Security forces in Tripura and Mizoram have seized highly addictive banned methamphetamine tablets and foreign cigarettes worth over Rs 2.35 crore and arrested three persons, officials said on Friday.

A police official said that an auto-rickshaw driver was arrested with 90,000 methamphetamine tablets valued at Rs 1.35 crore from the Amtali areas on the outskirts of the state capital Agartala on Thursday night.

During routine patrolling, police chased an auto rickshaw coming from Khayerpur to Amtali and managed to intercept the auto-rickshaw and after a search the methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets, were recovered. “The driver of the auto-rickshaw was arrested for carrying the drugs. An investigation is underway,” Superintendent of Police (SP), West Tripura district, Namit Pathak told the media. He said the police have intensified their close watch in different parts of the city and its outskirts after reports of illegal and drug related activities, and the seizure was the success of these efforts.

Chief Minister Manik Saha in a social media post on Friday, said, “During a search operation on the Amtali Bypass, Amtali police station recovered 90,000 yaba tablets, arrested one person, and seized an auto-rickshaw.” “We remain committed to building a drug-free Tripura, and our relentless fight against drug smugglers will continue with full determination,” Saha said.

Yaba, also called ‘crazy medicine’, is illegal in the country as it contains methamphetamine, a Schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act. In Mizoram, based on specific intelligence, Assam Rifles launched an operation on Friday to conduct a search operation at Tlangsam areas bordering Champhai district.

During the search operation, the troops recovered different types of foreign cigarettes valued approximately Rs 1 crore from a vehicle. Two persons, identified as H Ramengmawia and Zosangliana were also arrested. The recovered items, vehicle and individuals have been handed over to the Legal Metrology Department in Champhai.

Meanwhile, the Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police have seized heroin and foreign cigarettes worth more than Rs 9.47 crore and arrested one person in two separate operations in Mizoram’s same Champhai district on Wednesday night. Myanmar’s Chin State has emerged as a major hub for drug trafficking, wildlife smuggling, and other illicit activities.

The contraband is often routed through six districts in Mizoram — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip — which share unfenced borders of 510 km with Myanmar. Meanwhile, Assam Rifles have been conducting awareness campaigns like seminars and group discussions highlighting the bad effects of the drugs and drugs trafficking are a punishable offence under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The Defence spokesman said that the aim of these awareness campaigns is to educate the local population, especially the youth, about the harmful effects of drug abuse and the serious legal consequences associated with drug trafficking and peddling.

-IANS

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Security forces in Mizoram and Tripura have seized huge quantity of drugs valued at Rs 34.73 crore and arrested three drug peddlers in this connection, an official said on 31 July 2025.

A Defence spokesperson said that acting on secret information; the Assam Rifles troops launched an operation on Thursday at Zote areas in eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district. During the operation, the para-military personnel recovered around 11 kg of highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued approximately Rs 33.33 crore. The recovered contraband has been handed over to the Excise and Narcotics Department, Champhai.

In Tripura, the Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Tripura Police, seized 14,000 methamphetamine tablets and apprehended three suspected individuals in the Sepahijala disrrict’s Salpokhar area close to Bangladesh border. Acting on specific intelligence received during the early hours, a BSF team swiftly mobilised and cordoned off a red Chevrolet Aveo car and a joint search was conducted, resulting in the recovery of 70 packets containing 14,000 methamphetamine tablets, valued at approximately Rs 1.4 crore. Three drug peddlers — Sarfraj Ahmed (resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh), Jubair (Moradabad, UP), and Nazrul Islam (Cooch Behar, West Bengal) — were apprehended from a nearby house.

The contraband and the suspects were handed over to Tripura Police for further legal action. The operation highlights BSF’s proactive role and unwavering commitment in preventing narcotics smuggling and ensuring the safety and security of the India-Bangladesh border, a BSF statement said.

Police officials suspect that the drugs were smuggled from Myanmar and through Mizoram and southern Assam brought to Tripura to smuggle them to Bangladesh. Myanmar’s Chin state has emerged as a major hub for drug trafficking, wildlife smuggling, and other illicit activities. The contraband is often routed through six districts in Mizoram — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip — which share unfenced borders of 510 km with Myanmar.

-IANS

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The Assam Rifles have seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets and heroin valued at around ₹40.05 crore in Mizoram, officials said on Sunday, 27 July 2025.

A Defence spokesman said that after getting intelligence inputs, the Assam Rifles troops have launched an operation at Melbuk areas in border town Zokhawthar in eastern Mizoram’s Champhai district on Saturday night. “On conducting a thorough search, the para-military personnel recovered 1.041 kg heroin and 9.381 kg methamphetamine tablets valued approximately 40.05 crores from an abandoned place,” he said. The seized contrabands have been handed over to the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Officials suspect that the Methamphetamine tablets, also known as Yaba or party tablets, and heroin were smuggled from Myanmar. Methamphetamine, which comes in tablet, powder, or crystalline form — commonly called ice or crystal meth — is a stimulant that suppresses the need for sleep and is often used by partygoers and young adults.

Myanmar’s Chin State has emerged as a major hub for drug trafficking, wildlife smuggling, and other illicit activities. The contraband is often routed through six districts in Mizoram — Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip — which share unfenced borders of 510 km with Myanmar.

Meanwhile, Assam Rifles have been conducting awareness campaigns like seminars and group discussions highlighting the bad effects of the drugs and drugs trafficking are a punishable offence under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985.

The Defence spokesman said that the aim of these awareness campaigns is to educate the local population, especially the youth, about the harmful effects of drug abuse and the serious legal consequences associated with drug trafficking and peddling.

The speakers in this campaign highlighted the rising threat of narcotics in society and especially in border areas of Mizoram and urged the participants to stay vigilant and not to get entrapped.

–IANS

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On 4 September 2024, Mizoram’s Chief Minister PU Lalduhoma delivered a “seemingly” powerful speech in Indianapolis, USA, advocating for the unity of the Chin-Kuki-Zo people—ethnic communities spread across India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. His remarks called for these tribes to unite under a shared cultural and religious identity, transcending the national borders currently dividing them.

Lalduhoma’s message, urging “one leadership to achieve our destiny of nationhood,” emphasized their vision of a single homeland for the Chin-Kuki-Zo people. This notion has raised concerns about a possible separatist movement with far-reaching implications for regional stability.

Lalduhoma’s address centered on the idea that these communities were “unjustly divided” across three countries and must come together to reclaim their “destiny of nationhood.”

https://twitter.com/VladAdiReturns/status/1853007644694339793

But recently, another video surfaced where he seems to be calling India as an enemy. Here are transcripts of the Q&A session conducted after his speech.

When asked about what steps illegal refugees from Burma need to take to officially live as migrants in India – he replied, “Good question. India is not a signatory to the refugee protocol. Officially there cannot be a refugee in India. So, we call them displaced people. That’s why we cannot give the status as well as the advantages of being a refugee, but at the same time they are being given the same status, and same treatment in kind and all ways everything is given today.”

He was then asked how medical doctors among the refugees practice legally in Mizoram, he replied, “Even the children are going to school and colleges and there is no differentiation between them. That should be applied to doctors also, there is no harm in giving them practice, even though I think some of our organizations here, they are in coordination with Victoria are opening and running clinics in Aizawl is rendering medical help and assistance. So, if they have a qualification, I don’t think there is any harm.”

When asked what plans the government has to initiate communication with the concerned authorities of Bangladesh government to address the ongoing unrest situation to stop all violence, he replied, “This Bong people are brothers and sisters. They keep on coming to India, seeking shelter, and the BSF people who are on duty in the border in India, they push them back. Last time when I met the PM and HM, I told him that I cannot push them back. the PM insisted that I push them back, I said, sir from the bottom of my heart there is one thing I cannot do, please don’t pressurize me. He asked me to meet the HM, I met the HM, and we agreed that once they reached the soil of our country, they should not be pushed back. That arrangement has been made when the refugees coming from Bangladesh, particularly the Bong community, they don’t face problems any longer.”

In the next question, he was asked about Chin Kuki Mizo coming together under India, and how peace can be brought along with Chin brotherhood in Manipur especially when there is a political change in Bangladesh, in such a case how a united brotherhood can be achieved. He replied, “It’s just like a two-way traffic. As far as we are concerned, we shall never ever accept the division of our people into 3 countries. This will never be acceptable. The boundaries are imposed boundaries by the British government. In that committee, we are never represented, we are never consulted. Therefore, it is an imposed boundary and will never accept it. We will never accept construction of a border fencing between us.”

He further added, “It all depends on whether we are prepared, whether we are willing to be under a single administrative unit within India, that you will decide. This is one part. So far as ZORO was concerned (ZORO – Zo Reunification Organisation), ZORO’s main policy was to reunify within India. We cannot fight Myanmar, we cannot fight India, we cannot fight Bangladesh simultaneously at the same time. We cannot afford to have 3 enemies which are bigger than us. So that is one thing we have to do on our part.”

https://twitter.com/AbhijitChavda/status/1854501553035677748

He added, “The second thing is what is the opinion of India. For that, I am nobody to make, to say a statement on behalf of the government of India. There are things, if I accept you, you accept me, if I don’t accept you, you don’t accept me. That is diplomacy. So, it all depends on us. That is why I am here, to talk about unity within India means something. I won’t talk much beyond that. Keep guessing what the next is.”

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On 4 September 2024, Mizoram’s Chief Minister PU Lalduhoma delivered a “seemingly” powerful speech in Indianapolis, USA, advocating for the unity of the Chin-Kuki-Zo people—ethnic communities spread across India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. His remarks called for these tribes to unite under a shared cultural and religious identity, transcending the national borders currently dividing them.

Lalduhoma’s message, urging “one leadership to achieve our destiny of nationhood,” emphasized their vision of a single homeland for the Chin-Kuki-Zo people, a notion that has raised concerns about a possible separatist movement with far-reaching implications for regional stability.

Lalduhoma’s address centered on the idea that these communities were “unjustly divided” across three countries and must come together to reclaim their “destiny of nationhood.” For many, his rhetoric went beyond a cultural message, suggesting a political unity that challenges existing boundaries in South Asia. His appeal to shared religious and ethnic bonds carries significant implications, particularly given the region’s history of ethnic tensions and separatist movements.

Mizoram CM Lalduhoma mentioned his desire to create a Christian nation including parts of Bharat, Bangladesh & Myanmar in an official statement at the US on 04.09.2024

The dominance of Church in local politics & the creation of the fictional "Kuki-Chin-Mizo" identity based on pic.twitter.com/MbqUjq9pXd

— Vladimir Adityanath (@VladAdiReturns) November 3, 2024

He said, “It’s just like a two-way traffic. As far as we are concerned, we shall never ever accept the division of our people into 3 countries. This will never be acceptable. The boundaries are imposed boundaries by the British government. In that committee, we are never represented, we are never consulted. Therefore, it is an imposed boundary and will never accept it. We will never accept construction of a border fencing between us.”

Mizoram CM PU Lalduhoma gives a call during the US tour for a united Chin-Kuki-Zo Nation, while appealing for unity among culturally linked tribes across India, Bangladesh, & Myanmar.

A Separatist Agenda to Divide Northeast India? A call for Nationhood? pic.twitter.com/NN9OI2Y7Dg

— Megh Updates (@MeghUpdates) November 4, 2024

This vision for a unified Chin-Kuki-Zo nation has set off alarm bells among observers who worry it could encourage separatist sentiment and destabilize the region. Lalduhoma’s speech has raised questions about whether external powers might be supporting this movement, echoing recent statements by former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who warned of alleged foreign interference aiming to reshape South Asia’s geopolitical landscape.

Hasina’s comments, made just before her removal from office in a political coup on 5 August 2024, highlighted concerns about Western intentions to support the establishment of a Christian-majority state in the region. According to Hasina, a Western official had explicitly outlined plans to carve out an independent Christian nation from parts of Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India—a proposal Hasina compared to the East Timor model. Hasina suggested that this “Christian state” project could exploit the ethnic and religious divisions in South Asia, destabilizing the area to serve strategic interests.

Following Lalduhoma’s Indianapolis speech, Hasina’s statements have gained new relevance. The former Prime Minister had suggested that Western influence, potentially aligned with church groups in the United States, could be backing aspirations for a “Zo” homeland. This proposed homeland, commonly called “Zoram,” would cover areas of Bangladesh, Myanmar’s Chin State, and India’s Mizoram and Manipur states, where the Chin-Kuki-Zo people predominantly reside. The push for this unified state has reportedly garnered support from various church organizations in the U.S. and is being championed by the Zo Reunification Organization (ZRO) in Mizoram, which has political backing from local parties like the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF).

The Chin-Kuki-Zo tribes’ movement, which has been gaining momentum, is not without militarized factions. Groups such as the Chin National Army (CNA) in Myanmar, the Kuki National Front (KNF) in India, and other affiliated factions have been actively seeking autonomy, with violent actions occurring in their respective regions. Lalduhoma’s speech in the U.S. has fueled apprehensions that Western powers could be taking advantage of these separatist sentiments to push for broader geopolitical interests.

Hasina’s revelation about alleged foreign intentions to establish a Christian state underscores existing concerns about sovereignty and national integrity. Her statement that a U.S. official had sought permission for an American air base on Bangladesh’s St. Martin’s Island in exchange for Western support in her administration indicates deeper regional interests. Although she rejected the offer, Hasina’s warnings highlight the broader strategy that some analysts suggest underpins Lalduhoma’s call for a unified Chin-Kuki-Zo nation.

The Northeast region of India, where Mizoram and Manipur are located, has long been a hotspot of ethnic diversity and political fragility. Observers fear that Lalduhoma’s Indianapolis speech, with its appeal for a Christian-majority state, might resonate with existing ethnic militancy and lead to intensified demands for autonomy. Combined with Hasina’s claims of Western-backed agendas, this narrative points to a strategic interest that could have ramifications for India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh alike.

The coincidence of Lalduhoma’s call for unity among the Chin-Kuki-Zo people and Hasina’s warnings about Western ambitions to redraw borders are extremely concerning.

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The Battle of Plassey in 1757 firmly established the British in India and they became undisputed rulers of Bengal, one of the largest provinces in India. It comprised present Bihar, Orissa, Bengal, Bangladesh and Assam. With due course of time, they also added Chittagong, the thriving south-eastern port in the province which did wonders for their trade. This also brought them to the immediate vicinity of North-Eastern hill tribes like Lushai, Chakma and Kumi, to name a few. These tribes inhabited the area of present Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur. These were aborigine people and occasionally raided the neighbouring tribes to collect the taxes and even heads of the people who refused. In the process, they also used to loot the items which they could not afford.

The habit of carrying off the heads of their victims had a reason behind it. A long time back, when these warriors used to raid the enemy territory, many enemies used to get killed. When they returned only with booty, nobody back home believed the stories of their bravery. They then started carrying some parts of their victims’ bodies to make them believe. Sometimes legs and sometimes arms were collected but later, heads were considered the most authentic proof of their valour. Though it sounds barbaric, the world over it was standard practice, especially in the Abrahamic world. Muslim soldiers of Pakistan had cut the heads of many of our soldiers as recently as during Kargil in 1999.

After the arrival of the British, people started paying taxes to the British, instead of Lushais. This dried their revenues and brought them on a collision course with the British. The latter named them head-hunters but adopted the policy of leaving the tribes on their own. One day, however, everything changed.

The British also occupied the Cachar hills in southern Assam where the city of Silchar is located. With time, they established the tea gardens in the area, which proved to be highly profitable. Soon a mania swept the region where tea planters began to start new gardens, expand their existing gardens and thus encroached upon the Lushai territory. One such tea garden was in Alexandrapur near Silchar which was owned by one George Seller. One day, he invited one of his close friends James Winchester and his 6 years old daughter Mary Winchester in 1870 as she was going to Britain for further studies. Mary was the illegitimate child of James and his Meitei (Manipuri) worker who died soon after the child’s birth.

Severely angered with the British, Lushais were looking for a chance to teach them a lesson. They got the wind of such celebration and swooped down on the tea garden in a pre-dawn raid. During the confrontation, a few people including James were killed but Seller somehow managed to escape. Mary was kidnapped and taken to Lushai headquarters. This created a media furore in London, a few days later. Mary was, however, treated like a queen by the tribal women. In one year of captivity, she became used to the Mizo lifestyle and forgot English completely.

On 8th October 1871, after more than a year passed, the British attacked the Lushai hamlet and killed  everyone found resisting. Mary had to be dragged against her will by the British soldiers. She was then sent to Scotland to her grandparents.

However, the story has not finished for hapless Lushais and other tribes in the North-East. The missionaries saw their chance and dubbed the kidnapping and head-hunting barbaric. It did not matter to them that they killed every tribal in retaliation. It also did not matter that they carried out much more barbarity during the crusades and inquisitions. In 1857, the British unleashed savage punishment on the freedom fighters after the first war of independence. Many were tied in front of the canon and then fired upon. Their distant cousins, the Turks were even in the habit of making grotesque towers of heads. By 1898, the British captured the whole Lushai territory and missionaries started to have a field day. Arthington Mission and Welsh Presbyterian missionaries were the foremost in converting and within a decade they converted more than 1 lakh tribals.

A story was deliberately spread that tribals had fallen into a trance after converting and they saw amazing visions of two brilliant lights that would shine in the land, one in the north and the other in the south. A plaque of James were made in the tea garden and they were routinely taken to Alexanderpur on an annual yatra to remind them of their savage past and how they were now the civilized people and they were now the children of only one true God. This further propelled the conversion after they were made to be ashamed of their ancestors, however, it is another matter that they were now converted from head hunters to soul hunters and church planters.

This is the missionaries’ standard template and they use it effectively to convert the people, the world over. Mizoram is consequently now a Christian state with 87% majority. Mary was deified as a Christian messiah and her photos with Jesus on her side are now in most Mizo households. Everyone was told that it was prophesied in the Christian texts like Isaiah 60:22 which stated, “A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation.”

 Mary was projected as a little one.

(This article written by Amit Agarwal was originally published in Bharat Voice and has been republished here with permission.)

Amit Agarwal, author of the bestseller on Indian history titled “Swift horses Sharp Swords”. 

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Robert Romawia Royte, the Sports Minister of Mizoram has promised a cash prize from parents who have multiple kids in Aizawl, which is his constituency. This is an attempt to boost the decreasing rates of childbirth in the state and encourage further growth of the population. There is no mention, however, of the number of kids. This announcement came out on the occasion of Father’s Day.

According to this announcement, the person with the largest number of children in the constituency will be receiving ₹1 lakh as an incentive. The person will also get a certificate and a trophy, all of these awarded by the construction company owned by the minister’s son.

“Mizoram is far below the optimum number of people to attain development in various fields because of the gradual decline in its population. Low population is a serious issue and hurdle for small communities or tribes like Mizos to survive and progress,” Royte said, according to news agency PTI. He added that some churches and influential civil society organisations like the Young Mizo Association are also promoting the same, since there is a dire need for a population boom in the state.

It is to be noted that a lot of states are advising population control measures right around the time that this announcement has come from Mizoram. So, it is safe to say that this news has invoked mixed reactions from the public.

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The Mizoram government launched a mobile application for farmers that will provide them with the latest information on agriculture. 

The mobile application will have various features such as information on cultivation of various crops, maximum requirement for seeds and estimated total production in first cultivation, and protection of crops from pest infestation.

“The state government has been making massive efforts to alleviate the difficulties faced by farmers, who have been greatly affected by the coronavirus induced lockdown,” said Agriculture Minister C Lalrinsanga

He launched the mobile application with high hopes that it will be of immense help to the farmers.

He also said that the technological and mechanical innovation in the agricultural sector of the state will not only transform their practice but will also generate income simultaneously.

Before this was the ‘farmers helpline,’ which benefitted the farmers greatly too, he further added.

The application is available in Google Play Store.

Source: PTI

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The BJP and the RSS idea of a united India always had a special focus on the north east. RSS always feels that without bringing the north-east into the mainstream of India’s growth and development story, it is not possible to achieve its dream of a united India. RSS volunteers have been actively working in north east for several decades to simply remove the feeling of alienation among the people of north-east.

However, northeast generally doesn’t find a place in the mainstream discourse. It was treated in isolation. It was only post 2014 that the region became a part of our discussions which coincides with the BJP making inroads in the region.

Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal was the first state to fall into BJP’s kitty. Because of internal differences within Congress, 43/44 Congress MLAs defected to PPA, a make shift party, before joining BJP en masse. Almost the entire congress leadership merged with BJP and Pema Khandu was installed as the Chief Minister. He completed his term and got re-elected as BJP CM in 2019, sending Congress out of the scene.

Manipur

Another instance of internal fight within Congress led to its split in Manipur. The Congress vice-president, Biren Singh had differences with the CM Ibobi Singh and quit the Congress to join BJP.

Post the Assembly elections, INC emerged as the single largest party. But BJP quickly cobbled up a coalition of anti-Congress parties and formed a government. After running the government successfully for almost 3 years, BJP engineered a defection within congress where 20 MLAs of congress joined BJP, thus giving a clear majority to the BJP.

Since it is a coalition of multiple parties, there were occasional rifts that required interventions from the top. When the National People’s Party left the coalition putting the government at risk during the pandemic, compromises had to be made to accommodate alliance partners. The political storm seems to have settled now. Nevertheless, from zilch to running a government, the BJP has come a long way in Manipur.

Tripura

Tripura was a different state. BJP’s opponent was not Congress but the mighty Communist who had ruled the state for almost 30 years without a break. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar was known for his simplicity. The communist philosophy of making the rich poor to bring equality worked very well in Tripura. Tripura was lagging behind in several development indicators and badly needed a regime change.
BJP was quick to capture the vaccum in the opposition space in Tripura. BJP had a poor vote share of just around 1%. The Trinamool Congress MLAs in the assembly defected and joined BJP. Several top leaders from Congress also joined BJP. Under the leadership of Sunil Deodhar “the selfless servant”, BJP was slowing building up its base in Tripura.

As the assembly elections approached, BJP went out lock, stock and barrel against the Communists. Amit shah himself led the campaign from the front, conducting several road shows. Modi held a couple of rallies which saw huge turnout. BJP won a landslide victory winning 44 seats out 60 ending the communist rule. One more state where BJP has currently become the numero-uno party.

Meghalaya

The tiny state of meghalya was a big challenge for BJP. The Hindutva party was having a tough time in the Christian majority state. The polity of Meghalaya is extremely fragmented with several political parties representing several tribal groups. For a 60 member assembly – there were around half a dozen regional parties NPP, UDP, HSPDP, PDF, KHNAM, MDF, NCP added to the national parties INC and BJP.

BJP could not get any pre-poll alliance with any of the parties as all the regional parties were afraid of losing their Christian votes.

Post the election, Congress could not get a majority and was trying to form a coalition government with the support of the regional parties. Before Congress could even make a move, BJP swiftly met the governor with the letters of support from the dozen regional parties.

With the power of the Central government and anti-congress stand of the regional parties, BJP was successful in dethroning congress from yet another state in the north-east. Though Congress has lost power, it still is a strong force in the state and though BJP could come to power in a Christian majority state, it is still a minor player in Meghalaya politics. Only time will tell whether BJP will be able to engineer a split within Congress and grow its base in this state.

Nagaland

Yet another Christian majority state but here the challenge for BJP was not as difficult compared to Meghalaya. The Naga People Front was the single largest party of Nagaland. Neiphiu Rio, the former Chief Minister revolted and formed a separate party – DPP. BJP applied the Arunachal formula and DPP became a “nationalist party” – NDPP.
Before the assembly elections, both the regional parties (NPF and NDPP) were willing to join hands with BJP. But BJP decided to go with its friend NDPP. The alliance was a success and BJP was able to win 13 seats in the 60 member assembly.

The election results presented a unique opportunity for BJP as it became the kingmaker. Both the regional parties (NDPP – 20, NPF -26) once again sought the support of BJP to form government .BJP upheld its commitment with the NDPP and formed the government. Congress which was once the major opposition party in the state was totally wiped out from Nagaland as it failed to win even a single seat.

Even though BJP could not become the king, wiping out Congress from the state and becoming the king maker in a Christian majority state is a huge achievement for the BJP.

Mizoram

After making significant gains in the Christian majority states of Meghalaya and Nagaland, BJP’s next target was Mizoram – another Christian majority state. The two term Congress regime was facing a heavy anti-incumbency. It was certain that the Congress would lose power in the state but BJP was not the beneficiary of this.

For a state where the Church plays an important role in politics, it was very hard for the BJP to make inroads. But with power in the centre BJP could not be ignored by the regional parties. The minority Chakma tribals (mostly Hindus) were backing the BJP.

With a tacit understanding with the popular regional party, the Mizo National Front (MNF) ,BJP contested the elections alone and won its first ever seat in Mizoram’s history. Congress was crushed and could not even become the main opposition party.

Though the journey for BJP could be difficult in this state, the journey has at least begun on a positive note.

Sikkim

Politics in the tiny state of Sikkim has become very interesting after the arrival of BJP .Pawan Kumar Chamling the 5 term Chief Minister ruled the state for almost 32 years virtually without any opposition. In his last 2 decades, anti-incumbency started setting in and Sikkim Kranthikari Morcha (SKM) started gaining ground.

In the recent assembly elections, Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) fell short of majority by 2 seats. BJP failed to win even a single seat. Though the SDF was a part of NDA, BJP swiftly broke the alliance after elections. SKM with a majority formed the government.

As usual BJP engineered a split within the SDF. 10 out of the 13 SDF MLAs joined BJP,2 MLAs joined the ruling SKM. Pawan Kumar Chamling was the lone MLA left in his party. From 0,BJP jumped to 10 in the assembly and joined the Sikkim government.

This is a unique state where Congress never had any major role in the state’s politics. From nowhere BJP has become the ruling party.

Chanakya of north-east

Himanta Biswa sarma  is the man behind BJP’s rise in the north-east. He was a former Congressman but later quit the party tired of its dynastic politics and lack of opportunities to grow. Because of his rivalry with Gaurav Gogoi, son of his former boss – Tarun Gogoi, Himanta decided to take revenge on the Congress by knocking them out of northeast. Congress lost power in all the states of north-east within a span of 5 years.

Himanta formed the NEDA – North East Democratic Alliance – a rainbow coalition of several regional parties of north east. NEDA cemented the position of BJP as a main player in the politics of north east.

Northeast in Modi era

Narendra Modi as PM has ended the several decades of neglect and alienation of north east. He has instilled the feeling of belonging among the people of north east.
He has initiated several development projects like bringing railway, road and air connectivity for the first time to several north eastern states. His Act East Policy, electrification scheme, decentralization of power to tribal groups, eliminating insurgents and solving several local conflicts by signing BODO Accord, Naga Accord, Chakma resettlement etc have transformed the lives of the people of Northeast.

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Mizoram’s Sports Minister, Robert Romawia Royte had visited the construction of a sports academy under  Sports Authority of India (SAI). He announced that the Kolasib town in Mizoram will soon have a football ground. The football ground will be certified by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

He was accompanied by Supply Minister and Kolasib MLA K Lalrinliana and Serlui MLA Lalrinsanga Ralte during the inspection. He said that the artificial turf being laid at the SAI academy ground at Saidan was certified by FIFA and the construction will be completed soon.

He said that the new football stadium will play a vital role to aid sportspersons of the state and pave way for them to cast their names in national and international competitions.

He visited other regions of the town to check if it is feasible to invest in new sports infrastructure and even upgrade existing facilities. The existing football ground at Kawnpui will be converted to a standard ground after laying artificial turf. In addition to that, a sports training center would be set up at Vairengte located on the Mizoram-Assam border.

The state of Mizoram passed the ‘industrial status’ to sports last month. This step means plenty of funds for various aspects under sports infrastructure. Moreover, it encourages private players to become important stakeholders in the space of sports.

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