NEW DELHI, Dec 16 ? The Centre is likely to toughen it stand on tackling militancy, with Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil today hinting that the Central Government was mulling a Unified Command for all the north-eastern States. The possible hardening of the stand against ULFA may come in the wake of the UPA Government coming increasingly under attack of the Opposition for the manner of handling the situation in the State.

In the Lok Sabha, for instance, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi of Bihar criticising the Centre?s handling of the situation said that it should not agree to talk with ULFA until...

Shillong, Dec 15 ? Normal life was affected in three districts of Meghalaya today due to the overnight 20-hour bandh called by Khasi Students Union (KSU) with stray incidents of stone-throwing in some places. However, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere till noon during the bandh, that began at 7 p.m. yesterday.

The bandh in East Khasi Hills, Ri-bhoi and Jaintia Hills districts is being supported by the apex North East Students Organisation. Normal life was hit in East Khasi Hills district, in which the capital town of Shillong is situated, with no shops, commercial establishments...

AGARTALA, Dec 15 ? Altogether 69 people were killed and 59 injured by the insurgents of different outfits while 54 hardcore ultras were eliminated by security forces in Tripura in the past 11 months, Assembly was informed on Monday.

Replying to a question of the leader of the Opposition, Ratan Lal Nath, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said the casualties occurred in the 179 incidents of insurgent attacks in different parts of Tripura in past one year.

Eighty-three civilians have been kidnapped by the different outfits like National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force...

DIMAPUR, Dec 15 ? NSCN-IM chairman Isak Chishi Swu while appreciating the Government of India for its efforts to find a solution to the vexed Indo-Naga political problem said that ?we are here? to talk to the people and explain to them the process of ongoing negotiations with the Centre.

Thuingaleng Muivah, general secretary of the organisation said consultations with the Naga public would be the ?most crucial phase? of their current visit to hammer out a solution to the problem and asked the Nagas to freely express their views on the issue.

Thousands of Nagas from all the Naga-inhabited areas...

BOKAKHAT, Dec 15 ? The unscrupulous poachers in and around the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) have reported to pit-poaching method for trapping rhinos as opposed to gun shots and electrocution. It is learnt from the KNP authority that the poachers have been resorting to the method which involves the making of a hole/pit for trapping the rhinos in nearby places of the Park like Bagori, Khutori, Baghmori, Harmoti, etc., where the animals generally wander in search of fresh pastures.

Incidentally, an elephant calf recently fell into such a trap, and sustained injuries. It is a matter of concern as...