News

Kohima, May 11: Less than a year after its leaders from Ao-dominated Mokokchung defected to the Isak-Muivah group, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) today found itself further marginalised after its Chang region unit shifted allegiance en bloc to the rival camp.

Sources said NSCN (K) members from the Chang tribe formally joined the Isak-Muivah faction at a reconciliation meeting in Tuensang village. The outfit’s deputy kilonser (minister), Kughalo Mulatonu, got a scare around 4 pm yesterday when bullets fired by suspected NSCN (I-M) members narrowly missed him at Ambolo...

SHILLONG, May 10 – A senior intelligence official has favoured initiating people-to-people contact with Bangladesh on the lines being done with Pakistan, and marshalling of world opinion against safe sanctuaries being provided to the North East militants to usher in a “more secured environment” in the region. Stating that some Bangladeshi groups were supporting Pakistan’s ‘proxy war’ with India and preferred Islamabad as a ‘preferred model’ with a view to “cut India to size”, Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB) Joint Director JM Chaudhury stressed the need for a ‘track-II’ diplomacy with...

Guwahati, May 10: The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has constituted a multi-disciplinary committee to oversee the implementation of environmental safeguards for the Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project. Sources said the nine-member committee, drawn from various fields connected with environment, was constituted after the ministry of environment and forests made it mandatory to include environmental safeguards while clearing the project.

The committee comprises the general manager of the project, a representative of the ministry of environment and forests, NHPC officer in...

Dhubri/Kokrajhar, May 10: Security forces have launched a fresh operation to flush out militants of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) from the Mahamaya forest in Dhubri district. The forces have also tightened security in the Adivasi and Bodo-dominated areas of the Lower Assam districts where ethnic tension is brewing.

Tension gripped the Adivasi and Bodo-dominated areas of Dhubri and Kokrajhar districts after two Adivasis were killed by suspected NDFB militants. The incident triggered retaliatory attacks by Santhal miscreants.

Residents alleged that the Kokrajhar district...

NEW DELHI, May 10 – Tumultuous days are ahead in Assam, with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi planning to start the process of trimming his ministry next month by asking his ministers to submit resignations en masse. The Chief Minister who paid a quiet week-end visit to Delhi apparently to gauge to the mood of the Party High Command in the aftermath of the oil-scam, however, could not meet Party president, Sonia Gandhi. Instead he briefed her close confident, organisation secretary, Oscar Fernandes about the recent developments. He is leaving for Assam tomorrow.

“We have began the process of...