Lowest insurgency incidents in the last 20 years in NE: MHA

Morung Express News Dimapur | June 3   The year 2016 witnessed the lowest insurgency related incidents in the last 20 years in the Northeast, a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) report claimed today.   According to a booklet listing the key initiatives and achievements of the MHA during the last three years, the number of insurgency related incidents, which was lowest in 2015 since 1997, further reduced in 2016.   The report titled, ‘Preempt Prevent Protect - Security with Sensitivity’ published by the MHA was released by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a media briefing in New Delhi on June 3.   “Sustained security initiatives during last the three years have brought peace and stability to the North-Eastern region of the country after decades of insurgency,” it stated.   According to MHA, insurgency incidents in the region reduced from 824 in the year 2014 to 484 in the year 2016.   The number of incidents was 574 in 2015 which was the lowest since 1997.   The number of civilian casualties in the North East has also come down drastically in the last three years. Civilian casualties in North East which were as high as 498 and 466 respectively in 2007 and 2008 came down drastically to 48 and 46 in 2015 and 2016, it highlighted.   The number of kidnapping or abduction in the last three years also declined to 369 in 2014 to 168 in 2016. During the same period, 911 cadres and linkmen were arrested while there were 52 casualties.   Meanwhile, MHA said that allocation of funds for development of border areas increased from Rs. 990 crore to Rs. 1100 crore   It further informed that a sum of Rs. 92.32 crore was released for creation and development of 41 model villages in border areas in 7 states namely - Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Rajasthan and Sikkim.   To improve crime investigation by Delhi Police, a Special Police Unit for North East Region (SPUNER) was also set up with 450 personnel, including 139 women candidates from the North East selected as constables through special recruitment drive, the MHA report said.  

Progress in Naga peace talks: Rajnath

  New Delhi, June 3 (UNI): There is “progress” in the Naga peace talks, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said here today without divulging details. “We stand by the Framework Agreement (of 2015), there is progress on that,” Singh told a press conference here. The fate of Naga peace talks has assumed renewed significance in the context that the elections are due in Nagaland by March 2018.   In August 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah had signed a Framework Agreement in Delhi and there has not been much progress in the parleys since then. The talks with NSCN (IM), that originally began way back in 1997 and related political developments has assumed further significance as the BJP has assumed power in three northeastern states Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Assam.   In all these states there are significant presence of Naga population and the NSCN (IM) has been demanding integration of all ‘Naga contiguous areas’ under one administrative head. These states have number of times have, however, rejected such demands or any division of their respective states’ boundary. The BJP is also part of the ruling combine in Nagaland headed by the regional outfit Nagaland People’s Front (NPF).