Speaking to reporters after the fast, FKJGP president Emlang Lyttan said, "We have decided to intensify agitation if the proposed Cabinet meeting on January 17 fails to scrap the deal."

The FKJGP is likely to launch a joint agitation with other "concerned" NGOs on the issue, he said.

Earlier, police intercepted FKJGP activists proceeding towards the Main Secretariat and led them to the State Central Library premises where the agitators held the hunger strike.

They, numbering around 20, carried banners and placards inscribing -- "stop the crap, scrap the deal", "murky deals alliance (MDA)" and others.

Meanwhile, authorities denied permission to a group of UDP youth wing members to take out a procession to express solidarity with the FKJGP. The UDP members later visited the hunger strikers and offered support to them.

Land owners' protest In yet another twist to the current power deal imbroglio, land owners of War San Lyngdoh, West Khasi Hills have threatened not to allow personnel of Jaypee Group and Athena Project Pvt Ltd to execute the Kynshi Stage-I and Stage-II hydel projects respectively.

"Even if the January-17 Cabinet meeting decides to go ahead with its earlier decision, we the land owners will not to allow the personnel of the private companies to enter our land,"

While reiterating their earlier stand that the Kynshi projects should be handed over to NEEPCO, the land owners' body said it was not party to the decision taken in the meeting convened by Acting Syiem of Nongstoin on January 7 to garner support for handing the projects to private companies.

"None of our members were present in the meeting convened by the Acting Syiem," the letter said while terming the Cabinet decision as "unacceptable".

On the contention that the Central Government did not allow any public sector undertaking (PSU) to participate in the bidding process, the land owners urged Chief Minister DD Lapang to take up the matter in the Cabinet meeting for restoration of the provision of handing over the projects to PSU.

The Planning Board has asked the Government to consider in the January-17 Cabinet meeting the fact that MeSEB is well set to be on the forefront in future power development programmes.

"MeSEB had indicated in its approach paper on the Eleventh Five-Year Plan its interest to take up five hydro power projects including the ambitious 300-MW Umngot project which reached the stage of preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR)," Planning Board spokesman Aubrey H Scott Lyngdoh said in a statement on Tuesday.

As MeSEB is going to take a new role as a corporation with its three wings - generation, transmission and distribution - it is well set to lead in the power development sector, the Planning Board stated. The MeSEB had displayed "sound management skill and professional capacity" in implementing the Leshka power project.

"Hopefully, the Cabinet which will be meeting on January 17 to review the Power Policy will consider all the facts in the right perspective," Mr Lyngdoh, the former Finance Minister, said.

On the MeSEB's financial ability to take up hydel power projects the Planning Board stated that though mammoth investment was required for such projects, options of grant and credit resources from State Plan, Japan Bank of International Cooperation and overflowing credit resources of scheduled banks could be explored.

Another option, according to the Board, is credit for infrastructure development in power sector from Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Mr Lyngdoh claimed that power situation in the State was grim and dependent on weather.

Demand for electricity in the State has risen sharply to 610 MW from 185 MW due to mushrooming of industries in Byrnihat. Incentives for new industries have caused unplanned growth of industrial units in the area.

SHILLONG: Will the Cabinet decide against its earlier resolution to hand over power projects to private companies?

With the announcement of Assembly elections and model code of conduct coming into force, this question has raised enthusiasm among various circles.

Though the KSU suspended its agitation awaiting the outcome of the Cabinet meeting on January 17 other organisations like FKJGP and Federation for Achik Freedom (FAF) have been staging protests over the issue.

According to senior lawyer VK Jindal, since the Election Commission has announced the poll date and the model code of conduct being in force simultaneously, the State Government could no longer take any policy decision.

"The State Government can only carry out its day-to-day administrative activities," Mr Jindal told The Shillong Times on Tuesday.

Similarly, another lawyer and UDP leader Bindo M Lanong said, "It is advisable and safer for the Government to leave the matter as it was in order not to attract the provisions of the model code."

Once election is announced and the code of conduct comes into play, the Government cannot take any policy decision, according to Hamarsan Sing Thangkhiew, lawyer of Gauhati High Court. However, on the power deal issue, the Cabinet may take a decision that would not be viewed as violation of the model code of conduct, he added.

UDP up in arms: Meanwhile, UDP, a major constituent of the MDA Government, has threatened to take up the cudgel against the State Government on the "shady power deal".

Asking Chief Minister DD Lapang and Deputy Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who is also the Power Minister, to abort the deal, the party on Tuesday said it would resort to agitation if the January-17 Cabinet meeting decided otherwise.

Party spokesman Bindo M Lanong said, "We stick to our stand that the controversial power deal should be scrapped. If the Government remains adamant, our youth wing members are prepared for an agitation on the matter."

He said the Cabinet meeting in which the decision to hand over the powers projects was taken on December 7, 2007, did not have quorum and hence the decision should be treated as "null and void".

He also claimed that majority of the ministers in the MDA Government were opposed to the Cabinet decision.

On Acting Syiem of Nongstoin supporting the Government move to hand over Kynshi projects to private companies, the party maintained a Syiem had no authority to "decide against the will of the people."

SHILLONG: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi would address election rallies in Meghalaya after campaigning for the March 3 Assembly polls picks up in the state.

AICC Joint secretary Major Ved Prakash told reporters here on Tuesday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would also tour the state sometime in mid-February.

"In Gujarat, Modi triumphed riding on emotional tactics, whereas in Himachal it was the anti-incumbency factor, that paved the way for the BJP but in Meghalaya the nuances are different. The combined impact of the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance will definitely ensure Congress' victory", Prakash, who is on a week-long visit to the state, said.

Optimistic that the party would be able to grab a majority in the elections, the Congress leader, who was the former party in charge of the state, also denied reports about rifts within the state unit of the party.

When pointed to the crisis faced by the party last year that saw the toppling of DD Lapang as the chief minister by some rebel Congress legislators, he said, "It was because of the constitutional amendment which cut the size of the ministry from 40 to 12. The MLAs who were left out were disgruntled. It is natural. But now the differences have been sorted out".

Asked about the chief ministerial candidate, Prakash said "The Congress never declares its chief ministerial candidate ahead. It is up to the elected MLAs to decide their leader after the elections".

Addressing a public meeting at Mawlai, the AICC leader said that Congress would capture Mawlai seat in the March 3 polls. He hoped that Congress would capture more seats this time.

He attacked other parties saying that they failed to fulfill wishes and aspirations of the people.

On Monday Ved Prakash said that the party would kick start its election campaign with "a lot of face to face interactions," and follow it up with "door to door visits." "We will try this experiment Constituency wise, and then expand on it," he said.

The AICC is said to be apprehensive of the fact that this time round it may not be cakewalk for the party, the anti incumbency factor staring it in the face. (PTI and Our Reporter)

SHILLONG: It is uncanny and patently dangerous that the people of Nongstoin without understanding the larger ramifications of handing over the Kynshi power project to a private firm against the norm of competitive bidding, should unilaterally decide that it is a good project. The term ‘people’ can be very misleading. The Syiemship of Nongstoin which is neither a democratic body since it is elected only by an electoral college comprising of a few clans, nor representative of peoples’ view has no locus standi to take decisions on behalf of the larger majority of citizens including the elected representative of the area. That the Syiemship directly contravenes the norms of the Indian Constitution is an understatement. This dimension requires a larger debate. Nongstoin has no right to decide the future of Meghalaya.

Those who attended the meeting included only the Syiem, the Lyngdoh, Myntri and the landowners. So is it prudent that the decision to hand over a power deal concluded with haste and minus any transparency, be decided by an exclusive elite group of Hima Nongstoin? What is the view of the constitutionally elected MLAs and MDCs of West Khasi Hills like Irene Lyngdoh, HS Lyngdoh, Boldness Nongrum etc? Are their views not important?

Meghalaya has arrived at a very dichotomous juncture. Who are we to be guided by? The wisdom of traditional institutions or the supposed pragmatism of elected representatives? Constitutional experts say, "The argument advanced by the Syiemship that government has accepted the terms and conditions laid out by the Hima are preposterous. Look at the terms that Government has agreed to. (1) 90% jobs for local people with a salary at par with government servants (2) An engineering college exclusively for Nongstoin? Are these not carrots dangled before an uninformed public?", they aver.

A leading politician said, "When the online lottery deal was signed with MK Subba, similar conditions were greed to by the lottery baron. Now, Subba owes the State of Meghalaya a whopping Rs 23 crores. Forget the promises. Even the money legally due to the Government is not paid. Should Mukul Sangma then not be held responsible for this bad deal? Should he not be penalized and the amount recovered from him for pushing the state through a loss making exercise?"

Responsible sources in the Government claim that the Kynshi deal has already been inked despite cautions from several ministers to go slow on the project. Athena Projects Pvt Ltd, New Delhi and Jay Prakash Associates New Delhi have already been handed the project and all kickbacks have allegedly been settled and partly paid. On December 3rd 2007, the cabinet members had demanded that the Chief Minister and not the Power Minister should chair the High Powered Committee.

When asked if the cabinet had okayed the handing over of the projects and if not could a single minister or department take such far reaching decisions, a minister who did not wish to be quoted said, " If there is collective responsibility there must be collective knowledge. If I know and didn’t say anything then I am responsible. But if I did not know the facts, how could I take an informed decision and be held responsible? The problem is that the cabinet has lost its collective functioning", he stated.

Now that the deals have been signed, if Government retracts it will have to suffer consequences. So the fear of a court case hands like the sword of Damocles over Mukul Sangma’s head. The rush to sign the agreements was primarily to reach the finishing line before the elections are announced.

Theories that have been floated by Power Minister are (1) That the private parties are going in for a Joint Venture with the Government in all the projects. If that is true then the agreement ought to be signed with the special purpose vehicle (that is the Joint Venture formed) and not solely with the Private players. If the Joint Venture is with the MeSEB as reported then the Board ought to have been consulted to know the economics of the whole exercise.

(2) That the deals were signed under the Build Operate Own Transfer (BOOT) arrangement. If that is the case then a lot of homework should have been done and proper scrutiny undertaken to see what the outcome would be after forty years. If Government had taken the ICB route, it is possible that some firms would have given more than 12% free power than is envisaged in the present scenario. Why should it be capped at only 12%? And if the State wants to buy power what guarantee would be there that the private parties would prioritize sale to Meghalaya?

After 40 years when the project reverts to the State, will Meghalaya take over the liabilities also? By then it might run into thousand of crores. The Companies could become wilful defaulters so that the State can rescue them. This is sheer corporate politics and dirty business which is widely practiced by unprincipled players. What about the thousands of employees who would become Government servants on auto mode thereafter? The State would be then be ruined. But who cares really?

By then MeSEB would not be obliged to takeover this huge liability as it would have become a corporate body with Independent Director( as per latest Companies act).

As one knowledgeable official, speaking on anonymity said, "This is bad politics before the elections and worse economics thereafter".

Meghalaya is truly in a soup and we have one man to blame for this. Not that the High Powered Committee will go off scot free. There are civil society actors who are exercising the option of a public interest litigation against the power deals. This might be the only way to come unstuck from something that is destined to take Meghalaya to the dark ages while one or two people enjoy the kickbacks.

TURA: The Federation for Achik Freedom (FAF), which is picketing the government offices and business establishments in Garo Hills demanding the scrapping of the power deal by the Congress government has decided to withdraw its agitational programme by Wednesday evening following the announcement of elections to the state assembly by the Election Commission of India on Monday.

The FAF is opposing the handing over of the 720 MW Nangalbibra thermal power project to the gutka manufacturing company Dharampal Satyapal group by the Lapang government.

The Federation which began its two days office picketing on Tuesday threw government functioning into disarray as government employees, fearing trouble, stayed away from work. Tura and Williamnagar were the worst affected by the Federation’s agitation.

There were no untoward incidents reported from any part of the three Garo Hills districts.

Most government offices remained closed and those that did open, including the Deputy Commissioner's office, witnessed a skeleton attendance.

FAF President, Mac D Shira, informed The Shillong Times that the first day of the programme was successful ‘thanks’ to the ‘support’ of the people of Garo Hills which saw through the ‘motives’ of the Congress government.

"We will go ahead with the second day of picketing on Wednesday but the remaining agitational programmes (road blockade and Garo Hills bandh) stands cancelled due to announcement of elections," said Mr Shira.

At Tura, apart from government offices that were affected, banks and other financial institutions, including the BSNL office, remained closed. The entire offices of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) also remained shut due to the picketing.

However, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, E P Kharbhih, played down the FAF’s claim of success saying the reason for thin attendance was due to the holding of election training for government officers at three different locations in Tura on the same day.

In Williamnagar, only twenty percent attendance was registered in government offices. Although the bank was open no one turned up for business transaction, informed government officials.

Meanwhile, Section 144 CrPC, which has been promulgated in the entire Garo Hills region remains in place to contain threat of a law and order breakdown.

The FAF has claimed success of its picketing in several other places of Garo Hills, notably Resubelpara Sub Division, Kharkutta, Mendipather, Dadenggre, Phulbari among others even as government officials dispute such claims.

The Federation has also warned of continuing its opposition to the power deal by holding a series of postering campaigns and creating awareness among the people about the dangers posed from what it termed 'unscrupulous' private companies which are out to extract the mineral resources of the region.

"The part of active agitation is over- we will now switch to a different mode of campaign," warned the FAF President.

HPF President Shella circle, Mr Banteibor Chyne, told that it is indeed surprise that such decision was taken in hasty manner and that too, without any proper consultation from different angles. He also criticised the manner in which the deal was signed as it was not transparent to the public.

Keeping in view the interest of the general public, the HPF demanded a White Paper on the terms of the BOOT or MOU so that people could know the truth on the agreement, Mr Chyne added.

"It seems that the deal is political tactics of Power Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and his "yesmen" to get political promotion after 2008", Mr Chyne said. He however warned that the Federation would not allow the deal to go ahead as it was a 'mortgage' of public assets.

SHILLONG: MDP Jirang circle has unanimously nominated Jemberson R Marak as its candidate from Jirang constituency for the 2008 Assembly elections.

The candidature of Mr Marak was decided at a special conference of the MDP held at Patharkhmah on Saturday last in the presence of party leader Mr B Kular Khongjirem besides party workers and supporters from different areas of the constituency.

The DC stated that over 100 overloaded coal trucks plies everyday on the said road, due to which the standing cantilever bridge over the River Simsung at Nangalbibra was damaged extensively endangering human life and also threatened the smooth flow of traffic and essential commodities. Any disruption in the vital means of communication may severely affect the smooth conduct of the ensuing Assembly elections, he said.

"The element of love and affection relate to emotions of a man. One may be impelled by his conscience or may be moved by emotions to part with his wealth or property and to give the same to a particular person for whom he has developed love and affection. Such a desire can be developed any time and on any ground." Pearls of wisdom from Freud? A chapter on the intricacies of the human mind? Or, perhaps a psychiatrist's verbose on love? Neither. These pearly gems flow from none less than the pen of the aam aadmi's moral and ethical conscience keeper: the income tax officer.

The foregoing "maya" of love and affection was showered last week on the BSP supremo and UP Chief Minister Mayawati by the IT Appellate Tribunal. In one fell stroke, the Tribunal affixed a legal stamp of legitimacy on the Dalit icon and her clan's huge wealth of properties and cash not commensurate with their known sources of income in various cases of disproportionate assets pending before the IT department.

Shockingly, it whitewashed Mayawati's sins of commissions and omission as "gifts" received from supporters just out of "veneration and personal esteem" for her. Incredibly, it accepted in toto that her chelas' love for her transcended new heights wherein they even inflicted heavy financial burdens on themselves by taking massive loans only to buy properties for presenting them as 'offerings of love' to their living Goddess. Sic.

In a land where political and public morality is virtually non-existent, it needs no guesses to know that only a politician could be wallowing in the sunshine of the IT man's largesse. Certainly not the aam janata, which is treated with increasing contempt or as culprits. Aren't we now accustomed to paying bribes for everything --- from getting a ration card to a driving licence. Never mind that it continues to burn a hole in our aam pocket. Clearly, when gold speaks, all tongues are silent!

In this swirling eddy of corruption, la affaire Mayawati has once again conclusively shown the depth to which India's democracy and its leaders have sunk. Wherein our polity has not only legalized corruption and put a seal of approval on the culture of plunder but continue to be a law unto itself! In the bargain, the lion-sized corruption continues to gorge itself on the vitals of the nation.

Look, its raining scandals for our netagan. Why only Mayawati? How is she any different from Mulayam Singh, Jayalalitha, Laloo, Sukhram, Ju Dev etc? Remember Suraj Mandal, who blew the whistle in the JMM case in 1996 in the Lok Sabha. He asserted: "Paisa boriyon main ata hai, gathriyon main nahin." Not one MP present protested.

Why should they? After all, haven't our leaders reduced graft to a farcical political pantomime. So easy to blame everything on the "system". Wherein India's brand equity has been xeroxed as corrupt. Now naked, unashamed, public and brazen. Sanjiva Reddy's words haunt and taunt us. Prior to his retirement as the President of India, he had told INFA candidly: "Anyone who has the opportunity to make money but doesn't do so is a bloody fool." How true.

We've had a surfeit of scams and their number keeps growing. Starting from Mudgal accepting a bribe of just Rs.2,000 in the early fifties to the Bofors Rs.64-crore pay off in the eighties. Nothing changed in the nineties except the magnitude of the scams snow-balled. From the Rs.5,000 crore bank scandal down hawala, sugar to UTI, petrol and Tehalka, which exposed the underbelly of defence deals in 2000. To Telgi's Rs.30,000 fraud in 2004. Followed by Natwar Singh's Volcker UN food-for-cash, down to the MPs cash-for-question and cash-for-projects scams under the MP Local Area Development Scheme. Onward to the fake passport racket and the latest wheat import scam.

Only political reactions have changed with the changing times. From 1951 to 2008. For Nehru corruption was "always distasteful" which he considered as "highly derogatory and highly objectionable." In fact, so averse was he to money that once he urgently summoned the then AICC General Secretary Shriman Narain to take charge of Rs.500 given to him as Party donation.

On the other hand, his daughter Indira dismissed corruption as a "global phenomenon" in 1977. Narasimha Rao merely called it "a systems failure," in 1993. Vajpayee asserted, "law will take its own course" in 2003. Culminating in Manmohan Singh helplessly dismissing it as "the compulsions of coalition politics"!

Any wonder that in the last 60 years not one politician has been convicted. Leave alone, jailed for corruption. With the result that with each passing year politicians have become increasingly brazen. Bringing things to such a pass that going to jail is not far from becoming a badge of honour! In fact, two MPs and a sprinkling of MLAs involved in criminal offences have fought elections from behind the bars and won. A ghotala of few thousand crores is not worthy of feeding the chara of morality.

Sadly, the principle of "sovereign immunity" continues to protect our netagan. Operating in our expended concept of "instrumentality of state". Never mind that the principle itself is a contradiction of democracy. It was derived from the English Common Law wherein the king could do no wrong. But the principle should have been given a burial once we had abandoned the kings. However, trust our polity to continue to cling to this royal privilege. It was primarily intended to protect a public servant from liability, not prosecution. But today our rulers have extended this concept of prosecution to even investigation.

What is extremely disquieting is that Union Ministers and Chief Ministers accused of swindling crores of public money are all living in great comfort and merrily enjoying their high positions. Effectively exposing the fact that the crusade against corruption has shamefully failed in India. Think. We Indians pay over Rs 21,068 crores a year for 'services rendered' to our powers-that-be, according to the Transparency International's Indian Corruption Study 2005.

Arguably, what is the future of society in such conditions? More frustration, more chaos, more unrest and even bloodshed. It needs to be remembered that corruption in the national polity can only survive by paying a very heavy price of increasing mayhem and violence in society. The tragedy of it all is that our polity continues to merrily wallow in corrupt self deception without a thought to the future and the inevitable damage to the larger national cause.

This in a nutshell epitomizes today's political culture. New ideas are bandied about daily for eradicating the scourge of corruption and enforcing some morality. Which like a Jack-in-the-box surface each time a scandal breaks out. By Government after Government. All setting up Committee after Committee, each tom-toming more than the other. With what net result? A big zero.

The problem of dealing with corruption is not merely due to a lack of legal powers or absence of any enforcement agency. We have had the Prevention of Corruption Act since 1947. The CBI was set up in 1963. Nevertheless, no amount of legal powers or creation of enforcement infrastructure will be of much help. Simply because there is a lack of political will, genuine desire to cleanse the political cesspool and courage of conviction to fight for honesty and accountability.

The question then is: how does one eradicate this scourge from public life? There are many remedies for what the people want: transparency and accountability. That is the crux of the problem of our polity, which has so far only preached, but seldom practiced. The top has to be clean for the lower levels to be clean. But the people at the top are just not keen on honest anti-corruption drives, the stench, which fills the political class, cannot be cleared by mere personal assertions, abuses or denials.

The harsh truth is that no politician till date has been able to overcome his greed to bell the big fat cat of corruption. To quote Vajpayee in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the hawala scam in 1996; "Politics has become a way of making money." One living testimony to this is Mayawati, who extols her workers to fill her coffers --- openly, defiantly and shamelessly.

If the Government is serious about purging the malaise and reigning in the Dalit icon, now is the time to introduce probity and cry halt to the legitimizing of corruption, as implicitly in IT Tribunal's bizarre decision. Galloping corruption and the lack of integrity at the higher levels needs to be curbed ruthlessly without further delay for the health of our democracy. Failing which we will at best end up letting Mayawati 'affectionately' continue to rewrite the 'corrupt' rules of a ramshackle corrupt democracy, where honesty will no longer be viewed as the best policy! --- INFA

Sir,

As human being, we are all born with the innate, if somewhat obscured, sense of wanting to see justice done. It is with this feeling of satisfaction people of the State have hailed the court verdict in the Corphilia murder case, though it came after six years. Better late than never. We applaud the people who made this happen.

In the recent past, we have witnessed a spate of anti-social activities like murder, rape and kidnapping -- a St Anthony's College student was killed in a cold-blooded manner, a school girl was raped and killed, two innocent children kidnapped, etc, etc. How many of the culprits involved in these cases have been apprehended and meted out due penalty by the law? Such incidents are occurring at an alarming rate. For the general public at large, these may be just statistics and news. One reads, commiserates for a moment and then forgets. But for those involved in these tragic situations, the wound leaves scars and sometimes takes a lifetime to heal. We may feel elated at the verdict given to Tenderly Hynniewta, but is this all that we can do? After reading the news in your paper, a few questions came to my mind. What made this young boy commit such heinous crime? What are the root causes that may have led this to happen? Perhaps, it is time for us to look deeper into such issues, because punishment alone is not the answer. If these issues are not addressed comprehensively by all the right-thinking citizens, I'm afraid that such horrific incidents will become order of the day in this city. Safety and security will completely vanish. What then? It is time for the government, the educational institutions, the religious centres and the community to come together and think about it seriously and sensitively. Otherwise, it will be too late.

Yours etc.,
Tejdor Tiewsoh
Via e-mail

Sir,

Shillong, my birthplace, has no doubt become the rock capital of India. Also I should say that it's the best spot for the tourists to visit. Why? 1) It's the one of the cleanest cities in India; 2) pollution is less; 3) Also, I should say it's the safest place for everyone comparing to other cities of India. Musical bands are coming in from everywhere and the recent Scorpions concert was 'awesome', but I missed this greatest event. But I did not miss the New Year concert. But the sound system that the MTDF and the state government used in this concert was horrifying. It was mind biting and if I'm not wrong when the band Nova Sanctum was performing I was totally blown away with the sound. I think the sound system would have been better had the show was organised in collaboration with some private parties. I watched the show with my friends with great enthusiasm and hoped for the best sounds and music. But the sound system stunned us.

Yours etc.,
Salesa Nengminza Sangma
Pune.
Via e-mail

Guwahati: Dismayed over the serial insurgent attacks in Assam on the eve of the Magh Bihu festival, common people on Tuesday urged the ULFA leadership to ‘listen to the voice of the public’ with whom they had lost contact.

"The ULFA has to listen to the voice of the people who don’t want violence and insurgency. The ULFA leaders seem to have lost contact with reality and are, therefore, engineering attacks on their own people during Bihu", Junali Bora, a resident of Guwahati, told PTI.

"If ULFA care for the people of Assam as they claim, then why are they attacking local people with grenades on the eve of our Magh Bihu festival?", Junali asked referring to Monday’s grenade attack in the Paltan Bazar area injuring 17 persons, including a child.

Echoing her, businessman Ubedur Latif Saikia from Sibgagar district said, "the ULFA seems to have lost control over their own movement and outside forces like the (Pakistan) ISI and jihadi elements from Bangladesh have taken over.

The businessman from Sibsagar, where the ULFA attacked an army camp, accused ULFA of being insensitive to local sentiments.

"No outfit claiming to be for the local people injure a minor girl and an old woman on the eve of Bihu celebrations," teacher Khagen Bora of Morigaon district where the ULFA burst a grenade injuring five persons, said in a disturbed tone.

Turning his gun on the police for their 'failure' to provide security, despite claims of having intelligence tip-off about the ULFA militants' attack on a CRPF patrol in Paltan Bazar, student Mihir Bora wondered, "what prevents police from taking measures to make Assam a safer place for its citizens"? Mihir, who arrived here from Chennai on way to his hometown Jorhat to be with his family for Bihu, said "I could not take the night bus immediately as the Paltan Bazar area was cordoned off."

"Because of the ULFA I could not go home immediately making me lose a precious day of my short vacation," a distraught Mihir said.

CRPF Director General S I S Ahmed told reporters here yesterday that militancy in the Northeast was agravated by external forces from across the border aiding and abetting militant outfits and ULFA was posing the biggest threat.

His comments were made close on the heels of similar views expressed by Chief minister Tarun Gogoi who had told PTI that neighbouring countries, particularly Bangladesh, were encouraging insurgency and jehadi activities in Assam. Gogoi had also referred to a "third force" with suspected Naxalite links working behind the growing Adivasi uprising. (PTI)

Imphal: Surrendered militants of the state under the Manipur government surrender policy may pant a bit in ease now as the state government has decided to increase the monthly stipends of surrendered militants henceforth from their previous stipend of Rs 2000 per month to Rs 4000 per month, according to an official source. The decision to raise the monthly salaries of surrendered militants comes after a cabinet meeting that was held last evening.

According to the source, the cabinet had also decided the extension of the payment period upto 60 months as against the earlier payment period of 24 months.

Apart from it, the cabinet has also given its approval to increase the grant given to a surrendered militant to Rs. 5 lakhs from the existing Rs 1.5 lakhs. It also approved of providing accommodations including family accommodation in a safe and secured complex to be provided with all the necessary facilities like shopping, entertainment, education, health care and vocational training. In addition it will also have a production centre and marketing facilities for the products produced at the complex. The cabinet has also decided to set up the complex at Jiribam, bordering Assam in Imphal East district. The cabinet meeting held on Monday had also reportedly talked about the law and order situation of the state ahead of Republic Day celebration in the state. (NNN)

The two youths have been identified as Shimreiyo (21) and Pamreishang (25), both from Sararakhong village in Ukhrul district.

Official source said that the incident took place yesterday at around 5.pm.

Police raised suspicion that the incident might have been connected with some land dispute case. Both the victims received bullet injuries at their heads. (NNN)

Kohima: At least 24 MLAs of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, led by outgoing Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, signed a memorandum before the governor to prove that DAN still enjoyed majority in the state.

The legislators also demanded revocation of Preident’s rule and reinstatement of the DAN government as it ‘enjoyed majority’ in the Assembly with 24 MLAs (Nagaland Peoples’ Front 19, BJP four and one Independent) in the present 45-member House.

The development comes hours after the Election Commission announced the date of Assembly polls yesterday.

The lawmakers said as 15 legislators had already resigned, the effective strength of the House was 45.

They further said the Opposition Congress had only 18 members (Congress 16 and JD(U) two). Later Mr Rio told newsmen that the governor had assured them of writing to the union government.

The Nagaland Assembly is under suspended animation following imposition of President’s rule.

On Monday the Election Commission said that the state would have Assembly polls on March 5. Meanwhile, the Nagaland Peoples' Front, a major constituent of DAN, on Tuesday welcomed the EC's announcement of Assembly elections saying the Front was confident of facing the people’s mandate. (UNI)

He said he would take stock of the situation and do whatever possible for free and fair election.

Tripathi, former Director General of Nagaland Police (1992-93), who assumed office on Monday, expressed hope that election to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly slated on 8th March 2008 would be peaceful as in the past. "I will provide everything possible in the capacity of Advisor to the Governor and I am hopeful things will be alright" he said.

Sharing his views on requisition of Central Para-military Forces to provide security during election, the Advisor said, "The state government is on the job and I will help them/advice them". He also said Governor Sankaranarayanan had already outlined his priority areas to push forward the development of the state and assured to do everything possible to achieve the same even though it would be a short period.

Recalling his association with the people of Nagaland, the former DGP said, "I have had happy experience and I am still looking forward to experience the same during this short period as Advisor to Governor". (NNN)

Imphal: A 39 year old Kangabam Ongbi Grace Devi and her hubby Kangabam Sanahal have been jointly selected for the award of Best Hawker by an evening paper Kangleipaki Meira published from the state capital in connection with its foundation day to be held on January 16 in Imphal.

Grace Devi and her husband Sanahal have been tirelessly struggling by selling newspapers in the busy Imphal city since three years back. Looking back their couple life three years from now, they are, undoubtedly scripting rags to rich story. From the condition of struggling to meet the end of two square meals a day, the couple has now been able to send their three siblings to private schools.

The couple, who live at Sagolband Bijoy Govinda in Imphal West, has been selected for the award in recognition of their efforts and dedication in the profession and importantly, to encourage them, said a member of the award selection authority.

Grace Devi was born in Kabui community by birth. She hails from Thenjang village near Loktak Project in Churachandpur district. She married K.Sanahal, a Meitei by community and a rickshaw puller by profession. Grace has clung to the profession in response to the need that arises to help her disabled husband in raising their family. Keeping aside her fairer identity she stood out daringly and today she remained high and tall amongst her counterparts.

Known as the only woman hawker in the state, Grace has to sell newspapers from 5 am till 10 am. Then she, with her husband, report back to duty from 2 in the evening and sell evening newspapers till 6pm in the busy Imphal bazaar area. The couple could earn around Rs 400 per day.

Grace, the only woman hawker in the state so far alongwith her husband would be honoured on Wednesday with five other distinguished journalists of the state at a glittering function in commemoration of the evening daily Kangleipakki Meira foundation day. (NNN)

Announcing this to the press on Tuesday in Imphal, Young Horizon secretary L. Romesh said that the rally will take on route along NH 39, passing through Nagaland, Assam and then came back to the state via NH 53.

The underlined message of the rally has been to spread the need of the entire North East region, to make understand and solve the common problems of the region, Romesh said. (NNN) 

Hajo (Assam): More than 200 birds created a sort of cacophony Tuesday in this nondescript village of Hajo, 30 km west of Guwahati, when they were made to fight one another as part of Bihu - Assam’s annual harvest festival.

High on marijuana and other locally available intoxicating herbs, scores of the Red vented Bulbul, a small bird belonging to the Pycnonotus Cafer family, were locked in a bitter fight amid cheers from thousands of spectators and beating of drums and clash of cymbals. Bird fights have been an integral part of the centuries-old Bihu celebrations in Assam with the locals of Hajo organizing the event with enthusiasm. The two-day event, which began Tuesday in the precincts of a sacred Hindu temple here, saw nearly 200 birds being coaxed to fight by their owners - all for a trophy and a cash reward of Rs.3,000.

"The preparations for the two-day event began a fortnight ago with locals putting up bamboo traps to catch the birds in the forest," Dharani Das, a village elder, told IANS.

"Once caught, the owner grooms the 20-centimetre-long bird for the big day," he said.

"We make a concoction containing bananas, a small quantity of marijuana, locally available intoxicating herbs, some black pepper, clove and cinnamon, and feed the bird regularly to make it strong and sharp for the fight," Pawan Sharma, a local villager, said. (IANS)