Workshops
in Guwahati and Silchar by Pandit Askaran : Debojit
Opportunity beckons
- Singer’s guru to hone talents in Silchar and Guwahati
Idol Chat Telegraph India
Voice of India Debojit Saha writes about the workshop he
has planned for the benefit of budding singers of the
state...
At the outset, let me wish you all a great Bihu. The
resonance of spring is everywhere in the air. So is music.
And this festive season, I would like to offer a musical
treat to all my fans. It is a great honour for me that my
guru, the Mumbai-based Pandit Askaran Sharma, has agreed
to conduct workshops in Guwahati and Silchar.
The workshops will also feature his wife, Yogai, who is a
musical genius. I am greatly obliged to guruji and his
wife for honouring my request. I know Sharmaji has a busy
schedule and taking out time for the workshop is really
generous on his part.
Silchar will be the first stop for the workshop, which
will begin on April 28 and end on May 1. The one in
Guwahati will be conducted from May 5 to 8.
The motive behind organising the workshop is to expose
aspiring singers of my native land to the best of grooming
available in Mumbai.
I have always wished to provide the best teaching and
technical facilities to my young friends of Assam who
aspire to take up singing as a career. I know that if you
do not receive proper grooming early, it is hard to excel.
I have been fortunate to receive training from the very
best in the industry andI now want all to be able to avail
of this opportunity.
The workshop is not a commercial venture. In fact, it has
been designed in a manner where learners have to pay only
a nominal fee. Those who wish to be a part of the workshop
can call 9954212756.
As far as the selection is concerned, guruji has made one
thing clear: that only genuine learners can participate.
Many Mumbai-based singing superstars, including Sunidhi
Chauhan and Richaa Sharma, are students of guruji. So, I
am sure many budding talents of the state will benefit
from his magical tips.
MP
Jewellers makes forays into Silchar
From our Correspondent Sentinel Assam
SILCHAR, April 17: MP Jewellers, a leading name in the
country opened their tenth showroom here and second in the
North-east at Sadarghat, opposite Silchar municipality.
The aesthetically designed and well-decorated show room
aesthetically designed and well-decorated show room was
formally inaugurated recently by MS Koneenika Banerjee,
one of the leading and popular actors of the Tolywood.
The first showroom in the North-east was opened at
Guwahati six months ago.
A unique collection of jewellery was unveiled during the
opening of the impressive and spacious showroom. “The
collection, a very special range, has been specially
crafted by the best designers and artisans of the
country”, said Biplabankur Roychowdhury, chairman of the
company.
The showroom provides the customers enough space to move
around at ease and have their from the well-stocked
jewellery on offer.
The state-of-the-art designed showroom has
customer-friendly environs to give them a new feeling and
experience.
MP Jewellers, added Roychowdhury, was first to introduce
Hallmarked jewellery in the eastern region in 2000. All
jewellery are specially crafted by the traditional and
skilled artisans of Bengal with expertise of generations.
It was also the first house in the eastern region to
launch the ever popular platinum jewellery in the state of
West Bengal along with Platinum Guild of India,
culminating in the first ever platinum exhibition called
‘Platinum Tulkalam’ which has become a calendar event.
In its quest for innovative and unique creations, it has
been patronised by every swelling customers. This has
inspired MP Jewellers for continuous innovation, making it
the first home grown jeweller to fabricate jewellery for
the international design competition named “Auditions”
hosted jointly by Anglo gold Ashanti and World Gold
Council, funded by Rand Refinery Limited, South Africa.
“We have plans to open more such showrooms in other
important locations across the country to enable the
customers experience the value of quality, design and
shopping experience in an ambience they deserve”, pointed
out Roychowdhury.
Keeping in mind the discreet and discerning buyers of
diamond jewellery, “it is our constant endeavour to
reflect their needs and aesthetic sensex in designs and
quality”, said Roychowdhury.
Making
the colours sing
- Painter Trideep Kalita inspired by
Zubeen’s songs on life
A STAFF REPORTER Telegraph India
Guwahati, April 17: Art can talk, it can make you feel,
but can it sing?
“Yes,” says Trideep Kalita. And this budding painter is
using his deft brush strokes to paint songs on the canvas
to prove his point. Not just any song, but the
“soul-touching” numbers by Zubeen Garg.
In the first-ever show of its kind, Kalita’s solo painting
exhibition will feature 27 paintings based on the an equal
number of songs by Zubeen.
Christened Art from Heart, the exhibition opens tomorrow
at the Gallery Artists’ Guild in Guwahati and will
continue till April 23. All the paintings have been
personally signed by the singer himself.
In fact, Zubeen has consented to inaugurate the exhibition
tomorrow.
The young painter said the songs by Zubeen have inspired
him to seek the meaning of life through colours.
...... more on http://www.zubeen.og
Six
HIV-positive cases in Silchar town
From Partha Sarkar
SILCHAR, April 17 – Blood samples collected during January
to March last from Silchar town has resulted in detection
of six HIV positive cases. Among them, two are truck
drivers, two female sex workers and two commercial sex
workers (CSW) who belong to redlight area. This was stated
by Nivedita Nari Sangstha (NNS), an NGO working in this
area.
NNS is working on HIV AIDS Intervention Programme on FSW
and truckers. Recently, they collected 200 blood samples
from 110 FSW, 88 truckers and two from CSW were taken.
Among them, six persons were found HIV positive.
NNS was established 1996. It has been registered under
Societies Registration Act 1860 in the year 1997 and
functioning in a rented house at Sonai Road. Since its
inception, NNS has been disseminating information among
downtrodden women in the field of social welfare, health,
development along with the action projects and assisting
the allied agencies in the concerned field.
Team
India in Silchar?
Benefit tie hits new hurdle
- World Cup debacle casts a shadow on match in aid of
Assam cricketer
IMTIAZ AHMED, Assam Tribune
Guwahati, April 5: Team India’s dismal show at the ICC
World Cup has not only disappointed cricket fans in Assam,
but also virtually defeated an initiative by the Assam
Cricket Association (ACA) to hold a benefit match in aid
of septuagenarian sports personality Abani Hazarika.
The ACA had planned to organise a benefit match involving
Team India players, along with senior state players after
the ICC World Cup. The funds accumulated would have been
used for the treatment of the former state first class
player as well as Santosh Trophy footballer, who has been
ailing for a couple of years.
If the plan materialises, it will be the second-ever
benefit match to be organised in aid of any sportsperson
in Assam. A similar match was organised over two decades
ago in aid of Pulin Das, veteran sports personality and
founder secretary of ACA.
The ACA was supposed to host the match at the S.M. Dev
Stadium in Silchar where cricket fans rarely get the
opportunity to watch the national heroes playing live.
The cricket association also secured the BCCI’s nod for
the availability of Team India players after the
Bangladesh tour in May.
However, the World Cup debacle has prompted the ACA and
the District Sports Association of Silchar to rethink.
“We can’t expect a good crowd to turn up to watch the Team
India players immediately after the Caribbean debacle. We
will now have to think of a friendly international between
Team India and either Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan et
al to draw the crowds. Another option is to wait till the
next season,” said DSA Silchar general secretary, Babul
Hore.
Moreover, it would be a risky affair for the ACA to invite
Team India for any engagement, from the security point of
view, considering the prevailing ire of the disappointed
fans against them.
Silchar also has infrastructure constraints, like flight
connectivity and hotel accommodation, even where hosting a
friendly international is concerned.
On the other hand, to wait till the next season, as
proposed by Hore, would not be feasible, as the proposed
beneficiary is in need of immediate support.
The organisers indicated that they could also look for
another option of “glamour cricket” involving actors and
actresses rather than the men in blue. The ACA had earlier
shelved similar plans twice. The first time the match was
to be held in aid of flood victims of 2004 but was shelved
owing to security reasons. The second time, it was
postponed because of the Games.
Abani Hazarika, the unsung hero of Assam cricket was once
the answer to Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. Today, he is a
dejected and forgotten hero, largely neglected by the
sports fraternity.
Rs 40
lakh fund approved for car parking in Silchar
Rs 17-cr Central fund for Cachar district
From Our Correspondent
KARIMGANJ, April 16 – Cachar is the first district in
Assam to receive Rs 17 crore from the Centre under
Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) for the implementation
of 31 schemes across the district. Of the allotted fund,
Rs 1.37 crore has been earmarked to Zilla Parishad, Rs
4,24,52,000 for Anchalik Parishad and Rs 8.15 crore for
Gaon Panchayat. Besides, Rs 2.22 crore has been allocated
for town area. This was revealed by DC Gautam Ganguly to
mediapersons at Silchar.
The schemes include construction of capacity buildings,
mini cold storage, renovation of fishery, sports complex,
market sheds, concrete bridges incentives to exportable
handloom, eco-hatchery and weaving centres.
In view of the acute traffic congestion in Silchar town,
Rs 40 lakh has been allotted for car parking building, a
suitable site for which is being identified. Gautam
Ganguly, DC, said infrastructural facilities are being
created at inter-State bus terminus located at Ramnagar in
order to motivale buses and trucks to move to the terminus
and the vehicles associations have been advised to act
accordingly. On the question of acquisition of land for
Silchar bypass in order further to ease traffic snail in
the town, he disclosed the process for the same is
continuing and he is confident it will be completed soon.
Time to
croon with 'Star Voice of India'
Robin Bansal and Rakshita Pandey
New Delhi: It's time again for the music aficionados to be
high on heels as yet another opportunity is to knock their
door. The brand new talent hunt show 'Star voice of India
- Sa Re Ga ma Pa Dha Ni Sa' is all set to hit the small
screen this summer on Star Plus.
Auditions for the show will take place across six cities
in the country, including Kolkata, Mumbai, Indore, Delhi,
Jaipur and Lucknow. After an exhaustive round of auditions
and performances, thirty participants will come together
and compete to become the voice of India’. The talent from
each city will also be given an opportunity to perform
live in their respective cities before the show goes on
air.
The host for the show will be the versatile and talented
voice of melody, Shaan. Alka Yagnik, Abhijeet, Aadesh
Shrivastava, Jatin and Lalit will chair the stage as the
esteemed panel of judges. The show will be directed by
Gajendrra Singh, the man behind some of the most popular
music programs on television.
Announcing the launch of this exciting new show, Harsh
Rohatgi, General Manager, Marketing and Content, Star
India Pvt. Ltd. said, "It’s a date with destiny - not just
for the participants but for the viewers as well!. This
summer, be prepared for some fireworks." Adds director
Gajendrra Siingh, "Music is our passion and we have always
endeavored to produce something that relates to music. Our
focus has always been on scouting talent and with Star
Voice of India, we are sure that we will do it once
again."
The prize money for the show will be Rs.20 lakhs, which
according to Rohatgi "is not as important as the platform
that will act as the launch pad for the winner’s career."
When asked about the controversies surrounding the
selection process in such talent hunt shows, Gajendrra
Singh asserted, "the auditions will be completely
transparent and we plan to take the help of legendry
singers of that particular city to pick the best among
equals. The selection of the winner will be based on the
judge’s discretion and on the audience poll via sms."
On being questioned about the fairness of public poll via
sms, singer Abhijeet said, "the final ten would be the
cream, they will be more or less equal; however, the one
who wins will cash the lottery."
"We still have not been able to find legendary singers
like Kishore da and Mukesh Ji. We are always putting in
efforts to tap hidden talent in the country and we want
the winners to get recognition not only at the national
level but across the globe." said Lalit Pandit, eminent
music-director and a judge on the panel.
The show promotes an effort to bring pure and original
music to the audience vis-à-vis the remix trend that has
recently gained popularity. The concept of the show is
music and the process is churning the blue of talent to
bring the cream to the limelight.
Captors
keep cops guessing
OUR CORRESPONDENT Telegraph India
Karimganj
April 9: The kidnappers of bamboo trader Subhash Dhar have
halved their ransom demand from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 25 lakh
and instructed his family to route the money to them
through someone in Guwahati.
Police sources in Karimganj said the kidnappers called
Dhar’s family from his cellphone and asked them to wait
for more specific instructions like when the ransom should
be paid.
Superintendent of police P.C. Saloi said the identity of
the gang behind the kidnapping remains a mystery, but
quoted intelligence reports as saying that the Barak
Valley Youth Liberation Front might be behind it. He did
not rule out the possibility of some “local gangs” joining
hands to kidnap the trader.
Dhar was kidnapped on April 2 while he was returning to
his residence at Karkhana Putni, on the Indo-Bangladesh
border, from the industrial township of Panchgram in
Hailakandi district.
Probe
heat on molestation
OUR CORRESPONDENT Telegraph India
Hailakandi, April 14: The Hailakandi district magistrate
has instituted a magisterial inquiry into the alleged
molestation of a woman trader from Mizoram by six CRPF
jawans at Bairabi station on Tuesday.
The incident has sparked tension along the Assam-Mizoram
border. Traders who ferry goods to Bairabi market are
afraid to board the train as they are apprehensive of
violence.
Assam excise and the border area development minister
Gautam Roy has sought the intervention of the chief
ministers of the two states to restore normality.
Sub-divisional officer (Sadar) S.N. Singh, who was asked
to conduct an investigation on Friday, held discussions
with top-ranking officials in police and administration of
Kolasib district in Mizoram and met the mother of the
victim in Bairabi.
The six jawans, who were on routine patrol, were handed
over to police by the villagers. Five of them were later
released.
Assistant commandant of CRPF’s 151 battalion V.K. Singh is
trying to secure bail for E.K. Nathan, prime accused in
the case, who was remanded in judicial custody on
Wednesday.
The mob damaged three CRPF vehicles and also set another
on fire. Inter-state train services from Badarpur to
Bairabi were disrupted by Mizo villagers. They also forced
non-Mizo shopkeepers to down shutters.
Several organisations, led by the Young Mizo Association
and the Mizo Zirlai Pawl, have demanded the withdrawal of
CRPF jawans from the border post.
Bangladeshi rebels sneak into
Silchar Assam
OUR CORRESPONDENT Telegraph India
Silchar: Activists of fundamentalist groups operating in
Bangladesh have been sneaking into south Assam in order to
escape the heat of the crackdown on extremists in that
country.
Intelligence agencies have reported that at least two
batches of militants with fundamentalist leanings crossed
over into Assam recently.
The last batch, comprising nine militants, entered Assam a
couple of days before the execution of the infamous Bangla
Bhai and five others on charges of sedition.
Haryana
Police in Silchar
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Silchar, April 12: Assam and Haryana police, in a joint
raid conducted in the South Assam districts and Mizoram
yesterday, picked up Sekul Ahmed Choudhury — kingpin of an
inter-state gang of carlifters whose area of operation
stretches from north India to the Northeast.
Choudhury, 35, a resident of Koroikandi village under
Udarbond block in Cachar, told police that he had set up
bases in Mizoram, Assam and Manipur in 1998. He even
married a Mizo girl who looks after his illegal business
in Mizoram.
Cachar police said the gang used to steal cars in north
India and transport them to the Northeast, particularly to
the south Assam districts, Manipur and Mizoram where it
always had a ready market.
Police said, while conducting the search at Choudhury’s
house in Udarbond block yesterday, they seized a huge Tata
truck of 909 model which was kept concealed in the
backyard of the house.
The gang used to strike deals with a section of the staff
in district transport offices in Barak Valley and Manipur
to get fake numberplates.
Last year, it pulled off as many as 40 car thefts in the
south Assam districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi.
Haryana police will stay in Silchar for a few days to
trace other members of the racket.
‘India
and America working for better world order’
From our Correspondent
SILCHAR, April 12: “India and the US are working together
in shaping the international order in the 21st century.
The two largest democracies in the world which share
economics and common culture are close to each other and
are trying hard for positive developments. And both the
countries recognise that our corporation can greatly
benefit both the nations and the international community.”
This is how Douglas G Kelly, director of the American
Centre, Kolkata, expressed his views while interacting
with media persons at ‘Meet the Press’ programme of
Silchar Press Club on Monday.
On the question of India becoming a permanent member of
the Security Council and America’s qualified stand on the
issue, he said the US “is not against the expansion of the
Security Council but favours a balanced body as a part of
its highest level of decision making policy”. This policy
he added, will change. It is not a long-term policy.
Kelly denied Bush administration’ s blind support for
General Pervez Musharaff of Pakistan. America wants
friendship with both India and Pakistan in the interest of
the sub continent. He admitted ‘situation in Pakistan is
complicated’. While expressing concern at terrorist acts
like bomb blasts, the latest being on a train, he said
both the countries should resolve Kashmir tangle without
third party intervention.
With collaborative approach, the US and India can help
secure clean, reliable and affordable sources of energy.
Depleting energy resources, he pointed out, has activated
research in America for exploring more and more renewable
sources of energy. Compared to India and China, America
looks better, he said.
Down
hills, vales & memory lane
- NF Railway plans to hardsell Jatinga Steam Safari to
European tourists
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Telegraph India
Silchar, April 10: In two more years, when the
Badarpur-Lumding track is converted to broad-gauge, a lone
smoke-spewing steam-engine train will still chug along a
meter-gauge line, carrying a 104-year-old legacy.
And since the stretch from Badarpur in North Cachar Hills
to Lumding in Nagaon is picture-postcard pretty, with
mountain streams, tunnels and forests, the railway has
grand plans to rake in some moolah from the heritage ride.
An aggressive publicity drive has been launched by the
railways to woo European tourists to the Jatinga safari —
a steam engine train ride from Badarpur to Lumding.
A Northeast Frontier Railway official said the ongoing
gauge conversion would lead to fewer tunnels on the new
route, but the “overall charm of the journey will remain
intact”.
There were fears that the gauge conversion would throw the
steam safari out of action, so the railways have decided
to retain the metre gauge track solely for the journey.
The metre gauge track was built in 1892, 10 years after an
engineer, John Buyers, was assigned the task of connecting
the Brahmaputra and Barak Valleys in the Lumding-Badarpur
hill section by rail.
The current gauge conversion work on the Lumding-Badarpur
section is expected to be completed by 2009.
An NFR official said if boosted by adequate publicity in
Western countries, the safari would become a regular
affair instead of the present system of “run-when-there-
are-tourists” .
The safari was inaugurated in 2003. But since then, only
three batches of overseas tourists have been able to take
this ride.
“There is a nostalgic charm in the journey as the engines
are fired by loads of coal which triggers off wisps of
smoke as the train chugs along the track. European
tourists are greatly enchanted by such journeys in an
antiquated train, most of which have already been shunted
into museums all over the world,” said Hiralal Sarkar,
area officer of Northeast Frontier Railway at Badarpur.
Sources said the Railway Board would mount the publicity
blitz in some select European countries, including
Scotland and Ireland.
The idea behind this campaign is to woo descendants of
people from Great Britain who are enamoured by tales from
Assam related to them by their ancestors who had a stint
in India, either as tea executives or civil servants, a
source added.
Acute
power shortage affects Silchar residents
From Partha Sarkar, Assam Tribune
SILCHAR, April 8 – The current crisis in power supply in
Silchar town has become a vital problem for the public. It
is not only hampering the daily life but also hitting the
students appearing in examinations hard.
Recently, the students of Assam University gathered at the
office of the General Manager of the Central Assam
Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (CAEDCL) at Silchar.
The students said that despite charging huge amount of
money from the consumers, the company is not able to
provide electricity. Besides, since Assam University is on
the outskirts of the city, there is hardly any power at
night. Since water is related to power supply, they have
to face water related problem also.
For the same reason, few days back, some women at Link
Road came out in the road demanding adequate power supply
They even locked an office of CAEDCL which is situated at
Link Road. But yet there have been no changes.
Bihu by
the Mississippi- Assamese & American culture to meld at
unique show
SAMIR K. PURKAYASTHA
Guwahati, April 4: This spring, the Brahmaputra will meet
the Mississippi.
Come April 28, the sound of dhol and pepa will fuse with
that of the guitar and drum at a unique concert at
Minneapolis in the US.
Organised by an Assam-based voluntary organisation,
Society for Promotion of Appropriate Development Efforts
(SPADE), and the US-based Well Institute for Deep Cultural
Studies (WIDCS), the concert will help raise funds for
young, underprivileged women in Assam.
The programme, christened “Brahmaputra Meets Mississippi”,
will see artistes from the East and West come together to
create a harmonious fusion at the Jefferson Elementary
School.
In fact, the highlight of the programme will be an
“international fusion” featuring Afro-Brazilian and Indian
performances.
Bihu dance by local Assamese artistes would be another
attraction, said SPADE president Anuradha Dutta.
Tea
production in Barak Valley declines by 10%
From Our Correspondent, Assam Tribune
KARIMGANJ, April 4 –Tea production in Barak Balley
declined by 10 pc during last one year. At the same time
the industry could not yet escape the slump that had
gripped it a few years back. This fact was mainly brought
forward by the tea planters at the 36th annual general
meeting of the Barak Valley Branch of Tea Association of
India (TAI). Every speaker expressed concern about the
crisis of the tea industry was facing.
D P Goala, minister, urban development and general
secretary of INTUC affiliated Cachar Chha Shramik Union
said, tea labourers working in Barak Valley gardens were
ready to extend their helping hand to the planters
community in their present phase of crisis by putting all
out efforts to increase quality tea production. He
catgorically said the work culture in tea garden must
prevail at any cost. I am not in favour of any compromise
so far as the work culture is concerned,” said DP Goala
adding that he could well realise the truth that only hard
labour to enhance quality production was the option before
the tea industry to tide over the present bad patch.
175-year-old Silchar town ready to turn the corner
Town ready to turn the corner
- Civic makeover after 175 years
OUR CORRESPONDENT, Telegraph India
Silchar, March 30: Creaking under the weight of a swelling
population, civic amenities in the 175-year-old town of
Silchar can only get better. The good news is that the
much-awaited makeover is happening soon, and how!
A spruced-up Gandhi Bag, a swanky supermarket,
state-of-the- art parkomat and, as a sign of the times, a
modern multi-storeyed municipality building are part of
the plans.
Blessed with a natural bounty — the Barak flows languidly
along Silchar and sylvan hills girdle it — this
15.75-square km headquarters town has long been waiting
for a remodelling and beautification process.
Funds for the project have been sanctioned by the Centre
and the state government. One of the schemes is the
makeover of Gandhi Bag, a 30-bigha wide oasis of green in
the concrete jungle that the town is rapidly turning into.
Beautification plans for this 72-year-old park include
landscaped gardens, flowerbeds, a jogging track for
morning walkers and a toy train for children — all built
around the lake at its centre. The budget for the park
project is Rs 30 lakh.
A four-storeyed supermarket — the first in the Barak
Valley — will come up at Goldighirpar near Nazirpatty
Road, the commercial hub of the town. To be built at a
cost of Rs 16 crore, the complex will house as many as 600
stalls. It will also have a sprawling parking lot on the
ground floor, to accommodate150 cars and 40 motorbikes at
a time.
If the state’s second biggest town is on the fast track to
progress, can its municipality be far behind? Sources
informed that the 120-year-old vintage building of the
Silchar municipality will be dismantled to make way for a
multi-storeyed structure. Dispur’s urban development
department will grant the Rs 7 crore required for the
project.
Another Rs 40 lakh will go into the construction of a
multi-storeyed parkomat — the second of its kind in the
Northeast. Cachar deputy commissioner Goutam Ganguli today
said the site for the parking space would be a municipal
plot, to be selected in consultation with the Silchar MLA
and the chairperson of the Silchar municipal board.
A major civic improvement is also in the pipeline. The
town will get a much-needed drainage network to end its
seasonal waterlogging woes. The massive Rs 170-crore
project will be executed by the National Building
Construction Corporation.
Work is expected to begin as soon as the ongoing satellite
survey of this town gets over, sources added.
New VC of
Assam varsity
SILCHAR, March 27 — Prof Tapodhir Bhattacharjee has joined
as the new permanent Vice Chancellor of Assam University.
Prof Gautam Biswas, who was the acting VC for four months,
handed over charge to him. The appointment was given by
the President of India and the Central University Search
Committee. Since inception Prof Bhattacharjee was
associated with Assam University.
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