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                   Vol.4, No.66 [*] November 6, 1999
                   ---------------------------------

    The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
                       - John F Kennedy
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 
BRITAIN'S OFFER TO DHANI RAM ON PIG HEART RESEARCH   [S:4-NOV-99]
--------------------------------------------------
GUWAHATI:  The British Medical Council and the Ministry of Health
in Britain have  expressed  their  willingness  to  invite  heart
surgeon  Dr  Dhani  Ram  Baruah  on  pig heart transplantation on
humans, according to a report  in  the  Sunday  Times  of  London
published on October 31.

The report  said,  `A  heart  surgeon  trained  in  Britain,  who
performed  the  world's  first  pig-to-human  heart transplant in
India, is  returning  here  to  seek  permission  to  offer  such
operations in  this country.  Baruah, fellow of the Royal College
of Surgeons, intends to return to Britain next month.'

`Dhani Ram  Baruah,  whose  wife  and  family  live  in  Glasgow,
developed  a  chemical  cocktail  that  enabled him to transfer a
pig-heart into a dying man aged  32.    The  operation  caused  a
furore  in  India,  but  proved that it is possible to transplant
animal tissue into human without it being  immediately  rejected.
The  pig  heart  worked  in Purno Saikia, Baruah's patient, for a
week before he died from a brain infection.'

When  contacted,  Dr  Dhani  Ram Baruah, who is away in Calcutta,
however, told The Sentinel that he will continue his research  at
his Heart Institute at Sonapur, near Guwahati in Assam.

SECRETS OF BRAHMAPUTRA LAID BARE BY GEOGRAPHIC     [TOI:2-NOV-99]
----------------------------------------------
NEW DELHI:    One  of  the  greatest  natural  secrets   of   the
Brahmaputra  as it flows through Tibet has finally been laid bare
to modern world.  A National Geographic Society  expedition,  led
by  Ken Storm, has not only been able to reach the 108-ft Rainbow
waterfalls but also discovered the Tsangpo Gorge which  is  today
recognized as the world's deepest canyon.

Storm,  in  New  Delhi to promote his findings to be premiered on
the National Geographic Channel said, `The  view  was  absolutely
breathtaking.  All the water from the mountains including Everest
gathers  here  and  then  follows  down  this  gorge.'  `This was
once-in-a-lifetime trip; there can be no second', he says.

Storm also talks about his `inner self'.  `When I travelled along
the river, I felt like a pilgrim travelling through the  body  of
the goddess.  I had to strip myself of the western ideology where
explorations remain  an  ego-driven  process.   I realize one can
visit a sacred land only with due reverence and humility.'

AFC WORKS OUT BAILOUT PACKAGE                        [S:5-NOV-99]
-----------------------------
GUWAHATI:  The Assam Financial Corporation (AFC) has worked out a
restructuring package where Rs.880 million has been  proposed  as
equity  from  the  government  in  line  with  the other 17 state
finance corporations in the country, along with the settlement of
refinance and other dues of the corporation.

Briefing newsmen at the Vittya Bhawan in Guwahati,  AFC  managing
director  Patreswar  Basumatary said that the package has already
been submitted  to  the  state  governments  of  Assam,  Tripura,
Manipur,  and  the  Small  Industries  Development  Bank of India
(SIDBI) and the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI).

DRIVERS TO BE REWARDED, 15 HELD FOR ATTACK ON DC     [S:4-NOV-99]
------------------------------------------------
BARPETA:  A meeting held at  the  Barpeta  Deputy  Commissioner's
office  on  October  3,  announced  a  reward of Rs.2,500 each to
Joynaluddin Ahmed, the driver of the DC's car and  Suren  Gayari,
the  driver  of  the  security personnel's car for their sense of
duty and courage during the attack by militants.

Meanwhile, 15  persons  were  rounded  up  for  interrogation  in
connection  with  the  ambush on the security convoy of Swapnanil
Baruah, DC Barpeta at  Ghagrapara  near  Barpeta  on  October  2.
Although  Baruah  escaped unhurt, three of his security personnel
were injured in the incident.  Police suspect involvement of ULFA
militants in the attack.

PLAN FOR SURRENDER OF MORE ULFA ULTRAS               [S:2-NOV-99]
--------------------------------------
GUWAHATI:  All  formalities  have  been  almost   completed   for
surrender  of another batch of militants soon after the Deepawali
festival.  Police  sources  said  that  those  expressing   their
willingness  to  shun  the  path  of  violence  and return to the
mainstream and whose names  have  been  cleared  include  several
hard-core  rebels  of  the  banned  ULFA  from  the  lower  Assam
districts of Darrang, Nalbari and Kamrup.

Sources said  that  Assam  Government  has  given  clearance  for
surrender   after   examining   their   proposal   for   suitable
rehabilitation.  The rebels had sent feelers to the government  a
couple  of  months  back,  through  mediators,  expressing  their
willingness to come overground.  The matter was, however, delayed
as the government had not finalized their rehabilitation scheme.

ULFA SHOT DEAD, ONE ARRESTED, MAP SEIZED             [S:5-NOV-99]
----------------------------------------
GUWAHATI:  Dinesh  Sarkar  alias Pagla, an ULFA militant was shot
dead by  unidentified  assailants  at  Halakura  in  Gauripur  on
November  3.  Following  the  killing,  the  people  of  the area
observed an spontaneous bandh.

In upper Assam town of Teok, police arrested Anjal  Payeng  alias
Bhaba  Taho, publicity secretary of the ULFA's Dhansiri unit from
a house at Karoimari Mishing village in the wee hours of November
4.  Police also arrested the owner of the house and his  daughter
on charges of giving shelter to the activist.

Police recovered a foreign-made pistol, ammunition, copies of the
ULFA newsletter Swadhinata, a number of  incriminating  documents
from the  ultra.    Meanwhile, in neighbouring state of Meghalaya
police seized a secret route map from Manikganj to Guwahati  from
an  ULFA militant, Jumi Kakati during a raid at Manikganj area of
East Garo Hills.

TEA INDUSTRY RESENTS `PRESSURE TACTICS'             [S:2-NOV-99]
---------------------------------------
JORHAT:   The tea industry is unhappy over the Assam Government's
pressure tactics on it to dole out  funds  to  the  public  works
department  to repair roads in the district and is of the opinion
that the tea industry should be allowed to repair  and  construct
roads on its own.

The Assam Tea Association chairman Prabhat Bezboruah alleged that
the  government  wanted  to  pass  the  buck  to the tea industry
without owning up responsibility for the  dilapidated  conditions
of the  roads.  He said, the tea industry will certainly consider
an offer for full responsibility for repair of roads used by it.

He said, the public works department's estimate of Rs.200,000 for
repair of 1 km stretch of road is not acceptable, nor its quality
of work, adding that the industry is always willing to  cooperate
with the Government on developmental activities.

UNIQUE METHOD OF FUND COLLECTION: FOUR ARRESTED      [S:2-NOV-99]
-----------------------------------------------
GOLAGHAT:   Four  persons,  including  a  woman,  who  had   been
collecting  money,  in  the name of helping disabled people, from
different schools in Golaghat town were held by  Golaghat  police
for interrogation.    The  party,  representing  an  NGO,  Social
Guidance Centre with offices in New Delhi and Imphal, had  agreed
to return more than Rs.70,000 collected from the schools.

The unique modus operandi employed by them was  to  distribute  a
printed form  to  the  school students.  The students are told to
collect money from their parents, neighbours and friends and fill
in the form.  In return, the students were awarded  certificates,
and silver and gold medals according to amount they raise.

PAYMENT OF PENSION TO SURABALA DELAYED              [S:2-NOV-99]
--------------------------------------
GUWAHATI:   AGP  member  of  the Assam Legislative Assembly Dilip
Saikia took the government to task for delayed payment of pension
to even persons like  Surabala  Bordoloi,  the  wife  of  freedom
fighter and political leader late Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi and
asked the Assam government to be up and doing in such matters.

Admitting  the  lapse, chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said
it was unfortunate that the  officials  and  employees  concerned
acted in an indifferent manner.  He said, steps would be taken to
see that such lapses do not recur.

ORDER TO COMMUNICATE IN ASSAMESE IN ASSAM BHAWAN    [S:29-OCT-99]
------------------------------------------------
GUWAHATI:   The  Trade Adviser and Director of Movements of Assam
Bhawan at Calcutta, Nagendra Nath Hazarika has by an order  asked
all  officials  and  employees  of  Assam  Bhawan  at Calcutta to
communicate with all visitors and others from Assam  in  Assamese
and asked them to learn the language in special training sessions
to be organized by the authorities.  The order was issued in view
of the difficulties faced by many of the visitors from Assam, who
cannot communicate in any other language, sources said.

DEVAKANTA'S COLLECTION OF BOOKS TO JNU             [PTI:2-NOV-99]
--------------------------------------
NEW DELHI: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) library will  be
richer   by  about  6,000  books  which  comprised  the  personal
collection of  one  of  Assam's  most  prominent  poet-politician
Devakanta Borooah.

JNU will initially receive 3,000 titles of the prized collection,
to  be  named  after  Borooah,  which has books ranging from Arab
history, medieval India, English literature, biographies et al in
English, Sanskrit, Hindi, Assamese and  Bengali,  family  sources
said.

Recalling  Borooah's love for his books, a family member said his
collection was known to many and leaders like Indira Gandhi often
borrowed from him.  A  troubleshooter  in  the  Jawaharlal  Nehru
Cabinet,  Devakanta  was  an MP in the first Lok Sabha, served as
the Congress president, was a Speaker of the Assam  Assembly  and
held the post of Bihar Governor in his long political career.

MOLOYA, ALTAF IN PANORAMA PANEL, ADAJYA IN DD-I      [S:5-NOV-99]
-----------------------------------------------
GUWAHATI: Noted Assamese actress Moloya Goswami and film director
and member of Assam  Cine  Art  Society  Altaf  Majid  have  been
selected  as  members  of  the  national selectors' panel for the
story and documentary section  of  the  Indian  Panorama  in  the
International Film Festival to be held in New Delhi next year.

The  award  winning Assamese film Adajya, directed by Dr Santwana
Bordoloi,  will  be  telecast  by  Doordarshan  in  its  national
programme for regional film at 12:30 pm on Saturday, November 6.

___________________________[Mozz-BG]______________________________
Compiled from newspaper and agency reports for private circulation 
   [S=Sentinel, AT=Assam Tribune, Agencies = UNI, PTI, PIB]
           http://www.cyberspace.org/~mozz/aol.html  
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