Army repairs damaged road and restores connectivity in Manipur

Imphal, Sep 21 : A 12 kilometre stretch of Tamenglong-Azuiram road which was damaged due to heavy rain and multiple landslides and had remained cut off for nearly three months in remote Tamenglong district, has been repaired and restored by the Indian Army.

The repair work was carried out by Army's Tamenglong Battalion of Senapati Bridge under the aegis of Red Shield Division with the help of local people, a Defence press release said on Saturday.

The Tamenglong-Azuiram road which was closed for about three months due to natural calamities like heavy rain and multiple landslides, has been restored connectivity this weekend and people of remote Azuiram village could go to their district headquarters, Tamenglong now, the release added.

People of Azuiram village expressed their gratitude and happiness to Indian Army for such untiring dedication to reach out to local populace, said another press release issued by the Chairman of the village authority of Azuiram.

Mizoram Mulls Action Against Govt Staff Opposing Liquor Sale

Aizawl, Sep 18 : The Mizoram government has warned of taking action against its employees who are participating in an agitation launched by the church and some NGOs against the opening of wine shops in district headquarters across the state.

While the state government 'partially' lifted the prohibition in February this year allowing the Mizos to buy six liquor bottles a month, the churches had been opposing the government's decision.

Secretary for the general administration department, Lalrinliana Fanai, issued an office memorandum on September 14, warning government officials indulging in protests.

The office memorandum said with the implementation of Mizoram Liquor Prohibition and Control Act, 2014, NGOs and church organizations have been organizing protests against the opening of liquor shops/warehouses in their localities, hampering smooth implementation of the MLPC Act, 2014.

"It has come to the knowledge of the government that some government servants are known to have indulged in such protests, which is against the policy of the government," it said. It added that such an act of protesting against government policy is a clear violation of Rule 3(1)(iii) and Rule 9(i) of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964.

The office memorandum said indulging in protests against the government policy was also an act unbecoming of a government servant. The state government has instructed all government employees to refrain from indulging in such kind of protests.

"Appropriate action shall be taken against any government servant found to be acting in contravention of the CCS (Conduct) Rules, 1964," the memorandum said.

The MLPC Act, 2014, enacted by the state assembly last year, was implemented on January 15, 2015. The first wine shop was opened in Aizawl on March 16 amid protests from churches and some NGOs. The new Act replaced the stringent Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1995, imposed in the state since February 20, 1997.

Though the newly-enacted law was still a 'prohibition act', consumption of liquor was no longer an offence as was during the 17-year imposition of the previous dry law. Anyone above the age of 21 who wants to drink has to apply for getting a ration card-like document that would enable him to purchase a maximum of 6 bottles of liquor a month.

The local churches continued to target opening of new wine shops in their jurisdiction till date, resulting in hampering implementation of the MLPC Act.

Sick PSUs under the state government were given wine shop licences to help them tide over their financial problems. Some private parties were also given the same.

Despite strong opposition from churches, about 17 wine shops have been opened in the state till date.

Churachandpur Rallies, Manipur Govt's Silence Slammed

Churachandpur, Sep 16 : It has been fifteen days since the spontaneous protest over the three Bill erupted in Churachandpur and other hill districts of the State and there is still no sign of normalcy returning to the district.

Significantly the bodies of nine people including a minor who were killed in the protest are still lying at the morgue.

Schools and offices have since closed and agitations and restrictions continue to affect public life and yet the political leaders both in the State and centre have shown no will to restore normalcy here, in a stark display of their apathy towards the popular voice in this restive part of the country.

For days, bullets and mob violence have overwhelmed normal life and dharnas, rallies, bandhs and public curfew have crammed people's life. Nine people have been killed and kept in a makeshift-mortuary that has neither a cold storage nor any tool to preserve human remains.

Church bells have stopped ringing to mourn the deaths. Womenfolk, now at the forefront of the protest are draped in black; houses raise black flags and the few emergency vehicles that ply as well adorn black flags. Anything, everything they do symbolise their mourning turning the protest and their protest into a public movement but the State Government and the Centre have so far not done anything concrete to restore normalcy or show concern for the common man.

The State tribals who have been brought together by the Bills like never before have pledged to never let the blood of nine martyrs vanish in thin air, rolling out their agitation plans well ahead for weeks. The Government has shown no sincere and genuine attempt to restore normalcy.

Meanwhile, women groups in hundreds today held a peace rally from their dharna points and converged at Lamka Public ground where the leaders who addressed them took a jibe at the Government’s attempt to still downplay their movement.

Some of the leaders from Mizo Peoples' Convention, Hmar Inpui, Kuki Inpi, and Zomi Council who addressed the rally have even dubbed the present uprising as a political earthquake taking into consideration its magnitude, but the Government seems to think otherwise, in stark contrast to the ground reality.

The call for interminable unity, criticism of the elected representatives to protect the tribal interest and their refusal to own it up, and the need for a separate political administration were repeatedly raised during the rally amidst a highly charged atmosphere.

They also questioned the Central Government for kow-towing to Ibobi’s rhyme, questioning how many BJP leaders have now set their foot in the hill districts, before and after the uprising, despite the iconic announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his his Cabinet Ministers will visit the North Eastern States on rotational basis.

FIR Filed Against Mizoram CM’s Brother

Aizawl, Sep 16 : The Mizo National Front Tuesday filed an FIR with Mizoram’s Anti-Corruption Bureau against Lalthanzara, a former Minister of State and younger brother of Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla.

Lalthanzara resigned last month following exposes that he held several lakh shares in a Delhi-based company his brother the CM, through the state PWD, gave several contracts to at the time.

Information also surfaced that a food company owned by Lalthanzara’s family supplied more than Rs 20 crores worth of biscuits to anganwadis for midday meals through the state’s Social Welfare Department since the Congress came to power in 2008.

The MNF’s complaint to the ACB says Lalthanzara owned as much as 21.6% of Sunshine Overseas Ltd’s shares even as he was a Parliamentary Secretary in charge of the PWD which, at the time (2009-12), allotted several construction contracts to the firm.

The opposition party also pointed out that HP Foods, a company owned by Lalthanzara, has also been supplying “high-protein” biscuits to the government while the party he belongs to continues to be in power.

The party’s FIR has invoked various provisions of section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, which deals with “criminal misconduct by a public servant”.

J Lalremruata Hmar, the MNF’s Legal Board chairman in whose name the FIR was filed, said, “Both Lalthanzara and the CM have said Lalthanzara’s resignation means he is ready to face a thorough investigation. We waited for them to institute an investigation, which has not happened.

“We have therefore filed the FIR, and we will now see if the Vigilance Department will give the go-ahead to the ACB to proceed with investigations and subsequently file criminal cases,” he said.

Indian troops never crossed into Myanmar; operation took place in Manipur and Nagaland

New Delhi, Sep 16 : The cross-border strike in June to take down insurgent camps never took place in Myanmar, if the gallantry citations of the crack paratroopers who executed the operation are to be believed

While minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore openly stated after the June 9 operation that Indian forces crossed into Myanmar and raided two militant camps, the gallantry award citations of the heroes of the strike make no mention of the neighbouring nation, indicating instead that the operation took place in Manipur and Nagaland.

ET has learnt that the citations for the eight soldiers, including Lt Col Nectar Sanjenbam who led the operation, give an insight into the carefully carried out raid, while blurring out that it took place in Myanmar. Lt Col Sanjenbam, who has been awarded the Kirti Chakra — the second highest peacetime gallantry award — is learnt to have displayed unusual prowess in taking down the sentries at the militant camps that were raided. The officer is cited to have taken down 6-8 sentries, who were guarding the camps, personally in close quarter combat, before blasting his way through the main installations.

Similarly, Hav Tanka Kumar Limbu, awarded the Shaurya Chakra, is also cited as being instrumental in ensuring that the crack commando team sneaked in undetected before blasting away the main compound.The citations indicate that the Indian Army managed to inflict close to two dozen casualties, even though a precise number is not mentioned.

On the eve of Independence Day, the government conferred gallantry awards to eight soldiers of the 21 Para who took part in the strike but kept the citation — or record of the operation — classified. This was an unusual move as in the past, gallantry citations are made public, even for actions in foreign lands. When asked about the citations, an Army spokesperson said:"Please refer to the statement issued on June 9 that says the Army engaged two separate groups of insurgents along the Indo- Myanmar border at two locations, along the Nagaland and Manipur borders." It may be recalled the Indian Army never officially said its troops carried out a cross-border strike.

In a statement issued on the day of the operation, the Army was careful to mention that the operation took place "along the Indo- Myanmar border" and that "we are in communication with the Myanmar authorities on this matter".

Bail For Sensational Wildlife Crime in Mizoram

Aizawl, Sep 15 : Three people who were not even on the list of suspects in the theft of 11 bags of seized pangolin scales from a government godown in Mizoram have applied for anticipatory bail after a person known to them was arrested and questioned.

The trio have subsequently been summoned for interrogation in the high-profile theft that occurred 86 kms away, that too in a different district from where they live, Aizawl.

The May-end theft of the seized pangolin scales (weighing 262 kgs with a total value of Rs 1.7 lakhs) from a godown belonging to the forest department had prompted the state Forest Minister Lalrinmawia Ralte to issue a public statement.

Police investigating the theft at Kolasib town had arrested and questioned a man named Lalrinchhana, suspected to be the driver of a vehicle thought to have ferried the stolen pangolin scales from the godown to traffickers further afield.

Police sources said he refused to divulge his alleged accomplices, and had only said he helped deliver the consignment to a woman in Aizawl. The woman has since absconded, with her house locked from outside. Lalrinchhana’s remand has since expired.

Meanwhile, three people — Lalthlamuana (Lalrinchhana’s elder brother), P C Lianzuala and Lalfakzuali — approached a local court in Aizawl and applied for anticipatory bail in the case.

As their bail hearing continued, police got wind of the development and immediately suspected their involvement and were summoned for questioning.

But they have not presented themselves before investigators, and in the meantime secured anticipatory bail from the court, which observed that “there is no copy of summons showing that the petitioners had received the summons”.

Additional Sessions Judge Vanlalenmawia has however laid down strict conditions for their bail, including the suspect’s cooperation with police and orders for them not to leave the state without the consent of the top magistrate at Kolasib.

Tripartite Meeting on Bru Repatriation Remains Inconclusive

Aizawl, Sep 15 : The tripartite meeting between the Union Home Ministry and the state governments of Mizoram and Tripura held in Delhi today on the issue of repatriation of Brus from six relief camps in Tripura was inconclusive, a senior state government official on Monday said.

Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma, who led the state government delegation told PTI over phone the meeting agreed that the Union Home Ministry officials should hold talks with the Bru leaders before holding another meeting.

"Home Ministry officials will hold talks with the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) led by A Sawibunga and Bru Coordination Committee (BCC) led by Elvis Chorkhy," Lalmalsawma said adding, the two Bru organisations were reported to have differences of opinion on the repatriation issue.

While the Tripura government officials insisted that all Brus should return to Mizoram, the Mizoram officials explained that not a single Bru appeared before the officials for identification for repatriation and the state government was trying to implement the Road Map-IV for Bru repatriation between June 2 and August 17 last.

Mizo Party Alleges Land Intrusion

By Nilotpal Bhattacharjee

Aizawl, Sep 14 : The youth wing of the Zoram Nationalist Party (ZNP), a political party of Mizoram, has alleged that villagers of Lailapur in Assam's Cachar district have encroached into the neighbouring state.

The president of ZNP youth wing, Lalmuanpuia Punte, told this correspondent today that the Lalilapur gaon panchayat in contravention to the agreement had allowed a few villagers to cultivate land inside Mizoram territory. "The villagers from Assam also built farm huts on the land, which belongs to Mizoram. Everything was done under the supervision of the Lailapur gaon panchayat," he alleged.

A delegation of the ZNP youth wing yesterday visited the Assam-Mizoram border and took stock of the boundary demarcation between Lailapur and Vairengte in Mizoram's Kolasib district.

Punte said they met Cachar deputy commissioner S. Viswanathan last evening and discussed with him the prevailing condition on the border and briefed him about the reasons behind the frequent inter-state border conflicts. The delegation also met the liaison officer of Mizoram House here.

The ZNP youth wing submitted a memorandum to Viswanathan and urged him to take necessary steps to prevent the violation of the agreement. The memorandum said Cachar and Kolasib deputy commissioners some years back had signed an agreement according to which no activities are to be carried out on the disputed land.

Sources said tension flared up on Wednesday when the Mizoram environment and forest range officer visited the interstate border and destroyed the farm huts built inside Mizoram territory in Vairengte.

The same day the forest range officer of Dholai in Cachar district also paid a visit to the border.

Later, they held a meeting in which the Assam forest officials said they were not aware of the cultivation being done by the villagers inside Mizoram territory.