SARADHA BLUES
The Saradha Group’s exposure and its impact on the people of Assam
By A Correspondent
The storm over the exposure of the Saradha Group in West Bengal has also devastated gullible investors in Assam who are now running from pillar to post in an attempt to recover their investments. This is a case not only with Saradha investors but all those who have invested with many other chit fund companies operating in the State for quite some time now.
What has happened to Saradha Group led by Sudipta Sen much to the devastation of lakhs of investors across the country especially in West Bengal and Assam was on the cards for quite some time as there were disturbing signals which were ignored by authorities like the Bureau of Economic Offences of the Assam Police responsible for monitoring the functioning of such non-banking financial institutions in the State. Newspapers in the State have been publishing news items regarding investors
The problems of Assam, arguably, are numerous and varied. Of them, some old social and political issues that have always concerned the people of the State are certainly tangled but are not too complex to deal with. If the State Government is a little more serious and sincere and goes ahead with a right approach and well – considered policy towards these pressing problems, there is no valid reason why they cannot be solved. However, it will continue to play a by standeras the ruling establishment is known to be wont to, until it faces severe criticism for not addressing the problem or a popular outcry leads to social unrest. This so called ‘go – slow – approach’ on the State Government’s part seems to have done more harm than good to the people in the State in terms of peace during the past few years in introspect.
On the 15th of December 2012, Meghalaya entered the pages of history in the country through the launch of the ‘Megha Health Insurance Scheme’ (MHIS). The MHIS is the only health insurance scheme in the country to provide health insurance coverage to all the people of a State barring government employees.
The traditional Assamese gamocha is making headlines - at home and abroad. In the presence of Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, the Assamese gamocha was given international recognition recently under the category of “the world’s longest hand-woven feat of silk” in New Delhi. Measuring at mammoth 1455.3 metres, the feat was accomplished by Abhijeet Baruah in the national capital and was recognized by the Guinness World Records. Baruah broke the previous record held by one J Mammato from Indonesia. 
Mamata Banerjee undoubtedly is a politician of a different caliber. The ‘headline-hunter’ tag can easily be attached to her. This was proved once again, and very emphatically, when the West Bengal Chief Minister and her ministerial colleagues were heckled and manhandled in the high security zone of Lutyen’s city.
Sixty five million years ago, the southern hills and cliffs of the Khasi Hills rose in some places from the green plains below at a sheer steep perpendicular of ninety degrees comprising deep gorges from 30 metres above mean sea level to 1964 metres, the highest being Shillong Peak. Places between the contours of 1250 metres and 1380 metres receive the highest rainfall in the world, that is places between Sohra and Pynursla, along a zone of 30 kilometres stretch and 3 kilometres wide. 
India is all poised for a hanging spree. The President of the country Pranab Mukherjee has already written himself into the pages of history by ordering the quick hanging of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab
