Attack on Hindi-speaking people in Assam

Vernacular newspapers in Assam provided front-page details of the attacks on Hindi-speaking people in the state and other related developments. On November 18, the Asamiya Pratidin described the strike called by the All Assam Students? Union (AASU) in the lead item ?Sarbatmak Asam bandhat stabdha raijya? (State falls silent due to the strike call). The strike found prominent coverage also in the vernacular Khabar?s item ?Ashanta Asamat shaphal bandha? (Disturbed Assam?s successful strike) on the same day. Khabar (November 20) detailed the killings of Hindi-speaking people in the Basirhat area of the State in the item ?Boshirhatat chari hindibhashit guliaye haitya? (Four Hindi-speaking people shot dead in Boshirhat). On November 20, the same newspaper continued the description with another front-page item, ?Sandhya Ain: Jalanta Asamar nirihar pranhani? (Curfew imposed: Innocent die in burning Assam).

 

Salary problem in Manipur

The inability of the state government to pay salary to its workforce figured prominently in the local media. The Telegraph-Northeast (17 November) quoted the Joint Administrative Council (JAC) spokesman: ?The Centre has been providing the monthly entitlement of Rs.65 crore meant for payment of salaries, but the government could not pay it due to mismanagement and diversion of the fund?. The Sangai Express (20 November) reported, ?The State Government has lifted its ban on the transaction of Government bills paving the way for salaries and pensions of Government employees and retired employees for the month of October.?

 

The killing of a Minister?s daughter by unknown miscreants has led to a lot of introspection in the Manipur media. Commenting on the death The Sangai Express (18 November) in its editorial ?Looking ahead? commented: ?The lesson to be learnt from the death of little Elizabeth is the point that for far too long the people of Manipur have been tolerating violence and the gun culture and the result today is there for all to see.? It further added: ?We do strongly feel that the State police force and the intelligence network miserably failed to deliver the goods when it mattered most. Heads should roll. The Police Department should be revamped.?

 

Border row between Assam-Meghalaya

The border row between Assam and Meghalaya over the Block I and II areas in the Karbi Anglong district received significant media attention. The Shillong Times (November 20) quoted Hoping Stone Lyngdoh, President of the HSPDP, a partner of the ruling MDA coalition in Meghalaya who said: ?As far as the case is concerned, both Block I and Block II belong to Meghalaya although they are under dispute.? The Sentinel (23 November) however quoted the Chief Minister D D Lapang in a lead story: ?The use of words like ?disputed areas? should be avoided as there is no actual dispute between Meghalaya and Assam over the areas. If the word ?disputed? is used it will indicate that Assam had encroached and is illegally occupying the areas in the two blocks, which is not a fact.?

 

Following the atrocities committed on the Pnar tribals by Karbi militants on the Assam and Meghalaya border and the subsequent flight of 4000 tribals to the Jaintia Hills, the Khasi Students? Union (KSU) served a quit notice on the Karbis in Meghalaya. The Shillong Times (18 November) in a lead item reported: ?The already prevailing tension along Assam-Meghalaya border spread to the state capital with suspected KSU members burning a Karbi student and beating up three others of the community.?

 

Autonomy for Arunachal Districts

The proposed grant of autonomy for two districts of Arunachal Pradesh: Tirap and Changlang received prominent attention in the regional media. The Telegraph-Northeast (19 November) reported ?Tirap and Changlang districts in Arunachal Pradesh, which have been ravaged by militancy, may soon be granted autonomy on the lines of the district councils in other states of the region.? The Assam Tribune (21 November) quoted the State Home Minister L Wanglat who said: ?After the BJP-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government come to power in Arunachal Pradesh the law-and-order situation particularly in militant infested Tirap and Changlang districts has greatly improved and there was no report of any serious incidents.?

 

Faltering peace in Nagaland

The internecine clashes between the Isak-Muivah and Khaplang factions of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) figured prominently in the local media. The Nagaland Post (24 November) reported ?Temjen Longkumer, the top ranking medical kilonser of the NSCN-K was killed reportedly inside the NSCN-K council headquarters in Eastern Nagaland.? In the same issue, the newspaper also reported, ?A high-powered team headed by Rh. Raising, Executive Member of the Steering Committee (NSCN-IM) interacted with village elders, heads of Naga mass based organisations at Tuli. The meeting was part of the ?Peace Offensive? organised by the outfit?s Ao region.?

 

Nathula Border Trade

The proposed Nathula border trade between India and China has also necessitated collaboration between West Bengal and Sikkim. The weekly Gangtok Times (17-23 November) in a lead item ?Neighbours to be partners in the Nathula border trade? dealt with the discussion on a draft scheme prepared by the West Bengal government to the effect. The newspaper quoted the West Bengal Industries Minister Ashok Bhattacharya: ?The draft scheme includes strengthening of National Highway 31 A, construction of an alternate road as may be needed, warehouses, setting up of an immigration centre, banks and foreign exchange centres, hotels, rest houses, etc. Moreover frequent bus services from Siliguri to Nathula, more trains from Calcutta to New Jalpaiguri, more flights from Calcutta to Bagdogra and the upgradation of Bagdogra airport and New Jalpaiguri railway station, are also envisaged.?