AVARD-NE LEAVES JORHAT BOWING TO ULFA
-------------------------------------
  
AVARD-NE volunteer, Babul Gogoi from Jorhat has reported that all
the volunteers have packed up and closed the AVARD office bowing to
the ULFA's one of the several condition for the release of Sanjoy
Ghose. The process of closing down the AVARD office is done as 
quickly as possible with the hope that Sanjoy is released at the
earliest.	[Babul Gogoi from Jorhat at 15:30 IST 29-Jul-97]

                __  
               /  \    _____ _____ ____      _    _      
              /    \  (  __/(  __/(_   \    / \  / \
             /  __  \  \  \  \  \  / __ O N L I N E \
            (__/  \__)/____)/____)(______)(__/    \__) 
                     Vol.2, No.34  [*] July 28, 1997
                     -------------------------------

           The best way to cope change is to help create it.
                            - Robert Dole
   --------------------------------------------------------------------

1  ASSAM WILL BURN AGAIN: AASU			         [AT:27-JUL-97]
   ---------------------------
   
   'Assam will again be in flames' -- warned  the  All  Assam  Students'
   Union (AASU) on July 26 while reacting to the latest directive of the
   Election  Commission  to  treat  the  Indian-born  descendents of the
   post-1971 illegal migrants as citizens for the purpose  of  preparing
   the electoral  rolls  in  the State.  In a strongly-worded statement,
   the AASU said that the latest guidelines of the  Election  Commission
   is a diabolic design of Delhi and Dispur to make all illegal migrants
   voters of Assam which the AASU will never accept.  Meanwhile, the AGP
   leader,  Bhrigu Kumar Phukan, has demanded that the AGP must withdraw
   from the United Front Ministry in protest.
   

2  NSCN CEASE-FIRE WELCOMED				  [S:27-JUL-97]
   -----------------------
   
   The  Chief  Minister  of  Assam,  Prafulla  Kumar  Mahanta on July 26
   welcomed the agreement reached between the Centre  and  the  NSCN(IM)
   leadership  for  a  three-month  cease-fire in Nagaland from August 1
   next, a release issued from New Delhi said.  Mr  Mahanta  hoped  that
   the  agreement  would  pave  the  way  for  a  peaceful and permanent
   solution of the long-drawn problem of insurgency in the whole  region
   and including Nagaland.
   
   Lauding  the  sense  of  goodwill  and  cooperation  displayed by the
   NSCN(IM), he hoped that this would encourage other  insurgent  groups
   in  the  region to come forward in a similar spirit to usher in a new
   chapter of peace and progress in the region. The Chief Minister  also
   urged  the United Front Government to initiate the peace process with
   the ULFA and other extremist groups of Assam.
   

3  UNPO, DALAI LAMA, BABA AMTE APPEAL 	     	     [S+AT:26-28-JUL-97]
   ----------------------------------
   
   The Unrepresented Nations and People's Organisation (UNPO) has stated
   that  delay  in  the  release  of  Sanjoy Ghose by the ULFA can bring
   serious consequences.    In  a  faxed   message   from   the   Haque,
   Netherlands, UNPO general secretary Michel Walt Praag appealed to the
   leaders  and other responsible individuals of the ULFA to immediately
   free AVARD-NE general secretary Sanjoy Ghose if he was still alive.
   
   Meanwhile,  the  Dalai  Lama  has expressed concern over abduction of
   gandhian social worker and  appealed  for  his  safe  release.    His
   Holiness prays for safe and speedy return of Sanjoy from captivity so
   that he  may  continue  to  serve  the  humanity,  he added.  Lauding
   Sanjoy's contribution towards the welfare of the downtrodden over the
   years, reputed environmentalist Baba Amte expressed surprise over the
   fact that ULFA had branded him as a RAW agent and  kidnapped  him  on
   mere suspicion.    He appealed to the ULFA in the name of humanity to
   free Sanjoy immediately.
   
   Six  youths  from the Kamalabari area of Majuli have publicly offered
   themselves as hostages in lieu of Sanjoy Ghose, on July 27, the  22nd
   day of his abduction.
   

4  ULFA CALLS FOR 'JANATA CURFEW' ON I-DAY		  [S:26-JUL-97]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   The ULFA has declared a six hour 'Janata  curfew'  (peoples'  curfew)
   from 6 am on Independence Day on August 15 and called upon the people
   of Assam  to  boycott  the  celebrations  of the day.  In a statement
   issued to the press the outfit's central publicity secretary  Mitinga
   Daimary,  the  ULFA  said August 15 is a tragic day for the people of
   Assam and the North-east because their urge for living  independently
   as they had been doing since thousands of years in the past, had been
   trampled under foot by the 'Indian state', which forcibly annexed the
   region and declared its own territory on that day.

5  VAMUZO LEAVES FOR ATLANTA			         [PTI:27-JUL-97]
   -------------------------
   
   The leader of the opposition in Nagaland Assembly  and  former  State
   Chief  Minister, Mr Vamuzo, left for Atlanta, USA on July 25 night to
   attend the Naga convention at the Martin Luther King auditorium  from
   July  28,  according  to  the Nagaland People's Council president, Mr
   Shurhozelie.
   

6  ASSAM ASSEMBLY SUMMONED ON AUGUST 18		          [AT:26-JUL-97]
   ------------------------------------
   
   Assam Governor Lok Nath Misra has summoned the Assam  State  Assembly
   to  meet  at 9 am on Monday, August 18, 1997 in the Assembly House in
   Dispur, an official release stated.

7  FRUITFUL DAY FOR ASSAM TEAMS			          [AT:28-JUL-97]
   ----------------------------
   
   Defending champions Assam boys stormed into  the  semifinals  of  the
   Sub-junior  National  Basketball Championship thrashing Uttar Pradesh
   in a quarter final match played at the Nehru Stadium in  Guwahati  on
   July  27.  In  the  girls  section, Assam reached the last four stage
   defeating Maharastra 28-23 in a well contested quarter final.
   

8  BASANTA SAIKIA SELECTED AS REFEREE		           [S:26-JUL-97]
   ----------------------------------
   
   Sifu  Basanta  Saikia  of  Assam  left  for  Malaysia  to  attend the
   international meet of kung-fu as international referee.  Sifu Saikia,
   a 2nd dan black belt and trainee-cum-secretary of  Sonitpur  District
   Kusu  and  Chaolin Kung-Fu Association, was one of the selected among
   seven members from India to participate in the kung-fu world meet  at
   Kuchin, Malaysia.

______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________