Naga leader Muivah wary of India after Kashmir status scrapped

[Kailash Kumar]

Naga leader Muivah wary of India after Kashmir status scrapped

Veteran Naga leader Muivah says New Delhi's abrupt decision to strip Kashmir's special status was 'unacceptable'.

Makepeace Sitlhou

an hour ago

Muivah said he is confident that he can work it out with parties with apparently conflicting interests

Camp Hebron, Nagaland -

Thuingaleng Muivah, leader of India's oldest rebel organisation, has told Al Jazeera that he felt the Indian government's abrupt decision to strip Kashmir's special status was "unacceptable".

The 85-year-old leads the National Socialist Council of Nagalim - Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) - northeast India's largest rebel outfit with an estimated 5,000 to 15,000 members fighting for independence for more than four decades.

NSCN-IM, formed in 1980, along with other armed groups based in Nagaland - a Christian-majority state - wants all Naga people unified in a new sovereign state called Nagalim.

But the August 5 decision by the Indian government to scrap Article 370 of the constitution that granted Indian-administered Kashmir a measure of autonomy has triggered anxieties across the northeast region.

Nagaland is safeguarded by Article 371A, which exempts it from following Indian laws.

Seven northeast states, including parts of Assam state, are protected under various clauses of Article 371.

"India's Kashmir decision [was taken] without respecting the history of the Kashmiris. [It] is not acceptable to us," he said.

Expressing disappointment with the way the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi diluted Kashmir's special status, Muivah said he feels "nothing short of betrayal" since India removed Kashmir's special status and brought its only Muslim-majority region under direct central rule.

Although India's hardline Home Minister Amit Shah has reassured regional leaders in the northeast that Article 371 will not be scrapped, rebel groups fear that the current Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government may dilute these constitutional provisions as part of its "one nation one constitution" vision.

Question over Naga sovereignty
NSCN-IM, which signed a ceasefire deal in 1997, wants Nagalim to include all Naga-majority areas straddling across Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh states, as well as a part of western Myanmar across the border.

In 2015, the rebel group led by Muivah signed a 16-point framework agreement with Prime Minister Modi and interlocutor RN Ravi but talks aimed at arriving at a political solution has dragged on.

Muivah, who is based at Camp Hebron, the headquarters of the self-styled Government of the People's Republic of Nagalim, has expressed concerns at talks.

NSCN-IM signed a 16-point framework with Modi government in 2015

Speaking from the camp spread across 81 hectares (200 acres) in Peren district of Nagaland, he said the Indian government was backtracking on the question of Nagaland's sovereignty, a separate constitution for the state and a flag for the Nagas.

"Suddenly, they want the Nagas to come within the union of India. This came as a surprise to us," he told Al Jazeera. "Sorry, but that is not possible."

In 1980, the NSCN-IM broke away from the first armed group formed in the 1960s, the Naga National Council, after a group of leaders signed the Shillong Accord in 1975, accepting the constitution of India, without condition.

Prior to the accord, a group of leaders led by Muivah had fled to China where they were believed to have been trained by the People's Liberation Army.

While no definitive figures are available, the armed rebellion has cost lives running up to thousands, including civilians and Indian armed forces personnel.

Since the framework agreement was signed, speculations have been rife over the kind of Naga sovereignty being negotiated.

'Divisions among rebel ranks'
Alex Waterman, a research fellow at the University of Leeds, said that bilateral talks have suited New Delhi's interests.

"This meant the [Naga] parties were divided and couldn't bring combined clout to the negotiating table," he told Al Jazeera referring to divisions among rebel ranks.

"It also suited the NSCN-IM, as it has needed to be able to stake the claim that its peace process is the only legitimate one to fend off rival factions and consolidate its 'government' in its areas of influence."

But now, Muivah alleges, the government has gone back on its commitment.

Despite repeated requests, government interlocutor and current Nagaland Governor RN Ravi declined to give a comment to Al Jazeera.

On the face of it, NSCN-IM demand for an integrated Nagalim goes head to head with Modi's vision of "one nation one constitution".

Soon after independence from Britain in 1947, India integrated about 500 provinces and princely states but some of them joined on the condition that they would be accorded special rights. Hence India's constitution guaranteed limited autonomy to some northeast states as well as disputed Kashmir region.

Senior journalist Bharat Bhushan says the Modi government is "keen on forging India as a unitary state".

"Our federalism is asymmetric as there are special constitutional provisions for different states. However, keen on forging India as a unitary state, the present political dispensation in Delhi seeks uniformity in dealing with all the states of the union in the same manner," he told Al Jazeera.

Pro-India parties
The Indian National Congress (INC) party, which dominated the politics of the state for decades, has been accused of dragging its feet on the issue.

But K Therie, president of the Congress party in Nagaland, said that the party "gave us full statehood and protection under 371A".

"Now even separate flag and constitution are ruled out. We fear that Article 371 will also be removed," he told Al Jazeera.

But the current state government, which runs in coalition with the BJP, has resolved to continue "facilitating" the peace process.

Mhonlumo Kikon, a BJP member of Legislative Assembly and Advisor to the Government of Nagaland, said the government is ensuring whatever legislative or public support needed for the solution.

"We are in constant consultation with Naga civil society and all possible stakeholders," he told Al Jazeera.

The Modi government has set October 31 deadline to arrive at a solution but with many issues still remained to be ironed out, the possibility of a final deal looks remote.

Seven other Naga groups, who are also part of the talks, are open to signing the deal, but NSCN-IM is adamant on a separate flag and constitution.

Experts fear that any accord signed without consensus may fail, such as the Shillong Accord.

Oscar Fernandes, a former minister in the Congress government who was part of negotiations in the early 2000s, said that the talks would get stalled at the integration of so-called Naga contiguous areas within India.

States of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are opposed to ceding their Naga areas to the future Nagalim state.

"I can't comment on what the government has in store for them. But I hope the solution comes once and for all," he told Al Jazeera.

Muivah said he is confident that he can work it out with parties with apparently conflicting interests. True to their motto, he asks to repose faith in the Lord above all else.

"Nagalim is for Christ, so we will not betray. If we betray, God will no longer be with us."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019...-kashmir-status-scrapped-191003082336819.html

 

[swnjo]

Nagaland =\= kashmir
Article 371 =\= article 370
Naga people =\= jihadi stone pelter of kashmir

As much as al-jazeera may try to twist the news, the ground realities are not going to change.

 

[Ritual]

Nagaland =\= kashmir
Article 371 =\= article 370
Naga people =\= jihadi stone pelter of kashmir

As much as al-jazeera may try to twist the news, the ground realities are not going to change.

Why do young boys throwing stones bother you so much, while you let mob lynchers roam free?

 

[halupridol]

Nagaland =\= kashmir
Article 371 =\= article 370
Naga people =\= jihadi stone pelter of kashmir

As much as al-jazeera may try to twist the news, the ground realities are not going to change.

My solution for kashmir valley---
Settle half a dozen naga tribes in kashmir,call thm laddakhis or whatever,,,u can bet tht within few years kashmiri muslim bhayyas will start loving hindu bhayyas.
Btw pujar xuvessa thakil k bro

 

[hussain0216]

My solution for kashmir valley---
Settle half a dozen naga tribes in kashmir,call thm laddakhis or whatever,,,u can bet tht within few years kashmiri muslim bhayyas will start loving hindu bhayyas.
Btw pujar xuvessa thakil k bro

The whole point is that they hate Indians and want partition and independence as per the struggle in the 1930s and 40s not various forms of foreigners in their land

 

[Lincoln]

Nagaland =\= kashmir
Article 371 =\= article 370
Naga people =\= jihadi stone pelter of kashmir

As much as al-jazeera may try to twist the news, the ground realities are not going to change.

1.1547326 =/= 1.1547327 indeed

But they have many similarities you conveniently ignored.

 

[Whirling_dervesh]

dude these are chinese looking folk...bhangees think they own the whole world

 

[halupridol]

The whole point is that they hate Indians and want partition and independence as per the struggle in the 1930s and 40s not various forms of foreigners in their land

Foreigners have been invading n making bhayyas thr fraand since ancient times.
U shud read some history,,,kashmiris hate at first thn they wise up n jump ships,,,they have been doing this since milleniums.
Btw i thought u believed in god n his word.ticket to seventh heaven r being distributed in kashmir,,,if u really believe thn stop this tirade on internet n join jihad against oppressors,,,either u win or u go to jannatul firdaus.
But thn u r a bhayya,,,only bak bak

 

[Flash_Ninja]

Foreigners have been invading n making bhayyas thr fraand since ancient times.
U shud read some history,,,kashmiris hate at first thn they wise up n jump ships,,,they have been doing this since milleniums.
Btw i thought u believed in god n his word.ticket to seventh heaven r being distributed in kashmir,,,if u really believe thn stop this tirade on internet n join jihad against oppressors,,,either u win or u go to jannatul firdaus.
But thn u r a bhayya,,,only bak bak

You should learn how to write in English first.

I cant even imagine how stupid your comment is if thats how you type

 

[The_Showstopper]

Nagaland =\= kashmir
Article 371 =\= article 370
Naga people =\= jihadi stone pelter of kashmir

As much as al-jazeera may try to twist the news, the ground realities are not going to change.

So in short, you meant "Mera khoon, khoon hai aur tumhara khoon, paani!!!"...

Anyways let me reiterate that Nagaland is an integral part of India and one day there will be no 371, no separate constitution or flag for Nagaland...

 

[swnjo]

So in short, you meant "Mera khoon, khoon hai aur tumhara khoon, paani!!!"...

Anyways let me reiterate that Nagaland is an integral part of India and one day there will be no 371, no separate constitution or flag for Nagaland...

there wont be seperate anything. speak to common naga people. they are not kashmiri stone pelters. anyways these groups are of little significance. GOI should speed up investment and developement, all these cadre of nscn will vanish in a day.

the author also write for voice of fashion btw, just incase anyone cares.




Browmance in the Northeast
by Makepeace Sitlhou
February 11, 2019

From shading, feathering to microblading—eyebrows engineer a new beauty industry in the region

“I don’t leave home without it. It has become a part of my identity now,” my cousin tells me as we compare styles and products that have worked for us. Every woman of my generation in my family, and younger, now shapes their eyebrows as a part of their daily beauty regimen. A late bloomer on many counts, I was fairly late to this party (as well) until I realised that the faces of most of my family members appeared sharper and well-defined. My niece, a young college student in Delhi, says that shaping her brows has become second nature. “It’s the first thing I do after I wake up every morning”.

Like many other ethnicities in the North Eastern region, women from the Chin-Mizo-Kuki ethnic tribes that I belong to have naturally sparse body hair. We’ve never needed, or wanted, to get our eyebrows ‘threaded’ as was the norm when thinner brows ruled the roost. However, what I once considered to be nature’s ultimate money-saver now feels like at the shorter end of the stick. Admittedly, it was odd at first to have something that looked so clearly plastered on my face. But as I got better at shading and arching my brows, it became an important piece of a puzzle that I never realised was missing from my face all this time.

Eyebrow shaping has been around for a much longer time, when thin brows were in vogue in the ’60s and the ’70s. Daribha Lyndem, who was born to a Khasi mother and Goan father, said her mom and aunts used to pencil in their eyebrows for a thinner, lesser arched line. “Since I have Dkhar (a Khasi reference to Lyndem’s South Asian ethnicity blood, l had really bushy eyebrows but was never particularly conscious of them”, she said. The Mumbai-based government servant said that her brows were a rare feature among the natives in Shillong (Meghalaya), where she grew up.

“People found them remarkably unique and my aunts would advise me not to thread them. I started gelling them way back in the day to for a fuller look”, she said. Lyndem still prefers to use a pencil to give it a richer definition in addition to plucking out the untamed strands.

Microblading


The Fine Art of Eyebrow Shaping
For other women from the region, however, eyebrow shaping is an exercise in fine art. From the outline to the density of the strands in different places to using makeup aids like concealers for the curves and arches--it is both time-consuming and expensive. In the span of a year, I have used at least five brands for concealers in the variety of kohl, crayon, wax, gel and powder.

Linnotha Jajo easily spends up to 15 minutes on shaping her brows. “One has to sharpen the tip well as it draws better that way and know which brow shape would suit your face. You have to try out a few to know that”, she says. In her daily grind as an English teacher in a high school, however, she wears a far more sobered down look. “I have no particular obsession with thicker eyebrows. It’s about keeping my face tidy and no makeup is complete without doing your brows”, she said adding, “Of course, thicker eyebrows make you look younger”.

Linnotha Jajo easily spends up to 15 minutes on shaping her brows.

While American model and actor Cara Delevingne may have reset the Frida Kahlo-esque brows for the 21st century, Instagram certainly helped to consumerise the trend through its validation of selfies. With multiple hashtags like #browsonfleek #instagrambrows #browsonpoint, you’re treated to a range of shapes (and colours) achieved through makeup or cosmetic tattooing. To cut the daily grind of plumping your brows using wax, gel or powder, an inflating number of women are getting them ‘micro-bladed’.

The Feathering Fancy
Microblading, feathering or shading is a slightly less invasive form of skin pigmentation using a super fine pen to draw strokes, feathers and shades to fill in your eyebrows for a fuller and shapelier look.

Lalrohlua Chhakchhuak, a makeup artist and hairdresser in Aizawl (Mizoram) better known as ‘Hlutea’, roots the fuller look back to late British actor Audrey Hepburn. “However, people here do not have any idols or models in mind. They pick a shape that matches their face”, he says. After doing a course on microblading in Thailand last year, Hlutea started offering it in Aizawl and the response has been quite encouraging. In India, makeup artists charge anywhere from ₹5000 to ₹10,000 for blading.

Remi Bawihtlung

Microblading is a slightly less invasive form of skin pigmentation using a super fine pen


The Surgical Strike
Despite Youtube tutorials on buying brushes recommended by makeup artists, Remi Bawihtlung could never do her brows right. But she didn’t run to the first beautician who offered the service in Aizawl, where she works as a radio jockey. “Since it was going to be permanent ink on my face, I was a bit apprehensive to just get it done anywhere. I finally went to Hlutea since he was good at drawing fine eyebrows”, she said.

While looking for microblading options in Guwahati, Assam, (where I live), I came across Mon Joven Hair Transplant and Cosmetic Clinic instead, which also offered to alter eyebrows. The founder is surgeon, Dr Porag Neog who has been transplanting eyebrow hair in the Northeast region since 2010. However, the demand has been building only in the last few years.

A surgical procedure done under local anaesthesia, Dr Neog transplants the hair follicles from the back of the head to the brow area. While hair transplant gives more depth of perception and therefore, a natural look, the costs of a surgery (from ₹40-45,000) and post-operative care can be a bit tedious. “Since you’re going against nature, the transplanted hair will first shed and it won’t be before four months that the new hair grows. And since it’s hair from your back, you need to keep trimming it”, he said.

Besides eyebrow transplant, Dr Neog says, Asian Blepharoplasty, or cosmetic double eyelid surgery, is seeing an increasing demand in the Northeast. Considering the fanaticism around K-pop (Korean pop) culture in the region, microblading or eyelid surgery is well on track to take the region by a storm despite the bad press it received ten years back. “The ones who come for eyelids want to get rid of their Oriental looks in favour of more Caucasian features”, he says, while remaining alert to any signs of body dysmorphia.

Whereas I’ve spent the year getting the ‘Kardashian’ (social media and reality television personality Kim Kardashian) arches to fleek, a straighter line has already taken obsession. In the wave of eyebrow fads, now a full-time occupation in the beauty industry in the West, the Korean style has taken over at a time when Asian actors and celebrities gain more prominence. The ‘boy brow’, according to Elle Australia, gives one’s face a more ‘natural looking shape’, makes one look younger and is less fuss to shape than arches. In fact, a lot of Northeast girls now are into the ‘straight line’ Korean style, which better suits their Oriental features.

Hauner feels a definite improvement from the crescent moon-shaped brows that rested on her small face that microblading fixed with sharper edges. “Whether late at night or early in the morning, my brows are perfect. Now I am ready to strike a pose or take a selfie anytime,” she said.

https://thevoiceoffashion.com/fabric-of-india/inside-northeast/browmance-in-the-northeast--2167

 

[The_Showstopper]

there wont be seperate anything. speak to common naga people. they are not kashmiri stone pelters. anyways these groups are of little significance. GOI should speed up investment and developement, all these cadre of nscn will vanish in a day.

I've seen these "common" naga people celebrating their independence day on Pakistan's independence day. If these groups and its cadres do not vanish soon, a bullet should be put in their head.

 

[halupridol]

I've seen these "common" naga people celebrating their independence day on Pakistan's independence day. If these groups and its cadres do not vanish soon, a bullet should be put in their head.

U mean u have seen some students union/politicos with nagalim flag.
I doubt mainlanders can even name 3-4 nagaland towns,,, let alone understand common naga ppl.
Btw ne rebels have been crushed harder thn kashmiri mujahidins.
AFSPA started here in ne,,, but since kashmiris r bhayya n muslim, , they get attention.

 

[The_Showstopper]

U mean u have seen some students union/politicos with nagalim flag.
I doubt mainlanders can even name 3-4 nagaland towns,,, let alone understand common naga ppl

Students to celebrate Naga I-Day on August 14, hoist own ‘national flag’

Source:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nat...ugust-14-hoist-own-national-flag-2018432.html

Manipur: Nagas celebrate Independence Day, hoist ‘Naga National Flag’ across the state

Source:
https://indianexpress.com/article/n...-naga-national-flag-across-the-state-5905839/

 

[halupridol]

Students to celebrate Naga I-Day on August 14, hoist own ‘national flag’

Source:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nat...ugust-14-hoist-own-national-flag-2018432.html

Manipur: Nagas celebrate Independence Day, hoist ‘Naga National Flag’ across the state

Source:
https://indianexpress.com/article/n...-naga-national-flag-across-the-state-5905839/

Students union n politicos