KAMALABARI, June 21 ? A herd of wild elephants numbering 50 to 55 has caused extensive damage to ripe Ahu crops in east Majuli. The animals devoured the standing crops over about 600 bighas of land. The villagers of Napamua, Baghargaon, Gayangaon, Chinatoli, Nikinikhowa, Kalanibari, Meragarh, Salmara etc are now spending sleepless nights, protecting their hearth and homes from the onslaught of the animals.

The inhabitants of the area have demanded the subdivisional administration to take adequate measures to drive away the wild beasts from the river island. They further urged the authorities...

NEW DELHI, June 21? In a move which would give a boost to the Naga peace process, the Nagaland Government has ?formally withdrawn? the arrest warrant against NSCN (I-M) general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah, a state government spokesman said here today. This paves the way for Muivah and NSCN (I-M) chairman Isak Chishi Swu to visit India to hold further rounds of peace talks. The district magistrate of Dimapur on Monday passed an order withdrawing the warrant, which was issued in February 2000 following an ambush on Chief Minister S C Jamir?s convoy in November 1999 in which two security...

GUWAHATI, June 21? The All Guwahati Students? Union (AGSU) today warned the Hindi film lobby to desist from any conspiracy against the Assamese film industry and asked the producers, artists and other technicians of the Assamese film industry to put up a united fight against such evil moves. Decrying the withdrawal of the Assamese film Gun Gun Gane Gane which had been drawing a full house at Udeshna hall, all of a sudden and without any notice from 8 p.m. last night. It has been replaced by a Hindi film reflecting the latest instance of the ill treatment and victimisation of the Assamese film...

Imphal, June 21: The AICC has formally approved the merger of the 11 MLAs with the Congress after its president Sonia Gandhi gave the go ahead signal at New Delhi today. The 11 MLAs are from the MSCP (Secular-5), NCP (Demo-cratic-3) and Samata Party (Progressive-3). A statement issued by the AICC from New Delhi today said that Chief Minister O Ibobi along with other senior members of the MPCC (I) met key functionaries of the AICC including Pranab Mukherjee and Dr Manmohan Singh and apprised them of the current political situation in Manipur and the urgent need to strengthen the hand of the...

IMPHAL, June 20 ? The two-member Democratic People?s Party (DPP), a constituent of the ruling six-party Secular Progressive Front (SPP) in the 60-member Manipur Assembly, has said it would demand pre-merger status of Manipur if the State?s territories were ?divided to appease? the NSCN (I-M), and also demanded arrest of NSCN (I-M) general secretary Th Muivah, reports PTI. The DPP welcomes the peace talks between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M), but would oppose, at all costs, the attempts to ?divide? Manipur, party spokesman RK Anand told newsmen. Manipur Government, he said, should arrest NSCN...