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Security forces recovered 27 bombs and neutralised them in Manipur's Imphal East district, police said on Friday. During an operation, the country-made bombs were found on Thursday and neutralised at a place near Monglham village, a senior officer said. In a separate operation, security forces also recovered three arms and ammunition from Langdum Nungjengbi area in the district on Wednesday, he said. Security forces have been conducting search operations in Manipur since ethnic violence broke out two years ago. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic strife between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups since May 2023. The Centre had imposed the President's rule in Manipur after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned. The state assembly, which has a tenure till 2027, has been put under suspended animation.
A PIL was filed in the Supreme Court seeking judicial intervention to address the "continuing constitutional failure" to prevent and respond to racial discrimination and violence against citizens from northeastern states and other frontier regions. The PIL was filed on December 28 in the backdrop of the brutal killing of Anjel Chakma, a 24-year-old MBA student from Tripura, who succumbed on December 27 to grievous injuries sustained in a racially motivated attack in Selaqui area of Dehradun. Anjel from Unakoti district's Machmara went to Dehradun after completing his graduation in Holy Cross School, Agartala, to pursue MBA, where he was stabbed to death in the presence of his younger brother Michael. The family members of Chakma want capital punishment or at least life imprisonment for all the accused involved in the incident. Anoop Prakash Awasthi, a Delhi-based lawyer, has made the Centre and all the states and Union territories as parties to the PIL. "That the present writ petit
The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) in 2025 has introduced 11 new trains, including the first ones connecting Mizoram, a statement said on Tuesday. The new services have improved passenger convenience and enhanced rail connectivity across the Northeast and adjoining areas, it said. Mizoram was put on the country's rail map in September, with the Sairang-Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express commencing weekly services. The Guwahati-Sairang Express was introduced as a daily service, and the Kolkata-Sairang Express started operating on a tri-weekly basis. The Guwahati-North Lakhimpur Jan Shatabdi Express was introduced on a bi-weekly basis, and the New Bongaigaon-Guwahati Passenger on a daily basis. The Tinsukia-Naharlagun Express was introduced as a tri-weekly service. Among the other trains introduced were Sealdah-Jalpaiguri Road Weekly Express, Danapur-Jogbani Vande Bharat Express operating six days a week, Erode-Jogbani Amrit Bharat Express on a weekly basis, and the daily Siliguri-Katih
The NHRC has sent a notice to the Dehradun district magistrate and the SSP over the allegedly racially charged killing of a student from Tripura in the Uttarakhand capital. The National Human Rights Commission has directed the Dehradun authorities to investigate the allegations and has sought an action taken report within seven days. The commission has asked for a copy of the case proceedings to be sent to the Uttarakhand chief secretary and the director general of police. "Additionally, the authorities are directed to ensure safety of the students of North Eastern region in the entire state," it says. Anjel Chakma, 24, a final-year MBA student at a private university in Dehradun, was allegedly attacked by some youngsters with a knife and a bracelet on December 9. He died on December 26, after being in a hospital for 17 days. His father, a BSF jawan currently posted in Tangjeng in Manipur, alleged that his son was "brutally attacked" when he tried to defend his brother, who was ca
Mobile internet services in violence-hit Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong districts of Assam were restored on Sunday following improvement in the law and order situation, an official order said. Strict security vigil continued in the districts, along with the deployment of additional security forces in the worst-affected areas, an official said. Two persons were killed and over 170 people injured, mostly security personnel, in violence in parts of West Karbi Anglong district last week. An order by Ajay Tewari, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Political Department, said mobile internet services, which had been suspended on December 23, have been restored with immediate effect. The order said that the law and order situation in the two districts has "improved and normalised, and it appears that there is no further apprehension of breach of public peace and tranquility for the time being". It added that the earlier order suspending mobile internet services was revoked f
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that the upcoming assembly elections will be a fight to protect 'swadesh' (nation) and 'swajati' (own community), along with the identity, land and culture of the people of the state. BJP represents the last light of hope that will ensure that the state is not pushed into an abyss of darkness by infiltrators from Bangladesh, the chief minister said at the party's executive meeting here. "The forthcoming elections are not about hopes and aspirations. It is about dedicating oneself to the cause of protecting 'swadesh' and 'swajati'. I am sure people know that the BJP is their last hope. They will vote for us, and we will win this election," Sarma said. He alleged that the "weakness of the Congress and its politics of polarisation" led to the gradual creation of "another civilisation which now has a 1.5 crore-strong population". "In the 2011 Census, when we see the breakup of Hindus and Muslims, we find the latter comprise 34 p
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to arrive here on Sunday night on a two-day visit to Assam to inaugurate several projects and address a public meeting, officials said on Saturday. After arriving, Shah will spend the night at the state guest house in Koinadhara. On Monday, the home minister is scheduled to pay homage to martyrs of the Assam movement against infiltrators at the newly constructed 'Swahid Smarak Kshetra' before leaving for Batadrava Than, birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva in Nagaon district, where he will inaugurate the redevelopment project of the spiritual site. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said the state government has taken efforts to restore the sanctity and grandeur of Batadrava Than, which has been freed from encroachments. "Batadrava Than, freed from encroachments, is now a shining example of what steely resolve can do for the protection of our heritage," the CM had said. Shah will return to Guwahati where he will ..
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said all districts have been instructed to identify suspected illegal immigrants for immediate deportation to their country of origin. He said the district commissioners will issue expulsion orders as per the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, and then the police or the BSF will escort the suspected foreigners to the border for sending them out of the country. "Direct Action, No Compromise. As per provisions of the Illegal Immigrants (Expulsion) Act (sic), we are identifying and issuing expulsion orders against suspected individuals," he said in a post on X. In September, the state cabinet approved the framing of an SOP under the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950 to guide the DCs and senior superintendents of police to expel illegal migrants from Assam. The move was aimed at tackling alleged illegal immigration from neighbouring countries. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night, Sarma said that the governme
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that 18 foreign nationals have been nabbed in the state for illegally entering the country, and have been sent back. He, however, did not share details like their ethnicity or where these infiltrators had come from. "They dream of starving India & taking over Assam & Northeast. Meanwhile, in Assam, we're busy feeding development, driving growth and sending 18 illegals on an all-expense-paid exit tour back to their hell hole," Sarma said in a post on X on Wednesday night. "Too bad for them: Assam isn't hungry, just vigilant and decisive!" Sarma said. Assam's Sribhumi, Cachar, Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar districts share 267.5-km international border with Bangladesh. There is an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sutarkandi in Sribhumi. Northeast has a total of three ICPs along the India-Bangladesh border, with the other two being at Dawki in Meghalaya and Akhaura in Tripura. There is another ICP in the region at Darranga in ...
A honeymoon murder, rise of a regional party, infrastructural push and crackdown on illegal coal extraction dominated headlines in Meghalaya this year. The killing of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi allegedly by his wife and others grabbed national attention, with the police arresting multiple accused and filing a detailed charge sheet. The case fed into wider debates on policing capacity and the handling of high-visibility investigations. Meghalaya Police stated it was among the most resource-intensive probes in recent years, citing financial tracking and interstate coordination with agencies in Madhya Pradesh. Political currents shifted in tandem. The Voice of the People Party (VPP), which secured its maiden Lok Sabha win in 2024 by unseating three-term Congress MP Vincent H Pala in Shillong, consolidated its standing by sweeping the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council polls and forming the executive committee early this year. The outcome signalled a break from ...
An uneasy calm prevailed in violence-hit areas of West Karbi Anglong district of Assam with no fresh incident reported even as a massive posse of security personnel kept a tight vigil, officials said on Thursday. The Karbi and Bihari communities have been at loggerheads in West Karbi Anglong district over allegations of encroachment on Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands in the tribal belts by the Hindi-speaking people. "The situation is calm now and there is no report of any violence. Our forces are on the ground and they are patrolling all sensitive areas," a senior official told PTI. He said a huge number of personnel from Assam Police, Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Indian Army are on the ground, and monitoring the situation closely. The official also said that the funerals of the two deceased were held peacefully on Wednesday night as per their respective customs. The body of specially abled youth Sures
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday attacked the Congress for neglecting Assam and the northeast during its rule, and asserted that the BJP government was correcting mistakes the grand old party kept making in the region for decades. Addressing a rally after inaugurating a new terminal of the Guwahati airport, Modi alleged that the development of Assam and the northeast was never a part of the Congress agenda. The Congress gave protection to infiltrators who grabbed forests and land, threatening the security and identity of Assam... The BJP governemnt has been correcting mistakes the Congress kept making for decades in the northeast, the PM asserted. Modi said the Election Commission started the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to ensure infiltrators are kept out of the poll process, but deshdrohis' (traitors) were trying to protect them. The Centre is taking strict steps to stop infiltration, he said. The Prime Minister said development under the BJP's ...
Guwahati has emerged as Northeast India's commercial powerhouse, with major infrastructure investments set to reshape the region's real estate landscape through 2028, according to a report. The report titled 'Beyond the metros: Insights into India's emerging real estate stars' by leading commercial real estate and investment management company JLL pointed out that the city's strategic positioning as the gateway to eight northeastern states, combined with world-class educational institutions and a thriving business ecosystem, is attracting unprecedented investor interest across office, retail, and logistics sectors. "Guwahati represents one of India's most compelling real estate investment opportunities today, combining strategic location advantages with transformational infrastructure development and exceptional market fundamentals," said senior managing director, East and Emerging Markets, India, JLL, Surekha Bihani. "The convergence of 80 per cent office stock growth, declining ..
The commerce ministry's body APEDA on Monday said policymakers, FPOs, exporters and global buyers have gathered in Shillong to discuss certification, market access and capacity building issues of the organic agri products sector as India aims to raise exports to USD 2 billion by 2030. With a view to tapping into the northeast's organic potential, APEDA (Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) is organising the first northeast India organic week in Shillong, Meghalaya. According to the authority, India's total organic production (including both certified and conversion) has increased significantly from 13.35 lakh tonnes in 2015-16 to about 46.99 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, registering a strong CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 15 per cent. India's organic food exports too have grown from USD 213 million in 2012-13 to USD 665 million in 2024-25, it said. To further accelerate this momentum, an export target of Rs 20,000 crore (about USD 2 billion) has ...
Israel's government has approved a proposal to bring all the remaining 5,800 Jews from India's north-eastern region, commonly referred to as Bnei Menashe, over the next five years. The Government of Israel on Sunday approved a "significant, wide-scale initiative" to complete the Aliyah (immigration) of the Bnei Menashe community from northeastern India, the Jewish Agency for Israel said. "This historic decision will bring approximately 5,800 members of the community to Israel by 2030, including 1,200 already approved in 2026," it said. It will be the first time that the Jewish Agency will be leading the entire pre-immigration process - eligibility interviews together with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the Conversion Authority, and the Population and Immigration Authority - organising the flights for eligible candidates and managing their absorption in Israel. The plan is estimated to require a special budget of 90 million shekels (USD 27 million) to cover the costs of the flights
Hundreds of internally displaced people (IDPs) staying in relief camps here clashed with security forces at Pukhao and near Dolaithabi Dam in Imphal East district on Monday as they attempted to return to their native homes, officials said. IDPs from Ekou, Dolaithabi and Yengkhuman localities, who had been staying in relief camps, attempted to march towards their homes but were stopped by security forces. The security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the protesters, they said. The IDPs claimed that, as the annual Sangai festival is being held, normalcy has been established in the state, and they should be allowed to return to their homes. A protester, S Kumarjit Meitei told reporters, "We are mostly farmers. Our economic livelihood has been completely cut off after we were forced to flee our homes. Now that the government has said that normalcy has returned. We demand to return home. How long do we stay confined in relief camps. Why can't security forces deal with the milita
People demonstrating against the Sangai festival clashed with security forces in Manipur's Imphal East district on Friday, amid a 'cease work' called by the Meitei group COCOMI. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) has been opposing the tourism festival by the state government, stating that organising such an event amid the crisis being faced by families displaced by the ethnic violence was "highly insensitive". The clash happened at Khurai Lamlong when security forces intercepted demonstrators, including several displaced persons, who were marching towards the venue of the festival, an official said. The demonstrators hurled stones at the forces, forcing them to lob several rounds of tear gas shells, he said. Demonstrators claimed that some of them sustained minor injuries as a result of the clash. The 'cease work', effectively a shutdown, affected normal life in the Imphal Valley districts, with markets and other commercial establishments remaining closed sin