Skip to content Skip to navigation

ASEAN-India car rally

By Ritupallab Saikia |
ASEAN-India car rally

The day was 25th November when a contingent of 31 vehicles were flagged off from from the city of Yogyakarta in Indonesia with the objective of forging new opportunities of trade ties among the ASEAN countries. The rallyists opened the door to the ASEAN countries to fruitfully use the 8000 km route to foster new economic tie. The morning of 16th December saw thousands of enthusiastic people gathering on the both side of National Highway 39 to catch a glimpse of the much awaited India Asean Car rally. The rally arrived at Rangajan Tini Ali on NH-39 at around 10 am and the cheering crowd weaving colourful flags of the different ASEAN nations greeted the rallyists from where they headed to NRL Township for a stopover.



The Golaghat Dist. Administration in association with NRL authority welcomed them in a traditional assamese way with a “Gamusa” and a rose. It was followed by a lunch of exquisite assamese cuisine which was accompanied by showcase of assamese culture and folk art bihu and jhoomur. “I was very much excited on being a part of the rally for the first time and we had shown the way and now it is upto the respective governments how to make the best use of this route.” Nou Maneth Athana, a participant of the rally and a reporter with Cambodia News Channel, said in her interaction with AssamTimes.



This time there were eight women participants in the rally including 3 from India, 2 from Singapore, 1 from Cambodia and 2 from Myanmar. Karlo De Guzman, a participant from Phillipines shared his excitement to Assamtimes by saying that when they entered into Indian territory they received a message on their vehicle’s radio from the chairman of the Mahindra group who hailed them as a new columbuses and welcomed to India, which meant a lot to them. For William, a participant from Singapore, the rally ended on a positive note and the respective govts had made impeccable arrangements which had made the journey a memorable one and for the first time in his life he felt as if he was driving like a head of a state. After the one hour stopover at NRL Township, the rally leaves for the ceremonial flag down at Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati.

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

CM takes stock of flood from Tokyo

25 Sep 2012 - 2:57am | editor
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday ordered deployment of helicopters and mechanised boats to step up rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas. Gogoi in his telephonic...

Ex-MLA dies

26 Feb 2014 - 10:56pm | Jintul Talukdar
Veteran political leader Sarbananda Choudhury is no more. The former Bajali MLA died at his residence on Wednesday after prolonged illness. A pall of gloom descended at the premature death of the...

AGP celebrates its 33rd Foundation Day

14 Oct 2017 - 8:53pm | Akshaya Pranab Kalita
Celebration of 33rd Foundation Day of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was held in Duliajan Bihutoli on Saturday. Founder President and  former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta  said "Now...

Varsity teachers on strike

7 Aug 2015 - 1:18pm | Hantigiri Narzary
Bodoland University teachers on Friday staged strike in front of the varsity campus demanding an early panel to review their pay packages.Shouting slogans, the protesting teachers further demand a...

Other Contents by Author

Lawyers conference at Golaghat

he Golaghat Bar Association is going to host the 13th Bi-ennial Conference of All Assam Lawyers Association (AALA). The conference is scheduled to be held from 8th to 10th of February, 2013 at Golaghat District library auditorium. In a press note, Mohen Dutta and Tridiv Bezbarua, the President and Secretary of the reception committee respectively, stated that the conference is being hosted for the first time by Golaghat Bar Association. Many dignitaries of the legal fraternities including Supreme Court and High Court judges have already given their consent to grace the occasion. The organizers have informed that a Souvenir will be published on the occasion and they request all the member...

Felicitation of Kalpana Lajmi at Golaghat

Kalpana Lajmi, being regarded as a symbol of platonic love and selfless sacrifice, in whose loving companion the Jajabor who wandered across the whole world without aspiring for a permanent home of his own found a bird’s nest, has received public felicitation in Golaghat as a part of the Xudhakontho Divas celebration being organized by Golaghat Press Club in association with Golaghat Dist. Administration, Golaghat Municipal Board and more than twenty six different organization Kalpana Lajmi accompanied by Monisha Hazarika, today arrived at Golaghat at around 5.30 pm in the evening. She went to Trimurti Udyan and paid floral tribute before the statues of Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla, Bishnu...

Golaghat to remember Bhupenda

People of Golaghat from every walk and every strata of life are getting ready to mark the first death anniversary of Bhupen Hazarika, the 'bard of Brahmaputra’ in a remarkable way. The two day event, starting on 5th November, named “Sudhakantha Divas” is being organized by Golaghat Press Club in association with Golaghat Dist. Administration, Golaghat Municipal Board and more than twenty six different organization. It is for the first time in the history of Golaghat that such a large number of organizations including AASU,AJYCP, AISF, Congress, AGP, BJP etc leaving aside all their differences and conflict of ideologies gathered in a single platform to pay their homage to...

Golaghat book fair from Dec 1

The book lovers of Golaghat are in for a treat as the Golaghat Book Fair will be held from December 1st for ten days. The Book Fair is being organised by Vox Populi, a premier NGO of the district in association with The All Assam Publishers...

PIL against illegal settlement at Kaziranga

At the time when there has been uproar in the entire country regarding illegal migrant and encroacher in Assam from neighbouring Bangladesh, neither the Central nor the state government has clarified their stand as yet. Specially a lot of concern has been displayed from several indigenous organizations of the state regarding the presence of large number of illegal Bangladeshi migrant in and around Kaziranga National Park, one of the oldest protected areas in the world and Assam’s pride and identity. But ironically the state govt. blatantly denied the issue as baseless rumour. Meanwhile, Mrinal Kumar Saikia, Adviser of Hindu Yuva Chatra Parishad and former president of BJP Golaghat...

Low-intensity blast at Golaghat

A minor explosion has taken place at Bengenakhowa Grant near F.C.I. godown here in Golaghat today at around 8.30 P.M. The local people heard an explosion which created panicky amongst the people. SP and DC of Golaghat had visited the spot. “After inspecting the spot we have not found any explosive material and once we complete the investigation, we will know what led to the explosion” said R U Laskar, Superintendent of Police, Golaghat.

Abhiruchi Sports Day at Golaghat

Along with the rest of the state, Jaihind club has celebrated the 29th Abhiruchi Sports Day at Golaghat today to mark the birthday of Assam’s first Arjuna Award winner Bhogeswar Barua. On the occasion a prize money marathon was organised on all Assam basis where more than 300 athletes from all over the state participated. The 10-km mini marathon was flagged off at 7 am by Sanjib Gohain Barua, Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat in presence of Additional SP of Jorhat Bedanta Prakash Borkakoty, Sanjib Handique, Secretary Golaghat Dist. Sports Association and Parikhit Dutta, Joint Secreatry Golaghat Dist. Sports Association. Borkakoty also participated in the marathon to motivate the...

Golaghat Press Club condemns attack on scribes

The Golaghat Press Club (GPC) condemns the attacks on media persons and the destruction of their equipment and vehicles by bandh supporters in different parts of the State during the bandh called by All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU). “Those covering the bandh had no views for or against the issues being raised and were professionally acting as messengers of the news. This is nothing but an attack on democratic institutions and these groups have no right to vent their frustration on innocent professionals involved in news coverage” GPC Working President Bikash Sarma said in a statement. The members of Golaghat Press Club staged a dharna infront of Deputy...

Economic blockade against Nagaland continues

The ongoing economic blockade by various organisations including Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), Manab Adhikar Sangram Samity (MASS), All Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (AATTSA), Assam Chamber of Commerce, All Assam Schedule Caste Students Union at Rangajan area on NH-39 in protest against the alleged encroachment of 250 Bighas of arable land of Gorbasti area of Merapani by Nagaland has reached its 2nd day on Sunday. More than three hundred trucks carrying amenities to Nagaland had been stranded at Rangajan Tini Ali on NH-39 near Golaghat. Rangajan Tini Ali has virtually turned into an abode of trucks. Similar blockade is...

Economic blockade against Nagaland

Tension is brewing up in the small border town of Merapani, along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district over the alleged encroachment of 250 Bighas of arable land of Gorbasti area by Nagaland. The Naga people being backed by Naga Armed Police batallion and Naga Govt. officialas even prevented Assamese villagers from ploughing in the land. The CRPF battalion stationed at Merapani area as the Neutral Force fails to maintain their neutrality. Various local bodies have stared indefinite economic blocakde against Nagaland in Merapnai. During the ongoing economic blockade the role of CRPF came under scanner when they escorted a group of Naga traders to the weekly bazar held at Kolajan...