NSCN (IM) takes over Manipur booths, Loads EVMs with votes

A large group of smartly dressed young men guard the booth and the booth doors have plainclothes sentries.

By Esha Roy

At Booth 44/2 in Senakeithei in Outer Manipur LS constituency, a voter is watched on Wednesday.

Senakeithei is a picturesque village enveloped in a tranquil silence. On a nearby hill, its polling station — booth number 44/2 — is as quiet. But something insidious is afoot here.

A large group of smartly dressed young men guard the booth and the booth doors have plainclothes sentries.

It is 3.30 in the afternoon on election day Wednesday. “We can’t let you in. It’s the last bit of voting so there can be no disturbance,” says a polite but officious youth. After much cajoling, The Indian Express team is allowed in.

The room is sparse and only the polling agents of the Naga People’s Front remain. Presiding officer R S Victor says polling agents of the other contestants have left. “There were two polling agents from the Congress and two from BJP but they just put in an appearance and left soon after,” Victor said.
But like polling stations across Ukhrul district, the absence of the Congress and BJP and the overwhelming presence of NPF supporters is evident.

Senakeithei has not voted Wednesday. But according to Victor’s records, once polling comes to an end, of the 1,117 registered voters, 808 voters have voted – recording nearly 75 per cent polling.
Earlier in the day, however, Victor said 457 women and 417 men had voted – 874 votes at 3.30 pm, 808 at 4.13 pm.

One of the 1,117 voters, PCO owner N C Janet tells The Indian express that he has not voted Wednesday. “It’s not only me. None of us have gone to vote. We have stayed at home,” Janet said.
Asked why, he says: “Because of the terrorists. They came to the village yesterday and they spent the entire night here – these people from the NSCN(IM). They told us we either have to vote for the NPF or not vote at all. We decided not to vote.”

Back in the booth, a young man clad in a black T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans stands next to the EVM. As older men approach, he shows them the button next to the rooster – the NPF symbol.
“You see, the reason why he is standing there is because it’s a village and the villagers don’t really know how to use the EVM. So we have kept him there for assistance,” the presiding officer said.

Another election officer, employed to check election slips and strike each voter off, holds a large packet of the slips. The same men stand in line again and again, leave the room and return after a while, and the officer strikes each name off on his list and casts aside a slip as the men approach the EVM machine.

As the 4 pm deadline approaches, all appearance of propriety is thrown to the wind.
The doors are shut and bolted. The queue of returning men is abandoned. And the young man at the booth, with the help of the election officer, proceeds to get in as many NPF votes as possible. He keeps pressing the button down, waiting for the EVM machine to reboot for the next vote.

CRPF security personnel stand outside guarding the booth. “There may be bogus voting here but it is not our duty to check. We are here to maintain security. And the voting has been peaceful here today,” says a jawan.

Senakeithei is representative of villages across the Naga districts of Manipur where rampant booth capturing took place Wednesday.

The BJP has complained to the Election commission alleging that 57 polling stations had been rigged by NSCN(IM) across Ukhrul, Chandel and Senapati districts and have demanded a repoll.

A Congress insider from Ukhrul said NSCN(IM) captured what it felt were the “big booths’’ in Ukhrul district. “Somdal, Kachai, Humei, Ngaingu had all been captured by IM. Somdal is in any case where Muivah hails from. Forget our Congress workers or the workers of any other party, even the villagers were not allowed to enter to vote. Only some villagers were deputed to vote on behalf of entire villages,” the Congress leader alleged.

Somdal, Kachai, Humei and Ngaingu fall under the sub-district of Chigai. The booths captured under Ukhrul sub-district include Pharung, Shimtang, Lamlang and Nungou. Earlier this week, the state election commission had declared 70 polling stations under Chigai and 61 under Ukhrul the most hypersensitive in the Outer Manipur seat.

A Little BJP Flutter Among Manipur Nagas

The people do not seem interested in sitting MP Thangso Baite.

The Naga vote holds the key in the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat where three of the five hill districts — Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong — entirely comprise Nagas. In Senapati, there is little sign of an election except an occasional BJP flag that flutters alongside one of Naga People’s Front.

A thin wooden barricade and a lone policeman marks the Naga-Manipur border. In the upper reaches of this hill district, which rises into the taller, more statuesque mountains of Nagaland, voters are pledging allegiance to their Naga leaders.

Two of the ten candidates are Nagas. In a first, the BJP has fielded a Naga candidate — Prof Kamei Gangumei of Tamenglong, a man highly respected across tribal and non-tribal communities. The second is NPF’s Soso Lorho, a protege of Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

The people do no seem interested in sitting MP Thangso Baite. “He is a Kuki, not a Naga,” says Alfred Leivon.

RK Mishra, who hails from Varanasi, has been living in Senapati for over 30 years. He is watching the fight in his home town with far more enthusiasm than in his adopted village, Maram. “All the biggies are fighting from Varanasi. My wife has also gone back and will come after elections. Here in Manipur we will vote for sure. Our landlords will tell us whom to vote for. I can’t air my political opinion, I am not allowed,” says Mishra.
 
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Maram’s allegiance seems to have already been been decided. Benjamin Leba is a contractor and says there is no question of any one other than the NPF winning. “We will have a general body meeting where the entire village will congregate. Whatever the chief decides will be relayed across the village. This entire region has at least 98 per cent NPF supporters. Chief Minister Ibobi Singh only spends on his own people, the tribals are forgotten. It is time to show our strength,” says Leba.

As one comes closer to Imphal valley, BJP flags replace those of the NPF. “You never know with Manipur. As far as we can see, it is one of the two — BJP or NPF — who will win. But then Congress has great resources and has been known to buy out votes at the last minute. Moreover the two Naga candidates may actually do each other a disservice by cutting into each other’s vote,’’ says former UNC member Paul Leo.

Mizoram LS Polls Postponed to April 11

New Delhi, Apr 8 : The Election Commission of India on Tuesday postponed the Lok Sabha polls for Mizoram till April 11.

The state was to have polls tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a 72 hour-long shutdown is on for the second day today in the state.

The shutdown is in protest against Bru polling in six refugee camps in Tripura and to urge the Election Commission not to count Bru votes that have been polled via postal ballot.

Tripura saw the parliamentary constituency of West Tripura going for polls yesterday.

There were 26 critical polling stations which were identified and arrangements were made accordingly. The commission sent seven observes. 658 non bailable warrants were served on different people as part of preventive actions. 490 persons were bound down under various provisions of CrPC. 5021 litres of liquor were seized. Cash were also seized including Bangladeshi currency (takas).

3-day Shutdown Affects Life in Mizoram

The strike led by the Young Mizo Association urged people to boycott Wednesday's polling

Aizawl, Apr 8 : Normal life was affected in Mizoram Monday as six NGOs and student groups called for a three-day shutdown and boycott of the April 9 election to the lone Lok Sabha seat from the state to protest postal ballot facility to its refugees living in Tripura, officials said.

A police spokesman said that though normal life was affected, there was no untoward incident anywhere in the state, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

The shutdown affected the movement of polling officials across the state, said an Election Commission official.

Offices, shops, markets and other institutions remained closed in the capital city Aizawl. Most vehicles, except those of security forces, were off the roads, police said.

Six voluntary organisations and students' groups led by the Young Mizo Association (YMA) called the 72-hour state-wide strike and urged people to boycott Wednesday's polling.

"We launched the agitation as the Election Commission ignored our demand not to allow tribal refugees in Tripura to cast their votes in relief camps through postal ballot," YMA spokesman J. Lalsailova told reporters.

Of over 36,000 Reang tribal refugees living in seven camps in Tripura for the past 17 years after fleeing their villages in Mizoram, 11,500 were on electoral rolls in Mizoram and 71 percent of them voted through postal ballot.

"In view of a threat given by NGOs in Mizoram to obstruct counting of postal ballot papers in Aizawl, the Election Commission has decided to count them in Kanchanpur (north Tripura) May 16," Kanchanpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Nantu Das told IANS.

The Reang tribals - locally known as 'Bru' - fled their villages in Mizoram and took shelter in neighbouring Tripura in October 1997 after an ethnic conflict broke out with the majority Mizos over the killing of a Mizo forest official.

In Arunachal, out of 3,77,272 only 6 women in fray for Polls

Itanagar, Apr 8 : The women form the majority of the electorate in Arunachal Pradesh but when it comes to contesting elections the numbers are at the odds with their population, with only 6 of them joining the fray for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls and Assembly elections.

The state has 3,77,272 women electorate against 3,75,898 males, with several Assembly constituencies having more women voters than males.

They are in fray in only six Assembly seats in the state and in none of the two Lok Sabha seats.

Arunachal will hold simultaneous polls for the 60-member Assembly and two Lok Sabha seats in the second phase of voting on April 9.

Congress has this time fielded two women candidates - Karya Bagang (Chayangtajo) and Gum Tayeng from Dambuk constituencies compare to none from the BJP. NCP has fielded Taba Nirmali (Yachuli) and the People's Party of Arunachal has nominated Toko Sheetal for the prestigious Itanagar LS seat.

Yai Mara (Likabali) and Anita Payeng (Lekang) are contesting as independents.

The limited participation of women has irked the chairperson of Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women chairperson Gumri Ringu.


"All political parties before election assure to provide opportunity to women but the real scenario changes when time comes," she said while lamenting that in the male-dominated Arunachalee society, women were always neglected.

She also blamed the fair sex for not coming out of their homes to participate in the electoral process.

National Alliance of Women secretary Jarjum Ete, however, said the sudden dissolution of the house on March 6 was the reason behind the low participation of women candidates.

"The sudden dissolution of the house 6 months ahead of the schedule forced the aspiring women candidates to keep away from joining the fray as they did not get time to gear up," Ete said adding their financial condition also deterred several candidates.

Toko Sheetal, the PPA candidate for Itanagar Assembly constituency agreed that there were few women in active politics.

China describes northeast India as 'Most Neglected'

Earlier, China reacted guardedly to BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's accusation in February, 2014 that it had expansionist mindset.

BEIJING: As India's general elections began on Monday from the northeastern states, Chinese official media described the remote region as the most "neglected" area in the country.

"India's northeastern states — which also include Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland are said to be the country's most neglected region," state-run Xinhua news agency said in its report on the commencement of polls in India.

There was no mention of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as southern Tibet.

Earlier, China reacted guardedly to BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's accusation in February that it had expansionist mindset. Modi had also asserted that Arunachal Pradesh was an integral part of India and will remain so.

Though Modi's comments came up for mild criticism from Chinese media, analysts here view him favourable as he visited Beijing twice as Gujarat chief minister and Gujarat has received maximum Chinese investments in India.

New Book Describes Crimes Against Civilians During Mizo Uprising

By David Lalmalsawma

The two-decade-long Mizo rebellion from 1966 to 1986 remains the only conflict in which the Indian government used war planes against its citizens. Few written records exist on the conflict in which the Mizo National Front (MNF) revolted against the government, trying to establish an independent country.

A new book by a former militant in the Mizo National Army (MNA), the armed wing of the MNF, recounts the air bombings and the government’s “grouping” policy, under which villages in what is now Mizoram state were burned and civilians relocated to guarded centres called Protected and Progressive Villages.

“Untold Atrocity” by C. Zama deals with incidents in which civilians suffered or were allegedly killed by security forces. The book also assumes significance today because the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which allowed security forces an almost free hand in arresting or shooting anyone during the insurgency, is still enforced in Jammu and Kashmir and some areas of India’s northeast.

Zama in this interview talks about the almost unlimited powers the army wielded during the insurgency, and why the Mizoram Accord, which is touted as the most successful peace treaty in India, has not been fully implemented.

Q: Tell us about your time as an insurgent?
A: In 1965, before the violence started, I volunteered as a MNA member while studying in high school … I was in Class VIII when the [armed] movement broke out, so I left home and school and we started living in the forest. We traded fire with Indian soldiers many times – in Mizoram and (East) Pakistan, which is present-day Bangladesh.

In 1974, I was captured twice, but managed to escape on both occasions before reaching prison. In 1975, I was captured again, and this time, I was unable to escape. I was tortured badly and could not walk. After just two nights in jail, I was transferred to a hospital. After two months there, I was transferred back to jail. In 1977, I got out on bail.

Q: So torture was routine?
A: Yes, definitely. And we could not cope with torture so many fighters gave away the location of friends and our camps, gave away guns and revealed the identities of people [civilians] who helped us. But the level of bravery is different for different people, so we can’t really blame anybody in such situations.

Q: You’ve written 19 books in the Mizo language. Tell us some of the incidents you mentioned in your new book in English that you haven’t disclosed before?
A: The two women who lost their sanity after being raped – this book is the first time I’ve mentioned them. Also, the people of Vathuampui [village] where security forces tortured innocent villagers and killed nine people. They [security forces] just came, lined up people and shot them … They did similar things to other villages. Some of the incidents in the book have been rehashed from my earlier books, but there are also quite a few fresh ones I’ve included.

Q: So they shot people without provocation?
A: Yes, innocent people. Also, a havildar [non-commissioned officer] had more power than a DC [deputy commissioner]. For instance, if a soldier shot dead someone, he can simply say the person was an MNF supporter, and that was justification enough. Or if he raped someone, he just says she is an MNF supporter. Nobody could do anything.

Q: So security forces abused their power?
A: They were really bad. There was hardly any village they did not burn down. Even without getting orders from the government, majors on the ground burnt villages on their own volition. In Chhawrtui, villagers were herded inside their houses and locked up. And the major gave the order to burn the houses with all the people in them. But the captain refused and argued with him. They eventually did not burn the houses.

Q: As a former fighter, were you satisfied with the peace treaty?
A: The accord said Mizoram would have a High Court, which has not happened yet. Secondly, the rent for properties and land occupied by security forces, 90 percent has not been paid 27 years [after the peace accord]. And three of our friends still have [legal] cases. They [government] dishonoured the accord in these three instances.

Q: What message are you trying to send with this book?
A: Nobody talks anymore about the hardships we went through during the time of disturbance. If we don’t write about it, the new generation will not know about it. Also, there are some sections who are saying that the air raids never took place.

Q: Was it difficult to interview people on such a difficult phase of their lives?
A: Yes. Some were reluctant to open up, while some tend to exaggerate a bit. So I had to be very careful. Especially in the case of rape, no surviving victim agreed to personally speak about their trauma.

This Election, Mizoram May Not Vote On Polling Day

By Alok Pandey


Aizawl, Apr 7 : The north-eastern state of Mizoram sends just one Member of Parliament to the Lok Sabha. But this election season, the state may witness an unprecedented situation on polling day.

Youth organisations, NGOs and women's groups in the state -- all extremely influential -- are set to enforce a 72-hour-long bandh from Monday morning, which will extend till the polling day on Wednesday, April 9.

In state capital Aizawl, announcements are being made over loudspeakers, urging people not to venture out of their homes till April 10. All government offices are expected to remain shut.

Teams from the Election Commission are scheduled to travel towards polling booths in far-flung and hilly areas of the state from Monday morning, but doing this now seems to be a big headache for both the Mizoram government and the Election Commission.

These organisations are angry over the Election Commission's decision to allow Bru refugees, who escaped from Mizoram to the bordering state of Tripura nearly 17 years ago in the wake of ethnic clashes with the majority Mizo tribe, to cast their votes through postal ballots from relief camps in North Tripura. 

Of the 36,000 Bru refugees living in Kanchanpur and Panisagar refugee camps in Tripura for the last 17 years, nearly 11,500 are listed in Mizoram's electoral rolls and they have already cast their vote through postal ballots this week

Mizo organisations, which are enforcing the bandh across the state, say that all the Bru refugees in Tripura's relief camps should have been sent back to Mizoram ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and asked to cast their vote from the state.

Members of the Bru community left Mizoram of their own free will and failed to return during several repatriation programmes organised by the Mizoram government, they claim.

On their part, Bru refugees in Tripura say the atmosphere in Mizoram is not conducive for their return as they are scared for their lives.