08/03/2007: "UPDS sees through truce ploy Nagarealm.com"

UPDS sees through truce ploy Nagarealm.com

KOHIMA, AUG01 [TI] : The NSCN (Isak-Muivah) may have agreed to extend the term of its truce with Delhi indefinitely despite 10 years of fruitless dialogue, but the much smaller United People’s Democratic Solidarity could be a tougher nut to crack.

The UPDS, which has a presence in both Karbi Anglong and the North Cachar Hills, made it clear today that it would not continue extending its truce with the government if talks did not make “meaningful” progress. Wojaru Mukrang, the joint secretary in charge of the UPDS’s political affairs wing, said his group agreed to extend the term of its ceasefire by another six months, beginning today, on the understanding that Delhi would devise a mechanism to facilitate a political settlement. The decision was taken during a tripartite meeting in New Delhi on Monday. Mukrang, Surja Rongphar, Mohan Kathar and Horen Dey represented the Karbi militant group in the talks. The government delegation included the joint secretary for the Northeast in the Union home ministry, Navin Verma, and the Assam home commissioner, Rajiv Bora. Officials of the army, CRPF and the defence ministry were present, too.

“After a threadbare discussion, the meeting decided to retain the existing ground rules (of the ceasefire) and extend the truce period. However, this cannot go on for long. We have had six rounds of talks so far but there has been no progress. We have submitted our charter of demands, including statehood (for the Karbis), but the government says it is not possible to create a new state. We need to find a way out,” Mukrang said. Talks between the NSCN (I-M) and Delhi have not progressed in a decade for almost the same reason. The Naga group wants an integrated homeland comprising all contiguous areas of the Northeast that are inhabited by the community. The UPDS’s ceasefire with Delhi and Dispur took effect in 2002. Mukrang said the next round of talks could be held in September.

“The state has to display the will required for a political solution. We are ready for informal parleys. We can go over to Delhi or the officials can come over to Diphu. By holding regular meetings, I am sure we can find a way out.” Mukrang said. Asked whether there has been any sign of a breakthrough, the militant leader was circumspect. “It is too early to discuss and reveal each and every development. There are people who do not want the peace process to progress. We will disclose developments if discussions shape up well. We are hopeful.”
Joint forum appeals to factions on cease fire The Morung Express
Dimapur, Aug 1 (MExN): The Joint Forum Working Committee of Nagaland GBs Federation and Nagaland DBs Association today strongly appealed to all the Naga “national workers” to abide by the resolutions saying that the joint forum is prepared to monitor the ‘cease-fire’ within a few days. An appeal by the joint forum today once again appealed to all the Naga underground factions for cease fire amongst them. “We the joint forum of GBs and DBs once again appeal to abide as agreed by all groups, to avoid unnecessary problems in the near future,” the joint forum appealed in a press release issued by K Vikuto Zhimomi, president of NGBF and Lungrahei Herie, member secretary of JFWC.
The forum lamented the factional fights that broke out in some places, in Phek and Tuensang, right after the formal declaration of cease fire agreement in Dimapur on July 24. “You are requested to circulate strict order concerning the Cease fire declaration to all the cadres to abide and up hold the cease fire amongst the national workers,” the forum stated.
The joint forum declared that it is prepared to monitor the ceasefire declaration amongst the Naga factions within a short period of time. “The joint forum is prepared to monitor Ceasefire ground-rules within a few days for proper implementation basing on the five points resolutions of 6th June ‘2007 from Kohima.”
NSCN-K reacts to defection The Morung Express
Dimapur, Aug 1 (MExN): The NSCN-K, reacting to the defection of its defense secretary to the NSCM-IM, has questioned the integrity of the defectors stating that it is an act of cowardice and hypocrisy. A note from Kilonser RM Lotha stated that when Joseph Lotha joined the NSCN-K in 2003, “after having quarreled with some people on state election-related matters,” he was “reluctantly accepted by the organization.” Over a course of time he committed ‘certain offenses’ for which he was expelled for a year. But later, on “compassionate grounds,” his expulsion was revoked, the Kilonser stated. It also stated that Joseph and one of the defectors, one Chichamo are also directly answerable for collecting approximately 15 lakhs and also the “total cost” of the arms and ammunitions they took away amounting to about 32 lakhs.
The NSCN-K stated that when Kilonser AZ Jami joined the NSCN-K he did not even bring with him any thing other than his mind and principle. Jami even offered to pay for the cost of a second-hand Maruti Gypsy in which he traveled to Mon the Kilonser informed. “Such integrity and sensitivity and boldness should be inculcated by every cadre whether NSCN, I-K or NNC, defecting to another faction with government’s money and arms and ammunition is an act of cowardice and hypocrisy whoever he may be” RM Lotha added.
Nagaland to present draft policy on women Chizokho Vero The Morung Express Kohima The draft Nagaland State Women Empowerment Policy 2006 will be submitted to the state government very soon. Interacting with The Morung Express, additional director for Women Development Neilavou Keditsu said the draft will be submitted to the state government within this week for approval. Several women leaders representing various organizations joined the final meeting for the draft today.
“We all have to work hard to bring change and create a better Nagaland,” opined Sano Vamuzo, chairperson of Nagaland State Commission for Women. It envisages that the legal-judicial system will be made more responsive and gender sensitive to women’s need, especially in cases of domestic violence and personal assault.
“New laws will be enacted and existing laws reviewed to ensure that justice is quick and the punishment meted out to the culprits is commensurate with the severity of the offence,” it said. Adding at the initiative of and with the full participation of all stakeholders including community and religious leaders, the policy would aim to encourage changes in personal laws such as those related to marriage, divorce, maintenance and guardianship so as to eliminate discrimination against women.
The policy would aim to encourage changes in laws relating to ownership of property and inheritance by evolving consensus in order to make them gender just, it said adding the government shall set up a legal advice cell at the state level with two special tasks.
The draft said that women’s active participation in decision making, including decision making in political process at all levels will be ensured for the achievement of the goals of empowerment.

Women –friendly personnel policies will also be drawn up to encourage women to participate effectively in the developmental process.
Also, in order to enhance women’s access to credit for consumption and production, the establishment of new and strengthening of existing micro-credit mechanisms and micro-finance institution will be undertaken so that credit outreach is enhanced.
Women’s perspectives will be included in designing and implementing micro-economic and social policies by institutionalizing their participation in such processes. Their contribution to socio-economic development as producers and workers will be recognized in the formal and informal sectors (including home based workers) and appropriate policies relating to employment and to her working conditions will be drawn up, the draft stated. Further, strategies will be designed to enhance the capacity of women and empower them to meet the negative social and economic impacts, which may flow from the globalization process.
The draft said the provision of support services for women, like child care facilities including crèches at work places and education institutions, homes for the aged and the disabled will be expended and improved to create an enabling environment and to ensure their full cooperation in social, political and economic life.
The government will progressively introduce schemes to encourage women groups to start overnight shelters for women who have been rendered destitute. All efforts will be made to rehabilitate commercial sex workers. The state/local bodies will be responsible for ensuring minimum hygiene and sanitation requirements of the area, as well as schools and night-care centers to cater to specific requirements of the children of these women.
All forms of violence against women, physical and mental, whether at domestic or societal levels, including those arising from customs, traditions or accepted practices shall be dealt with effectively with a view to eliminate its incidence,” it said adding institutions and mechanisms/schemes for assistance will be created and strengthened for prevention of such violence, including sexual harassment at work places and customs like ‘dowry’ for the rehabilitation of the victims of violence and for taking up effective action against the perpetrators of such violence.
Special emphasis will also be laid on programmes and measures to deal with trafficking of women and girls. Induction of 10 per cent of women in the police forces, as per Home Ministry’s directive, will be ensured. Women’s Cell in all district police stations will be set up,” it said.
The local self governments will be actively involved in the implementation and execution of the state policy for women at the grassroots level, adding “The Nagaland Village and Area Council Act, 1978 will be emended to ensure adequate representation of women in local self government bodies” it stated.
The draft also touched on education, health, nutrition, drinking water and sanitation, housing and shelter, environment, science and technology, gender sensitization, resources management, institutional mechanisms, rights of the girl child, mass media, etc.
In regard to action plan, it said that the state department will draw up time-bound action plans for translating the policy into a set of concrete actions, through a participatory process of consultation with State Commission for Women.
A State Council will be formed to oversee the operational of the policy on a regular basis. State Resource centers on women will be established with mandates for collection and dissemination of information, undertaking research work, conducting surveys, implementing training and awareness generation programmes, etc., the draft said
Sentinels in rebel pursuit - Jungle camps overrun A STAFF REPORTER The Telegraph
Guwahati, Aug. 1: Golaghat and Karbi Anglong’s SOS to the government for army operations to flush out militants has been answered by the Border Security Force.
Teams of BSF personnel fanned out into the dense forests straddling the two contiguous districts of Assam on Monday in search of the militant camps that have sprung up there.
“The operation began on Monday and will continue for sometime,” the sub-divisional police officer of Bokajan, Satyen Gogoi, said. Gogoi, who has been in Chokihola since the beginning of the offensive, said BSF personnel have found rations and medicines in the jungle hideouts but have yet to arrest any militant. As many as five militant groups operate along the border between Karbi Anglong and Golaghat, preying on farmers and households engaged in the dairy business. Residents of several bastis (colonies) have long abandoned their property to escape extortion and harassment.Tea gardens in the two districts are also routinely targeted. Militants have abducted both tea garden executives and traders in recent months.
Militants have not spared even government offices in Chokihola, one of the more remote areas of Karbi Anglong. The locations in Karbi Anglong that once used to be popular picnic spots do not get any visitors now. “Nature has been generous to Karbi Anglong, blessing it with hills, dense forests and waterfalls. But the curse of militancy has taken its toll. Nobody visits these places now,” a tourism department official posted in Diphu, headquarters of Karbi Anglong, said.
The official said several projects to develop tourism in Karbi Anglong have had to be shelved because of militancy. Most of the militant groups operating in Karbi Anglong are equipped with sophisticated weapons, thanks to their ties with outfits in neighbouring Nagaland.
“Procuring sophisticated weapons is not a problem for these militant groups. Weapons are easily across the border. Most of them are armed to the teeth,” Gogoi said. The police officer said several camps were busted in the last three days, forcing the militants deeper into the jungles along the border with Nagaland. “We have not come across any resistance till now,” he added.
Latest hot news from our land The Morung Express Perspective
Nagaland is a hot and happening place – citizens are constantly burned by firefights while factional clashes happen everywhere. Phek is a hot place. Poor Phekians, what did they do to deserve all the terror? Or for that matter, what did we all do to deserve all these unrest? Because we Nagas are destined to be a hot people? No wonder we end up frying our own selves.
Thankfully, it’s a tad cooler in rain-drenched Mon district though –families can enjoy dinner while watching artistic cracks caused by landslides, run right through their kitchens; we are informed that landslides in Mon in the recent weeks have turned so random, Monians have begun constructing houses in the air. Or something in that like. But of course, with a government so flooded by funds, it’s only natural that landslides are ignored as secondary maladies. Poor Mon citizens – very soon they might as well be flying about as a monumentally effective testimony to the lack of relief and abundance of governmental apathy.
Meanwhile, Mokokchung district is busy spooking out every wannabe Naga. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! It’s the AKM right? Yes, AKM (these are the only three letters I can make out from the full Ao nomenclature – better brush up my Ao before the Ao blood sample in my veins goes kaput). The organization deserves all roses for their benevolent effort. I mean Nagaland is in danger of witnessing foreign tourists who’d certainly scratch their dandruffs off wondering if by mistake they’ve landed in Bangladesh rather than Nagaland. Oh horror! Just imagine our streets, homes, schools, government filled by bad ILP hybrids! Or just visualize meeting a guy you thought was your long-lost cousin, and you greet him “Na kuma Lir?!” – And in reply, he showers you with a clatter of loud, metallic, rattling Bangladesh …Oh, faint*..!
No, no, no I have no problem with immigrants – only the ones, who’d sneaked into Nagaland with a forged ILP, took a month-course in the local Naga dialect, learned to cook Axone and Anishi stew and finally, met with the DC to claim citizenship. I believe it would be a rewarding effort to contain the influx of illegal immigrants if all the Naga tribes join in singing the get-the-hell-out song. This sure would have bad melodies later but well it’s for the future and no strings attached to this argument!
It also comes to mind that illegal immigrants, no matter from Godonlyknowsfromwhere, are exceedingly artistic people. Just check out Dimapur railway station area – you’ll be astounded by the varied, colorful, artistic physical designs they display. Even Dante or Rodinni wouldn’t dare have imagined such monumentally creative physical contortions, if at all they were the real stuff. Some of them are genuine and truly handicapped. They must be sympathized with. But the fake ones? Well, give them the truly-Naga-style treatment: Mobilize all unions, associations, clubs and forums in Nagaland and let them tax these creative, illegal immigrant beggars to high hell...
And just in case an illegal immigrant owns land, well, you just happen to have the perfect method to punish him –drive thousands of Naga land encroachers into his land. There. Simple. He’ll be gone faster than even Walt Disney can imagine up a run-scene for his cartoons.
Meanwhile districts like Kohima, Wokha, Kiphire and Peren are a tad cool. Zunheboto is still recovering from the Amiboto colony factional onslaught that rattled every citizen in the district several months ago. Oh, also heard Wokha is headed for a population explosion – I was informed the number of Autorickshaws in Wokha town has increased – from 3 to about 11, I think. This is good. Now expensive Nikes and Reeboks can last longer on Wokha’s terrifying roads.
And Dimapur? Ahh…the grandmother of all trouble in Nagaland. You know Na…But just one point: the atmosphere is filled with a familiar stink so familiar in our kitchens… onions I think? Ahh summer na! Men folks are as usual torturing their sweat glands dry while the girls…er…women are endeavoring hard to keep their make-ups from getting washed off by sweat…but honestly, there is a common point of agreement between the two warring genders – both are struggling from heat rash and prickly stuff in the down southern regions – thanks to low-rise and hipsters (for our girls) and thanks to wear-on-the-knees hip hippity hop trousers (for our guys, from Sun overexposure blackening the public buttocks ). It’s a tough world in Nagaland, you see…and tougher to be a Naga, but somebody’s gotta do it na...
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BJP in response to ceasefire extension The Morung Express
DIMAPUR, AUG 1 (MExN): The Bharatiya Janata Party Nagaland has expresses appreciation at the extension of indefinite ceasefire between GOI and the NSCN (IM). However, the party in a release has expressed that ‘the main issue is the solution of the protracted Naga political issue, rather then extension of ceasefire without any positive outcome after a lapse of ten years’.
The party through a release appeals to GOI and the Naga leaders to address the problem with outmost sincerity and political will to bring an honourable permanent solution acceptable to all sections of the Naga people, as due to the unresolved political issue the general Naga people are suffering untold hardship due to existence of multiple governments.
BJP State Secretary (Office) Vihoshe James on behalf of party also appeals to all the Naga National Leaders to understand that Congress led UPA at the centre is using delaying tactics to fulfill their ‘sinister’ designs and to gain political mileage out of the Naga issue.
Expelled people genuine citizens: Gogoi By A Staff Reporter Assam tribune
GUWAHATI, July 31 — The State Government has verified the nationality of the over 3,300 people expelled by the Governments of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and found them to be genuine citizens of the country, said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at a press conference here this afternoon. He also announced that the Government had decided to constitute committees consisting of all political parties and organisations, including the AASU, AAMSU etc, at the circle, sub-divisional, district and state levels ‘in order to check and inform the authorities concerned about suspected foreigners for verification.’ Moreover, the State Government will also make birth registration compulsory for admission to the schools etc, he said

The Government has decided to publish the names of those persons whose nationality has been found to be Indian with their address so that the people can know the facts, he said.

He told the newspersons that the citizenship of only 38 persons expelled from those states very recently is yet to be ascertained and the Barpeta police are verifying their nationality.

It is found that the Governments of the neighbouring states have thrown these people out from their territories for their not having inner line permits. The authorities of the districts concerned from where these people are expelled have made communications with the Assam Chief Secretary on the issue, he said.

He claimed that the State Government would never allow making Assam a dumping ground of foreigners. It will take all steps to detect and deport the foreigners as per the provisions of the Assam Accord, which set the deadline of March 25, 1971 for detection of foreigners. Any Bangladeshi person coming to Assam after this date will be detected and deported, he said.

Stating that the updating of the NRC was taken up to solve the vexed aliens issue permanently, he informed the newspersons that the work on the updating of the document was going on in full swing.

He also criticised the roles played by the AASU, AJYCP, BJYM and the AAMSU. While the AASU, AJYCP and BJYM are dubbing the persons expelled from Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh as foreigners, the AAMSU has made a very provocative statement.

The Government will not allow any body to take law into their hands and to drive any people, not to speak of Assamese people, he said and denied that the charges that his Government was protecting the foreigners or harassing the minorities.
War of words in Bodo heartland Nagarealm.com

Kokrajhar, AUG01 [TI] : The migrant purge in Assam has spawned a jihadi threat and a conflict with communal overtones. Intelligence agencies today warned of violence by jihadi groups on the pretext of standing up for minorities facing harassment at the hands of organisations spearheading the oust-Bangladeshi campaign.

Trouble is already brewing with the Ex-BLT Welfare Society asking migrants of Bangladeshi origin to quit the Bodo heartland immediately and the All Bodoland Muslim Students’ Union threatening the All Assam Students’ Union with retaliation if it continues harassing Indian “Bengali-speaking Muslims”. The threat came from the Kokrajhar and Chirang units of the student organisation.

Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have pushed as many as 3,000 migrants of suspected Bangladeshi origin into Assam in the past two weeks. But chief minister Tarun Gogoi said yesterday that all but 38 of the migrants were Indian citizens. The government also decided to constitute committees comprising representatives of political parties and organisations like the All Assam Students’ Union and the All Assam Minority Students’ Union in each circle, subdivision, district to refer suspected illegal migrants for official verification.

A senior official of an intelligence agency said the tug-of-war over migrants of suspected Bangladeshi origin was the perfect setting for jihadi groups looking to “fish in troubled waters”. He said Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (Huji), which co-ordinates jihadi activity in the region, had long been trying to make its presence felt and might incite radical groups representing the minorities. Vital installations and religious places could also be targeted as part of the counter campaign, the official added. The police have stepped up vigil in the districts bordering Bangladesh to prevent activists of jihadi groups from sneaking into the state.

Of the 42 fundamentalist groups known to be active in the country, as many as 29 operate in the Northeast. The Muslim Liberation Tigers of Assam and the Islamic United Reformation Protest of India are the two most active groups operating under Huji. These groups worked under the banner of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen before Huji took over. Maulana Maqbul Hussain, alias Zuber, of Dhubri district has been reportedly masterminding Huji operations in the Northeast from his base in Bangladesh.

A source said jihadi groups would definitely capitalise on the recent developments in Assam to create social unrest. “Any attack by these groups at this juncture will enhance their acceptability among the radical sections of the minorities and also create social unrest. In any case, illegal migrants constitute the base of these groups.” The president of the Chirang unit of the Minority Students’ Union, Mohd Nazrul Islam, said in a statement to the media that harassment of Bengali Muslim wage-earners after branding them Bangladeshis would not be tolerated.

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08/03/2007: "UPDS sees through truce ploy Nagarealm.com"