TRIPURAHERALD

Union Minister of State, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhoumik today visited the Kumarghat Hospital to enquire about the conditions of the injured persons of Ulta Rath Yatra tragic incident which occurred on June 28 when the chariot of Lord Jagannath came in contact with high-tension wire in Kumarghat under the Unakoti district.

Union Minister of State, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhoumik was accompanied by Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) State President Rajib Bhattacharjee. She wished for the speedy recovery of the injured persons.

Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) State President Rajib Bhattacharjee on his facebook wrote, “We are deeply shocked by this tragic incident. We stand with the families of the deceased and the injured. It is impossible to bring back the lives lost in this tragic accident but we will try our best to ensure that there is no such heartbreaking situation in the future”, the facebook post added.

It is to be mentioned here that, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the tragic incident of Ulta Rath Yatra in which seven have people lost their lives after the chariot of Lord Jagannath came in contact with high-tension wire in Kumarghat under the Unakoti district.

Not only that, the Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha has also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. The government will also bear all the expenses for the treatment of the injured, while victims with burn injuries exceeding 60 per cent will receive Rs 2.50 lakh and those with burn injuries ranging from 40 to 60 per cent will be given Rs 74,000 as compensation.

Thousands of Muslims from all across Tripura gathered at the Gedu Mia Masjid in capital Agartala to offer morning prayers on Eid-al-Adha. Eid ul-Adha was celebrated across Tripura today in an atmosphere of communal harmony.

The Eid prayers started around 8:00 am and conducted by Imam of the mosque Maulana Abdul Rehaman. After the namaaz, devout Muslims hugged each other and exchanged greetings of peace and love even with those belonging to other religions and faith.

It is the festival of sacrifice celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son to keep his word to God.

The Eid-al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety across the State including Jampuijala, Belonia, and Boxanagar, Kailashahar and other areas.

Muslims across the world celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm and respect.

Each Muslim family which is capable of sacrificing any animal prescribed in the Holy Koran does so and distributes the meat to the poor and also gives donations to various institutions, especially those that run orphanages and elderly homes.

In a tragic incident six people including two children were killed and 15 injured as a ‘Rath’ of Lord Jagannath caught fire after coming in contact with high-tension wire in Tripura’s Unakoti district.

The deceased has been identified as Seema Pal (33), Sushmita Baidya (30), Rupak Das (40), Soma Biswas (28), Rohan Das (9), and Shan Malakar (9).

It was reported that, around 4.30pm today in the Kumarghat area during the ‘Ulta Rath Yatra’ festival of Lord Jagannath the ‘Rath’ caught fire after coming in contact with high-tension wire. Due to which six people were killed and 15 were injured.

The festival marks the return of the sibling deities Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath to their sacred dwelling, one week after the Rath Yatra.

Chief Minister Dr.Manik Saha has already left for kumarghat to enquire about heart-breaking incident.

On his facebook Chief Minister Dr.Manik Saha wrote, I am extremely shocked by this incident. My Deepest condolences to the bereaved family. As well as wishing the speedy recovery of the injured. State government stands by them during these difficult times.

The injured have been referred to Kumarghat Hospital, Fatikrai Hospital and Kailasad District Hospital, four of them have been referred to GB Hospital as their condition is critical.

The Royal Scion and the Chairman of TIPRA Motha Pradyot Kishore Manikya Deb Burman today inaugurated Drug Rehabilitation Centre in the TTAADC headquarter of Khumulwng.

Addressing in the inaugural session Pradyot Kishore Manikya Deb Burman alleged that involvement of politicians in promoting drugs across the state. He said, “The policy of Nesha Mukt Tripura also known as Drug-Free Tripura introduced by the state government here should also focus on tackling the involvement of politicians who promote drugs.”

“Tripura is presently going through the problems of drug menace, which is mainly affecting the indigenous youths of the state,” he said, adding that there is a need to enhance the policy of rejecting drugs for the survival and strength of the indigenous community.

Underling the destructive impact of drugs on society, Pradyot called for effective countermeasures and expressed his appreciation for TTAADC’s proactive step.

A programme was organized to celebrate the 185^th birth anniversary of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya at Rabindra satabarshiki  bhavan on Monday. Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyaya was an Indian novelist, poet and journalist. He is known as Sahitya Samrat (Emperor of Literature) in Bengali. Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumder and other dignitaries were present in the programme.

Vande Mataram has been India’s national song since 1937. Sung by generations of Indians to evoke the motherland, the song was written by Bengali writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

But Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was more than just the father of the Indian national song. He was a celebrated writer, poet and journalist. He’s considered to be the father of the Bengali novel.

Born in Naihati, Bengal on June 27, 1838, he went on to become a significant figure in India’s struggle for independence. Bankim has left an indelible mark on modern nationalism and modern Hinduism. His belief was that there was “no serious hope of progress in India except in Hinduism-reformed, regenerated and purified”.

He was one of the first two graduates from the University of Calcutta and became a deputy magistrate and deputy collector in the government of British India at the age of 20, a post he held till he retired in 1891.

He published his first fiction work, Rajmohan’s Wife in English and it is regarded as the first Indian novel to be written in English.

 In order to raise essential awareness about the devastating effects of drug abuse, a Anti Drug Rally was organized jointly by 12 NGOs on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking here at Agartala on Monday.

Speaking to the reporters a member of the NGO said drug abuse have created havoc in the society particularly damaging and destroying the young generation from whom lot of expectations of the not only from the parents but also from the general masses. Some young people are taking their lives to the brink of extinction, like heroin and brown sugar. Being addicted to drugs, they are also involved in various anti-social activities. Unable to raise money for drugs, some are organizing thefts at various homes and shops, which has led to an increase in thefts. So to create awareness about the devastating effects of drug abuse we have conducted this Anti Drug Rally, the NGO member said.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, is marked on 26 June every year to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse. The aim of this year’s campaign is to raise awareness about the importance of treating people who use drugs with respect and empathy; providing evidence-based, voluntary services for all; offering alternatives to punishment; prioritizing prevention; and leading with compassion. The campaign also aims to combat stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs by promoting language and attitudes that are respectful and non-judgmental.

Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha today inaugurated the weeklong Kharchi Puja at Chaturdash Devata Bari Temple in Old Agartala.  Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Transport, Tourism Sushanta Chowdhury, Minister for Tribal Welfare, Handloom, Handicrafts & Sericulture, Statistics Bikash Debbarma, Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumder,  MLA of 05-Khayerpur Constituency Ratan Chakraborty and other dignitaries were present in the inaugural ceremony of the festival.

The festival lasts for seven days and 14 gods are worshipped at the Chaturdasha temple near Old Agartala. The 14 deities are known as the Chaturdasha Devata and are Lord Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Earth, Ganga, Agni, Kama, Himavan and Varuna.

Kharchi is derived from ‘khya’ which means ‘earth’ and the festival marks the cleansing of Ama Pechi which is the female cycle of the earth godess.

The main feature of this festival in Tripura is that, whether the festival is basically tribal or not, all people regardless tribal and non-tribal join the festival in a joyous mood and become part and parcel of it.

Chaturdas Devata is a family deity of the Maharajas of Tripura. Since the merger of the State with the Indian Union on October 15, 1949 the State government is maintaining the temple. Though the princely days are gone still all practices of the royal days are followed in observing the festival as well as performing the daily puja.

Chief Minister Prof Dr.Manik Saha on Sunday inaugurated a blood donation camp organized by Aurobindo Club of Agartala at Aurobindo Club Premises and said blood donation is one of the greatest signs of human responsibility. There is no substitute for blood. The demand of blood can be fulfilled only by voluntarily donation. He also lauded the initiative of the club over organizing blood donation.

 Chief Minister Dr.Manik Saha on Sunday appealed to the residents of the State to donate blood in order to save lives. “Donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives”. Each unit of blood donated is separated into four major components -platelets, plasma, red blood cells and white blood cells which can be used to save four lives, he said.

It takes just a few minutes to donate blood, with each unit of blood donated being used to save four lives. We can segregate blood components these days and one unit is used to save lives. Many a time blood is not easily available to people in emergency situations. People need to understand the importance of blood donation and there is no harm in donating it. Donation is the lone source of blood. So, to save life, blood needs to be donated, the chief minister said.

“If we donate blood, it would not just help the patients but our own bodies as well. Donation of blood is like servicing one’s own system as it helps your body form new blood more often and so become more robust”. There is no alternative of blood. The demand of blood could only be met through voluntary blood donation, he said, adding that one can save a precious life by donating blood.

Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumder and other dignitaries were present in the inaugural ceremony of the blood donation camp.

A “Mega Blood Donation Camp” and “Safety Workshop of Electricity” was organized by the Tripura State Electricity Corporation (TSECL) Workers and Employees Sangh at Bipani Bitan, Durga Chowmuhani on Sunday.

Addressing on the occasion Minister of Power, Agriculture & Farmer’s Welfare and Election Department Ratan Lal Nath motivated the donors to donate blood to save lives. He also urged the people to come forward and donate blood at regular intervals to meet the demands. Blood donation is a noble cause. I urge and appeal to all citizens to come forward and donate blood, he added.

The minister said that blood donation is the noblest donation in the world. Every donation is critical and you can make a lifesaving difference. Standing beside a person in trouble and extending a helping hand is an ideal person. Hundreds of people are losing in the battle of life for a drop of blood every moment, we do not want this in any way. We can save many lives by donating blood. Though many impossible things happen in modern medical science but blood has not been discovered yet.   As a result, the patients who need excess blood for some reason, that blood has to be collected from the body of a healthy person. This is why blood donation is considered a great donation, Ratan Lal Nath added.

MLA 7-Ramnagar Assembly Constituency Surajit Datta and other dignitaries were also present.