north east online - north east india news: 10/01/2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

NE girls and Delhi

As far as we know, the student and professionals working in Delhi includes both boys and girls. If the offences committed were of racial nature, even boys should be attacked. But why is it that only girls are harmed? There is no incidence of north-east boys being attacked in Delhi.

Morever there are chinky students from Bhutan, Nepal, Korea etc. studying in Delhi. Why is it that an Arunachali, a Naga, a Mizo being in the focus? It is time the girls from hill states introspect.

The media in north east talks big of 'free culture' in the region. But in reality, all people in hill towns like Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar are indoors right in the evening. After 7 pm, one will not find any shop open, any vehicle or girl on the streets and roads. Why is it that a Mizo girl thinks that she can roam about in Delhi at 2 'o' clock in the night. It is known that north east tribes like Nagas, Mizos, Arunachalis etc did not wear clothes some decades back. So they have the habit of wearing short and skimpy dresses. Since this is their habit, they can go and study in Australia. There they will get the royal treatment which chinkys get in Australia.

Delhi doesn't need lessons of discrimination when the north east tribes are best in it. They are good in emotional blackmail and blaming others for all their wrongs. And they have a north east media like Dhritarashtra who supports the nonsense blindly and throws all blame on Delhi. To know why some NE girls get into trouble in Delhi, one has to go to Delhi and see what a weird, vulgar and awkward image they have made for themselves and the region. North East boys also dress in a very unsmart and third class manner, with cargo pants, half pants, tattoos and rings, spikes etc. Maybe because they are tribal, they do not know to dress decently.

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A candlelight vigil in Munirka village to protest violence against the North-East community in Delhi on Friday.

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EW DELHI: “Women in Delhi should be free from violence and fear,” read a placard at a candlelight vigil held in Munirka here on Friday to protest against the killing of 19-year-old Ramchanphi Hongray, a Manipur-based Naga girl, in the Capital this past week.

About 75 people walked through Munirka village holding candles, banners and placards.

“Women in general and women from the North-East region in particular are subject to a great deal of harassment in the Capital. Just because people from the North-East look different, they are subject to racial and cultural discrimination and their rights are also violated,” said Jagori member Nandini Rao.

Echoing her view, Control Arms Foundation of India member Elizabeth Imti said: “Women from the North-East feel a sense of insecurity here. There is a feeling of being racially profiled and discriminated. This is because we are stereotyped and perceived as soft targets.”

Also protesting against the treatment meted out to students from the North-East, JNU Students’ Federation of India secretary P.K. Anand said: “People from all over the country come to the Capital to study and work. A safe environment must be ensured for them. Students from the North-East must not be discriminated against as they too have the right to study, work and live securely.”

Romeo, a 35-year-old businessman from Manipur who came to the Capital 20 years ago to find better prospects, said he came here seeking better education and to escape the insurgency in Manipur. “People from the North-East here feel misunderstood and looked down upon. We have a different culture which people should be aware of and also understand.”

Elaborating on cultural differences in the context of gender relationships, Mr. Romeo said: “We have very close knit communities back home where there are no barriers for interaction between men and women. Friendliness and communication is encouraged and we develop friendly equations with everyone. Here, however, if a woman smiles it is misconstrued as a sexual advance. Therefore North-East women are often perceived as loose when they may be only friendly.”

Speaking about cultural differences, North-East Network member Monisha Behal said: “In Uttar Pradesh girls are often married early. In Haryana if a couple marries without consent of the family there may be honour killings. However, in the North-East, men and women work together and interactions between them is the norm.”

Ms. Behal said there was a need for a change in attitude and also institutional change. “Since there is not much awareness about the culture of people from the North-East they are often misunderstood. Their role in the freedom struggle and the sacrifices they made have also not been highlighted much,” she added.

Stunning admission: Nagaland ministers, govt. employees in the list of well wishers funding NSCN

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n a startling disclosure, one of the major militant outfits of the Northeast, the NSCN-K has said that the outfit collects taxes from all ministers and government employees of Nagaland. Though it is a known fact that all militant outfits collect taxes forcefully from the general public as well as from the government employees, this is the first time, a senior leader of the NSCN has openly admitted it. Mention may be made that recently the Union Home secretary GK Pillai during his visit to Kohima had expressed Certre's concern over growing menace of extortion, intimidation and kidnappings in Nagaland. Perhaps this may be the first time any militant organization has made such a revelation of collecting taxes from ministers and government employees. And this could come as a big jolt to various central and state security agencies operating in the region and their claims of doing their best to plug or contain the menace of flow of funds to various militant outfits. One of the senior leaders of the NSCN-Khaplang Kughalu Mulatonu, speaking exclusively to NETV at the Khehoi designated camp of GPRN/NSCN disclosed that they collect taxes from all Ministers and all Government employees of Nagaland. He however denied the practice to be extortion and rather said it tax, donation from the well wishers. What is interesting is that the NSCN leader has denied it to be extortion, something the Centre is concerned about in Nagaland. From what Mulatonu has said, it is clear that the outfits have had their reach even to the level of ministers in the form of well wishers to ensure their sources of funding did not run dry. This makes it clear why there has never been halt in the inflow of funds to the outfits. Mulatonu, however, flatly denied that his outfit has any hand in extortions and abductions. According to the NSCN leader in politics and revolution any act committed in the name of nation is not a crime, but sacrifice. Crime to him is act aimed at individual interest. Mulatonu said he has already clarified to the Union Home Secretary that any cadre found guilty of kidnappings and extortions outside the law of NSCN would be punished.

Narendra Modi tests positive for swine flu

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hmedabad, Oct 29 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has tested positive for swine flu on Friday.

According to doctors at the government hospital here, Modi tested positive after undergoing an H1N1 virus test.

Modi will be kept in isolation for seven days, said a Gujarat Government spokesperson.

The Chief Minister recently returned from Russia. (ANI)

No pre-paid mobiles in J-K from Nov. 1: MHA

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ew Delhi, Oct 30 (ANI): The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided that no pre-paid mobile connections should be issued and existing pre-paid SIM cards should not be renewed in Jammu and Kashmir after November 1, 2009.

The Ministry has asked the Department of Telecommunications to take appropriate action in the matter for implementation of the decision.

The step comes in the wake of the reports that proper verification is not being done while providing such pre-paid mobile connections by the service providers/vendors.

In some cases, a single person had been issued with multiple number of connections.

The fake documents/identity numbers are also reportedly being used by the vendors particularly, in the case of pre-paid connections. This situation had given rise to serious security concerns. (ANI)

Vice President lays foundation stone of first ever railway line in Sikkim

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angtok, Oct 30 (ANI): Vice President Hamid Ansari on Friday laid the foundation stone of the first ever railway line (Rangpo-Sivok railway line) to Sikkim at Rangpo.

The new broad gauge railway line is between Sikkim''s small township of Rangpo and West Bengal''s border town of Sivok.

"People of Sikkim had a dream and the process of fulfilling it just started today. It is a difficult project considering that the terrain through which the line will go is difficult," Ansari said.

Expressing confidence that the Indian Railways will do it, he said that the line would be an engineering achievement for the railway.

Terming it a landmark for India and Sikkim, Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was also present on the ocassion, said: "It was a landmark for India and also for Sikkim which has no railway link till now."

"If we can do it in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Uttarakhand, we can do it in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan too," she added.

This 52.7 km long new broad guauge Rangpo-Sivok line will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 1339.48 crore and has been declared as a ''National Project'' for which 75 per cent of the fund would be provided by Ministry of Railways through their gross budgetary support and balance 25 per cent as an additionality by the Ministry of Finance.

The survey for further extension of this line from Rangpo upto Sikkim''s capital Gangtok (69 km) has also been completed recently and survey report is under examination in the Ministry of Railways. (ANI)

Housewives falling prey to HIV/AIDS in Mizoram

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ore and more housewives in Mizoram are falling prey to AIDS due to no fault of their own, but their husbands who comprise a large percentage of the clientele of female sex workers.

A study conducted by an NGO has revealed that at least 80 per cent of the clients of female commercial sex workers in Aizawl city are married men who are indulgingalarming rate of HIV/AIDS infections amongst the previoulsy thought no-risk group of society - mostly those who are religious in nature and otherwise 'clean'.

The New Life Home Society, which is an Aizawl-based NGO reaching out to 294 female sex workers, conducted a study of them recently and found that they could be classified into three categories - street-based, mobile phone-based and home-based.

N Samuel, Project Manager of the New Life Home Society (NLHS) says that 156 out of the 294 sex workers are looking for customers in the streets of the capital city while 110 are getting their clients through mobile phones and cabbies and 28 of them received their customers at home.

There are three sex workers who are in the age group of 10 to 15 and 58 between the ages of 16 and 20 while the highest age-group, 21-25 has 94 people, followed by 79 of the 26-30 age group, Samuel says.

30/11 blast accused still at large

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UWAHATI: A year has passed since a series of blasts ripped through the state on October 30 killing 89 people and leaving over 300 injured. But
the perpetrators of this heinous act named by CBI are still at large keeping security forces guessing about their next strike.

In May, the investigating agency revealed that the blasts were carried out by the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and named 19 accused in its chargesheet. Though six among them have been arrested, chairman of the outfit's pro-sovereignty faction, Ranjan Daimary, along with the rest are still absconding. CBI sources said efforts were on to arrest them.

On December 19, the state police handed over the probe to CBI. Altogether 23 officials of the investigating agency formed a special team and examined 828 witnesses before submitting their chargesheet along with other documents.

The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy, waging war against the country, collecting arms, murder, explosions, mischief causing damage and unlawful activities.

The recommendations of the inquiry commission set up by the state government and headed by ex-DGP DN Dutt to plug the loopholes in the police department and prepare it to tackle similar situations are yet to be implemented. Dutt submitted his report to the government on December 31.

The commission had revealed there was a breakdown of co-ordination among senior police officials after the blasts took place.

The major recommendations include creation of a state disaster response force to deal with terror attacks and setting up of a police commissionrate for Guwahati. The Cabinet approved the latter but it hasn't been implemented so far.

The panel also suggested overhauling of the intelligence branch of state police, a contingency plan to handle traffic in the event of a terror strike, posting of competent officers in control rooms and computerization of all police records.

In his report, the ex-DG observed that there was total "paralysis of action right from the then director general of police to the SSP (Guwahati), besides a total lack of coordination" after the blasts took place.

On the eve of one year of the blasts, the police department remained tightlipped on how it has strengthened itself over the past 12 months. A senior functionary at the police headquarters said no one, including the DGP, was allowed to speak without prior permission from the state government and that the orders have come from the chief secretary.

Meghalaya outfit suspends road blockade against uranium mining

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he Khasi Students Union (KSU), a dominant student-youth body, has temporarily suspended its road blockade against uranium mining in Meghalaya after the government invited it for talks, officials said here Thursday.

The KSU was to begin its third phase of a night road blockade Thursday to protest proposed uranium mining in the West Khasi Hills district of southern Meghalaya. But it has relented.

"We are ready to talk to the state government to solve the impasse over the uranium mining issue," KSU secretary Augustine Jyrwa told reporters after a central body meeting of the organisation.

Chief Minister D.D. Lapang Wednesday said the government would hold discussions with protestors Nov 3.

The KSU's three-phase road blockade started Oct 14 to protest a proposed uranium mining project. It affected vehicular movement at night, specially passenger buses and goods-laden trucks on the national highways between Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.

The road blockade had turned violent when many vehicles, including several government cars, were set ablaze by KSU activists.

The student-youth body has also demanded that seven KSU members, arrested on charges of instigating arson during road blockades, be freed unconditionally.

KSU and several local parties have been spearheading the movement against the Meghalaya government's decision to allow the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) to carry out pre-project development programmes in 422 hectares of the uranium-rich areas of West Khasi Hills in southern Meghalaya.

Chief Minister Lapang told reporters: "The uranium reserves in Meghalaya are a national property and no one can stop the government from using them."

"The government has waited for 20 long years to persuade people to allow uranium mining at Mawthabah in West Khasi Hills district of southern Meghalaya," he pointed out.

A senior Meghalaya government official said the union ministry of environment and forests has already allowed UCIL to start mining for the annual production of 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore and process 1,500 tonnes of the mineral ore per day in the district.

UCIL has proposed a Rs.1,046 crore open-cast uranium mining and processing plant. Meghalaya has an estimated 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits.

"The UCIL would invest Rs.2.09 billion to undertake pre-developmental project activities to build schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure," the official said.

NDFB militant killed in Guwahati

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suspected militant was killed early Friday morning in a gunfight with police in Guwahati.

The insurgent of National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) exchanged fire with the police near railway gate number five in Bamunimaidam area of the city, officials said, adding in the ensuing gunfight the ultra was killed.

A pistol with two bullets and a programmable time device were seized from the slain militant, sources said.

Mild intensity earthquake jolts North-East India

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mild intensity earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale shook parts of North East, including Guwahati and Shillong, early on Friday.

The quake having an epicentre at Kokrajhar in Assam occurred at 1.27 am, Meteorological departments officials said in Shillong.

An earthquake of moderate intensity and measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale had jolted Shillong, Guwahati and other parts of North East yesterday night. It had its epicentre in eastern Bhutan.

Officials said there was no report of any damage to property or life.

Manipur schools, colleges being held hostage

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n Manipur, usually it's militants who pass diktats. But now, it's human rights groups and student organizations that have forced all schools and colleges to shut down.

They want action taken against those involved with an alleged fake encounter in Imphal in July. Chungkham Sanjit, a militant who had surrendered, was shot dead inside a pharmacy
on a busy Imphal road by the police.

The policemen claimed Sanjit had opened fire against them, but pictures taken by an anonymous photographer showed Sanjit was unarmed. Weeks of protests followed that incident. Six police men were suspended, but the Apunba Lup, an umbrella organisation of civil society bodies and student unions, wants the chief minister to resign. "If our students are denied right to live then what's the point of studying, we must first fight for our right to live?" says Anita, Convener of Joint Action Committee Against Fake Killings.

Tuition classes have not been spared. NDTV visited a girls' hostel where Class 12 students are worried. Among them, Mina, who points out her board exams are just around the corner. "I sometimes pray to God to help us so that classes may start soon," she says.

Some departments in the Manipur University tried to hold classes secretly, but they've been threatened with serious consequences. Ironically, the same organizations that are holding Education hostage had once appealed to militants to "make education a free zone'", or spare students and classes from strikes and shut-downs. That appeal now has an entire government campaign named after it.

"We would like to appeal to the organisations and student apex bodies and the government to come to some compromise and let us resume our classes," says Karnajit Maisnam, a post-graduate student.

The government has refused to comment on the issue. As the standoff continues, teachers are finding new hobbies. At HRD Academy, a college in Imphal, lecturers are playing badminton to kill time.

Miz tribals, forest dwellers to get rights over land

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izawl, Oct 29 (PTI) A central act seeking to do away with injustice to tribals and other forest dwellers was today extended to Mizoram, giving the people customary rights like cultivation and grazing.

The Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, will become applicable from December 31, 2009, with the state Assembly adopting an official resolution in this regard.

While moving the resolution, Social Welfare Minister P C Lalthanliana said the Act would benefit the tribal people and forest dwellers as a whole and also help in protection of environment.

The step was necessitated as per provisions under Article 371G of the Constitution which stipulates that no act of Parliament on ownership and transfer of land would be applicable to Mizoram unless the state legislature decided to do so by adopting a resolution.

13 militants surrender in Manipur

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mphal, Oct. 28 (ANI): Thirteen cadres of four militant organisations laid down arms in Churachandpur district of Manipur.

They surrendered at an official ceremony held at the headquarters of 3 (Naga Hills) Assam Rifles under the aegis of 57 Mountain Division.

Five militants belong to the newly floated KYKL (MDF), four to UKLA (MC), two to NC-Hill based DHD (J), and one each to PREPAK and UPPK.

Significantly, the surrender marks the end of two underground groups - the splinter group of DHD (J) and the UKLA (MC), which were beginning to spread their support base in Manipur.

This is the third major instance of militants surrendering to the Army during the last four months.

Sixty-Four cadres of Sinlung Peoples'' Liberation Army (SPLA) had surrendered in July in Mizoram while 19 cadres of Dima Halam Daogah-Jewel Garlossa (DHD-J) had surrendered in September at Churachandpur.

The official surrendering ceremony was graced by Major General Shakti Gurung, VSM, GOC 57 Mountain Division as the chief guest.

"We were doing things there I did not like. There was a faction in our group and we roamed in the jungles of Assam and Manipur without any aim. When Assam Rifles contacted us in the jungle, myself and sir were convinced and we wanted to lead a peaceful life. We wanted all the violence to end. So we stand here proudly surrendering before you all," said Saveit Langthasa, a surrendered cadre of the DHD (J).

One rocket launcher, one lethod gun, two AK series rifles, one M-16 rifle, seven pistols, gelatin sticks, one Palm Top, five mobile phones and several ammunitions were laid down by the surrendered militants. (ANI)

We have proof of Dalai Lama’s involvement in Lhasa riots: Chinese minister

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eijing, Oct. 29 (ANI): China has sufficient evidence to prove that last year’s Lhasa riots were masterminded and incited by Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a vice minister of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) has claimed.

“We have ample facts and evidence that last year''s Lhasa violence was premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai Lama clique… Also, the Dalai Lama himself has made several speeches since the March 14 riots to defend involved criminals,” China Daily quoted Zhu Weiqun, a vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the CPC, as saying.

Zhu added that the Dalai Lama turned to so-called “middle line” after his conspiracies- aided with some Western countries failed to achieve “Tibet independence.”

“However, the so-called "middle line" is still in nature "Tibet independence". Since 2007 to the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games, the Dalai Lama clique, especially the extremist group "Tibetan Youth Congress", had organized and incited a series of violent activities in an attempt to disrupt Tibet''s society,” he claimed.

On the question of why the Chinese authorities ended talks with the Dalai Lama''s private representative, Zhu said it was the Dalai Lama himself who halted the talks.

“During the talks in last Nov, the Dalai Lama''s representative showed a so-called "memorandum on Tibetans'' genuine autonomy" and claimed that the following talks with the central government should be based on the memorandum,” he said.

“At that time, the central government''s stance is crystal clear that the memorandum is another edition of the Tibet independence plot that is completely unacceptable. Seeing its attempt fail to come true, the Dalai Lama clique immediately convened a special meeting among all exiled Tibetans and announced the suspension of the contact and talks,” he added. (ANI)

‘Heretic’ Korean pastors irk Nagaland Baptists

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e stealing, murder and extortion crimes? Or are they sins?

These questions might seem incongruous for a news report to begin with, but they have created ripples in rebel-controlled Christian Nagaland. They have, in fact, pitted a state baptized by American missionaries against Korean “biblical encroachers”.

Two pastors of the South Korea-based Good News Mission (GNM) – Ock Soo Park and Kim Sae Yoon – apparently rubbed the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) the wrong way prior to its four-day Bible Crusade that began here on October 26.

GNM was invited by the Withee Bible College near this commercial hub of Nagaland. What the NBCC and affiliate bodies were GNM pamphlets saying stealing, murder and other illegal activities were crimes. NBCC and affiliates categorize them as sins that can be atoned through confessions.

The GNM was also against paying tithes, which is one tenth of annual produce or earnings taken as a tax for the support of the church and clergy.

Irked, the NBCC and others including Nagaland Theological Colleges Association panned GNM and cautioned that “whosoever brings this sort of unsound biblical teaching shall be held responsible for any consequence of doctrinal crisis in churches.”

GNM was also labeled a heretic body, and pressure from church leaders in Nagaland forced it to shift its crusade from the Ao Baptist Church to the Dimapur Stadium.

To make matters worse, the militant National Socialist Council of Nagaland – its credo is ‘Nagaland for Christ’ – backed NBCC and maintained that the Korean pastors’ teachings “are a complete deviation from Biblical truths”.

The Korean pastors dismissed the accusations of heresy as baseless and a result of distorted information and misinterpretations. “There is nothing un-Christian with our belief. Tithes in South Korea, for instance, were not audited and whenever members asked for accounts from pastors, they were excommunicated. We don’t agree with all the corrupt and wrong practices of the church, which exert pressure through sermons for tithes and offerings,” said Ock Soo.

Despite opposition, the GNM crusade elicited a strong response with over 500 people attending the sermons every day.

Dalai Lama will be our state guest: Arunachal CM

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otwithstanding Chinese objection to the Dalai Lama's proposed visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu on Wednesday said the Tibetan spiritual leader will be accorded the honour of 'state guest' during his week-long tour beginning November 7.

Khandu said the Dalai will be given all protocol, including a tight security cover, when he arrives.

"He will be accorded with the honour of state guest. He will visit Tawang, Itanagar and some other places," Khandu told PTI.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summits in Cha-Am Hua Hin, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao that the Dalai Lama is an "honoured guest" of India.

"I explained to Premier Wen that Dalai Lama is our honoured guest and he is a religious leader," Singh had said.

China has protested the Dalai Lama's planned visit to Arunachal Pradesh. It accused the Dalai, who fled to India in 1949 after a failed uprising against the Communist rule, of indulging in anti-China activities and trying to "split" Tibet from the country.

4 women detained under NSA in Manipur for burning Tricolour

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MPHAL: The manipur government has detained four women under the National Security Act (NSA) for allegedly burning the Tricolour
during a recent protest against Manipur's merger with the Union of India in 1949.

On October 21, S Bimola (65) M Nirmala (40), Ch Bilashini (60) and T Madhumati (45) were arrested. On Wednesday, they were produced at the court of chief judicial magistrate (Thoubal).

The MPLF, an umbrella body of three prominent organizations United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Revolutionary People's Front (RPF) and People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (Prepak) observes October 15 as "national black day for the past one decade. On this day in 1949, Manipur merged with the Indian Union.

Supporting the front's programme, hordes of women burnt copies of the "Manipur Merger Agreement" as well as the Tricolour at various places across the state. They also shouted slogans seeking restoration of the state's sovereignty.

On the other hand, a large number employees from the health sector on Wednesday staged a demonstration on the premises of the health directorate here to slam the recent murder of H Binodkumar Singh, a retired government doctor,

Over 100 doctors, 160 nursing students, staff of the directorate and employees of other private health clinics took part in the sit-in protest organized by the Indian Medical Association's state unit.

As a mark of protest, employees of both government and private centres ceased work for three hours on Wednesday.

On October 22, the body of Binodkumar Singh (60) with severe wounds on his head and back was found at an isolated place in the Ishikha area of Imphal East.

Tripura rubber wood industry providing business opportunities and jobs

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ripura, the second largest rubber-growing State after Kerala, is fast becoming an industrial hub in the Northeast. A rubber wood factory plant was recently set up in Tripura’s Anandanagar area, which is the first in the Northeast and the second largest factory in the country.
Tripura Forest Development and Plantation Corporation (TFDPC), a State Government owned PSU, has commissioned the factory at a cost of more than Rs 6 crore and has created direct employment for over 300 employees besides another 1,500 more who are indirectly involved with it.
“The main objective of setting up of this plant is to utilize rubber logs which are otherwise not good to use as fire wood. After 32 years of giving latex the producing capacity decreases and becomes non economical, so rubber trees being a plantation crop it has to be felled after 32 years and replanted. So theses logs are treated and utilized here,” said Alak Paul, Manager of TFDPC. With an aim to utilize the by-products of rubber plantations, the factory is emphasizing on using waste rubber logs for construction purposes, which has a huge demand in the country.
“More than 300 workers work here and though this plant started more than seven-eight years ago but solid rubber wood board production started recently. This board is entirely made from the wood of rubber trees, which are cut down after the phase of latex production is completed,” said Dulal Das, a worker.
“Today there is huge demand of rubber boards in the domestic as well as in foreign markets like Japan, China and Indonesia. This is the biggest unit in the Northeast and it is totally automatic,” he added.
Around 41,000 hectares of land in the State are used entirely for rubber cultivation and produce 23,000 tones of rubber latex annually. Seeing the success of the TFDPC, several investors have shown interest in investing in Tripura.

Delhi disgraceful for NE girls: Union minister

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wo days after the gruesome murder of a Naga teenager in the national capital, a Union minister from the north-east has lashed out at the attitude of the general Delhiite towards women from the region.

Speaking to Headlines Today, Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha Sangma said incidents of women from the north east being molested in Delhi has been quite rampant. The situation in Delhi has been disgraceful, she said.

"We desperately need a more cooperative police and administration. What is also needed urgently is sensitising of the police so that people from the north east feel a part of the system," the minister said.

The police had discovered partially burnt body of Manipuri girl Ramchanphy Hongray from a south Delhi locality on Sunday.

Prior to that, a 21-year-old girl from Arunachal Pradesh, who studies in Jamia Millia Islamia University, was molested in the classroom of a government school in yet another locality of south Delhi. The girl had entered the school campus to complain against some boys who had allegedly teased her while she was passing by.

IITian who killed girl was a pervert: Cops

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IT scholar Pushpam Kumar Sinha, who allegedly murdered a 19-year-old girl from Manipur, is a "pervert and maniac" suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder, the Delhi Police said on Monday.

"On inspecting Sinha's room, we found articles that point to obsessive-compulsive behaviour. He had drawn suggestive graffiti on the walls. Things in his laptop too gave us clues about his mental state. On reading his diaries, we felt he is a pervert and maniacal," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) H.G.S. Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal said Sinha strangulated Ramchanphy Hongray when she resisted his advances. "The victim reacted angrily when Sinha tried to make advances. He feared she would inform the police, so he strangulated her," he said. "To make it as a case of accident, he put her face on the gas stove and lit it."

Twist in the murder case

IITian Pushpam Kumar Sinha's father claimed on Monday his son was married and that his daughter-in-law was keeping unwell.

Pushpam's wife lives in a housing society in Patna. The guard of the society tried to turn mediapersons away when they visited the complex.

- Headlines Today

Sinha was arrested on Sunday for the murder of Hongray at her second floor accommodation in south Delhi's Munirka area on Saturday. He was doing research in wave mechanics from IIT-Delhi.

"Initially there was no suspicion of foul play, but the post-mortem report suggested she died of strangulation and not burns. We zeroed in on Sinha after a discreet inquiry," said Dhaliwal.

"Sinha had a complex. He wrote in his diary that he was not able to make friends with girls. One graffiti read that 'this is the time to make girl friend. I am finally making someone'," he said.

IIT students complained about Sinha

NEW DELHI: IIT PhD scholar Pushpam Kumar Sinha, accused of killing a teenage Naga girl from Manipur, is also facing an inquiry for alleged
indecent behaviour with female students at IIT. "The complaint against Sinha was filed on September 18 by first and second year girl students of civil engineering branch. They alleged that Sinha used to pass lewd remarks and stare at them on the campus. Two senior professors are probing the allegations,'' said a senior police officer.

During interrogation, Sinha is also reported to have told cops that he was married to a Patna girl in 2003. "But after his wife deserted him in July 2008, he was filled with frustration. After his wife, an MSc in environment sciences and presently residing in Patna, left him, Sinha took up PhD in IIT Delhi in October 2008. The couple have no children,'' said the officer.

According to the police, Sinha has confessed to his crime. Police said that the accused told them that he was desperate to talk to the girl and had developed fancy notions about her. On Friday night, a day before the murder, he approached her room several times, knocking on the door seven times between 3pm and 5pm when Ramchanphy Hongray was alone. But a scared Hongray locked herself inside the room.

Cops believe that the cold response from Hongray angered Sinha, who decided to teach her a lesson on Saturday when she was alone. He allegedly strangled Hongray on Saturday and burnt her face to make it look like an accidental death. But postmortem report hinted at strangulation after which Sinha was arrested on Sunday. On Tuesday, he was produced before a city court which remanded him in judicial custody till November 10.

Sinha initially tried to mislead the police by claiming that he was not present when Hongray was found dead but the victim's elder brother, Yaokhalek, who discovered the body first on Saturday told police that he saw Sinha loitering near the stairs when he went to the house at 6.30pm on Saturday. "This raised our suspicion and we questioned him at length and after four hours of interrogation, Sinha confessed to the brutal murder,'' said an investigating officer.

On Tuesday, Sinha's another neighbour, a woman and her daughter, hailing from North-East, also vacated their rented accommodation in the same complex, said a cop.

Stop attacks on N-E people: Naga women bodies

I
MPHAL: Naga women bodies in Manipur have termed the murder of Ramchanphy Hongray a "systematic racial attack" on northeasterners and urged all
concerned to stop such assaults immediately.

Nineteen-year-old Hongray of Greenland in Ukhrul district was allegedly killed after being raped by her fellow tenant Pushpan Kumar Sinha (30), a PhD scholar of IIT-New Delhi, on Saturday night. Five years ago, Leishichon Shaiza, a Naga girl from Ukhrul was murdered in Mumbai.

Hongray went to New Delhi to visit her elder sister who works there. Since she was new, she had to spend most of the time indoors while her sister was away for work. Taking advantage of the situation, Sinha committed the heinous crime.

Expressing shock over Hongray's murder, Naga Women Union Manipur (NWUM), has cautioned that any attempt by Delhi Police to dub the murder as an isolated case will further hurt the sentiments of people from the North-East.

"NWUM believes the media will not shy away from this kind of racial discrimination against people from the North-East," said union president Grace Shatsang on Tuesday.

The Tangkhul Shanao Long (TSL) said attacks on people from the North-East, especially students studying in New Delhi, has given rise to fear psychosis and a sense of alienation.

"TSL is also shocked by the manner in which Delhi Police is trying to divert such issues as isolated cases' instead of ensuring safety of people from the North-East," said a statement issued by its president AS Dinah and general secretary Ys Praising.

CRPF personnel try to molest' woman on train, beaten up

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OKRAJHAR: At least 20 CRPF personnel, returning from New Delhi in the Brahmaputra Mail, were injured in a mob attack after the securitymen
allegedly tried to molest a woman and assaulted her brother at Fakiragram railway station in Assam's Kokrajhar district on Tuesday.

The clash broke out between locals and the CRPF jawans when over 3,000 villagers from Fakiragram and its neighbouring areas rushed to the station following rumours that a woman had been thrown out of a train after being allegedly raped by some security personnel.

According to eyewitnesses, locals threw stones at the two compartments carrying the CRPF personnel and assaulted the jawans with lathis. A police reinforcement, led by additional superintendent of police (Kokrajhar) Kalyan Phukan, rushed to the spot and fired in the air to disperse the mob. A source said the locals also attacked the Howrah-Tinsukia UP 5906. Two students, Sudarshan Shah and Sofikul Islam, were injured in the melee.

Police and GRP personnel have so far detained over 45 security personnel. "Eleven of the detained securitymen are critically wounded. They are being interrogated and cross-examined. They may be arrested later," sources said.

The woman said she had boarded the 4056 Up Brahmaputra Mail from New Jalpaiguri late on Monday evening and was going to Goalpara along with her brother. The two compartments, adjacent to the general coach in which she was in, were carrying jawans belonging to the army, CISF, CRPF, Assam Rifles, NSG and ITBF.

"Initially, they were quite well-behaved. But as the train was approaching Dhupguri, some of the jawans started making advances at me and even beat up Sanjib, my brother," said the woman.

"I tried to resist the jawans. But they tried to throw me out," said Sanjib, who called up his kin at Fakiragram from his sister's cellphone. It was then that the rumour spread and locals rushed to the railway station, waiting for the train to reach Fakiragram.

The jawans, however, denied that there was any molestation bid on the train. "I was talking to my wife when we were suddenly attacked. People started throwing stones at us. Some even entered the compartment. Before we could make out anything, many of us were injured," a jawan said. "We did not get any chance to protect ourselves," another jawan said.

Nobait Deka, a CISF jawan from Guwahati posted with Delhi Metro, was among the injured. He claimed that the jawans had nothing to do with the molestation bid.

Assam launches mobile fair price shops

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he Assam government on Saturday launched a vegetable fair price shop and a mobile sale centre ostensibly to counter price rise.

“Price rise is a global phenomenon, but there are ways to provide respite to the people within the constraints,” said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. “Making essentials available at reasonable prices through a mobile service is a step in that direction.”

The initiative of vegetable fair price shops and mobile sale centre was taken by the Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board. It has come at a time when the Opposition and students’ bodies have been railing the government for its indifference to price rice.

Prices of essentials have increased by 30-45 per cent over the past three months, more than 100 per cent in the case of potatoes and onions. “The government has given unscrupulous traders a free hand,” said All Assam Students Union advisor Samujjwal K Bhattacharyya.

But Gogoi scotched allegations of inactivity. “We are keeping a close watch on price rise and have accordingly instructed the district authorities and food and civil supplies department to act tough on whoever is taking advantage of the situation,” he said.

He added that the problem has compounded because of low productivity dictated by climatic conditions. “The demand-supply ratio has widened to a great extent. That is why our government has taken up a slew of programmes like Mission Pulses aimed at increasing productivity,” he said.

Assam, the chief minister reminded, is an agrarian state and the backbone of its economy is agriculture. “Our government wants to ensure that farmers get the right prices for their produce and that is why it has upped its ante against middlemen who are trying to make hay at the cost of the farmers.”

Dorjee Khandu sworn in as Arunachal Chief Minister

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orjee Khandu, who led the Congress to a two-thirds majority in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections, was on Sunday sworn in as the fifth Chief Minister of the border state.

Governor Gen (retd) JJ Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to 54-year-old Khandu, who returns as Chief Minister for a consecutive second term, in a glittering ceremony at the Durbar hall of the Raj Bhavan.

All the newly-elected MLAs were present at the oath-taking ceremony.

Former chief minister Gegong Apang, whom Khandu dislodged from power in 2007, were present along with AICC observer V Narayansami, CWC member Luizinho Falerio and AICC secretary Sanjay Bapna.

Khandu, a former army intelligence officer rewarded for his exploits during the Bangladesh war, had turned a social activist before joining politics in 1980.

He was elected unopposed to the Legislative Assembly of Arunachal Pradesh in March 1990 from Mukto constituency. Khandu was re-elected in March 1995 from the same constituency and was given the portfolio of Minister of State for Cooperation. In 2007, He replaced powerful Apang as the Chief Minister who had ruled the tribal state for 23 years.

Media persons to surrender I-cards in Manipur

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edia persons in Manipur will surrender identity cards issued to them by state authorities in protest against the government's failure in punishing police commandos who allegedly harassed, detained and assaulted two journalists on October 10.

The decision to return the I-cards to the Directorate of Information and Public Relations department was taken at a joint meeting of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union (AMWJU) and editors of local dailies on Sunday, an AMWJU spokesman said on Monday.

The spokesman said that the AMWJU had also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh through Governor Gurbachan Jagat on Saturday, requesting him to direct the state government to bring to book the commandos involved in the incident.

He said the AMWJU has also demanded transfer of senior police officials of Imphal West district police station to which the commandos belonged.

The I-cards will be returned tomorrow and if still no action is taken against the commandos, the Manipur Press Club building will also be handed over to the state government, he said.

On October 10, two journalists were allegedly harassed, detained and assaulted by police commandos while returning home from duty even after they showed their I-cards at Waheng Leikai area in Imphal.

Tripura troopers secure top commando honours

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roopers of the Tripura State Rifles (TSR), who played a key role in curbing terrorism in the state, have bagged all the 14 top positions in the Police Commando Instructor Course (PCIC) at the National Security Guards (NSG) campus in Manesar, Haryana.

"The daredevil TSR troopers bagged all 14 top positions in the 75-day course held earlier this month at the NSG academy in Manesar," Deputy Inspector General Nepal Das told IANS on Monday.

"The TSR jawans outshone their counterparts from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Orissa, Assam, Delhi and Chhattisgarh in quick shooting, commando actions, running and other events."

The course ended on Oct 21 and they returned home on Oct 24.

Congratulating the troopers, Tripura police chief Pranay Sahay asked the elite combatants to train other TSR personnel group by group so that any extremist elements in the northeastern state bordering Bangladesh could be thwarted.

"The TSR's formation and training have been modelled on the Border Security Force (BSF) and Assam Rifles. Over the years, the elite state force has increasingly become a key combatant force to flush out the militancy from this hilly state," Sahay said.

TSR runs its own counter-insurgency and jungle guerrilla warfare institute at Kachucherra in Dhalai district in northern Tripura, similar to the army's Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) at Vairengte in western Mizoram.

The TSR was constituted in 1984 to counter terrorism in the northeastern state -- 75 per cent of its soldiers are from Tripura while the rest are from across the country. At present, there are 12 TSR battalions and one more is being raised.

Of the 13 battalions, nine are Indian Reserve battalions -- which means they could be deployed anywhere in India.

Youth killed in Manipur ‘encounter'

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hundrakpam Naotombi’s mobile phone kept ringing through Saturday night. Late on Sunday evening, an unknown man picked it up and reportedly told Naotombi’s wife: “Go to the RIMS (Regional Institute of Medical Sciences) morgue if you want to see your husband.”

When Kundrakpam Ongbi Sonia went to RIMS she found her husband’s body there.

Sonia alleges that four commandos in civvies picked up Naotombi, 26, around 7.30 pm on Saturday from their residence at Ishikha Ningthemcha Khun locality in Manipur’s Imphal east district.

However, the public relations officer of Assam Rifles in a release said that discovering the presence of UG (underground) cadres in Chiru under Irilbung police station “troops of 28 Assam Rifles launched (an) operation in the area and eliminated one UG cadre” at around 12.15 am on Sunday.

The troops reportedly recovered a point 32 pistol with a magazine and three live rounds.

Naotombi, earlier in jail on charges of being a member of the banned People’s Liberation Army, was released in September last year, and was living with his wife and daughter.

An officer-in-charge at the Irilbung station said “a case has been registered and investigations are on”.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has said his government was trying its best to ensure innocent people did not fall victims to counter-insurgency operations. His assurance has yet to mollify three students organisations, which have enforced closure of all schools across Imphal Valley for over a month now.

Cross border movement of insurgents serious: Meghalaya DGP

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ovement of insurgents on Indo-Bangladesh border is a serious matter and without an effective fencing it is difficult to check it, newly-appointed Meghalaya Director General of Police, S B Kakati said on Tuesday.

"There is lot of cross border movement. We have been insisting on this (movement of insurgents) since long. It is a tough job to check the infiltration unless you have an effective fencing, Kakati told reporters after assuming charge.

His comments come a day after BSF Special DG (East) R K Medhekar claimed "there was no increase in movement of insurgents and there was nothing particularly serious along the Bangla border in the eastern sector".

The border fencing erected earlier had become useless. Now, it is being redesigned and once it is in proper shape, the problem should decrease, the state DGP said.

Asked how serious was the cross border movement, Kakati said, "From my experience, I must say it is a serious business".

The Garo Hills in Meghalaya and Assam border is quite porous, particularly those areas in Mahendraganj, Dalu and Mankachar. Assam Police has also been bringing the problem to the notice of the BSF, Kakati, who had served as IG in BSFs North Bengal Frontier besides the ADG (law and order) in Assam Police, said.

HC directs Assam govt to file cases against erring officers

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he Gauhati High Court today directed the Assam Government to register criminal cases against 30 officers of the education department for allegedly giving illegal appointments in primary schools during the last few years.

The division bench comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Biplab Kumar Sarma directed the government to file FIRs for registration of criminal cases against the 30 officers before the State Vigilance and Anti-corruption Cell and submit progress of the criminal investigation within six months.

In its earlier July 13 order, the court took into consideration the affidavit filed by the education department in indicting the 30 officials, who had been found to be involved in such illegal and irregular appointments.

During the hearing today, the state education department counsel submitted that the cabinet decision was yet to be made for regularisation of the teachers and as regard illegal or irregular appointments, some of the erring officers of the education department identified for giving illegal appointments have been placed under suspension.

The court also directed the Advocate General of Assam to apprise the bench of the steps taken by the state government for regularisation of the Operation Black Board (OBB) teachers as per its earlier orders.

Hand-raised wild buffaloes released in the wild

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wo hand-raised wild buffaloes were released in eastern Assam’s Dibru-Saikhowa National Park by the forest department and International Fund for Animal Welfare-Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI). The buffaloes, rescued as calves separated from their herds six years ago, are being remotely monitored with the help of radio-transmitters fitted on to them before their release.

“There are some 300 wild buffaloes here. We have seen no aberrant behaviour in the two buffaloes released. But these two face threats of confrontation from resident wild buffaloes, but such intra-specific conflicts are natural. I think they will be able to reintegrate into the wild,” said Dibru-Saikhowa divisional forest officer Aniruddha De.

Prior to the release, the two buffaloes underwent prolonged in-situ acclimatization in a 3 hectare area established within Dibru-Saikhowa. They were hand-raised at the IFAW-WTI run Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga National Park and were relocated to the specified area in December 2006.

The calves, both males, were rescued in August 2002 and November 2003 in Kaziranga. The first calf – barely a week old during rescue – was displaced from its herd due to the floods. The second calf was found alone in the forest. In CWRC, the calves were kept in the mega-herbivore nursery, and were hand-raised by the veterinarians and animal keepers. At Dibru-Saikhowa, they were radio-collared on October 4 in preparation for their release.

With less than 4000 individuals estimated to be remaining in the wild across its distribution range, the wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee) is categorised as an ‘endangered’ species by the IUCN Red List. In India, wild buffaloes are found in Assam, Chhattisgarh and possibly in Madhya Pradesh. The species is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Wild buffaloes predominantly inhabit alluvial grasslands, riparian forests and woodlands. A single population each survives in the Kosi Tapu Wildlife Reserve in Nepal and Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. The wild buffalo is also reported from Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand.

In India, threats to the wild buffalo includes interbreeding with domestic or feral buffaloes, as well as competition and disease transmission from the latter which are found foraging even in protected areas. In Assam, the calves are also displaced by natural calamities such as floods, or due to conflicts with humans.

“Dilution of genetic purity of the wild buffaloes through interbreeding with domestic buffaloes is possible. However, the chances of a domestic male breeding with a wild female is remote, considering the ferocity of the wild buffaloes. So the gene flow would be more from the wild to the households rather than the other way around. This has been substantiated by recent genetic studies,” said NVK Ashraf, director of WTI’s Wild Rescue Programme.

Manipur-based ultras extort money from Mizo villagers

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nipur-based militants collected over Rs two lakh from 18 villages on the Mizoram-Manipur border through extortion this year, the Mizoram assembly was told on Monday.

The money amounting to Rs 2,49,400 was collected by the Hmar People's Convention (Democrats) through extortion notes, state Home minister R Lalzirliana said in a written reply to a query from Lalthansanga of the Mizoram People's Conference (MPC).

Lalzirliana said that criminal cases have been registered against the insurgents in Vairengte, Sakawrdai, Ngopa, Bairabi and Saitual Police Stations.

He said many village council presidents handed over the money collected from the villagers at the rate of Rs 200 from government employee and Rs 100 per household to the HPC-D leadership in Manipur's Thingpuikual village on September 10.

The police in some areas seized extortion notes and registered cases against the militants, he added.

IRB jawan killed in drunken brawl with ITBP personnel

A
jawan of India Reserve Battalion (IRB) was killed after a drunken brawl with ITBP personnel at Seppa in Arunachal Pradesh on Diwali day on Saturday, police sources said today.

ITBP and IRB jawans had a clash in a hotel there over drinks on that day in which several IRB jawans were thrashed by ITBP personnel, they said.

After sometime, IRB jawans went to ITBP personnel posted near the strong room where EVMs were kept after October 13 assembly poll to settle scores.

On seeing IRB jawans rushing towards them, one ITBP jawan opened fire in which the IRB jawan was killed, police said.

Huge cache of arms and explosives seized in Sadiya

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INSUKIA: A joint team of army and police found a huge cahe of arms and ammunition worth several lakhs in Sadiya sub-division of Tinsukia
district on Monday.

Packed in a polythene bag, the weapons were hidden under the ground at Deopaani and Amarpur Reserve forests. Sadiya, a small township situated in the easternmost district of the state bordering Arunachal Pradesh, was Ulfa's mainland until a couple of years ago.

The seizure includes two rifles, a grenade launcher (lathod), a carbine machine gun, six pistols, two grenades, detonators, radio sets and 30 kg of explosives besides several incriminating documents.

The incident comes at a time when peace was returning to the insurgency-hit Tinsukia district ever since Ulfa's "A" and "C" companies declared a unilateral ceasefire in 2008. Security forces are also worried in the wake of intelligence reports of movement of Ulfa cadres in the Sadiya-Chapakhowa belt of the district over the last couple of months.

Brigadier Ranbir Singh, the commander of Laipuli-based 181 Mountain Brigade said, "Ulfa is trying to make inroads into Upper Assam's Tinsukia district to disrupt peace after the outfit's "A" and "C" company declared ceasefire." He added that security forces are ready to thwart any attempt by Ulfa to strike back.

"According to reports, Ulfa's 28th battalion is trying to regroup. It has made several attempts to recruit unemployed youths from Tinsukia and Dibrugarh district. It is learnt that weapons have been sneaked in so that new cadres need not worry about arms when they enter the district to carry put subversive activities," the Brigadier said. He added that the seized arms and ammunition could have been used to carry out a series of major attacks.

Colonel Ashok Mishra of the Dah Division said, "Army and police had launched a joint operation three days ago. They got vital clues on Sunday night which led to the seizure of arms in Sadiya the next day."

Jiten Dutta, a leader of the outfit's pro-talks faction, said the seized weapons did not belong to them and they knew nothing about it.

In the beginning of 2009, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh Police had seized arms and ammunition amounting to Rs 50 lakh. But unlike last time, the weapons found on Monday do not belong to the ceasefire group raising concerns of Ulfa planning to stage a comeback by carrying out strikes in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh distircts.

Delhi helpless over dam construction by China

W
hile Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have asked for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention on the reported construction of a dam over the river Brahmaputra in Tibet by China, India may not be able to make much noise over the China's hydro project. No matter how much noise Assam and Arunachal Pradesh make on the reported construction of the world’s largest dam on the Brahmaputra river by China in Tibet. But Delhi can do very little in this regard. From the MEA sources, it has been learnt that it was India's assessment that the Zangmu hydropower project would be a run of the river hydro project, which will not violate any international laws. A Run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation whereby the natural flow and elevation drop of a river are used to generate electricity. These types of dams have certain advantages and disadvantages as well. While there is no flooding, there is still a considerable negative environmental impact through clear cutting for power lines, roads, and a water diversion which affects fish stocks. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash earlier said that India will be trying to ascertain whether there are recent developments that suggest any change in the position conveyed to India by Beijing. The spokesperson said at earlier meetings of India-China experts on trans-border river issues the Chinese side categorically denied that there is a plan to build any such large-scale diversion project on the Brahmaputra river. Both the countries have set up a joint expert committee on trans-border river issues in 2006 and the committee has held 3 meets so far. Delhi is likely to inquire about the Zangmu project at the next bilateral meeting of water experts. China's reported plans to build a dam across the Brahmaputra river and divert water to its arid provinces have been vehemently opposed by the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments. The 2,906-km long Brahmaputra is one of Asia's largest rivers that flows the first stretch of 1,625 km in Tibet region, the next 918 km in India and the remaining 363 km through Bangladesh before converging into the Bay of Bengal. According to media reports, China is planning to divert 200 billion cubic metres of water to feed the Yellow River in an attempt at easing acute water shortage in Shaanxi, Hebel, Beijing and Tianjin. The Brahmaputra is the lifeline for a vast majority of the people in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh. Most of them depend on the river to irrigate their fields, fishing and transportation of goods. Agriculture forms the backbone of the economies in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh with nearly 80 percent of the 28 million people in the two states eking out a living through farming. There has been no official reaction from Beijing to India's concern about damming the Brahmaputra.

Go closer to Indo-Myanmar border; Govt tells Assam Rifles

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he Centre has directed the Assam Rifles to move its troops closer to the sensitive Indo-Myanmar frontier in order to curb cross-border movement of arms, drugs and militants. Most of the troops of the 174 year-old paramilitary force, which functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs and operational command of the Army, are currently deployed 40 kilometres away from the international border. Many North-east insurgent groups still maintain their camps and training centres across the 1,631 km-long border that runs along the four frontier states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Smuggling of arms and ammunition across the border is also rampant. Besides this, cross-border smuggling of narcotics is always a concern for the security forces since such substances always find markets in metros and other major cities. Though no deadline has been set for the deployment of forces closer to the border, the Home Ministry wants the process to be completed as soon as possible. Another critical factor that makes this border vulnerable is the fact that people inhabiting on both sides belong to same ethnic groups. There are innumerable jungle tracks used by these people that run across the border. This makes it difficult for border security personnel to keep track of movement and activities, including trafficking of arms and drugs into the region.

Army well-prepared to meet any challenge along border: GOC 3 Corps

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he Indian Army has said that it is well prepared to face any kinds of threats on the Indo-China border especially in Arunachal Pradesh. We have this report by Pradeep Pareek from Rangapahar Military Station in Nagaland. General Officer Commanding of the 3 Corps of the Indian Army Lt Gen N K Singh has said that there was nothing to worry about any Chinese threat as the Indian Army is adequately prepared to meet the challenges. He said that the element of military preparedness is very much there in Arunachal. Replying to a query by NETV on the locations and bad road conditions in Tawang-Bumla sector of Arunachal Pradesh, the General Officer said that such roads can be of advantage as well as disadvantage, but for the Indian army they have the adequate infrastructure if any threat comes from across the border. He said the terrain on the Chinese side may be better for transportation unlike the rugged terrain in the Indian side of Bumla, but this does not mean that it would hamper military activities. Replying to queries about arms smuggling along the Indo-Myamnar and Indo-China borders, Lt Gen Singh said that the clandestine activities of gun-running has been continuing from across the border, but there is no official confirmation of the respective government’s involvement in it. He said that arms smuggling has been reduced considerably. He also announced the raising of a Naga battalion, which will be completed within the next six months. When asked by NETV about the media reports claiming the presence of ULFA Chief Paresh Baruah somewhere near Manipur-Myanmar border, the GOC said that the whereabouts and location of Paresh Baruah is still not known. It is to be mentioned that union home secretary GK Pillai, during his visit to Nagaland a couple of days ago, admitted that the militant groups of the Northeast are receiving arms from China. But he however denied any knowledge about the China government’s involvement in this.

Assam silently celebrates Kati Bihu amidst Diwali festivities

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espite being hardpressed by floods, drought and a sky-rocketting price level, Assam is observing Kati Bihu across the state with traditional fervour. As the night falls on Sunday, rows and rows of earthen lamps are twinkling in the paddy fields and households. Pujas are being offered before the scared Tulsi plants in the courtyards where the people of all ages----irrespective of castes and creeds are praying for good crop this time. This Bihu is marked not by opulence and festivities, but by austerity as during this time of the year the farmers undergo a lean phase in their cropping. Kati Bihu, also known as Kangali Bihu, is the festival of the poor celebrated by the Assamese. Meanwhile, lakhs of fllod affected people have to survive without food and shelter on this day after the last wave of floods rendered them homeless. There is no enthusiasm of Kati Bihu among the farmers of Lakhimpur and Dhemajir. Lakhs of farmers have to pass sleepless nights ion this day due to lack of food and shelter. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s development programmes has no meaning for these farmers. There is no perspective plan of agriculture minister Pramila Rani Brahma to increase rabi crops production among the flood affected farmers. Lakhs of marooned people have to stay at railway lines, highways and embankments after the last wave of flood washed everything. They have nothing to worship before the Goddess Laxmi on this day. No paddy seedlings are growing in the fields. They have nothing to offer before Tulsi plant and light earthen lamps in agricultural fields. The government has not come up with any programme for relief and rehabilitation of these farmers. The poverty has dampened the sspirt of the Bihu among the farmers. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was busy in foreign trip at the time of flood. Agriculture minister pramila Rani Brahma was busy with special photo session in agricultural fields. There is non to look after the condition of these marooned farmers. Bihu has no meaning for them.

Two killed after poaching rhino

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orest guards killed two poachers in Assam’s Orang National Park after they had felled a female rhino and chopped off its horn late Saturday night. One of them, identified as Hormuz Ali, had carried a price on his head.

The poachers, officials said, had struck during Diwali festivities in fringe villages hoping that the din of crackers would neutralize the sound of their guns.

“Past experiences taught us to be extra vigilant on Diwali night. But before we could get to the gang of poachers around 11 pm, they had killed the rhino,” Orang DFO Sushil K Daila told HT. The 74 sq km park, perhaps more vulnerable than Kaziranga National Park bang across the river Brahmaputra, is 140 km from state capital Guwahati.

“Two others escaped, but Ali had been a major headache. He had earlier been caught but released after three months in prison. We recovered the rhino horn from the dead poachers, the axe they hacked it with and some cartridges of a .303 rifle,” Daila said.

This was the fifth rhino killed in Orang this year. The past few months also saw ‘revenge killing’ (the act of villagers poisoning carcass of cattle killed by big cats) claim a Royal Bengal tiger.

“There are hardly any tigers left in the park to be killed,” said environmentalist Firoz Ahmed. His sarcasm was understandable: Latest camera trapping survey estimated the tiger population in Orang at seven compared to 19 in 2000.

This year also saw poachers killing 10 rhinos and two of the eight Royal Bengal tigers that died in Kaziranga.

Repolling in Arunachal today

R
epolling is being held in 33 polling stations under 15 Assembly constituencies in Arunachal Pradesh from 7 am today.

Out of the 33 polling stations, eight are in Upper Subansiri district, seven in Kurung Kumay district and five in
Lower Subansiri district.

Repoll has been ordered in the wake of group clashes, which led to damage of EVMs in some cases, on the polling day
on October 13.

Over 75 per cent polling was recorded in 57 Assembly constituencies on October 13. The three constituencies of
Tawang district, with predominantly Buddhist population on the Sino-India border, however did not go for votes as three Congress candidates have already been elected unopposed. The three included Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu.

Counting will be held on October 22.

China small arms bazaar fuelling NE militants, Maoists

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mall arms wielded by Northeast militants and Maoists invariably find their way in from Yunan province of southern China through the Chin people in Myanmar. But forces handling security this side of the India-Myanmar border have “no reasons yet” to suspect Beijing’s official involvement in the gun-running racket.

Chinese copies of weapons such as the American M-16 rifles and Russian Kalashnikovs – AK-47s and AK-56s – are cheaper but almost as lethal. These fuel the clandestine arms bazaar straddling Yunan, northern Myanmar and the notorious Golden Triangle comprising Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

Druglords and militias controlling the Golden Triangle dovetail their narcotic trade with gun-running. While northern Burmese guerrillas representing ethnic groups such as Kachin, Wa and Shan relay this two-in-one trade, the Chins inhabiting southern Myanmar reportedly push arms and narcotic substances through Mizoram. They also pump in fake Indian currencies sourced from Bangladesh and Pakistan.

“There have been quite a few seizures of small arms and drugs in recent months,” said Lt Gen NK Singh, chief of the army’s 3rd Corps based at Rangapahar near here. “Most of those involved were Chins, who have the advantage of looking like the Mizos of Mizoram and speaking a similar language.”

The northeastern states bordering junta-ruled Myanmar – Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram – fall under the jurisdiction of the 3rd Corps. Several battalions of the Northeast-specific Assam Rifles (paramilitary) also police these states.

Among the recent seizures were several M-16 rifles and Chinese walkie talkies from a house in Mizoram capital Aizawl on July 31. The house was rented by a woman named Lalnempuii, a resident of Tahan village in Myanmar. Some 70 assault rifles confiscated from militants in Assam’s North Cachar Hills were also traced to a Chin arms smuggler named Lalliana in September.

Officials said Champhai and Saiha areas of southern Mizoram are the preferred drug- and gun-running routes along the border with Myanmar followed by Moreh in Manipur. “A 10 km stretch at Moreh is being fenced to check clandestine activities along the India-Myanmar border. Plans are afoot to fence other strategic stretches too,” the 3rd Corps commander said.

The security agencies are also monitoring ‘free move’ passes/clearances issued by local police or gaonburahs (village heads) to those residing within 40 km of either side of the Indo-Burma border. Bona fide Indian and Burmese residents within this 40 km are allowed into each other’s country primarily for trade for a specific period of time as per a 1047 agreement between New Delhi and Rangoon (now Yangon). This agreement was modified in 1968.

Mob dismantles house of alleged militant recruiter

A
mob dismantled the house of an alleged agent of a militant outfit for recruiting children in Imphal West district of Manipur, police sources said on Saturday.

Local people alleged that the man W Suhel had called three children on some pretext some days ago and handed them over to a militant outfit.

The people who destroyed the house at Khabam area on Friday said he and his family would not be allowed to live there again.

Five ULFA rebels arrested in Guwahati

S
ecurity forces on Sunday claimed to have foiled a major terror attack by arresting five militants of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in separate raids in the heart of Assam's main city of Guwahati.

A police spokesperson said the five ULFA rebels were in Guwahati to stage terror attacks, including explosions, besides carrying out extortion.

Two rebels were arrested from Guwahati's Hengrabari area on Saturday, while three more were arrested from the city's Gandhibasti area late Friday.

The police, however, kept the arrests under wraps for security reasons.

"The arrests were significant as we had intelligence reports of the ULFA planning some attacks in the city and nearby areas. We are interrogating the arrested militants for vital clues," a senior police officer said.

The arrests are significant as police earlier this week claimed to have got wind of militant plans to carry out serial attacks in Dhekiajuli and Tezpur in northern Assam before Oct 31.

"Intercepts of radio communications revealed militants were planning to carry out attacks in Dhekiajuli and Tezpur. We could get vital clues from the arrested militants about the plan," the official said.

Meanwhile, a massive security offensive was also launched against the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in western Assam after they killed 13 people Oct 2 in Sonitpur district in northern Assam.

Indian fireworks blaze 'kills 30'

A
t least 30 people have been killed and 10 injured in a fire at a fireworks warehouse in south-east India, the Press Trust of India says.

Police said 30 charred bodies had been pulled from the warehouse at Pallipat, near Chennai, according to the report.

Most of the victims were reported to be traders buying up fireworks ahead of the Diwali festival on Saturday.

It was not immediately clear how the fire started. Accidental explosions are common at Indian fireworks factories.

Many such factories are illegal, providing fireworks for weddings, festivals and other ceremonies.

In July at least 16 people were killed after an explosion and fire at another fireworks factory in Tamil Nadu state, of which Chennai is the capital.

Fireworks celebrations are an important part of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

Tamil Nadu tribals bring grain revolution

E
ven as we hear reports of drought and food shortage, here is a story of a unique Community Food Bank that has ensured food security for a tribal community in Tamil Nadu's Salem district.

It's nothing less than a grain revolution from shortage to surplus. Tribals in the drought-prone Kalrayan hills often needed to leave home to get enough to eat. Now this Community Food Bank has changed everything. It works like our regular banks.

After the harvest farmers deposit surplus grains, at times of drought or scarcity they take a loan of grains, which they have to return after a new crop. This food security has stopped migration.

"Now we are not only able to help ourselves, but also those in our neighbouring villages. For every measure we lend, we collect a small measure as interest," said a woman.

A brainchild of the M S Swaminathan foundation and World Vision India, the bank has a corpus of 12 tonnes of grains at any given time, enough to feed the community for three months.

"We also lend them seeds. During crisis they can use this to raise fresh crops and return what they had borrowed," said Vivian Rajkumar, manager, World Vision India, Kalrayan Hills.

Tribal children's education, which suffered earlier, has received a new fillip.

This kind of food security at a local level has now spread to five villages, certainly a model worth replicating.

Militants attack mobile tower atop a civilian's house

U
nidentified militants hurled a powerful grenade at a mobile tower installed atop a residential building in Thoubal district, police said here today.

Militants lobbed grenade at the house of a civilian, identified as Kheiru Din, yesterday.

The explosive, which failed to explode, was later defused by bomb disposal experts, sources said adding that the motive behind the incident was not yet known.

First swine flu death in Mizoram

A
28-year-old man has died of swine flu at a hospital in Mizoram's Mamit district, making it the first death from the pandemic in the state, officials said.

The report of the throat and swab samples of C M S Dawngliana, who died on Sunday, today revealed that he was infected with H1N1 virus, health department officials said.

The victim was suspected of contacting virus when he took his relative to Aizawl Civil Hospital for treatment in September. Dawngliana was the fourth person in the state to be infected with the virus.

Health officials have decided to screen people at border checkposts and also at the lone Lengpui airport near here.

Experts expressed fear that a second wave of swine flu hitting the country would be worse than the first.

Mizoram, they said, would have to remain vigilant during winter. 28-year-old man has died of swine flu at a hospital in Mizoram's Mamit district, making it the first death from the pandemic in the state, officials said.

The report of the throat and swab samples of C M S Dawngliana, who died on Sunday, today revealed that he was infected with H1N1 virus, health department officials said.

The victim was suspected of contacting virus when he took his relative to Aizawl Civil Hospital for treatment in September. Dawngliana was the fourth person in the state to be infected with the virus.

Health officials have decided to screen people at border checkposts and also at the lone Lengpui airport near here.

Experts expressed fear that a second wave of swine flu hitting the country would be worse than the first.

Mizoram, they said, would have to remain vigilant during winter.

UN envoy critical of proposed big dams in North-East

C
ritical of the proposed big dams in the North-East, an UN envoy has said such developmental projects should not infringe upon the rights of the local indigenous people.

"I have learnt that the government proposes to set up some 100 dams in the North-East of India. It may be a clean
source of energy, but it should not be carried out at the cost of the rights of the local indigenous people," Chairperson of United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Victoria Tauli Corpuz said here yesterday during the course of a lecture.

She said the government and the agencies implementing the projects, should take prior consent of the locals.

Issues such as deforestation, displacement and impact on environment should be addressed by the government, she
added.

Blaming developed nations for the adversities of climate change, she said those countries are now eyeing the
tropical forests in the developing countries for rescuing them.

"They (developed countries) have saturated the environment with carbon emission, and now they are asking
developing nations to resort to carbon neutral developmental activities," she said.

Explosives seized from abandoned vehicle in Shillong

P
olice seized explosives from an abandoned vehicle in Shillong this morning.

Fifteen detonators and as many gelatin sticks were found in n car left at the Polo area here.

Police said, according to the documents, the vehicle belonged to a coal miner.

"We will have to question the owner, only then can we ascertain what the explosives were meant for," they said.

Six presiding officers suspended in Arunachal

S
ix presiding officers who went missing with EVMs shortly after conclusion of polling for the Arunachal Pradesh assembly on October 13 and reappeared on the next morning, have been suspended.

The officers of Likabali constituency under West Siang district were suspended for dereliction of duty as their disappearance for over eight hours resulted in violence in which government and personal property of the sub-divisional office-cum-returning officers office were damaged, official sources said on Thursday.

West Siang DEO Amjad Tak placed them under suspension, they said.

The presiding officers carrying the election materials failed to report to Likabali RO Office complex till late in the night where all polling teams were ready to move to the Aalo receiving centre under police escort.

Two candidates Gumke Riba (NCP) and Yai Mara (AITC) lodged complaints about the missing presiding officers.

Despite assurance of appropriate action, the candidates, polling agents and supporters allegedly damaged office articles, vehicles and windows and also attacked the SDO's residence and damaged household articles.

The presiding officers, however, reported at the ROs office at 5:40 am the next day, the sources said.

Six vehicles torched in blockade against uranium project

A
t least six vehicles were torched and five suspected student activists arrested as stray incidents of violence marred the first of the two-day night road blockade called by Khasi Students Union (KSU) to protest the proposed uranium mining project in Meghalaya.

Unidentified assailants burnt two vehicles near Mairang in West Khasi Hills district and one each in Ri Bhoi, Jaintia Hills and East Khasi Hills districts since Wednesday night.

Acting DGP B Kezo told reporters that five youths were detained in connection with the incidents.

Regular traffic on the highways was hit during the blockade. Reports from Ri Bhoi, West Khasi Hills and East Khasi Hills districts said the traffic along the highways thinned after 7 pm last evening. The response was mixed in Jaintia Hills district.

Few vehicles, especially trucks, that plied on NH 40 and 44 were provided with police escort, officials said.

Additional security personnel, including paramilitary troops, were deployed in the state to prevent any further untoward incidents during the blockade hours that resume from 9 pm tonight, he said.

The KSU had decided to intensify its agitation by enforcing the blockade from 9 pm to 5 am on October 14 and 15 to protest the government's decision to lease land to Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL).

Nikhil Kumar sworn-in as Nagaland Governor

N
ikhil Kumar, former police commissioner of Delhi, on Thursday took the oath of office and secrecy as the governor of Nagaland at Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in Kohima.

Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari, judge of Gauhati High Court administered him the oath of office and secrecy in the presence of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his cabinet colleagues.

Other MLAs, Leader of the Opposition, civil and police officers, army officers, tribal leaders and public attended the ceremony.

Kumar had earlier said that his top priority would be to work towards fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the state and would seek cooperation of all sections for the allround development of the beautiful state.

Normal life affected in Manipur due to general strike

N
ormal life was affected in Manipur on Thursday due to a general strike called by insurgent outfits to protest the merger of the state with the country on October 15, 1949.

Markets, shops and business establishments remained closed while transport services between Manipur and neighbouring states were cancelled.

Attendance in government offices was almost nil as employees could not reach offices due to absence of transport services, reports said.

The strike also affected normal life in the interior districts.

Security forces were deployed at important points in the capital Imphal.

The Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), formed by some major insurgent organisations, has called the 24-hour strike.

AGP-BJP alliance to continue in Assam by-elections

A
ssam's main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is still sticking with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for next month's by-elections, although the alliance boomeranged on the regional party in the last parliamentary polls.

"As per the seat sharing tie up between the two parties, we are contesting in one seat and the BJP in the other seat for by-elections to two assembly constituencies," AGP leader Padma Hazarika told journalists.

By-polls to the two seats of Dhekiajuli and South Salmara were necessitated following election of the respective legislators as MPs in the last Lok Sabha polls. Voting is scheduled for November 7.

Badruddin Ajmal of the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) vacated the South Salmara seat after becoming an MP, while AGP legislator Joseph Toppo resigned from the Dhekiakuli seat on being elected as MP.

As per the seat sharing agreement, the AGP would field a candidate in the Dhekiajuli seat, while the BJP would contest the South Salmara seat.

Despite the AGP putting up a brave front and maintaining it would stick to its alliance with the BJP, the regional party was under tremendous pressure from its rank and file to sever ties with the saffron party after the AGP fared poorly in parliamentary elections.

The AGP won just one seat in the parliamentary elections, while the BJP seized the opportunity of the alliance to win four seats.

In the 2004 elections, the AGP and the BJP had won two seats each -there was no electoral tie up then.

"We were vehemently opposed to the alliance with the BJP as we knew it was because of this tie up that the people of Assam rejected us and so we won just one seat on our own in the parliamentary polls," a senior AGP leader said while requesting anonymity.

"But a few influential leaders from our own party are adamant to continue with the tie up with the BJP even at the cost of ruining the AGP."

Political analysts are of the view that it was the BJP that was gaining because of the electoral tie up with the AGP.

"The AGP is losing ground because of its alliance with the BJP. Maybe the AGP leaders are getting lot of financial support from the BJP leading to the tie up continuing even now," said Anil Das, an analyst.

Prohibitory orders ahead of protests against uranium project

P
ohibitory orders have been imposed in parts of Meghalaya to foil a blockade called by the Khasi Students Union beginning tonight to protest the proposed uranium mining project in the state.

"Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC have been clamped in view of the blockade call," East Khasi Hills deputy commissioner J Lyngdoh said.

The night blockade is from 7:00 pm today to 5:00 am. It will resume at 9:00 pm on Thursday night and continue till 5:00 am on Friday.

The KSU is protesting the state government's decision to lease 422 hectare to the UCIL in the uranium-rich areas of the state for taking up pre-project developmental work.

Officials said that if required, Central paramilitary forces would be deployed to ensure that the blockade did not affect normal life.

Principal Secretary (Home) Barkos Warjri said SPs have been instructed to ensure free flow of traffic on highways. "Instructions have been given to officials to keep government vehicles in safe custody during the blockade hours," he said.

Six tribal separatists surrender in Tripura

S
ix more tribal separatists have surrendered to security forces in Tripura after fleeing from their bases in Bangladesh, officials said in Agartala on Friday.

"The Bangladesh-trained militants led by their self-styled captain Makhanrai Reang, surrendered before senior officers of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Assam Rifles late on Thursday," a senior police official said.

The surrendered militants, belonging to outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), aged 20 to 30-years, fled from their camps in Satchari in Sylhet district in northeastern Bangladesh, opposite Khowai town in western Tripura.

They also deposited a large cache of arms and ammunition, including AK-series rifles and foreign made ammunition.

Militants belonging to various rebel groups in the northeast region have set up about 100 camps and hideouts in different parts of Bangladesh, specially Sylhet district and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) bordering India's Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya states.

"We managed to escape from our camps in Sylhet district after Bangladeshi security forces launched anti-insurgency operations in different parts of that country. Some more guerrillas may sneak into Tripura any time from across the border," Reang told BSF officials.

With this, about 200 tribal guerrillas of ATTF and NLFT, including some dreaded ultras carrying rewards worth Rs 2,50,000 each and with Interpol arrest warrants, have fled from their Bangladeshi camps and surrendered to Indian security forces during the past one year.

The ATTF and the NLFT have been demanding independence for indigenous tribals and the secession of Tripura from India.

Meanwhile, the Tripura government has asked its counterparts in Manipur and Nagaland to provide information about the five militants of the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM), who were detained by BSF troopers last week while they were crossing the Bangladesh border into northern Tripura.

"The Manipur and Nagaland governments are yet to provide any information about the Naga militants and they have yet to confirm when they are likely to take back the tribal guerrillas, who are in police custody till Oct 20," Director General of Tripura Police Pranay Sahaya told reporters here Friday.

According to a BSF official, the NSCN (IM) rebels had reportedly killed six of their colleagues at their camp in Ghagrachari in eastern Bangladesh before deserting the hideout.

A large cache of arms and ammunition, including five AK-series rifles and some grenades, as well as Bangladeshi currency were found with the terrorists.

"Following a crisis of food and other essentials, NSCN-IM cadres engaged in a gun battle with their superiors at their camp. Killing six senior NSCN-IM militants, they deserted their camps and tried to come to India before they were apprehended by the BSF," a senior BSF official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.

China's Tsangpo diversion plan will leave Brahmaputra dry: Gogoi

G
UWAHATI: A day after the Centre said it would will find out whether China is really building a dam across the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra
River, called the Yarlung Tsangpo, the Assam chief minister on Friday said there should be a back-up plan in place "in case of any eventuality".

On Thursday, the ministry of external affairs ministry said New Delhi was scanning media reports that China has begun constructing a dam on the Brahmaputra as part of the Nagmu hydroelectric project, which was inaugurated on March 16.

"We do not want to depend solely on the Centre. We will prepare a contingency plan on our own so that we know what measures need to be taken to face any situation. We may engage IIT for the exercise. If the Yarlung Tsangpo is diverted, the Brahmaputra will become dry," said Gogoi ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and foreign minister S M Krishna next week.

An expert committee, said Gogoi, will be set up to examine the possible effects a diverted Tsangpo will have on the Brahmaputra. "I am meeting the PM, the foreign minister and the water resource minister and try to know the actual position of the Chinese plans," he said.

"This is not the first time that plans to dam the Tsangpo and divert its flow by China have come to fore. Last time in 2006, the plan surfaced and I had taken it up with the Prime Minister very strongly. He later took it up with his Chinese counterpart," Gogoi added.

An MEA spokesman on Thursday claimed that during the meetings held between the two countries, the Chinese side had categorically denied that there's any plan to build any largescale diversion project on the Yarlung Tsangpo.

The Brahmaputra, which flows 918 km inside India before falling into the Bay of Bengal, originates from headsprings in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, where it is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo. It flows across southern Tibet and for about 1,625 km before entering India through Arunachal Pradesh where it's called the Dihang.

After the first instance when the Chinese plans were reported in 2006, the two countries agreed to establish an expert level mechanism to discuss trans-border river issues in an institutional way. However, recent reports in the Chinese media indicate that one of China's biggest engineering and construction companies, Gezhouba Corporation, has won a 1.14 billion yuan bid for the hydropower plant in Zangmu, in the middle reaches of the Brahmaputra.

China should accept 'reality': Arunchal CM

A
runachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu on Tuesday took strong exception to China's objection to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the state, saying that country should "accept the reality" and refrain from laying claim to the state.

In a statement, Khandu hoped that China would accept the reality and refrain from laying claim on the hilly tribal state which graduated to electoral democracy in 1975.

"Between the two visits of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year and this year, several central ministers including then external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony had reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India and that no power on the earth can snatch it away from India," he said.

Khandu pointed out that President Pratibha Patil also visited the state to endorse the stand of the Union government.

The Centre had also reacted strongly to Chinese objection to Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the comments were disappointing as the state is an inalienable part of the country and such remarks do "not help" the process of talks on boundary issue.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu had said that China is "strongly dissatisfied with the visit to the disputed region by the Indian leader disregarding China's serious concerns".

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