GUWAHATI, Jan 28 — Some “agents” of the Government of India are trying to meet the leaders of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) for talks and the leaders of the outfit may talk to them shortly. This was disclosed by the NDFB chairman, Sri DR Nabla. In an interview with The Assam Tribune, conducted through internet, the NDFB chairman also spoke of issues like recent killings of non-Bodos in Udalguri and Bijni, talks between the Government and Bodo Liberation Tiger (BLT) etc. The following are the excerpts from the interview:

Assam Tribune : According to police and the security...

GUWAHATI, Jan 28 — Assam has created a record of sorts by registering an unprecedented 258 per cent growth in the urban population in the period from 1941 to 1991 as against a national average of just 85 per cent. Interestingly enough, only about 11.10 per cent (24,87,795) of the total population actually live in urban centres as a whole, according to the State Action Plan for Children of 1999. Assam, a predominantly agrarian society with a low level of urbanisation has small towns with a total of 80 municipal bodies and 69 of them elected ones. As most of the towns are small the State can...

GUWAHATI, Jan 29 — Jnanpith awardee and Assamese writer Dr Indira Goswami, popularly known as Mamoni Raisom Goswami, today declined to accept the Padmashree awarded to her this year, reports PTI. Talking to PTI here, Goswami said, “I have rejected it (Padmashree) because after getting the Jnanpith and several other national and international awards, I found this award very incongruous.” “I have thanked them (government) for awarding me but I have told them very modestly that I will not be able to accept it. Thank you, this is not for me.” Goswami had won the Jnanpith award last year for her...

IMPHAL, Jan 29 : Altogether 374 candidates are in the fray for the forthcoming two-phase Manipur Assembly elections after the withdrawal of nomination papers by 17 candidates, election office sources said on Thursday, reports PTI. Seventeen candidates, withdrew nomination papers on the last day of withdrawal of papers on Monday, the sources said. However, a detailed report of withdrawal of nomination papers was yet to be received from some returning officers in interior parts of the State, the sources said. The first phase of elections to the 60-seat Assembly will he held in two phases on...

IMPHAL, Jan 27 — Unidentified gunmen attacked the house of a Manipur People’s Party (MPP) candidate at Yairipok area in Thoubal district on Tuesday night, official report reaching here said today, reports PTI. The report said the gunmen opened fire at the private house of Nimaichand Luwang, the candidate from Wangkhem constituency, but no casualty was reported. Luwang was not present at the time of the incident, the report said.