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North East: Violence continues in Assam, Manipur |
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Suspected Naga militants burnt down 115 houses and shot dead one person during a raid on a remote Dimasa tribe village in North Cachar Hills district on June 25. Two persons were injured in the attack.
With this, the death toll in militants’ attacks on Dimasa and Zeme Naga villages since March 19 has gone up to 49. About 7000 villagers from both communities are lodged in six relief camps set up by the administration.
In Manipur, the extremists have killed at least 35 migrant workers from Bihar and West Bengal since March this year. This has resulted in many migrant workers leaving the state.
Fifty Assam villages to be relocated
The Assam government has decided to temporarily relocate about fifty villages in the violence hit North Cachar Hills District to nine identified clusters. This is to facilitate a full scale counter insurgency operation in the hills district. About ten thousand villagers will have to be shifted to the identified cluster locations.
Each of these locations will have temporary shelters built of CGI sheets and tarpaulin. The locations will also have other facilities.
Army chief visits Line of Actual Control
The Army chief, Gen. Deepak Kapoor visited Tezpur in north Assam on June 24 to take stock of the situation along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh. He also made an assessment of the security scenario in Assam where the Army is engaged in counter insurgency operations.
The Army chief hailed the high standards of professionalism and dedication to duty shown by all ranks braving difficult and challenging conditions which had led to near stability, normalcy and peace in Assam. He asked all ranks to be prepared to meet any internal or external challenge.
Mizoram Chief Minister denies remark
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalthanhawla has denied remarks attributed to him that he has been a victim of racism in India. Some newspapers had quoted him as saying at a seminar on water in Singapore that he was a victim of racism.
Lalthanhawla had said at the meeting: ‘‘In India, people ask me if I am an Indian. They forget that the northeast is part of India. I have told them many times that I am an Indian like you.”
Referring to the racial make up of the country, Lalthanhawla said: “Indians consist of three races – Dravidians, Aryans and we in the north east.”
Assam Governor passes away
Assam Governor Shiv Charan Mathur passed away in a Delhi hospital on Thursday, June 25. He was 83 and had been ailing for some time.
The state government declared seven-day mourning and a government holiday on Friday, June 26. Mathur was cremated with full state honours in Jaipur later in the week.
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