VOL 1 | ISSUE 4 | OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
`10 ges 24 Pa
GOING PG O2 FOR GOLD
Will Guwahati buy gold this Diwali?
HAS GOGOI JR. TIED AN APOLITICAL KNOT? Opinions expressed by a select few, does not predict any seismic change in sprouting political career.
PG O6
Eva Mendes
Catching Up, Pg 24
Turning clothes ON Wassup @
WARD
NO 21
PG 19 The North East Festival
PG 10 G PLUS
OPINION POLL
previous poll Result Does Meghalaya require Inner Line Permit?
28% YES / 72% NO
Do modern day parents require counselling? SMS G PLUS YES/NO to 56677
PARTICIPATE IN THE G PLUS opinion poll and win gift vouchers
2
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Lead Story
GOING FOR GOLD Will Guwahati buy gold this Diwali?
Mrinmoyee Hazarika
A
gainst the backdrop of skyrocketing prices of gold and other precious metals, the middle class Guwahatian, along with their Indian peers are striving hard to bring a piece to their homes this Diwali. The jewellers of the city too, are wearing gloomy faces ahead of Diwali and Dhanteras next week. The price of the yellow metal has gone up substantially over the years. In the year 2009, 10 grams of gold used to cost around `12,000 and after a gap of just four years, in 2013, the price has gone up to ` 32,000 for the same quantity. Dhanteras is a festival primarily observed by the people in northern India to mark the occasion of welcoming the goddess of Lakshmi into their homes. Although the Assamese society, at large does not traditionally buy gold or any other precious metal during the festival, the practice has slowly caught on here too over the years. The festival is observed just before diwali.
Trader’s Tribulations Dhanteras and Diwali is considered a highly flattering time for the jewellers as every year, this is the time when they rake in good business. But this time, most of them seemed to be seething over the market conditions of gold and silver across the globe. Since, the prices of these metals are ascertained globally, nobody can do anything about the soaring prices of the metals. “Now, the sale of gold has slowed down, but during the time of Dhanteras and Diwali, it normally picks up. Besides, the soaring price of gold and silver has affected the buying capacity of our customers. Due to this reason, the number of ‘salaried customers’ have reduced considerably at our store,” Vikash Soni, CEO, L. Gopal and Sons, one of the leading jewellers of the city told G Plus. At the same time, he also expressed concern over the
5 Year Gold Price in INR/gRAM
With the market economy reeling and inflation going great guns, is gold going to feature on the shopping list of Guwahatians? G PLUS finds out
Gold price in Guwahati on 25th October, 2013 -
6 month gold price chart in INR/gram
`31,780 per 10 g business of gold and silver in this coming festival of Dhanteras and Diwali. “People wait for this time of the year to buy gold, but because of the rising price, they are buying it in smaller quantities. We are concerned that the business this time might not keep up to expectations this time,” Soni told. The outlets of L. Gopal and sons, situated in the city are preparing themselves to deal with the customers with a new collections during the upcoming festive season. “In order to attract the salaried customers, we have lightweight necklaces and other collections made out of 15 or 20 grams of gold. We have gold and silver coins of lesser weights and a new classic collection of gold and diamond with a royal touch has been specially designed to deal with the customers this Diwali,” Soni further stated. Another prominent jeweller of
the city, M.P. Jewellers is also concerned about the gold business for the gold traders this time. “The price hike has affected the buying habits of the customers. For instance, a customer who bought 10 grams of gold earlier would buy only 2 grams now. We see new faces every year during Dhanteras or Diwali. But looking at the market trend of gold in the last two months, I have a feeling that this time too, the number of customers may go up, but the sale of gold will not,” Bakshi, an official of M.P. Jewellers told G Plus. He also said that, “Dhanteras is a festival mainly observed in North India. But now, the people of Eastern India too have started observing it and have started crowding to the jewellery stores nowadays. Last year, we witnessed better sales than the previous year.” Another city-based jeweller
Manik Chand & Sons Jewellers
3
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Lead Story
too are a little apprehensive about gold sales witnessed by the city in the last couple of years. “People are confused because of the fluctuating price of gold. They get puzzled when and where to buy gold. New customers are coming in every day, but because of the hike in the price of gold, they have set limits to their purchase,” an official there said. Mentioning that the price and the sale of gold as equally proportionate, the official further added, “Even though the price of gold has gone up, people are still purchasing it for occasions like Dhanteras. The volume of sale has come down, but at the same time, the existing sale has covered the entire business because now, the people have to pay more for a lesser amount of gold.” On the other hand, leading Indian jewellery brand Tanishq, has experienced a decline in gold sales over the year. “Now, the Assamese and Bengali people too buy gold on Dhanteras. On that day of the year, we too have experienced the highest sales. But due to the price rise, we have seen a 20% fall in volume of sales or weight of gold, particularly on Dhanteras. Earlier, we used to sell 15,000 to 16,000 pieces, but now we are selling around 12,000 to 13,000 pieces on
“Seven years back, we used to do a business of around `1.9 Crores on Dhanteras and gradually we had been able to do nearly `6 crores.” Gold rush no more: Sale of gold has gone down in the city in recent times
such occasions,” an official of Tanishq, an enterprise of Tata, told G Plus. Moreover, the global brand has had to face tough competition from the local jewellery dealers. In this regard, the official mentioned, “It’s been seven years, since we opened our G.S. Road store and we have faced tough competition from the local jewellers because they offer lightweight jewelleries, which we do not. Seven years back, we used to do a business of around ` 1.9 Crores on Dhanteras and gradually we had been able to do nearly ` 6 crores.”
People’s take
The common festival loving people of the city are in a dilemma whether to buy gold or not this season. “Although, Dhanteras is not a part of our tradition, we have been buying gold in the form of jewellery or coins on this day. This time though, I am not sure whether I will go for it because, the price of the gold has again shot up after a drastic fall last April,” Deepa Saikia, a homemaker of the city said. Another city-based corporate professional Divya Chabra
said, “Since I belong to a business community, we have a tradition in our family to buy gold every Dhanteras. We believe that gold brings luck and prosperity to the family. Despite the increasing rate of gold, buying or investing an amount of ` 30,000 or so for a 10 gm of gold is a decent purchase. But, if the price is less, then we might have purchased some more.” Mrs Jaya Prabha Gogoi, a city-based model has not yet decided whether she will be going for gold this year. “Buying gold on occasions like Dhanteras is
not our tradition. I do purchase it whenever I can and feel like buying it. I purchase 10 grams last Dhanteras but have not decided whether I am going do the same this year too. Besides, I will have to have a look at price chart as well.” The spiralling price of gold is definitely going to affect the fervour and jest of the festival, since it is an important ritual. But the traders who have come up with light weight jewelleries and smaller coins will surely help the customers to indulge in the ritual, at least symbolically.
4
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
City
VALUE THE GIRL CHILD
VOX POP Installation of PVC Cones
M
ost of us feel modern to talk highly about women values. Though, the reality may be different. In many of the Northeastern states, women are accorded top most priority in all spheres of life. Irrespective of social class and society, women are still facing the onslaught of being at the receiving end. It would be wrong to generalize the subject but if we take into consideration a larger perspective – the grim scenario of women’s status in society is visible. Recently, the initiative taken up by Frontier TV, a channel based in Guwahati this October was in the right direction. The channel has launched a campaign – Value the Girl Child, which has been endorsed by Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo, who had flagged off the year-long movement. Miss Universe Olivia Culpo pledged her support to the movement for protection of rights of the girl child and underlined the need to understand the issues in the Indian context. “I want to bring the desired change by involving myself in value the girl child campaign in India”, said Culpo exclusively speaking to me. She says she loves the deep sense of spirituality she felt in India. Culpo was looking forward to returning to do charity work and had talked to friends about the possibility of someday adopting an Indian baby. “I really enjoyed everything about the visit, and there’s so much that I would like to take up in India”, remarked Olivia Culpo. So, the recent Azara incident has already proved that women are not at all safe in Guwahati and Assam as a whole. I think the government should come up with ways which helps women feel free and not a sex object.
CITIZEN JOURNALIST Ambia Zahan
YOU CAN BE A CITIZEN JOURNALIST TOO. Just mail us your story at editor@g-plus.in
T
he city of Guwahati, is in a stage of constant makeover all year round and undoubtedly the government has been busy beautifying it. Walls are being artistically done up, fountains are being erected at important squares and statues of great people are being put up at public places. Another new idea that has been implemented is the use of fluorescent traffic PVC cones and the fluorescent flexible posts that act as temporary dividers and blockages to prevent vehicles from being parked in all kinds of places. But a matter of concern is that even though a city like Guwahati, which has the potential to be a metro in the near future still does not have wide roads and parking areas that can accommodate a huge number of vehicles at the same time, the PVC barriers have further narrowed down the areas. So is it really helping the traffic situation or acting opposite by actually creating the unwanted congestion?
Nabajyoti Kalita, Central Government Employee
It would be too early to talk about their impact since these posts were recently installed but I still feel that they have created a little problem as they have encroached existing roadside areas now. I am also not sure about their durablility as they are made of plastic and can be easily damaged. The only solution is the widening of roads in different areas of the city.
Dipu Bordoloi, Musician
Guwahati already lacks sufficient roads and connectors necessary for a developing city, and the plan for allotting adequate space for parking has not been achieved until now. Under these circumstances, installation of posts and cones would only create problem and nothing else. Two-wheeler riders anyway would be able to find place to park but the main concern would be for the four-wheeler drivers who will find it difficult to park their cars now. This might again lead to irresponsible parking which would create more traffic chaos.
Kaustove Moni Kakoty, Student
The present time demands for globalisation but again while choosing to walk on that path, we should not forget the basic problems that exist here. Initially, rather than fitting these cones we should concentrate more on allotting space for parking and provide other adequate facilities. Moreover, it should also be ensured that these cones are fitted systematically as proper planning is a must while making the process more result oriented.
Jyoti Pathak, Self Employed
It has a two-way effect. On one hand, it was necessary because earlier, people without thinking, would drive their cars through the road dividers, which often created an artificial traffic jam, sometimes even leading to accidents. While on the other, it has become a problem for the vehicles as they now have to cover extra distance to make a U-turn. Again, if the provision of parking can be re-introduced under the flyovers, then a lot of parking issues can be solved.
Manab Jyoti Medhi, Central Government Employee
Installations of such cones and their impact have both merits and demerits. It would be advantageous because now, people would have second thoughts about parking at a no parking zone. Moreover, usage of such cones would alert the people on roads while walking or driving. But again its con is that now people cannot cross the roads with ease. Regarding the parking, awareness should be generated because many people break rules in spite of the traffic signs and directives.
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
5
6
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
G-View
HAS GOGOI JR. TIED AN APOLITICAL KNOT?
Opinions expressed by a select few, does not predict any seismic change in sprouting political career. Rahul Chanda
I
n May 2004, after the national elections in India, the Congress Party came out a clear winner with the support of its alliance partners and the outside support of the communist parties. Sonia Gandhi, the Congress Party president, was considered as a candidate for the Prime Minister but, Mrs. Gandhi, the leader of the then new coalition, nominated Manmohan Singh for the post. There were speculations that President Abdul Kalam had opposed the move, due to her foreign origins. You might wonder why we are talking about all these issues now, but for Guwahatians and Assam as a whole, it is news when the Assam Chief Minister’s son, Gaurav Gogoi tied the knot and that too with a British national. The CM had visited London on the 25thof June this year for official reasons but Gogoi, who had taken son Gaurav along with him, had private business to attend to as well. Junior was considering marriage with his English girlfriend Elizabeth Colebourn and so his father wanted to meet her parents. Colebourn, alumni of the London School of Economics, had met Gaurav in New York in 2010 when she was an intern in the sanctions committee of United Nations Secretariat.
THE NUPTIALS
Mother of the groom Dolly Gogoi completed the Juron ritual by applying vermilion on the bride’s Elizabeth’s forehead, at a nicely done up Sunheri Bag Bungalow in Delhi. The event was a total family affair. The legal formalities of the wedding were completed on Monday and the marriage ceremony took place at 8 pm on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, the Chief Minister organised a dinner party for around 800 invitees at the Sunheri Bag Bungalow.
Past wedding woes Shashi Tharoor is back in the union council of ministers after two and a half years and is presently the minister of state for Human Resource Development. Tharoor
Who is Gaurav Gogoi and what has he done for the Assamese society? I do not have anything against him and wish him all the best for his future, but other than being the CM’s son I don’t think he has any other capabilities. His marriage has no relation with Assam’s political scenario. He cannot even speak Assamese properly! Tarun Gogoi might have done something for Congress and Assam, but even his days are over. So, I doubt he has any political career in Assam.” Nani Gopal Mahanta Associate Professor, Dept of Political Science, Gauhati University
was forced to resign in 2010 as the minister of state for external affairs after allegations of conflict of interest in promoting an IPL team which was linked to the woman he married after quitting office, Sunanda Pushkar. One of the sauciest stories ever to have hit the headlines in contemporary Assam was that of a woman going to town, swearing that former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, a father of three, had married her in a secret ceremony at a Mumbai temple. The news had created a media frenzy, rocked the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the state›s main opposition party then, and almost cost Mahanta his job as the party›s president. Of course, Gaurav Gogoi’s nuptials do not have anything controversial about them but we tried to gauge what this ‘alliance’ would mean to his political ambitions, if he has any. There were varied opinions and quite a few of them rightfully regarded it as a very personal phase of life without any political leanings to it, but the probable highlight is the fact that the bride is British.
Personal will As we mentioned, many of the people we talked to, refused to be dragged into giving any strong opinions about the marriage terming it as a personal affair. As former chief minister of Assam, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta put it, “It is someone’s personal and family matter so I don’t want to comment on this.” Veteran journalist D.N. Bezboruah too said, “The decision to marry someone is a very personal matter and I refuse to comment on it. But considering that marriage to an Italian woman did not, in any way affect the political career of Rajiv Gandhi, what makes you think that things will be different for Gogoi junior? We live in a country where neo-feudalism and dynastic rule are being thrust on us with the rules of the game of democracy.” Each to his own we say.
A Dynastic Legacy
There were a few others too who did not want to tread on personal territories, but had quite a different take on the entire episode.
THE D DAY: Gaurav Gogoi’s wedding at Sunheri Baag Bungalow
7
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
G-View BJP’s Assam state president Sarbananda Sonowal said, “It is nothing new for Congress and they are simply following the Gandhi tradition. As far as political career is concerned, it’s the people of Assam who will decide whose career will be what in politics. Congress has always liked to link themselves with foreigners. It was same with Rajiv Gandhi and the similar thing is happening with Tarun Gogoi’s family. In one of the election rallies Tarun Gogoi slammed the BJP for using Bollywood celebrities to woo the voters. He had said that all the women in Assam were more beautiful then Hema Malini for him! So, I don’t understand why he couldn’t find a bride for his son from Assam?” A city based entrepreneur Rupam Das expressed, “Marrying a British will not destroy his political career because he is from a dynasty where his father is a chief minister and uncle an MP. In fact, it’s the marriage which is bringing him to limelight. In a country where Sonia Gandhi, being an Italian, is ruling the country, Gogoi junior should not face a problem. Whether he knows about rural India or not, he has been spoon fed about politics.” Assamese film actor Ravi Sharma backed Gaurav Gogoi’s marriage decision and said, “Anybody is free to make his or her personal decision and as Gaurav has poli-
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: The Gogoi’s after the wedding
tics in his blood, marrying a British should not be a problem for his career. In fact, I like this decision! The British has, in the past ruled almost the entire world and now, if someone from over there wants to come here and settle down with one of us, it will help our culture and people will know about us internationally.” Well, we are not sure about Mr Sharma’s British influence, but we can understand when people say that foreign alliances might not necessarily malign an Indian politician’s career.
Unpredictable Assam
In democracy, it is the people who decide who will be in power and so if the junta’s demands and promises are kept, then it does not matter what a leader does in his personal life, keeping in mind his responsibilities as a public leader.
Assamese film actor Zerifa Wahid feels that if Gaurav is in love with a girl and has decided to get married to her than there shouldn’t be a problem in his political career, provided he ‘does’ want to make a career in politics. Zerifa said, “It is very difficult to know the pulse of Assamese people because, if Gaurav Gogoi has the capabilities to woo the people of this state then he always has a chance. In Assam, people still survive on percents and corruption and I don’t blame only the government for this. Everyone is equally responsible and so it doesn’t matter whether you get married to a Bhojpuri, an Assamese or a British. Assam politics is very unpredictable and downgrading, so only time will decide.”
Capability factor
All this while, we have been
speculating on the effects of the marriage on Gaurav Gogoi’s future in politics. But does he really have any political ambitions? Or for that matter, has he even taken the first steps in to politics yet? Nani Gopal Mahanta, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science of Gauhati University feels that the media is providing too much hype to Gaurav Gogoi’s marriage. “Who is Gaurav Gogoi and what has he done for the Assamese society?” He asks. “I do not have anything against him and wish him all the best for his future, but other than being the CM’s son I don’t think he has any other capabilities. His marriage has no relation with Assam’s political scenario. He cannot even speak Assamese properly! Tarun Gogoi might have done something for Congress and Assam, but even his days are over. So, I doubt he has any political career in Assam.”
Joydeep Borah, the General Secretary of the Cotton College Student’s Union, said, “I don’t have any problem with Gaurav Gogoi marrying a British national unless he works for Assam and adds on to the development of this state.” Personal decisions do not really matter and the final call will be taken after evaluating the development efforts and responsibilities undertaken by a leader. Gaurav may be stepping into a new world of responsibilities, but has he taken his first steps in politics yet? Officially speaking, he has joined the Congress party, but is he really interested in politics or is it just a legacy to live up to? It is too early to speculate about his political career for he needs to work on making one first. Before that, it does not really matter what he does in his personal life as long as he keeps in mind the power of the indigenous people of the state.
8
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
City
New brand hits Guwahati’s retail market. KOUSHIK HAZARIKA
With the city’s retail market growing steadily, Good Buy is a new chain which plans to take the experience of shopping to another level. Led by Pranjal Konwar, the brand has ambitious plans and is set to open up multiple stores in and around Guwahati. Pranjal, on his part, is an An alumnus of the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune and brings with him 16 years of national as well as international industry experience. He has worked in leadership & senior leadership roles with MNCs such as HUL, Coca-Cola, Right Management, Metro Cash & Carry, Aditya Birla and Vodafone and was also a part of the team that launched the first 5 Metro Cash & Carry stores in India. We met up with the man and talked to him regarding ‘Good Buy’.
‘Big store choice, Small store service’ - What is idea behind this line and how is Good Buy different from other stores?
We intend to provide a big store assortment, variety & low prices, while keeping the experience fairly personal like a neighbourhood grocery store, where the shopkeeper knows his customers by their first names and what their preferences are. Furthermore, in a big store, the store employees sometimes treat customers indifferently and we believe it is here, where we can bring in the difference by reaching out proactively to our customers and understanding their needs and finally servicing them. It is too early to talk about how different we are from other stores. It is for our customers to discover. However, what we intend to deliver, which in itself would be a differentiator is the ‘Customer Experience’ at the stores. We focus a lot on employee training and a significant percentage of that is in ‘Customer Service & Engagement’. We would also be providing home delivery services and the backbone for which is an in-house captive call-centre. There would also be a loyalty program that is designed to deliver additional benefits to our members and keep them engaged and coming back for more.
I am sure there has been a lot of research before the launch of this store. Could you give us a little insight about the retail business in Guwahati?
Modern FMCG retail hit India in an organised way, with rapid expansion plans, sometime in 2003-04 and spread across the length & breath of the country in the past 10 years, but North East still did not figure in any of the retail major’s list of operations, except for a few Food Bazars that were part of the Big Bazaar chain. This was despite the fact that the region had become stable due to stable governments in most of the states and the militancy problem was waning. Business in the region was picking up, along with a sudden boom in the real estate industry. But then it was the local business houses who had initiated most of it. Retail too, had its share in this boom and although many brands ventured into the North East, none of the supermarket chains, which are classified as ‘Organised modern FMCG retail’ came in. Modern FMCG Retailing hasn’t been experienced in the region and the few so called supermarkets scattered around the region can actually be counted. The experiences in these stores were just a shade better than a local grocery store, with a few airconditioners added in. The concept of customer service, loyalty program and value retailing were still far away and had not been heard of in this segment. Furthermore, with people from the region now travelling extensively
PHOTOS: PRATIK DHAR
We are not in the business of just running supermarkets, but into concept-selling based on customer experience. We are not entering a playing field but creating one...” to the Metros and experiencing the Modern FMCG Retail Stores there, they were now looking forward to having them here as well. However, as none of the big players in the domain had any plans for the region, there evolved a huge demand and supply gap. Our experiences in this field so far suggest that over the next few years, people would just pay for the experience of shopping in a Modern FMCG Retail Store and that, is the gap we seek to fill. However, we would also periodically have different ‘Customer Engagement’ programs running in our stores to keep the customers coming back and asking for more.
Could you provide us any insight on the Guwahati shopper/buyer in comparison to other Indian cities, in terms of say spending habits, loyalty, frequency etc?
This is an extremely broad classification of shoppers based on that comparison, and it is difficult. Customer profile is segmented on various different parameters, such as age, gender, economic strata and cultural background. However, on a broader note, shoppers in North East and Guwahati, more specifically are fairly modern in their outlook and tend to adapt fast to the upcoming trends and thereby are in
sync & comparable to the shoppers of the Metros. Most importantly, with very few avenues for high-class entertainment in Guwahati, shopping seems to have become people’s favourite sport these days and this is good for retailers like us.
Which stores in Guwahati do you think are your competitors?
We are not in the business of just running supermarkets, but into concept-selling based on customer experience. We are not entering a playing field but creating one, which defines its own rules of the game. We want to be the benchmark.
Post the FDI decision, many foreign stores will also enter Guwahati; do you think that will hamper retail business?
Well, that is still at least 5 years away. In addition, in the segment that we are in, business is extremely localised. The customer profile & their needs change even within a city, for example, the assortment in my store in Uzanbazar would be different if I were to open a store in Aaathgaon, so would the customer profile and the culture profile of the area. We would therefore need to handle the customers of the two stores very differently. My experience in this industry tells me that no foreign player would
straight away jump into this segment alone without partnering with a local player. Again, please don’t compare us with the Big Box stores, which at some point in time will come up on the outskirts of Guwahati. We are purely Neighbourhood Supermarkets that would cater to our customer’s household Grocery & FMCG needs. We would be a store that is within our customer’s reach and where our customer’s feel at ease to shop and enjoys the experience every time they visit the store.
Could you throw some light on the people behind Good Buy and their brief profile and backgrounds?
We have been lucky to be able to create a team of professionals with experience in FMCG Retail from the major national retail chains.
What is the expansion plan – Is it Guwahati, Assam, Northeast and then India?
Our second store in Rajgarh is launching this Sunday. We have started from Guwahati as it happens to be one of the fastest growing city in the East. We intend to spread our presence across East India over the 3 – 4 years horizon.
9
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Business
NION PRICES GO UP...
EVEN MORE SHAMBHAVI
W
hile sugar is out of the Public distribution system (PDS) list of items, Onion and potato are not gelling well in Assam as the prices are spiralling upwards. Commodity prices has been a big dampener during the festive season and it is expected that the prices of onion and potato will moderate only after November 15, which means the food bill will pinch the consumer during the Diwali festival. Onion prices in Guwahati hit the Rs 100/kilo mark recently and as if this was not enough, potato prices too started moving upwards from Rs 15 to Rs 20 and 24 per kilo. Presently distribution of sugar through the PDS has been stooped in Assam. The Union Ministry of food and agriculture has directed that the supply of subsidised sugar through ration shops to be withdrawn. The Ministry would allow Rs. 18.50 subsidy to the state
government that will allow sugar through rationing system at Rs. 13.50 per Kg. Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi said that the centre has stopped purchasing sugar and sugar is not available presently in PDS “We have sought extra time from Centre however the government did not yield. We are finding ways to deal with present situation.” Sugar rationing will not be possible in Assam until the state government comes up with its own corporation, which can buy sugar and distribute the same. Presently, onion comes to the North East from Bangalore and a normalcy in its rates can only be expected after Nasik, the main onion growing area, comes up with its crop. Vinod Surana, secretary of Guwahati Potato Onion Merchants’ Association said, “We expect a fall by November 15, when fresh crop from Nasik would arrive. However
rains have damaged substantial portions of the crop.” Northeast India on an average requires 100 truckloads (1 truckload is 20 tonnes) of onion in a week. It is interesting that when the prices hit century in Guwahati on October 18, prices were Rs 70/kilo in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia, Rs 60 to 70 in Kolkata, Rs 60 in Tripura and Rs 70 in Nagaland. Once can question if the distance between the source of production and these areas are lesser than that of Guwahati or if this is the making of unfair trade practice. Lachit Bordoloi, spokesperson of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) said, “It is beyond logic how onion prices are lesser in Upper Assam and other states. Unscrupulous elements are behind this artificial price rise.” The friend of all veggies, potato prices will moderate only after fresh arrival from Punjab, which is expected by the mid of November. Presently potatoes are coming from
Farrukhabad of Uttar Pradesh. Surana of Guwahati said that potatoes are coming through West Bengal via roadways. However, West Bengal has banned potato export from August on wards.
The way forward
Northeast is a consumer region with huge dependency on mainland India for its commodity supplies, so Assam government has decided to go on a mission mode to increase the area under Onion cultivation in the state. Assam has around 8525 hectares for onion, producing 30.90 metric tonnes (MT). The all India average for production of onion per hectare is 16.79 MT while that of Assam is 3.62 MT per hectare. Government of India is mulling banning onion exports to contain prices. The Centre has decided to immediately import about 250 tonnes to ease the situation during the coming festival season.
Digital Home
It is named digital home because the world is all digital now a days. We are the pioneer in IT and we serve more than 5 lakh customers. Being the leaders we planned to launch something that will help Guwahati in becoming digital. We have easily available EMI scheme that enables even the low income groups to be a part of the digital world.
ALTO 800 ANNIVERSARY EDITION UNVEILED
Maruti Suzuki launched its Alto 800 Anniversary Edition in Guwahati at Rs. 3.39 lacs on Oct 24, 2013 at the Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok. The launch was graced by the presence of Mr. S N Burman, Vice President, Maruti Suzuki, Mr. Anindya Dutta, Regional Manager, North East along with officials from the regional office Guwahati. Celebrity actress Ms. Zerifa Wahid was also present during the unveiling of the new model. trims and many more.
10
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Society
THE NORTH EAST FESTIVAL Taking NE to the world Koushik Hazarika With the objective to promote and market the region in a planned and organised manner, the North East Festival is set to be held in the national capital on the 8th and 9th of November. Under the dynamic leadership of Shyamkanu Mahanta, an entrepreneur and an experienced campaigner who has worked for various organisations, the event is set to highlight the tourism, culture and entrepreneurial potential of the region. Mahanta, who is also an engineer and a management professional, feels that the region, as a whole, can create more impact and wants to initiate bridges between the various communities of NE. A conversation with him brought up a lot of topics, excerpts of which are as follows.
What is the North East Festival all about?
The aim of the North East Festival is to communicate about the region and dispel the wrong notion about it. We are trying to develop positivity about North East and highlight its culture, tourism and entrepreneurship in the national capital. It is a grand event, with participation of all the NER states together, perhaps for the first time. The iconic personalities of the region like Mr. Harishankar Brahma, Election Commissioner, Dr. Jayanta Madhab, Mr. S.N. Brahmaochoudhury, Adviser(NE), Planning Commison and Mr. D.S. Poonia, Former Chief Secretary are driving the event. Student bodies, North East MP’s Forum, MoDoNER and the Home Ministry are all supporting this great cause. There will also be a huge participation of
the student communities of all the states based in Delhi.
Could you brief us about Trend MMS?
Trend MMS is a Socio Cultural Trust initiated by me and has great experience and track record. The Srimanta Sankaradeva Movement, an iconic initiative which was organised last year at Delhi and this year at Bengaluru to promote MahapurushSankaradeva, the Great social Engineer of Assam and to promote the egalitarian society of the state, was a big hit and received a lot of national media attention. Trend MMS has also organised another iconic initiative to promote harmony amongst the various tribes of Assam called ‘SamannayA Musical Journey of Integration.’ It travelled across the State to places like Chirang, Runikhata, Udal-
guri, Nagaon, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Sibsagar wherein leading singers of the State like Joi Baruah, Priyanka Bharali, Manas Robin, SimantaSekhar and other top singers of various communities performed and talked about co-existence and harmony. It got widespread attention and appreciation from media and intelligentsia.
According to you, what has been the missing ingredient, which has hindered the promotion of NE? Has there always been a lack of planned marketing?
North East was never marketed properly and perhaps, this is the first time it has been done in a big manner. We have realised that North East as a whole is a much formidable proposition in terms of tourism and cultural prospects. It needs a focussed approach and a sustainable approach. We propose to take North East Festival as sustainable initiative in coming years.
On your facebook page, it is mentioned that ‘Tourism & Culture, Entrepreneurship is the key focus of the event’ – Could you elaborate on this?
Tourism and Culture binds the entire North East. IF you look at the core-competency of the region, Tourism and Culture is unique and it could build bridges amongst the communities of the region and attract tourists and income. Entrepreneurship is the key focus. We believe that a place such as Gujarat is progressing because of entrepreneurship as it creates wealth and employment. We have many entrepreneurs who have done well in the NER in spite of insurgency. We
`1 cr
Budget Number of participants
8 States, 20,000 visitors want them to be the role models for our youths and not the gun trotters, violence seekers, and looters. We want to highlight some successful entrepreneurs of the North East. We want to inculcate a sense of Entrepreneurism amongst the people of the region and the North East Festival is the right platform.
In an ideal scenario, what do you envision as the effects of the NE Festival?
Communication! We need to communicate outside the region about this wonderful location, its culture, people and prospects. Connecting people is our slogan; we want to connect within us - between the Nagas, the Manipuris, the Assamese and everyone. We also want to connect with rest of the country as North Easterners too are proud Indians in spite of their unique culture and tradition. We believe we have made good progress so far and our facebook page has become very popular across all communities. People from various States are working together to promote the region.
Is the ‘North East’ tag being overused to promote events, exhibitions and other festivals?
Yes, too many fashion events are affecting the North East. People tend to confuse our efforts to promote
the region with the fashion events but we believe that this event with focus on the Look East Policy. Skill development and entrepreneurship will change many things, starting with the change of perception.
What is Assam’s need of the hour from its youth brigade?
Talks about positivity and progress. We need to make the changes and the youth of the region need to unite and abjure violence. They need to shun the bandh culture and bad work culture. We must become very hard-working and make our own marks in this world.
Names of Core team members Shyamkanu MahantaOrganiser in chief- was responsible for conceptualising and driving the event. Advisers – Harishankar Brahma, S.N. Brahmochoudhury, D.S. Poonia, Dr. Jayanta Madhab, Prof Mrinal Miri, Alem Jamir, W.M.S. Pariat, Haukhum Hauzel, Karma Gyatso, Maharaja Pradyot Debbarma, Larsing Ming, Oken Tayeng, Abhijit Kashypa Bora and Hengul Dutta
11
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
DOING UP YOUR HOME
G Plus feature
W
ith the growing tendency of the middle class to embellish their homes, business is good for the companies as well as individuals dealing with furniture and furnishing products. The markets of the city too are flooded with a variety of products, both for household and commercial use. New collections are being added to the list every day and Diwali being the season of light and contentment, people buy new ranges of furnishings to illuminate their homes. G PLUS picks some select destinations of the city from where you can choose the best for your sweet home. Vinayak furnishing is one such destination where you can be spoilt for choice. “We have various categories of home decor which include furniture and furnishings. The demand for sofa sets and centre tables remain the same for the whole year, because people can buy it at any point of time. Other furniture like bedroom sets gets sold during the wedding seasons only,” said Bajrang Bothra, CEO, Vinayak furnishings. The cost of a complete bedroom
set consisting of a king sized bed, two side tables, one dressing table and a three door wardrobe ranges from Rs 60,000 to Rs 5 lakhs at Vinayak Furnishing. The range of the dining table sets start from Rs 25,000 and
go up to Rs 3.3 lakhs and the utility furniture comes within the range of Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000. “We have been dealing with brands like Zuari, Alder, Spacewood, Destiny @ home and Zarin besides
having our own manufacturing units. The customers who belong to the middle class society prefer mostly branded decorative, since it comes at reasonable costs. The customers who belong to the high middle class society go for wooden furniture manufactured by us,” Bothra added. He also mentioned about people’s growing interest in garden furniture and that, in this segment, Malaysian furniture is dominating the market. The range of such furniture available at Vinayak furnishing comes at anything between Rs 22,000 to Rs 24,000. “Nowadays, wall papers have become one of the most key decorative items. These come pretty cheap, but people needed to be educated about this,” Bothra said. A new entrant in the segment of home decor, Skipper furnishings which recently launched its outlet on G.S. Road, deals with a wide range of products. “We deal in sofa upholsteries,
Bazaar
curtain tapestry, wallpapers, wooden flooring, vinyl flooring, carpets, mattress, table linen and bed & bath linen. More than 25,000 designs in different colours and collections from D.Decor, R.R. Decor, Pure, Sarom, J&Y, and Dimora are available with us,” Vikash Agarwal told G Plus. Apart from these stores, the Guwahatians can also visit other home decor destinations like Ashoka Furnishings and Hansa Bahini for more new and stylish range of collections.
12
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Career
relief
Moving people to
P
hysiotherapy is a form of treatment which uses physical exercises to cure certain ailments. It is a preventive and remedial procedure, that is used as a supplement with oral medicines. Physiotherapy also helps in optimal functioning of the body. It involves assessing, treating and preventing disorders of human movement. As a physiotherapist, a candidate will have to work with different types and ages of people from the old and elderly suffering from ailments like arthritis, to polio affected children, athletes and sportspersons, to accident victims and so on. It is also important to know that the physiotherapist will even have to deal with heart patients for various kind of therapy.
PRATIK DHAR
ELIGIBILITY
Educational
Bachelor of physiotherapy is an undergraduate degree awarded in physiotherapy. The duration of the course is four and a half years including a few months assigned for internship. The course provides experience to gain knowledge in treatments like therapeutic exercise, manual therapy etc. The Master of Physiotherapy is the postgraduate degree and its course duration is two years, providing in-depth knowledge in therapy programmes.
ELIGIBILITY
The candidate must have at least 50% marks in the bachelor degree
(Post Graduate Level) The candidate must have acquired 50% marks in bachelor of physiotherapy with completion of internship in the subject. There is again entrance examination at the mater degree or post graduate level.
2
years Degree Programme Some of the study related subjects for the undergraduate level Rehabilitation Programmes Exercise Therapy Anatomy Neuro-Physiotherapy Orthopaedics and Sports physiotherapy
These are few of the subjects from the entire course and these may vary from institute to institute.
Employment Areas Orthopedics Department Health Institutions Fitness Centres Private Clinics Sports Training Centres Rehabilitation Centres for the Handicapped and more
PQQ
• Physiotherapy course is meant for those who have compassion for the sick and the physically handicapped and injured. • As the profession is very challenging, one may need to work for long hours in order to give their services to the patients. • Also apart from the qualification, the candidates must have lot of concentration and physical stamina because the nature of the job demands that. • The candidates must have excellent interpersonal skill to communicate best with the patients. • A background in psychology and social science also helps the candidates in doing a course in physiotherapy as the subjects are taught during the course in detail.
The candidate must clear 10+2 or must have equivalent qualification with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks in physics, chemistry and biology provided the candidate has passed in each subject separately. The candidate will have to appear for the common entrance test as the admission is based on the CET scores. The candidate must be 17 years of age.
An Overview
India’s job market faces a dearth of physiotherapist and it can be easily attributed to the fact that there is not much awareness about the scope and prospects of the profession. Moreover, lack of infrastructural advantages to offer quality education in physiotherapy has also been a challenge for a long time but the situation has drastically changed with positive results being witnessed at present. There has always been a demand for the profession and now with enhanced facility available, together with other scopes and opportunities, the profession has become even more promising.
Job Types Therapy Manager Researcher Sports Physio Facilitator
The candidate must be 10+2 passed and have a aggregate of 50% marks in PCB The candidate will have to appear for the common entrance test The candidate must be 17 years of age
DURATION:
years
Will have to appear for the entrance examination
DURATION:
Hospitals
(Graduate Level)
4½
Degree Programme
Some of the study related subjects and specialization for the post-graduate level Neurology Sports Orthopaedics Cardio respiratory
These are few of the specialisation subjects and these may vary from institute to institute.
Obstetric and Gynaecology Community Physiotherapy and more
Benefits of the Course A career in physiotherapy is quite challenging but is profitable and has good future prospects as well. Moreover, a degree in physiotherapy helps the candidate to qualify to perform physical examination and conduct assessments to detect a diagnosis process. In order to treat dysfunction, other ailments and for monitoring of treatment, they select appropriate physical therapy methods. A successful Physiotherapist uses various therapeutic intervention techniques to treat a patient in the best possible manner.
Some of the Top Colleges Amity School of Physiotherapy, NOIDA School of Physiotherapy, S S G Hospital, Gujarat Apollo College of Physiotherapy, Hyderabad National Institute of Physiotherapy & Communication Disorders, Patna Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped, Delhi Amar Jyoti Institute of Physiotherapy, Delhi Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad
Private Practicing Physiotherapist
Indian Institute of Health Education & Research, Patna
Faculty
Patna Medical College, Patna
Osteopath Chief Physiotherapist and many more
13
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Classifieds
JOBS
TO LET
PROPERTY
Industrial Shed on Rent at Sonapur. For details Contact: 9706089000
Booking open for comfortable n luxury flat at last gate, beltola. For Details
Position open for Digital Marketing Executive. Must have understanding of Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation and other web applications. Qualification no bar. Experience must. Contact 9706007487 immediately.
Commercial Space available on rent at G.S.Road near Down Town Hospital. For details Contact - 9864015168
1.5 Katha Miadipatta land at Lokhra Hillside with boundary walls(3 sides)
Brand Servicing Executives for a leading Advertising Agency based out of Guwahati. Candidates having experience in advertising, media, mass communication with great communication skills may apply. Contact 8486002313 or send your CV to namita.das@insightbrandcom.com
For all your commercial/ Residential/ Warehousing/ Industrial Real Estate requirements in North East India,
Vacancy for a Female Assistant at a showroom in Six Mile. Applicants need to have computer knowledge and prior experience at a showroom dealing in ladies garments/ items. CONTACT: 099540 11444
Office space available on rent at Six Mile(G.S Road).
Contact - 9706042727, 9864094414 Available 400 sq. ft. furnished office space on 5th floor, G.S.Tower, Chatribari.
Contact : 8011055100
Available for rent approx. 800 sq. ft. Godown space in Chattribari, partly tinshed with good height. Contact: 98641 59713 Lease/Rent for factory/ godown, 40,000 sq.ft. and 50,000 sq.ft. in same premises at Industrial Area.
Contact : 9706093377
Warehouse available
at Brahmaputra Industrial Park (Amingaon) Guwahati 30000 sq ft with guard room and quarter.
Contact- 9707026095.
Brand new 3BHK flat at Subham Heights, Kahilipara Road, near Ganeshguri available for immediate rent. Contact 9706000999.
SALE/ PURCHASE For sale/ purchase of any type of land.
Contact Gopal Das 98590 73263 OFFICE SPACE REQUIRED An established business organisation is looking for a furnished office space on GS Road on long term lease. Minimum 2000 sqft. Maximum 3500 sq.ft. Contact immediately on 9706089034.
Contact - 84862 79695, 9435044575 Contact Vijay Bagri 98641-59713
Contact Aspire Realtors, +918720909000 RENT
New Building at Chatribari. Completion time 1 year. Ground Floor 1500 sq.ft. can be taken in part - 400, 300 and 250 sq.ft. First Floor 3000 sq.ft. for banks/ corporates etc. CONTACT 8011055100
Vacancy for an Accountant in a commercial house. Applicants need to have computer knowledge along with experience in ST/ IT returns filing. CONTACT: 098640 71704 Position open for 5 nos. young dynamic graduates for an upcoming retail chain in Guwahati for Direct Sales assignments. Candidates must be fluent in English, Assamese and Hindi (spoken) and must have ability to persuade. Salary would be the best in industry. Freshers as well as experienced candidates may send their latest profile to pinki3232@gmail.com or
call 9854429974 for details.
VEHICLES Tata DI 207. Running Condition. Make 1999 model for immediate sale.
Contact: 98641 06687 OTHERS
Theme studio brings wide range of baby birth announcement trays n boxes, wedding trays, envelopes n theme party decor. For details
contact – 9864050056, 9706089039
PUJA OFFER Calm n Cozy, Loreal professional ladies n kids salon, Straightening + haircut @ Rs 2499 Haircut + Hair spa + Face clean up @ Rs 999 Hair spa @ Rs 499 Address - Gani building, 1st floor, near rly gate no 4, MS road, Machkhowa
Ph - 7896618507, 9864802203
Book your classifieds For bookings, contact +91 84860 02303, +91 84860 02304,+91361 2737737 or email us at : info@insightbrandcom.com
* Booking will be accepted subject to availability of space ** Open for jobs, rental and buy/sale of property
14
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Space
THE SICK BUILDING SYNDROME PRATIK DHAR
T
he term ‘sick building syndrome’ (SBS) is the situation in which the building occupants experience some critical health issues that tend to harm their comfort and which seems to have a connection to the time spent in the building, but with no specific sickness or cause being detected. The complaints may be confined to a particular area, which may be a room or a small section, or again may be widespread throughout the building. As the city population is in an ever growing stage, with more and constructions coming up, building technologies that help in establishing small climatecontrolled environments in offices, manufacturing units and residential areas are required to improve comfort and safety factors and create satisfactory surroundings. The symptoms begin a short time after a person enters a building and disappears within a few hours after leaving it. Overcrowding of indoor spaces and poorly maintained ventilation systems potentially increases the risk. Infections caused by microorganisms that multiply within the air-conditioning ducts or blocked filters may be hazardous for health. Moreover, irritation and allergic diseases like asthma and rhinitis are caused mainly due to inadequate ventilation and inappropriate indoor use of space. Such allergy prone diseases are caused by allergens which are particularly high in air-conditioned buildings. Generally, buildings may have complaints related to indoor air quality (IAQ). However, often this condition is temporary but some buildings have long-term problems. The indoor air problems are also a result of poor architectural design and maintenance or due to occupant activities.
THE INDICATORS
> Building occupants are exposed to symptoms associated with acute discomfort such as headaches, irritations in eyes, nose and throat, dry cough, dizziness and nausea. > Most of the occupants get relief soon after leaving the building. > Building occupants also shows the symptoms of cough, chest tightness and chills.
THE CAUSES
• The diminishing outdoor air ventilation rates are insufficient to maintain the health and comfort of building occupants. Inadequate ventilation may also take place if heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems do not properly distribute the air to people in the building. • Bacteria, moulds, pollen, and viruses are the biological contaminants. These contaminants starts breeding in stagnant water that has been retained in ducts, humidifiers and parapets or the water accumulating ceiling tiles, shades and other water retaining areas.
• The outdoor air that enters a building can become the source of indoor air pollution. For example, pollutants from motor vehicle exhausts, building exhausts particularly from bathrooms and kitchens etc can enter the building through poorly located air intake vents, windows and other openings. • Most indoor air pollution comes from sources inside the building. Adhesives, carpeting, manufactured wood products, pesticides and cleaning agents may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde.
THE EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS • Removal of pollutant source is an effective procedure in resolving an IAQ problem when sources are known and controlling them is possible. This may include routine maintenance of HVAC systems, periodic cleaning or replacement of filters, replacement of water-stained ceiling tile and carpeting, installation of smoking restriction devices, venting contaminant source emissions to outside, storage and use of paints, adhesives, solvents, and pesticides in well ventilated areas and use of these pollutant sources during period when the building is unoccupied.
Symptoms related with SBS Causes of Sick Building Syndrome
There are many causes of SBS which are important to know and these being
The main and foremost reason is not having proper ventilation in the building Lack of cleanliness in the building Due to air borne pollutants, dust etc leading to SBS Changing of the room temperature during the entire day Working with different types of display screens for very long time regularly Use of improper cleaning chemicals as cleaning agents which are harmful
• Increasing ventilation rates and air distribution can become a cost effective means of reducing indoor pollutant levels. HVAC systems should be designed at a minimum to meet the desired ventilation standards in buildings. • Air cleaning can be a useful and additional step to take care of poor ventilation system. There are particle control devices such as the typical furnace filter which are inexpensive, high performance air filters that capture the smaller particles and relatively expensive, Mechanical filters and other filters having adsorbent
Resident of building mainly complains regarding the following types of problems
Irritation in Skin Irritation in Nose, Eyes and Throat Problem in breathing Loss of appetite Feeling weak Vertigo Loss of concentration Headache
beds that removes some specific gaseous pollutants, and which can be expensive and require frequent replacement of the adsorbent material. • Education is an important element for both remedial and preventive measures for managing proper indoor air quality standard. When the building occupants and its maintenance personnel properly communicate and understand the causes and consequences of IAQ problems, they can work more effectively together to prevent the problems from occurring and to solve them if such problem arise.
SBS Therapy Banning of smoking Improve ventilation with ensuring pollution not entering through the air intakes Seal vinyl, insulation panels and other similar zones to prevent vaporisation Periodically cleaning the air conditioning filters and water tanks Increase air flow near printers, photocopiers and other machineries Keeping the air conditioning ducts clear Removing the partitions as much as possible to increase the airflow Extensive renovations may be required for success
15
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Fashion
R
ings are the foremost piece of trinkets and are considered the kingpins of wedding jewellery because it symbolises the knot being tied by the bonding of two people. Therefore, it is important to choose the right ones. Gold, Diamond, Platinum rings have always been the buzz of weddings. There is a variety of wedding rings to choose from.
1) Gold is never old!
A sleek gold ring with a diamond on top is the simplest and the classiest of all. While it is for the brideto-be, it is kept sleek and pretty. For the groom-to-be, it is kept thick and bold. The size of the rings symbolise the femininity and the masculinity as we know.
2) Dazzling diamonds.
They say, diamonds are a girl’s best friend. So, when it’s time to slide the pretty thing onto her finger, keep it sleek and simple with only the prettiness of the gem highlighted. Diamonds look prettier in silver! Also, when the ring is studded all around with stones carved on it, the more the merrier!
3) Pearly whites
Pearl is quite underrated when compared to others. However, pearl is beautifully presented on rings with different designs to highlight its uniqueness. Pearl in gold designer rings, or in silver diamond-studded rings look divine!
4) Platinum treat
Platinum bands are seen nowadays to be in trend. Platinum can be a delight when studded around in a silver or gold ring.
in vogue
Kundan jewellery has become the talk of weddings these days. This year the Indian International Jewellery Week (IIJW) 2013 Delhi too saw some brilliant work on Kundan jewellery when the top models and actresses of B-town stormed the ramp flaunting the royalty of Kundan jewellery.
‘Oxomiya gohona’ is unique and also, a trendsetter. While at most times, one gets to see so many different sets and designs of jewellery, Assamese jewellery stands perfect to adorn the bride. Many jewellery designers from Assam have carved out a niche for themselves in highlighting the beauty of Assamese jewellery. “Assamese jewellery is our tradition and it doesn’t matter what different kinds of jewellery a bride wears. An Assamese bride has atleast one set of Assamese jewellery for her wedding”, says jewellery designer Lakhimi Baruah Bhuyan. Assamese jewellery like Junbiri, Luka Paro etc. are an Assamese bride’s prized possessions. Moreover, it is craved by people who visit Assam or wear the traditional attire of Assam. Egyptian- Indian bridal collection 2013 saw some unique combinations of Indian jewellery designs conflated with Egyptian designs to adorn the bridal attire. With so much of a cultural assimilation, designers let their creativity find inspiration from exotic traditions and use them to mould their own traditions adding a new dimension to their creation. “Fusion jewellery, mix-match of colourful gem pearls with white and gold, Indian weddings are topping the charts in gold ‘polki’ and ‘kundan’ in antique matte finish jewel. Vintage jewellery has made a big comeback. Diamonds are forever, but what’s emerging in markets are chokers in diamonds. Silhouette brooches, classic rings and wedding chokers are seen in almost all bridal ramp shows. Pearl will definitely
Jewellery has just moved into the spotlight as the wedding season is here. We decided to choose some trends and tips just to make things easier for you.
wedding shopping
GARGEE BARUAH
There’s excitement in the air and the wedding lays ringing in the ears with all the hopping and leaping. This is one gala time of life and you want to keep it the prettiest! G Plus gives you the right directions to head to:
look hot in the coming season,” says Pragya Garg, a NIFT Kolkata student.
Tanishq 154, The Cube, Christian Basti, G S Road Call: (0361) 2347000 D T Towers, Near Downtown Hospital, G S Road Call: (0361) 2229091
the fairytale wedding
When it’s time to raise a toast, it’s time to steal the limelight! Shyashree Saikia, former Miss Tilottama runner- up said that she would want to flaunt a diamond or a platinum set studded with sapphire that she had recently seen in a jewellery store. Piyashi Bhattacharyya, an engineer in her twenties said that she would go for antique gold in her wedding. She would flaunt an antique beaded long-multithreaded gold neck piece with her attire. Trishneela Barkakati (danseuse), bride-to-be said that she has a whole range of Assamese jewellery in gold to wear on her wedding day and at the reception ceremony.
Writer’s picks for this wedding season
Colourful gemstones never disappoint and since it is so much in trend, go colourful this season!
Red and green gemstones in a thick and long, beaded gold necklace. Purple stone-studded or amethyst studded diamond necklace with the purple stones being at the centre and the rest of the necklace studded with diamonds. A pair of thick gold bangles studded with small stones of sapphires and diamonds placed parallel towards the sides of the bangle leaving the mid-portion in gold. Your mehndi adorned hands sure do not need any more bangles for the wedding day!
Manik Chand Jewellers KC Road, Fancy Bazar Call: (0361) 2547454 Christian Basti, G S Road Call: (0361) 2343186 Shopper Point Market, 1st Floor, Shop No 2468, Hem Barua Road, Fancy Bazar, GPO Call: (0361) 2542767 Sohum Shopee Mega Plaza, Christian Basti, G S Road Call: (0361) 2340326 Tansukhrai Ratan Lal Jewellers Ananda Nagar, G S Road, Call: (0361) 2343701 Near J N Road, Bhangagarh Old Post Office, Bhangagarh Call: (0361) 2637930 L. Gopal Jewellers News live Building, Christian Basti, G S Road Call: (0361) 2345000 Kuber A C Market, Near Sikh Temple, H B Road, Fancy Bazar Call: (0361) 2548109 9-11-14, A.C Market, H.b. Road, Fancy Bazar, Fancy Bazar Call: (0361) 2730431
16
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Life
PRE-MARITAL SEX & MARRIED LIFE RAHUL CHANDA
G
uwahati, as other metro cities in India, has people from almost all races, religions and castes. The lifestyle also has speeded up and the cultural taboos are getting extinct gradually. However, still there are some people who hold certain principles and ideologies dear, which they are proud of, for example believing that sex, should happen only after marriage. The belief however can vary from person to person. However, is premarital sex an unhealthy decision for a healthy married life. STDs and pregnancy can be the least of your worries when you take sex outside of marriage. One of the main problems with the media (movies, TV, music, etc.) and the “safe sex” message is that sex is perceived merely as a physical act. Sex always affects the heart, mind and soul as well.But, as people claim that it is a straightforward world where they live in and expect others too to be straight forward, is it easy to share the truth about premarital sex with your spouse.
Virginity and the importance
According to the Chief Clinical Psychologist of GNRC, Nimi Borgohain, people have a fast lifestyle these days and this has changed quite a lot compared to the yesteryears. She said, “The awareness level about marital conflicts is very low in Assam and the importance of pre-marital and marital counselling is less. A female can be a non-virgin for various reasons. But comparing it only with pre-marital sex is not justified; therefore, the importance of marital and pre-marital counselling is a must.” As for the reasons of conflict even after people disclose their past to their spouses, she explained, “I have patients who come for counselling for marriage related conflicts but not exactly for virginity issues. But, no matter how frank or straightforward one acts to be, the truth is that these secrets does take a toll on the marriage. Ultimately the conflict arises if the past is not clean because we are still in a society where talking about these issues is a taboo. One class of people may
accept it, but the other might have an issue. So, it is still not so okay to talk about and people should take decisions maturely.”
Ghosts in marriage
A 28-year-old married woman said in anonymity, “I am married now but before my marriage I had an affair and was very intimate. I certainly thought that time that I would get married to my boyfriend which did not happen because of various reasons. My present husband knows about the relationship I had but thinks I was not intimate with him. I feel guilty and don’t know how to share this with my husband. Sometimes while making love I do remember my ex and feel bad about doing it. I realise now that it is stupid to get physically close with someone before marriage.” When a person engages in physical relationships before they get married, these sexual experiences become a part of his or her marriage as well — because you share your soul with each sexual partner, whether you intend to or not. Comparisons to lovers of the past can undermine the intimacy of a marriage and can make a couple feel as though others contribute to their private sharing of intercourse. Perhaps you’ve compared yourself to a boyfriend or girlfriend’s exes, wondering if you are as attractive, or as smart, or as fun to spend time with. Can you imagine how much more painful those comparisons would be if you knew their previous relationships were sexual? Now can you imagine how difficult it would be to live with those sexual comparisons for the rest of your life? It’s a much happier, healthier marriage when a couple learns to navigate sexual experiences together, without the ghosts of past relationships haunting them.
Thoughtful thought
A 24-year-old unmarried woman said, “I don’t expect that I husband will be a virgin, as these days it is very easy for people to get involved physically. But, as a female I don’t want to indulge in such relationship because
I am scared that in Indian tradition and culture if my husband, after marriage comes to know that I am a non-virgin, there might be a conflict. So, it’s just the fear because of which I won’t do it or else I am fine with such relationships if one is matured enough to understand what is right and what is wrong. The age also matters and people should be adults to be sexually active.” It is rare and a socially unacceptable issue to talk about it, but the fact is that people do face problems with their spouses regarding such issues. However, it is the trust factor, which revolves around the pre-marital sex issue as the partners trust each other and feel they can be together in future. It does not work out every time and people are left with some memories, which they cannot even share with others. Let the coming generation decide, is it morally correct to be involved in pre-marital sex and its effect on married life.
ELLA DIABLO your standpoint, I do understand that the idea of being initiated by an experienced older woman is so very exciting, but dude, hope you understand that the Indian society does not approve of incest. Do weigh the pros and cons carefully. In the meantime, happy kissing & touching!
I answer all your questions on life, love and sex
I am 27 and most of my friends are either married or in stable relationships. I am seriously trying to find a guy who is a good match and is worth sharing my life with. I need to know whether is it ethical to date multiple guys at the same time before finalizing on one. Or should I behave exclusive and old fashioned and date one at a time. Please advise. -Niharika
Hi Ella. For a couple of months now, my cousin’s wife and I have been flirting. We have been kissing passionately and have feeling for each other, but recently she asked me to make out with her. I haven’t answered her yet because kissing and touching is different from sex, I have no past experience either. I am really tempted. What should I do? -Jayanta Well honestly, what’s with “bhabis” these days? Aren’t their husbands’ men enough in between the sheets or is it novelty that they seek. Anyways, from
Of course baby, it is completely okay to juggle multiple men at once. Not only it is practical but more-so ever fun too. And screw the ethical bit, it is your time to exercise the power of choice, and just do that. But play by the rules girl, coz multi-dating requires serious amount of time and ego management skills. So if you are in the game, go for the hunt. Power to you!
If you have any queries for ELLA DIABLO, mail it to diablo@g-plus.in
17
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Events Photos: Hiranya Jyoti Das
Music For Peace Date: Oct 20, 2013 Venue: AEI Ground, Chandmari
Photos: Pratik Dhar
Zubeen Garg performing at the concert
Actor Kapil Bora
Ashutosh Agnihotri, DC, Kamrup (M) handing over the volunteer kit for carrying out search and rescue operation during the time of disaster
boutiques of india
Date: OCT 19, 2013 Venue: Conference hall, DC office, Kamrup (M)
WEDDING & LIFESTYLE EXHIBITION Date: Oct 21 - 22, 2013 Venue: HOTEL MILLENIUM, ATHGAON
Alcheringa 2014 When it comes to college fests, recent updates were rather ho-hum in the NorthEastern sphere of the country with absolutely no news from their giant – Alcheringa, The annual cultural festival of IIT Guwahati. With its existence slowly fading into oblivion, questions were being raised whether the city would get to witness this cultural extravaganza. All that smoke and dust was immediately blown away last week as the students of IIT Guwahati launched a teaser video on youtube via Alcheringa’s facebook page that gave a sense of much needed confirmation to everyone while also releasing the theme for its 18th incarnation. The teaser displays boldly “Alcheringa : Atlantis” written in ancient text with the dates “ 30th January – 2nd February” 2014. It also ends with the statement “Keep Calm – We are back”, probably a nod to all those flying rumours.
NEXT DATE
7 DAYS VENUE
EVENT
25th Oct-12th Nov
Maniram Dewan Trade Centre
13th International Leo Expo
26 Oct
Club DMD
Dj Tinu Arora
th
26 Oct
Terra Mayaa
Ambivalent
27th Oct
Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok
Kingfisher Guwahati Beer Fest
27th Oct
Ginger Hotel
Submerge Big WKND
27th Oct
ITA Machkhowa
J D Institute Diwali Exibition
27 Oct
Sonaram Field
Diwali Mela 2013
30th Oct
Guwahati Medical College
Blood Donation
1 Nov
Don Bosco Field
Diwali Fest 2013
th
th
st
WANT YOUR EVENT TO BE FEATURED ON THIS PAGE? Just mail us at info@g-plus.in
18
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Web Watch
Instagram comes to Windows Phone
W
indows Phone is finally getting an official Instagram client. After months of pressure from Nokia, Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom confirmed today that an official client will be made available to Windows Phone users shortly. “Our ultimate goal is to bring Instagram to everyone who wants to use it,” says Systrom. “We’re looking forward to watching the Windows Phone community use Instagram to capture and share beautiful moments in the coming weeks.” The app closes a big hole in the Windows Phone ecosystem, allowing owners to use an officially supported Instagram client. Nokia and Instagram aren’t detailing all of the app’s features today, merely confirming it’s planned in the coming weeks. 6tag, an unofficial Windows Phone app, recently launched for Windows Phone with full support for photo filters and video uploads. The app has been continually updated, and most recently gained a collage option that’s not found in the official Instagram clients for iOS and Android. While an official app is welcomed, it’s possible that third-party alternatives may still offer a better experience for Instagram on Windows Phone.
Mobile recruiting app to make job search via resumes history!
A
launches uProxy
G
oogle revealed Uproxy, a service that aims to change the way people around the globe use the internet. A browser extension for Chrome and Firefox, uProxy can bypass restrictive firewalls that hinder users from accessing vital (and trivial) information online by creating peer-to-peer connections. If someone from a country with limited internet access installs uProxy, they can get a friend from the US to authorize them to surf the open web using their connection. The service has yet to launch, but its creators, the University of Washington and Brave New Software, have opened a restricted beta for select, technically make users to make it as “secure, private, and robust” as possible. If you know anyone who could benefit from uProxy, especially in times of need, direct them to the source link below for the sign-up page.
New York City-based tech startup has reportedly developed an app which makes recruiting possible without the need of the old-school job hunt using resumes. The Apploi app had been launched five months ago, and lets job seekers showcase their personalities and interact with prospective employers. According to the New York Daily News, the app has already signed up 185 employers including the United Nations which is aiming to help recruit its talent globally and will soon install Apploi iPad kiosks in ten locations around NYC, including Harlem, Wall Street and at UN headquarters.
LinkedIn launches ‘Intro’ tool that shares career information on iPhone emails LinkedIn has reportedly launched a new tool that shows professional information of users in emails being read on iPhones. The ‘Intro’ tool shares users’ LinkedIn details so that the recipient can learn more about the sender’s career-related information. According to CBS News, the information shared will be based on the privacy or visibility settings of the email sender, unless they grant broader access to the recipient via connection on the service. The feature works with Gmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL Mail and Apple Inc’s iCloud when any of them are plugged into the iPhone’s built-in email app.
G
oogle is reportedly speculated to launch a music subscription service for YouTube before the year’s end. The service is rumoured to be a lot like Spotify, but will be inclusive of videos, and like Pandora, will have both a free version and a paid premium version, allowing users unlimited access to albums and artists. According to Cnet, it is speculated that the users opting for unlimited access will also get ad-free music along with offline storage. Earlier, it was rumoured that the search giant was planning to launch the same service this past summer. The service is expected to cost users about 10 dollars per month and will be compatible with many of Google’s other products and services, such as Google Glass.
BBM on Android and iPhone
B
lackBerry recently introduced its messenger service, BBM, for third-party platforms and it has been reportedly an instant hit with over 10 million people who have downloaded the service. The sinking smartphone maker revealed that in just 24 hours BBM has been downloaded over 10 million times by Android and iPhone users, one of the best single-day openings for a mobile app to date.
19
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Ward Watch
FOUR MONTHS AFTER Ward No.
PRATIK DHAR
21
31,900 25,500
Total Population Total Voter
I
t has been four months now since the results of Guwahati Municipal Corporation election were declared. Immediately after the oath taking ceremony in the month of July, the Councilors and Area Sabha Members of many wards had to face the dengue menace. In spite of all the turmoil, the GMC claims to have controlled the looming situation with their best effort. Amidst all these, some of the residents are still not happy with the type of developmental works going on in their respective wards while others are quite content with the developments they are seeing around them. In an effort to know about the current progress status of the 31 municipal wards, G-PLUS moves ahead with its own investigation starting with ward no. 21.
Residents’ view Makhan Neog, Senior Citizen The condition is undoubtedly deteriorating without any sign of improvement. Perhaps the planning starts with full cogency but with a poor execution strategy. There is some portion of the ward which does not have the necessary lighting facility till now. Also, some repairing works have been done on and near the main roads but rarely in any bye-lanes and sub-byelanes. Moreover, the Mother Teresa Road is a wide road but the GMDA
approx.
approx.
water pipe connection project has totally ruined it because of poor planning. Again, during the last heavy downpour, the drains were all filled up as silt deposition was a major cause of the problem on Mother Teresa Road. Today, there are more or less, ten big residential complexes at Hatigarh Chariali and its nearby vicinities, but do they have the proper sewage and garbage disposal system?
Nikunja Das, Senior Citizen In my locality, two of the street lights out of seven has been already repaired with a promise that the rest will be repaired as well. Though, the constructions of drains have not been completed till now but the work is going on. Presently, the major problem that needs to be solved is the garbage collection system. Though, garbage collecting personnel comes to collect the disposed garbage but they are not regular. Moreover, if possible then fogging should be done at least once a week as a preventive measure for dengue. But apart from that, I have seen certain changes because as I said earlier, our Area Sabha member immediately repaired two of the existing street lights, she also took initiative in helping to fill up the ration card forms for new candidates, also helped in receiving old age pension and one time grant for widows.
Are the wards really working towards keeping their promises? Area Sabha – 21 A Nandini Bhuyan, Housewife The artificial flood is a major problem in R. G. Baruah Road as the condition becomes really pathetic. My post election expectation is only that something must be done regarding the flood and the garbage disposal system. The GMC dustbin near Tanz supermarket is in a poor condition as the fowl smell from it is just unbearable. Moreover, the garbage collectors should also come regularly otherwise people start disposing their garbage on drains and pavements as a result of which the drains get blocked and become the source for many infectious diseases. Since the winter is about to arrive, now it is the time to complete most of the repairing and renovation work or else the condition would become the same in the coming monsoon. Also, after the death of two people they started the fogging drive which after sometime became irregular.
WHAT THEY SAY Kabita Sarmah, Area Sabha Member Ward no. 21(C) According to GMC, a six months time has been set to repair and replace the existing lights and make them function in whole of Guwahati. But, if we talk about this ward then most of the lighting works are on
Ward No. – 21 Area included
Chandmari area (part) Milanpur (part) Krishna Nagar (part) Barnachal Madhuban Nagar Akashi Nagar Bhaskar Nagar Narikal Basti area Ambikagiri (part) Nabin Nagar (part) the verge of completion. Ambikagiri Nagar, Seuji Ali, Chitraban Path, Prasanta Path, Karbi Path are some of the locations where the repairing and replacement of lighting works are about to get over. Immediately, after the oath taking ceremony, we got involved to fight against the dengue terror and we started the fogging drive. Also, with the help of a medical team, we were able to disinfect and medicate the mosquito nets of most households immediately and organised a well number of dengue awareness camps. We also distributed LLIN nets, Regarding garbage and their collecting agent RAMKY, people are not at all satisfied and in fact we too are not happy with their performance as they are not putting the required effort in their job. In addition to that people as well must become responsible by just not throwing their garbage on streets and drains. GMC will soon provide with more dustbins but also at the same time demand people’s support. Apart from that, we are also ensuring that people get the benefits of the Food Security Bill along with the old age pensions and one time grant for the widows.
Sasanka Jyoti Deka, Councilor, Ward no. 21
Cleaning of Neelam Path
We have cleaned almost all the areas from near Commerce College to Geeta Mandir. However there are few zones which are hilly and where the cleaning is still to be done because
Area included - Barnachal, Akashi Nagar, Milanpur Pt, Bamunimaidan, Bhaskar Nagar, Hatigarh Hillside.
Area Sabha – 21 B
Area included - Zoo Narengi Rd, Hatigarh, Geeta Nagar (Pt), Narikalbasti, Ambikagiri (Pt).
Area Sabha – 21 C Area included - RGB (both sides from Chandmari upto Jana Path).
of the tough locations. Presently, we are cleaning the Neelam Path near Hatigarh Chariali and it will take around four days to complete the work. Now there are certain problems that are acting as obstacles for us like the non used Gammon water project pipes which are still lying in most of the roadside areas, making it difficult for us to take ahead the cleaning drive. In such circumstances departmental coordination is required to tackle the situation. In Neelam Path, the force of the water, supplied by the Assam Water Supply and Sewage Board is very less, so, we have called the engineer to examine the cause and rectify the problem. The works related to repairing of lights are almost complete in all 21 (a), (b) and (c) with most of the work being done in (b). Though the amount of the budget is still not known but once we get the money we will start putting up the new lights as well. We have also carried out regular fogging drive in both 21(a) and 21(b) along with 21(c). But since two dengue patients died in 21(c), we took additional preventive measures in that zone. GMC is also planning to take responsibility of garbage collection as it is not happy with RAMKY’s performance. During this last week we have surveyed and covered around 300 houses to check for dengue germs. So, in such circumstance people also have to be responsible and do their part by not storing water in any abandoned reservoirs.
20
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Fun
Your weekly dose of
TIMEPASS
SUDOKU
HOROSCOPE
TAURUS On Monday you wake up with a lot of energy — at last! Now get out into the world! Meet strangers and make plans and look fabulous! No one is more ready for romance than you are. Unfortunately, on Thursday, you’re going to have no time to think about your love life, what with all the stuff you have going on at work. But this weekend, you’ll go to a party with some friends (and if you don’t have a party to go to this weekend, start looking for one now) and you’ll have an unbelievably good time. Plus, you might meet someone.
GEMINI Last week was last week. This week’s totally different. Suddenly you feel like you’re in a kind of magical maze, full of strange obstacles and weird messages along the way. Stick to your intuition and pay no heed to anything that tries to convince you to steer off the main path. By midweek, you’ll have found the doorway out into the real world again, and you’ll be so relieved to be back in familiar territory. Toward the end of the week, you’re going to spend a lot of time chatting with friends and you’re going to start thinking hard about future plans.
CANCER Someone you know is in the mood to throw a dinner party, but they’re just a little shy about initiating it on Monday. Tell them that you’ll be in charge of the guest list. You like to bring people together and it’s one of the many things you’re quite good at. Sure, it’s kind of crazy to throw a little get-together at the last minute, but this whole week is going to be about spontaneity. More and more you find yourself breaking out of the shell that has been holding you back lately, and the new you feels so good. This weekend, be assertive. Go after what you want .
LEO
It’s Monday and your career is on top of the list. Lately you’ve been having trouble with the boss, but by midweek you find a way to deal with the situation. In any case, it’s just work, and it will all blow over soon enough. And even though your week will start off haltingly, the second half of the week will more than make up for the first. Thursday and Friday you’ll be surrounded by friends, and the weekend will be relaxing and warm.
VIRGO Travel has been on the back of your mind lately, but suddenly it’s all you can think about on Monday. The idea of going somewhere faraway is intensely appealing, and it would be good for you in ways you couldn’t possibly realize. Even if you don’t have the resources to plan a major trip right now, plan a minor one, possibly for midweek or week’s end. Plan a trip to another town nearby for dinner. Be inventive. This week is all about meeting new people and doing new things. The more of that kind of stuff you do, the better, especially over the weekend. People love having you around.
LIBRA The world is a beautiful place, especially at the week’s outset. Even in winter, nature has a way of putting its best foot forward. There’s just something in the air, some signal from the physical world that you should pay attention to all the life that’s going on around you, especially midweek. In general, you will sail through your days in a kind of magic cloud of energy. It’ll be fun, but when the weekend rolls around, you’ll feel a little limp from all that high feeling. Take a day or two at home to rest and recharge.
SCORPIO The important thing in any relationship — romantic or otherwise — is to remain open-minded, especially on Monday. It’s crucial to remember that you’re both in this together, and that for it to work out you both need to be getting something out of it. And that, of course, requires compromise. (You know all this. But sometimes revisiting the basics can be helpful.) Midweek, someone is going to try to get you to agree to a business deal that just seems shaky — and it is — and over the weekend you’re going to be so relieved you didn’t go for it. A lot of good stuff is coming your way.
SAGITTARIUS Monday is all about the small things. In fact, the next couple days are going to be all about the small things. As you well know, sometimes it’s the little stuff that matters most in the end. You have your eye on the big picture, and you know every step it’s going to take to get there. By week’s end, though, everyone else around you wants to stand around and talk about their ideas. That’s perfectly valid, but it’s also a tad frustrating. If you find yourself the solo sailor of the ship over the weekend, don’t let it get you down. People are standing by to help you.
CAPRICORN The intersection between fun and romance is a great place to be on Monday. You always knew you wanted to fall for someone who knew how to have a good time, but you never knew exactly how good it would feel. Let this special person know just what you’re thinking by midweek. Communication is a central theme, especially toward the end of the week. For too long you’ve bitten your tongue around a certain flighty friend, and you just don’t have time for that any more. Thankfully, over the weekend you’ll find yourself surrounded by people who really know how to connect with others.
AQUARIUS It’s funny when you randomly start thinking about your relatives for no particular reason. Your family life is certainly interesting, and there is a lot to learn from what your parents and your parents’ parents have been through, especially at the start of the week. The more you discover about them, the more you find you have in common with them — even with those relatives you never met. But expect all that to slip your mind instantly later in the week: A sizzling affair on Thursday or Friday completely rocks your world. You’ll have to take the weekend to figure out what this new development means.
PISCES On Monday or Tuesday, you may want to cancel whatever dinner plans you have, stay at home and make something for yourself. It may sound like a small thing, but that kind of attention to yourself and your house is crucial during times like these. Toward midweek, expect the pressures at work or in the family — whatever it is that currently has you tearing your hair out — to achieve a kind of frenzied pitch. It’s going to be exhausting, but you will survive it like a champ. This weekend, blissfully, you’ll be completely distracted by romance.
Solutions (Last Issue)
ARIES All you will be able to think about at the beginning of the week is your financial situation — how much cash do you have on hand, how much stuff you have around the house that could be easily liquidated — but you really don’t have to get so drastic about it. Just stay the course and don’t spend much money this week and you should be fine. Perseverance is a major theme for you right now, and it is an important thing to keep in mind when it comes to your family, too (even when things get tense and emotional, as they might this weekend).
JUST FOR LAUGHs For thirty years, Officer Johnson had arrived at the police station at 9 AM on the dot ready for duty. He had never missed a day and was never late. Consequently, when on one particular day 9 AM passed without Johnson’s arrival in the briefing room, it caused a major sensation. All announcements and patrol assignments ceased and the sergeant himself, looking at his watch and muttering, stormed out into the corridor. Finally, precisely at ten, Johnson showed up, his uniform dusty and torn, his nametag missing, his face scratched and bruised, his shield bent. He limped painfully to the time clock, punched in, and said, aware that all eyes were upon him, “I tripped and rolled down
21
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Travel Butterfly Beach, Goa
The butterfly beach in Goa is a secluded wonderful beach surrounded by green mountains near Palolem. The isolation is a blessing in disguise as the island offers visitors a solitary charm and the thrills of any other Goan beach sans the overcrowded stretches of shorelines. The dolphins are extra acrobatic in the waters surrounding the island. Low tides create a vast canvas on the beach which is painted by the footsteps of crabs and goldfishes. With this you might find something what you are really looking for.
Where’s the bull’s party? G Plus feature
W
ith the start of autumn, many young bachelor Guwahatians are also preparing to get married to their partners, chosen by them or by their parents. Meanwhile, for most men, the dreaded word, the big M, is Marriage. From doubts, panic to cold feet, there is a lot of uneasy emotions attached to the notion of getting married.If you remember ZoyaAkhtar’s Bollywood flick ZindagiMilegi Na Dobara, before getting married guys need to get prepared for it. Though the biggest perk for a man in all the wedding planning fiasco is the one time he gets to really hang loose, let his hair down and enjoy his time with the boys, and that can only happen at the bachelor party (also known as bull’s part or stags party in some countries)!Gone are the days where you just called your friends and went out for a quick round of drinks and they hazed/teased you a bit with corny jokes about getting married. Nowadays, it’s all about the party. In fact it’s all about the destinations, and here are some destinations in India where you can feel free before you get destroyed.
Pondicherry
Beautiful beaches, gardens and old churches is what makes Pondicherry a hit among the tourists. Known for its vibrant and cosmopolitan crowd, not many know that Pondicherry is alive and kicking in the night. A number of party animals from Chennai and Bangalore love spending the night here as this place can easily be reached from these two destinations. Lower taxation on alcoholic beverages is the main thing that attracts party lovers to Pondicherry. So, a budget party place is something which people anxiously hunt for these days. This is an awesome place for a stag’s night.
Khandala
Khandala is located at one (top) end of the BhorGhat, a major ghat (meaning valley in Marathi) on the road link between the Deccan Plateau and theKonkan plain. The ghat carries an extensive amount of road and rail traffic. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the main link between the major cities of Mumbai and Pune, passes through Khandala. The town was mentioned in a popular song from the Hindi film Ghulam named “AatikyaKhandala?” (“Will you come to Khandala?”).Not only for its scenic beauty, but because of the beautiful and affordable resorts in Khandala, it is a famous party place. Guys can plan a secret blast in this hill before the final day.
Chandigarh
Manali
In the Beas River Valley is a hill station nestled in the mountains of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. It is located about 270 km north of the state capital, Shimla. It is unique for its scenic beauty and popular spot for tourists. A perfect bachelor’s party can be an option in this valley as guys prefer a place like Manali for being naughty.
Chandigarh is the best-planned city in India, with architecture which is world-renowned, and a quality of life, which is unparalleled. As the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh it is a prestigious city. But this information might not boost the curiosity of people who want party unless they know the fact that this city has some fabulous discos and party joints where people go crazy and wild at nights. Chandigarh has all that a party lover seeks for and a bachelor party in this city is a great idea. That is not all, the list goes on and on,but for the time being these places may add up to the days you celebrate your freedom. So, choose the place and start planning for a bachelors party before it’s too late and you end up drinking a peg or two in some local time restricted bars.
22
G-Talk
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Do modern day parents require counselling? Dr Akashitora Social Activist
POINT
I
feel that modern day parents The situation was require counselling because, all the aspects nowadays, different 20 years ago including the environment and and these will change the situations have undergone a in the next 20 years drastic change. Raising a child itself is a challenging job and again. Parents are the now it has become even more role models for their challenging with the advent of the internet, mobile phones and children and therefore television. The situation was differ- they need to know about ent 20 years ago and these will the right way of bringing change in the next 20 years up their children. again. Parents are the role models for their children and therefore they need to know about the right way of bringing up their children. In the meantime, some parents feel that are since they are providing good food, education and other necessary amenities to their children, their duties are over. However this is not how it works. The parents should be able to play a positive role in the lives of their children. If we look at the example of the famous singer Madonna, we see that even after being a sex symbol to many of her fans, she did not allow her children to surf the internet when they were kids. The same goes to the famous Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie too, who is a mother of six. After a certain age, it is okay for the children to indulge in such activities. In addition, there are also services available for the parents to exercise control over or to monitor the websites which their children visit. Therefore, it is extremely important to counsel the parents on these fronts. The parents should know when to say ‘no’ to their children or how to sensitise them about a crime. Nowadays, parents are seen to be boasting about how their children watch TV or surf the internet all the time. Some of them even feel proud about the fact that their children do not know how to speak in Assamese. I know that being a father or a mother is a tough job and even, I have been through lots of difficulties while raising my children. As a parent, we should be able to teach our children about maintaining harmony in our homes, paying respect to the elders and also the good and the bad. I have been able to instil these things in the minds of my children. It is the activities of the parents, that reflect on their children. Therefore, it is a necessity and a must for the parents to be counselled. But at the same time, the children too need counselling because they sometimes give their parents too much stress. A few days ago, there was news of a young girl committing suicide because her father refused to give her a cell phone. We are now living in an insane world and this is not the world, we had dreamt about.
Rajkamal Pandey Social worker
COUNTERPOINT
C
hild counselling has become acceptable in today’s times but whether even parents need counselling is a widely debated topic in all liberal democracies. It is commonly believed, that decisions regarding childcare should be left to parents in the private sphere of their homes. Typically, questions are raised concerning parenting, only when there have been serious failings on the part of parents, such as cases of abuse or neglect. However, in my opinion, considering the smart, educated and sophisticated parents in present days, they all have the competence required to raise their children and should enjoy absolute freedom towards grooming their kids. Children, on the other hand, are sent to posh schools with state-of-the-art infrastructure, imparting proper education. Nowadays, they are also offering counselling classes in school as part of their education. This makes them aware at a very early stage of their education about the skills and knowledge required to lead a competitive life. In some schools, it is compulsory to take those classes while in others, they are available on voluntary basis. Parents should make sure that their children opt for these counselling sessions as a part of their curriculum. These classes aid children of all ages with competence to deal with increasing concern like bad behaviour in schools, juvenile crime, substance abuse and a perceived lack of respect for society. As it is, I think parents are not wholly responsible for their child’s actions. I agree, at a young age, there are no moral values intact within a child to begin with, but once they’ve grown older, they understand their responsibilities. Yes, the educational role of a parent is no doubt integral, and they have full responsibility for the child’s moral education, but once that child has been equipped with those moral paradigms, the onus is on the child when they act. No parent would give his/ her children bad teachings. Surely, they can be f lawed at times, but if the moral education for which I argue the parent is indeed responsible, has been correct, the child should be in the good books, just about every time. Yes, parenting classes are a possible solution to assist new parents and parents who encounter difficulties in raising their children, but when children themselves are provided with proper guidance in schools as well as home, why do parents need such classes? In fact, I feel, at the end of the day it will be a burden on the children and they will feel pressurised. In less developed areas, instead of parents counselling, the first and foremost duty of the parents should be to provide their offspring with basic education. They should focus on sending their children to schools first.
Yes, parenting classes are a possible solution to assist new parents and parents who encounter difficulties in raising their children...
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
23
24
G PLUS OCT 26 - NOV 01, 2013
Catching up
Headlining acts! Eva Mendes WHO’S SHE?
Eva Mendes was born on March 5 in 1974 and is an American actress, model, singer and a clothing designer.
SO WHAT?
Mendes ‘always had high hopes’ for herself, she didn’t consider an acting career until a talent manager saw her photo in a friend’s portfolio. Mendes’ breakthrough role came when she appeared in Training Day as the girlfriend of Denzel Washington’s character. Mendes also runs a home decor line, Vida, with her former partner George Augusto.
NOW WHAT?
The actress has a new clothing line out with New York & Company, which takes inspiration from thrift shops. The collection features feminine dresses, blouses in flowy fabrics & accessories. She simply created a line modelled after her actual aesthetic.
The Magnificent Engagement
Kayne West and Kim Kardashian got engaged in front of friends and family at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. Having rented out the AT&T Park, a baseball stadium for the occasion, Kanye blasted, “Pleeese Mary Meee!!!” on the reality star. West also organised a 50 piece orchestra that played Lana Del Rey’s ‘Young and Beautiful’ then one of his own songs and presented his bride-to-be with a flawless 15-carat diamond ring.
What did I just hear? As onion prices all across the country continue to spiral, the BJP leaders in Jharkhand came up with a unique protest to mock at the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. Some of them visited a nationalized bank to apply for loan with the stated objective of “buying onions”. “It is a pity that we have to apply for loans to buy onion. The prices have gone through the roof and it is not possible for me to buy the vegetable with the little money I earn,” BJP activist Sushil Kumar Dubey said mockingly.
pick of the week India’s ambitious space mission to explore Mars would be launched on November 5 from the spaceport of Sriharikota. One of the main objectives of the first Indian mission to Mars is to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission. The initial launch for the MOM was slated for October 28. It was decided to defer the launch because of the delay in the arrival of the Indian ship-borne terminals to their intended location, about 300 nautical miles from the Fiji island.
Kamur of the week Prez visit. It might be quite an honour for the state that President Pranab Mukherjee visited Guwahati, but the traffic chaos was very irritating for the locals. Adding on the pain, people also did complain that the city is usually given a different look only when some national VIP visits Guwahati, or else the administration hardly has time for anyone. Heights of hypocrisy reflected every time a VIP comes to Guwahati.
Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd., Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati and Published at H/No. 34, K. C. Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati - 781008, Editor: Koushik Hazarika. Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641