Mizoram Govt Rules Out Talks With Militant Outfit HPC(D)

Aizawl, Apr 20 : Mizoran Home Minister R Lalzirliana today said the state government does not have any intention to hold talks with the Manipur-based Hmar People's Convention (Democrats) as the outfit could not be trusted.

"The government does not have any intention to have parleys with the outfit, rather we would reply them in the language they understand," he said.

The March 28 ambush on a team of 'Assembly Committee on Government Assurances' by the HPC(D) cadres took place barely two weeks after feelers were sent to H Zosangbera, the outfit's chairman, on holding talks, Lalzirliana said.

The attack occurred in Zokhawthiang hamlet near Mizoram-Manipur-Assam border and left three policemen dead.

The home minister said personnel of the elite force of the state armed police are launching a major operation to arrest those involved with the ambush.

Three HPC(D) militants including Lalropuia Famhoite, self-styled army chief of the outfit, were arrested two days ago from Ramnagar of Silchar area in Assam's Cachar district.

One of the other two arrested persons was Norbar Sanate, Finance Secretary of the HPC(D).

Lalzirliana earlier said he would introduce the Mizoram Disturbed Areas Bill, 2015 in the next session of the state legislature likely to be held in July.

He said the proposed law would authorise the state government to declare any militant-infested area within the state as 'disturbed area' if the situation warranted.

He, however, clarified that declaration of 'disturbed area' would not necessarily mean imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

Kiren Rijiju in Dock for Afspa extension in Arunachal Pradesh

Kiren Rijiju

Guwahati, Apr 20 : With protest against the extension of Afspa Act getting louder in frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, the role of Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju  has come under the scanner of the PMO.

 

Disclosing that decision was taken without any consultation with the state government and other security agencies, sources in the Centre said the home ministry is prepared to roll back their decision of extending Afspa in 12 bordering districts of Arunachal Pradesh, but looking for a face-saving escape route.

 

The protest became louder after three women of Jullang village accused that Armymen molested them on April 6. And, in reaction, Mr Rijiju tweeted, “It was a drama. Army is not even present in that area, forget about harassment”, to more embarrassment of the department.

Mizoram Police Arrest ‘Army Commander’ Of Militant Group Responsible for MLA Convoy Ambush

Lalropuia Famhoite (centre), Norbar Sanate (left) and a self-styled private soon after they were nabbed by Mizoram Police in south Assam. (Source: Express photo)

By Adam Halliday

Aizawl, Apr 17 :  The Mizoram Police on Thursday arrested self-styled army commander Lalropuia Famhoite, 47, of the militant group Hmar People’s Convention Democratic and two others in south Assam’s Silchar town.

The Zosangbera faction of the HPCD, of which Famhoite is a senior leader, has claimed responsibility for the ambush of an MLAs’ convoy that killed three policemen late last month and injured six others, including two civilians.

A police spokesperson said the trio, which also included self-styled HPCD finance secretary Norbar Sanate and a self-styled private, were nabbed by police at Ramnagar, Silchar, at 11.05 am Thursday.
The spokesperson added there are currently two warrants of arrest against Famhoite.

The state government is moving towards declaring the HPCD an “unlawful” Organisation and some areas of Mizoram’s border with Manipur, where the militant group is active, a disturbed area.

Threats by the militant group have also resulted in local politicians being too scared to contest rural body elections in at least 26 villages that fall within a region the HPCD wants to be part of a tribal autonomous council for the Hmar tribe, considered a part of the Mizo community. Polls to village councils are scheduled for the last day of April in six of Mizoram’s eight districts.

48 Different Guns, 7900 Rounds of Ammunition Seized in Mizoram

The seized arms included seven AK-47 assault rifles, six US-made M-16 rifles, four MA-3 Mk-II rifles and two AK-56 rifles.

Aizawl, Apr 17 :  Mizoram police seized 48 types of rifles and more than 7,900 rounds of ammunition of different guns during 2014, police said today.

The seized arms included seven AK-47 assault rifles, six US-made M-16 rifles, four MA-3 Mk-II rifles and two AK-56 rifles, a senior police official said.

The state police also seized two hand grenades, three kg of RDX and 312 boxes of special ordinary detonator (SOD) during the same period.

Majority of the seized weapons were suspected to have been meant for a Chakma militant group operating in neighbouring Bangladesh and were mainly smuggled from Myanmar through the porous 404-kilometre-long international border, the officer added.

Mizoram Disturbed Areas Bill Being Drafted

Aizawl, Apr 16 : The state government was drafting the Mizoram Disturbed Areas Bill, 2015 to facilitate the process of legally declaring militant-hit areas as disturbed ones, Additional Secretary for Home, Lalbiakzama said.

Lalbiakzama said that the bill was initiated last year and the state Home department held consultations with the law department on the matter.

He said that documents have been compiled for approaching the Ministry of Home Affairs on the issue of declaring the Manipur-based Hmar People's Convention (Democrats) as unlawful organisation.

Following the decision made by the state government and the meeting of all major political parties, the move to outlaw the HPC(D) was expeditiously pursued, he said.

The move to outlaw the Hmar militant outfit and declare the north eastern part of the state adjoining Manipur as disturbed area came close on the heels of the killing of three policemen in an ambush by the HPC(D) militants on March 28 last.

Govt Mulls Delhi-Aizawl Direct Flight

Aizawl, Apr 16 : The Centre is mulling a direct flight connecting Delhi with Aizawl in a bid to increase air and people-to-people connectivity with the northeastern states.

"The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region will take up with Civil Aviation ministry the proposal to start a direct air flight from Delhi to Aizawl," Union Minister Jitendra Singh said.

Singh, who is on a two-day visit to Mizoram beginning today, said BJP President Amit Shah will be arriving here tomorrow on his first-ever visit.

The DoNER Minister said there have been discussions on handing over Lengpui airport in Mizoram to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

"Certain clarifications regarding security of airport are sought to be cleared between the state government and AAI," he said.

During the inter-ministerial meeting held by DoNER Ministry with the representatives of Civil Aviation Ministry on Monday, it was decided that the possibility of providing security by state police may be explored and the cost of deployment will be borne by the AAI, he said.

Singh also assured that he will take up the issue pertaining to Bru refugees from Mizoram settled in Tripura with authorities concerned. The minority Reang (Bru) tribes had escaped ethnic tension in Mizoram and migrated to Tripura in 1997.

He expressed satisfaction over increase of 91.58 per cent in the literacy rate in Mizoram, which is second highest in the country after Kerala.

"Not only this, there is a large majority of Mizoram people living in Delhi who are members of the teaching faculty in reputed colleges and universities," he said, praising the contribution of the state's people in this regard.

He said Railways has completed gauge conversion work for 210 km Lumding-Silchar rail track which would enable the movement of foodgrains and other items on a broad-gauge to Mizoram, Lower Assam, Tripura and Manipur. The freight trains on this track have already started from March 21, Singh said.

Shah Visits Mizoram Today

Santanu Ghosh and Nilotpal Bhattacharjee

 Amit Shah

Silchar, Apr 16 : The BJP leaders and youth wing activists in Mizoram are giving final touches to preparations for a public meeting to be addressed by party president Amit Shah tomorrow.

Shah will arrive in Aizawl tomorrow on a two-day visit to bolster his party's set-up in the state where the BJP has had a minimal presence.

The venue, Vanapa Hall, is being prepared keeping in mind the large turnout of people from across the state, including the Chakma Autonomous District, where the party tasted its first electoral victory in the last two decades of its presence in the state in the last village council elections.

"The preparations are almost over. To avoid traffic problem, we have taken adequate steps for parking vehicles at various places and no vehicle will be allowed to go near the meeting place. Security has been beefed up to avoid any untoward incident," a party leader in charge of the preparations, said.

Shah is likely to be accompanied by BJP national secretary (organisation) Ram Lal, DoNER minister Jitendra Singh and BJP's Bengal observer Siddharth Nath Singh.

Besides addressing the meeting at 12.30pm, Shah will meet the party's office-bearers and functionaries in the state, sources said.

The BJP office in Aizawl said the party president could not visit Mizoram earlier because of various preoccupations, including polls in Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi.

A party insider said Shah would clarify the Mizos' doubts regarding freedom of religion, quick changing of governors and pledge his party's commitment to making Mizoram a model state.

The sources said Shah would also visit Nagaland, where the BJP is a part of the coalition government, and Manipur on Saturday.

Ministry Of Home Affairs awaits Arunachal Opinion on AFSPA

By Manoj Anand

Guwahati, Apr 16 : The ministry of home affairs is waiting for the opinion of the Arunachal Pradesh government before reviewing its decision on extending the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to the bordering district of Arunachal.

Disclosing that the frontier state was slowly turning out to be a safe sanctuary for many insurgent groups of Assam, security sources in the home ministry told this newspaper that it was done to rescue the peaceful districts of the frontier state from getting into the grip of insurgent activities.

Indicating that protest against the AFSPA in the frontier state was more political in nature, security sources said that many civil society groups of the frontier states had expressed deep concern over the growing activities of Naga rebels, forcing Arunachalee youth to take up arms.

Admitting that initially activity of the armed rebel groups was restricted to Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts, security sources said that insurgent groups have started spreading their activities across the state. In fact, the NDFB and Ulfa rebels were reported to have been serving extortion notices to Arunachal politicians, security sources said, adding that Arunachal Pradesh has also failed in strengthening the state police forces to take on heavily-armed insurgent groups.

Asserting that the AFSPA was extended to bordering districts of Arunachal Pradesh in order to enable security forces to chase and arrest insurgents crossing over from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh, security sources, however, said that in view of the protest of Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki and home minister Tanga Byaling, the ministry is ready to review its decision.

“We are waiting for the opinion of Arunachal government in writing. If they are confident to handle the situation emerging in the frontier state, Centre may withdraw its order extending AFSPA in 12 bordering districts,” said a senior home ministry official.