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03/21/2007: "NSCN-IM’s peace recipe for Government‘ Naganation.com CNN-IBN"

NSCN-IM’s peace recipe for Govt‘
THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE NAGA ARMY EVEN IF THEIR SET UP IS DEMOCRATISED’ Naganation.com CNN-IBN

CAMP HEBRON: Nine years of talks with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim or NSCN (Isaac-Muivah) have yielded nothing, but now the rebel group has made an offer that has revived hopes for peace. The NSCN (I-M) faction has submitted a proposal to the Centre and asked it to democratise its federal set up. This proposal to solve the Nagaland problem was revealed to a CNN-IBN Special Investigation team at the NSCN (I-M)'s Camp Hebron.

The NSCN (I-M) peace offer states that India and Nagaland will be inseparable but under a special federal arrangement. The rebels are clear that the Naga Army will manage state law and order, while Foreign Affairs, Currency, Banking and Defence will remain with India.

"India and Nagaland remain inseparable entities. Two nations bound together with that special agreement but with respective identities," said NSCN (I-M) leader and self-styled General V S Atem. "Even in foreign affairs-ok, primarily you run the affairs but then whenever there is an issue affecting the Nagas, there the Nagas must represent themselves," Atem added.

"We don't hesitate to tell Indian leaders. Yes. We have confidence in the Indian currency," he said.Brigadier Phungthing, the Chairman of Ceasefire Cell NSCN (I-M), emphasised that the Nagas want their separate army.

"Our leadership has made it very specifically clear that there will be a Naga army, because the people of Nagaland are the right people to defend their land," Phungthing said.

However, the Khaplang faction of the NSCN, the NSCN (K), opposes the peace talks. In the last four years, clashes between the two factions have claimed 200 lives.

"We have had no kind of struggle with them. Why this thing has happened is because the Government of India’s way of looking at the Naga issue, trying to use them, thinking that by using them they would utilise us or weaken us," Phungthing said.

So while the Nagas talk of a federal government, the question is - is the Government of India prepared to examine the idea of federalism in an imaginative and contemporary manner? If not, then the hidden wars in Nagaland may never end.
NSCN-IM reiterates peace and unity call ‘The real Battle is with Delhi and Rangoon’ The Morung Express
Dimapur, March 20 (MExN): Stating that the “K and NNC peoples” are not the enemy but Delhi and Rangoon, the NSCN-IM today reiterated its call for reconciliation and unity “yet there is no basis for reconciliation and unity so long as active support of Indian Military and intelligence agencies is solicited.”
In his “27th Republic Day” message, chairman of the NSCN-IM Isak Chishi Swu pointed out that the real battle is with Delhi and Rangoon: “On the question of reconciliation, I see it as a temporary phenomenon. Our real problem lies beyond K and NNC peoples. We know they are not our enemies. Our battle, both political and military, is not in Nagalim. It is covertly orchestrated in Delhi and Rangoon and transported to our towns and villages.”
He stated that the NSCN-IM is “simply” asking “our Naga brothers” to severe all ties with the Indian forces and intelligence agencies and made clear that as long as the agencies’ services are being used there can be no reconciliation as such. “NSCN truly supports the move for reconciliation and unity within the Naga family yet there is no basis for reconciliation and unity so long as active support of Indian Military and intelligence agencies is solicited. This is the reality Nagas cannot turn a blind eye to.” He stated that ignoring this fact would tantamount to going against the very principles that Nagas stand for. “This is the crux or the problem. We reaffirm again that NSCN is for peace and reconciliation but unfortunately our good gesture is being exploited, nevertheless, even as we encounter these practical challenges, we shall listen to the rational voice of our people” he assured.
Asserting that the NSCN-IM firmly stands for the integration and unification of Naga areas, Swu made clear that artificial boundaries created to suppress the right of the people must be removed. “This is not our creation, the GOI masterminded the division of the Nagas into many Indian states and therefore it is the responsibility of the GOI to address this issue boldly. For us there is no bigger or smaller Nagalim. The land which our forefathers inherited is unmistakable. The great desire of the Nagas to live in peace and harmony with its neighbors is our wish and that is our commitment” he asserted.
Acknowledging God for sustaining the Naga nation through the many challenging decades and enabling them to wither the worst of political storms, Swu reminded that the greatness of any nation is determined not just by the glorious pages of its history but it is the ability of a people to cope with the challenges at a given time and situation.
On the ongoing peace process with the Government of India Swu admitted that it has had its share of uncertainties “but we are proud to acknowledge the fact that NSCN has been more than a match for our mighty neighbor.” “We hold crucial advantage over the GOI because our negotiation is based on the principle of two entities, recognition of unique history and situation of the Nagas. We pursue the workable solution that will fulfill the aspiration of the Nagas while also respecting the interest of India” he stated.
On the term “factionalism”, the NSCN-IM chairman stated it is used by the Indian media “to mislead the people and to undermine the Naga issue.” “I wish to point out that NSCN is not a faction. It is the organization having political talks with the GOI at the Prime ministerial level. It is representing the Nagas in the International arena and recognized by the international community. True revolutionaries must be differentiated from enemy agents in the guise of revolutionaries. Clear distinction must be made between those who fight for the righteous cause of the Nagas and those claims to fight for Nagas but dwell in Indian Army camps. Nagas have given their mandate to the NSCN and this is our strength” Swu opined.
Appreciating the contribution of Naga civil societies for their constructive role in the cause Swu termed them “good partners of the people”. “I acknowledge the role played by church in being the spiritual guide to the Naga political aspiration. I appeal to my Naga brothers and sisters to retrospect on our past and take firm decision on the present and reason together to decide the future of Nagalim for it is the most precious gift of God to the Nagas on earth. Let God be proud of the decision of the Nagas. We are for Him” he concluded his message.
No unification with ‘terrorist organizations’ :NSCN (K) Holds church, organizations responsible for agreements The Morung Express
Dimapur, March 20 (MExN): Holding the Church and ‘NGOs’ responsible for the 1963 16-point Agreement, among others, NSCN-K president SS Khaplang today in a press statement made clear that his outfit would never unite with the “terrorist organization” even for the sake of peace and unity.
In his speech on “28th Republic Day” Khaplang stated that the GPRN stands for sovereignty of Nagaland and for any civil organization attempting to persuade the NSCN-K “with the nutrients of the terrorists to thwart the Naga cause,” the “gates shall remain closed.”
“The people’s organization will not deflect Naga peace and unity but at the same time, it will not compromise nor unite with the terrorist organization for the sake of peace and unity; there will be no peace and unity with the terrorists and without a political unity and vision no unification is unity but an invitation of embittered bloodshed or Jihad (holy war) in the language of the anti-Naga forces” Khaplang stated.
Khaplang also held responsible the church and civil society for the political events that took place in the transitional decades: “The church and NGOs were responsible for the 1963 16-point Agreement, the 1974 RGN (sic) surrender and the signing of the 1975 treacherous Shillong Accord” he stated while cautioning that the church and the ‘NGOs’ must no longer play with the “hurly-burly temptations to freeze or confiscate the political dictionary of the Naga sovereignty.”
According to the NSCN-K chief Nagas have undergone bitter experiences of the “Indianization traumas” by the architects and representatives of India who forms, he stated, the ‘so-called government of Nagaland through undemocratic elections conducted by backings of millions of Indian Armed forces.’ Since the church and Nagas exist outside the Indian constitution, they must not play second fiddle against the patriots but “fix” the aggressor united.
Also while thanking ‘all the Naga NGOs and international civil societies for showing patience in supporting the Naga cause ad help it, he also cautioned against endangering the “legitimate existence of the GPRN.”
“There were also highly intensified and so-called Nagaland state sponsored NGOs whose gravity of mistakes has extremely and intensively endangered the legitimate existence of the GPRN (NSCN). However, the peoples Government of Nagaland will prove it to time and history that we Nagas cannot be fooled or duped to lose” he assured.
On the ongoing political dialogue with the Government of India, SS Khaplang made clear that no “unwanted teams” should be around. “The GPRN once again reiterates that there will be talks with India but only when India clears the ground then keeping the unwanted teams. The fact is, no occupational countries can continue beating around the bush but endorse legal politics to solve the Indo-Naga-Myanmar political crises” he stated.
He pointed out that the GPRN has both its feet spread in India and Myanmar and “our governance” cannot be challenged by any presumptive standards of forceful military ‘implication.’ The NSCN-K entered into a bilateral ceasefire with India in April 28, 2001 with a broad-based policy to retain Naga sovereignty through political dialogues, he stated. He reiterated that it has yet to enter into a political dialogue with India. But if need be, I would uniformly work out various diplomatic policies as christened in the Naga plebiscite of May 16, 1951, he stated.
The NSCN-K will face the challenge thrown at it, Khaplang also assured. While saluting the achievements and sacrifices made by ‘millions’ of Naga patriots who paid a ransom for the cause, the NSCN-K assured its commitment to first contain all anti-Naga and terrorist detriments.
After this, spell out the voice of sovereignty with a united voice “compounded by guts and grits to attain.”
“I have not seen my patriots shrink in timidity and will not see it till victory is won and that Nagaland for Christ must be ordained in all the hearts of the Christian Nagas. Together we have a future and that future is a sovereign Nagaland for Christ” he stated. He offered his salutations to the Nagas who had made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause.
Yes, ‘Peace is Possible’ in Nagaland The Morung Express
DIMAPUR, MARCH 20 (MExN): A few years before the turn of the century, a few conflict resolution experts foretold that conflicts around the world would centre on tribal and ethnic lines. Bringing this into relevance at Dimapur today during the ‘Peace is Possible’ seminar organized by the Nagaland Social Forum under the aegis of NBCC and Christian Auxiliary for Social Action, Dr Wati Aier put up five points to address as challenges for peace in Nagaland.
He campaigned for the need to correct misconceptions and to reduce fears for reasonable discussions to take place, out of which “rational bargaining becomes possible.” “Misperception is stronger, more dangerous than bullets,” he quoted a retired Indian Army General as saying during a previous meeting. In the Naga context, negative misperception plays heavier than the positive, he added.
Outlining the need for understanding the cause rather than only focusing on the effect, Wati said, “Nagas cannot live on relativism; the truth has to surface.”
His third challenge was to open lights of communication by winning trust and by being faithful to duties. The ‘ontological finitude’, which seeks to propagate that all have fallen instead of pointing the finger on others, was also sought to be put into practice. To define the term he elucidated on how a perception is created “when you say Sema, Lotha, Ao…”
He put forward the proposal for the Church, peace forums and councils, or in other words the Naga intelligentsia comprising of not only the educated but those with ‘wisdom’, to come together to (re)define ‘sovereignty.’
NBCC General Secretary, Rev Zhapu Terhuja, reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to healing and reconciliation. “The NBCC is convinced that the wounds must be attended to.” The Church also believes that “spiritual dynamism” should not be downplayed. It has sought feedback from the people on the contents of the booklet it had earlier circulated.
Discussions followed as people from various districts, including those from the grassroots, expressed their views. The seminar, currently underway at IMC Hall, concludes tomorrow.
‘Nagas not optimizing Information Act’
DIMAPUR, MARCH 20 (MExN): Nagas have yet to grasp the full knowledge in application of the Right to Information Act, State Information Commissioner Rev Dr W Ponsing today said at a seminar in Dimapur. Making reference to truth and transparency in governance through information-seeking, he buttressed the need for all to make use of the RTI Act to weed out corruption and other malpractices in different departments of the State.
Informing that the Nagaland Information Commission would soon be launching a website where details of various departments would be posted, he said that before the coming into existence of the Act, information was demanded by only the Leader of Opposition.
He said several persons seeking information were making wrong application procedures and that the commission was assisting them.
When confronted with irregularities, write applications to the Public Information Officers of departments, he urged and updated that several applications have been received. Till date one case had been ‘finished’ with.
Not in his capacity as a commissioner, but as an informed citizen, he said the RTI would have an indirect impact in the Naga freedom struggle if people keep themselves informed.
Keen to hold the government accountable for its actions, several participants put forward questions to learn more about the Act.
Governor underscores peace, development Karaiba Chawang The Morung Express
Kohima The Opposition Congress may resort to hard talk in the following days of the budget session in its defence, but State Governor, K Sankaranarayanan, speaking in tune with the ruling NPF-led DAN Government appears to have sidelined the Congress contention that factional feud is a law and order problem and not political, as he admitted today that factional clashes are political in nature, and requires tact and diplomacy, rather than use of brute force to deal with it.
In his maiden speech to the 14th session of the tenth Nagaland Legislative Assembly today, Sankaranarayanan said that his government is pained by the spate of factional clashes and killings amongst the insurgent groups that have had a cascading effect on the developmental process.
However, Sankaranarayanan reassured the house that the State government is fully aware of, and, is committed to the duty of maintaining law and order, while upholding the proclaimed DAN government’s policy of equi-closeness to various groups and of playing the role of a facilitator to the peace process.
Given the nature of the political problem on the table of peace parleys, the Governor also said that the civil and police administration are working tirelessly to cut through the constraints to keep developmental processes on.
The Governor also thanked the churches and civil society for acting out a proactive role and in voicing their concern over disruptions to peace and in taking steps to minimize mindless violence. He made a call for peace and harmony amongst all section of people in the state, and to take to dialogue and discussion as the only methods of resolving long standing conflicts.
“Honourable members, the agenda of the government rests on the slogan ‘peace for development and development for peace.’ My government is resolute on this slogan becoming a reality”, the Governor said.
The Governor spread his 15 pages speech with the programmes that has been implemented, and the programmes that are in the offing. He touched upon almost all the departments ranging from health issues, transport and roads communications, industries, music, sports, employment, education, women issues, power, water etc.

Governor told the house that on account of ceasefire and prevalence of peace in the state, the economy of the state has shown a healthy trend of growing at 8.55 per cent. He also disclosed that per capita income today is estimated at Rs 21,002, which is slightly higher than the national average.
The food grain production has crossed 4 lakh MT and is anticipated at 4.36 lakh MT during the current, the Governor also said.
Although, almost all major industries seems to have slept in the state since several years back, the Governor also noted that manufacturing sector has been growing at 6.22 per cent and secondary sector at 8.18 per cent, which he termed it as ‘heartening’. “Thus my government has taken giant steps in vitalizing industrial atmosphere in the state which has suffered serious set back with the Supreme Courts’ ban on felling of trees in 1996-97 leading to the closure of wood based industries in the state”, the Governor added.
Coal has also been indicated as one of the potential sector for development in the governor’s speech. About 11 million tonnes coal reserves has been proven in the state.
With the prevalent of 1.5 percent, HIV/AIDS problem is another cause of deep concern, said Sankaranarayanan. However, he said that NACO is launching its 3rd phase of control programme with overall goal to halt and reverse the epidemic over the next five years by integrating programs for prevention, care support and treatment.
Governor also said that the ‘new found relationship between the NGOs, churches, civil societies, Hohos and other bodies will be forged into permanent tie for more effective and more responsive governance.
“Drinking water in the state, however, remains a major problem despite the abundance of rain for one half of the year”, Sankaranarayanan said, while stating that standard of a society are known by the quality of potable water afforded to the common man. He assured the house that the state water policy is under evolution for finding lasting solution to the perennial drinking water scarcity afflicting the state.
The day was adjourned for Thursday by the speaker after obituary reference, and motion of thanks on the Governor address by Deo Nukhu, MLA, which was seconded by newly elected MLA, Atomi.
Governor also mourned the demise of Lakiumong and Dr Hokishe Sema and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family of IRB personnel killed in Chhattisgarh, at the same time welcome the newly elected members, Atomi and Kejong Chang to the august house.
Naga organisation condemns vandalism of buses There should be no language, script barriers NagaNews (Newmai News Network)
IMPHAL : The Naga Peoples Organisation (NPO), Senapati District has said that there should be no barriers for the transporters in plying through Senapati district just because Meitei Mayek is used on their number plates and elsewhere in the vehicles.

Issuing this statement to Newmai News Network today, NPO president M.Dilli said no one would be allowed to destroy or damage vehicles under the jurisdiction of the NPO and appealed to transporters to feel free while travelling along the National Highway 39. The NPO strongly condemned the act of damaging/destroying tourist buses along NH-39 under its jurisdiction and urged the concerned and competent authorities to book the culprits involved in 'vandalising' passenger buses.

"The Naga Peoples Organisation (NPO) looks forward to prevent the recurrence of such untoward incidents under its jurisdiction in the larger interest of the different communities in this part of the land," assured the NPO statement. The NPO president said transporters should be free from the language and script barriers and that anybody can travel with the languages of Naga, Meitei, Kuki, Japan, China English and so on. NPO said that some unidentified miscreants had damaged tourists buses under Senapati district few days ago just for displaying Meitei Mayek on their number plates.

The Naga talks move along Nagarealm.com
Even though a final resolution looks remote, the Naga peace negotiations have proceeded with hope – and the clear indication of outside help.

The Indian government and a frontline Naga rebel group have now been engaged in peace talks for nine years, continuing an attempt to end one of Southasia’s longest-running insurgencies. Since the August 1997 ceasefire between New Delhi and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland faction headed by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah (known as the NSCN-IM), the two sides have held around 50 rounds of negotiations.
During talks in a plethora of European, South and Southeast Asian venues, the two sides have discussed the insurgent group’s key demand of a separate Naga homeland. While New Delhi has tried to work out a solution within the ambit of the Indian Constitution, the NSCN-IM has pushed for the unification of all Naga-inhabited areas in India’s Northeast into a single politico-administrative unit.
Every time the Indian negotiators and guerrilla chieftains met, time would be spent on charges and counter-charges of truce violation before the ceasefire was finally extended. The extension would invariably be for one additional year – except for once, this past January, when the NSCN-IM agreed to only a six-month extension, seeming to indicate looming roadblocks in the peace process. Because of this history, the initial news out of Bangkok on 30 July, that New Delhi and the NSCN-IM had agreed to make the nine-year-old ceasefire irrevocable and ‘coterminous’ with the peace talks (meaning they would end at the same time), caused a stir among jaded observers. An Indian newspaper reported from Bangkok that the two sides had agreed on a “broad framework”, whereby they would jointly “analyse the Indian Constitution to decide which parts of it will apply, not apply or apply with modifications to the Nagas.”

When the Bangkok talks ended the following day, however, the truce had been extended, again, by just another year. Nonetheless, Indian leaders were pleased with the very notion of the ceasefire being made coterminous with the peace talks having been introduced. Oscar Fernandes, Manmohan Singh’s chief appointee on the negotiations, explained after the meeting that, “Such a suggestion of the truce being coterminous with the peace talks had come from the Nagas themselves. They have now withdrawn that offer, but a one-year extension is fine with us.” Some senior NSCN-IM leaders appeared to have convinced General Secretary Muivah not to go for the long ceasefire; but where the suggestion had originated in the first place, and that it found favour with both Muivah and New Delhi, was what was significant.

Kreddha connection
There is some speculation that the ‘coterminous’ formulation, along with some other apparent interventions in the past few years, has been the handiwork of a third party that is mediating or acting as a facilitator in the peace talks. It is thought that the idea actually began with one Michael C van Walt van Praag, the Dutch executive president of a Netherlands-based NGO known as Kreddha.

Kreddha is also said to be behind the ‘broad framework’ to define the relationship between the Nagas and the Indian government. This framework provides for demarcating subjects or ‘competencies’ to be managed separately by the Indian government, by either dispensation in Nagaland or jointly by both. The NSCN-IM is pushing for a separate Constitution, while New Delhi wants to work out a solution within the ambit of the existing Indian Constitution. Kreddha’s involvement in the peace process has led to speculations as to whether the Indian government has relaxed its stance against third-party
or international mediation on domestic issues.

But who is Praag, and what is Kreddha? The latter describes itself as committed to the “prevention and resolution of violent conflicts between population groups and states”. The only Indian member on its council is Nirmala Deshpande, a former member of the Rajya Sabha and president of the Gandhian Harijan Sewak Sangh. Praag himself is a former general secretary of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO), a global umbrella body of groups seeking self-determination. It was during his tenure in the 1990s that the UNPO passed a resolution condemning the Indian and Burmese governments for their military action against the NSCN-IM.

Kreddha’s involvement in the Naga talks first came to light in December 2005, when Kraibo Chawang, the NSCN-IM’s deputy information minister, told journalists that his group and New Delhi had agreed on “third-party mediation”, and that Praag was going to be the “pointsman”. The NSCN-IM’s official stance was altered, however, when R H Raising, NSCN-IM’s home minister, was quick to explain: “Michael Praag has been associated with the talks since 2001, but no decision has been taken officially yet to have him as a mediator. But I must tell you that he is a well-wisher of the Nagas and a good friend of both our group and the government of India.” Chawang had, perhaps, prematurely disclosed what had been meant to remain a secret.

New Delhi denied that Praag had any role in the peace talks, although it did take a full four days for authorities to react to the media coverage. Oscar Fernandes declared that “the question of appointing a mediator does not arise”, but he did not respond to the claim by Chawang (and backed by Raising) that Praag had been mediating unofficially since 2001. Chawang has been quoted as saying that Praag’s “contribution towards salvaging the peace process has been acknowledged by both” the NSCN-IM and New Delhi.

What no one in the Indian establishment is commenting on is the relatively open admission by Kreddha about its role in the negotiations. “Kreddha is quietly and confidentially facilitating negotiations between the leaders of a major armed independence movement in a country in Asia and the government of that country,” the organisation noted on its website in January 2006. “[Kreddha] has facilitated the first and all subsequent meetings between the prime minister of the country in question and his representatives and the leaders of the self-determination movement.” It is clear which country in Asia and which self-determination movement is being referred to.

No Naga unification
The circumstances and questions of capacity aside, that Kreddha became involved in the negotiations at all was due to the fact that New Delhi and the NSCN-IM have been unable to agree on a framework for a possible solution. Then-Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda’s unorthodox initiative in 1996, when he handpicked opposition Congress leader Rajesh Pilot to cajole the NSCN-IM leaders into agreeing to a truce, is largely responsible for whatever progress the Naga peace process has made to date.

It is possible that the process that Gowda and Pilot set in place has now succeeded in convincing the NSCN-IM to reframe its demand and look for an arrangement that could bring the Naga areas in the region under a common administrative mechanism. This could also be why in recent years the NSCN-IM has pushed for the integration of the Naga-inhabited areas in India’s Northeast into the state of Nagaland, and to bring the entire stretch under a single administrative unit. At that time, New Delhi would not have known the extent to which the political forces in Manipur, Assam or Arunachal Pradesh would go to prevent parts of their respective states from being merged with a greater Nagaland.

It soon became clear, however, that altering the existing boundaries of the northeastern states was nearly impossible. The June 2001 uprising in Manipur against the extension of the Naga ceasefire to that state, for instance, ended with police killing 18 protestors. The Meiteis, Manipur’s majority community, concluded that extension of the Naga truce outside the state of Nagaland could be the first step towards loss of territory to Nagaland. On 6 August 2004, weeks after suspected NSCN-IM rebels locked into a gun-battle with police in Assam’s southern Karbi Anglong District, the state legislature adopted a resolution to block Assam’s borders from being redrawn as part of a possible deal with the insurgents. The fighting followed attempts to evict some Naga families who had settled in Assam along the Nagaland border, allegedly with the backing of the NSCN-IM.

If the possibilities of either an independent homeland or a unified Nagaland are out of consideration, though, what can be a possible solution? There are still a few possibilities available. First, dual citizenship of the kind suggested by some for Kashmiris could be established for the Nagas, as well as greater devolution of powers, although this has been rejected in the past by the NSCN-IM. Second, Nagaland’s administration could be brought under the External Affairs Ministry, something that New Delhi proposed long ago. Third, New Delhi could take a fresh look at an option that Indira Gandhi is said to have agreed to examine back in 1966 – a protectorate status for Nagaland, although the Naga National Council rejected the idea at that time. Finally, Swu, Muivah and other NSCN-IM top guns could simply be installed as government leaders to run the affairs of the Nagas in accordance with the Indian Constitution. Before this would happen, a deal would need to be struck that would give the Nagas maximum autonomy, some sort of economic independence, and provide for proper rehabilitation of NSCN cadres – essentially the model that New Delhi used to clinch the deal with the rebel Mizo National Front in Mizoram in 1986.

But the question arises as to whether any deal with the NSCN-IM is actually going to solve the Naga problem. Is the NSCN-IM, after all, the sole representative of the Nagas, reflective of Naga opinion in its totality? The other NSCN faction, the Khaplang group (NSCN-K), which entered into a truce with New Delhi in April 2001, also considers itself a major player in the Naga insurgency theatre. If the NSCN-K could have been easily ignored, as some suggest, influential groups like the Naga Hoho, the apex Naga tribal council, would not have worked so relentlessly to unify these two insurgent factions towards a permanent solution. The road to lasting peace in Naga country remains thorny, to say the least. The third-party facilitator, if in existence, would know that best. [WASBIR HUSSAIN, himalmag]

Nagaland demands SEZ under Look-East policy Financial Express
KOHIMA, MAR 20 : Nagaland on Tuesday urged the Centre to set up an SEZ along with a software technology park around Dimapur, the state’s commercial hub, as part of the Look-East policy.
The policy could turn this remote state into a gateway between India and the emerging economy of Asean countries, Governor K Shankaranarayanan told the assembly on the opening day of the Budget session. Proper implementation of this policy could convert the hitherto geographical handicap into an advantage, he said. The Governor asserted that the construction of the much-awaited East-West highways up to and along the eastern border with Myanmar, would serve not only as the trade route with Asean countries but also as a highway for patrolling the sensitive international boundary to check.

Protests against Nagaland sanctuary encroachment Assam Tribune
KOHIMA, March 20 – Protestors – students and villagers of Zeliangrong Naga tribe, yesterday demonstrated before the Nagaland Assembly here demanding removal of encroachers from Ntangki National Park in Peren district.

The protestors demanded that all encroachments from the park should be removed to save the green belt from further depletion and ‘random killing’ of widlife be put to a halt.

The demonstrators, who assembled under the aegis of All Zeliangrong Students’ Union, were protesting against alleged inaction by the government despite ‘continued encroachment’ of the park for past couple of years.

The protestors also demanded evacuation of encroachers from Dhansiripar sub-division, in Dimapur district, asserting that the encroached land traditionally belonged to the Zeliangrong community. The Nagaland Government declared a vast tract of green foliage, endowed with rich bio-diversity in the area, as Ntangki National Park in late 70s. The sanctuary is spread over Dimpur and Peren districts. – PTI

ULFA sets up bases in Arunachal Pradesh: Govt PTI Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Government on Tuesday said the ULFA has set up some bases in Arunachal Pradesh to facilitate their movement.

"According to reports, ULFA has some presence in few areas of Arunachal Pradesh. Reports indicate that they have established temporary camps/hideouts to facilitate their movement," Union Minister of State for Home S Regupathy told the Lok Sabha in reply to a written question.

He said the Government has taken several measures to deal with the activities of ULFA which include declaring the outfit as "unlawful association" under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and declaring the whole of Assam and its 20 km belt with Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh as a "disturbed area".

It also set up a Unified Command Headquarters to coordinate the operations of the security forces and intensified counter-insurgency operations against the ULFA, Regupathy said.

Motion for AFSPA removal defeated in Manipur The Morung Express
IMPHAL, March 20 (PTI): A private member’s resolution to urge the Centre to repeal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958, now in force in Manipur, was defeated on the floor of the Assembly.
The resolution was moved jointly by former chief minister Radhabinod Koijam (NCP) and RK Anand and I Ibohanbi (both Manipur People’s Party) on Monday in the Manipur Assembly.
Raising the motion, the three opposition members also produced copies on the report of the B Jeevan Reddy committee which had been set up by the centre to review the controversial act in the light of the alleged human rights violations in Manipur by security forces.
However, contents of the report were not read out. Speaking on the issue, Koijam observed that the AFSPA had been inherited from the British colonial regime and used by authorities to suppress any movement for self-determination after Independence.
The transformation of the AFSPA and its confinement in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir showed the total negligence and step motherly treatment of the people in these regions by the central government, Koijam said.
He said that under the shadow of the act, people in the region had been living under fear and repression amidst innumerable human rights violations.
He also blamed the state government for its failure to withdraw the act from the state and asserted that insurgency problem could be solved only through political dialogues and not by using brute force.
Several other opposition members also supported the contention of Koijam and demanded withdrawal of the AFSPA from the state. Participating in the debate, Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh said the Congress-led Secular Progressive Front (SPF) ministry had no intention of prolonging the AFSPA in Manipur but due to deteriorating law and order situation, the state government was constrained to enforce the AFSPA in the state.
Ibobi Singh said AFSPA would definitely go if the situation improved and reiterated that the state government alone could not tackle the burning insurgency problem.
Later the motion was put to vote by speaker Sapam Budhichandra and was defeated by a voice vote on Monday evening.
BJP demands white paper on ULFA talks The Morung Express
GUWAHATI, March 20 (Agencies): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh has asked Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to come out with a white paper on ULFA-Government talks and the expenditure incurred by the Government at the time of the National Games. Demanding the ruling Congress to make its position clear on the issue of resumption of talks with the banned outfit, State president Ramen Deka on Monday said before mediapersons that the people had a right to know why the peace talks had not taken off despite there being a government of the same party both at the State and the Centre.
Calling upon the Government to keep in abeyance the exercise of delimitation, Deka said that the exercise without updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and resolving the problem of illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis, would go against the interests of the indigenous people in the State.
Deka said that the Congress Government had failed on several fronts including appropriate utilization of central grants. “ The Congress Government had come to power riding on promises to boost the pace of development in the State. But the wheel of development has got stuck, with the government’s outstanding loan increasing to Rs 17,437 crore,” said Deka.
The State president further said that it was a miserable show on the part of the Government when it came to utilization of the amount of Rs 3500 crore that came from the Centre. “ The State government had not even utilized 60 per cent of the grant,” rued Deka.
Criticising the Rs 2836.28 crore deficit State budget, Deka said that the government had made itself a laughing stock by reducing taxes on items like cashewnut, afforded by a rich man and increasing taxes on the common man’s livelihood sustenance like bamboo and supari.
Pointing that the dismal power scenario, poor road communication, agricultural backwardness, etc were indicators of the failure of the Government, Deka said that in 2004-05, Assam ranked 28th in terms of its performance and its position was further relegated in 2006, as it stood at the 29th position in the State Score Card. Deka observed that to ensure development in the State, there was a need for a single window system.
The party has decided to approach the Governor on the issue of a single window system in the State.
On the other hand, Deka castigated the Congress Government for not giving due importance to women welfare. “ The 1991 census showed 21.6 per cent of women in employment, the 2001 census showed the percentage going down to 20.7,” informed Deka.
Deka said that the party had demanded of the Centre to grant ST status to Koch Rajbonshi, Moran, Motok, Chutia, Tai Ahom and Tea tribe at the earliest.
China’s infrastructure build-up rings alarm bells in NE Kuknlim.com
NEW DELHI, Massive infrastructure work by China bordering the vulnerable North East coupled with is hike in defense budget and diplomatic initiatives surrounding the region has rung alarm bells among the analysts...

China has a massive build-up in the Tibetan plateau bordering India. The Qinghai-Tibet railway, which is operational up to Lhasa, is now being expanded to the Nepal Border. This is coming very close to and pointing like a dagger to India's vulnerable chicken neck area near the Sikkim-Nepal-Bangladesh-Bhutan junction, analysts feel.

This will enable China to attempt to cut off India's North East from its mainland in case of conflict leaving the Indian forces in that region stranded. In peace time, China can flood Indian markets with its cheap Chinese goods.

China has in the last one month officially hiked its defense spending by 17.5 per cent to about $45 billion this year. Many security analysts across the world estimate that the actual spending is at least 2 to 3 times more than that totaling nearly $100 billion per year.

The long-term plan is to make sure that there is a firm foundation by 2010 for the planned second level of modernisation to begin from 2010 onwards and lasting up to 2020 when China plans to transform its forces from largely manpower based armies designed for the battlefields of the century. But at the same time, its forces would be capable to engage in hi-tech adversaries in short duration, high intensity conflicts.

Many analysts are under the impression that the rapid build-up of the Chinese forces is aimed at making sure that Taiwan does not declare independence. While this is largely true, it will be a fallacy to assume that the Communist giant has no other motive.

On the West, China has built a fully metallic highway capable of carrying Battle tanks, Armored personnel carriers and other heavy equipment linking Lhasa to Urumqi and Kashgar at its frontier with Central Asia. It has also setup a listening post in Aksai Chin.

India Defence says that the Indian response of upgrading the Daulat Beg Oldi outpost in Ladakh with advanced communication equipment is not adequate because the PLA is capable of deploying up to two divisions on the Ladakh front at short notice taking advantage of the Lhasa-Kashgar highway.

Forget about adjacent North East, all big cities and security installation are within the target of the Chinese missiles.

China is also already expanding its presence around the Indian peninsula. China which had all weather relationship with Pakistan has wooed Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and down below as far as Africa. Now India is virtually ringed by states, which have a favorable disposition towards China.

The Communist country also has long pending border dispute with India and is claiming almost whole of Arunachal Pradesh.

On India's part, its defence spending is largely flat in this year's Budget. There is concern among many analysts that it is too little for a country with two hostile neighbours straddling almost its entire length of Western and northern frontiers and at the same time facing serious problems with so many failed or failing states around it.

Several North Eastern states, specially Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, have also expressed concern over China's massive infrastructure build up right on the border. On the other hand they are dismayed on almost negligible work done on this side of the frontier.

This might lead to serious discontent among the local population, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Geogong Apang had said on several occasions. Former Sikkim Chief Minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari has also expressed similar feelings and was way of the next door neighbor even if India opens up its trade and transit routes. (Agencies)
Fencing on Indo-Myanmar border mooted The Morung Express
New Delhi, March 20 (UNI): There is a proposal to start fencing on Indo -Myanmar border in Moreh area of Manipur State in an area of approximately 10 kms, the Lok Sabha was informed today. However, the work of fencing on Indo-Myanmar border could not be started as the border with Myanmar is yet to be completely demarcated in the area proposed to be fenced, Minister of State for Home S Regupathy said in a written answer.
He said some instances of attempt of infiltration from across international border have been reported. However, since the activities took place clandestinely, the realistic figure of illegal immigration could not be determined. The Minister said the Indian border with neighbouring countries was effectively manned by the Border Guarding Forces, which kept continuous vigil on the borders through observation posts, regular patrols and joint patrols with Army.
Other measures adopted to check illegal immigration inter alia include construction of fencing, flood lighting and protective bunds, conduct of special operations, upgradation of intelligence set up of the respective Border Guarding Force, use of night vision devices and augmentation of strength for patrolling duties.
Press Council to assess ULFA threat to scribes By A Staff Reporter Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, March 20 – The Press Council of India has constituted a three-member committee to assess, on-the-spot, situation in Assam following threats to the media by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). The assessment committee, comprising Hiranmay Karlekar, KSS Murthy and Geetartha Pathak, will gather facts and submit a detailed report to the Council.

The committee will tour Guwahati between March 26 to 28. The Press Council has requested media persons to meet the committee in the Circuit House, Guwahati on March 27 and 28.

Arunachal to approach Centre for lifting AFSPA Assam Tribune
ITANAGAR, March 20 – The Arunachal Pradesh Assembly has resolved that the State Government should take steps to approach the Centre for the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from the state.
Acting on a private motion moved by Wangling Lowangdong (independent), the House yesterday adopted the motion incorporating the suggestion of Chief Minister Gegong Apang.

The motion said the House was of the opinion that the State Government should take steps to approach the Centre for the removal of the anti-terror law. Moving the resolution, Lowangdong said the Act was promulgated in September 1991. The people of Tirap and Changlang districts had suffered for 16 years and were craving for peace, thus rendering the law irrelevant.

Moreover, there was a global movement against the Act and the UN Committee for Racial Discrimination had asked the Central Government to replace it with a more humane law, he said.

The Justice Jivan Reddy Committee, constituted by the Centre to study the law, had visited both disricts of Arunachal Pradesh in April 2005 and recommended its repeal. Moreover, when there was no law and order problem, the Act should be lifted, he pleaded. Several MLAs supported the move. However, the Chief Minister said the Act promulgated by the Centre could not be lifted by the State and suggested that the State could approach the Centre for its repeal. – PTI