Small tea growers attacked by NDFB(S) militants in Assam
Tezpur (Assam): Two small tea growers were allegedly attacked by NDFB(S) militants near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Assam’s Sonitpur district. Tea planters were attacked and assaulted by a group of four armed militants at Mainasiri in Urahaloga last night as they had allegedly not paid the extortion money demanded by the outfit, Sonitpur Superintendent of Police Sanjukta Parashar said. The tea planters, Baula Basumatary and Rugi Basumatary were admitted to the Rangapara hospital where their condition was stated to be serious by doctors, he said. The outfit has fixed different extortion rates for people living in the area and had earlier beaten up eight small tea growers from Jogibeel and Mainasiri in Urahiloga village as they did not pay, police had said. Parashar said combing operations are on to apprehend the militants. (PTI)
Security beefed up in Tripura before I-Day
Agartala: Security has been beefed up in Tripura for peaceful observance of Independence Day and to thwart any possible attacks from insurgents, police said today. Inspector General, Police Control, Nepal Das said strength of the security forces deployed before the vital installations like Civil Secretariat, state Assembly, Rajbhaban was strengthened. Regular check-up of vehicles entering into the capital town is on and dog squads have been pressed into service to unearth any hidden bombs and patrolling by paramilitary Tripura State Rifles (TSR) in the hilly and interior places has been intensified. He said BSF which guards the 856 km long international border with Bangladesh was also alerted for keeping vigilance so that no unwanted elements could intrude into Indian territory before the Independence Day. (PTI)
Gogoi for Bharat Ratna to Bhupen Hazarika
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to honour the state’s cultural icon Dr Bhupen Hazarika with the Bharat Ratna. The Chief Minister, in a letter to the Prime Minister, requested him to confer the country’s highest civilian honour to Hazarika posthumously. “I have written to the Prime Minister today asking the latter to consider Dr Hazarika for Bharat Ratna. I will also personally take up the matter with him,” Gogoi said in a statement here. Gogoi had also moved the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the matter in 2011. The demand to honour Hazarika with the Bharat Ratna was raised by the state legislative Assembly and his fans across the state and outside, after his death in November 2011. Hazarika was conferred the second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan in 2012, the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Padma Shree in 1977. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1987 and was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke award for lifetime contribution to development of Indian cinema in 1993. (PTI)
Mokokchung DPDB held talks on NLTP lifting
Kohima: The members of the Mokokchung District Planning and Development Board (DPDB) while agreeing upon the stand made by the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) also felt that government need to re-look into the policy by adopting certain regulations.According to official sources Monday, the DPDB meeting was held in the conference hall of ADC, Planning under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner and Vice-Chairman DPDB, Mokokchung, Murohu Chotso on Saturday. The meeting deliberated on the issue about the lifting of Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition (NLTP) Act, where members put in suggestions on both negative and positive aspects of the Act and also the impact and result in the society so far. (UNI)
Nagaland Par Secy for unity of Naga rebel groups
Kohima: Nagaland Parliamentary Secretary for Co-operation and Sericulture Pukhayi has said different Naga factions must come together under one umbrella to solve the longstanding Naga political problem. According to a release today, interacting with the five-member student delegation of Department of Political Science St Joseph’s College, Jakhama, near Kohima yesterday, Mr Pukhayi said that Nagas are a divided house, lacking unity and trust among themselves. This attitude, therefore, has to be eradicated to pave way for peace, love and integration of the Nagas, he asserted. Further, he stated that, the present government of Nagaland is trying its best to bring about permanent settlement in the state by engaging in talks with the Union government. The students had an interactive session on Naga political issue, eradication of corruption, and the next generation leaders. On eradication of corruption, he was of the view that, self restraint on the part of the people will curb it. Dwelling on the topic of the next generation leaders, he asserted that students of today are tomorrow’s leaders, who are to be the agents of peace. Therefore, he advised the students and youths to possess qualities of honesty, sincerity and truthfulness to oneself and to God. (UNI)