Chief Secretary SK Tewari told reporters on Friday that he had sought the Army's help while talking with the GOC 101 area, Major General Vinod Nayanar over phone on Wednesday, followed by a letter on Friday. The State police department lacked sufficient manpower as well as infrastructure to tackle this type of situations, he admitted.

"In case of any emergency, the Army can offer us help", Mr Tewari said adding that steps to tackle such type of incidents were discussed during the official-level review meeting held here on Thursday.

To prevent recurrence of such incidents the State government has taken several measures including constitution of a team of police officers to pursue cases related to bomb blasts. Another preventive measure is to strengthen police presence in vulnerable areas. The Chief Secretary, however, ruled out the deployment of additional forces at present.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya Governor MM Jacob and the political parties of the State have joined hands to condemn the blasts at Khyndai Lad and Lad Rymbai, and have appealed to the people to help nab the culprits.

Expressing serious concern over the recent blasts, Mr Jacob said that the miscreants spoiled the image and good name of the capital city and the State as well. "Besides, they have attempted to create mistrust and disharmony among the peace-loving people of the State," he said.

The Governor in a statement issued here, called upon the State Government and the people to be vigilant against such undesirable elements who were hell bent on tarnishing the image of the State.

He sought the co-operation as well as serious efforts of all concerned to identify and nab the culprits responsible for these acts of violence, so as to nip this trend in the bud. Only then, he stated, would the growth and future development of the beautiful and peaceful State of Meghalaya be safeguarded.

Echoing similar view, the KHNAM general secretary Mr Erwin K Syiem Sutnga said that the blasts were "wanton and irresponsible acts of terrorism, which could have resulted in more serious injuries and even deaths of innocents."

According to the party, the people of Meghalaya "would not tolerate the rise of a terrorist group" in the State.

The party has urged the people to help the authorities concerned to bring the culprits to book and restore normalcy and confidence in the society. The CPI termed it as a "cowardly act of certain organisations and individuals devoid of courage to face the situation in lawful ways".

According to the party, "the sinister purpose of the perpetrators was not to harm and kill some specified persons only, but kill people in general without discrimination."

Mr Tewari said that he had convened an emergency meeting with the Health Department officials to initiate measures to set up the trauma centre at the earliest.

"We have taken serious note of the inadequate health facilities in Civil Hospital and I have instructed the department to set up a trauma centre immediately", Mr Tewari said adding a trauma centre was very much essential to handle emergency cases.

Though the issue of setting up of a trauma centre was raised by many legislators in the State Assembly in the past, it is only after the bomb blast the government has taken serious note of the matter.

Indicating this here on Friday, the State Chief Secretary SK Tewari said "as the High Court has directed the State Government to file an FIR against the persons involved in defrauding the State exchequer by misuse of public funds, we will examine the report of the ACB and submit our response to the Court soon."

He hoped that a decision in this regard would be taken within the next ten days.

There has been alleged Army high-handedness against former Minister of Finance, Mr AH Scott Lyngdoh as well as the DC of Jowai, Mr F Kharkongor. Mr Sutnga felt that the court of inquiry was ordered by the Army authority probably only after the FIR was lodged.

According to police, four youths had gone to the river side to picnic at around 4.30 p.m. While two remained on the river bank, the other two took a boat and moved further. Suddenly the boat capsized along with the duo.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Muktieh said that all necessary steps have been taken to ensure that better facilities in terms of road communication and water supply are provided for the uplift of the people of the area. He also informed that an amount of Rs One Lakh has been earmarked form the MLA scheme for the construction of the community hall.

While underlining the importance of rural electrification, he lamented the fact that the issue is yet to be taken up by the MeSEB due to paucity of funds and the general reluctance of the people to pay their electric bills.

Reacting to reports which appeared in a section of the Press on Friday, Mawkynroh-Umshing headman, Mr C Mudur said that the general secretary was not at all involved in the assault of Mr Synshar Syiemlieh and his family at Umshyngiar on November 29 last year.

"In fact, the general secretary on seeing that some persons were assaulting Mr Syiemlieh and his relatives, he tried to intervene and disperse the mob," the headman said.

On the reported arrest of the general secretary, Mr Mudur said that he was summoned by the SP City, Mr M Kharkrang to provide information relating to this incident.

He further condemned Mr Syiemlieh for filing a case against the general secretary and also demanded immediate withdrawal of the same.

Later, speaking to reporters, Mr Bhushan said that apart from their casual and annual leave, the Army personnel would be sent to the centre to undergo destress therapy after a hectic three months of posting in the insurgency-hit areas.

"The periods in which the Army personnel would spend in the Centre would prove to be a kind of break from their normal duties" Mr Bushan said adding that the facilities provided in the centre will definitely contribute towards developing their efficiency.

He also felt that the experiences they share between each other would definitely boost their morale and commitment towards their duties.

Mr Bhushan further added that the Army personnel would also be given with a chance to explore the various destinations and tourist spots of the North Eastern region.

The centre would accommodate 75 Junior Commissioned Officers and other ranks at a time. Amenities like power back up, entertainment and other allied services have been installed in the centre.

If there is one political party in India which knows how to create the impression that it's laying down the national agenda when it isn't, it's surely the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). That's the message its national council meeting in Lucknow sent out when Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee declared that "the road to power in New Delhi passes via Lucknow" and exhorted the party to win the coming elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

Senior BJP leaders themselves manufactured this upbeat appearance. They highlighted the issue of who would lead the party in the next Lok Sabha elections as if it were part of the real agenda. Mr LK Advani set the ball rolling in a recent television interview when he said he would be the natural candidate for the Prime Minister's job should the BJP come to power; yet he doesn't expect Mr Vajpayee to nominate him. Soon, Mr MM Joshi, another would-be PM, declared there's no dearth of prime ministerial candidates in the BJP.

It was left to Mr Rajnath Singh, anointed BJP president for three more years, to put in the next claim. Mr Singh used colourful, semi-rustic imagery, of baratis (the bridegroom's party) only waiting to carry the bride, satta ki sundari (deity of power) to Delhi, and hinted that he himself might be the dulah (bridegroom). Meanwhile, Mr Narendra Modi strutted around as if he were Mr Vajpayee's successor, being the only senior second-generation leader to wield state power.

However, it's preposterous to regard the issue of BJP leadership in 2009 as relevant today. One must be irrationally exuberant to be convinced that the BJP will probably return to power in the next general elections, or that leadership will be the main determinant of its fate.

The BJP has been in steep decline since its 2004 Lok Sabha defeat. Many of its partners have deserted its National Democratic Alliance. The party's consistently poor performance in by-elections, its loss of power in Jharkhand, and the demoralisation of many of its state units all point to this. The murder of Pramod Mahajan, the party's brightest second-generation leader, by his own brother, and the defection of Ms Uma Bharati, the fiery leader with the widest OBC appeal, were major setbacks too.

It's only in urban UP that the BJP has registered gains. During recent three-tier municipal elections, it won eight out of 12 large-city mayoral positions. (It had won six even in 2001.) In smaller towns, it was comprehensively defeated by the Samajwadi Party.

Yet, BJP leaders presented these results as a triumph heralding the party's ascent to national power. In reality, the local elections weren't even representative because the Bahujan Samaj Party, one of UP's Big Two, didn't contest them. In fact, the BSP covertly backed select candidates, including many from the BJP, to defeat its principal rival, the SP.

The BJP benefited from two factors: anti-incumbency against Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, and communal polarisation triggered by the Haji Yakub episode (in which he offered Rs 50 crores to kill the Danish cartoonist who had ridiculed Prophet Mohammed), and the government's refusal to ban the Students' Islamic Movement of India.

Ironically, a strange confluence of interests has developed between the two rivals, BJP and SP. The harder Mr Yadav tries to woo the Muslim constituency that's now suspicious of him, the more the upper-caste Hindu vote shifts towards the BJP. It's not for nothing that Mr Yadav offered 5-star hospitality in Lucknow to BJP top brass citing "protocol", and they accepted it.

Despite these advantages, the BJP only made modest gains in the local elections. It's unclear whether these will reverse its long downslide. The party's UP Assembly strength has plummeted from the 1991 peak of 221 (of 419 seats) to just 88 (of a total of 403), and its Lok Sabha tally from UP shrunk from 51 to only 10. For a party long in the Number Three slot in UP, a reversal looks highly unlikely.

However, BJP leaders have taken heart from what they regard as the "Muslim appeasement" card played by the United Progressive Alliance government through the Sachar Committee, which recommends affirmative action for Muslims.

In Lucknow, there was full-throated condemnation of "Muslim appeasement", warnings about India's "second partition", fanatical appeals to build a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya, and contrived bemoaning of the alleged reduction of Hindus to the status of "second-class citizens". Leader after BJP leader spewed venom on Muslims and hysterically warned against a "sell-out" on Kashmir and Siachen.

The BJP should know better. Sachar is no Shah Bano. In 1984, the Congress government amended secular laws to please those clamouring against modest compensation for a poor, deserted old woman. The Sachar report is a serious, well-considered, solidly documented analysis of exclusion of and discrimination against Muslims. It pleads for diversity and pluralism -- not for sectarian solutions. It should occasion sober reflection on Indian society's failure to prevent the creation of a new underclass of disadvantaged people and promote full representation of all social groups -- without prejudice.

It's extremely unlikely that the "appeasement" card will work given the present national mood, which favours integration and respect for inclusion and equity. The mood also frowns upon paranoid notions of national identity. There is widespread support for a durable and just peace with Pakistan and a border settlement and broad cooperation with China.

It's even more unlikely that the Ayodhya plank will sell. As the Sangh Parivar's own countless futile attempts to organise yatras on the issue show, the public is simply not interested in this agenda of hatred and revenge. The agenda doesn't earn votes anywhere.

The BJP's return to hardline Hindutva represents a terrible retrogression . It's not in the interest of democracy and pluralism that India's largest opposition party should embrace such a narrow, divisive, communal agenda. This demolishes the hope that leaders like Mr Vajpayee would somehow neutralise the RSS's malign influence and push the BJP towards moderation. If he couldn't do this while in power, it's ludicrous to expect him to do so after he's lost it.

In line with this Rightward ideological-political shift, the BJP has also executed an organisational shift. It has amended its constitution so that all its secretaries at the national and state levels are pracharaks or full-time Sangh propagandists. The RSS influence has been starkly visible in all recent BJP campaigns.

Mr Rajnath Singh has further strengthened this influence -- not least because he lacks an independent base and needs the Sangh's crutches. The RSS in turn is only too happy at the revival of the three contentious issues -- Ram temple, Uniform Civil Code, and Article 370 -- which were put on hold in 1998 for dishonourable reasons -- expediency and greed for power. The Lucknow conclave leaves the BJP's structural crisis unresolved. Ideologically, the party is trapped between orthodox, Islamophobic, Hindutva typical of small-town traders and upper-caste groups, on the one hand, and pro-globalisation Big Business, on the other. Politically, it's divided between its identity as an ethno-religious movement, and electoral compulsions which propel it into opportunistic alliances. Organisationally, it cannot sever its umbilical chord with the Sangh Parivar.

As this Column has often argued, the BJP's ascendancy from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s was founded on three mutually reinforcing factors. First, the Congress's long-term decline owing to its compromises with communalism and market fundamentalism. This, coupled with the Left's stagnation after the Soviet Union's collapse, shifted India's political spectrum Rightwards.

Second, the BJP-VHP's mobilisation around Ayodhya in the late 1980s allowed Hindutva to percolate widely. For the first time, the BJP broke out of its narrow savarna Hindu-Hindi confines. And third, its "social engineering" strategy, of combining "Mandal" with "Kamandal", helped it attract OBC support in the Hindi belt.

None of these factors operates today. The Congress has revived itself. The Left has expanded. Regional parties with subaltern agendas have grown. And the centre of gravity of Indian politics has shifted Leftwards. Social justice has displaced Ayodhya.

The BJP is disoriented by all this. Until recently, it was in outright denial of its 2004 defeat It still has no political strategy to revitalise itself. Its leadership crisis remain serious. Its president is a narrow-minded provincial Thakur politician. He isn't even remotely acquainted with the India that's outside the Hindi belt. Lurking behind him is Mr Narendra Modi, who, sadly, enjoys a high level of acceptance within the BJP and behaves as its de facto Number Two, next only to Mr Vajpayee.

The BJP is caught between aspiring leaders of such appalling quality, and geriatric veterans who are increasingly out-of-sync with reality, but refuse to fade out. It's likely to remain suspended in this unenviable state for some time. (IPA Service)

The "Battle of the Begums", as the contest between Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia for the prime minister's job is called, has become a one-sided affair with the former boycotting the January 22 polls. The opposing legacies of the two women have not allowed for a spirit of reconciliation needed for the polity to grow and mature. On the other hand, it has promoted political expediency. Both have hobnobbed with radicals, indirectly promoting militancy of the Left and Islamic variety. The only difference is that the most contentious election will be fought more on the streets than through the ballot box.

The next three weeks are crucial for Bangladesh, that is bound to witness violence since those who boycott the polls, after being five years in the opposition and after weeks of political bickering, are unlikely to go back home and rest. Technically, Zia may emerge as the net gainer with most of her people romping home. She and her son Tareq have already won the election unopposed. But that does not proclaim her victory; nor does it make the election credible.

That Hasina took this step despite pressures from many quarters, including envoys of major nations who have been pleading for a semblance of political stability to allow economic progress, underscores the point that democracy has not stabilised in this young nation. This is the first election wherein neutrality of the two 'referees' - chief advisor of the caretaker government and the election commission - have been seriously questioned before the government, the court and on the streets.

As Ahmed reneged on his agreement to implement a "political package" his advisors had worked out, doubts on these issues persist even as the country moves towards the elections.

Several factors seem to have weighed with Hasina to take a decision that many of her cadres are not likely to relish. One, she appears convinced that the entire state machinery, right from President Iajuddin Ahmed down to the smallest functionary who would be concerned with the elections, is part of Zia's set-up that would work against her.

This became clear when former military ruler H.M. Ershad, acquitted in four court cases as long as he was willing to align with Zia, was convicted in a fifth one and got disqualified from the elections once he chose to join forces with the Hasina-led alliance. On the face of it, it would be difficult to find fault with the court and the election machinery. But the sequence of events and the past records make it difficult not to discern pre-poll politics not alien to Bangladesh.

Commentators, be they in Dhaka, Delhi, London or Washington, have noted that Zia was able to top the state machinery she nurtured for five years with a chief of a caretaker government of her choice. She confronted her rival with a no-win choice: either Justice K.M. Hasan, a former functionary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), or President Ahmed, whom she had brought in as head of the state two years ago.

It has become well nigh impossible for Hasina to oppose Ahmed who remains the Head of the State, a constitutional office that commands respect. She demanded that he step aside in favour of somebody 'neutral'. But the situation was so untenable that the US envoy to Dhaka, Patricia Butenis, busy brokering reconciliation among the contenders to ensure a smooth poll, went public saying that Hasina's demand was "impractical."

Hasina made some tactical errors as her cadres fought pitched battles with their political rivals on one hand and the police on the other. Several weeks of agitation, in which at least 40 persons have died, paralysed the country's economy. This has had a negative impact on the minds of the urban class, the diplomatic community and the foreign investors. In her anxiety to have a come-one-come-all alliance to defeat Zia, Hasina struck a deal with the Bangladesh Khelafat Movement, an avowedly radical Islamist organisation led by former Afghan war veterans who have in the past prescribed Taliban-style regime for Bangladesh.

She was hoping to use the body to divide the vote bank of Zia's ally Jamaat-e-Islami. But it generated revulsion among the liberals and the intelligentsia, both at home and abroad. The religious minorities, already complaining about their non-inclusion on the voters' list, also did not take kindly to this.

Past experience has shown that these political have-nots rally and the bureaucracy swings in favour of the opposition only if there is a wave. Hasina has apparently perceived that she has not been able to generate a wave like her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was able to whip up way back in 1970.

Sir,

The recent explosion at Police Bazaar followed by twin blasts at Lad Rymbai came as a surprise to the people of Meghalaya. These type of incidents, if not appropriately dealt with, have the potential to annihilate the sense of security in the minds of people and with it the emerging economic bustle of the state, especially that of Shillong. Just when people were shedding away fear psychosis related to law and order in their minds and beginning to come out and enjoy night life, hitherto unnoticed in the city , a few miscreants have tried to dent their spirits by resorting to such satanic acts. However, disheartening these acts may be, they should not be looked at as acts of terror by organised groups or outfits. The incidents at the best, look like barbaric acts by some individuals to vent their fury at the proprietor of the shop. If the crowd at the concert on the night of December 31st is any indication, Shillong it seems, finally has a promising future as a favourite tourist destination as growing numbers of tourists from Assam, West Bengal and other parts of India are coming to the city and Meghalaya tourism department deserves kudos for organising such an excellent concert. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the concerned authorities especially the police take appropriate steps to restore the confidence back in the minds of the people. Media can play a significant role here by being responsible in reporting news related to such unfortunate incidents. Acts such as these must not be allowed to slow down the economic growth of the state. One hopes that the culprits involved in these acts are nabbed and brought to justice as early as possible and our prayers go out to the injured persons and their families.

Yours etc.,
Shankar Pandey
Shillong-2
Via e-mail

Sir,

Long term benefits of Singur industrialization could be immense. The government will earn taxes; the company will make more riches. But one doubts whether the earned revenues from this project would be sincerely utilized to mitigate the miseries of the poor farmers. How nice it would be if the legendry Tata assures here to invest all earned incomes for local welfare activities in Singur alone? As Singur situation is further fermenting, why not the tycoon Ratan Tata thinks to exercise his benevolence to the maximum by giving life-long employment to those inhabitants and improve their economical status?

Especially in India, the industrialization that has often been taken up has only made the rich community richer and the poor still poorer. One feels that our proud boast of being self-reliant super power with near global class industries is all farce as major population is scorched in searing poverty. No wonder, since the poor can be underpaid in India, the company can script a success story very soon enough. Again, the concept of globalization has further aggravated their woes. Therefore, the farmers in Singure should not back out unless their life long livelihood is assured. As to Ms Mamata's activism, it is nothing but an opportunity best used to revitalize her party's sagging image.

Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali
Shillong-2
Via e-mail

The militants first struck at a place under Joypur police station in Dibrugarh district, killing seven workers of a brick kiln and injuring seven others. The kiln is owned by surrendered ULFA member Utpal Barua, police said.

The rebels shot dead six persons at Longswal in Doomdooma township, three in Bandarghati and one in Geriandal, police said. All three places are in Tinsukia district.

ULFA militants also opened fire at Tingrai in Dibrugarh district and Bandarghati in Doomdooma, but there were no casualties at these places.

"So far 17 people have been killed and at least 11 wounded in separate attacks with suspected militants of the opening fire on groups of Hindi-speaking people. There has been one bomb explosion as well," a senior police official said.

Three attacks took place in the Tinsukia district and three more in the adjoining Dibrugarh district.

"Eight people were killed and three injured in Tinsukia district, most of them brick kiln workers and petty shopkeepers who were Hindi-speaking people," Tinsukia district magistrate Absar Hazarika told newsmen. (Agencies)

GUWAHATI: More than 95 per cent of the population covered in an NGO-conducted referendum in nine districts of Asom have opposed the banned ULFA’s demand for sovereignty for Asom and its people.

Assam Public Works (APW), an NGO based in the State, conducted the referendum in nine districts - Dhubri, Darrang, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Goalpara and Kamrup - during the last three months and result of the same was announced in a public meeting at the District Library auditorium here on Friday afternoon by the chairman of the NGO, Abhijit Sharma.

Announcing the results, Mr Sharma stated that it was only the first phase of the referendum, and rest of the districts would be covered later.

Meanwhile, the ULFA has reacted sharply to the referendum, calling it uncalled for at this juncture. Its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa called up media persons here questioning the motive behind it.

He stated that neither the ULFA, nor the Government of India wanted such a referendum at this juncture and alleged that it was part of RAW design against the 'ULFA and its revolution for the people of Assam'.

He stated that the militant group would accept results of only such a referendum which would be conducted with the consent of the ULFA and the Government of India, in the presence of neutral observers like the United Nations (UN).

The Commission is currently on a five-day visit to the North Eastern states to discuss some of important reform issues with the respective state governments. (UNI)

Dimapur: Self-exiled Naga guerrilla leader Isak Chisi Swu is chairing a series of meetings in his home state Nagaland, before holding direct talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Swu, the chairperson of the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN, arrived in Nagaland late Wednesday from Amsterdam under a veil of secrecy and headed straight to its general headquarters at Camp Hebron near Dimapur under heavy security.

"Our leader has come home with the objective to regenerate and strengthen the organisation and the people of the state, before holding direct talks with the prime minister of India," R.H. Raising, a senior NSCN-IM leader, told IANS.

The 75-year-old guerrilla leader, living in a self-imposed exile since the past 39 years, is scheduled to meet senior leaders of the outfit, groups of civil society members and church ministers during his stay at Camp Hebron.

"Swu would stay here for quite sometime and would then leave for New Delhi or some other place for talks with the prime minister. His stay here depends on the progress of the consultations with the people," the rebel leader said.

The outfit's general secretary T Muivah had arrived in New Delhi two weeks ago at the invitation of the prime minister for talks. "Muivah would join our chairman here and the two would also hold joint consultations with the people," he said. (IANS)

Though the Centre had provided huge funds to the State Health Department in the last few years for procuring medicines, the medicines were always in short supply. Often the medicines at the district hospitals and various health centres were irrelevant and nearing expiry period, he said.

Responding to the people's grievances, the Government had taken a step to mitigate the hardship experienced by the people of remote areas. Thus, it had provided non-divertible earmarked Rs 5 crore for purchase of medicines during 2006-07 against each General Hospital, district hospitals, CHC, PHC and sub-centres in the State.

Though the decision was communicated to the Health Department on July 26, 2006 for immediate action nothing had been done so far in this regard.

The Government had decided to withdraw the allocated amount from the Health Department and place it with the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of each district under district level planning, Mr Pul said.

The DCs have been directed to constitute committees as per the instruction issued by the department and procure essential medicines for people in the remote areas. The DCs would monitor the formation of the committees at CHC, PHC and sub-centre level with the local administrative officer as the head of the committees, he said

Of Rs five crore about 3.95 crore had been placed with the respective DCs. (UNI)

NEW DELHI: In the continuing man-elephant conflict in the north eastern region, the Centre has agreed to increase compensation to the victims and also take up conservation measures following a demand from the North East MPs Forum.

The Center has offered to increase the quantum of relief grant on account of damage caused by wild elephants to a minimum ex-gratia payment of Rs One lakh to the families of those killed by wild elephants and reasonable amount for fully damaged houses and crops. The arrangement would first start in the worst affected Asom, said Dr Arun Kumar Sharma, AGP MP and general secretary of the Forum after his meeting with the Union Minister of State for Environment, Mr Namo Narayan Meena here.

He also submitted a written memorandum to the minister in this regard.

In the memorandum, the MPs said that the lump-sum amount of Rs 23 lakh granted to Asom from the Central Government do not commensurate with the extent of damage whereby ex-gratia grant of Rs 40,000 per death and Rs 1000 per fully damaged houses is only possible. Crop damage is hardly compensated.

Asom alone possesses 5,500 out of the total 10,000 populations of wild elephants in the north eastern region. Every year 50 to 60 lives are lost due to attack by wild elephants and injuries to hundreds. The Asom Government is unable to provide adequate fund from its resources due to its inherent financial problem.

The MPs also requested to equalise the amount of ex-gratia grant amounting to minimum two lakh rupees granted to the families of persons killed by extremists.

The memorandum also pleaded for enhancing the total area of elephant habitat with marking of elephant corridor and to make the Project Elephant Scheme effective and friendly to the people. It was also urged to specially allow Asom Government for capturing few elephants every year as the capture is ordinarily banned in the country.

The minister agreed to take up the matter of elephant capturing to facilitate its effective use for the purpose of tourism etc., with people's participation in addition to its suitable relocation for better balance between elephant habitat and total population in each State.

The IG Forest (Wild Life) Dr RB Lal who was also present in the meeting was specifically entrusted to take up the matter with Government of Asom for evolving a suitable mechanism in this regard.

It was also decided to send a team from the ministry to take stock of the situation and to suggest remedial measures. Every year herds of elephant create havoc in Asom and other North Eastern states by attacking paddy fields, villages and sometimes trample many to death.

The jumbos also cross over to Bangladesh and wreck similar damage there. Shrinkage of their habitat is widely believed to be the main cause of such problem.

The incident, which turned bloody, occurred on Thursday after a group of villagers protested against the fencing works and pelted stones at the inspection team from the NBCC, accompanied by TSR jawans, at Fakiamura in West Tripura district on Thursday.

In the scuffle, 12 villagers, two NBCC staff and two TSR jawans were injured. Prior to visiting the spot, police said that the NBCC staff had complained of a large number of local people gathering in the area and have been obstructing the fencing work.

As a precaution, a contingent of police and TSR personnel led by DCM, Sandip Chakraborty as Executive Magistrate reached Uttar NC Nagar area on Thursday morning to accompany the NBCC staff. When they reached Fakiradula, agitated villagers armed with lethal weapons started pelting stones at the NBCC staff and security forces resulting in injuries to two TSR jawans and two NBCC staff.

In the ensuing scuffle, the jawans fired blank shots and resorted to lathi charge to calm down the mob. Twelve villagers were injured of which five had to be brought to a Sonamura hospital. No case of casualty had been reported due to the firing. The main culprit who had instigated the mob had been arrested.

New Delhi: They may be animals but they got royal treatment as they travelled more than 300 km to their new home -- a wildlife sanctuary in Asom. The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) shifted two buffalo calves, an endangered animal, from the Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district to deep inside the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in Tinsukia district.

Wild buffaloes are under threat in India due to genetic contamination by hybridization with domestic buffaloes. The entire exercise of moving them from one place to another took two days, with the animals travelling in two trucks, two boats and two palanquins to reach their destination.

"We have translocated many animals including rhinos and elephants, but this was the most complicated exercise," said veterinarian Anjan Talukdar.

The calves, named B1 and B2, were raised at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) adjacent to the Kaziranga National Park.

B1, a male, came to CWRC as a five-day old calf Aug 8, 2002. It had been orphaned after being swept away in the floods. B2, also a male, was brought in Nov 19, 2003 after being found abandoned in the forest. B1, which weighs a ton, and B2, which is about 700 kg, were sedated around 5 p.m. Dec 25 and loaded on to separate mini trucks.

"We lined the sides with banana trunks and put a mixture of mud and straw on the floor, to protect them from injuries," said Rathin Burman, manager of WTI's Wild Rescue division and in charge of the operation.

"It was important that their journey, which was pretty long, was comfortable and peaceful. We decided to transport them at night when the traffic was sparse," he said.

After loading them and waiting to check if the animals were stable, the trucks moved around 7.30 p.m. on their 310-km journey.

However, just two hours later, Talukdar found to his horror that the calves were waking up.

"This was certainly not on the script and we had to give them additional sedation so that they did not wake up disoriented and injure themselves," Burman said in a statement.

Suitably fortified, the caravan moved at a slow pace to reach the Saikhowa range Dec 26 morning.

"From here the calves were loaded on to a boat at a makeshift jetty made for them. But before that they had to be put into boxes, which was quite a difficult task," Talukdar said. The boat journey lasted about 45 minutes.

"And from here they went like medieval princesses in palanquins carried by 30 people each through a three-kilometer slushy and muddy path that took over three hours to cover," Burman said.

By 2 pm they had arrived at the special enclosure created for them on a river island in Kalia camp of Saikhowa range. It had been prepared more than a month in advance and had a lush cover of grass.

There is an anti-poaching camp there as well with a watch tower for a round the clock vigil. The WTI project team has also set up a field station here and would also stay on the island.

"After the reversal drugs were administered, B1 was the first to show signs of waking up and trying to stand up. B2 was still very drowsy around 4.30 p.m. But by late evening both had revived and started grazing hungrily, which was a very happy sign and showed that they had completely recovered and were beginning to accept the new environment," said Prabal Sarkar, WTI's senior field officer and in charge of the re-introduction project.

"The buffaloes will remain in their enclosure for at least two years, to get habituated to their new surroundings before their ultimate release into the wild," he added. (IANS)