Prohibitory orders along Indo-Bangladesh border in Assam

Prohibitory orders have been promulgated along Assam-Bangladesh international border in Cachar district in view of reports about extremist elements entering the district for creating law and order problem.

South Assam's Cachar district magistrate H K Dev Mahanta promulgated the orders following reports about extremist elements likely to cross the border and enter Cachar from Bangladesh, official sources said.

There is also apprehension of the possibility of illegal export of commodities and cattle from the district to Bangladesh, besides efforts by illegal immigrants to cross over from across the border to cause disturbance and social tension.

The prohibitory orders have been enforced as a preventive measure.

CM ready to face Aasu on white paper

Accepting Aasu's challenge, chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said he is ready for a face off with the students' body over the white paper on foreigners' issue. The chief minister added that he is ready to discuss the issue with any other organization.

On October 20, Gogoi released the white paper on influx which has always been the central poll plank of all political parties in every election. The white paper also happens to be the first-ever documentation of the problem by any state government. But it has drawn criticism from various sections of society.

Gogoi, who is in New Delhi now, said, "Aasu is talking about half truths in the white paper. I am asking them to show me these. The white paper contains facts and figures from government records and court orders." The chief minister even asked Aasu to publish its own separate white paper on the subject. "Aasu has every right to publish one and they can go to the people with it. If I have missed out on anything in the white paper, it should tell me specifically. I am open to discussion, not just with AASU alone, but others too."

Leave Majuli by Nov 10, Aasu tells Bangla nationals

The All Assam Students' Union (Aasu) on Saturday issued an ultimatum to all suspected Bangladeshi nationals here to leave Majuli by November 10. The organization also asked the administration to take required steps to fulfill their demand.

"We will not be responsible for any problems arising in Majuli after the deadline ends. We will take action against suspected nationals residing in the hub of Vaishnavite culture. This is our last appeal to the government as well as suspected Bangladeshis staying in Majuli,'' said Aasu's Jorhat district president Biren Saikia.

He added, "A large number of suspected Bangladeshi nationals are residing in Majuli right under the nose of the administration. Apart from doing cultivation and other household works, many of them are doing trade in the island to eke out a living. In some years, they will set up permanent settlements here, posing a serious threat to the unique identity of the island.''

Anna Hazare to attend KMSS convention in Guwahati

Noted Gandhian Anna Hazare and former Army General of the country V K Singh will attend the two-day convention being organised by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) in association with the Guwahati Mahanagar Unnayan Samiti Samuhar Aikyamancha on November 7 and 8 in the city.

The convention being organised by the KMSS and the Aikyamancha to chalk out an action plan for a secular, nationalistic and progressive anti-alien stir, is also expected to be attended by India Against Corruption leader Arvind Gaur and peasant leader P V Rajagopal, the KMSS said in a press release here today.

The KMSS has made it clear that it is not against the six-year-long Assam agitation. But it is aware of its negative aspects and is maintaining caution to prevent recurrence of those mistakes. The Assam agitation was a famous popular movement in the post-independence era of the country.

Lets debate on influx : AASU says to Tarun Gogoi

The All Assam Students’ Union today dared chief minister Tarun Gogoi to start an open debate on the problem of illegal migration in the state to find concrete ways to solve it.

The student organisation’s challenge came a day after Dispur asked the former to substantiate its allegation that the government’s recently published white paper on the foreigner problem was a “half truth” or a “white lie”.

On Monday, the AASU had come out with a 90-page booklet accusing the governments at Dispur and New Delhi of betraying the state’s people by not implementing the Assam Accord for the last 27 years.

The union also alleged that the government’s white paper had suppressed many important historical facts to mislead the people of Assam.

Migrants discover new entry route

Infiltrators from Bangladesh have now found a new route for their ingress across the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, raising the hackles of the BSF.

According to a senior official of the BSF in Cachar, a majority of these infiltrators are entering the country through this new route near Umthiang and Kuliang hamlets in East Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya and easily get jobs in scores of open cast collieries thriving in that district that shares a border with Cachar district in Assam.

The extent of infiltration of the Bangladeshis in the adjoining state, described by the BSF official as largescale, can be gauged from statistics which state that in October alone, 92 people were apprehended while trying sneak past the security vigil along this border into the country or back to Bangladesh.