Tag: Editorial

A Highway Protection Force and four more IRB battalions in the already overpopulated state force. The signs of a bunker mentality which refuses to die down among the state leadership. There are already 14 battalions of Manipur Rifles and IRB besides the regular police personnel. Thousands of police personnel were recruited increasing the posted strength at 24,975. In the year 2011 alone, 409 personnel were recruited and another 1897 is in the pipeline. Add to that, the motley crew of Village Defence Force (VDF) the number of cadres which had crossed the 10,000 mark. And the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is asking for more armed battalions. If the Home Ministry agrees to the new proposal, the ratio would be such that there will be a policeman for every 50 persons, counting the VDFs. A monolithic police organization is very dangerous for the society and the disciplining process itself would become very difficult, not to talk of a people friendly force. The state Director General of Police (DGP) himself would become too powerful, and there may come a time when the police force holds the political leadership to ransom. There are enough instances of police mutiny in the state, when the so-called commandos threatened to cease operations against the insurgents in a show of solidarity to colleagues involved in staged killings. From this, a coup mentality might eventually emerge among the police fraternity which is extremely dangerous for a society caught in a conflict situation. We have seen enough of arrogant police officers in action. There had been a paradigm shift in the mode of operation of the police commandos in the state as compared to the very purpose for which it was set up. The so-called police commandos are more concerned with the achievement of their personal agendas rather than the main objective of maintaining public order and security of the state thereby straying from their primary objectives. The desperate scramble for easy money had climaxed in the later period of the last decade to such an extent that security forces were more than openly resorting to holding people for ransom and extortion activities beside the more favored practice of silencing the victims by way of elimination. Even the political class had become easy prey of the ‘commandos’ who hold evidence of unsavory links with the underground, like taped conversations between the politicians and members of the underground. There are rumors of middle-ranking police officers blackmailing politicians with evidence procured through the use of taping devices which had become plenty.

The Chief Minister had cited the protection of the 1500 MW Tipaimukh Hydro-Power Project to be executed by a joint venture company constituted by the NHPC, Sutlej Jal Vikas Nigam Ltd and the Government of Manipur and the 66 MW Loktak Downstream Hydro Electricity Project being taken up as a joint venture between NHPC Ltd and Government of Manipur, while seeking approval of 4 more IRB battalions. And he also asked for a highway protection force for the specific reason of ensuring security of convoys carrying essential commodities along the two National Highway in Manipur. Yes, National Highway Patrolling scheme has been a long-standing demand of the state government, considering the frequent bandhs and blockades by groups and communities active along the highways. But, asking for additional battalions of IRB is too much. The already existing battalions could be utilized for the said purposes. The Home ministry had sent a CRPF battalion for dedicated security to the Railways in the construction of Jiribam-Imphal Railway line. Why is that the same formula could not be adopted in the case of other projects or the highway. It has to stop somewhere and the Home ministry should desist from encouraging the establishment of more battalions. Enough is enough. Let us discuss about down-sizing the force instead of increasing its numbers.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/frightening-friends/

The deteriorating centre-state relations specially with regard to the Centre’s insistence of the establishment of National Counter-terrorism Centre (NCTC), an overarching security apparatus of the state, will no doubt loom large over the internal security meet in New Delhi on April 16 although a separate meeting for NCTC has been scheduled May 5. The proposed NCTC will empower the central agency to search, seize, and also make arrests without notice to the States. It is specially this clause which has enraged friends and foes alike. The unilateral decision and the lack of a consultative process before announcing the decision to set up the NCTC is a major grievance of most state governments. There are enough forums, like for instance the Inter-State Council and the National Development Council to flag such vital issues. In fact, the states were not duly consulted when the Centre set up the National Investigating Agency (NIA) in 2009. India’s NCTC seems to be modeled on its American counterpart, yet in the US the NCTC does not have powers to make arrests or of interrogation. The unilateral decision had drawn sharp criticism from the Chief Ministers of various states. They see it as an encroachment on the powers of the states, usurpation of states’ authority, and a danger to the federal polity. Again, we cannot simply brush aside the concerns of the states that the powers that be at the Centre could use the proposed NCTC against political opponents.

With regard to the Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, the Centre cannot simply ignore the recent remarks of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Margaret Sekaggya and Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions Christof Heyns with regard to Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Christof Heyns had specifically called for its repeal saying that AFSPA has no place in a democracy. He had also said that AFSPA in effect allows the state to override rights in the disturbed areas in a much more intrusive way than would be the case under a state of emergency, since the right to life is in effect suspended, and this is done without the safeguards applicable to states of emergency. While the Union Home Ministry has floated the idea of suitable amendments to the Act considering the recommendations of Jeevan Reddy Committee and other reports, the Defence Ministry is deadly against such an idea. The Group of Interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir in their final report had in fact called for a positive response from the Union Defence Ministry to proposals for repeal of and amendments to the draconian Act. The report quoted Prime Minister`s Working Group on Confidence-Building Measures which had recommended reviewing the Disturbed Areas Act and AFSPA. The Jeevan Reddy Commission had proposed the repeal of the AFSPA and the incorporation of some of its provisions in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. We are sure, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would certainly flag these recommendations in the meet, while it is not certain in the case of Manipur CM. Internal security discussions in the case of J & K and the northeast more particularly Manipur need to be seen through the prism of AFSPA and its negative fallout. It cannot simply be ignored with phrases like ‘till situations improve’ or ‘the need for a conducive atmosphere’ while in actuality it is leading to further deterioration of the volatile situation and infecting even the state forces.  A glaring example of that was the series of fake encounters by state forces culminating in the July 23 incident of Khwairamband Bazar. One need not elaborate further on the negative impact of the Act. But we must say that, the public angst against AFSPA may blow over anytime.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/afspa-an-internal-security-threat/

True to his word, Home Minister Gaikhangam has already begun to deliver the goods towards building an effective police force in terms of crime investigation. We are still to see how it works out in the field of prosecution. According to the Home Minister, he had given specific instructions to the police investigation officers (IOs) to frame a foolproof charge-sheet against the accused persons involved in the rape case of a housewife at Irom Meijrao on March 22. The crime investigation and prosecution wings of the Manipur police department had long been neglected by the top echelons of the police department and its administrative department which is Home department, citing law and order problems and insurgency, which in actuality was an excuse. Police officers right from the constable to the officer in-charge posted in the police stations were most of the time utilized in law and order detail, as the higher-ups consider law and order as top priority while neglecting the crucial wings of crime investigation and prosecution. These two crucial wings are in fact the face of the police force. Prowess in crime investigation and case preparation is what the general public expects from the police force, and certainly skills in staging fake encounters. The proposed face-lift and confidence building measures promised by the new Home Minister will not succeed if these crucial sectors continue to be neglected. The effect of such neglect coupled with corruption has led to loss of confidence among the general public towards the police force and the increased mob culture. The growing incidence of mob violence and vigilante justice is direct result of the vacuum created by police corruption and inaction towards crime investigation and prosecution. As winds rushes in to fill up the vacuum created by bush fire, the public while losing faith in adequate police action, takes law into their hands and delivers instant justice. So, police reforms in Manipur should begin by strengthening the investigation and prosecutions wings, besides the directives of the Supreme Court issued in 2006 in reference to the Prakash Singh v Union of India case. The directives sought to address the issue of politicisation of the police by regulating transfers, postings, and promotions; enhance its accountability through independent bodies; and strengthen its professionalism through regular performance appraisals. While this is true in the case of most police forces in the country, the case of Manipur and other conflict ridden states needs special treatment.

The Home Minister had said in a media briefing that he was confronted with some high voltage crimes ranging from rape to kidnapping and extortion involving state forces right from the day he took over charge. Yet, he has not relented and we are seeing results. Prompt action in the case of the rape incident led to the arrest of four accused persons including two IRB personnel. The Home department had meted out due punishment to guilty personnel involved in the drug smuggling on the Imphal-Moreh route and Narcotics Cell personnel including an Inspector involved in a extortion case. And recently, the police solved the rape and murder of a 44 year old woman with the arrest of the main accused from Kakching. Now, the preparation of charge-sheet and a watertight case will ensue. But still, the officers responsible for solving the crimes should be duly awarded and appropriate incentives should be given. While focusing their attention on doling out gallantry awards and out of turn promotions to the so-called police commandos, regular police officers manning the police stations had long been forgotten. Awards and out of turn promotion to these police officers will surely usher in efficiency in investigation and prosecution. And the department should start organizing capacity building workshops and orientation courses for the police officers by pulling in experts and retired police officers who has expertise in investigation and prosecution matters. Before signing off, we would suggest the constitution of a police reforms committee for the state.  

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/facelift-exercises/

Almost everyone in Manipur has seen the police commandos in action both in the valley and the hills. But do they really exist? Officially, there are no such special units in the organizational hierarchy of the Manipur police organization. One will not find the existence of such a unit among the various branches of the state police organization. According to the official website of Manipur Police, the branches are Civil Police, Armed Police (MR & IRB), Criminal Intelligence Department (CID), Traffic Police, Narcotics & Affairs of Border (NAB), DG Control Room, Manipur Police Wireless, Manipur Police Training School (MPTS), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Central Motor Transport Workshop (CMTW) and Home Guard. Yet, their existence is acknowledged in official reports, vehicular emblems, insignia on caps and uniforms and badges. This question was raised in the recent memorandum submitted by the Civil Society Coalition for Human Rights, Manipur (CSCHR) to the UN Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions Christof Heyns. And it has become more pertinent, in the wake of state Home Minister Gaikhangam’s statement to the media that he will be reviewing the functioning of the so-called police commandos or CDOs. It is a bold statement; in fact no one in government had said that before. So, it has become necessary to place the facts on the table. First, what is supposed to be a commando? And what does it mean in history? During the World War II, the British had raised elite forces known as commandos for covert strikes upon the enemy. The British intended that their commandos be small, highly mobile surprise raiding and reconnaissance forces. They intended them to carry all they needed and not remain in field operations for more than 36 hours. Army Commandos were all volunteers selected from existing soldiers still in Britain. During the war the British Army Commandos spawned several other famous British units such as the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service and the Parachute Regiment. The British Army Commandos themselves were never regimented and were disbanded at the end of the war. In India, the term commando is used liberally for almost any unit that has more training than their peers. This is especially true in the police forces. However, there are certain units that are trained to internationally acceptable standards. Mention may be made of the Para Commandos; a special forces unit of the Indian Army; the Garud Commando Force, a special unit of the Indian Air Force; MARCOS, a commando unit of the Indian Navy designed to carry out operation on air, sea and land; National Security Guards (NSG) personnel are popularly known as Black Cat Commandos which also carries out hostage rescue and anti-terrorist operations; the Special Protection Group (SPG) which provides protection to the political elite of the nation; Ghatak Force, a battalion-level special unit in the Indian Army; and the COBRA unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) utilized mostly in Naxalite areas. Among the states, Punjab has a commando battalion. Commandos in Punjab Police came into existence in the year 1989. The idea was to establish a better trained better equipped and specialised force to combat terrorism in the State. The 33rd battalion of PAP was renamed as PAP Commando battalion in the year of 1989 and then declared as first commando battalion in 1990. In Manipur, there is no commando battalion as such, although establishment of a commando battalion is doing the rounds in recent times. Yet, there are police commando units in all the district headquarters of the valley and they are handling the operational part. One need not elaborate on the activities of the police commandos in Manipur, everyone has a story. They are, in fact, the champions of fake encounters and ‘official extortion’. There have been instances of rebellion among the commando ranks over intended government action for excesses and times when they had held the government at ransom by putting down arms. This is simply indiscipline on their part and on the other hand the reflection of the political masters at the mercy of the police commandos who hold the key. This is an extremely dangerous situation, which the new Home Minister needs to take into account while considering police reforms. Nobody takes heed of the Supreme Court directives issued in 2006 in reference to the Prakash Singh v Union of India case. The directives seek to address the issue of politicisation of the police by regulating transfers, postings, and promotions; enhance its accountability through independent bodies; and strengthen its professionalism through regular performance appraisals.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/who-are-the-cdos/

It is rather strange that city managers of Imphal have always a myopic view while deciding policies or at the stage of execution. Be it in the case of traffic control or municipal taxes or city based campaigns, attention is always focused in the Khwairamband Bazar area that is Paona Bazar and Thangal Bazar area. The managers simply refused to understand there is a Imphal beyond the Bazar area, and that there has to be a holistic approach in formulating plans or deciding policies. In fact, this myopic view is responsible for most of the ills of the capital city. Take for example, the decision of `pedestrian only`™ regulation from 10 am to 4 pm in the Paona Bazar and Thangal Bazar the implementation which is causing havoc in the roads surrounding the core area. The would-be spillover effect in Keishampat junction to Khuyathong traffic point through Nagamapal and the stretch from Keishampat Power house to Raj Bhavan further leading upto Khoyathong have simply been ignored when deciding on the pedestrian only regulation. It is not that we do not support the regulation in the core area. But the point is, the city managers should have taken into account the spillover effect or worst case scenarios, instead of playing safe with the phrase `experimental basis`™. In today`™s world, projections of worst case scenarios and the innovative use of `leap of imagination`™ have become the order of the day while mapping the future or while developing vision documents or framing policies. We have had enough experimentation in Manipur particularly in the Imphal city sometimes reducing the general public to the level of guinea pigs. Both the city dwellers and the floating population of Imphal have been harassed through the perennial traffic jams on roads around the Bazar and the level of frustration among the general population is increasing day by day. All roads lead to Imphal. It is time for the city planners and managers to understand this.

Secondly, let us take up the zero garbage campaign, which was recently revived by the recently constituted Imphal Municipal Council. The campaign was first launched when the earlier Council was under suspension. Under the supervision of MAHUD department, awareness meetings in the various wards of Imphal Municipal area was organized through the local MLAs, amidst bruised egos among the councilors under suspension. Signing up consumers for the private agencies operating in areas outside the Bazar area was also part of the campaign. It was finally wound up following the announcement of municipal elections. This time round, the zero garbage campaign has been implemented through the elected councilors and it is yet to be seen which direction it is going to take. Five belled garbage vehicles have been pressed into service for collecting solid waste, but only in the Bazar area. This, according to municipal officials, is on experimental basis and it could ultimately reach areas beyond the Bazar. So, a question naturally comes to the lips of citizens, whether the enforcement of the Imphal Municipal Council (Cleanliness & Sanitation) By-laws will cross the limits of the Bazar area. A city will certainly have commercial zones and residential zones although Imphal is not really a planned city. The Imphal Bazar area is not strictly a commercial area, as there are many residential quarters within the Bazar limits. In the first phase of the campaign, private operators were very active although most of their energies were absorbed by the Bazar area owing to its higher monthly fees. But the two or three times a week collection of garbage from residential areas outside the Bazar turned into once in a month routine after the campaign, citing several reasons, lack of disposal site being of them. This is simply a case of bad planning. Planners and managers really need to think beyond the Bazar area for a holistic approach towards solving the problems of the city.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/beyond-the-bazar/

The institution of a separate high court for Manipur has been a long-standing demand of the state legal fraternity. And it is justified considering all the practical problems faced by litigants and in the interests of timely justice delivery. Besides, it is provided in the Constitution of India. Article 214 of the constitution clearly says ‘There shall be a High Court for each State.’ The issue could have been resolved when Manipur attained statehood in 1972. For example, a separate high court was established in Uttaranchal when it became a full-fledged state. But at that point of time the situation was such that creation of a separate High Court for Manipur was not possible, despite the fact that Constitution of India provided for the same. It was much later that, a separate Imphal Bench was created under the Gauhati High Court. As time passed, all the north eastern states in India started having a separate Bench, with the Gauhati High Court as the principal seat. In the present case of Manipur, the physical infrastructure has come into place with the inauguration of functioning of the Imphal bench of the Gauhati High Court in the spacious new complex at Chingmeirong. The Imphal Bench has been functioning out of the erstwhile Manipur Hotel complex for the last so many years. Now, the problem of inadequate courtrooms and of space constraints has been solved. On the other hand, there is no dearth of good lawyers and other legal professionals in the state. So, what excuse is there for the government of India to deny such a demand? We think not. The state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has also made his move by seeking the support of the Supreme Court and High Court judges present at the inauguration. His next move should be taking into confidence all the political parties and the entire political class. The support of civil society is also very essential. There are other justifications of a separate high court as well. Manipur’s population had increased manifold since the attainment of statehood and the number of litigants are increasing day by day. Besides the difficulties and practical problems faced by the litigants while seeking appeals at the principal seat at Guwahati in terms of costs, there are many administrative problems as well at Imphal. The registry at Imphal Bench is controlled from Guwahati. This is also one of the most important factors causing high pendency rate. Although the number of pending cases in Imphal had come sown in the recent times following the Uma Devi vs Karnataka case, 6000 pending cases is still huge for the bench. Even with the introduction of IT connectivity, there are still many practical problems in the administrative set-up. With the passage of time, the backlog of cases which need immediate hearing and disposal, is multiplying. Certain factors appear to be emanating. Many cases cannot be heard by Benches presided over by the local Judges for some reason or another. Therefore, many cases had been transferred to the Principal Benches as there was unavailability of Benches at Imphal and the same has been a costly affair for the litigants. The amount of time and financial resources spent can now be curtailed with the establishment of a separate High Court for Manipur. The Chief Justice of the High Court is the administrative head and is the first amongst equal among the Judges of a High Court. The Chief Justice sits in the principal seat at Gauhati and it is on very rare occasions that the Chief Justice presides over the Bench at Imphal, mainly for the reason that time does not permit as the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court has to see the affairs of all the North-Eastern States of India. The superintendence befitting the administrative function of the lower Courts at Manipur has never been satisfactory by any standard as the State of Manipur does not have a separate High Court or a Chief Justice of its own, who can understand, ensure discipline and meet the requirements of the lower Courts in Manipur. In short, a separate high court should be established in Manipur.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/separate-high-court/

Leader Writer: Wangkheimayum Bhupendra Singh
Today’s sudden cloudburst comes as a much needed relief for the people of the state, and the state Public Health Engineering Department must have been amongst the first to welcome it with open arms. Even then if the rain fails to continue in the coming days, the respite would not be of much significance. The department as such has been facing quite a severe censure for the past few days from the media as well as the public against its inability to ensure supply of potable drinking water to the people of the state. Summer has just about arrived, tagging along with it all sorts of problems into the state. The summer which once used to be a pleasant experience in the state is now fill up to the brim with experiences that could leave a bitter taste in the mouth. Problems and all sorts of them seem to be making a beeline for the state. Every new day sees a new problem rise. Among the list of issues that the state is facing at the moment, the inadequate supply of potable water has become quite an issue with all the aspects of kicking up another tumultuous time for the state and its residents until the rain Gods decided to smile upon the people and their state. The rains giving the state some nervous times at this time of the year just before the arrival of the monsoon resulting in dried up water sources or bodies in the state which in turn negatively affects the supply of potable water has somewhat become an annual proceeding. The present dry spell with the scorching heat had only worsened the situation of the state. The present issues coupled with the power load shedding are giving sleepless nights to the state residents. It needs some serious thinking and acting on the part of the government and its concern department before the issue really gets out of hand. It is time for the government and its concerned department to pull their acts together and think of ways of solving the issue instead of just sitting in their desks and blaming the rain for the lack of potable water in the state.  As reported earlier, a PHED source had stated that the department incurs a loss of around 30 percent water while it is being pumped from the main reservoirs due to leakages along the pipelines. Controlling this issue alone could solve half of the water issues in the state. On the part of the general public it would be all the more helpful, if we could stop large scale deforestation happening in the state which will influence the arrival or non-arrival of the monsoon in a large way. Traditional ponds and lakes should also be maintained and encouraged to lessen the hardship that the public had to undergo during the pre-monsoon season in the state every year. Unauthorised connection of water lines is something which should be handled with a mutual understanding between the public and the government department concerned. Another issue that both the public and the government can sit out together and encourage rain water harvesting. Acting on these fronts will considerably help in encountering is the water issue of the state.

On the other hand with the rains giving the state a miss for quite some time, the dry spell had not only left the state high and dry, but had also given an opportunity to some with dubious intentions of earning an extra buck at the cost of the consumers. Taking undue advantage of the scarcity of potable water in the state, certain characters had been pumping water from rivers and selling it to their customers who in all likelihood would not be realizing the source of the water. Meanwhile, even as the concerned authorities were declaring that certain water supplies have been stopped from making proper supply of water to their customers, certain staffs of a water reservoir were reportedly selling water to individuals on the sly. The IFP had reported that certain staffs of the Ningthem Pukhri water reservoir were minting money by selling water to private water carriers, even as treatments plants around Imphal and its neighbouring areas have dried up. Concerned higher officials have already expressed their assurance to take up serious action, which should be welcome by the public. However, the concern higher-ups should not end the issue with just the assurance. They should also act it out so as to earn the public’s admiration and as a warning to all erring staffs. Let us hope that both the public and the government understand the gravity of the situation at hand and do their bits to control the issue.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/watering-woes/

The Thoubal Bazar is getting a major facelift. People often talk of the manner in which the place is being done up with a measure of awe and cynicism, saying this is the only place in Manipur where development is happening as it should be. The snide hint is that this is so because this is chief minister, Okram Ibobi’s home constituency, casting a hue of parochialism to the man who has emerged beyond doubt as someone with political acumen few others in the state can match. It is another matter that politics in the state is less about statesmanship and vision but more of the wiles of survival in a treacherous backstabbing game. In this game, Ibobi has proven supreme, having just returned to power for the third consecutive term with a thumping majority of 42 for his Congress party in the 60-member Assembly. The cynicism is warranted, but not for the popular reasons cited. For indeed, what Ibobi is deemed to have done for his constituency, all other ministers if not MLAs could have also done. This is not all about funnelling developmental funds into any particular constituency. It is also a lot about sincerely monitoring and thus ensuring all entitlements of every constituency is used as they were meant to be.

The cynicism of Thoubal town surging ahead of other townships however is still warranted for the unimaginative manner the new town is being conceived. All would agree that the construction works in Thoubal are indeed solid. Unlike in most other parts of the state, the thickness of the asphalt black topping is thick and as per specification, the roads have been widened, many new building are springing up etc. But the disappointing fact is, there is not a hint of modern planning here. The main street along the NH-39/AH-2 is shop-lined as it should be, but unfortunately what are shaping up are hundreds of small box shops. In this age of shopping malls and multiplexes, the planning mindset has still not grown out of the ubiquitous pan dukan mentality of the early 20th century. Ibobi’s Thoubal is not set to be a plus shopping arcade or a city mall in the manner and style of the new metropolises springing up everywhere in India and the world, but a congested marketplace prototype of Darya Ganj or Chandni Chowk. What a pity.

But the greater pity is, this is the standard picture of town planning evident everywhere, including the suburbs of Imphal. As for instance, the Sagolband stretch of Imphal-Jiribam road has also been widened after a lot of painful land acquisition and demolition of many ancestral homes. Along it too are new built buildings coming up. These constructions again bear the same signature of architectural style and city planning as in Thoubal, although it must be admitted, at a less grand scale. This newly broadened road too is lined with tiny box shops. Whatever happened to the imagination of those behind city planning is difficult to fathom. Surely they have seen the trends of the new world evident everywhere. Nobody has to go too far to see them. The newer parts of Guwahati, such as the G.S. Road, are just some examples. But why even go to Guwahati, just across the border from Moreh, even the Burmese small backwater township of Tamu has an eye on the future, with its broad, straight and tree-lined avenues, well-paved sidewalks, and generally neatly swept and kempt look everywhere. That even an impoverished country like Burma can do this to a mufossil township is proof that this is not all about money. What are infinitely more important are commitment to job and a capacity to imagine artistic beauty. Burma is now opening up rapidly and the attention of the world is falling on it again, and it is every crystal gazer’s prediction today that Myanmar would be the next big vibrant South East Asian economy. When that happens, even fringe townships like Tamu are likely to begin shining. It is a foregone conclusion Tamu would tower over Moreh which today is nothing more than a filthy, unplanned settlement. But if Tamu comes to rival even Imphal, the capital of an Indian province, a scenario which is not altogether unimaginable considering the direction of developmental planning here, we would expect our planners to die of shame. In mediaeval Japan, such a sense of defeat would definitely have lead to strings of hara-kiri amongst responsible authorities. In any other responsible place too, maybe it is not hara-kiri, but definitely it would have led to many important heads rolling.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/unimaginative-planning/

The development debate has been raging in recent times on whether it should entirely be the domain of the planners or the other alternative of a participatory approach in the planning process. Social and environmental activists have long been emphasizing on the need for a participatory process in planning. And the debate has ultimately boiled down to the top-down and bottom-up approach in planning. With regard to environment and development, debate should be an essential part of planning and management. Unfortunately, all too often the politicians tend to avoid thinking through controversial issues and rush to prescribe causes of action with the slightest debate or thought of their long-term impacts. Look at the case of Loktak Hydro-electric project. The public was kept in the dark of its implications and the environmental consequences. The ecology of the lake had begun deteriorating with the coming up of the Ithai barrage the basic function of which was storage of adequate for generation of power by the project. More than 80 thousand hectares of agricultural land vanished leading to an impoverished peasantry, while the ecological cycle was disturbed leading to increase of the area covered by phumdis and traditional methods of fishing becoming obsolete. This in turn led to fishermen resorting to use of pesticides and fishing enclosures in the lake known as Athaphums. This in fact was due to the lack of transparency and debate while formulating projects. Fortunately, today those involved in environment and development-academically, intellectually, and practically are debating the top-down, bottom-up and basic needs approaches. The debate has become so crucial in the whole enterprise of environmental planning and management. The debate typifies three different and contrasting approaches to planning and management. Increasingly the debate is focusing on: ‘which of the approaches is more suitable for use in reversing past environmental degradation and moving human society towards ecologically sustainable use of resources and conserving ecosystems and species by empowering local people-particularly the poorest of the poor and co-ordinating rather than administering their conservation and development activities? The orthodox top-down approach with its modernisation paradigm is discredited but like a chameleon, continues to mutate its colours and shades to prevent the poor of the poorest from escaping from its shackles. While the bottom-up approach may produce more desirable social outcomes in the long-term, and its consequences for environmental planning, management and conservation are less certain, the basic human needs approach appears to assure conservation, in the short-term, with less predictable long-term effects. It entailed decisions about development projects and activities being made at a high level and then being imposed upon a particular location or people. This pattern of development was top-down and its benefits were supposed to trickle down to the poor. Unfortunately, the strategy failed miserably because it did not change the lives and livelihoods of the majority of the people, except for a few employed in the new modern sector. It was also the precursor of much environmental damage since policies and strategies for environmental management were also top-down oriented. It was during the 2nd UN Development Decade that new models of development emerged. With the new models also emerged new slogans of environment and development in the literature. Among the slogans mentioned may be made of basic services, participation, eco-development, development without destruction, basic needs, and bottom up. All the slogans reflected a common concern for ensuring that the poor, unlike before, benefited from development in the short and long-term without having to wait for the benefits of modernisation to trickle down. Moreover, they all focused on the provision of what were called basic needs such as adequate nutrition, water, shelter, education, health and employment, preferably in a bottom-up fashion. The reasoning came to focus on equity: that development should not just benefit the rich, but should reach to all sectors of the population, particularly the poorest of the poor.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/the-development-debate/

We have earlier spoken about the lack of socially sanctioned spaces for interaction among our teenage boys and girls in present times. Romantic relationships tend to develop during adolescence. It is a natural process, yet a difficult phase. It is a transitional period the chief purpose of which is the preparation of children for adult roles. We have all gone through that adolescent phase and there are no bypasses. It marks a time of sexual maturation, which manifests in social interactions as well. The expression of sexual desire among adolescents is influenced by family values and the culture and religion they have grown up in. An adolescent’s sexual socialization is highly dependent upon the society they live in and how restrictive or permissive that society is when it comes to sexual activity. Add to that, the manifestations of a conflict-ridden society and high unemployment rate. One can imagine the push and pull factors against the backdrop of conflict between the state and non-state actors. In the adolescent phase, one goes through a difficult period of shaping behavior against peer pressure and when one is faced with multiple career options, both negative and positive. One could be easily frustrated in such a scenario, as we have seen in the last few decades. Look at drug abuse among our youth and its related issues engulfing the state and its policies. In plain words, we have to simply understand the conditions in which our boys and girls are growing up. Only then, we could start the debate of regulating social interactions among the youth. But, certainly not by imposition and strictures on youth behavior or public humiliation through restaurant drives by condom waving vigilantes. It is true, our boys and girls are meeting in semi-lit restaurants. Every now and then, we are witnessing raids in semi-lit restaurants by different pressure groups and even public humiliation of young people found in unsavory conditions. With the advent of information technology and cell phones, instances of blind dates and sex crimes have increased in recent times. Instances of married men duping young girls and date rape in restaurants and of young housewives being ensnared by gullible men have come out in the open in the said raids. But, banning cell phones would not be a solution to such crimes. Or for that matter, public humiliation of young people meeting in restaurants is not the solution. For the self-righteous groups, imposition and public humiliation is the name of the game and they still refuse to go beyond that. As we had opined earlier, these drives are negative on adolescent behavior which could only lead to increase in date rape and pre-marital sex and other forms of sexual behavior. The pertinent question here is who and what has led our youth to the restaurants? It is the restrictive society which had driven our boys and girls in a corner. It is not their fault. The fault lies in the society and its restrictive norms. So, the task in hand before us is how to revive socially sanctioned spaces for adolescent interaction and positive relationships taking into account the changing dynamics of our society. Or we have to think in terms of developing newer spaces or rendezvous for a positive regulation of romantic relationships and sexual socialization of our youth. In our ancient lore, there are stories of young boys courting girls in the latter’s home with parental sanction. We had Likkon Saanaba where young boys and girls get to know each other through a local game of dice. We had Thabal Chongba dance, again a rendezvous for our youth. With the advent of Hinduism, the Meiteis began to shed their martial tradition and its associated baggage and had become conservative. Still, they did not do away with the socially sanctioned spaces for youth relationships at once. But with the Meiteis becoming more and more conservative, these socially sanctioned spaces had vanished. Having said this, we would appeal to all rational beings and social scientists to converge in the search for spaces and rendezvous for the youth. If not, we would be betraying our 2000 year old civilization and forfeiting the future of our youth.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/growing-up-in-difficult-times/

Another UN Special Rapporteur has called for repeal of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). This time it is the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Christof Heyns who has called for its appeal at the end of his visit to the country. The first was UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders Margaret Sekaggya who visited the country in January last year and came upto Guwahati. Christof Heyns also came to Guwahati and met both human rights activists and families of victims. In the preliminary report following his visit to the country Heyns has said, AFSPA has no place in a democracy and it should be scrapped. He had also said that AFSPA in effect allows the state to override rights in the disturbed areas in a much more intrusive way than would be the case under a state of emergency, since the right to life is in effect suspended, and this is done without the safeguards applicable to states of emergency. The Special Rapporteur has also expressed surprise at the 1997 ruling of the Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of AFSPA. He had said that it is difficult to understand how the Supreme Court which has been so progressive in other areas, also concerning right to life could have ruled in 1997 in favour of AFSPA although qualified by dos and don’ts. The UN Special Rapporteur had in effect validated the reports of human rights activist from the region and the call for the appeal of AFSPA by the people of Manipur including Gwangju Awardee Irom Sharmila.  Special Rapporteurs are in fact eyes and ears of the UN Human Rights Council. Although, the final report of Christof Heyns is slated for 2013 the preliminary report has put the Indian government in an embrassing situation. Look at Union Home Minister P Chidambaram. He is guarded in his reaction to the statement of the UN Special Rapporteur. He had said that the view of the Ministry of Home Affairs is for suitable amendments to the law AFSPA after considering the Justice Jeevan Reddy report and all other reports. He is defending his own ministry and saying that some others are not sharing the opinion of the Home Ministry. Although he has not spelled out clearly who is blocking the amendment proposal, it is clear from earlier reports that it is the Defence Ministry and the army lobby who had been consistently objecting to the proposal. The proposed amendments include taking arrests warrants in advance, taking away the power of the armed forces to open fire causing death and setting up of a grievance redress cell, according to recent reports in the media. But the army top brass has all along been saying that it cannot operate in the Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir without the protection of AFSPA. Why?  Why is impunity so essential in conducting operations in insurgency affected areas? is it their intent to continue with enforced disappearances, arbitrary executions, torture, rape & molestation, house breaking, looting, and arbitrary detention. We all know that few perpetrators of these gross violations of human rights ever got indicted or prosecuted. The Hindu report had said that in the past four years alone, the Union home ministry rejected at least 42 requests to sanction the prosecution of military personnel found by the police to have engaged in crimes such as murder, homicide and rape in Kashmir. This sense of not having to answer for their actions have percolated down to the state forces also as seen in the numerous fake encounters including the Khwairamband Bazar incident of July 23, 2009. Having said this, we would like to say that Manipur’s demand is not for amendments to the law but for its repeal. The fate of AFSPA has been sealed with two UN Special Rapporteurs seeking its repeal. India has to respect the verdict of the Special Rapporteurs, if it sincerely believes in the tenets of democracy.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/the-fate-of-afspa/

Leader Writer: Hrishikesh Angomcha
People of Manipur are perturbed by several mindless activities going around. No people in any part of the world might have experienced such adversity. They have been withstanding many hardships all these days. On the other side, they are terrorized by frequent bomb blasts in crowded public places. Such mindless activities do not serve any purpose rather rendering the common people in extreme suffering.
What was the outcome of economic blockade imposed on the National Highways for four months? Were their demands fulfilled? The answer will obviously be “NO”. Then, is there any justification for such mindless act? The answer seems to be doubtful. The proverb “look before you leap” comes to mind vividly when people carry out mindless activities against the interest of the general public. The economic blockade as such is an undemocratic tool which has been used by some groups almost every time whenever they want to draw the attention of the government. Majority of the people are thrown into fire for the sake of some interest groups. This is really a mindless act. The agitators should have thought over and again on this matter before starting their agitation. Many might have desired to endorse their demand, but their undemocratic attitude has turned them away. The agitators would not be able to relish the “fruit” wholeheartedly. Their agitation seems to bear no fruit. Drivers and handymen were killed and injured during blockade. Many goods laden trucks were burned down for no reason. Can these brutal mindless acts be justified by their demand? If so, can they be able to achieve their goal? It is all futile…They should have looked before they leaped. The outcome of their agitation is only hatred and enmity amongst the harmonious groups. There is no single point that can justify the imposition of economic blockade for many months. The four-month-long agitation of demand and counter-demand has ended up meaninglessly. Their demand and counter-demand has perturbed the common people. Nothing good or significant has been achieved on the part of their agitation. The whole episode of economic blockade turns out to be “super flop”. Thank them at least. Manipur has been able to make headlines in both national and international media owing to this blockade.
Coming to the point of terrorism in the state, people have witnessed bomb blasts in crowded public places every now and then. Such things are barbaric and inhumane. Nothing can justify such act of killing innocent people. Whether terrorists or revolutionaries, can their goals be achieved with the blood of common people? Why are they targeting innocent people when their main targets are far beyond their reach? The blasts at Pangei, Sangakpam, Ragailong , Sangai festival, ISKCON, Alu Gali and many other places killing and injuring several innocent people have turned this land into a bloody field. No one is certain about tomorrow. He may be alive at the present, but the next moment he might have left for his heavenly abode. Where can one live peacefully in this land of mindless people? They do not bother about the consequence of things. They do whatever that comes to their mind. The sense of brotherhood and oneness has been marred by these mindless acts. Moreover, the involvement of security personnel in anti-social activities is a sign of social illness. Where can one find a tranquil environment if the whole system is spoiled? Things won’t be improved if people keep on indulging in mindless activities. Any agitation or revolution should have some significance on the society. Mindless and haphazard ways will only aggravate angst amongst the people. Untoward things could be averted if people consider the consequence first before taking up any venture. Always look before you leap.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/saturday-leader-look-before-you-leap/

Leader Writer: Hrishikesh Angomcha
People of Manipur are perturbed by several mindless activities going around. No people in any part of the world might have experienced such adversity. They have been withstanding many hardships all these days. On the other side, they are terrorized by frequent bomb blasts in crowded public places. Such mindless activities do not serve any purpose rather rendering the common people in extreme suffering.
What was the outcome of economic blockade imposed on the National Highways for four months? Were their demands fulfilled? The answer will obviously be “NO”. Then, is there any justification for such mindless act? The answer seems to be doubtful. The proverb “look before you leap” comes to mind vividly when people carry out mindless activities against the interest of the general public. The economic blockade as such is an undemocratic tool which has been used by some groups almost every time whenever they want to draw the attention of the government. Majority of the people are thrown into fire for the sake of some interest groups. This is really a mindless act. The agitators should have thought over and again on this matter before starting their agitation. Many might have desired to endorse their demand, but their undemocratic attitude has turned them away. The agitators would not be able to relish the “fruit” wholeheartedly. Their agitation seems to bear no fruit. Drivers and handymen were killed and injured during blockade. Many goods laden trucks were burned down for no reason. Can these brutal mindless acts be justified by their demand? If so, can they be able to achieve their goal? It is all futile…They should have looked before they leaped. The outcome of their agitation is only hatred and enmity amongst the harmonious groups. There is no single point that can justify the imposition of economic blockade for many months. The four-month-long agitation of demand and counter-demand has ended up meaninglessly. Their demand and counter-demand has perturbed the common people. Nothing good or significant has been achieved on the part of their agitation. The whole episode of economic blockade turns out to be “super flop”. Thank them at least. Manipur has been able to make headlines in both national and international media owing to this blockade.
Coming to the point of terrorism in the state, people have witnessed bomb blasts in crowded public places every now and then. Such things are barbaric and inhumane. Nothing can justify such act of killing innocent people. Whether terrorists or revolutionaries, can their goals be achieved with the blood of common people? Why are they targeting innocent people when their main targets are far beyond their reach? The blasts at Pangei, Sangakpam, Ragailong , Sangai festival, ISKCON, Alu Gali and many other places killing and injuring several innocent people have turned this land into a bloody field. No one is certain about tomorrow. He may be alive at the present, but the next moment he might have left for his heavenly abode. Where can one live peacefully in this land of mindless people? They do not bother about the consequence of things. They do whatever that comes to their mind. The sense of brotherhood and oneness has been marred by these mindless acts. Moreover, the involvement of security personnel in anti-social activities is a sign of social illness. Where can one find a tranquil environment if the whole system is spoiled? Things won’t be improved if people keep on indulging in mindless activities. Any agitation or revolution should have some significance on the society. Mindless and haphazard ways will only aggravate angst amongst the people. Untoward things could be averted if people consider the consequence first before taking up any venture. Always look before you leap.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/saturday-leader-look-before-you-leap/

We are at a dilemma whether to believe the Chief Minister or not, when he said he is drawing up an action plan for 20 hours power supply to the consumers daily. We sincerely want to believe in him, but prevailing conditions speak otherwise. The state power department is supplying only 3-4 hours of power daily. So a question naturally comes to the lips of the general public, as to how the Chief Minister is going to do that.  How is going to juggle up enough power to ensure 20 hours power supply? Does he have enough money to buy power from the market? How long can his new government bear the ATC losses?  If the Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh is also a magician, we will certainly believe him.  For starters, there are only 1.50 lakh registered consumers in the valley which has an approximate population of 20 lakhs. It is about 7.5 percent only. As the Chief Engineer of Joint Regulatory Commission (JERC) for Mizoram & Manipur said recently in the JERC state advisory committee meeting, the figure is absurd. In Mizoram state with an approximate population of 9 lakhs, the number of registered consumers is 1.75 lakhs. This is understandable. In Manipur’s case, a realistic figure would be about 3.8 lakh consumers. From this, we can safely deduce that there are more than 2 lakh unauthorized consumers in the Manipur valley, who are using power without paying a cent leading to a wide gap between revenue and expenditure. Secondly, we have to take into account, the Transmission & Distribution losses. In the year 2011-12, ATC losses is about 60 percent including 37 percent T & D losses, which in fact decreased from about 65 percent in the year 2009-10. According to information given by the Power department, the Chief Minister had recently sanctioned 20 crores of rupees for purchase of power over and above the 15 crores sanctioned earlier. Yet, the question remains as to whether the money sanctioned would be enough to tide over the power crisis and manage the ever widening gap. Thirdly, the gap between the demand and supply during peak hour is widening from 2 megawatts in 2005-06 to 65 megawatts in the year 2010-11, which led to regular load shedding and unscheduled shutdowns. Due to this load shedding and unscheduled shutdowns, power based industry and business is suffering, while it has led to widespread dissatisfaction among the consumers which in turn affects the revenue collection. Time and again, we have stated that consumer satisfaction is necessary for the consumers to pay bills regularly. Fourthly, Manipur’s allocated share of power from the Central Sector Generating Stations is 132.57 megawatts including 31.65 megawatts from Loktak Hydro-electric project. This will be increased by 20 megawatts in August this year with the commissioning of Pallatana Thermal Power project in Tripura. Yet, during the lean season the generation of the Loktak project is substantially reduced with only one turbine out of three functioning. On the other hand, the 6×6 MW Leimakhong Heavy Fuel based power plant is a captive generating plant to be used only at the time of emergency, due to high costs. Again, the regional sources of power from which Manipur draws its scheduled energy are predominantly hydel which are based on optimal quantum of rainfall in a year. And as such, availability of power varies between 3 seasons which are summer, winter and moonson. In such a backdrop, the Chief Minister’s statement should be taken with a pinch of salt. In the short term, Manipur could ask for additional support from the centre for increasing its buying power. But, in the long term we have no other alternative but to take over the Loktak HE project. If the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir could take a decisive step towards taking over three hydel projects from the centrally owned NHPC, why could we take such a step? In fact, we must.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/is-he-a-magician-too/

The Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh had promised that his new government will be prioritizing power, drinking water and road connectivity in his recent budget speech. But one has to take the promise with a pinch of salt. Questions have been raised on the underlying meaning of the Chief Minister`™s statement. As we have seen in the recent past, almost all of the energies of the state PHED had been diverted to the Sewerage project, while neglecting the issue of safe drinking water. In the past, successive governments have ignored the importance of safe drinking water and the Public Health Engineering Dept (PHED) which handles the subject have always been relegated to a minor position in the government hierarchy. But it is not the state government alone which had neglected this crucial sector. Strangely, it is missing in public debate also, where the dismal power scenario gets all the attention. Although water is a state subject, the low priority given by the central government to this vital sector is reflected in the low allocations despite more than four-fold increase in urban population. Allocations to the urban water and sanitation sector have never crossed even 2 per cent of the Plan funds of the Government of India since independence. Despite constitutional mandates and official proclamations, India has lagged behind, among others, in the two most important concerns for the well being of people in any society which are poverty and access to clean drinking water. Water is a right. Ever since the original Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the right to water has been declared, explicitly or implicitly, as an essential component of right to life in particular and human rights in general in a number of international declarations over the years. The primary goal of the The UN International Decade for Action: Water for Life 2005-2015 is to promote efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water-related issues by 2015. Relevant commitments include the Millennium Development targets to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015. The water target was reiterated at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa. Back home, the Supreme Court had reiterated that `the right to access to clean drinking water is fundamental to life and there is a duty on the state under Article 21 to provide clean drinking water to its citizens`. The State is duty bound not only to provide adequate drinking water but also to protect water sources from pollution and encroachment. A 2006 United Nations report focuses on issues of governance as the core of the water crisis, saying “There is enough water for everyone” and “Water insufficiency is often due to mismanagement, corruption, lack of appropriate institutions, bureaucratic inertia and a shortage of investment in both human capacity and physical infrastructure”. The capital city of Imphal is facing acute shortage of drinking water now, with the PHED starting to ration water. The general public is getting drinking water once in four days. Officials cite low water level at the Singda Dam water reservoir, as one of the main reasons of this scarcity. Yet, the department could feed the so-called VIP lines on a daily basis. The state government needs to be reminded of their obligations to protect access to water for all citizens. A resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in July 2010 recognises `the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right.` Why are we stressing on safe and clean drinking water. In developing countries, of the 37 diseases identified as major causes of death, 21 are related to water and sanitation. Water-borne diseases are causing more than 4 million infants and child deaths every year in developing countries. The issue of quantity and quality of water thus becomes a fundamental basis of life.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/prioritizing-drinking-water/

It appears the UPA government has finally succeeded in convincing Bangladesh on the multi-purpose Tipaimukh dam. Despite protests from the opposition and environmental activists, Bangladesh has recently expressed its intention to support the proposed Tipaimukh Dam through its High Commissioner in New Delhi Tariq Ahmad Karim. It is the result of the recent visit of Gowher Rizvi, Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Bangladesh Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina to New Delhi. Gowher Rizvi alongwith his colleague Dr. Mashiur Rahman and Bangladesh High Commissioner Karim had met with a number of Indian leaders including the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ministers for home, finance, power, rural development, and water resources and the national security advisor. With the assurances given by India, the Awami League government in Bangladesh seem convinced that there will be no diminution in the flow of waters in Surma and Kushiyara rivers and that the high dam would have no adverse environmental or ecological impact, no aggravation of the floods during the monsoon. Yet, the government of Bangladesh is proposing to send an expert team to the Dam area to examine the features and likely impact of the dam on the flow of water into the Surma and the Kushiara. Here, we need to remember that, extending support to the Tipaimukh dam is not the unanimous opinion of Bangladesh. Bangladeshi experts have said the massive dam will disrupt the seasonal rhythm of the river and have an adverse effect on downstream agriculture and fisheries. Also, the Khaleda Zia led opposition BNP is dead against it. The Awami League government has dismissed the opposition to the dam as mere demagogy, stridency, devoid of substance and playing to the gallery. It also said, partisan politics and propaganda has replaced the pursuit of truth amongst many commentators. An interesting point to be noted here is that the Indian Prime Minister had invited Bangladesh to become an equity partner in the Tipaimukh project and take a share of the power that will be generated. Bangladesh believes this would guarantee them a place at the decision-making table and the ability to oversight the project at all stages. Here lies the cream icing.

Tipaimukh Dam is a proposed embankment dam on the river Barak in Manipur. The stated purpose of the dam is flood control and hydroelectric power generation. The project has led to controversy between India and Bangladesh over water rights as well as controversy with Manipuri people to be relocated by the reservoir. The dam will be 390m long and 162.8m high, across the Barak River. The dam`s crest elevation will be at an altitude of about 180 m. above mean sea level with a maximum reservoir level of 178 m. The dam was originally designed to contain flood waters in the lower Barak valley but hydro power generation was later incorporated into the project. The project will have an installation capacity of 1500 MW, supplied by six 250 MW Francis turbine-generators. Here we have to be very clear in our mind, that the support of Bangladesh in the matter of the proposed Tipaimukh Dam does not necessarily mean that all the roadblocks have been cleared. They must remember that, it is not only activists but the general public of Manipur is against the dam also. Besides being an earthquake zone, the water reservoir for the proposed dam would lead to massive loss of precious flora and fauna. It will also uproot many villages who they say would be relocated in various locations. But this is entirely against human logic. We have to take into account the man-land relationship and the attachment that people have with the land on which they were born. One cannot simply relocate living people. Yes, Manipur needs power. But it should not be at the cost of precious flora and fauna and of the man-land relationship.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/bangladesh-has-no-final-say/

The government of India representatives has all along been saying that it would take up appropriate action against those groups violating the agreed ground rules of either ceasefire or suspension of operations. We will not discuss here the action taken report of the government of India as we have still not seen any action so far. What matters most is that the Indian government has not spelled out in clear terms as to what kind of action they are proposing to take up in case of violation of the ground rules takes place. We have heard enough warnings of actions being taken up in the meetings of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committees, yet actions do not follow. The groups also know that the warnings are simply meant for those who are demanding action and thus the groups seldom takes such warnings seriously. We shall not mention cases of armed incursions in the state of Manipur by the NSCN groups as the ceasefire is not in operation in the state. Besides running a parallel government in the Naga dominated areas, it had opened three base camps inside the state of Manipur which had come out in the open during the Shiroi standoff between Assam Rifles and the NSCN-IM. There are several reports of the NSCN groups resorting to extortion and forcible taxation in Nagaland specially in the case of Manipur bound trucks, besides instances of cadres moving in uniform with arms in various towns of Nagaland since the groups entered into ceasefire agreements with the Indian government. There are also cases of standoffs between the NSCN and paramilitary forces specially the Assam Rifles. These cases have been discussed in the meetings of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Cells and warnings have supposedly been given. Despite the supposed warnings, the groups continue to violate the ground rules. In such a backdrop, the Union Home Ministry’s warnings to the signatories of the SoO agreements remain a joke. The complaints of intervention by SoO groups in the recent Manipur Legislative Assembly elections from both political parties and individuals remains to be addressed either by the Election Commission of India or the Union Home Ministry. The Home Ministry has acknowledged the receipt of such complaints. Yet, it is still confused to what action they are supposed to take up. Which is simply why, the Ministry officials are engaging in mere rhetoric.

On the other hand, the most interesting part of the Home Ministry official’s statement is regarding his ignorance of the ideology and demands of the various Kuki groups who have signed the SoO agreement. Joint Secretary Shambhu Singh of the Home Ministry on the sidelines of the signing of tripartite agreement with two new groups United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA) and Pakan Reunification Army (PRA) had said, most of these groups have been operating to make money and make the life of people miserable and that he do not know if the groups have any ideology. The statement while not only exposing the attitude of the state towards those groups with whom they had signed the SoO agreements, also reveals how the Indian government operates while dealing with such groups. The Indian government’s main concern is how to ‘immobilize’ such groups and gain brownie points. Immobilization had become a misnomer in the post-SoO phase with most of the militant groups operating at will from the designated camps with the security forces and the police turning a blind eye to the gross violation of the ground rules. The state is not worried as long as there are no complaints. They are only concerned about the statement they could regularly make to the press and the public that they have been able to successfully rein in militant groups operating in the northeastern region. It is their mantra. They are not concerned about the other realities which are threatening the region.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/soo-mantra/

The government of India representatives has all along been saying that it would take up appropriate action against those groups violating the agreed ground rules of either ceasefire or suspension of operations. We will not discuss here the action taken report of the government of India as we have still not seen any action so far. What matters most is that the Indian government has not spelled out in clear terms as to what kind of action they are proposing to take up in case of violation of the ground rules takes place. We have heard enough warnings of actions being taken up in the meetings of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committees, yet actions do not follow. The groups also know that the warnings are simply meant for those who are demanding action and thus the groups seldom takes such warnings seriously. We shall not mention cases of armed incursions in the state of Manipur by the NSCN groups as the ceasefire is not in operation in the state. Besides running a parallel government in the Naga dominated areas, it had opened three base camps inside the state of Manipur which had come out in the open during the Shiroi standoff between Assam Rifles and the NSCN-IM. There are several reports of the NSCN groups resorting to extortion and forcible taxation in Nagaland specially in the case of Manipur bound trucks, besides instances of cadres moving in uniform with arms in various towns of Nagaland since the groups entered into ceasefire agreements with the Indian government. There are also cases of standoffs between the NSCN and paramilitary forces specially the Assam Rifles. These cases have been discussed in the meetings of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Cells and warnings have supposedly been given. Despite the supposed warnings, the groups continue to violate the ground rules. In such a backdrop, the Union Home Ministry’s warnings to the signatories of the SoO agreements remain a joke. The complaints of intervention by SoO groups in the recent Manipur Legislative Assembly elections from both political parties and individuals remains to be addressed either by the Election Commission of India or the Union Home Ministry. The Home Ministry has acknowledged the receipt of such complaints. Yet, it is still confused to what action they are supposed to take up. Which is simply why, the Ministry officials are engaging in mere rhetoric.

On the other hand, the most interesting part of the Home Ministry official’s statement is regarding his ignorance of the ideology and demands of the various Kuki groups who have signed the SoO agreement. Joint Secretary Shambhu Singh of the Home Ministry on the sidelines of the signing of tripartite agreement with two new groups United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA) and Pakan Reunification Army (PRA) had said, most of these groups have been operating to make money and make the life of people miserable and that he do not know if the groups have any ideology. The statement while not only exposing the attitude of the state towards those groups with whom they had signed the SoO agreements, also reveals how the Indian government operates while dealing with such groups. The Indian government’s main concern is how to ‘immobilize’ such groups and gain brownie points. Immobilization had become a misnomer in the post-SoO phase with most of the militant groups operating at will from the designated camps with the security forces and the police turning a blind eye to the gross violation of the ground rules. The state is not worried as long as there are no complaints. They are only concerned about the statement they could regularly make to the press and the public that they have been able to successfully rein in militant groups operating in the northeastern region. It is their mantra. They are not concerned about the other realities which are threatening the region.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/03/soo-mantra/