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Nagaland : New Delhi reviews law and order situation

	November 20, 2006

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil last week held three separate meetings with leaders from Nagaland to take stock of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.



Nagaland PCC president Hokheto Sumi called on the minister with a plea to bring the state under President’s Rule in view of continuing factional clashes.



Governor Shyamal Datta and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, too, met Patil. Both were in the capital to attend a review meeting of the North Eastern Council. Earlier in the day, Rio met defence minister A.K. Antony, ostensibly to push forward a proposal for the creation of one more Naga regiment in the Army.



Nagaland has been witnessing frequent clashes between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) since August.



The fact that Assembly elections in neighbouring Manipur are round the corner has added to Delhi’s worries. Prospective candidates in the four Naga-dominated hill districts have been asked by community organisations not to represent national parties in the elections, slated for February.





JD(U) joins clamour for law & order



The cracks within the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government have deepened with the Janata Dal (United) joining the chorus in terming the factional clashes between the NSCN groups a “law and order” problem.



JD (U) president S. Limatemjan said the ongoing factional clashes between the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) were “purely a law and order” matter and not a “political” problem as claimed by the state government.



“Any fraternal violent activity or clash outside designated perimeters becomes a law and order problem and the state government is responsible for maintaining law and order within the state,” he said. He asked the government not to shy away from executing its responsibility of maintaining law and order.



Besides the Opposition Congress, five legislators of the ruling coalition, including DAN chairman Hokishe Sema of the BJP, had earlier blamed the government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. The four other MLAs are Z. Obed of Nagaland People’s Front (NPF), a major constituent of DAN, Huska Sumi (JD-U), Talinungsang (NPF) and former finance minister K. Therie (NPF).



The NPF has demanded disciplinary action against Sema and the four others for criticising the government.





Delhi hands off Naga schools



Delhi has decided not to intervene on the question of affiliation of schools in Manipur to the Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE). More than 3,660 students from four hill districts of Manipur are getting ready to appear for their High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examinations from Nagaland.



Nagaland School Education Minister Imkong L. Imchen said Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has sent a letter to this effect, mentioning the Centre’s inability to address the imbroglio between Nagaland and Manipur over the affiliation of schools to the NBSE.



“I have just received a letter from Arjun Singh stating that the matter should be resolved between the two states,” Imchen said.



The Union minister has asked the Nagaland government to resolve the impasse with the Manipur government. The minister said the matter would be discussed again in the cabinet to chalk out the next course of action on the issue.





Deveopment news : 11th Plan focuses on connectivity



The Union Government’s Draft Approach Paper to the 11th Plan that was discussed by the Manmohan Singh cabinet in New Delhi on Nov. 16 focuses on “interconnecting” all north-eastern states over the next five years by road, rail, water and air. In effect, interconnection will directly link each state of the region to the rest of the country.



In an equally significant development, the External Affairs Ministry has decided to open a branch in the region soon. Foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon made a detailed presentation on the region’s proximity to the Southeast Asian countries during a review meeting of the North Eastern Council last week.



Union DONER minister Mani Shankar Aiyar put the importance of the north-east in perspective during a media briefing after the meeting. “The Look East policy has two components. One is to recognise that the north-east of India is where Southeast Asia begins,” he said.



Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is also the chairman of the Planning Commission, has been critical of the states of the region for their laxity in utilising sanctioned funds. However, that has not stopped Delhi from drawing up an extensive development plan with the theme “Bridging divides: including the excluded”.



One of the salient features of the five-year plan is multi-pronged action to upgrade all modes of transport. The broad gauge rail network will cover all states by the end of the Plan period.

“Meghalaya and Sikkim will have rail links and almost the entire metre-gauge network in the region will be converted to broad gauge,” a source said.



Delhi also plans to expedite work on greenfield airports at Pakyong in Sikkim, Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh and Cheithu near the Nagaland capital of Kohima.



The airports in Guwahati, Dimapur, Agartala and Imphal are to be upgraded under the national modernisation plan.



The Brahmaputra national waterway number two, which provides trunk route connectivity to the region, will be made fully functional by the end of the 11th Plan.



Inland water transportation is seen as the ideal mode of transport for both low-value and high-value commodities.



The theme of “bridging divides” highlights the need for balanced regional development and focuses on specific problems of the region arising out of remoteness, hilly and inhospitable terrain, a weak resource base, inadequate administrative capacity and a law and order situation “often threatened by insurgency”.