Society / Assam

JORHAT, March 23 — Impressed by the unmatched cultural repository preserved at the Vaishnavite monastic institutions in the river island, Majuli, Lerici Foundation, which is an officially recognised implementing agency for UNESCO, and based at Milan in Italy, has evinced interest in undertaking a bilateral research project on the State’s archaeological treasures in collaboration with the Gauhati University.

With the Foundation recently deputing French archacologist Raphael Rousseleau, who works for the organisation, to inspect and assess several sites of historical, cultural and...

GUWAHATI, March 21 — During the almost two-decade-long on-and-off movement for first a separate Bodoland State then for more autonomy mainly spearheaded by the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), education was relegated to, background on Bodo-dominated areas in the State.The harsh reality that general students from the Bodo areas of the State have lagged miles behind their counterparts in other parts has dawned on the ABSU which now have the time to look into the matter in the post Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Accord.

Talking to The Assam Tribune, ABSU president Rabiram Brahma admitted that...

Guwahati, March 11: Assam is set to go the Kerala way by hardselling its countryside to the outside world. Clearly influenced by the southern state’s village and ecology-based tourism models, the Assam tourism department has decided to set up “model villages” to showcase its ethnic and cultural wealth.

To begin with, the department has identified a predominantly Karbi village, Phumen Ingti, for its project.

The village is located just three km from the Kaziranga National Park, home to the largest population of the one-horned rhino.

Next on the department’s list are Sualkuchi and Bhalukpung...

GUWAHATI, March 8— The famous muga silk industry in Assam is fast losing its credibility, both inside and outside the State, as large scale adulteration threatens to turn the industry into a farce. The situation is such that the industry may collapse any day, trade watchers say. For quite a few years now, the muga silk industry in the State has been witness to adulteration. Cheap tassar yarn is mixed with muga to make products that are passed off as ‘pure’ muga. Polyester yarn is mixed with muga on the borders of cloth, experts say.

The driving force behind rampant adulteration is the...

Jatinga village (N.C. Hills), March 4: The view of sunrise from the Hempeopet peak, they say, is better than the morning spectacle from Tiger Hill in Darjeeling.

Situated at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level, the peak will now form the backdrop of an exotic trail for adventure lovers as the North Cachar Hills district administration is planning to throw open a path for trekking in the Borail range. The picturesque Jatinga hamlet, which lies at a distance of 10 km from Haflong, is internationally famous as the home of the kamikaze birds. It is now poised to be a tourist destination...

NEW DELHI, March 4— The Union Tourism Ministry, as part of its plan to boost tourism in Assam, has cleared four projects in the current financial year. This was revealed by Union Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan in a written reply to a question tabled by Dwijen Sarmah. During the 10th Plan period it has been decided to take up integrated development of tourist circuits and integrated development of major destinations, the Minister said. Under the integrated development of tourist circuits schemes, Rs 30 lakh has been sanctioned for Brahmaputra River Front Development at Guwahati. The...

TEZPUR, March 1 ? The 106-year-old Tezpur railway station in Assam?s Sonitpur district built by the British is in dilapidated state, lying virtually abandoned thanks to the neglect by the authorities. The station, situated on the banks of the river Brahmaputra at Old Steamerghat, is a victim of severe erosion and the existing buildings of the staff are in bad shape due to neglect for at least three decades by the railway authorities, the locals say.

The chief public relation officer of the North-east Frontier railway, Leena Sharma, however denies there was a callous attitude on the part of...

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...

Maibang (N.C. Hills), Feb. 23: For Ruben Cashler, a “steam-engine buff” from Colarado in the US, the ride on a steam-hauled train to the last capital of the Dimasa kingdom was the best thing to have happened to him in a long time.

“The sonorous whistle of the mammoth engine, bellowing black smoke and chugging through green fields, dark tunnels and river bridges, was enchanting. I intend to come back with my friends, who are eager to see these steam engines in operation,” Cashler said after disembarking at Maibang.

The American was part of a group of tourists who made the special journey...

GUWAHATI, Feb 23 — A 1967 batch Telco-made steam locomotive came alive on Saturday chugging along the 64-kilometre-long metre gauge route from Lower Haflong to Maibong set in the picturesque surroundings of North Cachar Hills, as the NF Railway ventured into promotion of tourism along its 100-year-old Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section.

As the vintage locomotive steamed in and out of numerous tunnels along the route dotted by a large number of bridges standing since British days, it relived the memory of old-age train safari for many of the small group of tourists converging from different parts...