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Kohima, Jan. 15: Barely a week after its formation, differences have started cropping up in the state’s anti-Congress front — the Nagaland Democratic Alliance. The bone of contention is the sharing of seats among coalition partners with the BJP seeking “priority” over Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) which is the offshoot of the oldest Opposition party in the state, the United Democratic Front (UDF). According to the NPF, seats should be shared on the basis of “support base”.

“Since we have a strong presence in all the 60 Assembly constituencies in the state, unlike the BJP which is yet to open...

NEW DELHI, Jan 15 – The Naga peace talks may have a new interlocutor, with the Central Government toying with the proposal of appointing a political leader to head the negotiations. While the Central Government is playing its cards close to its chest, the capital was agog with reports that Minister in-charge the Department for Development of the North Eastern Region (DONER), Arun Shourie name was finalised. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is handling the negotiations is yet to make any formal announcement to the effect.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) which met last...

NEW DELHI, Jan 15 — The NSCN (I-M) may not be taking part in the ensuing Nagaland Assembly polls but the battle-line between the Naga underground leadership and Chief Minister of the state, SC Jamir were drawn, with the I-M leadership accusing the Congress leaders of sabotaging the peace process in the past. The animosity between the I-M leaders and Sri Jamir came out in the open when during an interaction with the newsmen the two leaders said that they had six meetings with then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi six times before Jamir sabotaged it. She later sent her emissaries for the seventh...

Tezpur/Guwahati, Jan. 15: If the numerous fans of Assam’s cultural icon Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla are attracted towards the Rupkonwar by his films, verses and songs, than there is “virtual reality” on the worldwide web to fire their fascination. A website, www.rupkonwar.net, on the poet-lyricist-filmmaker was inaugurated today in Tezpur, two days ahead of a grand function in Guwahati to mark his birth centenary celebrations.

That’s not all. Sonitpur deputy commissioner Ariz Ahmed said the district administration would request Delhi University to introduce research work on the doyen of Assamese...

Kohima, Jan. 15: After the Khaplang faction of the NSCN, another militant outfit of the state — the Naga National Council (NNC) — has strongly opposed the ongoing peace talks in New Delhi between the Centre and the NSCN (I-M). The Walling and Nagi faction of the NNC, in a statement issued by its president I. Panger Walling and general secretary Vizosielhou Nagi, said, “The NSCN (I-M) is only a faction and does not constitute a properly mandated organisation representing the views of the Naga people as a whole.”

The NNC said the Nagas would not except a piecemeal solution to the 55-year-old...