ne Reporter

ITANAGAR, July 16 – Worried over the oft-repeated scuffles occurring among the people living along the foothills areas bordering Assam-Arunachal Pradesh boundary, the Galo Students Union of West Siang district has urged the Arunachal Government to immediately initiate measures to solve the vexed border dispute, once for all.

On its demand for creation of a separate Lower Siang district, bifurcating West Siang and East Siang districts, the GSU said that it will fulfil the aspirations of the people living in lower belts of West and East Siang districts adjoining Assam.

The GSU has submitted an 11-point memorandum to Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu here on Monday seeking his intervention for early redressal of the grievances of the Galo tribesmen of the district.

It also served a three day ultimatum to the government seeking immediate response on its charter of demands, including construction of roads from Likabali to Pasighat and Likabali to Itanagar without entering Assam, measures to check forceful intrusion of villagers from Assam by setting up police check gates in border areas of West Siang district, early completion of the NEC-funded road from Upper Subansiri district to Gogamukh in Assam.

GSU’s other demands include filling up of teachers posts in primary schools situated in Galo areas of West and East Siang districts, upgradation of Aalo District Hospital, establishment of a government college in Upper Subansiri district, infrastructural development of Donyi Polo College, Kamki, immediate intervention on police training centre set up by Assam Government at disputed area.

The president of GSU, Gokar Basar, on behalf of the Galo tribesmen living mainly in West Siang and East Siang districts of the State, said that the Union would launch a democratic movement in the form of agitations, protest meetings and dharnas soon if the State Government failed to come up with any positive response by July 16.

Imphal: Concerns have been expressed in Manipur over the increasing practice of some militant organisations to use widows of victims of militancy-related conflicts in transporting arms, smuggling contraband drugs or even carrying extortion letters.

Official sources said the young widows were often forced by some militant organisations to carry arms from one place to another, smuggle contraband drugs or deliver extortion letters to government officials, contractors, businessmen and others.

Now a campaign has been launched by a local organisation in the four valley districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishenpur to create public opinion against what it said 'unethical' practice.

The co-convenor of the organisation 'Conflict Widows' Forum, Manipur' (CWFM), L Brajeshwari, urged the government to provide all facilities to the hapless widows under various family benefit schemes.

Braheshwari said as these young women were hard-pressed to make a decent living, the militant outfits took advantage of their condition and paid them a small sum to get jobs done. If any of them refused to obey, she was threatened.