Mangaldai: BJP national Kisan Morcha president Om Prakash Dhankar on Wednesday visited Assam’s Darrang district where four jute growers were killed in police firing on Monday last and demanded a probe into the incident by a sitting high court judge.

Mr Dhankar visited the homes of the four victims at Besimari and Baruajhar areas and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.

He gave Rs 25,000 each to the families of those killed and Rs 5,000 each to the 11 injured farmers who were undergoing treatment at Mangaldai civil hospital.

Talking to reporters later, Mr Dhankar demanded an enquiry into the incident by a sitting high court judge.

He also wanted exemplary punishment for the police officials involved in the Monday’s incident.

Four farmers were killed and several others, including police personnel, injured when police fired on jute growers, holding protest demanding better prices at Besimari weekly market on Monday. (UNI)

From Our Correspondent

 Guwahati: Policing has become a very tough task in this populous gateway to the Northeast with gangs of armed criminals on the prowl killing and looting vulnerable targets.

The lawlessness and lack of protection to lives and property of common people in the city once again came to fore on Monday night when armed motor-cycle borne miscreants shot dead a jewelry shop owner Sanjoy Basak in front of his business establishment at Fatasil Ambari area in the city before decamping with a sackful of jewelry that was in his possession.

His brother was also injured in the shoot out. Basaks were closing their shop in the populous and most congested locality for the day when robbers pounced upon them.

As the police failed to gather any clue about culprits, the public of the area blocked the road for hours on Tuesday demanding arrest of the culprit and security to life and property of people.

City’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dipak Choudhury said that there was at least one armed gang of criminals active in the city which had been involved in many a recent crime of robbery and loot in the city.

He said members of the gang gather information about vulnerable targets by getting employment in their households, factories or business establishments.

The police official said these criminals were in possession of arms and investigation was to find the source of arms in possession of the criminals. He said investigation was on to nab these criminals.

From Our Correspondent

 Guwahati: With insurgency on the wane, promotion of torism and adventure sports has become the top priority area in the pictureque Dima Hasao (erstwhile North Cachar Hills) district in Assam.

After the successful conduct of the Jatinga Festival 2010 last year, the 2nd edition of the same will be held this year from October 19 to 24 in the hill district that was a hotbed of insurgency till a couple of years back. The festival is being organised with a view to promote eco-tourism as well as showcasing the art and craft, music and dance, culture and cuisine of the various ethnic groups of the district inhabited by ethnic groups like Dimasa, Hmar, Baite, Kuki, Karbi etc.

Bird watching, Trekking to the Hempeupet Peak, Behendao Baiglai Waterfalls, Prize Money Angling Competition at Dihangi etc. will be the highlights of this years festival.

The angling competition will be held on October 22 and 23 along the Diyung River at Dihangi and is inclusive of both bank and boat fishing. Golden Masheer (Dimasa name – Nayung), Chocolate Masheer (Nasur) etc. are some of the fish species found abundantly in the stretch of the River.

Hysteria Beat Contest for young generation and music lovers, Boat Race Competition along the Diyung River at Dihangi, Ethnic Cuisine for food enthusiasts, Flower show on the Boat House of the Haflong Lake, Exhibition on Art & Craft etc. apart from sight-seeing of the beautiful and exotic locations, are on the programme list of this edition of the Jatinga Festival.

For adventurous tourists, tented arrangements are being made at a vantage point of Jatinga from where one can enjoy the scenic beauty of the surroundings and watch birds during the nights. Guns have been silent in the district since peace initiatuve was underteken with various insurgent groups including both factions of the Dima Halam Daogah led by Dilip Nunisa and Jewel Garlosa. There was a mass surrender by over 400 armed cadres of DHD (Jewel Garlsa) on October 2, 2009. The Nunisa faction of the DHD had already been in truce and engaged in peace rocess with Government of India.

Aizawl: A heart patient from Mizoram, who underwent stent angioplasty at the age of 94, cut his 101st birthday cake on Tuesday.

V L Bela, who had undergone angioplasty in 2005 at the B M Birla Heart Research Centre(BMBHRC) in Kolkata to remove a 70-80 per cent blockage in one of the major coronary arteries, is not only the oldest heart patient in India but also the longest surviving one.

The retired primary school teacher, who now lives at Tuikual here, had created a medical history by undergoing stent angioplasty at Kolkata at the age of 94 to become the oldest man in the world to survive stent angioplasty.

Dr Tarun Praharaj, director of Cardiac Catherisation Laboratory and senior interventional cardiologist at BMBHRC, who was behind the success of the rather complex procedure, found Bela to be in excellent condition when he visited the centenarian on his birthday last month.

Praharaj stated, ”I have not come across any medical literature where angioplasty was done on a patient at such an advanced age in India. So he is probably the oldest patient in India to undergo the process and this has been one of the longest follow-up of a patient leading a normal life even at the age of hundred.”

His family members said even after six years of surgery, Bela is active and able to walk around and conduct some basic chores, though he no longer goes regularly to church as he has been advised not to climb stairs.

”In case of Bela, I can say his stress level was very low and he had a good dietary habit comprising mainly boiled food. He also underwent regular medical check-ups and took medicines regularly. But genetic factors may also be involved,” Praharaj said.

Although stent angioplasty of coronary arteries at above 80 years of age are known to cause acute cardiac and non-cardiac complications, like renal failure and bleeding, ultimately resulting in death, a team under Praharaj went ahead with the stent angioplasty and cleared the blockade. (UNI)

Guwahati: The body of Congress Rajya Sabha member from Assam, Silvius Condpan, who passed away in New Delhi on Monday, was on Wednesday cremated at a city cemetery.

The body was flown to Guwahati on Tuesday and last respects were paid to the departed tea community leader at various places, including the Rajiv Bhawan.

A prayer meeting was held today at a local Baptist Church, attended by top Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.

Mr Gogoi said Condpon’s contribution as a tea student leader, his stints as state minister and as MP would long be remembered by the people of the state.

”A pall of gloom has descended on his passing away. His death is an irreparable loss to the party and the state as a whole,” he said.

The chief minister laid a floral wreath on the body on behalf of the Prime Minister and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul.

Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari also conveyed his heartfelt sympathy to Teresa Condpon, wife of the departed leader.

A Rajya Sabha member since 2004, Condpan had been elected to the state Assembly since 1978 and had held ministries several times. He was a prominent tea tribe leader and also the recipient of the Dr BR Ambedkar Award in 2003.

Condpan breathed his last at the AIIMS in New Delhi on Tuesday. (UNI)

He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter. (UNI)

One killed in police firing

Itanagar: One person was killed after police on Wednesday resorted to firing to control a group clash during a 12-hour bandh here, officials said.

Clashes broke out after supporters of Nyishi Consultative Committee were prevented from holding a rally by the Arunachal Pradesh Indigenous Tribes’ Union, which had called a 12-hour bandh in protest against “deteriorating law and order” in the state and the October 5 police firing at Roing in which nine students were injured. The police opened fire to control the situation in which a person was killed, the officials said. (PTI)

Naga youths on bicycle expedition

Kohima: Two young Nagas have started an expedition of ‘Discovering Nagaland on bicycle’ covering the entire eleven districts of the state.

They are expected to take 49 days to cover the distance and reach Kohima by December one next.

The bicycle expedition by Sievituo Solo and Ruokuo Kire was flagged off on Tuesday by Menukhol John, Commissioner and Secretary for Health and Family Welfare. It is being sponsored by Captain Rena Ezung and Ababe Ezung and the management crew is supported by Nagaland Adventure Club. (UNI)

Documentary film on Dima Hasao district

Guwahati: Assam government has released a documentary film titled ‘Dima Hasao Tourism–Changing Visage’ to promote Dima Hasao district as a tourist destination, official sources said here on Thursday.

The film attempts to explore and to tap the tourism potentialities of the district, earlier called the North Cachar Hills district. The film was also expected to generate much needed revenue and employment avenues in the tourism sector by introducing to the viewers and attracting both domestic and foreign tourists. As a part of promotional effort, the film would be distributed among the travel agents, tourists and other related agencies, sources added. (PTI)

Dinesh Mongia offers puja at Kamakhya temple

Guwahati: Former India cricketer Dinesh Mongia has offered prayers at the Kamakhya temple here and Hindu and Muslim holy shrines at Hajo near here.

On a personal visit to the state, Mongia arrived here on Monday and visited the Hoigrib Madhab and Kadernath temples and the Muslim holy shrine of Poamakka at Hajo. Dinesh also visited Kalitakuchi village near Hajo and interacted with the local people there exchanging views on different topics, particularly cricket, with them.

Before leaving the state in the afternoon on Tuesday, the left hand batsman visited the Kamakhya Temple atop the Nilachal Hill in Guwahati. Mongia scored his career’s highest 159 runs not out at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on March 19, 2002 at the one day international between India and Zimbabwe. (PTI)