ITANAGAR, Jan 17 ? Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi formally launched a research project titled ?Tribal Transitions? and called upon researchers to contribute to current debate about the place of tribal cultures in the modern world, reports PTI. It is a collaborative project between the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), the British Museum, Arunachal University, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, the Centre for Cultural Research and Documentation (CCRD) here and the British Council in New Delhi.

The project is destined for five years and would be funded by the...

HAFLONG, Jan 17 ? The Nulding Kut Festival of Renewal of Life was celebrated here at Fiangpui play ground, Haflong on January 11 2003 with great enthusiasm. The festival was organised by the Nul-Ding Kut Celebration Committee, 2003. Nul-ding Kut is one of the many festivals of the Biate tribe, and has been celebrated since time immemorial. The importance and the significance of the festival regarded as the ?festival of renewal of life? and it is the most revered festival being celebrated by the Biate community every year.

In the old days, their ancestors used to celebrate this festival during...

Imphal, January 17: Unlike the ceasefire extension imbroglio episodes of June 2001 and other past social unrests with regard to the question of the state's territorial integrity, the Naga hoi-polloi dwelling in Imphal view the present renew Manipur territorial integrity slogans in different ways, at least this time. In a random survey conducted by Newmai News Network in the last two days indicates that Nagas in the valley are not going to the repeat the 2001 anti-ceasefire agitation days when they had fled to the hill districts. Miss Awon of Dewlahland, a school teacher by profession told this...

Imphal, Jan. 17: The abducted relative of Manipur food and civil supplies minister Pheiroijam Parijat Singh returned home late last night, police said today. Pheiroijam Sanajit Singh, son of the minister?s elder brother, was abducted by unidentified persons from Imphal East on Wednesday. He works as the ?personal public relations officer? of the minister. Singh was kidnapped by gunmen while he was on the way to a hospital with his family.

They took him away in his Santro, after letting off all other occupants, including his mother, wife and two children.

While the car was recovered...

Shillong, Jan. 17: Meghalaya chief minister F.A. Khonglam is keeping the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on tenterhooks as he is still undecided on whether to contest on a party ticket from Sohra constituency.

The NCP released its third list of candidates recently but Khonglam?s name still did not figure in it. The chief minister is currently an associate member of the party.

While announcing the names of candidates approved by the party at Jaintia Hills, NCP president Robert Kharshiing told The Telegraph a couple of days back that the party was waiting for the chief minister to apply for a...