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                     Vol.2, No.33  [*] July 25, 1997
                     -------------------------------

          You can't paint the 'Mona Lisa' by assigning on dab 
                      each to a thousand painters.

                     - William Buckley, Jr
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------


1  CONFUSION ABOUT ULFA STATEMENTS ON SANJOY	          [S:25-JUL-97]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   The mood in the AVRAD-NE camp in Jorhat is guarded but a trifle  more
   upbeat  than it was when the first dubious fax message announcing its
   general secretary, Sanjoy Ghose's death on July 8 came in on Tuesday.
   AVARD sources told newsmen that they were  confused  about  what  the
   position really was, they were keeping their fingers crossed that the
   second fax was genuine one and that Sanjoy was still alive and well.
   
   It may be mentioned that a second fax message in  Assamese  in  plain
   paper  signed  by  the  ULFA's 'central publicity secretary', Mitinga
   Daimari on July 23 night claimed  that  Sanjoy  Ghose  was  hale  and
   hearty  in  the outfit's custody. It also stated that the fax message
   (in English) of July 22 night was planted by  forces  which  had  'no
   sense  of  fear  or  responsibility  about  life or death' and denied
   having issued any statement regarding Sanjoy. 
   
   Meanwhile,  various  sections  of  the  people  are  making their own
   speculations as to who had sent the first fax messages and  why  they
   had sent  it.  One group believed that the first fax message had been
   planted by certain sections to elicit some form of  information  from
   the  abductors  as to whether Ghose was still alive or whether he had
   been executed.  While others believed that the  first  fax  had  been
   authored  by  the ULFA itself with a view to testing the pulse of the
   people and to gauge the kind of backlash that might  come  if  indeed
   the abductors did decide to execute their hostage.
   
   Delayed  reports  coming  in from North Lakhimpur said Ghose had been
   spotted there -- alive and well -- as recently  as  July  19  raising
   hopes  of  his  early  release.  Other unconfirmed reports said since
   Ghose had sustained injuries when he  had  been  taken  captive,  the
   abductors were waiting for his wounds to heal before releasing him.
   
   Significantly, the Unrepresented Nations Peoples Organisation (UNPO),
   to  which  the  ULFA  is  trying  desperately  to gain admittance, is
   holding its convention in Geneva on July 25 and 26. The news  of  his
   death,  (later  refuted  by the ULFA) has created waves of outrage in
   Geneva and is likely to figure in the ongoing session of Parliament.
   

2  ADDITIONAL RS.2.5 BILLION FOR BORDER FENCING	         [AT:25-JUL-97]
   --------------------------------------------
  
   While  taking  serious  exception to inordinate delays on the part of
   the State Governments in executing border fencing  works,  the  Union
   Home  Minister  has  sanctioned  an  additional  Rs.2.5  billion, for
   completing the balance work.  At a meeting convened by the Union Home
   Minister in New Delhi on July 23,  to  review  the  progress  of  the
   border  fencing work along the Indo-Bangladesh border, several of the
   State Governments including Assam Government were pulled up for  slow
   progress in  work. 
   
   Border fencing work is currently going on in five States in Northeast
   besides West  Bengal.  India shares a 9,000 km long and porous border
   with Bangladesh, most of which touches the Northeast states and  West
   Bengal.  Fencing of the Indo-Bangladesh border along Assam was agreed
   under  the  Assam  accord to put a halt to unabated infiltration from
   across the border.    However,  the  Union  Home  Minister  told  the
   meeting,  that  Assam  Government  for  the last three years has been
   withholding funds to the State PWD,  which  has  been  executing  the
   border fencing work.
   

3  DEMAND FOR STATE UNDER ARTICLE 244-A BY ASDC	          [S:25-JUL-97]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   The autonomous state issue in the two hill districts of Karbi Anglong
   and  N.C.Hills  on  July 24 took a serious turn with the ASDC and its
   associate  organisations  formally  announcing  the  launching  of  a
   movement for an autonomous State comprising the two hill districts as
   envisaged under Article 224-A of the Constitution.
   

4  FOOD ITEM IMPORTS HIT NORTHEAST ECONOMY		 [AT:25-JUL-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   The  States  of  the  North Eastern region of the country import food
   items worth Rs.20 to Rs.25 billion annually from other parts  of  the
   country,  which, in turn affects the overall economic scenario of the
   region, said a report of the Committee for Educated Unemployed in the
   region, formed by the Planning Commission of India.
   
   The report said that the majority of the people of the region  depend
   on   agriculture  but  the  sector  is  not  strong  enough  and  the
   traditional methods of agriculture both in the plains and  the  hills
   are still  practiced.    The  yield  per  hectare  is  very poor, and
   fertilizer use inadequate.  The report said that the lack of adequate
   amount of locally  produced  foodgrains  lead  to  lack  of  adequate
   purchasing  power  in the rural areas and affected the development of
   the local market.
   

4  RECORD TURNOVER OF BRPL			       	  [S:25-JUL-97]
   -----------------------
   
   The   Bongaigaon  Refinery  and  Petrochemicals  Limited  (BRPL)  has
   achieved the highest ever record turnover in sales of Rs.8.39 billion
   in 1996-97 financial year which is three per cent  higher  than  last
   year's.   Besides,  it has processed a record 1.542 million tonnes of
   crude oil in this year which is 27 per cent higher than that of  last
   year's, according to a BRPL release.
   

5  RS.6.9 MILLION EARMARKED FOR NAMERI NATIONAL PARK    [PTI:24-JUL-97]
   -------------------------------------------------
   
   The Nameri National Park in Sonitpur district of Assam is  poised  to
   attract  a  large  number  of  tourists  including foreigners and the
   Government  has  already  earmarked  Rs.6.9  million  to  build   the
   necessary infrastructure during the current financial year.
   

6  NARANARAYAN SETU TO BE COMPLETED BY FEB-98	         [AT:25-JUL-97]
   ------------------------------------------
   
   The construction work of 'Naranarayan Setu' the third bridge over the
   mighty Brahmaputra as well as the biggest foot and rail bridge in the
   State  is  expected to be commissioned by the early of next year. The
   main bridge consisting of 19 piers cover a length of 2.3 km  and  the
   total length including either-side approach to the bridge in 3.36 km.
   

7  NEW INTERCITY TRAINS FROM AUGUST 		          [S:25-JUL-97]
   --------------------------------
   
   The NF railway will introduce an Intercity Express  between  Tinsukia
   and Guwahati  from  August  1.    Another  passenger  train  will  be
   introduced between Lumding and  Tinsukia.    Besides,  the  Bangalore
   Express has  been  made  bi-weekly  from  August  onwards.  Also, the
   Guwahati-Delhi Rajdhani Express will be extended to Dibrugarh once  a
   week during the year 1997-98.
   

8  ASL CLUB DONATES BOOKS TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY	         [AT:24-JUL-97]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   The Assam Socio-Literary (ASL) Club of Calcutta, as part of its 125th
   anniversary  celebrations  has  donated a number of Assamese books to
   Widner Library of Harvard University with a view to promote  Assamese
   language  and  literature amongst the world of scholars, students and
   readers.  The books  were  handed  over  to  Dr  Raymond  Lum,  Asian
   bibliographer  and  Assistant  Librarian  at a function at the Widner
   Library building by poet Gautam Prasad Barua, a former  president  of
   the ASL Club.
   
   The books included among others, Dr Bani Kanta Kakoty's 'Assamese its
   formation  and  development',  Hem  Barua's  'The  Red River and Blue
   Hills',  Lalit  Kumar  Barua's  'Literature  and   Culture',   Pradip
   Acharya's  'The  Renaissance  of  Elegy, Assamese Poetry -- 1975-95',
   Homen Borgohain's 'The  Sunset',  Dr  Bhupen  Hazarika's  'Lyrics  in
   English'.  Audio tapes of recorded recitation from poems by Nabakanta
   Barua, Ajit Baruah and Nilim Kumar was also presented.
   
   Assamese  residents  Himendro  Kumar Barthakur, Dr Arup Kumar Khound,
   and Ranjan and Rupa Das of  MIT  were  present  at  the  presentation
   function at the Widner Library.
   

9  SURYAKIRAN DAS SECURES HIGHEST MARKS		         [AT:24-JUL-97]
   ------------------------------------
   
   Suryakiran  Das, student of class VI of New York, USA secured highest
   marks in English and Mathematics  in  the  Maths  and  verbal  talent
   search  examination  conducted  by  the  Centre  for  Talented Youth,
   Institute for the  Academic  Advancement  of  Youth,  John's  Hopkins
   University, Baltimore, USA.
   

10 ASSAM TROUNCE GUJARAT 92-10 IN OPENER		  [S:24-JUL-97]
   -------------------------------------
   
   The 24th national sub-junior boys' and girls' basketball championship
   got underway at the Nehru Stadium July 24.  In the tournament opener,
   defending  champion  Assam  pulverized Gujarat 92-10 to move into the
   second round in the boys' section.

______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________