Judicial enquiry demanded
Several non-political, social and even political organisations of N C Hills have strongly opposed the magisterial probe, ordered by the N C Hills district administration, terming it farcical. These organisations have been demanding a judicial enquiry into the whole incidents in the district in which about 400 houses were brunt down, nine persons were killed and about 6,000 people were displaced from their respective villages, in the recent ethnic flare up between the Hmars and the Dimasas.

Car hijacking
The car hijacking case in Meghalaya took a new twist, when the owner of a vehicle filed a case against the Superintendent of Police, West Garo Hills for contempt of court. Following the failure of the police to release the car bought by one A Marak on the ground that it is a hijacked car, a case was filed. The hearing witnessed the SP, West Garo Hills, SS Yadav arguing as to why the Hyundai Accent Car was not released. Stating against the petitioner, who had charged him of violation of the Court’s earlier orders, Yadav said that the vehicle was released on the first of this month but detained again after a fresh FIR was lodged by the District Transport Office.

ANVC militants abduct
Suspected A’Chik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) militants abducted a member of the West Garo Hills District Council (MDC) and a businessman from Banabazar, near Selsella, under Garobadha Police Station.

Delegation of North East MPs’ Forum
A delegation of North East MPs’ Forum urged Petroleum Minister Ram Naik to hand over the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) to Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) to avoid privatisation of the Refinery after disinvestment of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). The delegation of the MPs that called on the Petroleum Minister opposed the move on the ground that privatisation of the Assam Accord refinery would have an adverse impact on the State. They feared that once BPCL which has 51 per cent stake in NRL, is disinvested then the Refinery may fall into the hands of private party. As a way out, they suggested that the BPCL’s stake in NRL should be transferred to IOCL before the Oil Company is put on the block.

ANVC received a setback
The banned ANVC received a setback in West Khasi Hills after three of its frontline members surrendered before the Police. The police had been tight lipped on the surrender of the militants for security reasons. Highly informed sources said that out of the three, one was identified as Cosmos N Marak of Khonjoy village , who is the area commander of the outfit in West Khasi Hills. The other two was identified as Lola D Marak and Andreas J Momin. Two Ak-56 rifles, two japanese make wireless set, four Chinese make grenades and 216 nos of AK 47 ammunition were also laid down before the police by the surrenderees.

Central allocation
The Centre has allocated Rs. 141.24 crore to Assam during the current financial year as the Central share for implementation of the Indira Asaw Yojana (IAY), Union Minister of State for Rural Development U. V. Krishanam Raju informed. The Ministry of Rural Development is implementing the IAY with the objective of providing assistance for construction and upgradation of houses to Below the Poverty Line (BPL) shelterless families living in the rural parts of the country.

Proposal of the National Delimitation Commission opposed
The Raga Assembly Delimitation Committee in Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh has opposed the proposal of the National Delimitation Commission to include 10 villages of Ziro-Hapoli Assembly Constituency to Raga Assembly Constituency, which, it said, would create geographical and ethnic problems. The RADC at a meeting, suggested inclusion of some population from adjoining assembly segment of Nyishi belt within the jurisdiction of Lower Subansiri district instead of villages from Ziro-Hapoli Assembly segment, an RADC release said. The RADC further decided to send a delegation shortly to New Delhi to apprise the Chairman of the National Delimitation Commission and Chief Election Commissioner for redressal.

Issue of subsidy
Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, in a letter, informed Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that the Union Ministry was taking action for the expeditious resolution of the issue of subsidy for the Assam Gas Cracker Project, and the matter would be placed before the Cabinet for approval, a copy of the letter available with The Sentinel said. The Union Minister took this move in response to a letter sent to him by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on March 15 last.

Proposal submitted
The Assam Forum of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) urged the State Government to put pressure on the Central Government to grant SC, ST status to the Tea Tribes of Assam. The Forum, in this regard submitted a proposal recently to the State Government. The proposal stated that the Central Government has not considered the demand of granting ST, SC status to the Tea Tribes of the State on the ground that there are no tribes as Tea Tribe and ex-Tea Tribe. The Centre asked the Assam Government to sent a list to it stating the various castes, communities and classes to which the Tea Tribes and ex- Tea Tribes of Assam belong. The tea tribes are the people from Munda, Saotal, Khariya, Tanti, Tasa etc., tribes of Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar etc., who came to the State before Independence. These tribes are however included under SC and ST in their original states.

7th All India Cultural Festival for the Deaf
The 7th All India Cultural Festival for the Deaf was held at Jamshedpur from April 10 to 14. Altogether 22 states including a 13-members team from Assam participated in the festival. The Assam team won three prizes in dance and drama. The drama Joymati scripted and directed by Tapan Kr Sarma was highly appreciated by the audience and secured the second position. Tapan Kr Sarma was adjudged the best actor. The team won the third prize by performing a Bodo dance.

Heroin seized
The Manipur Police arrested a person for peddling heroin and seized one kg of the powder from him. Police said the heroin was being distributed by the person, one Laimayum Lokendro, in four polythene packets weighing 250 grams each. A team of special intelligence unit arrested Lokendro Alias James Sharma with the packets from Taothong Lamkhai near Taothong bridge under Lamsang police station. One kg of ‘number four’ heroin costs Rs. 11 lakh in the local market and around Rs. One crore in the international market, police said.

Tunnel to freedom
A ‘tunnel to freedom’, dug with four days of hard labour, led four under trial prisoners in Shillong Jail to another cell when alert jail guards foiled their escape bid. Jail-break attempts have become an annual feature in Shillong Jail with the earlier two bids turning successful for the criminals since 2000.

Family members of the ULFA’s top brass will visit Bhutan
The family members of the ULFA’s top brass will visit Bhutan and meet the king of the Himalayan kingdom in a bid to close all the camps of the militant organisation. The initiative has been taken by a non-government organisation as public works that have been spreading a campaign against the militancy through the family members. According to its secretary Abhijeet Sharma a two-member group will leave for Bhutan on August 13 to meet the king on August 15. The group will be led by ULFA commander-in-chief’s mother Miliki Barua and brother of the ULFA chairman Aurobindo Rajkhowa.

NSCN (IM) cadres killed
Two NSCN (IM) cadres were killed in a clash with members of the Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) over distribution of extorted money near Thri river in West Khasi Hills District recently. Three ANVC cadres, including self-styled area commander of the outfit in-charge of West Khasi Hills Cosmos N Marak, Lola D Marak and Andreas Momin, who were involved in the killing, later surrendered before the police at Sonapathar in the same district. Police said the slain NSCN cadres were thrown inside the deep forest bordering East Garo Hills District. Police were trying to recover the bodies while the three surrendered ANVC cadres deposited two AK-47 rifles with six magazines, about 180 ammunition and four Chinese hand grenades.

Arunachal Pradesh celebrates Mopin
A When harvesting festivals are being celebrated all over the country at the onset of spring, Arunachal Pradesh celebrates Mopin, an agrarian ritual of the Galo community. Besides every individual village, the festival was celebrated centrally at Along in West Siang district with pomp and pleasure. In 1967, a social meeting had come up with the decision to celebrate Mopin centrally on April five every year. This years’ central festivity was, however, postponed due to the Panchayat elections. Mopin is celebrated during the cutting of jungles for jhum cultivation during March-April for the summer crops. The festival is a celebration of the fertilization and beautification of the earth where sacrifice rituals are held by traditional belief to invoke the blessings of Mother Mopin for good yield and prosperity.

Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC)
With the Centre having made up its mind to introduce the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Bill in Parliament various groups opposed to granting Schedule Tribe (Hills) status to the Bodos living in the two hill districts have started mounting pressure on the Central Government to review the clause. Close on the heels of a section of the senior ruling Congress leaders opposing the move, came the turn of senior CPI-ML leader, Dr Jayanta Rongpi, MP to echo similar sentiments by demanding that Clause 8 of the BTC Accord be kept in abeyance in larger interest of maintaining peace in the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts.

Essential commodities distributed
MLutherian World Service, based in Kolkata with its headquarters in Geneva, has distributed polythene sheets, CI sheets and family kit each containing essential commodities like bedsheets, biscuits, mosquito nets and food rations of 20 kg of rice, 2 kg of pulses to about 500 families in the tornado affected areas of Kalapani area in Mancachar subdivision of Dhubri district. Deputy Commissioner of Dhubri district Prasanta Kumar Baruah informed that several local NGOs such as Green Growers Marketing and Processing Society, Kalapani Club, etc., have done commendable relief duty in the tornado-affected areas. He also informed that the local MP and the 182 Battalion of the BSF have also rendered invaluable service to the people in the region.

Gorkha Training Centre (GTC)
Altogether 142 young recruits trained in counter insurgency, jungle and mountain warfare were attested as soldiers at the Gorkha Training Centre (GTC) recently. The recruits would now be sent all over the country including the Siachen glacier and the jungles of North-East. Brig W J B Sturgeon, Commandant of the 58 GTC, who reviewed the parade and took the general salute, also administered the oath to the young recruits to serve the country with sincerity and pledged to make supreme sacrifice for the nation. Besides training its own recruits, the GTC also trained new entrants of the Assam Rifles and gave exposure to NCC cadets also.

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