| People hit Sonari streets to protest killing of elephant | ||
Dibrugarh, Feb 28 : Animal lovers and activists today took to the streets of Sonari in Sivasagar and burnt effigies of forest minister Rockybul Hussain to protest the brutal killing of a pregnant elephant near Abhayapur reserve forest on Wednesday night. Villagers living on the edge of Abhayapur reserve forest found the carcass of the elephant yesterday, with its tail, tip of the trunk and an ear chopped off. Led by the Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), nearly a hundred people shouted slogans against the Tarun Gogoi-led government for failing to protect animals. They accused the government of failing to control, “poaching and timber smuggling” in the reserve forest which shares a 20-km boundary with Nagaland. “We have been highlighting these issues for quite some time now through various memorandums and applications, but the authorities so far have preferred to keep mum,” said Rabijit Baruah, the president of the Sonari regional unit of the AJYCP. The forest department, however, was still not sure who killed the elephant. “If it had been a case of poaching, the poachers would have targeted a tusker in the herd. However, that was not the case. This is why we think that the elephant was not killed by poachers but by some local groups. The investigations have just begun and we will be able to come to a conclusion once the probe is over,” Utpal Bora, the divisional forest officer of Sivasagar, said over telephone. Bora, who visited the area yesterday, said samples of the animal’s kidney, liver have been sent for forensic tests at the Guwahati-based Forensic Science Laboratory and the report is expected within a week’s time. “First and foremost, we will have to establish the cause of death. If we find that it was because of poisoning, we have certain people on our list of suspects. We will begin questioning them,” Bora said. Green groups have also come down heavily on the state government for its failure to protect the state’s greenery and wildlife. “It is a matter of shame for the state government and the forest department that poaching and timber smuggling continue despite a series of agitation by various organisations. The forest department has hopelessly failed to protect the state’s wildlife,” Soumyadeep Datta, the director of Nature’s Beckon, said. Datta also demanded an impartial inquiry to probe the elephant killing. |
SIVASAGAR, Jan 3 – Welcoming the New Year, thousands of revellers from various parts of the State thronged the historic sites of Sivasagar and its suburbs, the Talatalghar, Rongghar park, Joysagar tank site, Charaideo hills and picnic spots in picturesque Desangmukh, Dekhowmukh and Dehingmukh on December 31 and January 1.
Tourists who visit Sivasagar very often remark that inspite of the potentialities the town has not developed the way it should have over the years. Asked what are the major problems the local tourists face in the town, a group of tourists from Bokakhat told this correspondent that there are no cheap recreation centres where they can refresh and avail of lavatory facilities. The restaurants near Joysagar are not upto the mark and ill maintained ones. The adjacent paddy fields are not suitable places for picnickers as there in no drinking water supply system as well as cooking areas. It may be mentioned here that the Yatri Nivas, built by Sivadol development committee for providing recreational facilities and lodging facilities to tourists and devotees to historic Sivadol is now occupied by the trading communities who had shops earlier in the area. The dol development committee, municipality board and district administration must sort their problems out speedily to free the Yatri Nivas from the traders as the building built at a huge cost is not now under utilised.
DU youth festival: Dibrugarh University inter-college youth festival, 2009 will be held in Sivasagar college, Joysagar on January 9, 10 and 11, the premier college in upper Assam has almost completed preparations for the mega event which will showcase the talents of about 130 colleges students under Dibrugarh University besides the PG classes in the University in 31 art, music and literary disciplines. Briefing a media meet recently in the college, Dr Prakash Kotoky, principal of the college said that more than 1500 participants will participate in the festival besides teachers leading their respective teams.
Dilip Das, convenor, cultural committee said that the maximum numbers of participants in chorus, one-act play and group dance will be 6, 9 and 10 respectively. Siva Singha Konwar, convenor, Finance Committee said in the meeting that the registration fee per participant is Rs 150 while the teams will have to deposit Rs 500 as security money which is refundable. The colleges must have prior permission from the University before joining the festival by depositing Rs 200. The female participants must be accompanied by at least one lady teacher.
The Vice-Chancellor of DU, Dr Kandarpa Kumar Deka will inaugurate the festival which will be attended by hosts of eminent educationists and artists of the State.
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