Eight Congress MLAs skipped the proceedings, defying a party whip.
Around 1.72 crore voters, including 94.60 lakh men and 77.84 lakh women, are eligible to cast their votes in this round to decide the fate of 635 candidates.
ational Investigation Agency has arrested a key member of Naga insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang for allegedly being a part of conspiracy to carry out the June 4 ambush that killed 18 army men in Manipur, in the first breakthrough in the probe into the incident.
Hriiyio was only 6 months old when his father, a soldier in the 1 Naga Battalion met a warrior's death in Drass.
The consequences are dire as essential medical treatments, including dialysis, and medicines for cancer and anti-AIDS drugs remain out of reach for those in desperate need.
"I will resign by tomorrow (on Tuesday) to facilitate the process of government formation," Singh said.
Uncertain political times in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura.
The operation in Nagaland and Manipur was carried out after the army received "credible and specific" intelligence.
'Sepoy K Ashuli displayed nerves of steel, exemplary courage, fearlessness under enemy fire, unparalleled devotion to duty and camaraderie of the highest order in keeping with the finest traditions of the Indian Army.'
Dr Singh asked the student delegation to lift the blockade of National Highway No: 39 to facilitate the movement of essential commodities to Manipur, where the prices have soared beyond the reach of citizens. For example, rice is priced at Rs 100 per kg, while cooking gas cylinders are being sold between Rs 1500 and Rs 2000. Medicines too are in short supply.
The court said 'the public order situation in Manipur is, at best, an internal disturbance and there is no threat to the security of the country or a part thereof either by war or an external aggression or an armed rebellion'.
The NSCN-K had signed a ceasefire with the Centre in 2001 but unilaterally abrogated it in 2015 when the then 'chairman' of the group, S S Khaplang, was alive. Sumi is the prime accused in the killing of 18 Indian Army soldiers in Manipur in 2015 and the National Investigation Agency had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for his head.
The Supreme Court found enough grounds to order a CBI probe into 1,528 extra-judicial killings in Manipur between 2000 and 2012.
The resolution moved by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio was adopted by voice vote during the one-day special session of the Assembly held to discuss the AFSPA, 1958, and its application to Nagaland in the aftermath of the killing of 14 civilians by security forces, including six in a botched anti-terrorist operation, and eight others in subsequent incidents in Mon district on December 4 and 5.
The BJP, which has two MLAs in the MDA government, backed the Cabinet decision.
Naga rebel groups remain divided over the pact. Moreover, secrecy on accord creates apprehension in the society. K Anurag reports
In his message to the people on the eve of 58th Statehood Day, Ravi, the interlocutor for the Naga peace process, said the essence of India is its unity in diversity, on the demand for integration of Naga inhabited areas in other states, especially Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
'Increased help from China to North East insurgents will create more trouble for us.'
The BJP deputed Shah as observer to Uttar Pradesh, where Yogi Adityanath powered the party to an impressive victory and where there are no hurdles in the way of the priest-politician's second stint in power.
'The next war will be fought by China-Pakistan against India and we have to fully be prepared. We must read the writing on the wall.'
'There is a joke that is cracked in hushed tones sometimes in Manipur, what would many of the insurgent outfits do if AFSPA is indeed taken away? What would they fight against?'
The National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak Muivah on said the recent statement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the territorial integrity of Manipur was 'unfortunate' and it might affect the on-going Naga peace process.
The NSCN-IM is no longer the force it used to be. Once the 'de facto government' of Magaland, it gradually reduced to an extortion racket. But missteps by the Centre could give it a new lease of life.
China has long coveted Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls Southern Tibet. But, as Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan explains, in 1947, the present state of Arunachal Pradesh constituted the North East Frontier Tract of Assam. When India adopted its Constitution on 26 January 1950, NEFT became 'a separate politico-administrative entity' although it was constitutionally still a part of Assam. Its administration was brought directly under the President of India with the Governor of Assam acting as his agent. A revealing excerpt from his book The Origin Story of India's States.
'The Naga Hills region, Nagaland and Manipur, have had the most uncaring and corrupt state governments with little to show on the ground despite the nation's highest per capita development expenditure,' says Mohan Guruswamy.
The counter-insurgency operation on the Indo-Myanmar was under planning for the last three months. The June 4 ambush that killed 18 Indian soldiers only hastened the attack. Sheela Bhatt provides exclusive details of the planning for the operation.
Rijiju said the central government will rehabilitate all Indian citizens in the Naga group if they abjure violence.
Rediff.com gives you a lowdown on the NSCN-K.
Security forces in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh have mounted vigil in areas where the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (Khaplang) led by Burmese-origin Naga S S Khaplang has strong influence.
After the Naga leader's death, Chinese intelligence may ensure ULFA terrorist Paresh Barua takes over as leader of the anti-India rebel groups operating out of Myanmar, says Nitin A Gokhale.
By writing a scathing letter to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on the breakdown in law and order in the state, is Governor R N Ravi creating the ground for consolidating his power and directly influence proceedings in the state, asks Sandeep Pandey.
High-pitched identity politics, which is the norm in the northeast, has continued to compound the boundary problem.
The prime minister told the MPs that the northeast is very close to his heart and his love for the region is very natural. Quoting Modi, Rijiju saidthe PM asserted that he doesn't look at the region from the prism of politics.
The decision has been taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Following the week-long standoff between the Nagas and the Manipur government over Thuingaleng Muivah's visit to his native village, the Congress core committee decided not to allow the separatist leader to enter the state. After prolonged deliberations, the party top-brass on Wednesday felt that the visit of the country's top rebel leader from the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-IM might worsen the law and order situation in Manipur.
'We shouldn't allow it to become a rallying point for others in the region against the army.'
AFSPA can be safely lifted from almost 90 per cent of Nagaland, argues Shekhar Gupta.
Nine young men killed in police firing last August have become symbols of oppression of the tribals of Manipur.
Five more lives have been lost in the on-going bloody conflict between the Naga rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) and the Kuki Liberation Army based in Manipur.
The North East is a sizeable success story for the Modi government politically and for the BJP electorally. It will be an unpleasant surprise if they choose to blow it, bowing to their basic, polarising instinct at any point, points out Shekhar Gupta.
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