Which seems to be first of its kind, a confirmed encounter between Assam Police and Maoists insurgents had taken place today in which four Maoists have been reportedly killed while one Police person was also injured seriously.
Though, not much details is unknown, the encounter took place at Deopani Borgara in Sadia in Upper Assam bordering Arunachal PRadesh. Large quanitites of arms and ammunition is also recovered.

There have been many reports about Maoists establishing its Revolutionary People’s Guerrilla Army in Assam to fight the government.

The Maoists activities are reportedly restricted to impoverished and most backward districts in Assam, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts of Upper Assam.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi have also acknowledged the growing threat posed by the Maoists to the country’s internal security.

Maoists establishing its operation in Assam should be quite alarming which is already struggling with many other insurgents groups like ULFA, NDFB, DHD etc.

Also, reportedly, Maoists are trying to recruit unemployed and poor youths from various tribal communities. After Assam, Maoists may spread to Arunachal Pradesh which has long border with China.

We hope, government takes immediate measures to curb Maoist expansion in Assam.

A double decked ferry carrying more than 380 passengers from Dhubri to Fakiragram capsized in middle of the river due to storm. More than 200 feared dead while 50 people have swam to safety. 49 people have been rescued alive so far.

Army, BSF and other security forces have began rescue operations and so far 103 bodies have been recovered as per latest reports.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi and condoled the deaths and asked rescue operation to be sped up. ( This report will be updated again)

UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, Assam Governor J B Patnaik, Asom Gana Parishad newly elected President Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and many leaders of expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy.

Two Assam Cabinet Ministers Chandan Brahma and Nazrul Islam have left Guwahati for Guwahati to look after rescue and relief operations.

Health and Education Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma has spoken to health commissioner and has asked a team of doctors from Guwahati Medical college to visit Dhubri.

It may be mentioned that, Brahmaputra, which flows through Assam for almost 700KM has just three bridges over it, near Guwahati, Tezpur and Goalpara. A fourth bridge, Bogibeel is under construction for last 15 years since 1996. Foundation stone was laid by two Prime Ministers H D Devegauda and A B Bajpeyee.

So, at most other places, people use ferry to cross the Brihmaputra river whose bredth is more than 10KM at various places.

In recent reports indicate that Maoists groups have setup an armed group in upper Assam. In another alarming news report says that LDCM (Liberal Democratic Council of Misingland ) has threatened to attack NHPC dam at Gerukamukh, Dheamji.

While it is a known strategy for Maoists to establish a root in poor and downtrodden areas before starting an armed rebellion, with a Mising armed group in the name of LDCM, other wise peaceful second largest tribe in Assam, should be viewed together.

Misings live in most impoverished areas in Assam, like Dhemaji, Lakhimpur districts as well as in Arunachal Pradesh. Though they are second largest tribe by population, they have been demanding for sixth schedule status and agitating in peaceful manner so far.

With big dams being constructed in hundreds in Arunachal Pradesh, this riverine tribe is going to be affected the most. So, recent anti-dam agitation has witnessed huge participation from this community and Maoists seem to have thrown in their hat too.

What is more alarming s, The Mising Tribe is closely related to greater Tani tribe ( a majority in Arunachal Pradesh) which has clans living in Tibet with similar language, culture. If Misings join Maoists in big number, it may become an “cross border insurgency” in North East India with China happily supporting them as they already claim Arunachal Pradesh as their own. It might become a nightmarish situation for Indian government.

As per reports, Maoists have setup their head quarter in Sadia area, a border between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and habituated by Mising tribe in big number.While security forces have claimd to have killed Maoists military commander Paul Gogoi in October lat year, it is yet to be known who has taken over from him.

Maoists have started sending out extortion notices to many cattle farmers, tea estates in Sadia area for small sums like Rs. 10,000 or Rs. 25000, as per Assam Tribune reports.

Loitam Richard, 19 years old stdent from Manipur died in Bangalore on April 18 night after allegedly beaten by two of his hostel mates. He was a first-semester architecture student of Acharya Institute of Technology in Chikka Banavara in Bangalore.

His death first made news in online portals from North East India and soon spread to social media like Twitter, Facebook. After that, CNN-IBN too caught on the news and now demand for justice equivalent of Jessica Lal.. etc. have been raised.

Many people are appalled at the suggestion by college authorities that Richard Loitam had died of drug overdose. His close friends strongly refutes such suggestion and claims that it was a ‘murder’ or beaten to death.

A rally demanding justice for Richard will be held at Town Hall, M.G. Road, Bangalore and other Indian cities on Sunday as per news reports.

The facebook group demanding justice for Richard Loitam has crossed 70000 members in short period of time.

We urge everyone to join in demanding justice for Richard Loitam.

Four days ago, NSCN (IM) had detained four Assam Rifles jawans and snatched their weapons. NSCN (IM) claims that these Assam Rifles Jawans were traveling in a truck and trying to tresspass their Hebron Camp area violating the ceasefire ground rules, so NSCN (IM) were forced to detain them.

Assam Rifles also retaliated by putting up ‘checking point’ in all the approach roads to Hebron Camp, off Dimapur and conducted intense frisking. They also detained four high ranking NSCN (IM) leaders for whole day who were going to Hebron camp for meeting. They were released in the evening.

NSCN (IM) leaders had alleged that the violation of the ceasefire ground rules was a ‘pre-planned’ move by the Assam Rifles in order to restrict the movement of NSCN (IM) cadres in Nagaland.

The NSCN (IM) leader maintained that it would not bow down to the pressures of the AR and said that the 5 AR jawans were not abducted by them, on April 19. On the issue of weapon confiscation, he said, NSCN (IM) would return the weapons in exchange of the arms seized by AR. Stating that NSCN has never refused to hand back the weapons, the leader said that there should be a “reasonable negotiation”.

Meanwhile, it seems that other Naga organizations have come out in support of NSCN (IM) as Assam Rifles Jawans have started frisking common people passing through their check points as well as randomly.

Shiva Thapa, 18 year old boy from Assam has qualified for London Olympic Games and has also become youngest Indian to qualify. He defeated Japan`s Satoshi Simizu 31-17 to enter the final and book himself a London berth.

He was down a point in the first round due to overt aggression but did not panic and played from medium range in the next two rounds to win and win big. Most of his points came through right straight punches..

1993-born Shiva, Assam teenager, playing only his second senior international event was down 6-7 in the opening round. But he turned the tables in the second round, taking a massive 15-6 lead.

The final three minutes followed a similar script as Shiva clinched it with ease. He won a gold in the maiden international tournament. He advanced to the semifinal by defeating beat Thailand’s Worapoj Petchkoom, 2004 Athens Olympics silver medalist in the 56kg weight category.

Shiva becomes the fourth Olympian from the state of Assam and the first boxer from the state to play in the Olympic.

Shiva Thapa was born as the youngest of six siblings born to Padam Thapa, a karate instructor in Guwahati. His father and elder brother Gobind Thapa, an Assam state-level medal winning boxer, were sources of inspiration for the young Thapa; Mike Tyson’s bouts also inspired him to take the sport seriously.[3] Padam noticed his son’s flair for boxing and made sure that his youngest son got all that he needed. Shiva rose early in the mornings to balance his training and studies. His practice first started in the living room of their house at the age of seven. It was not easy for Padam to support for his son’s training, travel and special diet because of the large family. (From Wikipedia)

He trains at Pune-based Army Sports Institute

We wish him all success and North East India feels proud for its Olympian son!

With heightened security arrangement in New Delhi for BRIC ( Brazil, Russia India and China) summit being held in New Delhi, people from North East India are getting harassed by Delhi Police because of their facial similarity with Tibetans.

Delhi Police is trying to prevent Tibetans from protesting in front of visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao. So, most probably, in order to please visiting Chinese President, citizens from North East India are getting harassed.

“Reports of harassment came from markets, residential areas and streets. In some cases, citizens were stopped on the street and taken to the police station for questioning.

“Three of us were going to Hauz Khas when our auto was stopped near Humayun’s Tomb. When we said we were from Manipur , the cops asked us to show our passports. I am an Indian living in Delhi for four years. Why should I carry my passport? I was made to feel unwelcome in my own country,” said a 25-year-old woman who did not wish to be named.

Some employees at eateries in Khan Market were even taken to the police station. “Around a dozen people from north-eastern states who are employed in various eateries and shops in Khan Market were picked up for questioning. Most of them were released immediately after they provided their identification papers. Three girls who did not have any papers on them were taken to the police station, from where they were later released as their employers vouched for their credentials ,” said Sanjeev Mehra, Khan Market association president.
“The BRICS summit has been accorded top security status . There is a very high threat from Tibetan elements and we are just trying to ensure that no Tibetan national comes to the venue and does an act that embarrasses the nation,” said special CP (law and order) Dharmendra Kumar.
”

Reports Indrani Basu in Times Of India.

It may be difficult for Delhi Police to differentiate between Tibetans and North Eastern people, but it is expected them know that Indians citizens do exist who look like Tibetans and treat them with sensitivity. People from North East India have been complaining for long about being treated foreigners in Delhi as well as other cities in mainland India.

AMSU (All Assam Minorities Students Union) along with 24 other minority organisations have strongly objected the state cabinet sub-committee’s decision to re-launch the registrar general of citizen registration’s pilot project to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) of 1951.

The joint meeting convened by minorities student’ body AAMSU, which involved All Assam Madrassa Students’ Association, BTC Minorities Students Union Citizens’ Right Preservation Committee, Social Justice Peace Forum, Raghibi faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind amongst others.

The joint meet demanded the state government to make its stand clear what decision the government has taken on the suggestion taken from AAMSU and other organisations.

source : Times of India

Most probably, this NRC update issue will be the toughest test for Assam Accord implementation minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who otherwise has a good reputation as performing minister in the cabinet of Tarun Gogoi.

Himanta Biswa Sarma has been able to change both medical as well as education department and people have high hope on him. This NRC update where he is facing opposition from formidable minority students organisation. It may me mentioned that, last time when NRC update was being carried out in Barpeta, a lower Assam district, violence erupted following which NRC update was halted.

Finally, union rail budget has been presented and North East India has nothing to cheer about the rail budget. While union Railway Minister DInesh Trivedi made right noises about lack of fund for infrastructure development in border areas like in North East India, Jammu and Kashmir.

Presenting his maiden Budget on Wednesday, the Rail Minister lamented that its projected requirement of Rs 45,000 crore has been slashed to Rs 24,000 crore. The national projects in Kashmir and North-east were to be funded out of this, he said, adding that he had projected a requirement of Rs 4,000 crore this fiscal for the national projects.

The Railway Budget had no projection on completion of vital rail projects like the Lumding-Badarpur gauge conversion project, the Bogibeel road-cum-rail project and Rangiya-Murkongselek project.

At least 10 rail projects in the North-eastern region have been declared as national projects, including the three mentioned above. Last year, while presenting her Budget, Mamata Banerjee had said that North-East region was a very sensitive issue and projects were in progress to provide connectivity to State capitals of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram.

The proposal to create North-East Region Rail Development Fund has already been initiated to ensure necessary funds for timely completion of national projects in the region.

Though some new trains have been announced which includes a new train between Mumbai and Kamakhya, over all the railway budget is disappointing for the people of North East India.

Bogibeel Bridge is very important for large population of Lakhimpur Dhemaji districts in Assam and half of Arunachal Pradesh in order to access Assam Medical College and airport in Dibrugarh.