Assam Research Articles

A Study On Compounds Of Bodo And Assamese Languages

Linguistically, the Bodo belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It is a major language of the Bodo group under the Assam Burmese group of language. The speakers of Bodo language scattered all over the Assam, North Bengal and East Bengal in some part of Nepal, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. This language is linguistically connected with Bodo, Garo, Rabha, Dimasa, Kokborok, Tiwa, Deuri etc. On the other hand, Assamese is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the Indian state of Assam. It is an official language of Assam. The Assamese language is belonging to the Indo-European group of the Indo-Aryan family of language. This paper attempts to analyze the compound reduplication of Bodo and Assamese languages. Compound is a word formation process. In Bodo and Assamese languages compound reduplication is very productive process of word formation.

NAVIGATING FEMININE PROFESSIONAL SPACES: A STUDY OF MALE CLASSICAL DANCERS IN GUWAHATI CITY OF ASSAM

India is known for its rich artistic traditions, diversity, and cultural legacy, the northeastern state of Assam is known for its unique and original traditional dances. Guwahati which is the capital of Assam have different artistic forms and performances, which have developed new ideologies that have challenged the social norms. In Assam dancing is considered feminine, but there are countless men who are performing traditional dances defying the customary gender roles. These male dancers have the required skills and talents to execute the traditional dance forms with elegance. However, there is limited information regarding the effects of these traditional dances on the masculinity of the male dancers. This study has the purpose of critically assessing these areas by collecting information from 10 male traditional dancers who have preserved their masculinity despite engaging in the feminine professional environment with the help of qualitative interviews. The main findings of this study have indicated that the Assamese male dancers mainly choose the traditional dances because of their family members and their love for the culture. These dancers are preserving their masculinity by accomplishing and develop expertise in cultural dances and becoming a part of the community.

COVID-19 and Ethnic Disparities: An Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on Different Ethnic Groups of Assam State in Indian Sub-Continent

Abstract Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread throughout the world and nearly collapsed the healthcare system worldwide. During this period, major disparities around the healthcare system were observed among the different nations. The pandemic revealed glaring disparities to COVID-19 and different outcomes across different racial and ethnic groups. Objectives: This research study aims to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on various ethnic groups within Assam, exploring the socioeconomic, healthcare access, and cultural factors contributing to disparities in infection rates, severity, and mortality; since the people of the Assam are an intermixture of various racial stocks such as Mongoloid, Indo-Burmese, Indo-Iranian, Austroasiatic and Aryan. Materials and Methods: This study employed a survey-based research approach to investigate the impact of Covid-19 on Assam's different racial and ethnic groups, exploring disparities in infection rates, severity, and mortality, along with the underlying factors contributing to these disparities. The study involved 310 participants aged 15 years and above from rural suburban and urban areas. The data was collected in the month of September’2023 and using Google Form, an easily navigable online survey platform. The survey comprised a series of multiple-choice questions; covering topics related to demographic information, experience during pandemic, observations. Results: 321 persons responded to the questionnaire, and out of which 11 submissions were rejected because of invalid response. People from 18 ethnic groups and 5 sub-groups responded. One of the worst effected ethnic tribe appears to be the Boro tribe, where 57% of respondents were infected, 70% showed severe symptoms & 60% were hospitalized. In fact, the Boro tribe also showed the second highest percentage of infected persons who showed post-Covid complications (43%). Another ethnic tribe showing similar results was the Rabha tribe. 52% of respondents were infected, 60% showed severe symptoms & 70% were hospitalized. However, only 20% of the infected showed post-Covid complications. Conclusions: Assam with such a diverse and abundant ethnic pool, the disparities that was seen amongst these ethnic tribes and groups could not be completely attributed to disparity in socio-economic condition or access to primary health care. Further research is essential to look beyond socio-economic disparities and look deeper into the genetic or other factors that safeguarded many of these ethnic tribes and will be helpful in finding a right direction in minimizing the impact of future pandemics.

Study on Availability, Accessibility and Problems Associated with Use of ICTs among Rural Women of Assam, India

This study analyse the availability as well as accessibility and problems associated with use of ICTs among rural women from the state of Assam and similarly Jorhat and Nagaon districts of Assam, India was selected for the present study including a total number of 400 respondents who were selected as considering the Simple Random sampling method. The findings revealed that majority of the farmers are having mobile phones as well as television and radio. Further ranking method was used to identify the problems faced by the respondent with use of ICTs. Among the various problems faced by the respondents while using the ICTs, “Lack of confidence while using ICTs” has been given ranked I (0.96), followed by “High cost of ICT Services”, assigned ranked II (0.91) and “Irregularity in power supply”, was ranked III (0.89). To provide benefits to the women farmers by using the ICTs and to reduce the gender imbalances from the society rural women’s access towards ICTs and the constraints associated while use of ICT by the rural need to be studied. Hence the present study has been undertaken to address some of these areas. Thus as a whole the main purpose of this study examines the extent of rural women’s availability, accessibility and constraints associated while use of ICTs by rural women.

Impact of germination versus non-germination on nutritional and functional potentials of two rice varieties (Ranjit and Ahu Kalogoria) available in three different districts of Assam, India

The main purpose of this study is to explore the effect of germination and non-germination on the nutritional and functional properties of rice varieties. In this study, two types of rice—Ahu Kalogoria (germinated) and Ranjit (non-germinated)—and the husk of Ahu variety rice were chosen and described based on their accession numbers. The rice came from Goalpara, Chirang, and Kokrajhar in the Indian state of Assam. Finally, their calorific values and nutritional and functional constituents were examined. Standard and validated experimental protocols are considered for the assessment of all parameters during this study. RC-0648663 (Ranjit rice, Chirang) and LK1-0646984 (Ahu Kalogoria, Goalpara) contain higher calorific values, i.e., 361.24±1.95aKcal/100gm and 356.35±1.32aKcal/100gm, and the Husk LK1-0646984H (Ahu Kalogoria husk, Goalpara) contains 222.51±3.07cKcal/100gm. Mg was found as a potential mineral in all varieties. Optimum total flavonoid content (TFC) and total phenolic content (TPC) were found in LK1-0646984(324.75±0.58amg QE/100gm; 353.7±1.66a mgGAE/100gm), LK1-0646984H (345.82±1.57bmgQE/100gm; 440.12±0.88b mg GAE/100gm) and RC-0648663 (69.375±1.3cmg QE (Quercetin equivalent) /100 gm; 106.79±0.54c mgGAE/100gm) respectively. The DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl 1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity of LK1-0646984, LK1-0646984H, and RC-0648663 was determined to be maximum at 63.25±0.43a%, 69.36±0.31b%, and 34.2±0.2c%. Experimental results revealed that vitamin B5 content was higher in LK1-0646984 of 6.52mg/kg in comparison to RC-0648663 (Ranjit rice, Chirang) of 0.96mg/kg. Vitamin B1 was found at its maximum (3.53mg/kg) in LK1-0646984H. Therefore, the germinated rice variety (LK1-0646984) was found to be superior in quality to the non-germinated variety based upon nutritional, functional, and energy assessments, provide significant health benefits, and gain importance in the present socioeconomic scenario.

Environmental impact of green house gas emissions from the tea industries of northeastern states of India

MotivationTea, derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, holds the position of being the most widely consumed manufactured beverage globally. Its cultivation necessitates specific agro-climatic conditions, leading to its production being confined to select regions, notably including India. India contributes about 20.81% to the world’s tea output. The production and processing of tea leaves to final product consume energy in terms of machinery, fertilizer, irrigation etc. The energy consumption involved in tea production is a pressing concern, given the associated high costs and CO2 emissions resulting from fossil fuel usage. To achieve a net-zero carbon balance, there is need to pay attention towards promoting renewable energy technologies as a means to mitigate the CO2 emissions stemming from fossil fuels in India’s tea sector.ObjectivesAligned with the objective of sustainability through the integration of renewable energy sources, a pilot study was conducted in the primary tea-growing regions of northeastern India during 2021–22. The primary aims of this study were twofold: to gauge the quantity of CO2 emissions originating from conventional energy sources and to explore the feasibility of incorporating renewable energy sources as viable substitutes.Data and methodsData on various inputs used in tea production were collected from Assam and West Bengal states of India by using a stratified random sampling method with equal probability and without replacement.ResultsThe findings of this investigation underscore a noteworthy potential for the adoption of renewable energy, particularly solar energy, within the tea estates situated in the north eastern region of India. Such a transition would yield benefits for both the tea estates themselves and the overall environment.

The Paradox Of Indigeneity And Question Of Identity Of The Adivasi Community Of Assam

The Adivasi in India and Assam are traditionally known as the first people or indigenous people since pre-historic (stone) age migrating in different periods of time from different regions. However, Adivasi were among the first group of people to arrive in India before any other communities such as the Aryans, Dravidians, and Mongolians etc. The schedule tribe’s status for the Adivasi in Assam which has been a longstanding struggle in India offers certain rights –based legal benefits in the form of political representation, reservation and socio-economic subsidies. The most common perception against granting Schedule Tribes status to the Adivasi in Assam is their migratory history, however, in the tea gardens the fact that they came into the state as indentured labourers to work and their contribution to the economy of the state of Assam has been substantial. The Adivasi of Assam, branded as the Tea Garden Tribes, generally prefer to be called as Tea Tribes. Embracing Adivasi nomenclature is a deliberate move on the part of the tea tribes to assert their tribal identity as also to represent their collective demand for indigenous rights, including the recognition for achieving the status of ‘Schedule Tribe’. The paper is a modest attempt to address this debate.

Contribution of Lakhshminath Bezbarua to Assamese Sahitya and Culture

In Assam, Lakshminath Bezbaruah is referred to as Sahityarathi. He was a well-known Assamese literary author. His literary works include novels, short stories, poems, articles, romantic belles letters, plays, editing of Jonaki magazine, and more. The author of Jonaki, who starts the volume of current Assamese literature, is Laxminath Bezbaruah. At this time, Chandra Kumar Agarwala led the introduction of the well-known Assamese monthly Jonaki. For at least fifty years, his works dominated the Assamese literary scene. Throughout his life, Bezbarua dedicated himself to bringing Assamese literature's once-lost brilliance back to life in all genres. Back then, Assamese was not included in the state's curriculum or upper education courses. His goal was to popularize Assamese literature across India, not only in the state of Assam. Bezbarua wrote and created art with the intention of advancing Assamese society overall.

ÉPOP (traditional starter culture): a complex composition of plant resources prepared by the Misings of Assam, Northeast India

Ethnic practices with relation to starter culture reflect a region-specific traditions; therefore, documentation of such knowledge is key to improvise basic understanding as how traditions, cultures, and processes are linked to local dietary systems, food and nutrition security, and social connection. Considering this, the present study aims to investigate the Mising ethnic tribal group, Assam state in Northeast India, with a focus to investigate mode of starter culture making for preparing local beverage along with plant species being used, time of collection, procedure of making starter culture, and how it is preserved. The community maintains an agrarian culture and is closely associated with forest-based natural resources. This group of people consumes various foods prepared from wild plants and crops along with meat and fish. Apong is one of the most important components of their culture, used as a beverage made up of rice by using starter culture locally known as ÉPOP. Detailed process of making of starter culture was documented. A total of 31 plant species varying from 22 families belonging to both flowering and non-flowering plants were recorded used by the community. Eight species also comprised market potential for diverse uses besides being used in starter culture preparation. The source of the collected resources varied from fallow land to forest, with the highest collection concentration in the forest (35.5%), mostly collected in the afternoon (51.61%) to ensure a quality of the plant material. The collected plant materials are mixed with soaked glutinous rice and made into starter cultures of different sizes that have a shelf life of 6 months. The study highlights that use of starter culture is consistent and harmless with distinct flavor and taste that apt to local appetite. Conserving community knowledge on starter culture making, however, requires appropriate policy planning and action line. The investigation not only increases our understanding on local food tradition but also has potential for applications in fermented food industry and thus opens up a new line of research in future.

Gattani Industries: growth strategy for India

Learning outcomes After completion of the case study, students will be able to understand general and specific challenges associated with carrying on a family business that faces market challenges including stiff competition from existing and newer players, understand the plywood manufacturing process and its supply chain management, understand the businesses operating in an organized versus the unorganized market, comprehend the marketing strategies adopted and identify a reasonable solution to address the challenges associated with the operations of a business. Case overview/synopsis This case study focuses on Gattani Industries (a plywood manufacturing company) located in the northeastern region of the Indian state of Assam. Headquartered at Cinnamara industrial zone of Jorhat district, Assam, the company began its operation in 1992 under the leadership of Makhan Gattani (Director). Gattani Industries catered to both residential and commercial demand. Its clients included the departments of central and state governments in India, public sector undertakings and civil contractors. The company had a wider distribution network across the country and adopted the one- and two-level marketing channels to reach consumers. It aimed to sell its products through dealers across the cities in India. However, in December 2019, Gattani faced the challenge of developing a growth strategy to overcome competition and use the upcoming market opportunities for business growth in the diverse and complex environment that existed in the country. Complexity academic level This case study is designed for use in graduate or undergraduate programs. This case study can be used in strategy, supply chain and marketing courses at Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration levels. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS11: Strategy.

Genetic relatedness of rice landraces in North East India with wild relatives using chloroplast markers

AbstractThe evolutionary relationship between domesticated Oryza species and their wild relatives in North East India is not well understood. To improve the understanding of the evolutionary relationship, this study investigates the genetic diversity of 68 indigenous rice landraces from North East India, ten O. rufipogon genotypes, and nine O. nivara genotypes using chloroplast variable repeat markers which, due to non-recombination and uniparental inheritance, enable better phylogenetic inference. Reference genotypes IR64 (indica) and Nipponbare (japonica) were included to characterize various phylogenetic clusters. Using distance-based hierarchical clustering, model-based structuring and principal component analysis, selected landraces from the three North Eastern Indian states of Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh were grouped into two phylogenetically different clusters that represented the IR64 and Nipponbare groupings. Interestingly, despite the fact that a cluster analysis combining North East landraces and wild relatives likewise produced two separate clusters (cluster I: Nipponbare, cluster II: IR64), the majority of the wild relatives were only clustered in the IR64 cluster. This suggests that the two distinct evolutionary histories of the rice landraces in North East India are distinguished by their genetic affinity for wild relatives and their variation in the indica and japonica pools. These results highlight chloroplast divergence influencing the genetic diversity of North East landraces with wild relatives. Further, these findings will enable in-depth studies on the functional significance of chloroplast diversity on trait adaptation in rice landraces.

Prevalence and risk factor of diabetes and hypertension in northeastern and south Indian region in India: insights from large scale survey data

Background: Hypertension and diabetes, two of the major global risks for mortality are on a rapid rise in developing nations and leading risk factors for a hero sclerosis and its complications, including heart attacks and strokes. It is predicted that by 2030, India’s diabetes burden will be almost 87 million people. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and risk factor of diabetes and hypertension in northeastern and south Indian region in India. Methods: This study utilised the fourth wave of the national family health survey (2015-16). Bivariate, multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to meet the aim of the paper. Results: Analysis shows that the highest prevalence of prehypertension is higher in Sikkim state whereas the prevalence of hypertension men is higher in also Sikkim state. Prevalence of women is prehypertension in Sikkim state and hypertensive women is higher prevalence in Nagaland and Assam state. Conclusions: Diabetes is developing with multi-morbidity like hypertension. Thus, there is need to provide the health education to diabetic people by public and private health care services and increase the health awareness in the society at grass root level. The main reason behind diabetes is heredity, less physical activity, higher body mass index, and increased cholesterol level in that group of south India and northeastern region. There is need that people should change their lifestyle and government should build the structure of city with health perspective.

Analysis of extreme annual rainfall in North-Eastern India using machine learning techniques

Abstract The machine learning techniques of Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), and the Random Forest (RF) Method have been used to analyze the extreme annual rainfall in the six states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, and Nagaland in North-Eastern (NE) India. Latitude, longitude, altitude, and temperature were the covariates that were used in this study. Ordinary Kriging was used to interpolate the predicted outcomes of each dataset. Statistical metrics like Mean Absolute Errors (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Coefficients of Determination (COD-R2), and Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) were also assessed. When compared to satellite rainfall data, all techniques performed significantly better for ground rainfall data. For prediction, GAM's predicted rainfall values triumph over MLR or RF. RF ranks a close second, while the linearity of MLR prohibits it from making precise predictions for a physical phenomenon like rainfall. The MAE and RMSE of GAM forecasts are significantly lower than those of MLR and RF in most circumstances. Additionally, the COD and NSE of GAM predictions are significantly better than both MLR and RF in most cases, showing that GAM, out of MLR, GAM, and RF, is the best model for predicting rain in our research area.

Anthelmintic efficacy of Phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus leaf extract on juvenile and adult worms of Hymenolepis diminuta (Cestoda).

The leaves of Phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus are used as an anthelmintic remedy by the tribal communities of upper Assam in India. The present study was carried out to validate the anthelmintic credentials of this plant. Mature and larval Hymenolepis diminuta worms were exposed to varying concentration of methanolic leaf extract of plant and parasites were observed for paralysis and mortality. At the end of the experiment, worms were collected and processed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study to observe the effect of extract on tegument of parasite. The in vivo study was carried out in H. diminuta-rat model with 200, 400 and 800mg/kg concentrations of extract. The in vivo anthelmintic efficacy was assessed by reductions in egg per gram (EPG) and worm counts after necropsy of animals. In vitro studies revealed the earliest mortality of larval worms in 1.05 ± 0.04h by 30mg/ml concentration and of adult worms in 2.05 ± 0.08h. SEM study revealed extensive damage to the suckers, body tegument and microtriches of worms treated with 30mg/ml concentration of extract. In in-vivo studies, 800mg/kg dose of extract showed highest efficacy, with 59% and 54.25% reduction in EPG counts and worm count against juvenile worms, and 63.16% and 66.75% reduction in EPG counts and worm counts, respectively against adult worms. Although the effects were comparatively less than the reference drug, nevertheless this study reveals that P. thyrsiflorus possess anthelmintic efficacy and justify its use in traditional medicine against intestinal-worm infections.

An illustrated guide to the lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part II. Tribe Chilocorini.

An illustrated guide to the lady beetles of the tribe Chilocorini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) of the Indian region is presented. Brief diagnostic accounts of six genera and 31 species are given with supporting illustrations of the diagnostic characters, including genitalia, wherever possible. Details of distribution, host insects / plant associations, and seasonal occurrences are provided for the first time based on extensive collections, label data and published literature. Chilocorus keralensis sp. n. is described from the Western Ghats, South India. Brumoides lineatus sensu Kapur 1967, recorded from the Andaman Islands, is found to be distinct from B. lineatus Weise 1885, and described and illustrated as B. andamanensis sp. n. Phaenochilus indicus Miyatake, 1970 and P. flaviceps Miyatake, 1970 are transferred to Chilocorus Leach (comb. n.) following the latest phylogenetic generic classification of Chilocorini. Three species, Chilocorus albomarginalis (Li & Wang), Chilocorus nigricaeruleus Li & Wang and Chilocorus yunlongensis Cao & Xiao, all originally described from China, are added to the Indian fauna of Chilocorini based on material examined from the north-eastern Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya, and Manipur, respectively. For nine species, illustrations of the life stages are included to facilitate their field identification. A key to the genera and an updated and revised checklist of the Chilocorini of the Indian subcontinent are also provided.

Assessing Livelihood Coping Strategies Adopted by Small and Marginal Farmers of Climate-Vulnerable Assam State of India

Assessing Livelihood Coping Strategies Adopted by Small and Marginal Farmers of Climate-Vulnerable Assam State of India

‘Water in the Desert?’: Oil India's CSR Impact in Assam

Incorporated on February 18, 1959, Oil India Ltd. (OIL) was a leading public sector oil and gas company involved in the exploration, development, production and transportation of crude oil and natural gas in India. Since its inception, OIL had committed itself to being a socially responsible organisation in and around operational areas, particularly the north-eastern state of Assam where 90% of company operations were concentrated. Despite many successes, the “People's Company” continued to be a target for disgruntled local and student communities who frequently created operational hazards for the firm—from sit-ins and blockades to pilfering and disrupting production facilities. No less than 400 organisations, of which 50-60 had been consistently active, were currently in the forefront of demanding something from OIL. Many of these demands were beyond the purview of OIL's CSR policy and focus areas. Additionally, being a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), OIL also faced multiple demands from the government. On February 16, 2019, news arrived that there was yet another blockade in Duliajan, Assam. What should OIL do to address and possibly mitigate operational interruptions?

Molecular genetic divergence analysis amongst high curcumin lines of Golden Crop (Curcuma longa L.) using SSR marker and use in trait-specific breeding

Curcuma longa L., is recognized worldwide as a medicinally and economically important plant species due to its curcumin content which is an industrially important compound. In this study, a total of 329 accessions were collected from four states of India and planted in the experimental farm of CSIR-NEIST, Jorhat, India, in augmented design. Among these, 152 high curcumin (> 1.50%) accessions were screened for molecular divergence study using 39 SSR primers. The primers showed the most efficient outcome with 2–8 allele/ loci and a total 163 number of alleles with 100% polymorphism. Cluster analysis revealed the construction of three clusters, out of which one cluster was geographically dependent, and germplasm was particularly from Assam state. Jaccard's pairwise coefficient showed maximum genetic dissimilarity of (0.75) between accession RRLJCL 3 and RRLJCL 126, indicating high variation as it was from two different states viz Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland respectively and minimum genetic dissimilarity of (0.09) between RRLJCL 58 and RRLJCL 59 indicating significantly less variation as the two accessions were from same state, i.e., Arunachal Pradesh. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) revealed high molecular variation within the population (87%) and significantly less variation among the population (13%). Additionally, Neighbour Joining dendrogram, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and bar plot structure revealed similar clustering of germplasm. This diversity assessment will help in selecting the trait-specific genotypes, crop improvement program, conservation of gene pool, marker-assisted breeding, and quantitative trait loci identification. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first molecular diversity report among 152 high curcumin lines of C. longa from North East India using 39 SSR primers.

Determination of annual rainfall in north-east India using deterministic, geospatial, and machine learning techniques

Abstract Analysis of extreme annual rainfall in the six north-east Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura using the deterministic interpolation technique of inverse distance weighting (IDW), the geospatial interpolation technique of Ordinary Kriging (OK) and the machine learning prediction technique of generalised additive model (GAM). GAM is used only for prediction and hence the results are then subsequently interpolated by OK to create the rainfall maps. The datasets considered for this study are a training dataset of 171 points which consisted of satellite rainfall and a testing dataset with ground rain gauge data of 33 points which was used for validation of the former. A combined dataset of training + testing was also interpolated and mapped to compare for visual accuracy of each technique. It was seen that OK was a superior and a much more realistic interpolation technique than IDW, since it took the altitude of each site into consideration along with latitude and longitude, unlike IDW, which only interpolated over the x–y plane and didn't rely on altitude. When the predictions of the training dataset through GAM were mapped using OK, it showed almost parallel contours, which is undesirable for natural phenomenon like rain.

Foreign Linkage of Insurgent’s Groups in the North East India: A study on National Social Council of Nagaland and United Liberation Front of Assam

This study looks at the complex networks of foreign assistance, drug and weapon smuggling, and insurgency activity in Northeast India, especially in the states of Assam and Nagaland. It draws attention to the important role that outside parties, such as intelligence services and nearby nations, play in maintaining these illicit activities. Examined are China's ties to Pakistan and its role in backing rebel organizations in the area. Illustrative instances include the division within the Naga movement, smuggling routes, and the recent arm seizures in Bangladesh. To improve security and stability in Northeast India, addressing these issues calls for regional collaboration, intelligence sharing, and initiatives to stop the trafficking in illegal weapons and drugs.