Kolkata, April 20: Amid controversy over Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deba's claim that internet and satellite communication existed in Mahabharata's time, state Governor Tathagata Roy on Friday said people in the Puranic period either had superhuman imagination or some kind of prototypes otherwise they could not have conceived such ideas.
"In the Puranic period, people had thought of 'Divya Drishti', Pushpaka Ratha' (divine sight, flying chariot, respectively), which means, they must have had superhuman imagination or some kind of prototype. There could be things which are beyond our imagination.
"Unless there was a prototype of something of that type, it was not possible to conceive such a thing," Roy said while responding to a query on the sidelines of the launch of his book "Syama Prasad Mookerjee".
In the 1960s, "could we ever imagine such a thing as a cell phone? Impossible... We could not conceive of it because there was no prototype in front of our eyes," he contended.
Deb had recently claimed that internet and satellite communication existed in the days of Mahabharata.
"Internet and satellite communication had existed in the days of Mahabharata. Sanjaya (the charioteer of king Dhritarashtra) using the technology gave a detailed account and description to the blind king about the battle of Kurukshetra," Deb had said on Tuesday.
Subsequently, the Governor had tweeted: "Tripura Chief Minister's observations about the happenings of the Puranic period are topical. It is virtually impossible to conceive of devices like 'Divya drishti',Pushpaka Ratha', etc. without some kind of prototype and study thereon."
Roy, however, on Friday said: "I have not said there was internet at that time. I have merely said this is a thing worth trying to find out."
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CM Siddaramaiah calls for scientific measures to stop wild animals straying into human habitats
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday directed officials to take scientific and immediate measures to curb the problem of wild animals straying into human habitats.
The directive came after a tiger killed four people and livestock in Mysuru district over the past month.
The chief minister said the issue must be handled with urgency and guided by evidence-based solutions.
At a meeting with senior forest department officials, Siddaramaiah asked, "Why are tigers and elephants coming out of the forest? Give a scientific reason."
He emphasised, "There is an urgent need to find an effective solution through a scientific approach," and suggested concrete remedial measures.
A statement issued by the CMO said Siddaramaiah instructed the department to fill water pits inside forests, remove lantana, and grow grass to ensure adequate food and water sources within forest areas.
He also directed continuous monitoring of elephant and tiger movements and said a separate meeting would be convened to prevent conflicts between wild animals and humans.
Officers must conduct a comprehensive study on causes and solutions, he added.
The statement said officials informed Siddaramaiah that a helpline had already been opened and that work was underway to set up a command centre to strengthen response mechanisms.
The CM also instructed officers to act conscientiously in matters related to tribal hamlets and forest dwellers.
He enquired whether drinking water and electricity were being adequately provided to tribal settlements and urged officials to ensure their welfare.
When MLA Anil Chikkamadu highlighted that man-animal conflicts had increased in HD Kote due to a lack of coordination between forest officers, Siddaramaiah warned that strict action would be taken if human lives were lost.
