NAHANYATE

Palash Biswas

Contact: Palash C Biswas, C/O Mrs Arati Roy, Gosto Kanan, Sodepur, Kolkata- 700110, India. Phone: 91-033-25659551

Aamar Gram, Tomar Gram, Shobar Gram: Nandigram,
Nandigram

My Village; Your Village; Everybody's village.
Nandigram. Nandigram

The half an hour film by NAHANYATE based on original video footages of 14 March 2007 killings of peasants captures and brings out graphically how the State of West Bengal unleashes war on its own at Nandigram.

The people faced with the dire prospects of being stripped of their habitats, lands, means of livelihood, a modicum of dignity and lives - all in the name of "development" and "industrialisation" led by corporate capital, fight back.
They remain undaunted in spite of being badly mauled by the brutal might of the State and its armed red-flag waving minions.
They remain unfazed by the campaign of canards to project the real flesh-and-blood people as the "enemies of (some notional) people" and thereby justify bloody repressive measures, not excluding wilful murders in broad daylight, directed against them.
They fight back.

Pls. visit <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6507874900373821154>.
It is also downloadable.
1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqIlI25Kxuo&mode=related&search=

2)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQqjziy3Hd8&mode=related&search=

3)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OvvtJlj6ts&mode=related&search=

http://www.indiannotion.com/index.php/newslinks/10247
Nandigram: Communism as fascism

There is nothing in the way the Communists of West
Bengal conducted themselves at Nandigram that should
have amazed anybody. There have been enough instances
of Communists demonstrating that despite all their
pious propaganda about the rights of the common man,
in practice Communism is mostly about
self-aggrandisement and the growth of the State at the
expense of the populace.

Full Text : There is nothing in the way the Communists
of West Bengal conducted themselves at Nandigram that
should have amazed anybody. There have been enough
instances of Communists demonstrating that despite all
their pious propaganda about the rights of the common
man, in practice Communism is mostly about
self-aggrandisement and the growth of the State at the
expense of the populace.

The classical definition of fascism, in Mussolini's
own words, includes the following (I am relying on the
Wikipedia entry at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism#Authoritarian_and_totalitarian_state)

Anti-individualistic, the fascist conception of life
stresses the importance of the State and accepts the
individual only in so far as his interests coincide
with those of the State, which stands for the
conscience and the universal will of man as a historic
entity.... The fascist conception of the State is
all-embracing; outside of it no human or spiritual
values can exist, much less have value....

I am hard-pressed to see how this differs from how the
Communists have conducted themselves in Nandigram; and
Singur, and indeed, wherever they have managed to gain
power. The same tendency to trivialise the average
individual can be seen everywhere: those 'small
people' do not matter once they have provided the
cannon fodder for the 'leaders' to come to power. They
are to be trodden on with jack-boots.

This has been obvious in West Bengal and in Kerala
through anecdotal evidence for a long time; there is
also empirical evidence that the ascent of Communists
has coincided with a decline in the living standards
of people. I used data from the Economic and Political
Weekly in a previous column of mine Reservations, The
Economic Factor to show how the least-privileged slid
further behind in Communist-ruled States.

A study by two economists from the US Federal Reserve
(A Tale of Two States: Maharashtra and West Bengal by
Amartya Lahiri and Kei-Mu Yi) shows how the two
states, among the richest in the country in 1960, have
diverged dramatically. Bengal, which had a per capita
income of 105 per cent of Maharashtra's in 1960, has
managed to bring it down to a mere 69 per cent of
Maharashtra's by 1995! The authors conclude that this
is directly correlated with Communist control of
Bengal.

On a grand scale, the scale of man's inhumanity to man
is most visible in those countries unfortunate enough
to come under the sway of Communists: we all know
about the Gulag Archipelago in the Soviet Union, the
atrocities visited on Tibetans by Chinese thugs, and
the casual way in which people were wiped out in
Tienanmen Square in China.

But few know about that most unlucky nation, Cambodia.
In Phnom Penh, I went to the infamous Tuol Sleng
prison camp and the 'Killing Fields' where
black-shirted, teen-aged cadres -- girls and boys --
butchered innocent civilians as though they were
vermin. A lot of it is so horrifying that it is almost
unbearable to be there. There is, for instance, the
tree against which young children were regularly swung
by their legs by the Khmer Rouge, smashing their heads
against it and splattering their brains all over it.

There is a tower built around a pyramid of 10,000
human skulls at the 'Killing Fields' just outside town
where they also have the shallow graves full of
childrens' bones. Back at Tuol Sleng, incongruously an
old public school in a quiet residential suburb, there
is row after row of black-and-white photographs of
those killed. The Khmer Rouge kept meticulous records
of all those who were about to be murdered by them:
young and old, staring into the camera just before
they were dispatched with a blow to the back of the
head, often after torture and forced confessions about
'ideological waywardness'.

An entire generation of Cambodians has been scarred by
this experience, and about a quarter of the entire
population was murdered by the Khmer Rouge, most
especially those with any education; an ancient and
glorious Indic civilisation -- these are the people
who built Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure
in the world -- was almost wiped out.

This is precisely what the Communists have in mind for
Nepal and India as well, the tyranny of the
uncivilised and unlettered. There are minor
distinctions among the Communists, as some worship
China as their fatherland, while others are totally
nihilistic. But at the end of the day, they are
barbarians within and without, as in Will Durant's
famous quote: '...civilisation is a precious good,
whose delicate complex order and freedom can at any
moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from
without and multiplying from within.'

Needless to say, they have to be resisted. The UPA
government, playing footsie with these thugs in Andhra
Pradesh and Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, not to mention
West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, is sowing the seeds
of disaster as the entire 'Red Corridor' has become
ungovernable. The comrades have already captured
Nepal, and their intent is to capture the entire belt
between the Terai and the Deccan. There is no point
reasoning with them: all they understand is the power
of the gun, and they understand it very well indeed.

Nandigram hub: Basu sees govt blunder

Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, April 23: The state government has made a blunder by not sharing details of the proposed chemical hub with Nandigram residents before initiating land acquisition, former chief minister Mr Jyoti Basu said today, more than a month after 14 people lost their lives. He was addressing a meeting of Left trade unions organised by the 12 July Committee at Mahajati Sadan this afternoon.
“I never imagined that the anti-industry agitation could take such shape. Even now about 2,500 of our supporters are being forced to live in makeshift camps. The chief minister has announced that there will be no chemical hub in Nandigram. But many people had no idea what a chemical hub is. We made a mistake. We never told them about the project. I won’t say much on this issue since the court is hearing the case,” Mr Basu said even as he maintained, citing examples from the past, that the only role of the Opposition was to “oppose progress.”
At Esplanade, where street hawkers had organised a rally, CPI-M state secretary Mr Biman Bose alleged that some “outsiders” have already started to misguide residents of Raghunathpur in Bankura where people have agreed to hand over land for a proposed steel plant.
A few kilometres away, Mr Jyoti Basu recounted many incidents related to land acquisition during his tenure. “When I was head of the fifth Left Front government we finalised plans to set up five new cities. Naxalites put up resistance when we tried to acquire land for the development of Siluguri. One man was also killed in police firing. We have to acquire land. But we will try not to touch fertile multicrop land unless there is no option. Many intellectuals have left us. They have misunderstood us. But I am sure some of them will come back,” he said.
Even as he lauded the government for taking up ambitious projects, it was apparent that Mr Basu was not happy with the Nandigram incident. “We had acquired so much land in the past. But we never faced any problem. At Rajarhat, for example, I personally handed over cheques to farmers and they voluntarily gave us the deeds to their land. But I still asked the minister in charge to set up co-operatives for the children of these farmers. We have to work hard. And our party alone cannot take West Bengal ahead. We have to organise the masses and take people with us,” Mr Basu said.
Witnesses to firing
sceptical about probe
The eye-witnesses to the Nandigram massacre who appeared at the hearing for the administrative probe at Chandipur block office today said they did not believe the probe would come up with honest findings.
Members of Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee also alleged that the trial of the killing of at least 14 villagers in Nandigram by police and CPI-M cadres on 14 March have been tangled up in legal and departmental procedures while the real culprits were roaming free.
Mrs Arati Modal, one of the eye-witnesses, said: “At least 200 women and several children had gathered on that fateful day at Gokulnagar for worshipping Gouranga ***thakur and to protest against the entry of police into our villages. But without any intimation, police opened fire on us and CPI-M cadres started beating us up. Several women sustained bullet injuries. Many were molested. Even after I slumped to the ground with a bullet hitting on my right leg, CPI-M cadres thrashed me severely. Many of the goons were dressed in khaki uniforms but wore slippers and red head bands which suggest they were carrying out orders from the CPI-M leadership.”
The probe team, led by Mr Balbir Ram, today conversed with 47 villagers ~ 25 of them women ~ who were witness to the massacre that took place on 14 March at Bhangabhera and Gokulnagar in Nandigram. Mr Abu Taher, BUPC leader, said: “Neither the CBI, nor the CID have come up with their reports on the Nandigram slaughter even after a month after the incident. We don’t expect the administrative probe to yield a fair ruling but we shall certainly take part in the process.”
The hearing is likely to continue for a few more days as nearly 320 villagers from Nandigram have registered as witnesses to the Nandigram massacre.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=154496

OBC Reality

While advancing the date to examine the legality of the quota law, the chief justice dismissed the objection by petitioners' counsel, who said that the government should have mentioned the application before the same bench, which had passed the interim order on March 29 and rejected the centre's application on Monday.But Justice Balakrishnan said, "It is my privilege to decide which matter should be heard early. You cannot say that a particular matter cannot be heard."

Earlier in the day, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said the government would appeal to the chief justice to vacate the stay on 27 percent reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) in higher educational institutions.

"The same concerns and issues would be taken up before the chief justice at the earliest," Singh told reporters. "I do hope that the just and compassionate face of justice will emerge from the chief justice's court."

Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan is the first member of the Dalit (deprived) community to hold the post.

Arjun Singh also said in no uncertain terms that all the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) would have to toe the government line, refusing to buy their argument that the admission list would be out soon.

"If the government has decided on some matter, IIMs would have to follow," the minister added.

After the apex court verdict Monday, IIM-Ahmedabad director Bakul Dholakia had said: "There was some lack of clarity earlier. Now that it's clear, action will follow soon.

"After a consensus, we had planned to release the first admission list on April 21 but did not do so after the government communication reached us April 19," he had added.

The human resource development ministry's letter had asked all the IIMs not to issue "any offers of admission for the academic year 2007 until such institutions receive further communication" in this regard from the central government and warned them against any "unilateral decision". (IANS)

The most telling political reaction on the OBC Reservation issue with hints of what lies ahead comes from AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh who while expressing disappointment over what he called “the setback for the social agenda of the centre” and said such court rulings could make the socially deprived sections ponder over the courts’ attitude towards socially important legislation. Quoting Digvijay Singh as reported by the Times News Network
“It (the ruling) will hurt the socially deprived sections more than the Congress. It is very unfortunate. I am not attributing bias to the courts but then such rulings will once again make the people of India, especially the socially deprived sections, ponder why courts always go against legislation meant for underprivileged.
“People are observing why legal decisions on social issues are going against”

Get Under Society’s Skin

By Gail Omvedt

24 April, 2007
Hindustan Times

The Supreme Court’s recent decision and reiteration to stay the order regarding OBC admissions until accurate data is available has brought forth the expected reactions. Defenders of ‘equality’ won by ignoring caste are hailing it; proponents of reservations are trying to put on a brave face. But in one way, the decision is helpful: the Supreme Court has given cogent arguments for the need for information to underlay policy. However, what many of the opponents of reservations may not appreciate is that this brings up squarely, once again, the argument for a caste-based census.

The demand for this is now rising, and the Congress has issued a statement rejecting such an option. Why it has done so is hard to understand. If getting information about caste is ‘divisive’, then so is trying to remedy the situation. How do we remedy it without really good information? There is no adequate answer to this question.

Many Indians opposed to a caste-based census have for years argued the issue in terms of divisiveness. Some have even made wild projections of chaos, violence and fragmentation. Yet, for decades, the United States has had not only fairly far-reaching programmes of affirmative action, but also a race-based census: people are asked their race, and do not consider this an insult. The policy has not led to chaos and violence, but rather has provided the foundation for efforts to remedy the situation.

In the 1960s, the US did have a certain amount of violence, with ghetto rebellions, fights with the police and uprisings of angry young Black men and women. The situation was too extreme to ignore; instead, policy decisions were made. Now Blacks have penetrated more fields than ever before, and race riots are a thing of the past, even if racism itself has not been entirely overcome. Recognising the existence of race, like caste, is not the road to ruin, but is a necessary prerequisite for dealing with, and resolving, the issue.

Those who argue for ‘merit’ ignore the fact that merit is not linked to caste. Here, biological inheritance and social conditioning have to be carefully differentiated. The reason that people of ‘higher’ caste origin perform better lies in their environmental advantages, which range from the fields of education, socialisation to economic well-being.

The same, of course, has been true for race. Only, in the US, the arguments for and against, ‘nature’ versus ‘nurture’, have been made endlessly. One of the seemingly solidly documented books arguing for the reality of racial differences, Richard Hernstein and Charles Murray’s The Bell Curve, spent hundreds of pages arguing that IQ tests, in fact, reflected the existence of real intelligence — and since Blacks performed on the average significantly lower than the White average, they claimed that this reflected their actual capacities. Yet, the book let slip one important fact about IQ tests — that average scores have risen over the last few decades, by about the same amount as the ‘difference’ between average White and Black scores.

In other words, IQ tests reflect a degree of environmental advantage and socialisation, even ‘learning’ about taking IQ tests. Even at an early age, this environmental difference is there. In many European countries, the average scores had risen because the scores of the lowest deciles rose faster: in other words, the spread of mass education had made a difference.

In India, there has been no such extensive academic and general intellectual debate about test scores, heredity and environment; only a good deal of frantic and self-justifying outpourings. But the examinations here, as well as interviews, are much less objective, much more culture-bound than IQ tests. Education is much more unequally distributed. Denial of caste inequalities has been less reasonable, more ingrained, more emotional.

In comparison with race, though, it is superficially easy to avoid dealing with caste: it is not so easily visible as race is, though both are equally social and not biological factors. There is a good deal of social interaction directed at understanding the other’s caste, but these are less obvious and visible. As a result, a superficial ‘passing’ is much easier, particularly for employment, if not for more personal issues such as marriage. Yet the scars of caste remain, of this there is no doubt. What is needed is more informed discussion and debate, not a closing of eyes, ears and mouths to mimic the monkey reaction to reality.
http://www.countercurrents.org/omvedt240407.htm

Non-friendly NGOs under CPM scanner
TAMAL SENGUPTA & ATMADIP ROY

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2007 03:44:44 AM]
 

KOLKATA: Wizened by the role played by NGOs in the Nandigram episode, WEST Bengal CPM is drawing a strategy to control several non-government organisations working on reports from its East Midnapore district unit.

“Instead of carrying out social work and offering help to the local people, many of the NGOs have played a dirty game against our government. These NGOs have also links with the opposition parties and some fundamental forces,” a senior CPM leader from East Midnapore district told the state party leaders recently.

CPM’s trade union arm Citu is now considering proposals whether they can form trade unions among the NGOs which employ more than 40 people. “Problem is that many employees engaged in several NGOs don’t want to involve themselves in trade unionism as they feel this might not be seen as a good gesture by their employer and the employers might take punitive action against them,” Citu state secretary, Kali Ghosh told ET on Tuesday.

Mr Ghosh, however, made it clear that there was no bar for any trade union to float their units anywhere where employers-employee relations exists. “Employees of some NGOs recently met me and complained against their employers who don’t follow rules and regulations in employing people,” he said.

These employers always try to project themselves as social workers in order to deprive their employees of legitimate dues,” Mr Ghosh pointed out.

Another Citu leader, Prasanta Nandichoudhury, however, claimed that they have already floated their units in some large NGOs which have employed more than fifty persons. “Some NGOs are running private engineering colleges in different West Bengal districts like East Midnapore. We have our units in all these NGOs,” claimed Mr Nandichoudhury.

Not only at Nandigram, a number of NGOs were also very active at Singur where the Tata Motors is setting up its small car manufacturing unit on about 997 acres. The CPM is worried about the style of functioning of these NGOs because these Organisations also carry out their work at grass root levels like the CPM does.

CPM has influence among the rural population and some of these NGOs are also trying to contact the rural people and have posed an apparent threat to the CPM’s organisational network. Many of the senior CPM leaders including the state secretary Biman Bose, have therefore, raised questions about the role played by these NGOs.

The CPM had sounded a red alert about a section of NGOs in 2005 during the 21-st state conference of the party held in Kamarhati in North 24-Parganas. “We have to keep a close watch on the political activities being carried out by Anandamargis, International Society For Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) a handful of churches and NGOs,” the CPM had categorically pointed out in a document released after the state conference.

“It is one thing to carry out religious and social activities. But it is totally different if any organisation intends to carry on reactionary politics and encourage separatist movements in the name of carrying out social and religious works,” the party document pointed out categorically.

Buddha to Mamta: Restore peace in Nandigram
 
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday appealed to opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress, to stop boycotting all-party meetings to restore peace in the Nandigram area.

"I am appealing to opposition parties once again to join all-party peace meetings in Nandigram for the return of normalcy and am directing the local administration to call
such a meeting," Bhattacharjee told reporters at the Writers' Buildings here.

Pointing out that all-party peace meetings were very necessary, he said they were not being held because of a boycott by opposition parties, including the Trinamool.

"Trinamool Congress gave its word that it would attend the meetings and boycotted the last one on April 22," he said.

Bhattacharjee's remarks came in the wake of his first visit to Haldia in East Midnapore since the police firing and violence in Nandigram on March 14 that killed 14 people.

Pointing to the situation in Nandigram, Bhattacharjee said, "Roads are dug up, communications disrupted, transport stalled, shops and offices closed, children are unable to attend school and some examinees are unable to sit for the Madhyamik due to the abnormal situation there.

"I have been informed that panchayat offices are closed in Nandigram, lakhs of rupees for projects are tied up in files and no development work is taking place," he said.

Bhattacharjee said nearly 2,500 CPI-M supporters were still homeless in Nandigram.

"They are the people of the area. They are also human beings. How long can this situation continue in Nandigram where small incidents of violence are taking place almost every day?"

No date has been fixed for the next all-party meeting. Such meetings called on four earlier occasions -- on April 3, March 10, February 22 and 19 -- were boycotted by the opposition platform, Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee, which has been spearheading a movement since early January against the acquisition of land for a chemcical hub to be set up by Indonesia-based Salim Group.

Bhattacharjee has publicly said that the chemical hub will not be set up at Nandigram and shifted elsewhere.

The 14 people were killed on March 14 when people tried to stop police from entering villages in Nandigram.
OBC admissions can be put on hold: Arjun Singh 

 New Delhi, April 25: The government said Wednesday it was "entirely possible" to provide admissions in general categories in elite educational institutions while putting on hold reservation for OBCs till the court decides.

“It is entirely possible... That is why we are trying to accommodate non-reserved categories," Singh told reporters replying to a question on whether the government planned to go ahead with admissions for students belonging to non-reserved categories while putting on hold the process for OBCs.

He said the government was formulating a plan wherein the admission of students belonging to OBC category could be taken up after the Supreme Court`s decision on the issue.

Singh said any decision on the admission process will be a collective one. "The decision to keep the admissions on hold was a collective decision."

Similarly, he said any decision on going ahead with the admissions to the elite educational institutions would have to be a collective one. He also said that there was no pressure from the allies on the issue.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) to discuss the issue, Singh said. The meeting is expected to be held around 8 pm tonight.

Singh dismissed reports of differences between the HRD and Law ministries on the quota issue. "On this issue or any other issue, there are no differences between the law ministry and our ministry. Both ministries filed the petition in the court together," he said.

Govt expects FDI inflow to reach $25 bn by 2009
MUMBAI: The Government on Tuesday said it expects foreign direct investments in the country to touch $25 billion by 2008-09 from $16 billion at present.

"We are expecting exponential growth in FDI. It is expected to reach $25 billion by 2008-09," Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar said here at the Engineering Export Promotion Council Western Region Award Function.

The country has achieved the highest FDI in 2006-07 at $16 billion, he said.

FDI can play a complimentary role in generating higher efficiency in areas of power generation, food processing and oil and gas, Kumar said.

EEPC, the apex body of engineering exporters from the country, expects growth of 30-35 per cent in engineering exports in 2007-08.

"We are targeting $35-36 billion exports of engineering goods and services during fiscal 2007-08," Council's Chairman Rakesh Shah said.

Exports in this sector over the last couple of years have been growing at over 20 per cent and account for 21 per cent of the country's total exports, he said.

"Engineering exports is the largest foreign exchange earner for the country," he said.

The western region exported engineering items worth $8.14 billion in 2005-06, a growth of 23.5 per cent over 2004-05, he said.
RBI's steps to contain inflation without harming growth: FM
NEW DELHI: Reserve Bank's annual monetary policy will moderate inflation without hurting growth, while providing relief to small housing loan borrowers, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday.

"We must moderate inflation without affecting growth. Both are important - moderate inflation and high growth. And I think what RBI has done today is broadly in line with government's thinking. These steps would moderate inflation without affecting growth," he said.

RBI projected India's economy to grow by a slower 8.5 per cent in 2007-08 against the expected 9.2 per cent for 2006-07. It also projected inflation to remain close to five per cent during 2007-08 and 4-4.5 per cent over the medium term.

Chidambaram said: "They (inflation) are aggressive targets. To keep inflation below 4.5 per cent is indeed an aggressive target. But that appears to be the tolerance level for inflation. So, RBI is aiming at inflation below 4.5 per cent. Certainly, government would welcome that stance and support that stance."

However, on RBI's projection of slower GDP growth, he said it was a cautious and conservative position.

If manufacturing rises by double digit numbers like services, 8.5 per cent GDP growth would be floor and not the ceiling, he said.

On RBI's measure to reduce risk weight age on housing loans up to Rs 20 lakh, he said the step would provide relief to small borrowers, who constitute 80 per cent of the total loan seekers.

"It's a good response, positive response from RBI. Bank chiefs had made an appeal to RBI in this respect. And I think as a result of that most small borrowers, that is who take a home loan between 8-10 lakh, should get some relief."

National Coordination Centre on Naxalism to meet tomorrow 

New Delhi, April 25: The National Coordination Centre on Naxalism will meet here tomorrow amidst reports of a "shift in strategy" by the ultras leading to high casualties.

The meeting, to be chaired by Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, will be attended by Chief Secretaries and Directors Generals of Police of the affected states, an MHA spokesman said today.

Senior officials from various central ministries and departments will also participate in the meeting to take a holistic view of the matter.

Tomorrow's exercise comes close on the heels of the meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) at Patna and that of the Naxal Task Force at Hyderabad earlier in this month.

The IMG meet took a close look at developmental issues as the government considers Naxalism is not merely a law and order problem and has deep socio-economic dimensions.

Against this backdrop, the centre funds the Backward Districts Initiative (BDI) Programme to fill critical gaps in physical and social development in areas hit by Maoist violence. Funds for development in these areas are given under the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) scheme.

The IMG meeting took place barely two days after the meeting of the Home Ministry's Task Force on Naxalism in Hyderabad, where the agenda included joint strategies to tackle Naxals, modernising intelligence gathering, and improving inter-state coordination to meet the target of eliminating the menace in the next three years.

The Naxal-hit states are Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.

The MHA has said in a report that the shift in Naxal strategy is in terms of increased militarization, multiple attacks, mobile warfare and effective use of improvised explosive device and landmine blasts by Naxalites causing high casualties.

Data available with the Home Ministry reveals that the Naxalites, who mostly use improvised explosive devices (IED) and landmines, killed 521 civilians and 157 police personnel in 2006, against 524 civilians and 153 policemen in 2005.

Naxalites are focusing their efforts at social mobilisation through a large number of front organisations under the banner of People's Democratic Front of India.

Besides continued Naxal violence, CPI (Maoist) has increased efforts to mobilise mass support on the strength of local sentiment of tribals against upcoming industrial projects and SEZ.

The meetings of the task force and the IMG are to be held in the backdrop of a spurt in Naxal violence in different parts of the country, particularly recent attacks in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar.

Concerned over these attacks, Central Paramilitary Forces are framing a more pro-active approach, including steps like going after prominent leaders to smash naxalite networks and taking control of rebel strongholds.

Of the total 12,476 police stations in the country, naxal violence has been reported during 2006 from 395 stations as against 460 police stations during the previous year.

The biggest-ever naxal attack was in Chhattisgarh this year, when 55 policemen were recently killed by CPI-Maoist rebels who stormed a police station in Bastar region.

A property tax dispute between New York City and two diplomatic missions to the UN - India and Mongolia - wound up in the highest US court, spotlighting a case that could have broader international implications.

New York authorities on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court to claim $16.4 million in city property taxes from India and $2.1 million from Mongolia because both countries let staff members live in m

posted on Thursday, April 26, 2007 7:52 PM