Playing Golf at Digboi in Far East Assam: It's great Fun

Upper Assam is a romantic place. I for one who has spent considerable time in this region, remember it as a place with some of the best Golf courses. I do recollect teeing off at the Upper Assam golf Club at Digboi, about 65 km from Dibrugarh. Digboi is a small town with a population of about 20,000, but its importance far outstrips everything. It is the centre of the only oil wells in this region. In addition the golf club, is something that one can never forget.

The golf course was laid out in 1898 and that makes it one of the oldest golf courses in India. The course was re-laid in 1930 and during the war years supported an air strip. The air strip was abandoned after the war and now is part of the 5th fair way. The course by itself is one of the best in India. It has 18 holes and is a 72 PAR course. Many professional golfers have played at this course. I have also played at this course which has a romantic charm of its own.

The course is looked after by the Indian Oil company, and is of international standard. The course winds through a reserved forest and game sanctuary, on three of its sides, while the fourth side gives a view of the mountains of Arunachal Pradesh. This course is one the best in the entire state and is host to a regular competition every year. The course goes through thick jungles. Wild animals like the Leopard, horse, elephant roam in these jungles and in case you start your game early at first light you will be able to see the pug marks of these beasts all over the course, in particular close to the many streams that traverse the course. What a lovely thought it is, playing golf in the land of wild animals.You will have to be careful with your long shots with the woods so that the ball is not lost in the woods close to the course.

The club and golf course are cared for by the Indian oil company. There are eight other golf courses among the tea estates of this area, including an Army golf course. All these courses are 8 or 9 hole courses. But the Digboi golf course is the best. The course has local boys available as caddies. You will certainly need them to insure that you know all the pitfalls and streams that cross the course. So if you happen to visit Digboi, you can't go away without playing a game of Golf.

Remembering Zane Grey's " Riders of the Purple Sage"

Many years down the line I once again red 'Riders of the Purple Sage, ' a novel by Zane Grey. Perhaps more than any other novel, this book contributed to the concept of the American West. It has all the ingredients like a mysterious gunfighter, the outlaw boss and his masked accomplice, the frontier woman torn between love and law, the laconic cowboy out on the range--all these figures became familiar to readers through the work of Zane Grey.

This is the first of Zane Grey's many bestsellers. It’s a stirring tale of adventure and romance. A proud young heroine stands alone against the villains who rustle and stampede her cattle — until stranger rides into the territory. He is like a man sent by Jesus. This is Classic American frontier fiction, teeming with color, authenticity, thrills. One can read it again and again.

Rahul Gandhi is in a Resurgent Mood: Can he Succeed?

The Congress went to the polls after ruling for 10 years. This,
I am afraid is one of the bleakest periods of Indian history after 1947. With scant disregard of the wishes of the Indian people a political novice and a man with no sense of history, in effect an ineffectual man named Man Mohan Singh was hoisted on the Indian people. He was made the PM of 1.2 billion people. I wonder if such a charade has ever been committed in Indian history.

Such a man was bound to fail and this was reflected in the 2014 election when the Congress was wiped out winning just 44 seats. To top it the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi played a lack lustre role and failed to match the  BJP  mascot Narendra Modi. Many were despondent, but the majority looked forward to the promised "achee din".

Unfortunately the Achee Din have not materialised and there was a chink in the BJP armour. The saying that the hour finds the man is true and Rahul did some introspection. He went on  a 59 days Sabbath to  introspect and on his return a new Rahul has emerged. He has started a strong campaign against Modi. He is helped by the fact that Modi has been sitting on plenty of inaction. Modi has not given the promised OROP for soldiers, bungled on the land bill and overall created the image of a weak internal polity with just bombastic talk and no action, be it Kashmir or industry or anything.

Rahul has seized the moment and he is getting favourable response. Its a rejuvenated Rahul and given his lineage, he may well succeed.