Politics / Assam

MARIANI, Dec 13 ? The Congress and the BJP suffered a humiliating defeat in the town committee polls at Mariani, with the Nationalist Congress Party bagging all the five seats. The huge margins of defeat lays bare the fact that the public was well aware of the failure of the Congress govt in the region. It showed that the public was keen for a change. It may be mentioned that Mariani is the Assembly seat of Cabinet Minister Rupam Kurmi and also adjacent to Tarun Gogoi?s base Titabor. Moreover, MP Bijoy Krishna Handique is also a Congressman. In such a scence, a Congress defeat in the TC polls...

Nagaon, Dec. 12: The anti-talks faction of the United People?s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS) today rejected the Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA)?s peace overtures, dashing hopes of an immediate end to the Karbi-Kuki feud. ?In the name of a peace gesture, the KRA has been trying to gain some respectability and cover up the killings of innocent Karbi people under its Operation Volcano,? the anti-talks faction of the UPDS said.

The statement came a day after the pro-talks faction of the group threatened to pick up weapons again to protect the Karbis from the KRA. Branding the KRA as ?an organisation...

Kokrajhar, Dec. 11: As a student at Gauhati Medical College in the Eighties, Bharat Chandra Basumatary took the Hippocratic oath to save lives. But he ended up as an outcast in 1992 after being arrested on charges of triggering a bomb blast in the busy Paltan Bazar area of Assam?s capital city.

Basumatary has come a long way since then. He laid down arms last week along with his comrades in the disbanded Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) and wants to start life anew. ?Yes, I am ready to resume my career as a doctor,? he says.

As many as 20 people were killed in the blast that made Basumatary...

GUWAHATI, Dec 11: Though the All Bodo Students? Union (ABSU) is not directly involved with the functioning of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), it would keep a close watch on the activities of the Council to ensure all round development of the area, said the ABSU president Rabiram Narzary. In an interview with The Assam Tribune, the ABSU president said that the students? organisation would take all possible steps for the success of the BTC in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of all sections of people of the area. He said that the ABSU would also keep a close watch on all the...

Nagaon, Dec. 9: The Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) today offered to talk peace with its rival, the anti-talks faction of the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), and said it was ready to accept even a Karbi as mediator. The announcement was made by the KRA divisional commandant in charge of operations launched by the Manipur-based militant group in Assam.

The militant leader, K. Hanghshing, said: ?For the sake of peace in Karbi Anglong, we are ready to sit for discussions. The mediator may be a Karbi or from other community, but we are ready to talk on the issue of peace in Karbi...

New Delhi, Dec. 9: The Assam government?s lackadaisical and ad hoc efforts towards promoting tourism came as a shock to visitors at the tourism stall in the Assam Pavilion at the recently-concluded India International Trade Fair here. So incensed was Assam governor Lt Gen. (retd) Ajai Singh with the shabby appearance of the stall and its shoddy arrangements that he immediately shot off a letter to the department.

A few improvements were, naturally, ushered in after that. But sample this: There was no visitor?s book at the stall.

A sum of Rs 1.75 lakh was earmarked for tourism at the fair but...

GUWAHATI, Dec 9 ? After the initial euphoria of formation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) dies down, the Bodo leaders, particularly those at the helm of affairs of the interim council, will have to pull up their socks to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people. The interim council members headed by former Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) chairman Hagrama Mohilary (Basumatary) took oath in front of a mammoth gathering in presence of Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani on December 7 at Debargaon near Kokrajhar town and the expectations from the people are too high as was evident from...

SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTH EAST REGION, Dec 9 ? The Kuki Revolutionary Army (KRA) has threatened to continue with its armed struggle until the killing of Kuki people by UPDS militants in Karbi Anglong district stops, reports PTI. KRA divisional commandant of Nagaland, Karbi Anglong and NC Hills, Thangkeng Sanghshing told reporters, whom they took to their camp, today that ?if the killing of our Kuki people continued, we will not sit idle but retaliate. We are ready to fight.?

Sangshing alleged that there was a conspiracy to drive out the Kukis from Karbi Anglong as they did not have any political...

Kokrajhar, Dec. 7: Yesterday?s militant could be tomorrow?s Black Cat commando. The director-general of the National Security Guards (NSG) today held out hope for surrendered members of the Bodo Liberation Tigers, saying each of them had the potential to walk into the country?s elite commando force.

Ranjit Shekhar Mushahary, whose exploits have made him a role model for Bodo youth, said: ?The NSG ranks comprise the best of personnel from different security wings. If the Centre and the Assam government launch a special recruitment drive for the surrendered youth, they can be later inducted into...

GUWAHATI, Dec 7 ? The Karbi Students? Association (KSA) and the Khasi Students? Union (KSU) have decided to put pressure on the governments of Assam and Meghalaya respectively, as well as the concerned autonomous councils, to resolve the boundary problem once for all. The two student bodies want the problem to be resolved on the basis of ?historical evidence and documents.?

The decision to this effect was taken in the meeting between the leaders of the KSA and the KSU held at Shillong yesterday, KSA general secretary Pankaj Teron said today. The central issue during yesterday?s meeting was...