KOHIMA: NagalandCongress and NPF have said they would contest the upcoming assembly polls if BJP does it.
Talking to www.assamtimes.org in Kohima, senior Congressleaders said that since BJP is all set to defy the consensus in the recent all party meeting then boycotting polls on February 27 does not make any sense. "We want to make it plain and simple that if BJP contests the polls we are ready to follow the suit," said the senior Congressleader.
Same sentiment grips NPF where the ruling party leaders say in Kohima on Friday that they will also contest the polls in all seats. "If BJP can pull out of the decision why should we stick to it? We are talking to the civil society organizations to look into it," said the NPF leader.
BJP has reaffirmed that they will contest the polls calling that election is s constitutional obligation. The state BJP unit are bound to go by the central leadership who are dead opposed to the boycott call.
The civil society organizations last week convened an all party meeting in Dimapur where they got a joint declaration signed that they would boycott the polls without solving the decade old Naga political issue. The next day BJP pulled out of it.
In a significant development, six developed countries have imposed travel restrictions on Assam and Northeast India, citing concerns over the region's law and order situation. The countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Switzerland. This alarming information was shared by Assam's Tourism Minister, Ranjit Kumar Das, in response to a query by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed during the Assam Legislative Assembly session on Tuesday.
According to the Minister, the decision to impose the ban is primarily due to concerns over the law and order situation in the region. However, he assured that efforts are underway, in coordination with the...
Diabetes is a condition that affects millions, often leaving people tethered to medications and strict blood sugar monitoring for life. At its core, diabetes occurs when the body struggles to transport glucose into muscle cells, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. This can result in serious complications like nerve damage, vision loss, and kidney failure. While conventional treatments focus on controlling blood sugar, a growing movement argues that Type 2 diabetes—the most common form—can be reversed, not just managed. By addressing the root cause, insulin resistance, through diet and fasting, it’s possible to break free from the cycle of medication and reclaim your health....
Senior journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar was granted bail on Wednesday after being arrested under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Chief Judicial Magistrate (Kamrup) granted the bail, and Mazumdar is expected to be released on Thursday after furnishing the required bonds.
Mazumdar was detained late on March 25 after questioning Assam Cooperative Apex Bank’s Managing Director, Dambaru Saikia, during a protest against alleged financial irregularities. His arrest, based on allegations of abusing a security guard, sparked widespread condemnation, with media organizations and opposition parties accusing the BJP-led government of suppressing dissent.
Journalists staged...
The Congress party has alleged that an "undeclared emergency" is prevailing in Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's government. Speaking at a press conference at Rajiv Bhavan in Guwahati, AICC Secretary in charge of Assam, Manoj Chauhan, accused the Chief Minister of suppressing constitutional rights and using police forces to target journalists, MPs, and opposition leaders.
Chauhan stated that the Congress party will launch a public movement against the oppression and alleged that Sarma has been exerting pressure on all sections of society. “In his obsession with power, the Chief Minister is violating basic rights. The more he tries to suppress dissent, the stronger the...
The Assam Police have arrested senior digital media journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar in Guwahati’s Panbazar, triggering widespread criticism. Allegations suggest that he was arrested after attempting to question Assam Co-operative Apex Bank’s Managing Director Dambaru Saikia regarding a multi-crore recruitment scam.
Sequence of Events:
The National Youth Power, a youth wing associated with the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP),** was protesting against the alleged scam in the bank.
Journalist Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar arrived at the bank premises to cover the protest.
He attempted to question the bank’s Managing Director about the scam.
Later, the police summoned him to the...
Assam actively participated in Earth Hour 2025 on Saturday, March 22, by switching off non-essential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., aligning with the global movement for environmental awareness. The event, organized by WWF-India in collaboration with local partners, also emphasized the importance of water conservation under the theme #BeWaterWise, marking the convergence of Earth Hour with World Water Day.
Prominent landmarks across the state, including the Assam Legislative Assembly, Gauhati High Court, Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Dibrugarh, and historical sites like Rang Ghar, Kareng Ghar, and Charaideo Maidam, participated in the symbolic switch-off. In Guwahati, notable...
The rivers of Northeast India are changing, and not for the better. Once lifelines of the region, they are now at risk due to glacial retreat, erratic rainfall and intensifying floods. On World Water Day 2025, the North-East India Water Talks, or NEIWT, sounded the alarm, submitting a memorandum to key policymakers, including the governor of Manipur, the chief minister of Tripura and water resources ministers from all Northeastern states. Their message was clear: Act now, or the region faces a dire water crisis.
Melting Glaciers a Looming Threat
This year’s theme, “Glacier Preservation,” reflects a sobering reality—Himalayan glaciers are disappearing. Scientists warn that by 2050,...
Surojit Academy, located on the Assam Engineering College campus, celebrated World Puppetry Day on March 21 and World Mime Day on the same occasion, though it is officially observed on March 22. This year’s theme for World Puppetry Day was “Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and the Dreams of Puppets.”
The event featured a speech by Binita Devi, recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and director of Surojit Academy, on the role of artificial intelligence in puppetry. Abani Sharma, a leading puppeteer from Assam who has performed in India and Spain, was felicitated at the event. Dr. Kuldeep Patgiri, another Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee, attended as a distinguished...
Renowned sculptor Sankar Kalita from Paikana village near Baihata Chariali in Kamrup district, who had established himself in Guwahati, has been missing for over a month and a half, causing concern in the area. Kalita, who moved to Guwahati around 30 years ago to pursue sculpting, has been involved in creating numerous sculptures across Guwahati and various parts of Assam. Recently, he had set up his own sculpting studio in Vetapara, Guwahati. However, in a mysterious turn of events, he traveled to Mumbai in late December for business-related work and has not returned since.
According to family members, Kalita had planned to return home during Magh Bihu but later informed them that he...
In a controversial move, the Assam government has terminated 64 lecturers from polytechnic institutes who were protesting for the regularization of their jobs. These lecturers had been on a hunger strike for 23 days, demanding that their temporary positions be made permanent. They were initially appointed during the tenure of Himanta Biswa Sarma as the Education Minister.
The lecturers, who have been working as founder faculty members in polytechnics for eight years, had come to Guwahati during the budget session to appeal to the government regarding their demands. However, the government’s refusal to regularize their jobs forced them to stage a protest under the open sky. Their...
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