SHILLONG, Nov 13 ? The two-day Wangala or the hundred-drum festival, the most important festival of the indigenous Garo community, came to a close on Saturday amidst traditional fanfare. Wangala is a harvest festival held in honour of Saljong, the sun-god of fertility. It marks the end of a period of toil in the fields, bringing a good yield of crops.

The festival was celebrated in Asanang, 18 km off West Garo hills district town of Tura, where the first hundred-drum festival was organised on December 6-7, 1976. State Public Works Minister Mukul Sangma and Tourism Minister Deborah C Marak...

IMPHAL, Nov 13 ? Despite hindrances from various quarters, Manipur Government, for the first time in a decade, has announced improvement in its financial situation and has thanked the Congress-led UPA Government for it. Congress-led ruling Secular Progressive Front government spokesperson Gaikhangam has said that the Ibobi ministry is now able to release monthly salaries for its employees, pensions and other bills more regularly.

Gaikhangam who is also the Power and Information Minister, in a statement said ban on appointments in the state government departments will ultimately be lifted...

AGARTALA, Nov 12 ? Tripura Government has requested the Centre to reconsider its decision of cancelling the quota of gas supply for the proposed 280 MW gas-based power project in the state. ?This decision of the Petroleum Ministry is against the interest of the state which would emerge as a major hurdle for our initiative to set up gas-based industries in the state and the North East Power Corporation (NEPCO) would also face monetary loss,? Power Minister Manik Dey told reporters.

Chairman of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) was directed by the Petroleum ministry on October 7 last to...

SHILLONG, Nov 12 ? A four-time Grammy Award winning band from the USA, ?Petra? will perform in the north-eastern region with rock concerts here and at Aizawl this winter. ?Petra?, formed 35 years ago with seven million records sold to its credit, is making an entry into the region for the first time when they perform here on November 27 and at the Mizoram capital on December 3.

Sam Rajkumar, director of Bangalore-based Common Colors Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the organiser of the mega musical event, told a press conference here today that the band had performed in south India in 2002.

Internationa...

GUWAHATI, Nov 12 ? At a time when a war of words is going on between Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and the All Assam Students? Union (AASU) on the issue of infiltration of foreigners into Assam, it is pertinent to note what the Law Commission of India had to say about the problem in its 175th report, submitted in 2000 as it pointed out the grave threat posed to the country by illegal immigration.

The Law Commission, in its report said, ? the entry of illegal migrants and other undesirable aliens into India posed a grave threat not only to our democracy but to the security of India, especially in...