Looking Closely At Northeast India

By Ashfaqur Rahman

Now that we have agreed in principle to allow a shorter road passage for Indians to reach North East India through Bangladesh, let us see how we are likely to also benefit.

* As things stand, it will be a small fee that we can expect from the Indian vehicles that will pass through;

* We will enjoy greater connectivity with a part of India which has been closed to the world for practical purposes for so long;

* We hope for more trade between Bangladesh and the states of North East India;

* We look forward to invest in North East India. This could be to produce goods and services for the people of that region;

* We hope to be able to travel to some of the beautiful spots in this extraordinary part of India. We would get to know the various tribes, their languages, their customs, their cultures and their ways of life.

In turn, the people of North East India would travel to Bangladesh. They would also trade with us, perhaps invest here. But the important thing for them would be that they will be able to bring goods from mainland India to the north eastern states at reasonable cost.

They would also move to the Indian states west of Bangladesh at low cost. Finally, they may use our transports to move their exports and imports using Bangladeshi ports. Thus, they would be able to save time, energy and costs.

So, as a good neighbour to North East India we can look forward to a better morrow. But before we count the blessings, let us look closely at the North East Indian states.

The first thing to know is that North East India is not a homogenous area. It is not a single geographical whole. The mountains and the valleys separate regions and peoples. The people also do not necessarily share a common heritage.

Due to geographical isolation of the area as well as its "burden of history," particularly its economic severance from the rest of India at the time of Partition (1947), there is poverty and therefore discontent among the people. Whatever communication links it had with Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) were also snapped during the 1965 war between India and Pakistan.

The North Eastern states of India border China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and cover a total area of 255,000 sq km. Before the British came to India, these states were integrated politically and economically with the rest of the sub-continent. Hence "North East" as a concept only emerged after India became a colony of the British.

But this happened over a period. The British first established their rule over Assam in

1826. In 1830, they took Cachar. The Khasi Hills came under their control in 1883. The Naga hills in 1885, the Garo Hills in 1872 and the Lushai Hills in 1890.

In 1947, when India became independent, the region was tenuously connected with the rest of India by a 21 km wide Siliguri corridor. Thus, less than 1% of the external boundaries of these states remain contiguous with the rest of India. The rest 99% of these states have international borders.

It is curious to note that the nationalist struggle for a Free India did not touch the people of the North East. As one Indian scholar has noted, they "remained immune to the process of Indianness."

The North Eastern States of India are endowed with abundant natural resources. There are oil reserves, stones, tropical forests, hydro-electricity, tea, coal, timber, rubber, fruits, silk and jute.

But due to high population growth, labour immobility, restricted land market, a disturbed political and social environment and a subsistence economy, development did not take place.

There are eight states in the North East of India. They are Sikkim, Arunachal, Mizoram, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. In each of the states there are several ethnic groups. There are also many tribes within each ethnic group. Arunachal has 110 tribes, Assam 20, Manipur 2, Meghalaya 3, etc. So in spite of formation of each of these states based on ethnic and tribal identities, the entire area is heterogeneous. Violence and insurgencies persist in these heavenly abodes.

So how should Bangladesh proceed to connect trade and invest and start tourism with this neighbouring region?

To begin with, and as mentioned, we must not consider North East as a single, homogenous area. We, therefore, should not craft a single set of policies to serve the entire region.

We need to carefully study each of the territories, the tribes, their ethnic build up, their existing resources, their potentials as well as their tribal rivalries. We should then devise policies in such a way that we are able to adopt pragmatic approaches while interacting with individual states. We need to advise the private sector of Bangladesh to move cautiously, in collaboration with the state governments and the local Chambers of Commerce as well as our government agencies, into these areas.

We must not be overly ambitious and go for big projects or industries at the initial stage. We should proceed incrementally and see what succeeds. Then we can move on to bigger projects. Each state may or may not even have laws in place to protect foreign investments. We suggest that India may also think initially of setting up a Special Economic Zone for Bangladeshi entrepreneurs in the state of Tripura, where we can park our investments.

But before that starts both the governments need to work on "trade facilitation" measures. Local infrastructure must be upgraded both on the Bangladeshi side and in each North Indian state. Border customs and currency exchange systems must be established, non- tariff barriers removed and, for ease of movement of Bangladeshi entrepreneurs, visa procedures simplified. Standards for goods and services also need to be "harmonised" between the two countries as well within the Indian states.

Bangladesh needs to set up consular posts in the region. At present there is one consular outpost in Agartala, Tripura. We could consider setting another one soon in Assam. These posts should also disseminate information about Bangladesh. India may not insist that these offices have to be set up on a reciprocal basis.

Thus, putting the right policies in place will usher in an era of peaceful engagement between the people of the two regions. It is time we work on the basis of a vision that conjures prosperity for the teeming millions in this part of South Asia.

The writer is a former Ambassador and Chairman of the Centre for Foreign Affairs Studies.

E-mail: ashfaq303@hotmail.com

Mizoram Governor Concerned Over Foreigners Influx

Aizawl, Jul 23 : Mizoram Governor Lt General (retd) M M Lakhera today reiterated his strong concern over the influx of nationals from Bangladesh and Myanmar, with which the state shares 318 kms and 404 kms borders respectively.

''It is fine to show hospitality and courtesy to our guests. But we should not let them stay with us if it causes social problems,'' Lakhera told leaders of churches and NGOs in Mizoram during an informal meeting at the Raj Bhavan here.

In a similar meeting in last December, Mr Lakhera had suggested a census of Myanmarese nationals staying in the Northeastern state.

The central committee of the Young Mizo Association, Mizoram's largest and most powerful social organisation, today took a strong exception to an alleged statement of a Mizoram minister in the on-going Assembly session, who allegedly spoke in favour of Myanmarese migrants staying in Mizoram.

During a discussion on handloom industry in Mizoram in the Assembly House a few days back, the minister talked about the need to show more tolerance to Myanmarese migrants as they were the major part of labour force, particularly in handloom industry.

''While the illegal foreigners are causing a big problem and adding to crime rates in Mizoram, our elected representatives making statements in favour of illegal migrants is highly uncalled for,'' the central YMA said in a statement.

The central YMA's standpoint is that 'foreigner is foreigner' and those foreigners illegally entering our state would never be accepted as citizens, the communiqué said.

The number of Myanmarese living in Mizoram is estimated to be about 50,000. However, the unofficial estimate puts the figure at over 75,000.

The Mizoram government, with the permission of the Union Home Ministry, had given entry passes and temporary stay permits to Myanmarese migrants who work in jewellery shops, vehicular service centres, restaurants, factories, and handloom industry.

Mizoram's people and ethnic Mizos from the Chin state of neighbouring Myanmar are allowed to be engaged in border trade within a 15-km strip along the international boundary in Mizoram and then return, but poverty-stricken majority of them choose to remain in Mizoram for a longer period.

Guns and Poses: The Naga issue Just Got Messier

The Naga insurgency has been the mothership for several other outfits. What does the latest split in the NSCN mean for the country? Avalok Langer finds out

Armed struggle Kitovi (sixth from left) and NSCN (Khole-Kitovi) minister

Photo: Avalok Langer

It had just rained. The white SUV cut through the paddy fields as the clouds etched their picturesque images in the pools. “But I, being poor, have only my dreams... tread softly because you tread on my dreams. Yes, I like that phrase. I have always been a fan of Yeats,” says the local liaison man, an MA in English from Delhi’s Jamia University.

Mountains, poetic vistas and long conversations — it could have been just another drive through the hills of Nagaland, but for the ‘underground’ operative sitting next to us with a 9 mm pistol tucked in his jeans and his associate with a Chinese made AK-47. The Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) had split, a factional war was on the cards and so TEHELKA drove to the NSCN’s Khehoi camp, about 35 km from Dimapur, to find out why.

Starting in 1920, the political struggle for Naga sovereignty has had more twists and turns than a Hitchcock thriller. But for a country infested with internal struggles, does a people’s movement tucked away on the Indo-Myanmar border really affect you and me? Should it matter to the nation that on 18 July, Thuingaleng Muivah, the General Secretary of NSCN(IM), issued a joint statement with Central representative RS Pandey, stating that the differences between the two parties have narrowed and that sustained negotiations have thrown up multiple proposals for a mutually honourable solution? Or that SS Khaplang, a founding father of the movement, has been expelled? That Eastern Nagaland and Arunachal are on the verge of a factional war? The answer is a simple yes, but the ‘whys’ are complex.

‘There is no place in the modern world for bloodshed, or for terrorists; we have to talk,’ says Kitovi

Needing safe havens and routes across the border, the NSCN has armed, trained, mentored and harboured almost all the underground groups in the Northeast. It is believed that at present, the wanted ULFA leader Paresh Baruah is residing in one of the NSCN(K) camps in Myanmar and Ranjan Daimary’s Third Battalion of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) is being trained and harboured by NSCN(K) in the same camp. Intelligence and underground sources suggest that the Naga groups are providing arms and moral support to the Naxal movement in central India directly and indirectly. Known as the mother of all insurgencies, peace with NSCN holds the key to a large spectrum of our internal security.

As an underground source said: “For a solution, we have to approach India, but you can never rule out the China angle, they are always ready to help us.” While the Indian Army prepares for a conventional cross-border aggression, China has waged a proxy war since the late 1960s. Armed and trained by the Chinese in 1967, the Nagas have remained close to the Middle Kingdom and have opened the doors to Beijing for other groups in the region. There is a growing sentiment in the Northeast that the next Indo-China war will be decided by the people of the region. Though the people may not side with China, the Naga underground groups, with a combined standing army of over 10,000 are a cause for concern.

The Indo-Naga stalemate has always overshadowed any potential there might have been in the Northeast for economic gains — whether in alternative energy, infrastructure, horticulture, oil and minerals, agro-based industry or even uranium. A solution to the Indo-Naga dispute could bring peace and stability here, opening the region up for investment.

Divergent Stands

Headed By
Gen Khole and Kitovi Zhimomi

National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khole-Kitovi)

Based in Nagaland, the new leadership believes in negotiations with the Centre, reconciliation and a solution for Nagaland first. Greater Nagaland can follow

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National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang)

Headed By SS Khaplang

With their headquarters in Myanmar, NSCN (Khaplang) has finally opened up for talks with the Indian Government, but will not agree to a solution without sovereignty

The fight for ‘Azadi’ and the horrors of the ‘Red Corridor’ have brought Kashmir and Chhattisgarh to our living rooms but for 64 years, the Nagas have harboured a sense of alienation, discrimination and exclusion. No one talks of the alleged brutalities at the hands of the armed forces, their aspirations or their demands. The Nagas may have grown weary of a disintegrating freedom struggle, but the idea of Naga sovereignty is still very real.

Though sovereignty remains close to their hearts, Nagas want peace and a sense of normalcy in their region. However, the recent split in the NSCN(K) doesn’t bode well for peace; rather it complicates the issue further. In a move to stay relevant in the Indo-Naga dispute, Khaplang’s former Prime Minister, Kitovi Zhimomi, and Commander of the Naga Army, General Khole, have broken away from the chairman and pillar of the Naga People’s Movement, Khaplang. On 7 June, the Tahtar Hoho (parliament) of NSCN(K) impeached Khaplang. The new leadership declared: “No man is larger than the nation.”

While Khaplang controls large stretches of Eastern Nagaland, Arunachal and Nagadominated Myanmar and has history backing him, Kitovi and Khole feel they hold the keys to the Naga future.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Kitovi Zhimomi, Prime Minister and General Secretary of the new NSCN.

Khaplang is a leading figure of the Naga political struggle. What led to his impeachment?
Some say that it was individual enmity that led to the expulsion. However, the NSCN constitution says “no one is above the nation”. Khaplang was expelled for his arbitrary decisions that went against the will of the Naga people and stood in the way of the peace and reconciliation process. Violating the ‘covenant of reconciliation’, pulling out of the reconciliation process, which was steered by the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) to reconcile all groups, and going so far as to ban us from attending the meeting were enough to impeach him. Since he is based in Myanmar, he was unwilling to start talks with the Indian government. Also, his continued support for other underground groups in the region had created a negative atmosphere for peace. As for numbers, 120 out of 135 members of our parliament, including 18 regional commanders, voted in favour of his impeachment. There is some talk about where the Konyak tribe stands; but we have all the ministers and top Naga army brass with us.

While NSCN(IM) is pushing for a solution with Delhi, and expanding its support base in Nagaland, Myanmar-based Khaplang has pulled out of the reconciliation process and talks with the Indian government. Was his ‘impeachment’ a move to stay relevant?
This is the main issue. Every political problem has to be solved politically. There is no place in the modern political world for bloodshed, or for terrorists; we have to talk. I find no reason why the Government of India would entertain Khaplang. He is from another country and lives across the border. It would be illogical for India to interfere with the integrity of Myanmar.

The split has created a lot of confusion amongst the people here — what nomenclature will you use? Will the ceasefire apply to you? Will you be accepted by the FNR?
There is no question of a split. Khaplang was impeached. Had he died a natural death, would the ceasefire be abrogated? The ceasefire ground rules clearly state that it applies in Nagaland. The nomenclature of our party is National Socialist Council of Nagaland, and we are in Nagaland. Unfortunately for Khaplang, he is based in Myanmar. The ball is in the Centre’s court — do they want a ceasefire in Nagaland or Myanmar?
There is no confusion. We have already given our assent to FNR, which has been accepted and very soon you might see an understanding between us and NSCN(IM).

‘The recent split means one more group, another tax and more burden for the Nagas,’ says the Nagaland Post

Till now, Naga groups have always spoken of Nagas as a collective, but you want a solution for just Nagaland. What happens to Greater Nagaland?
When we talk about integration of the Nagas, it inevitably means the disintegration of others. When Muivah talks of integrating Nagas living in Manipur with other Nagas, Manipur state will be divided. I don’t think India will split her states for the integration of Nagalim. For now, we can only emotionally integrate our people living in the neighbouring states, but I don’t think physical integration is possible.

THE NEW outfit, NSCN(Khole-Kitovi), seems to have taken a bold and progressive stand, possibly an attempt to balance Naga aspirations with the Indian Government’s reservations. But will Khaplang give up power without a fight? Calling from an undisclosed location, Wangdin Naga, a leading member of the Khaplang faction says, “No one can deny the existence of Khaplang, he is a founding father of the Naga political struggle and without him we cannot have a national movement. He has given the Nagas a political sanctuary in Myanmar.” About the new faction, he says, “How can you fight the Indian government sitting in Dimapur? Kitovi doesn’t have the backing of a single tribe; what solution will he bring?”

Scoffing at the impeachment process, Wangdin alleges that the parliamentary meeting that decided the fate of Khaplang was unconstitutional and stage-managed. According to him, no one was aware what the meeting was about until the members were seated inside. Backed by armed men, Kitovi and Khole got their way. “However, since then, many key leaders have crossed over to our side because by impeaching Khaplang, Kitovi has committed a crime against the nation.”

Wangdin believes Kitovi and Khole have been holding meetings with Muivah and Swu, the leaders of NSCN(IM), to isolate Khaplang in Myanmar and promote themselves. “But they have no support base. The Konyaks and the army have aligned with Khaplang. Our army is in the thousands, theirs is in the hundreds. If we wanted, we could crush them in a fortnight but we know that the people of Nagaland don’t want bloodshed and we respect that.”

Though Khaplang is now open to talks with the Indian government, sovereignty and uniting all Naga-inhabited areas remains his goal. “For us, a solution without sovereignty is like surrender, we will not surrender,” avers Wangdin.

The people of Nagaland are growing tired of the stalemate. The growing sentiment of disillusionment was reflected in a statement carried by Nagaland Post: “Yet another difference and a split, this time in the NSCN(K) camp does not augur well towards resolving the decades old Naga problem. Our leaders fail to shed their differences and seem to forget that we are fighting for a unified nation. From a layman’s point of view — we are fed up. The recent development means one more group, one more tax and one more additional burden.”

Avalok Langer is a Correspondent with Tehelka. avalok@tehelka.com

Source: Tehelka

Japanese Encephalitis Alert in Assam

Authorities confirm more than 30 deaths in the past one week. Situation worsens in Sapekhati Sivasagar district

Ratnadip Choudhury
Guwahati

Photo: Luit Chaliha

Reacting to the rise in Japanese Encephalitis’ cases in Upper Assam, the state government has sounded an alert. The authorities has confirmed more than 30 deaths in the past one week. “The situation is alarming. We will run a complete vaccination programme” said Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

According to sources in the Assam health department, Japanese encephalitis cases have been reported from Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Jorhat and Golaghat districts since January 5 this year. As the situation has turned worse this week, an alert has been sounded. Around 34 people have died in Dibrugarh and Sivasagar districts due to JE and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), sources added.

The situation has worsened in Sivasagar’s Sapekhati area where about 10 people have been affected with the disease over the past one month, four have succumbed to the disease. However, the Sapekhati primary health centre (PHC) is not well equipped and can only undertake minor awareness measures and their fogging machines are also out of order. Most of the victims have been sent to the Assam Medical College and Hospital and are undergoing treatment there. In Dibrugarh, seven persons have died of AES and 13 others are suffering from the disease. Though no one has died of Japanese Encephalitis here so far, five persons from Barbaruah and Nahoroni have tested positive. “They are being treated at the Assam Medical College and Hospital,”joint director of health (Dibrugarh) DN Bangthai said.

As many as 27 deaths have been reported from various parts of the Sivasagar district. The worst affected areas have been Geleky, Sapekhati, Demow and Gaurisagar. “Six persons have died of JE, 15 others have tested positive and 21 have succumbed to AES and 53 have tested positive,” said Sadhana Dutta, joint director of health services, Sivasagar. Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that a vaccination programme will be launched in Sivasagar district In October next.

With inputs from Luit Chaliha in Sivasagar.

Buses Make Inroads Into 'Cab City' Shillong

Shillong, Jul 23 : With one of the highest numbers of taxis in any hill station anywhere, the Scotland of East is also a veritable city of cabs. But all this is poised to change for the better with state-owned city buses, making inroads here for the first time since statehood of Meghalaya, which is expected to come as a great relief to commuters hitherto dependent solely on the whims and fancies of taxi drivers.

In a significant step towards augmenting public transportation, chief minister Mukul Sangma flagged off from Police Bazar on Friday a fleet of swanky city buses procured under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

Though private syndicates have been running buses in the city for decades now, the service provided is far from satisfactory and not adequate enough to ferry the burgeoning population. Local taxi service on the other hand is faced with public ire for "inefficient service" and frequent fare hikes.

"We want the people to use the government bus service as a fast and efficient mode of transportation in the city," Sangma said during the flagging off ceremony.

Under the JNNURM, Meghalaya has been allotted 120 buses, the highest amongst hill states in the region, which would soon ply in all the districts including towns and suburbs.

The CM also hoped the city buses would help ease traffic congestion, especially in the state capital, where the roads are bursting at its the seams with vehicles. "These buses would help in easing traffic congestion when more people use it," the chief minister said, urging the public to use the new mode of transportation.

Keeping in mind the private syndicate bus service's failure, transport minister Abu Taher Mondal said: "the JNNURM city buses would wait at bus stands only as long as passengers need to board and alight. There won't be any additional delay."

Facilities like season tickets, concessional fares for students, would be made available, he said. Mondal also said the state has received 40 out of the 120 buses. The rest would be arriving soon to be dispatched to other parts of the state, he said.

Mizoram Governor Steps Up Enactment Of Mizo Divorce Law

Aizawl, Jul 22 : Mizoram governor Lt General M M Lakhera today informed leaders of churches and NGOs that he would pursue the matter of enacting the Mizo Divorce law.

The Mizoram Divorce Ordinance promulgated by the governor and lauded by women organisations in 2008 was never legislated by the Congress government which came to power in the later part of the year.

The government had said that it would draft a better bill to safeguard the interests of women in case of divorce.

The governor also appealed to the people of Mizoram to be tolerant and hospitable towards immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, but not to the extent of creating problems for the local populace.

Lakhera also said that the border disputes between Mizoram and Assam should be amicably settled.

He lauded the efforts made by the Young Mizo Association and the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) or women's federation to combat the drug menace in the state.

Airtel Call Rates Hiked in 6 Circles

Bharti, the fifth-largest mobile operator globally by subscribers, operates in 19 countries in South Asia and Africa.

New Delhi, Jul 22 : Leading telecom service provider Bharti Airtel on Friday hiked call tariffs by 20% in six major circles including New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The hike in tariff will be passed on to pre-paid customers as well.

Tariffs have been hiked from 1 paise per second to 1.2 paisa per second. Sources say that other telecom players will follow suit. Bharti Airtel stock price rallied by 4% and was trading at Rs 411 at 2.50pm on the BSE.

Bharti Airtel added 2.12 million mobile subscribers in June, taking its total to 169.2 million, data from Cellular Operators Association of India said.

India is the world's second-biggest mobile-phone market after China. Bharti, the fifth-largest mobile operator globally by subscribers, operates in 19 countries in South Asia and Africa.

Earlier this month, Bharti Airtel announced it was streamlining its India and South Asia operations to create a leaner cost structure in order to boost its financial performance.

The restructuring comes as Bharti battles fierce domestic competition that has slashed call rates and is grappling with high interest costs on debt accumulated to purchase mobile licences in India and to expand into Africa.

Bharti paid $10.7 billion last June for the Africa business of Kuwaiti telecom operator Zain.

Its interest costs have soared due to the African purchase as well as from paying $3.3 billion to buy third-generation (3G) spectrum in India to offer mobile and wireless broadband services.

Oriflame Plans Big For Northeast Market

Guwahati, Jul 22 : Swedish cosmetics major Oriflame today announced that the Northeast market had grown by 50 per cent and that it might source some ingredients for its products from the region.

At a news conference here today, Oriflame India managing director Marcus Sandstrom said, “We might source some of the ingredients for our products from the region like we source vanilla from south India. The region is known for its herbs”.

He said the region held vast potential with its growing fashionable population and Guwahati had emerged as one of the biggest branches in the country. People in the region had a great understanding of beauty and well-being. “From our top 10 branches in India, two are from Guwahati,” he said.

Sandstrom said the Northeast was an integral region for the brand, which had added another stock point in Shillong — making a total of four in the region, the highest in any zone. The region accounts for 20 per cent of the country’s sales.

The company is adding 25 more Service Point Oriflame (SPO) in the region that will help it to reach 100. It currently has 73. Service Point Oriflame looks after those cities where the company does not have a branch.

Oriflame India offers a portfolio of over 650 products for men, women and children in four key categories of colour cosmetics, skincare, personal and hair care, fragrances and accessories. The company started its operations 15 years back.

In the Northeast, fragrances, colour cosmetics and skin care are the top three selling categories.

“We have skin care products for all and not only for the young. There are skin care products even for 55-plus people. Men’s creams is a fast moving segment,” Sandstrom told The Telegraph.

He said the company now had products suited to the Indian market and these were doing quite well.

With the company now doing good business in the region, it is looking forward to starting a corporate social responsibility initiative.

The original business concept of Natural Swedish cosmetics, sold from friend to friend based on trust, still holds true for the company. Its products are now marketed through a sales force of approximately 3.6 million independent consultants around the globe.

Oriflame Cosmetics offers 900 cosmetic products at any given time, more than a third of which are introduced every year. The products, based on natural ingredients, are never tested on animals.