Using old terror tactics
Militants try to influence Manipur poll process  
Come elections and it is violent time in Manipur. The underground forces are leaving no stone unturned to make their presence felt during elections. Apart from making the chances brighter for the candidates of their choices, the ultras are also trying to make as much fund possible by indulging in violent activities. Two Congress candidates Mourang Mokunga and L. Benjamin were forced to withdraw from the contest by the militants. They were contesting from Tengnoupal and Chandel constituencies respectively. Th. Bira, former minister, earned the wrath of the militants for not paying money to them. Militant oufit KYKL has issued a boycott call against him.

The militants also attacked two Congress candidates. Unidentified gunmen fired at the residence of ex-minister M. Oken in Heirok, in which two persons were killed and four were injured. Another Congress candidate E. Kunjeshwar was attacked when he was addressing an election rally. The ultras also attacked the residence of former chief minister Radhabinod Koijam. Five unidentified armed youths who came in one Kinetic Honda and CBZ motorcycle, fired upon the residence of former chief minister. The security personnel posted at the residence of the former chief minister fired two rounds towards the attackers. However, there is no casualty on either side. 

Again suspected militants set ablaze the residence of former Manipur chief minister W. Nipamacha Singh and fired at the residence of former Union minister Th Chaoba Singh in Manipur. Armed persons barged into the living room of Nipamacha Singh’s private residence at Wangoi area in Imphal West district and set it on fire after holding up the family members at gunpoint. The former chief minister had a lucky escape as at the time of the incident he was not in the house.

Meanwhile the proscribed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) has claimed that the party has nothing to do with the State Assembly election. In a statement, the organisation observed that the election is an exercise carried out by the Government of India to eliminate the right of self-determination by the people of Manipur. That election was being held in Manipur under the garb of democracy to legalise India’s occupation, the statement said. The statement further expressed that taking part in the election was akin to mortgaging ‘our right to self determination’ by another five years for a few crores of rupees. It opined that election was also extension of permission to the security forces of the government to terrorise the people of the State.

“Attack on MSCP office is a terrorist act”: Chaoba Singh
President of the Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) and Lok Sabha MP Thounaojam Chaoba Singh has condemned the attack on the MSCP office at Nambol in the evening of January 3 and termed it as an act of terrorism. However, notwithstanding the attack on his party office, Chaoba Singh is hopeful of winning 25 to 26 seats from the ensuing 8th Assembly election. The MSCP chief informed that his party would not go along with any other political party in the election. The Lok sabha MP from Manipur felt that his party might have a close fight with the Congress (I) and the Federal Party of Manipur (FPM). According to him the choice before the people is clear, choose Rishang of the Congress, Chaoba of the MSCP and Dr Chandramani of the FPM. Cautioning people over instability, Chaoba Singh said that people should be ready for another election if they choose only four or five from each party. A fluid coalition will result in the formation of a shacky Government in which the alliance will fight for good portfolios, ultimately resulting in downfall of the government, he observed. Further commenting on the attack he said that the act was an act of terrorism and only terrorists would resort to such action. No underground group would try to influence the poll process, he asserted.

Taliban, ISI train NE insurgent groups
Revelations made by the arrested Prepak commander show a clear nexus the NE militants enjoy with the Taliban and ISI. 

Revelation made by arrested Prepak commander Thoudam Roshem during interrogation points towards a closer links between some underground outfits active in the region and the Talibans. Thoudam Roshem was recently arrested by the personnel of 8 Assam Rifles. After the arrest, Assam Rifles have claimed that members of some insurgent outfits of Manipur had undergone training in guerilla warfare under the Taliban. ‘Sergeant major’ Thoudam Roshem was the Prepak commander of the Imphal east and west districts, apart from being the commander of the fighting group and the maintenance wing of the outfit. He was arrested with one Chinese made 9 mm pistol, along with 12 rounds of cartridges and incriminating documents.

During interrogations Thoudam Roshem confessed that in 1998 he had gone to Bangladesh without any valid travel documents. Some days later he went to Pakistan by air after obtaining a bogus passport. Pakistani Army officials received him at the airport. Later, the Pakistani Army sent him to Afghanistan, where he underwent extensive guerilla training, including the use of anti-aircraft gun and rocket launchers. From Afghanistan he went to Nepal where along with the Maoist communist extremists underwent further training. The confession of Thoudam Roshem proves that not only in Jammu & Kashmir, the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI is providing all necessary support to the underground forces active in the North-Eastern region.

Truce between NSCN (IM) and KNF hailed
The Naga Hoho had welcomed the truce between the NSCN (IM) and Kuki National Front (KNF). The organisation expressed the view that the move would help in restoring peace in the area. At the same time, the Hoho had issued a call to all the Naga underground groups to stop factional feuds. The recent Hoho consultative meeting urged the NSCN (IM) to respond to the goodwill gesture offered by the NSCN (K). The meeting held with an objective to review the peace process also appealed to the NSCN (K) to revive and extend the period of one-month long ceasefire to its rival group.

The meeting, attended by leaders of various Naga tribal and mass-based organisations further resolved to support the ongoing truce between New Delhi and both the factions of the NSCN. The Hoho made its position categorically clear that an honourable and lasting solution to the decades old Naga political issue could only be possible when all sections of the Naga society are involved in the process.

The Hoho asserted that it believed that this was a time to help rebuild the family. “Support to particular groups, political and otherwise, has only helped to further wound our people and society and to perpetrate the legacy of mistrust and division.” It went on to point out that whatever the political positions of the various groups and sections of Naga society none of them will achieve anything on their own, unless the Naga people as a whole are at the centre.

The meeting was also of the view that “time is ripe for us to think about the kind of legacy we would like to leave behind for our children and our children’s children will remember that the present time is a gift and this gift is not indefinite.” For quite some time now, the Nagas are asking various underground groups to unite. But so far, the insurgent groups had not responded positively to the calls made by the Naga organisations.

Diversion of funds leads to poor show
Assam fails to meet border fencing target
The Union Home Ministry may withhold the fund meant for construction of roads and barbed-wire fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh border as the Assam Government is yet to submit the utilisation certificate of the works executed earlier.

It is reliably learnt that the State Government grossly misused the funds meant for this purpose. The cash-strapped Assam Government had often diverted the funds to other heads. Taking exception to such practices, the Union Home Ministry has decided not to release any funds for this purpose that till diversion of funds are totally stopped. While Assam Government has failed to make much progress in border fencing, other North-Eastern states, such as Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram have successfully completed first phase of fencing works and now are implementing the second phase.

The total length of the Indo-Bangladesh land border in Assam sector is 262 km, while Meghalaya has land border of 443 km, Tripura 856 km and Mizoram 318 km. In the first phase, the MHA had taken up the construction of 186 km border road and 152 km fence in Assam, while 211 km of road and 198 km of fence in Meghalaya, 545 km of border road in Tripura and 153 km of border road in Mizoram. The dateline for the completion of the first phase was March 31, 2001.

In Meghalaya, of the allotted Rs 86.38 crore in phase-I, Rs 84.72 crore has already been spent. In Tripura out of Rs 179.94 crore, Rs 143.88 crore has already been spent while Mizoram has spent of Rs 49.39 crore of the allotted Rs 52.60 crore. In the case of Assam, of the allotment was Rs 122.05 crore. Sources revealed that only a small portion has been spent on the job so far. According to many, the other North-Eastern states have made good progress as the states have handed over the job to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). While in Assam the job is being executed by the State Public Works Department. As a result, the work is progressing at a snail’s pace as the Assam Government keeps on diverting the funds.

States like Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya have made good progresses in the second phase of the programme too. In the second phase, the Centre has allotted Rs 198 crore to construct 204 km road and 201 km fencing in Meghalaya, Rs 275 crore to construct 269 km road and 736 km of fence in Tripura and Rs 254 crore to construct 246.5 km of road and 400 km of fence in Mizoram. The works on the second phase, which started on March 15, 2001, Meghalaya have already spent Rs 76.60 lakh, Tripura has spent Rs 50.82 lakh. Mizoram has also done well in the second phase. Though the Commissioner (Border) has already sanctioned Rs 2.5 crore to the Government of Assam for starting work under phase-II, yet sources said, it is not known what amount has been spent. In contrast, Assam is well behind the target. Apart from diversion of funds, sources revealed that cement worth Rs. 4 crore meant for construction of border roads was diverted by the state PWD to other projects.
           
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