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                          Vol.3, No.46 [*] July 10, 1998
                          ------------------------------

              I hope you have not been leading a double life,
              pretending to be wicked, and being really good
                  all the time. That would be hypocrisy.
                              - Oscar Wilde
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1  BODO EXTREMISTS KILL SEVEN IN ASSAM		          [UNI:9-JUL-98]
   -----------------------------------
   At  least  seven  people  were killed by the Bodo extremists in three
   separate incidents  in  lower  Assam  since  Wednesday  night.    The
   militants  killed  five persons in Barpeta and two others were killed
   in Nalbari  district.    According  to  official  sources,  the  Bodo
   militants shot dead two persons at Karhana village under Simla police
   station at  about  10  pm  on  Wednesday.   The militants returned to
   nearby Ladkhowa village Thursday  morning  and  gunned  down  another
   three and  injured  some others seriously.  Meanwhile, in yet another
   incident at Tamulpur in Nalbari district, the militants attacked  the
   guest  house  of  the  Eastern  Commercial  Enterprise located at Pub
   Kamarkuchi village and killed its supervisor  Padmeshwar  Sharma  and
   another employee Rajesh Pande.

2  NATIONWIDE POSTAL STRIKE HIT ASSAM		           [S:10-JUL-98]
   ----------------------------------
   The  postal  authorities  have announced that only restricted counter
   services shall be provided during the pendency of the strike  of  the
   postal employees.    Speedpost and VSAT at national centres only will
   remain functional.  The postal strike has affected the  Assam  circle
   from 6  am  of  July  9.  The strike was launched in support of their
   ten-point  charter  of  demands  including   improved   pay   scales,
   finalization  of  bonus  formula and implementation of Justice Talwar
   Committee's recommendations.  So, far the Assam circle is  concerned,
   the  strike  is  said  to  be quite effective and even the Chief Post
   Master Generals Office has been rendered inoperative.

3  DERGAON BOY TOPS, 31.23 PER CENT PASS IN HSLC EXAM		
   --------------------------------------------------
   The  results  of  the  High School Leaving Certificate and Assam High
   Madrassa  examinations,  1998  was  declared  simultaneously  in  all
   district and some subdivisional headquarters of Assam at 11 am today.
   The overall  pass  percentage  is 31.23.  The pass percentage of boys
   was higher at 38.15, while 28.8 per cent of  the  girls  passed.    A
   total of 166,139 candidates appeared in the exams.
   
   Trinayan  Bora of Dergaon High School in Golaghat district topped the
   list of successful candidates. Other position holders are as follows:
   2.Swagata    Dowerah,    (Non-Institutional    private)    Dibrugarh,
   Bhaskarjyoti  Kakati,  Don  Bosco  High  School, Guwahati, 3.Anindita
   Mahanta,  St.Mary's  School,   Guwahati,   4.Rheetuparna   Borthakur,
   (Non-Institutional  private),  5.Gautam  Medhi,  Bijni  Bandhab  High
   School, Bijni, 6.Ananya Devi Bhuyan, Little Flower School, Dibrugarh,
   Firoz  Ahmed,  P.R.Govt  HS  and   MP   School,   Goalpara,   Sandeep
   Bhattacharjee,  Don Bosco High School, Guwahati, 7.Kakali Dutta, Govt
   Girls High School,  Nagaon,  8.Bedanta  Bikash  Dutta,  Dergaon  High
   School,  Dergaon,  9.Zeenat  Rehman, Little Flower School, Dibrugarh,
   Biswajit  Das,  Barpeta  Vidyapeeth  H.S.School,  Asitava  Deb   Roy,
   (Institutional  private), Pandu, Manashi Misra, T.C.Govt Girls HS and
   MP  School,  Guwahati.  10.Chantita  Choudhury,   St.Mary's   School,
   Guwahati,  Debasish  Sarma,  Rangiya  HS  School,  Mondakini  Mahanta
   (Private), Dibrugarh, Nasim Ahmed Saikia, Don Bosco HS, Dibrugarh.

4  NDBF COLLECTED OVER 40 MILLION AS BOROLAND TAX	   [AT:8-JUL-98]
   ----------------------------------------------
   The  National  Democratic  Front  of  Bodoland  (NDFB)  had collected
   Rs.44,321,995 as `Boroland tax'  from  various  parts  of  the  State
   during 1997.    Audit  report  of  the outfit recently recovered from
   Baghmara in Barpeta district by security forces said `the amount  was
   collected mainly from tea gardens and business giants'.
   
   According  to  the  report  the  outfit  had  spent Rs.5.7 million to
   procure arms and ammunition from  foreign  countries.    The  report,
   checked  by  its  two leaders -- acting finance secretary cum auditor
   Captain B.Bukrub and accountant cum  auditor  Lt  M.Nijwm  said  that
   during the last year total expenditure was Rs.47,298,726 against cash
   receipt of  Rs.44,321,995.   
   
   The outfit had spent Rs.8 million for goodwill missions last year for
   various foreign tours and to meet foreign  insurgent  groups.    They
   also  spent  Rs.1.6  million for arranging political parties with the
   leaders of other insurgent groups operating in the Northeast.

5  ULFA DENIES KILLING OF AASU LEADER			   [S:10-JUL-98]
   ----------------------------------
   The  ULFA denied that it was involved in the abduction and killing of
   AASU's assistant secretary of Raha unit in Nagaon district, Lakhimani
   Debnath.  In a statement on Thursday, the  ULFA  publicity  secretary
   Mithinga Daimary said, this had created an avoidable misunderstanding
   with  the  AASU  and  alleged  that  it  was  the handiwork of forces
   inimical to the interest of the State.
   
   Earlier, the AASU leaders strongly condemned  the  ULFA  for  killing
   Lakhimani  Debnath  recently  and warned the outfit that this type of
   confrontation will only help forces inimical to the interests of  the
   State.  The  students'  union  also called for a 11-hour Nagaon bandh
   from 5 am on July 10 and sit-in demonstration all over the  State  on
   July  11  to  protest  against the killing, and killings and violence
   perpetrated by both the Government forces and militant outfits.
   
6  ASSAM SEEKS MORE JUDGES FOR GAUHATI HIGH COURT         [AT:10-JUL-98]
   ----------------------------------------------
   In a memorandum to the Union Law Minister  M.Thambidurai,  the  Assam
   Law  Minister  Surendra  Nath Medhi called upon the Union Minister to
   take steps to increase the number  of  judges  in  the  Gauhati  High
   Court.   Mr  Medhi, in his memorandum, said that the number of judges
   in the Gauhati High Court, which has jurisdiction over seven  States,
   should be increased from 19 to 25 immediately.
   
   He  said  that each of the benches of the High Court in five State of
   the region, should have at least three judges so  that  writ  appeals
   can  be  disposed off by the benches without transferring them to the
   principal seat at Guwahati for disposal.  Taking into account in  the
   number  of  cases, the minimum number of judges in the principal seat
   should be at least ten, the memorandum added.
   
7  CENTRE TURNS DOWN NHRC'S PLEA			  [PTI:8-JUL-98]
   -----------------------------
   Government  has  rejected  National  Human Rights Commission's (NHRC)
   recommendation to bring the Army and paramilitary  forces  under  its
   closer scrutiny  for  probing complaints of excesses.  The government
   is of the  view  that  the  existing  procedures  laid  down  in  the
   Protection  of  Human Rights (PHR) Act which restrains the commission
   from directly investigating alleged Army excesses  are  good  enough.
   The  commission  in  its  latest  annual  report recommended the same
   procedure set for police to be followed by the Army and  paramilitary
   forces  in  directly reporting any death and rape in their custody to
   NHRC within 24 hours of such occurrence.
   
8  TEN YEARS RI FOR JAWANS FOR RAPE			    [S:9-JUL-98]
   --------------------------------
   Two Army jawans found guilty of rape and molestation of  a  woman  in
   Paikarkuchi  in Nalbari district on June 16, have been dismissed from
   service and given ten years rigorous imprisonment by  an  Army  court
   martial  in  a  record  brief  period from June 16 to July 6, an Army
   release said in Guwahati.  The punishment,  however,  is  subject  to
   confirmation by higher authorities is a legal necessity, it said.
   
9  BRPL STAFF OPPOSE APPOINTMENT OF `GLOBAL ADVISER'	    [S:9-JUL-98]
   ------------------------------------------------
   The employees  of  Bongaigaon  Refinery  and  Petrochemicals  Limited
   (BRPL)  have  strongly  protested  the  latest  move of the Petroleum
   Ministry of appointing  a  global  advisor  to  clinch  the  deal  of
   privatization   of   the   profit-making  public  sector  unit  whose
   performance is being rated `excellent'  even  by  the  Ministry  year
   after year.     In  a  strongly  worded  statement,  the  Progressive
   Employees' Union  of  the  BRPL,  expressed  utter  surprise  at  the
   Government's  action  and  said, this back-door move of the Centre to
   sell the BRPL to a private party will be resisted by the employees.
   
   The union said, the BRPL is a `unique, vertically-integrated company'
   with  its  Refinery  and  Petrochemical  units and was born of a mass
   struggle of the people of Assam. But more  than  anything  else,  the
   company has recorded `excellent performance' and making profits every
   year  despite  the various stresses and strains through which the oil
   sector had had to pass in recent times.
   
10 NEW COURSES IN ASSAM ENGINEERING COLLEGE		   [S:10-JUL-98]
   ----------------------------------------
   With  the  approval of All India Council for Technical Education, the
   Government  of  Assam  has  issued  permission  to  the  Director  of
   Technical Education to open three new degree courses namely, Computer
   Science  and  Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering and Production
   Engineering in Assam Engineering College (AEC), Guwahati,  from  this
   current academic session.
   
   The total intake of students is 60 with 20 each in each of the  three
   branches.   Starting  with only a degree course in Civil Engineering,
   four decades ago, AEC is now going to offer nine  different  branches
   of  engineering  which  may be claimed to be significant in technical
   education in Assam.  Further, the academic and research atmosphere is
   enhanced by introduction of two  Post  Graduate  courses  leading  to
   M.Tech and Ph.D.
   
11 MOVE TO REGISTER WEST BENGAL PHARMACISTS 	          [AT:10-JUL-98]
   ----------------------------------------
   The Guwahati Pharmacy Institute Students' Union (GPISU) has expressed
   strong resentment over the alleged move by the Assam Pharmacy Council
   (APC),  for allowing registration of 470 pharmacists from West Bengal
   on a reciprocal basis recently.  In a statement,  the  GPISU  alleged
   that  these  pharmacists did not possess genuine qualification in the
   field and they were already registered with the West Bengal  Pharmacy
   Council by  dubious  means.  Mohammed Humayun Kabir, president of the
   GIPSU  said  that  this  would  not  only   hamper   the   employment
   opportunities  of  the  pharmacists  passing out from institutions of
   Assam every year but also endanger the lives of people.
   
12 NO DEPUTY COMMISSIONER IN LAKHIMPUR			    [S:7-JUL-98]
   -----------------------------------
   Lakhimpur   district   has   completed   a  month  without  a  deputy
   commissioner, amidst numerous problems such as floods,  erosions  and
   inflationary  rise  in  prices.  After  the  previous DC of Lakhimpur
   district, Mr Vijayendra had left for New Delhi on deputation on  June
   4,   the   administration  was  entrusted  to  an  additional  deputy
   commissioner (ADC) who is facing  numerous  allegations  of  failures
   regarding  administration.  The  absence of the DC has badly affected
   the development work of the district.
   
13 LAUGHTER CLUB FORMED AT HAJO			           [AT:8-JUL-98]
   ----------------------------
   Laughing has a positive impact on various systems of the  body.    It
   also increases self-confidence and develops leadership qualities.  To
   increase  the  popularity  of  laughter, a new organization under the
   name and style of Laughter Club of  Hajo  was  formed  recently  with
   Paresh  Baishya  as  director  and  Mahesh Das, Madhusudhan Medhi and
   Barun Malakar as convenors.    The  Club  will  organize  a  laughter
   session by the last part of August at Amingaon park.
   
14 CONGRESS MLA JAGANNATH SINHA DEAD		          [AT:10-JUL-98]
   ---------------------------------
   Sitting  Congress  MLA  in the Assam Assembly Jagannath Sinha died at
   Silchar Medical  College  Hospital  on  Thursday  after  a  prolonged
   illness.  He  was  73.    He  was elected from the Udharbond Assembly
   constituency of Barak valley.  A veteran trade  union  leader,  Sinha
   was  elected  in  each election since 1967 and was also a minister in
   various Congress government in the State.    A  personnel  management
   graduate from Bombay Labour Institute and USA's Wisconsin University,
   he was actively involved in labour welfare activities.
   
15 EMINENT ARTIST TARUN DUVARAH DEAD		          [AT:10-JUL-98]
   ---------------------------------
   Eminent Assamese artist Tarun Duvarah died at Down Town  Hospital  in
   Guwahati on  Thursday  following  a massive heart attack.  He was 78.
   Renowned for his paintings, acting, dancing and  singing  during  the
   1930s,  Duvarah  was  closely  associated  with  Assam's  first  film
   director Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla and  noted  singer  Bhupen  Hazarika.
   Duvarah  rose  to  fame  through his paintings which were appreciated
   even by Jawaharlal Nehru.  He also acted in  several  Assamese  films
   including Monomati (1941), Bhodori where he starred as a hero for the
   first time, Pratidhwani and Dr Bezbaruah.
   
16 SPONSORSHIP FOR TENNIS PLAYER BHASKAR CHOUDHURY	    [S:9-JUL-98]
   -----------------------------------------------
   The Sentinel, an English daily of Guwahati has  sponsored  young  and
   talented  tennis  player  of  Guwahati,  Bhaskar  Choudhury  (19) for
   training under the internationally-reputed tennis coach, Mr Paul Dale
   in Bangkok. He will also be sponsored after the training  to  play  a
   few national and international matches after the training.
   
______________________________[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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