Tnt Apr Cover Story 24-25

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Cover Story

killing, riot or massacre) are open to various narratives by people who directly or indirectly experience them. But all these are for the social scientists to study now. What is painful is that the bloody incident has left a scar in the bright history of tolerance. Following the unprecedented murders and mayhem in the state, one-member TD Tewary commission was set up to investigate these violent incidents including the Nellie massacre. The commission submitted its 600-page report in May 1984. But the enquiry report has been kept secret till today. What’s lying there in the file cover? Who can unearth?

Sanjay Ghose killing

The abduction and killing of renowned social worker Sanjay Ghose is probably the most important development in the history of militancy in Assam that saw ULFA fast losing its popularity among the masses. This social activist was heading AVARDNE and was camping at Majuli for the protection of this largest river island from erosion. The extensive work and people’s support started bearing fruits for this man who already had made a name for himself after his revolutionary activism in Rajasthan. According to analysts this did not make ULFA leader much happy for the simple reason that the local people in Majuli started believing more the one army than the army of insurgents. The ULFA militants abducted Sanjay Ghose shortly before midnight on July 4. Amidst numerous reports and rumours on his being alive or dead, Sanjay finally believed to have died, 24

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but for the investigators yet to find any concrete information on as how he died. ULFA once said he died as the boat ferrying his capsized on Brahmaputra, while the Army report said he died after falling from cliff while being moved by ULFA members. His mysterious killing was also raised in Geneva, the headquarters of United Nations. As for Ghose’s body, it may never be recovered. But can this incident help ULFA recover from peril?

Amitabh’s brush with politics

He was the superstar who’s friend was the youngest Prime Minister of the country. It was just a matter of time that Amitabh Bachchan would enter the fray in the evil world of politics. But never in his wildest dream would he have imagined that he would be embarrassed in front of an audience in a northeastern state of Assam. It was 1986 and the Big B along with Rajesh Pilot and the then Assam Youth Congress President Bhuveneshwar Kalita were campaigning for the Congress party for the upcoming polls. As they were running late for the

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Cover Story scheduled meetings they rushed from one meeting to another, the last meeting was at Hojai. As their helicopter descended, there was a huge crowd in the meeting. Bachchan rushed to the stage and immediately started addressing the starry-eyed gathering. What he did not realize was that he had mistakenly attended a function meant for the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). Before evasive action could be taken, the supporters started pelting stones and hurling abuses at the superstar who was trapped in front of a huge crowd. It was like a Bollywood movie to see Bachchan run as the crowd chased him around. Only this time, the king of Bollywood was the hunted and the people of Hojai the angry young men.

Apang needs no visa to visit China! When China is sparing none in Tibet for the safe holding of this land of Lamas, Arunachal’s safety came up again for serious discussions. After the military take-over of Tibet in 1950, all the areas once ethnically connected with Tibet became for Beijing part of

the Chinese empire. Mao used the image of the palm of the hand (represents Tibet) and the five fingers representing Bhutan, Sikkim, NEFA, Ladakh and Nepal. One has to understand that it has never cost China to claim these areas as theirs. The Chinese rightly thought that these claims could be extremely useful in the future. This explains why even today they claim Arunachal Pradesh as theirs. An amusing incident occurred a few years ago when Gegong Apang was Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He had been invited to a conference in China. When he requested for a visa from the Chinese Embassy in Delhi to attend the function, he was told that he did not need a visa, as he was a “Chinese national!”

PDS Scam (pix PDSscam1, PDSscam2)

Arunachal Pradesh has the highest consumption of rice per family stated a national newspaper, this after a survey in the country to see that which state fully utilized the quota allotted

to them in terms of wheat, grain, rice etc. This headline supposedly opened a Pandora’s box as this led to shocking facts about the now infamous PDS scam in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. It was suggested in a PIL that over 80 per cent of the allotted Rs 300 crores was misappropriated which suggests a shocking amount of over Rs 270 crores. Sharad Pawar, the Agriculture Minister, seems to have missed the bigger picture of the PDS theatre. A Planning Commission report too has made starling revelations about the PDS scheme. The report, talking of states beyond the northeast, records that “in the year 2003-04, out of 14.07 million tonnes of foodgrains issued to 16 states at BPL issue prices from the central pool, only around 5.93 million tonnes was delivered to the poor families.” Of the remaining 8.14 million tonnes, 5.12 million tonnes leaked out from the supply chain (FCI go-down to retail outlets) because of corruption in the delivery system, while 3.02 million tonnes was delivered to unintend-

ed beneficiaries (APL households). As of today there are almost 96 people accused in the Pds scam and since assuming the office of the chief minister Dorjee Khandu has assured all for a free and fair inquiry. But the most shocking part still remains how money changed hands without anybody knowing about it as some one put it in context ‘we are not the best fed state in the country, but the most ignored and corrupt’. Food for thought, eh!!!

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