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08/07/2009: "‘Greater Nagalim’, NSCN blamed for NC Hill unrest Eastern Mirror"

‘Greater Nagalim’, NSCN blamed for NC Hill unrest Eastern Mirror

GUWAHATI, AUG 8 (PTI): An NGO, comprising prominent intellectuals, today claimed that the NSCN, with its demand for ‘greater Nagalim’, had created unrest
in strife-torn North Cachar Hill district of Assam.
After a four day-visit to the troubled district, scene of ethnic clash between rival Zeme-Naga and Dimasa tribes, members of the Justice on Trial have said that a “third force” in the shape of NSCN had created “total chaos and lawlessness” in the district.
“The situation is explosive and demands immediate intervention to stop the anti-national activities arising out of the activities of the NSCN outfit who have forced their demand for a greater Nagalim under the banner of Republic of Nagaland”, the chairman of the body MV Tamaskar told reporters here.
Terming the situation as “shocking”, the team found there was no semblance of administration and little effort to douse the tension between the Zeme-Naga and Dimasa tribes, Tamaskar, the former chief justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court said.
The NGO held the state government responsible for the fear psychosis among the people of the district as it had “failed to provide security and had done nothing to wipe out insurgency”.
Stating that there were more than 4000 Dimasas affected in the ethnic violence still residing in the relief camps, Tamaskar said most of the victims were reluctant to return to their villages out of fear psychosis.
The NGO also cautioned the people of the district not to “misunderstand” the provision under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which fronts autonomous council status. “This provision under the sixth schedule should be taken as step towards the demand for ` separate republic which the NSCN is trying to do”, he said.
The NGO during its four-day visit to the affected areas said the situation had worsened due to the unholy nexus between bureaucrats, politicians and the militants.
“The unholy nexis between the bureaucrats, politicians and the militants (ad further complicated the situation”, Tamaskar said. “People’s misery has been compounded by total lack of development in the district with extremely bad road communication”, he said.
Nearly hundred people belonging to the warring Zeme-Naga and Dimasa tribal communities have lost their lives and several houses torched in the ethnic clash that has rocked the state for the past three months.
NSCN-IM launches green drive OUR CORRESPONDENT The telegraph
Kohima, Aug. 7: “Nagalim” may still be their primary objective, but global warming and its cures are NSCN’s current obsession with militants trading their guns for spades to launch a plantation drive.
The Isak-Muivah faction of the outfit today took up the green drive, to be carried out by all the “brigades”, “battalions” and “units” of the “Naga army”.
The outfit also banned fel-ling throughout Naga-inhabited areas saying it will consider random felling of trees a “cri-me against natural laws”. An NSCN leader said “global warming has reached alarming proportions and is now affecting Naga people too”.
The ban on felling was announced by the “ministry of forest, environment and minerals” of the Government of People’s Republic of Nagalim.
The outfit also strongly warned of stringent action against anyone found flouting the ban. It has also banned all “unauthorised” collection of taxes on forest products by any group or organisation.
Study team for Centre’s role in NC Hills STAFF Reporter Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, Aug 7 - A Fact Finding Committee of Justice on Trial, a trust defending human rights and freedom, that visited the trouble-torn NC Hills district has asserted that there was greater danger to the hills district from the Nagas who were determined to force the formation of Nagalim and called upon the Central Government to play a proactive role to bring the deteriorating law and order under control. Addressing mediapersons here on Friday, the Fact Finding Committee that comprised retired justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court MV Tamaskar, GS Gill, former Additional Advocate General, Rajasthan, YR Patil, retired IPS officer and others, said that the situation in the NC Hills district has made it necessary for the Central Government to intervene immediately.

“Prima facie the situation in the hills district is explosive and needs immediate intervention to stop anti nation and extra constitutional activities of Nagaland declaring it as Republic of Nagaland,” said chairman of the committee MV Tamaskar urging both Central and State government to take a tough stand against the separatist movement.

Tamaskar while expressing concern at the total chaos in the hills district maintained that the provision of Sixth Schedule is not serving the purpose for which it was enshrined in the Constitution of the country. “The autonomous councils formed under the Sixth Schedule are a degenerated lot at present not serving the objective for which they were created,” said Tamaskar adding that the NC Hills Autonomous Council formed under the Sixth Schedule is a faction-ridden Council.

“The State Government has done some tip service, but has not done anything to wipe out insurgency or provide succour to the violence-affected people in the hills district,” alleged Tamaskar.

Tamaskar informed that a detailed report of on-the-spot evidence, anti-nation pamphlets and other documents and conditions of relief camps ignoring all human rights of the inmates will be released within a month.

It needs to be mentioned here that the committee has suggested holding of conciliatory meetings with both Zeme Nagas and Dimasas and involvement of women in the peace building process as some of the immediate measures to improve the situation.

Unusual duel of blooms & bees - Horticulture and honey mission cross swords over pesticide use NISHIT DHOLABHAI The Telegraph


A girl at an organic farm at Niathu in Dimapur. A Telegraph picture
Kohima/New Delhi, Aug. 6: It is a strange duel in India’s Northeast — between organic honeybees and inorganic flowers — that threatens the “organic label” and exposes the growing rural-urban divide.
On the one hand, is a small village on the Myanmar border that is a model for exploiting a multi-crore rupee honey market abroad.
Away in the big towns of Nagaland, the rich and famous want capital-intensive floriculture to be the mainstay for the state.
The result is a clash between a pioneering Nagaland Honey and Bee Mission and the government’s obsession of some years, floriculture.
Anthurium in Kohima and roses in Mokokchung — investors found a new avenue as the Centre’s national horticulture mission became a hit in the Northeast.
But there are those who see the risk, especially for the honey mission.
Use of pesticides in commercial floriculture and in the hugely popular Naga hobby of flower-growing is becoming a threat to the “organic” tag of Naga honey that is looking at a 1.4million tonne world market.
The state is currently targeting production of 5,000 metric tonnes of organic honey by 2017 that could earn it a neat Rs 130crore, about a tenth of the annual plan it gets from Delhi.
India produces 52,000 metric tonnes of honey and exports 15,000 metric tonnes. But it is China which is earning most of the spoils from the huge world market by exporting 300,000 metric tonnes of honey.
“We have a huge chance from the supply gap,” says state development commissioner Alemtemshi Jamir who set up the honey mission last year.
The state now produces 185 tonnes of organic honey.
However, as the Nagaland Honey and Bee Mission considers organic certification to clear the path for rapid expansion, the burgeoning floriculturists threaten its chances with their use of pesticides.
To be certified “organic”, honey must be made from flowers grown without synthetic fertilisers, additives or pesticides such as sulfa compounds and antibiotics. Nor can carbolic acid be used to remove honey from the hive, or calcium cyanide to kill the bees before extracting the honey.
“They (honey industry and horticulture) cannot go together, especially when the world over the honeybee population is dwindling because of pesticide use,” said the Nagaland Honey and Bee Mission director, Mathung Yanthan.
Yanthan agreed that growing flowers would also attract swarms of bees which feed on the nectar from pesticide-treated flowers. Unfortunately, it will be the influential rich who will call the shots from commercial hubs like Dimapur to shape state policy.
Former horticulture secretary Thangi Mannen had a word of caution.
She said the green houses erected in commercial floriculture do not allow bees as the flowers are not for pollination.
“Instead one should look at the larger picture of possible use of pesticide in all crops,” said Mannen.
But it is signals from the rural heartland that matter. A remote Angami tribal village, Nima in Kohima, is showing the way.
The Angamis build traditional apiaries by digging a trench and rearing honeybees on stone slabs and wood.
Much of the state’s production comes from Nima through this traditional method.
Yanthan said the Nagaland Honey and Bee Mission wants to promote this to produce organic honey.
Many feel floriculture in states like Nagaland perhaps does not stand a chance against developed states like Karnataka which are backed by infrastructure and market links.
Honey, on the other hand, is a sweet alternative, said Jamir, that can naturally crown the rural landscape.