Assam Govt Spending Rs 74 Lakh to Feed Surrendered Militants

Guwahati, Mar 8 : The Assam government is spending Rs 75 lakh a month to feed nearly 2500 militants sheltered in designated camps as the peace process has started.

The figures were stated in the Assam Assembly today when AGP MLA Padma Hazarika asked a question. According to Forest Minister Rakibul Hussain, who was replying on behalf of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, eight outfits had come to the peace process and surrendered their weapons. They were staying in the designated camps.

Among the seven other active militant groups are Harkat Ul Mujahideen and Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam.

Mr Hussain urged the House to be patient as the entire peace process, especially with the ULFA, had reached a ‘sensitive moment’.

”Let us not disturb the peace process as something special is going on,” Mr Hussain hinted.

He also said the government might not wait for ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruas return to the mainfold.

According to official sources, the Union government might not be willing to allow the ‘commander-in-chief’ to ‘hold the talks to hostage’ for an indefinite period if the other ULFA leaders express their desire to solve the problem through discussions.

Sources told UNI that the government was keen on holding talks with the proscribed organisation and efforts would be on to bring all ULFA leaders to the negotiation table. But if Paresh Baruah continued maintaining a rigid stand, the government would not be willing to wait for an indefinite period.

They admitted that till date, not much headway had been achieved to start the talks process with the ULFA to find a political solution, but the government was still hopeful that the other leaders would realise the importance of coming forward for dialogues sooner or later.

The sources pointed out that to come for talks, the ULFA or any other militant outfit would have to abjure violence and agree to negotiate within the constitutional framework.

Gen Next in Assam Rejects Gun Culture

Sivasagar (Assam), Mar 8 : Three college students skipped classes and mingled with a crowd Saturday to have a close look at Pradip Gogoi, vice chairman of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), in jail for over a decade and now out on bail. But they weren’t impressed.

The separatist leader was released Thursday from the Guwahati Central Jail, ending 12 years of imprisonment. On Saturday he reached his hometown Sivasagar, 360 km east of Assam’s main city Guwahati.

A rousing reception was given to the rebel leader at the ramparts of Rang Ghar, an amphitheatre of the Ahom royalty and the place where the ULFA was formed by Gogoi and six others April 7, 1979.

Anup Gogoi, Arindam Das, Nilim Baruah, all undergraduate students of a college here, joined more than 2,000 people at Rang Ghar. A majority of them wanted to welcome Gogoi.

“We came to see Pradip Gogoi but we don’t believe in ULFA’s ideology nor do we support their campaign,” said Baruah.

His friend Anup was in agreement.

“The younger generation Assamese is not interested in the gun culture of ULFA. It was sheer curiosity that brought us here,” Anup told IANS.

The mood was loud and clear. Generation Next in Assam is not supportive of ULFA’s violent campaign that has claimed thousands of lives and wants to look ahead for a future of hope and progress.

“What have we got from the long years of insurgency? We saw bloodbath and miseries. We want to see Assam grow and would like to compete with our brothers outside the state,” Arindam said, as he jumped onto a bicycle to attend his English major classes.

More and more Assamese youth are looking for better career options, visibly tired of the continuing violence and lack of development, a result of the long drawn insurgency.

“It is nice to see shopping malls and multiplexes coming up in almost all the cities and the yearning of the new generation to achieve something in life,” said Aprurba Handique, a college teacher.

Said Bhabesh Baishya, a retired government official: “This is a good and healthy trend to see the new generation. It inculcates a competitive bent of mind and craving to do well in life.”

Assam Tea Workers Complain of Low Hike in Daily Wage

By Arijit Sen

They have the grueling task of picking the tea leaves, with which you and I brew our everyday morning chai. But these tea plantation workers hardly earn in an hour, what we spend on a cup of tea. They have just received a hike on their daily wage of Rs 58.50.

Dhiraj Kakati is with the Assam Branch of the India Tea Association…. He justifies the hike saying it was decided after several meetings with the INTUC-led tea workers trade union…

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PM Reiterates Indian Govt Stand on Talks

New Delhi, Mar 6 : Reiterating the Centre’s stand, Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh said that the Government is ready to talk to any group that abjures violence unconditionally and agrees to abide by the due Constitutional process.

The Prime Minister’s statement that came while replying to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, assumes significance in face of the ongoing peace dialogue with several militant outfits including NSCN (I-M), which are demanding sovereignty.

The Naga militant outfit has come under attack of rival militant outfits for allegedly dropping the prime demand. Interestingly, in the President’s debate a Congress MP from Manipur opposed the demand of the I-M for integration of Naga inhabited areas.

“The security forces have achieved several notable successes of late. While we are determined to take firm action, we are ready to talk to any group that abjures violence unconditionally and agrees to abide by the due constitutional process,” said Dr Singh.

The reiteration of the known stand of the Centre that it was willing to talk to any group that abjures violence may also be a signal to a section of ULFA leaders, who are currently in government custody. Dr Singh though did not name any outfit but merely stated Centre’s position.

Significantly the Prime Minister praised Dhaka’s action to end the activities of the militants. “The Government of Bangladesh has reassured us that they will not allow their territory to be used for activities inimical to India. We have welcomed some of the steps they have recently taken in this direction,” he said.

On Bangladesh, the Prime Minister said India has taken several steps to diversify and broad base its relations with Dhaka.

A major milestone was the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January. “During that visit we put in place a comprehensive framework of cooperation for development of our ties, which includes a renewed commitment by both sides to actively cooperate on security issues,” he said.

“We have provided a line of credit of US dollars 1 billion for a range of projects in Bangladesh, which we intend to follow up vigorously.

Without referring to the controversies surrounding China, Dr Singh said the country is an important neighbor, with whom India has a comprehensive and multi-sectoral relationship. But Dr Singh observed that resolution of the boundary issue might take time.

“We are both committed at the highest level to maintain peace and tranquility on the border, pending the resolution of the border question. This is a complex matter, which will take time to resolve,” he opined.

“We wish to build upon the achievements so far so as to create a partnership that is mutually beneficial. We are convinced that good relations with China are in the interests of both countries and will contribute to the peace, security and stability not only of the Asia-Pacific region but also of the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Thokchom Meinya MP representing Inner Manipur participating in the discussion in Lok Sabha said that while they encourage the on-going effort of the Union Government to find a negotiated settlement of the vexed Naga issues, at the earliest. But it should not be at the cost of the territorial integrity of Manipur and other States.

Assam Records Highest Maternal Mortality Rate in India

Assamese women at a tea plantation. A combination of factors, including insurgency, have put Assam at the top of the Maternal Mortality Rate in the country.

New Delhi, Mar 6 : Assam has the country’s highest rate of maternal mortality, as per the latest official data. According to experts, insurgency which affects access to healthcare services is one of the main reasons for this.

Speaking at a press meet in the capital on Friday, Bulbul Sood, co-chair of the White Ribbon Alliance, an NGO that campaigns for safe motherhood, said: “There may be a lot of reasons for Assam having the highest maternal mortality. Insurgency in the state is one of the main reasons because it affects access to basic healthcare services”.

“Also there is a general lack of involvement by stakeholders in uplifting the healthcare services in the region,” she added.

According to the Sample Registration Services (SRS) 2004-2006, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) for Assam was 480 per 100,000 live births – the highest in the country. India’s MMR was 254.

Aparajita Gogoi, national coordinator of WRA, said: “It’s difficult to pinpoint one particular reason for such results. There is a gamut of social issues, insurgency, no development, lack of infrastructure, lack of manpower in healthcare system and other such things which contribute to such drastic results”.

“Also, most northeastern women are anaemic which is genetic in nature. While there is no scientific study yet to assess this, this may be yet another reason for the high MMR,” she added.

A.K.Shiva Kumar, development economist and member of the erstwhile National Advisory Council, however, said that insurgency cannot be completely blamed for the high MMR in any state.

“Look at Sri Lanka. They had to battle a lot of insurgency, yet they managed to bring down their MMR to 43 while India remains a long way behind, at 254 and Assam at 480. I think absence of investment in the health sector is a major reason for this,” Shiva Kumar said.

As per the Millennium Development Goals of 2015, India should bring down its MMR to 109.

Where Every Drop Means a Day’s Walk

 

Water woes

Dhubri, Mar 5 : A pot delicately balanced on her waist, Surkhi sets out for her daily five-hour trek to fetch her family’s quota of drinking water from a distant spring.

A few paces down, she is joined by her group, clanging their vessels along the un-motorable dusty paths across a cluster of remote tribal villages on the Assam-Meghalaya boundary in Dhubri.

Basic amenities are an absurd fantasy in Tangaon, Baghapara, Sadullabari and Kumargathi, where every pail of water means a day’s journey on foot.

A single North Eastern Council road leads to the villages but brings little hope for better living conditions. “Drinking water has remained one of the biggest problems for the villagers in this area. The women form groups and walk for miles towards the hills to reach their source of water. Their struggle does not end there. They have to dig up the earth near the hills and when the spring of water surfaces, they collect it in their pots,” said Sukendu Koch, a resident of Tangaon, about 20km from Mancachar town.

Koch said it takes four to five hours to fetch a pot full of water, every drop of which is spent judiciously.

Bodruzzaman Firdowsy, an academician who writes on the plight of villagers under South Salmara-Mancachar subdivision of Dhubri, said most of the villagers living along the Assam-Meghalaya inter-state border are deprived of basic needs.

“Though a very small section of villagers have been able to apply modern technology to increase the production of paddy, a vast population is still lagging behind. But scarcity of drinking water is the primary problem,” Firdowsy said.

Subdivisional officer (civil) of South Salmara-Mancachar subdivision of Dhubri district, Sayeed Isfakur Rahman, said he was aware of the scarcity of drinking in these villages and the steps being taken to improve the situation.

“A Rs 2-crore drinking water project has been prepared and sent to the government for sanction. If this project is set up, then there should be no scarcity of drinking water,” Rahman said.

According official sources, there were 21 drinking water projects in the subdivision but nine have shut down and only seven are functional.

There is hardly any sign of any development.

Paddy is still cultivated using old-fashioned methods, primary schools have been built only on paper while healthcare facilities are non-existent.

Friends of Kaziranga- a Film on Unsung Heroes of The Park

Guwahati, Mar 5 : They toil hard and unsung with minimum bare facilities to protect the endangered rhino along with other animals and it is their conservation efforts that has brought fame and glory to Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.

Forest guards of the Park have been long neglected but a 21-minute documentary film ”….and the Friends of Kaziranga” by Assam’s noted film editor Kaju is a humble effort to pay tribute to these guards who work against all odds to protect animals.

Be it natural disasters like floods or threat from both poachers and animals, forest guards work round the clock and it is entirely due to their efforts that the Kaziranga National Park has become the success story that it is today.

”I decided to make the film as there is no denying the fact that the commitment, dedication and untiring efforts of every forest guard is the key to the successful conservation story of the national park”, Kaju said.

These forest guards, who stay away from their families in anti-poaching camps located deep inside the forests of the
Park, face many hazards.

Till a few years ago they had to deal with these situations with outdated equipment and little monetary benefits, he added.

The monetary and infrastructural benefits for the guards have improved in recent years but still there is acute shortage of manpower and as a result, only a few of them have to cover vast areas for long periods.

The film, produced by Biswajit Borkakoti, begins with beautiful shots highlighting the exotic flora and fauna of the Park and it soon launches into the basic theme of the trials and tribulations of the forest guard.

”The film displays perfect editing sense in some intense moments of activities by the guard deep inside the jungles which is balanced with the shots of lectures by environmentalists and forest lawmakers in a seminar hall”, said noted film critic Chandan Sarma.

The film, on the one hand, portrays the struggle of the forest guards and on the other, their commitment to conservation and protection of wildlife, he said.

The filmmaker poignantly captures the scenes where the animals suffer during floods and the untiring efforts of the guards in protecting them from both inundation and poachers.

The background narration by popular Assamese actor Kapil Bora also adds to the quality of the film with vital information about the guards and the Park as the story unfolds.

”I have tried to convey to the viewers the genuine love and sense of belonging of the forest guards with the Park and its wildlife”, the director added.

Scam Rocks Assam Assembly Over Rs 1000-cr Scam

Guwahati, Mar 5 : The Assam Assembly was today rocked by the Rs 1000-crore scam in the North Cachar hills district as the Opposition pressed for an adjournment motion which was avoided by the Speaker after opposition by the treasury bench.

The Opposition bench sought to discuss on the ‘conspiracy angle’ over the scam as well on the NIA charge sheet.

However, the treasury bench asserted that since the matter was handed over to the CBI, there was no need for any an adjournment motion.

Opposition members were dissatisfied with the ruling of the Speaker Tanka Bahadur Rai and walked out as the latter asked them to raise the matter through a different device of the House.

”We raised the matter and wanted an adjournment motion, but the way two ministers namely Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rakibul Hussain defended the government and tried to oppose the motion, it is evident that who are guilty in the scam,” said the Leader of the Opposition Chandra Mohan Patowary.

This is noteworthy that NIA has unearthed Rs 1000 crore financial scam. The issue has been rocking the state for the past few days as The Week magazine quoting Intelligence Bureau report named seven ministers who were allegedly involved in the scam.

Amongst them were Dr Sarma and Mr Hussain. Both denied involvement in the scam and the latter moved the court

People For Animals Block Railway Tracks

Guwahati, Mar 3 : People for Animals, Assam unit today blocked railway tracks in the Kamakhya-Jogighopa section demanding the removal of tracks from elephant corridors near World Heritage wetland site–Deepor Beel.

PFA Chairperson Sangeeta Goswami told reporters that they have submitted a memorandum to North Eastern Frontier Railway demanding removal of the tracks as speeding trains runover elephants.

”The construction of the Kamakhya-Jogighopa section through the wetland was done without giving due consideration to the wildlife which are regularly mowed down by speeding trains”, she said.

The NF railway has to find an alternative route which does not affect the animals and ”our movement will continue till this step is taken”.

The blocking of the railway tracks delayed the movement of trains including Guwahati-Gandhidham Express for more than two hours.

A full-grown female wild elephant was killed on the spot by a goods train near the Deepor Beel when she had come down the hill along with the herd to drink water on Sunday while another was hit by a train in the same area last year.

Assam Top ULFA Leaders Get Bails Over TADA

By Arijit Sen

STEPS TOWARD PEACE? After years in jail, ULFA leaders now are being freed.

Guwahati, Feb 27 : After years in jail, ULFA leaders now are being freed. ULFA leaders Mithinga Daimary, who was arrested in Bhutan in 2003, and Pradip Gogoi, who was arrested in Kolkata in April 1998, have got bail in all the TADA cases against them.

“If other leaders are released from jail, only then talks might move,” said Central Publicity Secretary of ULFA Mithinga Daimray.

The release follows ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa’s statement that talks and handcuffs don’t go together. But most of the top brass of the ULFA are still in prison.

This includes Rajkhowa, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju Baruah, Cultural Secretary Pranati Deka, Foreign Secretary Sasadhar Chowdhury, Finance Secretary Chitrabon Hazarika and political advisor Bhimkanta Borgohain.

These people are part of the Central Committee of the ULFA.

“If everyone is in jail together, we are looking for a political solution,” said Prabal Neog.

However, Commander-in-chief Paresh Barua, who is supposed to be in the Myanmar-China border is still sticking to his stand that sovereignty must be a pre-condition for talks. Cadres of ULFA are still underground and are adopting a wait-and-watch policy. Even as the Home Ministry and Assam government prepare the ground for talks.

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