Cellphone ban to be reviewed
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will review the policy on banning the use of cellphones and pagers in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East states, Information Technology and Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan said. Mr. Mahajan said the decision to allow use of cellphones and pagers in these states would have to be looked into by Ministries of Home and Defence. It was being felt that terrorists and the outlawed groups could misuse these facilities, he said.

‘Arunachal committed to hold panchayat polls’
Arunachal Pradesh Rural Development and Panchayat  Raj Minister Talo Mugli        said that due to procedural formalities, the panchayat elections in the State could     not be conducted as per the targeted period. “The government is committed to hold the election shortly on completion of all procedural formalities”, he said.

Naga Hoho calls for Christmas reconciliation meet
The Naga Hoho, the apex body of various Naga tribes, with support from the powerful Baptist church and other important groups, has called a pre-Christmas reconciliation meeting in a bid to end five decades of violence. M. Vero, president of the Naga Hoho said, “We have seen enough bloodshed, mistrust and misunderstandings among the Nagas and also a rise in fratricidal killings between two rival underground groups.”

Govt. asked to file report on Pulse Vitamin A
The Assam Human Rights Commission  (AHRC) has asked the Assam Government to file a detailed report on the UNICEF-sponsored pulse Vitamin A campaign which claimed the lives of 15 children and affected nearly a thousand children. ARHC chairman Justice (retd) Rajkumar Manisena Singh said that notices had been sent to the State Chief Secretary, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Health and Family Welfare besides Director of Health Services for a detailed report on the incident.

Reports indicate UPDS extortion
The United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), a terrorist outfit operating in the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills district of Assam has collected a huge sum of money from the people. Sources further said that the UPDS has already collected crores of rupees from the businessmen forcing the security forces to review their operations.

2 AR jawans hurt in blast, PLA claims responsibility
Two Assam Rifles jawans were injured when militants detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) at Patpan Lamkhai area in Manipur’s Thoubal district. The IED went off on National Highway 39 (Imphal-Moreh Road) when a convoy of Fifth Assam Rifles was passing by injuring two jawans, police said. The People’s Liberation Army, the military wing of the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack on the convoy of Assam Rifles.

Forest officials hurt in blast
Two Forest Department officials were seriously injured and a wooden bridge was totally damaged in an explosion triggered by NDFB militants at Bismuri. Sources informed that the blast took place under the bridge when the jeep carrying forest officials was approaching it. The officials were travelling towards Ultapani area. The police informed that the blast was a handiwork of NDFB militants.

9 die of diarrhoea in Kampur
At least nine persons have     died  and several others had fallen sick due to diarrhoea like disease in Kachua area under Kampur revenue circle. The dead include Rijumoni Pator  (7), Marjina Begum (10),    Razia Begum (10), Hanufa Begum (14), Sunil Natar (9), Bagani Deuri (60), Abdul Haswen (59) and Dhuriram Pator (70). All these persons succumbed to their ailment between November 24 to December 4, sources said.

ANVC sets ablaze coal truck
The banned Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC)    has set ablaze one     Bangladesh-bound coal laden truck at Borsora, in West Khasi Hills. The truck was set ablaze after the driver failed to show some documents to prove that the owner had been paying ‘taxes’ as demanded by the ANVC.  

BSF detects 217 Bangla nationals
Altogether 217 Bangladeshi nationals, mostly Hindus, have been detected by BSF while crossing over the border in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam’s Cachar area in recent times. “We have reports that many minority Hindus are staying with their relatives or in rented houses in the Belonia subdivision of South Tripura district,” BSF Inspector General of the area Arvind Ranjan said. He said there had been influx of Hindus and supporters of Awami League ever since the October 1 elections in Bangladesh. He said BSF nabbed 84 insurgents of different North East outfits in the areas and killed one NLFT ultra during counter-insurgency operations this year. Besides, 26 ultras of different outfits including five NSCN (IM) cadres surrendered to the paramilitary force during the year.

‘NE being sen roten foodgrain’
A Congress member complained in the Lok Sabha that the Centre was supplying ‘rotten’ foodgrain to North-Eastern States, which, he said, was ‘not fit for human consumption’. Raising the issue during zero hour, Paban Singh Ghatowar said a probe must be ordered to find out who was responsible for it.

‘NCC facing severe fund crisis in NE’
The NCC organisation in the North-Eastern States is facing a severe fund crisis as the states were not clearing their dues, NCC Director General Lt Gen BK Bopanna said. Acknowledging the financial difficulties faced by the NE states, the NCC chief sought the cooperation of the State governments in the region “to groom youths into good citizens of the country.” Lt Gen Bopanna. The new DG was is on a visit to the region after taking over as the NCC DG in November last year, inspected a parade by NCC cadets at Garrison Ground. The cadets also presented a colourful cultural show.
He ruled out NCC cadets joining the ranks of the militants. “Assam is a big defaulter in paying NCC dues”, he regretted but added “Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has assured to clear the dues.”

3 prisoners escape from Shillong jail
Three undertrial prisoners escaped and one was injured while trying to escape from the Shillong district jail, Inspector General of Prisons B Kezo said. While the three escaped by  jumping over the outer gate, another was injured while trying to break open the gate. He was arrested, Kezo said, adding that this is the second jailbreak in the last four months. Four jail staff had been suspended in connection with the last jailbreak in which six undertrial prisoners including some hardcore criminals had fled from the same jail. Kezo said that an inquiry into jailbreak would be instituted and necessary action taken against the guilty.

NDFB mows down 4 in Dhubri
Four people were killed by NDFB militants in two    separate incidents in Assam. Two Adivasis, Ganesh Munda and Rabilal Hemram, who had gone to the forest of Bogoribari under Golakganj police station of Dhubri district to collect firewood, were shot dead by NDFB militants. Two other adivasis who had gone along with the victims to collect firewood reported the matter    to the police. In another incident, two people, Sasikanta Das and Bimal Chandra Roy, who had gone to the Raibari jungle under Bogoribari police station in the same district to collect firewood, were shot   dead by NDFB militants.  

7 killed in road mishap
Seven bus passengers, mostly from Bihar, were killed and     12 others injured, in a road mishap in Golaghat district. Police said the incident  occurred when a private bus collided with a truck at  Rangajan Tiniali on the  National Highway 39. The bus was going from Dimapur in Nagaland to Muzaffarpur in Bihar, carrying mostly people   of that State. Seven, including drivers of both the vehicles,  died on the spot. 

SBI’s branch record deposits
The regional office of State Bank of India in Itanagar has recorded aggregate deposits of Rs 373 crore till October 31 last with an overall growth of over 15%, said Dilip Sharma, Asst General Manager of SBI Itanagar regional branch. Mr. Sharma said of the total deposit, Rs 67 crore had gone to aggregate advances with an overall growth of over 19%.

Top HNLC-NSCN(IM) linkman held
Meghalaya Police netted a big catch arresting Jacob  Shaiza, alleged kingpin and main link between the banned Hynniewtrep National Volunteer Council (HNLC) and NSCN (IM), from his rented premises at Lower Nongrim Hills. East Hills District Police Superintendent P. Raju said that Shiza, who was under “watch” for some time, was picked up from his residence. The police booked Shaiza under the Arms Act at following the recovery from his home of a huge cache of arms and ammunition.  The seized arms included an AK-56 rifle, two Chinese-made grenades, four magazines of AK-56 rifle, 50 rounds of AK-56 ammunition and 30 rounds  of 9 mm pistol ammunition. Shaiza was operating from Shillong for the last several years under the cover of a “senior journalist” and ‘counsellor’ of an NGO viz, Human Resource Development Council. The police SP revealed that Shaiza had received and deposited Rs 25 lakh in the    SBI main branch and Dhankheti branch. The accused ‘linkman’ was also directly involved in   the recruitment of about 20  local youths and for sending them to NSCN camps in Nagaland for training.

Sikkimese can tune Gyan-Vani
The launch of Gyan Vani, a network of 40 FM radio stations throughout India including one each in Guwahati and Shillong was inaugurated recently by Union Minister Murali Manohar Joshi. After these FM channels become operational, the radio listeners of Sikkim also can tune to the Gyan Vani from AIR Station of Gangtok.

Protest to intensify against shifting of SSB HQ
The protests are getting louder against the shifting of Special Services Bureau (SSB) from   the North-East, particularly Manipur. Newly floated Joint Action Committee against the shifting has decided to    intensify their agitation all over the State. The Joint Action Committee was formed recently with the representatives from local clubs and Meira Paibi organisations of the State. JAC convenor Sairom Panthoi informed that the organisation was planning to organise public meetings as well as street corner meetings against the shifting of SSB headquarters from Manipur. SSB had played a vital role in guarding the 5,122-km eastern borders for the last 38 years. It is being partially withdrawn from the North-East, including Manipur and Nagaland divisions. An official order was also issued in this regard recently by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.  

AIDS spreading in Nagaland
The spread of dreaded HIV/AIDS in Nagaland is alarming encompassing all sections of society as per the latest statistics available with the Nagaland AIDS Control Society. The report of the Society, State wing of the National AIDS Control Organisation, revealed that the killer disease is spreading towards rural areas from urban centres, and sexual mode of transmission was more prevalent than intravenous drug users. Out of 20,432 blood samples screened so far, 964 cases were found HIV positive with 200 full-blown AIDS cases. Till October, 63 persons died of the disease in the State.

HNLC should come forward for discussion
Bishop Purely Lyngdoh, President of the Shillong     Khasi Jaintia Church Leaders Forum (SKJCLF) said that       “It is high time for the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) supremos to start thinking in a positive way and come to the negotiation table as the other underground outfits in the North-East have initiated.” Bishop Lyngdoh opined that the HNLC should follow in the footsteps of other terrorist outfits in the region that have come forward to solve the problems through negotiations. He said it is only through a dialogue that problems can be resolved. He added that the Forum had performed its part in inviting the proscribed outfit for talks. “They have acknowledged our invitation, but what is holding them back in meeting us, we do not know”, he added.

Civilian killed in terrorist-crossfire in Tripura
A tribal villager was killed in the crossfire between two unidentified terrorist outfits at Haribendhupara in West Tripura district recently. Police have launched a massive combing operation in the area to nab the culprits. 

Suspected NSCN (IM) terrorists loot highway passengers in Manipur
30 armed cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Issak Muivah (NSCN-IM) robbed passengers at Leingangtabi, at Lokchao in Manipur.

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