Noted journalist Arnab Goswami Sunday said that it is important for legislators to put people first in their agenda. “We are all here because of the people. People should come first whether it is in politics or media,” said Goswami while addressing legislators on the topic: “Legislators and Relationship with Media” during the third phase of Sabal Bidhayak, a series of orientation programmes initiated by the Assam Assembly. The series that will continue on select days until January 2017 next year have been designed and coordinated by Guwahati based think-tank Centre for Development and Peace Studies.
Describing the quality of journalism Goswami said that Indian journalism is stronger than journalism elsewhere because the media here can question everything including religion, something not practiced by the western media. At the same time, Indian media is independent and secular- it can cover issues for instance as to why a woman cannot enter a place of worship. While in UK the media is very structured, in India it is not. Stating that his channel Times Now has broken six major scams so far and each case has been followed by the judiciary, he said that the media in India has kept the judiciary on its toes. Media in India has come a long way. Today’s media is an unusual media. It is confrontational unlike media in earlier days which had information but little impact.
“Politics is about taking responsibilities. Development follows when the media behaves responsibly and politicians too work responsibly,” he said. Terming the New Media as an Activist Media or Campaign driven Media, he said that today’s media followups news until there is response from the concerned quarters. He said that today journalists are no longer disseminators of information only, they have become activists. Media is a reflection of the changing country. Legislatures should open up new relations with the media and both should think about how they can work together and not how they can fight, he added.
Veteran politician and former minister Abdul Muhib Majumder highlighted the participants on procedural devices available to members to raise matters of urgent public importance on the floor of the house. Former Assam Chief Minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta also addressed the participants and spoke on Parliamentary etiquette, ethics, customs and conventions. He said that if legislators follow the rules and procedures of the Assembly, it will be beneficial both for them and the public.
Phani Bhushan Choudhry, who has been representing his constituency for the seventh consecutive term, threw light on general rules of procedures of the Assembly – questions, legislations and resolutions. He said that it is very important for a legislator to know how to put a question in the Assembly, which question is to be given priority and how to frame a question. According to him, the question must be focused and proposals should be such that it includes the problems and issues important for the stateas a whole apart from then problems of a particular constituency.
Speaking on the occasion Director, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Guwahati, Gautam Barua said that new and relevant courses should be introduced in the ITIs along with vocational courses for students who cannot pass tenth standard. State Minister for Water Resources Department, Science and Technology, Information Technology, Keshab Mahanta sensitized the legislators on the relationship between legislators and media and said that for legislators media is the medium to reach the masses. Senior journalist Samudra Gupta Kashyap stated that media and politics are inseparably related and while media plays the role of a watch dog, it also has its own responsibilities.
Vice Chairman of the State Planning Board Dipok Kumar Barthakur speaking on “Skilling and Regenerating Assam,” said that courses must be developed with an eye on the employability sectors of the region. He was of the opinion that a Skills University is necessary in the region to boost employment. In the programme that followed the Centre for Development and Peace Studies Executive Director Wasbir Hussain presented an overview of skill development initiatives in Assam. Intense interactions between the legislators and resource persons marked the sessions.
Arson mars the third phase of panchayat polls in the Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council areas of Kamrup (Rural) and Goalpara district on Tuesday.The 36 hour long public curfew has compounded the problem that cripples the normal life in the areas. Around eight schools set up as polling booths were torched along with two trucks and market sheds by unidentified miscreants in different parts of the district. Three schools - Hatipar, Machenokhuwa and Sekhapari lower primary schools - were completely gutted in Boko police station area in the morning. A truck was set ablaze at Khorkhori under Chaygaon police station. Another truck was torched at Bondapara under Boko police station...
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that his government has kept the doors open for peace talks with ULFA. But in the same breath, he said that there has to be peace. Talking to reporters in Kolkata on Sunday, he said that there was a ceasefire with ULFA's pro-talk faction and the process is on. He was in Kolkata at attend the prize distribution ceremony of the annual flower show at the Agri Horticultural Society of India.
The Rabha Hasong Autonomous Council area in Goalpara is burning over holding of panchayat polls slated for Tuesday. The public curfew will begin from 7 in the morning on Monday which will continue till 7 in the evening on Tuesday.Central paramilitary forces have been deployed in BTAD, Kamrup and Goalpara districts. The army has also been kept on alert in the council area to deal with the law and order situation.The government and state election panel are going ahead with poll mode only to be opposed in the form of arson. Miscreants burnt down many houses and a wooden bridge in the district on Saturday night. On Friday night, the protestors set afire a vehicle of a zonal election officer...
Eight Muslim Protection Tiger Force surrendered before police in Kokrajhar district. Led by Hafizur Rahman, area commander of the outfit, the newly form outfit’s militants surrendered before the top police and army officials at Gossaigaon.The surrendering militants gave up three 9mm pistols, two 7.6mm pistols, three handmade rifles, one hand grenade and 14 rounds of ammunition. Notably, the militant group was formed in 2012 during the ethnic violence in BTAD areas.
One person was shot dead by his elder brother in Guwahati on Sunday. The fratricidal incident took place at Adabari area in the city over dispute over a piece of land.According to police, accused Sahil Ali attacked his elder brother Siraj Ali in front of his shop and shot dead him at around 8.20 am at Adabari area. Siraj was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. Sahil was apprehended.The two and another brother were involved in a feud over a piece of land in their mother's name since her death some time ago.
A recent coir expo in Guwahati encouraged budding entrepreneurs outlining that the potential in the production of a variety of coir products in the north east. Organised by the Coir Board and Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, the North-East Coir Expo 2013 displayed an attempt to attract the local youth towards this lucrative business.Organizers hoped that the expo would help the people know the whereabouts of all the coir fibre along with the product value and the market.
The Assam Government on Friday approached the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe into the huge seizure of Fake Indian Currency Notes in Guwahati from three accused persons on August 30 last year.According to government sources, the three accused who were on their way from Malda in West Bengal through Guwahati in a Chevrolet Tavera were rounded up by officials from DRI, Guwahati at Beltola Chariali. Fake Indian currency notes amounting to Rs 11.99 lakh were found in their possession. A complaint was lodged with CBI by DRI, Guwahati to this effect.The Government decided to hand over the case to the CBI ‘as the seizure is of substantial nature having involvement of inter-state criminals...
Good news. ITC Ltd. Promised to invest a huge Rs 500 crore into the fast moving consumer goods sector, especially in the food processing industry in the state.ITC Chairman Y.C. Deveshwar assured this in course of a meeting with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at his official residence recently.Deveshwar said his company’s goal is to become the largest consumer goods conglomerate in the country. Founded in 1910, ITC is one of the largest multi-business corporate enterprises in India with a turnover of around US$6 billion. The company's non-tobacco businesses, including foods, personal care, hotels, paper, agriculture, information technology and others, currently account for around 40% of its...
Dispur police intensifies crackdown against the thieves who have been striking in the city a day after the seizure of a huge quantity of gold, silver and diamond ornament from a person.Marathon interrogation continues on Ajit Karmakar from whose possession these ornaments were found on Thursday.Notably, acting on the confessional statement of a thief, police conducted a raid at a room in Fatasheel Ambari area where a person Ajit Karma housed. Some gold, silver and diamond ornaments worth around 50 lakh have been seized from his possession. Karmakar confessed to have received these materials from a gang of thieves and dacoits.
Lady ULFA leader Jahnavi Rajkonwar is dead. She is understood to have met watery grave in the dense jungle. ULFA’s publicity wing confirmed it in an email statement on Thursday morning. The teacher from Naharkatia joined the insurgent outfit last year leaving her husband and two kids.
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