Assam shows the way in cancer initiative
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| A technician at the B. Borooah Cancer Institute in Guwahati. A Telegraph picture |
Assam received a pat on the back for its initiative on cancer care.
Cancer Care, the apex body of organisations working in this field across the country, has lauded Dispur’s initiative in providing free cancer drugs and chemotherapy to those stricken by the disease irrespective of their economic background at its national conference in Chandigarh last week.
However, the pat came only after the delegates at the conference were satisfied with Dispur’s claim.
Deputy resident commissioner of Assam in Mumbai, Debasis Sarma, who represented the state at the conference, said the going was not easy for Assam as a resolution appreciating Assam was initially opposed at the conference.
“They wanted proof since such a move was quite unheard of in the medical fraternity of India. The response of two officials — Dharmananda Baruah and P. Boro — saved the day for us when I got in touch with the health department. They faxed the government notification of 2008 to me within half-an-hour, mentioning the free cancer care. Satisfied, the conference passed a unanimous resolution asking all the states to follow Assam’s footsteps. Even Punjab Governor S.F. Rodrigues promised to ask his government to do an Assam,” Sarma, known to help cancer victims who go to Mumbai for treatment, added.
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| Jyotsana Suri during her visit |
The Imphal-based Kanglei Mime Theatre Repertory — the only professional Mime theatre group in Manipur — is all set to take the saga of Irom Sharmila to the rest of the country through its critically-acclaimed play Mirel Masingkha (The Will of Soul).
The play, based on Sharmila who is popularly known as the Iron Lady of Manipur, portrays her gritty campaign against human rights violation and war against injustice.
After winning accolades in his home state, the director of Kanglei Mime Theatre Repertory, Yumnam Sadananda Singh, said he was now ready to stage the play in different places across the country.
The play is a medium by which we can tell the story of a strong yet silent symbol of Manipur’s firmament of struggle, he added.
“Through our play we want to give the message to stop all kinds of killings, both by militants and security forces, to stop abuse of power and get rid of black laws like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958,” Singh said.
Meghalaya’s hospitality and tourism sector is set for a boost.
Footnote
Chairperson of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) tourism committee Jyotsana Suri was in Shillong as a special invitee of Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang to attend a meeting of the task force on tourism.
During the meeting, Suri, who is also the chairperson and managing director of the Lalit group of hotels, shared her experiences and best practices that could be followed in the tourism sector in Meghalaya.
“The state has a huge potential, which is underutilised, and with the initiative of the chief minister it can develop tourism into a valuable asset for the people of the state,” she said.
She recommended that disinvestment of the government assets would enable the tourism sector to take off at a rapid pace and also attract private players.
Suri said she was ready to start a hospitality school in the state and would also initiate short-term allied courses that would train the youths of the state to get jobs in the hospitality industry.
“I must admit that the youths of the Northeast are the most sought after in the hospitality industry,” she added.
On her maiden visit to the city she took a trip to the Umiam lake and the golf course in Shillong before meeting the chief minister.
