NEW DELHI, June 1 – The irritants in the relations between India and Bangladesh came to the fore once again, when India’s new External Affairs Minister, K Natwar Singh today raised the issue of insurgent outfits operating from its soil, illegal infiltration problem and the recent arms haul in Chittagong with the visiting Bangladesh Foreign Minister, M Morshed Khan.

Although both the sides refrained from making any critical remarks, the visiting Bangladeshi Foreign Minister reacted to India’s concern in a round about way. “Bangladesh is a country of 55,000 square mile and we need every mile...

GUWAHATI, June 1 – The Government of India has offered to extend all possible help to Myanmar Government to evict the militant groups of the north-eastern region camping in the country, highly placed security sources said. Sources told The Assam Tribune that the presence of the militant groups belonging to the north-eastern States in Myanmar is causing serious concern to the overall security scenario of India, and with the improvement of relations between India and Myanmar, the Government of India has time and again requested its Myanmar counterpart to take action against the militants as was...

Kokrajhar, May 31: It is an identity crisis of sorts for the small golden langur population that has made a rubber plantation near this Lower Assam town their home. The nearly 100 golden langurs that roam the plantation are slowly changing colour, much to the chagrin of forest officials. Instead of their original shiny, golden fur, the animals now sport a dull, whitish appearance.

Abhijit Rabha, field director of the Manas National Park, attributes the phenomenon to a change in eating habits. The primates have been subsisting solely on leaves and nuts of the rubber tree since straying into...

Shillong, May 31: Regional coalition partners of the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) breathed a sigh of relief today as chief minister D.D. Lapang made it clear that his government would continue in its current shape, without any changes. There was speculation in political circles that Lapang would part ways with regional partners like the United Democratic Party (UDP), the Meghalaya Democratic Party (MDP) and the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) and join hands with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Lapang has surprised political analysts and critics by...

Kohima, May 31: The NSCN (Isak-Muivah) today said the planned visit to India next month by its top leaders hinged on the Manmohan Singh government’s explanation of its stand on the contentious subject of integrating Naga-inhabited areas. Less than a week after the new government assumed office, the militant group said general secretary Th. Muivah and chairman Isak Chishi Swu would visit New Delhi for the second time in as many years to take the peace process forward.

However, a sentence in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance’s common minimum programme — that the territorial...