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03/31/2009: "53 militants surrender before the Army in Assam Newstrack India (ANi)"

53 militants surrender before the Army in Assam Newstrack India (ANi)

Guwahati, A total of 53 militants surrendered before the Army in Assam's Tinsu
kia district on Tuesday.
These 53 militants included 44 members of the banned militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), three from Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and six of the Adivasi National Liberation Army (ANLA).
The militants deposited a large number of arms including 44 pistols, five guns, one machine gun and other assorted ammunitions.
Additional deputy commissioners of Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts were also present during their surrender.
Encouraging the militants for a better future, the deputy commissioners asked the other militants to surrender in order to lead better lives. They assured that the Army would help the militants in providing rehabilitation facilities.
The surrendered militants, who had gone for rehabilitation, have been given appointment letters by various private organisations and employment cards by district employment authorities. (ANI)
Aiming to glory without frenzy morungexpress
•-Once upon a time there was Nagaland that was home to leaders who could change the course of history with a slogan or a grand gesture. It was considered the East’s most fertile land for men and women who were mystified in the mass and mind. Several leaders soared above petty issues and aimed at uniting opposites with detached ease. Those were interesting times, and the arena inhabited leaders of masses who breached the limits of real politics and played it big and bold always driven by a sense of belonging towards Nagas and Nagaland. That was then.
Today as the state witnesses great turmoil in the entire socio economic scenario with factions pitched against each other trying to open up a war zone within the state the scene is presided over by leaders for whom Nagaland continues to be a great incomprehension. Gone are the selfless ideals squandered by selfish motives and laying foundation to a breeding ground of vice.
Politics has become a murky issue within the state as parties prefer the safety and secrecy of a kitchen cabinet consisting of non-political confidants and sycophants to inner-party democracy. Bigwigs have created a party within a party and betrayers are a everyday topic of gossip in the newspapers scampering and jockeying for additional perks and privileges. Having said so the scenario of factions are no better if not worse. The leaders ought to realize their dispensability which is time and again being indicated by the local masses. Pedigree or experience of past history can no longer intimidate the so called provincials with a captive band of followers. The irrational arrogance and leap towards a luxurious life by the higher ups seems to be the root cause of discontent within the lower ranks thus widening the gap with each passing day. The present hierarchy seems to aim in elevating power eccentric leadership which does not have the support of either the cadres or the local public. Factional leaders are bogged down by a struggle against impending redundancy which no amount of false bravado or diplomacy can defend. They are losing the space and there are no citadels they can boast of; moreover no one exists with a charisma to arrest this gradual and continuous decline.
Its time now for the political and underground leaders to realize that no stimulus is working in the present context and now they have been caught in the meltdown. Today political parties or factions are a ramshackle house trying to bask in the glory of history and aiming to glorify themselves without frenzy which all know is next to impossible. The common mass is awake, aware and sensitive to the fast changing dynamics and slowly losing out on patience. Watch out all so called national workers of Nagaland as its high time to change gears or be prepared to face the wrath of public and get squashed like a bug.

I. S. Jamir Duncan Basti, Dimapur

Cops failed to analyse Bodo letter on Assam blasts OUR BUREAU The Telegraph


A blast site on October 30
Guwahati/Shillong, March 30: Meghalaya police had let slip an opportunity to prevent the October 30 serial blasts in Assam when they failed to “analyse” a letter written in Bodo language containing details about the movement of explosives. A source today said the police found the letter — written by a National Democratic Front of Boroland militant to the outfit’s chief, Ranjan Daimari, on Nilim Daimary — on a rebel arrested from Tura in Garo Hills on September 4.
“But the letter was in Bodo language and the police could not decipher and analyse the contents properly,” the source said, “It had details on how the explosives could be brought into Assam and where it could be assembled,” he said.
Serial blasts tore through various parts of Assam, including Guwahati, on October 30, killing more than 80 people and injuring several hundred.
Tura police today confirmed that they had, indeed, found such a letter. Nilim, a resident of Udalguri in Assam, was arrested while attempting to sneak into Bangladesh through the Garo Hills border. Besides the letter and some other documents, he had a pen drive which contained graphic details on the preparation and use of various explosives, ranging from land mines, IEDs, time bombs, pipe bombs, to RDX, C-3 and C-4 plastic explosives.
He also told the police that two more NDFB cadres were to come over from Bangladesh to escort him to the neighbouring country from Nokchi border in West Garo Hills.
Though Nilim claimed that he belonged to the political wing of the outfit, the police believe that he was a member of the armed wing — Boroland Army — since the pen drive he was carrying also contained detailed information on the hierarchy and operational command of the armed wing.
The source said Nilim had been officially removed from the NDFB at the time of his arrest after he married for the second time, which was against the organisation’s laws, the source said. “But he continued to work for the organisation and even helped Ulfa,” the source said.
After the arrest, Nilim was kept in 10 days’ police custody at Tura police station. He was then shifted to Tura district jail under judicial custody for more than a month. After that, he was handed over to Assam police. Nilim has since been booked in connection with the blast at Ganeshguri and is currently in judicial custody.
“The blasts probably could have been prevented had the contents of the letter been known immediately,” a source associated with the blast investigation said in Guwahati. The CBI, which is now probing the blast cases, is likely to file its report on Guwahati by April 10, but is yet to finalise those on the blasts in Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts.
The source said CBI director Aswini Kumar has given some guidelines on how to proceed with the remaining investigation during his visit to Guwahati over the weekend.
The CBI has identified a few persons involved in the blasts in the other districts as well, but is yet to apprehend them. “According to information, these people are still moving around in these areas but have been successful in evading arrest,” the source said.
Naga Hoho appeal for displaced Nagas
DIMAPUR, MAR 31 (EMN): Making an appeal for relief contributions for displaced Nagas in NC Hills, the Naga Hoho has informed
of a relief camp that has been set at Laisung (NC Hills) to aid starving villagers who have been forced to flee their homes due to the aggression meted out to them by the Dimasas. In order to enable its team to reach the relief camp at the earliest, the Naga Hoho has made a fervent appeal to individuals, organisations and State Government to extend a helping hand in the form of cash or kind.
A release has asked all the well wishers to submit their contributions either at Naga Council Office Dimapur or Naga Club Building (NSF Office) Kohima latest by April 6 next.

Too many generals, no soldiers in Cong, blasts former Cong man Paudi Renta | EMN
DIMAPUR, MAR 31: Former NLA Speaker and Medical minister Neiba Ndang has likened the State Congress party to a ‘sinking boat’ and a camp which has ‘too many generals but no soldiers’.
A staunch Congress loyalist who recently resigned and joined the NCP with the cited reasons of dissatisfaction with the Cong leadership and party apathy, Ndang launched a scathing attack on his old party and accused the Congress high command of always being in a mood for ‘imposition’. He, moreover, stated that there was no transparency or democracy in the Congress as the party does not listen to the voice of the people at the grassroots level.
He further accused the Congress of being ‘power mongers’ in the habit of trying to stay in power without a popular mandate. “Even without getting people’s mandate, they try to snatch power,” he said in an obvious reference to the imposition of President’s Rule prior to the State Assembly elections in 2008.
The former Speaker said the imposition of President’s Rule in Nagaland in 2007 and in Meghalaya this month were enough proof of the Congress Party’s thirst for power.
Neiba Ndang was part of the campaign team for the DAN consensus candidate for LS CM Chang led by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and NPF president Dr Shürhozelie.
Terming the success of its consensus candidate for the Lok Sabha poll as a foregone conclusion, the DAN partners have urged the people to deal a blow knell to the Congress party by a huge margin.
Addressing a massive campaign rally at Kiphire public ground on Monday morning, DAN candidate CM Chang assured the people that he would make the Naga voice heard in Parliament and also take forward all development activities.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rio has stated that Nagas should no longer allow a Congress rule at the Centre if the peace process is to be hastened and an acceptable solution to the long drawn Indo-Naga political problem is to be found.
Leading the first phase of the DAN campaign trail, Rio affirmed that the Naga political issue would remain the coalition’s top priority, adding that so long as Congress is allowed to seat at the Centre, Nagas and its issues would continue to remain mere toys.
Also attributing perpetual submissiveness as reason for Nagas not making any headway in the Indo-Naga political dialogue, he stated that Nagas should learn to assert its rights through appropriate representatives from the regional political party. He maintained that electing a regional candidate to the Parliament would command reciprocated respect from other political parties.
“Learn to respect yourself and others will respect you,” Rio said.
The first phase campaign of the DAN campaign concluded with a massive rally at Kiphire public ground on Monday morning. The campaign committee has informed that the second phase would begin Wednesday at Wokha and cover Zunheboto, Mokokchung, Longleng, Dimapur, Phek, Kohima and Peren districts.

Advani playing divisive politics: Moily: By our Staff Reporter Sentinel
GUWAHATI, March 30: All India Congress Committee (AICC) media cell chairman M Verappa Moily today said in order to divide the nation on communal lines, BJP’s prime ministerial candidate LK Advani is “preaching divisive politics during electioneering”. The Congress leader asked Advani as to what the BJP-led NDA had done on NRC update, border sealing and prevention of infiltration when it was at the helm of affairs in New Delhi. Moily was, however, evasive while replying to a number of reporters’ queries pertaining to Asom.
Talking to newsmen at Rajiv Bhavan in Guwahati today, Moily said: “Advani is poisoning the minds of the people of Asom by only talking about infiltration. He should be asked what the NDA Government had done to update the National Registrar of Citizen (NRC), Indo-Bangla border fencing and setting up foreigners tribunal to identify immigrants.”
“BJP’s communal stance can be judged by the party’s support to Varun Gandhi,” Moily said, and asserted that the Congress did not plan any political vendetta against Varun Gandhi.
Giving a list of achievements of the UPA Government in contrast to the previous NDA regime, the Congress leader said the GDP, per capita income, plan outlay and investment have gone up considerably in the past few years. He said the Centre provided Rs 40 crore for protection of Majuli and sanctioned 54 projects for flood control in Asom. When the reporters contradicted his claim that the 90:10 funding pattern was done during the UPA regime, Moily said: “It was declared by the HD Deve Gowda Government, but implemented by the UPA Government.” Exuding confidence that the Congress will win the Lok Sabha poll in Asom, Moily said the AGP has surrendered before the BJP. On the proposed prime ministerial debate, Moily said India being a non-presidential form of government, there should not be any such debate.
When asked as to why the Asom Government failed to arrest MLAs Jiten Gogoi and Kushal Duori, Moily was evasive. When the issue was repeatedly pursued, he only said that he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister. He also refused to reply a question whether the killing of journalist Anil Mazumdar was secret or open killing. He also avoided many other questions pertaining to Asom. After the press meet, Moily met the bereaved family of journalist Anil Mazumdar before winding up his Asom tour.
Myanmar to host ASEAN energy meeting in second largest city Xinhua News
March 30, 2009: Yangon, Myanmar will host the 27th Meeting of Energy Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Energy Business Forum in the second largest city of Mandalay in July this year, the local Myanmar Times reported Monday, quoting sources close to the Ministry of Energy.
The four-day meeting from July 27 to 30 will be the first of its kind hosted by Myanmar and it will focus on global energy issues including ASEAN's.
Besides, a meeting of energy ministers of ASEAN+6 will also take place involving Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.
Papers relating to a range of energy issues will be read at the meeting, the report said.
More than a month ahead of these meetings, Myanmar will also host the ASEAN Energy Award competition from June 10 to 11, the report added.
Since Myanmar opened to foreign investment in late 1988, oil companies from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam have been engaged in oil and gas exploration in the country.
Official statistics reveal that foreign investment in Myanmar's oil and gas sector had reached 3.357 billion U.S. dollars in 88 projects as of the end of 2008, standing the second in the country's foreign investment sectorally after electric power.
Indian State Firm Rethinks Costly Burma Hydrodams Irrawaddy News
March 30, 2009: India’s state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation is having second thoughts about an invitation from Burma’s military government to build two hydro dam power plants. Weekly Business Round up
The NHPC is quoted by Indian media saying the remote location of the proposed two hydro plants on the Chindwin River, in far northwest Sagaing Division, would raise the development costs and the end-user electricity price.
The two projects, with a total 1,840 megawatts generating capacity, would likely cost about US $4.9 billion; The Hindustan Times quoted NHPC chairman SK Garg as saying.
Most of the electricity would be transmitted into energy-short northeast India, but further surveys were needed before a final go ahead decision could be made, Garg said.
At least 30,000 people would be forced to move for the construction of the dams, says the human rights NGO Burma Rivers Network.
Burma is equally short of electricity, especially in the area where the military regime is encouraging the NHPC to work.
The regime would receive revenue from India for “selling” it the electricity.
A similar deal has been struck with China Power Investment Corporation for hydroelectric projects in northern Kachin state.
The Chinese and junta-friendly Asia World Company Ltd will build seven dams on the Mali Hka and Nmai Hka Rivers, with the electricity generated from the dams sent via China’s Yunnan power network to feed the western region and eastern coastal areas of China.