Guwahati, April 22: It is a debate of elephantine proportions, rooted in the jungles of Chattisgarh and spreading across states to finally echo in the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the centre of the debate is Parbati Barua, Asia’s only female elephant trainer. She is being hounded for allegedly using cruel and archaic methods to capture a rogue elephant in Chattisgarh in February, leading to the animal’s death.

A member of the steering committee of Project Elephant, which is being implemented by the Union ministry of environment and forests, wrote to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee recently...

NEW DELHI, April 21 — In a development having wider ramifications for Assam, the Central Government, as part of its broader plan on inter-linking major river basins under Himalayan Component of National Perspective, envisages inter-linking of major tributaries of Brahmaputra river with Teesta and Ganga. Divulging this, Union Minister of State for Water Resources Bijoya Chakraborty in a written reply in Lok Sabha said that according to the feasibility studies carried by National Water Development Agency (NWDA), Manas and Sankosh, both tributaries of river Brahmaputra, are proposed to be linked...

NEW DELHI, April 21 — The ongoing ceasefire between the NSCN-K and the Government of India is all set to be extended by another year. The current ceasefire pact between the two parties expires on April 28. The decision to extend the ceasefire was taken at a meeting between top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and a delegation of NSCN-K here today. According to sources, the talks today focussed only on the extension of the ceasefire and the vexed issue of starting the peace negotiations on the lines of the ongoing peace talks with NSCN-IM, did not figure. Significantly, Nagaland Chief...

IMPHAL, April 21 – Welcoming the peace initiative by all community women leaders in NC Hills, the Hmar Students Association, Imphal joint headquarters appealed to both the Government of India and Assam government not to commit the 'mistake' for the second time. The association accused both the authorities for the recent ethnic confilct between Hmars and Dimasas in NC hills district of Assam.

The peace initiative comprised of Hmar, Dimasa, Bengali, Kuki, Zeme-Naga, Hrangkol, Beite and Vaiphei communities and started at Haflong, the district headquarter of North Cachar Hills . Leaders of Dima...

DERGAON, April 21 — Strong resentment prevails among the leading citizens as well as nature lovers of Golaghat district over an order passed by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Golaghat. By the order, the DFO banned noted botanist as well as the head of the Deptt of Botany of DR College, Golaghat Dr Padmeswar Gogoi from entering the Nambar Forest, Golaghat.

According to information Dr Padmeswar Gogoi along with one nature activist. Arup Ballav Goswami reached Garampani beat office on April 7 to visit the North Nambar forest after giving information to the Range Officer Golaghat. But the...