The Tripura food and civil supplies minister Shahid Chowdhury resigned from the state cabinet on April 17 over his alleged nexus with a Bangladeshi national suspected to be an Islamic terrorist belonging to the Harkat-ul-jihad-Islami (HuJI)1.

Another round of formal talks between the central government and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) was held in New Delhi on April 16. Besides discussing the issue of a separate constitution for Nagaland, the two sides discussed ways of dealing with local developments in Nagaland. The issue of the emergence of a new armed group popularly known as the NSCN-Unification was also reportedly discussed. The NSCN (U) is made up of cadres, many of whom are from the Sema tribe and who defected from the NSCN-IM2.

• 1. “Minister quits over rebel nexus,” Telegraph, April 18, 2008 at http://telegraphindia.com/1080418/jsp/northeast/story_9152526.jsp
• 2. “Muivah brings up faction thorn in talks,” Telegraph, April 17, 2008 at http://telegraphindia.com/1080417/jsp/frontpage/story_9148969.jsp