Politics / Northeast

KOLKATA, March 29: Indian anti-insurgency forces eliminated two key financiers of the United Liberation Force of Asom and seriously injured another person handling ULFA funds in Bangladesh in three different encounters in the capital city of Dhaka in last Friday. Four gunmen shot Mohammed Reza Jahangir, a businessman dealing in prawn and shrimps and a close-aide of ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, in the posh Shyamali Ring Road area in Dhaka at around 3.30 pm on Friday afternoon. Later in the day, another of Baruah's financier's and owner of a garment factory, Saleem, suffered 60 per...

IMPHAL, March 15: MPs of the Northeastern states have urged the Union Minister of Civil Aviation Sharad Yadav to immediately make operational services in Guwahati airport by starting Indian Airlines flights to capital cities of neighbouring countries like Dhaka, Kathmandu and Bangkok. The common body of the MPs of the NE States, Northeast MPs Forum led by its Chairman and MP from Meghalaya PR Kyndiah also urged the Civil Aviation Minister to start morning flights between Guwahati and New Delhi, besides making Guwahati airport the hub of regional air service. The Lok Sabha MP from the outer...

DHAKA, March 13: Top ULFA leader Anup Chetia, who is serving jail terms here, is to renew his prayer for asylum, press reports said today, reports PTI. Chetia, who is sentenced to several years' jail term for illegal entry into Bangladesh and possessing foreign currency and other valuables, asked his lawyers to make a fresh appeal for political asylum, the Daily Star reported quoting his lawyer Alina Khan in the court where Chetia was produced for hearing in connection with possessing satellite telephone. The judge adjourned the trial till March 29 due to the absence of the witness and the...

AGARTALA, March 12: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has lashed out at the Baptist Missions for aiding and abetting terrorism in Northeast India. The international working president of the VHP, Ashok Singhal at a press conference here on Thursday, said the Baptist missions are, if not directly, but indirectly responsible for fomenting militancy in the region. He said lakhs of rupees are pouring into India from foreign countries for the Christian organisations, and observed that a large amount of these funds were being diverted for arms procurement for the militants. "However, Punjab has proved...

SHILLONG, March 11: The ad-hocism practised by the Centre in appointing the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Northeastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) has adversely affected the morale of the employees as also the functioning of the Corporation. The pioneer infrastructure development organisation of the north eastern region in the field of power generation has been functioning without a regular CMD since November 1 last year following the retirement of P K Kotoky. The Director (Finance) of the Corporation, PK Chatterjee, who was holding the additional charge of the post of CMD...

NEW DELHI, March 10: The Centre is likely to announce ceasefire in Northeastern states to create an atmosphere conducive for talks with insurgent groups, and to restore peace in the region. Officials said despite differences of opinion among Chief Ministers of the Northeast, the Centre is firm on extending ceasefire in all Northeastern states. The announcement will be made after discussing with the Union defence minister, George Fernandes, and approval of the Cabinet committee on security. The Chief Ministers of the Northeastern states met the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Union...

NEW DELHI, March 7: Militant outfits in the Northeast have responded positively to the suspension of operations against them and the call for dialogue, the Union home minister said in the Rajya Sabha today. The Centre has held informal talks with NSCN(K) and the Federal Party in Nagaland and should be able to take a decision soon, LK Advani said. Advani met officials and groups other than the NSCN(IM) during his trip to Nagaland last week. The Centre and the state government agreed that NSCN (K) and the Federal Party too should be involved in the ceasefire. "The Centre completely agrees with...

NEW DELHI, March 7: Union Home Minister, L K Advani today set all speculations to rest by ruling out the possibility of the Centre announcing a unilateral ceasefire with all militant outfits including the ULFA in the Northeast. The Union Home Minister clarified the Centre's stand on the issue at the Rajya Sabha here this morning after several members belonging to the region urged him to unilaterally announce a ceasefire in the region. The views were along the same line as that of the three Northeast State Chief Ministers, including, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Radhabinod Koijam and Mukut Mithi...

NEW DELHI, March 5: The Centre is under pressure of the insurgency affected States of the Northeast to declare a unilateral ceasefire with all the underground outfits operating in the region on the line of the peace initiatives taken in Jammu and Kashmir. Under increasing pressure of the Northeastern Chief Ministers to declare ceasefire with all the insurgent outfits a reluctant Centre may finally concede. With the issue of extension of the ceasefire with the Naga outfit again assuming centre stage, the Chief Ministers of Assam Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh have prevailed upon the Prime...

KOLKATA, March 4: The Centre was willing to extend the ceasefire to all militant groups in the Northeast, Union Home Minister L K Advani indicated here today. Speaking to newsmen at the Calcutta airport during a brief stopover on his way to Port Blair on a special aircraft, he said the Chief Ministers of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh had also favoured such a step during their discussions with him. "The stand of both the Chief Ministers is now flexible. Appropriate steps would be taken by the government in due course," he stated, adding that there was no need for a mid-term review of the...