Sangma plans new party for tribals

Shillong, Aug 1: The 2012 presidential poll was not an end in itself but the beginning of a new chapter in the complex Indian political system.

This was the message from the man who had never lost any election in his career until the July 19 presidential poll.

After having fought a losing battle in the bitter war for Raisina Hill, former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma today set the tone for the formation of a new political party, which would be “tribal-centric”, but “open for all”.

Sangma was here to thank the people of his home state, who had supported, voted and prayed for him during the recent presidential poll.

The veteran politician met several state NCP leaders at the residence of leader of the Opposition Conrad K. Sangma.

“The last presidential election had given an opportunity to the tribal people of India to articulate their aspirations and hope. It has brought political awareness to the tribal people and it will be the beginning of a united movement of the tribals for their rights,” the former Lok Sabha Speaker told reporters.

He said on August 9, observed as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, tribal leaders from all over the country will be meeting at Raipur in Chhattisgarh.

They will take stock of the presidential poll and chart a “future plan for the tribals”.

“I will address the gathering to thank all the tribal people and also to call for unity,” Sangma said.

On reports that he will float a new political party, Sangma said, “As of now, nothing has been finalised, as discussions are still going on.”

“The core committee of the Tribal Forum of India will meet soon in New Delhi where a delegation will meet the Election Commission to discuss the possibility of launching a new party, which will be tribal-centric, but open to all,” Sangma said.

The forum had projected Sangma as a candidate during the presidential poll against UPA nominee Pranab Mukherjee.

Moreover, he said post-presidential election, he had met tribal leaders from Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Assam and consulted them.

Stating that he would never contest any future state election, Sangma said he was not interested to be elected to the Rajya Sabha, as he desired to be voted by the people.

“I may not even contest the Lok Sabha elections from Meghalaya. There are around 50 reserved seats in the country. I can contest from anywhere,” he said.

Conrad, who is the former Lok Sabha Speaker’s younger son, said the entire purpose of today’s gathering was to felicitate the presidential candidate.

On whether the Meghalaya NCP would be marching together with the senior Sangma, Conrad said, “We are still in a consultative mode where a decision would be taken by the majority. We are discussing with everyone concerned.”

The state will be going to the polls in February-March next year to constitute the ninth Meghalaya Assembly.

The state NCP had already announced the list of several candidates who will contest the polls.

IPACC Workshop in Pretoria

Photo from www.ipacc.org.za

Lesle Jansen of Natural Justice participated in a workshop hosted by Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee (IPACC) in Pretoria from 23-25 July. IPACC is a network of over 155 organizations in 22 African countries working towards the recognition of indigenous peoples in Africa. The workshop focused on indigenous peoples’ rights and recognition in South Africa and took place at the University of Pretoria. The participants included the representatives of the National Khoe-San Council (comprising the Nama, San, Cape Khoe, Koranna and Griqua), counterparts from the San and Nama community in Namibia and Botswana, and San youth from the Khwattu Cultural Centre. 

The workshop reviewed the current negotiations by the National Khoe-San Council and the United Nations norms and standards regarding indigenous peoples. It further reviewed the pending National Traditional Affairs Bill that will be giving formal recognition to the Khoe and San traditional leadership amongst others. The second day was an interactive session with the different government ministries. The workshop saw a presentation on UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s foundational principles of self-determination and indigenous institutions and shared platforms for policy dialogue. The last day ended with a mapping of the way forward in addressing the issues the Khoe and San community continues to face.

Siu Community Petition on Lamu Land

The Siu community in Lamu, Kenya, have taken the step of developing and signing a petition, presented to the Kenyan National Assembly on 21 June 2012, on the irregular allocation of land in Lamu. 

The petition, signed by 294 members of the Lamu community states: 

"We, the undersigned citizens of Kenya who are residents of Siu Town in Lamu and squatters, draw the attention of the House to the following: 

That aware that a committee with a membership of seven people was established in Lamu; whereas the committee was created to facilitate land re-settlement of all landless people in the area, on the contrary, the committee has allocated most of the land to members themselves, their family members, relatives and friends as well as foreigners at the expense of more than 300 residents who are landless; 

whereas the committee was to facilitate the landless to be resettled, there has emerged an agency operating for rich people from Lamu and other areas willing to buy land from the region at some fee;

whereas the land from Kwang’ombe Area which is within Siu Location was allocated to Rasini residents of Faza Locations and such complaints were made to the office concerned, but nothing has been done to date. 

Therefore, your humble petitioners pray that Parliament and the Committee concerned, investigates the matter with a view to establishing genuine squatters and issuance of title deeds in an equitable manner to the residents and cancellation of all title deeds which have been irregularly issued and your petitioners will ever pray." 

Submission of the petition encouraged discussion within the Assembly, with recognition by members that the people of Lamu need protection from land speculators.

Cement plants ruining caves in Meghalaya

SHILLONG: Indian sub-continent's longest and deepest cave system, the Kotsati at Lumshnong in Janitia hills, is under threat from a cement plants that have come up in the area under questionable circumstances. A few years ago, the Meghalaya government had approved two cement plants under the North East Industrial Policy at Lumshnong, where some of India's natural and ancient cave systems are located.

Kotsati, which measures 21.56 km, and other smaller caves - each a treasure trove of palaeontological, speleological, karstological, and environmental research - are said to be facing the threat of extinction owing to unmindful limestone quarrying. Environmentalists fear that the entire cave system could perish if things carried on as they are.

Most of the 24 openings to the Kotsati-Umlawan cave system are said to have been adversely affected not just by pollutants, but also by quarry deposits that have blocked the entrances and destroyed breathtaking coral and stalactite formations along with a 'virgin river passage' that flows inside it. "The project costs of both the cement companies have been grossly undervalued on paper to get easy environment clearance certificate from the State Pollution Control Board," said an environmentalist.

Experts claim that the destruction of some of "the unique and rare cave systems" of the world has already begun. Most have blamed the state government for allowing the cement plants to come up in these areas which are homes to historic natural biodiversity spots, including the Narpuh Reserve Forest.

"Everything will be ruined... the history, the distinctive cave life, the beautiful stalagmites," said an ardent speleologist who did not want to be named. "Documentation of some of the caves in Meghalaya, like the Bhuban cave in Nongjri under the East Khasi hills district date back to the 1827 or a little earlier and it would suffice to say that the caves provide for a comprehensive study of the environment," he said.

The cavers say they are not against development plans but emphasize that there should be some balance. "Do we have the right to destroy India's longest caves?" one of them asked.

Public-Private Exchange on ABS in Mozambique

From 24-26 July, Gino Cocchiaro of Natural Justice participated in the Public-Private Exchange on ABS Implementation for the Southern Africa Region, which took place in Maputo, Mozambique. The meeting was jointly organized by the ABS Capacity Development Initiative, Phytotrade Africa and the Union for Ethical Biotrade. The meeting followed Phytotrade Africa's Annual General Meeting and was attended by representatives from the South African government, companies, co-operatives, associations, research and other organizations involved in biotrade and natural products’ research, development and commercialization. The focus of the discussion was on the practical methods of implementation of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing in the SADC region.

Natural Justice presented on its work with communities involved in ABS and biotrade, which includes the development of specific biocultural community protocols, assisting in biocultural dialogues and supporting biotrade.

KSU detects ‘infiltrators’

Busloads of people bound for mines sent back The ‘infiltrators’ after being detected by KSU activists in Shillong on Saturday.

Shillong, July 30 : Hundreds of alleged “infiltrators”, who were on their way to the coal-mining belt of Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills district and Silchar in Assam, were detected last evening by Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) activists near the city.

This incident has raised questions about the fate and implementation of the much talked about anti-infiltration directorate, which was promised last year by the Meghalaya government.

Last evening, KSU activists first detected a night super bus carrying Nepali citizens, including women and children, near the municipal waste dumping yard at Marten on the Guwahati-Shillong Road. According to the activists, the people inside the bus (WB-73-C-2444), around 80 of them, did not have proper documents to ascertain their claims that they were Indian nationals.

The bus driver’s version was that the passengers were supposed to dismount near Anjalee cinema hall here, creating suspicion in the minds of the KSU activists as night super buses usually disembark passengers at the Polo parking lot.

When some activists enquired about the passengers, they were told that their destination was Lad Rymbai, a coal mining area in Jaintia Hills.

Soon after, on the same route, the activists detected another bus, which was on its way to Silchar in Assam, and similar events unfolded.

The activists told the passengers in both the buses to return to Guwahati with a warning never to come back again.

KSU Mawlai circle publicity secretary Artis Ryntathiang said the union started upping its vigil on night super buses coming to the city in the aftermath of the BTAD clashes suspecting that immigrants who were affected by the violence have started trickling in to Meghalaya.

For years now, the KSU and other pressure groups have been conducting such inspections to stop alleged infiltrators, travelling without proper documents, to enter the state.

Last year, after several pressure groups agitated to press for strong measures to tackle influx, the state government had promised to come up with an anti-infiltration directorate. The mandate of the directorate, which would be under the home department, was to put a check on influx both at the international and inter-state borders.

Chief minister Mukul Sangma had stated that the directorate, which will replace the existing infiltration branch of the police department, would be made functional soon.

At present, the major infiltration checkgates are located at Byrnihat in Ri Bhoi district and Umkiang in Jaintia Hills.

Recently, when asked about the fate of the directorate, state home minister H.D.R. Lyngdoh said it would be made functional “very soon”.

In 2010, the chief minister said the government would bring a legislation to empower the community in curbing influx, adding that necessary mechanisms would be incorporated within the legislation to thwart abuse of power by the community members while dealing with influx.

New film: "Palawan: Our struggle for nature and culture"

Ancestral Land/Domain Watch (ALDAW), a local network of indigenous people struggling for the protection of their ancestral lands against large-scale corporations in the Philippines, has produced a short film entitled "Palawan: Our struggle for nature and culture". The synopsis is as follows:

The struggle to save Palawan (known as the Philippines’ Last Frontier) is not only about saving trees and rare species. It is also about nourishing the Filipino cultural heritage, so powerfully represented by those indigenous communities that - after escaping Spanish and American colonization and while resisting the new ‘mining imperialism’ now - continue to represent the 'living roots' from which all Filipinos originate. According to the filmmakers, environmental plundering by mining companies is not only a crime against nature but it is also a crime against culture, a sort of genocide that annihilates the most profound roots of the Filipino's history and ultimately plunders the cultural heritage of the whole nation. In this film, Kawali, the mythical ancestor depicted by Batak narrators, emphasises humility and trust towards the supernatural beings in charge of animals and plants. On the contrary, the attitude of Kawali’s brother-in-law comes to represent the epitome of inappropriate behaviour, such as the lack of respect towards the mystical keepers of animals and here, specifically, towards the “father of bees”, a relationship that contemporary Batak continues to restore though the lambay ceremony. The sudden switch between the narration of the Batak myth and the threats posed by mining companies serves to introduce the advocacy efforts of ALDAW.

ALDAW would like you to circulate these links amongst your friends and networks and kindly consider signing the following online petitions:

• No to Mining in Palawan
• Stop Mining Palawan Forest

New RRI Report on NRM

With increased pressures upon the environment, and growing awareness of the need to engage broader populations in conservation efforts, the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) has released a new series of papers which spotlight women activists involved in natural resource management (NRM) in Nepal, Indonesia and China, along with more general research on the intersection of NRM and gender in Asia. The compilation is entitled ‘The Challenges of Securing Women’s Tenure and Leadership for Forest Management: The Asian Experience.’ The research focuses on status of forest tenure rights and gender rights in the case studies considered, and illustrates that ‘exclusion and inequality on gender grounds are still rife and complicated by the intersection of cultural and social norms, economic pressures, and inadequate legal and institutional frameworks.’ 

The summary of the research can be downloaded here. The full document can be downloaded here. The RRI press release and the individual briefs can be found here.

New Film on BCPs

As biocultural community protocols continue to spread around the world as means of community self-articulation and legal protection, a new film entitled ‘Biocultural Community Protocols: Articulating and Asserting Stewardship’ has been released. The film was directed by Sanjay Barnela and produced by Natural Justice in collaboration with Moving Images, India. The film was funded by the Shuttleworth Foundation. 

The film follows the experiences of two communities, the traditional healers of Bushbuckridge, South Africa, and the Raika community of Rajasthan, India. The film can be accessed here. Read more about community protocols here. The Bushbuckridge BCP can be downloaded here and the Raika BCP can be downloaded here. 

New Paper on Traditional Resource Rights

Traditional resource rights (TRRs) are an integrated rights approach developed by Darrell Posey and colleagues in the 1990s. TRRs emerged as the result of an explicitly political legal project to more accurately reflect Indigenous peoples' and local communities’ views and concerns, and focused on integrating otherwise disparate legal regimes, instruments, and provisions. Posey describes TRRs in the seminal paper Indigenous Peoples and Traditional Resource Rights as constituting "bundles of rights" already widely recognised by international legally and non-legally binding agreements. TRRs, therefore, recognizes the “inextricable link between cultural and biological diversity and sees no contradiction between the human rights of Indigenous and local communities, including the right to development and environmental conservation.” 

The paper entitled: 'Recalling Traditional Resource Rights: An Integrated Rights Approach to Biocultural Diversity' by Natural Justice's Harry Jonas and Holly Shrumm provides an overview of the concept and suggests that TRRs are worthy of reengagement and reconceptualization in the current context. The paper is available here.

New UNEP Global Environment Outlook

The Earth System is the basis for all of the consumption and work undertaken by the 7 billion human beings who now live on earth. Through increased exploitation of the earth’s resources, the Earth System’s ability to sustain human existence is rapidly deteriorating. The fifth United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Environment Outlook (GEO), released this month, traces the state and trends of the global environment through a wealth of data, information and knowledge about the environment. It also links this information to potential policy responses and provides an outlook into the future of the environment. 

The GEO is divided into three sections. The first, the state and trends of the global environment, uses the drivers, pressures, state, impacts and responses (DPSIR) analytical framework to investigate the latest state and trends of the global environment under the themes of atmosphere, land, water, biodiversity, and chemicals and waste. The second presents an appraisal of policy options that show potential for enabling the accomplishment of internationally agreed goals. The final section considers options for a global response. 

Natural Justice team members Johanna von Braun, Kabir Bavikatte and Holly Shrumm contributed to chapter five of the GEO which focuses on global threats to biodiversity. Natural Justice partners Bas Verschuuren (ETC COMPAS) and Ashish Kothari (Kalpavriksh) also contributed to chapter five. 

The full GEO can be downloaded here. Chapter five on biodiversity can be downloaded here.

Continuing Negotiations on Traditional Cultural Expressions Legal Instrument

The World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) Intergovernmental Commission’s (IGC) negotiations on the draft text of an international legal instrument on the protection of traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) continued from 13-17 July, 2012. The WIPO Secretariat announced that good progress was made on the definition of protectable TCEs, the identification of beneficiaries, and exceptions and limitations to the scope of protection. An informal expert group has been established to reduce the number of options in the text. The text will be shared with the WIPO General Assembly as a work in progress when it meets in October 2012. The General Assembly will consider the need for additional IGC meetings and decide whether to convene a Diplomatic Conference. 

There is still no consensus on whether the negotiations will result in three separate instruments on genetic resources, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, or if there will be one combined instrument. There is also disagreement around the nature of the instrument(s), namely whether they will be legally binding or not. 

While representatives of indigenous peoples were allocated a greater role in the discussions, they were not able to achieve the changes in the WIPO rules that they sought. The Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus released a closing statement expressing their disappointment that the IGC ‘has not substantive and concrete steps to ensure the full, equal, and direct participation of Indigenous Peoples in WIPO Processes that affect us.’ 

A summary of the proceedings can be found here. The meeting documents can be found here. The Indigenous Peoples' Caucus's closing statement can be found here. 

Greenpeace Panel on India's Nuclear Liability Act

On 16 July, 2012, Greenpeace India held a panel discussion at the National Law School of India University in Bangalore to explore issues surrounding the nature of supplier liability under the recent Nuclear Liability Act 2010, as well as the disjuncture between the purpose of the Act and its proposed rules of implementation. The rules limit the right of recourse of the operator (ie the right of the nuclear operator to sue the supplier in case the incident of a disaster was due to the fault of the supplier such as faulty material with defects). 

Natural Justice’s Arpitha Kodiveri highlighted the reasons and consequences of such a disjuncture between the rules and the Act and engaged with the students on possible ways to bring this issue to light. The rules are being discussed in the monsoon session of Parliament. 

The panel discussion concluded with few key observations: 

• The proposed rules should be amended to give effect to the purpose of the Act to allow operators to sue nuclear suppliers in case of nuclear damage caused due to their negligence; 

• Measures should be taken to create financial security measures and insurance facilities for operators so that they can bear the cost of a nuclear incident without causing suffering to the victims of such incident.

NISG Hyderabad inks MOA with IIM Shillong for setting up centre of excellence for e-governance

GUWAHATI: What may come as a big boost to e-governance project in Northeast India, National Institute of Smart governance ( NISG), Hyderabad has inked memorandum of agreement with Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong for setting up centre of excellence for e-governance projects.

Under the MOA according to former Director of IIM Shillong, Ashoke K Dutta both the organizations will jointly work to identify e-governance projects in Northeast India.

Meghalaya miners: Rescue operations called off

by Rahul Karmakar

Guwahati, July 19 : Operations to rescue 15 miners trapped in a water-filled Meghalaya coalmine since July 6 afternoon were called off on Friday as slushy conditions were beyond the scope of the rescuers. Failure of magnetic life detectors to locate any heartbeat was also a factor.

A 31-member team of the
National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) had reached the mine at Rongsa Awe village Wednesday night. The team called off the mission after 14 hours of search.

“The NDRF submitted a report saying they found no trappers. They also said the chances of their survival in highly acidic water were very thin,” South Garo Hills district deputy commissioner in-charge RP Marak said.

“Because of incessant rainfall, the mine access was slushy. Our canine squad, capable of sniffing up to 50-60ft did not find sings of life beneath. Neither did our magnetic life detectors register any heartbeat. That area needs excavators and earthmovers to get to the trapped miners,” NDRF commandant AK Singh told HT.

Singh added the rescue mission could have borne fruit had they received information immediately. “The incident happened on Friday, and it wasn’t until Monday or Tuesday that mine operators informed the local authorities. This is too long a time.”

Mines in Meghalaya are owned by the tribal communities. Though mining laws are applicable, the government seldom interferes. Multi-layered systems of governance – traditional village durbars, jurisdiction of king-like chieftains and district councils – with overlapping jurisdiction also add to the confusion.

“Rat-hole mines are not only dangerous for miners; they are a threat to the environment. Mine owners, enjoying patronage from the power lobby, are least bothered if abandoned mines are sealed to prevent disasters. And because of unscientific mining, we have ended up with dead rivers with no aquatic life forms left,” green activist HH Mohrmen said from Jaintia Hills district headquarters Jowai.

Meanwhile, the local police arrested the mine owner – he is also the headman of the village – a foreman and a head labourer on Thursday for causing death due to negligence. Mine operator Gurdeep Singh had been arrested earlier this week.

When stressors collide

Though not exactly ecology, this week’s “HIV/AIDS in America” special issue in Science highlights an important trend that applies to all sciences involving the public well being: the extent to which economically marginalized communities bear the brunt of many challenges, be it the HIV/AIDS epidemic, or, as our lab has pointed out in the past, biodiversity loss.

This message about economic vulnerability and HIV is made clear in the issue’s news feature A Tale of 10 Cities by Jon Cohen, which does a nice job of highlighting how economic and social stability have major consequences for prevention and treatment of infection in individuals, and, one imagines, on the overall infection dynamics as well. While much of the the article’s focus is on prevention and treatment programs in cities across the United States, Cohen also describes how structures that uproot people, such as borders, can facilitate spread, whereas socially stabilizing structures can minimize it by facilitating access to treatment and acquisition of stable housing for the infected.

It should not come as a surprise that economically vulnerable individuals can be the hardest hit by medical or ecological stressors, but this unfortunate truth seems particularly germane to our present era of exceptional austerity and government cut backs. Economically it has been a tumultuous year across the globe, which has brought many governments to try and curtail long running deficits, yet there is also a much needed place for societal assistance to prevent the most vulnerable from being left behind. There is a role here for academia generally, and science specifically, to guide us through the challenges facing us, and we would all do well to remember that when deciding on the allocation of our limited resources.

State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples

With the threats faced by indigenous peoples and minorities increasing, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) has released its annual “State of the World’s Minorities and Indigenous Peoples Report.” The report finds that “the scale and severity of the threats to indigenous peoples and minorities have reached new proportions, due to an unprecedented demand for the world’s remaining resources.” 

The report “provides concrete evidence of how the generation of vast revenues from logging and dams, oil and mineral extraction, coastal tourism, fish farming, conservation parks and large-scale agriculture, is often at the expense of the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.” According to the report, “despite a wave of new commitments from governments and corporations, the revenues from natural resource development continue to flow out of the regions where poor communities live, while the harms stay behind.” 

The report can be downloaded here. The global press release can be found here. MRG can be found on Facebook (here) and Twitter (here).

Ice Age 4 presentation by Mike Bruford

Below is the powerpoint presentation by Professor Mike Bruford who spoke at the Ice Age 4 Cardiff sciSCREEN on Sunday July 15th.

Ice Age 4 - Professor Mike Bruford

Policy Brief on IPRs and Rio +20

In the aftermath of the United Nations Convention on Sustainable Development (Rio +20), Ahmed Abdel Latif of the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development has prepared a policy brief entitled ‘Intellectual Property Rights and Green Technologies from Rio to Rio: An Impossible Dialogue?’ The brief considers the absence of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) out of Rio +20 relative to the 1992 Conference on Sustainable Development. It examines why common ground was not found at Rio +20. 

The brief “seeks to answer these questions by examining the evolution of the global debate on IPRs and green technologies from the Earth Summit in 1992 to Rio+20. It then makes some suggestions about how to foster a more constructive dialogue on this issue in the aftermath of the Rio+20 Summit.” 

The brief can be downloaded here.

E-Module on TK and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity

Natural Justice has developed a number of draft e-learning modules to support communities developing biocultural community protocols (BCPs) to increase their understanding of key international legal frameworks, concepts and programmes. These modules supplement ‘BCPs: A Toolkit for Community Facilitators’. 

The second module in this series examines international law’s recognition of and protections for communities’ traditional knowledge and sustainable uses of biodiversity. Traditional knowledge, innovations, and practices (often referred together as ‘traditional knowledge’) are developed and nurtured over many generations. They are underpinned by spiritual beliefs and customary laws that reinforce communities’ identities, cultures, and ways of life. They enable communities to live within the natural limits of specific territories, areas, or resources upon which they depend for livelihoods and wellbeing. They are also integral to Indigenous languages, spiritual beliefs, and culturally appropriate education, health, and nutrition. 

There are several international agreements that address traditional knowledge and customary sustainable uses of biodiversity. The focus of this module is the most prominent agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity. From the outset of the Convention, the Preamble recognizes “the close and traditional dependence” of many Indigenous peoples and local communities on biological resources. Thereafter, two Articles in particular grant important rights to Indigenous peoples and local communities: Article 8(j) on traditional knowledge, innovations and practices; and Article 10(c) on customary sustainable uses of biodiversity. 

The module can be downloaded here. The BCP Toolkit can be downloaded here. The documents are not final and any comments can be directed to Holly Shrumm (holly (at) naturaljustice.org) and Harry Jonas (harry (at) naturaljustice.org).

Flooding of coal pit in Meghalaya highlights rat hole mining

Mining operations conducted by drilling a long narrow tunnel downwards from surface are known as rat hole mining. The recourse is to dig narrow holes with minimum effort. This form of mining can only be conducted effectively where the deposits occur close to the surface.

In India, this form of mining is prevalent in the Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya.

The coal is extracted by primitive surface mining method called "rat hole" mining that entails clearing ground vegetation and digging pits ranging from five to 100 square meters to reach the coal seams.

Tunnels two feet in height are made into the seam sideways to extract coal. The miners crouch into these tunnels, equipped with only a flash light and a pick axe to chip away at coal.

Makeshift bamboo ladders take miners down into the pits to chip away through two feet high tunnels. Once the coal has been extracted these mines are abandoned.

Meghalaya has a total coal reserve of 640 million tonnes. The coal is high in sulphur content and is mostly of sub bituminous type.

The absence of state regulation and the lack of strict enforcement of labor laws has also encouraged local entrepreneurs to exploit the cheapest sources of labor - children An estimated 70,000 children under the age of 16 are believed to be working in the Jaintia Hills. Local NGO's surveys reveal that most of these children are trafficked from Bangladesh and Nepal and are kept as bonded labourers until they can pay for their freedom.

Death looms over Meghalaya’s miners, NDRF mission fails

Shillong: Operations to rescue 15 trapped miners from a private coal pit in South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya were today officially called off after 14 hours of intense search failed to yield results and as the mission posed a threat to the rescuers.
“The National Disaster and Rescue Force (NDRF) called off their mission to rescue any trapped miners and they submitted a report citing that they found no trapped miners whose chances of survival are thin,” said district deputy commissioner RP Marak today.

Unsafe underground. Reuters

A 31-member team of the Guwahati-based NDRF personnel called off their rescue mission after 14 hours of intense search and rescue operations by trained divers more than 100 meters underneath the earth’s surface late last night, Marak said.
The trained rescue personnel had descended into the mine on Thursday but till late last night, they failed to come across any of the trapped miners despite using state-of-the-art equipment.
Marak said the rescue mission had to be abandoned today due to the fact that the walls of the tiny “rat-hole” mine from which coal was dug out, was on the verge of collapse after water seeped in.
The district authorities had earlier ordered a judicial enquiry into the incident.
Three persons, the mine owner and a foreman of a clan and a head labourer, were arrested and booked for causing death due to negligence.
At least 15 miners were trapped since last Friday prompting the NDRF personnel to rush to the site in a ‘late rescue’ mission on Thursday, Marak said.
Over 30 miners had gone down to the 100 metre pit at Nengkhol village in Nongalbibra area and accidentally punctured the wall of an abandoned mine full of highly acidic water on 6 July evening.
As the water from the abandoned mine rushed into the pit, 15 managed to escape while the rest were still inside.
Mineral-rich Meghalaya, at present, does not have a mining policy in place and as such coal and other minerals are being extracted by mine owners at their own risk without having any mechanism to check the welfare and safety of miners.
The villages located in the coal belt areas of the state are actually sitting on a network of trenches dug a hundred feet below the surface to excavate coal.

Sangma works his way to the top

Lecturer, lawyer and journalist before joining politics

By Karuna Madan

New Delhi: Purno Agitok Sangma, born on September 1, 1947 in the picturesque West Garo Hills district of the state of Meghalaya in northeast East India, grew up in the small tribal village where he realised quite early in life that he would have to struggle hard to rise in life and education was the only way to overall progress. After completing his graduation from St. Anthony’s College, he went to Dibrugarh University in Assam for his master’s degree in International Relations. Subsequently, he obtained a degree in Law.

Sangma was a lecturer, a lawyer and a journalist before he joined politics. He started his political life as a small-time Congress party worker. However, in 1974, he became the General Secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress (MPYC). In 1975, he was appointed the General Secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) and held that post till 1980.

Sangma entered the national political scene in 1977 when the country was preparing for the sixth general elections.

Sangma was not only associated with politics but had has close association with various social and educational institutions. He went on to become the Editor of a Meghalaya daily Chandambeni Kalrang. Additionally, he edited two volumes of the book India in ILO.

The General Elections of 1998 once again brought Sangma to the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament). He is regarded as one of the most articulate and dignified speakers in the Opposition benches, carefully listened to by all with utmost attention.

Mines safety agency to help rescue Meghalaya miners

Shillong : A team from the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) will now oversee the operation to rescue 15 miners trapped in a flooded coal pit in Meghalaya since July 6, an official said Saturday.
Experts from the government regulatory agency for safety in mines and oil-fields from Dhanbad in Jharkhand are currently on their way to the mine in South Garo Hills after the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team Friday called off its operation, saying it was unable to rescue the miners.
"We have been directed to assess the situation at the site and provide technical support to the district authorities for the rescue," D.K. Sahoo, a member of the DGMS team, told IANS.
The miners got trapped in the mine last Thursday after they accidentally punctured the wall of an abandoned mine, filling their mine with gallons of water.
"The pumping of water from the coal pit is still going on," said South Garo Hills District Magistrate R.P. Marak.
District police chief Davies R. Marak had said Friday that NDRF pulled out over fears that its team members could endanger themselves inside the flooded mine, which was on the verge of collapse.
"Scuba divers did make their attempt to enter inside the coal pit but the formation of toxic gas forced them to come out," said Marak.

Subterranean challenges

The perils of the system of rat-hole mining that thousands in Meghalaya routinely engage in were in stark focus over the past week. After a fruitless search that yielded no survivors or bodies in a flooded coal pit in the South Garo Hills, a rescue team of the National Disaster and Rescue Force has called off its operations. This means the 15 miners who were believed trapped underground are being given up as dead. It is the failure of the authorities to put in place a monitoring and regulatory mechanism that stands out in the wake of the accident. The miners, desperate to make a living, typically scramble into the shafts, crudely dug and so small that even kneeling is impossible inside. Lying horizontally, they hack away with pick-axes and their bare hands to extract the often sparse pickings. More shockingly, thousands of children, some under 10, toil alongside adults, their small bodies a perfect fit for the narrow seams. Many of the miners are migrants. Instances of death, from cave-ins and other accidents, are not always documented but are far from rare. Proximate facilities for medical care are nonexistent. In 2002, over 30 people died in a rat-hole pit in Meghalaya after it was flooded suddenly.

Meghalaya has no mining policy: minerals are extracted by individual operators at will. Miners use rudimentary gear, and among other risks face the black lung disease caused by the ingestion of coal dust. The mines operate in the manner of an unorganised cottage industry. Most land in Meghalaya is privately owned by tribal people, who as a matter of customary right exploit the coal present in their parcels. The villages located in the coal belt actually sit on a network of trenches dug beneath. It is not as if the practice, coyote hole mining as it was referred to in the Americas as it evolved from a 16th century Spanish system, is inherently unsound. Such inexpensive excavation was technologically simpler, and amenable to small-scale operation, compared to the large-scale industrial-corporate mining that emerged in the 19th century. Indeed, the low-tech approach was efficient in its own way, calling for excavations to follow the meanderings of ore seams. It may be neither possible nor advisable to move suddenly to end rat-hole mining in this region. Coal is Meghalaya’s biggest source of revenue. What is needed immediately is a scientifically sound regulatory mechanism to optimise yields and make the operation more efficient. Labour laws have to be enforced, worker safety and payment of fair wages ensured, and child labour of any kind has to be eliminated. The miners should be provided training and made aware of the risks, and put through safety drills.

Asia-Pacific Preparatory Workshop for COP11 Concludes

From 9-12 July in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Holly Shrumm (Natural Justice) served as a resource person for a preparatory workshop for representatives of Indigenous peoples and local communities in Asia and the Pacific. The workshop was organized by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and hosted by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and the Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education (TEBTEBBA). The first two days of the workshop focused on:

• An introduction to the CBD and mechanisms for participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities, including the Voluntary Fund and the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity;
• Articles 8(j) and 10(c), including draft Decisions arising from the 7th meeting of the Working Group on Article 8(j) and Related Provisions; and
• 2011-2010 Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and Aichi Targets, with particular focus on Articles 11, 14, and 18.

The third day of the workshop was co-facilitated by Natural Justice and the CBD Secretariat and included presentations and group discussions on customary law; an introduction to biocultural community protocols and resource materials such as the toolkit for community facilitators; community experiences with developing and using protocols in Sabah (Malaysia), Sri Lanka, and Arunachal Pradesh (India); experiences with free, prior and informed consent and related national guidelines in the Philippines; and the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. In addition to sharing their own experiences with similar processes, participants discussed a number  of key issues, including the importance of securing Indigenous peoples' territories and other fundamental rights (particularly those enshrined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples); resolving conflict between customary laws and state laws; seeking partnerships with a range of different actors and engaging in national and sub-national decision-making processes; and demonstrating how Indigenous peoples and local communities are contributing to the implementation of international targets and obligations such as the Aichi Targets.

The fourth and final day of the workshop was facilitated by Gam Shimray (AIPP) and Joji Carino (TEBTEBBA) and focused on preparations and strategies for engaging in the 11th Conference of the Parties to the CBD, which will be held in October in Hyderabad.

Holly thanks AIPP, TEBTEBBA, the CBD Secretariat, and the workshop participants for a productive week and looks forward to further discussions and collaborations both in the region and internationally.

Garos rally behind Sangma for President

TURA, July 13 – The people from his hometown of Tura, both young and old braved inclement weather, came together on Thursday morning to rally support for PA Sangma in his presidential bid. The rally was organized by the Tura Government College Students’ Union and the All Students’ Welfare Association at Chandmary playground and several thousand people joined the rally.

The rally commenced from Chandmary playground and concluded at Tura Government College field.

All India Garo Union (AIGU) secretary Sengban R Sangma informed the gathering that the rally was not a politically motivated stunt but the culmination of the aspirations of Garo people to see one of its leaders at the highest office of the nation. He informed that the union on behalf of the people of Garo Hills in particular and Meghalaya in general would appeal to all the legislatures and politicians of the State to support Sangma in this endeavors.

Several student and social organizations attended the rally.

Meghalaya focus on rainwater harvesting

SHILLONG: Even with the arrival of monsoon and Cherrapunjee receiving the highest rainfall in the world, Meghalaya is reeling under acute shortage of potable water, prompting the state government to focus its attention on rainwater harvesting. Nothing much has been achieved in this regard so far.

"A few years ago, the assembly was told by the then minister in-charge of PHE that the department was contemplating to send officers to Mizoram to study successful implementation of rainwater harvesting there. The minister had also informed about various measures initiated by his department, including setting up of a quick response team, comprising engineers and magistrates to monitor the supply of drinking water in the city. The government had assured to make all efforts to improve supply of water in Shillong. Nevertheless, it is not known if such initiatives have actually been taken on ground," said Sylvan Lyngdoh, a resident of Pine City.

"In view of drinking water crisis in the Greater Shillong area, the government should, on a war footing, streamline the functioning of all departments concerned to ensure regular and steady supply of water to people. There has to be closer coordination among various departments. In fact, a single body, could be constituted to regulate the supply of water in Shillong," added Lyngdoh.

"It is indeed a pity to watch school children sacrificing their study-time to fetch water from 'leaked pipes' by the street even in the 21st century," exclaims Sarita Pradhan, a poor mother working hard to make two ends meet.

"Unabated stone quarrying has also led to gradual choking of the perennial streams, which had been a major source of water in the hills," said Anupam Das, a research scholar.

An elderly denizen, who does not want to be named, added, "The increase in population in Shillong has mounted pressure on the existing civic infrastructure. The Shillong Municipal Board also lacks technical expertise to meet the challenge of providing potable water to all. Therefore, there should be greater involvement of the local administrative bodies in water management."

3 arrested in coal mine tragedy in Meghalaya

3 persons have been arrested by the Meghalaya police while another is absconding for causing the death of 15 labourers inside a coal mine at Nengkul in Rongsa Awe of Nangalbibra on July 6.

According to South Garo Hills additional deputy commissioner Mr RP Marak, the arrested include the Nokma, Kudon A Sangma, mine developer, Gurdeep Singh, and head of the labourers identified only as “captain”.

He said “We have booked them under Section 304 (causing death by negligence) of IPC.”

Moreover, two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Assam have been rushed to the disaster site to aid in the rescue operations. The NDRF personnel have moved from their base in Guwahati and are on their way to the place of incident.

Border spurs split-cadre call

ANDREW W. LYNGDOH

This tableau at the Behdeinkhlam festival on Tuesday focuses on the Assam-Meghalaya conflict.

Shillong, July 12 : A fresh demand to demolish the joint cadre system of IAS and IPS officers of Assam-Meghalaya was made today in the wake of the ongoing protests against the long-pending inter-state border row.

Though the Centre had recently accorded Meghalaya a separate high court after years of being under Gauhati High Court, the state still shares a joint cadre system with Assam.

Stating that the joint cadre system was one of the factors responsible for Meghalaya losing land to Assam, Maitshaphrang Movement leader Michael N. Syiem said, “As long as we have the joint cadre with Assam, the loyalty of officers would remain divided. If someone who has served for many years in Assam comes to Meghalaya, his loyalty would remain with Assam.”

Mait Shaphrang Movement is a Shillong-based NGO.

Citing an example, Syiem said way back in 1979, when K.P.S. Gill was serving under Assam police, the officer went to Langpih where he stripped the Meghalaya police personnel of their arms and ammunition, leading to the closure of the police outpost. “But when Gill came to serve in Meghalaya police, he did not do anything against Assam police personnel at Langpih,” he recalled.

Syiem also said as long as a division of loyalty existed, the boundary imbroglio would linger.

“We will continue to have a weak border policy and weak border management. Although we welcome the demand to have a boundary commission, we need to first demolish the joint cadre system. We need to have officers who will be specifically loyal to Meghalaya,” Syiem said.

Speaking to The Telegraph, an IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, who did not wish to be named, said, “Questioning an officer’s loyalty is quite ridiculous. Bureaucrats are to implement the policies outlined of the government. Officers alone cannot decide on issues of significance like the border dispute.”

Stating that an officer has to serve the government of the day no matter in which state he is assigned to, the IAS official said, “If the government feels that an officer is not serving the state well, then the government can always release the officer.”

Another bureaucrat said, “No officer who has worked in Assam has come back to Meghalaya. If I am in Meghalaya, I will remain in Meghalaya. However, all IAS probationers have to be trained in Assam for one year. Every IAS officer has worked in Assam for one year.”

The officer also pointed out a disadvantage if the joint cadre system is bifurcated. “Suppose we bifurcate the cadre, there is every possibility of a Meghalaya IAS officer not being able to come to his home state and serve if he has been allotted work in Assam,” the officer said.

Moreover, Syiem said all the political parties in Meghalaya should take the blame if anything happened to the activists who are currently on a fast-unto-death at Langpih.

“The blame should go to all political parties. No one can play a blame-game here. If the border imbroglio is not solved, the people should give the political parties a befitting reply,” he added.

Expressing anguish over the lethargic attitude of the people towards the ongoing protests on the border dispute, Syiem said, “If the people want the government to act, they should come out and stage a protest. They should not be content with being paper tigers.”

“Unlike the Nagas who fight to defend their land from encroachment by Assam, the people here are lethargic,” he said.

According to Syiem, one of the reasons behind the lethargy was the absence of the sense of ownership over land among Khasi men. “Here, there is no emotional attachment to land as Khasi men do not inherit land, they only have self-acquired property. Psychologically, the feeling is why should you die for something which does not belong to you? Give Khasi men responsibility and things will change,” he said.

Syiem said the group has been demanding the enactment of a law on the equitable distribution of self-acquired and ancestral wealth.

He said, according to local customs and tradition, Khasi and Garo men do not inherit property and hence it was a necessity to have the act in place.

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (Sunday 15th July) - Event Details

A few further details of the sciSCREEN event this Sunday:

    * The box office opens at 9.45am for tickets
    * Those attending the talk will be able to take their seats from 10:00am
    * Professor Mike Bruford's talk will begin at 10:15am and finish at 10:30am
    * People attending the film but not the talk will have access to the screen from 10:30am
    * The film start time is 10:40am
    * The film finishes at 12:35pm

Tickets are £8.25 adults (children and concessions £5.50) on 0871 22 44 007 or book online at www.odeon.co.uk. Tickets should be bought for the 10.40am screening.

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift – Sunday 15th July

This Sunday (15th July) morning there will be a special Cardiff sciSCREEN as part of the Cardiff Science Festival. Professor Mike Bruford of Cardiff University School of Biosciences will give a short talk at  10:15am, before the screening of Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. His talk, which will last 10-15 minutes and is suitable for children and young adults, will cover questions such as ‘what is continental drift?’ ‘When were the ice ages?’ ‘What sort of animals were Manny, Diego, Sid, and Gutt, and when did they live?’ And, ‘what on Earth is Scrat?’ 

What on Earth is he? 

Tickets (for the 10.40am screening) are £8.25 adults (children and concessions £5.50) on 0871 22 44 007 or book online at http://www.blogger.com/www.odeon.co.uk.

Mike Bruford is a Professor at Cardiff University who specialises in endangered species. He is interested in how the animals featured in the Ice Age films have become extinct.

Asia-Pacific Preparatory Workshop for COP11 Begins

From 9-12 July in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is holding a workshop for representatives of Indigenous peoples and local communities from Asia and the Pacific in preparation for the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP11). The provisional agenda includes an introduction to the CBD and mechanisms for participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities; Articles 8(j) and 10(c); the 2011-2020 Strategic Plan and Aichi Biodiversity Targets; the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing; and preparatory discussions for COP11 in October.

The workshop is co-hosted by the Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education (TEBTEBBA) and the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact. Holly Shrumm (Natural Justice) is attending the meeting as a resource person, particularly on community protocols.

UNDRIP E-Module for Communities

Natural Justice has developed a number of draft e-learning modules to support communities developing biocultural community protocols (BCPs) to increase their understanding of key international legal frameworks, concepts and programmes. These modules supplement ‘BCPs: A Toolkit for Community Facilitators’. 

The module on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) seeks to provide insight into UNDRIP’s provisions and how they can be applied by communities worldwide It is targeted at communities who identify as Indigenous Peoples, who have a close relationship with a territory or resource, who have historically faced issues regarding that territory or resource, and/or have an interest in asserting any of the rights set out in UNDRIP. 

With approximately 370 million Indigenous Peoples spread across 70 countries worldwide who have historically been marginalised, the process of drafting UNDRIP began in 1985. It was adopted in 2007. While the Declaration elaborates a fairly comprehensive set of individual and community rights for Indigenous Peoples, its impact remains limited as it is not binding and has limited time to achieve changes. The module seeks to support communities to find relevant rights and to begin making these protections material. 

The module can be downloaded here. The BCP Toolkit can be downloaded here. The documents are not final and any comments can be directed to Holly Shrumm (holly (at) naturaljustice.org) and Harry Jonas (harry (at) naturaljustice.org).

Endogenous Development Training in Techiman, Ghana

The Natural Justice team and a number of its partners from Kenya, South Africa and Namibia attended a one week Certificate Program in Local and Indigenous Knowledge for Community-Driven Development in Techiman, Ghana from 24-30 June, 2012. Coordinated by the Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development (CIKOD) in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast and Water Aid in Ghana, the course introduced the concept of "endogenous development", an approach to social and economic justice that involves strength-based development "from within" ensuring initiatives are community-driven and based on strengths that contribute to their own socio-cultural, economic and political development. 

The course began with an introduction to endogenous development, perspectives on indigenous sciences, the local knowledge of each participant and expectations of the course. Participants visited the nearby Forikrom community where they were introduced to the traditional chiefs and elders, traditional foods made by the community, the sacred sites and surrounding ancestral caves, and local eco-farming. Members of the community presented on successful endogenous development processes utilised by the community, including the work of Traditional Authorities and HIV/AIDS, interfaces between traditional and modern medicines, and the Forikrom Eco-cultural Tourism project. 

Throughout the week, endogenous development tools such as Community Institutional Resource Mapping (CIRM) and Community-Driven Health Impact Assessment Tool (CHIAT) were discussed. Participants were immersed in local examples of projects involving endogenous development processes and tools including the water, sanitation and hygiene project, the Traditional Authorities Transparency and Accountability Charter, and the Rural Women Farmers Association of Ghana. Representatives from Natural Justice, Save Lamu, Kivulini Trust, Karamacan and Kukula Traditional Healers also presented on biocultural community protocols as tools for the legal empowerment of communities. 

The one-week course was a rich and engaging opportunity to explore and deepen knowledge of endogenous development processes. Natural Justice looks forward to continuing the implementation of endogenous development processes in its work with communities. Natural Justice and other participants thank CIKOD, the University of Cape Coast and Water Aid for hosting the course, together with the ABS Capacity Development Initiative, the Open Society for Southern Africa, the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Christensen Fund, and University of Cape Town's Open AIR project, for their generous support.

Second Intergovernmental Committee on the Nagoya Protocol

Kabir Bavikatte of Natural Justice participated in the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on the Nagoya Protocol (ICNP 2) in Delhi from July 2-6, 2012. Kabir participated at the ICNP 2 in his capacity as the legal advisor to the African Group of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The key issues that were negotiated at the ICNP 2 dealt with cooperative procedures and institutional mechanisms to promote compliance with the Nagoya Protocol, the global multilateral benefit sharing mechanism, the access and benefit sharing (ABS) clearing house, financial mechanism and resource mobilization. 

At the ICNP 2, Natural Justice and the Berne Declaration also organized a side event that screened the film ‘Rooibos Robbery’ which deals with Nestle's biopiracy of South African genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge and can be viewed here. The side event included a presentation by Morten Tvedt of the Fridtjof Nansen Institute on the Norwegian law on ABS as one of the first user country measures and inputs from Muleso Kharika, Director of Resource Use at the South African Department of Environmental Affairs. Copies of the film were also distributed amongst the participants of ICNP 2.

'Uranium deposits necessary for power generation'

Shillong, July 5  — Uranium deposits in Meghalaya are needed for meeting the country's power generation needs, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Adviser, T.K.A. Nair, said here Wednesday.

"Uranium is a very precious resource and utilising it for power generation is one of the ideas," he told journalists after a meeting with Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

However, when asked whether he raised the issue on much delayed uranium mining project with the chief minister, Nair said: "I don't exactly know what the latest on this is and our discussion with the chief minister was on the developmental projects of the state."

In fact, the proposed open-cast uranium mining in Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district has been hanging fire since 1992 after several groups cited radiation effect on human health and environmental degradation.

The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) had pegged Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah project in Meghalaya for Rs.1,100 crore (about$240 million). The ores are spread over a mountainous terrain in deposits varying from eight to 47 meters from the surface in and around Domiasiat, 135 km west from here.

The UCIL plans to produce 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore a year and process 1,500 tonnes of the mineral a day.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said that his government would not bulldoze the uranium mining project in the state.

The union ministry of environment and forests has given clearance to the UCIL to start mining in the state.

However, civil society groups including political parties in Meghalaya has been opposing the uranium project citing health and environmental hazard.

Kidnapped SBI official freed in Meghalaya

Shillong, July 5 — An official of the State Bank of India (SBI) kidnapped by Liberation Achik Elite Force (LAEF) rebels was released unharmed after 13 days in captivity after his family paid a ransom, police said here Wednesday.

Abdul Halim, a cashier of the SBI Songsak branch, was abducted June 23 by five heavily armed LAEF rebels from the Songsak-Mendipathar road, about 300 km from Shillong, capital of Meghalaya state.

"All that I know is that he has been released but I don't have the full details as yet," Tennyson Dkhar, the intelligence chief of Meghalaya Police, told IANS.

The intelligence official said Halim was released unharmed at Darugre area in East Garo Hills district near Rongjeng police station Wednesday morning after negotiations on the ransom amount.

"They released him (Halim) after family members of the hostage paid a ransom amount of Rs.500,000 to the LAEF," the intelligence official said.

The LAEF, one of five Garo rebel groups operating in western Meghalaya, had demanded a ransom of Rs.1 million for the safe release of Halim.

The Garo tribal outfit is fighting for an independent, separate Achik state.

I will be India's next president: Purno Sangma

By Raymond Kharmuja

Shillong, Jul 3 : Former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Agitok Sangma is supremely confident of winning the presidential election to become India's new head of state, saying if "Obama, who is a black, can become the president of America, why not a tribal in India?"

"I have never lost any election in the past. In fact, every time I contested, my margins have increased with the blessings of almighty God and the people," Sangma told IANS in an interview here.

"I will get through in this election (as well)," he added, seemingly unfazed by his rival United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate, Pranab Mukherjee.

Sangma is backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Biju Janata Dal, AIADMK and some other parties.

Sangma, who started his political career as a Congress activist in Meghalaya, has won nine consecutive Lok Sabha elections from Tura in the state. The constituency is now represented in the Lok Sabha by his youngest daughter Agatha K. Sangma. For a brief period from 1988 to 1990, Sangma was Meghalaya's chief minister.

Sangma insisted that it was the Tribal Forum of India that picked six names of tribal leaders from across the country including his and then urged political parties to back a tribal candidate for the presidency.

"It was Naveen Patnaik (Odisha chief minister) and (J.) Jayalalithaa (Tamil Nadu chief minister) who proposed my name. Many other parties have rallied behind me now," he said.

Is it correct to seek votes in the name of his tribal identity?

"What's wrong in a tribal aspiring to be the president of the country?" he asked.

"In the past, a president has been elected on the basis of caste, religion and gender. Therefore, I see nothing wrong in a tribal aspiring to be the president."

"In America, black people have always been looked down upon. Similarly, in our country, tribals and minority communities have been marginalised and exploited to a certain extent.

"If (Barack) Obama, who is a black, can become the president of America, why not a tribal in India?"

Sangma said he was still in touch with the Shiv Sena and the Janata Dal-United, which are backing Pranab Mukherjee for presidency.

"There is still enough time for the election. Let us watch and see how things unfold."

Ditto is the case with West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.

"I am still in touch with her. Let us wait and see."

Sangma exuded confidence that the Telugu Desam Party would also support his candidature.

Will the MPs and legislators from the northeast vote for him July 19?

"I have already got the support the of regional players like Asom Gana Parishad, Mizo National Front, United Democratic Party. I thanked them for their support."

Sangma claimed that even some Congress MPs and legislators from the region would vote for him.

"I have already got feelers from them and their support is purely at a personal level as this is a secret ballot.

"I believe we should leave our political differences and stand united by supporting me in this election," he said.