13 ISI agents arrested in Asom

Guwahati, June 22 (UNI): The Army today arrested 13 suspected ISI agents, four of whom were Hindus, in North Cachar district of Asom.

Defence sources said acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Army arrested the agents - most of whom hailed from Rajasthan - from different parts of the Haflong, the district headquarters.

The accused, identified as Lakshmi Narayan Sarma (Rajasthan), Md Islam (Rajasthan), Md Isan Sheikh (Rajasthan), Md Rekibuddin (Rajasthan), Abdul Khaleq (Karimganj, Asom), Mahabir Sarma (Rajasthan), Bajrang Sheikh (Rajasthan), Zakir Hussain (Karimganj), Abdul Salam (Karimganj), Naresh Sarma (Karimganj), Meijul Lashkar (Karimganj), Abdul Talukdar (Karimganj) and Surya Tantubau (Cachar, Asom), had been staying separately in rented houses. Phones and incriminating documents seized from their possession suggestED that they haD been maintaining links with fundamentalist elements in UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

However no arms or ammunition were recovered from their possession.

The Army suspected the agents intended to establish links with the local militant outfits during their stay in the secluded hill district. The accused had been handed over to the police, and investigation was on to unearth their credentials. The agents, who had come to the state three months back, had been working in shops, hotels, electronic outlets and as tailors. Noting that the arrests have pointed to the growing network of fundamentalist elements in the state, defence sources hinted that the revelations of the accused could lead to more arrests.

RSS behind Asom blast: ULFA

Guwahati, June 14 (UNI): The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) today accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of engineering yesterday's blast at Hajo, about 50 km from here, which killed two people and injured 45 others. After having denied any hand in the blast at the heart of a market in Hajo, ULFA's 'military spokesperson' Raju Barua said in an emailed statement, ''The blast was carried out by the students wing of the RSS at the behest of Asom Public Works (APW) chief Abhijeet Sarma.'' ''ULFA has off and on apprised the people about the blue print made by the RSS to trigger communal and ethnic division among the Assamese people. For this purpose, the Hindu body has specially trained its activists,'' ULFA spokesperson stated.Slamming the APW, an anti-ULFA organisation campaigning against the outfit in Asom, Mr Barua said the APW has been engaged in a silent anti-Asom war. ULFA also claimed that a rebel Dibjyoti Kalita, who was killed in an encounter with police at Guwahati yesterday, and the three accused arrested by police at Hajo after the blast had no links with the outfit. Two people were killed yesterday when an IED, planted on a bicycle, exploded at the Buldudh market at Hajo at around 1220 hrs when the market was teeming with activities. Over 45 people, including several minors, were injured in the blast which occurred barely ten hours after Guwahati police gunned down a rebel, arrested another and seized a huge cache of arms in separate raids in the city.

Cancer claims 483 lives every year in Mizoram

Aizawl, Jun 7 : Mizoram has the highest incidence of cancer in the country with 483 people dying every year from the dreaded disease in the state since 2003.Around 1,079 new cancer cases are reported in the state annually, a senior doctor of Aizawl Civil Hospital said Wednesday quoting the population-based Cancer Registry records.Eric Zomawia, senior specialist in Pathology department of Aizawl Civil Hospital and the head of Regional Cancer Centre here, said that Mizoram has the highest incidence of cancer as per the records of the cancer registry in the country.Experts claimed that extensive use of tobacco, especially smoking by the Mizos caused most of the cancer cases.Meanwhile, the state government had mooted a project to establish Cancer Hospital at Zemabawk near here.The state government also had submitted a proposal to the Centre for establishment of an oncology wing in Lunglei Civil Hospital in South Mizoram.

Kingfisher now eyes growing NE market

New Delhi, Jun 7 : Close on the heels of its Air Deccan acquisition, Vijay Mallya-owned Kingfisher Airlines will bid to partner the North Eastern Council (NEC), which is mulling a separate airline for the northeastern region with a private carrier. Other private carriers are likely to decide on bidding soon.Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1971, the NEC is the nodal agency for economic and social development of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.Under the proposal, the private airline will provide not only aircraft and scheduled services but also maintenance and engineering support at airports in the region. NEC will provide financial support for these operations. According to sources, NEC has reserves of Rs 2,000 crore.“Our ATR fleet is prepared to fly provided we get approval,” a Kingfisher source said. Kingfisher has a fleet of 29 aircraft, of which eight are ATRs.At present, 11 destinations in the northeast are connected by eight operators, which operate 258 flights a week.However, a senior ministry official feels there is no need to start a separate airline for the region.Since traffic has more than doubled since 2000, fares have also registered a considerable decline.The government has also issued no objection certificates to Sky King Airlines to operate scheduled services and Surya Airlines to operate non-scheduled services in the region.

Landmine Rally Ends With Lathis And Teargas

Written by Thangkhanlal Ngaihte
Saturday, 24 March 2007

New Delhi: It is yet another beautiful day in New Delhi and yet another day of chaotic protests, slogans, placards, Ibobi Singh-down-down and later police lathis and teargases. The protest rally from Jantar Mantar to Parliament Street held today under the aegis of Kuki Students Organisation, Delhi against atrocities allegedly committed on the Kuki civilians in Chandel district by the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) seems to be organized out of frustration and desperation rather than hopes of immediate succour. And the desperation showed in the end, when the rallyst clashed with riot police, leading to unprecedented police brutalities brought down on the agitators.
No details are available about the injured and those in police custody as this report is being written, but indications are that up to 270 are still be under police custody and an undetermined number of people injured. About 20 people were in hospital with about half of them in serious condition. At least two girls are reportedly still unconscious. Sources also said Delhi Police Commissioner KK Paul and other senior police officials had also visited the injured as this report is being filed.

As the hundreds of placard-holding marchers reached Parliament Street around 2 pm, they were greeted by uniformed policemen in riot gear, standing behind multi-tiered barricades. The marchers, holding placards and holding hands, with traditional drum chiming in the background, rushed onwards and after about 10 minutes of struggle, the first barricades were gone.

Afterwards, a meeting was held at the spot where representatives of various students' organizations, human rights groups and social bodies spoke. Most of them strongly condemned the Ibobi Singh government which this tragedy afflicting the tribals since along time; and the UNLF for brutalizing the hill people this way. They also lambasted the Meitei civil society organizations and human rights bodies, which they charged remained passive spectators and even abettors to the unfolding tragedy. Slogans demanding imposition of Presidents' rule in the state and granting of autonomy to the tribals rent the air. Effigies of chief minister Ibobi Singh and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were burnt.

As the meeting wore on, words came that the representatives who sought audience with either the Prime Minister or President were denied the same and that they could not have even submitted the memorandum. Around 5 pm, an enraged crowd surged forward at the barricades. By that time, re-inforcements of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Police had arrived along with water cannons. Stones, bricks and fragments of wood fly about, soon followed by firing of tear gases. As the police broke through the barricades, it was a free for all. Every northeast-looking men and women were targeted, beaten, stomped on and hit with sticks. The police chased the agitators till in front of the Janata Dal(United) office at Jantar Mantar Road and beyond. This correspondent saw many people, including girls and elderly people who had entered the buses by then, dragged out and beaten viciously and stomped on with boots. Only very few, who managed to hide inside tents set up around the area escaped the police fury. Some innocent northeasterners, who happened to be in the area for other purposes, were also held by the police.

Today's rally was the second on Chandel landmines and the alleged deportation of about 450 Kukis housed at a refugee camp at Laijang village on March 13. The first rally was held on March 5. The villagers were taken to Myanmar by cadres of UNLF in connivance with elements of the Myanmarese junta and their whereabouts are not yet known, according to KSO sources. The memorandum today demanded action against the underground UNLF, resignation of CM Ibobi Singh, clearing of Manipur hills of valley-based militants, apart from others.

As for media reports about allegations of deportations being found false by a group of Imphal-based reporters, KSO sources here said that meeting in which the reporters took part was arranged by UNLF area commander Pathou, and that the said villagers were saying what was quoted under coercion. This source, which refused to be named due to obvious reasons, also said that the UNLF had arranged a feast of one pig and a cow during that contrived meeting at Khangtung village.


Report: Thangkhanlal Ngaihte
New Delhi.

Phungzathang lands in poll code soup

IMPHAL, Feb 13 : Acting on a complaint that Congress candidate in Churachand-pur Assembly Constituency, Phungza- thang Tonsing had violated the election code of conduct and was using more than the number of vehicles specified by the Election Commission of India, the Chief Electoral Officer has instructed the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Churachandpur to lodge a case against the candidate.

The CEO issued the instruction to the CJM following instructions from the Election Commission of India.

Phungzathang Tonsing is the sitting MLA of CCpur AC and is also the Minister of Irrigation and Flood Control in the SPF Government.

Disclosing this to The Sangai Express a reliable source informed that the CEO issued the instructions after complaints were lodged that Tonsing was using more than the number of vehicles as specified by the ECI as well as utilising Government vehicles for election purposes.

The complaints were lodged with the Election Commission of India along with a CD containing video clippings of the vehicles being used by the candidate, said the source.

According to the code of conduct laid down by the Election Commission of India, a candidate is allowed to utilise three vehicles for poll purposes.

No candidate is allowed to use Government vehicles for election purposes, the ECI had stipulated adding that sitting MLAs and Ministers may use their official vehicle only for going to their offices to work.

The CD shows the said candidate using Government vehicles besides a large number of vehicles in a procession, said the source.

With the Election Commission of India not taking the matter lightly, the Chief Electoral Officer has also instructed the District Election Officer of Churachandpur to serve a show cause notice on Phungzathang Tonsing and entrust the Chief Judicial Magistrate of the district to take necessary action, said the source.

Following the instruction of the Chief Electoral Officer, the District Election Officer is scheduled to serve the show cause notice on the Congress candidate tomorrow. The case will then be referred to the Court the following day, further informed the source.

Churachandpur district along with Chandel and Tamenglong districts and Jiribam sub-division of Imphal East district is scheduled to go to the polls in the third and final phase of polling slated to be held on February 23.

Manipur continues to lead at National Games
medals tally continues...