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15 dead in landslide in Tawang, PM expresses grief

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Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar: At least 15 people lost their lives and several others were missing when a massive landslide triggered by heavy rains hit a labour camp in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday.

15 bodies have been retrieved from the spot along with one injured person, official sources said.  Two other workers are feared to be trapped in the debris.

The incident occurred at around 3.30 AM when 17 labourers engaged in construction work were inside the camp in Thamla, about four km away from Tawang town, bordering China, Additional Deputy Commissioner (headquarters) Lod Gambo said.

Senior officers are on the spot and rescue and relief operation was on.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives. In a message, the Prime Minister extended his condolences to the bereaved families.
The district administration deployed men and materials in the rescue operation, including two JCBs.

The PWD road between New Lebrang and government higher secondary school has also been blocked due to landslide while damage to residential buildings has been reported from the area.

Heavy rainfall in the past few days in the district resulted in a flood like situation which severely damaged the Kitpi Ph-I and Ph-II hydel projects.

Power department officials said restoration work could not be started due to the continuous rains and both the power stations had been shut down.

Taking serious note of the situation, DC Duly Kamduk has directed the department to assess the damage and submit a report for action.

(Agencies)

Arunachal Governor cites ‘cow slaughter’ protest to justify president rule

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ArunachalCrisis

New Delhi: Former Arunachal Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Thursday filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court challenging imposition of president’s rule in the state.

 

Earlier, the apex court issued notices to the Centre and the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh (J.P. Rajkhowa), seeking their responses to a Congress Party challenge of the Centre’s decision to impose president’s rule in the state.

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa had cited a “cow slaughter” protest as a sign of the complete collapse of law and order to justify the imposition of President’s rule in the state.

The Governor also attached photographs of a “cow” — a Mithun — being slaughtered outside Raj Bhavan as a material justifying the proclamation of emergency, reports The Indian Express.

On Wednesday the Supreme Court issued notice to the central government and Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa on a plea challenging the imposition of President’s Rule in the north-eastern state on January 26.

An apex court constitution bench of Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Madan B. Lokur, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh and Justice N.V. Ramana had also ordered the centre to file its response, if any, by January 29 and directed further hearing in the matter on Monday (February 1).

The court recorded that senior counsel Satya Pal Jain, appearing for Governor Rajkhowa, “undertakes to furnish a copy of the governor’s report and other material recommending issuance of a proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution of India, to the court in a sealed cover”.

The court had directed that the “original record be kept available by the attorney general during the hearing”.

The court gave liberty to the petitioner, Congress chief whip in Arunachal Pradesh Rajesh Tacho, to amend the plea to “assail the report of the governor, and the consequential (presidential) proclamation”.

The court directed that Tacho be provided, during the course of the day, the date on which Rajkhowa sent a report recommending the imposition of President’s Rule.

(Agencies)

SC to hear plea challenging President’s Rule in Arunachal

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Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Wednesday the Congress’ plea challenging the imposition of the President’s Rule in Arunachal Pradesh. An apex court bench headed by Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar said that the matter would be heard at 2 p.m.

President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday approved the cabinet recommendation to impose central rule in Arunachal Pradesh and keep the assembly in suspended animation, a measure described by the Congress, which rules the border state, as a “murder of constitution and democracy” on Republic Day.

“President of India has signed a proclamation under article 356(1) of the constitution, imposing President’s Rule in relation to the state of Arunachal Pradesh and keeping the legislative assembly of the state in suspended animation with effect from January 26,” said a home ministry statement.

“Taking cognisance of the constitutional breakdown that has taken place in the state as reported by the governor of Arunachal Pradesh, the union cabinet in its meeting held on January 24, had recommend to the President to issue such proclamation,” it added.

The Congress slammed the Narendra Modi-led government for rushing to impose President’s rule in the northeastern state, and “disrespecting” the Supreme Court by bypassing it when it was hearing the matter.

(Agencies)

Centre extends AFSPA in Arunachal Pradesh

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Photo: V. Sudershan, The Hindu

Photo: V. Sudershan, The Hindu

New Delhi: India has granted the Army shoot-to-kill powers to fight militants in a wide swathe of the far-flung state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Army was already exercising “special powers” in other northeastern states, where various separatist, leftist and tribal rebels are waging insurgencies, but Arunachal Pradesh has been relatively peaceful until recently.

Last month, three soldiers were killed in an ambush in the state that the Army blamed on militants from the Naga tribe.

Rebel groups have set up camps across the state, the Home Ministry said in its “special powers” order, and use it as a base to launch attacks in the neighboring state of Assam, which has been hardest hit by an upsurge in militancy in the region.

The order, obtained by Reuters and dated March 27, extended the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to all districts of Arunchal Pradesh that border Assam – a measure that will affect most of the state`s 1.3 million people.

“We were compelled to expand the jurisdiction of AFSPA due to a drastic rise in violence in the north-east region. The separatist groups have been targeting the police and security officials,” said a senior home ministry official in New Delhi.

The northeastern states, are connected to the rest of the country by a thin sliver of land, and contain diverse ethnic groups, some with links to neighbouring Myanmar.

Militant activity surged in the states, known as “the Seven Sisters”, last year with 465 deaths reported, up from 252 a year earlier, according to the South Asian Terrorism Portal, a think-tank that tracks militancy.

In Assam, the death toll tripled to 305, making 2014 the state`s worst year since 2009. Only nine people were killed last year in Arunchal Pradesh.

The special powers for “disturbed areas” was first used in 1958 to control Naga separatists, and was subsequently extended to most of the north-east. It has been in force in the disputed region of Kashmir since 1990.

Human rights groups blame AFSPA for a host of extra-judicial killings and arbitrary detentions by security forces. On Wednesday, lawmakers in Kashmir called for it to be repealed.

Citizens from the rest of India require a permit to visit Arunchal Pradesh, which is the size of Austria, and heavily militarised along parts of border with China.

China has not responded to the new measure, but Beijing has become increasingly vocal in recent years about India`s control of the region it calls South Tibet.

(Reuters)

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