NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Directors General of Police, Assam and Mizoram over alleged physical assault and lathi charge on journalists.
NHRC has issued a notice to the Directors General of Police, Assam and Mizoram calling for a detailed report on the alleged physical assault and lathi charge on journalists by the Assam police at Zophai Bairabi area in Kolasib district of Mizoram near Assam border, while they were on a reporting assignment on March, 8, 2018 and the March, 10, 2018.
The officers have been given four weeks to respond. The commission has issued these directions after taking cognizance of a complaint. Allegedly, the victim journalists had gone to Zophai to prepare a ground report as there was tension between Mizo Zirlai Pawl, a student organization of Mizoram and the Assam police, which escalated due to lathi charge by the Assam police on the journalists. The police also fired gun shots during the action. It is also mentioned in the complaint that the journalists were displaying their press identity cards to the police personnel but they were not spared and were beaten black and blue. Many of the journalists, including women, have sustained serious injuries.
The Mizoram Journalists’ Association had called a General Body Meeting at Aizawl Press Club Conference Hall on the March, 12, 2018 to express their plight. They also organized a sit-in demonstration on the March, 14,2018.
A three-day workshop titled “Youth Leaders for Rivers: Learning Workshop” concluded today at the Cachar Club Conference Hall, bringing together young leaders from across the region to collaborate on river governance, water rights and community resilience.
Organized by the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) with support from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the event was held from March 24 to 26 under the Youth Basin Ambassadors (YBA) initiative. It aimed to connect youth working across the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna Basin and deepen their understanding of river systems, governance challenges and community-driven solutions.
Participants included...
Tinsukia, March 22: Suspected militants of the banned outfit United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) (ULFA-I) launched a pre-dawn attack on an Assam Police commando camp in the Jagun area of Tinsukia district, leaving at least four security personnel injured.
According to reports, the militants attacked the camp around 2 a.m., allegedly lobbing several grenades and opening fire with automatic weapons. Security forces retaliated, leading to an exchange of fire that lasted for several minutes before the attackers fled the scene. The injured personnel were later shifted to a hospital in Dibrugarh for treatment.
Following the attack, Army and police units launched a joint...
WWF-India, in collaboration with Samagra Shiksha Assam, felicitated five top-performing schools under the ‘Mission Prakriti’ programme for 2025–26 at a ceremony in Guwahati.
The initiative promotes environmental awareness among students through themes like biodiversity, water, waste, food, and energy. In Assam, the programme covers over 4,700 schools across all districts.
The award-winning schools include Natun Fatasil Town HS (Kamrup Metro), Sakai Khangia High School (Jorhat), Bishnu Jyoti MES (Sonitpur), PM Shri Jamira HS School (Hailakandi), and PM Shri Gossaigaon Girls HS School (Kokrajhar). Tinsukia district was also recognised as the best-performing district.
Officials...
Jorhat: Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director of the North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), an indigenous civil society organisation based in Jorhat, Assam, has been appointed as the Constituency Focal Point for the People Affected by Conflict and Disaster Constituency of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM).
APRCEM is a regional civil society platform that brings together organisations across Asia and the Pacific to engage with intergovernmental processes on sustainable development, particularly the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through this organisational role,...
SHILLONG, Mar 11: The Meghalaya government has postponed the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) that were scheduled to be held on April 10, 2026, following violent clashes in West Garo Hills that left two people dead.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced the decision on Wednesday, saying the state government reviewed the prevailing law-and-order situation in the Garo Hills region before deciding to defer the polls.
The unrest erupted during the nomination process in Chibinang in West Garo Hills, where clashes broke out between groups supporting and opposing the participation of non-tribal candidates in the GHADC elections. Two persons were killed...
The Meghalaya High Court has set aside a controversial notification that made possession of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate mandatory for candidates contesting the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Delivering the judgment on March 10, Justice H. S. Thangkhiew ruled that the February 17, 2026 notification issued by the GHADC Executive Committee lacked legal authority and did not follow the procedure required under the Assam and Meghalaya Autonomous Districts (Constitution of District Councils) Rules, 1951.
The court observed that the notification effectively barred non-tribal voters and candidates from participating in the council elections...
TURA, Meghalaya – March 11, 2026: Tensions surrounding the upcoming elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), scheduled for April 10, have triggered violent clashes in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, leaving two people dead and several others injured. The unrest has also resulted in widespread vandalism and arson in several areas of the district.
The tensions stem from a controversial notification requiring candidates contesting the council elections to possess valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate documentation. The rule has effectively prevented many non-tribal residents—particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims living in the plains belt areas such as...
North East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a grassroots development organisation based in Jorhat working with people’s struggles and community development initiatives, observed International Women’s Day at Chumoni Chapori village under the Jhanjimukh area in Jorhat district on Sunday, bringing together local women, community leaders and youth to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in society.
The programme was organized with the participation of women from riverine communities who shared their experiences, challenges and aspirations for greater social and economic empowerment. The event focused on raising awareness about women’s rights, gender equality and...
A significant milestone for literature from Northeast India has been marked with the publication of The Yellow Metaphor, a collection of poems by Assamese poet Jiban Narah, now released by Penguin Random House India.
The book is a translated anthology of Narah’s poetry and is considered a rare achievement for the region. It is reportedly the first translated poetry collection by a single poet from Northeast India to be published by Penguin, and among only a handful of works in a regional Indian language to receive such recognition from the global publishing house.
The Yellow Metaphor brings together 99 selected poems written over a span of 33 years, reflecting Narah’s long poetic...
Sivasagar, March 6: A meeting of organisations associated with the religious and intellectual affairs of the Tai-Ahom community was held on Thursday (March 5) at the public auditorium of Bakata Parijat Panchayat in Sivasagar district. The meeting was chaired by Jibeshwar Mohan Deva, founding principal of Tingkhang College.
Several prominent personalities attended the meeting, including Manaranjan Baruah, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Sanmilan; Vidya Phukan, president of the Mohan-Deodhai-Bailung Pandit Parishad; former president of Phra-Lung-Moung Assam Golap Gohain; secretary Pranjal Mohan; noted Tai cultural researcher Kamal Jyoti Mohan; Tai-Ahom scholar Nripen Mohan;...
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