Animal sacrifice at Kamakhya sparks row

Two months have passed since a powerful blast claimed the lives of 10 children and several others in Dhemaji. Now, the capital is abuzz with rumours that two senior ministers of the state government have ‘‘secret links’’ with the ULFA, which allegedly triggered the explosion.

Reports appearing in the local media say interrogation of a few ULFA militants arrested in connection with the I-Day blast reveal they were in touch with Tribal Welfare Minister Bharat Chandra Narah. Health Minister Bhumidhar Barman’s name also figures in the controversy.

The CM has dismissed the media reports as ‘‘baseless’’ and refused to institute an inquiry into the allegations, prompting the AGP to send a memorandum to the President. But a twist to the controversy has come from an unexpected quarter. In a statement issued on Sunday, ULFA chief Paresh Barua claimed that he has asked the cadre to target Congress ministers and MLAs from this week. Reason: The ULFA is willing to talk, but it is only the Congress that is creating hurdles!

Perishing heritage

Assam is a storehouse of ancient manuscripts, most of them composed on barks of sachipaat. But private households and Vaishnavite monasteries (satras), which are the keepers of these ancient texts, have hardly responded to the efforts of the Directorate of Historical and Antiquarian Studies (DHAS) and the state museum to acquire and preserve these manuscripts.

DHAS director Jiten Das said though his office has collected about 3,000 manuscripts over the decade, thousands more have either perished or are lying in neglect in different parts of the state. Though the DHAS has been appealing to the satras to hand over the texts to the authorities, the response has been very poor.

All for ASEAN car rally

Come November 22 and PM Manmohan Singh will be in Guwahati to flag off the first India-ASEAN car rally. The rally, which is being jointly organised by the MEA and CII, will pass through six countries — Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia and end at Batam in Indonesia on December 11. For Assam, the event poses a challenge as many roads in the region have been washed away by floods.

Guwahati, which was partially submerged for over four days in October, is also getting a face-lift. CM Gogoi has asked the authorities to spruce up the sites along the rally route too. But what has come as a surprise is Gogoi’s appeal to the people to paint their houses in one colour, especially when a large number is yet to settle down after a third wave of floods. No wonder, a letter published in a local daily said: ‘‘Have a car rally every monsoon; Guwahati’s woes will be over!’’