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p5 26th convocation p6 India’s defence exports record p9 Public outrage over damage
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Trump survives Gaurav appointed as deputy

Modi X feat
NEW DELHI, July 14:
The number of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s
followers on his X handle
crossed the 100-million
mark on Sunday,
registering an impressive
growth of nearly 30
million in the past three
years, officials said. – PTI
Nepal PM
KATHMANDU, July 14:
KP Sharma Oli, the
leader of CPN-UML –
Nepal’s largest
communist party, was
named the country’s
Prime Minister for a
fourth term on Sunday to
lead a new coalition
government in the
Himalayan nation. – PTI
Infiltration bid
SRINAGAR, July 14:
Three unidentified
terrorists were killed on
Sunday as army foiled an
infiltration bid along the
LoC in Keran sector of
Jammu and Kashmir. The
army said the anti-
infiltration operation was
going on. – PTI
July 15, 2024
● Land matters
Arunav Hazarika
● Life in the city
Nasreen Habib
● Pop culture paradox
PS Sonowal
● Small things that matter
Tridiv Hazarika
● For mental wellbeing
Syed Eirfan Atthar
● Majuli moments
Emon Ahmed
JOCOSERIOUS
Its growth will dwarf our
plant.
assassination bid
at campaign rally
Secret Service men kill 20-year-old gunman
who was registered to vote as a Republican
Former US President Donald Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents as he is helped off
the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. – AP/PTI
CHICAGO/WASHING-
TON, July 14: Former US
President Donald Trump
survived an attempt on his
life on Saturday when a
young shooter fired multi-
ple shots at him at a cam-
paign rally in Pennsylvania,
injuring his right ear, days
before he was to accept the
Republican Party’s nomina-
tion for the presidential elec-
tion in November.
Trump, 78, was speaking
at the packed outdoor elec-
tion rally in Butler town when
bullets started flying. Video
footage showed him grabbing
his ear as shots were fired.
The crowd started scream-
ing behind him and then
Govt plans to compensate
flood-hit farmers of State
Over two lakh
farmers affected
and more than
12 lakh
hectares of
cropland were
submerged
R DUTTA CHOUDHURY
GUWAHATI, July 14:
Floods caused massive dev-
astation to the agriculture
sector in Assam this year
and to compensate for the
losses of the farmers, the
Agriculture Department is
planning to provide submer-
gent varieties of rice seeds
to the farmers. The Govern-
someone yelled, “Get down,
get down, get down, get
down!” as Secret Service
agents piled on top of Trump
to shield him. The shooting
created chaos with people in
the back of the venue imme-
diately running to the exits.
As blood gushed from his
ear, Trump was then rushed
off stage. He boldly pumped
his fist into the air and told
the crowd to “fight!” He was
then whisked away in a car
to a Pittsburgh-area hospital.
“Let me get my shoes,”
Trump said as he was escort-
ed to the safe place.
The shooting, which left
one spectator dead and two
others critically injured, is
ment is also planning to give
stress on rabi crops so that
the farmers’ losses during
the kharif season can be com-
pensated.
Agriculture Department
sources told The Assam
Tribune that the Depart-
ment, along with the Reve-
nue Department, is assess-
ing the losses caused by the
devastating floods this year.
According to the assess-
ment, more than two lakh
families of farmers have been
affected and more than 12
lakh hectares of cropland was
submerged during the
floods.
Sources said that the ag-
riculture products damaged
in the floods include seed-
lings in 11,055 hectares,
being investigated as an at-
tempted assassination. The
male attacker was also shot
and killed by a member of the
Secret Service.
A spokesperson for the
Trump Campaign said the
former President is “fine”
after the “heinous act.”
The gunman was identified
by the FBI as 20-year-old
Thomas Matthew Crooks of
Bethel Park. He was regis-
tered to vote as a Republican.
In a post on his Truth So-
cial social media account,
Trump elaborated on what
happened and described his
injuries.
SEE PAGE 2
transplanted sali paddy in
10,158 hectares, early ahu,
sali, boro paddies in 4,063
hectares, summer maize in
2,066 hectares, jute and
mesta in 10,590 hectares and
kharif vegetables in 10,382
hectares.
On mitigation of the loss-
es of the farmers, sources
said that community nurser-
ies have been set up in an
area of 2,050 hectares and
that will cover paddy fields
of 20,500 hectares. Already
10,250 quintals of seeds have
been distributed and the
farmers would be able to
plant seedlings in the fields
immediately after the water
level comes down.
SEE PAGE 2
leader of Cong in Lok Sabha
STAFF REPORTER
Gogoi served in the Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Congress
GUWAHATI, July 14: Jorhat
MP Gaurav Gogoi has been ap-
pointed as the Deputy Leader of
same post in the 17th Lok
Sabha between 2019 and
President Mallikarjun Kharge,
and Venugopal.
Gaurav Gogoi was first elect-
ed to the Lok Sabha from the
the Congress party in the earlier this year now-defunct Kaliabor constituen-
Lok Sabha. cy in the 2014 General Elections
This was announced on Sun- and was re-elected in 2019.
day by All India Congress Com- Following the delimitation of
mittee (AICC) general secretary constituencies last year, he was
KC Venugopal. fielded by the Congress party
It may be mentioned that Gau- from the Jorhat constituency in
rav Gogoi had also served as the the recent Lok Sabha polls.
Deputy Leader of the Congress Gaurav Gogoi wrested the
Party in the 17th Lok Sabha be- Jorhat seat from his nearest BJP
tween 2019 and earlier this year rival and sitting MP Topon Ku-
and he has now been appointed mar Gogoi by a margin of
once more to the same post in 1,44,393 votes. Gaurav Gogoi
the newly-constituted 18th Lok secured 7,51,771 votes against
Sabha as well. 6,07,378 votes polled by Topon
Gaurav Gogoi will be next to Kumar Gogoi.
Rahul Gandhi, who is the Lead- Assam Pradesh Congress
er of the Congress Party in the Committee (APCC) president
Lok Sabha and also the Leader Bhupen Kumar Borah welcomed
of the Opposition in the the appointment of Gaurav Go-
Lok Sabha. goi as the Deputy Leader of the
Gaurav Gogoi thanked Sonia party in the Lok Sabha.
Climate change disrupting education
outcomes, says UNESCO report
NEW DELHI, July 14: Climate-relat- loss and dropout. quent natural disasters, including floods
ed stressors like heat, wildfires, floods, “Climate change-related impacts are and cyclones, have led to the deaths of
droughts, diseases and rising sea levels already disrupting education systems students and teachers and have damaged
affect education outcomes and threaten and outcomes. Direct effects include and destroyed schools.
to undo educational gains of the recent the destruction of education infrastruc- “Exposure to heat has significant det-
decade, according to the Global Educa- ture as well as injuries and loss of life rimental effects on children’s educa-
tion Monitoring Report (GEM). among students, parents and school tional outcomes. An analysis linking
The global report compiled by staff. Climate change has a negative census and climate data in 29 countries
UNESCO, Monitoring and Evaluating impact on education indirectly through between 1969 and 2012 showed that
Climate Communication and Educa- its displacement of people and the ef- exposure to higher than average tem-
tion (MECCE) project and the Uni- fects on people’s livelihoods and peratures during the prenatal and ear-
versity of Saskatchewan in Canada has health,” the report said. ly life period is associated with fewer
pointed out that most low and middle- “Over the past 20 years, schools were years of schooling, especially in South-
income countries are experiencing cli- closed in at least 75 per cent of the ex- east Asia,” it added.
mate-related school closures every treme weather events, impacting five
year, increasing chances of learning million people or more. Increasingly fre- SEE PAGE 2
State flood
situation Hamas says Tough road
ahead for Imran
improving
STAFF REPORTER
Gaza truce talks Khan despite
judicial relief
GUWAHATI, July 14: The
flood situation of the State
haven’t paused ISLAMABAD, July 14:
Despite back-to-back judicial
relief to beleaguered Imran
continues to improve, al-
Claims military chief Mohammed Khan, the woes of Pakistan’s
though the Brahmaputra riv-
er (at Neamatighat, Tezpur Deif survived Israeli strike former Prime Minister are
and Dhubri), Burhidihing and
far from over and he re-
Disang rivers continue to
mained in jail with his wife
Bushra Bibi on Sunday.
flow above the danger level.
However, with two more
A district and session court
on Saturday overturned the
casualties reported from Ka-
conviction of 71-year-old
rimganj district, the flood-in-
Khan and his wife Bushra, 49,
duced death toll of the year
in the un-Islamic marriage
has increased to 93 in the last
case related to the violation
24 hours. According to the
of the mandatory waiting pe-
Assam State Disaster Man-
riod for a Muslim woman
agement Authority, more
between two marriages.
than 5.97 lakh people were
The relief came a day after
reeling under floodwaters in
the Supreme Court in a key
18 affected districts across
judgement declared that his
the State on Sunday.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
SEE PAGE 2 An Israeli soldier moves on the top of a tank near the (PTI) party was eligible for
Israeli-Gaza border on Sunday. – AP/PTI the seats reserved for wom-
en and minorities in the na-
MUWASI, July 14: Hamas commanded Hamas’s Khan tional and four provincial as-

Jagannath temple Ratna Bhandar reopened on Sunday said that Gaza

PURI, July 14: Ratna Bhandar, the
revered treasury of the 12th-centu-
ry Jagannath temple in Puri, was reo-
pened on Sunday after 46 years for
an inventory of valuables and the re-
pair of its structure, officials said.
The members of a committee set
up by the state government for the
purpose entered the temple around
12 pm, and after performing rituals,
the treasury was reopened at 1:28
pm, the auspicious moment which
was decided at a meeting in the morn-
ing, they said.
The reopening of the Ratna
Bhandar became a major political is-
sue during the recently held assem-
bly elections in the state. Targeting
the then-ruling BJD over its missing
keys, the BJP had promised that it
would make efforts to reopen the
treasury if it won the polls.
“On the wish of Lord Jagannath,
the Odia community, with the identi- opened. Today, on your wish, the nath Rath, Shree Jagannath Temple
ty of ‘Odia Asmita’, has started mak- Ratna Bhandar was opened after 46 Administration (SJTA) chief admin-
ing efforts to move forward,” the years for a greater purpose,” it said istrator Arabinda Padhee, ASI super-
Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in the post. intendent DB Gadanayak and a rep-
in a post on X in Odia. Among the 11 people present resentative of Puri’s titular king
“On your wish, the four gates of when the treasury was reopened ‘Gajapati Maharaja’, officials said.
the Jagannath temples were earlier were former Orissa HC judge Biswa- Also among them were four servi-
tors, Patjoshi Mohapatra, Bhandar
Mekap, Chadhaukarana and Deulika-
ran, who took care of the rituals. They
came out of the Ratna Bhandar, which
has an inner and an outer chamber,
around 5:20 pm.
“We carried out all the works as
per SOP. We first opened the outer
chamber of the Ratna Bhandar and
shifted all ornaments and valuables
kept there to the temporary strong
room inside the temple. We have
sealed the strong room,” Padhee told
reporters.
Devotees outside the Jagannath Temple in Puri on Sunday. – PTI SEE PAGE 2
ceasefire talks continue and the
group’s military commander
is in good health, a day after
the Israeli military targeted
Mohammed Deif with a mas-
sive airstrike that local health
officials said killed at least 90
people, including children.
Deif’s condition remained
uncertain after Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanya-
hu said on Saturday night
“there still isn’t absolute cer-
tainty” he was killed. Hamas
representatives gave no evi-
dence to back up their asser-
tion about the health of a chief
architect of the October 7 at-
tack that sparked the war.
The Israeli military on Sun-
day announced that Rafa Sala-
ma, a Hamas commander it
described as one of Deif’s clos-
est associates, had been killed
in Saturday’s strike. Salama
Younis brigade. The statement
gave no update on Deif, who
has long topped Israel’s most-
wanted list and has been in hid-
ing for years.
Hamas rejected the idea
that mediated ceasefire dis-
cussions had been suspend-
ed after the strike. Spokes-
person Jihad Taha said,
“there is no doubt that the
horrific massacres will im-
pact any efforts in the nego-
tiations” but added that “ef-
forts and endeavours of the
mediators remain ongoing.”
The killing of Deif would
mark the highest profile as-
sassination of any Hamas lead-
er by Israel since the war
began. It would be both a
huge victory for Israel and a
deep psychological blow for
the militant group.
SEE PAGE 2
semblies.
The PTI will become the
largest party in the National
Assembly with 109 seats after
the Supreme Court ruling.
Two successive victories for
Khan were being interpreted
as some kind of change of heart
on the part of the powerful
establishment towards the
PTI and its founder, but the
subsequent developments be-
lie any such possibility.
The court in the Iddat case
verdict stated that Khan and
his wife should be released
“if not required to be de-
tained in any other case” and
anticipating his release, a
large number of PTI support-
ers accompanied by key lead-
ers reached the Adiala Jail
Rawalpindi, where they have
been kept, to welcome them.
SEE PAGE 2

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2 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024

Overconfidence hurt BJP’s hopes

SITUATION VACANT
Army Public School Shillong,
In loving Memory of HQ 101 Area invites
applications from suitable
Prof. Dilip Kumar

in Lok Sabha polls: Adityanath

candidates for TGT Maths –
Kakati 01 Post for ad-hoc
appointment. For details
kindly visit the school website
(https://apsshillong.in/) or
LUCKNOW, July 14: In the will fall in front of it,” he said. successfully under the lead-
contact the school office. Last
date of receiving the
first major meeting of the Ut- “We have to use social ership of PM Modi, he said.
application form is 18 July tar Pradesh BJP unit after the media platforms as much as He said the BJP, however,
2024. Contact No.: 0364 Lok Sabha poll debacle in the possible. Using social media, does not have to “go on the
2951774.
Biswajit Bhagowati, Assistant
state, Chief Minister Yogi Adi- the opposition and foreigners backfoot” since they have
CD/SV/RL002026/3 Engineer, Irrigation Depart- tyanath on Sunday said “over- were involved in a conspira- done good work.
ment, Assam has been confidence” hurt the BJP’s cy and were successful in it,” Addressing party workers,
Required retired person/ awarded the Doctor of hopes in this year’s elections. the chief minister said. he said, “When you were in
housewife Excellent income in Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree Addressing the BJP’s UP The BJP, however, has a the opposition, you used to
flexible working hours. by Tezpur University for his working committee meeting nationalist vision, he added. fight for the issues of the peo-
9435024044, 6001653550. thesis entitled “A study on Lake here, Adityanath said while INDIA bloc leaders had ple. When you were in gov-
6th July, 1940 – 15th July, 2016 Eutrophication dynamics and
SV/P/HC000746/8 the BJP managed to maintain attacked the BJP saying it ernment, you saw the securi-
Deta, everyday without you management through data-
has been hard and not a day Excellent Opportunities for driven modelling.” He carried its vote share in previous wanted to end reservations ty environment in UP. Re-
goes by that we don’t think Agriculture Marketing Officers out his research work under elections, there was a “shift- during the Lok Sabha poll member, roads used to be
about you. You were the After VRS have similar the supervision of Prof. Kamal ing of votes”, and now the campaign. empty during Muharram, and
guiding light in our life. We income working in flexible Uddin Ahamad, Head, Depart- “defeated” opposition is Adityanath said, “BJP today, it is being held without
timings D. Sarma #98599- ment of Civil Engineering, “jumping around” again. earlier accepted defeat, is Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won workers will have to see what attracting any attention.”
wish we still had your wisdom
Tezpur University. He is the
to guide us through 44485. The chief minister said, again jumping around today,” 33 seats, down from 62 it is going on in social media. Adityanath said he had met
son of Late Debeswar
everyday. SV/P/ZC017075/8 “Under the leadership of PM the chief minister said at the clinched in 2019. The Con- We will have to immediately party leader JP Nadda – who
Bhagowati and Mrs. Nizara
Today on your 8th Death Bhagowati of Golaghat. He is Modi, we had maintained concluding session of the day- gress won six seats, while its refute the rumours. We have was present at Sunday’s
Work from home vacancy for
Anniversary we are Retired person, Housewives for the husband of Dr. Zahnupriya constant pressure on the op- long meeting at Ambedkar INDIA bloc ally Samajwadi to talk about the BJP’s views meeting – to eradicate en-
reminded how lucky we were Guwahati 50K Salary PF.
Kalita, Assistant Professor, position in UP, achieving Auditorium of Ram Manohar Party bagged 37 seats from about the great men of cephalitis from eastern UP.
to have you for long as we Department of Mechanical great success in 2014, 2017, Lohia National Law Univer- UP, which sends 80 mem- Scheduled Castes. In 2019, Nadda, who is the Union
Contact: 7002187521.
did. We pray to the Almighty Engineering, Tezpur 2019 and 2022 (national and sity in Lucknow. bers to the Lower House of we had defeated the biggest health minister, held the
SV/P/ZC016918/8 University and father of
for the eternal peace of your state elections).” Adityanath’s remarks come Parliament. alliance in the state.” same portfolio in the first
Need Retired Officers and Home Miss. Devagnya Bhagowati.
soul. Om Shanti. “The percentage of votes after a day after the BJP-led In a veiled attack on oppo- “We do not discriminate on term of PM Modi.
– Fondly Remembered by Makers for Guwahati. Contact: CD/Achieve/P/NP003926/1 that BJP had in its favour in NDA’s dismal performance in sition parties, Adityanath the basis of caste, religion or “When JP Nadda ji became
Panchali Borkotoky 7002399974. 2014 and subsequent elec- by-elections in seven states. warned against the “sin of creed. Eighty crore people the country’s health minis-
(Bobby) SV/P/ZC016919/8 tions, BJP has been success- INDIA bloc members won dividing” people along caste are not getting free ration on ter, I met him as an MP. Our
Pallavi Baruah (Ruby) ful in getting the same num- the by-polls to 10 of the 13 lines, which he said was com- the basis of caste or religion,” government gave priority to
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SV/P/ZC017057/8 Edu/P/ZC016594/30 “The opposition, which had In the recently concluded ed, even the biggest powers happen and it was eradicated than 40 years,” he said. – PTI
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9101322923. 200 hostage.
Hospital, Dispur, Super Market Fesuwal Gaon, PO- Barua Gaon, cover an area of around Committee. son and to sustain production
SV/P/ZC017172/8 6000603791. More than 38,400 people
at affordable rate, Call +91 Dist- Golaghat have changed my 48,981 hectares. The esti- Sources revealed that just and productivity of crops, a
Nursing/P/ZC017160/3
Urgent! Looking for soft skills 8822134796 (Self cooking name from Minakshi Gogoi to mated seed requirement is after the receding of the massive rabi programme is in Gaza have been killed in
trainer for Aviation Training facility available). Minakshi Gogoi Begum vide For Elderly, Patients, Baby care 24,457 quintals. The rest of floodwaters, pests and dis- being planned to mitigate Israeli ground offensives
Institute, Kokrajhar, Assam. 1. PG/P/HP006885/7 affidavit dated 20.10.2020, at Home. Call: 9864506192, the districts have communi- eases (insects: swarming cat- economic losses of farmers, and bombardments since
Experience in customer service before the Executive Magistrate 8638310191. I Care Guwahati. cated their non-requirement erpillar, stem borer, case especially for small and mar- then, according to the ter-
industry (Aviation Industry Centralised AC Luxurious boys at Golaghat. Nursing/P/ZC017185/8 of additional seeds. worm, leaf folder, etc, and ginal farmers. In this regard, ritory’s Health Ministry.
preferred), 2. Building mindset hostel @7999/- onwards at PN/........./1 The necessary arrange- diseases: rice blast, blight, the Government had decid- The ministry does not dis-
in students for self confidence Christianbasti, GS Road Main ment for the procurement etc) usually cause havoc to ed to give stress on pulses, tinguish between combat-
I, Babita Tamuly, Kamrup (M)
and communication. 3. Relocate opposite Allen. 8638816702. of 24,457 quintals of seeds crops which ultimately affect mustard, maize, oil seeds, ants and civilians in its
made an affidavit before the Wanted for hotel in Guwahati
to Kokrajhar, Assam. 4. Salary: PG/P/HC000756/8 count. – AP
Notary Kamrup (M) date Cook, Helper, Waiter WhatsApp has already been made the yield. For these, districts boro rice, etc.
25,000-30,000.
SV/RL002046/2
11.07.2024 that Babita Tamuly 9577385851. Tough ...
Urgently required Telecaller with 2 BHK 2ND FLOOR FLAT
and Babita Tamuli is the one and
same person.
Cook/P/ZC017187/3
Climate ... Jagannath ... But the PTI feared coun-
sound communication skills. FOR SALE AT AMBIKAGIRI PN/........./1 The GEM report noted that a child “Then, the authorised persons entered the inner ter-measures by the govern-
(English). Mail your CV at NAGAR, NEAR ZOO experiencing temperatures that are chamber of the treasury. Three locks were there. No ment and announced that
I have changed my name from Space available for Office/ Khan would be arrested in
shineenterprise.ghy@gmail.com TINIALI. PH. 8638981351. two standard deviations above average lock could be opened with the key available with the
H&F/P/HP006942/1 Sharmistha Paliwal to Sharmistha Warehouse @ Morigaon Town, three cases related to May 9
Ph- 7577800150. is predicted to attain 1.5 fewer years of district administration. So, as per the SOP, we broke
Nandi Paliwal by an affidavit Central location 2675 sqft. Ph: violence. Soon, a court hand-
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Notary public Guwahati on date 6002533494. ed over the former Prime
sale at Shreenagar Path, CS/P/NP003939/2 average temperatures. then, we entered the inner chamber. We inspected the
Required a Sales Executive for 11.07.24. I shall be known as Minister and his wife to the
Lalganesh, Guwahati-34. (M) “High temperatures reduced high- valuables kept in the almirahs and the chests,” he said.
cement manufacturing Sharmistha Nandi Paliwal for all country’s anti-corruption of-
9435342763. official purpose from today.
stakes test performance in China and Padhee said the committee decided not to shift the
company. Experience- 3 years ficials on an eight-day remand
H&F/P/HP006944/10 PN/P/NP003930/1 led to reductions in both high school grad- valuables in the inner chamber immediately as it
minimum, Salary- Negotiable.C
Space available for Doctor’s uation and college entrance rates. In the would take time. “The process of shifting the valu- to probe a fresh case of al-
ontact- 8604450187. 3 BHK interior completed flat I, Kishun Rabidas, C/o: Akalu Chamber @ GNB Road, Ghy, United States, without air conditioning, ables has to be done at once. It was not possible leged corruption.
SV/P/ZC017191/3 2nd floor available for urgent
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sale at Hengrabari, Sarathi Path, 6002533494.
Wanted for diagnostic centre in 6 No. N.C., Dibrugarh, Assam- sius, reduced test scores by 1 per cent. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) also in- taken into custody by the
Ayon Residency. Owner D Chamber/P/NP003940/2
Guwahati Phlebotomist cum 786010 have changed my name “Very hot school days disproportion- National Accountability Bu-
6001717254. spected the condition of the inner chamber, officials
Receptionist male/female, to Kishun Rabidas for all ately impacted African American and reau (NAB) in a fresh Tosha-
H&F/P/ZC017171/2 said, adding that the entire process was videographed.
laboratory technician min 2 yrs purposes, for all future purposes Hispanic students, due to poor infra- khana corruption case, was
The idols of the sibling deities of Lord Jagannath,
experience, walk in 14th and before Judicial Magistrate 1st structure conditions, accounting for on Sunday presented be-
15th July 2024 new gen class Dibrugarh on 8.7.24. PRE STAGE CONCRETE Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are at
roughly five per cent of the racial present in the Gundicha temple where they were fore the accountability
diagnostics Bhangagarh opp 1300 sqft 2 BHK for office at PN/P/HC000754/1 (PSC) PORCUPINE FOR
READY TO SALE. ADD: achievement gap. In the most disad- taken during Rath Yatra on July 7. They would be court. NAB requested their
Nemcare Hospital Bhangagarh Uzanbazar riverside. No vantaged municipalities in Brazil, which physical remand and the
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DIST.- TAMULPUR, ASSAM. were also amongst those most exposed court, after hearing the law-
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Home, Property, Business & 6900526050. to heat risk, students lost about one yers, agreed to grant an
SV/P/ZC017188/2 OS/P/PP004913/3

DISCLAIMER:
MSME Loan Consultancy. S&P/P/ZC016649/8
Contact: 9864135063.
per cent of learning per year due to
rising temperatures,” it said.
State flood ... eight-day remand.
The remand period can be
group publishes advertisements in different forms by different Loan/P/HP006759/30 Elaborating on the impact of climate More than 30,000 people are taking shelter in the extended to a maximum of
organizations and individuals including but not limited to service providers, change on education in India, the crucial relief camps set up in the affected districts. 40 days at the request of NAB
manufacturers, sellers etc. Readers are recommended to make informed QUICK & EASY HOME 2500 to 98000 sq.ft. Industrial
report pointed out that a study of rainfall Among the affected districts, the highest number if it is needed to probe the
decisions with necessary enquiry before acting on any claim made in the LOAN/LAP/LAND Shed/Warehouse, Godown at
advertisements. The Assam Tribune group does not vouch for any claim shocks over the first 15 years of life in of 1,15,900 people affected in Cachar followed by suspects. As courts operate
made by the advertisers on their products and services in the
PURCHASE/BUSINESS Khanapara, Beltola, Lokhra,
India found that they negatively affected Dhubri (81,497) as on Sunday, the ASDMA bulletin within rules, it is not easy for
advertisements. The publisher, editor, owner and employees of the Assam LOAN/PERSONAL LOAN Pamohi, Amingaon, Changsari.
Tribune Group will not be responsible or liable for any financial or non 6003950369. 9435403986. vocabulary at age five and mathematics stated. The floods also affected more than two lakh Khan’s legal team to secure
financial damage caused by any advertisement published.
Loan/P/ZC017073/12 Godown/P/HC000755/30 and non-cognitive skills at age 15. – PTI different animals. his release. – PTI
 Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
NATIONAL THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 3

BSF foils infiltration attempt PM Modi emerges as world’s

across Indo-Bangla border in WB
KOLKATA, July 14: The
Border Security Force (BSF)
foiled a major infiltration at-
tempt across the India-Bangla-
desh border, close to the
Amudiya border outpost in
West Bengal’s North 24 Parga-
nas district on Saturday night,
an official said on Sunday.
A BSF trooper on duty
was attacked and had to lob a
stun grenade and then fire a
round from his service rifle
to deter the intruders and
send them back.
The BSF has not ruled out
the possibility of any of the
infiltrators being injured in
the firing.
“The jawan spotted 10-15
people moving across the
fields towards the Indo-Bang-
ladesh Border Road (IBBR)
and alerted his colleagues
over the radio. He then
moved forward and chal-
lenged the mob, ordering
them to retreat. Suddenly, 3-
4 people, hiding in the field,
attacked the jawan with
sharp weapons and canes.
The jawan realised that he
was outnumbered and used
the stun grenade. This did not
deter the miscreants who at-
tempted to attack him again.
This was when the jawan
fired a single round in self-
defence,” BSF DIG, South
Bengal Frontier and spokes-
person AK Arya said.
Criminal activities seem to
have increased along the In-
dia-Bangladesh border over
the last several weeks. On
Saturday, infiltration at-
tempts were made close to
the Madhupur, Maluapara,
Haldarpara, Banpur and Mat-
iyari Border Outposts in the
state’s Nadia district.
BSF personnel were at-
tacked by cattle smugglers
close to the Charamrashi Bor-
der Outpost in Murshidabad
and the Sasni Border Outpost
in Malda, and they had to use
stun grenades and fire from
Pump Action Guns (non-le-
thal) as well as regular weap-
ons to fend off the attacks.
The BSF has registered
strong protests against such
activities with Border Guard
Bangladesh (BGB) and lodged
reports at local police stations.
“Despite frequent flag meet-
ings with BGB to alert them
about frequent attacks and il-
legal infiltration by Bang-
ladeshi criminals, no concrete
action has been taken from
their side. This inaction has
emboldened the smugglers
and criminals. Nevertheless,
our jawans are resolute in
protecting our borders and
ensuring the security of our
nation under all circumstanc-
es,” Arya said. – IANS
most followed leader on X
NEW DELHI, July 14:
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has achieved a signifi-
cant milestone by becoming
the world leader with the
largest following on the so-
cial media platform X, sur-
passing 100 million followers.
It signifies that PM Modi’s
“X Family” has expanded to
100 million members. “A hun-
dred million on. Happy to be
on this vibrant medium and
cherish the discussion, debate,
insights, people’s blessings,
constructive criticism and
more,” PM Modi wrote on X.
PM Modi said he is looking
forward to an equally engag-
ing time in the future as well.
38.1 million followers, HH
Sheikh Mohammed, the rul-
er of Dubai, with 11.2 mil-
lion, Pope Francis with 18.5
million, Giorgia Meloni with
2.4 million, Justin Trudeau
with 6.5 million, Andres Man-
larity on social media has drawn
the attention of world leaders
eager to engage with him,
knowing that such interactions
significantly enhance their own
follower counts, engagements,
views, and reposts. This trend
has been evident recently in
Italy and Austria.
Notably, PM Modi’s follow-
er count exceeds that of sev-
eral prominent global athletes
and sports figures, including
Virat Kohli with 64.1 million
followers, Brazilian footballer
Neymar Jr with 63.6 million,
and American basketball play-
er LeBron James with 52.9
million. He also surpasses
celebrities like Taylor Swift

AAP accuses BJP of conspiring BJP alone has pan-India In the realm of social media
followings among Indian poli-
ticians, Prime Minister Naren-
uel with 10.9 million and Re-
cep Tayyip Erdogan with
21.5 million.
with 95.3 million followers,
Lady Gaga with 83.1 million,
and Kim Kardashian with

to kill Arvind Kejriwal in jail presence: Nadda LUCKNOW, July 14:

dra Modi leads the pack.
For instance, Leader of
Opposition Rahul Gandhi
PM Modi’s immense popu- 75.2 million. – IANS

NEW DELHI, July 14: The
AAP on Sunday accused the
BJP of hatching a plot to kill
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal by not providing him
proper medical care in the jail.
AAP leader and Delhi Min-
ister Atishi said that state gov-
ernments led by the BJP
“could not match” the welfare
works being done by Kejriw-
al, so it “implicated him in false
cases and put him behind bars”.
“This is not just a conspira-
cy to put Arvind Kejriwal be-
hind bars but also to target his
health. It is a conspiracy to kill
Arvind Kejriwal...,” she said
at a media conference here.
The AAP leader further said
it is not happening for the first
time that “a dictator puts his
rivals behind bars to worsen
their health (and) kill them...”
She claimed that CM Kejri-
wal who “has been a diabetic
patient for 30 years was not
allowed by the BJP-led Cen-
tral government to take insu-
lin or talk to a doctor until the
court’s intervention”.
The BJP will be held re-
sponsible if anything happens
to Kejriwal, she asserted. Ac-
cording to Atishi, as soon as
CM Kejriwal got bail from a
trial court in the ED case, the
BJP moved the Delhi High
Court to get his bail cancelled
and later got him arrested by
the CBI.
She claimed that during Ke-
jriwal’s jail period, his sugar lev-
el dipped significantly and fre-
quently. “Anything can happen
to him due to low sugar level...
his weight has reduced by 8.5
kg,” Atishi added. – IANS
Union Minister JP Nadda, on
Sunday, said the BJP was the
only pan-India party that has a
presence in all four corners of
the country.
“We are a party represent-
ing the aspirations and senti-
ments of 140 crore people. We
are the only party that has in-
ternal democracy and does not
believe in nepotism. It is the
BJP alone that follows the con-
cept of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vi-
kas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Pra-
yas’,” BJP national president
Nadda said while addressing the
one-day state executive of the
party in Lucknow.
Asking party workers to
maintain self-confidence and
continue with introspection, the
union minister said in BJP,
“Every leader is a worker first
and every worker can be a
leader.”
Slamming the Congress, the
BJP president said the Con-
gress has zero presence in 13
states and could not cross the
100-seat mark in ten years.
“The Congress is not standing
on its strength - it is like a par-
asite on other smaller parties
and is trying to weaken them.
The Congress ran a campaign
boasts 26.4 million followers,
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
In fond memory of
Kejriwal commands 27.5 mil-
lion, and Samajwadi Party’s
Akhilesh Yadav has amassed
19.9 million followers.
Meanwhile, West Bengal
CM Mamata Banerjee has a
significant following of 7.4
million, followed by RJD’s
Lalu Prasad Yadav with 6.3
accusing the BJP of trying to million, Tejashwi Yadav with
change the Constitution but it 5.2 million, and NCP Chief
is the Congress that has been Sharad Pawar with 2.9 mil-
tampering with the Constitu- lion followers.
tion. The Allahabad High Court Put simply, PM Modi’s 100
ruling on Indira Gandhi’s elec- million followers on X outnum-
tion and the imposition of ber the combined followers of
Emergency are proof of this,” all leaders within the INDIA
he pointed out. bloc, which total 95 million.
He said the Congress has top- Another intriguing aspect of
pled several governments in its this achievement is that PM Haidor Ali Hazarika
regime but the BJP imposed Modi’s total followers on X (September 19, 1943 – July 15, 2019)
President’s Rule only once in exceed the population of Can- An epitome of integrity, honesty and humanity, he has left
Jammu and Kashmir. “And it is ada by 2.5 times, the popula- behind a rich treasure of memories to cherish and honour.
the Congress that made maxi- tion of the UK by 1.4 times, Today on your fifth Death Anniversary, we fondly remember
mum noise when June 25 was the population of Germany by you with love and respect. You are deeply missed and your
declared ‘Samvidhan Hatya Di- 1.2 times, the population of It- loving memories will linger in our hearts forever. We are
was’,” he added. aly by 2.5 times, the popula- always proud to have had you in our lives and your values
He further said the Con- tion of Australia by 3.7 times, will always inspire us.
gress opposes one party and and the population of New A tribute of remembrance from your loved ones.
then allies with it, while the Zealand by 18 times. In reverence,
BJP is a mass-based and cad- PM Modi outpaces other Mrs. Rofia Sultana Hazarika
re-based party with 18 crore global leaders in social me- And family members,
members. – IANS dia following, surpassing US Machkhowa, Guwahati- 09
President Joe Biden with
3 terrorists
killed in
Kupwara
SRINAGAR, July 14:
Three terrorists were
killed as the Army foiled
an infiltration bid by a
group of heavily armed
terrorists across the Line
of Control (LoC) in J&K’s
Kupwara district on
Sunday, officials said,
adding that firing
exchanges were still on in
the area.
Three terrorists have
been killed and their
weapons recovered in
the ongoing operation
along the LoC in the
Keran sector of Kup-
wara, officials said.
“Alert troops of the
army noticed the
movement of heavily
armed terrorists and
challenged them, after
which the exchange of
fire started. The firing
exchanges were
continuing when last
reports came in,” an
official said.
Security forces
including the army,
paramilitary forces, and
the J&K Police are
aggressively fighting
terrorists, by destroying
their hideouts, and
arresting over-ground
workers (OGWs) and
sympathisers of the
terrorists. In a massive
security revamp, it was
recently decided that all
the mountain tops in the
Jammu division would be
manned by the army and
the CRPF to ensure that
the terrorists are
deprived of the opportuni-
ty to carry out hit-and-run
attacks on security forces.
During the last few
months, it was noticed
that the terrorists would
carry out attacks and then
disappear into the densely
forested areas in Poonch,
Rajouri, Reasi, Doda,
Kathua and adjoining
districts in the Jammu
division. – IANS
 4 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI
Message for today
People never lie so much as after a hunt, during
a war or before an election.
– OTTO VON BISMARCK
Signal success
I
n the first significant test for the Opposition INDIA
bloc after the Lok Sabha contest, by-elections were
held in 13 constituencies across seven States in In-
dia, and the bloc has emerged from it with flying colours.
These included four seats in West Bengal, three in
Himachal Pradesh, two in Uttarakhand, and one each in
Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. The
Opposition grouping won 10 of these, with the BJP man-
aging to win just two seats, the remaining one going to
an independent. Of particular interest were the by-polls
in Himachal’s Dehra, Hamirpur and Nalagarh Assembly
constituencies. It may be recalled that these were ne-
cessitated after the three independents who had voted
in favour of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls had re-
signed to join the saffron party, and were fielded as its
candidates in these three constituencies. Perhaps one
can read voters’ perspicuity in the fact that two of the
three were defeated, the BJP’s win being only at Hamir-
pur. In Uttarakhand, the Congress snatched wins in
Manglaur and Badrinath, while Punjab’s ruling party,
the AAP, retained the Jalandhar West Assembly seat. In
Bihar, independent candidate Shankar Singh won Ru-
pauli, and in Tamil Nadu, the DMK emerged victorious
in Vikravandi. The most remarkable was the perform-
ance of the Trinamool Congress, which won all the four
seats in the by-polls that took place in West Bengal’s
Maniktala, Bagda, Ranaghat and Raiganj.
Naturally, since a single swallow does not make a sum-
mer, this signal success does not quite mean a definitive
anti-BJP trend in the nation, and it would take more than
the wins to prove true the Leader of the Opposition Rahul
Gandhi’s assertion that they have made clear the web of
“fear and illusion” woven by the BJP has been broken. Yet,
the BJP cannot wish away the outcomes as flashes in the
pan, since the preceding Lok Sabha results had revealed a
negative voting trend towards the party at an all-India lev-
el, resulting in a reduced majority in Parliament, and coerc-
ing it to enter into coalitions with regional political parties
which are not wholly in tune with its ideology. It is true that
most of the Opposition bloc’s triumphs have come about in
States where the BJP is not in power, yet a win, for instance
in Punjab for AAP, where the latter had been decimated in
the Lok Sabha contest, tellingly reveals that it is not yet the
spent force its opponents are touting it to be. Similarly, the
TMC sweep in Bengal, where it wrested the Matua com-
munity-majority Bagda and Ranaghat from the BJP after a
gap of eight years, indicates that measures like the imposi-
tion of CAA have not worked in favour of the saffron party,
and perhaps gives a hint of things to come in Assembly
elections in that State.
Shattered security
T
he assassination attempt on former US President
Donald Trump during a campaign rally in
Pennsylvania marks a chilling new chapter in the
history of American politics. On July 13, a gunman opened
fire, grazing Trump, killing a rally attendee, and critically
wounding two others. This violent act underscores the
heightened tensions in the lead-up to the 2024
presidential election and serves as a stark reminder of
the fragility of the democratic process in the face of
political violence. The attack on Trump is the most
dramatic act of violence against a presidential candidate
since Ronald Reagan was shot and injured in 1981. It
harks back to the darker days of American history,
reminiscent of the tragic assassinations of President John
F Kennedy, Senator Robert F Kennedy, and civil rights
leaders such as Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr,
and Malcolm X. These events left indelible scars on the
nation, and the recent attempt on Trump’s life threatens
to reopen these old wounds. The repercussions of this
event extend far beyond the immediate physical harm. It
threatens to further polarize an already deeply divided
nation. In the wake of the attack, President Joe Biden
made a poignant call for unity, condemning the violence
and urging Americans to reject such actions. “There is
no place in America for this kind of violence. It’s sick,”
Biden stated. This bipartisan call for a cooling of rhetoric
is crucial, yet it remains to be seen whether it will be
heeded in the highly charged political atmosphere. As
the FBI continues its investigation, identifying the shooter
as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, a registered
Republican from Bethel Park, the nation must grapple
with the broader implications of this incident. It is essential
for political leaders across the spectrum to come together,
not only to condemn this act of violence but also to address
the underlying issues contributing to such extreme
actions. The role of incendiary rhetoric, the availability of
high-powered firearms, and the overall climate of political
hostility must be critically examined.
The Secret Service, responsible for the protection of
the President and major presidential candidates, is now
facing intense scrutiny. The fact that an individual with a
high-powered rifle managed to come within firing distance
of Trump raises serious questions about the adequacy of
current security measures. An Associated Press analysis
revealed that the shooter was astonishingly close to the
stage, a mere 150 metres away – a distance well within
the effective range of the AR-15 rifle used in the attack.
The assassination attempt on Trump is a sobering
reminder of the dangers that lurk beneath the surface of
American political life. It serves as a call to action for all
citizens and leaders to work towards a more stable, secure
and united nation. The path forward will require
introspection, dialogue, and a collective commitment to
preserving the democratic ideals that form the bedrock
of the United States. As the 2024 presidential election
approaches, it is imperative that this tragic event becomes
a catalyst for positive change rather than a harbinger of
further division and violence.
Modi’s Russia visit
JURMOLOYA RAVA
P
rime Minister Narendra Modi’s
recent visit to Russia has gar-
nered global attention. Amid the
ongoing war between Russia and
Ukraine, the visit was scrutinized
closely as India, recognized as one of the
world’s fastest-growing economies with
a robust 7.8 per cent year-on-year growth
rate in the first quarter of 2024, reaffirmed
its economic strength. This growth plac-
es India firmly in the top tier of global
economies, now ranking 5th by GDP.
Modi’s visit has sparked significant de-
bate, arriving just hours after a tragic bomb-
ing in Ukraine claimed the lives of 41 peo-
ple, including children, in Kyiv. This inci-
dent triggered global criticism of Russia’s
military actions, leading NATO countries
to advocate for sanctions and increased sup-
port to Ukrainian forces. In contrast, India,
under Modi’s leadership, has maintained a
nuanced stance, refraining from direct crit-
icism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Instead, India has emphasized dialogue and
diplomacy to resolve the conflict, reflect-
ing its longstanding policy of strategic sov-
ereignty and multi-alignment in internation-
al relationships.
Modi’s visit was marked by significant
diplomatic gestures and strategic agree-
ments aimed at strengthening bilateral
ties. Putin conferred upon Modi the pres-
tigious ‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle,’
acknowledging the Prime Minister’s ex-
ceptional efforts in enhancing India-Rus-
sia relations. The visit also resulted in set-
ting an ambitious economic target: Both
leaders agreed to strive for a trade vol-
Harnessing Brahmaputra’s potential
SHASHANKA SHEKHAR
GOSWAMI
A
s the Union Minister of Ports,
Shipping and Waterways, Sarba-
nanda Sonowal is poised to ad-
dress the aspirations and expec-
tations of the people of Assam
regarding the development of the Brah-
maputra National Waterway 2 (NW-2).
This vital waterway holds immense po-
tential to transform regional connectivity,
bolster economic activities, and enhance
the quality of life for the people of Assam
and neighbouring regions. NW-2, encom-
passing the majestic Brahmaputra river,
is integral to the socio-economic fabric of
Assam, offering a sustainable mode of
transport that is cost-effective and envi-
ronment-friendly.
Recognizing its significance, the people
of Assam have the following expectations
from Sonowal:
Infrastructure development: There is a
strong call for robust infrastructure de-
velopment along NW-2, including modern
terminals, navigational aids, and storage
facilities. Enhanced infrastructure will fa-
cilitate seamless navigation and efficient
transportation of goods, thereby reducing
logistics costs and promoting economic
growth.
Promotion of inland water transport
(IWT): Assam expects proactive steps to
promote and incentivize the use of NW-2
for IWT. By leveraging the Brahmaputra
effectively, Sonowal can unlock new ave-
nues for commerce, agriculture and tour-
ism, creating employment opportunities
and improving livelihoods.
Environmental sustainability: Sonow-
al is expected to prioritize environmental
conservation efforts, ensuring that infra-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Poorly maintained Dergaon roads
Sir, – I wish to express my deep concern
about the poor state of roads in Chakialchuk,
the birthplace of Jnanpith Awardee, the late
Nilamani Phookan. This village is also the
birthplace of the late Lakshmi Nath Phook-
an, former editor of The Assam Tribune. It
is a matter of shame that the place which
nurtured such literary geniuses is burdened
by such poor infrastructure, especially dur-
ing the monsoon season. The roads in Cha-
kialchuk become virtually impassable dur-
ing rains. Filled with potholes and water-
logged stretches, they pose a serious threat
to the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and
motorists alike. Essential services are often
hampered due to this inaccessibility. It is not
only inconvenient but also disrespectful to
the memory of Nilamani Phookan that his
birthplace should be in such a state. Tourists
and admirers who visit this village to pay
their respects are undoubtedly disappoint-
ed by the poor infrastructure. I urge the
authorities to take immediate steps to im-
prove the situation. This includes proper
maintenance, filling of potholes, and ensur-
ing proper drainage to prevent waterlog-
As India continues to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape,
the world will closely watch how it balances its strategic interests.
ume of $100 billion by 2030. Furthermore,
plans for constructing six additional nucle-
ar power units in India were also on the
agenda, highlighting deepening coopera-
tion in crucial sectors.
However, Modi’s diplomatic overtures
towards Russia have not gone unnoticed
globally. Western nations, including the
United States, have expressed concern
and disapproval over India’s deepening
ties with Russia, particularly in light of
ongoing geopolitical tensions. Critics ar-
gue that India risks alienating its traditional
Western allies and compromising its in-
ternational standing by aligning closely
with Russia, especially given the latter’s
strained relations with the West. Analysts
are now questioning whether Modi’s visit
to Moscow might strengthen President
Putin’s international standing. Some ar-
gue that India’s diplomatic overtures could
be interpreted as aligning with Russian
interests, potentially straining its relation-
ships with Western powers.
The central question emerging from
these developments is whether India’s
alignment with Russia, despite internation-
al disapproval, serves its national inter-
ests effectively. Supporters of Modi’s ap-
proach argue that India, as a sovereign
nation with an expanding economy, must
prioritize its strategic partnerships based
on its own national interests rather than
succumbing to external pressures. India’s
foreign policy principles, rooted in its sta-
tus as the world’s largest democracy and
one of the fastest-growing economies,
emphasize independence in forging rela-
The Government should work towards ensuring a future for the people of Assam
in which the State’s rivers are sources of life and prosperity, not fear and devastation.
structure projects are executed with min-
imal ecological impact and adhere to rig-
orous environmental standards.
International collaboration: NW-2 con-
nects Assam not only internally but also
with neighbours like Bangladesh. There
is a collective expectation from Sonowal
to strengthen international collaborations,
fostering mutual agreements on dredg-
ing, maintenance, and transit arrangements
for seamless navigation across borders.
Empowerment of locals: As NW-2
traverses through diverse landscapes and
communities, the people look forward to
initiatives that empower local communi-
ties economically and socially. Investments
in skill development, cultural preserva-
tion and community engagement are piv-
otal in harnessing the full potential.
Sonowal’s stewardship is eagerly antic-
ipated to catalyze inclusive growth, en-
hance regional connectivity, and reinforce
Assam’s position as a hub of trade and com-
merce, as the Government of India re-
mains committed to realizing these ex-
pectations, ensuring a prosperous future
for the people of Assam and beyond.
The Brahmaputra presents several op-
portunities that can be strategically lever-
aged through the External Affairs Minis-
try. Here are some potential avenues:
Global cooperation: The Brahmaputra
flows through multiple countries, includ-
ing China, India and Bangladesh. Cooper-
ation through diplomatic channels can be
fostered to manage water resources ef-
fectively, mitigate flooding, and promote
sustainable development along its basin.
Navigation and trade: Enhancing navi-
gation infrastructure on the Brahmaputra
ging. Hopefully, through the collective ef-
forts of residents, local authorities and your
esteemed publication, we can bring about
positive changes and ensure that the birth-
place of such a distinguished literary figure
reflects the respect and care it deserves.
Let us honour the legacy of Nilamani Phook-
an by ensuring that his birthplace is accessi-
ble and well-maintained. Your etc., Diganta
Kr Mudoi, Dergaon.
APSC exam centres
Sir, – We have read letters in your es-
teemed daily describing discrepancies in
marks distribution in the APSC Mains exam
and aspirants explaining why the Commis-
sion conducts the Mains exam only in Gu-
wahati to tackle this problem. I request the
authorities to find a solution for the marks
distribution discrepancies other than con-
ducting the Mains exam only in one city in
the entire State. Kindly consider every-
one’s situation who has to appear in the
Mains exam. Some might find it difficult to
travel from other ends of the State, or stay-
ing for three days in Guwahati might not
tionships with major powers like the Unit-
ed States and Russia. This approach is seen
as vital for safeguarding India’s national
interests and long-term strategic goals.
The diplomatic string surrounding Mo-
di’s visit underscores India’s evolving role
in global affairs. It poses a fundamental di-
lemma – whether India should adhere to
global expectations and alliances or assert
its independence in forging strategic part-
nerships that best serve its economic and
security interests. The fallout from this
visit will likely shape India’s international
relations trajectory and its standing on the
global stage for years to come.
The Prime Minister’s Russia visit may
well be remembered as a defining mo-
ment in India’s foreign policy, signalling
its readiness to assert its interests boldly
in the international arena. Supporters of
Modi’s diplomatic engagement with Rus-
sia argue that India can play a constructive
role in facilitating dialogue and peace ef-
forts in Ukraine during this critical time.
They underline India’s commitment to
international law and peaceful conflict res-
olution as guiding principles.
However, amidst rising global tensions,
questions persist about whether India’s
diplomatic balancing act will effectively
serve its interests in the long term. As
Modi engages in discussions with Russian
leaders, the international community
closely observes India’s evolving stance
on this complex geopolitical issue.
India’s approach underscores its com-
mitment to upholding sovereignty and pur-
suing policies that safeguard national in-
can boost regional trade and connectivity.
India can work with its neighbours to im-
prove river transport facilities, stream-
line customs procedures, and develop
ports, thereby stimulating economic
growth in the region.
Environmental conservation: The Brah-
maputra basin is ecologically diverse and
rich in biodiversity. Joint efforts can be
made to preserve and restore habitats,
manage pollution, and address climate
change impacts through international
agreements and partnerships facilitated by
the External Affairs Ministry.
Disaster management: Given its propen-
sity for flooding, joint efforts can be made
to improve early warning systems, disas-
ter preparedness, and coordinated re-
sponse mechanisms across borders. This
can minimize the loss of lives and proper-
ty during natural calamities.
Cultural diplomacy: The Brahmaputra
holds cultural significance for the people
living along its banks. Cultural exchanges
and initiatives can be promoted through
the External Affairs Ministry to foster
mutual understanding and strengthen ties
among the countries sharing the river.
Research and education: Collaborative
research projects and educational exchang-
es related to the Brahmaputra basin can
be facilitated. This can promote knowl-
edge-sharing, technological advancements,
and capacity building among the countries
involved.
Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for
External Affairs, Government of India, can
play a pivotal role in harnessing the op-
portunities presented by the Brahmapu-
tra through diplomacy, cooperation, and
Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
be economically feasible for everyone. Trav-
elling such a distance can also impact per-
formance in the Mains. Please conduct the
Mains at a few exam centres throughout
the State as was done previously. Yours
etc., Punam Gogoi, Dhola, Tinsukia.
Engineering admissions
Sir, – As the admission process has al-
ready started in the government engineer-
ing colleges of Assam, it is disheartening
that most of the students who have good
rankings in the CEE exam are hesitating to
take admission in these government colleg-
es, and parents/guardians are discouraging
their wards from doing so. The main rea-
sons cited by students and parents are the
poor environments on these college cam-
puses and the inadequate infrastructure in
the departments. Instead, they are prefer-
ring private colleges and the Central Uni-
versity at Tezpur. While the Government is
establishing new engineering colleges else-
where, they are neglecting the development
of the already established colleges. The hos-
tels and labs lack adequate infrastructure and
instruments. Even the regular faculty posi-
tions are also insufficient. The Government
MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
terests. As global dynamics continue to
evolve, India’s strategic decisions will un-
doubtedly shape its role on the interna-
tional stage in the foreseeable future. The
ongoing debate highlights the complexi-
ties and challenges of navigating diplomatic
relations in a polarized world.
It is pertinent to recall that on August 9,
1971, ‘The Treaty of Peace, Friendship, and
Cooperation’ was signed, marking an im-
portant landmark for the Soviet Union and
India, aimed at fostering cooperation and
friendship. Thus, Modi’s visit has not only
reinforced the robust economic ties with
Russia but also positioned India at the heart
of global scrutiny and debate. As one of the
world’s fastest-growing economies and a
major global player, India’s diplomatic choic-
es carry significant weight. By emphasiz-
ing dialogue and diplomacy, India has main-
tained its stance of strategic autonomy
amidst the Ukraine conflict, even as it faces
pressure from Western nations.
The visit’s economic milestones, such
as the ambitious trade target and nuclear
power cooperation, underscore India’s
commitment to its bilateral relationship
with Russia. However, this approach has
also sparked concerns about the potential
alienation of traditional Western allies. As
India continues to navigate this complex
geopolitical landscape, the world will
closely watch how it balances its strategic
interests. The unfolding debate will con-
tinue to reflect the evolving narrative sur-
rounding India’s role on the world stage
and its implications for global geopolitics.
jurmoloya@gmail.com
sustainable development initiatives with
neighbouring countries and international
partners.
The Brahmaputra holds a significant
role in the lives of Assam’s residents, pro-
viding essential resources but also bring-
ing unpredictable floods that devastate
communities along its banks. The recent
collapse of the Hatimura dyke, echoing a
tragic incident in 2017, underscores the
urgent need for immediate action to pre-
vent such disasters from recurring. The
2017 tragic event is a clear call to action
for our leaders – the Prime Minister, the
Minister of Jal Shakti, the Minister of Wa-
terways, and the Chief Minister of Assam
– to take some decisive steps:
Initiate comprehensive dredging: Launch
extensive dredging operations across the
Brahmaputra and its tributaries to lower
riverbed levels, improve drainage, and
ensure safer navigation.
Strengthen infrastructure: Reinforce ex-
isting bunds and construct resilient infra-
structure capable of withstanding floods,
thereby safeguarding lives and livelihoods
along the riverbanks.
Implement integrated management: De-
velop a cohesive strategy integrating ad-
vanced monitoring systems, community in-
volvement, and sustainable practices to ef-
fectively manage and mitigate flood impacts.
The situation demands immediate and
bold steps from the government. It is im-
perative to move beyond promises and
take concrete actions to protect us from
the flood fury. Let us work towards a fu-
ture where our rivers are sources of life
and prosperity, not fear and devastation.
career.sasank@gmail.com
should take steps to address these issues.
Yours etc., Goutom Saikia, Guwahati.
Student-friendly portal
Sir, – We all know that not every family
can afford high-paying coaching centres for
JEE or medical coaching. However, we are
aware that a correct approach holds the key
to qualifying for any competitive exam that
a candidate aspires to crack. In the interest
of aspirants, the Department of Higher Ed-
ucation, Ministry of Education, in collabo-
ration with IIT Kanpur, has initiated the
SATHEE (Self-Assessment, Test, and Help
for Entrance Examination) portal. The
SATHEE mobile app is also available on
Google Play Store. The objective of the
portal is to provide quality education to
every student who intends to participate in
competitive exams such as JEE, NEET,
SSC, and other exams. Aspirants from the
Northeast should join the portal and enjoy
the course for free. Yours etc., Partha
Pratim Mazumder, Balikuria, Nalbari.
Articles (within 1000-1100 words) and
Letters to the Editor (within 150 words) for
publication on the editorial page may be sent
to the email ID: editor@assamtribune.com.
 Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
CITY THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 5

Annual cultural prog of

WEATHER
GUWAHATI
Partly cloudy sky with one or
two spells of rain or thunder-
shower. Maximum and Mini-
mum temperatures are most
likely
to be 36°C & 27°C respec-
tively.
TEMPERATURE:
Max 36.6° C
Min 26.8° C
OBITUARY
Dr Indrani
Barua
GUWAHATI, July 14: Dr
Indrani Barua, a noted edu-
cationist and former lectur-
er of Political Science depart-
ment, B Borooah College,
died at a private nursing
home here following a sur-
gery, on July 11. She was 85.
A first class first in Politi-
cal Science from Gauhati
University, late Barua was
the youngest daughter of late
Hanshadhar Barua of Ambari
here. She began her career
in Lady Keane College, Shil-
long, where she served for
about two years. Years later
she secured a doctorate de-
gree from GU and joined the
Political Science department
of B Borooah College as a
lecturer and retired from
there.
A resident of Birkuchi, she
had authored a couple of
books on spiritual matters,
besides textbooks. She left
behind her only daughter and
a grand daughter.
26th convocation ceremony of IITG held
Over 22,600 have graduated in its 30-year history: Prof Devendra Jalihal
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, July 14: The 26th convo-
cation ceremony of the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Guwahati was held on
Sunday at the institute’s campus.
A total of 2,150 students (1,682 male
and 468 female) received their degrees
in various disciplines during the con-
vocation.
The graduating students include
932 in BTech and BDes, 655 in MTech
and MDes, 277 in PhD and Dual (Mas-
ters plus PhD), 182 in MSc, 54 in MA,
34 in MS (Research), and 16 in MBA.
Vedant Gaurang Shah, BTech in
Computer Science and Engineering,
achieved the top score in the entire
BTech/BDes batch and was awarded
the President of India Gold Medal.
Rethyam Gupta, BTech in Engineer-
ing Physics, received the Dr Shankar
Dayal Sharma Gold Medal.
Arpita Ray, MTech in Geotechnical
Engineering, was awarded the Gover-
nor of Assam PG Gold Medal, while
Pranshu Kandoi, BTech in Computer
Science and Engineering, was awarded
the Governor of Assam UG Gold Medal.
Dr Sridhar Vembu, Founder and CEO
of Zoho Corporation, was the chief guest
at the convocation ceremony, and Prof
Gautam Barua, former Director of IIT
Guwahati, was the guest of honour.
Dr Rajiv I Modi, Chairman of the
Former SBI branch manager
arrested for defrauding ex-DIG
Rs 26 lakh siphoned off from Borbari branch
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, July 14: Guwahati Po-
lice has arrested a former branch man-
ager of the Borbari SBI branch on
charges of siphoning off Rs 26 lakh from
the savings account of Bhabadhar
Dutta, former DIG of Assam Police.
The accused has been identified as
Gulenur Hussain who is currently posted
as deputy manager of SBI’s specialised
currency administration branch at Dis-
pur. According to Guwahati Police, the
alleged transactions from the account
of the victim were made by Hussain to
three persons.
Recently, Dutta noticed the unau-
thorized transactions from his bank
Board of Governors of IIT Guwahati,
presided over the event virtually,
while Dr Prahlada Rama Rao, acting
Chairperson of the Board of Governors
of IIT Guwahati, delivered the wel-
come address.
Presenting the convocation report,
Director of IIT Guwahati Prof Deven-
dra Jalihal, said, “We are proud to cel-
ebrate IIT Guwahati’s 26th convoca-
tion. This milestone reflects the hard
work and dedication of our graduating
Vedant Gaurang Shah, President of India Gold Medal Winner receiving his
degree at the 26th convocation of IIT Guwahati on Sunday. – UB Photos
account and he lodged an FIR with the
Dispur Police. The unauthorized trans-
fers were only discovered when he
updated his passbook.
Investigation revealed that the ac-
cused Hussain had been targeting in-
operative and unused accounts for
fraudulent and unauthorised use with-
out being detected for a long time.
In the case of Dutta, when Hussain
found that there was no registered
mobile number connected with the
bank account and the account was not
in use for the last three years he de-
cided to siphon some of the amount.
With the help of an acquaintance,
Hussain obtained a SIM card and a
second-hand mobile phone, which
students, who have excelled in their
academic and research pursuits. Our
institute’s achievements in tech trans-
fer, patent filings, and high-quality re-
search publications highlight the inno-
vative spirit of our graduates.”
Prof Jalihal asserted that IIT Guwa-
hati draws talented students from all
over the country for its undergradu-
ate, postgraduate, and doctoral pro-
grammes, with an increasing number
of international students, and said that
they registered with the victim’s bank
account. They created a user ID and
password unknown to the victim, pre-
venting any bank transaction alerts.
Tridib Kalita, who admitted to ar-
ranging the SIM card at Hussain’s re-
quest, has also been apprehended.
“The accused has cleared all his lia-
bilities which he owed to others
through internet banking. Besides, he
also invested some amount in trading
in Indian Stock Exchange and has also
purchased P to P (Peer to Peer)
through Binance App of Crypto cur-
rency. In this manner, he has misap-
propriated Rs 26 lakh from the account
of the victim,” a statement of Guwa-
hati Police stated.
Murchana Music Academy
GUWAHATI, July 14: The annual cultural programme of Mur-
chana Music Academy was held at Sri Sri Madhavadeva Inter-
IIT Guwahati has seen over 22,600 national auditorium, Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra here on
graduates over its 30-year history.
Delivering the convocation address,
July 12.
According to a press release issued today, the students of the
Dr Vembu congratulated the graduat- academy performed instrumental and vocal performances of As-
ing classes on their achievement. samese, Hindi and western music.
“Indigenizing technology starts with Invited guest Santwana Banerjee and the principal of the
proactively addressing immediate music education centre Hiranya Kalita along with Barnali Kalita,
challenges and seeing them as fertile Jonali Das and Parag Deka lit the traditional lamp and paid floral
tributes to the portraits of the renowned artistes of Assam in-
ground for innovation. It requires a
steadfast commitment to investing in cluding Nanda Banerjee and Bhupen Uzir.
research and development, fostering The cultural programme began with a chorus performance of
a culture of creativity and resilience. the song – Luka-Bhaku Khelo Nai Amoni by a group of students
Embrace challenges as they arise. with lyrics, tunes and music by Hiranya Kalita.
They not only test and refine your The Music Academy conferred the title of ‘Sangeetacharya’
strengths but also spark breakthroughs on a noted musical artiste of Assam, late Nanda Banerjee, hand-
that drive significant progress and last- ing over a citation to a senior member of his family.
ing impact. The lessons learned from
experience are invaluable, guiding
Dheemanta Kumar Baruah, a meritorious student, who
achieved the best result in the 2023 acoustic guitar exam, was
your path forward. Together, let us fo-
cus on developing our country and
presented with a cheque of Rs 11,111, a shawl, a citation and a
phulam gamosa. – Staff Reporter
building our nation by enhancing our
capabilities and expanding opportuni-
ties for all,” Dr Vembu said.
Fish seeds released
In his address, Prof Barua called
upon the students to explore diverse
at Deepor Beel
areas of interest and deepen their ex- AZARA, July14: Like in previous years, Deepor Beel Pach-
pertise. para Samabai Samity (DBPSS) in association with the Rotary
“Sustaining the momentum of Club of Guwahati South released 2.5 quintals of fish seeds of
growth and excellence is fundamental different species at the Deepor Beel recently. Members of the
to the success of IITs. Our institute is DBPSS and Deepor Beel Suraksha Mancha released the fish
defined by its rich culture and sup- seeds of rohu, bhakua, biket etc., in the wetland. It may be
portive environment, which must be noted here that fishing at the Beel has been prohibited till
preserved and passed down to the fu- January next year by the DBPSS which has been fighting for
ture generations of faculty and stu- preservation and conservation of flaura and fauna and biodiver-
dents,” Prof Barua said. sity of the Beel. – ANN Service
4 arrested
GUWAHATI, July 14: Jalukbari
Police has arrested four persons in
connection with the alleged mur-
der of transport agent Raghuven-
dra Kumar Gupta.
The arrested accused have been
Raja Deb Roy, Rina Roy, Soma Roy
and Bizati Bai.
Gupta’s mutilated body stuffed
in a gunny bag was found behind
the Vishal Housing Complex in Ma-
ligaon on July 11. – Staff Reporter
2 held with drugs
GUWAHATI, July 14: Basistha
Police arrested a person after sus-
pected heroin was seized from his
possession at Khanapara last night.
Police seized 25 vials of suspect-
ed heroin, weighing 43 gm and 10
syringes from him.
Meanwhile, Fatasil Ambari Police
arrested one Bablu Gaur of Basudev
Path, Fatasil Ambari after he was
caught with 143 gm of ganja from
his residence. – Staff Reporter

Zone wise boarding needed at LGBI airport

Sir, – Passengers at LGBI
airport have increased by
leaps and bounds and the
present airport space is
grossly inadequate to handle
this huge load. The situation
becomes more chaotic and
traumatic when the passen-
gers queue in front of the
designated gates awaiting
their turns for boarding the
aircraft leaving other pas-
sengers with little room for
movement inside the airport
after security check. The
problem is most acute in re-
spect of low cost airlines like
Indigo whose flights are al-
ways fully booked. The ser-
pentine queue stretches
upto at least 700 metres in
respect of these no frills air-
lines.
This queuing problem can
be resolved easily if the air-
lines follow the zone wise
boarding. During this time,
other passengers can re-
main seated thereby reliev-
ing them of the burden of
standing for long. The zone
number is printed on the
boarding pass. This has an-
other advantage for the pas-
sengers as boarding be-
comes hassle free inside the
aircraft due to sequential
process starting with the
rear seats.
I have personally experi-
enced many times that Indi-
go never adheres to this sys-
tematic boarding process at
Guwahati airport at the
ground floor which is too
crowded and congested.
Therefore my request to
Guwahati Airport authorities
is to enforce zone wise
boarding in all airlines forth-
with till the new spacious in-
ternational terminal is ready.
– Yours etc., Rajib Sarma,
Guwahati
Relocation
needed
Sir, – The garbage collec-
tion centre of GMC, located
at Nursery on RG Baruah
Road, has become unsustain-
able due to the ever-grow-
ing traffic, especially after
construction of two flyovers
at both its ends. The safety
of passers-by is at risk as one
wing of the Ganeshguri flyo-
ver starts right in front of the
centre, causing severe traf-
fic obstructions and limiting
side routes.
The foul smell emanating
from garbage makes the area
hazardous for everyone.
This is particularly concern-
ing given the proximity of
the iconic City Centre of
Guwahati, which is just a
few metres away. The area
is home to several busy
shopping malls and a grow-
ing number of eateries be-
sides the Apollo Hospital
and as such, poses a signifi-
cant threat to patients and
healthcare workers. Of late,
the situation has become
more alarming with the
opening of a coaching centre
directly opposite to it, where
students gather all the time.
Given these serious is-
sues, it is imperative that the
Guwahati Municipal Corpo-
ration takes immediate ac-
tion to relocate the Collec-
tion Centre to a more suita-
ble location, ensuring the
health and safety of residents
and preserving the city’s
reputation. – Yours etc., Bi-
kash Talukdar, Ambikagiri
Nagar
Public
dustbins
Sir,– It is necessary that
we start from small tasks and
other things will fall into their
place by themselves. When
Guwahati residents are
dreaming of a world-class
city, we’re forgetting that
cleanliness is a crucial aspect
of development. There’s a
lot of garbage around my lo-
cality (Tetelia, Nursery) and
the only thing that comes to
mind is the absence of prop-
er public dustbins around
here. It is shameful that roads
near National Highways are
littered this way. Pedestrians
face a lot of inconvenience be-
cause of this factor and it isn’t
a sign of a modern city at all.
Disposal of garbage needs to
be done appropriately and for
that to happen, the concerned
authorities must ensure the
presence of public dustbins
all around the city as soon as
possible, their proper man-
agement and other necessary
action. – Yours etc., Trishna
Barman, Guwahati.
Road
sweeping
Sir, – A thick layer of mud,
sand and pebbles are seen
from Zoo Tiniali point upto
the ARB flyover, opposite to
the Gauhati Commerce Col-
lege a dust storm is seen
whenever a vehicle passes
through this area. GMC
workers can very easily
clean this area.
Everyday four/five jharu-
walas sweep a small portion
of a road close to the resi-
dence of a Cabinet Minister
residing at Monalisa Path,
Hatigarh Chariali, under Gi-
tanagar Police Station.
If four/five people can
work in front of the residence
of a Cabinet Minister why
can’t they work in other are-
as at least twice in a week?
Yours etc., Pranjal K Sar-
ma, Hatigarh Chariali
City floods
Sir,– Nowadays, one can
see floodwaters everywhere
in every corner of the city
and places like Chandmari,
Rajgarh, etc., are worst hit.
In areas like Hatigaon, the
streets are flooded every
year. Yet appropriate meas-
ures have not been taken by
authorities to mitigate the
floods. If we look at some of
the drains closely, we can see
plastics, polythenes, etc.,
which leads to blockage of the
drains. We, the citizens must
also be careful. Therefore,
the GMDA and the GMC
should come up with solu-
tions and ideas to tackle the
issues faced by the local res-
idents. If measures are not
taken in time, the situation
may get worse and we should
give up the idea of calling
Guwahati a Smart City. –
Yours etc., Bikashit Kumar
Deka, Class IX, Maria's Pub-
lic School
Deplorable
road
Sir, – Through this es-
teemed daily we would like
to request our Mayor Mri-
gen Saikia to kindly take ap-
propriate action to repair
Bye Lane No. 3 of Barthakur
Mill Road, Ulubari with con-
crete blocks at an early date.
Particularly during the mon-
soons, we face acute difficul-
ties in entering our Housing
Society complex due to pa-
thetic condition of the said
byelane. In this connection,
a couple of months back we
had already submitted a rep-
resentation from our Socie-
ty to the Mayor explaining
the matter. Here we would
like to mention that, from our
Society itself (comprising of
25 families), we are paying
property tax worth Rs 2 lakh
annually. Therefore, it is ex-
pected that, the GMC au-
thority will take immediate
action to repair the said bye-
lane on or before the ongo-
ing monsoon. However, we
do appreciate the GMC May-
or for completing the con-
struction works of byelane 1
and 8 of BM Road with con-
crete blocks during the finan-
cial year 2023-24. – Yours
etc., Sumanta Mukherjee,
BM Road, Ulubari Janasanyog/D/2500/24/15-Jul-24
 6 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI
BUSINESS & ECONOMY MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024

Govt may introduce insurance laws India’s defence exports record

amendment bill in Budget session
NEW DELHI, July 14: The
government is likely to in-
troduce a bill seeking amend-
ments to the Insurance Act,
1938, during the upcoming
Budget session to achieve
‘Insurance for All by 2047’.
Some of the provisions,
which could be part of the
amendment bill, include
composite license, differen-
tial capital, reduction in sol-
vency norms, issuing captive
license, change in investment
regulations, and one-time
registration for intermediar-
ies and allowing insurers to
distribute other financial
products, sources said.
The move will enable the
entry of differentiated insur-
ance companies like in the
banking sector. The banking
sector is currently categorised
as universal bank, small finance
bank, and payments bank.
The provision of compos-
ite licenses would allow life
insurers to underwrite
The draft bill is ready and it
has to go to the Cabinet for
its approval
health insurance or general
insurance policies.
As per the provisions of the
Insurance Act, 1938, life in-
surers can only offer life in-
surance covers, while gener-
al insurers can offer non-in-
surance products like health,
motor, fire, marine, etc.
The Irdai does not allow
composite licensing for insur-
ance companies, which means
that an insurance company
cannot offer both life and non-
life products as one entity.
The draft bill is ready and
it has to go to the Cabinet for
its approval, sources said,
adding that the Finance Min-
istry is hoping that it gets in-
troduced in the upcoming
session.
The proposed amend-
ments primarily focus on en-
hancing the policyholders’ in-
terests, improving returns to
the policyholders, facilitating
the entry of more players
leading to economic growth
and employment generation,
enhancing efficiencies of the
insurance industry – opera-
tional as well as financial and
enabling ease of doing busi-
ness, sources said.
The Finance Ministry in
December 2022 invited
comments on the proposed
amendments to the Insurance
Act, 1938, and the Insurance
Regulatory Development
Act, 1999.
The Insurance Act, 1938,
serves as the principal Act to
provide the legislative frame-
work for insurance in India.
It provides the framework
for the functioning of insur-
ance businesses and regu-
lates the relationship be-
tween an insurer, its policy-
holders, shareholders and
the regulator Insurance Reg-
ulatory and Development
Authority of India.
According to the sources,
the easing of capital norms can
allow the entry of companies
focused on micro-insurance,
agriculture insurance or insur-
ance firms with a regional ap-
proach. The entry of more
players in the sector would
not only push penetration but
result in greater job creation
across India.
Currently, there are 25 life
insurance companies and 32
non-life or general insurance
firms in India. These also in-
clude companies like the Ag-
riculture Insurance Compa-
ny of India Ltd and ECGC
Limited. – PTI
over 30-fold quantum leap
NEW DELHI, July 14: In-
dia’s defence exports have re-
corded a 30-fold quantum leap
over the last 10 years from a
mere Rs 686 crore in the fi-
nancial year 2013-14 to a
record Rs 21,083 crore in FY
2023-24, reflecting the global
acceptability of Indian defence
products and technologies.
With exports reaching
more than 85 countries
across Southeast Asia, the and bringing Ease of Doing cent by the private sector.
Middle East, Africa and Lat- Business, he added. The official data shows that
in America, India’s defence Further, the Atmanirbhar in terms of absolute value,
industry has shown its capa- Bharat initiatives have both DPSUs/PSUs and the
bility of design and develop- helped the country by en- private sector have record-
ment to the world, with couraging indigenous design, ed steady growth in defence
around 100 firms exporting development and manufac- production.
defence products at present, ture of defence equipment in India’s export basket of
a senior official said. the country, thereby reduc- defence products includes
To give a push to defence ing dependence on imports missiles, radars, naval sys-
exports, the government has in the long run. tems, helicopters, and sur-
taken several policy initiatives A significant development veillance equipment.
like ‘Make in India’ and rolled has been the emergence of The export of BrahMos su-
out economic reforms over the private sector as a suppli- personic cruise missiles, de-
the last 10 years. Export pro- er of defence equipment. Of veloped jointly with Russia,
cedures have been simplified the total value of production has been another major
and made industry-friendly in 2023-24, about 79.2 per cent achievement, with countries
with end-to-end online export has been contributed by DP- like the Philippines purchasing
authorisation curtailing delays SUs/other PSUs and 20.8 per the system recently. – IANS

India-Korea
FTA review
meeting from
July 17 in Seoul
NEW DELHI, July 14:
With talks to upgrade the
existing India-Korea free
trade agreement (FTA)
moving forward, senior offi-
cials of both countries will
hold the next round of nego-
tiations from Wednesday in
Seoul, an official said.
The agreement, dubbed as
comprehensive economic
partnership agreement
(CEPA), was operationalised
in January 2010. So far, 10
rounds of review talks have
been concluded.
The Indian team will visit
Seoul from July 17-19 for the
next round of review meet-
ings, the official added.
“In the 11th round, both the
sides would discuss the broad
contours for closing the deal,”
the official said, adding that
Korea is keen to conclude the
negotiations this year. – PTI
Farmers planting paddy saplings in a field, in Bardhaman, on Sunday. – PTI
India to see retail digital
payments to double by 2030
NEW DELHI, July 14:
With digital adoption fast
gaining currency, India is
likely to see retail digital
payments double to USD 7
trillion by 2030 from cur-
rent levels, a study by Kear-
ney and Amazon Pay said.
In the report ‘How Urban
India Pays’, Kearney-Ama-
zon Pay said that strong adop-
tion of digital payments in
online purchases has poten-
tially led to a permanent shift
in consumer behaviours,
fuelling offline adoption as
well.
While 90 per cent of the
respondents of the survey
preferred digital payments
when making online pur-
chases, affluent consumers
lead the way with the high-
est Degree of Digital Pay-
ment Usage (DDPU), tend-
ing to use various modes of
digital payment for 80 per
cent of their transactions.
The research was based
on an online survey of over
6,000 consumers along with
more than 1,000 merchants
through offline and online
methods across 120 cities
with representation from
various regions, income
groups, city categories, age
brackets and genders.
India has seen a surge in
e-commerce, with the mar-
ket valued at USD 75 billion
to USD 80 billion in 2022
and expected to grow at a
21 per cent CAGR until
2030.
“In line with India’s digit-
al journey, retail digital pay-
ments have grown dramati-
cally over the past five years
– from USD 300 billion in
FY18 to USD 3.6 trillion in
FY24. By FY30, they are
likely to double to USD 7
trillion,” the report said.
The Unified Payments In-
terface (UPI) has been a key
driver of this growth, dem-
onstrating a CAGR of 138
per cent in its volumes dur-
ing FY18-24. Other instru-
ments such as cards and dig-
ital wallets are also gaining
in popularity, contributing 10
per cent of digital transac-
tion value today.
“With such dynamic de-
velopments, it is no wonder
that India is a global front-
runner in the digital pay-
ment landscape, accounting
for a stellar 46 per cent of
the global digital transaction
volumes in 2022,” it said.
Digital payments have
penetrated small towns,
with respondents in these
areas highlighting that 65
per cent of their transactions
are digital, while respond-
ents in larger cities cited this
ratio to be 75 per cent. – PTI
Mandatory
labelling
NOTICE
In continuation to this office Advertisement No.SLRC-G-IV/ASSAM/
for bulk Advertisement for Analogous Posts-IV/2023-24/01/14 dated 27.10.2023, the
State Level Recruitment Commission for Class-IV Posts notifies following details
pre-packaged regarding written examinations for the Posts/categories of Posts of Class-IV:
1. There shall be two separate categories of written examinations –(i) for
commodities Posts/categories of Posts for Read upto Class VIII category and (ii) for
NEW DELHI, July 14: The Posts/categories of Posts for HSLC (Class Ten) passed or equivalent
Consumer Affairs Ministry examination passed category including HSLC (Class Ten) passed or
on Sunday proposed an equivalent examination passed along-with ITI pass certificate in the
amendment to the Legal
trade of Wireman/Electrician/Fitter/Welder/Machinist/Electronics
Metrology (Packaged Com-
modities) Rules, 2011, seek- mechanic from Govt. of Assam approved institute.
ing to mandate the declara- 2. The syllabus of the written examinations for recruitment to the Class-IV
tion of key information on Posts shall be in consonance with the Elementary School Pass Level
pre-packaged commodities examination of SCERT for Read upto Class VIII category and High School
weighing over 25 kg or Level Certificate Examination of Board of Secondary Education, Assam
measuring more than 25 li- for HSLC (Class Ten) passed or equivalent examination passed category
tres sold in retail markets. including HSLC (Class Ten) passed or equivalent examination passed
The move aims to close a
along-with ITI pass certificate in the trade of Wireman/Electrician/Fitter/
loophole that currently ex-
empts such bulk packages
Welder/Machinist/Electronics mechanic from Govt. of Assam approved
from displaying crucial details institute.
like maximum retail price 3. The subjects for both the categories of written examinations will be as
(MRP), best before date, listed below:
manufacturer information, (a) English
and country of origin. (b) Social Studies
“It is observed that pack- Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
(c) Mathematics
aged commodities above 25 (d) General Knowledge
kg are also available in the
(e) Mental Ability and Logical Reasoning
market for retail sale, which
4. The medium of language in Question papers will be Assamese, Bengali,
is not as per the intention to
make all declarations on pre- English, Boro and Hindi.
packaged commodities 5. There will be a total of 135 multiple choice questions, carrying 1 (one
meant for retail sale,” the mark) each, to be attempted in 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes).
ministry said in a statement. 6. Only one answer will be correct answer for each question.
The proposed amendment 7. Negative marks of 0.25 will be awarded for each incorrect answer.
would require manufactur- 8. The date and time of written examination will be intimated in due course
ers, packers, and importers
of time.
to provide comprehensive
labelling on all pre-packaged Sd/- Secretary,
goods intended for retail sale, State Level Recruitment Commission for
regardless of quantity. Janasanyog/D/2518/24/15-Jul-24 Class-IV Posts
This is expected to bring clar-
ity to the industry and aid con-
sumers in making informed
choices. The ministry has in-
vited public comments on the
proposal until July 29. The new
rules, if implemented, will not
apply to packaged commodities
meant for industrial or institu-
tional consumers.
The government’s move
comes in response to the in-
creasing availability of bulk
pre-packaged items in retail
markets. – PTI

PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: Boosting

solar entrepreneurship in Assam
DR DEBA KUMAR stallation services are ex- a skilled workforce further entrepreneurs can utilize to the PM Surya Ghar Muft
MAHANTA pected to see a surge in de- supports entrepreneurial start and scale their busi- Bijli Yojana. Continuous
mand as more households ventures by ensuring the nesses. Technological ad- training and development

A
ssam, known for its
lush landscapes and
vibrant culture, is
emerging as a significant play-
er in India’s renewable ener-
gy sector, particularly in so-
lar photovoltaic (PV) sys-
tems. The introduction of
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli
Yojana has created a promis-
ing environment for entre-
preneurs looking to venture
into the solar energy market.
This government initiative
aims to provide free electric-
ity to households through
solar power installations, sig-
nificantly reducing installation
costs through subsidies and
financial incentives.
The scheme offers a
unique opportunity for en-
trepreneurs to tap into a
growing market. Solar in-
opt for rooftop solar PV sys-
tems under the scheme. En-
trepreneurs can establish
businesses specializing in the
installation, maintenance,
and support of these sys-
tems. The government’s
commitment to covering a
significant portion of the in-
stallation cost makes solar
energy accessible to a broad-
er audience, thereby ex-
panding the customer base
for these businesses.
Additionally, there is an in-
creasing need for solar
equipment such as panels, in-
verters, and batteries. En-
trepreneurs can capitalize on
this demand by establishing
supply chains and distribution
networks. The govern-
ment’s investment in train-
ing programmes to develop
availability of trained profes-
sionals who can deliver qual-
ity services.
Assam’s high solar insola-
tion, with an average range
of 4 to 5.5 kWh/m²/day, pro-
vides an excellent foundation
for solar energy generation.
This natural advantage, cou-
pled with the state’s grow-
ing energy demand due to
urbanization and industriali-
zation, enhances the market
potential for solar entrepre-
neurs. Moreover, solar PV
systems offer a sustainable
solution for rural electrifica-
tion, improving access to re-
liable electricity in remote
areas.
The scheme also includes
provisions for easy financing
options, including low-inter-
est loans and grants, which
vancements such as high-ef-
ficiency panels and improved
energy storage solutions
make solar installations more
cost-effective and reliable.
Smart grid technologies fur-
ther facilitate the integration
of solar power into the ex-
isting grid, optimizing ener-
gy distribution.
While the prospects are
promising, entrepreneurs
may face challenges such as
high initial capital investment
and the need for consumer
awareness. However, vari-
ous financing options and
government schemes can
help mitigate these challeng-
es. Marketing and education-
al campaigns are crucial to
inform potential customers
about the benefits of solar
energy and the specifics of
are essential to build a
skilled workforce capable of
delivering high-quality in-
stallations and maintenance.
The PM Surya Ghar Muft
Bijli Yojana is a significant
step towards sustainable de-
velopment in Assam, offer-
ing substantial entrepre-
neurial opportunities in the
solar energy sector. By lev-
eraging government incen-
tives and Assam’s natural
advantages, entrepreneurs
can contribute to the State’s
economic growth and envi-
ronmental conservation.
This initiative not only sup-
ports the adoption of clean
energy but also enhances the
quality of life for Assam’s
residents, making it a win-
win for all stakeholders in-
volved. Janasanyog/D/2436/24/15-Jul-24
 Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
NORTH EAST THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 7

Air Quality
Index (AQI)
July 14, 2024
Tripura bandh called by Left CRPF jawan killed in
(Average of past 24 hours)
City/
Town
Index
Value
Air
Quality Front passes off peacefully militant attack in Manipur
Guwahati
Nalbari
61
60
Satisfactory
Satisfactory CORRESPONDENT Two policemen also injured in gunfight
Nagaon 44 Good CORRESPONDENT Chief Minister N Biren A PTI report from Im-
Sivasagar 51 Satisfactory AGARTALA, July 14: The Singh has strongly con- phal adds: Manipur police
Silchar 47 Good dawn-to-dusk bandh called by IMPHAL, July 14: A Cen- demned the incident and ex- have seized arms and ammu-
Pollution Control the Opposition Left Front in tral Reserve Police Force tended condolences to the nition from Imphal East and
Board, Assam Tripura on Sunday in protest (CRPF) jawan was killed and bereaved family of the jawan. West districts, an official
against the murder of a party two Manipur police person- “I strongly condemn the statement said.
candidate for the upcoming nel were injured in a gunfight killing of a CRPF personnel One AK 56 rifle, one SLR,
Panchayat elections failed to with armed militants at in in an attack carried out by an one locally made SLR, one
evoke much of an impact. Manipur’s Jiribam district on armed group, suspected to .38 pistol, four 9mm pistol,
Shops were open, vehicles Sunday morning. be Kuki militants, in Jiribam one .32 pistol, two hand gre-
plied normally on the streets The exchange of fire took district today. His supreme nades, and 25 rounds of am-
WEATHER and long-distance buses plied as place at Mongbung and Sei- sacrifice in the line of duty munition were seized by se-
NorthEast usual during the 12-hour bandh.
The government and private
jang villages at around 9.10 shall not go in vain. I further curity forces during search
Forecast for NE: Moderate am and ensued for about an extend my sincere condo- operations and area domina-
offices as well as educational es- hour while the security per- lences to the bereaved fami- tion conducted in Heingang
rain is very likely to occur
at many places over tablishments functioned nor- sonnel were on a routine ly of the deceased soldier, Ching in Imphal East district
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, mally as there was no picketing movement in the area. A ve- while praying for the speedy on Saturday, the statement
Meghalaya, Nagaland, by the CPI(M) cadres. Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and other leaders paying their last respects to CPIM
candidate for panchayat elections Badal Shil, who was killed ahead of polls, at the party head-
hicle belonging to security recovery of the ones injured issued by Manipur Police said.
Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura. The bandh passed off
quarters in Agartala on Sunday. – PTI personnel has been damaged during the attack,” Biren Police during an opera-
Warning: 1) Thunderstorm peacefully as there was no
and lightning is very likely to
in the attack. Singh wrote on X. tion at Khuyathong and
report of any untoward inci- Shil in South Tripura district. ed on August 12. headquarters to receive nom- Though the CRPF person- Jiribam district bordering Nagamapal area of Imphal
occur at isolated places over
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
dent in the State, a police of- Police said a group of un- “Every death causes shock. inations, providing security nel, identified as Ajay Kumar Assam’s Cachar district had West district seized one
Meghalaya, Nagaland, ficer said. known miscreants attacked We convey heartfelt grief and escort to the candidates for fil- Jha (43) from Bihar, was been in the news since fresh excalibur rifle, 7.62 mm Ar
Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura. “Normal life across the Shil and his associates when sympathy to the family of ing nominations and taking suo rushed to a nearby hospital, violence was reported in the (GHAATAK) and one MA-
2) Heavy rain is very likely to State has not been disturbed they were on their way to Badal Shil, who died while un- motu action against those pre-
occur at isolated places over
he was declared dead on ar- district on June 6 this year 3, MK-II rifle with ammu-
due to the bandh. There has file nomination papers for the dergoing treatment. Police venting the nominees from rival by the doctors. The in- after a Meitei farmer was nition on Friday, it said.
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam,
Meghalaya, Nagaland,
been no picketing or gathering rural polls at Rajnagar block will investigate the case and submitting their documents. jured policemen are current- found dead with injuries on Meanwhile, police arrest-
Manipur & Mizoram. in support of the bandh. Move- on Friday. take necessary legal steps,” “Keeping the prevailing sit- ly undergoing treatment. his neck. ed two persons involved in
ment of vehicles on streets and CPI(M) claimed that he Bhattacharjee said. uation in mind where candi- Following the incident, Manipur has been rocked theft of a vehicle and seized
Dibrugarh Tezpur train service remained normal was attacked by BJP-backed A six-member delegation of dates from Opposition parties additional security forces by ethnic violence between one .45 pistol and one 9mm
Max Min Max Min while shops and markets were goons, which was denied by the Left parties on Saturday are not allowed to submit their have been rushed to the Meitei and Kuki communi- pistol along with live ammu-
34.4 26.5 35.1 27.0 also functioning normally,” As- the BJP. met the Tripura State Elec- nomination papers by unleash- spot and search operations ties since May last year, nition from their possession
sistant Inspector General of BJP state spokesperson tion Commissioner and placed ing terror tactics, we met are being carried out to track which has claimed more in Imphal West district on
Silchar Dhubri Police (Law and Order) Anan- Nabendu Bhattacharjee al- four-point demands to ensure State Election Commissioner down the assailants. than 200 lives so far. Saturday, the statement said.
Max Min Max Min ta Das said. leged that the CPI(M) was free, fair and peaceful pancha- Saradindu Chaudhuri and
34.7 26.9 32.3 27.9 Additional forces have been trying to “politicize” the yat elections in the State. briefed him about incidents of

Max
Jorhat
Min
N. Lakhimpur
Max Min
deployed in key areas, he said.
The bandh was called by
the Left Front to protest
death of a party leader ahead
of the panchayat elections.
Panchayat polls will be
The Left Parties’ demands
include the extension of dura-
tion for filing nomination pa-
violence on our candidates,”
CPI(M) State secretary Jiten-
dra Chaudhury told reporters.
Manipur violence: ITLF
33.5 24.3 32.0 23.8
Shillong Cherrapunjee
against the killing of CPI(M)
Zila Parishad candidate Badal
held in the State on August
8, and the votes will be count-
pers by five more days, open-
ing counters in each district
(With additional inputs
from PTI) seeks Amit Shah’s help
IMPHAL, July 14: Ma- which have further escalated discussions.

Itanagar Police busts child sex

Max Min Max Min nipur-based Indigenous Trib- local tensions. “The CM should stop
25.0 17.0 – – al Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on The forum also claimed spreading rumours to gain
Saturday wrote to Union that five Kuki women were public support. If some peo-

trafficking racket; two victims rescued

Kohima Itanagar Home Minister Amit Shah, physically assaulted, necessi- ple have taken part in any
Max Min Max Min expressing serious concerns tating their hospitalisation, meeting, they are doing so
25.4 18.1 33.3 26.2 regarding the alleged heavy- and alleged that security forc- in their personal capacity,”
CORRESPONDENT to registration of a case un- formed to investigate the erating both as a pimp and handed actions against Kuki- es set fire to the residence of the letter said. – PTI
Imphal Agartala der Section 363 of the Indi- case, which made the arrests running a brothel from his Zo village volunteers by Cen- the general secretary of the
Max Min Max Min ITANAGAR, July 14: The an Penal Code. across Arunachal Pradesh and rented house at Munirka, Jeet tral agencies amid ongoing
ethnic conflicts.
Kuki Inpi (Jiribam, Noney,
and Tamenglong).
Workshop on
31.2 23.5 34.1 27.1 Itanagar Police has busted an Subsequent investigations Delhi over the past 15 days. would entrap girls from the
Pasighat Duty
inter-state child trafficking revealed some harrowing The first arrest in the Northeast looking for jobs in The letter strongly con- These allegations come in new criminal
and prostitution racket tar- details about what had hap- case was that of Pungming the national capital through demned multiple incidents, the wake of operations by se-
Max Min
Meteorological
Officer, Regional
Meteorological
geting girls from the North- pened to them when they Bagang, 24, of East Kameng agents like Api and slowly lure particularly in Jiribam’s Phai- curity forces at Phaitol and L laws held
32.8 25.6 Centre, Guwahati east in New Delhi, and res- narrated their ordeal before and presently residing at them into flesh trade. tol and Mongbung villages, Hengjol villages in Kangpok- GUWAHATI, July 14: The
cued two minor girls from a magistrate and police. One Chimpu, Itanagar. Another The fourth accused, one where it was reported that pi district on July 8 and 9, Department of Law at North-
Arunachal Pradesh. of the victims, a native of accused Api Brey alias Ro- Sushil Kumar alias Ballu alias Central security forces alleg- resulting in the arrest of Eastern Hill University
Immigrants The operation led to the East Kameng district, had shni Brey alias Begum Brey Abhay Jaat (42), a customer edly assaulted seven Kuki three militants and seizure of (NEHU), in collaboration with
women and detained two vil- three AK series rifles along the Indian Council of Social
sans ILP asked arrest of five individuals
across Arunachal Pradesh
been working as a maid and
enduring physical and sexu-
alias Roshani Devi (31) was
arrested from Sangam Vihar
and a contractor by profes-
sion, was apprehended from lage youths. with 1,300 rounds of ammu- Science Research-North
to leave Mon and Delhi, Itanagar SP Rohit
Rajbir Singh said on Sunday.
al abuse. She was lured to
Delhi in September 2023 by
in New Delhi. She is the one
who had trafficked the vic-
Shahpur Jaat in New Delhi.
The fifth arrest was that of
They also highlighted the
arrest of three Kuki-Zo vol-
nition.
They challenged Chief
Eastern Regional Centre (IC-
SSR-NERC), organised a
district The SP said that the case one Api Brey, who forced her tim girl in September 2023 one Raghunath Menon, an unteers following an arson
attack, along with allegations
Minister Biren Singh’s
claims of peace talks, assert-
daylong workshop on the
three new criminal laws on
CORRESPONDENT came to light on June 10 into prostitution. The other along with Mimi Bagang and advocate of Delhi High Court,
when the Itanagar Women victim, belonging to the had attempted to traffic the from Lajpat Nagar, New Del- of burning residences belong- ing that tribal leaders have the NEHU campus on Satur-
Police Station received in- Puroik community from other girl also. hi. He had also allegedly sex- ing to community leaders, not been involved in any such day, stated a press release.
DIMAPUR, July 14: The
Konyak Students’ Union formation about two missing Kurung Kumey, had also One Jeet Bahadur Khatri ually assaulted the victim af-
(KSU) has asked all immi-
grants without a valid inner
line permit (ILP) to leave
minor girls. Subsequently,
the two minor victims were
recovered from a house at
faced abuse and was about
to be trafficked to Delhi
when the police intervened.
alias Jeet Sonar (59), the al-
leged kingpin of this prostitu-
tion racket, was arrested at
ter she was trafficked to New
Delhi multiple times at his
chamber despite being fully
Elephant
kills man in
Art exhibition gets
Mon district of Nagaland im-
mediately.
Chimpu in Itanagar that led A special police team was Munirka in New Delhi. Op- aware that she is a minor.
Meghalaya underway in Imphal
In a statement, the KSU NEWMAI NEWS
said non-compliance with the
directive will invite neces-
Ex-IGP among 6 join Cong in Nagaland SHILLONG, July 14: A
sary actions against those vi- CORRESPONDENT Supongmeren Jamir and 26-year-old man was tram-
olating ILP regulations. AICC secretary in-charge of pled to death by a wild ele-
It said the presence of un- DIMAPUR, July 14: In yet Nagaland Ranajit Mukherjee phant while he was attempt-
authorised individuals poses another boost to the Naga- in Kohima. ing to drive away a herd in
a significant threat to the so- land Pradesh Congress Com- MP Jamir and AICC sec- South West Garo Hills of
cial and cultural fabric of “our mittee (NPCC) after the re- retary Mukherjee, along Meghalaya on Saturday
community” while affirming cent victory in the lone Lok with senior NPCC officials, evening.
its resolution to uphold the Sabha seat in the State, thanked the new entrants and The victim, identified as
rule of law and protect the in- former IGP Richard Yimto accorded them a warm wel- Rikrak S Sangma, was the
terests of the Konyak people. and his wife Shojila Yimto, come into the party fold while son of Meckenson Ch Mar-
Expressing concern over the former chairperson of the highlighting the age-old sec- ak and a resident of Jolgaon- Dr Sapha Yumnam, Mutua Bahadur, L Somi Roy, and Dr
increasing number of immi- gre village in South West Thangjam Hindustani (from right to left) unveiling the book
State BJP intellectual com- ular and inclusive ideals of the
Former IGP Richard Yimto (2nd from left) and his wife Shojila Garo Hills. Feathers, Fools and Farts: Folktales from Manipur.
grants entering the district mittee and former additional Indian National Congress.
without possessing valid ILP, Yimto joining the Congress in Kohima on Sunday. – Photo: According to reports, as
development commissioner “We warmly welcome GUWAHATI, July 14: An art books: And That is Why:
the student body urged the law Correspondent soon as the local people re-
Dr Temsuwati, NPF work- them into the Congress fam- exhibition titled “Manipuri My- Manipuri Myths Retold
enforcement agency to conduct ing committee member Dr er Moses R Ovung have Temsuwati, Lotha, Jamir and ily and wish them all well in ceived information about the thology and Folklore”, show- (2021) by L Somi Roy and
regular ILP checking at Namsa Roland Lotha, NPF central joined the Congress party. Ovung joined on July 12 in their endeavours,” the NPCC incident, they promptly casing modern Subika Art by Feathers, Fools and Farts:
and Naginimora check gate youth wing vice president While Yimto and his wife the presence of Lok Sabha communications department rushed to the spot and found artist Dr Sapha Yumnam, com- Folktales from Manipur
with immediate effect. Yanger Jamir and BJYM lead- joined the party on Sunday, MP from Nagaland S said in a release on Sunday. the lifeless body of Sangma. menced at Book and Coffee (2024) by L Somi Roy and
store in Imphal on Saturday. Thangjam Hindustani.
The exhibition was organ- On the first day of the exhi-

Meghalaya focusing on mitigation strategies on climate change
NEW DELHI, July 14:
With its ample green cover
threatened by climate
change, Meghalaya is focus-
ing on its dedicated climate
budget and an ambitious for-
est conservation scheme as
it revises the State action plan
to combat global warming,
Chief Minister Conrad Sang-
ma has said.
Meghalaya is among a few
States in India to earmark as
much as 16 per cent – Rs
4,501 crore – of the total
State budget for sustainabili-
ty and conservation initia-
tives in 2024-25; up from Rs
2,456 crore in 2022-23 and
Rs 3,412 crore in 2023-24.
“We feel that climate
change affects every aspect
of life and governance. And
hence it is important for not
just my government but also
for all governments to focus
on climate change for a bet-
ter future,” Sangma, who is
here on a visit, said.
That approach is helping
shape the revision of the
State Action Plan for Climate
Change (SAPCC) with new
climate adaptation targets
and sectoral climate risk mit-
igation strategies.
According to the India
State of Forest Report report
of 2021, Meghalaya has 76
per cent of its land under to-
tal forest cover.
Harping on both “legacy
and futuristic aspect to envi-
ronmental conservation”, the
Chief Minister said Megha-
laya is home to a multitude of
indigenous communities who
have for generations shared
an intimate bond with nature.
“This relationship is en-
shrined in the 10,000 hectares
of traditionally protected for-
ests across the State,” he said,
adding, “Our focus is to in-
volve local communities in
protecting the forested areas
around their habitation.”
About two years ago,
Meghalaya introduced ‘Pay-
ment for Ecosystem Servic-
es’ programme called
‘Green Meghalaya’, where
the communities are paid an
annual grant for conserving
forested areas.
“This is India’s biggest
such programme. In less than
two years, Rs 44 crore has
been released to 3,403 indi-
viduals and community ben-
eficiaries to bring over 54,000
hectares of forests under
conservation,” he said.
The State now envisions
conservation of 1 lakh hec-
tares of forest under the
scheme in the next five years.
An additional 6,000 hec-
tares of forest has been con-
served in a participatory ap-
proach involving communi-
ties under the ‘Community
Led Landscape Manage-
ment Project’, while yet an-
other 22,500 hectares are
being brought under affor-
estation under the Meg-
hARISE project.
Speaking about linkage
with the international car-
bon market, Sangma, the
46-year-old entrepreneur-
turned-politician, said his
State has made strides in
connecting farmers to the
international carbon mar-
ket, which pays for carbon
sequestration in new plan-
tations.
“Through this initiative,
we expect to conserve an-
other 1 lakh hectares of agro-
forestry areas,” he added.
But it is not just the forest
that gets priority when the
State’s action plan to combat
climate change is being up-
graded. Water is going to be
a major focus area with the
State facing a unique prob-
lem: on the one hand, there
are areas with the highest
rainfall in the country and, on
the other, many areas suffer
from lack of water.
Meghalaya gets 63 billion
cubic metres of rainfall annu-
ally, but it flows away into
Assam and Bangladesh.
“The geography of Meg-
halaya is characterized by an
elevated and sloping, inhos-
pitable terrain, the sparse
population poses challenges
of water retention. Hence,
it is not the quantity of wa-
ter or rain that we get but it
is about the management,”
said Sangma.
Meghalaya is currently
mapping its different springs
and forests using technolo-
gy. For example, the gov-
ernment has identified 90 lo-
cations upstream of Shil-
long, where the catchment
area for the city’s water sup-
ply is situated. – PTI
ised in association with Ima-
si Foundation, Puffin Books,
and Penguin Audio, stated a
bition, the book Feathers, Fools
and Farts: Folktales from Ma-
nipur was released in Imphal,
press release. The display alongside the audio book of
featured 36 paintings com- And That is Why. The exhibi-
missioned by Penguin for two tion will conclude on July 17.
NORTH EASTERN COALFIELDS
Coal India Limited
(A Maharatna Company under Ministry of Coal)
Margherita-786181 (Assam)
Registered Office : Office of the General Manager, North Eastern
Coalfields, Coal India Limited, Dist Tinsukia, Assam-786181, Corporate
ID No. L23109WB1973GOI028844, Phone No. 03751-220344, E-mail:
gmmrg1@sanchernet.in, Website : www.neccoal.co.in
All the tenders issued by CIL and its Subsidiaries
for procurement of Goods, Works and Services are
available on website of Coal India Ltd.
www.coalindia.in respective subsidiary Company, CIL
e-procurement portal https://coalindiatenders.nic.in
and Central Public procurement portal
https:eprocurement.gov.in. In addition, procurement
is also done through GeM portal https://gem.gov.in
Sd/- General Manager,
NEC, Margherita.
 8 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI
APSC chief gives
pep talk to students
in Tinsukia district
CORRESPONDENT
DOOMDOOMA, July 14:
“At the initial stage my aim
in life was to be a bus con-
ductor. It was only later that
I changed my aim in life. I
feel that the students should
fix the goal of their lives at
the early stages,” said APSC
chairman Bharat Bhushan
Dev Choudhury.
Participating in an interac-
tion programme titled
‘Kathupakathan’ with stu-
dents of class-9 to class-12 of
different schools under Ka-
kopathar education block at
Phillobari High School near
here on Friday, Dev Choud-
hury delivered an inspiring
and strategic talk on the top-
ic ‘Ami Kenedore Porhibo
Lage’.
3 held for
extortion bid
CORRESPONDENT
DOOMDOOMA, July 14:
The Pengeri police on Friday
night apprehended three
persons with links to the
NSCN from the New Life
Foundation Rehabilitation
Centre under the Margher-
ita Police Station for alleged-
ly demanding money from a
young businessman of Mar-
gherita. The accused persons
have been identified as An-
kur Gogoi of Ketetong in
Margherita, Avinash Ghosh
of Jagun, and Lupan Singpho
of Arunachal Pradesh.
Narrow escape
for students
CHAMATA, July 14: As
many as 15 students had a
narrow when a school bus
(AS-14-C-7909) operating
under the Gopal Chandra
Academy met with an acci-
dent at Kakaya village near
here on Saturday morning.
The driver reportedly lost
control of the steering wheel
and the bus veered off the
road onto a muddy field. The
bus was carrying the stu-
dents from Jagara, Kakaya
and Goalpara. However, no
student was injured serious-
ly. Some local people rescued
the bus driver and students.
– A Correspondent
British body wants conservation of Nazira cemetery
‘It is a part of history and heritage of Nazira, and more widely of underlying bond between India and the UK’
SIBA GOGOI
NAZIRA, July 14: The
British Association for Cem-
eteries in South Asia (BAC-
SA) has suggested that the
ONGC and the local commu-
nity should set up a working
group to plan a project to
conserve the British-era
cemetery at Nazira and en-
sure its long-term sustaina-
bility.
“It appears to me that safe-
guarding the cemetery is the
responsibility of the ONGC,
given that it is located within
its property, as well as of the
Nazira-Sivasagar community.
The ONGC and the local
community should set up a
working group to plan a
project to conserve the cem-
etery. The BACSA would be
ready to consider an applica-
tion for a financial grant to-
wards the cost of such a
project,” said BACSA hon-
orary secretary Peter Boon
in an online communication
with this correspondent.
Boon said, “The cemetery
is part of the history and her-
itage of Nazira and Assam,
The programme was or-
ganised by Samagra Shiksha,
Tinsukia, and Tinsukia Dis-
trict Academic Council
(TDAC). The inspector of
schools, Tinsukia district cir-
cle, Kabita Deka; district plan-
ning officer of Samagra Shik-
sha, Tinsukia, Tridip Sharma
Tamuli; district consultant
Suraj Bhuyan; TDAC vice
president Nilakshi Dutta; its
secretary Sanjay Pran
Thakur; retired headmaster
of Phillobari High School
Drona Charingia Phukan;
headmistress of the host
school Sewali Neog; and sev-
eral others were also present
in the programme.
Around 300 students and
teachers from 12 different
schools took part in the pro-
gramme.
Lady robbed by River Gangadhar causing
‘sadhus’ near Dikom severe erosion at Agomoni
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH, July 14:
Two men disguised as sadhus
reportedly robbed a woman
of jewellery worth about Rs
4 lakh in Nahartoli Grant vil-
lage under the Dikom Police
Outpost on Saturday.
The two men, clad in typi-
cal ‘sadhu baba’ costumes,
had come to the house of one
Pradeep Balmiki where they
started performing certain
miracle-like activities before
Surjya Bora award given to Leelawati S Bora
CORRESPONDENT
JAGIROAD, July 14: The
64th Smriti Divas of Bhasa-
Swahid Surjya Bora cum
award presentation ceremo-
ny was held recently on the
premises of the Swahid Sur-
jya Bora High School at Bagh-
jap under Mayong circle.
The event of the Asam Sa-
hitya Sabha was centrally or-
ganised by the Morigaon Zila
Sahitya Sabha in association
with the Jagi Bhakatgaon Sa-
kha Sahitya Sabha.
The day-long programme
began with hoisting of the cer-
emonial flag by Morigaon Zila
Sahitya Sabha president Ma-
The cemetery cover by undergrowth; (inset) one of the graves. – Photo: Correspondent
and more widely of the un-
derlying bond between India
and the UK. It contains the
graves of people who con-
tributed in one way or anoth-
er to what Nazira is today.”
The BACSA honorary
secretary also said that a tidy
and well-cared-for grave-
yard will be a pleasant, green
and environmentally favour-
able space in a built-up area
Flood situation inching back towards
normalcy in Kaziranga National Park
Regulation of traffic causing inconvenience, commuters seek resumption of two-way movement
CORRESPONDENT
KAZIRANGA, July 14: The
flood situation in Kaziranga
National Park and Tiger Re-
serve (KNP) has taken a turn
for the better following im-
provement in weather condi-
tions and decrease in the wa-
ter level in the river Brah-
maputra.
According to Dr Sonali
Ghosh, director of Kaziran-
ga National Park and Tiger
Reserve, they have distrib-
uted many essential items to
the frontline forest guards,
including rations, with finan-
cial support from Numaligarh
Refinery Ltd under the lat-
ter’s CSR (corporate social
responsibility) scheme. Dr
Ghosh added that the Assam
Police has been actively sup-
porting the KNP authority in
providing security and pro-
tection to wild animals in the
Kaziranga forest.
Dr Ghosh said that even
though the water level inside
the KNP has receded to
some extent, 44 camps are
still inundated. However,
the latter’s wife. Taking ad-
vantage of the absence of the
woman’s husband and other
members of the family, the
two men reportedly pro-
ceeded to decamp with all
the jewellery kept in the
house.
Pradeep Balmiki told news-
men that the fake sadhus stole
necklaces, earrings, nose
rings, and a few gold chains.
The victim’s family later
lodged an FIR and the police
is investigating the case.
hendra Saikia, which was fol-
lowed by smriti tarpan of-
fered by the martyr’s family.
Ajoy Singha, teacher of Sasoni
Junior College, inaugurated a
poetry recitation event which
was conducted by Dr Ajit Pras-
ad Sarmah, convenor of the
Ramdhenu sub-committee of
like Nazira.
The cemetery in question
is located on the premises of
the headquarters of ONGC
Assam Asset, Nazira. It is a
tangible reminder of the leg-
acy left behind by the Assam
Company and British rulers.
The cemetery is now almost
swallowed up by thick under-
growth. The fact that the his-
toric cemetery has been ly-
STATE
One-way movement of vehicles on NH-715 at Kaziranga on Saturday. – Photo: Correspondent
none of forest anti-poaching
camps are empty as forest
personnel are still staying in
these camps and doing their
best to protect wild animals.
“These frontline forest per-
sonnel are real heroes who
have been facing all types of
difficulties but still maintain-
ing calm and remaining alert
for the protection of wild an-
imals in spite of the current
CORRESPONDENT
GAURIPUR, July 14: The
river Gangadhar is causing
unabated erosion in several
villages in Singimari and
Mora Gadadhar under Ago-
moni development block.
The erosion caused by the
turbulent river has already
washed away a mosque, a
madrassa, and several hous-
es in the areas concerned.
Meanwhile, hundreds of
Asam Sahitya Sabha.
The principal of Sur Deol
Sangeet Mahavidyalay, Dr
Pabon Chandra Gogoi, inaugu-
rated a musical function. Asam
Sahitya Sabha vice president Dr
Girish Handique inaugurated
the open session along with the
award presentation and souve-
ing in a state of neglect since
long has generated both cu-
riosity and controversy from
time to time. Historical
records suggest that the
cemetery has over 70 graves
of mainly Europeans, includ-
ing that of British mission-
ary and author William Rob-
inson. It is said that George
Herbert Lempriere Mar-
shall, a descendant of Ed-
flood wave,” said Ghosh.
Ghosh added that night vi-
sion drones had been used
over Kaziranga National Park
and Tiger Reserve after re-
ceiving formal permission
from Chief Minister Dr
Himanta Biswa Sarma to
monitor the movement of
wild animals, especially rhi-
nos and elephants. This will
also help in checking poach-
bighas of agricultural land are
under water and the water
level of the river was flow-
ing above the danger level at
the time of filing of this re-
port.
The affected people have
urged upon the public repre-
sentatives to protect the lives
and properties of the poor
farmers of the area.
Doctor feted: In another
development, Nrityangana
Gosthi, a socio-cultural or-
nir release sessions. Asam Sa-
hitya Sabha president Dr Sur-
jya Kanta Hazarika presented
the Bhasa Swahid Surjya Bora
Bota to renowned litterateur
Dr Leelawati Saikia Bora. Dr
Hazarika also released a sou-
venir dedicated to Bhasa Swa-
hid Surjya Bora that has been
edited by Jayanta Sagar Saikia.
Asam Sahitya Sabha sec-
retary general Dr Upendra-
jit Sarma explained the ob-
jectives of the open session.
An associate professor of
Morigaon College, Dr Bud-
hen Kumar Saikia, and re-
tired lecturer of Bezera An-
chalik Mahavidyalay Dr Bi-
chitra Narayan Das attended
ward-III, King of England,
was also buried at the Nazira
cemetery.
Though the exact number
of graves at the cemetery is
yet to be ascertained, HA
Antrobus, author of A His-
tory of the Assam Company,
1839-1953, puts the figure
at 62. Those buried at the
Nazira cemetery were pri-
marily officers, employees
and tea planters of the Na-
zira-based Assam Company
and their family members.
They were brought from
European countries, mainly
Britain, to look after the tea
plantations of the Assam
Company in Nazira and oth-
er parts of Assam. Tea pro-
duced in the Nazira area was
exported to England. Some
officials of the British Raj
were also buried at the Na-
zira cemetery. It is an estab-
lished fact that most of the
graves at the cemetery are
those of people of British
origin, while one of them is
that of a Scot.
The burying of William
Robinson at the Nazira cem-
etery is significant because he
ers who may try to take ad-
vantage of poor visibility dur-
ing the night hours at vulner-
able areas.
Forest personnel have
been undertaking intensive
patrolling over vast inundat-
ed areas of the Park by using
boats, including country boats.
Volunteers from local colleg-
es are supporting the forest
staff in regulating traffic at wild
ganisation of Dhubri, recent-
ly offered special felicitation
to Dr Bhabani Prasad
Chakraborty, a renowned
doctor of the town. The or-
ganisers also felicitated Dr
Ankumoni Saikia, Dr Deba-
sish Mukherjee, Dr Tapas
Majumdar, Dr Mukul Bar-
man, Dr Amir Hussain, Dr
Bikash Agarwalla, Dr Nilak-
shi Chaudhary, Dr Boloram
Basak, and Namita
Chakraborty
the event as appointed
speakers and spoke about the
language movement and the
contribution of Bhasa Swahid
Surjya Bora, respectively.
Reception committee presi-
dent Adhan Bora delivered
the welcome address, while
Jagi Bhakatgaon Sakha Sahi-
tya Sabha president La-
kheswar Deka offered the
vote of thanks.
It may be mentioned that
Surjya Bora was born in Jagi
in Morigaon district and was
actively associated with the
language movement. He was
killed in Siliguri during the
language movement on July
8, 1960.
had worked for the growth
and development of Assa-
mese and other local languag-
es of the Northeastern re-
gion. Two important books
written by Robinson are A
Grammar of the Assamese
Language (1839) and A De-
scriptive Account of Assam
(1841).
As long as the Assam Com-
pany was there with its head-
quarters at Nazira, the cem-
etery had been taken care of
by the company. With the ar-
rival of the ONGC in the re-
gion in the 1950s, the ceme-
tery started falling into a state
of neglect. Today many of the
graves are in a very bad con-
dition, an issue that has drawn
criticism from people at both
local and international levels.
In his book The Pioneers
1825-1900 (1986), British
author John Weatherstone
criticizes the “sad state of af-
fairs” regarding the Nazira
cemetery. Similarly, in her
book The Tea Road, South
Korean travel writer Young-
ja Kim describes how the
cemetery at Nazira is crying
out for attention.
MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
animal corridors throughout
the stretch of NH-715. Vehi-
cles are being allowed to go
through in a convoy moni-
tored by forest staff with the
support of the jeep safari op-
erators’ association.
As per the information re-
ceived from the KNP, three
anti-poaching camps in the
eastern range of Agaratoli, 17
camps in the central range of
Kohora (also known as Ka-
ziranga range), and 13 anti-
poaching camps in the west-
ern range of Bagori are still
inundated with floodwater up
to five feet in height. The rest
of the camps are inundated
to a lesser degree.
According to a senior for-
est official, 116 wild animals
have been treated and re-
leased so far during the flood,
including 113 hog deer. On
the other hand, 10 rhinos and
150 hog deer reportedly
died due to drowning.
Traffic movement is being
regulated along the stretch
of NH-715 (earlier NH-37)
from Panbari in the east to
Jakhalabandha in the west.
OBITUARY Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
Narendra Patowary
A CORRESPONDENT
CHAMATA, July 14:
Narendra Patowary, retired
headmaster of Bhakatram Vi-
dya Mandir LP School, who
was also a drama artiste and
social activist, breathed his
last on Sunday morning. He
was 89 and had been ailing for
some time.
Patowary had earlier
served as a gaon panchayat
president as well as president
of Sintamoni LP School man-
agement committee. He was
also a life member of Belsor
Milan Sangha, a Congress
worker, and a member of
Anchalik Jesthya Sachetan
Nagarik Mancha.
He had retired from serv-
ice in December 2000.
He had acted in more than
Bhuban Lahkar
CORRESPONDENT
DOOMDOOMA, July 14:
Bhuban Lahkar, a popular
businessman of Sookreting
no. 8 in Doomdooma town,
passed away on Saturday af-
ternoon at his residence due
to cardiac arrest. He was 75.
He leaves behind his wife,
two sons, and a daughter, be-
sides a host of relatives.
His death has cast a pall of
TRIBUTE
Ashwini Kr Sharma
Ashwini Kumar Sharma,
popularly known as Badal, was
a person with great talent in
two totally different areas. He
was a very sincere lover of
music – a singer – and also had
the perfect skill of a mechanical
expert. He could sing songs
with high notes – almost as high
as the maestro Md Rafi – and
earned popularity as a singer
rendering many among the
most popular numbers of Md
Rafi. In contrast to the fine
musical brilliance, his talent as
a man interested in mechanics
was no less remarkable. He
could tear apart an automobile
part by part and reassemble
them with magical alacrity and
detect and correct the fault in
the system in the process.
A warm-hearted man, he
never spoke anything deroga-
tory or disrespectful about an-
yone and had an exemplary cool
temperament even when he
was in somewhat dire straits in
matters of business or family
affairs. An entrepreneur with a
high level of confidence, he took
up jobs where great challeng-
es were involved and made no
Tributes should not exceed 300 words
However, commuters trav-
elling by passenger bus and
small vehicles complained
that since it now takes more
than three hours to reach
Panbari near Kohora from the
Burapahar point, a better
option should be explored by
the Park authority instead of
halting the vehicles at many
places for more than three
hours. Passengers feel that
two-way plying of vehicles
should be allowed led by a
police pilot vehicle to ensure
maintaining of a speed level
below 30 km per hour. This
would ensure saving of time,
especially for passengers
travelling from Guwahati to
Dibrugarh or Tinsukia.
Meanwhile, the Kaziranga
Hotel and Resort Association
has been providing food and
other essentials to the forest
staff and volunteers who are
on duty during the night hours.
The Association is also
providing food items to the
flood-affected people of Ka-
ziranga who are staying in
relief camps set up at differ-
ent schools in the locality.
60 plays from 1960 onwards.
He was an also efficient social
worker of the area. His mor-
tal remains were taken to the
premises of various socio-cul-
tural organisations of Belsor in
a large procession where many
people paid their homage.
His last rites were per-
formed at Belsor Rajahua
Smashan. He leaves his wife,
three sons, two daughters,
and grandchildren.
gloom in the entire Doom-
dooma town.
demur about the hardship he
had to go through in executing
them.
He was a man gifted with all
the qualities of a gentleman and
could adjust to any situation or
any person. His positivity of
outlook and attitude made him
a highly lovable person and de-
sirable company. Personally, I
will miss him both as a friend
and as my dear brother-in-law.
On this day of his adyashrad-
dha, I convey my condolences
to his wife, sons, and all others
in the family and pray to the
Almighty for the eternal peace
of this noble soul.
Om Shanti, Om Shanti, Om
Shanti!
– Bhaskar Phukan
 MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
STATE THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 9

One held
Lions Club serves free food for murder
to poor, attendants at JMCH STAFF CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT, July 14: Bolu Kur-

STAFF CORRESPONDENT
JORHAT, July 14: Lions
Club of Jorhat has launched
an initiative to distribute food
– two rotis along with sabji –
free of cost daily to poor peo-
ple and attendants of patients
at JMCH.
The food is being served
from a van in which an auto-
matic rotimaker machine has
been installed.
Amitabh Barooah, chair-
man of the committee of the
club that runs the roti van
initiative, told The Assam
Tribune that this was the
second such endeavour in
the State after a similar one
in Guwahati to provide
some kind of succour to
people who cannot afford a
proper meal.
Stating that the initiative
will complete a month on
July 17, Barooah said that the
roti van operates six days a
week (except on Wednes-
days). On Tuesdays and
Thursdays, the van is parked
inside the JMCH campus,
and on other days, it serves
people in other areas of the
town and outside.
As many as 700 rotis along
with sabji is served to peo-
ple daily, he said that three
persons – two helpers and a
driver – are involved in the
initiative under the supervi-
sion of club members.
Barooah said that the meal
is served around noon and
people, including a large
number of women, have
been benefiting from the
service.
He said that the van has
been provided by Lions Mul-
tiple, a cluster comprising
several Lions Clubs districts,
to Lions Club of Jorhat and
so far club members along
with several Good Samari-
tans have been coming for-
ward to sponsor a day’s ex-
penditure.
Appreciating the re-
sponse of the members and
people towards the initiative
by sponsoring a day’s ex-
penditure, he said a person
has assured to bear the ex-
penditure of every Tuesday
for a year.
Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
mi (47), a resident of Sarusarai
Tea Estate under Pulibar Po-
lice Station on the western
outskirts here, was arrested
on Sunday, on charges of mur-
dering his wife Manju Kurmi
(46) by strangling her after
committing physical assault
today morning.
A source said that Bolu Kur-
mi, who originally belonged to
Balijan, Dergaon in Golaghat
district, reportedly had quar-
rels with his wife frequently.
The couple has been residing
in a small house near the vic-
tim’s paternal house within
the same premises at Sa-
rusarai TE, Pulibor as they had
a shop near the National High-
way 715 (formerly NH-37).
Local people informed the
police after which police per-
Work in progress to repair the breached embankment at Hatimura, in Kaliabor on Sunday. – UB Photos sonnel came to the spot and
started an investigation.

Trump attack: CM People in Darrang dist unable Public outrage over

says right-wing leaders to go back home post floods damage to newly
targeted by radical left constructed road is around 1,000.
GUWAHATI, July 14: Expressing his support to former The post flood effects are CORRESPONDENT
US President Donald Trump, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa even more in the southern
Sarma on Sunday said that right-wing leaders across the globe parts of the district, where DHUBRI, July 14: Residents of Bordoloi Path under Ward No.
about 25,000 households of 75 13, AMCo Road in Dhubri have submitted a formal complaint to
were being targeted by the radical left.
villages have been affected. the district commissioner, expressing their anger and frustra-
Trump, 78, survived an attempt on his life on Saturday tion over the poor quality of construction of a newly built road
when a young shooter fired multiple shots at him at a cam- Nearly 2,000 houses have
that has already become damaged.
paign rally in Pennsylvania, injuring his right ear. been badly damaged while Completed just a few months ago on March 25, the road’s
“Physical or otherwise, right-wing leaders across the globe more than 5,000 houses have deteriorating condition has raised serious safety concerns among
are now active targets of the radical left. However, these suffered partial damage. Live- the local community.
attacks will not be able to defeat the ‘nation first’ ideology,” stock losses have been as- The people voiced their dissatisfaction over the substandard
Sarma said in a post on X. sessed at around 3,000, he construction, stating that the road is in such a poor condition
added. that it poses a significant risk of accidents. The rapid degrada-
“My best wishes to Donald Trump as he stands strong.
Farmers of a few other vil- tion of the road surface has left many residents questioning the
#StandWithTrump #NationFirst,” the Chief Minister said. quality of materials and workmanship involved in the project.
The shooting left one person attending the rally dead and lagers namely Duni, Bheru-
The residents submitted a complaint to the district commis-
two others in serious condition. The 20-year-old suspected adal, Kahitoli, Kiringbori, sioner on July 12, urging an investigation into the alleged cor-
shooter was shot and killed by a member of the Secret Serv- Raumari, Aporia, Gandhia ruption in the road’s construction. The complaint also demanded
ice. – PTI Pathar, Kurua, Dhalpur, etc., that the road be reconstructed to ensure the safety and conven-
have suffered huge losses as ience of the community.
their crops and vegetables

Several including former Makeshift shelters set up in a flood-affected village at Sipajhar in Darrang district. – Photo:
were totally damaged due to
submergence of the fields in
floodwaters.
AASU leaders join Correspondent Though the livelihood of the
people has been badly affect-

Congress at Golaghat CORRESPONDENT

MANGALDAI, July 14:

CORRESPONDENT
DERGAON, July 14: Sev-
eral persons, including a
former AASU leader, joined
the Indian National Congress
(INC) party at a special func-
tion held at Golaghat today.
According to Diganta
Bailung, the party spokes-
person, the programme wit-
nessed a substantial turnout,
including former AASU lead-
er Manash Pratim Dutta join-
ing the Indian National Con-
gress (INC) party.
Addressing the meeting in
the presence of Titabar MLA
Bhaskar Baruah, Manash
Pratim Dutta reaffirmed the
In his speech, MLA Bhaskar
Baruah emphasized the role of
new members, making the
audience feeling included and
integral to the party’s growth.
He also mentioned the increas-
ing number of people who sup-
port the INC and are joining
the party daily, fostering a
sense of unity.
The meeting was attend-
ed by several party leaders,
including party general sec-
retary Bitupan Saikia, Bimal
Dole, Ratna Gogoi,
Kamaleswar Phukan,
Rupantar Tanti, Jenith Bora,
and others.
After this, Binita Baishya
chaired the extended execu-
The flood situation in Darrang
district has improved over the
last few days as the water lev-
el in the rivers and sub-
merged areas have receded,
but the suffering of the com-
mon people are not yet over
as many families have been
compelled to take shelter on
higher land, including em-
NCHAC organizes interactive
session on 125th Constitution
Amendment Bill 2019
bankments, and raised public
roads and are not in a position
of going back to their homes.
Nabajyoti Deka, a local
NGO activist, said that near-
ly 500 families are still taking
shelter on embankments in
villages like Fuhuratoli and
Bhokelikanda, and raised plat-
forms in Chaulkhowa, Aporia
LP School, Jana Kalyan ME
Madrassa in Baralakhaity, etc.
One flood-affected person,
said to be a centenarian, re-
portedly died in the Durduria
shelter camp.
Talking to this correspond-
ent, Deka said that the recent
wave of floods left a trail of
destruction in around 30 vil-
lages in the western part of
the district where nearly 100
houses were severely dam-
aged and another 2,000 hous-
es were partially damaged.
The figure of livestock losses
ed for almost a month, most
such records are not included
in the official reports of the
disaster management depart-
ment.
“We are not able to extend
necessary support to the af-
fected people as most of these
things are skipped in the offi-
cial reports and we fail to con-
vince donors if it is not re-
ported in the official plat- AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi busy working in a paddy field,
form,” Deka said. at Laipuli Morankari village in Tinsukia on Sunday. – UB Photos
ECFNo.E-416606/37
CIN-U75112AS1965SGCOO1246

commitment of the party to tive meeting of the Golaghat

solving the State’s issues. He
highlighted the present State
government’s failure to con-
trol the price hike of essen-
tial items, reassuring the au-
dience that only INC will
solve the problems of the
mass people, including price
hike, unemployment prob-
lem, etc.
CINEMA PROGRAMME
GALLERIA CINEMA
HUB, G.S. Road,
Guwahati is showing
From 14th July onwards following timings:
At 11.20 am & 9.00 pm
SARFIRA (H)
At 2.15 pm
INDIAN 2 (H)
At 5.35 pm
KALKI 2898 AD 3D (H)
Regular price: Silver- Rs. 130/-, Gold-
Rs. 180/-, Platinum- Rs. 200/- &
Business- Rs. 250/-
Morning price: Silver- Rs. 130/-, Gold-
Rs. 170/-, Platinum- Rs. 200/-
Business- Rs. 220/-
GALLERIA CINEMA
Dibrugarh, Junction Mall
Only for 23rd May 2024
Screen–1
At 10.00 am & 8.30 pm
FURIOSA MAD MAX SAGA (H)
At 12.50 pm
THE GARFIELD MOVIE 3D (E)
At 2.45 pm
FURIOSA MAD MAX SAGA (E)
At 5.35 pm
KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE
APES (E)
Screen–2
At 12.30 pm, 5.25 pm & 8.00 pm
SRIKANTH
At 3.05 pm – JIYA (Ass)
Tele Booking Timings
9.00 am to 8.00 pm.
Tele Booking No. 8876565001/ 8876565002
(Terms & conditions apply)
Ticket Rates: Regular Show : Rs. 150/-,
Rs. 200/-, Rs. 350/- Rs. 500/-, 1000/-
New Movie Rates Rs. 180/-,
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Ticket Rates 3D Movies : Rs. 200/-,
Rs. 260/-, Rs. 380/-, Rs. 520/-. Rs, 1040/-
Website : www.bookmyshow.com
Town Mahila Congress. Sec-
retary Risa Singh explained
the meeting’s objective.
Golap Saikia, Bitupan Sai-
kia, Bonti Ahmed, Bhupen
Rajkhowa, Jenith Bora, Di-
ganta Bailung, and others at-
tended the meeting. In the
meeting, 15 women joined
the party.
GALLERIA CINEMA
Tinsukia, ATC Mall,
GNB Road
From 14th July to 18th July 2024
Screen–1
At 10.00 am, 1.15 & 4.40 pm
KALKI 2898 AD 3D (H)
At 8.00 pm
INDIAN 2 (H)
Screen–2
At 11.15 am, 2.25 pm & 5.20 pm
SARFIRA (H)
At 8.15 pm
KALKI 2898 AD 2D (H)
Tele Booking timings:
9 am to 8.30 pm.
Tele Booking No. 8876565005/
8876565006
(Terms & conditions apply)
Regular Tickets price
Rs. 170/-, Rs. 240/-, Rs. 300/-, Rs. 500/-
3D Tickets Price :
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ANURADHA CINEPLEX
Multiplex Ambience
From 13.07.24 to 18.07.24
At 11.00 am & 5.15 pm
SARFIRA (HINDI) 2D
Cast : Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal,
Seema Biswas etc.
At 2.00 pm
HINDUSTANI 2 (HINDI) 2D
Cast : Kamal Hasan, Siddarth, Rakul
Preet etc.
At 8.15 pm
KALKI (HINDI) 3D
Cast : Prabhas, Deepika Padukan,
Amitabh Bachchan etc.
Booking Nos. 8822777555
(9954544738, 7086525826)
Online Booking:
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www.bookmyshow
CORRESPONDENT
HAFLONG, July 14: On Sunday, an
interactive session on the sixth schedule and
the proposed 125th Amendment Bill, 2019
of the Constitution was organized at the
District Library auditorium, Haflong.
The meeting was held with an intention to
take suggestions and views regarding the
clauses and points to be amended.
Chief Executive Member, North Cachar
Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC),
Debolal Gorlosa, along with other Executive
Members and MACs of the Council, was
present at the meeting. Members from dif-
ferent apex bodies, student organizations,
conscious citizens, social organizations
participated in the interactive session.
This meeting came in view of the
speculations and doubts among the citizens
of Dima Hasao about the abatement of power
and functions of the Council autonomy. The
proposed 125th Amendment Bill of the Sixth
Schedule to the Constitution of India is
derived from the MoS signed between the
surrendered militant group and the Central
and State governments in 2012.
Welcoming all the people present during
the meeting, MAC Dhriti Thaosen briefed
about the proposed Bill before the
preparation of the final report.
Chairman of NCHAC Mohet Hojai
discussed in detail the points and clauses that
have been proposed for amendment at the
Parliament considering the terms that were
signed in the MoS. He informed that passing
of the Bill will only help the Council empower
itself; however, he said that suggestions and
queries from the people concerned are a must
before the amendment. He also informed the
people present that the Council has
constituted a sub-committee for pursuing
related matters on the Bill.
Opinions and queries were welcomed by
the people present such as bureaucrats,
retired officers, NGOs, apex bodies, mauza-
dars, gaonburas and others. While some
raised speculations on the conduct of elections
through the suggested amendments, others
suggested that ‘traditional village council’ be
included rather than just ‘village council’.
Discussions were made regarding the points
raised at the meeting about changes in Article
280 during the session. Speculations on land
rights, traditional practices and customs of the
hills tribes were also discussed.
The meeting finally ended with a speech
from Chief Executive Member Debolal
Gorlosa stressing the crucial phase for the
people of Dima Hasao and how all should stand
together for the good of the people of this
district overcoming all barriers and
differences. He also requested the people not
to take this matter with their vested interest
as this is going to affect the district as a whole.
A suggestion form was handed over to all the
persons which may be filled and submitted to
the Council within the next two days.
PERSONAL INTERVIEW FOR THE POST OF TECHNICAL OFFICER
(GRADUATE ENGINEER)
The candidates bearing the following Roll Numbers who appeared in the Written Test held on
25.02.2024 for recruitment of Technical Officer (Graduate Engineer) have been shortlisted
provisionally in order of merit for appearing in the Personal Interview at Assam Institute of
Management, Bigyan Path, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati-781035, as stated below:
Post Shortlisted Roll Numbers Date and Time
Technical Officer 501003, 501005, 501006, 501008, 501012, 501014, 501019, 501021, 25-07-2024
(Civil) 501029, 501031, 501035, 501036, 501039, 501044, 501048, 501056. (10.00 AM)
501059, 501062, 501063, 501065, 501069, 501087,501100, 501101 25-07-2024
501102,501103,501105. (01.00 PM)
501112,501113,501114,501120,501121,501125,501131,501143, 26-07-2024
501146,501150,501151,501154,501160. (10.00 AM)
Technical Officer 601003,601008,601009,601015,601022,601023,601024,601028, 26-07-2024
(Electrical) 601029, 601034. (12.00 Noon)
Technical Officer 701003,701006,701018,701020,701024,701040,701042,701061, 26-07-2024
(Computer Science) 701071, 701075, 701078. (01.30 PM )
Technical Officer 801002,801003,801004,801005,801009,801011,801012,801019. 26-07-2024
(Architecture) (02.30 PM)
Note:
1. All the above provisionally shortlisted candidates must bring photo copy of following
documents with self attestation along with all original documents:
i) Admit card of the written test held on 25.02.2024 which has been signed by the
candidate and the invigilator at the examination venue.
ii) A latest pass port size photograph.
iii) Admit Card/Qualifying Examination Certificate and Mark sheet from HSLC examination.
iv) Work Experience Certificate
v ) Bank statement/Salary credit statement of experience claimed period reflecting the
credit of salary by the past/ present employers.
vi) Employment Exchange Registration Certificate.
vii) Caste Certificate (in case of reserved category candidates.).
viii) NOC from the present employer, if the candidate presently employed in Govt. Depts./
Govt. Organizations/PSUs/Autonomous Organizations.
2. Mere provisionally short-listing for the Personal Interview shall not automatically make an
applicant eligible for recruitment. If a candidate fails/unable to submit any of the above
mentioned documents, the candidature of the candidate will not be considered for
recruitment.
3. The authority reserves the right to cancel the candidature of any candidate as and when
any ineligibility condition is detected or any of the particulars declared by any candidate is
found to be false at any stage.
4. The verification of original documents etc. shall be taken up in the venue of the Personal
Interview.
5. While every care has been taken to prepare this list, the authority however shall not be
responsible for any inadvertent mistakes in printing of Roll Numbers.
6. Canvassing directly or indirectly shall disqualify a candidate.
7. No TA/DA is admissible for appearing in the Personal Interview/Document verification process.
Sd/- Managing Director
Janasanyog/DF/522/24/15-July-24 Assam Industrial Development Corporation Ltd.
 10 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI
11 dead in
Vietnam
landslide
HANOI, July 14: At least
11 people on board a mini-
bus died after being buried
by a landslide in Vietnam’s
northern province of Ha
Giang while four others
were critically injured, ac-
cording to the latest update
by the State media reports.
When the vehicle was
trapped by a landslide on a
road in Bac Me district, all
the people on board got out
for help. The minibus was
reportedly carrying around
16 people.
Thousands of cubic metres
of soil from above poured
onto the road, burying all the
people, Xinhua news agency
reported.
According to the National
Centre for Hydro-Meteoro-
logical Forecasting, rainfall in
the area where the accident
happened early Saturday
morning was recorded at 280-
290 mm from 7 p.m. on Fri-
day until 7 am on Saturday.
Natural disasters in Viet-
nam left 68 people dead or
missing and injured 56 oth-
ers in the first six months of
this year, said the General
Statistics Office.
The total property losses
incurred were more than 1.7
trillion Vietnamese dong
($66.9 million), which was
2.5 times higher than the
same period last year. –IANS
6 killed in
Afghanistan
PUL-E-KHUMRI, July 14:
Six commuters have been
confirmed dead and five oth-
ers injured in a road accident
in north Afghanistan’s Bagh-
lan province, police said.
The deadly road crash on
Saturday occurred in the prov-
ince’s Dand Ghouri district
when a military vehicle collid-
ed with a passenger car, kill-
ing six travelers including a
woman, and injuring five oth-
ers, the statement added, re-
ported Xinhua news agency.
Similarly, a motorcyclist
was killed when his motor-
bike hit a vehicle in Hussain-
khail region, Pul-E-Khumri
city, the provincial capital of
the province late on Satur-
day. – IANS
French President Emmanuel Macron waves from the command car as he drives down the Avenue Foch during the
Bastille Day parade, in Paris on Sunday.–PTI
China’s Communist Party leadership to unveil new reforms
BEIJING, July 14: China’s
ruling Communist Party
headed by President Xi Jin-
ping will begin its four-day key
economic review meeting on
Monday to finalise a new set
of economic reforms to revi-
talise the country’s economy
hamstrung by the persistent
slowdown that has sparked
concerns at home and abroad.
The meeting called the
third Plenum to be attended
by 376 full and alternate
members of the Communist
Party of China (CPC) Central
Committee will meet from
Monday to Thursday to pri-
marily examine issues relat-
ed to comprehensively deep-
ening reforms and advancing
Chinese modernisation, ac-
cording to an official an-
INTERNATIONAL
World leaders condemn AfDB approves $46 mn
assassination attempt on Trump to South Sudan
Pennsylvania State Troopers guard the entrance to Butler Memorial Hospital, where Republican presidential candidate former
President Donald Trump was admitted after shots were fired at a campaign rally on Saturday. –AP/PTI
UNITED NATIONS, July
14: World leaders have con-
demned the attack on former
US President Donald Trump
at an election rally in west-
ern Pennsylvania.
UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres’s Spokes-
person, Stephane Dujarric,
on Saturday said, “The Sec-
retary-General unequivocal-
ly condemns this act of polit-
ical violence.”
“He sends his best wishes
to President Trump for a
speedy recovery,” he added.
Trump, who is due to be
anointed the Republican Par-
ty’s presidential candidate,
had a narrow escape on Sat-
urday when shots aimed at
him at a campaign rally
grazed his ear and killed two
people at the event.
Many leaders took to X,
China, Russia start joint naval drills
BEIJING, July 14: China and
Russia’s naval forces on Sun-
day kicked off a joint exercise
at a military port in southern
China, official news agency Xin-
hua reported, days after NATO
allies called Beijing a “decisive
enabler” of the war in Ukraine.
The Chinese defence min-
istry said in a brief statement
forces from both sides recent-
ly patrolled the western and
northern Pacific Ocean and
that the operation had noth-
ing to do with international
and regional situations and
didn’t target any third party.
The exercise, which began
in Guangdong province on
nouncement earlier.
The meeting to be presid-
ed over by President Xi who
also heads the party aroused
global attention as the
world’s second-largest econ-
omy worth USD 18 trillion
was unable to shake off its
slowdown mode, especially
after the COVID-19 lock-
downs. The party’s power-
ful Politburo presided over
by Xi finalised the draft for
the discussion at the Plenum,
CPC’s top economic policy
body on June 27.
The draft has thoroughly
analysed the new situations
and problems in advancing
Chinese modernisation and
scientifically planned the
overall arrangements for fur-
ther deepening reforms, of-
the social media for immedi-
ate dissemination, to express
their disgust with the attack
and condemn political vio-
lence, while some saw it as
an attack on democracy.
US Vice President Kama-
la Harris took to her X han-
dle and expressed her shock
over the attack on Republi-
can Party Presidential candi-
date Trump.
“I have been briefed on the
shooting at former President
Trump’s event in Pennsylva-
nia. Doug and I are relieved
that he is not seriously in-
jured. We are praying for
him, his family, and all those
who have been injured and
impacted by this senseless
shooting,” Harris wrote.
She said, “We are grateful
to the United States Secret
Service, first responders, and
Sunday and is expected to last
until mid-July, aimed to dem-
onstrate the capabilities of
the navies in addressing se-
curity threats and preserv-
ing peace and stability global-
ly and regionally, state broad-
caster CCTV reported on
Saturday, adding it would in-
clude anti-missile exercises,
sea strikes and air defence.
Xinhua News Agency re-
ported the Chinese and Rus-
sian naval forces carried out
on-map military simulation
and tactical coordination ex-
ercises after the opening cer-
emony in the city of
Zhanjiang. The joint drills
ficial media reported.
While announcing the
meeting, the Politburo, in a
rare admission, spoke of the
grim economic outlook in the
country due to insufficient
demand and uncertain exter-
nal environment. The meet-
ing spoke of the difficult situ-
ation at home and abroad for
Chinese enterprises.
Referring to the increas-
ing measures by the US and
EU to restrict Chinese high-
tech products especially elec-
tric vehicles (EVs), the meet-
ing “cautioned against chal-
lenges, such as insufficient
demand, high operation pres-
sure facing enterprises, and
an external environment that
is more complicated, grim-
mer and more uncertain”.
local authorities for their im-
mediate action.”
Former US President
Barack Obama said, “There
is absolutely no place for po-
litical violence in our democ-
racy. Although we do not yet
know exactly what happened,
we should all be relieved that
former President Trump
was not seriously hurt, and
use this moment to recom-
mit ourselves to civility and
respect in our politics.
Michelle and I are wishing
him a quick recovery.”
Former US House Speak-
er Nancy Pelosi also ex-
pressed shock over the inci-
dent and wished for Trump’s
speedy recovery.
“As one whose family has
been the victim of political
violence, I know firsthand
that political violence of any
came on the heels of China’s
latest tensions with NATO
allies last week.
The sternly worded final
communique, approved by
the 32 NATO members at
their summit in Washington,
made clear that China is be-
coming a focus of the military
alliance, calling Beijing a “de-
cisive enabler” of Russia’s war
against Ukraine. The Europe-
an and North American mem-
bers and their partners in the
Indo-Pacific increasingly see
shared security concerns
coming from Russia and its
Asian supporters, especially
China. – AP
In a bid to come out of the
stagnating economic situa-
tion, China in the last few
years focussed its resources
to build a massive overcapac-
ity in EVs which it hopes to
sell around the world. But
both the US and EU have
slapped heavy tariff duties
and restrictions to limit Chi-
nese imports. Amid a diffi-
cult economic situation, the
CPC wants to build a “high-
standard” socialist market
economy by 2035.
The system and capacity
for governance will be basi-
cally modernised, and social-
ist modernisation will be ba-
sically achieved by 2035, the
announcement said.
The IMF top brass which
reviewed the status of Chi-
kind has no place in our soci-
ety. I thank God that former
President Trump is safe. As
we learn more details about
this horrifying incident, let us
pray that all those in attend-
ance at the former Presi-
dent’s rally today are un-
harmed,” Pelosi said in a post
on X.
Former Presidential candi-
date Nikki Haley, in a post on
X, said, “This should horrify
every freedom-loving Amer-
ican. Violence against presi-
dential candidates must nev-
er be normalized. We are lift-
ing up Donald Trump, the
entire Trump family, and all
in attendance in prayer.”
UK Prime Minister Keir
Starmer expressed his shock
over the attack and said that
political violence has no place
in society. – IANS
K P Sharma
Oli appointed
Nepal’s new
PM
KATHMANDU, July 14 :
K P Sharma Oli, CPN-UML
chairman and seen as a pro-
China leader, was appointed
Nepal’s Prime Minister for a
fourth term on Sunday to lead
the new coalition government
that faces the daunting chal-
lenge of providing political sta-
bility in the Himalayan nation.
Oli, 72, succeeds Pushpa
Kamal Dahal Prachanda who
lost the vote of confidence in
the House of Representatives
on Friday, leading to the for-
mation of the new govern-
ment process as per Article
76 (2) of the Constitution.
President Ram Chandra
Paudel appointed Oli as the new
Prime Minister under Article
76-2 of the Constitution of Ne-
pal, according to a notice issued
by the President’s Office. Oli
became the Prime Minister
with the support of the Nepali
Congress, the largest party in
the Parliament.
Oli’s swearing-in ceremo-
ny is scheduled to take place
at 11 am on Monday at Shital
Niwas, the main building of
Rashtrapati Bhawan.
On Friday night, Oli staked
his claim to become the next
Prime Minister with the back-
ing of NC president Sher Ba-
hadur Deuba and submitted
the signatures of 165 House
of Representatives (HoR)
members – 77 from his Com-
munist Party of Nepal-Unified
Marxist Leninist (CPN-
UML) party and 88 from the
Nepali Congress. – PTI
na’s economy with Chinese
officials in May here cau-
tioned Chinese leaders that
the country’s economy faces
further slowdown and may
contract to 3.3 per cent by
2029 due to ageing and slow-
er productivity growth.
“Furthermore, risks are
tilted to the downside, in-
cluding a greater- or longer-
than-expected property sec-
tor adjustment and increas-
ing fragmentation pres-
sures,” the Indian-American
economist, said. China’s prop-
erty sector, the dominant
component of the Chinese
economy, in the last few years
turned out to be its Achilles
heel causing widespread cri-
sis as many of the top build-
ers went bankrupt.–PTI
MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
JUBA, July 14: African De- tal of South Sudan, on Friday change globally, AfDB said.
velopment Bank Group evening that the program’s Agriculture, the primary
(AfDB) has said it has approved activities will help boost pro- source of income for about
a $46.2 million grant for South ductivity and produce an addi- 95 per cent of the South Su-
Sudan to boost agricultural tional 350,000 tonnes of cere- danese population, employs
productivity, improve food se- als (rice and sorghum) and around 70.5 per cent of the
curity and enhance the coun- 2,450 tonnes of fish. country’s labour force.
try’s resilience. “They will strengthen ag- Despite 95 per cent of the
The AfDB, a financial pro- ricultural value chains and land being suitable for agri-
vider to African govern- entrepreneurship, creating at culture, only 4.5 per cent is
ments and private companies least 200 more agri-food busi- currently utilised.
investing in the regional nesses that are more profit- The project comprises four
member countries, said the able for women and young main components: large-scale
first phase of the climate re- people,” Bhebhe added. deployment of climate-smart
silient agri-food system trans- He emphasised that devel- technologies and production
formation programme in oping digitalisation and pro- systems; strengthening the
South Sudan is set to be im- fessional skills will create priority value chains of busi-
plemented from September 179,200 direct jobs, includ- nesses led by women and
2024 to December 2030, ing 50 per cent for women young people; promoting dig-
Xinhua news agency report- and 60 per cent for young ital agricultural and climate
ed on Saturday. people. advisory solutions; and devel-
Themba Bhebhe, the Bank South Sudan is the third oping professional, technical
Group’s Country Manager for most fragile country in the and entrepreneurial skills to
South Sudan, said in a state- world and the fifth most vul- create more jobs for women
ment issued in Juba, the capi- nerable country to climate and young people. – IANS
Kenyan president directs
probe into mysterious killings
NAIROBI, July 14: Kenyan unturned, Xinhua news agen- holding anti-government and
President William Ruto has cy reported. “Nine bodies anti-tax hike demonstrations
directed security agencies to have been retrieved from across the country.
speed up investigations into Kware dumpsite in Mukuru The bodies were well-
the mysterious killings in kwa Njenga (slum), the ma- wrapped in sacks and black
Nairobi, the capital of Ken- jority being bodies of women polythene bags and later tied
ya, after nine mutilated bod- and girls,” he said and appealed with ropes, while some had
ies were retrieved from a to every Kenyan to uphold burns and were decompos-
dumpsite in a slum. peace and conduct their busi- ing. The state-funded Inde-
Ruto, who spoke in Elgeyo- ness without breaking the law. pendent Policing Oversight
Marakwet County, northwest The President has been un- Authority (IPOA) said at
Kenya, on Saturday, assured der intense pressure to take least nine deceased people
citizens that those behind the firm action on security officers were dumped less than 100
killings will be held to account,
saying no stone will be left
who have been abducting
young Kenyans who have been
metre from the Kware po-
lice station. –IANS
No. SLRC-G-III/91/Advertisement/2023/11
NOTICE
In continuation to the Advertisement No. SLRC-G-III/91/Advertisement/2023/2,
dated 30-10-2023, the State Level Recruitment Commission for Class-Ill Posts
hereby notifies the following details regarding syllabus/question pattern of the
written examinations for Class-Ill posts:
A. For Bachelor’s Degree level posts: Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
Pattern of questions for written test:
SI. Topic/Subject No. of Marks per
No. Questions Question
(approx.)
1. Social Studies 30 1
2. General Knowledge 35 1
3. Logical Reasoning And Mental Ability 20 1
4. General Mathematics 30 1
5. General English 10 1
6. Reading Comprehension and 25 2
English Language
Duration: 3 Hours; Total Questions = 150; Total Marks = 175
B. For HSSLC level posts:
Pattern of questions for written test:
SI. Topic/Subject No. of Marks per
No. Questions Question
(approx.)
1. Social Studies 30 1
2. General Knowledge 30 1
3. Logical Reasoning And Mental Ability 20 1
4. General English 35 1
5. General Mathematics 35 1
Duration: 3 Hours; Total Questions = 150; Total Marks = 150
C. For HSLC level posts(Driver):
Pattern of questions for written test:
SI. Topic/Subject No. of Marks per
No. Questions Question
(approx.)
1. Social Studies 20 1
2. General Knowledge 30 1
3. Logical Reasoning And Mental Ability 20 1
4. General English 30 1
5. General Mathematics 30 1
6. Road Transport 20 1
Duration: 3 Hours; Total Questions = 150; Total Marks = 150
1. The Question paper in each level will consist of Multiple Choice Questions
(MCQs) only and for every question, there will be only one correct answer to
be chosen from the given options.
2. The number of questions mentioned in the above tables for different subjects
or topics are indicative and approximate. The actual number of questions in
the question paper may vary slightly, but the total number of questions will
remain 150 only.
3. There will be negative marking for wrong answers. The negative marking to
be awarded for each wrong answer will be equivalent to 1/4th of the mark(s)
allotted for that question. For example, negative marking for the wrong answer
of a question carrying 1 mark will be 0.25 and similarly negative marking for
the wrong answer of a question carrying 2 marks will be 0.50.
4. Selecting more than one option of a question will be treated as wrong answer
and will be awarded negative marking.
5. Question papers will be in the following languages – Assamese, Bengali,
English, Bodo and Hindi.
6. The date and time of the examinations will be notified in due course of time.
Sd/- Secretary,
State Level Recruitment Commission for Class-III Posts,
Assam Administrative Staff College, Jawahar Nagar,
Janasanyog/D/2533/24/15-July-24 Khanapara, Guwahati -22
 Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
LEISURE & LIFESTYLE THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI 11

13:30 Bhagya Laxmi 18:00 Udaariyan

14:00 Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gaye 18:30 Suhaagan
12:00 Grizzy And The Lemm... 14:30 Rabb Se Hai Dua 19:00 Krishna Mohini 16:00 8 PM Show
12:00 Shaadi Sharte Lagu 15:00 Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya 19:30 Parineetii 17:00 Guwahati Live
13:00 Teen Titans Go! 11:55 Duporor Khobor
18:30 Teen Titans 15:30 Bhagya Laxmi 20:00 Shiv Shakti Tap Tyaag... 18:30 Assamesse Prime Time 12:55 Bihuwati Bowari RPT
16:00 Main Hoon Saath Tere 20:30 Mishri 20:00 8 PM Show 14:55 3 PM News
21:00 One Piece
16:30 Radha Mohan 21:00 Mangal Laxmi 21:00 Super Prime Time 15:25 Hindi News
21:30 What's New Scooby-Doo? 21:30 Talk Time
23:30 Courage The Cowardly... 17:01 Kundali Bhagya 21:30 Mera Balam Thanedaar 15:55 Aaror Manuh Goraki RPT
22:00 Live at 10 16:55 Sandhya Khabar
17:30 Kumkum Bhagya 22:00 Laxmi Narayan 22:30 Noixo Guwahati
18:03 Bhagya Laxmi 22:32 Suhagan Chudail 17:55 News & Views
23:00 Noixo Batori 18:55 Prime Time
12:00 Masha And The Bear 18:33 Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gaye 23:07 Laughter Chefs Unlimited...
19:55 Byatikram
15:00 Munki And Trunk 19:00 Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya 20:55 9 PM News
13:00 Kasme Vaade 19:30 Main Hoon Saath Tere 15:00 Puwoti Tora (R)
17:00 Masha And The Bear 21:55 Zero Hour @ 10PM
19:00 TBA 20:00 Radha Mohan 15:30 Phut Godhuli (R)
19:00 Peppa Pig 22:55 Bihuwati 2nd Semi
19:30 Maati Se Bandhi Dor 20:32 Bhagya Laxmi 12:40 The Crime Patrol 16:00 Akakhi Ganga (R)
23:00 Baby Shark
20:00 Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar... 21:06 Kumkum Bhagya 16:30 Puwoti Tora (R)
23:30 Masha’s Tales
20:45 Udne Ki Aasha 21:37 Kundali Bhagya 17:00 Bristi (R)
21:30 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 22:14 Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gaye 17:30 Akakhi Ganga (R) 11:00 Midday Prime
22:00 Anupamaa 18:00 Rang Basanta Utsav (F) 13:00 Movie
12:29 Doraemon 22:45 Rabb Se Hai Dua 19:00 Biyolir Brindaban (F)
22:30 Jhanak 23:15 Bhagya Laxmi 15:00 Vison Prag (Repeat)
14:02 Upin & Ipin 19:30 Hriday Ek Bigyapan (F) 16:00 Prag Pre Prime
23:00 Yeh Hai Chahatein 23:48 Radha Mohan 20:00 Bristi (F) 18:00 Prag Prime Time
23:30 Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar... 20:30 Phut Godhuli (F) 19:54 Prime @ Nite
21:00 Puwoti Tora (F) 23:00 Prag Pre Prime
21:30 Akakhi Ganga (F)
12:00 Preacher
13:00 House Of Cards 13:01 Mangal Laxmi
14:00 Kabutoborg 13:33 Sasural Simar Ka 2 13:00 ND Special 13:00 Raxhlila
15:00 Extraordinary You 16:25 Kasam 16:00 Talkshow Repeat 13:30 Adoror Achcur
18:30 Mere Sai - Shraddha Aur...
16:01 House Of Cards 17:00 Assam 24 14:00 Gungun Kotha Moromor
19:00 Shrimad Ramayan 18:00 Prime 24 14:30 Beharbari Outpost
17:00 Kabutoborg 19:30 Kavya - Ek Jazbaa, Ek... 19:45 Talkshow 15:00 Bauli Phagun
18:00 Community 20:00 Jubilee Talkies... 22:00 Night Updates 15:30 Hiyar Apahi Gulap

Strongest emotion
19:00 Extraordinary You 20:30 Pukaar - Dil Se Dil Tak 16:00 Swargam
20:01 Shark Tank 21:00 Shrimad Ramayan 18:00 Raxhlila (O)
14:20 Doraemon 21:00 Preacher 18:30 Adoror Achcur (O)
21:30 Mehndi Wala Ghar 14:00 Afternoon Express
15:28 Miraculous Tales Of... 22:00 House Of Cards 19:00 Gungun Kotha Moromor (O)
22:00 Crime Patrol - City Crimes 16:00 Evening Headlines 19:30 Bauli Phagun (O)
15:50 Doraemon 23:00 Community 23:00 The Crime Patrol 16:57 City18 20:00 Beharbari Outpost (O)
18:26 Oddbods 23:56 Extraordinary You 17:57 Prime Time18 20:30 Hiyar Apahi Gulap (O)
18:46 Doraemon 18:30 Superfast Primetime100 21:00 Raxhlila
20:30 Upin & Ipin 18:57 Gaon Sohor Zilar Khobor 21:30 Adoror Achcur
Varun Sharma speaks on the 20:48
22:00
Doraemon
Ultra B 12:00 Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gaye
11:00
13:00
18:00
Naagin 6
Sasural Simar Ka
Balika Vadhu
19:50
21:00
21:30
Deoboria Bixekh
Super Prime18
Aparadhnama
22:00
22:30
23:00
Gungun Kotha Moromor
Beharbari Outpost
Bauli Phagun
22:25 Dr. Tenali Rama 12:30 Kumkum Bhagya
appeal of buddy comedy films 22:57 Classic Doraemon 13:00 Kundali Bhagya 22:00 Udaariyan 22:00 Final Report 23:30 Hiyar Apahi Gulap

A
ctor Varun Sharma, best known for the was made 30 years ago, it is still relatable,” he
Fukrey franchise and Chhichhore, says added. 19:00 Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted
buddy comedies continue to be a rele- Wild Wild Punjab also stars Manjot Singh, 20:00 Big Food
20:30 Primal Survivor: Escape... 10:50 The Last Witch Hunter
vant genre as friendship is one of the strongest Sunny Singh, Patralekhaa, and Ishita Raj. It may 21:00 Primal Survivor: Mighty... 12:30 The Gods Must Be Crazy
12:00 Pawn Stars 10:39 Wonder Woman 1984
emotions a human being can experience. be set in Punjab but the story of four friends 12:21 Storage Wars
22:00 Primal Survivor
13:18 John Wick: Chapter 3 - 14:20 Mission: Impossible -
23:00 Last Of The Giants: Wild Fish Fallout
The actor’s latest is the comedy Wild Wild makes it relatable and universal in nature, said 12:42 Pawn Stars Parabellum
16:40 Knight And Day
15:13 Journey 2: The Mysterious
Punjab, which follows a group of drunk men Manjot, popular for playing the character of Laali Island 18:25 Die Hard
16:52 Clash Of The Titans 20:45 Ice Age: The Meltdown
who decide to avenge a friend’s breakup by in Fukrey movies. 12:15 Wild Winter
18:42 Pacific Rim 22:10 Collateral
13:08 New Kids In The Wild
crashing his ex’s wedding. This impromptu plan “It could have been ‘Wild Wild Gujarat’ or 14:05 America’s Wild Seasons 21:00 Spider-Man: No Way Home
15:01 Snake Boss 23:37 Goosebumps
leads to unforeseen adventures as they travel even ‘Wild Wild Tokyo’. So, it’s just four Pun- 15:30 Wild By Nature
through Punjab. jabis that live in Punjab, they are friends, they 15:57 Big Cat Country
16:51 Jungle Planet
Varun, popularly known by his Fukrey char- meet and then what all happens is the story. 17:47 Adapt To Survive MNX
acter Choocha, said that he hopes the movie There are many excellent scenes in the film... 18:33
19:30
Wildest Survival
Guardians Of The Glades
19:16 Awakening The
Zodiac
also finds an audience. “Buddy comedies or bud- There are wild, wacky, crazy and bizarre things 20:23 Big Cat Country
21:20 Wild Winter COLORS CINEPLEX
dy films are attractive because friendship is one happening in this film. People will have fun 13:03 Storage Wars 22:17 Big Cat Tales 10:52 Om Shanti Om
13:45 Pawn Stars
of the strongest emotions that we have in our watching it... I am very excited... It was a lot of 14:06 Storage Wars
23:14 Africa’s Trees Of Life 10:53 The Circus
12:06 Pompeii
lives... It is a stronger emotion than even what hard work and fun so I hope people can see all 14:27 OMG! Yeh Mera India 13:44 Death At A Funeral
14:49 Forged In Fire: Knife Or Death 15:12 Robin Hood
you feel in love... of that,” the actor said. 15:33 Counting Cars 17:02 The Missing 10:52 Om Shanti Om
12:00 Tiger Queen of Taru
“Whether it’s Pyaar Ka Punchnama, when It’s a homecoming of sorts for Sunny and 16:00 Kings Of Restoration
13:00 Thailand’s Wild Cats 19:16 Awakening The Zodiac 14:27 Mar Mitenge 2
16:22 OMG! Yeh Mera India 20:51 Dragonball: Evolution 16:59 Ugram
that came out back in 2011, it was like a new Ishita, who have previously worked with Ran- 16:44 Tour D’ Royale
14:00 Cecil: The Legacy of A King
22:17 Never Back Down SONY PIX 19:59 GodFather MOVIES NOW
15:00 Amur Tiger: Secret Kingdom
17:06 Leepu & Pitbull 23:37 Goosebumps 10:50 The Last Witch Hunter
take about buddies and then Fukrey came out in jan on his directorial ventures Pyaar Ka 18:00 Nature Gone Wild
16:00 The Wild Sides 23:58 Mune 22:52 Manjulika Returns 2
17:00 Big Cat Games
2013 to a Chhichhore that was again a college Punchnama films and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. 18:22 Pawn Stars - Best Of
18:00 Animal Fight Club
18:44 Storage Wars
flick with IT boys and what madness happens Doing an out-and-out comedy film like Wild 19:05 Counting Cars
19:00 Predator V Prey
20:00 Gangs Of Wild 22:00 Rohit Sharma:T20 Hitman 20:30 ICC Men’s T20I WC HLs IND... 23:30 ZIM vs IND 2024 T20I HLs
amongst friends and all that, to a Madgaon Ex- Wild Punjab was a first for Patralekhaa. “It 19:28
19:50
Pawn Stars - Best Of
Storage Wars
21:00 India’s Big Cats 23:00 Cricket Countdown 21:00 T20 WC in 20 Stories
press to a Crew,” the actor said in an interview. (comedy) is the toughest genre, tougher than 20:12 The Toys That Built The World
22:00
23:00
Lion Battle Zone
Monster Constrictors
23:30 T20 WC in 20 Stories 21:30 Cricket Countdown
21:00 Forged In Fire 13:00 ICC Men’s T20I WC HLs... 22:00 Rohit Sharma:T20 Hitman
Presented by Gulshan Kumar, Bhushan Ku- drama. It was a big opportunity for me and I 21:50 Pawn Stars - Best Of 13:30 Virat - Greatest of All Time... 23:00 Cricket Countdown 13:00 WWE BlockBusters
23:30 T20 WC Heroes 2024 17:00 ZIM vs IND 2024 T20 HLs
mar, Wild Wild Punjab is directed by Sima- lapped it up. I had such amazing co-actors... 22:15 Storage Wars 14:30
15:00
RO-HIT’s T20 Superhits
Cricket Countdown-ICC...
17:30 UEFA Euro 2024 HLs
23:24 Forged In Fire: Knife Or Death 13:00 RO-HIT’s T20 Superhits
18:00 ZIM vs IND 2024 T20 HLs
rpreet Singh and produced by Luv Ranjan and These guys have done Pyaar Ka Punchnama 15:30 T20 WC Heroes 2024 13:30 Virat - Greatest of All Time T20
19:00 WWE BlockBusters
16:00 ICC Men’s T20I WC HLs... 14:30 Champion of Grass - 2024
Ankur Garg. and Fukrey, which are this generation’s iconic 16:30 King Of The World 15:00 ICC Men’s T20I WC HLs SA...
13:00
13:30
ZIM vs IND 2024 T20I HLs
UEFA Euro 2024 HLs
Varun Sharma said that not only Hindi films, films. To be working with these actors, who 12:00 Primal Survivor 17:00 T20 WC in 20 Stories 15:30 T20 WC Heroes 2024 14:00 Major League Cricket 2024
13:00 Around The World With... 17:30 Rohit Sharma:T20 Hitman 16:00 Champion of Grass - 2024 17:00 ZIM vs IND 2024 T20I HLs 13:00 UFC 303
but the South has also explored the theme of were so skilled, was a big learning experience 14:00 Snakes SOS: Goa’s Wildest 18:30 Cricket Countdown 16:30 T20 WC in 20 Stories 17:30 MLC 2024 HLs 14:00 UEFA Euro 2024
14:30 Primal Survivor: Escape... 16:00 UEFA Euro 2024 HLs
friendship in recent Malayalam releases such as for me and I had a good time,” she said. 15:00 Last Of The Giants: Wild Fish
19:00
20:00
Virat - Greatest of All Time...
Cricket Countdown-ICC...
17:00
17:30
Champion of Grass - 2024
Rohit Sharma:T20 Hitman
18:30
19:00
ZIM vs IND 2024 T20I HLs
ENG vs WI 2024 Test HLs 19:00 TUF
Manjummel Boys and Aavesham. “Dil Chahta Wild Wild Punjab also stars Jassie Gill. 16:00 Primal Survivor: Extreme... 20:30 T20 WC in 20 Stories 18:30 Wimbledon Daily Review 20:00 UEFA Euro 2024 20:00 UEFA Euro 2024 HLs
18:00 David Rocco’s Dolce India 21:00 T20 WC Heroes 2024 19:00 Virat - Greatest of All Time T20 22:00 ZIM vs IND 2024 T20I HLs 21:00 UEFA Euro 2024
Hai is something we still talk about… Friends (Source: PTI) 18:30 Luke Nguyen’s India 21:30 Cricket Countdown 20:00 ICC Men’s T20I WC HLs SA... 22:30 MLC 2024 HLs 23:00 UEFA Euro 2024 HLs

Know your DAY LOCKHORNS CROSSWORD - 8025

By JACQUELINE BIGAR
Happy Birthday for Monday, July 15, 2024:
You have a strong personality and the ability to influence others. You’re aware
of everyone and everything around you. This is a fun-filled year! It’s your turn to
let your hair down. Take it easy and rejuvenate yourself this year. Reward
yourself in ways that please you. You deserve this!
The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-
Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
++++Pay attention to everything you say and do today, because
your ruler Mars is lined up with unpredictable Uranus, which will
make you impulsive and super spontaneous. Therefore, look before you leap!
Keep an eye on your possessions and money. (You snooze, you lose.)
Tonight: Check your finances.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
+++Don’t be surprised if you feel rebellious today. You don’t want
anyone telling you what to do, because fiery Mars is lined up with

®
unpredictable Uranus in your sign. This means you’re going to be independent.
You will call the shots today and will not be dictated to. Not today. (Guard
against accidents.) Tonight: Cooperate.
THE PHANTOM By Lee Falk
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Across 20 Prefer or help (6) 6 Rajasthan city (7)
++++It’s Monday, and you’re ready for action! You can feel that 1 “Jude the 22 Glance over (4) 7 Hairstyle (4)
there’s a restless energy in the air, which might make you a bit Obscure” author 24 Boot part (3) 8 A medieval soldier
indecisive. Which direction to go? Which appealing coffee? Croissant or
(5) 25 Savings (4,3) (6)
scone? Decisions, decisions. These will be pleasant decisions, because
6 Princes in a 26 Viper (5) 12 Grinding tooth (5)
lucky Jupiter is in your sign greasing the wheels. Tonight: Work.
deck of cards 27 Between ports 13 Skill (5)
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
(5) (2,3) 14 In existence (5)
+++A friend or a member of a group might surprise you today by
saying or doing something that you least expect. Or perhaps you’ll 9 Reprimand (7) 28 Former Aussie 15 From that time (5)
meet a real character — someone unusual or avant-garde. It’s possible that the 10 Black bird (5) paceman 16 Watching (5)
outcome to a competition will surprise you. It’s an interesting day! Tonight: Play! 11 Celtic priest (5) McDermott (5) 18 Gambling card
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) 12 Markedly 29 Like a cyclops (3- game (5)
+++ Pay attention to the rules and restrictions of whatever masculine (5) 4) 19 Ordinary (7)
you’re doing today (especially driving), because authority figures 13 Stately horse- 30 Unanimously (2,3) 21 Major arteries (6)
might surprise you. (“Busted!”) Or perhaps a boss will make an announce- driven vehicle 31 Undersized 22 Robust (6)
ment that is unexpected. Meanwhile, you feel independent and keen to do (7) person (5) 23 Prejudice against
your own thing. Tonight: Cocoon. 15 Feminine Down old people (6)
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) pronoun (3) 2 American Red 25 More recent (5)
++++Travel plans might suddenly change today. They might be 17 Depend on (4) Indian (6) 26 Long or indefinite
canceled, delayed or rerouted. Or perhaps you will suddenly have to
travel when you didn’t expect to do so. Likewise, plans related to medicine, the law BLONDIE 18 Innocence (6)
19 A senior army
3 Boring (6)
4 Itch or desire (3) 28
period; an age (4)
Brown-capped
and higher education are also subject to surprises and detours. Tonight: Socialize. officer (5) 5 Handle (5) mushroom (3)
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
+++Pay attention to banking details, inheritances, taxes, insurance SOLUTION TO TRIBUNE CROSSWORD – 8025
issues and shared property. Something unexpected could impact these Ageism, 25 Newer, 26 Aeon, 28 Cep.
areas. If you’re on top of things, you will be quick to catch it. Whatever happens Eying, 18 Poker, 19 Mundane, 21 Aortas, 22 Sturdy, 23
might be an error or perhaps an opportunity. Tonight: Check your belongings. Afro, 8 Knight, 12 Molar, 13 Craft, 14 Alive, 15 Since, 16
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Down: 2 Apache, 3 Dreary, 4 Yen, 5 Treat, 6 Jodhpur, 7
++++This is a high energy day! It’s also a day when you can get
a lot done. Nevertheless, arguments and tension with partners, sea, 28 Craig, 29 One-eyed, 30 As one, 31 Pygmy.
spouses and close friends might suddenly explode. This could be because 20 Favour, 22 Scan, 24 Toe, 25 Nest egg, 26 Adder, 27 At
someone does something you least expect. Tonight: You win! 12 Macho, 13 Chariot, 15 She, 17 Rely, 18 Purity, 19 Major,
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Across: 1 Hardy, 6 Jacks, 9 Reproof, 10 Raven, 11 Druid,
+++Your work routine will be interrupted today. This could be because
of staff shortages, power outages, equipment breakdowns, late deliver-
ies — something unexpected will occur. Relations with co-workers, your health or JUMBLED WORDS
even your pet also might hold a few surprises. Stay tuned. Tonight: Solitude. Given below are four jumbled words. Solve
the jumbles to make proper words and move
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) them to the respective squares below. Select
+++Parents should be aware that this is an accident-prone day the letters in the shaded squares and jumble
them to get the answer for the given quip.
for your kids. Keep your eyes open and know where they are at all
times. Be especially vigilant about mishaps with machinery and electricity.
Sports accidents also might occur. Social plans might be canceled or changed. HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
Heads up! Tonight: Friendships.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
+++Your home routine will be interrupted today. Small appliances
might break down or a minor breakage could occur. Unexpected com-
pany might arrive at your door. Stock the fridge so you’re prepared for whatever
happens. Food and drink will soothe the savage beast. Tonight: Show respect.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
+++Pay attention to everything you say and do today, because
this is an accident-prone day for you. (Definitely!) It might be a
verbal gaffe or something physical. On the upside, you might have a brilliant The books that ____ you the most are those
idea. Because your daily routine will change, expect to meet new faces and which make you ____ the most. – Theodore
hear exciting news. Tonight: Explore! Parker (4,..,5)
+ + + – Theodore Parker
SOLUTION

Thought for the day are those which make you think the most.
Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time. Answer: The books that help you the most
Words: Tepid, plunk, phobia, chalky.
– GERALD R FORD
 12 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE, GUWAHATI
Alcaraz era begins
LONDON, July 14: Carlos
Alcaraz defeated Novak
Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in
the Wimbledon men’s final
here on Sunday to collect his
fourth Grand Slam title at the
age of 21.
It was a rematch of last
year’s championship match
on the grass of the All Eng-
land Club, which Alcaraz won
in five sets.
This one – played in front
of a Centre Court crowd that
included Kate, the Princess
of Wales, in a rare public ap-
pearance since announcing
she has cancer – was much
easier for Alcaraz, at least
until he stumbled while hold-
ing three match points as he
served for the victory at 5-4
in the third set.
Still, Alcaraz regrouped
and eventually picked up a
second major trophy in a row
after last month’s triumph on
the clay at the French Open.
The Spaniard won his first
Slam title at the 2022 US
Open as a teenager, and no
man ever has collected more
Slam hardware before turn-
ing 22 than he has.
He improved to 4-0 in
major finals.
The 37-year-old Djokovic,
India win 5th T20I,
bag series 4-1
HARARE, July 14: Sanju
Samson’s well-crafted fifty
and Mukesh Kumar’s disci-
plined spell helped India wind
up their Zimbabwe tour with
a comprehensive 42-run vic-
tory in the fifth and final T20I
here on Sunday.
With this win, India
clinched the series 4-1.
Samson’s (58, 45b) was
central to India’s healthy 167
for six along with Shivam
Dube’s flashy 26 (12b).
Then the India bowlers led
by Mukesh (4/22), Shivam
Dube (2/25) and Washington
Sundar (1/7) did their job,
bundling out Zimbabwe for
125 in 18.3 overs.
After the early dismissal of
Wessly Madhevere, who
BRIEF SCORES
India 167 for 6 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 58, Riyan
Parag 22, Shivam Dube 26; Richard Ngarava 1/29, Blessing
Muzarabani 2/19).
Zimbabwe 125 for 18.3 overs (Tadiwanashe Maruma-
ni 27, Dion Myers 34, Faraz Khan 27; Mukesh Kumar 4/22,
Shivam Dube 2/25).
Indian players celebrate fall of a Zimbabwe wicket in Harare
on Sunday. – BCCI
SU DO KU
Solution of last problem
Originating from Japan,
‘su do ku’ is a mind game and
a puzzle that can be solved
with proper reasoning and
logic. Fill the grid with digits in
such a manner that every row,
every column and every 3 x 3
box accommodates the digits
1 to 9 without repeating any.
Printed and published by Ratan Kumar Ray Hajong on behalf of Assam Tribune Pvt. Ltd. at the
Tribune Press, Tribune Buildings, P.O.- Assam Tribune, M.R.D. Road, Chandmari, Guwahati-
781003. Tel. 0361-2660102 (EPABX), 0361-2661360, 0361-2668807 (News Desk), FAX 0361-
2666396. E-mail: advt@assamtribune.com;
atribunenews@gmail.com.
No. 3 seed Spaniard secures his
fourth Grand Slam with straight
sets win over Novak Djokovic
Alcaraz
Djokovic
dragged the third ball of the
first over by pacer Mukesh
onto his stumps, and Brian
Bennett, the pair of Tadiwa-
nashe Marumani (27) and
Dion Myers (34) added 44
runs for the third wicket to
keep the hosts in the hunt.
Marumani’s switch-hit four
off leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi,
who went for a few runs in
this match, was quite stun-
ning in its execution.
But such shots were few
and far between from the
Zimbabwe batters.
Marumani went for a
sweep shot against Washing-
ton but missed the line alto-
gether as the ball crashed on
to his upper torso to get ad-
judged as leg-before. – PTI
news@assamtribune.com;
Editor: Prafulla Govinda Baruah
6 6 77
2 2 64
Argentina eye
record 16th
Copa title
MIAMI GARDENS (US),
July 14: Lionel Messi is one win
from leading Argentina to a
record 16th Copa America ti-
tle. Colombia will do everything
in its power to make sure that
doesn’t happen in a matchup
that pits the juggernaut against
the surging force in the final.
It will happen on Monday
morning (IST) at Hard Rock
Stadium, which hosted two
group stage matches and will
be the site of seven games
during the 2026 World Cup.
Ahead of the match, both
sides expressed safety con-
cerns after Uruguay’s Darwin
Nunez and a handful of his team-
mates went into the stands amid
a physical brawl between fans
at Bank of America Stadium in
Charlotte, North Carolina, af-
ter Uruguay’s semifinal win
over Colombia.
Uruguay captain Jose
Gimenez said players went in
the crowd to protect their fam-
ilies, and coach Marcelo Bielsa
passionately criticized tourna-
ment organizers for not doing
enough to safeguard families of
players seated in the stands
behind the Uruguay bench.
“I’m concerned about what
could happen tomorrow,” Ar-
gentina coach Lionel Scaloni
said. Goalkeeper Emiliano
Martinez added it “would be
great if we could reinforce se-
curity.” – AP
SPORTS
wearing a gray sleeve on his
surgically repaired right
knee, was denied in his bid
for an eighth Wimbledon ti-
tle and record 25th major
overall. He tore his menis-
cus at Roland Garros on June
3 and had an operation in Par-
is two days later.
Less than six weeks later,
Djokovic was hardly at his
best on Sunday – and Alcaraz
certainly had something to
do with that.
“Especially in the first cou-
ple of sets, the level of tennis
wasn’t really up to par on my
side,” said Djokovic, whose
two children were in his
guest box. “He had it all to-
day. I tried to push him. ... It
wasn’t meant to be.”
Alcaraz was up 5-4, 40-love
in the third set when the oc-
casion got the better of him.
He frittered away his first
championship point with a
double-fault, beginning a run
of five mistakes by him that
donated points – and that
game – to Djokovic. There
was a backhand that went
awry. A forehand volley. A
forehand. Another forehand.
That was the only time all
match that Djokovic broke
Alcaraz. – AP
Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
Ayodhana International FIDE Rating Chess
Dhrupad Kashyap of
Assam clinches title
Winners and organisers pose after the prize distribution ceremony on Sunday.
GUWAHATI, July 14:
Dhrupad Kashyap of Assam
clinched the title at the 6th
Ayodhana International FIDE
Rating Chess Tournament,
which concluded at the As-
sam Down Town University
Auditorium in Panikhaiti,
Guwahati, on Sunday.
The tournament was or-
ganised by the Chess Players’
Parents Forum. Dhrupad
scored 8.5 points out of a pos-
sible 9 rounds, remaining un-
beaten throughout the event.
In the 9th and final round,
Dhrupad defeated
Durand Cup returns to Kokrajhar
for second consecutive year
CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR, July 14:
The return of the Durand
Cup tournament, now in its
133rd edition, is a prestig-
ious event for Kokrajhar.
The three coveted Durand
Cup trophies were displayed
at the Bodofa Cultural Com-
plex in Kokrajhar, in the
presence of Pramod Boro,
Chief Executive Member of
the Bodoland Territorial
Council (BTC), and Assam
Sports Minister Nandita
Gorlosa. Also present on the
occasion were Lt. General
RC Srikanth, VSM, Chief of
Staff, HQ Eastern Com-
mand, and Chairman of the
Durand Cup Organising
Committee (DCOC).
Kokrajhar hosted six group
matches in the previous 132nd
Durand Cup edition, becom-
ing only the second venue in
Assam to host the tournament.
The tremendous response
received has ensured that
Kokrajhar not only continues
as a host this year but also
hosts an additional match, in-
cluding a knockout game.
Enthused by the occasion,
Umashankar A of Puducherry.
Kushal O of Andhra Pradesh
and Anup Shankar R of Tamil
Nadu both scored 7.5 points,
securing second and third po-
sitions respectively based on
their tie-break scores.
Ayushree Sarkar of West
Bengal was adjudged the best
woman player of the tourna-
ment. Dipnalisha Borah and
Ikshita Barman, both from
Assam, secured second and
third positions respectively
in the women’s category.
Altogether, 284 players
from different parts of the
BTC CEM Pramod Boro (left), Assam sports minister Nandita Gorlosa (second left) after
unveiling the Durand Cup trophies in Kokrajhar on Sunday.
Pramod Boro said, “I am
very happy that the Indian
Army has favourably re-
sponded to our request of
holding an additional game
this year in Kokrajhar and
have kept their promise to
us. As a result, a seventh
game, that too a quarterfinal
knockout of the Durand Cup,
will be held here for the very
first time. We are very grate-
ful, and such magnanimity will
country participated in the
tournament, including two
players from the United
States of America. The tour-
nament was recognised by the
World Chess Federation and
the All India Chess Federation.
In the prize distribution
ceremony, Rs 3,00,000 was
distributed as cash prizes. The
champion received Rs 50,000,
while the second and third
position holders received Rs
30,000 and Rs 20,000 respec-
tively. The organisers have
thanked SBI for being one of
the sponsors.
MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
only do wonders for the al- tournament like the Durand
ready cordial civil-military Cup brought the entire
relationship existing in the Kokrajhar together, and this
Bodoland region.” year, thanks to the leadership
Of the six groups, Group of our Chief Minister and the
E, comprising ISL sides Chief Executive Member, it
NorthEast United FC (NEU- promises to be bigger and
FC) and Odisha FC along better here. Boro has done a
with BSF and the local Bod- tremendous job with the in-
oland FC team, will be based frastructure, and Kokrajhar is
in Kokrajhar. now firmly established on the
Nandita Gorlosa said, “We footballing map of India,
have seen last year how a thanks to his tireless efforts.”
Rs 1 cr grant for Gaekwad
MUMBAI, July 14: In a noble gesture, the BCCI on Sunday
decided to release Rs one crore for the treatment of former
India coach Anshuman Gaekwad, who is battling blood cancer
at a medical facility in London.
BCCI’s decision has come following emotional appeals for
support from former captain Kapil Dev and Sandip Patil, who
had enjoined the cricket board to help Gaekwad. – PTI
Kamrupa FC win U13
inter-club football
A CORRESPONDENT trict – Kamrupa FC, Boko
FC, Bongaon, and Sontoli FC
BOKO, July 14: Kamrupa – participated in the Late
FC won the Under-13 club Bharat Chandra Das and Late
football league organized by Sobharam Daimary Memo-
the South Kamrup District rial Football League.
Sports Association at Bonda- The tournament was offi-
para in Boko. Kamrupa FC cially inaugurated by former
defeated Boko FC 2-0 in the footballer Niran Boro and
final on Sunday. Four teams was held in a round-robin
from the South Kamrup Dis- league format.
RG Baruah U16 cricket
Bokakhat beat Kaliabor
CORRESPONDENT In the two-day format
match, Bokakhat opted to bat
MORIGAON, July 14: after winning the toss on Sat-
Bokakhat won by 131 runs urday. They scored 131/10 in
against Kaliabor in the sec- 38.1 overs in their first in-
ond match of the RG Baruah nings and in reply Kaliabor
Under-16 Inter-District were all out for 90 in 50.1
Cricket Tournament (Cen- overs. In the second innings,
tral Assam Zone) organized Bokakhat posted 158/10 in
by the Assam Cricket Asso- 71.5 overs. And in the sec-
ciation, at the Khirod Baru- ond innings, Kaliabor could
ah Stadium in Marigaon on score just 61 after losing all
Sunday. the wickets in 28.4 overs.
 FEELINGS MIND MATTERS

Small things that matter For mental wellbeing

MONDAY,
GUWAHATI JULY 15, 2024
e-mail: horizon@assamtribune.com

Pop culture
Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER

m
paradox
ron ent
vi Pratiksha Saikia Sonowal

orld En

Da
Drawing

y 2024
Competition

W
Catagory C
WINNER

Yashvi Poddar,
Delhi Public School,
Jorhat

he word “popular culture” was first used to describe the cultural

T practices and beliefs of the ‘general public’ in England in the

mid-19th century, in contrast to the cultural activities and ideas
of the elite or aristocracy. If we take a close look at the term
“popular culture”, “popular” has a commercialising aspect as
it is a global phenomenon whereas “culture” is derived from the Latin
word “colere” which means “cultivation,” indicating organic growth.
Iconic businesswoman Vivienne Westwood once said, “Popular cul-
ture is a contradiction in terms. If it is popular, it is not culture.” This
calls for a revaluation of the relation between cultural relevance and
popularity. Westwood seems to be implying that real culture can only

Land matters
ARUNAV HAZARIKA writes on the challenges of land
ȯƲȷɅȉȯƇɅǛȉǾ‫ؙ‬٪ƫƲȷƲȯɅǛ˚ƤƇɅǛȉǾ‫ؙ‬٪ƇǾƫ٪ƫȯȉɍǍǕɅ٪ȯƲȷǛdzǛƲǾƤƲ‫ؘ‬
“Land is the foundation of our
societies and economies, and its
health is crucial for our survival.”
– Ibrahim Thiaw
n an era where the voracious im-
cial for drought resilience. Collecting
exist outside of the popular domain. A more nuanced view, on the oth-
rainwater, using efficient irrigation,
er hand, reveals the challenges of both making and consuming cultural
and restoring wetlands will help save
expressions. Westwood’s claim makes us question if the authenticity of
water and ensure it’s available during
culture is always diminished because of their popularity. To accommo-
dry times. Growing a variety of crops
date mass consumption, cultural artefacts may occasionally be com-
and choosing plants that need less
water can make farms less vulnera-
modified and may lose their original importance. This process, which is
ble to drought. Policies that support
also known as “cultural commodification”, can cause cultural forms to
become homogenised and commercialised, which lowers their artistic
sustainable water usage and protect
or ideological worth.
many trees, letting animals graze too more food shortages. It also causes water sources are also important.
One example of cultural dilution is the widespread production of
much, bad farming methods, and loss of plants and animals, as they Integrated approaches and
mass-produced goods based on famous artworks or cultural icons.
expanding cities. To restore land, we can’t survive in the new desert condi- policy implications:
Things that formerly held cultural meaning could be reduced to nothing
can plant more trees, mix trees with tions. This can increase poverty and To address land restoration, de-
more than commodities and lose their connection to historical or sym-
crops (agroforestry), use better farm- force people to move to new areas, sertification, and drought resilience
bolic contexts. Because of this commodification, authenticity may be
ing techniques, and protect the soil. causing conflicts over resources. effectively, we need a combined ap-

I
pacts of climate change threaten
our very existence, the trinity of
land restoration, desertification,
and drought resilience stands as
compromised in favour of commercial gain and broad appeal, leading
Planting trees (reforestation)
fore
restat
ation) To fight
ht desertification, we proach using scientific knowledge,
to a superficial grasp of culture. Here we can cite the example of Anga-
helps hold the soil togeth-
geth
ge th- need
ed tto manage land bet- traditional practices, and community
n me n raag Mahanta and Niniola’s (Nigerian songwriter and singer) song Ibaasi
er, keeps water in the he
v iro t te Methods like plow-
ter. involvement. Governments should
which is a fusion of Assamese Bihu folk song with Nigerian and English
ground, and absorbs ing along the land’s
in include sustainable land and water
orld En

lyrics. They are also seen using electric guitar and drums which are not
Da

both a profound challenge and an carbon dioxide, which Essay contour, building
co management policies in their devel-
a part of Bihu and thus losing its “essence”. They have altered Bihu’s
y 2024

extraordinary opportunity. The deg- helps with climate
radation of our terrestrial ecosystems change. Agroforestry,
is a dangerous blight, undermining which means growing
W
Competition terraces, and using
te opment plans.
original form in order to showcase it on a worldwide scale, which has
plants to cover soil Investing in research can lead to
led to its commercialisation.
can reduce soil ero- new solutions for restoring land and

Catagory C Exclusivity is apparent when discussing “popular” culture. But to

biodiversity, destabilising food securi-
ty, and exacerbating socioeconomic
inequalities. The restoration of these
vital landscapes is not merely an en-
vironmental imperative but a moral
and economic necessity.
Land restoration, desertification,
and drought resilience are important
environmental issues that affect both
Nature and people. As climate change
worsens, these problems need urgent
attention.
Land restoration
Land restoration means fixing dam-
aged land to make it healthy and
productive again. This is important
for keeping plants and animals alive,
ensuring we have enough food, and
fighting climate change. Land can
get damaged by cutting down too
trees and crops to- sion
si and retain mois- building drought resilience. Educating
WINNER write off all popular cultural phenomena as lacking in cultural value
gether, helps soil stayy ture in the soil. Early
tu and empowering local communities
is an oversimplification. Many works of culture have become widely
healthy and increases ses warning
warnrn systems and in- ensures they use and maintain sus-
popular while maintaining their creative integrity and making a signifi-
crop production. Good farm- volving communities in land tainable practices.
cant contribution to society. Consider the genre of reggae music. Hav-
ing practices like rotating crops, management are also important. Land restoration, desertification, and
ing originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s, reggae music has evolved
not plowing too much, and using Drought drought resilience require immediate
to become a global symbol of spirituality, resistance, and unity. Artists
natural fertilisers keep the soil fertile ȯƲȷǛdzǛƲǾƤƲ‫ؚ‬ and coordinated action. By using sus-
such as Bob Marley and Peter Tosh have popularised its theme of
and prevent damage. Drought resilience means being tainable land and water management
love, emancipation and justice. Reggae music is still rooted in Jamai-
%ƲȷƲȯɅǛ˚ƤƇɅǛȉǾ٪ able to survive and recover from practices, we can reduce the impacts
can culture, Rastafarian ideals, and it advocates for the sufferings of
Desertification happens when fer- periods of little or no rain. With cli- of desertification and strengthen our
underprivileged groups. Despite its globalised success, they maintain
tile land turns into desert because of mate change causing more frequent ability to withstand droughts. Keep-
their cultural essence.
climate changes and human activities. and severe droughts, it’s important ing our land healthy and productive
Furthermore, in modern society, the lines separating high culture
It mainly affects dry areas and can to ensure we have enough water, is essential for the wellbeing of the
from popular culture are getting hazy. For example, best-selling books
cause major issues for the environ- maintain food production, and current and future generations, and
like Harry Potter are being brought into academic settings, refuting the
ment and people living there. Main keep ecosystems stable. Key ways for preserving the planet’s biodiversity
idea that popular fiction cannot be regarded as highbrow literature. The
causes include cutting down trees, to build drought resilience include and ecological balance.
rise of internet culture, where social media trends, viral videos, and me-
overgrazing by animals, and poor managing water wisely, growing
mes influence speech and collective awareness, further demonstrate this
irrigation methods. different types of crops, and using (The writer is a BSc Maths (Hons) shift. Digital technologies democratise cultural creation by opening up
Desertification leads to less land for drought-resistant plants. student at Ramjas College, University cultural platforms to people from different backgrounds. This has thus,
farming, lower food production, and Good water management is cru- of Delhi.)
contributed to the democratisation of cultural output too.

city of Shillong: Golf links is the perfect space to

Life in the city

the village is the untarnished ‘other’.
Nasreen Habib, Yet, the city, smart or not, is our lived reali- run around, have a picnic, pick up pine cones
nasreenhabib@gmail.com ty. As such, ‘indigenous populations and their or blow bubbles. It is a huge stretch right in
ndless stretches of young green fields, knowledge should play an important role in the middle of the town. While we build more

E submerged homesteads during the

monsoon, slush and mud and heloi
was all the ‘dirt’ you tried to avoid on
the road instead of the now ubiqui-
tous chips-cold drink bottles-gutkha packets,
polythene bags, which were not unusual but
carefully re-used and stored under mattresses.
Celebrations such as birthdays usually meant
lusi and mangsho or ghugni at a friend’s place
and weddings were all about feasting on ba-
nana or dried-leaf plates. This was the world
most of us inhabited when we were growing
up in Assam, a way-of-living that feels almost
mythical now. And, yet, this was hardly some
30-odd years ago.
Now, as entire populations move to larger
towns in search of education and sustenance,
we have firmly ensconced ourselves in urban-
ism and there is no going back. Let me illustrate
with an example: In a telling scene in the film
Alifa by Deep Choudhury, seasoned actor Vic-
tor Banerjee, cast as an Axomiya upper-class
law-abiding citizen of Guwahati, is driving Ali
and his friend Saifuddin to his home in the hills,
Kharguli, if I am not wrong. The two workers
were hired for the day to reinforce the bamboo
fencing that went round his palatial house. As
they were making their way up, Banerjee talks
about how the villages are deserted as people
are making their way to the city that attracts
them like a magnet (‘Sohor Manush ke Chum-
boker Moton Taanche’). As a result, the hills
are being ‘encroached’ upon and green cover
is receding day-by-day. He also asks Ali what
he thinks of man’s disregard for Nature in his
selfish pursuits. Ali responds, “I am a simple
man, I only understand that if I can’t find work
and feed my family, they will starve.” In Jahnu
Barua’s iconic Xagoroloi Bohu Dur, Puwal
(Bishnu Kharghoria) has an indifferent son and
daughter-in-law residing in Guwahati with their
two children. The city is a corrupting influence;
urban and environmental transformation’. Our
deep reverence for Nature and acknowledging
humanity as a part of it or simply, the ‘oneness
of life’ has not translated to the urban environ-
ment which is a concrete mass. Practical ways
to ensure the balance of the environment so
that it may continue to provide services such as
water, fertile soil, food, shelter and medicines
is not a part of the ‘smart city’ plan. While the
drains overflow with rainwater, our taps are
running dry because concrete slabs surround
our apartments and the water cannot seep
through. Our drains, on the other hand, have
become deathtraps in themselves, sucking in
the most vulnerable. Writer and anthropologist
Amitav Ghosh says that ‘the climate crisis is a
crisis of the imagination, that we are unable,
at the level of literature, history and politics, to
grasp the scale and violence of climate change.
Yet, climate change is outrunning us’. Our cri-
sis is then not a lack of initiative, but a lack of
imagination. What does being ‘urban’ mean to
us? What does ‘infrastructure’ signify? Can we
‘imagine’ beyond flyovers and malls?
The lack of accessible and valuable pub-
lic open spaces for socio-cultural activities is
also a major concern in our towns. In Guwaha-
ti, a city nestled amidst green hills and a grand,
ancient river, you would be hard-pressed for
open spaces. Contrast it with the neighbouring
shopping malls, Shillong has been successful in
retaining a little piece of heaven. Ticketed parks
with a hundred or so steps, non-functional,
rusted see-saws and swings, or just stretches of
green with local, sturdy fruit trees to run around
and climb? What would you pick?
The point is that great cities are not known by
the number of flyovers they have or their grand
commercial establishments (sans parking mostly!)
but by their open spaces, the Greek Agora, the
Roman Forum, the European squares and Indian
‘chowks’. The experience of a city is measured
by the experience it gives its public. What is that
experience in our city? We seem to squeeze large
families/courting couples/groups of friends into
spaces like Kalakshetra (where, by the way, a
concrete pool has been constructed taking over
the surrounding greener patches) and Shrad-
dhanjali Kanan. We also try to do too much in
our relatively small public parks, why not allow a
couple of benches and a walking track, and keep
the rest of it as Mother Nature intended?
Perhaps the present apathy lies in the role of
public spaces which have historically played a
role in encouraging political participation or at
times, dissent. But living as we do in the time
of gated apartments and surveillance controlled
malls, even if we leave the ‘politics’ of it aside,
we, the toiling masses, could really do with
patches of green.
 Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

Page 2 GUWAHATI, MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024

Small things FEELINGS

that matter ŶƟƚLJ Looking Ahead
A A gentle breeze caressed her cheeks
firm belief
That an entity exists Escape Route As if to whisper a secret
While she sat there looking up at the twirling orange leaves
In a dimension

R
Falling on to the ground before smiling at her.
Beyond our comprehension,
May have a hard time un little girl,
The hurricane’s near. She looked pretty with a heart so pure
Perceiving ‘it’,
No time to play Still wondering what went wrong
But a belief
In the rain you hound fear. Yet with love embedded deep within
That makes us feel guarded,
She knew that was a phase now gone.
Indeed an entity out there
Strongly entitled for our nourishment. Soon it’ll get cold,
Soon it’ll be over. A lone soul on a forgotten bench
Prapti Bhuyan, And soon you will be dead A spot where once dreams were woven
Guwahati. Or gasping under water. Yet amidst Nature she finds herself
The last swirling leaves giving rays of hope of a life anew.
have a habit of wearing my shoes with laces on. Just Oh little girl,

I
Priyalakshmi Gogoi,
being simple lazy perhaps but that’s the way I wear my Now naïve.
Guwahati.
shoes. Once rushing to join my buddies at the golf course,
I hurried to wear my golf shoes. As usual, laces were on
A Choice Reaching for the blind
Asking, “What was my crime?”
and in that split second of anxiety to join my pals on the Regret…
tee box, I tried to force my right foot into the already laced A lways the choice,
The world is as alluring
shoe. I missed the special technique I rely on to wear already
WLJKWO\ODFHGVKRHVDQGWKHUHVXOWZDVGLVDVWURXVă,WULSSHG
Never the chosen.
Always the poet,
But god is a thief.
Stealing the good,
For you to live between
P eople come and go in our lives.
But some hold a special place in our hearts,
and sprained my ankle. I was out of any sporting action for a Never the poem.
week. This was actually a very small matter. In fact, it wasn’t The devil and the deaf. For reasons unknown.
anything that needed to be taken so seriously. I thought I had The very thought of their presence makes our heart smile.
Hidden in the dark Go little girl, No blood relations, nothing.
mastered the deft art of wearing my already laced shoes until Feeling broken,
that fateful moment, which made me realise that nothing Leave your sand castle. They just exist and become a part of our daily lives.
Tired of explaining, For the wind blows strong It is only when they begin to leave that we realise
can be taken for granted. Every small action plays a decisive Words stolen.
role in our lives. :LWKDZDUQLQJLQLWVZKLVWOHă That they were never meant to be with us forever;
In the grand opera of life, we often find ourselves mes- That we cannot hold them back to stay.
Hands filled with scars, ‘Everything you do is everything you get. We do not have any rights over them.
PHULVHGE\WKHVSHFWDFXODUFUHVFHQGRVăWKHELJSURPRWLRQV Scars that are hidden.
the lavish weddings, the towering achievements. Yet, amidst Be it better or be it bad.’ Words stay unspoken as we keep procrastinating.
Diaries filled with letters, And by the time they are gone, we are left with noth-
these grand narratives, it’s the delicate nuances of daily rou- Letters that are given.
tine that often slip through the cracks of our attention. Small
Sabdi Bharadwaj, ing but regret.
Via e-mail. So before that happens,
things often form the backbone of our daily experiences. Feelings and emotions,
Whether it’s a smile from a stranger, a warm cup of tea in Tell them how you feel,
Stuffed deep inside. Tell them how special they are.
the morning, or a handwritten note from a loved one, these If death reaches me,
moments contribute significantly to our sense of gratitude and There is a dearth of pure human relationships.
Just know that I tried. So spread some love today.
appreciation. By acknowledging and cherishing these small
gestures, we cultivate a mindset of gratitude that enhances Because there may be no tomorrow to lament.
Samiksha Phukan,
our overall satisfaction with life. Guwahati.
Because there may no tomorrow to regret.
Big achievements are often the culmination of consistent
Rimlee Barman,
small efforts over time. Whether it’s learning a new skill, building
Dibrugarh .
a business, or maintaining a healthy lifestyle, success is often
achieved through daily habits and incremental progress. By
IRFXVLQJRQWKHVPDOOVWHSVQHHGHGWRUHDFKRXUJRDOVăOLNH
daily practice, incremental improvements, or regular planning

Ancient carvings suggest women

ăZHOD\DVROLGIRXQGDWLRQIRUORQJWHUPVXFFHVV
It’s the everyday conversations, acts of kindness, and shared
experiences that strengthen bonds with family, friends, and
colleagues. By paying attention to the small details in our
UHODWLRQVKLSVăUHPHPEHULQJELUWKGD\VRIIHULQJVXSSRUWGXULQJ
WRXJKWLPHVRUVLPSO\OLVWHQLQJDWWHQWLYHO\ăZHGHPRQVWUDWH
our care and commitment, fostering deeper connections. Small
gestures can have a significant impact on others’ lives. A kind
used ‘handbags’ 12,000 years ago
word, a helping hand, or a thoughtful gesture can brighten omen’s relationship show gods carrying a small, square
someone’s day, alleviate their stress, or inspire them to pay it
forward. By recognising the potential impact of our actions,
we contribute positively to our communities and create a ripple
effect of kindness and goodwill. The small acts of kindness,
the daily routines diligently performed, and the moments of
TXLHWUHIOHFWLRQăWKH\DOOFRQWULEXWHWRWKHULFKQHVVRIRXUOLYHV
and the strength of our society.
The earliest
imagery was
discovered in
Turkey among
W with handbags may
date back thousands
of years. Researchers
have discovered an-
cient wall carvings depicting what
appeared to be handbags designed
with a square case and a short,
purse that symbolised prosperity.
And while archaeologists have
found evidence of baskets and tool
bags used by the civilisation, they
have yet to uncover what has been
found etched in walls.
Archaeologists have made similar
Small things often contain valuable lessons and opportunities half circle handle. discoveries in Iraq.
for personal growth. Every setback, mistake, or challenge the ruins of Some date back 12,000 years, Giant rock slabs found among
presents a chance to learn and improve. By embracing these Göbekli Tepe, an which predates makeup, perfume the ruins of an Assyrian palace built
experiences and extracting lessons from them, we develop ancient and hairbrushes. between 883 and 859 BC depicted
resilience, adaptability, and a growth mindset. Continuous The earliest imagery was discov- Genie’s with wings who carried a
learning from small interactions and experiences contributes megalithic
ered in Turkey among the ruins of handbag. The structure features a
to our personal and professional development over time. temple, which Göbekli Tepe, an ancient mega- genie with large, feathered wings
Ultimately, paying attention to small things enriches our featured large lithic temple, which featured large holding what some have claimed
quality of life. It allows us to find joy and fulfillment in everyday stone pillars etched with bags. could carry her belongings which have theorised that ancient hu- is a handbag while others are sure
experiences, appreciate the beauty in simplicity, and derive
stone pillars
Researchers have uncovered the were too big for a purse. mans saw the design in relation it is a small bucket.
meaning from the moments that often go unnoticed. By etched with bags. same design in Mexico, Iraq and Since then, the accessory has to the cosmos. Many experts have agreed that
embracing the richness of these small things, we create a life Some date back parts of South America, raising become a must-have fashion item The square ‘bag’ may stand for it was made to carry magic po-
that is not only meaningful but also filled with moments of even more questions about the among both women and men. the Earth and the connected circle tions that the genie would sprin-
12,000 years,
happiness and contentment. PHDQLQJRIWKHPRWLIăVSHFLILFDOO\ The most expensive handbag ever was a symbol of spirituality. kle throughout the halls, but other
6ROHW¶VUDLVHDWRDVWWRWKHVPDOOWKLQJVăWKHchai breaks, which predates
how distant civilisations imagined is the Mouawad 1001 Nights Dia- Ancient texts have shown that translations have suggested the art
the street vendors, the morning rituals, and the unnoticed makeup, perfume the same object. While the images mond Purse that costs $3.8 million past civilisations believed the Earth shows a purse filled with intoxicants.
gestures. In celebrating these everyday marvels, we enrich and hairbrushes. are nearly identical to modern-day The Göbekli Tepe was built was flat, which may be why they Historian Dr David Miano said
our understanding of what it means to live fully. Because purses, experts have suggested that in 9,000 BC, featuring large, showed it as a square in their art. in a recent YouTube video: “These
in the tapestry of life, it’s often the smallest threads that many of the images are of baskets. T-shaped stone pillars arranged However, some researchers have figures on the Assyrian palaces of-
add the most vibrant colours. As we navigate the labyrinth But some have also argued that the in circles that were likely used for argued that the design was the ten have human bodies and animal
of existence, let’s not forget to pause and appreciate the idea of a handbag could have been social events and rituals. Some of connection between our planet heads, they’re called the Apkalu.”
beauty in the mundane. For in doing so, we honour the created by ancient civilisations. its structures feature of what appear and the sky. The same motif has also been
intricate rhythms that shape our days and connect us to one The first modern handbag was to be clothing, belts, loincloths and Another early example of a found in Tula, Mexico, among ruins
DQRWKHU$IWHUDOOOLIHLVQ¶WMXVWDERXWWKHJUDQGILQDOHăLW¶V designed in 1841 England by handbags. clutch has been found in Ancient created by the Toltecs, which shows
about the countless rehearsals and small performances that Samuel Parkinson, who needed While experts do not know ex- Egyptian hieroglyphics, made a human-like figure holding a bag
make the journey worthwhile. a travelling case for his wife that actly what the motifs mean, they about 5,000 years ago, which while surrounded by a snake.

he Tourism Department of Karnataka is set to elevate the UNESCO Charles Mackintosh and Charles Tennant mixed it with limestone powder and also

T World Heritage Site of Somanathapur, especially the Keshava Temple,

as a key attraction in Mysuru’s tourism circuit. Located in Somanathapu-
ra town along the Kaveri River, the temple, completed in 1268 AD un-
der Hoysala King Narasimha III, features a unique star-shaped platform
with three sanctums. Recognised alongside Halebidu and Belur temples, it holds
cultural significance as part of the Hoysala heritage.
In today’s Master’s Choice section, do try out a set of questions compiled by
one of our regular contributors, Adish Agarwalla of Moranhat.
Meanwhile, keep writing to us with quiz reports, questions (with answers and
full postal address) and interesting bits of information to: Quizone, Horizon, C/o
The Assam Tribune, Maniram Dewan Road, Guwahati. SMS or WhatsApp me
at: 98640-26322 and e-mail at: tosailen@gmail.com or quizonesailen@gmail.
com. To read Quizone online, you can log on to http://epaper.assamtribune.com.
MASTER’S CHOICE
1. Which term appeared for the first time in the National Geographic magazine
in September 1896, and can be translated into ‘harbour wave’?
2. This city in Maharashtra, known as a medical hub, is also known for being
the major supplier of stringed musical instruments. Identify the city.
3. In the year 1955, one of the greatest man-made disasters unfolded. The air
pollution lasted for four weeks and around 4000 people died as a result. This
disaster led to the formation of the Clean Air Act. Which disaster am I talking
about?
4. Meaning ‘new flower’ in the local language, this place is the capital and
largest city of an African country. Identify the city in which the African union is
headquartered.
5. This was a statement made on August 14, 1941, following a meeting be-
tween British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D
Roosevelt. ‘Joint declaration’ was the original name, but the British newspaper
Daily Herald invented the phrase that later gained popularity. It became the
inspiration for the UN charter. Which document is this?
6. In 1885, who administered the first successful anti-rabies inoculation?
7. French Chemist Claude Louis Berthollet demonstrated in 1786 that Chlorine
gas could be used as a general cleaning agent. Two chemists from Scotland,
19. PICTURE
CLUE: He is the
obtained a patent for their invention. What was their invention?
8. This genus was first described by an Australian naturalist named Josephus Nicolaus
Laurenti in 1768. There are only two species under this genus, green and lesser Antil-
lean. Name the animal which derived its name from the original Taino name ‘iwana’?
9. Which tennis player made the phrase famous ‘you cannot be serious’?
10. Many people consider economics as an unreal science with lots of assumptions.
Who is the famous economist who said that “Assumptions need not be realistic to
longest-serving serve as scientific hypotheses; they merely need to make significant predictions”?
National Security
Advisor of India. READERS’ CHOICE
Identify him. (Simi 11. It is an abbreviation of a French phrase which means ‘please reply’. It is written on
Baruah, Jorhat) the bottom of a card inviting one to a party or special occasion. What is the abbreviation?
(Rubul Kalita, Barkuriha, Nalbari)
12. Which famous disco group that specialises in R&B, reggae, disco and funk was
created by German record producer Frank Farian? (Rim Baruah, JIST, Jorhat.)
13. Svalbard, recently seen in the news, is an archipelago located in which ocean?
(Biswajit Sarkar, Hojai)
14. Purana Qila was built on the banks of which river? (Abhijeet Rabha, Goalpara)
15. Implementing the new criminal laws and calling those as ‘by Indians, for Indians
and by an Indian Parliament’ signals the end of British colonial era laws from July 1st
2024 in India. The three new criminal laws will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC),
Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) & Indian Evidence Act. What will these new laws
be known as? (Akangsha Bhagawati, Guwahati)
16. Which organisation recently released the report titled ‘State and Trends of Carbon
ANSWERS Pricing 2024’? (Apurba Borah, Golaghat)
1. Tsunami, 2. Miraj. 3. Great Smog of London, 1955. 4. 17. Which country has banned the entry of visitors with Israeli passports? (Raktim
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 5. Atlantic Charter. 6. Louis Pasteur. Nath, Biswanath)
7. Bleaching powder. 8. Iguana. 9. John McEnroe. 10. Milton 18. Who is the author of the book Asomiya Sahityar Buranji? (Tushi Das, Guwahati)
Friedman. 11. RSVP. 12. Boney M. 13. Arctic Ocean. 14.Yamuna. QUESTION OF THE WEEK
15. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Surakshya 20. Miley Naa Miley Hum is a 2011 Hindi film directed by Tanveer Khan, and marked
Sanhita & Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. 16. World Bank. the debut of the lead male actor who has recently been elected to the Lok Sabha and
17. Maldives. 18. Devendranath Bezbarua. 19. Ajit Doval. 20. is currently a Union Cabinet minister. The lead female actor of the movie has also
been elected to the Lok Sabha in the recent parliamentary elections. Identify the duo.
Chirag Paswan and Kangana Ranaut.
(Dr Jayanta Kumar Sharma, Horticultural Research Station, Kahikuchi, Guwahati)
 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE
GUWAHATI, MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
Media and
mental health
Illustration: Mayuraksh Bhargab
uman beings are social creatures; our behaviour
H
often develops in relation to other human be-
ings. According to social learning theory, new
behaviour can be formed through the imitation
of others’ behaviour. We observe how others
are behaving in a situation and emulate their behaviour.
During the height of COVID-19, we lost a beloved ac-
tor, Sushant Singh Rajput. His death sent shockwaves
throughout the country. Amidst the pandemic lockdown,
when there was not much happening in the country,
this was one of the first major incidents that happened
post-COVID-19 outbreak. Media went berserk covering
every single detail about the incident, they sensationalised
his death. Media should use discretion when dealing with
sensitive topics like this, especially in a country with a
young population like India.
When The Sorrows of Young Werther was published
in 18th century Germany, it became an instant hit; in
fact, young European men started dressing like the
protagonist, Werther. The story follows Werther as
he navigates life as an educated, middle-class man
living in a society obsessed with class distinctions. He
gets in trouble for his casual attitude towards classist
norms of high society. Throughout the novel, he is
desperately in love with Charlotte, who is betrothed
to Albert. Over the course of 20 months that spans
the novel, Werther gradually develops death ideations,
ultimately succumbing to these ideations. After the
publication of the novel, there were reports of multiple
similar deaths throughout Europe; this was called the
Werther effect. Young Europeans were so engrossed
in the novel that they mimicked the protagonist, even
in death. The bottom line is that young minds are
impressionable, thus it is important for people and
organisations that have any kind of influence over
them to exercise it carefully.
Password
safes
ith too many apps and services come
W too many passwords.
Navigating the online life has become
more difficult with each passing day.
Apart from the frequently used apps
like Netflix and Spotify, there are those which have
more layered safety measures, like banking and
financial/investment services. According to tech
companies, many people use the same password
for all their online accounts as it’s very convenient.
Interestingly, hackers, in that case, need to crack just
one password to breach all of the services you utilise.
The other common practice is to use birth dates,
family member’s names, favourite sports teams, or
simple phrases like abc123.
According to experts, the best strategy is to use
DGLIIHUHQWSDVVZRUGIRUHDFKDFFRXQWăWKHORQJHU
and more complex the password is, the better. Even
better is to back up the passwords by the two-factor
authentication process. But most of us find it im-
possible to remember all those various codes and
passwords. So, how do you go about it?
6LPSOHăXVHDSDVVZRUGPDQDJHU
What is more important is that these password-man-
aging tools are indeed useful for keeping things
simple and for using those tools you need not be a
tech-savvy guy.
These password-managing tools have a simple
concept: All your passwords are stored securely
in a digital vault and when you need to access an
online service, it auto-fills the login and password
fields. The good thing is that the only thing you will
need to remember is a single password to open the
password manager. The smartphone app-based
password managers can be opened with a thumbprint
or facial ID scan, and if you are using a computer,
you can also log in to your password vault through
a browser plug-in or by going to a website.
Password managers can also help against phishing
scams. In such cases, a password manager will not
automatically fill in the details if the web address
doesn’t match the one linked to the saved password.
Additionally, they don’t just store passwords. You
can also save bank and credit card PINs.
Stay safe.
For mental
wellbeing
]Syed Eirfan Atthar,
eirfanatthar2@gmail.com
n the grand narrative of human wellbeing,
I mental health stands as an indispensable cor-
nerstone, its significance often overshadowed
by the emphasis on physical health. Yet, its im-
portance cannot be overstated, as evidenced
by the staggering statistics: approximately 450 mil-
lion people worldwide suffer from mental disorders,
with depression alone affecting 264 million individ-
uals, reflecting the silent epidemic gripping human-
ity. According to a report by the National Institute
of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS),
one in seven Indians suffer from mental health disor-
ders. The repercussions of neglecting mental health
reverberate profoundly, economically costing an
estimated $2.5 trillion per year due to lost produc-
tivity, treatment expenses, and other indirect costs.
In India, reports indicate a surge in mental health
issues among various segments of the population,
including frontline healthcare workers, students, and
marginalised communities. The impact of mental
health extends far beyond the individual, infiltrating
families, workplaces, and communities. By investing
in prevention and early intervention, we can stem
the tide of mental illness and cultivate a generation
equipped to face adversity with resilience and grace.
Education plays a crucial role in this endeavour,
with mental health education being integrated into
school curricula, equipping children with the tools to
navigate life’s challenges and build emotional intelli-
Illegal trade of
smaller wildlife
tters are one of the top predators found in river
O
ecosystems. Out of the 13 otter species found
JOREDOO\,QGLDKDVWKUHHăWKH(XUDVLDQRWWHU
listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red
List, the smooth-coated otter and small-clawed
RWWHUăOLVWHGDV9XOQHUDEOH
Recently, seizure of four otter skins from a man at Jonai
in Dhemaji district of Assam highlighted the ongoing
smuggling and poaching of otters in the Northeastern
States. There is a demand for otter skins in the fashion
industry while its hair is used for making paintbrushes.
Otter fur is dense and durable and, therefore, carries
a heavy demand. Asian otters are also desired as pets.
These carnivorous mammals are trained in some places
of West Bengal and Bangladesh by fishermen to drive
fish towards the fishing net while catching fish. I have
come across people who used to keep a paw of an
otter because they believed that if a fish bone was stuck
in the throat of a person while eating, tapping the
backside of that person’s head with the paw of an otter
would make the bone go away. Such superstitions and
lack of awareness make otters all the more vulnerable.
Moreover, these species are neglected in our wildlife
management strategies. While otters in protected areas
ăQDWLRQDOSDUNVDQGZLOGOLIHVDQFWXDULHVăDUHJHQHUDOO\
safe, it is the populations outside protected areas that
are victims of illegal wildlife trade. Trade in wildlife parts
and trafficking of small animals or reptiles to be used
as ingredients in traditional medicines, laboratories and
in the fashion and cosmetic industry have decimated
countless number of species.
Page
Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
gence. Support systems are essential in mitigating
the impact of mental health challenges. Whether it’s
through peer support groups, therapy, or helplines,
knowing that one isn’t alone in their struggles can
be a beacon of hope in the darkest of times. Cul-
tivating supportive environments within families,
workplaces, and communities fosters a culture of
empathy and solidarity, where individuals feel valued
and understood. Employers can play a significant
role in supporting employee mental health by offer-
ing counselling services, flexible work arrangements,
and creating a culture that prioritises work-life bal-
ance.
However, access to mental health care remains
a glaring issue, particularly in underserved com-
munities. Disparities in access exacerbate existing
inequalities, leaving vulnerable populations without
the support they need. Governments, healthcare
providers, and NGOs must work together to dis-
mantle barriers to care, whether they be financial,
cultural, or logistical, ensuring that mental health
services are accessible to all who need them. True
wellness encompasses more than just the absence
of illness; it’s about nurturing the mind, body, and
spirit in harmony. Incorporating practices such as
mindfulness, exercise, and healthy lifestyle hab-
its into daily routines promotes mental resilience.
Community initiatives that promote physical activ-
ity, access to green spaces, and healthy eating can
contribute to overall wellbeing. When individuals
are mentally healthy, they are better able to contrib-
ute to their communities and the society as a whole.
India’s Northeastern States have remained a source for
wildlife products like rhino horns, pangolin scales, tiger
parts as well as organs of various cat and civet species and
ivory. Illegal wildlife trade has expanded to include pangolins
and monitor lizards as well as all species of nocturnal Asian
lizards. While Red-crowned roofed turtles and Indian star
tortoises have been worldwide victims of the expanding
pet market, the Tokay Gecko has fallen victim to the ever
growing demand from laboratories.
Despite a global ban on commercial trade, pangolins
continue to be the world’s most trafficked animals making
these little creatures critically endangered in some parts
of the world. Their meat is eaten as bush meat in many
parts of Africa and China and has become luxury food in
other parts of the world as well. Their trade is being driven
principally by demand for the scales, used in traditional
&KLQHVHPHGLFLQHZKLFKDUHPDGHRINHUDWLQăWKHVDPH
material found in a rhino’s horn.
After habitat loss, wildlife trade is the second biggest
threat to the vital biodiversity of our planet that threatens
endangered species with extinction. Some 958 species
listed as at risk by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature were in danger of extinction because they are
being traded internationally. This trade threatens not only
the wildlife itself, but also humans because it can result in
cascading effects that reduce overall ecosystem functioning.
There is an urgency to rally together to address major threats
like habitat change, over-exploitation or illicit trafficking of
not only mega species like the tiger or rhino but species,
including birds, reptiles, fish, turtles and otters that are
at equal risk.
3
A TIME TO READ
Dr Ajanta K Bezbaruah
Timeless
classic
haratiya Sangeet Vigyan (1st Part) is a
B book on Indian classical music which has
been written by two eminent musicologists,
PXVLFLDQVDVZHOODVZULWHUVă'U'LOLS5DQMDQ
Barthakur and Nilima Barthakur. As Dr
Barthakur has mentioned in the preface, this book
tries to fulfill the desires of many of their students
and admirers who felt a lacuna in the field of music as
far as a book in Assamese was concerned.
First of all, the physical appearance of the book
appeals to the reader. It is sober, yet has interesting
hues. As you turn the pages to the foreword and
list of contents, you will start having an idea of how
much hard work and research must have gone into
writing this book which is almost encyclopaedic in its
content.
The ways and styles of singing have been
beautifully highlighted here. From kirtan and borgeet
to the ghazal, almost all genres have been included by
the authors. As regards the instruments, beginning
from the harmonium and tanpura extending to
others, the comprehensive description of the parts of
each instrument with names and illustrations make
the book an extremely useful book for students of
music in this part of the world.
The academic aspects of music have been nicely
covered in the book both for vocal and instrumental.
Not only descriptions of shashtriya sangeet but even
loka sangeet has been covered. The extensive writing
on identification of raagas (raagporisoi) and talas will
surely benefit the learners and students. It would have
been even more useful if more of the ‘paltas’ could
have been included.
NAME:
Bharatiya
Sangeet
Vigyan
by Dr Dilip
Ranjan
Barthakur
and Sangeet
Jyoti Nilima
Barthakur
What’s it
about: A
definitive
guide to
Indian
classical
music in
Assamese.
This book can be called the complete guide to
Indian classical music in Assamese and it will surely
be welcomed with open arms by the music-loving
public.
The science of time division underlying the raagas
has been adequately covered here. A comparison of
Hindustani and Carnatic music has been touched
upon in one chapter, along with the similarities and
dissimilarities between the two. The authors have
made it a point to include an idea of the gharana for
those who may be curious to know.
The life histories of Pandit Vishnu Narayan
Bhatkhande and Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar,
two luminaries in the field, have been incorporated.
This book includes a chapter on comparative analysis
of different raagas as also theoretical concepts of
aalap, taanas, meend, abirbhav, tirubhav and the all-
encompassing list goes on. The main talas beginning
from Trital or Teental to Punjabi talăDWRWDORI
talaVăDUHLQFOXGHGWRVDWLVI\DQ\RQHZLVKLQJWRNQRZ
about these aspects. This is followed by another
chapter on comparison of talas.
 THE ASSAM TRIBUNE
Page 4 GUWAHATI, MONDAY, JULY 15, 2024
Slow way
Telegram@ASSAMNEWSPAPER
forward TRAVEL
Emon Ahmed

Cheat sheet
eeting Nikhil is always fun as he is forev-

M er up to something. Once he had opened

a coaching institute. Well, enriching the
students’ knowledge base wasn’t the
intention behind opening it. Like Fagin’s
special school, the faculty Nikhil hired taught the
students how to clear entrance examinations by
adopting means fair or foul.
While talking about the NEET-UG anomalies,
Nikhil said those had blundered must be brought to
book.
“Yes, that’s what the law enforcing agencies are
now trying to do and several have been arrested so
far for their involvement in the paper leak case,” I
said.
here are no limits to the conscious use of

T
“No, I am not talking about those who are in-
fashion. And this is where slow fashion volved. I want to find out the persons whose incom-
steps in, setting an example against the petence is responsible for the paper leak case being

Majuli moments
increasingly criticised fast fashion. Taking public,” Nikhil said adding, “People with a proven
an ethical and sustainable approach to track record must be engaged to help aspiring candi-
producing clothes, the slow fashion movement
is a direct response to the harmful impact of fast
fashion on the environment. Here’s how you can
advocate for making fashion choices that are kind-
he traveller in me always wanted to explore and the hostess started preparing the dishes, we gathered

er to people and the planet:
Capsule wardrobe: Have you ever felt like
you have nothing to wear when you, in fact, have
a wardrobe overflowing with clothes? Maybe it’s
time to stop shopping for trends, and start shop-
ping for a capsule wardrobe. Having a capsule
wardrobe means you have a small number of
timeless, well-fitting clothes that can easily mix and
match to create many different looks.
Quality over quantity: In the age of fast
fashion, finding high-quality clothing can be a
challenge. Knowing how to spot cheaply made
garments is key to finding clothes that will last.
For example, you should avoid anything made
from mostly synthetic fabrics and check for good
stitching work.
Take care of what you have: Knowing
how to extend the life of your clothing will reduce
textile waste and the need for production. From
learning simple sewing skills to reducing how often
you wash, you can extend the life of all of your
clothes.
Donate what you don’t wear: You can
adopt a circular approach to fashion by donating
your old clothes and accessories to home shelters
or even thrift stores.
WESTSIDE STORY
The Devil Wears Prada
sequel in the works
A SEQUEL to
hit 2006 comedy
The Devil Wears
T
experience the unparalleled beauty and rich cul-
ture of Majuli. So one fine winter morning, we
drove through the blanket of fog from Dibrugarh
towards Majuli. As we crossed the Bogibeel
Bridge, I could feel the sense of tranquility touching my
soul. Entering Majuli is like stepping into an untouched,
unhurried and an unfiltered world. I felt blessed to be
standing at the world’s largest river island – a place which
is a perfect blend of Nature and culture.
Waterbodies intertwined like veins throughout the
island, creating the most picturesque ambience on Earth.
The sheer expanse of lush green paddy fields with bam-
boo huts was a treat to the eyes. The boats on the river
added stories to my view. I could sit on the riverbank the
whole day and de-stress from the city life.
After lazying around the Subansiri riverside, we
checked in at our hotel, freshened up and headed
towards Salmora – the pottery village of Majuli. While
wandering around, we saw stacks of pots in front of
every house. We were welcomed to one artisan’s home
where we witnessed the various stages of pottery-making.
What’s unique is that they make handmade clay pots
with no use of pottery wheel and usually the women are
involved in this process. The craftsmanship is passed
down from their ancestors. In addition to pots, they
also make clay utensils and decorative items as well.
I bought a few pots not just as souvenirs but as an
appreciation for the craftsmanship.
The night turned out to be a feast. We were invited
to have dinner at a traditional Mishing kitchen. The
intoxicating aromas from the raw spices greeted us. As
around the communal dining table and shared stories
and laughter. It was a treat to watch the hostess move
between the hearth and the preparation area. Her prac-
ticed hands just swayed from one dish to the other. The
dishes included purang apin, patot diya maas, khorika
kukura among many others. Also, it was not just about
the food but the visuals of preparation and plating of
the food which we don’t get to see in the city restau-
rants. My heart and stomach both were satisfied after
dates to clear entrance examinations.”
the night’s meal.
“You are still up to your old activities.”
Majuli is incomplete without visiting the satras. As I
“Though, now I am not involved, once I even went
walked inside the gates of one of the satras, I could feel
to Bihar to observe mass cheating in some of its
the air of spirituality. Satras are an integral part of the
examination halls.”
island. They are not just places of worship but are also the
“Please share your Bihar experience.”
hub of culture activities, classical dance, and literature. The
“When I asked my contact whose name is Hitesh
architecture and the murals on the walls are noteworthy
Kumar to teach me the fine technique of cheating
as well. I found art everywhere. My favourite was the
which would help a student to become a topper
Samaguri Satra – known for its mask-making traditions.
without being caught, he rebuffed me by reminding
We were indeed lucky to meet the scholar – Hem Chandra
me of the time in our State when the student leaders
Goshwami, who educated us about “mukha bhaona” and
who later on went to become politicians were helped
how the art of mask-making has been passed down through
and encouraged by a section of the academic com-
generations. He also showed us the different techniques
munity to cheat in the examinations.”
of mask-making and explained the significance of each.
“It took time to convince Hitesh that it was a
I visited the Kamalabari and the Dakhinpat Satra as well.
thing of the past and finally he relented to share the
Majuli is the living museum of Assamese culture and
secrets.
heritage. Amidst all the beauty, I also felt the pain that
the residents of Majuli face every year. Floods and erosion “So, you got the technique to pass it on to your
takes away their homes but still everyone has innocence in students?”
their eyes and warm smiles on their faces. I wasn’t ready “No, Hitesh just kept saying that while paper leaks
to leave the serenity and the spirituality of this mystic land. and copying are prevalent across the country, Bihar
I will forever carry the memories of Majuli in my heart. gets the blame. Forget others, even the Father of the
Nation was encouraged by a teacher to cheat while
he was in school was what Hitesh kept repeating.”
“When I asked Hitesh about the mass copying
incidents, he proudly said that it just reflected the
people’s involvement in promoting education. He
irected by Nag Ashwin, the star-studded sci-fi movie

D
Prada is under way
Kalki 2898 AD features the likes of Amitabh Bach-
at Disney, with
chan, Prabhas, and Deepika Padukone, and boasts
key cast and crew
grand visuals which hitherto were not experienced
widely expected to
in India cinema. The movie centers around the Ku-
return, including
rukshetra war and transcends through several centuries with
director David
Ashwatthama (Amitabh Bachchan) as the focal point.
Frankel. Aline
Despite providing a heavy dose of Hindu mythology, partic-
Brosh McKenna,
ularly surrounding the Mahabharata, the movie might appear
who adapted the original film from the novel by somewhat complicated and confusing for the unversed. The
Lauren Weisberger, is in talks to write the follow- writing seemed a bit hurried which leaves quite a few glaring gaps
up, whose storyline reportedly follows Miranda in the process of storytelling, more particularly in the first half.
Priestly, the withering fashion magazine editor played However, Kalki 2898 AD gives the audience their money’s
by Meryl Streep, as she navigates the decline of worth with its sheer magnitude and the powerful performances
traditional print publication in the digital space. of the central characters. In the first half, one might feel the
makers could have kept the narrative simpler as many questions
Alec Baldwin’s Rust are left unanswered. The way things unfold in the first half,
especially the manner in which the characters are fleshed out,
manslaughter trial begins it keeps many wondering, although things become easier to
ALMOST THREE YEARS after grasp in the second half, and the execution is equally spot on,
cinematographer Halyna despite the runtime feeling stretched by the end.
Hutchins was shot and killed The most enchanting part of this magnum opus is its large-
on the New Mexico set of scale canvas, which speaks volumes of the calibre of the director
the film Rust, actor Alec Nag Ashwin who uses his imaginative prowess to good effect.
Baldwin is going on trial over DIRECTOR: NAG ASHWIN Notwithstanding the fact that the movie does not
her death. Despite a series CAST: AMITABH BACHCHAN, follow the conventional way of storytelling, it could
KAMAL HAASAN, PRABHAS,
of back-and-forth between DEEPIKA PADUKONE, ETC. have easily done away with scenes which unnecessarily
prosecutors and the defense, attempts to add the romantic and comedy quotient
the trial began recently where into the run of play
jurors will decide whether the Although some scenes involving Amitabh Bachchan appear
actor is guilty of involuntary exaggerated, his on-screen presence is stellar. With Prabhas,
manslaughter. Baldwin, the expectations are always high, but unfortunately, the actor couldn't
star and co-producer of the Western, was rehearsing quite match the required skill set. Deepika Padukone and Kamal
a scene with the revolver when it allegedly went off, Haasan played their parts with ease and conviction.
killing Hutchins in the process.
said that it’s quite a proud moment when almost all
the family members of the examinees throng the
examination halls to help them. No obstacles like
gun totting security guards, fences, high walls can
deter them.”
“When I kept asking him about the Bihar model,
Hitesh said the only difference is that in other states
it is done discreetly while it’s openly done in Bihar
and he flaunted his admiration for the students who
have excelled in examinations by adopting unfair
means.”
“When asked why, Hitesh Kumar said that those
who cheat in examinations should be considered as
the gems of society and awards should be given to
those who excel in the fine art of subterfuge. There
is no reason to shower accolades upon a student
who tops the merit list by dint of his relentless bout
of studies. But students who do everything but
study and manage to do well in the examinations
not only deserve credit but serve as a model of
emulation.”
“Justifying his stand, Hitesh said that to survive in
this world of cut-throat competition, one requires the
ability to take risks and have an analytical mind. This
is easily acquired by students who practice the fine
art of copying.”
“Are you now in touch with Hitesh?”
“Yes, I am. And he is not happy with the way
examinations are now being conducted.”
“Why?”
“If marks can be tampered, altered and enhanced
in the marksheets, the fun of copying in examination
halls will disappear forever!”

Will Smith’s may ‘earn his

way back to’ Oscars
WILL SMITH'S 10-YEAR BAN from the
Oscars doesn't necessarily
spell the end of his
Academy Award journey.
According to three-time
Oscar winner Paul NJ
Ottosson, there might be
a chance for him to return
in the future. However, this
path to redemption comes
with a key requirement:
acceptance of responsibility
for his actions at the 2022
ceremony. Smith's journey to reclaiming his Oscar
attendance could depend on showing real regret
for his ‘slap incident’ with Chris Rock that was
condemned by many.
– Agencies