Rise Of The Mughlai
Dastarkhan A new hangout in the city
PG 15
Try not to faint At the sight of BLOOD G Plus brings you prevention tips
PG 14
VOLUME 02 | ISSUE 11 DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
PRICE `10
BANGLADESHI
FILMMAKER IN THE CITY In Conversation with Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
GMC VOWS TO TURN
PG 12
GARBAGE INTO ENERGY With the introduction of GMC’s new garbage management plan, the locals might no longer have to cover their noses while passing by huge piles of garbage lying around on the roads. Continued on Page 02
DHIRENPARA
DON ARRESTED
PG 05
Extreme WEATHER IN CITY
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due to climate shift
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G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Lead Story
GMC VOWS TO TURN
RAHUL CHANDA
GARBAGE INTO ENERGY
Guwahati produces 600 MT of garbage per day To manage the garbage GMC has
• 31 NGOs • 200 bins • 12 compactors • 30 dumpers • 12 EXCAVATORS
A
fter Ramky, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation came up with a new game plan for managing the city garbage and involved 31 NGOs for the 31 different wards. According to GMC officials, the initiative has been a big success and is being well appreciated by the public. But, are the NGOs reaching out to all the households in the city? Guwahati generates 600 MT of garbage every day from approximately 3 lakhs households but where does the garbage go? Ramky was expected to have a compost plant at the Boragaon area where the entire city garbage is dumped. Is the plant working, post Ramky? How is the urban local body planning to manage the entire garbage produced and is there any plan of getting it converted into energy?
Present status Initially some NGOs had an issue that basic amenities were not completely provided by the GMC, but, now all that has been seemingly solved. The GMC commissioner S Viswanathan said, “All the amenities have been provided to the NGOs and we are also ready to provide anything extra if they want.” Till now, the GMC has provided 62 auto tippers and 500 tricycles to the NGOs. The GMC has also provided all the basic initial amenities to the NGOs, which is required to carry out the work. The NGOs are visiting all the households and collecting garbage on an everyday basis according to them, but, people from some areas
Biomethanation plant
“We don’t want to give the garbage to the people who come to collect it as there is a plot of waste land in our locality, where everyone has been dumping garbage since a long time. We don’t have to pay anything to dump garbage here and the GMC people are charging Rs 30 per month, so, we are comfortable without this service.” still informed G Plus that the NGO people are not visiting their places. “I live in Boragaon and no one from the GMC comes to our house to collect garbage. I heard that the NGOs are suppose to come and collect garbage from our place, but it is not happening,” said Subhojit Roy, a resident of Boragaon. The people in the Jyotikuchi Dhupolia area also had not witnessed anyone coming to collect garbage until recently, but after a resident complained to the GMC commissioner, the NGO people have now started visiting the area to collect garbage. The NGOs have started visiting the households and are also collecting Rs 30 from each house for the same. However, according to highly placed sources in the GMC, many households are refusing to pay the amount. According to many households, since they are paying the property and scavenging tax to the GMC, they should not be having to
pay the garbage collection fees. There is also a rift within the NGOs about the area demarcation. As previously, there were 60 wards, and now that has been reduced to 31 wards, people are still confused about which area falls under which ward. An NGO official said, “One ward has many sub divisions and it is a huge area to cover. The GMC’s map does not tally with the area information explained by the councillor. Some areas which are under a different ward are also being expected to be covered by us, so, the most important thing at present is the proper information about the area demarcation of all the wards.” But somehow, the NGOs are doing impressive work compared to the past, as, the boys can be seen collecting garbage from many houses and shops across the city, although some places which are not yet covered may require some attention. But what about all these collected garbage? Can it be used for converting it into some energy?
Disposal plan Guwahati produces 600 Metric Tonnes (MT) of garbage every day. To manage the entire city garbage, GMC has 31 NGOs for each ward for primary garbage collection. The collected garbage goes into the bins and GMC has 200 bins across the city. To transport the collected garbage from the bins, GMC has 12 compactors, 30 dumpers and 12 excavator. At present all the collected garbage gets transported to the Boragaon processing and disposal plant. There is a compost plant of 50 T per day, were 100 MT garbage gets processed. After processing 100 MT garbage, the plant produces approximately 5 ton of organic manure, which is sold. GMC is planning to upgrade the plant to the capacity of processing 250 MT of garbage which will then produce 20 tons of organic manure. The plant will also have a plastic recycling unit and will also produce red brick.
The very recent plan, which the GMC is working on is setting up two biomethanation plants at Paltan Bazaar and Bhootnath. One plant will be of the capacity 5TPD and one will be of the capacity 10TPD. The plants will process organic wastes and produce methane gas which will be stored and further used to generate electricity. The 5 TPD plant will produce 30 KWH of electricity which can be used to light up 250 bulbs and the 10 TPD plant will generate 60 KWH of electricity which will be able to light up 500 bulbs. The expression of interest (EOI) has already been floated and various companies are showing their interest to work towards setting up the plant and GMC is confident that the work will start by January end 2015. The approximate estimated budget of per plant is Rs 1.5 Cr each. So it seems like the GMC is working hard to manage the city garbage and also convert it into energy. But there are some interesting facts which raise concern about public awareness. A resident of Lokhra said, “We don’t want to give the garbage to the people who come to collect it as there is a plot of waste land in our locality, where everyone has been dumping garbage since a long time. We don’t have to pay anything to dump garbage here and the GMC people are charging Rs 30 per month, so, we are comfortable without this service.” Now if people’s mentalities do not change and they do not help the authorities, how will any plan become a success? rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
3
In The News
CITY SCHOOLS LACK INFRASTRUCTURE - ASCPCR Chairperson
Mrinmoyee Hazarika
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t a time when the entire world is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), children studying in some old and reputed schools located in heart of the city of Guwahati are deprived of using well-maintained infrastructures. Though the schools do not lack in having basic infrastructures including school building and toilets, the state of such facilities is very pathetic due to improper maintenance. “Forget about the schools located in rural areas of the state. Although, the basic infrastructural facilities are there in the schools located in Guwahati, such facilities are not in good condition due to lack of proper maintenance. Children do not get to use a clean and hygienic toilet in some of the schools located in Guwahati,” Chairperson, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR), Runumi Gogoi told G Plus. “We have been visiting various schools located at different parts of the state including Guwahati. The school visits situated in the city are still going on and during our visits to some of the major and reputed schools like TC girls school, located at Guwahati Club, we have found that the school authority is not maintaining the infrastructure properly. 31st March, 2015 is the deadline for im-
plementation of the Right to Education act. But, I doubt that even 50% of the work, while implementing the act, has been fulfilled so far,” Gogoi mentioned. Meanwhile, in order to commemorate the 25th anniversary of CRC, last Monday, UNICEF Assam organised a daylong programme in the city. Speaking at the inaugural session of the programme, the Chairperson, ASCPCR said, “In the last few years, we have been witnessing the deplorable condition of the
Children do not get to use a clean and hygienic toilet in some of the schools located in Guwahati schools located at different areas of the state including the flood-affected and insurgency affected ones. I have seen that the children in Majuli are studying in schools where there are no roofs and doors. During the night, cows live inside the four walls of the schools and children eat ‘midday meals’ sitting in open verandas smeared with dust and cow dung. Ninety percent of the schools in ru-
ral areas do not have separate toilets for girls.” Expressing concern while overcoming the prevailing situation in the schools of the state, Gogoi said, “Seventy percent of the population of the state lives in rural areas of the state, who do not have access to education and live in poverty. There are so many schemes available for the unprivileged people of the country, but due to lack of education and awareness, they do not know about it. How will the parents think about the hygiene and cleanliness of their children, if they have to think about how to fill their stomachs every day?” Regarding the limitations of ASCPCR, she said, “We, as a commission can only give recommendations to the government. It is the duty and responsibility of the government to take action upon those recommendations. We cannot take any action on our own. Besides, we do not get any grant from the Centre and we have to work under a very limited budget.” Last year in 2013, the ASCPCR has registered 126 numbers of complaints related to child rights violation. Moreover, as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of CRC, a UNICEF report, ‘The State of the World’s Children – Re-imagine the future: innovation for every child’ was launched at the programme. “The United Nations General As-
Mariah Carey was nicknamed “Mirage” in high school because she never showed up for class.
sembly adopted the CRC in 1989. The Convention defines a child as any human being under the age of eighteen, unless the age of majority is attained earlier under a state’s own domestic legislation. In order to address sanitation challenges, UNICEF has been supporting group hand-washing with soaps before mid-day meals in more than 500 schools in Assam since 2013. In this regard, UNICEF is supporting the government of Assam and there is a plan to reach all 50,000 schools across the state in a phased manner by 2017-18,” Chief of Officer, UNICEF, Assam, Tushar Rane, who was also present at the programme, said. meanwhile, in what could be a wake up call for the authority, the district administration of Kamrup (M) has taken up a project to check the condition of the toilets in various government offices, public places, schools and colleges etc. In an official statement, the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M), on Friday stated that twenty four squads have been constituted for the purpose under the supervision of executive magistrate, circle officers and additional deputy commissioner of the districts. The heads of all the schools and colleges will be taking necessary action to facilitate the team for inspecting toilets. mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in
People who wake up early are more likely to lie throughout the day
Speech contest for school students
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he Guwahati Pain and Palliative Care Society is organising a speech competition for school children on December 28. The contest is also supported by the family of late Kishore Das. Honorary secretary of the Society said, “This contest is an attempt to create awareness among children and improve their moral. Our objective is to build leadership qualities in the school students by way of public speaking”. The organizers said that only three participants can represent from each school, and the last date for enrollment for the competition is December 22. The first three winners will be awarded with certificates and cash prizes. Prior to the competition, a workshop will be organized at Central Nursing Home, Survey, Beltola on December 25 to improve the participants ability as speakers. The contest will be held at Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir, Uzan Bazar. The topic of the contest is “Relationship” and the speech can be delivered either in English and Assamese. The participants have to be between class VII to IX.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to listen to a full album on your iPod – 100 cans can light your bedroom for two whole weeks.
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G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
In The News
RE-REGISTRATION OF
‘FAKE PHARMACISTS’ TO GO AHEAD?
The Health Minister’s intervention has complicated the ongoing verification process of pharmacists. Mrinmoyee Hazarika
I
n the backdrop of an inactive pharmacy council in the state, the possible existence of ‘fake pharmacists’ seems to be a neverending affair. With the intervention of the Health Minister, who had asked the concerned department to consider the renewal of registration of the pharmacists who have been operating without having necessary qualifications, all the efforts carried out by various organisations and sections of concerned employees to stop the illegal practice by the ‘fake pharmacists’ will go in vain. “Following the intervention of Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Nazrul Islam last October, the then Drugs controller-cum registrar, Assam Pharmacy Council, MC Deka had spoken about taking necessary action to consider renewing the registration of the pharmacists who have been practising in the state without having necessary qualifications on the ground of humanitarian and public interest. But, how could it be possible for a person to be involved in a profession related to human health without having necessary qualification?” questioned the general secretary, Association of
Registered Pharmacist, Sofiur Rehman Khan Assam. The association, which has been protesting against the anomalies going on in the profession of pharmacists also said that as per the rules of Pharmacy act, 1948, every pharmacy has to employ a registered pharmacist in every pharmacy outlet. “As per the records available with the Department of Health, there are 6431 numbers of registered pharmacists in the state, out of which 1417 are there in the district of Kamrup (both metro and rural). Besides, there are around 3000 ‘fake pharmacists,’ who are still working in the state and following an order by the Gauhati High Court, the Assam Pharmacy Council has now begun the process of verifying the registration of those ‘fake pharmacists’. But, there is doubt about the completion of the the process after the intervention of the Health Minister in the matter,” Khan told G Plus. In this regard, Anil Kumar Sharma, President, Assam Pharmacy Council said, “It is our duty to follow the act while renewing registration of the pharmacists in the state. We will go by the act to eliminate all the fake pharmacists from the
GMCH to start cancer care facility
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auhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is going to add a cancer care facility to provide the best cure at the lowest cost. GMCH recently acquired a hi-tech linear accelerator from the United Kingdom to fill the vacuum in low-cost radiotherapy. “80% of cancer patients in the state are poor and cannot afford the high cost of radiotherapy at private hospitals, which costs beyond a lakh. The process of setting up the cancer unit is in progress and will be ready for use soon. Before that, the government has to appoint a qualified radiotherapist as it is a mandatory prerequisite for the Atomic Energy Commission to grant permission for commissioning the machine”, Superintendent of GMCH, R Talukdar, said. The state requires at least 35 radiotherapy units and at present there are just 11. With the radiotherapy facility coming up soon, the state’s cancer treatment scene is going to improve drastically. The cancer hospital will have three departments — medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology, sources said.
Abnormalities found during verification of the pharmacists by the Assam Pharmacy Council 90% of the pharmacists are working on dual charge One person (female) is running a pharmacy with the registration of another person (male) Various Pharmacies are running using a single registration book Pharmacies are running without a valid registration number Registration of ‘dead pharmacists’ still in use
Regional Passport Office organising Passport Mela
T
he Regional Passport Office, Guwahati, under Ministry of External Affairs, announced that it is going to organise a Passport Mela in the city from December 20-27. The Passport Mela is organised with an aim to expand the outreach of passport services, it is an attempt of the department to make ease the access of passport by the general public. Only ordinary/normal passport applications and on-hold cases will be accepted in the Mela. Organisers said they will not accept tatkal, reissue PCC, pending or hold cases. The applicants will have to submit online fee, book the appointment and come to the venue with a set of photocopies of all the documents along with the original documents, officials said.
state. Now, the government will take action on the request of the Health Minister in the matter of renewal of the registration of the pharmacists.” Contrasting with the tune of the president, other employees of the Pharmacy Council had mentioned that since the formation of the council in the year 1960, the government has not appointed a full-time registrar. “Since its inception, the Council has been functioning without having a full-time registrar. Besides, as per the Pharmacy act, 1948, elections should be held to elect members of the Council and the president of the Council is given the power to become the returning officer. But so far no such elections have been held. The government in 1999 constituted a nominated Council in order to hold elections, but they are yet to do the same. Besides, in the month of October this year, the term of the registrar (entrusted) of the Council came to an end. But, so far no one has been appointed in his place which is badly affecting the course of work of the Council,” one of the employees of the Council told G Plus. The employees further stated, “In the month of November this
year, we requested the president of the Council to appoint an acting registrar, so that the work of the Council do not come to a halt. But so far we have not seen any action taken on it. In its effort to stop the practice of the ‘fake pharmacists,’ the Council has taken up the process of verifying the registration of the pharmacists and out of 3000 suspected fake pharmacists, 754 have been found guilty. But, so far, the government has not published gazetted notification on the same and therefore the registration of those guilty pharmacists cannot be cancelled officially.” Moreover, the employees of the Assam Pharmacy Council have spoken of finding various abnormalities while verifying the registration of the pharmacists. “As per the act, apart from the drug inspectors, there should be pharmacist inspectors for inspecting the pharmacies of the state. But, due to the ineffective functioning of the Assam Pharmacy Council, till date, not a single pharmacist inspector has been appointed in the state,” an employee of the Council said. mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in
13th Finance Commission meet held at Guwahati
T
he five day long North East India zonal-level 13th Finance Commission review meeting cum GSDP workshop started at Guwahati on Tuesday. The programme is organized jointly by the National Accounts Division, CSO, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India and the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Assam. The welcome address of the meet was delivered by PK Bhattacharya, Director of Economics and Statistics, Assam. The inaugural speech at the workshop was delivered by the National Accounts Division, Central Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, SK Malik. The workshop was attended by all the representatives from the Directorate of Economics and Statics of all the north-eastern States including Sikkim. The progress report of the implementation of the 13th Finance Commission recommendations in their respective states were also presented by the participating states. A discussion was held at the workshop regarding the participant’s views on the presentation and the commission.
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
5
In The News
IIT-G PROF ACCUSED OF RAHUL CHANDA
T
he whole of India carried out candlelight marches and rallies on December 16th, as it is always remembered as the Nirbhaya day, in memory of the horrifying Delhi gang-rape incident, which took place on the same day a few years back resulting in the death of a 23-year-old woman in the capital city. The day when the entire country mourned the death of Nirbhaya, this year, Guwahatians received a shocking news that an IIT–Guwahati professor was arrested for allegedly raping a junior in the department of chemical engineering.
The incident
According to sources close to the victim, the incident took place on December 1st in the chemical engineering department. The professor forcefully raped the assistant staff and threatened her not to inform about the incident to anyone. The victim was in shock after that and discussed about the incident only with some close relatives. Initially she was contemplating whether she should file a complaint or not as the professor held an influential position in the institute and could manipulate things. No matter how much the government stresses on reworking rape laws,
women are still not free to discuss about problems with everyone.
The complaint
Finally, the victim with her relatives filed a complaint at the Pan Bazaar All Women’s Police Station on December 11th. A case was registered (case number – 130/14 under section 376(2)(b)/506 IPC) and police started investigating the case. The police after careful examination of facts
and witness, called Professor Aloke Kumar Ghoshal for initial examination and then the police acquired some evidence on basis of which he was arrested. All the medical tests for qualitative investigation were done and the accused was then forwarded to the court. The court then sent the accused to judicial custody while the victim, after the incident is in a trauma. City SSP AP Tiwari said, “We have ar-
rested the IIT professor Mr Ghoshal today after a thorough and careful investigation of the case.” He further added that the statement of the victim was recorded and as she is in a trauma, the police did extend all kinds of help to the victim to help her recover from the mental trauma.
The reputation
Bengal joined the Chemical engineering department of the college in 2003 and later he was promoted as the dean. Reports suggest that Professor Ghoshal, who has been sent to 14-day judicial custody, has been suspended and will be replaced by a new dean. Professor Ghoshal has a B Tech degree in chemical engineering from Calcutta University and also studied in IIT, Kharagpur. According to some female students of the department, the Professor is usually very professional but he did not perceive females in a normal way. The 48 year old professor was respected in the institute as a teacher and therefore he was promoted as a dean. People feel that illiteracy and lack of sex education contributes to crimes like rape but if that is the case, this incident proves almost the contrary. When an educated person gets involved in such type of crimes one starts to questions the level of understanding of educate people. There are many incidents of teachers sexually abusing students and colleagues in the university level from across the country. Whatever may be the scenario, the truth is that the rape laws at present do not scare the perpetrators and there is a scare of such incidents never ceasing to end.
Ghoshal who hails from West
DHIRENPARA DON ARRESTED
RAHUL CHANDA
He comes to my tea shop every day to drink tea and never pays for it. He even takes cigarettes from my shop and when I ask for money, he threatens me that he will close down my shop as he is well connected with the police and also knows ULFA cadres”, said a Dhirenpara tea vendor. The people of Dhirenpara market were fed up of a self-styled local ‘don’, who kept harassing the locals. Recently, the local people united to fight against the threat of this local goon Mintu Ali and the troublemaker was finally arrested on 18th of December from Lokhra.
The incident
Last week a woman who stays with her daughter in a house at Dhirenpara acquired some soil for earth-filling as her house was flooded with water. The lane of the house is pretty small for trucks to enter and so the soil was kept near the Dhirenpara club. The next morning, the lady hired a handcart to move the soil to her place and while doing that, Mintu Ali stopped the process and demanded Rs 5000. The old woman started pleading but to no avail and Ali inter-
rupted the proceedings. The woman then went to a local elder and his four sons to request for help. The man then intervened and asked the goon to allow the work to continue at which, Ali pushed the aged man. This irked the local people who united to fight against his harassment. Following this, Mintu got scared and called the police complaining that the old man had eve teased his niece. He also called the media, but things went against him when the majority narrated his story. Since then, the local people have filed many complaints against him and some cases have been registered in the Ambari Fatashil Police Station (case number 1009/14 under section 341, 323, 507 IPC, case number 974/14 under section 341, 294, 506, 379 IPC, 908/14 under section 447, 427, 506).
The story
A local resident narrated Ali’s story and said that in the past Mintu Ali was a decent boy. The resident said, “Mintu is a school dropout and stays with his mother, his wife and two children. He started his career
as an auto driver and used to ride the auto and earn his living. Gradually he bought his own auto and did well. He then entered some business where he used to lend money on interest. Later, we came to know that he had good links with the police and also worked as their informer.” The resident added that later he started asking money from almost all the tenants staying in various houses in Dhirenpara. He used to harass all the new people in the area by asking them money and take shares from the small shopkeepers in the area. Mintu was involved in land grabbing and used to deal with drugs as well. The police informed that they did not receive any information of
The entire area is scared of him as people know that he has good links with the cops and also knew some Ulfa cadres. Ali also rented a small room in the area, which he used as his office and used to call people at night, threaten and extort money from them
Ali being involved in drug peddling, but it is known that he is a drug addict. The entire area is scared of him as people know that he has good links with the cops and also knew some Ulfa cadres. Ali also rented a small room in the area, which he used as his office and used to call people at night, threaten and extort money from them. The local resident also said that Mintu Ali’s mother has good political links and has been a Congress worker since a long time. Although he has been arrested, some people in the Dhirenpara area are worried as they feel that Ali would be out soon and seek revenge against people who complained against him.
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G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
In The News
Govt should enforce ban on smokeless tobacco NGO
G PLUS FEATURE
T
he first-ever report on the global use and public health impact of smokeless tobacco finds that more than 300 million people in at least 70 countries use these harmful products. The report, Smokeless Tobacco and Public Health: A Global Perspective was released on Monday (December 15, 2014) by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute at the National Conference on Smoking or Health in Mumbai, India. Thirtytwo leading experts from around the world contributed to the report. The Voluntary Health Association of Assam (VHAA), a leading non-profit organization working in the field of public health, has expressed its deep concern over the findings of the first-ever report on the global use and public health impact of smokeless tobacco. As the Report explains, there is sufficient evidence to conclude that smokeless tobacco causes oral cancer, esophageal cancer, and pancreatic cancer in humans. More than 30 carcinogens have been identified in smokeless tobacco products. Smokeless tobacco use also causes adverse
oral health outcomes including oral mucosal lesions, leukoplakia, and periodontal disease. The Report finds that majority of smokeless tobacco users (89 per-
cent) are in Southeast Asia, which also has the highest oral cancer rates in the world. Users in India and Bangladesh make up 80 percent of total smokeless tobacco users in
the world. Prevalence among men is high across most of the region, varying between 25 percent and 51percent in five countries. However, use by adult women is similar to or greater than use by men in some low-and middle-income countries. Among youth aged 13 to 15 years, prevalence is also high across the region, equivalent to that of cigarettes. In Assam economic cost for diseases due to smokeless tobacco was higher in females at Rs 136.8 crores as compared to Rs. 56.3 crores for males (According to the study “Economic Burden of Tobacco Related Diseases in India” conducted by the Public Health Foundation of India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.) Total economic cost attributable to tobacco use in Assam is Rs. 541 crores in 2011 for persons aged 35-69. Ms Ruchira Neog, Executive Secretary, VHAA expressing deep concern on the increasing number of smokeless tobacco users especially in the Southeast Asian countries, urged the Assam Government for strict enforcement of the Assam Health Act, 2013 which prohibits
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sale of all forms of smokeless tobacco in the State. “The Government should enforce the ban on smokeless tobacco products in Assam strictly, as the revenue generated through these products pales in comparison to the enormous economic burden on the State due to the diseases caused by these products,” Ms Neog said. In addition to detailing the serious and well-documented health effects of smokeless tobacco products, the CDC report also examines the distinct challenges and policy solutions in reducing the burden of smokeless tobacco use. For example, a wide range of smokeless tobacco products with different characteristics are in use around the world, yet limited data are available detailing the contents of these products, how they’re used and their prevalence within different population groups. Additionally, the ways in which smokeless tobacco products are produced, sold, used and regulated differ widely across counties and regions.
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G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
CONDEMNATION OF TALIBAN ATTACK
ADITYA GOGOI
A
long with the country and the globe, Guwahati also joined in condemning the heinous act of mindless killings of school students in Pakistan’s Peshawar. Various organisations and students’ bodies have come out to the streets urging the world to unite and fight against terrorism. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi also immediately reacted by condemning the act of terror on innocent school students. “Our condolences are with the families who have lost their near and dear ones in the barbaric act in Pakistan. The cowardly act of the terrorists has proved that they are frustrated and insane. They are the troublemakers of the society and they should be wiped out. Everybody should stand united and condemn it,” said Ritu Ranjan Das, secretary of state unit of Students’ Federation of India (SFI). Chief minister further said the sinister designs of such forces can be thwarted through united and concerted efforts. “The orgy of violence being perpetrated against humanity can be curbed only through united and concerted efforts,” Gogoi said.
City
Metro Night Carnival in the city
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All India Democratic Students’ Organization (AIDSO) also staged a protest against the incident. “The act of terrorism has been increasing globally and this is harming the cause of humanity. The most cowardly act so far was to attack the students. Such acts cannot be tolerated in this world. In an act of terrorism,
it is the common people who always suffer,” said Prajjal Deb, secretary of AIDSO after carrying out a protest rally in the city on Wednesday. They also burnt the effigy of Taliban. The school students across the state along with the country also observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to the departed souls. The
students also lit candles. “We pray for the students who have died receiving bullets in Pakistan. Nobody has the right to kill students. We hope nobody ever does anything like this,” said a student in a city school. CPI (M) has also staged protest in the city on Thursday against the killings.
three day-long event named “Metro Night Carnival” is organized by the North East India Fashion and Design Council at MCB road infront of the Nehru Park. The event started from December 19. This unique event is organized with an intention of celebrating life by mixing dance, street entertainment, music and food with the elements of the festivities. The Council officials said, “The event will give the city people to socialize, shop, dine and enjoy their evening with their family and friends. The event will also have various games and engagement activities for the people.” The Carnival is opened for all age groups of the society. The event will feature several shopping stalls, lifestyle counters, games, food stalls, live painting, tattoo artist, live music, magic shows and instant photography. The uniqueness of the event lies in its location and the opening and closing time of the carnival.
FROM GLORY TO ANONYMITY ADITYA GOGOI
T
he glory days are gone by now and so is his destiny. He is now struggling to get back to his feet at his home after meeting with an accident. Babul Chetia, once a famed body builder of the state who idolised Arnold Schwarzenegger is now neglected. He is living by earning daily wage or pulling a rickshaw occasionally. “Life is difficult now. I was struck by a car on the street. I was injured but thankfully I’m recovering,” a dejected looking Chetia told G Plus at his residence. Chetia won the Mr Assam title in 1988 which was held at Lumding besides bringing laurels from different places of the country in the 1980s. But once he retired from taking part in active body-building competition, various difficulties have brought this sportsperson to the present status. “Now, I’m far away from all these. No one, not even my contemporaries are in touch with me. It’s painful but this is how life goes on,” Chetia added. Life was full of hopes and dreams but most of them vanished even before they could begin. Now he leads a solitary life with his wife and two
Chetia won the Mr Assam title in 1988 which was held at Lumding besides bringing laurels from different places of the country in the 1980s.
sons in a shabby rented house. Now his hope is to see his younger son excel in sports. “The amount of hard work and time I dedicated to bodybuilding, I could have easily been in a different zone if it was some other sport. I want my younger son to take up sports as a profession but definitely not body building,” he said. Chetia is also worried with the overall negligence of the sports and sportspersons by the government. “The scenario has developed but the concern remains for the sports besides cricket. The sports persons al-
ways suffer but nobody ever comes in their rescue,” he added. It was nothing less than a shock for a fellow sportsperson to see Babul Chetia in a deplorable condition. “I just could not believe my eyes seeing Babul da like this. It’s really painful to see this champion like this. He was one of the best body builders in the state,” said former Mr Universe Mahadev Deka. Deka also appealed to the sports associations to lend their helping hand to Chetia. “I think the sports associations especially the body building associations are also to be blamed to a great extent. There are so many sports associations and they can easily do the needful to help the former sports persons. I hope they will at least do something for Babul da,” Deka added. He also promised to gather fund for Chetia during the forthcoming Mr Assam championship, which is scheduled to be held at Barpeta onDecember 25. It was also shocking to witness Chetia’s plight at a time when the state government has announced so many schemes for the welfare of sports and sportspersons.
8
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
City
Extreme WEATHER IN CITY KALYAN DEB
D
due to climate shifT
ue to the fluctuating weather condition for the past few years it has certainly become a matter of concern for the people of the region. The climate condition in the northeast region as of today has reached to its extreme. In summers the temperature hits 40 degree Celsius whereas in winter the minimum till date has been recorded has gone down to 15 degree Celsius. The question that remains is whether it is the initial stage of what the world leaders termed as “Global Warming” or a mere climate shift. Though the term ‘Global Warming’ has left an impact on the people but it is still a debatable matter and no conclusion of the term being of its exact implication has been reached yet. The main characteristics of climate change experienced today are extreme change in temperature, change in rainfall pattern, and an increased intensity and frequency of extreme events, which have physical processes have impacts on increased rates of extinction of many species, heavy deluges and flooding. The fact that the cutting down of forest area, growing fuel emission in the urban areas, and the rapid growth of township is what plays the key role to the extreme rise and fall in the recorded temperature. The growing use of air conditioners during summer can also be considered as the main cause of the rise in temperature. Climate change being one of the most important global environmental challenges being faced today, with its implication on food production system, natural ecosystems, fresh water supply, health and weather related calamities. Including the city of Guwahati the entire North East region is expected to be highly prone to consequences of climate change. “The northeastern region of India is expected to be highly prone to the consequences of climate change because of its geo-ecological fragility,
Maximum and minimum temperature recorded in the month of December from 2001-13 Year
Avg. Max. Temperature in degree Celsius
Avg. Min. Temperature in degree Celsius
2001
24.8
12.6
2002
25.0
13.5
2003
24.4
13.7
2004
24.8
12.5
2005
25.7.5
12.7
2006
25.5
12.8
2007
26.4
12.9
2008
26.1
14.9
2009
25.3
13.5
2010
24.7.5
12.6
2011
25.3
12.0
2012
25.0
12.6
2013
25.2
12.0
Maximum and minimum temperature recorded in the month of January from 2001-13 Year
Avg. Max. Temperature in degree Celsius
Avg. Min. Temperature in degree Celsius 10.8
2001
23.5
2002
23.6
11.4
2003
21.7
10.2
2004
22.9
11.5
2005
23.0
11.3 11.1
2006
23.0
2007
24.4
9.9
2008
24.2
12.0
2009
24.9
12.6
2010
24.9
10.8
2011
22.7
9.9
2012
22.6
10.5
2013
24.5
9.0
strategic location via the eastern Himalayan landscape and international borders, its trans-boundary river basins and inherent socio-economic instabilities. Environmental security and sustainability of the region are and will be greatly challenged by these impacts. According to statics annual mean maximum temperatures in the region are rising per decade and likewise the minimum temperature is falling”, said Sanjay Shaw, Director, Regional Meteorological department, Guwahati. However, there is no significant trend in rainfall for the region as a whole. “The difference between the recorded minimum and maximum temperature in a day also plays an important role in the climatic condition. The more is the difference between the minimum and maximum temperature the more uncomfortable it will get for a person to cope up with the climatic condition. As an example in Rajasthan during the day time the temperature gets very high whereas later in the night it gets uncomfortably cold. So, this plays a psychological role among people hampering their comfort level”, Shaw said. “No doubt the cutting down of the forest areas and the growing fuel emission plays a major role in the climate shift, which has to be resolved
as soon as possible but at the same time the term of Global Warming can not be considered as entirely true since debates are still under process regarding the same”, he added. Assam is very much a part of this regional warming trend. Several districts of Assam were affected due to drought like situations consecutively for the past few years. Normally such fluctuations were also witnessed in rainfall, which can be considered as results of inter-annual variability of the southwest monsoons, but then the normal mode of this variability has changed because of climate change. Projected increase in rainfall and accelerated summer flows may give rise to more intense flooding and flood hazards in the Brahmaputra valley as an immediate consequence, but subsequent retreat of glaciers may reduce flows in the long run. It has been projected that Himalayan River basins like that of the Brahmaputra River may experience increased summer flows and more flooding. According to the meteorological department only the months of January and February are considered as the months of winter so it can be expected that temperature will continue to fall gradually in the coming months. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
Weather report for the week SAT 20 December
SUN 21 December
MON 22 December
TUE 23 December
WED 24 December
THU 25 December
FRI 26 December
Mostly sunny.
Morning clouds.
Sunny.
Sunny.
Sunny.
Sunny.
Mostly sunny.
11 / 23 °C
11 / 23 °C
10 / 23 °C
11 / 23 °C
12 / 23 °C
12 / 23 °C
10 / 23 °C
9
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
ACS OFFICER’S KILLERS STILL ON THE RUN G PLUS FEATURE
T
he city police have failed to nab the two key accused in the murder case of Manikut Pathak, a state civil servant, who was killed by the duo on September 3. Criticising city police’s role, the victim’s father Ramesh Pathak, noted literateur, has demanded a high level probe into the matter. Monikut Pathak (43), a 1997-batch officer, was working as a district gazetteer here. He was found dead inside his bedroom with severe injury marks on his abdomen. Subsequently, city police confirmed that he was killed by a group that also robbed him. The city police though arrested two persons in connection to the murder, had admitted that two key accused including a woman are still on the run. “Purnima Gowala and Bikram Subba were the key accused of my son’s murder. But it’s
so strange that city police have failed to nab them yet. I suspect the city police’s role in the case. I demand a CID or CBI probe to find out the culprit of my son’s murder,” cried the deceased’s father in a press conference. The father alleged that the city police have let the duo go even after detaining them following the murder. “Purnima was detained by the city police in the last week of September. But surprisingly, the police had let her go and since then, she has been traceless,” Pathak alleged. Sources said that Purnima who ran a beauty parlour in the city was close to Manikut for over a year. Police though detained her in the beginning of its investigation and quizzed her in the Panbazar women’s police station from where she managed to flee. It was believed that some police officials had let her go.
Reacting to it, the city SSP Tiwari replied, “Departmental steps were taken immediately on the matter. It was an unfortunate incident for which actions were taken against three erring police officials.” The SSP added that it is a complicated case and police are trying best to nab the duo. He earlier had said that a possible over dose of medicines had killed Manikut. “We can’t over rule the fact that his death was a result of wrong medication that he might have been given on that night,” Tiwari had said. A week after Manikut died, a sum of Rs 1.20 lakh was transferred from his bank account to the account of one Pranjit Das. City police however arrested Pranjit and his aide Utpal Boro and recovered Manikut’s laptop from his possession.
Crime
TOP COPS REPLACED FOR LEAVING CM STRANDED
W
hile the entire city awaits the formation of the commissionerate in the city, an incident has raised questions about the police preparedness and security as the state’s Chief Minister’s security was left unattended to by top cops on duty. DIG Administration Apurba Jiban Baruah has been transferred and posted as DIG Security. He will take over from KK Sarma, who is retiring on December 31. The transfer took place in the backdrop of a bizarre incident when Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was left unattended to during a night at his residence at the Koinadhora hill in the city. Along with KK Sharma, three other top police officers have been transferred for the incident that occurred three days back. Sources mentioned that Gogoi was suffering from stomach ailments since the last few days and as he woke up at around 1 am and was looking around for an officer, he could not find any. He even tried to call up the officers over the phone, but the calls were not reciprocated, which prompted him to come out of his room and
look for them. There was no one else at the reception either. An investigation has been conducted by a senior home department official on the security lapse, which was caused due to negligence of duty and lack of control on the part of some supervisors. Among other officers the SPs Deben Deka and Binoy Kalita and ASP Satyajit Nath also had to feel the brunt. Although it is not known as to why the officers were not available, according to the duty roster, Nath was supposed to be at the CM residence that night. SP Rajbir Singh has been enjoined to take charge of CM Security, while two other ASPs are being appointed in place of the punished officers. Gogoi has a Z-plus security cover under which NSG commandos protect him only during his movements and at his office at the secretariat. When the chief minister is at home a close protection team, comprising of personnel from the state police look after his security. The Assam Police headquarters on Thursday removed DIG (security) KK Sarma and replaced him with DIG AJ Baruah. The two SPs B Kalita and D Deka have also been replaced by SP Sonitpur and Additional SP Cachar.
Gogoi concern over crime spurt in Guwahati W G PLUS FEATURE
ith crime rates soaring in the city and several police officials of city police being charged with involvement in some syndicates, chief minister Tarun Gogoi pulled up the city police and ordered them to act promptly to check these criminal activities. Gogoi announced that the home department would evaluate the performances of the police officials and based on that, necessary action would be taken.
Expressing his concern over growing cases of kidnapping and extortion here, Gogoi said, “Prompt action has to be taken to deal with all sorts of crimes. Laxity on the part of the police would not be tolerated.” After rampant incidents of burglary and house breaking cases across the city have spread a panic wave amongst city denizens, the chief minister directed the police to gear up night patrolling in the city, especially in the lanes and by-lanes to check the
incidents of crime. He asked the police administration to involve the people of the localities to check crimes. In a directive, Gogoi asked the police administration to take necessary measures to thwart the sinister designs of communal forces hell bent on disrupting the social harmony prevailing in the State. “The Chief Minister directed the police administration to involve all sections of people to nip in the bud, the evil machinations of disruptive
forces,” said an official statement. Gogoi who holds the post of the home minister decided to release a sum of Rs 50 crore for the infrastructure development of the state police department. “This sum will be used to build people friendly police stations and to improve the infrastructures and facilities like drinking water, toilets, quarters and reserve homes of police personnel,” a press statement from chief minister’s office said.
10
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Society
OLD IS GOLD St. Joseph’s Church, the oldest of the city is already in its Christmas glory.
KALYAN DEB
W
ith Christmas knocking at the door, preparations are at full bloom in the St. Joseph’s Church. Being the oldest church in Guwahati, the church witnesses over one lakh devotees from all over the city on the holy occasion. The Christmas celebration programs kick off from the second Sunday of the month of December as the church lines up a long list of programmes. “The church witness the gathering from 23rd December itself as devotees start flowing in and line up from various parts of the state for the Christmas Mass Vigil,” said Fr. T.O. Jose SDB, Parish Priest. This year, the church schedule includes the Conclusion of the Christmas Novena Mass at 6:30am on Wednesday, December 24 followed by the Christmas Mass Vigil at 10:30pm on the same day where devotees offer wine and bread in order to pay their respects. The same is followed by the Christmas Day Mass, which kicks off in the morning of the birth of Jesus when the church witness over one lakh attendees on that particular day along with main celebrant Fr. V. M. Thomas SDB. It can also be asserted that St. Joseph’s church witness the largest number of crowd on the day of birth of Jesus. The history of St. Joseph goes way back to the year 1850, when three missionaries of the Institute of Foreign Missions of Paris namely, Fr. Julien Robin, Fr. Nicholas Michael Krick and Fr. Louis-Marie-Noel Bernard set up chapels in Guwahati and Nagaon. The latter set up chapels in Guwahati and Nagaon and served the Catholic community, which then consisted mostly of Europeans and Anglo-Indians. In the year 1877 Fr. Broy built the church of Panbazar and dedicated it to Saint Joseph which to this day is known as the St. Joseph’s Church.
T
The church witness the gathering from 23rd December itself as devotees start flowing in and line up after visiting various parts of the state for the Christmas Mass Vigil Fr. T.O. Jose SDB, Parish Priest Over the years, the church has evolved a lot from the day of its establishment. The previously constructed church, which was located in the now football grounds of the Don Bosco school had an Assam type construction, was made of wood and bamboo that suffered from damages in the 1897 earthquake. The foundation of the present structure of the church was laid in the year 1901 by Fr. Edward Hackenbroch. The construction was completed and Fr. Edward Angelus Munzolher, Vicar to the Prefect Apostolic, solemnly blessed the church on November 27, 1910. In the year 1998, the Salesians of Don Bosco decided to build a bigger church in order to cater the needs of the growing community. The older structure was pulled down on October 1988 and the foundation stone for the present structure was laid on October 6, 1990 by Archbishop Hubert D’Rosario of Shillong. On the eve of 19th March 2011 St. Joseph’s church celebrated the
Don Bosco invites exBosconians for alumni meet
he Don Bosco Alumni, Guwahati Unit is organizing ‘Euphoria’, a nostalgic reunion of all former Bosconians stretching back to decades, on Sunday, January 18, 2015 as part of the Bicentenary celebrations of the birth of Saint John Bosco, the 19th century Italian Roman Catholic priest. The main attractions of the event will be inter-batch competitions (with a fiveyear range) in badminton, basketball, football, table tennis, extempore speech, debate and quiz. It will be followed by an inter-band competition in the evening. All former Bosconians are invited to enroll themselves at the alumni office within the school premises and contact Kartick Phukan.
“Closing of Centenary Year of Glorious 100 years” and marked their existence in Northeast India. The Church that was started by foreign Missionaries carried on touching people from every walk of life in field of education, the poor, prisoners, orphans, old people and many more. Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil of Guwahati did the blessing and inauguration of the closing ceremony in the St. Joseph’s Fest. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
Home guards protest at Dispur
H
undreds of home guards on Thursday protested against the “neglect” and “deprivation” showed towards them by the state government. “Several memorandums have been submitted to the State government regarding the grievances of the home guards. Though the government has been assuring us that the problems would be looked into, but no initiative has been taken yet to address them”, the President of the All Assam Trained Home Guards Association Ananta Das said. The home guards have been demanding regularization of their jobs and also demanded the amendment of the Assam Home Guards Act, 1947, to give more powers to the personnel. In the State there are around 27,000 home guards. They are given a fixed pay of Rs 6,000 which is very less comparing to others. The All Assam Trained Home Guards Association also demanded deployment of home guards at central government offices and corporations. The home guards tried to break barricades, but police prevented them and took the situation under control.
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
11
Ward Watch
Ward number 29(B) Population 8000 (approx) | Voters 6000 (approx)
SIJUBARI LACKS BASIC AMENITIES KALYAN DEB
Councilor Anu Handique Phone number 99577961460 Area Sabha Member Arjina Begum Phone number 8471857012 Concentrated area Sijubari Problems Poor Roads, Poor drainage system
B
eing a neighbor to the capital region of Dispur, it is strange that the Sijubari area seems to be neglected by the authorities. The road adjacent to Hatigaon Chariali, the Sijubari road extends up to the Sukapha Mandir and has been deprived of the basic requirements of a proper road and drainage system. The entire area can be seen covered with clouds of dust in the absence of rain while the entire Sijubari road is damaged throughout up to the Sukapha Mandir that goes via Natboma and the drains are stuffed with polythene bags filled with garbage. The people of the region complain that the authorities are ignorant towards the development of the region as no proper steps are being taken since the last construction took place two years ago. “The last construction of the road took place two years ago where the entire Sijubari road was constructed, which did not last even for six months. As soon as the monsoon showers took place, the entire street started getting damaged, which is a clear case of poor construction and the corruption of the contractors,” Ibrahim Khalil, a resident of Sijubari asserted. “Although, the authorities have recently provided us with the service of door to door garbage collection that has resulted in some amount of reduction in the piles
Councilor’s speak
of garbage, which earlier could be seen lying by the streets,” he added. Apart from the poor road condition, flood is a major calamity faced by the people here. “During monsoon, the entire street gets covered with water and one good rainfall raises the water level up to the waist. Due to the unclean drains, the water gets logged and ultimately flows to the streets and gradually to our homes. Surprisingly, most of the areas where people suffer from such flood condition are situated on the foot hills, but in this particular area it’s just the rain water that gets logged and causes
severe floods,” said Nazir Hussain who owns a shop near the Sijubari chariali. Another resident, Sayed Asad Hussain asserted, “It is due to the lack of timely clearing of the drains that create such problems. During the past monsoon, two of buses got stuck near the Sijubari Chariali in different potholes, which were not visible as the street was filled with water. It took hours for the buses to be able to move and the same caused severe traffic jam. Although, the holes were later filled but the same can be expected in the next monsoon unless the entire street is constructed along with a proper drainage system.”
The Area Sabha Member, Arjina Begum remained refused to provide any kind of quote regarding the problems faced by the region. We also learned that such behavior is nothing new. Anu Handique, Councilor of ward number 29 asserted, “At times it gets very difficult to communicate with her, due to her ignorant behavior. Being the area sabha member it is her responsibility to communicate with the people of the region regarding any kind of problem, which seems to be lacking in her case.” Regarding the matter of development the councilor said in a telephonic conversation with G Plus, “Talks have been held recently with Ajanta Neog, the PWD minister who has assured that the fund for development of the Sijubari road would be sanctioned very soon.” Adding, “Since the road near the Sukapha Temple will be sanctioned before the upcoming Me-Dam-Me-Phi, talks are being carried out for the same.” Where the residents are complain about the water logging problem, the JIKA’s water pipeline project has only added more to the problem during which the entire Sijubari road was demolished. “During the pipeline project, JIKA dug out one side of the entire road in order to install the water pipeline but after the completion of the process, there remained unfilled gaps in many places, which were later filled. I had to personally take the initiative and visit such places since the issue was not paid any attention to by JIKA. Moreover the people of the region lack awareness about disposal of the garbage. Even after door to door garbage collection is available, many of the residents try to dispose the garbage in the drains creating a blockage,” the councilor added. Apart from the lack of awareness among the people of the region, the major reason for the underdevelopment is the lack of communication among the authorities. Though the blame game is on between them, it is the people of the region who are having to suffer and are kept from receiving the basic necessities of a society. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
12
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
In Conversation
BANGLADESHI FILMMAKER IN THE CITY In conversation with Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
SHUBHROJEET ROY
T
he 7th edition of the International Guwahati Film festival 2014, organised by the Gauhati Cine Club is underway at the Rabindra Bhawan. To inaugurate the festival as the Chief Guest, famous Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki had visited Guwahati recently. His Oscar nominated film ‘Television’ was screened here as the inaugural film. Subhrajit Roy presents the excerpts from the conversation.
A film is a mixture of all forms of art - painting, poetry and music. Which one of these do you consider to be the most important? According to me, a film is not a mixture of all these art forms but these art forms have immense influence on the film. So for me a film is a mixed vegetable or curry, where all ingredients are important.
Did you face any controversy in the course What are the difficulties in of making and screening film making in Bangladesh? of ‘Television’ as it raises questions on conservatism? There are difficulties in film makI am a controversial person indeed, but loved by young people. No religious controversy had occurred surrounding ‘Television’. Rather the Imaams who had come to watch my film, praised my work. The thing is that when you present an issue with sympathy and empathy, no one gets hurt.
How did you get into filmmaking? Coincidentally, it started with a girl. It was around 1992-93, when film societies used to show screenings and I started watching films. This way, once I got addicted to films, the girl went missing. I don’t have any technical education in film making. I am a self-taught person through internet and books. I am still a learner, learning from my own mistakes.
When you got into filmmaking had you ever thought about putting your own signature into it?
Signature is not a planned thing, it comes automatically. It doesn’t come forcefully, rather it is a spontaneous process. If you follow your soul then signature and style come automatically. Style is the translation of a person’s personality. If a filmmaker translates his personality honestly in his work, then his own style gets created.
ing all over the world. An artist’s job is to win in spite of all such difficulties. In the context of Bangladesh, the biggest problem arises in distribution. The distribution system should get developed so that the genuine share of investment may be collected.
Your opinion on the works of other filmmakers of Bangladesh.
I don’t want to comment on the works of others. I just want to share views on my own work. I am a selfpromoter.
After the success of ‘Television’, what are your current and future projects?
‘Television’ has already travelled across the globe and won several international awards including the Asia Pacific Screen Award, 2013. It was the official entry from Bangladesh at the 86th Academy Awards in the Foreign Language Film category and the closing film at the Busan International Film Festival 2012. My latest release ‘Ant Story’ has also travelled to Shanghai, Melbourne, Dallas and Dubai and my upcoming film ‘No Land’s Man’ has been awarded at the script level by NFDC Film Bazaar in Goa recently as the most promising project.
Have you observed Have you ever tried to any change among the make something different audiences within last few by following any filmmaker years? of your choice, both old as Most of my fans are college and well as your contemporary? university students. They love to At the time of filming, I use to forget everything. Nothing else other than my own work comes to my mind and everyone remains absent. I love to sing my song in my own tune.
watch my films. Frankly speaking, the number of takers of good films are increasing in Bangladesh, which has only been possible due to the development of information and technology.
Through this, the access of an audience in the capital Dhaka as well as in the villages, can enjoy the creative work.
I am a controversial person indeed, but loved by young people. No religious controversy had occurred surrounding ‘Television’. Rather the Imaams who had come to watch my film, praised my work. The thing is that when you present an issue with sympathy and empathy, no one gets hurt.”
What message would you like to give to the new filmmakers?
One should not follow a particular school and limit oneself to certain rules only. Learn all the rules and formats and then create your own school. Follow your heart but don’t get obsessed. Don’t forget to ask yourself and challenge yourself, whether it is right or wrong. One needs to challenge his own self constantly.
Most of the times, cross border films can be seen either through festivals or through internet. Here arises the issue of piracy. What is your opinion on piracy? Piracy has both good and bad effects - good in the sense that it is the democratisation of knowledge
and it is bad as it kills the artist. If the artist dies, then there will be no creativity. So far as cross border films are concerned, there is no access other than the internet.
Share your experience about your visit to Guwahati.
Brilliant! I am partly in love with Guwahati. To fall in love fully, I need to come here again and again. I always think, although Assam is so near, yet it is too far. I have heard about Jahnu Barua, but have never got the opportunity to watch his films. Thus we have to open up and exchange our works regularly by keeping our local industries protected. If films from Assam, the other Seven Sisters and Kolkata are released in Dhaka and films from Bangladesh are released in the Seven Sisters and Kolkata simultaneously, just imagine how big the market will be. The political disputes of our ancestors has divided us. But there are certain things which can never be divided, like Bhupen Hazarika, the river Brahmaputra as well as human emotions.
13
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Sports
AFTER ISL
GOVT CONFIDENT OF IMPROVING
STATE SPORTS SCENARIO RAHUL CHANDA
A
fter the Indian Super League turned out to be a huge success for football in India, the question remains whether the country will ever participate in the World Cup. All these days, football was not so popular on fields in the country, but the ISL has changed the definition of football in India and has also given opportunities to many local players to get international exposure and play with international football stars. Guwahati was one of the venues and the infrastructure of the city was lauded from all sections for being able to hold such an international standard event, but will the authorities further brainstorm about any strategy to develop football in the city and the state? Can’t the state and the entire region of Northeast organise something similar to ISL for the local people to develop talents?
The new plan
After the success of ISL, the Assam government has roped in a lot of projects for the state football players to perform and develop the sports further in the state. Rs 5 Cr has been sanctioned for Chief Minister’s Football Cup, which will involve the football teams of all the 27 districts in the state. The districts will be provided with proper sporting amenities and the matches will start from the block level teams. The teams will play among each other and finally the district team will be decided. There will be training camps for the players and all the support and help will be provided by the authori-
ties. The district teams will then play among each other and there will be venues in all the districts. At present, some districts do not have stadiums like Morigaon and Tezpur, but gradually the government is planning to develop venues in all the districts. The matches will be divided according to groups. There will be a league stage, a knock out stage, quarter finals, semi finals and then the finals. There will be a theme song for the tournament with official jerseys for the players and the tournament is planned to follow the ISL example. There will be ticketing and also the private parties will be involved which will make it a mega
event. The tournament will start from January end.
Northeast Premier League Dr T. Ao Memorial Football Tournament is organised every year in one state of the northeast region, and in the year 2015 it will be organised in Sarusajai Stadium. All the north-eastern states will participate in the tournament which till date did not draw so much of attention, but, after ISL, the Assam government is planning to convert this tournament into a major
football league of the region which will not only develop the game in this state but also in the entire northeast. Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth and Welfare, Government of Assam, Ajay Tewari, the man who has been working hard to develop all kind of sports in the state is of the view that to convert such tournament into a major league, will further change the status of football in the region. According to him the Assam government had a word with the North Eastern Council to organise an ISL kind of a league, which will be played among the teams of north-eastern states. The NEC has liked the idea and most probably, the league which is expected to be named as North-eastern Premier League (NEPL) will start from January 2016 if everything works out fine. All the states will have teams which will have owners. Teams will be bought by private players and all the states will have venues like the ISL. The league is planned in a major way and the NEC will be the organiser. Such league will completely change the face of football in the region.
Guwahati as World Cup venue After Sarusajai Stadium was declared as one of the best stadiums in the country, after ISL matches were organised in a major way, the FIFA team has recently inspected the stadium for selecting it as one of the venues for Under-17 World Cup scheduled for 2017,
and if Guwahati gets selected, the state will benefit in all ways. According to sources, Guwahati has maximum chances of getting selected and if it happens, the face of the Sarusajai Stadium will be totally changed. The ISL matches held in Guwahati has somehow helped the city to become a probable venue for the world cups.
Other projects
Reliance IMG, the company which organised ISL is also expected to open up 5 academies in Assam. One central academy in Guwahati, and four other academies in four other districts which will help the state youths to get well trained in the sport. Recently, Guwahati also saw the formation of its own team for the I league, FC Guwahati and the first of its kind. “We are doing our best to develop sports in the state and the ISL has changed the face of football. NEUFC had the highest fans and the league proved that Assam has sportsmen and the sportsmanship spirit. With times to come all the sports will be gradually lifted in the state,” said Ajay Tewari, Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Welfare. There are many projects in the pipeline to develop football and all other sports in the state and it is the people of the state who should utilise the opportunities provided by the authorities and prove that the state is not lacking in anything. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
14
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Health
Try not to faint
G PLUS FEATURE
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At the sight of BLOOD the ground. “We’ve worked out quite a lot about what happens during the slow drift down [in blood pressure]. But the final point where it plummets – it just goes ‘bang’ – we don’t yet understand,” a doctor says. While fainting can be scary, it serves to fix the problem because the effect of gravity is removed and blood flow to the brain is restored.
he knife slips into your finger when you’re preparing dinner. Your child appears with a nosebleed. Or perhaps you just see blood on a TV show. You start to feel light-headed, nauseous and sweaty. Your face goes white and you drop to the ground. If you’re one of the 2 to 4 per cent of the population who faints at the sight of blood, then you know how annoying, inconvenient or potentially dangerous this phenomenon can be. In fact, the exact mechanism behind almost all fainting episodes is somewhat of a scientific mystery. For something that’s very common and has been in the literature for centuries, we still have an incredible lack of understanding as to what’s going on.
Blood phobia Fainting at the sight of blood is classed as part of a response to a specific phobia of blood. It comes under the broader category of ‘blood-injection-injury phobia’ in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It’s called ‘phobic fainting’ but people are phobic of the response; it’s not the blood, but how they feel when they see blood. Research has shown blood fainters don’t experience the emotion of disgust any more readily than people who don’t faint at sight blood. Also, in every other phobia, the heart rate and blood pressure go up – the opposite of what triggers the tell-tale wooziness people feel when they’re about to faint from seeing blood. But there does seem to be an emotional component to many blood fainting episodes. Clinically people faint at the sight of blood, usually it’s their own blood or blood from someone they care about. Often when people describe it, it’s the child rushing in gushing blood or they’re shocked that they’ve cut themselves with a knife and there’s that whole emotional response.
The array of fainting triggers About 40 per cent of us will faint at some point in our lives. In about a sixth of cases an underlying heart condition is to be blamed. But in everyone else, including those who faint when they see blood, the temporary loss of consciousness is due to a problem controlling blood pressure. It means the brain doesn’t get enough blood and you collapse to the ground. This doesn’t necessarily mean that people who faint have a problem with their blood pressure at other times. It’s just that in response to certain stressors, their bodies don’t respond as well as normal to changes in the distribution of blood when they stand up. Indeed prolonged standing is one of the more well-known and readily understood triggers for fainting, along with hot weather and dehydration. But other triggers are less well understood and in some cases, frankly bizarre. These include:
Needles (having an injection or just seeing a needle), Coughing or sneezing, Urinating or defecating, Swallowing, Trumpet playing,
One thing that is known is that those who faint at the sight of blood will often also faint in response to needles and/or certain types of pain. “Some people who whack their funny bone or get a sudden injury will faint. It’s usually an unexpected severe pain, like say, hitting your thumb with a hammer.” Some other fainting types though are purely emotional: “You see it in the movies, people told about a relative dying and then swooning away.” But emotions will only trigger fainting in a person with an underlying susceptibility. “People do tend to faint more in emotional circumstances so we see people faint more at weddings and funerals, those kind of events.”
A blood-pooling problem Normally, our bodies have a highly efficient system to compensate for changes that happen when we stand up. The brain senses reduced blood flow to the upper body, and a message is sent via nerves to blood vessels in the legs and pelvis to make
back from your legs to your head. If you don’t improve, you could try squatting down, which more forcefully pushes blood out of your legs and stomach and up to your brain. People don’t want to collapse, so they look around for a chair and there isn’t one or by the time they’ve found one, it’s too late. You just pretend you’ve dropped something or your shoelace is undone. It’s something you can do really quickly and hopefully it will stop it. Knowing strategies that can prevent episodes of fainting can increase your confidence and reduce anxiety, which in turn can make you less sensitive to fainting. Anxiety can make fainting more likely because it releases the hormone adrenaline, which promotes blood flow to the legs. This is part of the ‘fight or flight’ response that has evolved to help us escape from danger by running away. The fact it can increase the risk of fainting might seem at odds with a response that is designed to help us escape a threat. But some argue it has evolved because ‘playing dead’ by falling and becoming immobile can induce some predators to stop their attack and leave an animal alone.
“People do Fainting Facts tend to faint more in Fainting usually starts in the teen years but people often outgrow emotional it. However, some will continue to circumstances have fainting episodes throughout life. Others will grow out of it only so we see to have it return again when they are much older. people faint Although most fainters have normore at mal or low blood pressure, almost alPreventing ways older people who are prone to weddings fainting fainting have high blood pressure at and funerals, other times. Usually, a fainting episode will Fortunately, not knowing the exthose kind of actly mechanism why we faint doesn’t only last a few seconds, although it mean we can’t prevent fainting epi- will make the person feel unwell and events.” them tighten and so force blood back up your body to restore the flow. But if you’re prone to fainting, the chemical signal that makes blood vessels tighten isn’t strong enough. This means blood can start pooling in the lower body. You will start to feel unwell and your blood pressure will slowly drop. Then something happens to make blood pressure drop dramatically, and you quickly fall to
sodes. When you know ahead of time you’ll face a situation where you might faint, it can help to drink 500 millilitres of water 20-30 minutes beforehand to stimulate tightening up of blood vessels. But it does wear off, so drinking it four hours before won’t help. Crossing your legs and tightening the muscles in your legs and buttocks can also help if you’re stuck in a standing situation and start to feel faint. What you’re actually doing is using your muscles to pump blood
recovery may take several minutes. Lying down with elevated feet usually helps recovery. If a person doesn’t recover quickly after lying down, always seek urgent medical attention. Although fainting due to serious causes is much less common than fainting due to blood pressure regulation problems, Corcoran says everyone who has a faint should see their doctor to discuss the episode and determine if further investigation is required.
Experiencing pain Having your hair cut or cut or brushed.
HEALTH TIP Be careful of the calories you add to your food such as garnishes and condiments. These are usually high in fat so try to avoid them wherever possible.
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
15
Hangout
Rise Of The Mughlai
Dastarkhan
KALYAN DEB
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he name is derived from the Urdu term ‘Dastarkhan,’ which refers to the traditional form of a big, ceremonial dining spread. According to the Mughal culture, the food dishes are served on the floor itself and it contains a large number of traditional delicacies. Specialising in Matki Biriani, Galawti Kabab, Pahadi Kabab, Boti Kabab and Chicken Kalimirch, Dastarkhan boasts of a large variety of traditional Mughlai cuisine. The Matki Biriani served is prepared in the traditional Lucknowi style where the rice is stuffed in a container made of clay that is prepared in the traditional oven (tandoor). Started on September 26, Dastarkhan is not a place where one can go expecting luxurious ambience and quick service. But the joint rather provides an aroma of fresh and spice rich Mughlai cuisine. The key factor behind the taste of the delicacies served is that the same are prepared with fresh products. Dastarkhan concentrates on making it worth what the customers are paying for and guarantees that the same cannot be served better at any place else. The key factor, they say is the freshness of the base products used for the preparation of the food. Due to the fact that the food provided in the joint are only prepared on order, the joint has received several complains for delay in service.
Chicken Lazzari
Matka Biriyani
“Since the concept of fast food has been introduced, the hygiene factor in a meal has been neglected as one prefers to be served quickly rather than being served more fresh and hygienic food. Certain food items require a meticulous amount of time to be prepared, so keeping in mind about providing the ethnic Mughlai flavour and hygiene, the dishes are only prepared on order rather than serving pre-cooked food,” said Sajid Akhtar, the proprietor of Dastarkhan who is also a food enthusiast and the same motivated him to get into the restaurant business. Apart from the taste, Dastarkhan also tries to keep in mind, the mood of the customer and how would one
Sajid Akhtar Proprietor of Dastarkhan
like their food to be served. “Since our priority is to satisfy our customers with the taste of our delicacies, we also look after the fact to what customers the food will be served. If the food is ordered for children we try to keep the spiciness to a minimum, in case of ladies we offer a hint of sweet and sour taste as liked by most,” said Akhtar who is also into tex-
tile business. The use of oil and spices is kept to the minimum keeping in mind about the preferences of the customers and against the misconception among people that Mughlai cuisine is oily and spicy. At the same time, Dastarkhan maintains the ethnicity in a healthier way. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
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G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Life Jane Mullikin
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e have a lot of choice in what our lives will or will not become. We have a life to live in order to make one choice. That choice is an ongoing journey based in love or based in hate or fear. That choice is ours. It takes many of us an entire lifetime to pick a race track and make the choice to run that particular race. Others make it very early and those who make a choice for love live in beauty while those who do not choose love can be exposed to ugliness beyond comprehension. A life being lived in love and beauty is not necessarily apparent from the exterior. We cannot look at the next person and determine what kind of life they have by their beauty, their possessions, or their “luck”. We can only know their quality of life if we are given the opportunity to see their soul. Very rarely does the spirit allow such exposure. Because of this opportunity (or necessity) to make a choice, depending on
A LIFE OF CHOICES THE CHOICE THAT IS LIFE how you feel about it, we walk side by side on this earth as strangers. People living in close proximity, with similar environments, background, and heredity, can be living in very different worlds. Side-by-side they walk, appearing similar to those they know, yet one has within a black hole filled with turmoil and pain while the other is living with an internal warmth and joy that cannot be adequately described by words. Those who have not made a solid choice are likely to see glimpses of both worlds without fully understanding the implications until they seriously begin the search for the right track. We can choose to be guided by that still small voice within. We can choose to help those around us, gaining our pleasure through seeing their
lives enriched. If we turn selfish and expect to be rewarded for helping, we lose out on the joy of the unselfish gift. Our lives are not based in love. We can choose to be proud and to be greedy. We can choose to manipulate our environment so that riches become ours. Then we are based in the external world. That still small voice does not operate in the external world. This selfish lifestyle can lead us down a road of lies, lust, and into ugliness and despair. We can live in the spiritual world of love and beauty and still have favor like wealth, fame, and beauty as long as we have not taken them through greedy selfishness. We can live in the spiritual world of love and beauty when our physical lives are a mess. If
we have faith in the guidance of that still small voice within; if we willingly follow its leading, a most unexplainable sense of joy, serenity, and security abide within us. We know we are spiritually safe no matter what happens to our perishable bodies. We accept the concept of the perishable body and the eternal spirit. This forward looking attitude gives us grace, hope, and power in the knowledge that no matter how difficult the hurdles at the beginning of the race, smooth sailing is ours for eternity. Smooth sailing through loving, caring, sharing, serving with that constant sense of spiritual joy within. A joy that continues to expand, never diminishing, throughout eternity.
Tirus and Chukoo T
irus and Chukoo walked as fast and quietly as they could and soon reached a space where there were tall green grasses growing like the ones they saw before. They knew that the elephants were somewhere near. They could hear something approaching them but didn’t know how to react. Suddenly the grasses parted and a baby elephant rushed at them. It looked excited and playful and both Tirus and Chukoo fell in opposite directions in the process. As they sat on the grass, the elephant came towards them and nudged Tirus with his trunk to get up. Both of them got up and patted the elephant. It gambolled around them, almost galloping at times like a horse. It ran a short distance and came back to where both the boys were standing as if to tell them to follow it. Tirus and Chukoo followed the baby elephant obediently. As they crossed the tall grasses, they came to a clearing where they saw a huge herd of elephants. They were grazing under the shade of some trees. Tirus looked apprehensive about going any closer but Chukoo whispered that it’s okay. Tirus whispered, “Do you know that the elephants in Assam feed on 20 different species of grasses, plants and trees?” Chukoo shook his head. As they watched the beautiful animals in all their grace, they saw a human figure detach itself from the shadows. The man walked towards them swiftly and reached them in a couple of strides. They noticed that he was not very tall, wore a half jacket with several bulging pockets, coupled with a pair of hunter pants and teamed with a pair of ankle-length boots with
camouflage print. He had his hair tied in a small pig-tail and sported quite a moustache. He held out his hands to Tirus, “I am Dudul Chowdhury.” “I am Tirus and this is my friend Chukoo. He has got me here to meet the elephants.” “Well, yes, the elephants. I have been associated with them since the time I learnt to love this animal. I have lived my entire life for them. There was a time when we would be proudly speaking of this grand mammal but now it’s a sad state of affairs. Come with me!” As Dudul khura led them towards the elephant herd, he kept on speaking. “Do you know that initially the elephants of the entire Northeastern India had a contiguous distribution with the populations of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar in the past? However, due to degradation and fragmentation of the habitat, the elephants are now confined to certain discrete populations. On the north bank of the Brahmaputra, the population extends from northern West Bengal through the Himalayan foothills and Dooars covering southern Bhutan, northern Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The elephant population on the south bank of the Brahmaputra can be divided into three distinct populations: that of the eastern, central and western areas. The central range is one of the most important habitats for the elephant and extends from Kaziranga National Park across the Karbi plateau, parts of the central Brahmaputra plains and the basin of the Diyung River to the foot of the Meghalaya plateau in Assam and Meghalaya.” Tirus and Chukoo listened in rapt silence, however, Chukoo deciphering
only parts of it. For a brief moment, they fell silent as they exchanged looks with the elephants. Dudul khura patted one of the larger ones on the trunk and then continued talking. “This population has become separated from the south bank-western population due to the expansion of Guwahati, clearing of forest, placing of railway tracks, ‘jhum’ cultivation and settlements along the National Highway 40 of the Guwahati-Shillong Road, in the Rhi-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. The habitat in the western range supports a significant population of elephants in parts of Assam and Meghalaya. It extends from near Guwahati through the foothills of the Meghalaya plateau (Garo and Khasi Hills) including the districts of Kamrup and Goalpara in Assam and Rhi-Bhoi, West Khasi Hills, East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills of Meghalaya. They also occasionally move to forests of Balpakram in Bangladesh, from the forest areas of Baghmara in Meghalaya.” Tirus looked very disturbed by now. How could we humans lose sight of preserving this gentle giant? “As if this is not enough, look at what these people are doing now?” Dudul Khura pointed towards a stone quarry. There was a lot of activity going on. The loud noise that resounded across the hills and valley was actually the sound of stones being blasted. The area was milling with several trucks, now being loaded with these huge stones. “Can you see what’s happening Tirus? The elephants, because of all this chaos, are now too scared to go to their watering hole, which they have to reach by crossing this stone and the sand quarry. And if they do so, they
(Concluding part)
are chased down by the village people, sometimes beaten to death! They are now confined to a small space. They are unable to move through their natural corridor to other places. These are some of the reasons why the genetic quality of our elephants has reduced to a great extent. Also, due to in-breeding, the elephants are now smaller in size.” Tirus, sad like never before, whispered in a broken voice, “What can we do now?” “Well, there is a lot we can do at various levels. You as a young person can get together with friends and start an awareness campaign. Speak about this grand animal. The more you speak, the more people know. Elephants are the gardeners of our forests. They are constantly on the move to maintain a harmonious balance. Scientists call it transhumance, which is not exactly migration. During transhumance, elephants encounter manmade barriers. When the corridor is completely blocked, they make an effort to get through human habitat which leads to conflict. While we may not be able to turn the human development clock backwards, we can think of solutions. At a governmental level, we will have to try and maintain large unfragmented landscapes. We have to try and do everything in our capacity to save this most loving animal.” Tirus, soaked in deep thought, watched Dudul khura walking back to the herd of elephants. They welcomed him with their flaying trunks and Tirus could bet he saw them smiling.
tinat ATIFA MASOOD
5 SECRETS TO HAPPINESS
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nce a wise man drew a line on a board and told his student to make the line shorter without touching or erasing it. How would you do it? You have to shorten a line without touching it. The intelligent one (referring to the student) then drew a much longer line underneath that line. So, the line automatically became shorter. The lesson here is that if your difficulties appear to be very big, lift your eyes because you are only focused on yourself. If you lift your eyes up and look at those who are in a worse condition than you, you will suddenly feel that your burden is not as bad as you thought it was. If you think you have some big problem, look at people who have a greater problem. Suddenly, you will get a confidence that my problem is much smaller, and I can manage it. So, the first point on how to be happy is to see the world where there are greater and bigger problems. Then, your problems will appear smaller. The moment your problems appear smaller, you will get the energy and confidence to deal with it or solve it. In simple words, serve those who are in greater need. Second, look at your own life. In the past, you had many problems. They have all come and gone. Know that even this will go and you do have the energy and power to overcome it. You will get self-confidence by understanding and looking at your own past. Third, and most important, do some breathing exercise and relaxation. Fourth, do you know, in anger we say, ‘I give up’. Without frustration or anger say, ‘I give this problem up, I cannot solve it, let the Divine help me.’ And know that you will always be helped. Have the confidence that you will be helped; a power in the universe is going to help you. The fifth one – what do you think is the fifth one? I leave it to you. You think about the fifth one. I can go on up to twenty-five or thirty (points), but I would like you to come up with it. We are always looking for solutions from someone. We forget that if we turn our mind inward, we can get some idea, some solution. This is the fifth one. Spontaneity! Be spontaneous. Spontaneity will come when you take a few minutes to go deep within yourself. There is nothing great in smiling when everything is normal, and when everything is going the way you want. But if you awaken the valor inside of you, and say, ‘Come what may, I am going to keep smiling’, you will notice tremendous energy, just rise from within you. And the problem is like nothing; it just comes and disappears.
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji
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G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
GOODBYE 2014 C E D 0
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Party till you drop!
T2 : Winter Boiler Session @ Jiffy’s || SAT, Dec 20th, 2014 NIKHIL D’SOUZA AND BAND @ TERRA MAYAA DJ KAWAL @ Silver Streak
Royal’s Christmas Carnival @ ROYAL GLOBAL SCHOOL
C E D 3
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C E D 4
C DE 1
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2
Red Carpet Night “A Christmas Eve Celebration“ @ Ozone 24
Voodoo Child & Dj Jawed Live/ 24th Dec/ Christmas @Terra Mayaa
Peace Jam Pre Gig-II @ Spice Route at SILVER STREAK Youthzkorner Art Festival’14 @ SHRADHANJALI KANAN
C E D 5
Jingle Nite #GenNext Turns 2 @ Terra Mayaa Christmas Bash Party feat DJ SUBUHI JOSHI (Splitsvilla Fame) @ OZONE
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C E D 6
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Events
T2 : Moonlight & Mistletoe A Christmas Gathering @ Residency Tourist Resort | Dec 25th WALKING TALL (a step towards Hi-Fashion) @ HOTEL ROYALE DE CASA The Band Swadhyay launching first official music video ‘Akaax’ @ CLUB DMD
C E D 7
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THE DILATO PROJECT “INJECTING EDM” @ R & B CLUB BOLLY YOUTH FEVER @ Sarusajai Stadium
Acoustica - Unplugged Competition @ DIGHALI PUKHRI
C E D 9
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#248MinutesToMidnight ***** @ R & B CLUB NEW YEAR PARTY 2015 @ O’ GUWAHATI, near Hotel Ambarish RED CARPET MASQUERADE PARTY @ Hotel Nandan
C DE 8
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Black Death Reunion 2014 @ SHILPAGRAM
An Evening of Goalparia Lokgeet @ RABINDRA BHAWAN
Smirnoff Experience : Jerome Isma-Ae [Germany] & DJ Ivan + More @Greenwood
C E D 1
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NYE 2015” ft. DiATONiK aka DUAL DRiVE @Residency Resort Last Day Music Carnival @ SHRADHANJALI KANAN
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G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Bazaar
KALYAN DEB
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ith the season of festivals and holidays, the city is all geared up to celebrate Christmas along with rest of the world. Over the years, there has been a significant growth in Christmas revelry in the city as the festival is now celebrated by all communities whether Christian or other. The homes are decorated with sparkling stars and Christmas trees, to celebrate the festival every year. Meanwhile, the countdown for the New Year has also begun with the spirit of celebrations already in the air. People are seen shopping for decorative ornaments, X-Mas trees, cakes for the festival at Fancy Bazar, Panbazar, Ganeshguri and other major markets. The churches of the city will also be decked up with colourful lighting and various Christmas accessories while midnight masses in the churches would mark the beginning of the festivities. The St Joseph’s Cathedral at Panbazar is one of the main attractions among the people as revelers in large numbers gather for the devotional Morning Prayer.
Decorations
Decorative ornaments used at the time of Christmas hold the most significance. Traditional colours of pine green, snow white and heart red are a common sight with different types of lights also used for decoration. Ornaments such as jingle bells, balloons and Christmas stockings are the traditional decorative items. It is also considered a tradition to decorate the outside of houses with lights and sometimes with illuminated sleighs and other Christmas figures. Blue and white are often used to represent winter. Among other ornaments on Christmas decorations Baby Jesus, Father Christmas, Santa Claus and the star of Bethlehem are considered the most traditional. Different countries
CITY GEARS UP FOR
CHRISTMAS
carry out different types of decorations depending on the traditions. In the city, the decorations are available in all major market places at costs as economical as twenty to thirty rupees, going up to thousands of rupees depending upon one’s preferences. “Other than the people belonging to the Christian community, the commercial establishments are making bulk purchases of stars, Christmas trees and jingle bells for decoration. The Santa Clause dolls and outfits are very popular among children,” said Harish Sikhwal who owns an outlet selling Christmas decorative at Fancy Bazaar.
X-mas tree
see models of houses, fir trees or Santa Claus on a Christmas cake covered in icing. A Christmas cake may be light or dark, crumbly-moist to sticky-wet, spongy to heavy with icing, glazing, dusting with icing sugar, or plain. “People nowadays prefer innovative cake designs and new flavours rather than the conventional ones. We have designed special Christmas theme based cakes with Christmas trees, bells and cakes of the shape of nicely packed gift box,” said the manager of Prime Bakes. “The special designs will be available at all our outlets from the 20th of the month,” he added. In India, the Allahabadi cake,
The Christmas tree is what explains the tradition and rituals surrounding the winter solstice. Popular Christmas plants include holly, mistletoe and Christmas trees. The interiors are decorated with these plants, along with small ornaments tied to the delicate branches and sometimes with a small light set up on the treetops. Christmas ornaments including jingle bells and a bow are usually used at the top or the bottom and a candle is placed in the middle. Whereas, in the city such plants cannot be found as they grow in cold climatic conditions, so the enthusiasts have to settle for the fake ones available in the market places, which are sold at prices ranging from Rupees 40 and so on depending upon the size. The trees, which are priced at Rupees 5500 and above, showcase the superior finish and craftsmanship.
which is a traditional Indian rum fruit-cake originating and borrowing its name from the north Indian city of Allahabad is a popular Christmas cake.
ber of people especially children, some of the shopping malls of the city have brought ‘Santa Clauses’ who are entertaining the visitors distributing chocolates and mingling with children.
Cakes
Santa Claus
Celebrations
Christmas celebrations are incomplete without sweet smelling cakes for which, the bakers of Guwahati are all geared up to attract customers. It is quite a common view to
Generally depicted as a joyous, white-bearded man, wearing a red outfit, Santa can be seen distributing chocolates and sweets in most of the churches. To attract maximum num-
While people gather at the churches on 24th of December and Christmas day, for the midnight mass and the Morning Prayer, respectively, Guwahati has its own way of celebrat-
ing the holy day. Apart from the traditional dinner with family and friends, people also look forward to a bonfire night. Apart from such celebrations, various clubs and pubs spread over the city organise Christmas themed parties, which over the years have developed its own trend among the youths of the city. The clubs hire DJs and bands for the occasion that attract lot of people these days and can be seen overflowing with party goers. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
NEW FURNITURE SHOWROOM IN CITY For one to provide a classy finish to their homes the, city now has a new furniture home. Furnico opened its doors for Guwahatians on December 14th and The newly opened showroom deals in office furniture but their focus is primarily on home furniture such as beds, sofa sets, dining sets and has a lot to offer to their customers. Among Indian brands, Furnico deals in Smartwood and a huge variety of imported goods are
also available at the showroom. “Other than keeping our focus limited to the expensive and imported home décor, we also have a wide range of products for the middleclass families too. The price economic price ranges have very good products comparatively. We also take orders according to the requirements of our customers,” Basant Sharma, co-owner of Furnico asserted. Other than furniture, Furnico
also offers various decorative items such as paintings, artificial aquariums, electronic fireplace. One of the highlights of Furnico, are the newly introduced marble dining sets, which have grabbed a lot of attention lately. Bedroom set for kids are also available at the outlet and include bunk beds along with study table. The outlets is also providing a warranty for 3 years for most of the products.
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
19
Entertainment
Why did PC skip her Om Puri to get lifetime achievement dance performance at award an award show? V
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riyanka Chopra was slated to perform at an award function on Sunday but sources suggest that she excused herself from the show at the eleventh hour. Apparently, she had attended the rehearsals and her unanticipated refusal to turn up on the D-day left the organisers in a tizzy. More bemusing was the fact that PeeCee, who is said to have skipped the show for “some other work”, posted a picture of herself spending time with her mother, Madhu Chopra, that very evening. A source says the actress never showed any hint of displeasure or discomfort during the rehearsals, and so, her decision came as a shock. “The creative team was putting in special efforts to make her performance a success. However, at the last moment she informed the organisers that she had to attend to some other work,” the source adds. Another source says the show script and performance sequence of other actors had to be re-arranged when she decided not to come, adding: “It would have been nice to see her perform on stage as she also won an award for her film.” The actress’ post on a microblogging site read, “Spending the evening getting some mommy love tonight. Feel like I need it.” Her next post suggested that she was unhappy: “Politics I’ve learned,is an art form.Yet it saddens the heart when it finds its way into Art, irrevocably changing its soul! #Lesson4Tonight (sic).” Priyanka was not available for comment.
Arjun Kapoor: I will do only one movie a year now
eteran actor Om Puri will be felicitated with the lifetime achievement award at the first edition of the International Film Festival of Prayag (IFFP), Allahabad. He will be honoured at the event’s awards function on Feb 28, next year. The 65-year-old, whose previous accolades include a lifetime achievement award at the 2009 Filmfare Awards and the Padmashri, India’s fourth highest civilian award, in 1990, will receive the award for his prestigious and remarkable contribution to the film industry. “It’s a great honour for us to
welcome a personality like Om Puri at the very first year. We are very fortunate to get his support. We will honour him with the lifetime achieve-
‘Alone’ trailer crosses four million mark
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ctress Bipasha Basu is on cloud nine as the trailer of her forthcoming film “Alone” has been viewed more than four million times on YouTube. Published on Dec 9, the trailer has been viewed 4,058,867 times and has received thumbs up from celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and Arjun Kapoor. “Our trailer of #Alone is the fastest to cross the 4 million mark! Woohoo! Now keep 16th jan to watch the film!,” she tweeted on Wednesday. Also starring Karan Singh Grover, the story revolves around
conjoined twins Anjana and Sanjana, who had promised to be together and
T A
in past two years. “I will do one movie in a year. I have worked in six movies in last two years and I want to concentrate on one thing at a time,” Arjun said. The actor has no plans for New Year so far but hopes to celebrate Christmas with his ‘Tevar’ co-actors Manoj Bajpayee and Sonakshi Sinha. The movie will hit theatres on January 9.
how the death of one sister leads to a series of chilling incidents.
Ticket price When Mika made not hiked Kareena uncomfortable? for ‘PK’
I
rjun Kapoor wants to focus on doing one film a year after a busy 2014 which saw three of his movies releasing. The 29-year-old actor starred in ‘Gunday’, ‘2 States’ and ‘Finding Fanny’ this year. Arjun, who will be next seen in his father Boney Kapoor’s production, said he is tired after doing six movies
ment award at this event as our respect towards him,” festival director Abhishek Arun said in a statement. Hosted by Z&Z Media Pvt. Ltd., IFFP will take place in Allahabad from Feb 26 to 28, next year. The festival aims to promote cinema, especially in the country’s north-west region. “The principle objective of the IFFP is to promote and encourage awareness, appreciation and understanding of the art of cinema especially in this region. Filmmaking professionals and students belonging to the northern region of our country will have a new platform,” said the festival’s founder Hasan Haider.
he “PK” team have decided not to hike the ticket price for the Aamir Khan-starrer, which came out Dec 19. “The team feels that the film is universal and everyone should be able to see it,” said Aamir’s spokesperson in a statement. With the release of a big film, the theatres tend to hike the ticket price. However, the “PK” team was adamant not to effect any change in price. Also starring Anushka Sharma, the Rajkumar Hirani directorial has been produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.
t was unintentional, but guests felt that Kareena Kapoor Khan appeared a tad uncomfortable while dancing at the sangeet of her favourite designer Manish Malhotra’s niece wedding. Several stars went on the stage to shake a leg with Manish as Mika Singh crooned his chartbusters. When it was Bebo’s turn, Mika began singing ‘Mauja Hee Mauja’ from her film ‘Jab We Met’ (2007) The video has found its way on social media and Bebo is visibly uncomfortable dancing to the song. Remember who matched steps with her on that track? Kareena ex-flame Shahid Kapoor, but must give her full marks for being sporting enough to groove on Manish’s request.
20
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Reviews
GAME REVIEW
THE EVIL WITHIN
T
Movie Review
Director: Rajkumar Hirani Starring: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma, Saurabh Shukla, Sanjay Dutt, Sushant Singh Rajput, Boman Irani
A
fter five years, we finally have Rajkumar Hirani’s masterpiece on silver screen through PK and it needs to be mentioned here that the director has taken filmmaking to another level altogether. PK has a depth, which formulates a message that can also be debatable. The flick slowly pierces a thought into our wits that would remain there for long. We all believe in God and yes there is no question of undermining its power. However, there is a strong condemnation over its presence, which earlier Bollywood movies have made but most of them have been at receiving end. Here Rajkumar Hirani takes similar subject and treats it in a satirical and amusing mode. Without dissecting the issue, the director effortlessly gives an outcome, which none of us would have ever thought of! It starts with Jaggu (Anushka Sharma) a journalist student in Bruges, Belguim who after completing her studies comes back to her hometown in India. Here she meets PK (Aamir Khan) who has his own weird techniques to deal with things in society. He is a never seen before any human being and his style of dressing becomes a humorous point of accentuation, his manner of seeing the world is a matter of concern. There are many such unanswered questions by PK which initially become a butt of jokes but on a major scenario it’s debatable. Now while its storyline is fascinating, PK has ample surprises which unfold layer by layer remarkably. But one thing, which needs to be made clear is that PK is not a out an out comedy-caper as its trailer and songs have hinted towards yet carrying the same thought-process while stepping into the theatres won’t disappoint you. While there is a serious subject Rajkumar Hirani is dealing
with and his ways of presenting the entire issue turns out to be humorous. It all goes side by side or rather say there is a parallel journey throughout. With dialogues by Abhijaat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani himself the narration becomes more gripping and entertaining particularly with Aamir Khan’s Bhojpuri dialect. We won’t reveal as to how the language is inserted in the flick but we tell you it’s an interesting part to know. Saurabh is playing the role of a self-styled Godman and the director never misses a chance to take a dig and intentionally mock such real-life characters spread across the society. Boman Irani’s short appearance in the movie is crucial but it provides an essential link to the events happening around. Sanjay Dutt’s cameo is too delightful. Sushant Singh Rajput, is wrapped up in the first half. We wish, Hirani could’ve used more of him. Anushka Sharma as a curious journalist is great while her friendly chemistry with Aamir Khan is amusing and captivating. And do we need to mention that Aamir Khan is the show-stealer? The actor masterfully and magnificently delivers a tough act in the flick. More than his words it’s his expressions, which add volume. There is a big surprise around his character, which is cleverly written and wonderfully performed. Music by Shantanu Moitra, Ajay-Atul, Ankit Tiwari and Ram Sampath plays important part in the movie which is beautiful. The background score is finely jelled with frames while songs which might not have received much attention till now will stay in your wits after you step out of theatres. Chaar Kadam by Shaan in our favorite from the album.
he Evil Within is not a game that relies on cheap jump scares. It’s driven by a slow, sustained, and deeply pervasive sense of dread that sets your mind racing at every crunch of glass beneath your feet and every distant groan from an unseen enemy. Much of this tension is thanks to the game’s striking use of atmosphere, so gloomy and impactful it often borders on suffocating, but it’s also a testament to an action-heavy combat system whose scant ammunition and immediate threat of death is just as demanding as it is satisfying. Were it not for the occasional stumble into moments of immense frustration and an aimless, sputtering story, The Evil Within could have been something truly great. What’s left, though, is an uneven but ultimately captivating ode to the glory days of survival horror. At the center of it all is Sebastian Castellanos, a detective called in to investigate a vicious collection of murders at a local mental hospital. The brief preamble leading up to this investigation is all the calm The Evil Within can muster, because from
then on Castellanos is sent tumbling through a twisted and only occasionally coherent story involving supernatural apparitions, gruesome monsters, and a seemingly infinite series of nightmarish backdrops. A similar issue plagues some of the boss battles. The bosses are suitably terrifying, twisted monsters capable of making you shiver at the mere sight of them. And some of them make for great encounters, forcing you to take the same wits and creativity you’ve been refining in basic combat and dial them up to a whole new level. Other moments of frustration pop up throughout the campaign--invisible enemies, a recurring character who appears from nowhere to kill you instantly--which feel like clumsy missteps in an otherwise satisfying fight for survival. But it’s a fight that anyone with a tough stomach should take on. Because for as much as The Evil Within does stumble, it always seems to recover. What it does at its core it does so well that all those issues floating on the periphery eventually fade away to reveal a satisfying if slightly blemished return to classic survival horror.
S You SHOULD Read
he’s a small-town girl who takes admission in Delhi University (DU). An idealist, studies are her first priority. He’s a Delhi guy, seriously into youth politics in DU. He fights to make his way. Student union elections are his first priority. But then opposites attract as well! Rupali, a young, small-town girl, comes to Delhi for her studies. She joins college full of enthusiasm. An idealist with a soft exterior and a tough interior, she soon gets into trouble. When the elections are held, her firm stance on the wrong goings-on around her make
You SHOULD LISTEN Artist: LIVESOS
5
Seconds of Summer’s first concert album, 2014’s LIVESOS, showcases the Australian outfit’s high-energy mix of punk and poporiented music. The album comes on the heels of the group’s eponymous 2014 full-length debut and culls various performances from the band’s 2014 world tour. Featured here are 14 cuts off the group’s debut, as well as tracks from their three EPs, She Looks So Perfect, Don’t Stop, and Amnesia. Here we get infectious takes on such 5 Seconds of Summer jams as “18,” “Out of My Limit,” “Good Girls,” and many more. Along with the group’s own songs, here they play a few of their favorite covers, including a rousing version of Green Day’s “American Idiot” and an anthemic, power popinfused reading of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” Also featured is a studio version of the band’s inspired cover of the Romantics’ ‘80s classic “What I Like About You.” Youthful and full of a brash Aussie energy, with LIVESOS 5 Seconds of Summer deliver a dynamic live concert that’s equal parts punk rock show, boy band concert, and stadium rock event.
her a threat for the student leaders. Arun—one of them—watches her activities with interest. Initially hostile, Arun, however, is slowly able to see her point of view and is drawn to her. Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in the college and the powers that be are no longer in the mood to forgive Rupali for her meddling. They want to teach her a lesson. What will Arun do? Will he watch from the sidelines or will he try and save her from what will prove to be the ultimate test of both their lives? Your Dreams Are Mine Now is a powerful and poignant love story.
NOW SHOWING PK Apsara Cinema
Daily at 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM
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Daily at 11.30 AM, 1.45, 5.00 & 8.15 PM
Fun Cinemas
Daily at 9.00 AM, 11.45, 2.40, 5.40 & 8.45 PM
Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazar)
Daily at 11.00, 11.30 AM 2.00, 2.30, 5.00, 5.30, 8.00 & 8.30 PM
Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar)
Daily at 11.00, 11.30 AM 2.00, 2.30, 5.00, 5.30, 8.00 & 8.30 PM
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Daily at 11.00 AM, 2.00,5.00 & 8.00 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 DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Micromax launches Yu Yureka CyanogenMod smartphone for Rs. 8,999
T
he first phone under Micromax’s Yu brand has been launched in India. The device, known as the Yureka, is going to be available from tomorrow, exclusively on Amazon. The company is following a flash sale model, where consumers will have to register for the devices and then take part in the sale. This means that you will be able to register from tomorrow, while the device actually goes on sale on January 8. The Yu Yureka has been priced at Rs. 8,999. The Yureka comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octacore 64-bit chipset along with CyanogenMod 11. It has a 13 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera and 16 GB of internal storage, which can
doorstep service options for repair and replacement of the device. The OS looks quite similar to the CyanogenMod 11S ROM we’ve seen on the OnePlus One. We quite like the pricing of the smartphone. Let’s hope it lives up to the spec sheet.
Government to set up public Wi-Fi in 25 cities
T
he Indian government is planning to introduce free Wi-Fi connectivity at select public places in top 25 cities of the country. The Wi-Fi connectivity will be available for cities with a population of over 10 lakh, and will be completed before June 2015. The initiative is part of the Digital India program of the government which aims to give Wi-Fi access to all cities with a population of over 1 million by December 2015. The government will empanel three to four Wi-Fi service providers in order to gain flexibility needed to ensure that a speedy roll-out takes place by June 2015. The project is jointly being worked by the Department of Telecom and Ministry of Urban Development.
Tech Watch
North Korea Behind Sony Hack: US Officials
U be expanded using a micro-SD card. It has a 5.5 inch HD display. Further, Micromax’s partnership with Cyanogen for this device would mean that, like the OnePlus One, you can root this smartphone without voiding the warranty. In addition, Micromax is also offering
According to a report, the central government is also planning free public Wi-Fi in 25 archaeological monuments including Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort, Qutub Complex in Delhi, Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram, Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri Sravasti and Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh, Martand Temple and Leh Palace in J&K,
Vaishali-Kohua in Bihar, Rani-ki Vav Gujarat, Konark Temple in Odisha, Rang Ghar in Assam and Khajuraho and Mandu in Madhya Pradesh. “The idea is that people even foreign tourists should stay connected. Besides, WiFi spots will also lower traffic burden on telecom networks,” the source said.
21
.S officials have concluded that the North Korean government ordered the hacking attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment — a breach that led to the studio cancelling the planned release of “The Interview”. One U.S. official told NBC News that the country “can’t let this go unanswered.” The officials told NBC News the hacking attack originated outside North Korea, but they believe the individuals behind it were acting on orders from the North Koreans. “We have found linkage to the North Korean government,” according
to a U.S. government source. An official said the U.S. is discussing what form a response could take, and couldn’t detail what options the government has available. “Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business,” Sony said in a statement on Wednesday, saying that it reached the decision after the top cinema chains pulled out. Regal, Cinemark, Carmike and Cineplex were among the chains that said it would not show the film on the planned Dec. 25 premiere, citing security concerns.
Facebook launches auto enhance feature for photos
F
acebook has launched ‘auto enhance’ feature for iOS devices. The new feature improves a photo’s lighting, clarity and shadows. The service is currently available for iPhone 5 or later phones. Facebook plans to roll out the feature for Android platform soon. Facebook’s auto enhance is very similar to Auto Awesome feature of Google Photos that also allows users to improve image
lighting and clarity. Facebook also allows users to turn the effect off or use the sliding bar to adjust the intensity of the enhancement. Facebook and other rival social networking sites have increased focus on photos sharing. While Google has already been adding a lot of photography friendly features on Google+, Twitter recently allowed users to add filters on photos.
Spice launches first Hindi Android BlackBerry Classic QWERTY smartphone One smartphone at Rs. 6,499 officially unveiled
B
H
omegrown smartphone maker Spice has launched the first Hindi Android One smartphone. The device, Spice Dream Uno H, is the first smartphone to feature a complete Hindi keyboard, voice input along with Hindi versions of Android and popular Google products such as Chrome, Search, YouTube and Google Maps. The device has a 4.5 inch IPS display along with a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor and Android 4.4.4 KitKat. It also has a 1700 mAh Li-Polymer battery and expandable storage of
up to 32 GB. It is priced at Rs. 6,499 and offers 2G and 3G connectivity options. The device also has a 5 MP rear camera along with a 2 MP front camera. Spice, along with Micromax and Karbonn, was the first of three manufacturers to join Google’s Android One program. The company launched the Spice Dream Uno, which was its first Android One device. The Micromax Canvas A1 and Karbonn Sparkle V are the two other Android One smartphones available in the market right now.
lackBerry has officially unveiled its Classic smartphone featuring full QWERTY keyword, physical navigation keys and design language of the BlackBerry Bold 9900. The smartphone is available through Amazon.com and www.BlackBerry. com for $449 in the U.S. and $499 in Canada. The BlackBerry Classic runs BlackBerry OS 10.3.1 and is powered by a 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor along with 2GB of RAM. The BlackBerry Classic has a 3.5-inch touch display, 294 dpi HD resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It comes with an 8MP rear facing camera and 2MP front facing camera. It has 16GB of device storage (expandable by up to another 128GB via Micro SD card). Other important features of the Classic include BlackBerry Blend, digital assistant BlackBerry Assistant, dual app storefronts – BlackBerry World and Amazon Appstore, and
BlackBerry Hub. “We listened closely to our customers’ feedback to ensure we are delivering the technologies to power them through their day – and that feedback led directly to the development of BlackBerry Classic. BlackBerry Classic is the powerful communications tool that many BlackBerry Bold and Curve users have been waiting for. It’s the secure device that feels familiar in their hands, with the added perfor-
mance and agility they need to be competitive in today’s busy world,” says John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry. BlackBerry has been making a lot of efforts to make a comeback in the smartphone segment, currently dominated by the likes of Google’s Android and Samsung. The recent BlackBerry Passport, the square QWERTY smartphone, helped BlackBerry gained some attention.
22
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Fun
Your weekly dose of Aries
TIMEPASS
Taurus
Your focus shifts to career goals and ambitions. As Mercury enters Capricorn on Tuesday it brings an opportunity to network with the right people, get advice, update your resume, and prepare for interviews. You may grumble that you have to jump through hoops to get a job or impress a boss or superior. For now, though, find other ways to express your individuality rather than risk jeopardizing your image. The New Moon in Capricorn is helpful for signing a contract or closing a deal.
Leo
Gemini
You may be eager to expand your options through traditional means, such as a class or work experience. As this week’s blend of energies focuses on Capricorn, perhaps you’ll decide that you want more out of life. This dynamic setup encourages you to go for it. And there’s more! A spicy link suggests a romantic liaison could get more passionate. Are you sure you want it? Sunday’s New Moon can be helpful if you’re going on a journey or beginning an exciting project.
Virgo
If you need help, don’t be too proud to ask. Partnership interests are highlighted, and joining forces might be the way for you to accomplish more. You may be sharing exciting and fun times with a romantic tie. The focus gradually shifts to work and lifestyle issues. You may have to ignore a co-worker who seems jealous of your achievements. Sunday’s New Moon may help you kickstart a new diet or exercise routine that will help keep off the pounds.
Sagittarius Don’t take on more than you can handle or promise more than you can deliver early on. If you have a lot to accomplish, be realistic. As Mercury and the Sun ease into Capricorn you’ll find it easier to set limits and be practical, especially where finances are concerned. The weekend could bring a desire to splurge that requires careful handling. Perhaps it would be best to shop with a friend! Later, a romance may show signs of heating up when Uranus turns direct.
SUDOKU
HOROSCOPE Cancer
Go with your intuition early on and don’t second-guess yourself. You got it right. A friend or partner wants to have some fun and you’re their preferred companion. If it’s a festive get-together, make the most of it. The focus then shifts to finances and resources. You’d be wise to compare prices before making up your mind about a purchase, especially if it’s a big-ticket item. The New Moon can help if you want to reorganize your finances.
The continued presence of Mars in your zone of shared finances could encourage revisions in your investment strategy. This might involve working on home improvements or purchasing items that will gain in value. However, partnership issues also come to the fore with a chance to catch up and discuss plans. An intense encounter on Saturday may set you thinking, while the New Moon on Sunday could boost a new partnership or creative collaboration. Your social life sparkles, too!
Libra
Mars in Aquarius could be making you impatient, meaning you’ll be dissatisfied with your progress. You like to do a good job, so it helps to be patient and take things in stride. As the focus shifts to your leisure and pleasure sector, you may start something creative and decide to take up a new hobby. Romance may beckon with a strong attraction showing up on Saturday. The New Moon on Sunday is excellent for a first date or new business.
Capricorn
Scorpio
Sometimes romance can be heavenly, and this could be one of those weeks! If single, someone could catch your eye. If in a relationship, your partner may have plans that add a delightful quality to the coming days. You’ll soon need to focus on getting things sorted at home in preparation for the holiday week. Make lists and get into action, but allow time to pamper yourself, too. Sunday’s New Moon could coincide with a desire to remove clutter and get organized.
You could go out with the intention of buying gifts for those closest to you and end up buying something awesome for yourself instead. If you’re shopping for presents, have a goal and set limits to save time and money. As the focus shifts to Capricorn you may feel motivated to attend a class, lecture, or seminar that has the potential to help you achieve a goal. This week it’s worth signing up for anything that can help you get ahead.
Aquarius
You’ll be busy, so take time to rest and relax. Watch your dreams, too, as one of them could have special guidance for you. Mercury shifts into your sign on Tuesday, encouraging you to research ideas and share. It’s time to take your personal plans seriously. Watch a desire to splurge on Saturday. An impulse buy may seem like a great idea until you realize it was a waste of money. The New Moon in Capricorn is helpful for initiating action and change.
Pisces
You seem to be full of energy and ready to party early in the week. However, the focus gradually shifts to your spiritual sector, encouraging you to kick back and relax. If you’ve been socializing, you may feel like taking a break anyway. This doesn’t mean you’ll stop altogether, just that it’s time to slow down, review your priorities, and catch up with yourself. When Uranus turns direct on Sunday, you may find your connection with someone becomes less disruptive and more productive.
You’ve been busy pushing ahead with goals and plans, but once Mercury enters Capricorn on Tuesday it’s time to enjoy festive get-togethers and kisses under the mistletoe. The focus then shifts to having fun, mingling, and generally enjoying life. You’ll be motivated to network with a view toward enhancing your business prospects. Saturday could bring the option of a heady romance. Sunday’s New Moon is excellent for moving in new circles or kick-starting a new liaison.
JUST FOR LAUGHs
House Hacks CHARGE YOUR PHONE WHILE IN AIRPLANE MODE 1. When your phone is in airplane mode, the phone uses less battery power because many features are turned off. You can charge your phone much quicker this way because those battery draining features aren’t sucking up power while your trying to charge it.
A man hasn’t been feeling well, so he goes to his doctor for a complete checkup. Afterward, the doctor comes out with the results. “I’m afraid I have some very bad news,” the doctor says. “You’re dying, and you don’t have much time left.” “Oh, that’s terrible!” says the man. “How long have I got?” “Ten,” the doctor says sadly. “Ten?” the man asks. “Ten what? Months? Weeks? What?!” “Nine...” A woman is at a grocery store. She goes to the clerk to purchase her groceries. The clerk looks at her items and sees a carton of eggs, a gallon of milk, and a head of lettuce. He says to the woman, “You must be single.” The woman was surprised & replies, “Yes, how did you know?” The clerk answers, “Because you’re ugly.”
Solution (Last Issue)
G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
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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
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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
police station SP, Kamrup District: Ph- 2540278 DGP Control Room: Ph- 2540242 SB Control Room: Ph-2261511 Police Control Room: Ph-2540138, 2540113 Azara PS: Ph2840287 Basista PS: Ph-2302158 Bharalumukh PS: Ph- 2540137, 2731199 Borjhar PS: Ph-2840351 Chandmari PS: Ph- 2660204 Chandrapur PS: Ph-2788237, 2785237 Dispur PS: Ph-2261510 Fancybazar PS: Ph- 2540285
Fatasil Ambari PS: Ph-2471412 Geetanagar PS: Ph-2417323 Hatigaon: Ph-2562383 Jalukbari PS: Ph-2570587 Jalukbari Out Post: Ph-2570522 Jorabat: Ph-2896853 Khanapara: Ph- 2281501 Khetri PS: Ph-2787699, 2787220 Latasil PS: Ph-2540136 Noonmati PS: Ph- 2550281 North Guwahati PS: Ph-2690255 Paltanbazar PS: Ph-2540126 Panbazar PS: Ph-2540106 Pragjyotishpur Ps: Ph-2785237 Women PS Panbazar: Ph-2524627
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G PLUS DEC 20 - DEC 26, 2014
Catching Up
Case filed against Google in India
A
case has been registered against search giant Google for collecting classified data in violation of the National Map Policy 2005, the government said. “M/s Google India Pvt Ltd, without any approval of Ministry of Defence or any other agency of Government, conducted the Mapathon 2013 competition during February 12, 2013 to March 25, 2013 and collected data, including classified data, in violation of the National Map Policy-2005.
“An official complaint (FIR) has been lodged by Survey of India with the Delhi Police in February, 2013. Presently Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the case,” Union Minister Jitendra Singh said The Minister of State for Science and Technology said this in a written response to a question in Lok Sabha today.
It’s Official! Men are more stupid than women
Cameron Diaz wishes she had longer to prepare for Annie songs
C
ameron Diaz has said she wanted “a couple of years” to prepare for her singing role in
Annie. The actress portrays the evil Miss Hannigan in the new remake of the 1982 classic but despises being a “bad” singer, and would have loved to have a lot longer to perfect her vocals.
I
t’s enough to start a new battle of the sexes, but when it comes to needless and untimely deaths, men win hands down. A 20 year study of the Darwin Awards, an annual review of the most foolish way people have died, found almost 90 per cent were ‘won’ by males. Named after Charles Darwin, who postulated the suvival of the fittest, it recognises those who have inadvert-
ently improved the gene pool by elimiating themselves from the human race by astonishingly stupid methods.
Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd., Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati and Published at H/No. 34, K. C. Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati - 781008, Editor: Koushik Hazarika. Phone: 0361 2737737, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641