GUWAHATI, Aug 26 : “Asom is today facing the extremes of both flood and drought. While some parts of the State are reeling under floods, some are facing drought-like situation. The State Government has to take up come up with proper relief measures for the drought and flood victims,” said Communist Party of India national executive member Promode Gogoi at a press conference today in Guwahati.
Gogoi said the party had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday. In the memorandum the party has demanded a special economic package for the drought and flood victims of Asom, said Gogoi. “The drought-like situation has affected agriculture in many districts. Farmers have been badly hit. On the other hand, floods have wrecked havoc in districts like Dhemaji and Lakhimpur. A special economic package is needed to rehabilitate the victims,” said Gogoi.
The party has also asked the State Government to restore communication links in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji.“Due to the breakdown of communication links, relief measures are not reaching the victims,” said Gogoi.
River dam projects have been grabbing headlines in the recent past with many organizations vehemently protesting against such projects. Gogoi however welcomed the river dam projects taken up by the State Government. He said,“These projects will help in the production of power and in comprehensive irrigation schemes. But work on the Lower Subansiri Project should be stalled till the submission of the final report by the expert committee appointed by the Government.”
Gogoi urged all political parties to rise above their political interests and to work unitedly for a solution to the flood and drought problems in Asom. CPI has called for a stir across the State on August 31 for immediate fulfilment of their demands. THE SENTINEL
KAZIRANGA (Assam): Authorities in Assam have enforced speed regulations on a highway along the famed Kaziranga National Park to prevent vehicles from hitting animals fleeing the sanctuary to escape a flood, officials said here Monday. Kaziranga is the world's largest sanctuary of the endangered one-horned rhino.
The officials said the order prohibiting people from driving their vehicles above 40 km per hour along the national highway that passes by the Kaziranga National Park in eastern Assam was enforced Sunday because scores of wild animals have started moving to highlands as the sanctuary is getting flooded.
"We have placed police and forest guards along the highway to restrict drivers from increasing their speed beyond a limit as animals from the park are crossing the highway," park ranger Dharanidhar Boro told IANS.
In 2004, speeding trucks mowed down at least 50 animals while they were trying to cross the highway to escape floods.
In the past one week, flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have displaced at least 300,000 people in Assam. The Brahmaputra river has been flowing above the danger mark in at least eight different places in the state.
"Floodwaters have entered some fringe areas inside the park. Already small herds of elephants have started moving out of the park by crossing the highway to take shelter in an adjoining hill," Boro said.
The 430 sq km park, 220 km east of Assam's main city Guwahati, is home to the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceros. There are an estimated 2,048 rhinos at Kaziranga out of a total world population of some 2,700 of this thick-skinned pachyderm.
Forest rangers say the trend of elephant herds moving to safer areas is a "strong indicator" that heavy flooding inside the park is imminent. "Elephants have very strong senses and can anticipate impending dangers," the park ranger said.
At least 70 animals, including rhinos and wild buffaloes, were drowned during a flood in Kaziranga in 2003.
Park officials are also worried about poachers killing animals, especially rhinos and elephants, as they move from the sanctuary towards the hills to escape the floods.
"If there is a breach in the embankment that surrounds the park, floodwaters would submerge the entire Kaziranga and then there would mass exodus of animals to the hills," said Boro.
Every year, floods leave a trail of destruction in Assam, washing away villages, submerging paddy fields, drowning livestock and causing loss of human life and property.
Kaziranga (Assam), Aug 24 : Authorities in Assam have enforced speed regulations on a highway along the famed Kaziranga National Park to prevent vehicles from hitting animals fleeing the sanctuary to escape a flood, officials said here Monday. Kaziranga is the world’s largest sanctuary of the endangered one-horned rhino.
The officials said the order prohibiting people from driving their vehicles above 40 km per hour along the national highway that passes by the Kaziranga National Park in eastern Assam was enforced Sunday because scores of wild animals have started moving to highlands as the sanctuary is getting flooded.
“We have placed police and forest guards along the highway to restrict drivers from increasing their speed beyond a limit as animals from the park are crossing the highway,” park ranger Dharanidhar Boro told IANS.
In 2004, speeding trucks mowed down at least 50 animals while they were trying to cross the highway to escape floods.
In the past one week, flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains have displaced at least 300,000 people in Assam. The Brahmaputra river has been flowing above the danger mark in at least eight different places in the state.
“Floodwaters have entered some fringe areas inside the park. Already small herds of elephants have started moving out of the park by crossing the highway to take shelter in an adjoining hill,” Boro said.
The 430 sq km park, 220 km east of Assam’s main city Guwahati, is home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceros. There are an estimated 2,048 rhinos at Kaziranga out of a total world population of some 2,700 of this thick-skinned pachyderm.
Forest rangers say the trend of elephant herds moving to safer areas is a “strong indicator” that heavy flooding inside the park is imminent. “Elephants have very strong senses and can anticipate impending dangers,” the park ranger said.
At least 70 animals, including rhinos and wild buffaloes, were drowned during a flood in Kaziranga in 2003.
Park officials are also worried about poachers killing animals, especially rhinos and elephants, as they move from the sanctuary towards the hills to escape the floods.
“If there is a breach in the embankment that surrounds the park, floodwaters would submerge the entire Kaziranga and then there would mass exodus of animals to the hills,” said Boro.
Every year, floods leave a trail of destruction in Assam, washing away villages, submerging paddy fields, drowning livestock and causing loss of human life and property.
Guwahati: In yet another glaring case of ragging in Assam, two college students here have been arrested for harassing girls after authorities filed a formal complaint with the police.
Hridyananda Baruah, a student of BCom final year at the K C Das Commerce College in Assam’s main city of Guwahati, and Anjan Bujarbaruah of the Guwahati Commerce College, were arrested late on Wednesday following a formal complaint by college authorities.
“There was a complaint by the principal of the K C Das Commerce College saying one of their students Hridyananda Baruah was involved in an incident of ragging.
“Based on the complaint, we first arrested Baruah and based on his statement we arrested his friend Anjan Bujarbaruah who was with him during the incident,” said police official F Barghuyan, who is investigating the case.
Hitesh Deka, principal of the K C Das Commerce College, said he was responding to a verbal complaint from girl students that Hridyananda Baruah had “been continuously harassing them”.
“So I lodged a police report. In the meantime, we have expelled him from the college on charges of ragging. We are against any form of ragging in the college and shall not tolerate such incidents,” Deka said. Guwahati Commerce College authorities are also contemplating action.
New Delhi, Aug 19 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said he was apprehensive that Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) may target his state.
"We cannot rule out (LeT's threat). If you ask me if I have any definite proof, we may not have that, but I have my apprehensions. These people, you do not know how they work," Gogoi told PTI when asked whether there was any threat from LeT.
On being asked about any intelligence input on whether the LeT may target Assam, he said "Yes. I have no doubt.
According to me, we are not safe."
He, however, said the state police force is on alert and prepared to thwart any untoward incident.
"I have been cautioning everybody...Who knew that Mumbai will be attacked in such a way?... the government is highly cautious. The Centre is much more alert," Gogoi said.
New Delhi, Aug 18 : Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Tuesday said his state was faced with serious challenges of insurgency and left wing extremism but the government was ready to fight it by strengthening the police and security forces.
“Left wing extremism is growing in Assam. It is bound to flow into the state from Nepal and neighbouring states. Then there is also Bangladesh from where Pakistan’s ISI is pushing militants into the state,” Gogoi told reporters while pitching hard for central aid to “reform and strengthen the police”.
“We will fight these serious challenges. We need to strengthen our police. Get them sophisticated training and weaponry and latest technology,” Gogoi said after meeting United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi here.
He said the state government was also committed to improve the intelligence network and wanted to create a separate cadre of intelligence officers.
Quoting a home ministry report, Gogoi said though there has been a decline in violence in the insurgency-hit state there was no room to feel complacent about it.
Guwahati, Aug 18 : An army jawan tested positive for swine flu in Assam today, the second confirmed case of flu in the state.
Nayak Raj Kumar Sinha had complained of swine flu symptoms and his samples sent for testing to the Indian Council of Medical Research at Lahowal in Dibrugarh which came out positive, Regional Director of Union Ministry of Health Parthajyoti Gogoi told PTI.
51-year old Sinha is currently being treated at the isolation ward of Army Base Hospital at Bashistha here.
Earlier, 21-year old Dheeraj Yadav had tested positive and was undergoing treatment at the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital here where his condition was stated to be stable.
Assam's Joint Director of Health Services Dr G P Sarma said the state health department had so far sent 43 samples for testing.
Working in insurgency-stricken Assam is becoming increasingly dangerous for journalists. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha has promised to take up the issue of the deaths of journalists in Assam with the CM.
FINALLY THE bereaved family of journalist Kamala Saikia, who was murdered by separatist militants 18 years back, has seen a ray of hope. The Assam-based freedom fighter turned teacher-journalist, Saikia fell prey to the conspiracy of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA, which admitted to it 15 years later in an official statement) on August 9 1991. After all these years, with the investigation process taking its own time, the Indian Prime Minister has promised to take initiative on the process to nab Saikia's killers.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was briefed about the professional hazard posed to media persons in Assam - where more than 20 editor-journalists lost their lives to various anti-social elements in the last two decades - by the Editors Guild of India President Rajdeep Sardesai during a meeting on August 14 in the Prime Minister's Office. Interacting with the Editor’s Guild President, Dr Singh assured the guild that he would raise the matter with the Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi once again. Manmohan Singh, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha, also expressed his willingness to meet a delegation from the Kamala Saikia Memorial Trust during his next visit to Guwahati.
It needs to be mentioned here that Sardesai had come to Guwahati to deliver the 8th Kamala Saikia memorial lecture on August 9 to commemorate the death anniversary of Saikia. The Kamala Saikia Trust has been organising the memorial lectures annually with the support from Guwahati Press Club. Rajdeep Sardesai, who is the Editor-in-Chief of CNN-IBN, was handed over a memorandum by the JKSM trust during his stay in Guwahati. Soon after the murder, the family members of Saikia lodged an FIR at Sivasagar police station in Eastern Assam. But the police closed the case on September 5, 1998 citing insufficient evidence and witnesses. The inaction on the part of police created huge public fury and shocked the media fraternity of Assam. Frustrated at the development, Saikia’s family appealed to the government to re-investigate the case. The case was then handed over to the CID of Assam police.
The investigating agency interrogated many individuals including some former ULFA militants including Kushal Duori, Raja Mumin, Jit Shyam, and Netra Chetia. Today, except for Kushal Duori, who is now an MLA from Assam, all three are dead. The agency submitted its report in 2008 saying that they could not arrive at any conclusion as there were no such evidence against the accused. Following this, the eldest son of Kamala Saikia, Dhananjoy, appealed to the designated court on June 27 2008, seeking justice. Finally, the Assam police chief was ordered to re-open the case and re-investigate the issue.
A prompt investigation into this case was demanded and a memorandum was submitted to the Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi on August 3 2003. Over 30 editors, journalists and intellectuals signed the memorandum, which expressed resentment against the fact that even 12 years after Saikia’s assassination, no visible progress had been made on the investigation. Later the Journalist Kamala Saikia Memorial Trust, established in 2002, once again submitted a memorandum to the chief minister on August 6 2006 on the same issue, but no visible outcome resulted. “It is a matter of grave concern that the family of a journalist, who was killed to stop his critical writings against the banned outfit, has had to wait for justice for all these long years,” said Kanaksen Deka, a Senior Editor and the President of JKSM Trust, adding, “Even today, the family and the entire media community of Assam do not have any idea, if justice will be delivered in the coming days.”
In fact, working in insurgency stricken Assam is becoming increasingly dangerous for journalists. The ongoing insurgency and unrest among the youth of this region, where a number of armed outfits have been fighting New Delhi on various demands varying from sovereignty to self-rule, put tremendous challenges on the journalists based in the State. They are subjected to numerous threats from insurgents, surrendered militants and even the anti-insurgent security personnel.
The statistics reveal that the trouble-torn State has lost a good number of dedicated editor-journalists besides Kamala Saikia. Other victims include Deepak Swargiary, Kundarmal Agarwala, Manik Deuri, Prarag Kumar Das, Ratneswar Sarma Shastri, Nurul Haque, Jogesh Uzir, Dineswar Brahma, Girija Das, Monikan Das, Ranbir Roy, Prahlad Gowala, Maslimuddin Ahmed, Bodosa Narzary, Jagajit Saikia, and Anil Majumder. Shockingly, not a single perpetrator has been punished to date.
At least seven persons were injured, three of them critically, and 53 houses set ablaze in a fresh incident of violence in North Cachar Hills district of Assam on Monday.
Sources in Haflong, the district headquarters, said a group of heavily armed unidentified miscreants attacked a village called Bongkhai under the Maibong police station in the wee hours, setting the houses on fire and shooting indiscriminately at villagers.
“Though initial reports said one woman was killed in the firing, a police party that reached the spot late in the afternoon did not find anyone dead. Seven persons, including two women, however were injured,” Anurag Tangkha, SP, said over telephone.
The village is located close to the Assam-Nagaland border, and can be approached by a road from Maibong.
Guwahati, Aug 10 (PTI) Three suspected cases of swine flu in Assam have tested negative, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said here today.
The three were admitted to Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital here after they developed swine-flu like symptoms, he told reporters.
Isolation wards have been set up in all the three medical college hospitals in the state, Gogoi said, adding that there was adequate stock of Tamilflu available with the health department in case of an outbreak of the disease.
"Directives have been issued for screening of passengers coming from the affected states and abroad," he said.
The government will train 100 doctors to deal with the disease, Gogoi said.
