GUWAHATI, April 4— Assam now has four state symbols. The State Cabinet recently approved the rhino as the ‘State animal’ the white-winged Wood Duck as the ‘State bird’, the fox-tail orchid as the ‘State flower’ and the hollong as the ‘State tree’. The symbols reflect the State’s rich flora and fauna, its culture and heritage, Assam Minister of State (Independent) for Forests Pradyut Bordoloi announced here today. Bordoloi, who was addressing presspersons at the Janata Bhavan, said that every State in the country has been adopting its symbol having their state animal, bird, flower and tree...

GUWAHATI, April 4 — Several organisations representing the Hmars had been warning a Nastul Pahar – like retaliatory action by the Hmar extremists in case of the failure of the State administration to rein in the marauding Dima Halong Daoga (DHD), the Dimasa militant outfit, which has allegedly been carrying out an ethnic cleansing campaign in North Cachar Hills District and in parts of Cachar District.

Even on March 31 last, the leaders of the Hmar Supreme House – the Hmar Inpui, the Hmar National Union, the Barak valley Hill Tribes Development Council, the Hmar Students’ Association, Mizoram...

GUWAHATI, March 4 — Assam Government will bring a Bill to empower the State Government to have control over natural gas resources available in the State in the line of the Gujarat Gas (Regulation of Transmission, Supply and Distribution) Bill, 2001. The State Minister for Mines and Minerals, Gobinda Chandra Langthasa today made a statement in the House in this regard after the AGP legislator Gunin Hazarika moved a private member Bill over the issue.

Sri Hazarika moved the Assam Regulatory Board (Control and Distribution) on Gas and Gas Works, Bill, 2003 in the House today in order to empower...

TURA, April 1 — Unscientific mining continues in the rich coal belt area of Nangalbibra in South Garo Hills despite Tuesday’s tragic event in which seven coal miners died inside a rat hole while digging for coal. These rat holes have sprung up in virtually every hill in Nangalbibra. Each hole is spacious enough to squeeze in one person at a time only. The miners were digging deep inside a mountain at Rongsa Awe, one of the richest coal belt areas of Garo Hills, when they accidentally dug into the walls of a abandoned mine shaft that was filled with water. Heavy water rushed into their hole and...

Silchar, April 4: The roots of the ethnic clashes between Hmars and Dimasas in the south Assam districts go back to the last week of February. Attacks were masterminded by militants of the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD), an eight-year-old outfit of Dimasa tribals in North Cachar Hills district.

Dimasa militants went on the rampage in the district?s Balmul and Multhajao villages near Harangajao township on March 3.

The DHD had signed a ceasefire with both the Centre and the state government last December in New Delhi in the run-up to peace parleys over the demand for granting the status of an...