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08/14/2009: "Tribals protest plan to deploy troops Iboyaima Laithangbam The Hindu"

Tribals protest plan to deploy troops Iboyaima Laithangbam The Hindu

IMPHAL: Tribals, who dominate the five hill districts of Manipur, have protested against the government’s plan to deploy the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) troops and police commandos to check militancy.
Tribal student organisations and civil groups, who had only been issuing press releases, organised a protest demonstration on Tuesday. Sit-in protests were also staged in the hill districts. The protesters submitted memoranda to the Collectors.
The leaders said that peace had been prevailing in the districts after the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isaac-Muivah), the Naga militant outfit that has considerable following in Naga-dominated areas, and the Kuki tribal outfits signed a ceasefire.
They feared that the IRB troops and the police commandos would indulge in excesses such as staging fake encounters.
However, government circles say that the signatories to the ceasefire had been extorting illegal taxes and resorting to violence, a clear violation of the rules of the ceasefire.
NSCN (IM) cadres killed in AR ambush morungexpress
DIMAPUR | AUGUST 12 : Barely two days after the ceasefire monitoring group (CFMG) meeting between representatives of the Government of India and the NSCN (IM), four NSCN (IM) cadres including a “major” were killed in an alleged ambush by security forces near Shakok and Koda villages, some 35km from Ukhrul town, Wednesday morning.
Sources said around 40-50 NSCN (IM) cadres from the Kiusumong battalion were on patrol in the area between the two villages when they were “ambushed” by troops of the Assam Rifles around 7 am. Sources also said intermittent exchange of fire between the two sides continued till 12 noon.
A senior functionary of the NSCN (IM) said four cadres including their commander identified as one “major” Reisang were killed in the “ambush.” However, unconfirmed reports said that several more cadres were killed in the ambush.
The NSCN (IM) functionary alleged that the incident was a “well planned” and “unprovoked ambush” carried out by the Assam Rifles. He also alleged that the Manipur Government had a hand in the ambush as the government wanted to send the message that the ceasefire between the Government of India and NSCN (IM) was not applicable in Manipur.
When contacted, the chairman of ceasefire monitoring group (CFMG) General Mandhita Singh said he too had heard that there was some skirmish between the security forces and NSCN (IM) in Manipur. He however declined to comment on the incident and said “my jurisdiction is limited to Nagaland only. I don’t have any comment on incidents that may happen outside Nagaland.” Asked whether the incident would have any impact on the ceasefire, the General declined to comment and said, “I hope they will sort out the situation.” Convenor of the ceasefire monitoring cell (CFMC) of NSCN (IM), “maj gen” Phungthing Shimrang could not be contacted.
Meanwhile, civil society groups led by the Tangkhul Naga Long have reportedly gathered outside the Ukhrul DC’s office demanding that they be allowed to visit the spot where today’s ambush took place so as to verify and ascertain the exact nature of the incident and also to determine the casualty. According to reports received here, more than a hundred people have gathered outside the DC’s office even at the time of filing this late news report. It was disclosed from local sources that the civil society groups were not allowed to proceed to the area where the incident took place

Donkeys are called Asses too... Al Ngullie Morung Express

The new budget for Nagaland is…cute. As an extraordinarily common, common citizen myself, I can relate to it as do ducks to water. The state government was dead right on the money when it declared the budget to be a “people’s budget.” Indeed, just like the people, it’s a people’s budget –full of debt, nothing to give and lots to lose as usual. Just like big old common me. My wallet’s forever on diet too.
Here’s another allegory: Warm your bottom for the day when Daisy-assed Coyotes would crawl from their air-conditioned holes frantically yelping that the law and order situation in Nagaland – especially big bad Dimapur – is “people’s law and order.” And, not “normal.” Ugh.
But I agree, our law and order SoA is “normal” – of course, what’s so abnormal about several hundred people getting murdered in two months, or your parents' pension sucked dry for “contributions” everyday every month. And do we dare forget testosterone-stricken kaput cases who boast of no civilized opinion about our women other then to calm down what sticks out from between their legs – and these criminals go happy free because Cartoon Network government and its tamul-chewing police had no balls to disinfect our towns of humanity’s dregs. See? Law and order is normal, for Pete Sampras’ sake. No disturbingly serious crimes like cable theft and Nagamese love song-singing drunks…
Any Tom, Dick and Tali can tough-talk and go Gung Ho from behind battalions of bodyguards and air-conditioned offices. And for us, dear Nagas please feel free to repeat your favorite mistake – elect hot-air balloons as your leaders. Wonder where hot-air balloons get their inspiration from? Helium.
Here’s my inspiration. Don’t freak. Friends persist in inducing me to believe that when I was born I actually emerged with the Penguin Publishing House logo on my forehead. Something in that nature of idiocy, I figure. Whateva. Ever since I can recall, books have been a passion I don’t ever desire to learn to shake off – everything from Tinkle to Lasky, Frontline to Vandenberg, Meisha (remember that dear old Soviet children’s story book?) to War histories.
Anyhow, my “inspiration” came when I was this schoolboy thing – full of torrential nose, flamboyant 11-year old cool and pure 8-inch (I meant height, you naughty Miss Hugh Hefner). I bumped into a gigantic book on former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at a relative’s. Sweet. I devoured the American politician’s bio slap-bang in two days (Didn’t matter that I could not comprehend a word of it). I was inspired as fresh virgin forests inspire every Establish-New-Village addict. Serving my people and society was the sprouted inspired dream. I’ll be a minister or something similar. Yeah, right, sure.

Trouble in the kitchen
One fine morning, I trudged into the kitchen. Mom was busy demolishing an alarmingly disturbing pile of Akhuni-ed pork. I announced: “Mom, I want to be a politician when I grow up.” In brief, Mom looked like she’d just swallowed the entire Akhuni pot through her ears. She took minutes of what appeared to be a struggle to reclaim her privilege to looking like a proper human again. Then she spoke up in that lovely, so-gentle and whispery voice I so love: “but son…I want you to grow up and serve the people and society, not become a politician…”
I re-edited my dreams and presented her a copy of it: “…OK mom, I want to join a Naga Human Rights organization or a big students’ union or a hoho whateva…” Now I can serve my people, I figured. Well, mom reacted as if she’d just knocked her knees dizzy across the table: “but son…I want you to serve your people and your society, not become some daisy-assed, scared, confused Apologist or Sophist…”
Freaking, I edited Dream No.3: “…I wanna be a big officer then!” (Please note here that my notion of “big officer” was limited to being some dude owning a government vehicle thing). But mom looked adequately disoriented. “…but son, you’ll be serving politicians and liars…” This whole blooming My-aim-in-life thing was getting freaking nowhere.
“Then, I wanna be freedom fighter and fight for my people!” To say the least, Mom’s face looked like it was just barely hanging on to the front of her head. Battling to regain the original face God had gifted her, mom garbled: “…son, what did I teach you that you lose your humaneness…?
Out of sheer frustration I blurted: “Alright, alright, I’m gonna be a pastor or something!” Trust me, she nearly had a stroke. She gradually regained her original human face and whispered sadly: “…become a pastor and live your entire life never brave enough to speak the truth, son… be a Christian leader and speak in watered-down, washed and rinsed, redesigned and realigned ‘truth’ because you were too timid to speak the truth? Is that what you want to be..?
So many sides to perspective – or dreams. Mercifully for my vocational misery, she suggested I list down my ‘aim in life.’ Well, since the last one decade, I’m still writing. You may want to check out some two-sided wisdom below that popped in the course of my wanderings.

In Nagaland, say this, it means…:

Mandate of the People: ‘Only the president, general secretary and treasurer took the decision’
Appeal: The one word Naga civil organizations use, to cover their inability to speak truth resolutely
Speak the truth: ‘Tell them they’re wrong and we’re the ones who’s right’
Peace and Development: The two words used to conceal rising crime indices
“Normal” law and order situation: ‘So far only civilians and innocents are being killed. No serious crimes like cable theft…’
He has dynamic leadership: He blew up the party’s funds
Visionary leadership: Dreaming of your money
‘He’s the best man’: He pays more per vote
‘He speaks like a true leader’: He lies a lot
‘Our leader is a true son of the soil’: He’s always mud-slinging.
‘Our area is thirsty for development’: ‘Send us money in mineral water bottle crates’
He’s an eloquent politician: ‘He can speak only Nagamese.’
‘Investigations are on’: Investigations are none.
‘There’s no corruption’: ‘Nobody has found us out yet’
‘Vote for the right candidate’: ‘I’m the right candidate’
‘We care for the people’: …… (*Hahahahaha! Liars!)
‘We offer you issue-based support’: Increase our Central funds
Early solution: ‘When’re we gonna start living life again?’
Development: Roads (Or lack of them)
Women Empowerment: The season when new customary laws sprout from everywhere
‘Strengthen customary laws’: ‘We’re too weak, you GBs check crime’
Chief Guest: The one with the fattest wallet
Official function: An event where government officers and staffers get to doze
Adinno, Senka urge Nagas on I-Day morungexpress
Dimapur, August 13 (MExN): London based Naga National Council (NNC) President, Adinno Phizo, and Texas based NNC President, Senka Yaden, have both sent separate messages on the occasion of the 62nd Anniversary of the Nagaland Independence Declaration on August 14.
Stating that no nation can reverse history, Adinno reminded that given the “unique” situation whereby Nagas refused to enter into a written treaty or agreement, as such the British kept their word not to interfere in Naga affairs during its colonial rule over the surrounding countries. Adinno went on to state that “neighbouring India grotesquely prevented the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) to exercise Naga sovereignty and to date deny much needed nation building progress speak volumes of successive Indian leaders’ awful hypocrisy”.
Adinno also pointed out that India “reneged on the word of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of modern India”, and that his successor, Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, “contemptibly abandoned his own often stated role to the world as champion of freedom and perversely ordered the invasion of Nagaland in 1954”. As a consequence of Indian army brutality, over one hundred thousand (100,000) Naga civilians lost their lives and thousands of Naga patriots resisting the aggressors were killed, the NNC leader stated. The NNC President also reminded that despite the GoI’s gross interference in the internal affairs of Nagaland, the FGN consistently maintains a non-violence policy of no firing except in self-defence when first fired upon, and unswervingly adheres to the NNC vision, ‘Our Country is Ours’.
Adinno’s message also urged the government of India to ‘Quit Nagaland’, pointing out that the days of colonialism were long gone. She also stated that the “current outrageous peace process the GoI stage with a proxy militia gang collected from the Indian state of Manipur, aka, the tormentors, to undermine the original stand of Nagaland simply manifest poverty of right minded leaders in India”. As such, she pointed out that until the “GoI resolve the core issue of the conflict between the two nations with NNC and FGN, the civilised world will find Indian hypocrisy perplexing and unacceptable”.
Similarly, Texas based Senka Yaden, President, Naga National Council (NNC), has also sent a message on the occasion of the 62nd Anniversary of the Declaration of Naga Independence on 14 August 1947. While commending the Naga National Council (NNC) members and supporters for their dedication to ensure that Naga History is not only preserved but celebrated, Senka expressed the national goals and the mission of the NNC. Senka also mentioned that Nagas are privileged to observe the Independence Day in recognition of the legacy and the truth left to us by our forefathers. “Regardless of the differences among us, it is our duty and pride to preserve, protect, and defend our cultural heritage and help promote harmony in common heritage,” Senka stated.
Terming it a question of moral rights, Senka stated that Nagas want to dwell as one land, one nation, one people, in unity, peace and liberty. “Independence and freedom are indivisible, so is the institution of the NNC; there is only one NNC and no other,” Senka stated in his message while asking people to “seek what unite us and not what divide us”. The NNC President also proposed the “beginning of a new tradition by embracing the past, and honor our land in unity and celebrate this Independence Day to uphold the bonds that will frame our destiny”.

Nagas must revive its traditional products KUVESA MEDEO Morung
•-“What you will say if someone asks you the Naga traditional are extinct, I shall say after my dead the Nagas will lose the heritage of its originality product without knowing the usefulness and its important products. In view of the present scenario of our imitation standards and conditions, we the Nagas have ourselves forgotten the rich traditional cultures and its utilities in many useful respects.” Says, Mr. Kudulhu Ringa one of the potter’s at Runguzu Nasa the only village where it is still entailing the footsteps of the ancestral traditions in Phek District. Where he is one of the few persons who is preserve the culture of making earthen pottery from extinction which will be only found in Nagaland.
Being born and brought up from this village I felt guilty for not helping them at least in some corner. But alas! Without Government help I just a mere spectator while they are tirelessly laboring to preserve our traditional products and also to meet their daily expenses from the sales of their products.
The Government of Nagaland under the leadership of Mr.Neiphiu Rio, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Nagaland has brought out several distinctive programmes providing trainings, workshops, seminars and exposure etc. In which our people are benefited a lot. One should appreciate for those endeavors, but one has to put important for our own original identity as per my limited wisdom. As we failed to put importance to some of our traditional products like Pottery, Black smithy and handicrafts etc from where our real life can be expose to the outside world.
As mentioned above, everyone has a responsibility to contribute in some or ways and the Government should come to the rescue before it is too late. Hope the DAN Government will not object anything which is going to extinct in our land; instead I am sure the revival of our traditional products will once again shine under the governance of DAN.

KUVESA MEDEO
Social worker,
Runguzu Nasa Village

NSCN (I-M) flays AR over Sakok incident, (NPN):
DIMAPUR Describing the firing incident at Sakok village, Ukhrul district, Manipur on Wednesday as a “deliberate violation” of ceasefire ground rules by the Indian armed forces, the NSCN(I-M) has termed it as “ill motives to demean the long earned peace process”.
As reported, a firing incident took place between NSCN (I-M) cadres and 23 Assam Rifles personnel at Sakok village under Phungyar police station limits, Ukhrul district on August 12.
The MIP of the NSCN/GPRN stated that the incident occurred when around 30 of its Naga Army were sent to Lairam Phungka, Ukhrul district , on receiving report that Manipur valley based armed cadres (UNLF and PREPAK) were camping at the village. The NSCN(I-M) Naga Army were on their way to Lairam Phungka as the “ life and property of the innocent villagers and people of the surrounding areas” were in danger due to the presence and rampant harassment created by the Manipur valley based armed cadres, it said.
However, while on the way, the NSCN(I-M)Naga Army was waylaid at Sakok village by the Assam Rifles, who “without any provocation” opened indiscriminate firing and bombing. It maintained that 23 Assam Rifles was well aware of the presence of valley based armed cadres in that area.
The MIP said its cadres had never intended to confront the Assam Rifles, being well aware of the cease fire with the government of India and had therefore attempted to escape with utmost restraint. However, it said , as a result of the firing, one Naga Army “Sgt. Maj.” Simon of Kota village received serious bullet injury but later died in the custody of Assam Rifles.
The MIP release said late Simon was “tortured to death beyond human endurance” and that after his death and “against any humanity”, the Assam Rifles fired at the dead body.
Further, the MIP/GPRN stated that all roads leading to the spot, were sealed off and all activities of public in that area were completely halted by AR. It said when civil societies and NGOs had wanted to inquire for verification of the incident and casualties, they were stopped by the Assam Rifles at Shangshak gate.
The NSCN (I-M) also accused Assam Rifle of bringing in one “mask-man (Spotter)” in another incident, while raiding Wung-Tangkhul Region office located at Ukhrul district Headquarters, on the same day after the incident.
The NSCN(I-M) said it seriously questioned the “intention of the Government of India for unwarranted action of Assam Rifles” and the use of a masked man, which was against cease-fire ground rules. However, it said that such “peripheral incidents” should not be a condition for obstacle in building mutual understating and respecting ceasefire ground rules. The NSCN(I-M) also pointed out that “blatant action” of armed forces should not be a hindrance in finding solution of Indo- Naga conflict.
Meanwhile, the NSCN/GPRN has expressed grief and pain over the “inhuman murder” and death of “Sgt. Maj.” Simon “who boldly laid down his precious life for the cause of the Nation in the hands of the brutal and barbaric Indian army.”
The NSCN (I-M) also conveyed its heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family and prayed Almighty God grant eternal peace and rest to the departed soul. It asserted that his “extinguished service” rendered for the cause of Nation would be cherished and remain afresh in the history of Naga national movement.