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Satradhikars demand separate Ministry for river Brahmaputra

By Correspondents

MANGALDAI, April 1 - A group of 11 satradhikars belonging to separate satras across Assam who were on a boat journey �Mahabahu Samannay Nauka Jatra� from Majuli to Guwahati have demanded that a separate Ministry for the mighty Brahmaputra be set up like that for the river Ganges.

Participating in the inaugural ceremony of the five-day Namami Brahmaputra Festival organised by the Darrang district administration at Kuruwa along the bank of the Brahmaputra river, Janardan Deba Goswami, Satradhikar, Uttar Kamalabari Satra, Majuli who led the five-day long journey, observed that the Government at the Centre is yet give necessary recognition to the Brahmaputra as compared to the Ganga. He appealed to the Prime Minister through the MPs and MLAs of the ruling BJP Government to give due recognition to the Brahmaputra and form a separate Ministry for it like that for the river Ganga.

On the other hand in his brief address, Basistha Deba Sarma, Burha Satradhikar of the Barpeta Satra, urged the Government to announce a State-level award in the name of the Brahmaputra to recognise leading personalities in the field of social reforms regularly, after a gap of two years each. The octogenarian Satradhikar who ended his speech with the recital of a �Ghosha� also inaugurated the festival by lighting the ceremonial lamp in presence of several dignitaries including Ramen Deka, MP, Mangaldai Lok Sabha seat, Binanda Kr Saikia, MLA, Sipajhar, Gurujyoti Das, MLA, Mangaldai, Ashok Kr Barman, Deputy Commissioner, Darrang, Sreejith T., Superintendent of Darrang, Bhupesh Ch Das, CEO, Darrang Zila Parishad and his fellow colleagues from the Satras of Majuli, Barpeta, Bhogpur, Bardowa among others.

Earlier after disembarking at the Kuruwa ghat from a specially-decorated boat, the team of Satradhikars were accorded a warm welcome by the administration and people of Darrang by escorting them from the boat to the dais with the presentation of traditional Darrangi folk culture and recitals of naam-prasanga.

Meanwhile, the inaugural day of the festival was marked with demonstration of Yoga, various cultural programmes, traditional sports , devotional arati presentation and fire crackers display among others. Prior to the start of the celebration, on Thursday an awareness road show was conducted from Gandhi Maidan across Mangaldai by local NGO Crystal Vision where motorcyclists participated in a campaign carrying forward the message of cleanliness, voluntary blood donation etc.

NALBARI: The five-day Namami Brahmaputra festival organised by the Nalbari district administration began at Bhangnamari parghat near Mukalmua in Nalbari district on Friday. The Minister of Power Pallab Lochan Das formally inaugurating the festival, said that this festival will provide an opportunity for utilisation of the potential of the mighty Brahmaputra river in agriculture, power and tourism sectors. He added that this Namami Brahmaputra festival will give a special identity to the cultural heritage of the State at the national level and will succeed in encouraging investors and tourists to come to this region.

The inaugural programme was attended by three MLAs Narayan Deka, Ashok Sarma and Maneswar Brahma, Jayanta Malla Baruah, former MLA of Nalbari LAC. Earlier, Ananta Lal Gyani, Deputy Commissioner hoisted the flag of the festival. The exhibition organised on the festival was inaugurated by Hemanta Bhattacharya, SP, Nalbari.

Bongaigaon: Forest and Environment Minister, Pramila Rani Brahma, inaugurated the Namami Brahmaputra festival at Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district on Friday.

She released a coffee table book instead of a souvenir. A colourful cultural rally was taken out to showcase the cultural variety of different ethnic groups of the district at Jogighopa after the opening ceremony of the festival.

Besides the Minister, Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Pegu, legislators � Phani Bhusan Choudhury (Bongaigaon), Ananta Kumar Malo (Abhayapuri South), Kamalsing Narzary (Bijni) and Thaneswar Basumatary (Chapaguri) were also present in the opening ceremony of the festival.

Stalls of Self-Help Groups have been set up at the festival venue to attract visitors.

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