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04/25/2012: "Prince Andrew to visit Kohima May 1 (IANS) Punjab News"
Prince Andrew to visit Kohima May 1 (IANS) Punjab News
KOHIMA: Britain's Prince Andrew will May 1 visit Kohima, the capital of Nagaland, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's reign, an official said Wednesday.
The prince, who is the Duke of York, will undertake a tour of India from April 29 to May 6. He is scheduled to visit Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Kohima to mark the completion of 60 years of the British monarch's accession to the throne.
"Prince Andrew will be visiting Kohima May 1. He will pay a visit to the World War II cemetery and World War II museum there," additional chief secretary Alemtemshi Jamir told IANS. A public civic reception will also be accorded to the visiting dignitary at Kohima, he said.
Security agencies are on their toes to ensure the smooth visit of Prince Andrew to this mountainous state capital.
Meanwhile, a cabinet meeting held Tuesday at the chief minister's residential office, decided to "heartily welcome the Prince to Kohima" with all possible assistance and courtesies.
Nagaland chief secretary Lalthara has been tasked with coordinating the visit and assigning responsibilities to officers and departments concerned to ensure the smooth conduct of the programme.
Members of the British royal family will tour the globe, representing the Queen throughout the Diamond Jubilee year, visiting every realm as well as undertaking visits to Commonwealth countries, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.
End standoff with NSCN, Centre tells Assam Rifles Indian Express
Five days after a standoff between the Assam Rifles and Naga militant group NSCN-IM in Nagaland and Manipur, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Defence Ministry on Tuesday asked the Assam Rifles to back off and de-escalate the tense situation in the two states.
The Naga outfit had accused the Assam Rifles of wilfully trespassing Camp Hebron territory in Nagaland on April 19 while the Assam Rifles maintained that NSCN-IM camps had been surrounded to ensure that the cadres stick to the rules laid down by the ceasefire monitoring group. “The standoff is now over. Both the Home Ministry as well as the Defence Ministry have asked the Assam Rifles to withdraw,” said Shambhu Singh, Joint Secretary (Northeast).
The standoff, which continued till Tuesday morning, was basically over arms confiscated by either party. The Assam Rifles had last month raided homes of senior NSCN-IM leaders and confiscated 13 weapons. A joint operation by the Assam Rifles and state police on Friday led to seizure of six sealed boxes containing 3,600 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 100 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 38 magazines of SLR two rifle boxes and a mobile phone among other items.
Moreover, 13 cadres of the outfit have been arrested in the past one week for violating the ceasefire.
On the day of the Hebron incident, the NSCN-IM retaliated, detaining six Assam Rifles personnel. While they let the Assam Rifles personnel go later in the evening, they “confiscated” their weapons. The Army and the Assam Rifles had been putting pressure on the militant group to return these weapons.
Meanwhile, the NSCN-IM questioned the sincerity of the government towards solving the Naga issue. “No amount of excuses or explanations by the Assam Rifles and other Indian government agencies can justify or cover the crime. It was a flagrant violation of ceasefire ground rules and the spirit of the widely known ceasefire agreement between the NSCN and the Government of India. It was a planned and deliberate act of provocation,” a statement e-mailed to The Indian Express said on Tuesday.
It described the Assam Rifles as just an “instrument” of the either the Government of India or the Army.
'IM' alerts Nagas to any eventuality Faceoff with Assam Rifles drags on
Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Dimapur, April 23 2012: The NSCN-IM has alerted the Nagas today that they should get prepared for any eventuality as the standoff between the Naga outfit and the Assam Rifles has dragged on to the fifth day today.
The NSCN-IM also lambasted the Naga People's Front (NPF) led government of Nagaland for not rising up to the occasion.
The Isak-Muivah group also cautions other groups that once they start engaging the political dialogues with New Delhi, those outfits will certainly experience the same insincerity and false diplomacy of the Government of India as the NSCN-IM is facing today.
Meanwhile, there was a high level meeting consisting of the NSCN-IM, the Cease Fire Monitoring Group (CFMG) of the government of India and other concerned authorities with regard to the current impasse between the Naga outfit and the Assam Rifles.
However, the detailed information on the outcome of meeting was not known.
Sources informed Newmai News Network that hectic emergency meetings are also underway in New Delhi involving Thuigaleng Muivah, Isak Swu and representatives of the Government of India since yesterday in this connection.
An official source said regarding the meeting in Dimapur, it was participated by fire-brand NSCN-IM leader V.S Atem, Cease-Fire Monitoring Group chairman Major General (Retd) N George and other leaders at Police Guest house, Chumukedima in the outskirt of Dimapur.
Meanwhile, the NSCN-IM said today that whatever has been and will be said or written about the April 19 incident at Hebron, the Council Headquarters of the outfit, it was actually an outrageous trespass of the notorious Assam Rifles to the NSCN-IM camp.
"No amount of excuses or explanations by the Assam Rifles and other Indian government agencies can justify or cover the crime.
It was a flagrant violation of cease-fire ground rules and the spirit of the widely known Cease-fire agreement between the NSCN and the government of India.
It was a planned and deliberate act of provocation," it alleged.
While expressing its unhappiness the way the Neiphiu Rio government in Nagaland state is behaving, the NSCN-IM said as a powerful unit in the India federation, and the government of Nagaland which holds the law and order subject is maintaining death silence.
"The NPF Government in Nagaland boasts of claiming as a facilitator in the peace process between the NSCN and the government of India but during such crisis and uncertainty what the Nagaland State government is doing?," the NSCN-IM asks today, while adding, "The NSCN is a political group only.
But the dangerous consequences are threatening the entire population of the Nagas.
So that Naga people may ask the reasons why the State Government of Nagaland does not raise a voice in such a critical situation? If any undesirable situation is created from today's crisis, the Government of Nagaland state should be squarely blamed by the Nagas".
The outfit then maintains that more than 95% Nagas desire freedom from want and oppressions.
They have witnessed how the government of India and its leaders are acting in political dialogue and the April 19 incident at Hebron is a good lesson for all the Nagas, it added.
The other factions are talking about political dialogue with India, but they will certainly experience the same insincerity and false diplomacy from the government of India, the NSCN-IM cautions.
"The said incident should be an eye opener for all sections of the Naga people.
The system of dictatorship and authoritarianism, oppression and suppression is speedily losing ground from the face of the world.
The Nagas are united in our desire for freedom and dignity of life.
Therefore, let us again unite as before and fight with whatever is available at our command.
Let us not loss heart but be strengthen with difficult situations we are facing now.
"From today's incident Naga people have learned the real intention of India and so we should get prepared for any eventuality," the NSCN-IM alerted
NPF state unit urges IM-AR against face-off Imphal Free Press 1
IMPHAL, April 23 (Newmai News Network): The Naga Peoples` Front (NPF), Manipur State Unit has urged the National Socialist Council of Nagalim – Isaac-Muivah (NSCN-IM) leadership and the Assam Rifles to withdraw from their standoff position in the larger interest of the public and for return of peace in the region.
General secretary, NPF, Manipur state unit S Kho John has stated that it is going to be about a century that the Naga people have undergone such circumstances as human rights violations, provocations and suppressions in their hometowns and villages. The Front further stated that among the paramilitary forces, the Assam Rifles in particular have been operating in the North East region, particularly in the Naga areas since the introduction of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 and series of counter violence have resulted in heavy human casualties affecting everyone including Indian soldiers, civilians and Naga underground cadres before the ceaseless declaration. However, with the ongoing ceasefire and the peace process, violence has been drastically reduced to a great extend, the press note stated.
The NPF thanked the wisdom and farsightedness of Indian political and military leadership who believed in political solution and initiated a meaningful dialogue, which led to the signing of the first ceasefire agreement between the government of India and the Naga underground leaders in 1964, which unfortunately ended in a deadlock due to the rigid stance adopted by different parties.
The second ceasefire agreement was again signed in 1997 during the prime minister ship of I.K.Gujral with great expectation from the Naga people, and since then the dialogue has been continuing till date for the last 15 years involving many personalities as interlocutors appointed by the Indian government, the press note stated.
The initiation of political dialogue began from the time of Indira Gandhi in 1964 and continued with the successive government led by (L) P.V.Narasimha Rao, Deve Gowda, I.K.Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr Manmohan Singh till date, and it sufficiently indicates that there is a problem and it needs some serious concern and efforts from both the parties including all right-thinking people and organizations, added NPF.
“Therefore, at this critical juncture, the NPF Manipur State Unit strongly feels that the need of the hour is not to hamper and complicate this crucial negotiation that is delicately on track, but help build confidence and mutual trust between the two concerned parties so as to enable them to take a bold decision for any political solution relevant at the given time. The ongoing peace process is a result of a hard-earned effort of both the political leadership of the country”, the NPF said.
The NPF appealed to the NSCN-IM leadership to wisely avoid any such temptation of retaliation in the ongoing impasse, while, at the same time, it also appealed to the Assam Rifles to refrain from unnecessary over-indulgence, and expressed belief that Delhi is capable enough to look into the matter and deal with judiciously for an immediate solution.
NSCN-IM return seized weapons to army ANI
Dimapur, Apr 25 (ANI): In a noble gesture, the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) has handed over weapons to the 29 Assam Rifles unit near Dimapur.
The handing over of the seized arms and ammunitions took place some few kilometers away from the council headquarters of the NSCN (IM) outfit at the community hall at Monglumukh village. This is perhaps the first such incident since the outfit signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre in 1997. The detained weapons, which were handed over to the Assam Rifles, included four AK 47s, an INSAS Rifle and 360 rounds of ammunition, four sets of bullet proofs vests with caps and two wireless sets.
The NSCN was formed on January 31, 1980 by Swu, Thuingaleng Muivah and S.S. Khaplang who opposed the Shillong Accord signed by the then Naga National Council (NNC) with the federal government. It has two factions-the NSCN-IM and NSCN-K-currently at loggerheads with each other over ideological issues and both groups are also active in neighbouring states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
The NSCN-IM exercises administrative control in 11 regions of the state and has formed ministries-including Defence, home, finance and foreign affairs. The rebellious group has also established a government-in-exile called the Govern
Cop-rebel nexus: Centre seeks reply from Nagaland Seven Sisters Post |
Gautam Debroy | New Delhi The Centre has sought an explanation from the home department of Nagaland on the alleged Nagaland Police-militant nexus even as the NSCN-IM cautioned Nagas that they should get prepared for any eventuality in view of the stand-off between the Naga outfit and the Assam Rifles. The NSCN-IM also lambasted the Naga People’s Front (NPF) led government of Nagaland for not rising up to the occasion.
According to reports, personnel of 29 Assam Rifles raided the house of Nagaland police constable Enyimi Chakhesang at Chumukedima on Saturday and recovered 3,700 rounds of 7.62 ammunition and 38 magazines of SLRs, among others.
“We suspect that a war-like store of ammunition is smuggled out to various insurgent groups in the NE,” a senior home ministry official said.
PRESS RELEASE DATED 24TH April, 2012
The 19th April 2012 incident in which the Assam Rifle Jawans with full arms and ammunition have gone to the extent of provoking the NSCN at the very entrance of the NSCN Hqs. (Hebron) which is not only a blatant breach of Ceasefire ground rule but it is a clear indication of the baleful intent of the Government of India. A situation like this, one cannot help but to look back at the past experience of the Indo-Naga political impasse with the government of India. The past half a century of violent conflict between the Indian military forces and the Naga resistance movement have outlaid more than 2.5 lacs of lives of the Nagas, immense wealth and resources have been destroyed and many precious years wasted, besides, rampant and perpetual human rights violation in the Naga areas.
With all its might and modern diplomacy, the GOI have tried to suppress the Naga political movement. Only after a decades of no win situation of the Indo-Naga conflict, a democratic space have been created ensuing a ceasefire between the GOI and NSCN-IM in 1997 which is the direct outcome of the initiatives of the Civil Societies of the Nagas as well as the Indians. However, in spite of the Ceasefire and political process, the GOI plain tactics of delaying the political process stretching over a period of 15 years is evidently marked by systematic process of consolidating its war machineries in all Naga areas to demoralize the Naga political aspiration.
That during the 15 years of Cease fire between the GOI and the NSCN-IM, much against the wishes and desire of the Naga people for an amicable solution, we are witnessing a daunting situation in the entire Naga Homeland with more military camps coming up in the nature of township, more public places been occupied in the name of security, more checkpoints have been installed in all the strategic places.
When the Naga armies are being pushed to their designated camps as part of the ceasefire ground rule agreements, it is a matter of serious concern that whether the same Ceasefire Agreement sanctions militarization of the Naga areas by the Indian security forces in this manner.
Frisking and harassment meted out by the security forces is increasing more as if ceasefire has licensed the security forces to do public policing even in the core of civilian areas and to act above the administration as it happening in many cases.
As a democratic giant nation, it would be befitting for the GOI to spell out clearly, if the ceasefire is just a scheme to further weaken the Naga movement or is it at the hands of the Indian Security Forces.
By any international standard, it is understood that ceasefire is done at equal terms with mutual agreement and terms. Lame excuses can only bring more distrust and there is also a danger of extirpating the hard earned ceasefire and peace process at the present given situation.
Hence, it would be worthwhile that a third neutral party be involved not only in the Indo-Naga political dialogue but to monitor the ceasefire ground rule in all the Naga areas, if a genuine solution has to come.
Having accepted the Indo-Naga issue as political in nature, needing a genuine political decision considering the unique history and political situation; under the purview of the present peace process while political negotiation is underway, the Concerned Senior Citizens’ Forum of Mokokchung strongly condemn the unqualified action meted out by the Indian Security Forces during the CF period.
We the Concrned Senior Citizens’ Forum of Mokokchung with great concern observe that the negative consequences of the present political dialogue and breaking the hard earned present Indo-Naga CF for the second time will bring serious political disaster creating deeper mistrust between the two entities. We therefore, sincerely appeal to both the parties to honor the Cease-Fire Agreement Ground Rules and take the wise political decision at the earliest.
Sd/- Sd/-
Bendangangshi B. Namo
Member, CSCF Mkg Member, CSCF Mkg
Dated 24th April, 2012
Sd/- Lanu Ao 24.04.12.
Govt to fence 10 km along Myanmar border R Dutta Choudhury Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, April 25 – The unfenced border with Myanmar along with the free movement regime is exploited by the militant groups of the North Eastern region and the Government of India has initiated steps to construct fencing in an area of around 10 kilometers along the international border.
India shares 1643 kilometers of international border with Myanmar in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram and the Government of India has deployed 31 battalions of Assam Rifles personnel for counter-insurgency operations and 15 battalions for guarding the border. The personnel of the Assam Rifles are deployed in the routes known to be used by the militants and to check movement of arms and ammunition, drugs, fake currency notes etc, said the annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The report said that permit free movement regime up to 16 kilometers of the international border, which makes the border extremely porous, while, the border runs along hilly and inhospitable terrain, which lacks basic infrastructure and provides adequate cover to members of various militant groups.
Due to the problem of increased militant activities, the Government of India decided to fence around 10 kilometers of the international border from border pillar number 79 to 81 and the MHA has given administrative approval for Rs 30.96 crore for the same. The clearance from the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Environment and Forest has been obtained for the construction of the fencing and the Border Roads Organization has been entrusted with the responsibility of implementing the project. The Government of Manipur has been given a compensation of Rs 503 lakh for land acquisition.
It may be mentioned here that most of the active militant groups of the North East region including the hardline faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) have strong bases in Myanmar and senior leaders of the militant groups are also using the territory of the neighbouring country as a safe haven.
Security sources said that the hardline faction of the ULFA is mostly using the facilities of the NSCN (K) despite the fact that the Naga militant outfit is under cease-fire agreement with the Government of India and the disturbing fact is that the militant groups having bases in Myanmar are now coming closer to each other and extending help to each other in launching offensives.
Though the Government of Myanmar has assured India time and again that action would be taken against the militant groups using the territory of that country, no such action has yet been taken and according to estimates of the security forces, at least three thousand members of various militant groups are staying in Myanmar. The militants are also frequently changing their routes to visit Myanmar and in recent times, there have been reports that members of the ULFA went to Myanmar through Arunachal Pradesh and not through Nagaland as were the case earlier.
In recent months, the hardline faction of the ULFA also sent at least a hundred new recruits to Myanmar camps for training, sources added.
Nagalim: Exhibition Captures Naga Society Deccan Herald
Berenice Ellena displays black and white photographs of the Naga people, portraying tradition and modernity in a conflict affected region. Through these and other projects, she hopes to preserve the Naga heritage.
The exhibition ‘Nagas En Route’ of about 51 photographs mainly comprises black and white portraits and landscapes examining the transitions and metamorphoses the Naga people and their heritage are undergoing.
The idea to click the trouble-torn Nagaland came to Berenice when she saw wooden sculptors from the state at National Museum in the Capital [New Delhi]. “That was in the 1980s. I was fascinated by the strong expressions used by the artists and that was the first time I heard about Nagas. Those sculptors were human figures. This type of expression is used very much by artists in France,” says Berenice, a textile designer and art curator.
She visited Nagaland for the first time when researching textiles and natural dyes for her book, ‘India Sutra’ and thereafter many times. On her travels, she captured a set of photographs that have been shot from 1998 uptil a few months ago.’’
She chose to capture the colourful Nagaland in black and white. She says, “The drama of black and white photography is amazing. There are a lot of colours in Nagaland but sometimes colours kill the expressions.”
Her images reflect the pace of a still bucolic life, in an environment where hill-dwellers had to survive by relying on nature’s clemency as well as on their own skills. They speak of womanhood, pride and hope in a better tomorrow. One of her photos ‘Born of trees’ symbolically depicts the merging of Naga people from nature into the contemporary frame.
“I have given interpretation to the shadow of a man and a tree merging with each other. It is about the relationship between man and nature which is very strong in Nagaland,” she shares with Metrolife. Some pictures are about the locals embracing the modern values and tools, telling the tale of the change that Naga society is going through. A photograph titled ‘Time travel’ shows a tribal man clicking himself with mobile phone at Hornbill Festival, Kohima.
“I would witness the deep changes Naga society and its aesthetics were undergoing. I felt concerned about the fragile treasure of a specific and once very rich culture on the verge of fading away,” she says on her experience with Nagas and their culture.
More recently, she has been engaged in a project to establish a tribal heritage museum in the capital, Kohima. “The museum will play a crucial role in the preservation of the extraordinary heritage, both tangible and intangible, of the Naga people,” informs Berenice.
She is using the exhibited photographs as a tool to raise awareness for this project. “When I was crossing over into Nagaland through the state checkpost, I never thought that I would keep on returning to this amazing region,” she smiles.
