04/22/2009: "Naga Hoho says Thank you morungexpress"

Naga Hoho says Thank you morungexpress

Dimapur, (MExN): The Naga Hoho expresses gratitude to all who contributed in various means and ways to making the hoho’s recent visit to troubled North Cachar Hills in Assam a success. A Naga Hoho delegation accompanied by the members of Zeliangrong Baudi, All Zeliangrong students’ Union and Zeme Council of Nagaland had visited NC Hills along with relief materials April 18-19.
The visit was necessitated to take stock of the situation in the backdrop of the displacement of Zeme Naga villagers in NC Hills following the killing of Zeme people by Dimasa militants in the recent past. A message from the Naga Hoho today thanked the chief minister of Nagaland and his colleagues for extending relief materials, civil society leaders, organizations and individuals including the Kachari Association of Nagaland and the Media fraternity who reached out in various ways. The hoho also appreciated the Deputy Commissioner of Halflong for extending ‘fullest co-operation’ to the delegation and the Government of Assam for providing security during the visit.

"Paradise unxplored" or insurgency brewing Hueiyen News Service Agencies
Guwahati, April 21 2009: Three people died on average everyday in the Indian states of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur in 2008 .

First quarter 2009 already threatens to challenge the 2008 figure.

Wreckage, devastation, black thick smoke crowning the fires that burn below, mangled and charred dead bodies, scores of limbless injured dripping blood and hundreds of weeping relatives, their faces stark with terror that stems from the fear insurgency has injected into them! .

That is the North East today, a cluster of seven states of this republic, which the tourism ministry in all its wisdom and nonchalence still prefers to brand "Paradise Unexplored" ! .
Welcome to one of the greatest ironies of Free India, 62 years after Independence as the country conducts its 16th Lok Sabha Elections ! Call it the world's greatest political circus or whatever you will, it is thumbs down in this far-flung corner of India, where poverty rules, development is fairly insignificant in modern-day terms and the earth is soaked red in the blood of people who die on it every day.

The only silver lining is Tripura, where militancy has declined, while Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram are relatively peaceful in so far as insurgency goes.

But then, the north eastern sky has always been dark for decades and even if shifting clouds do make away for a spot of silver now and then, you never actually know whether it will last.

In Assam, Nagaland and Manipur there are over 50 insurgency outfits, of which 34 are in Manipur alone.

In 2007, Manipur had recorded 388 deaths, caused by militancy, a figure that rose to 484 in 2008.The killed were of all kinds: security forces, civilians and militants too.

But what's interesting is, if you average it all.

In 2007, therefore Manipur on average, accounted for 1.06 insurgency-related deaths a day, while in 2008, it was 1.32 deaths a day ! Year-on-year therefore, Manipur's degree of devastation rose by 24.74%, which is something that those who canvass for votes every election season should perhaps chew on.

Overall, Manipur accounted for 47% of the total number of militant murders of the North East. In Manipur, extortionists have forced many an estalishment to close down.

Every institution is open to extortion including places of worship, educational institutes, health centres, commercial establishments et al.

Kanan Devi Memorial School at Pangei in the Imphal East District was closed for an indefinite period. Extortion demands forced the closure of two Government colleges in Imphal. Two private hospitals were closed down due to extortion demands.

Several doctors at the state's premier healthcare establishment, the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) have fled.

In all three states, common ordinary people are afraid to venture out of their homes.
Even the home is not safe because you never know when the militants strike.

The deadly blast at Maligaon in Guwahati city on April 6 have left an entire group of students of a local primary school, funded by the Prime Minister's MP fund, so traumatised that they have not been able to attend classes since.

In the troubled North East, they have actually started believing "Ignorance is Bliss" if the cost of education has to be paid with the life of a child. In Assam, everybody tells everybody else at home "Avoid crowded places", because that's exactly where the last 20 serial blasts have happened.
Bandh in Peren against rape - Residents outraged over the murder of minor in Delhi OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
Kohima, April 21: Offices, schools, colleges and business establishments downed shutters from dawn to dusk today in Nagaland’s Peren district in protest against the rape and murder of a minor girl in New Delhi.
Six-year-old Gaipuilu Gangmei was raped and murdered in the national capital on April 17. She was found dead in a water tank in Delhi’s Mahilpalpur colony. Her funeral was held today at Mhainamsti village, around 3km from Jalukie sub-division.
No untoward incident was reported as thousands of volunteers poured into the streets to enforce the bandh, the Peren district administration said.
Thousands of mourners attended the funeral, prominent among them being members from Nagaland Women Commission led by its chairperson and wife of former chief minister Vamuzo, Sano Vamuzo. Several Naga organisations and representatives from Naga Hoho also attended the service and condemned the rape.
The Nagaland government has sought intervention of the Centre for security of the people of the Northeast in the national capital.
Chief minister Neiphiu Rio in his letter to the Prime Minister requested the Centre’s intervention to arrest the rapist and killer. Naga Hoho, Naga Students’ Federation, Naga People’s movement for Human Rights, Naga Mothers’ Association and several other Naga organisations have condemned the incident.
The North East Students’ Union, too, strongly condemned the incident and demanded exemplary punishment to the culprits. The chairman of the union, Samujjal Bhattacharyya, said the incident has once again exposed the Union government’s negligence towards the safety and security of the people of the region.
In a similar case, a rally was organised in Zunheboto town by Sumi Totimi Hoho (Sumi women’s organisation) against the rape of a 14-year-old by four boys on April 11.
The Zunheboto district administration said thousands attended the rally and demanded befitting punishment to the rapists.
The president of the Sumi organisation, K. Atoli Sumi, regretted the increasing violence against women in the state and the lackadaisical approach of the government in awarding punishment to the criminals. A son of a Baptist clergyman is allegedly involved in the Zunheboto rape. The Nagaland Women’s Commission has set up inquiry committees to look into the incident in Dimapur on March 25 where a girl was gangraped in front of her parents by five criminals. One of them was member of a militant group.
So far Dimapur police have apprehended only one of the culprits, but he has been released on bail. The National Socialist Council of Nagalim apprehended two of the culprits recently and they are in the outfit’s custody.
On April 1, another minor girl was raped by an India Reserve Battalion jawan from Dimapur. The inquiry committees will visit Dimapur and Zunheboto on April 22.
Thousands protest rape & murder of minor girl Nagaland Page
6-year-old Gaipuiliu laid to rest
Dimapur, April 21: There was, no doubt, a feeling of anger amongst the people of Peren district, especially in Jalukie, but they were emotional, too as one of their dear ones was laid to rest today at her native village in Mhainamtsi in Peren district, after being brutally raped and murdered in New Delhi last week.
The alleged rape and murder of 6-year old Gaipuiliu Gangmei had evoked strong protest and outrage amongst the Northeast communities residing in Delhi and the reaction from the Northeastern states, particularly Nagaland was indubitably the same
Thousands of people from all walks of life today marched from Jalukie town to Mhainamtsi village protesting against the rape and murder of a 6-year old girl, carrying banners and placards demanding justice for the innocent child.
The nearly 4 kilometer march by women and school children culminated at the funeral place under an emotionally charged environment, where they paid their last respects to the victim, Gaipuiliu Gangmei.
The mortal remains of late Gaipuiliu arrived Dimapur early Tuesday morning from Guwahati by road and was taken to her native place in Mhainamtsi, where her last rites were conducted at 1.30 a.m.
Entire Peren district today witnessed a spontaneous bandh with schools, shops and offices remaining closed as a mark of protest against the incident.
At the funeral, President of Jalukie Village Women Organization, Dalak Nehang said that after the incident came to light, there was anger amongst the people of Jalukie and they decided to organize a rally/processing protesting the rape and murder of the minor girl.
She was of the view that rape and murder should not be allowed to happen and demanded that the rapist allegedly one Manoj should be brought to book and punished.
She said that the women will fight till justice is delivered to them
President of Rongmei Women Organization, Peren district, Achingpui Gangmei said that rape of a little girl is an insult to the mothers. She was of the opinion that the law enforcing agencies should honour the Children Protection Act. "When we cannot save our own child at home, how can we ensure safety of others?" she questioned.
She also demanded that the culprits should be banished from the society and severely punished.
It may be mentioned here that the girl's bruised body was found on April 16 inside a building's water tank at Mahipalpur where she was staying with her mother and grandmother. Her body was flown to Guwahati yesterday from Delhi, accompanied by relatives and community students' leader.
While various Naga organizations condemned the incident, students from Northeast on April 17 staged a dharna outside Delhi police headquarters demanding that the culprits be booked immediately. (Page News Service)
ENPO approve NPSC morungexpress
•-For a very long time the NPSC has been accused of corruption and malpractices while selecting candidates for various posts as the State’s premier recruitment body. In doing so, many deserving candidates were relegated to the footnote in the narrative of Nagaland administration. Numerous individuals and societies have time and again alleged the NPSC for corrupt selections and manipulations and in the process, the NPSC continues to look like an unblemished rotten apple.
The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) is pleased with the new team of NPSC for owning responsibilities and for detecting the worm that was plaguing the system and the society. The State Government is urged to provide adequate help to ensure that the dignity and the sanctity of the commission is regained. After all, it is a tragedy for the future generation to lose hope and trust in such a premier institution. The investigating agency should employ all means, measures and resources to bring the culprits to book without any fear or favour. The culprits should be awarded exemplary punishment so that such malpractices are uprooted once and for all.

Y. Mangko Phom President, ENPO
NPF unit indicts NSF speaker in polls Nagarealm.com
DIMAPUR, APR21 [NPN] : NPF 17 Chizami A/C has alleged that NSF Speaker, Cusayi Lohe was involved in the attempt to capture the ballot boxes of Porba A polling station no. 8 and Porba B polling station no. 9 while transporting them to Phek district headquarters on April 16 at around 6: 30 pm, some four km away from Porba village.

The NPF unit vehemently condemned the incident after the polling was peacefully conducted in the two poling stations. NPF 17 Chizami A/C press secretary, Sapunyi Zholia in a statement said the attempt was unsuccessful as they were overpowered by the security forces who fired blank shots and in the process injured one person by a stray bullet. According to the statement, the vehicles detained on the spot by the security forces included Bolero (NL-05/2811) belonging to NSF Speaker, Cusayi Lohe; Scorpio (NL-07/3300) belonging to the Congress candidate, K. Therie; Gypsy (NL-08/0780) belonging to Kuveo of Pfutsero town and Maruti Zen (NL-05C/0051) belonging to Kuhucuyi of Porba village. The NPF unit said the vehicles were detained in Police station Pfutsero and under investigation.
Polling is over here but not animosity morungexpress
•-Nagas are by and large little bit of conservative, not talkative and exercise restraints by nature. We also believe in actions and not words. Yet some of us are not so. In the just concluded Lok Sabha and 4(four) Assembly Elections, NPF-led DAN candidate and other leaders have addressed to people what they had committed to do and what else more they are striving to do for the benefit of the people. By now, people have already experiences and seen by their own eyes its stewardship and dispensation.
Whatever might have been achieved on the ground and on-going vision, the political will in doing this one thing; and the actual participation of its bureaucrats and the people is another episode. Desperately, clutching the last straw, our esteem NPCC Pundits, at the same time, goes on concocting multiple flimsy stories and allegations against the NPF and its candidates, stating that their Lok Sabha candidate can do nothing and no time slot will be given to him in Parliament. That the DAN M.P if elected, will be unattached member in the House of Parliament and many other offensive false propaganda and that he had shot a GB in Noksen Village in the polling day itself and so on and so forth. Yet all these mischievous propaganda does not attract the attention of Election Commission Codal provisions and more importantly, does not shaken the minds of the people but afflicted back to the propagator themselves.
Literally, it is common knowledge that every recognized political party either ‘National’ or ‘State’ are equitably allotted the time according to its sizes in the House. Under the situation, a lone member from smaller State/Recognised party like Nagaland would be able to take advantage opportunity whereas, similar member from among a large party like BJP or Congress can avail very little time.
With humility, Nagaland People’s Front is all the more happier for the unflinching support of the people in the State this time around with their valuable votes. Besides, the party has gained momentum and strengthened with the joining of many good people to our fold to support the cause of the people. The NPF welcome gate is wide- open and confident that many more will be joining in days to come so as to unite all Nagas into one political front to achieve the aspiration of the Naga identity.
Under the prevailing scenario in our context, it is also advisable to set up more and more regional party like in Mizoram and Meghalaya de-camping from the National Party with whom we have no consistent ideology and practices.

Akang Ao General Secretary, NPF Kohima

Dispur mulls peace with DHD-J OUR BUREAU The Telegraph

File picture of trucks damaged in an attack by DHD (J) militants in NC Hills district last year
April 21: A spate of attacks by the militant Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Gorlosa) in North Cachar Hills has forced Dispur to consider a truce with the outfit after having spurned its olive branch earlier.
Dispur also sent fresh directives to security personnel in the district today after it came to light that they had not followed security instructions.
Highly placed sources today said realisation had dawned upon the government that fighting the outfit with the present set-up in the hills was not making much sense.
“We are actually getting nowhere,” a senior official said, adding that any declaration of the government’s intention would have to wait till the elections were over.
“Doors for a ceasefire are always open. We are ready to walk the extra mile, but we would like the other side to appreciate that violence will lead nowhere. Till then, we will continue with our counter-insurgency operations.”
Dispur’s realisation has a lot to do with reports about the morale of police and civil officials deployed in the volatile district hitting rock bottom.
At least 10 persons have been killed, eight of them security personnel, in six attacks by the DHD (J) in the past fortnight.
Seven persons were killed yesterday when the group attacked a convoy and an office of a private cement company. Five IRB personnel and a driver were killed in the ambush on the convoy while a casual labourer, H. Haloi, was killed in the second attack. Haloi’s body was recovered this morning from under the water reservoir that he had climbed to talk on his mobile phone. The outfit had also attacked trains on April 10, 11, 15 and 18.
Sources claimed that most police personnel had thrown up their hands in the fight against the DHD (J), saying they were no match for the outfit in the hostile terrain.
A police official said the district would not only require a “huge injection” of trained and motivated personnel to ensure the success of the operations against the DHD (J), but also the “freedom” to plan and execute the operations.
“Our men are just not used to the terrain whereas it poses no problem for the militants... they were born and have grown up in these parts. We need the training, motivation and freedom,” he added.
The attacks carried out with impunity have also left officials wondering how such a small group could have grown to the level it has.
“Maybe it is time that this angle is looked into, including that of local politicians,” the official said. Referring to the security directives, a source said, “Precious lives would have been saved had they (the security personnel) followed instructions. They were not wearing bullet-proof vests or travelling in bullet-proof vehicles. If there were no bullet-proof vehicles, extra precaution should have been taken like using sandbags. We have asked our men not to lower their guard”.
Dilip Nunisa, chairman of the group that is in a ceasefire, accused the security forces of “improper planning, carelessness and procrastination” while conducting counter-insurgency operations. He once again pledged the group’s support in tackling the DHD (J) militants, regretting the government’s lukewarm response to his earlier offer. He, too, called for trained troops to mount “an all-out war” against the Jewel group.
In search of a bridge to peace PREETAM B. CHOUDHURY The telegraph
Considered the nerve centre of Bodo politics, Kokrajhar parliamentary constituency is one of the most sensitive of Assam’s 14 Lok Sabha seats.
With frequent clashes and fratricidal killings becoming the norm, political parties are trying to convince the electorate about their sincerity in stopping the bloodshed.
Sensing the gravity of the issue, the parties are trying to woo the voters by promising to restore peace and work for development. But not many are convinced. The pre-poll violence has already claimed six lives, including a woman in Kokrajhar, and over 50 have been injured since the declaration of the election notification, sparking off fears in the common man. Over 80 lives were lost in the last Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) and Assembly elections.
“How can we believe them? They had said the same thing even during the last Assembly election. But nothing has changed. The politicians should first learn and stop accusing each other. The people here are living in constant fear. There is no peace and security. One never knows what will happen next. And there are still some days to go,” said Mwkhtang Brahma, a first-time voter in Kokrajhar.
Kokrajhar goes to the hustings on Thursday. The parliamentary seat comprises 10 Assembly segments with a total of 13,76,693 voters and 1,606 polling stations of which 645 are sensitive, 119 hypersensitive, 300 very sensitive while 419 are safe.
“We want leaders to spell out the methodology they will be undertaking to stop killings and terror. The leaders are giving lectures about doing this and that. They promise development and uplift of the community. But what would we do when we are killing our own brothers? Is it what the Bodos fought for Bodoland?” asked a woman, who lost her husband in the fratricidal killings. Despite her loss, she pleaded for an end to the bloodshed. “Enough of the killings. I appeal to our leaders to end the enmity among themselves and let all live in peace,” she urged.
Notwithstanding the overriding concern for peace, the business of election has to be conducted. As such, Kokrajhar will see a three-cornered contest between the Bodoland Peoples’ Progressive Front (BPPF)’s Urkhao Gwra Brahma, Bodoland Peoples’ Front’s (BPF) Sansuma Kunggur Bwismuthiary and the AGP-BJP combine’s Sabdaram Rabha.
It will be an acid test for sitting MP, S.K. Bwismuthiary, who is eyeing his fourth consecutive win. In 2004, Bwismuthiary as an Independent candidate and support from the NDA had won with a margin of 484,129 votes, defeating Sabdaram Rabha, who had the support of the non-Bodos.
In 1998 and 1999, Bwismuthiary defeated T. Kisku Rafas, an “imported” Adivasi leader from Jharkhand. But this time, Bwismuthiary will not only face a stiff fight from Rabha but also from former Rajya Sabha MP, Urkhao G. Brahma, who was once his close aide.
Brahma had in past elections campaigned extensively for Bwismuthiary and ensured his success. Though the AGP-BJP’s Rabha is seen as a nonentity, he is considered the dark horse by many. However, Bwismuthiary is banking on the development work going on in BTC under the Hagrama Mohilary-led BPF to work in his favour. Bwismuthiary and the other BPF leaders are highlighting these achievements.
“Lots of development activities are going on in the BTC and it is there for everyone to see. See the roads in the villages. Moreover, apart from the Central Institute of Technology (CIT), several institutions like the Bodoland University, engineering colleges in Kokrajhar and Udalguri and a knowledge city in Chirang are coming up. Our party will continue to work for the development of Bodoland,” asserts Bwismuthiary.
Brahma hoped the anti-incumbency factor would go in his favour and work against the BPF candidature. He said Mohilary’s party had failed to address the hopes and aspirations of the people with corruption allegedly creeping deep into the system and funds from central and state governments, meant for development work, being misappropriated.
“There is a lot of frustration among the people due to the ongoing violence let loose by the BTC chief. He (Brahma) is the only leader capable of carrying the confidence of the people and delivering what the people of the region, irrespective of caste community and religion, want. Urkhao G. Brahma is an able leader not only among the Bodos but also popular among the non-Bodos in this constituency,” points out BPPF president Rabiram Narzary. Rabha, who came second in the previous election, is hoping of making it to Delhi this time.
He said he had everything to gain from the fight between the BPF and BPPF with a likely division of the Bodo votes. “People want change. They are fed up with the violence and killings going on in the Bodo belt. Besides development, what people want is peace,” he said.
Bodo leaders say the reasons and factors in the last parliamentary poll were different from that of today’s political situation. In the 2004 election, there was an issue between the Bodos and non-Bodos. But this time, such an issue may not be expedient because of the creation of BTC.
“People at large, irrespective of caste and creed, are happy with the development work executed by the present BPF-led administration,” said D.D. Narzary, a senior BPF leader.

Nagalim.NL News

04/22/2009: "Naga Hoho says Thank you morungexpress"