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03/29/2009: "‘Bedrock of Naga society’ resurfaces morungexpress"

‘Bedrock of Naga society’ resurfaces morungexpress

Mon/Tuensang |: With both the Congress and the NPF projecting the Naga political problem as the main poll plank in the forthcoming elections to the state’s lone Lok Sabha seat, the NPF has once again raked up the controversial booklet ‘Bedrock of Naga Society’ published by NPCC in 2000. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and NPF president Dr. Shurhozelie who are currently campaigning for the DAN consensus candidate CM Chang in Mon, Tuensang and Kiphire districts, said the Congress party has no right to talk about the Naga issue till the party officially disowns the booklet.
Addressing the kick-off campaign of the DAN consensus candidate at Mon town on Friday, the NPF president said the booklet not only declared that statehood compromised sovereignty of the Naga people, but also used derogatory remarks about Nagas including “brutish” and “uncivilized.” Stating that the Congress party was standing in the “witness box of Naga peoples’ court,” the NPF leader said it is time that the state Congress apologizes to the Naga people for ‘insulting the Naga peoples’ aspirations’.
Terming the “Bedrock” as the Congress’ “Bible”, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio ridiculed the statement of Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha, Asungba Sangtam that he can be a “good facilitator” to the Naga political issue. “Asungba’s claim is an insult to Nagas since during his ten years as MP he had done nothing towards this end. If he talks at all, it will be only on Congress policies” Rio said. The Congressman would not dare to displease his Congress masters by raising the Naga issue, Rio remarked. Both Rio and Shurhozelie also said the DAN Government will support recognition of the rights of Naga people in Myanmar and assured to extend all possible help to “eastern Naga” –politically, economically and socially.
The chief minister who also addressed a rally at the Tuensang town hall on Saturday, hit out at the Congress for skipping the recent Naga consultative meeting held in Kohima. When all sections of the society including political parties and the Naga armed groups attended the meeting, Rio said, the state Congress leaders issued a press statement in Delhi, that they would not be able to attend the meeting.
This act of the Congress is ample proof that the party does not want Naga unity, unification and reconciliation, Rio said, and that the state Congress leaders are mere agents of the high command in Delhi.
In his address, the CM also recollected that in 2003, the then NDA Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had spent three days in Nagaland and had announced an economic package worth 1050 crores for Nagaland. Rio questioned whether a Congress PM had ever done such a thing in more than 50 years of the Congress ruling the country.
Instead the Congress did everything to create hurdles to stop the PM’s package, which was mainly meant for development of the backward areas, from materialising, Rio said.
CM Chang appealed the people of Tuensang to vote for him so that he can voice the aspirations of the Naga people in Parliament. Agriculture minister Dr. Chumben Murry and Land Resources minister P Longon also addressed the Tuensang rally. After the meeting at Tuensang town, the chief minister had a meeting with village leaders of Tuensang Village in the village panchayat hall in connection with the bye election for the vacant assembly seat. Rio is also scheduled to address a party rally at Kiphire on Monday.
Overseas Naga Association makes clarifications morungexpress
Dear concerned Nagas in Australia,

•-Thank you for expressing public interest in the Naga Consultative Meet (NCM) and the formation of Overseas Naga Association (ONA). I am writing on behalf of the overseas Nagas who attended NCM and as Secretary General of the fledging ONA. I would like to briefly address the two main concerns in your Open Letters: the “mysterious processes” of the Naga Consultative Meet and the question of ONA’s legitimacy as an overseas Naga organization.
Those of us who participated in NCM are not aware of any mystery in the preparation for the event and our volunteering for it. The process got started by word of mouth and email, a process where a few people had a vision and reached out to people they knew and asked whether they were interested. There was no systematic process of identifying all Nagas or deciding exactly who should come from what country, though down the line we did try to include Nagas from as many countries as possible. When an invitation from the Chief Minister’s office was made, some of us responded and made the trip to Kohima, and from it came Overseas Naga Association – a pretty normal way to start a new organization.
Let me add a few details for clarification. Not everyone who had received the Chief Minister’s invitation was able to go to NCM. But the group took the trip as exploratory in nature and prepared for it with mainly two goals in mind. To establish contacts and have conversations with different sections of the Naga society including the state government about common interests and concerns for the Naga society; and, upon our return, to share our findings with all Nagas living abroad so that we can brainstorm and work together on a course of actions which might contribute to positive changes in our society. Our group was small but consisted of Nagas living in Australia, Japan, Norway, Singapore, UK, USA. We did not claim to represent overseas Nagas in these countries however. Our plan was to include Nagas from as many countries as possible. We had two from Australia; we probably should have had more.
Coming to the point you raised about the authority of overseas participants in NCM, we volunteered and went as concerned individual Nagas living abroad. Upon arrival in Kohima, we found that the main purpose of the Meet was working for unity among the different sections of the Naga society so as to find a permanent solution to the Indo-Naga problem. It was not what we had prepared for going to the Meet. But having arrived, we did what we could to contribute to what was clearly a noble cause, regardless of whose agenda it was. But we also made it a point to follow through our original plan of presenting the papers we had planned. In short, we had to improvise to respond to the situation while staying the course the best way we could. There was no secret agenda between our overseas group and DAN government or PAC. And, contrary to innuendoes from some interested groups, the Resolutions and Recommendations coming out of NCM clearly show that its outcome strengthens, rather than weakens, the work of existing civil society groups like the Forum for Naga Reconciliation.
We formed Overseas Naga Association one day before NCM, so that, like the rest of the invitees to the Meet, we would also attend as an organization. We had no idea that formation of ONA would provoke questions of its legitimacy. We thought we were merely exercising our democratic right to form an association among ourselves, a voluntary body with open membership. Our plan was to invite overseas Nagas from all over the world (Naga from Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, etc. and their families living abroad). We hoped overseas Nagas from everywhere would join ONA and help build it into a vibrant international Naga community which would have strong links to our homeland. We clearly made a mistake in naming “Country Representatives,” and doing so without prior permission of those we named, for which we request the forgiveness of our friends. We will soon be writing a constitution and bylaws for ONA to address that and other organizational matters.
Meanwhile, we request interested Nagas in Australia and everywhere to write to us with suggestions for making ONA into an inclusive and dynamic global organization. We see ONA serving the cultural, social and spiritual needs of overseas Naga families as well as influencing positive changes in our homeland. We look forward to your support and collaboration because we are all in this together -- Nagas helping Nagas at home and around the world.
Lastly, for the information of the Naga public some of whom have commented in the media about our “paid trip home,” we made personal sacrifices in time and money to prepare for and attend NCM. We paid for the trip ourselves. We are grateful to the Nagaland government for taking care of our accommodation and food for the duration of the Meet and making us very welcome. We thank Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his Team for the initiative they took in calling for Naga Consultative Meet with Overseas Nagas. We look forward to greater things: “One Dream, One Future” for all Nagas. Thank you.
Paul Pimomo, Secretary General, Overseas Naga Association. mopipi@hotmail.com
‘Nagas are learning the hard way the colors of different groups’ morungexpress
Blind imitation under the stolen name of NSCN/GPRN/Naga Army. But the public are not that naive. Let it be known that the K-groups survival strength is base on craft and nothing else. And above everything else they are master of playing communal cards to divide the Nagas on the line instigated by their god fathers in Home Ministry’s IB,RAW and MI. this is the most effective weapon in the hands of the GoI, and it has used it with great precision. And the Nagas are learning the hard way the colors of different groups that called themselves Naga national groups. But actions speak louder than words, and creating a web of deceit will be counterproductive for the Naga’s interest as a whole.
The stories of Tirap and Changlang districts in Arunachal Pradesh have never been pleasant. And those are the days when K-groups along with Assam’s ULFA and Manipur’s UNLF used the local people of these two districts in the most inhuman manner. They are in many ways given subhuman treatment. Atrocities are daily affairs. The villagers of Longphony, Borduria, Kaimi, Ozokho, Panituria, Panchaw, Khokla, Makto and Kothung villages are the villages that experienced the severest trial of humiliation and insult at the hands of these forces who claimed to be people’s revolutionary groups. But their presences in the area were a terrible torment.
Any show of resistance by the villagers was responded with instant killing. Mention may be made of the killing of Homrit Matey of New Panituria village, Meywang of Panituria village, Azing Wangham, chief of Panchaw village, lemwang Wangsu, chief of Khokla village, Sevok Atoa, Chief of Maktu village, Kina Wate,GB of Kothung village, Phawang Wangham, chief of Langphony village, Phawang Laytey of Borduria village (public leader), Wangkhon Lawang of Borduria, Malung Donglak of Kaimi village and Wangjo Hosai of Kaimi village. The list goes on. Beside, many children were also killed.
One PWD Assistant Engineer from Pasighat was killed by these K-group led marauders at Rongping village. Rape also took place in Chas village. The ULFA and ULFA also used the Tirap for their passage to the Myanmar border. The villages are forcibly used as laborers. The cries of the village authorities to security forces evoked no response, and the social crime of disgrace and suppression continued with impurity. A time comes when the people of Tirap and Changlang approached NSCN to come to their rescue. Naga Army of NSCN does not take time to study the plight of the people, and action was launched swiftly to throw out the anti-social groups from the area.
There was respite for more than ten years. Developmental activities also started. And there was cordial atmosphere in the area. Coming under the heat of army pressure in their home bases, the ULFAand UNLF are finding the going too tough to operate in Assam and Manipur. But for the K-group this change of security threat to ULFA and UNLF comes as a blessing in order to counterweight the NSCN in Arunachal Pradesh. For the villagers it is the return of terrorism, and the picture of back to terrorist acts is already seen in plenty. Enigmatically, the security forces are sitting pretty doing nothing to stand by the side of the villagers. They are rather found to be working in collaboration with K-group and its partner groups. The atrocities on the villagers are committed daily, but the Assam Rifles and CRPF are nowhere to be seen. In the Lapnam village the K-group and terrorist groups attempted to rape a woman on 18th March but saved by the public. On 26th March the CRPF and group of K-group met in Tisa when they came in two vehicles each. Virtually, these groups were given free hand to commit crime of any nature like looting, molestation of women, and torture of innocent public who show any sign of resistance. Houses were intruded and valuables were taken away at gun point. When the appeals to the Assam Rifles, CRPF and Dogra Regiment were not responded the people of Lapnam village come running to NSCN. And for the NSCN, there was no running away but to stand by the victims of terrorism.
The ground reality in these areas shows that the CRPF and Assam Rifles are using the enforcement of Armed Forces Special Power Act to initiate state sponsor terrorism. Instead of using this AFSPA against, the very forces creating mayhem in the areas, the security forces are turning against NSCN. What a mockery of security! But this speaks volumes of CRPF and AR working with the terrorist gang and just for the pleasure of running down the NSCN. More than anything else, the hidden agenda of signing ceasefire between GoI and K-group is coming to be surface with all these passing events. And the agenda is to finish the NSCN by using forces at the disposal of the K-group. It is to be observed that this K-group is operated by confused lot of people without any political thinking applicable to the common interest of the people. Many times they speak of Indo-Burma Revolutionary Front (IBRF) and the next day they started agenda of “Nagaland” only.
They will say their interest covers all Naga areas, but they showed abhorrence for anything Nagalim. And this is the exact teaching of IB, RAW and MI. the willing stooges of the divisive policy of GoI against NSCN. What else? Ceasefire between GoI and K-group is only facilitating creating more trouble spots for NSCN. These are indications that confused lot of people are writing for the K-group, and the writing on 27th March in Morung Express and Nagaland Post points towards this fact. But the ground situation of the past and the present remains unchanged. And the public’s discretionary power of judgment should not be faulted. No group escape public scrutiny of its activities and the truth must be shown and faults admitted with all humility.
Issued by: MIP/GPRN
Rio attacks ‘Bedrock’
SAYS BOOKLET SHOWS CONG CANNOT FACILITATE ON NAGA ISSUE Paudi Renta | EMN
TUENSANG In a no-holds-barred attack on the opposition, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today unequivocally stated that the Congress party, given its past history, has shown that it cannot facilitate on the Indo-Naga issue
and further said Nagas should no longer allow Congress to rule the country stating that its repressive policies have brought untold suffering to the people during their 50 years in power.
Addressing a massive DAN election rally at Tuensang town hall this morning, Rio held the State Congress answerable to the Nagas for failing to disown its infamous publication ‘Bedrock of Naga Society’, which he termed an abhorrence to the Nagas, and asserted that with such a stance the Congress will never be able to facilitate on Indo-Naga political problems. Referring to the ‘Bedrock’, as the Congress’ Bible, Rio pointed out that the booklet claims that conferment of statehood was the answer of the Naga political movement while also quoting the booklet’s assertion that the Naga political movement started under AZ Phizo has come to a dead end.
Ridiculing the Congress LS candidate Asungba Sangtam, who was recently quoted as saying that he would be a good facilitator on the Naga issue, Rio asked the people to ponder on how the Congress candidate can make such a claim when he had failed miserably during his previous two terms as Lok Sabha MP. Rather, he said the Congressman would only be occupied with party policies instead of raising the Naga political issue in Parliament.
Accusing the Congress party of being averse to peace, unity and reconciliation and of having an agenda to divide the Naga society by distancing themselves with an equi-distance policy, the Chief Minister also reminded that 50 years of Congress’ rule post India’s Independence had failed to usher in anything acceptable for the Nagas.
He, moreover, castigated the Congress party for trying to instigate the public with wrong propaganda to mislead and create a negative impression of the DAN government despite the many developmental activities that had been undertaken during the coalition.
He also again dismissed the Congress assertion that NPF-DAN candidate would have no voice in the parliament and reiterated that he would be accorded all privileges as member of a recognised party.
Rio further appealed the people of Tuensang town to ensure victory for DAN consensus candidates in both the parliamentary and by-elections.
Among others who addressed the rally were Agriculture minister Dr Chumben Murry, Land Resource minister P Longon, and State BJP general secretary TL Merry.
Naga villagers flee NC Hills
Our Correspondent | EMN
TAMENGLONG, Following the recent hostilities in Halflong area of North Cachar Hills in Assam, as many as 345 persons of Zeliangrong community
from eight villages of Halflong have been forced to flee and are presently putting up camps as refugees in various places in Tousem Sub- Division of Tamenglong district, Manipur.
Five persons were killed and another three injured when armed cadres of DHD (Jewel) faction attacked the Zeliangrong villages in the past couple of weeks.
The Zeliangrong Students Union Manipur (ZSUM), Zeliangrong Students Union Tamenglong District (ZSUTD), Zeliangrong Students Union Tousem Area (ZSUTA) Zeliangrong Pui Baudi and Zeliangrong Baudi Tamenglong today condemned the incident that killed five Zeliangrong villagers.
While talking to this correspondent , Ramning, secretary of Zeliangrong Pui Baudi said that the lands belong to Nagas and Nagas originated from there.
The Zeliangrong Students Union also stated that due to bamboo flowering and rodent menace the people were really facing a tough life and with the attack, the burden of Zeliangrong community had been increase to double.
For victims and refugees at Tousem Areas, the Zeliangrong Students Union Tamenglong District has also mobilized a relief drive cash. The students’ union has requested all who desire to contribute to contact 9436444124, 9436080912, 9402080038 and 9436444115.
The district administration teams will set up the relief camp at Tousem Areas for the refugees, official source informed.
Tata Motors forays into Myanmar indoadmin Meri News
March 27, 2009: Tata Motors, after the successful launch of the cheap wonder car Nano in Indian market, is now looking for fresh pastures to utilise its immense experience as a truck manufacturer of repute. It now proposes to set up a truck making unit in Myanmar.
AFTER MAKING waves globally with the introduction of the Rs 1 lakh wonder car, the Nano, Tata Motors, which weathered severe storm in West Bengal before moving to Gujarat, is now spreading its wings beyond Indian shores to Myanmar. In the military ruled Southeast Asian country, however, it is not going to produce midget cars but heavy duty trucks. Representative of Tata Motors, Manas Kumar Mishra met Myanmar Minister of Energy Vice-Admiral Soe Thein on Thursday (March 26). The discussions revolved around setting up a heavy turbo truck manufacturing and component unit in Myanmar, according to The New Light of Myanmar, the junta’s official mouthpiece newspaper. The meeting for setting up the truck project was held in Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s new jungle capital. According to the official Myanmar media, both the representative of Tata Motors and Myanmar officials discussed expediting setting up of the heavy turbo truck assembly and component production factory. Tata Motors is said to be keen on starting manufacture from December 2009. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the project is part of India’s ‘Look East Policy’, which the larger neighbour is pursuing with full vigour for a long time. The policy among other things includes setting up several bilateral development projects such as road construction, building power projects, power transmission lines, telecommunications, oil refinery units and Information Technology services in Myanmar by India, reports in the Myanmar media in exile said.
The ‘Look East Policy’ was launched in 1994 and since then India has been cozying up to the military junta, despite its appalling human rights records and totalitarian governance, in more than the bilateral trade front. Official visits between dignitaries of the two countries have been on, on a regular basis. Only last month India’s Vice-President M Hamid Ansari, on a four-day visit to Myanmar, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up an Industrial Training Centre and a Centre for English Language Training (CELT). India, according to the External Affairs Ministry has sanctioned a USD20 million Line of Credit (LoC) for setting up the truck making unit to be set in place by Tata Motors, the reports added.
Tata Motors plans truck unit in Myanmar Business Standard News
March 29, 2009: After launching the Nano early this week, the country’s leading truck and bus maker, Tata Motors, is now looking to set up a truck manufacturing plant in Myanmar with support from the Indian government in the form of financial participation. This will be the first foray by an Indian automobile company in the military-controlled country. Tata Motors has a plant in Thailand which produces pick-up trucks.
According to the state-run newspaper, New Light of Myanmar, officials from Tata Motors met the minister of energy, Vice-Admiral Soe Thein, on Thursday in Myanmar to discuss the feasibility of setting up a heavy truck assembly plant there.
The truck project is a part of India’s more-than-a-decade old “Look East” policy wherein it is striving to improve economic cooperation with ASEAN countries, which includes setting up several developmental projects. For the project, the Indian government will sanction a line of credit of $20 million (Rs 100 crore) which would be used in putting up a heavy turbo truck assembly plant in addition to a component parts production factory by Tata Motors. Although the details regarding the capacity of the plant were not divulged, the facility is scheduled to become operational by December this year. An e-mail enquiry sent to Tata Motors asking for details went unanswered.
This new plant will be the latest to be operated by Tata Motors in the Asian region after it signed a joint venture with Thonburi Automobiles to set up a pick-up manufacturing plant in Thailand in December 2007. The company also manufactures and sells the Daewoo brand of trucks in South Korea. It also exports trucks from South Korea. Analysts believe that the project will provide a fillip to the ailing commercial vehicle business of Tata Motors, which accounts for almost half of the company’s revenues.
“The domestic demand for commercial vehicles as well as the demand from major international markets will be substantially less than projected earlier. In such a case, only increased government spending for purchase of vehicles will fuel sales”, said an analyst.
Commercial vehicle demand from the domestic market is expected to remain flat or even shrink in the coming quarters primarily due to an expected contraction in India’s economic growth. Tata Motors posted its biggest loss in seven years at Rs 263 crore for the quarter third ended December 31 as against a profit of Rs 499 crore posted in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
The company was even forced to shut a few of its manufacturing plants a couple of months ago so as to get rid of its excess inventory and align production with demand.