03/12/2007: "Counting of votes today Kuknalim.com"

Counting of votes today Kuknalim.com
Dimapur, MAR11 [NPN]: With the counting of votes to the by elections for the Dimapur-I and Tuensang Sadar-II assembly constituencies beginning on Monday, various speculations are doing the rounds with regard to who will emerge as the winner out of the total of nine candidates who were in the fray on March 8.

In Dimapur, there were five candidates in the fray. By and large, the common speculation is that it would be a tight fight between NPF candidate Atomi Zhimomi and Congress candidate Aheto V. Yepthomi. The ballot would certainly include a very large and determining factor of bogus or proxy voters in the 17,000-odd voter's list. Both sides would benefit out of the proxy votes but it remains a matter of debate as to who would get more of these votes.

On the other hand, there are those who also expressed their considered opinion that the BJP candidate Kevise Angami could well be the dark horse in the race. Sources disclosed that the BJP candidate could benefit from the division of votes among the proxy voters. It was also disclosed that Kevise had the secret backing of some powerful section in the ruling DAN coalition.

In Tuensang Sadar-II, the speculation is that the main contest would be between Congress candidate Kejong Chang and Independent candidate Mrs Lakiumong, wife of then sitting BJP legislator Lakiumong. All these speculations would be put at rest when results are declared by Monday evening with the eventual winners becoming the elected MLAs of the respective constituencies till February 2008 when the general elections will be held as scheduled.

HSLC exam begins today amidst ANSAM ban in hill districts The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Mar 11: State authorities here are all set to face any disturbance likely to come up at the examination centres of the High School Leaving Certificate, HSLC Exam beginning from tomorrow as the All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM) has announced a ban on holding of examinations under the BSEM in the four Naga dominated hill districts of Manipur.

"All necessary arrangements including security for the HSLC examination, 2007 has been made particularly in four hill districts (Senapati, Tamenglong, Ukhrul and Chandel), said A Naba Singh, deputy secretary, of the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur. Earlier, ANSAM announcing their ban on the holding of examinations had warned the controllers of the examinations, DCs, SPs, ZEOs, principals/headmasters/headmistresses of the examination centres, OCs and invigilators that they would be solely held responsible for any untoward incident arising out of violation of their imposed ban. A total of 23,228 candidates will be appearing in the examination in 79 different centres including 53 private centres and 26 board centres. The number of students appearing in the examination is approximately 1000 less than the previous year.

All necessary arrangements including security for the HSLC examination, 2007 has been made, the deputy secretary BSEM reiterated disclosing that special security measures are being enforced at some sensitive examination centres, located in the hill areas to prevent disturbances.

Nine centres have been designated as sensitive, including those at Senapati, Noney, Tamenglong, Ukhrul, Somsai, Phungyar, Pallel, Komlathabi and Chandel centres, the official informed.

District authorities had also promulgated restrictions on the gathering of five or more persons and bearing of deadly weapons in and around the periphery of all the examination centres under section 144 CrPC of the IPC enforced in the state. Another reliable source said that the state government has also decided to detain those persons apprehended on the charge of disturbing the exam under NSA. It may be mentioned many students from the hill districts of Manipur who got admission at NBSE schools could not appear in the examination held in the first week of February as they were threatened by the cadres of NSCN(K). The examinations at Nagaland were also reportedly held under tight security following the threat from the outfit.

Several private educational institutions in the four hills districts had introduced NBSE curriculum in the academic session 2006-07 due to mounting pressure from some NGOs favouring integration of Naga inhabited areas of Manipur to Nagaland. Since affiliation to another state board is not allowed for such schools, many students of these schools appearing in the HSLC examination 2007 have opted for enrolment at various schools in Nagaland mostly in Kohima and Dimapur for the purpose.

Let us be constructive to construct our house- Nagaland Post Opinion
The movement of the Nagas for independence was started by our fathers under the leadership of Phizo and others and all of the pioneers are gone but the movement is still being pursued and yet to be concluded in a befitting manner. The Naga National issue is between the Nagas and the Government of India and it should be focused till it is resolved.
In 1956 the Federal Government of Nagaland was formed which embraced all Naga people and it had political talk with the Government of India but it had come to a fiasco. Now, sadly speaking, we have several factional Governments and the divided house has so many Presidents, so many Secretaries, so many Kilonsers, so many Generals and so many leaders but all are factional leaders.
They claimed themselves to be National leaders but each one is attached with the name of his faction. One sovereign Government was split into several sovereign Governments and each Government exercises its sovereign power as a result, clash is inevitable among them.
Many of the factional leaders are highly intellectual and capable men whom our people can be proud of. But they engage themselves in factional quarrel and each faction is proud of its victory over its rival whenever clash takes place. Factional fighting is not a national matter but is a fractional matter.
So the more they engage themselves in factional conflicts, the more they belittle themselves or make themselves in low profile. It is a loss to them and to the people. Factional clash has no value but it is a childish matter. Human nature is weak, so it is a thing not to be surprised at but turning deaf sears to the persistent appeals and request of the public and the Church for decades to satisfy their own anger and hatred is a sign of moral and spiritual bankruptcy. Our people are not concerned about factional matter but our people need to focus on the Naga National issue to bring about a solution.
A word of peace and reconciliation from the mouth of any ordinary man or any leader irrespective of professions and organizations is precious and will be highly valued by all sober men and women and even by generations to come. Naga public wants every body to be a prosperous National leader. So, be a National leader instead of being a factional leader by accepting the appeal of the public and the Church before too late. Better opt which is good and valuable in the interest of the people. Let us be constructive to build the house.
Rev. L. Suohie Mhasi.
4 Reconciling differences in Nagaland (COMMENTARY) © 2007 Indo-Asian News Service
At an intense workshop at Tufts University in the Boston area last week, one of the strongly debated topics was the whole concept of transitional justice: broadly explained, whether nations have a 'right' to inflict on a smaller country, a weaker population group or dissenting segment, their concept of what constitutes justice or justify even violent actions to achieve results in their favour. It's essentially a-winner-take-all scenario, where the victor does and can do no wrong. And largely this is a scenario that emerges in a country's post-independence era or after one in which a country has been dramatically reshaped by internal change and political events, such as the restructuring of the Soviet Union and the emergence of Russia.
That is why, despite all of India's failings and shortcomings, the many laws which intimidate people and brutalise them, the acts of omission and commission by the state and its agencies, it is good to remember that we are not alone and also that it is inconceivable of a body like parliament or even a state legislature having the kind of debate that the Russians had.
But how do we deal with issues that defy normal piecemeal solutions, some of which the Indian state is good at cobbling together? These are often ad hoc settlements that often are not sustainable in character because while they may be good in law they often do not address the core of the issues. Let us take the question of Nagaland and of the Naga demand, as reflected by the NSCN or National Socialist Council of Nagalim (as one group designates the land of Nagas), not for sovereignty but for Nagas to live 'under one administrative roof'.
Such a demand is understandable since it has been there for decades, whether we like it or not. This has been a consistent demand from the Naga leadership and in black and white since the 1960s, the time of the Memorandum of Agreement between some Naga leaders and New Delhi leading to the formation of the state. Not all the 16 points in the memorandum were agreed to by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, including this very demand (he suggested that discussions on the territorial issue be postponed to a later date - but he did not reject it out of hand). But they cannot be avoided especially since the 1964 ceasefire (yes, there was one as far back as that!) between the federal government of Nagaland and New Delhi covered those hill districts of Manipur that the present Naga leadership wants in its 'Nagalim'.
It should be noted that the federal government of Nagaland was represented politically by the Naga National Council, which later split and led to the formation of two NSCNs, one under Thuingaleng Muivah and Isak Swu and the other under S.S. Khaplang. Talks were held at the level of then prime minister Indira Gandhi and the issue fell under the jurisdiction of the ministry of external affairs before it was transferred to the home ministry. So there is a certain history that we cannot deny.
But let us not just focus on this alone. These are weighty issues to be decided by our 'national' leadership (although little can be done without the clearance of the security-military apparatus) and the Naga 'collective' leadership of Muivah and Swu. However, there is a major catch - since the Nagas are not homogenous (there are 16 tribes in Nagaland alone and about twice that number overall), the I-M faction has been fiercely challenged by the Khaplang group. There have been gun battles and fights without number between the two groups while the Indian Army remains in barracks and the local police mute spectators.
Nagaland government leaders say the fighting is not a 'law and order problem but a political problem'. I have rarely heard more baloney. Granted that the Indian state is probably patronising the Khaplang group and wants to extend the ceasefire ad infinitum while wearing down the negotiating faction, the fighting raises an issue that cannot be glossed over - the internal, acute and abiding divisions among them. How are these to be overcome?
The question is: can a peace or a peace accord last if there are such bitter divisions? How can these conflicts be reduced? Can there be a political settlement before reconciliation, assuming that the latter is required?
Many speak glibly of having something along the lines of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of South Africa for Nagaland and parts of the northeast. We would do well to remember that the TRC came after the dismantling of apartheid and the installation of Nelson Mandela as president.
We cannot have a mere duplication of that process: our conditions are different and perhaps even more complex. But some form of conciliation is clearly required and that is what a group of Naga church elders told Muivah and Swu in a marathon discussion at their camp last month near Dimapur, the commercial capital of Nagaland. The church group and others had strongly criticised the rival faction for issuing a virtual death threat to members of the Tangkhul tribe to quit Nagaland. The Tangkhuls are the tribe of Muivah and they are located in Manipur's hills; significantly, the NSCN(I-M) is dominated by this tribe and many cadres are based in Nagaland.
What really irked the Naga leadership was the call by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council for Tangkhuls to speak out against intimidation and pressure. This is drawing an interesting response for it shows how deeply divided the Nagas remain, on ideological, organisational and, to a degree, even tribal lines. Unless the two sides (read Muivah and Khaplang groups) stop their conflict, there is little hope of a long-term sustainable settlement. There is wisdom in two sentences that I will quote here because they are acutely relevant to the situation there.
One is from Nelson Mandela to his old friend and comrade Mac Maharaj, about overcoming the desire to avenge decades of suffering - 'Let it go'. He was talking about letting go of bitterness, a powerful tool for destructive change in a wounded society that needed healing.
The other is from Cecilia, a 60-year-old refugee from Congo, who has been displaced by civil war and has lived in a refugee camp for 20 years: 'There is no peace without forgiveness.'
Can the warring factions rise above their differences to realise a future in Nagaland without hate and violence, enabling the real work of rebuilding a society fractured and bloodied by decades of conflict and fear? Justice, dignity and honour cannot be based on retribution but on restoration and rehabilitation. (Sanjoy Hazarika is a columnist and author and runs the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, which has initiated innovative approaches to healthcare and governance in the region. He can be reached at sanjoyha@gmail.com)
BJP to present Subba expose CD to LS Speaker By IBNlive.com
New Delhi: Calls for the termination of Congress MP from Assam Moni Kumar Subba's membership from Parliament are increasing after CNN-IBN's investigation revealed he may not be an Indian citizen, and hence not eligible to be a member of Parliament.

A BJP team, armed with a CD containing CNN-IBN's investigation, is calling on the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, urging him to take action.

BJP spokesperson V K Malhotra has written a letter to the Speaker on the issue saying that investigative journalism has helped being the Subba issue to light.

He has said in his letter that the Speaker should go over the facts and hand over the case to an investigative authority. Subba is being accused of being a Nepali citizen. But the suspicion over his nationality has not stopped him from becoming a Congress Member of Parliament from Tezpur, Assam. The Supreme Court, hearing a case that has challenged his status as an Indian, has given Subba time till April 20 to prove his Indian nationality.

Over the years, there have been reports that Subba was, in fact, a murder convict in Nepal, and he was imprisoned from 1971 to 1973 before he escaped to India. CNN-IBN's investigation revealed that Subba had repeatedly lied about his birthplace and had claimed to have studied in a school before it had even been constructed. After settling down in India, Subba set up a successful gambling and lottery business, systematically erasing his Nepali past. He even managed to get elected to the august House of Parliament, not once but twice.

For at least 16 years, Subba brazenly snubbed allegations that he is not an Indian. CNN-IBN’s Special Investigation Team had obtained letters from the Union Home Ministry, which show that the Government itself has suspicions about Subba’s nationality. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed three reports on Subba’s nationality, but has found no “conclusive evidence”. "In absence of any evidence regarding the birthplace or year of birth of MK Subba, no final view could be taken about his nationality," the CBI has told the Supreme Court, which on January 19 asked the MP to prove his citizenship.
Indonesian troops arrive at Mizoram Correspondent Nagaland Post
SHILLONG, Mar 6: A team of Indonesian soldiers comprising two Lieutenant Colonels, a Major and selected soldiers has arrived at CIJW School in Vairangte, Mizoram for a joint exercise with their Indian counrterpart. Welcoming the troops which arrived yesterday for the counter insurgency training, Commandant of the CIJW school Brig. Rakesh Mohan Painuly emphasized on the importance of joint training with foreign armies.
He also stressed on the Indian Army's doctrine for Sub Conventional warfare which has been released recently and emphasized on the concept of 'Iron Fist with Velvet Glove', which implies a humane approach towards the populace at large in the conflict zone. This also entails use of overwhelming force only against foreign terrorists, while affording full opportunity to indigenous misguided elements to shun violence and join the mainstream, he added.
The Brigadier reminded the soldiers that people constitute the 'centre of gravity' of such operations and winning their hearts is central to all efforts during conflict management and resolution. Incidentally, Indonesia had experienced two of the ugliest terrorist attacks at Bali, which killed a number of people, mostly tourists. In their endeavour to fight terrorism, the Indonesian government deputed a team of selected soldiers to get training in one of the Indian Army school. The troops will be in Mizoram till March 28.
Blockade paralyses rail-road traffic in Bodoland districts Nagaland Post
Kokrajhar (Assam), Mar 11 (PTI): Rail and road traffic in Lower Assam's Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) were paralysed today following the 12-hr blockade called by Bodoland Peoples' Progressive Front (BPPF) led by its Chief Hagrama Mohilary. Official sources said here that all to and fro long distance trains were stopped or regulated at several places while road traffic along National Highway 37 was also blocked as picketeers squatted along railway tracks and roads.
The blockade was called in protest against the Delimitation Commission's proposal to dereserve Kokrajhar Parliamentary Constituency and also to demand a parliamentary constituency Scheduled Tribe reservation status to newly constituted Udalguri district. More than 800 protestors courted arrested during picketing and barring a stone-pelting incident at Rowta, no other untoward incident was reported, sources added. Meanwhile, security was tightened in the entire region and patrolling along tracks and the National Highway was also intensified.
Declining border trade cause for concern Kuknalim.com
To arrest and improve the declining trend in Indo-Burma border trade, traders from Burma are keen on a conducive environment in Moreh, a trade centre in India's border state Manipur and its adjoining states. They also cautioned that trade between the two countries in Moreh will come down drastically once the trade points in Mizoram and Nagaland in northeast India come into being.

A trade delegation from Burma comprising traders and officials during their maiden visit to Indian states in the 12 years of trade between the two countries, voiced this sentiment. U Aye Ko, Secretary of Union of Myanmar Border Traders Chamber of Commerce said that between April 2006 and January 2007, there were 76 days of disruption in border trade with Manipur. He said that if disruptions are frequent, traders on the other side of the border would have to opt for other more lucrative trading points. He warned that border trade should not be neglected. Talking to Mizzima, he said, "If the situation does not improve trade might go to others Indian border states like Mizoram or Nagaland".

In a brief interaction before he and his colleagues left Imphal for Guwahati, he also highlighted some of the proposals that were made in regard to border trade. Among them were choosing Manipur, Assam and Mizoram as partners in border trade, and to increase the number of exchangeable items from 22. "Myanmar traders are now trying to export betel nuts as part of normal trade so that trade can be promoted by exporters and importers registered with the Union bank and have import-export code numbers and occupational chances. Traders should not depend on brokers," he said. Sharing a similar view, U Hla Maung, President of the same Chamber of Commerce said that the Burmese delegation's visit aimed to promote Indo-Burma trade by focusing on development of border and cross border trade.

"Myanmar being an agro-based country, import of fertilizer is the need of the hour. So we are requesting Indian traders to propose trading of fertilizer not only as a trade item but as support for development of Myanmar's agricultural sector," he said. The demand for India made fertilizer is very high in Burma. Indian traders are expected to share the problems faced by their Burmese counterparts. Some Indian traders said that they are ready to draw the attention of the Indian authorities in Delhi to consider the issue so that special permission could be granted to traders for export of fertilizer to Burma.
"After their trip, we have decided to request the government authorities to do the needful," said O Ranjit, an Indian trader. PC Lawmkunga Principal Secretary to the Manipur State Commerce and Industries Department is also likely to extend necessary help to traders from both sides. Before leaving Imphal, the 32-member delegation will call on the Dr S S Sidhu, Governor of Manipur and Jarnail Singh, Chief Secretary of the state. The 10-day trip of the Burmese delegation is being organised by the Indo-Burma Border Traders Union in association with the Department of Commerce and Industries, Government of Manipur. [Subhaschandra M, Mizzima]

BPPF(H) blockade hits train services From our Correspondent Sentinel
KOKRAJHAR, March 11: The 12-hour railway and national highway blockade called by the Hagrama Mohilary faction of the Bodoland People’s Progressive Front (BPPF) demanding reservation of Kokrajhar and Udalguri parliamentary seats, and Dudhnoi, Boko and Choiduar LACs and reservation of 10 of the 14 LACs in the BTC for ST disrupted train services and running of vehicles in the highways.
All the long-running trains have been controlled at different railway stations. The Down 2433 Rajdhani, Dn 2505 North East Express and Dn 5960 Kamrup Express were rescheduled at the Guwahati railway station. The 5647 Up Dadar Express and 5959 Up Kamrup Express were detained at New Alipurduar railway station. The Up Rajdhani and 4056 Up Brahmaputra Mail were detained at New Coochbehar railway station. The BG passenger and Intercity Siphung train were detained at New Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar railway station.
In Kokrajhar station, local MP Sansuma Kungur Bwismuthiary and BTC member Jamuna Rani Brahma led the blockade. Over 2,000 picketers belonging to BPPF (H) and Ex-BLT Welfare Society blocked the railway line at Gossaigaon Railway station. Similar blockades were also reported from Bijini, Bongaigaon, Salakati, Fakiragram and Kairabari railway stations.
The picketers also gathered at the highway blocking roads at Srirampur, Gossaigaon, Serfanguri, Patgaon, Karigaon, Bijni, Simlaguri, Barama, Sufarighat. Though no untoward incidents were reported from any parts, police court arrested some picketers, including BTC executive member Singharam Boro from Bijni. Police also arrested over 3,000 picketers from Supharighat and Kairabari, 500 from Simlaguri. On the other hand, the picketers pelted stones at a vehicle hired by police at Rowta which resulted in the arrested of 25 activists.
Three most-wanted ultras killed in Tripura gunbattle Sentinel
Agartala, March 11: At least three underground militants were shot dead and arms and ammunition were recovered by the Assam Rifles in Tripura's West and North districts respectively in separate encounters in the last 48 hours.
Police sources here said today's fierce encounter occurred under Khowai sub-division of West District when the 11th battalion Assam Rifles and state police team, led by the Khowai SDPO, launched a special anti-insurgency operation.
Heavily armed tribal guerrillas started firing at security forces between Maukhadui and Tuihachim area.
The AR jawans and other police personnel retaliated, killing two hardcore rebels on the spot. Other members of the group, however, managed to escape in the dense jungle. Later, during the search operation, security forces recovered a Chinese-made pistol and a powerful grenade from the spot.
Security forces have also launched combing operations to nab the fleeing militants, sources said.
In another incident yesterday, the 36th battalion of Assam Rifles, led by SI Rana Chatterjee, shot dead a Bru Liberation Front of Mizoram(BLFM) cadre in an encounter at Asha Para under Kanchanpur sub-division of North District.
Police said the AR jawans launched a special anti-insurgency operation, acting on a tip off that a number of militants took shelter in the area. When the security forces arrived at the spot, BLFM rebels started firing on the AR jawans from a hut close to a Reang refugee camp. The fire was immediately retaliated by the AR jawans killing one Gandhi Reang on the spot. The other members of the group managed to escape. Security forces recovered one countrymade pistol, one 9mm revoler and two rounds from the spot. Two persons have been detained by the AR jawans in this connection, sources added. Among the two people shot at by miscreants late Friday night at separate places in the state, the president of the Kuki Inpi, Manipur, Saikul division in Senapati district died while the other, a Congress worker, sustained injuries. Police reports said that the president of KIM, Saikul division namely Yamthang Haokip under Saikul police station was shot dead last night at Saikul Bazar.(UNI)

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03/12/2007: "Counting of votes today Kuknalim.com"