Guwahati Diary

Tezpur Litchi carving niche globally: PM Modi
Assam’s Tezpur Litchi has mesmerised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He believes it will help further the spirit of “vocal for local” and its taste will appeal to people the world over. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had sent him a packet of fresh Tezpur litchis and the PM appreciated the warm gesture. “Being grown in organic settings, the high-quality GI-tagged Tezpur Litchi is carving out a niche for itself in the international market,” Modi wrote to the CM. In June this year, Tezpur Litchi had made it to the markets of the United Kingdom. It is widely popular for its excellent quality, flavour and juicy pulp. Its colour is also very attractive.

Win a medal, land a govt job initiative
The Assam government is going the extra mile to encourage sportspersons. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently announced that every single medal winner of the National Games in Gujarat would land a government job. Earlier, ace sprinter Hima Das, boxer Lovlina Borgohain and lawn ball player Nayanmoni Saikia were appointed as DSPs for excellence in international events. Hima is the first Indian athlete to win a gold medal at the IAAF World U20 Championships. Lovlina is a bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics while Nayanmoni had won gold at a team event in the recently-held Commonwealth Games in London.

Two regional parties merge to stop BJP blitz
Two relatively new regional political parties of Assam – Assam Anchalik Dal and Anchalik Gana Morcha – merged to emerge as Jatiya Dal, Assam. The merger was aimed at stopping the BJP’s juggernaut. Rajya Sabha member Ajit Kumar Bhuyan will head it. Ahead of last year’s Assam elections, regional parties Asom Jatiya Parishad and Raijor Dal were floated. Bhuyan said Assam lacks leaders, who strongly believe in regionalism, and as a result, forces like the BJP got strengthened. He said Jatiya Dal had been floated to fill that void. He said the party would try to play the role of a strong regional force.

Prasanta Mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com