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08/07/2010: "Blockade : Trucks stoned, heat on IM NNN/Staff Reporter"

Blockade : Trucks stoned, heat on IM NNN/Staff Reporter

Imphal, Aug 6: Even as the UPA Govt and the Opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha have held the NSCN-IM responsible for imposing yet another eco-nomic blockade in Manipur, volunteers of the United Naga Council (UNC) repor- tedly stoned some Imphal bound trucks in Senapati district today.
There is no detailed information in this regard, till the time of filing this report.
The UNC has imposed a 20-day economic blockade along the two National Highways since August 4 demanding a Judicial Enquiry be instituted into the May 6 Mao Gate episode and to abolish the Autonomous District Councils in Manipur hills which were formed recently. The UNC also put up a demand of alternative arrangement for the Nagas as they no longer want to be under the Government of Manipur.
At the backdrop of this development, the Left parties and the Ministry of Home Affairs have blamed NSCN-IM leader Thuinga-leng Muivah saying that at the behest of the NSCN-IM leader UNC has been imposing the economic blockade.
The BJP and the Left parties had come out strongly in favour of Manipur in the Rajya Sabha yesterday.
Meanwhile, goods are now being ferried into the State capital Imphal by transporters under tight security cover of the CRPF along National Highway 39 since August 2 in the face of the UNC economic blockade and Transporters and Drivers Council (TDC) boycott of the Imphal-Dimapur route.
Every evening large number of freight trucks queue up near the CRPF camp at Mantripukhri in Imphal to join the escort parties in the wee hours of everyday.

Naga militant groups merge Rahul Karmakar/HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times
Dimapur, Two Naga rebel groups have merged to “rewrite” history and Nagaland’s political equation with New Delhi.

The Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) and the Non-Accordist faction of Naga National Council (NNC) declared the merger of their two ‘governments’ at Vihokhu village, 20 km east of here on Thursday.

The NNC led by the legendary A.Z Phizo had declared independence of Nagaland on 14 January 1947 before fighting a long battle with Indian security forces. It signed the Shillong Accord in 1975, but the truce bred resentment and several factions.

One group formed the NNC (Non-Accordist) while the other formed the NSCN in 1980. Eight years later, the NSCN split into the Khaplang and Isak-Muivah (IM) faction. Fratricidal battles have marked Naga insurgency since.

Infighting did not end even after the NSCN-IM declared ceasefire with New Delhi in July 1997 and NSCN-K in January 2001. Of the two, only NSCN-IM has held peace talks with the Centre.

“This is a historic day, and we have taken a step toward unification of all Naga tribes and political entities,” said NSCN-K leader Kughalu Mulatonu at a ‘Thanksgiving Service’ to mark the merger. “Today, two governments have become one.”

According to NNC leader Zhopra Vero, the merger move began in June laster year after a covenant of reconciliation was inked. “We will now be working on the modalities of renaming the new government and its military wing,” he said.

The merger was also a “reminder” to NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah about where he stands in Nagaland’s political scenario. “There is no role for him in Nagaland,” said Mulatonu, indicating NSCN-IM was a “terror group” that New Delhi was talking to.
PRESS STATEMENT
Tahamzam: 07/08/2010

The unwelcomed visit of the ministerial team of Manipur state to Tahamzam (Senapati headquarter) today was greeted by the Naga people with a lightning bandh. People responded to the visit with the closure of all shops and establishments and complete halt of vehicular and pedestrian movement. Student volunteers blocked the highway and burnt rubber tyres in the middle of the town and also put up placards at different spots reminding the ministerial team that the Nagas area is no more under the Manipur Map.

Recalling the bitter memories of the brutal murder of late Chakho and Loshuo by communal Manipur state forces on 6th May 2010 at Mao Gate, the Nagas fixed the responsibility on the Cabinet Ministers of Manipur who ordered the IRBs and Commandos to Mao Gate. The United Naga Council, All Naga Association and others Naga organisations refused to meet the team led by the communal Manipur state ministers since the Nagas have severed political ties with the communal Government of Manipur and have decided for GOI intervention with an alternative arrangement as declared in the Naga peoples Convention (NPC) on August 1, 2010 at Tahamzam.

The ministerial team were seen meeting only some few district level officers in the chamber of the Deputy Commissioner. The boycott was a reminder that Nagas will meet the Govt. of India only.


Publicity Wing.
All Naga Students’ Association.

Peace in Nagaland just few steps away! Martha John Morung
I happened to go to Kolkata for a social function. I met one of my friends who is doing a business of garments there. We were talking about his projects and I was quite impressed with his ambitious projects. I asked him “why don’t you open an outlet in Dimapur. After all it is a commercial hub of Nagaland”. He replied Oh No, No ways. I will start my new outlet in any damn place in India but not in Northeast. I am scared to do business there. I will be kidnapped if I don’t pay taxes. I do not want to take risk.
I was shocked to see the reactions of outsiders about my land. I heard some outsider friends of mine saying that I would prefer to stay outside in a place where I can freely move around without tension. I am fed up of this insurgency and presence of security forces which constantly denotes area is not peaceful.
Similar thing happened in Bangalore when an exhibition-cum-sale of art and handicraft works was organised by North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited from July 15 to Aug 02. I happened to know some friends who had gone there. Beautiful indigenous handloom and handicrafts and highly artistic indigenous hand works of the region was highly appreciated by the visitors in Bangalore. The artisans interacted with visitors and “enlightened and demystified” various aspects about the northeastern region of the country to the people in Bangalore. The artisans told people about the real northeast, a great culture, tradition, land and people. Through art works the rest of India, was told not to think of the northeast as a land of violence and terrorists only. A lot of misconceptions prevail across India about the northeast. This is an exclusive example where, We the people have reached out and showed a correct image of “OUR LAND OUR PEOPLE”.
I happened to read a news that Archeological Survey of India (ASI) is not interested in coming to Dimapur for maintenance of National Heritage Kachari Rajbari due to threat and demand of UG groups and due to the fear of the unknown forces in Dimapur. Lots of funds have already been sanctioned for preservation of the monument but ASI is not taking any action which is definitely a loss to the state.
In another news the goods transporters of Dimapur remained closed for a day on 21 July to protest against abduction of one of the trucker. The business of extortion and illegal taxes is still on. The transporters are harassed daily by unidentified people in the form of tax collections. There are large number of agencies which are surviving and earning their bread through illegal taxes.
The common man in Nagaland wants peace and prosperity of the region. The restive state of Nagaland after the ceasefire in 1997 saw flourishing markets, booming business, growing purchasing power of the people and most importantly the fearless movement indicative of the huge leap forward made by the state since the truce.
For the people who have been at the receiving end of insurgency for decades such peaceful atmosphere was worth more than anything else. Peace itself is a biggest motivator for the local populace to invest. If you move around Dimapur the commercial capital of the region, the real estate prices have rocketed. More showrooms have come up, more people are traveling for business purposes and people are exploring new potential. There have been small industrial units that people are trying to bring up. So you have stable peace in the region, we would have industrial growth as well.
The last eight years post ceasefire saw markets growing and well-known brands venturing into markets in state capital Kohima and business hub Dimapur. Communication facility in the state has become better with private players like Airtel and Aircel entering the market posing competition to the state owned BSNL. With prospects of growth very much on the horizon the citizens also want a lasting peace. Peace is necessary for any kind of development to take place. Progress cannot take place without peace and you see over the past few decades in the last few years in the past generations of the Naga youth they have not got the opportunity, they have not been given the scope to excel and to reach out with the same facilities, same infrastructure as their counterparts in the rest of the country. So peace is needed and without peace no development or progress can take place.
Education is another sector that is also in for change. With the opening up of new colleges and IT institutions the educational scenario too is changing rapidly. With India’s Look East policy bringing the country closer to the ASEAN nations, efforts are being made by the state government to train the youth in languages and other skills to take advantages of the emerging opportunities.
The development funds that we are getting from the government of India would be of no use if there is no peace. People will be in a state of fear. Our state should have good roads everywhere. Good roads and communication is the prime factor for prosperity. Dimapur Airport should develop. The project of Four lane road from Dimapur to Kohima and an an Airport in Kohima is already approved.
The central government and the NSCN (IM) leadership too seem to be optimistic towards the peace process. So far many rounds of the talks have been held. There may not have been any concrete political result to this vexed issue, but one tangible and visible result is “PEACE” in the state.
We the people of Nagaland want peace now. We demand an end to terror, incitement and hatred. We all must acknowledge the fact that there is constant suffering which most of us have experienced because of the history, the wars, the terror and the hatred. A suffering which has always been part of our lives in our land. The past decades have been difficult for all of us. The hardships have not been alleviated, the terror organizations have not weakened, the enemies of peace have not disappeared, and we are still anxiously awaiting the return of our missing and captive sons who are held by terror organizations. I believe that there is no path other than peace. Willingness from all is required to assist in the historic process of peace and reconciliation.
I only want to ask Jesus “When the dark clouds of sufferings will go away from our beautiful motherland. We want peace in our home and in our state. Oh Jesus do something for people who are fed up of taxes, extortion. We want that our children should get good quality education in good schools, we want good universities to open up in our land, why our youth should travel miles to study? Business should flourish in our land. Money should flow in from trade, tourism, and all fair means and channels.”
This can occur only when there is peace. All this progress and development is not far away if we all are united and show maturity, care and concern for each other.
In the beautiful land of Nagaland “PEACE” is just few steps away.

(The writer is a free lancer and social worker based in North East. She can be contacted on: marthajohn27@gmail.com)
Solid state theories Jaithirth Rao Express India
An NRI friend of mine was arguing with me that we should send the army against Maoists/ Naxalites/ whatever-you-may-call-them. I disagreed, couching my arguments not in idealistic but in realistic terms. In a large heterogeneous country like India where religious, ethnic, linguistic, tribal and caste divides exist there will always be tension between different groups and forces. Such a situation requires a nuanced approach, not a simplistic one. We need to allow for many voices to keep talking; talking is the central feature of a democracy and over time (extending into years and decades), we talk ourselves out of old problems and then start talking about new problems. It is my argument that, in our battered republic, the much-maligned politician is actually doing a very good job at this.
Consider the Nagas. Their insurrection and demand for independence pre-dates the Kashmir issue. We have been talking to various Naga leaders as long as I can remember. Nehru talked with them. Morarjibhai talked with them. Manmohan Singh talks with them. But we have conceded nothing of substance. We have separated the Naga majority districts of Assam and created the state of Nagaland. Beyond that, not much has happened. We have not agreed to their demand for inclusion of parts of Manipur in Nagaland, and rightly so — we have to worry about Manipuri sentiments, don’t we? If the decibel level gets too high, we are always willing to appoint a commission to “study the issues and make recommendations”. These commissions can extend their lives years on end; finally, they are perfectly capable of giving a set of vague, platitudinous recommendations, which again the government of the day need not implement. We can and we do go in for a “fresh round” of talks and maybe yet another commission.
Some problems go away. The Mizos seem to be relatively happy. No one seems to be asking for Khalistan. The erstwhile separatist Dravidians are ensconced in attractive ministries in Delhi and are enjoying that experience. Mind you, some problems do not go away. They go underground, simmer and come back in different avatars. This only means that we need another round of “talks” and another set of commissions. Chandigarh is unresolved; river water disputes are very much around; Gorkhaland seems lost in fratricidal blood-letting, but it almost certainly will make a comeback; ULFA and the Bodos still make the newspapers occasionally, and I am sure some honourable minister and some distinguished secretary of the great Indian Republic are having “talks” with these worthy people even as we speak. As for Telangana, which too has been around for decades on end, we have just appointed one more commission, haven’t we? And of course, there is always Jammu and Kashmir. We have had more “accords”, “talks”, “papers” and “non-papers” on this by now boring piece of geography than any of us care to remember. The ramifications of Kashmir are not just purely internal. So we have endless talks with our neighbouring country also. As far as I can tell, despite all these talks, despite the 1965 war, despite the Kargil war, our troops are pretty much where Generals Thimayya and Sen got to in 1948. As a betting person, one could argue that 50 years from now we probably will be having “fresh” talks. The only matter that we should bet about is the location of the talks: Tashkent or Thimphu or Sharm el-Sheikh!
For every Chidambaram who would like India to be a hard state, we have leaders like Digvijay Singh and Mani Shankar Aiyar who would like us to be friendly with violent insurrectionists who “after all are our own poor who have been possibly forced into violence. They may be misguided, but they are not a bad lot.” I would argue that this kind of response on the part of our politicians is a sign of extreme sophistication. It is almost as if the two sets of leaders have jointly thought up the script! We need some people clamouring for the use of the air force because this tells the Naxalites that the Indian state might get very vicious indeed. At the same time, we need the Singhs, Aiyars and a host of NGOs reaching out with an olive branch. Otherwise, we run the risk that the insurrectionists react like wounded stags at bay. Net-net, we are never going to allow a soviet state to be created in central India. But we will fight and talk at the same time; in 20 years, the Maoist movement will go away and we will have another set of issues to deal with.
I think it is a mistake to categorise India as a soft state. It is certainly not a hard one. It is a flexible one with a deep survival instinct. Our science teacher in school would tell us that grass blows with the breeze but never gets uprooted however strong the winds. A big tree which does not bend or blow can and sometimes does fall down in a severe storm. The Republic of India and our political leaders (who, despite all their faults, need to be admired) are like grass. They have figured out that a good-cop bad-cop approach works. Sometimes we do have to use the army against some alienated groups. But even as one set of leaders are behind that effort, another set is offering an olive branch to that same group. Our greatest contemporary intellectual refers to Indians as an argumentative people. I think we can refer to our country as a “talking republic”. And that central fact is of great importance. Binary either-or solutions, while attractive on the surface, could easily destroy our country. We need both efficient toughies and talking softies. We never need to make fundamental concessions that we find unpalatable. Holding our own while talking and talking about talking is what this big fat democratic Indian republican party is about. The combination has kept us together, and hopefully it will continue to do so.