Why Not Hold The Games in Manipur, Asks Aiyar

New Delhi, Aug 26 : Keeping up his campaign against organisation of Commonwealth Games, senior Congress MP Mani Shankar Aiyar on Wednesday questioned the rationale of Delhi hosting the event and said it would have been a "very good answer" to insurgents if it would have been held in Manipur.

Speaking to a group of Delhi University students at Press Club, Aiyar wondered why such mega events come back to Delhi again and again. Even if it is organised here, he asked, why localities in the outskirts like Bawana are ignored.

"There are 37 days to go in which the government has to fill the gaps to ensure a spectacular Games which it has promised us. I am content to wait. The Games will last for 15 days. I will come back. Neither are you going away nor I am going away," Aiyar, a vocal critic of the Games, said.

He said, "What is the point in crying over spoilt milk? We have lost the Games."
Aiyar said there was a "danger" of Asian Games 2019 and Olympics being organised in the city and asked why was it that mega events come back to the city every time.

"Manipur is a tiny state. It bagged the highest number of medals in the National Games (when I was the Sports Minister)...If Rs 35,000 crore (an estimate of the cost of CW Games expenditure) is spent in Manipur, if we conduct the Commonwealth Games there, the insurgents would have got a very good answer," he said.

"There are excellent facilities in Imphal. Why do we keep coming back to Delhi," he said.

Aiyar took potshots at Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi saying that he was not invited to the National Games despite being the country's Sports Minister.

He also asked why the Games should not be conducted in Bawana in outer Delhi, which has a huge number of SC population. "This area is used to burn rubbish only. What message are you giving to its people?" he said.

Later, talking to reporters, Aiyar said sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar did not seek money for composing the welcome song of Afro-Asian Games held in the country earlier.

"He did not seek money nor did we give him money," Aiyar said when asked about a media report in this regard.

Best Record of Achievement in Northeast: Chidambaram

“One of the main concerns is maintenance of communal peace and harmony”

New Delhi, Aug 26 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram claimed here on Wednesday that besides containing terrorism, the best record of achievement was in the northeastern States. The year 2009 was a distinct improvement over 2008 and 2010. There was a dramatic decline in the number of incidents and casualties. He, however, admitted that Manipur and Assam were affected by blockades, bandhs and intermittent violence.

The Minister pointed out that a number of groups in the northeast were engaged in talks with the Union government. He expressed the hope that the United Liberation Front of Asom would formally come forward to begin talks with the Centre and the Assam government.

Mr. Chidambaram said one of the main concerns was the maintenance of communal peace and harmony as even most petty disputes and imagined slights triggered conflicts between communities and groups.

Touching upon some of the key measures taken by the Centre over the last one year, he said the allocation for internal security went up to Rs. 40,582 crore in 2010-11, against Rs. 25,923 crore in 2008-09. Schemes for the modernization of the State police forces and Central forces were extended to 2010-11.

The government had sanctioned raising of 38 battalions for the CRPF, 29 for the Border Security Force, 32 for the Sashastra Seema Bal and induction of 14,259 personnel in the Central Industrial Security Force. The strength of the IPS was also increased from 4013 to 4730.

Mr. Chidambaram mulled over the idea of transfer of funds under the modernization of police force scheme directly to the Director General of Police of a State. He asked the State police chiefs to spell out the steps taken to enact a new Police Act, based on a model Bill that was circulated to the States. He also wanted to know the steps taken by the States to set up State Police Establishment Boards and the Police Complaints Boards.

Admitting that the security forces too had their shortcomings, he pointed out that “nothing that is said or written can take away a jot from the fact that the security forces are the first line of defence of our democracy and liberty.'' He also acknowledged the willing cooperation of the State governments in standing up to the challenges posed by forces inimical to the nation, both within and outside the country.

Earlier, Mr. Chidambaram gave away police medals for meritorious service to officers of the Intelligence Bureau.

In his address, IB Director Rajiv Mathur warned that “inimical agencies from international bases'' were trying to revive Sikh militancy in Punjab by forging an alliance between Sikh militant groups and the Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Manipur Blockade Highlights India’s Northeast Dilemma

By David Lalmalsawma

An entire state held to ransom for the past three months. And a central government that seems helpless to stop it.

Naga groups on Tuesday said they were extending for another 25 days their blockade of the two highways linking landlocked Manipur to the rest of the country.

This follows almost consecutive 20 days and 69 days of similar blockades, leaving the northeast state surviving on army-escorted supplies for the past three months.

Before a recent deployment of security forces for escorting food supplies, the state faced acute shortage of essential commodities like live-saving drugs. Petrol was priced at 200 rupees, LPG cylinders at 1,500 rupees and a kilogram of rice at 60-70 rupees.

The unrest started in April when Naga students protested amendments to a law governing the state’s autonomous district councils, which they say took away vital rights of the hill people, and intensified it when Naga separatist leader T Muivah was barred from visiting his birthplace in Manipur.

The United Naga Council, which is leading the agitation, says the blockade is being extended because the Centre has not fulfilled their demands, which include demilitarisation of all Naga-inhabited areas.

The Nagas, who are demanding a ‘Greater Nagaland’ state which include chunks from three neighbouring states, are also angry at the home minister’s statement in parliament ruling out division of Manipur.

And therein lies the catch-22 situation for the central government.

The Nagas, who say they have never accepted India’s constitution after independence from the British, claim the right to integrate all areas inhabited by the tribe.

But any sign the Centre is giving way on the issue of a state’s territorial integrity could evoke violent protests, something that has been seen in Kashmir and Telangana.

This represents the crux of the problems plaguing the northeast, home to more than 300 ethnic groups living side by side in eight states, each competing to carve out an identity.

The lack of development and the geographical and cultural isolation of the region from the rest of the country may also further stoke unrest.

Even the media and public from the rest of the country are sporadic in their interest in the region, which is rarely in the public imagination due to its relative political and economic insignificance.

The Centre, which doesn’t look like it has a clear policy for the region even after decades of armed insurgency, still lurches from one issue to the next without really achieving any closure (the 1986 peace treaty with Mizo militants being an exception).

Is there any solution to India’s northeast dilemma?

Nagaland Sends 'ill-Equipped' Men to Fight Naxals

Nagaland IRB Jawans boarding train

Kohima, Aug 25 : The Nagaland government is facing flak from the Opposition Congress, which held the Neiphiu Rio-led Nagaland People's Front government responsible for the virtual revolt by IRB jawans demanding better arms and logistic support before their departure for West Bengal to fight the "well-equipped" Maoists.

The 10th IRB of Nagaland has been requisitioned by the Centre to fight Maoists in Bengal's Midnapore and Purulia districts, but a section of jawans staged protest at the police training centre at Chumukedima, near Dimapur, on Saturday alleging they had inadequate logistic support and 'vintage' firearms were provided to them.

In a statement, CLP leader Tokheho Yepthomi asked the state's home minister, Imkong Imchen, to disclose how the huge amount of funds received from the centre for police modernization was utilized by the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government.

He pointed out that the state had received Rs 123 crore in last four years for modernization of the police force, which means that the Centre allotted on an average Rs 30 crore annually to the state government.

He wondered how the state government was sending the 10th IRB jawans without modern weapons, required number of platoon commanders and without a single driver for a vehicle by road to fight the Naxals, which he claimed was "the most organized terror outfit of modern India."

"The situation demanded a thorough probe into how the funds released by the Centre were being utilized in the state," he said.

Senior police officials said the advance party of 'A' and 'F' Companies of the battalion, comprising around 230 personnel led by deputy commander of the force, finally left Dimapur by buses and trucks last Sunday.

The rest of the battalion would leave for Bengal within a day or two, DGP K Kire said.

Nagaland's 1st 'Centre of Social Work' at Mokokchung

Kohima, Aug 25 : The Mahatma Gandhi Centre of Social Work (MGCSW), first of its kind in Nagaland, was set up at Chuchuyimlang under Mokokchung district as part of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education and Development (MGIED).

Official sources said here today that the Centre of Social Work has been established under the auspices of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)-as part of the Nagaland Gandhi Ashram Educational Project, which would initially offer Bachelor of Social Works course and Master of Social Works Would be added from the session 2011-2012 onwards.

Gradually, short term courses with special reference to the Northeast for various stake holders in development field such as Village Development functionaries, Government Officials, NGOs workers and workers in the Health Department shall be offered, sources said.

The MGCSW will have 24 seats for the current session, for which 22 applications have already been received and out of the 22, a total of 17 candidates were selected which has representations from Assam and Meghalaya, as well as through an elaborate selection process conducted at Guwahati.

Sources, quoting Dr Aotoshi, said trustee of the Nagaland Gandhi Ashram, Chuchuyimlang, will take over the classes in ashram's premises presently, but would be gradually shifted to the new complex being developed in a compact area of 230 Acres of land donated by Chuchuyimlang Village Council without any cost or conditions.

The complex will be developed as a flagship programme to commemorate the 25 years of existence of the IGNOU, sources added.

Manipur Traders Misusing Manipur Blockade

New Delhi, Aug 25 : There was shortage of goods of daily use in Manipur not due to blockade but because of other factors like rains and refusal of truck operators and the involvement of local traders in hoarding and black marketing taking advantage of shortage in some essential commodities, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

Answering questions on the effect of blockade of Manipur for 68 days by the Naga students, Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran said in written replies that the shortage continued in the state even after lifting of economic blockade on National Highways 39 and 53 due to decision of transporters and drivers council not to drive the tankers and trucks through Nagaland on NH 39 unless the route was fully secured. The supplies have been affected due to onset of rains leading to frequent landslides on the way.

He conceded that the United Naga Council had begun another economic blockade since August 4 for 20 days alleging lackadaisical attitude towards judicial inquiry into the death of two Naga youths at Mao Gate.

Presently the convoys of trucks and tankers were being escorted to maintain supplies of essential commodities to the state on a daily basis.

The Government had made an additional provision of Rs 10 crore to repair the rain damaged portions of Highways. The Manipur Government had withdrawn the rationing of petroleum products in view of improved supply by the tankers.

The Great Indian PDS Scam

Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang, prime accused in the Rs 1,000-crore public distribution system (PDS) scandal that came to light in 2004, was arrested and remanded in a week's police custody today.

Apang, 61, was arrested in Itanagar by the Special Investigation Cell (SIC) constituted by the Gauhati High Court, and charged under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 409 (criminal breach of trust), read with sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

"We have registered eight cases in connection with the scam. So far 50 persons have been chargesheeted, of which 30 have been arrested. Today we arrested former chief minister Gegong Apang on the basis of material evidences and oral depositions made by a number of witnesses including several of the co-accused," M S Chauhan, SP, SIC, told The Indian Express over the phone from Itanagar.

Chauhan said Apang was the kingpin of the scam. "You cannot expect clerks and transportation contractors to misappropriate a huge sum like Rs 1,000 crore without the involvement of big and influential people," he said.

The cases pertain to huge anomalies including forgery and fraud that took place in the PDS in Arunachal between 1995 and 2004.
The case was brought to national attention by a four-part investigation published in The Indian Express in May 2005.

The forgery and fraud took place at two levels: (i) payment of huge sums as reimbursement of Hill Transport Subsidy and Road Transport Charges from the Government of India for transporting PDS items to the state, and (ii) showing delivery of PDS items without actually reaching them to the people.

How they looted in Arunachal Pradesh

WAY back in October 2004 when Bamang Anthony, president of Arunachal Citizens' Rights (ACR) decided to file a PIL in the Gauhati High Court regarding certain anomalies that he had smelt in the public distribution system (PDS) in Arunachal Pradesh, little did he realise that he was actually digging one of the biggest food scams in the entire subcontinent.

Six years later, he is glad his efforts have paid dividends. Former chief minister Gegong Apang has been arrested in connection with that scam, which is now believed to be of the magnitude of about Rs 1,000 crore.

Arunachal Pradesh and five other hill states of the Northeast get two types of reimbursements from the government of India for transportation of food grains under the PDS. While the first is reimbursement of Road Transport Charges (RTC) for lifting of food grains from the nearest railhead of FCI depots to the base depots, the second is called Hill Transport Subsidy (HTS) for moving the stock from the base depots to the approved principal distribution centres.

Interestingly, even as Bamang Anthony and The Indian Express were only looking at suspected large-scale irregularities in the distribution of food grains in the state, the FCI itself found out, through a special audit, an "excess payment" of Rs 193.53 crore in just one year (2003-04).

The HTS alone for three particular years in which misappropriation was suspected was as follows: Rs 24.27 crore in 2001-02, Rs 75.03 crore in 2002-03, and Rs 279.64 crore in 2003-04.

But what was more interesting is that while on one hand the quantity of food grains "supplied" to the people of Arunachal Pradesh under PDS increased (from 54,765 MT in 2001-02 to 85,272 MT) and the reimbursement of HTS also increased, several instances also came to light where the supply records were grossly fraud and fictitious.

One such instance, which The Indian Express highlighted as an illustration of the scam, was the supply of salt under PDS in Damin, a revenue circle in Kurung Kumey district. While the circle had a population of 2,784 (according to 2001 census), records showed that every individual consumed at least 24 kg of iodised salt per month in 2004. Another instance: In Koloriang circle in the same district, roughly 4,800 persons were shown as having consumed 3,080 quintals of rice every month in 2004, which comes to 64 kg per person per month.

It is, however, not Gegong Apang alone who is suspected to be responsible for the multi-crore scam. Transporters, suppliers, government officials, political leaders including MLAs - a large number of people actually benefited from it.

In July 2004 for instance, 5,000 quintals of rice kept in some private godowns in Nagaon (in Assam) for onward dispatch to Arunachal Pradesh disappeared. Submission of false bills for carrying foodgrains by smaller vehicles (where trucks can't ply) and by headloads (to villages which have no road links) was another means of siphoning off huge sums. In some instances, registration numbers of mini-trucks shown in bills were later found out to be of scooters and motorbikes.

What was most interesting is the story of a government officer, N N Osik, then director of civil supplies, who opened a separate account in the SBI at Itanagar just to receive "commissions" from the contractors engaged for transportation.

Between October 4, 2002 and July 16, 2003, Osik's balance in this account rose to Rs 2.85 crore. On one single day, February 14, 2003, numerous people deposited a total sum of Rs 97 lakh. What Osik immediately did was change his name, by an affidavit, to N Lego.

His name figures along with Apang's in a list of 40 accused persons, which the Special Investigation Cell probing the scam submitted to the the Gauhati High Court in October 2008.

Source: Indian Express

Focus on ‘Responsible Tourism' in Northeast Region

The organizers are incorporating the Code of Conduct on ‘Safe and Honorable Tourism' adopted by the Government of India in their draft policy to avoid any duplication.

By Karma Samten Yangzom

Gangtok, Aug 25 : A two-day regional consultation on ‘Responsible Tourism' in the Northeastern region of India, organized by the Shillong-based NGO, Impulse, in collaboration with Equations, Bangalore, and supported by UNGIFT, is scheduled to be held in Gangtok on August 26, 27.

The regional seminar held with the theme ‘Talk for Change for Making Tourism Sustainable, Equitable and Just' is being organized with the objective of initiating a process of dialogue and developing a perspective on responsible tourism for the north-eastern region to influence tourism policy and practice in the region.

Tourism secretaries of the Northeastern States, members of UNODC, NGOs, media houses, Northeast Hoteliers Association, Association of Tour Operators of Northeast, labor secretaries, director general of each Northeastern State and North Eastern Council representatives, are participating in the two-day brainstorming exercise.

“Through this consultation, we seek to create a platform between Government officials, civil society organizations, media and people engaged in the tourism industry (both from the mainstream and community based tourism initiatives) to discuss the critical issues and impacts in tourism in the Northeast within the framework of current policies and legislations,” said the organizers in a press statement.

State policy

The main objective of this consultation is to draft a State policy for safe and responsible tourism which would be sent subsequently to all the Northeastern States and be discussed in a series of State consultations, the organizers said.

“Then the final draft will be formulated and sent to the Central Government for approval. This is done in the first phase, the second phase would involve creation of code of conduct for the tourism industry to prevent exploitation of women and children,” said the organizers.

Impulse pointed out that many north-eastern States have developed tourism and ecotourism policies in the past few years due to policies including ‘Look East' policy launched to stimulate tourism for economic benefits to the region.

Assam

Assam implemented its tourism policy in 2008, while an eco-tourism policy was created in 2004 by Tripura.

The Governments of Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram, have also followed suit in the past few years.

All the policies have clauses on responsible tourism regarding exploitation of women and children, said Impulse, adding that it wants to ensure that all north-eastern States have tourism policies which include a section on responsible tourism that protects women and children from exploitation.

“While all policies speak of the economic benefits that tourism accrues, little is spoken on the negative impacts of tourism — questions on who really benefits from tourism, issues on environmental degradation and the impact on society.

None of these policies have clauses on responsible tourism regarding exploitation of women,” Impulse said.

Impact on children

The NGO also highlighted another critical issue of the impact of tourism on children — child labor, child sexual abuse and the trafficking of children. The consultation will focus on these issues in the specific context of the region, it said.

The organizers are incorporating the Code of Conduct on ‘Safe and Honorable Tourism' adopted by the Government of India in their draft policy to avoid any duplication.