Articles by The Assam Tribune

Politics

'India not scared of any blackmailing': Army Chief’s stark message to Pakistan

New Delhi, Nov 17: India will continue to consider the terrorists and their supporters alike, and it will respond firmly to terrorism, Chief of Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi said on Monday, in a firm message to Pakistan. In an interactive session, the Army Chief also broadly said that there has been improvement in India's relations with China in the last one year following talks between the leadership of the two countries. On cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, Gen Dwivedi said New Delhi has been following a policy of new normal in dealing with Pakistan, and it will be a challenge for the neighbouring country if it continues to support terror groups targeting India. "India focuses on progress and prosperity. If someone creates obstacles in our course, then we will have to take some action against them," he said. "We have said that talks and terror can't go together; blood and water cannot follow together. We are for a peaceful process, which we will cooperate with. Until then, we will treat terrorists and their sponsors alike," the Army Chief said. "Today, India is in a position that it is not scared of any blackmailing," he said, apparently referring to Pakistan's nuclear threat. "Our new normal in combating terrorism will be a challenge to Pakistan," he said. The Army Chief said India's political brass has the will to strengthen the country's deterrence capabilities. "In today's time, our deterrence is very strong. Our deterrence is working," he said. Gen Dwivedi also said that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved significantly following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. "After this, political clarity has come. There has been a huge decline in terrorism," he said. The Chief of Army Staff also indicated that President Droupadi Murmu may consider visiting Manipur as the situation in the state is improving.PTI

8 hours ago

Technology

Assam Sahitya Sabha to install Zubeen Garg statue as centenary celebrations peak

Majuli, Nov 16: The Assam Sahitya Sabha marked a major moment in its centenary celebrations with the grand “Suag Tola” programme in Majuli, where Sabha president Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami announced that a statue of the late cultural icon Zubeen Garg will be installed at the Sabha premises in December.The event, organised by the Assam Sahitya Sabha with support from the Majuli District Sahitya Sabha on Sunday, featured a vibrant cultural procession. Local residents, along with all branch Sahitya Sabhas in Majuli, joined the celebration commemorating 100 years of the Sabha’s central office, Chandrakanta Handique Bhawan, the historic headquarters built with a donation from philanthropist Radhakanta Sandikoi in memory of his son. Speaking to the press, Dr Goswami praised the scale and energy of the festivities. “I have never seen such a procession before as today’s xobha jatra. It is a rare sight in the history of the Assam Sahitya Sabha,” he said. He added that the hospitality and participation of Majuli’s residents had “turned a long-held dream into reality on the occasion of the Chandrakanta Handique Bhawan centenary”. Dr Goswami further announced that the Sabha will hold its main centenary celebration in Jorhat on December 2 and 3 at the central office. Reflecting on the legacy of Zubeen Garg, he emphasised the importance of honouring artists and cultural icons. “A nation that does not respect its artists and writers can never be called civilised,” he said. He added that Garg’s birth anniversary on November 18 would be observed “with grandeur” and urged people to honour the day through kindness, compassion and service to the needy; values the late icon embodied. “Garg left by establishing himself as someone who cared, loved and worshipped nature. On his birth anniversary, we should do something that keeps him alive forever among us,” he said. Dr Goswami also revealed that land has already been earmarked within the Sabha premises for Garg’s statue, which will be installed in December and designed to allow visitors to pause and pay tribute. “Not only must the fan clubs but everyone in Assam ensure we never lose him. The Assam Sahitya Sabha will always extend support to this cause,” he said. He also praised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s initiative to bring the Vrindabani Bastra, the revered textile artwork associated with Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev, back from the British Museum in London for an exhibition in Assam in 2027. “Sankardev united the Assamese people with a thread of harmony and taught humanity beyond caste or religion. In this context, we express gratitude to the Chief Minister for taking responsibility to bring back the Vrindabani cloth, a remarkable symbol of our ancient art and culture,” he said.

8 hours ago

Technology

CM Sarma reviews London waterfront for ideas to upgrade Guwahati riverfront

Guwahati, Nov 17: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, currently on a two-day visit to London, visited the city’s waterfront to study global best practices that could help enhance Guwahati’s riverfront infrastructure and beautification efforts.The visit comes shortly after the inauguration of the Brahmaputra Riverfront–Sati Radhika Shaanti Udyan, on November 7 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. “On my first day in London I visited the city’s waterfront. We are transforming Guwahati’s riverfront and are in the process of borrowing some of the global best practices. In between, I also met our hardworking diaspora and interacted with them,” Sarma wrote on his social media handle. Guwahati currently has three major riverfront parks — the Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre, the Brahmaputra Riverfront, and the newly inaugurated Sati Radhika Shaanti Udyan. Developed at Uzanbazar at a cost of Rs 327 crore, the Brahmaputra Riverfront–Sati Radhika Shaanti Udyan re-imagines the riverfront experience over a 1.2 km stretch from the New DC Bungalow to Kachari Ghat. The urban park features a 15-metre-wide boulevard, landscaped walkways, cycling tracks, open gyms, children’s play areas and Assamese-themed gateways, blending leisure, culture and environmental sustainability. Sarma’s London visit also comes close on the heels of the announcement to bring back the Vrindavani Vastra to Assam for six months. “Tomorrow is a big day for Assam & Bharat. We are signing a MoU with the British Museum so that the sacred Vrindavani Vastra can be brought back home under a loaning arrangement. Vikas and Virasat continue to be pillars of our governance agenda,” he wrote. The Chief Minister began his trip on Saturday, with the primary objective of facilitating the temporary return of the 16th-century Vrindavani Vastra, a priceless silk textile created under the guidance of the revered saint Srimanta Sankardeva. A dedicated museum is being planned in Khanapara, which is expected to serve as a secure, climate-controlled facility for the display and preservation of the centuries-old textile.On my first day in London I visited the city’s waterfront. We are transforming Guwhati’s riverfront and are in the process of borrowing some of the global best practices. In between, I also met our hardworking diaspora and interacted with them. pic.twitter.com/RWRoUaZvNb— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 16, 2025

8 hours ago

World

Indian missions across the world celebrate International Gita Mahotsav 2025

Port of Spain, Nov 17: Indian diplomatic missions across the globe marked International Gita Mahotsav 2025, celebrating the timeless spiritual and philosophical teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.The Gita Mahostav is celebrated to promote Bhagwad Gita’s teachings of duty, righteousness, and knowledge on the Ekadashi (11th lunar day) of the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) in the month of Margashirsha (Indian Calendar) when Lord Krishna delivered the eternal sermons of Gita to Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.In Trinidad and Tobago, the Indian High Commission hosted a spiritual evening of Gita Mahotsav at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-operation Auditorium in Port of Spain with the wide participation of devotees.The celebration is one of the precursor events leading up to the 10th International Gita Mahotsav being held in Kurukshetra, India.Senior dignitaries from the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, including Jagdeo Singh, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senator Pundit Prakash Persad, Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, expressed their insightful thoughts on the relevance of Gita in the contemporary world.“Their words of wisdom, encouragement, and cultural appreciation added immense depth to the celebration of the Bhagavad Gita,” the Indian High Commission in Port of Spain posted on X.Additionally, in China, as part of the International Gita Mahotsav celebrations, Indian Consul General in Shanghai Pratik Mathur felicitated Wang Zhicheng, a renowned scholar of Vedanta and Yoga at Zhejiang University in the Eastern China Region. Wang’s acclaimed Chinese translation of the Bhagavad Gita, published in 2015, has been reprinted 17 times.According to the Indian Consulate General in Shanghai, the latest edition, published in 2025, has garnered strong public interest in the Chinese readership, a testament to the global support for Indian culture and civilizational heritage.Earlier on Sunday, the Indian High Commission in Mozambique marked the occasion at Anand Ashram in Salamanga, about 40 kilometres south of the capital, Maputo.The programme included yoga, prayer, poetry recitation, singing, quiz competition, and concluded with a Prasadi lunch.Celebrating International Gita Mahotsav, the Embassy of India in Switzerland organised an event showcasing India’s rich culture and the Gita’s universal message. The event commenced with soulful performances by GitaProductions, bringing the Gita’s teachings through dance and drama. --IANS

8 hours ago

Politics

Tripura raises target to create 1.35 lakh ‘Lakhpati Didis’ in 2025–26

Agartala, Nov 17: The Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM) has revised its target to make 1.35 lakh women 'Lakhpati Didis' during the current financial year, an official said on Monday. The decision was taken at a state-level steering committee meeting held at the civil secretariat under the chairmanship of state Rural Development Department Secretary Abhishek Singh on November 15. Tarit Kanti Chakma, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Tripura Rural Livelihood Mission (TRLM), an initiative of the Rural Development Department, said that the target to make 1.08 lakh women 'Lakhpati Didis' has been achieved, and hence, the target has been revised to 1.35 lakh. Necessary initiatives will be taken and the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) will be informed, he said. Chief Minister Manik Saha on October 25 disbursed Rs 100 crore to 1,00,000 'Lakhpati Didis' to augment their activities, he said, adding that South Tripura district has the maximum number of 'Lakhpati Didis' at 21,898. A 'Lakhpati Didi' is a self-help group member with an annual household income exceeding Rs 1 lakh. It is a central government initiative with the objective of improving the livelihoods of poor rural households in the country. PTI

8 hours ago

Technology

SpaceX launches NASA’s Sentinel-6B satellite to track global sea-level changes

New Delhi, Nov 17: SpaceX on Monday launched NASA’s Sentinel-6B satellite aimed at monitoring sea level change, the US space agency said.Sentinel-6B is an Earth-observing satellite jointly developed by NASA and US and European partners to observe the ocean and measure sea level rise.The satellite will build on over 30 years of sea level data to improve weather forecasts. It will help improve coastal planning, protect critical infrastructure, and advance weather forecasts.“Liftoff! The latest in a long line of satellites to monitor sea level change, Sentinel-6B, successfully launched at 12:21 am ET (10:55 AM IST) on Monday, from Vandenberg Space Force Base,” NASA said in a post on social media platform X.“This is the second Sentinel-6 satellite Falcon 9 launched after delivering the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite to orbit in November 2020. Together, the two spacecraft will measure sea levels, improve forecasts of ocean currents as well as wind and wave conditions, and enhance both short- and long-term weather predictions,” added SpaceX.Sentinel-6B will deliver data on about 90 per cent of Earth’s ocean, providing direct benefits to humanity.The data is key to helping improve public safety, city planning, and protecting commercial and defense interests.Data from the satellite will also help NASA prepare for the next phase of space exploration, including safer reentry of astronauts returning from Artemis missions.Data collected by the mission can help city planners, as well as local and state governments, to make informed decisions on protecting coastal infrastructure, real estate, and energy facilities.The satellite’s sea level data also improves meteorologists’ weather predictions, which are critical to commercial and recreational navigation, forecasts of hurricane development, including the likelihood of storm intensification, which can aid disaster preparedness and response.Data from Sentinel-6B will better protect coastal military installations from such events as nuisance flooding while aiding national defense efforts by providing crucial information about weather and ocean conditions. --IANS

9 hours ago