The commotion at twin-township of capital complex, according to report appearing in today’s edition of The Arunachal Times, was resultant of the outcome of result for the candidature of Itanagar constituency. The supporters of losing party i.e., INC went on rampage threatening the shops at Naharlagun, Itanagar and Ganga to down their shutters moving in a group in about 10 vehicles. The reporter, who was witness to the entire mayhem at Akashdeep complex at Itanagar, put their act akin to the act of ‘Taliban’.

Group of people in around 10 vehicles zooms past market area and asks all the shops to close their shutters. In helter-skelter everybody close shops and run for the cover. Well, this is not the scene from any Hindi Movie; this was the scene at Akashdeep Market in central Itanagar on Friday.

….

Capital Complex police have arrested 7 people in this regard and all have been put behind the bar.

According to the police all the detained men are supporters of Indian National Congress (INC) and further investigation is on.

……

Those guys sitting in a car and shouting all shops to close, was so much behaving like way Taliban often does in Afghanistan. They had no regards for law of the state and were having fun by creating terror.

-The Arunachal Times.

Now I wonder, why was Cr.PC 144 withdrawn just after the counting day by the district administration when it was clamped anticipating disturbance owing to outcome of result of Itanagar constituency? Had it been enforced for another couple of days, I guess we would have not witnessed the commotion as we witnessed yesterday; luckily no loss of life or property was reported.

Also it has made me wonder, why can’t the losing party or it’s supporter take the defeat gracefully?

So when the Capital District Administration banned playing, conducting or propagating ‘Boli’ in any form across the State Capital, terming  it is disturbing the social fabric and causing conflicts in families, the organizing committees cried foul over District Administration’s decision to ban the game. They said that responding to show cause notice issued to the organizing committee of the game by the Deputy Commissioner, they had met Deputy Commissioner and apprised her (the DC) of the benefits of the game. They claimed that impressed with presentation on game, the DC had decided against banning the game and had rather shown interest in joining the game.

However, withholding her earlier decision to ban the game, the Deputy Commissioner has asked the organizer of the game to wrap up the game within one month time.

So, what is ‘Boli’?

‘Boli’ is a Hindi term literally meaning bidding. Thus, ‘Boli’ is a bidding game where huge sum of money exchange hands and where the person who bids the lowest is declared successful in a round of game which consists of several rounds equivalent to the number of members in a group.

How it is played?

It is played in a group, the number of which, the amount (usually in millions) for which it is played and the frequency of the game  (i.e., in how many rounds the game would be finished) is decided by the organiser. Each member then deposits an amount equivalent to the total amount divided by number of members in a group in each round. For example, if there are 10 members in a group and the  game is played for an amount of 2 million then each member has to put in an amount of  20,000/- in each round.  Then ‘Boli’ or rather bidding starts. However, prior to commencement of the game, a rule is framed. The rule is framed for the maximum amount a person can bid for, which is usually 80% to 90% of the amount for which the game is being played (decided by the committee). This 10% or 20% of the total amount as decided by the committee is then distributed equally amongst the members. Thus, the amount left for bidding is 80% 0r 90% of the total amount.

Now, based on the personal requirement of money at that time, the member bids how much minimum amount they are ready to take from the available amount for bidding (i.e., total amount minus 10% or 20% of the total amount as decided). The member who is ready to take the minimum amount is the winner and draws the bid amount from the available amount for bidding. The remaining amount i.e., the amount left after deducting bid amount from the available amount for bidding is then distributed amongst the members. The member who is declared successful in bidding is further barred from bidding in the subsequent rounds of the game, though in each round the member has to contribute equal amount as decided earlier.

Does it affect the societal set-up?

No matter how hard the fan of ‘Boli’ may try to justify this game by saying that it has helped them to meet financial requirement for educating their children or for medical treatment or to buy properties etc., a simple arithmetic calculation shows otherwise.  The fact is that only few of the members do actually get benefitted and remaining needy members who had drawn money, by bidding amount much lesser than the amount available for bidding do get exploited monetarily, who shell out more money than the rest. In order to draw large sum of money at one go (for whatever financial requirements), it is said that people tend to borrow money at a very high interest rates falling in debt trap which finally leads to conflicts in the family and resultant disintegration of the family. So, it would not be wrong to say that ‘Boli’ has in one way or the other has affected the societal set-up.

On a lighter note: It was overheard that  ATM’s at Capital Complex are not able to dispense cash because the ATM’s become empty as soon as ATM’s are replenished with cash as huge sum of money are drawn from the ATM’s to be put in ‘Boli’

The district administration has spoken and declared ‘Boli’ illegal and I too have put my perspective on it. So, it’s your turn to say if ‘Boli’ is a social evil as some section of the society and the district administration says or if it is the means for weaker section of society just to mitigate their financial needs as advocated by the fans or rather players of the game. Do put in your views.

Well, by outright selling of complete and incomplete HUDCO Shopping Complexes at Roing, Pasighat, Daporijo, Ziro and Naharlagun and by leasing out Tourist Lodges for a period of 10 years.

Government spokesman Tako Dabi today announced the Government’s decision to sell out complete and incomplete HUDCO shopping complexes at Roing, Pasighat, Daporijo, Ziro and Naharlagun.

He told media persons that the cabinet has decided to go for an outright sale to fill the state’s coffer. Moreover, the tourist lodges will also be given out on lease for a period of 10 years with the same objective, he said.

-Arunachal Front

Anyone interested?

I wouldn’t be surprised if politicians end up owning these structures ultimately.

It all started with All Papum Pare District Students’ Union (APPDSU) and All Nyishi Students’ Union (ANSU) serving quit notices on 6^th September to illegal migrants to leave the state within 5 days, in the wake of reported increase in cases of burglary, theft, conspiracy to murder and other serious crimes allegedly involving the so-called ‘illegal Bangladeshi’ migrants at Capital Complex. The first phase of ‘Operation Clean Drive’ was carried out on September 12^th where the supporter’s of students’ union supposedly took the law into their own hands and physically went about evicting the ‘illegal Bangladeshi migrants’. 

The suspensionon ‘Aaj ki Awaaz’ a daily local news bulletin telecasted through the local cable network by the Papum Pare Deputy Commisioner has been revoked.

The DC had few months back suspended the broadcast of the news bulletin which telecast inappropriate news.

‘Aaz ki Awaaz’ has been renamed as ‘Aaz ki Samachar’ will start telecasting news from September 1 next.

-The Arunachal Times

Good for the denizens of Twin Capital Township of Naharlagun and Itanagar; now they will have access to the information around their neighborhood again. Hope the producer of the programme has become wise enough to ensure compliance of Cable Network Rules, 1994, under whose sections it was banned earlier to prevent another ban on the programme.

But hey! Wait. Has the ordeal of family members of Getam Apang really ended?

Not so, if we go by the reports appearing in the media. Gegong Apang has been accused of staging the kidnap drama by family members to gain political mileage by Dorjee Khandu.

“It is unfortunate that Getem and his music teacher were abducted from the heart of the state capital, but what can the government do if family members are involved in such crimes?” Khandu, who had dislodged Apang in April last year after revolting against him, told a press conference here.

He said “It is unfortunate that political mileage was sought to be derived by attempting to show my government in poor light.” (link)

However, the former CM Gegong Apang has denied the charge that the kidnapping was handiwork of the insider and has demanded CBI probe into the abduction.

Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang, whose youngest son returned home from captivity, today demanded a CBI probe into the kidnapping and denied the charge that it was the handiwork of an insider.

Addressing a press conference soon after the one convened by the Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, Apang said, “How can a relative kidnap my son at gun point”.

A maternal uncle of Getem Apang and two others were arrested in connection with his kidnap and the Chief Minister had said his government could not be blamed if family members were involved. (Full story here)

Well, only proper investigation into the kidnapping case would tell if the entire abduction case was or was not a drama orchestrated to gain political mileage and to put the ruling government in a poor light. But the government has to agree for sure that the law and order in the twin capital Township of Naharlagun and Itanagar is deteriorating and needs immediate attention.

The memory is still etched in my mind when about a decade back, denizens of twin Capital Township of Naharlagun and Itanagar would rush back to their homes or in the event they are not in a position to make it to their homes, would make it a point to be near ‘Idiot-box’, wherever they are, to catch on the 15 mins local news programme ‘News and Views’ aired from Doordarshan Itanagar, every evening at 7.30 pm. It was produced for DD Itanagar by bureaucrat turned video film maker turned journalist and NE TV media awardee and NETV correspondent for Arunachal, Taro Chatung and it became an instant hit gripping the psyche of Arunachalees. It became hit not because the content was good or the presentation was awesome-in fact, with the kind of accent and the questions put during interview, it was rather comical; but because the journalist-cum-anchor-cum-editor-cum-producer would put the questions to politicians that the masses always wanted to ask but a conventional media would not dare to. However, when the popularity of ‘News and Views’ was at it’s peak, it was taken off-the air rather haphazardly with Doordarshan Authorities citing denial of further extension to the programme.

The void left by ‘News and Views’ was filled by another local news programme ‘Aaj ki Awaj’ quite some years later. It was produced by a Hiba Kaha and unlike it’s predecessor ‘News and Views‘, it was beamed through local Cable TV service. Devoid of any electronic news media in the state, like it’s predecessor News and Views, Aaj ki Awaj too became an instant hit among the masses. Quite recently, it even celebrated it’s 250^th episodes in a grandiose manner by inviting Bollywood singer Udit Narayan. Alas, their rejuvenation was short lived. Exercising the power under section 19 of the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, the Papum Pare Deputy Commisioner has prohibited the transmission or re-transmission of ‘Aaj Ki Awaz‘. The ban came after it was found that the programme was violating the section 5, 6(d) and 6(e) of Cable Network Rules 1994.

The DM in an order issued today under section 19 of the Act, the copy of which was released to the Press, said that the channel has been airing it’s programme without registering with the registering authority or without permission from the authorized officer thereby violating section 5 of Rules 1994.

It has been found violating section 6(d) of Cable Network Rules 1994 by airing programme for over a year which are “defamatory, deliberate, false and suggestive innuendos and half truths,” the order said, adding it blatantly violated section 6(e) by “encouraging or inciting violence or presenting news items against the maintenance of law and order.”

-Arunachal Front

No doubt, any agency violating the law should be dealt with strictly, but in this particular case what amazed me is the timing. Why now? Why after 250^th episodes and not before? Was it not violating the rules earlier? Besides, aren’t the charges quite flimsy, especially section 5 of Cable Network Rules 1994. Whom is it applicable to-’Aaj Ki Awaz’-a news programme or the Cable TV Service Provider, who was airing the programme?

Inadvertently, a comparison is drawn between ‘News and Views‘ and ‘Aaj Ki Awaz‘. Both were known for it’s ’straight forwardness’ leaving the interviewee in an awkward position. Now I only wonder, did both the programmes became victim of their ’straight forwardness’?

Links:

• Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act, 1995

“That’s good for us,” I told him.

“Good for us! How?” He was not ready to agree.

I knew I cannot beat him in argument but I went for it. “Well, I can’t think of how it’s not good for us, any way,” I said.

“I think”, he said, “Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa was right when he said that God lives in the pure heart of every child.”

“That’s right, but…..”

“Let me finish first,” he interrupted me. “Remember those childhood days in Itanagar at H-Sector. We used to gather there at the open space-a sort of small playground for the children of the sector. We’d play, shout, fight and cry – it was such a fun, those days. You might have seen what has happened to that small playground. A temple has come up and fences have been erected around it.”

“Yes that’s so.” I had to agree because it happens to be true.

“Do you know what the children of the sector do now-a-days? Some play in the road and some whose parents think the road too unsafe to play on are confined to their home. H-Sector is just one example – go to A-Sector, B-Sector, C-Sector – everywhere in Itanagar and Naharlagun, you’ll see temples coming up at the spaces meant for the children. You’ll see…….” Just then his mobile rang. It was his mother.

“I have to go,” he said. He looked little annoyed to leave at this juncture. It was a disappointment for me as well, as I wanted to elicit some more from him.

The next day I made a quick survey to what he had told me about the temples. He was right. What once used to be a small open breathing space left in the colony or a small playground for the children, as he called it, was replaced by a temple in the heart of Ganga market. I still have vivid picture of Durga Puja pandal being erected in the place, some seven years ago, where the temple stood today. It was a much needed space left by the town planner, perhaps, to accommodate the future need of the market.

“Does law allow encroachment of public land anywhere to build a place of worship?” I asked myself.

“No comment”, said my inner voice. “This is a sensitive matter.”

I wonder if readers of Arunachal Diary has any comment on it.

-Shared by Gyati Tallo

“Ruffled by the reports of mass copying during the ongoing CBSE examinations appearing in this daily, the district administration today posted magistrate to each exam centre to prevent malpractices and facilitate smooth conduct of the remaining examinations.”

-The Arunachal Times in its 16^th March issue

Better late than never, eh!