Govt lifts curb on foreign tourists in North East Economic Times
Govt lifts curb on foreign tourists in North East Economic Times
NEW DELHI: In a new year bonanza for Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, the Centre has lifted a decades-old rules of obtaining permission by any foreigner visiting the three northeastern states.
"The government has decided to exclude Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland from the Protected Area regime notified under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order 1958, initially for a period of one year," a Home Ministry statement said.
However, all foreigners visiting these states will have to register themselves with the Foreigners Registration Officer (FRO) of the district they visit within 24 hours of their arrival.
The order will come into effect from the new year day. The restriction was in force since pre-independence days.
Now Arunachal Pradesh is the only state left in the Northeast where foreigners are required to take prior permission before any visit.
Citizens of some specified countries, including Pakistan and China, would, however, continue to require prior approval of the Ministry of Home Affairs before their visit to these three states.
Indian diplomatic missions have also been authorised to issue 'Missionary Visa' to foreign missionaries visiting these three states as per the extant guidelines of the government.
These changes will ease the difficulties being faced by foreigners to visit Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
Naga students told to foster unity - Leaders address Mao union meet OUR CORRESPONDENT The telegraph
Kohima, Dec. 29: Former president of Nagaland PCC and MLA K. Pusa said though imaginary boundaries have divided Naga people, they would still remain brothers and sisters.
Addressing the 48th annual general conference of Mao Students’ Union at Punanamei under Senapati district of Manipur, Pusa said imaginary lines have divided Naga people but that would not separate Nagas.
He said Mao Nagas are second to none in the Naga political struggle. No political boundary can wipe out the blood ties and kinship that “we have nurtured since the time of our ancestors”, the Congress leader told Mao students.
Mao Nagas are one of the biggest tribes of Manipur.
Pusa’s attending the Mao students’ conference assumed significance as Nagas of Manipur have severed all ties with the Manipur government in protest of what they alleged as step-motherly treatment to them.
Er. Vikho-o Yhoshu, MLA and adviser to Information Technology and Technical Education, also attended the conference as the guest of honour.
The Congress leader urged the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) to expedite the ongoing peace talks and hammer out an honourable and acceptable solution to all sections of Naga people. “We have been asking the Centre and the group engaged in the talks to expedite the talks for an honourable and acceptable solution for all, “he added.
However, he said unity would only bring desirable solution to the issue. He told the students not to lose heart but to be united. He said the unresolved Naga political problem is an issue stalking people since the post-British period.
“For too long we have refused to take responsibility for this protracted political mess that we are in. While we put the whole blame on the Centre, we also talk in different tunes. We try to bring down our own house by criticising one another, using filthy words against each other, generate feelings of holier than thou attitude and nurture conflicting opinions,” he said.
Pusa said Nagas lack sincerity and direction and as a result there is no short or long-term strategy to move towards unification and integration based on the collective will of the people. He urged Mao people to come forward and lead the Nagas. “Your progress is our progress; your move is our move.”
Yhoshu in his short speech said Nagas have been divided into parts without their consent and knowledge, by the foreign powers and urged the Nagas to rise above boundaries and barriers. “Together let us face the truth.”
Samson Remei, president of United Naga Council of Manipur who was also guest of honour, while paying a tribute to the fallen students of the May 6 Mao gate incident, urged people to follow their paths.
They were gunned down by police for protesting against the Manipur government’s decision not to allow NSCN (I-M) general secretary Th. Muivah to visit Ukhrul district.
He urged Mao Nagas to fight for their identity and culture.
Remei also appealed to Nagas of Nagaland to support the cause of the Nagas of Manipur for a separate administrative unit.
He said Nagas of Manipur have taken a strong decision to sever all ties with the government of Manipur.
We cannot be under the communal government of Manipur he said.
We will lose our identity as long as we remain with the communal government he lamented. He also thanked the people of Nagaland for understanding the issues and problems of the Nagas of Manipur.
Earlier, the students, prominent leaders and officers from Mao Naga tribe gave the chief guest a warm reception.
Pusa was also accompanied by hosts of public leaders from Kohima and from his village Viswema.
Nagaland rallies for new State on Jan 7 Newmai News
KOHIMA, Dec 29 – Public rallies will be held simultaneously in the four Nagaland districts of Tuensang, Mon, Kiphire and Longleng demanding a new State to be carved out from Nagaland.
According to reports, the rallies on January 7 will be organised by Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO).
The ENPO has been demanding the creation of a new State christened as ‘Frontier Nagaland’. In the past the ENPO had submitted a memorandum in this regard to the Prime Minister. Naga tribes including Konyak, Khiamniungan, Chang, Yimchunger, Sangtam and Phom are the main communities in the ENPO set up.
According to the reports, the ENPO has been lamenting that they no longer can remain as part of the present Nagaland as the hope for development under the present condition is impossible.
So far no reaction has come from either the State Government of Nagaland or from any Naga civil organisation. Even the Naga underground organisations continue to remain silent on the issue. However, the ENPO stand is bound to create certain pandemonium in Nagaland as the issue will definitely complicate the Naga peace talk.
Adinno Phizo’s New Year message Adinno Phizo
I send my warmest greetings and best wishes to our people in Nagaland for a happy New Year in 2011.
Thankfully, the people of Nagaland agree on one thing that nothing must jeopardise the sovereignty of Naga nation. By the grace of God, despite the prevailing external driven adverse situation, against all the odds in war and even in absence of fighting, to date our indomitable people defied enemy evil designs for territorial expansionism.
It is always useful to pause and reflect on an annual perspective before the coming year begin. Within the Naga society there are the usual differences on many issues in common with other societies. In not too far distant past, our forebears’ unspoken tradition of trust and respect in public affairs demand harmony and responsibility to honour one’s word given. However, any critical scrutiny of internal situation in recent past couldn’t have missed that instead of harmony, certain self-appointed sectarian groups under cover of fatuous pretensions barking mad at the pillars of Naga nation. They may be an irritant in national affairs but in the end what can non-state outfit(s) achieve?
My message to our people, especially, the new generation is nothing makes sense until you understand the past. Modern Nagaland seamlessly took over from our ancestor’s unbowed legacy. By virtue of our vibrant democratic tradition, representatives of heretofore far from a cohesive federation of independent Naga communities under the leadership of A Z Phizo reached an unprecedented decision to formally declare to the world that Nagaland will stay independent on14 August 1947. Equally significant, Naga consensus derived from informed choice. Every Naga know that following the historic voluntary plebiscite held on 16 May 1951, Naga people mandate had been immutably entrusted with the Naga National Council (NNC). Subsequently, NNC reached out and invited the then Free Nagas for an organic merger and the two side agreement was duly enshrined in the Yehzabo (Constitution) of Nagaland, thereupon, the Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) was established on 22 March 1956. Needless to say, attempt by some writers to airbrush NNC and FGN is a futile exercise.
No international conflict in living memory come any close to the unremitting Indian occupation army militarised tyranny in Nagaland since the shocking invasion in 1954. Our people will never forget every brave Naga patriots who sacrificed their lives in defending our freedom and almost every family lost someone very much loved. In stark contrast to other international conflict, India alone pursue neo-colonialism. But in a fast changing world, as India aspires to be among world top nations status, no foreigners can fail to notice the vast concentration of Indian occupation army stationed in Nagaland. How could the GoI justify trampling over the freedom of another nation?
The protracted conflict between Nagaland and India is a straightforward bilateral issue concerning the right or wrong of Indian naked aggression. Unlike the countless “political problem” within India, from ancient time, Nagaland was never an integral part of India. Sometimes our people wonder where are the Indian leaders who usually spring up in support of other people as well as nation just cause. While the Indian aggressors remain in Nagaland, the GoI is fully responsible under the Geneva Convention, for any act or omission, such as, the prevailing rampant Indian state sponsored terrorism and economic woes perpetrated against the people of Nagaland.
Notwithstanding Nagaland has no illusion about the challenges ahead to realise genuine peace and justice, nothing can deter NNC and FGN from upholding the Yehzabo and integrity of Nagaland. As much as we yearn for normalcy, it will happen only when India withdrew its army from Nagaland.
Together let us look forward for a happy New Year in 2011.
May God bless Nagaland. Urra Uvie
Adinno Phizo
President
Desperate act Frontline SUHRID SANKAR CHATTOPADHYAY
The Maoists strike again, this time in Purulia, killing seven Forward Bloc members on a single night.
AP
A paramilitary soldier stands guard beside the bodies of four residents of Bagbandi village in Purulia district who were abducted from their homes and killed by the Maoists in a nearby forest on the night of December 16.
THE cold-blooded killing of seven All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) members, including a woman and a 75-year-old man, in West Bengal's Purulia district by extremists belonging to the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) betrays a sense of desperation in the organisation as it faces the heat from not only the State police and Central forces but also sections of the local population. On the night of December 16, four teams of militants raided four villages in the district's Jalda-I block near Ayodhya Hill, where joint security forces operations were under way. They dragged the seven victims out of their houses and gunned them down.
The first to get killed was Tapan Singh Sardar of Gutilowa village. Armed extremists entered the house of his brother Chandicharan Singh Sardar, president of the village panchayat samiti. Not finding Chandicharan there, they settled for Tapan, a local AIFB leader, and killed him near the house. The next attack was on Bagbandi village where Kinkar Singh, Gobardhan Singh, 75-year-old Gopeswar Mahato and Chapala Garai, president of the village panchayat, were abducted from their homes, taken to a nearby forest and killed.
The other two victims were Ananta Mahato of Chirutar village and Aju Singh Sardar of Naugarh village. The entire operation took place between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. The posters the Maoists left behind as a signature threatened the Left parties and the Congress over the joint police operations.
In the past few months, the rebels have suffered severe setbacks at the hands of the joint forces of the Central and State police and, for the first time, faced resistance from sections of the local population. With the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) recently regaining control of its stronghold of Lalgarh in Pashchim Medinipur, the Maoists have been on the run from some of their earlier bases and have been forced to try forming new bases.
But, according to police sources, even in these “new” areas where the presence of police and Central forces is not so strong, they are meeting with opposition from the local people.
Inspector General of Police, Western Zone, Zulfiquar Hasan told Frontline: “One thing is absolutely clear, that they have totally alienated the local people with their terror tactics. The seven people they killed were not police informers. They realised there was growing resistance against them and this was an attempt to scare the local people into subjugation. We have seen that whenever operations against them succeed, their killings also increase.”
The Jalda block is a strong base of the AIFB, a constituent of the ruling Left Front in the State. “By targeting AIFB members here, the Maoists are following an old tactic of creating a political vacuum, just as they have been doing in parts of Pashchim Medinipur and Bankura. To gain control of this region, they realise they will have to break the political backbone of the Forward Bloc,” said an intelligence source. A statement issued by the AIFB central committee said that the increasing popularity of the party had eroded the Maoist support base, provoking the recent killings.
The killings took place less than two weeks after the rebels suffered a major setback. On December 3, Sudip Chongdar alias Kanchan, secretary of the CPI (Maoist)'s West Bengal Committee, was arrested in Kolkata along with three associates. Kanchan has been the biggest catch for the police since the arrest in March of Venkatesh Reddy alias Telugu Deepak, the chief of the State Military Commission of the Maoists in West Bengal.
Kanchan, who has been the State secretary since 2008, was one of the main organisers of the Lalgarh movement and was engaged in extending the Maoist influence to places beyond the Jangalmahal (the forested area comprising parts of the three adjoining districts of Pashchim Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia, largely inhabited by tribal people) to other districts in the State.
Although a resident of Garbeta in Pashchim Medinipur, Kanchan often came to Kolkata to liaise with supporters, recruit new members and collect consignments. The police had apparently been tracing his movement through tapped phone conversations and came to know that Kanchan, along with three top aides, would be coming to Kolkata to pick up a consignment of ammunition and gadgets.
Late in the evening of December 3, all four were arrested from the Maidan area of central Kolkata. Along with Kanchan were Anil Ghosh and Barun Sur – both top Maoist operatives and State committee members – and Shankar Mallick alias Buchu, a Maoist linkman. Interrogation of those arrested also enabled the police to secure Kalpana Maity alias Anu, an influential woman Maoist leader.
Sophisticated equipment
Raids on Maoist hideouts in and around Kolkata have led to the seizure of a huge amount of sophisticated electronic equipment along with arms and ammunition. Very high frequency (VHF) and ultra high frequency (UHF) wireless communication sets, remote-operated timers, hi-tech explosive devices and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found during the raids point to an ominous shift in the operating style and strategy of the Maoists.
According to Rajiv Kumar, chief of the Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police, the Maoists appear to be trying to develop activated devices that can be used from a distance – a departure from their earlier method of using wired devices that necessitated closer proximity to the target.
“It is clear that the Maoists have studied the operations of the joint forces and identified certain weaknesses in their own mode of operations that allow the security forces to reach them. They are now trying to counter this with the help of technology. If they are successful, it can make things a little difficult for us,” a police source in the region told Frontline.
According to him, such gadgets are easily available in the border areas of India and Nepal and Bangladesh, if not in the markets. “We have documentary evidence of the great importance the Maoists attach to the strengthening of their technology wing. Moreover, they also have a lot of educated sympathisers such as engineering students, even engineering teachers, who help them develop and use new technology,” a police source said.
Link with other militants
Police interrogation of the arrested extremists has also brought to light a nexus between the CPI (Maoist) and the insurgent People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) of Manipur. Kanchan apparently revealed that the Maoists' deal with Prepak was sealed six to eight months ago. Under the deal, the two groups will exchange arms and ammunition, and Prepak will train Maoist cadres. Apparently such training has already taken place in the forested areas of Jharkhand.
“The Maoists are also in contact with other organisations in Manipur, but with Prepak these links are not limited to ideological sympathies; they have reached a practical level,” said Rajiv Kumar.
The police have not ruled out the Maoists having links with other militant groups of the north-eastern region, including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim – Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM).
Recent developments have also indicated that the Maoists have been spreading their tentacles to regions other than the Jangalmahal. On December 9, they struck in Birbhum district, killing CPI(M) leader Sasti Bawri inside the district party office. This was the second time this year that the region witnessed Maoist killings. Earlier there have been instances of attempted sabotage of public property. The State government has, in fact, sent a proposal to the Centre to declare three more districts – Birbhum, Nadia and Murshidabad – as Maoist affected.
In spite of the Maoists' diminishing influence, however, it would not be correct to assume that the Lalgarh region is returning to normalcy. On December 20, suspected Maoists gunned down Kalipada Mahato, a schoolteacher, in Nayagram, not far from Lalgarh.
“Though incidents of violence have been greatly reduced in the last couple of months, there is still the potential for danger here. Lalgarh holds such a central place in their movement in the State that the Maoists really cannot afford to leave it. There is still the threat of their regrouping and regaining control of the region,” said Manoj Verma, Superintendent of Police, Pashchim Medinipur.
While killings continue to take place in the region, it is unlikely that there will be any Maoist action in the immediate future on the scale of the Silda massacre in February this year when 25 jawans of the Eastern Frontier Rifles were mowed down in their camp. “After the recent setbacks, the mode of operations of the Maoists has changed. They now move in smaller groups and cause isolated incidents in places where security is not strong. Their manpower is greatly reduced and, as of now, their potential for large-scale action has diminished in Pashchim Medinipur,” said Verma.
Frans on 12.31.10 @ 11:29 PM CST [link]