Politics / Assam

GUWAHATI, January 28: Prakash Karat, Politburo member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) today called upon the AGP for clarifying its stand in regard to its relationship with the BJP in view of the latest development in the political scenario of the State. Speaking at the state-level rally of the party's Assam State Committee at Judges' Field here this afternoon Karat maintained that his party would have no hesitation in continuing its alliance with AGP in the coming Assembly polls provided the party toed the CPI(M)'s one-point agenda of defeating the sinister designs of both BJP and...

GUWAHATI, January 26: What could be the best gift for a 73-year old man on the occasion of Republic Day, then being finally released, though on bail, after languishing for over seven years in prison following his arrest in connection with as many as 85 TADA cases ? And exactly that has happened to Arjun Sharma, a person of Nepal origin, who has been in Assam since he was fourteen years old. Sharma was arrested in the wake of the counter-insurgency operations launched in the state way back in November, 1990. Arrested first on November 28, 1990, a day after Operation Bajrang was launched against...

GUWAHATI, January 24: Wary of being tricked into an indirect alliance with the saffron brigade, the CPM has made it clear that an electoral tie-up with the Asom Gana Parishad is possible only if the ruling party proves that it has nothing to do with the "communal BJP". The CPM's strategy is to pressure its ally into severing its alleged links with the BJP before the Assembly elections. The polls are tentatively slated for April-May. The CPM is likely to formally declare its stand at a state-level party rally here on Sunday. Senior AGP leaders will congregate in Nagaon for a conference the next...

GUWAHATI, January 23: The unlawful activities (prevention) tribunal has asked the United Liberation Front of Asom and the National Democratic Front of Boroland to explain why they should not be declared "unlawful associations" by the Centre. In two separate notifications issued yesterday, the tribunal asked both the rebel groups to show cause as to why the Centre's declaration should not be confirmed by the tribunal. The Centre had referred the notifications to two separate tribunals of Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice Manmohan Sarin of Delhi High Court for adjudicating whether or not there...

GUWAHATI, January 23: With the Election Commission announcing that polls to the Assam Assembly would be held in the later part of April, the Congress party fearful that the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the BJP would join hands to prevent it from returning to power, has begun preparations in right earnest. To nip any such alliance in the bud, the party has plastered pre-election graffiti all over and started spewing venom against the possible alliance. Pradesh Congress Committee president Tarun Gogoi has already accused the AGP and BJP of entering into a tacit understanding in this respect. So...

DIBRUGARH, January 22: The Dibrugarh distirct unit of AASU, in consultation with its parent body, today submitted a memorandum before the Asam Sahitya Sabha seeking clarifications on the latter's stand vis-a-vis the current situation in Assam. The students are sore that the Sabha is yet to voice its concern on several burning issues confronting the State today. Addressing a news conference here today, local AASU leaders have threatened to dissociate themselves from the ensuing 66th session of the Assam Sahitya Sabha to be held here from February 7. They also lambasted the literary organisation...

GUWAHATI, January 22: The Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam Government to hold the general election to the Bodoland Autonomous Council (BAC) within a period six months. Delivering a judgement, the division bench consisting of Justice HK Sema and Justice D Biswas has castigated the State government of dilly-dallying with the BAC's election, which has never been held since it was created in 1993 after the signing of the Bodo Accord. The judgement came following a writ petition moved by Kankeswar Narzary, ex-chief of the BAC and Derhagra Mochahary, general secretary of the UBNLF, who were...

TEZPUR, January 21: The Northeastern region in general and Assam in particular will soon see loss of its identity if immediate steps are not taken by the Government to stop the large-scale infiltration by Bangladeshis which has assumed alarming proportions in the State, highly placed official sources said. Talking to The Assam Tribune here, the sources said unless immediate steps are taken and the entire border with Bangladesh are not sealed, the problem of infiltration may compound further. The seven sisters today has become a dumping ground of infiltrators, the sources added. It may be...

DIBRUGARH, January 21: Reacting sharply to a covert campaign by the public sector Oil India Limited (OIL) on the employment of 300 unskilled workers by the company, the Dibrugarh district AASU unit today blamed OIL for being "insincere to promises" and warned the oil company to desist from its mischievous acts. Speaking to this correspondent, the district AASU leaders here, Diganta Saikia and Hiteswar Phukan said the students' organisation never asked for any "quota" in the proposed employment of 300 workers. They added that OIL in 1990 had promised that the company would issue employment...

GUWAHATI, January 22: The conversion of about 140 families into Christianity in the Mising dominated Jengraimukh areas of the world's largest fresh water island Majuli, which is also known as the nerve-centre of Assamese Vaishnavite religion and culture, has made the Satras, - the seats of Vaishnavite religion, to sit up and chalk out their own strategies to check the inroad of Christianity. The island has at present 22 Satras located on it. Agitated villagers of Barpamuwagaon, Kumarbari, Jengraigaon and Namani Cherpaigaon of Jenraimukh have also forbidden the entry of Christian missionaries...