Stage set for polls in two Assam assembly seats Saturday

Guwahati: Two Assam assembly constituencies go to polls Saturday amid tight security, officials said.

An Election Commission official said voting for the Dhekiajuli and South Salmara seats would begin at 7 a.m.

The by-elections were necessitated after incumbent legislators Joseph Toppo from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Badruddin Ajmal of the Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) were elected to the Lok Sabha in May.

Around 161,959 voters will decide the electoral fate of seven candidates in Dhekiajuli with the fight for political supremacy expected between the AGP and the Congress.

Dhekiajuli is in north Assam's Sonitpur district, about 160 km from here.

Three independent candidates contesting the polls in Dhekiajuli late Thursday announced their support to the Congress.

"We are confident of winning the seat," Congress candidate Bhimananda Tanti told IANS.

In the South Salmara seat, the contest is expected to be a direct one between the AUDF and the Congress party.

The AUDF has fielded Abdur Rahman Ajmal, son of party chief Badruddin Ajmal, while former minister Wajed Ali Choudhury is the Congress candidate.

This is the first time Ajmal's son, a 28-year-old Islamic cleric from Deoband, has entered the electoral fray.

A total of 131, 836 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in South Salmara with five candidates in the running.

South Salmara is in west Assam's Dhubri district, about 300 km from here.

Assam wants tea waste sale through auction centre

GUWAHATI: The Assam government, in order to curb resurfacing of tea waste in the market, wants Tea Board to strictly impose the provisions of tea
Waste (Control) Order, 1959. The state government wants sale of tea waste to be made compulsory through the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).

The state government has readied several measures to enhance the brand image of state tea in international markets. The issue of tea waste declaration was taken up Assam industry minister Pradyut Bordoloi with the Tea Board chairman Basudeb Banerjee in a recent meeting in Guwahati.

Mr Bordoloi told ET: We want that sale of tea waste in the state should take place through GTAC. There are some unscrupulous traders who are reprocessing and selling it in the market."

According to Tea Waste (Control) Order, 1959, every tea manufacturing unit should declare at least 2% of its production as tea waste.

Tea Association of India secretary Dipanjol Deka said: "We want tea waste to be monitored. Some unscrupulous producers are procuring tea waste illegally and reprocessing it. As many gardens are emphasizing on quality and resorting to fine plucking, the stipulation of 2% waste can be lowered."

Bidyananda Barkakoty, chairman of Northeastern Tea Association observed that as tea gardens have become quality-conscious, plucking standards have improved substantially.

Assam govt faces flak for VAT hike

GUWAHATI: The Assam government’s decision to increase VAT by 1 percentage point on items subjected to 4% and 12.5% tax under Schedule II of the
VAT Act has come under attack both from the opposition and industry bodies.

VAT on items like bicycles, aluminum utensils, bamboo products, medicines, sewing machines and several others has increased from 4% to 5%. However, VAT on declared goods would remain at 4%.

Sources in the state government said that around Rs 130 crore additional revenue will be generated by the hike.

The main opposition party, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), has lambasted the government for this move. The Federation of Industry and Commerce of the North Eastern Region (FINER) also feels this move will be counter- productive.

FINER, in a statement, said it was shocked and strongly resented the arbitrary increase in VAT rates in the latest notification issued on 31.10. 2009 by the Assam government. In these times of global economic slowdown, which has affected every segment of the economy, and with national governments across the world and the Government of India taking focused measures to fight this slump, this step by the state government is totally uncalled for, unwarranted and against the prudential norms of economics, FINER added.

FINER chairman R S Joshi said: "When the economy of Assam actually needs a stimulus package to spur growth, the government of Assam has done just the opposite by announcing the hike in tax rates without taking into confidence stakeholders/people of the state. This step does not augur well and will further add to distortion of uniform rate of tax regime and may also result in diversion of some trade to neighbouring states. We strongly feel that these notifications need to be withdrawn forthwith."

Mithu the parrot forgotten - year after Assam blasts

By Syed Zarir Hussain

Bongaigaon (Assam), Oct 29 As Assam completes a year of the horrific serial bombings Friday, little Mithu’s heroics have been completely forgotten. The casualties would have been much higher had the pet parrot not alerted her owner Bijoy Banthia.

Mithu went berserk on that black Oct 30 morning - shouting and jumping in her cage in the heart of Bongaigaon town in western Assam.

“I knew something was wrong with Mithu behaving abnormally that morning. I realised the behaviour was signalling something ominous and hence became cautious,” Banthia told IANS recalling that incident.

Peeping out from the first floor of his house, Banthia saw a motorcycle parked outside his shop, Town Stores.

“I don’t know what made me think that some danger was awaiting, I called up the police and informed them about the unattended motorcycle,” Banthia said.

A police bomb squad arrived in no time and soon the fear came true - a powerful timer device packed with TNT explosives was found fitted to the motorcycle. Police and army teams craned the bike to an isolated location to detonate it - but unfortunately the bomb went off, injuring 11 people, most of them security personnel. No one died though.

Assam was a literal killing field Oct 30 last year when eight powerful explosions rocked three districts of Assam - Guwahati, Kokrajhar and Barpeta - claiming about 100 lives and wounding more than 500.

But not too many people know that it was Mithu’s warning call that had saved a tragedy in Bongaigaon.

“Had it not been for Mithu’s alertness, Bongaigaon town would have almost certainly witnessed a similar bloodbath with heavy casualties, as the area remains crowded,” said Anil Das, a resident.

A year down the line, Mithu is equally alert and her cage is in the same place as last year.

“Last month, just a few minutes before the massive earthquake (of 6.3 magnitude tremor Sep 21) rocked the region, Mithu warned us by shouting and behaving abnormally. We knew something was going to happen and Mithu was right,” Banthia said.

Mithu, however, is totally oblivious to the favour she has done to her human friends and is happy simply with a feed of nuts and seeds!

(Syed Zarir Hussain can be contacted at zarir.h@ians.in)

Bandh called by Adivasi students' body has partial impact in Assam

Kokrajhar: The 12-hour Assam Bandh called by All Assam Adivasi Students' Association today partially affected normal life in the Bodoland Territorial Administered Districts (BTAD).

The bandh, called to protest the attack on some adivasi youths at Runikhata in Chirang district on October 22 last, failed to evoke any response in any other part of the state.

Several bandh supporters were arrested in Bongaigaon district while they were forcibly trying to enforce the bandh. All school, colleges and educational institutions remained closed in the districts though vehicular traffic and trains plied normally. The affected districts are parts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri, Darrang and Bongaigaon.

Tea pill gift for soldiers in chilly borders

GUWAHATI: Guarding the country at some chilly frontier posting and dying for that morning cuppa? Just pop a pill. If the scientists of Assam's Tocklai Experimental Station (TES) have their way, Indian soldiers serving in extreme weather across the country might soon get to chew tea tablets, which will give them equal warmth and freshness.

TES, established in 1901 and one of the oldest tea research stations in India, has recently approached the defence ministry seeking to know whether it will be interested in tea tablets for the armed forces. "We have written to the ministry and are awaiting a response," TES director M K Hazarika told TOI on Sunday.

TES had developed the tea tablets about a year ago as part of its product diversification programme. The ready-to-use tablets are developed in three forms chewable, suckable and one that could well be dissolved in cold as well as hot water. "The tablets are absolutely safe and can be chewed or placed under the tongue, apart from drinking in the conventional manner by dipping it in a cup of hot or cold water. They are made from pure natural tea extracts and contain the same medicinal and chemical properties present in normal tea," Hazarika said.

The TES director added that three scientists of TES have the patent of this product. "We are sure the tea tablets will be able to freshen and cheer up a person with nearly the same efficacy as a hot cup of brewed tea. We have already tested it in the laboratory and it gives the same freshness like a regular cup of tea," said Hazarika. He also disclosed that the laboratory tests are complete and the product is ready for commercial production.

"As researchers and scientists, our job is done. We are now looking for entrepreneurs in the state and elsewhere in the country who would take it up for bulk commercial production," he said, adding, "We thought of approaching the defence ministry as we believe the tablets could help soldiers serving in extreme cold and sensitive frontiers. The tablets would save the time it takes to prepare the normal cup of tea. Another good thing about it is that it dissolves both in cold and hot water."

When the tablets are produced in the laboratory, the cost of each tablet is around 80 paisa. "However, commercial production is likely to bring down the price further," Hazarika said.

Assam girl develops gadget to make mobile charger redundant

Guwahati, October 23 : A schoolgirl in Guwahati has developed a gadget that could make mobile phone battery chargers history.

Asmita Rekha Bora, a Class XI science student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Khanapara in Guwahati has come out with an auto-charger.

This device absorbs the radiation emitted by a handset, converts it into heat and relays it as electrical energy back to the battery inside.

The 16-year-old's theoretical concept - backed by a somewhat crude model - won her the second prize at the 37th Jawaharlal Nehru Science Exhibition held in Chennai on October 13-14.The exhibition is KV Sangathan's annual scientific do.

A panel of judges from IIT Chennai, said Asmita's Physics teacher Devangshu Dev, had labeled her discovery as something that could revolutionize the mobile phone industry.

Dev had helped Asmita develop the model for a mere Rs 800. So what makes this gadget special? "I got the idea while surfing the Net for the ill-effects of microwave radiation on human health.

I realized this radiation was going to waste and decided to tap it for converting to heat energy," she told HT on Wednesday.

She used a tetra zinc oxide whisker in the circuit of the model to catch the radiation and convert it into heat.

She added an Eneco chip - named after the US firm that patented it - to convert this heat into electricity.

And the gadget tentatively named 'Cell Charge & Chip' was born.

Asmita, daughter of Geological Survey of India officer Arup Bora and a resident of Hatigaon locality here, plans to fine-tune her model in the next few months.

"My model has been selected for a major NCERT show in New Delhi in 2010.This will open the door for a bigger scientific show in Moscow'.

A ticket to Moscow could make Asmita's auto-charger ready for commercial use.

Report of Assam's Sixth Pay Commission submitted

Guwahati, Oct 16 : The report of the Sixth Assam Pay Commission was today officially handed over to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

The report of the Commission, set up in May 30, 2008, was handed over by its chairman Bhaskar Baruah to Gogoi.

The Chief Minister said the pay scales would be announced in line with the government's recent decision to grant salary at par with those with the central government.

Assam Red demolish Delhi lads

SP Barooah trophy

Guwahati, Sept. 14: Assam Red bowlers today sent Delhi’s Ravi Sharma Academy packing by 10 wickets in the inaugural match of the Assam Cricket Association-organised 50-overs-a-side SP Barooah Trophy at Maligaon railway stadium.

The hosts, led by outstation recruit Dhiraj Yadav, had a dream start with medium pacers Pritam Das (two wickets for 16 runs) and Abu Nechim Ahmed (one wicket for six runs) reducing the visitors to 3 wickets for 8 runs in 5.4 overs.

Arup Das, the under-19 pacer, took the fourth to leave RS Academy reeling at four for 16 in 10.1 overs, and folding up at 77 in 31.3 overs.

Bikram Chetri took the next 5 wickets for 17 runs. Swarupam Purkayastha took the last wicket.

Only two of the visiting batsmen — B.B.C.C. Mohapatra (23 off 38 balls) and Deepak Joon (22 off 54 balls) — could reach double figures.

Assam Red openers, Dhiraj Yadav and Pritam Debnath, piled up the required 78 runs in 12.5 overs.

Tomorrow, Assam Blue will take on Cricket Association of Bengal.

RS Academy’s next match is against Tripura Cricket Association on Wednesday while Assam Red take on the TCA on Friday.

Bombs found across Assam

Region on maximum alert for Independence Day - Huge ammunition haul

The recovered explosives. Picture by Eastern Projections Aug. 16 : Security forces in Assam recovered a huge cache of explosives from Sadiya in the east to Bongaigaon in the west on the eve of Independence Day today, averting possible disasters akin to the October serial blasts last year. Explosives weighing about 50kg were recovered from Sadiya in Tinsukia district while seven TNT slabs, each weighing about half-a-kg, were recovered from the Assam-Meghalaya border near Ukium on the outskirts of Guwahati. An improvised explosive device was found in Bongaigaon district. The recoveries came amid tight security arrangements for tomorrow. The arrest of an Ulfa cadre, Mintu Rabha alias Raju, from Jyotinagar in Guwahati last night led to the recovery of seven TNT slabs, 10 electronic detonators, six 9-volt batteries and a bundle of fuse wire from an isolated spot along the Assam-Meghalaya border this morning. The explosives were hidden under stones. A 9mm pistol was also found on Rabha. Additional superintendent of police (City) Debajit Deori said Rabha, 20, came from Barama in Baksa district and was a cadre of Ulfa’s 709 battalion. He had joined Ulfa about three months ago and was staying in a rented house at Jyotinagar disguised as a daily wage earner. “These TNT slabs could be easily turned into powerful bombs simply by connecting the detonators and batteries to it,” Deori said. “Ulfa might be having some big plans since they have stacked these explosives on the outskirts of the city. We are investigating,” he added. “One such TNT slab is powerful enough to derail a train,” a CRPF officer said. City police also picked up a vegetable vendor from Geetanagar for his suspected Ulfa links. The police have not yet disclosed his name. From Ghumuria reserve forest in Sadiya, the army recovered around 50kg explosives, 104 electric detonators, 22 metre of safety fuse, a 10- metre wire, 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition and one 9mm magazine last night. Army sources said they had information that militants were moving large quantities of explosives from Nagaland’s Mon district into Assam’s Tinsukia district prior to Independence Day. Alerted by a villager, the army recovered an IED, packed inside a pickle container, from under a newly constructed bridge on National Highway 31 at Rakhaldubi in Bongaigaon. Army and paramilitary forces have beefed up their already tight security on the eve of Independence Day. Like in previous years, NF Railway has suspended night running of trains. Neighbouring Meghalaya is gearing up for Independence Day celebrations despite the 24-hour bandh called by the Khasi hills-based Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council from 6 this evening. The 63rd Independence Day celebrations in Shillong will begin with a “Freedom Run” followed by hoisting of the Tricolour by chief minister D.D. Lapang and the ceremonial salute at Polo Ground at 9am. Security has been beefed up throughout Manipur with the Manipur Peoples Liberation Front boycotting tomorrow’s Independence Day functions.

Badrinath hits ton, TN posts 403 against Assam

Chennai, Aug 16 (PTI) S Badrinath cracked a superb 138 to propel TNCA to a massive 403 against Assam on the opening day of the All India Buchi Babu Memorial Cricket tournament, here today.

Apart from Badrinath, who also batted brilliantly at Emerging Players Tournament in Australia, M Vijay (54) and Laxmipathy Balaji (81) were the other notable contributors.

In another match, riding on Prabel Pratap's six-wicket Madhya Pradesh trounced Himachal Pradesh by nine wickets.

Pratap played wrecker-in-chief by scalping six wickets for just 10 runs as Himachal Pradesh was bundled out for a paltry 84 in 45.4 over.

Madhya Pradesh then overhauled the target in 22.4 overs with the help of Jalaj Saxena's unbeaten 48.

Karnataka's Amit Verma cracked an unbeaten 105 to help his side make 220 in 61.2 overs against TNCA Presidents XI, who were struggling at 82 for two when the day's play ended.

No swine flu fear in Assam: Govt

Guwahati, Aug 15  The Assam government today allayed fears of swine flu gripping the state and said out of the 11 suspected cases seven had tested negative, while status of samples of four others was awaited.

"There is no cause of worry over swine flu as the state is well equipped to tide over any such crisis," Assam Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters here.

Samples of suspected victims are sent to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at Lahowal in Dibrugarh and unlike in other states the reports are made available within 24 hours, Sarma said.

One person with suspected symptoms of swine flu was admitted to Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) and has been kept in the isolation ward, Sarma said.

Assam flood toll rises to five

Guwahati, Aug 15 The death toll in Assam floods rose to five today as the situation remained grim in eight affected districts.

Hundreds of villages were under water due to breach in embankments of Brahmaputra and its tributaries in the worst affected districts of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji in Upper Assam.

Rail and road communication were snapped at several places.

A man and his minor son drowned in Dhemaji district wjile two others lost their lives in the turbulent Teok river in Sibsagar district yesterday. Another boy drowned in Majuli in Jorhat district.

Meanwhile, an overloaded country boat capsized at Borbil ghat in the Brahmaputra river at Majuli at 10 AM today but all the 80 people on board, including 30 school students, managed to swim to safety.

The six other districts affected by floods are Jorhat, Sibsagar, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Sonitpur and Nalbari, the reports added.

Eight IEDs recovered on I-Day eve in Assam

Guwahati, Aug 15 : A major disaster was averted on the eve of Independence Day with the seizure of seven powerful Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from the city and another from Bongaigaon district today, police said.

In stepped up search operations following intelligence reports of attempts by militant outfits to disrupt the celebrations, police seized the IEDs from a house along the Meghalaya hills bordering the city and picked up some persons in this connection.

The search operation was initiated following interrogation of an apprehended ULFA cadre, Mintu Rabha, who had revealed that some militants have sneaked into the city to carry out blasts to disrupt Independence Day celebrations.

Another IED, weighing nearly seven kgs, was spotted under a bridge in Lower Assam's Bongaigaon district by a youth who informed the police. It was later defused by the army.

Shutdown in Assam against court verdict in journalist murder case

GUWAHATI - Angered by the court verdict in the case of a journalist’s killing, various journalist and human rights organisations called for a 12-hour shutdown in Guwahati.

The activists accused the CBI of being hands in glove with the accused.

“This judgement is unfortunate. We feel that CBI is purchased by the accused. The CBI has also betrayed the people of Assam by compromising with the culprit,” said Bubumoni Saikia, President, Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti, a human rights organisation.

A local court on Tuesday acquitted Mridul Phukan due to lack of evidence. He was the prime accused in Parag Das murder case that took place in 1996.

Parag Das was the executive editor of Asomiya Pratidin, an Assamese vernacular daily.he judgement came 13 years after the murder took place.

Das was killed on May 17, 1996 in broad daylight when he was returning home after picking up his son from school.

The gunmen had pumped several bullets from point blank range, killing Das on the spot.

Mridul Phukan, a surrendered rebel of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), is the lone surviving accused in the case, the trial for which began in 2004.

Noisy scenes in RS over murder of an Assamese journalist

New Delhi
The Rajya Sabha today witnessed noisy scenes when Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) members sought to raise the issue of acquittal of main accused in the alleged murder of an Assamese journalist.

As soon as the House took up the Zero Hour mentions, AGP members Birendra Prasad Baishya and Kumar Deepak Das were on their feet to raise the issue. However, Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan disallowed the members, saying it was not listed for today.

The AGP members were supported by members belonging to BJP.S S Ahluwalia (BJP) said members from Assam should be allowed to raise the issue and"let us not alienate" the North-East.

This was strongly objected by Khan who said it was a"charge" against the Chair."Who is alienating North-East? I will not accept (that charge). It is not that the Chair rejected it". As the din continued, the AGP members staged a walkout.

Bandh affects normal life in Assam

Guwahati, Jul 30  The Assam bandh called by human rights organisation 'MASS' in protest against the verdict of a local court here acquitting Mridul Phukan, prime accused in the murder of noted journalist Parag Das, affected normal life in the state today.

Effigies of CBI were burnt at Jorhat and Lakhimpur towns by protesters criticising the agency's alleged faulty investigations into the murder case, official sources said, adding however, no untoward incident has been reported so far.

In the Brahmaputra Valley, markets, shops, private offices and financial institutions remained closed, while attendance in government offices was thin, except Barak Valley and N C Hills district, the sources said.

Private long distance and city buses and other vehicles remained off the roads.

Air and train services operated normally, the sources said.

Join the relief effort for Assam floods and Cyclone Aila - Update from CDRN

CDRN is a web-based humanitarian relief management system that has received 138 needs on its network from various relief agencies working in disaster affected areas. CDRN has 610 suppliers and donors, 144 relief agencies, and 27 federations as users on board.
CDRN responded to the Assam flood relief operations by distributing 32,000 water purifying tablets donated by Aquatabs. Following the success of this donation in catering to the drinking water needs of the flood victims, Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) has placed an order for 100,000 tablets with Aquatabs.
Monsoon Impact Across India
- Rainfall/Flood Situation in India, Report by Ministry of Home Affairs, India, on 23rd July '09:The report provides an analysis of the current flood/rainfall situation across the country. It highlights that major states such as Orissa, Kerala, Gujarat, Karnataka, Assam, and West Bengal are facing a severe flood situation. NDMA have deployed 21coys of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the districts of Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal for rescue and relief operations.
- http://www.google.org found that certain search terms are good indicators of flu activity. Google Flu Trends uses aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity tup to two weeks faster than traditional systems. Learn more
ASSAM FLOODS
You can contribute to the below-mentioned needs through www.cdrn.org.in:
- Temporary shelter
- Water purification tablets
- Water containers
- Cooking utensils
- Mosquito nets
(Needs submitted by Caritas India and IGSSS)
Situation Report:
- Assessment of Assam Flood Affected Areas, Report by Inter Agencies Group (IAG) Assam lists out the affected villages and population.
- Flood Response by IGSSS in North Lakhimpur report highlights that IGSSS has distributed water purification tablets and hygiene kits in North Lakhimpur district of Assam. Read more…
- CDRN Responds to the Assam Floods report provides information on Aquatabs' donation of water purifying tablets to organizations engaged in flood relief operations through CDRN.
CYCLONE AILA
You can contribute to the below-mentioned needs through www.cdrn.org.in:
- Food: Pre-cooked, baby food, dry rations, etc.
- Tarpaulin, temporary shelters
- Purification units and water purification tablets, e.g., halogen tablets
- Medicines: anti-diarrhea, anti-vomit
- Hygiene materials (bleaching agents, phenyl, etc.)
- Clothes
- Generators, fuel
- Mosquito nets
- Mats
- Utensils
- Oil lamps
Rehabilitation Needs
- Seeds for paddy cultivation and vegetable gardening
- Educational materials for children
(Above needs were submitted by: Udyama, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children, SPADE, WWF, Actionaid, IGSSS, Mukti, Child in Need Institute (CINI), DRCSC, Sabuj Sangha, KJKS, Caritas India)
Situation Report:
- Reach Out with Your Needs Through SMS Initiative by IAG West Bengal report lists contact details of relief agencies that are working in Aila-affected areas in West Bengal.
- UNICEF Provides Supplies for Cyclone-Affected West Bengal reports UNICEF's reaching out to the victims of Cyclone Aila in West Bengal. Read more…
- Oxfam Helping Aila Affected Communities Report mentions that the Cyclone survivors in Bangladesh are facing a severe risk of disease as the supply of safe drinking water is reaching crisis levels.

 Full_Report (pdf* format - 124.6 Kbytes)

(*) Get Adobe Acrobat Viewer (free) 

Paddy cultivation down by 20 percent in Assam

GUWAHATI - Farmers in some parts of Assam are facing a tough time due to the delayed rainfall as, officials estimated, it could lead to a 20 per cent drop in the paddy crop cultivation.

Rainfall was delayed in Kamrup, Sibsagar, parts of Jorhat, Golaghat, Nalbari, Goalpara and Dhubri districts.
State Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that delayed rains would reduce paddy production by at least 20 per cent.
“Because of the late arrival of rain, it is expected that its going to affect 20 per cent of rice crops, even if the rain continues,” said Gogoi.
The paddy fields look barren even after the arrival of rain because the peak time for cultivation is over.
Gogoi said that the Government is formulating an action plan to deal with the situation.
“To meet the situation, we have decided to give diesel to farmers. We have also distributed pump sets to them. Wherever the canals can be repaired, we have instructed to repair it also,” he said.
The Assam Government had recently declared more than half of the state drought-hit, but the delayed rainfall has given a bit of relief to the farmers.
A high-level committee chaired by Gogoi took the decision to declare 14 of Assam’s 27 districts as drought-hit.
The monsoon is crucial for summer-sown (Kharif) crops and most of the country’s marginal farmers rely solely on the rains.
Delayed and uneven rains could impact the country’s crop production. Though the monsoon has revived in northern India, parched farmlands present a grim situation.

Discipline or abuse, asks study

Dispur to abolish corporal punishment in govt and private schools

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi at the news conference in Guwahati on Wednesday. Picture by Eastern Projections Guwahati, July 30 : When an “errant” student is forced to raise her skirt and her bottom caned in front of the entire class, the act degenerates into child abuse rather than being a teacher’s way of ensuring classroom discipline. A study, conducted by Gauhati High Court’s Law Research Institute and made public today, has revealed disturbing facts about corporal punishment prevalent in most schools of the state. Almost simultaneously, chief minister Tarun Gogoi has pitched for positive disciplinary action against truant children by deciding to abolish corporal punishment in government and private schools. Gogoi told reporters this afternoon that the government would bring in a legislation to this effect. “We have decided to abolish corporal punishment in all schools. Some states have already done it and I want Assam to join that list.” The chief minister said corporal punishment instils a fear psychosis in a child besides a feeling of hatred towards others. He also cited it as one of the reasons for children dropping out of school. “We want a child to be disciplined but corporal punishment is not the way. We want positive disciplinary action.” Gogoi was almost echoing what the study by the Law Research Institute said. The study found that corporal punishment like ear-twisting, being hit with a ruler, being forced to stand or kneel while holding ears, being pinched and slapped are still used to discipline students in many schools. “There are instances when the teacher throws a piece of chalk or a duster at students yawning in class. There are worse things happening in schools. Very recently, we heard that a girl of Class IX was beaten on her bare back in front of the entire class,” the report says. According to the study, 69 per cent of student respondents admitted that schools meted out such forms of punishment. The study found that children are punished for petty issues like wearing a red ribbon instead of the colour specified in the uniform, for using scented erasers or using a fancy pencil. The study, which is an attempt to highlight the prevailing situation of corporal punishment in the state, is based on data collected by a team of the Law Research Institute. The team comprised the institute’s director Jeuti Barooah, advocate Rakhee Sirauthia and research officers Baharul Islam and Rangaranjan Das. Barooah said to authenticate the primary data from various points of view, the team carried out interactions among teachers, students and parents during May and June 2009. It selected four districts from separate zones of the state — Dibrugarh in Upper Assam, Dhubri in lower Assam, Hailakandi in Barak Valley and Kamrup district, including Guwahati. The study found that parents, too, supported small measures of corporal punishment. Some even opined that “teachers’ scoldings were blessings”. The findings of the study were presented at a state consultation on Discipline with Dignity — Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools in Assam, organised by the Law Research Institute and Unicef at Shilpgram in the city. Speaking at the consultation, the head of department of psychiatry, Gauhati Medical College, Dipesh Bhagwati, said, “Corporal punishment at times goes to the level of child abuse. As a result, children stop playing, lose interest in studies and also refuse to go to school.”