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                         Vol.4, No.38 [*] June 28, 1999
                         ------------------------------
                 
                Any activity becomes creative when the doer
                   cares about doing it right, or better.
                              - John Updike
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

1  AHRC FLAYS GOVT'S ATTITUDE ON RIGHTS VIOLATIONS       [S:26-JUN-99]
   -----------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI: The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has taken strong
   exception of  the  Assam  Government's  lackadaisical  attitude  to
   popularize   and   make   people   aware   human   rights.  Justice
   S.N.Bhargava, chairperson of AHRC  had  recently  asked  the  State
   Government  to  issue  instructions to the departments to introduce
   the  subject  of  human  rights  at  all  official  programmes  for
   awareness among people.

   The  AHRC,  in its letter said, `we are trying to make people aware
   about human rights and its concepts.  But  we  have  been  noticing
   that  the  State  Government  is  not bothered and has so far never
   included the topic  of  human  rights  in  any  of  its  seminar  /
   workshops.'
   
   The letter also referred to the indifferent attitude of  the  State
   Panchayat  and  Rural Development department, where it said that in
   spite of several requests the topic was not included at  a  two-day
   seminar-cum-workshop on Panchayati Raj held at Guwahati recently.
   
2  RELEASE OF TEACHER DEMANDED BY VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS  [S:28-JUN-99]
   ----------------------------------------------------
   NALBARI:   Nine  different organizations of Borimakha, Devchara and
   Basaka have demanded immediate unconditional release  of  Mr  Dilip
   Boro,  a  teacher  and  member  of  the Education Advisory Board of
   Bodoland Autonomous Council.   Mr  Boro  was  recently  taken  into
   custody  by police and some surrendered Bodo ultras from Ganeshguri
   in Guwahati, on some concocted charges.  The organizations maintain
   that Mr Boro was a dedicated  teacher,  besides  having  connection
   with a number of social organizations.
   
3  PEPSI OFFICIAL DENIES REPORT                          [S:27-JUN-99]
   ----------------------------
   GUWAHATI:   Stoutly  refuting  reports  that  Pepsi  was  trying to
   capture the Northeast market by selling  substandard  products,  Mr
   H.U.Zhimoni,  the  chairman  of  the North East Pure Drinks Private
   Limited, manufacturing and marketing  the  Pepsi  products  in  the
   region,  said  that  such  a  propaganda was launched by some rival
   competitors with an ulterior motive.

4  HSLC TOPPER DEPRIVED OF SCHOLARSHIP                   [S:26-JUN-99]
   -----------------------------------
   NALBARI:   Ms  Jahnabi  Deka,  who  stood  13th  in the High School
   Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination in 1997 is deprived  of  any
   scholarship from  the  concerned authority.  That year, Ms Deka was
   admitted at MNC College, Nalbari in the Higher Secondary and passed
   the HS (Arts) examination, 1999 with the top position.  But she has
   not obtained any scholarship in the past two years.   Local  people
   are concerned about this anomaly, sources said.
    
5  VETERINARY STUDENTS GO BERSERK IN GUWAHATI            [S:28-JUN-99]
   ------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  A group of students of the Veterinary College, Khanapara
   in Guwahati, having their faces covered with bandannas,  created  a
   havoc ransacking a number of shops, telephone booths and bashing up
   some people including shopkeepers at Farm Gate locality of the area
   in the evening hours of June 26.
   
   According  to eyewitness accounts, a number of people were injured,
   one of whom seriously, in the incident.  Though  the  exact  reason
   behind  the  students' act is yet to be ascertained, according to a
   source, the incident was a follow-up action of an earlier clash.
   
6  TRUCK WITH ILLEGAL TIMBER BURNT                       [S:27-JUN-99]
   -------------------------------
   PATACHARKUCHI:  A truck loaded with smuggled wood was burnt by some
   unidentified  youths  at  Ulua  village  under Patacharkuchi police
   station on June 19 at about 10 pm.  The truck was carrying the wood
   from Rangapara to Nalbari when a group of youths overtook the truck
   and stopped at gunpoint, at Ulua on  the  Swahid  Madan  Rauta  PWD
   Road.   The occupants of the truck were asked to get down before it
   was torched.  The truck along with the wood was burnt to ashes.
   
7  INCOMPLETE RIVER EMBANKMENT THREATENED BY FLOOD       [S:27-JUN-99]
   -----------------------------------------------
   LAKHIPUR:  The 6.2 km Brahmaputra embankment at  Kharkuja-Balikuchi
   in Goalpara district, which is under repair at an estimated cost of
   Rs.33.4  million  has  been  severely  threatened  due  to  erosion
   following rise in river water.  While 70 per cent of the  work  was
   completed, the remaining work was not carried out due to nonpayment
   of bills  to  the  contractors.  Around 270 villages are threatened
   due to the rising water level.
   
8  SOIL WASH-OFF OF BRAHMAPUTRA MORE THAN MISSISSIPPI    [S:27-JUN-99]
   --------------------------------------------------
   GUWAHATI:  A day-long workshop on `Environment -- its Concepts  and
   Issues', organized by the Assam Science Society and World Wide Fund
   (WWF)  in  Guwahati  discussed matters on environment and suggested
   measures to tackle the natural calamities.
   
   Submitting a paper on `Vanishing Forests -- a Threat  to  Mankind,'
   retired  Indian  Forest Service officer H.K.Chowdhury said that the
   massive deforestation in hills and catchment areas has tremendously
   increased the annual soil wash-off rate per km of the  Brahmaputra,
   thus posing a serious threat to the State by the perennial floods.
   
   Compared  to  104  tonnes  per  km  of Mississippi, the annual soil
   wash-off rate per  km  is  about  600  tonnes  of  Brahmaputra,  Mr
   Chowdhury  said,  suggesting  that  the  large-scale erosion, which
   cause siltation  in  riverbeds  should  be  stopped  by  taking  up
   preventive measures.  He added that the Himalayan catchment account
   for over 60 per cent of flood havoc in the country.
   
9  MIZO BOXER TO REPRESENT INDIA                       [UNI:25-JUN-99]
   -----------------------------
   AIZAWL:    Seventeen-year-old   Mizo   flyweight   category   boxer
   Laldinsanga   has   been   selected   to  represent  India  in  the
   International Junior Boxing Championship to be held in Germany next
   month.  State Sports secretary said Laldinsanga was selected  after
   three  test  rounds  amongst  the  Northeast regional champions and
   national champions.  He is at the national junior  boxing  coaching
   camp at Bangalore preparing for the forthcoming championship.

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