I want Bihu songs to become a musical rage across the country. : Debojit

Guest at the show he sweated for
- Singer recalls the triumphs & tribulations of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contest
Idol Chat Telegraph India

Voice of India Debojit Saha offers a curtain raiser to Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007...
The stage is set for Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007 and I cannot help but get nostalgic about the popular musical reality show. I feel a sense of deja vu at the very mention of the show and all my triumphs and tribulations at its last edition come alive at once.
I have vivid memories of how my fans in Assam stood by me and helped me win the coveted title.
It would not be wrong to say that Debojit is nobody without the Voice of India title and support of his fans. I will always remain indebted to the Almighty and my fans for helping me win the tough contest.
It gives me immense pride and satisfaction to inform you that Zee TV has invited me as a special guest of honour for the curtain raiser of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge, 2007. In fact, I will perform live for the audience when the show kicks off.
Zee TV will also show clippings of my last year’s journey at the show — from an underdog to a winner.
The show’s new host is young singer Aditya Narayan, son of Udit Narayan. Aditya recently took my interview, which will be aired as part of the inaugural episode of Challenge 2007. The interview mostly rekindles my memorable moments at Challenge 2006.
The special episode will also beam snippets from the show’s last edition, including my visit to Guwahati before the finals. It was extremely touching as hordes of people came out of their houses to greet me and bless me.
All those heartwarming scenes will come alive once again on television during Challenge 2007.
I will never forget my stint at the show. My childhood dream of becoming a popular singer was realised on its sets. It gave me a new lease of life and I have not looked back since.
The shooting for the second edition of Zee Bangla’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has also begun, after the successful completion of the first edition. Anchoring the show is a huge responsibility, but exciting too, as I get to meet many talented, aspiring singers. The show will be aired from May.
The second edition of the show will begin with a Bihu bang. I have sung a beautiful Bihu number for it. I want Bihu songs — Assam’s pride — to become a musical rage across the country. This is the season of spring and I want everybody to get soaked in the Bihu mania. Bihu is all about celebrating the journey of life with great fun and frolic. So let us celebrate life, the Bihu way.

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Please spread the word among all your friends in national interest.


The State Cabinet yesterday decided to establish four new nursing colleges

The State Cabinet yesterday decided to establish four new nursing colleges in Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Silchar and in MMC Hospital in private-public participation and 50 percent of the seats in the colleges would remain with the Government.
On the reports of outbreak of malaria in different parts of the State, Sarma said that till date, 2.50 lakh blood samples were tested and about eight thousand of those were found to be positive. He said that 14 persons died due to the disease so far this year as compared to more than 160 during the same period last year. He said that 11 of the deaths occurred in the areas bordering the neighbouring states. He admitted that the months of May and June would be the critical months for outbreak of malaria.
Meanwhile, the State Cabinet yesterday decided to close down the Cachar sugar mill and to provide VRS to the workers and formed service rules for the employees of the Soil Conservation Department. The Cabinet also decided to hand over the property of the Bongaigaon Thermal Power station to the NTPC for the establishment of a new power project.

RCC bridge unveiled at Hatikhal
SILCHAR, April 27: Sontosh Mohan Dev, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises inaugurated a Rs 4 crore 81 lakh RCC bridge at Hatikhal near Sonai in Cachar district recently, a press release stated. Inaugurating the 165 point 52 metre long bridge over river Sonia, Dev said, with this a long-felt demand of the locality has been fulfilled. He promised to allot Rs 2 lakh for construction of a community hall at Hatikhal. The Union Minister also said that the would arrange one ambulance for the area. Speaking on the occasion, Kutub Ahmed Muzumder, MLA put forward a demand of the locality for a Barak branch.The inaugural function was presided over by Cachar Deputy Commissioner Gautom Ganguly. Earlier, Deb laid foundation stone for Rs 1 crore 51 lakh RCC bridge at Barak Nagar at a function presided over by SP, Home Choudhury, sperintending engineer, PWD (Road).The Union Minister also inaugurated another RCC bridge in Kathal road near Silchar on April 21 last. Tis 21 point 75 metre long bridge was constructed at a cost of Rs 49 lakh thousand under Prime Minister’s Gramin Sadak Yojona, the release added.

New terrorist outfit surfaces in Karimganj
From Our Correspondent
KARIMGANJ, April 27 – Police recently claimed to be in possession of some explosive, facts relating to kidnapping of an II-year child Shuvam, who was first abducted from his Harincherra residence under Barkhola PS and released after a week reportedly on payment of a large amount of ransom by his family. On the basis of these facts, two more youths have been arrested from Ujangram village. They are Babul Haque (18) and Sajjadur Rahman Choudhury (23).
The startling facts that police could come to know in course of investigation of Shuvam abduction case revealed that a new fundamentalist terrorist outfit called Muslim Young Group had emerged recently in Barkhola area which was not only involved in Kidnapping of Shuvam but also largely responsible for a number of criminal and anti-social activities in the area. Police sources said the revealation came after interrogation of Rabeya Begum, a young girl who was arrested from Ujangram village.


Concern over erratic power supply
From our Correspondent
KARIMGANJ, April 26: Erratic power supply at Karimganj even in the day time, for about last one month or so has been a cause for concern for the young entrepreneurs trying their best to earn a honest livelihood by using a device that needs electricity. Power consumers are habituated without light or fan during and after first three or four storms in a rainy season but without presence of any storm or cyclone even torrential rain there were no electricity during four hours in the morning from 8 am to 12 noon regularly for the last 10 days. That does not mean smooth supply during the rest of the day— interruptions seem an regular affair. If things do not improve, law and order problem may arise within a few days.

Cachar Paper Mill Foundation Day
HPC’s multi-pronged strategy to boost production
From our Correspondent
SILCHAR, April 28: “Hindustan Paper Corporation (HPC) has taken up multi-pronged strategy for the modernisation of paper mills, revival of sick units as well as opening of a new mill in order to boost up production of writing, printing paper and newsprint”, said Raji Philip, managing director of the Hindustan Paper Corporation, while talking to the mediapersons on the occasion of the foundation day of the Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram, 28 kms from here.
He noted with optimism about the optimum production of paper at the Cachar Paper Mill and added to say the mill was ready to export 15,000 mt of paper to Bangladesh despite stiff competition from China. With the opening of Sutarkandi border trade centre near Karimganj, it would cost efficient to export paper to Bangladesh by road.
Record revenue earned by the HPC this year would be invested to implement its strategy, he pointed out.

Powercuts hit Silchar stage shows
- Cachar
OUR CORRESPONDENT
April 19: Facing regular loadshedding, organisers of cultural programmes in Silchar are finding it difficult to stage shows in the only spacious hall in the town — the District Library Auditorium. Their last hope, a 25-KVA capacity generator, has developed snags and is lying unused.
Union heavy industries minister Sontosh Mohan Dev had sanctioned Rs 5 lakh from his MP’s Area Development Scheme last year to install a generator at the auditorium, which has a seating capacity of 900. The generator was installed on December 29 last year.
But much to the chagrin of the three lakh population of the town, the generator developed snags on the very day it was inaugurated. Babhikal, a local theatre-group that was to stage a drama that night, had to wait one-and-a-half hours before it could start the show.
A flustered district administration then ordered the auditorium management not to run the generator till it was tested for possible technical faults. Although the high-capacity generator was set up under the supervision of the electrical wing of the state public works department, it soon washed its hands of the issue and declared that it did not have the necessary expertise to repair or maintain the machine.
Sub-divisional officer Dip Kar said his office was not provided with adequate staff for maintenance of the generator and, hence, could do nothing.
Sources said the suppliers of the generator examined the generator, but found no apparent snag. They, however, pointed out that the wiring and gadgets for uninterrupted power supply at the District Library auditorium were meant only for a single-phase power-delivery mechanism.
The company made it clear that unless the wiring and other systems were tailored to a three-phase arrangement, snags would remain.
The administration has still not appointed a trained operator to run and occasionally maintain the generator.
Dev, who had granted the necessary funds for the purchase and installation of the generator, is reportedly annoyed with the dilly-dallying . He said recently that a generator of similar capacity, manufactured by the same company, was providing “excellent service” at his Silchar residence.

Stress on strengthening bonds between Brahmaputra, Barak valleys
GUWAHATI, Assam Tribune April 24 – Silchar Samannay Sakha (branch) of Sadou Asom Lekhika Samaroh Samiti was constituted recently at Silchar Sahitya Sabha Bhawan. Sadou Asom Lekhika Samaroh Samiti is prominent literary organisation of women writers in the State, having more than 270 branches including branches in Kolkata, Delhi, Shillong and Arunachal Pradesh.

People from different walks of life in the Barak valley participated in the meeting held on the said occasion, which was presided over by Hiranya Bijay Bhattacharjee, president of Silchar Sahitya Sabha.

Convenor of the event Kamal Sarma, secretary of Silchar Sahitya Sabha addressed the gathering. Renowned poet Chabi Gupta, Bhabani Chakravorty and Pankaj Chetri, secretary of Cachar District Sabhitya Sabha graced the occasion as guest of honour.

A nine-member executive body team of Sadou Asom Lekhika Samaroh Samiti central committee comprising of Nirupama Misra, Suniti Sonowal, Binita Dutta, Pratima Baruah, Gita Das, Kanaklata Neog, Biva Buzarbarua, Ruma Devi and Manomati Kurmi attended the said meeting and addressed the audience, stressing the need for exchange of literary ideas among different communities of the region and for strengthening the bond of unity and integrity between the Brahmaputra and Barak valley.

The Silchar Samannay Sakha (branch) of Lekhika Samaroh was formed with 21 members, nominating Chabi Gupta as its president, Namita Gowala and Pankaja Singha as vice presidents, Kusum Kalita Thakuria as secretary. This was stated in a press release by the general secretary of SALSS, Pratima Baruah.
 

Multi-lingual folk festival held at Karimganj
From Our Correspondent
KARIMGANJ, Assam Tribune April 24 – Inaugurating the three-day multi-lingual folk festival recently at Karimganj, Lalit Mohan Suklaboidya, MP, lauded the glorious tradition of Karimganj for retaining peace and harmony and hoped that the festival would go a long way in boosting the composite culture of the region.
The inaugural celebration of the festival, organised by ‘Charanik’, a reputed cultural organisation, was marked by a colourful oath-taking ceremony where fourteen representatives of equal members of linguistic, dressed in their traditional attire, took the oath for peace condemning violence in their own languages which include Hindi, Asomiya, Bengali, Mizo, Manipuri, Bhojpuri, Jharkhandi, Malayalam and Maithili.
Dr Sujit Chaudhury, in his speech as the chief guest, traced the origin of the culture, its gradual evolution and relevance in the formation of our present day society with special reference to its role in linking up people’s past and present.

Boom in construction biz, axe on trees
OUR CORRESPONDENT Telegraph India
April 24: A boom in the construction business in the south Assam districts has left timber sharks laughing all the way to the bank.
Every time a building comes up, a tree is sacrificed to meet the growing demand for teak and other precious varieties of wood. Compounding this scourge is the continuing practice of slash and jhum cultivation by tribals scattered in the hill slopes and tilla land along the district’s borders with Manipur and Mizoram.
Senior officials of the forest department in Silchar said forests were being regularly denuded by timber sharks for clandestine sale in the south Assam districts.
Timber is also being ferried illegally across the Barak, Surma and Kushiara rivers to Bangladesh, where there is a huge demand for timber from Cachar.
Data available with the offices of the conservator of forests and the divisional forest officer reveal that the denudation of forests has resulted in a dip in the forested areas under reserved and unclassified forest tracts. One such piece of information is that the green blanket in the mid-eighties comprised 33 per cent of the total landmass. Today, it is at an all-time low of 22 per cent.
A senior forest official in Cachar admitted the situation was alarming. “Such figures are enough to ring alarm bells in the corridors of the authorities concerned. But it appears that many of them are not bothered by such open plunder of forest resources.”
Rama Prasad Biswas, conservationist and lecturer of English at Cachar College, said: “Politicians and officials often talk about the sanctity of forests and the need to conserve the green cover, but the bitter truth is that forests are being openly looted in connivance with the authorities.”
Cachar has seven reserved forests with a combined area of 86,284 hectares. The forests are rich in gamari, segun, cham, jam and teak.
The understaffed forest department is no match for the timber smugglers, who have sophisticated weapons. There are only 83 forest guards, mostly armed with only lathis, to combat the timber smugglers.
The newly raised Assam Forest Protection Force, too, has a strength of only seven personnel. The nexus between timber smugglers and a section of militants operating in the south Assam districts is giving sleepless nights to forest officials. Since 1996, as many as five forest personnel have been whisked away by armed militants.
The president of the Barak Valley Forest Employees’ Union, Jahar Jyoti Chakravarty, said: “We are helpless. It is a daunting task to stop the denudation of forests by vandals who are better organised and possess sophisticated weapons. Worse still, they enjoy the backing of political bigwigs.”

KSA threatens stir over delay in setting up of Central varsity campus at Diphu
From Our Correspondent Assam Tribune
HOWRAGHAT, April 23 – Considering the failure to ensure the setting up of a Central university campus at Diphu in time by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) body, the Karbi Students’ Association (KSA) has threatened to launch a movement in Karbi Anglong.

The student organization expressed serious concern over the dubious tactics of the State government as well as the KAAC. The KSA alleged that despite, frequent submitting of petition on delaying of setting up of the Central varsity campus at Diphu, the government and Autonomous Council body has not ensured any move to set up it.

The KSA further stated that they recently submitted a memorandum to Tapadhir Bhattacharjee, the newly-appointed Vice Chancellor, Assam University, Chilchar regarding the separate university campus.

ISI fomenting trouble in India's north-east: US intelligence

April 23, 2007 11:17 IST
Last Updated: April 23, 2007 11:33 IST Rediff
Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence is working with Bangladesh's intelligence agencies to facilitate cooperation between north-east militant groups like United Liberation Front of Asom and other jihadi outfits in South Asian regions, besides Tamil rebels in Lanka, US intelligence service Startfor has said.
In its latest forecast titled 'India: The Islamisation of the Northeast', it observes that there is a growing Islamisation in the region -- spurred by ISI, and instability in neighbouring Bangladesh which is giving foreign powers (China and Pakistan) a gamut of exploitable secessionist movements to use to prevent India from emerging as a major global player.
Stratfor says there exists a strong nexus between ISI and Bangladesh's intelligence agencies.
There are growing indications, says the report, that these two agencies are working clandestinely in Bangladesh to bring all the north-east-based insurgent outfits and jihadi elements under one umbrella.
"The ISI has facilitated cooperation between ULFA and other north-eastern militant outfits; with the LTTE in Sri Lanka, Islamist militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir, Islamist groups in Bangladesh and a growing number of Al Qaeda-linked jihadi groups operating in the region," it adds.
"ULFA's growing links with Bangladeshi Islamists and jihadi elements in the area are increasingly coming to light," the report claims.
The April 9 attack timed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Assam marked the group's first-ever suicide bombing, a tactic that was pioneered by the Tigers and has been frequently employed by Islamist militants.
ULFA's adoption of suicide bombing, Stratfor says, looks to be the result of the group's increased Islamisation caused by collusion with Islamist outfits in the region.

Coal-laden trucks vitiating Karimganj air
Citizens convene meet to discuss situation
From our Correspondent
KARIMGANJ, April 22: Export of coal to Bangladesh through the main road of Karimganj town has been creating serious environmental problems for the citizens of the district. The situation has reached such a stage that some prominent citizens of Karimganj town, belonging to different spheres of activities, had to convene a meeting recently to discuss the hazard being created by hundreds of trucks loaded with coal which ply through the sub-standard national highway (known as the main road in the busy town area) to export the same to Bangladesh through the Sutarkandi border.

American Center director’s plan for Assam University
From Our Correspondent
KARIMGANJ, April 20 – On a visit to Assam University, Silchar, DG Kelly director, American Center, Kolkata evinced interest in acting as a go-between Assam University and US universities. He expressed this desire while on a courtesy visit to Assam University recently.

Kelly was accompanied by Ramendra Sarkar and Dipankar Dasgupta, both from the American Center, Kolkata. Mr Kelly and others were received at the university by acting VC Prof B Mate and acting Registrar Dr Bhibhas Deb. Kelly visited History, English, Political Science and Mass Communication department and interacted with the teachers and students there.

During the visit of Kelly and his entourage to the departments, Dr Sajal Nag, HoD, History, Dr P Sarma, HoD, English, Prof RR Dhamala of Potential Science and Dr GP Pandey, HoD, Mass Communication introduced the visitors to their respective faculty members and students.

Kelly explained how teachers and students could get facilities for research and scholarships in US universities.

19 Bangladeshis arrested near international border

April 20, 2007 12:37 IST
Nineteen Bangladeshi nationals have been caught from near the international border in Jammu division while trying to cross over to Pakistan, Border Security Force officials said on Friday.
A group of 11 Bangladeshis had tried to cross over to Pakistan via Akhnoor sector on the night of April 18, they said.
However, after being spotted by the security personnel, the Bangaldeshis ran towards river Chenab, from where they were caught.
Preliminary questioning revealed that they were trying to cross over to Pakistan after being brought there by a contractor with false promise of providing employment as labourers.
In another incident, eight other Bangladeshis were caught from Paharpur area of Kathua district Thursday evening while trying to cross over to Pakistan.

Barak Valley Cement eyes expansion

NEW DELHI, April 16: The ongoing wrangling over cement prices following the Budget proposals to contain them has had little effect on the North-East based cement company Barak Valley Cements Ltd (BVCL), which is all set to expand. “The company is seeking to raise its current cement production from a little over 450 metric tons (MT) per day to 650 MT per day, while going for bio-mass based multi-fuel power project close to its cement plant site at Bandarpurghat close to Silchar,” BVCL managing director, Mr Kamakhya Chamaria, told The Statesman.
The attempt to clamp down on prices in the Budget proposals had no impact on BVCL. n SNS

Assam varsity VC feted by Mass Communication Dept
From Partha Sarkar
SILCHAR, April 18 – The Department of Mass Communication felicitated Professor Tapodhir Bhattacharjee, the newly-appointed Vice-Chancellor of Assam University here on the occasion of the third Communication Festival in the new auditorium of the university.

He was presented a scarf and memento as a token of honour for his outstanding contribution in the field of language, literature and higher education, and also for his glorious performance as the senior most professor of the university.

Welcoming and honoring the vice-Chancellor, Dr GP Pandey, HoD, Mass Communication Department, complimented Professor Tapodhir Bhattacharjee for his continuous support, proper attention and encouragement to the department in making it one of the prestigious departments of the country. He applauded the latter for his landmark work, research and unstinting support and pragmatic vision for the development of the university as well as department. He claimed that Bhattacharjee’s appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Assam University was a great recognition for the entire university community and Barak Valley.


Seven years & still no teacher
SATANANDA BHATTACHARJEE Telegraph India
Cachar, April 18: Little students brave deplorable roads to get to class, their tattered satchels carrying the books that their parents have toiled so hard to provide. But the Mejenta Lower Primary School under Kalibari Gaon Panchayat is hardly what school is meant to be.
Ever since the school’s lone teacher, Yagneswar Deb, retired seven years ago, his chair has been lying vacant.
With nobody to conduct examinations, students have been getting automatic promotions every year.
Residents say that repeated pleas to the education department to appoint a permanent teacher have fallen on deaf ears.
Frustrated by the long wait, parents and guardians staged a demonstration in front of the panchayat office three years ago.
The protest yielded a piecemeal solution — a Sarva Siksha Abhiyan official of the district selected a local youth, Bidhan Das, to take classes and assured him of permanent employment if he continued to serve the school voluntarily.
Since Das’ “appointment” was unofficial, the department did not interview him formally.
Two years of “voluntary” service later, Das learnt that a teacher had been appointed for the school without his knowledge.
The irony of it all was that the selected youth, Chaolakpao Rongmei, could neither read nor write Bengali.
Located seven km from Kalain, the nearest developed spot, communication is another major problem for students.
With the education department leaving the school to its fate, residents are now contemplating legal action to ensure that their wards get a qualified teacher.
At the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan office, officials are reluctant to offer any explanation for the blatant show of apathy.
The only assurance given — as always — is that the issued would be looked into.

‘Influx will turn State into another Kashmir’
By A Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, April 12 – Leading intellectuals of the State, who gathered at a meeting at the Paltan Bazar Srimanta Kristi Bikash Samiti Naamghar here on Tuesday, expressed their serious concern over the continuous influx from neighbouring Bangaldesh. They also warned that if allowed to continue unabated, this influx would ultimately turn Assam into another Kashmir in the near future.

Already, people and cultures of the countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia and states like Kashmir were tormented by similar influx of people of other religions. Assam has become the latest victim of this phenomenon and now this has been posing a serious threat to Assam and the culture of its people.

A planned campaign is launched to encroach upon the land of the sattra institutions of the State and the number of the encroachers is proliferating at a tremendous pace. This has been rapidly reducing the Hindus to minorities in the State. The encroachers have already killed some of the sattradhikars of the State. The indigenous women are also not safe in the areas dominated by these people, said the intellectuals while addressing the meeting.

The speakers at the meeting also resented the fact that despite a High Court order to evict the encroachers from the sattra land, the State Government had displayed inertia in this regard and alleged that a conspiracy was on to make Assam a part of greater Bangladesh.

They also criticized the ongoing process for delimitation of the Assembly constituency as a part of a grave conspiracy to rob the indigenous people of their hegemony over State politics.

To combat the menace, they suggested unity of the Hindus of the State, saying, only this could work as the panacea to the influx-related affliction of the State.

In addition to this, the speakers also laid stress on adopting an appropriate work culture by the indigenous people, besides mounting pressure on the Government to effectively check the influx problem.

The meeting, which was presided over by former Commissioner and Secretary to the State Government Dr Rohini Kumar Barua, was addressed by former Director General of the National Museum Dr Rabin Dev Choudhury, former editor of The Sentinel DN Bezboruah, former editor of the Dainik Asam Dhirendranath Chakravorty, former Vice Chancellor of Tezpur Univiersity Dr Kishori Mohan Pathak, former Dibrugarh Univeristy Vice Chancellor Kamaleswar Bora, chief of the Srimanta Sankar Sangha Karuna Kanta Kalita, Asam Sattra Mahasabha president Bhadra Krishna Goswami, NE Haridev Sangha secretary Kanteswar Kalita, Eksaran Bhagawati Samaj president Dayal Krishna Bora, Advocate Kuntala Deka and noted writer Atulananda Goswami, among others.