It was on June 15 last year that Mr Rymbai was sworn in as the Chief Minister replacing Mr Lapang. However, the power struggle between Mr Lapang and Mr Rymbai continued since then, culminating in Mr Lapang assuming office again.

Mr Lapang was sworn in at 3.30 p.m on Saturday by Governor Mr MM Jacob followed by Dr Mukul Sangma, Mr RG Lyngdoh, Mr Prestone Tynsong, Mr Manirul Islam Sarkar, Mr Paul Lyngdoh. Mr Nehlang Lyngdoh who was away in Guwahati was sworn in as Minister at 7.pm.

There is no minister of state in the present ministry. After the swearing-in ceremony, Mr Lapang called a cabinet meeting to discuss the Governor's address and the preparation for budget session.

After the cabinet meeting, Mr Lapang said that he was committed to provide stable government till the end of the term. He also indicated that portfolios would be allocated on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Mr Rymbai bowed down to the Congress high command directive and resigned from the top post in favour of Mr Lapang.

In a day of hectic political drama, Mr Rymbai met AICC observer and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi in which Mr Dasmunshi asked the Chief Minister to comply with the AICC directive.

The meeting, which lasted for half an hour, culminated in the decision of the Chief Minister to resign. Later Mr Rymbai met his loyalists and then proceeded straight to Raj Bhavan to submit his resignation letter to the Governor.

Speaking to reporters before submitting his resignation letter to the Governor, Mr Rymbai said that it was necessary to break the political deadlock in view of the Budget session starting from Monday and also the visit of President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to address the House on March 16.

"The decision on my part is to end this crisis once and for all," Mr Rymbai said adding that he had to abide by the decision of the party high command in this regard.

He said that this decision is one way a compromise after agreeing on a 50-50 share in the ministerial berth from both the camps.

At a press conference Mr Dasmunshi described Mr Rymbai as a true gentleman for having agreed to abide by the decision of the high command.

He said that later he met the regional party leaders and they also agreed to continue their support to the present coalition.

Before meeting the press, Mr Dasmunshi also chaired a brief CLP meeting where Mr Rymbai himself proposed the name of Mr DD Lapang to be the new CLP leader which was seconded by other members of the CLP.

Session: Assembly is to be adjourned on Monday after the Governor's address and obituary references.

There will be a few more days' recession as the Ministers have to prepare for the session.

SNIPPETS

Moreover, there is no minister from South Garo Hills. There are three ministers from West Garo Hills-Dr Mukul Sangma, Mr Zenith Sangma and Manirual Islam Sarkar. Mrs Deborah is representing East Garo Hills.

Moreover, former ministers, Mr Sayeedullah Nongrum and Mr HDR Lyngdoh were also not inducted in the present Cabinet. Mr Nongrum even did not attend the swearing-in ceremony.

The resentment in Congress is likely to surface again with the supporters of these leaders expressing concern over the manner in which the Cabinet portfolios have been allocated. However, since four legislators from both the factions have been inducted in the ministry, the resentment is likely to be short-lived.

When contacted, Mr Boldness said, "soldiers who fight for the country have to die," indicating the need for sacrifice in the best interests of the State. Mr Dkhar only commented thus: "We are the kingmakers".

Announcing this at a public meeting held at Motphran here on Saturday, HNYF president GH Kharshanlor said that the night curfew would commence from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. in order "to give sleepless nights to the power hungry politicians" and in protest against the frequent leadership changes in the State.

"If the leaders of the Congress party can cause so much trouble to the people of the State, we also have the same right to cause trouble through our agitation," Mr Kharshanlor said while addressing the gathering.

Coming down heavily on the Congress high command for not respecting the people's opinion on the issue, Mr Kharshanlor also said that change of leadership was no longer needed as the State was to go to the polls early in 2008.

Denying that his organisation meddled in politics by interfering in "internal matters" of political parties, the HNYF leader said that "regular change of Chief Ministers would also lead to change of ministers' portfolios which ultimately result in change of policies."

HNYF political secretary Sadon Blah, who chaired the meeting, said that leaders of his organisation would not be cowed down even if they were hunted down or arrested by the new government led by Mr Lapang for calling the agitation.

"It is time that we show to the rest of India that we cannot be dictated by the policies of a party that is run from Delhi. Our agitation is aimed at restoring our rights as the people of the State," Mr Blah said while he condemned the statement of Congress leader and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi that "NGOs should not interfere in the internal party matter of any political party."

Others who spoke at the meeting included GSU Khasi Hills Zone general secretary Sanjeeb Sangma, Farmers' Union leader A Shanpru, CSWO leader Mrs Lin Nongkhlaw, Federal Council of Ri-War Mihngi and War Jaintia (FCRWMWJ) leader Peter D Rynjah and Khasi-Jaintia Welfare Association (KJWA) leader A Lyngdoh.

When reporters asked the reason behind Mr Rymbai's dismissal, Mr Dasmunshi said that, "no one can question the Indian National Congress." The AICC observer, who was apparently angry with the volley of questions from media persons on the issue, did not reply to the questions stating that he was in a hurry.

SHILLONG: Making a complete u-turn, the regional parties changed their stand overnight in supporting Mr DD Lapang. When asked UDP leader Dr Donkupar Roy said that they would support the MDA government irrespective of who becomes its leader.

Meanwhile, the GSU leadership will formally announce its agitational programmes for the Garo Hills region on Sunday. This was informed by GSU Khasi Hills Zone president Aldo A Sangma on Saturday.

The High Court in its verdict passed on February 2 ordered Mr Shullai to continue as the Rangbah Shnong of the locality.

Days after the CPI (Maoist) successfully held its 9th Congress in one of its guerrilla zones in the country and resolved to intensify its operations; the killing of JMM MP from Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) Sunil Mahato is being seen as the outfit's first high-profile strike to muzzle anti-Naxal sentiments. Mr. Mahato was a key member of the local nagrik suraksha samitis, which may have invoked the Naxalites' daylight murder as he watched a football match in East Singhbhum district. Of course, that the extremists managed to get so close to Mr. Mahato has thrown up a lot of questions: Was the security cover provided to him not adequate? Were the security men accompanying him, who were also killed in the attack, not alert enough? Or did the district administration falter in security arrangements for the event considering that it was being presided over by an MP?

There is a high probability of a CBI inquiry being ordered into the circumstances of Mr. Mahato's killing by the Naxalites. The Centre may also once again call upon the Naxal-hit states to review the threat perception to prominent leaders and upgrade their security. But in retrospect, the Naxalites, by successfully making an MP a target of red terror, have punched a big hole in the UPA government's claims that it had been able to curb Left-wing extremism in all states barring Chattisgarh and that its counter-operations in Naxalite strongholds like Abujmarh forests had the extremists running for cover.

The Opposition is sure to corner the UPA government on its "soft approach" to handling Left-wing extremism, especially when it accounted for more killings than J&K in 2006. While 540 civilians and security personnel were killed in counter-insurgency operations in J&K during 2006, as many as 678 police personnel and civilians were killed in Naxalite attacks. It is not only the number of killings that should be worrying the security agencies. The spread of Left-wing extremism, which now affects 13 states in all, and is knocking at the doors of several other states, is an equal cause for concern.

The Mahato killing is also seen as an attempt to send out a warning to the people of Jharkhand who have come together to resist Naxalite attacks by constituting citizens groups like the nagrik suraksha samiti. Interestingly, Jharkhand had been showing a declining violence graph till almost October last year. However, some big strikes at the end of 2006 reversed the trend. The incidents in the state went up from 308 in 2005 to 310 in 2006, while killings rose from 118 in 2005 to 124 in 2006.

Jharkhand, incidentally, has been pulled up on several recent occasions on account of its failure to fill up vacancies in the state police or utilise funds allocated to it for police modernisation. The state has also been found wanting in its response to the Naxalite menace and conducting counter-operations.

The Central government had set up a standing committee of chief ministers on Naxalism of contiguous states for coordinated and synergised anti-Naxalite operations across state boundaries. Differences among the states regarding the modalities, particularly their command structure, had been delaying their operationalisation. The forces were seen as a crucial to the Centre and the states' plans to get tough with the Left-wing extremists who had abandoned peace moves and were now hell-bent on fomenting violence.

While a section favoured these joint task forces to be headed by the senior most police officer irrespective of the state to which he belongs, others wanted the command to be rotated among member states. The chief ministers are said to have veered around the latter formula, although a formal decision in this regard is expected to be taken at a meeting of the state DGPs/chief secretaries to be convened by Union home secretary soon. This meeting is also expected to okay the number of such joint task forces as well as the grouping of states for each task force, thus paving the way for making them functional.

The joint task forces will not only help the affected states to synergise operations by pursuing the Naxalites across state boundaries but will also help implement the plans of anti-Naxal forces to go after the big fish and bust the extremist camps and hideouts through intelligence driven surgical strikes.

The states will also constitute a special group to set up effective administrative structures at the state and district levels for better governance and faster socio-economic development in the Naxal-infested areas. Each state will prepare an action plan to combat Naxalism on both security and developmental aspects in a time-bound manner.

The states concurred on the need to spruce up their intelligence network so as to ensure that the information collected is actionable and shared on a timely basis with other states.

The Naxalites have an 11-point charter of demands. The most important point relates to land reforms. The Naxals called for an "independent commission to be headed by a democrat acceptable to all" to identify land for distribution among the tribal population.

The Naxals' insistence on land reforms is understandable. The government's Tenth Five Year Plan document itself admits that "the record of most states in implementing the existing laws is dismal". The agrarian structure in the Naxal affected states are marked by the growth of a class of landless labourers whose numbers are swelling as a consequence of demographic pressures and also due to the gradual dispossession of small farmers. This, however, does not mean that the Naxals could start grabbing government and forest lands. Any meeting point or agreed settlement on the demands raised by the Naxals is going to be a long haul and we shall have to be patient during the process.

Naxals have been insisting on carrying weapons even during the peace period. This put the government in a dilemma. Any government worth the name cannot abdicate its normal, legitimate, lawful functions even while negotiating peace with an insurgent group. The operation of the Arms Act cannot be suspended to placate Naxalites. The Naxals must understand this. The state governments are not asking them to surrender their weapons. Let them retain their full arsenal, but it does not have to be displayed in a manner which compromises the legitimacy of a democratically elected government.

The Naxals have also been repeatedly saying that "armed struggle" is non-negotiable. This does not make sense. "Armed struggle" is the means to an end - it is not the end in itself. If the objectives are achieved by peaceful negotiations, any talk of "armed struggle" becomes meaningless and irrelevant.

The recent merger of the Peoples' War Group and the MCC has caused unnecessary concern in some circles. According to critics, the development "poses a threat that goes beyond internal security and imperils India's parliamentary democracy itself". No doubt, the newly formed Communist Party of India (Maoist) would have bigger strength and greater firepower, and its area of influence would be over a greater geographical expanse, but we may as well welcome the development. Any agreement with the CPI (Maoist) would be applicable to the most formidable Naxalite components and would cover almost all the Naxalite affected states of the country. The numerical strength was there in any case, and so were the weapons. What is more important is the vision and farsightedness we show in dealing with the problem.

"Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war", as Milton said. But then it requires give and take from both sides. The Naxals must remember that even though most of their demands are genuine, they could only be conceded in principle to start with. Their implementation would take long years of sustained effort. As long as the government appears sincere and the right initiatives are taken, whether it is for redistributing the surplus land or improving the lot of tribals, they should be content and give the government a fair chance. The Central and state governments, on the other hand, must recognise that there is a conspicuous socio-economic dimension to the Naxal problem. INAV

Huddled in a blueline bus (killer buses, as Delhiites better know them), winding its way through the localities of South Delhi, my gaze shifted to a labourer not more than 12 years old, his accent clearly suggesting he was from Bihar, who would get anxious at every stop and ask me, "Madam, is this Kalka mandir?"

Everyone else would stare at him as he chose to direct his query only to me, overlooking the several others cramming him on all sides.

I asked him where he wanted to go and he tamely replied, "Dilli". A little touched by his innocence, I tried to enlighten him, "But you are in Dilli!" He shot back a reply in my direction, "Dilli comes after Tugalkabaad (Tughlaqabad), and my chacha is waiting there for me". I had to nod my head in approval, directing the bus conductor to make sure he gets down at the Kalka temple bus stop.

Looking at him, my thoughts drifted to the recent spate of killings in Assam of Bihari migrants and, then, to the large number of migrants from UP and Bihar in Delhi too.

Perhaps the Assam incident had left some scars on this child's psyche as well. He may even have lost a dear one working up there. May be he had just re-migrated from the north-east to Delhi. Or maybe, he was simply lost. Whatever it was, the child intrigued me.

Being a migrant in Delhi from Punjab, I naturally began to draw comparisons between him and myself. Do migrants have a reason to feel insecure in their adopted home?

I was then reminded of a conversation I'd had with my witty ex-boss, a Bihari at that. "Delhi has nothing of its own - language, people, culture", he had once said. "Even weather, for that matter", he added as an afterthought.

"If there's a chill in Rajasthan, Delhi shivers; if there's snowfall in Shimla, there's a so-called cold wave in Delhi; if it's raining in Punjab or Uttar Pradesh, Delhi wakes up to a wet morning. Delhi is the sum total of everything that doesn't belong here".

Smiling, I reassured myself. That boy, my ex-boss and I, along with the many others like us who come and become weather friends to the city, are completely safe in Delhi. (By arrangement with The Times of India)

Security considerations continue to haunt us as one tragedy follows another at frequent intervals. The Jamshedpur MP Sunil Mahto is gunned down along with his bodyguards and their weapons are taken away by the killers. There is talk of a 'conspiracy' and 'revenge killing' and with time details will surface and investigations will take place. The brutal reality is that there has not been any government in Jharkhand and all we have seen is one government replacing another by 'moral' defections and I wonder how many will remember the names of the last three CM'S in the last year and a single constructive act they have taken for the benefit of the people of the State. Naxalite violence is rampant in the State [Bihar, West Bengal, MP, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh are all affected by Naxalite violence] and there are enough weapons available to ensure that the violent cadres are equipped with the latest in weaponry. Sunil Mahto and his security men were killed by a armed mob and it speaks rather poorly of the security systems and the complete absence of intelligence. The security agencies are familiar with the terror and extortion tactics deployed by extremist organizations and the fact that they enjoy sanctuary in villages and towns and there are no easy solutions in dealing with this situation. The Central government has to evolve a 'effective' plan and it is time that a senior MOS is deputed full time to look into this situation from the security issue but we may find that this problem cannot be resolved in 'security' terms alone and has much to do with financing of political activity by criminal elements who enjoy political patronage and engage in business activity.[building contracts ,liquor licenses, lease contracts]

Criminality has increased as the cost of elections have increased and political parties even at the National level can only finance a 'fraction' of the cost. Lok Sabha elections can cost beyond 1 crore and Assembly elections are between 15=50 lakhs and this is beyond the reach of the vast majority of candidates. Political leaders and VVIP'S rarely feel the pressure as they receive the majority of funds [less than 5% by cheque] and there is no transparency in financial dealings. We have rich leaders and poor parties .Criminal funding has sadly replaced the conventional system and in this situation there are conflicts and violence is inbuilt into the system. Many years ago after we had won the 1985 elections by a thumping margin, Rajiv Gandhi was determined to 'clean the system' in Uttar Pradesh and for the Assembly elections we changed over 75 candidates and sadly most of the 'clean and honest' candidates lost and we barely squeezed a majority! The position today is much worse and in a Coalition structure few leaders will even attempt to clean the system. The Uttar Pradesh elections are around the corner and the candidate list cutting across party lines and in particular the candidates of the SP/BSP will give you a indicator for the future. No need to forecast the results of the Assembly elections as no one is getting a majority [200 seats and above] and we will witness a political auction where parties will split and break [same as on the last occasion] and the winner will be the one who can distribute the benefits in the most efficient manner.

Security for Ministers and MLA's with criminal linkages cannot prevent casualties and we are risking the lives of good and honest security personnel and sadly so many have been killed in the recent past in conflicts not generated by genuine security reasons but in criminal shoot outs. We need some harsh decisions and perhaps all those with a criminal record of murder, kidnapping, extortion etc should not be provided security by the state. The assertion that everyone is innocent till proved guilty [legal proceeding can take a decade] is not the ideal situation and we have seen in the case of Mr Shibu Soren .Things are getting worse by the day.

Elections are over and I am delighted that Maj General BC Khanduri is the new CM of Uttarakhand and he wish him well. The Congress have lost the election and hopefully the talented Harish Rawat MP will get a opportunity to lead the party in the future. Punjab witnessed a hard battle and all credit to Sardar Prakash Singh Badal who speaks with experience and maturity and to Arun Jaitly who led the BJP to a spectacular win in the state and literally made the difference between victory and defeat. I feel sorry for Amarinder Singh but the verdict was never in doubt and hopefully he will provide mature and balanced leadership to the Congress in the future. The BJP have gained ground and I sincerely hope that the RSS will allow them to grow once again as a viable political force. The next elections are in Delhi and they should sweep the polls followed by elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. The Congress is on the defensive in all these three states and will also lose out to the BJP on upper class votes in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP have to plan for the next Lok Sabha elections and they have a galaxy of talent at their command. Narender Modi the Gujarat CM is a mass leader [he can win the Gujarat election on his own] and he will have to play a greater role in the future on a National level if the BJP is to become a viable contender to lead a Coalition. The Congress cannot be underestimated but they need to understand and act on the political chances that come their way and the test will be in Delhi where they currently face total defeat. We had a similar situation in 1982 when we lost Andhra and Karnataka and were written of in Delhi but Mrs Indira Gandhi pulled off a stunning victory!

Sir,

Apropos the report that the Single Window Agency has cleared the Lafarge Cement plant at Nongkhlieh Jaintia Hills, it is clearly a bonanza for the cement company, which has scored an initial victory over the aspirations of the people of the State, but it is a disaster for the inhabitants of the same.

The people of Nongkhlieh protested vehemently against the plant and so have the representative of the people of Jaintia Hills, but the single window agency choose to ignore the protest. The people of Meghalaya fought for a Hill State to preserve their land, their custom and tradition, and these rights are conferred by the Sixth schedule of the Constitution, but the single window agency choose not to not abide with the constitutional provisions.

This Forum thus expects the Government to review its decision and hold back the pending process for alienation of land of the tribal people of Meghalaya in the interest of the people.

Yours etc.,
W Anthony
President
Meghalaya Indigenous People’s Forum,
Shillong.2

Sir,

The World Cup cricket fever is catching up, but it seems that Shillongites will be missing this great event, which takes place once in four years only due to the load shedding scheduled by the MeSEB.

Therefore, on behalf of all the cricket lovers, I humbly request the MeSEB to make neccessary arrangement of power supply so that we are not deprived of this great event.

May be atleast the games in which India is playing should not be intruppted.

Yours etc.,
Ramesh Agarwalla
Keating Road,
Shillong-1

Sir,

A powerful earthquake jolted western Indonesia recently, killing at least 70 people and injuring. Even two school children were crushed by debris on a playground.

The number of earthquakes have been increase in the past few decades. Even Tsunami rocked the south east Asia before two years. Now the time is think over the matter and find out the reasons why such natural disaster are happening continuously?

Pollution and other factors may be responsible for this. But apart from this our scientists should look into the matter and find out all the suitable ways to escape such disasters. Even we have to develop few machines so that the warning can be given in advance.

India is very sensitive to earthquake. Therefore, the government and people should immediately start taking precautions. There are chances for earthquake in our country.

Yours etc.,
Shailesh Kumar
Bangalore -49
via e-mail

A statement issued said on his arrival at Dimapur airport, Muivah was received by the emissary to the collective leadership, members of the Steering Committee, Council of Kilonsers and other senior leaders.

On March 3, Muivah had held the first formal parleys with the Centre since arriving in the country in December last year. During the talks, the two sides had purportedly agreed to continue discussions to find a solution to the Naga political issue.

Apart from Union Minister of State Oscar Fernandes, the ministerial delegation of Government of India was represented by Home secretary VK Duggal and former Home Secretary K Padmanabhaiah in the New Delhi talks.

Meanwhile, the NSCN(IM) expressed gratitude to all those who had offered prayers and extended their moral support for the success of the talks.

Further, the NSCN(IM) urged its well-wishers and the Nagas to continue with such prayers for early and peaceful solution to the Naga political conflict as everything is in the hands of God. (NNN)

Congratulating the women achievers, the Speaker said that women had contributed a lot to the society and efforts should be made to encourage their participation in political structure and public life. On the occasion, Minister of Women and Child Development Mrs Renuka Chaudhury said that the Government has taken up women development as a priority area and working on various programmes to encourage women in every sphere of life.

Besides Dr Behalwho, the women achievers who were felicitated were - Ms Anjali Gopalan, founder of Naz Foundation (India Trust), Ms Archana Gupta, housewife working for Self-Help Groups, Ms Aruna Mishra, a woman boxer, Ms Indira Jaising, a well-known lawyer, Ms Lalita Devi, a teacher working for Dalit girls' education in Gaya (Bihar), Sqn Leader Namrita Chandi, Ms Sabera Khoja, a community radio broadcaster from Kutch, Dr Vandana Vaibhav Gandhi, a gyneacologist and Mrs Veena Devi, a woman Sarpanch from Navada, Bihar.

The accused identified as Manik Sangma of Kokaimara, Suresh Chaudhury of Phulbari and Ramdayal Rabi Das and Sahazamal, both from Chininang village, were arrested in connection with the disappearance of Nazrul Islam Sarkar and Sundaybirth Sangma, who went missing from West Garo Hills last year. Nazrul Islam Sarkar had been reported missing on March last year while Sundaybirth Sangma, on August 15 last year. It may be mentioned that Nazrul Islam Sarkar, a school principal and resident of Bhaitbari left for Tura on an official trip to the office of the Inspector of School, West Garo Hills in the morning on that fateful day and never returned.

The search operation case of the missing school principal had been entrusted to the CID but no fruitful result could be seen till date. The failure of the CID had been strongly criticized.

Imphal: While countering all the accusing fingers pointing at the United Naga Council (UNC) and its constituent units from some quarters that they have been working at the behest of the NSCN(IM), UNC chief KS Paul Leo said that as a responsible Naga family the position of the UNC and its constituent units is loud and clear and that is "to work for the tangible solution of the Naga problem".

Dismissing the accusations, Paul Leo said that the question of UNC working at the behest of the NSCN(IM) does not arise because the Naga civil society has been working for the cause of the Naga people.

The United Naga Council's president statement has been prompted by the incident of March 4 at Jiribam in which a Maruti Gypsy used by the president of Zeliangrong Union (AMN) had been burnt down by the NSCN(K) cadres.

Paul Leo, on behalf of the UNC strongly condemned the incident and said that the Khaplang faction cannot deny that its cadres were responsible for March 4 Jiribam incident. The UNC president termed this development as very unfortunate. (NNN)

This was the general tone of the judicial colloquium for Development of Policies and Programmes for the North Eastern Region, attended by the Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan, other judges of the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court as well as Guwahati High Court besides Asom Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

Appealing against the prohibition law, Supreme Court justice HK Sema said that all these states were suffering from random drug proliferation due to long international border and closeness to Golden Triangle of Myanmar and Thailand where drug transaction was high.

''Today in all these states, the prices of drugs have become lesser than those of a bottle of rum and whisky. As a result, there is a tremendous growth of bootleggers and black marketers as both drugs and liquor are freely available everywhere in these states. The young generation is getting attracted to drugs because not only is it cheaper but easily available,'' Justice Sema, while appealing to reconsider the laws, said.

He was joined by Mr Gogoi, who also advocated withdrawal of the total prohibition policy. ''A large part of Asom is tribal dominated and liquor is considered as part of social life. It cannot be prohibited. Instead, people should be made aware of the negative aspects of it,'' the Chief Minister said.

Mr Sema asserted that no legislation could be imposed on people unless it was well understood and accepted by people.

Chief Justice Balakrishnan also expressed serious concern over drug trafficking as well as the victims of HIV and AIDS.

''These states are more vulnerable because of their proximity to international boundary. Literacy rate in the North East is very high. Yet, both drug abuse and HIV cases are comparatively higher here. We have to sensitise the judiciary and police,'' he said.

The two-day-long seminar would bring together the legal fraternity, NGOs working on drug rehabilitation and HIV/AIDS. The National Legal Service Authority (NLSA) would sensitise the judiciary about the problems in these two sectors. (UNI)

Biplab Das stabbed his wife Gayatri inside their hut in the Manipuribasti area on Saturday morning killing her on the spot and then he killed himself the same way, city additional superintendent of police Rajen Singh told PTI.

The neighbours of the couple, married six months ago, claimed they fought regularly with the husband often being drunk and jobless and the wife maintaining the household by taking up odd tailoring jobs.

The bodies had been sent for post-mortem, Singh added.

In a fire in the Pandu area, the little boy was killed inside his hut which along with 19 others was reduced to ashes.

The boy being trapped inside the hut which his parents had locked while away on work could not come out when the fire engulfed his home, police said. (PTI)