North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

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A_Gupta
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by A_Gupta »

Peace again at stake in Nagaland
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/c ... 089981.ece
When the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government took power at the Centre, it fast-tracked a solution to the long-standing Nagaland issue and set a deadline of 18 months in November 2014. The renewed focus raised the stakes for the Naga people to achieve an accord. A further impetus came via the plan to transform Nagaland and Manipur into India’s trade gateway to the ASEAN countries. This made peace even more urgent.

Unfortunately, on March 27, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) headed by its Myanmar-based Chairman, S.S. Khaplang, unilaterally decided to retract from the 14-year ceasefire agreement with the Indian government, due for annual renewal on April 28. NSCN-K also expelled two senior India-based leaders, Y. Wangtin Naga and P. Tikhak. The two have subsequently formed NSCN (Reformation), a new body.

The NSCN(K)’s move might lead to renewed factional violence, which could stall the plans of connectivity via Myanmar that Narendra Modi announced in his visit to the North-East last year.

Trouble has been brewing in NSCN (K) for a while now.......
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 904603.cms
NEW DELHI: BJP's electoral ambitions may force a major change in a landmark diplomatic initiative being pursued by the Modi government.

BJP brass considers Assam, a major Northeastern state that goes to polls next year, a winning prospect and these poll calculations may result in delinking Assam from the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh for now.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by Supratik »

They should also keep out WB at present. Till 2016 assembly elections and go ahead only with Meghalaya and Tripura. Mamata is on the backfoot and looking for an issue.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 935370.cms
The constitution amendment bill to ratify Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement is likely to be introduced in parliament in the second spell of its budget session with a major change by delinking Assam from it, apparently due to BJP's electoral calculations in the state.

A draft Cabinet note is being prepared keeping Assam out of the purview of the pact following a directive of the top government functionaries, official sources said today.

....
New Delhi is believed to have conveyed to Dhaka the issue of keeping Assam out of the LBA and the neighbouring country is understood to be open to considering such an adjustment if India feels that this is the only way to seal the deal, a showpiece in India-Bangladesh relations.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

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http://zeenews.india.com/news/north-eas ... 79933.html
Agartala/Aizawl: India would strengthen vigil along its border with Myanmar to check drugs and arms smuggling besides movement of inimical elements, including militants, officials said on Thursday.

"We would further strengthen the security along the India's border with Myanmar to check smuggling of drugs, arms and other contraband items," a senior Assam Rifles official told IANS, wishing anonymity.

"The vigil would also be reinforced to stop trans-border movement of extremists and other inimical elements," the official said.

He said: "It is a tough task to guard the unfenced mountainous borders with a full-proof security. Additional Assam Rifles troopers would also be deployed along the Myanmar borders."

Four northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Manipur (398 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km) - share 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar.

Smuggling of drugs, arms, animal pieces, various contraband goods is rampant across the India-Myanmar border, specially along Mizoram's border with that country.

According to Mizoram Police, seven AK-47 assault rifles, two AK-56 rifles, six US-made M-16 rifles, four MA-3 Mk-II rifles, two hand grenades, three kg of RDX, around 8,000 rounds of ammunition of different guns and 312 boxes of special and ordinary detonators have been seized by the security forces in Mizoram last year.

"Bulk of the seized arms and ammunition were suspected to have been meant for Chakma militant outfit operating in neighbouring Bangladesh and these were mainly smuggled from Myanmar," a Mizoram police official said.

Mizoram also shares an unfenced 318 km international border with Bangladesh.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by sivab »

IDSA researcher selling Arunachal border troop deployment secrets for few $$ ...

https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/39/3 ... rder-.html
From: namrata goswami <namygoswami@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 5, 2011 at 4:40 AM
Subject: Visit to India-China border
To: Peter Garretson


Dear Peter,

As part of my project on "International Security Audit: Great/Major
Power Cooperation or Competition in Asia" at the Institute for Defence
Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, which included a specific focus on the
Chinese territorial claim on the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and
the border dispute there, I undertook an intensive month long field
study in the claimed state as well as the India-China border areas last
month (March 2011).

I specifically focused on the state of infrastructure and military
preparedness on both sides of the India-China border; local perceptions
of the Chinese claim, the issue of Tibet and the implications of my
research findings for major power relations in Asia (read India and
China)...

I was wondering if there are possibilities of making a presentation in
Washington DC based on my findings from the field trip on "Major Power
Relations in Asia: A Case Study of India-China"; also, if there is the
possibility of a short term project on this very critical issue in a
reputed think tank in Washington DC.

I will appreciate your advice.

best
Namrata

--

Namrata Goswami
MDJC-SIJC, M'Phil-Ph.D.
Research Fellow
Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
Development Enclave-1
Delhi Cantonment (Near USI)
New Delhi---110010
India
cell--09811440306,
email-- <mailto:email--ngoswami@idsa.in> ngoswami@idsa.in
<mailto:ngoswami@idsa.in> ,namygoswami@gmail.com
website- <http://website--www.idsa.in/>
--http://www.idsa.in/profile/ngoswami
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by sivab »

She is still in IDSA and looks like she sold it to USIP...

http://www.idsa.in/profile/ngoswami

Image
Dr. Goswami was a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Washington. D.C from October 2012 to June 2013; Visiting Fellow at the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg (November–December 2010); the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO), August 2006 to July 2010; and a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University, Melbourne from April to August 2009. She is a recipient of the Fulbright-Nehru Senior Research Fellowship, 2012-2013.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by sivab »

I missed this, look at who she sent the info first to, straight to USAF/pentagon...

https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/39/3 ... rder-.html
From: "Garretson, Peter A Lt Col MIL USAF HAF/CK"
<PeterA.Garretson@pentagon.af.mil>

Date: April 5, 2011 6:04:27 PM CDT
To: Reva Bhalla <reva.bhalla@stratfor.com>
Subject: Visit to India-China border
Something for you to stick in your quiver. Not too many people get to
make such site visits and interviews
.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by Rahul M »

x-post

IDSA researchers don't have access to classified material in the normal course of things. and even if one did, he/she will most definitely not use email to communicate it. from the disclosures so far, at most she is guilty of badly wanting to bag a trip to the US.

please put an end to this kite flying.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

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http://indiablooms.com/ibns_new/news-de ... ajhar.html
Guwahati, Apr 18 (IBNS) : Security forces have apprehended a top militant belonging to NDFB(S) in Assam's Kokrajhar district on Saturday, officials said.

Defence spokeman based in Guwahati said that, a troops of army and police had jointly launched operation at Chetnaguri area in the BTAD district and nabbed a self styled platoon commander of NDFB(S), who close aide to self styled deputy c-in-c Batha of the outfit.

The nabbed militant was identified as Samar Basumutary alias Sona.

“Sona is a 34th Batch Mayanmar trained terrorist, who underwent training from 25 Jan 2010 to 15 Mar 2010. He was, thereafter, made responsible for imparting training to new recruits of the outfit at NDFB camp in Myanmar from 2010 to 2013,” Assam police BTAD IGP Dr LR Bisnoi said.

“The terrorist is one of the senior most cadres of NDFB (S), who was directly involved in the massacre of Adivasis in Ultapani on the night of 23 Dec 14, in which 13 Adivasis were killed. He was also involved in snatching of weapons from Territorial Ecological Force, last year in Kokrajhar district,” the police official said.
- See more at: http://indiablooms.com/ibns_new/news-de ... rXAiy.dpuf
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by nvishal »

sivab wrote:She is still in IDSA and looks like she sold it to USIP...

http://www.idsa.in/profile/ngoswami

Image
She's not important.

I first noticed her last year when she tried to map tribal ethnic groups in the naga-manipur corridor - a pathetic attempt IMO. The article was carried by thehindu - here

In the above email, it might appear as if she is a spy reporting her observations in host country back to the handler but the real answer is that she is a rookie trying to sell her access for money and a career.

btw, the policy making body in the power corridors of new delhi is very small and has been like that since indira. IDSA hardly has any influence on this council.
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http://www.deccanherald.com/content/473 ... green.html
The proposed India-Bangladesh railway connectivity project has yet to take off, five years after it was sanctioned. According to officials here, it's not certain when work can start, since no funds have been allocated yet.

The Rs. 575-crore ($90 million) project was finalised in January 2010 when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met her counterpart Manmohan Singh during her visit to New Delhi.

"The central government is yet to provide required funds for the project. The land acquisition and subsequent works for the railway project connecting Tripura with Bangladesh would be delayed," a top official of the Tripura government, who did not want to be named, told IANS.

He said the state government had recently approached the railway ministry again to allocate funds. "No funds were allocated in the railway budget for 2015-16, even for land acquisition.

The cost of the project was earlier estimated at Rs.271 crore. In addition, Rs.302 crore are needed to acquire around 98 acres of land in India for laying the tracks
...
...
Tripura's capital Agartala came on the country's railway map in October 2008. At present, the distance between Agartala and Kolkata is 1,650 km which would get reduced to 650 km if a line is constructed through Bangladesh.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

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[ur=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-new ... 40500.aspx]Chinese blessings: Nine NE militant groups join hands[/url]
Nine militant groups of the northeast, including the NSCN-Khaplang and the ULFA faction led by Paresh Baruah, have come together to form a new unified front during a meeting held recently in Myanmar, security sources said.
Besides the NSCN-Khaplang and ULFA-Independent, other groups that participated in the meeting held at Taga in Sagaing division of Myanmar earlier this month were the Kangleipak Communist Party, Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup, People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak, People’s Liberation Army, United National Liberation Front and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit faction).
First of all, I don't know how much of this is true.

You see, back in the days of nehrus and indiras, we had an intelligence project that supported tibetan separatists in the himachal, arunachal arc which operated in motherland tibet. There is a rumour that CIA was also involved in this project but it is still a rumour as there is no proof of that.

To counter indian involvement in tibetan rebellion, the chinese got involved with tribal separatists in the nagaland-manipur corridor(ie, the NE). Long story short, we shutdown the tibetan rebels from operating in motherland tibet from indian territory and the chinese withdrew support to the tribal rebels in the NE.

The irony in all this is that both rebels(tibetan and tribal) are from the NE geography where one shutdown the other. Image

Anyway, back to the main topic. The chinese have maintained some link in the insurgency in the NE after the great withdrawal but I cannot imagine an active chinese participation like the above article in HT suggests. We need to analyze insurgent data for the next 6-12 months.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by Shanmukh »

A_Gupta wrote:http://focusnews.com/india/after-long-p ... ain/14893/
After Long Peace, Mizoram Facing Terror Again
Nearly 30 years after Mizoram embraced peace, there are signs that terrorism may be raising its “disturbing” head in the northeastern state bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Mizoram was the first and the only state in India to get Rs.182.45 crore from the central government in 2000-01 as “Peace Bonus” for keeping peace after decades of insurgency. That record was shattered on March 28 when the Manipur-based Hmar People’s Convention-Democratic (HPC-D) ambushed a police party in Mizoram and killed three policemen and seriously wounded six others.

The dead included Sub Inspector Zoramthara Khawlhring.

The incident occurred when a police party was accompanying a state assembly team led by deputy chief whip R.L. Pianmawia in Aizawl district. The area is in northern Mizoram bordering Manipur and Assam.

The terror attack, which occurred after many years of peace in the state, forced Mizoram to approach the union home ministry to ban the HPC-D. It also sought that the state’s northeastern part, where the Hmar tribals are concentrated, be declared a disturbed area under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958.

“The recent attack brings to the fore a disturbing trend which had for the last few years been largely ignored,” security analyst Manas Paul told IANS.[
This one is a nice joke. No terrorism in Mizoram since 30 years? I guess since Bru (Reangs) are Hindu, they don't count as humans & attacks against them consequently not terrorism.

http://www.achrweb.org/reports/india/AR08/mizoram.html
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by vijaykarthik »

nvishal wrote: First of all, I don't know how much of this is true.
If you are talking about the 9 militant groups who are ganging up together and getting trained in Myanmar -well, it surely is true.

There was an article about this by Namrata Goswami too in one of the papers about 2 weeks back.

Ever since the NCCT & Rebels signed the cease fire draft agreement, there has been a major shift in how people are moving their chess pieces in the Mizoram, Myanmar, Nagaland and Assam militia segments.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 133915.cms
Agartala: About 7.58 lakh voters, including 3.75 lakh women, are all set to decide the fate of 175 candidates of five major political parties in the 28-member Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council (ADC) election on Sunday. For the first time, electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in the polls.

Chief electoral officer (CEO) S K Rakesh said elaborate security arrangements have been made for a peaceful election across the 1,070 polling stations, including 79 hyper-sensitive and 360 sensitive booths in the hilly areas of the state.

About 13,000 men in uniform, comprising 6,900 Tripura State Rifles personnel, 4,000 state police, 21 companies of Central Paramilitary Force, 300 forest guards and 400 home guards, were deployed besides 6,055 polling personnel.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has been alerted and the entire stretch along the India-Bangladesh border was sealed and extra deployment has been made to prevent cross-border movements.

Besides the ruling CPM, Congress, BJP, Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) and Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) are in fray.

At present, the council is run by CPM without any opposition.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

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:(

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-new ... 43615.aspx
Suspected Naga rebels ambushed and killed eight Assam Rifles (AR) jawans close to the Myanmar border in Nagaland's Mon district on Sunday afternoon. Four from the team were seriously injured, while reports said some of the jawans were missing.

AR officials said they suspect National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) group of carrying out the ambush.

"The jawans had gone from the AR camp to fetch water from a stream in two vehicles including a tanker.

"Around 2:30pm, an IED blew up the mini truck the soldiers were travelling in, at a forested stretch near Changlangsu village," a spokesperson of the paramilitary force said.

The wounded soldiers were rushed to the nearest base hospital, he added.

There were reports that over 20 personnel were in the vehicle.

"Our forces retaliated but eight of our jawans were killed on the spot while four others received injuries. They have been taken to a hospital and an operation has been launched in and around the area," Nagaland Police chief LL Doungel said.

There were reports that a militant was killed and some others were injured in the encounter.
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 175741.cms
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for re-inclusion of Assam in the Land boundary agreement.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, Chief Minister Gogoi said the re-inclusion of Assam as in the original protocol signed on September 6, 2011 would not only serve national and State interests but also help in finding a permanent solution to the long standing India-Bangladesh border disputes in the Assam sector.

"It would als ..

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst
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http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-23 ... ly-2084687
Twenty-three Bangladeshis were arrested from Melaghar in Sipahijala district for entering India allegedly without valid documents, police said on Sunday.
http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 333_1.html
Twentyfour more Mayanmarese, including six women and 12 children, have been arrested for illegally entering Tripura, police said on Sunday.

Two Indians, including a resident of Kashmir, were also arrested along with the foreigners.

"Acting on a tip off, 24 Myanmareses were arrested from a house at Meleghar in western Tripura on Saturday," police officer Ashok Kumar Sinha said.

The house owner, Kurban Ali, and a Kashmiri youth, Amir Hossain, were arrested too.

With the arrest, the total number of Myanmarese held in the state in the past two years has risen to 125. Most entered India looking for work.
...
...
More than 50,000 Myanmarese have been living in different parts of neighbouring Mizoram, which borders Myanmar and Bangladesh, and working at shops and factories after obtaining work permits.
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http://atimes.com/2015/05/end-of-separa ... nmar-ties/
ndia’s plans for overland trade with ASEAN countries have been thrown into some uncertainty with its ceasefire agreement with the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) coming to an end. Among the major militant groups in the Northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, the NSCN-K announced abrogation of the 14-year-long ceasefire on March 28. A month later, the government while renewing the truce with the NSCN-K’s main rivals, the NSCN-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) and the NSCN-Khole-Kitovi (NSCN-KK), did not extend the agreement with the Khaplang faction.

The NSCN-K is expected to escalate violence in the coming months as it trains its guns on the Indian security forces and its rivals. In a sign of things to come, it killed eight soldiers in an ambush last week, its second major attack in a month. India’s overland trade plans with Southeast Asia especially that via the Nagaland stretch of the Indo-Myanmar border could be hit if Nagaland, which has been relatively quiet since the late 1990s, returns to violence.
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http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articl ... 93829.html
ULFA seeks better management of Indo-Bangla border
The pro-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on Friday urged the central government to adopt measures for effectively guarding of the India-Bangladesh border to check illegal infiltration.

ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa made the demand at a tripartite meeting here among the central and Assam governments and the ULFA leaders.

He also sought early completion of the peace process so that a final settlement can be reached.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by nvishal »

R.N.Ravi talking about Naga talks

On sovereignty
Ravi said “sovereignty has many meanings and many shades” but it was still being discussed by both sides in order to move forward. He however made it clear, that if ‘sovereignty’ was to mean “total independence”, then it was ruled out. He also said the NSCN (I-M) has kept integration as its agenda and that both the parties are “just examining” on the “best possible way” to deal with it.
On talks with IM-walla-NSCN - ie, nagas from tangkhulapur
On the final settlement to be made with the NSCN (I-M), Ravi clarified that “there is nothing called settlement with NSCN (I-M) as it is a settlement of the Naga issue”.

Ravi explained that when he said “talk was between two equal parties”, he meant that the talk was between Nagas and government of India and “not NSCN (I-M) and government of India”.

“It is one thing that a beginning was made through NSCN (I-M) and we are talking with them and we have made sufficient progress.... this is a Naga issue”, maintained Ravi. He also elaborated that “equal partners are not NSCN (I-M) and government of India- it is the Nagas”. Ravi said the government of India’s Naga talks was with the Nagas, which he described as, a “gentlemanly talk” under the principle of equal partnership.
On "alternative arrangement". A jhakaas term coined by nagas which demands that X state(nagaland) govt be given legal powers to administer territories in Y state(manipur, assam, arunachal) territories.
Ravi denied having any knowledge about the “alternative arrangement” . He said “I do not know what alternative arrangement is. This is a very vague concept and I am not very clear about it”.
On the demand for interim government in nagaland by NPGs(naga political groups)
Ravi replied “why would anyone want an interim government in Nagaland when Nagas have an elected government?. He asked , “how can you just throw away an elected government in Nagaland?”
On the future of community based militant groups after aur when aur if an agreement is reached
Ravi made it clear, that as and when agreement or solution was reached, “there cannot be any private militia”. He went on to explain the legal position that the only persons permitted to carry weapons were people in the government and the license holders. Ravi reiterated “there cannot be any private militia”.
On K-walla-NSCN's exit from talks. K is for konyakabad naga. A all encompassing talk agreement without konyak?
When asked to explain how everyone would be taken on board especially after the NSCN(K) abrogated the cease fire, Ravi said he was surprised by the unilateral abrogation of the cease fire (signed in 2001) but added that he would “love” NSCN (K) to rethink on its position and reconsider.
On any time-frame/deadline for resolving talks
Ravi also ruled out any time frame for solution to Naga issues despite reports that Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi had committed to solve Naga issue within 18 months of the NDA government coming to power at the Centre. The interlocutor said “I really wonder who reported” that the Prime Minister made a commitment for a time frame. Ravi said the instructions he received from the prime minister was to ensure that the Naga issue was settled “as early as possible”.
For those confused or new - there are a wide range of tribal communities in the arunachal-nagaland-manipur-mizoram corridor(that whole vertical strip of land bordering myanmar). These tribal communities have a lot of variations. Starting somewhere in the 1900s, the pockets of variations started coming together and formed ethno-political entities that we now know by the names as "nagas", "kuki", "mizo" etc who now compete against each other in the vicinity(for land, water, jobs, resources etc).

When GoI approaches any one of them for talks(eg, like the nagas), they splinter very intensely. Some talk, some refuse and the rest stay completely aloof. It's situations like these that we come to know the actual nature of these ethno-political clusters.

So when Ravi says that he wants to bring all the variations coined under "naga" to come to the discussion table, we have to wonder what his intentions are, now that we know for sure that these variations will not sit together with the GoI.
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http://echoofindia.com/kohima-night-cur ... ipur-85739
Night curfew has been clamped in Mon district of Nagaland bordering Arunanchal Pradesh, Assam and Myanmar after the abrogation of 14-year-old ceasefire between Khaplang faction of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and the Centre and subsequent ambush of the security forces at various places.

The deputy commissioner and district magistrate of Mon district, W Honje Konyak promulgated the prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC enforcing the night curfew from 6 pm to 5 am in the areas of India-Myanmar border and Nagaland-Arunachal Pradesh inter state border on Tuesday. Movement of any person, group, vehicular traffic within one kilometer belt in Nagaland side bordering Myanmar and Arunachal Pradesh is prohibited during the curfew period, he said. However, the security forces have to ensure that unwarranted harassment of civilians does not take place, the DC said. Magistrates, police and others on exigency duties with the permission from the competent authority would be exempted from the purview of the curfew, he said.
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http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-in ... ya-2088486
"India-Bangladesh 'friendship bus' arrives at Meghalaya"
The Indo-Bangladesh friendship bus that began its journey from Dhaka arrived at Dhaka Dawki (Meghalaya) on Saturday amid tight security.

The 26-seater BRTC bus that left Dhaka with over 20 Bangladesh government officials at around 3 pm on Friday arrived here at 9 am and Meghalaya Transport Corporation Manager Anthony Pariat received the entourage.

Aimed at improving people-to-people contact, the bus is expected to foster friendships and contacts between the residents of the two neighbouring countries and slated to be officially launched next month. Bangladesh Road Transport and Bridges Ministry Joint Secretary Md Azharul Islam Khan said they halted at Sylhet for the night before resuming their journey at 7:30 am on Saturday.
ramana
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by ramana »

Something to consider in North East India
China's Grain for Green Program: A Review of the Largest Ecological Restoration and Rural Development Program in the World by Claudio O. Delang and Zhen Yuan
English | 2014 | ISBN-10: 3319115049 | 230 pages |

This book provides a comprehensive review of Grain for Green, China’s nationwide program which pays farmers to revert sloping or marginal farm land to trees or grass. The program aims to improve the ecological conditions of much of China, and the socioeconomic circumstances of hundreds of millions of people. GfG is the largest reforestation, ecological restoration, and rural development initiative in history, combining the biggest investment, the greatest involvement, and the broadest degree of public participation ever.

The book is organised in three sections. Part One reviews the history of land management in China from 1949 to 1998, exploring the conditions that led to the introduction of GfG, and comparing it to other reforestation programs. Part Two offers an overview of GfG, describing the timeline of the program, compensation paid to farmers, the rules concerning land and plant selection, the extent to which these rules were followed, the attitudes of farmers towards the program, and the way in which the program is organized and implemented by various state actors. Part Three discusses the impact of the GfG, from both ecological and socio-economic standpoints, looking at the economic benefits that result from participating in the GfG, the impact of the GfG across local economies, the redistribution of the labor force and the sustainability of the program, in particular the question of what will happen to the converted land when payments to farmers end.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by A_Gupta »

http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=2..250515.may15
"'Naga insurgents losing people's support'"
Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat, commanding the Indian Army's Kohima-based 3 Corps that is responsible for counter-insurgency operations in Nagaland and other North Eastern States, said that the faction headed by Myanmarese Naga rebel leader SS Khaplang can't do very much because it lacks popular support.

"In Nagaland, the people have got used to the peace dividend for the last 17 years.

They don't like resumption of rebel violence because that will mean military operations again which affects their normal lives.

So Khaplang stands isolated," Lt Gen Rawat told IANS.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by nvishal »

@A_Gupta ^

The naga issue is an internal issue between all those tribal groups in the region that identify themselves as "nagas". India has stayed out in the past and will do so in the future. There is a valid reason for this policy.

General rawat is confusing people. The naga insurgents are spread across individual tribes. They are community based militias. The naga tribes trust their own militia(rather than the local police force) for maintaining checks against rival tribal militias. Ever heard of a konyak police force? or a tangkhul police force? No. But konyak and tangkhul militias DO EXIST. That's the reality of this region.

Without these militants representing a particular tribal community, the tribal landscape will descend into a civil war.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by RamaY »

nvishal ji,

Why would Nagas remain "Tribal" even after hearing the progressive, modern and secular good news for decades?

Isn't it oxymoron for a Christian to be a tribal?
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by nvishal »

Tribal is to them what indic is to us. It's an identity.

Even though it(tribal) is an identity close to their heart, they feel inferior with it when they have to face/stand with the outside world(tribalism=junglee). This is where political christianity comes to save them - a dual identity. They use political christianty as a tool to bond with the outside world partly because they still don't understand global cultures, civilizations or geo-politics. Christianity is also a tool for them to stand as equals with and against indians(hindus).

Although these artificial identities are also the significant reasons for their internal divisions. It was earlier thought that the arrival of christianity helps create a bond among various communities in this region. This is incorrect. It has actually ended up creating intense division among them. No indian strategic observer will tell you this explicitly because these social changes have given the indian army some breathing time to pause and evaluate the situation as inter-tribal warfare begins to form shape. The culture has become unstable. The nagas(and most other variations) will either fight the indian army or they will fight among themselves. Picture the afghan civil war before and after the US invasion.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by Rahul M »

very nicely put nvishal. having read your enlightening discourses on this topic, might I interest you to contribute an article to SRR ?
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by A_Gupta »

"Agartala airport to be upgraded to international standards: AAI"

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ind ... 473019.cms
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will spend Rs 426 crore to upgrade Agartala airport to international standards.

"We have finished all ground work like survey etc. and will now engage a project consultant to elevate it to a world class airport," AAI chairman R K Srivastava told reporters here on Thursday night after meeting Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey today said the state government has also urged the Centre to declare Agartala air ..

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... aign=cppst
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by A_Gupta »

Industry news letter:
http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/deta ... 385&sid=51
"Uncertainties galore in India’s ‘Paradise Unexplored’
North East of India despite having immense potential for tourism is plagued by issues of infrastructure, connectivity, security, and above all poor visibility. Hospitality Biz tries to understand the sentiments of the hotel industry players in the region along with opportunities and challenges for new investments."
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by nvishal »

An army convoy was ambushed in manipur by militants today morning.

Casualty is in dozens.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by CRamS »

Yes I read that. Very sad, our boys were laying a road network. Now, without sounding TSPsque, given the recent diarrhea that bad Sheriff has been spewing, any hint of TSP hand to change the theater of action? Perhaps pick a vulnerable spot and send India a message?
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by Raja Bose »

nvishal wrote:An army convoy was ambushed in manipur by militants today morning.

Casualty is in dozens.
Happened in the Chandel district, 20+ KIA, 10+ WIA. :(
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by Prem Kumar »

Very tragic :(

I wouldn't put it past the Chinese to be behind this. Bleed India by a thousand cuts. The "India outpaces China in GDP growth" news & Modi's assertiveness against PLA incursions must have been a huge blow to their H&D!

It could be the beginning of a 2 front sub-conventional war, rather than a 2 front allout-war
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by nvishal »

China had a working relationship with the militants in the NE corridor since the fallout of the tibetan invasion but things are no longer the same today. Yes, they still continue to maintain a link but it is unlike kashmir where militancy is an active extension of the PA. The NE is also a market for arms dealers. Good luck trying to stop these guys.

There are differences between kashmir and NE - ie., Kashmir needs a pakistan to boil but the NE can boil by itself; it doesn't need a china. Accusing china of having a hand in NE is like accusing india of having a hand in the tribal separatism(baloch/pashtun) on pakistans western front. These fires stroke by themselves.

-------------------
The newly-floated common platform, United Liberation Front of Western South East Asia comprising NSCN (K), Ulfa (I), Kamatapur Liberation Organization and NDFB (Songbijit) claimed responsibility for the Manipur ambush. Ulfa (I) leader Paresh Baruah called up local television channels saying that the ambush was carried out under orders from SS Khaplang, chairman of the new platform.
SS Khaplang is the leader of NSCN(K) - a militia of konyak nagas. The K denomination severed ceasefire agreement with GoI a month or so ago. They then entered into a ceasefire agreement with the myanmar govt. They now run things from that side of the border.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by nvishal »

Bollywood actor hrithik roshan follows geopolitics?
My heartfelt condolences to d families of the 20 jawans killed in a mindless ambush by Manipur tribals. http://t.co/A91V4VnA1G salute.

— Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) June 4, 2015
Wha??? :eek:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood ... 55186.aspx
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by kancha »

^^ The area where this happened is not a tribal area, but a Metei dominated area.
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Re: North East & Eastern Himalayan: News & Discussion

Post by prahaar »

Kanchaji, for most people who do not follow NE like many on BR, the entire NE is tribal. The level of awareness about the entire east is very poor (even Orissa is a black hole for most in India) in MH. Our school education as well as mainstream discourse (or rather lack of it) is significantly responsible for this. And I guess Hrithik might have had his schooling in Mumbai.

Added later: I did not think that you were disparaging in any manner. It was just a clarification.
Last edited by prahaar on 05 Jun 2015 12:15, edited 1 time in total.
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