Updates (November 30, 2010)

1) SAAG says this on Nepal: Linky

It is seen that some emissaries from India with or without “official blessings” are in Nepal to explain India’s stand and perhaps are taking/preparing a conciliatory approach towards the Maoists. If this is so, it will be most unfortunate and it is time India stops countenancing the usual trend seen in Nepal of “public humiliation and private appeasement.”
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The important result of the plenum is that Prachanda has retained his leadership and in order to retain his position, he may continue with his India bashing at least outwardly!

2) Nepal maoists' open support for Indian maoists: Linky

The week-long plenum of Nepal’s largest party, that ended in a remote village in western Nepal on Saturday, has formally condemned India’s Operation Green Hunt, the offensive started in five Indian states in November 2009 to flush out underground Maoists, known as Naxalites in India. “We condemn the oppression of the Indian people in the name of Operation Green Hunt,” the plenum declaration said. “We urge for a peaceful resolution of the problem.” The 14-point statement also condemned the “immoral and planned murder” of Cherukuri Rajkumar, who was the spokesman of the Indian Maoists under the nom de guerre Azad.

3) Indo-Nepal border encroachment: Linky

The no-man’s-land near India-Nepal border at Adapur has become a free-for-all space with citizens of both the countries encroaching on it to cultivate grains for their personal use. The resident also said that an area of about 12 acres in the no-man’s land under Adapur block had been encroached. Sashatra Seema Bal inspector and Beldarwa camp in-charge Sitaram Sharma said the administration has not made any efforts to check residents who have started cultivating the no-man’s land for their personal gains.
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The administration of either country is not bothered about the encroachment or the uprooted pillar that lies limp at the place that once marked the international border. Any action against the encroachers could be initiated only after instructions from higher authorities. Most of the encroachers are Nepali citizens, added Kumar. A local said the administration had been alarmed over the issue when, a few days ago, a Nepali citizen Gani Miya, a resident of Basantpur under Bara district of Nepal, uprooted pillar no. 382/18 from the border and moved it within 20ft of the Indian border.

4) Rail connectivity to Nepal: Linky

Indian Railways has decided to execute a 70km rail line project at an estimated cost of Rs 470 crore in Nepal as part of the move to strengthen ties between the two neighbouring countries, Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) reported Sunday. PTI quoted East-Central Railway general manager KK Srivastava as saying that the project includes gauge conversation between Jai Nagar (India) and Janakpur (Nepal) spanning a distance of 30 km and laying a new Janakpur-Bardivas line covering a distance of 40 km. The railway ministry has given its nod for the project and released Rs10 crore as first installment for the purpose, he said.

5) Green stump on rail connectivity: Linky

In 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Bhutan king had signed an agreement to extend the railway link to the Himalayan kingdom as a gesture of friendship to mark the golden jubilee of Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit to Bhutan. It was decided that the lines would be extended from five stations — the other three routes being Kokrajhar-Gelephu, Pathsala-Naglam and Rangia-Samdrupjongkhar via Darrang, all originating from Assam. The Northeast Frontier Railway had planned to extend the railway lines from Banarhat and Hashimara to Samtse and Phuentsholing in Bhutan following an agreement between the two countries. The state forest department will oppose any move by the railways to extend the Dooars rail route to Bhutan as it will pose threats to the wildlife, minister Ananta Roy has said. The opposition from the government came close on the heels of the deaths of seven elephants on the Dooars rail tracks on September 22.

Railway officials said the survey on the three stretches of Assam was complete but a similar exercise in Bengal was held up because of land encroachment. “We own land on the two stretches (of Bengal) but they are already encroached upon by a number of families. When we discussed the project with the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri and the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri, we were assured that an alternative land would be provided,” said S. Singh, the divisional railway manager of Alipurduar which falls under the NFR. “We agreed to it but now we have no clue about the statements made by the forest department.”

6) AFSPA: Linky

Government today ruled out revoking the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from "some" of the North-Eastern states in the wake of the security situation there. Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran stated this in reply to a question in Lok Sabha. The members of the House had asked whether the government was contemplating withdrawing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from North-Eastern states including Manipur. "No, Madam. In view of security situation in some of the NE states, it is necessary that the Act continues to be in force," the Minister said.

7) ANVC update: Linky

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today said his government was examining the demands of the Achik National Volunteer Council, the Garo rebel outfit, which is currently engaged in tripartite talks. "The group has scaled down from its demand for a separate Garoland state to that of a Garo Hills Territorial Council in line with the Bodo Territorial Council of Assam. The matter is under consideration," Sangma said in reponse to a question in the state Assembly.

Comments on Nepal maoists' Palungtar extended plenum

Here is an op-ed piece: Linky

The Maoist position, no doubt, will prove crucial on how the peace process, already in peril, will move now on. All eyes are trained on the internal deliberation at the Palungtar plenum for its impact on the larger process. At the time of writing on Friday, it wasn’t clear whether the plenum would come up with a clear-cut position on some contentious issues which have divided the parties and indeed the Maoist party itself. Instead of a long-term strategy, the party came up with an interim plan to continue to engage in the current peace process but with preparations for an “urban revolt”. One issue that has been closely followed inside and outside the party has been how the party will define its relationship with India. Already, the hardliners consider the southern neighbour their principal enemy; for pragmatists like Baburam Bhattarai, it’s the internal forces.

Odd that it may sound to those outside, it is important for the party to define its enemy. Once that is identified, the party builds up its political rhetoric to energise its large cadre base. To keep its revolutionary fervour, identifying an enemy is therefore an integral element in its internal cohesion. This is where the party has had a difficult time in the past year, which has seen its relations with India deteriorate. Maoist leaders openly acknowledge India considers the party “hostile” to Indian interests and therefore would go to great lengths to marginalise them. So the big challenge before the Maoist leadership (read Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal) is to maintain the revolutionary zeal and yet not alienate India—a tall order.

Already, Vice Chairmen Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya seem to be at odds as to how they want to view their relations with India. The Baidya faction wants to declare India as the principal enemy; Bhattarai insists the devil lies within. Not surprisingly, Dahal is once again on the fence. He sees India’s role as problematic, yet wants to peacefully engage with India, while all the time drumming up support for ‘national independence.’ Dahal’s multiplicity is partly a product of having to accommodate various strains within a party which is in dire need to go through an ideological evolution. For now, the Chairman should be fully cognisant of the danger a clear-cut decision on the issue of enemy poses on party unity and his ability to steer the party in a direction he perceives to be safe. So his approach: convince his comrades for an interim strategy. “That will be a battle won for Dahal, though the war still remains,” says a senior party leader.

The strategy will be valid for six months or until May 28, the deadline for the promulgation of the constitution. The interim strategy will push for completion of the peace and constitution drafting processes within the given timeframe, but with adequate preparations for an ‘urban revolt’ should the processes fail. “Leaders will engage in peace and constitution writing processes, while cadres will protest and agitate against the conspiracy of regressive forces,” Standing Committee member and Maoist military in-charge Barshaman Pun, an aide of Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, says. Dahal, in an interview with The Post on Tuesday, said the Maoists would adopt a flexible strategy to end the current political deadlock.

Now that he seems to have gained the confidence of his deputies for the interim period by accommodating the ideological line of both Baidya and Bhattarai, he may have a much freer hand in dealing with other parties. This has bought him much needed time to consolidate his hold on the party. The six month interim strategy that is likely to endorse Dahal’s plans will be a gamble for him. The full party support gives him room to manoeuvre in making concessions as other parties have demanded—especially a detachment of the party from combatants and a decision on number and modality of PLA integration and rehabilitation. But an interim strategy isn’t without pitfalls. If he succeeds in completing the peace process and delivering a constitution, it will only reinforce his credentials within the party—silencing his dissidents. But if he fails it will only invite questions about his leadership—emboldening his deputies.

For now Dahal seems to have prevailed, but much hinges on his ability to deliver on integration and statute drafting. Even if the Chairman seems to have won this battle, he will have to use all the weapons in his arsenal before he restores his early aura as the party’s uncontested leader.

This is what the three leaders had to say about India

Pushpa Kamal Dahal: The Maoists will adopt two strategies simultaneously—taking to the streets to protest Indian interference while making efforts to hold dialogues with the Indian political leadership. There are two perspectives (Bhattarai’s and Baidya’s) about India—surrendering to it or directly fighting a war. We have always protested Indian interference but we continue to hold dialogues with India and maintain cordial diplomatic relations. We do not want a war with India. However, we will launch a movement of national independence.

Baburam Bhattarai: Nepal is at a very sensitive geo-strategic position, being sandwiched between India and China. In changing global dynamics, even the US—being a global superpower—claims its interest in this part of the region. That way, there is a triangular contention between China, India and the US. Nepal should conduct its foreign policy in such a way that we maintain a balanced relationship with all these powers and maintain our sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. This is a very challenging task. If we cannot take international powers into confidence, we could invite trouble for ourselves. There is a continuous colonial suppression by India since the Sugauli treaty. It would not be wise to fight directly with India, though. We have to first defeat internal regressive forces backed by India. (A direct fight with India) would be counter-productive.

Mohan Baidya: Indian interference in Nepali politics has sharply increased in recent days due to which there has been a delay in forming a government, which has derailed the peace process. Bhattarai leans towards a reformist agenda and surrendering to Indian powers. India is a principal enemy of the party, for which it should bring a programme to curtail Indian interference. Bhattarai has stated that struggle with India is the secondary part (of our revolution); however, I think struggle with India is the primary factor. There should be a movement of national independence. However, this movement will largely be peaceful.

Reactions from other parties: Linky

Former finance minister Prakash Chandra Lohani, whose Rastriya Janashakti Party is an ally of caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, said Prachanda’s effort to brand India as the “arch enemy” stemmed from the former guerrillas’ chagrin at being unable to return to power through the prime ministerial election, which they had to quit following a vote-buying scandal. The Nepali Congress, the largest party in the ruling alliance, said it was a bid to stoke a cold war between New Delhi and Kathmandu. Arjun Narsingh KC, spokesman of the party, counter-charged the Maoists with violating the peace accord they had signed four years ago by making their guerrilla fighters, whom they were to have discharged in 2006, take part in the ongoing sixth plenum of the party that will decide its future strategy. Former tourism minister Pradeep Gyawali, who belongs to the prime minister’s Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, said Prachanda was trying to whip up anti-India sentiments to use it as a bargaining tool to be able to return to power. Gyawali also predicted that the Maoist plenum would not endorse Prachanda’s call to prepare for a revolt and a subsequent armed war with India.

My comments:
1) First of all, the three-way ideological split in the maoist leadership is in itself a cause for attention. While this split is not like a major surprise, the level of lethality of language is indeed very reminescent of how a Proletariat revolution reaches its first crisis stage. Indeed, both Prachanda and Mohan Baidya Kiran call Baburam Bhattarai's point as "surrendering to India." The rhetorical flourish should surprise noone as this is the very language that is the currency of a red debate.
2) Second, While Mohan Baidya Kiran's opposite extreme is understandable, Prachanda is trying to play the neutral custodian to the cadre in this matter. Using this as a leverage, he supports a two-fold strategy: i) using the maoists rank and file to attack diplomats such as Rakesh Sood as happened in Solukhumbu, in the MRP saga, and in the Kantipur newsprint saga to make the South Block babus talk to him, and ii) talking to the babus in the backchannel. In fact, Prachanda has met with Rakesh Sood 71 (!) times in the last nine months alone. How can Prachanda explain (logically!) to anyone why he is parleying with someone he brands as holding his "national independence"?
3) Third, it is interesting that Prachanda recognizes the need to deliberate with NC and CPN(ML) while Mohan Baidya Kiran suggests linking up with the maoists in India. This at a time when the Indian embassy has made some serious accusations of Nepalese meddling in the Indian red corridor should be a serious red-flag at a raging bull. While not much is expected on the Solukhumbu incident from the Caretaker government, one brownie point against Prachanda when he will come to visit Sood again will be the draft document of Mohan Baidya Kiran.
4) By bringing in Sugauli, Baburam Bhattarai is playing to the gallery as Sugauli, Kalapani and Teesta-related issues are the pet-peeves of hardline academics such as Dr. Bhattarai. For a historical overview, the Treaty of Sugauli was signed in 1816 after the 1814-1816 Anglo-Nepalese war, where some parts of the Nepali Kingdom were ceded (especially territories in the Terai region, Himachal and Sikkim) to the British, in exchange for Nepalese autonomy. The oft-heard Nepalese complaint that is that the Sugauli treaty has become null and void since Indian independence and the Indo-Nepalese Friendship Treaty of 1950 and thus the ceded territories should be returned.

There are two lines of response (firmly within the realms of international jurisprudence) to this Nepalese position.
a) Regarding Sikkim, the Kingdom of Sikkim was no friends of Nepal pre-1814. In fact, the British entered the picture as a "mediator" on behalf of Sikkim. After the Sugauli treaty, territories taken over by the Nepalese in what was then Sikkim were restored to Sikkim. Meanwhile, as the British left India in 1947, the referendum in Sikkim decided not to merge with India at that stage. Thus, other than being an Indian Protectorate, which was the role of the Crown in British India, India did not usurp any Nepalese territory. In other words, the Chogyal of Sikkim sua sponte pleaded with the Dominion of India to take over the position held by the Crown. As the Chogyal turned out to be unpopular and a popular call by the Nepalese in Sikkim (no less!) to merge with the Indian Union led to a referendum to that effect in 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state within the Indian Union. The Nepalese in Sikkim did not seek to merge with Nepal, but with India. This was validated by the referendum where >97% of the voting population with a >59% turn-out voted for merging with India. Nepal has no locus standi on Sikkim.

b) Regarding the Terai region, some point are in order. i) The Unification Process led by the Shah kings from 1769 and up had led to an almost doubling in size from 1792 to 1810. Thus, while Nepal wants lands ceded in such imperial campaigns on the Terai to be restored, they would not however deem illegal acts such as extending the Kingdom from the tiny Gorkha principality all the way to the Kathmandu Valley and beyond. Why is the cut-off date for India-Nepal relations determined to be 1816 and not before that? ii) The support of Nepali kings to the British during the Indian War of Independence of 1857 saw some territories ceded in Sugauli to be restored to them by the Treaty signed on November 1, 1860. These illegal handing overs by the British have to come under question because the Government of India was not a party to the handing over of the then de jure British Indian territories by a colonial power. As the British left India, paramountcy was transferred to the two new Dominions of India and Pakistan and as the successor state of the British in territory contiguous with Nepal, India has been parties to both the transactions of 1816 and 1860. One Treaty cannot be ignored while the other dealt with simultaneously. iii) The British Government kept the Nepal-India border open primarily for two purposes. The first was to maintain unrestricted migration of the Nepalese hill people to India and to procure them for recruitment in the Indian army. Recruitment of the Nepalese in the British army was very difficult up to the period of Prime Minister Ranodip Singh, because the Government of Nepal was in principle against the recruitment of its people in a foreign army. The clandestine and secret operations adopted by the British to get Nepal hill people in the Indian army were disliked by the Nepalese government which took strong measures to discourage the practice. Some of the Gorkhas serving in the Indian army on their return home on leave were even put to death and the property of those serving the Indian army was confiscated. Sensing the harassment meted to families of the Gorkhas in the Indian army by the Nepalese government and to make the recruitment easier, the British Government encouraged migration of the Gorkhas from Nepal with their families and established Gorkha settlements in the hills of India, such as Bhagsu, Bakloh, Almora, Darjeeling, Deharadun, Shillong, etc. It was only during the period of Prime Minister Bir Shumsher that the Nepalese government freely allowed enlistment of Nepalese in the Indian army. If Sugauli has to be nullified, then all the acts of migration of Nepalese in de jure Indian territories as of today have to be nullified. In short, if the Nepalese position is that one colonial act has to be undone, then all colonial acts have to be undone. There cannot be a myopic viewing of one act while other acts of omission and commission pass under the radar. Summum ius dictates that a package deal within the bounds of commonsense can be achieved. The Indo-Nepalese Friendship Treaty achieves this in spirit and letter. While the academic body politic of Nepal disagrees with the Treaty, India empathizes with this sentiment and would accede to a rewriting of this Treaty. But as stated above, commonsense dictates that keeping one favorable term within the Treaty such as free and limitless entry of Nepalese into India, but not allowing equal residential rights for Indians in Nepal, while reneging on other unfavorable terms need to be revisited.

Governance issues in the Northeast

1) Op-ed on governance in Assam: Linky

Assam has been facing poor governance for past few decades, with the present Congress-led coalition ministry indulging in corruption of all kinds, as often reported in the media with specifics. Our Chief Minister talks of transparency and accountability, but lacks the courage to declare the assets of the ministers and put those in the public domain. There is no rule of law in this State, which is fast going the erstwhile Bihar way, with hooliganism by rowdy elements and lawbreaking by crooks of all hues becoming the order of the day and thereby making the life of the common man totally insecure. Our opposition parties too do not have people-oriented selfless leaders with the vision and unassailable integrity like that of Nitish Kumar.

2) Meanwhile, Namrata Goswami writes on the bandh culture in the Northeast:

The most important indicators of good governance are institutions based on rules, absence of disorder, riots, murders, unwarranted state closures, and violence of any nature. As far as we can see, the Indian state since independence has been committed to individual rights based on the constitution, and no one group or community has the right to deter the free movement and entrepreneurial aspirations of another.

In stark contrast to this optimal understanding of governance in the Indian context, the culture of ‘bandhs’ (state closure) paramount in the Northeastern states like Assam, Manipur and Nagaland goes against the notion of individual rights, is a stigma on the effectiveness of local governance structures, and is unconstitutional to say the least. For instance, Manipur suffered from ‘bandhs’ almost every day during the two month-siege of the state by Naga groups earlier this year as a protest against Thuingaleng Muivah, leader of the NSCN (IM), being refused entry by Manipur to his native village due to security concerns. When the author was in Manipur in August 2008, there were nearly 19 bandhs in that month alone due to protests related to the doping controversy of Monika Devi, the weight-lifter from Manipur during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This resulted in all roads being closed, prices of basic commodities tripling, and a loss to the local economy in crores. While the ‘bandhs’ were underway, called either by armed groups like the United National Liberation Front of Manipur (UNLF) or the Manipur Civil Society organizations, the state functionaries including the Secretariat merrily closed down as well without any accountability whatsoever. For local government officials, it was just one more holiday added to their list of holidays in the official calendar for which nothing is deducted from their monthly pay. So, state government employees might be absent for nineteen days of the month including Sundays and other holidays and effectively work for less than 10 days a month and yet get their full monthly salaries.

This ‘bandh’ culture, while coming down drastically in states like Mizoram and Tripura with a pro-active public and responsive state governments, is a disease in Assam and Nagaland. The call for ‘bandhs’ in Assam are issued by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), the All Assam Students Union (AASU), or any other local group through local newspapers, and is strictly observed by the local people. ‘Bandhs’ in Assam have a rippling effect all over the Northeast as most basic commodities like rice, pulses, medicines, vegetables, poultry, etc., reach the other states via Assam either by road or by rail. In Nagaland, ‘bandhs’ are called by either the NSCN (IM) or the National Socialist Council of Nagaland led by S S Khaplang [NSCN (K)] and is followed by the local people for fear of being killed, despite great hardship caused by multiple ‘bandhs’ in a month.

While the fear of the locals to abide by the diktat of the armed groups is understandable, what is perhaps not acceptable is the adherence to these ‘bandhs’ by the local state authorities. The very fact that state governments cannot negate this ‘bandh’ culture, and are unwilling to ensure that common people are secure during the ‘bandhs’ even if they defy it, smacks of the lack of legitimacy and democratic grounding of these governments. It is also an abysmal state of affairs when armed insurgent groups like the ULFA or the NSCN (IM) with a membership of 1000 to 5000, respectively, can hold the entire population of a state amounting to millions hostage by just issuing the call for a ‘bandh’. This culture of ‘bandhs’ has resulted in crores of rupees in losses for the local economies, especially the private sector. The most affected are of course the daily wage workers, who are dependent on day-to-day earning to feed their families.

3) The vicious circle continues as documented below: Linky

Omar must also note what happened in Manipur after its Chief Minister decided to arbitrarily remove AFSPA from parts of the state in 2004.Following the prolonged protest on Thangjam Manorama’s killing in August 2004, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958 was lifted from Imphal’s municipal zone of four districts and the Army withdrawn. However, Manipur Police’s special force, the Manipur Police Commandos (MPC), who replaced the Army in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur became notorious for extra-judicial killings, and, in particular, fake encounters. In 2008, there were 27 recorded cases of torture and killing attributed to the MPC. Whereas earlier, they conducted ‘encounters’ in isolated places, they soon began doing so in towns and cities, in broad daylight. One example is the killing of Chungkham Sanjit. Photographs of the alleged ‘encounter’ by a local lensman and published in a tabloid clearly revealed that contrary to the official version, Sanjit was standing calmly as the police commandos frisked him, spoke to him, took him inside the storeroom of a pharmacy, shot him and brought his dead body out. While photographs of this ‘encounter’ embarrassed the Okram Ibobi government, it never stopped Manipur Police ‘commandos’ from repeating such acts.

Besides, the partial removal of AFSPA in Manipur, led to terrorist-related violence trebling since mid- 2004 and shot up further post-2007. The trend in 2008 indicates an even further acceleration. With 388 deaths caused by terrorism in 2007, 484 in 2008 and 369 in 2009, Manipur remains the most violent in India 's troubled Northeast, leaving behind Assam and Nagaland, much larger states. Manipur, with just 8.52% of territory and 6.12% of the Northeast’s population accounted for as much as 47% of terrorism related fatalities in the region in 2008 - i.e., four years after AFSPA was lifted from parts of the state.

During that period, terrorists in Manipur made at least three attempts against Ibobi, including two at his residence and at least two attempts on Manipur’s police complexes. That is not all. In September 2009, a Maruti car loaded with explosives was detected in the Raj Bhavan complex, and this, when the Governor Gurbachan Jagat was in residence.In August 2009, both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram expressed alarm on the declining law and order situation in Manipur. Chidambaram has also said that Manipur remains a major stumbling block for improving the North eastern region.

4) Unused welfare funds: Linky

Unutilised funds of about Rs 112.78 crore, which is lying with the welfare department, drew the ire of Jharkhand’s chief secretary A.K. Singh at a review meeting today. “Every year, the Centre sanctions Rs 78 crore for the welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Last year, the welfare department could utilise only Rs 2.53 crore of the total fund allotted. It is a matter of concern that despite having money, the department is not being able to produce good results,” said Singh. He added that a detailed plan report on utilisation of the Centre funds would soon be prepared.

5) The never-ending circle of corruption as the NC Hills Scam takes frontpage news:

It is now an established fact that huge amounts of money provided to the NC Hills Autonomous Council by the Central and State Governments were misused over the years, but has now come to light that the Council also lost substantial amounts of revenue due to large-scale irregularities and the name of a former Governor also cropped up in the report of the special audit of the accounts of the Council carried out by the office of the Accountant General (AG). The report of the special audit, which is available with The Assam Tribune, reported that the Council lost substantial amount of revenue because of the irregularities committed in supply of bamboo to the Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC), while, the Council also lost huge amounts due to the failure to collect the land revenue.

Meanwhile Tarun Gogoi responds: Linky

Reacting sharply to Opposition leader, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta’s demand for his resignation, Gogoi dismissed all the allegations of wrongdoing on his part. He contended that he is yet to see the CAG report. “I don’t know from where he got the report,” he said. The CAG report was first carried by this newspaper leading to a fresh round of exchange of words between the Opposition and government. The CAG report would first go to the Governor, who will then place it in the North Cachar Autonomous Hills District Council, though a copy would come to the State Government eventually.

Interestingly, Gogoi chose to tread cautiously over the CAG’s finding, given the surcharged atmosphere at the Centre over the fallout of CAG’s report on 2 G spectrum allocation imbroglio that cost Telecom Minister, A Raja his job. “If the CAG report reveals misappropriation, we will refer it to the CBI for further probe,” he said. “Even the National Investigation Agency’s report related to the misappropriation was referred to the CBI. We will take action against anybody, no matter who,” he said. “I will quit politics and challenge him (Mahanta) to prove the allegations,” he thundered. “Where is my involvement in the scam? It was I, who called for special audits in 2008 on the basis of the Manisana Committee’s recommendation. It led to arrest of Mohit Hojai and R H Khan in 2009. On the other hand, the man who is calling for my resignation was himself involved in the multi-crore rupee “LoC scam”, he charged.

The Chief Minister, however, admitted that N C Hills may have received excess funds. It happens all the time and it has happened in the past, as well. There may be such irregularities in some cases but the question is whether there has been misappropriation. The Public Accounts Committee, which is always headed by the Opposition, looks into such cases of release of excess funds, he reasoned. Mahanta, quoting from the CAG report had alleged that auditors detected irregularities to the tune of over Rs 400 crore, against the State Government’s estimate of Rs 40 crore. The Chief Minister also refuted the allegation that only eight of the 30 departments were handed over for audit. “The CAG is free to audit any departments it chooses, though the State Government at times may identify some departments, if it has any suspicion,” he contended.

Northeast and other updates (November 28, 2010)

1) Book review: When Churchill starved India Linky

Churchill’s racism toward Indians, especially Hindus, is no longer news, such has been the tide of revisionist thinking that began with the historian John Charmley’s 1993 book Churchill: The end of glory – A Political Biography. Nevertheless, the scale of British perfidy towards the 400 million people of India, and the scale of the famine that befell Bengal in 1943, are recounted by Mukerjee with such blistering coolness that one is left reeling. The fact that today, these things should be so badly forgotten, or treated as a surprising revelation, also gives pause for thought.

India’s job in the 1940s, as far as the British were concerned, was to ward off the Soviets from Afghanistan, to join in the defeat of the Germans in the Middle East and Africa, and, after Pearl Harbour, to join in the defeat of the Japanese. But there was another job Britain did, too: it removed India’s best troops from India, so that no nationalist mutiny there could be successful. Added to this, as Mukerjee makes clear, the colony’s entire output of timber, woollen textiles and leather goods, as well as three quarters of its steel and cement, were diverted to the defence of the British Empire. India was, next to Britain, the largest contributor to the Empire’s war.

Minutes from Britain’s War Cabinet in February 1940 record that Churchill regarded the ‘feud’ between Hindus and Muslims ‘as the bulwark of British rule in India’. The more Britain built up IOUs to India, the more Churchill came to favour partitioning India and creating Pakistan. The liberal-leaning Conservative elder statesman Leopold Amery (who had drafted the 1917 Balfour Declaration promising Jews a homeland in Palestine) was, as Churchill’s secretary of state for India, more cautious than his boss. On the other hand, Lord Cherwell, the Anglophile German scientist and War Cabinet member F A Lindemann, could massage any statistic to reinforce Churchill in the view that emaciated Indians were in fact thoroughly greedy in asking for food supplies (indeed, Cherwell also singled out the working-class areas of Dresden for bombing with incendiaries). But even Field Marshall Archibald Wavell, who became viceroy at the end of October 1943 and who often opposed Churchill’s policy of starving the Indians, at the same time felt that they had reached, at best, the ‘tiresome’ age of adolescence. Even if, as a one-time friend of Lawrence of Arabia, he could also see the merit of supporting what for him were martial Muslims over conniving and more populous Hindus.

2) Raju Barua bail: Linky

Barua was released from Central Jail in Guwahati at 11.30am after being granted bail in two TADA cases and a CBI case. A festive atmosphere gripped Barua’s native village when he reached there around 1pm.
...
Barua told reporters that Ulfa wanted talks to be held with full dignity and honour. “We will not hold talks by keeping people in the dark.” He said they wanted Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Barua and general secretary Anup Chetia to join the peace process.

3) Rail and road connectivity: Linky

The Ministry of Railways has an investment plan of over Rs 17,000 crore in different projects in the North-east, which are scheduled for completion by 2015. The Central Government has also approved augmentation of foodgrain storage capacity in the region by 5.25 lakh tonnes, more than doubling the existing storage capacity of 4.58 lakh tonnes. On the Railway Ministry’s investment plan of more than Rs 17,000 crore in projects in the region to be completed by 2015, it was assured that those projects would be taken up as per schedule and funding would not be a constraint. On the road sector, it was emphasized that NH-44, NH-53 and NH-39 would be taken up on priority and efforts would be made to speed up work, including maintenance, before the onset of the next monsoon. The need for regular maintenance of the roads, particularly by BRO, was also stressed.

Sentinel adds: Linky

“The Ministry of Railways has an investment plan of more than Rs 17,000 crore in projects to be completed by 2015. Eleven new line projects, three gauge conversion projects and one doubling project are in progress. These projects will be taken up as per schedule and funding will not be a problem. Other issues will be taken up by the ministries and the State governments concerned at the earliest,” he said.

4) The former Chief Secretary of Assam writes on the Look-East Policy and Burma: Linky

Considerable progress has been recorded in trade between India and the ASEAN countries in the past few years. The volume has risen from US $40 billion in 2007-08 to US $44 billion in 2009-10. A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed between India and the ASEAN countries in Bangkok on August 13, 2009. It is proposed to increase the trade volume to US $60 billion in seven years and to reduce the tariff rates drastically.
...
It is appropriate that the LEP first touched Myanmar. Myanmar has a common border of 1643 km with four of India’s States, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. For trade with China and the Southeast Asian countries by the land route, all movement has to be through Myanmar. It is true that Myanmar itself is poor. It does not have as much manufactured goods to offer as the other Southeast Asian countries. But it has vast natural resources which are yet to be tapped. In recent years the volume of trade between India and Myanmar has gone up to US $1.2 billions. At present India’s imports include pulses, wood and wood products, fruits and nuts, natural rubber and paper and paper pulp. India exports drugs and pharmaceutical products, machinery and instruments, steel and transport equipments. Moreover, Myanmar’s geo-strategic location cannot be ignored. That is why India is building the trans-Asian railway network through Myanmar to Singapore. The Asian road highway is also under construction through Myanmar. The ultimate idea is to link up the Indian ocean with south China sea. Besides, India has taken up several infrastructure projects in Myanmar. The Tatas are setting up a truck-manufacturing plant at Magway, the ESSAR group is joining in the attempt to build the multi-model Kaladan transport project, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation will build the Tamanthi power project, and GOI will help Myanmar to build a new port at Sittwe.

All this effort to achieve closer Indo-Myanmarese relations reflected India’s present pragmatism in matters relating to foreign policy. It may be recalled that writing about India’s foreign policy in the Asian context, the former Indian Foreign Secretary, JN Dixit, had suggested that our trade relations with Myanmar should be normalized irrespective of the government that might be in power there because that country is geo-strategically important to India. Such close cooperation with Myanmar is also necessary in order that India may curb smuggling, border crimes, drug movement and insurgency. Dixit, however, never envisaged the LEP although he had devoted three chapters of his book to India’s relations with the countries of Asia.

India is now following a different policy towards the autocratic junta which controls Myanmar while at the same time supporting the world community’s effort towards assisting the Nobel Laureate Aung San Su Ki’s fight for democracy in her country. This is realpolitik. It is in pursuance of this realpolitik that India and Myanmar have exchanged high-level visits in recent times. The most important visit perhaps is that of the Myanmarese senior General Than Shwe, who as the “Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council of Myanmar” heads the autocratic government of that country. During his discussion with the Indian Prime Minister on July 27, 2010 India and Myanmar agreed on “close co-operation between the security forces of the two countries in tackling the pernicious problem of terrorism”. Arrangements were also finalized for Indian participation in critical areas like medical science, education, telecom services and in major projects and manufacturing industries.

5) NSCN-K and NSCN-IM peace moves: Linky

The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) has backed out of the ongoing Naga reconciliation meet at Chiang Mai, Thailand, providing yet another hiccup to the peace process. The meeting, under the aegis of Forum for Naga Reconciliation and Quakers from the UK, began at Chiang Mai yesterday. Representatives of the Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland/National Socialist Council of Nagaland (GPRN/NSCN), formerly known as NSCN (Khaplang), and Federal Government of Nagaland (Singnyu faction) are attending in the absence of representatives from NSCN (Isak-Muivah).

Meanwhile, Linky

All medical, paramedical as well as fourth grade staff of Haflong Civil Hospital staged a sit-in in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on Saturday demanding immediate arrangement of security in the backdrop of extortion threat, allegedly by the NSCN, asking all the staff to pay 24 per cent of their salary per month to the outfit. Dr Pradip Kumar Baruah, Superintendent of the Civil Hospital, told The Sentinel over telephone from Haflong on Saturday that panic-stricken staff had no alternative but to seek intervention of the administration. Already two doctors had left Haflong and others were trying to manage transfer, added Dr Baruah, who himself had received an extortion note on November 19. Dr Baruah said, the administration had provided police security in the hospital campus, but about 200 staff were under constant mental pressure. The medical service in the 100-bed hospital has been badly been affected. It is to be noted that Dr Nityananda Naiding of the Civil Hospital had been abducted by local miscreants from his official quarters on October 30, and he was released on the same day allegedly after making a hefty ransom. Babul Haflongbar, who was the kingpin in the abduction, was picked up by Haflong police from Dimapur, and he admitted that he had kidnapped Dr Naiding with the help of Naga miscreants.

And, Linky

A Naga separatist group has started a parallel census of non-Nagas in Dimapur district since the first week of November even as the state government is gearing up for the second phase of Census 2011. Sources said the NSCN (K) which is now known as “GPRN/NSCN” (Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland/National Socialist Council of Nagaland) had taken this unauthorised and illegal headcount to identify and record the number of non-Naga households. A similar exercise had been conducted by the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN for the past couple of years in Naga-inhabited areas. State government officials said they did not know anything about the parallel census.

6) Hindu Bengalis in Assam: Linky

Altogether 12 organisations representing the Hindu Bengalis in Assam have moved President Pratibha Patil seeking her intervention to stop the alleged harassment of genuine Indian citizens by the state government in the name of detection and deportation of illegal foreigners. The co-ordination committee of the Hindu Bengali Organisations of Assam today said it had submitted a memorandum to the President appealing that the Hindu Bengalis of Assam should be identified as “political sufferers of and victims of Partition of the two-nation theory” and should be protected from harassment According to them, there are nearly 65 lakh Hindu Bengalis in the state who were separated during Partition.

...
The committee said the Centre had provided protection to the Hindu migrants from West Pakistan to the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan by making appropriate legal provisions in 2004 and the state governments in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Tripura and West Bengal were patronising the Hindu migrants but the Assam government was penalising the Hindu Bengali migrants by labelling them “D-voters”. Foreigners’ notice was served on a Hindu Bengali freedom fighter, Prafulla Chandra Saha, a few years back and chief minister Tarun Gogoi had to apologise for that.

Sentinel op-ed: Linky

Many of the names on the lists of ‘D’ voters are Hindu Bengalis. The largest number of cases filed on the ground of being suspected Bangladeshis are Hindu Bengalis. Reports of several being harassed and even pushed back to the other side of the border and being subjected to untold mental and physical harassment are not rare. This only brings out the total indifference and apathy of the Centre and the State towards Hindu migrants, the victims of atrocities in Bangladesh, taking shelter in Assam.

According to the latest information, 80% of the 1.5 lakh persons on the lists of ‘D’ voters are Hindu Bengalis. The police is active to hunt them down, but dare not touch the infiltrators, fearing backlash. NRC update has been held up due to violent protests by the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU). Why are Hindu Bengalis the prime target? Reason is not far to seek. It is more on political consideration that the Centre and the state work in cohort known for their brazenly minority appeasement policy, feel circles concerned here. The present UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh has been totally indifferent to complete fencing of border, allowing aliens to sneak into from Bangladesh, the circles feel.

The BJP, while welcoming the NRC update of 1951 with the cutoff date of 1971 voters lists, has reminded the Centre of the assurances of national leaders and the relevant laws enacted after the partition of the country in respect of enrolment of Hindu Bengalis. It was on the basis of the assurances of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and Sardar Vallavbhai Patel that The Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 had been enacted and became effective from the same year. The Act has clearly spelt out that any person displaced from his place of residence due to civil disturbances in any area now forming part of Pakistan and subsequently living in Assam shall need special protection. The Act thus makes clear distinction between refugees and infiltrators. It needs no repetition why Hindus have to leave East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, and seek shelter in India. The worst thing to happen in Assam was the enactment of the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act of 1983 replacing the 1950 Act. It helped to protect the infiltrators more than the victims of atrocities in East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. It was, however, annulled in 2005 by an order of the Supreme Court. With the revival of the Act of 1950, it is natural that the Hindus among the ‘D’ voters should be restored their right to vote and given refugee status.

It is to be recalled that the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Bajpayee amended the Citizenship Act of 1956 in order to treat the Hindu migrants from Pakistan in the wake of 1965 and 1971 wars seeking shelter in Gujarat and Rajasthan as refugees. UPA government of Dr Manmohan Singh ratified the amendment. There is no reason why the Hindus, the victims of partition, Indo-Pak war of 1971 and the continuous chain of torture and atrocity in Bangladesh should be treated differently.

7) Border fencing: Linky

The construction of a 9.3km barbed wire fencing along the Indo-Bangla international riverine border in Moslabari Char of Dhubri district has made little progress since it was started in 2006. The fencing, being done under the pilot project, if proved to be feasible and successful, would be extended to the remaining 35km of the riverine border. However, only 60 per cent of the work has been completed in the past four years.
...
Officials from the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) said they had understood it was going to be an uphill task for them to implement the project as everything, from material to machinery, had to be transported to the char by boat. South Salmara-Mancachar sub-divisional officer Swami Biswanathan said 60 per cent of the total work had been completed since 2006 and the rest of the construction would be completed by January next year. “I shall, however, have to visit the site to assess the progress of the project and within a couple of days, I shall be able to speak about the present status of this project,” Biswanathan said.

An intelligence source said since the beginning of the fencing work in 2007, clashes between BSF jawans and cattle smugglers have been on the rise. Six separate clashes took place last year. “On many occasions, the BSF had to fire to stop the cattle smugglers from transporting cattle to Bangladesh or to disperse village mobs which often came out to defend the smugglers,” the source said. “Besides Moslabari, Mantrir Char, Bhogdohar and Mahamaya Char border fronts also have been identified as very sensitive for the same reasons. Hundreds of Bangladeshis often gather at night on the other side of the border with public announcement systems and abuse the BSF personnel for hours together and attempt to instigate BSF,” the source added.

8) Sana Yaima and UNLF: Linky

The Manipur unit of the CPI today said it would continue to mount pressure on New Delhi to know the whereabouts of the UNLF chairman. The announcement came a day after CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan passed on to the state CPI unit the information provided by Bangladesh Communist Party that Sana Yaima was arrested from Dhaka and taken to India. The party reported the matter after Bardhan contacted Manjur Hassan Khan, the chairman of the Bangladesh Communist Party, about the case.
...
He said the CPI MPs were preparing to raise the Sana Yaima issue in both Houses of Parliament. “Instructions were given to the MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to take up the matter,” Iboyaima said.

9) Indian counter-moves in SL: Linky

Pushing for national reconciliation in Sri Lanka, India on Saturday opened its consulate in Jaffna, the Tamil heartland, and inaugurated the Northern Railway lines for which New Delhi has pledged a $800-million credit that will spur the reconstruction of the war-ravaged northern region. Besides its high commission in Colombo, India has a consulate in Kandy, in the tea-growing region populated by “Indian Tamils”. Now, besides Jaffna, another consulate has opened in Hambantota, in the Sinhalese-populated south which is the political hub of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In an ambitious move that can transform the region, Krishna also formally inaugurated works for the reconstruction of the Northern Railway lines with the launch of the Medawachchiya-Madhu line in presence of Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa, Peiris and Transport Minister Kumar Welgama. India has pledged a line of credit of $800 million at concessional rates for various aspects of the Northern Railway project, including reconstruction of railway lines, installation of signalling and telecom systems and the procurement of rolling stock. “Work will also begin simultaneously on the Madhu-Talaimannar and Omanthai-Pallai railway lines,” Krishna said. Krishna and Peiris on Friday held wide-ranging talks by unveiling projects worth over $1 billion and expanded cooperation in areas ranging from transport and energy to defence and security as New Delhi pressed for a lasting political settlement.

10) Arup Mochi: Linky

Maoists lost toehold in Dalma — their second stronghold after Saranda forests — three months ago following uprising by village vigilantes, and sub-zonal commander Arup Mochi was on a desperate mission to revive his squad when he was killed in an encounter on November 22. This important piece of information, which is likely to buoy anti-insurgency operations, was provided by three Mochi aides — Manoj, Maheswar and Dara — arrested during Monday night’s encounter at Bardih village in the Karadoba panchayat area of Ghatshila.

11) Keynote talk on history matters: Linky

Delivering the keynote address, former ASI Director-General Prof. B. B. Lal spoke about “postulates [that] have been distorting our vision of India's past”. Among these is the belief that the Vedas are no older than 1200 B.C. and that Vedic people were nomads. Recent excavations at sites in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat and a fresh study of Vedic texts, he said, have proved that most of these postulates are “ill- founded.” According to Prof. Lal, these excavations proved that the Rigveda is older than 2,000 BC and people of this civilisation were not nomads. Quashing the “Aryan invasion theory” he said that the Harappan civilisation did not become extinct, and C-14 dating procedures proved that Harappan and Vedic people were indigenous, not invaders or migrants.

12) Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in India: Expert Linky

"More than 75 percent of heart attack patients are either diabetic or undiagnosed. A vast majority of patients undergoing renal dialysis and transplants have diabetes as the underlying cause," said Prof. Jamal Ahmad, director, Centre of Diabetes and Endocrinology, J.N. Medical College, AMU. He said the country had 50 million diabetes patients, and more than 95 percent of the population suffers from some form of the disease. "Early diagnoses and optimal management can significantly decrease the mortality associated with this dreaded disease," he said.

SF/CRPF personnel KIA details and other updates (November 17, 2010)

1) Government of India has on 1.9.2010, sanctioned 38 Battalions, including two Mahila Battalions in CRPF to be raised during the period from 2009-10 to 2018-19. More details here: Linky
MHA Shri Ajay Maken also had this to say in the Parliament:

The details of CRPF personnel killed is given below:

State 2007 2008 2009 2010 (upto 10.11.2010)
1) Bihar 5 1 0 0
2) Chhattisgarh 28 38 42 113
3) Jharkhand 0 6 12 4
4) Maharashtra 0 0 0 2
5) Orissa 2 0 4 0
6) West Bengal 0 0 0 7
Total 35 45 58 126

Even if one takes the 70+ CRPF personnel killed in the Dantewada massacre, that is still a huge number for Chattisgarh relative to the other fronts. In fact, Singur and Lalgarh have only resulted in a fraction of the deaths seen in Chattisgarh. So should the responsibility fall on the Shri Raman Singh government or are we going to see a passing of the buck to GoI?

SATP has this to add:

About 105 persons, including Security Force (SF) personnel and civilians, were killed in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir till October 2010 as against 123 persons during the same period in 2009, the Government said on November 16, reports Daily Excelsior. "In the State of Jammu and Kashmir there were 432 incidents upto October 31, 2010 in which 66 Security Force personnel and 39 civilians have been killed, as compared to 437 incidents during the corresponding period of 2009, in which 52 Security Force personnel and 71 civilians were killed," Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken told Lok Sabha. He said available reports indicate that Pakistan or Pakistan occupied Kashmir based Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) sponsored terrorist outfits have been involved in a number of terrorist incidents.

A total of 660 incidents have taken place during the period of January 1, 2010 and October 31, 2010 in North Eastern States, reports Daily Excelsior. "The number of civilians killed, in the North Eastern Region, up to October 31, 2010 is 65 as compared to 225 civilians killed during the corresponding period of 2009. Similarly, the number of Security Forces (SFs) killed up to October 31, 2010 in the North East Region is 18, whereas 36 SFs were killed during the corresponding period in 2009," Maken said.

2) India-Nepal border issues: Linky

Some criminals, allegedly from Nepal, removed a border pillar number 382/18, from its original site and installed it 20 feet inside the Indian territory. The border security officers suspect it to be an attempt to trigger unrest between India and Nepal.
...
Former mukhiya of Bhaluahia panchayat under Adapur block, Satyendra Dubey, confirmed about removal of the pillar from its original site. He told The Telegraph that it was not the first-of-its-kind incident and added that several such incidents have also been reported in the past. According to one Shri Narayan Tripathi of Adapur, the miscreants had earlier hosted red and yellow flags in bordering Lal Chhapra village claiming that to be a Nepal land. Later when assistant commandant of SSB Lokesh Kumar Singh and officials of the Nepal Armed Police Force visited the site, it came to the fore that it was a handiwork of Nepali Maoists, he added.

On Gyanendra's visit:

On November 19, 2010 Gyanendra Shah will arrive in New Delhi, where he will stay for two days. Including Dr. Man Mohan Singh and Smt Sonia Gandhi, the former Nepal King will meet some other top politicians of India.

3) Maoist surrender policy: Linky

A 21-year-old woman Maoist apparently promoted up the ranks by rebel spearhead Kishan gave herself up in Bankura today and accused her rebel colleagues of “physically and mentally torturing” her after having “tricked” her into joining them. Rumpa Mahato’s surrender is the first such case in Bankura since the Bengal government announced a rehabilitation package in May for rebels who wish to return to the mainstream. The woman, a deputy commander of the outfit, hails from Salboni in neighbouring West Midnapore but said she chose Bankura because she felt safer there.

ToI says more: Linky

Alleging sexual abuse and mental torture in the hands of her comrades, a woman Maoist squad member surrendered before Bankura SP Pranab Kumar on Tuesday.

4) India-china border roads: Linky

Government has decided to undertake phase-wise construction of 27 roads totaling 804 km in the border areas along the India-China border in the States of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh to be constructed by Ministry of Home Affairs for operational purposes of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). All these roads are strategic border roads and are located in a very high altitude area on Indo-China border. These areas are generally snow bound for more than six months. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the border guarding force is deployed on this border. The selection of construction agencies, preparation of Detailed Project Reports after physical ground survey and other preliminary works took sometime.

Besides topographical problems, some parts of these roads fall in the Reserve Forest areas and Wildlife Sanctuaries. Therefore, the long process of getting statutory environmental clearances under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the approval of the Hon’ble Supreme Court had to be undertaken. The above procedural requirements were time consuming and therefore, the expenditure on the scheme was not as per expectations in the initial two years of the scheme, i.e., 2006-07 and 2007-08. Now these issue have been resolved and the process of construction of roads has commenced. Consequently, the budget provisions made during 2008-09 and 2009-10 for Indo-china border roads have been fully utilized.

The details of fund utilized on the scheme are as follows: (Rs. in crore)
Year Allocation Expenditure Savings
1) 2006-07 Rs. 10.00 Rs. 0.90 Rs. 9.10 (91%)
2) 2007-08 Rs. 50.00 at BE stage (Reduced To Rs. 15 cr. in RE stage) Rs. 6.8523 Rs. 8.1477 (54.313%)
3) 2008-09 Rs. 50.00 Rs. 50.3722 Nil
4) 2009-10 Rs. 334.00 Rs. 334.00 Nil

5) A tidbit of info on Khin Nyunt: Linky

Than Shwe dismissed and jailed Gen. Khin Nyunt, to reduce Chinese influence in the inner coterie of the country’s decision making centre. Khin Nyunt, whose mother was Chinese, and who headed the intelligence apparatus, was suspected as a Chinese mole. He was also instrumental in quiet facilitation of arms transfer from China’s Kunming province to the Naga and the ULFA insurgents in North East India. He also pushed for the road-cum-water way route from Kunming to Myamar’s Indian Ocean sea board for Chinese containers to pass without Myanmar customs inspection. Than Shwe quashed the project. Obviously, the Chinese containers would have goods to hide. More importantly, however, if Chinese containers passed through Myanmar’s territory it would tantamount technically to Myanmar as a dominion under Chinese control.

Another article has this point: Linky

Those familiar with the ruthless manner in which the Myanmar Army crushed the insurgencies of the pro-Beijing Communist Party of Burma (White Flag) and pro-China ethnic minority groups such as the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) will know that though the Army has accepted considerable assistance from China, it will not like Myanmar to become a client-state of China. For this, it requires Indian support and assistance and Indian blessing for its rule. There is goodwill for India in sections of the Army even though it will be difficult to quantify it.

6) UPA's Scam Raj: Linky

1) 2-G spectrum Rs 1,70,000 crore notional loss after Raja's telecom ministry undersells spectrum to shell companies. Then telecom secretary P.J. Thomas now appointed as Chief Vigilance Commissioner.
2) Adarsh society Flats meant for defence personnel and Kargil war widows expanded to include politicians' kin, bureaucrats and defence top brass by Ashok Chavan
3) CWG Rs 8,000 crore rip-off in allocation of rights, procurement of materials by Suresh Kalmadi-led panel
4) IPL Ministers Shashi Tharoor, Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel shown to have dubious links with IPL teams
5) Scorpene Middlemen make hay in the Rs 18,000-crore submarine deal
6) Rice export Private middlemen subvert ban under Kamal Nath's watch to export Rs 2,500 crore of grain
7) Cash-for-votes MPs allegedly offered cash to vote for the government in the trust vote over nuclear deal
8) Prasar Bharati B.S. Lalli stays in office despite Rs 68-crore loss suffered by national broadcaster in a subcontracting deal

Why was Suu Kyi released --- a hypothesis, and other updates (November 16, 2010)

1) Now that Aung San Suu Kyi has been released, the big question is why was she released. Obviously, given the state of affairs in Burma, knowing the answer to this question with complete certainty is nigh impossible. So let me throw some darts in the air and build a believable hypothesis.

The elections are over and the junta is firmly in control with its 1/4 share of the available seats in the Parliament, topped over by the USDP share. The junta has already created enough dissensions in the NLD to not worry about its viability even with Suu Kyi out. Further, she can be re-arrested anytime soon in case she ends up being major trouble. Enough bartering of economic aid has been achieved especially from ASEAN and Japan and brownie points on being progressive can be scored with the US and the APac-Europeans upon Suu Kyi's release. What the release could also mean is that the nominal replacement of Than Shwe by his successor(s) could have been de jure accomplished. This would also segue in well with the new Constitution, new flag, a change in policy, and whatever else has happened that we wont know for a long while.
2) Indo-Nepal border: Linky

India will provide nearly Rs 700 crores to Nepal for road projects in the Terai region, close to its border, to help improve transport infrastructure. This was decided here at the first meeting of the Project Steering Committee for the strengthening of road infrastructure of the Terai area of Nepal committee.

The project will be implemented in three phases and envisages to construct over 1,450 kms of black topped all weather roads in the Terai area of Nepal adjoining India. Phase-I, on which work is expected to start by next month, includes 19 roads totaling 605 kms. The project would be funded totally by the Government of India under the Nepal-India Cooperation Programme and will be constructed at an estimated cost of nearly Rs. 687.5 crores. As per the agreement, Nepal government should provide necessary lands to the contractors without any barrier. RITES is working as consultant for the project from the Indian side.

Meanwhile, Linky

Ex-King Gyanendra Shah has left for Mumbai, India on a family visit, Monday afternoon. Shah is going to India on pilgrimage and to attend the wedding function of one of his relatives, it is learnt. His spouse and ex-queen Komal Shah and his personal secretary Sagar Timilsina are accompanying him in his India trip. He left on a Jet Air regular flight at 12.30 pm. Although, it is a personal visit, Shah will also meet with top Indian political leaders during his India visit, it is learnt.

3) NDFB update: Linky

“According to information available with us, of late, the anti-talks faction of the NDFB has forged an alliance with the NSCN (K) and relocated its camps and cadres from Bangladesh to Myanmar,” the source said. He said NDFB cadres have found refuge not only in Arunachal Pradesh but also in Nagaland. “If we have to contain NDFB in Assam, we will have to deny sanctuary to the outfit in neighbouring states like Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The security along the Bhutan border also needs to be strengthened as NDFB cadres may try to carry out strikes in lower Assam by entering the state from Bhutan,” he said.

There are several militant bases in Arunachal Pradesh, bordering Nagaland, where NDFB and Ulfa militants take shelter with Khaplang militants. “So far we have refrained from mounting a full-scale attack on the NSCN (Khaplang) camps since the outfit is currently in a ceasefire with the government but now we will have to do something about it,” he said.

4) Demographic warfare in Assam: Linky

Assam’s invasion by Bangladeshis from silent to open has more or less become a fait accompli. With no let up, the unabated influx is casting ominous shadow on the demographic profile of Assam.
...
Quite alarming has been the rise in the border districts of Dhubri (6.81 per cent), Goalpara (4.83 per cent), Hailakandi (4.56 per cent), Karimganj (3.96 per cent) as well as Nagaon. Even the inner district of Barpeta rocked by the violent protests of All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) over National Register of Citizens’ revision (NRC) update, now kept in abeyance by a shaky Tarun Gogoi led Congress Government, swamped by infiltrators, has registered 4.07 per cent rise. Other districts away from the Bangladesh border which are on the fast track of influx of aliens are Bongaigaon (6.79 per cent), Kamrup (5.20 per cent), Udalguri (3.90 per cent), Darrang (4.41 per cent), Dhemaji (4.50 per cent) and Karbi Anglong (4.11 per cent). Significantly, Morigaon district which was projected to become another Muslim majority area by 2011 has recorded moderate rise in the number of voters (1.51 per cent). Upper Assam districts of Jorhat, Golaghat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia have seen more or less normal growth rate of less than two per cent. This has been attributed to sustained campaign by AASU, BJP, BJYM and ABVP about the menace of infiltration without any dilution and ambiguity which has caught the psyche of Assamese population in general.

From all reckoning, in six of the 25 districts of Assam, religious minority holds the key to electoral battle and its outcome. At present, of the 126 Assembly seats in the Assembly and 14 in Lok Sabha, religious minority has 25 and two representatives respectively. It has been pointed out after all the calculation and permutation that in the 2011 Assembly elections, the religious minority will be able to win at least 34 seats and play crucial role in another 20 constituencies. How unabated infiltration has impacted adversely the demographic structure of the State can well be understood from the fact that Assam with 7,88,438 sq km of geographical area had a population of 2,66,38,407 as per 2001 census with a density of 286 persons per sq km which is higher than the national average of 267 persons per sq km. Dhubri and Goalpara which are teeming with infiltrators have the highest population density of 470 persons per sq km.

It has gone on record that rise in number of voters during 1966-1996 in 14 Assembly constituencies was over 100 per cent and in 43 constituencies over 80 per cent. The increase over the 30 year period was of the order of over 200 per cent in some constituencies. In one year during the period under question, the rise was 20 per cent in 25 constituencies and 10 per cent in 105 constituencies. Alarmed at the phenomenon, the Chief Election Commission of India had then directed the State Government to undertake comprehensive and critical review of the electoral rolls of the constituencies with abnormal rise in the number of voters in order to purge them of the names of foreigners. The AGP led Government of Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was not any way different. It preferred to ignore the directive and toed Congress just for the sake of political survival.

Buoyed up by tilting balance in its favour, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badaruddin Ajmal with 10 seats in the Assembly in its maiden electoral battle of 2006 has decided to go it alone with an eye on the 36 constituencies with sizeable minority presence to play decisive role in the formation of government at Dispur. AGP-BJP tie up which alone could save the State and stem the flow of infiltrators could not sustain, much to the disappointment of people of the State. Taking advantage of the fluid situation, Congress which has gone all hog with election oriented welfare schemes and projects including the most ludicrous “one hospital a day” and huge financial bonanza for minorities in particular is desperate to remain at the citadel of power for the third consecutive term. Political analysts however do not rule out the possibility of post poll understanding or adjustment of AGP with BJP.

5) With the changing religious profile comes the following: Linky

In view of the increasing number of slaughter houses and indiscriminate killing of cows for food as well as their smuggling out to Bangladesh with the same purpose from across Barak Valley, NGO ‘Silchar Goshala’ located at Kathal Road on the Southern side of this town has intensified campaign to bring an end to this evil practice which hurts deeply the sentiments of Hindus.

6) HPC-D talks: Linky

Negotiations between Mizoram Government and Manipur-based Hmar People’s Convention –Democrats (HPC-D) would continue after the executive council of the outfit prepared its demands to solve the problems of the community, a senior Home Department official said here. HPC-D, breakaway group of HPC, has been demanding a separate Hmar territorial council comprising the north eastern part of Mizoram adjoining Manipur. The meeting, which was participated by Mizoram Home Secretary Lalmalsawma and a five-member HPC-D delegation led by its ‘army chief’ Roupia, was held here on Saturday. The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and mutual understanding, an official said adding the outfit’s delegation left Aizawl yesterday to hold further talks with its top leadership.

The HPC-D delegation would soon get in touch with the government to fix the date for holding talks, he said. HPC has signed an agreement with the State Government to end six years of Hmar insurgency. Official sources said the State Government and HPC-D agreed that operations by the State police and the Central forces against the outfit would not be launched for the next six months.

7) When Hemchandra Pandey was "encountered", there were a lot of bleeding heart journalists that were castigating the Police for taking necessary action. I wonder what they have to say now. Linky

A raid by Andhra Pradesh police at the Shastri Nagar house of journalist Hem Chandra Pandey, killed along with Maoist spokesperson Azad in an encounter in Adilabad forest, yielded piles of Maoist literature, documents, CDs and letters. The contents of the CDs couldn't be read though. They seem to be encrypted, said sources. The bound volumes were meant for internal circulation among the CPI-Maoist members. The AP police team seized 68 copies of Maoist financial policy, 210 copies of the banned outfit's cadre policy, 66 copies of Maoist strategy and tactics, 63 copies of `Political Resolution', 103 copies of `Peoples War: Political Organ of CPI-Maoist' and 246 copies of `CPI-Maoist: Ideology and Preface'. Around 500 copies of `Shahari Kaam ke Baare Mein' in Hindi, detailing Maoist activities, strategy and propaganda in urban areas, came as a revelation. There were also 46 copies of the English version of the document. Documents on Maoist war strategy and field manual and the People's Liberation Army are expected to provide insights about the outfit.

In addition, sources claimed, the AP police team found documents on anti- personnel mines and a document detailing `How to use handgun' during the raid at the second floor apartment where the Pandeys had rented on February 7. Pandey was killed in the encounter on July 2. His wife Babita alias Binita Pandey left the house on July 2 and hasn't returned since. Speaking to TOI, Pankaj Gupta, a neighbour who was also a witness, said, "The AP police team broke the lock to enter the apartment in front of me. I was present throughout while the police searched the house." Slamming the raid, Pandey's wife Babita on Sunday said, "This is a malicious propaganda by Andhra police to hide the fact that they had killed my husband." She said this was an attempt by the AP police to harass her. "Without taking my permission, the police raided our house and now they are showing the seizure of objectionable things from the house," she said.

Kishen and other terrorists update, and BIMSTEC meet

1) First, on Kishen: Linky

The poster signed by an unknown entity calling itself Tribal Platoon says "We will not allow the misuse of Shaheed Kishenji for selfish gains." What has triggered the debate is the use of the term shaheed before Kishenji's name which suggests that he is dead.

More from HT Linky

Kishen, the elusive Maoist leader, might have been injured in a 12-hour-long gunbattle between the rebels and the security forces near Lalgarh, around 160 Km southwest of Kolkata. Kishenji, the elusive Maoist leader, might have been injured in a 12-hour-long gunbattle between the rebels and the security forces near Lalgarh, around 160 Km southwest of Kolkata.

A senior police official of West Midnapore, not willing to be quoted, informed that Koteswara Rao alias Kishenji, was likely to be seriously injured in the exchange of fire that took place at the Hatishol forest close to Lakhanpur village, around 8 Km east of Lalgarh, since 6 am on Thursday. "Our ground level sources at Lakhanpur have informed us that around 15 Maoists have died in the battle. While a section of informers said Kishen suffered a bullet injury to his leg, another group said he might be dead. We can't be sure till we find the bodies," the officer said.
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The gunbattle started after the security forces were tipped off that a group of PLGA guerrillas and Maoist leaders had convened at the Hatishol forest, adjacent to Lakhanpur. "The security forces reached the spot around 6 am and the gun battle started. It went on for nearly 12 hours," the senior cop said. Lakhanpur, where the gunbattle took place on Thursday, was the place where Kishen was reportedly cornered on October 22, when the rebel leader was to release Atindranath Dutta, the abducted Officer-in-Charge of Sankrail police station. It was at the same Hatishol forest where he met with media persons and formally released Dutta the same day.

IE adds: Linky

Terming Mansaram alias Bikas, a second rank Maoist leader active in Lalgarh, as traitor, another poster announces reads that he has forgotten his own community and people will punish him, said a police officer. The third stated, “We will not tolerate if Marshall is insulted”. Manoj Verma, SP, West Midnapore said: “It does not appear to be reliable, but we are verifying the matter.” Marshall was a senior Maoist leader and a close associate of Kishen. But following a tiff between the two, he formed his own group. On March 26, after an encounter at Hatiloth forest, police had claimed that Kishen was either seriously injured or dead.

Asian Age adds some caution: Linky

It maybe recalled that Kishen had received serious injuries to his legs in April during an encounter with the joint security forces in Hatilot forest. Intelligence agencies, however, suspect that the Maoists are trying to mislead the police and the government in their desperate attempt to stop the joint operations in Jangalmahal by describing Kishen as “Shaheed”.

The police also holds the same view. Inspector-general (western zone) Zulfiquar Hasan said, “We do not believe in the Maoists’ latest reference to Kishen as Shaheed.” Superintendent of police (West Midnapore) Manoj Kumar Verma said, “We do not have any authentic information about his death since April. At the same time, the audio and video CDs in which he gave statements also do not prove whether he is alive. They might not be genuine.”

2) Seems like some progress has been made on the NDFB anti-talks faction with two folks (involved in the slaying of 24 people last week) arrested in Kokrajhar.
3) UNLF into microfinance as the govt watches?: Linky

In order to woo back local support, North East India's biggest militant outfit United National Liberation Front (UNLF) has been using microfinance schemes like women's cooperatives and has already covered 2500 beneficiaries in Manipur and Assam. Though unreported, this has been going on for the last four years and has regained much of their eroded mass base by a unique grassroots experiment, called Phunga Marup, a microfinance scheme aimed at small entrepreneurs which threatens to render conventional counter insurgency operations futile.
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"We applied with the Government earlier but never got any help so we gave up trying. Who will sponsor us," questions a Phunga Marup beneficiary. The failure of the government at every level has allowed militias to gain control.

On the BIMSTEC 2010 summit:
4) Opinions from the Bangladesh side: Linky

The Industry Minister of Bangladesh Dilip Barua has underscored the need for increasing cross-border trade between Bangladesh and North-East India. “North-East India is a focal point for trade and commerce for Bangladesh and therefore several Bangladeshi companies are planning to invest in the region,” Barua said on the sidelines of the ‘BIMSTEC 2010 Summit’ in Guwahati today. He, however, said that to carry this forward the existing infrastructure and connectivity should be improved. “We are also planning to include more items in the list of trade which have very good demand in the North East market. Moreover,Bangladesh has already allowed India to access its Chittagong Port that will further boost bilateral trade between the two countries,” he added.

Pitching for more expansive trade with North East India, the Industry Minister revealed that his government had already taken a number of steps to upgrade the road connectivity with the North East. “Infrastructure and connectivity are the key areas which need to be addressed immediately to get desired results in the field of trade. Bangladesh and India have signed pact on border haats which will be made operational within the six months,” Barua added. The current value of Indo-Bangladesh trade is $3 billion. The flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) from India to Bangladesh up to June 2010 was $ 494.69 million. The Indian government has sanctioned Rs 12.50 crore to improve the land customs points along the border.

Providing feedback on the bilateral trade, Barua said that leading Indian companies are keen on investing in the field of IT, apparel, pharmaceutical and infrastructure sectors inBangladesh which is a good sign as far as bilateral relation is concerned. The summit, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), is aimed at promoting tourism, trade and investment among the BIMSTEC countries. Earlier, participating in the summit, Suresh K Reddy, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, stressed on increasing cross-border trade among the BIMSTEC nations. He said that BIMSTEC countries should upgrade connectivity and infrastructure to boost trade. Later, Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Bangladesh signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for sharing information about trade and economic development between India and Bangladesh.

5) Opinions from the Bhutanese side: Linky

Bhutan today said insurgency and frequent bandhs in the Northeast were hitting its trade relations with the region. Speaking at the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit here today, the consul-general of Bhutan in India, Dasho Tshering Wangda, said the large number of bandhs in the Northeast coupled with insurgency were affecting its trade. The summit was organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and attended by officials from the ministry of external affairs and member countries of BIMSTEC. “Insurgency and bandhs in the region have neither let local businesses prosper nor allowed businessmen from outside to indulge in trade here, with constant fear of extortion, abduction and intimidation,” Wangda said.

Apart from Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand constitute the other countries in the BIMSTEC sub-regional group. According to figures compiled by Bhutan, there are 111 bandh days in a year in the Northeast. “The BIMSTEC countries and the Northeast region aspire for economic development. Politicians, security personnel and citizens should resist and stop insurgency once and for all. If insurgency is stopped, it will not only bring peace and stability amongst the militancy-affected cross-border countries and the Northeast but will also help BIMSTEC countries come closer in the long run,” Wangda said.

He said the trade relations of BIMSTEC countries with India’s northeastern region were not as good as expected, considering the abundant resources and rich opportunities. On medical opportunities, Wangda said Bhutan alone spent Rs 7-8 crore in Calcutta for treatment of Bhutanese patients. “There are good opportunities for Dhaka and Guwahati to become medical tourism hubs, taking into account their skill, population, size and growth. They should seize this opportunity,” he said. On investment opportunities, Wangda said, “The Pran group is investing in the Northeast. The Tripura government has allotted an acre of land to the group at Bodhjung Nagar industrial zone in west Tripura to set up the proposed unit.”

6) From the Sri Lankan side:

The Indian Chamber of Commerce today signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Chamber of Commerce, Sri Lanka to develop trade relationship between the two countries with special reference to the north eastern region. Signing the MOU, Lal De Alwis President of the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce sterssed that the connection between his country and the NE region was very vital. The Sri Lankan official said tourism, fishery, agriculture, connectivity and networking were the key sectors in which the two countries could focus.

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7) And finally Big IT moves more work, jobs to China Linky

Rising wages, attrition rates and increasing scarcity of employable labour are among the top reasons for this shift in the way Indian IT industry has been looking at China. A September report by Goldman Sachs says Infosys' revenues from China could top $200 million in three years, from $100 million today. TCS' China revenues are expected to reach $250 million from almost $100 million currently, the report added.

While bidding for global outsourcing contracts, Indian vendors are beginning to break up a project into pure application development and software testing components. Of these, "non customer-facing portions such as testing is increasingly going to China," says Amneet Singh, vice-president, global sourcing at consultant Everest Group. Some clients are also concerned about growing geo-political risks in India because of terrorist threats and delicate equations with neighbours such as Pakistan and China.

Other updates (November 12, 2010)

1) Nepalese maoists and their nexus with their Indian counterparts: Linky

Nepal Army will raise its objections and concern at a key defence meeting on Thursday at the allegation by the former Maoist guerrillas that it concocted a report about the ex-rebels training Indian Maoists in their camps as part of a “conspiracy” to pave the way for Indian military intervention in Nepal. “It is a baseless allegation levelled not only against the army but the Prime Minister as well,” said Brigadier General Ramindra Chhetri, spokesperson of the Nepal Army. “Our representative Brig-General Purna Chandra Thapa has been asked to convey our serious objections and concern at the meeting of the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee that sits today.”

The army reaction came after Nepal’s Maoists, stung by an allegation by India that the PLA had given arms training to nearly 300 Indian Maoists in Nepali territory this year, began a counter-propaganda war, calling it a conspiracy between India, the current caretaker government of Nepal and the Nepal Army. Maoist member of parliament and former PLA deputy chief Barsha Man Pun Ananta, who, India claims is one of the top Nepal Maoist leaders who signed a pact to provide the training to their Indian comrades, has now dragged the army and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal into the escalating row.

If you had missed it, this is what had happened: Linky

According to a media report of November 6, 2010 the Indian embassy in Kathmandu wrote to Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and Home Minister Bhim Rawal, as well as to the Foreign and Home Secretaries of Nepal, claiming that two Nepalese Maoist leaders, Barshaman Pun Ananta and Haribol Gajurel, both commanders of the People’s Liberation Army of the Nepalese Maoists, signed a secret agreement with three leaders of the CPI (Maoist). According to the agreement the Nepalese Maoists would impart political and military training to the Indian rebels. Further, according to these reports, 300 Indian rebels have already been trained inside Nepal and the Nepalese Maoists have agreed to send some more trainers to the bordering Indian state of Bihar to conduct training camps for a larger number of Indian rebels.

On the other hand, the Nepalese Maoists have refuted these claims and alleged that it was Indian propaganda to hamper, if not derail, the ongoing peace process in Nepal. Whatever the claims, and their veracity, these reports are not new. There have been several such reports in the past, and the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) too had attested to the existence, at least at that point in time, of such linkages. Sample the following:

Annual Report, 2003-2004: “The symbiotic relationship between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and naxal groups like the MCCI and CPI – ML (PW) continues to prosper.” Further: “The MCCI is reported to have provided logistic support including arms, shelter and manpower to the [U]CPN (Maoist) … [and] [U]CPN (Maoist) cadre has reportedly received military training in MCCI camps.”
Annual Report, 2004-2005: “The symbiotic relationship… continues to grow with the MCCI and CPI - ML (PW) extending their military training camp facilities to [U]CPN (Maoist) cadres and availing arms training by senior cadres of the latter.”
Annual Report, 2005-2006: “Available reports indicate continued fraternal and logistic links between the [Unified] Communist Part of Nepal (Maoist) and Indian Naxalite groups.”

However, at some other points in time, the MHA claimed that there were no strategic linkages between the two outfits. For instance, speaking in Hyderabad on July 4, 2006, the then Union Home Secretary, V.K. Duggal said, “There is no physical link between Maoists in Nepal and India. However, there is an ideological link.” Nevertheless, there have been numerous reports on the nexus between the Nepalese and Indian Maoists. The earliest documented information on the linkages between them dates back to 1995, a year before the Unified CPN-M launched its ‘people’s war’, when a CPI – ML (PW) leader by name ‘Suresh’ issued a signed-joint statement, in English, with Prachanda, the UCPN (M) supremo, condemning Indian hegemonism, etc.

It has also been reported that the two top leaders of the UCPN (M), Prachanda and Babuarm Bhattarai, had visited North Telengana, in Andhra Pradesh, ahead of launching their own people’s war in Nepal, to study and learn first-hand how the then CPI-ML (PW) was spreading the movement there, which it showcased to the world as its ‘flagship’ guerrilla zone. Also, though there is no documented evidence, it is said that Prachanda had played a pivotal role in the merger of the CPI-ML (PW) and the MCCI that resulted in the founding of the CPI (Maoist). As one Naxalite-watcher noted: “Over the years, this association has evolved into a strategic alliance with a steady exchange of men and material, extension of training facilities and safe havens and facilitation and procurement of arms and explosives.”

Elsewhere, the Nepal Sansad ambles towards passing the Budget, with legalese dominating the show as of now. The first Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) from France have arrived. If folks recall, the Indian bid was usurped after last minute stalling by the maoists. A British firm has bidded to build the Mongla port which will be the transit destination for Bhutanese and Nepali goods via Indian territory to Bangladesh. And with the Bihar elections done and dusted, Nepal is back to square one. The same can be said about Burma now that the elections are done, but Suu Kyi release rumours seem like a big plant.
2) NDFB mayhem Linky

Ranjan Daimary, the supremo of the anti-talks faction of the NDFB who is now in jail, has lost control over the outfit and a few second-rung leaders are now calling the shots and directing operations, Assam police said today. The recent attacks by the outfit were done under the leadership of some of its top members like B. Jwngkang, alias John, the ‘deputy commander’ of the Boroland Army, ‘army commander’ Songbijit and leaders like Sagrid, Bidai, Jwmwi and Sotbangsa. They are moving around in the state in the absence Ranjan Daimary, the chairman of NDFB who is now in jail, he said.

Meanwhile, P Chidambaram is visiting the state and the huntdown of the anti-talks faction will begin, one hopes. Before the massacre, intel reports pointed to one such incident in the pipeline.
3) Elsewhere, some ambling towards posturing Linky

On Wednesday, the Indian Army formally raised the first battalion of the Arunachal Pradesh Scouts, a well-trained Army unit that will be operative only in Arunachal Pradesh. The functions and operations of the Arunachal Pradesh Scouts will be similar to that of the Ladakh Scouts, the frontier unit of the Indian Army that was crucial to the making of the Kargil War success story. The raising day of the Arunachal Pradesh Scouts was inaugurated by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu at the parade ground of the Assam Regimental Centre in Shillong. In his address to the soldiers, he said, "We should take pride that for the first time in the history of the Indian Army, a battalion has been named after the State of Arunachal Pradesh... Since this new battalion is born out of the Assam Regiment, you continue to be a part of the living symbol of martial strength and traditions of the Northeast... You will have the difficult task of making your own history and creating unparalleled traditions. I have no doubt that you will embark upon the arduous task of creating one of the strongest, cohesive, disciplined and operationally proficient battalions of the Indian Army." Khandu requested the recruits to give their best as his State and the rest of the country would look up to them with full faith as the sentinels of the country.

And trust but verify works, I guess. Linky

China has denied reports of bid to divert the river Brahmaputra and assured India that Zangmu hydropower station would not have adverse impact on downstream areas. Beijing has shared information with External Affairs Minister SM Krishna this April about the construction activities at Zangmu hydropower station. It was stated that Zangmu is a small project with its main function being generation of power and not water supply, Minister of State for Water Resources Vincent H Pala said in a Rajya Sabha reply. China also mentioned that the power station would not regulate the volume of water and would not have an adverse impact on the downstream areas, Pala said.
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However, he added that the Government of India is keeping a constant watch on all developments. Replying to a Rajya Sabha question, Pala said that Government is aware of reports regarding construction of 55 reservoirs on Tibetan rivers in China including Brahmaputra. The Chinese side has categorically denied that it is constructing a dam on the Brahmaputra river for the purpose of water diversion, Pala informed.