North East Rising

Assam, September 12: The Pygmy Hog is the smallest, rarest and most highly specialized member of the pig family. It was formerly known to occur across a narrow strip of early successional tall grassland plains along the southern Himalayan foothills in the Indian subcontinent. Although it was described from North Bengal in 1847, all recent reports refer to North-West Assam where the species was rediscovered in 1971 after it was long suspected to become extinct.

By the time the recovery programme was launched in 1995, the species was reduced to a single declining wild population of a few hundred hogs in the Manas National Park, with no individual in captivity anywhere in the world.

The reason for pygmy hog disappearance was largely related to extensive destruction and degradation of grassland habitat due to rapid expansion of human settlements and farming activities. 

With the support of SOS – Save Our Species, EcoSystems-India will be carrying out activities crucial to the conservation of the pygmy hogs in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group. The project will aim to maintain about 60 captive hogs at two places in Assam while breeding selected hogs to raise about 20 new hogs every year. From this captive-bred population, 14 will be prepared for independent survival in the wild, eventually to be released in restored, well managed and protected grasslands in Assam.

The primary goal of the project is to promote recovery of the species and to reduce its population decline further. The short-term objective of the project is to reintroduce pygmy hogs at three locations and create two captive populations.

Guwahati, Sep 12: After 35 years of emerging Assam’s first regional political party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on the basis of Assam Accord, the state is ready to get another regional political force under leadership of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP).

AASU – one of the most influencing students’ organization of Assam and AJYCP are ready to jointly form a new regional political force ahead of 2021 Assam assembly polls.

The new political force will be formally launched by the third week of this month.

Both organizations had played a crucial role in the six-year Assam Movement against illegal foreigners and AASU had signed Assam Accord in 1985 with the both centre and state governments.

AASU and AJYCP have also actively played a vital role in the anti-CAA protests in the state.

All Assam Students’ Union General Secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said that, the people of Assam want that, a new non-compromising regional political force should be emerged to protect the indigenous people of the state and fight against aggressive communal politics created by mainly BJP and Congress.

“Both BJP and Congress are playing vote bank politics in Assam and North Eastern region. It is urged of the time that, a new non-compromising regional political party should be emerged in Assam,” Lurinjyoti Gogoi said.

He further said that, All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) have jointly formed the Assam Advisory Committee and the committee has already submitted its report and suggested to form a new regional political force.

“Our main aim is Assam first, always and ever. The organizational set up of the new political party will be completed within a month. We will contest 80-100 seats in next assembly polls in the state. We will go together with all the political parties who have regional identities and we will jointly fight against communal political move of BJP and their allies. Our fight will be against all national political parties and the parties who have fundamental agenda,” Lurinjyoti Gogoi said.

On the other hand, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) General Secretary Palash Changmai said that, during the anti-CAA protests the people of Assam and various civil society groups said that, a third front will be needed to fight against BJP and other communal forces.

“To fulfil the people’s expectations and taking their suggestions, we have formed the Assam Advisory Committee and the committee has also recommended to form a new political force. Dr Krishna Gopal Bhattacharjya and Basanta Deka have been appointed as the chief convenors to form the third front. We want to form the third front unitedly with all political and non-political parties who have regionalism ideology,” Palash Changmai said.

Guwahati, Sep 12: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against seven insurgents of banned outfit United Liberation Front of Asom – Independent (ULFA-I) for their involvement in the killing of an Assam police officer two years back.

The premier investigation agency had filed the charge sheet in case no RC-09/2018/NIA/GUW before the Special Judge court of NIA in Guwahati under section 120(B), 121, 121A, 122, 307, 302 of IPC, Sections 13,16, 18, 20, 23, 38, 39 and 40 of UAP Act, Section 4 and 5 of Explosive Substance Act and Sections 25 & 27 of Arms Act against seven ULFA-I insurgents.

The ULFA-I insurgents named as accused in the NIA charge sheet are Bijit Gogoi alias Arunodoi Dahotia alias Arunodoi Asom, Kanto Bora alias Rupom Asom, Santosh Gogoi, Jushinta Moran alias Yangkho Asom, Bubul Moran alias Tiger Asom, Dipankar Borah alias Ghutuk, Mamun Dihingia.

Out of the seven insurgents, three have been arrested and four others are absconding.

The NIA charge sheet stated that, on May 4, 2018, the then Officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station in Tinsukia district Sub-Inspector Bhaskar Kalita, received specific input regarding presence of a group of suspected ULFA  terrorists inside a house at Kujupathar village under Bordumsa police station and accordingly, a joint operation by police and para-military was launched against the ULFA militants.

“During the process of cordoning off the suspect premises, ULFA militants hiding inside a locked house started firing indiscriminately at the police, which resulted in the death of Officer-in-Charge of Bordumsa police station Sub-Inspector Bhaskar Kalita. Taking advantage of poor light conditions, ULFA militants managed to escape into the nearby jungle. Moreover, while escaping, they snatched away AK-47 rifle from the deceased police officer. The case was initially investigated by Assam police till June 2019 and later, NIA took over the case and re-registered the same as RC 09/2018/NIA/GUW,” said in the charge sheet.

“Investigation has established that this terrorist act was committed by a group of ULFA terrorists in result of a conspiracy hatched by the accused persons on instruction of the ULFA leader Arundoi Dahoti alis Arunodoi Asom. In pursuance of the conspiracy, the group of ULFA militants comprising Kanto Bora alias Rupom Asom, Santosh Gogoi alias Gyan Asom, Bubul Moran alias Tiger Asom, Jushinta Moran alias Yangkho Asom and another ULFA militant Rudreshwar Baruah alias Jaan Asom (already died), came from their camp in Myanmar to Tinsukia district in Upper Assam, armed with assault weapons, IEDs, explosive powder,  with an aim of raising funds for ULFA and committing terrorist acts at various places in Assam. On receipt of the information, the same was sought to be thwarted by Officer-in-Charge of Bordumsa police station Sub-Inspector Bhaskar Kalita and his team and during the process of laying the cordon, the ULFA cadres fired indiscriminately on the Officer-in-Charge Bordumsa, who was leading from the front, thus killing him. They also snatched his service weapon, an AK-47 rifle, while escaping. Investigation established that the accused Dipankar Borah alias Ghutuk and Mamun Dihingia, were over-ground workers of the proscribed terrorist organization ULFA and had provided logistical support to the aforesaid group of ULFA militants,” said in the NIA charge sheet.

Further investigation into the case is still on.

Guwahati, Sep 11: Suresh Angadi, Minister of State of Railways reviewed the freight loading, unloading performance of NF Railway through video conferencing with the General Manager Sanjive Roy.

All Divisional Railway Managers of NF Railway were also present through video conferencing during the occasion.

GM/NFR made a brief presentation to the Union minister covering all the aspects of freight movement till August.

As Northeast Frontier Railway is basically a railway where there is more unloading of goods than loading; the performance of NFR in regards to unloading vis-a-vis to loading was discussed in the video conference.

During the online discussion, the minister appreciated the efforts being made by NFR to increase loading by attracting new traffic movement through railways. It may be mentioned here that in spite of the pandemic situation and absence of big industrial production houses in NE region, NFR managed to increase loading of some materials during April – August segment of the current year in comparison to the same period of last year.

During this period of the current year loading of cement has increased by about 278.9% while loading of POL products has increased by about 9%.

The Minister of State of Railways during discussion advised to give more impetus to loading of locally grown products like tea, bamboo, pineapple, ginger etc apart from other agricultural and non-agricultural products which are having good demands in other parts of the country.

GM/NFR apprised the Minister of State of Railways that team of officers and staff of NFR have made relentless efforts to increase movement of freight and about the result of the initiatives taken by the Business Development Units (BDUs) of NFR. This includes loading of 13 freight loaded rakes of food grains from Katihar division to Bangladesh (earlier used to be moved by road). Stone chip loading from Alipuduar division to Digaru and from Panchgram & Sribar to Jirania has started thereby generating revenue. Stone chips are also being transported to Bangladesh from Bagdogra.

GM/NFR informed that to improve the scenario, a total of 14 nos new locations have been opened for loading and unloading of freight during the month of August.

Facilities at goods shed have also been improved resulting in speedier loading/ unloading of goods trains. As a result of this in the month of August 897 freight trains were unloaded in NFR in comparison to 722 rakes during the corresponding period of last year, thereby showing an increase of about 24.2%.

The Minister of State of Railways congratulated GM and the team of officers and staff of NFR for their efforts towards increase of freight movement, increase in average speed of goods train and bringing in new traffic streams.

The Minister said that Railway is working tirelessly towards the clarion call given by Prime Minister for Atmanirbhar Bharat.