Altogether 5 persons have been injured in group clash with a section of local residents is Tinsukia district on Sunday. The clash took place in Shantipur on the NH 37 when a group of persons had an altercation with a group of local residents over a family matter where these persons who came on two vehicles from Roing threatened the local residents showing sharp weapons.Then an irate f mob accepted the challenged and attacked them before handing them over to police.The vehicles were damaged in the incidents. Police have already re
PermalinkSubmitted by Molokhu on Thu, 02/09/2010 - 01:50
MEDIA-- The New 'Divisive Agent'
Border problems have been plaguing the north-east states since sometime. As if political greed, student leaders, irrational insurgents, outside power lobbies were not enough, now we have a new entrant to add fuel to the fire. This new agent is the frenzied Media which flares up every issue as a border related problem. Take the example of the quarrel between two families in Sadiya last week. It revolved round a marital dispute between a Mising family from Assam and a Nyishi family from Arunachal Pradesh. The manner in which the skirmish was reported in the media, especially the television media, the entire incident was given the colour of an inter-state conflict.
I was very surprised at the news presentation of ‘News Live’ regarding this incident. On Sunday at 11:30 a.m. when I switched on the TV, this news was repeatedly telecast. The way of news presentation in most news channels is sick. Urgent treatment is required. If such news is presented in such a sensational fashion, anyone and everyone will be provoked at the propaganda. News in Assam has become very judgemental. News should be news. My father related me of times when the Nyishis (then called Dafalas) and the Misings (then called Miris) used to have skirmishes now and then. But at that time there was nothing called two states, one being Arunachal Pradesh. So things didn’t take the menacing shape of inter-state dispute. For example, a couple of weeks back, there was a fight involving a few boys from the Nocte tribe and a few boys from the Singpho tribe in Bordumsa, Arunachal Pradesh. Had the Nocte area been in Assam and the Singpho area put in Arunachal Pradesh, the media would have had a feast by blowing the quarrel out of proportion and calling it an inter-state dispute. Actually this entire idea of statehood in north-east, a territory with more than 200 tribes will be a failure in the 21st century. The best administrative arrangement for a ethnically diverse region like north-east would have been that of a Zonal Republic (based on zones for administrative efficiency) with English as the official language because of its international spirit and usage. But that would never be a reality because of the ethnic politics, misguided notions of insurgents and vested interest of the power lobbies who operate from other parts of India as well as Bangladesh. These are the band of people who best benefit from unrest in north-east states.
I would also request the Journalists Association of Assam and senior journalists to take the initiative of organizing training classes for the news producers, reporters and cameramen on the pattern and style of news presentation from time to time. We need trainers from channels like BBC and Times Now, since most of the news channels in Assam are aping the uncultured manner of news presentation rampant in Hindi news channels like Aj Tak or India TV. Its high time quality is ensured in the style of news reporting in the TV channels of Assam for the present breed of channels is lowering the taste and refinement of the people of Assam and several areas of the neighbouring states as well. The reporters and news editors have no knowledge in distinguishing constructive criticism from cheap sensationalism. News channels should not be used to create a society steeped in misinformation and vile tastes and attitude. The media should endeavour to promote a sober and informed society.
PermalinkSubmitted by Sumon on Thu, 02/09/2010 - 20:56
INCREDIBLE NORTH-EAST INDIA !!
From here in Bhubaneshwar, two areas in the world looks confusing and strange. Whenever there is a news on inter-tribal riots in African countries like Sudan, Nigeria, Congo etc, it makes me wonder how the rival tribes identify each other since they all look the same.
In India, North-east is amazing. These days we are getting stories of two states Nagaland and Manipur locking horns. When reading about the Nagas, it is found that there are numerous tribes among Nagas. My question is, why does an Angami, Ao, or Maram think they are Naga? Why the Kukis think they are not Naga. If Angami, Konyak, Tangkhuls have different histories, Kukis are also different. Why are they not Nagas? They are also hill tribe and are Mongoloid in look like the Ao or Angami. Angami, Konyak is so different from Tangkhul. Then why does Tangkhul leader Muivah bring Angami, Konyak etc in Nagalim and not form a separate land for Tangkhuls in Nagaland.
We read in tourism advertisements of north-east as land of seven sisters. The person who termed this sobriquet should rethink. Every now and then neighbouring hill states like Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram take away Assam’s bordering forest areas and there is fighting. Going by the scenario this doesn’t look true. Anyone will say the region to be that of ‘seven enemies’.
Sumon Das,
Bhubaneshwar, Orissa.
In a bid to spread peace and social harmony in BTAD areas, a delegation of senior most journalists visited Bilasipara on Friday as a part of the Goodwill Mission. Led Dr Anupam Kumar Roy, the team comprised 15 editors of the local dailies. The team had a meeting with the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), Bilasipara JVN Subramanyam who had apprised them of the initiatives of the administration towards restoring peace and normalcy in the Sub-Division. The delegation also enquired about the status of the health care facilities and relief materials being given to them by the administration. While interacting with the camp inmates the delegation told them to return to their places of residence and...
Life in BTAD areas and Dhubri district is rapidly limping back to normal. The last 48 hours are incident-free where curfew has been temporarily lifted from dawn to dusk. Same it is in Tezpur, Howly and Barpeta Road and Aam Bagan where situation improves gradually. Now the focus shifts to rehabilitation of the displaced people.
The Supreme Court has rushed a special team to assess the situation in BTAD areas and Dhubri district on Friday. Consisting of a group special commissioners the team is on a two days visit to Kokrajhar and Chirang districts where they took stock of the relief measures.
The team called on Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in the evening in Dispur who appraised the team of the measures to ensure early rehabilitation of the displaced people.
The issue of the crippling bandh calls on Monday and Tuesday reached the Gauhati High Court which on Friday asks for an affidavit from the government. Taking up a public interest litigation filed by Arun Pathak, a division bench of the court fixed September 29 as the date of hearing of the plea. Pathak, in his PIL has demanded Rs 10 crore from Bajrang Dal and AMSU for causing damage to public property during the band calls on August 27 and 28. The PIL assumes significance a day after Dispur threatened to take action against the bandh calls from one month.
Unable to get back to their homes, many of the people displaced by the floods and the conflict in Assam are staying in overcrowded camps with no access to basic amenities like drinking water and sanitation. Unhygienic conditions and lack of electricity has only made their plight worse.
Over 4 lakh people in Assam probably never ever imagined that their lives would one day be like this. For over 40 days, children have not attended school, not eaten proper food and have not moved out of the camp area.
While flood affected people continue to stay on “platform” (mound of land) as they call it, conflict impacted people have taken shelter in relief camps. Nearly three and half...
The violence-hit people in BTAD areas would be rehabilitated only after proper verification of relevant documents. This was what a group of ministers decided at a meeting in Dispur on Friday. Chaired by senior minister Prithbi Majhi, the meeting decided to end the identification process by September 6.
Tezpur police have arrested on Friday in connection with the violence during the AMSU-sponsored Assam bandh on Tuesday. They were arrested from Bhujchapori area. They include some a few AMSU leaders and panchayat members who turned violent. They were arrested from Bhujchapori area. They include some a few AMSU leaders and panchayat members who turned violent.
Normalcy is back to BTAD areas. There is no report of any untoward incident in these areas during the last 24 hours. Now the focus shifts to rehabilitation of the displaced people. District administrations in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Bagsa and Dhubri are gearing up to send to refugees back from the camps with required assistance for the process.
Despite deteriorating health, Mahendra Das is firm on fast unto death inside the Jorhat Central Jail. Das, whose fate hangs in balance due to an unfinished death sentence, said on Thursday that he won’t relent. Das, on Wednesday night was rushed the hospital following deteriorated health. But was taken back to the jail when his condition improved on Thursday morning. Das, a resident of Jorhat was convicted in a murder case after he beheaded a person 18 years ago and surrendered before police with the head. President confirmed his death sentence but still it mires in controversy.
A special train is scheduled to leave Guwahati for Bangalore on Saturday to carry the north east people who would be back to Karnataka to resume work.Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Thursday, chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that those who left the southern city, mostly, are keen to go back to their job locations. The train, with 14 sleeper class coaches, will leave Guwahati railway station at 1.15 on Saturday.The train service is being started after the Assam and Karnataka governments asked the railways to help thousands of students and workers who had arrived home from Bangalore, Hyderabad and other southern cities following rumours of a backlash over the ethnic clashes in...
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