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11/18/2005: "Oscar dismisses reports on Naga talks"

Oscar dismisses reports on Naga talks Kuknalim.com
NEW DELHI, Nov 17: The Union Minister for Programme Implementation and Statistics Oscar Fernandes on Thursday dismissed reports that the NSCN(IM) leaders have threatened to stop further negotiations with the Centre...

as appeared in a section of the press.He said that the peace talk is on and the next round of talk is schedule to take place very soon.

Reacting to the demand of various Naga organisations to end the peace talks if it prolongs any further, the minister said that there is no harm in letting the public to express their views.Mr Fernandes is heading the three member ministerial team that is conducting talks with the NSCN(IM) leaders.

Talking to The Shillong Times on the sidelines of the Economic Editors Conference here, Mr Fernandes said talks are making progress and very soon the next round of negatiation would take place. He, however, did not elaborate on the discussions in view of the sensitiveness of the issue.

To a question, the minister said that the MLA area development funds directly given to the MLAs instead of implementing through the executives in some states like Meghalaya could not be changed in the pattern of MP area development fund. (Special Correspondent)

DAN govt goes for development NET News Network
Kohima, Nov 18: DAN Government was formed with a wide spectrum of Common Minimum Programme for the benefit of all people and it is being successfully implemented in many areas stated Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio at Changki Village under Mokokchung District.
Addressing a public meeting this morning, the Chief Minister said that his Government has created opportunities of gainful self employment and also acted as a facilitator and has given training to committed educated unemployed entrepreneurs wherein even abroad 23 youths have been employed and another 500 youths will be provided job oriented training in the coming year.
Rio also stated that the Government had sanctioned Rs. 64 crores for underdeveloped areas, particularly Mon and Tuensang districts and special care will be given to them to bring them at par with others by building human resources and providing stable economic structures.
He also said that without this there cannot be economic development in the State and therefore called upon all people to fully support and cooperate in the peace process to secure a negotiated settlement of political talk acceptable to all people.
Rio also declared that the Government would provide old age pension to all elderly people of Changki village and assured to open an agri-link road and to construct a football ground demanded by the village. He further donated Rs. 5 lakhs for construction of Sangpangmeren Stadium at Changki Village.

‘Forest depletion due to inefficiency’ Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 17: Inefficiency of the State forest Department authorities has been cited as the main factor for the rapid decline in forest cover consequently leading to ecological imbalances in the State. According to an informed source, not providing arms to forest department personnel have been encouraging anti-social elements to ravage forest growths for timber and other commercial purpose thereby compromising the fragile ecology.

The union Ministry of forests and Environment had already intimated to the State Government to provide arms and communication gadgets to forest guards to check unprecedented deforestation but the same had evoked a negative response from the State authorities on grounds that prevailing law and order situation does not guarantee safety of arms as well as forest personnel, said the source. Expressing surprise at the State Government policy of prohibiting arms possession by forest guards, the source argued that prevailing law and order situation necessitates arming the forest personnel as to protect the forest cover which is depleting.

It is obvious that those anti-social elements having access to arms will always have the upper hand in any given situation, the source countered. While arming the forest guards would not only make unscrupulous elements think twice before embarking on deforestation mission it would be more positive if the State Government draws up an acceptable project and forward the same to Central authorities for protection of forests by enrolling new personnel through adequate funding, maintained the source. The source also cited expansion of villages in the hill areas as another factor for decline in forest cover as new settlement automatically requires clearing the jungles.

Glaring example of not arming the forest guard resulting in threat to the state’s forest cover is inability to check timber smugglers from felling valuable trees by a contractor from Nagaland State in connivance with some villagers of Tamei sub-division in Tamenglong district, asserted the source. Reminding that timber smuggling issue had even figured in the previous Assembly session, the source suggested deployment of Central and State police force at places frequented by timber smugglers to check their activities.
Northeast: Foreign funds to fight HIV/AIDS PTI
Shillong, Nov 18 (PTI) Australia and Sweden would extend financial assistance to North East to help it combat HIV/AIDS pandemic, a UN official said here today.
The Australian government would give USD eight million to Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland while one million Swedish Krona would be made available in the region, UNAIDS country coordinator Denis Broun said. The Central government would also give more financial support to the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) to fight the cause more vigorously in the next five years, he told reporters.

He said the HIV/AIDS scenario in the North East was far more "alarming" than what appeared on the surface.
Over one per cent of adult population in Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland were infected by the virus. In Assam and Meghalaya, the concentration of HIV/AIDS among the high risk groups comprising sex workers and drug-users was increasing, he said. Most of the states in the region were not recognising the gravity of the situation with little 'intervention' in required areas, he maintained. Referring to Meghalaya, Broun said except among truckers and sex-workers, there was no intervention from the state to control the risk.

Northeast governments must act to check AIDS, UNAIDS chief Guwahati | November 18, 2005 7:15:06 PM IST Webindia

The UN's top official on HIV/AIDS Friday urged government leaders in the northeast to act immediately to tackle the spread of the disease that has assumed epidemic proportions in the region.
"Every chief minister in the regional states needs to take the problem of HIV/AIDS as a personal issue as the situation in the northeast is indeed pretty grim," Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, told IANS here. Piot is on a three-day visit to the region and is to address a conclave on HIV/AIDS Saturday organised here by India's Parliamentary Committee on HIV/AIDS.
"I would be stressing on the need for more political commitment in tackling HIV/AIDS in the northeast in Saturday's meeting," Piot said. India's northeast - Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura - has been declared as one of the country's high-risk zones with close to 100,000 people infected with HIV. Authorities fear the disease may further spread because of the region's acute drug problem.
India's northeast lies on the edge of the heroin-producing "Golden Triangle" of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand and independent estimates have put the number of regular intravenous drug users in the region at up to 300,000 - a key cause of HIV infection here. India accounts for about 5.1 million HIV-positive people, next only to South Africa. Piot also interacted with a group of injecting drug users at a city drug rehabilitation centre. "Sharing of needles among intravenous drug users in the northeast is a major problem," he said.
"There are lots of challenges ahead of us and we all need to continue with an intensive target intervention programmes to combat HIV/AIDS in the region," Piot said. "The challenges and the problems differ from state to state." He said the global scenario was still "serious" although there are countries where the spread of HIV/AIDS was on the downslide. "There are some countries where we see a decline in the rate of HIV/AIDS infections."
Piot said a comprehensive global picture on HIV/AIDS would be available Monday when UNAIDS and the World Health Organisation would be releasing their 'AIDS Epidemic Update 2005' in 20 cities worldwide. "The report would have certain special focus on HIV/AIDS prevention policies," a spokesperson of UNAIDS accompanying Piot said. The conclave Saturday is expected to adopt a political declaration and a pledge by government heads of the northeastern states to fight HIV/AIDS jointly. "This is the first time that government leaders of all the regional states are coming together to discuss the challenge before us as HIV/AIDS in the northeast has assumed epidemic proportions," Assam Health Minister Bhumidhar Barman told IANS.
"We hope to come up with a declaration and a pledge to jointly combat the disease." Besides the chief ministers, the meeting is expected to be attended by legislators and MPs. A number of people living with HIV/AIDS and community healthcare groups will also participate. "This conclave could be the beginning of a sustained effort at controlling the epidemic. Political commitments to combat HIV/AIDS has been successful in several parts of the world like in Thailand, Uganda, Senegal and Cambodia where the epidemic has shown signs of slowing down," S.I. Ahmed, head of the AIDS Prevention Society, a frontline community healthcare group in the northeast, said. "We hope if the governments agree to work out a comprehensive action plan there is no doubt we would be able to tackle the menace." (IANS)
India: A Summit for Regional Cooperation, or Antagonism? Summary Stratfor

On its journey to becoming a global powerhouse, India cannot seem to get beyond its own backyard. The 13th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Dhaka, Bangladesh, provided India's smaller regional neighbors with an opportunity to contain the big brother of the subcontinent by playing the China card. The summit not only reminded India of its neighboring impediments, but also brought to light a heated competition for broader regional influence between Beijing and New Delhi.

Analysis As expected, the 13th annual South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit stagnated for four days without producing anything worth mentioning. The comatose South Asian summit was, however, spiced up by China's blatant push into India's sphere of influence.

SAARC's seven member-nations include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives. Each member arrived in Dhaka with a clear agenda to admit Afghanistan into this regional bloc, but India was thrown a curveball by Nepal's insistence that China be granted some level of membership status in SAARC as well. Though a Chinese representative was not even present at the meeting, Kathmandu was returning a favor to Beijing for its support in fighting the raging Maoist insurgency in Nepal.

The real kicker came when Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka voiced their support for China's entry into SAARC. Sandwiched between China to the north and India to the south, only Bhutan, which does not have formal diplomatic relations with China and has traditionally tied itself to New Delhi, backed India in resisting Beijing. This summit was a major wake-up call for India.

New Delhi's decision to detonate nuclear devices in the 1998 Pokhran tests garnered worldwide attention, but severely backfired by isolating India economically and technologically from the Western world. Once India was shunned by the United States for its nuclear ambitions, however, Moscow did not miss a beat, continuing to feed India's voracious military appetite in a series of weapons deals. But after Sept. 11, the tables turned as Washington started seriously to view India as a long-term strategic partner with which to bolster economic ties, contain Pakistan and counter China.

With major defense deals in the works between India and the United States, and New Delhi's determined climb to global player status, the subcontinent's smaller players have evidently become wary of the elephant's rise, as revealed by events at this year's SAARC summit. This rejectionist attitude towards India became apparent in a number of South Asian newspapers, with one Bangladeshi editorial saying, "We are the of the opinion that India may kindly accept the decision of the majority members of the SAARC countries on socio-economic and political problems … in case of her negative attitude and arrogance we may recast SAARC minus India … give a new lease of life to SAARC, stand on our own feet and solve our problems for the welfare of our people."

It is no wonder that Beijing is jumping at the opportunity to take advantage of SAARC members' disillusionment with India's growing profile in the international scene. New Delhi has made just as many attempts to encroach on China's economic turf by pushing for membership in the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the East Asia Summit (EAS). The formerly military antagonism between New Delhi and Beijing is now being played out in the field of regional economic pacts.

New Delhi is beginning to realize more and more that it faces the insurmountable task of putting out fires at home before it can legitimately sit at the table with the big boys of foreign policy. The list of India's headaches include raging nationalist insurgencies in the northeastern Indian states of Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, and Manipur; the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir; and the rebellion by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. Coincidentally, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Nov. 17 that South Asian nations must halt regional terrorism for the sake of investment opportunities, stating that "no investor will come to this region if there is no assurance of peace and security." Much to New Delhi's misfortune, it appears that the smaller players of South Asia are intent on pulling on India's coattails to contain the regional hegemon, rather than riding them to economic prosperity.
Karbis plan mass movement to evict DHD camp Newmai News Network GUWAHATI, NOV 18: The troubled torn Karbi Anglong district of Assam again came to the limelight today after about 20 non-political organizations and NGOs from the district vowed to launch mass movement if the Assam government failed to remove the designated camp of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) from Dhansiri area. A committee formed by these organizations, christened as Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) said this at a press conference today. Addressing the media JCC chief convener Longsing Teron and spokesman Vidya Sing Teron said that lasting peace would not come back to Karbi Anglong unless the DHD camp in Dhansiri was not shifted immediately.
The recent ethnic clash in the Karbi Anglong, supposedly perpetrated by the DHD and its rival Karbi militant outfit United Peoples Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) had so far killed about 90 people in less than one month since September 26 last. Most of the victims were Karbis, he said.
They stated that the presence of the DHD camp at Dhansiri was the bone of contention between the warring DHD and UPDS which resorted to brutal avenge killings of innocent Karbi and Dimasa villagers in the hill district.
The JCC which had earlier raised their demand for shifting of the DHD camp before the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Assam Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Kumer Singh, vowed to launch a large-scale democratic movement in Karbi Anglong if the camps continued to remain in Dhansiri area. The chief minister had assured to refer their demand to the Central government which is responsible for setting up of designated camps of militant groups under ceasefire pact with the government.
Condemning the DHD for resorting to mass killing of Karbi villagers, the JCC demanded arrest of DHD chairman Dilip Nunisa. The JCC leaders stated that Karbi masses had nothing against Dimasa 'brothers and sister' and would like to live with them peacefully as they had been doing for centuries.
The JCC also pointed out that the DHD's claim over a greater part of eastern Karbi Anglong as part of their proposed 'Dimaraji' (Dimasa Homeland) wouldn't augur well for the peace and harmony between Karbis and Dimasas. They termed the DHD claim on present Karbi Anglong territory as unjustified in view of absence of any sizeable Dimasa population in those areas.
The JCC leaders stated that the situation in Karbi Anglong continued to remain tense and violence-hit people now lodged in relief camps were not willing to go back to their villages out of fear. "Deployment of additional forces will not solve the problem. The lasting solution lies in shifting of the DHD camp from Dhansiri area in Karbi Anglong so that activities and threat of the DHD ultras could be neutralized," the JCC leaders said. The JCC demanded that the DHD should not target innocent Karbis to avenge actions of the rival UPDS. The organization was very critical of the state government's failure to act promptly in arresting the ethnic flare-up.
`Look East policy would transform the NE` T Jagjit

NEW DELHI, Nov 17: The north eastern region of India stands to benefit greatly from the indian government`s Look East policy, according to the Union commerce and industries minister, Kamal Nath. The minister made this comment while addressing the Economic Editors` Conference 2005, currently underway in New Delhi. The Economic Editors Conference, an annual exercise which has become an important forum for extensive interaction between mediapersons from all over the country and senior ministers and functionaries of the Central government, was inaugurated by the Union finance minister, P Chidambaram, yesterday at New Delhi`s Shastri Bhavan.

The trade and commerce minister, speaking on the second day of the conference today, reiterated that with the initiation of the Central government`s Look East policy, the north-eastern region was poised to become a major hub of trade and commerce for the South East Asian and South Asian region. While it is still in its initial stages, this is what we are headed towards (with the Look East policy), the minister said, presenting an optimistic picture. In this connection, Kamal Nath cited plans for construction of an Asian superhighway connecting the country with Singapore across Myanmar and Thailand.

The minister was also optimistic about acceleration ofindustrial activity in the north-east states. `The government now has a north east policy,` he said, the objective of which is to promote the industrial development of the region at par with the rest of the country. Food processing is one of the thrust sectors of the north-east policy, the minister said, though he admitted that there is at present not much investment in the food processing sector. In this regard, the government is in the process of formulating a food processing policy, the minister said. With regard to the World Trade Organisation, WTO negotiations ahead of the WTO ministerial conference in Hong Kong next month, he said farmers` interests would be protected at all costs. India`s priorities in agriculture were a core area in the negotiations, and there would be absolutely no flexibility on agriculture issues. Refering to India`s export performance, Kamal Nath expressed the hope that India`s merchandise exports would touch the US $ 100 billion mark in the current financial year. India today is adding to the basket of export products, and looking beyond conventional markets, Kamal Nath said. The Union surface transport minister, TR Baalu, who also addressed the conference, denied that his ministry was neglecting the development of road connectivity in the north-eastern states, stating that he was paying it his personal attention. He recalled that the Central government has already taken up a accerelerated road development programme specially for the north-east states, the objective of which is to tackle the problems faced regarding road connectivity in the north east, among others, by states such as Manipur which face frequent disruption of road communications with the rest of the country as a result of frequent blockades. The Union minister for statistics and programme implementation, Oscar Fernandes, Fernandes and the secretary, Union ministry of petroleum and natural gases, SC Tripathi, also interacted with mediapersons during today`s session. The latter made the point that in the context of spiralling international oil prices, the government has been following a pragmatic and pro-consumer pricing policy, aimed at ensuring that the burden is shared equitably among the government, oil PSUs, and the consumers. He expressed hope of stabilisation of international oil prices in the near future. The Union ministers of civil aviation, company affairs, coal and steel and the deputy chairman of the Plannning Commission are expected to be present on the closing day of the conference tomorrow.
NE to become major hub for SE Asian countries Our Staff Correspondent Assam Tribune
NEW DELHI, Nov 17 – The North Eastern region would become a major hub for South East Asian countries in about five years time, Commerce and Industry Minister, Kamal Nath said today. The Minister, who was addressing the Economic Editor’s Conference, this afternoon, said that though India’s Look East Policy was at the initial stage, it would bear fruit. India has in place a South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) with Thailand. The proposal is to connect India-Myanmar-Thailand through a trilateral high way. “In five years a positive picture will emerge,” the Minister said. Adding further, he said as more and more engagement takes place, more and more investments will come into the region. Currently India has signed with Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Minister further said that food processing has been made a thrust sector in the Ministry’s North-East policy. The food-processing sector includes, packaging, and preservation among others.

Stressing on the positive aspect of allowing FDI in retail sector, the Minister argued that fresh investments would go into areas where domestic investments has not gone. He said pineapple produced in the North-East can be exported. Currently 40 percent of the food- stuff produced in the country perishes owing to lack of investments.
Replying to a question, Kamal Nath further said that the transport subsidy scheme that was stopped in Tripura following irregularities might be resumed after the audit work is completed. A rubber processing plant is being set up in West Tripura district jointly with the Government of Tripura. The Project estimated to cost Rs 7 crore would be located on 50 acre land, the Minister said.
DATELINE Guwahati/Wasbir Hussain
Autonomy: A fashionable demand in Assam? Sentinel
After periods of quiet, the AASU would suddenly spring to life, as it did last fortnight. The student group reiterated its demand for a Jammu & Kashmir-type autonomy for Assam. Aside from defence, external affairs, currency and communication, AASU wants the Centre to vest all other powers on the State, which should also be allowed to have control over its land and natural resources. This is pretty much what the AGP would like to harp on, and shout from rooftops ahead of the elections, but that’s a different story.
Well, the AASU is within its right to press for maximum autonomy for Assam. After all, it was a signatory to the Assam Accord that is supposed to provide ‘Constitutional safeguards’ to the Assamese people (Clause VI of the agreement). That no such ‘safeguards’ have come more than 20 years after the Accord came into being is another matter. What is important just now is the timing of the AASU demand, and the stage insurgent politics in Assam is in at the moment.
The AASU had decided to raise the autonomy demand within a week of the ULFA-appointed People’s Consultative Group (PCG) having its first exploratory meeting in New Delhi, that was attended by the Prime Minister. The PCG is supposed to remove the thorns on the road to peace in Assam and prepare the ground for possible direct talks between the ULFA and the Government of India. And, all of us are aware that the ULFA is insisting on its demand for an independent Assam, and, therefore, wants ‘sovereignty’ to be a part of any discussion for peace.
At this juncture, let’s view this scenario: what happens if New Delhi decides to accept the AASU demand and actually provides maximum autonomy to Assam on the lines of J&K? What if the people of Assam are allowed to have dual citizenship, that of India and Assam, the State is given full control of its land and natural resources and look after everything except some of the things mentioned above? What if Assam gets to decide on the rate of oil royalty to be paid to the Centre, instead of the other way round? What if Assam is allowed to deal directly with the neighbouring South Asian nations on matters of trade and business? The ultimate question will be this: Will the ULFA then give up its demand for independence and agree to accept a possible deal that the AASU or any other organization might come to clinch with New Delhi? The answer obviously is a big no.
That’s because no group or community would like to play second fiddle as things in Assam stand today. What the State is witnessing are ethno-national stirrings where every community is out to claim their pound of flesh by proclaiming that they were bent on preserving the distinct identity of their respective community. That way, it has almost become fashionable for every group, irrespective of their population size, to make a demand for autonomy. The result has been there for everyone to see: the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) was created, and groups like the Koch-Rajbongshis and the Adivasis, living within the BTC area, have become restive, seeking autonomy for themselves. Today, as insurgent organizations representing ethnic groups have joined the quest for identity, things have become highly complex. In such a scenario, it is interesting to note that a frontline rebel group like the ULFA has been talking of seeking freedom for all the communities and groups in Assam. The ULFA has perhaps realized that there cannot really be a broad-based Assamese nationalism unless the aspirations of the different ethnic groups are addressed. Therefore, the ULFA seeks to project a future independent Assam as a federal entity where ethnic groups like the Bodo, Dimasa, Karbi, Rabha, Mising, Lalung or even the Bengalis can have their own homelands so long as the basic values of the Assamese society and culture are accepted (Freedom, ULFA’s mouthpiece, May 2001). It is not known, however, whether the ULFA or the PCG have been taking any initiative to actually elicit the views of the ethnic groups.
Assuming that the ULFA is able to achieve its objective, will that satisfy the quest for identity of groups like the Karbis, the Dimasas and so on? Can homelands fulfil the aspirations of the different ethnic groups in the North-east? Will the quest for identity end once each ethnic group gets autonomy or a homeland? The answer is: the search will go on. Because, we have seen in the region, the fruits of power are enjoyed only by the elites within a community. Newer sub-groups will emerge and carry on with the search for their own distinct identity through different forms of movements, leading to fresh turf wars. And such a turf war would be inevitable in the Bodo heartland, sooner than later, once the NDFB and the Centre reaches a stage to sign yet another Bodo accord! (Feedback: wasbir@yahoo.com)
BJP condemns quit notice on Dimasas Sentinel GUWAHATI, Nov 18: The BJP NC Hills district committee has condemned the quit notices served on the Dimasas, including the inmates living in Diphu Dimasa Club. The quit notice was recently served by the nascent Karbi Solidarity Troops (KST), states a press release. The party said that at a time when peace process is at work such threats will only vitiate the atmosphere further antagonizing the Dimasas.
The release said that service of quit notice is against the Indian Constitution and constitute an offence under Article 7 of the Rome statute of International Criminal Court which defines "deportation or forcible transfer of population" committed as part of widespread or systematic attack against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack, as a crime against humanity. The BJP, NC Hills district committee, in the release, has urged all concerned to refrain from inciting tension and unrest in Karbi Anglong district and has appealed to all to maintain peace, communal harmony and brotherhood.
Naga ultras to issue ‘I-cards’ Our Correspondent Sentinel
MERAPANI, Nov 18: Sensation prevails in the A and B sectors along the Assam-Nagaland border following attempts by Naga ultras to collect money from cultivators for granting them rights to cultivate the area occupied by the Nagaland Government. According to sources, the extremists have decided to issue photo identity cards to the cultivators in the border villages for the purpose. They have reportedly called upon the cultivators to collect the cards by paying an amount of Rs 150.
Karbi-Dimasa ethnic clashes Govt urged to provide satisfactory rehabilitation package From a Correspondent Sentinel
BAITHALANGSO, Nov 18: The Karbi Khei Kangthur Asong (KKKA) has intensified relief works in and around Baithalangso areas of west Karbi Anglong by setting up relief committees comprising people from all walks of life for collecting and providing relief materials for the violence-hit people of the district, a press release stated. The release said that it has supplied four trucks of relief materials, including rice, firewoods, clothes, vegetables, etc., to the panic-stricken people taking shelter in different relief camps of Kheron Mukoilum and Jirikinding. The KKKA also visited the family members of the victims of the Charchim massacre and the injured undergoing treatment at Nagaon Civil Hospital and offered necessary provisions to them. The KKKA has also alleged that despite the turmoil, the district administration has failed to control the situation. It said that timely action by the State Government could have prevented the situation from getting worse. It also blamed the Dima Halem Daogah (DHD) for, what it said, letting loose a reign of terror. The KKKA has appealed to the government to provide a satisfactory rehabilitation package to the victims and make proper security arrangement.