GUWAHATI, Feb 3 ? For close to six weeks, Dr P Bezbaruah, the District Medical Health Officer in Meghalaya?s East Garo Hills district, was kept moving around the deep jungles in the Garo Hills after being kidnapped by the militant Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) on the fateful evening of December 19. Today, after being released by the Garo militant group on January 29, he is back among family and friends. Though his over 40-day agony has, fortunately, not left much of a physical scar, it has left him mentally strained.

Dr Bezbaruah, originally from Sivasagar, came to his Guwahati home...

GUWAHATI, Feb 3 ? Dima Haleng Daogah (DHD) president Joel Garalosa has warned that no one should be under illusion that the outfit has signed the ceasefire pact with the Government of India (GOI) security forces out of its ?weakness?. Inaugurating the truce-time office of the ?People?s Supreme Council of Dimaraji? at Haflong yesterday, the DHD president stated that outfit would not hesitate to go back to arms if it found that the peace efforts with the Government of India was not going to deliver in the interests of Dimasa people.

Delivering his address in presence of the civil officials of...

SHILLONG, Feb 3 ? The annual pilgrimage to the sacred U Lum Sohpetbneng peak in Umiam, about 20 kms from here was organised today drawing thousands of followers of the Khasi traditional faith from all parts of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. The day-long pilgrimage, was organised by the Seng Khasi, the spiritual and cultural custodian of the ?Hynniewtrep? people comprising the Khasi and Jaintia races. The Hynniewtrep community fondly regards the Sohpetbneng peak as the trusted divine sentinel, jealously guarding the spiritual belief, the territorial integrity and cultural heritage of the Khasi...

AIZAWL, Feb 3 ? The number of voters in Mizoram has risen to 505584 from the previous year?s total of 481460 registering an increase of 5.01 per cent, reports PTI.

State election office sources here said the increase in the number of voters was recorded after a special summary revision of Mizoram electoral rolls. The highest increase is registered in Aizawl West-ll (ST) reserved constituency where the increase is 15.59 per cent followed by Tlabung reserved constituency near the Bangladesh border which registered an increase of 13.42 per cent.

However, four Assembly constituencies namely...

GUWAHATI, Feb 3 ? What appeared impossible even two years back, has been made possible by the Asam Sahitya Sabha under the stewardship of noted litterateur, journalist Homen Borgohain. The Sabha has completed publication of the 5,000-page five volumes of the Asamiya Biswakosh (the Assamese encyclopedia) within a time frame of less than two years. The fourth ? folk literature and world literature, and, the fifth ? Indian literature, volumes of the encyclopedia were released at a function at the Rabindra Bhawan here by noted philologist Dr Golok Goswami this afternoon.

Earlier, on December 1...