Spiritual leader Ravi Shankar on Thursday evinced keen interest to broker peace with the rebel groups operating in the north eastern region.
Talking to media in the sidelines of the meeting of the north eastern indigenous groups in Guwahati, thr spiritual leader said hr wants the region to restore peace with active role of the rebel groups.
Flanked by ULFA(I), leader Anup Chetia he said ,“Several youth have already expressed their desire to come overground if the government ensures a respectable deal. They are watching how the government handles the case of the 68 youth who recently surrendered in Manipur with our intervention,” he revealed.
He said diverse groups have come together on a common platform to discuss the issues facing the region. “There are differences of opinions and I see it as a healthy sign. Once the basic principle of peace is established, all differences can be sorted out,” he added.
Earlier delivering the keynote address at the STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY: North East Indigenous People’s Conference, he said, “This is a new beginning for the North East. For the very first time, there is a reconnect of people of this region, which is so diverse.”
Saying that his heart goes out to the people of the region who had to undergo much suffering for decades, Gurudev observed that while the aspiration of every group that has gone into militancy has been to achieve prosperity and welfare, it cannot be achieved with conflict and has to come with cooperation. It is only this understanding that can mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the region, he remarked.
The conference saw the participation of leaders from all walks of life, including leaders who have formerly taken up arms. Several former underground leaders led by General Secretary of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) Anup Chetia were among the conveners of the event. Other prominent names include former leader of armed TripuraNational Volunteers Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl and Dilip Nunisa of Dima Halam Daogah, the Assam-based militant outfit that laid down arms in 2013.
Anup Chetia, along with the other prominent leaders at the conference acknowledged and appreciated Gurudev’s interest and commitment to the region and resolved to continue to work together to bring peace and prosperity in the region.
The conference saw the attendance of a large contingent of leaders from Nagaland, including former army chief of NSCN(IM) Lt Gen VS Atem and several other leaders from various social, ethnic, linguistic and religious groups.
R S Mooshahary, former Governor of Meghalaya was present too and hailed Gurudev as a peace ambassador.
The day long deliberations at the Conference ended with the signing of the Guwahati Declaration by The Art of Living representatives and other conference partners, including the convener committee as well as all the linguistic, tribal, ethnic and insurgent groups of North East states. Everyone present pledged to bring together the indigenous peoples and ethnic groups of the region, and work collectively to achieve the ultimate goal of genuine peace, prosperity and happiness for North East.
He will visit Arunachal Pradesh where he will attend the Maitreya Diwas celebration in the Indo-China border town of Tawang. He will also attend several programs hosted by the government of Arunachal Pradesh, including an address to ministers, MLAs and bureaucrats.
Lakhimpur: In the early hours of Saturday, around 1 a.m., the water level of the Ranganadi River began to overflow following the release of dam water from the Panyor Hydroelectric Project by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), located upstream at Yazali in Arunachal Pradesh. The sudden release of water, without any prior warning, submerged vast areas of Assam’s Lakhimpur district, leaving thousands of people in distress.
Many residents were caught unaware in their sleep as the floodwaters entered their homes. People fled with only the clothes they were wearing, leaving behind all belongings. The floodwaters swept through 243 villages across the Ranganadi and Naoboicha...
Thousands of party leaders and workers gave a warm welcome to Gaurav Gogoi as he set foot in Jorhat for the first time since becoming the Assam Pradesh Congress President. Gogoi, son of the late former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, visited his personal residence in Jorhat district. Reflecting on his father's political beginnings in Jorhat, he remarked, “I feel my father’s blessings from wherever he is today. This is a moment of immense joy and gratitude for me. I am thankful to the people of Jorhat.”
Gogoi told the media, “Had I not won the Lok Sabha elections from Jorhat, I don’t think our central leadership would have given me this significant responsibility.”
Upon his arrival from...
New Delhi: The Assam Government’s recent policy for arms license for the indigenous people might lead to the spike in the fake encounter case if one goes by Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi.
Gogoi on Friday strongly slammed the criticised government's decision to grant arms licenses to civilians near border regions and demanded steps to halt the move. According to Gogoi, the policy is detrimental to Assam and its people which instead will serve the interests of the ruling party..
The people of Assam, he said, want water, employment, education and healthcare. He further said the genuine shopkeepers and traders might face difficulties and that the guns would...
Guwahati: There is no chance of an immediate let-up in the weather that dampens Assam.
According to what the weathermen say the weather pattern was anticipated to bring heavy rain, thunderstorms, and gusty winds to many parts of Assam.
A low-pressure area was located over the Northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast and it is expected to move northwards and concentrate into a depression over the North Bay of Bengal.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has predicted unrelenting downpours in the city of Guwahati which might aggravate waterlogging situation resulting in slow traffic movement with increasing landslides.
The authorities have urged...
Guwahati: More than half of the areas in the city of Guwahati have come under the rain waters wreaking no less havoc since Thursday. There is no let up in the situation following incessant rainfall during the last 24 hours.
Key areas in the gateway of the north eastern region such as Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar, Beltola, Rukminigaon, Hatigaon, Wireless and B. Borooah Road have been submerged where streets----big and small have turned into flowing water channels disrupting normal lives.
Hundreds of vehicles have been stranded on the road as homes, offices, shops and markets have submerged in the rain waters. Assam State Disaster Management workers have been engaged to deal with the...
Guwahati: Amid concern over the allegations of arbitrary detention of two ‘identified Bangladeshi nationals’, the Gauhati High Court has asked the Assam government to disclose their whereabouts fearing illegal pushbacks across the Indo-Bangladesh border.
A division bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice Malasri Nandi directive Dispur as they were hearing a writ petition.
According to the petitioner, the duo namely Akbar Ali and Abu Bakkar Siddik were taken into custody by the Nagarbera police station in Kamrup district on May 25 without any information to the families.
It is further alleged that the duo at risk of being "illegally pushed into Bangladesh" without...
Based on YouTube Review by: Priyanka Saha, English Literature Student, Bangalore.
A day before the world would learn that Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq had won the 2025 International Booker Prize, a young voice from Bangalore shared a moving, deeply personal review of the book on YouTube. That voice was Priyanka Saha, a literature student who not only read the book but met the author in person, received a signed copy from both Banu Mushtaq and translator Deep Bashi, and offered her sincere wish that Heart Lamp would win the prize.
Priyanka’s review stands out—not for its technical analysis or literary jargon—but for its vulnerability, clarity, and emotional honesty. Her words are not...
Guwahati: The Assam Government is clearing the decks for arms licenses to the people dwelling in the border areas. Same would be applicable in case of the vulnerable areas of the state to boost self-defence capabilities in the sensitive areas.
This was what Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters in Guwaahti on Wednesday after the cabinet meeting presided over by him in the capital
Sarma said, " We will issue arms licences to eligible individuals living in vulnerable and border areas and we will encourage local indigenous citizens to apply for arms licenses under the provisions of the Arms Act.”
According to information, the government will soon issue detailed guidelines...
Defying an aroused allegations of ISI-link, Congress has appointed MP Gaurav Gogoi as the new Assam party giving the party in rank and file an occasion to rejoice from Monday. Gogoi, the deputy leader of Parliament on Monday replaced Bhupen Bora whose term expired less than a year ahead of the assembly polls in 2026.
In his reactionGaurav Gogoi wrote on X that he is grateful to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, LoP Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal for trusting him with this responsibility.
Acknowledging the contributions of his predecessor, Gogoi praised former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Bhupen Kumar Borah for his leadership...
Guwahati: Rajor Dal’s sole MLA from Sivasagar Akhil Gogoi, on Tuesday welcomed the Congress party’s decision to appoint Gaurav Gogoi as the state president.
He also urged Gogoi to unite the opposition parties to take on BJP in the next assembly polls. “We welcome Gaurav Gogoi as the state president of the Congress party in Assam. We earlier gave a deadline of May 30 for commencing alliance talks with the Congress for the next year’s Assembly elections. However, as Gaurav Gogoi has been newly appointed to take charge of the party, we would like to give them some more time to begin alliance talks.”
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