Assam continues to cope with flood fury

Guwahati, Sep 6 : The flood in Assam has affected as many as 12 lakh people, out of which, around 17 have died.

However, for most it is a fight for survival they are getting used to in the absence of any real administrative response. The only good news is the level of water in the major rivers is falling.
Though Bihar’s devastating flood is almost unprecedented, the situation in Assam is also very grave. National Highway 31, the main road link between the Northeast and the rest of the country, was snapped last Sunday.

Several areas in the state are reeling under the flood fury. But the difference is that due to the recurrence of flood, the people have learnt how to cope with the water. They are the ‘river-people’.

“We grew up with flood so we know how to live with it,” said a local resident.

It is the third wave of flood in the state and it has been the most devastating. Majuli River Island is the worst hit. Close to Majuli, Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur is also severely affected. As much as 18 districts across the state are coping with the disaster.

Assam Disaster Management may be grossly inadequate, but the people here have adopted disaster preparedness.

A lady alone manages a family of eleven without any government aid even after her home has been washed away.

“I have received nothing, kerosene or food. But we manage,” said the lady.

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Probe on into e-mail threat to NESO adviser

G
uwahati, Sep 6 : Assam Police has sought the assistance of its Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to help in tracking an e-mail address, purportedly belonging to a militant outfit that has been issuing threats to the life of North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) advisor Artex Simre. The e-mail, which was sent to the NESO advisor recently, according to police, was sent from Dhaka but the identity of the group or the person has not been confirmed as yet.

High-level police sources in the police department, while confirming about the incident, informed that a team of Assam Police has been asked to work on the case.
However, the sources refused to divulge anything more about the case, saying, “it would be too premature to state any thing as we are combing for specific clues’.

“As the cyber crime cases of Assam Police is looked after by the CID, we have sought their assistance,” the sources pointed out.

Artex Simre, when contacted, though confirmed receiving the e-mail, however, refused to elaborate further.

The Assam Police sources further pointed out that a list of suspects has been prepared by the department and all the precautionary measures in this connection has been taken to ensure safety.

Asked whether the department has tried to established contacts with the Dhaka police in this regard, the sources divulged that they are going about it in a planned manner and if required the law-enforcing agencies in Bangladesh would be contacted.

It needs mention her that this is not the first instance of e-mail threat in the State. An explosion threat was served to the city-based Vodafone office a few months back by an unidentified person.

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Attack on cops fuels fear of renewed militancy in Mizoram

Aizawl, Sep 5 : Security forces in Mizoram have stepped up operations after a little known tribal rebel group killed four policemen in an ambush earlier this week, fuelling fears of militant activities beginning to take roots in the northeastern state after over two decades of absolute peace in the region.

A police spokesman said rebels of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) (HPC-D) gunned down four security personnel, including a sub-inspector of Mizoram Armed Police (MAP) in Kolasib Tuesday.
‘About 13 MAP personnel were on their way to Saipum carrying monthly salaries and rations for their colleagues guarding the Serlui hydel power complex when they came under attack. Four policemen died on the spot and three were injured,’ said L.T. Hrangchal, Aizawl district superintendent of police.

Saipum is about 145 km north of state capital Aizawl.

HPC(D) has threatened more such attacks and create violence in the state, bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Political reasons were behind the ambush and we warn the Mizoram government that it was only the beginning, HPC(D) said in a statement.

We express our deep sympathies to the police personnel who died due to our political cause for which the Mizoram government was responsible, said the statement signed by HPC(D) information secretary David L. Hmar.

In view of the Tuesday’s militants’ attack, we have alerted all the police stations in the state’s southern and northern region and asked the security forces to maintain maximum vigil, said C. Ropianga, Mizoram home secretary.

HPC (D) is a breakaway faction of the Hmar People’s Convention (HPC), which came into existence in 1986 spearheading a movement for the right to self-determination in the north and northeast of Mizoram.

At the initiative of then Mizoram governor Swaraj Kaushal, nine rounds of talks were held after which a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) was signed between the Mizoram government and the HPC July 27, 1994, for establishing the ‘Sinlung Hills Development Council’. Later 308 HPC guerrillas surrendered to the government.

However, disappointed with the implementation process of the accord, a section of the cadres parted ways with the HPC, now a over ground political organization, and formed the HPC(D) in 1995.

It may be mentioned that Mizoram was free from all insurgencies since 1986 after the Mizo National Front signed an accord with New Delhi, putting an end to 20 years of bush war in the state. The MNF is now ruling the state.

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Expansion of Tulihal airport

IMPHAL, Sep 5 : In an apparent reprieve for the peo- ple of Malom and Tulihal areas, Chief Minister O Ibobi has assured the JAC Against the Land Acquisition for Expansion of Tulihal Airport that the expansion plan will be reviewed by an expert committee.
The Chief Minister gave the assurance during a meeting held at his office with members of the JAC today.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting with the Chief Minister JAC president K Nilachandra said that when the Chief Minister was asked about the terms and conditions under which the expert committee will review the plan, Education Minister L Jayentakumar on behalf of the Chief Minister said that necessary details would be given through the local MLA to the JAC.
The local MLA RK Anand of Naoriya Pa-khanglakpa AC also par- ticipated in the meeting.
To discuss the assurance of the Chief Minister and the new development a meeting has been convened by the Joint Committee of the JAC and other civil society organi-sations on Sunday.
If the Government delays in constituting the said expert review committee, then the JAC would go ahead with its agitation, said Nilachandra. “This was made clear to the CM during the meeting,” he added.
The Government had on August 23 published a notification for the process of land acquisition for the expansion of the airport under Section 4 and 5 of the Land Acquisition Act. A one month’s time was given to lodge complaints, if any.
To protest the notification issued by the Govern- ment the JAC started blocking Tiddim line and Mayai Lambi from August 24.
Seven persons were picked up by the police for protesting against the decision of the Government.
This prompted the local MLA RK Anand to get into the act and he along with the JAC managed to free the seven arrested persons after meeting the Transport Minister.
Since the Chief Minister was in Delhi at that time it was agreed that the JAC would talk to him after he returns and today’s meeting meeting was held as agreed earlier.
During the meeting the JAC also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister.
The JAC president further said that the people living along the airport area have been suffering a lot due to the continuous expansion of the airport.
From the 1940s, cultivable lands have been acquired, he said and recalled that farm lands and fishing ponds were taken over for the airport expansion in 1950, 1966, 1970 ad 1991.
The Government has now decided to acquire an additional area of 690 acres of land for airport expansion, said Nilachandra. On top of this large tracts of land are being occupied by the Army, CPWD while a large number of Government offices have been built in the areas.
To put across his point more forcefully, Nilachan-dra said
that 80 pc of the 24 lakhs population of the State which has an area of only 22,327 square kilometres are farmers.
Out of the total area of land, the land fit for cultivation is only 80,30,000 hectares and on top of this out of the total cultivable land, 50,00,000 hectares have been submerged by the Loktak Lake.
Citing the examples of Sikkim and Mizoram, the JAC president that the airports in these two States are built atop hills and they are being developed. At Guwahati airport there is only one international flight in a week.
The expert review committee should take all these facts into consideration while reviewing the plan to expand the airport.

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