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08/17/2009: "PM, Chidambaram pull up three NE States Assam Tribune"



PM, Chidambaram pull up three NE States Assam Tribune

GUWAHATI, Aug 17 – In a scathing remark on handling of the insurgency situation by the north eastern states, Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram questioned the practice of bending over backwards before the insurgents. Even Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh described the situation in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland as worrisome.

“At times, we find that some State Governments have allowed themselves to bend before insurgent groups, making the fight against insurgency that much more difficult,” said the Home Minister, while making his opening remarks at the Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security here this morning.

“I regret to say that I cannot report much progress in the north eastern states,” Chidambaram said.

“I propose to hold discussions with the State Governments concerned and draw up State-specific strategies to deal with the insurgent groups in the three most affected States of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur,” Chidambaram.

Unabated illegal activities like extortions, kidnappings, collection of illegal taxes and free run enjoyed by the surrendered militants, besides heinous crimes including contract killing, gun running apparently made the Union Government pass such an observation.

Not content, Chidambaram referring to the North-east, said insurgency remained a grave threat. He reiterated the new strategy adopted by Government of India concerning tackling of the insurgent groups.

“In the last few months we have refined our policy stance: the law will be applied strictly; ceasefire agreements would be enforced in letter and spirit; and we will talk to any group only if that group abjures violence, lays down its arms and offers to surrender,” he said.

Earlier inaugurating the Conference, Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh said in the North-east there is an overall improvement but the situation in some states particularly in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland remains problematic and worrisome.

Assam and Manipur account for a disproportionately large number of violent incidents reported from the North-east, with the latter’s share being as high as 30 per cent, observed the Prime Minister.

In Assam, the Centre had sanctioned an amount of Rs. 750 crore for development of Bodo areas. But the utilisation of these funds remains unsatisfactory. The resettlement and rehabilitation of those affected by violence in the Bodo areas and North Cachar Hills is a matter of concern, said Dr Singh.

Interestingly enough the ruling BPF, an ally of the ruling UPA Government at the Centre and also in the State Government has been demanding another tranche of Rs 500 crore for developmental works. The BTAD for the past five years has been getting Rs 100 crore annually from the Centre according to the terms of the Bodo Accord.

Manipur is plagued by a large number of militant outfits. The Government of Manipur needs to put in place appropriate mechanisms for increased participation of people in developmental projects, said the Prime Minister.

“I would request the Chief Ministers of all the north eastern states to pay particular attention to the implementation of infrastructure projects. There is also a need in the North-east for more emphasis on pro-active State police forces rather than exclusive reliance on the Central Para Military Forces and Army,” said the Prime Minister.

The resources for policing need to be enhanced substantially. Manipur has increased the number of sanctioned posts at the police station level but a large number of them remain unfilled, said Dr Singh.

All the States in the North-east would do well to ensure the representation of all groups and communities in their police forces and carry out recruitment to these forces in a transparent manner, advised the Prime Minister.Imphal protesters court arrest
- Demonstrators surround police stations q Ukhrul Nagas take out torch rallies OUR CORRESPONDENT


Women court arrest near Imphal police station on Sunday. Picture by Eastern Projections
Imphal, Aug. 16: Protesters today courted arrest in the valley, demonstrating against the alleged fake encounter killings of Rabina Devi and Ch. Sanjit in Imphal city on July 23, while Nagas in the hills held torch rallies and mass prayers against the ongoing Assam Rifles operation in Ukhrul.
The demonstrations were held during the relaxation of curfew from 5am to 5pm in the city while the Naga torch rallies and prayers were held in the evening.
Assam Rifles troops killed two militants of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) in an operation that began in Phungyar subdivision last Thursday.
The Ukhrul Nagas stayed away from the Independence Day functions and held a condolence meeting at the district headquarters.
Civil organisations in the both hills and the valley chalked out agitation programmes for the next few days.
The Apunba Lup yesterday announced a two-day court arrest agitation beginning today, to be followed by a 36-hour general strike beginning at 5am on Tuesday.
Hundreds of women protesters responded to an Apunba Lup call to court arrest, demanding the resignation of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and the termination of service of the police commandos involved in the killing of Rabina and Sanjit.
Chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh left Imphal for Delhi to attend a daylong chief ministers’ conference on internal security tomorrow.
Protesters in the twin districts of Imphal marched towards local police stations, shouting anti-Ibobi Singh and anti-commando slogans.
“Ibobi Singh step down, punish guilty commandos, arrest us and release arrested Apunba Lup leaders,” the protesters cried.
Police picked up nearly 50 protesters near the Lamsang police station in Imphal West.
They also dispersed another group near the Heingang police station in Imphal East by firing rubber bullets.
There were reports of protesters marching towards Patsoi and Lamphel police stations in Imphal West and Porompat and Lamlai police stations in Imphal East.
Two women fainted and were taken to hospital after the police fired teargas shells and burst mock bombs to disperse the demonstrators near Lamlai police station.
The demonstrators then gathered at Lamlai market where they burnt tyres on the road to protest against the police crackdown.
There were reports of sit-ins at various other localities.
The All Manipur Recognised Private Schools’ Welfare Association, on its part, today announced that Thokchom Russel, Rabina’s little son, would be provided free education till Class XII if the family admitted the boy in any one of the member schools of the association.
In the hills, various Naga organisations, led by the United Naga Council (UNC), have called a 48-hour general strike in Ukhrul, Chandel, Senapati and Tamenglong from midnight tomorrow, in protest against the Assam Rifles operation last Thursday.
“The simultaneous torch rally, mass prayer and the general strike are against the Assam Rifles, which disrupted peace in the hill districts by launching the operation and resorting to unprovoked firing. We also want to show solidarity with the villagers who are suffering as a result of the ongoing operation,” said UNC president Samson Remei.
He said the operation restricted the movement of villagers at Shokok, Singkap and other villages, preventing them from working in paddy fields and farms.
The troops also prevented the civil society organisations from entering the villages for goodwill missions, he alleged.
Assam, Manipur, Nagaland worrisome: PM ICT by IBNS ThaiIndian News
New Delhi, Aug 17 (IBNS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said security remains a problem in North-eastern states-Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
“In the North East there is an overall improvement but the situation in some states particularly in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland remains problematic and worrisome. Assam and Manipur account for a disproportionately large number of violent incidents reported from the North East, with the latter’s share being as high as 30%,” said Singh while inaugurating the Chief Ministers’ Conference on Internal Security here.
Singh said despite allotting funds for development in Assam, the amount is not ulitised properly.
“In Assam, the Centre had sanctioned an amount of Rs. 750 crore for development of Bodo areas. But the utilization of these funds remains unsatisfactory. The resettlement and rehabilitation of those affected by the violence in the Bodo areas and North Cachar Hills is a matter of concern.”
Saying that Manipur is plagued by a large number of militant outfits, Singh said the government of Manipur needs to put in place appropriate mechanisms for increased participation of people in developmental projects.
“I would request the Chief Ministers of all the North Eastern States to pay particular attention to the implementation of infrastructure projects. There is also a need in the North East for more emphasis on pro-active State police forces rather than exclusive reliance on the Central Para Military Forces and Army. The resources for policing need to be enhanced substantially.
“Manipur has increased the number of sanctioned posts at the police station level but a large number of them remain unfilled. All the States in the North East would do well to ensure the representation of all groups and communities in their police forces and carry out recruitment to these forces in a transparent manner,” Singh said.
Security in Assam, Manipur & Nagaland worrisome: PM (Agencies)

New Delhi, August 17: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said security remains a problem in Northeastern states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
"In the North East there is an overall improvement but the situation in some states particularly in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland remains problematic and worrisome. Assam and Manipur account for a disproportionately large number of violent incidents reported from the North East, with the latter's share being as high as 30%," said Singh while inaugurating the Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security here.
Singh said despite allotting funds for development in Assam, the amount is not ulitised properly.
"In Assam, the Centre had sanctioned an amount of Rs. 750 crore for development of Bodo areas. But the utilization of these funds remains unsatisfactory. The resettlement and rehabilitation of those affected by the violence in the Bodo areas and North Cachar Hills is a matter of concern."
Saying that Manipur is plagued by a large number of militant outfits, Singh said the government of Manipur needs to put in place appropriate mechanisms for increased participation of people in developmental projects.
"I would request the Chief Ministers of all the North Eastern States to pay particular attention to the implementation of infrastructure projects. There is also a need in the North East for more emphasis on pro-active State police forces rather than exclusive reliance on the Central Para Military Forces and Army. The resources for policing need to be enhanced substantially.
"Manipur has increased the number of sanctioned posts at the police station level but a large number of them remain unfilled. All the States in the North East would do well to ensure the representation of all groups and communities in their police forces and carry out recruitment to these forces in a transparent manner," Singh said.



Some NE Govts 'bending before insurgent groups': HM . (Page News Service)Dimapur, August 17: Asserting that insurgency remains a grave threat in the Northeast, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram Monday took to task some State Governments in the Northeast for having allowed "themselves to bend before insurgent groups", making the fight against insurgency that much more difficult.
In his opening statement at the Chief Minister's conference on internal security at New Delhi today, Chidambaram said he would be holding discussions with the State Governments concerned and draw up State-specific strategies to deal with the insurgent groups in the three most affected States of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.
The HM also made it clear the law will be applied strictly and that the ceasefire agreements will be enforced in letter and spirit. He further asserted that the Centre would talk to any group only if that group abjures violence, lays down its arms and offers to surrender

Muslim NSCN (IM) operatives in touch with HuJI: Rio (Agencies)

New Delhi, August 17: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Monday said there was strong possibility of Islamic extremists establishing "sleeper cells" in the state with the help of active members of NSCN (I-M).
"NSCN (I-M) operatives from the Muslim community have been maintaining direct or indirect links with extremist groups such as Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islami (HuJI) and other criminal elements suspected to be having links with terrorist organisations," Rio said.
It is emerging that the NSCN (I-M) has some active Muslim members in their ranks who play a major role in the group's extortion drive in Dimapur, he told the Chief Ministers' conference on internal security here.
Such operatives are in contact with "one 'Lieutenant' Halal Uddin from NSCN (I-M) armed wing and one Azad alias Robin from the civil wing," Rio said adding that they are reported to have very close links with one so-called commander of the group in its transit camp in Bangladesh.
"In such backdrop, there is strong possibility of Islamic extremists establishing 'sleeper cells' in Nagaland by taking advantage of their contacts inside the state," he said.
Another possible scenario is that these extremist elements may develop differences with NSCN (I-M) and form a new organization, he said.
Rio also expressed concerns over the increasing influx of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into Nagaland.
"The decadal population growth rate between 1991-2001 as recorded by 2001 census was 64.41 per cent -- the highest in the country. Further, it is striking that number of masjids and madrassas has increased from 27 to 48 between 2007 and 2008 in the state," he added.

NSCN (IM) clarifies on August 12 Shakok incident Nagaland Page
The NSCN/GPRN is compelled to make this clarification over the incident at Shakok village on 12th August under Ukhrul district, in view of the unfounded, fictitious and fabricated allegations and claims time and again by the Assam Rifles the so called "Friends of the Hills people" turned "Enemy of the Hills people" to cover up its own intentional misdeeds with misleading information. The NSCN/GPRN in order to do away with falsified misgivings make known the causes of the incident very clear that the incident was a deliberate violation of cease-fire ground rules undermining the agreed terms and conditions to create needless situations to meet their own vested interest as usual. It is worth mentioning that on 14th June 2001, Mr. Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister of India issued an official clarification saying that the cease-fire between India and NSCN "applies to all the areas where they have been fighting".
In order to give the true picture of the incident the following statement were given in the greater interest of the general public that the Tankhul frontal organizations- Tangkhul Naga long(Tangkhul Hoho), Tangkhul Shanao Long(Tangkhul Women's League), Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (Tangkhul Students Union), Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long (Tangkhul Youth Council), Tangkhul Wungnao Long (Tangkhul Village Chiefs Association), and Naga People's Movement for Human Rights-representing all the Tangkhul Naga population in particular and the whole Naga public in general are deeply concerned by the recent incident of unprovoked firing by the Assam Rifles, under 10 sector, upon a group of NSCN (IM) cadres between Godah and shadok villages under Phungyar Police Station in Ukhrul district on 12th August 2009. We are also concerned and deeply aggrieved by the cold-blooded murder of Sgt.maj. Mr. Salmon Hungyo, aged about 28 years, of Chahong village, a cadre of NSCN (IM) by the Assam Rifles after being arrested and tortured to dead near the site of the incident.
We see this as a disturbing development, and as an effort to destabilize and butcher the hard-earned peace and stability in the region. Such incidents, instead of resolving problems further exacerbate, promote, and feed violence.
Random bombings by the Assam Rifles in civilian areas are taking place, particularly in and around Godah, Shakok, Loushing, and Loushing Khumthak villages under Phungyar police station in Ukhrul District, Manipur. This goes against all the accepted fundamental principles, norms, and foundations upon which the Indian Republic is founded, and in international norms and conventions.
The incident has put a huge number of populations in the area at risk and has violated their fundamental right to personal and emotional security. We would like to draw the attention of the media as well as the general public that a large number of villagers who are in their paddy fields, in hunting grounds, etc. being their hearth and home as forest people, are unable to return to their villages as a result of the present incident. We would like to further draw attention to the most uncalled for and unacceptable harassment of the public in many villages in Phungyar block who have been restricted from moving out of their house. There are still individuals, who were carrying out their normal course of daily activities, whose whereabouts are still not known. These practices are manifestations of an unhealthy trend towards violence and confrontation.
We are profoundly disappointed by the callous attitude of the Assam Rifles in preventing civil societies from visiting the villages affected by the incident on 12th August 2009. A team of civil society leaders including representatives of the United Naga Council, Manipur, North East Indigenous Women Forum, Tangkhul Naga Long, Tangkhul Shanao Long, etc were stop from proceeding further at Shakok villge by the CO 23 Assam Rifles.
It is pertinent to mention that Phungyar block has been declared as a drought hit area by the government. However, the Assam Rifles in Shangshak village has prohibited food supplies from being taken to the villages. This is a blatant violation of the fundamental right to food, security and physical well being.
The Assam Rifles personnel have also cut the Optical Fibre Cables (OFC) at Hundung Cement Factory, the only existing means of communication from Ukhrul to other parts of Country. This is illegal and calls for stringent punishment.
We appeal to the appropriate district authorities to immediately ensure and guarantee the personal and physical security of the villagers. We further demand from the government of India to properly ensure the compliance and conformation to the cease-fire Ground Rules in the larger interest of the stability and peace in the region.
To mourn the demise of our peace and physical security, and to resist the move towards violence, the Tangkhul people numbering almost 20,000 marched to the resident of the Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India through the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Ukhrul. Amongst others, the memorandum demanded from the Prime Minister:
a. To clarify once and for all whether there is a cease-fire in Naga areas outside Nagaland.
b. To immediately stop the current operations being carried out in the area.
c. To immediately withdraw Assam Rifles, the self-proclaimed "Friends of the Hills people" from Ukhrul District.
d. To ensure and guarantee the safety and well being of the population of the area.
Further, the NSCN/GPRN strongly supports the Tangkhul peoples' resolved to start a non-cooperation movement against the Government of India from 6.00 PM today until our physical and emotional security is guaranteed and ensured.
We underline and stress that the Nagas believe in the prominence of peace for holistic, stable development of the society, and to resolve problems. We also reiterate our faith in amicable negotiations as a means to resolve any problems in the society.
The ridiculous statement of the notorious Assam Rifles that "it will continue to operate professionally and effectively against UG cadres and ensure safety and security of populace" is a mockery of justice to maintain peace and security in the region with rampant human rights violations, atrocities and harassment against the innocent general public just to fool the public with their persistent misleading sinister campaign in the region.
The NSCN/GPRN seriously views the irresponsible and controversial statement of General Mandhata Singh; Chairman of cease-fire monitoring group blatantly saying that "his jurisdiction is limited to Nagaland only and he has no comment on the incident" is highly questionable. If his statement is to be treated as true then, why there were three designated camps in Manipur as per cease-fire terms and conditions mutually agreed upon between NSCN/GPRN and GOI? The NSCN/GPRN strongly questions as to whether he has been authorized to make such unwarranted statement or is it the ignorance and denial of his own responsibility as a responsible person who has been assigned to oversee and contain all such untoward incidents in the region as per cease-fire agreement.
Issued by: MIP/GPRN

Manipur-based organizations react to AR statement Nagaland Page
Apropos the news report in some local dailies in which the PRO, IGAR (S) alleged that the massive protest that took place in Ukhrul against the excesses of the Assam Rifles in Phungyar Block, Ukhrul District was "at the behest of the NSCN (IM)", it is apparent that resorting to such baseless insinuations have been the modus operandi of the Assam Rifles. Such statements point to the inability of the Assam Rifles to gauge and understand the desire of the Naga people for peace and justice.
Further, the "professionalism" of the Assam Rifles during their recent military operations is hard for us to believe given the fact that we have recorded statements from villagers in the area that categorically establish that the Assam Rifles resorted to tactics that violated the physical and emotional security of villagers.
We would like to point out that the mass movement of the Nagas has been in place since the beginning of the last century and such statements from the Assam Rifles are desperate attempts to cover up their excesses and wrongdoings. The conscience of the people is very clear; we want just peace in our land. As the declaration adopted at the torch rally on 16 Aug 2009 evening reaffirms, we are committed to the peaceful and just resolution of the Indo-Naga problem, and declare our mandate and support to the ongoing Indo-Naga political peace process.
In case the Assam Rifles do not know, as evinced by the ignorant statement issued by the PRO IGAR (S), the Naga people in general, and the Tangkhuls in particular, is mature and intelligent enough to make their own decisions and formulate their own opinions.
Considering all these, the question of the NSCN (IM) influencing the opinions of the people does not arise and will not arise.
Stephen Angkang A. S. Dinah Wungnaoshang A. Shimray
President, TNL President, TSL President, TKS

Zanyo Varam, Kaphungkan K. Shimray Alung Rungsung
President, TMNL President, TNWL Coordinator, NPMHR

AR says Ukhrul public must not be misled by NSCN(IM) propaganda The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Aug 16: The Assam Rifles in a press statement claimed that the local public are being misled by propaganda by the NSCN(IM) in the recent case of Ukhrul shootout in which some armed militants were killed.

The statement said locals of Sakok are fully aware that the NSCN(IM) armed cadres fired at the AR troops in a planned manner.

These militants had stayed at night near village Hundung Goda and in the morning of 12 Aug 09 tried to engage the Assam Rifles troops carrying out road opening drills on road Shangshak to Phungyar. Casualties sustained by the NSCN(IM) cadres were as a result of encounter that ensued after the initial firing by the militants, it said.

It added Assam Rifles troops acted most professionally while engaging the militants and took care to ensure safety & security of civilian population at the cost of their own safety.

It further said NSCN (IM)`s malicious and crafty propaganda to mislead the local populace of Ukhrul and adjoining areas in trying to apportion the blame for disturbing the peace and tranquility to AR troops is ridiculous.

The AR troops began pulling back from the area of operations on 15 Aug 09 after operations were called off, it said.

The villagers gave a warm send off to the troops and expressed their gratitude for providing them with all assistance even while the operations were in full swing, it added.

Some militant group sponsored media reports have tried to malign the security forces without considering the facts on ground it charged. In fact the villagers gave a warm send off to AR troops while returning from the operation it said.

Some villagers also informed AR troops deployed around Sakok village that NSCN(IM) cadres had forced them to participate in protest rallies threatening them of dire consequences and imposition of fine upto Rs. 500/- per family, it claimed.
It is very evident that the IM cadres are keen to disturb the peace and tranquility prevailing in the areas and exploit the local populace for meeting their malicious agenda, the release said.

It is the prime duty of the social organizations and local populace to ensure that the peace & tranquility is not disturbed and IM cadres are not permitted to extort, harass and break the laws of the land, it further said.

Assam Rifles will continue to ensure that the peace & tranquility prevails and carryout effective ops against militant organizations. Local populace must see through sinister design of the militant organizations and act decisively against militancy which directly retards the pace of progress and development, it said.
Manipur: a blighted state The Telegraph
Ever since a Delhi-based news portal published incriminating photographs showing a former militant being roughed up before he was shot in cold blood by Manipur commandos in Imphal followed by the death of a pregnant woman in the crossfire, the state has not stopped making news.
In Manipur, women are the only visible street protesters. They have used every known strategy to catch the attention of a mulish, almost obstreperous Ibobi Singh but nothing stirs this insouciant politician who has become Delhi and the Congress’s most enduring agent in Manipur.
Women have used very imaginative symbols to capture the attention of the national and world audience. Earlier, women staged a naked protest in 2004 when security forces brutally gunned down Thangjam Manorama who they accused of being a militant. It was a desperate appeal for justice from upholders of human rights across the globe.
This time, the women have again used a symbolic protest of making a sort of protective fence out of their phaneks (a sort of sarong worn by Meitei women). The phanek is seen as a clothing that covers the modesty of women. In other words it is an expression of outrage; a cry of desperation and their only way of showing how naked and helpless they feel in the absence of a rule of law where justice prevails.
Unsafe Resistance movements can be very fatiguing, taking a toll on human energy and resources, disrupting family life and displacing social capital with social tremors. But there is no doubt at all that the Imas (mothers) of Manipur deserve our unstinted respect and support for standing up to state high-handedness. From a heavily militarised state Manipur is now also becoming a police state. What it will deteriorate to next is anybody’s guess. While home minister P. Chidambaram is considering toning down the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, it appears that the security agencies in Manipur are on an overdrive. A state which produces world famous sportspersons like Mary Kom, renowned dramatists like Ratan Thiyam and many more athletes, great personalities and outstanding intellectuals should have been the leader of the Northeast in all spheres of human activity.
Unfortunately, Manipur today has become anarchic and unsafe. Those with the means have moved out to other parts of the region and many are today living and working in the metros of the country.
On a recent trip to Chennai, I was quite astonished to run into several Meitei families there. This exodus is evident from the number of flights landing in Manipur daily. At least four flights daily come back with a full load of passengers from Imphal to Delhi and vice versa. While quite a few travel on official responsibilities you cannot miss the large number of Manipuri women on those flights. This is a small example of the displacement of Manipur’s population.
Mental space Violence has manifold consequences on those who experience it directly and on others who are indirectly affected. For those of us in the region who saw the pictures of Ch. Sanjit, the slain former militant, being repeated several times on TV screens, the scene is gruesome. If those of us who are far removed from the incident can feel the shivers down our spine each time we revisit the pictures, we can well imagine the impact on those who see such ghastly scenes almost on a daily basis.
Imagine a pregnant woman falling to bullets in a busy crowded area! In 2002, Gujarat made headlines because of the riots that took several lives at once. But in Manipur people die everyday either at the hands of security forces or militants. These deaths are mere statistics in terrorism portals.
No one bothers about those killed except the immediate family members. Indeed we not only live in a separate geographical space but a mental space from the rest of the country.
The impact So far not much attention is paid to the impact on mental health as a result of exposure to traumatically stressful events. Post-traumatic stress disorder has been the focus of research for several decades. It is a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, terrorist incidents or violent personal assaults.
People who suffer from the disorder often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks. They have difficulty in sleeping and feel detached or estranged. It is often associated with impairment in social, educational, occupational and family functioning and when the symptoms are severe, the disorder can significantly impair the person’s daily life.
Problems with post-traumatic adjustment are frequently complicated by the fact that they are accompanied by disorders such as depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition and other problems of physical and mental health. It is perhaps no accident that Manipur also happens to be state with the highest number of intravenous drug users in the region, apart from other substance abuse. Intravenous drug users become vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. In fact, Manipur also has a significant number of HIV positive women who contracted the virus from their husbands or partners. Things seem so hopeless at the moment.
Yet with so many problems staring them in the face, the people of Manipur have shown rare equanimity in their approach to life and to the idea of resistance. The protests have always been restrained except for the 2001 episode when the Assembly building was torched on account of the extension of the Centre’s ceasefire with the NSCN (I-M) to three hill districts of Manipur. Recently, an effigy of Ibobi Singh was burnt to protest his utter nonchalance to the police high-handedness. But there is a limit to how much people can do to sensitise the powers that be.
Ibobi under glare A former MLA candidate from the Singjamei constituency, H. Nabashyam, has written an open letter to chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh with copies to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing his anxiety at the chief minister’s utterances on the floor of the House that Manipur has become ungovernable and to bring back a semblance of governance some amount of “killing” of the underground forces is inevitable. The writer questions if killing is the solution to Manipur’s protracted problem. He points out that Ibobi Singh is today the richest man in Manipur and that much of his wealth is earned from the 10 per cent cuts on all development schemes.
According to the writer, Ibobi Singh has close contacts with all of the underground outfits and exploits these groups for his political games. Many in Manipur are wondering how the UPA government continues to back a chief minister who has all but failed to govern Manipur. There is a perception that whenever he is pulled up by the Centre, Ibobi Singh demands results and his commandos go on an overdrive or he allows the security forces a free for all.
Those of us who watch from a distance can only feel the pain. It is time to bring sanity in Manipur and other violence-impaired areas of the region through a network of peace builders who are not looking for personal and political gains but will work only for humanitarian reasons. (The writer can be contacted at patricia17@rediffmail.com)
Surrendered NDFB body expresses concern Correspondent Assam tribune
GOSSAIGAON, Aug 17 – The Kokrajhar District Surrendered NDFB Welfare Association has expressed serious concern over the non-implementation of rehabilitation programme for the welfare of its cadres who had already shunned the path of violence and returned to the mainstream of social life.

A press release issued here and signed by Phulen Narzary, publicity secretary, said that the government’s commitment to rehabilitate the surrendered militants in the State has been put in the back-burner making the surrendered NDFB cadre face untold suffering due to lack of proper avenues of livelihood. It is only for this reason that the surrendered cadres are now being used by various sections to access benefit. It has said that the surrendered cadres are human beings and they have their natural urge to survive keeping pace with the mainstream of the society. To stop this trend efforts are needed from each and every corner for timely counselling, motivation and guidance to lead them in proper track.

Further, it has alleged that the ceasefire NDFB has started atrocities on the surrendered NDFB due to utter helplessness at a time when it is working with the government machineries to establish peace and normalcy in the region. So, it has also strongly condemned the brutal killing of Sameswar Borgoyari and warned the ceasefire NDFB to refrain from such activities of fratricidal killing for the greater interest of brotherhood, peace, unity and integrity of the greater BTC areas. The surrendered cadres’ body has also demanded of the government sanction of adequate ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased Sameswar Borgoyaris family as well as initiation of adequate measures to rehabilitate the surrendered NDFB cadres as early as possible.

Prime Minister summons Ibobi on Tuesday angered by another video evidence on Sanjit murder: NDTV The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Aug 16: The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh has reportedly summoned the chief minister of Manipur to meet him on Tuesday to explain how the July 23 carnage by the state police was allowed to happen.

According to a report that featured as the number one headline of the 9pm news bulletin of the NDTV, the Prime Minister, apparently enraged after yet another video surfaced indicating it was police commandos which fired on July 23, and that the police killed the unarmed ex-militant Chungkham Sanjit after rounding him up, has sent a summon to the chief minister to meet him on Tuesday to explain how his police could be allowed to act with such impunity. The report is an NDTV exclusive.

An unsuspecting Ibobi had this morning left for New Delhi for another important meeting of all chief ministers of India to discuss internal security issues facng the country, in particular challenge of militancy.

With him are the state chief secretary, D.S. Poonia and director general of police, Yumnam Joykumar. Sources in New Delhi told IFP on telephone although it is too early to speculate, the matter seems serious and the PMO may, depending on availability of time, pre-pone the meeting to tomorrow, Monday. It also said intelligence report of the law and order situation in the state is not good, hence the concern of the Union government. The NDTV report said the newly surfaced video available with intelligence agencies showed the commandos forcing Sanjit into a shop and a single shot fired thereafter.

Minutes later, the commandos dragged the lifeless body of Sanjit out and dumped him onto a pickup truck were the body of another victim of firings a little while ago was already loaded. It said the police claimed Sanjit fired at them first, but pictures published by a New Delhi based news magazine, Tehelka, demonstrated otherwise. Sanjit was unarmed, and did not at all resist the commandos who arrested him.
It also said ever since the incident, Manipur has been up in flames demanding the resignation of the chief minister, Okram Ibobi.



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