Northeast Platform

By Oken Jeet Sandham 11 years is pretty long for the parties to at least produce something for publics to see. If the truce pact the two parties entered into was meant to pave way for finding some tangible solution, then by now some, some result should be shown to the publics. What is ceasefire after all? It is usually done between the armed groups. The present ceasefire is between the government of India and the NSCN (IM) and since they inked truce pact in 1997, they had more than 60 rounds of political talks elsewhere in the world. Initially, the people overjoyed hoping that there would be no more violence in their land and they would be free from any threats and intimidations from any underground elements and also from those security forces. The innocent civilians usually suffered when the insurgency reached at its zenith. Sometimes they were harassed by the undergrounds on charges that they were informers to Indian security forces. Similarly, the Indian security forces harassed the

Dimapur, June 27 (MExN): The joint statement issued from the Chiangmai Naga Peace Summit by rival NSCN leaders VS Atem and Wangtin Naga yesterday, is a reflection of their sincerity at pursuing peace and unity, says Home Minister Imkong Imchen. Expressing deep joy at the statement, the Home Minister today said in a message that the NSCN groups have “rightfully taken the weapon of forgiveness” in ‘their march for peace.’“I am deeply moved and overjoyed on the successful summit at Chiang Mai, Thailand, specially, on the joint statement from the Naga Peace Summit signed by Gen (Retd) VS Atem and Y Wanting Naga, Dy.Kilonser. This statement speaks volume how sincere and serious both the leaders are while searching for peace, reconciliation and unity amongst the Naga” Imkong said.According to the DAN leader, the most powerful and effective weapon for the human society and individual is the ‘weapon of forgiveness’ and both the NSCNs ‘had rightfully taken the weapon of forgiveness with a vie

Dimapur, June 27 (MExN): Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has urged for “urgent intervention” of the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil towards appointing a “full time” chairman of Ceasefire monitoring Group/Ceasefire Monitoring Board, “preferably” in consultation with the other parties of the ceasefire.In the letter addressed to the Union Home Minister, Rio sought to appraise Patil on certain new developments which “may threaten the current peace process” initiated by GoI through ceasefire with both the NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K). He pointed out that the CFMG/CFSB was constituted under a chairman representing the Government of India to supervise the enforcement of Ceasefire Ground Rules and establish proper communication with both groups. naturally, the chairman has to play a vital role in the enforcement of ceasefire ground rules, stated the letter.Rio then mentioned the relentless inter-factional clashes between the NSCN groups during the last few months which had claimed many l

Imphal, Jun 26: The special general body meeting of the All Manipur Working Journalists` Union, AMWJU, which was held yesterday at the Manipur Press Club in Imphal has resolved to stand unitedly against any attempt of the state government to violate the norms and guidelines of the Press Council of India.The special general body of AMWJU was participated by members of both the electronic and print media yesterday and affirmed to follow the local code of conduct of the AMWJU and stand jointly against the violation of this local code of conduct.The AMWJU meeting also further resolved to appeal to both the government and the militant organisations not to put any kind of restrictions on the media which had a important role as mediator between the government and people in the state. The meeting further condemned the highly personal threats on some of the representatives of the AMWJU recently by one of the outfits and urged all organisations not to personalise issues related to the journalist

Imphal, Jun 26: At least 12 persons including two minor girls were hurt in a bomb blast after suspected militants hurled a grenade at some protestors staging a dharna against demands made by an underground group at the Ningthoukhong bazar under Bishnupur police station around 11.45 am this morning.The incident occurred when shop owners and vendors of Ningthoukhong bazar were holding a sit-in protest in connection with a demand made on every shop owner of Ningthoukhong bazar to provide two mobile phone hand sets each to a particular underground group. All shop owners and vendors of the areas had shut down their shops from 8 am this morning and were participating in the protest.During the course of the protest at the bazar, at around 11.45 am, three persons who came riding a Pulsar motorcycle and a NV scooter, suddenly hurled a hand grenade at the protestors which exploded after rolling into a roadside drain resulting in injuries to 12 persons.The injured persons were immediately evacua