Yet another blow ..... for Status Quo club :::: Indigenous Kukis of Nagaland endorse Kitovi ..... calls his leadership "critically necessary"

It is strongly suspected even in certain quarters in Delhi that the Status Quo club in Nagaland was hyper active during the period of parliamentary elections in 2024 and tried to corner veteran pro-Solution militant leader N Kitovi Zhimomi.  

But Kitovi has survived and struck back. An important Kuki community leader C Singson has now endorsed Kitovi's leadership.  

"Mr N Kitovi Zhimomi, Ato Kilonser, GPRN/NSCN & Convener WC,NNPGs, is the first signatory of Agreed Position and at this juncture of Naga history, his stewardship in the NNPG umbrella as Convener is critically necessary. The Kuki workers in the Naga National service, with due respect to leadership of all Naga political groups, appeals to leaders to prioritise Indo-Naga political solution and not dwell on personal differences," says a statement signed by C Singson and Lanjakam Haokip.  

Singson :: Showing Trust in Kitovi 

This development is seen as "yet another blow for the Status Quo club" who allegedly sought delay and derailment of the talks process by portraying Kitovi in a poor light.  

"It is a momentous time Naga civil societies, apex tribal bodies, the Nagaland State Government, the Church, the student bodies and concerned prominent citizens of Nagaland and beyond to engage with the Naga political groups and assist in the discourse of convergence for a practical, honorable and acceptable political solution with the Gol," the statement said. 

 

Scenic Nagaland along Myanmar border 

  

Naga militants in camp 'awaiting Solution and Peace' 

In August 2024, C Singson had told this blogger during a brief interview in Delhi that the more things are delayed for Solution, the "more complex and complicated" the Naga issue will turn out to be. 

He also maintained that the Naga peace parleys as a process had come a long way since 1997 and at later stage since 2011.

"In 2011 when we all in the NSCN (K) decided to come forward for talks... There were some differences. But we handled those. Khaplang himself was expelled. I and our respected President Gen (Retd) M B Neakpao Konyak then came to Delhi and inked the Ceasefire pact. That was a new beginning," he had said.  

The NNPGs was created after a lot of hard work of the official agencies, the authorities in power (in 2016 and 2017) and also Naga village elders and the Naga Tribes Council (NTC).

The Govt of India especially the Home Ministry are now determined to give a fresh time-bound push for a Solution.

The March 22 (2025) episode vis-a-vis Khehoyi camp brought soothing news for New Delhi when Kitovi could re-establish his authority vis-a-vis Naga underground politics.  

Of course, no one in New Delhi has any special weakness for N Kitovi Zhimomi, the man who dethroned S S Khaplang in the past. 

They all need a respectable and acceptable Naga face. Kitovi suits the bill.

Kukis and leaders like Singson understand this and it is a positive push, analysts say.

Blogger 

Dilip Ghosh is still preferred in many places: BJP Karyakartas not keen about Suvendu Adhikari and say instead Samik Bhattacharya should be made 'face of BJP in Bengal'

Less than a year to go for assembly elections, the BJP in West Bengal has started working with the electoral battle in mind.

The Lotus party is now set to announce its new state unit president and amid lobbying, the name of Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya is getting prominence. 

Samik Bhattacharya 

There are two varieties of BJP and RSS leaders in West Bengal including in Coochbehar and other pockets in North Bengal. One is 'original and sons of the soil (Rajbongsis) and the other is turncoats from Trinamool. In 2024, the original BJP/RSS workers were marginalised and this created major setback.

 

Suvendu Adhikari's functioning style is not acceptable to many, they say. 

 

The party leaders are often at dilemma on how to handle 'Bengali Hindu refugee' issue vis-a-vis sons of the soil politics in North Bengal. 

The battle will be more challenging in 2026.

 

In many pockets Hindu voters owing allegiance to BJP and also BJP karyakartas say – former state unit president Dilip Ghosh should be given back his position and the mandate to lead the party in the 2026 assembly elections.

 

While they remain ‘skeptical’ about Suvendu Adhikari’s ability to deliver; they say otherwise – Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya should be made state unit president.

 

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, who was selected for all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor, met Union Health Minister and incumbent BJP president J P Nadda on Sunday.

BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, who led one of the parliamentary delegations, also met Nadda.

Former Union Minister Prasad is overseeing the Bengal BJP presidential election process. In Berlin and London, reportedly Samik Bhattacharya had made very impressive speeches on Operation Sindoor.  

"There was no Pakistan (prior to 1947) ever in this world... It was our fault. Hum log shanti ke path pe chaley ... Pakistan ban gaya (Pakistan was born because we choose the path of peace and non violence)," Samik Bhattacharya had said in London. 

GST - 8 years in India :::: Annual revenue from GST beginning 1 July 2017, has doubled to Rs 22.08 trillion in FY25 in last five years

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that eight years since GST was introduced, it stands out as a landmark reform that has reshaped India’s economic landscape. 

Annual GST revenues nearly tripled, rising from Rs 7  lakh crore in FY 2017-18 to Rs 22 lakh crore in FY 2024-25, says Govt. 

The General Service Tax (GST) was first implemented in France in 1954, with the standard rate largely being 20 per cent. 

It came into being in New Zealand in 1986 at 10 per cent, before moving to 15 per cent. GST was initiated in Singapore at three per cent in 1994 and then went up to seven per cent.

“By reducing the compliance burden, it has greatly improved the Ease of Doing Business, particularly for small and medium enterprises”, Shri Modi stated.

The Prime Minister posted on X:

“Eight years since it was introduced, GST stands out as a landmark reform that has reshaped India’s economic landscape.

By reducing the compliance burden, it has greatly improved the Ease of Doing Business, particularly for small and medium enterprises. GST has also served as a powerful engine for economic growth, while fostering true cooperative federalism by making states equal partners in this journey to integrate India’s market.”

"By reducing the compliance burden, it has greatly improved the Ease of Doing Business, particularly for small and medium enterprises," Modi said.

Modi : GST was a path-breaking milestone 

Annual revenue from GST, introduced on 1 July 2017, has doubled to ₹22.08 trillion in FY25 from five years ago.

The Govt's emphasis on ease of doing business, compliance and wider economic participation comes at a time Central and state governments are preparing for reforms in the GST architecture by reducing the slabs and reallocating goods and services, which are on the 12% slab, to 5% and 18%.  

The move is expected to simplify the rate structure and address anomalies such as certain raw materials and intermediate products facing a higher tax burden than the finished products.

GST has brought major relief to micro, small and medium enterprises, the ministry said adding the tax regime had opened doors for easier access to credit.

The Finance Ministry said that Trade Receivables Discounting System—online platforms where small enterprises can sell their unpaid invoices to banks to get quick cash—have helped improve access to credit by these businesses.

More than 5,000 buyers and over 53 banks and 13 non-banking finance companies are registered as financers on the four TReDS platforms in the country.

The GST regime delivered substantial progress in integrating markets, enhancing compliance, and leveraging digital tools for administration and enforcement but the journey ahead demands a renewed focus on simplification of the tax structure, ensuring stability in policies and building deeper trust among all stakeholders, PricewaterhouseCoopers said on Monday in a review of the tax system.

GST collection in May this year was Rs 2.01 lakh crore. In April, it was Rs 2.37 lakh crore. The average monthly GST revenue has been Rs 1.84 lakh crore in FY25. It was Rs 1.68 lakh crore in FY24 and Rs 1.51 lakh crore in FY23. GST thus showcases the combining of grand vision with seamless execution.  

In 2024-25, gross GST collections hit a record Rs 22.08 lakh crore, marking a year-on-year growth of 9.4 per cent. This rise reflects the growing formalisation of the economy and improved tax compliance.  

The then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's knack of handling the multiple meetings of GST Councils played a major role in bringing consensus among states on all aspects of GST, including compensation structure, tax laws, tax structure and rates of individual items. 

Between September 2016 and July 2017, it was possible to achieve consensus in 18 GST Council meetings because of the leadership strategy of Mr Jaitley. 

In 2017, in the landmark speech Pranab Mukherjee, the then President, called the GST a "disruptive change" adding that the ambitious central tax is a "tribute" to the maturity and wisdom of India's democracy.

Pranab Mukherjee also had  recalled steps taken during his own tenure as Finance Minister on this key reform measure.

He also said the GST Council should continuously review the implementation and suggest suitable improvements to the new indirect taxation regime.

Prez Pranab Mukherjee and FM Arun Jaitley : GST Milestone 

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Pakistan .... may be a "threat to peace everywhere", says Dr Jaishankar ::: "India has every right to defend its people against terrorism"

He did not name any country. But suave External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar knows what he says. And more importantly, why he is stating so.

 

"Any state sponsorship must be exposed and must be countered," he asserted. Without naming any nation, Dr Jaishankar made a veiled attack on Pakistan and maintained:

"By now, we know well that terrorism anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere. 

Let that understanding guide our collective thinking and response. This exhibition is a fitting reminder of the challenge before us".

Dr S Jaishankar ... on Terror and 'nation' supporting terror ... Target - Pakistan

The Minister also said: 

"Terrorism is one of the gravest threats to humanity. It is the antithesis of everything that the UN stands for – human rights, rules and norms, and how nations should conduct their dealings with each other. 

When terrorism is supported by a State against a neighbour, when it is fuelled by the bigotry of extremism, when it drives a whole host of illegal activities, it is imperative to call it out publicly. And one way of doing so is to display the havoc that it has wreaked on global society.

"Five weeks ago, the United Nations Security Council issued a strong condemnation of a particularly horrific act of terrorism in Pahalgam. It demanded that its perpetrators be held accountable and brought to justice. We have since seen that happen.

"What that response underlines is a larger message of zero tolerance for terrorism. The world must come together on some basic concepts: no impunity to terrorists, no treating them as proxies and no yielding to nuclear blackmail," Dr Jaishankar said addressing an exhibition on "The Human Cost of Terrorism”, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.

India goes assertive : Quad 

In his remarks to the media before the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting (July 01, 2025), Dr Jaishankar said :

"In the last few months, we have made significant progress in Quad initiatives. They include the maritime domain, logistics, education and political coordination. We will be discussing that in greater detail."

He said: "The working of the Quad is also being made more efficient through streamlining the Working Groups. A more cohesive, nimble and focused Quad will certainly help deliver better.

"Quad is about deepening our convergence and expanding our common ground. I value our consultations on different dimensions of the Indo-Pacific in that regard. A lot is happening in the world, and I am sure that our exchange of views will be very valuable for all of us.

"A word about terrorism in the light of our recent experience - the world must display zero tolerance. Victims and perpetrators must never be equated. 

"And India has every right to defend its people against terrorism, and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that.

"India plans to host the next Quad Summit. We have some proposals on how to make that productive. I am sure so do our partners. We will discuss and I am sure we will agree," he said. 

Knocking at series of Mistakes .... Pakistan and Pak Army faltered at many places .... resulting in creation of Bangladesh

Bangladesh came into being largely due to Blunders and a series of Mistakes by Pakistan Govt and the Pakistan Army. 

Traditionally, India always had a strong society and 'weak government' unlike China where the story is just the opposite - a strong Govt and a weak society. Reflecting on these are crucial as we set out on a journey to examine causes and factors that led to creation of Bangladesh and had left Pakistan bleeding and perhaps more importantly humiliated. Let us start with Pakistan Army's decision because by 1970 General Yahya Khan was at the helm. 

The Army commanders including Yahya himself had decided by 1969070 that as many as 13 divisions of  the Army should be kept reserved for West Pakistan and only one was provided for East Pakistan. This was at a time when Mujib Rahman had already shown the elements of rebellion. At a later stage when two additional divisions were sent; it was only to suppress the rebellion and not for 'protecting' the people of East Pakistan from external forces. 

In November 1970, the East Pakistan faced a massive Bhola typhoon but the Govt apparatus in Islamabad and Rawalpindi did nothing much. At the same time despite suggestions to the contrary, Yahya went ahead with the elections. Today after so many years, it is not without reason that academicians in Tripura capital Agartala and also a few Awami League leaders (now hiding) say -- it is likelythat the "great anger Bengalis" subsequently felt toward the rulers in Islamabad played a significant part in deciding their votes.   

Mujib and Bhutto : file Snap 

The Pakistan Army and even leaders such as Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto displayed immense racism against Bengalis (despite being Muslims). West Pakistanis thought themselves as genuine Muslims - tall, warlike and fair while the Bengalis were physically unimposing, short and also dark. 

Notably, the Bengali Muslims also came from the conversion process hat hit backwad caste Hindus. The Bengalis were always proud of their culture and languague. Instead West Pakistan leadership (s) - both political and military - imposed Arabic and also created Pakistani currency notes printed in West Pakistan language but not in Bangla (or Bengali). 

Look at another misguided move. Urdu was declared the official language of  Pakistan at a time when only eight per cent of population spoke Urdu. In fact, Bengali was a dominant language in terms of numbers and after that Punjabi was the second tongue. 

Historians would debate that the Partition of India was a badly thought idea and an illogical exercise in more ways than one. The fact of the matter is the East Bengalis wanted Independence from British colonial rule and as a concept they went along the idea of Pakistan because it was sprung on them at the last minute.

Looking back, one should not be surprised that in 1940, the Muslim League called for a division of India into three parts - a Muslim East Pakistan, a Muslim West Pakistan and a India for Hindus and other minorities. In fact, the name Pakistan had two meaning --- one of course -- a pious land (Pak means pure) and the other was --

P stood for Punjab

A for Afghan (North West Province)

K - Kashmir

I - Iran (actually Baluchstan region) and 

S - for Sindh.

At a later stage perhaps after 1946; Jinnah realised that a separate East Pakistan (for Bengali Muslims) would defeat (or vitiate) his argument of a single 'homeland' for Muslims.

In reality too,  the idea of a country separated by 5000 km by sea and 1600 km (land) made an absurd concept. 

In fact, even Jinnah had to be pointed out by Britons and others that without the tax revenue of the East; the so-called West Pakistan would not be a viable nation.   

Compared to Pakistanis (the west wallahs); East Pakistan and later Bangladesh produced more matured and importantly realistic leaders. Mujib and her daughter Sheikh Hasina were certainly prime examples.

There ought to be references some peculiar turn of events in history. It may not be known to many that since the formation of the United Nations in 1945; the case of Bangladesh (or East Pakistan) in circa 1971 was the first case of such 'secession'. One argument was put forward that East Pakistan had no right to 'secede' without its population deciding to do so in a referendum. The UN Charter was clear about it.  

But history is made on ground by people and not in the pages of charter or some declarations. 

The Pakistani military planners had blundered on yet another front. 

In December 1971, regardless of Chinese help, it was clear that the India was much mightier force than Pakistanis. India had 25 divisions where as Pakistan had only 15. India's GDP was six times that of Pakistan. 

It is often discussed in military circle that the Pakistanis believed in 'myth' and propaganda that each of their soldiers was worth three or more Indian troops. Moreover, Indian Navy and Air Force were again three times bigger than Pakistan's. Pak Army might have calculated and even 'banked' on Chinese help. 

However, they should have realised that after the Cultural Revolution; the People's Republic of China (PRC) was in a state of chaos and an overwhelming sections of Chinese army was already ineffective.   

The Cultural Revolution in China, officially known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement launched by Mao Zedong from 1966 to 1976. 

It aimed to enforce Mao's version of communism and eliminate perceived capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society. 

The revolution resulted in widespread violence, social and political instability, and significant loss of life. 

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Influx of Bangladeshis into West Bengal .... "It's daily affair" ..... There is a design to bring, shelter and help rehabilitate Bangladeshi Muslims

There is a design to bring, shelter and help rehabilitate Bangladeshi Muslims into Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal.

"It's more than mere conspiracy", say citizens in Coochbehar-Sitai belt in North Bengal. "There is a system and systematic political patronage". Those entering into Sitai area hardly stay here. 

Trinamool operatives with 'necessary patronage' ensure that such illegal immigrants are easily taken to Siliguri and two key Muslim-dominated hubs Murshidabad and Malda. 

There are few pockets dominated by Rajbongshi Muslims. They are called Naishya Rajbongshis. Otherwise 'mainstream Bengali Muslims' make it convenient to reach Muslim-strongholds Murshidabad where Hindus are not only in minority; they are also slowly but gradually moving out to 'safer places'.  

In 1951, nearly 44.6% of Murshidabad's population was Hindu. Today, that number has dropped below 35.12%. 

Muslims in Murshidabad are now around 64 pr cent of voters and the Hindu population which was around 44 per cent in 1951 has nosedived to 35.

In the 1950s, Muslim population in Murshidabad was around 44 percent only. 

The refrain in North Bengal region is more often against South Bengal and the administrative set up in Kolkata's Nobanno.

Some Rajbongshi community leaders say ‘Sonar Bangla’ is heading certainly for a path-breaking political battle in the year 2026.

For the people of West Bengal, the coming year symbolises again a battle about hopes and fear. But there is skepticism as well. The hopes of a better Bengal remains a pipe dream for many.

"It is not even a pipe dream... we have stopped dreaming," says a small-time hotelier in Sitai. He is a Hindu Rajbongshi. His refrain is related to local people's anguish over constant negligence of the region by policy makers and administrators in Kolkata.

Several others endorse his views.  

"Some years back we thought the BJP will be different. But they have no plan for Coochbehar. Arrogance of their leaders and even party karyakartas led to the defeat of Nisith Pramanik in 2024," says a student.  

The Bangladesh border is close to the Sitai and Sitalkuchi areas of Coochbehar district.

Sitai is bordered by Bangladesh to the south and west. Sitalkuchi is also in close proximity to the border.

The Sitai assembly constituency is bordered by Bangladesh to the south and west, specifically by the Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila and Aditmari Upazila of Bangladesh respectively.  

Of course the BSF is maintaining a strong vigil in the area. But incidents of attempted infiltration continue unabated largely due to involvement of vested interests. That vested interest is a mix of politics (Trinamool influence) and of course money.

The next year's  polls will be the acid test for both Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and even the BJP.

The communists are sidelined. "We stay indoors.... no one wants to court troubles," say local Forward Bloc leaders. 

The political polarisation is on rise. The Left and the Congress scored zero in 2021 assembly polls. 

In 2024 parliamentary elections; the Left showed some keenness to fight it out again.

They may try to come together yet again. The Lotus party on the other hand is all determined to give Didi a tough fight but looking for good issues. 

 

The BJP has several challenges to handle. One of them is internal groupism.

In 2024, the party's handling of the hyped Sandeshkhali episode failed to resonate with voters.

Many pressing concerns such as alleged land grab by Trinamool leaders were not flagged off by the BJP strategists during elections. 

There are two varieties of BJP and RSS leaders in West Bengal including in Coochbehar and other pockets in North Bengal. One is 'original and sons of the soil (Rajbongsis) and the other is turncoats from Trinamool. In 2024, the original BJP/RSS workers were marginalised and this created major setback.

Suvendu Adhikari's functioning style is not acceptable to many, they say.  The party leaders are often at dilemma on how to handle 'Bengali Hindu refugee' issue vis-a-vis sons of the soil politics in North Bengal. 

The battle will be more challenging in 2026.

 

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India's Defence attache to Indonesia admits Air Force lost "some aircraft" during Op. Sindoor : Embassy says he has been misquoted

"We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attache at a Seminar. His remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a mis-representation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker. 

The presentation conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood. It was also explained that the objective of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist infrastructure and the Indian response was non-escalatory." - 

Defence attache Naval officer Captain Shiv Kumar noted political constraints limited attacks on Pakistan's military

The Indian Embassy in Indonesia on Sunday said the remarks made by its defence attache at a recent seminar, in which he indicated that the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost jets to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor due to political constraints, were “taken out of context” and “misrepresented”.

The clarification followed after the Congress latched onto the Navy officer’s admission and accused the Modi government of misleading the nation on military losses suffered during a four-day conflict with Pakistan in May.  

During a presentation at a seminar in Jakarta on June 10, India’s defence attache to Indonesia, Captain (Indian Navy) Shiv Kumar, acknowledged that the IAF lost “some aircraft” when it struck terror-linked sites under Operation Sindoor.  

He said the Indian forces had been directed not to target Pakistan’s military infrastructure or air defences. 

“Only because of the constraint given by the political leadership to not attack the military establishment or their air defences,” he said, explaining why the IAF suffered the loss of fighter jets.

Captain Kumar also stated that, after the initial setback, Indian forces changed the battle strategy.

“After the loss, we changed our tactics and we went for the military installations... we first achieved suppression of enemy air defences and then... all our attacks could easily go through using BrahMos missiles.”  

According to the mission, the attache was simply reiterating that Operation Sindoor’s aim was to target terrorist infrastructure and the civilian government’s orders to the military were to maintain a non-escalatory posture.  

“The presentation conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership, unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood,” the embassy added, in a veiled jab at Pakistan.

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