Category: NORTH EAST

• ASSAM
• MANIPUR
• MEGHALAYA
• MIZORAM
• NAGALAND
• ARUNACHAL PRADESH

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi led 10-years governance as “anyay kaal” (period of injustice), the Congress on Sunday launched the 66-day long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur’s Thoubal district.

Three of northeast India's most important ecosystems - Rudrasagar Lake in Tripura, Deepor Beel in Assam and Loktak Lake in Manipur are categorised as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

After Mizoram and Manipur, Assam, Tripura and other northeastern states are also facing a serious threat of drugs, mostly smuggled from Myanmar and traded to Bangladesh, different states of India and other countries.

Amid the vast stretches of tea gardens and the striking mountain views of Soureni in Sikkim lies the modest dairy farm of Tika Khanal (41). As we enter, she can be seen operating a pressure washer to keep her cowshed spic and span.

Police officials in Imphal said that the suspected Kuki militants targeted the vehicles carrying police commandos and Border Security Personnel as they were en route the border town Moreh close to Myanmar injuring five police commandos and a BSF rifleman.

A civilian volunteer was killed in a gunfight with unidentified persons in Manipur's Imphal West district while unidentified militants and police commandos exchanged heavy gunfire in Moreh in which a police commando was injured, an official said on Saturday.

Like previous occasions, the Indian authorities would repatriate the Myanmar soldiers to their country through the Moreh border in Manipur after completing the necessary formalities.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the signing of the Memorandum of Settlement with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) will ensure peace in Assam and the northeastern region.

Celebrations were subdued in ethnic violence-devastated Manipur, but Christmas was celebrated with cheer, joy, and festivities in other northeastern states, like Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.

The security forces have seized foreign-origin cigarettes valued at Rs 2.38 crore and one lakh methamphetamine tablets valued at Rs 1.28 crore in separate raids in Mizoram, an official said here on Sunday.

The move by the government to reintroduce inter-district travel garnered widespread appreciation, particularly from non-tribal and neutral tribal natives who saw this initiative as a means of re-establishing crucial connections between the districts in turmoil.

The 30th Imphal Book Fair, which was supposed to conclude on Thursday, was extended by another three days on public demand, indicating the resilience in the face of adversity due to the prevailing situation.

He said, “The health department has been instructed to remain vigilant against the surge of COVID-19 infection. As of now, Assam has not reported any new COVID case. We have not found any new COVID-19 variants in the state.”

The drug menace has replaced militancy as the prime threat in the northeastern states owing to the region’s close proximity to Myanmar, which according to the Southeast Asia Opium Survey 2023, is the world’s biggest opium producer.

Sources said the former legislator from Khonsa West Assembly constituency was abducted from a function in Raho village and later killed by the unidentified militants in a jungle.

“The accused has been booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 307 (attempt to murder),” said Susanta Biswa Sarma, Superintendent of Police, Sonitpur district.

The army on Saturday celebrated the 52nd Vijay Diwas across northeastern states in which wreath laying ceremonies and various other events were organised at the war memorials in Agartala, Shillong, Imphal, Aizawl and other places.

The Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) on Saturday said that the last round of formal talks on Naga political issue with the Central government on November 14 in Delhi "was not conclusive but also not deadlocked".

Displaying a stunning triumph, IPS officer-turned-politician Lalduhoma, who’s party Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) wrested power by securing 27 seats in the 40-member Assembly, will be the sixth politician to assume the Chief Ministerial posts in Mizoram.

Speaking to the media, CoTU's Information and Publicity Secretary, Thangtinlen Haokip said that the attack on the tribals on Monday by the militants once again clearly indicated their aggression in the Kuki-Zo-dominated territory.

“After his arrest, Ali was on a police van enroute to Ratabari police station. However, he requested the policemen to attend a nature call. In the meantime, the accused tried to snatch the gun from a policeman and tried to flee from there,” a senior police officer said.

Though the northeast region, which covers 8 per cent of the country’s total geographical area, has around 65 per cent of the region’s 2,62,179 sq km area under forest cover but the region according to experts would not be spared from the effects of the changing climate and global warming.

Cyclone 'Midhili' would hit Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, parts of Assam and other parts of northeastern states when it crossed to Bangladesh coast on Friday night or in the early hours of Saturday.

Governors and Chief Ministers of several northeastern states condoled the death of Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, who was the former Governor of Nagaland. He was 92-years-old.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday lauded the efforts of the state police and National Investigation Agency (NIA) for cracking down on the Rohingya infiltration issue by arresting at least 48 individuals across the country.