GUWAHATI, August 21 - The URMCA-CPI(ML) alliance has decided to contest the Kokrajhar seat in the coming Lok Sabha elections while extending support to Left, regional and democratic forces to defeat both the BJP and the Congress in the remaining constituencies of the state. A statement by the URMCA general secretary, Mukut Singha Chutia, said apart from demanding an end to the terrorist violence and dissolution of the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC), the issues of floods and environment, "imperialist plunder of State's resources", scheduling of Jharkhandis and Koch-Rajbongshis, protection of minorities, underdevelopment among other things will be the main issues for the alliance in the polls. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 22, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 22: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today announced its first list of candidates, whose names were cleared by the party's core committee yesterday, for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the Northeast States. The party will contest 10 seats of its own out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The NCP general secretary and former Lok Sabha Speaker, Purno A Sangma told a press conference that the party had, so far, finalised the names of four candidates for Assam. The names of candidates for the remaining six seats will be declared on August 30 next. The party will field Subhas Mohan Deb, younger brother of former Union minister and Congress leader Santosh Mohan Deb, from Silchar. Former state legislator, Samsul Huda will be the NCP candidate from Kaliabor constituency while former Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) minister, Prodip Gogoi and former minister in the Hiteswar Saikia government, Kul Bahadur Chetri, will be contest from Jorhat and Tezpur Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively. Sangma said his party had come to an electoral understanding with the United Minorities Front (UMF) led by HRA Choudhury regarding the Barpeta and Nagaon constituencies. "We will back the UMF candidate in Barpeta and Nagaon," he said, adding that NCP would not contest Kokrajhar and Diphu Lok Sabha seats. The NCP candidates for Dhubri, Lakhimpur, Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Mangaldoi, and Karimganj will be decided on August 30. Sangma himself is the NCP candidate from Tura in Meghalaya. He has been elected from Tura to the Lower House six times since 1977. Regarding the Shillong seat in Meghalaya, Sangma said the NCP was still trying for an electoral understanding with the United Democratic Front (UDF). He said the final picture regarding Shillong would emerge after three days. In Arunachal Pradesh, the NCP will contest both the seats. The party announced the name of Toko Kachi as its candidate for the Arunachal West seat. The candidate for Arunachal East seat will be announced on August 30. The NCP also announced its first list of 11 candidates for the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly polls. Elections to the two Lok Sabha seats and the 60 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh will be held simultaneously. Regarding the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland, Sangma said the NCP would support the combined Opposition candidate of the Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) and Naga People's Convention (NPC), Shurhozelie. The party will not field any candidate for the Mizoram seat while it is yet to take a decision regarding the two in Manipur. In Tripura, it will support the Tripura Upajati Juba Samity (TUJS) candidate for the Tripura East seat while in Tripura West it will support Independent Ajoy Biswas. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 23, 1999)

IMPHAL, August 22: Opposition parties have failed to put up a common candidate against the ruling Manipur State Congress Party nominee, T Chaoba Singh, in the prestigious Inner Manipur parliamentary constituency. Sources said the Congress had backed out from its earlier stand of fielding a common candidate and announced Nimaichand Luwang as its own candidate for Inner Manipur. They said five major Opposition parties, irked by the Congress decision, have formed a Secular Democratic Front which will field a consensus candidate. The Manipur People's Party (MPP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Janata Dal (U) have agreed to nominate the MPP candidate (name not yet announced) as their common candidate. While the Inner Manipur constituency will go to the polls on September 25, polling in the Outer Manipur constituency will take place on October 3. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 23, 1999)

AGARTALA, August 22: The possibility of an alliance between the newly-formed Trinamul Congress in Tripura with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has run into rough weather with the latter declining to accept the former as poll partner. "We cannot accept Sudhir Ranjan Mazumder as candidate for the Tripura West Lok Sabha constituency. Our grassoots workers have already lodged strong complaints against the candidature of Mazumder," general secretary of BJP's state unit, Rakhal Majumder, told reporters here today. He alleged that a conspiracy was hatched against BJP in 1991 as a result of which Shyamahari Sharma, then candidate of Agartala Assembly seat, was hacked to death while addressing a public meeting in the heart of the town. The BJP leader alleged that Mazumder who was the then chief minister and home minister did not take any initiative to probe the killing. The central committee of BJP has already announced state senior leader Brajesh Chakraborty as its candidate for the Tripura West seat. The Trinamul Congress in Tripura would constitute a "full-fledged" Pradesh committee very soon to give thrust to its "fight against Communist Party of India (Marxist) misrule", the Trinamul Congress state president Mazumder said. The Trinamul Congress would emerge as the real Opposition party in Tripura soon as the Congress was having "clandestine alliance" with CPI(M), the former chief minister said. To a question, the former State Congress president said the apex bodies of the Trinamul Congress and the BJP would take final decision at the national level. (PTI; The Hindustan Times; New Delhi; August 23, 1999)

AIZAWL, August 23: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to support the Mizo National Front (MNF)-Mizo People's Conference (MPC) combined joint candidate for the Lok Sabha elections in the state. The party's state president, Harry Vanchhawng, said his party might support the MNF-MPC consensus candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat, if required, to thwart any attempt by the Congress to come to power at the Centre. He said though a final decision remained with the party central leadership, the state unit was ready to support all forces fighting against the Congress. Vanchhawng said a final decision was expected by the month-end. Mizoram's case was discussed on August 3 in New Delhi between the party high command and representatives of the state unit. While the state BJP was still gauging the political atmosphere here, Vanchhawng admitted that being a small outfit in Mizoram his party stood little chances of winning the Lok Sabha seat. "Hence the decision to support the MNF-MPC candidate," he added. He said his party's main function in Mizoram was to topple all efforts made by the Congress to win the Lok Sabha seat. Formal talks between the MNF and the BJP had begun after the May 22 visit of Prime Minister A B Vajpayee to the state. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 24, 1999)

IMPHAL, August 24: The Secular Democratic Front (SDF), comprising four political parties, would put up Manipur People's Party (MPP) leader Khaidem Mani from the prestigious Inner Manipur Lok Sabha constituency. The former director of state education department, TS Gangte, will be fielded by the four-party front - the Manipur People's Party (MPP), the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Janata Dal (United) from the Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat, SDF leaders told a press conference here yesterday. Mani and Gangte, who will be contesting on a CPI ticket, would be fielded as part of SDF's attempt to give nomination to candidates who can perform expectedly in the Lok Sabha representing the state's interests, SDF leaders said. Mani is a human rights activist. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 25, 1999)

IMPHAL, August 26: All efforts by political parties to combine forces against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate in Manipur during the coming Lok Sabha elections have failed and a multi-cornered contest appears unavoidable, since, according to them, the Congress wanted other parties to support its own candidates. Following failure of talks to forge a unity among all anti-NDA forces, the Secular Democratic Front (SDF) and the Congress declared their respective list of candidates for the Inner and Outer Manipur constituencies. Khaidem Mani Singh of the Manipur People's Party (MPP) is the SDF nominee from Inner Manipur while TS. Gangte of the Communist Party of India (CPI) is the SDF candidate from the Outer seat. The Congress has decided to field Nimaichand Luwang, who unsuccessfully contested in the last Lok Sabha elections from Inner Manipur. The party is yet to make up its mind on the candidature for the Outer seat as several aspirants are trying for a ticket. Member of the dissolved Lok Sabha, T Chaoba Singh of the Manipur State Congress, will try his luck again from the Inner seat on an NDA ticket while another member of the dissolved House, Kim Gangte of the Samata Party is likely to be nominated by NDA for the Outer Manipur seat. However, the candidature of Gangte is yet to be finalised since BJP is also keen to contest the seat. The BJP had called for applications from candidates to fight the Outer seat and negotiations with other partners of NDA are on to sort out the matter, according to party sources. Gangte won the Outer Manipur seat last time on a CPI ticket and recently left the party to join Samata Party. Oinam Rameo of the Rajiv Congress and Selkai Hrangchal of the Rashtriya Janata Dal have also announced their candidatures from Inner and Outer seats respectively. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 27, 1999)

AIZAWL, August 26: After having failed to forge an electoral alliance with the Congress, the Mizo National Front (Nationalist) today decided to contest the lone Lok Sabha seat in Mizoram on its own, party leader Landuhawma said. The party has, however, invited all "like-minded" parties to support its candidate which would be announced soon. The MNF(N) was formed in 1997 by a breakaway group of the MNF led by present chief minister Zoramthanga following the defeat of Lalduhawma in the party organisational election. Lalduhawma, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, was a security officer of late Prime minister Indira Gandhi. He left the service and joined the Congress in 1984 and was elected unopposed to the Lok Sabha the same year. He left the Congress after differences with the then chief minister Lalthanhawla in 1986. (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 27, 1999)

CALCUTTA, August 21: Tripura seems to be going the West Bengal way, with the Tripura Congress heading for a certain split following largescale desertions from the party in favour of the Trinamul Congress. Buoyed by the developments, Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has already staked her claim on Tripura West seat, in which she plans to put up former Tripura chief minister and veteran state Congress leader Sudhir Ranjan Mazumder as her party candidate. Mazumder has already quit the Congress to join the Trinamul Congress. Banerjee said talks were under way with the central leadership of the BJP on the question of giving the Tripura West seat to Mazumder. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which fought both the Tripura East and West seats in the last election, had decided to contest the two Lok Sabha seats in Tripura this time as well. Banerjee felt it would be politically wiser if a formidable candidate like Mazumder was allowed to contest from Tripura West seat this time, in view of the former chief minister's political status, clean image and his sway over the electorate of Tripura. She was hopeful that the BJP leadership would keep her request in the overall political interest of Tripura, where the Communist Party of India (Marxist) remains the major opponent. Both the Lok Sabha seats in the state were won convincingly by the CPI(M) in 1998. (HT Correspondent; The Hindustan Times; New Delhi; August 22, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 22: It is the return of the estranged son. Golam Osmani has decided to join the Congress once again. He returned as a Janata Party nominee to the Assam Assembly in 1978 from the then Cachar district riding the cradle of the anti-Congress wave which swept the entire country following the 1975 Emergency. Abul Fazal Golam Osmani, however, could not relish power for long as a Cabinet minister in the Golap Barbora ministry which fell following a massive desertion by the party MLAs to the Congress (J)-backed Assam Janata Dal led by late Jogen Hazarika. Osmani again became a Cabinet minister in the Anowara Taimur-led Congress(I) ministry following the fall of the Jogen Hazarika ministry. But soon after the signing of the Assam Accord, Golam Osmani found some new dimensions and tried to pose himself as the messiah of the minorities and became the founder secretary general of the United Minorities' Front (UMF) raising the bogey of attacks on the rights of minorities in the state. He was elected to the Assembly as a UMF leader but was soon allegedly found hobnobbing with the "perpetrators of attacks on the minorities" - the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). Osmani was successful in securing Congress support to get himself returned from the Barpeta parliamentary seat last time as a UMF nominee. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 23, 1999)

NEW DELHI, August 23: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has advocated a soft line for resolving the insurgency problem of the Northeast, calling for implementation of the various accords signed with the insurgent outfits and other groups by the government of India. The NCP manifesto released today at Mumbai has devoted a separate section for the Northeast stressing more on economic aspects than the political dimension. The manifesto says insurgency cannot be solved by mere force and police or military action. The basic issue of development has to be addressed, geographical isolation, lack of development and poverty have to be clearly tackled. The region cannot merely be treated as a source for natural resources or a mere destination for primary goods and manufactured products from elsewhere. The people of the region should themselves be involved in the process of production instead of being excluded therefrom. Concurrently, free political dialogue has to be carried out with the insurgent groups. The various accords signed have to be implemented in conformity with letter and spirit. On infiltration, the NCP has suggested developing stakes in the economic development of the areas from where the influx of foreigners is originating. Political, economic and commercial diplomacy with neighbouring countries would be sought to be enhanced so that quantum jumps in border trade and based on that, export production on either side of the international border take place, enhancing means of livelihood in the medium and long terms, for the people who might otherwise be potential migrants. The NCP has advocated that the Northeast, would be treated as a special development zone, differential norms of development evolved and applied and the pattern of development restructured. The NCP has promised largescale investments in flood control works on the Brahmaputra, Barak, Meghna and the allied rivers system. This would help create multi-purpose storage reservoirs at appropriate river reaches, facilitating hydro-electric power productions. The NCP has also touched on the development of infrastructure including roads, railways, airlines, telecommunication and energy. It has also promised to expedite the implementation of the multi-crore gas cracker project. In the liberalising economic environment, intensive efforts would be made to exploit these potentials by attracting technology and investments from international financial institutions, domestic and external financial market and private investors. Efforts would be made to get special region-specific export- import policy established. A comprehensive natural resources and export potential survey would also be undertaken in respect of every state in the region, identifying specific export products. (Staff correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 24, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 23: A majority of the electorate in the Guwahati Lok Sabha constituency are opposed to the poll boycott calls given by insurgent outfits. They have decided to cast their votes despite the boycott calls. According to an opinion poll conducted last week by the students of the Institute of Mass Communication and Media here, an overwhelming 87 per cent of the respondents said they will cast their votes this time with 77 per cent saying that poll boycott calls are not justified. Among the six per cent respondents who said they will not cast their votes, it was not fear but the "bad past experience" that was cited as the reason. Political stability is a must for development, said 86 per cent of the respondents. While 48 per cent were unsure whether the next Lok Sabha would last its full term, 38 per cent said that it will. About 47 per cent of the people polled said that they will vote according to the party while another 28 per cent said they will vote for the individual. Asked about what qualities they will look for in their MP, 25 per cent said they want someone who will work for the state, 20 per cent each said they will look for efficiency and honesty, 18 per cent said they want someone whose voice will be heard in Parliament and 17 per cent promised they will go for the personality of the candidate. Again, 24 per cent of the respondents said they want unemployment problem to be highlighted in the Lok Sabha immediately. Insurgency, infiltration, floods and lack of infrastructure were the other issues that figured prominently in the list of priorities. Of the 544 respondents, 75 per cent belonged to the urban areas, 79 per cent of them being males. An overwhelming 63 per cent of the respondents were in the 18 to 35 age bracket with 20 per cent being between 35 and 45. Among the people surveyed were students (13 per cent), government employees (20 per cent), private service (15 per cent), self-employed (22 per cent), businessmen (15 per cent), professionals (3 per cent), farmers (1 per cent), daily wage earners (3 per cent) and housewives (6 per cent). 54 per cent of respondents had post-matric or graduate qualifications. 17 per cent were post-gradates and above. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 24, 1999)

ITANAGAR, August 24: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to contest 42 of the total of 60 Assembly seats, besides both the two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh. Releasing the first list of 11 candidates for the state Assembly and one Lok Sabha seat here, the NCP state president, Talar Doye, said the new national political party was committed to fighting against "corruption and criminalisation of politics" in the state. The new party has also committed to working for the welfare of the people of the country as well as the Northeast, he said. The second list containing the names of 31 candidates will be released here on or before August 31, he said. Meanwhile, the Arunachal Congress led by former chief minister, Gegong Apang, today released its first list of 38 candidates. The Arunachal Congress Working Committee chairman, Gegong Apang, and working president, Kameng Bingy, jointly released the candidates' list. Apang was nominated from his home constituency of Tuting-Tingkiang, his wife Yadap Apang from Pasighat West and former state home minister, Dakloo Nidak, from Daporijo. In all, 13 members of the dissolved Assembly, including nine former ministers of the Gegong Apang ministry have been renominated. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 25, 1999)

KOHIMA, August 26: The stage is set for the merger of two regional political parties of Nagaland - the Nagaland People's Council (NPC) and the Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM), according to senior leaders of both the parties. The NPC and NDM have jointly put up Shurhozelie as their common candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the state and released a joint manifesto on Wednesday at Dimapur. Talking to newspersons after releasing the manifesto, the party leaders expressed their desire to merge to form a viable regional party. The leaders present were NDM president Hokishe Sema, working presidents Tiameren and Chingwang, NPC general secretary Chubatemjen and the common Independent candidate Shurhozelie, among others. The joint manifesto of the NPC and NDM pledged to work ceaselessly for peace and stressed the need for political will and wisdom in bringing a lasting solution to the Naga political problem. It called for a new and healthy socio-economic order for the people of the state in the 21st century. It also promised to work for the unity and integrity of Nagas, pledged to lift the Disturbed Areas Act from the state and the ban on National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). Maintaining that the ensuing Lok Sabha polls as very crucial "as it will be a fight between corrupt anti-Naga party versus the people of Nagaland", the manifesto vowed to draw the attention of the Centre to the negligence of the state and pursue a CBI inquiry into the gross financial mismanagement of the present state government. (Special correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 27, 1999)

NEW DELHI, August 29: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) has finally come out with the reasons that "necessitated the awarding of capital punishment" to Dally Mungro and two of his associates on 18 August 1999 at Jotsoma village near Kohima in Nagaland. An official statement made available to "Northeast Vigil" said many people from Khaplang's group had approached the NSCN leadership for talks and the latter responded positively. But late Dally and SC Jamir had stopped them and torpedoed the entire arrangement. A good number of Shillong Accordists too wanted to meet our leaders for talks, but, here again, Dally and Jamir prevented them, the party said. The NSCN alleged that Dally had taken a good number of arms and crores of rupees from "neo-imperial" India through Jamir. "These weapons and money were utilised to the maximum in propagating the germs of tribalism and killing true national workers and innocent civilians," it said. The NSCN pointed out that Dally and his men had been camping for years in the area between Kohima Science College and Jotsoma village with the full knowledge of the Indian Army and the "puppet" government. Thus, well-ensconced in the protection provided by the Indian Army and in active collaboration with Jamir, Dally and his men formulated plans to assassinate chairman Isak Chishi Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah when they were in Nagalim recently. Khaplang's mercenaries, right under the nose of the Indian armed forces, were amassed at Phaipijang Kuki village for attacking the council headquarters, it said. The party said that while Dally spoke of peace and unity, in reality he, with the help of Jamir and his "fellow puppets", left no stone unturned to sabotage the ongoing peace process between the NSCN and the Indian government. It said Dally and his men were busy mobilising forces to attack the council headquarters and repeat the massacre of 1988. "Dally was one of the persons who had played the ugliest role in that treachery of 1988 which claimed the lives of more than 200 committed freedom fighters. No wonder, this treacherous group continues to provide food and shelter to the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), which killed three innocent Anal Nagas and shamelessly served a deadline to the Anal Nagas to call themselves as Anal Meities/Manipuris," it said. The NSCN said it could not remain passive when all these nasty acts of provocation were being enacted. Yet, the NSCN, it said, had declared a "general amnesty" and extended the deadline time and again. It wanted to forgive Dally and his accomplices for all the crimes they had committed against the nation. "But instead of accepting our magnanimous forgiveness, he went on perpetrating more and more crimes without an iota of qualm. Just before they received their deserved punishment, Dally and his cronies had killed the secretary of the Sumi regional authority in Dimapur and a good number of Naga Army personnel in the Tuensang area," the party said. The NSCN said other than packing their bedding and leave Nagalim, the "occupation Indian armed forces and their puppets have no any moral right to poke their noses in the internal affairs of the Nagas." It warned the Indian government that if it did not stop the policy of playing the fast and loose game with Nagas, then it would end up bungling everything all by itself. (Subir Ghosh; Northeast Vigil; August 29, 1999)

KOHIMA, August 21: The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) general secretary, Dally Mungro, who was gunned down on Wednesday, was buried at his native village Longkhum in Nagaland's Mokokchung district yesterday. Earlier, a funeral service was held where the slain leader's wife Khutoli Mungro was present. Meanwhile, tension has gripped the state in apprehension of factional fights between two rival factions of the NSCN following the killing of Mungro and his associates. The security forces have also geared up for preventive measures in the vulnerable places to face any eventuality, official sources said. The Naga Hoho general secretary, V Yepthomi, in a statement expressed apprehension that if mindless violence was not immediately stopped, there would be a backlash and more bloodshed. The Naga Students Federation (NSF) in a statement said it would not tolerate killings among the Naga families. Incidents of killing like this will not only affect the peace process, but may lead further bloodshed, NSF added. (UNI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 22, 1999)

GUWAHATI, August 22: The Army today warned that it would not remain a mute spectator if the rival National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) factions in Nagaland try to engage themselves in inter-group violence taking advantage of the ceasefire between the government of India and the NSCN(Isak-Muivah). The Army's reaction came in the wake of the killing of the general secretary of the Khaplang faction of the NSCN, Dally Mungro, which is now posing a serious threat to the ongoing moves for peace and unity among different rebel groups. In a statement, the Army said, "No government can remain a silent spectator to the breakdown of public order. A gradually worsening law-and-order situation will force the security force to intervene. The forces of the government cannot and will not abdicate their responsibility of trying to prevent violence in the society. The intervention eventually may put paid to the ceasefire and with it the hoped of finding a peaceful solution to the political problem of Nagaland." The Army said the rival factions must refrain from using the ceasefire to serve their own petty and vengeful interests. They must desist from trying to expand their area of influence through intimidation and show military strength. The NSCN factions were warned against interfering with each others affairs, taking law and order into their hands. The statement said since August 1997, altogether 140 armed clashed have been reported between the two factions, 314 Nagas have been killed by fellow Nagas, 237 persons have been abducted and 450 cadres reported to have defected from one group to another. The Army anticipates a spurt in fratricidal killings in Nagaland. There may be inter-tribal groups tension as the NSCN(K) leaders killing has angered a large section of Ao community to which he belonged. (Staff reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 23, 1999)

NEW DELHI, August 25: The Centre ought to give "equal importance" to various Naga militant groups while considering any lasting solution to the five-decade-old problem, Nagaland chief minister SC Jamir said here on Tuesday. "Of late there has been a tendency in certain quarters to give importance only to one faction," Jamir said without naming the group. Maintaining that this would not help resolve the issue but rather aggravate the situation, he said, "The government must recognise the paramount importance that as all Naga tribes, big or small, enjoy equal status, similarly all factions enjoy equal status in the eyes of the Nagas." The Central leadership should be "sincere and very careful" in dealing with the Naga problem because of its "historical and political complexity," he said and cautioned "one should not be tempted to jump on issues without taking into account all factors." Condemning the recent killing of general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), Dally Mungro, and two of his associates at Kohima, Jamir said such killings were "definitely violation of the ceasefire ground rules against the wishes of Naga people." "It (killing of Mungro) is a setback to the peace process. As leaders championing the cause of the Nagas they should formulate issues for political dialogue through talks and not through the barrel of the gun," Jamir said without directly referring to NSCN(I-M). (PTI; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; August 26, 1999)

CALCUTTA, August 27: The Army today threatened to intervene again in Nagaland where for the past few days a series of armed clashes between rival militant factions has been spreading panic among the people. The Army had suspended operations in the state following a ceasefire agreement with the major rebel outfit two years ago and only last month, the government had announced that the agreement would be extended for another year. However, the fresh spell of violence has forced the government to consider resuming its operations in the State. On Thursday morning, an activist of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) was killed and five injured in a prolonged gunbattle between it and the NSCN (Khaplang) at Mokokchung town. At least three others, including a school student, were killed in two separate factional fights in Phek district on Sunday and Tuesday. That the State would witness a fresh spell of violence was anticipated after the NSCN (IM) cadres gunned down the NSCN (K) general secretary, Dally Mungro, at Jotsoma in Kohima district last week. Reports from Nagaland said that in all three incidents this week, the IM faction had mounted the attacks against the other groups. The IM faction was clearly taking advantage of the ceasefire between it and the Army to strike at the rival groups. It had openly argued that the ceasefire agreement was between it and the Army and it could not stop it from fighting the rival factions. A defence ministry statement, issued here today, disputed the argument and warned that the security forces would not be a "silent spectator" to the fratricidal killings which had led to the "breakdown of public order." According to the statement, 314 people have been killed and 237 abducted during clashes between militant factions over the past two years. (Ashis Chakrabarti; The Indian Express; New Delhi; August 28, 1999)

NEW DELHI, August 29: The National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) has warned the Indian Army of desisting from any action that would jeopardise the ongoing peace process and stop aiding and abetting SS Khaplang and his mercenaries. Reacting to two news items "Army warns against violence" and "CFMG meet held" in the Dimapur-based Nagaland Page on August 22, the NSCN said the "ulterior motives" of the Indian Army was questionable. It said the current ceasefire was between the Indian government and the NSCN and not between NSCN and Khaplang or between the Indian government and Khaplang. The NSCN, in a statement issued by its information and publicity wing, said the Indian Army, on its part, had miserably failed to understand that the Indo-Naga issue was not a law and order problem. Until this truth was realised, the Indian Army would be the main stumbling block in the ongoing peace process, it said. The NSCN reiterated that it has no ceasefire arrangement with "reactionary forces" such as Khaplang and the accordists (Naga National Council) who have literally become part of the Indian state machinery. The NSCN said the statement issued by the 3 Corps clearly indicated that it had, on its volition, taken the Indo-Naga issue into its hands. The fact that the Indian Army was covertly patronising Khaplang had been proved again by its own deeds. The NSCN wondered why the Indian Army or the Assam Rifles were desperately concerned about the welfare of Khaplang and his men. It felt the Assam Rifles had become the spokesperson of Khaplang. The NSCN said, "The Indian occupation forces came into Nagalim uninvited. They invaded the Nagas and forcibly occupied our homes and our rights. Who are they? Aren't they invaders, mercenaries and foreigners with a totally different mindset, culture and religion? What moral right do they have in the home affairs of the Nagas? Who are they to dictate us? Deep in the heart of hearts every Indian or for that matter every soldier in Nagalim knows that he is waging an unjust war against the Nagas." The NSCN also clarified that while agreeing on the next Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG) meeting to be held only after a high level meeting takes place, nothing was mentioned about the Indian general elections. From whatever the source of the news, it said, such ulterior designs should not be allowed to confuse the Naga people on such sensitive issues. The NSCN reiterated that the ensuing general elections was totally unacceptable. (Subir Ghosh; Northeast Vigil; August 29, 1999)