Skip to content Skip to navigation

Aryabhatta Science Centre Kalaigaon launches campaign against witch hunting

Aryabhatta science Centre, Kalaigaon has formally launched a campaign against superstitions and blind beliefs, particularly against ‘witch hunting’ recently at a work shop cum seminar at Kalaigaon on February 17. Implemented by Assam Science Technology & Environment Council, Guwahati, supported and catalyzed by Department of Science & Technology, govt. of Assam, Aryabhatta Science Centres, (one in each development blocks in Assam) have taken up various programmes to popularize science among students and people of Assam to create awareness for the removal of all kinds of superstitions and blind beliefs. The day long workshop titled “SCIENCE FOR ALL”,was organized at Lokapriya Bordoloi Public School, Kalaigaon on Feb 17, 10 am onwards. More than 300 students under the guidance of teachers from 15 HS, HSS, and ME schools of Kalaigaon Dev.Block took part in the programme. Jayanta Das, coordinator of the Aryabhatta Science Centre, Kalaigaon welcomed all to the programme and explained about the role of the Aryabhatta Science Centre. He said that under the active supervision of ASTEC it had been making science popular in the villages by demonstrating latest technologies of the world for the removal of superstitions and blind beliefs, through work shop, seminars and other activities.

Nabin Chandra Baro, Inspector of Schools, Udalguri district inaugurated the programme at 10.30 am. He said that the real need of time was to make science popular among people so as to understand it for the welfare of the society. Child scientist Arindam Mani Das explained about the space, the universe and the earth with live multimedia demonstration. He in association with Nabajyoti Baruah of CIC Kalaigaon and Sachin Bordoloi of JNV Kalaigaon demonstrated satellite images of the earth revealing courses of rivers, erosions, forests and various places including Kalaigaon with technical help from Google Earth. Noted astronomer and secretary of Pragjyotish Amateur Astronomer’s Association (Guwahati planetarium), U.N Deka (Column writer of Science Zone: Night Sky in The Assam Tribune) in his speech narrated about the sun, solar system, solar and lunar eclipses. He also explained about the total solar eclipse to occur on July 22, 2009 which would be visible from the northern part of Brahmaputra valley. According to him, there would be darkness at 6.30 am for about six minutes in some parts. He also narrated the effects of total solar eclipse on plants and animals and advised students not to panic. He told students about precautions to be taken during the time of watching the solar eclipse. He also demonstrated the latest GPS (Global Positioning System) technologies and their working to the students. Dr. Naba Kumar Das, VAS Kalaigaon, highlighted the effects of superstitions and blind beliefs on human life. According to him witch hunting, snake bites and dog bites had been killing hundreds of innocent people for no reason. He said that although non poisonous snake bite and non rabies infected dog bites are harmless, still most people, including educated people use crude medicines which sometimes prove fatal. He also advised students not to kill snakes as they are explained how ‘witch hunting’ had been taking lives of thousands of people of the country every year. According to him the so called ‘witches were always too poor to defend themselves .He said that it was time for the students an teachers to come forward and join hands to fight against all kinds of social evils, particularly witch hunting .He also said that Earth’s environment must not be polluted at any cost to protect the only known “green planet” of the universe. Shairuddin essential for a stable ecosystem. Noted environmentalist Dr.Budhhin Hazarika Ahmed, better known as ’Plantation Crusader” also attended the workshop cum seminar. Astronomer U N Deka, environmentalist Dr.Budhhin Hazarika and Dr.Naba Kumar Das were also felicitated on the occasion.

Comments

Anoy Anit's picture

Its really nice to see people or organisations in the villages who are fighting alone against injustice and cruelty.These people or organisations,I am sure never do this for money or fame.Please give your hands to them.Thank you Assam Times for publishing such positive news.Keep it up. Anoy Anit New Delhi-1
Bikash's picture

Basically it is Pani Ram Das family at remote kalaigaon to go ahead with science and technology.

Pages

Add new comment

Random Stories

Tension in Chirang; 2 killed

6 Aug 2012 - 2:55am | editor
There is report of escalating tension in Chirang district following recovery of the bodies and there are reports of minority community protesting on the streets against the death of the three men....

Ronganadi River. Photo: UB Pootos

Flood woes; 2 meet watery grave

17 Aug 2014 - 9:34am | AT News
 The overall flood situation remains grim on Sunday a day after two minor boys met watery grave in Lakhimpur and Nagaon districts. The water levels of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries have...

Petro paucity hits Assam

21 Mar 2017 - 6:42pm | AT News
Assam along with the other north eastern states are bracing up for an acute crisis of petroleum products as hundreds of workers associated here are on strike for minimum wages and other benefits....

Wild loner kills one more:DFO meets Pramila Rani

22 Jun 2016 - 4:25pm | Jayanta Kumar Das
One Lawa Majhi (45) was killed by a loner wild elephant at Bormukali near Nonai forest range office in Udalguri district last night at 8 pm.The person was coming home from market while came on the...

Other Contents by Author

A group of one hundred students from twelve high schools of Udalguri district recently took a vow to protect nature and wildlife along with plantation of more trees in their respective villages within the district of Udalguri. The event took place at Kalaigaon Revenue Circle premises on November 12 at 1 pm on the occasion of the concluding ceremony of ‘Gnyan Jyoti Yatra’ sponsored by Assam government and supervised by Udalguri district administration.53 boys and 47 girls fron various high schools of the district assembled at Kalaigaon after a three days educational tour to Guwahati.During the period the students were given the opportunity to visit -IIT Guwahati,Srimanta Sankardeb...
A life size statue of Dr Bhupen Hazarika was ceremoniously unveiled at Kalaigaon on November 5 on the occasion of his fifth death anniversary.Noted musician and colleague of Dr. Hazarika Kamal Kataki formally unveiled the statue of ‘Xudhakantha’ at the office of Kalaigaon Revenue Circle premises at 10 am. The inaugural ceremony was presided over by Dithaka Nanda Hazarika, ADC, Udalguri. Sadhana Hojai Deputy Commissioner, Udalguri ceremoniously released the souvenir ‘Maha Jivan’ edited by the organizing committee at 11 am.Jagadish Sarkar, EM, BTC and Maheswar Boro, MLA, Kalaigaon attended as the distinguished guests while noted Assamese singer Kanika Bhattachary, Raju Das, Director in-charge...
Aryabhatta Science Centre Udalguri district committee under Assam Science Technology & Environment Council,Guwahati organised a daylong interactive session with students of Rajib Gandhi HS and Rajib Gandhi ME Schoolat Sapangaon village,Bhairabkunda near Assam-Arunachal-Bhutan border on October 27.Students and teachers were told about the need for conservation of local biodiversity with special reference to conserve habitats smaller animals,birds,insects and reptiles like mongoose,snake,monitor lizard,owl,patrige, butterfly,bee and other locally available birds.Nature lover and nature photographer Ruprekha Goswami (Guwahati)bird expert Debanga Mahaliya,wildlife activist Jayanta Kumar Das...
More than 30 students of Tangla College with botany as major subject visited Kanaklata Das Bio-diversity Park at Kalaigaon on October 28.The members of the team studied various locally available species of plants,creepers, grasses including a few rare species namely -white sandal wood,red sandal wood, Ashoka,Arjunas,Bhairas etc.The members of the team also studied a few species of local plants with medicinal values.Students were delighted to watch thousands of water birds ,birds and species of fauna.It was known that the bio-diversity park was established in 2009  at a plot of land measuring 10 acres,which was donated by Freedom Fighter Late Pani Ram Das for the establishment of the...
A total of eight students among many participants from six blocks of Aryabhatta Science centre of Udalguri district have been selected today for the state level science based competitions to be held at the Regional Science Centre, Khanapara to be organised by ASTEC (Assam Science Technology & Environment Council,Guwahati) In a district level science based competitions organized by the Udalguri Aryabhatta Science Centre under the Assam Science and Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) held at Udalguri Girls’ HS schoolon October 25 which was organized by the Udalguri district administration.The district level science based competitions were inaugurated by NC Boro, inspector of...
The eleven member child scientists team of Udalguri district on their way to Dibrugarh University campus was given warm felicitation at Kalaigaon on October 12 today.The programme was organised by SDO(Civil)Bhergaon sub-division in association with ASC Udalguri. A meeting was held at the office of the Circle Officer, Kalaigaon Revenue Circle at 11 am where various organisations and individuals felicitated the child scientists and the officials accompanying them on their way to attend state level session of 24thNCSC to be held at Dibrugarh university campus from October 13 to 16.DN Hazarika,ADC,Udalguri while welcoming the children said that they must learn more as would be seeing more in...
Assam Environmental NGO Forum welcomes government eviction drive in and around Kaziranga National Park. In a press release,Nitul Sivam Nath,state convener of the Forum said that present eviction drive has been a legal matter following courts order and all nature loving people must cooperate with the government to make Kaziranga NP encroachment free. Kaziranga NP along with all the additions would enjoy a new lease of life if encroachments are cleared.Its the primary duty of a democratic government to take steps for conservation of flora and fauna and people must support good works of the government.The Forum requests all people not to create political turmoil on the issue. Further it also...
An  awareness campaign was organized by the Directorate of Field Publicity under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Government of India in association with the Live Green,a nature based NGO of Udalguri district at Bongaligaon near Kopati in Udalguri district on September 18. The awareness meeting drew attention of more than four hundred villagers of Kopati area,teachers and students which got underway from September 16 last and concluded with an awareness meet on September 18. The organizers on the occasion held various competitions among the students on the various themes like‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao (BBBP),Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, Pradhan...
River Noa has been furious during flood this year in and around Kalaigaon town.The very recent wave of floods has been posing threat to Kalaigaon-Adarshagaon road at No.2 Kalaigaon.The road could be washed away any time if more flood occurs and the erosion if not checked Noa is likely to change its course damaging Kanaklata Das Bio-diversity Park.Several lakhs of rupees had been spent last year in the name of protection of the road, but unplanned and substandard works did not serve any purpose.Flood affected people of Kalaigaon also demanded immediate repair of damaged embankment of Noa river where the it had changed its course during flood last year damaging houses and crops...
A minor girl dead and dozen others fell ill after they consumed prasad served at a religious function in Udalguri district on Friday. The tragic incident took place in Kalaigaon area where a ten year old girl died early in the morning. At least 71 others have complained of stomach ace and vomitting hours after they consumed prasad. The deceased was identified as Dipsikha Nath who died at the Mangaldai Civil Hospital. Talking to media, ADC DN Hazariaka said that the incident took place hours after they consumed prasad at the house of Harakanta Nath on Wednesday.