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Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Cong slams Himanta, Assam govt over tribal evictions, corporate bias
Guwahati: Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora criticised chief minister and his govt, accusing them of unjust shooting and dispossession of indigenous and tribal communities through eviction drives and favouring corporate interests. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Bora's sharp remarks come just months ahead of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections and amid ongoing mass evictions across several districts of Assam. Addressing a press conference on Friday, Bora alleged that the BJP, which came to power on the promise of 'Jati-Mati-Bheti' (community, home and hearth), has instead displaced tribal communities and handed over land to corporate tycoons under the guise of clearing encroachments. "Their slogan has shifted from Jati-Mati-Bheti to the interests of Adani, Ambani, and Ramdev," he said. He recalled the 2017 Amchang eviction under former CM Sarbananda Sonowal, which left over 1,000 Mising, Bodo, and Karbi families homeless, and alleged police firing injured two women -- Bina Doley and Malati Das -- during a separate eviction drive in city's Panjabari area. "During the protest against AIIMS at Raha in 2017, Mintu Deori, a youth from Tiwa community, lost his life during a gun fire. Similarly, during the CAA protest, five men died," Bora added. Further, he alleged that thousands of bighas of land have been lost, and indigenous tribes have been displaced as a result of development projects like the satellite township in Palashbari, thermal power in Dhubri and Kokrajhar, solar power plants in Karbi Anglong and Nagaon, and more. "A 55-MW hydropower project is planned at Kulsi river in Ukiam on the Assam-Meghalaya border. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A 62-metre dam threatens 26 villages near Chandubi lake, inhabited by Rabha, Bodo, Garo, and Khasi people in south Kamrup, which would damage about thousands of lands comprising about 400 villages," he added. He also accused the govt of cutting funds meant for SC, ST, and OBC welfare — citing reductions of up to 10-20% — and delaying ST status for ethnic groups awaiting recognition since 2016. "Similarly numerous autonomous councils like the Raha, Mising, Sonowal Kachari and more have faced repeated fund cuts, or delays in disbursements, which were meant for their development," he further added.
Hans India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Delhi Assembly Speaker calls PAC and CAG 'watchdogs of democracy'
New Delhi: Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta has highlighted the critical role of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in maintaining transparency and accountability in governance. He described both institutions as essential tools that function like warning systems for the government, urging them to act and stay accountable. Gupta made these remarks during an interaction with members of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly's Public Accounts Committee, who visited the Delhi Assembly as part of a study tour from July 12 to 14, 2025, which also included stops in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. Welcoming the delegation at the Assembly premises, Gupta commended the visiting legislators for their commitment to inter-legislative dialogue and knowledge-sharing. The Meghalaya delegation included PAC chairperson Charles Pyngrope, along with members Lahkmen Rymbui, Gavin Miguel Mylliem, Rupert Momin, Rupa M. Marak, Sengchim N. Sangma, Jimmy D. Sangma, Ian Botham K. Sangma, and Balajied Kupar Synrem. Their visit aimed to exchange ideas and learn from best practices in other state legislatures. During the meeting, Gupta inquired about Meghalaya's demographic profile and the structure of its Public Accounts Committee. Pyngrope explained that Meghalaya was a matrilineal state, primarily inhabited by the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo tribes. He also shared that the state was governed in part by autonomous district councils under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which are designed to protect tribal interests. The PAC in Meghalaya consists of 10 members, including a chairperson who is typically chosen from the Opposition to ensure a balanced oversight mechanism. Gupta also introduced the delegation to Delhi Assembly's Audit Para Monitoring System, a digital tool designed to enhance financial accountability by systematically tracking audit observations. The Meghalaya legislators appreciated the system and shared insights into their own procedures for financial oversight. They also discussed potential strategies for making legislative committees more effective and responsive. Vice Chairperson of the Delhi Assembly Mohan Singh Bisht and PAC chairperson Ajay Mahawar were also present during the session, which concluded with a shared commitment to strengthen legislative scrutiny and promote better governance through informed collaboration between state assemblies.
India.com
12-07-2025
- India.com
Can You Really See The Milky Way From A City? Shillong Might Just Blow Your Mind!
The Indian city of Shillong provides visitors with a stunning landscape combination of Meghalaya's capital and its beautiful green scenery with its wonderful weather conditions. Shillong surpasses its reputation as a picturesque cultural hub to become an unsuspecting location which attracts star-gazers. This hill station positions itself as a top astronomy destination because it features minimal light pollution alongside clear skies while situated in an exclusive geographical region. There are seven outstanding reasons why Shillong functions as a perfect stargazing destination. 1. Minimal Light Pollution The main benefit of visiting Shillong for stargazers stems from its negligible amount of light interference in the atmosphere. Thanks to its small population density and limited urban boundaries Shillong presents an opportunity for observers to see enhanced star-light in its night sky. The environment in Shillong lacks the bright flash of commercial signs and factory emissions allowing people to view celestial objects directly and through telescopic instruments. The unspoiled natural surroundings enable observers to witness the Milky Way and all its constellations as well as meteor showers without any visual interference. 2. High Altitude and Clear Skies Shillong exists at a height of 1496 meters or 4908 feet above sea level. глядя upwards at night proves rewarding in Shillong because the specific high altitude has a cleansing effect on atmospheric conditions. Due to its cool mountain climate atmospheric factors like haze and smog become less prominent thus enhancing cosmic visibility. The seasonal variability in Shillong includes an optimal winter period that creates outstanding conditions for people who want to observe celestial bodies in the night sky. The clear skies during this period welcome stargazers to perform uninterrupted observation of the night sky. 3. Proximity to Nature The serene natural environment surrounding Shillong that includes forests, hills and lakes enhances the quality of astrophotography by providing clear night sky observation. Three prime locations which both deliver breathtaking views and quiet seclusion from human existence include Umiam Lake alongside Elephant Falls and Laitlum Canyon. Natural landscapes give stargazers a complete experience of observing the universe as they share peaceful moments with their environment. Natural landscapes meeting celestial wonders produce an exceptional type of enchanting environment. 4. Rich Indigenous Knowledge of Astronomy The Khasi together with the Jaintia and Garo tribes inhabit Meghalaya as the indigenous people who share deep traditions with the stars. Traditional tribal knowledge includes celestial pattern interpretations needed for navigation in addition to agricultural knowledge and cultural practice methods. Different ceremonies and festivals within the community use natural lunar phases and positions of particular stars for their planning and execution. Visits to the local populations let stargazers discover the distinctive interpretations of ancient groups assigned to celestial observations. Shillong offers a combination of space exploration knowledge with indigenous ancestral beliefs that enhances the specialized observational activities for star watchers. 5. Ideal Location for Observing Southern Constellations Located on the Tropic of Cancer Shillong enables viewers to observe constellations in both northern and southern positions. From its geographic position Shillong enables skywatchers to witness southern constellations including Centaurus and Crux (Southern Cross) during the year in addition to regular northern views of Ursa Major and Cassiopeia. Shillong offers an extensive range of observable constellations which makes the place attractive to astronomers at different skill levels. 6. Growing Interest in Astronomy Local people together with tourists have displayed an increasing fascination with astronomy throughout Shillong in recent times. Many educational institutions alongside organizations in Shillong organize astronomy-related workshops together with telescope viewings and public lectures for their audience. The annual Geminid Meteor Shower event draws spectators from various parts of India. These initiatives mesh the stargazing community and enable additional individuals to investigate cosmic wonders in the night sky. The trend has accelerated due to the market-wide availability of affordable telescopes and binocular equipment. 7. Tourism Infrastructure Supporting Stargazing Shillong supports its astronomy tourism with comprehensive tourism infrastructure. Tourists can view nighttime panoramas of the sky while staying at many hilltop home stays together with eco-resorts and campsites. Passionate guides from various establishments run stargazing tours which assist stakeholders with astronomical identification of celestial objects. One can enjoy an unforgettable outdoor experience by camping under the starry skies at Dawki and Cherrapunji. Sustainable approaches in the hospitality sector protect environmental integrity so that Shillong's natural scenery remains untouched for generations to come. Conclusion Shillong fulfills stargazers' dream destination since it unites its positive environmental climate with scenic beauty and multiple cultural elements. The special hill station welcomes amateurs studying astronomy and professional researchers by offering observation opportunities for everyone. Shillong stands out as a universe-understanding haven due to its light pollution-free conditions along with clear skies and thriving indigenous knowledge and developing astronomical professional network. Shillong awaits your telescope alongside its 'Scotland of the East' title where you will witness an enchanting celestial dance of stars in the heavens.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
GU looks to integrate northeastern languages into digital ecosystems
Guwahati: Regional languages of the northeast are all set to get integrated into a modern digital ecosystems at Gauhati University. The initiative aims to enable computers to process and understand these languages through parts of speech (PoS) tagging that involves assigning grammatical labels, such as nouns, verbs, or adjectives to words. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now To make these regional languages suitable for digital processing, the university's Information Technology (IT) department collaborated with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). A three-day-long national workshop on PoS tagsets for northeastern languages, organised by the IT department in collaboration with the university's Centre for Research and Development in Digital and Endangered Local Languages (CRD-DELL), was inaugurated on Thursday by state eductaion minister Ranoj Pegu. "From counting on fingers to digitalising everything, we've moved from ancient practices to a digital era, embracing AI and technology for a transformative future," Pegu said at the event. "We're proud to organise this workshop, which will help preserve and promote our region's rich languages through technology, ensuring they thrive in the digital age," Vice chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta said. "This workshop marks the culmination of a nationally significant effort for northeastern languages and seeks to finalise PoS tagsets, which are basically sets of grammatical categories for 12 languages of the region — Assamese, Bodo, Manipuri, Khasi, Garo, Mizo, Rabha, Karbi and others — thus ensuring their proper representation in AI, the digital world, and Natural Language Processing frameworks," said Shikhar Kumar Sarma, dean of the university's faculty of technology. According to Sarma, the main objective is to make these languages more suitable for digital processing as they have unique grammatical characteristics. This PoS tagging process can help develop efficient multilingual software, digital archives and chatbots, using northeastern languages.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Joint Assam-Meghalaya hydropower project opposed
Members of 19 organisations hit the streets in a southwestern Assam town on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) to oppose a 55-megawatt hydropower project planned jointly by the governments of Assam and Meghalaya on the Kulsi River, a natural habitat of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin. The protest rally culminated in these organisations submitting a memorandum each to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K. Sangma via the Circle Officer of Kamrup district's Chhaygaon, about 40 km from Guwahati. The organisations include the local units of the All Rabha Students' Union, Assam-Meghalaya Joint Protection Committee, Garo National Council, Khasi Students' Union, All Assam Koch Rajbanshi Students' Union, All Assam Bengali Youth Students' Federation, All Assam Gorkha Students' Union, All Assam Tribal Sangha, and Christian Forum. The two Chief Ministers announced the plan for the 55-MW hydropower and irrigation project after a meeting on June 2 to resolve the remaining six of 12 disputed sectors along their 885-km interstate border. The other six areas of difference were resolved through an agreement in March 2022. The Kulsi River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows down from the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The organisations said in the memorandum that a protest meeting was convened at Ukiam, near the site of the proposed hydropower project, on June 9. They said that people in Assam and Meghalaya to be affected by the project, agreed that the dam plan was 'unreasonable' and would kill the lifeline of the cultivators and fishermen in the area, apart from harming the environment irreparably. The organisations said the natural vegetation and crops are dependent on the Kulsi River, whose water level falls significantly during the dry season. 'If the proposed 55 MW Kulsi Hydropower Project is installed at Ukiam, it will affect the southern Kamrup district areas from Ukiam to Nagarbera,' they said, adding that release of excess water from the dam during the monsoon would also create havoc in these areas. The organisations stated that the dam-controlled ebb and flow of the river would impact at least 12 wetlands in the area, including Chandubi, which is known as the fifth-largest tectonic lake in the world. Chandubi, they pointed out, would be 3 km from the site of the proposed 62-metre-high dam. The organisations listed 16 villages in Assam's Kamrup district and three in Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district, which would be affected by the proposed dam. Apart from Ukiam, a revenue village, all the others are forest villages inhabited by generations of Garo, Khasi, and Rabha tribal people. 'Although they have applied for title certificates under the Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006, they will not be eligible for compensation if shifted by the authorities to facilitate the project for the lack of land documents,' the organisations said. 'The Kulsi river is the natural habitat of the Gangetic river dolphin (Platanista gangetica), locally known as sihu. Featuring in the IUCN's Red List, it is was declared the State Aquatic Animal in 2009 and the National Aquatic Animal in 2010. The proposed hydropower project will be destructive for the animal,' the organisations said. 'Therefore, we demand that the proposal for such a devastating project be reconsidered by the governments of Assam and Meghalaya and cancelled immediately,' the organisations said. Similar protests have led to the cancellation or relocation of other proposed power projects in Assam this year. While the Asian Development Bank cancelled a $435.25 million loan for a controversial solar power project in the Karbi Anglong district, the Assam government decided to relocate a thermal power project of the Adani Group from the Kokrajhar district.
