Feature
Hindutva outfits protest against ban on saffron scarves at Taj Mahal
Agra: A controversy has been generated to disturb communal peace in the city of Taj Mahal by some Hindutva outfits after they have protested outside the premises of symbol of love to put ban on coloured scarves just before the start of three-day Urs of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
The annual Urs of Mughal emperor beginning today, the controversy relating to the entry of visitors with saffron-coloured scarves threatens to disturb the fragile communal peace in Agra city.
However, some administration officials claimed that the matter has been resolved on Saturday evening after intervention of local police cops.
The whole controversy generated after some women models from 34 countries had visited the Taj Mahal from which some of them wore saffron scarves which were not allowed and had to be left at the gate few days ago.
Since then from past four days some saffron outfits got infuriated in the city, members of the Shiv Sena, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Jagran Manch and Bajrang Dal have been protesting at the gates of the Taj Mahal.
Irked Hindutva outfits generated controversy over ban on saffron scarves at Taj Mahal
Responding to Friday’s call for ‘Maha Gherao’ of the Taj Mahal by Hindu outfits, a group demonstrated and entered the premises of the Taj Mahal, ignoring the Supreme Court orders against protests and marches within 500 metres of the World Heritage Monument.
Senior police officials and the Archaeological Survey of India local chief Bhuvan Vikram tried to persuade them to give up the protest as there was no ban in force.
The officials later accepted their memorandum demanding action against some ASI and CISF officials.
The ASI chief in Agra told media persons that the protesters had been told that there was no ban on scarves and people were free to wear any colour scarves.
The silence of the tourism organisations in the city has baffled many. Some members said the controversy was harming tourism.
Meanwhile, ASI officials said entry to the Taj Mahal would be free during the three-day Urs. Tahiruddin Tahir, president of the celebrations committee, said a thousand-metre chadar would be offered on Tuesday and members of all communities would join the procession.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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