First look North-East, then Look East

By Prasenjit Chowdhury

New Delhi, Mar 3 : The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi cautioning China against repeatedly staking claim to Arunachal Pradesh and exhorting it to give up its “expansionist attitude” must serve the purpose, beyond just warming the cockles of our nationalist hearts, of giving us a foretaste of what, if Modi becomes prime minister, could be India’s foreign policy vis-à-vis China.

But what became problematic was his proclamation in another rally in Silchar in south Assam, that Hindu migrants from Bangladesh must be accommodated in the country, while the others should be sent back.

In the first note, Modi is perfectly in accord with his ideological predecessor since as early as the 1950s, the Jana Sangh was worried about the growing influence of Peking (now Beijing) in Tibet.

In 1959 its working committee reacted to the Chinese incursions along the India-Tibet border by demanding from Jawaharlal Nehru’s government that the territories that had been occupied be ‘liberated’. When the first signs of the Chinese invasion appeared in May 1962 with the capture of two Indian frontier posts, the Jana Sangh called for massive reprisals and to cut off all diplomatic relations.

We are rightly irked over China making territorial claims on Arunachal Pradesh. Apart from last year’s adventurousness, it is on record how in 2010 China stridently staked its claim to the state, and hectored us over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit there and that of the Dalai Lama. Late last year, Modi took the UPA government to task for ‘failing’ to protect India’s borders with Pakistan and China in his first major speech since the BJP named him its PM candidate.

During his visit in 2011, Modi met the top government and CPC leadership in China and raised issues, among other things, related to the wrong depiction of certain areas of Arunachal Pradesh as parts of China and presence of China in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and the security implications thereof. Could we now expect a reversal of a logjam that started way back in 1963 when Pakistan ceded to China the Trans Karakoram Tract, comprising Shaksgam from Baltistan and Raskam from Gilgit, which is as good as forfeited to us?

It is curious to see how a nationalist government in India, should Modi become PM, meets the newly nationalist China, as the communist party having lost its hegemony over Chinese nationalist discourse, popular nationalists now command a large following and exert tremendous pressure on those who decide China’s foreign policy.

Therefore, if Modi wants to put paid to China’s putative occupation of the Aksai Chin region of Kashmir, claimed by India, and Beijing’s claims on India’s far-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, the moot question would be if he would favour ‘shelving’ the ‘difficult’ border issue and improving ties in other areas, as China currently does, at least till India’s defence modernisation programme is complete — perhaps by the middle of this century — or would go for computing the logistics of going hawkish.

Inadvertently, Modi trod on a number of intricate and delicate issues that relate to India’s intractable border issues with China and Bangladesh, to the issues of mass migration. As seen in the instance of 2012, Assam is a virtual communal powder keg riddled as it is by an unresolved illegal immigrants problem and a vicious fight over land and political power among indigenous tribes and multiple ethnic groups.

It should not be unknown to the BJP leadership that the demographic reality is too complex in the North-East and the root of Assam’s problems lies in the unauthorised influx from Bangladesh which has dramatically changed the ethnic landscape of various districts of Assam closer to the international border, starting with Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpeta and even Nalbari.

Apart from talking tough, neither the Congress nor BJP governments have adopted a viable policy to stop the tide of illegal immigration. This gives one the impression that electoral politics and its lust for minority votes have been allowed to come into play in the region. It is essentially a battle of attrition over jobs and control over land among many stakeholders.

India’s Look East policy has both parties’ fingerprints on it. Modi’s real test would therefore be, should he get a call, to take up a North-East policy with no room for sectarianism.

Prasenjit Chowdhury is a Kolkata-based commentator

Poverty, unemployment big problems of Mizoram, says CM

Admitting that poverty and unemployment were two big problems of the state, Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla today sought funds from the Finance Commission to take up poverty alleviation schemes on a wider scale.

In a meeting with the members of the visiting 14th Finance Commission, he said the Commission might consider transfer of much higher quantum of non-plan fund to the state so that the state government could take up poverty alleviation schemes on a wider scale.

The chief minister said stress should be given on providing employment opportunity to the youths of the state the finances of which were passing through a difficult time.

"To achieve prosperity side by side with sustained peace, we need to provide employment opportunity to the growing young generation through massive public investment," he said.

Higher quantum of non-plan fund was also needed to bridge the gap in non-plan account and in view of the possible impact of the seventh pay commission, he said.

Lal Thanhawla said the state was trying to achieve a reasonable degree of financial self-dependence and required the assistance and guidance of the Finance Commission.

Four Arunachal students held for assaulting gym instructor in Bangalore

Bangalore, Feb 28 :

Victim objected to noisy celebrations which disturbed neighbours

The Peenya police on Thursday arrested four students of a private engineering college for allegedly assaulting a gym trainer and injuring him badly in his eyes, late on Wednesday night.

The arrested are: Hage Nomo, Dari Sanju, Sange Norbu and Gem Tado, all aged between 20 and 22 years and from Arunachal Pradesh.

Bipin Gopalakrishna, 30, who sustained injuries on his face and in the eyes, is being treated as an in-patient at a private hospital. He is said to be out of danger.

The four students stay in the second floor of a residential building at Kirloskar Layout on Hesaraghatta Main Road. A group of around 15 youths from Arunachal Pradesh and other Northeastern states had gathered for a celebration. They were playing music at high volume. The celebrations went on till 1 am, disturbing the neighbours, police said.

Gopalakrishna, who stays on the third floor of the building came down and requested them to reduce the volume of the music. Some of those who were allegedly drunk picked a quarrel with Gopalakrishna. They allegedly pinned him down and started attacking him. Divya, Gopalakrishna’s wife, rushed downstairs after seeing the scuffle. The boys allegedly manhandled her when she tried to rescue her husband. Bipin and Divya managed to get into their house and called the police.

The police arrived at the spot and found the music being played at high volume. They asked the boys to stop the music immediately.

They took the four into custody and took Gopalakrishna to a hospital. Based on Divya’s complaint, the police arrested the four.

The police have decided to hold a meeting with local residents and representatives of Northeast region to ensure peace and harmony in the area, said DCP (North) Sandeep Patil.

Ruhi Tachu, general secretary of Arunachal Students Union of Karnataka who was present when the incident took place, told Deccan Herald that it was Gopalakrishna who first assaulted one of the arrested boys without any warning.

“We had gathered to celebrate a festival and admit that the noise levels had gone up a little. At around 11 pm, the instructor knocked on our door. The boy who opened the door was slapped thrice. The boy slapped Gopalakrishna in return and he was joined by the three others in assaulting the instructor,” said Ruhi.

He claimed that it was he who called the police after the incident.

“Initially, the police were listening to us. However, the gym instructor said something in the local language and the police suddenly wanted to arrest us and even me. We are ready to pay for the medical charges and tender an unconditional apology to Gopalakrishna. However, they are not ready to withdraw the FIR,” said Ruhi.

Curfew in 25 Assam villages following clash

GUWAHATI: Indefinite curfew was clamped on Thursday in 25 villages in Assam's Darrang district after 13 people were injured in a clash between two groups, officials said.

Darrang deputy commissioner MS Manivannan said curfew was imposed in 25 villages to stop any deterioration of the situation.

The curfew would be in force till further orders and till the situation improves, he added.

A group of people attacked another group at Udmari village, after suspecting the second group to be of dacoits. A total of 13 people were injured in the incident, a district administration officer said.

Five of the injured were taken to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital for treatment.

Additional security has been deployed in and around the area, police said.

The district administration has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

Mizoram Church prays for sustainence of alcohol prohibition law

Aizawl, Feb 27 : A day after legislators gave a lukewarm response over a plea to continue prohibiting alcohol in Mizoram, the state’s largest church organisation has urged its members to pray for the continued implementation of the 18-year-old law.

In a statement, the Mizoram Presbyterian Church said it believes “violent crimes such as murder, rape and accidents are mostly committed under the influence of alcohol.”

“We urge all our members to pray for the success and continuation of the prohibition law,” the statement said.

The statement also recalled the church’s own assessment from 1994 (two years before Mizoram’s dry law was passed) that showed 65 per cent of the widows lost their husbands to alcohol abuse.

The state government is preparing a new law that will allow the sale and consumption of liquor in the state, albeit with stringent punishment against offenders such as those found driving while drunk. The bill is expected to be introduced in the state assembly this March.

Leaders of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church, which boasts a membership of more than half the state’s 11 lakh population, had urged legislators to continue implementing the dry law during a meeting with them Tuesday.

Except for Assembly Speaker Hiphei, none of the 31 legislators present – including Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla –offered comment.

Hiphei said it was his personal opinion that the church should take a fresh view towards prohibition given the urge to drink turns many to consume spurious alcohol

Mizoram Villagers flee after local healer's doomsday vision

AIZAWL: Over half the population of Sedailui hamlet in south Mizoram's Lunglei district fled the village after a 'bawlpu' or 'medicine man' predicted that disaster would befall the villagers. Sources said Surjit Chakma claimed to have seen a 'vision' and predicted that a massive landslide would destroy Sedailui.

The villagers who fled were mainly from the Chakma community. Sources in Lunglei said around 80 Christians from 10 families, belonging to the Baptist Church of Mizoram, did not flee the village.

Sources added that around 100 Christians belonging to the Seventh Day Adventist Church also remained in Sedailui.

Rev R C Lalthanzama, mission director of the Baptist Church of Mizoram's Chakma Mission, went to Sedailui to inspect the situation there on Friday. He was accompanied by some priests.

The Chakma community in the area is known to be extremely superstitious. Practitioners of 'black magic' and 'medicine men' are also common there.

This is not the first such incident in the area. A nearby village, Thanzamasora, had witnessed mass migration of villagers in March, 2011, after 5 villagers succumbed to an unknown disease. The 'bawlpu' of Thanzamasora had accused his counterpart in another village of 'cursing' the 66 households of Thanzamasora.

The villagers had fled to the jungles and remained there till government officials reached the remote village and persuaded them to return. The officials added that the villagers had taken the help of the village 'bodhyo' or healer to cure the sick men. Doctors later found that the five had been afflicted by the Indian tick typhus, after being bitten by ticks in the jungles.

Northeast students reject Bangalore University's 'elitist' move to build separate hostel

By Vanu Dev


How to prevent discrimination of students from the Northeast region on university campus in south India? The Bangalore University seems to have found a simple answer – build a separate hostel for them and isolate the students from the rest.
Unfortunately the plan has backfired, with the Northeast students refusing to move into the hostel and contending that it will further alienate them within the university.
The plan for a separate hostel was mooted following alleged attacks on students last year in Bangalore.

Ghetto? Bangalore University wants a separate hostel for N-E students

According to Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor B Thimme Gowda, the new hostel will be equipped with the latest security features, including CCTV camera, guards, and restricted visit by others. But the students of the Northeast states are of the view that this could further isolate them in the university campus.
At present, there are five different hostels at the Jnanabharathi campus of Bangalore for students of postgraduate, law, general students, ladies and PhD.
The hostel for the Northeast students will be the sixth such hostel.

 

"We cannot promote national integration by isolating students. In fact, we should be encouraged to spend more time with students from the rest of the country. It will be good if there is a mix of students from all regions at the hostel," said Isaac Raising, a students' leader from Manipur.
According to Albert Muvaiah, another students' leader from Mizoram, the separate hostel for Northeast students could give them an "elitist tag" in the Bangalore University campus.
"There is already some kind of negative feeling towards us because the local students believe that we are being given preferential treatment by the University. This gap between the local students and Northeast students cannot be bridged through this hostel," he contended.

Alienating: The proposed hostel will be equipped with latest security features

Apparently, the plan for a separate hostel was put on fast-track basis following the tragic death of Nido Taniam (from Arunachal Pradesh) in New Delhi recently.
The Bangalore University Syndicate will shortly take a decision on the fate of the new hostel, as the authorities are engaging the students from the North East region.

Church urges MLAs to lift Mizoram’s prohibition, all except Speaker offer no comment

 

There have been 55 spurious-liquor related deaths in the state between 1997 and 2012.

Summary

There have been 55 spurious-liquor related deaths in the state between 1997 and 2012.

Aizawl, Feb 26 : At a meeting with MLAs, Mizoram’s biggest church organisation on Tuesday urged the government to continue implementing a law that prohibits the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state.

The Mizoram government is gearing up to allow the sale and consumption of liquor by presenting a new law in the upcoming Assembly session next month that will change the provisions of the Mizoram Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1995.

The Synod Executive Committee of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church, which boasts a membership of more than half the largely Christian state’s population as members, urged the 31 MLAs present to “continue implementing the [prohibition] law forcefully.”

(Eight MLAs including Home Minister R Lalzirliana, who also heads the Excise and Narcotics Department under whose purview the prohibition law falls, were not present at the meeting.)
“Since the implementation of total prohibition, our public areas have become safer and more peaceful, there have been less vehicular accidents caused by drunk driving and alcohol-related violence has decreased visibly,” the church said in a written note distributed to all the legislators who attended the meeting.

“Given that alcohol harms human health, disturbs social relations and even spiritual well-being, we believe allowing alcohol to be more free is not likely to benefit us,” the note added.

Except for Assembly Speaker Hiphei, neither CM Lal Thanhawla nor any of the other 29 MLAs present however offered any comment on the Church’s plea.

Speaker Hiphei, addressing the gathering of church leaders and MLAs, said it was his “personal opinion that church leaders consider a middle path keeping in view that many people cannot control the urge to drink and end up consuming spurious alcohol.”

According to the Excise and Narcotics Department, there have been 55 spurious-liquor related deaths in the state between 1997 and 2012.