Mizo CM Urges Delhi To Begin Kuki Peace Talks

Aizawl, Feb 26 : Concerned with the long standing political problems of Kuki people in Manipur, Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to begin political dialogue with the Kuki National Organisation.

During a brief meeting in New Delhi, Lal Thanhawla also gave suggestions for permanent solution to the problems of Kukis, who have intensified their demand for a state in the neighbouring state.

An official statement here said the Prime Minister also sought advice from the chief minister on the Naga problems.

Earlier on Saturday, Lal Thanhawla had also brought up the issue of Kukis during a three-hour meeting with Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. He had blamed both the central and the Manipur state governments for not responsive to the Kuki problems which hurt their sentiments.

Thanhawla said at his initiatives, the Kuki National Organisation, the central government and the Manipur government had reached into a ceasefire agreement. While the KNO abided the ceasefire pact, the governments were not responsive and that hurt the Kukis, he was quoted as saying by official statement.

Heroin, Party Drugs From Myanmar Coming to Manipur

By Oinam Sunil

Guwahati, Feb 26 : Large quantities of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (PH) drugs are being smuggled into Myanmar from India to make heroin, WY (world is yours) and other party drugs in the infamous "golden triangle".

The joint director of Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS), Abhiram Mongjam, said, "PH drugs are not consumed in Manipur. They are used as one of the ingredients for making heroin."

Over 40,000 people in Manipur are HIV positive and the majority of them are infected with the virus because of sharing needles while injecting drugs. L Deepak, president of the Manipur Network of Positive People, said smuggling of tablets containing these drugs to different Southeast Asian countries help drug lords flourish in their trade.

Deepak explained the same drug returns to Manipur in the form of heroin. This has lead to an increase in substance abuse and cases of HIV and AIDS are on the rise. Since the late Eighties, smugglers have used the Manipur route to reach Indian cities. "We have almost checked the spread of HIV and are now combating transmission through sexual contacts. We are now getting to hear about PH drugs being smuggled into Myanmar. But the fact is they are returning in the form of heroin. Besides heroin, other drugs are also being smuggled into Manipur," said Deepak.

WY is popular in SE Asia and also consumed by goldmine workers as it enables them to work for longer periods. "It is also popular among party animals. They can go on partying for hours," said Deepak.

Pseudoephedrine is used as a nasal and sinus decongestant. Since it is a stimulant, athletes, miners and long-distance truck drivers use it to enhance their performance and alertness. It is among the banned substances listed by IOC and WADA. Many countries have also banned it. It is also listed in the United Nations Convention against Illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

75% Polling in Mizoram By-Poll

Aizawl, Feb 25 : Seventy-five per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the Chalfilh Assembly seat in Mizoram on Saturday, a senior poll official said.

Joint chief electoral officer H Lalengmawia said that the final figure on the voter turnout would be available only after all polling parties, who were leaving the constituency tonight, arrived here.

Polling was peaceful, he said. Counting of votes will be held on February 28.

Seven candidates — Dr Ngurdingliana of the ruling Congress, Lalvenhima Hmar of the Mizo National Front, Lalhmangaiha Sailo of the Mizoram People's Conference, C Lalchhandama of the Zoram Nationalist Party, C Ramkinlova of the BJP, DK Thanga of the Lok Janshakti Party and lone independent candidate R Lalrohlua — are in the poll fray.

The by-poll was necessitated after sitting Congress legislator Chawngtinthanga passed away on September 16 last year.

A Cauldron Of Competing Demands

By Nehginpao Kipgen

In this 2010 file photo, Kuki National Front cadres arrive at Natheljang in Senapati district of Manipur to deposit weapons as part of a Suspension of Operation agreement with the Centre.

With Manipur’s Kuki groups again in protest mode, it is time to ask why the Centre ignores their calls for a dialogue but talks to Nagas.

Manipur, with a population of over 2.7 million, is home to three major groups: Kuki, Naga, and Meitei. While Meiteis, — primarily settled in the four valley districts — want territorial integrity of the State to be maintained, Kukis and Nagas are calling for separate administrative arrangements in the hill areas — Kukis for a Kukiland and Nagas to join a greater Nagaland.

Identity is a major point of conflict between Kukis and Nagas. In the process of identity formation, a number of tribes, including Anal, Maring, Monsang and Moyon, have been assimilated into the Naga fold either by coercion or by other forms of persuasion. Another major point of conflict is land.

Ethnic violence from 1992 to 1997 between the two ethnic groups resulted in the death of over 1,000 people, destruction of thousands of homes, and the displacement of tens of thousands of people. While the physical violence has ceased, tensions still linger. The simmering tension has led to different forms of agitation, claims and counterclaims.

The conflict started between Thadou and Maring tribes, both recognised as Kuki during the British colonial administration. While the casualty on the Naga side is unclear, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), apex civil body of the Kuki people in Manipur, claims that over 961 Kukis were killed, 360 villages affected, and 100,000 people rendered homeless.

The biggest bone of contention is land. The Kuki National Front (KNF), later joined by the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), is demanding that a Kukiland be carved out of the five hill districts of Manipur: Churachandpur, Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul.

The demand for Kukiland is a direct challenge to the demand for greater or southern Nagaland by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM). The Naga militant outfit wants to form greater Nagaland by merging Chandel, Senapati, Tamenglong and Ukhrul with neighbouring Nagaland State.

The intention to drive out Kukis from these four hill districts led to “ethnic cleansing” by the NSCN-IM. Though the initial violence was triggered by militant outfits in Chandel district, it spread to other parts of the State, and to Nagaland and Myanmar as well.

Demands

To restore peace and normalcy, KIM has put forward two important demands to the Nagas and the Central government.

First, it wants the Nagas, especially the NSCN-IM, to formally apologise for the crimes committed in the 1990s and perform customary Kuki rites such as paying Luongman (corpse price) and Tol-theh (cleaning the house for shedding human blood).

Second, KIM wants the Central government to compensate the loss of life and property and rehabilitate the thousands of displaced.

Naga leaders, particularly the NSCN-IM, have not responded to the demands.

While Meiteis oppose the creation of either a Kuki homeland or a greater Nagaland, the Kukis and Nagas are unable to establish any kind of coordination or cooperation. This is partly due to the simmering tension in the aftermath of the 1992-1997 clashes. The wounds of past miseries are apparently yet to be healed.

The mutual distrust has reached such a point that it is difficult for civil society organisations to initiate any congenial dialogue between the two groups.

Sidelined

It is pertinent to ask whether the government sees the conflict as an internal matter for the ethnic groups concerned to resolve among themselves or as too insignificant an issue to intervene.

While the tension lingers, the Central government is having a political dialogue with the NSCN-IM, ignoring calls by the Kuki armed groups for political dialogue despite their commitment to a Suspension of Operation agreement since 2005. It remains unclear whether this is an institutional problem on the part of the Kuki armed organisations, or another manifestation of bias toward the NSCN-IM.

The Naga demand has been alive for decades. Similarly, the Kuki National Assembly, a political body established in 1946, submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on March 24, 1960 demanding the immediate creation of a Kuki state comprising all the Kuki inhabited areas of Manipur.

When there are competing demands for the same geographical areas, talking with one group and sidelining the other could engender more problems.

That became apparent with the Kuki State Demand Committee (KSDC) announcing last month a series of protests including a “Quit Kukiland movement” and a call to boycott any official programme, including Republic Day.

The KSDC is demanding that the Central government begin a political dialogue with Kuki armed groups or withdraw its local authorities from Kuki inhabited areas.

The KSDC has announced a blockade of Manipur from midnight of February 24. It suspended an earlier phase of the blockade in January on an assurance from the Centre that it would begin a political dialogue with the group on their statehood demand. But such talks have not begun.

Though there seems no quick fix to the ongoing problems of the Kukis and the Nagas, it has become an issue that cannot be ignored any longer. However any attempt to achieve amicable political solution entails participation from both ethnic groups and other concerned parties, including the Central and State governments.

(Nehginpao Kipgen is general secretary of the U.S.-based Kuki International Forum.)

Kukis Threaten To Block Car Rally

By Iboyaima Laithangbam

Imphal, Feb 25 : The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar car rally scheduled to pass through Manipur on Tuesday will face a bumpy ride on the two mountainous highways between Jiribam-Imphal and Imphal-Moreh.

The Kuki Statehood Demand Committee (KSDC) has announced that the rallyists will not be allowed to pass through the Kuki villages along these highways as the Centre, it alleged, reneged on the assurance to hold a dialogue on its demand for a separate Kuki State. According to the KSDC, the Centre gave it a written assurance during the last phase of the blockade, to begin the dialogue by February.Based on this undertaking, the KSDC allowed the ASEAN car rallyists to pass through their villages. Since nothing has been done to hold the dialogue they have decided to reimpose the indefinite blockade along the highways from Sunday.

The Kukis want a political dialogue involving those armed Kuki militants who had come overground after signing the suspension of operations agreement with the Centre. But one of the provisions of the agreement was that the signatories would not demand that separate States be carved out of Manipur.The Manipur government and people are dead against the Kukis’ demand.The KSDC has circulated a proposed map of the Kuki State, which covers half the territory of Manipur. The Nagas are demanding integration of the “Naga areas” of Manipur with Nagaland.

Meanwhile, in an apparent violation of the suspension of operations agreement, a 24 Assam Rifles post at Saibon Kuki village was attacked on Thursday night. Two security personnel suffered bullet injuries. Being a Kuki village in a sub division dominated by the Kukis, the militants of other tribes could not have attacked the post. The ball is now in the Centre’s court. Without the cooperation of the KSDC and the Kuki people, the car rally cannot pass through Manipur.

There was a panic buying of fuel and consumer items on Saturday ahead of the indefinite blockade to be imposed by the Kuki Statehood Demand Committee from Sunday midnight. There were serpentine queues at petrol pumps as drivers sought to fill tanks to capacity.

A number of roadside vendors were also seen buying barrels of fuel, which they would possibly sell at a profit once the blockade begins. By late evening, most of the petrol pumps downed shutters citing no stock.

Meanwhile, the government has said the State had a month’s stock of petrol and diesel. Food, Consumer and Public Distribution Minister Okendro Moirangthem asked people not to resort to panic buying. Adequate armed guards would be provided to oil tankers and trucks fetching fuel and consumer items from Assam.

Campaign for Mizo Bypoll Ends

Aizawl, Feb 22 : Campaigning for the February 23 Chalfilh bypoll came to a close at 7pm today with more than 11 student unions making acrimonious allegations against each other to the election watchdog.

A Congress press release issued today said more than 60 members of the Mizo National Front (MNF) had deserted their party to join them while the MNF accused the ruling party of luring “poor people” with false assurances.

An MNF press release said the ruling party was out “buying” votes in exchange for subsidies, feasts and booze.

A Congress unit president in Khawruhlian constituency was arrested by excise sleuths for possessing an unspecified amount of IMFL.

The MNF alleged that while other youngsters caught with a peg of alcohol were put in the lock-up, this man was released the same night, an act that could not have been done without the green signal from the excise minister.

Talks fail

The talks between the Mizoram government and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People’s Forum scheduled today could not beheld, as forum leaders did not turn up. The next date for the meeting has not been fixed.

Sources said the forum’s president, A. Sawibung, told several media outlets that they could not reach the capital from Tripura as no vehicles were available owing to the all-India strike call.

He also said the government had not made the necessary arrangements for their travel and stay in the state capital. Mizoram joint home secretary Lalbiakzama said the government had made arrangements for them, including booking rooms at Sainik guesthouse.

He hoped that a new date would soon be fixed for the talks as the issue had been pending for a long time and the genuine citizens of the state were suffering.

In Manipur's Paona Bazaar, Che in Masala Sachets Too

Che Guevara may be the most popular T-shirt graffiti, but in Manipur's iconic Paona Bazaar, his face is imprinted on virtually everything - belts, trousers, guitars and even seen on masala sachets and at HIV drop-in centres. (Pic: AFP)

New Delhi, Feb 22 : Che Guevara may be the most popular T-shirt graffiti, but in Manipur's iconic Paona Bazaar, his face is imprinted on virtually everything - belts, trousers, guitars and even seen on masala sachets and at HIV drop-in centres.

In "Che in Paona Bazaar", television journalist Kishalay Bhattacharjee takes us on a journey of Imphal's most popular street, named by Paonam Nawol Singh who played an important role in the Anglo-Manipuri war of 1891 after which the British crown took over the sovereignty of Manipur and ruled till 1947.

The book, published by Pan Macmillan India, is limited only to certain areas in the northeast - Manipur, Guwahati and Shillong. Manipur's music, dance, food and the stories of its people dominate the book.

The events and descriptions are true, the characters are a combination of the people the author has met and interacted with.

He interviewed a cross-section of people and in each of them found a "courageous willingness to reopen wounds which they had hidden, sometimes even from themselves".

Che Guevara is the most popular face in Paona bazaar, the author says. The market has almost everything in store for anyone - umbrellas for as low as Rs 50, Levi's canvases for Rs 100, high-quality pirated Hollywood films and music videos for as cheap as Rs 35 and colourful blankets.

"Ironically the red armies of Manipur haven't quite adopted him, so thanks to a global fashion statement, Che became young Manipur's icon years before his global demand.

Mizo Poll Watchdog Urges Voters To Vote

Aizawl, Feb 22 : Election watchdog for clean polls and anti-corruption movement organisation, People’s Right to Information and Development Implementing Society of Mizoram (PRISM) has asked the voters in Chalfilh constituency bye-elections not to vote for the Congress candidate.

This follows the recent PRISM call on the Mizoram Congress party to nominate another candidate as Dr Ngurdingliana was not acceptable as a candidate for the State Assembly having willingly participated in be-fooling the people of the State by staging a fake kidnapping of himself and other candidates in the 2003 Assembly elections.

The organisation also said that the incident had defamed the two factions of the Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) as they were accused of the kidnapping while the winner of the then polls, Lalsangzuala was hounded to resign by the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) based on that fake incident. All along they had kept quiet with the truth only coming out after public pressure forced a police inquiry which was hidden by the government till a local weekly had accessed the report through RTI and published it.

The Congress had stated that the candidate had already apologised to the party for his misdemeanor and he had been forgiven and that should be the end of it. Several student organisations in the constituency also has asked the Congress not to field the man.

Meantime, the Church- based election watchdog, Mizoram People’s Forum (MPF) public platform for candidates in the constituency was boycotted by over seven local students organisations for refusing to give the independent candidate space at the public platform on Tuesday.

The students said that if this is the way MPF conducts its ‘election watch’ they are going against the tenets of democracy in which all have the right to participate equally whether it is as voters or candidates. The MPF have no right to reject any candidate on any ground to participate in a public forum, the students said.

The MPF secretary and spokesman, Lalramthanga, however, remained adamant saying that “the MPF had signed an agreement only with the political parties” and if independent candidates were to be part of their agreement they would have to discuss it in the MPF.