After months of speculation, mud slinging, leg pulling by the political parties finally we have got ourselves a new president- a woman president at that which by the way is a first. History has been made with this new president as Pratibha Patil is the first woman president of India who has made inroads into the Raisena Hill.
From her days as a lawyer in Jalgaon to becoming the first woman President of India, Pratibha Patil has seen the rough and tumble of politics including an unusually bitter campaign on her way to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
United Progressive Alliance-Left nominee Pratibha Patil has been elected as the 13th President of India. She won the Presidential election by a huge 3 lakh margin defeating National Democratic Alliance-backed independent candidate Bhairon Singh Shekhawat on Saturday and became the first woman head of state in a bitterly-contested poll that saw some cross-voting from the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the final count, Pratibha got a vote value of 6, 38,116 while Shekhawat secured 3,31, 306 in an electoral college of 10.98 lakh The 72-year-old Congress loyalist held several posts in Maharashtra besides being deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha and governor of Rajasthan, but her role in the cooperative movement in her state was at the centre of a controversy in the run-up to the presidential election.
Set to break the male bastion in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Pratibha, fielded by the United Progressive Alliance-Left combine, brings with her a wealth of experience both as a politician and an administrator.
The media was agog with the developments however minor they may be sending the public to a frenzy of curiosity regarding there future president. Many candidates were considered and rejected with even the outgoing President Kalam joining the fray for a while. The former president with his non controversial persona, modesty and unkempt hair had won the hearts of the public at large and they were keen on seeing him for a second term but the quagmire of Indian politics is too complicated to accept the simple logic of the common man.
India should have more Presidents like Kalam. Instead of political people the President’s office should be occupied by non political high achievers especially in the field of science and education whose contribution enriches the image of the nation both nationally as well as internationally. Instead of an Amitabh Bachchan of the entertainment industry we should go in for personalities like an Amartya Sen, Abdul Kalam etc people with a vision of development and progress and above the swamp and sickness of politics.
If magh bihu comes can community fishing be far behind? From early in the morning people in several places across the state are landing in community fishing a few hours before the feasting festival. Armed with the various traditional weapons, people, mostly, living near the rivers and water bodies are engaged in fishing.“It is our tradition of fishing on Uruka day. I have a good catch of fish half an hour after I landed in this water body. I need no longer to stay here,” Jiten Barman told Assam Times in Nalbari who joined the fishing early in the morning.Tridip Das a local resident of Jalukbari area is equally happy after he caught a fish during the community fishing in deepor beel, a well...
Braving a biting chill, the entire state is soaked in Magh bihu festivity on Wednesday. Every household is busy with the last minute preparations a day before the much vaunted festival of feast.Today is uruka, the day of feast festival. Shops and markets are teeming with people for last minute shopping for the evening feast. Fish, meat and vegetables are flooding in the markets from early in the morning. Apart from feast a series of cultural programmes are lined up on the occasion.After the whole night celebration, the bihu would take place on Thursday morning by liting up the wooden made meji to offer puja to the god of fire. Governor PB Acharya, chief minister Tarun Gogoi along with many...
Only a day is left for Magh Bihu, the much vaunted festival of feast and merriment. But soaring prices seem to have embittered the real taste of the festival. Shops and markets are teeming with the people for bihu shopping. But a sudden price hike makes it difficult for the common to buy the commodities in the shops and markets.“Beaten rice is available in the markets. But the price stands at Rs 60 per kg. We the common people can hardly afford cream. Price of curd, pulse, coconut and molasses are also going up,” said Ananta Saikia in Ganeshguri.Jina Devi, a housewife in Beltola told Assam Times that a tight purse has not allowed them to buy more commodities in the market. She said, “We...
The North East Research and Social Work Networking (NERSWN), an NGO of Kokrajhar base observes its 10th foundation day with two day long progrmme from Monday at Gwjwn Dera NERSWN Complex, Chnandrapara in Kokrajhar. Deputy Commissioner Themeswar Malakar inaugurated the Children’ Mela where the different types of Science Exhibition, Magic Show, Sports, Literarily and cultural by the student children displayed. Children from different schools of lower Assam participated and displayed their talent in the field of science, arts, Technologies etc.A Seminar on “Civil Society Space in Promoting peace and Reconciliation in Zone of Conflict” was also organized the seminar was...
Senior bureacrate Himanshu Sekhar Das took oath as chief commissioner of RTI on Monday. Governor JB Patnaik administered Das the oath of office and secrecy at a brief fuction at the Raj Bhawan in the morning. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was also present in the function.
The Assam Government will confer Sukapha award to noted lawyer KN Saikia on Tuesday. The former Supreme Court judge will receive the award from chief minister Tarun Gogoi at a function at Rabindra Bhawan in the afternoon.
A total of 702 tribal families were given away land pattas, covering 300 bighas of forest land under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 under Chirang Forest Division at a function held at Dhunabari Lower Primary school in Chirang Tuesday. BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary handed over the papers in the presence of BTC Deputy Chief Kampa Borgoyary, Deputy Commissioner, Chirang, Virendra Singh Mittal, DFO, Chirang, Subash Chandra Brahma and Project Director Deba Kumar Kalita. BTC Speaker Paniram Brahma and former Transport Minister, Government of Assam, Chandan Brahma were also present in the meeting.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh put in his papers before the President on Saturday. Dr Singh, who represents Assam in the Rajya Sabha, rushed to president Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at 12.30 in the afternoon where he tendered his resignation letters. Mukherjee accepted his letter and requested Dr Singh to continue the office till the next candidate takes over as the prime minister. Dr Singh, a professor and economist and former RBI governor was inducted in the Narasimha Rao cabinet as finance minister in 1991. In 1992, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Assam. Later in 20 04, when the party regained power he was sworn in as prime minister. He continued the office when...
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that he would quit taking moral responsibility of his party's dismal show in the Lok Sabha polls. Talking to Assamtimes at his Koinadhara residence on Friday, a visibly Gogoi said that he would send his letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking her consent. Same this was what APCC president Bhubneswar Kalita said after his party was trailing behind BJP in 8 seats.
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