Feature
RSS says, ‘If government doesn’t, we will build Ram temple’
New Delhi: Around 11.30 a.m on Sunday, every single road leading to the historic Ramlila Maidan in the national capital was jam-packed and the air reverberated with the chants of “Jai Sri Ram” and “Mandir wahi banaenge”.
People were walking in hordes towards the destination-Ramlila Maidan-which many said was their “Ayodhya” for the day.
They were here to take part in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)-organised rally, or “Dharma Sabha”, to demand the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, days ahead of the winter session of Parliament.
It was saffron all around as people, men mostly, of all ages, carried saffron flags, many wearing wristbands with “Ram Mandir” inscribed on them walked around shouting slogans proudly, as if they had already achieved their goal.
“Aaj humara din hai (today belongs to us). We can’t go to Ayodhya, but we want to convey that the people are just a call away. This massive turnout is an indication that we want Ram Mandir, at any cost. It is now or never,” Namit Nagar, 28-year-old businessman who came from Faridabad, told media persons.
The agenda was set by the people at the rally and the message was clear: they do not want to wait any longer. Their voices confirmed their desire to have Ram Mandir before 2019 elections.
“We have gathered here to send a message that if the government fails to build the temple, then we will do it. Ram was born here, it is our land. If Ram temple is not constructed in Ayodhya then where do you think it should be build?” Nagar threw a poser.
Laxmi Narayan Gupta, a 75-year-old businessman who came from a village near Badarpur, said that earlier he visited Ayodhya once in every two years or so, but due to the age factor, he has not been able to go there for the last three years.
If government not able to build Ram temple, we will do it, says RSS:
Gupta said that he still has hope that the temple will be built before the elections. On being asked the reasons for supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he stated it is the only party that can settle the temple issue.
“Ayodhya has been an emotive issue for the Hindu community… This is the right time to build temple and the BJP is bound to do it. Since people are raise voice for the temple, the government is bound to heed to their demand,” Gupta said emphatically.
The Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land dispute is currently pending before the Supreme Court which adjourned the decision on October 29. In January, the apex body is expected to announce a date for beginning the hearing.
The VHP-RSS activists and supporters, who had assembled for the Sunday’s rally, also voiced their anguish over the delay in the construction of Ram temple due to a delay in start of hearing in the matter. They also expressed their reservations on the apex court giving a verdict in a religious-emotional issue like this.
“We can’t wait for the Supreme Court verdict. If the court doesn’t come up with a judgment in our favour, which is very much likely, this crowd will end up reaching Ayodhya. The court can open at midnight to hear the case of a terrorist but doesn’t have time to resolve this matter,” said Brajendra Gupta from Dhaula Kuan who is also a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activist.
But what if BJP does not build the temple prior to 2019 elections?
“We have been waiting patiently for four years now, I gave vote to BJP only because they mentioned about building temple at Ayodhya in their manifesto. It is disappointing that we were given false hopes and assurances. We still have faith that BJP will build it, and if not we won’t support it any more,” Parth Sharma, an accounts professional from Saharanpur, stated.
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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