‘Indian-ness’  The recent judgement in the Parag Das murder case has once again brought to the fore how cumbersome can be the Indian legal system. It took long thirteen years to acquit an ‘accused’, while the court verdict declaring the accused as ‘not guilty’ of the heinous crime committed in broad daylight to the witness of many a bystander evoked widespread resentment and even a spontaneous protest bandh, supported by one and all, was observed throughout Assam, although such bandhs and protests hardly serve any purpose in a ‘democratic’ country like India where everyone has the ‘right’ to protest as also the ‘right’ to turn a deaf ear to such protests. But that’s another matter. Now one may be tempted to say that it took a long time in the judgement of Parag Das murder case like any other such case because it’s been a hallmark of Indian judiciary system that no innocent is punished, no matter how long it takes to complete the judicial procedure. But for a layman there may be just two outcomes in a crime committed — either one is guilty or innocent. And for them, consuming such a long time in pronouncing one as guilty or innocent is just meaningless, while it takes into account so many man-hours as well as a huge amount of money. As this sixty-plus learned gentleman says: “The span of thirteen years is too long a time for such a case as in a similar timespan the face of the country may change in this fast changing world.” While another gentleman adds: “In fact, it is our ‘Indian-ness’ that is demonstrated in such cases as it is due to this ‘Indian-ness’ that anything and everything in India — be it a court case or a project like Bogibeel bridge over Brahmaputra river or the much-taunted gas cracker project near Dibrugarh — takes an unusually long time to bear fruit.” Now what better we can say than Jai ho India!

New website  Thanks to a new website now that different aspects of the Tai Ahoms will be available on the internet. A brainchild of Bijoy Bakal, Jaba Borgohain, Titu Kumar Hazarika and Buljit Buragohain, the website developed and billed as taiahominternational.org was formally launched on July 26 at Guwahati Press Club with an aim to make available all sorts of information about the Tai Ahom people spread across the world. The website developers said all relevant information will be uploaded gradually later on. “Due to lack of a proper website, we fail to get authentic information of a state or a place or a community in the internet,” they said, adding, “since the internet plays a crucial role in spreading information across the world these days, a need was also felt to create an exhaustive website on the Tai Ahoms.” With all necessary inputs the website will sure act as an information storehouse of this colourful community.

First break  Want to be part of a TV serial/series? Here’s your chance to do exactly that with Cinema Studios, a division of Cosmic Softech Ltd, associated with the electronic media for the last 14 years, coming up with a novel idea. Billed ‘First Break’, it will identify fresh talents in the areas of scripting, direction, cinematography, post-production, acting or anchoring. Cinema Studios, famously known for its creative media and arts, where films, documentaries, ad films, serials, events, audio commercials in all languages, and other infotainment are produced and composed, will hold the auditions for ‘First Break’ in Uttarkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and the Northeast to select 30 most talented candidates in each stream. The selected candidates will trained by industry experts like well known director, actor, editor, production controller, cinematographer, etc on the nuances of and finer details of their chosen field. Registrations for ‘First Break’ have already began at cinemastudios.in, the last date of registration being August 8.

Simanta / Mridumoloy