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                        Vol.3, No.81 [*] November 9, 1998
                        ---------------------------------
   
              The crime problem is in part an overdue debt that
              the country must pay for ignoring for decades the
                     conditions that breed lawlessness.

                       - Chief Justice Earl Warren

   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1  HAVILDAR AMONG SIX KILLED IN MILITANT ATTACK             [S:9-NOV-98]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   Six persons, including a police havildar, were killed on the spot and
   many  others seriously injured when suspected Bodo extremists threw a
   powerful bomb  at  a  huge  crowd  who  were  enjoying  cinema  shows
   organized  on  the occasion of Raasleela festival at Jalah in Barpeta
   district at around 9 pm on Saturday night.
   
   Police personnel retaliated the fire but  the  militants  managed  to
   flee after  a  fierce  encounter  for  about  ten  minutes.    In the
   encounter, the police havildar was killed on the spot.   No  one  was
   apprehended at that time of the incident.
   
   Meanwhile,  AIR  local  news  reported  that the brother of the Assam
   Health Minister, Dr  Kamala  Kalita  was  kidnapped  by  unidentified
   persons.  Details are awaited.

2  ARRESTED ULFA BRAJEN NATH DIES IN HOSPITAL               [S:9-NOV-98]
   ------------------------------------------
   
   Brajen Nath (42), the organizing secretary of the  Rongmili  unit  of
   the  ULFA, breathed his last at the Guwahati Medical College Hospital
   on Saturday night, due  to  complicated  kidney  troubles.    He  was
   arrested   by   police  at  Kaki,  Nagaon  on  November  3,  and  was
   hospitalized on November 5,  apparently  because  of  torture  during
   interrogation.
   
   Following his death, police missed the chance of digging out the body
   of police sub-inspector, Sarat Kakati, who had been allegedly  killed
   and  buried  by  ULFA  for having love affairs with the fiancee of an
   ULFA activist.
   
   The human rights organization MASS, has demanded a high-level inquiry
   into the death of Brajen Nath under police custody  suspecting  fatal
   police torture on him.

3  ONGC'S ASSURANCE TO AASU                                 [S:7-NOV-98]
   ------------------------
   
   The  Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has assured the All Assam
   Students' Union (AASU) that it would employ local people in 350 posts
   and the process would start from December, an AASU release  from  New
   Delhi  states.  The  decision was taken at a meeting between the AASU
   and the ONGC officials at a meeting in New Delhi on November 6.
   
   In another resolution, the ONGC decided to make Sibsagar  district  a
   tourism  district  on  the  lines  of  the  suggestions  made  by the
   Government, and take immediate steps to safeguard  and  preserve  the
   ancient monuments in the district.
   
   The  Commission  would  also  provide  substantial  assistance to the
   Dibrugarh and  Gauhati universities, Assam Medical College,  Guwahati
   Medical  College  Hospital  and B.Barooah Cancer Institute to upgrade
   their research centres.

4  NORTHEAST NEEDS A PRESSURE GROUP SAYS SANGMA             [S:9-NOV-98]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   `The Northeast needs a pressure group  or  lobby  in  Delhi  for  its
   cause,' Mr  Purno  A.  Sangma, former Lok Sabha Speaker and Member of
   Parliament, said this while addressing a select gathering  of  people
   at  the  residence of Mr Santosh Mohan Dev, former Union Minister, on
   Saturday.  He  explained  `bargaining  by  a  strong  and  collective
   leadership is essential to influence Delhi.'
   
   Mr Sangma recalled his recent meeting with the Chinese Prime Minister
   in Beijing who, on being asked about his  greatest  problem,  singled
   out  `regional  imbalance.'  The  Northeast,  he  said,  is a glaring
   example of regional imbalance.' He said lack of basic  infrastructure
   does not attract investment in the region.
   
   He  pointed  out  liberalization in economy has badly hit the region.
   According to him, 80 per cent of  investment  by  multinationals  and
   indigenous companies are in Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and
   Andhra Pradesh while 20 per cent are in other States.  The Northeast,
   he regretted, draws blank.

5  ASSAM TRANSPORT MINISTER VISIT STILWELL ROAD             [S:7-NOV-98]
   --------------------------------------------
   
   Assam Transport  Minister  Pradip  Hazarika  along  with  other  high
   officials  of  Assam  and Arunachal Pradesh on November 6 visited the
   historical Stilwell Road, formerly known as Ledo Road, which connects
   Ledo and Pansu pass along the border area.
   
   Colonel K.S.Rathore of 28 Assam Rifles presently camping at Jairampur
   in Arunachal Pradesh and local administration of  Changlang  district
   guided the  team.  Mr Hazarika and others had to go on foot 12 km and
   reach the Indo-Myanmar border because of deteriorating  condition  of
   the road.

6  FREE PHONE SERVICE FOR DISTRESSED CHILDREN SOON          [S:8-NOV-98]
   -----------------------------------------------
   
   Assam   Human  Rights  Commission  recently  convened  a  meeting  of
   government officials and NGOs for introduction of `Child line - 1098'
   which is a free 24-hour  phone  service  for  children  in  difficult
   circumstances, in need of assistance like shelter and medical help.
   
   The  service  will help all vulnerable sections of children including
   street  children,  neglected  children,  child  labourers,   domestic
   workers, missing children, and sexually-abused children.
   
   The  scheme  has  been taken up by the Ministry of Social Justice and
   Empowerment of  the  Government  of  India  since  October  2,  1998,
   covering ten cities including Guwahati.

7  FAKE WHEAT SEEDS SOLD AT NAGAON, ONE ARRESTED            [S:7-NOV-98]
   ---------------------------------------------
   
   The  police in Nagaon seized 2,000 kg of `coloured' wheat sold in the
   market as seeds from the Gupta Flour and Rice Mills at Haj  Bakultal,
   and  arrested  an  employee  of  the  mill, Ram Bhadur Chetri. Police
   sources said the owner of the mill  Prabin  Gupta  has  been  selling
   ordinary wheat, brought from the market at Rs.4.50 per kg, as quality
   seeds to gullible farmers at Rs.13.50 per kg for quite some time. The
   owner of the mill is reported to be absconding.

______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________
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