The Arunachal Times - Archives

Killing of driver in Arunachal sparks protest in Assam

Ranjit Sinha

ITANAGAR, Oct 20: Life came to a standstill for the people of Siang belt due to economic road blockade in Dhemaji district being called by the various organizations including Asom Jatiyabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad, AASU unit, Jatiyatabadi Mahila Parishad, ATASU etc under the banner of Sodou Dhemaji Zila Besarkari Garichalak Sanstha since Oct 17 morning.

The blockade was reportedly called in protest against the killing of a driver in between Basar and Gensi by miscreants on Oct 16 last.

The organizations are demanding Rs 10 lakh as a compensation for the family of the victim driver.

According to sources, the picketers also damaged a Tata Sumo and a vehicle of health department of the Arunachal Pradesh Govt on Oct 17.

Till the filing of this report, it is not known whether the blockade was withdrawn or not. However, Likabali police sources informed that though the Govt vehicles of Arunachal Pradesh, particularly APST Buses have been plying with security escort, private vehicles belonging to Arunachal are off the Assam road.

According to police sources, a group of miscreants with AK-47 rifle reportedly resorted to firing killing a driver under Gensi police station in West Siang district at around 9.30 pm on Oct 16.

They also looted three vehicles and snatched away around Rs 21,000 from them.

Unconfirmed report said that two motor cycle borne youths shot dead Kankan Dutta, a driver besides looting the vehicles. Late Dutta was on his way to Along area from Silapathar with his Mahindra pick up van.

Police informed that 12 used cartridges of AK-47 rifle (including one live cartridge) were recovered from the spot. Five suspected persons were arrested by Arunachal Police in this connection and interrogation is on, police sources said.

EVM safe in Kurung Kumey

ITANAGAR, Oct 20: All the polled EVMs have reached at the Kurung Kumey receiving centre. Pania, Songo, Riaga, Belo Happa, Kamrung, Resteriang in Palin constituency and Hiba in Nyapin constituency had gone to re-poll on Oct 19.

The DEO Opak Gao has thanked the people of the district, poll and security personnel for peaceful re-poll. He expressed the hope that counting of ballots would also end peacefully.

However, a late night report states that two vehicles belonging to Sango Boa Presiding officer Dibya Kojung have been damaged by the PPA workers.

Into a Warming World

ITANAGAR, Oct 20: Global warming is a reality and the question is how to slow it, said B. Hagjer, Commissioner and Secretary, Environment and Forests, Government of Assam. He was speaking in the Guwahati Town Club Auditorium after the launching the Indian edition of the book State of the World 2009: Into a Warming World brought out by The Worldwatch Institute, Washington, DC.

The book launch was preceded by a panel discussion in which prominent environmental activists and government officers from North-East participated. The panelists included Dr. Chandan Mahanta (IIT, Guwahati), Dr. AK Gangwar (Regional Director, CEE North & North-East), TTC Marak (Addl. PCCF, Meghalaya), Dr. Abani Bhagowati (Guwahati University) and Dr. Tage Kanno (Executive Director, Future Generations Arunachal). The two sessions were chaired by Dr. PC Bhattacharjee (Trustee, WTI) and MC Malakar (Formerly PCCF, Assam). Dr. Kulendu Pathak (Formerly Vice-Chancellor, Dibrugarh University) had inaugurated the event earlier.

Variety of topics on climate change, ranging from its impact on hydrological systems of the Eastern Himalayas to human-environment relations in North-east was discussed.

Speaking about the traditional conservation knowledge of the Apatanis, Dr. Tage Kanno (Executive Director, FGA) said that the global climate was stable in the last 10,000 years but it is beginning to change since 200 to 300 years. Two major factors – population growth and change in the value system of the people - contributed to this change, he said. People are giving more importance to extrinsic values like wealth, comfort, status and less to intrinsic values. More materialistic people, for example, tend to leave bigger ecological footprints than those with intrinsic values. As the Apatanis still treasure intrinsic values, he said, tribal people can serve as models to make the world sustainable.

The Worldwatch Institute, Washington DC (USA) publishes “State of the World” report every year.

The theme for 2009 is “Into a Warming World”. The Indian Edition of the 2009 report is being brought out by the Center for Environment Education (CEE) which organized the workshop in Guwahati.

It may be mentioned that the theme for State of the World 2008 was Innovation for a Sustainable Economy and FGA was featured in one of the articles. State of the World has been a benchmark for discussions on various issues of sustainability and the annual volume acts as a platform to launch further discussions, study, and research

Upper Subansiri gears for up counting

DAPORIJO, Oct 20: Upper Subansiri is gearing up for the counting of ballot on Oct 22. Training for counting supervisors, counting assistants and micro observers was conducted here today at the Rijo Conference Hall, Daporijo in the presence of Central Observers, DEO and ROs.

The purpose of the training was to train the appointed personnel and prepare them for the arduous task of counting the votes from 245 EVM control units of the 5 constituencies of the district.

The process of counting the votes from the EVM control units was demonstrated and explained in detail by master trainer B. Nayak. All the trainees handled the control units, understood the process carefully and cleared all their doubts so that no errors occurred on the counting day.

Central Observer P. K. Das called on all to work diligently so that there is no scope of complaints from any corner. DIPRO

Verbal dual gone too far

Tongam Rina

British India found us in our jungles. Thankfully for India, without any questions, we choose to be Indians. Unlike our neighbours, we are happy being Indians. It’s almost picture perfect.

Arunachal made it to the headlines all across the world media, on the day we were voting to elect our 57 lawmakers, thanks to Chinese outburst. The Chinese authorities took good ten days to express its displeasure that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has visited Arunachal. Timing was crucial. Call it mind game or whatever, but Chinese managed to upset the cool Indians.

What followed was ugly verbal dual which was promptly carried forward by the over zealous media including your favourite daily. If only verbal dual could solve anything.

This unfortunately will not be China’s final outburst. There was a Chinese clamor over Asian Development Bank’s Arunachal program earlier this year.

We can expect more Chinese tantrums when His Holiness, the Dalai Lama come visit us in November. Now, India would like to respond to Chinese by sending the man, who is revered by the people of the state. Call it whatever luck, Dalai Lama has become the tool to settle scores. It is fateful and sad.

Its concluded that in today’s age, India and China would not want to commit a big blunder like waging war against each other. But it was as recent as 1962 that we fought a bitter war with China over Arunachal.

Since than nothing much has changed. Our borders continue to be what it was. Centre doesn’t want to develop it lest the Chinese should attack us using the same roads! But it did come when there were no proper roads!!

Whatever others may say, it does not hurt to be safe and ready, just in case.

State level Chess C’ship

ITANAGAR: All Arunachal Pradesh Chess Association (AAPCA) is organizing state level open chess championship from November 15-22.

The winners will represent the state at the national level tournament, a release said.

DM slaps prohibition order

ITANAGAR: With election result to be out on Thursday, the capital complex administration is gearing up to deal with any untoward incident arising out of post-victory celebration. With this regard a prohibitory order has been issued by District Magistrate, Itanagar, Padmini Singla which restricts winning candidate and his supporters from organizing any victory processions on the street after the declaration of election result.

Counseling prog

ITANAGAR: Institute Of Distance Education, Rajiv Gandhi University will conduct counseling and contact programme for the students of BA 1st, 2nd and 3rd from Nov1-10.

Clan appeals to DC

ITANAGAR: Akha Tullu clan of Hari village in a letter regarding murder of a 6-year-old boy Dusu Halley appealed the Deputy Commissioner, Lower Subansiri District not to release the alleged culprit Dunik Raja who is under custody, police station, Ziro.

It further said that exemplary punishment should be awarded to the culprit and an enquiry committee should also be immediately set up to ascertain the co-conspirator in kidnapping and murder of innocent child, if any.

JNC office bearers

ITANAGAR: Dangki Ering and Tamo Taggu have been elected as General Secretary and Assistant General Secretary respectively of the J.N.College Students’ Union for the session 2009-2010 with seven more office bearers. Voting was held yesterday.

Principal Tayek Talom expressed his happiness at the smooth conduct of the Union Election.

Association formed

ITANAGAR: ‘Arunachal Pradesh Public Works Department Engineers’ Association’ (APPWDEA) has been formed today with Kenjom Ete as its president

Permanent solution to Sino-India border problem need of the hour

Madam,

It is very unfortunate that border problem between India and China despite being a major long-pending problem, the issue remains to be resolved to put an end to the anxiety of the people living in the border area.

Amidst the mounting misunderstanding security must not be taken for granted.

The representatives of the people must demand a permanent solution to border problem with the McMahon line which was agreed by the British India and Tibet as a part of Shimla accord to be the legal national border. Unfortunately China never recognized the McMahon line and regards the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of its Tibetan Autonomous Region.

In 1954, the then Prime Minister Nehru renamed the ‘disputed area’ the North East Frontier Agency. In March 1959 Chinese occupation of Tibetan territory ended in the flight of Dalai Lama to India and led Chinese leaders to suspect that Nehru had designs on the region. In November 1961, Nehru adopted a "Forward Policy" of setting up military outposts in ‘disputed areas’, China at this time weakened by the failure of the Great Leap Forward, saw war as a means of reasserting its authority.

On September 8, 1962, a Chinese unit attacked an Indian post at Dhola on the Thagla Ridge, three kilometers north of the McMahon Line. On October 20, China launched a major attack across the McMahon as well as another attack further north. The Sino-Indian War which followed was a national humiliation for India, with China quickly gaining control of NEFA.The Soviet Union, the United States, and Great Britain all pledged military aid to the Indians. China then withdrew to the McMahon Line and repatriated the Indian prisoners of war (1963). New Delhi attributes the retreat to the superiority of the Indian Air Force and to Chinese logistical problems.

In 1972 NEFA was renamed Arunachal Pradesh, Chinese maps refer to the area as south Tibet. In 1981 China offered a “package settlement” of the border issue. Eight rounds of talks followed, but no agreement reached. Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited China in 1988 and agreed to a joint working group on boundary issues, but it has made no progress.

A 1993 Sino-Indian agreement set up a group to define the LAC; this group has also made no progress. A 1996 Sino-Indian agreement set up "confidence building measures" to avoid border clashes. Although there were several tense encounters along the McMahon Line following India's nuclear test in 1998, this agreement has generally been effective.

Until 2008 the British Government's position remained the same that China held suzerainty over Tibet but not full sovereignty. Britain revised this view on 29 October 2008, when it recognized Chinese sovereignty over Tibet by issuing a statement on its website. Describing the old position as an anachronism and a colonial legacy, Mr. David Miliband, the British foreign secretary, even apologized for Britain's not having done so earlier.

Earlier this year, Beijing attempted to block a $1.3 billion loan to India by the Asian Development Bank, part of which was meant for a watershed project in Arunachal Pradesh. Now the China’s giant plan to relocate a vast population to make way for the south-north water diversion project. Some experts are of the view that such water diversion project might affect the flow of Brahmaputra in Assam. It is a matter of serious most concern for each one of us to look into to the facts and not mere dialogues. A tiny ignorance could result a mindless consequence.

Yours,

Haku Tatak

Chairman

Mascot Network Society