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01/11/2009: "Expedite Naga peace process, Rio to Delhi morungexpress"
Expedite Naga peace process, Rio to Delhi morungexpress Dimapur : Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio has said that the vexed Indo-Naga political problem has defied solution even after 11 years of ceasefire and endless dialogues and propounded the urgent need to also involve the civil societies, NGOs and Hohos and the political executives in the process of dialogue to expedite the resolution of the Naga political problem and urged upon the Central Government to give the matter the importance it deserved. Rio made these comments during the conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security held in New Delhi on January 6, 2009 which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India.
Rio while participating in the deliberations also rebutted what he termed as “highly misplaced and wrong insinuation of the Chief Minister of Assam that Nagaland has given birth to terrorism in the North East Region”. Rio asserted that terrorism was never initiated by Naga insurgents and the Naga insurgency movement is a political movement and cannot be equated with terrorism, which has no agenda except to create and propagate terror. “In fact, terrorism is perpetuated by misguided fundamentalist forces in various parts of the country inflicting severe casualties on innocent civilians and is alien to the Nagas and the Naga insurgents”.
The Chief Minister also made a mention of the deadly bomb blasts that took place in Dimapur Railway Station and Hong Kong Market on October 2, 2004 in Dimapur that claimed 23 precious innocent lives and caused severe injuries to 87 people. Rio said that this was the handiwork of outside forces and not the handiwork of Naga insurgents.
Commenting on the present unresolved Naga political problem, the Chief Minister stated that ever since the ceasefire agreements between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) in 1997 and with the NSCN (K) in 2001, the Government of India lifted the ban on the both factions of the NSCN to facilitate the process of dialogue. Since the declaration of ceasefires in 1997 and 2001, there has been no confrontation between the insurgent groups and the security forces.
The Chief Minister requested the Government of India to seriously consider the modernization of the civil administration on the lines of modernization of police as these are the two interlinked entities responsible for the maintenance of law and order. He also proposed that the Village Guards of Nagaland, who guard the areas bordering Myanmar, and who have proved a very effective fighting force, be extended support to improve their weaponry, allowances and facilities.
The Nagaland Chief Minister also said that in response to the suggestions contained in the Home Minister’s letter to all Chief Ministers, the state had already initiated several steps relating to maintenance of internal security and would solicit funding for raising more commando units and in upgrading and equipping our intelligence, investigative and prosecution agencies.
Ceasefire tension rises morungexpress
Dimapur : Against the backdrop of the detention of some Assam Rifles personnel by the NSCN (IM) for alleged intrusion near the outfit’s designated camp at Pfutsero under Phek district and their subsequent release Thursday night, the organization has alleged that the security forces had come within 1 km range of Hebron Camp, its headquarters, on Saturday.
A functionary of the NSCN (IM) ‘MIP’ informed that movement of security forces personnel were detected on the opposite side of the river near Camp Hebron since early Saturday morning and that by late evening, the security forces had crossed the river and were seen on the periphery of the outfit’s designated camp.
However, when contacted, army sources from Rangapahar denied that there was any such movement in the area. “There is nothing of that sort. Ceasefire ground rules is there,” an army official said. Dimapur Police also said they were unaware of any new development in the area.
“I have spoken with the commandant of 24 Assam Rifles and everything is normal. There may be routine movement of security forces, but for routine movements, they (security forces) do not inform us,” a senior police official told this correspondent.
NSCN (IM)-AR face off reaches Camp Hebron
On the other hand, the NSCN(IM) stuck to their version and said the “special task force” commander of Camp Hebron, “lt col” Elijah had even gone down to the river around 10am and confronted the security forces, demanding why the security forces were violating the CFGR.
According to the NSCN (IM), the security forces reportedly replied that they were on routine patrolling. A clause in the CFGR prohibits the Indian armed forces from coming within the range of 1km of any NSCN designated camp without prior approval from the ceasefire monitoring cell.
“They (security forces) were seen leaving around 2pm, however they reappeared on our side of the river late afternoon and are still hovering around,” the MIP/NSCN (IM) functionary said. Terming the act as downright provocation, the NSCN (IM) cadre added that “Anything can happen anytime.”
Naga tribe revives lost festival Agencies
Imphal : A post-harvest festival of a Naga tribe that got erased by the steady invasion of Christianity, showed the first signs of revival on Friday when scores gathered at an Imphal auditorium for a round of pagan revelry. Gaan Ngai is a festival of the Zeliangrong community, which has the second largest concentration in Manipur after the Tangkhuls.
“Modern education and conversion to Christianity is threatening to push several age-old rituals to extinction. Certain institutions are revived only during Gaan Ngai festival,” said Golmei Lanbilung, executive secretary of Zeliangrong Religious Council. One of these “institutions” is the system of Zeliangrong boys and girls living in dormitories till they are married.
Lok Sabha MP from Outer Manipur constituency, Mani Charenamei, who is also a member of the Zeliangrong community, agreed that the younger generation no longer practises the old religious rituals. Several people have even destroyed ornaments and materials used by their forefathers, who practised Tingkao Ragwang Chapriak religion, after they converted to Christianity.
Conversions, in fact, gave rise to controversies. In December last year, a conflict erupted in Chingmeirong Kabui, a Zeliangrong village in Imphal East, after a church was dismantled by non-Christians. The mood at the Iboyaima Shumang Leela auditorium, where the Gaan Ngai festival was organised, however, was one of pure jubilation. Young artistes in bright, colourful traditional clothes sang and danced after a round of religious renditions.
“The main objective of the festival is to pay homage to departed souls, pray for a better year, show respect to all and preserve and promote old traditions, rituals and rites for posterity,” Lanbilung said. Health minister Pheiroijam Parijat Singh, who attended the programme, goaded all to live in harmony.
DG AR on Pfutsero incident: [NPN]
KOHIMA, JAN10 Director General (DG) Assam Rifles Lt. Gen. K S Yadava has termed Thursday’s incident near Pfutsero where one AR officer and five other jawans were taken into custody by NSCN (I-M) as “most unfortunate".
“The matter has now been amicably resolved” he said but added, “the incident should not have taken place”. The DG was speaking to news persons Saturday here at 26 Assam Rifles. It may be recalled that an AR captain identified as one Capt S Momo along with five jawans of the 33 AR were taken into custody by NSCN (I-M) on Thursday for entering their designated camp area but later released after midnight. IGAR (N) Maj General JP Nehra defended the officer for carrying out duty in the national interest.
He said nobody had complained about Capt.Momo’s behavior during Friday’s meeting at Pfutsero that was attended by chairman CFMG, ADC, SDPO and also a representative of the NSCN (I-M). He said the officer and jawans had gone to nearby area to extend help the village which itself indicated a noble and friendly act. The jawans strayed into the area due to “technical error” as they took a new road that turned out to be one that led to the designated camp of the NSCN (I-M), he said. Commenting on the action of the NSCN (I-M) Maj General JP Nehra termed it as “most severe violation of the spirit of Ceasefire Fire Ground Rules”.
Rio rebuts Gogoi’s at CMs’ conference
DIMAPUR, JAN09 [NPN] : State chief minister Neiphiu Rio has rebutted what was described as an “insinuation” made by Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi during the deliberations at the recent chief ministers’ conference that Nagaland was responsible for birthing terrorism in the north east region.
A communiqué issued by press secretary to the chief minister termed Gogoi’s statement as “misplaced and wrong” . It said Mr. Neiphiu Rio asserted that terrorism was never initiated by Naga insurgents but rather, the Naga insurgency was a political movement and could not be equated with terrorism. He said terrorism is alien to the Nagas and the Naga insurgents. Rio said terrorism was perpetuated by fundamentalist forces in various parts of the country inflicting casualties on innocent civilians. Pointing to the October 2,2004 bomb blasts at Dimapur Railway Station and Hong Kong Market that claimed 23 innocent lives and severe injuries to 87 people, Rio said these were the handiwork of outside forces and not of Naga insurgents.
The chief minister stated that ever since the ceasefire agreements between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) in 1997 and with the NSCN (K) in 2001, the Government of India lifted the ban on the both factions to facilitate the process of dialogue. He said there has been no confrontation between the insurgent groups and the security forces after cease fire though the problem has defied solution even after 11 years of ceasefire and endless dialogues. He also suggested the involvement of civil societies, NGOs and Hohos and the political executives in the process of dialogue to expedite the resolution of the Naga political problem. Rio also made a plea for the modernization of the civil administration on the lines of modernization of police and improvement of weaponry, allowances and facilities to the Village Guards of Nagaland.
Mr Rio also said the state has already initiated steps relating to maintenance of internal security as directed by the home minister besides soliciting fund for more commando units, upgrading and equipping our intelligence, investigative and prosecution agencies Appeal to Naga National Leaders to encourage development
Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them and said to them "Be fruitful and increase in numbers; fill the earth and subdue it". Subdue the earth mean develop the land in which we live.
1) First, Kohima city usually experience acute shortage of water (which is happening now) even before the arrival of the driest months. Here, I would like to ask if this is because the Government is unable to release sufficient money to the PHE department that the department is not able to provide sufficient drinking water to the public in the state capital. If so, it is suggested that the Government changed its policy and allow competent private agencies to take over supply of this very precious commodity to meet the need of the public.
2) Second, the Government Civil Hospitals are the only last resort available to the sick and dying common and ordinary section of the public. Therefore it is legitimate to expect that Health and Medical Department would provide maximum health and sanitary facilities to these civil hospitals. However, a look into the sanitary conditions of any of these Civil Hospitals reveals utter neglect by the authority that be. Thus, it is difficult to expect doctors and nurses to deliver health care to the poor under such miserable and dilapidated conditions of Civil Hospitals in the state. A peep into Dimapur Civil Hospital with its stinking stench of human refuge, lack of water supply, broken down furniture etc. will tell tales of total neglect and careless system prevailing in the far-flung areas of the state: The department may like to blame public for lack of civic sense, lack of fund etc, etc. But I prefer to think that this is purely due to lack of common sense on the part of the department.
3) Third, I would also like to appeal to the Naga National leaders to encourage various development activities being carried out in the state by different agencies including the State Government, ensuring that no extortion is allowed to take place in its name. Let us not forget that the enemy is only be too glad to help degenerate the national movement into a factional war or turf war.
No freedom loving people of the world is against the development of their own country. Therefore, let us agree to join hand in development of our land while we continue to fight for our national cause.
T L Angami, Chariman
Angami Customary Court, H.Q. Kohima, Nagaland
Camp-Razhüphe Dimapur, Nagaland
“Only peace talks can solve Manipur problem” Agencies
Imphal : Concerned over the continuing arm-conflict between the government machinery and militant outfits, a parliamentarian from the state has said only peace talks can solve the problem in the state. "Only peace talks between the government and militant outfits can solve the armed conflict in Manipur," T Meinya, the sitting Congress MP from Inner Manipur constituency, said.
Speaking at a public function here yesterday, Meinya, said Manipuris need to look back into the history of the state and compare it with the present situation to bring about a reformation in the state. "Instead of blaming the government for its mistakes, the public themselves should become active agents for change in the region," he said. Meinya said peace talks were the only viable solution to the armed conflict which has been "tearing apart" Manipur in the past some decades.
Assam, Assamese will survive: Gogoi Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Jan 10 – The Assamese nationality and the State of Assam will survive in the days to come and nothing can pose threat to their existence, said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in the State Assembly here today. He was taking part in the debate on the supplementary demand for grant of the Police Department.
Gogoi said that there should not be any attempt at harping on corruption in the Police Department. For, this will send a wrong signal to the people. He however, admitted that corruption was there in the Department.
Contrary to the allegations of the Opposition, he said that in the counrty, officers of the Assam Police were known as the most efficient ones.
Asserting that there was no political interference in the functioning of the Police Department, he said that there was no formal complaint of such interferences.
He also apprised the House that the State Government was going to introduce a bill limiting the tenure of the officers and personnel of the Department at a place to two years, going by an order of the Supreme Court of India.
The Government is also setting up a police academy to train up the officers and personnel of the Department in a better manner and a committee has been set up to suggest measures to brighten up the image of the Department, he said.
Commenting on the manpower shortage in the Department, he said that new police battalions were being set up, but, here, fund crunch was posing problems. The State Government wants that the Central Government should bear 50 per cent of the burden against the salaries of the officers and personnel employed in these battalions for the next ten years, he said.
He reiterated that the State Government was keen on modernising the Police Department and much modernisation of the Department had taken place under the present regime.
However, in containing terrorism, cooperation of the people is also needed and people should be made security conscious, he said and asserted that confidence of the people in police had been growing these days and more feed back on the movements of the terrorists were now received from the people.
He also claimed that during the seven and half-a-year rule of the Congress 1,544 people were killed in terrorist attacks, whereas during the five-year rule of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) 1,535 people were killed. At present, the terrorists are taking recourse to bomb blasts.
If things were allowed to go on as they were during the AGP rule, the number of persons killed during the past seven and half-a-year would have stood at around 2,300, he claimed.
In all, he said, police recovered 2,550 bombs and grenades during the rule of the present Government, said Gogoi.
The Chief Minister reiterated that his Government was determined to deport the aliens and claimed that his party had no vote bank politics as alleged by the Opposition. He announced his readiness to hold a discussion on secret killing in the Assembly and also agreed to the Opposition’s suggestion that such a discussion should cover the entire period since 1991.
After the speech of the Chief Minister the demand of the Police Department for a supplementary grant of Rs 1,520. 65 lakh was passed by the House.
