GUWAHATI, November 1: Several members of the State Assembly today called upon the state government to take adequate precautionary measures in view of the predictions of a giant earthquake in Assam in near future. Raising the matter in the Zero Hour in the State Assembly, Ardhendu Kumar Dey (Cong) expressed the view that a committee of experts should be formed to reduce the casualties in the event of an earthquake. He said that in the giant quakes in 1897 and 1950, the casualty was less as the population at that time was much lower compared to today's population. Participating in the discussion, Girindra Kumar Baruah (AGP) said that the government should take the predictions seriously. He suggested that the government should create an awareness among the people about the quake and what should be done in case of a quake. He said that the government can engage the non-governmental organisations to create an awareness among the people. Dilip Kumar Saikia (AGP) said that no one can prevent an earthquake, but one can try to reduce the casualties in case of a major quake. Replying to the discussions, the Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, said that the government had already instructed the district administrations to create an awareness among the people. At the same time, Mahanta alleged that some seismologists make such predictions to prevent development activities in the State. Such predictions also make the investors think twice and these might affect the implementation of the Subansiri and Dihang multi-purpose dam project. BTPS: The Power Minister, Hitendra Nath Goswami today assured the State Assembly that the government would not sign any agreement with US-based company Odgen Energy Inc to lease out the Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station (BTPS) by going against the interests of Assam. Goswami said that the state government has asked the Odgen officials to make certain amendments in the draft agreement, which was authenticated by the Member Personnel of the ASEB under pressure from the then chairman of the ASEB without informing the board. Commenting on the demands that the BTPS should be revived by the ASEB, Goswami said, "we have to examine whether the ASEB has the technical expertise for the job. The government is not in a position to take loan from the Power Finance Corporation to revive the plant as the government has to pay 30 per cent of the total loan. "He, however, said that the government has taken loan from the PFC to complete the Karbi Langpi project and to renovate the Lakwa and Namrup power plants. He also said that a private company has come forward to set up a plant to produce 10 MW of power with municipal waste of Guwahati. Earlier, raising the matter during the zero hour, Dilip Kumar Saikia (AGP) demanded action against the ASEB officials who signed an agreement with the US company without taking the board and the government into confidence. Hemen Das (CPM) opposed any move to lease out the BTPS and said that the government should put pressure on the Centre to provide funds for the renovation of the plant. Ardhendu Kumar Dey (Cong) asked whether the government has any control over the ASEB. Expenditure on insurgency: Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today informed the House that the state government has spent an amount of Rs 693.49 crore in security-related expenditure while fighting insurgency and the Centre has reimbursed an amount of Rs 235.77 crore. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 2, 1999)

GUWAHATI, November 2: Is the prediction of a giant earthquake of the magnitude of over 8 on the Richter Scale occurring before 2010 AD in the NE region, anyway aimed at scaring away prospective investors and stalling big projects proposed for the region? "No", said Surya Kanta Sarma, the lone seismologist from the region, who has been predicting such a major event since 1988. According to Sarmah, "the prediction was made about 11 years back. Scientists are always engaged in scientific research and their works relating to prediction are independent of any other considerations. They are rather stung by an urge to find out the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth". Sarmah was reacting to the statement made by Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta on the floor of the State Assembly last evening. The Chief Minister in his said statement alleged, inter alia, that some seismologists make such predictions (of a giant earthquake) to prevent development activities in the State. Such predictions also make the investors think twice and these may affect implementation of the Subansiri and Dihang multi-purpose dam projects, the Chief Minister said. However, Sarmah refrained from making any more comment on the merit of the Chief Minister's statement. Seismologists adhering to other schools, may differ with Sarmah and his followers on the time of the occurrence of a major earthquake in the region, but it is an agreed point for almost all the seismologists that a major earthquake is in the making in the region. They also call for effective measures to check major damages in the event of such a major earthquake. But, the state governments of the region as well as the Union government have so far demonstrated no zeal to act in the desired manner as is evident with Assam Chief Minister's statement made yesterday on the floor of the Assembly. Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta told the State Assembly, - "government has already instructed the district administrations to create awareness among the people". (Ajit Patowary; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 3, 1999)

SHILLONG, November 3: The Khasi Students' Union (KSU) today lifted the 'ban' for sale of the Northeast Sun fortnightly in Meghalaya after a meeting with the magazine management, a KSU release here said. Copies of the magazine were burnt and a 'ban' for its sale in the State was imposed by the organisation for publishing an article, 'Where woman is the boss', in its September 1-14 issue this year. (PTI; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 4, 1999)

NEW DELHI, November 3: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) library here will be richer by about 6,000 books which comprised the personal collection of one of Assam's most prominent poet-politician Dev Kanta Borooah, reports PTI. JNU will initially receive 3,000 titles of the prized collection, to be named after Borooah, which has books ranging from Arab history, medieval India, English literature, biographies et al in English, Sanskrit, Hindi, Assamese and Bengali, family sources said. In a symbolic gesture by the Borooah family, five titles were handed over to JNU vice-chancellor Asis Dutt on Monday in the presence of a small group of academicians and members of the family. Recalling Borooah's love for his books, a family member said his collection was known to many and leaders like Indira Gandhi often borrowed from him. A trouble-shooter in the Jawaharlal Nehru Cabinet, Borooah was an MP in the first Lok Sabha, served as the Congress President, was a Speaker of the Assam Assembly and held the gubernatorial post as Bihar Governor in his long political career. As a poet, his single collection of poems Sagor Dekhisa (Have You Seen The Sea), revolutionised Assamese literature. He died in 1995. (PTI; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 4, 1999)

TAWANG (Arunachal Pradesh), November 4: The magnificent Tawang War memorial here for martyrs of the 1962 Sino-Indian war has been dedicated to the nation. GOC Eastern Command, Lt Gen HRS Kalkat, dedicated the memorial, which is nestled among picturesque snow-capped peaks overlooking the imposing Tawang-Chu valley, on Tuesday and called on the jawans to emulate the feat of those who sacrificed their lives in war. Recalling their sacrifices, Lt Gen Kalkat said the jawans stood their ground against the Chinese for 31 days, fought bravely and gave up their life for the honour of the nation and Army like true soldiers. They fought valiantly despite inadequate logistics back-up, which made them fight in cotton uniforms at sub-zero temperature and with just 50 rounds of ammunition per rifle, he said. The 40-foot-high multi-hued war memorial to the unsung heroes, designed by the Army and constructed at a cost of about Rs 15 lakh, was dedicated in the presence of civilians and Army, whose band played patriotic song eulogising the warriors' sacrifices. Blessed by Dalai Lama in 1997, the imposing structure in a stupa design is locally called 'Namgyal Chortan' and has names of 2420 dead soldiers etched in gold on 32 black granite plagues. The memorial is flanked by two memorial halls -- one housing the personal articles of the martyrs and the other will be used for sound-and-light show on their heroic deeds, Army sources said. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 5, 1999)

AIZAWL, November 4: Mizoram police have deported more than 200 non-tribals, who were staying in the State without valid inner-line permits (ILP), during the last one month, police said here today. Police said these non-tribals were mostly manual labourers and construction workers from neighbouring Karimganj and Cachar districts of Assam. Inner-line permit system under the Chin hills regulation has been in force in Mizoram and Nagaland and it is mandatory for people from outside the State to obtain ILP to enter and stay in the two states. (PTI; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 5, 1999)

GOLAGHAT, November 3: A herd of more than 30 wild elephants has been creating havoc in various parts of the Morongi mouza within Golaghat district since 1998. Wild elephants stray from Numbor Reserve Forest areas and damage paddy and rabi crops in Fallangoni, Rongajan, Balizan, Porazanghal, Nagakota, Dholaguri and Teliagaon villages. Wild elephants have killed two persons and injured many. Besides, elephants have damaged more than ten dwelling houses in Dholaguri tea garden and created havoc in these rural areas. Local people in spite of repeated requests, have not got any response from the Forest department concerned till now. They demanded proper measures against the wild elephants. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 5, 1999)

IMPHAL, November 7: The controversy over the "Bishnupriya Manipuri language" will be the focal theme of the upcoming national Manipuri convention organised by the Northeast Students' Coordination Committee on Manipuri Identity. The two-day convention will be held in the South Assam town of Silchar from November 12. The first national Manipuri convention was held at Dharmanagar in Tripura in August. Coordination committee convenor Chidananda told newspersons here that the convention would review the steps taken by the organisation on the language issue so far. The committee - comprising Manipuri students from Assam, Tripura and Manipur - was constituted earlier this year to pressure the Assam and Tripura governments into revoking their decision to introduce "Bishnupriya Manipuri" as a medium of instruction in select primary schools in the two states. The Assam government announced on October 28 that it had decided to do away with its previous resolution on the issue. However, the Cabinet's decision is yet to be notified in the state gazette. The students' committee is primarily opposed to the word "Manipuri" being used either as a suffix or prefix to the word "Bishnupriya". It plans to publish a "white paper" soon to "expose how the Bishnupriya community has distorted Manipuri history, culture and language". Five special leave petitions on the language issue are still pending in the Supreme Court. Hearing of these petitions is likely to resume by the end of this month. A new executive body of the committee will be constituted during the two-day Silchar convention, jointly sponsored by the All-Manipur Students' Union and the All-Assam Manipuri Students' Union. Chidananda said an umbrella organisation of Manipuris living in and outside Manipur will also be formed soon. "The committee is already working on the proposal," he said. The student leader said his organisation had total faith in Union minister of state for culture, youth affairs and sports Thounoujam Chaoba Singh, who is a Manipuri. He hoped that Chaoba Singh would use his political clout to resolve the language issue. (Correspondent; The Telegraph, Calcutta; November 8, 1999)

IMPHAL, November 7: The Manipuri Students living in the entire north-eastern states will be meeting for the second time on November 12 and 13 next at Silchar tourist lodge in connection with the decision of the Assam government and Tripura government to introduce Bishnupriya Manipuri at the primary level in these two states. The meeting is being organised by the All Assam Manipuri Students Union (AAMSU) under the banner of the Northeast Students' Co-ordination Committee. Talking to The Assam Tribune here at Imphal, the convenor of the students co-ordination committee Ch Chidananda said the meeting is fixed at Silchar as per the resolutions adopted during the first convention held at Dharamnagar (Tripura) on September 2 and 3 last this year. The meeting will dwell at length on the course of action to be taken up in the face of the decision of the Assam and Tripura governments, the convenor added. It is also learnt that the proposed meeting at Silchar will bring out a white paper on the Bishnupriya issue to form a committee. Members of the committee will be selected/elected during the meeting, Chidananda said. He further stated that the state government has taken the responsibility to take up the Bishnupriya issue lying at the Supreme Court. The committee has also reposed faith in Thounaojam Chaoba Singh, the State Union Minister of Culture and Sports, to use his clout and bring an end to the present imbroglio. The Assam government has stayed the order of introducing Bishnupriya from the primary level during the Cabinet meeting held on October 25 last. The convenor said, adding that there is no such notification in the state gazette. The students committee also appealed the Manipuri students living in different states of the entire north to take part in the two-day gathering in the interest of the Manipuri people. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 8, 1999)

GOLAGHAT, November 8: A herd of wild elephants numbering 50 that has presumably migrated from the flood-affected Kaziranga National Park and Nambor Forest Reserve to the highlands of Karbi Anglong district in search of food and shelter is reported to have caused depredation in places like - Morangi, Doigurung, Deo-pahar, Numaligarh, Pawka,Rongajan, Dhoudasyam, Ponajanghal, Lakhowajan, Kuraawabalni, Rajabari, Khumtai, etc. of the Golaghat district. Destruction of properties, damaging crops and dwelling houses by these elephants have been also reported. As per report, these elephants killed a garden labourer near Letekujan under NRL PS. The people of these areas approached the forest department for taking proper steps to drive out the wild elephants, but it was alleged by the local people that the Forest personnel paid no heed to their request. The local people also demanded the district authority to take immediate steps against such depredations by the wild elephants. Poachers active in KNP: Poachers are still active in the Kaziranga National Park. During the month of September and October at least three rhinos were killed by the poachers. It is learnt from sources that poachers recently killed a rhino by digging up a trench on the path of rhinos which always follow the same path. The forest guards rushed to the spot but failed to nab the poachers. During summer, the roads in the park became muddy and many of them are washed away by the flood waters. Their camps remain unprotected, and there are possibilities that the wild animals may frequently attack them. Moreover, they are not provided with modern rifles, torches, walki-talkies, proper food and clothes. Besides the park authority has no proper security arrangements and the guards are helpless as they are not provided with modern equipment to keep vigil. The people of Kaziranga area condemned the forest authority and the park authority for its failure in all corners. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 9, 1999)

NEW DELHI, November 8: The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of a Sub-Rule (ii) of Rule 4 of Assam Medical Colleges (Regulation of admission to post-graduate courses), 1997, providing for reservation of two seats in degree and two in diploma courses for candidates recommended by the Northeast Council (NEC). "There is absolutely no doubt that the candidates belonging to the five (of the seven) states of Northeastern region - (namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura) - where there is no medical college form a separate class and a reasonable provision for them reserving a few seats in the medical courses - (under `NEC quota seats') - is not violative of any of the provisions of the Constitution," the Bench said. Justice M Srinivasan delivering the judgment of the Bench set aside that portion of the Guwahati High Court judgment which struck down as invalid the above Sub-Rule (ii) of Rule 4. The Bench which included Justice GB Pattanaik and Justice SN Phukan differed from the High Court (on the issue of `Teachers quota seats') and held as valid and constitutional Sub-Rule (iii) of the Rule 4 providing for reservation of six seats for those teachers - who are appointed on regular basis on recommendation of the Commission in any of the medical colleges of Assam who had at least three years' teaching experience after regular appointment in the subject/discipline for which the seat is available provided the requirement of teaching experience is relaxed by a maximum of one year in case of pre- and para-clinical subjects. Accepting the state government's plea that Sub-Rule (iii) of Rule 4 was made on the ground of institutional requirements (for having suitably trained and qualified medical teachers in the concerned medical colleges), the Bench ruled that "there cannot be any doubt that the teachers form a class by themselves and the classification is based on intelligible differentia having rational nexus to the object of the Rule". The Bench, however, affirmed that the portion of the High Court judgment striking down Sub-Rule (iv) of Rule 4 - which provided (under the `State Health Service quota seats') that 20 seats shall be reserved for doctors appointed in the State Health Services on a regular basis on the recommendations of the Commission and who have worked for at least five years on a regular basis in any health centre/institution which is not situated in a municipal area. The Bench noted that "the doctor working in an institution situated in a place immediately adjacent to but outside a municipal town will get the benefit of the rule while in practice, he will also get all the benefits available in the urban areas situated within the municipal limits" and "the rule does not require the doctor to serve in a remote rural area for getting the benefit of the rule". "Even if the rule had provided for service in a rural area, it has been held (sometime ago in Pradeep Tandon case) that the classification (based merely on rural element) is not a valid one". The Apex Court also affirmed that portion of the High Court judgment which held as unconstitutional and invalid Sub-Rule (i) of Rule 5 exempting candidates falling in the reserved category of `NEC quota seats' from appearing in the entrance examination (for the purpose of admission into PG medical course). "As has been repeatedly held by this (Apex) Court, the selection of candidates for PG medical courses should be based only on merit and it cannot be left to the arbitrary discretion of any administrative body," the Bench said. Though the Bench had upheld reservation of four seats under NEC quota, it (the Bench) was of the opinion that such reservation "can be provided only on the basis of merit which can be assessed by the performance of the candidates in the entrance examination". "The NEC cannot choose any candidate according to its whims and fancies" and "it (NEC) has to recommend candidates only in accordance with the rank secured in the entrance examination," the Bench observed. "As regards the (medical) teachers (falling under the category of `teachers' quota) there is no need for them to participate in the entrance examination as they have been constantly in touch with the subject/discipline for which reservation is made," the Bench said and added that "the concept of entrance examination was evolved for the purpose of prescribing uniform standard for judging all the candidates". It had also been "repeatedly emphasised by this (Apex) Court that merit should be the criterion for admission to the PG courses" and "both the tests will be satisfied in the case of teachers who have been working in the medical colleges of Assam for the required number of years," the Bench said and added that "there was no necessity for them (teacher-candidates) to appear in the entrance examination". The rule "in-so-far as it exempts the teachers from appearing in the entrance examination is valid," the Bench ruled while differing from the High Court in this respect. The Bench upheld a proviso to Sub-Rule (vii) of Rule 8 which was only discretionary and which provided for the first priority being given to NEC in respect of filling in any vacant seats under `all-India quota category students' (being 25 per cent of total seats). The Bench in this regard differed from the High Court and said that the reasons which it had given for upholding the reservation of seats under NEC quota would hold good in respect of this proviso also. In-so-far as the candidates referred to in Sub-Rule (iv) of Rule 4 - State Health Service question - were concerned, the Bench said that reservation for them was not valid. Consequently, the question of exempting them from appearing in the entrance examination "does not arise", the Bench added. (T Padmanabha Rao; The Hindu, Chennai; November 9, 1999)

GUWAHATI, November 9: The prestigious Publication Board, Assam (PBA), is gasping for life today. As, according to the admission of Board Chairman Thaneswar Boro and its Secretary Satish Bhattacharyya, the Board is yet to clear an outstanding amount of around Rs 80 lakh to its staff and other parties with its commitment to publishing new titles taking a back seat. Addressing a press conference jointly with Bhattacharyya, Boro, who is also the State Education Minister, said here today that to bail the PBA out of the crisis, one proposal seeking Rs 40 lakh from the Human Resource Development Ministry had already been sent to the Union government, while another proposal seeking an amount of Rs 50 lakh from the Non-Lapsable Fund of the Union government meant for the NE states, was also being prepared. The situation in the PBA has reached such a state today that the Board has to rent a portion of the first floor of its headquarters building to the Anti-drugs and Prohibition Council at the rate of Rs 5,000 per month. The long cherished dream of the Board to publish the compiled edition of the Jonaki the literary magazine which had created an era of genre in Assamese literature, has remained unfulfilled because of the lack of fund, they said, adding, an overdraft amount of about Rs 19 lakh is also to be cleared by the PBA to the Assam Cooperative Apex Bank Ltd. The plans to modernise the printing press of the PBA and to furnish the Board's auditorium with chairs also remained elusive for the last several years, said Boro and Bhattacharyya. The Board received last year an amount of Rs 8 lakh from the state government under Plan heads to publish books, besides an amount of Rs 11 lakh under the Non-plan heads to pay the salaries to its employees and to meet other expenses. This year the corresponding amounts are raised to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively, they said. However, according to their own admission the Board requires an amount of Rs 3 lakh every month, on an average to pay its employees. The employees of the Board have not received their salaries for the past about seven months. Meanwhile, the Employees' Union of the Publication Board today submitted a memorandum to Boro demanding immediate payment of their salaries for the past 7 months, besides depositing the 69 months' arrear PF amount and 40 months' LIC amounts with the authorities concerned. However, contrary to the estimates provided by Boro and Bhattacharyya, the Employees' Union said in its memorandum that an amount of Rs 60 lakh is required annually to pay the salaries of the Board employees. The Union also claimed that an arrear amount of Rs 63 lakh was to be paid by the PBA authorities to its employees. Financial mismanagement : The financial mismanagement in the Board is also responsible for the present sorry state of affairs in this government-controlled publishing firm. Since 1985, the Local Audit Department of the state government has also not conducted any audit of the PBA accounts on the plea that some important files are not made available by the Chief Minister's Vigilance Cell, as claimed by Boro and Bhattacharyya. These files were seized by the CM's Vigilance Cell after the 1984 Guwahati Book Fair. According to Boro and Bhattacharyya, the Board prepares only Annual Receipt and Expenditure Accounts, and there is no practice prevalent in the Board to prepare balance sheets every year. This has made the entire picture of the Board's finance quite incomprehensible. No one knows exactly what are the true assets and liabilities of the Board today. And perhaps taking advantage of this situation, some irregularities cropped up in the Panbazar sales counter of the PBA and in the management of Guwahati Book Fair some time back. Though only one case relating to misappropriation of the sales proceed in the Panbazar sales counter was detected in 1996-97 and another relating to the loss of about 100 CI sheets was detected the same year, the PBA authorities later preferred not to keep an watch over such possibilities in the other areas. Challenge to PBA book fairs : Taking advantage of the lack of alertness on the part of the PBA authorities, some forces are now trying to hold book fairs coinciding with the dates of the 16-year-old Guwahati Book Fair organised by the PBA every year at the Judges' Field in the city. According to the admission of Boro, some forces are out to obliterate the PBA and the Guwahati Book Fair. New publication : The PBA will bring out altogether 18 old and new titles during the next Guwahati Book Fair. The new titles will include Krishna Kanta Handiqueore Manisha, Lachit Barphukan of late playwright Prabin Phukan and Senduri Ali of late Mitradev Mahanta, among others, Boro said. It is worth mentioning here that the PBA was set up in 1958 with the aim to publish rare books and major literary works of the State for the purpose of creating a congenial atmosphere for literary activities in the State. In 1984 it launched the Guwahati Book Fair with a view to encouraging development of a healthy readership movement in the State. Since 1987, it became an annual event. In order to take the book fair movement to every nook and corner of the State, the Jorhat Book Fair was launched by the PBA in collaboration with the Assam Academic Centre in 1990. Similarly, in 1991, Lumding Book Fair was organised by the PBA in collaboration with a local organisation. Soon, these book fairs caught the imagination of the people of other areas like Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Duliajan, Nagaon, Sivasagar and Golaghat, among others. But today, the PBA itself is gasping for life. Since 1997 the PBA is not able to publish any title. And for the last several months, the Board meeting of the PBA is also not held, while the board constituted in 1996 has also expired its three-year term. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 10, 1999)

GUWAHATI, November 9: A Division Bench of the Gauhati High Court today stayed the imprisonment order passed against Lalthara, Commissioner, Finance, government of Nagaland in a contempt case. Justice NC Jain and Justice PC Phukan directed posting of the contempt appeal case on November 25 for further orders. Lalthara was sentenced to undergo one month imprisonment and also a fine of Rs 5000 for committing contempt of court, by Justice N S Singh at Kohima Bench on November 5. The single Judge held court orders directing that there would be no blanket ban on withdrawal of Provident Fund, was violated by the contemner Lalthara and accordingly sentenced the senior IAS officer to imprisonment and fine. The contemner's request to the Kohima Court for suspending the sentence to enable him to file an appeal at Guwahati before Division Bench, was not granted by Justice Singh and accordingly Lalthara proceeded to the principal seat of the High Court to present his appeal. (Legal Reporter; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 10, 1999)

GOLAGHAT, November 9: A beautiful boat measuring 6 feet wide 20 feet long, of the Ahom age, was recovered at Amgurighat recently. A stream of curious people visited the site to have a look at it. The boat was found lying idle between the old Amgurighat bridge and the Dikhow bridge. The water transport, department of Sibsagar, reported its recovery. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 10, 1999)

GUWAHATI, November 9: For the first time a comprehensive Sanskrit-Assamese dictionary is being published by the Publication Board of Asom Veda Vidyalaya, Guwahati. Besides Assamese meaning of 45,000 words with etymology, the dictionary will contain Sanskrit nyayas (proverbs), rhetoric, prosody, brief life sketches of nearly sixty poets of classical Sanskrit literature and profiles of renowned Sanskrit scholars and their works. The dictionary, complied by Prof Kiran Sarma, is due for release by January next year. (Staff Reporter; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 10, 1999)

CALCUTTA, November 10: Controversial surgeon Dhani Ram Baruah, who was arrested following his claim of having pulled off the world's first pig-to-human organ transplants in 1997, says he is setting up the world's only exclusive xenotransplant centre in Kamrup district. He is also reviving other planned projects, including the setting up of two laboratories in Calcutta and the Andaman islands in the Bay of Bengal. Baruah had moved the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) a year ago alleging an "Assam government-endorsed conspiracy" to scuttle his work. The controversial doctor, who claims the Rights body has directed the state government to allow him to carry on his work, is excited about setting up the xenotransplant centre at his own hospital. Educated in England and now a British citizen, Baruah claims to be the first surgeon in the world to successfully undertake multiple organ transplants from a pig to a human recipient. On January 1, 1997, Baruah operated on 32-year-old Purno Saikia, claiming to have replaced his heart, liver and kidneys with those of a pig. The patient lived a week before dying from multiple bacterial infection. Baruah claimed that was the longest survival record for a xenotransplantation patient. The surgeon, staying in India for the past three years though he is based in Glasgow, was arrested soon after he performed the controversial operation because the authorities doubted his claims. He has been on bail since. Baruah told IANS that a consortium of three investors had signed a deal with him to set up the xenotransplantation centre at a cost of Rs 100 million. Two laboratories would be set up in Calcutta and an island of the Andaman group that would manufacture heart valves, artificial biological hearts and coronary biograft for bypass surgeries. The laboratories would come up at a cost of Rs 37.5 million. All the projects are to go off the ground next month. Baruah said acclaimed cardiac surgeon Christian Barnard would inaugurate the xenotransplantation centre. In the first year, Baruah hopes to produce 5,000 heart valves, about 25 artificial biological hearts and 5,000 coronary biograft. So far, heart valves are not produced in the country, and have to be imported at a high cost. Baruah, who caused a furore in the country after the 1997 operation, spent 11 years, some of them as a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, developing a biochemical Antigen Suppression Agent (ASA) to prevent 'hyperacute rejection' of animal organs. He claims the ASA method can effectively replace the in vogue immuno suppression method in removing immediate violent rejection of animal tissues. Several cardiac surgeons around the world have acknowledged the possibility in Baruah's research. Says Alan Faichney, a cardiac-thoracic surgeon at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, "Trying to use animal organs is a reasonable way forward. It may be that what he has done with antigen suppression will provide useful information for other people to follow up." In end-October Britain accepted pig-to-human transplant, thus allowing over 5,500 patients waiting for donor organs to consider xenotransplant. Baruah, whose medical papers are likely to be sought by the British health department as a prelude to inviting him to do his research in that country, has already begun receiving xenotransplant requests from British patients. Lynne Lewis, a 29-year-old patient from Broxburn, West Lothian, is possibly going to be his second recipient of a pig heart. Baruah, who is extremely bitter with the Indian administration for "cold shouldering" him, is not averse to returning to England, if invited. "I would like to stay here and work despite all the harsh treatment I have received. But I will go to England if invited. Here they do not know what is science. They are only interested in political science," he said. The surgeon will publish his autobiography titled 'Cardiac Xenotransplantation Versus Controversy' in December. (India Abroad News Service; The Northeast Daily, Guwahati; November 11, 1999)

TAWANG, November 11: The 354-year-old Tawang monastery, the fountainhead of the spiritual life of Gelugpa (a Buddhist sect) in Arunachal Pradesh, is now gasping for survival. Tangye Tulku, the Khempo Rimpoche (abbot) of the monastery told The Telegraph that they are passing through an "acute funds crisis" for the past few years as there was "no financial assistance" from the state government. "We have more than 300 lamas (monks) here. If we don't have money, how can we feed them?" Tulku said. "It is the largest monastery of the region and it is the duty of the state government to preserve it," he says. The monastery has the capacity to house more than 500 lamas, but the authorities cannot accommodate so many due to financial hardship. Tulku said they have been repeatedly asking the state government to release at least "some funds" to run their day-to-day business. "But, there is hardly any response from the government," he alleged. In addition to conducting day-to-day functions, the abbot said the monastery needs funds to run the centre for Tibetan cultural studies, which is the only one of its kind in the region. Established in 1643 by Lodre Gyaltso (Mera Lama), the monastery located on the top of a hill nearly 10,000 feet above sea-level overlooks the Tawang-Chu valley. It is a well-fortified complex, covering an area of 135 square metres and is surrounded by a wall 610 metre in length. Tulku, who took over as abbot here three years ago, said they have also taken up the matter with the three legislators of the Tawang district. "But, they did not do anything," he alleged. "The state government has not contributed much for the renovation of the building. The last renovation was carried out five years ago," Tulku said, adding that almost all the money for renovation work was given to them by the Centre and the exiled government of the Dalai Lama. The "Khempo Rimpoche" said the local Monpa and Sherdukpen (tribal farmers) are supplying foodgrain to the monastery to feed the Buddhist monks. "The other essential commodities are very costly these days. So, it is very difficult for us to survive now," he said. Traditionally, the monastery gets "khrei" (agricultural levy) from the nearby villages twice a year. The "Khrei" is paid for the upkeep of the monastery and has been a normal practice from the time of the founder, Mera Lama, the monks said. Each household also supplies fixed quantity of firewood to the monastery as per the Khrei. (Correspondent; The Telegraph, Calcutta; November 12, 1999)

AGARTALA, November 11: Newspaper houses in Tripura have threatened to launch a vigorous movement in the State from tomorrow, if the State government failed to cancel the new 'advertisement policy 1998,' reports UNI. Announcing their agitational decision, Tripura Newspaper Society (TNS) president Kamala Ranjan Talapatra and other leaders Subal Kumar Dey and Arun Nath here today said Chief Minister Manik Sarkar had earlier assured them of holding a meeting to settle the problems, but the Chief Minister had failed to fulfil his commitment. The new policy would damage the growth of the newspapers in the State, they said, adding, the newspaper houses were passing through a serious economical crisis. They demanded cancellation of the new advertisement policy and formulation of a new policy after discussing with the owners and publishers of the newspapers here. They said they would first organise demonstration in front of the Chief Minister and information Minister's Houses and then resort to strike and other agitational programme phase by phase. The Tripura government had earlier announced to introduce a new advertisement policy in the State. The provision included submission of an ABC certificate, verification of newspapers' circulation by a district magistrate-level officer and stoppage of government advertisement to those newspapers, which would violate norms and journalistic code of conduct as prescribed by Press Council of India. (UNI; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 12, 1999)

SHILLONG, November 11: The two-day 'Hundred Drums Wangla Festival' will be held at Asanang in Garo Hills tomorrow, reports UNI. The festival, one of the most colourful ones in the Garo Hills district, was sponsored by the Meghalaya government's Tourism department. PA Sangma, MP, is expected to inaugurate the event, according to an official release here today. (UNI; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 12, 1999)

JORHAT, November 11: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-sponsored short course on 'Microbial biodiversity in soils of tropics and sub-tropics and its exploitation in crop production' was organised successfully from October 27 to November 5 by the department of Soil Science, Assam Agricultural University in the Jorhat campus of the university. Inaugurating the training, Professor AN Mukhopadhyay, vice-chancellor, AAU lauded the Department of Soil Science for facilitating the exchange of scientific know-how at the national level by being able to organise such courses twice in the current year. Professor Mukhopadhyay further said the rich biodiversity of the north-eastern region is yet to be exploited properly and indicated that improvement of technologies in various forms would only ensure food security in the country in the next century. Besides, he formally released the compendium of lectures and other notes in the function. Both the inaugural and valedictory functions were presided over by DN Dutta, dean, Faculty of Agriculture. In his speech, Dutta emphasised carrying out effective research for ensuring proper maintenance of soil health and increasing collaborative programmes of such nature of acceleration of agricultural development of the NE region. Taking part as the chief guest in the valedictory function, AK Pathak, director of research (Agriculture), appealed to the trainees to work more vigorously in the light of the information received during the short course. H Talukdar, head, department of Soil Science acted as the course director and NC Talukdar acted as the course-coordinator for the success of the course. Altogether 20 agricultural scientists representing various regions of the country took part as trainees. A number of senior-level scientists from AAU, other research institutions, including a few retired professors of AAU rendered service as resource persons. In addition to 23 lecture sessions, field visits for the trainees to acquaint them with the flora and fauna of the region were also arranged. Incidentally, AV Ogram, an eminent scientist of the University of Florida, USA, also contributed a comprehensive report on modern approaches to microbial biodiversity for discussion during the training period. (Correspondent; The Assam Tribune, Guwahati; November 12, 1999)

SHILLONG, November 12: Medical teams that are trying to control recurring outbreak of malaria in the rural areas of Jaintia Hills are finding widespread superstition to be their biggest challenge. Villagers do not even allow them to spray DDT in and around their homes. The villagers of Jaintia Hills have a superstitious belief in U Thlen, a snake spirit which feeds on human blood. "People simply refuse to give their blood for tests," said director of health services N Nongpluh, who hails from Jaintia Hills district. He said the villagers, who are steeped in stories of U Thlen worshippers who feed the Thlen with human blood stolen from others, look on the doctors and nurses with suspicion when they ask malaria patients to undergo blood tests. The latest example of this is Thangrain village, with a population of 1,300. At least 31 people there have died of malaria during the last three months. The deaths led to a hue and cry about the lack of medical facilities, but the report submitted by the medical inquiry team brought these facts to light. When the medical team arrived in the village about two weeks ago, 639 people came for the check-up. "But only 100 of them allowed their blood samples to be taken," said Nongpluh. He said the department plans to intensify health education. "But without literacy it is difficult to make them really understand things," said doctors. As a result, quacks are having a field day. The state medical staff refuse to treat patients with high fever without taking blood slides. Quacks, taking advantage of this, fill in with their own therapy. "These quacks are out to make money. They hardly care about proper diagnoses and malaria cannot be treated without which a proper diagnosis," said Nongpluh. The doctor said several patients were brought from Thangrain to the KJP and civil hospital in Jowai recently in an unconscious state and they later died. They were victims of a quack who had administered unspecified injections. (Linda C; The Telegraph, Calcutta; November 13, 1999)

SHILLONG, November 13: The Khasi Students' Union (KSU) has called on Khasi girls to stop wearing salwar kameez and sarees. "The practice of wearing such clothes erodes tribal culture and traditional values of dress," the KSU said in its general council meeting held here yesterday. One of the issues discussed at the meeting was the preservation of traditional values and practices of the tribe and the steps to be taken to safeguard these. The meeting also called for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit system, notification of the state government retirement age at 58 instead of 60 years and to revert back to the old system of examinations under the Northeastern Hill University (NEHU). The KSU also decided to search and deport all illegal entrants into the state. (Correspondent; The Telegraph, Calcutta; November 14, 1999)