Kidnapping and murder of Minister’s daughter in Manipur

Reportage on the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Lungnila Elizabeth, an eight-year-old daughter of a State Minister dominated the headlines in the Imphal based newspapers. Starting from the day of the kidnap, newspapers provided extensive coverage to the unfolding events. Sangai Express (November 8) in its editorial ‘Release the Child’ said: ‘Such a situation cannot be anything but scary and it reflects the total chaos in which we live today. The kidnapping case also reflects the rot within Manipuri society, for, like it or not, we all have to acknowledge that the very persons responsible for keeping the young child under their custody are also members of this society.’ Commenting on the glaring inefficiency of the Police department, Sangai Express, November 11, in its editorial ‘Tense Situation’, remarked: ‘We feel the State intelligence network has exposed its extreme sloppiness and inefficiency.’ Similarly, the Imphal Free Press editorial on November 10, ‘Unintelligent Intelligence’ remarked ‘Some definite direction to the effort must evolve from the frantic search to bear fruit and this direction can only be provided by the fat-salaried intelligence department.’

Following the recovery of the dead body of the abducted child newspapers in their editorial called for caution and restrain. The Imphal Free Press (November 14) editorial ‘The Hunt begins’ said: ‘Powerful emotions, if not harnessed, can lead to colossal blunders. This is why it is absolutely essential now for everybody to keep their heads.’

Anti-Bihari Agitation in Assam

The attack on Assamese and other northeastern train passengers in Bihar was given extensive coverage in the newspapers in Guwahati. Vernacular daily Khabar (October 15) devoted almost the entire front page to related news items. In the editorial, ‘Reljatri upar Akraman’, the newspaper stated that ‘the attack on Assamese passengers might result in a backlash against the Bihari community in Assam.’ It however, cautioned that ‘the issue is getting politicized’ and ‘the railway minister must step in to prevent the incident from assuming serious proportions.’ The Sentinel (November 15) reported ‘This is not the first time that such things have happened in Bihar. On the contrary, railway passengers passing through Bihar are deemed fair game for the goons of the State when they decide to retaliate on any issue anywhere in the country.’ The Northeast Reporter (November 15) said: ‘By breaking into trains going to Assam, Bihar youth are scaring away those very investors who alone could jump start their economy and create jobs not just in government sector but several others like industry, transport, services etc.’

Advani’s visit to Arunachal

The Arunachal Pradesh government submitted a list of demands to the Union government for approval before the visit of the Union Home Minister L K Advani to the State. The Telegraph-Northeast, in a lead story (November 10), ‘Apang seeks bounty ahead of Advani visit’ quoted the Chief Minister Gegong Apang having said that ‘If our suggestions are accepted and a package announced, then all liabilities would be cleared which would help the state start afresh on the track of development.’ Commenting on the visit, the Telegraph-Northeast (November 14) said that ‘Union Minister for Development of the Northeast C P Thakur and BJP President Venkaiah Naidu will accompany Advani. A source said that the troika’s primary objective is to ‘repay’ Apang and his colleagues of the ruling UDF for catapulting the BJP to power.’ 

Fight of rights in Sikkim

The peaceful state of Sikkim is gradually entering a phase of ethnic turmoil as different tribes have started asserting their ‘constitutional rights’. The weekly Gangtok Post (November 10-16) in a lead news item ‘Constitutional equality for 3 ethnic communities’ covered the public meeting organized by the Rhenok Branch of Gorkha Apex Committee (GAC) in which the Committee president asserted ‘the agenda of GAC is to secure equal constitutional rights for the Nepalese of Sikkim’. According to him, ‘the seat arrangement made in 1997 Sikkim elections had given more reserved seats for the Bhutia and Lepcha. The number of seats reserved for BL communities is not in proportion to their population figure and thus it has violated the Article 332 of the Constitution.’

Excesses on civilians in Assam

Vernacular daily Asamiya Pratidin (November 9) in a prominent news item ‘Innocent killed with Rifle butt blows’ provided graphic details of excesses committed by security force personnel on villagers in Sonitpur district. ‘On 8 November, a 4 men Police patrol of the 13th Assam Police battalion hit 38 year old innocent man, Nitai Sarkar to death’ Quoting an eye witness the newspaper reported ‘one of the four constables punched Nitai Sarkar on his face and another whack him on the back of his head with the rifle butt making him go over. Another constable kicked him. The police did not stop after such brutal treatment on the innocent man. They pulled him across like an animal to get him inside the police station.’  The same incident found a brief coverage in the English daily, Assam Tribune (November 9), which reported ‘Patrolling jawans challenged a group of people playing cards at Rakshmari Chak. Seeing the police they left the place but one Nitai Sarker who witnessed the game protested the action. Irritated police brutally assaulted him with rifle butts before he died on his way to Guwahat near Kharupetia.’