Feature
Thousands in Nepal mourn Kalam’s death
Kathmandu: Thousands of Nepalis, including leaders, expressed grief and sorrow over the death of former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Within minutes of the news of Kalam’s death late on Monday evening, many posted photos of the Indian missile man and his famous quotes on Facebook.
“Hearty tribute to Abdul Kalam, former President of India. Deep condolence to the government and people of India,” said former deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha, in a message.
“He never got old. That was his charisma. What a hero – Abdul J Kalam ! love you !” a woman journalist Anjali Subedi wrote on her Facebook wall.
People from all sections of society and age groups joined to express their grief over Kalam’s death who last visited Nepal in 2008 during the convocation ceremony of Kathmandu University.
Hundreds of people either translated in Nepalese or chose to use his famous quotes verbatim on Twitter and Facebook.
“Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep,” a message giving one of Kalam’s quotes said.
News of his death was widely covered in the Nepali media in Tuesday’s editions.
Many posted photos of his last Nepal visit in 2008.
“I feel that his ideas and behaviour were more powerful than missile,” said a mourner Byakul Pathak, adding that “he is one man whom I respect in this world.”
“The world will miss your simplicity and towering personality,” said Sama Thapa on her Facebook wall.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Kalam saying: “I am saddened to hear the news of passing away of Kalam.”
Koirala expressed his condolence to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, government of India, relatives of Kalam and Indians on behalf of the government and people of Nepal.
Koirala also recalled Kalam’s contributions in leading India on the path of scientific advancement and progress.
Kalam died in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya on Monday following cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture in a management school.
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.
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