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11/03/2009: "Delhi appoints interlocutor - Former IB chief to liaise with 3 pro-talks N-E rebel outfits OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph"

Delhi appoints interlocutor - Former IB chief to liaise with 3 pro-talks N-E rebel outfits OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph

New Delhi, Oct. 30: Former intelligence bureau (IB) director P.C. Haldar has been appointed interlocutor for talks with three Northeast militant outfits — Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel), United People’s Democratic Solidarity and the pro-talks faction of National Democratic Front of Boroland.
Home minister P. Chidambaram today made the announcement and said the Assam government would be kept in the loop when the Centre’s interlocutor negotiates with the outfits.
The home minister said that following the decision of the DHD (J) to lay down arms and move its cadres into designated camps, the stage had been set to hold talks with the outfits.
Haldar is a 1970-batch Bihar cadre IPS officer. The terror attacks in Mumbai, Jaipur, Bangalore and elsewhere in India were carried out during his tenure as director of IB.
The announcement comes close on heels of the appointment last week of Lt Gen. (retd) Vijay Madan as interlocutor for holding talks with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).
Apparently, the government is sending a message to the militant outfits of the Northeast that if they lay down arms, Delhi will take the extra step to initiate a dialogue.
UPDS was formed in March 1999 to fight for Karbi people’s rights and despite talks since 2004, the problems remain unresolved.
The NDFB is engaged in talks while another faction, led by Ranjan Daimary, is still using guns to destabilise the Bodo areas.
Co-opting the three outfits with help of an institutional mechanism and streamlining the peace processes may yield dividends in tackling the anti-peace talks factions or, in the case of DHD, help in reconciling differences among the Dimasa outfits. The faction led by Dilip Nunisa is engaged in a dialogue with the Centre.
The involvement of an interlocutor for holding talks with outfits of the Northeast first came more than a decade ago when Swaraj Kaushal mediated between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM).
Later, former home secretary, K. Padmanabhaiah, handled the same job. He was relieved of the task from September this year.
Padmanabhaiah had liaised with the NSCN (IM) for years and even though the peace talks continued, no breakthrough could be achieved.
With Haldar’s entry, the government hopes to keep tabs on the Assam outfits and take forward the talks in the form of a political dialogue.
DHD (J), one of the most notorious outfits in the region, has laid down arms and the government does not want to leave any space open for a reversal of a hard-earned bargain. Home secretary G.K. Pillai had visited Guwahati on October 9 and chaired a meeting of state home secretaries and state intelligence chiefs of the northeastern states.
Pillai had also visited Kohima, Nagaland on October 13-14 and interacted with the powerful civil society in the state even as the home ministry was preparing a “package” to resolve the problem with the Naga rebels.
Establishing peace in Nagaland is top priority: Governor Gaya (Bihar) by Noor Khan

Gaya (Bihar), Oct 25 Specifying that establishing peace in Nagaland as the top priority, Nagaland Governor Nikhil Kumar today said he would stand up to the expectations of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

"Establishing peace in Nagaland is my top priotiy," Kumar, a retired IPS officer and Congress's former MP from Aurangabad in Bihar, told reporters here.

"I will endeavour and stand up to the expectations of PM and home minister in this regard," he said.

Kumar is currently on a three-day tour of Bihar on the occasion of Chhath, most pious festival for offering prayers to Sun god.

FGN, Federal Naga Army affirm not a part of “Accordist or Non-accordist” morungexpress
Khiamniungan Region FGN members, Federal Naga Army officers and KTC officilas.
Tuensang, November 1 (MExN): The armies of different ranks and files and the regional authorities of Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) and Federal Naga Army have affirmed in a meeting with Khiamniungan Tribal Council (KTC) that it shall not be a part of “Accordist or Non-accordist”.
W Chuba Lam, president and N L Tangsoi, general secretary of KTC in a press note received here stated that the Naga Army of Federal Government and regional authorities under Khiamniungan region had a meeting on October 28 at Noklak village and reviewed the prevailing situation Nagaland in the context of “Naga Home Land issue”.
The regional authorities led by Midan Peyu Khiamniungan region and army officials headed by GOC Eastern command Maj. Gen. Pukho and Brig. Yamthong, Brig. Hangchiu, Col. Bumoi and army officials’ Subordinate officers took the stand to remain as Federal Army under the political foundation of NNC, it stated.
The note also added: “The regional set up has reteriated to maintain peace with all Naga groups and societies, be it overgrounds or undergrounds. Its forces shall also refrain from offensive patrolling with neighbouring regions against all sorts of groups. This peaceful approach has been taken to maintain peace and harmony in the region and so as to uphold and covenant with the Lord God by the KTC on March 17, 2007.”
Moreover, the meeting was witnessed by KTC and assured its support for “peaceful approach so as to keep in line the guidelines of FNR and the guidelines of the central government for evolution of Naga People’s consensus on the long struggle of Indo-Naga issue”.
God’s revelation for Nagas L. Ezung MorungExpress
•God so loves the mankind of the World that, through the Holy Spirit He has revealed and has directed to spread these messages of warnings to all the people so that, they be Saved from sufferings and deaths.

1. PORK IS DEADLY
God the Almighty has asked His people not to buy Pork unless and until one knows fully that, the same Pig or Piglet was absolutely healthy and grown in your immediate neighbourhood. God has warned that, many people will die of related sickness and diseases that will be transmitted from the animals/Pork to human beings due to the disease infected Pork sold in the local markets by some unscrupulous people for earning money at the cost of human lives

2. DEATHS OF CHILDREN
God Has also revealed that, many Children studying in Class -X and below will die before they complete their 2009 Final Exams. The loving, God wants that, every Child should be saved from such deadly designs of the Satan through the observing of Fasting and Prayers for the children in every home by the Parents.
3. IMMORALITY OF NAGAS GIRLS OUTSIDE NAGALAND
The Almighty God has also revealed His warnings and He calls upon those Naga Girls concerned to repent from their immoral ways of living while they are pursuing their various studies from outside Nagaland. The Omnipresent God has revealed that, some Naga girls are selling their bodies for earning money to live in luxuries while away from their parents and away from Nagaland. God wants them to refrain and repent from such sinful ways of living so that they live a life full of blessings.
4. ADULTERERS IN CHOIRS
God has also directed those youths, boys and girls concerned who are involved in acts of adultery while serving the Lord and the Churches Member or Members of the Choir in their respective Churches. God warns them that, deaths will fall upon them if they do not confess and repent to start clean life.

L. Ezung
Chairperson,
Faith in Action Healing Prayer Centre,
Seithekie Basa, Dimapur
Ulfa willing to talk, not surrender A STAFF REPORTER The Telegraph


File picture of weapons surrendered by Ulfa militants
Guwahati, Oct. 25: Ulfa today cited the case of Naga outfits, which are in talks with the government but have still not surrendered arms, while reiterating its stand that it was ready for negotiations but without giving up weapons.
Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa said in a press communiqué that if the Centre can hold discussions with the Nagaland outfits, it could do the same with Ulfa.
“We want a political solution and are ready to hold discussions but not by surrendering arms. If the Centre can hold discussions with the Nagaland outfits why not with us?” the communiqué asked.
The Centre has made it clear that it was ready to hold talks with any outfit but only after it surrendered weapons. The latest group in Assam to abide by the Centre’s directive is the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel), which surrendered with arms on October 2.
Rajkhowa said the Centre had taken a similar stand of not holding discussions with the Maoists until they surrendered arms but was forced to not only organise talks with the outfit but also release 23 of its arrested cadres recently.
The Ulfa chairman was referring to the release of jailed alleged Maoist activists in return of a police official, abducted by Maoists in Bengal.
“The Centre’s attitude towards Assam has always been negative. It has no will to solve the problems of Assam and has been maintaining a dictatorial attitude towards the state,” the communiqué stated.
While welcoming the stand of several organisations of the state to take up an agitation programme demanding a solution to the vexed insurgency problem, the Ulfa chairman said the group has always been ready for holding discussions with the government to bring an end to violence.
“There is no doubt that we want a solution and any initiative taken by any organisation towards such a move is always welcome,” he said.
The People’s Committee for Peace Initiatives, a conglomerate of several organisations, had after a lull, last week decided to approach the Centre once again to begin a dialogue with Ulfa. The Ulfa chairman, on the other hand, made an appeal to the other underground organisations which are waging a war against the state, not to target innocent people.
In an obvious reference to the attack on Bhimajuli village in Sonitpur by the Ranjan Daimary faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland, the Ulfa chairman said it was against the ethics of a revolution to attack innocent people and not taking the responsibility for the same.
Daimary had denied involvement of the group in the attack in which 12 people died.
“These groups or organisations are actually terrorists and not revolutionaries which do not own up for such incidents, be the victims their enemy or innocent citizens,” Rajkhowa said. The Ulfa chairman also appealed to the people of Assam to support its movement for a peaceful state, free from the occupational Indian forces and “where people can live without fear and with the head held high”.
Nagaland guv open to peace talks with ultras , Ashok K Mishra, ET Bureau Times of India
PATNA: Nikhil Kumar, the newly appointed governor of Nagaland, has said that insurgents should come to the negotiation table and this alone would

clear the decks for ushering in an era of peace in the trouble- torn state.

"I have been given a specific job and it will be my bounden duty to help peace return to the state. But for all this to happen, the ultras will have to engage themselves in peace talks. The government is prepared to hold peace talks but within the framework of the Indian Constitution," Mr Kumar said here on Tuesday.

Emphasising that Nagaland is an integral part of India and the government has conveyed this in no uncertain terms, Mr Kumar said the peace talks will also help accelerate the pace of development in the state.

Mr Kumar, a former IPS official and son of former chief minister of Bihar Late Satyendra Narain Sinha, was till recently into active politics until he was drafted by the Centre for the gubernatorial posting.

Interestingly, Mr Kumar’s trip to Patna became a talking point in political circles when he attended a tea party hosted in his honour by Congress Legislature Party leader in the Vidhan Parishad Mahachander Prasad Singh. All Congress dissidents, who are gunning for the removal of state Congress chief Anil Sharma, turned up in full strength at the party of Mr Singh, who has himself raised the banner of revolt against state Congress leaders.

All this led to speculation as to whether Mr Kumar's presence at the party was meant to convey his support for the dissidents. Mahachander Singh, however, sought to deny that the tea party had to do anything with the dissident activities.

AJYCP, Naga Hoho meet STAFF Reporter
GUWAHATI, Oct 27 – The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) held two rounds of talks with the leading Naga organization Naga Hoho to discuss the border problem between Assam and Nagaland on October 25 and 26 at Kohima. Both the organizations emphasized on building mutual trust among the people of both the States to find an amicable solution to all the problems.

“Assam and Nagaland have historical relationships and a common cause — to fight for the interest of the NorthEastern region,” mentioned a statement from the AJYCP.

The Naga Hoho president Keviletou Kieuhua, general secretary P Ozukum, its representative from Manipur G Vashum and AJYCP chief advisor Putul Dutta, president Biraj Kumar Talukdar and general secretary Manoj Baruah took part in the discussion.

“Leaders from both the organizations agreed to strengthen the historical and cultural ties between Nagaland and Assam, promote peace among the people living in the bordering areas to avoid any untoward incident. Both the organizations strongly felt that the border tiff between the two States is deteriorating because of the faulty policies of the Union Government,” the statement mentioned.
Zeliangrong impasse over Newmai News Network
Imphal | November 1 : The Zeliangrong General Public Convention (ZGPC) has done away the existence of the Zeliangrong Union (ZU) and Zeliangrong Baudi (ZB) and then constituted an interim body instead for the period of three months with effect from October 30.
The public convention which was held on Friday in Tamenglong headquarters attended by both civil organisation leaders and that of ‘national workers’, has set up an interim body christened as “Zeliangrong Interim Body” for the duration of three months with eleven members comprising from the state of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur. The representatives from Assam, Nagaland and Manipur numbering about 1500 delegates participated in the Zeliangrong General Public Convention (ZGPC) and had taken the latest decision for the Zeliangrong community.
One important purpose of the Zeliangrong Interim Body (ZIB) is for the ‘finalisation’ of the Zeliangrong apex body nomenclature and also to work for the amendment of Zeliangrong Union/Zeliangrong Baudi constitution. The Zeliangrong Interim Body (ZIB) will then elect functionaries of the ‘apex body’ and zonal bodies. The ZIB will take care of the general administration and judicial matter within the interim period.
G Gaingam has been designated as the convenor of ZIB. The rest other ten members of the Zeliangrong Interim Body are Disuang Hao of Nagaland, C.R.Zeliang of Nagaland, D.Dikambui of Manipur, Jangamlung Panmei of Manipur, Rev.N Palmei of Manipur, Rev.Dr. Neilalung of Assam, Ijjirang Zeme of Assam, B.Abuiba of Manipur and Chandra Haomei of Manipur.
State government should facilitate, not negotiate, the ‘unity feeling’ Newmai News Network

(From left to right) Dr. Chumben Murry, Minister of Agriculture, Pangnyu Phom, Parliamentary Secretary for RD&REPA, Neiba Ndang, secretary general of NECC, NCP, and Er. Levi Rengma, state NCP working president, at the first NCP state-level convention in Kohima on Thursday, October 29. (Morung Photo)

Kohima | October 29 : Dr. Chumben Murry, Nagaland Minister of Agriculture, expressed hope that the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government would be voted to power in the next general elections and that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) would fare well.
Speaking at the first NCP state-level convention programme at LCS building in the Nagaland capital, Dr. Murry, who is also state NCP president, said that his party is comfortable in the DAN coalition and added that the NCP should not be overambitious but mark its presence. Appreciating Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for being a visionary leader, Dr. Murry said that with the changing times, elected representatives have bigger responsibilities and Rio, as Chief Minister, has the capability to lead the Nagas.
Talking about the initiatives of the DAN government in the Naga political issue and pointing out that certain things take time to build momentum, the Agriculture Minister mentioned the setting of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the overseas Naga convention resulting in the Common Naga Platform. Lauding the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) for bringing the Naga factions together, he said they have done a ‘tremendous job’ especially with reference to Nagaland, which is a Christian state.
Dr. Murry emphasised that unity does not include “undergrounds” alone, but “unity should encompass the over-ground section too” and that is the reason the Common Naga Platform came into being where feelings of the Nagas can be voiced. He categorically stated that the NCP stands by Rio and supports the efforts of the government for peace and unity. He, however, noted that solution cannot come about with the efforts of certain sections only but should be a collective endeavour, and hoped that the state government would facilitate, not negotiate, the ‘unity feeling’.
S Pangyuh Phom, Parliamentary Secretary for RD&REPA, said that Naga politicians are emotional as many keep changing parties and join new national parties without proper study. He urged party workers to revive and rededicate themselves and said that the NCP is fortunate to have a CM who understands Nagas’ problems and has good relation with the central NCP leadership.
Stating that the NCP expects more than 10 seats in the next tenure, Phom called upon its workers to have self-confidence, saying with it nothing is impossible. Commending his party workers, he called them the ‘unsung heroes’, and said that with the self-confidence, they should do something for the Nagas. He urged the members present to be aware of the global climate changes and to spread the message of preservation of forests and natural resources.
Neiba Ndang, former Nagaland Speaker and secretary general of NECC, NCP, said that the NCP, though a nationalist party, has the liberty and right to decide for itself unlike the Congress party (in which he served for 3 decades), which has to take the decision of the party high command in the centre, even for small internal matters besides distribution of tickets, portfolios, etc. He said that the slogan of the NCP – peace, progress and prosperity – should stand them in good stead in winning the future election in 2013.

Inter-Tribal Marriages in India with Special Reference to By: Dr. (Mrs.) Priyadarshni M. Gangte Kangla on Line
INTRODUCTION :
Marriage as a social institution is an arrangement that enables persons to live together and co-operate with one another in an orderly social life and institutionalized relationship. It is essentially a rearrangement of social structure. In order to understand how it works. We have to examine how it binds persons together by convergence of interest and sentiment and how it controls and minimizes those conflicts that may possibly occur due to divergence of sentiment or interest. We may as well examine as to how it contributes to its working as a system. In doing so, we may come to an understanding or explanation as to how the system came into existence.
Marriage makes certain existing relationship particularly that of the bride to her family changed. New social relatives are created. It creates a relationship between the husband and the wife in the first place. It also creates new relationship between the husband and the wife’s relatives and between the wife and the husband’s relatives on the one hand, and between the relatives of the husbands and those of the wife who are, on both sides, interested in the marriage and in the children that are expected to result from it. In fact, marriage, like birth, death, or initiation at puberty, is rearrangement of structure that is essentially recurring in any society. It is a moment of continuing social process regulated by custom which is institutionalized may of dealing such event.
When marriage involves some modification or partial rupture of the relations between the bride and her immediate kin, it is least marked or felt, if the husband goes to live with his parents-in-law in a matri-local society. But it is most marked if the bride leaves her family and goes to live with her husband and his family in patri-local society. Her absence makes her own family suffer a loss. But it would be wrong to interpret the same as economic loss. It is the loss of a person in the family, and it is a breach of family solidarity. This aspect is given symbolic expression between the two kin groups in the forms of hostility by attempting to take or kidnap the bride by force. Either the girl or her kin or both, are expected to make a show of resistance at her bring thus taken away. Prof. Radcliff Brown (1960: p.50) says,
“Customs of this kind are the ritual or symbolic expression of the recognition that marriage entails the breaking of the solidarity that unites a woman to the family in which she has been born and grown up”.
In fact, such customs may be interpreted as manifestations of recognition accorded to the structural change that has been brought about the marriage.
The question of prevalence of payment of bride price in some tribal societies is an important aspect in marriage. Such payment of bride price may be taken as an indemnity or compensation given by the boy’s party to the bride’s kin for the loss of their daughter. It may also be regarded that such payment gives the husband and his kin certain rights over his wife and the children she bears.
Another indispensable aspect that should be understood is sets of regulations that govern marriage between persons related by kinship or through marriage. In some tribal societies there are rules which prohibit marriage between persons who stand in certain relationship. In some cases there are certain relatives between who marriage is not merely permitted but is desirable. The term ‘preferential marriage’ is commonly applied to customs of this kind. The most common form of this system is found in the cross-cousin marriage.
Having sufficiently covered some pertinent features on marriage over which attention needs to be focused, it is now expedient that we examine them as to how they are operative among the tribals of the North-East India. For a thorough understanding of the subject matter, it is essential that a brief background as to prevalence of systems of marriage and divorce among the tribals of North-East India is highlighted.
The entire North-East India comprising of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, known as ‘Seven Sisters’ is frequented by different groups of people from time immemorial in the form of migration from Burma and other places. Thus we find people of Mongoloid strains in respect of their physical features, culture, language, etc. They are subsequently identified and differentiated one from the other based on various historical processes of stress and strains; communications difficulties had contributed in no small measure to their being in isolation for a number of generations. In the process, ultimately different groups were either alienated one from the other or aligned among themselves, and thus came to bear various ethnic appellations identifying themselves as distinct tribes with distinct culture and tradition.
Prof. Bhowmick (1980:3) said,
“… present day cultured of these groups bear such mark of incorporation into the core of their cultural matrix.”
There are altogether 131 tribes with identifiable characteristics and traits distributed in different areas of this region (Sharma 1978) and as weaker sections of the people, the Government of India categorized them as ‘Scheduled’ so as to make the upliftment schemes available to them as provided in the Constitution of India.
It is true that this enchanted land known as the North-East region attracted waves of diverse ethnic groups through ages. It has come to stay as the confluence of the most colourful mosaic of ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity (Government of Assam, 1976:30). Together with this, there are different social systems among the tribal groups which can be divided hardly into three categories as follows :
(1) the matrilineal tribes. In this, the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos of Meghalaya are included.
(2) the homogeneous patrilineal tribes. The Kuki-Mizo tribes of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura constitute the category.
(3) the heterogeneous patrilineal tribes. The Naga of Nagaland and Manipur and the Arunachali tribes of Arunachal Pradesh are the groups of this category.
The system of marriage of any given society is antiqualetedly high as the society itself. It ultimately becomes the custom, the system of which had not been coded by a legislative enactment. Thus it is the high antiquity of the custom which gives validity. Roy said,
“The birth and growth of a custom is the natural consequence of organized living of people and the progress of human society. With the growth and progress of human society, the rules of human conduct go on multiplying till a stage reaches when they become well recognised and well established body of rules. These rules are compendiously called customs. These rules of conduct must have obviously arisen and followed on account of their utility and necessity. They have been observed because they enjoyed the express or tacit sanction of the community.”
Thus when a particular system of marriage is examined it should be viewed in its right perspective and in the manner the people who adopt such a system takes it. (David Pearl : p.2).
Systems which rules the tribes (based for analysis) :
Khasis :
The Khasis as exogamous group, prohibits marriage of members inside the same clan and is called SANG (Taboo). As matrilineal people, descent through a common ancestress is counted. Marriage with the mother’s brother’s daughter during the lifetime of the mother’s brother is not permissible. Though, as a rule, monogamy is the practice, polygamy is not absolutely unknown. There are instances of a man marrying an informal alliance with another woman. Marriage between those related to the father within three generations is avoided, though marriage with the daughter of a father’s sister is permissible after the death of the father despite not being favoured.
Divorce :
Divorce is rare, extra-judicially permissible and bears no social stigma. Remarriage of divorcee is permissible. A widow cannot remarry within a year of the death of her husband. The bones of the husband are kept by the widow and till such time as the bones are with her she cannot re-marry. She has to hand over his bones to his mother before re-marriage. If she violates and remarries, it is considered as fornication.
The procedure of divorce is that a betel leave will be torn into 2(two) before witnesses. Both the man and the woman take 5(five) cowries (shells) in their hands. The wife hands over hers to the husband. The husband, on his part, will return them along with his to the wife who returns them all to the husband. The husband will then throw the cowries on the ground.
It is the husband who goes to live with the wife at the house of the mother-in-law. Kusum and Bakshi (1982:91) contended that the underlying practice is that patri-local residence works great hardship on the married women.
Among the Jaintias residence is duo-local. The husband stays with his own parents and visits the wife at her parents’ house. His earnings go to his mother’s family. Some orthodox husbands are reluctant even to drink from the mother-in-law’s house. They feel that as they do not give any part of their earnings to the family of the mother-in-law, they have no right to take anything from that family.
It is also a fact that a Khasi father earns for them while living with his wife and children. Whatever he earns remains with them and leaves them behind if he leaves them. The wife also acquires properties from the mixed earnings with her husband. The children have rightful claim. Therefore, when the father leaves them, none of the children and the wife has a right to claim maintenance from him. In the case of Christian wife it is held that the father, in bounden duty, was to maintain his children provided he had the means to do so.
Application of inter-personal conflict of laws :
In general, the youngest daughter known as KA KHADDUH inherits property. In case of ancestral property, transfer is allowed with the approval of the whole clan or family. As for personal property, it is not so rigid.
As against the Khasis matrilineal system, the Kukis are of a very strong patrilineal system. There is no water-tied compartmentalized exogamous clan as the Khasis have. Rule of exogamy prevails within the bounds of three generations on the father’s side. Decent is counted from father to sons’ is against the females among the Khasis. Marriage with the mother’s brother’s daughter who is termed as NEAINU is most preferred marriage.
Marriage with the father’s sisters is not only prohibited but is considered incestuous as against allowance of such marriage after the death of the father among the Khasis. Residence is not only one of the strong factors of patri-local; it is prestigious to maintain a joint family as against the matri-local among the Khasis. Though polygamy is not very much encouraged for commoners, it is a status symbol for persons of standing and position as against the rare instance of such marriage among the Khasis.
Maintenance of children for a man is inherent duty for a Kuki father, though even if his divorcee wife has to return to her natal home as against duty-free for a Khasi father against his divorced wife and her children.
The paradox of life for a Kuki woman is that she is never accorded a full-fledged membership of her clan. She is considered as the ‘beloved daughter’ of the clan, who, on her marriage would assume the full female membership of her husband where she should ‘be loved’ and ‘well treated’ for propagation of the male descendants of her husband’s family/clan, thereby being accorded honour and respect even on her death by payment of ‘corpse price’ called LUONGMAN to her father or brother as the case may be against absolute authority being accorded to the female among the Khasis (Gangte : 1993; p.69).
Payment of bride-price is another instance of male oriented society. The bride-price is a symbolic expression of long term cordial relationship that may exist between the two bodies of relatives honouring the mutual dignity and prestige of both the families of the wife and the husband so that the nuptial matrimonial alliance might not be so easily abrogated by the personal conflicts that may possibly occur as against the unsecured position of the husband being accorded among the Khasis.
Inheritance of all sorts of property is from father to eldest son, exclusive of all other sons, who are left at the discretion of the eldest son, let alone female right of inheritance as against the strong system of youngest daughter’s absolute authority among the Khasis.
Wonder of wonders, in the face of such conflicting of laws that are current among the Khasi tribes and the Kuki tribes, the first Kuki IAS Officer who retired as the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya married a Khasi widow and nothing of personal conflict having ever been heard of the marriage.
Be it as it may, another extreme case of patrilineal is that of the Tangkhul Nagas. A Tangkhul Naga father may earn, and be a millionaire, their inheritance system is such that the father, mother and their unmarried children have to move out to establish a new home, leaving behind all that he had hitherto earned and acquired to his married son. This process continues till his youngest son with whom he has to live, is married.
A conflict of inter-personal law as a result of inter-tribal marriage between the eldest son of a former Nagaland Tangkhul Naga Chief Secretary and his second Khasi wife arose. Incidentally, the Tangkhul Naga Officer had a first Kabui Naga wife who begot him a son, who was his eldest son. On the other, his Khasi wife happened to be the youngest daughter of a Khasi parent. The Naga Officer had landed properties in Manipur and as per inheritance law of the Tangkhul Naga his eldest son, born of the Kabui Naga wife was to inherit his properties. The properties fetched substantially huge monthly income and obviously attracted the attention of both the eldest son and the second wife of the officer. The son was entitled to the properties as per customary law of inheritance according to the Tangkhul Naga. Similarly, as per Khasi rule of inheritance, the second wife was entitled to claim inheritance of the same properties. A bone of contention ensued between the eldest son and the second wife of the officer. Had the son in question been of her own and the properties been in Shillong, Meghalaya, the second wife would have been of her own and the properties been in Shillong, Meghalaya, the second wife would have been a very strong contender to the litigation. Ultimately, the properties being in Manipur where the Tangkhul Naga rule of inheritance prevails it was held in favour of the eldest son.
The law of divorce among the Kukis is very stringent and humiliating as against the simple rituals of tearing a betel leave into two and exchange of 4(four) cowries (shells) in their hands two times before witnesses to ultimately throw them on the ground symbolizing thereby finalization of the proceedings of divorcee among the Khais.
Among the Kukis, divorce is very rare. In as much as the proceeding of betrothal is a lengthy state of affairs through intricate rituals with a set rule for payment of bride-price, divorce is a more complicated affair. In the event of divorce proceedings having been finalized, the bride-price that had been settled had to be re-opened. If divorce is at the initiative of the husband and if he is held responsible by the Village Council, he forfeits reimbursement of the bride-price already paid. In addition, he is required to pay a fine of one Mithun for breach of the marriage alliance. In case the responsibility is held against the wife, her parents are liable to return the bride-price paid, together with a fine of one Mithun.
There was a case of inter-tribal marriage between a Garo Doctor and a Kuki Nurse, who settled in Manipur. It provides the case of both inter-personal conflict of marriage and divorce. The case, however, posed no conflict of laws. The Garo Doctor husband having hailed from a matrilineal society with matri-local residence found at no problem to compromise his position as a man ought to claim as prestige issue in the case of patrilineal society. He resided in Manipur with his wife and three sons and two daughters in his wife’s residence and was ready to abide by the rules governing the patrilineal system of his Kuki wife. In other words, while being at his wife’s residence he fulfils the matri-local system of his own society and at the same time submits himself to the patrilineal system of the Kukis.
As his children grew up and got married, one of the daughters had the misfortune of being divorced. Incidentally, despite the Garo husband’s submissive attitude to conform to the norms of life of his Kuki wife, the fact that the latter was under the patrilineal system was never overlooked and insisted that his family should abide by the Garo rules. The Garo husband continued to live under the Kuki custom and without conflict of laws the problem of his divorcee daughter was settled.
CONCLUSION :
In the foregoing paragraphs attempts were made to focus as to the prevalence of different customs of marriage and divorce as practised among the various tribal groups of North-East India. Inter-tribal marriage and the consequences thereof as conflict of inter-personal laws bring out revealing facts and the conflicts created thereby in integrating the people of North-East India are positive aspects of the different tribal customs. The application of conflict of laws among the tribals appears to have not cast its long shadows of enmity and ill-feelings. The outlook and approach of the people to such inter-personal relationship should bring about the inevitable change that has been the unchanging law of nature.
Omaha event to examine struggles for sovereignty Associated Press


OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - An upcoming conference is set to examine Native Americans' struggle for sovereignty as compared to those of indigenous populations around the globe.

Creighton University will host the 2-day conference, "Nation Within Nations: Living Dialogues on Governance and Cultures," beginning Nov. 2.
The conference will examine struggles of those in the Kurdish area of Iraq, Nagaland in India and the Karin region of Myanmar, among others.

Adae Deer of Wisconsin's Menominee tribe are among the educators and practitioners scheduled to present research and experience on cultures and governance.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

NSWON denounce ‘racist attitude’ morungexpress
Dimapur, October 29 (MExN): The women wing of the NSCN (IM) the ‘National Socialist Women Organization of Nagalim’ today denounced what they called the “racist attitude” of the Delhi authorities to the murder case of a Naga girl recently. It is ‘exceedingly outrageous’ to know that the Delhi authorities are “busy trying to invent excuses for the protection of the culprit,” stated a note from the NSWON.
“…by proving the culprit a pervert, they think it would save the image of their institutions. On the contrary, questioning the mental state of the culprit in such obvious case of homicide is a deliberate perversion of the course of justice. If this is not a case of racism, what is?” the women wing queried. It already has been established beyond doubt that the girl was killed and that the accused himself had confessed to the crime, there could be no need for more evidence to convict the accused, the note said?
Terming the murder as not an “isolated case” the NSWON said it could just be the tip of the iceberg. “An eye opener,” the NSWON asserted. “How many incidences of rape and molestation had gone unreported? How often have the North-easterners been subjected to all forms of maltreatment in the Indian metro cities? How often have reports of abuse been rejected by the police on seeing our face? You take pleasure in jeering us for the way we look, dress, eat and blame us for everything. The wounds of the past have not healed yet. We have been hurt beyond description,” the NSWON added in its message to the Indian communities.