Ceasefire with NDFB

Commenting on the decision of the NDFB to observe a unilateral ceasefire with effect from 15 October, The Assam Tribune (11 October) in its editorial 'Welcome Move' said, "With the NDFB expressing its willingness to come for talks with the Government of India for a political solution to its problems, it will put pressure on the ULFA to rethink on its stand on the issue of talks with the Government." It added, "The State and the Central Governments must take advantage of the cease-fire offer by the NDFB and take immediate positive steps to bring the outfit to the negotiation table for early solution to the problem."

An article in The Sentinel (12 October), 'NDFB: on a slippery truce road', however, commented on the lack of an official policy of negotiation with the militants and said, "Clearly, neither the Centre nor the Assam Government, as also other State governments in the North-east, have any clear policy on dealing with the insurgencies in the region. It is true that New Delhi is currently engaged in formal and informal dialogues with several Northeast Indian rebel groups, but it has no set road map on how to proceed when a new insurgent group offers a truce or proclaims a readiness to enter into negotiations."

India- Myanmar MoU

The memorandum of understanding signed between India and Myanmar that detailed an action plan for counter-insurgency operations was viewed with caution by The Assam Tribune (28 October) editorial, 'Indo-Myanmar move'. It commented, "The Indian Government would do well to ensure that its forces are not used by the Myanmarese junta regime to weed out the 'undesirable elements' in a major portion of its territory where their rebels call the shots." Cautioning that the agreement might derail the Naga peace process if it is directed against outfits like the NSCN-K, it argued, "While derailing the ongoing Naga peace process and antagonising the mother of all insurgent movements in Northeast, viz, the NSCN, on one hand, it would also create a Frankenstein (monster) on the Eastern front."

Explosions in Dimapur

The death of 27 persons in the twin explosions that rocked the city of Dimapur in Nagaland on 2 October dominated the media headlines in the State. Commenting on the visit of the Union Home Minister to Dimapur and his promise of more security forces in the region, the Nagaland Page (5 October) editorial, 'Beware the smokescreens' said: "Nice to know that finally the centre acknowledges the existence of human lives in the Northeast. But how much of additional security forces have secured human lives in the region over the decades?"

Another editorial in Nagaland Page on 8 October, 'Camouflages' said, "We also need to convey a message to the perpetrators of violence and acts of terror that they can not make us cower, fill us with fear and insecurity and confine us to the four walls of our homes for we will rise up against them and defeat them." Subsequently, the editorial titled 'The mystery deepens' in Nagaland Page (26 October) said: "Today the nature of crimes has seen tremendous change and highly sophisticated technology, which is there for those who seek, is available. Time has come for us to open our minds to rivalries and vendettas of various natures as possibilities for the Dimapur twin blasts."

Agitation in Manipur

The decision of the Apunba Lup, the umbrella organisation spearheading the agitation against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to start a process of dialogue with the Union government was termed as a 'welcome sign' by Imphal Free Press (4 October) editorial 'Time for Negotiations'. It said "There is a need to be interested genuinely in a resolution to the issue rather than in any game of one-up-man-ship. We see no reason why it must set the precondition of holding talks only at the highest level. While we see no harm in holding talks at the highest level, which obviously means at the Prime Ministerial level, we definitely see something discordant in the insistence that the talks can happen only at that level."

Another editorial in Imphal Free Press, 'A fiery spark' on 9 October said "In all the history of the people's movements in the world the voice of the people is what has always been victorious. The rights of the common people could never be taken away. This is why the voice of the people of this small state is being now heard in various parts of the country and the world."