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Modi lavishes praise on Art of Living, its cultural festival

Published

9 years ago

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (second left) waves to delegates during the inauguration of a massive cultural festival on the banks of the river Yamuna, in New Delhi, India, on Friday, March 11, 2016. Photo: AP

New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed the Art of Living’s World Culture Festival event at the Yamuna flood plain here as an “art maha kumbh” and said India can fulfill needs of the world through its cultural heritage only if there is no constant internal criticism.

Speaking at the inaugural event of the festival, which had run into and faced a case in National Green Tribunal, Modi profusely praised the even as well as the Art of Living (AoL).

In his speech AoL founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, took a dig at those who were opposing the event as his “private party”.

“Of course, it is my private party. The entire world is my family,” he said, recalling Sanskrit phrase “vasudhaiva kutumbakam”, which means “the world is one family”, as one of the loftiest Vedic thoughts.

Showers lashed the venue just before the inaugural event of the three-day cultural extravaganza, throwing some preparations into disarray. The show could not be screened on screens put up at the venue estimated to be spread over 1,000 acres.

The evening saw chanting of Vedic mantras, and Indian classical performances by thousands of artistes. The Art of Living Grand Orchestra saw participation of an estimated 8,500 artists, organisers said.

Several international leaders including from UAE and France took part in the event. A message was read on behalf of Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Modi began his address by terming Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as “param pujay gurudev” (revered guru).

Modi said world was not only linked through economic interests but also throuugh “human values.” He said India has heritage which is needed by the world.

“We can fulfill needs of the world in some ways but we can do so if we have pride in our herigtage. If we keep criticising ourselves, if we find faults daily, what will the world see towards us,” Modi said.

He said Art of Living had spread to over 150 countries in its 35 years. Modi said AoL has helped shape a distinct identity of India. “Today we have seen a kumbh festival. This is kumbh mela of art,” Modi said.

The Art of Living event on the Yamuna flood plain has been slammed by some environmentalists for violation of environment norms. The National Green Tribunal has imposed an environmental compensation of Rs.5 crore on AoL for the event.

Modi also said that “soft power” plays an important role in international relations.

He said that practise of music has potential to influence mind.

“When we face resistance in life, we will need Art of Living, when we pursue our dreams we need Art of Living and when we move from myself towards the common cause of us, we need Art of Living,” he told a large gathering including a large number of participants and dignitaries from various parts of the world.

Appreciating Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s services in last 35 years, Modi said: “Once I was overwhelmed when I got a grand reception in Mongolia at an event organised by Art of Living Foundation.”

Ravi Shanker, in his speech, made a veiled reference to the criticism of the event and the challenges his organisation faced and said when “something great is done, many obstacles come”.

“It only indicates it is very very significant work we have undertaken,” Ravi Shanker said.

“Let’s create peace and harmony. Today it seems the dream of vasudhev kutumbakkam has come alive,” he added.

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Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists

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2 years ago

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June 25, 2022

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PureWin Online Betting

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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