GUWAHATI, August 16: As many as 202 extremists surrendered in different parts of the state on the occasion of Independence Day yesterday. An official release said of the militants who surrendered, 178 belonged to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), 23 to the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) and one from the Bodoland Liberation Tiger Force (BLTF). The ultras also surrendered 47 pieces of firearms, 599 rounds of ammunition, 23 explosive devices, 10 kg of explosive materials. In Guwahati, 47 ultras - 34 belonging to the ULFA, 12 to the NDFB and one to BLTF - surrendered to the...

SIBSAGAR, August 14: Veteran nonagenarian freedom fighter Uma Rajkonwar has called for a solution to the insurgency issue in the state through amicable negotiations. Both the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) boys and the government should come forward to resolve the issue through negotiations, although the responsibility to create a congenial atmosphere for such negotiations lies mainly with the government, Rajkonwar, now 99, told this correspondent at his Lakwa residence on August 10 last. The observation is significant since the youngest of his three sons , Rajib Rajkonwar, is the ULFA...

NEW DELHI, August 12: Despite the ``Sangma factor'', the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has failed to make inroads into northeastern states which have among them 24 Lok Sabha seats. Political observers believe that former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma would win from Tura in Meghalaya again. However, they feel the NCP would not be able to win Shillong, the second Lok Sabha seat in Meghalaya as the United Minority Front (UMF) is well entrenched there. ``Sangma would himself win again from Tura but his party has little chance of winning from Shillong,'' a senior leader close to Sangma said...

SHILLONG, August 11: The growing demand for implementation of the Instrument of Accession, by which 25 Khasi states joined India in 1947-48, today received a fresh impetus as a Syiems, Lyngdohs and Sirdars, the heads of the states, urged the Union government to give effect to the provisions of the long-forgotten instrument. The demand was raised at a meeting of the Dorbar of the heads of the traditional institutions comprising the Syiems (equivalent of erstwhile Rajas in other parts of the country prior to Independence), Lyngdohs and Sirdars at the office of the Syiem of Mylliem here. The...

NEW DELHI, August 11: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to focus on the Northeast in the coming Lok Sabha elections by notching up electoral alliances with regional parties and announcing a special development package for the area in its election manifesto. The party has decided to field candidates in 18 out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the Northeast. It has also reached an electoral understanding with United Minority Front (UMF) in Assam, United Democratic Party (UDP) in Meghalaya and the TUJS in Tripura to put up joint candidates in several constituencies. The NCP feels that...