglong district, even as the bodies of 6 Dimasas were recovered this morning from Deramukh near the Karbi Anglong border in the North Cachar district. A seventh dead body, suspected to be that of a third community was also recovered. The army today carried out flag marches in the affected area while security forces had carried out two operations against DHD operatives, said additional superintendent of police, Karbi Anglong, NN Goswami.
With the recovery of the bodies this morning, the toll in the ongoing clashes between the Karbis and Dimasas has risen to over 70. Suspected Dimasa extremists meanwhile torched at least 70 houses belonging to Karbis in the past 24 hours, despite an indefinite curfew being clamped in the area. Well over 10,000 people have been rendered homeless in widespread arson in the district. Close to 27,000 people have been lodged in refugee camps, TK Barman, Additional Deputy Commissioner, said.
Top officials and representatives of leading political parties today rushed to the district to contain the situation. As a first step, the government has replaced the Superintendent of Police of Karbi Anglong and also shifted seven additional deputy commissioners from the neighbouring districts of Kamrup, Golaghat and Nagaon to the affected district to streamline and tighten the administration. Director General of Police PV Sumant has been camping in the area for three days now. Chief Secretary SS Kabilan also visited the district while Governor Ajai Singh was on his way to Karbi Anglong at the time of filing this report this evening.
The DHD on its part has condemned yesterday’s incident while denying any involvement in the killings, and also said that it would not respond to the UPDS’ declaration of an all out confrontation. "We expect the government to protect us," said Dilip Nunisa, President of the DHD.
Claiming that the DHD was behind yesterday’s killings, President of the UPDS, Haren Singh Bey has said that his men would "root out the DHD from both East and West Karbi Anglong". "We have the necessary weapons and the cadres and will shoot any member of the DHD we see in Karbi Anglong," he said. Both the DHD and the Karbi United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) have been on a ceasefire with the Centre.
Blaming the Congress for the ongoing violence in the district, leader of a faction of the Karbi Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC) Holiram Terang said that the situation was a result of the ruling party’s "failure on all fronts". Leader of the opposition and President of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Brindabon Goswami said that the violence was the result of the government’s "conspiracy".
Agro potentiality in Nagaland through Organic Farming Morung Express News October 18
DIMAPUR: A workshop on "Organic Cultivation & Post-Harvest Technology On Major Crops" jointly organized by the Indian Institute of Spice Research (IISR), Calicut, Department Of Horticulture, Nagaland and Spices Board, Dimapur got underway at Tourist Lodge, Dimapur today. Nyeiwang Konyak, Parliamentary Secretary, Horticulture was the chief guest of the workshop and Z.R. Yanthan, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Kohima Nagaland was the chairperson. The workshop began with the introduction of Resource Persons from Indian Institute of Spice Research (IISR), Calicut and District –Wise participants. Z.Z. Sema, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Kohima Nagaland gave the welcome address while vote of thanks was given by Dr.Elithung Lotha, District Horticulture Officer, Dimapur Nagaland.
Addressing the workshop on the topic" Problems and Prospect of Organic Farming," Dr.G.S.Munda, ICAR Barapani Shillong stated that by applying organic farming, North Eastern Region with its favorable climatic condition and with proper selection of crops, would be able to produce and compete in the international market. He pointed out that the lack of awareness, lack of proper marketing channel, lack of processing and value added facilities; low incentives from the government, non-identification of accreditation and certifying agency on regional basis were the major weakness of the people of the North Eastern Region. "North Eastern Region is the home of niche crops like lemon, joha rice, passion fruit" stated Dr. Munda and added that the best quality of ginger and the major share of orange, pineapple and cardamom are grown in this region.
Dr.K.Kandianna, IISR Calicut, gave information on the concepts, principles, and practices of Organic Farming. "The principles of Organic Farming is to sustain and enhance the health of soil, plants, animals and man" said Dr.Kandianna and added that Organic Management must be adapted to local conditions, ecology and culture. Organic farming is gaining popularity and accepted by people all over the world, said Dr.Kandianna.
The topic "Organic Cultivation of Chilies in NE region –practices and trends" was addressed by Dr.D.S.Yadav, ICAR Research Complex for NE Region, Shillong.
"A very small area is cultivated with no fertilizers but the yield of chilies is very high" stated Dr.Yadav and said that it showed the potentiality of the region. He said that Nagaland had tremendous scope in production and export of chili.
The post lunch session was addressed by Dr.R.Dinesh, IISR, Calicut on the topic "Organic Nutrient Management in blackpepper, ginger and turmeric."
While pointing out that 24% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) came from agriculture and allied sector, Dr.Dinesh lamented that agriculture as an activity was threatened by loss in fertility of the soil and had become the major concern of agriculture. "Chemical fertilizers have only selected nutrients and may lead to the deficiency of nutrients in plant and thus should use alternatives like Bio-Fertilizer, Bio-Pesticide, Organic manures etc which contain all nutrients" Dr.Dinesh said.
Curfew continues in Assam's Karbi Anglong District Ani
Karbi Anlong (Assam) Oct 19 (ANI): Curfew continued for the third consecutive day today in Assam's Karbi Anlong district, which was imposed on Monday after rebels killed 22 Karbi tribals, taking the toll in the last two weeks of ethnic clashes to 70. Tribal militants on Tuesday clashed with Army soldiers and torched scores of houses despite an indefinite curfew and shoot-at-sight orders here. Meanwhile, the Centre has asked the Assam Government to use police and paramilitary forces in order to curb the violence, which caused devastation in the state.
"We have told the Chief Minister, who is the Chairman of the Unified Command, to use these forces, not only use these forces but also take some political steps to see that it does not happen again," said Home Minister Shivraj Patil. Despite of army and paramilitary forces patrolling the area sources have described the situation as 'tensed'. The Director General of Police P.V.Sumant has been camping in the district since Monday to keepthe situation under control. The ongoing violence between the Karbi and Dimasa tribes in the district has going on intermittently for the past three weeks. The genesis of the violence can be traced to a grenade explosion on September 24 at village Parokhowa, near the adjoining eastern Assam district town of Nagaon, in which eight persons were injured. It was a random attack near a market, and not directed at a particular community. Two days later, bodies of three Dimasa auto rickshaw drivers were found near the town of Manza in Karbi Anglong district, some 320 kilometres east of Assam's main city of Guwahati.
The revenge killings have been going on since then, and if reports from the remote Assamese district are to be gone by, then, 200 homes of the Karbi people have been set ablaze.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogo visited the violence-torn district last week and squarely blamed the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and the Dima Halim Daogah (DHD), of 'violating cease-fire ground rules'. On Tuesday, he met their representatives to discuss ways to bring a volatile situation under control. Gogoi warned that the state government would be left with no option but to take stern action against these two groups if they did not call a halt to their militant activities.
The UPDS is a rag-tag rebel group fighting for an independent homeland for the Karbi tribe and the DHD is an outlawed militant outfit waging a bush war for carving out a separate Dimasa land. The two groups are operating ceasefires with New Delhi - the UPDS involved in a truce since 2002 and the DHD entering into a ceasefire a year later in 2003.
The cease-fires observed by the two groups have become a complete mockery with militants roaming around with automatic weapons.In a district sandwiched between Meghalaya and Nagaland, Karbis are the dominant tribe and account for about 40 per cent of the total 812,320 population. The Dimasas account for about 15 percent with at least half-a-dozen other ethnic groups like the Kukis, Khasis and the Hmars cohabiting together in Karbi
Anglong alongside a sizeable non-tribal population. There are many reasons for the violence escalating in recent weeks. Murky tribal politics at the local level was one of the plausible causes for tempers running high. Politicians from the ruling Congress party in Assam and the opposition parties like the BJP, the CPI (ML), and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) were in one way or the other responsible for the mayhem by instigating either the UPDS or the DHD to carry out a show of strength. This assumes significance as the state Assembly polls are due early next year and like in any other northeastern states, militants often help win candidates from their respective communities.
There are, however, just four Assembly seats in the district and in the past many elections it was always the Karbi candidates that won the polls - many believes the DHD was trying to prepare the ground from now on by trying to make a Dimasa candidate win the elections.
The two rebel groups want their areas of influence to be dominated by their own community members as any incentives or concessions granted by the government in the near future could be exclusively shared among the respective communities instead of sharing the dollops with their rival members. This is being seen as another reason for the ethnic violence. (ANI)

BJP team visits Karbi Anglong By A Staff Reporter Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, Oct 18 – The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today sent its top leaders to strife-torn Karbi Anglong district to make a first-hand assessment of the situation there where ethnic violence has claimed over 70 lives so far. Led by SS Ahluwalia, MP and the party’s in-charge for Assam, the delegation comprises state party president Indramoni Bora, former Union minister Bijoya Chakraborty, MPs Rajen Gohain and Narayan Chandra Borkatoki and party spokesman Ashokananda Singhal among others. The team left for the hill district by road. During its visit, the BJP team will go to the areas worst affected by the violence. It will meet with the affected people, make an on-the-spot study of the situation and interact the people from all walks of life to defuse the volatile situation and try to restore normalcy, Siddharth Bhattacharjee, convenor of the BJP media cell, informed.
Gogoi meets UPDS leaders for peace solution NET News Network Guwahati, Oct 18: The United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) today demanded immediate shifting of DHD designated camp from Karbi Anglong’s Dhansiri area and arrest of its top leaders for fanning ethnic frenzy in the hill district. The outfit, which is maintaining ceasefire with the government since 2002 felt that cadres from the Dhansiri camp is carrying out subversive activities in the district. Publicity secretary of the outfit, Tung-eh Nongloda informed this to northeasttribune.com after coming out of a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and other senior ministers. In a bid to solve the ongoing ethnic strife in Karbi Anglong, the state chief minister Tarun Gogoi today held meeting with UPDS, which will be followed, by another meeting with DHD before finally meeting Central government representatives on Thursday. “ State government favoured the demand of shifting of designated camp from Dhansiri but said that decision cannot be taken without consulting the central government as Designated camp decision was taken by Joint Monitoring Group (JMG). Chief minister assured us to take up the matter on Thursday’s meeting with central government,” informed Nongloda. On being asked whether UPDS would sit with DHD for a peace outcome, Nongloda stairway refusing the idea said, “ We are not going to sit with DHD under any circumstances as this will amount to encouraging their subversive activities”. Dima Halim Daogah (DHD) is currently observing 'ceasefire' with the government. The outfit has four designated camps in Dhansiri in Karbi Anglong and Doyangmukh, Haflong, Maibong all in North Cachar Hills. Apart from UPDS leaders and members of other Karbi apex bodies, the others who attended today’s high-level meeting in Dispur were state Home Minister Rokybul Hussain, Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarmah, Chief Secretary, Home Commissioner B K Gohain and IGP (Special Branch) Khagen Sarmah.
Assam ethnic violence continues, 7 more bodies recovered NET News Network Guwahati, Oct 18: With no sign of respite, Assam's violence-scarred Karbi Anglong continues to burn with the recovery of another seven Karbi dead bodies and as many as 167 houses burnt in the bitter rivalry between the Karbi and Dimasa tribes. While six bodies have been recovered from Doyangmukh area another one was recovered from Karbi village Tissobasti, under Diphu police station, where unidentified miscreants set ablaze 23 houses last night. In retaliatory attacks in the same police station area, 46 houses belonging to Dimasas at Upper Ikironi and another 30 at Alturambasti were set on fire early this morning. The violence spread to the Baithalangsu police station area where at Jeramukh village 30 houses were set ablaze in addition to 18 houses at Haripur, 17 at Rangjumi and three at Dhelapara -- all belonging to Dimasas. Several Karbi villagers from Sarsim under Kheroni police station were reported to have been taken away by miscreants into deep jungles and their fate was not yet known. Shoot-at-sight orders along with a 24-hour curfew clamped in the strife-torn hill district continued today. Reports of firing for violation of the prohibitory orders by miscreants were also received. No casualty has been recorded so far. Describing the situation as 'tense', the sources said that the army, paramilitary forces and police were patrolling the area. Director General of Police P V Sumant has been camping in the district since yesterday to control the situation.
The Chief Secretary and head of the anti-insurgency organisation, Unified Command Structure, Headquarters, S Kabilan, the Unified Command Structure commander and 4 Corps G-o-C, Lt Gen H S Lidder, also arrived at Diphu to chalk out a strategy to deal with the escalating situation. Thirty four Karbi tribals were massacred yesterday in the worst-ever day-long violence between the two warring tribes, taking the toll to 70 in the fights have been continuing since September 26. Thousands of houses have been burnt and an unaccounted number of livestock has also perished. Meanwhile, an all-party delegation of the state Assembly and a BJP delegation, led by S S Ahluwalia headed for the strife-torn district in its attempt to restore confidence of the people. The last major ethnic flare-up in Karbi Anglong district had erupted in September, 2003 and lasted for three months. At that time the fight was between the Kukis and Karbis who consider the Kukis as a rival immigrant tribal community occupying their land. They had clashed over occupation of the commercially valuable ginger-rich Singhasan hill leading to the killing of over 60 from both sides and torching of over 500 houses then. Meanwhile, Centre has asked the Assam Government to use the police and paramilitary forces and also take some political steps to bring the ethnic violence in Karbi Anglong district, where 34 Karbis were massacred on Monday. "We have told the Chief Minister, who is the Chairman of the Unified Command, to use these forces; not only use these forces but also take some political steps to see that it does not happen (again)" Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters in Bangalore. "Assam has always been very well equipped. There are nearly 75,000 men and officers. We have given full liberty (to the state government) to use these forces", he said. "Army is there, paramilitary forces are there and state police is there".
KARBI HILLS BLEED Sentinel From our Correspondent
Flare-up spreading to fresh areas fast - 29 hacked to death
Gaoburha among 5 charred - 100 villagers held hostage - 24-hr curfew clamped DIPHU, Oct 17: As many as 34 Karbis, including women, were hacked to death by miscreants in two separate incidents in Karbi Anglong district this morning as the communal flare-up between the Karbis and the Dimasas is spreading fast to newer areas necessitating 24-hour curfew in the hill district. Shoot at sight has been ordered in the district. According to sources, in the first incident miscreants stopped two Diphu-bound buses from Zirikinding at Charchim, 20 km from Kheroni police station in the district, dragged as many as 29 passengers out, lined them up, tied their hands from behind and hacked them to death. All the victims are Karbis. As if that was not enough, the miscreants went to two other Karbi Villages, Tussak and Sarsu, nearby and charred five others, including gaoburha John Ingti, besides setting afire over 100 houses. The miscreants also took away 100 others of the two villages to an undisclosed location and held them hostage. Fate of the 100 Karbis is not known. According to the local people, the 100 villagers have already been killed but the police maintains that they have been missing.
The first vehicle was completely gutted while the other was partially damaged. The two long-distance buses belonged to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. The driver of one of the buses managed to escape. The bus passengers reported the incident at the Milu police outpost, Kheroni police station, about 130 km from here. Meanwhile, the SP, along with security forces rushed there and launched a massive combing operation. It may be mentioned here that over two hundred abandoned houses of Karbis were torched yesterday.
Centre moved for more forces: Gogoi Sentinel By a Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Oct 17: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi condemned the killing of 34 people in Karbi Anglong today and said that he had already written to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil for additional forces for the troubled hill district. Talking to The Sentinel Gogoi said that extra frces had already been rushed to the district. Rubbishing allegations of Congress’ involvement in the incidents, he said seven additional deputy commissioners from different districts of the State were deputed to assist the administrative machinery in the district.
Gogoi asked G-O-C of 4 Corps Lt Gen HS Lidder and Chief Secretary to draw a special strategy to combat the orgy of violence in the district. The Chief Minister once again invited the Dimasa militant outfit Dima Halem Daogah (DHD) and the UPDS to come for dialogue with the government to solve their problems. Gogoi further said that an all-party delegation would visit Karbi Anglong shortly to take stock of the situation.
Dimasa Sabha cries for peace Sentinel
KOHIMA, Oct 17 (UNI): In the backdrop of ethnic violence in Karbi-Anglong, the Dimasa Dharma Sabha (DDS) has appealed to the Assam Government to do the needful to bring the situation under control. The DDS had also appealed to the leaders of Hemphu Mukrung, Lahiman Sangh, Skanmintar Karbi Amei (apex body of Karbi community) and the Jadikhe Naiso Hosom (apex body of Dimasa community) to set up a peace committee to bring peace and to facilitate for dialogue between the leaders of both communities. The DDS had also urged the Central government to come to immediate action to bring normalcy in Karbi Anglong. While the Karbi-Anglong was reeling under incidents of ethnic violence, the Karbis and Dimasas of Tumpreng area of the district had been wise enough to display their age-old mutual trust, unity and integrity.
The DDS alleged that some nefarious forces were creating mistrust between Dimasa and Karbis, who had been living together in harmony for centuries. Leaders of both communities constituted a peace committee and organised a peace rally on October 12 at Tumpreng in south Karbi Anglong, where it was resolved that peace would be maintained at any cost.
India, Myanmar to quiz rebels jointly Sentinel
NEW DELHI, Oct 17 (PTI): Giving a boost to mutual ties, India and Myanmar today agreed to hold joint interrogation of persons arrested on drug and arms smuggling and for insurgency-related activities. During the five-day Indo-Myanmar Home Secretary-level talks in Yangon, the Myanmarese side made it clear that "it would not allow negative elements to use its territory for carrying out hostile activities against India." It also agreed to intensify action against arms smugglers and punish them severely if found on Myanmarese soil, a Home Ministry spokesman said. While the Indian delegation was led by Union Home Secretary V K Duggal, the Myanmarese side was headed by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Brig-Gen Phone Swe.
The spokesman said: "In a significant boost to mutual cooperation, both sides agreed to hold joint interrogation of persons arrested for drugs and arms smuggling and for insurgency-related activities." Both sides also agreed to further strengthen cooperation in curbing trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substances, the spokesman said quoting reports reaching here from Yangon. At the start of the talks on October 13, the two sides had decided to cooperate in tackling activities of insurgents and other hostile elements along their borders with Yangon giving the assurance that it would severely punish arms smugglers.
Bodo bodies see hand of third force in KA clashes Correspondent Sentinel
KOKRAJHAR, Oct 17: Frontal Bodo organizations — the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), the ABSU, the ABWWF and the NDFB have appealed to the Karbi and Dimasa communities to restrain themselves from engaging in the ongoing ethnic feud in Karbi Anglong hills district which originated from the killing of three Dimasas on September 26 . The Bodo bodies have urged the two communities to end the clashes and instead uproot the causes behind it. The president of Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) Brajendra Kumar Brahma, in a press release issued here yesterday, termed the incident as most unfortunate. He said that both the Karbis and Dimasas have been living together peacefully since ages, and expressed the hope that they would continue to do so. Brahma suspected role of some third force in the clashes. He appealed to both the communities to maintain peace and amity to revive their age-old brotherhood.
ABSU president Rwngura Narzary said the Bodos too had a bitter experience of ethnic clashes between the Bodos and Santhals in 1996. He urged both communities to refrain from further conflict. The ABSU president also criticized the State Government for failing to provide adequate security to the people and for not controlling the situation. He said that the district administration was just watching helplessly when the need of the hour was efficiency. Rajya Sabha MP U G Brahma, after his visit to the affected areas in Dhansiri, Hafjan, Engleng Serok Community Hall and Dimasa Club termed the conflict between Karbis and Dimasas as most unfortunate. He said that because of security lapses in the affected areas, the arsonists were having a field day and were torching houses at will. He urged the State Government to take immediate measures to stop clashes and restore sanity in the district.
The Karbi Anglong Deputy Commissioner G Tripathy in his meeting with the ABSU, AASAA, Karbi Students’ Association (KSA), both Kramsa and Engleng groups, and Dimasa Students’ Association (DSA) said that the district needed ten more companies of para military forces to control the situation. Tripathy said that 10 companies of CRPF, 3 companies of APBn and 3 columns of Army have been pressed into service to control the situation. San Kramsa, president of KSA, said that a third force was operating behind the scene for political gains. Gobinda Basumatary, secretary general of the NDFB, also appealed to the Karbis and Dimasas to refrain from such senseless killings and to restore peace and harmony in the region respecting each other’s sentiments.