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                        Vol.3, No.85 [*] November 23, 1998
                        ----------------------------------

               Working with the government is sometimes like 
                     spinning your wheels in the sand.
                             - Louis Thiess 
   ---------------------------------------------------------------------

1  MLA ESCAPES BID ON LIFE, SECURITY KILLED                [S:22-NOV-98]
   ----------------------------------------
   
   In  two  separate  incidents  of  violence,  suspected Bodo militants
   attacked the residents of two  VIPs  killing  a  security  guard  and
   severely injuring another on November 21.
   
   In  the  first  incident,  the ultras made an abortive attempt on the
   life  of  Independent  MLA  from  Gauripur  constituency,  Mr   Balem
   Mushahari  but  killed  his  security guard Abdul Kuddush (29) at the
   residence of the MLA at Basbari in Golokgunj at 8:10  am.    The  six
   other  security guards in duty in the house of the MLA were unharmed.
   The extremists took away one sten gun,  four  rifles  and  cartridges
   from the security guards.
   
   In the second incident, also in Basbari, the  security  guard  of  Mr
   Hemen  Brahma,  the  former  executive  member of the Bodo Autonomous
   Council (BAC), was physically assaulted by unidentified militants and
   the ultras snatched away on sten gun and five rifles.
   
   Meanwhile,  in  another  incident,  the  president  of  the Naharbari
   regional unit of the AGP, Mr Ismail Ali (50) was hacked to death with
   a machete by unidentified miscreants at around 9:30  pm  on  November
   21.   This  is the second tragic incident the members of the bereaved
   family had to face as Mr Ismail's  son  Abdul  Jalil  (22)  had  been
   strangled to death by unidentified men two months ago.
   

2  AHRC DIRECT GOVT TO PAY COMPENSATION                    [S:22-NOV-98]
   ------------------------------------
   
   Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) chairperson Justice S.N.Bhargava
   and  members Mr Paramananda Kalita and Mr S.K.Chand Mohammed directed
   the Assam Government to pay  compensation  of  Rs.1,000  each  to  Mr
   Praneswar  Bora,  Mr  Dharameswar  Bora  and  Mr Monin Chutia, all of
   Biragaon in Nagaon district, as the Assam Police Commando,  popularly
   known to the common people as Black Panthers, committed atrocities on
   them and caused injuries though they were innocent.
   

3  KILLINGS NOT STATE SPONSORED, SAYS ASSAM GOVT           [S:23-NOV-98]
   ---------------------------------------------
   
   The  Assam Government denied reports that the incidents of murder and
   mayhem unleased  in  the  State  recently  were  state-sponsored  and
   committed by  a  group  of hired assassins.  Terming the reports that
   appeared in a section of the press recently as fabricated and  false,
   the  Government in a release on November 22 stated that ever since it
   came to power it has endeavoured to put an  end  to  the  meaningless
   violence perpetrated in the State.
   
   Calling  upon the media to play a more constructive role to eradicate
   violence from society, the release stated that instead of harping  on
   the  `imaginary' issue of hired killers, the press should concentrate
   on building up mass support against all kinds of violence.  The  Asom
   Gana Parishad led coalition from the very beginning had insisted that
   violence could not bring in any solution, the release said.
   
4  ARMY TRAINING BTF, BLT MILITANTS ?                      [S:22-NOV-98]
   ----------------------------------
   
   Sonitpur police have stumbled upon  a  sensational  disclosure  by  a
   hardcore  Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) militant, `operation commander'
   Hareswar Basumatary, who in his confessional statement, has  revealed
   that  the  Army  had  been  training the outfit and the Bengali Tiger
   Force (BTF) and were in good terms with  the  outfits.  Hareswar  was
   nabbed  by  Dhekiajuli  police  sometime back and is being grilled by
   police at Rakshamari police station.
   
   Police sources said, retired Army officials had been training the BLT
   and BTF in arms. Two  training  camps  were  held  at  Kokrajhar  and
   Assam-Bhutan  border in 1996-97. Hareswar, who was a dreaded militant
   was involved in the spate of killings at Tangla in  Darrang  district
   recently. The revelations have put the police in difficulty.
   

5  ULFA SHOT DEAD, LINKMAN NABBED, WOMEN HELD              [S:23-NOV-98]
   ------------------------------------------
   
   Army operating in Darrang district shot dead a hardcore ULFA militant
   -- Mainul Bora at Shantipukhuri village under Sipajhar police station
   on  November  21.  A  US-made  revolver  with  ammunition  and   some
   incriminating documents were recovered from the slain militant.
   
   Acting  on  a  specific information, Army apprehended an ULFA linkman
   Diganta Bora alias Manoranjan Bora from his house at Deogaria village
   under Nazira police station on the wee hours of November 20.  He  was
   handed over to the police the same day.
   
   Tinsukia police nabbed Kunjalata Moran alias Pallabi Phukan, a wanted
   ULFA  activist from the Pinewood Nursing Home at Tinsukia. She is the
   wife of ULFA's `second lieutenant'  Biren  Deuri,  who  is  presently
   attached to the banned `28 Battalion'. Kunjalata gave birth to a girl
   child at the nursing home on November 18.
   
   Ms Manju Dey, an exporter, was apprehended on November  19  from  her
   house at Subhasnagar, Karimganj in connection with her link with ULFA
   leader Alok Goswami, who had been killed at Silchar on November 16 by
   unidentified gunmen.    She  had confessed to police that she used to
   arrange shelter for Goswami whenever he visited  Karimganj  and  that
   she had accompanied him to Indo-Bangla border areas.
   

6  SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY PARK TO BE SET UP IN GUWAHATI       [S:22-NOV-98]
   -------------------------------------------------
   
   The  Government  of  India, Department of Electronics, has decided to
   establish a Software Technology Development Park  (STP)  in  Guwahati
   with an investment of Rs.60 million.  The project will be implemented
   by the  Assam Electronics Development Corporation (Amtron).  This was
   disclosed by the Assam Industries Minister Gunin Hazarika.
   
   The STP will provide  basic  infrastructural  facilities  and  common
   amenities   and  will  provide  technical  infrastructure  like  data
   communication facilities, computing facility to cater to the needs of
   the member units and will help the  small-scale  sector.    
   
   To  start with, the STP will function from Hotel Urvasi at Azara near
   the Gopinath Bordoloi Airport in Guwahati.  The Airport Authority  of
   India has  been  moved  for clearance to use the hotel.  Of the total
   cost of Rs.60 million, 80 per cent will be borne by the Centre, while
   the remaining 20 per cent will be borne by the State Government.
   

7  SILGHAT JUTE MILL EARNS RS.250,000 PROFIT               [S:22-NOV-98]
   -----------------------------------------
   
   The Assam Cooperative Jute Mill at Silghat has earned a net profit of
   Rs.250,000 in the current financial year. This is considered to be an
   achievement given the fact that public sector units and industries in
   the cooperative sector in Assam are dying slow deaths and  are  being
   handed over to private parties as a last resort.
   
   The  mill,  which started production in 1970, found itself in the red
   and was closed down in 1984. It was revived in 1986 and  since  then,
   it  had  worked  relentlessly  to  wipe out the loss of Rs.30 million
   sustained in the early 1980s. The employees are also paid bonus at  a
   rate  higher  than even the jute mills in Calcutta. It produces gunny
   bags, jute yarns etc.
   

8  CHANDRA PRASAD SAIKIA ELECTED AXX PRESIDENT             [S:23-NOV-98]
   -------------------------------------------
   
   Mr Chandra Prasad Saikia, noted litterateur and a renowned journalist
   was elected the president of the Axom Xahitya  Xabha  (AXX)  for  the
   65th  session  to  be  held  at Hajo next year. This was decided in a
   meeting at a Xabha regional office at Dhubri on November 22.
   
   Born  in  Amguri  of  Sibsagar  district  in 1927, Mr Saikia actively
   participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942 and served jail  term
   twice during  the Freedom Movement.  He graduated from Cotton College
   in 1950 and received his postgraduate degree  in  English  literature
   from Calcutta University.  He began his career as a journalist in The
   Assam Tribune  in  1955.  He is at present the editor of the literary
   magazine Gariyaxi.
   
   A  Sahitya  Academy  award  winner for the novel Maharathi, Mr Saikia
   contributed enormously to Assamese  novel  writing,  which  includes,
   among  others,  Edin,  Janmantar,  Mandakranta,  Meghmalla, Uttarkal,
   Suryashan, Tore More Alokar Jatra.
   

9  HOUSES OF XATRA DEMOLISHED IN JORHAT                    [S:22-NOV-98]
   ------------------------------------
   
   Followers of a former `xatradhikar', who  had  been  recently  ousted
   from  the  post after a no-trust resolution passed against him by the
   `bhakats', had allegedly demolished the houses of  the  `bhakats'  on
   the night  of  November  20.   The irate `bhakats' (devotees) met the
   deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police  of  Jorhat  and
   aired their grievances on November 21.
    
   It  may be mentioned that the Jorhat district administration recently
   had formed a `xatra' management committee to oversee the  functioning
   of  the  Bhogpur xatra following the ouster of the former xatradhikar
   and the appointment of a new xatradhikar.  The ousted xatradhikar had
   moved the court seeking justice.  The turmoil in the xatra is due  to
   the financial irregularities that has been going on for some time.
   

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