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                     Vol.2, No.15  [*] May 20, 1997
                     ------------------------------
           Men are like steel. When they lose their temper, 
              they lose their worth.  - Chuck Norris
------------------------------------------------------------------------


1  PRIME MINISTER OFFERS TALKS TO MILITANTS	[AT:20-MAY-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral on his maiden visit to Assam called
   upon the youths who have gone astray to come for talks to solve their
   problems  and assured that the Rs.61 billion economic package for the
   Northeast region  would  be  implemented  fully.     Addressing   the
   inaugural  function  of  the newly converted broad gauge railway line
   from Dibrugarh to Dimapur at the Chowkidinghi field on May 19, amidst
   a 12-hour ULFA bandh and a light drizzle, Mr Gujral told a  gathering
   of  about  30,000  people that he is aware of the various problems of
   the region.  However, he said there was nothing which  could  not  be
   solved through negotiations.
   

2  ULFA BANDH PARALYSE NORMAL LIFE IN ASSAM	[AT+S:20-MAY-97]
   ----------------------------------------
  
   The 12-hour  Assam  bandh  from  6 a.m.  called by the banned ULFA in
   protest against the Prime Minister's  visit  on  May  19  passed  off
   peacefully.   The  bandh  was  total  in  almost  all parts of Assam.
   However, the bandh had no impact in  three  districts  of  the  Barak
   valley and was partial in Karbi Anglong district.  This was the first
   time  the banned organization had called a bandh to protest the visit
   of a Prime Minister.
   
   While attendance in government, semi-government and  private  offices
   was  almost  nil,  banks  and  other financial institutions, business
   establishments remained closed.  Indian Airlines operated its flights
   and train services were normal.  The impact was  more  pronounced  in
   Guwahati  largely  because of the security arrangements for the Prime
   Minister's visit and the fear psychosis among people and not  because
   of any  support for the bandh.  One interesting fact was that a large
   number of vehicles with 'Press' stickers were seen in the city  roads
   and  it  is learnt that some persons who have no links with the media
   used the tactic to move around during the bandh.
   

3  CHANGE IN NORTH EAST PHRASE DENIED		[PTI:16-MAY-97]
   ----------------------------------
   
   Union  Home  Ministry  denied  reports suggesting that there was some
   official directive to change the phrase  'North-East'  from  official
   communications.  An official release on May 15 in New Delhi described
   the report  as  'irresponsible  and  a  figment of imagination'.  The
   Ministry of Home Affairs would like  to  put  on  record  that  while
   individual   states   in  the  North-East  have  their  own  distinct
   identities, culture, customs and problems and  are  separately  dealt
   with, yet the North-East remains a historically-important part of the
   country and would remain so.

4  AASU STAGE SATYAGRAHA THROUGHOUT ASSAM		[UNI:17-MAY-97]
   --------------------------------------
   
   The  All  Assam  Students' Union (AASU), staged satyagraha in all the
   district  and   subdivisional   headquarters   of   Assam   demanding
   implementation  of  Assam Accord, repeal of IM(DT) Act and withdrawal
   of the Army and all 'black laws', besides other demands.    AASU  had
   also  threatened  to call for a 50-hour Assam bandh if the Government
   failed to fulfill their demands.


5  NE MPs FAIL TO UTILIZE FUNDS TOTALLY		[PTI:16-MAY-97]
   ------------------------------------
   
   Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs in Assam received Rs.440.5 million from
   the  Centre  for implementation of various development works in areas
   under their respective constituencies during 1995-96 under local area
   development scheme of the  Members  of  Parliament.    Of  the  total
   allocated   amount   only  Rs.231.7  million  could  be  utilized  in
   development activities taken  up  in  various  constituencies.    The
   maximum 71.8 per cent was utilized by Mizoram.
   

6  CENTRAL ALLOCATION TO ASSAM HIKED		[S:17-MAY-97]
   ---------------------------------
   
   Following  discussions  between  the  Chief  Minister  Prafulla Kumar
   Mahanta and the Deputy Chairman of the  Planning  Commission  at  New
   Delhi  recently,  the  Centre  has  decided  to  enhance  the central
   allocation for 1997-98 to Rs.15 billion.  This amount  is  to  be  in
   addition  to  the planning and development proposals submitted by the
   State Government to the Centre.  Further allocation of Rs.800 million
   is to be made for execution of  Central  Government  schemes  in  the
   State.
   

7  ICHR REGIONAL CENTRE PROPOSED			[AT:17-MAY-97]
   -----------------------------
   
   The Union Ministry for Human Resource Development has decided to  set
   up  a  Regional  Centre for Historical Research (ICHR) in the Gauhati
   University.  This was decided at a  meeting  convened  by  the  Union
   Minister  of  State for Human Resource Development, Mr Muhiram Saikia
   at Delhi which was attended by  Prof.S.Settar,  chairman,  ICHR,  Dr.
   T.R.Sareen, consultant, ICHR among others.

8  AXX EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO PRIME MINISTER		[UNI:19-MAY-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   The Axom Xahitya Xabha has thanked Prime Minister Inder Kumar  Gujral
   for  his  announcement  to  introduce  Assamese language in the Assam
   University at Silchar.  The Prime Minister also announced introducing
   two  local  bulletins  in  the  stations  of  All  India  Radio   and
   Doordarshan, Dibrugarh, according to Xabha president Nagen Saikia.
   

9  NATIONAL CHILDREN'S LITERATURE PRIZE		[AT:17-MAY-97]
   ------------------------------------
   
   Ms  Gitanjali  Borthakur  has  been  awarded  the  national prize for
   children's literature 1996-97, organised by the NCERT  for  her  book
   'Amatar Maat',  a  collection  of  stories  for  children.   She will
   receive the award at a function to be held in New Delhi.
   

10 BIRAJ MOHAN DAS MEMORIAL AWARD ANNOUNCED	[S:17-MAY-97]
   ----------------------------------------
  
   The  fifth  Dr  Biraj  Mohan  Das memorial science awards in Physical
   Sciences and Life Sciences, have gone to Dr Kalyan Sindhu Goswami  of
   Centre  of  Plasma  Physics,  Guwahati  and  Dr  Balagopalan  Unni of
   Regional Research Laboratory, Jorhat respectively.   The  awards  are
   given  every two years to young scientists working in Assam for their
   research work from a fund created by the  family  of  late  Dr  Biraj
   Mohan  Das, a noted mathematician and computer scientist, who died in
   England a few years ago.
  
 
11 ASSAMESE CELEBRATE RONGALI BIHU IN USA		[AT:18-MAY-97]
   --------------------------------------
   
   The Assamese community of USA assembled on April 12 in  the  city  of
   White  House  Station  in  New  Jersey, to celebrate the Rongali Bihu
   organized by the Assam Society of America. In a fun-filled  programme
   that  lasted  for over 10 hours, more than 100 people with family and
   friends from around the country participated. The highlights  of  the
   event was serving of traditional Assamese delicacies, open Bihu, Muga
   dress  competition,  singing  of  patriotic songs, ghazals. The guest
   artists were Parikshit Majumdar and Dr Sangkakoti.
   

12 ASSAM CRICKETER FOR BCCI CAMP			[AT:17-MAY-97]
   -----------------------------
   
   Two young cricketers of Assam, Rajkumar Mritunjay Gohain  and  Sajjad
   Hussain,  have  been  selected  to  attend  the  BCCI national camps.
   Mritunjay will attend the under-16 camp at Hyderabad while Sajjad  is
   selected for  the under-19 camp to be held at Indore.  Both the camps
   will get underway on May 21.
   

13 PRIYANUJ WINS EAST ZONE ADIDAS JUNIOR TENNIS	[S:17-MAY-97]
   --------------------------------------------
 
   Priyanuj Lahkar of Assam defeated M.A.Salman of  Bengal  in  straight
   sets  7-6,  7-5  to  emerge  champion in the under-16 category of the
   East-zone Adidas junior circuit  tennis  tournament  at  the  Kalinga
   Stadium courts  in  Bhubaneswar on May 16.  Assam's other hope in the
   under-14 category Rahul Rajkhowa lost to Vinod Sewa of Bengal in  the
   title clash.

______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________
Compiled from newspaper and agency reports for private circulation only.
      [S=Sentinel, AT=Assam Tribune, Agencies = UNI, PTI, PIB]
              http://www.cyberspace.org/~mozz/aol.html  
  http://piglet.uccs.edu/~kalita/assam/news/news-from-assam-index.html
________________________________________________________________________