Senior Editor @EconomicTimes ; Chevening & Reuters Fellow; Masters in History, Delhi University; From Assam, North-East India
Aug 25, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Even as so many people are venting their anger, I am surprised, none has cared to ask a simple question — why India has to spend $100 million a year (2020-21) to buy Hing from Afghanistan, if it had been prevalent in India from the ancient time? Where we went wrong? (1...)
Reality is India today consumes some 40% of global hing, and because of the developments in Afghanistan, there will be a price rise (already rose in some markets.
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Aug 22, 2021 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Taliban & Indian Kitchen: A Thread...
One of India’s key imports from Afghanistan is hing (asafoetida), a spice introduced to India by the Mughals in the 16th century & flavours everything from sambar to pakoras.
(Read my full story “The Kabul Question” in ET today)
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India’s total export to Afghanistan stood at $825 mn in 2020-21, registering a 63% rise in five years. Even imports to India, at $509 million in 2020-21, were 74% higher than that in 2016-17.
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Aug 5, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
2 sports administrators who played a critical role in spotting talent in Olympic medallist @LovlinaBorgohai in 2012 were SAI’s ex-regional director Subhas Basumatary & GoA’s Uday Kamal Chetia. They organised a talent hunt camp at Sarupathar, Assam. Lovlina was 14-year-old. (1...)
Two of Lovlina’s early coaches Padum Boro and Abhishek Malviya (now based in Haryana) had a stellar role in making her what she is today. (2...)
Jun 18, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
In March, Congress leader @RahulGandhi flew to Mariani, Assam, to campaign for party candidate & sitting MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi.
Kurmi won only by a slim margin of just over 2,000 votes.
...and today, he resigned as MLA.
Quit the party. What a Googly for Congress leadership!
(1...)
Just to introduce, Kurmi, 43, has been a 4-time Congress MLA. His mother, (late) Rupam Kurmi, was a Cabinet Minister in Assam (2001 to 2004) during Tarun Gogoi’s first term as Chief Minister. (2...)
Mar 22, 2019 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
My Take On North East Poll:
In Assam, original RSS/BJP men are virtually out by now. Dropping of “original BJP” MPs — Bijoya Chakravarty (a minister in Vajpayee cabinet), RP Sharma (RSS man) & Ramen Deka — means ex-Congressmen & ex-AGP netas are in control of the party (1...)
NEDA convenor & powerful Assam mantri Himanta Biswa Sarma’s willingness to contest from Tezpur seat & Central brass’ rejection of it is intriguing. According to Assam media, there was a scuffle between MLA & a Minister in Delhi in HBS’ presence; it’s about power equations (2...)
Oct 20, 2018 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
1. After #AmritsarTragedy , I heard a TV anchor shouting how come the train driver didn’t apply brakes?
Am writing this to defend the driver I don’t know as there are chances that everyone —rail officers to event organisers —would be proved innocent making the driver a culprit..
2. Unlike truck drivers on highways or late night partygoers on metro cities, all train drivers need to mandatorily undertake a no-alcohol test —fully computerised & under CCTVs, before being allowed to drive. So, it’s impossible that the train driver was drunk...
