09/03/2007: "IM’s arson decried Newmai News Netwoprk"

IM’s arson decried Newmai News Netwoprk

Imphal, Sep 2 : The Zeliangrong Students’ Union Manipur (ZSUM) has expressed deep shock and outrightly condemned the burning down of 30 houses and granaries at Zalukie Zangdi village under Peren district of Nagaland by NSCN (IM) cadres.
The ZSUM alleged that it was carried out at the directive of the outfit’s Kilo-Kilonser (home minister) and kilo Secretary on August 28.
A statement of the Ze-liangrong students’ body wondered how could the NSCN-IM national workers working for the cause of the Nagas commit such barbaric and inhuman arson on its own people (Zangdi villagers) leaving them homeless and as refugees in their own land.
“We fervently appeal to the collective leadership of the NSCN-IM to undo injustice and deliver justice at the earliest. The NSCN -IM must also pay appropriate compensation to the victims of the Zangdi villagers for the loss of their valuable properties. The land dispute between Zalukie Zangdi and Manglamukh should be settled by peaceful means which should be without bias nor favour on the basis of historical evidences and traditional land ownership,” asserted the student body.
It stated that ZSUM would join hands with AZSU and other frontal Zeliangrong organisations to demand justice from the NSCN-IM. “The Zeliangrong people will not be cowed down by any unjustified action of the national workers which are filled with selfish motives of some of the NSCN -IM leaders. We also strongly condemn the attitude of the Nagaland government led by chief minister Neiphiu Rio for being a mute spectator to the arson committed by NSCN-IM cadres at Zangdi village,” fumed ZSUM.
Meanwhile, the incident evoked condemnations in the strongest terms from Nagaland Baptist Churches Council (NBCC), Naga Hoho, Naga Students Federation (NSF) and various Zeliangrong organisations.
In the morning of August 28, some 30 houses in the Jalukie Zangdi village were burnt down by cadres of the NSCN-IM. Reports had it that the August 28 incident was the outcome of the boundary dispute between the Jalukie Zangdi village (Zeliangrong) and the Munglumukh village (Dimasa/Kachari) to which the NSCN-IM authority had acted based on its judgement on the fateful day.
However, the NSCN-IM has clarified it that the 30 houses razed down at Jalukie Zangdi village were “temporary huts and no residential houses were burnt down”.
The Zeliangrong people are taking out a mass rally on September 3 at Jalukie town in Nagaland to protest against the August 28 arson incident by the cadres of the NSCN-IM. The event is being organised by the Zeliangrong Baudi.
“The rally is called to demonstrate the community people’s rights to life and property and to protect from any undue interference”, stated the Zeliangrong Baudi.
Zeliangrong people from Dimapur and Kohima are all set to proceed to Jalukie in the morning on September 3 to join the rally.
On the other hand, the NSCN-IM has reasoned its action of August 28 and said, “the Kilo Ministry (Home affairs of the outfit) had thoroughly investigated the said case and found that the land belongs to Manglamukh village with sufficient documents.”
The NSCN-IM statement further said that it had earlier directed its order that forceful occupation/development taken up in the Manglumukh village land should evict.

ZSUM condemns NSCN(IM) arson The Imphal Free Press

Imphal, Sept 2: The Zeliangrong Students` Union Manipur (ZSUM) has expressed its deep shock and outrightly condemned the burning down of 30 houses and granaries at Zalukie Zangdi village under Peren district of Nagaland by NSCN (IM) cadres.

The ZSUM alleged that it was carried out at the directive of the outfit Kilo-Kilonser (home minister) and kilo Secretary on August 28.

The statement of the Zeliangrong students` body said that the ZSUM wonders as how could the NSCN-IM national workers working for the cause of the Nagas commit such barbaric and inhuman arson on its own people (Zangdi villagers) leaving them homeless and as refugees in their own land.

Dimapur, SEP01 [NPN] : Reacting to reports, the Dimasa Public Organization (DPO) Saturday expressed dismay over the claim of Zeliangrong Baudi, All Zeliangrong Students’ Union and ZSUN that the “entire Dhansiripar sub-division belongs to the Zeliang and Angami tribes and that there is no other tribe between us”.

Dimasa body reacts to report Nagarealm.com
Describing the statement as “blatant”, “baseless” and “ill-motivated”, the DPO in a statement signed jointly by its president Ramesh Hasnu and general secretary Bimal Jigdong said by making such a statement the organizations had shown complete disrespect to the Dimasa community in particular and the Kachari people in general. The DPO claimed the Kacharis were the first settlers of Dimapur including Dhansiripar sub-division where there was no human habitation except for the thick jungles and wild animals at that point of time. It said the seven villages of Dhansiripar area including Manglumukh, established during the period ranging from 1901 to 1913, only testified the fact that the Kacharis were the original settlers.

“Dimapur has been the abode of Kachari kingdom from the time immemorial and it was the only occasion in the 16th century when they had to leave temporarily to Maibong in NC Hills due to Ahom aggression”. The DPO also expressed strong opposition to a claim made by the Chakhesang Youth Front that “Nagaland belongs to Nagas and not to Kacharis” describing it as “sheer discriminatory” and “communal statement”. It appealed to all right-thinking people and organizations not to be misled by such “false propaganda” but instead examine facts and history of the land in the interest of maintaining brotherly relationship.

NSCN (I-M) clarifies : Reacting to reports, the NSCN (I-M) Saturday clarified that some “temporary huts” were burnt during the August 28 eviction drive at Jalukie Zangdi and not residential houses as alleged by some organizations. A statement issued by the MIP of NSCN (I-M) urged the NGOs including Naga Hoho and NBCC “to self-investigate” the affected areas before issuing any statement on the matter.

‘Kacharis original Dimapur settlers’ Kuknalim.com
DIMAPUR, Sept 1:: The Dimasa Public Organization takes note of the Zeliangrong frontals’ statement that the ‘entire Dhansiri sub-division belongs to the Zeliangs and Angami tribes and that there are no other tribes in between The DPO reminded that the Kacharis were the first settlers of Dimapur including the Dhansiripar sub-division.

“The simple fact that all the seven villages of Dhansiripar area including Manglumukh were established during the period ranging from 1901 to 1913 testifies the fact that the Kacharis were the original settlers” stated a rejoinder from the DPO. “To say the least” Dimapur has been the “abode” of the Kachari kingdom from time immemorial and it was only in the 16 century due to Ahom aggression, “they had to leave temporarily to Maibong of NC Hills.”

It stated that only the royal family fled and not the agrarian community but reestablished villages in the Dhansiri valley after the Ahoms retreated. Their descendents still live in the area, the DPO stated.

The DPO also termed as ‘sheer discrimination and communal statement’ the statement of the Chakhesang Youth Front that ‘Nagaland belongs to Nagas and not Kacharis.’ The DPO has appealed to all right-thinking citizens and responsible organizations not to be misled but examine facts and history so as to maintain lifelong brotherhood. (MExN)

Public rally over eviction Nagaream.com
DIMAPUR, SEP01 [NPN] : Following the August 28 incident in Jalukie-Jangdi village, the Zeliangrong Baudi Nagaland has decided to stage a public rally on September 3 from Jalukie till Hebron Camp, the NSCN (I-M) headquarters.

The Baudi in a press release issued by its information secretary Gwangphun Gangmei said the rally had been called to “demonstrate our people's rights to life and property and protection from any undue intervention.” Vehicles for transporting the rallyists from Peren district would depart from Jalukie town by 9:30 a.m. sharp, while participants from Kohima and Dimapur Kuda are to assemble at Super Market, Dimapur, by 11 a.m, the release informed. The Baudi has requested all Zeliangrong public of Nagaland without exception to join the rally.

Jamir’s suggestion on border row Nagarealm.com
Tsutapela (Mokokchung), SEP01 [NPN] : Governor of Goa and former Chief Minister of Nagaland, Lokshree SC Jamir, has advocated a people-to-people approach to solve the border dispute between Assam and Nagaland.

Interacting with a six-member delegation of Border Peace Coordination Committee (Assam-Nagaland) here on Saturday on his way to Mokokchung, Jamir pointed out that people of the two States had lived in absolute harmony and peace in the past. Our forefathers have lived together in peace like brothers, so we Nagas and Assamese should also live like brothers,” he said. The Governor observed that the 1984 Saikia-Jamir Agreement was humane and a more practical agreement between the two peoples because it had taken into consideration the ground realities. Both Saikia and Jamir were very closely related to the people of the areas and so knew their aspirations.

Jamir said if the 1984 Agreement were implemented, there would have been a clear-cut boundary right from the tri-junction of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland borders. There would have been some give and take for both the parties but that would have satisfied all the people in the entire border belt, Jamir claimed. He lamented that the Agreement could not be implemented because those in the authority did not have much knowledge about the ground situation. He appealed to the members of the Peace Committee not to blow the issue out of proportion as “such news create bad impression and spoil relations between peoples unnecessarily”.

“Why should there be border disputes between us? Whether the land is there in Assam or here in Nagaland, we are all part of the same country and there is no reason why fellow-countrymen should fight over land,” Jamir said. He also said the people of the north-east should realize that their collective interests could be fulfilled most only when they started to consider the entire region as a single political, social and economic unit. The Governor complimented the Peace Committee for its efforts towards restoring peace in the border areas and assured that he would apprise both Assam and Nagaland governments to give recognition to the Committee.

BP Bora, president of the Committee, felt the Commission constituted by the Supreme Court recently might not be able to settle the dispute as it did not have much knowledge about the ground realities and the psyche of the people living in the affected areas. It may be mentioned the Peace Committee, formed in 2005, is committed to work for the “protection of peace and tranquility” in the border areas. Earlier, it was owing to the efforts of this Committee that peace could be restored to some border areas which were badly affected by the August 8 failed attempt by AASU to march inside Nagaland.

Delhi’s nod to Mandalay-Imp bus service By Our Staff Reporter Sangai Express
IMPHAL, Sep 2: With the Centre giving a favourable response to the proposal of the State Government for starting a bus service between Imphal and Mandalay city in Myanmar, concerned Ministers, MLAs and officials are holding talks with the Governments of India and Myanmar for allowing a trip to Mandalay.
Disclosing this while talking to The Sangai Express today, Transport Minister L Jayentakumar said on receiving a favourable response from the Centre, the Ministers, MLAs and officials of the State have started talks with the Government of India as well as of Myanmar to give the permission for a trip to Mandalay on trial basis.
The proposed trip of the Ministers, MLAs and officials will finalise how many times a bus from Imphal to Mandalay would require to stop on the way, the Transport Minister said. To a query on when the proposed bus service is likely to start, the Minister said the matter cannot be decided until the realisation of the trip to Mandalay.
Jayentakumar, who is also in charge of Sericulture, further informed that even if the target of completing the first phase of the Sericulture Project has been set in March next year, the expert team of the JBIC who came to visit Imphal from August 25 to 30 had given a report for extension of the deadline.
The second phase can be taken up only after completing the first phase.Monday Border fencing to come up at Indo-Myanmar meeting The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Sept 2: A two-day long Indo-Myanmar director`s level meeting for the proposed Indo-Myanmar border fencing will be held at Tamu, a border town of Myanmar, on September 5 and 6, officials said Sunday.

The first phase of the proposed Indo-Myanmar border fencing work will be taken up at Moreh town in Manipur, along the porous Indo-Myanmar border as agreed by both the countries at a high level meeting held in September last year.

The fencing works along the Indo-Myanmar border is to be taken up as a part of accelerating the efforts to check movement of militants at the international border, illegal drug trafficking in the north eastern region of the country bordering Myanmar. This is part of various other measures taken up by the Union ministry of home affairs, officials said.

The meeting is to be held between officials of the Survey of India with the Department of Survey, government of Myanmar. The representatives of the Survey of International Boundary will also take part in the meeting, the source added.

The states of Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram have been identified as a transit point for illegal trafficking by the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and International Narcotic Control Board (INCB).

Myanmar, the country sharing its border with northeastern states of India has always been linked with high instances of drug abuse and its opium and heroin production ranks second in the world.

The northeastern states are located at a very strategic point since it shares 1,643 kilometers long border with Myanmar, which is vulnerable and identified route for easy illicit trafficking.

As of present only 52 km out of the 1,643 km stretch of international border with Myanmar is manned by Indian security forces.

Out of the total 1,643 km, Manipur has 398 kilometers. The 25th battalion of the Border Road Task Force has been entrusted for taking up the border fencing at the international border.

The foremost route, which begins at Mandalay, splits northwards at the Tamu-Moreh border crossing and the NH-39 acting as a spring board to Imphal (Manipur) then to Nagaland from where it goes to Assam and is finally shipped to Kolkata and other parts of India.

Another direct route is the bordering area of Noklak and Tobu known as eastern Nagaland, which is unmanned and has been reported to be a silk route for the traffickers.

The traffickers involved are found to be mostly either Manipuri or Nagas who seem to have found it a lucrative business despite the risk involved and the districts of Senapati and Ukhrul and the Sardar hills are reportedly into cultivation.

The Survey of India with its Myanmar counterpart has been carrying out survey and demarcation works for the fencing. Moreh and other parts of the international border are also being fenced since last part of 2006. The centre is also considering construction of a parallel road along the entire length of Indo-Myanmar border as emphasized by the Planning Commission.

If the drug route at the borders is not properly curtailed, north eastern region could become a major illicit drugs transit point, UNDCP and INCB reports had warned. It also stated that true to its prediction on the report published in 2001, the states of NE especially Manipur and Nagaland are fast emerging to be an epicenter engaged in narcotics business.

There is a direct correlation between proximity to the border and drug abuse, the UNDCP said. Drug flow through the boundary has fueled the rise of HIV/AIDS epidemic in the NE turning it into a high-risk zone.

Continue talks with ULFA to counter Assam violence, say analysts Nagaland Page
Guwahati, September 2: While experts differ on the measures to counter insurgency related violence, they are united and in favour of holding talks with the rebels.
Although, analysts agree that violence hampers the State's development, they put little onus on the Government for the present state of affairs.
Sanjib Baruah, a columnist and an academician, feels that the Centre needs to rethink the strategy towards the North East.
"If India is so security obsessed that it is not willing to rethink its policy towards the North East and think that countering insurgency is the answer, then I will put an equal burden on the Indian State."
Harekrishna Deka, a columnist, advocates a new strategy to deal with the ULFA's terror tactics.
He favours involvement of civil society in the peace process. Talks should be held, along with the community participation, he said.
Deka said: "They (militants) have taken the doctrine of violence as their methodology and violence leads to more violence, which they do not realise. Through this kind of violence they can't achieve what they have been looking for. And once they realise this, they will also realise that people do not support violence."
Sanjib Baruah, a columnist, said that talks with insurgents must continue.
"Of course there should be ceasefire. There should be negotiations. I don't think a strong State like India should worry about negotiations. What do we loose by it?" said Baruah.
Analysts believe that the system needs to tone up to accommodate new aspirations of the people.
Deka says, "I think democracy is still very strong here. Only that the discontent among the people has to be removed. There is no other alternative to Democracy."
In an opinion poll last year, over ninety percent people of the State rejected the demand for sovereignty, and the recent peace rally in the State is an indication to the masses' belief in the democratic process.
Centre recently gave its nod to the State Government for raising a 5,000-strong force of retired soldiers to fight against the ULFA. Meanwhile, a fresh appeal has been made to the outlawed group to come forward for talks. (ANI)
Burmese activists march to Sonia Gandhi for India's support Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)
Mungpi In an expression of solidarity with the peaceful protesters in Burma, 12 Burmese activists in New Delhi today walked a 25-kilometer stretch demanding that India voice its concern over the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy groups in Burma. The activists, marched from New Delhi's suburban Vikaspuri to the Congress party President Sonia Gandhi's residence on 10 Janpath, seeking India's support for the ongoing peoples' movement in Burma. The Congress is leading the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition government in India.
"We are not demanding much. All we want is Sonia Gandhi and India to say just a single word in support of the movement for democracy in Burma and condemn the junta for its inhuman treatment of the people of Burma," Khaing Aung Kyaw, a protester told Mizzima.
The 12 activists said India, being the largest democracy in the world should be ashamed of its silence over the ongoing crackdown on peaceful demonstrators by the military junta in Burma.
"It is unacceptable to us that India is silent over what is happening in Burma now," said another protester, U Nyunt Hla.
A series of protests were staged in Rangoon and other parts of Burma since August 19, over the government's decision to increase prices of petroleum products. The junta deployed gangs and plainclothes officials to beat, arrest and detain peaceful protesters demanding a roll back of fuel and essential commodity prices.

On August 15, the junta hiked the prices of diesel and petrol to hundred percent and Compressed Natural Gas by used by buses by 500 percent. The fuel price rise triggered an increase in bus fares. Many daily wage earners in Rangoon could not afford the fares to go to their work places.
More than 100 protesters, including prominent student leader Min Ko Naing, who has served long prison terms, were arrested during the recent spate of protests.
Despite mounting international outcry and condemnation of the junta's actions on protesters, India, once a strong supporter of the Burmese democracy movement, remains conspicuous by its silence.
"All I want is Sonia Gandhi and India to condemn the junta for its action on pro-democracy activists," said Khaing Aung Kyaw.
The protesters said, they submitted a petition to Sonia Gandhi, demanding she issue a statement regarding the ongoing protests and the brutal crackdown by the military regime.

Nagalim.NL News

09/03/2007: "IM’s arson decried Newmai News Netwoprk"