In a significant development the anti-talks faction of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland has called upon the government to stop operations against it to create an atmosphere conducive for holding dialogue.
The stage is all set for the second and final phase of polls in 64 Assembly constituencies in 14 districts of Central and Lower Assam amidst tight security on Monday.
Three militants from the anti-talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland led by Raknaj Daimari were shot dead in an encounter by security forces while a senior leader of the outfit was apprehended in two separate operations in Assam in the wee hours of Saturday.Three NDFB ultras were killed in an encounter with the army at Lakhipur in Goalpara district of western Assam. The army recovered three pistols and ammunition from the slain militants.
A magisterial court on Friday remanded Ranjit Das, the man who had allegedly severed his wife's head and marched through a street in the Assam's capital city on Thursday, to judicial custody for three days.
The anti-talks faction of banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), a Bodo tribe militant group in Assam has declared a unilateral truce with the government of India, in response to the government's call for negotiations.
At least eight personnel of the Border Security Force were killed and eight others injured in an ambush by the anti-talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland in Assam's Kokrajhar District on Monday evening. Militants of the Ranjan Daimary-led faction used automatic weapons to ambush the BSF convoy in remote Ultapani Forest area near the India-Bhutan border. The patrol was on its way from Bangladoba in Chirang District of Assam to Ultapani in Kokrajhar.
The banned United Liberation Front of Assam on Friday demanded release of its top leaders from jail to do the spadework to hold talks with the government, and clarified that it had never stated in any point of time that talks could be held without commander-in-chief Paresh Barua.
People from all walks of life in Assam on Friday remembered the victims of the serial blasts that had rocked the state on this day last year. However, prime accused in the serial blasts, the chairman of the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland Ranjan Daimary alias D R Nabla, is still absconding and suspected to be hiding in a foreign country.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday claimed that over 300-odd cadres, belonging to the banned United Liberation Front of Asom and the anti-peace talks faction of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland, were hiding in Bangladesh. He claimed that at least ten top ranking leaders of the ULFA had taken refuge in the neighbouring country and were operating from there.'ULFA chief Paresh Barua and NDFB chief Ranjan Daimary keep shifting their locations,'Gogoi said
Two policemen were killed and as many injured when a police team was ambushed by anti-talk militants of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songjibit) faction at a remote place between Paneriguri and Makrijhara in Dhubri district on Thursday, the police said.
In a statement issued to the media, the fugitive chairman of the NDFB D R Nabla alias Ranjan Daimary expressed serious doubts over the possibility of achieving the outfit's 'goal' through peaceful negotiation with the government of India.
While the BPF and the UPPL are considered rivals in the Bodo-dominated areas, there was no pre-poll alliance among other parties as well.
After 47 years in electoral politics, Union minister Sharad Pawar on Monday became a member of the Rajya Sabha for the first time.
Following is the schedule of Indian contingent on the fifth day of the Asian Games.
A joint team of army and police gunned down hardcore militant Elion Daimary alias Engarlang affiliated with the Bodoland mutant.
The killing of 16-year-old Priya Basumatary as 'punishment' for reportedly leaking information on the movements of five National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit faction) cadres, who were gunned down by the police following a tip-off, has sent shockwaves across Assam.
Former World No. 1 Deepika Kumari yet again flopped on the big stage as it turned out to be a depressing day for India's recurve archers, whose challenge ended at the Asian Games, on Thursday.
The All Assam Students Union on Wednesday launched statewide protests against Assam Congress' decision to field a candidate from outside the state, Sanjay Singh in Rajya Sabha election in Assam bowing to the dictate of party high command.
Polling for three parliamentary seats and 29 assembly constituencies were held on October 30, an exercise being seen as a barometer of the political mood in the country ahead of assembly elections in politically critical Uttar Pradesh as well as other states.
Suspected militants from the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Sangbijit) killed more two persons and injured three others in two separate incidents of shootouts on Saturday in Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council areas in Assam.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
The influential All Bodo Students' Union has given an August 13 ultimatum to communicate a date for holding tripartite dialogue on the union's demand for a separate state for the Bodo tribe in Assam.
The constituencies spread across lower and central Assam will have 12,699 polling stations where 1,04,35,271 voters will be able exercise their franchise.
The first day of the monsoon session of Parliament was marred by uproarious scenes over the decision to form Telangana even as the government said substantive and procedural issues related to the new state would be dealt with in a Cabinet note being prepared.
Congress MP from Sultanpur Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh Sanjoy Singh is one of the Congress candidates who have filed nominations for the February 7 election to the three Rajya Sabha seats from Assam.
Sarbananda Sonowal was on Tuesday sworn in as the 14th chief minister of Assam in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah and other dignitaries at a huge public function at Khanapara field.
India, on Tuesday, clinched a maiden Asian Games medal in Sepaktakraw despite its men's regu team losing to defending champion Thailand in Pelambang.
Indian boxer Pavitra (60kg) advanced to the quarter-finals of the Asian Games after out-classing Pakistan's Rukhsana Perveen in a bout that did not go beyond the opening round, in Jakarta, on Saturday.
The demand was raised during a debate on the Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill 2017 in the Upper House, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 2 superseding the amendments earlier carried out by the Rajya Sabha.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
The Trinamool Congress sought complete withdrawal of the NRC, alleging that Indian citizens have also been left out of the final draft.
Cross-voting by Left and Congress MLAs on Friday helped Trinamool Congress gain an extra seat in West Bengal while a similar action by Congress MLAs in Andhra Pradesh saw the Telangana Rashtra Samithi making its debut in Rajya Sabha as high drama marked the polls to the upper House in the two states.
It is possible that the December clashes in Assam merely exploited an issue simmering for decades. The motivation, however, was something else, says Aditi Phadnis