Politics / Northeast

Calcutta, Jan. 4: Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar today said the border areas of Tripura have become a terror hub because of the neglect of the northeastern state’s natural resources and the lack of development projects initiated by the Centre. Sarkar said the biggest worry has been the emergence of al Qaida in the Northeast with the support from the NSCN (Khaplang), the Ulfa and other militant groups. “They are using the Northeast as a base to work their way into the heart of the country, using local militant groups as pawns,” he said.

Sarkar asked Bangladesh to hand over “terrorists”...

Imphal, January 03: ‘Kalpana’ a Manipuri digital film produced by Goodwill Pictures is doing well. The premier show was held today at Friends Talkies. The Rs two lakhs budget film has already earned half the cost at Kakching and Thoubal. Produced by Rajendra and Seema the film running nearly two hours signals the heralding of new stars. Lalit, Seema and some other senior artistes who had already proven their mite performed well. The new stars Kaiku and Manda performed well acting with ease and pleasing he spectators with their fresh looks and charm. The story revolves around two sisters who...

Jan. 2: Assam police today moved the chief judicial magistrate of Kamrup for a production warrant against the arrested vice-president of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) even as Sikkim police produced their prize catch in the court of the district sessions judge (east and north) in Gangtok. Dhiren Boro, his wife and accomplices have been booked under four Sections of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). It is the first instance of the legislation being employed in Sikkim. The militant leader and his wife Pratima, also an NDFB member, had been living in Gangtok for...

Imphal, January 02: Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh has stated that general secretary of NSCN (IM) Thuingaleng Muivah would not be let off if he comes to Manipur. Addressing mediapersons during a New Year's feast hosted at the Banquet Hall of the 1st MR here yesterday, the Chief Minister who also holds the Home portfolio, however, said that his Government has not yet decided upon any definite action to be initiated against the leaders of the underground outfit which has been stripped of its unlawful tag recently to clear their path for the India visit. NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chisi Swu and...

GUWAHATI, Jan 1: Militant outfit National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) today suffered a major setback as the vice-chairman of the outfit Dhiren Boro alias Sungtha was arrested by Sikkim Police in Gangtok. Dhiren Boro is the second senior leader of the NDFB to be arrested within a month as only last month the general secretary of the outfit Govinda Basumatary was arrested in Rangiya when he was on his way to North Bengal from Dimabur. Highly placed police sources in North Bengal told The Assam Tribune this evening that Dhiren Boro was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of...

Imphal, Jan. 1: The Centre’s eagerness to make the NSCN (I-M) leadership feel at home on their return to India has been counterbalanced by the belligerence of Manipur, which today declared that it would not hesitate to arrest the outfit’s general secretary, Thuingaleng Muivah, if he visited the state. Both Nagaland and Assam have withdrawn the arrest warrants against Muivah and NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chisi Swu to facilitate their return to the country for the next round of peace talks with the Centre.

Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh has, however, refused to make any such concession...

Guwahati, Dec. 25: The diplomatic mission to convince Bhutan and Bangladesh to flush out militants of the Northeast from their territories has made substantial progress, according to the Union minister in charge of the department for development of the northeastern region, Arun Shourie.

He made the statement during an informal interaction with members of the media on the runway of Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here. “Diplomatic initiatives are on at the appropriate level and the results will be known soon,” he said.

Shourie said he had spoken to leaders of Bangladesh —...

DHAKA, Dec 24 — Bangladesh has denied Indian charge of the existence of terrorist camps within its territory, terming it as “baseless”, according to a media report, reports PTI. “The government of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia after a thorough and detailed investigation has intimated Delhi that there was no truth to the charge made by India,” vernacular newspaper The Daily Jugantor said today.

Quoting officials, it said “the door is open for any diplomat to verify what the government insists (that there is no terrorist camp). This is for the first time that investigations were carried out...

Guwahati, Dec. 22: The All-India Tribal Literary Forum today requested the Centre to include Bodo, Khasi, Santhali and other tribal languages in the Eighth Schedule.

The forum passed this resolution at a regional meet it organised here yesterday. The meeting was attended by delegates from the Northeast and Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Delhi.

Addressing a news conference here today, members of the forum said the tribal languages should be included in the Eighth Schedule for protecting them and preserving their identity. Tribal scholar and former Ranchi University vice...

Guwahati, Dec. 21: The Royal Bhutan government has warned militant outfits from Assam and West Bengal that it would be left with no option but to use military force if Indian insurgents did not leave their camps in the Himalayan Kingdom peacefully.

King Jigme Singe Wangchuk, addressing the nation, said his government would soon hold talks with the militant outfits, asking them to leave the country.

?Our objective during the talks will be to ensure that the militants remove their main camp, which serves as their headquarters, from Bhutanese territory. If our efforts to resolve this problem...