The ULFA chairman also criticised the government of Assam and the government in New Delhi for overlooking Nagaland's bid to encroach upon Assam territory.
Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM has threatened to break its 27-year-old ceasefire agreement with the government and return to its "armed struggle" if its demands for a separate "national flag and constitution" are not met.
'People's expectations were very high.' 'We felt both sides had understood each other.' 'But the removal of Article 370 triggered apprehensions within the Naga people.'
A purported video of the incident showed a discussion between the two sides in which the paramilitary personnel claimed that they had lost their way.
Both the NSCN-IM and the government representatives have agreed to resume their peace dialogue on Wednesday in New Delhi to find a permanent solution to the vexed issue.
For the most battle-hardened, specialised and successful counter-insurgency army in the world, this is an unfamiliar, first-time experience of dealing with the north east's deepest complexities, observes Shekhar Gupta.
The NSCN-IM delegation, led by senior leader V S Atem, met interlocutor A K Mishra at an undisclosed location in the national capital.
The present happenings in Manipur are the wages of continued neglect, and not so benign at that, of a vital region and its people. Had we lavished on the North East even a fraction of the care and resources we do on Kashmir, things would not have come to this pass, asserts Shreekant Sambrani.
The Wire has reported that phone numbers of multiple people close to Dubai Princess Sheikha Latifa, who was captured by Indian soldiers in 2018, were added to a list of potential targets for surveillance.
Former West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's subsequent elevation set a new benchmark for the actions of those who occupy Raj Bhavans, observes Aditi Phadnis.
Naga splinter groups impatient with stalled talks as well as rebel Manipuri groups who have a stake in disrupting upcoming elections to the state assembly, are believed to be regrouping in the borderlands of China's Yunnan province and Myanmar, taking advantage of the turmoil in the latter by using it as a transit corridor.
The NSCN-IM, which resumed talks to find a solution to the decades-old Naga political issue after a gap of almost two years, said in a statement on Friday that the problem is "deeply rooted in India's malicious pleasure, violating the historical and political rights of the Naga people".
Naga rebel group Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak-Muivah has accused Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh of trying to derail the ongoing peace talks by making 'destructive remarks' against the organisation. According to the Naga rebel group, which had declared a state of truce with the government of India, the Manipur chief minister has shown his "antagonism" towards the peace talks.
Naga rebel group Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah has served extortion notice to the superintendent of Haflong civil hospital in North Cachar hill district of Assam creating panic among the doctors and staff as well as triggering a strong protest against the extortion bid.
One soldier of Assam Rifles was injured in the operation and his condition is stated to be stable, they said. The encounter took place in the jungle between Nginu and Ngissa villages of Longding, officials in Arunachal Pradesh said.
Rediff.com's Surajit Talukdar got in touch with author Frans Welman, secretary of the Amsterdam-based Naga International Support Centre, who is considered to be close to the leadership of the NSCN (I-M). Here are excerpts from the exclusive e-mail interview.
The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the operation on Tuesday after hearing the differing viewpoints presented by the home and defence ministries on the necessity of such an operation against the Issac-Muivah and Khaplang factions of the NSCN. The CCS has backed the home ministry view that the Army needs to intervene and clear the two districts of armed militants from both the rival factions
Chipu Menon, senior leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Khaplang faction, a self-styled brigadier in the outfit, was assassinated by suspected cadres of the rival NSCN-IM group at Mon in Nagaland on Thursday night, intelligence sources in New Delhi said
General secretary of Naga rebel group Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), Thuingaleng Muivah left Nagaland for New Delhi on Thursday to participate in the next round of peace talks with the centre after staying over two months in the troubled North Eastern hill state.
This was the largest clash in an ongoing conflict between the two groups since December. Both factions are currently in talks with the Centre and have been observing a ceasefire with government forces. The MHA, alarmed at the escalating conflict, wanted the Assam Rifles and the Army to launch an operation to disarm the NSCN cadres of both the factions but so far the Army has resisted the pressure
'NSCN-IM leader Muivah warns that the NSCN-IM has come very close to an honourable solution to the peace process with the Government of India, but if it does not materialise, then the Nagas will go away so far that it would be difficult to bring them back to the negotiating table easily,' note Sandeep Pandey and Meera Sanghamitra.
Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat are over. Another set of state elections is due in 2018. Here's an assessment of the next round of the electoral challenge and how it could change India's political equations.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has asked the Centre to seal off the porous Indo-Bangla border to prevent infiltration by militants from Bangladesh. More than 100 camps of North East-based militants, including the United Liberation Front of Asom, National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Issac-Muivah) among others are operating within Bangladesh. India shares a 4,095 km-long border with Bangladesh, including the longest in West Bengal at 2,216-km, part of which is porous.
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union has expressed anguish over the activities of the NSCN factions -- NSCN-IM and NSCN-K -- in the two districts having border with Myanmar where the Naga rebels have their bases.
The United Liberation Front of Asom on Monday accused the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) of killing its two cadres and abducting seven, a charge denied by the Naga group.
At least 14 Naga rebels were killed in a fierce gun battle between two factions of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim at the outskirts of Dimapur town in Nagaland at 10 am on Friday.
'If the NSCN-IM is cold shoulderd, the chances are that it will slip back into insurgency,' caution Sandeep Pandey, Meera Sanghamitra and Babloo Loitongbam.
Both sides agreed to strengthen the monitoring mechanism to ensure that the ground situation remains conducive for continuance of ceasefire.
The Union home ministry has ordered stepping up the security of Thuingaleng Muivah, secretary general of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim, following death threats from his rival group NSCN (Khaplang).
"This time, we want something concrete from the government on our demands. Otherwise it is futile to meet only for the extension of the ceasefire," NSCN-IM spokesman Tongmeth Wangnao Konyak told PTI on phone.
The slain NSCN-IM cadres held the ranks of captain and lieutenant in the rebel group were taking shelter in a private house behind a police colony, the police said.
NCSN-IM members were firing upon a NSCN-K hideout when reports last came in.
The agreement for the ceasefire was signed by interlocutor for the Naga talks K Padmanabhiah and NSCN (IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah.
The current spell of the ceasefire will end on July 31.
Govt-NSCN (IM) talks in Amsterdam on Tuesday
With an aim to boost the ongoing Naga peace process, a central team including three Union ministers began a crucial round of negotiations with Nationalist Social Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) leaders at the Hague on Thursday.