Politics / Assam

GUWAHATI, Jan 21 ? In the Sanjay Ghosh killing case, seven prosecution witnesses today deposed before the ad-hoc Additional Sessions Judge Kamrup P K Phukan here, reports PTI. The witnesses were all residents of Majuli river island in upper Assam where social worker Sanjoy Ghosh of Avard-NE was working and abducted by the ULFA on July 4, 1997.

None of the witnesses turned hostile. One of the accused, ULFA cadre Kaniya Hazarika, who was charge-sheeted by the investigating agency CBI and is in judicial custody now, was also present in the court. The next recording of another witness would be...

NEW DELHI, Jan 21 ? The shifting stands of the Assam Government and hawks within the Bodo leadership have emerged as the prime factor for the breakdown of peace talks with the Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) leading to a stalemate. While both the Assam government and the BLT packed their bags and left for Assam, the sudden turn of events, however, left the Central Government peeved. The draft Bodo Accord was kept ready and an appointment with Deputy Prime Minister, LK Advani was fixed for his presence in the accord signing ceremony before the deadlock forced the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)...

Jorhat, Jan. 20: The CBI has rounded up nine persons from Majuli in connection with the abduction and subsequent killing of social worker Sanjoy Ghose. They would be presented before the court as witnesses tomorrow.

The second hearing of the sensational case will be held tomorrow. The first hearing was on December 17.

Sources here said the CBI team, which landed on the island on January 18, failed to track down Chandan Doley, a prime witness to the incident. Doley, who was abducted along with Ghose from Mekheli village in the island on July 4, 1997, managed to escape from the clutches of the...

New Delhi, Jan. 20: An expected Bodo agreement stumbled in the last stretch before breasting the tape, compelling the Centre to merely extend the ceasefire between the security forces and Bodo militants for a month from tonight.

The ceasefire, which had held the fragile peace in the Bodo region, was scheduled to expire tonight.

Expectations were high that an agreement would be wrapped up at the end of today?s tripartite negotiations between the Assam government, the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) and Union home ministry officials. Even a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been prepared and...

NEW DELHI, Jan 20 ? Negotiations between the Government and the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) has run into a rough weather, with the Bodo militant outfit striking an adamant stand on reservation of seats for non-Bodos, forcing the Centre to extend the ceasefire pact for another month. The tension was writ large on the face of Bodo leaders as the peace negotiations with the Government is on the verge of collapse, with both Assam Government too refusing to budge from its stand on reservation of 10 seats for non-Bodos.

The tripartite talks among the BLT, Central and Assam Government was held...

GUWAHATI, Jan 19 ? Bhutan?s Ambassador to India Lyonpo Dago Teshring today said that it was in the interest of both the South Asian neighbours to strengthen peace and stability in both Bhutan and Assam. He said there is scope for mutual operation between Bhutan and Assam.

Ambassador Teshring, who was speaking at the Rabindra Bhawan here this evening while attending the launch function of the Assam chapter of the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Association, said that Bhutan and Assam have common interests and common concerns. Refraining from commenting either on militancy in Assam or on the presence...

Guwahati, Jan. 18: The Assam government today approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre and the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) to resolve the vexed Bodo problem, but failed to take any decision on the inclusion of 93 additional villages in the proposed Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC).

The state Cabinet, which met here this evening, reiterated its earlier decision that only those villages which have more than 50 per cent Bodo population or are contiguous will be considered for inclusion in the proposed BTC, government spokesman Ripun Bora told The Telegraph.

The government...

RANGIYA, Jan 18 ? Promod Baro, president All Bodo Students? Union (ABSU), Kamrup District Committee and Pabitra Kumar Baro, commander, Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT), Kamrup District Committee, in a joint statement issued to the press here expressed great resentment over the activities carried out by Sanmilita Jana-Gosthiya Sangram Parishad and ARMCA against their peaceful movement for solution of the Bodo problem. The AMRCA accused ABSU and BLT of kidnapping one Mantu Das and Sri Shyam Charan Das of Jokmari village in Nalbari district. Both ABSU and BLT said that they were not involved in any...

GUWAHATI, Jan 18? The government of India?s decision to issue multipurpose photo identity cards to all Indian citizens will definitely help the police in checking fresh infiltration from Bangladesh, said Border Police sources here. Talking to The Assam Tribune Border Police sources pointed out that the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) IMDT Act was a hurdle in the way of detection and deportation of foreign nationals from Assam, but it is not too difficult to deport a fresh infiltrator. According to figures available with the Border Police, during the period from 1985 to 2002...

DIBRUGARH, Jan 18 ? Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today warned that the Assam government would not accede an inch of States territory to the greater Nagaland demand of the NSCN (I-M). ?Inclusion of any territorial part of Assam in the greater Nagaland as proposed by the NSCN (I-M) will be opposed by our government,? Gogoi thundered. Gogoi was speaking to local mediapersons here today. Deliberating on a wide range of subjects, Gogoi welcomed idea of issuing citizens? identity cards to keep a tab on illegal influx.

On the issue of sending back illegal Bangladeshis from the country, he shot back:...