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                        Vol.3, No.17 [*]  April 1, 1998
                        -------------------------------

        Whoever said, `It's not whether you win or lose that counts,'
                    probably lost. - Martina Navratilova
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1  PM RULES OUT CREATION OF BODOLAND STATE		   [AT:1-APR-98]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   Prime  Minister  Atal  Bihari  Vajpayee  ruled out the possibility of
   creating a separate state of Bodoland.  He was replying to  a  debate
   on the  President's  address  in the Lok Sabha on March 31.  Earlier,
   participating on the debate, ABSU backed MP Mr S.K.Bwiswmutiary  said
   that  he  would  be  forced  to  withdraw  his support to the BJP-led
   government if the  matter  of  creation  of  Bodoland  state  is  not
   included in   the  national  agenda  of  the  ruling  alliance.    Mr
   Bwiswmutiary had supported the Vajpayee government  on  the  vote  of
   confidence.
   
   Meanwhile, militant outfit Bodo Liberation Tiger  (BLT)  called  upon
   the  Prime Minister on March 31 to accept the demand for the creation
   of Bodoland state.  The publicity secretary of  the  BLT,  Mr  Mainao
   Daimary,  in  a  press  release  in New Delhi, said that the autonomy
   granted to the Bodos was not sufficient  to  fulfill  the  hopes  and
   aspirations of  the  Bodo community.  The BLT also said that creation
   of a Bodoland state can solve the problems of the Bodos.
   

2  XAHITYA XABHA FOR EXPERT BODY ON TALKS		 [UNI:30-MAR-98]
   --------------------------------------
   
   The   Axom   Xahitya  Xabha  (AXX)  has  sought  the  creation  of  a
   high-powered expert  committee  to  critically  examine  the  various
   demands of the ULFA and other insurgent groups of the State.  The AXX
   president  Dr Nagen Saikia said on March 30 that the Government alone
   should not have rejected the ULFA's demands since efforts are on  for
   a settlement to the vexed problem.
   
   Dr  Saikia  said  he  was  not  happy  with the Government's outright
   rejection of the demands of secession at the very outset.  `Let there
   be talks, you should not impose conditions  in  the  beginning.    It
   would be unfair to reject the demand for secession at the very outset
   and then  call  for unconditional talks with an insurgent group.  The
   expert committee should be allowed to take care of this aspect.   The
   committee will discuss at length and debate each and every demand and
   weigh the  pros and cons.  In such a process the Xabha will certainly
   play a much more constructive role  to  formulate  a  consensus,'  he
   said.
   
   Dr  Saikia  was  convinced  that the Xabha being the most influential
   organization of the entire region, and having a total grip  over  the
   Assamese  society,  must play a more assertive role and cannot turn a
   blind eye to the problems of the society.
   

3  COURT PERMITS LAWYERS TO MEET CHETIA IN JAIL	         [PTI:31-MAR-98]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   The  Bangladesh High Court has issued an ad-interim order on March 30
   allowing lawyers of Anup Chetia, secretary general  of  the  ULFA  to
   meet  him  in  jail  in  Dhaka  for  consultations on the cases filed
   against him.  The court has asked the government  to  explain  within
   two  weeks why Chetia's lawyers should not be allowed to meet him for
   consultations regarding the cases following a writ petition filed  by
   the society for enforcement of human rights.
   

4  ULFA KILLED IN ENCOUNTER, PROBE ORDERED		   [S:31-MAR-98]
   ---------------------------------------
   
   A  suspected  ULFA  militant,  Lakhi Gogoi was killed in an encounter
   with the Army near Geleki Lakshmijan Tea Estate on the night of March
   28, official sources at Sibsagar said.  Army handed  over  the  slain
   militant to Geleki police station on March 29.  The body of the slain
   ultra bore  injury marks in the chest and in the face.  It is alleged
   that Army personnel tortured and killed the militant.   The  District
   Magistrate, Sibsagar, ordered a magisterial inquiry to probe into the
   cause leading to the death of Lakhi Gogoi while he was in the custody
   of the Army.
   
   Sources said that a  column  of  Army  personnel  held  three  youths
   including  Lakhi  Gogoi (27) from a congregation which was watching a
   cultural function at Ramrup village near Nazira on the night of March
   27.  The soldiers lined up all the youths present there,  and  picked
   up the three among them for interrogation.  (Ref:AOL Vol.3 No.16).
   

5  POLICE FOIL EXTORTION BID, ONE ULFA KILLED	        [AT+S:31-MAR-98]
   ------------------------------------------
   
   One  suspected  ULFA  was  killed  and another seriously injured in a
   shoot-out in the Hatigarh area in Guwahati at around 5  pm  on  March
   30.   Police  said  that  the  ULFA  militants on March 27, served an
   extortion notice to the owner of Sivasakti Tubes and  Industries  and
   demanded Rs.600,000.    The  owner  of  the  company had informed the
   police and a police team ambushed the militants  when  they  came  to
   collect the  money.    When the police challenged them, the militants
   tried to escape by firing at the police.  The police  retaliated  and
   killed one militant while another was critically injured.  The killed
   militant is identified as Raju Talukdar of Nalbari and the injured as
   Ratul Gogoi of Sonapur.
   

6  BTF MILITANT LYNCHED, ARMY KILLED, GUNS SNATCHED       [AT:30-MAR-98]
   ------------------------------------------------
   
   One  militant of the Bengali Tiger Force (BTF) was killed and another
   received serious injuries, while an Army jawan on duty was killed  at
   Mazbat,  in  two  separate incidents in Darrang district on March 29.
   The militants were demanding money at a  local  market  in  Kolaigaon
   around 11:30 am when the people in the market lynched one of them.
   
   Meanwhile,  unidentified  miscreants  snatched  away five .303 rifles
   from Home Guards at Bhergaon Tea Estate near Tangla.  The Home Guards
   were posted as security to the garden manager.
   

7  BREAKTHROUGH IN RICE PRODUCTION 		         [UNI:30-MAR-98]
   -------------------------------
   
   The State Agriculture  Department  of  Assam  has  achieved  a  major
   breakthrough  in rice production by introducing cultivation of hybrid
   rice 6201 among selected farmers of 10 districts of  the  State.  The
   hybrid  rice  variety  has given yield to the tune of 102 quintal per
   hectare of land as against normal yield of 40  to  60.  Mr  Nandeswar
   Bhuyan  of  Naoboicha in Lakhimpur district has been adjudged the top
   hybrid rice yielder in the state who has  obtained  the  102  quintal
   mark, while farmers of Ghograpar and Dighali in Nalbari district have
   yielded  100  to  95  quintal  per  hectare respectively. Mr Jagadish
   Chandra Das of Khanamukh in Kamrup district earned 96 quintal.
   

8  PROPOSAL FOR ECO-TOURISM RESORT AT MAJULI APPROVED	   [AT:1-APR-98]
   --------------------------------------------------
   
   The  Union  Government  has  approved  a  proposal  for  Heritage and
   Eco-tourism Resort at Majuli.  The detailed project report  is  being
   prepared  by  an  expert  committee  appointed  by  the State Tourism
   Development Corporation.  The proposal was initially  prepared  by  a
   Guwahati-based NGO,  Brahmaputra  Foundation.    Dr Arun Kumar Sarma,
   Rajya Sabha member played  a  major  role  in  convincing  the  Union
   Government to approve the proposal.
   
   The Brahmaputra Foundation in its  project  report  proposed  for  an
   approach  camp  at  Neematighat,  a  ferry  service,  a farm heritage
   village for 60 persons at Darbar Chapari, a prime  centre  at  Garmur
   with  two  tourist  resorts, a sports complex either at Lohit Ghat or
   Chitadararchuk, and several viewing points and meditation centres  at
   various places, and a transit camp with a total investment of Rs.39.2
   million.
   

9  NEW VENTURE BY SANGITA ADVERTISING			   [S:28-MAR-98]
   ----------------------------------
   
   Using  music  and humour as basic ingredients, Sangita Advertising is
   all set to launch its serial `Sound of Music' which will be  telecast
   on Doordarshan  (PPC-Northeast).    `Sound  of  Music'  is  the first
   directional venture of TV and  film  actress  Bobeeta  Sharma.    The
   script of the film has also been written by Ms Sharma.  The programme
   comprises  of songs from Northeastern states as well as popular Hindi
   and western numbers.  The programme is anchored with  quick  wit  and
   humour by  upcoming  TV  actress  Tina.    A slot in the programme is
   reserved for talent search which envisages to provide local, talented
   and upcoming artists with much needed exposure.
   

10 NIRMALI KAKATI BAGS JEAN HARRIS AWARD		   [AT:1-APR-98]
   -------------------------------------
   
   Rotary  International  has  awarded Ms Nirmali Kakati the Jean Harris
   Award for 1997-98 for her exceptional service to women  for  economic
   upliftment and  development  of leadership.  Ms Kakati is the general
   secretary of the Mahila Imdad Committee, Guwahati.  Jean Harris Award
   has been instituted for the first time by  the  Rotary  International
   after  the  name of the wife of the founder of Rotary -- Paul Harris.
   The award is given to non-Rotarian women from all over the world  for
   their  furthering  women's  health,  education,  economic  status and
   personal development.

______________________________[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://www.assam.org/assam/news/index.html
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