G plus Volume 2 Issue 31

CITY AUTHOR PENS NEW NOVEL PG 13

The Sunshine Vitamin Are you getting enough of it?

Kylie Jenner

‘Wants to Invest in Real Estate’

PG 16

Page 24

VOLUME 02 | ISSUE 31 MAY 09 - MAY 15 , 2015

PRICE `10

35%

Contraceptive pill

city women

use increases among city teenagers 60% students blame the media for the scenario

Contd. in page 02

do not report domestic violence

PG

03

2

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Lead Story

Contraceptive pill use increases among city teenagers

60% students blame the media for the scenario

Rahul Chanda

I

ncreasing proximity between genders, relaxed social norms and taboos and easy availability of overthe-counter medicines for all kinds of medical problems is giving rise to a different kind of problem, one which is only recently catching the attention of doctors and parents alike-the increasing sexual proclivity among the teens, some as young as school going children and increasing use of Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECP) to prevent unwanted pregnancies, often without any adult supervision.

“Because of unplanned sexual activity, we get a lot of cases of patients suffering from depression and some even attempt suicide because of unwanted pregnancy. In recent times, there has been an increase in the number of such incidents among the teens, with some as young as school going children suffering from such problems”, said city based psychiatrist Dr. Nihad S Islam.

According to Islam, there is a generation gap between the older generation and the new and the youth these days are exposed to a lot of things at an early age. Their lack of patience often lead them to get involved in sexual activities without gaudging the implications. She also said that because of the media and other awareness tools, teenagers can easily avail information about the various contraceptives available in the market and its use is increasing among them.

G Plus talks to college students, chemists and medical experts to know more about the use of emergency con-

traceptive pills among college students and its side effects if any.

The sale

G Plus talked to 20 chemists across the city to determine their opinion about the sale of emergency contraceptive pills (ECP) among college going students. According to the owners/salespersons in 12 chemist shops, there has been a marked increase in sale of ECPs among college going students in recent times. Six chemist shops said that they cannot exactly determine the age group of the customers but agreed that there has been an increase in the quantity of sale of ECPs, while two chemists refused to answer to the queries.

Manager of The Life Pharmacy, Arup Patwary said, “There is definitely an increase in the sale of contraceptive pills among college going students and it is generally the male partners who come to our shop to buy the pill. We can estimate the age of the customer by looks but sometimes college students even come in uniforms to buy the pill.” He further said that there are two types of contraceptive pills, one which should be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual activity for which doctor’s prescription is not required like Unwanted 72 and I Pill. On the other hand, there are also pills which is for a kind of abortion for unwanted pregnancies which doctors prescribe to take after 45 days.

These include such pills as Mifeprin, Mifegest and Unwanted Kit. Patwary

said that pills like I Pill and Unwanted 72 are mostly purchased by college students while others are purchased by married couple.

A chemist from the Lal Ganesh area said, “The emergency contraceptive pills are being used by college students in a huge quantity. I know a student studying in a nearby college who buys such pills in huge quantities every month. I have never asked him about the purpose but I feel it can have adverse effect on the health of the person who uses it regularly.”

After talking to a cross section of chemists, we understood that the use of contraceptive pills is increasing among the teens drastically and to get their views, we talked to some college students.

The reason

G Plus talked to 100 college students across the city randomly to enquire about the reason leading to an increase of ECP use among students and young children. 60 students said they learnt from the media that unplanned sex can be dealt with the help of emergency contraceptive pills without having to worry about unwanted pregnancies. 22 students said that such thing happens only because of too much exposure to pornography while 18 students refused to comment anything on the issue. 60 per cent of the students felt it is because of the media that teens are now aware about emergency contraceptive pills which can prevent pregnancy after unplanned

“The emergency contraceptive pills are being used by college students in a huge quantity. I know a student studying in a nearby college who buy such pills in huge quantities every month.

I have never asked him about the purpose but I feel it can have adverse effect on the health of the person who uses it regularly.”

A chemist from the Lal Ganesh area

or unprotected sex. Another 22 per cent feel that because of easy access to pornography these days, young people are indulging more in sexual activities and the use of contraceptive pills is increasing among people at an early age.

But with the purported side effects of ECPs, G Plus decided to talk to few health experts to discuss the adverse effects of their excessive use.

Experts

City based gynaecologist Dr. Ayona Barthakur said, “There is definitely an increase in the use of ECPs among the teenagers because of various advertisements and misuse of such pills can lead to complications like menstrual irregularity.” She further said that the pills like ECP is not meant for regular use and if taken sometimes,

the users should know the correct process of taking the medicine. She said that sometimes people even take the pill after 72 hours of unprotected sexual activity which is not effective in preventing pregnancies.

Another city based gynaecologist Dr. Subhash Jain said, “There are oral contraceptive pills like Mala D which have very minimal side effects and are distributed for free to married women.

The tablets are to be taken on an everyday basis and the proportion of hormones, estrogen and progesterone in the pills are very less compared to the proportion of the same hormones in emergency contraceptive pills, which is generally higher. The regular use of ECPs can have very bad side effects ranging from menstrual irregularities to even pregnancy problems in future.”

Another Delhi based doctor, Dr. Manoj Kumar Singh said that regular use of ECPs can lead to serious problems like vomiting, severe headache and using them repeatedly can disrupt a woman’s natural menstrual cycle and can also make the user infertile.

Besides, these medicines are useless in preventing spread of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV. On the other hand, psychiatrist Dr. Nihad S Islam said that parental guidance from a young age is very important and there should also be sex education provided to the students in school and colleges which will help the teenagers to choose between the good and the bad. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

3

In The News

Priyanka jain

V

iolence is used as a weapon by patriarchy and gives a social sanction to men to control a woman’s body and sexuality, mind, mobility, labour and economic independence. It is an abuse of power in a relationship between two individuals.

Agencies for womens to seek redress Around 64.4 per cent women in Guwahati said that they approached some agency for help when faced with domestic violence, while 35.6 per cent city respondents said they had no access to any agency to redress their grievance and so preferred to remain silent. The reasons for not asking for help included the women’s economic dependency (13.8%), thoughts of family honour (13.6%), fear of further discrimination (11.5%), the idea that nothing could be done (7.2%) and fear of rejection/desertion by family (6.1%), among many others.

One stakeholder from Guwahati who was selected for interview towards the study was affected by and is a survivor of domestic violence.

Keeping in mind the sensitive nature and objective of the study, some information cannot be executed. The Guwahati based women of age 22 said,

35% city women

do not report domestic violence There are many such violent cases which are still pending in courts. And by the time the hearing dates come, either the victim’s dies or commits suicide.

“I wanted to become a school teacher but due to poor economic condition at home, I started working from home to home washing utensils.

After few months I got married to my father’s friend’s son unknowingly.

After getting married, I came to know that my husband is a drunkard and have an extra martial affair with a different woman but I could not leave that house and come back to my home because I did not want people to insult my family. I accepted this reality and moved on. After few days, late one

Forms of violence faced by women Physical Abuse A lady of age 45 in the city said that “My husband beat me with a stick, chocked me by the neck and broke my legs by throwing bricks at me. I couldn’t say anything as I am dumb.”

Sexual Abuse A Guwahati based woman confessed “I had two miscarriages due to brutal torture “ night, he returned home at 1 am and I served him supper then went to sleep.

He entered the room and started beating me up with his shoes and tied my hands with rope and then started beating me again indiscriminately.

And then he dragged me by my clothes to the bedroom. Many a time, when I refused him sex, he has urinated on my body. Because of his extreme brutality, I tried to commit suicide twice but failed.

Then finally I decided to leave that house and I went back to my home.

Some went to an extent of accusing me of having an affair with my father-in-law.

I wasn’t strong enough to go to the police station. I am now in my mother’s home.

I got habituated to these nuisances”.

There are many such violent cases which are still pending in courts. And by the time the hearing dates come, either the victim’s dies or commits suicide.

Verbal and Emotional Abuse A newly wedded woman reported , “I face mental violence every day. Because I have curly hair and one disabled leg, and my family calls me Kulokhoni (unlucky woman). My husband threatens me that he will marry another girl”.

Dowry Related Harassment A woman of Guwahati city, aged 28, said, “My family was asked to pay all costs related to repairing of the hand pump in my husband’s household”.

4

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

In The News

Will seminars make cops SMARTer?

RAHUL CHANDA

A

two-day regional workshop on smart policing was organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) in collaboration with Ministry of Home Affairs and supported by the Assam Police as a follow up of the annual DGP/IGP meet which was held in Guwahati in November 2014. The conference was held on 6th and 7th May 2015 at the Assam Police Headquarters in Guwahati. Top police officials from various states participated in the workshop. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the workshop and delivered a lecture on how to be smart in policing.

Smart concept During the last DGP meet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi coined the word ‘SMART’ with S for strict and sensitive, M for modern and mobile, A for alert and accountable, R standing for reliable and responsive and T for tech-savvy and well trained. CM Tarun Gogoi in his inaugural speech said, “If a police looks smart and handsome but is cruel to the public then it is not being smart.”

According to him, the police can be smart by being sensitive and responsive. He felt that if one is sensitive to listen to people’s grievances and is responsive to their needs, then everything will automatically fall into place. Gogoi further added that police need to be tactful in dealing with people and take care to ensure that human rights are not violated. The CM asked the police to give special care to the poor as they are the ones mostly deprived of justice. Gogoi said that knowing people’s culture is very

important for the police as it varies from place to place and to understand a person better, their culture and traditions should be known. He cited the example of New York where civil policing has helped a lot in reducing the number of crimes. He advocated similar civil policing to be given importance here for maintaining better law and order situation. But the question remains whether inspite of CM Gogoi talking about techniques to make policing more smart and the Assam Police organising smart policing workshops, will such meets and workshops help the police.

The strategy BPR&D special director Radhakrishna Kini who was representing the central government in the workshop, said that the programme is actually a follow up of the DGP-IGP meet held last year during which the PM spoke about the concept of SMART police. Since then, the police development body have been organising zonal workshops on smart policing.

He said that few days back, a workshop for smart policing in the South Indian zone was held in Bangalore. After the East Indian workshop in Guwahati, another two workshops for West India and North India will be held in Bhopal and Chandigarh respectively, which will be followed by a national workshop organised in Delhi somewhere in the month of June. During these workshops, the best practises of every state police will be discussed and accordingly, there will be a move to implement the most accepted practises

“If a police looks smart and handsome but is cruel to the public then it is not being smart.”

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi

among the police of the entire country.

Talking to G Plus, Assam DGP Khagen Sharma said that apart from the north eastern states, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand also participated in the workshop. Sharma accepted that while Assam Police lacks the infrastructure and technological knowhow to exactly become smart, they also need to develop the artificial intelligence of the state police. Talking about extremists threat, the DGP said that the state have always been facing such threats. Regarding talks with ULFA(I), Sharma took a clear stand that police will not start any fresh talks with any organisation. He further said that such workshops will certainly

help the police to structure a modus operandi to work smartly in the true sense by sharing the best practises of every state among each other.

It needs to be mentioned that initiatives like the formation of police commissionerate in Guwahati was largely appreciated during the workshop and according to many city denizens, the law and order situation has improved since the start of 2015.

According to highly placed sources in the police, the operational strategy for prevention and detection of crime has changed since the commissionerate was formed in the city, but, then again, the city police, like the state police lacks infrastructure and technology to

move to the next level. For example, the Assam Police came up with the initiative of CCTNS which would help the public to register their grievances and also do other verification work over the internet but the scheme, even after a huge investment, is not yet a success and people still have to go to the police station for each and every requirement.

No matter how many workshops the state police might organise or participate in, but the lack of infrastructure and manpower will always be a barrier between the cops and smart policing. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

5

In The News

NGO decries closure of

Lakshminath Bezbaruah Road Juthika Baruah

I

Says the move is an insult to the SaHITYarathi

rked at the blatant disregard for contemporary history, the voluntary organisation, Citizens’ First has alleged that the Lakshminath Bezbaruah Road between the Nehru Park and the Judges’ Field which has been closed down without the consent of the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is an insult to the Sahityarathi.

Speaking to G Plus, social activist Ajoy Dutta said, “The road was earlier known as the Station Road named after Lakshminath Bezbaruah but now that the GMDA Parking and the Food Court Food Villa have blocked the road, it leads to traffic congestion, causing difficulty for the general public. The parking has no permission of the GMDA and although it has been named as the GMDA Parking, it has been handed over to lessees.”

Dutta said that the road links Guwahati Railway Station to the MG Road and as the railway station is the biggest station in the region connecting the entire Northeast and is linked to the busy road of Handique Girls’ College and Cotton Collegiate School, it has become a problem for students as vehicles keep plying on the road at all hours of the day and lead to traffic congestions. The road was also used by convoys of Army vehicles coming to the transit camp

earlier but now the blockade has made the convoys of Army vehicles, which include some heavy vehicles, to take the road along the Don Bosco School and the road running between the Cotton College Chemistry Department, Telephone Exchange, Sudmerson Hall and Cotton Collegiate HS School to reach the MG Road.

On the other hand, GMDA Chairman Dhiren Baruah said that it was an old problem and the Dutta Commission was set up and a report prepared 4-5 years back but it has not been published publicly. GMDA is not responsible for it and as the Commission has not published the report, an inquiry needs to be set up against the parking.

The voluntary organisation demanded that the road should be reopened for the convenience of the public and that the Sahityarathi should not be insulted by closing down the road as he has contributed a lot for the state. Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary can’t be a homage for the Sahityarathi until and unless the Government show keen interest in following the minutes which are in the name of Bezbaruah.

The question now arises that at a time when the Food Court has become so popular among the young-

sters, will the closing down of the restaurant be acceptable to the public. Arunima Das, a frequent customer of the food court, when asked about the problem, said that the food court is the best place for relaxation with family and friends in their free time and the young generation preferred the place most as it is in a central location with the parking place conveniently nearby. The Lakshminath Bezbaruah road should reopen with the consent of the public but the food court should not be removed as many people frequent the place.

According to her, the parking place should not be a problem for the people as they want the parking place but at the same time, they should not face any problem because of the clos-

GMDA Chairman Dhiren Baruah said that it was an old problem and the Dutta Commission was set up and a report prepared 4-5 years back but it has not been published publicly. GMDA is not responsible for it and as the Commission has not published the report, an inquiry needs to be set up against the parking.

ing of the Sahityarathi road.

Meanwhile, Dutta pointed out that Assam has witnessed major earthquakes in 1897 and 1950 and Guwahati being in a highly sensitive Zone V will be in great danger, because, although there is a Disaster Management Authority, the department has failed to follow certain norms. Filling up of wetlands and cutting down of forests will lead to a point where there is no open space left to stand if an earthquake hits the state. Other cities like Delhi and Mumbai has large maidens but Guwahati do not have any maidens to go and stand in case of a natural disaster. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

6

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

In The News

LAND BOUNDARY DEAL

Syeda Ambia Zahan

WILL IT IMPROVE INDO-BANGLA RELATIONS?

The Great Gamble Before partition, the Maharajas of Cooch Behar and Rongpur, two erstwhile princely states won or lost in gambling many enclaves or pieces of land along what is now the IndoBangladesh border. The enclaves were pockets of one country’s territory surrounded by the other, appearing as “islands of land” which became a major cross border issue after the Partition.

The ownership arrangements, however, were made centuries ago.

Now that the Parliament has finally approved the Boundary Bill, India has 111 enclaves or nearly 17,000 acres of land within Bangladesh, while the neighbouring country has 51 enclaves or over 70,000 acres of land within its territory. The enclaves of land lie in the states of Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura and in some cases there are even Indian subenclaves within Bangladesh enclaves and vice-versa.

And the award goes to...

Historically speaking, the international boundary between India and Bangladesh was drawn hurriedly when the British left India. As a result thereof, thousands of people were left stranded in a number of unsettled enclaves as citizens of one country but

living in territories surrounded by that of the other.

The land boundary between the two countries was determined as per the Radcliffe Award of 1947. India and Bangladesh have a common land boundary of approximately 4,096.7 km. The original deal between the two nations was signed in 1974.The Indira Gandhi - Sheikh Mujib Land Boundary agreement in 1974 had seen both countries agree to exchange the enclaves of land that both countries had within each other’s territory. India even agreed to forgo compensation for land that would be transferred to Bangladesh.

What next after 1974?

Bangladesh’s Parliament ratified the agreement but India did not. The Boundary bill again came back into focus in 2011, during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s historic visit to the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s foreign affairs adviser Gawher Rizvi said the two sides intend to agree on the land swap to end the historic border dispute during Singh’s September 6-7 Dhaka tour, 2011. But when the UPA-II attempted to move the constitutional amendment bill in the Parliament, it was strongly opposed by regional parties like the Trinamool Congress and Asom Gana Parishad.

The BJP strongly opposed the bill in Parliament with the then leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley declaring in

a letter that the territory of India is a part of the Constitution. “It cannot be reduced or altered by an amendment to the Constitution,” he had written at the time.

The BJP had said there was no question of transferring land to Bangladesh under the agreement but later gave enough leeway for the bill to be tabled in the Upper House of Parliament before it was adjourned sine die.

It was then referred to a standing committee.

Modi’s mood...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his colleagues have been criticized left and right for changing stands on the land swap deal every now and then. They were blamed for backpedalling as PM Modi, during the Parliamentary campaign in Assam, had promised to keep the state aside from the deal.

Particularly sore are the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Asom Jatiyabadi Yuva-Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), all of which have hit out at Modi for allegedly changing the BJP’s stand on the issue.

“The people of Assam clearly remember that while Narendra Modi had gone on record saying he was opposed to the land transfer to Bangladesh, the BJP had even called a bandh to protest the then prime minister Manmohan Singh’s pact with Hasina,”

said Atul Bora, President of AGP. While the regional parties like Asom Gana Parishad and Trinamool Congress are expected to rake up the matter as a loss of territory to Bangladesh, the Prime Minister has attempted to placate his own party activists by saying that it would ensure better security and end illegal migration, which itself has been a contentious issue in the states.

Currently, neither the police nor developmental agencies can enter these enclaves on either side of the border. For people living in these enclaves, being surrounded by the territory of another country means that they have no access to any of the government services they are entitled to. As a result, these territories are grossly-underdeveloped, lacking in basic infrastructure and education facilities.

Choice between two Bird’s Eye states for the View....

And finally, the land Boundary Agreement would be seen as a gesstateless ture of good will and would improve The stateless people of Bangladesh and India living on either side of the international border will soon be able to call themselves legitimate citizens of one country or the other.

The agreement gives enclave residents a choice - they can remain where they are and switch their citizenship or they can come over to their mother country.

Most residents of the Indian enclaves are expected to seek resettlement in India after the swap, and their opposite numbers in Bangladeshi enclaves to largely prefer staying back in India and gain Indian citizenship.

The movement of people across borders as a result of the agreement is expected to be minimal. The Land Boundary Agreement is expected to give an identity and amenities to a number of nameless people who live as refugees within their own land.

the relationship between India and Bangladesh. The move could also help co-operation between the Modi government and the Awami League government in Bangladesh that could also help battle cross border terrorism.

In 2011, India committed itself to invest US$1 billion on building infrastructure in Bangladesh. The Land Boundary Agreement has the potential to be just the beginning of a more fruitful economic relationship between the two countries. In the past due to suspicions about India’s foreign policy, many countries in the area have turned to China for trade.

Changing its diplomatic methods due to the Land Boundary Agreement, India is expected to be in a position to challenge China for influence and to recover the markets it has lost.

DC announces massive plantation programme for Greater Guwahati

A

meeting regarding a massive plantation drive, maintenance and protection of trees in Greater Guwahati area was organised at the District Commissioner’s office in Guwahati on Friday.

In the meeting, Commissioner of GMC, Director of DRDA, Inspectors of Schools, Conservators of Forest, officials of various corporate and public sector firms, NGOs along with Dr. M Angamuthu,

Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M) were present during the meeting and exchanged their views regarding this aspect.

“It is our responsibility to protect trees, our green cover and hillocks of the city for the safety of our future generation. Mere plantation is simple, but protection of those planted saplings is a herculean task. We have to work collectively”, said Angamuthu.

The deputy commissioner also requested all the public and private

sector companies to participate and co-operate in maintenance and protection of trees which will be planted under this programme.

He added that the entire programme will be grouped under 2, 5 and 10 hectare units and the organisations will have the right to choose one of them.

He also informed that the Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi will officially inaugurate the programme on May 14 at Rani Reserve forest.

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Top city schools

not spared from strict vigilance

Juthika Baruah

A

lthough the district administration, District Transport Office and Inspector of Schools in a joint operation had instructed city private schools to follow the basic guidelines of the Supreme Court and RTE, few schools are still found to be violating certain norms.

In a joint operation by the three departments on 6th May, it was found that the Delhi Public School does not have any registration and that the school buses are not travel fit.

“There are 145 private schools in the city and it is very disappointing that most of the schools do not have registration. It’s very strange to see how these schools are running without registration, without the knowledge of the concerned department since so many years,” said Kamaljyoti Gogoi, Inspector of Schools while talking to G Plus.

Gogoi said that the schools are not coming forward for registration even after they have been asked to register their names and to submit all relevant documents to the department. He said that till date, 2025 schools have been inspected and found that most of the schools do not have safety measures.

“The private schools have become a concern for the citizens as it is related with the future of the students with parents’ now-a-days mostly preferring private schools than the government schools. But it is only the government schools that produce a good student, a good human being. A student of government school acquires the much needed life skills which enhances their ability to fight against all adversities but private school students do not have that ability,” Gogoi added.

Gogoi further stated that the private schools are creating much problem in the city as the school buses create traffic jams but government schools do not have school buses. The students come of their own either on

“The private schools have become a concern for the citizens as it is related with the future of the students with parents’ now-a-days mostly preferring private schools than the government schools.

But it is only the government schools that produce a good student, a good human being. A student of government school acquires the much needed life skills which enhances their ability to fight against all adversities but private school students do not have that ability,” Kamaljyoti Gogoi, Inspector of Schools foot or on bicycle. He further added that according to him, the government school students are more responsible than the private school students and they are the ones who become a responsible citizen.

“The government schools also provide quality education but people nowadays are more interested in private schools as they think that such schools can provide quality education which is a wrong conception.

Private school can provide only the academic knowledge which is not sufficient to be a good human being,” said Gogoi.

He further informed that there are laws and a new Act will be implemented to make the fee structure rigid for all the schools as they charge

very high fees but don’t pay the teachers according to Sixth Pay Commission. And if the school would not follow the rules and norms, they will be automatically shut down and the law implemented against the authorities.

Moreover, an official of DTO said that it is the education department is responsible for not taking any step against such schools. According to the official, such steps should have been taken years back.

“We can’t close down the schools as well because it is related to the future of thousands of students. The school buses of DPS do not have seat belts.

Such inspections should have been taken earlier to stop such illegal construction of schools,” the official added.

The inspector of schools also informed that there are some schools who do not bother to follow the instructions and strict action will be taken against such schools. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority is also inspecting the schools to see their disaster resistance as many do not follow safety measures.

The environment of the schools is not hygienic and even the toilets are not clean and due to the unhygienic environment, students may fall ill. Only a marble floored room do not make the environment safe and healthy until and unless the surroundings and toilets are hygienic. After the inspection of private schools is over, the play schools will also be inspected next as many people have taken it as a business by opening a play school in their homes itself.

Gogoi said that it is not an easy job to provide education to a student and guide them to make a good human being. Therefore, opening a play school without any consent of the administration is not acceptable as it may ruin the lives of the students.

juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

Flood control room set up for city residents

A

flood control room, a helpline as well as a toll free number has been set up by the Kamrup Metro district administration in order to provide help and support to the Guwahatians during the coming monsoon season.

In view of the ensuing flood season of 2015, the flood control room is set up for convenience, receiving and dissemination of information regarding flood situations.

The flood control room for the ‘Mission Flood-Free Guwahati’ of

Kamrup Metro district has been started at the deputy commissioner’s office.

The phone number 2733052 and the toll free number 1077 is functioning with effect from May 1 for providing assistance to the city people.

7

In The News New Blood Bank opened at Amingaon

N

arayana Superspeciality Hospital, Guwahati launched a blood bank on Monday at its hospital premises near Amingaon. It is the 76th licensed blood bank in Assam and is among the only few in the entire North-east dealing in component separation.

The blood bank was inaugurated by Subhkaran Jain Bafna, an eminent socialist and trustee of Tolaram Bafna Artificial Limb and Calliper Center in the presence of Zonal Director of Narayana Health, East Zone, Deepak Venugopalan and Facility Director, Wg.Cdr. R.V. Ghosh. The blood bank with state-of-the art infrastructure will operate round the clock and any patient admitted in any hospital in and around the city can also obtain blood from it.

“Based on 100 percent voluntary donation, the blood bank aims at providing safe blood at affordable costs and optimizing the usage of blood by preparing components and encouraging their usage” said Retd.

Wg.Cdr. Ghosh, Facility Director, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Guwahati.

Perception registers 67 selections in JEE (Mains), 2015

P

erception, one of the premier Engineering and Medical coaching centers in North East India, registered 67 selections in IIT-JEE (Mains), 2015.

Perception has got the maximum conversion rate in terms of selections of candidates in IIT-JEE/AIPMT and CEE Assam since its inception in 2011. Last year, it had 51 selections in JEE (Mains). Altogether 4 students from the institute scored more than 200 marks this year.

Abhiroop Bhowmik scored 217 marks which is the highest score from Perception.

Ankit Gupta, Director of Perception said, “67 selections is a tremendous achievement and the credit goes to our team of experienced and result-oriented faculty members and our hard working students”. He further added that “the continuous up- gradation of the course syllabi, the well-researched daily problem practice sheets (DPPS), regular mock tests and the doubt-clearing sessions has helped in our performance this year and we hope to do better in the future”.

Prime Cabs slashes rates, launches True Fare

P

rime Cabs, the leading radio taxi operator in the North-East has launched ‘True Fare’, a new fare structure for the commuters. The True Fare scheme shall offer commuters reduced travel rates and transparent pricing applicable on both inter-city and intra-city travel.

Under the ‘True Fare’ scheme, all rates charged by the radio taxi operator shall be inclusive of service tax and parking fees. Prime Cabs has introduced a base rate of Rs. 100 for first 4 kms and Rs. 18/km thereafter, for short distance travel within Guwahati. Further, the rates for airport transfers and duration packages have also been slashed. Commuters can now book a Prime Cab for a full day at just Rs. 1800/- and half day for Rs. 1100/- within Guwahati City limits. City to airport travel is priced at Rs. 470/- and from airport to city is priced at Rs. 520/-. The radio taxi operator has also launched affordable intercity packages for the state of Assam and Meghalaya, charging customers for the distance they travel only, rather than additional return fares which is a general norm in the industry.

Commenting on the ‘True Fare’ scheme, COO of Prime Cabs, Dhimmant Bansal said, “With ‘True Fare’, we have reinforced our commitment towards affordable and transparent pricing. Our aim is to provide reasonably priced, reliable and on-time service to the commuters in this market.”

Prime Cabs started its operations in August 2012 and has grown exponentially from 30 cabs to 100 plus air conditioned sedans. It is the only radio-taxi having a dedicated booking counter at LGBI airport, Guwahati.

8

City

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Fish traders DISCONTENT with

new marketPlace

Kalyan Deb

D

ismissing implications of rise in the prices of fish after the wholesale market was recently shifted from Paltan Bazar to Betkuchi, Kajal Paul Choudhury, Secretary, Paikari Mach Besa Kina Samabai stated that the GMC has failed to keep its promises that were made prior to the shifting.

The fish market that was earlier located in Paltan Bazar was shifted to Betkuchi near Lokhra in the month of March following an eviction drive by the Kamrup Metro district administration at the Paltanbazar GMC Fish Market. The drive came following directions from Additional Chief Secretary MGVK Bhanu to clear encroachments in and around the Borsola Beel under the supervision of ADC Rajib Prakash Barua along with Circle Officer L Saharia, ACP Sanjib Duarah and Guwahati Municipal Corporation officials where over two bighas of land were cleared during the drive.

“The shifting of the market have simplified the process for retailers from outside the city but those conducting business in the city have been facing problems because of the market being situated away from the city. Initially the GMC had stated that the facilities that were present in the Paltan Bazar market would be provided in the newly shifted fish market along with

a proper marketplace, but it has not been initiated as of yet. Also, it was assured that the number of stalls in the market would be made according to the public ratio of the area but it was later found that there are only 56 stalls instead of the 100 stalls”, said Kajal Paul Choudhury.

He alleged that there has been no initiative taken as of yet by the authorities to solve the problems of parking and boundary walls that were stated in the affidavit produced before the Gauhati High Court. Parking is one of the major concerns that has to be looked at in the newly shifted market but the authorities stated that the planning is under process. Since the area has comparatively less population than that of the city, so the vehicles can be parked by the roadside itself. In times to come, as the number of residents will grow in the area, the same will create major problems.

“The required supply of water and CCTV cameras for the safety of the marketplace have been provided through an initiative of the committee itself but we do not have enough fund to install all the required facilities by ourselves”, the secretary added.

The authorities shifted the fish market to control the pollution of the Borsola Beel but it has come to our knowledge that a vegetable market

The fish market that was earlier located in Paltan Bazar was shifted to Betkuchi near Lokhra in the month of March following an eviction drive by the Kamrup Metro district administration at the Paltanbazar GMC Fish Market.

will be set up at the same place that will cause even more pollution to the Beel, Choudhury informed.

The Samabai has also refuted allegations by prominent activists that a syndicate was operating in the wholesale fish market.

“The business is carried on the

basis of auction that takes place every morning. The prices vary according to the supply and demand of the goods, even though prominent activists make statements on TV channels about the involvement of syndicates in the fish business. The allegations, which are absolutely false

and baseless, come from people who have no knowledge in the particular field of business. The businessmen who conduct business in a particular field should be asked for their views”, Choudhury mentioned. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

9

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

scanner ON outlets over fraudulent methods Juthika Baruah

G

uwahatians beware! It is time to become aware of fraudulent techniques used by employees of shopping malls across the city to cheat unwary customers and maximise their profit by manipulating price tags on packets of commodities frequently demanded by the consumers.

The office of the Inspector of Legal Metrology recently raided such shopping malls where most of the anomalies were found in packaging and price tags. “As the shopping malls and other departmental stores do the packaging on their own, they fix the price tag and charge more money than the actual price from the consumers. After receiving several complaints from customers, we raided the malls and they were either imposed a fine or cases have been registered against them in the court,” said P.C. Bhuyan, Inspector of Assistant Controller of Legal Metrology.

According to Bhuyan, leading stores like Small Wonder (Gini & Jony), Goenka Readymade, G.S. Road were found to be selling baby clothes without an MRP tag. Goenka Readymade had not verified and stamped the electronic weighing machine and no had declaration of MRP on their items of sale. It was also found that cement companies and the tiles and marble shops do not have price tags and they quote the price according to their wish, he said.

Recently, a case has been regis-

The legal metrology inspects industry, petrol pump, markets, shopping malls etc. and in case of weighting anamoly, `5000 has been imposed against each person while the manufacturing companywas imposed a fine of `25000. tered against Ganapati Marbles and Tiles and a fine of Rs. 15,000 has been imposed against three persons. Nine cases have been registered in March, 2015.

Under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 two prosecution cases have been registered so far while 7 cases have been registered under the Package

Commodities Rules, 2011.

Bhuyan said that if a person doesn’t want to take the cases to court then they can have it withdrawn by giving a composite fine of `5000. In March the composite fine collected was `22,500. The weighing machines should be verified and renewed every year and `6,50,711 has been collected in the month of March through verification and renewal.

The Legal Metrology inspects industry, petrol pump, markets, shopping malls etc. and in case of weighting anomaly, `5000 is imposed against each employee while the manufacturing company is imposed a fine of `25000.

The investigations revealed that many shopping malls and retail outlets were altering original prices of items by affixing an additional sticker over the price printed on the packets, violating the Legal Metrology Act 2009 and Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. Some shopping malls also fail to provide cash memos and say that there is some problem with the computers and as the general public is unaware about the frauds they are committing, they very often get away with it.

Consumers should lodge a complaint if they find any extra sticker affixed to the items purchased while shopping. According to norms, a packaged product should be sold at prices printed on the packets by the manufacturers.

Collection of Fees during the year 2014-15 No of Prosecution Cases Registered in respect of

Weight & Measure

103

Package Commodity Rule

122

No of cases sanctioned for trial in respect of

Weight & Measure

12

Package Commodity Rule

20

Leading Cement Company like Birla Gold cement, Century cement have also been found with no price tags on the cement bags and sold at different prices to the consumers without following the price given by the manufacturers. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

City 1st North East Print Tech to get underway in city from May 8

T

he 1st North East Print Tech-2015, started from May 8 to 10 at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre.

The Print Tech is organised by the Printing Technologist Consortium of North East. The event was inaugurated by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in the presence of DoNER Minister Jitendra Singh as the chief guest.

“The event is organised to bring the all the printing technologists of the North-east onone platform for the growth of printing technology in the NE region. There is also a special programme for the working journalist in the field of page layout making. This is the first ever technical session with seminars and exhibition on printing technology”, organisers said.

Dev Nair, president of All India Federation of Master Printers, Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association, CEO of Thomson Digital, New Delhi and Kamal Chopra, renowned printing technologist and many other resource persons and printing technocrats are invited for the workshops and seminars.

City school students to visit University of Malta

T

he University of Malta, in association with the High Commission of Malta in New Delhi will be taking 20 students and teachers from different high schools of the country to Malta from May 9 to 16. This is an attempt to promote IndoMaltese cooperation in the field of education.

Ten students of Maria’s Public School, Guwahati along with Principal, Alpana Khound Phukan will be part of the delegation to visit the University of Malta.

The students will be attending an academic programme related to the fields of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship which will be delivered by renowned faculty of the Edward De Bono Institute of the Design and Development of Thinking of the University of Malta.

During the programme the students will get an opportunity to interact with the faculties, students and senior officials of some Maltese schools and the University of Malta. The students will also get the opportunity to learn various tools and techniques to generate creative ideas, develop an entrepreneurial mindset and design strategies for a better future.

10

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

City

District admin to inspect

city hospitals Aditya Gogoi

P

atients and attendants often face problems from time to time at different city hospitals, be it in terms of accessibility to facilities or general services, even though the district administration has initiated operations to rectify these. Patients have also expressed their dissatisfaction with the service of the government hospitals.

Parking remains a major worry for the attendants and others who visit the hospitals.

“Infrastructure at most of the city hospitals is not friendly to the specially abled persons. Though there are elevators, ramps would have been better and also special lavatories. Another thing that bothers

me is the lack of proper waiting facilities for children and elderly people.

At some places, we do not even find drinking water,” said Reetamoni Das, a faculty of Assam Rajiv Gandhi University of Cooperative Management.

She also said that Guwahati being a fast growing city and catering to people from almost the entire north east, the city hospitals can take a few steps to make them more people friendly.

On the other hand, consumers’ Legal Protection Forum (CLPF) said that it has received complaints from time to time from patients on various issues.

“The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is not implemented properly.

The procedure should be more systematic and the hospital authority has to make the patients feel safe and secure. I don’t think this happens.

Besides, there are number of problems including parking for which we have also approached the district administration,” said CLPF’s chief coordinator Ajoy Hazarika.

He said that some of these health care establishments officially show that they have ample parking area for the patients and their attendants but practically this parking area is always reserved and used for their office staff and doctors.

“In this situation, common patients and their attendants are bound to park their vehicles out of the campus

The Consumer Protection Act, 1986 is not implemented properly.

The procedure should be more systematic and the hospital authority has to make the patients feel safe and secure. I don’t think this happens. Besides, there are number of problems including parking for which we have also approached the district administration Ajoy Hazarika CLPF’s chief coordinator

which create trouble for traffic,” Hazarika said.

The Kamrup (metro) district administration, in the meantime, has constituted five squads with an additional deputy commissioner at the head, to carry out inspections in all the hospitals and clinical laboratories in the city.

“We will start at the earliest to carry out the inspections in the city hospitals. We also did a few inspections earlier but this time we will cover all the hospitals and then it will be done at the clinical laboratories gradually.

The hospitals will have to produce all the documents to prove that they are equipped to face any kind of disaster,” ADC Fakharuddin Ahmed said.

Unabated tobacco sale continues near schools/ colleges

NEELAKSHI BORDOLOI

U

nabated sale of tobacco products continues near educational institutions of the State despite several Government directives being issued to stop such practices as per the legal provision of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)-2003.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, through a letter dated May 23, 2012 had directed the then Principal Secretary Home to instruct all Deputy Commissioner of the state to strictly enforce the section 6 (b) of COTPA, 2003 that prohibits selling of tobacco products within 100 yards radius of any educational institution. Section 6(b) also prohibits use of any form of tobacco within the educational institution campus by any of its teachers, staff or students.

However, the CM’s instruction and subsequent orders from Health and Education Department to both the district administration and educa-

tional institutions have not yet yielded the desired result as authorities are giving no heed to enforce the same.

Even as many school and college going students across the State were administered oaths on occasions such World Cancer Day and World No Tobacco Day (celebrated on May 31 every year) not to use any form of tobacco products in their entire lifetime, the Government agencies and management of educational institutions are

giving minimum heed to implement Section 6 of COTPA. Despite the recently enacted Assam Health Act (which bans smokeless tobacco products in the State) as well as central Act—COTPA, 2003 being in place, neither the authorities of educational institutions nor the administration seem to have paid due cognizance to the menace called tobacco or initiated any corrective steps to rein in the same.

“Yes it is true that tobacco products are being sold within the 100 yards radius of our school, but the school authority has its limitation as well to stop such sale outside its boundary wall. As far as consuming tobacco inside the school campus is concerned, the school authority is very strict in dealing with the offenders. However, it is the need of the hour that better coordination should be maintained between the district ad-

ministration, police and educational institutions’ management to stop sale of tobacco products near the institutions as it is mandated by law,” said Jahnabi Baruah, a teacher of Asom Jatiya Vidyalaya, Noonmati.

When contacted, the principals of few colleges and schools of the city had the common answer that they have intimated the District Administration to take action in this regard but the administration is paying no heed to their repeated pleas.

However, as per the provisions of the COTPA, 2003, the head of the educational institution itself is empowered to take action to stop sale of tobacco product within 100 yards radius of its campus.

According to tobacco control advocates, the most effective way to deter children and young adults from taking up smoking and smokeless tobacco product is the proper enforcement of anti-tobacco laws near the educational institutions.

11

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

City

Guwahatians still have time to smile Aditi Rao Hydari

Rahul Chanda

G

uwahati witnessed a stylish blend of fashion and contemporary beats as Blenders Pride Magical Nights showcased designer ensemble blended with the sounds of today. Bollywood actor, Aditi Rao Hydari, who was in the city for the event, talked exclusively to G Plus.

What do you like the most about Guwahati?

I don’t want to compare Guwahati with any other city as the people and culture of every city is unique. What stands out for me here is that the pace of the city is very relaxed which is a very welcome change. People here are very sweet and are always smiling which is very nice as they have time to smile. They speak sweetly and the food is amazing.

is very spicy and I love spicy food. I also liked the local sticky rice which I had today for lunch.

Do you know anything about Assamese film industry or have you ever met any film actor here whom you like?

To be very honest I have never met anyone from here. I have heard some names but I am not very familiar with them. I know there are very good stories here and the writing is very well known as there is a lot of good content here. I have always asked directors to use regional writings instead of using scripts that already exists and remaking them. I wish I could read the language.

Name some dishes which you like the most here?

If you get an offer to work in an Assamese film, will you work if the script is good?

I wish I knew the names but I tasted pork and bamboo shoot which is excellent and I like the flavour of king chilli (bhoot jolokia). Food here

I believe, to be able to act freely in a language you should know it.

You should at least be familiar with it. If something good comes my way, I

“I will not call it a casting couch but I will call it a power game and it exists in every sphere. It is terrible when people use their power to make you do things, it’s a misuse of power and of course, it should not happen”

again believe that language should not be a barrier to any artist. If the script is good, I will have to do some homework. I started my career with a Tamil film as they needed a dancer for that film. That was a festival film but not mainstream. I don’t know Tamil and it was very difficult.

How did you get associated with Blenders Pride and decided to come to Guwahati?

I have been associated with Blenders Pride’s fashion tour before this and I had a wonderful experience working with them. I was actually very excited to be a part of Magical Nights because we were going to cities where ordinarily one doesn’t go, especially not for fashion events. Fashion is associated with the metropolis, bigger cities, urban centres and the youth. I believe that fashion is a part of everybody’s life in whatever way you choose to wear anything. Style is a very inherent thing and I believe even a simple man or woman makes

fashion choices, whether consciously or unconsciously. People take fashion very seriously but I feel fashion is something to have fun with.

You are in an industry which is associated with fashion and glamour, and a lot of young girls want to enter the same industry but many end up becoming a victim of the casting couch.

Did you ever face such problems?

I will not call it a casting couch but I will call it a power game and it exists in every sphere. It is terrible when people use their power to make you do things, it’s a misuse of power and of course, it should not happen.

I believe that the industry is changing. I did not have to face it but it is also because as an individual, I know ultimately that the final decision for anything is mine and to be that per-

son has come from my upbringing.

My family has been very supportive, the fact that I had an education, the fact that I know that my choices make me who I am. I haven’t been through any such thing but I know that it is not only with actors or in the fashion industry but people all over go through situations like this but like I said, they are called power games. People judge girls, especially in the glamour industry who go through this terrible experience but the judgement is not on them, the judgement is on the people who have the power and misuse their power but nobody judges them.

Please name some of your future projects.

I have Subhash Kapoor’s Guddu Rangila who made Jolly LLB, I have Wazir which is with Mr. Bachchan and Farhaan Akhtar, I am also working with Abhishek Kapoor for Fitur, I have The Legend of Michael Mishra which is a comedy with Boman Irani and Arshad Warsi. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

12

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

City

REALITY SHOWS PROMOTE CITY’s

BUDDINGTALENTS

Dibyendu Goswami

T

he advent of the performance (reality) shows which were aired through the national level television channels since more than a half and a decade back has given an able platform for the hidden talents for showcasing their performances especially be it music or dance. Perhaps it was first Meri Awaaj Suno telecast through Doordarshan (national), followed by Sare Re Ga Ma , Voice of India, Indian Idol of some private satellite channels which have given birth to singing stars like Sonu Nigam, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sreya Ghosal to name a few. The process since then has become a much popular one and programmes like Sambhabana (Guwahati Doordarshan), Sur Sandhan, Tumi Aru Moi , Jhankar-the game of music and the recently concluded Jhankar Little Champs here in the regional context through local electronic media has further established the fact that these programmes can really bring forth budding gems untraced hitherto.

Jhankar Little Champs which was aired through a local music channel in the later part of last year has proved beyond doubt that there is no dearth of young talents here in our state of Assam too. The competition which was conducted (open to only Assamese modern songs) amongst 400 child participants up to an upper age limit of 14 years in the audition round, selected 300 singers after scrutiny for the first round and thereafter a selection process was carried out till the final round with six finalists out of which the top three, namely Aryan Hazarika, Ananya Gogoi and Hrishikesh Sarma were declared as the winner, first runner’s up, & second runner’s up respectively. A class VII standard student

of Little Flower School Guwahati, Aryan learns music on his own, while Ananya Gogoi, a class IX student of Asom Jatiya Vidyalaya, Simaluguri is taking lessons from Kajalata and Prabin Mohan of Emon Kalyan Sangeet Vidyalaya, Gorgaon. Hrishikesh Sarma, on the other hand, has already appeared in the Bisharad under Bhatkhande and has won positions in various music competitions earlier too. Though there is a plan to make one compact disc taking all the six finalists, the project, however, is yet to take off due to reasons.

The show assumed significance for the reason that the young generation of today has been made acquainted with the Assamese songs and lyrics of yesteryears besides the present ones since it has been observed that the children today have lost touch with our traditional roots in the technology ruled fast changing life . It was really pleasing to hear the evergreen songs of Bhupen Hazarika, Jayanta Hazarika, Dr. Lakhyahira Das, Dr. Birendranath Dutta, Pulak Banerjee, Deepali Barthakur, Anima Choudhuri, Pahari Das, Runumi Thakur, Dwipen Barua, Kula Barua, Namita Bhattacharjee, Santa Uzir, Jitul Sanowal to name a few, having meaningful and beautiful lyrics by Nirmal Prabha Bordoloi, Keshab Mahanta, Kirti Kamal Bhuyan etc, and of course by Bhupen Hazarika himself in the mouth of these young faces rendered with almost equal ease and beauty since they were not born even when these songs were penned and initially performed or recorded.

Says Padmanabh Bordoloi, the Indian Idol finalist then 18, in 2007 and who also acted as the chief moderator in the show – “the reality programmes over the years have

Officials inspect city LPG agency

T

he District Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Department officials conducted a surprise inspection at the LPG distributor, Hanksha Gas Agency at Hengrabari on Wednesday morning.

The officials found a number of irregularities in the operation of the agency and seized several documents in this connection.

The Kamrup Metro Deputy Commissioner Dr M Angamuthu directed to conduct the inspection after receiving number of complaints made by the public against the LPG distributor. A local person said, “The distributor has been playing with its customers from a long time in delivering the gas cylinders. The agency illegally sells the cylinders and has been harassing its customers.

After standing long hours in the line, the agency authority tells us that they are out of stock. And this is their daily drama”.

The officials said, “A detailed report will be filed based on the investigation and further action against the distributor will be taken”.

‘The Neotia University’ launched in city

T definitely done a great job in bringing forth the young talents through a single platform though there is a lot of difference here between those of national levels mainly due to financial constraints. The intensive training and grooming which were given to the participants prior to the shows for months under one grarana i.e school as strict disciples of one guru is highly important since it completely reformed the entire approach of a newcomer like us to the extent of a wider aestethical perfection”.

The upcoming singer cum composer further expressed the opinion without hesitation that it should be equally borne in mind that having been selected in these shows are not an end in itself but a beginning only and mere exhibiting this tag will do no good unless it is followed up by more intensive and rigorous followups.

Nanda Banerjee, a composer of repute, who is nurturing young talents for years through his music schools, however, has something else to opine. “Though these sort of programmes are getting immense popularity, yet somewhere, one has to draw a line since it has been noticed that instant recognition have some adverse affects on these little participants as they stopped pursuing further lessons which eventually curtail their otherwise promising future though it definitely cannot be generalised”. The pupils need to be well trained first and attain fame later which is a sort of by-product, he believes.

In short, these sort of productive programmes are welcoming, keeping in mind that these can really cultivate a healthy atmosphere to promote our music and culture among the rising generation. (with inputs by Ramen Borah )

he Ambuja Neotia Group has announced the launch of ‘The Neotia University (TNU)’ that came into existence by an Act of the West Bengal Assembly. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Ashok S Kolaskar and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Pune, were present during the launch programme of the university in the city on Monday.

The university is offering courses in subjects such as Manufacturing Technology — Robots and Automotive Manufacturing, Marine Engineering and Nautical Sciences, Energy Studies, Infotainment — Animation and Video Game Design, Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, etc. leading to MTech and MSc degrees.

Prof Kolaskar said, “The new courses will start from the academic session 2015-16 and the university will conduct a free entrance test on May 17, 2015 in more than 32 cities across the country for enrolment. The new age courses in the university will be taught using new approaches to give quality education”.

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

CITY AUTHOR PENS NEW NOVEL

In Conversation

‘No Direction Rome’ is the second novel by Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar winner Kaushik Barua and has a uniquely different style from his first one, ‘Windhorse.’ The author spoke to G Plus to shed some exclusive light on the book and his thoughts. that makes you want to write about?

I realise I have written on many different themes; but I’ve just been a slave to my curiosity and inspiration.

And they are very erratic whimsical masters. But I do intend on writing a book about Assam. I don’t know when. But when I do, hopefully it’ll be honest and will reflect some of the multi-layered realities of the region.

So what is ‘No Direction Rome’ all about?

What should a young, aspiring author do to realise his/her ambitions and dreams? How does one gauge one’s own writing?

It covers two weeks in the life of an Indian consultant Krantik, who is recovering from a broken marriage, meets a crazy taxi driver, a group of people who make life decisions based on the results of cricket matches, a girl with whom he has a short-lived tempestuous affair and tries to resolve problems with his boss through an insanely improbable plan.

I wrote it as a coming-of-age tale for people like us, the so-called millennial generation, with our disrupted multiple identities on social media and no real sense of self or who we are.

Krantik is like a modern day Holden Caulfield, now in his 30s and Indian, and living in a post-Facebook world.

When did you start working on it - the time taken between your books seems pretty short...

This book was truly a stream of consciousness effort: Krantik’s voice must have been brewing inside my head for years because when it finally erupted, it came in a ferocious burst over a couple of months (in 2012 in fact, between different drafts of my first novel Windhorse). This book took very little time because the form and the voice demanded this urgency and this violent rapid expression of the story.

But Windhorse had taken me five years, including all the research and the many drafts. So I guess I have shifted radically between genres and styles and I just give the story enough time to distill itself on paper, and I have no idea how long that might take.

Have you worked on changing your language in any way?

Have there been any conscious changes The changes weren’t conscious, but they were radical. The voice, the tone, the writing style is entirely different (I guess I’m a slightly schizophrenic writer in that sense). The prose is

13

jagged and spiked through with dark and weird humour. Totally different from the much more gentle and nuanced prose in Windhorse.

Over the course of 2 books, have you seen yourself change - as a person and as a writer?

Absolutely. As a writer, I have seen a huge shift in my writing style: from more traditional historical fiction to this modern, edgy style with jagged sentences and spiked through with dark humour. I don’t know how or why that happened, but Krantik’s voice just seemed to take hold of me. I don’t even know if the change is permanent or if I’ll keep shuttling between these two schizophrenic extremes.

Also, I feel more confident as a writer and therefore more willing to experiment. Since Windhorse re-

ceived a very positive reception, I feel as if readers will be willing to take a chance on me if I play around a little (as long as I also provide something fascinating or new for the reader to think about).

It’s difficult to say how I’ve changed as a person. The writing and the author shape each other, so I can’t tell which is leading the change and which is following.

As a writer, what gives you the ultimate satisfaction?

A line or a paragraph or a chapter that turns out just as I had intended.

Or different, but with surprisingly satisfying results.

Since you mentioned James Joyce, are

there any of his ‘stream of consciousness’ elements in the book?

Absolutely, the whole story is Krantik’s rant and everything is seen through his distorted world view. This is the aspect that struck the publishers too, who have called it a book where ‘Kerouac meets James Joyce meets Harold & Kumar’.

In fact during conversations, the reader may not be sure who’s speaking. And of course, he’s often intoxicated so he’s often not sure of what’s happening either. But it all adds up to a mood that hopefully captures the urban angst of our generation.

First Tibet and now, Rome (going by the title). Anything on Assam/Guwahati

To be a writer, all one has to do is write! So the first and the most crucial piece of advice would be: write as often and s regularly as you can. That sounds boring and old-fashioned, but for most of us, there is no substitute to just putting in the hours and working on the craft and the tools of writing (maybe if you’re a genius, you could get a brilliant immediate draft of a first novel out with very little effort but, obviously, one can’t rely on being a genius!). Also, a writer should read widely and across genres. I spin away in terms of my reading tastes every now and then just to get a feel of new styles and imagery.

So it’s relatively simple (and a lot of hard work) to mould oneself into a good writer. I’m still on it. But if you were to ask me what someone needed for success as a writer, I wouldn’t have an answer: it’s a mysterious combination of factors, including talent, luck, reader or market or critic preferences, most of which are not under a person’s control.

The second bit is a really difficult question. The initial drafting has to be done in a storm of confidence and passion, with no space for doubt. But the second, more difficult, part of the process is the editing- when you really need to understand your own limitations and the deficiencies in your writing. Sometimes, distance in terms of time helps: reading a draft after a couple of months and spotting mistakes. And sometimes, you may need a second, brutally honest eye: a friend who will tell you exactly what is not working with your writing. But either way, you require a slow destruction of the ego to know how good (or relatively bad) you are. It’s always a journey filled with wonder, and worth embarking on.

No Direction Rome will be out on the 15th of May.

14

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Ward Watch

Ward No. 05

Road construction projects carried out in full swing in

Durga Sarobar Road Kalyan Deb

Concentrated area Durga Sarobar Road Sub-division 5(c) Councilor Neelakshi Talukdar Phone number 9864021474 Area sabha member Dippanita Kalita Phone number 9085889488 Population of ward number 5 28,600 (approx.)

Voters 12,000 (approx.)

Population of Durga Sarobar Road 14,000 (approx.)

Voters 9,000 (approx.)

A

djacent to Kamakhya Gate at AT Road, the Durga Sarobar is one of the roads in the area that has been undergoing several developmental works. The area had poor roads, lack of proper drainage system and problem of artificial flood prior to the GMC elections.

Post election, however, several developmental projects are now being carried out in the area, many of which are still in the process of completion.

Situated at the foothills of Adingiri Hill, the name Durga Sarobar is derived from its mythological history of goddess Durga. The term Sarobar came from the term peetha meaning Sakhti peetha. The lake located there, which is also a landmark of the area, provides drinking water for the local residents, besides being used for worshipping goddess Kamakhya in the temple located on the top of Nilachal hill.

The area houses residences of around 9,000 people that have

settled there since independence.

Earlier, they used to face the problem of flood every monsoon and being established on a foothill, during the rainy season, the water that comes running down the hill, passed through the road causing damage to the roads.

“The artificial flood mostly occur due to the rain water running down the Adingiri hill and though it clears away soon after it stops raining, the water leaves the road in a very poor condition. However, since the past few months, construction work in the area is being carried out and the drains have already been finished on most parts of the road, besides the few remaining nooks and corners and the entrance to the area adjacent to the main road,” said Rahul Sharma, a local resident.

The Durga Sarobar Road also houses the residence of MLA, Hemanta Talukdar and connects several other surrounding areas such as Santipur, Bharalumukh, Maligaon among others.

Authorities say

Talking to G Plus, ward president, Thaneswar Kalita mentioned that several projects are being undertaken to build proper drainage system in the area.

“Among several projects, the Naranarayan Path on the Durga Sarobar Road is about to be completed, which is a project worth Rs 48 lakhs covering an area of 3.5 km. Concrete blocks are being used for construction of roads, of which work in most parts of the area have

been concluded except a few. The construction of the road connecting to the Adingiri hill is also underway”, he said.

“Among the development works being carried out in the area, most projects are concentrated for road development purposes. Construction in Nabarun Nagar in the same area that connects the road to the Kamakhya temple is also underway including the roads connecting the hillocks. A major project of Rs 3 crore is being

carried out in Kanaklata Path for the construction of roads. The only hurdle faced is the monsoon due to which the construction has been put on hold. It was expected to be completed within the next two to three months but because of the rain, the work cannot be continued on a regular basis. However, it has been estimated that all the roads in the area should be ready by the month of November this year”, the ward president informed. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

Weather report for the week SAT 9 May

SUN 10 May

MON 11 MAy

TUE 12 May

WED 13 May

THU 14 May

FRI 15 May

Widely scattered tstorms.

Scattered showers.

Tstorms late.

Strong thunderstorms.

A few tstorms.

A few tstorms.

Mostly cloudy.

22 / 34 °C

22 / 34 °C

23 / 34 °C

24 / 29 °C

23 / 34 °C

22 / 34 °C

24 / 31 °C

Chess

15

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Sports

A Growing sport amongst city youngsters

Kalyan Deb

C

hess, as a game, has only gained popularity in the country after the nation’s torchbearer in the game, Grand Master Vishwanathan Anand made his mark at the international level, becoming the undisputed World Champion in 2007.

The origin of chess in India can be traced back to the 6th century AD when the game was known as ‘Chaturanga’ and consisted of two essential features, which was later found in all chess variations - different pieces having different powers and victory in the game depended on the fate of one piece - the king of modern chess.

The other chess pieces in the game are considered to have come from other board games, which may have had boards of 100 squares or more.

Indian chess men created history in Tromso (Norway) in the year 2014, winning their first-ever team bronze in the Chess Olympiad. The Indians finished second in a ‘four-way tie’ behind China who won the continent’s first-ever gold and Hungary clinging silver, and ahead of Russia and Azerbaijan.

In the city, the sport has been growing gradually with several competitions being organized throughout the year. Mostly concentrating on school students, the Guwahati Chess Association has taken the initiative of holding several competitions throughout the city. It was only after the establishment of Guwahati Chess Association in the year 1982, an affiliated body of All Assam Chess Association, that the game of chess was taken as a professional sport among the people of the city. Among several open prize money championships, the body has also organized several interdistrict championships since it was organized for the first time in the year 1994 with over 300 participants.

Guwahati Chess Association along with Assam Chess Club also organized the biggest International Chess Tournament of the northeastern region in the year 2014 with a prize fund of over Rs 5 lakhs in the city. The tournament, recognised by World Chess Federation (FIDE), All India Chess Federation (AICF) and All Assam Chess Association (AACA) converged players from across the globe and drew around 300 players from across the country.

The growth of Indian chess is evident with increasing number of Fide

rated players, with the first ever Fide rated player from Assam, Chingkhei Singh, a local from Guwahati making it to the list in the year 1995.

The city also marked its biggest achievements in the game of chess when Shahil Dey of Assam clinched the 28th National Under 7 Chess Championship in the year 2014 held at Kolkata. Shahil scored 9.5 points in 11 rounds to emerge as clear champion with a half point margin against top seed Dev Shah of Maharashtra who finished runners up in the event.

Shahil, seeded 4th in the starting rank list also gained a total of 79.9 ELO points with this performance and secured his berth for the World Under 7 Chess championship.

Shahil, in fact, created history by being the only player from Assam to win a National championship ever. The achievement came followed

by Manthan Kashyap Dutta who clinched the 3rd position in Under 7 Chess Championship in the year held a year ago.

“Sahil Dey and Manthan Kashyap Dutta, both hailing from Guwahati, are the biggest achievements from the city and have also represented the nation. The northeast region, due to lack of resources had been trailing behind, but we now are focusing on the youngsters who have prominent future in the game in the years to come.

We are looking forward in producing players of IM (International Master) and GM (Grand Master) rankings”, said M Arun Singh, secretary, Guwahati Chess Association.

“Out of over 200 Fide rated players from the state of Assam, 150 players hail from the city of Guwahati.

The game is largely promoted among the schools and several schools in the city have included coaching classes for chess including schools like South Point, Sarla Birla Gyan Jyoti, Royal Global School and Delhi Public School. Also, discussions are underway on starting workshops in several

“Sahil Dey and Manthan Kashyap Dutta, both hailing from Guwahati, are the biggest achievements from the city and have also represented the nation. The northeast region, due to lack of resources had been trailing behind, but we now are focusing on the youngsters who have prominent future in the game in the years to come.”

other schools in order to promote the game among the youngsters. Besides championships for the professional players, we also concentrate on organising competitions for school students”, the secretary informed.

Along with Beltola Chess Coaching Center that runs with the association of Guwahati Chess Association, there are four different chess coaching centers in the city namely, PC Borooah Chess Academy, Gauhati Town Club, Maligaon Railway Academy. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

16

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Health

The Sunshine Vitamin Are you getting enough of it?

What is this sunshine vitamin?

The sunshine vitamin or Vitamin D deficiency is becoming a new lifestyle problem these days. Vitamin D deficiency has become a pandemic with about one billion people all over the world having low levels of vitamin D. It is a common problem among older adults and people who do not get much exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D insufficiency prevails in India due to several other factors like dietary habits, increasing pollution and genetics.

A recent study revealed that a whopping 69 per cent of Indians suffer from vitamin D deficiency, while a further 15 per cent were found to be vitamin D insufficient. Vitamin D deficiency is relatively less common in Japan, USA, Canada and South-east Asia. In USA and Canada, milk is usually fortified with Vitamin D and the use of vitamin supplements is common.

How Vitamin D is produced in the body?

The human body can make its own vitamin D when exposed to sunlight unlike other vitamins. Vitamin D is fat-soluble vitamin found in yogurt, cereals, cheese and juice. There are very few dietary sources of vitamin D (especially for vegetarians). Since our school days, we have been studying that sunlight is a rich source of vitamin D but, the fact is - our body produces vitamin D with the help of sunlight through the process of synthesisation. Skin exposed to sunlight indoors through a window does not produce vitamin D. Also, cloudy day and shade cut down the amounts of vitamin D skin makes. People with dark skin tone needs 20-30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair skinned people, to generate the same amounts of vitamin D. Excessive exposure to sunlight does not cause vitamin D poisoning because the body limits the amount of this vitamin it produces.

How can its deficiency harm you?

A lack of vitamin D does not only just affect the bones, but poses more serious problems when neglected.

The fact that vitamin D alone can influence about 3000 genes of our body (out of the total 24000 genes) clearly signifies its importance in our system.

Extensive studies have explored the role of vitamin D in health problems.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to over a hundred health issues till now. Here are top 12 health risks you might be facing due to low levels of vitamin D.

1. Diabetes: The number of diabetic people is increasing day by day and most of them might be deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is required to balance sugar levels in the blood by regulating the secretion of insulin. Research suggests that low levels of vitamin D increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Some studies have also found that the vitamin D also increases the risk of type 1 diabetes.

2. Hypertension: Indian research based on a large scale observational data showed that people having low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (a form of vitamin D) had a higher risk of developing hypertension.

3. Cardiovascular risk: A population-based study of 9,949 adults showed that vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with increased risk of fatal cardiovascular events. The study considered adjustments for smoking, physical activity and other factors contributing to heart diseases and concluded that vitamin D deficiency increased the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by 62 per cent.

4. Flu: If someone suffers from recurrent cold and respiratory infections, instead of blaming the seasonal changes, one should check the vitamin D levels. Vitamin D has an important role to play in activating the cells of the immune system which help to fight infections. Therefore, people who are deficient in vitamin D are at an increased risk of developing recurrent infections. A study published in the Cambridge Journals showed that vitamin D deficiency predisposes children to respiratory infections.

5. Anaemia Anaemia occurs when one’s body does not have sufficient levels of red blood cells that carry oxygen to various parts of the body. But the main underlying reason for anaemia might be vitamin D deficiency. A study found that people having low levels of haemoglobin also had low levels of vitamin D. Although the exact role of vitamin D and anaemia is still under investigation, there is sufficient evidence linking anaemia to vitamin D insufficiency.

6. Hamper in Bone growth Vitamin D plays an important role in absorbing calcium from the food in the intestine. Naturally if someone is deficient in vitamin D,

he or she will be calcium deficient as well. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, with low levels of vitamin D one’s body can absorb only 10 to 15 percent of the calcium one takes.

And calcium is required for building stronger and healthy bones. Therefore, indirectly vitamin D deficiency results in weak, soft and achy bones.

7. Brain damage A recent study led by researchers at the University of Kentucky showed that low levels of vitamin D can cause damage to some proteins in the brain. The study also suggested that deficiency of vitamin D can affect cognitive performance and memory power.

8. Infertility Daily morning walk under the sun can help to boost the reproductive health. Vitamin D stimulates the production of the male hormone testosterone and female hormone progesterone.

9. Crohn’s disease Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the intestine. Low levels of vitamin D affects the genetic expression involved in Crohn’s disease making the symptoms even worse.

10. Aging As one ages, the bone mass will gradually decline. But with low levels of vitamin D, the body will start ageing prematurely. Vitamin D insufficiency causes early ageing of bone because of reduced bone mass.

11. Depression Anti-depressants are not the only solution for prolonged sadness and depression. One could actually pep up the mood by restoring the vitamin D levels. In a systematic review on women suffering from moderate and severe depression, an oral vitamin D therapy for 8-12 weeks significantly improved depression symptoms in participants.

12. Cancer Low levels of vitamin D also make it to the list of hundreds of things that are known to increase the risk of cancer. There is abundant evidence supporting the role of vitamin D levels and reduced risk of colon, prostate and breast cancers. In fact, evidence also suggests that vitamin D can help in cancer treatment. A study revealed that increased level of vitamin D reduced cancer growth by 75 percent.

What are the optimum levels of Vitamin D? Life stage

Recommended amount (IU: International Units)

Birth to 12 months

400 IU

Children 1 to 13 years

600 IU

Teens 14 to 18 years

600 IU

Adults 19 to 70 years

600 IU

Adults 71 years and above

800 IU

Pregnant and breastfeeding women

600 IU

The safe upper limit for vitamin D is 1,000 to 1,500 IU/day for infants, 2,500 to 3,000 IU/day for children 1-8 years, and 4,000 IU/day for children 9 years and older, adults, and pregnant and lactating teens and women.

How to test the vitamin D levels?

The most accurate way to determine this deficiency is through a blood test — measuring the 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels. Blood tests for calcium and phosphate levels and liver function may also show changes linked to a low level of vitamin D. Levels are described in either nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) or nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), where 1 nmol/L = 0.4 ng/mL. In general, levels below 30 nmol/L (12 ng/mL) are too low for bone or overall health, and levels above 125 nmol/L (50 ng/mL) are probably too high. Levels of 50 nmol/L or above (20 ng/mL or above) are sufficient for most people.

Who’s at risk?

Pregnant and breastfeeding women are more at risk of vitamin D deficiency, which is also prevalent in children between the ages of six months and five years, elderly people and those who aren’t exposed to adequate sunlight. Men between the ages of 30 and 60, adolescent girls and women between the ages of 15 and 30 are also likely to develop vitamin D deficiency.

How to keep deficiency at bay?

It isn’t difficult to avoid this deficiency, though. Thirty minutes of exposure of the skin over the arms and face to sunlight, without application of sunscreen, preferably between 10 am to 2 pm (as maximum ultraviolet B rays are transmitted during this time) daily is adequate to avoid Vitamin D deficiency. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, fish oils, egg yolks, fortified milk and other fortified foods such as cereals etc. are also good

sources of vitamin D,» says Dr Sheth.

How to avoid too much of vitamin D? With so much being said about Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency, one must be careful not to over enthusiastically take Vitamin D supplements without actually monitoring Vitamin D levels and landing up with Hypervitaminosis D. While being vitamin D deficient is a problem, an excess of Vitamin D has got its disadvantages too. An excess may cause health problems such as dehydration, vomiting, kidney damage and kidney stones. Though optimum level of vitamin D protects one from getting cancer, but some research studies show that high level of vitamin D increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Excessive exposure to direct sunlight may cause sunburn or skin cancer.

The afterthoughts…

With fast-paced, stressed-out lifestyles with long working hours and little or no time for outdoor activities, more and more people are suffering from vitamin D deficiency. One has to build up the skin’s sunlight tolerance by slow and gradual exposure to sun. Although, there is adequate sunshine in India, high temperatures during the daytime and sultry and humid climate in many areas are the deterrents to follow the advice about sun exposure. Hence, food fortification with Vitamin D is a good option to solve this issue. Similarly food fortification and public health policies for Vitamin D supplementation and dietary guidelines for adequate calcium for Indian population should be formulated and implemented. It is said that-”Prevention is better than cure”. This is true for Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency which are easily preventable.

Dr. Bikash Rai Das, Consultant Heart Surgeon, GNRC Hospital

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

AMP UP YOUR

SELF-ESTEEM

S

elf esteem: noun: confidence in one’s worth or abilities, self respect.

I have always done what my best friend has always wanted me to do; wake up in the morning, smile at the mirror and say, “Hey you, you are the best! And I love you!” And voila, my confidence soars high. I am ready to take on a new day with a confidence otherwise latent at that time of the morning. And this has helped me in each and everything I have attempted so far.

However, before I started doing this exercise, I would wake up and troop to the washroom and start brooding about what a catastrophic day awaits me. And since these depressive thoughts hovered over my head, my day, frankly speaking, ended on a note of disaster. I complained and cribbed about everything and anything that I could lay my hands and eyes on. Life seemed like the last thing on Earth that I liked. I was nonexistent, living only for the sake of others. I was working on things but not with a burning passion. I hated everything around me and above all, I detested myself. I felt like a complete non-performer. A loser with the lowest self-esteem on Earth!

However, bad times don’t last; good times do, if we give ourselves a second chance. At last, the sun shone through the clouds. That’s because I kept talking to myself. I talked when I was at home, making the bed, when I was driving, taking a shower or cleaning up the house. I articulated very well with myself. In fact, I am the only person who can understand me more than anybody else. And so I came to an understand during one of those quiet moments with myself that if I don’t amp up my self esteem, I am sure to lose out on a lot of things; good things in life which doesn’t come by if I move around the place behaving as if I am the only person in the world with problems.

Then one fine morning, I told myself; enough is enough. I need to buck up on life. It’s really too short a time I have if I have to prove myself. And moping around is not going to help me at all. So, I did a turnaround just like my BMF (Best Male Friend) advised me to.

I woke up early; went to the washroom, brushed and splashed water onto my face and looked at myself in the mirror. I loved what I saw as my lips broke into a smile; a bright face with a broad smile looking back at me. I smiled back and said, “Hey, you, Tinat Atifa Masood. You’re the best and I love you.” I repeated it three times and mark my words, I felt wonderful; in top form. My energy soared high and my confidence level knew no bounds. I was ready for any work.

Self esteem, I have seen over the

years is something that we create ourselves. If we have the “I can do it” factor inside us, nothing or nobody can stop us from achieving what we want in life. Anything is achievable or reachable for that person who has very high self-esteem. The only thing is that it needs to be fed constantly; boosted with a lot of energy. If per chance, there is one day where we feel down and out; self-esteem too takes a complete U-turn. Aren’t there days when you felt like a complete loser, with no achievement record; when you felt it’s the end of the world and nobody cares a pint about you?

I have gone through this and it’s only human that we feel this way sometimes. It’s nothing out of the world. But I have tried not to let it become a habit and a deterrent to reaching where I wish to go.

Self-esteem needs to be nurtured and cared for. One thing I have learnt over the years is that it is very important to believe in oneself; to believe in the talents one has and to believe in the achievements done over the years.

I have started an exercise, a habit, which in fact morally rubs my ego and boosts my self-esteem.

I have taken an A4 size paper and folded it equally in three parts, so that the paper is divided into four equal compartments, so to say. And I have titled the entire page as ASSETS. I have named the first column as “I can”, the second as “Positive Characters”, the third as “Recognition” and the fourth as “Personal Assets”. And below each column, I have noted the many achievements, small or big that I have gone though over the years. Whenever, I would need a thorough buttering of my ego, I would go through these points and feel immensely proud of myself. I start feeling stronger and my confidence rockets sky high. I feel great at feeling alive and having created

so many stories in my life. And then, I wish to do more and immediately make new plans to reach new heights in my creativity and voila, I am on top of the world. At that very moment, I am thoroughly in love with myself and realise that I am the best person alive. In fact, I am. Come to think of it, God has made each one of us unique and a person full of potentials. The only thing we have to do is to explore the potentiality inside us and get around to doing something about it.

All these years, singing in public is something I had been thinking of working on for years but have never had the courage to do it lest I become a laughing stock. One fine evening, however, I made it significantly clear to myself that if I don’t take the first step to my singing spree, then nothing much can be done about it. And off I drove to my first singing class in April 2013.

I regaled in my success of completing two years with distinction. I am in my third year now and I have heard myself singing in snatches on stage while anchoring and I am not so bad. I can bet you, I am gaining a lot of confidence in this department.

Speaking and anchoring on stage has been my forte but believe me you, I still get stage fright and wobbly in the knees the first few minutes on stage.

After the initial tremor however, I feel like the “King on stage”.

But young people should understand that self-esteem or self-respect is something very important if one is to be an achiever in life. Respecting oneself first is of utmost importance and then only respect for others come, naturally.

Children and young people should make a note and introspect on all those latent talents that they have otherwise not discovered in themselves; work on the talents and shine through. They should try and discover all those things that interest them and they are good at.

Confidence comes from knowing ones potential; the potential of being the best in any field of work. Being a nonachiever can never be a criterion for self-confidence. You can achieve only if you know what you are good at and you have the dream and vision to achieve it.

Moving around aimlessly, without a dream is like a rudderless ship on the high seas. On top of that, being jealous of other people’s achievements is not going to take you anywhere.

So start taking the first step today by taking notes of your potential; what you’re good at and get ready for some really hard work. Polish those gifts bestowed on you!

And please don’t be a procrastinator in this area. Get that paper and pen out right now and start noting things about yourself ! Good luck!

tinat ATIFA MASOOD

17

Life

A Say Over Your Mind Q: How to control emotions in times of crisis?

if not more. Co-operation is key.

The world has seen many aggressions which have not given great result.

Sometimes, people think war is very good because war can change laws.

They think that war can destroy what was there and bring a change of law. But you know, for that to happen, several generations suffers.

In this age of information and technology, I think people are intelligent. We don’t need to go through that suffering. I think we are much more intelligent, and much more informed, so we don’t need war. All that we need is awareness.

Q: When was the last time you got angry at someone?

Q: How should one balance life between social service, business and responsibilities at home?

Breathing, breathing, and breathing. Breath is the biggest secret that nature has put in you. It is linked to your emotions. Through breathing exercise technique, you can control your emotions. I think many of you have experienced this, isn’t it? (Many raise their hands) Those who have not experienced this, you must do a little bit of breathing exercises regularly, then you will have more say over your mind.

I don’t even remember! Suppose you are angry at somebody, don’t start regretting it. Regret makes you become angry once again.

For me, I can count on my fingers the number of times I have gotten angry. It is not in my nature.

I have not done anything special not to get angry. Somehow I have been made this way. I can’t take any credit for it. I have never said a single bad word to anybody all these years. It never has happened. I have never blamed, cursed or said any bad word to anybody.

Q: How can we stop thinking the same recurring thought?

There is no way, because you recognize the thoughts only after they have already come. Isn’t it? They come and then you recognize it.

So when you recognize it, get busy. If you simply sit, you will keep thinking a lot. If you keep acting, you will feel that you are more with the flow.

Q: Aggression is considered as a sign of power these days, how to change this?

If aggression is the power that brings positive change, the world would have changed a lot through all the aggression that has happened and is now happening in many parts of the world. But that is not what we see.

Where there is aggression, there is distress. There are more issues, more problems, and more poverty. With aggression, we move backward. Wherever there is aggression, you see that the people have gone backward; at least fifteen to twenty years backward,

Do you all drive cars ? Yes! When you drive a car what do you do? You look at the side mirrors, rear view mirror and you look in the windshield as well. How do you balance all three?

You can’t say, ‘I will only look at the rear mirror’, or, ‘I only look in the front’, or, ‘I only look at the sides’.

You have to simultaneously do all the three and you do that?

Exactly same way!

Rear view mirror is like knowing the past. You should have little memory of the past. If you have done some mistake, it should not be repeated. Front mirror is like the vision of life ahead. That is why, the front windshield is very big and the rear view mirror is very small.

Then there are side mirrors, these are for you to be aware of what is happening around you all the time.

So how you use all three? Exactly same way!

Q: How do I always be happy and not get entangled by the boundaries set by body mind and thought?

If you drop this always, you will be happy. Never mind if you are unhappy for a little while, so what? If you think I should never be unhappy, then that becomes a cause of unhappiness.

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji

www.artofliving.org/meditation

18

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Entertainment

Sonakshi is tired of answering questions about her weight

A

s part of her preparations for her film ‘Akira’, Sonakshi Sinha underwent a rigorous training programme to lose weight.

Though she has lost quite a bit of weight, the actress feels people’s perception about her has not changed.

For them, she will always remain a curvy heroine - probably because Sona is still asked about her weight issues and how many inches she has lost.

The star states that those who keep asking her the same old question certainly need to get a life.

‘Bombay Velvet’ team in Goa, sets new precedent for film promotion

T

eam “Bombay Velvet” is having a “small little party” in Goa! Instead of doing the mundane and arduous city-to-city visits ahead of the movie’s release, they have congregated here along with film journalists from four cities for a “celebration”.

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who acts in the film conjectures it is “trend-setting” for Bollywood.

“This feel like it’s done in Hollywood,” said Karan, adding: “This will set a precedent for film promotion (in Bollywood) and it will be trend-setting. As a film pro-

Jacqueline Fernandez hits jackpot

J

acqueline Fernandez has accepted an offer to perform at a high-profile wedding in London and has quoted Rs 4 crore to shake a leg.

A source says, “This businessman has planned a lavish wedding for his son on the outskirts of London during Mayend. He has approached a few actresses to perform on the occasion. Jacky has given her nod to them and is required to perform on a few songs either from her films or other popular numbers.”

Apparently, the actress will spend two days there and the business family will take care of her accommodation and travel expenses. The source adds, “After a discussion with her team, they have agreed to pay her Rs 4 crore and so, Jacqueline is currently reworking her dates to incorporate the wedding in her diary. She is likely to shoot for a film with Varun Dhawan and then begin work on a Sri Lankan movie before she leaves for the wedding dance in London.”

ducer, I’m definitely going to do this often.”

It is quite a jamboree with about 100 people assembled at a south Goa resort. Journalists, both print and TV, from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad landed here on May 4th, joining the film’s team - actors Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Karan, Vivaan Shah, Satyadeep Misra and Siddhartha Basu; director Anurag; producers Vikramaditya Motwane and Vikas Bahl; composer Amit Trivedi, writers Vasan Bala and S.Thanikachalam; and officials of

Fox Star Studios, which has coproduced and is distributing the film.

Breaking away from his superstar image, Ranbir, who is among the top-rung actors of Hindi cinema of the present day, looked cool, casual and relaxed as he sat on the floor to chat up with a mixed group of scribes.

“This was my idea,” he said, referring to the “small little party” to celebrate the hardwork that has gone behind the period drama, which encapsulates the era of 1950s and 1960s.

Abhishek Kapoor marries Pragya Yadav

A

ctor-turned-director Abhishek Kapoor and actress Pragya Yadav have tied the

knot.

According to reports, the couple exchanged vows last Monday.

Actor Arjun Rampal, who worked with the director on 2008 rock musical drama film “Rock On!!”, tweeted a photograph of the couple and captioned it: “My best friends wedding. Congratulations @Abhishekapoor @pragyadav_ God bless u with the most beautiful journey ahead.”

Sidharth

on a look out for outdoor workout places

B

eing a Delhi boy Sidharth Malhotra is used to open spaces. The actor would spend a lot of time working out in an open ground when he used to stay in Delhi.

The actor who had bulked up for his character in Brothers has been on a look out for a place to work out outdoors to keep fit.

While the actor has spent quality time sweating it out in the gym, he is fond of the idea of working out outdoors and in natural surroundings.

Sidharth does not like the idea of working out in a confined place and wants to break the monotony and get into outdoor fitness.

Sidharth is on the look out for a place where he can workout on the parallel bars, do push ups and pull ups, etc...

Infact the actor has been visiting parks and open spaces

around his house, early in the morning to figure out a place.

“I prefer exercising outdoors rather than in a gym. I have been looking for an open area where I can workout,” says Sidharth.

Ram Kapoor hoping high from ‘Kuch Kuch Locha Hai’ and ‘Piku’

D

eepika Padukone starrer “Piku” and Sunny Leone starrer “Kuch Kuch Locha Hai” got set to clash at the box office on Friday. However, Ram Kapoor who plays the lead role in the Sunny Leone starrer, is unfazed about such comparison and says both the films have their own target audiences.

He hopes people would like both the films.

“I don’t think so there is any competition between both the films - “Piku” and “Kuch Kuch Locha Hai” - as both of these have different target audiences. So neither of these two will affect each other’s

business. Both the films are very different and have different target groups,” the actor said here in an interview.

He, further wishes all success to the Deepika and Big B starrer and can’t wait to watch the film when it releases.

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

19

Vox Pop

Does Salman Khan deserve punishment or condonation?

G Plus feature

A

ctor Salman Khan on May 6 was granted twoday interim bail by the Bombay High Court in the 2002 hit-and-run case, hours after he was sentenced to five years in jail by a Sessions Court.

Almost 12 years after his vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser, ran over five men sleeping on the pavement in Bandra, leaving one dead and the others injured, a Mumbai Sessions Court on Wednesday convicted Bollywood actor Salman Khan and sentenced him to five years rigorous imprisonment. However, hours later, the Bombay High Court granted him interim bail until May 8.

While the prosecution sought maximum punishment of 10 years, Khan was given five years and fined Rs 25,000. Khan’s lawyer, Shrikant Shivade, during an hour-long argument drew attention to the actor’s charitable work through his ‘Being Human’ Foundation. He said most of Khan’s income was directed towards causes supported by Being Human, and this work would

Priyashree Kashyap Actor

I think the verdict, irrespective of the person concerned, be it Salman Khan or anyone else, if he has committed a crime, deserves punishment. People are reacting differently due to the delay in the judgment; people say that justice delayed is justice denied. A person has died and the family has suffered for so long but comparatively, Salman’s life has not been affected at all. Law should be equal for everybody. If he has killed someone, he deserves to be punished, be it Salman or anyone else.

Debabrata Nath Entrepreneur

The law should be same for everyone and Salman shouldn’t be given preferential treatment due to his celebrity status. However, one needs to put into perspective the actions which led to the accident and whether it really merits the charge of culpable homicide. At worst, this is a case of drunk driving and he should be charged under that. Just because he is a superstar, we should not try to make an example out of him.

suffer if the actor was put behind bars. He said Khan should be given three years’ imprisonment and asked to carry out community service.

“Rs 42 crore has been disbursed in the last three years, several people have undergone heart surgeries, 700 underprivileged children have been treated. We have been working in the area of healthcare, education, pediatric care and blindness,” the lawyer said.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Friday suspended his sentence and had Salman file a fresh bail bond.

The question that arises from the issue is whether the sentence of five years’ jail time for the actor a legitimate one or will putting him behind bars put a hold on his charitable works or should he rather be given three years’ imprisonment and asked to carry out community service as argued by his lawyer.

G Plus took the opinion of a cross section of the society and here is what they had to say-

Bijan Mahajan Senior Advocate

Suman Sinha

Prayashi Bora

The 389 application has been granted in the Salman Khan case and the interim bail been granted earlier has today being absolute in disposal of the appeal. But the appeal filed under section 374 on the court of criminal justice procedure will be decided subsequently and is due for sometime.

Let’s wait till that day and keep our fingers crossed.

In my opinion, life shouldn’t be wasted with frustration, sentiments and ego for one’s mistake done in the past. When you know that you are and will always keep doing good in the future, you cannot waste that good for one simple accidental bad.

Nobody is above the law, be it Salman Khan or any commoner; a crime is a crime. It can never compensate for any charity work an individual does.

However, punishment should hold equal for all. Many politicians accused of crimes are still roaming scot free. It should thus be ensured that all criminals, be it celebrities or politicians or even the common man should receive the requisite punishment for their crime, and can they resume any sort of activity be it charity or any other activity for the matter only after its completion.

Corporate personnel

Student

Vikram Aditya Roy

Sanjib Bharali

Rabi Sharma

HN Das

What about the new law that took effect earlier this month that if a four wheeler or a two wheeler vehicle hit any person, the accused will be behind bars for life and if an elderly person dies in a road accident, then the driver will be imprisoned for 5 years. Is this law made for the common people or will this be applicable to the rich people and the actors/stars too?

If bail is everything in law, why are they made for the public and not for the people who unfortunately meets a road accident! If rich people can get bail for the most heinous crimes, where will the common people go with their queries?

First of all, the road is not for sleeping. Road is for driving or walking. If you want to blame anyone, then blame the Indian government.

It has been more than 65 years and our government has not able to control poverty, not providing house to the poor and needy people. He made a mistake and that was an accident. Yes, justice should be done but what happened in the past is gone. If today, reducing his punishment does something good to the poor people and for the better future of underprivileged children, then it must be this way. I think they should agree with his lawyer. In that way he can also get condonation of the same.

There are a lot of factors in the case that has to be seen. Firstly, drunk driving is always an offence and even if Salman hadn’t killed someone, it would have been an offence anyway and secondly, the government is also responsible. If the government does not allow one to sleep in a park, sleeping on the roadside should also be barred. What Abhijit said was not entirely wrong and the government should look after those living on the roadside. Besides, that whatever judgment the court makes has to be abided by.

It was a legitimate verdict by the court and judgments cannot be different for people. Salman was sentenced to five years of imprisonment instead of ten years and his guilt was proven.

Although, I concur by the High Court’s decision to re-file the case in the court, but not in support of the bail.

Businessman

Musician

Actor

Former Chief Secretary, Assam

20

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Reviews

u Yo LD TEN SHOU S I L

GAME IEW REV

Album: Wilder Mind Artist: Mumford & Sons

W

ho could blame Mumford & Sons for running away from their signature banjo stomp? Come 2015, when Wilder Mind saw spring release, so many bands had copped their big-footed folk jamboree that Mumford & Sons could feel the straitjacket constricting, so it’s not a surprise that the group decided to try on something new. A change in fashion isn’t strange -- no band wants to be pigeonholed -but the odd thing about Wilder Mind is now that everybody else sounds like Mumford & Sons, Mumford & Sons decide to sound like everybody else. Often, the persistent, moody murmur recalls a diluted Kings of Leon, a comparison that can’t help but underscore how Mumford & Sons have made the journey from retro throwback to glistening modern construction. Where once they carved their music out of reclaimed wood, they’re now all steel and glass -- a bit sleeker but also a bit chillier.

Such a description suggests this is a big shift, but it’s all surface: underneath that exterior, Wilder Mind is the same Mumford & Sons, peddling reasonably handsome reconstructions of times gone by.

wolfenstein: the old blood

A Mov Revi ie ew Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan Director: Shoojit Sircar

T

he new-age films coming out in Bollywood are expanding the parameters of commercial cinema. And in this process, some truly engaging and entertaining films are finding a universal audience.

Shoojit Sircar’s Piku is a fine example of the triumph of this process.

Piku is the utterly endearing story of Bhaskor Banerjee (Amitabh Bachchan) and his daughter Piku (Deepika Padukone). Bhaskor is a 70-yearold man with myriad moods – his life philosophies are rigid and firm; he is rude and irritating to the point of being eccentric and obsessed with his bowels. Constipation is a subject he loves to discuss, even if it’s on the breakfast and dinner table. Piku loves her father to death, despite all his imperfections. She’s almost allergic to relationships because she’s more concerned about taking care of her dad.

And she is her father’s daughter all right – she is nearly as temperamental as him. When Bhaskor and Piku decide to do a road trip from Delhi to Kolkata, the local car rental company’s owner Rana Chaudhary (Irrfan Khan) has no option but to drive them himself after all his drivers refuse to suffer the ordeal. This journey becomes an emotional revelation for them all. As the rest of the film unravels, it focuses on the evolving relationships between the three protagonists and how it changes them all forms the crux of the story.

Sircar’s previous two outings, Vicky Donor and Madras Café, received both commercial and critical acclaim. But Piku is, by far, his finest offering. It is an extremely difficult film to handle. There is no definitive storyline; there are no big surprises in the screenplay; there are no con-

flicts added for the sake to taking the story forward. Sircar places all his bets on establishing the relationship and the camaraderie between the father and daughter. And well, he turns up with probably the best film we’ve seen on this subject. Constipation, as a subject, is clearly not something that’s easy to digest! But Sircar plays along with it; he makes you laugh with it; he lets you have fun with it. You become so much a part of Bhaskor and Piku’s world that even the intermission seems like an unwanted break. Sircar strikes his masterstroke in the second half – where he makes you cry just as easily as he made you laugh. Piku is a film filled with all the emotions we face and experience in our daily lives – Sircar makes us wonder why we overlooked them all along. Sircar’s other big achievement is making his alreadyfine actors deliver performances that would feature among their careerbest. Deepika is an accomplished performer in her own right but with Piku, she raises the bar even more.

Devoid of make-up in the entire film, the actress has never looked and acted better. She gets into the skin of Piku; her every action and reaction is so casual and yet so real. Irrfan Khan has never been utilised better – his dialogues are few but always with the right punches. A film like Piku is inventive and unconventional but mainstream. You wish there were some more drama in the second half to elevate it further. However, the performances are so tight that they overpower everything else.

Piku is one of the best films of the year. It’s a must-watch for the thundering trio of Bachchan, Padukone and Khan.

Order, and drum up nostalgia for old school Wolfenstein fans. In The Old Blood players infiltrate then escape Castle Wolfenstein, and will run into familiar faces from the franchise.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood feels like it’s for either the player who enjoyed The New Order and wants more, or the newcomer who has no idea what to expect. This expansion content isn’t going to spoil anything in terms of story from The New Order, and it’s quite possible if you haven’t played the main game, you’ll want to when all is said and done.

Though The Old Blood has a lot of content in it on its own. Like The New Order, there are numerous difficulty levels, a bunch of collectibles and story-telling items. It IS a fairly unforgiving game on its harder settings so a second or third playthrough could be warranted if challenge is your thing. There’s also a host of challenge maps as well, which takes player out of the story and puts them in timed arenas where the objective is winning medals by killing with style. While the main campaign isn’t quite as long as The New Order, the $19.99 price tag makes it more digestible.

s one of the best first person shooters released in 2014, Machine Games’ Wolfenstein: The New Order was praised for its combat mechanics and narrative, proving that there was still room in gaming for a story-centric shooter that didn’t rely on multiplayer to satisfy. Wolfenstein: The New Order dumped players into an alternate history of World War II and re-introduced series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz to a new generation.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is a standalone piece of expansion content to The New Order. This prequel stays close to home, playing to the strengths of the original release, while giving players some new mechanics to explore. This 4-5 hour lead-up to the events of The New Order looks to set the stage as far as story goes, filling in the blanks in regards to the events that lead to Blazkowicz’ coma in the failed assassination attempt of General Deathshead.

While The Old Blood isn’t quite as deep as the original in terms of story, and doesn’t introduce you to an extensive cast, the characters that are introduced will tie-in directly to The New

Book: The Guest Cottage: A Novel Author: Nancy Thayer

S You SHOU Rea LD d

ensible thirty-six-year-old Sophie Anderson has always known what to do. She knows her role in life: supportive wife of a successful architect and calm, capable mother of two. But on a warm summer night, as the house grows quiet around her and her children fall asleep, she wonders what’s missing from her life. When her husband echoes that lonely question, announcing that he’s leaving her for another

NOW SHOWING

woman, Sophie realizes she has no idea what’s next. Impulsively renting a guest cottage on Nantucket from her friend Susie Swenson, Sophie rounds up her kids, Jonah and Lacey, and leaves Boston for a quiet family vacation, minus one.

Inspiring and true to life, The Guest Cottage is Nancy Thayer at her finest, inscribing in graceful, knowing prose matters of the heart and the meaning of family.

Piku

Kuch Kuch Lucha hai

Gabbar Is Back

Apsara Cinema

Daily at 2.00 PM

Daily at 11.00 AM & 8 PM

Daily at 5.00 PM

Anuradha Cineplex

Daily at 5.45 & 8.15 PM

Daily at 10.15 AM

Daily at 12.45 & 3.15 PM

Fun Cinemas

Daily at 10.00 AM, 5.45 & 8.45 PM

Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar)

Daily at 11.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

Daily at 2.00 PM

Daily at 11.30 AM, 2.30, 5.30 & 8.30 PM

Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazar)

Daily at 11.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

Daily at 2.00 PM

Daily at 11.30 AM, 2.30, 5.30 & 8.30 PM

Gold Cinema (Narengi)

Daily at 11.00 AM & 5.00 PM

Daily at 3.10 PM

Daily at 2.00 & 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 MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Snake returns for modern smartphones

L

ong before Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans and Angry Birds, Nokia’s Snake was the king of the mobile gaming world – not least because it was installed on every single mobile phone the company sold.

Now the game is returning for modern smartphones courtesy of that mobile version’s creator Taneli Armanto and developer Rumilus Design, who will release Snake Rewind on 14 May. Snake wasn’t invented by Nokia – its ever-stretching gameplay had appeared on home computers since the late 1970s under various names – but Finnish developer Armanto was the person responsible for preloading it on Nokia’s 6110 handset in 1997.

Snake Rewind will be released

21

Tech Watch

Sony unveils ‘selfie smartphone’ Xperia C4

S

for iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices, with new features including the ability – purists, look away now –

to “rewind the Snake to continue the game even after crashing” as well as new power-ups and levels.

Twitter removes the ability to embed games in tweets

ony announced a new ‘selfie smartphone’, the Xperia C4, which features a 5-megapixel, 25mm wide angle lens front camera and a Full HD 5.5-inch display. The smartphone also has a 13MP rear camera and is armed with Sony’s SteadyShot image stabilization technology.

For low light conditions, the Xperia C4 is armed with a soft LED flash and HDR features. The smartphone also comes pre-loaded with a suite of creative camera apps, such as ‘Style Portrait’ with styles including ‘vampire’ and ‘mystery’ to add a unique edge to your selfie, and the ‘AR Mask’ app, which gives your selfies a twist by letting you place a different face over your own face or others’ faces while you snap a selfie.

The C4 is powered by a 64-bit Me-

diaTek MTK6752 octa-core 1.7GHz processor with 2GB RAM and runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop.

The Xperia C4 will be available in Single SIM and Dual SIM variants from the beginning of June 2015.

Get Android notifications on Mac & PC

S

hortly after Twitter introduced a way to embed classic MS-DOS games in a tweet, the company has now disabled this feature as it goes against company policies to have a playable game within the website. Prior to this move, users could embed games in tweets and could share any of the 2,600 games or more in the Internet Archive’s library of MS-DOS games.

The embedding interactive media, and specifically games, within Twitter Cards is against the social network’s terms of service. Twitter guidelines point out that, ‘Do not build end-to-end interactive experiences inside the video or audio player

unrelated to Player Card content, such as the following: purchasing, gaming, polling, messaging and data entry.’

Following its policies, Twitter has now disabled the feature. But, users can yet visit the Internet Archive directly and play their favorite old classic games. A report by TechTimes pointed out that, it is possible for the game to

return only if, developers work on another type of Twitter card to host the MS-DOS games.

“Instead, build these interactive experiences with our other Card types or enhance your Player Card content with links to your website or mobile application,” says Twitter in its Player Card’s guidelines.

Micromax Unite 3 available online

M

icromax’s Unite 3 smartphone is now listed on the company’s site and also available via a third-party online retailer at Rs 6,569.

Micromax Unite 3 will come with a free bundled data offer from Vodafone offering up to 500MB (2G/3G) of free data per month for the first two months, the official site notes.

The Unite 3 supports multiple languages and comes preloaded with support for 10 regional languages. It also comes with a feature that allows users to translate a message from English to the language of choice and vice versa.

Micromax Unite 3 is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) smartphone featuring a 4.7-inch (480x800 pixels) WVGA IPS display. The device is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek (MTK6582M) processor coupled with 1GB of RAM. It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop out-of-the-box.

The handset offers 8GB of inbuilt storage, which is further expandable via microSD card (up to 32GB). It sports an 8-megapixel au-

Y

ou donít always have your Android phone with you, but there will be times where you will get some sort of notification on your device, that you should really not miss. Whether it is an important call you didn’t hear because your phone was in another room, or a WhatsApp messages from your friend.

There is an amazing app out there, that allows you to get all your notifications from your Android phone or tablet straight on your Mac and/or PC. And this wonderful app is called Pushbullet. Pushbullet is a service that allows you to send notifications and even files between your devices. You can install Pushbullet on Android, iOS, use it as a web-app in your favorite browser, as well as install native apps on your Mac or Windows machine.

1. Create a free Pushbullet account Simply sign up with your Google or Facebook account, and you’re good to go!

2. Download the official app Now, to get notifications from your Android device on your Mac or PC, download the Pushbullet Android app for free from the Play Store.

3. Install the native app for your OS or the browser extension Download the browser extensions here:

Chrome (http://bit.ly/1IQDxMQ)

Firefox (http://mzl.la/1Ijc8CM)

Safari (http://bit.ly/1c9lFzN) Download the native apps here:

Mac OS X (http://apple.co/1H14qvt)

Windows (http://bit.ly/1KkG2Fk) 4. Enable desktop notifications Once you have done all the above, as well as logged in to your Pushbullet account inside the Andriod app and the desktop app, make sure that you have your desktop notifications enabled.

tofocus rear camera with LED flash, while there is a secondary 2-megapixel fixed-focus front camera also on board.

Connectivity options include 3G, GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Micro-USB, and Bluetooth options.

The smartphone packs a 2000mAh battery, which according to the official listing is rated to deliver up to

8 hours of talk time and up to 220 hours of standby time. It also includes light, gravity, and proximity sensors.

It comes preloaded with apps such as Ask me, Chaatz, Clean master, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Hotstar, Newshunt, Paytm, Quicker, Snapdeal, and SwiftKey. The Unite 3 is available at Infibeam.

For that, go to your apps’ settings, and tick the following two boxes: Enable Pushbullet Notifications Show my phone’s notifications Now you can get all your Android notifications across all your desktop devices if you choose from.

Indrajeet Bhuyan is a 17 year old tech blogger and security researcher. He is passionate about computers and believes in sharing knowledge and information . He uses his spare time helping people and companies secure themselves. fb.me/ indrajeet.bhuyan

22

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Fun

Your weekly dose of

TIMEPASS

It’s a mixed week that seems to flow along nicely. Monday brings a chance to earn extra cash with a bright idea or new enterprise. If you need to make a decision, meet a deadline, or research your options, midweek may be your best bet. Homey ideas and family matters come to the fore when Venus glides into Cancer on Thursday. Relax and enjoy your personal space as well as try out new recipes, decorate, or apply yourself to an irksome but rewarding task.

You’ll be in your element and eager to forge ahead with your brightest and best ideas. You’re more action oriented, too, and willing to do whatever is necessary to further your plans. Where finances are concerned, it’s a good time to hunt for bargains, especially on any typically expensive items. Some research could save you a lot of money. Meanwhile, Venus in Cancer can inspire you to delve into the past, with a chance you’ll want to connect with old friends.

A serious mood works to your advantage if you can make important decisions and stick to them. With a focus on job and career matters, you’ll certainly benefit from a more action-oriented approach to getting results. However, your social life continues to flourish, making this a good time to expand your network and move in new circles. The presence of Venus in Cancer suggests that the past could have a powerful impact on the present, whether by design or accident.

Sagittarius To keep from getting swamped by too much work or everyday responsibilities, devise a plan and stick to it. You might even want to delegate some of your tasks where appropriate. Lifestyle issues might also be at the forefront of your mind, especially if you want to lose weight or get fitter in general. Romantic and business relationships continue to show a positive side. Even so, it helps to be open-minded regarding someone’s excellent suggestions, as they may benefit you.

SUDOKU

Don’t ignore your dreams or intuitive hunches, as you could benefit from valuable guidance if you pay attention. If you feel like retreating from the hustle and bustle of life, it’s entirely natural. The Taurus Sun actively encourages you to take time out to relax and recharge. A focus on your money zone emphasizes your canny ability to spot a deal that’s too good to miss. Selling unused items could be very profitable if you want to get rid of clutter.

As Venus dances into your sign this week you’ll become everyone’s favorite.

People will be attracted to what you have to offer. Your warm, cuddly persona could draw folks your way, for business or for romance, if you’re looking for love. Things have eased since the frenetic pace you experienced earlier in the year, making this a good time to consolidate your gains.

Finally, don’t make snap decisions over the weekend unless you’re sure you’re on the right track.

Scorpio

Libra

Virgo

Leo

Cancer

Gemini

Taurus

Aries

HOROSCOPE

Work, communication, and home and family concerns keep you busy, but don’t feel like you have to do it all. The wheels of commerce are turning in your favor, meaning you have every opportunity to get ahead if you’re willing to network and get yourself known in all the right places. Your love life also gets a boost as Venus dances into Cancer on Thursday. It’s a time for get-togethers, friendly celebrations, and more. Plus, food can be instrumental to romantic success.

If someone opposes your idea, use a bit of charm and you’ll be likelier to get your way. This is especially so when it comes to your job or an interview. The presence of Venus in Cancer hints that a capable yet courteous approach can win you Brownie points. When it comes to romance, there’s still plenty of time to indulge your sensuous side. If you enjoy massages or spa days, this is the time to surrender to such pleasures for your benefit.

Dealing with ongoing chores and other responsibilities early can clear the way for more fun later. Midweek could see you putting effort into resolving an issue that has caused frustration for some time. Yet your actions or approach to life may need to change in order for things to be different. Later, ask yourself if something you desire is worth the price, and second, if you’re willing to pay it.

The weekend could bring a tempting romantic offer your way.

Pisces

Aquarius

Capricorn Say yes to any unexpected invitation. This week it seems that you won’t have to venture too far out of your local area to have fun. Once Venus edges into Cancer it lights up your relationship sector, bringing warmth and understanding to your interactions. Meanwhile, you’re eager to research your options regarding health and wellness issues, particularly as this is one of the best times to tweak routines and habits so they help create a fitter, happier you.

You and your friends are on the same wavelength and may join forces for a cause. Aligning yourself with like-minded people can give you a feeling of purpose and power. Good news could come in the form of a moneymaking idea, raise, or possibility for advancement. Information you learn could have the potential to enhance earnings, adding to your comfort and security as a result. One thing to watch out for is overindulging, especially if you want to lose weight.

While intuition and inspiration can be helpful, keep your feet on the ground and don’t get carried away by a wild idea. If you need to make an important decision this week, it might be helpful to meet with a good friend who can to offer up ideas and suggestions that you haven’t considered. When Venus edges into Cancer you’ll enter a pleasure peak in which romance and some sizzling dates will be very much on the agenda.

Useful Life hacks

Get rid of pests Combine eucaliptus oil with water and store in a spray bottle. When you see a bug, spray it with the mixture. The insect will die almost immediately.

JUST FOR LAUGHs On the roof of a very tall building are four men; one is Asian, one is Mexican, one is black, and the last one is white. The Asian walks to the ledge and says, “This is for all my people” and jumps off the roof. Next, the Mexican walks to the ledge and also says, “This is for all my people” and then he jumps off the roof. Next is the black guy’s turn. The black guy walks to the ledge and says, “This is for all my people” and then throws the white guy off the roof.

Do not be racist; be like Mario. He’s an Italian plumber, who was made by the Japanese, speaks English, looks like a Mexican, jumps like a black man, and grabs coins like a Jew!

Solution (Last Issue)

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

classifieds

VACANCY

Required Sr. Sales Executives, Showroom Sales, Accountant, Marketing Executives (F) , Office Executive.

Contact-90850-78728 Hair Styler required in an Unisex salon For details contact 97076 35294 Peon Required Qly-H.S.L.C. Salary-5,500/-(+) Contact -9864306246 Urgently Require Telecallers Salary: 5,000-10,000/Contact-98646-08375 Receptionist Required Salary-Up to 10,000/Contect-98640-62103 Urgently Required Delivery Boy On a famous Courier Salary: 7,000-9,000/Contect-90859-90528 Back Office Executive Required Salary-10,000/-(+) Contact-98543-71481 Delivery boy Required For Online shoppingSalary-up to -9,000/Contact-98646-08375 Hotel Industry Front Office Executive Required Salary-6,000-10,000/Contact-98640-62103 Showroom Executive Required Salary-5,000-6,000/Contact-98543-71481 Marketing Executive Required Salary-10,000/-(+) Contact-98640-62103 Back Office Executive Required On A well known Hotel Salary-Up to-10,000/Contact-90859-90528 In house sales Executive Qly-B.Com with English medium background Salary-Up to-15,000/Contact-98543-71481

To post classifieds call us at +91 8486002319

Advertisment

Want pure cowdung agarbatti?

Contact: 9093196925

TO-LET 2 BHK With 2 Bathroom , Parking, Balcony And Lift At G.S. Road Rent-12,000 Ph No.-98644-31944 3 BHK 2nd Floor Flat At Ghy Club, Rent18,000 Call-76630-59321 3 BHK Newly Constructed Flat At Jayanagar, Rent14,000 Call-83999-65686 3BHK Independent House At Jonali, 2Bathroom , Parking, & Kitchen, Rent10,000 Contact-76630-59321 3BHK 3Rd Floor Flat With Bathroom , Parking, Balcony And Lift Rent-12,000 Contact-83999-65686 3 BHK At Ganeshguri Rent-15,000 Call-7663059321 Any type of Rented House Available At Zoo Road, Chandmari Contect-98647-39316 2 BHK Flat With 2Bathroom, Parking & Balcony With Lift At Chandmari Rent-10,000 Ph No.- 83999-65686 Any type of Flat Available At Zoo Road, Chandmari Contect-98647-39316 Any type of Office Available At Zoo Road, Chandmari Contect-98647-39316 3BHK Flat At Second Floor With 2

2 / 4 WHEELER Discover 2014 Model For Sale, Colour : Black And Red Ph.- 98599-10119 Alto LXI 2011 Model Colour: Maroon Contact-88110-91965 Yamaha FZ – S Year of Manufacturing04/20111, Colour B. Green Contact-95778-21645

Bathroom , Balcony , Parking With 3 Wardrobe And Lift.

Rent- 15,000 Ph No.98644-31944 3BHK Flat With 2 Bathroom, 3rd Floor , Parking, Balcony & Lift in Beltola Rent- 14,000 Pn No.-76630-59321 720sqft showroom with toilet in athgaon suitable for boutique/ computer classes etc.

Contact- 98641-59713 5 Room Flat In Maskhowa For Rent.

Contact-98641-59713 3BHK New Flat With 2 Bathroom , Parking , Balcony , Lift At Dispur, 2nd , 3rd , 4th Floor, Rent16,000 Call-9864431944 400 sqft Rcc godown available At opp.Nichols school, Chatribari.

With Shutter and road facing facility.

Ph.No.- 9864159713.

200 sqft Rcc shop inside market.

Available and nearby godown.

Suitable for any type of CNF work.

Ph.No. - 9864159713.

3 room residential flat on third floor 1300 sqft in Krisna Nagar, Chatribari.

Ph.Nos. - 9864159713.

FOR SALE 3 bigha land in Thakurbari Road , Rangapara with clearcut title & sale deed. Contact- Gopal Das Phone No088768-59216 For immediate sale.

Brand New Flat at Kahilipara Road, 3BHK with car park and all modern ammeneties. 1560 sq.ft, 8th floor.

Contact: 94351 15098

2 WHEELER / 4 WHEELER

Vento (D) Top Model 2011 Colour: White Ph-88110-91965

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

BLOOD BANK

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

Honda Activa 2004 Model Colour : Black Call- 88110-91965

Bajaj Pulsar 135 2010 Model Colour – M.BLK M. 98540-91738 Scorpio For Sale 2010 SLX Colour – Silver Ph.- 98599-10119 Pulsar 150 2009 Model, Colour: Black Contact- 88110-91965 Scorpio 2010 LX Colour: Black (D) Contact-98641-06333 Honda Dio 2013 Model, 2013 Model Colour: P.T. Yellow Contact-98640-21414 TVS Apache RTR 08 / 2011 Model Colour : Red 98544-01660 Scorpio Model: SLX 2004, Colour: Silver Contact- 88110-91965 Honda Activa 2012 Model, Colour- Blue Call-95773-69908 Wagon R For Sale 2009 Model Colour : Maroon Contact-98599-10119 Hundai i20 Sportz ABS CRBI Price – 5.20 Lacs Colour – Grey 88221-41557 Swift Dzire: 2010 Model, Colour: White (D), Ph- 98599-91965 Activa, Colour: Black 2012 Model Contact: 98641-06333 Mahindra Duro 2011 Model Colour : Maroon Contact: 88110-91965

Public Notice I, Neelakshi Bordoloi, have changed my name to Neelakshi Bordoloi Saikia by an affidavit before the Notary Public Kamrup (Metro) dated: 19-02-15

Citypedia

AMBULANCE

Splendor 2013 Model Colour Black Call- 98641-06333

Swift VSI 2012 Model Colour: Silver 4.50 Lacs Fixed Call:88221-41557

23

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 IHR-Institute of Human Reproduction 0361-2482619,09864103333 GNRC Hospital 0361 2227702 GNRC Life First Ambulance 9401194011

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

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

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

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

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

24

G PLUS MAY 09- MAY 15, 2015

Catching Up

David Beckham praises wife for ‘amazing’ b-day

Kylie Jenner ‘Wants to Invest in Real Estate’

T

he 17-year-old reality TV star - who’s openly expressed her desire to move out of her family home when she turns 18 in August is already working out the best way to invest her ever-increasing fortune and her mother Kris Jenner, 59, has pledged to support her youngest daughter “every step of the way”.

In a new episode of ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’, Kris explained: “Kylie reminded me that she had a lot of projects that she’s been working on and she really wants to take that money and invest in real estate. I think sometimes Kylie is underestimated, because she really is a bright kid.”

F

ormer footballer David Beckham, who turned 40 on May 2nd, has thanked his wife Victoria Beckham for an “amazing” birthday.

David celebrated his 40th birthday with an extravagant party at a six-star resort outside Marrakech in Morocco, and gushed on his Instagram account about his “beautiful” spouse.

“Thanks to my beautiful wife for such an amazing day,” he wrote.

Changing blood into Type-O just got easier

C

anadian researchers, including one of Indian origin, have now developed a way to transform all donated blood into a neutral type that can be given to any patient.

The researchers have created an enzyme that could potentially pave the way for changing blood types.

The enzyme works by snipping off the sugars, also known as antigens, found in Type-A and

Type-B blood, making it more like Type-O. Type-O blood is known as the universal donor and can be given to patients of all blood types.

With this enzyme, Jayachandran Kizhakkedathu from the University of British Columbia and colleagues were able to remove the wide majority of the antigens in Type-A and B blood.

Eco-friendly cars

running on air? Indian scientists show the way

PIC OF THE Shader Lau: Food or fight? Photo: Adib Zamali

WEEK

I

ndian scientists have shown a new route to make fuel cells more efficient, thus pushing further the possibility that cars could one day run on air.

In a study, researchers said they had used an iron-based substance to act as a catalyst, instead of platinum, to speed up energy generation in a hydrogen peroxide-based fuel cell.

According to the study co-investigator Sreekumar Kurungot from CSIR-NCL Pune, this makes the hydrogen peroxide cell 140 times more active.

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