Namphake Monastery a treasure trove of wisdom

Abdul Gani Naharkatia (Dibrugarh): History has a long tale to tell and this Buddhist monastery at Namphake village near Naharkatia in Dibrugarh district has been an integral part of the proceedings over the centuries. It has been providing the muchneeded stuff for human being – wisdom and peace. The inside view of the monastery. Pic: Abdul Gani  The Namphake Buddhist Monastery was set up in 1850 on the bank of the beautiful Buridihing, one of the major tributaries of the might Brahmaputra, as Tai Phakes migrated to this part of the country from the Howkong valley of Myanmar in the late eighteenth century. From the manuscripts...

Read More

Soccer coach bends tradition but fails to reach goal

Abdul Gani Guwahati: If life were a Bollywood film, Hem Das would have been a Shah Rukh Khan with the halo of a Chak De! But a grand dream of Das – the soccer version of the hit Bollywood film revolving around hockey — is dying a slow death due to paucity of funds and the government’s refusal to help. In a mission to spread soccer skills among village youngsters, Hem Das has single-handedly trained around 40 young girls at Rani, a sleepy township about 40 kms from Guwahati. It all started in 2010 when Das, a soccer player-turned coach, set out on a mission to fullfil one of his life-long ambitions — find uncut gems in the rural belts...

Read More

Politico to reveal his ‘code of secrecy’ in Bollywood

Abdul Gani Guwahati: Politician-turned-filmmaker Mohibul Hoque is all set for his Bollywood debut with 18.11, a code of secrecy which features several big names of the industry. The former Gauripur MLA who made an Assamese film titled Juman Suman in 2003, said that his film would highlight the positives of the region especially Assam at the national level. “I always wanted to make Hindi movies and now I’m heading that way. I hope this film would open new doors for the state and the region as far as our beautiful locations are concerned. My film would highlight the scenic beauties of Assam and Meghalaya,” Hoque said during a press conference...

Read More

GMCH surgeon to help reduce birth rate in African countries

Abdul Gani Guwahati: Well-known surgeon Dr Ilias Ali, who became a household name for his success in popularizing vasectomy in Assam, has been invited by a Florida-based international organisation to spread the message of population control in African countries. Ali would be a part of No Scalpel Vasectomy International’s (NSVI) mission in African countries to check population. “It’s an honour for me to spread the message of population control for a better world in African countries. I hope my initiative would help reduce birth rate,” Ali told Seven Sisters Post, before leaving for Nairobi via Mumbai on Tuesday. Ali, who is a professor...

Read More

NE still an area of darkness: Study

Abdul Gani Guwahati: Around 52% of people in the so-called mainland India have a negative perception towards the Northeast, while 87% professionals are ignorant of the states in the region. Both of these and many more of their ilk can be considered as omens for the wellbeing of the region that has been paying the price in m any ways. Such factors have much to do with matters like the hostile treatment that the people from the region, mostly students, are meted out at New Delhi and other metropolitan cities in the country. A survey conducted by a New Delhi-based organisation — North East India Image Managers (NEIim) — has revealed that...

Read More