Politics / Assam

Silchar, April 9: A 48-hour curfew was today clamped in North Cachar Hills district of Assam following sporadic clashes during a 12-hour bandh called by the All-Dimasa Students’ Union (ADSU) in protest against the massacre by Hmar militants on March 31.

District magistrate Syed Iftiqar Hussain described the curfew, which took effect at 1 pm, as “a precautionary step to prevent breach of peace and tranquillity”.

Official sources in Haflong, the district headquarters, said they had received reports of Dimasas torching 20 Hmar huts in Retzawl, Mahur and Umrangshu. It is not known if there were...

GUWAHATI, April 9 – A 48-hour curfew has been clamped in the entire North-Cachar Hills district from 1 pm today in view of the deteriorating law and order situation in the district. Earlier curfew was clamped in the district from 6 pm yesterday to 5 am today. But the administration again clamped curfew following arson in Retzol area today. The release said that all out efforts are being made by the district administration to bring the situation under control and all educational institutions in the district have been closed down, official sources said.

NEW DELHI, April 9 — The hue and cry over presence of a huge migrant population in the border areas, notwithstanding, the Union Government so far has not made any effort to identify the illegal migrants, even as Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that Assam Government has submitted an eight-point formula for checking influx of foreigners from across the border.

Contrary to its claims about presence of 10 million illegal migrants in the country, the Central Government has no official data to prove its point. “The question on nationality was not canvassed at the Census 2001 and therefore, it is...

Silchar/Guwahati, April 8: Tension continued to crackle in the twin districts of Cachar and North Cachar Hills after the recovery of an unidentified body today, while the Assembly team that had visited the strife-torn areas blamed both Hmar and Dimasa militants for the ongoing ethnic feud.

The toll in the ethnic riots was revised to 24 after the body of a suspected victim in the massacre on March 31 came floating down the Rukni river, near Monierkhal in Cachar district, this morning.

Section 144 CrPC was clamped in Halflong town as a precautionary step after miscreants set fire to a scooter...

GUWAHATI, April 8 — Dimasa student leaders today demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident of gruesome murder of 23 Dimasa people by the extremist group Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic) in Cachar district on March 31 last. Addressing newspersons at Dispur Last Gate here All Dimasa Students’ Union (ADSU) president Sanmoni Kemprai, Dimasa Students’ Community, Guwahati (DSCG) president Smt Subarna Haflongbar and DSCG general secretary Rajdeep Kemprai also demanded that the inquiry should be conducted by a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India and the inquiry should also deal with...

GUWAHATI, April 8 — The Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today informed that the State Government was in touch with Mizoram and Manipur governments for initiating coordinated action to tackle the ethnic violence that has flared up along the inter-State boundary areas in the Cachar district of Assam. Talking to newsmen here, Sri Gogoi stated that as the Hmar People’s Convention (HPC) extremists involved in ethnic cleansing of Dimasas in Cachar areas were based in those two neighbouring States, the coordination with the two State governments was the need of the hour to control the ethnic violence in...

GUWAHATI, April 8 – The Assam Legislative Assembly today passed the Assam Electricity Bill, 2003 to pave the way for power sector reforms and restructuring of the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) amidst strong protest and walk-out by the Opposition members. The members of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bodoland Demand Legislature Party (BDLP) demanded that the Bill should be sent to the select committee of the House for a thorough discussion on all the clauses and they staged a walk-out when the Government refused to accept their demand.

As soon as the...

DIPHU, April 7 — Completion of one year by the Congress-I in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council was celebrated on Saturday at Diphu Stadium playground amidst great enthusiasm. In this connection, a public meeting was held under the presidentship of George Millik, chairman, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC). Addressing the mammoth gathering, Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam urged the leaders of the KAAC to implement all developmental schemes to wipe out poverty and unemployment problems from the district.

Appreciating the leaders of the KAAC, the Chief Minister said that peace and...

NEW DELHI, April 7 — In a new twist to the ongoing battle for repeal of the controversial IMDT Act, a fresh petition demanding implementation of the Act to all-over the country has been filed. The case has now been posted for direction in July. The tagging of a new writ petition filed by Prasant Bhusan on behalf of his client Abu Hanifa in support of the Act has added a new angle to the case that has been pending final hearing in the Apex Court since late last year.

A three-member Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice VN Khaire, comprising Justice Brijesh Kumar and Justice SB...

Silchar, April 7: Chief minister Tarun Gogoi?s appeal for restraint appears to have had a sobering effect on the warring Hmars and Dimasas, but the air remained charged with tension as Cachar and the North Cachar Hills struggled to come to terms with last week?s ghastly massacre.

The feud between the two tribal groups began in February with the abduction of three senior members of the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD), which claims to represent the Dimasa community, by Naga and Hmar militants.

Haflong, the headquarters of North Cachar Hills district, today wore a deserted look with residents staying...