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05/11/2007: "We’ll take up crude arms for protection – Kohima youth to UGs The Morung Express"

We’ll take up crude arms for protection – Kohima youth to UGs The Morung Express
Dimapur, May 10 (MExN): Exasperated of drunk and “spoiled underground” cadres openly showing off their weapons in public and firing them, a peeved Kohima Village Youth Organization today strongly warned that the village and its youths would take to arms to protect the village and area. Vehemently expressing resentment at a firing incident on May 4 near Don Bosco School, Kohima the village’s youth strongly warned of own action to curb the menace. If such incidents happen again, the village and its youths would resort to even crude arms to protect the village, a note from the organization’s president Khrietsolie Whuorie stated.
“Lately we are witnessing many spoiled underground sepoys loitering in and around Kohima in inebriated state openly showing off their weapons in public” the youth organization took note.
The organization simply derided the act of the “trigger-happy” cadres “playing with guns,” resorting to blank firing in public is “just to make a show.”
The May 4 firing had created high tension amongst the villagers, the organization lamented. It warned that if such happens again, the village and its youths would take the matter in own hands and take up whatever crude weapons they have, to protect the dignity of the village.
NSF pledges to uphold indigenous system of restorative justice The Morung Express
DIMAPUR, MAY 10 (MExN): Delegates of the 22nd Naga Students Federation conference today pledged to respect, uphold and strengthen the indigenous system of restorative justice and in transforming conflicts for the greater good. The delegates who converged at Robvedzu to reaffirm its brotherhood took solemn pledge to uphold the spirit of “Nagaism”. Stating that the village tradition, ethos and decorum gave the Nagas its unique identity, NSF pledged to preserve and strengthen self rule of village republics and to live in respect of the elders. Also affirming that the wealth of the Naga Nation was the product of good health, enterprise and industriousness of its people, the delegates pledged to uphold workmanship and struggle and toil for prosperity.
The conference also pledged to nurture and preserve the God-gifted land, forest and resources of the Nagas ‘without which, they could not protect the Naga culture.’ The pledge also stated that it resisted policies of nations and agencies that ‘attempt to undermine Nagas’ relationship with Mother Earth. The students would also take courage to work for harmony and reconciliation through healing of the spirit in family, hearth, village, the tribe the Naga nation and in the community of nations. With the firm belief that the future belongs to the the student, the NSF pledged to undertake to be involved in the shaping of a collective destiny for a place of pride and dignity in the community of Nations
Youth a critical part of conflict-resolution – Naga Hoho The Morung Express
Dimapur, May 10 (MExN): In every political conflict, it is the youths who bear the brunt of the conflict and vulnerable as they are have a contribution towards a solution. The ongoing Indo-Naga peace talks is the finest opportunity to reason, says the Naga Hoho.
Addressing the second day of the 22nd Naga Students’ Federation’s general conference at Punanumei, Mao, today, Naga Hoho president Bendangmayang reminded the youths of the need to reason. “In every political conflict, the youth community is often the more vulnerable group and they often face the brunt of the conflict” he said. For this, it is time to think deeply on the Naga political issue if a last solution is to be had. The Naga Hoho chief challenged.
He also opined that the Naga political struggle is not merely a “war” for free existence from oppression and exploitation but as much to assert the citizens’ political rights and liberty enjoyed from time immemorial. “It s a struggle for assertion of rights that were usurped during the transfer of British power; the people cannot denounce their rights and their struggle, is the verdict of the people” he stated adding that the Naga political issue is a problem needing a scientific “proofing.” “I would like to remind all the youths that the political talks is one of the finest opportunities to reason together and contribute for its (solution),” Bendangmayang said. “No great nation can achieve real peace and honor without the involvement of its youth” eh reminded.
He also acknowledged the contribution of the NSF to many fronts of lives of the people and the state. Mrinoy Teron, presiden of the Sumindar Karbi Amai, also addressed the conference. He stated that the Karbi people and the Nagas have ever maintained cordial relationship based on the principle of peaceful co-existence. He called for understanding and respecting each others’ feelings for a prosperous common future of the two peoples.
Highlights of the second day included a cultural programme. Maharaja of Tripura Kirit Pradyot Manikyadeburman also unveiled the NSF monolith at Makhri Rabu.
NSCN (K) flays rival, Sumi bodies Correspondent Nagaland Post
KOHIMA, MAY 10 (NPN): The NSCN (K) has alleged the Indian Security Forces of using its rival faction as "spies" in North Cachar Hills district of Assam against it.
Senior NSCN (K) leader Kughalu Mulatonu, in a SMS to this correspondent, said this NSCN (I-M)-Security Force nexus has been conveyed to the Ministry of Home Affairs at its ceasefire meeting in New Delhi on April 22. The outfit has also asked Neiphiu Rio's DAN Government to stop providing police vehicles and IRB uniforms to the NSCN (IM). Accusing its rival for preparing "undercover game to surrender to India," Mulatonu said "In politics talking is strategy but too much talking is nonsense in seventy rounds of talks in ten years IM is self explanatory that the so called talks, formally and openly declare India's assurance to fight the NSCN."
Calling upon the Nagas to uphold Naga Sovereignty with political uniformity, the NSCN (K) leader further asked the Nagas to join hands for the glory of "Nagaland for Christ" and enjoy the fruit of NSCN (K)'s one year bilateral ceasefire with India. It may be mentioned that the outfit has extended Ceasefire with the Government of India for a period of one more year.
On the April 22 inferno at Dimapur, Mulatonu said the incident was only the beginning and the worst was in store for the "nomadic" and "refugee" Tangkhuls.
He said, Sumi Hoho and Sumis have realized the "pre-threats of Miyas n Tangkhuls" in Nagaland for Christ and asked other tribes to follow suit.
"Western Sumis, who have been the umbrella for Tangkhuls must wake up from their slumber and remember that NSCN (K) will be there sooner than expected to save Nagaland from being the haven for Miyas and Tangkhuls," Mulatonu added. He further warned the Nagas of a Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia-like condition at the present juncture where the NSCN (IM) was headed towards surrendering to India. Meanwhile, taking a hard stance against the alleged reconciliatory approach of the Sumi Hoho (SH) and Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) towards the April 22 Wungram incident, the NSCN (K) has said both the hohos cannot claim to represent the Sumi tribe if they continue to protect "terrorists by condemning the Sumis."
"Sumi Hoho and Western Sumi Hoho have not been mandated by more than 400 Sumi villages to tender an apology nor make peace with the terrorists-Tangkhuls. And the immediate reactions of the terrorists at Chumukedima towards Sumi youths have defined the creations of Sumi Hoho and Western Sumi Hoho," said NSCN (K) deputy kilonser (PR & NGOs) Yimto Yimchunger in a press release. Yimto said it was the bounden duty of SH and WSH to protect the integrity of the Sumi people, who had "taught a lesson to refugee Tangkhuls who were temporarily camping at Purana Bazar without legal documents," and added that since SH and WSH had failed in their duty, Sumi people should ban the two organizations.
"The constitution of Sumi Hoho has never been framed to tender apology or make peace with "Miyas and Tangkhuls" and hence, they should resign or become full-fledged members of the IK terrorists," he added. The NSCN (K) deputy kilonser also said tribes like the Sumis, Aos, Tenyimias and Changs would be held responsible and answerable to the future generation for "providing shelter and economic muscles to Tangkhul terrorist to destroy the Naga politics."
Questioning the integrity and legitimacy of NGOs, Yimto said NGOs such as Naga Hoho should mind their own organizational business rather than taking bribe from the "IK terrorists and Neiphiu Rio to destroy the originality of the Naga political movement."
He said it would be "extremely foolish and anti-Christ" on the part of any NGO or churches to demand or work for peace for the "IK terrorists" since every Naga knows that the rival faction would ultimately surrender to India.
"When NSCN and Nagas did not even dare recognized the so-called IK-GOI talks, how the NSCN can unite with the terrorists to surrender to India or be declared as a terrorist organizations?" he asked. He further cautioned Naga NGOs to "stop playing and prostituting with the proposals of NBCC." "NBCC betrayed NSCN for a decade, took NSCN leaders' letters and threw it into the IK-terrorists' dustbin, what can the Nagas expect from this missionaries who uses the Bible to lie to NSCN and God?" Yimto added.
NSF takes fraternity pledge Correspondent Nagaland Post
ASUFÜ MAO, MAY 10 (NPN): The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) today took a pledge reaffirming brotherhood among the various Naga tribes and to uphold the spirit of Nagaism and preserve its unique identity.
The NSF pledged "to preserve the self rule of our village republics and to live in respect of our elders, to nurture and preserve our God gifted land, forests and resources and to resist policies of nations and agencies that attempts to undermine their relationship with Mother earth, to take courage to work for harmony and reconciliation through healing of our spirits; be it in the fraternity in the family hearth, the village, the tribe, the Naga Nation and in the community of nations, to live in healthful ways and to practice and uphold workmanship and to struggle and toil for prosperity and to carry forward the pledge in letter and spirit for the Unified Lim and Glory of Nagas."
The federation also vowed to uphold the spirit of Nagaism and preserve the unique identity and culture and also respect, uphold and strengthen the indigenous system of restorative justice and in transforming conflicts for the greater good. Moreover, NSF pledged itself to "involve in the shaping of their collective destiny for a place of pride and dignity in the comity of nations."
The pledge, undertaken on the third day of the ongoing 22nd NSF general Conference held at Asufü Mao, was written in seventeen different Naga dialects of the various NSF federating units and administered to all the unit presidents by former NSF president and Tribunal member Achumbemo Kikon. Each unit president read out part of the pledge written in other dialects, which was repeated in English by NSF President Phushika Aomi.
Ibobi wants Rio to hand over suspects Telegraph
Imphal Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has urged both the Union Home Ministry and the Nagaland government to hand over the suspects in the killing of Muheni Martin and Hriini Hubert, now in the custody of the NSCN (I-M). A few suspects in the kidnapping and subsequent killing of the two 10-year-olds of Senapati district are now in the custody of the NSCN (I-M) at its camp Hebron. The outfit is not willing to hand over the suspects to Manipur police.
Martin and Hubert were abducted from the Senapati district headquarters on December 14 last year and their decomposed bodies were recovered from a gorge in the same district on March 27.
Ibobi Singh’s appeal, made on the floor of the House, came after his government’s requests to his Nagaland counterpart to help arrest the suspects drew a blank. Ibobi Singh said Nagaland police also failed to execute arrest warrants issued by a Manipur court against two senior NSCN (I-M) leaders. The chief judicial magistrate of Senapati, N. Kipgen, issued the warrants last month and directed Dimapur police to arrest and produce NSCN (I-M) leaders K. Chawang and A. Puni in court on or before May 14. The two rebel leaders were charged with sheltering murder suspects.
“We are putting pressure on New Delhi and the Nagaland government so that the suspects are handed over to Manipur police. A special police team, led by a DIG has also been constituted to investigate the case,” Ibobi Singh told the House in response to a call attention motion raised by two Opposition members. Before the session began, Ibobi Singh requested an official team from the Union home ministry to intervene in the case and facilitate handing over of the murder suspects to Manipur police. The team led by Mahendra Kumar Batt, joint secretary (internal security), arrived here today to review law and order in the state in view of the Khangabok and Khundrakpam Assembly by-elections scheduled for June 2.

The team met the chief minister at the latter’s office in the morning. At the meeting, Ibobi Singh urged the central team to issue directives to both the NSCN (I-M) and the Nagaland government to hand over the suspects to Manipur police. Raising the case in the Assembly, O. Joy Singh and R.K. Anand Singh, both from the Manipur Peoples Party (MPP), criticised the Centre and the Manipur and Nagaland governments for remaining “silent spectators” when a militant outfit was holding murder suspects. “Hebron is a designated camp set up under ceasefire ground rules. Keeping murder suspects in such camps is in violation of the ground rules. What is the government doing?” Joy Singh asked. But when he suggested that a Manipur Assembly team go to New Delhi to plead its case, Ibobi Singh chose not to respond.
Govt orders three probes in Arunachal Pradesh The Morung Express
NEW DELHI, May 10 (Agencies): Despite its initial reluctance to publicly accept the Chinese incursion in Arunachal Paradesh, the Centre on Wednesday is learnt to have asked the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and the Arunachal government to present confidential reports on the status in the ‘disputed territory’.
The reports are believed to have been submitted on Wednesday evening. DNA’s report on Monday about the incursion raised a furore and the government came under heavy criticism from the Opposition. Officially, the government has not admitted any intrusion, but it has not denied it clearly either.
Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju said there was no incursion and explained that the area in question is “disputed territory”. The state police had sent a report on the matter in 2005 after the Centre asked for it.
The government’s response evoked criticism not only from the Opposition but also from two former foreign ministers. Former defence minister KC Pant was baffled that the government had not come out with a strong denial. Former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha said “this was hardly the way to respond.
There was no statement from the government in Parliament and no response from the external affairs ministry, which should have followed when MPs raised the issue.”
The responses came from the 4 Corps commander, a field army officer, Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt, and Minister of State for Defence Raju. Neither Dutt nor Raju denied Chinese presence in the area in question. However, Sinha went on to add, “the army officials admit the Chinese presence in hushed conversations, but for obvious reasons they will not accept it formally.”
While Dutt’s contention that it was a part of an understanding with the Chinese to share some areas, the same was rejected by security experts and Sinha. Raju’s statement was seen as a watering down of India’s stand so far as the area in its control was concerned.
An analyst and former Indian Foreign Service officer Bhadra Kumar, however, agreed with the term used by Raju. He said, “the two countries are having talks to resolve a border dispute and the statement merely reflects this fact.”
He said a formal statement from the government on the matter would be a serious matter and taken as stating its position. “It would have political and diplomatic implications. Hence there is nothing wrong in the government letting the response come from field officers or other officials,” he said.
Army admits to staged encounter in Assam Agencies
Guwahati, May 10 (Agencies): Admitting that the killing of a youth in Assam last week "was unfortunate", Indian Army officials in Guwahati said on Thursday they have ordered a probe to punish guilty officials involved in the fake encounter.
"The killing of Budheswar Moran was unfortunate," Major General NC Marwah, general-officer-commanding (GOC) of the second Mountain Division, told reporters. "I assure you that the inquiry would be impartial and those found guilty will be punished," he added.
The killing of 24-year-old Moran in an alleged encounter with soldiers of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles over the weekend in eastern Assam's Tinsukia district has led to protests with hundreds of people blocking highways since Monday near Doomdooma, 515 km east of Guwahati. The army had claimed Moran was a "hardcore militant" of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). But locals and family members say that Moran was innocent and that he had no links with any rebel group. The army on Wednesday announced a court of inquiry. The Assam government also ordered an independent probe to investigate the death following the widespread protests.
"The very fact that the GOC admitted to the fake killing vindicates our stand that such state-sponsored terrorism is rampant in Assam in the name of countering militancy," said Lachit Bordoloi, who heads the Manab Adhikar Sangram Samity (MASS), a leading rights group in Assam.
Moran's family members have refused to accept his body, which is still lying at a morgue in Tinsukia. The Indian army, which is engaged in anti-insurgency operations in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, is under fire over frequent allegations of rights violations, torture of innocent civilians and fake encounters while conducting raids.
Earlier this week the army tendered an apology to the Arunachal Pradesh government after over alleged atrocities committed on locals by the army while conducting raids on ULFA bases. Arunachal Rural Development Minister Chowna Mein said villagers were tortured by the army in Lohit district after an explosion triggered by the ULFA killed two soldiers a fortnight ago.
In July last year, the army punished Major Nishant Sharma and Rifleman Sudip Gurung after finding the duo guilty of killing a villager in custody. The military court ruling came after the state government lodged a protest with the army saying the villager, Ajit Mahanta, was shot dead after being picked up by the army on suspicion of having links with the ULFA.
Army authorities were forced to apologise and order a court of inquiry in December after Nipul Saikia, a farmer, was picked up by soldiers and seriously injured while in custody.
Dwarfed States IMPHAL FREE PRESS

One other very serious fallout of the fruitless prolongation of the peace talks between the Government of India and the NSCN(IM) is the a dwarfing of the state authorities both in Nagaland as well as in Manipur. The latest incident in which the NSCN(IM) took into custody the suspects in the murder of two school children in Senapati, Moheni Martin and Hriinii Hubert, and the state governments in Manipur as well as Nagaland helplessly watching (and fuming in the case of Manipur), is a case in point. Ostensibly at the behest of the Ministry of Home Affairs, MHA, the Manipur government had ordered the arrest of certain NSCN(IM) leaders who were holding the suspects, and as per the protocol prescribed by Indian laws, had requested the Nagaland government to execute the order and hand over those named. Nobody, not even lay readers of newspapers, took the news seriously, precisely because it was not meant to be taken seriously. And today, the order has been reduced to a farce as it was expected to. Maybe it was not intentional on the part of the Union government to humiliate the government authorities of the two states, all the same they were humiliated. And this has been carrying on for over a decade now. But this humiliation was evident in the very foundation of the talks modalities itself. For reasons best known to themselves, those who conceived it thought it fit to totally ignore the state governments, and keep it as a bilateral affair between the Union and the NSCN(IM).

So when the two NSCN factions engaged in open warfare in Zunheboto town, terrorising the population, the Nagaland government could do nothing to even provide a sense of security to its subjects other than appeal to the Union to do something, as there was a peace talks going on. In Manipur the NSCN(IM) was openly running a jail in Ukhrul, and like in Nagaland, the Manipur government could do nothing until the Assam Rifles, which is under the MHA decided to intervene. When these governments are so deliberately projected as powerless in the manner, what exactly is the esteem they are expected to command over their own subjects? We do hope the Union government realises the damages done and addresses the issue seriously.

One way of doing this is to overhaul the ceasefire ground rules, and enforce its terms strictly. Let the peace talks carry on peacefully, but without dwarfing the authority of the states involved. Even if the states are considered as excess weights in the progress of the talks, they should at least continue to have the powers to act in accordance to the law if the law is broken within their respective jurisdictions, precisely by not making those involved in the talks immune to the law. In Manipur another atrocious development has made matters more complicated. The Army has entered into a ceasefire with several Kuki underground organisations without first reaching an understanding with the state’s civil authorities. The question is, just what are the state’s own forces to do in the event of a breach of law in the state by any of the parties in this tentative peace arrangement with the Army? As in the case of the Naga peace talks, is it expected to simply watch? It is unlikely the Army can resort to what it has without the prior approval of the Union government, so the question once again is, is there a school of thought within the Union government that believes in playing out a larger game-plan to make the authority of not just Manipur but the other insurgency prone states of the northeast weak and insecure, stymied by a parasitic mentality in all spheres of economic and political activities, always looking timidly to the Union’s charity for survival? Why cannot the Union government trust its northeastern states a little more, and have a little more faith in them that even if they become powerful and confident, their loyalty to the Union will not sway? Perhaps this is a grey area of the national psyche that the mandarins of the Union government will do well to explore and resolve. If tomorrow the Union government were to enter into peace talks with Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh, would it think it necessary to sideline the state government there? More pertinently, would it dare?

Additional forces for NC Hills By R Dutta Choudhury Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, May 10 – With the activities of the militant groups posing hurdles in the way of implementing the mega projects in North Cachar Hill district, the Government of India has rushed in additional forces exclusively to deal with the problem to ensure that the projects are implemented smoothly. The additional forces came immediately after the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil reviewed the security scenario in the State in a high level meeting with the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and other senior officials of the security forces involved in the counter-insurgency operations in Guwahati on May 8.

The Director General of Assam Police, RN Mathur, talking to The Assam Tribune today, said that six additional companies of Central paramilitary forces have been rushed to the State exclusively to deal with the problems created by the militants in implementation of the mega projects like the gauge conversion of the Railways from Lumding to Silchar and the National Highway project. He admitted that though Army personnel were posted in the vulnerable areas of the hill district, the terrain always put the militants in an advantageous position. He expressed the hope that the deployment of six additional companies of forces in the hill district would improve the situation and ensure smooth implementation of the mega projects.

The DGP said that during the meeting to review the situation in the State, the Union Home Minister appreciated the role played by the police and security forces in dealing with the situation and assured all possible help to the State to keep the situation under control. It may be mentioned here that the Chief Minister had sought additional forces from the Government of India to deal with the situation in the State. Around 40 companies of Central forces were withdrawn from Assam to be posted in the Uttar Pradesh polls and the Centre had promised to send back some of the forces after the polls. Mathur today hoped that the Centre would send some more forces to the state soon and “till then we have to manage with the available forces. We must also appreciate that the forces available with the Government of India are also not unlimited as the Centre has to cater to the requirement of all the states of the country.”

Commenting on the overall law and order situation in the State, the DGP said that the situation was under control and the police and the security forces achieved success in the counter-insurgency operations and the militants received severe setbacks in recent months.

Replying to a question on the sporadic incidents of violence including blasts in different parts of the State including in Guwahati city, Mathur said that efforts are on to improve the intelligence network of the police to prevent such activities of the militants. He said that efforts at improving intelligence collection have started paying dividends as in a number of occasions in recent past, police managed to recover explosives planted by the militants and only today an IED planted by the militants was recovered in the Panbazar area of the city.

Sharmila taken to Delhi for hearing By Our Staff Reporter Sangai Express
IMPHAL, May 10 : Following a summon order issued by a Delhi Court, Irom Chanu Sharmila has been taken to Delhi by flight today by personnel of the State jail.
Police sources said that a team of Delhi police came to Manipur with the summon order issued by the Magistrate of a Delhi Court and handed over the same to the State jail authority.
Sharmila's elder brother Singhajit, who is currently in Delhi informed The Sangai Express that she arrived at Delhi at 1.30 pm and is presently kept at Manipur Bhawan.
“I have been told that she would be produced before the Court of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi tomorrow at 10.30 am,” Singhajit said and added that her case may be related to an FIR lodged with Delhi police after she shifted there to continue her fast.
Sharmila shifted her protest site to Delhi on October 4 last year and returned to Imphal on March 4 this year. Singhajit informed that he has already contacted a lawyer to seek bail so that Sharmila may return to Manipur. Significantly, the new development has come barely days after Sharmila was chosen for the prestigious Gwangju prize for human rights. Another Indian human rights activist has also been chosen for the said award. Executive Director of Human Rights Alert Babloo Loitongbam said that the police are unduly harassing her and added that she is not in good health. Meanwhile Singhajit informed The Sangai Express that he would go to South Korea to receive the prize on behalf of his sister. The prize will be distributed during a function to be held from May 15 to 18, he said and added that he is presently trying to get the visa and other necessary documents to proceed to South Korea. The prize has a cash component of 25,000 US dollars, which works out to about Rs 11 lakhs, 25 thousand.
Scrap BTC Accord: ABPF By a Staff Reporter Sentinel
GUWAHATI, May 10: The All Boro Peace Forum (ABPF), while expressing its solidarity with the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) in the latter’s agitation against the Delimitation Commission that dereserved Kokrajhar (ST) Parliamentary Constituency in its final draft on delimitation of constituencies, today said that now Bodos must have realized the fact that the BTC Accord was a mockery to the Bodos’ cause.
“The Accord has cheated the indigenous Boros and denied their political rights in the name of Sixth Schedule of the Constitution,” said Bhramon Baglari, chief convenor of the ABPF, in a statement here today.
He said: “The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the product of amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, does not have any provision for the reserved seats of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies like the other autonomous district councils in the State. There is no alternative other than scrapping the BTC Accord to bail the Boros out from this crisis”.
According to him, BTC authorities’ protest against the Delimitation Commission is just an eyewash. The ABPF appeals to all the democratic forces of the Bodo community to fight unitedly till Kokrajhar HPC is reserved for ST.