__
                    /  \    _____ _____ ____      _    _
                   /    \  (  __/(  __/(_   \    / \  / \
                  /  __  \  \  \  \  \  / __ O N L I N E \
                 (__/  \__)/____)/____)(______)(__/    \__)
                         Vol.4, No.14 [*] March 5, 1999
                         ------------------------------

                The universe is made of stories, not atoms.
                            - Muriel Rukeyser
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

1  WORLD WAR II SOLDIERS' GRAVEYARD FOUND AT JOIRAMPUR    [S:5-MAR-99]
   ---------------------------------------------------
   LEDO:  A large cemetery of the soldiers who sacrificed their  lives
   in   the  World  War  II  has  recently  been  discovered  by  Col.
   K.S.Rathore, Commandant of Assam Rifles.  The cemetery covered with
   thick jungles was hidden in the midst  of  Namshik  river  and  the
   Stillwel  Road, six km from Joirampur town in Changlang district of
   Arunachal Pradesh.
   
   The Army has cleared the area and  found  more  than  1,000  graves
   within an  area  of about three acre.  The boundary was enclosed by
   concrete posts with entrance  on  three  sides.    The  graves  are
   arranged in  five groups and several rows.  A large grave, possibly
   a mass cremation, is in the centre.  The bricks were from Ledo AR&T
   Co's brick fields, and others marked as B&C-119 and IR.N!C9.
   
   A comparatively large yard has also been found where Chinese script
   are inscribed.   The  inscription  said,  `Major  Hsiao  Chu  Cing,
   Company  Commander, of Second Company, Second Battalion of the 10th
   Regiment Independent Engineers of Chinese Army stationed  in  India
   --  he  was  born in July, 1913 at Wei County of Hepeh province and
   died in December, 1943.'  `All  officers  and  men  of  the  Second
   Company -- January 5, 1944.'
   
   Official  sources  at  Joirampur said that this war cemetery is the
   largest one  in  Assam  and  Arunachal  Pradesh  and  it  would  be
   preserved  as a holy place as well as a tourist spot in near future
   so that the families of the soldiers concerned that died during the
   War in the Eastern front may come to pay homage and  help  identify
   the names of the soldiers.
   
2  TRANSFER MORE POWERS TO STATES, URGE AGP               [S:5-MAR-99]
   ----------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   The  Guwahati  city  committee  of the ruling Asom Gana
   Parishad (AGP) urged the Prime  Minister  to  transfer  all  powers
   except  finance,  defence, foreign affairs and communication to the
   States so as to make them more strong and vibrant.  And also  urged
   him to initiate urgent measures to decentralize powers for a better
   tomorrow.
   
   In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, through the Kamrup
   Deputy Commissioner on March 4, the  AGP  said  that  the  existing
   provisions  of the Indian Constitution `have crippled the States in
   harnessing  resources  of  their  own  and  leaving  them  with  no
   alternative  than  to  look forward to the Centre for grants to the
   great detriment of progress of the State.'
   
3  NEWS EDITOR OF ASSAMESE DAILY BOOKED UNDER NSA         [S:5-MAR-99]
   ----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   The  Kamrup  district  magistrate  on March 4 passed an
   order booking Guwahati-based journalist  and  news  editor  of  the
   Dainik  Agradoot,  Mr Naresh Kalita under the National Security Act
   (NSA).  Mr Kalita was arrested by the Sualkuchi police on  February
   10  from  his house at Kahilipara area in Guwahati for having close
   links with the activists of the outlawed ULFA.

4  AGP LEADER HELD FOR MISINFORMING POLICE                [S:4-MAR-99]
   ---------------------------------------
   NAGAON:  Having been misinformed by an AGP leader, Mr Bipul Kalita,
   the Dhing police had opened fire at a Doul Yatra fair at Alipukhuri
   Than under Moirabari police station in Nagaon district on the night
   of March 2.
   
   According  to  sources,  Mr Bipul Kalita demanded Rs.5,000 from the
   fair committee.  When the committee refused to meet the demand, the
   AGP leader rushed to the Dhing police  station  and  informed  that
   some activists of the Muslim Liberation Front of Assam (MULFA) were
   present in the fair.
   
   The  police  immediately  rushed  to  the  spot and opened fire two
   rounds in the air creating a panicky situation in the area.    When
   the  truth  came to light, the Moirabari police succumbed to public
   pressure and held the AGP leader and detained him.  He was released
   the next day morning.
   
5  CRPF JAWAN SUSPENDED FOR ATTEMPTED MOLESTATION         [S:2-MAR-99]
   ----------------------------------------------
   JORHAT:  A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, Saitendra who
   attempted  to molest a woman of Sitadar chowk at Majuli on February
   28 has been suspended from service.  Sources said  that  the  jawan
   entered  the  lady's  house on the pretext of borrowing an egg, and
   when the women refused, he attempted to molest her.
   
   In her self-defence, the woman hit the jawan with a stick. Enraged,
   the  jawan  hit her back severely injuring her, and fled the scene.
   The police has borne the entire expenses for her treatment  at  the
   hospital.   The  CRPF  authorities  declared  the suspension of the
   jawan from service.
   
6  CONCERN OVER CLOSURE OF FCI GODOWN AT TANGLA           [S:4-MAR-99]
   --------------------------------------------
   TANGLA:  The local people of  Tangla  expressed  concern  over  the
   sudden  closure  of  the Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown for
   the past several days without transacting  any  business.    Common
   consumers,  mostly villagers, have suffered since no quota of rice,
   sugar and other food grain have been booked for Tangla  FCI  godown
   for the last few weeks.
   
   Sources  said  that  the  officer-in-charge  of the godown has left
   Tangla, after some banned outfit demanded money from the FCI staff.
   People of the area are concerned that should the FCI godown have to
   remain closed or shifted to any other area, the  residents  of  the
   northern  part  of  Darrang district will have to suffer, and urged
   the authorities to take immediate steps to  resume  functioning  of
   the godown.
   
   A  section  of  the  public doubts whether the extortion notice had
   come from a real organization.    People  fear  that  even  if  the
   extortion  note is from a bogus party, to shift or close the godown
   in view of threats of extortion will not be  a  big  deal  for  the
   authorities, with little concern to the need of the local people.
   
7  WATER SUPPLY SCHEME RESTORED AFTER ORDER FROM AHRC     [S:5-MAR-99]
   --------------------------------------------------
   SIBSAGAR:   The  Public Health Department additional chief engineer
   has informed that  the  Dachera  Cheleng  Water  Supply  Scheme  of
   Sibsagar  district has been made operative, and the supply of water
   restored after a sou motu case was registered by  the  Assam  Human
   Rights Commission (AHRC) against the non-functioning of the scheme.
   
   Meanwhile, based on newspaper reports that  the  scarcity  drinking
   water in most parts of Guwahati city has become a common phenomenon
   for  the  last  few  years,  and  that the State Government and the
   Municipal Corporation have failed to do anything, the AHRC shot off
   a letter to the Assam Chief Minister on February  27,  drawing  his
   attention  to the vexed problem and urging him to initiate concrete
   measures to solve the problem.
   
8  DROUGHTS HITS DHEMAJI, LAKHIMPUR DISTRICTS             [S:5-MAR-99]
   ------------------------------------------
   NORTH LAKHIMPUR: The drought-like  situation  created  by  lack  of
   rains  during  the  past  four  months  has created panic among the
   people of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts. Not to mention about the
   failure of the Rabi crops, even the other  plants  and  trees  have
   dried  up  and  most  of  the  wells  have become dry. As a result,
   farmers of both the districts are facing a difficult time  and  for
   the  common  people, the day-to-day affairs have come to a grinding
   halt.

9  WITHDRAW ENGLISH BOOKS WITH ERRORS FROM PRIMARY LEVEL  [S:5-MAR-99]
   -----------------------------------------------------
   GOLAGHAT:    A   recent   public  meeting  at  Golaghat  under  the
   presidentship of Prafulla  Chaliha,  noted  educationist,  demanded
   immediate  withdrawal  of  the  prescribed  English  textbooks  for
   Assamese medium primary schools of Assam.   The  meeting  expressed
   grave  concern  in  the  irresponsible  attitude on the part of the
   Government  to  approve  books  which  are  full  of  errors,   and
   detrimental  to  the  future  of  the small children in the primary
   schools.
   
   The speakers in the meeting also criticized the  Primary  Teachers'
   Association  which  approved such books and termed the whole affair
   suspicious.  It may be mentioned that the State  Government,  along
   with  the  Primary  Teachers'  Association,  took the initiative in
   providing the contract to a publishing  house  outside  the  State.
   The  Government  also  released  an  instruction  to the schools to
   follow only those books for a period of five years.
   
10 ASTPPC OFFICIAL ARRESTED FOR SELLING FREE TEXTBOOKS    [S:5-MAR-99]
   ---------------------------------------------------
   JORHAT: Gaurisagar police in Sibsagar district arrested an official
   of   the   zonal  office  of  the  Assam  Textbook  Production  and
   Publication Corporation (ASTPPC),  Jorhat  on  charges  of  alleged
   involvement   in  the  sale  of  free  textbooks  supplied  by  the
   Government.
   
   According  to  reports, Gaurisagar police seized 700 textbooks from
   one Bhaikan Kalita of Namdang Kumargaon of Sibsagar.  On the  basis
   of  Kalita's  confessions  the official of the ASTPPC was arrested.
   He was produced before the court at Jorhat on March 4.

______________________________[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
         To unsubscribe write to: kalita@pikespeak.uccs.edu
________________________________________________________________________