A CORRESPONDENT
NALBARI: According to locals, several places in Nalbari are now witnessing gambling activities and other anti-social practices being conducted openly in the name of the Bhatheli festival. Allegations have surfaced that makeshift Bhatheli celebrations are being organized by merely planting a banana tree beside roads and decorating it with flowers, while gambling activities, particularly the game known as ‘Dhandimunda,’ are becoming the main attraction.
Concerned citizens claim that such gambling dens are operating day and night under the cover of the festival, leading to social unrest, domestic violence, and financial distress in many families. They allege that the misuse of the festival has begun to negatively influence younger generations and damage the social fabric of the region. The locals have also accused the Assam police and the district administration of failing to take adequate steps to curb such activities.
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