Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Three injured in Assam blast

Two men and a seven-year-old boy were injured in a bomb blast on a bridge in Assam's Sibsagar town on Tuesday afternoon.

The police said the bomb, kept in a motorcycle, had gone off around 4 pm on a bridge over the Dikhow river injuring three persons.

The condition of a man and the boy is stated to be critical. They were shifted to Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh.

Senior police officers have rushed to the spot and the entire area has been cordoned off, sources said.

Meghalaya registers 70% turnout

Over 70 per cent people cast their votes in Meghalaya, where elections to the 60-member House on Monday was peaceful barring clashes in chief minister DD Lapang's constituency. The night before the start of polling, though, was violent with clashes between supporters of the Congress and NCP claiming one life in West Garo Hills district.

"The figure is likely to go up as reports from some remote areas are yet to come in," said Meghalaya chief electoral officer P Naik, adding polling was conducted under 39 observers and 40 additional companies of paramilitary forces.

Officials said, voting was more brisk in the non-tribal areas of the Khasi and Garo Hills while the momentum in the tribal areas picked up later in the day. Sporadic violence, though, was a blot on the "festive atmosphere" throughout the day.

While a Congress supporter died prior to the start of polling in Selsella constituency of West Garo Hills district following a Congress-NCP fight, a dozen workers of the regional United Democratic Party were injured after clashing with Congress supporters at Nongpoh in Ri-Bhoi district. Nongpoh is chief minister Lapang's pet seat.

Lapang, meanwhile, hinted at a hung Assembly by saying the Congress was not averse to a tie-up with NCP. The two parties are at loggerheads in Meghalaya despite being allies at the Centre.

"Nothing is impossible in politics," Lapang told reporters at Nongpoh, situated halfway between Guwahati and the Meghalaya capital Shillong. "If the situation so demands, the possibility of an alliance with the NCP is not ruled out."

Purno A Sangma's NCP, notably, had almost succeeded in toppling the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government that saw the High Command replacing Lapang with JD Rymbai, only to be reinstated. Dissidence within the Congress had irked its regional allies, forcing them to reject pre-poll alliance.

The election results are scheduled on March 7, two days after polling in Nagaland. Elections in Tripura were held on February 23.

Former Nagaland CM Vizol passes away

Former Nagaland chief minister and one of the stalwarts of regionalism, Vizol, died at his residence here on Monday at the age of 94.

Hundreds of people, including Governor K Sankaranarayaan, visited his Kohima residence to pay homage.

Known for his austerity and his personal efforts to bring Naga undergrounds, particularly the legendary A Z Phizo, to the negotiating table.

Joining the Naga political movement as a moderate in mid 1950s, Vizol became chief minister in 1974 riding on the growth of regionalism in Nagaland. After Emergency he once again became the chief minister during 1977-80.

Born in 1914 at Viswema village in Kohima district, Vizol after completing his school education from Kohima Mission High School graduated from St Edmonds College, Shillong.

He served the Royal Indian Air Force during 1941-46 and took part in the World War-II.

After the war he served as a teacher but joined overground Naga politics at the height of Naga militancy and became vice-president of Naga National Convention during 1957-60 which had signed the 16-point agreement with the Union government leading to foundation of Nagaland.