A student tests his strength against a robot at the newly-opened Manipur Science Centre in Imphal West. Picture by Eastern Projections

Ghost attack

Residents of Berabak village in Silchar?s Sonai block were woken up one night by the terrified shrieks of Subhash Rajbongshi.

Rajbongshi, a farm labourer, was shocked out of his wits when he felt that a bizarre animal had scratched his body while he was asleep on the verandah of his landlord?s house. The next few days were rife with reports of similar attacks on supine villagers, though the attacker remained elusive.

The gossip that followed the attacks was more bizarre than the animal which had been allegedly scratching the villagers. Nearly 2,000 people gathered in front of Silchar police station following rumours that a ghost had been captured and was in police lock-up.

The suspected culprit of the serial mauling was at last captured by a combined team of villagers and Sonai police. It turned out to be a mild and harmless slow loris.

The slow loris, an endangered animal, is protected under the Schedule of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. After checking the so-called scratch marks on the victims, forest staff, however, reached the conclusion that these could not be the handiwork of any animal.

It now appears that the entire incident was yet another case of the imagination running riot.

Stage musical

After blazing the charts for two years at a stretch, Krishnamoni Chutia?s record-breaking album Chal Gori is now all set to entertain people in a different form.

One of the leading mobile theatre groups, Sankardev Theatre, is all set to stage a version of Chal Gori this year. Young actor Akashdeep, who featured in the Chal Gori music video, will play the lead role in the stage version.

Biswa Saikia, producer of Sankardev Theatre, said the script of the play would be written by noted dramatist Avtar Singh.

?Several hit songs from the album will feature in our play,? he said. Sankardev Theatre wowed viewers across Assam with the stage version of Steven Speilberg?s Jurassic Park.

The album Chal Gori is a collection of songs based on tunes of Jhumur, the traditional songs of the tea garden workers.

Ride on patriotism

He professes love for his country by spreading maxims of peace, riding on his bicycle.

Eugene Moses, a 35-year-old resident of Vallan Villai, Kanyakumari, undertook a bicycle journey through 16 states. It acquainted him with his motherland in a way that he could never imagine.

After covering the length and breadth of the country, he was recently in Guwahati.

?I am a proud Indian, who adores his motherland and reveres President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,? he says.

He began his journey from Kanyakumari on November 24 last year and plans to finish his trip in Itanagar.

The purpose of his tour is to spread the message of love and unity among all Indians, irrespective of culture.

Talking about his enormous energy which helped him complete his journey, he says, ?Love for my country acts as a great physical stimulant and never gives me a chance to get fatigued.?

Ginger growth

Arunachal Pradesh recently made it to the horticultural map of the country.

It has hit a record production of 35,947 metric tonnes of high-quality ginger, cultivated on an area of 7,174 hectares.

Out of the 16 districts in the state, lower Dibang Valley recorded the highest production of ginger with a total of 16,694 metric tonnes from an area of 3,228 hectares, followed by Lohit and West Siang districts.

The state, with suitable climatic and soil conditions, is best for ginger cultivation.

The horticulture department is trying to popularise this crop among farmers.

According to director-in-charge of horticulture, Alok Tage, the farmers generally opt for the local and the Nadia varieties of ginger for cultivation as these have good market potential.

While the local variety is generally consumed in the state, the Nadia variety is sold in Assam and the adjoining states.

Hues of lime

Riti Academy of Visual Art has organised a 10-day international workshop-cum-exhibition of contemporary art, titled Thoh Shun Ki Blei, at the State Central Library. The exhibition, which began on Monday, was inaugurated by sports and youth affairs minister, Paul Lyngdoh.

Thoh Shun, in Khasi, literally means to ?mark with lime?. As a concept, it has a highly auspicious connotation that inspires positive and salubrious action.

For the Khasis, lime has tremendous cultural significance. Lime is a mythical metaphor for blood and is used for divination purposes. Since ancient times, lime has been highly valued for its curative power.

Artists from Romania, Japan, Australia, Bangladesh and Bhutan have taken part in the programme.

Through this exhibition, the Riti Academy of Visual Art is trying to underscore the need to promote modern art in the state.