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10/09/2008: "Naga UG leaders kick off a historic reconciliation Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network"

Naga UG leaders kick off a historic reconciliation Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Kohima, October 09 2008: In a historic moment, leaders of all warring Naga underground groups from the rank of deputy kilonser (minister) and above were seen together as one team while the Naga civil societies and churches clubbed as the second team playing the first ever 'Reconciliation Football Match' in trouble torn State of Nagaland.
The match was held in Kohima this afternoon.

It was an instant to be cherished forever, as the reconciliation match drew closer all the warring Naga underground groups on one side to exhibit their sporting talent, which would also be stepping stone towards reconciliation amongst themselves.

Briefing on the match, Rev Zhabu Terhja, President Nagaland Christian Forum (NCF) expressed that the match is a continuation of the Chiangmai Meet (Thailand) and a journey towards reconciliation and new hope.

'Pointing that while playing a football match as a team, the players require each others support, he said Nagas also require each others support through reconciliation.

Speaking to scribes, Rev Dr Wati Aier, Principal of Oriental Theological Seminary expressed that the process of reconciliation is moving on the right direction and with the enthusiasm shown by the Naga underground groups one can visualize that something will surely evolve in the near future.

'We cannot say that all forms of killing will come to end but something will surely be achieved,' he said.

The touching moment of the day was minor students of Baptist High, Kohima performing a special item spreading the message 'Give us our future' and releasing of white balloons as a sign of peace and reconciliation by President Naga Mothers Association, Khesheli Chishi while over five thousand crowd joined her with white balloons and white flags.

Others presenting special numbers from Oriental Theological Seminary, Peace Channel and Agatha & Friends also emphasized on the need of peace and reconciliation and 'shed no more blood'.

Notably, as the match started in a peaceful and cordial atmosphere without any armed security arrangements, except for the checking and frisking of spectators on the entrance by the Angami Students' Union volunteers, spectators from all walks of life poured into the ground.

The crowd was more supportive towards the Team Hope, which consisted of Naga undergrounds 'NSCN/GPRN (NSCN-U and NSCN-K), NSCN-IM, Naga Support Group and Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN/NNC).

Team Faith consisted of Church, Naga Hoho, Naga Students' Federation, Naga Peoples' Movement for Human Rights, Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation and United Naga Council (UNC).

Playing the reconciliation match, Rev Dr Wati Aier netted the first goal for Faith while Rev C Lima scored the second.

However, before the lemon break Hope managed to minimize the goal margin through Shanti Konyak, Deputy Kilonser of NSCN-IM.

In the second half of the play, Toshi Wungtung managed to further the score to 3-1, which also became the winning goal for the Faith team.

The reconciliation match concluded with a mass prayer holding each others hand and seeking God's blessing for reconciliation, peace and unity under the white cross.
Angamis firm on Dzukou Valley OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
Kohima, Oct. 7: The Angami Nagas today reiterated that they would not give away any land in the Dzukou Valley to Manipur. Both the states have been staking claim to the valley for years.
However, the Nagaland government recently announced plans to build a helipad and other tourist infrastructure in the valley.
The government is at present constructing a road to the valley, before Manipur completes the road to the valley from Mao gate.
Organisations like Angami Students’ Union and Southern Angami Public Organisations have rubbished the Manipur government’s claim that 70 per cent of the valley belongs to it.
The president of the Southern Angami Public Organisations, Phelukhwe Kirha, said no government had the authority to execute any documents or draw any boundaries without the consent of the owner of the land.
He said even the word Dzukou was derived from southern Angami.
“The southern Angamis have made their stand clear that they will stick to their traditional boundary and never recognised the so-called Manipur-Nagaland inter-state imaginary political boundary line,” Kirha said.
Naga organisations in Manipur said Dzukou Valley belonged to the Naga people and that the Manipur government should not interfere.
The Naga Students’ Federation said the dispute was between the Naga people and the valley belonged to the Nagas.
The valley, which is 30km from Kohima, has become a tourist attraction and the Nagaland government has proposed development activities there to promote tourism in the state.
Pondering the nation’s banner Leiyawon A Shimray, Kohima
Had the banner of our na-tion been a "Nagalim for killing", I would not be writing this, but it is not. The banner of our nation shouts "Nagalim for Christ" and this is the reason why I am writing this.

We the youngsters look upon the national leaders to learn from them- but sadly we are led astray; we are shown and seem taught the art of killing among brothers, shedding blood for wrong cause! No doubt, the nation 'Nagalim' is striving for its independence from 'India', but feels like we are battling against our own brothers instead of our rival.

If we are going to achieve our long awaited goal by killing each other, long way back our forefathers would have done it. But it is never. Our goal is to achieve by following God's lead; our nation is not like others; our nation, we the people are for God. If not why should the nation's banner shout "Nagalim for Christ"? and that the unanswered question is "why the nation's banner shout one and the people act/shout different"? Aren't we under the banner "Nagalim for Christ"?
I believe Christ never demands killing, bloodshed etc etc…., then why are we doing so? Isn't Christ our master? Then why go against His will? Is it His will to kill among brothers? Let's ask ourselves, "Are we obeying our master's command? or are we just executing our own policies ignoring the master's voice?"
Let us not forget His words, "except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain, that build it; except the Lord keep the city the watchman wakes but in vain". Psalm 127:1
Is our nation really building by our Lord Jesus? Are we really letting Jesus to be the Lord of our nation? Or are we taking His place? When time is running out shall we still count each other's faults/sins and blame each other and kill each other? Isn't this the high time to repent, and invite Jesus to have His way(s)? Isn't it our sins that shaped us to be murderers? How long do you think you can go on without Christ? Without God's blessing and mercy, do you think you can achieve the goal?
As the word of God says, "whoever conceals his faults (sins) will not prosper, but he who confess and renounces them will be shown mercy". Do not we need of these?
Yes lets surrender everything today to our master Jesus once and for all and lets invite Him to have His way in us and in our nation today and make our nation a true "Nagalim for Christ".
God bless Nagalim.

‘Involvement of NDFB or jehadis can be ascertained only after investigation’ From our Correspondent Sentinel
MANGALDAI, Oct 7: While self-contradictory statements made by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Asom Government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma and DGP RN Mathur over the alleged involvement of the NDFB in the recent violence have created a confusion among the public, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhubaneswar Kalita today accused miscreants, some political parties and leaders like LK Advani of fomenting trouble in the State with their inflammatory speeches.
Addressing a press meet at Mangaldai Circuit House after his day-long visit to the affected areas in Udalguri and Darrang districts today, Kalita admitted the total failure of the police in Udalguri district, as there is acute shortage of manpower and infrastructure.
Though Asom Government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a press meet at Mangaldai on October 6 that the use of sophisticated weapons like LMGs indicated the involvement of the NDFB in the violence, the APCC president today said: “No sophisticated arms or weapons were used by the miscreants. They used only traditional weapons like bows and arrows, daos etc. Involvement of the NDFB or jehadi forces in the violence can be ascertained only after a thorough investigation.”
When asked on the death toll of the violence, Kalita said the accurate figure is not available with the APCC. Referring to the difference of death tolls as stated by the Chief Minister and Himanta Biswa Sarma in two separate press meets on Monday, Kalita said that there might be some communication gaps. He made a fervent appeal to all political parties and organizations to refrain from deriving any political mileage out of the situation as game-blame politics will further deteriorate the situation. He said the APCC will approach the State Government for adequate relief materials and sanitation facilities to the inmates of the relief camps. He felt the necessity of adequate security to the affected areas, as the inmates of the relief camps are willing to return to their villages. The APCC will also demand a high-level inquiry into the violence which rocked the entire State, he added.
Meanwhile, the total death toll in Udalguri and Darrang districts has increased 60 following the recovery of two bodies at Tangla and four at Kalaigaon on October 6. Two more bodies have been recovered from the Kharupetia area today.

BJYM: Attack was a pre-planned plot
By our Staff Reporter Sentinel
GUWAHATI, Oct 7: “The recent violence in Udalguri and Darrang districts was a plot hatched by Islamic fundamentalist forces to give settlement to illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who were expelled from Arunachal Pradesh,” said the Bharatiya Janata Yuba Morcha (BJYM), youth wing of the BJP, today. It has also demanded of the Centre to impose Central rule in the State because, as it said, the State Government has totally failed to protect the life and property of people.
A team of the BJYM led by its Asom unit president Dilip Saikia visited the two riot-hit districts of Udalguri and Darrang. “BTAD chief Hagrama Mohilary and ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rockybul Hussain have been pushing the indigenous people of the State to a bleak future only for the sake of votes,” said Dilip Saikia. It has been reported that fundamentalist outfits like HuJI and SIMI have been imparting arms training to the Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants, he claimed.
Lambasting the State Government for its inaction to tackle the situation, Saikia said the Chief Minister’s denial of the report of hoisting the Pakistani flag by a section of miscreants at Mohanpur and Kuptimari by describing it as an Eid flag has virtually exposed the fact that the Government has surrendered before the anti-Indian forces active in the State. The BJYM leader appealed to the people of the State to come out against the anti-Indian forces.

Meet condemns violence in Udalguri, Darrang
From our Correspondent
GOSSAIGAON, Oct 7: Following the ongoing communal clashes in Udalguri and Darrang district of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Gossaigaon district committee of Bodoland People Front (BPF) here convened a meeting with all political and non-political organizations, intellectuals of all section of people, Students Organizations, NGOs etc at Gossaigaon BPF office, Gossaigaon today.
The meeting was presided over by Kiron Basumatary, president Gossaigaon district BPF committee.
The meeting was largely attended by AMSU, ABSU, Religions Minority Council (RMC) Bengali Yuva Chatra Federation, All Koch Rajbonshi Students’ Union, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind etc. The meeting was actively participated by Majendra Nargary, MLA, 28 No Gossaigaon constituency, Rajen Narzary, Rohindra Narzary, MCLA, Kachugaon and Guma constituency, Sobharam Basumatary, EM, BTC. Bibhuti Bhusan Brahma, ex EM BAC. Aynal Haque retired principal, Tulsibil HS school, Azahar Ali Superintendent Navajyoti High Madrassa, were among others.
Condemning the incidents of killing and torture in Udalguri and Darrang districts all the speakers urged upon the cross section of people to maintain peace and harmony among them.
A subdivision level peace committee was formed with Kiron Basumatary as president.

Tales from Riot zone - Poultry theft fuelled riots A STAFF REPORTER


A woman holds her baby born at a relief camp in Darrang on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections
Guwahati, Oct. 7: A single incident of poultry theft on Id triggered the bloody ethnic war in the Bodo belt that claimed 51 lives in four days. Or so 25-year-old Shahjahan Ali from Laodung in Udalguri believes.
“On October 2, when the men of our village went to offer Id prayers, thugs came and took away some poultry. We did not react since it was Id-ul Fitr and thought the youths must have taken away the chicken for a feast. But the same group returned to our village the next day and made off with more chicken and ducks. We caught the youths and asked them not to steal again. After a few hours, a group, armed with bows and arrows, came and attacked our village. After that, all hell broke lose,” Ali, who sustained injuries in his chest and is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, said today.
He was not to know then that the bow-and-arrow clash would snowball into a communal riot. People from his community have lived in the village for ages and are mostly into agriculture, he said.
“A few are engaged in poultry farming. But there has never been any such an incident in the past.”

A man who lost his fingers in the riots in Udalguri (PTI)
Kunja Boro, 22, from Bhakatpara in Udalguri, who was injured in police firing and underwent surgery at GMCH, said the senseless violence would only spell doom for the state.
“People from the tribal community and the minority community have been living peacefully in Udalguri district. I do not know who is instigating the ongoing violence. I am now afraid to go back to my village,” he said.
In the male surgical ward of the hospital, Mohar Ali from Dalgaon in Darrang lay groaning from multiple injuries. Ali was returning from his in-laws’ house when he was attacked.
Three fingers of his left hand were chopped off. He was also hurt in his chest and head.
“Soon after the attack, I lost consciousness. When I came to, I found myself in GMCH. My wife and children still do not know where I am. I don’t know how I will feed my family. I can’t pull a handcart with my injured hand anymore,” Ali said.
Twenty people from Udalguri and Darrang districts are undergoing treatment at GMCH.
A senior doctor at the surgery department said the “victims” were being treated free of cost.
“We are keeping a close watch on the injured and reserving beds in the intensive care unit in case their condition turns critical,” he said.
NDFB blames it on Government
From Our Correspondent
TEZPUR, Oct 7: Reacting strongly against the mud slinging role of the State Government rather than accepting its failure to take positive step in all fronts by the state, top brass NDFB leader and assistant organising secretary Gopal Rabha briefs media person here at Tezpur recently. Rabha criticized the role of the government as it utterly failed to safeguard the life of indigenous people, rather taking firm step to tackle the growing ISI activities who is backing for such violence the government has put its finger to NDFB which is totally baseless. And politically motivated Rabha alleged.
Rabha questioned as to why Pakistan’s flag is seen in the violence hit minority dominated area which belongs to people of a particular religion. Is it not because that fundamentalist force is active due to international third party involvement. To suppress all those factors and to remain in power the State Government shamelessly pointing its finger to the NDFB and in this regard the stand taken by BTAD chief Hagrama Mohilary is also unfortunate as alleged by Rabha in the press meet. Rabha is of the opinion that the Central Government should interfere the role played by the station since the sovereignty of the country under the present State Government is under threat.