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08/22/2009: "‘Solution within Indian constitution unacceptable’ Our Correspondent EMN"

‘Solution within Indian constitution unacceptable’ Our Correspondent | EMN

KOHIMA, AUG 21: Envoy to the collective leadership and NSCN-K spokesman Kughalu Mulatonu today stated that any solution offered within the Indian constitution is not acceptable today and will not be acceptable tomorrow.
Speaking to media persons in the State capital, Mulatonu categorically stated that the Prime Minister of India must clearly understand that Nagas do not accept the Indian constitution. If GoI wants Nagas to accept it the GoI must change it (constitution), not only for the Nagas but the entire world, he said.
He further stated that the NSCN-K would begin its talks with the GoI only on the cornerstone of Sovereignty as, according to him, no problem can be solved without solving the problem of the real context.
He went on to say that sovereignty will be defined only when the political dialogue comes and this will be defined by Khaplang and Kitovi, while contending that the outfit has expressed willingness to talk to the centre but suggested that the GoI should take time, make preparations and then talk it out to solve the problem, rather than prolonging it or beating around the bush.
Political dialogue will start in due course of time, once formal invitation is received from the PMO, he said, but, however, refused to disclose the formula in mind stating that there is no point in ‘opening the enemy’s eye’.
On the ongoing dialogue between GoI and NSCN-IM, Mulatonu stated that 12 years and over 70 rounds of talks have achieved nothing. NSCN-K will now enter into a political dialogue with GoI, he declared, adding that the ongoing negotiations would not bring anything for Nagas.
He also felt that the two NSCNs differed on core issues – NSCN-IM has a social and economic problem while NSCN-K has a political problem with the GoI, he said.
On the probable meeting of leaders of both NSCNs, he said Swu, Singnya and Khaplang may meet but felt it unlikely with Adinno and Muivah as ‘they have not shown any positive sign’ and their ‘determination is not strong enough’.
Mulatunu also informed that the organisation has 8 designated camps, including 2 recently allotted in Mon and Tuensang. A meeting was held in New Delhi recently for extension of CF till April 28, 2010, where discussions were also held on implementation of Ceasefire Ground Rules both parties, NSCN and GoI, he said.
The NSCN-K official lauded the efforts of the FNR but said one can talk about unification only when reconciliation is attained, ‘otherwise talking about unification is just a dream’. “Let reconciliation take place first, then unification,” he stated while adding that unification is a political process.
Deputy Kilonser (Home) Hokato and Tatar of NCSN-K Nitove Aye were also present at the press meet.
NSCN-Khaplang willing for peace talks STAFF WRITER PTI
Kohima, Aug 22 (PTI) The Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) has expressed willingness to begin talks if invited by the Centre.

The outfit was ready to begin political dialogue if invited by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but the term "Naga sovereignty" defined by the faction's supremo S S Khaplang would be discussed during the negotiation process, a senior member of NSCN(K) told reporters here yesterday.

Kughalu Mulatonu, envoy to collective leadership of NSCN(K), however, said the outfit was not in a hurry to begin talks. "Let the Centre take sufficient time."

The NSCN(K) had signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 2001. The truce had been periodically extended and a joint monitoring mechanism set up to enforce the ceasefire ground rules in the state.
Naga forum pushes for peace OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
Kohima, Aug. 21: The Forum for Naga Reconciliation is convening a meeting of all Naga organisations, tribal hohos, church and various underground factions in Dimapur on August 26 in a bid to take the process of reconciliation among the Naga militant groups forward.
The forum today said the people living in Nagaland want reconciliation, unity and peace, leading to a political solution.
“The forum has since March 2008, sustained its reconciliation efforts with the support of all apex Naga and non-Naga organisations, including the state government,” Rev. Wati Aier, the convenor of the forum, said.
He said the forum was not the only body working for Naga reconciliation and that the Naga Hoho, tribal bodies, village headmen, among others, were also engaged in the process.
“If the forum has been able to achieve something, it is because of the support from the people. For this, we remain ever grateful,” he said.
Rev. Aier said in the coming months the forum would continue to be engaged in making the “Covenant of Reconciliation” inclusive.
“As a step in this direction, the forum is organising the meeting with the Naga bodies on August 26 at Hotel Saramati in Dimapur,” he added.
More than meets the eye Statesman
The different aspects of Nagaland are captured in a new travel series ~ Warrior Tribes of Nagaland

A traveller is one who’s not afraid of meeting strangers in remote lands and during the course of conversations, learn about different customs and find out the secret to the co-existence of the old and the new. Rarely does Nagaland gets shown in a travel series exclusively on the state. Neha Dixit joined NDTV in 2001 as a production assistant and an anchor for Tango, has, over the years, anchored and produced several television programmes, one of the best known being No Big Deal, aimed at backpackers. She is now busy with her new show on NDTV Good Times, The Warrior Tribes of Nagaland where she meets former head hunters, aspiring rock musicians, gospel preachers and history buffs. Let’s meet Neha Dixit.

There are a number of tribes in Nagaland, each with its set of customs. Is the show more about highlighting their co-existence for centuries or about each one holding on to one’s traditions?
The Warrior Tribes of Nagaland on is definitely talking about the various Naga tribes co-existening for centuries as well as each one holding on to their own traditions... But the show is not just limited to these aspects, it’s also about what it takes for the Nagas to absorb so much of the world yet remain so true to their identity...

Nagaland is known for war dances and handicrafts but the ministry of tourism hasn’t cashed in on these aspects.
From my personal experience tourism in Nagaland is on the rise and the state is being promoted. The Nagas dance during their festivals, mostly harvest related and are an expression of celebration... and as we have captured on our reels, everyone is welcome. A lot of promotions have now started, the biggest being the Hornbill Festival. For the Nagas, handicrafts are for their personal day to day use whether it’s their shawls, jewellery or bamboo / cane items... The concept of making a living out of these crafts inherited from their ancestors is very new to them... but is now a fast growing one.

Insurgency is an issue in Nagaland. What were the challenges in filming the series?
The NDTV Good Times crew travelled from the remotest to the most inhabited corners of Nagaland…and was in the state for almost a month… …We felt safe and didn’t face any problems during our stay. To what extent the urban aspect has been captured in the series?
This state, like any other in India, has been as much affected and influenced by the changes that come with time. We’ve met the youth of Nagaland in their urban settings and talked about their aspirations... from musicians to fashion designers... from young doctors to senior officials... we’ve met them all and tried to capture their lifestyle...

Finally, why a show on Nagaland?
We have all as television viewers seen several other states of India extensively... from Rajasthan to Kerala without taking a journey most Indians today can describe what these states look like... Nagaland is a hidden jewel in the North-east of our country and if through television shows like this one, people can be made aware of Nagaland’s bounties...

(The Warrior Tribes of Nagaland airs on NDTV Good Times every Saturday at 10 p.m.)
Following Aunt Cicely to a land of headhunters Irish Times
Warrior: a Konyak in a traditional costume for the festival of Aoleang Monyu. Photograph: Annabelle Breakey/Image Bank/Getty
• TRADITION Stilted houses in Nagaland. Photograph: Melosina Lenox-Conyngham
Go India: Melosina Lenox-Conyngham grew up hearing about her aunt’s time in Nagaland, a remote Indian state where life had barely changed in 5,000 years. She jumped at a chance to track down some of the startling traditions of its past
THOUGH THE NAGA people at the time were notorious as headhunters, my aunt tramped through their hills, in the northeast corner of India, in the 1920s. This was not so daring as it sounds, for she was escorted by an entourage of 55 men, including one to carry the cook’s black cotton umbrella and the kettle.
My aunt, who was accompanying the political agent on his official tour of the state of Nagaland, described how they would start at dawn, while the valleys were thick with mist, to follow the trail through the thick jungle of bamboo, banana and elephant apple twisted with lianas and decorated with orchids, begonias and tree ferns. They traversed mountain ranges and crossed rivers by bamboo bridges that swung wildly as they walked.
Entranced by the thought of this remote, inaccessible place, I snatched an opportunity to go there. This part of India is politically sensitive, as it borders Burma and has not always maintained a peaceful relationship with the federal government, in New Delhi. Nagaland has some peculiar visa regulations. Only parties of at least four or couples who have been “properly” married may visit.
Once inside, you learn that this inaccessible mountain region is inhabited by a tribal people whose way of life survived unchanged for 5,000 years. It has 16 major tribes and many subtribes, each with its own language and customs. Taking a head, for example, was believed to confer on the taker the magical forces inherent in the skull, as well as prosperity, fertility and wealth on his village. The Nagas were very nice to the heads, and for the first year they fed them with rice beer, hoping to persuade them not to seek revenge from the afterlife.
Alas, we were not as intrepid as Aunt Cicely, whose 300km trek lasted two or three weeks. We were picked up by two Land Rovers at the airport at Guwahati, in Assam, where we had flown from Calcutta. My four companions, who except for one were grandmothers or, in my case, a great aunt, were exceptionally experienced travellers. We all wanted to see tribal customs that are now under tremendous pressure from the outside world.
Our first stop was in Ziro, in Arunachal Pradesh, where we attended a ceremony for the marriage of an Apatani couple. The women from the village and its neighbours arrived with baskets suspended from bands across their heads. The baskets were filled with the gift of husked rice. In the early morning, with the sun just risen, they walked in a long, colourful procession on the narrow bunds that terraced the rice fields.
The baskets were emptied into a granary, and then we went to the feast. I picked fussily at pieces of a piglet that had been sliced up nose to tail and then boiled, bones and all. In spite of my care I ate a raw chilli, which set me skipping in agony to the surprise of my travelling companions, who asked how much rice beer I had drunk, while the feasters, who had downed a lot of rice beer themselves, were delighted by my activity. They clutched my hands and we danced in a long line, singing a repetitive song.
The Apatanis are known for the beauty of their women – so much so that neighbouring tribes took to kidnapping the girls for brides. To make the women unattractive, large wooden plugs were put in each side of their noses and their faces were tattooed. I suppose it worked: most older women were disfigured in this way; those under 30 had given up the practice.
The people of Nagaland look far more Burmese than Indian – indeed, I crossed a room one day and was in Burma. The houses of the Nagas, particularly the Noctes and the Konyaks, are long palm-thatched sheds that stand on stilts. In front of each house is a platform where people gossip and where the women weave thick cotton thread into lengths of cloth that they wear as sarongs or shawls, in the tribal patterns and colours.
Traditionally, some villages are governed on republican principles, others through hereditary chiefs or anghs . In one village an endearing notice read: “The Chief Angh’s Residence.” We joined him and the village elders around an open fire on the floor to admire a display of horns, skins, skulls, spears and shields that hung from the smoke-blackened rafters. With hardly a flicker of disappointment at having to turn away from the cricket on a television in the corner, he showed us his traditional head-dress, a skimpy beret of bearskin, decorated with the tusks of a boar, that is tied on under the chin.
Most of the older men have tattoos on their faces and bodies, and many wear the tips of goat horns in the lobes of their ears (which is useful for carrying tobacco, apparently).
Each village has a morung , an imposing building with a soaring thatched roof that used to be a dormitory and meeting place for young men and boys. We looked up at its collection of human skulls. They looked pretty old and dusty, grinning from their shelves. Headhunting was still said to be carried out in the 1990s, but government disapproval and the influence of the Baptist Church have suppressed the practice.
Besides the skulls, the morungs house the ceremonial drum, a hollowed-out tree trunk that the men beat with sticks to make a curious throbbing sound.
The buildings’ wooden pillars are carved with animals, particularly tigers, monkeys and snakes, as well as sometimes sexually explicit carvings of men and women – the Nagas had very liberal views towards sex before marriage, and the men were allowed to visit the unmarried girls in their morungs .
The few roads in Nagaland are impressive feats of engineering as they wind up and around the steep hills; the annual monsoon often washes away the surface, which makes for a bumpy ride. We saw little traffic except for buses and huge colourful lorries decorated with such biblical aphorisms as “The Lord Is the Way” or “In God We Trust”.
Every village is dominated by a church – if not several, as the Pentecostal, revivalist and Roman Catholic Churches all have their adherents. Baptists predominate, however, making up three-quarters of Nagaland’s two million people. American Baptists came here 150 years ago, and now this is the largest Baptist community in the world, sending missionaries not only to neighbouring Indian states but to Africa. Our guide’s brother was a missionary in Zambia.
On Sunday the church I attended in a Konyak village was packed. The choir sang; five men played guitars; a middle-aged woman said a passionate extemporary prayer; and the congregation listened intently to several lengthy homilies.
One morning, while we were staying in the village of Mopungchuket, a ghetto blaster was turned on outside our window at 5am for half an hour of community hymn singing.
It was meant to be a tourist hostel, but there seemed to be few of us around. Each little cement cell was carefully numbered, and there was one locked door labelled Conference Room.
Another night we stayed in a luxurious bungalow that had belonged to tea planters. It had white pillars, deep verandas, chaises longues and portraits of the former owners leading racehorses or photographed with dead tigers.
Kohima, the capital, sprawls over steep hills. During the second World War Japanese troops besieged the town, but the Nagas in the surrounding countryside remained loyal and, acting as spies and messengers, offered no support to the Japanese, who ran out of food and were defeated. Now there is an immaculate war cemetery, with a panoramic view over the countryside.
A monument to an earlier battle stands in Khonoma, where the Nagas defended themselves against the British army in 1879.
From the memorial, at the highest point in the village, we looked down on a lacework of rice terraces and across to the hills that protect the Dzukou Valley, which is immortalised by Vikram Seth in his book Beastly Tales from Here and There .
Decorating the exterior of the houses, clusters of sky-blue orchids, or exotic creamy yellow ones, look like hundreds of butterflies gathered together. More than 350 species of wild orchid grow here.
Men and women, though mostly women, were returning from working in the fields and the forest. The beautifully woven baskets on their backs were filled with heavy loads of grain, firewood or the thick bamboo canes that are used to hold water. They laughed and smiled at us as they wended their way effortlessly up the steep hillside and we, hot and sticky, went back to our Land Rovers.
How to plan a trip, and where you'll stay
Our 14-day tour was organised by Jungle Travels India, in Assam (00-91-361-2602223 or 2602186, www.jungletravels india.com). It arranged our flights from Calcutta to Dibrugarh and, on the return, from Dimapur to Calcutta. It also organised accommodation and food, plus transport in two air-conditioned Land Rovers for the five of us. Our accommodation in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland ranged from luxurious “heritage bungalows” to basic rooms with a bucket of hot water for washing. The tour cost €1,300, including taxes and a permit to enter Nagaland as part of a party of at least four people. The best time to visit is from October to May.

I spent my two nights in Calcutta, on the way to and from Nagaland, at the Tollygunge Club (00-91-033-24732316, 24734539 or 24734741, roomreserve@tollygungeclub.org, www.tollygungeclub.org), which cost €50 a night.
Go there British Airways (www.ba. com), Air India (www.airindia. com) and Jet Airways (www. jetairways.com) are among the airlines that fly from London Heathrow to Calcutta. Aer Lingus (www. aerlingus.com), BMI (www. flybmi.com) and British Airways fly to Heathrow from Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Belfast. This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times
Exodus over NDFB threat - 10 Marwari families flee Sonitpur PULLOCK DUTTA The Telegraph


Guwahati, Aug. 21: At least 10 Marwari families have deserted their homes and shops in Sonitpur’s tea gardens and returned to Rajasthan fearing attacks by the National Democratic Front of Boroland, which has been serving extortion notes to the community for the past few months.
The secretary of the Dhekiajuli Marwari panchayat in Sonitpur, Munna Chandak, said six businessmen and their families have left for their home state in the past 15 days.
Four other families have fled Rangapara.
“Some other families are camping in Dhekiajuli town and looking for people to sell off their shops. They will leave for Rajasthan as soon as they can do so,” Chandak said.
The business community of Dhekiajuli has faxed a memorandum to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Ghelot to take up the matter with the Assam government.
Almost every tea garden in Assam has at least one provision store run by Marwaris.
These stores sell a variety of items and cater to the labour community and managers alike.
Chandak said the district’s Marwari community has been living here for over a century and has assimilated itself with the local society, but “we are still a hunted lot.”
Radheshyam Parekh, a businessman in Dhekiajuli town, confirmed that a memorandum has been sent to the Rajasthan chief minister but declined to divulge details.
“Such a memorandum has been sent to the Rajasthan chief minister about four days back seeking his intervention in this matter,” he said.
Another businessman said they were forced to knock on Gehlot’s door as the Assam government has not been able to guarantee their security. “Some are paying to survive, but all the time ominous threats loom over us,” he said.
An official source said almost all the owners of garden stores have been served with extortion notices by the NDFB, especially in Sonitpur district, in the past few months.
The exodus began soon after an employee of a departmental store at Sapai tea estate, Subash Das, was abducted on August 6.
Das was whisked away by unidentified assailants from the store at gunpoint and has been missing since.
The owner of the store, Narsimah Parekh, who was served an extortion notice by the NDFB, left for Rajasthan soon after, selling off the store at a “throwaway price”.
Durga Bahadur, another employee of a store in Dhansiri tea estate, was also kidnapped, but was released a few days later.
The owner of the store did not take chances and left for Rajasthan soon after, a source said.
The superintendent of police of Sonitpur district, Surendra Kumar, said the police were not aware of the exodus.
“These businessmen with stores in tea gardens keep coming and leaving the state. It may be a temporary exodus,” he said. He, however, said there were reports of NDFB serving extortion notices to store owners in tea estates.
“These tea estates are located in remote areas and it is difficult to keep a watch on them all the time,” he said.
NDFB suspect in BPF killing OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph
Kokrajhar, Aug. 21: Gunmen, suspected to be cadres of the Ranjan Daimary faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), shot dead a member of the Bodoland Peoples Front early this morning in Kokrajhar district.
Police said four to five gunmen came to the house of Sonen Basumatary at Bangalbazar Sukansangra under Bismuri outpost around 6.10am and shot him dead from point-blank range. Basumatary, 32, who was hit by three bullets, died on the spot.
Suren Borgoary, a resident of Sukansangra, said the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons.
BPF leaders suspect the hand of the anti-talks faction of the NDFB in the incident.
The BPF is an ally of the Congress in the government.
Sources said today’s killing could be in retaliation to the relentless operations against the NDFB in the past few months.
Derhasat Basumatary, the BPF Kokrajhar district secretary and Bodoland Territorial Council executive member said the NDFB was behind the killing.
He said the spate of violence by the rebel faction had created terror in the minds of the people and called upon the government to take strict measures against the outfit
The Bodo belt has witnessed a series of violent activities since April, 2008.
Several social organisations and intellectuals lamented the government’s failure to provide security to the people.
All Bodo Students Union president Promode Boro said, “The unity of the community is under serious threat. It’s time for us to think and work for a peaceful atmosphere.”
“The government has totally failed to protect the people. There is still no policy to ensure security which is why such incidents take place,” C. Brahma, a senior citizen, said.
Gogoi denies bowing before ultras STAFF Reporter Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, Aug 22 – A few days after Union Home Minister P Chidambaram reportedly expressed concern over North Eastern States including Assam, Nagaland and Manipur bending before the militant groups, Chief Tarun Gogoi refuted the statement saying that the State under his tenure has never bowed down before the extremist groups. Gogoi while addressing the media persons today said, “As far as I know, the Home Minister did not mention about Assam in this context. In fact, it is the Home Ministry’s report that says that a decrease in the overall level of violence has been observed in the State.”

Gogoi went on to say that had the Government bowed down before the outlawed outfits, it would not have managed to kill so many terrorists in the last few years.

Gogoi, however, conceded that emergence of left wing extremism is a concern for the State.

On the possibility of striking a ceasefire deal with the DHD (J), the Chief Minister clarified that the State is not in any kind of disagreement with the Centre in this connection and it would recommend a cease fire with the group to the Centre only after the outfit adhere to four conditions set by the State, which include surrendering of all arms, shifting to a designated camp.

“The State would only initiate parleys only with its top leaders,” Gogoi reiterated.
Rio appeals for welfare of Nagas in Myanmar IndoBurma News Press Trust of India
August 20, 2009: New Delhi, Claiming that Nagas living in Myanmar enjoy no basic rights, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has appealed to the Centre and the junta in Yangon to do the needful for the welfare of the tribals.
Rio said he has met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Myanmar's Ambassador to India and requested them to take initiatives for recognition of Nagas living in the neighbouring country and ameliorate their sufferings.
"The Nagas living in Myanmar do not enjoy any basic rights. There is no school, no college, no health centre, no drinking water. They are living a primitive life. We want the end of the problems of our brethren in that country," he said.
A total of six lakh Nagas, belonging to 12 different tribes, live in Myanmar in 254 villages in a territory three times bigger than Nagaland, the Chief Minister said.