Manipur Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh opposes supra-state Naga body; Hagrama links demand for Bodoland Statehood with Telangana demand; ULFA hideout busted with three ultras dead; Four hurt in Manipur blasts; ULFA soon to have a new central body; Two ULFA
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    • According to reports, Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh denied having any knowledge of the “Supra-State body” for the Nagas, saying the Central Government has not yet intimated anything on the issue to the State Government. The statement came when the Chief Minister was speaking to the press on the sideline of Childrens’ Day celebration at Congress Bhawan. Asked about the credibility of creation of a “Supra-State body” for the Nagas as reported, the Chief Minister said that the Government of Manipur will never take into consideration anything that is going to be detrimental to the integrity of the State. 1

    In another development, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Hagrama Mohilary reiterated that the Bodoland Statehood demand would be intensified if the Central Government came up with the creation of Telangana as a separate State out of Andhra Pradesh. He also pointed out that certain Bodo organisations like ABSU and NDFB (P), which are now highlighting the separate Statehood demand, are only raising a long-pending demand of the Bodo community. 2

    Reports noted that the Army busted a hideout of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in the Namsai reserve forest area in Arunachal Pradesh and killed three militants. Police sources said that a group of ULFA militants were taking shelter in Namsai area to launch extortion drive in Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border areas and the Army launched an operation killing three militants. Two of the militants killed in the encounter have been identified as Kapil Bora and Ramen Gogoi. The third is yet to be identified. 3

    According to reports, an explosion inside a scrap shop caused injuries to two persons and in a separate incident, two persons were wounded when a bomb exploded in a market in Ukhrul district. In the first incident, a blast took place in front of a scrap shop at Uripok Yambem Leikai in Imphal West. In another incident, two non-locals were injured in a bomb attack at a busy market in Ukhrul district. 4

    Meanwhile, the hardline faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) said that the central committee of the militant outfit would be reconstituted soon. In a press release, publicity in charge of the ULFA faction Arunodoi Dohotiya said that after the ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and several others returned home following their release on bail, an ad hoc committee has been running the outfit and steps to reorganize the political wing has started. The release said that the new central committee of the ULFA is likely to be announced within this month. 5

    In other developments, two members of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) were killed in Assam when the bomb they were trying to plant on a railway track exploded according to police. A police spokesperson said the two bombers of ULFA were killed near Sonari in eastern Assam's Sivasagar district, while they were trying to plant an improvised explosive device on a railway track. The target was probably the Brahmaputra Mail that was to cross the area around the time of the incident. 6

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