E-Paper
Rajnath to meet 4 NE CMs today to review security along Indo-Myanmar border
The meet is being held six days after five persons, including an army officer, were killed in an encounter in Nagaland’s Mon district bordering Myanmar.
Home minister Rajnath Singh will arrive at Aizawal on Monday to hold talks with chief ministers of four northeastern states to review security along the Indo-Myanmar border.
Singh will hold discussions with CMs of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, which share boundary with Myanmar. Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju will also be present during the deliberations.
The meet is being held six days after five persons, including a Territorial Army Major and three United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) cadres, were killed in an encounter in Nagaland’s Mon district bordering Myanmar.
Reports say the encounter ensued when nearly 20 ULFA (I) cadres, who were on their way from their base in Myanmar to Assam via Nagaland, were intercepted by a team of security personnel.
Security apparatus in the northeast are hoping cross-border militant activities would subside following the demise of the NSCN (K) chairman S S Khaplang, who was a rallying point for various outfits operating out of the bases he provided them in the Naga-inhabited areas of the neighbouring country.
Besides his meeting with the CMs, Singh is also scheduled to visit Parva village in Lawngtlai district and other border areas by chopper before returning to New Delhi on Tuesday.
Home ministers, home secretaries, police chiefs of the four states and also senior home ministry officials will also take part in the meeting.
India and Myanmar share a 1,643-km long porous border, which is used by militant groups in the region to send cadres for training to Myanmar and use the same routes for trained militants to enter the country again.
The same routes are used by smugglers to bring in drugs, arms and other items.
Mizoram shares a 510-km border with Myanmar, Manipur (398 km), Arunachal Pradesh (520 km) and Nagaland (215 km). Just over 100-km of the entire stretch is fenced.
Beef fest to coincide with Rajnath visit
Irked by Centre’s recent notification banning cattle trade in animal markets for slaughter, a group in Mizoram’s capital is planning to organize a beef feast on Monday to coincide with Union home minister Rajnath Singh’s visit.
A social media group called Zolife, which has over 9,000 members on Facebook, and some other activists are planning to organise the protest event at Vanapa Hall in Aizawl at 2 pm.
Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya, which go to polls next year, have a dominant Christian populations and beef and buffalo meat are widely sold and consumed in these states.
According to data released by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) in 2015, seven of the eight states in the region (except Tripura) were among the top 10 beef/buffalo consuming states in the country.
Meghalaya topped the list with nearly 81% of the total population consuming both beef and buffalo meat. The figure for Nagaland was 57% and 23% for Mizoram.
