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North East : Militants’ mixed reaction to CMP

	May 31, 2004

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s Common Minimum Programme announced in New Delhi on May 27, has evoked a mixed reaction in this militancy-torn region. While some militant outfits have welcomed the UPA’s resolve to continue the peace talks, others have expressed their unwillingness to come to the negotiating table unless negotiations are conducted on their terms.



Talks with NSCN (IM): Muivah backs new govt

The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) has congratulated the Manmohan Singh Government on its ascent to power in Delhi. The militant outift has said that the Naga community was banking on the new government to take the peace process initiated seven years ago to its logical conclusion.

“We warmly congratulate the new Congress-led government. We do hope they are for peace and an honourable solution to the Naga problem,” NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah said in a statement.

The militant organisation’s attitude towards the erstwhile S.C. Jamir-led government in Nagaland had raised doubts about the progress of the peace talks after the Congress wrested power from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre.

Jamir, who remains the Nagaland PCC chief, was repeatedly accused of patronising the NSCN (Khaplang) and trying to derail the Centre’s talks with the Isak-Muivah group when he was at the helm.

It was payback time during the recent Lok Sabha poll, when the Congress complained to the Election Commission about the Neiphiu Rio government allegedly rigging the election with the NSCN (I-M)’s help. Similar allegations were raised when the Congress government was toppled in July last year.

Muivah calmed fears over a possible change in the NSCN (I-M)’s stand now that the Congress is in charge at the Centre. “Change of hands in Indian party politics does not in any sense affect the commitment of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim as the issue is between the Government of India and the Naga people.”

The NSCN (I-M) was the first militant organisation to respond to former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao’s offer to start a dialogue for peace. The ceasefire, signed in 1997, has since continued in spite of occasional hiccups. The Nagaland unit of the Congress has resolved to ask the Centre to decide on a political framework to expedite the peace process. The resolution was adopted during a meeting of senior party leaders in Kohima today.



NSCN-K to begin peace talks with New Delhi

Meanwhile, Khaplang faction of the NSCN, announced on May 23 that it would soon begin peace talks with the new Congress-led government in New Delhi.

“We shall sit for political level talks with the central government soon with an open mind,” said K. Mulatonu, publicity chief of NSCN (Khaplang), a major rival of the NSCN (IM) faction.

“If the government of India is willing to solve the problem, we on our part are equally ready to extend an extra arm to resolve the crisis,” he said on telephone from an undisclosed location in Nagaland.

The NSCN-K, fighting for an independent homeland for Naga tribals, entered into a ceasefire with the Indian government April 28, 2001, to pave the way for ending more than five decades of violent insurgency in Nagaland.

“Before we start the talks, we want New Delhi to appoint an interlocutor who knows and understands the problems of the region well,” Mulatonu said.

“We shall want someone to be appointed as chairman of the ceasefire supervisory board to act as a bridge between NSCN-K and the security forces to avoid any misunderstanding between the two sides.”

The NSCN-K also said a final settlement to the long-drawn insurgency in Nagaland could help solve many other rebellions in the region.

“We will help in bringing peace in other northeastern states if New Delhi is sincere in resolving our problems first,” Mulatonu said.

“We may not be too close but yet we are not too far away from many other revolutionary groups operating in the region.”

Rebel leader S.S. Khaplang currently heads an umbrella group of about six influential militant groups in the region, including the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).



Manipur rebels reject Kyndiah truce offer

The Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF), political

arm of the banned Peoples Liberation Army

(PLA) of Manipur, has brushed aside any idea of talks with Delhi, saying peace would return to the state only after withdrawal of “the colonial rule of India”.

Immediately after assuming charge, the new Union Minister for Department of Development of North Eastern Region, P.R. Kyndiah, had appealed to the militant outfits of the region to shun violence and come to the negotiating table.

Assistant publicity secretary of the RPF, Lily Leima, alleged in a statement that the army was using artillery and heavy machine guns at the civilian areas of Sajik Tampak in Chandel district. Appealing for peace and imposition of “draconian” laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) and POTA at the same time as “double standards”, the outfit dismissed the possibility of any talks with Delhi.

“Such an attitude of the Centre can never bring peace,” the statement said, adding that the outfit would never sideline the issue of sovereignty.

“Our goal is freedom from Indian occupational rule. Therefore, the government of India should immediately pull out its troops and end its colonial rule,” the statement said.

There has been no reaction from other major militant outfits such as ULFA in Assam to the new Government’s resolve to continue the peace process in the region.



Ibobi govt extends disturbed area status

In another development, the state government headed by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has decided to extend the disturbed area status for the whole of Manipur for a further period of six months. The decision was taken by the cabinet on May 28.

The disturbed areas status which has been enforced under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in the whole of Manipur since 1980, was due to expire on May 31.

The decision came at a time when Irom Sharmila, a young human rights activist, has been on a fast-unto-death for the past three years demanding that the law be scrapped in Manipur.

An official spokesman said the cabinet discussed the possibility of lifting the disturbed area tag partially, taking Sharmila’s demand into consideration. Several social organisations of the state have also supported her.

The ministers, however, finally decided to extend the status throughout Manipur for a further period of six months in view of the prevailing law and order situation and the escalation in militant activities.

The cabinet decision was greeted by strong condemnation from Meira Paibis (women activists) and other public organisations. The decision was strongly criticised at a function organised here today to mark Meira Paibi Day.

Addressing the gathering, Th. Mitlu Devi, convener of the Meira Paibi Observation Committee, flayed the Ibobi Singh government for reneging on its promise to lift the law.

“The Congress, which heads the Secular Progressive Front government, promised before the elections that if it came to power, the party would lift the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. But now the government has extended the status,” she fumed.

All Manipur United Clubs’ Organisation president Jagat Thoudam criticised both the Centre and the state governments for allowing security forces to commit “extra-judicial killings” while lambasting the extension of the disturbed area status.



Assam : Three years in power, Congress feels a positive change

The Congress party which has been ruling the

State of Assam for the last three years, feels a

positive change in the people’s mindset, claims Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

Addressing a Dispur-sponsored public rally at Judges Field on May 29 to mark the completion of his government’s three years in office, the chief minister attributed the change to a slew of development schemes undertaken by his government, particularly in the rural belt. The government completed three years on May 17.

Gogoi said employment generation, streamlining the education system, improving the lot of farmers and women’s empowerment will remain the top priorities of his government in the next two years. “I promise there will be no complacency. We will try to live up to the expectations of the masses whose support for us has been reflected in poll after poll in the past three years, the latest being the Lok Sabha elections. There is pro-incumbency in the state even after three years,” he said.

Nearly 10,000 party workers and leaders from different parts of state thronged the venue to take part in the celebrations. Gogoi also lauded the contributions of the grassroots workers. A fleet of buses ferried party workers and members of the self-help groups to the meeting venue. Gogoi pointed out that the overdraft of the state government has come down from Rs 200 crore to Rs 31 crore.

The star attraction of the rally, however, was the newly-appointed Union Minister of state for defence and parliamentary affairs Bijoy Krishna Handique, who said the Congress-led government at the Centre would evolve a “healing touch” policy for the insurgency-hit Northeast.

Handique said the Centre would not hesitate to take tough action against those involved in subversive activities. “The government will strongly tackle insurgents if they do not shun the path of violence and adopt a soft approach for redressal of their grievances,” he added. He went on to add that initiatives would be taken at the highest political level to hold dialogues with militants.



Infighting in Congress

A group of Assam legislators has mounted pressure on chief minister Tarun Gogoi to drop “non-performing” ministers, in whose Assembly segments the Congress candidates secured less votes than their rivals in the Lok Sabha elections.

A senior MLA of the “Group of 37,” as the legislators have come to be known in political circles, said the demand was verbally conveyed to Gogoi “so that he can take the right decision when the ministry is downsized shortly”.

The 37 legislators, led by Chandan Sarkar, have become a pressure group of sorts for the chief minister with their constant demand for inclusion in the ministry.

The legislator said the group had mentioned 16 ministers, including several of cabinet rank, who could be axed.

They include education minister Pankaj Bora, agriculture minister Ardhendu Dey, urban development minister Hem Prakash Narayan, labour minister Rameswar Dhanowar, handloom and textile minister Hemo Prabha Saikia and industry minister Bhubaneswar Kalita.

The demand comes close on the heels of the chief minister asking his ministers to submit an analytical report on the party’s performance in their respective constituencies.

The last date for downsizing the ministry is July 6.

The Group of 37 had created a crisis in the government last year by demanding a rotation of representation in the ministry.

This time, the group has demanded inclusion of legislators, who have so far been denied ministerial berths. But unlike last year, they have decided not to go public with their demands this time.

When contacted, Sarkar refused to comment on the development. “I will not say anything on this,” he said.

Sarkar, however, admitted that they had urged the chief minister not to retain certain ministers. He also said they were against inclusion of those ministers, who had publicly aired their views against the government and the party.

Power minister Devananda Konwar recently demanded that the home department under the chief minister should be put under the scanner in connection with the multi-crore crude oil theft cases after transport minister Anjan Dutta alleged that several senior police officials were involved in the racket.

Sarkar also demanded that the PCC should be reconstituted in the interest of the party