-The Hindu The combined power of the mobile phone, the Internet and the social media was on display in the crisis that led to thousands of people from the Northeast fleeing Bangalore. What became clear was that rumour-mongers did not belong exclusively to either the Northeast or the Muslim community. There were also other groups who may have helped fan the panic. In mid-July this year, a Pakistani news portal, columnpk.com, carried...

-The Times of India Fearing reprisals over the violence against Muslims in Assam, people from the Northeast continued to flee from cities such as Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Mumbai, even as ethnic clashes between Bodos and Muslims that began in July spread to Baksa, Nalbari and Kamrup districts on Thursday.  More than 3,000 labourers from the Northeast living in Chennai thronged the station to take the weekly Egmore-Dibrugarh Express after they heard...

-PTI Fresh incidents of arson in interior areas of Kokrajhar district were reported on Monday leading to shoot-at-sight orders, indefinite curfew and flag march by army even as the toll in the ethnic violence Assam rose to 21. Police said four more bodies were recovered during the day from Kokrajhar district. Of the total 21 deaths, Kokrajhar accounted for 17 while neighbouring four persons died in Chirang district, to where the violence between...

-The Telegraph The Union government today announced contingency measures, including the rollout of alternative crops and additional power for irrigation, in response to the persistently poor monsoon rainfall. The crop area sown this year is about 8 million hectares lower than last year but agrometeorology experts say the cumulative area sown with rice can be determined only around early August. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed various ministries to co-ordinate their efforts with...

-The Times of India GUWAHATI: The death toll in the ongoing ethnic clash between Bodo and Bengali speaking Muslims in the Bodo heartland in Kokrajhar district since Friday, rose to 20 as additional central paramilitary forces from different parts of the country are on their way to the troubled area. Over 50, 000 people belonging to both the communities have been affected in the spate of violence so far. The population of...