SHILLONG, March 29 ? Fifty-eight years since an unknown number of soldiers and villagers laid down their lives at the remote village of Shungshak in Manipur during the Second World War, a War Memorial has finally come up in the village to honour the memory of the forgotten heroes. Shangshak was the witness to one of the bloodiest battles of the Eastern front in March 1944. The onslaught of the 31st Division of the seemingly invincible Japanese Imperial Army was halted in the little-known village for a crucial ten days by the brave soldiers of the Indian 50 Parachute Brigade. The soldiers of 4 Maratha Light Infantry and 152 Para Battalion, part of the Brigade, made sterling contributions to this battle. The Japanese after their partial success in the Imphal valley, wanted to open another axis through Ukhrul and thereby threaten Imphal from the north and take control of Imphal-Kohima Road. Had this happened, the move would have enabled the Japanese forces to hasten their advance towards the plains of Assam. This would have totally tilted the balance against the Allies which would have possibly altered the course of history in the north eastern region. The troops of the 50 Para Brigade fought a valiant battle delaying the advance of the enemy, thereby allowing adequate reaction time to Field Marshal Slim of the Allied Forces to send timely reinforcement and halt the further advance of the Japanese Army. Heavy losses were inflicted on the Japanese seriously delaying and weakening the attack on Kohima. In recognition of their valiant stand at Shangshak, 4 Maratha Light Infantry was conferred with the ?Battle Honour? Shangshak. Subedar Major and Honorary Captain Ganpat Kale, who participated in the Battle of Shangshak and other war veterans of 4 Maratha Light Infantry laid wreaths, in a poignant ceremony conducted at the War Memorial on March 26 last. YA Shishak, veteran of the ?Battle of Shangshak? also laid a wreath on behalf of the villagers. The War Memorial was formally inaugurated by Lt Gen GK Duggal, Director General, Assam Rifles. It was constructed at the behest of Assam Rifles through the active participation of the men of 25 Assam Rifles. The villagers of Shangshak also contributedc to the effort.
NERIST pinning its hopes on Joshi
ITANAGAR, March 29 ? The North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), is pinning its hopes on acquiring deemed university status as promised by human resources development minister, Dr MM Joshi, reports PTI. The minister had said that this would be possible should the proposal be given the green light by the All India Council for Technical Education. The visit by Dr Joshi on March 23 might fulfil its long felt aspirations, NERIST sources said Thursday. NERIST, which is currently affiliated to the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) began its academic session in 1986 to cater to the needs of technical manpower of the entire northeast, the sources said. Dr Joshi gave the assurance after inaugurating a new academic block at NERIST at Nirjuli near here on March 23. The institute was conceived in 1982 and was initially funded by the North East Council (NEC). It later came under the direct control of the Union Ministry of HRD. A high-power committee constituted by the All India Council for Technical Education is scheduled to visit the institute next month to determine whether NERIST should be conferred the status of a deemed university, the sources said. Dr Joshi, during his visit, expressed satisfaction with the infrastructures developed in the campus and its academic achievements, the sources said. He also praised the Arunachal University, but gave no commitment to make it a central university disappointing the students. Dr Joshi had clarified that he was not the authority to make an announcement on conversion of the university from the state to a central one as the norms had been recently changed. The responsibility had been given to a high power expert committee constituted by the UGC and the Planning Commission. The committee would visit the university to evaluate its present position to help convert it to a central university, the sources added.
Reserve 50% Assembly seats for tribals : INPT
AGARTALA, March 29 ? The Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), a newly launched tribal political body, has adopted a 22-point charter of demands including reservation of state?s lone Rajya Sabha seat for tribals and half of total strength of the 60-member state Assembly for the tribal people, reports PTI. Alleging that the lands, traditionally inhabited by tribals in state?s districts, had been taken away from them during the last few decades, the INPT called for expeditious implementation of the Indira-Mujib Pact signed in 1971. The charter of demands, adopted at an INPT meeting few days back, was made available to the media Wednesday. The INPT recently came into being following the merger of Tripura Upajati Juba Samity and Indigenous People?s Front of Tripura. The organisation alleged that indifference of state authorities to stop eviction of tribals and ensure their re-settlement went against the spirit of the treaty signed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Bangladesh President Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman. The treaty was for maintaining the demographic pattern of the tribal-dominated areas which raised hopes of solving the issue, INPT sources said. The demands also envisaged reservation of the state?s lone RS seat besides reservation of 50 per cent seats in state legislature for the indigenous population. The charter of demands stipulated that the ?tribal reserve area?, as declared by the then Maharaja in 1943, should be released from the reserved forest territory as declared under Indian Forest Act and Indian Forest Conservation Act, 1981. Other major demands comprised devolution of more power to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) as stipulated in the Sixth Schedule Amendment, 1995 and 73rd and 74th Constitution Amendment Act, 1993. The INPT also urged revoking of Special Armed Force Act, 1958, initiative by both Centre and concerned states to ensure repatriation of Reang refugees of Mizoram, sheltered in North Tripura district, erecting barbed wire fencing along India-Bangladesh border to check infiltration.
8 HNLC ultras arrested in Meghalaya
From Our Special Correspondent
SHILLONG, March 29 ? Meghalaya Police has secured yet another major success in its fight against militancy nabbing eight ultras belonging to the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) in Pynursla area in East Khasi Hills close to the Indo-Bangladesh border on Wednesday last. State DGP L Sailo told The Assam Tribune ?they were proceeding to Bangladesh from Shillong in a Tata sumo vehicle, for arms training when they were intercepted by the police.? Two grenades were seized from their possession. Following their interrogation, the police Thursday morning raided some houses in Mawlai area here and recovered two AK-47 assault rifles and three 9-mm pistols. Sources revealed that the arrested persons included two hardcore militants and six recruits. One of the entrants was a minor boy of 15 years. All the ultras were residents of Mawlai Nongpdeng in the state capital. The capture of the militants has brought to light that they were planning to cross over into Bangladesh via Dawki in Jaintia Hills district to reach the combined training camp of the NSCN (IM) - NHLC in Khagrachari in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).