THE ASSAM TRIBUNE July 25, 2001 Ledo villages haunted by landslide fright >From Ron Duarah Ledo, July 21: Maloupahar village no. 1 has become history. Waiting in the wings are Maloupahar villages nos 2, 3 and 4. Open cast mining and palliative land filling by Coal India Limited has brought disaster to the Tikhak Naga villagers, most of whom claim to have inhabited the area for the last 200 years. Renglong Akhi, a 26 year old casual worker with the Tikak Colliery, said his great grandfather was among the first persons in the area to come to know about the existence of coal. He said his great grandfather used to notice that there would be strange fires in the nearby forests. When the incidents were reported to the Britishers, they instantly knew that there had to be coal seams nearby, as the methane gas from coal, upon contact with atmospheric oxygen, would ignite and set off a fire, which soon died out on its own. This was how the erstwhile Assam Railways & Trading Company came to know of the existence of coal and then began their coal excavation works. With the Britishers gone, the nationalised coal sector became a vibrant industry in the Makum - Margherita - Ledo belt. The initial "rat hole mines" were aborted and open cast mining resorted to, despite sustained protests from environmentally conscious citizens and groups. The open cast mining entailed digging huge pits measuring a kilometre or more in diameter and almost half a kilometre deep. Thus began the plunder of the Patkai hills, as entire hills and hillocks were scooped out, all for a few million tonnes of the "black gold", as coal is referred to. This was in the late seventies and onwards. Once the entire coal bearing "seams" have been exploited, the pits were refilled with the remainder soil, and after sprinkling some seeds, the matter was closed. This is where the problems began for the ethnic Naga tribesmen of the area. Used to living on the hills, the tribals set up home and hearth on the reclaimed patches, and continued with their normal chores. Now that the landfills have begun compacting, the resultant landslides have again made them homeless people. Much before the landslides, the Arunachali authorities connived with a section of the tribals of that state to encroach into Assam territory in the area and even set up arches which said: "Welcome to Arunachal Pradesh". The collieries in the Ledo Margherita area technically belong to Coal India Limited, as they have mining rights in the place. The present 30-year lease to this effect expires in 2005. This is why, the civil administration does not routinely police the area. On April 4 this year, the district administrations of Tinsukia and Changlang (in Arunachal Pradesh) resolved the matter after a meeting at Margherita. The arches have been removed, and the Maloupahar villages are once again a part of Assam. As has been stated earlier, the compaction of the open cast mine pits has triggered a series of landslides on July 7 (see The Assam Tribune of July 11 for more on this) in the Maloupahar village no. 1. The first to come down with the loose soil was the Maloupahar Lower Primary School, followed by a dozen hutments. Though there was no human casualty, the incidents were enough to bring about the fear of death among the otherwise hardy tribesmen. Today, all that remains of the Maloupahar village no. 1 is the church and a few hutments. The civil SDO of Margherita, Ratul Chandra Duarah says the administration has arranged for the evacuation of 49 families from the Maloupahar villages. Others are refusing to leave behind their ancestral homes. Coal India Limited, on its part, has very graciously agreed to sanction a Rs 22 lakh rehabilitation package for the affected villages. Even so, the company continues to maintain that there is no fault in the landfilling process at the open cast mining sites. But whoever may be at fault, the people of the Maloupahar are today a frightened lot, for the fear of a next landslide looms large. THE TIMES OF INDIA July 25, 2001 Govt urges NSCN(I-M) to be flexible on ceasefire NEW DELHI: Government on Tuesday asked prominent Naga insurgent outfit, NSCN(I-M), to be flexible in their approach and limit the ceasefire to Nagaland in order to defuse the volatile situation in the Northeast. "If they (insurgents) are really sincere in having peace in the Northeast, the words, the formulations (of the ceasefire extension accord) should not stand in the way of defusing the whole situation," minister of state for home I D Swami told a news channel when asked whether the government wanted NSCN(I-M) to be flexible on the territorial limits of the ceasefire. He said the main purpose of the on-going talks between Centre's interlocutor K Padmanabhaiah and NSCN(I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah in Amsterdam was to limit the extension of area coverage to Nagaland. Padmanabhaiah has already held some rounds of discussions with Muivah in the last two days following government's decision to review the truce extension accord in its entirety. The ceasefire accord was reached between them in Bangkok last month whereby its tenure was extended by another year from August one "without territorial limits". This phrase led to large-scale unrest in Manipur and some parts of the N-E. The term of the ceasefire expires on July 31. Prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has convened a meeting of chief ministers of all N-E states to discuss the issue. He along with home minister L K Advani have already met political leaders, students groups and NGOs agitating for withdrawal of the ceasefire extension. ( PTI ) THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Separatist group in India's northeast threatens to resume insurgency if truce is reviewed By WASBIR HUSSAIN GAUHATI, India (AP) -- A separatist rebel group in northeastern India said Wednesday that it would resume its armed struggle for independence if the government reviews a cease-fire agreement between the two sides. "We will return to the jungle, pick up our weapons and resume our bush war against the Indian state to achieve our goal of independence if New Delhi decides to revoke or restrict the cease-fire," V. Horam, spokesman of the outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), said by telephone from Dimapur, 370 kilometers (230 miles) south of Gauhati. The Indian government's June 14 decision to extend a 1997 cease-fire with the NSCN to areas beyond Nagaland state has led to violent protests in adjoining Manipur state. Sixteen people were killed a week ago when police opened fire in an attempt to stop a rampage of more than 50,000 protesters in Imphal, the state capital. Protesters set fire to the state legislature building and several other political party and government offices. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced after a meeting with lawmakers from Manipur on July 8 that the government would thoroughly review the cease-fire. The federal government's decision to re-examine the truce has been viewed with suspicion by the NSCN, which has threatened to resume its separatist campaign. The Naga tribespeople, more than 90 per cent of who are Christians, are concentrated in the state of Nagaland. But a sizable number of Nagas live in the adjoining Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states. Separatist groups like the NSCN don't recognize the boundaries of the states drawn by the British and accepted or modified later by the Indian government, which gained independence from Britain in 1947. The NSCN, as well as several sociopolitical groups representing the Naga community, support uniting the Nagas as "one people, under one political roof." This slogan has led non-Naga people in the neighboring states like Manipur to accuse the NSCN of pursuing expansionist designs. The Meiteis, Manipur's majority community, fear the extension of the cease-fire could be the first step before the Naga inhabited parts of Manipur are carved up and annexed by Nagaland. THE INDIAN EXPRESS July 26, 2001 News from Amsterdam: Nagas blink NSCN agrees to talk, gives Delhi elbow room to amend terms of truce AJAY SURI NEW DELHI, JULY 25: In a singularly bad week, the NDA government has received a major boost: its emissary K Padmanabhiah managed to convince the NSCN (IM) of the need to continue negotiations even while the ceasefire agreement undergoes drastic changes. In other words, the government will now be able to placate the Manipuris without fearing a Naga backlash. At the end of the two-day meeting yesterday at Amsterdam between Padmanabhiah and NSCN leaders, the two sides came out with a joint statement espousing the path of peace and negotiations. It read: ''The process of deliberations on substantive issues is being carried out in a spirit of openness and earnestness. Both the parties are confident that progress would be made through better understanding of the nature of the issue and with mutual trust.'' NSCN has made it clear that, despite vehement oppositon from a number of North-Eastern states, it is eager to hold more meetings with the Prime Minister's representative. Says the statement, ''It is also agreed that the talks on substantive issues will be taken up as frequently as possible so as to expedite the pace of the peace process. It is further decided to make the Cease-Fire Monitoring Group (CFMG) process more broadbased by including respectable NGOs and members of the civil societies as observers.'' Padmanabhiah, who is on his way to New Delhi, is lkely to meet Vajpayee and Union Home Minister L K Advani tomorrow to give his report about the Amsterdam meeting. The new understanding reached with Issac Chu and Th Muivah has also given the Government much needed elbow-room to handle the combined onslaught of at least three North-Eastern states. Vajpayee has scheduled a meeting on Friday with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Manipur and all of whom have been protesting against extension of ceasefire to their areas. Only the Nagaland Chief Minister S C Jamir, who is arriving here tomorrow for the meeting, has taken an opposite stand. Observers say the NSCN's lowering the bar and thereby changing the situation could not have come at a better time for New Delhi. It gives an additional handle for Vajpayee to push the Centre's stand on Naga issue more forcefully with the agitating Chief Ministers. The CMs can now be persuaded to soften their rigid stand in view of the NSCN having already taken a similar view. The review of the ceasefire, meanwhile, is nearing completion. Minister of State for Home says it would be announced before July 31. And Padmanabhaiah, sources say, may soon go abroad for another round of talks with the NSCN. THE INDIAN EXPRESS (Editorial) July 27, 2001 Make haste slowly Old fears mustn't be stoked in Northeast peace initiatives The Centre appears to be making progress in the extremely delicate task of quelling popular fears in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam without going back on its commitment to the Nagas. Balancing ethnic interests in the Northeast is never easy. And the Centre has compounded the difficulties by failing to consult leaders of Northeastern states before agreeing with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M) to a ceasefire ''without territorial limits''- meaning wherever Naga rebels are active. That shortsightedness led to protracted demonstrations mainly in Manipur but also in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Far from being able to calm people and clear up misunderstandings, local politicians share, or exploit, the perception that the extended ceasefire facilitates the emergence of a greater Nagaland which will absorb parts of other states. Repeated assurances from the Union home minister that state borders will not be redrawn have done little to douse the flames. He even said he was prepared to introduce a Lok Sabha resolution to such effect but to no avail. Mistrust of the Centre has been running high and protests have continued for over a month and cost 15 lives so far. The Naga claim to areas where Nagas live in other states is no secret. There is a substantial - the exact proportion is disputed - Naga population in four districts of Manipur (Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel), one in Assam (North Cachar) and two in Arunachal Pradesh (Tirap and Changlang). The Centre certainly ought to have anticipated the kind of reaction witnessed in those states but clearly did not. It has had to scramble to undo the damage and is now caught between two stools. There are plenty of indications on the ground that concessions to Manipuri sentiment will arouse tensions among the Nagas. And unrest will continue if Manipur's fears are not addressed. In the circumstances, the prime minister's promise to a delegation of Northeastern leaders on July 9 to review the ceasefire agreement was pragmatic. Fortunately, the cooperation of and understanding from the NSCN (I-M) required for that step seems to have been obtained. The language of the joint statement issued in Amsterdam after the Centre's chief negotiator, K. Padmanabhaiah's talks with the NSCN is positive, if unspecific. The reference to the ''spirit of openness and earnestness'' on both sides, the agreement to meet frequently and enlarge the negotiating mechanism all suggest the talks process remains on track. Does it mean the NSCN will abide by a parliamentary resolution on the inviolability of state borders in the Northeast? Is such a resolution desirable in the long term? Will the NSCN not insist on an extended ceasefire? If so, will it be able to persuade Nagas in Ukhrul and elsewhere not to start the protests and blockades they in turn have threatened? Time will tell. But it should be stressed the last thing the Northeast needs is more promises which cannot be kept and more turmoil as a result. The situation calls for great subtlety of approach. The Centre and state leaders must take care not to exacerbate old anxieties while developing solutions to old problems. PTI via THE HINDUSTAN TIMES July 27, 2001 Uphold Bangkok deal: Nagas Kohima, July 27 Four prominent Naga organisations on Friday urged prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to uphold the June 14 Bangkok Agreement between the Centre and NSCN (I-M) during talks with chief ministers of the north eastern states slated at New Delhi. The organisations, in a joint memorandum to Vajpayee, a copy of which was received here, said if the Centre went back on its commitment, it would lose all credibility and close 'doors' to all underground outfits to have any kind of faith on 'agreements' made or to be made between the two sides. The Naga Hoho (apex council) United Naga Council (UNC), Manipur, Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) and Naga Students Federation (NSF) said in the memorandum that the Nagas wanted continuation of the current peace process and a final settlement of the political problem. The settlement of the 50- year-old Naga political problem, would brighten the possibility of resolving the insurgency problem in the entire north-east. The organisations also drew the prime minister's attention to the massive exodus of Nagas from Imphal valley following violent protests against the ceasefire extension in Manipur. It claimed 65 per cent of Nagas living in the valley "have fled their homes and the exodus continued every day. "Emotions are running high and many are beginning to question how much longer the Nagas would tolerate it. So far we have managed to keep the situation under control although tension has already worked itself up," the memorandum said. Referring to the "extreme emotional outburst" by Meiteies in the valley and vivid media coverage of the events, the Naga organisations asserted" good copy need not necessarily present the truth". They said the Naga side of the story had not been adequately heard. The central team led by union minister of state for home I D Swami submitted the report after listening only to the Meitei organisation without taking into consideration Naga voices on the ceasefire extension issue. PTI via THE TIMES OF INDIA July 27, 2001 NSCN says it had not called for Naga exodus KOHIMA: The NSCN (IM) has refuted media reports that it had asked Nagas to leave Imphal Valley in the wake of anti-ceasefire agitations in Manipur and that it was running three relief camps for the displaced persons in the hill districts of that state. Describing the reports published in the print media, particularly two Imphal-based dailies, as ''concocted stories'' purported to malign the image of the NSCN (IM), the underground organisation said that the concerned news persons seemed to have abandoned ''reasons and ethics of journalism''. The information and publicity wing of the NSCN-IM, in a statement, released here Thursday, held such baseless reports responsible for mass exodus of Nagas from the Imphal Valley when the anti-ceasefire agitation took a violent turn in Manipur. Although no official figures of the displaced Nagas were available so far, several Naga NGOs and student bodies put the figure at 20,000 who, they said, have been taking shelter in Senapati, Ukhrul, Chandel and Tamenglong districts of Manipur and Dimapur and Kohima in Nagaland.