NEW DELHI, Aug 18 - Insurgency in North East is no more about separatism but has come under grip of armed private mafia, senior journalist and author Shekhar Gupta said here today.
Insurgency particularly in Manipur has become private mafia and is no more about separatism, he said.
Releasing a book, �I am HIV Positive, So What� authored by journalist Jayanta Kalita � a biopic on Pradip Kumar Singh, Gupta paid rich tributes to Manipur�s sporting tradition, and said that today a national hockey team cannot be formed without someone from Manipur.
Stating that Manipur always drew the attention of the nation for all the wrong reasons, Gupta said all the ills like militancy, extortion, corruption and dirty politics are prevalent in Manipur but little focus is trained on aspects like � it was the State where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose walked into and unfurled the Indian National Flag for the first time in Moirang.
Drawing a parallel between Manipur and Punjab, he said that both the States excelled in sports but because of several factors like high unemployment, turned to militancy and high dependency on drugs.
