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updated : WEDNESDAY
31 DECEMBER
2008 |
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Bangladeshi design
to annex Asom |
By
our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 30: The problem
posed by the unabated influx
of Bangladeshi migrants into
the State is bound to assume
greater dimensions in the future
with several hard-hitting revelations
coming to light.
For instance, Bangladesh has
allegedly taken up a scheme
worth Rs 15 crore wherein students
in selected madrassas are taught
Asomiya and its various dialects.
This scheme has been adopted
so that Bangladeshis migrating
into India do not have to face
any language problems.
Over the years, lakhs of Bangladeshis
are believed to have illegally
migrated to Asom. A proper set-up
for transporting people from
across the border is also in
place in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi
agents reportedly charge around
Rs 1,500 for transporting a
person into the Indian side.
These revelations are part of
a CD which was prepared by a
senior Indian journalist from
outside the Northeast a few
years back. The journalist had
submitted the CD to the then
Asom Governor Lt Gen (Retd)
SK Sinha for his perusal. An
updated version of the CD has
now found its way into the hands
of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
The CD has been updated till
the devastating October 30 serial
bomb blasts.
The CD also contains video footages
of seminars being held in interior
areas of Bangladesh to justify
migration to India. Besides
asserting that Asom is a part
of Bangladesh, the idea of a
greater pan-Islamic state, comprising
Pakistan, Bihar, West Bengal,
Bangladesh and Northeast India,
was also discussed in the seminars.
After watching the CD today,
AGP president Chandra Mohan
Patowary told The Sentinel,
“It is really shocking
to watch such seminars being
held in Bangladesh. This is
sure to spell doom for Asom.”
Stating that the Central Government
should take the threat posed
by Bangladesh very seriously,
Patowary said, “We knew
that a senior journalist from
outside the State had given
a CD to former Asom Governor
SK Sinha, but we had never seen
it.”
The AGP president said, “After
the Asom serial blasts and the
Mumbai terror attacks, Parliament
has finally woken up to the
threat posed by the neigbouring
country. The Centre should immediately
hold discussions with the Bangladesh
Government.” |
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A
huge quantity of explosives
recovered from a garbage dump
near Notboma in the Sijubari
area in Guwahati on Tuesday
on display at Hatigaon police
station. According to police
sources, the explosive materials
were kept by suspected militants.
(Sentinel)
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Omar
to be next J-K CM
NEW DELHI, Dec 30: National
Conference chief Omar Abdullah
will be the next Chief Minister
of Jammu and Kashmir after
his party and the Congress
stitched an alliance today
to form a coalition government
in which they will be “equal
partners”. The NC, which
bagged 28 seats to become
the single largest party,
and the Congress with a haul
of 17 struck an agreement
after Omar, the third generation
Abdullah family member, met
Congress President Sonia Gandhi
in the capital. The NC-Congress
combine has 45 seats, one
seat more that the number
required for a majority in
a House of 87.
Emerging from the meeting,
38-year-old Omar who had his
education in Lawrence School
Sanawar, Mumbai and Scotland
said, “It has been decided
that I will lead the coalition
government in the State of
which Congress will be a part
of.” Asked about the
details of the new government
and whether it will be a three-year
term each for NC and Congress,
Omar, who will be the State’s
youngest Chief Minister, said
a committee would be formed
by both the parties to go
into the nitty-gritties of
the alliance. “There
were no talks or formulation
on the details,” said
the son of NC veteran Farooq
Abdullah, who has thrice been
the Chief Minister of the
border State. The two parties
were part of an alliance previously
in 1987.
AICC general secretary and
J and K in-charge of the party,
Prithiviraj Chavan said, “Omar
Abdullah called on Congress
President and proposed formation
of a coalition government.
“The Congress president
has accepted the proposal.
The government would be headed
by Omar Abdullah,” said
Chavan addressing reporters
along with Omar. “This
is going to be a government
of partnership. It is going
to be a partnership, a coalition
between the National Conference
and the Congress. We are equal
partners. We have an equal
stake,” said Omar. PTI
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Investment
scene bright despite terror:
Gogoi
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 30: “Despite
a number of achievements in
many sectors during 2008, the
ethnic clash in Udalguri and
Darrang districts and the October
30 serial blasts in the State
continue to disturb me even
today. There were other incidents
also, but their impact was not
felt as that of the ethnic clash
and the serial blasts.”
This is how Asom Chief Minister
Tarun Gogoi said on the year
gone by while talking to The
Sentinel today.
When asked on the fate of the
ceasefire agreement with the
NDFB in the aftermath of the
involvement of the outfit in
the serial blasts coming to
light, Gogoi said: “We
have been studying the nature
of involvement of the outfit
in the serial blasts —
whether the entire rebel group
was involved or a section of
it. On its own, the Centre has
also been studying the nature
of involvement of the NDFB in
the serial blasts. The decision
on the ceasefire with the NDFB
that is going to expire tomorrow
depends much on the outcome
of the study being conducted
by the State Government and
the Centre with their respective
agencies.”
On the performance front, Gogoi
said his government has many
success stories like laying
of foundation stones of as many
as three medical colleges in
the State in 2008. There were
many other developmental activities
in the health sector, Gogoi
said, and added: “We did
a lot in the education sector
too. We got a huge amount of
Central funds for various PWD
schemes. Though we don’t
have adequate staff to absorb
the amount of funds being poured
from the Centre in the PWD sector
and other sectors, we implement
them gradually. Earlier we couldn’t
measure our strength, since
we did not face any challenging
situation. Now we have come
to know our strength and will
do better in the year ahead.”
Gogoi said he has full faith
on the youths. “The youths
have realized the fact that
there is dearth of government
jobs in the State, and hankering
after government jobs will lead
them nowhere. So the youths
have started to take the challenge
by taking to self-employment
avenues. In the year ahead,
we will lay more emphasis to
encourage the youths for such
ventures.” Though there
were ethnic clash and serial
blasts in the State in 2008,
outside investors have been
keen to invest in the State,
Gogoi said. “We hope this
interest of investors will be
visible in 2009. We have already
opened an investment cell in
the State Industry Department
so as to streamline the process
of investment in the State,”
he said. The Chief Minister
expressed his hope that militant
groups, including ULFA, which
have not declared any ceasefire
with the government will come
to the negotiation table soon.
Massive
victory for Hasina and her allies
in Bangladesh
DHAKA/NEW DELHI, Dec 30: Former
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
and the nine-party alliance
led by her Awami League recorded
a landslide victory on Tuesday,
winning 259 seats of the 299
seats that figured in Bangladesh’s
ninth general election. Indian
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
promptly congratulated her,
and expressed the hope bilateral
ties would be strengthened.
In Monday’s poll, the
Awami League (AL) alone won
230 seats, and the alliance
got 259 out of the 299 contested,
leaving Hasina’s arch
political rival Begum Khaleda
Zia with only 29 seats and Zia’s
Islamist ally Jamaat-e-Islami
(JeI) with two. There were four
independent winners.
Bangladesh has a 300-seat Parliament.
Elections were rescheduled in
Noakhali-1 following the death
of a candidate.
The poll results were a crushing
defeat for Zia and her Islamist
allies who together enjoyed
a two-thirds majority in the
last elected parliament (2001-06).
Hasina and Zia represent two
competing political legacies
and have dominated the Bangladesh
political scene since the 1980s.
While Zia ruled for two terms
— 1991-96 and 2001-06
— Hasina ruled during
the intervening period.
While Hasina counselled calm
as results poured in, Zia complained
of irregularities in 220 seats
in the Monday poll, hinting
at rigging.
Both the women contenders, as
also the caretaker government
and the Election Commission
tasked to conduct a free and
fair poll, had on Monday expressed
satisfaction with the conduct
of the poll.
The international observers,
among them the European Union
(EU), also testified to a fair
poll that saw an estimated 70
per cent turnout of the 80 million
electorate.
Hasina’s chief ally, Jatiya
Party of former military ruler
Hossain Mohammed Ershad, won
a surprising 27 seats.
All three - Hasina and Ershad,
as also Zia - scored stunning
victories in the multiple constituencies
they contested from.
A major BNP loss was that of
the speaker of the last elected
Jatiya Sangsad (National Assembly),
Barrister Jamiruddin Serker,
who lost in Pachagarh-1 in northern
Bangladesh.
Also defeated were several former
Zia ministers, including finance
minister M Saifur Rahman and
Maudud Ahmed.
The Awami League (AL) victory
spelt triumph for a number of
minority Hindu nominees. Among
them were Suranjit Sengupta
(Sunamganj-1), a member of AL
Presidium, Narayan Chandra Chanda
(Khulna-5), Ramesh Chandra Sen
(Thakurgaon-1) and Monoranjan
Gopal Sheel (Dinajpur-1).
Minority voters in different
areas in Chittagong received
threats from workers of Zia’s
four-party alliance despite
huge preparations and safety
measures for a free and fair
election.
A significant number of voters,
especially the indigenous people
and Biharis (non-Bengalis) could
not vote as they were not on
the new voter roll, Star Online
said on Tuesday.
Among the winners were two former
army officers who fought for
the country’s liberation.
Major (retd) Rafiqul Islam,
winner of top gallantry award
Bir Uttam, won from Chandpur-5,
while Col. (retd) Oli Ahmed,
a minister in Zia’s government
who fell out with her, won from
Chittagong-13.
AQM. Badrudozza Chowdhury, a
former president, who fell out
with Zia and floated his own
party, lost at the hustings.
Bangladesh’s military-backed
caretaker government will transfer
power to the victors of the
Monday poll in a week, a senior
official said on Tuesday.
Adviser (minister) M Anwarul
Iqbal said the newly elected
government will take office
in seven days through a gazette
publication.
“The new government will
be formed after the members-elect
take oath as MPs, then the caretaker
government will hand over charge
to the incumbent new administration,”
Iqbal said.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh on Tuesday congratulated
Sheikh Hasina and expressed
hope about strengthening bilateral
ties in the years ahead.
“The Prime Minister said
that India looks forward to
working with the government
and people of Bangladesh in
the years ahead for the mutual
benefit of the people of the
two countries,” a statement
from the prime Minister’s
Office said in New Delhi.
With terrorism in the region
a pressing concern, specially
after the Mumbai attacks, the
victory of Sheikh Hasina has
brought some comfort to New
Delhi as she took some tough
steps against the anti-India
militant groups when she was
in power in the mid-1990s.
The 61-year-old Sheikh Hasina,
whose father Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman led the nation to independence,
returned to power after spending
months in custody on murder
and corruption charges. IANS
‘Strip
militant leaders of citizenship’
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 30: The Assam
Public Works (APW) today said
the ULFA, NDFB and other militant
groups should be given a chance
to come to the negotiation table,
and if the rebel groups do not
come for a peaceful solution
to their problems, they should
be shot dead wherever they stay.
Talking to newsmen here today,
APW director Abhijit Sarma said:
“If the militant groups
don’t come for peace process,
they should be stripped of their
Indian citizenship. Pakistan
is blamed by the world for the
terror attacks in Mumbai, and
if the ULFA and NDFB carry out
such attacks in other countries,
India will be at the receiving
end from the world community.”
Launching a scathing attack
on the Asom Government and the
Police Department for their
failure to trace escaped drug
lord Pakhi Miyan, the APW warned
the Government of massive attacks,
planned by Miyan, if he is not
arrested. |
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Rijiju
moves Chidambaram
From our Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 30: Arunachal
Pradesh MP Kiren Rijiju has
strongly protested and lodged
a complaint against the Asom
officials who, he alleged, destroyed
a check-post and granaries of
innocent Arunachali people by
using excavators at Gumto village
under Papumpare district of
Arunachal Pradesh. In this connection,
Kiren Rijiju met Union Home
Minister P Chidambaram and urged
him for immediate intervention
of the Centre to take action
against the erring officials.
Kiren Rijiju informed the Home
Minister that seven top-level
Asom officials from North Lakhimpur
districts, including the Deputy
Commissioner and the Police
Superintendent with around 400
other officials, entered Doimukh
area at Gumto village inside
Arunachal Pradesh and destroyed
the check post and granaries
of people with excavators. |
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Unilateral
ceasefire by KLNLF
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 30: The KLNLF
has today announced a two-month
unilateral ceasefire with
the government from January
1 to March 1, KLNLF chairman
P Dilli said.
Grenade
attack on natya club
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 30: A miscreant
lobbed a grenade on Surya
Natya Club at Lamb Road in
the Ambari area under Latasil
police station in Guwahati
this evening, but the grenade
failed to detonate. The local
people chased the miscreant,
but he escaped. The people,
however, caught an accomplice
of the miscreant and handed
him over to the police. The
police took the grenade.
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SAKP
meets Gogoi
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 30: Leaders
of the SAKP today had a meeting
with Chief Minister Tarun
Gogoi in his office chamber
at Dispur and raised a number
of demands, including payment
of salaries in the Central
Government scales from January
next, release of arrears DA
and regularization of services
of 8,000 muster roll, casual
and fixed pay workers. Sources
at Dispur said the Chief Minister
is likely to announce some
sops for the employees of
the State on January 1.
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I
will teach Gogoi a lesson:
Ajmal
From our Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 30: “I
will teach Asom Chief Minister
Tarun Gogoi a lesson in the
forthcoming Lok Sabha election,”
said AUDF president Badruddin
Ajmal while talking to The
Sentinel after a meeting at
the Islamic Centre in New
Delhi today. Ajmal said Gogoi
and some Congress leaders
of Asom have been out to malign
the image of the AUDF by carrying
out a false propaganda against
the party. He further said
preparations for the third
front is under way in Asom,
and the AUDF will field nine
candidates in the coming Lok
Sabha polls. He, however,
refused to name the seats
where the party will field
its candidates.
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Happiness
is infectious!
Getting connected to happy
people improves happiness.
Among other benefits, happiness
has been shown to have an
important effect on less risk
of death, pain relief, and
better heart function. To
explore how happiness spreads,
researchers from America analysed
data on 4,700 people who were
being followed since their
childhood. Facts regarding
the births, marriages, death,
and divorces of the participants
were tracked. The participants
also listed contact information
of their closest friends,
co-workers, and neighbours.
The researchers assessed happiness
using a simple, four-question
test, which included - how
often during the previous
week they - enjoyed life;
were happy; were hopeful about
the future; and felt as good
as other people. The 60 per
cent of people who scored
highly on all four questions
were rated as happy, while
the rest were designated unhappy.
It was found that people with
the most social connections
- friends, spouses, neighbours,
and relatives - were also
the happiest. The researchers
also found that happiness
is more contagious than unhappiness.
Having a happy social contact
increases the likelihood of
a person’s happiness
by 15 per cent while having
every extra unhappy friend
increases the likelihood that
you would be unhappy by 7
per cent.
The above findings show that
happy persons make others
happier and that happiness
is contagious.
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