KazirangaWildlife Society has expressed deep anguish over the serial poaching of Rhinos in the KazirangaNational Park. The Society condemned in strong words the inability of the forest department to check the poaching of Rhinos in their natural adobe as well as the government’s indifference to any effective policy making to protect the state’s wildlife and their habitat.
In a Press Meet held on Saturday at the Guwahati Press Club, the members of KWS held the Chief Wildlife warden of the state responsible for the, plight of rare species. Since 2012 more than 150 Rhinos fell prey to the bullet of poachers. Most of the poaching being taken place in Kaziranga once known as the most well managed park. At the same time death incidents of elephants, another species protected under the scheduled-I category, has doubled which is another cause of concern.
Compared to the earlier years, incidents of killing of rhinos in Kaziranga came down after an Intelligence Cell was put into place. Conservation NGOS have always pointed out intelligent failure in curbing rhino poaching in Kazaringa National Park. The Cell, constituted vide Govt of Assam notification No. FRW. 6/2015/2 dtd. Dispur the 17th March, 2015, was sent to Kaziranga and was taken as a very timely and positive move by the department to thwart the challenges of poaching of the unicornis. This action proved beneficial as there was a lull in poaching activities once the cell started operating .The people of the state also heaved a sigh of relief as no poaching was reported during those months--from May to July. Sadly, the Cell was called back after a few months. The moment the Cell was withdrawn from KNP, the menace of poaching showed its ugly head once again. It is noteworthy to mention that in the Intelligence Cell’s report many things came to the fore--most surprisingly-- involvement of a few forest personnel in poaching activities.
The KWS therefore strongly demand the government to reinstate the Intelligence Cell in Kaziranga with immediate effect. The KWS secretary Mubina Akhtar maintained that the Chief Minister who is also the Chairman of the StateWildlife Advisory Board has already ordered to reinstate the Cell but for reasons best known to the department the order is yet to be implemented.
The KWS also appeals to the government to conclude all formalities at once in raising a well equipped rhino protection force. Taking a dig at the selection procedure of forest personnel, especially frontline staff, the Society maintained that the selection procedure should be free from all kind of political influence for the greater sake of conservation of state’s wildlife.
The Society also appeals to the forest department to introduce a toll free number as ‘early warning system’ or ‘poaching alert’ and carry out massive awareness campaigns in fringe areas of sanctuaries and National Parks with the help of wildlife NGO’s.
The NGO lashed out at all political parties for playing politics even when there is a crisis like indiscriminate poaching of rhinos or clearing of forests in the State and demanded each political to give priority to a green agenda in their manifestos
In a historic gathering that marks a new chapter in Moran political mobilization, the Moran community today formally launched its new political platform, Jatiya Gan Mancha (National People’s Forum), at a mass assembly held at Kakopathar public ground. The event was convened under the aegis of leading Moran organizations, including the Assam Moran Sabha, All Moran Students’ Union, Moran Mahila Parishad, Moran Sahitya Sabha, Moran Art & Culture Development Centre, and the Moran National Educational Development Forum.
The assembly commenced with ceremonial tributes to the community’s forebears, accompanied by devotional songs and cultural performances, setting a solemn and festive tone...
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) loves to wear the mantle of regionalism. It proudly recalls its birth from the Assam Agitation and the sacrifices of 855 martyrs. Yet every fresh controversy over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) exposes the party for what it has become: a political outfit addicted to power, reduced to theatrics whenever Assamese identity is threatened.
The script is depressingly familiar. In 2019, when CAA protests shook Assam, AGP staged a high-decibel drama—ministers resigned, alliance with the BJP was declared broken, the party promised to stand with the people. Two months later, under the cover of midnight negotiations, AGP crawled back into power, its leaders...
Arunachal Pradesh law teacher Gemini Loriak has shaken the internet with a viral classroom talk that cuts deep into India’s collective conscience. In her fiery remarks, she dismantles the stereotype of India as a “lawless country,” declaring that it is not the absence of laws but the refusal of citizens to follow them that creates chaos.
Loriak points to everyday hypocrisy: bribing to bypass queues, fastening seatbelts only when police are in sight, dismissing domestic violence as a “private matter,” normalizing harassment, and celebrating VIP culture while preaching equality.
Quoting the Constitution—Article 14 on Equality, Article 21 on the Right to Life with Dignity, and Article...
In a swift development following public outrage, Assam Police have arrested three officials of Bhartia Infra Projects Ltd (BIPL) after the tragic death of a three-year-old boy who fell into an uncovered drain at the Arya Nagar flyover construction site in Guwahati. The incident, which occurred earlier this week, triggered shock across the city and led to demands for accountability from both the company and government authorities.
According to reports, the toddler, identified as Sunit Kumar, slipped into an unguarded drain within the construction zone. CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts later revealed several exposed manholes and drains left unattended at the site. The flyover work had...
The morning broke like any other Teachers’ Day in Assam. Classrooms across the state were filled with garlands, songs, and the eager smiles of children bowing before their teachers. But while thousands of students offered prayers and gifts, more than 9,000 tutors left their schools behind and walked instead to the Latashil playground in Guwahati.
It was here, on this very day of reverence, that the tutors chose protest over celebration. With banners aloft and voices hoarse with slogans, they demanded not flowers but justice.
“We have given our entire lives to teaching,” one grey-haired tutor said, his eyes moist, his voice trembling. “Today we should have been in the classroom,...
Guwahati, September 5: On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, the All Assam Non-Provincialised Teachers’ and Employees’ Association strongly condemned the state government for neglecting their long-standing demand for provincialisation of services.
Addressing a press conference at Dispur Press Club today, the organisation’s leaders narrated the decades of hardship faced by nearly 4,500 teachers and employees who continue to serve schools and colleges without provincial status. Many of them have been working since the 1990s but remain deprived of government recognition and financial security.
Association secretary Purabi Kalita Saikia termed the new provincialisation law introduced by the...
Guwahati today is not just a city of chaos and waterlogging—it has turned into a death trap. Open drains and reckless construction lie in wait, ready to claim lives, while the authorities responsible look the other way.
This week alone, tragedy struck twice. Four-year-old Sumit Kumar slipped into an uncovered drain near Nilachal Nagar and never returned home. Hours later, Phuljit Sharma, an elderly citizen, fell into another open drain in Kahilipara, narrowly escaping death but left seriously injured.
But Sumit and Phuljit are not exceptions. They are part of a long, shameful list. In 2023, Priya Kumari, a college student, lost her life when her scooter skidded near Ganeshguri and she...
Another tragedy has struck Guwahati’s flyover construction drive. Two labourers lost their lives and others were grievously injured after coming into contact with an 11kV overhead power line at the under-construction GNB Road flyover. One of the victims fell from the structure after being electrocuted, while others narrowly survived.
Shockingly, despite repeated accidents — 2 deaths and 5 injuries in just nine months — no investigation has been launched, and no agency has accepted responsibility.
The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) has washed its hands off, claiming responsibility only “up to the electricity meter.” The Chief Electrical Inspector’s office says it...
The All Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) has launched a fiery protest in Guwahati, accusing the BJP-led Central government of “betraying Assam” by extending the stay of non-Muslim foreigners till December 31, 2024.
According to AJYCP, this move tramples upon the Assam Accord and loads Assam with a 53-year burden of illegal migrants. Leaders warned that the Centre is turning the state into a “dumping ground” for Bangladeshis and destroying Assamese identity.
“This government has insulted the memory of five martyrs of the anti-CAA movement. Instead of respecting Assam’s sacrifice, they have added ten more years to the foreigners’ burden,” thundered AJYCP president...
Guwahati: A storm has broken out after revelations in the Gauhati High Court that the Assam Government sold 3,000 bighas of tribal land in Dima Hasao to a private cement company at ₹2 lakh per bigha. The disclosure, made during a hearing yesterday, has drawn sharp reactions across the state.
The land in question, reserved under the Sixth Schedule for tribal communities in Umrangso, was allotted to Mahabali Cement Company. Following petitions from affected parties, Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi’s bench took a stern view, asking how such transfer of protected land could take place. The court directed the Assam Government to file an affidavit within two days, producing all related documents of...
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