Cotton Route’ to Counter Chinese Silk Route That India Had with the World,” Route

HINDUSTAN TIMES, KOLKATA 04 | metro | THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 India aims to revive ‘Cotton Route’ to counter Chinese Silk Route that India had with the world,” Route. This is also a part of “Brahmanical inscriptions ing from India could be traced, HTSPECIAL Sachin Chaturvedi, director- India’s efforts to revive old ties from stalagmite and stalac- they said. Joydeep Thakur general of Research and with neighbors in the Indian tite caves on an island named “Our task will be to trace all ■ [email protected] Information System (RIS) for Ocean region that has a plat- Sacotra near Yemen and trade the ‘Cotton Routes’ dating back Developing Countries, a Delhi- form in the Indian Ocean Rim agreements written on papy- to the 1st Century AD to 12th KOLKATA: Over the next three based think tank of the ministry Association. rus that are still preserved in Century AD period, by tracing years, Indian researchers, of external affairs, said. Experts “Historians and archaeolo- the Austrian Museum prove and mapping the cotton planta- including a maritime historian from the RIS and a Kolkata-based gists have concrete evidence beyond doubt that cotton was tions to dyer and weavers’ com- from Calcutta University, along organization, the Institute of that reveals that huge bales exported in bulk from India,” munities and exploring the with researchers from five other Social and Cultural Studies of cotton were exported from said Arindam Mukherjee of maritime trading route through countries will try to trace the (ISCS), will lead study. The India to Rome, Egypt and even ISCS. which cotton was exported,” the 2,000-year-old ‘Cotton Route’ that project will be chiefly funded by to countries in Southeast Asia. Historians say superior qual- researchers said. once existed between India and the ministry of external affairs. In fact, they claim that Roman ity cotton was produced in areas “Another historian, Radhika empires such as Rome and Egypt The Cotton Route Project women could not even think of like Bengal and western India. Seshan, of Pune will focus on in Asia, Africa and Europe. was also discussed at length clothes, starting from apparel to Chinese texts dating back to 1226 the period between 12th to 17th “Around 30 researchers from at an international conference home decors, without Indian cot- have recorded evidence on this. centuries,” said Suchandra India and abroad, specialized in attended by delegates from ton,” SK Mohanty, a researcher Researchers said it would Ghosh of Calcutta University various fields — from history over 20 countries bordering the at RIS, said. be wrong to say there was who specializes in ancient mari- and economics to international Indian Ocean. Historically, the Silk Route one exclusive route for cotton time trade. relations and anthropology — With China planning to revive was a key route between China known as Cotton Route. Indian She said Periplus of the will carry out a study to trace the ancient Silk Route — both and the Mediterranean that not cotton and the dye which used Erythraean Sea had described the ‘Cotton Route’ and various over land and sea — experts only helped trade but formed a to last for centuries (as found in some of the ancient navigation aspects of these routes, includ- feel India is out to counter the cultural bridge between China, Berenice port) were so popular routes through which cotton was ■ The papyrus that reveals overseas cotton trade from India was on display in an exhibition that was ing the cultural ties and trade Chinese plan with the Cotton India, Persia, Greece and Rome. that several routes originat- traded from India. organised on the sidelines of an international conference on Indian Ocean in Bhubaneswar. State govt not keen on taking

central off icers on deputation STAND Despite shortage, Nabanna has said it has adequate officers Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri of the state personal & admin- ■ [email protected] istrative reforms department is A NEW IT SPIN FOR BENGAL? that the state government has no KOLKATA: The West Bengal gov- shortage of West Bengal Civil ernment is willing to continue KOLKATA: The state govern- tries secretary last week, Service (WBCS) officers, whose with a shortage of bureaucrats ment cleared the way for replacing his predecessor, total number is currently 1,700. but is not keen on seeing central the newly appointed state CM Bachhawat. Kishore “What the state is lack- secretariat service officers come commerce and industries was earlier assigned as the ing is the number of Indian on deputation to fill up the gap secretary, S Kishore, to take development commissioner Administrative Service (IAS) in the state. additional charge of t he of the Visakhapatnam SEZ officers,” a state government The Union government state information technol- in Andhra Pradesh. official said. recently forwarded a proposal ogy department. The major IT projects A senior bureaucrat said that to the West Bengal government The development is that could not take off in it is not just West Bengal that offering central secretariat offic- being viewed in bureau- West Bengal because of the received offers from the Union ers to fill up vacant posts in the cratic circles as a strategic state government’s refusal government for sending central ranks of deputy secretary and move to use Kishore’s to grant them SEZ status, secretariat service officers on joint secretary in the state. experience in handling spe- include the first campus deputation. However, chief minister cial economic zone (SEZs) of Infosys and the second “In my opinion, the Union Mamata Banerjee summarily affairs to spin policies and campus of Wipro Ltd. government has sent the pro- rejected the proposal claiming fulfill wishes of certain “These losses were posal to all the state govern- that there is no requirement IT companies to get SEZ major for West Bengal, ments, especially those like ■ Team India supporters turn bullish on Wednesday. Will the smiles last? SUBHENDU GHOSH/HT PHOTO for central secretariat service status but without com- which lost the chance to West Bengal, which are suffer- officials in the state administra- promising on Trinamool Kochi, to become a new ing from inadequate number of tive machinery since that would Congress’s earlier stand. national IT hub after bureaucrats. Sending central upset the existing structure of Kishore, a 1988-batch Bengaluru and Hyderabad secretariat officers on deputa- the state bureaucratic machin- IAS officer, was appointed reached saturation level,” tion to the state or sending IAS ery especially those under the as the commerce & indus- said an official. HTC officers of state cadre on depu- Betting rackets busted in city, 6 West Bengal Civil Service scales. tation for central services is a Incidentally, the current healthy practice. Firstly, this secretary to the chief minister, helps develop a healthy Centre- Gautam Sanyal, is a retired ant to hold the position of sec- ment is yet to intimate the Union state relationship. Secondly, held in Lake Town, Burrabazar central secretariat officer. In retary to any chief minister of government about its reserva- central officers on deputation fact, he is the first non-Indian any Indian state. tions, the proposal file has been have a wide range of experience HT Correspondent betting during the World Cup Administrative Service (IAS) Sources from Nabanna said put on hold. and can perform well in a state,” ■ [email protected] were maintained with this officer and a retired civil serv- that although the state govern- Officially, the clarification said the bureaucrat. software. KOLKATA: As the World Cup “We also got a list of people frenzy was reaching its peak, the who placed bets. Gamblers bet- police busted a cricket betting ted mostly on New Zealand,” racket and arrested six people Barui said. on Tuesday and Wednesday. Cops The police have slapped sec- said the racket was part of an tions 420 and 120B of the Indian inter-state network and `34 lakh Penal Code (IPC), apart from in cash was seized, along with Section 66 of the IT Act and laptops and cell phones. Section 34 of the Gambling and Bidhannagar police’s detec- Prize Competition Act against tive department conducted those arrested. some of the raids in Bangur The court sent all those arrest- and Burrabazar on Tuesday ed to police custody for further night. investigation.The betting rate “This racket has links with for the India vs Australia match Delhi and Rajasthan. There ■ Bidhannagar police’s finest hour. TAPASI BASU was 41/43 for Australia, police may be international links too,” sources said. It means if one Kankar Prosad Barui, deputy The police team, with assist- Burrabazar and arrested one bets on Australia’s win, he will commissioner (detective depart- ance from Lake Town police sta- Vijay Kumar Gupta, a resident get `141 on investing `100 if the ment) of Bidhannagar City tion, raided one Sanjay Bagaria’s of Gariahat, Bappa Sharma, a Aussies win. On the other hand, Police, said at a press conference residence at 200 Bangur resident of Girish Park, Rakesh if he bets on Australia losing, he on Wednesday. Avenue, Block A, and arrested Gupta, a resident of New Alipore will get `143 if the Aussies lose. Barui said around `35.27 lakh, him and his manager Manoj and Debu Middya, a resident of Barui said a special team from 14 mobile phones, two laptops, Choudhury, a resident of Lake Singur. Bidhannagar Police might go to three external hard disks, a cash Town’s Green Park. Barui said his team seized Delhi and Rajasthan for further counting machine, a calculator The Bidhannagar police team, software through which bet- investigation. The total amount and some written documents with help from Kolkata Police, ting used to take place during of money involved in the betting were seized. also raided Gayatri Market in this raid. Daily statements of had crossed `1 crore, he said.

Nun’s rape: Woman, Workers continue to clash son detained by CID near BJP HQ over poll pick CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Mumbai Chapter Arnab Ghosh, Nadia district HT Correspondent ONLY THREE TO FOUR ets are being given to newcomers police superintendent (SP), told TH ■ [email protected] from Trinamool Congress and HT on Wednesday, “Altogether, 35 26 MARCH C ‘15, 5:30 30 PM ONWARDS O S PERSONS ARE OUR CPI(M). persons have been detained and KOLKATA: The BJP state head- The discontent in rank and interrogated. I won’t comment quarters at Muralidhar Sen WORKERS, THE REST file also continued to spread in on the latest detentions. The CID Lane turned into a battle zone › Siliguri, Malda, Murshidabad, will if it deems it fit.” ARE OUTSIDERS WHO for the second day as a clash West Midnapore, Birbhum and CID sources said the woman, Follow the conclave : broke out between party work- ARE TRYING TO CREATE other districts. The party work- a housewife, and her Class 9 IRA DUGAL RAJIV KAUL R VENKATARAMAN ers. BJP workers and district ers from districts claimed that student son (now studying at leaders continued to vent their CHAOS. TRINAMOOL- they were unhappy with the can- a local school) are residents @shinedotcom #ShineHRConclave MINT CMS INFOSYSTEMS LTD IIFL anger on the state leadership CONTROLLED GOONS ARE didates and many, they alleged, of Donbosco Para, an area over civic poll nominations, got tickets against cash. adjacent to the convent. The ANURANJITA KUMAR DEBI PRASAD DAS JAYESH PANDEY PRABIR JHA RAJENDRA GHAG RAJESH PADMANABHAN including Kolkata Municipal TRYING TO sources further said that the Corporation. Workers also burnt Humayun Kabir makes ‘U’ turn boy was expelled from the con- CITI SOUTH ASIA CEAT INDIA ACCENTURE INDIA RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LTD. HDFC LIFE VEDANTA the effigy of state president CREATE TROUBLE BERHAMPORE: Expelled TMC lead- vent school after uploading an Rahul Sinha in Topsia. RAHUL SINHA, state BJP president er Humayun Kabir has again obscene post about four months “Only three- to four-persons changed his mind. Kabir had ago. The boy had also allegedly are our workers, the rest are earlier declared that he wanted misbehaved with the nuns before outsiders who are trying to cre- Immediately, a group of work- to campaign against TMC can- his expulsion. ‘EMPLOYEE‘EMPLOYEE GROWTH IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC GROWTHGROWTH’’ ate chaos. Trinamool Congress ers and leaders, mainly from didates in the municipality poll Sources said the mother- controlled goons are trying to Howrah party unit barged out of across the district but now, has son duo lived in Chapra ACADEMIC PARTNER REAL ESTATE PARTNER EVENT PARTNERS create trouble and are attacking the party office wielding bamboo decided to stay away. block of the district, close to us,” said Sinha. “If this drama poles and sticks. Initially, they Talking to HT, Humayun said: Bangladesh border, before shift- continues, will our workers sit got into a heated altercation with “I decided to campaign against ing to their present location 10 idle? They had shown enough the protesters. The clash, then the TMC in the municipality years ago. restraint,” Sinha said when spread across Central Avenue election. But with the changing “This family had a grudge. asked about his loyalists hitting and the police had a hard time political scenario, I have decided They may have Bangladesh CMS CENTRE FOR out at protesters with bamboos controlling traffic in the busy not to go ahead. Neither I will connections. We are also try- MANAGEMENT STUDIES and sticks. thoroughfare. Later, they beat campaign for the TMC, nor for ing to find out if anybody Since Wednesday morning, up the protesters leaving half any other political party. I will gave logistical help or shel- EVENT PARTNERS workers from South 24 Parganas a dozen casualties. The police remain a spectator.” ter to the miscreants,” a CID gathered in front of the party personnel near the party office A few days ago, expelled officer said. headquarters and started pro- were silent spectators. Later CPI(M) leader and the founder of The investigation has been testing. They had raised slogans they helped the injured. the Bharatiya Naybichar Party pointing towards Bangladesh against Sinha. The protesters In Topsia, (ward 57), a sec- (BNP), Rejjak Mollah met Kabir from the beginning. alleged that district leaders are tion of BJP workers took out at his residence in Shaktipur The hint of a Bangladesh corrupt and the state president a protest rally and later burnt and sought his help in the civic connection also forced the ENTRY BY INVITATION ONLY. FOR FURTHER DETAILS CALL: +919311177147 | EMAIL: [email protected] is harbouring such people. They an effigy of the state president. body election in Murshidabad. state government’s hand in FOR SPONSORSHIP RELATED QUERIES, CONTACT CHIRAG MEWADA - +91 9920028036 also displayed posters and plac- They protested that party old However, Kabir did not promise handing over the case to LOG ON TO: HRSUMMIT.SHINE.COM ards. timers were neglected and tick- Mollah help. HTC the CBI.