Once in a Generation, Rats Return to Mizoram’s Fields
In parts of Mizoram, farmers are experiencing a surge in rodent numbers that is damaging their crops. Large groups of rats have been entering fields and eating rice, soybeans and other produce. Many of these farmers practise jhum cultivation, which means clearing forest patches and growing crops there for one or two seasons. Rats are entering these farms, eating produce before harvest, and causing heavy financial losses for families who depend on a single yearly crop for food and income.
Manipur: Assam Rifles Ambush Raises Questions on AFSPA Rollback Strategy
Two soldiers from the Assam Rifles were killed and five others injured in an ambush by armed attackers on Sept. 19 as their convoy was passing through a crowded area in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, which had recently lost its designation under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). The incident has exposed serious flaws in how security laws have been withdrawn from conflict-hit parts of the state.
Floods in Northeast India Are Less a Natural Disaster, More a Policy Failure
Flooding in northeast India has long been treated as an unavoidable natural disaster – a view convenient for those in power, as it conceals the fact that the annual devastation is not inevitable. On June 3, the death toll from rain-related disasters across the eight northeastern States rose to 47 – a loss that could have been prevented.
A Manipur Scholar’s Mission to Rescue Kuki-Zo Wisdom Lost in Violence
After ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, hundreds of Kuki-Zo settlements mapping the community’s lineage burned in the following weeks and months. “When a village is burned, its history, culture and identity burn with it,” says Dr. Jangkholam Haokip, a Kuki-Zo tribal scholar who has returned to Churachandpur to salvage what he calls “irreplaceable human wisdom.”
‘Peace’ Efforts in Manipur Result in Violence; 1 Dead, Dozens Injured
Efforts to restore “normalcy” in Manipur after nearly two years of violence, by enforcing free movement on highways, have triggered an indefinite shutdown in Kuki-Zo-dominated areas. The shutdown follows deadly clashes in Kangpokpi district between security forces and Kuki-Zo protesters, resulting in the death of 30-year-old Lalgouthang Singsit.
Post-Mortem: 3 Kuki-Zo Youths Tortured in Assam Police Custody Before Death
The post-mortem examination of three young men from the Hmar community has revealed signs of brutal torture before they died from gunshot wounds in custody of the Assam Police. The finding contradicts the police’s claim that the deaths resulted from a fatal crossfire.
Assam Police Accused of Extrajudicial Killings of 3 Kuki-Zo Youths, One of Them from Manipur
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) and other tribal groups have accused the Assam police of the extrajudicial killings of three Kuki-Zo youths in Cachar district, describing the incident as “cold-blooded murder.” Reportedly, the youngsters, one of them from Manipur, were killed after being detained by the police on July 16. The police’s explanation of the circumstances and reasons for shooting doesn’t appear to be consistent, say families of the deceased.
Mizoram to Central Government: We Won’t Deport Asylum Seekers
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has communicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the northeastern state will not engage in the forced deportation of Zo ethnic individuals from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts. Since 2022, about 2,000 civilian refugees have sought asylum in Mizoram in response to military operations against a local militia by the Bangladeshi Army. Lalduhoma’s refusal to deport the asylum seekers aligns with the spirit of India’s Constitution.
People of Nagaland Elect More Than 100 Women in Local Election
The people of Nagaland have elected 102 women to its civic bodies, marking a significant milestone in gender representation in local governance. The Urban Local Body (ULB) elections of 2024 saw an enthusiastic participation from female candidates, with women claiming over 37% of the available seats in the polls held on June 26.
Manipur: Fresh Wave of Violence Erupts
Manipur is witnessing renewed violence, with the latest escalations being reported from Jiribam district, an area that borders Assam’s Cachar district, after a Meitei farmer’s death was attributed to a Kuki-Zo armed group. Recently, two individuals from the Hmar-Mizo tribal communities, which are part of the larger Zo tribe, were reportedly killed, and 48 houses and a church owned by tribals were destroyed, displacing more than 800 tribal and 220 Meitei residents.
Government’s Reckless Push for Massive Palm Cultivation in Northeast
The Union government plans to expand palm oil plantations into six northeastern states, covering an area that exceeds the size of the entire state of Sikkim, Hindustan Times reported. This move comes despite international and local evidence cautioning that such expansion could have devastating impacts on farmers, cultural heritage and biodiversity.