Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, at the Chief Ministers’ Conference on Internal Security, stated that some state governments in the Northeast region allowed themselves to be dictated by insurgent groups, thus making the fight against insurgency more difficult. He urged the CM’s of these states make use of the “constitutional power” vested in them to ensure people’s welfare. He also urged better coordination between the union and state governments1.

Two army personnel and a NDFB cadre were killed in an encounter at Garugaon in Assam’s Sonitpur district on August 16. The Army personnel were conducting a search operation in the area when it was attacked by a four-member group of NDFB cadres of the Ranjan Daimary faction2.

• 1. “Centre to tackle naxalism with development, police action,” Hindu, August 18, 2009, at http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/18/stories/2009081859941000.htm
• 2. “2 Army jawans, NDFB ultra killed in encounter,” Assam Tribune, August 17, 2009, at http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=aug1709/at012