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10/21/2005: "Nagaland pays homage to ex-CM"


Nagaland pays homage to ex-CM
Source: The Sangai Express
Kohima, October 20 (NNN): Braving a steady drizzle, thousands today gathered at the Local Ground here to pay their last respects to former Nagaland Chief Minister John Bosco Jasokie who died Wednesday morning at his D’Block residence here after years of fighting a losing battle against cancer.

The mortal remains of the late leader was laid to rest at his residential compound after being accorded full state honours at the Local Ground.

State Governor Shyamal Datta, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Opposition Leader I Imkong were among many who paid homage to the departed leader.

Paying rich tributes to Jasokie, the Governor described him as an upright leader and one of the most distinguished citizens of Nagaland who set numerous examples for his successors.

Describing his death as an irreparable loss for Nagaland, he conveyed his sympathies to the family of the late leader while also praying for eternal peace of the departed soul.

Also, speaking at the funeral service, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio paid rich tributes to Jasokie, describing him as one of the great sons of Nagaland and one of the most distinguished and prominent figures among the Nagas.

Recalling his illustrious life as a leader of the Nagas the Chief Minister said he had known him as a lovable person with jovial disposition and a good sense of humour which endeared him to both colleagues and his people in the opposite bench.

He was a true cosmopolitan in his outlook.

He was always accessible to all sections and communities, irrespective of their religion and background and was a peace-loving person.

He was also a rare politician without any enemy, the Chief Minister eulogized.

He also recalled him as a multi-faceted personality with varied interests and talents and who excelled in music and sports and a good singer and composer.

Describing late Jasokie as his mentor, the Chief Minister conveyed his indebtedness to him “for what I am today, because it was under his guidance and leadership that I grew up in public and as a politician”.

In his death, we have lost a father figure whom we revered, trusted and looked up to for guidance and advice, the Chief Minister said adding the sense of loss is indeed great and without him the burden on our shoulders become much heavier.

The people of the state have lost not only a popular public figure but a great statesman as well, he said.

On behalf of the Nagaland Government and on his own behalf, he conveyed heartfelt condolences to Mrs Jasokie and other members of the family and prayed for his soul to rest in eternal peace.

Opposition Leader I Imkong also paid rich tributes to the departed leader while Goa Governor SC Jamir’s condolence message was also read out at the funeral service.
NPCC clarifies on Union Ministers visit Oken Jeet Sandham – Asian Tribune
Kohima, 21 October, (NEPS): The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) made it clear that the two-day Nagaland visit by the Union Minister Oscar Fernandes along with his lady wife was a private one and had no connection whatsoever with the ongoing peace process nor were there any State official activities

Clarifying to complaints raised by ruling NPF and BJP parties that the Union Ministers latest visit to Nagaland would send wrong signals to various sections as he did meet the State cabinet and civil societies, the NPCC said the Union Minister, being a CWC Member and also in-charge of North East Congress Committee had come to Nagaland to address the PCC members meet on October 19, 2005 at Congress Bhavan, Kohima.

Expressing surprise on the hue and cry made by the ruling NPF and BJP parties in the State for the Union Minister not meeting the State Cabinet and civil society, the NPCC asserted that Fernandes, being the Union Minister had been accorded as a State guest. At the same time, he being a convener of the Parliamentary Forum for HIV/AIDS also took the opportunity of meeting the State Chief Minister to discuss about the upcoming HIV programs in the State in particular and northeast in general, besides common interests.

Otherwise his two-day visit to Nagaland has no connection at all with the ongoing peace process or any other official activities in the State, although he is the chief negotiator of the Government of India in the ongoing peace process with the NSCN (IM), it stated.

The Union Minister however expressed his happiness on the fruitful dialogues they had in their latest round of political talks with the NSCN (IM) leadership when media persons caught him in the airport and after the PCC meeting in Kohima.

Ridiculing the statements of NPF President Dr Shurhozelie and BJP leader Mozamo Ngullie, the NPCC informed that they should not blame the Union Minister for their failures to meet him as whoever made an effort to contact or meet him during his stay in the State were given the opportunity to meet him.

They should also not be confused on the accord given to the visiting Union Minister as these are the established rules in parliamentary form of Government like ours, the NPCC statement pointed out.

- Asian Tribune –
Congress gets Oscar; NPF, BJP left out‘Peace talks on positive direction’ Morung Express News October 19
KOHIMA/DIMAPUR: Union Minister of State for statistics and programme implementation Oscar Fernandez, who is also the head of the Group of Ministers (GoM) engaged in the Indo Naga-Political talks said that there has been advancement in the peace parleys with the NSCN (IM).
Oscar termed the recent talks in Bangkok as "fruitful," adding some breakthrough has been made in the talks. Preferring to keep mum, he said the NSCN (IM) had put two points for discussion- one is autonomy and other is integration.
Speaking at the PCC members meeting at Congress Bhavan, Kohima, Fernandez who had recently participated in the peace talks in Bangkok, said the NSCN (IM) has also forwarded some more proposals against the proposals of the Government of India, which are being studied by the Government of India, he said.
He also emphasized the need of more and more such meetings to remove the deadlock and make a breakthrough of the Naga political issue.
Later during the day, Fernandes told newsmen at Dimapur that he was unaware of the contents of a booklet which carries an interim plan which could be utilized by the Central Government towards addressing the Indo-Naga problem. On the ‘federal relationship’ proposed by the NSCN (IM), the Congress leader said some issues which are feasible would be accepted straight away while others need time for consultations and deliberations. "The talks are not conclusive," he said. When asked to reveal if Delhi had any plans to involve the NSCN (K) in active dialogue process, he said progress on the talks with the IM group would pave way towards "considering the whole problem."
‘Oscar visit a let-down for Nagas and Peace Talks’ Morung Express News
October 19
DIMAPUR: The visit of Union Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes to Nagaland appears to have created confusion and also criticism from the ruling DAN alliance partners the NPF and BJP with both parties pointing out that the Union Minister’s itinerary had been completely stage-managed by the State Congress Party.
The Nagaland Peoples Front (NPF) taking serious cognizance of Union Minister of State, Oscar Fernandes’ visit to Nagaland yesterday, observed that his earlier visit to Bangkok for political discussions with Naga leaders last week had evoked high expectations that the Union Minister would meet cross sections of the Naga society and discern the minds of the Naga people to solve the long-drawn political problem. However, according to the NPF, the Union Minister did not ‘even bother’ to meet the Governor of Nagaland, the State Cabinet or the NGOs and Church leaders etc. which proved a disappointment likening it to a ‘cold attitude’ which it said was contrary to expectations of the people.
NPF President Dr Shurhozelie, in a press statement in this regard asserted that if the Ministerial Team for the Naga Peace Talks headed by Oscar Fernandes is not sincere and serious towards their respective assigned responsibilities, the Naga peace process would be at stake. Referring to the visit of Fernandes to Nagaland yesterday, the NPF President stated that the itinerary of the Union Minister was planned and worked out entirely by the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee and in it was included an official appointment with the Chief Minister of Nagaland and understood as to have been an event for serious political discussions. "But ironically it was more or less a courtesy call and no official discussions took place" lamented the NPF President.
Meanwhile, the state BJP in a separate statement toed the similar lines of grouse as the NPF’s. The State’s BJP President MC Konyak, and O Wozamo Ngullie, General Secretary, in the statement termed the visit of Fernandes as "totally unbecoming" which had "left behind a scar in the VVIP Officials Tour Records of Nagaland." Citing many an instance of what the BJP implied as being suggestive of cold-shouldering the expectations of the Nagas from the Union minister’s visit, the statement regretted that his failure to honor various important protocols had completely ignored the important and basic responsibilities of the State Government.
Maintaining that Fernandes’ visit had aroused the suspicion of the people as to what the Congress party was devising, the State BJP maintained that the attitude of the Union Minister and the Congress (I) was not positive but an expression of their ignorance of their roles. Adding that the visit was "unfortunate" the statement cautioned that under such leaders the people would be the ultimate losers.
Government declares two days of State mourning Former CM Jasokie expires Morung Express News October 19
KOHIMA: Former Chief Minister J.B Jasokie expired today at his private residence in D. Block Kohima at around 10:40 am after a prolonged illness. Jasokie who was 80 years old leaves behind his wife, 2 sons, 2 daughters and 18 grand children.
The funeral service will take place on October 20 at 1:00 pm in the Kohima Local Ground. According to family source, Nagaland Governor Shyamal Datta, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio would attend the funeral service.
The State government has declared two days of State mourning from today which will continue till tomorrow October 20. The national flag will be flown at half mast as a mark of respect for the departed leader.
The Governor of Nagaland Shyamal Datta while expressing his shock at the demise said that Jasokie was an institute and played a pivotal role in the formation of the state under the Constitution of India when he organized the Nagaland People’s Convention. Datta stated that the State had lost a dedicated political leader, an able Legislator, an experienced administrator, and above all a fine specimen of human being, who had weathered many troubled situations with a great understanding and vision. "He will be remembered forever for the valuable services he rendered to the people of the state", Datta said in his condolence message.
The Governor further conveyed his heartfelt condolence to the family members and prayed to the Almighty God to give them strength to bear the tragic loss

Karbi Anglong conflict is not ethnic in nature:
A “Third Force” involved athili
Civil society needed to intervene
KOHIMA, OCT 20 (EMN)

The Karbi Students Association (KSA) and the All Dimasa Students Union (ADSU) today said there is an urgent need to recognise that common Karbi and Dimasa people were not part of the heinous attacks and that there was a “third force” responsible for the ongoing conflict.
Biren Ingti of the Karbi Students Association (KSA) and Prafulla Hafisa of the All Dimasa Students Union (ADSU) said this during a citizen’s meet held at the B.P. Baruah Sadan in Guwahati to discuss the ongoing violence in Karbi Anglong.
“The conflict in Karbi Anglong is not ethnic in nature,” stated one resolution adopted and maintained that the Karbi armed opposition group - United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and Dimasa armed opposition group, Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) - were not responsible for starting the conflict.
The Peoples Committee for Peace Initiative in Assam today concluded that this conflict was not a struggle between common Karbi and Dimasa people and had all the hallmarks of a state-induced conflict.
The house therefore called upon both armed organisations to urgently sit and have a dialogue so that they can take measures to contain the conflict and reassure the Karbi and Dimasa people that they will work together.
It urged Karbi and Dimasa civil society organisations to work together.
In a significant move representatives of Karbi and Dimasa students’ organisations resolved to jointly work together and the Peoples Committee would take out a large solidarity meeting, fact-finding and relief operations in the affected areas.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chattra Parishad (AJYCP), Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS), Mishing Memang Kebang (MMK), Asom Sahitya Sabha, Boro Women’s Justice Forum (BWJF), All Manipur United Clubs Organisation (AMUCO), North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR), besides representatives of civil society organisations from all over the region, particularly from Assam.
The meet was chaired by Dilip Patgiri, AJYCP and presided over by Dhanabir Laishram of AMUCO, Lachit Bordoloi, advisor of MASS, Birinchi Neog of Moran Students Organisation and Khanin Das of All Assam Central-Semi Central organisations.
Dr. Jagadish Patgiri of the Asom Sahitya Sabha said that citizens should be vigilant against the machinations of the government.
Prakanta Warisa, vice president of the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), reiterated the urgency to bring normalcy back and feared the violence spreading to other parts.
Dr. Ranoj Pegu, of the Mishing Memang Kebang (MMK) and Ms. Anjali Daimary, of Boro Women’s Justice Forum (BWJF) cautioned ethnic armed opposition groups about playing into the hands of the state while engaging with the state.
Hiru Bathari, a survivor from Hanlocrook village in Hamren sub-division whose village was burnt down, said that he had grown up in Karbi Anglong and always would continue to believe that the land belonged to him and his Karbi brethren and that they could share it and live in peace.
Lachit Bordoloi of MASS and Rajkumar Baishya of Purbanchal Lok Parishad (PLP) also reiterated that the government was not interested in the peace and security of common people.
He cautioned the armed opposition groups that if they did not begin to disown these acts, they would be responsible for the growing insecurity and violence that is being experienced by common people.
Dolly Kikon of NPMHR extended the Naga civil society’s concern about the ongoing violence in Karbi Anglong and also its sympathy for the victims of the violence.
Artax Shimray, advisor of NESO said one needs to urgently take steps to provide relief for the victims of the violence and take steps to ensure that further militarisation of the region is avoided.
ZU to fight change of railhead
Ramkung Pamei

TML, Oct 19: The Zeliangrong people today took a resolute stand to fight against any move to change the railhead route from Tupul village of Tamenglong district and the proposed construction of the much hyped Tipaimukh high dam.

The annual assembly of the Zeliangrong Union (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland), the apex body of the Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei tribes was held today at the Zeliangrong House and took the decision after Adi Riamei, vice-president of the ZU introduced the agenda.

Riamei informed the assembly that the government has proposed the shifting of the railhead to give way for the construction of the Tipaimukh high dam. This action of the government is anti-people, disgusting and is to be condemned in the strongest terms, he said adding that Zeliangrong people will fight tooth and nail against the government`s new move.

The assembly of the three tribes from the three states under the banner of the ZU adopted several other resolutions including celebration of the silver jubilee of Makuilongdi reestablishment, observance of platinum jubilee of Haipou Jadonang in a grand manner next year, passing of Rs. 6.50 lakhs budget for ZU administration for the year 2005-06 and organisation of a felicitation programme for outstanding individuals from the three constituent tribes of the Zeliangrong and other officials.
Deputy Home Minister visits strife-torn Karbi Anglong District
Friday October 21 2005 00:00 IST
GUWAHATI/KARBI ANGLONG: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sri Prakash Jaiswal has arrived in Assam for a review of the situation arising out incidents of ethnic violence in the north eastern state's Karbi Anglong District.

Jaiswal, who is also being accompanied by senior officials of his ministry, is expected to meet Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and senior members of the Unified Command Structure to get a first hand information of the causes behind the almost three weeks of ethnic violence in the district, and what remedial steps have been taken to bring the conflagration under control.

The minister's visit comes a day after the Assam Government decided to call in the army to restore peace and calm in Karbi Anglong after shoot-at-sight orders and a curfew failed to contain ethnic violence there.

So far, 78 persons been killed and close to 200 houses torched in the remote district, forcing residents of the area to leave for safer havens.

Unified Command Structure administative head and chief secretary S Kabilan, operational commander and 4 Corps G-o-C Lt Gen H S Lidder and DGP P V Sumant took the decision to deploy troops after recommending the same to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

The army, paramilitary forces and police are already patrolling the violence-affected area.

According to official sources, 5000 Dimasas have fled the relief camps in Karbi Anglong to neighbouring Nagaon and North Cachar Hills districts where they are in majority while 1000 Karbis had taken shelter in and around the district headquarter town of Diphu.

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.

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.
Centre warns Assam militants
- By Our Special Correspondent Asian Age
Guwahati, Oct. 20: The joint secretary, home, Rajiv Agarwal said here on Thursday that there were glaring instances of violation of ground rules by the two militant outfits United Peoples Democratic Solidarity and Dima Halam Daogah in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. "If it continues the government will force to disarm them even forcibly," he added.
Mr Agarwal who visited the trouble-torn district with Union minister of state Sriprakash Jaiswal on Thursday told this to reporters at Diphu.
This report came when chairman of the DHD Dilip Dimasa was addressing a press conference here denying their involvement in ongoing violence in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district.
He, however, did not rule out the possibility of involvement of anti-talk faction of the DHD, which is operating under a new name "black widows."
The DHD chairman Dilip Dimasa, however, reiterated their charges that the UPDS was responsible for igniting the clash by killing three Dimasa boys in Manja area of the district on September 26.
"Our stand is very clear, the UPDS have started the clash and so they should end it. The Dimasa have only retaliated," Mr Dimasa said. He alleged that the failure of the state machinery escalated the situation more.
Meanwhile, the UPDS has also denied their involvement in the carnage. The UPDS general secretary Mukrang blamed Dilip Dimasa for the clash and demanded that the designated DHD camp at Dhansiri should be shifted immediately.
The Union minister of state, home, Sriprakash Jaiswal who paid a short visit to the trouble-torn district met Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi. He also reviewed the law and order situation of the state with senior home ministry officials.
Meanwhile, curfew in ethnic violence-hit Karbi Anglong district was relaxed on Thursday for six hours from 8 am and the situation was "tense but under control" with no untoward incident reported so far, official sources said.
According to a late night report, the security forces recovered seven more bullet-ridden bodies from Hembrem sub-division area of the district on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Mr Tarun Gogoi is at the receiving end of the Opposition, not only for making a casual remark like "such a carnage is bound to happen in a jungle," but also because he failed to fine tune the state administration to tackle the crisis situation.
Most of the Opposition political parties of the state have alleged that a large number of pregnant women and children below three years are languishing in the relief camps without any proper care.
The fact-finding team of Bharatiya Janata Party led by its Central leader S.S. Ahluwalia suspected the role of Christian missionaries working at the behest of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah).

N E legislators to meet on AIDS
Kohima | October 20, 2005 10:44:10 PM IST Webindia

Concerned over the threat posed by HIV/AIDS in India, the centre is organising a conclave of the legislators of the eight north eastern states, including the chief ministers, ministers and mlas at guwahati on November 19 next.
This was disclosed by the union minister of state for programme implementation Oscar Fernandes at Dimapur yesterday in a press conference and called for united effort to curb the menace.
Mr Fernandes, who is also the convenor of the parliamentary forum on HIV/AIDS, said the meeting, which would be chaired by Assam Chief Minister, would chalk out strategies for containing the menace.
It will be the first ever meeting of the chief ministers of the region on the subject, where Peter Piot, Executive Director of the UN AIDS programme is also scheduled to attend meeting.
Mr Fernandes invited Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, his cabinet colleagues, leader of the opposition I Imkong and Congress legislators.
Stressing on the protection of youth, who are being affected by HIV/AIDS, he said the disease was gradually moving to the general population and unless urgent steps were taken with a political will India would overtake South Africa.
India holds the dubious record of second place in the world with 5.134 million hiv/aids pateints. South Africa has 5.6 million HIV positive victims, he said.
NPMHR appeals for peace The Morung Express
Kohima, Oct 19 (MExN): The Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) has expressed concern over the recent eruption of violence between two neighboring communities, the Dimasas and Karbis in Assam leading to loss of many lives, destruction of properties and further creating an environment of fear and insecurity.
While condemning the killings of innocent civilians, the NPMHR in a statement issued by Nepuni Piku Secretary General, Secretariat Dr. Lanu Sashi Longkumer Convener, NPMHR Nagaland sector appealed to the groups in conflict for restraint and understanding to restore peace and normalcy in Karbi Anglong and the NC Hills (Assam).
It also called upon conscientious leaders of the two communities to take up proactive initiative to pave way for peoples to people’s dialogue to facilitate mutual respect and building of trust, to restore the age old peaceful relations as neighbors and to abort any possible evil designs of vested interest seeking to create disinformation, panic and division. The NPMHR also questioned the role of the state administration and security agencies for what it alleged as not providing adequate security to the innocent civilians leading to the serious humanitarian crisis. "The Government of India will be held solely responsible in the event of any further regression of the already tense environment" warned the organization.
It also called to all the concerned to selflessly support and contribute towards initiating humanitarian aid to the suffering innocents at this juncture of pain and uncertainty.



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