Assam Violence: The Politics Of Rehabilitation

By Alok Pandey

Chirang, Assam: At a relief camp set up at the Bidyapur High School in Chirang, Assam, 55-year-old Abdul Jaleel is very angry when asked what he thinks about the demand of Bodo leaders and the BJP that only those with Indian identity papers among minorities at relief camps be allowed to go home.

Abdul has no papers to prove he is Indian. He says all his papers were burnt by those who attacked his village in the adjoining Chirang district 15 days ago, forcing all families to flee the village. Of the 3000 odd people who have taken refuge at this relief camp after ethnic violence rocked lower Assam since last month, almost 2000 are adults. They all live, with 1200 children, in five classrooms. Not one adult seems to have papers to prove identity.

Muslims like Abdul living in relief camps in the strife-torn Kokrajhar region face allegations that all of them are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. In faraway New Delhi today, BJP leader LK Advani accused the Congress, which rules both at the Centre and in Assam, of indulging in vote-bank politics by allowing illegal immigrants to cross the border. This, he said, was the root cause of the riots that have torn Assam apart over the last month.

At Jantar Mantar in the capital, Mr Advani's party joined Bodo leaders at a dharna. Speaker after speaker said that while the Bodos are willing to accept those who came into Kokrajhar and other areas before the 1971 war, those who came thereafter are not welcome.

There are almost 400,000 displaced people in lower Assam crowding ill-equipped relief camps after they fled their villages as intense clashes broke out between Bodos and Bengali speaking settlers last month. About two-thirds of that massive number are Muslim. To segregate people at minority camps on the basis of when they crossed over will be an impossible task.

At the Bidyapur school camp an agitated Shahbuddin, 25, wants to know why this reporter is asking about identity papers. The mistrust runs deep. "Go and ask the government or the Bodo Territorial Council administration," he says. "All of us voted for this government and administration. At that time we were not Bangladeshis. How have we suddenly become Bangladeshis now? Not one person in this camp is a Bangladeshi," he asserts.

Ten kilometres away, the atmosphere is much the same at the Dhantola minority relief camp, if not more tense. That tension has been caused by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi saying on Tuesday that only bonafide Indian citizens will be rehabilitated.

"Will Mr Gogoi personally visit this camp to segregate Indians and Bangladeshis at the camp, asks Maqbool Hussain. "I dare him to come", he says angrily. "Look, we all voted for the Congress. We had all our papers till they were systematically burnt. Now we have nothing. But the government knows, they will have proof of our Indian identity." And then, he adds bitterly, "If Gogoi comes, I will teach him a lesson."

Displaced and frightened, people at these camps are forced to live in filthy conditions. Most children at the Bidyapur camp are suffering from diarrhoea and dysentry. Doctors have visited, but they are stretched. Assam's government says there are 117 doctors to take care of over the lakhs of people still living in relief camps.

The only solution to this misery that Mr Gogoi has offered is the hope that people will return to their villages by August 15. Mr Gogoi says police pickets are being set up in sensitive areas and this will give confidence to people to return to their homes. But Abdul Jaleel, Shahbuddin and Maqbool Hussain don't know when they will be rehabilitated.

Bus Plunges Into Gorge in Meghalaya, 31 Dead

Shillong, Aug 9 : Thirty-one people were killed and 27 injured when a bus proceeding from Guwahati to Agartala rolled down a hill in Meghalaya on early Wednesday, police said.

Two women were among those killed when the bus rolled down a 100 metre deep gorge in Tongseng, East Jaintia Hills district police chief MK Dkhar told IANS.

Tongseng is about 150 km east of Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. The privately-owned night bus was on its way from Guwahati in Assam to Tripura capital Agartala.

Of the injured, Dkhar said seven were rushed to Silchar Medical College in southern Assam and the rest in nearby hospitals in the district.

“The rescue operations are over and investigation has begun to ascertain the cause of the accident,” the officer said.

A Tripura official told IANS in Agartala that 27 people died on the spot.

The driver of the bus, who also died, lost control of the bus when he was taking a turn in the terrain cramped Assam-Agartala highway.

Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey told IANS that a state government team had left for the site.

He said the place where the disaster site was “extremely accident prone”. “Every year a number of accidents have occurred in the area. killing many people.”

Tripura To Have Separate Directorate For Tribal Languages

Agartala, Aug 9 : Tripura government will form a separate directorate for developing tribal languages in vogue in the state, official sources said today.

There are 23 tribes in Tipura and majority of them speak Kokborok, which is the main tribal language in the state. Tribes like Chakma, Kuki, Hmar, Hrangkhol and Halam residing in the state have their own languages.

The directorate would be named ‘Kokborok and Minority Language Development Directorate’ and would be headed by an IAS officer, the sources said.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the council of ministers chaired by the Chief Minister Manik Sarkar here on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, following suggestions by educationists from Chakma tribe, the state government has decided to introduce Chakma script instead of Bengali for the Chakma students.

There are 943 schools where Kokborok is the medium of instruction, 28 where Meitei (Manipuri) is the medium of instruction, 36 schools where Bishnupriya Manipuri language is used and 49 others where Kuki-Halam language is the medium of instructions.

The tribals in Tripura constitute one third of the population, which is slightly more than 37 lakhs.

Amid Gloom, Mary Lights Up Manipur

By Divya Trivedi

 

Mary Kom’s family and friends are glued to the television set during her bout against Great Britain’s Nicola Adams in the semifinal of women’s flyweight boxing on Wednesday. Despite losing 6-11 to the second seed, Mary Kom won a bronze to take India’s tally to four medals at the London Olympics. Photo: Special Arrangement

Moments after referee David Llaurado raised Nicola Adams’ left arm to signal her victory in a semifinal bout of the 51 kg women's flyweight boxing event in the London Olympics on Wednesday, Manipur was plunged in darkness. Literally and metaphorically.

Punching above her weight, the North Eastern State’s — and India’s — favourite daughter, Mary Kom had just lost the chance to advance to the final of the competition, losing 6-11 to the younger and taller Briton. Manipur normally gets electricity for just a few hours a day but the authorities kept the grid running long enough to allow Mary's fans to watch the match live. Seconds after she lost, the lights went out.

Friends and relatives who had gathered at the five-time world champion's village, Langol, in Imphal West, bore her defeat to a quick-footed opponent with a heavy heart, although they put up a brave face.

Mary's father Tonpa, who had travelled all the way from his village Kangathei to watch the match with friends and family in Imphal became emotional. But he soon recovered, saying, “What has happened has happened. I am sad that she lost the silver, but am very, very happy that she won the bronze.”

On the streets of Manipur, men, women and children wore their feelings on their faces. For, the ones that had gathered in front of television screens seemed to have been certain in their minds that they would be celebrating a famous win for their champion pugilist.

Mary Kom's entry into the Olympics united the Nagas, Meiteis and Kukis of Manipur who swept aside their political differences and collectively prayed for her victory, says Worngam Siro, a Tangkhul Naga who runs a retail shop in the city.

“All of us feel very proud because such a talented boxer has achieved so much from our small State. All the Koms and Kukis and Meiteis are my brethren because we are the same,” he said.

This was Mary's second loss to Nicola. The Manipuri mother of two had earlier lost to her in the quarterfinals of the last world championship in a tournament that was the qualifying event for the Olympics.

Even though Mary is a five-time world champion in the 45 kg, 46 kg and 48 kg categories, she had to fight well above her weight at the Olympics in the 51 kg (flyweight) event and she had had to train specifically for the higher weight category.

“Whether she lost or won, does not matter. But she has put Manipur on the map of the world, and we are extremely proud of her,” said Satyananda Meitei, one of her fans.

“This is a game and such things happen,” said another fan with tears in his eyes.

Despite formidable odds, Mary worked hard to reach this far. “But all is not lost, there will be a next time,” said Satyananda.

Ibomcha Singh, who coached Mary, said she had reached thus far through dedication, determination and discipline.

Indians, Geography, Northeast India & Mary Kom

By Sinlung

Amitabh Bachchan's Twit: which he later clarified....

Where do we start? geography, politics, under-development, unrepresented?

The twit says it all...Assam, Manipur, Northeast India. Where is it? China? Maybe in Katmandu.

Mary Kom, thank you for giving mainland Indians a lesson and good luck with the fight today.

Mary Vs. Nicola Today

ALL THE BEST MARY KOM...
You're in our prayers..
You can do it.

Manipur Prays For Mary Kom, Electricity

By Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, Aug 8 : All of Manipur is praying, not just for a knockout show by Mary Kom in faraway London on Wednesday but also for 10 minutes of uninterrupted power here at home so they can watch her on their TV sets.

Half of Manipur — including the 300-odd people of Kengathel, Mary Kom’s native village —
missed her opening bout on Sunday. They were luckier Monday, when they got to see her land the decisive blows in the quarterfinal.

“All we want is 8-10 minutes of uninterrupted power when her semifinal starts at 6.15pm,” Mary’s father, Tonpa Kom, said.

“There’s a difference watching Magnificent Mary live and reading about her exploits the next day,” said T Rishikant, a fan.

“It’s an uphill task but we are trying our best to ensure there is power across the state around the time the bout starts,” a state electricity board engineer said.

In Assam, Even 1000 Doctors Would Not Be Enough

By Alok Pandey
Guwahati, Aug 8 : In seven days from now, on Independence Day, the Assam government hopes that the four lakh people packed into 250 relief camps will return to their homes. Ask any of the families who are living in squalor at these camps and they will tell you that is not the case.

Many have no homes to return to. Entire villages were wiped out in Assam's worst communal violence in more than a decade. Those whose homes survived the cycle of attack and revenge between the Bodo tribals and Bengali-speaking Muslim settlers don't believe they will be safe outside the schools and colleges that have been turned into shelters.

They are not paranoid. On Monday at 11 pm, a group of 30 men appeared in the Raniguli village, just 30 kms away from the main Kokrajhar town, which functions as a sort of capital of this part of Lower Assam.

The men came from the hills; they opened fire; three people, sitting on a bench, were killed.  Two others are struggling for their lives in hospital. A few minutes after their mass-shooting, the gunmen disappeared. Raniguli is now a ghost town - every single family has escaped to relief camps nearby, pointedly skipping the one whose wall borders a section of the village. On the phone , the Assam Home Secretary, Gyandendra Tripathi,  said  forces had secured the village today. But at 10 am, there was not one policeman or security officer visible. 

The Army, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Border Security Force are all meant to be on guard to prevent more clashes - 60 people have died in the last month.  But last night, there was nobody to protect the innocent. In parliament tomorrow, the BJP will seek an explanation from the government.  Among the lapses acknowledged so far is a nearly five-day delay by the army in responding to the first calls of help from the Assam government. 

The relief camps offer dangers of their own. Diseases are spreading quickly. Five children have died in the last few days. Many are diagnosed with malaria. There are just 117 doctors available for the 400,000 inhabitants of the camps. Many of the doctors travel with police escorts from one shelter to another. They say they have run out of supplies -all they have now for patients are generic medicines for a cough or cold. "Even 1500 doctors would not have been enough," one says.