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08/30/2006: "GPRN warns against quit noticeSource: The Sangai Express"


GPRN warns against quit noticeSource: The Sangai Express
Imphal, Aug 27: Taking a grim note of the quit notice served by the Khaplang group of NSCN, Govt of the People's Republic of Nagalim asserted that in case of any untoward incident caused either directly or indirectly due to the diktat, the former's leadership and eight signatories shall be held responsible.

In a statement issued to the press today by Kilo Kilonser A Puni, GPRN informed that it is concerned with the safety and security of the tax payers within Nagalim in the aftermath of the quit notice served to a particular tribe, warnings to all apex Naga civil societies, various international support groups and friends of the Naga people.

Consequently the joint council of the Steering Committee and Cabinet in a session on August 21 took a strong decision that in case any undesired suffering is caused by the quit notice to the people the NSCN (K) would be held accountable, added the statement.
Nagaland CM meets Patil
New Delhi, Aug 28: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil a month after the centre extended its ceasefire with NSCN (IM) by one more year.

During his 30-minute meeting with Patil, the Chief Minister who was accompanied by some of his cabinet colleagues, lauded the dialogue the centre was continuing with the NSCN-IM, a home ministry spokesman said.

While extending the ceasefire by a year with effect from August 1, 2006, the centre had promised to move "expeditiously" discussing all "substantive" issues for a lasting solution to the country`s oldest insurgency problem.

The agreement for the ceasefire was signed by interlocutor for the Naga talks K Padmanabhiah and NSCN (IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah.

The NSCN-IM and security forces in Nagaland have been observing a truce since August 1997. The truce has been extended every 12 months since then except last year when it was renewed for just six months at the insistence of the rebels and further extended by another six months in February.

As part of the framework, both sides are understood to have agreed to jointly analyse the Indian Constitution to decide which parts of it will apply with modifications to the Nagas.

In its "charter of demands", the banned NSCN-IM has sought unification of all Naga-inhabited areas of the Northeast, separate representation at the UN, and greater rights over natural resources, finance, defence and policing. Bureau Report

Naga medical student found hung to death at RIMS Kuknalim.com
IMPHAL, Aug 28:: A medical student studying in the fourth semester at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here was found dead hanging in his hostel room at around 3 pm today.

The deceased student is identified as Bwenyhuinlo Thong, 21 years and son of Gwashani Thong of Thesophenyu under Tseminyu sub-division, Nagaland .

Lamphel police station have registered a case and started investigating into the matter.

According to sources, it is presumed that the case might be related to a recent ragging incident at the medical institute.

However, when The Sangai Express contacted RIMS Director Professor L Fimate today evening, he ruled out the possibility of ragging leading to the death of the student.

Nonetheless, he informed that instructions have already been given to all the wardens and student union leaders to furnish the names of the students allegedly involved in ragging incidents so as to take up necessary action.

He further informed that the family members of the deceased would be arriving to pick up the body and the Institute has made the arrangement for the coffin and a bus for the transportation.

A student leader and a staff of RIMS would be accompanying the body to its native place, further informed Prof Fimate. (The Sangai Express)

Naga tea fetches record price Kuknalim.com
GUWAHATI, Aug 28:: 'Naga Tea', produced in Nagaland, have started fetching record prices giving 'Asom tea' a real run for money. In the recent auctions 'Naga Tea' have been attracting record price heralding a new era in tea production of the "industry-starved" state.

The 'Naga tea,' manufactured by Nagaland Tea Factory, have attracted second highest price in Guwahati Tea Auction last week.

Tea auction officials said the spurt in price and interest in Nagaland tea would have tremendous impact on the actual ground. Most of the farmers have shifted towards exclusive tea cultivation in Nagaland instead of mixed crops.

The 'Naga tea' has similar taste and flavour like to Darjeeling, sources said. Farmers in districts like Phek and Mon would soon be competing in terms of quality with neighbouring Asom. (UNI)

Workshop on Naga refugees Kuknalim.com
KOHIMA, Aug 28:: A three-day workshop on internally displaced persons (IDPs) here said dialogues and efforts at accommodation and understanding have complimented conflicts and threatened peace in the region. The workshop, organised by Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group, in collaboration with the Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights, for mass-based Naga civil societies and NGOs, focused on the causes of displacement and arrangements of humanitarian relief for refugees — particularly women and children.

It also discussed the international, regional and national policies on IDPs and aimed at initiating and continuing conversations among peace and human rights activists of the region for co-operation among themselves so as to find means and ways to solve the internal refugees’ problem and to evolve a functioning network of co-operation on the problems.

Stating that the Northeast has long been a theatre of the state versus community discord in South Asia, it said these claims at autonomy by different groups of the region have often displaced quite a large number of people. The workshop expressed deep concern over the plightof IDPs induced by such factors as conflict, development, environmental degradation and government policies relating to land, development and economy.

It said the problems should be seen in a larger perspective and the Centre must seriously and sincerely express its will to resolve the prevailing situation. The workshop dealt with the refugee situation in areas like the Bodo Territorial Council, Karbi Anglong, north Manipur hills and Nagaland. (The Telegraph)

Who’ll police the police? By Aya A. Shimray article Sangai Express
Few months back, I happen to visit the Manipur Riffles Training Centre at Pangei to meet a cousin. I never knew that our police personnel had to undergo such a strenuous training session before finally donning the Khaki. From dawn to dusk, either under scorching summer heat or torrential rains, there’s no question of a let-up. The training has to keep going. One very important aspect of the training session was a special lesson imparted on ‘law’ and ‘morality’. Smoking, drinking or use of any intoxicants could invoke the severest degree of punishment. Discipline and order is maintained strictly…all right under the strict tutelage of the trainers. It gives an immense reason to take pride in the fact that these disciplined policemen would soon come to assist the civil society.
Once out of the barracks, it’s a new breather of life. The following moments were to witness an ordeal of their freedom unleashed. All through their arduous, painful and intensive training, they have longed for this sweet moment. Now donning the police costumes and wielding the most sophisticated weapon, these excited policemen are tempted to believe that law is in their hands.
Manipur is known as the hotbed of insurgency. Nearly 15 insurgent groups are believed to be operating in the State, with most of their bastions/bases located in the valley. So, due to the nature and demand of the situation and reasons pertaining to security perception, the Capital Imphal areas are concentrated with hordes of tough policemen in addition to paramilitary forces and army. To a immeasurable extent, the Manipur Rifles and Police have scripted a history of sort by almost wiping out insurgency in insurgency-infested Manipur. All this far, they have dealt the UGs with an iron hand, employing some of the extreme techniques and toughest tactical approach. They have earned much accolades for their brave deeds and prowess and tactfulness during encounters and C.I. operations. They’re known for leading from the front. It would be just unthinkable for the security forces alone to crack down on the UG network in the state. The Commandos specially are known for adopting clever manoeuvre moves while dealing with insurgents.
Nevertheless, there would be hardly any child in Manipur who doesn’t know about the elite and famous Manipur Police Commandos. They live so vividly in the memories of every child. Not for the gallant feats they achieve during encounters & C.I. operations but for the semblance to the face of terror. A star-studded Police Officer, who until yesterday was every child’s dream no longer remain their role models, their idols. Till yesterday, every school kid wanted to become the likes of Romen Kumar Singh, IPS, once termed India’s most decorated police officer. Any no nonsense person could obviously tell the reason for this sharp reversal, shift and transition of a child’s choice and fantasy. Today, the police simply have become an object of fear and terror.
Gone were the days when every mother wanted to marry off their daughters to boys whose names are found in the Commando’s pay-list. They were showered with heaps of praises and hospitality and admiration until one day, their ‘high-handedness’ formed the darkest patch, biggest blot in their good record book. Yes ‘high-handedness’. Ask any bystander along the Imphal city about his impression of the men in Khaki. Each of them would vividly recount instances of ‘high-handedness’ and ‘street-smart’ behaviour of our police.
Chosen, trained and called to duty to assist and protect the civil society, they are often found wrongly flexing muscle upon the innocent civilians. We may never be found wanting for the instances of police ‘high-handedness’ and acts of callousness. Not at least in Manipur. We are already starting to expect a section of our society who will soon rise up against our own police setup. They are the innocent victims of arbitrary and inhuman police actions. Just how many youths of one locality are thrashed, gun-butted, molested and terrorized in search of one fugitive insurgent? Just how many mothers have seen their innocent sons beaten to death for mere reason of suspect and mistaken identity? Just how many sweet and sound sleeps of our children have been woken up by horrific sound of gun-battles? Just how long will the many dreams of our youngsters be roped, plucked from its bud? Just how many precious lives have been lost in cross-firing? What an uneasy Manipur! What an insecurity! Just too many reasons for the innocent citizens to bow down before them; not for respect but for fear.
People talk of terrorists and terrorism. It is really difficult to differentiate who are the real ‘terrorists’ in Manipur. The insurgents who are fighting against the Govt. forces? Or the state police who go about inciting fear psychosis and inflicting terror in the minds of the innocent civilians. They dubiously call themselves the guardian of law and defender of the defenceless. The ordeal must end there. Lest the situation be misread as military junta.
For a state where insurgents rule the roost, it becomes a pre-requisite for the state machinery to act. Thus it becomes a pre-rogative for our police to conduct search operations and even combing operations. Once they take orders, they tend to take the law in their hands, forgetting the most important aspect of their duty. Respect for humanity. Many a times, even the innocent and helpless children, old and aged and women become victims of their heartlessness and atrocities. This is not in the exclusion of the fear psychosis they unleash on the innocent civilians. Without any respect for one’s personal freedom, they go about grilling everybody, labelling any nervous and frightened people as ‘suspects’. They adopt this terror tactics because they believe they can hammer out the truth, at least some vital facts about the person. So going by that parameter, anyone who stammer and shiver in fear have the strong point of being thrashed, boxed and gun-butted and land in Police stations.
In Manipur, it is a common fact that once a person land up in Police station, whether he’s right or wrong, the release order is not passed until one is bashed up black and blue. It is little known whether our policemen ever watch police videos of the highly disciplined Police Depts. in US, UK and European countries where even the most dreaded killers, absconders and terrorist have their rights to be arrested decently. Unless prompted, they never use such terror tactics as adopted by the Manipur commandos. Our commandos cannot just go about doing what Israel Police do to a rebellious Palestinians.
Manipur is a multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society. Thus, we have a major junk of our state population especially the tribals living in the hills districts who have problem communicating with the Manipuri. Whenever they are waylaid, frisked and interrogated, their simple ignorance of the dialect and stammering is taken as a suspicious indication, thus ending up getting nice bashings from the smart commandos.
The morality of our police forces have many a times being brought under the scanner of doubt. There have been instances where many innocent and defenceless women are made victims of molestation. Our women just dare not pass through the policemen on duty alone as they’re known for eve-teasing which are often accompanied for offensive, vulgar, indecent and provocative comments. Third degree torture, leading to custodial deaths have become a common thing and on rise. High handedness of our Police have once again exposed some months back when the security guards of a high ranking police officer beat up mercilessly a pharmacist, prompting a huge commotion. There is not a single passed away in Manipur without instances of the infamous personnel of the Commandos, the IRBs, the MRs and Manipur Police swooping down on the innocent population for mere and unwarranted reasons. Occasionally, they themselves bear the brunt of their own brutality.
Recently, there was an uproar over the third degree torture of a trainee by its trainer. Few years back, even our revered super cop Romen Kumar Singh, IPS was involved in beating to death an NCO. The super cop was accordingly suspended. So when even our most respected IPS officer could show such low-profile example of ‘might is right’, where do the fate of the innocent people stand? Leave at the mercy of ‘kick-happy’ Commando Karate students and ‘boxers’? Definitely, such sub-standard policy and technique is no more applicable in our modern times.
Those special classes on ‘Law’ and ‘Morality’ during training seem to be made for the training period only. They seem to know nothing about the law of the land nor morality. If a day were to dawn when corruption is wiped off totally from our society, it would have been a tormenting life for the Manipur policemen. One wonders why inspite of their decent salary, our cops are so obsessed with money and women. Come evening, its one sweet moment where they can make their purse little thicker, going about collecting money from vendor to vendor.
A simpleton was right when he thought and thought and finally comes up with a brilliant answer that the money the police collect each time from hotels and eateries were neither Govt. tax nor fines. So what if the hotel owners refuse to pay? Land up in Police Thana along with everyone present in the hotel. To avoid being dragged to Thana for fear of the consequences, one has to part dearly for a hefty amount. People talk of the menace of corruption and ways of putting a halt to its conflagration. But can we even think of stopping this inferno of corruption from further proliferation if our police who are suppose to nab and nail corrupted people go about being the backbone it? Can we trust the men on top when its periphery itself is found rotting?
Surely, our police setup starting from a rifleman to the top echelons of police rank and file symbolizes the face of a demoralized force. They have been found lacking just too much of civic sense, moral values and ethics. Time and again, we have seen that they have little or no respect for human dignity, women and children. More than just the job, uniform, prestige and decent salary, our policemen definitely need to indoctrinate in themselves respect for human values. And yes, a certain level of decency.

Nagas urged to solve political conflict Sentinel
MAO GATE, Aug 28: Insisting that the Naga Hoho, the apex Naga organization has no inclinations or favouritism towards a particular faction, Naga Hoho president Bendangmayang Jamir today called upon all Nagas to come together and use their wisdom collectively to hammer out a solution to the Naga political conflict.
“This is the finest opportunity to seek a solution and we cannot afford to miss this opportunity”, the Hoho leader said while addressing a mammoth gathering of Nagas from various parts on the occasion of Naga Unification Day. He was referring to the ongoing political dialogue between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM). “We respect all freedom fighters but we request all to see the reality”, he said adding, “the time has come for us to think deeply”.
Also asserting that ‘we can fulfil the aspirations of our Naga brethren’, the Naga Hoho leader insisted that Nagas have to live under one administrative umbrella as ‘We are one family’. Also asserting that the youth are the backbone of the society, he called upon the youth to come forward and shape Naga history.
Thousands from various parts of the State participated in today’s programme, organized by the Memai Council under the aegis of the United Naga Council. Naga Unification Day was earlier observed as ‘Martyrs Day’.The gathering observed two minutes’ silence in memory of the five who laid down their lives during the ‘No Tax Campaign’ on August 27, 1948. (Agencies)

Shadow development for puppet state The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Aug 28: Manipur had a better economy than most of rest of India before the state was annexed by the latter immediately after Independence. However, Manipur`s economy has now fallen considerably even as India`s economy has come to a stage where it can compete emerging trends of the world. This was stated by UCM president K Langamba at the foundation day celebration of the United Peoples Front Manipur held today at the MDU, Imphal. The UCM leader also alleged that politicians, bureaucrats and officials of the state have become in name only without any commitment or will as result of which Manipur has become one of the worst state in the country. These leaders and bureaucrats simply follow instructions from their higher commands despite knowing the fact about the real sufferings of the people, Langamba added.

Manipur`s economy could surge if people are allowed to live like an independent nation as in the past, Langamba observed and maintained that people of Manipur can compete the emerging trend of the world once the people got freedom. Suppressive policy of the government of India has make the people dull and that is why people of Manipur continue to suffer, he said.

The UCM leader also appealed to the Manipur government to check influx of outsiders into the state, claiming that the number of outsiders have overtaken total tribal population thereby creating much fear amongst indigenous people of losing identity and culture.

If this influx is not checked, the indigenous people will be reduced to minorities in their own state, Langamba observed and called upon all the civil society organizations and NGOs of the Northeast region to unite on the issue for the sake of future generation.

In his presidential speech, Advocate Y Devadutta said the indifferent attitude of the government of India towards the Northeast region have deprived people of the region even as the country is surging towards development. While alleging that colonial policies and programmes of the government of India have separated indigenous people of the region, Devadutta also charged that government has been trying to link leaders of civil society groups with underground elements. It was 29th Foundation Day for the United People`s Front (UPF), Manipur and it was held at the MDU Hall, Imphal. Several prominent leaders of civil society bodies like Joy Nongmaithemcha, advisor UPF, Kh Ratan, founder president UPF, K Taruni of Nupi Samaj, Ema Sakhi of AMKIL, Ema Momon of Tammi-Chingmi Apunba Nupi Lup, Th Mangi, incoming president UPF were members of the presidium at the function while Dr Lokendra Arambam and Professor C Priyoranjan of Manipur University were resource person. On the occasion, the UPF also honour some persons for their dedication to the betterment of the society.



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