Narendra Modi hops across Assam to address rallies. A few years ago Modi was here in a different avatar. He was then in charge of the party in the Assam.

The instant interest in Modi's address was apparent. Every word he says is monitored. He is indisputably a newsmaker. But even Modi's direct tirade against the Prime Minister, and the Congress President was surprisingly underplayed. Modi was taking on the PM at Dr Singh's official constituency but punches, which must have hurt the Prime Minister himself didn't make screaming headlines. Modi's speech in Uttar Pradesh just a few hours later, however, was big news!

Incidentally three policemen were killed on the morning of Modi's arrival in an attack on a goods' train in the disturbed district of N C Hills in Assam. A day before a paramilitary personnel was killed and a few others injured in a passenger train in the same area.

A couple of days back an election observer was attacked. But it still didn't have the required punch.

A month ago a massive arms consignment of 60 AK 47 rifles was delivered to the outfit operating in these hills. It was revealed when two persons allegedly on behalf of the CEO of the Autonomous Council of N C Hills were held paying a crore in cash to an arms dealer. The DHD(J) is the insurgent outfit in these hills responsible for sustained terror activities, abductions and extortion but the 'Black Widow' as the outfit is also known hasn't been able to penetrate cyberspace, blogospheres and satellite beams.

Going to the polls with NC Hills is the adjoining district of Karbinaglong. One of the largest districts of the country and strategically located, it's the transit base for several NE militant outfits. The NSCN(IM) with its Karbi front UPDS ran its writ in these hills. Now it s the KLNLF. The ULFA is gaining a lot of ground. Kuki militant groups have always used this as a save haven. Though a dozen separatist groups raise their flags on this soil, Karbianglong is hardly the media s darling.

Just as the candidates and parties have been trading charges against each other our attention has dramatically shifted from issues in elections to newsmakers.

Staggering statistics, few takers. Ninety-three people killed in the first forty-five days of 2009 in Manipur. Twenty incidents of militant violence reported in Assam. More than fifty civilians killed in the last three months. Eighteen have been abducted.

Without even checking my databank I can say that a few thousand families have lost their home and hearth in the floods last year. A few hundred families have been victims of militant violence. Businesses have suffered.

We haven't even arrived at the basics yet. A record of that would embarrass any government. Except that in this region and perhaps across the country no one is bothered.