IMPHAL, July 16: The Imphal East police has cracked down on a shady NGO by the name of German Indo Benevolent for agricultural and Industrial Rural development, GIBARD, located at Hatta Golapati, closing down its office and arresting six of its central committee members yesterday, according to a reliable source. According to the sources, GIBARD has been giving gullible people the impression that it is a German-funded registered body with a net of Rs 100 crore German investments in it already. Using this guise, the NGO has been roping in educated unemployed youths promising them jobs after making them deposit money. The office bearers of the GIBARD have also been distributing donor's cards to MLAs and ministers on the payment of Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000. Not only this, they have also been throwing around the names of these ministers and MLAs to give weight to their false campaign and entice more people. The NGO has also released a number of advertisements in the newspapers calling for membership on the payment of Rs 200 each and promising extremely well paid jobs to those who enrol themselves. The job promised also commanded salaries as high as Rs 40,000 a month. In this way, GIBARD has today rounded up more than 100 members, according to the sources. GIBARD's trouble began when those who deposited money in the hope of cornering lucrative jobs were made to wait inordinately. These members have already formed a Joint action Committee and started different forms of protests. According to the source, the arrested men also had earlier set up a fake organisation at Old Lambulane called Readymade Garment, Handloom Development Centre. They then shifted to Hatta Golapati and before setting up GIBARD, ran another organisation by the name of The Manipur Rural Industrial Development Centre. Yesterday's raid was led by Imphal East SP Kailun, SDPO Tomba and OC Rameshor Singh. Interestingly, the GIBARD office raided yesterday is located at the residential complex of ex-minister, Hessamuddin. The source also said many of the applicants for jobs had backed up their applications forms with DO letters from ministers and MLAs. (E-Pao; The Imphal Free Press; Imphal; July 17, 2000)

AGARTALA, July 16: A Royal Bengal tigress and 40 cheetal deer have died in Sipahijola Sanctuary in West Tripura district in the last two months, sources in Forest department said on Saturday. The tigress died of trypanosomiasis on July 7 last in a zoo of the sanctuary, the sources said, adding that the deer died of an unknown disease. A seven-member doctors, team, led by P Majumdar, on Saturday visited the sanctuary and prescribed some preventive measures to protect the lives of the animals there. The sanctuary now has only one tiger. Twelve tigers died of trypanosomiasis at Nandankanan Biological Park in Orissa in the first week of July. (Press Trust of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 17, 2000)

SIVASAGAR, July 17: The Steering Committee appointed by the executive committee of the Sivasagar District Journalists' Association (SDJA) in its meeting held on Friday under the presidentship of Nila Borgohain, president of SDJA to put an end to the impasse following the unfortunate incident of July 4 last, has decided to lift the ban on cooperation with the Sivasagar District Administration at a tripartite meeting held on Saturday in the Sivasagar Natya Mandir. In the emergency meeting, the executive committee had a threadbare discussion on the issue and decided to put an end to the impasse as there have been efforts to give a political colour to the unfortunate incident by some quarters with vested interest. After a cordial discussion between Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner LN Tamuly and the Sivasagar journalists in which both the sides honoured their respective sentiments in unmistakable terms the steering committee of the SDJA lifted the ban on cooperation with the Sivasagar district administration reciprocating the sentiment of the Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner and honouring the opinion and sentiment of the citizens of Sivasagar Meanwhile, the Sivasagar journalists and responsible circle here have viewed with grave concern the efforts in a section of the press to give political colouring to the unfortunate incident of July 4 last. A local correspondent of a vernacular daily even decided to quit the post as the reports sent by him had been published in a highly-twisted form endangering his credibility as a journalist. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 18, 2000)

IMPHAL, July 18: The proscribed Revolutionary Peoples Front has chided the Times of India newspaper for publishing what it alleged "misleading" news that is aimed at tarnishing the image of the RPF. In a message sent to the Times of India and made available to the local press the Chief of Communication and publicity of the RPF said that the news item captioned "Anti-Socials haunt national highway -39" in the 12th July edition of the paper clearly "reveals the lack of investigative journalism and research on the part of your editing desk." Such report is aimed at misleading the readers and is disrespect to the "genuine nationality question of other Nations like Manipur, standing on the horizon of joining the comity of Nations." The message while lauding the Times of India however advised it not to publish such factuality wrong news items as the one published on the July 12. Such cooked up stories will harm the reputations of the paper, said RPF. The report was filed by one Bit Irom from Manipur. The RPF suggested that the Times of India carry out an extensive historical research on the "half century old National Liberation Movement of Manipur and the contributions made towards achieving its goal-the sovereignty of the people of the colonised people of Manipur- by PLA, the armed wing of the RPF since 1978." The RPF iterated that it has never indulged in any act of terrorism and added that the RPF is firmly committed to several international treaties. Laws of Wars, covenants and conventions. The many communications between RPF and other international bodies are ample testimony to this said the message. The message asked the Times of India to call on their correspondent in Manipur and authenticate the story to clear the picture in the interest of the people of Manipur and the readers of the paper in general. (E-Pao; The Sangai Express; Imphal; July 19, 2000)

GUWAHATI, July 17: In the aftermath of the recent Nandankanan Zoo tragedy, white tigers are likely be removed from all zoos across the country, said R Bhattacharyya, State Zoo DFO here yesterday. The DFO said that though no decision has been taken in this regard yet quarters concerned are toying with the idea as white tigers do not have any scientific value at all. The white tiger is born due to the elbino-genetic deformity for which it's resistance is lower than that of normal tigers. As the lineage of all white tigers in any zoo of the country can be traced directly or indirectly to one such tigers their resistance capacity dips with each successive breeding. This is because the Maharaja of Rewa in 1970 started first-ever commercial breeding of white tiger after he caught one such tiger and named it Mahan. He sold many of them to zoos and private collectors of the country and abroad. So white tigers in every subsequent breeding was confined to the same blood group and resistance level started going down even further. Of late, a new concept has evolved which considers the zoos exclusively as educational centres rather than a source of entertainment. This is gaining ground and so the white tigers which do not have any contribution in the educational front may be removed from zoos. Or if not removal, at least new breeding of the species might not be encouraged in near future. Its only attraction is its colour which attracts people in hordes. The State Zoo here also has a white tiger which was brought from the Delhi Zoo several years ago. With such low resistance capacity, these tigers can't survive in the wilderness also. Meanwhile, the DFO informed that as the state Zoo has been adopted by the Central Zoo authority (CZA), initial works on improvement of enclosures, and other facilities would be taken up in a few months' time. He also clarified that this zoo which is considered one of the largest in the country does not have the problem of overcrowding like many other zoos except in case of sambars. Armed with two veterinary doctors and other support staff, Bhattacharyya said the authorities are prepared to face any eventualities. (Abhijit Bora; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 19, 2000)

AMGURI, July 19: An emergent general body meeting of Sivasagar District Journalists' Association was held on July 16 under the presidentship of Prodip Dutta, its vice-president in the premises of Sankardev Sishu Nikaton, Sivasagar town. After a good deal of deliberation on the Sivasagar Citizen Committee's decision making some sort of settlement of the burning issue on the Association's demand seeking unconditional apology from Lakhinath Tamuly, the DC, for his offence of physical assault on Paragdhar Saikia, a correspondent of Aji, the meeting by a resolution rejected the said decision as the DC did not categorically regret his action not to speak of tendering apology for his behaviour. Under the circumstances the association found no other alternative than to carry on with its agitation on the issue and dissociate itself from all the official functions conducted by the DC. It also condemned the role of three members of the steering committee constituted by the executive committee of the Association who totally failed to press for accepting the executive committee's standpoint in the Citizen Committee's meeting. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 20, 2000)

SHILLONG, July 21: The All Meghalaya Assamese Union (AMAU) has decided to submit memoranda to the Meghalaya and Assam Chief Ministers demanding reintroduction of Assamese language subject MIL in all educational institutions in Meghalaya. An emergent executive body meeting of the AMAU, which was presided over by Anu Ranjita Kalita here recently also urged the Government of Meghalaya to fill up all the vacant posts of Assamese subject teacher in the government educational institutions. The meeting further decided to sponsor textbooks for the libraries of Shillong Vidyalaya, Dhankheti LP School, Oakland LP School and Laban LP School. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 22, 2000)

GUWAHATI, July 22: Despite the strict guidelines laid down by the National Human Rights Commission, most of the jails in Assam are in a deplorable condition. The jail inmates are compelled to spend their days in unhygienic condition as most of the district jails neither have proper maintenance nor funds to repair old constructions. One of the oldest jails in the country in Lower Assam's Dhubri district is facing the perennial waterlogging problem. Disclosing this to The Asian Age on Monday, the special representative of the commission in the Northeast, SB Medhi, said that two persons serving life imprisonment in Jorhat district jail have completely lost their mental balance and despite their illness, both are languishing in a jail cell. Regretting the conditions of the jail inmates in Assam, Medhi said that main problem is lack of training and orientation of the jail authorities on the human rights. Most of jails do not have a vehicle to produce the jail inmates in the court and they rely on district administration. There are many instances when jail inmates are not produced in the court on their respective hearing dates, he said. Medhi also pointed out that buildings of the Jorhat district jail has not been white-washed since last 10 years. The area being earthquake prone, the old buildings of the jail are vulnerable, he added. Assam's only open-air Mahendra Nagar jail at Jorhat is also badly maintained and encroachment on its land is posing serious threat to the security. Two convicts taking the advantage of encroachment in and around the jail premises escaped and are yet to be traced. Another major problem afflicting the jails in Assam is that habitual and non-habitual convicts and undertrials are kept together, he said. Interestingly, Medhi's report is just opposite to the one by the chief judicial magistrate who has been directed by the Supreme Court to visit the respective district jails frequently to monitor the condition of the jail inmates. Medhi, who visited three district jails in Assam at the directive of the NHRC, has requested the NHRC to arrange training of the jail authorities at the earliest so that they could be sensitised towards the rights of the jail inmates. He, however, refused to react to the report of the chief judicial magistrates of the respective districts that failed to point out the hardship of the jail inmates. Medhi said that he was also given the reports of the CJMs by the jail authorities obviously to strengthen their position. Medhi said that a large number of ULFA and Bodo militants are also languishing in Assam jails but the state administration has failed to take any initiative to provide some training and orientation to these youths to desert the path of violence. Although, Medhi in his report has also pointed out that state administration has so far failed to announce the service rule of the jail employees that also affect the working of the jail authorities who subsequently loses interest in improving their performance. (Manoj Anand; The Asian Age; New Delhi; July 23, 2000)

AIZAWL, July 25: Former Speaker of Mizoram Assembly and veteran politician Vaivenga died of prolonged illness at his residence at Tuikhuahtlang locality here on Monday evening, family sources said. He was 66 and is survived by his wife and three daughters. Vaivenga entered politics in 1965 and joined Mizo Union, the first political party in the erstwhile Mizo district when Mizoram was one of the districts of Assam. He contested and won in the district council elections in 1971 and was appointed as executive member of the Mizo autonomous district council having education as his portfolio. He was again elected as legislator in 1972 after Mizoram was upgraded into Union territory status and became one of the first ministers. (Press Trust of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 26, 2000)

ITANAGAR, July 26: The press fraternity in Arunachal Pradesh boycotted the third day of Budget session of the state Legislative Assembly Wednesday to protest the authorities' alleged failure to provide facilities for its effective functioning, reports PTI. The boycott will continue unless the scribes' demands are met, Itanagar Press Club Habung Payeng said. The scribes, though present in the Assembly, abstained from reporting the proceedings as their repeated written pleas to the Speaker and other officials of the Assembly Secretariat during the past years failed to yield any result, he said. The scribes complained lack of sufficient sitting arrangement and audio system in the press gallery and have demanded a separate room for them in the Assembly premises with facilities like telephone, fax, TV, audio system, typewriter and drinking water, resume of next day's business the previous evening and simultaneous distribution of all documents, including bills, replies to written and oral questions tabled in the House. (Press Trust of India; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 27, 2000)

JORHAT, July 26: Majuli, the world's largest river island, may soon become a major tourist attraction if things go according to plan. An ambitious project report of Rs 43 lakh has been prepared to set up a tourist village at Kamalabari, the commercial hub of the island. "The ambience will be that of a traditional Mising village, but facilities will be no less than in any good hotel," additional deputy commissioner, RK Majumdar told The Telegraph. The Mising tribe dominates the island's population. The ministry of tourism has been contacted and work on the project is likely to start soon. For the benefit of foreign tourists, local youth will learn English, French and Japanese, the official said. Arun Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP, has also released Rs 5 lakh for setting up a tourist lodge in the island. The work on the lodge is estimated to cost Rs 17 lakh, the official said. "The building already exists, but renovations are required," he said. Apart from a rickety government circuit house and a guest house at the Kamalabari satra, there are no accommodation facilities on the island. The Centre has also released Rs 7.5 lakh out of a total sum of 15 lakh for setting up of three museums at Majuli. The three museums will be set up at the Dakhinpat, Kamalabari and Aouniti satras, where manuscripts and artefacts dating back to 500 years will be preserved. The entire project is part of the proposal of the Majuli Island Protection and Development Council, an NGO which has taken up the cause of the world's largest riverine island. Constant erosion by the Brahmaputra over the years has had a telling effect on the island. Majuli has been reduced from 1,200 square km in 1950 to about 800 square km at present. The council, under the presidentship Sharma, had proposed that the island be accorded the status of a world heritage site. The proposal, which was made on two grounds - natural and cultural - was sent to UNESCO through the Centre and is under "active consideration". The 65 satras, set up by the 15th century saint Sankerdev on the island, house precious manuscripts and artefacts which are on the verge of being lost due to the annual flood ravage. "The Rs 7.5-lakh fund has been divided among the three satras," the official said. He said other satras on the island have been asked to contact the department of culture, Government of India, directly for funds to preserve the museums. The official said two experts from the department of archives are currently camping in the island to microfilm the age old manuscripts. As far as protection of the island from the fury of the Brahmaputra is concerned, the forest department has been contacted to prevent erosion through afforestation measures. (Pullock Dutta; The Telegraph; Calcutta; July 27, 2000)

GUWAHATI, July 26: Fifty-one rhinos have been killed by poachers in Orang national park in less than a decade. After the rhino population was wiped out at Laokhowa wildlife sanctuary and Manas national park, rhinos at Orang are now facing extinction. According to available figures, the rhino population has plummeted from 97 in 1991 to 46 in 1999. This year, five rhinos have been killed till July. Unabated poaching has also reduced the rhino sites in Assam from five to three. Earlier, rhinos were found in five protected sites - Kaziranga, Pobitora, Manas, Laokhowa and Orang. With the rhino population at Laokhowa and Manas totally decimated, the species is found at Kaziranga, Pobitora and Orang. The issue of rhino poaching in Orang came up for discussion during the latest meeting of the state wildlife advisory board on July 10 at the state zoo under the chairmanship of Aminul Islam, state minister for forest. "Though the members expressed concern, there was no concrete action plan drawn up to curb poaching at Orang national park," an official present at the meeting said. The commissioner of forests has asked the chief wildlife warden of the state to look into the matter and draw up a plan to tackle poaching. In 1990, no incident of poaching was reported from Orang. But in the past nine years, the situation has deteriorated with an average of five rhinos being killed by poachers every year in the park. "If something is not done immediately, the park will meet the same fate as Laokhowa and Manas," a senior forest official said. The Gauhati High Court has also asked the government to reply within three months on the steps being taken to stop the incidence of poaching. A public interest litigation has been filed by the Aranya Suraksha Samiti, an NGO working for wildlife conservation. "The poachers come from Morigaon district and are armed with .303 rifles and double-barrelled guns. Some also come from the char areas of Mangaldoi. They usually cross the river to reach the park and escape by boat," a forest official said. The park is also hamstrung by lack of manpower. "If one forest staff joins Orang, three existing personnel are withdrawn and transferred," alleged Bihab Kumar Talukdar of the Aranyak Nature Club, another NGO working for wildlife conservation. The environment activist said though poaching could not be curbed at Laokhowa and Manas because of a raging political movement and ethnic disturbances at that time, no such excuse exist for the situation at Orang. "At Laokhowa and Manas, poachers took advantage of the government's preoccupation with the Assam agitation and ethnic unrest. But that does not apply for Orang," Talukdar said. While Laokhowa was home to 70 rhinos, Manas had 80. "Largescale encroachment and neglect by the government are the reasons behind the present state of affairs in Orang," alleged Haricharan Das of the Aranya Suraksha Samiti which had filed the public interest litigation. The Kaziranga national park had faced a similar situation in the past. But effective action by the park authorities had helped restore normalcy. As a result, the number of rhinos also went up to nearly 1,500. (Roopak Goswami; The Telegraph; Calcutta; July 27, 2000)

GUWAHATI, July 29: Over one crore Bangladeshi nationals are illegally staying in India and are in a position to influence electoral outcome in 20 parliamentary and 120 Assembly constituencies, according to The Inside Story, an investigative programme of Zee News. Unchecked infiltration due to negligence of successive Governments has changed the demographic profile of large parts of Assam, West Bengal, Delhi and even Mumbai. As infiltration continues more and more parliamentary and Assembly segments are likely to come under their influence. The Inside Story traces the routes and the ways and means by which Bangladeshi nationals infiltrate into India, and also how the touts thrive, security forces connive and politicians turn illegal immigrants into vote banks. The Indian Government as well as different political parties are yet to take cognisance of the social tensions that the changing demographic profile is generating. Highlighting how the demographic changes are taking place The Inside Story reveals shocking statistics. In Assam during 1971-1991 population of illegal migrants grew by 54 per cent in Goalpara, 75 per cent in Kokrajhar, 105 per cent in Dhemaji. Similarly over 40 lakh Bangladeshis are now living in Bihar mostly in Kishanganj, Araria, Katihar, Begusorai, Bhagalpur, Purnia and Sahabganj. In Delhi it is estimated that there are about six lakh Bangladeshis living illegally in Seelampur, Yamuna Pushata and Jehangirpuri. The Inside Story sounds an alarm bell that if infiltration continues unchecked in next 10 years Bangladeshis may be in a position to influence results in about 50 Parliamentary and over 250 Assembly seats of the country. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 30, 2000)

DIBRUGARH, July 29: The district and sessions judge here, Dibakar Hazarika admitted that there is gross human rights violation in the Dibrugarh jail, and has accordingly taken steps to remedy the ills which have become rampant there. The Assam Tribune reported the anomalies in the jail here on July 12, following which efforts are on by the top judicial officer to find a solution to the malaise in the local jail. Towards this objective, Hazarika has summoned the jailor here, Nripen Bora, to explain the discrepancies in the jail, but he has been unable to reply to the allegations of torture and underfeeding of the inmates. In the absence of a jail superintendent - this post has been lying vacant at the Dibrugarh jail for quite some time now - it is Bora who is also the officiating jail superintendent. Hence, he is having a free run over affairs at the prison. It is learnt that the state Inspector General of Prisons too had expressed serious displeasure at the way Bora is running the prison here. But due to some strange reason, even this senior official finds his hands tied to take action on his erring junior colleague. Under the circumstances, it is now the district judge here who finds himself saddled with the enviable task of rectifying matters at the local jail. The last time when Hazarika personally inspected the living conditions of the prison inmates here, several inmates informed him of the lawlessness inside the prison. The judge said he later came to know that all the complainants were subsequently beaten up by Bora and his peoples for having the temerity to complain. However, the learned judge, after satisfying himself of the inhuman conditions of the prison inmates, has written to the higher authorities, recommending suitable measures. Despite all this, the higher authorities are yet to respond to the recommendations in the speed these should have come through. The only comfort is that with a senior judicial officer taking up the matter, justice to the 1300 odd inmates of the district jail can be expected sooner than later. (Ron Duarah; The Assam Tribune; Guwahati; July 30, 2000)