India, its peoples and its neighbors

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Updating the Maoists' top layer profile and my biggest questions on maoism

Organization: The Central Committee is at the apex. It oversees both political and military maters, as well as publicity. The Central Military Commission (CMC) is responsible for all military related matters, such as logistics, training, devising battle tactics. To provide for specialized guidance on military affairs, a Sub Committee on Military Affairs (SCOMA) was formed in 1995 but was disbanded in favour of the CMC. Further, the Sub Committee on Political Education (SCOPE) was formed in 1996 and has been tasked with indoctrinating party cadres. The publishing bureau oversees propaganda and preparation, distribution of party literature and circulars. Regional Bureaus, Zonal/State Committees, District Committees, Squad Area Committees and Village People's Committees are connected with political work.

At the parallel level, there runs the military machine. Armed cadres are organized in the form of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). The people's militia is at the bottom and is organized as Village Defence Squads. This constitutes the base force. Military platoons constitute the main striking force, while Local Guerrilla Squads and Special Guerrilla Squads form the secondary force.

At the end of the Unity Congress-9th Congress of the CPI(Maoist) in January-February 2007, there were 38 Central Committee (CC) members and 14 Politbureau members. Of these, around 21-22 CC members and 7 Politbureau members remain at large today. Fourteen of the CC members are residents of different villages in Andhra Pradesh, five hail from West Bengal, two from Jharkhand, and one each from Bihar and Karnataka.

A picture of the top guns: Linky

At-large Central Committee members:
1) Mupalla Laxman Rao alias Ganapathi -- General Secretary and Gen Sec of PWG
2) Prasanta Bose alias Kishanda -- second in command and Gen Sec of MCC, heads the outfit’s operations in Orissa, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam (Eastern Regional Bureau)
3) Nambala Keshav Rao alias V(B)asavraj alias Basab Raj alias Gangana -- chief of the armed wing (Military Commission in-charge)
4) Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Vivek alias Sonu alias Abhay -- Kishenji's brother, secretary of its Central Regional Bureau of Dandkaranya, appointed official spokesperson in place of Azad on July 7, 2010. Likely to take over Azad’s job of supervising the Maoist publications Vanguard, People’s March and Kranti. Linky

5) Katakam Sudershan alias Anand alias Mohan alias Birenderji -- Vasavaraj's deputy -- As secretary of the outfit’s “central regional bureau”, he is also in charge of operations in the Dandakaranya forests, north Telangana and the Andhra-Orissa border — a belt where the rebels are perhaps most active. The brain behind the Dantewada massacre.
6) Malla Raji Reddi -- arrested in Kerala’s Angamally, 20 km from Kochi, in December 2007, recently obtained bail from a Kerala court and reportedly went underground. Linky, sharp military capability
7) Misir Besra alias Sunirmal -- member of Maoist Central Military Commission (CMC), was arrested in Jharkhand’s Giridih, 200 km north-east of Ranchi, in September 2007, escaped when taken out of court on June 23, 2009
8) Rajesh da alias Majoj

9) Tippiri Tirupati alias Devuji -- sharp military capability
10) Katta (Kadari) Ramachandra Reddy alias Kosa alias Gudsa Usendi -- Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee official spokesman
11) Jingnu Narasimha Reddy alias Jampanna -- sharp military capability
12) Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna alias RK
13) Pulluri Prasada Rao alias Chandranna

14) Ramachandra Reddy Pratap Reddy alias Chalapathi
15) Modem Balakrishna
16) Gajanand Bhaskar alias Parush
17) Mohan alias Mahesh
18) Dev Kumar Singh alias Nishanth
19) Vivek Chenderi Yadav alias Payag
20) Kuppuswamy Devaraj alias Ramesh alias Balaji
21) Rayanna
22) Ranjith Bose alias Kanchan
23) Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy
24) Pratap

Politbureau members:
1) Mupalla Laxman Rao
2) Prashanta Bose
3) Nambala Keshava Rao
4) Mallojula Venugopal Rao
5) Katakam Sudarshan
6) Misir Besra
7) Malla Raji Reddy

Other prominent leaders:
1) Asim Mindal alias Aakash, secretary of the party’s West Midnapore state unit
2) Mansaram Hembram alias Bikash, the only tribal in Bengal’s Maoist leadership
3) Arnab Dam alias Bikram -- from Purulia
4) Ranjit Pal -- from Purulia

Reward:
Mupalla Laxman Rao (reward of INR 24 lakhs),
Nambala Keshav Rao (Rs 19 lakh),
Katakam Sudarshan (Rs 19 lakh),
Mallojula Venugopala Rao (Rs 19 lakh),
Prashanta Bose (Rs 7 lakh),
Malla Raji Reddy (Rs 7 lakh).

Big catches from the list eliminated in the (\approx) last two years:

a) Central Committee Members
Killed:
1) Wadkapur Chandramouli/Chandra Mohan alias Devanna (Dec 2006)
2) Sande Rajamouli alias Prasad (June 2007)
3) Patel Sudhakar Reddy -- Alias Suryam alias Vikas alias Srikanth -- killed May 24, 2009
4) Shakhamuri Appa Rao -- killed Mar 11, 2010 with Kondal Reddy
5) Cherukuri Rajakumar -- Alias Uday alias Azad alias Parimal alias Prasanth alias Madhu alias Gangadhar -- Vasavaraj's other deputy and spokesperson of CPI(M) -- killed in encounter July 2, 2010
6) Mallojula Koteshwar Rao -- Alias Kishenji alias Pradip alias Prahlad -- Eastern India "commander", killed in encounter November 25, 2011

Arrested:
7) Sheela Marandi (July 2006)
8) Amitabha Bagchi -- see below
9) Kobad Gandhy -- see below
10) Tusharkant Bhattacharya -- Alias Srikant, released from jail on Nov 19, 2009 due to lack of evidence, re-arrested Jan 8, 2010
11) Balraj -- Alias Arvind alias B. Prasad Singh, arrested Feb 8, 2010
12) Chintan -- Alias Banshidhar alias Chintan Da alias Banshidhar Singh, arrested Feb 8, 2010
13) Aditya Bora -- arrested in Sundergarh district of Orissa, February 13, 2011
14) Pulendu Sekhar Mukherji -- Alias Saheb alias Gagan alias Akash alias Jhantu alias Jhantu Mukherjee alias Joyda -- arrested from Barsoi village in Katihar district of Bihar April 29, 2011 Linky
15) Varanasi Subrahmanyam -- Alias Vimal alias Srikanth alias Sukant -- as above
16) Vijay Kumar Arya -- Alias Jaspalji alias Amar -- as above

Surrendered:
17) Lanka Venkata Papi Reddy alias Lachchanna

Old/unclassified: Shyam, Mahesh, Murali, Moti Lal Soren, Vishnu, Shobha, Pankaj

Politbureau Members Neutralized:
1) Sushil Roy (May 2005), arrested from Hooghly
2) Narayan Sanyal (Jan 2006)
3) Pramod Mishra (May 2008) arrested from Dhanbad: Alias Bibiji or Banbihariji alias Janardhanji alias Madanji -- arrested on May 11, 2008 Linky
4) Amitabha Bagchi (August 2009) arrested from Ranchi -- Alias Anil, founder of the erstwhile CPI(ML)-Party Unity -- arrested on Aug 19, 2009 (Former Politburo member and secretary of the central military commission of the outfit)
5) Kobad Gandhy (Sept 2009) arrested from Delhi -- Sept 22, 2009, obtained bail on June 16, 2010. Linky
6) Baccha Prasad Singh (Feb 2010) arrested from Kanpur -- Alias Arvind alias Bachha Prasad Singh
7) Cherukuri Rajakumar -- killed July 2, 2010 -- see above
8) Akhilesh Yadav (June 2011) arrested from Gaya -- Alias Jagdish Master alias Jagdish Yadav alias Bhupesh, Politbureau member arrested from Gurar area of Gaya district in Bihar on June 11, 2011
9) Mallojula Koteshwar Rao -- November 25, 2011 -- see above

Others:
1) Satyendra Kushwaha alias Naresh alias Dadan -- arrested Feb 25, 2009
2) Ashutosh Tudu -- arrested in Rourkela, Orissa, in March 2009
3) Tauhild Mula alias Kartik -- arrested Aug 19, 2009
4) Saswati Panda alias Subhashree alias Mili -- arrested Jan 15, 2010
5) Lalmohan Tudu -- killed Feb 23, 2010
6) Venkateshwar Reddy alias Telugu Deepak -- arrested Mar 2, 2010
7) Kondal Reddy alias Tech Ramanna --- killed Mar 11, 2010
8) Marshal Topno -- arrested Mar 16, 2010
9) Bapi Mahato -- arrested June 21, 2010

Caste/Biodata information:
1) Mupalla Laxman Rao -- Born in Beerpur village in Sarangapur mandal in Karimnagar district of AP. He worked as teacher in Karimnagar district and deserted his job for higher education in Warangal. There, he met Nalla Adi Reddy and Kondapalli Seetharamaiah and he joined the naxalite movement. He was one of the early members of Communist Party of India (ML) People's War and grew as General Secretary of the party that is now called as Communist Party of India (Maoist). He is married to Muppalla Vijaya, has two brothers and two sisters.
2) Mallojula Koteshwar Rao -- Born in a poor Brahmin family in Pedapalli in Karimnagar district, which eked out a living on priesthood in nearby temples. His father was a freedom fighter and vice-president of the state branch of the Congress Socialist Party. Kishenji completed school in 1969 and graduated from Adarsha College in Jammikunta. In 1973, after a BSc mathematics degree from Government Degree College, Peddapalli, he moved to Hyderabad to pursue law (LLB degree), but gave up after the first year. He married Maniakka, alias Sujatha, who is a member of the Dandakaranya special zonal committee in Chhattisgarh. She was earlier secretary of the South Bastar divisonal committee.
3) Prashanta Bose -- Comes from Jadavpur in West Bengal. Bose’s wife Sheela Marandi, another central committee member of CPI (Maoist) was arrested in 2006.
4) Nambala Keshav Rao -- Comes from a family of government officials in Srikakulam district. Rao's brothers are Vigilance and CMD level officers in Andhra Pradesh.
5) Mallojula Venugopala Rao -- Brother of Kishenji (one of three sons), Brahmin, A graduate and a resident of Peddapalli in Karimnagar district.
6) Malla Raji Reddy -- hails from Karimnagar district.
7) Katakam Sudarshan -- Born to the weaver community in Bellampally, Adilabad district, studied at a polytechnic in Warangal before joining the People’s War Group of Kondapalli Seetharamaiah in the 1980s. A few years ago he lost his life partner Sadhana, who was secretary of the Maoists’ Adilabad district unit in north Telangana. Linky
8) Kobad Gandhy -- Born into an affluent Parsi family that had a house famed for its antique furniture in Worli Sea Face in Mumbai, an ice-cream factory and a resort in Mahabaleswar. The young Ghandy went to public school and later to Elphinstone College in Mumbai. He married Anuradha who hailed from a Konkan family that owned a coffee plantation. Anuradha died in 2009 of cerebral malaria.
9) Misir Besra -- Hails from Jharkhand

Some questions for which I dont have a clear answer as yet:
1) Why has Karimnagar district produced 15 of the 38 central committee members of the maoists?
A take is provided at Linky

15 Central Committee Members are from Karimnagar district. Karimnagar, named after a Nizam’s son, is on the edge of the Dandakaranya forests in the Deccan plateau and is dotted with forests and hilly tracts that lead to Chhattisgarh, the bloodiest theatre of the rebels. Complementing the lay of the land was a man-made environment of exploitation that drove bonded farm labourers to rebellion in 1973. Several landlords died in the violence that accompanied the demand for more wages. Then a familiar cycle followed. The landlords, belonging to the upper-caste Velama, unleashed the police who cracked down with mindless brutality that was met with retaliations modelled on guerrilla tactics. The brutalities found expression in the film Dasi, where Jagityal, a town in Karimnagar, provides the backdrop.

During the days of the Emergency, the Congress government supported the landlords and tried to crush the peasant movement with military force. Nearly 600 activists were killed in the Dandakaranya jungles of Karimnagar and Warangal. But the seeds had been sown long before. In the early sixties, Maoist top gun Chandra Pulla Reddy led a group on a 20km march in the forests of Karimnagar and Warangal to motivate tribals and farm labourers. The symbolic protest received wide publicity. Kishan’s hometown Peddapalli was the nerve centre of the movement by bonded farm labourers. As the movement took root and the threat from Maoists spread, most landlords migrated to the district headquarters. The Naxalites were seen as liberators from police zulum at the behest of the feudal landlords, said social scientist N. Venugopal.

2) What is the strength of the Maoists now?
A take is provided at Linky

The CPI (Maoist) has around 20,000 firearms and nearly 10,000 cadres, enough to withstand a state-backed onslaught for six months, but it faces a problem of ammunition mismatch, a study by intelligence agencies has found. The estimate is the first of its kind on the Maoists done by central and state intellegince. Twelve states — Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Bihar, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and Kerala — were included in the study. It said the rebels’ weapon stocks include AK-47s, AK-52s, .303 rifles, assault pistols, Israeli-make sniper rifles and light machine guns.

The gun-manpower ratio stands at 1:2 with the number of personnel in the rebel ranks estimated at 10,000. The study said the Maoists acquired weapons in four ways: i) By snatching them from police stations and dead security forces after blasts and ambushes, ii) Snatching from security guards of industries in Maoist-infested zones, iii) Manufacturing weapons such as pistols, country-made mines and explosives in collusion with local mafia and gangs, iv) Procuring foreign weapons, ammunition and explosives from militant and criminal groups operating within and outside India.

3) Is the Maoist menace defeatable?
My answer: The basic feeding attribute to the Maoist movement is the relative disparity in the growth of people. If the Government of India tries to address this problem, it allocates invaluable resources to equalize growth at the cost of self-entrenched prosperity dictated by the "law of the few." And further, such a redressal mechanism bows down to the superiority of the Maoist revolutionary logic that growth should perforce be equalized. On the other hand, if the Government of India ignores this disparity, the Maoist menace self-feeds itself. Alas, a balance needs to be achieved between these two extremes.

Such a balance should recognize the fact that the Government of India cannot kill the Maoist menace. Nor should it try to. The goal should focus on making the Maoist menace an irritant that is toleratable in a gross strategic calculation of territory controlled, peoples ruled and power emanated rather than to invest diminishing returns at trying to vanquish a beast that has more than just nine lives.

4) So where does the stable equilibrium in this pursuit of the balance lie? What measures could be taken toward this stable equilibrium?
i) Neutralizing the Politbureau and Central Committee Members, Zonal and Divisional Commanders of the outfit,
ii) de-legitimizing the overground workers and propagandists of the Party in various overt and covert forms,
iii) effective measures to de-corrupt administration at all levels,
iv) regulating PUCL via an act of law,
v) strengthening NHRC and other States' Human Rights Commissions in both mandate as well as in terms of administrative sanction to hear cases of abuse,
vi) strengthening the Fourth Estate by appointments of Central and States Ombudsman that are semi-independent of legislative oversights,
vii) law and order reform with a view to humanizing the attitudes and actions of Police forces in the Maoist belt (as well as the rest of India) by including continuing education courses to that effect,
viii) promotion of women's self-employment, rights' awareness and poverty alleviation schemes,
ix) providing a fair share of the resources divested from the Maoist belt to the local populations, and
x) overall uni-directional growth of the Indian economy and standards of living
are some of the points that have been suggested by different think-tanks and informed people.

5) Why are the AP-based maoists more violent than the WB-based maoists? Why do AP-based maoists dominate the military wing whereas the WB-based maoists dominate the policy, propaganda and ideology wings of the party? Why is the Spokesperson job reserved for AP-based maoists?

6) What is the share of women and tribals in the maoists movement? Are the women less violent than the men, are the Brahmins less violent than the tribals, and other stereotyping?
A take is provided at: Linky

7) The Communist dialectic and literature is rich enough that different attributions can be made to explain the maoist menace. Some claim that India is in the middle of an agrarian crisis, others claim it to be a class war, yet another set of people claim it to be a war between the revolutionaries (Proletariat) and the reactionaries (Bourgeois). So which of the three is it? Which part dominates the other two? What part does caste oppression play a role in feeding the maoist menace? What part does exploitation of forest and mining resources feed into this mess?

8) Why do the maoists have a dire need to use pen-names at random? Who are Abhay, Akash and Gudsa Usendi? Why was Mallojula Koteshwara Rao fond of the Kishen moniker?

9) Why are there more Sorens and Mahatos in the rank and file of the maoists than Xalcos or Mundas?

10) Why did MCCI and CPI(ML)-PW merge? Who were responsible for this merger?
What is the movement from PLGA to PLA supposed to mean?

11) What did the Purulia arms drop have to do with the maoists' increased fire-power?

Labels: Cross-references, maoists, Terrorist groups

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Terrorism and Internal Security: A MHA assessment

1) From SATP:

Assam Tribune reports that the Centre may have opened dialogue with some militant outfits, but according to an estimate of the Union Home Ministry, there are 79 militant groups including splinter factions, which are active across six North Eastern States. A detailed list of the militant outfits furnished by Minister of State for Home Affairs M Ramachandran in the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament) reveals that Manipur has the dubious distinction of having the highest number of 50 active militant outfits in the region including 22 valley-based and 27 hill-based outfits. One militant outfit, Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) has 12 factions, while Kuki National Front (KNF) has four factions.

While Assam has five active militant outfits including United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Black Widow (BW), United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), neighbouring Meghalaya has overtaken the State and now boasts of nine militant outfits. In neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, apart from the two factions of National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), NSCN-Isak-Muivah and NSCN-Khaplang, another militant outfit, National Liberation Front of Arunachal has reared its head in the State. Another interesting revelation is that barring Sikkim, rest of all the North Eastern States are now affected by militancy. Mizoram, which was given a peace bonus by the Planning Commission last year, now has three militant groups including Hmar Peoples Convention- Democracy (HPC D), Hmar National Liberation Front (HNLF) and Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO). Nagaland and Tripura have six and three militant outfits respectively.

Labels: maoists, Northeast, Terrorist groups

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Northeast and terrorist update (Jan-Mar, 2011)

1) UNLF and Manipur groups: Linky

After R.K. Meghen's arrest, UNLF finally turns around and offers a plebiscite proposal to the Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh. However, the Chief Minister rightly pointed out that it is a “good beginning”, but observed that it would be “difficult” for the state government and the Centre to accept the proposal as it involved a third party.

It would not just be difficult, but essentially impossible under the Constitution. After all, laws are laws (as the previous post shows), whether you are a terrorist or a politician or an institutionalist or otherwise. For good measure, it is amusing to note the responses:

The issue was first raised in the Assembly by Morung Makunga, an Independent Naga MLA. He urged the chief minister to put forward the matter before the central leaders. “The Centre may accept or reject the proposal, but it is the duty of the state government to pass on the proposal to Delhi as part of efforts to hold talks with militant groups in the state,” Makunga said. Supporting Makunga’s demand, leader of the Opposition in the House and former chief minister Radhabinod Koijam, welcomed the plebiscite proposal terming it a step towards democratic process.

KCF: Linky

On the basis of a tip-off provided by the army intelligence unit, KCP’s self-styled foreign secretary and lieutenant Khumbungam Ayuma Anandha Singh, 39, who has two aliases — Lamphel and Khumbungmayuma Anandha Singh — was arrested by police from a house on Ramakrishna Mission Road late last evening.
...
Another police officer, requesting anonymity, said Khumbungam Ayuma Anandha Singh disclosed during interrogation that the KCP, which was divided into a few factions, had reunited recently and again started working together. Various factions of the KCP were still operating independently and so far there was no sign that could indicate unification of the factions, the sources said.

2) Assam elections: While Assam elections are in full swing, this item caught my attention Linky.

Former Dima Hasao district chief executive member, who is now in jail, Mohit Hojai, will contest from Haflong constituency as an Independent in the Assembly election. Hojai’s relatives and advocate collected his nomination paper for the Haflong seat on March 11. It will be submitted within the next two days.
...
Hojai was arrested on May 31, 2009, for his alleged financial misdeeds and his nexus with the Jewel Gorlosa faction of the DHD. He has since been in jail.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Trade matters and other updates (December 5, 2010)

First off, Bangladesh
1) India-BD border survey: Linky

Joint survey of the disputed borders along Sylhet-Meghalaya will begin 7 December. The decision came with a view to resolving the nagging disputes over the borders like Dibir haor, Sripur, Tamabil, Sonarhat, Bichnakandi, Protappur and Lalakhal in Sylhet with the Indian state of Meghalaya. Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Abu Syed Mohammad Hashim told this correspondent that the joint survey would initially cover 13 points on the border from Lobhachhara in Kanaighat upazila to Lalakhal and Dibir haor in Jaintapur upazila and Sonarhat in Kanaighat upazila. It will be held in presence of land officials and BDR, he added.

2) Railway building in BD under Indian credit line: Linky

Only Indian companies will be allowed to bid for the purchase of 50 flat wagons and five bogey break vans under the $1 billion Indian loan. The companies have been asked to offer their bids between Dec 6 and Jan 24. Earlier, Bangladesh Railway floated tender for purchasing 10 engines with Indian loan under the same condition. On Aug 7, Bangladesh signed a $1 billion credit deal with India. Foreign minister Dipu Moni had said the loan will be used to implement 14 projects, including five for the development of the railway. The credit came with an annual 1.75 percent interest, which opposition BNP termed "very high".

3) Cattle smuggling across the BD border: Linky

The BSF has said that cattle trade between India and Bangladesh along the India-Bangladesh border in the Assam-Meghalaya sector should be legalized to a certain extent through border haats. Almost everyday, cattle are seized in the Dhubri area of Assam and also in Khasi-Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya while they are being smuggled into the neighbouring country. Acknowledging the views of his higher-ups, BSF Inspector General (Assam-Meghalaya Frontier) SC Saxena told The Sentinel: “In certain stretches of the international border, our personnel are 90 per cent involved in catching cattle smugglers.” While pointing out that cattle-laden trucks keep coming from the hinterland towards the border, Saxena said: “If the States carry out checking of movement of cattle in their own areas, the BSF’s task of checking cattle smuggling into Bangladesh will be eased to a great extent.”

4) Continuing from the last week, the former Chief Secretary of Assam writes on the Look-East Policy and Bangladesh: Linky

India’s most immediate neighbour, Bangladesh, needs special attention. Close collaboration between these two countries will help achieve growth and prosperity for both. Therefore, the five agreements signed during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in January 10-13, 2010 have become significant. These five agreements are on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, on transfer of sentenced persons, on combating international terrorism, organized crimes and illegal drug trafficking, on cooperation in the power sector and a cultural exchange programme. In pursuance of these agreements certain concrete steps were taken including India’s promise to export 240 MW of power to Bangladesh and to assist that country to build power plants of 1,320 MW each in Khulna and Chittagong.

There are critics in India who do not like that so much concessions have been given to Bangladesh. Some of them feel that the credit of US $1 billion is too much. There is a perpetual adverse balance of trade of about US $1 billion annually which Bangladesh has not been able to wipe out. They do not produce the goods which India can import. The quality also is low. They have plenty of natural gas. But they want to preserve it under ground rather than drill out and export to India. Meanwhile, the value of the smuggled goods, on both sides, has been estimated to have increased to US $3 billion per annum. The Bangladeshi smugglers are reported to be making up the adverse balance of illegal trade by illegal export of arms, gold and narcotics according to a National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) study. After the January, 2010 agreements this type of clandestine trade should end. However, whether that will actually happen is still a moot question.

Bangladesh is expecting to gain considerable improvement of its economy by better connectivity with India. According to the former Bangladesh Foreign Secretary, Farooq Sobhan, the Prime Minister-level talks have “opened up a whole new vista, not only simply in terms of Bangladesh’s bilateral relations with India, but in terms of Bangladesh becoming a middle income country by 2021”. He further stated that “if Bangladesh is to move from an annual growth rate of 6 per cent to 8 or 9 per cent, it must take rapid progress in the integration of its economy with its immediate neighbours, India, Nepal and Bhutan”.

According to Sanjib Baruah, foremost scholar on LEP, “Northeast India’s isolation from its neighbourhood has much older roots: that which came about as a result of the advent of western dominance over sea routes and over global trade and more particularly the British conquest of the region and the decisions to draw lines between the hills and plains, to put barriers of trade between Bhutan and Assam and to treat Myanmar as a strategic frontier – British India’s buffer against French Indochina and China. While the British colonial rulers built a major new transportation infrastructure, aimed primarily at taking tea and other resources out of Assam, the disruption of old trade routes remained colonialism’s most enduring negative legacy”.

Next off, China and Bangladesh
5) Cotton exports to China and elsewhere: Linky

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Thursday appealed to the Centre to order an immediate suspension of cotton exports till needs of the domestic textile industry are met and sufficient arrivals in the domestic market bring about a substantial reduction in the price of cotton. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which was circulated to the media in Chennai, he also sought a cap on the level of cotton yarn exports and also provide for imposition of an export duty for the same. He said the yarn used in handlooms, powerlooms and knitwear was different and needed to be available in sufficient quantity, category-wise, to meet the domestic needs.
...
“Normally, the period of 4-5 months after October witnesses a dip in cotton prices owing to fresh arrivals in the market. However, this year, the clearance given for exporting 55 lakh bales of cotton has resulted in a hand to mouth situation by which virtually no cotton is available in the market to build up cotton stocks.” He said competing countries such as China who are the beneficiaries of Indian cotton exports maintain stock to use ratios of about 33 per cent, whereas India’s stock to use ratio is just about 17 per cent. Mr. Karunanidhi said it was urgently necessary to build up cotton stocks during these months of the cotton picking season lasting up to January, so that the textile sector, which provides the maximum employment, next to agriculture is kept continuously fed with raw material.

6) Zorawar Daulat Singh asks why are we being stupid and exporting raw materials to China without being diligent enough in improving our competitiveness: Linky

India's current discourse over its economic relationship with China is nothing short of self-deception. To correct course, we need to recognize the problem. Is anybody listening?

Finally, Nepal
7) Nepali exports piggy-backs on India: Linky

Exports have grown by 5.9 percent to Rs 16.87 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year 2010/11, according to the Current Microeconomic Situation of the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). Such exports had shrunk by 16.5 percent to Rs. 15.94 billion in the same period last year, the report stated. The merchandise export of the country increased by 12.2 percent in September/October, of the current fiscal year compared to the value of the previous month.

The exports to India rose by 11.8 percent in the three months of the fiscal year 2010/11 in contrast to a drop of 11.3 percent in the same period last year. Nevertheless, exports to other countries dropped by 2.4 percent compared to a plunge of 22.7 percent in the same period last year. The increase in the exports to India was largely attributed to the increase in the exports of jute goods, zinc sheet, M.S. pipe, wire, plastic utensils, textiles, threads, Ayurvedic medicine, juice, toothpaste and readymade garments among others. Similarly, exports to other countries declined due mainly to the decrease in the export of pulses, pashmina, handicraft goods, Nepalese paper and paper products, woollen carpet and herbs among others.

Merchandise imports, on the other hand, grew by 3.6 percent to Rs. 92.98 billion in the three months of the fiscal year 2010/11. Such imports had grown by 31.9 percent to Rs. 89.72 billion in the same period last year. Similarly, on a monthly basis, the merchandise imports increased by 4.4 percent in September/October 2010 compared to the value of the previous month. Imports from India grew by 31.9 percent in the review period compared to a growth of 26.8 percent in the same period last year. Likewise, imports from other countries declined by 29.1 percent in contrast to a growth of 38.3 percent in the same period last year. The import of hot rolled sheet in coil, sugar, chemical fertilisers, fruits, dry cell battery and vegetables among others increased from India whereas import of gold, polythene granules, electrical goods, betel-nuts, crude soybean oil and other machinery and parts declined from other countries in the review period.

Total trade deficit during the three months of 2010/11 expanded by 3.2 percent to Rs. 76.11 billion. Trade deficit had risen by 50.7 percent in the same period last year. Trade deficit with India rose by 36.6 percent in the review period compared to a growth of 41.2 percent in the same period last year. On the contrary, trade deficit with other countries declined by 34.2 percent compared to a growth of 63.1 percent in the same period a year ago. The improvement in exports coupled with deceleration in import growth contributed to decline in the ratio of export to import to 18.1 percent in the review period from the ratio of 17.8 percent a year ago.

8) To top off, the costs behind screening of a movie: Linky
9) And as I said earlier, it is important to note how the Judiciary interprets the Constitution as even confirmed terrorists can use the laws of the land to get away legally. Here is one such judgment: Linky

The Supreme Court today said police should not arrest people on flimsy grounds as it could lead to great ignominy and denial of anticipatory bail was also a violation of an individual’s fundamental right to personal liberty. A Bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and K S Radhakrishnan said in a judgement that anticipatory bail granted to a person should continue till the conclusion of the trial and no conditions should be imposed for the accused to surrender to obtain a regular bail.
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The apex court made the remarks while granting anticipatory bail to Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre, a Congress leader allegedly involved in the killing of a BJP worker on September 26, 2009, in Maharashtra. Mhetre moved the apex court after the Bombay High Court had dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.

10) Here is the update on Kishen, the maoist: Linky

It had been rumoured that Kishen had either been killed or seriously injured in an encounter with the police a few months ago. "According to arrested Maoist leader Kanchan and others, Kishen is alive and well and he is leading them in West Bengal," joint commissioner of Kolkata Police, Special Task Force, Rajiv Kumar told newspersons in Kolkata today. Kumar also quoted Kanchan as having claimed during interrogation that Kishen could be in Dandakaranya.

Labels: Bangladesh, China, maoists, Nepal, Trade

Friday, December 3, 2010

Terrorist groups update (December 4, 2010)

1) UNLF saga: A couple of days back, Sana Yaima (the UNLF "Chairman") was declared arrested from Motihari in Bihar by the NIA, after he had allegedly crossed over from the India-BD border. Linky

“I was detained in Bangladesh on September 29,” Yaima told reporters outside the special NIA court here, where he was produced by the investigation agency. The militant leader was remanded in 13-day NIA custody in connection with a case registered here. He has been booked under Sections 120(B)/121/-121(A)/122/468 IPC and under Section 10/13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on charges of illegal activities against the government of India, extortion and other illegal acts. He will be produced in the special court on December 16. The court asked the NIA to interrogate the militant leader only in front of his advocate.

Two points are in order at this stage. Even if the Opposition has meritoriously brought the Parliament to a stalling over the 2G/Adarsh/CWG/other scams, both the BJP and the CPI have batted/given an inclination of batting for the "rights" of terrorists over the rights of the State's subjects who have suffered under these same terrorists. The highlight reel for the adage that all politics is regional will get another Exhibit.

While the news of Yaima's arrest has been floating around for a couple of months now, and noone had expected Sana Yaima to be held for too long, why NOW is an important question. The son of Sana Yaima had claimed that (Linky) the involvement of Amnesty International on the whereabouts of Sana Yaima had been the reason for the NIA's turn in the sequence of events. That claim seems far-fetched to me, especially given Amnesty's unbelievable credentials. It was also not the fear of BJP/CPI's involvement and/or the impending raising of this issue in the Parliament by the BJP/CPI-combine that moved NIA to bring forth the official arrest, but fear of the Judiciary. What I believe seems to have brought a closure to this saga seems to be the following: Linky

The Imphal bench of Gauhati High Court today directed the Union home ministry, the external affairs ministry and the Manipur government to file affidavits on the status of Sana Yaima, the chairman of United National Liberation Front (UNLF). A division bench, comprising Justice T.N.K. Singh and Justice A.C. Upadhyai, ordered submission of the affidavits on December 6, the day the court fixed for the next hearing of the case. The division bench also issued a notice to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), seeking a report on the status of a complaint lodged by R.K. Ongbi Ibemnungshi in connection with the disappearance of her husband.

The court passed the directives following a habeas corpus petition filed by Ibemnungshi, the militant leader’s wife, on October 29, seeking a directive from the high court to the home ministry, external affairs ministry and Manipur government to produce Sana Yaima. Ibemnungshi withdrew the habeas corpus petition on November 5 and filed a second habeas corpus the next day, this time making the NHRC one of the respondents.

The most important moral of this story is this. Habeus corpus is powerful; use it if you have to, even terrorists have certain rights as subjects of the country. Inspite of a thousand and one aberrations, India is still a land run by laws and rules that have been codified by the Constitution and by acts of precedence. It is easy to miss this aspect in our quest for change on the ground in India via acts of political activism. While there may be some merit in political activism, legal activism trumps most things at most times. Every tom, dick and harry (inspite of religious, casteist, linguistic and philosophical predilections that are at variance with each other) has to obey the law, especially if the Judiciary gets actively involved in enforcing the law. The fact that there is a HUGE legal backlog means that punishment can be belated, but it is not meant to be denied.

Some history on the whine profile of the UNLF:

The UNLF is the oldest and the most influential of the nearly 19 odd rebel groups in Manipur. It has been fighting for the separation of the majority Meitei community of Manipur from India since its inception in 1964. The UNLF says that Manipur was forcibly merged with the union of India in 1949. Yaima is a member of Manipur’s royal family. His arrest is a big blow to the outfit, many of whose top leaders, including vice-president Tomba Singh and secretary Joy Singh, are already behind bars. “With Meghen’s arrest, almost all the top brass of the UNLF barring just one or two are in jail,” a senior Manipur Police official said. Meghen is a post graduate in International Relations from Jadavpur University in Kolkata.

2) HNLC saga: Linky

Former urban affairs minister and Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement legislator, Paul Lyngdoh, today lodged a complaint with Meghalaya Speaker Charles Pyngrope against former self-styled chairman of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), Julius K. Dorphang, for allegedly causing a breach of privilege. The complaint came after Dorphang lashed out at Lyngdoh yesterday, after the latter took on incumbent urban affairs minister, Founder Strong Cajee, on the floor of the House for allegedly extending political patronage to surrendered HNLC cadres.

Lyngdoh also said he had wanted information about the procedures followed by MUDA in allotting the fee collection lease from its parking lot at Khlieh Iewduh to Tyllilang Welfare Association (TWA), an organisation of surrendered militants. MUDA allegedly gave the lease to TWA before the expiry of the lease agreement entered with the previous party.

3) ULFA talks: Linky

The prospect of Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia being handed over to India by Bangladesh before the outfit’s central committee leaders are released appears remote, as sources have said that the Centre does not want to rush things, even though it has initiated talks with the Bangladesh government on the issue. The much-anticipated peace talks are likely to be held between January and February, though Dispur had earlier indicated a December start.

Ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa had allegedly insisted on Chetia’s presence during the peace talks, sources said. However, the Centre would like to be doubly sure of Chetia’s point of view. “Talks are at a very advanced stage with Dhaka to get Chetia home, but we have to be doubly sure that Chetia and the jailed leaders are on the same wavelength. So far, the signals are positive and we hope the talks can start by February,” one of the sources said.

Earlier, it was reported that: Linky

Inspector-general of BSF (Assam and Meghalaya frontier), R.C. Saxena, said efforts are still on to get Chetia handed over to India before commencement of the tripartite talks, adding that a team from the ministry of home affairs had gone to Dhaka to discuss the modalities of the hand-over with the Bangladesh government. “There are chances of getting him before the commencement of the talks in January,” he said.

4) NDFB talks about talks: Linky

In another insurgency-related development, National Democratic Front of Boroland anti-talks faction chief Ranjan Daimary said the possibility of talks would depend on the recently constituted Bodo National Conference (BNC), dropping the hint that the new umbrella organisation would play a significant role in initiating the parleys. Daimary was produced at the TADA court here in connection with three cases registered against him in the city, seeking the court’s nod to start prosecution. Daimary’s lawyer Manas Sarania told The Telegraph the case would come up for hearing on January 10. Sarania will also file a petition seeking Daimary’s bail next week.

5) DHD saga: Meanwhile the NC Hills scam continues in the Assam State Assembly with the AGP honchos Prafulla Ku. Mahanta and Chandramohan Patwary and the KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi on one side and Tarun Gogoi and Hemanta Biswa Sarma going hammer and tongs at each other.

As the very-well informed Wasbir Hussain writes, there is more to the NC Hills scandal than the misgovernance in Assam: Linky

The CAG report basically points out two things — that the District Council had got an amount of Rs 272 crore from the State Government in excess of the budgetary allocation between 2007 and June 2009; and that there has been gross financial irregularities in the district, leading to strong chances of financial misutilization or misappropriation. In fact, it is now confirmed that there has been a big financial scam in the district council although the extent of the scam will come out now that the CBI too is on the job. Excess receipt of funds is nothing new but what is actually significant is the financial misappropriation that the CAG report has prima facie found. Since both the CAG audit and the CBI probe are being carried out at the behest of the Assam Government and the Centre, it remains to be seen if the probes are taken to their logical conclusion.
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The NIA has named 16 people in its charge sheet, accusing them of having links with the Jewel Garlossa faction of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-J) and funding the rebel group by diverting funds meant for the NC Hills District Council through various means, including hawala transactions from Guwahati and Kolkata. What I found most significant in the charge sheet is the NIA’s description of accused number four, Mohet Hojai, the former chief executive member (CEM) of the NC Hills District Council. Hojai has not just been identified by the NIA as the former CEM, he has also been identified as a DHD-J member. In fact, the NIA has said in its charge sheet that it was under Mohet Hojai’s orders and direction that government officials and contractors had encashed money through cheques issues issued in the name of non-existent people and by using false and fabricated documents. If we put two and two together — the findings of the Special CAG Audit and that of the NIA — it would emerge that embezzlement of public funds did take place in NC Hills and that large chunks of these funds were diverted to the DHD-J militant group that had carried out a reign of terror in the district until the security crackdown, leading to the arrest in Bangalore of its chief Jewel Garlossa in June 2009 and the subsequent surrender by more than 300 DHD-J cadres on October 2, 2009. Significantly, the NIA has established the fact that funds received by the DHD-J reached the hands of known arms dealers and were used to procure weapons and ammunition for the group. Look at this observation by the NIA on its charge sheet: “The main activity of DHD-J was to siphon off government funds through extortion and with the help of elected members of the Council, contractors and government servants in order to finance their subversive activities…” These facts shows it was a heady cocktail of funds, guns and power that had engulfed the district’s governance and administration.

All the key players are now in judicial custody, including Mohet Hojai, Jewel Garlossa and the DHD-J’s commander, Niranjan Hojai, besides at least two senior government officials. And yes, the cadres of the group who are lodged at designated camps in the district ever since their surrender more than a year ago, are getting restive and wants their detained leaders released. In fact, both the detained leaders and the cadres who are at the designated camps had resorted to a fast to press for the release of those of its members who are in jail. They want the ‘peace process’ with the group to begin and for this want their leaders freed. The government no doubt is in a catch 22 situation. Can it talk to the DHD-J after the NIA’s findings?

The talks aside, since the NIA probe has established clear linkages between politicians, bureaucrats and contractors, will the government now gather the will to let the law take its own course? Now, opposition leaders like Prafulla Kumar Mahanta want the jailed ULFA leaders to be granted general amnesty. The question is — can the government really act on such a demand and give amnesty to the jailed ULFA leaders and not do the same with the DHD-J leaders? Can the government afford to have different sets of approaches to different militant groups? The findings of the NIA and the CAG audit is a test of the Assam Government’s will in tackling corruption, financial mismanagement, and also to crackdown on the politician-militant-bureaucrat-contractor nexus in the State that has now been established.

6) The back-room parleying between the NSCN-IM and NSCN-K got nowhere in the Chiang Mai "Summit." Linky

A statement received here from Chiang Mai in Thailand signed by Quakers from the UK, Forum for Naga Reconciliation, Federal Government of Nagaland (Singnyu) and Government of the People’s Republic of Nagaland/National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) called for sincerity, commitment, honest examination of prejudices and assumptions and greater transparency and willingness to admit mistakes. This was the ninth such meeting held since May 2008 as part of the Journey of Common Hope under the aegis of FNR, Quakers, American churches and several international organisations.
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The NSCN (I-M) did not attend the meeting saying it was useless to meet at the lower level. The outfit said peace and reconciliation could progress if only top leaders of the Naga groups could meet and work out modalities. Swu and Muivah have been insisting that S.S. Khaplang, chairman of GPRN/NSCN, should meet them. Khaplang lives in the jungles of Myanmar.

Meanwhile, the post-blockade imbroglio of the Nagas in Manipur continues: Linky

The Nagas’ demand for an alternative administrative arrangement was discussed for the first time at a tripartite meeting between officials of the Union home ministry, Manipur government and a delegation of the United Naga Council at Senapati town today. Both sides described the talks as cordial and agreed to continue to talk over the matter. This is for the first time the matter was discussed across the table after Naga organisations in Manipur, spearheaded by the UNC, declared severance of all political ties with the Manipur government and demanded “an alternative administrative arrangement for the Nagas in Manipur in July”.
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Political analysts and the Ibobi Singh government sees the demand for an alternative arrangement as a weapon to give more teeth to NSCN (I-M) in the ongoing talks with the Centre. The NSCN (I-M) is demanding a greater Nagaland by bringing the four Naga-dominated districts of Manipur — Senapati, Tamenglong, Chandel and Ukhrul — and Nagaland under one administrative unit.

7) LAEF: Linky

The chief of Garo hills-based militant outfit, the Liberation of Achik Elite Force, Nikseng G. Momin, along with another cadre were killed in an encounter with police in East Garo Hills today. The police said the militants were killed around 3am today after an exchange of fire with the police at Darugre reserve forest in the district.
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According to the police, the outfit mainly consists of deserters of other militant groups in Garo hills. It was formed in 2005 by Peter Marak, a former police constable associated with the special operations team of Meghalaya. The major activity of the militant outfit was the grenade attacks on Tura Super Market in West Garo Hills, market places in Nangalbibra in South Garo Hills and Mendipathar in East Garo Hills on June 22, 2007 which claimed the lives of two civilians. While Marak, the self-styled commander-in-chief of the outfit was killed in July 2007 in a police encounter, his brother, Darong Marak, the self-styled chairman, was killed later by another militant of the same outfit over a quarrel over the sharing of an extortion amount.

Does that remind you of the Champion R. Sangma saga? You bet!!
8) Cooperation between BDR and BSF is a mixed bag: Linky

However, Saxena also acknowledged the proactive role being played by Dhaka to crack the whip on Northeast militant groups, which are operating from Bangladeshi soil. Moreover, he said a new battalion has been raised today, which would man the riverine areas in the Guwahati sector to thwart infiltration. Earlier, the BSF has been maintaining that infiltration from the riverine areas in the Guwahati sector cannot be fully curbed since fencing in such areas is not feasible.
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Dhaka’s disrespect to the mutually agreed maintenance of status quo in places under its adverse possession has annoyed the BSF despite the general quiet on the Indo-Bangladesh border these days,. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 45th anniversary of the Raising Day of the force, inspector-general of the BSF (Assam and Meghalaya Frontier), R.C. Saxena, said, “While we (BSF) discourage our people to go to places under our adverse possession, the Bangladesh Rifles men are doing just the opposite.”

Needless to say, Dhaka has handed over at least 20 top Northeast militant leaders and their families to India after capturing them in Bangladesh since the Sh. Hasina government took over.
9) The maoist resurgence: Linky

Andhra Pradesh has witnessed its first Maoist killings in four years, lending credence to fears of a rebel revival and large-scale violence in the state. In a series of strikes yesterday, Maoist guerrillas killed two men — one a small-time Telugu Desam Party leader and the other a former rebel — and kidnapped four in their erstwhile stronghold, the Karimnagar-Khammam-Warangal belt in Telangana.
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Andhra police’s Greyhound commandos had driven most of the rebels out of the state in 2006, but they have been returning since October-November from three sides: Across the Chhattisgarh border to the Karimnagar-Khammam-Warangal region; From Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli to Adilabad in northern Telangana; From Orissa to the Vishakhapatnam-East Godavari coastal belt in the northeast. Since last month, the state government has suspended night bus services in these regions. Analysts said the rebels were moving into Andhra partly because of stepped-up police operations in Chhattisgarh.

Nepal-maoist nexus: Linky

Delhi police have arrested a Nepalese national who allegedly supplied explosives and detonators to Maoists in Bengal and Bihar. Officers said some 498 “non-electronic detonators” were seized from Loknath Panth, 42, who was arrested last night on his way to New Delhi railway station. He apparently meant to hand the detonators over to a contact at the station.

Labels: Assam, Bangladesh, Manipur, maoists, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Nepal

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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.

Labels: Bhutan, maoists, Meghalaya, Nepal, Trade

Saturday, November 27, 2010

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.
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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.
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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.

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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.
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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.
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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.

Labels: Assam, Burma, Foreign Policy, Health, Manipur, maoists, Migration, Nagaland, Sri Lanka, Trade, UK