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05/18/2009: "Result jolts Naga unification OUR BUREAU The Telegraph"

Result jolts Naga unification OUR BUREAU The Telegraph

Imphal/Kohima, May 17: The NSCN (I-M)’s bid for the integration of the contiguous Naga-inhabited areas in the Northeast suffered a jolt in Manipur today with Mani Charenamai, a strong advocate for the unification, suffering a defeat in the Naga-dominated Outer Manipur parliamentary constituency.
Thangso Baite of the Congress won the seat, promising to safeguard the state’s territorial integration in sharp contrast to Charenamai’s poll plank of integration.
During his campaign, Charenamai openly campaigned for integration of the Naga areas. He assured the electorate that if elected, he would strive to bring all the contiguous Naga-inhabited areas, including those in Manipur, under one administrative unit, which has been one of the main demands of the NSCN (IM).
But his pledge was rejected by the voters, particularly those in the seven Assembly constituencies in the valley district of Thoubal.
The NSCN (I-M) has been demanding integration of the four Naga-dominated districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Chandel with Nagaland to create a “Greater Nagalim”. Charenamai is one of the leading supporters of this campaign.
The Congress did not field any candidate in the Outer seat in the 2004 parliamentary elections for some unexplained reasons. Even in Inner Manipur, the Congress banked largely on the territorial integration issue to retain the seat. Thokchom Meinya Singh, the sitting Congress MP, defeated his nearest rival, Moirangthem Nara Singh of the CPI, by promising to safeguard the territorial integrity of the state.
In neighbouring Nagaland, however, the Congress supported the NSCN (I-M)’s demand for integration of the contiguous Naga-inhabited areas. However, the party’s central leadership’s stand on the issue remains vague. They oppose it while campaigning in Manipur and again support it during election rallies in Nagaland.
Political observers in Nagaland, however, said it was likely that the Congress-led UPA government would continue to remain non-committal on the integration issue. In its last five-year term, the government did not give any major push to the peace process in Nagaland. The victorious NPF candidate C.M. Chang said his main thrust would be to expedite the Naga peace process. But he lacked conviction while making the statement, as he was not sure how much support he would get from the Congress-led UPA government to put the lingering peace process on a fast track.
The peace process was started by the Deve Gowda government in 1997 and it was further carried forward by the Vajpayee-led NDA government which had appointed a permanent interlocutor to hold regular negotiations with the NSCN (I-M).
"India has no right to occupy Nagaland" Newmai News Network
Kohima, May17 2009: President of Naga National Council/Federal Government of Nagaland (NNC/FGN), Adinno Phizo while maintaining that the Naga people have every right to assert sovereignty, said that India has no right, whatsoever to occupy Nagaland.

In her message dispatched from England on the occasion of 59th Naga Plebiscite Day organized by the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN/NNC) at Transit Peace Camp, Kohima yesterday, Adinno said due the protracted conflict with India since 1954, everything in Naga society is not fine.

Adino is the daughter of NNC/FGN founder late A Z Phizo. She regretted that a section of the Naga people could be seen strangers to the virtues of ancestors tradition the Naga people are proud of, like honour, bravery and loyalty. She also said instead of upholding the age-old harmony, out of sheer greed for domination and money, some groups blatantly pursue sectarian interests and inconceivably peddle on the evil idea that NNC and the FGN no longer exists. She said such groups self-inflicted alienation now on inevitable retreat can have no place in the democratic nation of Nagas.

Expressing that while the Naga people persevere with the long drawn conflict with India it is imperative that Nagas should remain constantly vigilant considering enemys relentless policy to divide and rule.

Indias original sin committed against Nagaland will not go away till the hypocritical Government of India finally see it is in own interest to find an amicable solution based on mutual respects, she said.

The NNC chief also asserted that nothing can falter the resolve of NNC/FGN to stay the course of upholding freedom be it through the unremitting Indian occupation army militarized tyranny or its proxy gangs preying on a terrorized nation.

Kedahge (President) of FGN also exhorted the gathering while special number was presented by lieutenant Ipuak, chaplain and colleagues. President, NYM, NNC Chungbui chaired the programme, wherein FGN Chaplain K.Thih read the bible portion and pronounced invocation.
NSCN-IM bid to recruit Assam youths A STAFF REPORTER The Telegraph


The temporary shelter from where the two cadres were arrested. A Telegraph picture
Guwahati, May 18: The NSCN (Isak-Muivah) has launched a recruitment drive in Assam in a bid to expand its territorial influence.
The Naga outfit’s plan came to light after security forces busted its temporary camp in Assam’s Dhemaji district last night and apprehended two of its cadres from Nagaland.
Two German-made revolvers, two grenades, a large quantity of ammunition and ration were recovered from the arrested duo.
The arrested cadres, “sergeant” Gobik Hai and “private” Rela Mgondir, are Arunachalees, but hail from Subahi village of Dhemaji district along the Assam-Arunachal border.
Col Manjit Singh of the 2nd Bihar Regiment said the NSCN (I-M) was trying to recruit cadres in Assam to expand its territory and “the two cadres were assigned to carry out recruitment in these areas”.
Last night’s operation was carried out on the basis of interrogation of another NSCN (I-M) cadre, self-styled sergeant major Yomjum Gongo, who was apprehended from Lakhipathar under Dhemaji police station, bordering Arunachal Pradesh, on May 6.
Gongo told interrogators that he and four other cadres of the Isak-Muivah group were planning to rob the Rural Bank at Kamba, 20km from Aalo, the headquarters of West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh. An M20 pistol had been recovered from him.
Col Singh said, “The two cadres apprehended last night were hiding in a temporary camp inside a forest near Subahi village. We got information about their presence and conducted the operation along with Assam police.”
A police official in Dhemaji said many youths from West Siang district and the bordering areas of Assam had joined the NSCN (I-M) recently and were being trained at Camp Hebron, the NSCN general headquarters located near Dimapur. “The recruitment process is still on,” he added.
The official said the home department had been apprised about the Naga outfit’s efforts to recruit youths from Assam. “This is a very serious development which would have serious implications,” he added.
Arunachal Pradesh has already apprised the Centre about the NSCN (I-M)’s use of its territory in forming bases and helping local tribals to form a rebel army.
It cautioned the Centre that if the activities of the outfit, which is under a ceasefire agreement with Delhi, were not checked immediately, the peaceful state of Arunachal Pradesh would turn into a haven for the militant outfit.
Both the Isak-Muivah and Khaplang factions of the NSCN have set up strong bases in Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Myanmar, and run an extortion racket from there.
NSCN-IM ‘decree’ unacceptable: JAC (Newmai News Network)
IMPHAL, MAY 18: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the triple murder of Dr. Th. Kishan and his two sub-ordinate staffs has expressed dissatisfaction over the court decree sentence
given by the NSCN-IM to Lt. Col Hopeson Ningshen, the accused in the murder of the trio.
Expressing displeasure, the Committee has called on the government of Manipur to take immediate action to apprehend the guilty and to try him under relevant Indian Penal Code (IPL). It also adopted a five point Kangla declaration on Sunday and asserted the ‘so called court martial’ of the NSCN-IM was not acceptable to the JAC and the people of Manipur. It resolved the JAC and the people’s movement demanding justice would continue until the culprit was punished under the law of the land and welcomed initiations from hill civil and social societies who decide to join the movement.
The declaration also demanded the reports of the Inquiry Committee instituted by the government of Manipur into the incident to be made public and further demanded criminal proceedings on state officials involved in the murder.
Meanwhile, the UNLF in a press statement has also asserted such crime deserves more than a mere eye-wash judgement as announced by the NSCN-IM and that the judgement was nothing but condoning falsehood and guilty persons while overriding truth and fact.

NSCN (I-M) behind medicine shortage, alleges GPRN/NSCN (NPN):
DIMAPUR, With life saving medicines feared to run out of stock in the next few weeks after the transporters refused to bring goods to the state owing to extortion demand served to them by a Naga underground faction, the GPRN/NSCN on Monday alleged the NSCN (I-M) to be behind the extortion demand.
Last week, medical dealers said that almost 50 % medicines have run out of stock in the state and that they would be compelled to down shutters due to non-availability of medicines, if the crisis was not resolved soon.
Publicity cell of the GPRN/NSCN in a statement accused the NSCN (I-M) of initiating another agenda to choke the Nagas via destabilization of medical supplies to the state and added that only an organization which thrives on duplicity and provocation of the Naga society would indulge in cutting off supply of life-saving drugs meant for Naga people.
“Extortion by NSCN (I-M) on medicine dealers has become so fierce that dealers are simply forced to close their shops,” the publicity cell said.
The GPRN/NSCN said that the NSCN (-M) resorting to weakening the Nagas society by ensuring that more Nagas were killed for lack of medicines was “politics in its ugliest form.” “A new game plan of NSCN (I-M) gang has correctly been unearthed,” the GPRN/NSCN added.

Two NSCN (IM) cadres apprehended in Dhemaji Sentinel
: From our Staff Correspondent
TINSUKIA, May 18: In succession of daring operations carried out by security forces, yet another jolt was given to NSCN (IM) in Upper Asom by the troops of Dah Division resulting in apprehension of two hard core militants. Acting on a tip off, 2 Bihar Regiment and Dhemaji Police apprehended two hard core NSCN (IM) cadres namely– self styled sergeant Gobik Hai and self styled Private Rela Mgondir from Subahi village under Dhemaji district on Sunday.
The Army recovered two German made revolvers of .38 Caliber, two Chinese grenades, a large quantity of ammunition and some incriminating documents from these persons. Incidentally, these cadres were part of the same group of which one sergeant major Yong Zung Gombo was previously arrested on May 7 by Dhemaji Police and Army. The relentless efforts and perseverance on the part of this team led to the capture of two more NSCN (IM) cadres who had escaped previously. These people were present in Dhemaji to recruit fresh cadres and carry out extortion activities and were hiding in the forest near Subahi village since last few days.
‘KLNLF tried to form an overground body’ Sentinel
: Staff Correspondent
SHILLONG, May 18: Chairman of Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) Pradeep Terang alias P Dilli arrested from Shillong on May 13, aborted the outfit’s attempts to form an over-ground body to profess its cause. Dilli mooted out the idea to have an over-ground body in the line of the ULFA’s ‘People’s Consultative Group’ (PCG), and literary and religious figures were informed by the leaders of the proscribed outfit about the meeting in Shillong. Revealing about the KLNLF’s mission, Meghalaya Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Police Spokesman BL Buam told newsmen today, “Dilli came to Shillong with a purpose to form an over-ground group that will speak about the outfit’s cause and to create channels for its future venture”.
Categorical in stating that Karbi literary, religious leaders as well as some frontline students, who had declined to meet the KLNLF leadership in the camps located in Karbi-Anglong, the Police spokesman however refused to divulged on the meeting scheduled in Shillong. He was however apt that the proposed body has nothing to do with a peace forays as done by the ULFA’s constituted PCG.
“I will not divulged the list of those people supposed to come from Karbi-Anglong, but Dilli’s arrest was as fast as his arrival in our city”, stated Buam.
It may be mentioned that the KLNLF leader was arrested from a private residence in Shillong city in the morning on May 13 following a joint operation by Assam-Meghalaya police that was based on specific intelligence inputs of Assam Police.
While both the Assam and Meghalaya Police have strengthen intelligence sharing to unearth the KLNLF activities, Buam however maintained that the arrest of the KLNLF chairman has quashed the KLNLF’s idea. However, the Meghalaya Police is sharing informations with the Assam Police to find more people who were tentatively listed to meet the arrested KLNLF chairman.
The Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), a breakaway faction of the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), was formed on May 16, 2004.
ATSUM bandh cripples hill dists Newmai News Network
IMPHAL, May 18: Normal live in the five hill districts of Manipur was crippled today following the 12-hour general strike/bandh imposed by the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur (ATSUM) from 6 to 6 pm of in protest against non-fulfilment of its demands by the State Government .
ATSUM, the apex body of tribal students in Manipur had demanded 33 percent reservation in the recruitment to the vacant posts in the newly established Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, JNIMS. However, the Director of JNIMS, AD Singh had allegedly failed to respond to the demands of the ATSUM and hence the strike was called.
The general strike staged in the five hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel, Churachandpur and Tamenglong affected normal lives though it was peaceful as no vehicles were seen plying especially the inter-district buses. Vehicles plying along the two National Highways, NHs-39 and 53 including passenger vehicles were also suspended for the day.
Reports said that several trucks and inter-State passenger buses coming on NH-39 were stranded at Mao gate owing to the strike. No vehicles from Imphal left for the other places in the hills areas even though normal plying of passenger and other vehicles in the valley area was not disturbed.
All Government offices, private undertaking, institu-tions remained closed in the hill districts for the day. However, educational schools and related matter including essential services like water supply and electricity were exempted. The bandh was most effectived Churachandpur and Senapati, said reports reaching here.
With the end of the strike hours at 6pm., vehicles stranded at Mao gate started heading towards Imphal with security escorts, police said.
For starting the session of the JNIMS, the authority notified for appointments 10 posts for Professors, 13 for Associate Professors, 23 for Asst Professors and 33 for Senior Residents.
However, as no ST candidate could apply for the three upper posts due to shortage of qualification, the ATSUM is demanding reservation 10 seats for the ST in Senior Resident category.
ATSUM has also demanded to a bill be passed modifying the reservation policy of the state government and increased the current 27 percent to 31 percent at any circumstance at JNIMS for the ST.
Our Jiribam correspondent adds: The 12-hour general strike called by ATSUM in the five hill districts of the State severely affected vehicular traffic along the Imphal-Jiri Road (National Highway-53) today. Vehicles including intra and inter-district as well as inter-State transport stayed away from the road during the strike today. However, there is no report of any untoward incident so far.

MNRF re-asserts stand on integrity Sangai Express
IMPHAL, May 18: Reiterating that it is committed to the territorial integrity of Manipur and peaceful co-existence of all communi- ties, the Manipur Naga Revolutionary Front has today stated its movement is not without hurdles and added that with the co-operation of the people it is sure to be successful in its endeavour.
In a statement, the outfit said that the people have been suffering due to the tyrannical activities of the NSCN (IM) and added that all the funds pumped in by the Government have been going to the kitty of the IM group.
Even during the Lok Sabha election, its cadres could be seen throwing their weights around and forcing the voters to vote for the candidate of their choice, while the security forces simply looked on, alleged MNRF.
In such a circumstance, what will be the fate of the people when there are no police or security forces, it questioned.
Accusing a number of contractors as acting a ‘handymen’ of the IM group, the outfit asked them to clarify their positions soon through its e mail address mnrf2008@rediffmail.com.
The outfit further informed that Chinaongai alias Angai alias M Paul, a contractor was admitted to the its fold earlier and given a rank taking his age into consideration. However he turned out to be a black sheep and was expelled from the party on March 20 this year, it said and informed the public not to extend co-operation to him.