The result: doctors in what used to formerly be the Gauhati Medical College hospital now operate on patients under torchlights held up by attendants. That, incidentally has been the situation since 1990, after a generator provided by the state health ministry broke down.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Mohsina Kidwai on Wednesday rubbished all speculation regarding a challenge to Tarun Gogoi’s position within the government and the Congress in Assam saying in Guwahati that “nothing is wrong” with the party in the state. Kidwai, who is in charge of the party’s affairs in Assam, paid a hasty visit to the state after 37 Congress legislators flew to Delhi recently to meet Sonia Gandhi, in what was reportedly a show of resentment against Gogoi.

THE final partition of Bengal in 1947 was a disaster for Tripura. It opened the floodgates of an influx from East Bengal that forever changed the demography of the erstwhile princely kingdom.This demographic change paved the way for a fierce ethnic conflict that has ravaged the tiny state for the past two decades. The independent kingdom also lost its direct geographical link to the Indian mainland and this isolation stunted possibilities of its rapid economic growth despite the availability of key resources like natural gas.

Please see the following news from today's Assam Tribune. The trust still needs Rs 30 Lakhs (Approx $ 65,000) to equip the building with minimum facilities so that it can be opened in Feb 2004. We had started a fundraising drive around 5 months ago to collect money for this initiative. Several people, from all sections and all organisations of our community, has responded and we've collected around $ 2150 so far from people from assam residing in the U.S. Additionally, Mr. Vavani Sarma has pledged to donate a computer. AFNA has commited an additional $ 500 from its general fund.

Just about nothing, it seems, could have saved them that night. “We can’t stay here,” says Dilip Sarkar. “I lost my father, my younger brother, and his family. The only police protection here are a few Home Guard personnel who are posted about half a mile away. A week after the attacks, survivors of the August 14 massacre at the Kamal Nagar and Barlungapara areas of West Tripura district are leaving their villages in hundreds, in search of shelter, safer, hopefully, than the homes they are leaving behind. The tragedy, for many, it seems, has just begun.

Assam Association of North America
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Assam Association of North America joins the Assamese residents of USA and
Canada in expressing our deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to the
bereaved family,friends and people of Assam upon the untimely death of
Dr.Bhabendra Nath Saikia, a great son of Assam and doyen of Assamese
literature and culture.May his soul rest in peace.
On August 17th,2003 in a meeting arranged by Assam Sahitya Sabha North America in
Bridgewater New Jersey AANA joined all other Assamese organizations in USA

BIO DATA: DR BHABENDRANATH SAIKIA

Born : 20th February 1932 at Fauzdarpatty in Nagaon Dist.

Education : M.Sc, Phd, D.I.C.(London)

Service : Reader (Physics) in Gauhati University.

• Secretary of Text Book Production Co-ordination Committee of Gauhati University.
• Chairman of Railway Service Commission.
• Vice-president of Sri Manta Sankardev Kalakhetra
• President of Assam Rajyik Chalchitra Nigam Sabha

The subject said it all - "Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Passed Away". Since the last few days we had been closely following his deteriorating health condition, his admittance to GNRC, ICU etc. But we had been hoping and praying that "the situation would turn around" (email from Dil and Dilip Deka, Texas). This sad news brought a deep sense of loss and sorrow to the entire assamese community in the USA. "A giant of our arts and letters back at home has left behind monumental achievements that enrich Assam", said Dr. Atul Sarma's email.

Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia was born in Nagaon on the 20th of
February, 1932, to Bidur Chandra Saikia and Champabala Saikia. Dr. Saikia
graduated from Nagaon Government Boys High School in 1948. He
received his Bachelor's degree from Cotton College in Science with
Honors. He received his Ph.D. from London University in Nuclear
Physics.

Dr. Saikia started his career as a faculty member at Gauhati
University in the Department of Physics. He had assumed several
positions of prominence such as the Secretary of University Textbook