Feature
CM Yogi: if namaz on road cannot stop then Janmashtami too cannot stop
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday in a statement said that how he can stop celebration of Janmashtami at police station when did not stop the offering of namaz on roads during Eid.
He said when officers red-flagged the use of microphones, DJs and music systems during the recent kanwar yatra (the annual pilgrimage of Shiv devotees), he told them to ensure that microphones are banned everywhere and no sound emanates from any place of worship. He said he asked the administration whether such a ban could be enforced and if it was not possible, and then the yatra would continue the usual way.
(“Maine prashasan se kaha… sabhi pradeshon ke jo adhikari aaye thay… maine kaha ki mere saamne ek aadesh paarit kariye phir ki mike har jagah ke liye partibandhit honi chahiye… har jagah ban karo… aur yeh tay kariye ki kisi bhi dharmsthal mein… uski premises ke bahar, uski awaaz aani hi nahi chahiye… kya isko laagu kar payenge?…Agar laagu nahin kar sakte hain to phir isko bhi hum laagu nahi hone denge… yatra chalegi.”)
while Speaking at an event organized by the Prerna Jansanchar Evam Shidh Sansthan, Noida and Lucknow Jansanchar Evam Patrakarita Sansthan RSS Sah-Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale too was present the Chief Minister said officers briefing him on the kanwar yatra told him that use of microphones, DJs and music systems would not be allowed.
“Maine kaha ki ye kanwar yatra hai ya shav yatra?… Arrey woh kanwar yatra mein baaje nahin bajenge, damru nahin bajega, dhol nahin bajega, chimte nahin bajenge, log nachenge-gayenge nahin, mike nahi bajega to woh yatra kanwar yatra kaise hogi,” he said.
(I asked if this was a kanwar yatra or a funeral procession. If they don’t play music and drums, don’t dance and sing, don’t use the mike, how will it be a kanwar yatra) Quoting RSS ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya, Yogi Adityanath said no one should have any objection on the celebration of Ganesh Utsav in every village and town.
He said everyone has the freedom to celebrate festivals in the country. “Hum sabke liye kahenge… Aap Christmas bhi manaiye… kaun rok raha hai… Bharat ke andar kabhi nahi roka gaya… Aap namaz bhi padhiye, araam se padhiye… kanoon ke daayre me reh kar ke padhiye, koi rokega nahin… lekin kanoon ka ulanghan koi karega toh us par kahin na kahin phir takrao paida hoga… aur isi liye in muddon ko prakharta ke saath unhone (Deendayal Upadhyaya) rakha,” he said.
Those who work for strengthening the cultural unity of the country, he said, are called communal. “Jaise, agar mai kahun ki ‘garv se kaho main Hindu hoon’ toh kahenge ki dekhiye, sampradayik ho gaya.” (For example, if I say take pride in saying I am a Hindu, I will be called communal).
He said in Nepal, Mauritius or any country where Hindus of Indian origin live, they feel proud to be called Hindus. “But if we say the same in India, we will be called communal,” he said.
Targeting the previous SP government, Yogi Adityanath said those who called themselves Yaduvanshis had banned the celebration of Janmashtami at police stations and police lines. He said he was of the belief that “prayers and kirtan may bring improvement in the police system”.
Entertainment
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.