After releasing his party's poll manifesto on Saturday, MDP president Martle N Mukhim solely blamed UDP for his failed efforts to revive Regional Progressive Alliance (RPA) by uniting all regional parties ahead of the elections.

Dismissing the perception that RPA was already "dead", he said there was still a possibility of unification of regional forces if the "circumstances demanded."

"The doors of unification are not totally closed. If circumstances demand, we are bound to unite in future," Mr Mukhim told reporters here.

Earlier, addressing party candidates and office bearers before releasing the MDP poll manifesto, Mr Mukhim asked the party workers and nominees to uphold the basic principles of the party and work hard during the electioneering.

He urged change of mindset among people for development of the people.

"We need to help people change their mindset to bring about a change in the process of governance", he added.

Final list of candidates

Meanwhile, the party on Saturday released the final list of its candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections.

As per the list, Dennington L Marbaniang will contest from Umroi constituency, while Robinson Dkhar would join the fray from Nongpoh constituency.

Groperly Ryntathiang has been given MDP ticket for Mairaing constituency in West Khasi Hills. Former IFS officer (Orissa cadre) THS Bonney will be the party's candidate for Sohiong constituency in East Khasi Hills.

MDP had earlier announced 14 candidates. With the declaration of four more candidates, the total number of party nominees stands at 18.

SHILLONG: The State has been ruled by irresponsible people who are no better than criminals. It is time people acted in a more responsible manner in the elections without being influenced by "dirty" politicians, FKJGP has said.

Addressing a public rally to kick off FKJGP's anti-government campaign in Chief Minister DD Lapang's constituency Nongpoh on Saturday, organisation president Emlang Lytan came down heavily on the State Government and politicians for promoting corruption rather than working for development of Meghalaya.

FKJGP started its anti-government campaign in protest against the DD Lapang-led Government's decision to put the controversial power deals on hold instead of scrapping them as demanded by the organisation and others.

Ruing the failure of people to properly utilise elections to choose their representatives who would work for the good of the State, Mr Lytan remarked that the State had been ruled for years by "irresponsible people who are no better than criminals whose corrupt practices are known to each and every citizen."

"The saddest thing is that, despite knowing the ins and outs of these politicians, we always fail to use our reasoning power in elections and the end result is that we always elect the same person (s)," he said. The FKJGP president urged upon the people to act in a more responsible manner by electing the right people to the State Assembly in the coming polls.

He also cautioned against being influenced by "shrewd and dirty" politicians, adding, "If we elect wrong people again, we are bound to face the same consequences that we have been facing for the last 37 years."

On the "shady" power pacts, Mr Lytan said the decision of the government to keep the deals in abeyance proved that a few Cabinet members had been benefited from what "is a total sell-out of our natural resources."

Referring to the alleged nexus between politicians and counterfeit currency racketeers, he appealed to the people to be cautious and not to accept money from dubious elements.

The campaign, to be held in all the district headquarters of the State, is also aimed at highlighting before the public the corrupt activities of the Congress-led MDA Government.

The conference between the two frontier guards was supposed to be held at the BSF (Assam-Meghalaya) Frontier here from February 11. BSF spokesman V S Sirkarwar informed this here on Saturday. (UNI)

The party assured to appeal to the Central Government to take into confidence the local people before it going ahead with the proposed uranium mining in West Khasi Hills district.

"Special attention would be given in generating employment opportunities and promotion of sports and games and other creative activities through improved and standard infrastructures in various disciplines," the manifestos assured.

MDP assured to give special emphasis on development of agriculture, industries, besides reopening of border trade with Bangladesh, uplift the living standards of people living in border areas, improve road connectivity and empowerment of women at the grass-root level.

The MDP manifesto assured to bring into the State advance means of communications like metro railway, local railway and flyovers for benefit of the people.

It also stressed on promotion of entrepreneurial skill of by setting up industries including small scale and cottage industries.

In a statement issued here, the MPLU alleged that corrupt and selfish officials in the Department are largely to be blamed for for giving permission to companies from other states to set industries in Meghalaya besides providing them with all possible subsidies by flouting all the stipulated rules and regulations specified in the Industrial policy at the cost of the people of the state.

It also stated that officials in the Industries Department are working as mere "commission agents" of businessmen and politicians while it lashed out at headmen and other officials concerned for their negligence.

In a statement issued here, GSU's Khasi Hills Zone termed Late Sangma as "a brightest gem" and a legislator who had raised several important issues pertaining to development of Garo Hills and the State as a whole.

All India Garo Union (AIGU) has called the death of Mr Sangma as a great loss to the people of Garo Hills.

At a condolence meeting held on Saturday, Achik Citizens' Welfare Organisation (ACWO) also expressed shock and sorrow at the demise of Mr Sangma.

Late Sangma represented Rongrengiri constituency from 1988 to 1993 as a Hill People's Union (HPU) legislator. He was also Minister of State and Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly during that period.

He won the 1993 Assembly elections from the same constituency as an Independent candidate and became a minister of the then government.

Late Sangma had held the post of vice-chairman of Meghalaya State Law Commission from 2005 till his death.

He leaves behind his wife Lenitha M Sangma, two sons and three daughters.

In a statement issued by its president and secretary, PS Rynshiang and B Dkhar respectively, the organisation said "it found nothing wrong in the deal" as it would only bring development to the most backward areas in West Khasi Hills and not otherwise.

According to the agreement, the organisation, which claimed to have studied thoroughly the terms and conditions set by Hima Nongstoin to the concerned companies, said "the project will largely benefit the people of the West Khasi Hills".

According to the agreement, the companies engaged in the projects would give employment to the locals, set up schools, college, hospitals, road communication. etc.

The MDA Cabinet on December 7 last decided to handover Stage I and Stage II of Kynshi Hydro Power Project to Athena and JP Group under the Built Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) venture drawing strong criticism from all sections of the society.

Given the Thai history of bloodless military coups and the country’s quick return to the civilian rule over the years, it was hardly a surprise that Thailand would return so soon to the democratic process to elect a government and its military would ungrudgingly go back to the barracks to its true tradition. However, what surprised every one, including the military bosses, this time was the return of the ‘condemned’ -- the thumping victory of the business tycoon-turned politician, Thaksin Shinawatra’s People Power Party (PPP) along with its allies in the recent Parliamentary election, despite the massive corruption charges against the Thai telecom tsar that led to the military coup in 2006 and the banishment of the businessman-politician from the country.

The question which is on almost everyone’s lips here is: What will be the relationship between the military bosses and the government now that PPP has returned to power with a big majority? Will the coup leaders lose their jobs? Or, how long will the military stay out of politics to allow the six-party PPP coalition to run the government? When will Thaksin Shinawatra return to Thailand? What happens to him if and when he does? Thaksin’s wife is already in Bangkok declaring herself ‘innocent’ in a corruption case against her in the high court.

Thai intelligentsia, businessmen, educationists and journalists seem to be clearly divided into two blocks – pro-Thaksin and anti-Thaksin – although the general public seems to be the least concerned about the government and governance as long as they continue to enjoy their lifestyle and there is no serious attack on business and economic freedom, consumerism and the institutionalised corruption. The only demand made on the PPP-led government by leading Thai businessmen and economists, the opinion leaders, is that the Finance Ministry be run by an economist. In case that is not possible, the non-economist finance minister be guided by an advisory body of top Thai economists and financial wizards.

The new government’s immediate problem may be to find a way to tackle the growing tension in the southern part of the state bordering Malaysia over racial discrimination against the minority Muslims. However, the rest of the country does not perceive this as a threat to the government or the nation since nearly 90 per cent of Thailand’s population are Buddhists. While the latter are against violence and bloodshed, it is for the police and the military to tackle political dissents of any sort, they feel. Normally, the state security agencies are quite ruthless in dealing with dissent.

The Thai society is an amazing example of how so many contradictory traits can co-exist so peacefully -- an active monarchy, a grass-root multi-party democracy without student participation, Buddhism and consumerism, modern golf courses and shanty towns. The monarchy is the holiest of the institutions in Thailand. One can criticise the monarchy and its interference in Thai politics only by volunteering to spend at least 15 years in jail. It is enshrined in the Thai constitution. The Thai military enjoys a special relationship with the Palace. And, this could hardly be to the comfort of an elected government which tries to do something different or non-traditional in the eyes of Thai conservatives.

If Bangkok provides a picture of a new heaven of consumerism in South-East Asia showing off its high living, western fashion, foreign cars, mega malls, great eateries, huge golf courses, booming sex tourism, flourishing road-side massage parlours, the country side carries a totally different picture where over 70 per cent of Thailand’s population of 65 million live in poverty on agriculture, fishing and farming. Yet, there is no social friction or unrest. No one complains. The huge rural population has little complaints against the rich and the corrupt. In fact, they are very fond of the rich. That explains Thaksin’s immense popularity with the poor in the northern Thai provinces.

Several top PPP leaders are facing charges of rigging the election and buying votes. The cases are pending before the Election Commission. PPP’s political critics are the upper middle-class urbanites from Bangkok and the Democratic Party, which is strong in the south. In general, Thais are extremely simple people and easy targets of corrupt politicians, businessmen and bureaucracy. Interestingly, Thai students are known for their general dislike for politics and street protests. The neighbouring People’s Republic of China has failed to export communism to Thailand, a United States stronghold since the Vietnam War, although it exerts a strong ideological influence over the entire Indo-China region comprising Laos, Kampuchea (Cambodia) and Vietnam. However, this has not impacted the large flow into Thailand of Chinese capital, technology and products which are increasingly dominating the Thai industry, business, infrastructure projects and market in competition with traditional Asian rivals from Japan and South Korea.

Ironically, India’s presence in the cosmopolitan Thai life is the least visible thing except for the hundreds of tailoring shops run by the Sikh community all over Bangkok and other tourist centres, offering to stitch and deliver after trials three-piece suits to tourists in less than half a day for less than US $ 100 for the combo.

India’s much-touted ‘Look-East’ policy is yet to have a visible impact on Thailand, which now runs a bilateral trade of over $ 2.5 billion annually with India. Although the two-way trade has grown substantially over the last five years, it is still very small compared with India’s total trade with the ASEAN family, of which Thailand is a prominent member. India’s trade with the ASEAN block is expected to top the $ 30-billion mark in 2007-08. The composition of India’s exports to Thailand has changed little over the years. They mostly comprise gems and jewellery, primary and semi-finished iron and steel, non-ferrous metals and oil meals.

On the contrary, Thailand’s exports to India are mainly manufactured items such as electronics goods, machinery and artificial resins. As early as the 1970s, several Indian companies – medium and large-sized – had set up enterprises in Thailand. The prominent among them were the Aditya Birla group, Ballarpur Industries and Usha Martin. The tempo soon died down because of the Indian government’s restrictive policies on Indian investments abroad. Although those policies have lately changed following the massive foreign direct investment flow into India in the last five years, Indian businessmen do not appear to be any longer keen to invest in smaller economies in the Asia-Pacific region in competition with China, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Conversely, India is seen as a good investment destination by Thai enterprises. Thailand ranks as the third largest investor in India among ASEAN countries, after Singapore and Malaysia. Many Chinese, Japanese and Korean companies in Thailand are leading the pack of so-called Thai investors into India for business strategy reasons.

Unfortunately, neither the Indian government nor its diplomatic mission in Bangkok seems to be truly interested in projecting the country and its business and cultural interests in Thailand through strong visible programmes and sustained campaigns as done by the other big countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The Thai media rarely projects India in a good light. The only news a visitor gets to read about India in Thai newspapers these days is the bird flu sweeping several parts of the country. Thais are not even generally aware of India’s recent economic growth trends and the sensational rise of its key stock indices – Sensex and Nifty. The Thai media’s reporting of Asian stocks is conspicuous by the absence of a mention of either the Bombay or the National Stock Exchange. It is restricted to the markets in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo and Wellington. (IPA Service).

The six BJP-ruled States have begun preparations for the 10 Assembly polls and next year’s General Election. Reinvent and repackage was the sum and substance of the Party’s National Executive conclave held last week in Delhi. On the anvil was a resurgent Hindutva jazzed up with a heavy dose of development and welfare schemes. All modeled on Brand Modi, the success story scripted by the Gujarat Chief Minister in the recent Assembly polls. Along with a macho response to terrorism, a robust foreign policy and forward-looking economic programmes. It is attempting to position itself as a middle class and aam aadmi friendly Party. Both crippled by the soaring-price levels, high-cost education, sky-scraping cost of health care and high-cost housing.

Accusing the UPA of jeopardising national security by viewing it through the prism of vote-bank politics, the Saffron Sangh buttressed its concern by reeling of figures of the terrorists spreading their tentacles from J& K to the North East, UP, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and even Kerala. In fact, J&K recorded only 1,092 terrorism-related incidents and 271 deaths compared to the North-East which had 1,316 incidents and 501 deaths in 2007. Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were the two States worst hit by Left-wing extremist violence in 2007, together accounting for 68.16% of the incidents and 76.42% of the killings. Moreover, while admitting that there were several states where neither its coalition partners nor it had a presence it called for the need to broadbase the NDA.

The Congress too is not lagging behind in poll preparedness. After minority appeasement it’s the turn to reach out to the Dalits, specially in UP. The Gandhi scion and General Secretary Rahul Gandhi led the reconciliation efforts by making an unscheduled night stop, eating and sleeping in the house of a Dalit villager in Jawaharpur in his constituency, Amethi last week. The outreach effort is significant as the UP Chief Minister, BSP supremo and Dalit icon Mayawati, has emerged as a strong rival for the community’s votes in several States where the Congress is in power. In the recent Gujarat polls not a few Congress candidates lost thanks to the BSP eating into its vote share. Recall, since Independence the Muslims and the Scheduled Caste and Tribes comprising an 18% vote share have been the raison d atre for the Party lording over the country for over 45 years. Will it strike rich?

Arunachal Pradesh is all set to get a security makeover. The appointment of former Army Chief J.J. Singh as the State Governor stands testimony to New Delhi’s intentions of tackling the insurgency problem as well as growing activities across the border by the Chinese in all seriousness. The Prime Minister too has just returned from a long overdue two-day visit to the strife-torn State. Especially against the background of increasing actions by the Chinese across the border. Reportedly, Beijing has built roads, rail link and a township along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Also, the Chinese have made plain their intention that they consider Arunachal as part of their country. Only a fortnight back, the Congress MP from the State had accused the Chinese army of destroying a Buddhist statue in the Tawang region. The Congress has mooted the idea to immediately create the North-East Indian Border Regiment with local youths to tackle insurgency in the sensitive region which has become a safe haven for anti-terrorist elements.

The corruption travails of the Ghulam Nabi Azad Government in Jammu & Kashmir continue. Barely had the unseemly controversy over the resignation of Education Minister and PCC chief Peerzada M Sayeed died, that the State has been rocked by another scandal. The National Conference has now demanded the scalp of two PDP ‘tainted’ Ministers Qazi Afzal and Tariq Hamid Karra, in the forest scam. With the State slated to go to polls later this year, the Chief Minister finds himself squeezed between a rock and a hard place. If Azad refuses to relent, the NC will not let the House function. If he accepts their demand, he will have to prove corruption charges against the PDP duo, something that the B R Kundal panel report on forests has not done. And if he sacks them, he will make his Government fall. After hitting the Congress in the belly over Sayeed, the NC is now keen to see that the PDP does not survive unscathed as it has emerged as an alternative to the NC. It remains to be seen who will have the last laugh!

If nothing else, the 100-crore kidney scandal in Gurgaon has made the Union Health Ministry sit up and rethink its organ transplant policy. Gurgaon has hit the headlines for over a week following the unearthing of the kidney racket in which about 600 poor labourers were made victims by Dr Santosh Raut alias Dr. Amit Kumar, who is on the run. The doctor largely catered mainly to the rich and foreigners, who paid Rs 18-25 lakh per kidney, whereas the donor may have got Rs 50,000. This is so because while 1.5 lakh patients need kidney transplant every year and only 3,500 manage to get it. Not only has the Health Ministry been forced to re-look its Transplantation of Human Organs Act, whereby only near relatives can donate kidneys, but it has started thinking of incentives for organ donations, such as free education and health insurance.

The Chhattisgarh government of Dr. Raman Singh can no longer sit pretty to a glaring threat of extremism. Its territory is being used as training ground for Maoists cadres, with Bastar being the new haven. According to intelligence reports, the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) is running four camps in the jungles of Bijapur and Dantewada districts and Abujhmarh forests. At any given time about 1,500-2,000 cadres from various States are being trained for carrying out attacks and handling sophisticated arms and explosives. In all 186 districts in the country are affected by Maoist violence and 39 per cent of all such incidents are reported from Chhattisgarh. The extremists, it may be recalled carried out one of the worst attack in the State last March, killing 55 policemen in a camp.

It was a historic moment. But only a few hundreds chose to witness it. Sixty years after the Mahatma’s assassination, the last consignment of his ashes were immersed in the sea off South Mumbai on Wednesday. The journey started at Gamdevi’s Mani Bhavan with a morning prayer and then the urn containing the ashes was taken in a mini truck to Chowpatty, where the Gandhi family led by Nilamben Parikh, great granddaughter, carried out the final ritual. Unfortunately, the meager gathering of common people at the beach, which witnesses mammoth crowds during festivals, is yet another pointer to the disturbing fact that the father of the nation is forgotten. Can Munna Bhai please do something? ---INFA

Sir,

The approach road to the Khlieh Iewduh Parking Lot is in shambles. The said road is full of potholes making vehicles screech while passing through it. The condition of this road is really pathetic and it urgently needs repair especially before the onslaught of monsoon.

Neither the military authority nor the State Government is doing anything in this regard. The road and the Parking Lot are both used by the people from all parts of the state for trade and commerce. I fear that if this road is not repaired at the earliest, road mishaps might take place any moment. I request and invite the authority concerned to spare its valuable time and take a ride down the road to experience what the people of the State are going through.

I would also like to take this opportunity to request the MUDA to maintain cleanliness, and provide water supply and lighting in the Parking Lot. This has been brought to the notice of MUDA several times, but it has only fallen on deaf ears. Again I would like to request the MUDA to maintain cleanliness in the entire Parking Lot, which is full of filth and dirt as no sweeper is engaged by MUDA to clean the area on a daily basis. It is the very parking area where goods are being loaded and unloaded. Lighting has also not been done till date which makes this area a perfect hub for all forms of anti-social elements. May I request the MUDA to make time for inspection of this area.

Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar
Shillong -4.
Via e-mail

"The ruling by the apex court explicitly demonstrated that the imposition of President's Rule was undemocratic and unconstitutional," Rio told newsmen here.

Rio, in a letter to the Governor urged him to recommend for immediate revocation of President's rule in the state and claimed the NPF-led government enjoyed majority in the assembly "as of the present day composition of the House".

He pointed out that as 20 legislators in the 60-member house had resigned reducing the strength to 40, DAN enjoyed the majority with the support of 19 NPF and four BJP MLAs and an independent legislator, while opposition Congress has only 16 members.

"So the 10th Nagaland Legislative Assembly should immediately be revived from its suspended animation," he said in the letter.

The DAN legislature party on January 14 submitted a similar petition to the Governor demanding restoration of the Rio government in the wake of spurt in resignations by MLAs from the assembly following imposition of President's rule in Nagaland.

The apex court had on Friday dismissed a bunch of petitions by nine NPF defectors and three independents challenging the Speaker's ruling on the no-confidence motion. (PTI)

Imphal: Eight Manipuri women, who were arrested for dishonouring the National Flag while protesting against the 58th Republic Day observation in Manipur on January 26, were released on Saturday after they were produced before a local court here on Saturday, an official source said. They were identified as K Borkanya, Ch Khomdon, A Kunjamani, Ng Ibeyaima, T Gomti, T Sanatombi, T Ibecha and Y Beta. All of them hailed from Mayang Langjing under Imphal West district. A 12-hour bandh called by the All Manipur Women Social Reformation and Development Samaj on Saturday road affected normal lives in the area.

The ban will be relaxed for presiding officers, sector officers, EC-appointed observers, micro-static observers and special officers authorized by returning officers, a press release quoting an EC circular said.

The release said that the commission had noted that in past elections, polling agents had used cell phones to furnish particulars of the voters who had not cast their votes to their men waiting outside the polling stations so that they could impersonate the genuine voters. (PTI)

The Centre fearing spread of bird flu to Assam areas bordering West Bengal, instructed Assam Government to carry out culling operations within five kilometers area from Assam-West Bengal border in the bordering districts of Dhubi and Kokrajhar.

Accordingly, the Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) of Assam Veterinary Department has started the culling operation on Saturday in the two districts. A senior official in Assam Veterinary Department informed that culling operations was started in the two bordering districts though no incidence of bird flu was reported so far from any part of the State.

Estimated 80,000 to one lakh poultry birds will be culled in the two Assam districts bordering bird flu hit West Bengal as a precautionary measure and it will take at least seven days to complete the operation by over 20 odd rapid response teams (RRTs).

Earlier, Assam Government had imposed ban on import of poultry products from West Bengal and prohibited sale of chicken in bordering districts of Dhubri Kokrajhar and Goalpara.

A source informed that Centre had also issued instruction for culling of birds in three South Assam districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi bordering Bangladesh, which is hard hit by bird flu. The State Veterinary Department is yet to receive a copy of the Centre's directive for culling operations in these three districts. Assam Government and the Central Government would equally share the compensation to be paid to poultry farmers whose birds were being culled.

The Chakmas of Mizoram strongly criticised the National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC) for its alleged failure to keep its promise to release compensation to the families affected by the India-Bangladesh border-fencing project under Lunglei district. In a meeting attended by the representatives from the India-Bangladesh Border Fencing Compensation Demand Committee, Young Chakma Association, Mahila Samity, Mizoram Chakma Students Union and the Village Council here, the Chakmas adopted a strong resolution against the NBCC.

The organisations also vowed not to allow any further construction of fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in Lunglei district until compensation is provided to all the affected families.

The NBCC has failed to release the compensation money in the Lunglei district where it is engaged in the fencing, a statement said.

"We have given our lands, now we want justice to be done with us," the statement said.

Hundreds of Chakmas including women and children have been protesting against the border fencing project at Marpara since last month.

The Centre has taken up fencing along with 318 km-long stretch in Mizoram sector along the India-Bangladesh border, which will displace 5,790 Chakma tribal families consisting of 35,438 persons from 49 villages.