News Analysis India

Tag: Neiphiu Rio

  • Rio to remain Nagaland CM, says Himanta

    Express News Service

    DIMAPUR(NAGALAND): Neiphiu Rio will continue as the Nagaland chief minister if the BJP-Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) combine retains power, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma declared on Monday.

    “We managed to give a stable government in the last five years because of the strong friendship between BJP and NDPP.  This time too, we decided on the 20:40 seat-sharing deal. Neiphiu Rio will be the chief minister again if we retain power. That is the agreement we had,” Sarma told a crowd at a BJP rally in the Wokha district of the state.

    A BJP source said there are no other contenders for the CM’s post but “there was a confusion who will lead the government if BJP-NDPP retains power.” As per their understanding, BJP and NDPP will contest 20 and 40 seats respectively like the last time. Nagaland has altogether 60 seats.

    DIMAPUR(NAGALAND): Neiphiu Rio will continue as the Nagaland chief minister if the BJP-Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) combine retains power, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma declared on Monday.

    “We managed to give a stable government in the last five years because of the strong friendship between BJP and NDPP.  This time too, we decided on the 20:40 seat-sharing deal. Neiphiu Rio will be the chief minister again if we retain power. That is the agreement we had,” Sarma told a crowd at a BJP rally in the Wokha district of the state.

    A BJP source said there are no other contenders for the CM’s post but “there was a confusion who will lead the government if BJP-NDPP retains power.” As per their understanding, BJP and NDPP will contest 20 and 40 seats respectively like the last time. Nagaland has altogether 60 seats.

  • Centre asks Naga govt to convince NSCN-IM to sign final pact

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The Centre is understood to have asked the Nagaland government to convince the leadership of the insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) to sign the final agreement for a solution to the protracted “Naga political problem”.

    A delegation of the Core Committee on Naga Political Issue, headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday and urged him to expedite the solution to Naga issue but he put the ball in the court of the Naga leaders.

    “According to reports, Amit Shah is said to have asked the state leaders to convince NSCN-IM to sign the final agreement but I think that is not the way,” former Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu told this newspaper.

    The NSCN-IM has stuck to its guns on the “non-negotiable” demand of Naga flag and constitution. But the Centre has already rejected it.

    Liezietsu said all points, including the demand of Naga flag and constitution, were discussed when RN Ravi had served as the Nagaland governor.

    “The point is the Government of India cannot go for a piecemeal settlement but it signed two-three different agreements with different groups. I really don’t know how the Government of India will tackle the whole thing,” Liezietsu said.

    He further said that it is the “burden” of the Naga political leaders to bring together all factions first to form a common front. It will then be easy to have dialogues with Government of India, he added.

    The Centre held separate peace talks with the NSCN-IM and seven groups which came together under the banner of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs). The process of talks has already concluded.

    Unlike the NSCN-IM, the groups in the NNPGs are flexible. They say the contentious issues could be pursued post-settlement.

    Meanwhile, the NSCN-IM expressed concern over the manner in which the Centre is trying to resolve the Northeast’s oldest insurgency problem.

    “We are wary of the multi-pronged approach of the Government of India towards resolving the Naga political issue. Sincere approach by what has been agreed together in Framework Agreement will only bring about lasting peace,” W Saya, a senior leader of the group, told this newspaper.

    GUWAHATI: The Centre is understood to have asked the Nagaland government to convince the leadership of the insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) to sign the final agreement for a solution to the protracted “Naga political problem”.

    A delegation of the Core Committee on Naga Political Issue, headed by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday and urged him to expedite the solution to Naga issue but he put the ball in the court of the Naga leaders.

    “According to reports, Amit Shah is said to have asked the state leaders to convince NSCN-IM to sign the final agreement but I think that is not the way,” former Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu told this newspaper.

    The NSCN-IM has stuck to its guns on the “non-negotiable” demand of Naga flag and constitution. But the Centre has already rejected it.

    Liezietsu said all points, including the demand of Naga flag and constitution, were discussed when RN Ravi had served as the Nagaland governor.

    “The point is the Government of India cannot go for a piecemeal settlement but it signed two-three different agreements with different groups. I really don’t know how the Government of India will tackle the whole thing,” Liezietsu said.

    He further said that it is the “burden” of the Naga political leaders to bring together all factions first to form a common front. It will then be easy to have dialogues with Government of India, he added.

    The Centre held separate peace talks with the NSCN-IM and seven groups which came together under the banner of Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs). The process of talks has already concluded.

    Unlike the NSCN-IM, the groups in the NNPGs are flexible. They say the contentious issues could be pursued post-settlement.

    Meanwhile, the NSCN-IM expressed concern over the manner in which the Centre is trying to resolve the Northeast’s oldest insurgency problem.

    “We are wary of the multi-pronged approach of the Government of India towards resolving the Naga political issue. Sincere approach by what has been agreed together in Framework Agreement will only bring about lasting peace,” W Saya, a senior leader of the group, told this newspaper.

  • Nagaland deputy CM Y Patton loses Roads and Bridges department as H Chuba Chang becomes minister

    By PTI

    KOHIMA: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Saturday took away the Roads and Bridges Department from Deputy CM Yanthungo Patton and reassigned it to NDPP MLA H Chuba Chang. Rio and Chang were ministers in the then SC Jamir-led Congress government from 1998 to 2003.

    Chang got elected uncontested in the by-election to the Noksen assembly seat in Tuensang district in April last year. Rio had appointed Chang as Advisor for Law and Justice, and State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) on February 9.

    A notification issued by Chief Secretary J Alam said Chang has been relieved as an advisor, and assigned the Roads and Bridges Department, which was held by Patton. Patton, a BJP MLA, is now left with only one department — Home.

    Meanwhile, Rio has reassigned SCERT to MLA KT Sukhalu, who is the advisor for School Education. The development, which is raising speculation about the relation between the NDPP and BJP, comes months ahead of the state elections, due early next year.

    However, neither of the two parties commented on the reshuffle.

  • Money laundering: Nagaland party asks CM Rio to clear air on ED summons to ‘confidants’

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The Enforcement Directorate’s summons to five persons in Nagaland, believed to be close confidants of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has raised a political storm in the otherwise politically-dull state where the BJP is a key component of the ruling coalition.

    One of the persons to have received the summons is Rio’s personal assistant in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

    Stating that it is nothing less than a direct indictment of the CM himself, opposition Rising People’s Party (RPP) asked him to clear the air.

    According to the RPP, of the five individuals, at least two have CBI cases pending against them since 2019.

    The party said the biggest shocker was that Kuovisieo Rio, appointed in the CMO as the personal assistant to Rio, was one of the five persons summoned to appear before the ED in Guwahati.

    “Interestingly, all the summoned persons – Kuovisieo Rio, Mengutuo Rio, Dsesevi Pielie, Vibeilietuo Kets and Mhalelie Rio, have given their addresses as Sovima village, Dimapur,” the RPP said.

    The party also said that apart from Kuovisieo Rio, the remaining four others were believed to be close confidants of the CM.

    “It’s incumbent upon the CM to clear the air regarding the money laundering case. The ED summon letter was issued on February 24 of this year but the deafening silence of the CM and the CMO in this matter till now is a story in itself,” the RPP said.

    The party demanded that the CM publicly address the issue in order to put to rest all speculations.

    The five persons had approached the Kohima bench of Gauhati High Court, pleading the court to declare the money laundering case filed against them as “void, non-operative” but the court rejected their plea.

    The RPP requested the ED to pursue the case to its logical end based on available facts.

    “This summon is a first in the history of the state and the harried general public reeling under blatant corruption is beginning to believe that the long arm of the law will finally prevail. The charge of ED being used as a ‘political weapon’ by the ruling government at the Centre should not surface in this case,” the RPP demanded.

  • Nagaland government seeks public coop to abolish AFSPA

    By PTI

    KOHIMA: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio Monday said that the reduction in the area under AFSPA in the state by the Centre is a test and has sought the support and cooperation of the people in respect of law and order situation so that the contontious Act is completely abolished.

    Rio said that all stakeholders had appealed for the abolishment of the “draconian law” and the Centre has “finally” heard the appeals of the people.

    The appeal for people’s support was made by the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) chairman T R Zeliang and senior bureaucrats, besides Rio during a meeting with tribal Hohos (apex bodies) and organizations.

    It followed the March 31 announcement by the Centre curtailing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958, in areas of Nagaland which has been protested against by the Naga civil societies who demanded complete repeal of the Act from the State.

    “The total abolition of AFSPA may take time but the partial abolishement of the Act is a test,” Rio said.

    Stating that this is a crucial period for the state in respect of AFSPA, he said that if law and order is disturbed the Act may be reinstated.

    He appealed for cooperation by the people to ensure that no untoward incidents occur and urged all stakeholders to seriously ponder how to maintain law and order in the state.

    Rio said that a solution to the Naga political issue is for all Nagas and all of them should harbor a sense of unity and oneness and not be selfish in their demands.

    Echoing him, the chairman of the ruling Uniting Democratic Alliance, T R Zeliang said that partial lifting of AFSPA is an experimental phase with the goal being the complete withdrawal of the Act from the state.

    He appealed for cooperation from the people as the police would be handicapped without their support.

    AFSPA has been removed completely in three districts and partially removed in four districts of Nagaland, Nagaland chief secretary J Alam said.

    Home Commissioner Abhijit Sinha said the earlier notification on AFSPA issued in December 2021 has been withdrawn and a fresh notification has been issued.

    Out of 72 police station limits, AFSPA has been withdrawn in 15 of them, he added.

    Director general of police T John Longkumer told reporters after the meeting that if everything goes well, depending on the situation the Act may be withdrawn from more areas of the north eastern state.

    “We agree with the GoI’s stand to proceed in a systematic manner,” he said.

    Interacting with the media persons after the meeting, a section of the civil society said they want complete repeal of AFSPA from the state.

    Naga Students Federation president Kegwayhun Tep said the students’ body is not satisfied with the partial lifting of the Act and appealed to the state government to be serious to ensure that the Act is repealed.

    “We have seen many leaders accepting piecemeal solutions, given particularly to the Nagas and the state of Nagaland…We have to ensure that AFSPA is revoked in Nagaland,” he said.

    Another civil society body – Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights too criticised the partial withdrawal of AFSPA in the state.

    “We cannot reject what has been done, but it should be repealed as the AFSPA does not deserve to exist in any democracy,” its secretary general N Krome said.

    Eastern Naga Students Federation appealed for justice for all victims of the firing by the Army at Oting in December last year and said that the state government should remind the Centre in this regard.

  • Assam, Nagaland to begin process for border solution

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: After preparing a “roadmap” towards resolving its boundary dispute with Meghalaya pending the Centre’s approval of the same, Assam is set to initiate a similar process with Nagaland.

    Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio told reporters in Kohima on Monday that the two states favoured an out-of-court settlement of their boundary dispute.

    He said they would try to resolve the problem in consultations with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The process is likely to begin next month.

    Rio’s statement comes a day after his meeting with Sarma in Guwahati. The two of them had also met in Jorhat in December last year where they discussed issues of mutual interest.

    ALSO READ | Roadmap prepared to resolve Assam-Meghalaya border row, says Himanta

    Sarma had tweeted about his latest “fruitful discussion” with Rio. He had stated that a discussion was held on issues of mutual interest, people’s welfare in both states and strengthening friendship.

    Assam and Nagaland have been embroiled in a bitter border row for decades. They share a 512.1 km border and a case pertaining to the dispute is pending in the Supreme Court.

    In July last year, they had withdrawn security personnel from two disputed sites to de-escalate tension. There was a standoff going on between the police forces.

    Last month, the Assam CM had exuded confidence on the settlement of the state’s border disputes with Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. He had stated the state government would talk to various organisations and political parties before taking any decision.

    Sarma had also said that the border talks with Mizoram had started recently while the dispute with Nagaland was pending in the Supreme Court. Assam has always favoured an out-of-court settlement of its disputes with the neighbours.

    As regards the dispute with Meghalaya, the total area of dispute in the six locations taken up in the first phase is 36.79 sq km and reports suggest Meghalaya will get 18.28 sq km and Assam 18.51 sq km.

    It remains to be seen how opposition parties and various organisations in both states react when the two governments make public their decisions on the six areas. They stand opposed to any give-and-take policy or their state being on the losing side.

  • Mon killing clear abuse of AFSPA: Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio

    By PTI

    KOHIMA: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday said the killing of civilians in Mon district by the security forces was a “clear case of abuse” of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and said the incident, which took place five days ago was not the first instance of the people having to bear the brunt of the draconian law.

    Speaking at the ‘In Memorium’ programme organised by the government in memory of the 13 civilians, he said innocent lives have been cut short by the “most unfortunate and careless act of the Indian security forces”.

    AFSPA, he said, is law that has colonial genesis and is violative of human rights as it legitimises killing on mere suspicion and the people of Nagaland will continue to demand its repeal.

    Expressing his condolences to the Konyak community, to which the civilians belonged, the chief minister appealed them to maintain peace.

    “This is the time for you to defeat violence with non-violence. This is the time for the biggest Naga tribe to show the world that they also have the biggest heart,” Rio said.

    He took the opportunity to appeal to all Nagas political groups to “say farewell to arms”.

    “Unless we show and prove ourselves to be peace-loving and non-violent people, our demand for the repeal of AFSPA will not carry weight…Let us say that we do not want AFSPA. But let us also show that we do not need AFSPA. Let us also make sure that we do not, in any way, allow any force to derail the hard-won peace process,” Rio urged.

    Naga People’s Front legislature party leader T R Zeliang called AFSPA a “black law” which has not brought any good to the nation or its people.

    “Rather it has brought shame to the nation”.

    It is therefore high time for the leaders of the country to repeal such an act immediately in order to prevent inhuman activities meted out to its citizen, the former chief minister said.

    He said the Nagaland government has been writing to the ministry of home affairs almost every year against the application of AFSPA in the state.

    “But the Centre continues with the extension of AFSPA in our state despite having ceasefire agreement with NSCN(IM) since 1997 followed by signing of the Frame Work Agreement in August 2015 and the Agreed Position in November 2017.

    “This proves that the concept of federalism in spirit and unitary in practice enshrined in the Constitution is defeated,” he said.

    It is high time for the entire north east to come together and fight for its future, Zeliang added.

    The president of the Kohima unit of Konyak Union, H Angnyei Konyak hit out at a section of the media for their reports that the 13 coal mine workers and daily wage earners killed by the security forces on Saturday at Oting village were insurgents.

    This coupled with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in Parliament that the civilians were fired at when they did not heed the security forces’ order to stop and tried to flee had caused pain and anger in the people, he said.

    “Existence of peace in our land is a hard earned one,” he said and echoed Rio’s implorations to revoke the “draconian” AFSPA without any delay.

    “Nagas do not want to see another Oting in the country…Our hearts are heavy at the loss of the lives of the innocent civilians,” Konyak added.

  • Nagaland firing victims laid to rest; CM Neiphiu Rio joins demand for repeal of AFSPA

    By PTI

    KOHIMA: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday joined a growing chorus of demands seeking repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers’ Act (AFSPA) at a poignant funeral service for the 14 civilians killed in firing by security forces.

    Rio speaking at the funeral held at Mon Headquarters Helipad Ground, said, “AFSPA give powers to the army to arrest civilians without any arrest warrant, raid houses and also kill people but there is no action against the security forces. They have created a law and order situation.”

    Earlier in the day demands for revocation of the AFSPA had been made by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, while the TMC which cancelled a plan to send a team to Nagaland too demanded a roll back of the law which gives emergency powers to security forces.

    ALSO READ| Congress forms four-member delegation to visit Nagaland in wake of civilian killings

    The Nagaland Police on Monday also lodged a murder case against the 21st Para Special Force of the Army for its alleged involvement in firing on the civilians, even as several tribal bodies enforced shutdowns in protest against the action of security forces.

    Officials said that prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been clamped in Mon town, but the situation is tense. Meanwhile, confusion prevailed Monday over the death toll in firing by security forces on civilians in Nagaland’s Mon district.

    The Konyak Union, the apex trial body in the district, had initially claimed that 17 civilians were killed in the firing, but later revised the toll to 14. However, police has maintained that 14 civilians were killed in separate incidents of firing on Saturday and Sunday.

    The first incident in which six civilians were killed, occurred when army personnel mistook coal mine workers returning home in a pick-up van on Saturday evening, to be insurgents belonging to the Yung Aung faction of the banned outfit NSCN(K).

    As workers failed to reach their homes, local youth and villagers went in search of them and surrounded the army vehicles. In the ensuing melee, one soldier was killed and army vehicles burnt down. Soldiers who fired in self-defence killed another seven civilians.

    Rioting spilled over into Sunday afternoon when angry mobs vandalised the offices of the Konyak Union and an Assam Rifles camp in the area, setting fire to parts of the camp, police had said. At least one more person was killed, as security forces fired back at attackers.

    The Nagaland Police filed a suo moto FIR against the 21st Para Special Force of the Army. A case was registered under Sections 302/307/34 of the IPC, relating to murder, attempt to murder and criminal act committed by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all.

    In the complaint, Tizit Police Station in the district said, “On December 4 at around 1530 hours, coal mine labourers were returning to their native village Oting from Tiru in a vehicle. On reaching Longkhao between Upper Tiru and Oting, security forces blankly fired at the vehicle without provocation resulting in the killing of many villagers and seriously injuring many others.”

    ALSO READ| Nagaland civilians killings: Six-hour long bandh, call passes off peacefully in state

    It also noted that at the time of the incident, there was no police guide nor did security forces make requisition for guides. “Hence, it is obvious that the intention of security forces is to murder and injure civilians,” the FIR alleged, urging authorities to take necessary action against the culprits.

    In a sudden move, tribal bodies, civil societies and student bodies on Monday morning imposed shutdowns of different durations ranging from six to 12 hours across the state. The influential Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has announced five days of mourning, while also asking tribals not to participate in any celebration during the period.

    Officials said that of the 28 injured, the condition of six is stated to be critical and they are undergoing treatment at hospital.

  • Himanta holds meeting with Nagaland CM in Jorhat

    By PTI

    JORHAT: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio held a meeting on Sunday and discussed several issues affecting the two Northeastern states.

    Though officials were tightlipped about the issues discussed in the closed-door meeting, sources said the duo spoke only on some “personal and political issues”.

    Sarma, who tweeted to inform about the meeting at Circuit House where the press was not allowed, also did not share details of the discussion that lasted for about 15 minutes only.

    It was followed by breakfast.

    “Glad to have met HCM Nagaland Sri @Neiphiu_Rio at Jorhat today, along with MP Sri @KamakhyaTasa. Discussed several issues of mutual interest in order to strengthen the age-old ties & bonhomie b/w (between) two states.

    “We strive towards building an ever united & stronger #NorthEast,” Sarma tweeted.

    An official statement from the Assam Chief Minister’s Public Relations Cell gave details of his other programmes in Jorhat district, but was silent about the particulars of the meeting between Sarma and Rio.

    “Earlier in the morning, the Chief Minister (Sarma) held a meeting with his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio at Jorhat Circuit House.

    Both the Chief Ministers discussed several issues of mutual interest,” it said.

    A senior official said that the meeting was closed-door and nobody from the government was present in it.

    “They discussed something personal, and some political issues. The inter-state border dispute between Assam and Nagaland was not discussed in it. No official issue was deliberated upon in the brief meeting,” he added.

    The meeting assumed significance after Sarma and Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on November 16 for the first time ever jointly visited a disputed area between the two states and interacted with the local people.

    Addressing a joint press conference in Guwahati, Sarma and Sangma had said that Assam and Meghalaya are targeting to settle their longstanding inter-state border disputes at six locations out of 12 by the end of this year.

    Assam shares a 512.1-km border with Nagaland, with whom it has the longest border dispute that began since the creation of the state in 1963.

  • Mystery shrouds Assam CM Himanta Biswa and Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio’s closed-door meeting 

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Mystery shrouds a closed-door meeting held between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio on Sunday.

    None of them disclosed what exactly was discussed. Calls made to Rio went unattended. Sarma said issues of mutual interest were discussed.

    “Glad to have met HCM Nagaland Sri @Neiphiu_Rio at Jorhat today, along with MP Sri @KamakhyaTasa. Discussed several issues of mutual interest in order to strengthen the age-old ties & bonhomie b/w two states. We strive towards building an ever united & stronger #NorthEast,” the Assam CM tweeted.

    Glad to inaugurate the state-of-the-art auditorium built under CSR of @OilIndiaLimited with Rs 4.65 cr at Jorhat Engineering College (JEC).I thank JEC for dedicating the auditorium to ex-student Arnab Kishore Bordoloi,who lost his life in the Baghjan fire incident last year. pic.twitter.com/4hCmFNRWZN
    — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 21, 2021
    The two states are locked in a bitter and raging border dispute that claimed many lives in the past. In July this year, they had signed an agreement to de-escalate tension on the interstate border.

    Sources said the duo must have also discussed issues pertaining to the Naga rebel groups as well as the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA).

    The Centre has taken both of them into confidence as it tries to resolve the protracted “Naga political problem”. The peace talks with major rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagalim or NSCN-IM have hit roadblocks as the outfit has remained adamant on the contentious demand of Naga flag and “yezabo” (constitution).

    As regards the ULFA, the Assam government is trying to reach the outfit back-channel as it attempts to initiate a peace process. The ULFA uses the soil of Nagaland as well as Arunachal Pradesh for movement to and fro Myanmar where it operates from. It works in coordination with several insurgent groups of the Northeast, including some NSCN factions.

    The ULFA went into a peace mode after announcing a three-month long unilateral ceasefire which has been extended twice.