Title - Ethnic clashes in Assam :Muslim MPs criticise Gogoi,seek central intervention

Several Muslim MPs, including three from Congress led by former Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha K Rahman Khan, criticised Congress government in Assam and demanded central intervention to end the ethnic clashes there.     The MPs, who met Home Minister P Chidambaram , had also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday seeking effective steps to control the situation in Assam. Meanwhile,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha, is likely to tour the region on Saturday.   "There is failure somewhere. We have lost confidence in state government's ability to control violence and demanded central intervention," Khan, a senior parliamentarian of Congress, told reporters after meeting Chidambaram.   The Muslim MPs, who met the Home Minister, included K Rahman Khan, Asrarul Haque Ashk Ali Tak (all three Congress), NCP's Tariq Anwar, Sabir Ali (JD-U), Mohammed Adeeb and Ahmed Saeed Malihabadi (Independent).

Compensation announced Tarun Gogoi said the government would give a compensation of Rs 6 lakh to the next to kin of those killed in the violence. No major violence between Bodos and  Muslims was reported from Korkrajhar and Chirang districts that saw six days of clashes between the two ethnic groups since July 20. The government  warned that the leaders of both Bodo and minority communities will be held responsible if any side is found to be instigating violence that has resulted in loss of over 40 lives.   They said they have "never seen such kind of ethnic violence in India". "The situation is very tense and something has to be done urgently. The state government has not been able to control the situation. We have asked for central intervention," Khan said.       Gogoi heads panel to coordinate between party and Assam govt     As ethnic violence rages in Assam, Congress  made Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi the chairman of a committee to coordinate between the party and the government in the state.    The party also made senior leader Bhubaneswar Kalita the chairman of the Manifesto Implementation Committee.   "Congress President Sonia Gandhi has approved the proposal for constituting the Coordination Committee and the Manifesto Implementation Committee for Assam," a statement issued by AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.      Bhubaneswar Kalita, B K Handique, Santosh Mohan Deb,Sarat Barkataki, Akon Bora, Hemanta Biswa Sarma, Najrul Islam,Bidya Singh Englang, Pritehibi Maji are the members of the Coordination Committee headed by Gogoi.     Tarun Gogoi, Hemprova Saikia, Bhumidhar Barman, Hemanta Sharma, D P Goala, Tanka Bahadur Rai, Rockybul Hussain, Bharat Narah and AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh are the members of the 10-member Manifesto Implementation Committee headed by Bhubaneswar Kalita.   Special train to clear the rush of passengers   A special train would be run from Howarh to Dibrugarh on Friday to clear the rush of passengers following irregularities in Assam-bound train services owing to riots in Lower Assam.

The 03059 Up Howrah-Dibrugarh (via-Dankuni) special train would leave Howrah at 11:15 am tomorrow and reach  Dibrugrah at 5:20 pm the next day, Eastern Railway sources said here.

The train would stop at Bolpur, Rampurhat, New Farakka, Malda Town, Barsoi Jn, Kishanganj, New Jalpaiguri Jn, Jalpaiguri Road, Dhupguri, New Coochbehar, New Alipurduar, Kokrajhar, New Bangaigaon Jn, Barpeta Road, Rangiya Jn, Kamakhya Jn, Guwahati, Chaparmukh, Lumding, Dimapur, Mariani, Simaluguri and New Tinsukia stations en route, the sources added.