Society / Northeast

New Delhi, March 4: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has begun streamlining its organisational machinery in the Northeast and launched a new drive against smuggling of narcotics into the region from Myanmar. A source said the NCB had realised that greater co-operation was required with Myanmar and the state governments of the Northeast to enhance its efficacy.

“The most significant development in recent times has been the understanding with Myanmar on sharing of intelligence regarding the groups operating in the region and the routes frequently used by them to smuggle in drugs. In addition...

NEW DELHI, Feb 18 — The role of several human right groups including the Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS) in the North-East is under scrutiny, with the Ministry of Home Affairs identifying them as having close links with the underground outfits. The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Sri I D Swami in a statement in the Lok Sabha said that several NGOs in the North-East have clandestine links with terrorist organisations. The organisations named included the MASS, North-East Coordination Committee on Human Rights (NECCHR). United Committee, Manipur (UCM), Naga Peoples Movement for Human...

GUWAHATI, Feb 11 ? Sanjana Das of Guwahati won the coveted Miss North-east 2003 title while Mandakini, Miss Manipur from Imphal, and Rimlim Barua of Tezpur were adjudged the first and second runners-up at the beauty pageant held at Hotel Ambarish, Ganeshguri, here on February 8 last.

Participants from various places of the north-eastern region took part in the event, the preliminary round of which was held at Umananda in the middle of the Brahmaputra river on February 6. The Miss Photogenic title and Miss Personality titles were won by Sanjana and Rimlim, the eventual winner and second runner...

SHILLONG, Feb 3 ? The 103rd annual conference of the Unitarian Union of North East India got under way at the Unitarian Church, Madan Laban here on February 1. Unitarians from the north-eastern States, besides foreign delegates attended the two-day conference.

Special services and congregation meetings were organised to mark the occasion. Unitarianism was founded in the Khasi Hills on September 18, 1887, by Hajom Kissor Singh. It has an indigenous origin which conforms to the monotheistic belief of the traditional Khasi people.

The Unitarian religion is based on the unity of God, tolerance...

GUWAHATI, Feb 5 ? The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, celebrated the 7th national-level annual cultural festival, ?Alcheringa 2003?. Alcheringa, meaning ?dream time? is known for its rich variety of events and competitions and is one of its kind in the entire North East region. In the past, Alcheringa witnessed overwhelming participation from colleges all over India especially the North-East and West Bengal. The 7th Alcheringa had sponsorship associations with Coca-Cola, Carrier, Nestle, Samsung, Reliance and Godrej. The fest was held from January 31 to February 2, a release said.

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Guwahati, Jan. 19: The North Eastern Space Applications Centre has decided to use Indian remote sensing satellites for the early detection and control of endemic diseases in the region.

The project, titled ?Early detection and control of endemic diseases in the Northeast?, will be implemented in collaboration with the Regional Medical Research Centre in Dibrugarh under the Indian Council of Medical Research, which will provide research-based support.

The centre will concentrate on Japanese encephalitis and malaria, the two major killer diseases in the region.

Hundreds of people living in the...

GUWAHATI, Jan 7 – Lack of cooperation from the State governments has hampered the functioning of the National Commission for Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribe (NCSC&ST) in the region, as several departments of the Assam Government involved in the affairs of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), have not responded to the directives and queries of the National Commission for the last two-three years. Things have come to such a pass that the NCSC&ST field office here does not even have the latest data on the SC and ST population in the State. “The State Government is not...

NEW DELHI, Jan 2 —— Notwithstanding the controversy generated by the new National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks for allegedly deviating from the secular line, history, culture and heritage of the North East Region in a break from the past, is likely to find place in the new textbooks.

The NCERT has been making efforts to give adequate coverage to the Region, Union Minister of State for HRD, Rita Verma gave the assurance to this effect. The new textbooks are being prepared with this in mind, she assured.

The suggestion by the HRD Ministry to the NCERT came...

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 20 — Worried over increasing incidents of heroin smuggling from Myanmar, the Centre has stepped up operations along the Indo-Myanmar border. The three states of the north east India, bordering Myanmar, — Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland has been kept under strict vigil by the enforcement agencies, following reports that the smugglers are trying to despatch their consignments to the region. Though the enforcement agencies have made several seizures during the last couple of years, yet they have not been able to contain the problem in view of prevailing terrain. Talking advantage of...