Wednesday, October 14, 2009

China ire over India border visit

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hina has strongly criticised a visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the disputed north-east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.


The Chinese foreign ministry accused Mr Singh of ignoring Beijing's concerns.

China claims large areas of Arunachal Pradesh which lies on the Himalayan border it shares with India. Delhi said the remarks "do not help" border talks.

Analysts say China is angry over a trip planned by exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama to the state in November.

Mr Singh visited Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month ahead of state assembly polls which were held on Tuesday. In January 2008 he made the first prime ministerial visit to the mountainous state in more than 10 years.

China and India fought a brief border war in 1962 - partly over Arunachal Pradesh - and the frontier has yet to be settled despite several rounds of talks.

'Boundary question'

"We demand the Indian side address China's serious concerns and not trigger disturbances in the disputed region so as to facilitate the healthy development of China-India relations," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement posted on the ministry's web site.
The Indian foreign ministry responded by saying that Arunachal Pradesh is an "integral and inalienable part of India".

It said that China's criticisms "did not help the process of ongoing negotiations between the two governments on the boundary question".

Beijing claims 90,000 sq km of land that comprises Arunachal Pradesh which it sees as "southern" Tibet.

It has also expressed displeasure over a planned visit by the Dalai Lama to the state's Tawang monastery in November.

"The Chinese don't want the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh at any cost," Nanigopal Mahanta, who teaches politics at Guwahati university, told the BBC's Subir Bhaumik.

Much of China's territorial claims in the Himalayas are based on areas Tibet controlled before it was taken over by the Chinese.

"So if a Tibetan leader like the Dalai Lama visits Arunachal Pradesh and says the whole state is part of India and was never part of Tibet, that takes the wind out of the Chinese claims," Mr Mahanta said.

Trade

Our correspondent says that when India and China enjoyed better relations, especially in the late 1990s, Delhi did not allow the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh or any area contested by China.

The Chinese reciprocated by opening border trade on the Nathu La pass after 40 years - a move many in India saw as recognition of Indian control over Sikkim.

But our correspondent says that changed after India started developing the "strategic relationship" with the US, which raised fears of encirclement in the Chinese security establishment.

Trade between China and India has flourished in recent years, but several border disputes - including over Kashmir and Sikkim - have never been resolved.


China remains India's largest trading partner, with two-way trade volumes crossing $50bn in 2008.

Mistrust between Delhi and Beijing has recently gained momentum with reports in the Indian media of Chinese incursions along the border.

There were also protests by a member of India's governing Congress party earlier this month after the Chinese embassy issued different visas to residents of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Tension during polling along Assam border

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runachal administration conducted polling in two booths in Assam’s land on Tuesday’s assembly election of the state. However, Assam officials failed to obstruct the aggression of Arunachalis into Assam’s land. Tension prevailed in inter-state boundaries of Assam with Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday following the move of Arunachal to set up two polling booths in Assam’s land. According to report, two polling centres No 13 Kankurusha and No 14 Hasirusha have been set up in Bimalapur and Naharani areas under Charaideo in Sivasagar district of upper Assam. The two pooling booths fall under No 58 Kanubari legislative assembly constituency of Arunachal. But the police and administration obstructed the Arunachal Pradesh polling officials from setting up the polling booth in morning hours. I created a tension among the residents of two states. However, additional DC of Kanubari VK Das announced cancellation of the poll in the two booths. Das told reporters that administration had conducted poll in the two stations in last Lok Sabha poll. This time also they set up the stations as Assam never protested it earlier. However, the polling in the two booths started after disappearance of Assam Police and administrative officials from the border areas. According to report, the poll percentage in No 13 Kankurusha was 96 per cent while it is 84 per cent in No 14 Hasuirusha polling booth. The voters of No 13 Kankurusha booth was 143 and it was 304 in No 14 Hasirusha pooling booth. By this way the neighbouring state had conducted polling in Assam’s land by misleading police and administrative officials. The state officials have miserably failed to deal with the situation.

Arunachal poll booths in Assam district

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UWAHATI: The Tarun Gogoi government on Tuesday forced Arunachal Pradesh to pull down two booths the latter had set up in Assam's Sivasagar
district. This caused disruption in polling, around 9-30 am.. The stations were erected for voters of Kanubari Assembly constituency of the neighbouring state. The incident has further aggravated the decades-long boundary dispute between the two countries.

"Polling was being held under thick security blanket. When we went there, an additional deputy commissioner of Tirap reached the spot and showed a Supreme Court order asking to maintain status quo on the border till the one-man commission set up by the apex court completes its findings," Sivasagar district administration officials said.

Sivasar district authorities said Arunachal Pradesh had secretly set up two polling stations at Naharani and Ashimbasti villages in the Charaipung area of Sonari sub-division on Monday night and started conducting polling on Tuesday.

Polling at Naharani was stopped around 9.30 am. At Ashimbasti, it came to an end at 11 am. There was a mild protest from people of Arunachal, who blocked the road to stop Sivasagar district authorities to reach the polling station.

"Tirap district authorities said they had the polling stations even in the last Lok sabha elections but that's not true. This is the first time that Arunachal has set up polling stations in the area," an Assam government official said.

The two villages are located across the Teok river on the Assam side, which has been claimed by Assam as the boundary between the two states. These two villages, however, have a sizeable population of Arunachalis, who have been living in harmony with Assamese people for about two decades.

There are 144 Arunachali voters at Naharani and 75 at Ashimbasti. Sivasgar district authorities said these people have always refused to enroll their names in the electoral rolls of Assam in spite of residing in the state.

It is belived that people living in these two villages have been settled by Arunachal Pradesh government long back illegally and that it provides electricity and drinking water to them. The two villages are located about 40 km east of sub-division headquarters of Sonari.

EC banks on runners to collect poll info in Arunachal

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TANAGAR: They are tough, lithe, and ready to run any distance in incredibly quick time. are There was a time when they'd carry loads for "gora
sahebs" (British officers) posted in what was then known as North East Frontier Agency.

Most of them, mainly tribals and Nepalis, cover a distance in a day whereas ordinary mortals will take at least three days. And in this age of hi-tech communication, too, they've lived up to their name and fame. It is thanks to them that the Election Commission has been able to conduct polls in this Himalayan state in the smoothest possible manner.

The EC has roped in a group of runners (messengers) to cull and relay poll updates from booths spread across some inaccessible areas of Arunachal. These men still exist in the remote districts bordering China and Myanmar.

Arunachal chief electoral officer Yeshi Tsering explains, "Election officials, who trekked for three days to reach polling booths, will take the same time to get back with the news of the poll percentage. But the runners can cover the same distance in one day. They are actually a faster mode of communication."

Also known as "auxiliary load carriers" (ALC), these men will trek to the nearest wireless transmission centre or telephone booth to inform the zonal officer or circle officer about voters' turnouts. The official concerned can communicate the same to returning officers. In this way, information will reach the CEO's office in Itanagar.

"Logistically, conducting elections in Arunachal is the biggest challenge," Tsering said. So far, he is happy with the way things have gone.

Arunachal has 2,063 polling stations, but elections were held in 2,005 booths because three seats in Tawang district didn't require any contest. Of the 2,005 booths, 40 per cent have to be reached by foot. "Our polling officials have to walk from either the last point of a motorable road or the nearest helipad. Even in some areas, one has to trek three days from the nearest helipad. Most remote booths are located in areas bordering China," Tsering said.

At Vijaynagar village bordering Myanmar, helicopters are the only means of communication. As the dense jungles of Changlang district are inhospitable and inhabited by militants, the EC has advised polling officials not to trek. Besides, conducting an election or bringing back polling materials from the village solely depend on weather as choppers take off only when the sky is clear.

Deputy CEO D J Bhattacharjee said poor communication is the main challenge that officials face every elections. Though no ALC could be contacted, sources said there will be 60-100 messengers in each remote district.

Bharat Baruah, a retired IAS officer who had served in interior parts of the frontier state, narrated how these tough men work wonders during times of crises. "They are the real facilitators of Arunachal's development and the government can't have access to remote areas without them," he said.

He added that these porters carry load and walk with officers for days to reach remote areas of the state. "They are an integral part of the state's administration," he said. The runners are even capable of walking at night to deliver a message during elections. During landslides or floods, they are the ones who convey the message to authorities concerned.

Earlier, Nepalis and locals were recruited as ALCs. But these days, the local tribals living in remote and interior areas are given more preference. Arunachal Pradesh is the least populated state of the country with a square km density of 13 people. It's really a challenging task for the government to reach its every nook and corner.

Fifteen per cent polling in Arunachal

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ifteen per cent polling was recorded in the first three hours of polling for the 60-member Arunachal Assembly on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and two other Congress candidates have already been elected unopposed from the three seats in Tawang district.

In the state capital, long queues were seen before all polling booths.

Brisk polling was reported from insurgency prone Tirap district declared disturbed under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Around 600 central paramilitary forces were deployed in Tirap.

The polling was peaceful so far.

An electorate of 7.25 lakh are eligible to cast their votes for 151 candidates, including 57 of the ruling Congress, 36 of the NCP, 26 of the Trinamool Congress, and 18 of the BJP.

There are also 11 candidates of the Peoples Party of Arunachal, a regional party and 3 independents.

Nine women candidates, including two of the Congress were also trying their luck.

Shoot-at-sight orders against booth capturers in Itanagar

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hoot-at-sight orders were on Tuesday issued against booth capturers or those attempting to damage EVMs in Papumpare district and in the state capital during the assembly polls in Arunachal Pradesh.

This was decided at a meeting of the district magistrates and police superintendents of the two districts, a senior official said.

The order was given in view of some incidents during the May Lok Sabha elections in Itanagar.

The polling percentage in the state varied from 12 to 24 during the first few hours of voting, which was going on by and large peacefully.

Meanwhile, for the first time in the country video feeds were being webcast from three polling stations in Konsa East constituency in Tirap district for people to see the peaceful polling and check bogus voting.

Voting ends in Arunachal, 70 per cent polling recorded

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oting in the Assembly election in Arunachal Pradesh ended on Tuesday with heavy turnout, officials said.

"Voting has ended peacefully with premilinary reports that an estimated 70 per cent polling was recorded," an election official said here.

"The final polling percentage could be a little higher as we are still compiling figures from remote areas," the official said.

There were a few minor incidents of faulty working of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and temporary suspension of voting, but otherwise polling passed off peacefully, officials said.

Voting was held for 57 seats as three candidates have already been declared elected unopposed.

Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and two more Congress members were declared elected unopposed - sitting legislator Tsewang Dhondup from Tawang constituency and debutant Jambey Tashi from Lumla.

Khandu was elected unopposed from the Mukto constituency in Tawang district, bordering China, in the 1999 and 2004 assembly elections as well.

Many people queued up at polling stations well before voting began at 7 a.m.

"The enthusiasm of voters was tremendous with both young and old casting their ballots," the official said.

A total of 154 candidates were in the fray with the ruling Congress party fielding candidates to all the 60 seats.

An estimated 750,000 voters were eligible to exercise their franchise.

The fight for political supremacy would be between the ruling Congress party and a fractured opposition - two of them, the Natioalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Trinamool Congress, part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in New Delhi, and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"It was heartening to see people come out in large numbers. This is an indication that we are winning the polls hands down once again," a confident Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu told IANS soon after voting ended as scheduled at 4 p.m.