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07/23/2007: "`Positive outcome` in talks with GoI, says NSCN The Imphal Free Press"

`Positive outcome` in talks with GoI, says NSCN The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Jul 20: Representatives of the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim, NSCN (IM), met today at New Delhi between 5:30 to 7:00 pm today. According to a release issued by the NSCN, both the parties discussed the ceasefire issue and the proposals of the NSCN with `positive outcome`. To speed up the process of the talk, a proposal to form consultative committee has been agreed upon and is under process, said the release.

`The positive outcome of the talk is the acceptance of most of the NSCN`s proposal presented earlier`, the release said but did not give details. It may be mentioned, the 10-year old ceasefire between the government of India and the NSCN(IM) is due to expire on July 31, 2007.

Apart from the extension of the ceasefire, the talks today were expected to centre on the NSCN(IM)`s demand for unification of Naga-inhabited areas in the north east, and issues relating to clashes between the Naga factions, as well as ways to carry forward the peace process in the North east states.

The next round of talks will take place at `Nagalim` on July 30 to 31, 2007, according to the release, issued by the ministry of information and publicity, GPRN.

The government of India was represented in the talks today by government interlocutor, Padmanabhaiah, Union minister Oscar Fernandes, home secretary Madhubar Gupta, special secretary (Internal Security, Home), joint secretary, North-East In-charge Naresh Verma and Deputy Director, IB. From the NSCN side, the talks were attended by NSCN(IM) chairman Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Th. Muivah along with five other members.
People’s views before extension The Morung Express

DIMAPUR, JULY 22 (MExN): Before a decision on extension of ceasefire is taken, Naga civil society and public leaders have been invited to Camp Hebron on July 27 to hold consultations with the NSCN (I-M), according to information received today. A “massive” public gathering of civil society, including gaonburas and village leaders, are expected to vent their voice for or against the ceasefire, and lend their ears to what the armed organization has to say on the progress of the talks. Significantly, two “outsiders” from foreign countries, who are close to both India and the Naga side, have been inducted to review the legal scope and dimensions which may lead to any honorable political settlement.Sources also said the next four to five months would chart a course of future action and that the talks this time had reached a “crucial” point. The outcome of the latest round of negotiations was “very positive,” an NSCN (I-M) leader said. Keeping in view the demand for unification, he said that “one day the talks may also be held in Arunachal Pradesh depending on circumstances.” Earlier pegged to be held at Kohima, the ceasefire talks will now be possibly conducted at Dimapur because of official meetings at the capital on July 30.
‘Do not create confusion on Naga political issue’ The Morung Express
DIMAPUR, JULY 22 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) has lashed back at Jamir saying that in the 63 years of Naga struggle, the Naga people have been bearing the cross of the freedom struggle having tasted enough of Jamir’s ‘perilous policy’ that is not in keeping with the people’s political struggle. While disclosing that the Indo-Naga peace process was in a precarous position, the NSCN (IM) stated that any move from any quarter had the potential to cause symptomatic infection in the settlement. In this context, they pointed out that for the interest of unifying the national psyche of Nagas, the “misadventure” of Jamir was best avoided but at the same time stated that there was no denying that the Goa Governor’s too many policies are in contravention of Naga political desire.
The NSCN (IM) though admitting that a political personality of Jamir’s standing could have been a great asset for Nagas, lamented that he had gone astray too early in his career. This, according to them, was amply demonstrated by his strong opposition to the then Prime Minister, Nehru who had expressed his desire to invalidate the 16 point agreement of 1960 after realizing the blunder committed by the Government of India. The NSCN (IM) said that no attempt should be made to create confusion and leave room for undermining the Naga cause and hence no two meanings of Sovereignty should be made to appear in this critical period of reckoning.
The NSCN (IM) also stated that the political credentials of any peron had to be scrutinized from close angle if he were to fit into the scheme of a political mediator between them and the Government of India. They reaffirmed that in the scale of Jamir’s standing in the eye of the NSCN (IM) would not prevail. “Ironically, Jamir’s temperament at taking potshot against NSCN has not been taken in lighter vein by the NSCN” the press communiqué from the NSCN (IM) quoted.
Voting against our own candidate against coalition spirit: Dr Lotha By Oken Jeet Sandham - Asian Tribune
Kohima, 23 July (NEPS): The outcome of the Presidential Election has taken many particularly in Nagaland by surprise when over 50% of the ruling DAN members were found voting against their own NDA-backed Presidential candidate, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. The BJP-led NDA backs the present DAN coalition government in Nagaland.
As per the result, only 12 out of 43 ruling DAN members cast for NDA-backed Independent Presidential Candidate, whereas 40 including 17 Opposition Congress Members went in favor of Congress-led UPA sponsored Candidate. Five votes were found invalid. This means 23 non-Congress Members from the ruling DAN in Nagaland voted for the Opposition Congress-led UPA sponsored Presidential Candidate.
“This is unbecoming and against the spirit of coalition,” thundered Dr TM Lotha, Nagaland BJP Legislature Party Chief and who was also Polling Agent of NDA-backed Independent Presidential Candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the recently concluded Presidential Election in the State. “We should have some political principle and at least in a state like ours where the government is run by non-Congress coalition partners backed by NDA, voting against our own candidate is uncalled for.”
Dr Lotha also did not subscribe to ruling NPF’s time-to-time claim that latter’s support to the Congress-led UPA Government at the Center was issued-based. Such assertion was ridiculous after this very present DAN government had enjoyed unprecedented economic packages, development packages and more so in getting certain status to the Naga political issue from the previous BJP-led NDA government, he stated.
The Nagaland BJP leader further disclosed he along with some BJP leaders had earlier discussed that consultation among the coalition partners was necessary for the coming presidential election, which the Chief Minister readily agreed to. But such consultation did not take place rather the NPF had unilateral decision to go for conscience vote which was much against the pre-poll understanding, he pointed out.
This was not the first time that the major ruling NPF had betrayed the BJP. In the past by-elections and MP elections too, they had never allowed the BJP to field their own candidates. Even in the last two by-elections, which were necessitated due to the sudden unfortunate demise of their two BJP MLAs, they did not even make room for the BJP to play there. “Yet we still tolerate and continue to maintain the pre-poll coalition spirit,” Dr Lotha, who is also Minister in the present DAN Ministry, said.
Re-assuring that despite of all these un-friendly attitudes of the ruling NPF, they would do their best that the present DAN coalition ministry in Nagaland complete its tenure and never go against the wishes of the coalition spirit, Dr Lotha said, avowing, “We would never shy away from our responsibilities.”
Migrant surge triggers paranoia OUR BUREAU The Telegraph


Some of the suspected Bangladeshi migrants who were turned over to police in Guwahati. (AP)
Guwahati/Kokrajhar, July 22: The migrant purge that began in Sonitpur and Jorhat five days ago spread to the Bodo heartland today, swelling the ranks of the push-them-back brigade and forcing the government on the defensive.
Two influential students’ organisations representing the Bodos and the Koch Rajbongshis issued an ultimatum to the government to shunt out people of “doubtful nationality” from Kokrajhar district within three days.
The trigger for the deadline set by the All Bodo Students’ Union and the All Assam Koch Rajbongshi Students’ Union was the alleged arrival of groups of suspected migrants in Bhotgaon and Kashipara. Both organisations said makeshift camps housing illegal migrants sprang up overnight in these areas.
Police admitted that 244 families surfaced in Kashipara and set up makeshift camps with the help of the All Bodoland Muslim Students’ Union.
“If the district administration does not take necessary action soon, we will take our own course of action,” Jiron Basumatary, the president of Absu’s Kokrajhar unit, said.
“It is really shocking to see so many people of doubtful nationality taking shelter in the area.”
Basumatary’s counterpart in the Koch Rajbongshi union, Jiten Roy, said his organisation would not allow “outsiders” in the area and warned of a “situation beyond control” if the district administration did evict the settlers immediately.
The Bodoland Territorial Council said action would be taken against any illegal migrant settling in an area within its jurisdiction. Hagrama Mohilary, the council’s chief executive, said “no foreigner will be allowed to settle in the BTC area at any cost and under any circumstance”.
In Guwahati, the youth wing of the BJP threatened to intensify its campaign if the government did not evict the suspected migrants pushed by Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland into Assam.
The All Assam Students’ Union, the original campaigner against migration from Bangladesh, accused the government of being overly concerned about the alleged Bangladeshi migrants.
The Congress-led government insists that the migrant workers hounded out of Arunachal Pradesh and blocked by activists of the BJP’s youth wing in Sonitpur were residents of Assam.
Arunachal Pradesh ostensibly shunted them out because they did not have valid citizenship documents. Hundreds of migrant settlers fled Mokokchung district of Nagaland on the same day to escape persecution at the hands of the Ao Students’ Conference.
The settlers evicted from Arunachal Pradesh said the government and the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union simply asked them to return to the place of their origin.
Assam’s boundary disputes with both Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh had flared up recently. On both occasions, the AASU retaliated by cutting off their supply lines.
Govt., NSCN-IM ceasefire decision by month-end The Hindu
New Delhi, July 22 (PTI): The government and NSCN-IM are expected to decide on extending the 10-year-old ceasefire in Nagaland in their talks to be held in Dimapur on July 30-31 amid indications that the rebels have hardened their stance on the demand for "sovereignty".
NSCN-IM's move to insist on another round of talks on extending the truce, which ends on July 31, is being seen in the Union home ministry as part of pressure tactics to get the government to agree to its controversial demands, including the unification of Naga-inhabited areas of the northeast.
There were indications that the ceasefire could be extended only for six months, unlike last July's one year.
Though top rebel leader, V S Atem, said talks between the NSCN-IM and government here on Friday were held in a "very positive" atmosphere and both sides respected each other's position, sources said the rebels had hardened their position on the key "sovereignty" issue and sought a commitment from the Centre on it.
"The issues of unification of Naga-inhabited areas and sovereignty indeed figured in the discussions," a senior NSCN-IM leader said.
Sources said the rebels wanted to know why the ceasefire should be extended if it "did not serve any purpose". They questioned New Delhi's response to their proposals made six years ago for a settlement raised queries about what the government is willing to commit to the Nagas, the sources said.
The answers to these questions, they said, will decide the fate of the ceasefire between the NSCN-IM and the government.
The Centre has "in principle" accepted certain proposals given by the NSCN-IM, including the setting up of a "consultative mechanism" to speed up the peace process.
The eight-member NSCN-IM team, led by chairman, Isak Chisi Swu, and general secretary, Thuingaleng Muivah, insisted that the issue of extending the truce should be discussed in the next round of talks in Nagaland. This was accepted by the Centre's representatives - Union Minister Oscar Fernandes, the interlocutor for Naga talks, K Padmanabhaiah, and Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta.
The NSCN-IM had earlier submitted a charter of demands to the government, including a separate constitution for Nagaland, a "new and unique" relationship with New Delhi and unification of Naga-inhabitated areas of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
However, these states have rejected the demand. The Central government too has not made any commitment on the issue so far.
At a meeting in Bangkok last year, both sides agreed on a broad framework to define a relationship that could end the Naga insurgency. The operative part of the framework proposes that the two sides jointly analyse the Constitution to decide which parts of it will apply, not apply or apply with modification to Nagas, sources said.
The truce in Nagaland has been extended every 12 months since 1997, except in 2005 when it was renewed for just six months at the insistence of the rebels and further extended by another six months in February 2006. It was extended by a year on July 31, 2006 after hectic parleys in Bangkok.
UNC backed MLAs deny meeting Nagaland leaders on affiliation issue The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Jul 22: The six UNC-supported MLAs of Manipur have categorically denied the report appearing in the IFP issue dated July 13, 2007 under the headline, `UNC backed MLAs request to Nagaland Govt to allow affiliation turned down`.

In a joint statement, the MLAs, namely Morung Makunga, Danny Shaiza, Dr Khashim Ruivah, K Raina, Wungnaoshang Keishing and Awangbou Newmai, have stated the whole contents of the report were completely baseless and misleading. `We strongly feel that it was purely a ploy to malign us and tarnish our status and image,` the statement said.

The joint statement clarified that they did not visit Nagaland and had not met anyone in the last week of June on the affiliation issue, as had appeared in the report. The MLAs, it said, had visited the neighbouring state in April to meet the victims and assess the situation in the aftermath of the arson in Wungram colony at Dimapur. `This was done only after proper intimation to both Manipur and Nagaland government,` the statement said, adding that while in Dimapur the MLAs met the chief secretary in-charge on the rehabilitation matter. It also said the MLAs paid a courtesy call on the chief minister of Nagaland on May 1, and Opposition leader L Imkong on April 30 and discussed issues of mutual interest. `The question of turning down or not turning down on the affiliation issue does not arise,`, it said.

IFP clarifies: The IFP reporter who wrote the report admits that he was in error as to the timing of the visit of the MLAs to Nagaland. However, he stands by his contention that the issue of affiliation of schools in the Naga-dominated districts of Manipur to the Nagaland board of education was raised in the meetings with the Nagaland CM, and the Leader of the Opposition.

At the same time, it is clarified that it was never the IFP`s intention to impute any connection, directly or indirectly, between the MLAs and the unfortunate incident of burning down of some schools in Ukhrul, Senapati and Chandel in the early part of this month. If such an impression has been inadvertently created, the IFP expresses its regret for it. It also regrets any inconvenience or harm caused to the MLAs on account of the report.

Expert panel to look into border row with Nagaland From Our Correspondent Assam Tribune
DERGAON, July 22 – In a significant move, the Golaghat Deputy Commissioner has constituted an expert committee to prepare a detailed report on the Assam-Nagaland border problem. According to sources, the three-member committee headed by Someswar Bora, former minister, includes Devajit Phukan, journalist and Bidur Baruah, social worker. The committee will collect data on the border problem and will also take public opinion on the issue.

The State as well as the Central government has been showing negligence on the border issue becoming a complex one, alleged Golaghat district AASU. The district AASU has also initiated steps to prepare a report for submission to local commission headed by SN Varibha. The AASU district unit is organising two public meetings at Merapani on July 27 and at Sarupathar on August 9.

The Golaghat DC, Dipak Kr Goswami, has directed the committee to prepare the report at an early date. The report will be handed over to the local commissioner headed by SN Varibha.
Manipur: Initiating for a better era
Ibobi call UGs to come to negotiating table, Cease-fire ground rules drafted Newmai News Network
Imphal In a move to facilitate various underground organizations operating in Manipur to come to the negotiating table, the Manipur government has taken a decision to have ceasefire with the militant outfits based in the state.
The decision of the cabinet was taken last night at the meeting in the Chief Minister's Secretariat.
According to the reports, there has been a draft of ground rules for peace talks with the militant outfits. The draft ground rules have been prepared by the Manipur Administrative department.
As per the rules, there will be identification of designated camps of the militant outfits, prohibition of entering other underground groups to a camp designated for a particular group and also that peace talk will be immediately suspended in the event of militant outfit indulging in extortion, kidnapping etc. There will be a provision of necessary rations for UG cadres staying in designated camps, however, it has been reported that one point of the ground rules says that any militant outfit which has the agenda of demanding homeland which is against the territorial integrity of Manipur will not be accepted.
The state government will intimate this decision to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and The Union Defence Minister.
As per the reports received, the Manipur government will first initiate talks with a Kuki militant outfit and a Muslim based militant organisation. Chief Minister O.Ibobi Singh has been inviting the militants to come to the negotiating table ever since he became chief minister six years ago but so far no underground outfits had responded to the call.