Jaunted

Hunter Walker, you're the most uninformed reporter I've ever come across. You're quoting "The Shillong Times" without being aware of the context of the situation out there.

The Sepultura concert was never in danger from Islamic militants. Shilllong has a 90% Christian population and the militancy that exists in the whole region is not really present in Shillong.

The militancy that is present in the North East of India is of the separatist kind and their beef is against the Indian government not the musical taste of their own populace. The Islamic Jihadists are "suspected" to provide training and logistical support. THATS IT! They re not involved in the socio-political scenario AT ALL.

I should know because I grew up in Shillong and I'm going back very soon. If you want to have a debate about this or justify your slanderous and very general depiction of a region made up of different communities with different situations then I'm ready to educate you.

I can't believe you got that information from an ONLINE FORUM!!!! posted by some anonymous guys!!!

Judging by your paranoia whenever you talk about the words "Islamist" and "Terrorist" you sound like a scared Bush-head.

In addition to the internet research, I actually consulted former colleague who just spent over a year in India for this piece. Do you really dispute the contention of the Shillong Times that Islamic militant organizations are a growing presence in Northeast India or the fact that leftist and ethnic militant groups are a major presence in the region?

The Shillong Times is far from the only outlet discussing this I just chose to link them cause they're a local source and they're the first article I ran across when searching for info on Jihadists in the region (it's blogging etiquette and SOP to credit the first source you find). Here are some other links supporting my contention that there are armed Muslim fundamentalist and leftist militants in Nagaland and Meghalaya:

http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/45394.htm
http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/sair/Archives/3_1.htm
http://www.myindiareport.in/2007/10/27/abandon-and-zest/
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Top_HuJI_militant_held_in_JK/articleshow/3159176.cms
http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?b=3999825&c=ijITI2PHKoG&ct=5161713
http://eastindiawatch.blogspot.com/2007/12/separatist-leader-reveals-bangladesh.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html
http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cpapers14%5Cpaper1369.html
http://www.itgo.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&issueid=&id=4241&Itemid=&a mp;sectionid=6&secid=&completeview=1

As far as the Sepultura story, I clearly identified the online messageboard as being the source of the tales of tension surrounding the show. Multiple posters there described the situation though some of the online posts did indeed say the show was canceled (it was not I confirmed this before writing and my post reflects that). I browsed the site and found many postings about concerts in Shillong and it seemed to be a good place to get the views of the young concertgoing crowd in the town. I chose that specific message board post to link to because I liked how the discussion of the issues and rumors surrounding the Sepultura show was alongside the classified ads looking for band members that demonstrate the prevalence of rock music in Shillong. Lord knows, it's not as if the Sepultura show would have been the first time metal performers ran into a bit of a culture clash in Shillong:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/334755.cms

As far as your comment that I'm a "a scared Bush-head" because of my use of the words "Islamist" and "Terrorist," you're way off base. I don't think the people in any of the groups in the region (groups which you dispute the existence of) such as Allah R'Dal, HUJI-B, and Jaish would have any issue being identified as Muslims, Islamists, or Jihadists.

Maybe they wouldn't see themselves as "terrorists" per se, but I'd use that word to describe any political movement that uses violence against civilians to meet their goals. I understand that the word is very charged, but I don't think this article makes any value judgment about their methods it just acknowledges their existence, which you seem to be unable to deal with.

I don't write about politics on Jaunted, but here's a link to a blog that I co-founded where you can see months of my political writing for the next time someone wants to accuse me of being a Republican or having some type of pro-Bush agenda:

http://cynicsparty.com/author/hunter-walker/

Thanks for playing!  

Well maybe I was wrong about the Bush-Head comment but I still stick to the belief that you got your resources wrong/or in really bad context.

First of all online forums are extreme representations of a few ppl's bad experiences. And I know the ones you re talking about. You can't pick up information from there. The fights that happen in rock concerts in Shillong are because of uncontrollable drinking. No concerts have been threatened by any Islamic organization ever and the few Jesus-freaks that hate metal , well they re everywhere I think you ll agree with me. And no they didn't try to stop the concert, they just spoke against it. We do live in a democracy you know.

Your article was totally wrong because you put Shillong under the shadow of Islamic Terrorism. Right now the militancy that prevails in the region is of the ethnic kind which is fighting the Indian State. That is because the cultural differences between the mainland and the North East have created major conflicts over the years. That is a totally different thing that should not be confused with your views about Jihad in the North-East. For that you ll have to refer to a better source than some guy who spent 1 year in India. Do you even know that people in India itself are totally unaware when it comes to the North East Region? So spending 1 year in India does not someone can tell you what is going on. Do you even know how big and diverse India is?

And your links on Islamic Jihadists are basically reports of how there is a possibility of Islamic Terrorism spreading because of the vicinity to Bangladesh. Well the links that you show me all talk about logistical connections between Bangladeshi Terrorists with
ULFA [a separatist group from ASSAM, nowhere near Shillong! and they re not even Islamic] and other SEPARATIST groups that are not connected to Shillong at all.

The one article that was about Shillong is about the surrendered HNLC [they re almost non-existent now, confined to border towns] who revealed logistical links between North East separatists and jihadists. Logistical here means basically guns and "training" in exchange FOR MONEY and it s not just Jihadists, you got China and Pakistan involved too. The picture is bigger than you think. It involves the whole geo-political scenario of South Asia.

Now my final point is if you wanna search for terrorists/jihadists/separatists in the North East of India you can't attribute it all to 1 city which is actually one of the more peaceful parts of the region. Your whole research is made on an area that is 262,230 square kilometers [8 states, and more than 50 languages and cultures]..... You compressed whatever statistics and reports you got into a mutated summary of what you think is going on.... and found a city like Shillong [population 300,000 and maximum 15 square kilometers!!!]  And branded it as under threat from Jihadists? And it all started from when you read about a group of people who didn't like the idea of a Sepultura concert in Shillong?!!!!!! They were just normal protestors----in fact CHRISTIANS----- A few moms and dads, not Islamic Jihadists!!!

Hope this map of the region helps.

http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/northeast/sevensisters.htm

Look at where Shillong is and look at the whole region as a whole and then look at the many states that comprise the region. Each state is like a country on its own.

Right now I'm just shocked by the way you've organized your "sources" and manipulated information and that too without having any idea of the history, the geography and even the people of the place. You don't even know which places you're talking about. That's why you think that Allah R'Dal, HUJI-B, and Jaish are prancing around outside my doorstep. I'm not saying the region is peaceful as heaven. I'm saying your representation of the threats is wrong and literally misplaced and is just a picturisation of how the west feels about conflicts this side. You all think we're gun-toting dumb-asses shooting people at random with our AK-47s. Well its much more complicated than than the Islam + Jihad formula that you're trying to portray the North East as.

I read your blog. I wont make a stand because I dont live in America so I don't know what s going on there. But I still don't see how it makes you an expert of North-East India..... can't see the connection at all.

It's crazy how you could make an obscene comment on Shillong! Dude looks like you have too much of time on your hands, go get a life or atleast get your facts right! Bet you know how to navigate the net, google it but spell it correctly (its not schlong)! Maybe your a schlong!