May 19

News Impact

• Arunachal bandh affects normal life
• ANSU unhappy over Govt’s lukewarm response to Tarasso incident
• Scientific advisory committee meet
• Rongali Bihu celebration ends

Mission staff demands honorarium

ITANAGAR, May 18: All Upper Subansiri District Saakshar Bharat Mission Employed Association demanded the concerned authority to make pyament of six months pending honorarium of 296 Prerak and nine block coordinators, besides clearance of Prerak and block coordinators office expenditures.

In a meeting held at Dumporijo recently, the house also  unanimously decided to demand for continuation of service of Saakshar Bharat Mission Employees.

Arunachal bandh affects normal life

ITANAGAR, May 18: Life came to a grinding halt today in Arunachal Pradesh following a 24-hour state-wide bandh called by All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU).

The bandh which began at 5 am remained peaceful throughout the state barring a few incidents of stone pelting by bandh activists at Naharlagun here, SP Hibu Tamang said.

All business establishments, educational institutions, private and central government offices remained closed.

Attendance in state government offices remained thin.

All sorts of private and public vehicles remained off the road except a few state transport buses seen plying in the road with police escorts.

According to reports, the bandh was total in other parts of the state without any incidents of violence.

The AAPSU called the bandh in protest against the state government’s failure to fulfill its five-point charter of demands including publication of a white paper on the state’s financial position by the government.

The other demands were improvement in the law and order situation, appointment of an independent home minister, early solution to the decades-old border row between Arunachal and Assam and an early settlement of Chakma and Hajong refugee issue.

Our correspondent from Ruksin adds: The AAPSU bandh crippled normal life in Ruksin and other parts of East Siang district. All business establishments, financial institutions at Pasighat and Ruksin towns remained closed. There was thin attendance in Government offices.

The APST buses and private vehicles were off the roads on the National Highway- 52. Many passengers are stranded at Ruksin gate here as the protestors disrupted the movement of APST and  night service  buses. Members and supporters of All East Siang District Student’s Union (AESDSU) also blocked all major roads of the district.

At Ruksin, the members of Lego-Banggo Students’ Union with support of Ruksin Area Youth Front have been blocking the National Highway-52 at Ruksin gate and several other portions of the highway between Ruksin and Pasighat since morning. They also staged road-blockade at Pasighat-Ledum-Koyu road, Mirem-Mikong-Jonai and other roads.

Hundreds of youths, who are heading towards Pasighat for Army Recruitment Rally beginning from tomorrow are facing problems due to bandh call.  However, the   police negotiated with the protestors and helped some of the youths to reach Pasighat  in requisitioned vehicles.

No untoward incident has been reported from any part of the district till filing of this report.

At Ziro, although Govt offices remained open for the  day, all the business establishments remained closed and private vehicles off the  road. According to police sources, the bandh witnessed some sporadic incidents of vandalism. A group of youth damaged office infrastructure including computer sets in district art and culture office, agriculture office, veterinary office and development establishment attached to DC office,  police sources said.

ROING correspondent adds: Normal life remained largely unaffected in the two districts of Lower Dibang Valley and Dibang Valley by the AAPSU bandh call. All government offices remained open and vehicular movement unaffected. However, few shops and long distance running vehicle remained off the roads for the day.

 In Tirap, 24-hour AAPSU sponsored bandh call didn't create much impact today. Offices were open as usual. However, Khonsa bazaar remained closed and private vehicles off the road. An elaborate security arrangement was made throughout the district to thwart any violence. There were no reports of any untoward incidents from anywhere, reports DIPRO Khonsa.

Meanwhile, a meeting was held at Khonsa circuit house today in which the Director of Higher and Technical Education Joram Begi, Tirap DC  W Lowang and others attended. Begi and his team left for Longding on the same day, the report added.

 

 

ANSU unhappy over Govt’s lukewarm response to Tarasso incident

ITANAGAR, May 18: The All Nyishi Students Union (ANSU) today expressed its displeasure over the state government’s alleged lukewarm response towards the anti-Arunachali rally organized by people of Assam holding CPI flags at Tarasso circle of Papum Pare on May 16.

Describing the incident as an overt incitement by outsiders to destabilize the state’s territorial integration as well as jeopardize the age-old relationships between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, ANSU in a release said that the incident deserves more than mere condemnation. “Mere condemning of such incidents has become a ritual of the state government which is encouraging the anti-social elements,” ANSU said adding that  the state government should identify and the culprits responsible for fomenting anti-Arunachali activities and book them under National Security Act (NSA).

“The border skirmishes and eviction drives along Assam-Arunachal boundary have become routine affairs. In spite of such atrocities on the people of Arunachal, the state government has miserably failed to give a befitting reply to its Assam counterpart, ANSU lamented.

“ANSU feels that such acts must be nipped in the bud and the government should hit back strongly so that such incidents do not recur in future,” the release said and cautioned that it would not tolerate such condemnable incident.

Further, ANSU supported the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU)’s demand for appointment of a full-fledged Home Minister to handle the law and order problem in the state, particularly in state capital.

ANSU also condemned the vandalism in Northeastern Homeopathic Medical College by its agitated students and stated that students and college management should resolve the matter amicably to avoid setting wrong precedent in the lone homeopathic college of the state.

Household dustbins made mandatory in Daporijo

Daporijo, May 18: Household dustbin has been made mandatory for all here to keep Daporijo township neat and clean and penalty will be levied on anyone violating the same.  It was resolved in a mass awareness meeting on cleanliness convened by Department of Urban (UD) Development here on May 16.

The meeting highlighted various cleanliness related issues and problems, their possible solutions and actions to be taken to clean and beautify Daporijo township.

Speaking on the occasion, i/c Deputy Commissioner Gejum Ete stressed the need for creating awareness among masses on the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. “If big cities with huge population can be kept clean, then why can’t we keep our small township neat and clean,” he questioned.

The UD Deputy Director H Welly explained in details about the aims and objectives of the meeting through PowerPoint presentation. He advised the residents to develop civic sense saying that it was the duty of each and everyone to keep the township neat and clean which is possible only through the active participation of the people of the area.

The meeting further resolved to appoint volunteers to oversee the cleanliness activities, conduct routine social service/cleanliness drives, awareness camps, to prohibit dumping of construction material on main/colony roads, relocate the roadside vendors to proper market places etc.

 

 

Scientific advisory committee meet

ITANAGAR, May 18: The 4th Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Dirang, West Kameng was held on May 16.

Inaugurating the meeting, Thembang  CO Dani Rikang highlighted about the training programmes and other activities of KVK for better agricultural production.

Dr. P. Chakravarty, i/c Director NRC on Yak spoke about the role of KVK in improving agricultural production by providing technical know-how and other agriculture related training etc to the farmers.

Nini Pertin, Dy. Director Agriculture, explained about different aspects of KVK in Arunachal Pradesh. He also requested every HoD of agriculture and allied departments and progressive farmers to share their views, suggestions and give feed backs for incorporation in the AOP 2012-2013 for the best interest of the farmers of the district.

The various activities and achievements of the KVK were reviewed in the technical session followed by presentations from subject matter specialists (SMSs) in Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Protection, Agril. Extension, Fishery and Home Science. The future plans of the KVK were also chalked out in the meeting for necessary implementation.

As many as 17 SAC members and 4 farmers of the committee attended the meeting.   

The website of the KVK was also launched on the occasion.

 

 

Rongali Bihu celebration ends

ITANAGAR, May 18: The 3-day Bohag Bihu or Rongali celebration at border town of Jagun came to an end yesterday evening.

Attending the celebration, Youth Congress (East Parliamentary Committee) president James Jugli stressed the importance of peaceful coexistence between the people of Assam and Arunachal for development of both the states.

“The strong emotional bond created by our fore fathers should be maintained by all of us for our future generations,” he said adding that cultural exchanges would help the people know each other better and promote peace and maintain the age-old emotional relationship among the people of the two neighbouring state he said.  Later, Jugli distributed prizes to the winners of various Bihu competitions.   

The function was attended by public leaders of Jagun and Margherita areas.

Popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg  enthralled the audience with his melodious numbers in the musical night organized on the occasion.

A plea to bandh callers

Dear Editor,

As an ordinary  citizen of the state,  I would like to request the band callers  to change  their way  to enforce bandh calls.

1. Stop pelting stones, spray water instead (that would be less lethal and water is also abundance in Arunachal).

2. Stop destroying the environment. The road blockade by felling trees  is not at all appreciable,  after all you do not come out to  clear the road at the end of the day.

3. Make the other days longer by reducing the duration of bandh period.

4. Make sure that the issues  are resolved after the first phase of bandh call. Please don’t go for Phase-II or Phase-III bandh call, we are not witnessing a movie sequel.

5. Pay those daily wage earners, because you are directly responsible for depriving them  of their daily bread.

6. Ask your activists not to drink during enforcement of bandh.

7. Don’t hide in the jungle, if you have guts and if the bandh is legal then show yourself up,  so that we will remember you when we have some business in future.

8. Let the president and the office bearers too come out and execute the bandh, because most  of the time its the school or college drop outs or the back benchers who execute the bandh  physically, while the office bearers sit back in their A C  room relaxed.

It is seen that the issues remains unsolved even after the bandh call. Please make  sure that the issue for which the bandh is called, is solved. That will bring respect to the organization.

Above all, it is better to say no to bandh calls.

Yours’

A concerned Arunachalee

 

 

Boundary dispute and development

Dear Editor,

At a time when the India-China border dispute is hogging the limelight and causing unease in the Indian establishment, many festering inter-state border disputes in the Northeast that are sowing seeds of discord seem to elude the attention of policymakers at the Centre. The issue of  inter-state border disputes came to the forefront again when tensions erupted along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border following the Assam government’s demolition of infrastructure at  Malanithan Mala ground and boundary wall at Likabali of West Siang district.  Besides these,  illegal eviction drive at Tarasso and Doimukh circle of Papum Pare district,  at Dollungmukh of Lower Subansiri district and recent illegal public procession with red flag at Taraso circle by the  supporters of a particular leader  of Assam  are some of the activities which compel many Arunachalees to  think about their safety and security along the   inter-state boundary.

Both the Chief Ministers of Assam and Arunachal should  initiate dialogue and constitute state level coordination committee to hold negotiations at regular intervals  to find out ways and means for  permanent  and amicable solution to boundary dispute without  the intervention of  the Central Govt and Supreme Court.

Assam is the common strand that connects all these border disputes. The root cause of all these inter-state border disputes can be traced back to the decision to carve out new political entities out of Assam. It is necessary to point out that this decision was taken under compelling circumstances. The prevailing external and internal situation in the region during the 1960s highlighted the urgent need to effectively integrate this sensitive frontier area with the Indian Union. The 1962 border war with China and numerous ethnic insurgencies that plagued the region threatened the unity and integrity of the country. In this context, the Government of India decided to carve out new political entities, with the dual aim of consolidating its hold over this remote region as well as to fulfill the aspirations of various ethnic communities involved in separatist movements. Thus, the reorganization of Arunachal Pradesh into a Union Territory in 1972 and its upgradation to full-fledged statehood in 1987 can be seen as a strategy of the Indian government to consolidate its position vis-à-vis China in the border negotiations.

It is a moot point whether granting statehood has adequately addressed the issue of ethnic identity. But it surely has had negative fallout in the form of various border disputes between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. It is important to note that NE states were hurriedly carved out of then Assam without paying much attention to the realities on the ground. And, therefore, these freshly created state boundaries did not strictly conform to the ethnic boundaries of the region. As tensions mounted and relations deteriorated, the concerned states tried to resolve the issue but could not do it.

Needless to say, a quick and speedy resolution of these border issues has become necessary to give the Central government’s renewed emphasis on the overall development of the Northeast. This goal can only be achieved by purging strife and promoting greater co-operation to usher in an era of peace and prosperity in the region.

Yours,

Nabam Rama

Gen. Secy. (AAPBSU)

 

 

 

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----Editor

 

 

 

 

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India  give focus on TB

Multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) has become a menace in India.  2.1 per cent  of all new TB cases in India are MDR-TB, while as many as 15 per cent of re-treatment TB cases are developing MDR-TB. Every year, the country reports 15 lakh new cases of TB.  Around 73,000 of the notified new TB cases in 2010 were already multi-drug resistant.

The discovery of patients with MDR or XDR-TB emphasizes the importance of ensuring that all care for tuberculosis, whether in the public or private sector, must conform to international standards in order to prevent the emergence of drug resistance. Almost all countries must, in addition, ensure appropriate diagnosis and treatment of cases of MDR-TB.  National regulations for the quality and dispensing of anti-TB drugs, particularly of the second-line drugs, need to be strictly enforced.

However, Indian Government set its eyes on Tuberculosis (TB) as it has been declared a notifiable disease. Notification of TB cases by all healthcare providers will help patients get better access to quality diagnosis and treatment. This will facilitate early diagnosis, rational treatment, prevention of complications, and reduce deaths due to TB. It will also help the healthcare providers offer better linkages for quality diagnostic and treatment services.

India now promises to work at eradicating the TB disease as it needs the government's total focus.