31 October 2010

Beware of Those Shameless Indians

By RSN Singh

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The Maoists, who have unequivocally declared their resolve to capture power through violence, and the Kashmiri separatists came together on one platform in India's capital 'New Delhi'.

Some of the faces that represented them were Geelani and Arundhati Roy respectively. Such open acts of sedition can only happen in India.

The forging of alliance between pro-Pak elements in Kashmir, the Maoists, insurgent groups in the Northeast, Chinese agencies, and some Church organisations is well established by the intelligence agencies. But what is most intriguing is the support they receive from a segment of the mainstream media.

This is evident from the posturing of some of the media personalities and so-called intellectuals during debates on television. Such is the backing, infiltration and leverage of some international organisation that the government can do nothing against these elements and is in fact beholden to them.

Therefore, I can only appeal to the people of this country to save themselves from the evil designs of these shameless Indians.

How do these these shameless Indians operate?

A patient suffering from painful disease goes to a doctor. The doctor correctly diagnoses the ailment and chalks out an effective treatment plan. But even as the patient embarks on his way to recovery, another person, who has stakes in property after the death of the patient, comes in the garb of a well-wisher and convinces the patient that the doctor cannot be trusted. The patient discontinues the treatment and ultimately fades away into the trap of death.

One hopes that 'Operation Green Hunt' does not meet the same fate.

A constituency without responsibility

There is a constituency in India which does not allow any line of treatment to 'security ailments' that afflict the country after they are correctly diagnosed. As a result, some of these ailments have acquired cancerous proportions.

This is the constituency of some shameless activists and protagonists of criminals and terrorists, who thrive on the psychological reality that in India, the lifespan of shock and outrage that follows a terrorist incident is short.

This is the constituency without any responsibility. Their contribution to the nation is zilch. They have never found solutions to problems, but are adept at creating them. Their business is to derail and dissuade the state and its apparatus from taking any decision that may contribute the progress and well-being of India.

Let's look at another analogy to illustrate the attitude of this constituency of professional activists towards their 'accidental' country, India.

A couple, whose child was not performing well in school began to harbor doubt about the teacher. After much analysis, they realised that the teacher was not to be blamed. Even after working on the child, the results were the same. They again found a scapegoat in the teacher.

The other successful students, however, sang paeans to the teacher. This rattled the parents and they vowed to demolish the teacher's sincerity and reputation.

This exactly is the make, motive and modus operandi of these shameless activists. For those who have made activism the means of their bread and butter, particularly the latter, it is the larger good that disconcerts them.

When a terrorist strike takes place, these activists and commentators talk about the 'resilience of the people', and very grudgingly appreciate the sacrifices of the security forces.

Remember Kargil? The overwhelming sense of concern for wounded and dead soldiers was mainly motivated by TRP rather than any genuine feeling. Otherwise, how can the same set of commentators and activists accuse the Indian Army of rape and unbridled violence in insurgency areas, and support the cause of removing the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA).

Whenever a terrorist attack takes place, this shameless variety of activists and protagonists go into hibernation. Some of whom, who still get intercepted, avoid discussion on television by saying "I condemn violence" by any side — as if they are doing a favour by condemning it, and as if the force applied by legitimate forces is the same as violence by illegitimate outfits.

Some members of this ilk are compelled to speak words of sympathy about the victims of terror. They bide their time and resurface when the dust has settled. They then begin to question the veracity of the very act of terror. Some suggested that Karkare was not killed by terrorists! Other suggested that SIMI was a charitable organisation! Some of them also suggest that the Maoists are 'Gandhians with Guns', whatever that means.

Remember the protagonists of militancy in Punjab and Sri Lanka - some of them have gone into oblivion and some have reinvented themselves.

26/11 and the rich

There are some apologists, who defend the position that the attack on Hotel Taj, attracted so much attention because the rich were targeted - as if the attack was pointedly and carefully made on rich India by a thoughtful and benevolent bunch of terrorists from Pakistan. As if there are only rich guests in a five star hotel and no employees. Had they expressed similar views during or in immediate aftermath of the attack, they would have met devastating response from then angry Indians.

If Azmal Kasab had not been caught alive, these shameless activists would have surely raised doubts about the fact that the attacks originated from Pakistan. Pakistan has read and understood this constituency of the shameless activists and commentators, and their disproportionate influence in India. Some of them have surreptitiously worked their way into the highest policy making circles. Accordingly, a fidgety Pakistan has now been emboldened to adopt an aggressive posture with regard to 26/11 attack.

Take the case of the attack on Indian parliament in December 2001. An individual who was absolved by the courts on technical ground was portrayed, as victim of state conspiracy by the same shameless bunch of activists. Most of them knew pretty well about his key role in the attack. They are more than aware that the constraints of judiciary in absolving a person of any criminal charge due to lack of legally appropriate evidence does not actually mean that the person is innocent.

There are any number of judgements, wherein the judges have categorically stated that much against their personal conviction about the involvement or complicity of the accused in a crime, they have to absolve the individual due to imperatives and constraints of law.

After the passage of a suitably-considered gap between two terrorist attacks, some platforms, in their desperate bid to dilute the resolve of the nation, stage-manage debates on terrorist incidents - Making such issues "debatable" requires some genius.

It is here that the shameless variety of activists come handy, and they emerge out of hibernation. The subjects of debate can be as preposterous as: Is China a threat to India?, Did China attack India in 1962?, Is terrorism exported from Pakistan? Is the Kashmir insurgency a proxy-war by Pakistan?, Do Maoists indulge in terrorism?, Should security forces continue to be deployed in Kashmir?

The shameless activists will come up with theories that Pakistan and China have no hand in fomenting trouble in India! There is no proof that China has supplied missile and nuclear arsenal to Pakistan! The strategic encirclement of India by Pakistan is a myth! Karkare was not killed by terrorists! There was no element of local facilitation in the 26/11 attacks!

So what if Musharraf scripted Kargil, his intention with regard to India was benign! So what if the Maoists behead 'informers' and security personnel, they are basically peace loving people!

These shameless Indians have vested interest in poverty. That they are funded by inimical powers to India is well-known. They laud the progressive policies of their benefactors like China, but find all the time to agitate and block the same policies and programmes in India.

Is it a ploy by the adversaries of India, particularly China, to derail India's economic development?

With the proliferation of the media, and increased role and influence of these shameless activists and commentators, the level of development in China started weighing overwhelmingly in favour of the latter, and is contributing much to its aggressive posture. Therefore, patriotic Indians need to be beware of these shameless Indians.

RSN Singh is a former military intelligence officer who later served in the Research and Analysis Wing, or R&AW. The author of two books: Asian Strategic and Military Perspective and Military Factor in Pakistan, he is also Associate Editor, Indian Defence Review.

Centre Committed to Development of Northeast : Roy

Union Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata RoyGuwahati, Oct 31 : The cities of the Northeast India hold tremendous potential as engines of social and economic growth and the Centre is committed to development of the region, Union Minister of State for Urban Development Saugata Roy said.

Roy, who was addressing North Eastern Urban Infracon-10 here, said the overall central assistance allocated for the region during 2009-10 was close to Rs 15,000 crore.

"But the rapid growth of urban population puts a huge strain on the physical infrastructure.

Overcrowding, paucity of affordable housing, bottlenecks in urban transport and concerns on public safety are the primary challenges to the government," he said.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was launched to tackle these problems and develop the cities.

Besides, the N E region Urban Develpment programme is being implemented with technical and financial assistance from Asian Development Bank.

Lamenting that the region is the least developed, Roy said the predominance of agriculture and low level income has compounded the situation.

Everest Gets 3G Mobile Internet

mount everest 3GNepali mobile network operator Ncell has installed the first 3G base station at the base camp of Mount Everest, giving visitors, climbers and people living in the Khumbu Valley the ability to make calls and wirelessly connect to the Internet .

To test out the new facility, Ncell also made the world’s highest video call at 17,388 feet.

So far, visitors of Mount Everest had to depend on satellite phones to make calls, but now they can do so through a standard GSM, 3G-enabled network. “The coverage of the network will reach up to the peak of the Everest,” Ncell Nepal chief Pasi Koistinen said to reporters in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Ncell is a joint venture between private investors and Sweden-based telecom TeliaSonera. Ncell’s network currently covers less than one-third of Nepal’s population, but TeliaSonera said it planned to invest $100 million in the next year to extend coverage to more than 90% of the country’s population.

“This achievement is as mighty as the altitude as 3G high speed internet will bring faster, more affordable telecommunication services to the people living in the Khumbu Valley, trekkers, and climbers alike,” said TeliaSonera CEO Lars Nyberg.

29 October 2010

Normal Life Affected in Former NC Hills Following Bandh

Haflong BandhHaflong, Oct 29 : In Assam, normal life has been partly affected in the Dima Hasao Hills district following a 24-hour district bandh today.

Shops, markets, business establishments, educational and financial institutions remained closed in the district headquarters Haflong and its neighbouring areas.

Attendance in government offices is also thin while vehicles remained off the roads. However, the bandh fails to evoke any response in Maibong, Mahur, Umrangsho and other Dimasa community dominated areas of the district.

AIR Silchar correspondent reports that so far the bandh is peaceful with no untoward incidents have been reported from any parts of the district. Security across the district has been beefed up to prevent any trouble.

The call for the bandh is given jointly by the North Cachar Hills Indigenous Students’ Forum and North Cachar Hills Indigenous Women Forum from five this morning in protest against the bomb blast on Silchar bound Barak Valley Express Passenger train near Haflong rail station on Wednesday by the suspected extremists in which at least ten passengers were injured.

Meanwhile, the direct train services between Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and Barak Valley of Assam with the rest of the country have been resumed from today.

Running of trains on Silchar- Lumding section of Northeast frontier rail were suspended from Wednesday evening after the bomb blast damaged about 88 metres of rail tracks.

Forced to Down Shutters, Manipur Goes Without Dailies

journalist Protest in ManipurImphal, Oct 29 : Manipur journalists staged a rally in Imphal on Thursday to denounce militant threats that forced media houses to suspend publication a day earlier despite CM Okram Ibobi Singh's security assurances.

Armed militants visited offices of some local dailies and threatened editors against publishing statements of a rival, breakaway group on Tuesday evening.

The local newspapers had published a statement of the breakaway group claiming responsibility for killing a man sometime back.

Under All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU)'s banner, the scribes staged the rally and marched to the CM's office carrying placards reading "respect freedom of press" and "might is right in animal planet". They submitted a memorandum to Ibobi and demonstrated at Imphal's Keishampat junction.

The journalists asked Okram, who also holds the home portfolio, to ensure security for media offices and "create an environment where mediapersons could function without any disturbance and interference".

AMWJU spokesperson, A Mobi, said the CM assured security for the journalists. "We'll soon convene a meeting to decide whether to continue our agitation," he said.

Manipur minister Y Erabot; assembly deputy speaker, Th Lokeshwar, and a number of civil society groups joined the scribes in solidarity.

Around 10 journalists, including editors, have been killed in the state in the last few years. Though none of the perpetrators have been booked so far, the CBI is investigating a young Imphal-based journalist's 2008 killing.

Arunachal’s Sangty Valley Awaits Arrival of Rare Cranes

crane Blacknecked Santy ArunachalItanagar, Oct 29 : The enchanting Sangty valley in Arunachal Pradesh is ready to host once again the endangered black-neck cranes as the winter approaches, but bird watchers are crossing their fingers over whether the winged guests from China and Tibet will arrive in depleted numbers.

The rare bird, locally known as Dhung Dhung Karma, sets up its winter home in the valley, situated at Dirang in West Kameng district, from November till February every year to escape the bitter cold in the Upper Himalayas.

Located at a distance of eight kilometres from Dirang, Sangty valley is known as a bird’s paradise, especially for the migratory variety which likes its friendly climatic condition.

The valley is credited with being the only wintering site for the black-neck crane in the Lower Himalayas, but the hapless birds are increasingly becoming the targets of hunting by tourists as well as a section of local people.

Records say that the exotic species used to visit two other places till 1970 – Apatani Plateau in Lower Subansiri district and Papu Valley in West Kameng district.

They abandoned the sites because of persistent harassment by local people who are unaware of the rare status of the birds and also rapid change in the land use pattern.

“In the absence of protection and conservation, these migratory birds are facing problems from tourists who chase them for taking photographs,’’ lamented Lham Thupten, a bird enthusiast from Sangty Village.

He said there were even instances of some black-necked cranes leaving the Sangty valley the same day as they arrived harried by constant badgering by tourists. Other inhabitants of the valley said last year only three black neck cranes had been spotted.

In 2005, official records say, nine migratory birds died in the valley after coming into contact with a live electric wire as several more such deaths were reported in the valley in the last few years.

Though the district administration had proposed to realign the electric wires passing through the valley, no initiative had been taken.

Local people, known as Monpa, see the arrival of the bird as harbinger of good harvest and happy times for them. Inhabiting the the West Kameng district, the Monpas are known for their disciplined and frugal lifestyle.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife and Bio-diversity) J L Singh said, ‘’Undertaking the proper conservation method like habitat enrichment and minimum human activitiy, the valley could attract more birds and thus become an important tourist destination.’’

The valley could also find a place in the wildlife tourist map of the world if proper care was taken, he observed.

Indian Festival Revives Theater in Manipur

manipur theatreA ten-day-long festival of theater is underway in Imphal, India. It includes a short-play competition with sixteen theatre groups entered.

[Mangang, Festival Director]:

"Theater in the state is reviving. There are also well-known theater artists in the state. If we put in more effort, we will be able to improve further and take part in international theater performances."

Organizers say the festival provides an opportunity for playwrights, directors, actors, and designers to come together and share their ideas.

The state of Manipur is known for its rich tradition of theater, which has been used as an important tool to highlight major social issues and create awareness in society.

The festival runs through Sunday.

PMGSY Roads Changing Lifestyle in Manipur

PMGSY ManipurImphal, Oct 29 : Construction of new roads and upgradation of certain inter-village routes in Manipur under the Centrally sponsored schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has started to change the lifestyles of several villagers.

“The recent construction of a road in between Sugunu and Sekmaijin villages has helped the villagers to change their lifestyles upto a certain level”, a senior official of Manipur State Rural Road Development Agency (MSRRDA) said while interacting with The Assam Tribune here.

The 40.5 km road between Sugunu in Thoubal district and Sekmaijin village in Imphal West district which was upgraded under PMGSY since the last four years now connects at least a dozen villages of the two districts.

Thus the villagers of Laphupat, Tera, Warukok, Phoubakchao, Sekmaijin and those remote villages under Sugunu Assembly constituency now could have a joyride with those mini-bus and jeep plying along the newly developed route, the official of MSRRDA added.

MSRRDA is the implementing agency of the Centrally sponsored PMGSY schemes in Manipur. PMGSY is a 100 per cent Centrally-sponsored scheme to provide road connectivity in rural areas.

So far the agency has managed to connect 190 villages in Manipur by constructing new roads besides upgrading the existing roads under the scheme. But it targets to connect not less than 500 villages of the State by constructing new roads covering a total distance of 3,160.86 km till the end of its seventh phase.

Till end of September this year, the construction firms under the State’s implementing agency has completed 664 work packages out of allotted 1,023 with an expenditure of around Rs 42,732 lakh, according to an achievement report of MSRRDA.

In Manipur, as per the national guideline – a work package under PMGSY means construction works worth Rs 5 crore only..“As a result we took up the Sugunu-Sekmaijin road under four sections (four work packages)”, the official further informed.

The works were taken up as per the recommendation from the government including the State MLAs and MPs. But the officials here in Manipur are facing various forms of difficulties while implementing the schemes mostly in the valley districts compared to hill districts as the community participation in the valley is low so far, local sources said.

Though villages with population of 500 and above were covered in the initial phases, but it was later extended to villages with a population of 250 in the following phases, the sources added.

The Government India targets to construct 3.68 lakh km new roads besides 370,000 km of upgradation and renewal to provide connectivity to unconnected rural habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy at a cost of about 26 billion US dollars.