Raipur Diary

‘Rumble in the jungle’ 
Raipur residents seem excited with the pro-boxing event, called ‘Rumble In The Jungle’, to be organised in the state capital next month. Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh, 36, is set to be a part of the professional boxing tournament at Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor stadium. The event, to be held with the support of the Chhattisgarh government, will feature bouts between other international professional boxers. It will be Vijender’s sixth bout in India. Such event is being organised for the first time in the state. The event, sports lovers feel, is a great opportunity to introduce boxing to the people of the region and to inspire a new generation of boxers.

MSP: Not just paddy, but pulses too
After a record procurement of paddy this year, the Chhattisgarh government has now announced that it will procure pulses on minimum support price (MSP). The decision, the government says, has been made keeping in focus the interest of the farmers. Pulses like arhar, urad and moong will be taken at MSP in the kharif marketing year 2022-23. While arhar and urad will be purchased at `6,600 per quintal, the price of moong will be `7,755 per quintal. With the elections due next year, the Bhupesh Baghel government is making all efforts to woo farmers. As many as 25 Krishi Upaj Mandis with godown and storage facilities have been identified as procurement centres for the purchase.

Don’t glorify celebrity suicides: Experts
Suicide should never be an option for anyone but glorification of celebrity suicides remains a major concern, health professionals of AIIMS Raipur said at an event. Quoting the World Health Organization, they said, “For every suicide there are many more people who attempt suicide every year.” Many researchers, including Gregory Armstrong from Melbourne, stressed that glorified conversation on celebrity suicide cases may encourage depressed or psychologically weak patients to take a suicidal step. Research has found that people search such topics extensively on the internet. And less mature depressed persons are more at risk to take a suicidal step under these circumstances. 

Ejaz Kaiser
Our correspondent in Chhattisgarh ejaz@newindianexpress.com