Insurgency / Nagaland

GUWAHATI, July 27: At least six persons, including five policemen, were killed and five others received bullet injuries when a group of unidentified extremists ambushed a police party at Lalongdisha near Diphu in Karbi Anglong District early Tuesday morning. Though the identity of the extremists involved in the incident is yet to be ascertained, police suspect that it was a joint operation of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) and the Dima Halong Daogah (DHD). Police sources here said a police team headed by the additional superintendent of police of Karbi Anglong and deputy...

The moment Swaraj Kaushal's resignation drama came out in the open, political circles have been full of rumours about how much it would harm the ongoing peace talks between the Indian government and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN). After all, Kaushal had been in constant touch with the NSCN leaders Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah over the past one year and more. Just because no political breakthrough has yet been achieved does not necessarily mean Kaushal had made no headway. If not anything, he was trying to gain the confidence of the Naga leadership. Though a parallel...

NEW DELHI, July 27: India has decided to extend the ceasefire with the Nagaland militants for another year. This, in effect, is the upshot of the visit by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's special emissary K Padmanabhaiah and Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Shyamal Dutta to Amsterdam where they recently held prolonged discussions with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah). Represented by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah, it is the only warring group fighting for '"free Naga" cause that India acknowledges. Padmanabhaiah, who recently replaced Swaraj Kaushal for the...

KOHIMA, July 26: The grand old man of the Naga political movement and vice-chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN( (Isak-Muivah), Khodao Yanthan, has returned to Nagaland after a prolonged self-imposed "exile" in London, a spokesman of the organisation said. The return of the 83-year-old Yanthan, a closed associate of the legendary A Z Phizo, is significant in view of the ongoing peace talks and the recent visit of NSCN(I-M) top leaders Isak Chishi Swu and T. Muivah.

NEW DELHI, July 21: In a new twist to the ongoing stalemate over the Naga peace talks, the Union government on Wednesday sacked the Centre's chief interlocutor, Swaraj Kaushal, and appointed former Union home secretary, Padmanabhaiah, in his place. The former Union home secretary who is also the officer on special duty in-charge for Nagaland joined his new assignment on Wednesday itself, highly placed official sources confirmed. Contrary to belief, Swaraj Kaushal was not given the marching orders for the manner in which he handled the peace talks but he is believed to have fallen victim to...

GUWAHATI, July 21 - While anti-insurgency operations under the Unified Command is focussed on curbing activities of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and Bodoland Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF), several militant outfits have geared up their activities in two hill districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar capitalising on alleged laxity on part of the State Government to step up operations against them. Sources in Karbi Anglong said geared-up activities of Karbi National Volunteers (KNV) and Karbi People's Force (KPF) in the district and...

New Delhi, July 15: The director-general of Nagaland Police has been asked to submit a report on the allegation levelled by the NSCN (I-M) faction that Jamir government has been funnelling funds to Naga Federal Group (NFG), a separatist outfit, even as the Naga ceasefire between the government of India and NSCN (I-M) is all set to be extended for another year. Although, a certain degree of uncertainty and crept into the fate of the ceasefire that expires of July 31, following toughening of stand by both the NSCN (I-M) leadership and ministry of home affairs (MHA), after monitoring the outcome...

Kohima, July 15: The Nagaland government has claimed that overall situation in the state during 1998-99 remained peaceful even as the Opposition parties charged the government with failing to maintain peace and amity. In its annual administrative report, the State Home department claimed that 'barring some stray incidents of violence, the law-and-order situation by and large remained peaceful during the year.' The report was tabled on Tuesday on the opening day of the ongoing week-long Budget session of the State Assembly. During the period, antisocial elements were dealt with firmly and till...