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11/01/2011: "NSCN/GPRN Khaplang warns defaulting firms morungexpress"
NSCN/GPRN Khaplang warns defaulting firms morungexpress
Dimapur, (MExN): The NSCN/GPRN has issued stern warning to defaulting firms working in Nagaland. “The lethargic pace of progress of Centrally sponsored schemes, State plans, etc, when queried were mostly attributed to lackadaisical attitude of the firms/contractors and not due to paucity of funds,” NSCN/GPRN stated; adding that these derelictions has to a greater extent hampered the overall socio-economic growth of the state and the lacunae could possibly be bridged only through drastic measures.
According to the note issued by the MIP, the NSCN/GPRN stated it is glaringly obvious that several multi-million firms working in the state has failed to deliver quality output and timely execution of the projects. For instance, it added that, numerous companies engaged in road projects funded by the Central government (PMGSY, NLCPR etc) has already elapsed it’s allotted timeframe. “The delay and low quality work not only causes unnecessary blockage of phase wise funding but also casts doubts on the credibility and potentiality of local entrepreneurs,” it noted.
NSCN/GPRN further stated that it has been brought to their attention that several firms/contractors have already drawn the final bills even before starting the works on many road projects in Nagaland. In the interest of the public service, the NSCN/GPRN stated that, it would henceforth initiate stern action against any such firms found defaulting in its responsibility and commitment to work for public uplift.
The NSCN/GPRN stated it would intervene and restrict such firms from participating in any future bids, adding that the liabilities scuttling the growth and development of the Naga society by these corporate/ professionals must be avoided at any cost. Further, such firms would be blacklisted and appropriate measures imposed, it warned. The NCSU has also been asked to exercise judicious supervision over its members and ensure quality and diligent performance. The irresponsible members should be disowned and disqualified.
NSCN ultras open fire along Nagaland border Assam Tribune
A CORRESPONDENT
SIVASAGAR, Oct 31 – Tension prevailed along the Assam-Nagaland border area at Sonari in Sivasagar district following opening of fire by Naga miscreants on Friday night. According to sources, a group of around 30-40 suspected NSCN cadres opened fire at around 9,45 pm that night towards Janaki Pathar area from Nagaland side and later escaped. Receiving the information, a team of high officials, including security personnel, of the subdivision reached the spot.
Sources said that after the firing, at least 15-20 families of the village of the border area fled from the area.
Sources also said that the NSCN opened fire with a view to threatening the villagers so that they could carry out their extortion drive in the border areas. Several organisations of Sonari have slammed the Congress-led Government in Assam for its alleged failure to protect villagers living close to Nagaland border from persecution by the people of the neighbouring State.
Govt. recognizes lack of devp in eastern Nagaland: Longon Nagaland Post
Nagaland minister for soil & water conservation and land resources development P. Longon Friday said the state government has recognized grievances and lack of developmental activities in various sectors being faced by the people of eastern Nagaland.
Speaking as the chief guest at the general session of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organization (ENPO) at Town Hall, Friday, Longon said the DAN government had deliberated on lack of development activities in the area and recommended granting of autonomous council in response to the demand for statehood by ENPO. However, he said the people of eastern Nagaland rejected it.
Longon said “statehood demand is a political movement” and that state government has no power to either give or declare the statehood but to assist in some possible ways.
He called upon eastern Nagas to work together and to forget and forgive past mistakes in “true Christian spirit” for a better society.
Longon also called upon the six tribes to unite and cooperate with each other for the betterment of the society.
Also, speaking as guest of honor, parliamentary secretary rural development, REPA Pangnyu Phom said government of India has recognized the ENPO and urged the people to appreciate the ENPO leaders for their tireless works in various fields.
Pangnyu said ENPO leaders should be free from political parties and should remain neutral. Pangnyu called upon the people to eradicate the mentality of backwardness tag and change the mindset for the uplift and betterment of the society.
He also urged ENPO to treat all factions equally and to maintain peace and harmony.
Solidarity messages were delivered by six tribal presidents- CKS, KTC, YTC, USLP, PPC, KU besides ENPO frontal organization by ENLU chairman, ENSF president, ENWO president and ENGOA president. They expressed strong support and solidarity for the demand of statehood.
ENPO vice president Chingmak delivered welcome address while vote of thanks was proposed by ENPO vice president Yonglong.
The ENPO session was attended by ministers, parliamentary secretaries, MLAs of eastern Nagaland- Tohanba, P. Chuba Chang, H. Chuba Chang, S. Heno, L.T. Sangtam OSD and other well dignitaries. The session was also marked by cultural session participated by cultural troupes of CKS, YTC, KTC PPC, USLP and KU.
Naga problem not a license for corruption, misgovernance: Faleiro Nagaland Post
Taking a further dig at the NPF-led DAN government on corruption and mis-governance, AICC general secretary in-charge of Nagaland Luizinho Faleiro said whatever was being discussed at the ongoing talks was not a license for corruption and mis-governance.
Faleiro who was addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan here today was replying to a query whether alleged rampant corruption and mis-governance in the state was the manifestation of the prolonged and unsolved Naga political problem.
He reiterated that despite the generosity of the Congress-led UPA government in pumping huge funds for Nagaland, they were no visible signs of infrastructure nor good roads as funds were being siphoned off at various levels at the cost of development.
He also alleged that due to collapse of law and order and administration citizens feel insecure and urged the state Congress not to remain silent but to gear up to face the challenge.
He also gave a clarion call to the various NGOs and civil society to join hands with the Congress in the anti-corruption campaign and thus turn it into a mass movement.
Sounding a wake up call to the party, while admitting past internal differences over leadership, he said “We want the party to be galvanised and sit together as frequently as possible to thrash out any differences. We would like to have a happy family in the Congress party here in the state”.
Faleiro sidestepped a question when asked how the Congress which has failed to perform as an effective opposition, could live up to expectation if voted to power. His response was to point out the good quality of the people of the state of being friendly and well mannered unlike any other place. “I admire this quality of the people of your state”, he said.
NPCC President S.I Jamir strongly defended the performance of the Congress as an opposition. He said the party raised many important issues besides staging walk outs in the assembly to protest against proceedings.
Jamir said the party exposed two major scams in the School Education and Home departments and also submitted representations to the Governor besides resorting to silent protest in front of the Raj Bhavan.
He said when the party enquired about the fate of the representation; the Governor told the Congress that he was yet to receive response from the DAN government. Jamir said the NPF government was insensible and disclosed he has collected enough evidence to expose the misdeeds of the DAN government soon.
Jamir also said the Congress will make a covenant with the people of Nagaland in the forthcoming election to implement all the 16 flagship programmes sincerely and transparently and create job opportunities for the youth of the state.
Supplementing the NPCC President, Faleiro assured that the national Congress will make the solemn pledge to the people of Nagaland before the next election and would also include zero tolerance to corruption.
Jamir said the Congress was prepared to cooperate with the DAN government to obtain sanction for the four-lane widening of NH 29, a commitment made by then prime minister A.B. Vajpayee, as it was in the interest of the state.
93-day Manipur economic blockade partially off Rediff Business Source: PTI; Agencies
One of the two outfits behind the crippling 93-day economic blockade on two national highways in Manipur lifted it on Tuesday after the state government's assurance to it that district status will be accorded to Sadar Hills.
Official sources said on Tuesday that the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee, which had launched economic blockade on two national highways -- Imphal-Dimapur-Guwahati (NH 39) and Imphal-Jiribam-Silchar (NH53) -- to press their demand for conversion of Kuki-majority Sadar Hills area in Naga-majority Senapati district called off the economic blockade after talks with the government.
IDSA COMMENT
The Manipur Blockade: Symptom of a Crisis in Desperate Need of Resolution Namrata Goswami
Just a year after suffering two months of road blockade by Naga groups, Manipur is in the throes of a similar crisis again. Then the blockade was a reaction to the Manipur state government’s refusal to allow Thuingaleng Muivah, the General Secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim---Isak-Muivah---NSCN (IM) to visit his native village. This time, the Kuki groups have blocked NH 39 and NH 53 since August 1 in order to generate pressure to establish a Kuki district in the Sadr hills area (where they are the dominant tribe) of Manipur’s Senapati district. This move is vehemently opposed by the Naga groups led by the NSCN (IM). The reason is simple. If a Kuki district is carved out of the Sadr region in Senapati district, it would weaken the NSCN (IM)’s main territorial claim: that their Nagalim map includes all Naga inhabited areas in Northeast India of which Senapati district is an important part.
The blockade has had very grave consequences for the state. Not only are the local people living in a state of physical siege, but there is the growth of a creeping emotional dissonance with the ‘idea of India’ as a vibrant and functioning democracy. A local scholar from Manipur recently asked this author: “why is it that such inhuman blockades by militant groups meted out to the citizens of India from Manipur are ignored by the larger Indian community? Why is it that our human sufferings, year after year, are tolerated by democratic India, its state and civil society?” One can empathize with such expressions of sheer anguish. According to sources from Manipur, the prices of local commodities like rice and cereals have gone up so much so that local people are surviving on hunting and gathering from the forest. An LPG cylinder is costing Rs. 2000 to Rs. 2,500; petrol is selling at Rs. 120 per litre. Power supply is non existent. In hill districts like Ukhrul, the price of a kilogram of rice is Rs. 70 to Rs. 100, which many cannot afford. LPG is not available in the hill areas and people are depending on a precarious supply of wood to survive. Potatoes and Onions cost Rs. 80 to Rs. 90 per kilogram.
It is rather ironic that while democratic India enjoys freedom of movement and expression, Manipur is blocked off from the rest of India by militant groups and radical civil society activists for months together and few are disturbed by it. The truth is that most common Kukis and Nagas are tired of bandhs yet the politicization of ethnic divides forces them to support exclusivist narratives for fear of violent retribution by militant groups. A young college girl from Senapati district of Manipur told this author during a telephonic conversation, “I want to escape; I want a life which is free. I am tired of these bandhs and militant groups. I am tired of a government that does not care about me or my family. Is this life of seige my reality? I am tired”. The deeper point that can be gleaned from this emotional outburst is simple: why is it possible for certain vested interests including militant groups to seize lives, block national highways, and coerce common people to live according to their diktat, when there is a functioning Indian democracy in place. Why is the Centre turning a blind eye to a state government that is doing next to nothing to bring about an end to this crisis.
The worrisome aspect of this bandh is that it has a gruesome history. Nagas and Kukis had violently clashed in the past over political spaces which had resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. It could be the same story all over again if the bandh continues for another month or so.
While many suggest that ‘President’s Rule’ is a solution to the crisis, it will, at best, be a ‘stop gap’ arrangement, that will ward off a crisis momentarily only for it to recur another time in the near future. What Manipur is in desperate need of is a resolution of the crisis. A few ideas that could perhaps help in resolving ethnic tensions in Manipur are the following:-
First, ensure that NH 150 connecting Manipur with Mizoram is in good condition so that when blockade occurs on the other two highways, this can be utilized.
Second, open the Moreh-Myanmar border for trade in commodities like rice and cereals, oil and gas from Myanmar to Manipur so that militant groups cannot hold the state hostage for months altogether.
Third, the centre should ensure, with the use of the army and paramilitary, that road blockades do not continue for so long.
Fourth, institutions of governance are poor in Manipur. As a result, people feel neglected and take resort to means such as this. Institutions like the State Assembly and District Councils must be made truly representative of tribes and communities so that their grievances can be addressed.
Fifth, besides the political tensions, there is ethnic distrust and hatred between the Nagas and the Kukis. Efforts should be made to create constituencies of young people who are progressive and are wedded to the idea of pluralistic living. However, this atmosphere will only be created if the state is able to provide basic security to people. One cannot think of inclusive living when one’s physical existence is threatened by non-state violence.
Finally, while issues like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, amended in 1972 (AFSPA) provoke an emotional rather than a rational reaction among the people, it is not the core issue at present in Manipur. Instead the core issue in Manipur is bitter ethnic divide, parochial attitudes and distrust of the ‘other’ which has created conditions for violence between tribes and communities thereby creating conditions for the AFSPA to be imposed. Once inter-ethnic trust is built, the AFSPA will be automatically removed. Hence, the solution for the future lies in bridging ethnic gaps, establishing inter-ethnic dialogues for political representation, a just political system ensuring fair representation to the various tribes and communities and last but not the least, in bringing about a convergence in their worldviews.
