Politics / Assam

GUWAHATI, March 2 — The signing of the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) by the Union and State Governments with the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) may not bring back the long-awaited peace and normalcy to the proposed Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) areas. While the militants of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) have denounced the MoS as the product of the BLT’s “capitulation” in matters of principle and ideology, the Sanmilita Janaosthiya Sangram Samiti (SJSS), representing over 20 organisations of the non-Bodos living in the BTC areas, has rejected the MoS as “one-sided”, burnt...

GUWAHATI, March 1: Congress candidate Kripanath Malah today won the Ratabari Assembly by-election in Assam defeating his nearest BJP rival Sambhu Singh Mallah by 31,170 votes. The Congress candidate polled 49,104 votes, while his opponent got 17,934 votes, election office sources said from Ratabari in Karimganj district.

UDALGURI, Feb 27 – The All Assam Nepali Students’ Union (AANSU) of BAC region has welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) on Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) on February 10 last at New Delhi among Central, State governments and Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT). This was stated in a press note issued by Sri Ram Budathoki, secretary of the students’ organisation.

Terming the accord a milestone in favour of peace and prosperity in the region, the AANSU leader hoped that the other rebel outfits of the region too would follow the example of BLT for the greater interest of the...

NEW DELHI, Feb 26 — Notwithstanding the hue-and-cry in Assam over proposed repealing of the controversial IMDT Act, the Central government is planning to play it safe and await the verdict of the Supreme Court. This was confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani here today when in reply to a Question Hour discussion, he said that though there is difference of opinion, the Government would wait for the decision of the Apex Court.

However, he left no one in doubt about how the Centre felt about the Act saying that enacted in 1983 so far only 1496 illegal migrants could be deported under the...

Guwahati, Feb. 25: The mortar attack on the Indian Air Force base in Borjhar here on Sunday has sparked off a blame game between New Delhi and Dispur which has all but pushed the security threat into the background. A day after defence minister George Fernandes and the Eastern Air Command blamed Dispur for the attack, the latter returned the fire with equal gusto by holding the air force responsible for the security breach.

Besides seeking a detailed report on the incident from the Eastern Air Command, Fernandes said in Shillong yesterday that if needed, he would seek an explanation from the...

NEW DELHI, Feb 25 – In a move that is bound to have a deep impact on the infiltration prone States like Assam, the Central Government proposes to create separate list of doubtful citizens before issuing multi-purpose national identity cards (MPNIC) in a bid to checkmate the illegal immigrants. The move divulged by Deputy Prime Minister, LK Advani in the Lok Sabha this morning, apparently taken out of the Election Commission of India’s book is likely to stir a hornet’s nest given the revulsion to creation of Doubtful List or ‘D’ List as it’s popularly known. In Assam, over 2.65 lakh names...

Guwahati/Shillong, Feb. 24: Angry over the administration’s failure to prevent the audacious mortar attack on the Indian Air Force base at Borjhar, defence minister George Fernandes has sought a detailed report on the incident and said that Dispur had some explaining to do about lapses in security.

Fernandes made the statement in Shillong even as Assam police rounded up 25 people for interrogation and recovered a mortar left behind by the militants involved in the attack last night.

The defence minister, who was in Meghalaya to boost the National Democratic Alliance’s electoral campaign, said...

GUWAHATI, Feb 24 — The Coordination Committee of Tribal Organisations, Assam (CCTOA), a united platform of some 25 tribal organisations in the State, has decided to launch an agitation against the reported move of the Centre to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the 70-lakh strong Koch-Rajbongshi community in the State.

Terming the Centre’s move as ‘politically motivated’, CCTOA co-ordinator Milon Sonowal told presspersons here today that the CCTOA will organsie a sit-in demonstration in New Delhi on March 13 to oppose the Centre’s move. The CCTOA has also threatened to call a state-wide...

NEW DELHI, Feb 24 — In a significant development, the Central Government has ruled out the possibility of according Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe status to any more communities of Assam. The pronouncement that was made in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, F S Kulasve assumes significance because the case of Koch-Rajbongshi community is pending before the Central government.

Responding to a question by Dr Arun Kumar Sarmah, the Minister said that according to the modalities approved for deciding claims for inclusions, exclusion and other modifications in the list of...

Guwahati, Feb. 23: Suspected Ulfa militants today targeted the Indian Air Force for the first time since launching the guerrilla campaign, firing a mortar on the air base at Borjhar on the outskirts of the city. Fifteen airmen having dinner at their mess had a narrow escape when the mortar pierced the roof and fell on the verandah before exploding. The incident took place around 8.30 pm.

The mortar not only caused “considerable damage” to the building but also dented the confidence of the Congress government, which had been claiming an improvement in law and order since it assumed office. City...