G plus vol 1 issue 51 by G Plus

city

LOSING GROUND

GUWAHATI FOOD UNDER SCANNER Increasing demand for fruits, vegetables and other food items coupled with the consumer’s ignorance on the quality of food they are having everyday has led to the traders selling adulterated food items in the markets of Guwahati.

on PG 03

on PG 15

The ongoing 63rd edition of the Bharat Ratna Lokopriya Bordoloi Trophy Football Tournament at the Nehru Stadium manages to portray only a shadow of its glorious past.

deepika padukone “OMG: Deepika Padukone’s cleavage show”, tweeted a national daily creating controversy all over.

Continued on PG 24

VOLUME 01 | ISSUE 51 SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014 PRICE `10

WHAT

COURAGE ON THREE WHEELS

in conversation

KILLED

PG 11

TOP COP

THE

This man has brought to Assam a major change in the field of entrepreneurship, working with NGOs and benefitting many families.

THE SHANKAR BARUA INCIDENT

olice have registered an FIR filed by a journalist, accusing the CBI and a section of the electronic media for allegedly driving former Assam DGP Shankar Barua to suicide. The FIR, filed by Dibyajyoti Hazarika accusing the central investigating agency and a section of electronic media for abetting Barua’s alleged suicide, has been registered under Section 306 of the IPC in Latasil Police Station.

society

CITY’S HISTORY IN RUINS PG 12

The North Brook Gate is a crumbling structure on the verge of collapse.

PG 02

BUSINESS HOUSES MISUSING PARKING SPACE

owing to make the city free of traffic congestion, the district administration has firmly reacted against the commercial establishments located along the major roads in Guwahati, over the issue of misusing parking space.

PG 06

WARD WATCH

BATAHGULI PG 13

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Lead Story

SARADHA SCAM CLAIMS FIRST VICTIM Assam top cop and ex-DGP Shankar Baruah takes own life by shooting himself.

RAHUL CHANDA

Profile

“W

e don’t know the exact reason, but it might be that he was trapped, because there is a system everywhere and he might have got trapped in the system. After the 28th August CBI raid, he was under pressure and mentally he was very down. He could not take it and as a good human being, he was not able to tolerate and I think that’s why he took such a drastic step. He was mentally upset and was even admitted to the hospital,” said Deep Barua, a relative and a very close friend of former state DGP Shankar Barua who shot himself on the 17th September in his Uzan Bazaar residence. In a sensational suicide case, high profile former state top cop Shankar Barua shot himself with a .32 bore personal revolver. Barua shot himself on the terrace of his two-storied house at Barowari in Uzanbazar. He was taken to a private hospital (Borthakur Clinic) nearby where doctors declared him ‘brought dead’. A post-mortem examination conducted at the GMC Hospital found that the bullet, fired from point-blank range, had pierced the right temple. Barua was amongst the many others who were raided by the CBI on 28th August during a part of the investigation into the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

What led to the suicide? Sources close to the family said that Barua was very depressed and was admitted to a hospital after the raid in his house conducted by the CBI. It seems that he complaint of some abdominal ailments, after which he was first admitted to International Hospital and then in the Down Town Hospital. The day he committed suicide, he was discharged from the Down Town Hospital in the morning hours. A 1974-batch IPS officer who served as the DGP from July 2009 to December 2011, Barua came under the CBI scanner after the main accused in the Saradha scam, Sudipta Sen, named him during interrogation. Sources said that Sen is alleged to have told interrogators that he used to pay Barua regularly for giving his business ‘legal protection in an illegal way.’ Following this, the CBI raided Barua’s house on August 28. The CBI also examined Barua’s bank account and locker at the SBI Chenikuthi branch. After all these incidents, Barua was so depressed that finally he took this extreme step.

Shankar Barua, IPS Domicile – Assam (Kamrup) Date of birth – 03-12-1951 Date of appointment – 29-07-1974 Date of allotment – RR-1974 Date of confirmation – 05-05-1979 (in junior scale)

Some top postings Started his career as Joint PTC, Dergaon and served there from 15/12/1975 to 04/03/1976

“I know Manu da (Shankar Barua) since my childhood and can never believe that he was corrupt. The whole locality is proud of him and he was very helpful to everyone. His name was dragged into a scam depressed him and he took this step.” Akshay Rajkhowa, Barua’s childhood friend

ASP, Dibrugarh - 05/03/1976 to 07/06/1977 SDPO, Golaghat – 12/05/1977 to 18/09/1978 Addl. SP, Kamrup – 25/09/1978 to 22/01/1979 Addl. SP, Golaghat – 22/01/1979 to 06/08/1979 SP, NC Hills, Haflong – 15/08/1979 to 01/12/1980 SP, Cachar, Silchar – 01/12/1980 to 01/06/1982 Deputation to Government of Meghalaya – June 1982 to July 1984 Comdt. 9th APBn – 27/07/1984 to 07/08/1985

What scared Barua? A national daily has quoted a CBI senior official as saying, “We had evidence against him which led to a search operation at his residence. However, we were yet to interrogate him. We were examining other people from Assam in connection with the scam. We were about to summon him. But before that he committed suicide.” Sources said Barua had come to know that the CBI might summon him soon. He was disturbed after former Bengal DG of armed police Rajat Majumdar, who was summoned for interrogation for the second time by CBI, was arrested last week. On September 12, the CBI had arrested well-known Guwahati-based singer Sadananda Gogoi in connection with the scam. According to sources, the singer was close to Shankar Barua and Gogoi had allegedly introduced Sudipta Sen to several inf luential persons in Assam. The former DGP was among five persons whose properties were searched by the CBI in

SSP CID, Assam – 07/08/1985 to 18/10/1987 Promoted to DIG and posted as DIGP(A) Assam – 18/10/1987 to 07/04/1989 DIGP SB, (HQ) Ghy – 10/04/1989 to 11/12/1990 After some more postings, deputed at NRL as chief vigilance officer – 05/01/2001 to 19/06/2002 Promoted to ADGP and posted as ADGP, (A) Assam – 20/06/2002 to 05/04/2004 ADGP (CID), Assam – 05/04/2004 to 17/08/2005 DGP, Assam – 31/07/2009 to 31/12/2011 Retired on superannuation – 31/12/2011

Medals Police Medal for meritorious service awarded on the occasion of Republic Day 1996 President’s Police Medal for distinguished service awarded on the occasion of Independence Day 2003 Police Special Duty Medal awarded in the year 2000 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal 1997 awarded in the year 2000

connection with the Saradha scam on August 28. The others included former Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, senior Congress MLA Anjan Dutta, managing director of the now defunct Frontier TV, Manoranjana Sinh and Sadananda Gogoi. Over the past few days, several prominent and inf luential people, including top police officers and bureaucrats, across West Bengal, Assam and Orissa have faced CBI questioning in connection with the multi-crore chit fund scam.

Was he a corrupt officer? CBI until now has just raided his residence and checked his bank accounts and lockers, but had not levelled any charge against him. Talking about his honesty, many police officials who were in touch with him when he was not retired and also his relatives and neighbours feel that he was not a person who could take bribes. A retired sub inspector said on condition of anonymity, “Barua Sir was a very honest man. When he was serving, he used to visit many police stations and once he had visited the police station I was deputed in. He did not even take a cup of tea, as according to him we earned a meagre amount of money and so could not afford it. So, how can a man who did not even take a cup of tea from others, be a corrupt officer.” Akshay Rajkhowa, Barua’s childhood friend and his neighbour said, “I know Manu da (Shankar Barua) since my childhood and can never believe that he was corrupt. The whole locality is proud of him and he was very helpful to everyone. His name was dragged into a scam depressed him and he took this step. Whether he was involved or not, only the investigating agencies can say, but for now, he leaves behind his two sons Siddharth Barua and Kaushik Barua, his wife Nilakshi Barua and his mother Aruna Barua who is 95-year-old. Recently, Shankar Barua was very happy as his son Kaushik received the Yuva Puraskar of the Sahitya Akademi for one of his debut novel. The suicide case has shocked the entire state and the Saradha scam seems to be taking new turns each passing day.

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

In The News

GUWAHATI FOOD UNDER SCANNER Mrinmoyee Hazarika

ncreasing demand for fruits, vegetables and other food items coupled with the consumer’s ignorance on the quality of food they are having everyday has led to the traders selling adulterated food items in the markets of Guwahati. In a special drive carried out by the officials of the food safety department, Kamrup (M) and other concerned departments, it has come to light that most of the food items inspected by the authorities are either unhygienic or sub-standard. “We have been inspecting food items found at different markets and shopping malls like Big Bazar, Vishal and others and performed sampling on the spot. While some of the samples were unhygienic and unsafe for human consumption, others have been sent for testing to check the quality of the products,” Samiran Baruah, Food safety officer, Health and Family Welfare Department, Kamrup (M) told G Plus. During the drive, which started from this month (September), the officials have destroyed bananas worth more than `1 lakh at two different locations in the city. Those bananas were ripened using calcium carbide and stocked in the godowns located at Bharalumukh and Hengerabari area.

“The conditions of the godowns used for storing bananas are very unhygienic and the owners of those godowns do not even take the necessary precautions to keep those huge piles of bananas free from contamination. In some cases, we have found that bananas are being stocked near septic tank outlets. Besides, some traders are using calcium carbide to ripen the bananas, which produces acetylene gas. This brings in the yellowish colour to the unripe bananas and helps to ripen the fruit. It is very harmful to human health and experts say that it might cause cancer, suspected cases of poisoning and stomach disorders including vomiting and gastritis,” Samiran Baruah highlighted. He also stated that the carbide-injected bananas were destroyed on the spot in presence of the authority. Apart from the adulterated bananas, the inspection team has done sampling of other food items, which include milk, packaged drinking water, mustard oil and other seeds and pulses. “From the month of January to August this year, we tested samples of milk available in the market and registered 5 cases of adulteration. During this special drive, we have collected samples of milk and are still waiting for the results to come. Within the

• Bananas worth more than Rs 1 lac destroyed • Mustard oil brands Dophool, Tractor, at Bharalumukh and Hengerabari Must health (edible vegetable oil), Jyakea fined Rs 20,000-25,000 for low quality • 5 cases of adulteration of milk registered from January to August’14 • Cases detected in paneer and curds for their sub-standard qualities • 6 units of packaged drinking water received improvement notice – Silver Drops, Bisleri, • The only food items where no cases have Livana, A1 Kingstar, Champion and Scotch been registered are sweets and bakeries Spring

next 10-15 days, the report will come,” Baruah said. Moreover, before starting off the special drive, the food safety officials had shut down six packaged drinking water units after sampling the quality of the products. These units are – Silver Drops, Bisleri, Livana, A1 Kingstar, Champion and Scotch Spring. “The commissioner of food safety

has banned those six packaged drinking water units for not maintaining standards set by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standard Authority of India) and have sent improvement notices to all of them. Out of the six units, Bisleri has now reopened its unit and the other five units are still waiting for the results. We are still carrying out inspections in the packaged drinking

water units located in the city,” Samiran Baruah mentioned. The authorities have also fined (`20,000 - 25,000) three mustard oil brands and an edible vegetable oil brand, which are based outside the state for low quality. The names of the brands are – Dophool, Tractor, Must health (edible vegetable oil) and Jyakea. “During our regular drives, we have detected and registered cases of food adulteration found in different pulses and seeds, which are available for human consumption in the markets of the city. The only food items where no cases have been registered are sweets and bakeries. There are some cases detected in paneer and curds for their sub-standard qualities, but not for unhygienic reasons,” Baruah said. The team, which has been carrying out the special drive comprises of Samiran Baruah (Food Safety Officer, Health and Family Welfare Department, Kamrup (M) and other officials from the department including Haren kalita, Anil Sharma, Champak Pathak, Tarun Das and a magistrate, police personal and representative from food and civil supply department. The drive will continue in the next three months. mrinmoye.hazarika@g-plus.in

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

In The News

APDCL’S LOAD SURVEY IRKS CONSUMERS

Rahul Chanda

ecently, the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) appealed to its consumers to inform and regularise the extra load connected in their homes/ establishments. According to the APDCL most of the consumers are increasing their connected load by installing electric equipments like air conditioners, geyser, microwave oven and other gadgets without informing the concerned sub-divisions. APDCL has discovered that such increase in the loads has created an unprecedented load growth and in most cases, failures of transformers have been reported as well as consumers are experiencing severe voltage problems. However, it is to be noted that whatever extra amount of electricity is consumed, it is all chargeable and the monthly bill reflects that consumption. So why is the APDCL asking the consumers to regularise the extra amount used? G Plus takes a look into the situation.

30,21,978 consumers in Assam

3,57,151 consumers in Guwahati

Power distribution

Electricity is produced and then distributed to the consumers through wires, transformers and connecters. The electricity is transmitted to different zones depending upon the requirement of the consumers and accordingly, the wires and transformers are used. There are low-tension wires carrying electricity and high-tension wires. For households, the requirement is not huge and hence, the wires and transformers installed are of low intensity. Similarly, for factories, tea estates and other commercial establishments which require huge consumption of electricity, high tension wires and transformers are used. According to APDCL officials, when consumers apply for electric connections, they submit their requirement according to their needs, and APDCL installs the wires and transformers accordingly. People start using the power, which is allotted to them, but gradually start using electric equipments, which consumes huge amounts of electricity like air conditioners, geyser, microwave oven and other gadgets. The APDCL feels that the consumers

We are not asking to stop consuming electricity to the consumers. It is just for the safety and to further improve the transmission system. We are requesting the consumers to inform their sub-divisions about the extra load used and upgrade the required electricity. This will help us upgrade the transmission system. We can put better transformers and increase the capacity of the wires used to transmit the electricity, which will reduce the risk factor.

start consuming more electricity than what is allotted to them, which affects the transformers and wires connected to transmit the power to the consumers. This leads to power failure, voltage problems and the risk factor increases as well. Ideally, the consumers should not be bothered about all these problems as they are already paying for whatever they are using.

The information

Answering the question, APDCL officials said, “We are not asking to stop consuming electricity to the consumers. It is just for the safety and to further improve the transmission system. We are requesting the consumers to inform their sub-divisions about the extra load used and upgrade the required electricity. This will help us upgrade the transmission system. We can put better transformers and increase the capacity of the wires used to transmit the electricity, which will reduce

the risk factor. The voltage problem issue also will be solved. We have asked the consumers to regularise the extra load by 30/09/2014, and within this period we will not conduct any survey. But, after 30th September, we will conduct house to house survey and if regularisation of the extra load is not done, penalty will be imposed. The appeal is already out in the media so that the consumers are informed about the move. Moreover this step has been taken under a regulation.”

Reactions

Reacting to the move, the consumers slammed APDCL for imposing such penalty every now and then. A city based consumer Biplob Hazarika said, “Load shedding and extra charged electric bills are always an issue, and adding to the pain is this extra load regularising plan. We have to bribe people just to get a connection. Now

this regularising move again will eat up a lot of money. It cannot be easily done as APDCL requires a lot of paper work and formalities. Now, we are paying for whatever we are using and measuring the limit is not our duty. APDCL people come and take the reading every month, so, they could have improved the transformers accordingly. They know who is using how much by looking at the bill, so they can improve the connections accordingly. I feel It is just an extra burden imposed on us and may be another plan to earn some money.” There are 3,57,151 consumers in Guwahati and 30,21,978 consumers in Assam. So, if all these consumers regularise the extra load they have to pay some amount. To fasten the process, they might pay bribes, as the deadline is 30 September, and the appeal was out in media on 13th September. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

Weather report for the week SAT 20 September

Tons of rain. Mostly cloudy.

24 / 26 °C

SUN 21 September

MON 22 September

TUE 23 September

WED 24 September

THU 25 September

FRI 26 September

Heavy rain. Mostly cloudy.

Thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy.

Tons of rain. Mostly cloudy.

A few tstorms. Mostly cloudy.

Showers early. Mostly cloudy.

Tstorms late. More clouds than sun.

23 / 26 °C

23 / 27 °C

23 / 30 °C

23 / 33 °C

22 / 33 °C

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

MAN SLITS LOVER’S THROAT TRIES TO KILL HIMSELF

rahul chanda

ove has taken many lives in the past and recently, a dangerous love story rocked the city when a man tried to kill himself after trying to kill his girlfriend. A case was registered in the Pan Bazaar Police Station (case number – 362/14, under section 341/326/307/309 IPC). The incident happened near a private college in the Pan Bazaar area on 16th September, at around 10 am in the morning.

The story

According to the girl’s family, Dipankar is not 21 but around 27-yearsold. He had met the girl a year back through a common friend. He got her number from the same common friend and started calling her. Initially he approached the girl just for friendship but around seven months back, he proposed to the girl to accept his love. The girl denied and after that, he started harassing the girl by calling her every day. According to the relatives, Baniya started threatening the girl and said that if she kept rejecting him, he would kill himself after killing her. The girl had not informed the family members about these threats. The day the incident took place was the first day Dipankar had come to her college. Prior to that, the suspected assailant had never come to meet

her in the institute. However, Dipankar’s family have a different story to narrate. According to his family members, he stays here with his uncle at Boripara in the Maligaon area. Dipankar hails from a village in Sipajhar and it seems both Dipankar and the girl were in love for the last one year and recently, Dipankar discovered that the girl was in a relationship with a third person. Knowing this, he became very angry and took this drastic step. He was depressed and did not discuss about the issue with the family members. Dipankar works with a private firm in Guwahati. According to police, both are now admitted in the MMC hospital and after they recover, Dipankar would be arrested. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

PARENTS THRONG DON BOSCO FOR KG ADMISSIONS G PLUS Bureau

s this time of the year, gradually the city school admissions start and as always, this year too schools are witnessing a huge rush of parents running for the admissions of their kids. As with everything else, the schools too are competing with each other by improving their infrastructure, facilities and education standards. But with many private and government schools emerging everywhere, Don Bosco still remains the most preferred and opted for school in the city. The admissions The Don Bosco kindergarten admissions are on and the forms are available in the school website. In the past, a queue used to take shape from 2 am at night for the admission forms but from last year, the school authorities have made it

In The News

Flesh trade and the Assamese film industry T rahul chanda

The incident

According to an eye witness, the girl and the boy were walking together towards the college where the girl had recently taken admission to pursue a short term computer certificate course. Both were talking loudly and quarrelling with each other. As soon as the couple reached below the College, the man, 21-year-old Dipankar Baniya took out a knife from his pocket and cut the 23-year-old girl’s throat. The girl fell to the ground. The man then cut his own throat as well and collapsed. A driver of the private college took the girl to the nearby MMC Hospital where the doctors declared that she was out of danger. The police reached the spot and took the man to the same hospital and he was declared to be out of danger as well. According to police, the knife was not sharp enough to cause serious harm.

convenient for the parents by making the forms available online. This year, the KG forms were available from 15th September and the last day for submission of the forms is 22nd September. There are altogether 100 seats in the school and according to the principal, Fr Sebastian Mathew, the exact figure of total applicants will only be known on the 22nd. The principal said, “Usually we get around 1000 to 1200 applications

and we are not able to satisfy everyone as we just have 100 seats in the KG classes.” Enquiring about the criteria they look for in potential candidates, the principal replied, “We have a committee that interacts with the kids. They assess their outlook, the way they response and interact, which helps the three member committee to decide on who should get admissions. The committee then informs the management who then interacts with the parents to check how responsible the parents are. It is an informal communication with the parents to find out their background, their interest towards the children and finally the admission is decided.” As Don Bosco has already started their admission process for the kids, schools like South Point will start the admission process in the month of December. South Point also has 100 seats but they usually receive around 200 to 250 applications.

he Film industry and sex scandals are inseparable. They are almost always in the news and people crave for such incidents. Peeping into celebrities’ personal lives is the favourite pastime for everyone. But recently, the news of National Award winner Shweta Basu Prasad getting arrested by police in relation to a prostitution racket has raised many questions on the moral values of some artists who can go to any extent to earn quick money. Days after, Shweta was detained for her involvement in a prostitution scandal, another such case came to light. Divya Sri, a Telugu film actor was nabbed by the police, in connection to a flesh trade case. In the Assamese film industry too, there have been unsuccessful actors and comparatively, the regional actors earn much lesser than the Hindi film actors. So, if Bollywood or Tollywood actors can get into the prostitution to earn money, are the regional actors here too getting into such illegal means?

Flesh trade

Discussing the incident with the members of Assamese film fraternity, it was found that such trade does happen here as well, but is not out in the open and do not get reported. Assamese actor Barasha Rani Bishaya said, “I am shocked and shattered. I really appreciate her (Shweta Basu Prasad) acting skills. This revelation is very disturbing. Every actor dreams to perform on a national platform and with that same desire, I landed in Mumbai a few years back. I was disheartened to face some cruel and unethical rules of getting into the industry. I packed my bags and returned to where I belong. It’s a big bad world. There must be certainly some good in the industry, but unfortunately I didn’t come across them.” Bishaya expressed that be it any film industry or the society, women are treated like commodities. Similarly, popular Assamese actor Zerifa Wahid condemned Shweta Basu Prasad as an actor and said that Prasad is a goner. On asking if such kind of illegal practices exist in the Assamese film industry, she said, “Not only

actors, but politicians and people from the corporate field as well are involved in such business. There is a give and take policy in all professions and people tend to kill their moral values to earn money or success. I condemn such behaviour as it sets bad example for the newcomers and also for the society. I also request the media to do some sensitive journalism as there are other people also who are involved in such trade and do not get exposed by the media. I know politicians who get involved in such trade just to get a ticket. In the case of Shweta Basu Prasad, the name of the businessman involved is not yet out. Some newcomers take the shortcut to achieve their goals and do not know the limit of their materialistic needs. For getting a chance or to earn money people indulge in flesh trade or prostitution and it is happening in all professions.” Assamese film director Pranab Jyoti Bharali said that such illegal business happens in the Assamese film industry but it is not openly spoken about. He said, “As a director I meet many newcomers and I feel bad that these days young girls are ready to do anything to get a role in films. Anyone who wants to take advantage can easily do it. The youngsters are killing all their moral values and all they need these days is money.” Highly placed sources in the police said that such incidents do not get reported and if the police get any information about such immoral activity, they will certainly act on it. There was one incident reported where two new comers were taken to a singer’s house and later the girls filed a complaint of sexual harassment against the person who took them there. The police arrested the culprits but were later released on bail. The source said, “It is very tough for the police to prove prostitution as the Indian law somehow is not yet foolproof. People can play with the law and whenever police arrests people involved in sex racket, it is tough to prove the crime in court.” It might be happening in secrecy, but flesh trade does exist in the Assamese film industry. Now the question is why do people take a shortcut to earn money or achieve success? Hard work, it seems is no more the formula people follow to achieve success these days.

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

In The News

BUSINESS HOUSES MISUSING PARKING SPACE

MRINMOYEE HAZARIKA

lthough, it has been speculated for quite a long time that the commercial establishments located along the major roads in Guwahati have been utilising their basements for some other purposes instead of parking, the officials of the district administration have confirmed it after it vowed to make the city free from traffic congestion. There is a ‘Building bye-law’ put in place which stipulates facilitating parking spaces by each and every commercial establishment for their employees and customers. But in reality, most of the showrooms, godowns and institutions are neither providing it nor utilising the allotted space for parking, thereby affecting the flow of traffic on road. In the backdrop of this situation and the move to streamline the traffic movement, mainly from Khanapara to Bharalumukh, last week, both the GMC and the GMDA have issued notices to the business establishments located along A T Road, G S Road, M G Road, Md. Tayabullah Road and G N B Road. The notice was served to facilitate parking space to their employees as well as customers within 30 days from the date of issuance of the notice. “Most of showrooms, institutions and other business establishments located on the GS road are neither utilising their basements for parking nor arranging spaces for parking as mandated by the building bye-law. In the absence of parking spaces, the owner, employees and customers visiting these establishments have to park their vehicles on road, which affects the smooth flow of traffic on road. Therefore, the district administration has decided to send notices, so that the owners of those establishments can be pressurised to follow the rule,” a source at district administration told G Plus. Till Thursday, GMC issued notices to 631 establishments on the stretch from Bharalumukh to Ulubari and GMDA issued 1061 notices to establishments located from Ulubari to Khanapara asking them to arrange parking facilitates. “At present, there is no concrete data which documents the violation of building bye-law by the commercial establishments and institutions, though it is for sure that most of them have violated it in terms of providing parking facilities. We will be able to assess it after these establishments submit their report as asked by the recent notice and we will take up necessary actions against those who have violated the law,” the source said. In the meantime, along with the initiative taken by GMC and GMDA, the district administration too has taken up some other initiatives on

Parking norms as per building bye-laws for Guwahati metropolitan area 2006 (Minimum no of off-street parking space) Type of use

One parking space will be provided for every Car

Parking norms as per Guwahati building construction (regulation) bye-law 2014 (Minimum no of off-street parking space) Occupancy

One parking space for every Car

Scooter

Residential/ Apartment

1 tenement of 80 sq. mt. built up area

Every unit below 60 sq. m. to 40 sq. m.

Lodging establishments, tourist homes and hotels with lodging accommodation

3 guest rooms

Educational

50 square m or fraction thereof of the administrative office area and public service areas

Institutional (medical)

5 beds (Private) 10 beds (Public)

5 beds of accommodation

Assembly halls, cinema theatres

10 seats

10 seats of accommodation

Restaurants

10 seats

6 seats of accommodation

Marriage halls, Community halls

50 sq. m. plot area

Stadia and exhibition centre

30 seats

Business offices and firms for private business

50 sq. m. area or fraction Thereof

20 sq. m. of sales area

Public and semi-public offices

100 sq. m. area or fraction thereof

20 sq. m. of office floor area

Scooter

Residential building (in case of Group housing & apartment buildings)

Every unit of 60 sq. mt.

Every unit below 60 sq. mt. to 40 sq. Mt.

Theatres, cinemas, auditorium

15 seats of accommodation

10 seats of accommodation

Retail business

50 sq mt. or fraction thereof

20 sq. mt. of sales area

Office building

100 sq. mt. or fraction thereof

20 sq. mt. of office floor Area

Hospital

5 beds (private) 10 beds (public)

5 beds of accommodation

Hotel

3 guest rooms

Restaurants

10 seats of accommodations

6 seats of accommodations

Industrial building

20 employees in the industry

15 employees in the Industry

Wholesale and warehouses

60 sq. mt. floor area and fraction thereof for car and scooter

Educational

50 sq. mt. area or fraction thereof of administrative office area and public service area

Mercantile (buildings use as shop, store, market for display and sale of merchandise either wholesale or retail

50 sq. m. area or fraction thereof

20 sq. m. of sales area

Marriage hall/ community hall

50 sq. mt. plot area

Industrial

100 sq. m. area or fraction thereof

20 sq. m. of area

Stadium and exhibition centre

30 seats

Storage

250 sq. m. area or fraction thereof

their own to woo the traffic debacle on experimental basis. As a part of the initiative, the administration has cleared up unauthorised parking spaces located at Ganeshguri, Fancy Bazar and the Bhangagarh area. “The district administration is planning to construct multi-level parking areas inside the city. Also, since all the parking lots identified and allotted by GMC are located on the road, there is a need to rethink and it will be reorganised and shifted to other convenient locations accordingly,” the source said. Right after the notice being served by the administration to the business establishments, the administration had been involved in a clash with auto

Most of showrooms, institutions and other business establishments located on the GS road are neither utilising their basements for parking nor arranging spaces for parking as mandated by the building bye-law.”

drivers in the Bhangagarh area near Big bazaar. The auto drivers have been utilising the empty space situated in front of Big bazaar as a parking lot, which had not been notified by the GMC, right under the nose of administration. “We have been evacuating places illicitly occupied for parking. The administration has to be strict in such cases,” the source at district administration stressed. Currently, there are 94 autorickshaw stands as notified by GMC in 2003. Another official from the GMDA has also acknowledged the fact that the showrooms, institutions and other establishments situated on the

GS road and other major roads in Guwahati do not use their parking spaces for parking purposes. Instead, they open a store at the basement or rent it out to other parties or use it as godown. “It is not easy to keep track of all these, since the building bye-law keeps changing. A building constructed much earlier might not fall under the new building bye-law. Therefore, every case of violation needs a different approach. We will be able to verify and asses it only after we get the report from the business establishments. For that, we have to wait at least a month after issuing notices to the business establishments,” a GMDA official told. mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

City

CITY POLICE IMPROVES CASE DISPOSAL RATE Marking a positive sign for the citizens of Guwahati, the city police has managed to make drastic improvements in their ability to dispose the registered cases in the police stations.

G PLUS FEATURE

n contrast to its own prevalent style for years, the Guwahati city police recently exhibited a positive trend in disposing the pending cases that are piling up in the various police stations here. For the first time in decades, the city police have managed to improve its case disposal rate this year. Appreciably till July this year, the number of disposed cases are higher than the number of cases registered. However, the state recorded one of the lowest case disposal rates in the county last year. In the first seven months this year, the city police have disposed 7987 cases while the number of registered cases were 7462. The divergence in the trend came after chief minister Tarun Gogoi directed the Assam Police to chalk out an effective way and initiate measures to clear the huge backlog of cases, which are pending in the police stations across the state. “Between the years 2010 to 2013, the city police registered a total of 44,484 cases, while they disposed some 37,230. The similar trend continued until May this year. Since Jan-

uary to May, police here registered 5203 and disposed 4374. But from June, the trend changed. In June and July, the police here have registered 2259 cases and disposed 3600 cases,” city police official statistics said. The Senior Superintendent of City Police, AP Tiwari said that the police here have taken up extensive measures to dispose the pending cases and special units are working overtime to make it happen. “Special drives are being taken on to dispose the number of pending cases and verification of documents needed for passport and other services,” Tiwari said. Until the end of 2013, city police had some 21,865 pending cases at various police stations. The Dispur police station alone had the highest numbers with 7,903 cases, followed by the Paltan Bazar PS with 2,593 cases. Khetri PS has the lowest number at 69. There were some 17,000 cases pending with the city police stations in the beginning of 2013. “Besides acute shortage of manpower, many

Special drives are being taken on to dispose the number of pending cases and verification of documents needed for passport and other services”

cases are pending due to technical problems like non-availability of witnesses or respondents. Many respondents are unreachable because they have changed their addresses. Moreover the forensic department is supposed to furnish its reports in thousands of cases,” said a senior police official who was present at the meeting here.

On the contrary, Assam police have one of the lowest disposal rates of cases. The state police are yet to complete its investigation in at least 67,423 cases so far. Until the end of 2013, the number of pending cases in the state was 66,179. It was 57,000 at the end of 2012. rahul.chanda@g-plus.co.in

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

City

LIVING HER DREAMS THROUGH SLUM KIDS IN GUWAHATI ADITYA GOGOI

overty could hardly deter Rahima Begum from chasing her dream. Living in a slum in Guwahati, the woman in her 30s is realising her dreams through the poor kids of the slum. Rahima could not complete her school due to the extreme poverty of her parents but now she is dedicating her life to educate the slum kids. “I’m very happy realising my dream of doing something big through these kids. As I could not do it myself, I wish these kids would fulfil my dream. I would be the happiest if these kids can acquire good education in the future. Poverty is our biggest hurdle but I want to be the winner,” an emotional Rahima told G Plus. She starts her day preparing to

“I would be the happiest if these kids can acquire good education in the future. Poverty is our biggest hurdle but I want to be the winner”

send her two kids to school who study in the fourth standard at a nearby lower primary school before rushing to attend to the slum kids of her locality at No 2 Hafiznagar Child Protection centre at 9.30 am every day. “This has been my routine for the last two years. I feel good spending time with the children and make them learn new things. All these kids are poor and they cannot afford proper facilities. So, I give my best to teach them lessons before they become efficient enough to join higher classes in other schools,” she added. At present, 45 such kids

of the locality accompany Rahima to the centre for their lessons. The area, spread along the 900 metre railway line in the city’s Bamunimaidam area, is home to around 300 people. Rahima who hails from Nalbari got married in 2003 to Jaynal Ali who works as a rag picker in the neighbouring areas. She shifted her base to Hafiznagar in 2011, all thanks to UTSAH (Universal Team for Social Action and Help) an NGO, working on child rights and protection in Assam for helping her cause by building the child protection centre. “We are driven by the philosophy of unrestricted right to life that has freedom, dignity and meaning. Our vision is the achievement of an equitable society where all people can live

and thrive. Our current mission is to create safer spaces and foster development of children who are in need of care and protection,” said Miguel Queah, the founder chairman of UTSAH. He also appreciated the effort of Rahima Begum in helping the kids in getting education. The area where most of the people are below poverty line, struggle hard to fulfil their daily needs. They have also welcomed the initiative of Rahima Begum for guiding their kids. “We are poor people and for us educating the kids is a challenge. We are grateful to UTSAH and to Rahima for their efforts. Besides, we would like to appeal to the government for our wellbeing,” said Babul Ali who also works as a rag picker.

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

City

GHY TO BE CONNECTED TO NE STATE CAPITALS BY RAIL Syeda Ambia Zahan

or the first time in history, a central minister visited the toilets of the Guwahati railway station to take stock of the infrastructure. Central Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda who arrived in the city last Tuesday, visited the Guwahati railway station. He not only chaired a meeting with the NF Railway authorities but also met the employees of the station. The minister himself went to the toilets to examine the hygienic aspect of the station. “I’m here to review the progress of the projects and implementation of budget allocation. I visited the Guwahati railway station and I am satisfied with the facilities. But much more needs to be done,” Gowda said in Guwahati. Central railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda also announced that Guwahati will be connected to all the capital cities of North eastern states through railways. He said this work of connecting all the capitals will be completed within two to three years and PM Narendra Modi will come to inaugurate the railway tracks. The work of construction of railway tracks between DudhnoiMendipathar(Meghalaya) and Itanagar –Naharlugun would be completed soon said the minister. “The lines are almost ready and the PM will inaugurate these according to his convenience. There are certain issues, which the respective state governments will take care of after dialogue.”

He also said, “We are facing some problems in certain areas. Some groups are agitating on some grounds. The Railway officials are in touch with the Chief Ministers of the States and they have been very cooperative. I firmly believe that all issues can be sorted out through talks.” The Inner Line Permit (ILP) issue has created problems for railway connectivity to some parts of NE, with agitation by local groups forcing the Railways to suspend train services to

Basudha Banerji’s book released

minent columnist and former Editor of The Sentinel, DN Bezboruah, and noted playwright Arun Sarma jointly released award-winning radio producer Basudha Banerji’s maiden book, Once There Was a Rani, at a function at the Guwahati Brahmo Samaj in Panbazar on September 14. Speaking on the occasion, Sarma paid tributes to the author and her father, former Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Dept Additional Director, Dr BR Halder, whose work at a project site, called Ranigudam in the Rani block near Guwahati, was the subject of the book, hence the name.“Examples like Dr Halder’s work needed to be replicated instead of being allowed to die out. Every government department should have a few such officers, who bring creativity and energy to their work,” Said Arun Sarma.

Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda has also set a fresh target of 2017 for the completion of the much delayed Bogibeel bridge over Brahmaputra.

Ghy-Shillong taxi fare hiked

nstead of paying of Rs 300, a passenger in a shared taxi will now have to pay Rs 400 to travel to Guwahati from Shillong. This was revealed by the Meghalaya Tourist Transporters’ Association (MTTA) recently in a press conference. The decision is now facing flak from several quarters even as some have questioned the authority of the association to arbitrarily hike the fare. “According to my understanding, it is the Regional Transport Authority that has the mandate to prescribe fares for commercial vehicles and not an association,” said Shemphang Lyngdoh, a computer engineer who vists frequents Guwahati on work. He added, “I wonder if this hike has the consent of the transport department”. On the other hand, bus fares have remained more or less constant hovering around Rs 150 per passenger between Guwahati and Shillong.

The average car in Britain remains parked for 96% of the time.

Naharlagun, which was started from April this year. The Arunachal Pradesh government is expected to sort out the issue with the opposing groups and reopen the line. Central railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda indicated that work on the proposed railway link between Agartala (India) and Akhaura (Bangladesh) was stalled due to land acquisition problems. He said the work is being pursued and the problems being sorted out.

Anukul Thakur’s birth anniversary celebrated

overnor JB Patnaik said that only by pursuing the ideals of humanitarianism a new India can be built. The Governor was addressing a function held on the occasion of the 127th birth anniversary of Sri Sri Thakur Anukul Chandra at the Bhangagarh Satsang Vihar. Addressing the function, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that every religion lays stress on engaging in the service of mankind. Every religion is against dividing people on the lines of caste, language and religion. Religions are for extending help to the poor, ill and distressed people. The ideals preached by Thakur Anukul Chandra are relevant in these contexts, said the Chief Minister. The function was also addressed by Assam Public Service Commission chairman Rakesh Kr Paul, who is also the secretary of the celebration committee.

41-Year-Old Chinese Woman once Killed a Man By Squeezing His testicles for not allowing her to park her electric bike in front of his shop

At present, there are altogether 34 ongoing projects in the Northeast Frontier Railways costing around 54,000 crore. Rs 5742.60 crore was allocated during the 2014-15 railway budget to the region. On the other hand, Railway Minister DV Sadananda Gowda has also set a fresh target of 2017 for the completion of the much delayed Bogibeel bridge over Brahmaputra. Bogibeel is the country’s longest rail– cum–road bridge. The 4.94 km bridge, originally scheduled to be inaugurated in 2009, is stated to be the lifeline of the Northeast, which will facilitate connectivity between the north and the south banks of the Brahmaputra in the eastern region of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Situated 17 km downstream of Dibrugarh town, the bridge is being constructed for double line broad gauge track and a three–lane road. It was sanctioned in 1997–98 and its foundation stone was laid by former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee on April 22, 2002. The pace of work picked up after the bridge got the status of a national project in 2007. “The works are reaching up to expectations. The process of implementation is in full speed everywhere,” Gowda said. The minister pointed that 54 per cent more allocation was made to NFR in the Railway budget, amounting to Rs 5400 crore. It was the first time that such an amount was allocated, he said.

CM approves police decentralisation

hief Minister Tarun Gogoi approved the process of decentralisation in the Assam Police. The SPs will now be able to transfer police officials in the rank of inspector of police and below within their districts and the DIGs within their range. Earlier, the DGP’s prior approval was required before transfer of such officials. However, the DGP’s approval has to be obtained in case any such officers have not completed two years in their place of posting.

Men and women use different spatial memory techniques to find their cars in crowded parking lots

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Politicking

BY-POLLS

BJP INCREASES VOTE SHARE IN ASSAM

SYEDA AMBIA ZAHAN

“W

e didn’t get enough time to work for the people of Silchar. It’s a town and the needs vary. We lost the parliamentary election too. For by-polls we got only five months to get prepared but you know five months is too less a time. In fact, very less.” This is what Ajit Singh, Cabinet Minister of Assam Congress Government had to say after the defeat in the Silchar assembly Constituency in the recently concluded by-polls in Assam. The by-polls is a sure gain for the BJP. The party has not only registered a significant vote-share gain in the assembly by-elections in Assam, but also added one seat to its kitty, thus taking the saffron party’s strength in the state assembly up to six at the expense of the Congress. State party spokesperson of BJP, Adip Kumar Phukan said, “While we wrested Silchar from the Congress, we also increased our vote share there by over 14,000 in comparison to the Lok Sabha elections of May. The BJP vote-share has also increased marginally in Lakhipur.” Significantly, since the first ever general elections of 1952, the Silchar MP seat and Assembly seats have been held by the Congress, except for a brief period of saffron surge in the 90’s, when the BJP won it in 1991, 1996 and 2001. These by-polls in Assam as a whole were crucial for the Indian National Congress to assert its presence against the rise of BJP, its arch rival in national politics and the formation of the NDA government that reduced the Congress to a humble figure of 44 MPs, with an unprecedented majority. Almost all the heavyweight leaders of the State Congress including the Chief Minister of Assam Tarun

Gogoi, campaigned in Silchar, but all of them failed to convince the voters. The by–polls were necessitated in Silchar after the former MLA Sushmita Dev became the MP. The Congress somehow managed to get hold of the Lakhipur Assembly seat but the margin was less than five thousand to the BJP candidate. This again has proved the losing grip of Congress in the valley. Notably, the newly elected MLA Rajdeep Gowala is the son of late Dinesh Prasad Gowala. His sudden death had led to a bypoll in the constituency. Many say it was the reputation of Dinesh Prasad Gowala, that helped his son win in that constituency and saved the face of the ruling party in the state. The effect of the two-year long dissidence within the Assam Congress is evident in the results. Even the most ardent loyalists of Assam CM Tarun Gogoi have opened up recently after the results against some

Govt launches self-dependent project for youths

he State Social Welfare department has launched the ‘After Care Project’ aimed at benefitting schoolchildren for whom becoming self-dependent becomes important after attaining the age of 18 years. Under the project, the state government provides financial assistance to them to make a living. The first such After Care programme was organized at Fatima After Care Hostel at Ila Snehalaya, Betkuchi on September 12, with the objective of helping young adults who have grown up in children’s homes to become self-reliant through vocational training, higher education, life-skills education and job placement. The project, sponsored by the state Social Welfare department, has benefited six boys and four girls. Pratima Devi, chairperson of the Social Welfare Advisory Board, Assam, was the chief guest at the launch function. Fr Lukose, director of Snehalaya, a shelter for underprivileged kids in the city, said each child is unique and that’s why there had to be an individual plan for every beneficiary of the After Care Programme.

“Till Assam Chief Minister do not remove corrupt ministers from the cabinet, Congress will not be able to restore faith among the people of Assam.” Bhupen Bora MLA and AICC secretary

decisions of the Chief Minister. MLA and AICC secretary Bhupen Bora who is a Gogoi loyalist, tweeted right after the election results, “Till Assam Chief Minister do not remove corrupt ministers from the cabinet, Congress will not be able to restore faith among the people of Assam.” The Congress had also put huge efforts in the Jamunamukh seat, which was again captured by the AIUDF. The family based politics of Badruddin Ajmal received some fresh air to expand more with the kin of the third generation of his family became the MLA. Abdur Rahim Ajmal, son of perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal has become the new MLA after Sirajuddin Ajmal. AIUDF has not only retained Jamunamukh seat but further increased its vote share. The Jamunamukh assembly segment fell vacant after sitting MLA and Badruddin’s brother Sirajuddin Ajmal was elected

to the Lok Sabha from Barpeta. After victory in the Jamunamukh assembly constituency, AIUDF leader Badruddin Ajmal and his son and candidate Abdur Rahim Ajmal came down heavy on Assam Congress. Badruddin Ajmal said it is the high handedness of some Congress ministers like Rockybul Hussain that the Congress has seen a face off in Silchar and Jamunamukh Constituency. He said, “I had told earlier that wherever Rokibul Hussain goes for campaigning, his party gets defeated.” Notably, Congress Minister Rockybul Hussain who hails from Nagaon and former MP Rani Narah were camping in the constituency to hold election campaigns. They were also accused of distributing money in Jamunamukh among the voters. Even Minister Gautam Roy was charged with violation of the Model Code of Conduct while he was campaigning for the Silchar Constituency. The Cachar district administration has already filed an FIR against minister Gautam Roy. The FIR was filed based on the complaint lodged by the BJP and the AIUDF that Roy distributed cash among voters during the by–poll campaign. It is learnt that the members within the ministry are not at all happy with the outcome of the semi-final to the bigger polls in 2016. A confident AIUDF has already declared of gaining more than 50% seats in the 2016 assembly polls. Even the BJP have their hopes set high for the next elections. In such circumstances, an over confident Congress has to sort out the party conflicts at the earliest and do lots of groundwork to restore its influence in the state.

GHY CLUB ‘CHOWPATTY’ EVICTED

fficials from the District Administration demolished the food joints that had sprung up near the Guwahati Club circle as a part of the eviction drive that has been going on in the city. The authorities reached the spot at around noon on Friday and started demolishing the food joints that had been set up quite some months ago. These joints, that the citizens had started calling the ‘chowpatty,’ had sprung up at the end of last year and had become very popular among the Guwahatians. Himu, one of the vendors who had a stall there said, “There was no warning or

notice from the administration and the eviction drive was carried out ruthlessly. We had been paying a daily charge termed as ‘cleanliness tax’ to the GMC and so I think that our setups were all legal. Even if it was not, then the authorities could have at least given us a notice or warning so that we could have removed our stalls and equipment before the drive was carried out.” In a statement issued by the District Administration late evening, it is mentioned that a total number of 37 stalls were evicted from the TC School point to MC Road.

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

In Conversation

EXPO FOR WOMEN

COURAGE ON THREE WHEELS SNEHA CHOUDHURY

r Pradip Kumar Sarmah, a veterinary surgeon by profession, is the man behind many pioneering works in the interiors of Assam and the Northeast. This man has brought a major change in the field of entrepreneurship in Assam, working with NGOs and benefitting many families. With over 25 years of experience in the developmental sector especially in the areas of rural development, poverty reduction, programme designing and implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation, Dr Sarmah today is a much contented man for being able to help so many lives towards their independence and development of the society. One among the NICT Perfect 10 Awards 2014 winners, this active individual was conferred this recognition for the undying dedication and perseverance to create better and sustainable solutions in the Northeast Region. Dr Sarmah is the Founder of Rickshaw Bank and Executive Director, Centre for Rural Development. G Plus got the opportunity to talk to the man who comes across as fearless and impatient.

What is the Rickshaw Bank?

In the technology-driven world of India’s one of the most populous city, one would have expected rickshaws to disappear with the fast growth of modern, motorised transport. Instead, the numbers have increased amazingly in the last decade. In the absence of any substitute mode of transport for short distances, the rickshaws meet the need for urban and sub-urban mobility in middleand lower-middle income neighbourhoods and provide a low-cost way to transport household goods and furniture. This is also significant in the present–day environment where we are talking about global warming and climatic changes. The cycle rickshaws become the mode of transportation by its very nature of avoiding carbon emissions. Among the 8 million rickshaw pullers, hardly 10% of them own their rickshaws. They have to toil a lot and above that it is a profession,

In the absence of any substitute mode of transport for short distances, the rickshaws meet the need for urban and suburban mobility in middle-and lowermiddle income neighbourhoods and provide a low-cost way to transport household goods and furniture.”

which does not enjoy any respect. The Rickshaw Bank Centre for Rural Development has brought hope for the rickshaw pullers by providing a newly designed rickshaw, with insurance and license at an affordable cost, facilitating their solidarity for rights and livelihood. The project was started with much hype on November 20, 2004; and it has been a decade now that it has emerged as the flagship project of the CRD. As on date, CRD has worked on different development issues of the rickshaw pullers and has been working continuously with its Rickshaw Bank project.

What does it facilitate?

The bank has facilitated the individuals and its families with a number of schemes under the project, which has evolved through all these years. It started with the rickshaw pullers insurance and finance programme to own the rickshaw. They were given uniforms and slippers to wear. Moreover, ID cards were issued. The families were also benefitted with a new initiative in the Morigaon district, where they were also provided solar lights in their house

for which they pay a minimum rental. Currently, CRD is working upon a rickshaw pullers co-operative society, which would help them to sell and buy the rickshaws when needed and prevent middle men from getting into the vision of making rickshaw pullers independent.

Where do you see the scope of entrepreneurship and development in Assam?

People here have very less exposure and for entrepreneurship, risk has to be taken with courage even after facing a lot of failures. Also, connectivity is a major criteria for any kind of work that needs to be done if you really want to make it. That is the main reason I work from Noida and all I want to do is to bring opportunity and positive change to my place where it is still lacking. When I started with this initiative or even now when we approach people to come forward and know

about new things and avail the opportunity they still hesitate and tend to stay back. This is what needs to be changed.

You have won many awards. How do you feel about it?

Every time I am awarded, the sense of responsibility increases and I try to dedicate myself even more. I have been awarded both in and outside the country but this time it was something special as, when you are appreciated in your own motherland, it is always close to your heart. But more than these awards or appreciation, the happiness I see on a rickshaw pullers’ face who has been benefitted or their families who are in a better condition, gives me a much greater sense of satisfaction I get . This is what makes me drive through all my plans and I see my visions coming true. sneha.choudhury@g-plus.in

uwahati Women Entrepreneurs Association (GWEA) & CMU Handloom & Handicraft had organised an EXPO 2014 from 10th - 19th September in Lakhidhar Bora Kshetra near Dighalipukhuri. The expo included 14 stalls by different women entrepreneurs from different parts of the state including Guwahati, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Jorhat. These women have their own workforce and create their products from the raw materials and also engage weavers along with them. The expo included women entrepreneurs dealing with traditional Assamese attires which included Mekhela Chadar, Riha made of Muga , Cotton and Nuni . A stall also included handmade products made of water hyacinth. These included handbags, footwear, pen stand, basket etc. The price of the handloom products ranged from Rs 900- 2000 and the handicrafts ranged from Rs 100 – 800 including all the varieties available. Inaugurated by Bijoya Chakrabarty, the Guwahati MP, on the 10th of September, the expo received a good response. “Our objective was to bring in some of the women entrepreneurs under one roof. All of them are independent individuals and have shown great involvement in the handloom and handicraft productions,” added Chandra Deka, a member of the board in the Association. One of the women entrepreneurs said , “We got a platform for our products to be showcased but the sale was not up to our expectation considering the venue of the expo being changed in the last minute, however still we appreciate the opportunity given to us.”

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Society

CITY’S HISTORY IN RUINS

The North Brook Gate is a crumbling structure on the verge of collapse.

SNEHA CHOUDHURY

truggling for its existence, one of the city’s oldest structures, the North Brook Gate is on the verge of collapse. The Gateway of Assam, as it is called stands near the Sukreswar Ghat with its arches looking straight at the magnificent Brahmaputra. It remains a silent spectator to the changes around it. Interestingly, very few local people know about this place and most among them cannot recall its significance. Built to welcome the British Viceroy Lord Northbrook in 1874

An amount has been sanctioned for the renovation and restoration of the structure and the moment the archaeological department is ready, they can proceed with it.”

on his visit to Guwahati, he was the first viceroy to visit Assam after it was declared a province. He reached Guwahati by a steamer from Calcutta (the then capital of India) and landed at this site on 27th August 1874. On his visit, he announced the creation of Assam as a Chief Commissioner’s province with its capital at Shillong. The 140-year-old structure now remains a part of the park opened for recreation but with time, it has been facing lot of wear and tear. Several places have developed cracks and it shows that the relic is getting weak with time. There are some patches in the structure, where the plaster has cracked revealing the bricks underneath and a part of the wall that has tilted is in dire need of restoration. The sad state of this place is aggravated by the vegetation growth in and around the structure, which has made it worse. Add to it, the rapid changes in temperature and high rainfall, the gate’s need for immediate restoration and preservation is apparent. Being a very important part of the city’s history, there has been very little done in the name of restoration. Under the supervision of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation, ATDC renovation was done in 2003 for the last time when the park was launched. Since then, there has been

no such development or renovation done here. Anurag Singh, MD, ATDC said, “An amount has been sanctioned for the renovation and restoration of the structure and the moment the archaeological department is ready, they can proceed with it.” The State Archaeology Department has however mentioned that the structure is not under them and hence no work can be done from their side. It is still not known as to when the restoration might start, keeping in mind the speed of the system but we hope to see this piece of history in good condition again, as soon as possible. sneha.choudhury@g-plus.in

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Ward Watch

WE SAYS DON’T WANT GMC BATAHGULI RESIDENTS Sneha Choudhury

he Batahguli area of the last ward of Kamrup (M) – Ward 31 is interesting in its own right. The area falls both under the GMC as well as the Panchayat System. The people here enjoy their right to vote in both the elections respectively. G Plus went around the area and found out how the scenario in the area is.

WARD NO 31

CHALLENGES WATER SUPPLY

The water supply from the GMC has not yet reached this place. The residents have their own sources of water including wells and tube wells. As this place is partially hilly, many of the households face a lot of

problems and this scarcity remains throughout the year. Under the Panchayat, World Bank scheme and PHE , boring has been completed and the pipeline distribution is awaited.

WASTE DISPOSAL

In matters of waste disposal, there is not a single dustbin that is to be found in the entire area. On be-

SUB DIVISION 31 A, 31 B, 31 C WARD POPULATION 35,200 (approx.) TOTAL VOTERS 34,800 (approx.) CONCENTRATED REGION BATAHGULI FALLS UNDER 31 C AREA POPULATION 10,400 (approx.) AREA VOTERS 10,000 (approx.) COUNCILOR’S NAME SWAPAN DAS, PHONE NO. – 9864067152 AREA SABHA MEMBER PUNAM HALOI, PHONE NO. – 9706571123 AREA UNDER PANCHAYAT AMSING GAON PANCHAYAT AREA PANCHAYAT PRESIDENT KABITA DUARAH - 9707031840 MAJOR ISSUES WATER SUPPLY, WASTE DISPOSAL

ing asked , a shopkeeper said, “We burn all the waste individually at our houses and the story ends there.” The people though are unaware of the fact that burning of plastic materials as such causes air pollution. The primary collection done by the different NGOs in all other wards does not seem to be working here. The councillor added, “I am not aware of the fact that the NGO is not working there.”

STREET LIGHTS

The Batahguli main road has sufficient amount of street lights till the end of the road but the lanes and bye lanes are mostly dark. A resident said, “It is better if nobody asks about the work done by the GMC. The common man is destined to suffer for these basic needs every day.” A lady added, “Those who have electricity connections receive their bills of four to five months cumulatively as one with the added burden of late fines.” Area Sabha Member, Punam Haloi said, “We have enough connections which is better than before when the supply of the same was literally scarce.”

ISSUES UNDER CONTROL ROADS The main road, which takes you to the Guwahati Public School is the one that was repaired in the last GMC session under the same councillor. The usual ‘katcha’ road starts from the point where the school’s boundary ends. Many of the bye lanes are in dilapidated conditions. The 30 Lakh sanctioned for the first phase was

spent on the repairs of Dwarandha Village main road and Satgaon road in other parts of the ward. “The roads are repaired keeping the areas in mind and we work on the area as per priority. Five roads have been proposed to be included in the next phase. The lanes in the hilly areas need more money for repairs, ”adds Mrs Haloi. “Apart from the main road, the rest of the lanes and other constructions are done under the various schemes of the Panchayat System,” added the Panchayat President.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM

The drainage system of this area is considerably good. The hilly area is helpful in maintaining such conditions. Kabita Duara added, “Our people have maintained everything by themselves and that is the reason the area is clean.”

CHANGES REQUIRED

“The area has been under the panchayat system since 1997 and we do not want the GMC authorising in. As there are a considerable amount of people from the low-income group, being in the Panchayat system gives them opportunity of the various schemes under the government, which won’t be the same if they happen to be under the GMC. The GMC has been here from 2003, and we have submitted memorandum to remove their authority here. The people are very alert and active here and things run peacefully, which won’t be possible if GMC continues,” Duara said. sneha.choudhury@g-plus.in

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Business

NRL to go for bio-refinery

New trains for region

umaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) will explore the feasibility of setting up a bio-refinery in Assam to produce bio-ethanol using non-food bio-mass resources like bamboo. NRL has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with a Finland based Company, Chempolis Oy, for carrying out a feasibility study for the production of ethanol from bamboo biomass. Both the companies will jointly undertake an assessment study for ascertaining the availability of the required feedstock in North Eastern India. Bamboo is one of the major nonfood biomass resources available abundantly in North East India and is amongst the fastest growing plants. Production of fuel grade ethanol will

result in net savings for NRL. NRL is preparing a detailed feasibility report (DFR) to expand its refining capacity from 3 to 9 MMTPA million metric tones per annum (MMTPA). The 21th Annual General Meeting of NRL was held in Guwahati recently where it was announced that faced with the dual challenge of sub-economic refining capacity and declining trend in domestic crude oil supplies from North Eastern oil fields, the Company is actively pursuing a proposal of refinery expansion at an estimated cost of `16,600 crores, sourcing incremental crude through imports. The company is also actively pursuing the project to lay a 135 kms product pipeline from its terminal at Siliguri in West Bengal to Parbatipur

in Bangladesh to facilitate sustained export of MS (petrol) and high speed diesel (HSD). During the financial year 201314, NRL achieved a sales turnover of `9,872 crores recording a growth of 13% ; while the net profit increased by 157% to `371 crores. The basic earning per share was `5.04 as against `1.96 in the previous year. NRL’s Net worth stood at `2,991 crores as on March 31, 2014. The statement added that NRL went on to record 92.16 % distillate yield during 2013-14, the highest among PSU refineries in the country. Crude throughput during 2013-14 was 2613 Thousand Metric Tonnes(TMT), higher than the previous year by 5% and corresponding to 87% capacity utilization.

he Union Railway Minister D.V.Sadananda Gowda announced that rail link will connect all the state capitals of Northeast India in net five years. Railways are investing close to Rs 54,000 Crore in the region. Gowda reviewed the progress of railway projects in the region in Guwahati. Presently only Guwahati and Agartala has railway link and five other Northeastern state capitals are yet to have railway link. The minister said, “Out of Rs 54,000 Crore around Rs 30,000 is already spent and remaining amount will be spent in another 5 years. This year Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) will build 450 km of new lines.” National project of the Bo-

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gibeel Bridge in Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh which will connect North and South banks of mighty Brahmaputra River is likely to be completed by December 2016 at an estimated cost of Rs 5000 Crores. Railways are hopeful that it will be open to passenger traffic by June 2017. Six-month suspension of train services (mega block) by Railway for the 210km Lumding-Silchar gauge-conversion work will result in losses to railways to the tune of Rs 100 Crore. Ban on coal mining in Meghalaya will result in losses to the tune of Rs 50 Crore for railways. Gowda assured to review and do on spot verification of railway projects every six months.

Assam to have more roads

nion minister for road transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari is coming up with a dedicated corporation for the Northeast India which will become functional soon. The corporation will execute 10, 141 km of roads with an investment of Rs 30,000 Crore. Dedicated corporation for Northeast India will be headquartered in Guwahati. Gadkari while interacting with reporters through video conferencing assured that the much-delayed East-West corridor road project in Barak valley in Assam will be completed by 2015. The minister assured that he will speeding up road infrastructure projects along the border areas with China in Arunachal Pradesh. Gadkari added,“Border roads are a priority of the NDA government. After the new government took charge, the processes (land acquisition, environmental and forest clearances) were simplified and expedited. Now we can fullly expediate the work.” Gadkari stated he had reservation on the work of Border Roads Organisations (BRO), which is tasked with implementation of border roads . He said that he had already informed Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on the shortcomings of BRO.

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Sports

KAUSAV BARUAH

ith the much awaited Indian Super League just around the corner, the ongoing 63rd edition of the Bharat Ratna Lokopriya Bordoloi Trophy Football Tournament at the Nehru Stadium manages to portray only a shadow of its glorious past. Once the most popular football tournament, where thousands of spectators from across the state would throng the stadium to watch some of the footballing giants in action, it has now almost turned into a local affair. The ongoing tournament features the likes of I-League outfit Pune FC and I-League debutants Royal Wahingdoh FC, although Sikkim United FC have confirmed that they have backed out from participating in the tournament. Comptroller and Auditors General Delhi, Pune FC, Royal Wahingdoh FC and Assam Rifles will directly feature in the quarterfinals and will be playing the winners of the first round matches respectively. Sikkim United FC has been replaced by local superdivision side Navajyoti Club and will play former champions Oil India FC, Duliajan. Other teams include RG Baruah Guwahati Sports Association, Super Division League champions Assam State Electricity Board Sports Club, runner-up Green Valley Sports Club, Northeast Frontier Railway Sports Club and Ganga Sports Club while GSA A Division runners-up City Police have already bowed out of the tournament. On being asked about the failure to pull in foreign teams, Munim Nobis, president, Guwahati Sports Association said, “To invite any outstation team, finance is very essential. Oil India Limited, as always has come forward while State Bank of India too has assured us about sponsorship. To invite any foreign team we need to travel to that very country which is indeed a difficult task and that’s the reason why we have not been able to invite a

LOSING GROUND THE BORDOLOI TROPHY

foreign team over the last couple of years.” Several foreign clubs had featured in the earlier editions of the prestigious t o u r n a m e n t including Port Trust, Bangkok; Abahani Limited, Dhaka; Iranian club Esteghal; Uzb ek ist an-b as e d Narbakhar Club among others. The three giants from Kolkata – Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting were once regular participants. “People as well as the organisers did a fantastic job during those days but the scenario seems to be completely different today. I believe it is the lack of organising ability as well as the incapability to cope with the changing times of football around the country. During those days, thousands would throng the stadium to watch their local team take on some big names of Indian football. I still remember how people would cheer for Assam Police. Today we don’t have a team for whom people would make their way into the ground and neither do we currently have a player of Gilbertson Sangma’s stature,” said Subodh Malla Barua, senior journalist and secretary, Sports Journalists Federation of India. The senior journalist however talked about the changing times and the hurdles if the coveted trophy needs to regain its lost glory. “The atmosphere during those days was ecstatic and especially because of the way publicity was done. Today, I don’t see anything as such and things have changed accordingly.

“Preparations start a month before the tournament but if it has to regain its lost glory, I believe the day the Bordoloi Trophy ends preparations for the next edition should start the very next day.” Guwahati has become vast now so things should be planned accordingly. Preparations start a month before the tournament but if it has to regain its lost glory, I believe the day the Bordoloi Trophy ends preparations for the next edition should start the very next day, said Barua.” Regarding the ticket sales so far in the two matches, L Pranab Singh, football secretary, GSA said “It is quite satisfactory although we are expecting more spectators as the tournament proceeds. It is likely to pull in more people from the quarter-final onwards.” Earlier in the inaugural match, Assam State Electricity Board Sports Club progressed into the quarter-finals defeating City Police 4-2 via a tiebreaker. There was nothing much to divide between the two sides as both sides managed to find the back of the

net once in the regulation 90 minutes although it was the power-men who kept their nerve by scoring thrice in the tiebreaker while the cops managed to net once. ASEB took the lead after Syed Ansar made no mistake in converting an opportunity in the eighth minute. Jessy Vanlalmuana’s powerful strike from inside the box saw the ball rebound off the goalkeeper only to find an unmarked Ansar who found the back of the net with ease. The equaliser came in the 72nd minute after a free kick was awarded on the right flank for City Police.

Amulya Das who took the set piece provided Satrughna Konwar with the perfect elevation to head the ball into the net. In the penalty shootout, Nitu Narzary, Biplob Kundu and Y. Gopi Singh converted for ASEB, while Dwimalu Brahma was the only player to find the net for the cops. In the second match, a late goal in the additional minutes of full time by substitute Kapil Daimary helped Northeast Frontier Railway Sports Club get the better of Ganga Sports Club 2-1 to enter the quarter-finals. NF Railway will play Assam Rifles, Tezpur, in the quarter-finals on September 22.

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Life

I CAN AND I WILL... WATCH ME

Hate And Bitterness Will Destroy You Question : please say something about in-laws. Nowadays, people hate their in-laws.

ritu gupta gritu21@yahoo.com

m I a loser? This is something, which comes to my mind when things don’t go the way I wanted it to go. Sometimes when I get stuck somewhere and don’t find a solution I feel “Am I not satisfied with my life? Has life been harsh to me?” and then I start behaving like a marauding monster, destroying my inner peace. I guess this happens with all of us as a child, a parent, as a partner, at work and sometimes even amongst friends. We start putting ourselves in their shoes forgetting that each one’s journey is different and each one’s approach towards life is different. By doing so, it gives us lots of stress. We lose our peace of mind. No matter how much we try, we are unable to recuperate from that pain. Then the only thing that comes in our mind is that “I am a big loser.” Life has been very tough on me and so I become distressed and lost. Everything seems to be useless. This is the stage where we have to become strong. This is the time we need to realise that self-pity will take our situation from bad to worse. This

is the time, we need to stand up and gather all the strength to start working on ourselves. This is the time, I need to tell myself, “I will not be deterred by emotions. All I need to do now is work a lot with my mind. I need to change my thoughts. I need to change it to a positive one and start saying that I am not a loser.” I need to accept all the challenges and make a strong move towards my goal. By changing our perception, we get the strength to fight against our weaknesses. Life has never been very smooth for anyone. Majority of the people whom we come across are never satisfied with life. Each one’s definition about life would be different. Some call it a journey while others call it a battlefield and for some it’s just a stage. When attacked by the outside world we lose our confidence. This is the time we need to rise and start working on ourselves. Always remember, “Winners Make Things Happen Losers and Let Things Happen.” Every reaction starts from our mind and we need to control it. By doing so, we are able to cope up with all

Tranquil Waters 3 tinat ATIFA MASOOD

As they stood there, blending into the moment, another distant yet loud rumble made her clasp his hand tighter than before. He put an arm round her in affirmation that there is nothing to fear since he was there. However, just as they were about to turn and move in through another line of trees, a bright light appeared in the distant sky, first like a small dot and then in seconds covered the whole expanse of the blue sky. Both of them had to turn away from the sharp and stinging glare. As they squinted and shielded their eyes, they saw that the bright white light changed to a green, then azure, a bright orange and finally to a dark grey. What they saw next amazed them! The stars which seemed far away otherwise hung low in the sky making them look like

millions of twinkling lamps swaying in the breeze. He turned to look at her face and he was mesmerized! Her face was glowing in the light from the stars and the smile on her lips made his heart skip a beat. He knew from the day he met her that he would be spending the rest of his life with her and today, seeing her beautiful face he knew he was falling in love with her again. He pulled her close to him as if to allay the sudden fear that flashed for a second through his mind and he kissed her on her forehead with a passion unbeknownst to her. She looked up at him questioningly! He shook his head, smiled and clasped her hands once again. This time they moved faster and carefully through another stretch of trees. He wanted her to see a special place. The glow-worms showed them the way, moving close to them, as if almost whispering to them to move carefully. He held her close to him to make sure she didn’t miss a step as he led her deep into the woods. There was a rustle in the leaves and a small lithe figure alighted from one of the branches, all in white, with powder blue wings and a wreath that glowed around her crown. They were taken aback at first but

tough situations. It has been said that everything good or bad starts from our mind. Stronger the mind, stronger the person and vice versa. Taking up regular exercise, eating the right kind of food, taking out time for yourself, meditating every day, helps us to make our life easier. Problems are always there in each one’s life. We need to find out our problems and look for solutions. Strangely, half of the people don’t even know what their problems are and so they are not able to look for solutions. For some who know their problems, are not willing to accept and start living being a loser. Choice is ours whether we want to live our life as a loser or simply stand up and look for the solution. Our thoughts are the weakest at the onset so we should change it at that time. Being happy does not mean that everything is perfect. It means that you have decided to look beyond imperfections. As put very beautifully, “It’s our inner power that makes us a loser or a winner. And the winners are the ones who really listen to the truth of their hearts.”

when they saw the ‘cute little fairy’ guiding them through the dark path, their fear was completely dispelled. They could see light streaming in where the tree line thinned down. They looked back only to see the glow-worms and the fairy blend into thin air. But both of them knew they were there, watching over them. They rushed to the end of the path and were welcomed by the loud chirping of birds, which much to their delight were of all hues. The leaves were a darker green and fresh as if the rains had just a while ago washed everything in its stead. Butterflies floated all around as if waiting to welcome them. And there, right in the middle of all this bounty of nature, was the most beautiful water-fall they had ever seen. The water flowed down in a white sheet from over a hill, crashed in places on stones, splashing water and finally flowed into a lagoon, which had clear blue water; blue like the kingfisher perched on a branch of a tree, which bore bright yellow fruits. Flowers bloomed in every possible corner, making the entire place enigmatic for both of them. They couldn’t for a second take their eyes off this wondrous place they had chanced upon. They both decided that they would take in the serenity of this place for as long as their hearts allowed them. Hugging each other in a close embrace, they sat down in a patch of grass and after a while fell into a deep slumber, where they saw demons accoutred in black robes, riding horses!

Yes, this is a very common thing. In India, we had a program with about 20,000-25,000 people. I usually say that anyone who comes to the ashram should leave their worries and problems here, and go back home with a smile. One lady said, ‘My problem is my mother-in-law, can I leave her here?’ I told her, ‘Wait, let me ask your mother-in-law what is her problem! And your husband! He may say, ‘Both of them are my problem, can I also leave them here?’ I told that lady, ‘Look, you have a mother, right? Did you not fight with your mother on a routine basis? When you fought with your mother, you forgot it the next day. In fact, your mother was even harsher than your mother-in-law!’ She said, ‘Yes, but she is my mother!’ I said, ‘It is the same. Your mother-in-law is also your mother. They belong to same category, same age group. In fact, she is a little more cautious because you are the daughter-in-law so she doesn’t scold you as much as your mother. Why don’t you win her over with your love? Why do you take what she tells you so seriously?’ When you fight with your mother, do you stop talking to your mother? Do you hate your mother because your mother was not very nice to you? No! So, treat your mother-in-law the same way as your mother. You know she has her limitations, and her own life, so why don’t you win her over with love? What is the big thing? Most problems happen because of the way we talk. You may want to have a carrot salad, and your mother-in-law may want a celery salad. So, on one day let her have her way, and on another day you have your way. What is the big thing about it? You don’t need to be bogged down for this, or hate her for this. How long are they going to be on this planet? Anyway, you are going to be here longer than her. Imagine yourself in the same position. You have a son that grows up, gets married, and the daughter-in-law comes to your home and she hates you. Would you like to be in that situation? Would you like to be in a situation where your own daughter-in-law hates you and takes your son away from you? You would not like that, then why do you do that? We live in a world that is so complex, people are so different, and we have to live with them. See, there are all types of animals living in the forest, from tigers to deer. They don’t say, ‘I am going to live in a separate forest and you live in a separate forest’. Sometimes you become a deer, and sometimes you become a tigress, that is okay. You don’t have to be a deer all the time. But don’t be a tigress all the time and keep frowning at someone. Even they don’t prey all their life. They remain like the deer, sometime at least, when they are not hungry. So, endure people at home. Be a beacon of light, a beacon of joy to the home you have gone to. Know that you can change the situation and you can change people. If you find that an old dog cannot learn new tricks, they are too old, then accept them the way they are. Never mind! It is necessary for us to see life from a bigger picture. If you hate someone too much you will have no freedom from them. You will be born with them or they will be born to you. Then you are stuck with them for your lifetime; not only this lifetime but even the next lifetime. So it is better that you make peace and be happy with them so that you get freedom. Suppose you hate your mother-in-law and she hates you, and she dies or you die, both of you are going to come back to finish the score again! I tell you, it is going to be tougher the next time, much tougher. It is better you swallow the bitter pill or whatever their tendencies are and forgive them and give only joy. Be compassionate and stop hating people. If you are a daughter-in-law, you have gone into a house which is very challenging, your first challenge is to see how you can win over the people’s mind and heart. Know that you have the capacity to change people, especially when you are on this path. We are changing the mindsets of terrorists, even they are getting transformed, can’t you change the mind of that one poor lady? If not change her, why not just accept her the way she is? She maybe singing off tune, let her sing. Sometimes, off tune singing becomes a fashion, it becomes a new style of singing. Let it go on and have patience. Wisdom can pull you through this sort of mental self created agonies

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Entertainment

g plus feature

t was supposed to be one of the biggest events of the month – Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra was going to be in town to address media persons and to promote Mary Kom, the movie. But all did not go well as mismanagement on the part of the sponsors (Dalmia Cement) and the event managers threatened to derail the event and was almost on the verge of cancellation. The newly opened Radisson Blu, a five-star hotel where the event was supposed to happen, became a scene of disarray as the vehicle with the mediapersons were not allowed entry into the venue. The visitors were enraged even more as reputed and veteran news-men were asked to proceed on foot to the hotel after registering their names at the gates. This was again possible only if the identification cards were displayed. The fiasco soon escalated and the scenario finally saw a member of the event management firm and representatives of the organisation requesting the journalists to come back for the press conference. However, this move did not work and finally the press conference was called off in Radisson Blu. According to various reports, when Priyanka Chopra finally got to know about the incident, she ordered for an alternate venue to be set up and finally the media interaction was arranged in Hotel Bhargav Grand later on in the day. Though it was not the first time that the ‘Fashion’ star Priyanka Chopra had visited Guwahati, this time the visit was far more eventful than her other visits to this region. Because this time it was a visit

CHOPRA SAILS THROUGH CHOPPY WATERS

As a girl, it is very difficult to grow muscles. Mary has been doing it for fifteen years and I had only three months. Since I have taken the responsibility.”

to make herself an integral part of the region through the biopic of Olympic medal winning boxer M C Mary Kom, in which Priyanka Chopra plays the role of the lead protagonist. The movie, directed by Omung Kumar and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali hit the theatres on the 5th of September across the country and became an instant hit. To share the success of the movie with the enthusiastic crowd living in this part of the country, Priyanka visited Guwahati last Monday. The national award-winning actress had arrived at the LGBI airport at around 12:45 in a chartered aircraft accompanied by her personal assistant, personal bodyguards and a few other associates. Later, while interacting with the media, the actor spoke about the

Amit SonarSB NERIM Mimicry

Kainat NERIM

Dancing

BISHNU CHETRI Cotton College Dancing

Nibir Jyoti

Cotton College

Mimicry

Bithika Konwar Cotton College Singing

Rajdeep

NERIM

Singing

making of Mary Kom and her love and affection towards Assamese food and the North eastern region. “I knew off Mary Kom. I knew she was an Olympic medallist. I did not know that she was a five-time world champion, just as a lot of people did not know before the movie. It’s really gratifying that people admit that they did not know Mary and now through my movie they have come to know about Mary and other athletes like her,” stated Priyanka Chopra. While replying to the question of similarities about ‘Mary Kom’ and other boxing movies like ‘Million dollar baby’, she said, “I watched almost all the boxing movies, but this movie has nothing to do with the ‘Million dollar baby’, except for the fact that they are both about women boxers. It’s Mary’s real life. We joined Mary’s boxing academy and are raising funds for her academy. She never asked for it.” Admiring the iconic boxer on whom the movie has been made, Priyanka stated, “I do not have the

arrogance to consider myself as a world champion boxer. I was just playing a role as close to Mary as possible. I was not like Priyanka Chopra in the movie. I admire Mary, not only because of her boxing skills, but also as a woman who gives equall importance to both her family and career. Every woman in this country should follow her ambition.” “I have been to Guwahati many times. My father and uncle (Phupha ji) were posted here. I had tenga dali in one of the TV shows. NE is beautiful. I went to Manipur and stayed with Mary and her family for four to five days before the shoot. As we were landing today, all of us opened the window and looked outside. It was full of greenery. You never get to see that in Mumbai.” Priyanka went on to Assamese food and the beauty of the region. Explaining her schedule and preparing herself for the role of Mary Kom, Priyanka said, “As a girl, it is very difficult to grow muscles. Mary has been doing it for fifteen years and I had only three months. Since I have taken responsibility, I have to look like a boxer. The body really hurts and it was tough. I knew that. But it was responsibility and I did the best I could” “I have been to Assam after so many years and so I did not want to miss the opportunity to talk with the people living out here. I think the people out here are very sweet. I thought it would be a good way to reach out to everybody. We are taking loads of local food in our flight including fish and mustard. I had it in my lunch and liked a lot.”

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Reviews

GAME REVIEW

You SHOULD LISTEN

‘Corazón’ Artist: Santana

Risen 3: Titan lords

T MOVIE REVIEW

Director: Habib Faisal Starring: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Anupam Kher, Karan Wahi, Sumit Gaddi

he usually unreliable Sajid-Wajid can throw up surprises, especially when the director at the helm is Habib Faisal, who along with Amit Trivedi gave us the terrific Ishaqzaade. Faisal’s refined rootedness and the composer’s commercial sensibilities is what makes Daawat-e-Ishq an album worth giving a chance. The Daawat-e-Ishq title song, like the composers’ loving throwback to Bollywood’s popular qawwali numbers, is charged with a festive spirit. It’s got an easy, hummable hook and singers Javed Ali and Sunidhi Chauhan pour in the right amount of drama. The sparkling sound of the rebab, the lovely little touches of santoor richly dress up the song. Next up is the old-fashioned Mannat that brings back the melodious vocal flourishes of Sonu Nigam. While it’s great to hear Nigam after a long time, the song doesn’t stand out much apart from Munir’s richly textured lyrics, and some nice variations in the arrangement. Rangreli suffers from the same problem of the lack of a good central melody. The song lights up only around the antara thanks to Wajid and Shreya Ghosal’s spirited singing. Shayarana is the album’s breezy romantic number and is also very unlike Sajid-Wajid. One can see the effort to recreate a Pareshaan (Parineeti, Shalmali Kholgade, Munir and Faisal). While the light, rock ballad doesn’t make for a great composition, it does offer some relief to the ears amidst all the

tabla-dholak. I didn’t know what to make of Jaadu tone waaliya at first but it grows over a few listens. The percussions are infectious and there is an odd Punjabi authenticity to it, but its singer Shabir Sabri with his solid rendition owns the song. Mannat reprise takes the boring, unimaginative route of swapping the male and female singing portions of the original. The result is ineffective. But the songs, barring the title track and Jaadu tone waaliya, don’t have a lasting impression. However, Habib’s screenplay remains a bit fragile. Like a semi-raw chicken takes time to be chewed, the extended narration in the mid tests our patience with usual talks over relationship but finally we digest them with delicious songs served like a glass of wine. Before the desserts in the end, Habib gives us a surprise dish. The grey shades of Gulrez give the entire organized feasta a welcome twist, which keeps us hooked on our seats. And yes how could we forget the desserts in the end. Well, whatever Habib has in his junket is surely to be tried once. The director has mixed up the right amount of ingredient to give almost a perfect taste to all the recipes in Daawat-e-Ishq. Garnish over them is none other than Aditya and Parineeti’s impressive performance. Though, we sometimes couldn’t digest Adi’s made-up Lucknawi dialect but he charms us with his witty and humourous act.

itan Lords, like its two predecessors, is not the kind of role-playing game typically considered to be a worthy one should you apply certain objective measures. Its cliched fantasy-pirate story trades in the usual tropes, featuring voodoo priestesses, busty bar wenches, and foul-mouthed seafarers seeking a swig of rum. Its exploitable combat takes the sting out of victory, keeping lategame combat from being much more than a minor time-waster. Each game system has an annoying flaw or three of some manner or another; lines of dialogue appear in nonsensical order, execution moves are accompanied by nauseating camera contortions, and you might suddenly have a new weapon equipped after a loading screen. What Risen 3 has that will keep

you pressing forward is a sense of grand adventure, directing you from one island to the next while you seek to unite your body with your missing soul after your death and resurrection. During your travels, you parley with ghosts, many of which have the sour attitude you might expect from a spirit forced into a partnership with a mere mortal. You morph into a colorful parrot and float to otherwise impassable ground, you train a monkey to steal gold and grog, and you choose which of several powerful factions to align with. These are the same islands you explored in Risen 2, but they have been refreshed and redesigned, making Risen 3 more than just “Risen 2.5,” though the thematic gap between the second and third games in the series is not nearly as great as that between the first two.

T You SHOULD Read

he best instrumentalists don’t just play- they speak. Instruments can move freely without language or diction hampering them, but that also makes it more challenging to deliver a message or establish an identity. Yet the sound of Carlos Santana’s guitar is unmistakable: angular melodies with a signature piercing tone, easy to distinguish no matter the genre, from rock to Latin to jazz. No wonder that “Corazón,” billed as Santana’s first Latin album, is all about that guitar, despite boasting star vocal collaborators from around the world. The instrument’s leading role lets “Corazón” be much more than what would typically qualify as Latin (music sung in Spanish), as the guitar’s universal language turns the album into a global mixtape: You never know what you’re going to get, or from where. “Corazón” is a blend of covers and new material, ranging from standards like Bob Marley’s “Iron Lion Zion,” featuring Ziggy Marley and Colombian hip-hop act ChocQuibTown, to new songs like “Indy,” an improvisational freestyle track that’s basically a duet between Santana’s guitar and Miguel’s voice.

he novel begins with a trio of seemingly unrelated deaths and a hacking attempt into the server of one of the biggest accounting firms, following which we find our lead characters trying to make sense of the events by connecting the dots. It is a race between the good guys (Varsha, an employee of the accounting firm and Ranade, the police officer) trying to protect sensitive data and the bad guys who try their damnest to keep the evidence of their fraudulent activities under wrap. Though the plot is intricate, the narrative moves rather simply from one situation to the next without many parallel events or storylines. Towards the end, there are many exciting elements including high speed car chases and kidnappings through which

the reader is nudged towards red herrings which keep the reader distracted till the protagonists track down and reveal the real fraudster and killer. The amazing part about the novel is its interesting plot and how complicated technical aspects are described in a simple manner. The narrative includes complex financial manipulation and tinkering with BlackBerrys as well as Microsoft Exchange Servers. However, it is not tedious to go through these technical parts as it is all nicely woven into the storyline. The author’s expertise with respect to the banking industry is apparent from his descriptions of banks’ decision making processes and also from how realistic the story is.

NOW SHOWING Dawat-E-Ishq

Khoobsurat

Mary Kom

Apsara Cinema

Daily at 11AM, 2, 5 & 8 PM

Anuradha Cineplex

Daily at 11.30 AM & 5.30 PM

Daily at 9.00 AM & 2.30 PM

Daily at 8.30 PM

Fun Cinemas

Daily at 12.30 & 8.30 PM

Daily at 10.00 AM & 5.30 PM

Daily at 3.00 PM

Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazar)

Daily at 11AM, 2, 5 & 8.30PM

Daily at 2, 5.30 & 8 PM

Daily at 11.30 AM

Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar)

Daily at 11.00 AM, 5 & 8.30PM

Daily at 2 & 8 PM

Daily at 11.30 AM

Gold Cinema (Narengi)

Daily at 11 AM & 5 PM

Daily at 8 PM

Suma Poroxote (Assamese)

Daily at 2.30 & 5.30 PM

Telebooking numbers: Anuradha Cineplex; 03612656968, 9954544738, Fun Cinemas: 9864800100, 9864800200, Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazaar): 03612735367, 9854077177, Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar): 9854066166, Gold Cinema (Narengi): 8811001898

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Facebook may cause YouTube to support depression: Study offline mode in India

ccording to a recent research, Facebook addicts are likely to develop depression and end up feeling lonely.The psychologists found that users who spend a lot of time consistently on Facebook have low satisfaction in life when it comes to basic psychological needs. Researchers say that the users feel a sense of ballooning loneliness. The study was published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, by Austrian psychologists Tobias Greitmeyer and Christina Sagioglou. ‘There is a link between a dampened mood and Facebook,’ informed Austrian psychologists Christina Sagioglou and Tobias Greitmeyer. There has been past studies also highlighting Facebook addiction with self esteem. According to the study, people with high self-esteem add more information to their personal profiles on the social networking sites while people with lower self-esteem are more concerned with what others post about them on Facebook and

Google launches Crisis Map for flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir

oogle has introduced a Crisis Response Map for flood hit Jammu and Kashmir with updated satellite imagery. The Map is likely to help the authorities concerned identify flood zones, evacuation routes and weather conditions. The Crisis Response Map is available at http://google.org/ crisismap/2014-jammu-kashmirfloods. Users can also share the map via embed, e-mail or social media through a dedicated Share button. “We hope the crisis map can accelerate the efforts of responding agencies and people affected by the disaster. We continue to work on providing more relevant tools for rescue agencies, volunteers and non- profits,” says Google in a statement. Crisis Response Map is the latest Google tool dedicated for the flood hit state. Earlier this week, Google launched its Google Person Finder tool for Jammu and Kashmir. The web application allows individuals to post the details of, and search for the status of, family members or friends affected by the disaster. The tool is available in both English and Hindi.

continuously monitor their Facebook wall for updates and posts. Recently a Dutch creative agency launched a campaign called “99 Days of Freedom,” that wants participants to quit social network for more than three months. The company’s directors suggests that instead of using Facebook, users can send time more productively in learning new skills, hang out with their friends or even volunteering.

oogle has announced that YouTube will be available to users in Offline mode in India in coming weeks. This means, users will be able to download videos in the YouTube app when they are connected on Wi-Fi, and view it later without a data connection. The feature will be useful in India which has the slower internet speed, poor 3G connectivity and expensive data plans. With YouTube Offline, users would be able to see their favourite videos while they are connected to the faster Wi-Fi network at home, rewatch it offline according to their convenience. A Google spokesperson stated, “YouTube is popular here. You watch some videos again and again. How awesome would it be if you could keep watching them again and again without having to pay for data, and take the videos with you wherever you go?” said YouTube executive Ceasar Sengupta

ouTube is the most popular video sharing website where millions of users daily share and enjoy videos. We all use YouTube for watching videos. But sometimes searching for a video takes too much time. So in this article, I am adding some YouTube search operators for better video searching experience on YouTube. With these search operators, you will be able to find the desired video content quickly. 1. Search Only Channel Not Video

at the event. “Within the coming few weeks, much of YouTube will be available offline in India. This is huge, and our users will really, really like this. You can download a video once, save it to your phone, and watch it again and again.”

If you are only searching for the channel, then just entering the channel name will show you many videos having that word in video title and description. But you can just get channels results by adding word “, channel” in search query. Search for: “Channel Name, channel” 2. Search Only Playlist If you are searching only for playlist. Then append ‘, Playlist’ word in the search term. And results will contain only playlists. Search For: “Lady Gaga, Playlist” 3. Search High Definition Video This is very helpful. If you are searching for video, then this search operator will help you in searching only “HD” videos. Just add word ‘, HD’ in search query. It will show you results only with HD video. Search For: “iPhone unboxing, HD” 4. Find Longer Videos

Orchestra, James Touchi-Peters. Oh by the way, you will also have to pay $3000 per year to remain on the social network, much like you do in a country club. If you’re thinking Netropolitan is an unique website, then you need to think again. There are others like ASmallWorld (Private International Lifestyle Club), Affluence (Your future awaits in the world’s most exclusive digital country club) and

Topcom, which is soon to launch for the next 200 world leaders. The concept of social networking has been taken to a different level over the past year or so. Consider the many anonymous social networks like Secret, Confess etc. and nonsensical social networks like Bencho that recently came up. Everyone is using them now, even terrorists, and the ideas keep getting wackier every day.

Now a NoPhone to stop your smartphone addiction group of inventors from New York have launched a NoPhone on Kickstarter to beat your smartphone addiction. The device is a rectangular piece of plastic which resembles a smartphone but doesn’t do anything. The NoPhone Kickstarter page mentions features like “battery free, no upgrades necessary, shatterproof [and] waterproof.” It is being touted as an ideal replacement for your pesky iPhone or Android phone. It also comes with

5 YouTube Search Operators to Improve YouTube Search Submitted by Indrajeet Bhuyan

Bored of Facebook? Join this exclusive social network for $9000 ocial network users today can be broken down into three types — those who use it actively, those who join social networks but don’t really use it, and those who don’t join any social network. That’s it right? Well, think again. A new social network, called Netropolitan, caters exclusively to the rich. The tagline goes, “The online social network for those with more money than time.” Netropolitan requires a whopping $9000 (approx. Rs. 55,000) to join and does away with the concept of ‘adding friends’. Apart from the money, you also have to be above 21 to join this social network. Users are allowed to see everyone’s posts and can create groups based on interests etc. Of course, the $9000 allows Netropolitan to pass on the advertisements, which Facebook and others can not. The cost of being free you see. Netropolitan has been created by former Minnesota Philharmonic

Events

an optional “Selfie Upgrade” (a mirror sticker). The team behind the NoPhone are aiming for $30,000 in funding, for a phone which does nothing. This might very well be a prank from a group of friends, however it address a serious issue. NoPhone’s Kickstarter page says, “Phone addiction is real. And it’s everywhere. It’s ruining your dates. It’s distracting you at concerts. It’s disrupting you in movie theaters. It’s clogging up sidewalks. Now, there is a real solution.”

Many times you need videos with in-depth tutorials or interview. So, searching for long videos will give you results with full episode. Because many people upload small clips of a large episode in parts. So, limit YouTube search to return long video. Search for “Binary Search Algorithm Introduction, long” 5. Search only TV shows If you want to watch TV shows on YouTube, just search the name with ‘, show’ word in the query. If you want to watch Game of Thrones, search like this Search for: ‘Game of Thrones, Show’ Indrajeet Bhuyan is a 16 year old tech blogger and security researcher. He is passionate about computers and believes in sharing knowledge and information . He uses his spare time helping people and companies secure themselves. fb.me/ indrajeet.bhuyan

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

G-Talk

Are today’s doctors morally degraded?

Chirojyoti Bhattacharjee

N Manoj Kumar Singh

Artist

Doctor

POINT

COUNTERPOINT

Nowadays, this is happening with people belonging to every profession. But since the doctors are into the profession of saving people’s lives, it would be very dangerous if they (doctors) lose moral standards. But unfortunately, today the evidences of moral degradation of the doctors are easily seen almost everywhere - be it in the government hospitals or private clinics. There has already been a long standing allegation of negligence towards the patients being admitted in government hospitals and nursing homes by the doctors on duty. The latest evidence was seen in the case of Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital where according to media reports fourteen staff members including doctors and nurses have been suspended due to negligence of duty. Moreover, a few months back, doctors were caught red handed while taking bribes from the medicine companies in the capital city of Delhi, which was seen in a string operation carried out by a national television channel. Taking into account that incident, the union health minister had to intervene into the matter. These incidents have been happening for ages and becoming common practices now-a-days which compel peo-

ple to lose faith in doctors. Ultimately, who wants to go to a doctor who treats him like a guinea pig? Nobody! The moral degradation of the doctors has been posing a greater threat to the weaker section of the society. Those people do not have the money to get themselves admitted into luxurious nursing homes and visit private clinics. Their only option is to visit a government hospital. If they are not treated well in the government hospitals, their lives would be at stake. Besides, the way the cost of medical treatment is increasing every day, it becomes hard even for the middle class people to go to a private nursing home. The doctors charge exorbitant amounts in the private clinics where they treat people out of their office time. Even, the government has to make rules for the doctors to serve in the rural areas at least for two years. We used to hear stories about the doctors treating people thwarting all hurdles in times of crisis, that too free of cost, in earlier days. Now, it is understandable that everybody needs money to meet everyday’s needs. But, in pursuit of money, the doctors should not forget their moral responsibilities which they have to the society at large.

here is a common English proverb that goes, ‘one rotten apple spoils the whole bunch,’ so, I must say that it happens with not only the medical profession but also with all other jobs which require dedication, perseverance and humanity. Not all doctors are irresponsible or irresponsible, but the few who are, set a bad example for all the doctors and it brings a bad name to the entire fraternity. Doctors inevitably come into spotlight, being at the forefront of health care delivery. Sometimes, seen as guardian angels restoring health and life, other times, they are also thought of as greedy minds sucking resources while they carelessly harm and kill patients to fill their wallets. After experiencing, observing and hearing from others like me, I wonder if doctors are given more responsibility than they can handle, often attributed more aura than they deserve and frequently accused of more corruption than they are liable for. People assume that doctors if they are not at the hospitals, are busy in different clinics making extra money. But that is not always the reason. Even doctors are human beings and they do have their responsibilities towards their family. The doctors, when required, visit their patients at any time of the day. When there is an emergency, doctors try to solve the case even sacrificing their own sleep and

food. Doctors during their initial days are taught about the importance of the responsibilities given to them. But, it is also true that according to researches, there is a dearth of doctors not only in Guwahati but in the entire country. So, government should at least make sure that there are enough doctors so that the pressure is distributed among them evenly. Doctors are trained with skills but are not magicians. Medicine is an artfully delivered science. Patients get better not because of anyone’s angelic touch or some celestial mediation, but because of treatments and interventions that are tested, tried and known to work. However, the art of delivering leaves a long lasting impression in patients’ minds. These minor details are the major differences between top and mediocre hospitals. This ends my argument about the supernatural powers that doctors are supposed or expected to have. As recently, show-cause notices were issued to some doctors of one of the city based government doctors, the official who issued the notice should have at least met the doctors and asked them what exactly was the reason because of which they were not there in the hospital during duty hours? If you talk about officials or even politicians, they too, are not always there in their work place.

JOURNALISM IN THE TIME OF INSURGENCY By Nava Thakuria

he working journalists, more precisely the reporters covering insurgency related incidents, always face a two-edged sword where they face brickbats (read threats) from both the insurgents and the authorities. The media has every right to report about the insurgencies and so thus, their contacts with the militants belonging to the banned armed outfits too. But the question that arises if at all, is do the journalists have the right ‘to feed inputs’ to the militants that includes the ‘soft targets’ for them to extort money or punish for ‘spying for the authority.’ The media houses cannot be punished for ‘receiving a mail’ from the outlawed militant group, but can they ‘forward’ the mail to someone, even for the reporting purpose? All these questions, which were raised, debated and defined among the Guwahati based journalists in

Corrigendum

the Nineties, have haunted them again with the arrest of a Kokrajhar based television journalist on 2nd September. The State police department has taken advantage of the situation and stated that the Kokrajhar scribe ‘was not arrested as a media person, but as an individual who continued objectionable links with the militants for many years’. The arrest of Jaikhlong Brahma, the correspondent of a privately owned satellite channel, has resulted in massive protest programmes across Assam mostly by the media organisations. The last major one was organized by the Kokrajhar Press Club on 8th September, where over 800 people joined and demanded an immediate and unconditional release of Brahma. Brahma was produced in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kokrajhar on the same day, where he was denied bail and sent to eight-day judicial custody. Earli-

er the 44 years old journalist was produced in the same court on 3rd September and he was remanded to police custody for five days. It may be mentioned that one more television journalist (Rinoy Basumatary) from Kokrajhar in western Assam, who works for another Guwahati based satellite channel, is also facing arrest for the same allegations. The police have already raided his residence in connection with the case and Basumatary has remained absconding since then. Brahma along with his colleagues have already denied the allegations levelled by the police that he was ‘silently providing information about the movement of security personnel engaged in counter-insurgency operation to the militants belonged to National Democratic Front of Bodoland (IK Songbijit faction)’. They were also unanimous in their views that neither Brahma nor any scribe from Kokrajhar was instigat-

ing the militants compromising national security. Meanwhile, two international media persons’ organisations have come out with statements deploring the arrest of Brahma. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), while condemning the Assam government for the arrest, also demanded Brahma’s immediate release. “We demand an immediate and fair investigation into the matter. The rights of the media to report are clear in India’s constitution and a journalist should not be arrested for simply reporting the information they disseminate,” said an IFJ statement issue from its headquarter in Brussels. Lately the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed concern over the arrest of Brahma and arrest warrant against Basumatary. The media persons’ rights body headquartered in New York in a statement also called on the authority to

‘publicly disclose the evidence’ used to hold Brahma in custody. “Accusations of compromising national security are a common method used by Indian authorities to silence local journalists. CPJ research shows that several journalists including Aseem Trivedi, Sudhir Dhawale and Lingaram Kodopi have been arrested on anti-state charges in recent years. All three were eventually freed,” added the CPJ statement. A protest meeting was also organised at the Guwahati Press Club on 4 September, which urged the Tarun Gogoi led government in Dispur to release Brahma and withdraw Basumatary’s arrest warrant. Various speakers in the meeting, while categorically declaring that they would never glorify the insurgents’ misdeeds, strongly argued that a journalist has the right to contact insurgent leaders (for reporting purpose) and because of that, he or she must not be punished.

In the last G-Talk (Vol 1 Issue 50) the name and photograph of Rahel Manching was erroneously published and the views expressed in the article were not hers. The error is regretted.

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Your weekly dose of Aries Watch your step on Monday and through the beginning of the day on Tuesday — literally. Your physical being needs extra attention, both in terms of staying (or getting) healthy and avoiding accidents. From Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, taking a look at things from the other person’s perspective — whether that’s your boss, a friend or the barista at your favorite coffee shop — gives you a much better point of view. If you’re not sure how they’re seeing it, just ask; a simple question can change everyone’s day. This weekend, you’ve got some stuff to process, and you’ll want some time alone to mull it over.

Leo Put yourself on a severe weather watch as the week begins, because a serious brainstorm is on the way. For even better results, get a few smart, creative friends in on it. From Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, you can take whatever ideas, feelings and instincts you’ve been having to a deeper, more meaningful level. If you’re sharing your findings, though, be prepared for responses that hit home. This weekend looks simply stellar for you. You’re saucy, sexy, smart — what’s not to love? Get inspired, and pass it on.

Sagittarius Anyone who’s micromanaging as the week begins isn’t going to endear themselves to you, and any detail-oriented work you do might have a few holes in it. You’re thinking about bigger things — so sue you, right? Luckily your world gets into step with you from Tuesday afternoon through Thursday. The reaching out you do now is amply rewarded with wonderful and weird connections, entertaining moments and all sorts of fun and funny stuff. This weekend, though, don’t just be wary of mood swings — analyze why you’re having them and where they’re coming from.

SUDOKU

TIMEPASS

Taurus

Virgo

Capricorn

You’re all over the little things as the week begins, and when the little things include sweet, funny and meaningful connections with those around you, well, the big things can take care of themselves. Sometime between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday, though, your ideas are likely to clash with a certain someone’s. Will you clamp onto your point of view, or will you pry that mind open enough to consider their thoughts? If you’re uncertain about something (or someone) this weekend, heed your instinct. You don’t have to decide immediately — or if you do, maybe it’s best to walk away.

Scorpio

You may be focusing on the little things to an extreme as the week begins — or, on the other hand, you might find the details so numerous as to be overwhelming. The point? Your usual balance is off — until Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, when you’re able to walk any tightrope in a spangled outfit, looking fabulous and juggling all sorts of lovely things. These are in-the-spotlight days for you, so enjoy the glow. This weekend, your mind’s on your money — or on what you can or can’t get with your budget. Remember, there are more important things in life.

Plans you make and information you unearth as the week begins serve you extra well, so get organized and do a little research of whatever sort is most important (for work? romance? life in general?). You’re operating at a deeper level from Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, and while you may not feel much like talking about it, a discussion with a trusted, empathetic friend can be incredibly fruitful. As for this weekend: Look out, world, here you come, complete with smoldering charisma, dauntless daring and stunning smarts. Transformation’s a given at times like this, so welcome and direct it.

Aquarius

Apply a little extra energy to work as the week begins, and the rewards could multiply exponentially. Putting some thought into planning for your future also brings big benefits. From Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, however, other areas of your life could use your attention. How are those relationships? Or, for that matter, how’s the laundry? Get caught up with chores and important people — work can take a back seat. This weekend, you’re especially attuned to the details and nuances of situations. And with more information and more understanding, you’re able to make better decisions.

Pisces

Use that ample brainpower of yours to do a little extra investigating as the week begins — and checking in with your gut instinct wouldn’t be a bad idea, either. Not everything’s on the surface now. From Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, go out of your way to, well, go out of your way. Getting off your usual beaten paths leads to fun and funny new situations, which leads to inspiration, which leads to … you get the picture. This weekend, you may be thinking about where you are in work, love or what have you compared to where you’d like to be. What action steps will you come up with?

Country Apple Dumplings

2. Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough

Cancer

If you expect people to read your mind at the beginning of the week, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and conflict. Why not say it — and say it loud and clear? From Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, you’re looking good, feeling good and your brain’s functioning at a high level to boot. Your follow-through may be a little lacking, though, so set reminders, leave yourself notes and get help from a more in-step friend. Rather than trying to be a superstar this weekend, relax and observe the cosmos. You just might have a revelation about your place in the universe.

Libra

If life were a jigsaw puzzle, you’d be snapping that final, satisfying piece into place as the week begins. Enjoy the sense of accomplishment and the kudos that should be coming your way. Of course, then it’s on to the next set of things to fit into your personal picture, and between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday, your task may be a bit out of focus. A heart-to-heart with a friend, partner or mentor helps organize your thoughts. This weekend, the kind of puzzle you like best is a brainteaser. Your intellectual power’s turned up, so find something (or someone) intriguing to apply it to.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

HOROSCOPE

Gemini

The beginning of the week looks like a delightful time to be you — you can accomplish just about anything you put your mind to, and matters of the heart are definitely favored. How will you use that extra oomph, that bonus charm? From Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, you’re being pulled in two directions. You’re liable to overdo it, workwise, or slack off; you burn the candle at both ends or simply blow out the flame. Attempt to find the middle ground here! This weekend, those hidden passions of yours aren’t so hidden. Explore and express them, whatever they may be.

Directions

Fun

If you’re thinking about taking some sort of plunge as the week begins, well, why not? If you’ve tested the water with your toe, what are you waiting for? From Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, you’ve got a cosmic opportunity to dispense with the old and bring in the new. Just don’t toss the proverbial baby out with the bathwater — there’s some important stuff to keep. With the weekend comes a challenge. Will you be wishy-washy, or will you choose your course? Consult a trusted confidante and get some very helpful support.

Ingredients 1. 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored 2. 2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent roll dough 3. 1 cup butter 4. 1 1/2 cups white sugar 5. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 6. 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Mountain Dew

into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish. 3. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar

and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew™ over the dumplings. 4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

JUST FOR LAUGHs No dictionary has ever been able to define the difference between ‘Complete’ and ‘Finished.’ However, in a linguistic conference, held in London England, and attended by some of the best linguists in the world, Samsundar Balgobin, a Guyanese, was the clever winner. His final challenge was this. Some say there is no difference between ‘Complete’ and ‘Finished.’ Please explain the difference in a way that is easy to understand. His response was: When you marry the right woman, you are ‘Complete.’ If you marry the wrong woman, you are ‘Ffinished.’ And, when the right woman catches you with the wrong woman, you are ‘Completely Finished.’ His answer received a five minute standing ovation.

Solution (Last Issue)

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Citypedia

WEB DESIGNING

G Plus will keep on publishing such relevant and useful information in this page in the coming issues. Compiled by Mautapa Dhar 20 KARMA Address: 14, Shima Plaza, Ulubari, Guwahati- 7 Contact : 9957045065

MANIFEST Address: GS Road, Sarojini Complex, Christianbasti, Guwahati- 5 Contact: 03612343080, 9435015349

ABLAZE DEVELOPERS Address: Opp Rajiv Bhawan, ABC, Guwahati-5 Contact: 03612451559, 9085421897

MATRIX COMPUTER Address: Mother Teresa Road, Ghy-24 Guwahati Contact: 9854015115

ADVANTAGE Address: Shoppers Point, Fancybazar, Guwahati- 1 Contact:0361 2732315

MIRANIA DATA SYSTEM Address: NP Road, Christianbasti, Guwahati- 5 Contact: 9864060584

ASSAMLOOK.COM WEB DESIGNING Address: Rajbari Path, Ganeshguri, Guwahati- 5 Contact : 9207180358

NESTECH SOLUTIONS Address: Saraf Building Annex, AT Road, Guwahati- 1 Contact: 03612607343, 9435136632

AVANTIKA INNOVATIONS PVT LTD Address: Near Hotel Bilas, Ulubari, Ghy-7 Guwahati Contact Details : 2460874, 9435044423

ORIGIN INFOSOLUTIONS Address: 254, Rajgarh Road, Guwahati- 3 Contact: 9954089500, 9864077380

BOHNIMAAN SYSTEMS PVT LTD Address: Kalindi Plaza, Panbazar, Guwahati- 1 Contact Details : 03612733463 CZAR TECHNOLOGIES. Address: 77, VoltasLane, Chanmari, Guwahati- 3 Contact Details : 03612665473 DOTCOM SERVICES (INDIA) PVT LTD. Address: 336, Simon House, Paltanbazar, Guwahati- 8 Contact: 9207066556/57 E-ADWARE Address: KasturbaNagar, South Sarania, Guwahati-7 Contact: 986403698 EN-GEO CONSULTANCY & RESEARCH CENTRE Address: Lamb Road, Ambari, Guwahati-1 Contact: 03612545165 ENVISAGE SOFT TECHNOLOGIES Address: Rajbari Path, Ganeshguri, Guwahati- 5 Contact : 03612343744, 03612343761

PENINSULAR ART WORKS Address: Tarun Nagar, ABC, Guwahati- 5 Contact: 9706002421/22 PIXELA INFOTECH Address: Near Lakhi Mandir, 6th Mile, Guwahati- 22, Contact: 9864010290 REAL TIME SOLUTION Address: UrbanGrand, Panbazar, Guwahati- 1, Contact: 9401689136 REDIFF BUSINESS SOLUTIONS Address: Near SBI, Geetanagar, Guwahati- 21 Contact: 9954870407 REGLE INFOTECH (P) LTD Address: Zoo Narengi Road, Guwahati- 24 Contact: 920704636, 9854075605 RK- ASSOCIATES Address: Lachitnagar Main Road, Guwahati- 7, Contact: 03616013181, 9854010913 SHARP INFO SYSTEMS Address: 2nd Floor, Simon House, Paltanbazar, Guwahati- 8 Contact: 9864851710, 9678536524

GEEKWORKX TECHNOLOGIES Address: JC Das Road, Panbazar, Guwahati- 22 Contact: 9864074894

SKYNET COMPUTER Address: SriRam Markeyt, Chatribari, Ghy-1 Guwahati Contact Details : 9864068155

GENXAddress: 6th Mile Bus Stop, Guwahati- 22 Contact: 03612334928

SM COMPUTER CONSULTANTS (P) LTD Address: Eureka Tower, Chanmari, Guwahati- 3, Contact Details : 9854053357, 9706053350

GRAFITOON Address: Heangerabari, Guwahati- 36 Contact: 03612334928

STEP2 SOLUTIONS Address: Simon House, Paltanbazarm, Guwahati- 8 Contact: 9085300204

GRAPHIX Address: Near Bihutoli, Rajgarh Road, Guwahati7, Contact: 0361245125 HELIX ENTERPRISE Address: Adabari Tiniali, Guwahati- 12 Contact: 03612674974 INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIES Address: B Baruah Road, Ulubari, Guwahati- 7 Contact: 9435083369 KB GLOBAL SOFTWARE Address: SRB Road, Borah Service, Guwahati- 7 Contact: 03612450594

THIRD EYE SYSTEM Address: GNB Road, Silpukhuri, Guwahati- 3 Contact: 0361263495, 03612662754 TOUCHWEB SOLUTIONS Address: Near Down Town Hospital, Guwahati- 6 Contact: 9577477344 WEBX. Address: IEI Building, PAnbazar, Guwahati- 1 Contact: 03612602576/90

EMERGENCY NUMBERS AMBULANCE

Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251

BLOOD BANK

Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Ganga Blood Bank 2454742, 2455029 Lion’s Club of Ghy Central 2546611 Marwari Yuva Manch 2546470, 2547251 Saharia’s Path Lab (24 hours) 2458594

HOSPITALS Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) B Baruah Cancer Institute (2472364/66) Brahmaputra Hospital Ltd (2451634/678) Chatribari Christian Hospital 0361-2600051, 9207044374 Downtown Hospital 2331003, 9864079366, 9435012669 Guwahati Medical College (2529457, 2529561) Guwahati Medical College Emergency (2263444)

International Hospital 0361-7135005 Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (2541477, 2543998) Marwari Hospital & Research Centre 0361-2602738/39 Marwari Maternity Hospital 0361-2541202/01 Nemcare Hospital 0361-2528587, 2455906, 2457344

Pratiksha Hospital 0361-2337260, 2337183/84 Basistha Military Hospital (2304617/0351) Railway Central Hospital Casuality (2671025) Redcross Hospital (2665114) Sri Sankardeva Netralaya 0361-2233444, 2228879, 2228921 TB Hospital (2540193) Wintrobe Hospital 0361-2519860, 98647-77986 GNRC Hospital 0361 2227702 GNRC Life First Ambulance 9401194011

24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) DEAD BODY CARRYING VAN GLP Social Circle 2737373, 9435047046 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 GGUMTA 98640-16740 ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171

OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118

RADIO TAXI SERVICES Prime Cabs 0361- 2222233 Green Cabs 0361-7151515 My Taxi 0361-2228888 Cherry Cabs 8876222288

Cinema Hall Anuradha Cineplex – 0361-2656968, 99545-44738 Fun Cinema (HUB)- 98648-00100, 98648-00200 Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar) – 98540-66166 Gold Cinema (Salasar) – 0361-2735367, 98540-77177 Gold Cinema (Narengi) – 88110-01898

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G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

Catching Up

Apparently Ariana hates her fans The allegations range from fall-outs with costars, ignoring and/or being rude to fans, being controlling on set and issuing photographers with long lists of demands. Celebrities including The Cab singer Alexander DeLeon and E! News host Giuliana Rancic have also branded her rude. The singer was said to have made the comment during a visit to a radio station earlier in the summer, with more than one source overhearing her. Apparently she did autographs and pics and was all smiles until she got to the elevator. And as soon as the doors shut, she said: “I hope they all f###ing die.”

Deepika Padukone’s reaction to ‘cleavage show’ tweet provokes anger On 14 September, Sunday the Times of India tweeted: “OMG: Deepika Padukone’s cleavage show”, along with a link to the related story. The story and tweet has since been removed, but not before Padukone shared an angry response on Twitter. The daily newspaper replied to Padukone, telling her she should treat the comment as a “compliment”. The post has since been deleted. “It’s a compliment! You look so great that we want to make sure everyone knew! :)” read the tweet. The story sparked the hashtag #IStandWithDeepikaPadukone in India yesterday (15 September), as the public criticised the newspaper for the “level of disrespect shown” towards the actress.

Rajnikanth moves HC Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has, perhaps, become the first celebrity to move a court to protect his ‘personality rights’. Rajinikanth, moved the Madras high court to stop the release and screening of an unauthorised Hindi biopic, ‘Main Hoon Rajinikanth’, saying it infringed his ‘personality rights’ and depicted him negatively. In his petition, Rajinikanth dwelt at length about his stature and his personal policy of not endorsing any product or film or write-up using his name or personality, as it might mislead his devoted fan base

Pic of the week

Beyoncé Is Photoshopping Her Instagram Photos

Beyoncé has again found herself at the centre of a photoshopping storm after she posted two new images to her Tumblr. However, this image in particular has got everyone speculating over whether Photoshop or another image-altering app was used to slim down her (already perfect) thighs. There is a visible distortion on the stairs just between Beyoncé’s legs where the step appears to tilt up at a diagonal angle. The Bijulee Bhawan, Guwahati without ‘BIJULEE’ (Electricity) - Depicting Guwahati’s power scenario

A Man Robbed A Store Armed Only With A Banana

The incident which happened in the East Parkside neighborhood of Philadelphia, where a man was spotted entering the grocery store, waiting in line, and taking a banana from the counter. He then puts the banana in a front pocket of his hoody and points in towards the cashier demanding money from the cashier. When the suspect approached the counter he had his right hand in his hooded sweatshirt acting as if he had a handgun in his pocket demanding money and cigarettes. After taking an undetermined amount of money the suspect fled on a bicycle

G PLUS SEP 20 - SEP 26, 2014

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