“ I want to be top international player”: Bahniman Bora  

Two young shuttlers of Assam brought glory to the State when they came winners in the National Junior Badminton Championship held in Bhopal from December 8 to 16, 2001. It was no mean feat that Bahniman Bora and Krishma Deka Raja bagged the boys and girls title respectively in this championship. Bahniman has even qualified to play in the senior nationals. It is really praiseworthy as there is so much impetus towards the growth of this sport in Assam. Bahniman’s success has not come as a surprise. In 1996 and 1997 he won both the singles and doubles crown in the Mini Nationals. In 1999 he was the champion in the All Indian School Games and runner-up in the Mini Nationals. In 2000 he was again the runner up in the Mini Nationals but won the doubles. In November 2000, he won the Junior Nationals. North East News Agency catches up with Bahniman in his home for a brief chat.

Excerpts:—

North East News Agency:  Congratulations on becoming the junior champion. How it feels now before going for the senior nationals.

Bahniman Bora: Thank you. As for the Senior Nationals, I hope to reach at least the quarterfinals. I’ll take one game at a time and give my best. However, I hope that the draw does not set me against any top players like Gopichand or Sachin Rathi in the initial rounds.

NENA: To whom do you owe your success to?

B.B.: The support of my parents has been phenomenal. Nobody wants his/her child to go for sports and make a career in it from this region as there is no infrastructure and it is so difficult to rise. But my parents had total faith in me and kept on encouraging me. My father (he is the Head Superintendent of the Guwahati Medical College) has provided monetary support whenever needed. My mother has gone to the extent of going with me to other states for my matches so that she can prepare food for me. Even my elder brother, who is an MBBS, has been very supportive. I must thank my coaches Birsa Gogoi and Roop Kumar Buragohain (who is the NIS state coach). Even Deepankar Bhattacharjee a has given me valuable tips from time to time.

NENA:  How helpful has been the Assam Badminton Association?

B.B.: Theirs has only been the moral support and encouragement. Nothing has come through them in the way of sponsorship or any other facilities. Here in Assam one has to look out for oneself and rise on one’s own.

NENA:  Many have already started comparing you to Deepankar Bhattacharjee. Your comments.

B.B.:  It is simply unfair. He is totally a different person and a different player. He is very senior to me and his achievements are still unmatched. He has represented the country in the Olympics twice and has been India No 1. I have a long, long way to go and it is just the beginning for me. Deepankar will remain a source of to be an inspiration for all other Assam shuttlers. But as far as style is concerned, Bahniman’s game is his own. Judge him by his game rather than going for comparisons.

NENA:  Do you plan to go for any further training to sharpen your skill?

Culture

Brahmaputra Beach Festival A big success all the way

The three-day-long 5th Brahmaputra Beach Festival held in the ‘Andharu Bali’ of the majestic Brahmaputra in Guwahati from January 13 to January 15, 2002 was a great success. The Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) and the Assam Boat Racing & Rowing Association (ABRRA) were the joint organisers of this festival. The idea of holding this festival was the brainchild of Kamrup DC A. K. Absar Hazarika, who was also the chairman of the organising committee. The main motive behind holding such a festival was to promote indigenous culture, crafts and popularising traditional sports of Assam. It was held on lines of Kerela’s Onam festival and the Marumela festival of Rajasthan. The timing of the festival was also perfect as the weather in this time of the year was ideally suited for everyone to enjoy the festive atmosphere of Bhogali Bihu on the warm and tranquil sand by the great river Brahmaputra.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the festival. He said that it was a fitting tribute to the mighty Brahmaputra as it is a part and parcel of Assamese culture and touches the very heart of the people. The tourism industry also stood a good chance to gain handsomely from this festival, opined the Chief Minister. Shortly after the inauguration, a Chetak helicopter of the Indian Air Force showered petals on the gathering and fly past by IAF MiG fighters took place. Much to the wild excitement of the crowd, particularly the young ones, five huge tuskers sprinted along the bank in a unique elephant race. Another attraction of the opening day was the first of its kind ‘Bharatiyam’ display by 2000 odd children from various schools of Guwahati.

The festival had thrilling water sports and other many colourful events to cater to all age groups. The exotic water sports demonstrations included windsurfing, rafting, cannowing and ice skating. For all three days there were round the clock programmes and events. While there were high-tech thrills in the form of aero sports demonstration that included micro light aircraft flying, paragliding and hot-air ballooning, traditional sports such as cock fight and egg breaking competition also found equal attention and interest from the excited crowd. It was fun and fun all the way with crafts mela, flower show, children games, dhulia circus, beach volleyball and cricket, magic show, kite festival, polo and food festival during the three days. Children got special emphasis with sit and draw painting competition and other games. The fashion show and fire works display also thrilled the crowd.

The gathering also enjoyed and purchased the best of Assam as well as North-Eastern handlooms in its pavilions that were inaugurated by Assam Handloom and Sericulture Minister Dr. Hemoprova Saikia on the opening day. For the first time in the North-Eastern region, a formal buyers and sellers meet on cane and bamboo was organised by the North East Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NECCI) at this beach festival. The meet was promoted by various organisations such as UNIDO, CBTC, NSIC, NEHHDC, etc.

Nandinee S. Kalita, Asst Secretary in the NECCI was one of the main organisers of this buyers and sellers meet. According to her, the meet gave a good opportunity to the artists and designers of cane and bamboo to showcase and sell their exquisite products. “The response has been very encouraging. The design clinic consisting of experts and designers from UNDP interacted with  artisans and enterpreneurs to help sort out their problems and popularise their products. Relevant technologies were also showcased through a workshop and has helped the upcoming enterpreneurs in this field to a great extent. However, the biggest gain has been in the fact that this festival exposed the artisans and traders of cane and bamboo to a large group of prospective buyers,” said reaction of  Ms. Kalita after the culmination of the festival. In fact this meet was indeed a boost for the cane and bamboo sector of the North-East, that many believe has the potential to match great cane producing nations like China if properly exploited.

Patkai Festival declaration vows to forest protection  

The four-day-long Dehing Tea Patkai Festival, from January 16 to 19, 2002 was held at Lekhapanu in Tinsukia district of Assam amidst lots of fun and frolick. Inaugurating the Festival Assam Chief Minster Tarun Gogoi said  that the festival would not remain    a mere tourist attraction, rather it would create an awareness about  the majestic Dehing river and mystical Patkai range. Mr. Gogoi also said that the financially   starved Assam Government could fetch a good amount of revenue by tapping the tourisn potential of the State.

Dehing Patkai Festival has drafted a declaration called Lekhapani declaration and pledged to make concerted effort in improving the condition of the environment and forest of Assam.

The salient points of the declaration:

1) Full protection to existing and degraded elephant corridors.

2) Eviction of encroachments in the elephant habitat area at the earliest.

3) Destruction of elephant habitat area by encroachers and anti-socials would be stopped immediately. Common people living in villages around forest area would involve themselves by all means to stop this menace of encroachment and destruction of elephant habitat.

4) Massive awareness programmes in villages around the forest area on actual cause of man-animal conflict and how to stop it.

5) Regenaration of forest in deforested hilly area would be ensured through public participation to prevent silting of agricultural fields down hill.

6) Sixty six per cent of our people still depend solely on agriculture. Because of low landholding most of them use heavy imputs of chemical fertilisers and agro medicines, which are degenerating soil and water in the area. Farmers would be motivated and trained to adopt environment friendly bio-fertiliser and organic chemicals.

7) An inventory of natural resources of the State will be prepared with the involvement of all environmental activist groups and experts with initiative taken by government agencies.

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