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10/15/2008: "Crucial Indo-Naga meet at Hague to break deadlock in peace talks (Page News Service)"

Crucial Indo-Naga meet at Hague to break deadlock in peace talks (Page News Service)

KOHIMA, OCTOBER 14: With the deadlock in the current Naga political talks between the Center and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN), the representatives of Government of India and the collective leadership of NSCN will meet at The Hague in the last week of this month.
The meeting has been called against the backdrop of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that Naga peace process has not progressed.
Samson Jojo, Chief Principal Secretary of the Government of the People's Republic of Nagalim (GPRN) said the crucial Naga talks would be held in the last week of this month to discuss all contentious issues and exigencies of the "Naga people" which has been placed before the center.
"This time the talk would be very crucial," Jojo said adding that the ball is in the court of Government of India and it is they who should decide now. He said ten years of truce vis-à-vis talks was too long for the Naga people and that fall out of the talks would be solely responsible for New Delhi and not the Naga people. Swu and Muivah, assisted by emissary to the collective leadership of NSCN, V S Atem and several top NSCN functionaries, would participate in the talks, which would be held at The Hague, Switzerland.
Union Minister of State, Oscar Fernandes and another Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Pritivraj Chauhan, would led the Indian team which would include top officials from intelligence agencies, security forces and ministry of Home Affairs. Prime Minister's interlocutor K. Padmanabhaiah, former union home secretary would also assist them in the Naga talks.
The Chief Principal Secretary of the outfit said since this time talks would be "very crucial" the Indian side would be represented by several top officials apart from Fernandes. Both Swu and Muivah have already left India after they observed that talks were not progressing according to their expectations.
Muivah has already reached Amsterdam, Netherlands, last month, while Swu is living in Bangkok, Thailand, since last year. The two Naga rebel leaders had come to India to sit across the table with cross sections of India lawmakers and politicians after strong assurance from the Center to take forward Naga peace process. But this has not worked out according to their expectations and finally they had decided to leave the country.
During their stay in the country the two Naga leaders had met several top Indian politicians from different parties, apart from meeting the Prime Minister and other union ministers. Their meetings could not reach a consensus to hammer out a solution to the vexed Indo-Naga political problem.
Nearly 60 rounds of talks have been held so far between the Center and the NSCN both outside and within the country. Successive Indian Prime Ministers have also sat face to face with the Naga leaders, but they had so far failed to convince the Naga rebel leaders.
The NSCN has already submitted 31-point charter of demand for resolving Naga issue asking the Center that federal relationship between Nagalim (Nagaland) and the Center would resolve the problem. But before any final solution the NSCN wanted the Center to integrate all Naga contiguous areas under one administrative unit - a demand which neighbouring states have being opposing, especially Manipur state, where large chunk of Naga people live.
The NSCN led by S S Khaplang is all out against ongoing talks between the Center and the rival faction, alleging them of selling out Nagas' rights.
After the stalemate in Naga peace process NSCN had decided to extend the ceasefire indefinitely subject to progress in the talks since July 31, 2007, the idea that was opposed by the Center.
The NSCN and Government of India first declared truce on July 31, 1997 for three months. The conditions for the talks were at the Prime Minister level, without any condition and in a third country. But according to the NSCN these conditions were later violated by the Center.

The Hague to host Naga talks OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
Kohima, Oct. 14: The venue for talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) is set to move out of the country once again, with both parties agreeing on The Hague in the Netherlands as the venue.
Samson Jojo, the chief principal secretary of the Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim (GPRN), said the Naga talks would be held in the last week of this month.
NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, assisted by emissary to the collective leadership of NSCN, V.S. Atem, will attend the talks.
Union minister Oscar Fernandes and a minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, Prithviraj Chauhan, will lead the government team, which will also include top officials from intelligence agencies and security forces. The Prime Minister’s interlocutor K. Padmanabhaiah, a former Union home secretary, will assist them.
Nearly 60 rounds of talks have been held between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M) both within and outside the country. Successive Prime Ministers have also sat face to face with the Naga leaders, but the meetings have failed to bear fruit.
Nagaland: Peace rally against communal violence Merinews CJ: Dilip Sharma
The persecution of Christians in Orissa and other parts the country has already evoked sharp criticism from within the country and without. Nagaland too has expressed solidarity with the persecuted Christians of Orissa and the rest of the country..
DISTRESSED OVER the atrocities committed on fellow Christians in Orissa, the Nagaland Christian Forum today organised a peaceful protest rally in which people from different communities participated. The rally, perhaps one of the smallest as far as protest rallies go, expressed solidarity with the Christian community and urged the government of India and Orissa to immediately intervene and stop the violence. It also highlighted the recent carnage in Orissa, where 50 persons were killed, over 18,000 were injured, 4,400 houses were burnt down and 400 churches were destroyed.

Speakers representing prominent Naga organisations strongly condemned the bloodshed in Orissa, Karnataka and other parts of the country and called for religious tolerance and upholding the secular principles of the largest democracy of the world. They also expressed apprehension and concern over the inhuman activities perpetrated on the minority Christian community and registered their protest against the continuous attacks on Christians in Orissa, Karnataka and other parts of India, especially by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and other organisations of the Sangh Parivar.

Savi Legisie, president of the Naga Council, Dimapur, maintained that India, being the largest democracy of the world, had always been remembered for propagating and preaching non-violence; but today, the people, especially the minority Christians, were distressed by the actions of certain fanatic religious groups like the Bajrang Dal, which were committing atrocities on the Christian community. Expressing happiness over the religious tolerance obtaining in Nagaland, where Hindus, Muslims and other communities were living harmoniously with the Christian community, Legisie said that this message had to be passed across the country to shun violence. He also appealed to the Orissa government to stop the violence immediately and called upon the Central government to intervene immediately. The Naga Council president commented that Hindus were the most peaceful people in the world and Hinduism the most tolerant religion.

The president of Dimapur Naga Women Hoho, Hukheli, while condemning the atrocities perpetrated on the minority Christians in Orissa, called for peaceful co-existence and said timely intervention could prevent the situation from becoming worse. DNSU president Solomon maintained that Christians in other parts of the country were being targeted by religious fanatics without any reason and asked the Hindu community to stop such violence against the minority community. He asked of the Hindus whether the Christians had ever committed crime or violence against them in any part of the country or even in Nagaland.

Earlier in the day, a protest rally, held by the said units along with students from various schools and colleges, marched from circuit junction to the city tower carrying banners with messages like ‘We want peace’, ‘In solidarity with persecuted Christians in Orissa and the rest of the country’, ‘Down with religious fanatics’, ‘We want secular India’ etc.

‘Naga national struggle generating new conspiracy’ Issued by: MIP/GPRN.
The sheer weight of K's defection to the mainstream and the rumbling in the group over the confusing leadership's role and with the increasing number of members questioning the legitimacy of the group vis-à-vis the Naga national struggle, is generating a new conspiracy but coming in the garb of defection. This has come to surface in the new twist of things as witnessed today.
The killing of NSCN's Captain Chinaochung and Sgt.Maj. Ngachanthingreipam by their comrades in North Cachar Hills on 11 Oct. 2008 is a part of the conspiracy that is being enforced to wreck the NSCN. The comrades who defected from K-group just a month back and who were accepted to the NSCN after being made to go through public scrutiny to grant them the status of 'genuine home comers' later turned themselves as wolves in sheep's clothing. And they killed their senior comrades in arms in cold blooded manner. With zero-level political education on Naga political struggle other than teaching with the sting of communalism and parochialism these members have no compunction to go for such action. But such deep-rooted conspiracy is not a new incident. Earlier on 4th May 2008, a conspiracy was hatched by the then Azheto's Unification group when they invited late Lt. Pouken to come to a particular spot in Burma camp area in order to facilitate defection with arms. But on reaching the spot he was inhumanly tortured and hacked to death. Pouken's friend Lt. Solomon was lucky to escape with injuries.
With such conspiracy in their pockets these K-group says 'it has the courage to listen to the voice of the Naga people'. The devilish conspiracy never represents the voice of the Naga people, and the voice of the Naga people never spit the venom of parochialism and communalism in the name of Naga political issue. These are the roadblocks to reconciliation and unity. But the K-group is desperate to exploit the sentiments of the Naga people on the issue of reconciliation, not knowing that the Naga people have learnt the hard way not to rate themselves naïve any longer. Who guides the Naga people and who misguides the Naga people? But the Naga people are getting wiser.

Kapaam meet calls for Naga reconciliation Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 14 2008: MP of Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency Mani Charenamei has categorically stated that absence of proper facilities for education, road and transport and health care in the hill areas of Manipur has deprived the rights of the Naga people. Speaking at as of the special guests of the programme on 'Naga reconciliation: A journey of common hope' held at the public ground of Kapaam (Komlathabi) today, Charenamei said Nagas have been deprived of their rights for the last 40 years.

He said that when Naga people who have their own history and culture raised the demand for a separate homeland with the Government of India, no one should have any objection.

Nagas are not going to take anything that belongs to other people.

Tamils have their own Tamil Nadu and Punjabis have Punjab, why can't the Nagas have their own Nagalim, he questioned, while alluding that the present Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya have been segregated from Assam.

On the issue of Naga reconciliation, the MP said that since 1988, two Naga National political groups have come about.

However, after the two groups namely NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K), another group called NSCN (Unification) has surfaced very recently and much blood has been shed in these factional clashes.

Now it is time to bring about a reconciliation among all these factions.

Since they have taken up arms to fight for the cause of the Nagas, every Nagas have the right to ask them to reconcile and bring about peace, the MP exhorted.

Stating his position on the issue, Charenamei said that being an elected representative of the Naga people, he has always highlighted the aspirations of the Naga people on the floor of the House and would continue to do so in future.

Presenting the report of Naga reconciliation at the occasion, president of United Naga Council Samson Remei recalled that the Naga National Reconciliation has been launched after a joint meeting of the Naga Hohos convened at Kohima on December 20, 2001.Since then various round of meetings have been held along with representatives and leaders of NNC, NSCN (IM), NSCN (K), frontal organisations, Church leaders, etc besides taking up confidence building measures like organising football matches and hoisting of white flags symbolising peace in every households and vehicles.

MLA Morung Makunga, who was also present at the programme organised by Chandel Naga Peoples' Organisation, observed that every Nagas feel is that there should not any factional fight since there is ceasefire and peace talk is going on with the Government of India.

Apart from leaders of the seven tribes living in Chandel district, representatives of village authorities, student bodies and Church leaders also participated in the programme.

The gathering also 'We want Naga reconciliation' in unison towards the end of the programme.
Where the mind is without fear” Morungexpress An Interview with Yan Murry, co-founder of kuknalim.com
Every kukker knows Yan Murry, co-founder and administrator of Kuknalim.com. He lets us have our voices heard, he interviews Nagas from around the world, but we hardly get to hear him. So I decided it’s time to listen to him. Here’s our own modest Yan in his own words:

Paul: How did you get started on computers?
Yan: Well, it started out of curiosity more than anything else.

Paul: When did you first get the idea of building a website for Nagas? Why?
Yan: It happened way back in the year 2000. The dot-com boom was happening with Yahoo, Rediff and the likes dominating the internet space in India. Surfing the internet was a costly affair during that time. I tried searching information on Nagaland on the web. I could not find even one proper website on Nagaland. Then the idea of starting a website for Nagaland hit my mind. I shared the idea with my friend Jeremy who instantly liked the idea.

Paul: Was Kuknalim.com your first venture? Why the name? Please tell us about its beginnings and what it has come to be today.
Yan: Yes, Kuknalim.com was my very first venture. We wanted the name of the site to be meaningful and sound very Naga – Kuknalim fitted perfectly. Then Jeremy and I started working on the site. Jeremy's technical know-how helped a lot in it's development.
The beginning was tough yet memorable. When Kuknalim.com was launched, Nagaland was quiet new to internet but the buzz was there. People were used to reading about internet in the newspapers but knew little about it and its applications. We somehow managed to convince Naga writers, local Hotels and Travel Agencies to collaborate with us. We then sold Naga books. People could also book Hotel rooms and travel packages in advance through the site. But with time we found out the business was not sustainable, so we did away with them and concentrated on site development.
Kuknalim.com was a hit among the youth who were more net savvy. Soon the phenomenon of social networking started and Kuknalim members were popularly known as “kukkers’. Today, Kuknalim.com is among the well known sites among Nagas. Our dream of making it a home for Nagas on the net has been realized. Last year, Kuknalim.com was awarded the Manthan Award, which shows that we’re moving in the right direction.

Paul: What other web sites have you developed? Tell us about them – purpose, content, audience.
Yan: Lately, I’ve developed a few sites, namely Bharatchronicle.com, Travelsmart.co.in, Emodop.com and Nagamusic.com Bharatchronicle.com has been developed in association with Globe Press Media which runs the popular Maldives Chronicle. It is an internet newspaper- main visitors being Indian's abroad. Through Travelsmart.co.in people can do online bookings of flight tickets, hotel rooms and vacations. It was developed along with my partner Jenny Haining and is operated in association with Travelocity which is among the world leaders in travel bookings. Emodop.com was developed in association with the Department of I.T, Govt of Nagaland. People can register their complaints to the Govt through the site and officers reply to them. Students can also check exam results in the site. It is a good step taken by the Govt of Nagaland from e-Governance point of view.
Nagamusic.com features Naga bands and musicians. It is an interactive site and aims at promoting Naga musicians and their music.

Paul: What is a typical day like for you as administrator of web sites.
Yan: It’s pretty cool except for the huge number of emails that flood my inbox each day. LoL

Paul: Can you tell us about the challenges you’ve had so far?
Yan: With growing competition, innovation is required in the www. My main challenge is to think of new ideas from time to time and provide something new of the people visiting the sites. Sites take time to get popular- it is still early days.

Paul: What future do you see for the worldwide web? Where are India and China in this field?
Yan: With the advent of Web 2.0, the face of the www has changed. More and more companies are using the web to enhance their businesses, more people buy online now, it has also added a new dimension on how we communicate with people. www will continue to grow bigger. Web giants like Google, Yahoo, msn and AOL have started their offices in India. This shows that India is a big market global giants are eyeing. Besides the cost-effectiveness of setting up offices in India, Indian talent is also much sought after. Many useful Google applications we use today like Google News and Google Map maker have been developed by Indians. The number of internet users in China will surpass that of USA by next year. China is another big market, the only hitch being their Govt keeps a check on site content- like the banning of websites showing Tibetan protests recently.

Paul: Where do you see yourself in the cyber world in the next 5 to 10 years?
Yan: Cyber stuff has been mostly a hobby for me as I never involved in it full time. Time permitting, I wish to work with like minded people and develop sites and applications which will be beneficial to people, especially Nagas.

Paul: You’re a medical doctor by training and profession, but most people know you as a computer technology buff. How do you divide your time and skills between these two sides of you?
Yan: That’s right (smiles). I’ve always worked on my internet projects in association with like minded people. That leaves me with ample time for my other duties.
Paul: Can you tell us about yourself – your personal and family background? How has it contributed to who you are?
Yan: I’m just another Naga – a Lotha from Wokha town, where I grew up. I was a bookworm till I left Wokha, my only other interest being Cricket (smiles). I’ve three siblings- two brothers and a sister. One brother is an Engineer, the other an aspiring musician in the States. My sister is a humanities student in Delhi. My parents encouraged us to follow our dreams and do things we were interested in. I think that helped a lot.

Paul: How do you relax? What do you do for fun?
Yan: Listening to music is a great form of relaxation. I like reading fiction too. I’ve just started reading Chetan Bhagat’s “The 3 mistakes of my life”. For fun, I take out time once a while to go out fishing with friends or take a long bike ride.

Paul: You’re young and know a wide cross-section of Naga young people. What good and potential do you see in them as a generation? What weaknesses?
Yan: The present generation of Nagas is promising. We’re finally realizing that life does not end without Government jobs. More and more Naga students are opting for non-traditional courses. I know so many young Nagas around the world who are following their dreams and doing well. I think the present generation of Nagas are more determined, adventurous and hard-working. Regarding weaknesses…I’ve noticed young people in other countries start earning and become independent at a relatively young age – say during high school. They do odd jobs at times but I feel this inculcates a sense of ‘dignity of labour’ and other values at a young age. Young Nagas have embraced western culture but not this aspect.

Paul: What couple of things would you and your friends most wish the older Naga generation (fifty and up) would do for the Naga society as a whole?
Yan: I think they’re best placed to find a solution for the Naga political problem. If they find a solution to this during their lifetime, it’ll make a big difference for future generation of Nagas.

Paul: What’s your vision of the Naga society during your lifetime?
Yan: Let me share the beautiful vision which Rabindranath Tagore had for India. I think many Nagas will share the same vision….

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action…
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.”
Naga villages to get award for sanitation Chizokho Vero morungexpress
Kohima | October 14: Nagaland is all set to receive a prestigious award from the Government of India, the Nirmal Gram Puraskar Award 2008 in sanitation. Minister for PHED Dr. Ngangshi K. Ao today said that under Nirmal Gram Puraskar Award 2008, after a thorough inspection by a central team from Government of India, eight villages from Nagaland were certified as fully-sanitized villages.
“It means clean villages, where there are cent-per-cent sanitary latrines and proper disposal of solid and liquid wastes,” the minister said. President of India Pratibha Patil will give away the awards to the villages’ heads at a function to be held at Guwahati on October 20 this year. Terming the award as a great honor to the state and the PHE department in particular, Dr. Ngangshi said it should be taken as a challenge for other villages to emulate.
Three officials dealing with the total sanitation campaign in the department will lead the team to Guwahati to receive the award. Also, Dr. Ngangshi said the department has quite a number of ambitious projects at hands this year. The department is going to provide water supply to 1136 schools and sanitary latrines to 1108 schools by the end of this year. It has also targeted 80 villages to be covered under the sub-mission, 34 projects identified under Swajaldhara, besides other ARWSP standard schemes.
“We have also the Kohima Water Supply scheme if the land issue is settled” Dr. Ngangshi said. ‘As the monsoon season is about to be over we shall have to begin our work in real earnest’, he said adding that another area of importance is drinking water quality monitoring and surveillance.
“Water is important for life but it should not be made a carrier of diseases. We have to ensure supply of safe and potable drinking water to the people,” Dr. Ngangshi said. On the other hand, the minister said due to ‘uncertainty of fund’, the department included only few new schemes in the work programme. He said the department intends to complete the ‘spill-over works’ of past years.
“Under state plan, due to paucity of funds we have not taken up new projects but shall concentrate to complete the water supply scheme at Tuensang which is long-pending,” the minister. The department is undertaking few small projects like water supply to Legislators’ Home, from water sources of Kohima like Phesama and Jotsoma.

Asom Suraksha Oikya Manch seeks HC probe into violence
Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, Oct 14 – The Asom Suraksha Oikya Manch has demanded that an inquiry commission chaired by a High Court judge be appointed to go into the causes leading to the communal violence and the culprits brought to book.

In a statement released to the press, the president of the Mancha, Rohini Kumar Baruah while condemning the acts of violence demanded that prompt action to make the camps habitable by providing adequate security, food, water, and medicine etc be taken by the government. The act of flying Pakistani flag is a dishonour to the national flag and is a serious offence, which must be dealt with seriously. The mancha also appealed to all the right thinking people to form local peace committees and help the civil and military authorities to restore the situation to normalcy forthwith.

The mancha expressed its deep surprise that the government of Assam, armed with a strong network of intelligence agencies had failed to take pre-emptive measures to prevent the occurrence of violence. The Chief Minister also seems to have pleased the immigrant vote banks, by laying the blame for the communal violence on the NDFB without any factual basis although the DGP of the State, himself has contradicted this false charge. Baruah said that sadly enough, the Chief Minister has exposed himself to the public as more a defender of the immigrants than a protector of the indigenous people of Assam even at the cost of dignity of the highest office of the state by making a press statement that the Pakistani flag flown by the Muslim rioters was not a pakistani flag but a flag of Eid.

PM’s intervention sought for adequate relief packages
Correspondent Assam tribune
GUWAHATI, Oct 14 – The All Assam Hills Tribal Council (AAHTC) has sought Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s intervention to ensure adequate relief packages to the victims of the group clash, which broke out in State’s Udalguri and Darrang districts leading to the deaths of over 55 people besides rendering hundreds homeless.

The council also demanded that a high-level inquiry should be ordered by the Prime Minister to book those responsible for instigating the group clashes, if at all it was, between the people of Bodo and non-Boro community.

In a press conference organised at the Guwahati Press Club on Monday, Benudhar Tumung, president, AAHTC, appealed the State Government not to adopt a casual approach in solving the problem of the victims, which might further aggravate the problem in the State.

“Though incidence of violence in the two districts has come down, the State Government should not be complacent as one wrong step on the part of the Government can flare up the issue further,” Tumung asserted.

He further urged the Government to take up the issue of hoisting of the Pakistani flag seriously and instead of taking a casual approach, a probe into it would yield better results.

“At no cost should the culprits behind the group clash be spared irrespective of his or her religion,” he pointed out.

Nripen Ingti, general secretary, AAHTC further stated that the indigenous people of the State has been facing identity threat for quite some time now and the Government must come up with a concrete plan to safeguard the interest of the indigenous people.

Himanta faces flak for remarks against NDFB Correspondent Assam tribune
BONGAIGAON,Oct 14 – Addressing a press meet at Greater Bongaigaon Press Club on October 10, BPPF president Rabiram Narzary criticised the Congress govt spokesperson and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his anti-Boro remarks passed allegedly linking NDFB with communal violence in Udalguri and Darang district.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Urkhao Gwra Brahma was also present at the press meet and expressed his dissatisfaction too.

Narzary termed Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as ‘the most communal politician of the most communal political party’.He said since the Minister Himanta is a govt spokesperson, his every comment is taken as a govt statement. If so, then it is clear that CM Tarun Gogoi led Congress govt is the most communal and anti-Boro, Narzary added. Hence he called every political workers of Congress ally BPF party to withdraw support from Congress govt for the greater interest of the Boro community.

Moreover Narzary alleged that the congress party never wants peace in the Boro belt. Communal clashes of 1993, 1996 and the recent one in Udalguri and Darang district are clear example. This time taking advantage of communal violence in Udalguri and Darang districts, Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has hatched a conspiracy to isolate the Boro community fueling anti-Boro feelings among the mind of non-Boros , Narzary alleged.

On the other hand former Raijya Sabha MP Urkhao Gwra Brahma pointed out the contradictory statement made by Assam Police DGP and Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding NDFB’s alleged involvement in the Udalguri violence. He alleged that the minister was spreading acrimony against the Boro community among non-Boros. Minister Himanta, who thinks himself as most intelligent seems to have lost his head now, as is clear from his baseless remarks made on the Udalguri violence. Brahma blamed CM Tarun Gogoi for his failure to check the communal violence in Udalguri and Darang districts. Besides, he raised one important point that till now CM Tarun Gogoi has not called an all-party meet to discuss the Udalguri violence.

Memo to President, PM for restoration of peace in Udalguri district Correspondent Assam Tribune
UDALGURI, Oct 14 – The Udalguri district committee of Bodoland People’s Progressive Front submitted copies of memorandum to the President and the Prime Minister seeking their immediate intervention in the matters of bringing peace and harmony by ending the communal clashes in Udalguri district and providing relief to the inmates of the makeshift camps, rehabilitation to people who have lost their homes, compensation to the kins of the deceased persons and injured persons as well as damage of properties and provide security in the affected areas.

The memorandum, copies of which were also submitted through the Deputy Commissioner of Udalguri yesterday to the Home Minister, Chief Minister, Chief of BTC and Superintendent of Police of Udalguri district, narrated the history of the ‘so called communal clashes’ in Udalguri district and demanded to bring peace and harmony in the district, to institute a high-level inquiry into the incident and book the culprits involved in the violence, to provide relief and rehabilitation to the affected families, to provide compensation to the property lost and damaged, to provide security forces, establish police outposts in the affected areas for safety and security of lives and properties of the people.

The memorandum, signed by Prodeep Kumar Daimari, vice president of the central committee of the political party alongwith his counterpart K Boro, general secretary of youth cell, Rabindra Basumatary, president of Udalguri district committee of BPPF along with his general secretary Bani Prasad Boro and other party members expressed concern saying that the ‘situation is still tense’ and there was ‘apprehension of re-occuring clashes if security was not provided in the affected areas. The BPPF leaders later at a press meet held at the party office yesterday at Udalguri town criticised the State government for its allegation of having nexus with the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and clarified that the allegation against the outfit now on ceasefire and its link with party was nothing but an expression of frustration of the ruling party.

Meanwhile, the situation in the riot hit areas of Udalguri district witnessed fast improving with no instances of fresh violence as the security forces have kept tight vigil in every nook and corner of the affected areas. Many of the inmates living in the various relief camps expressed their desire to go back to their villages provided the government deployed adequate security forces round the clock as they were eager to go to their paddy field being the harvesting time.

Mass team visit: A thirty-member committee of Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS) led by Lachit Bordoloi, adviser and Aditya Lahkar, secretary general of the organisation, visited the relief camps located at Udalguri College, Udalguri Girls’ HS School and Phuhurabari yesterday and took stock of the situation. They also held talks with the inmates on the problems being faced by them since October 3 last.