The going has not been too smooth for the United Liberation Front of Asom, the violent separatist outfit that has, for decades, unleashed a reign of terror and mayhem in the north-eastern state.
The 16-year old ceasefire agreement between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland - IM is on the brink of a complete breakdown.
With the first phase of Assembly elections in Assam slated for April 4, and the second phase on April 11, it appears that the ruling Congress is all set to stage a comeback under the leadership of Tarun Kumar Gogoi.
India is all set to build 558 roads at a cost of Rs 500 billion along the border with two hostile neighbours -- China and Pakistan -- in a bid to effectively counter the former, which is working at a break-neck speed to execute a world class infrastructure along the Indo-China and Indo-Pak border region.
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang, a guerilla outfit headed by its self-styled chairman S S Khaplang, has dictated the Indian and foreign oil companies engaged in oil extraction and fresh exploration work on the soil of Nagaland, "to stop all activities forthwith or face the consequences."
The chairman of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang faction) S S Khaplang has asked all the 12 elected legislators of the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh to quit the ruling government or face the consequences. The alleged letter categorically directed all the 12 MLAs to corner Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu.
The anti-incumbency factor is virtually a non-issue in the forthcoming assembly elections in Assam.
After targeting employees in the sectors of insurance, banking and hospitality, militants in Manipur have now targeted mobile operators in the state to continue their activities of extortion and abduction.The militants had earlier burned down mobile towers after employees of telecom companies refused to fulfill their demands. In February, militants of the Kangleipak Communist Party (Nongdrenkhomba faction) outfit burnt down a mobile tower and gunned down a security personnel.
The United Liberation Front of Asom, led by self styled commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, has reportedly established close operational links with Naxal elements to carry out destructive activities in different parts of the country. Highly placed sources told this correspondent that apart from the Inter-Services Intelligence wing of Pakistan, some Chinese elements are also guiding these anti-Indian insurgent outfits in a bid to intensify their 'destabilise India' campaign.
Full protection of the identity of Assamese community in their own homeland and major financial package for the rapid development of Assam are the two important issues that were highlighted by the leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom in their nearly two-hour-long familiarisation meeting with the Central government representatives headed by the Union Home Secretary G K Pillai.
The pro-talk United Liberation Front of Asom leadership, supported by four of the total six armed battalions of the organisation, has formally announced on Saturday its decision to start a meaningful peace talks with the Central government without any preconditions.
I&B ministry to lease out AIR towers to private FM operators in the sensitive north-east region.
Manipur is back in the news. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah backed United Naga Council of Manipur has raised a fresh demand for 'creating a separate Union Territory or a separate state within the constitution of India,' in the just concluded tripartite talks held on December 3, in the Senapati district of Manipur.
The Assam government has recently recruited 138 former militants in various police battalions. The former insurgents had to go through the requisite physical and medical examinations before the final recruitment.Additional Director General of Police Khagen Sarma has categorically stated that there would be no separate battalion for the surrendered militants, but they would be inducted in various police battalions to fill the existing vacancies.
Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh has warned citizens of the state that the Centre might re-impose the Armed Forces Special Power Act in the Imphal municipal area if the different underground outfits continue to unleash their reign of terror in the city.Describing the sharply deteriorated law and order situation in Manipur, the chief minister pointed out that "killing, extortion, hurling of grenade and bombs are happening at regular intervals," he said.
Pakistan's intelligence aganeyc, the Inter Service Intelligence, has activated its sleeper cells in the North East region to use the Indo-Bangladesh border route as a 'safe passage' to courier its men and materials into different parts of India. This was revealed by the arrested ISI agent, Momin Khan, to his interrogators in Tripura recently.
The ongoing peace talks between the Central government and the NSCN (IM) general secretary Thuingleng Muivah have received a major setback with the latter repositioning himself to renew his demand for a 'sovereign Nagaland' and the former reiterating its firm stand against redrawing present Nagaland state's boundary with its neighbours.
The next round of formal peace talks between the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and the centre's interlocutor Mr R S Pandey is expected to take place on Wednesday amidst reports that both sides have been able to iron out many ticklish issues which were pending for last several years.
Security forces, deployed along the 1,463 km long Indo-Myanmar international border want a time-bound execution of the ongoing border fencing. A senior officer pointed out that at present the fencing work is in progress between pillar 79 and pillar 81 is really slow.
The 68th round of peace talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah leadership, by all indications, are heading for a deadlock, as the both sides are rigid on the issues of sovereignty.