K. Padmanabhaiah, former Union Home Secretary, took over as the Centre's representative for conducting peace talks with the Isac-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM).Mr. Padmanabhaiah replaces Swaraj Kaushal as the chief negotiator for holding peace talks with the NSCN (IM) group with which a ceasefire is currently in force. Mr. Kaushal, a Rajya Sabha member of the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) and former Mizoram governor, was appointed the Centre's emissary for the peace talk last year.

Tripura's  leading Bengali daily Dainik Sambad has donated Rs 50,001 for the families of the soldiers who laid down their lives in the Kargil conflict, to the Army Central Welfare fund. The newspaper’s executive editor Paramita Livingstone said recently that the journalists and non-journalists of the newspaper also donated their one day’s salary to the fund. The newspaper also urged the people to contribute generously for the soliders who were fighting a war against the Pakistan-backed intruders.

Mizoram government will give compensation to eight families in Saiha and Lawngtlai districts whose crops have been destoryed by elephants, environment and forest minister Rualchhina informed the Assembly recently.In reply to a question by independent MLA H Rammawi, the minister said the government was aware that some elephants destroyed paddy and standing crops in the southern parts of the State. The minister said that the only way to control rogue elephants was to seek permission from the state chief wildlife warden to kill them.

Mizoram pays homage to Kargil heroes

The Mizoram Legislative Assembly paid homage to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the Kargil sector recently. Making the obituary reference, chief minister Zoramthanga said the people of Mizoram stood firmly behind the Centre in its effort to push back Pakistan-backed intruders from Kargil. The Chief Minister said Mizoram is proud of our security forces who sacrificed their lives for national security. He said government employees, and various organisations have been donating generously to the recently constituted relief and rehabilitation committee.

Students burn down magazines

Hundreds of members belonging to the Manipur Students' Front (MSF) burnt down most of the magazines belonging to various scheduled languages including Hindi, Assamese and Bengali in protest against the recognition of the Bishnupriya language as Bishnupriya Manipuri by the Assam Government. Prior to the burning episode, an emergency meeting was also held here at Imphal which was chaired by the noted Meira Paibi leader Hijam Kombi Chanu. During the meeting, the leader of the Meira Paibi denounced the erstwhile government for keeping mum regarding the Bishnupriya issue as a result of which the Assam and Tripura Governments had recognised the language bypassing the Manipur Government.

Two insurgents of the banned All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) have been nabbed from Sidhai police station area of West Tripura district, official sources said here today. Acting on a tip-off, Assam Rifles launched an operation at Khumpui Para village and adjoining areas of West Tripura district yesterday and nabbed the two. There were reports of their involvement in many criminal activities, Assam Rifles sources said.

A hardcore activist of the outlawed People’ Liberation Army (PLA) was killed in an encounter with police commandos at Singjamei in South Imphal. The extremist was identified as S Lokendro Singh (36), son of a retired Superintendent of Police, S Ibobi Singh. Police said he was the prime suspect behind the killing of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, T. Madhumangal Sharma, in February 1995. Two accomplices of the activist managed to escape.

100 shops gutted in fire:

The 687-year-old ‘Kharchi’festival celebrating the unity and integrity between tribals and non-tribals was celebrated in Tripura recently. Thousands of devotees congregated to offer prayers at Khaerpur temple at Puratan Agartala, where the tribal priest called ‘Chantai’ offered first prayers to 14 idols. The week-long festival was inaugurated by Tripura Industries Minister Pabitra Kar, while Chief Minister Manik Sarkar greeted the people on the occasion.

The Mizoram Government has identified and deported 448 Myanmarese nationals between December 1998 and June 1999.

MNF blames Congress for Chakma

The ruling Mizo National Front-Mizo People’s Conference combine recently blamed the previous Congress Government to the increasing number of illegal foreigners in Mizoram. Answering a question in the State Assembly, Home Minister Tamnluia said the administration was finding it difficult to push illegal Chakma settlers back to Bangladesh as the previous Congress Government had encouraged Chakmas for political gains.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi has indicated that he might recommend holding of Assembly elections in the State along with the Lok Sabha polls scheduled on October 1. Giving the indications, Mr. Mithi said the process for holding simultaneous elections might start soon. "Though the five-year term of the Assembly expires in March next, there should not be any justification for holding polls twice within six months", He said.

The Tripura unit of the Janata Dal has welcomed the decision taken by its central leaders led by its president Sharad Yadav to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The president of the Tripura Janata Dal Arun Bhowmick said that there was no alternative before the party but to join the NDA for the interest of the country in general.