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                         Vol.4, No.24 [*] April 17, 1999
                         -------------------------------

                    I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
                     And what I assume you shall assume.
                               - Walt Whitman
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

1  AGP REACTION ON FALL OF BJP GOVERNMENT              [UNI:17-APR-99]
   --------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   The  ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) said that they had
   nothing to react at the fall of Atal Behari Vajpayee Government  at
   the Centre  as  AGP  had  no  member  in  the Lok Sabha.  AGP chief
   spokesman and former Union Minister Birendra  Prasad  Baishya  said
   that  the AGP always believed in secularism and federalism and they
   advocated transfer of more powers to the State.

   He said whoever form the Government at the Centre,  the  AGP  would
   extend  cooperation  to  them  if  they gave preference for solving
   problems,  especially  economic  backwardness  of  Assam  and   the
   northeastern  States.  The  party also wanted the implementation of
   the  economic  package  announced  by  the  former  Prime  Minister
   H.D.Deve Gowda, he said.
   
2  ABSU TO LAUNCH STIR AFRESH ON BODOLAND ISSUE          [S:19-APR-99]
   --------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   Opposing  the  recent  delineation  of   the   Bodoland
   Autonomous  Council  (BAC)  boundary,  the  All Bodo Students Union
   (ABSU), in its executive meeting held at the Bodoland  guest  house
   on  April 18, decided to launch a fresh agitation to pressurize the
   Government of India to resolve  the  Bodo  problem  by  creating  a
   separate state of Bodoland, and conceding other political demands.
   
3  RAPE BY ARMY MAN CONDEMNED                            [S:17-APR-99]
   --------------------------
   GUWAHATI: The Kokrajhar District Committee of the Bharatiya  Janata
   Party  (BJP)  has severely condemned the alleged rape of a mentally
   deranged 19-year-old girl by an  Army  personnel  at  Kokrajhar  on
   April 13.
   
   When  contacted  over  phone,  the Deputy Commissioner of Kokrajhar
   district, Mr J.I.Kathar confirmed  the  incident,  a  release  said
   adding  according to eyewitness accounts the crime was committed in
   front of the public in broad daylight at about 4 pm.
   
   Meanwhile, a Defence wing release has confirmed the  case  of  rape
   and  stated  that  the  suspect has been placed under arrest by the
   Army authorities on April 13 evening. A court of inquiry  has  been
   ordered which is in progress.
   
4  FIRING INSIDE `NAMGHAR', ONE WOMAN KILLED             [S:17-APR-99]
   -----------------------------------------
   TANGLA:   In  an  operation  by  police,  reportedly  to  nab  Bodo
   Liberation  Tiger (BLT) militants, Ms Jambi Daimari (40), wife of a
   village  defence  party  (VDP)  secretary  Mr  Rajen  Daimary,   of
   Merburgsuba  under  Paneri  police station in Darrang district, was
   killed when the police party resorted to firing inside a  community
   prayer hall, on April 14.
   
   While  police  sources  claim  that  the  woman   was   killed   in
   cross-firing  between the police and the ultras, unofficial sources
   and the Paneri local committee  of  the  All  Bodo  Students  Union
   (ABSU),  however,  have  alleged  that the police party resorted to
   unprovoked firing while the deceased was  offering  prayers  inside
   the `namghar'.    The  ABSU  also alleged that a group of policemen
   from Tangla surrounded  the  house  of  Rajen  Daimary  and  opened
   indiscriminate firing.
   
5  ASKSS BOYCOTT FROM TODAY FOR NONPAYMENT OF SALARY     [S:18-APR-99]
   -------------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  The Asom Sikshak-Karmachari Samanway Samiti (ASKSS)  has
   decided  to  boycott  all  works  from April 19 to 24 following its
   abortive discussion with the State's Education  Minister  Thaneswar
   Boro.   During the period, the teachers and employees will sign the
   attendance but abstain from all works including evaluation  of  the
   HSLC (Matric) answer papers.
   
   The  high school teachers and employees organization criticized the
   Assam Government for its failure to honour its  commitment  in  the
   meeting  held on March 13 with the Education Minister and a host of
   high officials of the education department.
   
   Not to speak of the arrear dues, even the current salaries were not
   paid  to  the  teachers on the eve of the Bihu festival, ASKSS said
   adding that the government's move has upset  the  festive  mood  of
   their dependants.
   
6  AWARDS NAMED AFTER PERSONALITIES FROM ASSAM BY ARMY   [S:17-APR-99]
   ---------------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  The 4 Corps of the Army at Tezpur  has  instituted  four
   trophies  in  the  memory  of  Lachit Borphukan, Lokapriya Gopinath
   Bordoloi, Fakruddin Ali Ahmed and  in  the  name  of  Daimalu,  the
   famous Bodo warrior.  Each trophy carries a purse of Rs.1,000.
   
   The  trophies  will  be  awarded for professional excellence to the
   best student  officers  undergoing  training  at  infantry  schools
   located at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh and Belgaum in Karnataka, the two
   prime training establishments of Indian Army.
   
   The  trophies  will not only motivate the student officers but also
   will act as incentive to  study  the  rich  heritage,  culture  and
   traditions of Assam, a press release stated.
   
7  ARANGETRAM PRESENTED BY 35 YOUNG DANCERS              [S:17-APR-99]
   ----------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  In a classical dance festival  on  April  9  and  10  at
   Rabindra  Bhawan,  Guwahati,  35  young dancers who passed from the
   Puspanjali Cultural  Academy,  and  performed  their  `arangetram',
   received the institution's diplomas.  
   
   The dancers are  all  disciples of Ms  Pushpa  Bhuyan.  Seven other 
   candidates who could not appear in  the diploma examination because 
   of their  preoccupation  with   the  postponed  Matric  and  higher 
   secondary examinations, will present their `arangetram' later.
   
   Ms Pushpa Bhuyan  in  a  moving  speech  introduced  Ms  Bhanushree
   Goswami,  a  deaf and dumb student who qualified for the diploma by
   sheer hard work for the past seven years, and the extra efforts put
   by her teachers using improvised sign language. The diploma holders
   held a crowded audience  spell  bound  during  their  maiden  stage
   performance.
   
______________________________[Mozz-BG]_________________________________
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