DELHI, August 1: The Manipur government has moved the Supreme Court detailing the differences between Bishnupriyas and Manipuris over the recognition of Bishnupriyas as Other Backward Classes (OBCs) by the states of Assam and Tripura. The Manipur government has challenged the decision of the Guwahati High Court to include Bishnupriya Manipuris in the State list of OBCs saying the court has given the direction without going into the question whether such a community existed at all. The petitioner said the decision of the states of Assam and Tripura allowing prefixing or suffixing of the word...

TEZPUR, August 1: Some middle-level cadres of both the political and military wings of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) have expressed their desire to come forward for talks with the Government and they are in constant touch with the Army authorities here, said the GOC for the 4 Corps of the Army, Lt Gen DB Shekatkar. Lt Gen Shekatkar said that the ULFA men's move to contact the Army started during the Rongali Bihu festival in April. He pointed out that during the festival, the Army declared a ceasefire to enable the militants to visit their friends and relatives and that must have...

DHAKA, July 31: India today said allowing its goods to pass through Bangladesh would benefit both countries and dispelled apprehension that it would jeopardise that country's national security. The proposal of allowing transhipment facilities to Indian goods approved by the Bangladesh Cabinet on July 28 does not mean a "corridor" to India or even "transit rights", the Indian deputy high commissioner to Bangladesh, Pinak R Chakravarty, told newspersons. "It is just transhipment of Indian goods to northeastern states of India by Bangladeshi companies," he said, responding to strong opposition...

AGARTALA, July 31: The ruling CPI(M) and Opposition Congress and BJP began the process of selection of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in Tripura, . The Congress's main ally Tripura Upajati Juba Samity's meeting with the Nationalist Congress Party leader PA Sangma has been causing concern to the former. The TUJS had asked the Congress to allot the Tripura East (ST) seat to the tribal party. Its general secretary Rabindra Debbarma told newsmen here today that a delegation would soon visit New Delhi and meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi to stake a claim to the seat, reserved for...

SHILLONG, July 31: The ruling coalition government in Meghalaya received another jolt yesterday with the United Democratic Party (UDP) central executive committee authorising the party's legislature party to take a "final decision" on the continuance of the coalition. The decision was taken by the UDP body at a meeting here yesterday which was presided over by party president and state Speaker, EK Mawlong. Mawlong told newsmen at the end of the marathon six hour-long meeting that "we have set no timeframe On the turnaround made by the UDP barely 24 hours after the Meghalaya Parliamentary Forum...