Latest news with #North-Eastern
Arabian Post
7 days ago
- General
- Arabian Post
Assam Chief Minister's Arms Policy May Throw North-East Into Terrible Chaos
By Dr. Gyan Pathak The most vocal Hindutva face in the North-East India, the chief minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma, having shown penchant for igniting communal fire in the past, now seems to have decided on playing with even more terrible fire of arms conflicts, if his new arms policy in the state is of any indication. The decision of the BJP-led Assam government under his leadership to put more arms into the hands of civilians would only accelerate insurgent and communal violence in the entire North-East, which has already been suffering from such menace for quite some time. Himanta Biswa Sarma is all for arming indigenous people in the vulnerable border areas near Bangladesh. He clarified on May 29, 2025, that Assam's new arms licence policy will not apply to areas bordering Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, because these areas are not considered vulnerable in terms of national security. Two things emerged from his statement – First, border areas of Assam along Bangladesh are vulnerable; and secondly, the border areas along other North-Eastern states are not vulnerable in terms of national security, though these regions have been historically involved in border disputes and armed conflicts. No doubt, border areas along the international border with Bangladesh have been vulnerable, and his government seems to suggest it categorically. The question is who is responsible for that? Providing security to life and property of every citizen in the country is guaranteed by the Constitution of India, and the governments take the guarantee. People living in the border areas are vulnerable only because the Centre is failing in its responsibility in protecting the international border, and the government of Assam unable to protect the Indian citizens within its boundary. BJP government at the centre and in Assam have been always trying to shift their responsibilities of stopping infiltration from Bangladesh on to the opposition, repeatedly telling the country that the opposition political parties have been allowing Muslim infiltrators from Bangladesh, for their vote bank. What the double engine governments of BJP has been doing – in Assam since 2016, and at the Centre since 2014? Why the people living in the areas along the international border with Bangladesh? It is not their failure that people are still vulnerable there? Protecting the citizen is government's responsibility. If the governments with its powerful trained army and armed police force can't give protection, how can civilian protect themselves with just supply of arms? Civilians neither can protect themselves not their arms. We have recently seen it in Manipur, where arms were looted from armed forces by insurgent or militant groups. Chief Minister of Assam, obviously have not taken any lesson from that. That is why the cabinet note said that the policy aims to act as a deterrent to unlawful threats and improve the personal safety and confidence of the indigenous communities. It is a false perception of the government, since we have seen across the country that people with arms have been targeted by militant groups only to snatch arms. After supplying arms who will protect the civilians? Assam government has indirectly admitted by approving new arms policy that the government's security forces were unable to give protection to the civilians in the border areas. Sarma himself said, 'The indigenous people in these districts live in an atmosphere of insecurity due to recent developments in Bangladesh. They face the threat of attacks from the Bangladesh side and even from within their own villages.' The new arms policy would be reportedly implemented in a vast area of Assam in the districts of Dhubri, Nagaon, Morigaon, Barpeta, Goalpara, and South Salmara-Mankachar, where the Muslims of Bangladesh origin form the majority and indigenous population are in the minority. Sarma has said, 'The government will be lenient in providing arms licences to eligible people, who must be original habitants and belong to indigenous communities.' What does it mean? Arms would be supplied effectively to non-Muslims, indigenous people and original inhabitants that is to Hindus. Sarma has stressed that the policy is not aimed at militarizing civilians but to address a long-standing demand since 1985, but no government has dared to take this decision. Though the policy has been brought in the name of border areas, it is likely to be implemented across the state. Here is what Sarma said, 'The government will identify the vulnerable areas where we will grant arms licences to the indigenous people in a liberal manner. Areas like Hatigaon in Guwahati may also be marked as vulnerable area.' There is no doubt that these freely gotten arms may travel to all areas of Assam and also to other states in the North-East especially the bordering states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. Inter-state border areas would run heightened risks of armed violence, because of border disputes and conflicts. The arms may also fall into the hands of militant groups and insurgents, and in the wrong hands. Putting arms in the hands of the civilians is thus highly risky which is nothing short of propagation of violence and armed conflicts within the state among various groups of people, and also in the entre North-East, which has already been suffering from ethnic, militant, or insurgent violence. India has a precedence of supplying arms to civilians in Chhattisgarh to counter Maoist threat, which led to lawlessness in 2000s. Supreme Court of India had to intervene and declare the policy illegal. Chief Minister of Assam perhaps not learned any lesson from that also. Then there are other issues – such as the heightened risks of communal violence and vigilantism of the armed civilians against others who are not armed. Assam and the North-East is already very sensitive region of the country, as far as communal, ethnic, militant, or insurgent violence are concerned, of which the region has a history. By arming the specific group of civilians through new arms policy purportedly for self-defence, BJP's double engine government is trying to abdicate its core responsibility of providing security to citizens, and encouraging people indirectly to take law in their own hands. Centre and the state must enhance its security presence and drop the policy of arming civilians. In absence of government's security, the idea of arming specific group of civilians is a most dangerous game. (IPA Service)
United News of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Centre, state govts ignoring illegal coal mining, drug menace in North East: Alleges Cong
New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) The Congress on Wednesday expressed concern over rampant "illegal coal mining" and the growing drug menace in the North-Eastern states, and accused both the central and the respective state governments of turning a blind eye to these two issues. The party demanded a CBI probe into the illegal coal mining in the region. Addressing a press conference at the AICC office here, party Spokesperson Gaurav Gogoi, referred to the ED raids on illegal coal miners without any follow-up action. Gogoi said he had welcomed these raids as he had himself raised the matter both inside and outside the Parliament. He claimed that the ED had conducted raids on April 24 in Assam and Meghalaya and seized Rs 1.58 crores in cash besides luxury vehicles and electronic gadgets. He said, surprisingly no follow-up action was taken nor were any arrests made. Gogoi questioned whether the raid was merely a means of extortion, given the absence of any follow-up action. He further alleged that the ED has a pattern of conducting such raids ahead of elections, often resulting in the raided parties buying electoral bonds for the BJP. He said that there did not appear to be any intention on part of the state or the central government to take further action in the matter. He said the ED raids and seizures "vindicated his charges that illegal mining was rampantly taking place in the Northeast, including Assam". He claimed, these raids disproved the Assam Chief Minister's assertion that no illegal coal mining was taking place in the state. Raising the issue of drug addiction in the North Eastern states, Gogoi alleged, "Drugs were being smuggled in from Myanmar in large quantities and youth were falling prey to this scourge. While the mainstream media was focusing on and highlighting the problems prevailing in the North Western parts of the country, it should also pay attention to this growing menace in the North East". Gogoi also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly making fun of the physical appearance of Chinese people, particularly comments about the shape of their eyes. "The people from North East are being targeted in Delhi and other states for the same reason—their facial features. The Prime Minister while dealing with China on various issues, should show sensitivity regarding the appearance of people from that region," Gogoi said. Moreover, he expressed his gratitude to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary Organisation KC Venugopal and General Secretary in charge of Assam Jitendra Singh for reposing faith and confidence in him by appointing him the Assam PCC president. UNI RBE SSP
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Time of India
How smugglers are driving India's billion-dollar hair loss
India, the world's largest source of human hair, finds itself at the wrong end of a billion-dollar industry. From temple tonsure rituals in Tirupati and other pilgrim centres to household comb waste in rural homes of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bengal and Telangana, the country provides nearly 85% of the world's raw hair supply. Yet, it contributes a negligible share to the final product market— wigs, wefts, and extensions — where the real profits are made. Raw human hair is increasingly being smuggled out of India through illegal routes. Much of it is trafficked across borders to Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal, and then processed in Chinese-run factories in Southeast Asia and China. There, using low-cost labour, including child labour, the hair is turned into high-value wigs and hairpieces sold in Western markets, raking in billions in revenue. The Smuggling Nexus: From Temples to Myanmar The scale of the racket came into focus when the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) intercepted a consignment of temple hair from Tirupati headed to Myanmar via Bihar and Nepal. ED officials had earlier identified a key player: Lucas Thangmangliana, based in Hyderabad, who was under investigation in a Rs 11,000-crore scam. 'Hyderabad is the epicentre of the smuggling of raw human hair. It travels from Secunderabad station to Kolkata and then to Guwahati before being smuggled through border routes,' ED alleged in the complaint against human hair smugglers. The estimated value of smuggled human hair is around Rs 8,000 crore annually, says ED. Investigation also revealed that human hair traders from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were selling hair through shell entities in North-Eastern states and Kolkata, from where it was smuggled to Myanmar and China. Exporters say govt-fixed price for raw hair is $65 per kilo, but smugglers offload it abroad for as high as $100. 'The rest is routed through hawala channels,' said an exporter. 'This is harming legal exporters.' The Untapped Value Chain 'We are exporting the most valuable part of the product at throwaway prices,' said Benjamin Cherian, president of the Human Hair & Hair Products Manufacturers and Exporters Association of India. 'If processed in the country, the market size could cross $5 billion.' He pointed out that Remy hair (100% human hair, processed in a way that maintains natural cuticle direction) — collected mainly from temple donors — was highly sought after abroad. 'Remy hair commands prices of up to $800 a kilo abroad, while non-Remy, which makes up 85% of exports, is still being sold at undervalued rates.' 'Wig-making is a labour-intensive industry. It requires skilled hands. Each hair strand is manually knotted. If we can structure this sector, we can create millions of jobs,' said Ashok Kumar Goli, who runs hair-processing units in Rajasthan and Chennai. Bengal's Rise, South India's Fall Bengal's Chandipur, Midnapore and Bhagwanpur have overtaken Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu as processing hubs. S K Mehbub Alam, an exporter from Chandipur, said: 'I collect and process 300 tonnes of human hair every year, mostly non-Remy, which I turn into double-drawn hair and export to China. But our profits are negligible. China is now buying raw Indian hair smuggled via Myanmar and sold cheap.' Sritanu Jana of Jana Ventures, based in Midnapore, manufactures wigs for export to Europe and the US. 'There is a reason China dominates,' he says. 'Their factories produce thousands of wigs daily. We can't match those costs.' Export Policies Fuel Black Marketing 'Govt is permitting export of the highest quality raw materials at $65 a kilo, while local market prices are $90 to $100,' Cherian said. In March 2022, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) temporarily banned exports of non-Remy hair. But within two months, licences were granted again. 'Most were given to exporters previously blacklisted for foreign exchange violations,' Cherian alleged. The West Bengal Human Hair Association even wrote to Union minister of commerce and industries Piyush Goyal, saying, 'Over 1.5 million families involved in this sector have seen their income halve from Rs 12,000 to Rs 6,000 per month.' Towards A Sustainable Future 'We need a complete ban on raw hair exports under Indian Trade Classification based on harmonised systems (ITC-HS) Code 0501,' the association urged. Cherian added, 'We request govt to fix the export price of raw hair at $100 a kilo. Temples should sell only to manufacturing exporters, not to any bidder without credentials.' Industry players called for an SEZ exclusively for human hair in states like Odisha, Bengal or Andhra Pradesh. They also want a research chair at IIT Chennai or Indian Institute of Chemical Technology in Hyderabad to develop better bleaching, processing and wig-making technologies. 'We are losing not just money but also jobs, innovation, and dignity,' Cherian said. 'The hair is Indian. The labour can be Indian. The wealth should also stay in India.'
New Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Karnataka, a leading silk producer in India now aims to export cocoons to South East Asian countries
BENGALURU: Karnataka is the leader in production of silk sarees and other silk materials in the country, but it will now take the lead in exporting silk cocoons, which are consumed in North-Eastern states and South East Asian countries as they are a rich source of protein. India has seen the opportunity early and found that the demand for silk cocoons is rising from countries where tourism is their primary source of income, like Singapore and other South East Asian countries. 'India is one of the largest silk producers, and Karnataka is the leader. Silk cocoons from here can be supplied to other countries where the demand is rising. We are working on keeping the cocoons alive after reeling the silk so that they can be exported. Already, the dead pupa, after reeling, is dried, powdered and exported. It is also fed to dogs as a protein supplement,' Member Secretary and CEO, Central Silk Board (CSB), Sivakumar Periyasamy, said. R&D is on to keep the pupa alive and documents are being prepared on the modalities for silk extraction from live pupa. In the North-East, eri silk pupa is consumed and in cities like Dimapur in Nagaland, it is sold at Rs 700-1,200 a kg. Consumption of silk cocoons is legal in other countries, and is a traditional practice in North-East India. The demand for mulberry silk cocoons is rising and since Karnataka leads in mulberry silk material production, it is the best place to source cocoon from.
Gulf News
25-04-2025
- Gulf News
UK issues India travel alert after Pahalgam attacks; Here's what travellers must know
Dubai: The United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advisory for India, issuing specific warnings to its citizens following the recent attacks in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. British citizens have been asked to keep away from areas within 10km of the India-Pakistan border, with the Wagah-Attari border closed. Approaching unmarked border sections in Gujarat and Rajasthan has also been highlighted as potentially dangerous. The move made by FCDO was triggered in response to the deadly terror attack on tourists visiting the hill station, often nicknamed the Switzerland of India, resulting in the death of 26 civilians. The advisory asked its citizens to stay away from the majority of Jammu and Kashmir, encompassing popular tourist spots like Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, the city of Srinagar, and the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. 'Exceptions are made for travel by air to and from the city of Jammu, within the city of Jammu, and within the Union Territory of Ladakh,' it said. For Manipur, the FCDO advises against all but essential travel, including the capital, Imphal. The advisory also details regional risks in other parts of India, including other North-Eastern states and specific rural and forested districts. The FCDO recommends that British nationals review its overall travel advice and specific safety and security guidance for India in addition to these regional warnings. Travellers are urged to stay vigilant, monitor local media, and follow the advice of local authorities and their travel companies, it said in a statement.
