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                        Vol.3, No.21 [*]  April 20, 1998
                        --------------------------------

               Yankee Doodle came to town riding on a pony;
            Struck a feather in his cap and called it Macaroni.
                              - Edward Bangs
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1  CM MOOTS NEW REHABILITATION PLAN FOR ULTRAS	          [AT:19-APR-98]
   -------------------------------------------
   
   In a major reversal of policy, the Assam Government  has  decided  to
   revive  the  rehabilitation  programme for ultras who come overground
   with the State Chief Minister P.K.Mahanta submitting  a  proposal  to
   the  Centre  to  recruit  ex-underground elements in the paramilitary
   forces under the package.  The proposal was discussed  at  a  meeting
   with  the  Union  Home  Minister L.K.Advani in New Delhi on April 18.
   According to indications available in New Delhi, the  Union  Ministry
   is  likely  to  give  concurrence  to  the  proposal,  as part of its
   measures to control militancy in the region.
   
   The details of the package will be worked out at  a  meeting  of  the
   Chief  Ministers on May 8, convened by the Prime Minister, Mr Mahanta
   said.  The AGP Government had earlier discontinued a similar  package
   that  was  offered  by the previous Congress Government on the ground
   that the rehabilitation move had led to the creation of a  new  brand
   of outlaws  (SULFAs).    The  Centre  had  spent over Rs.2 billion in
   financial assistance and  jobs  for  the  militants  before  the  AGP
   Government stopped it.

2  MANGALDOI AGP CHIEF, SISTER SHOT DEAD BY ULFA	   [S:19-APR-98]
   ---------------------------------------------
   
   Suspected  ULFA  militants  shot  dead  the  president  in-charge  of
   Mangaldoi district committee of the AGP, Mr Khiradananda Goswami (42)
   and  his sister, Ms Barada Goswami (25) at his house at Deomoroni, 12
   km from Mangaldoi at 10 pm on April  17.    Five  assailants  on  two
   motorcycles  shot  Mr  Goswami  and his sister with automatic weapons
   from close range, killing them on the spot.   The  militants  escaped
   without let  or  hindrance.   
   
   Mr  Goswami  was under threat of the ULFA since last election and the
   ULFA had sometime back demanded Rs.200,000 from him.  He  refused  to
   take security cover from the Government.  Shops and business remained
   closed  at Mangaldoi on April 18 as a mark of respect to the departed
   leader, a popular figure in the district.

3  CBI DECLARES CASH AWARD TO NAB SANJOY KILLERS	   [S:19-APR-98]
   ---------------------------------------------
   
   The  CBI  announced a cash award of Rs.100,000 for any information on
   each of the four, Phatik Hatimoria,  Mridul  Hazarika  alias  Bhaskar
   Barua,  Anjan  Barthakur  alias Khirod Bhuyan and Pradip Kalita alias
   Rajiv Das, all from Majuli, who are accused of being involved in  the
   abduction   and   killing   of   AVARD-NE   secretary  Sanjoy  Ghose.
   Information can be sent to CBI's  Calcutta  office  at  (033)  334713
   (Fax) and (033) 3343024, or the Guwahati Office at (0361) 545624.
   
   The CBI had completed the first phase of probe into the  killing  and
   ascertained  that  the NGO activist had been killed by the abductors,
   the ULFA, within 24 hours of the abduction.  The CBI  confirmed  that
   seven  ULFA activist were involved in the abduction, of whom two have
   since died and one arrested by police.  Since the body of  Ghose  was
   not  found,  the  matter  of issuing chargesheets against the accused
   could be decided only after consultation with high law authorities.
   
   (According  to a report in the Asomiya Pratidin, a skeleton suspected
   to be that of Sanjoy Ghose was discovered near a riverbed  at  Majuli
   by the CBI.  Samples have been collected for DNA testing.  - Mozz)
   

4  PRADIP GOGOI REMANDED TO 14 DAYS' POLICE CUSTODY	   [S:19-APR-98]
   ------------------------------------------------
   
   The Chief Judicial Magistrate,  Kamrup  remanded  ULFA  vice-chairman
   Pradip  Gogoi,  alias Samiran Gogoi, alias Yasin Ali alias Upen Gogoi
   to 14 days' police custody and ordered the Investigating  Officer  to
   take all steps for proper medical treatment of the detenu.
   
   Mr  Gogoi told waiting newsmen outside the court premises that he had
   taken retirement from the ULFA and was not in touch with the  leaders
   of the  outfit.    He  had  last  met the outfit's commander-in-chief
   Paresh Baruah in 1992.  He said, he was in favour  of  an  honourable
   settlement of  the  burning problems of Assam.  He refused to comment
   when asked if he still believed in armed struggle.  He welcomed Prime
   Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's offer of amending the Constitution to
   accommodate the ULFA's demands.
   

5  ABSU MEN SHOT DEAD BY BODO ULTRAS		          [AT:20-APR-98]
   ---------------------------------
   
   Militants belonging to the NDFB shot dead two All Bodo Students Union
   (ABSU) activists and injured two others at Tangla in Darrang district
   on April  19.    The incident occurred at 11:30 am when the militants
   fired indiscriminately at the ABSU office  located  near  the  Tangla
   College.   One  activist  died on the spot while the other succumb to
   his injuries at the hospital.  They were identified as  Mahanta  Boro
   and Pudmana  Boro.  The ABSU has called a dawn to dusk bandh on April
   21 to protest against the killing.
   

6  IMDT ACT CAN'T BE SCRAPPED SAYS GOLAM OSMANI		   [S:20-APR-98]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   Mr A.F.Golam Osmani, president of the United Minorities  Front  (UMF)
   and  MP, told newsmen at Silchar on April 17 that `IM(DT) Act of 1983
   can neither be amended nor scrapped.'  He  criticized  the  AASU  for
   raising  the  demand  to  scrap  the  Act which he said has become an
   integral part of the Assam Accord.  The UMF leader said after the Act
   was amended in 1995, `there is no question of its further amendment.'
   He, however, suggested that if Vajpayee Government  decides  to  take
   any  action  on  the  Act, all political parties should be taken into
   confidence.
   

7  STATE GOES PUBLIC TO RAISE RS.800 MILLION		   [S:18-APR-98]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   The  Government of Assam has gone public for a loan of Rs.800 million
   to finance `productive development programmes  and  projects'  to  be
   implemented  in  the  State, at an interest rate of 12.15 percent per
   annum.  A notification to this effect was issued on April  13.    The
   loan  will  be  secured  at  an  issue  price  of  Rs.1,000 for every
   thousand.
   

8  JAHNU BARUA'S `KUHKHAL' READY FOR FINAL MIXING	   [S:18-APR-98]
   ----------------------------------------------
   
   Filmmaker  Jahnu  Barua's  latest  venture `Kuhkhal', produced by the
   Government of Assam, is ready for its final mixing  in  Mumbai  early
   next month.    The film is based on the idealogies of freedom fighter
   Kushal Konwar, has more than a hundred artists in its cast, including
   Sanjeev Sabhapandit playing the title role.  The film  also  includes
   about  20  British  artists  including  Gary Richardson who plays the
   Deputy Commissioner of Sibsagar district in 1942-43.
   
   The other important characters are played by Dinesh Das,  Prithiviraj
   Rabha,  Anup  Hazarika, Chakir Hazarika, Bina Patongia, Victor David,
   Paul Carlin, Thomas Didier, Ms Phillis,  Akashitara,  Arun  Hazarika,
   Chandan Prasad Bora, Rajen Neog, Rajeev Kro and Prashanta Hazarika.
   

9  SANTWANA BORDOLOI IN NATIONAL JURY FOR FILM FEST	   [S:19-APR-98]
   ------------------------------------------------
   
   National  award-winning  filmmaker  Dr  Santwana  Bordoloi  has  been
   selected  as  a  member  of  the jury of judges for the National Film
   festival to be held at New Delhi from April 24. The jury has renowned
   South Indian actress B.Saroja Devi as the chief.
   

______________________________[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
________________________________________________________________________