Politics / Assam

Jorhat, Feb. 4: Assam minister for employment and craftsmanship Rupam Kurmi passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, early this morning. She was 55.

Kurmi, who was admitted to the AIIMS on November 24, died of multiple ailments. She hails from Cinnamara here and had been representing the Mariani constituency in the district since 1991. She was elected to the Assembly for three consecutive terms and was the first woman cabinet minister from the tea community.

Kurmi leaves behind two sons. Her funeral will be held tomorrow in her ancestral home at...

Silchar, Feb. 4: The North Cachar Hills district in south Assam is reeling under a 36-hour bandh, which began at 5 am today. The bandh was called by the newly-formed Dimasa Youth Forum (DYF) to protest against the Centre?s delay in initiating peace talks with Dima Halam Daoga to wrap up the decade-long hostilities in the district.

A senior police official at Haflong, the headquarters town of the district, today said the bandh was ?near total?. Shops, markets and educational institutions remained closed and attendance at government offices and banks was thin. Vehicles remained off the roads in...

UDALGURI, Feb 2 ? Renowned historians like Surya Kumar Bhuyan wrote Assams history ignoring the Rabhas, one of the important tribes of Assam and that is why people of Assam remained ignorant of the Rabha people and their art and culture, according to Sarbeswar Rabha, the vice president of All Rabha Students? Union (ARSU).

He was speaking at the main session of 12th biennial, 6th biennial and 17th joint conference of Darrang district committees of All Rabha Students? Union (ARSU), All Rabha Women?s Council (ARWC) and All Rabha National Council (ARNC) respectively here at the Bishnu Rabha...

Guwahati, Jan. 31: The curtain came down on the Assam government?s amnesty offer to rebels with a large number of militants surrendering to the army today. The state government?s general amnesty offer to rebels, proposed after the Bhutan operation, expires tonight.

As many as 156 militants belonging to the Ulfa and the NDFB laid down arms at Tamulpur in Nalbari district in presence of the Four Corps general-officer-commanding Lt Gen. Anup Singh Jamwal today.

?The general amnesty has paid dividends as militants of both the groups have come forward in large numbers to join the mainstream. The...

SIVASAGAR, Jan 31 ? Pradip Hazarika, former AGP Minister of Transport and a general secretary of the party?s central executive body who was relieved of his post due to his opposition to the repeal of IMDT Act, was re-elected to the cultural executive body at the sixth triennial conference held in Sivasagar Milon Mandir on January 24.

The meeting chaired by Golap Gogoi reconstituted the district AGP committee with Golap Gogoi as president, Tarun Deori and Chandan Gogoi as secretaries, while Jogesh Borah, Nomal Gohain and Sobharam Saud as vice-presidents.

Rupam Kakati, Siva Singha Konwar, Bonshi...

GUWAHATI, Jan 31: Growing links between the militant outfits of the North Eastern region and Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) backed Kashmiri militant outfits is causing concern among the security agencies and recently the security agencies have come across links between the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and Jamait Ul Mujaheedin (JUM), a Pakistan Occupied Kashmir based militant outfit.

Highly placed security sources said that the links between the ULFA and the JUM came to light after the seizure of huge number of AK 47 ammunition in Kolkata, following which, two ULFA...

Guwahati, Jan. 30: Last night was certainly the longest for the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in recent memory. By the time party president Brindaban Goswami defeated challenger Prafulla Kumar Mahanta to earn a second term in office, it was morning. The first light of the day, however, did not quite dispel the darkness within the AGP.

In the span of 24 hours, the divide in the party became so pronounced that a repeat of 1990, when it suffered a split, looked possible.

In 1990, former home minister Bhrigu Kumar Phukan and Goswami revolted against Mahanta and formed the Natun Asom Gana Parishad. The...

Guwahati, Jan. 30: He became president of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) over two years ago, but battle-hardened Brindaban Goswami will regard his victory over Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in the fight to retain the top job as his finest moment.

Chosen to lead the party after Mahanta, his predecessor, was forced to step down in September 2001, there were doubts among a section in the AGP ? and outside ? about Goswami?s ability to lead the regional party.

However, the man known for his cool temperament silenced his detractors in style this morning, defeating his challenger by a margin of 97 votes in...

Guwahati, Jan. 29: A Kuki organisation has complained to the National Human Rights Commission about persecution of the tribe by the militant United People?s Democratic Solidarity with the backing of the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), which is the dominant political party of Assam?s Karbi Anglong district.

In a memorandum to the commission, the Kuki Human Rights Association accused the Tarun Gogoi government of being ?casual? in its approach to the problems of the Kukis of Karbi Anglong.

Nearly 50 people from both the Kuki and Karbi communities have died and scores injured in the...

Guwahati, Jan. 28: A resurgent Prafulla Kumar Mahanta fired the first salvo in the battle for control of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), accusing president Brindaban Goswami of not leading the party properly.

The founder president of the AGP and former chief minister reached Tezpur, Goswami?s hometown, with his aides this afternoon and made a grand entry into the venue of the regional party?s three-day triennial conference. Slogan-shouting supporters in motorbikes and four-wheelers heralded his arrival there.

The election to the post of AGP president is slated for tomorrow.

Before leaving for...