Journalists in hit-list take out rally, submit memorandum to CM

From our Special Correspondent

IMPHAL, Aug 12: The reporters and editors in Manipur who received death threats from some militant organizations today called it a day and took out a rally. They also submitted  a memorandum to the impassive Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and the Home Minister G Gaikhangam whose syrupy tongue is well known. A general body meeting of the reporters and editors was held today at the press club to discuss regarding the grenade attack on Saturday night at the house of  Ahongsangbam Mobi, president of the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union.

Earlier the standing committee of the AMWJU had decided to cease work for the day. As a result the evening newspapers did not hit the stands. The morning newspapers shall not be coming out tomorrow. Narrating the death threat to him, Mobi said that last night he was alone at his residence located near the police station at Singjamei. Since his daughter is in the hospital all family members were with her.

Normally Mobi he stays outside and checks his email by lounging at the verandah. But that day he was inside the bed room. Had he stayed outside the bedroom he would have been killed.

He said at around 8:15 pm on Saturday night, a China made hand grenade was lobbed. It hit the tin roof and fell down at the court yard where it exploded with a deafening sound. Though the shrapnels had pockmarked the walls and some domestic items there was no human casualty. Immediately after the blast police rushed there. However, no arrest could be made. Editors and reporters also came to make inquiries.

During the general body meeting several speakers condemned the dastardly attack on the president. It may be recalled that some days back one faction of the Military Defence Force had served death notice to seven editors. The editors had refused to publish the press releases of this outfit at the directive of the AMWJU. Mobi is the president and editor of the Sanaleibak. Some days ago the outfit had phoned some newspaper offices to say that bombs had been planted in the offices of the Naharoligi Thoudang and Hueiyen Lanpao. However the police bomb experts did not find any bomb. But the police did not take any chances. Village Defence Force personnel were deloyed in the newspaper offices.

The editors and reporters did not attend office but held the general body meeting, took out a rally and submitted memorandum to the Chief Minister and the Home Minister. There are four demands of the reporters. They said that the editors and reporters should be provided enough security so that they could discharge their duty fearlessly. Adequate security should be deployed in the houses of the editors and the office bearers of the AMWJU. It is a known fact that guarding the press offices is meaningless since the editors and reporters have to return home well after midnight and all of them would become sitting ducks. The armed VDF personnel should be replaced by the well trained police personnel. An inquiry should be ordered to establish the collaborators, if any, in the fresh attacks. Because it sounds rather incomprehensible that some armed members of little known outfits have been flexing muscles so effectively in and around Imphal. This is despite the  police claim that ahead of the independence day functions the security measures have been beefed up in the state.

Both the Chief Minister and the Home Minister has assured the representatives of the AMWJU that no stone would be left unturned to round up the militants who are thus attacking the reporters in this manner. They also said that an inquiry would be ordered to satisfy the reporters since they also cannot undersand how the militants are so active now. The Home Minister had already instructed Y Joykumar, the DGP to make the necessary inquiry.

Both the ministers assured that the VDF personnel would be replaced by police personnel. Patrolling would be intensified in all trouble prone areas. But then past experience has shown that such security measures had failed to protect some editors and reporters who were gunned down, hurt in attack. Mobi exhorted the reporters not to bend at the threat of the militants. He said that this morning he received one SMS from the militant organization asking him not to organize the rally. If he ignored it he would be attacked once again. Despite this kind of threat he said that the reporters should go ahead with serving the people.

The editors and reporters who took out the procession from the press club to the residences of the Chief Minister and the Home Minister carried hand written placards condemning the grenade attack and asking the militants to allow the reporters to discharge their duty.

Most of the editors whose names had been identified by the militant outfit are not normally seen in the offices and residences. Their mobile numbers are either switched off or had been discarded. They talk to some friends only from the mobile phones of some reporters. It is impossible to seek an interview of these editors.

Coordination meeting on confidence building measures

From our Correpondent

DIMAPUR, Aug 12: A co-ordination meeting between Dimapur district administration and police officials and their Karbi Anglong counterparts was held at the Circuit House in Dimapur on Saturday.

The meeting was held with an objective to maintain lasting harmony and peaceful co-existence between people of the two neighbouring districts, falling under two separate States of Assam and Nagaland and to contain unlawful activities in areas adjoining the two districts.

Deputy Commissioner Dimapur, N Hushili Sema, while welcoming officials from both districts said that the co-ordination meeting would prove to be an exercise on confidence building measures from both sides. She also expressed hope that such meetings would help chalk out strategies on information sharing, to maintain peaceful co-existence in the bordering areas.

Deputy Commissioner of Karbi Anglong, PK Buragohain, in his address said that the “border issue” between the two districts was insignificant as Dimapur and Karbi Anglong have clear-cut boundaries. He, however, said that such co-ordination meetings would go a long way in assisting administration and police on both sides to tackle drug trafficking, child trafficking and cross-border crimes.

During the discussion, delegation from both sides agreed on the importance of strengthening information sharing down to the level of field officers (OC’s). They also agreed on information sharing at the existing bordering check gates and further recommended reconstruction of the bridge at old Golaghat road (Veterinary Road) for better connectivity.

 The meeting was attended by SP Dimapur, VZ Angami, ADC Dimapur, Sedevikho Khro, Additional SP Dimapur, Watichuchang, SP Karbi Anglong, BP Chetri and SDPO Karbi Anglong, Subashish Baruah among others.

Nagaland gears up for literary fest

From our Correspondent

KOHIMA, Aug 12: Nagaland State is set to witness one of the most exciting literary competitions in the coming month – the 1st Nagaland Spelling Bee competition, an event expected to bring out the literary best among the students of the educational institutions of the State.

An initiative of the Fountain Club Kohima, the event will be sponsored by the SCERT department with the Morung Express as the official media partner.

Cash prizes of Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 15,000 will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners respectively of the Spelling Bee competition. Besides, all quarter finalists will also receive Rs 5,000 each.

Addressing newspersons at Hotel Japfu in Kohima on Saturday evening, the organizers of the competition (Fountain Club) said the aim behind organizing this competition is to provide a platform to students to give their best and excel in the national and international levels and also to encourage them to explore their knowledge and intellect.

The officials expressed hope that the event would be a success and that the Spelling Bee competition would become an annual event in the coming years. The competition is open for students between Class-VIII and XII for all educational institutions based in Nagaland and the organizers are expecting a minimum of 200 participants. Each educational institution will be allowed two participants. The competition would be held on September 28 and 29. On September 28, preliminary rounds would be held where selection would be done for the finals the next day.

Besides attractive cash incentives, the organizers are also in the process of partnering with other departments to offer additional incentives such as scholarships for the winners.

BJP Nagaland condemns assault on NE students in Pune

Dimapur, Aug 12: The Nagaland State BJP Unit president Dr M Chuba Ao and Spokesman K James Vizo vehemently condemned the beating up of  the 10 NE students  including Nagas by unidentified miscreants in separate incidents on August 8 and 9  for unknown reason in Pune. This type of  incidents  are  uncalled for in a democratic society and should never  be encouraged.

 This type of discriminatory attitude and atrocity met on the NE students cannot be tolerated. Attack on NE students is not new in the Northern parts of India. The People of India should not forget the immense contribution of the Northeast people in the recent Olympics  representing the Nation. In this regard, the BJP Nagaland Unit  demands  from the Government of Maharashtra and the law enforcing authorities  to immediately arrest the culprits and give them exemplary punishment and further urged  to provide adequate security to the NE people in Pune. And also  the party appeal to its Central BJP leaders and North east BJP Sampark cell to kindly intervene and take necessary steps to pursuit this sensitive matter to appropriate authorities concerned.

Finally, the State BJP Unit also strongly condemned  the barbaric torture and murder of the two women from Longleng District on August 7 at Titabor, Assam. The BJP demanded Assam Government and the law enforcing agency to immediately  arrest the culprits and punish them as per the law of the land.

Campaigning with art for peace in Northeast

New Delhi, Aug 12:  The idyllic life amid strife in the Northeastern countryside is the subject around which Assamese artist Jiten Hazarika has built his peace campaign.

“The tension in the society has influenced art in the Northeast. During insurgency in Assam, young artists eschewed flowers and nature for guns and blood on their canvas to express their angst. But the canvas is looking colourful once more,” Hazarika said.

A solo exhibition of his art, ‘A Life in Pictures’ - a collection of oil paintings, opened at Shridharani Art Gallery in the capital Saturday.

Hazarika, born in Nagaon in Assam in 1936, was a member of the Army Engineering Corps before taking to the world of colours.

His work shows his evolution from an army man to a full-time painter. A rugged style has made way for stylised and happy figures that are expressionist in their iconography and style.

The figures, predominantly of women, are ethnic with almond eyes and languid bodies that pulsate with a subterranean erotic energy, which the artist says feeds his creative passion.

Hazarika has worked on a variety of mediums - oil, steel, wood, clay and texts. His harmonious compositions deliberately avoids violence. A carefully-constructed meditative silence hold his figures captive in serendipity.

“I try to bring out their innocence, simplicity and welcoming warmth, which are often misunderstood outside the region, on my canvas,” the artist said.

Hazarika said the movements in art in the northeastern region, especially in Assam, has been in tandem with problems in the society. “The society has been adulterated by ingress of people from Bangladesh and other areas of the country. The social family fabric has been dislodged. Traditions and cultures have changed and Assam has become vulnerable to radical groups. The changes found their way into art,” he said.

The women are accompanied by children on his canvas. “The children symbolise peace and ‘every day’. I believe no serious art can be created without a concern for life,” Hazarika said. (IANS)