Terrorists and Politics in Manipur

Commenting on the ban imposed on the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) on poll related activities in the state, The Sangai Express (8 April) in its editorial ‘Alarming Situation’ said: “The decision of the proscribed UNLF to ban all election related activities in the run up to the 14th Lok Sabha election is indeed frightening for it has the potential to trigger off a violent chain reaction.” The editorial further opined, “It is not only the election that we are talking about but, about the overall situation here, where a parallel system of governance has become the order of the day. The situation is indeed alarming and the time comes for all concerned, the Government, the underground outfits and the various civil societies to put their heads together and see if a consensual agreement can be worked out.”  

On 19 April, writing in the Nagaland Page, Pradip Phanjoubam of the Imphal Free Press, in an article, ‘Manipur: the Underground Diktat’ said: “A silent perversion has come over Manipuri society. The public as well as the media have grown capable of taking voyeuristic interest in extremely grave situations. Hence there have been negligible commentaries or opinion on the matter, only speculation on what might happen. Such is the nature of alienation of the public from the game of politics.”

Extortion Regime in the Northeast

The Sentinel (29 April), in its editorial, ‘The Extortion Game’ said: “Extortion from all and sundry by insurgent outfits has been such a common experience in Nagaland and Manipur, that one tends to overlook the standard practice that regulates the crime in these States.” The editorial further said: “What is probably not known to many people outside these States is that the insurgent groups have, over the years, simplified the whole process of collecting `tax’ by sending extortion notices to government departments asking the officers to deduct the employees’ salaries and to provide the outfits the salary payment register and acquaintance roll of their officers and staff for realization of the demands of ‘annual tax’ at source! That is the kind of clout these insurgent outfits had even over senior government officers.”

Chakma-Hajong Refugee Issue in Arunachal Pradesh

Commenting on the 2003 decision of the Union government to confer citizenship on 1497 Chakma-Hajong refugees, a lead page article in The Sentinel (25 April) wrote: “We talked about emotions which normally determine the movements for preservation of one’s own identity and culture, particularly by small, backward and indigenous tribes and such other peoples. The mischief was committed by a thoughtless Centre which ‘settled" the refugees in Arunachal Pradesh only because the Chakma and Hajong people too have Mongoloid features, and under the wrong notion that Arunachal had a vast land mass with a sparse population. It was wrong because the State is all hills where cultivable land area is too limited to feed the indigenous population.”

Ceasefire in Tripura

Tripura Times (17 April), in its editorial, ‘Feel good in Tripura too’ wrote commenting on the announcement of ceasefire between the centre and two factions of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) on 15 April: “With the formal talks taking place between the Union Home Minister L K Advani and leaders of two major factions of the NLFT, at last a peace process has started in the state. One can now hope that the centre will take a cue from the peace process that has achieved unprecedented success in Nagaland and if such an example can be followed in Tripura too then the people of the state will bear the fruits of peace for a long time.”  Stressing on the need to involve more number of insurgent groups in the peace process Tripura Times (25 April), in its editorial, ‘Include ATTF in peace process’ commented: “ATTF still remains a force to reckon with in some parts of West Tripura district. If ATTF retracts and declines to join the peace process, the activity of this outfit has to be crushed with an iron hand.” 

Polling in Nagaland

Commenting on the unilateral decision taken by some of the village councils to vote en masse in favour of particular candidates in Nagaland, the Nagaland Page, in its editorial, ‘Unfortunate unawareness’ wrote: “It is most unfortunate that some village councils and general bodies (GBs) in various parts of Nagaland have taken it upon themselves to declare support of the people of the entire village or area for this or that candidate for the impending Lok Sabha elections, slated for May 5 next, thereby negating the principles of one person one vote, and the essence of democracy.” It further commented, “It is surprising that not much has been done to create awareness and educate our people at the grassroots level on the essence and working of the parliamentary form of democracy India adopted from the British.”