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05/15/2006: "ONGC gets NSCN extortion note"

ONGC gets NSCN extortion note The Morung Express
Guwahati, May 14 (PTI): Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, India’s largest oil producer, has received extortion demand from outlawed separatist guerrillas National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) before the state-run firm begins operations in the state. ONGC’s Nazira office in Assam on May 8 received two letters signed by Lt Col Angpa, Secretary, Konyak Region, NSCN demanding Rs 3 crore, company sources said.
The extortion demand made by NSCN came within days of ONGC getting Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) from the state government for two blocks the company had won under New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP).
Sources said the extortion demand on the letterhead of Office of the Chairman Konyak Region, NSCN stated that the ONGC may begin work only after “fulfillment of our demand.”
ONGC, which had in January received an extortion demand of Rs 500 crore from ULFA, has already informed the Petroleum Ministry about the latest threat.
State-owned Oil India Ltd had in 2001 shut operations in Arunachal Pradesh after extortion demands from NSCN.
ONGC is, however, not unnerved by the extortion threat and plans to go ahead with exploring in blocks in Nagaland.
Sources said ONGC as a responsible corporate has proposed to sign an MoU with the state government spelling out the local area development activities including payment of additional royalty to Nagaland government, offering of minority stake in the blocks to state government companies, recruitment of locals and scholarships to Naga students.
ONGC has already paid a royalty of Rs 33.83 crore against the crude oil extracted from Changpang field in Nagaland. However, as a goodwill gensture, the company shall further pay one time goodwill grant of Rs 67 lakh to Nagaland.
It has also proposed to pay a special grant (add-on-royalty) at the rate of two per cent over and above the applicable rate of royalty to be paid to the Nagaland government on the crude oil produced from the state.
After one year of commencement of normal and sustainable operations, ONGC planned to recruit educated unemployed Naga youths and give one scholarship each in different engineering disciplines, they added.
Bill on offices of profit today The Morung Express
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI): The central government proposes to exempt 46 posts across the political spectrum from the purview of office of profit, which threatened the Parliament memberships of several key leaders. The posts that will be exempted include the National Advisory Council chair and the Sriniketan-Santiniketan Development Authority held by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chaterjee. Apart from the NAC chair, an issue over which Congress president Sonia Gandhi resigned and got re-elected from Rae Bareli, and Sriniketan-Santiniketan Development Authority, the offices sought to be excluded include UP Development Council headed by Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and the now-defunct All India Council of Sports earlier headed BJP leader V K Malhotra with retrospective effect.
The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill 2006 for further amending 1959 Act, which is likely to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday for passage during the current session which concludes on May 23, was on Sunday circulated among MPs by Law Minister H R Bharadwaj. The government has said it would hold discussions with all political parties to evolve a consensus on the issue. The inclusion of the post held by Opposition leaders is an indication that the government was keen on a consensus on the contentious issue.
About 40 MPs, many of them from Left parties extending crucial support to the UPA government, and 200 MLAs are facing disqualification petitions in the wake of the disqualification of Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on the office of profit issue.
The Election Commission had last week dismissed a petition against Malhotra on the grounds that it was a pre-election disqualification and hence did not come under its purview.
The Bill provides a specific clause for excluding the office of the chairperson of NAC constituted by the Cabinet Secretariat on May 31, 2004.
It lists 45 other posts in a separate clause. The posts include the post of the chairperson of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, the president of Indian Council for Cultural Relations and chairperson of the Delhi Rural Development Board.
Kapila Vatsyayan, Karan Singh and Sajjan Kumar, who headed these bodies have already tendered their resignations from the posts.
The Bill also seeks to exempt chairmen, deputy chairmen, secretaries or members in any statutory or non-statutory body or trustees of any trust, whether public or private, chairman, president, vice president or principal secretary of the governing body of any society registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 or under any other law relating to registration of societies.
The Opposition has been opposed to dilution of the spirit of Article 102, 103 of the Constitution pertaining to the office-of-profit. It has also been opposed to any bill with retrospective effect. The party has also demanded abolition of the NAC.
Need for Third party role demanded Morung Express News
Dimapur, May 14: Participating in an international conference recently at London ahead of the crucial round of talks slated for May 18 at Amsterdam, the NSCN (IM) has send out a clear message that it is not happy with the pace and progress made in the peace talks with New Delhi.
“In spite of their assurances and commitments given to the NSCN, the Government of India has not taken any concrete political steps so far. We have tabled a number of points on substantive issues for solution, but there is no tangible response from the Government of India till date”, Secretary of the Steering Committee Rh. Raising told a conference held at the Houses of Parliament, Westminster London, on May 11 during the launching of Parliamentarians for National Self-Determination.
Pointing out that the Naga people have become restive and impatient in waiting for almost a decade for a positive response from the Government of India, the NSCN (IM) leader put the case for a third party role at the talks level. “At this crucial juncture, we strongly feel the need for a third party mediation”, the NSCN (IM) official told the international conference of national representatives from Westminster, Europe and Asia.
Referring to the landmark Amsterdam talks 2002, in which the government of India and NSCN signed a joint communiqué which officially recognized the ‘Unique history and situation of the Nagas’, the NSCN (IM) pointed to its significance that Nagas are not a party to the Union of India and also that since the case was unique, solution had to be unique. “Another response to our chief negotiator Th. Muivah, Ato Kilonser (Prime Minister), Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim, in the recent talks was ‘Solution outside the box’. This given term bears political interpretation”, Raising said.
In another significant statement, the NSCN (IM) declared that the British, being once “our colonial power”, have the moral responsibility to say something on the issue so that justice is done to the Nagas. “We feel that the Nagas are the innocent victims of the British intentional silence on the Indo-Naga issue. I, on behalf of the Naga people and Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim, would like to appeal to the British people and their government in particular and the world community in general to help solve the problem,” Raising said in his speech. On the current peace process, it was informed that one of the significant steps taken by NSCN (IM) is the shift of policy and strategy from guerrilla warfare to mass warfare, from machine gun warfare to computer warfare and from armed confrontation to political negotiation. “Nagas are committed to political solution and they shall abide by that if otherwise dictated by circumstances”, the official commented with a note of caution.
Govt to hold talks with NSCN (I-M) in Amsterdam The Morung Express
NEW DELHI, MAY 14 (MExN): Ahead of talks to renew the ceasefire with the major Naga insurgent outfit, NSCN (I-M), which expires on July 31, the government will hold two days of parleys with the group in Amsterdam this week to discuss “substantive issues”, including the outfit’s demand for a Greater Nagaland.
The Central team, led by Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation Oscar Fernandes and comprising the Centre’s pointsman for the Naga peace process K Padmanabhaiah and some Union Home Ministry officials will leave for the Netherlands on May 17 and stay on in Amsterdam for two days for the dialogue.
“All issues, including that of renewal of ceasefire with The NSCN (I-M), will figure in the talks which are aimed at keeping the dialogue with the government going,” sources said. The NSCN (I-M) and the security forces in Nagaland have been holding a truce since 1997 when the ceasefire accord was reached.
The accord has been extended every year since then, except last year, when it was renewed for six months on the insistence of the Naga outfit and further extended by six months in February.
The key and “most contentious” demand of the Naga group has been the issue of Greater Nagalim (Nagaland), to bring all Naga-dominated areas in the northeast under one administrative mechanism. However, it has seen strong opposition from Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
Delhi sincere on peace process: Team DAN Naga Delegation meets Oscar, Patil The Morung Express Karaiba Chawang
Dimapur, May 14: The DAN delegation presently in New Delhi to press upon the Government of India (GOI) to expedite the peace process after a series of interactions held so far has expressed satisfaction that the UPA government appeared to be sincere and serious with the ongoing talks with the NSCN-IM.
State Minister for School Education, Imkong Imchen who is part of the delegations told The Morung Express that the DAN delegation is in Delhi to seek opinion of the GOI and the latest status of the ongoing talks.
So far the delegation met Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementations Oscar Fernandes, Centre’s Interlocutor K. Padmanabaiah, NDA Convenor George Fernandes, Union Law and Justice Minister Hansraj Bharadwaj and Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
Imchen also said they have put across their views, and will do so with the other central leaders in the subsequent days. “With the interaction we have had so far, the Centre appears to be sincere’, said Imchen.
Tomorrow, the delegation will meet Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, while on Tuesday they will meet Opposition Leader L.K. Advani, and on Wednesday the delegations is likely to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
DAN delegation included Home Minister Thenucho, Minister for Health and family Welfare, Dr TM Lotha, Minister for School Education Imkong Imchen, Dy. Chairman State Planing Board, Deo Nukhu, and MLA Hollohon, besides the two Members of Parliament, Wangyuh Konyak and TR Zeliang.
Member of Parliament, Wangyuh Konyak said that the main objective of the trip is to press upon the Government of India to expedite the peace process without further delay.
“We will know the clear response after meeting the Prime Minister”, said Wangyuh, adding that they have meet several central leaders and have shared their views and opinion with them. The DAN delegation also said that they have told the central leaders the needs to integrate all the Naga inhabited as a first step towards the final solution.
Gogoi sworn in for second term The Morung Express
Guwahati, May 14 (PTI): Assam today made the transition from single-party government to coalition rule with incumbent Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi being sworn in for his second consecutive term.
The Congress has 53 MLAs in the 126-member House, and it is supported by 12 legislators of the Hagrama faction of the Bodoland People’s Progressive Front and seven independents. The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Governor Lt Gen (retired) Ajai Singh at a simple function in the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan here.
The cabinet members of the new ministry will be sworn in at a later date.
Gogoi arrived at the Raj Bhavan with his wife Dolly and the newly elected Congress legislators. Digvijay Singh, who is in charge of Congress affairs in Assam, AICC observer Chandan Bagchi, BPPF president Hagrama Mohilary and state Congress president Bhubaneswar Kalita also attended the function.
Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Brindaban Goswami and AGP-Progressive president and two-time Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta were also present.
Conspicuous by their absence were the opposition BJP and the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF), which has said it will not tie up with the Congress and play the role of a “responsible opposition”.
Govt to work for permanent peace, says Gogoi The Morung Express
Guwahati, May 14 (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who was sworn in today for his second consecutive term, said peace would be his priority.
“Our new government will strive to bring permanent peace in the state and the task is challenging,” Gogoi told reporters at Raj Bhavan soon after he was sworn in by Governor Lt Gen (retd) Ajai Singh. He said his task in the second term would be more challenging than the first and he would leave no stone unturned to ensure that permanent peace returned. Stating that for a record second time in the state’s history, a Congress government was re-elected, he said this was a result of the “good work” done in the past few years. He claimed that law and order was under control and the process to bring ULFA to the negotiating table was on.
“Our government has for the last five years performed well but there is a lot to do and get the state back to the national mainstream,” Gogoi said.
The Unceasing Oozing Nagas Blood and Tears The Morung Express Article Abstract: This article tries to highlight how the Nagas blood and tears were oozing from Pre-British period till today. The Nagas history shows the proof that in different era of the Naga history; the Nagas shed their bloods and tears for different accounts, which is still continuing in fratricidal game of NSCN.
R.B. Thohe Pou In retrospection of the Naga history – we learnt that precious Nagas bloods were oozing like the perennial springs in Nagalim. Why the precious bloods were flowing on the ground from the pre-British era till today? Oh! Nagas Blood! When will you cease oozing your precious blood? The Nagas first shed their blood from the hand of the foreigners during the Ahom King invasion in Naga Hills. Now Seven Hundred and
Seventy Seven Years ( 7 7 7 ) had past after the Ahom King encountered the Nagas but the fresh bloods and tears continue to flow even today. The entire land seems look reddish due to your bloods. Let the peace, love and forgiveness reign your motherland. Ponder once again – let your heart reign with love and forgiveness. Forgetting the past mistake is equally good as forgiving the present mistake.
Introspection of the past Naga history from headhunting era till today – there is unceasing oozing bloods and tears in Naga Hills. However the oozing blood and tears in different era have different accounts. The earlier bloods shedding and tears were totally different from the present fratricidal bloods shedding and tears. Once the Nagas believed that headhunting show the manhood. They practiced headhunting to bring fertility to their land and bumper crop, to raise their social status and marry a beautiful lady. However hatred, fear, insecurity reigned in those days even though it assumed to be glorious in those days. Many men, women and children were killed in those days but the Nagas thought it shows only manhood through headhunting. As the headhunter chopped off the victim head – the helpless victim’s blood flowed on the ground crying for help. It was also during the headhunting period that the Ahom King invaded the Naga Hills in 1228 AD and killed many Nagas in fierce resistance by the Nagas.
It was in the year 1832 that British first penetrated to Naga Hills and encountering and defending the Nagas land – many Naga warriors were killed. The British finally infiltrated and dominated in Naga Hills after the battle of Khonoma - even though they did not dominated the entire Naga Hills. The Nagas blood continued to flow from headhunting era to British period, which is still afresh in the mind of our centenarians.
After the British period in Naga Hills – the Indian Army came to dominate in Naga Hills and many Nagas were killed, tortured, raped, harassed, burnt innumerous properties, which brought tears in entire Naga Hills. The Nagas blood that oozed in encountering the Indian Armed forces is still fresh in the mind of all the Nagas.
During the Naga National Council (NNC) struggle for sovereignty – under the leadership of A. Z. Phizo – the famous Naga Plebiscite was conducted in Many 1951. According to Sema, the armed violence, murder, arson, looting, and kidnapping, had become quite common and wide spread in 1954. So some of the leaders did not want the Phizo’s violent ways and resigned from NNC in 1955. Thus the first ideological crush in Naga Political leaders commenced and formed two groups as Moderate and Extremist group. Those who were in disinclination of violent ways of struggle in Naga National Movement were T. Shakhrie, J. B. Jasokie, T.N.Angami and Dr. Imkongliba among others. On January 18, 1956, T.Sakhrie (former General secretary of NNC who resigned from NNC) was assassinated for anti-NNC activities and others who openly against the movement also assassinated. For the first time in the history of the Nagas National movement – the first blood was shed and tears fell due to ideological discrepancies.
The Shillong Accord on November 11, 1975 was one of the greatest blows to the Naga National Movement. The Shillong Accord (SC) can be better called as the “Evolution of Problem Accord” (ENPA) in Naga National Movement since the bigger problem emerged after this Accord. This is the second ideological problem occurred with the Naga Nationalist leaders. The difference in ideology amongst the Naga National Movement leaders is the main reason that led to Shillong Accord but it was without the consent from the Naga civil society. The NNC leaders tried to contact A.Z. Phizo, then President of the NNC to condemn the Shillong Accord. However they could not restore the damage image of the NNC even after five years of Shillong Accord. Eventually, under the leadership of Isak Chisu as Chairman, S.S. Khaplang as Vice
President and Thuingaleng Muivah as General secretary – formed a new organization known as “National Socialist of Council Nagaland (NSCN) on January 31, 1980. However this organization did not last long for a decade without splitting into two groups.
On 30th April 1988 morning, the NSCN Headquarter at Hangsen was full of smoke and bloods with loud guns and bombs noises echoing the entire Hills. The whole Hill Ranges felt the echoing noises of guns and bombs and the wild animals tremble with fear; the wounded people longing for water screamed and cried silently in their hearts. The bloods that flowed like the Red Sea will never returned again; the tears and sweats that oozed out from their bodies are going to be remembered as the most disastrous event in Naga History. The unsuspected NSCN Vice President S.S. Khaplang accompanied with his men killed over 200 persons (men, women and children and many other officers.)
In the history of Naga National Movement – this is the third time the ideological discrepancies and mistrust occurred and mass fratricidal took place. However Isak and Muivah were escaped and later formed their group as NSCN-IM, under the leadership of Isak Swu as Chairman and Th. Muivah as General Secretary. The other group led by Khaplang as Chairman and Dalley Mongro as General secretary formed the group known as NSCN-K. After the ideological crush or differences with the Naga National leaders in 1988 – the struggle between the difference ideologies continue till today without any sign of accepting other philosophy and ideology.
Why there is unceasing oozing Nagas blood and tears? Once there was headhunting because our forefathers did not know our God creator. The British colonial reign ended since 1947 and the Indian Armed Force is now cease-fire with the NSCN. But the precious bloods, tears and sweats are still flowing in Nagalim like a perennial river. What do you gain in fratricide? When our forefather killed their brothers (Nagas) during headhunting – it revealed the manhood. When our fathers or brothers were killed in encountering the British or Indian Armies – it showed their patriotism. But today when our brothers and sisters practice fratricidal – it reveals your unforgiveness, thirst of power, jealousy and hatred, faithless in God, ideological discrepancies.
The oozing Nagas blood and tears due to fratricidal is nothing but only the barbarous act. If we view from the Christians’ perspective – fratricide is nothing but adding more problems, sins and bloods in the reddish bloody-land. The present rat racing of NSCN-IM and K to subdue and emulate one another shows not improvement in their relationship regardless of the Nagas Civil Society with great effort to bring under reconciliation table. If both the NSCN groups continue in rat racing – some day one group may surrender in course of time. However, fratricidal in rat racing will cost innumerous lost of human lives, which cannot be paid back in term of money and any goods that is available on this earth and later it may remorse for what they are doing now.
Let not another great disastrous event of mass fratricide happens again in Naga History. Human life is short. Let’s take every opportunity to make peace with our fellow Nagas and bring the honorable solution in our lifetime in our Indo-Naga Peace Talks. The present fratricidal and trying to capture each other camp may only degrade their own prestige and curtail the people solidarity in their
National Movement. Therefore the best solution for both the groups may be coming to the reconciliation table, which is invited and prepared by the Naga Civil Society. The Naga Civil Society loves you and invites both of you to come and dine together. As Father was very happy as the Prodigal son returned home – the Naga Civil Society would be very happy like that of prodigal son’s father when both the NSCN-IM and K comes to reconciliation table to reunite. Let the Naga Civil Society give solidarity in your struggle for the cause of the Nagas sovereignty as you come and reunite. As long as there is fratricidal occurring in Nagalim – there cannot be peace and love in our community; we cannot expect peace when firing of guns and killing continue to reign in our land. Keeping peace by force cannot be called as true peace and we the
Nagas want the true peace with love without fratricide in our land. The present cease-fire with the Indian government from both the groups and Peace Talks would not improve much and receive mass support unless the fratricidal is cease and emerge into one group.
Nagas! Let not your blood bleed and tears fall again for the cause of revenge, ideological crush, thirst of power, jealousy of others and in rat racing to dominate others. Instead shed your blood, tears and sweat in doing good to bring development, peace and love in Nagalim. Let your tears be wiped out by your brothers and sisters who killed your loved ones with love and embrace each others in welcoming to make reconciliation to restore peace in Nagalim. Let not your loved ones use again their blood-stained hands and tears as soup as it falls in their plates.
Today all the Nagas from teenage to centenarians want peace, love and reconciliation in Naga Hills. Let reconciliation be there forgiving each others and your loved one – the centenarians may die in peace hoping to get sovereignty even if they die today. If not they will fist their hands (According to Poumai Naga, if our parents or elders fist their hands in their dying bed it reveals their curse to their children or any one whom they want to pass their curse) in their dying beds and curse your fratricidal practice and there will be no peace forever in Nagalim. As the Headhunting ceased, British domination end and Indian government in cease-fire with the NSCN - let the fratricidal practice also end forgiving and forgetting the past mistrust, ideology discrepancies and hatred. Let the love of God of Jesus reign in our land as the Nagaland is for Christ. KUKNALIM