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ASSENG/2015/64205
Vol. II
RIVER MARABHARALI: ASSAM’S UNEXPLORED TOURIST SPOT AND A TOURISM PROSPECT?
Issue 161
Dibrugarh, Saturday, December 31, 2016
Rights for the rightful owners
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Price -
The ruling Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) late on Thursday night temporarily suspended chief minister Pema Khandu, deputy CM Chowna Mein and five other legislators from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect for alleged anti-party activities.
The political instability in the sensitive border state of Arunachal Pradesh since December 2015 continues, justifying the unanimous truth of kissa kursi ka.
The Other five MLAs shown against their assembly constituency are Jambey Tashi (Lumla), Passang Dorjee Sona (Mechuka), Chow Tewa Mein (Chowkham), Zingnu Namchom (Namsai) and Kamlung Mossang (Miao).
The ruling Peoples' Party of Arunachal (PPA) late on Thursday night temporarily suspended chief minister Pema Khandu, deputy CM Chowna Mein and five other legislators from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect for alleged anti-party activities. The Other five MLAs shown against their assembly constituency are Jambey Tashi (Lumla), Passang Dorjee Sona (Mechuka), Chow Tewa Mein (Chowkham), Zingnu Namchom (Namsai) and Kamlung Mossang (Miao). However, the spokesman of the state government, Bamang Felix, told press persons at the Press Club that Khandu-led government had the support of 49 legislators in the 60 member house. The supporters included 35 PPA, 12 BJP and 2 independents. On the possibility of joining BJP, Felix said that "We are still member of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA)." While PPA president Kahfa Bengia, in his suspension order, said prima facie he was satisfied with the proof of their indulgence in gross "antiparty" activities and "Khandu now ceased to be the leader of the PPA Legislature Party", Felix claimed that the PPA president had issued a circular for a party meeting on December 20 last which was not received by any MLA. "Just not attending the party cannot be termed as anti-party activity or if the decision to suspend seven MLAs was unanimous PPA or individual decision is not known ," Felix said.
with Himanta Biswa Sarma as its convenor, on September 18.
UNCERTAINTY POLITICS
However, the spokesman of the state government, Bamang Felix, told press persons at the Press Club that Khandu-led government had the support of 49 legislators in the 60 member house.
The supporters included 35 PPA, 12 BJP and 2 independents. On the possibility of joining BJP, Felix said that "We are still member of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA)." 944 votes. Asked about difference in the party, floating the name of sitting minister Takam Parior as next PPA leader and dropping of few ministers including Pario from the ministry, Felix clarified that "the difference could be personal not at party level and doors are open to wipe out the differences. The dropping of ministers would be made public soon". Bengia had directed party MLAs and PPA functionaries not to attend any meeting called by Khandu, and said any member failing to comply with the order will have to face disciplinary action. He, in a letter to assembly Speaker T Norbu Thongdok, requested him to declare the suspended MLAs as unattached members of the House and arrange separate sitting for them and communicate the development to the governor. In the 60-member house, PPA had 43 MLAs, BJP 12, Congress-3 and independent 2. The strength of BJP had increased from 11 to 12 with the election of former CM late Kalikho Pul's wife Dasanglu Pul on November 22 to Hayuliang assembly seat byelection as BJP candidate with
With Indian politicians adding "everything is fair in politics' to common adage "Everything is fair in love and war" to redefine government by the people, of the people and for the people - the political upheaval in the state has been getting murkier by brining state's development process to a grinding halt. Pul was forced to resign in July 16 following the apex court verdict and had joined the PPA with 29 dissident Congress MLAs on March 3, 2016. After serving as CM from 19.02.16 to 13.07.16 he had committed suicide in CM's bungalow here on August 9. The then Governor J P Rajkhowa had preponed assembly session from to January 14-18, 2016 from December 16-18, 2015 without consulting then chief minister Nabam Tuki and his council of ministers, that had set the political instability ball rolling. However, the Supreme Court in its historic July 13 verdict had reversed the clock to December 15, 2015 by terming all decisions taken by the Governor as "illegal and
unconstitutional" and ordered restoration of previous government. The Congress Legislature Party leader Nabam Tuki, while chairing CLP meeting on July 16 last, had resigned and proposed the name of Pema Khandu as new leader. In a volte-face, ousted CM Kalikho Pul, had returned to the Congress fold with 29 dissident MLAs. Khandu, 37, the son of late Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, was sworn in as the eighth Chief Minister by Governor Tathagata Roy at Raj Bhavan here on July 17 last marking the culmination of fast-paced political developments in the state while Chowna Mein was sworn in as the DyCM. Khandu sprung a surprise on?September 16 by leaving the Congress and joining the PPA along with 42 MLAs. In a House of 60 members, with an effective strength of 58, the PPA had 43, BJP 11 and Congress one, independent two and one seat vacant. But the PPA joined the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), formed on May 24 last as part of the NDA
Sarma, after chairing a joint legislature party meeting with 43 PPA, MLAs, 11 BJP MLAs and two Independents at Itanagar on September 18, had told reporters that "It will be decided at the BJP National Executive meeting at Calicut this week on whether BJP will continue to extend its outside support or be a part of the PPA government led by Khandu." While blaming the Congress high command for the mess in the party, state BJP president Tapir Gao on had said party president Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi should have taken care of this. on the possibility of PPA MLAs merging with the BJP, Gao said the party's door was open. The Congress, however, had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of "foul play" and committing a "fraud on democracy" after Khandu along with 41 Congress MLAs quit the party and joined PPA. "Modi's and BJP's foul play and fraud on democracy has come to a full circle in Arunachal Pradesh today," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had told reporters in New Delhi. "PPA is the illegitimate child of the BJP's diabolical design to decimate democracy," he alleged. With severe criticism of Rajkhowa and Congress squarely blaming him Union MoS Kiren Rijiju for toppling Congress government, the Centre was left with no other alternative but to pressurize Rajkhowa to quit but he refused prompting President of India Pranab Mukharjee to remove on September 12 last. With the induction of BJP Legislator Party Leader Tamyio Taga on October 14 last into Khandu ministry, Arunachal Pradesh had become the 14th state with the BJP is in power and the sixth state where it shared power with regional parties.
Branch of Rajyoga Meditation Now, your thumb is your Centre unveiled at T Chai Colony bank: PM Modi launches
digital payments app BHIM
ET Correspondent Tezu, Dec 30
cmyk
On an auspicious occasion of unveiling ceremony of ‘Gita Pathsala’ a branch of Brahmakumaris Rajyoga Meditation Centre over 250 (two hundred fifty) inhabitants from the colony thronged to the branch to get themselves relief from stress, tension and various other mental ailments.
Agencies New Delhi, Dec 30
Highlighting the essence of Rajyoga meditation and its quintessence for peace and happiness, BK Jayanti in – charge BRMC, Tezu said Rajyoga relief us from all kind of stress and gives us inner strength to overcome amidst intense trauma. “Spirituality teaches us art of living which is need of the hour to be practiced by one and all which is easy and free of cost available at every Brahmakumaris centre”, she says and request everyone to join.
a chief guest realized the significant of Rajyoga Meditation and urged each one to practice meditation and support this Spiritual organization to uplift for the better cause of humanity. He also promised to build security fencing around the Pathsala as a s mall g ift fo r th e n o v e l cause. Earlier the EE unveiled the Pathsala and unfurled the godly flag.
Er. CJ Mannou EE WRD as
Later BK Gitamoni in –
charge BRMC Roing also brought to light the imperative effect of Rajyoga Meditation and practiced meditation which had spellbound everyone present in the ceremony. Among those present as a guest were Yadev AE E&M, J Rondo DRO, D Ghosh ACLM, Pill Thakur, Bablalum Chiba and many brothers and sisters from BRMC Sadiya, Namsai and Roing participated in the ceremony.
On the fiftieth day since the implementation of demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the digital payments app BHIM which will facilitate e-transactions with just a thumb impression. "In two weeks, payment through use of biometric fingerprint will begin in India. With the BHIM app, you'll only require your thumb to pay. In the past, illiterate people were called 'angutha-chaap' but now your thumb is your bank. It has become your identity now," PM Modi said at the DigiDhan Mela in Delhi. BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is a mobile payment application and a re-branded version of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) and USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) modes of epayment.
A tribute to economist Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the BHIM App is very simple to use and doesn't require internet connectivity mobile phones, PM Modi said. "Dr Ambedkar's mantra was to work for the upliftment of the poor. And the biggest power of technology is that it can empower the poor," he added. Calling it a "Christmas gift" to the public, Modi also felicitated the winners of the Lucky Grahak Yojana and DigiDhan Vyapar Yojana. Under these schemes+ , those who conduct digital payments of more than Rs 50 and less than Rs 3000 would be rewarded in a lucky-draw. Over 100 days, several prizes of Rs 1,000 will be given to people through lucky draws. The mega draw will be held on April 14, the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.
PAGE 12
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Meera Sharma Off with their tresses, for cancer!
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Kissa Kursi takes a new turn in Arunachal ANI Itanagar, Dec 30
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P7 Mulayam expels CM Akhilesh and GS Ram Gopal from Samajwadi Party for 6 years ANI Lucknow Dec. 30
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday expelled Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav from the party for six years over indiscipline. "I solely founded the party, what is their (Akhilesh and Ram Gopal) contribution? They are destroying the party," he said.
Ram Gopal
Akhilesh Yadav candidate list separately for the upcoming state assembly polls.
"To save the party, we have expelled both Ram Gopal and Akhilesh Yadav for six years from the party. No one has the right to call for a national executive meet other than party chief and by doing this you have hurt the party's interest," Mulayam said in a press briefing.
"I will decide as to who will be the chief ministerial candidate of the party," he insisted. This move comes after Akhilesh, earlier on Thursday, released a list of 235 candidates out of the total 403 seats for upcoming state assembly elections, a day after party supremo had released the official list.
Earlier in the day, Mulayam issued a showcause notice to Akhilesh for issuing a
"We have declared list of 325 candidates for the 2017 assembly polls; 78 seats still
remain. Name of candidates for rest of the 78 seats will be announced soon," Mulayam said on Wednesday while announcing the list. The Samajwadi Party supremo announced the first list in the absence of his son, who is at loggerheads with his uncle Shivpal Yadav over distribution of tickets. Akhilesh's name did not figure in the first list. Mulayam, however, said that his son, being the Chief Minister, can contest from any assembly seat he wishes to.
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DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
P2 Aries You're usually good at bringing people together. Your greatest strength is giving identity to those people who seek it. In fact, you're so aware of the differences between people that you resist the changes that come about as people evolve. Today's planetary alignment confronts you with issues that concern your future. Your position will help you accept things and go forward.
Taurus Some of you still let individuals from other Zodiac Signs do all the creating for you. The planetary configuration today pushes you to free yourself from the ties that bind you. It's time for you to show more creativity. Show the gems that you usually hide. Express yourself fully, without hesitation. Show others who's really in charge.
Gemini You are very interested in all kinds of professions that concern humans, Gemini medicine, psychology, or any kind of spiritual therapy. You will be very sensitive to the great opening toward the future that comes along today. The planetary alignment initiates progress in all areas of human existence. Keep your eyes and ears wide open.
A Flashback of 2016 for Golaghat Amit Nagori Golaghat, 30 Dec: Another year has gone by sight. This year, people were found busy in queing in a line busy and appeared to stand for the same first for Adhar card and then for NRC and towards the end of the year for noted Demonetisation for exchanging notes in ATM and Banks . In the last three months of this year due to the deregulation of the police administration stealing became easy go way for the thieves and they turned to be smarter than the cops. There was
also an increase in road accidents and the bus and tanker incident held in Dergaon emerge as the biggest road accident occurred in the district . Sri Sri Atkelia Namgr disgusting incident of blood shed in the religious premises , the issue of exchange of currency notes worth Rs 25 lakh and traders detention case, the growing number of E Rikcshaw problems, Smriti Irani visit to Golaghat , Binod Fangshu murder case , Girls Polytechnic problems , farmer leader Akhil
Gogoi arrest were the big issues of the year . This time the increase in leopards and elephants incidents hampered the peace of the people of variours regions . Due to sudden emergence and attack by these wild beasts made the people upset. This year the official investigation into the horns of Rhino in treasuries of the district remained in controversy . The society lost the blessings of
ET Correspondent Golaghat, Dec 30 : A two and half years old child from Habichuk Village of Furkating in Golaghat has been suffering from a critical physical disorder since the time when he was only two months old . The child whom his parents call Tumon has an eye which barely coming out from its actual shape and position
Cancer
Do you help the world evolve, Virgo? You may ask yourself this kind of delicate question today. Even if you're a person of action who knows how to react to situations, you should be careful not to be too impulsive. You have a specific role to play. Don't get thrown off track by emotional circumstances.
Libra You may have a tendency to be overprotective of the people closest to you, especially children. You may feel you live in a dangerous world in which people don't care about responsibility to one another. But the people you're trying to protect are probably better prepared and adapted to the world than you think, Libra. They might try to tell you this even if your support is indispensable.
Scorpio You probably need society's or other people's approval in order to feel good about yourself, Scorpio. But your original personality and way of thinking are often hard for others to accept. You may need to make your ideas less crazy and a little more down to Earth and practical. This should be your goal over the next few days if you don't want to feel left out of things.
Sagittarius The events of the day depend on your ability to put things into question today, Sagittarius. In general, you're good at analyzing situations when things aren't going well in your relationships. Now someone in your family may have a problem acting responsibly. It's up to that person to take care of things, but you could understand the message the person is trying to send other people with his or her behavior.
Capricorn The planetary aspects are going to have a big impact on you today, Capricorn. This isn't the time to fear the future. Rather, it's a time to make it happen. The action you take right now will be instrumental in your future. Will there be enough of us walking toward the future? Capricorn will be at the head of the pack in any case, as always.
Aquarius The planetary aspects are going to have a big impact on you today, Capricorn. This isn't the time to fear the future. Rather, it's a time to make it happen. The action you take right now will be instrumental in your future. Will there be enough of us walking toward the future? Capricorn will be at the head of the pack in any case, as always.
Pisces Today is an inspirational day for you, fast-thinking Pisces. Let those visions come to you, process them, and try to verbalize them. A lot of information and electricity is in the air, and you should have no problem picking up on it. Open up your channels for the best reception. Have a notepad handy to jot down all your insights.
The Citizens have wished that the coming year brings prosperity for all the people.
has been undergone treatment for the last two years but still there is no cure to his disorder . His parents Bitu Saikia and Nitumoni Saikia who are very poor had tried several attempts for Tumon's treatment in Golaghat , Guwahati and even in Nepal. The poor parents have almost lost everything by selling all their belongings in
the name of their child's treatment . But all efforts went in vain . Now losing faith and hope the poor family seeks help from the government . The state government has several schemes for treatment of critical diseases . Now the big question arises will any such scheme be able to cover this child and give his poor parents a sigh of relief
Seminar on Career Counselling held at DHSK College
Leo
Virgo
In the name of cleanliness drive only CRPF 142 batallion took out the campaign in every nook and corner of the town . Rest organisations carried the drive only for lofty publicity in print media . Assam Jatiytawadi Students Council raised its voice against the
anti-government activities and conducted several events. United Chambers of Commerce and Ram Manohar Binani played major role in bringing rail services to rail passengers of Golaghat town. Sri Sathya Sai Seva Samiti , Maheshwari Sangathan and Agrawal Youth Sabha also undertook several social activities and played an active role .
Lack of staff and under Child Suffering from Critical Physical Disorder utilization of assets plagues Dibrugarh Town railway station : Poor Family Seeks Help
You may surprise the people around you over the next few days, Cancer. You're a responsible person and others can count on you. But just like anybody else, you're sensitive to your desires. You should expect your desires to be so strong today that they may be irresistible. If this is a positive experience, you may need to do some planning in your personal life.
You may have to stand by certain difficult, worrisome decisions today, Leo. You may feel a kind of urgent need for stability in your personal life. What is really behind this feeling? Is it possible that you're just afraid of your desire to put everything into question in order to make a fresh start? Today you may find the answer to this question. Stay tuned.
Gunaram Khanikar an eminent learned person of medicinal value of plants , Keshav Saikia the writer, Social worker Madan Lal Khaitan as the heavenly soul departed to the abode .
A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Dec 30: A majority of the safety category staff generally seek transfer from here to their home state and also manage to get the same. Thus, transfer coupled with retirement of staff has caused a considerable drop in number of drivers, guards, station masters, points-man, track-man and gateman at Tinsukia division of the N. F. Railway, which is likely to hit the train services severely, a reliable source said on condition of anonymity. The source informed that running of the existing trains, particularly to and from Dibrugarh might also be difficult. Meanwhile, Dibrugarh district committee of the Assam Rail Passengers’ Association has expressed dismay at the plight of the Dibrugarh Town railway station and demanded redesigning and redevelopment of the historic station. Elaborating on the issue, Ramen Sengupta, the President of
the committee told that the station has only one full length platform, while two other platforms at the station are incomplete. Moreover, line nos. 8 and 9 and the pit line at the station are abandoned and hence rakes of Rajdhani Express and other trains have to be shunted to and from the Dibrugarh station 4 km away at Banipur for maintenance. Resulting loss of fuel and man-hour are national loss, Sengupta pointed out. It is observed that offices, waiting rooms etc. of the station are still functioning from the cluster of old Meter gauge era broad gauge incompatible buildings. Dibrugarh Town, the first railway station of the present North East India, is a living legend now, from where the first goods train steamed off on 1st of May, 1882 and first passenger train rolled down the tracks more than one and a quarter century back on 18 February,
1884 to Ledo carrying 400 passengers, which was flagged off by Sir Charles Illiot, the then Chief Commissioner of Assam. Ramen Sengupta, who feels pride that his grandfather Late Sarada Charan Sen served as the in-charge of the erstwhile railway workshop at Mohanaghat since 1885, suggested that the existing Meter gauge era cluster of broad gauge incompatible buildings at the Dibrugarh Town station be dismantled completely and line nos. 8 and 9 be extended as 24 coach platforms and the pit line be revived for maintenance of Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains.
A Staff Reporter Dibrugarh, Dec 30: A seminar on Career Counselling was organised by Information and Career Guidance Cell (ICGC) of DHSK College. Sankar Moreover, that the RKB Path in Majumder, Coordinator front of the station be diverted to the space of running room and go- of Certificate in Accountdown etc. and an integrated multi- ing Technicians (CAT) storey station building be built re- Directorate, ICAI, Delhi flecting the railway heritage of the was the resource person station and also the composite cul- of the seminar and he ture of Assam. gave a valuable talk on personality and skill development. The participants comprising higher secondary students of the college said that they were immensely benSibu Jhones, vicar general efited from the of Diocese stated that this programme and thanked program is organized as a Dr. Sashikanta Saikia, part of property allocations Principal of DHSK Colprogram undertaken by Be- lege for arranging such a lievers Church all over India beneficial Career Counfor the last few years under selling Programme for the leadership of the most them. It may be noted Rev. Dr. K. P. Yohannan, that Dibrugarh Kanoi Metropolitan Bishop of Be- College has been regulievers Church. larly organizing various Career Counselling and Coaching Programmes to equip the students for various competitive examinations.
Community Development Program held by Believers Church at Dholi Titaba ET CORRESPONDENT, JORHAT, 30 DEC: Believers Church today conducted a community development program at Dholi Titabar.The program was inaugurated by Child Development Project Officer of Titabar Pronob Bora. While inaugurating the project, Baruah highly appreciated the step taken by Be-
lievers Church. Around 200 families were selected to be a part of community development program wherein means of livelihood by providing domestic animals, weaving machines and tricycles were given to the families. Stating the purpose, Rev. Father
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P3
Arunachal Pradesh: 2016 is a political Vijaya Bank CSR initiative: Rural Health Centre roller-coaster of a year for state opened at Ngopok Village The deep undercurrents of political upheaval first took shape late last year in the form of resentment against Congress chief minister Nabam Tuki by a section of the party lawmakers in Arunachal
New Delhi, Dec 30 : The year 2016 has been a political rollercoaster for the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh – a period in which it saw three chief ministers, a brief period of President’s Rule, lawmakers drifting from one party to the other, a corruption scandal and a likely fourth chief minister as the year comes to a close. The deep undercurrents of political upheaval first took shape late last year in the form of resentment against Congress chief minister Nabam Tuki by a section of the party lawmakers. The Congress had won the last state elections in 2014 convincingly capturing 42 of the 60 seats, but there was dissatisfaction with the manner in which Tuki held the state of affairs. The anti-Tuki faction was primarily led by Kalikho Pul, a former health minister who was expelled from the party in April for anti-party activities. The expulsion of Pul and the open dissidence by a section of the lawmakers is widely seen to be the reason for the political developments that took shape this year.
Here’s the timeline of events: November, 2015 – 21 MLAs of the Congress, in an act of open dissidence, skipped a crucial meeting of the Congress legislature party that was to be chaired by then chief minister Tuki. They were of the opinion that they could not function under the leadership of Tuki and voiced concerns to the state and national leaderships. December, 2015 – The role of then-Governor JP Rajkhowa in the battles within the Congress is not to be dismissed. Rajkhowa, without consulting Tuki, advanced the Assembly session from January, 2016 to December, 2015 and was approached by a section of MLAs wanting to impeach Speaker Nabam Rebia. An emergency session of the Assembly was soon called and dissident MLAs of the Con-
gress along with BJP members and Independents impeached the Speaker. The special session was held at a community hall and Kalikho Pul was elected the ‘leader’ of the House. The move sparked protests within the Congress who called the move unconstitutional. The same day, the Speaker disqualified 14 MLAs. The same month, the Congress invoking article 356 imposed President’s Rule in the state. January 5, 2016 – The disqualification of the MLAs was turned down by the Gauhati High Court and the Speaker’s plea was swept aside. January 15 – The Speaker, who has filed a batch of petitions challenging the Governor’s actions, moves the Supreme Court which in turn turns them to a constitution bench. January 29 – Tuki files a fresh petition in the Supreme Court challenging President’s Rule in the state. January 30 – The Centre, led by the BJP, justifies President’s rule in the state. February 2 – Rajkhowa said the President’s Rule is temporary and that an elected government will soon be in place. February 4 – The Supreme Court, examining the powers of Governors, took strong note of a submission that all decisions of the Governor are not open to judicial review and said it cannot be a mute spectator when democratic processes are
“slaughtered”. February 10 – The top court rejected the pleas of the rebel Congress MLAs against the Speaker. February 19 – President’s Rule is lifted in the state February 20 – Dissident leader Kalikho Pul was sworn in as the ninth Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh with the support of 18 rebel Congress MLAs, and two Independents and 11 BJP MLAs who gave outside support. Pul’s swearing-in came a day after the Supreme Court vacated its interim order to maintain status quo in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly, paving the way for government formation. February 23 – The Supreme Court observed that it was empowered to “set the clock back” if there were constitutional violations in the manner in which the Arunachal Pradesh Governor issued orders that have eventually led to formation of a new government in the state. February 25 – Pul won the vote of confidence without any opposition on the first day of the state assembly session, with 17 Congress MLAs including former chief minister Nabam Tuki remaining absent in the House. March 3 – 30 rebel Congress MLAs who sided with CM Pul merged with People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA), leaving no scope for the Congress to take any legal action against them.
The merger took place with the CM announcing it at Naharlagun. He said they were “compelled” to take the decision as Congress had “shut all its doors” despite all of them asserting that they continued to belong to it. May 6 – Top leaders of the Congress party took out a march from Jantar Mantar against what it called the ‘undemocratic’ policies of the Centre with regard to the imposition of President’s Rule in the states of Arunachal and Uttarakhand. Some of the leaders courted arrest before they were released by the police. July 13 – The Supreme Court turned the clock back and restored the Congress government in the state. The court said the Governor’s actions were ‘illegal.’ July 16 – The Congress stages a big coup by bringing back all the rebels into the party fold. The move thwarted BJP plans to form a government in the state. July 17 – Pema Khandu is sworn in as the new chief minister of the state, the third in the year. He sweeps aside Akhilesh Yadav as the youngest chief minister in the country. July 20 – The Congress government comfortably proves a majority on the floor of the Assembly. August 3 – Khandu expands his cabinet and inducts more
Self Help Group carries out Swachh Bharat Abhiyan at market Staff Reporter PASIGHAT, Dec 30: While joining with the nationwide Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, a clean drive was organized at main market, here today by two local Self Help Group, namely Pane Self Help Group and Siang Women Self Help Group. Both the Self Help Groups unitedly cleaned the garbage thrown around in the main market where vegetable vendors from villages leave behind several waste products. One Rahul Basumatary, a teacher in St. Mary School, Mirmir who was among leading the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan clean drive said that, both
self help groups are doing such social work since it was formed and they are also involved in waste management like organic
waste decomposition with the help of Horticulture schemes. Both the groups’ volunteers led by Ainam Lego (Pane SHG)
and Manisha Gurung (Siang Women SHG) are planning more such clean drive in the town in days to come.
Under 17 Subroto Cup final: GHSS Bilat outscored IGJGHSS Pasighat by 2-0 Staff Reporter PASIGHAT, Dec 30: The District level Subroto Cup under 17 boys football tournament which was kicked off by MLA 38th Pasighat (East) on 26th last concluded today with Bilat Hr. Sec. School outscoring IGJGHSS, Pasighat with 2-0 in the final played at JN College lower campus playground. As a Chief Guest, Bodong Yirang, (retired Director Elementary Education) who is presently serving as President, Arunachal Shiksha Vikash Samity, Secretary General, Adi Baane Kebang and President, APLS District President, advised players to maintain the same spirit and display an exemplary match in the state level tournament. Yirang further said that, winning & losing is always a part of the
games & sports. Though winning is important, the more important thing is to exhibit the true sportsmanship with high degree of discipline. He further advised the young sportsman to abstain from social evils like drugs, alcoholism, smoking, etc. which is killing the future of young children. While quoting veteran footballer Baichung Bhutia, he said that Arunachal Boys
and Girls are talented in games & sports specially football if proper training and equipments are provided. While giving the trophies to winner and runner up teams, Yirang opined hope and said that, the winning team will also win in the state level tournament and represent Arunachal Pradesh in the national level. He also lauded the DDSE, Jongge
Yirang, Organising President, Tatem Taloh, Organising Secretary, Tanyang Padung and other committee members for successful conduct of the tournament and expressed his happiness for remembering a retired person like him by District Education Department and organising committee by inviting him as Chief Guest in the valedictory function.
ministers. Governor Tathagata Roy administers oath of office. August 9 – Former chief minister Kalikho Pul found hanging from a ceiling fan at his official residence. Government announces magisterial inquiry into the former CM’s death. August 12 – Pul is cremated with state honours in his native village of Walla in Anjaw district. August 14 – Governor Rajkhowa is back in office. September 6 – Despite being asked by Centre to step down on medical grounds, Rajkhowa says he would not resign. “I want the President to sack me,” he says. September 12 – Rajkhowa sacked as Governor of the state. September 16 – In a surprise move, the entire Congress Legislature Party except Tuki resigns from the party and moves to the People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA). PPA is a member of the NDA’s North East Democratic Alliance. 43 of the 44 Congress MLAs have defected to the PPA. October 14 -With the inclusion of BJP MLA Tamiyo Taga in the council of ministers, the PPA government officially becomes an NDA government. Arunachal becomes state number 14. October 26 – Rajkhowa says late CM Pul left notes so ‘explosive’ that there will be tremors within the political system. He said he had been seeking a CBI inquiry into the circumstances into the death of Pul. November 22 – Pul’s widow Dasanglu Pul wins the Hayuliang by-election in Arunachal. Dasanglu Pul contested on a BJP ticket. December 29 – In a late night development, chief minister Khandu and six other MLAs were suspended from the PPA citing anti-party activities. December 30 – On the penultimate day of the year, Khandu is set to step aside for a new CM, the fourth this year for the state.
Maksam Tayeng PASIGHAT, Dec 30: In a noble initiative under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Vijaya Bank, Pasighat Branch opened a Rural Health Centre at Ngopok village under Mebo Sub-Division today which was welcomed and deeply appreciated by one and all attending the opening ceremony held in Community Hall (Mosup). Speaking on the opening of rural health centre at Ngopok, Dr. Bimal Ratan, SMO, CHC Mebo who will take care of the centre said that, this centre will help many needy patients of not only Ngopok village, but also other nearby villages specially during the monsoon season when maximum cases of diseases are reported in this part of the state. However, he made it clear that, no police report related injury case will be dealt in that centre; such cases have to be taken to PHC, Borguli or CHC, Mebo.
While, Maliyang Perme, Head Gaon Burah, Ngopok village showed his thankfulness to the Vijaya bank for opening of health centre in the village and said that this centre be properly maintained with adequate medicines and timely doctor visit. On the part of Anchal Samity Members (NgopokPokkong and Pokdum), both Jobang Pasing and An:gung Perme, appealed the authority concern especially management of Vijaya bank to always maintain the Health Centre with regular supply of medicines. Informing the meeting about messages of local MLA Lombo Tayeng who was to inaugurate the Rural Health Centre, Addl Dy. Commissioner, Mebo, Yemling Tayeng said that, due to instable political situation of Arunachal Government, he had to stay back at Itanagar. ADC said that, this Health Centre was initially to be set up at Mebo, but he felt that, the need is here at Ngopok village as Mebo
village is having a CHC nearby in the town. Moreover, Ngopok village is densely populated and located in a centre from both side. While on the part of Vijaya Bank, Pasighat Branch, Senior Branch Manager, Shashi Kumar Sinha informed that, this Rural Health Centre was first such initiative from Vijaya bank in entire Arunachal Pradesh. This could be possible with the strong pursuance of the matter by local MLA Lombo Tayeng at higher authorities, added Sinha. He also said that, it will be upon the village people and PRI leaders to maintain the Centre properly which has been set up in the Panchayat Ghar just adjacent to Community Hall. There will be monthly fund allocation of Rs. 10,000/- for medicines and Rs. 20,000/- for doctors totaling to Rs. 30,000/- per month and Rs. 3,60,000/annual budget, informed Sinha when asked.
DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
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River Marabharali: Assam’s unexplored Wife of Lt.Prabhat Patgiri, a martyr of Assam Agitation tourist spot and a tourism prospect? Shambhu Boro Tezpur, Dec 30: At a time when the people of state has already started enjoying picnic with the advent of the new year going to different naturally beautiful picnic spots way from their homes, people here specially concerned with the historic Tezpur town and its allround development including road communication, hassle-free traffic system, good administration, well maintenance of the historically important places in and outside the town besides good behaviour of the common people for attracting the domestic and the foreign tourists are aptly of the opinion that the dead course of the Bharali river can be converted to a best tourist attraction. It is to be mentioned here that an abandoned channel (arasuti) of the river which is now a days called by the common people here as Marabharali has been selected from Mansiri to river Brahmaputra through the heart of Tezpur. Once it was a major tributary, but following natural causes like flood and erosion it’s course was changed during 1980 leaving the course as a dead river. However, this about 32 km. distance dead river falling under the Sonitpur (West) Division of Forest Department has been allegedly encroached by many illegal Bangladeshi nationals taking the advantage of
indifferent attitude of a section of politically motivated administrative officials of the district. Expressing grave concern over the ongoing encroachment, social worker, Ex-Secretary of Gahan Uddyan Management Committee and noted Journalist Aswani Bora said that the Marabharali playing a major role in integrating and organizing the landscape and moulding the ecological setting of the basin in Tezpur is selected from Mansiri to Maithan flowing through the heart of the Tezpur town is presently under big threat of encroachment by a section of doubtful citizen. “Recently the land in the river near the Gahan Uddyan was encroached by the suspected Bangladeshis, within few nights many huts were seen
built in the area with an intension to occupy the river land, scrapping the beauty of the area, however, following quick intervention of a section of socially aware people it could be thwarted,” Aswani Bora said. Another citizen of Tezpur town, noted journalist Arup Kalita describing history of the dead river mentioned before this reporter that there is place connected with the river known as ‘Jahajduba’ which was once used as port by the Britishers for various businesses thereby giving a way of livelihood among the people. But it is a matter of great concern that this place besides other locations of the river is severely suffering from encroachment by
Assam Rifles Conducts Free Medical Camp at Phaipha
ET Correspondent Haflong, Dec 30: To provide medical assistance to the people living in far flung area of Dima Hasao, Haflong based 43 Assam Rifles in collaboration of Dima Hasao Health Department and CHANGES a Maibang based NGO organised a free medical camp at Phaipha, 120 km away from Haflong located in bordering area of AssamNagaland on Thursday. Samuel Changsan, Executive Member, N C Hills Autonomous Council in charge Medical department and T Armstrong Changsan, IFS, Consul General, Consulate of India, Osaka, Japan along with AR officials, Doctors from AR, Holy Spirit and Sub- Divisional Medical Officer, Maibang
attended the camp. Altogether, 62 patients from Phaipha, Khengjol and N Molkon were treated and provided with free medication in the camp. Apart from medical assistances the AR distributed solar table lamps and yarns were also distributed by the Agriculture department among the villagers. T Armstrong Changsan, IFS, Consul General, Consulate of India, Osaka, Japan who has visited the village founded by his father late V Changsan, IAS for the first time after creating the Diger constituency of N C Hills Autonomous Council appreciated the organisers of the Medical camp as they took pains to provide medical assistances to the needy people of this
far flung areas of the district. Samuel Changsan, Executive Member, N C Hills Autonomous Council in charge Medical department in his speech said his team of Executive Members of NCHAC is committed for the betterment of the people living in this areas who had suffer a lot due to poor road condition but the present EC has already chalked out several steps giving top priority to the road communication as there is no alternative means of communication other than road. Earlier the villagers performed few tradition dances to accord warm welcome to the guests and the officials of AR and the organisers also felicitated them with traditional scarf.
the Bangladeshis posing a serious threat to the very existence of the historically important river. The dead river mingled in the river Brahmaputra leaves many a potentiality in various fields including tourism, fishery, sports, water sports Children Park, indoor games alongwith multi-cropping projects which may help “Tezpur town’ to be more attractive that is ever known as city of beauty, romance and culture. Adding to the idea Aswani Bora mentioned that few years back a multi-crore project was submitted to the department concerned of the Congress led Assam government, but it has not been given any importance. “More interesting
thing is that the local administrative officer and the public representatives are too reluctant towards this venture, if it would be in other part of India it would gain enough priority and prosperity in various fields. With an optimistic idea we have submitted another big budget project to give a new facelift to this river; we are hopeful that the new government who is presently giving enough importance in tourism sector will rethink on our project,” he said adding if their long cherished dream of giving a unique facelift to Marabharali river through implementing aforementioned projects turns to reality it would be a mega step towards tourism of Tezpur and employment generation among the unemployed youths of the region. Moreover, many environmentalists and nature loving people here also alleged that in nexus with s section of the unscrupulous forest officials some illegal traders have been running sandgravel business from the river over the last many years harming ecology of the area. “We are of the opinion that the government agencies should come forward honesty to protect the river from unwanted activities including encroachment by the illegal Bangladeshi nationals through projecting long-term projects,” they maintained.
curity service job particularly to the southern states. He endorsed with facts and findings that organic farming can provide gainful employment to the youths and suitable measures need to be taken to attract and retain the youth in the farm sector. He hoped that in the coming year’s efforts from all concerned will eliminate this burning problem faced by the state. Another speaker in the open meeting, Jadav Saikia, CEO, Sonitpur Zila Parishad in his elaborated speech motivated the rural youth to adopt improve agro technology for raising farm produc-
tivity. Dr Utpala Goswami, Senior Extension Specialist of the Assam Agricultural University, Ranjib Sarmah, Chairman of Sitajakhala Milk Producers Society, Amalighat and Dr. Dilip, Sarma, Fodder Development Officer also spoke on different aspects of technology application for raising farm productivity. Earlier, Dr. Promod Ch. Deka Programme Coordinator, KVK, Sonitpur while welcoming the dignitaries, farmers and farm women, participating organisations gave a brief account of the programmes that are included in technology week
Sasanka Talukdar, Bajali, Dec 30: The Barpeta District Administration in association with Barpeta district (AASU) All Assam Student Union Bajali Mahakuma, Pathsala Anchalik AASU and Assam ‘Unnati Sabha’ felicitated Gayatri Patgiri, wife of Lt.Prabhat Patgiri, a martyr of Assam Agitation. It may be recalled that Gayatri Patgiri could not attend Assam Government organised felicitation programme on 10th December for the Assam Agitation Martyr’s family on account of her illness. In view of her absence, she was felicitated on 27 December last (Thursday) at her residence at Milanpur in Pathsala under Barpeta district. General Secretary of Barpeta district Students’ Union AASU Samudra Patgiri, President and Secretary of Pathsala Anchalik Student Union
Raju Das and Himangshu Sarma respectively attended the felicitation programme at Smiti Gayatri Patgiri’s residence. Executive of Assam
‘Unnati Sabha’ Kishor Das, ADC of Barpeta Pulak Patgiri, Pranjal Pratim Kuwar and many other students were present during the programme.
Free text books meant for East Jorhat Educational Block’s primary schools distributed
Director of BRO Lt. Gen. Suresh Sharma takes stock of Project Udayak
ET Correspondent Doomdooma, Dec 30: Lt Gen Suresh Sharma, AVSM, director General Border Roads (DGBR), the Colonel Commandant Bengal Sappers & Military Survey visited the Project Udayak (BRO) road sectors from 26 to 29 December 2016.The General conducted a comprehensive inspection of ongoing infrastructural development works in Lohit, Anjaw, Dibang and Tirap valley districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The General with vast experience in both combat engineering and civil works inspected and appreciated the works being executed by Project Udayak of BR. During this visit, the General officer was accompanied by Debashish Bhattacharya, Chief Engineer Project Udayak.On 27 December 2016, the DGBR inaugurated strategically important 110 metres long Yapak Bridge at km 42.15 on Changwanti Walong - Namti road. The DGBR visited Tezu, Hayuliang , Walong and Kibithu in the Lohit Valley and offered valuable advice to accomplish the works in a time bound manner. Bhattacharya emphasized, “The guidance and mentorship of the DGBR will go a long way in streamlining and expediting the works on various in-
frastructure projects of Arunachal Pradesh.” The DGBR laid a wreath to pay homage to the martyrs at the Hut of Remembrance at Walong (War Memorial of 1962 India - China War) on the morning of 28 December. Thereafter, the DGBR travelled by IAF helicopter to Anini in Dibang valley and carried out physical inspection of roads. The DGBR travelled to Hunli and also inspected the double laning works in progress on roads Hunli - Mentengliang - Hayuliang and Meka - Roing Hunli .On 29 December, the DGBR also carried out an inspection of works in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh. The DGBR was offered a warm welcome by the Civil Administration represented by the DC & SP of Anjaw & Anini Districts.The DGBR was also accompanied by Simmy Sharma, president BRO Wives Welfare Association (BROWWA). Under the tutelage of Simmy Sharma, Udayak BROWWA family has been running various welfare schemes for the upliftment of the local labour families, including free of cost education, medical treatment and accommodation. The President BROWWA also visited various welfare establishments in Project Area and appreciated the efforts made by the project.
Technology Week Celebrated at KVK Sonitpur ET Correspondent, Tezpur, Dec 30: As a part of Technology Week celebration programme to uphold the slogan Jai Kisan Jai Vigyanmooted by former prime ministers of India Late Chaudhary Charan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee,Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sonitpur organized a day long agricultural exhibition at its Napam campus on 28th December which was inaugurated by R. P. Sarmah, M. P. Tezpur parliamentary constituency. Addressing in an open session, Sarmah expressed his deep concern on migration of rural youth of the state from farm sector in search of se-
felicitated at Pathsala
programme organized by KVK, Sonitpur from 23 to 29thDecember. The programme was anchored by Hengul Jyoti Haloi of KVK, Sonitpur and Arifa Momtaz Begum offered the vote of thanks. Several farmers producers group, NGO, SHGs and agro input production agencies participated in the exhibition and around 300 farmers visited the exhibition. On 29th December, KVK Sonitpur organized a training programme on fisheries for rural youth at Bharaliparia Kanyaka
Farm, Jamugurihat. Rituparna Pegu Fishery Scientist of KVK, Sonitpur acted as resource person in the training programme. Dr. Bidyut C Deka, Director, Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute(ATARI), Shillong, Dr. Promod Ch. Deka Programme Coordinator, KVK, Sonitpur and KVK scientific staff namely Arifa Momtaz Begum, Angana Sarma, HengulJyoti Saloi also attended the programme. More than 30 number of rural youth participated in the training programme.
ET Correspondent TEOK, 30 DEC: The free text books supplied by Assam government to all lower primary and upper primary schools under East Jorhat Educational Block were ceremonially distributed from today. In this connection an inaugural function was held at the conference hall of the East Jorhat Block where Renupoma Rajkhowa, MLA of Teok Constituency and Rupjyoti Kurmi MLA of Mariani Constituency were available as a special guest.
The welcome address of the function was deliberated by Utpal Kumer Baruah BEEO and BMC of the East Jorhat Block. The District elementary Education Officer Buli Bhuyan Gogoi, Jorhat district Karmachari Association’s general secretary Prasanta Saikia, Jorhat district High school Association’s general sectary Ratul Gogoi,District SSA officials Mr Rinku Kalita and Joba Rani Bora , PRI representatives were also available as the special guest at the func-
tion. More than hundreds of schools’ heads and all block officials including SI Abani Gogoi, MIS coordinator Mr Palash Jyoti Dutta, Accountant Banti Chetia, Head Assistant Kishore Kumar Das were also present at the function. The Chairman of the free text book monitoring committee Utpal Kumer Baruah BEEO and BMC of the East Jorhat Block requested all for grand participation for smooth distribution of the free text books to all schools within the block.
Construction of four toilets block at duliajan girls' college, duliajan, district dibrugarh commenced
ET Correspondent Duliajan, Dec 30 : As a part of OPERATION SADBHAVANA, Laipuli Brigade under the Dao Division has started the construction of four toilets block at Duliajan Girls' College, District Dibrugarh. The construction started from a 'Bhoomi Pujan'
programme that was organized on 30 Dec 2016 at college premise. Officers from Duliajan Army Camp and College Staff were present during the programme. The project aims to provide a healtly and hygienic environment to the students in the school
premise. The project was undertaken on a request from School Authority to establish such a facility. This project will really be helpful in keeping a healthy and hygienic environment and will reassure them of the unflinching support of the Indian Army and Indian Government.
Reception Committee Sivasagar Sahitya Sabha Session to decide tomorrow ET Correspondent Sivasagar, Dec 30: While it appears that a clear rift still exists between the inner circle of Asom Sahitya Sabha and the general public outside, especially following the central executives decision to rally behind Dr. Paramananda Rajbonshi. However, with the resignation of Dr. Dhrubajyoti Bora, President, Dr. Parag Thakur, Vice President, Bipul Deori, treasurer and Nurul Islam from the Executive committee of the Sabha, the reception committee of the much awaited Sivasagar Session of Asom Sahitya Sabha has got
into a terrible fix as to how to convince the irate members and the organizations that still want ouster of the principal secretary. Sonaram Boruah, President, Reception Committee told media that their sole concern is how to carry out the responsibility they owned up by inviting the centenary session to Sivasagar.
believe in it. Boruah added that if the central committee cancels its decision to holding the session in Sivasagar in the wake of the rumpus created by a section, the reception committee will have to return every penny to the people and organizations it has already taken for the preliminary works estimated around Rs 1.2 crore.
He said that to change the leadership of a democratic organization one must go through the organizational network from the grass root level and those that are vociferous against the present leadership simply do not
He appealed to all to come to understand their liabilities and said that the final decisions on central committee appeal for reconsideration of their earlier stand will be taken tomorrow at a reception committee.
DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
REST OF
Record surrender of 165 ultras in 2016, a boost for police Shillong, Dec 30: Altogether 165 militants, mostly belonging to GNLA, surrendered to the police in 2016. This is a record of sorts compared to the last five years. As per police data, Meghalaya police started 2016 by launching an offensive against GNLA, ASAK and other militant groups in Garo Hills. The offensive was intensified in February 2016 when operation Hill Storm III was launched and enough force was made available to Garo Hills by withdrawing from the other districts. This paid dividends as during the year, Meghalaya police arrested as many as 229 militants and killed 23 rebels, around half of them belonging to GNLA, in encounters. However, the cadres of GNLA and United Garo Security Force (UGSF) were instrumental in killing 15 civilians during the year.
The recoveries of the year include more than 1,300 gelatin sticks from all over Garo Hills and more than 1,800 detonators, 80% of which is from North Garo Hills alone. Another significant feature is that 75 IEDs were recovered and defused during the beginning of Operation Hill Storm – III mainly in East Garo Hills. This saved not only Meghalaya Police but also the general public as GNLA had blasted an IED in Williamnagar earlier. In other seizures, 67 weapons of different kinds ranging from AK-47 rifles and German Heckler rifles to pistols and SBBL guns came into the possession of police by way of seizure and when the militants surrendered. The significant surrenders of the year include Rupanto R. Marak, deputy C-in-C of GNLA, Philport D. Shira, area commander of Northern Command, Hedeo Ch.
Momin, border and Southern Command and another senior cadre of GNLA known as Indian, who is the area commander of West Garo Hills. Another achievement for the police was the sudden surrender of GNLA commander Baichung Ch Momin recently. Meghalaya Police had also recovered a very high-powered IED from HNLC operators in the midyear in East Khasi Hills and arrested a group of HNLC and ULFA (I) militants. Police sources revealed that there is nexus between GNLA and ULFA (I) as well as HNLC and ULFA (I). “ULFA (I) wants to make its presence felt in the western part of Assam and may use GNLA for this purpose. Drishti Rajkhowa, deputy Cin-C of ULFA (I), is the main operator of ULFA (I) who has influence in Western part of Assam as well as in Meghalaya,” the source added.
More effort required in education system: Yitachu
Minister School Education & SCERT, Yitachu releasing the jubilee souvenir on the occasion of GHS Sungo golden jubilee celebration at GHS Sungro.
Dimapur, Dec 30: Minister of School Education & SCERT, Yitachu graced the commemoration of GHS Sungro, Wokha golden jubilee on December 14 as the chief guest. According to DIPR report, addressing the jubilee celebration the chief guest said it was a joyous moment to recall and celebrate the visions and farsightedness of our forefathers and elders who had put in so much effort in establishing the institution despite having no proper infrastructure, communication and connectivity. He also lauded the pioneers of the school for producing many responsible citizens from the school.
He lamented that in spite of government effort in selecting the best top teachers for the government schools, only one third of the students were studying in government schools and appealed all to do away with this kind of attitude because we are losing the talents government was giving to mould the future generation. He opined that one should give more effort in developing the education system and give value based and quality education so that other government institution would emulate the success and good result the school. Stating that education must address the need of the hour, Yitachu appealed to the
teachers to give quality education and equip the students with knowledge where they would become an asset not only for the range people but for the state and nation. The chief guest also released the jubilee souvenir. Guest of honour, secretary of Food & Civil Supplies, Legal & Metrology and Consumer Protection, Ramongo Lotha (IAS) who also spoke during the occasion shared his experiences as to how GHS Sungo came to being and the responsible citizens the school has produced since its inception. Additional Director (HOD) School Education, Wonthungo Tsopoe while delivering special greeting said, Sungro GHS was one of the best government schools in the district and urged the teaching faculty to put more effort in order to bring out better result as the school has produced in the past. Asstt. development commissioner, Wokha, Mhonsao Ezung also spoke during the celebration. Headmistress GHS Sungro delivered the welcome address while vote of thanks was given by AHM GHS, Sungro. (Agencies)
Border haats may open gates for better trading Shillong, Dec 30: The State government is banking on border haats to promote trade and commerce with Bangladesh in a higher scale. The State government has already asked the Centre to examine the proposal to set up 24 border haats, including two operational ones and four which have been recently sanctioned. Addressing media persons on Wednesday after a meeting with various agencies over border management, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said more haats along the border can create positive results and that there have been talks to promote such markets. "We need to promote trade and commerce with Bangladesh in a much higher scale so that our border can be a transit point for import and ex-
port of raw and finished products to and from Bangladesh," he said and added that even security agencies can utilise the opportunity to collect more inputs from across the border. Stressing on the need for the Centre to revisit the Indo-Bangla border management in Meghalaya and develop multi-mode transport system and infrastructure, the Chief Minister said the State has urged the authorities in Delhi to examine its proposal to develop Hili in Bangladesh as a transit route, which will connect the northeastern part of India with the rest of the country. The potential of power sector's partnership with the neighbouring country was also discussed. On security, Sangma said
intensification of border patrolling, integration of technology and layering of border security by the State police were also highlighted in the meeting with the stakeholders. "We discussed about layering of border not only by border guards but there should be another layer of security by State police," he said. When asked about the delay in starting the four border haats which have already been sanctioned, Sangma said there were bilateral protocols for the same and the validity of those protocols have lapsed delaying the finalisation of locations for the haats. However, the agreement has been renewed and it is expected the entire process will now be fast tracked. (Agencies)
P5 ‘Depositing won’t be a problem on State holiday’
NORTHEAST
Shillong, Dec 30: The State holiday on Friday, the last day for depositing old currency notes, will not affect banking in the city, said an SBI official from the bank’s urban sector on Thursday. The Centre has declared December 30 as the last date for depositing old notes of Rs 500 and Rs
1,000. The day coincides with the 154th death anniversary of U Kiang Nangbah which is a State holiday. The SBI official said it would not be a problem for people. “For the last 23 days there was less rush to the bank. Although Friday is a holiday there will not be a problem,” he said.
Also, no unusual deposits have been detected by SBI so far, informed officials in charge of urban and rural sectors. “No notice from the Income Tax Department for inquiry has come so far,” said the SBI official.
visiting the bank’s branches has reduced now and the deadline served by the central government would not be an issue. All bank branches witnessed heavy rush following the demonetisation last month.
Similarly, the official in Initially, the arrival of Rs charge of the rural sector 2000 notes did not ease said the number of people the problem as people
were in need of smaller denomination notes. There was shortage of Rs 100 notes. The problem eased after ATM outlets started dispensing Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes. Also, shopping malls, departmental stores and petrol pumps started using POS machines to make things easier for the public.
Bill for protection of Rio urges PM to set alternate depositors interest date for 'Good Governance' tabled in assembly Dimapur, Dec 15: Lok
Agartala December 30 :Tripura government is amending the 'Tripura Protection of Interest of Depositors Bill' to protect depositors from fraudulent Chit funds or non-Banking Financial Companys (NBFC). The bill was placed in the state assembly today by minister for finance Bhanulal Saha. It will be passed after discussion in the assembly on Monday next. This bill had been passed in the year 2000 and was amended for the first time in the year 2011 after the exposure of multi-crore scams involving a large number of Chit funds and NBFCs . The second amendment bill was placed in the assembly today. Speaking to media persons on the contents of the bill , minister for finance Bhanulal Saha said that as per the latest amendment any Chit fund or NBFC interested in starting business here would be re-
quired to obtain trade licence from concerned authority like Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), Nagar Panchayats, Municipal Bodies, Panchayats and Village Committees . But the issuance of trade licence would have to be preceded by a no-objection certificate from district magistrates who would have to have the application from Chit fund or NBFC cleared and certified by the SP of the district upon an inquiry. 'Many Chit Funds and NBFCs started business in the state earlier by producing cerficate of clerance from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) or Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and we could not do anything ; subsequently many of them fled the state by defrauding people ; with the latest amendment we hope to keep them in check ' said Bhanulal Saha. (Agencies)
PDS issue: NPCC takes a dig at NPF-led DAN govt Dimapur, Dec 30: NPCC launched scathing attack on NPF-led-DAN government on the failure to deliver PDS scheme, when the Government of India has been allocating PDS items for every house hold in Nagaland. NPCC president K. Therie claimed that every month the state has been allotted 13,000 MT of rice, 6,000MT of wheat, 1,196 MT of sugar and 14,25,000 litres of S.K. oil to be distributed to the people at subsidised rate. However, most of the people were not getting their monthly rations which led them to raise voice against the government. It also hit out at the government on corruption, claiming that despite the issue raised by the Congress before 2013 general election, the people elected the "corrupt government with even more of a thumping victory". According to Therie, even those members, who voiced against corruption,
have joined hands with those involved in corruption. "We are not innocent voters. 82% are literate and it is our social practice since time immemorial to choose clean, strong and self-content leaders that can help the community and individuals in times of need" he said. NPCC president contended that there are many people, who still worshipped money by keeping away from "Clean Election". He also stated that clean election has been defeated by bribery as most of the "corrupt politicians, imposters, thieve and traitors have money". Therefore, it was every citizen's duty and right to demand what was due to them. But since the DAN government has "absolute power on corruption" instead of addressing the issue, would continue to indulge in corrupt practices, NPCC said. (Agencies)
Sabha MP, Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday appealed to the Prime Minister to choose an alternate day to observe the 'Good Governance Day' instead of December 25, the day of Christmas. While welcoming the initiative to observe Good Governance Day, Rio in his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however said the date, December 25, fell on the birth day of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. By observing Good Governance Day on December 25, Rio said the sentiments of the people in Nagaland and the Christians would be hurt. He further said December 25 is also a state-wide official holiday and that majority of the population attend Christmas Church services and participate in events that commemorate and celebrate the spirit of Christmas. Nagaland being
Lok Sabha MP, Neiphiu Rio. a predominantly Christian state, Rio said the sentiments of the people have also been negatively impacted. He said the apex church organisations led by Nagaland Baptist Churches Council have strongly opposed it (Good Governance Day). "These Church organisations reflect the feelings and sentiments
Anger over cash crunch, SBI gets note of caution Tura, Dec 30: A day after angry customers of SBI's Kharkutta branch pelted stones when the bank ran out of cash, the North Garo Hills district administration on Wednesday issued a stern directive to the regional authorities of State Bank of India asking them to ensure that sufficient money is available in all its branches in the region. Hundreds of people who had been waiting for hours on Tuesday were told by the SBI branch that there was no cash. Piqued by this, the customers, who had queued up after three days of bank holiday, started pelting stones. Police had to rush in to control the angry mob. In the face of limited availability of the new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes, rural bank branches are being
provided only a limited figure by the Reserve Bank of India even before Christmas. Sources in the SBI branch said it had only Rs 80 lakh. A similar situation began to unfurl at the SBI branch in the district headquarters of Resubelpara on the same day as agitated customers began to raise their voices over the slow pace of work and the limited resources available. Here too, police had to intervene to bring the situation under control. The district police have written a strong-worded letter to the SBI's regional office in Tura asking it to ensure that sufficient funds are available since Christmas is the biggest festival in Garo Hills.
clause D "breach of discipline" would be seriously enforced whenever there were such volitions. BJP also reminded members that the parameters of the provision was not confined to only print and electronic media but has wide interpretation including leakage of the party's confidentiality to others. All unit presidents and office bearers have been directed to take note, circulate and adhere to the notification. Meanwhile, BJP unit president has revoked the suspension order of Vethisa Lohe, state executive member with immediate effect. (Agencies)
"We have asked them to increase their cash holdings in view of the Christmas season and to avoid untoward incidents. We are prepared to provide the banks with all logistical support and security to ensure there is no disruption," said a senior Meghalaya police officer in the wake of the Kharkutta and Resubelpara incidents. Meanwhile in Tura, customers at SBI's Chandmari branch complained about the absence of banking staff even after the day's business had started. They complained that some employees were coming in late despite being aware of the situation. They are planning to write a letter to the higher authorities of SBI. (Agencies)
Modi ambassador of corporate houses: CM
State BJP unit issues gag order Dimapur, Dec 30: Nagaland State BJP president, Visasolie Lhoungu, in line with the state disciplinary committee's advice, has notified all party workers in the state against taking party's dispute to any agency outside the party including print and electronic media with immediate effect. In a press note, BJP unit general secretary (media) & spokesperson, Jaangsillung Gonmei, said the order was issued after taking note of "irresponsible issue of press statements" of internal matters time and again. It stated that, henceforth, the party's constitutional provisions under
of the people at all levels of civil society," he stated. In this regard, Rio suggested PM to choose an alternate date as a means to respect the sentiments of minorities, especially Christians throughout the country or to permit the state governments to observe the event on an alternate day. (Agencies)
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma Shillong, Dec 30: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma questioned the Centre's demonetisation move and called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "ambassador" of corporate houses. Reacting to the death of a farmer in Garo Hills, Sangma said the demonetisation move was for the benefit of a few corporate houses
rather than fighting corruption or curb the flow of black money or terror funding. "He (Narendra Modi) has become the ambassador of corporate houses," the Chief Minister told reporters. He criticised Modi for being "insensitive and arrogant" by not reacting to the deaths that occurred post scrapping
of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. The farmer in Garo Hills committed suicide last week and his family has blamed demonetisation for the death. He could not withdraw money to pay back a loan of Rs 10,000 as the bank he had an account with was facing shortage of new currency notes. People from all walks of life, including farmers, are suffering due to cash shortage and the high denomination of Rs 2,000 is inconveniencing all, Sangma pointed out and vowed to flag the problems in a letter to the Prime Minister. "The demonetisation exercise has dislocated the whole momentum of economic activities at all levels and it was done with due diligence. The move was to please a few business houses," Sangma said. (Agencies)
EDITORIAL
DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
Rights for the rightful owners
Today's quote
“
How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think. – Adolf Hitler
Demonetization's deflationary shock? That the Centre's decision to withdraw highdenomination banknotes was going to impact economic activity in the short term was never in doubt. But the specific contours of the effects were probably a lot less understood at the time of that announcement. The deflationary shock has manifested itself in a deceleration in retail inflation, as demand for a range of goods and services have been damped. That the headline Consumer Price Index-based gauge hit a two-year low of 3.63 per cent for November is therefore no surprise, especially given the additional factor of a favourable base effect - the reading was 5.41 per cent in November 2015. The major contributor to the slowdown in price gains was the food and beverages group, where inflation eased to 2.56 per cent largely on the back of a slump in the prices of vegetables, a highly perishable commodity. But a closer look at the food group throws the spotlight on some trends that the Reserve Bank of India had flagged in its latest monetary policy review as areas of concern. Specifically, the prices of sugar and confectionery accelerated by 22.4 per cent while meat and fish and egg also reflected persistently elevated levels. The services sectors, including transport and communication and education, also manifested stickiness, underscoring the rationale for the RBI's cautious approach in keeping benchmark interest rates unchanged. Clearly, signals from the inflation data pose a conundrum before policymakers. With demand impulses taking a wide-ranging knock from the shortage of cash in the hands of consumers, proponents of policy accommodation would argue that the time is ripe for the RBI to cut borrowing costs to help impart some credit-fuelled economic momentum. But as the RBI's Monetary Policy Committee itself articulated it on December 7, "while discretionary spending on goods and services in the CPI excluding food and fuel" could have been affected by restricted access to cash, the prices of those items may weather the transitory effects since they are normally revised according to preset cycles. More importantly, the MPC cautioned that food inflation pressures could re-emerge as a consequence of disruptions in agricultural activity as a result of the currency withdrawal. The spectre of upward price pressures from key components including food and fuel - OPEC's output cuts are already pushing up crude oil - combined with the fading away of a favourable base effect could leave the RBI with little wiggle room to support growth. With the central bank's March 2017 target for retail inflation of 5 per cent clearly in their sights, the monetary authorities may be persuaded to keep the powder dry.
India's winning streak I
ndia's emphatic innings-and-36-run victory over England at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium has effectively broken a jinx. Among all its Test cricket rivals, discounting the hype around games against Australia or the history that permeates jousts involving Pakistan, England had been a bugbear. Twice, India lost Test series in England in 2011 and 2014; it also suffered the ignominy of losing at home in 2012. Redemption finally came in Mumbai as Virat Kohli's men secured an unassailable 3-0 lead with just the fifth and final Test remaining to be played in Chennai, starting Friday. The cobwebs of the past have been shed and a new order is in place. In its last 17 Tests, India remained undefeated, the highlight being 13 wins. This equals the purple patch from 1985 to 1987 that featured four victories, 12 draws and a tie across 17 games. India can do one better if it wins or at least draws at Chennai. The current winning streak includes five consecutive Test series triumphs: Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand and England have been vanquished. From shedding the pangs of transition to charting its own path, the present squad has shown that it respects the aura of Tests and is fiercely motivated to win. It is a trait Kohli shares with coach Anil Kumble. The squad's twin arms, Kohli and R. Ashwin, have worked in pulsating tandem. As a batsman with a concurrent average of 50-plus across all three formats, Kohli is poised to join the league of legends. He has led from the front. England wilted under the weight of his bat that yielded 640 runs at an average of 128. He even played peacemaker when Ashwin and James Anderson had a spat in Mumbai. Ashwin, meanwhile, has powered India's remarkable growth, with both ball and bat. He has bagged 27 wickets in this series, and the final contest at his home ground in Chennai may only enthuse him more. The team's glory is not just restricted to Kohli and Ashwin, the rest have all put their hands up at various times. Be it Jayant Yadav, an able understudy to Ashwin the off-spinner and an effective batsman; Parthiv Patel, called in as a replacement wicketkeeper; seamer Mohammed Shami; or the reliable Murali Vijay, opening with assurance. The squad's inherent strength hasn't waned even when personnel are lost briefly due to injuries (Ajinkya Rahane or Rohit Sharma) or when form deserts (Shikhar Dhawan). India still has a long road to traverse and overseas wins in Australia and England need to be secured. But for now Kohli and his men are enjoying a stupendous home run.
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On the tenth anniversary of the historic passage of the Forest Rights Act, tribal resistance to defend their rights is growing even as government after government tries to dilute its provisions. Brinda Karat On this day 10 years ago the historic Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act was passed in the Lok Sabha. Its conception and passage was the result of the decades of struggles and sacrifices of millions of tribals across India, of their organisations, of numerous activists and intellectuals working on tribal issues, and because of the commitment and efforts of the Left parties. Attempts at dilution A century ago colonial chicanery had turned tribal owners of the forests and its resources into encroachers. A decade ago, the Indian inheritors of this legacy of fraud were working against the Bill till literally the last moment. The real encroachers and plunderers of the forests, the mining companies, the private power sector companies, those involved in irrigation projects, the timber and paper industries, the forest resort tourist industry had high stakes in preventing the passage of the Bill. They were in the company of fundamentalist wildlife and environmentalist groups with their close links with the powerful forest bureaucracy. They made a motley though influential crowd and had the ear of very important people in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government hierarchy. They succeeded in diluting some important recommendations of the Parliamentary Select Committee on community forest rights, access to minor forest produce and so on. The clause that Nontribal Traditional Forest Dwellers would have to show evidence of their occupation of the land for 75 years virtually negated the inclusion of these largely poorer sections, many of them Dalits, in the law. The Left had proposed that for
these sections the Supreme Court-proposed cut-off year of 1980 would be appropriate, while for tribal communities the cut-off year should be 2005. But at the last moment the government surreptitiously brought in the three generation or 75-year clause. The Bill with these obnoxious clauses was circulated and listed for immediate discussion and passage. As soon as we saw it, the Chairman of the Select Committee, Kishore Chandra Deo, and I rushed to the chamber of Pranab Mukherjee, then External Affairs Minister, who was the point person for the Bill on behalf of the government in the negotiations with the Left. There was a mini-drama and heated discussion which finally ended with the arrival of the Tribal Affairs Minister, P.R. Kyndiah, who had been summoned by his senior. In the discussions he assured us that he would move amendments to the Bill. At that time there was no choice but to accept the assurance at face value. It had taken more than a year of struggle to finally get the Bill included in the business agenda of Parliament and listed. The powerful lobbies against the Bill would have used our opposition to once again shelve it. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was playing a duplicitous role - its Adivasi MPs supported the Bill while others were dead against it. They ran a campaign among MPs from the Northeast that if passed, the law would legalise encroachment by "illegal Bangladeshis". This was utterly misleading, but anything was fair in the war against tribal rights. The missing amendments The Bill became law, but without the amendments promised. After much discussion and pressure, some of them were included in the Rules. This also was a big struggle and there was a strong group of activists who along with the Left
representatives could work out a fairly good set of Rules. It included giving prime importance to the role of the gram sabhas. In spite of its inadequacies, there can be little doubt that the Forest Rights Act (FRA) stands as a powerful instrument to protect the rights of tribal communities. It is a hindrance to corporate interests to their free loot and plunder of India's mineral resources, its forests, its water. But the Narendra Modi government is systematically implementing its plan to weaken and dilute the Act in several ways. New attempts at dilution First, it has brought a series of legislation that undermine the rights and protections given to tribals in the FRA, including the condition of "free informed consent" from gram sabhas for any government plans to remove tribals from the forests and for the resettlement or rehabilitation package. The laws were pushed through by the Modi government without any consultation with tribal communities. They include the amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act and a host of amendments to the Rules to the FRA which undermine the FRA. The requirement of public hearings and gram sabha consent has been
done away with for midsized coal mines. BJP State governments and partners in the National Democratic Alliance such as the Telugu Desam Party government in Andhra Pradesh have introduced government orders to subvert the FRA. In Telangana, in total violation of the FRA, the government has illegalised traditional methods of forest land cultivation. The Jharkhand government has brought amendments to the Chotanagpur and also the Santhal Pargana Tenancy Acts which eliminate rights of gram sabhas and permit tribal land to be taken over by corporates, real estate players, private educational and medical institutions in the name of development, without tribal consent. In Maharashtra the government has issued a notification of "Village Rules" which gives all rights of forest management to government-promoted committees as opposed to the gram sabha. This is the law-based offensive. Second, there is the policybased war. The Modi government has declared its commitment to ensuring "ease of business", which translates into clearing all private sector-sponsored projects in tribal-inhabited forest areas. The National Board for Wildlife, with the Prime Minister as Chairperson, was reconstituted,
slashing the number of independent experts from 15 members to three, packing it with subservient officials. In the first three months of assuming office, the Modi government cleared 33 out of 41 proposals diverting over 7,000 hectares of forest land. Of this the major share was for Gujarat companies. In two years the clearances for projects have included "diversion" - or more appropriately land grab - to the extent of 1.34 lakh hectares of forest land. In many areas this will lead to massive displacement of tribal communities. In the multipurpose Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh alone, now given a national status by the Central government, 2 lakh hectares of forest land will be submerged affecting around 85,000 families, more than half tribals, including 100 habitations of particularly vulnerable tribal communities. In almost all these projects, the affected tribal families have not yet received their pattas (land ownership documents), one of the conditions set by the FRA. This wilful disregard and blatant violation of the legal protections given to tribals has become the cornerstone of the policy. Third, there is the deliberate freeze of the actual implementation of the FRA. Neither individual pattas nor pattas for community forest resources are being given. During the UPA-II government the implementation of the Act was virtually hijacked by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and rejections of claims increased. However, now the situation has worsened, and the rate of rejections has gone up during the Modi regime. According to one analysis, between May 2015 and April 2016, eight out of every 10 claims were rejected. This is the 'Gujarat model' in operation. The State has one of the worst records in implementation of the FRA. Although 98 per
cent of the approximately 1.9 lakh tribal claims had been approved by the gram sabhas, the bureaucrats in the sub-divisional committee and above brought the acceptance down to just 38 per cent. This is in sharp contrast to a Left-led State such as Tripura, where 98 per cent of tribal claims have been recorded and titles given. Mixed signals from the judiciary The judiciary has also had a role to play. The same institution, which gave tribals hope through the Samata judgment, the historic Niyamgiri judgment, has also clubbed together a number of hostile petitions to the FRA and is giving them a sympathetic hearing. In January last year the court in an ominous intervention in a writ petition filed by Wildlife Trust of India and others issued notice to all State governments to "file an affidavit giving data regarding the number of claims rejected within the territory of the State and the extent of land over which such claims were made and rejected and the consequent action taken up by the State after rejection of the claims". This has rightly been taken by tribal communities and their organisations as a prelude to mass evictions. Maharashtra issued a notification dated April 23, 2015, directing the police to take action against "identified encroachers", namely those whose claims have been rejected. Till 1985, the department of "Tribal Affairs" was under the Home Ministry. Tribal rights and struggles for justice were viewed as a "law and order issue, always a problem". Under the present dispensation this retrograde approach seems to have been resurrected. On the tenth anniversary of the historic passage of the FRA, tribal resistance is growing all over the country to defend their rights under FRA and other related issues.
Choking is what choking does Nirmal Shekar He was a career choker, said a friend the other day as we were talking cricket and about men who looked like geniuses in domestic cricket but failed most of the time when playing for the country - Graeme Hick, the Zimbabwe born England batsman, for one. Is there a stereotyping of a sportsman worse than that anything physically draining and psychologically at once menacing and dreadfully nightmarish, however high the player might be in the pecking order in his sport? Players don't mind being called losers. They find consolation by saying that they had not lost to a superior athlete; nor do they care much about losing to competitors lower ranked than they are. They can always say that they had one bad day or that the opponent played the match of his life. But the choker tag is something different because it involves the mind more than any other manner of losing. It turns the spotlight into the deepest recesses of one's mind and is much more character-revealing
than anything you can think of. There you are, all alone, at the very last doorstep to victory, and suddenly something goes wrong. You have not even played the ball - all you need is a single good shot on a day when you've been on song for the most part. And the few seconds between what you might have imagined the last ball - a time when you should "Knock, knock, knocking on the heaven's door," as Bob Dylan sang - turns out to be hell on earth. Up 40-15 or 40-30 on serve at 5-4 in the decider in a Wimbledon tennis final; requiring one or two runs off the last ball in an ODI World Cup final; walking up to take the penalty that means everything - the World Cup itself - is the time when you must stay in a state of Zen mindfulness rather than think of what might happen if you failed. Of course chance plays a major role in such situations and the stature of the player or the popular heft of the tournament matters little. But that little makes a huge difference. Remember Roberto Baggio of Italy in the 1994 final against Brazil - arguably, the team's
best player taking the last kick. Then up goes the ball, way above the crossbar. The World Cup has been won and lost by the margin of a single shot. That is a statistic; for, more than that, I would never forget the face of a player displaying such deathly horror and distress. What might have been one of the greatest moments of his career, instead, turned into a nightmare for which he will always be remembered, as unfair as that may be? Did Baggio choke or was it just a part of the game? There are players who carry out the task routinely, as if nothing big were at stake; and there are those who think of the consequences of failure and stand there, shivering, hands shaking a bit, mind all over the place rather than focussing only on the job on hand. How many times have we witnessed these situations in sport! How many times have we seen a Pete Sampras or a Roger Federer hit two successive aces at 15-40 and 5-6 in the final set of a tournament final or semifinal. How many times have we witnessed Mahendra Singh Dhoni turn a seemingly hopeless situation
We are never alone Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? His father takes him into the forrest...blindfolded...and leaves him....alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night...and not take off the blindfold until the ray of sun shines through it. He is all by himself. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night...he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience. Each boy must come into his own manhood. The boy was terrified...could hear all
kinds of noise...Beasts were all around him. Maybe even some human would hurt him. The wind blew the grass and earth... and it shook his stump. But he sat stoically...never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could be a man. Finally, after a horrific night...the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he saw his father...sitting on the stump next to him...at watch...the entire night. We are never truly alone. Even when we do not know it, our family and friends are watching out for us...sitting on a stump beside us.
and bring up a famous victory, prompting us to switch on our television once again? But for every Sampras, Federer, Dhoni or Virat Kohli, there are dozens of people who wish they would never have to be in such situations because they themselves are not sure that they'd be able to pull it off. "I always think what the consequence would be, how the world would laugh at me and how the shot I want to make may not fall in the court," a top-three tennis player told me long years ago. Of course, he got over his early career jitters and did not end his playing years as a choker. But he did confess that his career clearly fell in two parts - before he reinvented himself as a super-confident big match player, and after he unburdened himself of the choker tag. All this goes to prove that chokers are not to be found only among the also-rans; it is a disease that has affected the men and women at the very top. And every sport has its own well known athletes who carry the choker tag. You might want to think of South Africa in limited overs
cricket, or Jana Novotna in a Wimbledon final against Steffi Graf - when she famously cried on the shoulders of the Duchess of Kent - but there are too many examples and the names alone might fill this page. Crucial factor In sport, mental conditioning is as crucial a factor as anything else. Sometimes it is even more significant than great natural talent. This is because sport is played by men and women who are like us for the most part. They don't sport horns or wear a cloak of invincibility. "I think, therefore I am," said the great philosopher Rene Descartes in an entirely different context. But there are times in sport when thinking becomes suicidal. In the men's singles final of the Wimbledon tennis championship in July 2000, the talented Australian serve-and-volleyer Pat Rafter dominated Sampras for almost two full sets. In the second set tiebreak, Rafter opened up a 5-2 lead and the greatest Wimbledon champion was two points from defeat. "Pete, what were you thinking at that point," the American, who hit a second serve ace and
won the tiebreak and the match eventually, was asked at the post-match press conference. "Nothing. I thought of nothing," said Sampras. But what he really meant was that he was not thinking of what might happen if he had lost a point or two there. He had the great gift of emptying his mind of all the psychological trash. Living in the moment is not just a new age religious mantra. If you believe in evolutionary psychology, it may be a matter of life and death in sport. Finally, if you want to find out more about choking in this day and age, just look up the English football team's record in the penalty shoot-outs of major tournaments; Greg Norman's fourth round scores in the Majors when the title was almost in his pocket; Jana Novotna's record in the Majors; Jimmy White's record in world snooker finals - especially in 1994 - and many, many more. Finally, chokers are not pathetic jokers; it is just that they let their nerves get the better of them and the player cracks in pressure situations. Sometimes, wanting too much might lead to losing the whole lot.
Picking up the pieces A lakh trees have been uprooted in Chennai after cyclone Vardah hit the city.In some villages where there are large trees in front of houses, there are people who dress the branches. The trunk is kept intact after branches are trimmed. They almost resemble a skeletal structure. This prevents the tree from being uprooted. Perhaps civic authorities and local bodies should think of such steps to minimise damage. In cities, we must also remember what an environmental activist based in Chennai has said: "I wish those in the administration come up with a tree health management system. Trees need to be considered as environmental infrastructure and looked after...." Sudip Nath Bagchipara, Dibrugarh
DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
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5 Must-Read Stories of Young Indian Women Who Started Changing Lives While Still in Their Teens Sanchari Pal
Across India, young women are increasingly leading and empowering communities through their innovative work. From creating free organic wigs for cancer patients to educating street kids, these confident young ladies are using their courage and creativity to ensure that India sees a brighter future. They may be young, but their passion for making a difference would inspire even the cynics! Here are 5 stories of young Indian women taking chances and changing lives of people near and far. Get ready to be amazed and inspired by these champions of change!
Meera Sharma - Off with their tresses, for cancer!
Avani Singh - A rickshaw of hope!
Anjali Chandrashekhar When a brush is mightier than the sword! Meera Sharma runs Tangled, an organisation that provides organic wigs to women fighting cancer. It all started when Meera found out that real hair wigs for cancer patients were prohibitively expensive (as high as Rs. 30,000) and that synthetic wigs were itchy and extremely uncomfortable. As the chairperson of the Rotaract Club of Women's Christian College, Chennai, Meera decided to do something about this. Along with her dedicated team at the club, Meera started by donating her own hair for the cause. Next, they partnered with the salon chain, Green Trends, and a wig-maker, Raj Hair Intl. Pvt. Ltd, who agreed to make natural hair wigs for them at a price of Rs. 4,500 per wig. These wigs are then distributed for free to the underprivileged cancer patients of the Cancer Institute. The cost of wig-making is borne by the sponsors whose generous contributions make this possible. Today, Tangled is working across India to provide free, organic wigs to cancer patients and boost their self-confidence.
An aspiring industrial designer with passion for painting and sculpture, Anjali Chandrashekhar was just 16 when she raised funds for causes such as natural calamities, child abuse, and rehabilitation of underprivileged children through her artistic creations. In 2008, she used her artwork to raise around 3 lakh rupees at an International Diabetes Charity and used that money to provide insulin and medication to many poor diabetic children. She also won the third prize at the United Nations Poster for Peace Contest for her disarmament posters, Break Free and Cutting a Peace Deal. A firm believer in the philosophy that art transcends barriers of age, language and literacy, 22-year-old Anjali has been working silently on her global social project, Picture It, for over a decade. Through it, she has been using her art to raise funds for various health, humanitarian and environmental causes.
Varsha Varghese - For the love of words!
It was Varsha Varghese's love for books and her experience as a teaching volunteer in Make A Difference (MAD) that made her initiate the The Wordsworth Project. Along with college batchmates, Priyanka Roychowdhary and Rahul Sreekumar, Varsha decided to improve language competency in children. The trio firmly believed that since lan-
guage is the medium through which all subjects are taught, better language skills would directly lead to better learning outcomes. The Wordsworth Project works to create interactive reading spaces in low resource schools and learning centres, by equipping them with books catering specifically to the children's reading level. Mindful that books alone cannot make language accessible, they have also recruited and trained volunteers who teach kids basic grammar through interactive activities. The volunteers also help map the individual progress of each child's progress to help the team analyse the outcome of their efforts and take the necessary steps.
Rashi Anand - A better childhood for street kids!
Seeing the plight of children on the streets of Delhi compelled Rashi Anand to make a difference in their lives. Worried about how vulnerable these kids were to exploitation, Rashi set up Lakshyam, an NGO working for street and underprivileged children in Delhi when she was just 18. Her next step was to set up a Toy Library programme that provided pictorial books and educational toys to street kids. Till date, this programme has donated books and toys to over two lakh underprivileged children in India. Today, Lakshyam has established several schools (called Sakshyam) for street kids in
Small Loans Make Big Entrepreneurs out of 10 Women in the Heartland of UP Since 2002, the Rajiv Gandhi Mahila Vikas Pariyojana, through a network of 1, 31,175 SHGs across 43 districts, has transformed the lives of many women by making them entrepreneurs. Take the story of Usha Singh, an SHG member from Naraini village of Amethi District, who, with two loans of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 and some money saved by her father-in-law, was able to buy two bighas of land and construct and run a co-ed school for 470 students. It was a struggle, but the Sarvodaya Bal Vidya Niketan, set up in 2011 in Nanha Bartoli, adjoining Naraini, is a recognized school with 11 rooms and 11 teachers. As the money came in from admission and tuition fees, rooms were added and teaching scaled to secondary level. Usha Singh, who had studied till graduation, is the headmistress of the school; her husband and father-in-law, qualified and experienced teachers, help run the school. The construction is basic but the teaching standards are high, attracting students. Of the Rs 85,000 a month that comes in as fees every month, Rs 45,000 goes towards teachers' salaries. At Phoolwari village, in the Phoolwari block of Lakhimpur Kheri, Manisha, Rekha and Preeti Gupta of the Ekta Mahila Gram Sangathan, all related by marriage, took loans and helped their husbands open and run Chandan Sweet House at Monu Chat Corner on the main road of Phoolwari. Eight years ago, the shop they ran had been closed and their husbands were out of the village in search of livelihoods as electrician and bus conductor. In 2013, they took their first loan of Rs 10,000, and with Rs 1,000 the family could pool together, started the business. Then, with a second loan of Rs 10,000, they
purchased the required kitchenware. In two years the eatery is doing well and the loan has been repaid with 2% interest. Its samosas, mithai and puri bhaji are in demand and often orders are received in advance. While the women manage the back end of the business, making the products for sale at home between 7 am and 9 am, the sales counters are managed by the men. Sales are brisk and the daily profits range from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500. A family member, Chandan Gupta, who was in the catering business, groomed them for the enterprise, to bring that extra zing to their samosas. The 20 ft by 20 ft shop caters to 10 to 15 people at a time. Rekha, who has studied till Class 5, keeps the books, ensuring that purchase, sales and profits are neatly recorded. Rekha has taken another loan of Rs 15,000 and bought a freezer for keeping cold drinks. Adding to the business, in 2015, Manisha took a loan of Rs 2,000 and her husband bought a machine for packing namkeens. He buys 3-4 varieties in bulk and makes small packets. Not only
have the women been the backbone of the business but their children are going to private schools too and life is looking up. Forty-year-old Kiran, a mother of three, also from the SHG of Phoolwari, had never worked. But seeing the transformation in the lives of other women of her samooh, she took her first loan of Rs 5,000 in 2015 and started a bangle shop from a room in her home in the busy marketplace. Her husband takes her to Lakhimpur and she buys a variety of bangles in wholesale, keeping in mind the latest trends. Having repaid the loan, she has taken another of Rs 10,000 and is now also selling artificial jewellery, mehendi and other decorative items used at weddings and special occasions. Her daily sales are Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 and, during festivals and weddings they shoot up to Rs 4,000 a day. Bypassing money lenders, a large number of the SHG members across the state are taking loans and opening grocery stores, investing in goats, pigs and buffaloes to improve their economic
status. There is no looking back for them. However, two stories that need to be told are of the mother and daughter team of Anju, a 45-year-old widow of Ekta Mahila Samooh, and her 21-year-old daughter Sandya, who, with SHG loans, have been able to take back eight bighas of land they had kept in mortgage. Sarita, 30, of the same samooh, was able to recover five bighas of land that a landowner had grabbed taking advantage of her alcoholic husband. Anju's husband had blood cancer and she kept taking loans from the money lender keeping her eight bighas on mortgage. However, he could not be saved. In 2013, she and her daughter, who is now doing her MA in political science, joined the samooh, took a loan of Rs 20,000 and got back the mortgaged land. The mother and daughter toiled on the land and paid back the loan. Then they took another loan of Rs 10,000 and started running a general store; Rs 5,000 of the second loan too was repaid. Sandya's 12-year-old brother, who goes to school in the morning, runs the shop in the evenings. Sandya, who wants to become a teacher, says, "We have crawled back from hell. We are happy now and don't depend on anyone. The mahajan (money lender) is losing a lot of his clients!" Sarita, mother of 15- and 10year-old boys, joined the samooh in 2013. Her husband worked as a casual labourer and blew up his earnings in booze. A landlord claimed her husband had borrowed Rs 20,000 and grabbed the fivebighas of land the family owned. So she took this amount as loan and recovered her land. A hard working woman, Sarita grows sugarcane on her five bighas, as well as on two more bighas she farms on. After paying off the initial loan she
A Delhi girl, Avani founded Ummeed, a program that trains women from the slums of Delhi to become taxi and rickshaw (electric rickshaws) drivers, when she was just 17. She started this initiative with a single electric rickshaw, donated by the local manufacturer, Green Wheels. To find a driver, Avani collaborated with the Delhi-based NGO CEQUIN to put out a call for volunteers in the Jamia area of the city. Soon, she had her first erickshaw driver, Kohinoor, who was delighted by the opportunity. Today, Ummeed is giving many women a way to earn both a living and a level of physical and social mobility that was previously nearly impossible. Other than training underprivileged women to drive, it also provides and maintains the e-rickshaws.
has taken two more loans of Rs 15,000 and Rs 12,000 and bought two buffaloes. She does farming, looks after the buffaloes and sells milk to improve her earnings. Her husband, living separately, continues to be an alcoholic. "He can no longer bully and beat me," she says. Due to economic empowerment, women are now investing in better, private education for their children. Like Anju and Sarita, five other women of Phoolwari have been able to release their mortgaged land with loans from the SHGs. Lakshmi and Babli of the Pooja Mahila Samooh are big league entrepreneurs. With extremely supportive husbands, th n fact, this samooh got a cash credit limit of Rs 3 lakhs from the Allahabad UP Grameen Bank. Lakshmi took two loans of Rs 20,000 and Rs 10,000 in 2013 to buy utensils, tables, chairs, gas, and basic necessities for running a big dhaba that could cater to over 100 persons every day. The dhaba is conveniently located opposite a cooking gas depot and there is an assured stream of customers from among those who come to collect gas as well as those working in the depot. Lakshmi's husband, Krishna Gopal, has worked at Sheri-ePunjab restaurant as a cook and makes good desi and Chinese cuisine. A plate of dal, channa, sabzi and roti (quantity unlimited) costs Rs 50. Chicken and meat are made to order by Lakshmi at home and bring in more money. Lakshmi says with pride, "Mai gaddi per baithi hoon (I handle the cash)". In addition, she runs a sweets shop where 15 to 20 items of peda, burfi, jalebi, samosas, etc., are made by hired cooks who are paid Rs 220 daily. Lakshmi's five children study in a private school and the couple works hard, saving every day to return the loans.
the slum areas of Delhi. The organization also conducts workshops with street children under flyovers, in red light areas and at railway stations to provide basic education and create awareness about issues like drug addiction. Thanks to Rashi's efforts, Lakshyam has also expanded its work to states like Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Most of us nurture a passion but few translate it into action. These 5 young women didn't just dream about making a difference, they also built an effective social venture around a cause they were passionate about. Old or young, these go-getters are an inspiration to us all! (Source: THE BETTER INDIA)
Don't worry, Be happy Chetan Bhagat Alright, this is not cool at all. A recent survey by Nielsen has revealed that Indian women are the most stressed out in the world: 87% of our women feel stressed out most of the time. This statistic alone has caused me to stress out. Even in workaholic America, only 53% women feel stressed. What are we doing to our women? I'm biased, but Indian women are the most beautiful in the world. As mothers, sisters, daughters, colleagues, wives and girlfriends - we love them. Can you imagine life without the ladies? It would be a universe full of messy, aggressive and egomaniacal males running the world, trying to outdo each other for no particular reason. There would be body odour, socks on the floor and nothing in the fridge to eat. The entertainment industry would die. Who wants to watch movies without actresses? Kids would be neglected and turn into drug addicts or psychopaths by age 10. Soon, allmale world leaders would lose their tempers at the slightest provocation, and bomb the guts out of each other's countries. In short, without women and their sanity, the world would perish. Yet, look at how we Indians, a land of spiritual people, treat them. At an extreme, we abort girls before they are born, neglect them in their upbringing, torture them, molest them, sell them, rape them and honourkill them. Of course, these criminal acts are performed by a tiny minority. However, a majority of us are involved in lesser crimes. We judge, expect too much, don't give space and suffocate our women's individuality. Imagine if you did this to men - won't they be stressed out? At a broader level, this isn't just
about our women. We Indians have a habit of exploiting anyone without power. As a flip side, we are suckers for anyone with power. We look up to corrupt politicians, keep voting them back, and feel they have an entitlement to loot us silly, because they are in power. In fact, we love power so much that when power comes to a woman, we automatically begin to regard her well too. Goddesses, female politicians, senior mothers in a household with a firm grip on family power - they all get our respect. Anyone else doesn't. This kind of society, which values power above equality and justice, doesn't achieve too much. These societies remain like backward tribes, because they do not allow people without power to come up, even though they may have many talents. When we don't allow our women to come up, or create stress for them if they do, we are not allowing half of India to come up. When we abuse our power, we kill the exploited person's will to contribute to society. When we believe powerful people are always right, and the less powerful should be crushed, we resemble a jungle of animals. And animals don't progress, humans do. These regressive attitudes will take a while to change. For now, i want to give Indian women five suggestions to reduce their stress levels. One, don't ever think you are without power. Give it back to that mother-inlaw. Be who you are, not someone she wished you would be. She doesn't like you? That's her problem. Two, if you are doing a good job at work and your boss doesn't value you - tell him that, or quit. Talented, hard-working people are much in demand. Three, educate yourself, learn skills, network - figure out ways to be economically inde-
pendent. So next time your husband tells you that you are not a good enough wife, mother or daughter-in-law, you can tell him to take a hike. Four, do not ever feel stressed about having a dual responsibility of family and work. It is difficult, but not impossible. The trick is not to expect an A+ in every aspect of your life. You are not taking an exam, and you frankly can't score cent per cent (unless you are in SRCC, of course). It is okay if you don't make four dishes for lunch, one can fill their stomach with one. It is okay if you don't work until midnight and don't get a promotion. Nobody remembers their job designation on their dying day. Five, most important, don't get competitive with other women. Someone will make a better scrapbook for her school project than you. Another will lose more weight with a better diet. Your neighbour may make a six-dabba tiffin for her husband, you don't - big deal. Do your best, but don't keep looking out for the report card, and definitely don't expect to top the class. There is no ideal woman in this world, and if you strive to become one, there will be only one thing you will achieve for certain - stress. So breathe, chill, relax. Tell yourself you are beautiful, do your best and deserve a peaceful life. Anybody trying to take that away from you is making a mistake, not you. Your purpose of coming to this earth is not to please everyone. Your purpose is to offer what you have to the world, and have a good life in return. The next time this survey comes, i don't want to see Indian women on top of the list. I want them to be the happiest women in the world. Now smile, before your mother-inlaw shouts at you for wasting your time reading the newspaper.
DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
'Cooperative spirit will help country to be self-reliant' PTI Bengaluru, Dec 30 : President Pranab Mukherjee today said cooperative spirit within the country will help it to become self-sufficient, self-dependent and selfreliant in all the fields. He said the developmental objectives of the nation can be achieved with the efforts of both government and people's organisations supplementing each other. "Bengaluru is emerging as an education hub and the health hub of the rest of India. Thanks to the educationists, philanthropists and medical practitioners and scientists for making their city a centre of both education and health," Mukherjee said. "I have no doubt the way in which the people are developing the spirit of
President Pranab Mukherjee cooperation, the cooperative spirit will truly translate to convert our country to be self-sufficient, self-dependent and self-reliant in all the fields," he added. The President was speaking after inaugurating 'Adamya Chetana
Seva Utsava 2017' and Sri Shankara National Centre for Cancer Prevention and Research here, that was attended by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah among others. Adamya Chetana is a
China blocks proposal to list Azhar as designated terrorist; India concerned Pakistan- based Jaish-eMohammed which is proscribed by the United Nations, has been responsible for innumerable terrorist attacks on India including the Pathankot Air Base attack. "The inability of the international community to list its leader Masood Azhar is an unfortunate blow to the concerted efforts to effectively counter all forms of terrorism, and Pathankot mastermind Masood Azhar. confirms prevalence of double standards in the PTI here. New Delhi, Dec 30 : After its submission, fight against terrorism." China today finally China twice imposed MEA Spokesperson blocked India's proposal "technical" hold on the Vikas Swarup also said the decision by Beijing is to list JeM chief and Indian proposal. Pathankot mastermind However, India said it will surprising as China itself Masood Azhar as a des- continue to push forward has been affected by the ignated terrorist by the with resolute determina- scourge of terrorism and UN, triggering a sharp tion "through the use of has declared opposition to reaction from New Delhi all options available with all forms of terrorism. which termed it as "unfor- us to bring perpetrators "As a consequence of this tunate blow" and a step of terrorist violence to decision, the UN Security Council has again been that confirms prevalence justice". of double standards in the Asserting that its submis- prevented from acting fight against terrorism. sion received the strong against the leader of a terrorist With China blocking backing of all other mem- listed India's proposal, which bers of the 15-member organisation. We had exwas submitted in Febru- Sanctions Committee, pected China would have ary to the 1267 Sanctions External Affairs Ministry been more understanding Committee of the UN said, "We note with con- of the danger posed to all Security Council, New cern China's decision to by terrorism and would Delhi has to make a fresh block the proposal to list join India and others in fighting the common challisting request for Azhar Masood Azhar... to be banned by the glo- "The international com- lenge of terrorism," he bal body, officials said munity is aware that the added.
charitable organisation started by Union Minister Ananth Kumar in 1997 in the memory of his late mother Girija Narayana Shastry, of which he is the chief patron. The organisation works in the field of education with food, education and health as its core intervention. Lauding Ananth and his wife, Tejaswini for their service to society through Adamya Chetana, the President said "We cannot expect government to do everything". "There are many problems which we cannot solve on our own... yes government can do much more than any individual or institutions, but government cannot do everything," he said. Recalling a summit of the
heads of governments held in 1995 in Denmark, in which he participated as Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, he said the summit had recognised that it is the responsibility of people at large to remove social inequality, and highlighted the importance of feeding the hungry children. He said "Ten commitments were adopted at the summit, out of which one important commitment was to feed the hungry children, because when you feed a child you feed a generation, you feed your future". Noting that it is students who are going to be our future and generation next, the President said if they become healthy, educated and energetic, they will be an asset to society and family.
Rahul poses questions to PM on note ban a day ahead of his address
the project. It will also see India graduating to a second stage in its nuke energy programme. The year 2016 saw ISRO launching several satellites, with a major achievement being the completion of the constellation of regional navigation satellites. The year also recorded ISRO's feat of launching 20 satellites at one go. Apart from this, the space agency also launched GSAT18, RESOURCESAT-2A, Cartosat-2 Series Satellites for communication, agriculture and weather-related works respectively. The country's space agency also experimented with projects that would have a long-term impact on its future missions. For instance, the successful tests of the Reusable Launch Vehicles, capable of launching satellites into orbit around earth and then re-enter the atmosphere, from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. India also joined a select club of nations by successfully testfiring its futuristic Scramjet Rocket Engine using oxygen from the atmosphere. However, its achievements were marred by a few jolts. The space agency lost a major case in the Antrix-Devas deal, where ISRO has been asked to cough up several million dollars by a Permanent Court of Arbitra-
Rahul Gandhi. PTI New Delhi, Dec 30 : With 50 days over since demonetisation, Rahul Gandhi today targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi by posing five questions including the amount of black money recovered since November 8 and the number of jobs lost due to the dramatic decision. The Congress vice president took to Twitter asking the Prime Minister as to whom had he consulted before taking the decision and wondered as to why were "experts, economists and RBI not consulted". His questions have come a day ahead of the Prime Minister's address to the nation. Rahul sought to know as to who all deposited more than Rs 25 lakhs in bank accounts in six months preceding November 8
Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) D6 carrying GSAT-6, lifts off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh tion tribunal based in the Hague. The prime minister's ambitious SAARC satellite project also suffered a setback after Pakistan backed out of the endeavour. The satellite, which was to be launched this month, has now been renamed as the South Asian Satellite. ISRO also signed several international cooperation agreements with France, UAE, the US and Israel. For the DAE, 2016 was a significant year as Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant unit 2 got operational. It also became an associate member of the pres-
Hectic efforts on to avoid split in SP, Mulayam calls meet
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav . PTI Lucknow, Dec 30 : With SP facing a rebellion from Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over ticket distribution, its supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has called a meeting of all the candidates allotted tickets amid hectic efforts to stave off a possible split in the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh. The crisis reached a flash point late last night after Akhilesh "circulated" his own list of 235 candidates for the Assembly elections, the schedule for which is likely to be an-
nounced any day now. Shivpal Yadav, the warring uncle of Akhilesh, drove to the residence of his brother and SP chief Mulayam Yadav. The two were closeted for nearly an hour, but it was not immediately known what transpired at the meeting as Shivpal did not answer questions of reporters waiting outside Mulayam's residence. Mulayam has convened a meeting here tomorrow of the 393 candidates who have been allotted tickets by him. Party insiders said the
meeting was very crucial as the SP chief was likely gauge the sentiments of the candidates and conduct a fresh review of the list amid fears that the battle for control in SP left the party cadres divided and highly confused at grassroots level. The meeting will be held against the backdrop of the open rebellion by Akhilesh, who "circulated" his own list of candidates for 235 seats against the official nominees announced by Mulayam. The list, which did not carry any signature, was made available on social media by defiant party MLAs who failed to get a ticket in the official list. As the SP grappled with the unprecedented crisis, senior leader and UP minister Azam Khan voiced deep distress over the developments and said, "Bad blood between relatives has damaged the future of the state." He said the feud in SP was being "celebrated" by its political rivals, especially BJP. .
DMK seeks probe by sitting HC judge over Jaya's death
note ban decision. "With 50 days over since demonetisation, India is waiting for your answers to these five questions, Modiji. Amount of black money recovered after 8 November 2016? Economic loss to the nation and numbers of jobs lost? How many people died due to demonetisation? Has the compensation been paid? "Whom all did PM consult on demonetisation? Why were experts, economists, RBI not consulted? Who all deposited more than (Rs) 25 lakhs in bank accounts in six months preceding 8th November 2016?" Rahul asked on the micro blogging site. A staunch critic of demonetisation, Rahul has already dubbed the move as the single most arbitrary decision in the history of the world affecting 1.3 billion people.
ISRO, DAE aim big in 2017 after Antrix case and missing out on NSG bid New Delhi, Dec 30 : The simultaneous launch of 83 satellites and the fast breeder reactor going critical are some of the targets set by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), respectively, as they look forward to 2017 to put behind the lows of this year - losing the Antrix Devas case and missing out on the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is aiming at a major feat in January with the launch of nearly 83 satellites, 80 of them being foreign, at one go. "We are also launching GSLV Mark III and five communication satellites next year, including the South Asian satellite," ISRO chairman and Department of Space Secretary A S Kirankumar told PTI. Launching of GSLV Mark III will be a crucial development in the country's space history. "Next year, we are hopeful that the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor goes critical," said Sekhar Basu, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and DAE Secretary. If India achieves success in the project, which has been on for over two and a half decades now, it will become the first country to successfully execute
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tigious organisation CERN, which is the world's largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory. However, it also saw Kakrapar Nuclear Power Station unit 1 detecting a radioactive leak, raising concerns over the safety of atomic reactors in the country. A major setback for India was not getting a berth in the 48member NSG bloc. India has been trying hard to become a member of the coveted group, entry of which will give DAE access to critical technologies in the atomic sector. However, despite the backing
of France, the US, the UK, Russia, Australia, Japan and several member countries, India's bid was opposed by China. China has been insisting that only Non-Proliferation Treatysignatory nations should be a part of the group. Another major feather in the cap was the signing of the IndoJapan nuclear deal. After much negotiations stretching over the last few years, the two countries managed to crack the deal, without succumbing to the stringent norms laid down by Japan. The advantage for India in this would be that the deal is expected to have far-reaching impact on future nuclear projects as India can now import equipment needed for the projects. Manufacturing such equipment in India or procuring them from other parts of the globe other than Japan would have increased the cost. In a significant move aimed at putting an end to the contentious nuclear liability issue and assuage suppliers' concerns, India also ratified the Convention of Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, marking an important step in addressing matters related to civil nuclear liabilities.
PTI Chennai, Dec 30 : A day after a Madras High Court judge expressed doubts over the circumstances leading to the demise of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK today sought a comprehensive probe by a sitting HC judge into the death. "A comprehensive probe must be done by a sitting judge of the High Court and people should be told the truth," DMK Treasurer M K Stalin said. Against the backdrop of the court raising questions, he said it was imperative for the government to come out comprehensively on the medical treatment provided to the former AIADMK chief. In a statement here, he said complete medical bulletins, video footage and photos of her getting treatment at the hospital should be released. Citing Justice Vaidyanathan's observation yesterday that he may consider ordering exhumation of the body of the departed leader, he said "it is imperative for
DMK seeks probe by sitting HC judge over Jaya's death. the government to release comprehensive information". Stalin, who had earlier sought a white paper on the treatment given to Jayalalithaa, said there was no statement from the government ever since she was admitted to the hospital on September 22. He said the Centre and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had a duty to answer questions related to the treatment provided for the late leader. Doctors from Delhi's AIIMS too had treated her, he said. If the ruling regime had explained the "true (health) status" of Jayalalithaa and released
pictures of her getting treatment, the issue could not have reached the doorsteps of court, he said. He recalled a statement of his party chief Karunanidhi seeking release of pictures of Jayalalithaa being treated and said, "had the ruling side not viewed it from the prism of politics, the issue would not have come to such a pass". Only such activities has cast a "cloud, giving room for suspicion," among the people, he said, adding it was the right of the people to know about the treatment given to her and the circumstances leading to her death.
Six killed in Pune bakery shop fire, exit locked from outside
Image for representational purpose. Pune, Dec 30 : Six workers were suffocated to death when a fire broke out in a bakery shop whose only exit was locked from outside in Kondhwa area here in the wee hours today. The victims, all hailing from Uttar Pradesh, used to sleep on the loft inside the bakery shop, 'Bakes and Cakes', which is owned by three partners. "We received a call at
around 4.45 AM today and immediately fire tenders were rushed to the spot. As we reached the spot, we saw smoke emanating from the shutter of the shop, which was locked from outside," a fire brigade official said. While efforts were on to break the shutter, the bakery shop owner came to the spot and opened it. "As soon as the shutter was opened, we saw a huge fire
inside and got information that there are bakery workers who were trapped at a loft inside the shop," the fire officer said. The fire brigade personnel wore breathing apparatus sets and climbed a staircase inside to reach the victims. "There were six workers, who were found in an unconscious state. They were rushed to the Sassoon General hospital, where they were declared dead," said the officer. The deceased have been identified as - Ishad Ansari (26), Juned Ansari (25), Shanu Ansari (20), Zakir Ansari (24), Faeem Ansari (21) and Zishan Ansari (21). "Since the main shutter was locked from outside, all the six got trapped inside and died of suffocation," the fire official informed. Prima facie short-circuit is suspected to have caused the blaze. "We have registered a case and investigation is on," an officer at Kondhwa police station said.
DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
BUSINESS China rejects criticism of corruption against CPEC China's envoy to Pakistan, Zhao Lijian rubbished allegations of corruption in $46 billion CPEC projects.
Rupee Recoups 6 Paise Against US Dollar PTI Mumbai, Dec 30: The rupee edged higher by 6 paise to 67.81 against the US dollar at the forex market in early trade on Monday on fresh selling of the American currency by exporters. Besides, the dollar's weakness against some currencies overseas and early gains in the domestic equity market supported the rupee, dealers said. On Monday, the rupee had
lost 11 paise to end at 67.87 on fresh dollar demand from importers and banks. Heavy capital outflows besides near-term consequences of the Federal Reserve rate hike largely kept market sentiments shaky despite a dollar retreat. Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex was trading higher by 53.28 points, or 0.20 per cent, at 26,427.98 in early trade on Tuesday.
PTI Islamabad, Dec 30 : In a rare rebuttal, a senior Chinese diplomat has denied allegations of corruption and unequal distribution of projects under the $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and sought public support against "disinformation" campaigns targeting it. Acting Chinese ambassador in Pakistan Zhao Lijian yesterday addressed a seminar organised by Strategic Vision Institute (SVI) - a local think tank - in Islamabad.
and environmental concerns. But it seems that the embassy officialsare now finally pushing back at the critics of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). "CPEC is working well. But there are some people who are maligning the project, which enjoys the support of most of the people of Pakistan," he said while responding to a question about the embassy's handling of the objections being voiced by different quarters.
"Then why not call it ChinaBalochistan Economic Corridor," he said addressing the detractors.
Media sources reported that the Chinese embassy, had all along been uneasily watching allegations of unequal distribution of projects among provinces, lack of transparency, corruption in CPEC projects,
The main criticism of the project has been that Punjab was the main beneficiary at the cost of smaller provinces. Zhao said some called it 'China-Punjab Economic Corridor', but the reality is that Balochistan had a larger share in the project.
Citing the presentations at the seminar, he said where did all these people get their figures? "Some people are making false allegations," he observed and said public support was needed to counter the "disinformation" cam-
For UK, Brexit eclipsed everything else in 2016 LONDON, Dec 30 : Britain's historic vote in 2016 favouring an exit from the EU was a political upheaval of seismic proportions as it led to a leadership change which brought to power a woman Prime Minister whose first bilateral visit outside Europe to India signalled the depth in ties. Theresa May's choice of India for the trip after assuming office following the June 23 referendum sent a positive message but her government's recent crackdown on student and professional visas can hardly be called India-friendly. 'Brexit' also emerged as the word of the year due to the massive projected repercussions of the June 23 referendum, with the shock defeat forcing David Cameron to step down and triggering a bloodbath in world markets besides opening a fresh debate over issues like immigration and advance of the right-wing across Europe. The early indications for Indo-UK ties seemed positive as there was widespread excitement over the pros-
pect of a free trade agreement between India and Britain -- one of the EU's big three economies, freed from the perceived shackles of its membership of the 28nation economic bloc after four decades. "As we leave the EU, we will forge our own trade deals. The leaders from India, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore said they would welcome talks to remove trade barriers," the new Prime Minister told the House of Commons in September. She then followed up on this promise during her November visit to India which came under very different circumstances than the other high-profile UK visit in April by Prince William and wife Kate - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Her visit also came nearly a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the UK - the first by an Indian premier to the country in nearly a decade. Ahead of the visit, May said she would use this visit to "reaffirm the importance of the strategic partnership
we already have, which delivers huge benefits for both our countries, and to work with Prime Minister Modi to agree to concrete steps to realise our shared vision of going even further in our cooperation across trade, investment, defence and security". However, this message was somewhat overshadowed by her government's wider efforts to curb immigration into the UK, with a crackdown on student and professional visas expected to hit Indians the hardest. Modi was candid in his message as he opened the UKIndia Tech Summit in New Delhi alongside May: "Education is vital for our students and will define our engagement in a shared future. We must, therefore, encourage greater mobility and participation of young people in educational and research opportunities." Within days, tougher new rules announced on November 24 by the UK Home Office for the Tier 2 intracompany transfer (ICT) category, raising the salary threshold requirement to 30,000 pounds, came into force.
He further dismissed allegations of corruption. "This is all taxpayer's money. These are investment projects. How can we tolerate corruption or bribe," the diplomat said, adding a transparent bidding process was in place for award of the projects.About the alleged secrecy, Zhao said all information was readily available.
paigns by the opponents of CPEC. In his briefing, he sought to allay concerns of environmentalists about the coal power projects. "All international standards are being complied. Environmental issues would be taken care of," he said. Zhao also said that China was committed to complete the project and several early harvest schemes will mature in three-year time. He also said that bulk of the money for the CPEC was investment by Chinese companies while China has also given soft and grants also for some projects. Zhao who uses Muhammad Lijian Zhao for his twitter account said he was using social media to dispel impression of any criticism against the CPEC.
P9 Singapore, Bali top destinations for Indians in 2017: Report PTI New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) Singapore and Bali have emerged as the top country and city for Indian travellers to visit in 2017, a trends report by leading travel search engine Skyscanner has said. Singapore is followed by countries like Australia, Malaysia, Maldives and South Africa as the most favoured destinations, says the report. It analyses three years data from Indian travellers, dating back to 2013, Skyscanner said.
Bali as a favoured destination in 2017 with 35 per cent recorded average growth in searches in the past three years. "In 2016, we saw the list heavily-dominated with South Asian destinations and in 2017, there has been a seismic shift to incorporate the near and far - from Australia to Europe," Skyscanner Growth Manager India, Reshmi Roy said. This is an indication on changing travel mindset as it becomes simpler and easier, she added.
Singapore records the highest growth with a whopping 202 per cent average increase in searches since 2013, it added. Among the cities tipped to be the favourite destinations in the coming year, Bali is at the top, followed by Budapest, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur and Amsterdam. Skyscanners data places
"Each year the Skyscanner Travel Trend Report discovers more attributes of Indian travellers," Roy said. Founded in 2003, global travel search company Skyscanner helps meet the travel planning needs of over 50 million people each month. It provides free search of flights, hotels and car hire.
Now, banks asking for source of funds deposited in old currency Cautious bank staffers also checking on last deposit amount, showering a volley of questions to save their own skin New Delhi, Dec 30 : A day after the Union government announced that bank customers would now need to provide satisfactory explanation while depositing more than Rs 5,000 in old currency notes, every bank has come out with its own way to evaluate its customers. At one of the Central Bank branches in the national capital, the bank manager appeared reluctant to accept old currency in the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. "This new scheme is to fix the bank officials. They will ask me why I took money in old currency," said the visibly upset manager, who did not wish to be identified. The manager was asking each customers to write an application detailing why she didn't deposit the money before December 20. The bank has also designed a form asking the customers to fill details like name, account number, and since
when she had held an account at the branch. The customers were also being asked about the details of their last deposit. Some customers were asked to attach copies of their PAN, along with their application letters. The customers in their applications mentioned vari-
ous reasons for not depositing the money earlier. However, long bank queues and December 30 being the initial deadline for depositing cash were the most cited reasons on the application forms. At another public sector bank, the branch manager was yet to begin the process of accepting old cur-
rency notes above Rs 5,000 in total value. "I am yet to get directions from my seniors," the manager said on the condition of not being identified. But the manager was clear that no old currency would be accepted if the customer didn't have any concrete reasons. "I will ask for evidence of hospitalisation or travel be-
cause I don't want to face any inquiry in the future," the manager said. Private banks, a few of which are under scrutiny over money laundering to businessmen, are more sceptical. The second-largest private bank has come out with a form asking customers to detail the source of funds, besides other details.
Shortage of new notes: Several discrepancies emerge in RBI, Govt figures The shortage of notes, it seems, would continue much beyond the 50 days that the prime minister has mentioned IANS New Delhi, Dec 3 0 : Several new and large discrepancies have emerged in the stated positions of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government on the printing and distribution of new currencies following the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes on November 8. These discrepancies include a highly unlikely surge in the supply of high-denomination notes in two days. They also show substantial divergence in figures given by the central banker and those given by the government in Parliament. And finally there's an unexplained hiatus in the supply of notes for 11 days. Either parliament has been misled, or claims about the supply by the RBI are flawed. Let's look at the figures in chronological order: On November 28, the RBI issued a press release saying that the public had
withdrawn Rs 2.16 lakh crore in new notes from accounts or ATMs till November 27. As RBI chose not to give any break-up of this amount, it is fair to assume that some of this was in lower denomination notes of Rs 100 or less. However, according to a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Finance, Arjun Ram Meghwal, categorically stated that, by November 29, a total of 1,608 million pieces (160.8 crore) of Rs 2,000 denomination and 156 million (15.6 crore) pieces of Rs 500 had been supplied -- a total of 1,764 million pieces (or 1.76 billion) amounting to a little over Rs 3.29 lakh crore. The minister's reply came on December 6. One, that the government's number implies that the currency disbursal had shot up by over Rs 1.13 lakh crore in just two days. This, when the RBI had supplied Rs 2.16 lakh crore in 17 days till
Of this amount, Rs 1.06 lakh crore was in smaller denomination currency notes, according to Gandhi, while the rest -Rs 2.94 lakh crore -- implicitly, was by way of high-denomination notes. This figure of Rs 2.94 lakh crore, which was announced seven days after the date of disbursal given in Parliament reply, is substantially less than the amount of Rs 3.29 lakh crore mentioned in the minister's written statement about supply till November 29.
A man counting Rs 2,000 notes. Photo: Shutterstock
then -- at an average of only Rs 12,700 crore a day. Moreover, Meghwal's number pertained only to high denomination notes, whereas the RBI number was a mix of all denominations. In other words, the discrepancy between
the two sets of numbers would have been even higher if the minister's reply in Parliament had included the smaller denomination currency notes disbursed till November 29. Now things begin to get even more curiouser.
On the day the monetary policy was announced (December 7), the RBI revealed a new set of disbursal figures. The Deputy Governor of RBI, R. Gandhi, said a total of Rs 4 lakh crore had been disbursed as of the previous day.
Yet again, on December 12, Gandhi, while speaking to reporters, said that a total of 1.7 billion notes of higher denomination of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 had been issued to the public till December 10. That means, a full 11 days after Meghwal's reply that 1.76 billion high-value notes had been disbursed by November 29, the RBI was stating that the notes given out had been less or at best the same -- if one
assumes that he was giving a rounded-off figure of 1.7 billion. Was the disbursal or printing of new notes stopped from November 29 to December 10?
If we take Gandhi's words at face value, then, even on November 10 -- more than a month after demonetisation came into effect -- there was not much change.
Further, the government has been talking about the printing presses working overtime. Economic Affairs Secretary, Shaktikant Das, told Doordarshan in an interview on December 17 that 80 per cent to 90 per cent of the currency being printed a few days after the demonetisation date was of Rs 500 notes. According to Meghwal's information, the amount of Rs 500 notes supplied till November 29, a full 20 days after demonetisation, was only Rs 7,800 crore (15.6 crore notes).
Of course, the Rs 2,000 notes, which the Economic Affairs Secretary has said were being printed for "months" are considerably more in circulation.
In comparison to the value of notes that were demonetised -- Rs 8.58 lakh crore -- the new Rs 500 notes amount to less than one per cent (0.91 per cent).
The value of such notes supplied on November 29 was Rs 3.21 lakh crore (160.8 crore x Rs 2,000) - almost 47 per cent compared to value of Rs 6.86 lakh crore (of Rs 1,000) demonetised. But Rs 2,000 notes are not easy to spend and have created a bottleneck in the cash economy. Again, according to Gandhi's information, till December 10, there seems to have been no change even in the Rs 2,000 notes circulated. The shortage of notes, it seems, would continue much beyond the 50 days that the prime minister has mentioned.
DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
Iran's Zarif hails Syria truce as 'major achievement' AFP Tehran, Dec 30 : Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif today welcomed a nationwide truce in Syria as a "major achievement" that could lead to renewed peace talks. On the deal brokered by Russia and Turkey - potentially a significant breakthrough in the nearly six-year conflict Zarif said: "Ceasefire in Syria is a major achievement. "Let's build on it by tackling the roots of extremist terror," he posted on Twitter. Zarif spoke by telephone yesterday with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on the latest developments in Syria, where Iran has offered considerable military, financial and diplomatic aid to defend President Bashar al-Assad. "Both sides welcomed the nationwide ceasefire
Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
and emphasised the fight against terrorism, Islamic State (IS) and Al-Nusra groups and their allies," the official IRNA news agency said. Zarif and Lavrov agreed to "continue consultation and coordination within the framework of the tripartite agreement among Turkey, Iran and Russia to hold talks between the Syrian government and rebels" in Kazakstan, it
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added. Turkey and Russia are pushing for talks between the regime and rebels in Astana to begin next month. The ceasefire, announced yesterday by Russian President Vladimir Putin and confirmed by the Syrian army and opposition, does not include designated "terrorists" such as IS.
US expels 35 Russian officials, slaps sanctions over hacking PTI Washington, Dec 30 : In apparent retaliatory action against alleged Russian hacking during the US presidential election, President Barack Obama has slapped a series of sanctions against Russia and expelled 35 Russian officials. "All Americans should be alarmed by Russia's actions," Obama said in a statement yesterday as he ordered a number of actions in response to the Russian government's alleged aggressive harassment of US officials and cyber operations targeting the US election. "These actions follow repeated private and public warnings that we have issued to the Russian government, and are a necessary and appropriate response to efforts to harm US interests in vio-
lation of established international norms of behaviour," he said. The US has also ordered shutting of two of Russian compounds in the country. The executive order issued by Obama provided additional authority for responding to certain cyber activity that seeks to interfere with or undermine US election processes and institutions, or those of its allies or partners. "Using this new authority, I have sanctioned nine entities and individuals: the GRU and the FSB, two Russian intelligence services; four individual officers of the GRU; and three companies that provided material support to the GRU's cyber operations," he said. "In addition, the Secretary of the Treasury is desig-
President Barack Obama. nating two Russian individuals for using cyberenabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information. The State Department is also shutting down two Russian compounds, in Maryland and New York, used by Russian personnel for intelligence-related pur-
poses, and is declaring 'persona non grata' 35 Russian intelligence operatives," Obama said. "Finally, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are releasing declassified technical information on Russian civilian and military intelligence service
cyber activity, to help network defenders in the US and abroad identify, detect, and disrupt Russia's global campaign of malicious cyber activities," he said. Obama said these actions are not the sum total of US response to Russia's aggressive activities. "We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicised," he said. "In addition to holding Russia accountable for what it has done, the United States and friends and allies around the world must work together to oppose Russia's efforts to undermine established international norms of behaviour, and interfere with democratic governance," Obama said.
6.2 earthquake hits US releases detailed look at Trump to meet with intelligence Magnitude Indonesia Russia's election hacking officials on Russian hacking APregion in eastern age. The USGS says no PTI Washington, Dec 30 : US President-elect Donald Trump will meet intelligence officials next week "to be updated on the facts" after the Obama administration sanctioned Russian intelligence services, expelled 35 Russian officials and shuttered two Russianowned compounds in the US. "It's time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation," Trump said. Trump's vaguely worded statement, which did not mention Russia directly, came soon after the Obama Administration yesterday announced a series of punitive measures against alleged Russian hackings during the presidential elections. A top Trump advisor said that it is time to move on. "He'll receive an intelligence briefing this coming week.
And in the meantime, he believes it's time to move on," Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the president-elect, told CNN. "I've been reading all the news reports about these retaliations, these sanctions put forward by President Obama and his administration. Some of them seem largely symbolic. The GRU doesn't travel here, doesn't keep its assets here. No reason allies will follow suit. We're yet to see all of the intelligence reports," she said. Trump, she noted, believes it's time to move on to bigger and better things for the country. Meanwhile, announcement of sanctions against Russia was welcomed by lawmakers from across the aisle. "Russia does not share America's interests. In fact, it has consistently sought to undermine them, sowing dangerous instability around the world. While today s action by the administration is overdue, it is an appropriate way to end eight years of failed policy with
Russia. It serves as a prime example of this administration's ineffective foreign policy that has left America weaker in the eyes of the world," House Speaker Paul Ryan said. The retaliatory measures announced by the Obama Administration are long overdue, said Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham. "But ultimately, they are a small price for Russia to pay for its brazen attack on American democracy. We intend to lead the effort in the new Congress to impose stronger sanctions on Russia," the two Senators said in a joint statement. After years of weakness that have invited and encouraged Russian aggression, the actions by President Obama are long overdue, said Senator Marco Rubio. "Vladimir Putin has made it abundantly clear he is not an ally or partner of the United States, and that his interests are fundamentally not our interests," he said as he welcomed the sanctions against Russia.
Tolotangga, Dec 30 : The US Geological Survey reports that a magnitude 6.2 earthquake has hit a region in the eastern part of Indonesia. The agency says the earthquake hit about 6.30 AM today in the Sumbawa region. The epicenter was about 30 kilometers south of Tolotangga. The agency says the earthquake was about 72 kilometers deep. A resident tells The Associated Press that there are no reports of dam-
tsunami warning has been issued. On December 7, Indonesia's Aceh province was hit by a magnitude 6.5 quake that killed more than 100 people. The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia is prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. A 2004 quake and tsunami killed a total of 230,000 people in a dozen countries, most of them in Aceh.
Turkey detains 40 suspected IS militants in raids AP Ankara, Dec 30 : Turkey's state-run news agency says police have detained some 40 suspected Islamic State group militants in raids in southern Turkey. Anadolu Agency says special forces police, backed by armored vehicles and a helicopter, conducted the raids in the city of Adana early today. Those detained are suspected of membership in the extremist group and
of engaging in IS propaganda, the agency said. Turkey has, since 2015, suffered a wave of deadly bombing attacks carried out either by IS militants or by Kurdish militants. The country sent troops and tanks into northern Syria in August to support Turkish-backed Syrian opposition fighters in clearing a border area of the IS group and curbing the territorial expansion of Syrian Kurdish groups.
S Korea court says Park won't testify in impeachment trial AP Seoul, Dec 30 : South Korea's Constitutional Court today said it cannot require President Park Geun-hye to testify in her impeachment trial that enters the argument phase next week, dismissing demands by lawmakers who voted to remove her over a corruption scandal. The nine-justice court also confirmed the dates when some witnesses will testify but delayed a decision on whether to make companies answer whether they were really forced into sponsoring foundations controlled by the president's jailed friend, Choi Soon-sil. Lawmakers, who are the prosecutors in an impeachment trial, argued it could pressure companies. Park's lawyers, however, said the court needed to
verify facts independent of the findings by state prosecutors, who accused Park of allowing Choi to interfere with government affairs and of colluding with Choi to extort money and favors from the country's largest companies. The court said there was no way to force Park to appear and the trial can proceed without her. South Korea's oppositioncontrolled parliament voted to impeach Park on Dec. 9 over the corruption scandal, and the court has up to six months to decide whether she should permanently step down or be reinstated. During the impeachment trial, the court will also review lawmakers' accusations that Park was responsible for media restrictions and government inaction during a
S Korea court says Park won't testify in impeachment trial. 2014 ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly teenagers on a school trip. State prosecutors have passed the investigation to a special prosecution team, which on Friday summoned an arrested former presidential aide
for the second time this week as they focus on bribery suspicions between Park and the Samsung Group. Ahn Jong-beom, Park's former senior secretary for policy coordination, allegedly directed former Health Minister Moon
Hyung-pyo to pressure the National Pension Service to support a merger between two Samsung affiliates last year. The deal reduced the pension fund's stake in one of the companies by an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in value, but allowed Samsung scion Lee Jae-yong to promote a generational transfer of leadership and increase corporate wealth at the group. Samsung is one of the main companies that gave a combined 77.4 billion won (USD 64 million) to two non-profits Choi allegedly controlled and abused to expand her personal wealth. Choi, Ahn and Jung Hosung, another arrested presidential aide accused of passing on confidential government information to Choi, will be called to testify on January 10.
AP Washington, Dec 30 : The US has released its most detailed report yet on Russia's efforts to interfere in the US presidential election by hacking American political sites and email accounts. The 13-page joint analysis by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI was the first such report ever to attribute malicious cyber activity to a particular country or actors. It was also the first time the US has officially and specifically tied intrusions into the Democratic National Committee to hackers with the Russian civilian and military intelligence services, the FSB and GRU, expanding on an October 7 accusation by the Obama administration. The report said the intelligence services were involved in "an ongoing campaign of cyber-enabled operations directed at the US government and its citizens."
It added, "In some cases, (the Russian intelligence services') actors masqueraded as third parties, hiding behind false online personas designed to cause the victim to misattribute the source of the attack." Over the summer stolen emails from Democrats were posted by an online persona known as Guccifer 2.0, believed by US officials to be linked to Russia. Outrage over documents that appeared to show favoritism for Hillary Clinton forced the DNC's chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, to resign. The US released the report as President Barack Obama sanctioned the GRU and the FSB, the GRU's leadership and companies which the US said support the GRU. Today's sanctions were the administration's first use of a 2015 executive order for combatting cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and commercial espionage.
Because election systems aren't considered critical infrastructure, Obama amended the order Thursday to allow for sanctions on entities "interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions." The retaliation against Russia, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office, culminated months of political handwringing about how and whether to respond to Moscow's meddling. US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia's goal was to help Trump win an assessment Trump has dismissed as ridiculous. Trump said Thursday he would meet with the intelligence community's leaders next week for an update on the situation. The report did not go far beyond confirming details already disclosed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which was hired to investigate the DNC hacks.
Russia vows 'reprisals' over US sanctions Washington, Dec 30 : Russia has pledged "adequate reprisals" over US sanctions and accused Washington of trying to destroy ties by making "unfounded" allegations of interference in the US election. The United States wants to "definitively destroy US-Russia relations which have already reached a low," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, adding that Russia will "react in an adequate manner based on the principles of reciprocity". Washington announced a series of measures against Russia, including tough sanctions on Russia's top two intelligence agencies, the expulsion of 35 diplomats and a decision to shut down two Russian compounds in the US. "We categorically reject the unfounded assertions and accusations made about Russia," Peskov said, according to the Ria Novosti news agency. "The American sanctions against Russia and the expulsion of 35 diplomats in 72 hours are proof of a real paranoia," said Leonid Slutsky, the chairman of the state duma committee on international affairs. "They are once again taking very aggressive measures against our country," he said, according to Ria Novosti. President Barack Obama had all but accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of personally ordering a cyber-hack that many Democrats believe damaged Hillary Clinton's chances in November's closely fought election with Republican foe Donald Trump. The US intelligence community has concluded that a hack-andrelease of Democratic Party and Clinton staff emails was designed to put Trump - a politi-
Russia has denied interfering in the 2016 US election [File: Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin/EPA] cian with no diplomatic experience who has praised Putin into the Oval Office. The US government is also declassifying technical information on Russian cyber activity to help companies defend against future attacks. Richard Weitz, a fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC, told Al Jazeera: "The Kremlin needs to calculate, and it's in a bit of a dilemma here, how much do they want to show they're tough and respond at the risk of harming relations with a new US administration that's coming to power in a few weeks, which clearly wants to improve relations with Russia." The White House says it will provide a more detailed briefing of its claims to Congress, said Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Washington, DC. "The timing of that report is curious, roughly three weeks before Trump is set to be sworn into office," she said. "It's a move that may have been designed to put Donald Trump
in a difficult spot, forcing him as one of his first acts of office to decide whether to lift the Russian sanctions that many members of his own Republican Party support, while at the same time putting at risk the Russian relationship many allege may have helped him win the White House," said Halkett. Speaking after the announcement of sanctions, Trump currently on holiday in Florida - said that it was time for the US "to move on". However, the incoming president also vowed to meet intelligence leaders to learn more. Lilit Gevorgyan, Russia analyst with IHS Global Insight, told Al Jazeera: "What we're seeing is a mismatch between what the outgoing Obama administration is saying, and what the newly elected president is saying about Russia ... Yes, perhaps Russia is celebrating a victory, but I believe that it's a short-term victory. What is worrying is what's coming next."
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Ranji Trophy semifinals: Dhoni to support Jharkhand in Nagpur
Dhoni during a practice session of Jharkhand team. (TOI Photo) New Delhi, Dec 30 : Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is the unofficial mentor to the Jharkhand cricket team, is set to watch his state side take on Gujarat in its first ever Ranji Trophy semifinal beginning in Nagpur on Sunday. Dhoni doesn't play the longer version of the game ever since retiring from Tests but often practices with the Jharkhand players during the domestic first-class season. "He should be there in Nagpur in all probability. He wants to be there. Interactions with him has always been helpful for the boys," a source close to the team management
said. But with the Indian team for the home ODI and T20 series against England expected to be picked in the first week of January, Dhoni might not be in Nagpur for the entire duration of the game. The India limited-overs captain has taken out time for his state team when he is not on national duty. It is rare for the national team captain to train with his domestic team but Dhoni has done so frequently. He dropped in at the nets ahead of Jharkhand's Ranji Trophy opener against Maharashtra at the Karnail Singh Stadium in October.
The 35-year-old was also part of the pre-season camp held at the international cricket stadium in Ranchi. He spent time with the team in Chennai too in August on the sidelines of Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament. Besides providing a morale boost to the players, Dhoni will get crucial net sessions under his belt ahead of international assignments. It has been all the more helpful this season with India having a Test-heavy season at home. With the Vijay Hazare Trophy only starting on February 25, Dhoni won't get a competitive game before the England series starting on January 15.
Lyon puts Pakistan on the ropes with three wickets
Lyon puts Pakistan on the ropes with three wickets.
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Melbourne, Dec 30 : Nathan Lyon answered his critics with three crucial wickets to put Australia on track for a stunning final day victory over Pakistan in the second Test in Melbourne on Friday. Lyon, his bowling consistency questioned by his captain Steve Smith, produced an inspired two wickets in three balls to put Pakistan on the slide. He coaxed Younis Khan to push forward and be caught by Peter Handscomb centimetres off the ground at short leg for 24 and then dismissed skipper Misbah-ul-Haq to an injudicious sweep for a duck. Misbah swept outside his off-stump to Nic Maddinson placed at short fine leg for the premeditated shot. Suddenly both of Pakistan's two experienced batsmen were gone and four wickets down with Australia attacking with their tails up. Lyon struck again just before tea when he had inform Azad Shafiq snapped
up by Handscomb at silly mid-off for 16. Pakistan go into the final session at 91 for five with first innings double-centurion Azhar Ali on 34 and Sarfraz Ahmed on one and still trailing by 90 runs. Offspinner Lyon had figures of three for 21 off 10 overs. Mitchell Starc followed up his big-hitting 84 in Australia's innings, with the wicket of Babar Azam on the first ball after lunch. Azam was trapped leg before wicket for three after Sami Aslam was bowled by Josh Hazlewood off a bottom edge for two in the second over of the innings. Skipper Smith set up the exciting finish with a calculated declaration shortly before lunch. He called a halt to a massive first innings at 624 for eight -- remaining unbeaten on 165 off 246 balls -- to give his fast bowlers a crack at the Pakistan openers just before the interval. The decision to declare was accelerated by Starc's bighitting knock of 84 off 91 balls. Starc clubbed seven sixes, the most in an innings
in a Melbourne Test, and was severe on Yasir Shah, belting the leg-spinner for five sixes. He was given a reprieve on 51 when he skied spinner Azhar Ali to long-off where Sohail Khan fumbled the two-handed chance. He took to Azhar hoicking him for successive sixes and then blasted another six off Yasir before he was finally out caught by Shafiq at backward square leg. His seven sixes surpassed the record in an innings in a Melbourne Test held by Andrew Symonds with six in his 72 against South Africa in 2005. Starc put on 154 runs for the seventh wicket with Smith off 172 balls and upon Lyon's dismissal, caught and bowled by Yasir for 12, Smith said that was enough and raced from the ground. It was the skipper's 17th Test century and fourth for the year and he will finish 2016 with 1,079 runs at 71.93. Australia lead the threeTest series 1-0 after beating Pakistan by 39 runs in the Gabba Test.
P11 India basks in 'Wo-mania', legend of Kohli grows in 2016 PTI New Delhi, Dec 30 : An Olympic campaign saved by the fortitude of three women, a cricket team that rediscovered itself under a bold and zealous Virat Kohli -- Indian sports in 2016 was a dramatic mix of highs and lows wherein athletes mostly raised the bar but administrators found new ways to embarrass the country. As is the case once every four years, Olympic sports found themselves in the middle of inescapable spotlight when India's largest ever contingent made its way to Rio de Janeiro for the 31st edition of the 'greatest show on earth'. A record number of 117 athletes 63 men and 54 women landed in the Brazilian carnival city with the rather unrealistic expectations of going better on the half a dozen medals secured in London, 2012. The Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) had contributed to the unreasonable hype with their outrageous predictions of at least 10-12 medals coming from Rio, a claim hardly questioned before the Games. At the mega-event, the script went terribly awry and more than a week
passed without India coming anywhere close to the podium barring a couple of near misses, most notable being shooting ace Abhinav Bindra and gritty gymnast Dipa Karmakar's fourth-place finishes in their respective events. But just as it seemed that Rio would end barren for India, Sakshi Malik and P V Sindhu saved the country the blushes. While Sindhu became the first shuttler and the first Indian woman athlete to notch up a silver medal, Sakshi became the first female grappler to win an Olympic medal with a bronze that hardly anyone had predicted. These two medals and Karmakar's fourth-place finish in a sport that is not even understood well in India, prevented a complete loss of face. Fittingly, the three were presented the country's highest sporting honour Khel Ratna jointly. But what their heroics could not cover up was the fact that in all these years, government, SAI and the Indian Olympic Association have only been able to make it easy for athletes to claim money once they have made a mark. So, the harsh reality of Indian sports remained the
Virat Kholi. absence of any systematic support for athletes in their formative years which, as seen in Rio, cannot be compensated by doling out crores barely a year before the Olympics. On the cricket field though 2016 well and truly belonged to India, more specifically to Kohli and his 'weapon of choice' Ravichandran Ashwin. An 18-match unbeaten streak in Tests (starting from Sri Lanka 2015) the best-ever by an Indian team - was a testimony to how well Kohli fitted into the leadership role in white flannels. When he took over captaincy from the 'cool as cucumber' Mahendra
Singh Dhoni in the Test format, there were apprehensions that the everemotional Kohli might even end up having a meltdown due to the twin pressure of leadership and being India's top batsman. So far, he has proved the naysayers wrong with the kind of elegance he generally reserves for his strokes. Kohli has remained India's best batsman and has proved to be a dynamic leader too, transforming a young team into confident world beaters at least on home turf. In the limited-overs format, where Dhoni is still in charge, India won the Asia Cup T20 before finishing semifinalists in the
World T20. However, the administrative mess that is common to most Indian sports caught up in a big way with cricket as well. With the Supreme Court bent on imposing governance reforms in the BCCI through the Lodha Committee, the once allpowerful Board has been left scurrying for cover. Severely crippled on the decision-making front, the BCCI is currently staring at a tense future and a January 3 ruling by the apex court is expected to put an end to its anxiety. However, India held the high post internationally with Shashank Manohar taking over as ICC Chairman. .
Starc stars in Aus's stunning last day win over Pak
Carlos Tevez set to earn more than Messi and Ronaldo
AFP Melbourne, Dec 30 : Mitchell Starc spearheaded Australia to a stunning final day innings victory over Pakistan to claim the series in Melbourne on Friday. The fast bowler smashed 84 off 91 balls with a record seven sixes and then captured four wickets for 36 to lead Australia to a resounding innings and 18run victory over the hapless tourists. Skipper Steve Smith set the ball rolling for a dramatic victory when he declared Australia's first innings at 624 for eight just before lunch. That gave Australia a 181-run lead and a minimum of 70 overs to bowl out Pakistan. In the end the Australians needed only 53.2 overs to pull off an emphatic victory and with their 39-run win in the first Gabba Test to clinch the three-Test series. While Smith was named man-of-the-match for his unbeaten 165, it was Starc who put his stamp on the game with his sensational effort with bat and ball. Starc clubbed seven sixes, the most in an innings in a Melbourne Test, and was severe on Yasir Shah, belting the leg-spinner for five sixes. He then got into the act with the ball and took the wickets of Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah to clean up the Pakistan tail for Australia. It was an astonishing collapse by the tourists,
Starc stars in Aus's stunning last day win over Pak. who appeared safe from defeat after amassing 443 for nine declared in their first innings over the first three rain-affected days before losing control of the match. The defeat was Pakistan's 11th straight test loss in Australia after their last win in Sydney in 1995. Skipper Smith set up the exciting finish with a calculated declaration shortly before lunch. He called a halt to a massive first innings at 624 for eight -- remaining unbeaten on 165 off 246 balls -- to give his fast bowlers a crack at the Pakistan openers just before the interval. Starc's seven sixes surpassed the record in an innings in a Melbourne Test held by Andrew Symonds with six in his 72 against South Africa in 2005. Starc put on 154 runs for the seventh wicket
with Smith off 172 balls and upon Lyon's dismissal, caught and bowled by Yasir for 12, Smith said that was enough and raced from the ground. It was the skipper's 17th Test century and fourth for the year and he will finish 2016 with 1,079 runs at 71.93. Pakistan were soon in trouble with Sami Aslam bowled by Josh Hazlewood off a bottom edge for two in the second over of the innings. Babar Azam was trapped leg before wicket for three by Starc on the first ball after lunch. Lyon, his bowling consistency questioned by his captain, produced an inspired two wickets in three balls to put Pakistan on the slide. He coaxed the veteran Younis Khan to push forward and be brilliantly caught by Peter Handscomb at short leg
for 24 and then dismissed skipper Misbahul-Haq to an injudicious sweep for a duck. Lyon struck again just before tea when he had in-form Azad Shafiq snapped up by Handscomb at short leg for 16. Hazlewood removed first innings double-centurion Azhar Ali leg before wicket for 43 after tea, to get the Australians into the Pakistan tail. Jackson Bird bowled Mohammad Amir for 11 before Starc arrowed one in on Sarfraz Ahmed's stumps for 43 and followed on by cleaning up Wahab Riaz for a duck. Starc symbolically claimed the final wicket when Yasir Shah took a leading edge to spoon an easy catch for Bird at mid-on. Lyon finished with the figures of three for 33 off 14 overs.
Paris, Dec 30 : With his transfer to Shanghai Shenhua, Carlos Tevez has become the highestearning footballer in the world, making even more than compatriot Lionel Messi and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo. A source close to the player said that the 32year-old former Manchester Unitedand Manchester City striker will make around 38 million euros a season in China. At the moment, Tevez banks a relatively modest two million euros a season with Boca Juniors. According to Portuguese media, Real Madrid star Ronaldo earns 23.6 million euros a season while Barcelona ace Messi boasts a salary of 20 million euros. Ronaldo and Messi are also lagging behind Brazil's Oscar whose switch from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG last week guarantees him 24 million euros each season. 1. Carlos Tevez (ARG/ Shanghai Shenhua/ CHN) 38 million euros a season 2. Oscar (BRA/Shanghai SIPG/CHN) 24 million 3. Cristiano Ronaldo (POR/Real Madrid/ ESP) 23.6 million 4. Lionel Messi (ARG/ Barcelona/ESP) 20 million 5. Hulk (BRA/Shanghai SIPG/CHN) 20 million.
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DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
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DIBRUGARH, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31
P12 Second consecutive evening Davis Cup tie for India
Second consecutive evening Davis Cup tie for India.
The players were also asked by selection committee chairman SP Misra. We also asked the ITF. The temperature is not going to make much of a difference, so we gave a green signal to it," AITA Secretary General Hironmoy Chatterjee told PTI. Outgoing captain Amritraj said he was no consulted on the timing of the tie but it won't make any difference in the outcome of the match. "February is such month that the timing won't make a huge difference to the outcome of the match. It's not Chennai heat in Pune. But personally, if I was playing, I would have liked to play in day," Amritraj said adding that he was not consulted before finalising the timing. Chatterjee asserted that it was AITA's prerogative to decide on certain matters. "If we have matches in the evening, even people
from Mumbai can come and go back after watching the matches. We want a full house when India play," said another AITA official. India coach Zeeshan Ali said to cash in on the home advantage, it's a good idea to have matches in the evening. "In Pune in February, the temperature would not change much at 11am or 3pm. It would be 2-3 degrees more only. There is no advantage in playing during the day in this month. So we can bring in more people in the evening to the stadium," Ali told PTI from Ooty. "In a city like Pune, it matters. The city has not had a Davis Cup tie for long. People from close cities can also come and support us if we play in the evening," said Ali. AITA had sent out letters to players asking them about holding evening matches and most of them readily agreed on it.
PTI New Delhi, Dec 30 : Keeping in mind the fan support, India will have its second consecutive Davis Cup tie in the evening when the hosts challenge New Zealand in the Asia/Oceania Group I encounter, starting February 3 in Pune. The singles matches on Friday will start at 3pm
while the doubles rubber is scheduled for 6pm start. The reverse singles on Sunday will again start from 3pm. During the World Group Play-off tie against Spain in September, the singles had started at 5pm and the doubles at 7pm at DLTA. The players were consulted on the timing even
Roger Federer says he hopes to play for 2 or 3 more years
'I don't mind if I have to start from scratch again'
AP Perth, Dec 30 : Roger Federer says he hopes to play for at least another three or four years and that his "mind-set is for the long-term" in assessing his tennis future. Federer, who has not played since re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee at Wimbledon in July, will make his tournament return in the Jan. 1-7 Hopman Cup team event at Perth, representing Switzerland with Belinda Bencic. The 35-year-old Federer said Friday he's not sure of the form he'll produce upon his return, but that retirement isn't part of his thought process. "Only when I get asked do I think of things like this," said Federer, who has 17 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any male player. "I don't see it like this, that this could be my last Australian trip, even though it might very well be," he added. "I'm really positive. I took these six months off so I would be playing for hopefully another two to three years, not just another six months or so. So my mindset is for the longterm." Federer hasn't won a Grand Slam singles title since Wimbledon in 2012, and with his injury, has slipped to No. 16 in the world rankings. "Winning titles is a beautiful feeling, rankings at the moments ... completely secondary," Federer said Friday. "As long as I'm healthy and injury free I think I can really do some damage." Federer and Bencic begin play against Britain, represented by Heather Wilson and Dan Evans, on Monday night at Perth Arena. Defending champions Australia, represented by Daria Gavrilova and Nick Kyrgios, begin play Sunday night against Spain. Americans Coco Vandewe g h e a n d J a c k Sock take on Czech Republic's Lucie Hradecka and Adam Pavlasek earlier Sunday in the men's singles, women's singles and mixed doubles format.
PTI New Delhi, Dec 30 : Wriddhiman Saha, who appeared to be doing well in Test cricket before his untimely injury, hopes to make a comeback on the strength of a good domestic performance, even if he is dropped for the time being. That's the reason that the word "insecurity" is not there in his dictionary from his formative years as a cricketer. Wriddhiman missed out on the last three Tests against England suffering from tendonitis (thigh strain) and his replacement Parthiv Patel made full use of opportunities scoring two half-centuries. "No one would like to miss out on a Test series. It's only natural that one would be disappointed if you would have to sit out due to an injury. Now Parthiv has come and done well but I see no reason to feel insecure. At worst, what will happen. I will not be selected for the next Test series. So what is my job? To make a good comeback in domestic cricket post injury and produce performances, which is in my control," Wriddhiman told PTI during an interaction. Ask him if it's that simple, he would reply: "At least for me it is that simple! "I have never let either success go into my head nor has failures affected me. I believe I have been able to maintain that balance till now. And I have been like this since my childhood. I have never been overtly emotional about things.
as captain Anand Amritraj was not consulted since the AITA was not sure at that time whether he will continue in the post or not. "(Tournament Director) Sunder Iyer made this proposal of having matches in the evening so that more fans can come to the stadium and support the Indian team.
Not getting engaged: Virat on engagement rumours with Anushka
Cricketer Virat Kohli. PTI Dehradun, Dec 30 : Cricketer Virat Kohli has quashed reports of his engagement with girlfriend, actress Anushka Sharma, saying they are not getting engaged on New Year's Day. There were reports which suggested that a star-studded engagement ceremony will take place on January 1 in Narendranagar near Rishikesh where the couple are currently holidaying. The arrival of Amitabh Bachchan in the town along with wife Jaya
Bachchan and industrialist Anil Ambani further fuelled the speculation. However, Virat has now ended the confusion on Twitter and said that when the couple decide to get engaged, they would not hide it. "We aren't getting engaged and if we were going to, we wouldn't hide it. Simple... Since news channels cant resist selling false rumours & keeping you confused, we are just ending the confusion," Virat posted on Twitter. Anushka also retweeted the cricketer's
post on Twitter. The actress and Virat, both 28, arrived at Hotel Ananda in Narendranagar last Saturday to ring in the New Year and have been sharing pictures from their vacation on their social media accounts. They are said to have visited an ashram at Ambuwala village in Pathri area of Haridwar district on Tu e s d a y t o o ff e r prayers. Anushka has her roots in Dehradun where her grandmother Urmila Sharma still lives.
Ronaldo rejects 300 million euro move to China: Agent
Wriddhiman Saha
You need to keep life simple," says Wriddhiman. Is it something that he has learned from MS Dhoni, having shared the India and Chennai Super Kings dressing room with him for a number of years, he cuts you short. "I am not like this because I have learnt these traits from Dhoni but I am like this because I am Wriddhiman. Let me tell you one thing, your approach towards life is something that you devise on your own. Everyone is his own coach. These are things you don't learn from anybody," said the introvert boy from Siliguri. Talk about his comeback to competition, Wriddhiman said that his rehabilitation is complete and he will be playing for his club side Mohun Bagan this weekend. "I completed my rehab program at the NCA five days back.
I can resume playing competitive cricket. At the NCA, they worked on a specific muscle tissue that had got weak due to the injury. The next big assignment will be Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (national T20) for Bengal," he said. "Now I will be playing a few matches for my club side Mohun Bagan. I have started usual net sessions and it feels good. I am working with our club coach Palash Nandy. Also with a lot of former Bengal players like Sanjeev Sanyal, Subhomoy Das and Arindam Ghosh in our ranks, the training sessions have been fun." He is a touch sad that Bengal could not make it to the knock-outs of the Ranji Trophy which might have given him a few more top quality matches. "We (Bengal) started off well but during the last phase of the league stage, we did not do well at im-
Madrid, Dec 30 : World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo has turned down the chance to leave Real Madrid for an unnamed Chinese club for a transfer fee of 300 million euros ($315.24 million), his agent said on Thursday. Speaking to Sky Italia at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai, Jorge Mendes said the deal would have been worth 100 million euros a year to the Portugal striker. "From China they've ofportant phases. It would have been great fered 300 million euros had we been able to play in the knock-out stages of the tournament," lamented Wriddhiman. While Wriddhiman's comeback at domestic cricket will happen with T20, the month of February would again kickstart the remainder of the Test season with Bangladesh coming off for one-off Test match followed by the big one against Steve Smith's Australia. Isn't it difficult to switch gears directly from T20 to Test mode, he replied that it's least of problems. "At this level, it's about muscle memory and body reacts to the format naturally. The moment I play T20, I know that I have to attack and similarly when I enter the Test zone, I know I need to be more judicious with the shot selection," he signed off.
to Real Madrid and more than 100 million per year to the player," Mendes was quoted as saying. "But money is not everything. Real Madrid is his life. Cristiano is happy at Real Madrid and it is impossible to go to China. "The Chinese market is a new market. They can buy a lot of players but then again it is impossible to go for Ronaldo." News of the offer made to European champions Real came on the same
day Argentine striker Carlos Tevez joined the Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua from Boca Juniors. No financial details were disclosed but media reports said Shenhua had paid 84 million euros for former Manchester City and Manchester United forward Tevez. Last w e e k B r a z i l midfielder Oscar joined local rivals Shanghai SIPG from Chelsea for a fee that media reports put at 60 million euros.
Cristiano Ronaldo.
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