Not So Disturbed: Nagaland

By Oken Jeet Sandham

Kohima, Jul 27 : Three generations in the North-east have grown under the shadow of the Disturbed Area Act and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. Once any area is declared “disturbed” as per Section 3 of the AF(SP) Act, the Army is empowered to step in and any commissioned/non-commissioned/warrant officer or any other person of the equivalent rank can arrest, without warrant, any person who has committed a cognisable offence or against whom reasonable suspicion exists that he/she has committed such an offence and if he is of the opinion that it is necessary to use force for maintenance of public order and can fire upon or otherwise use force, even causing death.

The troops can enter and search without warrants any premises to make any such arrest as aforesaid or to recover any person believed to be wrongfully restrained and confined or any property reasonably suspected of being stolen or any arms, ammunition or explosive substances believed to be unlawfully kept in such premises, and may for that purpose use such force as may be necessary. The Act simply gives carte blanche to the troops in the name of assisting the civil administration. The Act must go and should no more be used in this modern and civilised era.

The Act was enacted on 11 September, 1958 and Nagaland became the first laboratory for the Indian Army to experiment. Only after decades, educated people realised the harmful consequences of the law. Nagaland has been enjoying some semblance of peace after the July 1997 ceasefire accord with the NSCN(IM). But the state is tense again with the NSCN(K) mounting attacks on security forces after unilaterally abrogating its 14-year truce with Delhi in March this year. Civil societies, the state government and many stakeholders have asked the Centre and NSCN(K) leaders to resume the truce.

While reimposing the Disturbed Areas Act in Nagaland, the Centre claimed, in a gazette notification, that the whole of Nagaland was in such a disturbed or dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of civil power was necessary. It will remain in force for a year, beginning 30 June 2015. Chief minister TR Zeliang and several civil societies in Nagaland have expressed displeasure and anguish over the Centre’s decision and want its immediate revocation.

For nearly 14 years when the NSCN(K) was observing a truce with the Centre, Nagaland enjoyed peace. Even leaders of various Naga underground factions developed good rapport among themselves through the efforts of the Naga Forum for Reconciliation that came into being in 2008.

After Neiphiu Rio became chief minister of Nagaland in 2003, his government had constantly opposed Delhi’s attempts to reimpose the “Disturbed Area” tag since the situation was nowhere as serious as in the 1980s or early 1990s.

It is unfortunate that before reimposing the Act New Delhi did not think it necessary to take Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju into confidence. He comes from Arunachal Pradesh. It now appears that the Distubed Area Act will continue to remain in force in Nagaland even if the Naga political issue is resolved. It is time the Centre realised how anti-democratic the Act is against fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

HPC(D) Resumes Operations in Mizoram

HPCD resumes extortion operations after rejected talk offers, Mizoram DGP says police will bring militant group “to it’s knees” The letter addressed to the PWD SDO at Ratu has demanded a donation of Rs 1 lakh.

Mizoram DGP Dharmendra Kumar said at a meeting of SPs and battalion commandants in Aizawl on Friday that the state police will continue to pressure the militant group until they are “on their knees”. Within a month after the Mizoram government rejected it’s offers for conditional tripartite talks, the Manipur-based Hmar People’s Convention Democratic (HPCD) has apparently resumed underground operations by sending letters demanding donations to four village heads and a PWD official in northern Mizoram, top sources in the state police have said.

The letters signed by “L Hmar, Commander” and addressed to the Village Council Presidents (VCPs) of New Vervek, Damdiai, Ratu and Lungsum and the state PWD’s Sub-Divisional Officer at Ratu were dated July 17 but were received by the addressees on July 21.

The letter addressed to the PWD SDO at Ratu has demanded a donation of Rs 1 lakh, sources said, while the demand letters addressed to the VCPs asked them to collect 5% of funds meant for all job-card holders in their respective jurisdictions and hand it over to the group or its representatives at Sihpuikawn, near Tipaimukh in neighboring Manipur.

Mizoram is separated from Manipur by the Tuivai and Tuiruang (Barak) rivers, and Sihpuikawn lies east of the point where these two converge.

One of the recipients has told police a middle-aged woman in a vehicle delivered the letters on behalf of the militant group, which was responsible for the March 28 ambush on a convoy of three MLAs that killed three policemen and injured six others, including two civilians.

Meanwhile, Mizoram DGP Dharmendra Kumar said at a meeting of SPs and battalion commandants in Aizawl on Friday that the state police will continue to pressure the militant group until they are “on their knees”.

Saying the group’s latest move suggests they have “again become a little active”, DGP Kumar said, “I hope it is not because we have lessened our pressure. We cannot let it go at this stage.”

The Mizoram Police had retaliated against the HPCD by mounting a covert operation and shooting to death “Sergeant” H C Malsawmkima alias Danny, a 31-year-old man suspected to have led the lethal ambush along with the group’s “Western Commander” L Biaka, in early May at a village on the Manipur-side of the Barak river’s bank.

Malsawmkima was a constable with the state police’s armed wing before he fled from the camp at Sakawrdai last year with two guns and joined the militant group.

“Our teams have been so effective that the underground is now running around trying to seek talks again. They are scared of us, they are scared of the Mizoram Police, it was only because of our response that they have come to this kind of a situation. It is only because we have arrested their top leaders and managed to keep them behind bars,” the DGP said.

had on April 16, less than three weeks after the ambush, arrested the HPCD’s “Army Chief” Lalropuia Famhoite and “Finance Secretary” Norbar Sanate from near Silchar town in south Assam. They are currently in judicial custody and Famhoite currently faces dozens of criminal charges in two districts, Aizawl and Kolasib.

The HPCD had last month approached the state government with offers for conditional tripartite talks involving itself, the state government and the Centre, with even it’s chairman Zosangbera making telephone calls to police investigators to help facilitate the talks.

The state government has however rejected the offers saying they must be unconditional and only between the state and the HPCD.

Meanwhile, the HPCD’s long-standing interlocutor Lalmuanpuia Punte, currently chief of the Zoram Nationalist Party’s youth wing, met Union MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju on July 21 to talk about the Hmar “political issue” (the militant group claims to be fighting for an Autonomous District Council for the Hmar tribe) according to a post on Virthli.in, a web portal that largely publishes posts about the Hmar community.

Mizoram Athletes to participate in Special Olympics

Aizawl, Jul 24 : Six athletes from the northeastern state of Mizoram would participate in the Special Olympics starting from July 25 in Los Angeles, it was announced here on Monday.

A Mizoram sports department release said six athletes and their team leader from Mizoram will be among the 301 athletes representing India at the Special Olympics.

It said the athletes from Mizoram will compete in the eleven-a-side football, seven-a-side unified football, 100 metres race and 200 metres race.

Mizoram Governor Lt. Gen. Nirbhay Sharma (retd) on Monday flagged off the journey of the athletes bound for Los Angeles.

US First Lady Michelle Obama will declare open the nine-day Games on July 25.

We Have Taken Measures To Repatriate Bru Refugees: Rijiju

New Delhi, Jul 24 : Kiren Rijiju Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday stated that the ministry has taken measures to repatriate the Bru refugees to their homes in Mizoram in a phased manner.

Rijiju, in a written reply to a question by M Chandrakasi in the Lok Sabha, stated that the ministry is also extending financial as well as other logistical assistance to both the state governments of Mizoram and Tripura for their repatriation and resettlement.

Ethic tension between the Reang tribals and the Mizos in the state of Mizoram has been increasing and due to this rising tension, a total of 30000 Reang (Bru) people from Western Mizoram migrated to Tripura.

The Bru migrants are sheltered in the six relief camps set up in Kanchanpur and Panisagar sub-divisions of North Tripura.

The repatriation and resettlement process started in November 2010 and till now about 1,622 Bru families (8,573 persons) have been repatriated and resettled in Mizoram. A Detailed Action Plan 2015-Road Map has been prepared by the state government for repatriation of all the remaining Bru families to the state.

The ministry has also released an approximate amount of Rs. 246 crore to the Tripura government since 1997-98 for the maintenance of Brus lodged in various relief camps and approximately Rs. 45 crore to the Mizoram government since 2004-05 for disbursement to Bru migrant families for their rehabilitation in its state.

Further, various confidence building measures have been undertaken to instill a sense of security and to remove apprehensions among Brus, for their early repatriation to Mizoram. The issue of their repatriation and rehabilitation is subjudice in the Supreme Court.

New Halfong-Silchar Line Declared Dangerous for Passengers by Commissioner of Railway Safety

By Sidharth Pandey

New Delhi, Jul 24 :  In a major blow to passengers in the north-east, the top official of the watchdog for Railways safety has declared the Haflong - Silchar link as dangerous for public travel. The Commissioner of Railway Safety who inspected the crucial rail link last month has warned that the "Line cannot be opened for passenger traffic without danger to travelling public".

The observations are part of a report by the rail safety department, a copy of which is exclusively with NDTV. The report also says that despite existing serious issues with safety, the commissioner of rail safety only relented to conduct the inspection last month following "persistent persuasion by Railways"
What is worrying is that barely 4 months after the line was thrown open for goods trains, there have already been 9 derailments and at least 14 instances where the track has subsided. Rs. 5,500 crores have already been spent on the costly upgrade that has taken almost a decade to complete.

Passenger traffic between the two stations was completely halted last year as the final section of this rail link was being upgraded from meter gauge to broad gauge, and the Railways had said that it would be reopened this year. In March, Railway minister Suresh Prabhu had also flagged off goods trains on this route by remote control.

The report has "recommended that the railway administration engage experts in the field of get technology, structural engineering to critically review the present status and recommend suitable preventive measures".

The Railways has an ambitious plan link all the state capitals of the north-eastern states by 2022, but it appears to be a difficult task. The difficult mountainous terrain is also prone to landslides.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had focused on improving connectivity to the North-east region, announcing Rs. 28,000 crore for laying new railway lines.

ZoRO President Thangmawia Passes Away

Geneva/Aizawl, Jul 21 : President of Zo Reunification Organisation (ZoRO), R Thangmawia passed away in Geneva on Monday at around 12.45 (IST).

Thangmawia left Aizawl on July 15 to attend the "8th Session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" in Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland slated to be held from July 20 to 24, 2015.

He was found dead inside the toilet of the hotel he is staying.

The cause of his dead is yet to be ascertained. He was 79.

Thangmawia is well-known for his zeal in unifying all the Zo people— Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi — who are divided by three international boundaries - India, Myanmar and Bangladesh- under one administrative unit.

F Lalruatliana, coordinator of ZoRO Northern Zone said Thangmawia was the first-elected treasurer of ZoRO in 1988. He was elected as its president on July 17, 1991 and held this post till date.

Mawia was appointed as the Senator in the Provisional Govt of Mizoram and also became the first Chairman of Foreign Affairs, under Provisional Government of Mizoram.

Mawia is said to have shared close rapport with Isak Chishi Swu, the chairman of National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah/ NSCN-IM) during their college days in the late fifties. In those days, Mawia was pursuing a degree in Commerce (BCom) in Shillong and held the post of presidentship of Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo Students Assn), and later became a scholar in Economics.

"We are deeply saddened by his demise. We lost our great leader," said F Lalruatliana.

"It will be hard to find a true leader like Thangmawia," Lalruatliana said.

In his hey days, Mawia visited China, South Korea, Thailand and German to promote the movement of ZoRO. He marched on foot from Jiribam (Manipur) to Makokchung, Nagaland which is a distance of about 600 kms, and from Makokchung to Moreh, a border town in India-Myanmar, about 400 kms during the Mizo Movement, in 1967. Thangmawia has never contested any MDC, MLA or MP elections during his life. Thangmawia was born in Maite village in 1936. He was survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. He lived in Aizawl Electric Veng.

Mizoram Told To Implement FSA

Aizawl, Jul 20 : The Centre has given September 30 deadline to the Mizoram Government for implementing the Food Security Act, an official of the State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs department said here.

John Tanpuia, Deputy Director of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, however, said that there has been no replies from the Centre on many queries and explanations sought by the State Government including profit margin for the retailers, cost of transportation and other modalities in implementing the scheme, reports PTI.

The Centre had given several deadlines for implementation of the Food Security Act by the States, but this would be the last deadline, according to the instruction from the Government of India.

Earlier, State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister John Rotluangliana informed the State Assembly that implementation of the Food Security Scheme would lift the burden of the State Government to provide rice for all the people of the State.

The heavy burden of subsidy to the State exchequer would also be lifted while many people in the State would suffer due to the implementation of FSS in the State, Rotluangliana said.

Newmai News adds: Rotluangliana said that FSA will cover only 6,06,000 families and there will be no more BPL families but only AAY families, who are entitled to get 35 kg of rice per month.

The Minister said this while interacting with the new village council members of Rawpuichhip, Dapchhuah, Dampui, Mamit and Lengpui villages at a MZP Mamit felicitation programme on Thursday.

About half of the Mizoram population shall not be covered by the FSA, the Minister said, adding, however, that the State Government is taking steps so that even the families not covered by the Act may get ration as before.

The Minister called on the village leaders to form a selection committee for the implementation of FSA in their respective villages and asked for selection of people who are really in need of the government provision, not along party lines.

In Supreme Court Intervention, Hope for Families of Manipur Encounter Victims

By Alok Pandey



Imphal, Jul 20 :  In a nearly 7-year-long wait for justice, the past one week has given the maximum hope to the mother of Sanjit Meitei, an unarmed man shot dead by security forces in a busy market in Imphal on July 23 in 2009.

The incident is one of Manipur's most infamous alleged fake encounters that led to over six months of violence and protests on the streets of Imphal. Last Monday, the Supreme Court asked the Centre, Manipur government and the National Human Rights Commission to prepare a comprehensive report on 62 alleged fake encounter cases in the state.

The petition was filed by the Extra Judicial Execution Victims' Families Association, seeking enquiry into 1,528 cases of alleged fake encounters.

Sanjit's mother, Inatombi said, "As of now no action has been taken in my case. I want the people responsible for my son's killing to be punished."

Renu Takhellambam's husband was shot dead right next to her house on the outskirts of Imphal in 2007. A magisterial enquiry was conducted in the case, the result has never made public. Ms Renu said, "We don't want any further delay as justice delayed is justice denied."

Activists say the Court's intervention has come as a boost for these families.

A member of the group Human Rights Alert, Babloo Loitongbam said, "Supreme Court intervention is helping in a big way. In 2009, we documented no less than 500 cases of fake encounters where security forces just picked up people off the streets and killed them saying they were terrorists. In 2013, we documented just 3."

Despite the allegations of fake encounters, government officials and security forces have maintained that most of them were legitimate, and that the government's version will be given to the Supreme Court.

As for the families of alleged fake encounter victims, justice may be a lengthy process, but they say they are willing to go through it for the sake of closure.