Category: NAGALAND

• KOHIMA
• Dimapur

The Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), seeking a separate administration or state comprising six Nagaland districts, is sticking to its decision to boycott the coming Lok Sabha elections to press for its demand.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in certain districts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months with effect from April 1, officials said on Thursday.

In a dedicated effort to enhance road safety and mitigate road crash casualties, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has successfully executed its 35th Road Safety Campaign from January 11th, 2024, to January 31st, 2024, spanning across the North East Circle.

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 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.

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".

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, (AFSPA) in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland for another six months beginning from October 1.

A day after all the members of Nagaland Assembly, including Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, strongly opposed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the House on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution against the proposed law.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday said finding an early solution to the Naga political issue remains the top agenda of his government, and assured to make every effort to hold consultations with all the stakeholders. 

He told media persons that the in-service government doctors not availing NPA may be allowed to give private consultations and services with prior approval of the competent authority to the needy patients strictly during non-working hours.

Nagaland Police have constituted a high level committee, headed by an Inspector General of Police (IGP), to investigate the involvement of a police officer and five others in the unauthorised transportation of ammunition, an official said on Thursday. 

Interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of a media workshop on 'Nine years of Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan', Sharma said that though Nagaland is apprehensive about the repercussions following the violence in Manipur, the state has remained peaceful so far.

The security forces intercepted a vehicle in Kohima, which was headed to violence-hit Manipur, and recovered huge arms, ammunition, explosives and other war-like stores on Tuesday, defence sources said.

Amidst the long pending demand of a separate ‘Frontier Nagaland’ state, a consultative meeting on the Centre's proposal for constitution of an Autonomous Council with six eastern districts of Nagaland would be held here on June 30, officials said on Monday.

The Assam Rifles troopers, in a daring operation, on Friday rescued six civilians who were held captive reportedly by the NSCN-IM militants for ransom in Nagaland's Dimapur, and took five militants into custody, officials said.

Two days after its meeting with Government of India envoy A.K. Mishra, the dominant Naga outfit NSCN-IM on Saturday urged the Centre to "honor and implement in letter and spirit the Framework Agreement (FA) and recognise the Naga national flag and constitution".

Four influential Naga organisations, including the powerful Naga Hoho, last week urged the Central government to honour its word in the Ceasefire Agreement (1997) and Framework Agreement (2015) and "resolve the Naga political impasse accordingly".

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), an apex body of eight student bodies, has demanded complete withdrawal of AFSPA and execution of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the entire region for the safeguard and welfare of the indigenous people.

Four influential Naga organisations, including the powerful Naga Hoho on Tuesday, urged the Central government to honour its word in the Ceasefire Agreement (1997) and Framework Agreement (2015) and "resolve the Naga political impasse accordingly".

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday. Both the chief ministers took charge on March 7, heading a coalition government and both are on courtesy visit to Delhi.

Along with the 72-year-old Rio, former Chief Minister and NDPP MLA Taditui Rangkau Zeliang and BJP leader Yanthungo Patton took oath as Deputy Chief Ministers, while nine other legislators assumed office as cabinet ministers.

The northeastern state of Nagaland is heading for another Opposition-less government as almost all political parties have expressed their willingness to support the NDPP-BJP alliance government, which is likely to assume office on Tuesday.

A meeting of newly elected MLAs and leaders was held in Agartala on Sunday. BJP's northeast in-charge Sambit Patra, Manik Saha, BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee, and Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik among others were present in the meeting.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), along with its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which retained power in Nagaland for a second straight term by winning 37 seats together in the 60-member Assembly, is likely to assume office on March 7.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will form a coalition government in three northeastern states -- Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Although the poll results of all these three states are crucial for the BJP, the victory in Nagaland is somehow more important in many ways.