GLIMPSE OF ASSAM

United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) - Terrorist Group of Assam Formation United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) was formed on April 7, 1979 by Bhimakanta Buragohain, Rajiv Rajkonwar alias Arabinda Rajkhowa, Golap Baruah alias Anup Chetia, Samiran Gogoi alias Pradip Gogoi, Bhadreshwar Gohain and Paresh Baruah at the Rang Ghar in Sibsagar to establish a "sovereign socialist Assam" through an armed struggle. Leadership Arabinda Rajkhowa is the ‘Chairman’ of ULFA. ‘Vice Chairman’ Pradip Gogoi was arrested on April 8, 1998, and is currently in judicial custody at Guwahati. ‘General Secretary’ Anup Chetia is under detention in the Bangladeshi Dhaka after being arrested on December 21, 1997. The outfit’s founding member and ideologue Bhimakanta Buragohain, ‘Publicity Secretary’ Mithi...

Our Assam is Beautiful, Her Virtues are Infinite Assam, the land of hills and valleys, the land of the mighty river Brahmaputra, the land of Mother Goddess Kamakhya, lies in the northeastern corner of India. In these pages, you will find a few glimpses of Assam and Assamese people. Assam is a land of about 25 million people situated in the northeast corner of India. The principal language of Assam is Assamese although a large number of other languages are spoken. Assam comprises an area of 78,523 square kilometers (30,318 square miles). Except for a narrow corridor running through the foothills of the Himalayas that connects the state with West Bengal, Assam is almost entirely isolated from India. The capital of Assam, is Dispur, a suburb of Guwahati in 1972. The name "Assam" is derived from the term "Asom" which, in Sanskrit, refers to unequal or unrivalled. The uneven topography of the land, full of hills, plains and rivers might, therefore, have contribut...

The Assamese The population of Assam is a broad racial intermixture of Mongolian, Indo-Burmese, Indo-Iranian and Aryan origin. The hilly tracks of Assam are mostly inhabited by the tribes of Mongolian origin. This broad racial intermixture is the native of the state of Assam, called their language and the people ``Asomiya'' or ``Assamese'' which is also the state language of Assam. Accoring to the 1991 census, the population of Assam is 22 million, 89 percent of which is rural. Assamese-speaking Hindus represent two-thirds of the state's population and indigenous Tibeto-Burman tribal groups make up another 16 percent of the total (estimate). More than 40 percent of Assam's population is thought to be of migrant origin. The term "Assamese" is often used to refer to those who are citizens of Assam. Native Assamese, Mymenshingy settlers (from Bangladesh) and tea-garden laborers are thus included in its coverage. The term can also be used to describe the ...

This year again the monsoon rains have swollen the Brahmaputra and wreaked havoc. Reports say floods have already affected over 4,850,177 people in 20 of the State’s 24 districts. For Assam, the mighty Brahmaputra, though a life-giving river, has become more synonymous with devastation than with prosperity. Also known as the ‘Burha Luit’ (the Old Red River) and the ‘Bor Noi’ (the big river), the Brahmaputra has become the river of sorrow. The media covers the news only in one part of the year when floods submerge the State—and that too a mention here and a mention there. But they have never conveyed the misery that the people go through, year after year. Floods have pushed thousands of people to an uncertain future; they have shattered Assam’s fragile economy as a whole. For a State with 2.6 crore people, it is a major problem: more serious than insurgency. This year again the monsoon rains have swolle...

Rongali Bihu in Assam Beautiful agricultural state of Assam celebrates major agricultural events as the festival of Bihu. Notably there are three Bihu festivals in year namely - Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, Bhugali (Magh Bihu) and Kangali (Kati Bihu) marking the distinctive phase in the farming calendar. The Rongali Bihu marks the agricultural New Year at the advent of seeding time and is celebrated as the Festival of Merriment. The Kati Bihu marks the completion of sowing and transplanting of paddies. The Magh Bihu marks the end of the harvesting period. Of the three Bihu festivals, Rongali Bihu is celebrated with greatest excitement as it marks the arrival of spring - the agricultural season. P...

Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu is the harvest festival of Assam and is observed in the Assamese month of Magh (January). ‘Bhogali’ means ‘feasting’ in Assamese and is a two-day festival, dedicated to Agni, the fire god. In 2008, Magh Bihu is on January 15. Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu is the harvest festival of Assam and is observed in the Assamese month of Magh (January). ‘Bhogali’ means ‘feasting’ in Assamese and is a two-day festival, dedicated to Agni, the fire god. In 2008, Magh Bihu is on January 15. On the first day of the Bhogali Bihu festival, known as Uruka, young men construct ‘mejis’ or ‘bhelaghars’ with bamboo and wood pieces in farmland or open spaces. A community feast is held on the Uruka night, which includes fish delicacies. The next day is the Makar Sankranti day, which is the Magh Bihu day, and the ‘meji’ is lit and a lavish feast is held. The ashes of the meji are scattered on the farmlands to increase fertility. Bhogali Bihu is observed on the first ...