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BanIndian Union Health Ministry has launced a camaign through print and electronic media to make the people aware of the anti-smoking notification. Indian government has banned the smoking at public places. The rule will be implemented nationwide from October 2, birth anniversary of Fater of Nation Mahatma Gandhi at the public places that involves offices, restaurants, hotels, court buildings, libraries and railway stations. It also involves the hookah bars and pubs. Union Health Ministry has issued the ban notification under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution), Act 2003.

Objection Ministry had issued the notification on May 30 and since then it had been challenged in many courts by ITC and Hotel Association of India. Health Ministry had requested the Sepreme Court to hear all the cases in one go. After hearing the petition, court allowed the ministry to go ahead with the notification on the ban on public places from October 2. In the notification, government has made no distinction between private place and public place. And this confusion can creat problems. Petitioners had challenged the notification on the basis of these points. There are some other problems too, that will arise with the implementation of the notification. Nothing has been mentioned about the implementing agencies. To which agency or officer one can complain if a person is found smoking. Where the fine of 200 will be deposited if someone is found smiking.

Implementation With the implementation of notification scene as well as the nature of the states’ partying and nightlife will change.When someone smokes at the public place, smoker and non-smoker both are affected. Though government has implemented the ban from October 2 but it will take years when the real affect of the ban will be seen. It will take a lot of time for the smokers to change their behavior at public place. There are many policemen who themselves do smoking. It is the irony that now the same guys will chase the smokers. In the initial stages it will be difficult to convince the people. Some sceptics have said that ban can not be effectively implemented and it will remain only on papers. Will it remain on papers or not but one thing is sure that it will discourage those people who are curious to know the affects of smoking.   

Surrender 305 tribla ultras from the United Liberation Front of Barak Valley (ULFBV) joined the mainstream on Tuesday, September 30 when they laid their arms and amunition in a function headed by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Excise and Border Areas minister Gautam Roy, Principal Secretary (Home) Subhas Das, Director General of Police R.N. Mathur and General officer Commanding of 21 Mountain Division of the Army, Major General Chander Prakash were also present in the function. The outfit had declared unilateral ceasefire on June 7. CM welcomed them into the mainstream by giving a red rose to every one and promissed to initiate the development process of the backward areas. Most of  ULFBV militants belong to the Reang Tribe that lives in the Hailakandi and Karimganj districts of Assam. The outfit was formed in 2001 and had raised the arms in demand of restoration of land to the tribal people and the development of the area.

CM State government had ensured the outfit  that their demands would be considered after which they had agreed to lay down the arms and return to the mainstream. Accorting to the Stete IGP (special branch) in recent years more than 13000 militants have surrendered out of which 8.626 have been facilitated with the rehabilitation packeges. State government has promissed them to provide every kind of help to lead a dignified life including the rehabilitation package for surrendard militants approved by the Government of India. CM also hoped that two other militant uoutfits- DHD (Jewl faction) and Karbi Longri N.C. Hills Liberation Front will also lay the arms very soon. Both these outfits have expressed their willingness to join the mainstream.

Situation In recent years many militant outfits of North-Eastern state have shunned the violence and have joined the mainstream. It is being expected that very soon the other outfits will realize the futility of violence and fruits of peace. Violence is not the ultimate solution of the problems. Issues can be solved though diolog not through arms.People have understood this ‘mantra’ that leads to peace and prosperity. North-Eastern states have been ignored by the successive Central governments for decades. Which caused a lot of distress among the people of these states. Anti-India forces exploited this distress to destabilize India by raising militant outfits and providing them every kind of help. But now situation has changed and peace has started to return in this region.

Selection Indian selectors on Wednesday announced the names of the 15 members of the Indian Test Squad for the the first two test matches against Australia. The selection committee is headed by Krishnamachari Srikanth which selected the 15 players for the four-Test series. The first test will be played on October 9-13 in Bangalore. Remaining three matches will be played in Mohali, Delhi and Nagpur. Former Indian captain Saurav Ganguly has been retained in the 15-member squad. He is one of four veteran Indian batsmen who are under tremendous pressure to save their places in the team. The other three are master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Vangipurappu Laxman.

Side Middle-order batsman Subramaniam Badrinath and leg spinner Amit Mishra have been included in the team. They have been called in side as the replacement of batsman Rohit Sharma and left-spinner Pragyan Ojha. ODI and 20T skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has also returned to the side. He has not played in the previous test series in Sri Lanka which India had lost by 2-1.

Speculations The previous selection headed by Dilip Vengasarkar had ignored Ganguly for the Irani Cup. His omission from the side had been widely criticized. It must be learnt that he is the most successful captain of the Indian team. Under his leadership India has won many series. When he was ignored for the Irani Cup then there were speculations with rumors that he will quit the game if he is omitted from the national side. This 36 years old former Indian captain will be under tremendous pressure as this probably would be his last chance to prove his worth. He had stormed into the Indian side with a debut ton at the Lord’s in 1996. He had lost his place in the side because of his fall-out with the then coach Grag Chappel but had again stormed into the side in South Africa in late 2006.

Exit After his return to the side he had made 1100 runs which includes the 239 runs against Pakistan in Bangalore in late 2007. After Sachin Tendulkar he is the most successful Indian Batsman. His inclusion into the team has surprised most of the people. But some people have taken his selection as an opportunity given to him to get an ‘honorable exit’ from the side.