RSS Chief Calls For Introspection on Northeast Policy

New Delhi, Sep 2 : Calling for introspection on the "neglect" of Northeast region, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the nation knows that the region exists, but fails to realise that it's a part of the country.

"The problem exists within us. We know that Northeast exists, but we fail to realise that it's a part of Indian territory. The Northeasterns have not forgotten that they belong to India and are its integral part. It's upon us to realise that the land and the people belong to us," Bhagwat said.

He was speaking at an award function here of an RSS affiliated NGO, working in Northeast.

He said there should be change in the attitude towards the people of Northeast India. He also stressed that the behaviour towards Northeastern students studying in different parts of the country should be more comforting and cordial.=

"The Northeast students leave their land on the assumption that at least the country and the countrymen are known to them. To help them adjust in a better way and make them feel at home, they should be treated in a way that comforts them," Bhagwat said.

Taking the onus on the development in the Northeast he said, "The condition of the rest of India is better than the Northeast. And it's our duty to work for the development of the Northeast. The Northeast has been neglected, and it's futile to find out why Northeast was neglected, the onus is on us to find a solution and work on it."

Later, when asked about the arrest of self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, Bhagwat refused to comment.

IIBM to Start One Year Post graduate diploma course in banking

Guwahati, Sep 1 : What is expected to bring large pool of students from Northeast to the banking industry, the Indian Institute of Bank Management (IIBM) will soon roll out a one year post graduate diploma course in Banking and finance to equip the students of the region for making inroads in the banking industry.

According to IIBM in next few years banking industry will have a whooping manpower requirement of 10 lakh.

This is due to the aggressive expansion plan of the banks and large number of employees due to retire.

RBI has set a target of opening open at least 200 branches in this fiscal year in Northeast India. Following which several banks are in massive expansion mode the region.

Malay Mukerjee, Executive director of Central Bank of India (CBI) who was in Guwahati recently told ET, "Managerial staff in Northeast generally comes from outside the region. They stay here for two or three and get posted elsewhere. This hampers the continuity."

So it is decided to train the people here. He said banks are on expansion spree in the region. "The Central bank is planning to add another 30 branches by end of this fiscal year. Presently we have 170 branches spread across the seven states of the region. By 2014, we will also have 200 onsite ATMs."

B. B. Sangma, Director, IIBM Guwahati added, "We are working on mechanism where pass out from this course could be directly recruited in the banks. The intake of students in the course would be around 40."

Sangma said, "We are also in talks so that students get loan facility form the bank for studying the course. The course will include two month internship in a bank. Presently the number of Northeasters in managerial level staff of the bank is very less."

Canara Bank is planning to add another 33 branches by end of this fiscal year. Executive director of the bank, P.S Rawat who was in Guwahati recently said, "From 67 branches we want to have 100. We are looking to participate in government sponsored programmes in a big way in Northeast India and aggressively looking for bankable schemes in big industry, MSME sectors. The bank is focused on expansion in the Northeast India."

United bank of Bank of India is planning to set up at least 500 outlets by November this year. This will include 200 ultra small branches, 200 ATMS and 100 branches. Together with its Regional rural banks, UBI's business mix in Northeast India is around Rs 15000 Crore. The bank is targeting business mix of Rs 20, 000 Crore by the end of this fiscal year.

Similarly Central Bank's business mix till July this year stands at Rs 6500 Crore. The year on year (y-o-y) for the same period in comparison to last fiscal year is 35 percent. The bank has added 21 branches in last five month.

Mizoram Poll Candidate Can Spend Rs.8 Lakh

Aizawl, Sep 1 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed all political parties that their candidates for the upcoming Mizoram assembly elections can spend a maximum of Rs.8 lakh each to meet poll-related expenditure.

"The ECI would appoint expenditure observers besides general and security observers to scrutinise the expenses of all candidates and political parties during the elections," an official of the Mizoram election department told reporters here Saturday.

He said the ECI has issued special guidelines to all poll-related officials, including sub-divisional and district magistrates, to record the expenditure of the candidates and political parties.

Elections to the 40-seat Mizoram assembly is expected to be held at the end of this year.

The churches of different Christian communities always supervise the elections in Mizoram on their own to prevent malpractices during elections.

Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh will also go to polls in November or December along with Mizoram.

During the last assembly elections in December 2008, the Congress won 32 seats, Mizo National Front (MNF) three and Maraland Democratic Front one.

The United Democratic Alliance's constituents - Mizoram People's Conference and Zoram Nationalist Party - got two seats each.

The MNF, which ruled the state for 10 years until 2008, is the principal opposition party.

Thai man arrested for supplying arms to Naga rebels

Bangkok, Sep 1 : Police here have arrested a Thai man wanted in India for allegedly acting as a middleman in arms deals with Naga rebels worth almost USD 2 million.

The arrested man, identified as 57-year-old Wuthikorn Naruenartwanich alias Willy, is included on an Interpol list as a suspect wanted by India for terrorism offences, sources said today.

Thai police said Naruenartwanich was arrested at his home in Bangkok yesterday.

The next step could be his extradition to India, sources told PTI but did not elaborate.

Naruenartwanich has been accused of buying nearly 1,000 assault rifles and an unspecified number of rocket-propelled grenades to be sold to Naga rebels.

He has denied his involvement in gun running.

India's National Investigation Agency charged Naruenartwanich and three others in 2011 with criminal conspiracy to wage a war against the country. If convicted, he could face a death sentence or life imprisonment.

The outlawed NSCM-IM operated out of Bangkok and several other Thai cities till about a decade ago but most cadres of the group have reportedly moved out of the country.

A ceasefire between the NSCN-IM and the Indian government has held since it was inked in 1997.

Inner Line Permit issue: Security beefed up in Meghalaya, Manipur

By Iboyaima Laithangbam

Police have beefed up security measures in Meghalaya and Manipur as activists demanding the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) have chalked out agitations. The students and NGOs in Meghalaya say that they will launch agitations from Monday onwards. On the other hand, the activists in Manipur will intensify their ongoing campaign.

The representatives of the activists in Meghalaya held a meeting with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday on the implementation of the ILP in the state. It did not come as a complete surprise that Mr. Sangma spurned the demand. Because, all these years the Union government has been refusing to reintroduce the ILP in Manipur. The inflamed activists in Manipur point out that the ILP is in force in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. They fail to understand why this should be denied in Manipur. The activists in Meghalaya have also taken the same stand in this regard.

Mr. Sangma was reported to have told the unconvinced and impassive representatives that since there is sufficient law to deal with the migrants in the state, there is no need to implement the ILP. He contended that the population of the non-locals in the state is decreasing. Quoting statistics, he said that while the population of the indigenous people constitute 86.5 per cent that of the outsiders is 13 per cent. Under the circumstances, the implementation of the ILP will send a wrong message. A separate directorate was opened to deal with the migrants. Besides there are already 39 labour inspectors to detect non-locals from work places. However, the activists fear that the indigenous people will be swamped sooner than expected and as such they have given final touches to launch protracted agitations.

On the other hand, the NGOs and students' organisations which had joined hands to demand the reintroduction of the ILP in Manipur have intensified various forms of agitations. At least 48 non-locals were detected at Kakching sub division in Thoubal district. It is alleged that they had obtained voters identity cards in the name of some Manipuris. Checking of such bogus voters is being done in all 60 Assembly constituencies in the state. There have been other forms of agitations.

According to the 2011 census, Manipur has a population of 22,93,896. Out of them as many as 7.04 lakh persons are non-locals. In the recent past, police had arrested some foreigners. They were convicted and sentenced to prison terms. In view of the agitations which had burgeoned at many parts, the cabinet took a decision on July 12, 2012 for the reintroduction of the ILP. The Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation 1873 which was a different nomenclature of ILP was lifted from Manipur on November 18, 1950. The Manipur Assembly took a unanimous resolution on the reintroduction of the ILP on July 13, 2012. The Manipur government sent a letter to the Union government on August 3, 2012 demanding the reintroduction of the ILP. However there has been no reply from the Union government. But the Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was reported to have told some officials that it is not possible to reintroduce the ILP to Manipur now.

In the wake of the people's movement some insurgents had served quit notice to the migrant workers. All along some unidentified persons have been killing some migrant workers here and there. Indications are that the Union government cannot convince the activists in Manipur and Meghalaya since the ILP is in force in three other NE states.

Mizo Women's Body Seeks Proper Representation in Assembly

Aizawl, Aug 30 : Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP), an apex women's body, has resolved to ensure that women are adequately represented in the 40-member Mizoram legislative assembly.

Lalthlamuani, president of the MHIP general headquarters, on Thursday said that the organization not only wanted its representative in the legislature, but would also work to ensure that a number of women are elected to the assembly.

The organization has declared 2013 as the year for empowerment of women in politics.

Lalthlamuani, wife of state transport minister P C Zoramsangliana, said the group has been pleading with its members to cast their votes in favour of women candidates irrespective of party affiliations.

Anger May Brew Among Northeast Youth if Jobs Are Not Created, Says Economist

Guwahati, Aug 30 : Economist Bibek Debroy said the northeast needs to create more jobs to absorb the youths of the region as absence of proper employment opportunities could lead to frustration among the youth.

"Enrollment in educational institutions is rising in the northeast. If jobs are not created in the region, anger will start brewing among the youth," Debroy said at the North East Marketing Conclave organized by FIhere on Thursday.

Debroy said that although a large part of India's population is young, the demographic dividend is not going to last long as "young India" is going to age.

"Young India is impatient. The angry protests against sexual violence and corruption we have seen in the recent past have their fundamental roots in economics. This demographic dividend is not an open-ended window because by 2030-35, young India is going to age. If we expect our growth rate to be eight to nine percent, it must not be in mere numbers. It should translate into jobs and other benefits for young India," Debroy said.

The region is endowed with natural and human resources and is geographically well-positioned for trade linkages with south and Southeast Asia. Economists, corporate leaders and policymakers gathered at the conclave deliberated on how to market the northeast as a business destination and to explore opportunities to tap the region's economic potential.

He said for the northeast, it is of prime importance to ensure that the sources of revenues in the region are tapped properly. Once that is done, it should be ensured that the revenues are used for common goods and services.

Health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the time has come to brand the northeast and market its potential in a proper manner.

FICCI's northeast advisory council chairman, Ranjit Barthakur, said that the long international border the northeast shares with neighbouring countries is its greatest advantage and will help market the region's products and potential.

Barthakur said that tourism is another sector with great potential and the northeast is "a paradise" waiting to be discovered. "The region's tourism sector has the potential to stimulate growth in different sectors of economy," he added.

Meghalaya Eyes Strong Law To Check illegal Immigrants

Shillong, Aug 30 : Ruling out the re-introduction of a permit system for Indians seeking to enter Meghalaya, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Thursday said the government will implement a strong law to check the influx of illegal immigrants.

"The government is equally concerned over the influx and we will tackle the issue by strengthening the existing laws and enforcement agencies," Sangma told reporters here after a meeting with 10 social organisations which demanded the re-introduction of the inner line permit (ILP) system.

He said that the government was in process of having a system, which was "more effective and comprehensive" rather than the ILP, which is also perceived as a piece of law that infringed upon the fundamental rights of the citizens.

The ILP is issued under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873 by the state governments.

The chief minister claimed the tribal population had declined in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, where ILP was in force to curb the influx of outsiders in those states.

Underlining the need to implement the National Population Register Biometric Enrolment Plan in the state, Sangma said it will help a great deal to verify the credentials of the people.

"It is our shared objective to check influx and infiltration and we require further engagement and cooperation of NGOs, instead of hitting a stone-wall and taking a confrontational attitude," the chief minister said, while making clear that his government will not re-introduce the ILP in the state.

The 10 social organisations sought restrictions like the inner line permit - required by Indian citizens to enter Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram - saying that the influx situation in Meghalaya might go out of control given its proximity to Bangladesh and Assam.

Joe Marwein, the spokesman of the 10 organisations, said the implementation of the ILP would help protect the tribal population from being "annihilated" in their own land.