__  
               /  \    _____ _____ ____      _    _      
              /    \  (  __/(  __/(_   \    / \  / \
             /  __  \  \  \  \  \  / __ O N L I N E \
            (__/  \__)/____)/____)(______)(__/    \__) 
                     Vol.2, No.48 [*] October 29, 1997
                     ---------------------------------

              Assam Online wishes its readers a happy Diwali.
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1  GOVT COMES OUT IN FIRM DEFENCE OF ZOII NATH	           [S:29-OCT-97]
   -------------------------------------------
   
   The  sensational  case  of  Army  filing  an  FIR at Mangaldai police
   station in Darrang district against Revenue  Minister  Dr  Zoii  Nath
   Sarma  alleging  that he had been helping the ULFA with money and the
   Government vehicles etc, took a new turn with  the  State  Government
   firmly denying the 'allegation' and coming out in firm defence of the
   Minister,  as  the  Chief  Secretary,  Mr  V.S.Jafa  visited  Tezpur,
   headquarters of the 4 Corps, apparently  to  hold  consultation  with
   Army  officials  as  to  how  to  stave off an imminent crises in the
   Mahanta Ministry surrounding the issue.
   
   In  a  press  release,  the Government said, at a time when the State
   Government was trying its best to usher in a peaceful  atmosphere  in
   the   State,   some  'vicious  circles'  had  engaged  themselves  in
   'political conspiracy' against the State Government.  As  a  part  of
   the  conspiracy, these circles were busy in making propaganda against
   the Government.  Time and again, these circles  had  been  trying  to
   establish  that  the Government had relations with terrorist outfits.
   'One such latest conspiracy is aimed  against  Dr  Zoii  Nath  Sarma,
   State Revenue Minister,' the release said.
   

2  NO CONSPIRACY IN ARMY FIR: SAWHNEY		           [S:29-OCT-97]
   ----------------------------------
   
   The GOC, 4 Corps  and  head  of  operational  group  of  the  unified
   headquarters,   Lt   Gen  R.K.Sawhney  termed  as  'unfortunate'  the
   statement of Dr Zoii Nath Sarma that the allegation contained  in  an
   Army  FIR filed at Mangaldai PS that he had links with the ULFA was a
   'deep-rooted'  political  conspiracy  against  him  and   the   State
   Government  for  launching an all-out offensive against the militants
   of Assam.
   
   Lt Gen Sawhney said  to  newsmen  that  the  FIR  was  based  on  the
   confessional statements of arrested ULFA activist, one Rakesh Baruah,
   and that  was  how  things  happen.  The Army had no political aim or
   intention to enter into a conspiracy to name a Minister in an FIR, Mr
   Sawhney said,  adding  that  the  Army  had  been  working  in  close
   cooperation  with  the  civil  and political authorities of the State
   under the unified command headquarters  to  contain  militancy.    He
   said,  it  was unbecoming on the part of the minister to come up with
   such a statement as to imply that  the  Army's  FIR  was  part  of  a
   deep-rooted political conspiracy to destabilize the Government.
   

3  GOVT MAY COOL OFF FIGHT AGAINST TATA TEA	          [AT:28-OCT-97]
   ----------------------------------------
   
   Assam Government is likely to cool off its fight against the Tata Tea
   Limited (TTL) and  may  not  seek  custodial  interrogations  of  top
   executives  of  the tea company when its special leave petition comes
   up for hearing before the  Gauhati  High  Court,  early  next  month,
   highly  placed  sources  said  in  New  Delhi  on  October  28. Assam
   Government however, would  not  withdraw  any  of  the  cases  lodged
   against  the  Tata  Tea  executives  and  also  seek dismissal of the
   anticipatory  bails  granted  by  the  Mumbai  High  Court  to  three
   executives  including  R.K.Krishna Kumar, S.N.Kidwai and Sridhar. The
   case has been transferred to Gauhati High Court  and  is  slated  for
   hearing on November 4.
   
   Sources  said that decision to take a break in its tussle against the
   tea giant has been motivated by a change in the attitude of Tata Tea,
   when it started cooperating with the State Government  in  its  fight
   against insurgency  in  the  State.    Initially,  Tata  Tea's highly
   arrogant stand offended Assam Government.  'When Ratan Tata met us we
   were willing to listen to their view point, but consequently we found
   their activities highly offensive', sources said.
   

4  BROJEN'S BAIL REJECTED				   [S:28-OCT-97]
   ----------------------
  
   The chief judicial magistrate, Kamrup, Mr S.P.More rejected the  bail
   petition   of   Tata  Tea's  senior  welfare  officer  and  community
   development officer Dr Brojen  Gogoi  on  October  28.    It  may  be
   mentioned  that the court had reserved its verdict on Dr Gogoi's bail
   petition on  October  23  after  hearing  both  the  prosecution  and
   defence, till October 27.
   
   Meanwhile,  sleuths  of  the CID grilled two executives of Williamson
   Magor and Goodricke Group and also  questioned  the  Commissioner  of
   Transport  department,  Mr  Bir  Bhadra Hagjer in connection with the
   Sirirampur check gate case.
   

5  SILCHAR MEDICAL COLLEGE PRINCIPAL ASSAULTED	           [S:29-OCT-97]
   -------------------------------------------
   
   Dr S.K.Nandi Purkayastha, principal of Silchar Medical College (SMC),
   his two brothers and sons were physically assaulted  at  their  Green
   View  Park residence, near the college, by a group of miscreant armed
   with sharp weapons around 11 pm on October 27.    The  culprits  fled
   before the  police could reach the spot.  Dr Purkaystha, his brothers
   and sons were rushed to the hospital.  The motive behind  the  attack
   was not  known.  The police has launched a massive manhunt to nab the
   miscreants.  Meanwhile, the doctors and  medics  have  threatened  to
   paralyse  the  functioning  of  the  medical college hospital, if the
   culprits are not arrested within 24 hours.
   

6  AIR INDIA TO HIKE FARES FROM NOVEMBER		 [PTI:27-OCT-97]
   -------------------------------------
   
   Air India would hike its passenger fares from November 1, the  second
   time within  three  months.   The fares to New York would go up by 10
   per cent, to London by 15 per cent and to Europe  and  Hong  Kong  by
   five  per  cent, airport sources said adding that it was in line with
   the decision taken by other airlines also.  Discounts  to  Hong  Kong
   and Jakarta  had  also been withdrawn.  The fare increase would bring
   the airline almost on par with some of the other major airlines,  and
   would nullify the effort of steep fall in the fares as witnessed last
   year, sources said.
   

7  GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION OF AMC BEGINS	          [AT:29-OCT-97]
   ----------------------------------------
   
   The  week-long  golden jubilee celebrations of Assam Medical College,
   Dibrugarh were  'switched  on'  at  5  pm  on  October  28  with  the
   ceremonial  switching on of the streetlights of the AMC campus by the
   local MLA, Dr Kalyan Kumar Gogoi.    The  celebrations  will  include
   official  meeting  of  the  students  and  alumni, sessions of music,
   debate, literary competitions and other cultural activities.
   

8  FLOWERING OF BAMBOO BEGINS			           [S:28-OCT-97]
   --------------------------
   
   The dreaded 'flowering of bamboo' has started in the forests of North
   Cachar  Hills  and  Karbi  Anglong  district after a gap of 50 years.
   Bamboos flower after every 50 years which the people believe,  is  an
   indication of impeding 'famine'.  Rats and mice thrive on the flowers
   during  the  flowering season and also destroy paddy and other crops.
   The flowering season lasts nearly three to four years.   (In  1976-77
   bamboos  were  seen flowering in many parts of Assam, particularly in
   Darrang district.  - Mozz)
   

9  GOGOI CONGRATULATES BAHBENDRA NATH SAIKIA	          [AT:29-OCT-97]
   -----------------------------------------
  
   The Assam PCC(I) committee president Mr Tarun Gogoi congratulated  Dr
   Bhabendra  Nath  Saikia,  noted  film  director for nomination of his
   Hindi film 'Kal Sandhya' to the National Panorama for the forthcoming
   International Film Festival at New Delhi in January, 1998.  Mr  Gogoi
   added that it is a matter of pride for the people of Assam as well as
   India to get an international recognition to a director from Assam.

10 CONVINCING WIN FOR ASSAM IN COOCH BEHAR TROPHY	   [S:28-OCT-97]
   ----------------------------------------------
   
   Riding  the first innings lead of 152, Assam trounced minnows Tripura
   by an innings and 26 runs in the third and final day of the  under-19
   years  Cooch  Behar Trophy cricket tournament at the Maligaon Stadium
   in Guwahati on October 27.  Assam take on West  Bengal  in  the  next
   match of the trophy on October 31.

11 TENNIS TEAM BAG SILVER IN NATIONAL WOMEN SPORTS	  [AT:28-OCT-97]
   -----------------------------------------------
   
   The  Assam  State  Sports Council's women contingent of 20 members of
   badminton, table tennis, swimming and lawn tennis which  participated
   in  the  National Women Sports Festival in Chennai from October 20 to
   23 have returned with a silver medal in lawn tennis.  In the  doubles
   final Assam's Ms Chiranjita Kakoti and Ms Simi Begum were defeated by
   Ms P.Anujpatty and Ms Sumitra Rao of Tamil Nadu 6-1, 6-0.
   

______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________