Dangerous Liaisons in Assam

Crime related to passion rises in Assam

Bhupen Roy breaks down on hearing of his wife's killing.

Aman walks down Guwahati streets brandishing the severed head of his wife. It was retribution, he says, for being cheated in marriage. Another man strangulates his wife on a similar suspicion. A security officer guns down the wife of an MLA and then shoots himself. Were they lovers? Fun turns to tragedy as a young man kills his business partner while fighting over call girls at a resort.

There has been a disturbing rise in crimes of passion in Assam. At least 15 people have lost their lives in the name of love in three months. Violence in public had lurked below the surface in the state for the last two decades ever since insurgency and army operations became a way of life. But now, private passions are beginning to show their dark, sinister side.

On October 7, autorickshaw driver Ranjit Das, 46, shook the state to its core after hacking his wife with a machete and walking down the streets of Dispur with her severed head. Das, who hails from Tihu, a small town in Nalbari district, suspected that his wife, a nurse, was having an affair with a colleague. On the same day, Bazrul Haq, 35, strangulated his wife Samina Begum in Dhubri, western Assam. He suspected her of having affairs with several men on the sly.

On October 10, Sanatan Das, 27, personal security officer of Asom Gana Parishad MLA Bhupen Roy, shot dead Roy's wife, Anjali, 35, and then committed suicide. Sanatan and Anjali were allegedly having an affair. A sexual orgy turned violent on September 16. Twenty-six-year-old businessman Sonal Banerjee was allegedly killed by his partner and surrendered ulfa member Kukil Gogoi at a resort in Sonapur, near Guwahati. They were reportedly fighting over the attention of five call girls they had brought into the resort.

"Assamese society has always been a liberal society, with little social pressure or interference in personal life," says Indrani Dutta, director, Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development, Guwahati. But in an era of cell phones and Internet, individual rights and freedom are being redefined. "And reactions are often sudden and violent." Add to it the rise of human rights groups in the wake of army operations. "It's a welcome development. But the line between aggression and assertion is very thin," she adds. People cross social and legal barriers whenever their sense of being wronged attains critical mass.

The middle class in Assam is at a crossroads, feels Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, IGP, Assam Police. He blames exposure to globalised lifestyles on 24x7 television and the hankering to ape the West for it.

An extra-marital affair doesn't always have a macabre end. Bashanti Bordoloi (name changed), 45, an excise superintendent in Tinsukia and a mother of two college-going students, lodged a complaint at the Assam Police Headquarters against an SP who she allegedly had an affair with. She didn't want any punishment for the SP. "Just force him to continue the relationship with me," she requested the investigating officer.

Ranjit Das after he killed his wife

Relationship issues are often sensationalised on local TV channels. In September this year, a TV channel broadcast the story of a woman assaulted by her late husband's acquaintances. It was later found that she was not mentally stable. On August 17, residents of Jyotinagar in Morigaon barged into a rented house where an unmarried couple was found in a compromising situation. Despite police presence, mediapersons filmed the naked woman while local women waited outside to chop off her hair.

A similar scene was repeated a fortnight later in Nagaon where a government employee was caught while having sex in his rented house. Locals entered the house and assaulted the man before handing him over to the police for "polluting" the environment. "To keep the public happy, we detain the 'accused' in such cases," says Jeetmal Doley, Morigaon superintendent of police.

But will that stop the state from slipping through the grey zone of dangerous passions?

Twin Blasts in Manipur On Diwali Injure 7 Civilians

Imphal, Oct 27 : Two bombs exploded at separate locations at Alu Gali in Imphal's Thangal Bazaar, injuring at least seven civilians, on Wednesday night.

The first bomb went off outside a branch of the Indian Overseas Bank while minutes later, another powerful bomb ripped apart a garments shop.

Several people participating in Diwali festivities outside their homes were injured in the explosions.

Primary investigations are underway and the explosions are believed to have been caused by IEDs.

'Unwanted' Babies in Mizoram A Worrying Trend

Aizawl, Oct 26 : Mizoram may hold its head high as having the best male-female ratio according to Census 2011, but the increasing cases of "unwanted" babies in the state worry child rights activists.

An abandoned eight-month-old baby girl was found on a road in Ramhlun locality here on the night of October nine, while a foetus suspected to be an aborted baby was found the next day near a place of worship in Kulikawn locality.

Another body of a newly-born was found near a road in Mizoram-Manipur border Pawlrang hamlet on October 22. A social worker says that the recent spurt in 'infanticide' and 'foeticide' in the state may be due to increase in the population of ethnic Mizos from Myanmar and Manipur.

Ruatfela Nu, a child right activist and member of the state Child Welfare Committee (CWC) says that abortion among the unmarried women is prevalent She also says that many commercial sex workers who were drug addicts or alcoholics were not serious about raising children.

Dr C Lalhrekima, a prominent psychiatrist, also says that infanticide and foeticide are a social problem in Mizoram. "There are some women, carrying unwanted babies, who came for counselling and later they agree to raise babies," Lalhrekima says.

The CWC has taken up 1,100 cases of children in need of protection and care since 2005 and a majority of the cases were for admission in orphanages and children homes.

With the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and Indian laws on protection of child rights advocating raising of children in normal families, social workers and law enforcement officials want to avoid admission of orphans and abandoned children in orphanages and homes.

We want abandoned children and orphans to live normal family lives," Ruatfela Nu says.

Internet & Mobile Network Failures in Mizoram irks CM

Aizawl, Oct 26 : Internet and mobile phone network failures are the order of the day in the remote Mizoram, where internet is an integral part of profession for quite a lot of people like in the rest of the world.

Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla highlighted the persistent connectivity problems in Mizoram at the 56th National Development Council meeting in New Delhi on Saturday last, attributing the problems mainly to the difficult topography of the state.

Laying optical fiber cables (OFP) is not viable because of frequent landslides and high incidence of damage through road construction activities, Mr Lal Thanhawla said.

Besides problem of connectivity from outside the state, communication system within the state is also very poor, he said.

Against the original decision to construct 72 USOF mobile telecommunication towers, only 37 towers have been constructed out of which about 22 towers could not be utilised due to the absence of backbone connectivity, he stated. Micro-based system had limitations because of geographical terrain and climatic condition like sudden bandwidth drop due to heavy rain with thick cloud.

V-SAT could hardly meet the requirement due to various reasons, he pointed out.

According to the Chief Minister, BSNL, which is the main service provider, having OFC as telecommunication backbone, is also not reliable as its network uptime is hardly 60 per cent.

Other service providers have similar problems because of poor connectivity from the main gateway, he said. BSNL, according to Mr Lal Thanhawla, is reluctant to sign service legal agreement (SLA) for Mizoram SWAN projects under NeGP because they cannot provide 99.8 per cent uptime connectivity.

Unreliable telecommunication infrastructure had prevented the state government from establishing software technology park, IT-enabled services/BPOs, call centres, medical transcription, telemedicine and various other internet-based activities, Mr Lal Thanhawla highlighted.

The Chief Minister suggested adoption of optical ground wire (OPGW) in place of OFC underground from Badarpur near Silchar (Assam) to Aizawl and from Aizawl to district headquarters, sub-divisional headquarters, block headquarters down to villages.

The concerned authorities in the ministry of communication and information technology may sit with state officials to revise the strategy of USOF and implementation plan by keeping in abeyance work order already issued including execution of work through RailTel Corporation of India Limited, Lal Thanhawla suggested.

ULFA Demands Constitutional Amendments At Talks With Govt

Ulfa leaders during talks with Home Secretary R.K. Singh

New Delhi, Oct 26 : A charter of demands of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), which includes constitutional amendments to provide Assam greater control over its natural resources, was discussed Tuesday with a central government team led by Home Secretary R.K. Singh during peace talks here.

"It was a very positive meeting. We have had a point-by-point discussion on our charter of demands," ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who led the six-member team of his outfit, told reporters after the 90-minute talks held at the North Block office of the union home ministry.

This is the second round of talks between ULFA and the centre, after a ceasefire was agreed to early this year.

"We hope that the positive attitude of the central government will continue and help in finding an amicable solution to our demands," he added after the closed-door talks.

P.C. Haldar, the interlocutor between the two sides, and senior officials of the ministry were also present.

The next round of talks would be held in November, officials sources told IANS.

The centre told the ULFA team that their demand will be discussed in detail in the next round when officials from different ministries would take part, sources said.

However, the ULFA leaders were non-committal about the surrender of their arms. Sashadhar Choudhury, self-styled foreign secretary of the ULFA, said: "We have not attended the peace talks with our arms. We are also not going to tell you where our cadres have kept the arms."

He said the planned camps, 'abanirman kendras', to provide designated shelter to the ULFA cadres, were not ready so far.

The charter of demands includes constitutional amendments to give Assam greater control over its natural resources, revenue generation, participation in the planning process, ensuring a secure demographic situation, besides accelerated and balanced development.

The minutes of the meeting will be notified in the gazette, official sources said.

ULFA and the central government entered into a ceasefire earlier this year after the rebel leadership was released on bail.

On Sep 3, the ULFA had signed a "suspension of Operation" pact with the government,.

Rajkhowa had led an eight-member ULFA team during introductory talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P.Chidambaram in February.

ULFA, one of the biggest rebel outfits in the tea and oil-rich region of Assam, has fought for an independent homeland for Assamese since 1979.

At least 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have died in Assam because of fighting between government forces and rebels in the past three decades.

The much-hyped talks hit a major roadblock with ULFA's elusive commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah rejecting the initiative.

Baruah, said to be hiding in the Myanmar-China border area, in an e-mail statement said: "We cannot support the peace talks as the ULFA leadership led by Rajkhowa is under the influence of our enemy (government)."

But the ULFA chairman maintains that Paresh Baruah is not opposed to the peace talks.

Untying The AFSPA Knot

By Sushant Singh

Up in arms: Left-liberals claim that the AFSPA confers too much power on Indian soldiers

Mumbai, Oct 26 : Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA is an emotive issue which polarises opinions. On one side of the debate are bleeding heart left-liberals -- supported by groups like Amnesty and HRW -- who allege that India uses the AFSPA to militarily 'occupy' Kashmir and northeastern states. Indian soldiers run rampant, raping and killing innocents there because they are shielded by AFSPA.

Those on the other side believe that no patriot can ever oppose AFSPA because any attempt to oppose the law amounts to sabotaging the army. Any tinkering with the law would inescapably result in the army losing to the terrorists. We must therefore overlook the army's few excesses as collateral damage.

Of course, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Soldiers do need legal cover to operate effectively. That is the norm the world over, and India can't be an exception. Enacted in 1958 to facilitate army's operations against Naga rebels, AFSPA was imposed in Kashmir in 1990 in response to a Pakistan-sponsored proxy war.

The local police was overwhelmed and army's intervention was necessary to take on the foreign mercenaries.

AFSPA allows the army greater scope to operate in "disturbed areas" notified by the state government -- the power to shoot to kill in law enforcement situations, to arrest without warrant and to detain people without time limits. It forbids prosecution of soldiers without approval from the central government, which is rarely granted. This can occasionally undermine the authority of democratically elected state governments.

But AFSPA is not simply a legal or operational issue. Given the many allegations of its misuse, there is widespread revulsion against its provisions. In Manipur, Irom Sharmila has been fasting since 2000 seeking its revocation. Although the Supreme Court upheld the legality of the AFSPA, it wanted greater checks and balances in the act. Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee recommended its annulment. Following army's insistence that any amendments to the AFSPA will severely constrain its counterinsurgency operations, central government has maintained the status quo.

Recently, Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, mooted the idea of repealing AFSPA from selected districts of Kashmir -- presumably Srinagar, Badgam and Ganderbal. This move is welcome as both an acknowledgment of the improving situation in the state and a push toward complete normalcy.

2011 has gone well for Kashmir: 80 per cent voting in Panchayat polls, over a million tourists, revision of travel advisory by Germany, and no major street-protests. Barely 200 militants remain active compared to 7000 a decade ago, and only 32 civilians have died in terror incidents as against 1,067 in 2001. Hizbul Mujahideen is finished and the top leadership of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir has been eliminated.

Sensibly, the proposal to remove AFSPA at this stage is limited to districts with insignificant terrorist activity. Because the army doesn't operate there, this denotification is unlikely to impact its plans. Moreover, terror incidents have been replaced  in the last few years by street protests, where army is not involved. AFSPA was applied progressively and selectively in Kashmir and it should be rolled back in a similar manner.

To avert a relapse into violence, we must normalise the political situation in the same way the security situation has become better. Demonstrating good faith by easing AFSPA would assure Kashmiris that Delhi is serious about returning Kashmir to a peaceful normal.

This move will provide a peace dividend to the vast majority which has rejected terrorism, while incentivising the recalcitrant few to follow suit. By removing the separatists' strongest emotive weapon, it will allow mainstream leaders to seize the political space in separatist strongholds of urban Kashmir. Diplomatically, India will be able to robustly counter its international criticism over Kashmir. The time is right to make this move which can accelerate Kashmir's path towards complete normalcy and permanent peace.

Sushant K Singh is Fellow for National Security at the Takshashila Institution and editor of Pragati-The Indian National Interest Review

Manipur Blockade: Traders Shop at Moreh

People stuck in a traffic jam, heading towards Moreh town, Tuesday night. (NP)

Imphal, Oct 26 : With economic strangulation due to the twin blockade of the NH-29 by the United Naga Council (UNC) and Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC), goods from Dimapur to Imphal had stopped being transported for over 85 days.

The situation in Imphal was grim and on the eve of Diwali and Ningolchakouba festivals, Imphal-based fruit and vegetable traders have been compelled to go to Namphalong market in Myanmar at the international border with Moreh of Manipur to buy necessary items meet the increasing demands.

In Manipur, Diwali, the biggest festival of light, will be celebrated Wednesday while the Ningolchakouba festival falls on October 28.

Fruit of different kinds such as orange, apple, coconut, etc. and various kinds of vegetables are indispensable items on these two festivals. 

Oranges which are not locally produced are normally imported from Dimapur and owing to the road blockades, stocks have dwindled. 

A fruit vendor in Imphal said till Monday, there were hopes that the blockades by the SHDDC and UNC would be lifted by Wednesday but so far there were no signs.  

Besides fruits, many traders in Imphal dealing in children’s items have also gone to Namphalong to but whatever items available for sale for the festivals. 

However, the quantity of fruits so far purchased from Myanmar was not enough to meet with the huge demand.  The shortages have pushed prices of fruits and other items sky high.

Owing to the rush to Namphalong market, traffic along Imphal-Moreh section of NH-29 was increased sharply, posing problems for police and security agencies who are escorting vehicles against any attacks by agitators in Naga inhabited areas.

On an average, around 600 vehicles are being escorted during the past few days as against 300 vehicles normally. 

Many people were also individually going to Moreh   return back on the same day after shopping at Namphalong market for all kinds of goods, right from fruits to readymade garments at cheaper rates than Imphal.

Traffic congestion at Moreh town is becoming worse and making it more difficult for traffic police.  

On the other hand, traders in Namphalong market are enjoying a windfall business with businessmen from Imphal.

Source: Nagaland Post

AFSPA: Should it be withdrawn or not? Militants have answered that

By Akshaya Mishra

So should AFSPA be withdrawn? The debate has got shriller across the spectrum and there’s no clear solution in sight. AFP

It’s draconian, it’s dangerous and it’s unpopular. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act vests with the security forces unrestricted and unaccounted power. It gives the forces overwhelming powers to shoot, arrest and search. Even a junior officer is allowed to kill on the basis of mere suspicion in the area declared disturbed. There are indications that the Act has been grossly misused in the areas of its operation — the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir.

For nearly 11 years Irom Sharmila of Manipur has been hunger protest demanding the withdrawal of the Act. The frail woman with a pipe dangling from her nose has been the symbol under which all civil society members opposed to the Act have rallied around.

“AFSPA is a symbol of vulgar and brutal violence in India and it needs to be repealed,’’ said prominent civil society activist and member of Team Anna, Medha Patkar. She recently kicked off a 10-day yatra from Srinagar demanding that the legislation be repealed. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has courted controversy by announcing that the Act as well as the Disturbed Areas Act would be rolled back from some areas of J&K.

The opposition to the repeal of AFSPA has been equally vociferous. The Army is against it, as is the general popular opinion in India. The Congress and the BJP, the major political parties, are opposed to it too. Omar’s statement has has virtually put the state government at loggerheads with the Ministry of Defence.

Given the sensitive political situation in the areas the Act is in force, it’s not an easy call to make. It is evoked only in exceptional conditions. And with so many forces at work against the country in these areas, not many would argue that the situation is exceptional.

So should AFSPA be withdrawn? The debate has got shriller across the spectrum and there’s no clear solution in sight.

Now the militants have provided the answer. They carried out four attacks targeting security personnel in the Kashmir Valle today, injuring three CRPF jawans and a policeman. They lobbed two grenades on security installations in central Srinagar and made an aborted attempt to target a police team in Shopian district. They also attacked policemen in Anantnag district.

The attacks fly in the face of Omar’s assertion that there’s gradual improvement in the security situation. It also lends credence to the Army’s contention that the conditions in the valley were not right for lifting AFSPA since there were no indication yet that there has been a let-up in infiltration bids from across the border. It has been citing that the challenge of militancy was not over and there was intelligence input about militants waiting to move across the Line of Control.

The civil society activists, of course, would never take note — steeped in bizarre notions of public good, they rarely take into consideration the ground realities. It is believed that the J&K interlocutors have recommended the Centre to withdraw the Act from the state and strive for a permanent political settlement in the state. They, according to media sources, have cited human rights violation resulting from the extraordinary powers given to the security forces.

The entire spectrum of objections to the Act has been about human rights violation. There’s no denying that such freedom creates enough scope for violation of civilian rights. But can the security forces operate in such dangerous terrains if they keep bothering about rights issues?

The Army has been protesting any suggestion of dilution of the Act, saying they would be unable to function in counter-insurgency roles without legal immunity. Its brass has been insisting that even partial revocation of the Act would greatly curtail the freedom of the forces to carry out operations. Security personnel deserve all the legal protection for the result of any action he takes on the spot.

Is a soldier supposed to be worried about legal issues when he is in a life and death situation? Does the situation even allow him that luxury? Security forces are required in those areas in the first place because the conditions are exceptional, beyond the control of local law and order authorities.

The civil society does not have to face these challenges. Yes, the atrocities unleashed by the forces — deliberately or otherwise — is reprehensible. But defanging the Army is not the solution.

Omar should take note.