Feature
Rajnath Singh assures of punishing those behind Malda riots
Ashok Nagar (West Bengal): Condemning the ruling West Bengal government over the recent Malda violence, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today delivered an assurance by saying that the culprits behind the incident would be unmasked and brought to justice.
Describing the January 3 violence in Malda district’s Kaliachak, where a police station was attacked and several vehicles torched, as “not a small incident”, Rajnath Singh said no one in Bengal including police were safe.
“The Trinamool government described itself as the government of ‘Maa, Maati and Manush’ (Mother, land and people). But neither Maa, Maati nor Manush is safe. No one is safe in Bengal. Even police are not safe here,” Rajnath Singh said at a party rally here in North 24 Parganas district, about 50 km from Kolkata.
“The Malda incident is not a small incident, and I want to tell this state government and the chief minister that those who are behind this incident, they will have to be unmasked.
“Who are responsible for the Malda incident, that needs to be unravelled. Just a few arrests will not suffice,” said Rajnath Singh, wondering why the state government did not make elaborate police arrangements to tackle the situation.
“Didn’t the government know that such a large procession will be there? Was it not the state government’s responsibility to make suitable police arrangement?” he asked.
The home minister said the situation could have been averted had a senior police officer been at the spot from the beginning.
“I assure you, all those behind the Malda incident will be unmasked, and their destination will be jail.
“The criminals have become so emboldened that they are now attacking police stations. Do the people of Bengal want such governance?” he asked.
Rajnath Singh also rejected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that the incident was merely a dispute between the BSF and the locals.
“This was not a dispute between the BSF and a mob. Can the attackers on the BSF be called a mob?
“This government is trying to shield those who attacked the BSF, a force which secures our borders and has been giving a befitting reply to Pakistan.
“But those who attacked the BSF personnel are roaming scot-free. How can this happen?” asked Rajnath Singh.
“That’s why I assure you, this incident will be unravelled and we will do whatever it takes.”
According to reports, protesting against remarks allegedly made to “hurt religious sentiments” in Uttar Pradesh, a large number of people on January 3 went on a rampage in Kaliachak, torching vehicles including those belonging to the Border Security Force (BSF) and also attacked a police station.
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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