03/13/2008: "AR nabs six NSCN (U) cadres morungexpress"

12 March 2008 AR nabs six NSCN (U) cadres morungexpress
The seized arms and ammunitions from the arrested six cadres of NSCN (U) at Dimapur.
Dimapur, March 11 (MExN): The 31 Assam Rifles, based on specific information, conducted operation at United North block, B Sector of Burma Camp, Dimapur in the morning. “Six cadres belonging to NSCN (U) including SS senior Commander were apprehended along with huge arms, ammunition and war like stores”, informed a press note issued by Pallab Choudhury Major PRO IGAR (North).
The recovered arms include AK-47-01 with mag, .22 Rif – 01, Double barrel 12 Bore DBBL – 01, Pistol 7065mm (Italian Made) - 01 with 03 magazine, Revolver .38 – 01, Chinese grenade – 02. A large amount of ammunition was also recovered, they include Amn 7.62mm – 18 rds, 3.3 mm- 66 rds, .9mm – 46 rds, AK-47 – 146 rds, Insan – 63 rds, 7.62mm cartridge 12 bore – 21 rds with 04 fire cage, .32 mm – 21 rds, WRA 53 – 01 rds, MC 43 – 01 rd, 6.35 mm – 05 rds, KF – 02 rds and Bomb HE 81 mm – 01.
Other items captured were Cordex – 100 mtr, laser pointer bino – 01, Pistol cage – 03, Combat dress – 03 and one sling AK-47. Five cameras were recovered (Camera Kodak (normal) – 01, Camera Canon – 01, Camera Rico (Digital) – 01, Digital (Sony) camera – 01 and Studio Express – 01). One LG Computer, one Computer Esys, one Mob set Nokia 1600 and one Computers Printer were recovered.

Rumours fuel Naga post-poll suspense
OUR CORRESPONDENT

Security forces guard the hotel in Kohima on Tuesday. Picture by Narain B. Sagar
Kohima, March 11: Several hundred youths supporting Neiphiu Rio today tried to storm a Kohima hotel in which Congress legislators and militants were rumoured to be coercing Independent legislators not to support the Nagaland People’s Front.
Security personnel prevented the mob from entering the hotel but the capital town teetered on the edge, the tension accentuated by the NPF-led Democratic Alliance of Nagaland’s growing impatience at not receiving an invitation from the governor to form the next government.
Unable to barge into the hotel, Rio’s youth army marched to Raj Bhavan and shouted slogans accusing the governor of using “delaying tactics” to let the Congress muster support through “unfair means”.
Sources in Raj Bhavan, however, said K. Sankaranarayanan was only waiting for word from Delhi to lift President’s rule and invite Rio for a second consecutive term. His last term as the head of a DAN government ended two months before its term with Delhi clamping President’s rule.
Rio called on the governor on Sunday to say that he had the “committed and unconditional” support of 34 members, including five of the six Independents and two legislators each of the Nationalist Congress Party and the BJP. The NPF is the largest single party with 26 legislators.
Today, Independent legislator Kipili Sangtam, who was till last night known to be in the Congress camp, told the media in front of Rio’s private residence that he had committed his support to the DAN. A couple of hours later, speculation was rife about some Independent legislators being threatened by armed militants of the newest Naga faction — a group that calls itself NSCN (Unification) — at the Congress’s behest.
“We saw NSCN (Unification) members moving about with the Congress MLAs,” a youth said.
The Congress refuted the allegation, saying it was neither in the race to form the next government nor hobnobbing with any militant group. “We are not staking claim to form the government,” AICC secretary Siddharth Patil said after emerging from a meeting with the 23-member Congress Legislature Party.
I. Imkong, the party’s choice for the chief ministership in the run-up to the elections, was re-elected the legislature party leader.
Apart from Patil, two AICC members — Margaret Alva and Ranji Thomas — are staying in the hotel that Rio’s supporters tried to storm.
Rio and Lok Sabha member Wangyuh Konyak told the media in the evening that the governor assured them that they would be called to form the government by tomorrow.
One election result is pending because of failed attempts to conduct polling afresh in a booth under Suruhoto constituency. Chief electoral officer C.J. Ponraj said repoll would be held there tomorrow.
Nagaland election and Congress Waterloo- Nagaland Post
India is a democratic state where the policy makers are chosen by the people for the people themselves. Hence an election to elect its leaders for the governance of the people is a regular phenomenon after every five years, except otherwise there is a constitutional breakdown. The concept and idea of democracy in running a government by the representatives of the people ids superb; but today we don't see the actual sense of democracy not only in Nagaland but everywhere in India due to the fact that muscle and money power have come to play the dominant role in electing the leaders.
This time round, election to the 11th Nagaland Legislative Assembly was perhaps most interesting for the reason that after NSCN (U) formation, 7 DAN legislators and 1 Congress legislator changed sides at the fake end of their tenure leading to imposition of President's Rule in Nagaland and the blame game continued between the Congress and the DAN. Both sides exploited maximum to their advantage of this President's Rule imposition.
However both sides agreed that there was likely to be fractured verdict and finally that exactly happened. The only surprise was that from both DAN and Congress some heavy weights like Thenucho (NPF), Khekiho (NPF), K.Therie (Cong) were humbled. As expected, Independent candidate winners are to play the King Makers and we are yet to see the formation of the new government and distribution of the ministerial portfolios, after which some more surprises could be in the offing.
Congress had contested the election without any pre-poll alliance unlike the DAN, but was too confident to form the next government by robbing in the newly elected Independent candidates as they are expecting to retain near the Magic Mark. But alas! The outcome has just proved otherwise with the DAN (NPF-26, NCP-2, BJP-2), Congress 23, Independent-6 (5 on DAN side) with just 1 seat result left to be announced. The Congress leadership tussle drama which has been apparent even before declaration of the results had been cut short for the Naga people to witness.
This time Congress tickets were announced in three batches and the most interesting was that the last two were announced just 12 hours before ticket distribution on 8th February at Congress Bhavan, Kohima. It was a shame on the part of Congress leadership that committed leaders like Z. Lohe, Neiba Ndang, Asu Keyho, Prasielie Pienyü etc. were denied Congress ticket.
I. Imkong, CLP leader and Hokheto Sumi, president, NPCC manipulation and word of issuing tickets to "winnable candidates" have proved costly to Congress.
In politics, revenge always proves costly! Deve Gowda, once most acclaimed National political leader and PM took his revenge in his home state is never to be realized for his own action today.
Congress debacle this time needs serious introspection of the Congress leadership. By mistake we learn, but opportunity knocks the door only once.
I. Imkong, CLP leader has just resigned owning moral responsibility for the Congress defeat. Hokheto Sumi, president, NPCC resignation too may not be far away.
Congress, better luck next time
Rüüselie Angami, Kohima.
Democratic Alliance of Nagaland says it will act as a facilitator for peace talks PTI

Kohima, Mar 11 (PTI) After claiming its stake to form the next government in Nagaland with committed support of four Independent legislators, the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland today said it would play the role of a facilitator in the Naga peace talks.
A joint statement from Nagaland People's Front president Shurhozelie, state BJP president Ato Yepthomi and NCP state president Sulangthung Lotha said, "We will continue to play the role of a facilitator to the ongoing peace talks in finding an honourable and acceptable settlement to the Naga political problem." The NPF-led DAN paraded 34 MLAs, including four Independents on Sunday before Governor K Shankararaynan to stake claim to form the government.

The alliance requested the Governor to revoke President's Rule by today.

Out of 59 results declared so far, the NPF won 26 and its pre-poll alliance partners NCP and BJP two each, while opposition Congress won from 23 seats and Independents captured six seats. PTI
PRESS RELEASE
March 11, 2008

The democratic spirit and the democratic choice to be exercised by the newly elected MLA's cannot be hijacked. But ironically the congress party after failing to outdo the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) to form the government resorted to the most degrading manner, a crime in the true political term, by desperately trying to block the independent MLA's from joining the rival camp. This is sheer act of going against people's choice of who should run the state government.

Much to the indignation of the Naga People who have exercised their franchise, the congress party in the person of S.I Jamir, a successful congress candidate from Dimapur-ii dispatched four gang members belonging to the traitor's gang of Mr. Azheto Chophy to abduct 49 A/C Tamlu independent candidate Phom Dako. This was possibly to swing to the chance of forming the govt. against the DAN, where the independent candidates are placed to play the decisive role. The confession of the gang members was reported in NE-Tv live telecast and all local papers on 9 March, 2008.

Though NSCN have taken its own time to deny its hand despite its name being dragged into the abduction game, the true picture cannot be hidden. By knowing the logic of the abduction bid and the person behind is enough to indicate the congress culture, willing to stoop to any level to capture power. But the people's will is what really matters the most and NSCN shall respect the People's Will.

Issued By MIP/GPRN
Candidate refute AR’s report on UGs’ hand morungexpress
Dimapur, March 10 (MExN):NPF candidate from 13 Pughoboto A/C Y Vikheho Swu has refuted what was stated to be a report of the Assam Rifles highlighting underground activists preventing voters in some areas of the constituency.
He stated in a note that the Assam Rifles’ report alleging underground activists preventing voters from exercising their franchise at Ghathashi, Ghokimi (Khokhumi) and Ighanumi village is false. “A document signed by the CRPF party deputed at Polling Booth no. 18, Ighanumi village and attested by the polling agents of all the three candidates certifying that no untoward incident happened during polling exists to support this assertion,” the candidate stated
In fact, Swu claimed, these allegations were “concocted to create an excuse for certain armed elements to enforce coup at Laza Izuqa and Laza Khuluqa polling stations.” Coercion and threats were also used to prevent hundreds of my supporters from casting their votes at Laza Kito, he informed. Further, in a hitherto unknown practice, his rival supporters on the pretext of guiding old folks and widows cast their votes in favor of his rival particularly at Tsaphimi and Ighanumi villages. “Consequently, some of the helpless victims at these mentioned polling stations were reduced to tears” he stated.
The candidate however expressed utmost gratitude and appreciation to all who extended their support. “I would like to declare that I have the clear mandate and confidence of the people but for the unethical polling practices unscrupulously applied by the Congress. With my integrity still intact, I once again affirm my commitment to the welfare of my people and shall continue to strive for the (uplift) of the same” he added.
India to ask Dhaka to dismantle militant camps morungexpress
Shillong, March 11 (Agencies): India will ask Bangladesh to launch a military crackdown against insurgents and deport ULFA ‘general secretary’ Anup Chetia and other ultras based in that country, a senior official said here today. The BSF would reiterate India’s longstanding demand during the four-day biennial conference of senior BSF and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) officials, which will begin here tomorrow.
“We’ll hand over a list of Indian militant camps and hideouts of various outfits operating in the Northeast located deep inside Bangladesh and seek BDR’s cooperation to bust them,’’ Inspector General of BSF (Assam-Meghalaya) Frontier, P K Mishra told UNI here.
BDR Deputy Director General Brigadier General M A Bari will lead the ten-member BDR team, while the BSF delegation will be headed by Inspector General for the Cachar-Mizoram frontiers, Himmat Singh. Mishra and J A Khan will assist Singh at the talks on deportation of Anup Chetia and other insurgent leaders, Sinha said adding that issues ranging from illegal transshipment of arms and ammunition from Bangladesh to India will also be on the agenda.
The ULFA leader alias Chetia is under detention in Dhaka jail after being arrested on December 21, 1997. He charged under illegal entry into Bangladesh using a forged passport, possession of illegal foreign currency of 16 different countries along with arms and a satellite phone. The Bangladesh government has repeatedly denied any presence of guerrilla bases inside its territory, despite New Delhi on several occasions submitting fresh list of militant camps and hideouts belonging to ULFA, NSCN (IM), NDFB, UNLF, PLA, KLO, KYKL, and NLFT set up in that country. India and Bangladesh share a 4,095 km border with more than half falling within the northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
BSF hands over list of 141 camps to BDR Morung Express
Shillong, March 11 (PTI): The BSF on Tuesday handed over a list of 141 camps of militant groups and leaders, including frontranking ULFA leader Paresh Barua operating in Bangladesh, to the BDR and sought its help to dismantle them.
The list was handed over by BSF Inspector General (Assam-Meghalaya Frontier) P K Mishra to the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) during the first round of the four-day conference between the two forces at the BSF frontier headquarters here.
"We have given a list of 141 camps of insurgent groups operating in Bangladesh along with the names of 116 rebel leaders and their 198 sympathisers, and asked for help to dismantle the camps," Mishra told PTI.
He said to substantiate its case that ULFA, NSCN(IM) and other rebel groups like PLA, NLFT, UNLF and HNLC were operating from the neighbouring country, the BSF referred to the recent surrenders of some top HNLC and NSCN(IM) cadres, who had confessed to interrogators that their accomplices were in BangladeshThe self-styled ULFA 'Commander-in-Chief' Paresh Barua, its Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and HNLC General Secretary Cheristerfield Thangkiew were among those whose names figured in the list, he said.
"We have impressed upon them that many of the insurgents, including Julius Dorphang of HNLC, who surrendered recently, admitted having camps in Bangladesh," the senior BSF official said. "The camps are a threat to India and we asked the BDR to help dismantle them," Mishra said.
Power of Recall morungexpress
The results to the 11th Nagaland Legislative Assembly has been declared and a new government is likely to be instated soon. Much has been written about the lead up to the election—the vices gripping the system, the heavy indulgence in money, muscle and liquor power and also the indifferent attitude of the public in general. What is most unfortunate is that after this entire melee is over; political parties of different hue and colour have the guts to now take the moral high ground. The post election comments coming out from politicians and parties is now on taking pot shots against each other about elections being rigged, the unfair resort to money and muscle power, the interference from underground cadres, proxy voting etc. At the end of the day, it should not be about blaming each other. After all, at some point of time or the other, except for a very few, most have used some form of unfair means to come to power. Politicians and the concerned political parties should realize that it is a collective failure and taking the moral high ground at this juncture is not convincing at all.
Of more relevance and interest at this point in time, is to try and assess the broad contours of verdict 2008. In this regard, it will be more worthwhile to focus on some of the political notables coming out of the latest election. Firstly, there is a clear indication that performance and leadership counts for more than anything else. And our politicians must quickly learn this lesson. The results across regions and parties show that the public are sensitive about the conduct of their leaders. From this election itself, one can take several lessons to buttress this important factor. What would have been noticed is that several big names have lost because they were either seen to be blatantly corrupt, disrespectful of people’s mandate, power hungry or simply did not have in them the leadership quality that people in general expect out of modern day leaders.
This does not however mean that all those who have been elected are also above board. In fact some of them including a few veterans are lucky to be still there. They owe their victory not to any individual achievement but due to other extraneous factors. Some of them have in fact won by narrow margins not because of any popular mandate in their favour but due to division of votes among opponents. To err is only human so they say and for many of those elected, it is a second chance—an opportunity to correct. Whether they deserve it or not is less important now. Rather, those elected should become wiser so as not to invite the wrath of the people.
The other notable coming out of this election is clearly the desire for change that people want to see. The number of new entrants to the State Legislative Assembly clearly reflects this mandate for change that people are aspiring for. To add to this, there is also a general disillusionment with party politics and the games that politicians play in their quest for power. People want to send out the message that leaders must work and serve for the welfare of the public and that they must conduct themselves with honesty and selflessness while remaining accountable. And as there is a yearning for better leaders, one promising aspect of election 2008 will undoubtedly be the demonstration of the people’s democratic right to recall as proved by the rejection of many big name politicians who have failed the test of public acceptance on several counts as mentioned above. Hopefully our politicians will not take for granted, the immense faith that people have reposed on them.
Is Congress a political party? Tridip Suhrud
Or is it merely a party of government? As the Congress attempts to kickstart its campaign for the next general election, is it even aware of the difference between forms of governance, political action and the larger role of occupying the political space, asks Tridip Suhrud Six weeks after Gandhiji’s assassination a few men and women gathered at Sevagram to search their hearts. They spent five days together and introspected and interrogated each other. Vinoba, Nehru, Kripalani, Rajendra Prasad, Kumarappa, Kishorlal Mashruwala, JP, Azad, Kaka Saheb, Bibi Amtussalam, Pyarelal, Devadas Gandhi and Thakkar Bapa and others came together to ask of themselves and the nation a question. Do we have the faith to strive towards a society based on equality and justice through the means of Truth and ahimsa, they asked themselves and us. Bapu was gone, who could they turn to for guidance?
The Sevagram conference showed deep ambivalence towards both the political realm and the emerging forms of governance. Vinoba and Kumarappa argued for the constructive programmes. For them the societal realm was primary. Their suspicion of the political ran deep. Pyarelal reminded the conference of the last will and testament of Gandhiji, where he had argued for creation of a Lok Seva Sangh, a non-political body that would replace the Congress. It was left to a sad, lonely and tired Nehru to provide an eloquent defence of the political realm.
He argued for the necessity of the political. He argued that the Congress had helped create the political realm. Political life, he said, cannot be simply brought to an end. The role of the Congress, he argued, would be to expand the scope of this realm, through governance and organic linkages with civil society organisations.
He also issued a warning to the Congress. The Congress had to govern, but that could not be the fundamental reason for its existence. The government, he said, had its own unique ways of solving issues, it also had its limits and restraints. He warned that mere power of the government was not enough. The government cannot, by its very nature, raise fundamental issues facing a society and a nation. The role of the Congress was, he said, to remain within politics — not necessarily within government — and raise and confront fundamental issues. Because, in politics one looks to the advantage of the moment. But an action that was informed by deeper understanding of the political realm would be framed differently. The action must be right in itself, whether it leads to an immediate advantage or not.
The ability of the Congress to discern the difference between forms of governance, political action and the larger role of occupying the political space has frayed. It sees itself as a body whose role should be to occupy the position of governance. It is true that one of the moving forces for a political party is the will to power. But to consider governmental power as an end in itself can be dangerous for a political organisation. It gives primacy to governance over the political thereby restricting the role of the political organisation. The party thus becomes an instrument of governance and not of confronting fundamental issues and setting the terms of political debate.
The response of the Congress to any of the fundamental issues — be it the Sethu Samudram Project, the question of civil nuclear energy, the condition of the Indian peasantry, the creation of SEZs and privatisation of resources — has been governmental rather than political. It sees filing of affidavits, creation of inquiry commissions, or the budget itself, as instruments of political action. This failure to distinguish between modes of governmental action and possible responses of a party apparatus is obvious.
The implications of this process on the party as an organisation run deep. The party is seen as a bureaucratic organisation. It sees politics and even elections essentially as a managerial problem, or worse a technocratic problem. Politics as a management exercise gives centrality to the ‘expert’ and not to the polis. It, in fact, shuts out the voice of the people or the ordinary, primary member of the party as ‘noise’ in the system. A managerial exercise is also an affirmation of the hierarchy. It also validates back-room politics as real politics. It thinks of acquisitions and mergers as robust forms of political alignment. Gujarat is a classic case in point. The Congress believed that by aligning itself with the rebels within the BJP it could defeat Modi. It surrendered to the new allies, allowing them to dictate even the choice of party candidates. The Congress needs to re-think itself as a political party and not merely as an organisational structure. The first step would be to recognise the limitations of the governmental instruments and problem-solving management style.
The writer is a social scientist based in Ahmedabad
Myanmar's last royal laments a crumbling nation Source: Reuters Ed Cropley

With a twinkle in his eye and the cheeky grin of a man half his age, 84-year-old Taw Paya does what few in Myanmar are prepared to do: speak out openly against the ruling military junta. But this is no gung-ho dissident, courting the wrath of one of the world's most repressive governments. Taw Paya is the sole surviving grandson of the former Burma's last monarch, King Thibaw, exiled to India by the British in 1885. The blue blood flowing in his veins does not make him immune to recrimination, but it certainly helps.
"People are still respectful of the royal blood," he told Reuters in the sitting room of his red-brick colonial-style villa, built in 1947, the year before the southeast Asian nation claimed its independence from Britain. A woolly hat is pulled low over his forehead and his jacket is buttoned up to the neck to ward off the early morning chill of Pyin U Lwin, a hill-station popular with British officers seeking escape from the sweat and dust of Myanmar's central plains. There is little else to cover his disdain for the 46 years of unbroken army rule that have transformed Myanmar from the rice bowl of Asia into a deeply impoverished international pariah. "There's nothing good in Burma any more," he said, recalling the apparent Golden Age of early independence in which food was cheap and plentiful -- in stark contrast to the galloping inflation and deepening poverty that sparked September's monk-led protests.
"How will it change? That's the big question," he said. "Nobody knows how to unravel the trouble we're in. There's no answer as long as these chaps are in power. We have to hope for change, but I don't think it'll be realized while we're alive."
RIGHT ROYAL MESS
Taw Paya's mother was allowed back to Burma in 1919, but kept under close watch by British imperial rulers fearful of the lingering respect accorded to the royal line. The military, which seized power in a 1962 coup, has been no less restrictive. "I'd be mad to want to become a king now. With these chaps, I don't think I'd get very far," he said in understated Victorian English learnt at a mission school in 1930s Rangoon, long since renamed Yangon and superseded as the capital city.
Since 2005, the generals who replaced dictator Ne Win after a brutally crushed 1988 pro-democracy uprising have shut themselves away in a remote new capital, Naypyidaw, carved out of the bush. The so-called "Royal City" is a clear sign of junta supremo Than Shwe's regal pretensions, Taw Paya said, but it is also indicative of a regime which does not understand, and does not want to understand, the outside world. "Even compared to Ne Win, they are burglars," he said. "At least he had some general knowledge from traveling around countries overseas. He could see how the rest of the world and democracies worked. Than Shwe hasn't even been to England."
Despite international outrage at September's crackdown in which at least 31 people died, the generals would kill again to put down any repeat, said Taw Paya, who likes to pass his days watching European soccer via a cheap Chinese satellite dish.
"If there is upheaval, it will be put down very drastically," he said. "They don't give a damn for anybody so long as their own skin is safe. They don't give a damn about what others say. For them, any change is bad, so they try to cover it."
Nor has there been any sign of the called-for relaxation of the junta's grip on the lives of Myanmar's 53 million people.
"If somebody farts in a house, they know who it is," he said with a smile.

Nagalim.NL News

03/13/2008: "AR nabs six NSCN (U) cadres morungexpress"