vaiphei blog - vaiphei online resoure: 01/01/2009

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Lok Sabha MP Mani Charenamei inspects stalls during that inauguration of the Lemon Festival

GOC debunks ‘Army shift’ report 57 Mountain Division GOC Shakti Gurung and other officers with children of Ccpur district IMPHAL, Jan 17: “We are very much here, my flag is still here”, said 57 Mountain Division GOC Major General Shakti Gurung pointing his finger to the Army flag fluttering in front of his office while interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of a welcome ceremony of an excursion team of Churachandpur students organised at the Leimakhong military facility today. The Maj Gen however declined to comment in detail regarding the news report published in the Ja- nuary 15 edition of The sangai Express that the Army’s gradual withdrawal from the State is inevitable. Shakti Gurung, rather advised mediapersons to talk over the matter with the PRO of PIB (Defence Wing). The GOC also said that law and order in the State is improving considerably as a result of the concerted efforts of Army, Assam Rifles and State police forces. Responding to a query on the recent attacks at the CM’s bungalow and Raj Bhavan, the GOC opined that underground groups carry out such attacks out of frustrations. UGs plan such petty attacks only to exhibit they are still active in the State, Shakti Gurung added. Expressing on connection of State UG groups with Islamic militant groups (Jehadis), he said the Army does not have any formal input regarding connection of State UGs with Pakistani and Bangladeshi Jehadi groups. The GOC also reiterated that Army would not tolerate any violation of SoO ground rules by any UG group who are party to the agreement to cease arm confrontation. He also said that only people’s movement against the UGs would bring peace in the State. “As people are fed up with extortions and kidnapping, such a movement would come very soon,” Gurung added. Earlier the GOC welcomed an excursion team of Churachandpur students. Shakti Gurung also interacted with the team who went for the excursion trip to Dimapur, Guwahati, and Kolkata under the aegis of 27 Sector Assam Rifles under the Military Civic Action Programme. The team was led by an AR officer and comprised of two teachers, 16 boys and 10 girls from different parts of Churachandpur district. Maj Gen Shakti Gurung also said the tour was organised to give a feel to the children that they are just no

Leaders of the KCP (MC), Lallumba group posing with their cadres at a base camp

A rmy to be shifted out, AR to be lone ‘sentinel’ of Manipur By Our Staff Reporter IMPHAL, Jan 14 : In a major policy shift, New Delhi has decided to withdraw all the Army units from the State and leave the job of containing the insurgency movement to the Assam Rifles alone. The Army comes under the Union Defence Ministry while the Assam Rifles comes under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Disclosing this to The Sangai Express today, a reliable source said that the Army units to be withdrawn from Manipur will be deployed along the Indo-Pak border as well as along the Indo-Sino border. With the Army able to push away numerous militant groups from the interior parts of the State, the Assam Rifles has been gradually taking over the operational responsibilities of conducting counter-insurgency operations in the hills and other parts of Manipur, said the source. The Army Headquarters have already taken the decision to withdraw all the Army units from the State by this year, said the source and added that the withdrawn troops will be deployed along the Indo-Pak border as well as along the Indo-Sino border, where tension is high, on the Western front following the terrorists attack at Mumbai in November last year. Assam Rifles troops will be deployed at all the places where the Army units are currently stationed, said the source and added that once the withdrawal process is over, the Assam Rifles will take over the sole responsibility of conducting counter insurgency operations. Along with the withdrawal of the Army units from Manipur, the 57 Mountain Division at Leimakhong and the office of the Army PRO or PIB Defence Wing will also be withdrawn step by step, said the source further. At the moment, there are 7 Army Battalions under the 73 Mountain Brigade and 59 Mountain Brigade. These two Brigades operate under the 57 Mountain Division, which is based at Lei-makhong and is headed by an officer of the rank of a Major General. On the other hand, there are at present 22 Assam Rifles Battalion under four Sectors operating under the overall charge of the IG of Assam Rifles (South), a Major General. The office of the IG AR (S) is located at Mantripukhri. The Assam Rifles has also appointed its own Spokesperson. It was the Assam Rifles which spearheaded the operation in pushing back militants from the Khengjoi range in the last two years. The office of the IG AR (South) was opened in Manipur in 2004 following the huge public outcry over the alleged custodial killing of Th Manorama by personnel of 17 Assam Rifles, which then had its headquarters at Kangla. Earlier, each Sector functioned under a Brigadier. Meanwhile the SPF Cabinet has agreed to the proposal of the IG AR (S) to increase the cash component of gallantry awards given to in service personnel as well as given posthumously to personnel hailing from the State, said the source. In the proposal to the State Government, the IG AR, suggested that the existing rates of cash awards be reviewed in view of the fact that almost all other States have increased the amount. The matter was discussed during a meeting at New Delhi on January 7 which was chaired by the Union Minister of Defence, said the source. Since there was no Budget allocation for increasing the cash awards in the fiscal 2009-2010 of the Home Department, the Finance Department was urged to authorise the required funds after Cabinet approval of the States concerned. Accordingly the cash award given under the Param Vir Chakra will be increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000, MVC from Rs 7500 to Rs 35,000, Vr C from Rs 3000 to Rs 20,000, AC from Rs 1500 to Rs 15000, KC from Rs 1000 to Rs 10,000, SC from RS 700 to Rs 5000, SYSM Rs 15,000, UYSM Rs 10,000, YSM Rs 5,000, SM from Rs 3000 to Rs 4000, Mention-in-Despatches Rs 5000, PVSM Rs 20,000, AVSM Rs 15,000, VSM Rs 10,000 and Annuity in addition Rs 500.

The oil tanker which plunged down into the Imphal river being inspected by the police and the inside wreckage

M umbai evidence handed over to Pak : Pranab NEW DELHI, Jan 5: India today handed over to Pakistan evidence about involvement of elements based in that country in the Mumbai terror attacks and asked Islamabad to implement its commitments. Stepping up the diplomatic offensive, foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he has written to his counterparts around the world and that countries are being briefed separately giving details of the Mumbai attacks and its links in Pakistan. “We have today handed over to Pakistan evidence of the links with elements in Pakistan of the terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008,” Mukherjee told reporters here. Pakistan High Commissioner Shahid Malik was summoned by Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon to hand over the material. Pakistan confirmed it has received evidence regarding Mumbai terror attacks from India, and “concerned authorities” were “examining the material,” IANS reported. “The material has been received in Pakistan now and is being examined by concerned authorities,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Sadiq. Describing the Mumbai attacks as “unpardonable crime,” Mukherjee asked Pakistan to implement the bilateral commitments it has made at the highest levels to India and practice its international obligations. The evidence includes confession of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist held during Mumbai terror strikes, records of GPS and satellite phones used by the attackers and transcript of conversations between the attackers and their handlers in Pakistan. It also includes details about weapons and other articles recovered. “This material is linked to elements in Pakistan. It is our expectation that the Government of Pakistan will promptly undertake further investigations in Pakistan and share the results with us so as to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. “We are also briefing all our friendly countries,” the Minister said. “I have written to my counterparts around the world giving them details of the events in Mumbai and describing in some detail the progress that we have made in our investigations and the evidence that we have collected,” Mukherjee said. The External Affairs Ministry will also be briefing all heads of missions based here by tomorrow. Indian Ambassadors and High Commissioners will be doing the same in their host countries, he said. “It is my hope that the world will unite to achieve the goal of eliminating the threat of such terrorism,” Mukherjee said. India hoped that Pakistan will implement its “bilateral, multilateral and international obligations to prevent terrorism in any manner from territory under its control.” PTI