Angana Chakrabarti

Two Young People. Two Camps. One Dividing Line. A Story of Conflict in India’s Northeast. More than two years after violence erupted, members of the feuding Meitei and Kuki-Zo groups in India’s Manipur state remain divided by more than their respective relief camps.

Back in May, I met two young people—Dinesh and Lamjahat— in separate relief camps in Manipur, just 17 km apart. They’re among 57,000 still displaced.

Divided by a conflict, they lead almost parallel lives, working to stitch together a better future.

globalpressjournal.com/asia/india/t...

The free flow of information is vital for the protection of human rights, especially in situations of conflict and resistance. NWMI demands the release of the journalists detained in Egypt and the return of their passports.

Preach Arunachal Pradesh has been in religious churn for decades now. During this time, the indigenous Donyi Polo faith has strengthened among its followers. But that might have more to do with Hinduism, and...

Also read my earlier piece about the institutionalizing of the Donyi Polo indigenous faith, which speaks to this tussle between Christianity and Hinduism in #ArunachalPradesh.

fiftytwo.in/story/preach/

6/6

Identity crisis: A law banning conversion sparks fears of religious divide Christians say the dormant law, first passed in the 1970s, targets their faith. Those trying to revive it say it is essential for preservation of indigenous faiths and culture.

A govt official told me: To counter Christianity, Indigenous leaders relied on Hindu right-wing support. But made compromises along the way—if the law is enforced in this form, all that will be left is an identity crisis. #APFRA

www.newslaundry.com/2025/06/06/i...

So who was behind the revival of this dormant law? Lawyer, Tambo Tamin, who was formerly a part of Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh — an indigenous faith group whose origins in are linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

4/6

Both Christian (since 1830s) and Hindu groups (since 1970s) have gained influence in Arunachal Pradesh by offering education, health care and support in the remote, underserved hills.

And in the middle of the tussle between them are the indigenous faith believers.

3/6

The proposed rules of #APFRA require that govt be notified of conversions. For many Donyi Polo followers, this is essential to preserve and counter growing conversions to Christianity.

Some context: A quiet religious churn has long gripped Arunachal Pradesh.

2/6

In Arunachal Pradesh, a 1978 law curbing religious conversion is being revived. One evening in March, 170 youth congregants of the Nirjuli Town Baptist Church, gathered to discuss the move. They feared being targetted under the enforced law. @globalpressjournal.bsky.social

t.co/hssug1BxCH

1/6

Critical election coverage from our new @globalpress.bsky.social reporting fellows this week.

@anganack.bsky.social
globalpressjournal.com/asia/india/t...

@geelagarcia.bsky.social
globalpressjournal.com/asia/philipp...

Sign up for all our latest news here globalpressjournal.com/newsletters/

Final results of the #AssamPanchayatPolls2025.

- Zilla Parishad: BJP-AGP won 301 out of 397 seats. Congress won 72, AIUDF 8, Raijor Dal 3 & Independents 13.
- Anchalik Panchayat: BJP-AGP won 1446 out of 2197 seats, Cong 480, AIUDF 64, Raijor Dal 17, AJP 3, AAP 1, Ind. 173.

Over 3 weeks, I followed 2 young Muslim women contesting Assam’s panchayat polls — one with BJP, one with Congress. What I saw revealed local dynamics that speak to bigger national questions.

The results? A twist.

Photo story here 👇

globalpressjournal.com/asia/india/t...

[Interview] How a Nagaland activist is reviving traditional practices to combat climate change In the hills of Phek district, nestled within Nagaland’s verdant landscapes, the ethos of community reverberates through every village. The numerous youth and women societies, and tribal and students’...

"For me, respect and dignity are very important...So the journey towards justice will never end" — I spoke to Seno Tsuhah, an indigenous activist from Nagaland & long-time member of NEN + the face of several incredible initiatives incl. Chizami Weaves.

india.mongabay.com/2025/02/inte...

Global Press Journal Homepage Local, independent journalism on the world’s most pressing issues.

Exciting news! I've joined the Shifting Democracies Fellowship at Global Press (globalpressjournal.com) alongside other incredible women & nonbinary journalists from around the world. Over the next 2 years, I'll be reporting on our democratic systems, with a focus on Northeast.

Home | Substack Discover and discuss great writing with the world’s smartest readers on Substack.

Unrest in a central university in Meghalaya, harrowing post-mortem reports of the 6 women and children from Manipur's Jiribam, who were found dead, and rising tensions between India and Bangladesh - in this week's #LedeNortheast.

substack.com/home/post/p-...

This week the recent spate of violence in Manipur led to rumblings in the state government. Also, the results of bypoll elections in eight seats across Assam, Sikkim, and Meghalaya saw interesting outcomes.
Read my newsletter #LedeNortheast:

open.substack.com/pub/anganach...

I had been putting off watching 'While We Watched' because I thought it would be debilitating. It is exactly that. But sometimes, to be debilitated is to also realise in the silence why the stories that matter to you do, and being a journalist (the way I envision it to be) still matters.

Just a hello! I'm Angana. I've been a journalist for 6 years in India. And for about 3 y, I've been covering the Northeast — a geopolitically sensitive region with a patchwork of different communities that is unlike any other part of the country.

Here to share stories & be a part of discussions.

At least 20 lives were lost in Manipur (a state in India's Northeastern region) in just one week. Women & children became targets in the cycle of violence that has continued unabated.

This week's Lede Northeast, my new weekly newsletter, focuses on the grim sequence of events.

shorturl.at/m7abO

At least 20 lives were lost in Manipur (a state in India's Northeastern region) in just one week. Women & children became targets in the cycle of violence that has continued unabated.

This week's Lede Northeast, my new weekly newsletter, focuses on the grim sequence of events.

shorturl.at/m7abO