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According to reports, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh admitted that Assam has been suffering one of the worst ever flood in recent years and announced a Central grant of Rs 500 crore to the State to tide over the crisis. He also assured that additional funds would be given to Assam after receiving the report from the Central team, which is assessing the damages. Addressing media persons at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati, after assessing the flood situation in the Assam, Dr Singh said that the Centre would take medium and long term measures for the solution of the problems of flood and erosion.
In another development, according to reports, in a jolt to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) faction opposed to peace talks, a cadre of the outfit and a surrendered militant were arrested in Jorhat district and a cache of arms seized. ULFA anti-talks faction cadre Raju Saikia and surrendered militant Rajat Dutta were arrested on July 4, 2012 and arms and ammunitions were recovered. Some other cadres of the outfit managed to escape, taking advantage of the darkness. The seized arms and ammunition included nine landmines, one M81 rifle, one AK-47 rifle and 90 rounds of ammunition, magazines, six bombs and five remote controls.
Meanwhile, Guwahati city police on July 3, 2012 arrested Manjit Phanglo alias Main Dimasa, the self-styled deputy c-in-c of the Dimasa National Revolutionary Front from Ananda Nagar under Noonmati Police Station. Police recovered a .32 pistol from his possession. Later, based on his revelations, the self-styled vice-chairman of the outfit, Nilesh Thousen alias Thairang Dimasa, was also nabbed.
According to reports, three militants of a banned separatist outfit have surrendered to the Indian security forces in Tripura after a crackdown on their training camp in Bangladesh. The three top leaders of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) - Kashirai Reang, Debadanta Reang and Brikhu Reang - surrendered to the para-military Assam Rifles at Khedachara in northern part of the state. The guerrillas surrendered an AK-56 rifle and some China-made arms and ammunition. So far, around 85 militants of the banned NLFT and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) have surrendered with arms this year.
Reports noted that Central Government is hoping to start the process of talks with the Ranjan Daimary faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) within this month. However, no final decision has yet been taken on the release of Daimary, the chairman of the outfit on bail to facilitate the peace process. The outfit has made it clear that formal talks could start only after the release of Daimary, while, a delegation of the Bodo National Conference (BNC) recently met the Union Home Minister to demand release of the NDFB chief.
According to reports, the NSCN-K Ceasefire Supervisory Board (CSB) supervisor Lincoln has stated that the group is willing to stop all forms of factional violence provided the Khole-Kitovi faction also agrees to totally stop it. He stated this while interacting with media persons after the closed-door meeting of the Ceasefire Supervisory Board in Kohima. On the other hand, Lincoln also revealed that the NSCN-K leadership is willing to sit across the table with Government of India to find a solution to the vexed Indo-Naga problem if the latter extends a formal invitation.
In other developments, according to reports, the demand for implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Manipur is gaining momentum with the advisor of Federation of Regional Indigenous Societies (FREINDS) launching a fast unto death agitation. KB Sharma, advisor of FREINDS and theatre artiste is observing the hunger strike on the demand for introduction of ILP in Manipur. The protest has been taken up to enable the future generations to protect the identity of the people of Manipur and to maintain the rule of law. Sit-in-protests are being held in most parts of the State capital Imphal for the last several days demanding for implementation of ILP system in Manipur.
According to reports, after the formation of the upper Assam leading committee, the Maoist rebels have started making efforts to strengthen the lower Assam leading committee and to set up bases in the Barak Valley districts. On the other hand, the main aim of the central committee of the Maoists in the North East region is procurement of sophisticated weapons available with the militant groups of the region.