Free Republic

Security forces in the north-eastern state of Assam have been told to shoot on sight after tribal clashes claimed 34 lives in the past two days. An indefinite curfew is also in force in Karbi Anglong district, where violence erupted late on Sunday. In one attack, Dimasa tribal militants massacred 22 members of the rival Karbi tribe, eight of them women, police say. Another 12 Karbis were killed later. The two tribes have a long history of feuds over territory in the state. Set alight Police officials told the BBC that 22 people belonging to the Karbi tribe were dragged...

More than 20,000 tribes people have come on to the streets of a remote district of India's West Bengal state to demand a separate tribal homeland. The Rajbongshi tribes people are blocking roads a day after violent protests had left five dead and more than 100 injured. Police killed two people on Tuesday when they fired on protesters who went on the rampage, killing three officers. The state government has sent a huge number of troops to quell the unrest. Armed groups Intelligence officials say tension is high, with the Rajbongshis demanding an inquiry into Tuesday's police shootings. Police had...

An explosion has badly damaged an oil pipeline in the north-east Indian state of Assam, police say. Police said they suspect the involvement of the separatist rebel group, the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa). They said the blast, which took place on Saturday night, set off a huge fire in Assam's northern Shibsagar district. The damage to the pipeline forced the authorities to suspend oil supplies to two oil refineries in the state. It took several hours to control the fire. "There was a big fire immediately after the blast and several houses nearby caught fire," Reuters quotes a...

The Indian military has begun airlifting essential goods to the north-eastern state of Manipur. Organisations representing Naga tribesmen have been blockading a national highway for more than two weeks now. They are demanding that some parts of Manipur be integrated into the neighbouring state of Nagaland. The federal government has rejected the idea saying it is opposed by Manipur's political parties. Last weekend local police tried to break the blockade by force, but the Nagas responded by burning down government buildings in four districts of Manipur where they are in a majority. Limited space Loaded with essential commodities like medicines...

Nearly 500,000 tea workers have ended a strike in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal after unions agreed to accept performance-related pay. The strike had brought production at more than 300 tea gardens to a halt. Unions settled for a 15% rise in daily wages, and agreed pay would be linked to productivity. They had long resisted the move and wanted pay doubled. Tea is West Bengal's main export and the state government intervened in the strike which began on 11 July. Weekly target The final settlement was signed by representatives of 14 tea workers' unions and representatives of...

India's tea industry is facing tough times due to labor problems, declining demand at home and strong price competition abroad. India has traditionally been the world's largest producer of tea. India's sprawling tea estates that spread over the eastern Himalayan mountain ranges usually hum with activity at this time of the year, as laborers pluck the leaves of the blooming tea bushes. But this year, a strike called by a 250,000 tea estate workers has crippled operations for the past two weeks in West Bengal, one of India's two main tea-producing regions along with Assam. The laborers, who are paid...