The function was organised by Asam Sahitya Sabha UK (ASSUK). It was a cold and rainy British winter evening, but most of the members of Assamese community, old and young including those who were born and brought up here, attended the function to make it a grand success.

In fact no history will support ‘Asom’ as the original name of the State for the purpose. The word ‘Asom’ is generally used by a section of the Bangla-speaking people and it is frought with the danger to reduce the Oxomias to Asomiyans meaning that they are the Miyan people of ‘Asom.’

Though the Tai people lived together with a sense of belonging in and around the same region in the remote past, for historical reasons, at different points of time, they disintegrated and started to live in separate regions. In course of time, due to compelling scenario of their habitat coupled with inhospitable surroundings, they came under the influence of the religion of the place where they finally settled. For example, those who migrated to Brahmaputra valley adopted Hindu religion while their counterparts in Thailand, Myanmar, China, etc.

According to sources, the State Government wants that Asom-Meghalaya cadre IAS and IPS officers who hail neither from Meghalaya nor Asom should serve their parent cadre for at least 70 per cent of their service careers, and the “cooling off ” period after the Central deputation or state-to-state deputation should be extended to three years from the existing two years.

Bhogali Bihu was celebrated in the presence of 170 Assamese as well as non-Assamese persons.

With various group games/cultural programme like tekeli bhonga, musical chair, mukoli Bihu, modern song performance by Nayanika Hazarika, performance by Dhiraj Borpujari, Bimal Bhattacharya, Bihu dance by Sanju Gogoi, Babita Baruwati, etc., the festive ambience was enjoyed by one and all.

This is the gist of the survey conducted by India Today-AC Nielsen-ORG MARG for 2007 to study youth behaviour and proclivity in the 18-30 age bracket. Cynics might ask: what is the need for such a survey? Take this: as of now, 47 per cent of India’s population is below 20 years of age; according to MindShare Insights, by 2015, the figure would go up to 55 per cent. When such a huge chunk of population is young and seems to have successfully adapted to the changed — and changing — order of the day, the relevance of any survey on youths cannot be overemphasized.

Inaugurating the seminar Prof Girin Phukon, Deptt of Political Science, Dibrugarh University expressed that autonomy movement was not only led to the creation of an atmosphere of mutual distrust among the peace-loving people in the North east, but also posed threats to protection of human rights and emotional integration of the country.