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Jorhat, Oct 22: As Assam continues to grieve the loss of its most loved music icon, Zubeen Garg, environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee Jadav Payeng, known across the country as the "Forest Man of India", has expressed deep sorrow and called for justice for the late artist, whom he described as a kindred spirit. Payeng shared intimate memories of Zubeen from the singer's youth. "I first met Zubeen when he was a student at J.B. College in Jorhat. He would often cycle to the Brahmaputra sandbars near Kokilamukh, close to my home. Sitting on the sands, he'd hum quietly to himself and even then, music flowed naturally from him," Payeng reminisced. He fondly recalled Zubeen's visits to his village and his appreciation for Mising culture. "He once tasted our Apong and enjoyed it. After that, he sang a few tunes with that same cheerful spirit," Payeng said. The environmentalist said Zubeen's connection to nature and his deep sense of cultural and national identity were evident even in those early years. "Zubeen was not just a musician but was a soul deeply rooted in Assam's land, culture, and environment," Payeng reflected. Remembering Zubeen's 50th birthday celebration in Jorhat, which he inaugurated, Payeng said the two often spoke about the need for environmental awareness. "Zubeen truly believed in planting trees. He cared about the earth and encouraged others to respect it. He was an artist with a conscience," he said. Payeng compared Zubeen's death to losing a part of himself. "Zubeen was like my right hand. Now it feels like that right hand has been torn away," he said, his voice breaking. Describing the late singer as a man untouched by greed, Payeng added, "He never cared for money. I have met many artistse even Bhupen Hazarika, but Zubeen's honesty and emotional depth were unique." Reflecting on his enduring legacy, Payeng lamented that Zubeen never got the recognition he deserved in life. "Yet in death, he united all of Assam. All communities, tribes, and castes came together in grief. That's the power of his soul," he said. Concluding his emotional message, Payeng made a heartfelt proposal to honour Zubeen's memory. "Let us plant forests in Zubeen's name across Assam. Let trees grow where his songs once echoed. That will be our living tribute to him" Payeng concluded.
Accepting the honour, Acharya Prashant delivered a powerful address, "The climate crisis is not just outside, it's inside. The glaciers are melting because our minds are burning with greed. Oceans are rising because our desires know no bounds. Before we can act responsibly, we must first think clearly. And that is where true environmentalism begins, not in policy, but in consciousness." "When we talk about the environment, we usually refer to forests, rivers, air, and wildlife. But do we ever as ...Read More >
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that concerted efforts would be made to increase green cover in the state from current 30.05 per cent to 50 per cent by 2047 when India would celebrate its centenary year of Independence. Addressing the Vana Mahotsavam event on the World Environment Day at Ananthavaram village in Thullur mandal near here, the Chief Minister said: "Currently, Andhra Pradesh has 37,421 sq km of forest area, accounting for 23 per cent of the total area in the State. When we add greenery outside forests, the state's green cover stands at 30.05 per ce ...Read More >
Lucknow: UP is set to celebrate Van Mahotsav from July 1 to 7 under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wherein the forest and wildlife department plans to plant a record 35 crore saplings across Uttar Pradesh, the highest in country.The department, working in close coordination with various other departments, has gathered 52.33 crore saplings and completed advance soil work on 72,912 hectares of land.A review meeting led by forest and environment minister Arun Kumar Saxena was held fo ...Read More >
It's been more than a month since Zubeen Garg breathed his last. His fans continue to demand justice to avenge what they call an "untimely" death on foreign soil. Much has been written about the loss to the artistic world -- and especially to the people of Assam, for whom he remains a legend. Anyone who has followed Zubeen's career knows his propensity to give a damn about his celebrity status. He spoke his mind and didn't care who he offended, because his words were often laced with sarcasm towa ...Read More >
Mysore/Mysuru: Environmental groups across Mysuru came together to offer heartfelt tributes to Padma Shri awardee Saalumarada Thimmakka, revered as 'Vruksha Mathe' and a tireless ambassador for nature. The homage was held at Hasiru Mysuru Nursery Farm near Bandipalya, where participants offered floral respects to her portrait and observed a moment of silence. The event featured poetry recitations and songs celebrating Thimmakka's inspiring life. Her legacy was remembered not just through words but through a renewed commitment to environmental stewardship. Noted environmentalist and former M ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the caste census will greatly benefit the indigenous Muslim community living in both the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley in the state. The Centre on Wednesday announced that India's 16th Census with caste enumeration will be carried out in 2027. The indigenous Muslim communities of Assam have been demanding for a long time, a caste-based census to assert their distinct socio-cultural identities, the chief minister said on the sidelines of the World Environment Day programme here. ''The proposed caste enumerati ...Read More >
Guwahati, Sep 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for major infrastructure and industrial development projects in Assam on Sunday, with a total investment exceeding Rs 18,530 crore. The Prime Minister's visit is part of his ongoing Northeast tour, state government officials said. At Mangaldoi in the Darrang district, Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone for a cluster of health education projects, including a new Medical College and Hospital, a GNM school, and a B.Sc Nursing College. Also on the agenda in Darrang are th ...Read More >
Guwahati, Sept 14: The new generation remembers Bhupen Hazarika mostly through his songs, but his biography Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika by Sahitya Akademi awardee Anuradha Sarma Pujari seeks to highlight the varied genres of his creativity. "It is unfortunate that today's youth believe he was just a singer. My book aims to bring forth the many facets of this genius so that they understand his philosophy and the wide spectrum of his work," Pujari told PTI. Written in Assamese, the book was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the centenary celebrations on Saturday and will be translate ...Read More >
Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that this is singer Zubeen Garg's Assam, and we cannot let it turn into another Nepal. Following the mysterious death of an iconic singer last week in Singapore Assam is mourning and the state is restive. Social media is full of posts seeking justice for Garg. Recently Nepal witnessed generation z protests. Allegations have been levelled against Shyamkanu Mahanta, Siddharth Sharma and Shekhar Goswami with multiple FIRs filed aga ...Read More >
Nagaon (Assam) [India], October 22 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday alleged that a section of people were trying to take political mileage from Zubeen Garg's death, with an attempt to destabilise the state, but the state government would not allow it to happen. Assam State BJP has launched a campaign with this slogan from today, "I am Zubeen fan and we are also Zubeen fans". Addressing the media here today, CM Sarma said, "Zubeen Garg's death is unfortunate and it is piteous and the most painful incident of Assam, a section of people has tried to transform this in ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India] June 6 (ANI): Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attended the 'Samvidhan Sabha' in Rajgir, Nalanda, on Friday. Addressing the gathering, Gandhi emphasised the need for a caste census and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance on the issue. He questioned PM Modi's claim of being an OBC while asserting that the BJP denies the existence of caste in India, emphasising the need for a genuine caste census. 'Narendra Modi used to say in every speech, I am OBC. Then, on the caste census, they say that there is no caste in India. If there is ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Between 2020 and mid-2025, over 8 lakh saplings were planted across the city and over 19,904 fully grown trees were axed, largely to make way for development work such as roads and Namma Metro expansion.In 2020-21, the city experienced its most ambitious annual afforestation drive, with 2.6 lakh saplings planted and only 615 trees were felled.There is no record of any plantation drive during the following year, 2021-22, but 425 trees were removed, mostly for branch clearances and limited infrastructure work. "We don't have the records because it was a pandemic and there were not man ...Read More >
MANGALDOI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday alleged that the Congress, instead of supporting the country's army, was backing terrorists groomed by Pakistan. Addressing a programme at Mangaldoi in Assam's Darrang district, he accused the grand old party of "protecting" infiltrators and anti-national forces. The prime minister also asserted that the BJP would "not allow infiltrators to grab land and conspire to change the demography". "The Congress, instead of supporting the Indian Army, backs terrorists groomed by Pakistan. During 'Operation Sindoor', the Congress, instead of supportin ...Read More >
Guwahati: Authorities here have issued a stern warning against a misleading image of a fake commemorative stamp on Bhupen Hazarika circulating on social media platforms. A viral post, purportedly depicting an official stamp, has been identified as fabricated and unrelated to the authentic releases. A viral post, purportedly depicting an official stamp, has been identified as fabricated and unrelated to the authentic releases. Digboi MLA Suren Phukan, representing the BJP, emphasized the gravity of the issue, stating: "In keeping with the birth centenary, this Rs100 commemorative coin of one ...Read More >
Guwahati: Zubeen Garg's wife, Garima, on Monday said she wants to know what exactly happened that led to his death in Singapore on Sept 19 despite the presence of manager Siddharth Sharma, drummer Shekhar Jyoti Goswami, and North East India Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and why she was kept in the dark after the incident.She said, "I did not understand how Shyamkanu Mahanta treated Zubeen in Singapore. Neither security was provided, nor was there any medical assistance for Zubeen. There was also no proper arrangement for his accommodation."Garima added that everyone present, including S ...Read More >
Bengaluru, November 14: Renowned environmentalist and Padma Shri awardee 'Saalumarada' Thimmakka passed away at the age of 114 on Friday. She was undergoing treatment for respiratory complications at a private hospital in Jayanagar in Bengaluru, where she passed away at noon after her condition worsened. Born on June 30, 1911, in Gubbi taluk of Tumakuru district, Thimmakka was married to Chikkayya in Hulikal village. The couple had no children, which led her to plant and nurture banyan saplings along the roadside, caring for them as her own children. This earned her the affectionate title "Saa ...Read More >
GUWAHATI, March 30: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused the Opposition Congress of "dragging" cultural icon Zubeen Garg's name in its election campaigns for political gain, asserting that justice cannot be delivered by political leaders but only by courts. On Sunday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge had campaigned for the party in Nowboicha constituency of Lakhimpur, unveiling five key guarantees for the Assam Assembly elections, including delivering justice to the late singer within 100 days. Speaking to mediapersons, Sarma, while referring t ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
MADURAI: Likening the custodial murder of Ajith Kumar in Tiruppuvanam to an 'organised crime by police where the state kills its own citizens,' Madras high court lambasted the Tamil Nadu police and said the action against the perpetrators should be more stringent than in normal murder cases.A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete pointed to 44 external injuries on the person of Ajith Kumar and said no part of the body was spared by the delinquent cops. "Even an ordinary murderer would not have inflicted such kind of injuries," the bench said on Tuesday.The natur ...Read More >
Patna, Aug 1 (PTI) Healthcare services were affected at AIIMS-Patna on Friday as resident doctors went on an "indefinite strike" in protest against the alleged high-handedness of Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand. According to a press statement issued by the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), AIIMS-Patna, on Friday, "The RDA expresses deep disappointment and anguish over the lack of action by the administration following the violent and traumatic incident that occurred on Wednesday, when MLA Chetan Anand, his wife and their armed guards breached hospital security, physically assaulted staff, and thr ...Read More >
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 4 (ANI): Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan made strong remarks on the necessity of education while addressing a gathering at the Agaram Foundation event in Chennai. Education is the only weapon that can break the chains of dictatorship and Sanatan, the Rajya Sabha MP said on Sunday. Kamal Haasan added, Dont take anything else in your hands, only education. We cannot win without it, because the majority can make you lose. Majority Fools (Moodargal) will make u lose; knowledge alone will seem defeated. That why we must hold on to it (Educat ...Read More >
Guwahati/ New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manipur on Saturday, marking his first trip to the state since ethnic violence broke out over two years ago. Mr Modi will embark on a two-day tour of three Northeast states on Saturday with Mizoram. He will then visit Manipur and wrap up his Northeast tour from Assam. From Assam, Mr Modi will travel to West Bengal and thereafter Bihar on September 15. Between September 13 and 15, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 71,850 crores. During the visit to Manipur, the Prime Minister wi ...Read More >
Pune: The civic body has initiated the process to secure fresh environmental clearance from the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change for the Paud Phata-Balbharti link road project, as recently sought by Supreme Court. Head of PMC's road department Aniruddha Pawaskar said, "We will appoint a consultant for the study and environment assessment. We aim to complete the work and submit a report as soon as possible."The Supreme Court on Wednesday halted the construction of the proposed road planned through Indian Law Society (ILS) campus and Law College Hill in Pune, pending env ...Read More >
Guwahati, Oct 22: Union Minister and BJP leader Pabitra Margherita on Tuesday hit out at the Congress, accusing it of making "misleading and politically motivated remarks" over the death of legendary singer Zubeen Garg, and urged the Opposition to refrain from exploiting public emotions for political gain. Speaking to reporters, Margherita said the Congress was attempting to divert public sentiment instead of recognising the widespread progress made under the BJP government. "The Congress seems clueless and disturbed after seeing the level of development that has taken place under the BJP. T ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
Mumbai, June 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) It was a belligerent, brilliant, and breathtaking performance from the Chennai Bulls, who were crowned the first ever champions of the Rugby Premier League, here in Mumbai, at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex. The Chennai Bulls thrashed the Delhi Redz by a scoreline of 41-0 in the final, to clinch the title. In fact, the margin of victory is the biggest across Season 1 of the GMR RPL. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Heroes, who had finished top of the table in the league stage, came away with a third-place finish, after they won 17-12 against the Bengaluru Bra ...Read More >
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on a three-day visit from September 13 to Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar to launch multi-crore infrastructure projects, participate in the birth centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Bhupen Hazarika and attend the Combined Commanders' Conference. The PM's tour will begin at Aizawl in Mizoram, where he will lay foundation stones and inaugurate development projects worth over Rs 9,000 crore catering to a host of sectors, includin ...Read More >
Guwahati, Oct 25 (PTI) Two days after the Assam government announced plans to make public the Tewary Commission Report on the Nellie massacre of 1983, a cross-section of people on Saturday voiced apprehension that the move could jeopardise peace among communities. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Thursday told reporters that the state cabinet decided to table the Tewary Commission Report in the next assembly session in November. During the Assam Agitation from 1979 to 1985 against infiltration, over 2,100 people were butchered, mostly Muslims, in a single night in the infamous Nelli ...Read More >
Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the indigenous Muslim population of the state, residing in the Brahmaputra and the Barak Valley regions, would significantly benefit from the caste census.The centre on Wednesday announced that nation's 16th population census, incorporating caste enumeration, would be implemented in 2027.Speaking on the side lines of World Environment Day event, the chief minister said Assam's indigenous Muslim communities have consistently requested a caste-based census to establish their unique socio-cultural identities."The proposed caste e ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday said his party is ready to come together with anyone who will work to protect the interests of Maharashtra and Marathi manoos, his statement coming amid the rapprochement buzz between the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Talking to reporters here, Thackeray accused the BJP of "swallowing" Mumbai and Maharashtra. He said injustice is being meted out to Maharashtra by the BJP. "We have been saying this consistently. We are ready to work with anyone, any party that is ready to ...Read More >