SHILLONG, Feb 19— A high action Bollywood thriller was enacted in the State capital today as an unit of the Special Operations Team (SOT) of the Meghalaya Police gunned down three suspected Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) ultras in a dramatic chase and encounter. Today’s incident comes close on the heels of the encounter on February 17 at Smit, on the city’s outskirts when three HNLC militants were killed following a chase. SP, East Khasi Hills, Smt Ida Nongrang told newsmen giving the official version of the incident today that the SOT unit was lying in wait after they received...

GOYBARI (Kokrajhar), Feb 19 — The Bodo Sahitya Sabha has come a long way since its inception in 1952 and achieved quite a lot of its objectives. Now its main task is to put the Bodo language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Sri Doleswar Boro, president of Bodo Sahitya Sabha, said this today while inaugurating the Sonathi Kampha (golden pillar) at Jwhwlao Swmbla Fwthar here to mark the beginning of the 41st annual conference and golden jubilee celebrations of the Sabha.

Sri Boro said the main focus of discussions in the session will be on the history and development of the Bodo...

GUWAHATI, Feb 19 — State Government’s bid to improve healthcare in rural areas suffered a serious set-back as out of the 400 doctors recruited recently to man health centres in rural areas, 350 rejected the job offer. Dr Bhumidhar Barman, the Health Minister, informed that out of the 400 selected candidates only 50 honoured the appointment letters issued to them by joining duty in rural health centres. Dr Barman termed the tendency of fresh medical graduates to keep off from rural areas as an alarming development considering that over 80 per cent of the total population in the State live in...

GUWAHATI, Feb 19 — Renowned poet of the State, Sri Nilamoni Phukan has been selected as “Fellow of the Sahitya Akademi,” the highest honour of the institution reserved for the immortals of literature. When contacted at his residence here this evening, the poet told The Assam Tribune with humility, “I don’t consider myself to be qualified for such an honour even though I tried my level best with all sincerity and devotion at my command to serve my language and literature for about for decades. May be the award is a recognition to that.”

Sri Phukan, who came to know about the news from TV...

Imphal, February 19: Four more Naga candidates have signed the Senapati declaration drawn up on February 7 during a meeting of Naga candidates and the United Naga Council, UNC at the latter?s headquarters in Senapati. A release by the UNC today said ?various Naga mass based organizations under the aegis of UNC? announced that altogether 51 candidates contesting in the second phase of the election to the 8th Manipur Legislative Assembly have signed the agreement. The UNC release also appealed to all sections of the people to use their wisdom in exercising their franchise peacefully. It also...