Day: October 7, 2012

AIZAWL, Oct 7 NNN: In a move to bridge the already widened gap between Assam and Mizoram following the recent boundary fiasco, Barak Valley Peace Delegation today met Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla at his residential bungalow, and held a discussion with him on boundary issue and other important inter-state related matters.
Lal Thanhawla said that the boundary issue is to be settled by the two states of Assam and Mizoram and the central government, and as it will take long time in settling the problem it is the best to negotiate and solve all the problems through table-talk.
Regarding the erection of boundary pillar at Mizo paddy fields and demolishing the same is but a cowardice act, Chief Minister said, and mentioned his plan to discuss the boundary issue with higher authority. Regarding entry of labourers at Vairengte without ILP referred to by Peace Delegation member, Chief Minister replied that “it is the best to continue what has been carried on since long time before.” As we are all citizens of India, what we want most is to live with showing respect to each other” CM lalthanhawla said.
Regarding Hindustan Paper Mill in Cachar, Lal Thanhawla said that bamboo is a national asset, and therefore it is planned to be utilised it helpfully and skilfully, for which Mahal system has also been stopped. In order that bamboo may produce as huge profit as possible for the Mizos as one chipping plant has been set up, the Mizo chief minister said, and assured the delegation members that he will decide on how to provide such chipped bamboo to meet the requirement of the Paper Mill.
Lal Thanhawla also talked on the proposal and request of the delegation members to place a Public Relations Officer at Mizoram House in Silchar and to set up a Grievance Cell in order to bring immediate solution in time of any arising of problems between the two states. They also proposed to set up Integration Camp both in Barak Valley and in Mizoram.
Delegation leader Sharif Laskar appreciated Lal Thanhawla as possessing a leadership quality and a man who stands on his promise, and thanked the Chief Minister for many things that he said. The delegation comprises 21 members; one of them being a representative of minority students’ body from Guwahati. Media persons and advocates also participated in the meeting. The visiting delegation left Mizoram today itself.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/barak-valley-peace-delegation-meets-mizoram-chief-minister/

DIMAPUR/IMPHAL, Oct 7 NNN: The Mamata Banerjee factor in Indian politics have given some worries to Naga leaders and intellectuals as it is likely to take longer time then expected with regard to the signing of an agreement between the NSCN-IM and New Delhi.
For the last few months there have been high expectations among the Nagas that the 15-year long dialogue between the NSCN-IM and the government of India is coming to a conclusion. The September 20 to September 29 visit of Naga Hoho delegation to New Delhi and the disclosure made by these Naga Hoho leaders after their return to Nagaland had even risen the tempo of hope among the Nagas. The Naga Hoho delegation had said that “very soon” the solution would be arrived at.
But due to the threat to the stability of the UPA government at the Centre following the Trinamool Congress’ withdrawal of support to the former and the much talked ‘No Confidence Motion’, Naga leaders are a bit nervous.
United Naga Council (UNC) general secretary Gaidon Kamei expressed that instability of the government at the Centre will hamper for taking decision on any major issue by the government. ‘This is quite usual and history says this,” stated the UNC leader. “But we are hoping that everything will be alright pertaining to the Naga peace talk,” Gaidon Kamei confided.
Naga Hoho general secretary Chuba Ozukam while talking to NNN from Kohima however said, though it may take longer time but the Naga peace talk would not be affected in anyway. He said the Naga Hoho leader had met P Chidabaram, the Union Finance minister recently and “going by his words, we are optimistic.”
All Naga Students Association Manipur (ANSAM) general secrtetary Seth Satshang however said it is the talk between the “NSCN and the government of India, and it will not affect the Naga peace talk in anyway.” He said the Nagas are not talking with a political party but the government of India, stated Seth Sathshang.
NSCN-IM top leader V.S Atem said it is hard to say anything. ” I have nothing to comment,” was what the former NSCN ‘Army Chief” had to say when asked about the situation of the talk if the UPA government is disturbed.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/tussle-with-mamta-delaying-naga-talks/

New Delhi, Oct.7 (ANI): Civil society activist-turned politician Arvind Kejriwal and Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra verbally sparred with each other Sunday, days after Kejriwal and his India Against Corruption (IAC) colleagues charged the latter of illegally profitting from his association with DLF, one of India’s largest building conglomerates.
Both said that if the matter is to reach the courts of the country, they would not hesitate to appear, and defend their respective stances on the matter.
While Vadra dismissed as “utterly false, entirely baseless and defamatory” the allegations over his property dealings with DLF, and added he was saddened by the attempt of activists Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan to malign him and his family to ?gain cheap publicity?, Kejriwal reiterated that Vadra has not answered questions on his links with DLF and described the clarifications of the realty major as “half truths and lies”.
Reacting to Vadra?s remarks that he and Prashant Bhushan were maligning him and his family to “gain cheap publicity”, Kejriwal said, “Robert Vadra has questioned our motives that is not important. He has not replied to the questions that we have raised.?
Vadra said: ?I am a private law abiding citizen who has been engaged in business over the last 21 years. The allegations levelled against me by Kejriwal and Bhushan are utterly false, entirely baseless and defamatory.?
Vadra, 43, said he was “saddened by the attempt of Kejriwal and Bhushan to deliberately misrepresent numbers contained in my financial statements, manufacture lies against me and malign me and my family in order to gain cheap publicity for themselves and for the launch of their political party?.
He said: ?My business transactions are fully reflected in financial statements filed before appropriate government authorities in compliance with the law. They are available in the public domain to anyone interested in knowing the truth.? His statement came a day after he broke his silence over the controversy surrounding his property dealings, saying he could “handle all the negativity”.
Kejriwal earlier today described as “half truths and lies” the clarifications of reality major DLF on the allegations that Vadra was given property at throw away prices for government favours.
DLF, on its part, yesterday rejected the allegations that it had given unsecured loans to Vadra as a ‘quid pro quo’ for favours and said it had transparent dealing with him as an individual entrepreneur.
“DLF has issued a response. It is full of half truths and lies. A lot of information has been suppressed. But does Vadra stand by DLF response or does he have another version? I would appreciate his version,” Kejriwal said.
He said he will not be able to respond to the specific issues in DLF’s response today as his team is working on it.”I had gone through the DLF response curiously. It is clear that there are a lot of information that they have suppressed…It will not be correct for me to respond now. We will issue a detailed response tomorrow,” Kejriwal added.
“I just want to know if Robert Vadra has the same response or if he has a different version. He did not respond to any of the specific issues we have raised,” Kejriwal said. In a statement yesterday, DLF had said it had given Rs 65 crore as “business advances” out of which Rs 15 crore was fully refunded and Rs 50 crore was used for purchase of land. Rejecting the allegations made by Kejriwal and Bhushan that the company favoured Vadra, DLF had said it neither received any undue benefit from any state governments nor was it alloted any land by Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan governments.

Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/dlf-largesse-kejriwal-vadra-spar-ready-to-take-on-each-other/