Congress in Manipur May Buck Anti-incumbency Mood

It is likely to emerge as the largest political party, despite boycott call by militants and stiff competition

Imphal/Churachandpur (Manipur): The Congress party is likely to emerge as the largest political party in the 60-member Manipur state assembly although it faces stiff opposition from new political entrants in the state such as the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which are fighting the state polls for the first time.

Congress is expected to reduce its tally from a high of 30 seats in the last assembly elections to around 20 in the strife-torn state, which will require it to co-opt other parties to form a government.

Tight cover: The residence of Trinamool Congress candidate P. Songlianlal in Churachandpur. The elections are being held under the security vigil of 350 companies of paramilitary forces, with a total deployment of 62,000 personnel. Photo: Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

The other contenders in the fray for the 10th assembly elections include the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP), the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is fighting the low-key election as part of a coalition comprising the Manipur People’s Party (MPP), the Janata Dal (United) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist, or CPI (M). The Congress has also been boycotted by the Coordinating Committee (CorCom), a coalition of seven valley-based underground outfits.

“There are no such things as issues here. Money will drive elections,” said a weary Hilam Rajesh, editor of The Sangai Express, the largest circulated daily in the state. The stairway to his office is flanked by state police commandoes as the publication has been receiving threats from militant groups.

Also, unlike other states, religion and delimitation are not factors in Manipur. The last delimitation exercise was carried out in 1976. An attempt made in 2002 met widespread opposition with allegations about valley and hill areas misrepresenting the number of voters.

“Manipur politics is all about assertion of ethnic identities,” added Konsam Ibo Singh, who teaches political science in Manipur University.

Of the 60 seats in the assembly, 20 are in the hills, with the balance in the valley, which is primarily inhabited by Meities, who are Hindus. The Nagas and Kukis are tribes with a significant presence in the hills.
The Manipur state elections have seen large fluctuations in voting percentages. While 82% voted in the 2007 assembly polls, the number fell to 46% in the 2009 parliamentary elections.

There is popular sentiment in favour of the Congress in the Meitei-dominated valley.
Sundar Sharma, a 25-year-old Meitei from Imphal, said, “Congress is not much corrupt. We will vote for it.”
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma, said: “Anti-incumbency is very high. The Congress performance has been very bad and the people are angry.”

The NCP is contesting 22 seats on its own and is part of an opposition alliance that is contesting in 43.
Some say the candidates are more important than their parties. “Politics is here more about personalities than parties,” said Radhabinod Koijam, president of the NCP in Manipur and a former chief minister.

To compound problems for the Congress, while the state government had earlier banned Naga separatist leader T. Muivah from visiting his birthplace in the state, Neiphiu Rio, Nagaland’s chief minister, is actively campaigning in the Naga-dominated hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong.
These are among the districts that the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), wants to be carved out to form the Naga state of Nagalim, along with Naga-dominated areas in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar.

“The ideology of the NPF is to speak of the political voice of the Nagas. Our voice is not being heard. We are fighting elections for the first time in Manipur as part of our plan to fight elections from the Naga-inhabited areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam,” said Abu Metha, press secretary to Neiphiu Rio.
NPF is fighting elections in 12 seats in the four hill districts.

However, Phungzathang Tongsing, Manipur’s power minister, who is contesting from the Churachandpur assembly constituency, commented, while sitting in his palatial compound in Imphal. “What is the purpose of NPF? What is their programme? They can’t do anything for the state of Manipur.”

While the security establishment is strongly opposed to withdrawing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Afspa) from more areas, as it provides soldiers immunity from being prosecuted in any court of law, almost all the political parties are opposing it.

“There are divisive forces trying to break Manipur. Our fight is against corruption. We also want removal of Afspa,” said M. Nara Singh, CPI state secretary, sitting in his election office under a dim light. His party was a part of the Congress government but is now contesting independently in 24 seats.

Arguing similarly, TMC’s Kim Gangte said, “We are against this draconian law. If Manipur is part of India, it is time that the centre should look at it (removing Afspa).”

Underground groups
The CorCom has boycotted the Congress and has warned its candidates and workers against campaigning. Grenades have been thrown at the homes of candidates, cadres and party offices and there have been instances of improvised explosive devices (IED) camouflaged in cabbage being planted to cause damage.
The CorCom has named 38 Congress candidates and their 1,790 supporters in 38 constituencies as being covered under the threat.

“There is a law and order issue,” said Congress’ Tongsing, whose Churachandpur assembly constituency faces a keenly watched contest between the Congress, NCP and TMC. The other contenders are from the Shiv Sena and an independent.

P. Songlianlal of the TMC, who is also contesting the seat, said, “CorCom and NPF don’t have a problem with us.”The election marks several firsts. Apart from Muslim candidates fighting on Shiv Sena tickets, it will be for the first time that elections to all the 60 seats will be held in one phase. In 2007, state assembly elections were held in three phases with the parliamentary elections of 2009 being held in two phases.

The elections are being held under the security vigil of 350 companies of paramilitary forces for the state, with a total deployment of 62,000 personnel. Of the 2,357 polling stations in the state, only 160 are classified as normal by the Election Commission, with 1,325 termed sensitive and 872 hyper-sensitive.
Ratnakar Baral, director general of police (DGP), dismissed the apprehensions. “We are fully prepared,” he said.

Baral replaced Y. Joykumar Singh this month at the directive of the Election Commission.

While P.C. Lawmkunga, additional chief secretary and chief electoral officer for the state, admitted that his “most serious concern is the security”, he added that the Election Commission was “very much prepared in terms of manpower and security”.

utpal.b@livemint.com

Padma Vibhushan for Dr Bhupen Hazarika

Posthumous award

New Delhi, Jan 26 : In what is being perceived as a major let-down, Dr Bhupen Hazarika has been nominated posthumously for the Padma Vibhusan Award despite a growing demand for the Bharat Ratna to the legendary singer and composer. The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service.

Dr Hazarika is among seven whose names have been nominated for the Padma Vibhusan, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the eve of the Republic Day celebrations. Padma Awards, the country’s highest civilian awards, are conferred in three categories–Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.

The awards are conferred by the President of India at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhawan sometime around March-April. This year the President has approved of 109 awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 14 in the category of Foreigners and NRIs and Posthumous. This year, there are five Padma Vibhushans, 27 Padma Bhushans and 77 Padma Shri awards. There are 19 women among the awardees, an official declaration said.

The balladeer and prominent cartoonist Mario De Miranda have been nominated posthumously. Dr Hazarika was the recipient of the Padma Shri (1977) and the Padma Bhusan (2001).

This year, none from the North-east has been nominated for the Padma Bhusan Award, while Sunil Janah of Assam has been nominated for the Padma Shri in the category of Art and Photography. Dr Ralte L Thanmawia of Mizoram has been nominated for the Padma Shri in the category of literature and education.

Meanwhile, notwithstanding pressure on the UPA-II Government to honour Dr Hazarika with the coveted Bharat Ratna, the Centre chose to ignore it. The list of those seeking the highest civilian award of the country is long and quite a few influential names figure in it, said sources, adding that names included that of Choudhury Charan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Dhyan Chand, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bhindra among others.

Others who also desire the award include popular actor Amitabh Bachchan. Further, names of Mirza Ghalib and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya have also been in circulation for the Bharat Ratna.

Supporting the case of the Dada Saheb Phalke awardee was Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who personally took the matter with the Prime Minister following huge public demand. The matter was also raised in the Parliament and the North East MPs’ Forum twice passed a resolution recommending the singer’s name for the highest civilian honour.

Reacting to the development, Kumar Deepak Das, who was among the first to raise the matter in Parliament, described it as most unfortunate. Just because he was from Assam, he was deprived of the highest civilian award.

The Prime Minister is a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam but in this case he has failed to honour the sentiment of the people of the State he represents, Das added.

General secretary of NEMPF Biren Baishya, who had called on the Prime Minister and submitted a petition along with chairman Mukut Mithi, said he is still hopeful.

Meanwhile, Khamliana from Mizoram and Md Abdul Bari of Odisha have been jointly selected for the National Communal Harmony Award for the year 2011 in the individual category.

Khamliana, 56, is the founder president of Mizoram Youth Club established in 1990. The Club is a well-known voluntary organisation rendering social service and strengthening national integration in Mizoram.

Mizoram Chief Secy Urges Officials To Prepare Voter List Sans

Aizawl, Jan 26 : Mizoram Chief Secretary Van Hela Pachuau today called upon officials involved in preparations of voter lists to work without fear or favour to ensure that no foreigners were enrolled in the electoral rolls.

Addressing a function on the occasion of the second National Voters Day, Pachuau said while all the citizens, attaining the age of 18, should be enrolled so that they have the right to vote, utmost care should be taken so that no foreigners were enlisted in the voter lists.

"If elections, the most important exercise of the people in the democratic government, are free and fair, democracy is strengthened while abuse of the elections and the voters' lists can endanger the very foundation of democracy," he said.

All the voters in Mizoram have recently possessed electoral photo identity card (EPIC) and the state became the seventh state to achieve it.

Protected Area Permit Extended in Mizoram

Aizawl, Jan 25 : The Protected Area Permit(PAP) regime, in which foreigners desiring to visit some states are required to have special permit from the union home ministry has been relaxed for yet another year in three NE states with some conditions.

A letter from the Union Home Ministry to Mizoram chief secretary Van Hela Pachuau, today said PAP relaxation was extended for another year from December 31, 2011 in the states of Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland.

Visitors from Afghanistan, Pakistan and China would, however, require prior permission from the union home ministry to visit the three states and those from Myanmar could cross the border and travel upto 16 km with permission from it.

All foreigners visiting the three north eastern states have to report themselves to Foreigners Registration Officers of the respective states within 24 hours and foreign Christian missionaries visiting the states were required to obtain missionary visas, the letter said.

Mizo Farmers Reap Benefit From Oil Palm Cultivation

Aizawl, Jan 25 : The Government of Mizoram is increasingly promoting oil palm cultivation in the state with multiple aim of generating jobs, benefiting farmers and attracting edible oil makers.

It has earmarked 1,33,000 hectares of land in Mizoram for oil palm cultivation as the region's climatic and geographical conditions are suitable for its growth.

Farmers can harvest oil palm seeds 3-4 times a year and a bunch of oil palms weigh nearly 30-35 kg. They sell the seeds to private organizations at a cost of Rs 4.75 per Kg from which edible oil is produced.

Over 3000 families are engaged in oil palm cultivation across Mizoram of which nearly 850 are in Kolasib district.

"Oil palm, sugar, vegetables, these are the main crops. We are giving our best advice to the cultivators by providing them field school lessons, giving field visits and other things so that the production can be increased," said K Zirliana, District Agricultural Officer, Kolasib.

R. Thansiama, a farmer, who have taken up oil palm cultivation, recently received Rs 45,000 monetary support from the state government under the New Land Use Policy Scheme to expand his farm.

He started planting palms in 2002 and owns over 1000 of these in his seven-hectare large farm.
"In the first year, I planted 300 trees, in the second year, I planted 500 trees and as of today I have more than 1000 trees in my farm," Thansiama, said.

Biggest Arms Surrender To PC By 9 Rebel Groups

By Prabin Kalita


Guwahati, Jan 25 : Militancy-hit Assam was able to shirk off this tag on Tuesday with the biggest surrender of over 1,600 cadres of nine outfits in a day. However, a few remnant groups, including Ulfa hardliners led by Paresh Baruah, did not join the peace process.

An assortment of about 201 small and big weapons were deposited by the groups comprising five Adivasi, three Kuki and a Hmar outfit, before Union home minister P Chidambaram and chief minister Tarun Gogoi. Welcoming the cadres back into the mainstream, the home minister said, "We can build a great India, a great economy and we ask you all to join us in this glorious task of nation building."

Gogoi, on the other hand, reiterated his appeal to Baruah and his group to join the peace process. "Our doors are open for those who are willing to join the peace process but we will firmly deal with hardliners," he said.


Hailing the mega arms surrender ceremony, the home minister said, "Not often do we see so many groups, which have taken the path of militancy, returning to the path of peace, reconciliation and brotherhood. We believe that in our republic and democracy every voice deserves to be heard and all differences can be settled through talks and consultations."

Chidambaram said, "In the past couple of years, we have reached out to several outfits. We have signed the suspension of operation with the pro-talks faction of Ulfa, we have signed a memorandum of settlement with UPDS and negotiations with the DHD(J) are in the final stages. We expect a memorandum very soon, talks with DHD(N) are progressing well and talks with the NDFB (Progressive) will continue. Talks with the KLNLF are also progressing and the Ranjan Daimary faction of the NDFB has declared unilateral ceasefire."

The nine outfits, Kuki Revolutionary Army, United Kukigram Defence Army, Hmar People's Convention (D), Kuki Liberation Army, Adivasi Cobra Military of Assam, Birsa Commando Force, Santhal Tiger Force, All Adivasi National Liberation Army and Adivasi People's Army had earlier declared a ceasefire. Chidambaram added, "We assure you that the government of India and the government of Assam will treat everyone of you as equal citizens with honour and dignity."

Also present at the ceremony were the 4th Corps GoC Lt Gen Shakti Gurung, 3rd Corps GoC Lt Gen Dalbir, director general of police and chairman of the Operational Group (Unified Command), J N Choudhury, GoC, Red Horns division Major General R N Nairand GoC Red Shield Maj Gen Binoy Poonnen.

The additional director general of Assam Police (special branch), who was responsible for the arms surrender ceremony, said, "All major outfits have finally come to the peace process except a few remnants and deserter groups."

Meghalaya To Train Teachers Online

Shillong, Jan 25 : Meghalaya government is tying up with IGNOU to train its elementary school teachers ‘online’ to save on teachers’ training programmes and cope with the demands of the provisions of Right to Education (RTE).

“We are tying up with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for imparting on-line ‘in-service’ training to the teachers of the state this year,” the Education Minister Mr Roytre C Laloo told reporters here.

“Besides, fresh teachers will also be given a two-year training course by DIETs of the state,” he said.

According to the minister, “The online concept of providing training to the teachers will, to a great extent, reduce the expenditure as the government has to pay two salaries for a given post when the teacher has to go for teachers’ trainings.”

Mr Laloo said, “The amount thus saved from in-service teachers would be used for sending those fresh teachers for trainings.”

At present, Meghalaya is facing shortage of trained teachers which is another challenge in implementing the RTE in the state, the minister said.

He further informed that an official committee of a six-member ministers including Meghalaya will hold a meeting to discuss on the draft rules to curb unfair practices by students and institutions.

“The meeting will be held by February 15,” he said.

78 Lakh Trees To Be Felled For Tipaimukh Dam

By Roopak Goswami

Guwahati, Jan 20 : Seventy-eight lakh trees will be chopped as part of the forest clearance process for the 1,500MW Tipaimukh hydroelectric project in Manipur, an exercise that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says will be taken up for “national interest”.

The project, which has been in the eye of controversies following opposition from Bangladesh, has received support from the Centre, which has promised not to take any steps that would adversely affect the neighbouring country.

The project near the Manipur-Mizoram border, 500 metres downstream of the confluence of river Barak and the Tuivai in Churachandpur district of Manipur, received environmental clearance in 2008.

Alarmed by the diversion of a very large area of forest land and felling of more than 78 lakh trees, the forest advisory committee, under the ministry of environment and forests, has recommended that a sub-committee, along with domain experts in the field of ecology, wildlife, hydrology and others, visit the project site to make an on-the-spot assessment of impacts.

The committee, which met on January 11-12 in New Delhi, also recommended that the sub-committee may suggest appropriate measures on further reduction in dam height to minimise forest land requirement.

The committee said the forest land proposed for diversion contains 78,16,931 trees and 27,000 bamboo columns.

Principal chief conservator of forests, Manipur, has been quoted in the report as saying “no compensatory measure would help in mitigating the loss caused by felling of such large number of trees as also the diverse impact on the habitat, flora, fauna, bio-diversity and environment, unless additional non-forest areas in affected districts or adjoining districts are taken up for compensatory afforestation”.

The per megawatt requirement of forest land at 16.22 hectares is also substantially high, the committee said.

Manipur had initially submitted a proposal to obtain approval of the Centre under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for diversion of 20,464 hectares of forest land, which was later revised to 25,822.14 hectares.

Later, according to the consideration of recommendations made by the northeastern regional office of the ministry of environment and forests, the area of forest land proposed for diversion was further revised to 22,777.50 hectares.

Mizoram also sent a proposal for diversion of 1551.60 hectares of forest land, which is being processed separately.

The total diversion is 24,329 hectares of forest land, of which 22,777.50 hectares is in Manipur and 1551.60 hectares is in Mizoram.

The project is being executed as a joint venture of the NHPC (69 per cent), Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (26 per cent) and the Manipur government (5 per cent). It was initially proposed to be executed by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited.

The Tipaimukh project is expected to take 87 months for completion and will come up during the 12th Five Year Plan. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs 9,211 crore at September 2008 price level.

Many project proponents, including government departments have been urging the Centre to expedite the process of granting environment and forest clearances as otherwise the projects were getting delayed.

Though the environmental clearance given in 2008 had said downstream impacts of the project in Assam should be studied because of construction of the dam, sources said nothing had been done till now.

The clearance letter had also said since the Tipaimukh project involved large submergence, a comprehensive study of the possible greenhouse emissions from the project should be carried out.

Sources, however, said this also had not been done. “How shall we kill ourselves in an age of climate change...let us count the ways. Instead of investing money in enhancing efficiency and making existing hydroelectric power projects deliver on failed promises, myopic planners in the Prime Minister’s Office and Planning Commission are laying out a silken trap for the Indian people...promising power and delivering a slow death from ecological instability instead,” wildlife expert Bittu Sahgal told The Telegraph.

“This is going to be an ecological disaster. There is great impact in the upstream area and one can very well imagine what may happen downstream, which has still not been studied,” Firoz Ahmed, wildlife conservationist from Assam, said.

“This will be transformed into a desert. This is an exceptionally rich biodiverse area,” R.K. Ranjan Singh, an environmentalist and adviser to the Manipur-based NGO Citizens’ Concern for Dams and Development, said.

“No project in the country, howsoever necessary, should be cleared by any authority if it involves large-scale cutting of trees. Such action is a disaster for the future of a nation and the country requires a strict land use policy urgently,” Valmik Thapar, eminent wildlife conservationist, said.