recipe of the week
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WINTER DRESSING
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Nanky Baruah
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VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 12 DEC 26 DEC, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
PRICE `10
Night city-bus service fails to meet the expectations of commuters
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FOLK TALE With a difference
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Save the 02 Phantom
Cops bust city
jewel thieves
Roadside PG urination 06
a big concern for the city
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12 WARD WATCH
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Janakpur path Locals express grave concern over deplorable condition of Janakpur Path
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Lead Story
Cops bust city jewellery theft nexus
Bhaskar Kalita steals jewellery worth approximately Rs. 20 lakhs and goes to a jeweller Bappa Sarkar of Suchitra Jewellers in Ganeshguri Bappa, a small time jeweller, is not able to buy the stolen jewellery and refers Bhaskar to a jewellery melting factory in Fancy Bazar Some employees of the factory melt the jewellery to test its quality and purchase the stolen jewellery for Rs. 2,04,000
With the arrest of people involved in buying and selling of stolen jewellery, police interrogates the arrested people to find out if they were involved in any such incident in the past as also the existence of a black market for gold in the city rahul chanda
Bhaskar buys a second hand vehicle with the money and flees to Bagmara Police track him and arrest him from Bagmara Following his arrest police also arrest all the people involved in buying and selling of the stolen jewellery Arrested people sent to five-day police custody Police are investigating if the arrested people are involved in similar theft or robbery in the past Incident raises questions about the existence of a black market for gold in the city
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ecently the Geetanagar Police arrested a jewellery thief along with five more people who helped him dispose the jewellery which he stole from his rich employer’s house. The incident sounds minor but the entire incident has raised pertinent questions about gold theft and even gold smuggling. In short, a driver steals some jewellery and takes it to a jeweller. The jeweller is not able to buy the jewellery and so refers the thief to a jewellery melting factory where a group of people buy the stolen jewellery and melt it. The thief then buys a car with the money received and flees
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Bhaskar Kalita, the driver of the complainant Mamoni Sharma steals jewellery worth around Rs 20 lakhs from her residence at Hatigarh
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Bhaskar takes the jewellery to a small time jeweller at Ganeshguri to sell the stolen items but cannot do so and is referred to a jewellery melting factory in Fancy Bazar
to another district. Police tracks the thief and nabs him only to discover an unholy nexus of “jewel” thieves in the city. G Plus looks into the entire incident.
The incident
The factory employees
Mamoni Sharma, a resident of Hatigarh Charali Colony, was recently bereaved as her husband Khanin Sharma expired on 15th December in a city hospital. During those few days of hospitalization, Mamoni had to be with her husband in the hospital. Mamoni’s driver, Bhaskar Kalita (22), is the son of Late Akhil Kalita and hails from Nimuahgaon village under Patacharkuchi police station in Barpeta district. On 16th December Bhaskar informed his employer Mamoni that he had some personal work and required leave for a few
days. Mamoni gave him Rs. 1000. On 18th December there was a postdeath ritual in Mamoni’s house and she had to donate gold to the Brahmin. She opened her closet to get the gold and found it empty. Panic set in thereafter as jewellery worth approximately Rs. 20 lakhs was missing. Mamoni visited the Geetanagar police station and lodged a complaint. A case (case number 241/15 under section 381 of IPC) was registered and police started investigations.
The investigation SI Badal Chandra Paul was appointed as the investigating officer and after initial investigation, Bhaskar Kalita turned out to be his prime suspect. The mobile number of the accused was tracked and a team from Geetanagar police with
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
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Lead Story
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Some employees of the factory test the jewellery by melting it and agrees to buy them for Rs 2,04,000
another from Central Crime Unit left for Bagmara in BTAD area. The police team led by Paul tracked and overtook Bhaskar’s vehicle on one of the highways in Bagmara after which Bhaskar was arrested at gun point. The arrest of Bhaskar led to the shocking arrests of a few others. According to police sources, Bhaskar was planning this theft since a long time and as Mamoni was in hospital with her husband, he stole the jewellery on the night of 14th December. After stealing the jewellery he took it to a jeweller named Bappa Sarkar of Suchitra jewellery in Ganeshguri. Bappa is a small time jeweller and since he did not have enough money to purchase the stolen jewellery he referred Bhaskar to a jewellery refining factory in Fancy Bazar. Four employees of the factory tested the jewellery by melting it and purchased all the stolen jewellery for just Rs. 204000. Bhaskar took the money and purchased a second hand vehicle for Rs. 215000 and when he got wind of the fact that the police was
searching for him, he f led to Bagmara. After his arrest, police also nabbed all his associates who had helped Bhaskar sell the jewellery and also those who purchased it. Including Bhaskar, police arrested six persons and all are in five-day police custody for further investigations. Police also recovered more than 91 grams of melted gold and a few pieces of solid stolen jewellery.
Bhaskar Kalita after arrest
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Bhaskar buys a car with the money and flees to Baghmara from where he was nabbed by the cops who tracked his movement using his mobile phone. All the other culprits are arrested after that
The other angle In the northeast, smuggled gold actually comes in from countries like Myanmar, Thailand, China and Bangladesh. In recent cases, people in customs and the directorate of revenue intelligence have been mostly involved in seizing gold coming in from Myanmar
and Bangladesh. The police are in constant touch with the customs and if the police seize gold, the case gets handed over to the customs. Similarly, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the major intelligence agency which works towards eradicating smuggling of drugs, gold, diamonds, electronics, foreign currency, counterfeit Indian currency, etc., also seizes smuggled gold based on intelligence inputs from time to time. According to highly placed sources in the DRI, these days gold is mainly coming from Myanmar. The smuggled gold crosses the border and reaches Moreh. From Moreh it reaches Imphal and then Dimapur. From Dimapur, it comes to Guwahati and then gets smuggled to West Bengal or Chennai. Similarly, gold also gets smuggled from Bangladesh through Tripura, Karimganj, Silchar, Guwahati, West Bengal or Chennai. Whatever smuggled gold comes in has to cross Guwahati. According to highly placed sources in the DRI,
there might be a smuggled gold market in Guwahati too, but it has not yet been busted. Guwahati has many gold traders and people buy a lot of gold ornaments here too and it is doubted that all traders might not be importing all the gold sold to the customers. No doubt Guwahati is the main transit point for gold smugglers in the northeast but it might also have a market where smuggled gold is bought and sold. With the bust of this jewellery stealing nexus where one jewellery owner or the employee knows who can buy or sell stolen jewellery, it is also a possibility that these people have previously been involved in other jewellery robbery or even been a part of a gold smuggling nexus. Talking to G Plus police said that it is still interrogating the arrested people to find out if they were involved before in any other jewellery theft, robbery or heist.
rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
In The News
Bipasa Saikia Kashyap
OIL makes significant contributions to GMC and GMDA
OIL releases funds to the GMC and GMDA as part of its CSR Funds to be utilized for the infrastructural development of Guwahati city New drains around the city to collect flood water a part of the initiative GMC to install 1000 new twin-bins all over the city
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uwahati seems to be on the path of a makeover. With projects and initiatives being undertaken to give the city a “smart” look and an infrastructural up-gradation, the Kamrup District Administration seems to have a lot on its plate. For years, Oil India Limited (OIL) has been one corporation that has overseen programs of educational, health, sports, cultural and infrastructural development. As part of the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan, OIL has embraced upon itself to work for the social sector. Very recently, as part of its CSR project, OIL made a contribution to the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA)
G plus news
and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) strengthening their efforts to work for the infrastructural development of the city. OIL is the second largest hydrocarbon production company in the Indian public sector and a company with its operational headquarters in Duliajan, Assam. As part of the Prime Minister’s Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan that mandates organizations like these to include as part of their social responsibility, OIL has made contributions of approximately Rs. 32,10,000 to the GMDA. The initiative was taken up by OIL at a very short notice and OIL Pipelines, Narengi, Guwahati came up with the proposal of working
with both the GMC & GMDA. In collaboration with them, part of this project for the GMDA includes the ‘bondajam.’ In this initiative, hundreds of public drains in the city were unclogged and cleaned. These drains were dug in a way that they helped in collecting the excess floodwater from the city to be drained out. Apparently, most of these public drains were clogged from years of accumulation of dirt. A lot of silting had also taken place. So OIL, as part of this initiative is also working to create newer drains around Guwahati city along with cleaning the older ones. Both the Development Authority and OIL have assigned themselves areas wherein they can work. While the GMDA is
joined hands with the Municipality for a proper overall garbage disposal system in Guwahati. “Garbage cannot be just collected and stored. It has to be taken and treated somewhere,” Rai stated. This is an immense responsibility as the entire city of Guwahati produces an average of 2.66 kg garbage per household. This rounds up to 490.64 tons of waste generated by the total number of households in the city (Guwahati city has 184,454 household: source GMC) that has to be treated, managed and disposed properly keeping in mind the location and dynamics. A total sum of Rs. 67 lakhs has been given to the GMC and funds of about Rs. 30 lakhs have been already released for garbage management and treatment. The rest of the utilization and breakdown of funds are still awaiting decision by the GMC and OIL. “We are still in the process of deciding where to use the outstanding amount of funds, but we are sure we will make immense headway in maintaining and managing the infrastructure of this city,” SK Rai said. The OIL authorities were happy with the functioning of the District Administration of Guwahati city. They have reported that the effective and quick functioning of the DA in Guwahati has contributed a lot in making the city a better place. “Each time we have worked on projects we have been welcomed with the most immediate and effective results,” SK Rai stated. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in
Towards tobacco-free educational institutes
Education Department directs ISs, DEEOs to finish task
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ssam Education Department has issued a strict reminder to the all Inspectors of Schools (ISs) and District Elementary Education Officers (DEEOs) to direct the defaulting schools under their jurisdictions to comply with the prescribed criteria for attaining tobacco-free educational institution status. The reminder was issued by Principal Secretary, Education, PK Borthakur, in respect of the earlier order (Memo No. PMS (S) 146/2011/170 dated 19th May, 2015) issued by the department to declare all educational institutions in the State tobacco-free by end of this year. The reminder clearly mentioned that all ISs and DEEOs are to obtain self-declaration from each of the principals and headmasters containing the following:
working is the major part of the city, OIL is working in the areas around Narengi and Saatgaon that covers areas like VIP Road, Pathar Quarry, Panikhaiti and Refinery. A sum of Rs. 32,10,000 has been handed over to the GMDA for this. OIL has collaborated with the GMC to make Guwahati city a cleaner and better place so far as disposal of garbage by public is concerned. OIL has struck an MoU with the GMC for the treatment and management of waste disposal in the city. “We have given the GMC a budget to install one thousand sets of twin litter bins in and around Guwahati. As part of this CSR initiative we are also hoping that the people of this city will be encouraged to practice better civic habits,” Mr. SK Rai, Head (L&C), Oil India Limited told G Plus. A sum of Rs. 25,00,000 was given to the GMC for the installation of litter bins in the city. According to OIL authorities, most of the funds have been used and one of the last bins to be installed in the city was in Dispur, near Supermarket. “We are aiming towards a hundred percent clean and green city and we are all in with the authorities for that. But we are also taking it one step at a time since the effects of the change cannot happen overnight,” Rai stated. Not only this, OIL has also taken an initiative to replace all plastic bins with metal ones all over the city. Bins made of sturdy quality metal don’t easily corrode and they sustain for years. Aside from just installing litterbins all over the city, OIL has also
certifying that sign-boards reading “No Smoking Area” exist in the schools, no tobacco is consumed within the premises of the school by students, staff and teachers, certifying that there is no sale of tobacco
inside the premises and within the jurisdiction of 100 yards radius of the school is going on. The reminder further directed the ISs and DEEOs to obtain the undertaking on the above three
points from each of the educational institutions falling under the jurisdictions of the respective ISs and DEEOs and submit a report to the Principal Secretary, Education’s office at the earliest. Most of the educational institutions in Assam have already fulfilled the prescribed criteria towards attaining the tobacco free status but many institutions mostly in the interior parts of the State are yet to comply with the norms set by the Education Department. The Assam Government also constituted two committees - one at the district level and one at the state level - to look after the activities of the educational institutions in respect of achieving the target of tobacco-free institution. “In a recent review meeting we have instructed all the heads of the defaulting institutions to submit
the self-declaration forms before Christmas. Many of our schools have already submitted the selfdeclarations. We hope before the year end, we will be able to send all the reports to the Principal Secretary’s office,” said NC Boro, Inspector of Schools, Kamrup. Similarly, educational institutions in the districts of Golaghat, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Kamrup (Metro), Dibrugarh, Darrang, Bongaigaon, Hailakandi and others are also in the process of compiling the selfdeclaration of reports received from the institutions which will be very soon sent to the Education Department along with District Declaration Report. Golaghat IS informs that they have, till date, more than 70% of schools in the district which have achieved tobacco-free status.
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Suspected porn racket kingpin used to target couples
Police interrogation reveals that Hemanta Das used to target wealthy couples creating rifts in their relationship thereby gaining the confidence of the female partner to exploit her later
In The News Hemanta used to target wealthy couples, get friendly with them and create a rift between the couples He used to gain the confidence of the female partner and used her to get money He later used to blackmail the women and even threaten them of dire consequences Police are still investigating the porn racket angle and the CDs and pen drive recovered from his house which have been sent to experts Hemanta used to promise roles in TV serials and films to upcoming actors to gain their confidence and later used them for his personal gain rahul chanda
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to police, it was then that the whole chaos started. After this incident, the complainant Jaya, asked for the money from Hemanta but Hemanta refused to repay the money and instead started threatening her and her family with dire consequences. According to the complaint received by the police, Hemanta and his friend Gaurav used to call Jaya threatening and blackmailing her every second day. Hemanta and Gaurav used different numbers to call Jaya and threatened and blackmailed the complainant of severe consequences. Recently, both of them went to Jaya’s residence and broke some properties in her house like TV, mobile phone, etc. and threatened her with her life, after which Jaya went and lodged a complaint with the police.
ith the arrest and interrogation of suspected porn racket kingpin Hemanta Das, many facts have come to light about the alleged blackmailer and con-man who mostly used to target rich couples to dupe them and make huge money out of their gullibility. After his arrest, police secured twoday custody of Hemanta Das, where he was grilled thoroughly to understand his modus operandi. A highly placed source in the police talked to G Plus and explained the way this con-man used to operate and use his targets for his personal gain.
Modus operandi According to police sources, Hemanta Das is a tech-savvy character who used his smart phone to take pictures and make videos. The source said that he used to target rich couples and initially get friendly with them and take pictures with them. Later he used to create a rift between the couples using the pictures, sometimes even morphing them. Once, while he was travelling with a rich couple, he was sitting in the front seat and the couple were in the back seat. Using his smart phone, he took a selfie where he captured the female partner with him. Later, he morphed the picture in a way that it looked like the female and Hemanta were unduly close to each other and he forwarded the picture to the male partner. The male partner was irked with his wife and Hemanta took advantage of the situation. He became closer to the female partner and then started taking money from her. This was just one example. Similarly, Hemanta used to target many such couples - especially wealthy ones. Hemanta used to tell people that he is a TV serial and regional film producer and with the same pretext, met Narayan Seal, a well-known film maker and a local TV serial producer and his wife Jaya
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The police ambush
Hemanta Das, the alleged kingpin.
Doley Seal who is the complainant. They met in June 2015 and Hemanta asked Jaya if she can act for an upcoming serial of his on regional TV. That is how Narayan and Jaya became quite friendly with Hemanta, and as Hemanta said that his production will start in October, the couple in-
vited him to work with them. He became close to the couple and came up with an excuse asking them for some money which he promised he would return in the month of October. Hemanta provided a post-dated cheque of Rs. 3,70,000 but the check was dishonoured by the bank. According
Even when the police arrested Hemanta and his close associate Gaurav Bezbaruah, he was acting very smart trying to prove the cops to be kidnappers. After tracking him for many days, police discovered that Hemanta was a crook who kept changing his address. Police tracked all his numbers with which he used
In a last minute catch-up with a close family member of the complainant, Joya Doley Seal, it has been reliably learnt that Hemanta originally hails from Andhra Pradesh. A few months ago, he was introduced to Joya’s family by one Rittika Hazarika, a resident of Suruj Nagar near Modern School, Odalbakhra, who in turn had got Joya’s number from renowned film-maker, Brajen Bora. According to the family member, Hemanta was adept at influencing women by taking the guise of a film maker and promising good roles. His main intention in all his activities was to put such gullible women in a position where they could be blackmailed into shelling out money to him. In the process, he has tried his stunts with various women including a few top actresses of the Assamese film industry. Joya fervently hopes that the law will help her in recovering her money from Hemanta.
to threaten Jaya and finally they got the information that he was staying in an apartment near Lokhara. Police laid an ambush and went to the apartment in civil dress and waited for his arrival. As soon as Hemanta reached the apartment in a car, the police swooped down on him. Hemanta started yelling that he was being kidnapped thereby creating a ruckus. Several residents of the apartment came down and despite the assurances given by the police, Hemanta continued to pretend that he was being kidnapped. Finally the police team had to show their identity cards to the local residents and arrest him. Police later found that even the car (a Hyundai i10), which he was using, was acquired by cheating a beauty parlour owner. He had gone to the beauty parlour saying that he was a film producer and he would give the parlour a huge assignment of artist make-up which would help them earn a lot of money. He told them that at least ten actors would visit the parlour every day for make-up. He then saw an unused vehicle there, and he said that he took many cars on rent every day for production purposes. He asked them to give him the car and told them that he would pay the charge together with the bill for make-up and took the car away. Similarly, police sources narrated many stories of the con-man. The raid in his house helped the police recover some CDs and a pen drive which had many pornographic videos. Police sources said that the pen drive was locked and hence it had been sent to experts and they were hopeful that this would verify the suspected porn racket. But the source said that in his phone there were a lot of photographs of his with many females and also videos with which he used to blackmail the women. Fact remains that a major con man is behind bars today. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Governance
Bipasa Saikia Kashyap
Liquor laws made more stringent in the city
File photo of a city bar
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ollowing the recent incident in the city where a young woman was publicly assaulted outside Crystal, a bar in Zoo Road, there was a meeting of the excise department and the district administration in the Vivekananda Kendra, Uzanbazar, on the 23rd December, 2015. The meeting was attended by officials from various departments of the administration including Amitava Sinha, DCP (Central), Swapnanil Deka, DCP Crime, M. Angamutthu, DC Kamrup(M), Mukesh Agrawal, Commissioner of Police among others along with all the restaurant, bar and pub owners of Guwahati. The meeting was conducted by the District Administration to condemn the heinous act of moral policing that happened in the recent incident of assault. Last week a young girl who was in an inebriated state was dragged and manhandled by a mob of local people. In an explicit case of moral policing, the locals dragged the inebriated girl and tried to take photographs of her and her friend. This is not the first time an incident like this has happened. The Excise Department and the District Administration called for this meet to enforce stringent laws in the city when it comes to the sale, consumption and distribution of liquor. However, the entire purpose of this meet, as put by Deputy Commissioner, M. Angamuthu, was to stress that the city’s conduct of its business activities has become a hindrance to its development. “Guwahati is getting a bad name all
Re arrangement of Excise Duty laws: All bars and pubs have to stop serving after 10pm All bars and pubs have to be shut before 12:20 and any bar or pub who wants to continue doing business past 12:30 will have to have special permission Any bar or pub that wants to continue celebrations and serving alcohol past 10 pm will have to have special permission and an NOC certificate by the DA Until and unless it is categorically mentioned in the permission that consumption of liquor is allowed in this particular bar past 10 and is subjected to an NOC, serving of alcohol cannot go beyond 10 With festivities around the corner, special regulations have to be adhered to by all bars, restaurants and pub owners giving security the utmost importance Regular checks and surprise visits are going to be made that are going to look at the overall maintenance by the particular place that includes cleanliness, hygiene and even basic health rules
over and everything is being affected because of how our people are choosing to behave.” Pointing out to the recent incident and all the incidents where young women in the city have been targeted for moral policing, the DA has made permits
mandatory for all bars and pubs in the city. The DC also mentioned that if the laws are disobeyed, the authorities are going to suspend not only the license of the bar, but also the trade license of the person concerned.
Adding to that, Mukesh Agrawal, Commissioner of Police, stated that the authorities are going to be ruthless when it came to dealing with liquor laws in Guwahati. The meet was mostly attended by bar and pub owners of Kamrup. Issuing a chilling warning, Agrawal said that regarding the Crystal Bar incident, while the manager of the bar was held guilty, it might well be the owners the next time. “Bar and pub owners cannot shrug off responsibility by saying that the bar was left in the hands of the manager or an acting authority. If you own a bar, you have to tend to the rules pertaining to liquor laws and there will be no excuse for anyone.” It has been made mandatory that each and every pub in Guwahati has to have a prior license approved by the DA. This license will regulate the consumption, distribution and facilitation of alcohol. If under any circumstances the concerned bar or pub wants to continue celebrations past 10 o’ clock, they will have to take prior permission and an NOC from the District Administration. Agrawal also said that the police are going to be extra strict when it comes to implementing these rules as the New Year is approaching and with festivities like Christmas and Magh Bihu round the corner celebrations are, at times, bound to get out of hand and “we have to protect the izzat of Assam.” The purpose of the entire meeting was to make a difference of the growing intolerance in the city towards women in bars and pubs.
Sale of alcohol after 10 pm banned Bars and pubs needs special permission to be open after 12:30 District Administration and GMC going to be “ruthless” with sale, distribution and consumption of alcohol in Kamrup (M) Anyone in protest of these laws will be removed of both bar and trade license
Even the DC felt that Guwahati is earning a bad name in the national scenario all the wrong reasons. Since the follow up of the infamous incident of 2012 where a young woman was brutally molested by group of people while she was leaving a bar in an inebriated condition, there has been a shocking increase in the number of such crimes. In such a scenario, is fiddling with the time deadlines just about enough? To prevent from such instances happening in the city and from women being subjected to such atrocities, are deadlines just about enough? bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
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Concern
Roadside urination a big concern for the city
Lack of public toilets is a cause of concern for the city with people urinating on the roadsides especially when Guwahati has been selected for development as a smart city Juthika Baruah
Roadside urination has become a concern for the people especially in localities in the heart of the city like Paltan Bazaar and Kumarpara Lack of public toilets has compounded the practice of urination in public New public places sought to be allotted for construction of public toilets in Ward No. 8
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uwahati has been selected for development as a smart city but how conscious are the people in general in continuing their practice of roadside urination or the government offices in particular which cannot maintain the desired cleanliness throwing up embarrassing pictures of a society that seems to remain insensitive. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has set up public toilets in some places but these just don’t seem to be enough. The Paltan Bazaar area, which is the heart of the city, is so dirty that it often renders pedestrians with the shameful predicament of walking on footpaths laden with urine; the stench from the same is an
added discomfort. “It is so shameful that people are seen urinating by the roadside where a school is also located. The bus stoppage is there and so is the school but people just do not care. Also it stinks so much that passers-by just can’t breathe. The school children pass every now and then in that polluted environment,” said one of the commuters, Rita Bhowmick, while speaking to G Plus. Bhowmick alleged that the concerned department didn’t take any steps to stop such practices of the people and the citizens remain least bothered. “If the government officials would have taken steps like setting up of public toilets in the city and could have maintained it well then such
problem would not have arisen. The city is set to be declared to as a smart city but if things continue this way what kind of smart city Guwahati will become is the big question,” Bhowmick said. Talking to G Plus, Collector of GMC Udayaditya Gogoi said, “The public toilets which are set up in the city are doing well. The pay and use toilet concept has been accepted by the people although there are a section of people who still have to understand the concept and creating awareness among them is necessary. The e-toilet in Maligaon, the pay and use toilet in Machkhowa, Fancy Bazaar are good enough as people use the toilets and even the foreign tourists have appreci-
ated the initiative taken up by the department. The responsibility of maintaining the toilets is taken by private companies and these have been maintained well.” The same is the problem with Ward No. 8 where a section of people alleged that most of the people are seen answering nature’s call by the roadside in the residential areas. In the second phase of Ward Talks at Ward No. 8, one of the residents said that people urinate on the footpath even in the presence of female passers-by. “The GMC should take immediate steps to stop such habit of people. The concerned department should construct public toilets and should use the system of penalty so that people do not
repeat the thing,” asserted the resident. Lack of public toilet is a familiar problem to the city and the same is a concern for the people of the area as well. Councillor of Ward No 8., Sunita Bhilwariya, mentioned that the problem can only be solved with the cooperation of public. “If the people of the area can provide a location for the construction a public toilet, the same will be addressed as soon as possible,” the councilor stated. The GMC Collector also assured that if there is any government land available, the area will be allocated for public toilets. Meanwhile, during the discussion, some of the conscious citizens of the area have suggested three locations for the construction of public toilets in the area. Kumarpara Pachali, which is one of the busiest parts of the area, is in dire need of a public toilet. Thus a location has been suggested by the locals where a public toilet can be constructed. Another location was suggested under the Athgaon flyover by Promod Harlalka, President, Athgaon Development Committee. Meanwhile, the Collector also mentioned that public toilets are also under construction in Khanapara and one toilet in Ganeshguri has also been inaugurated. It has also been seen that in the Reserve Bank-Lakhtokia area leaflets proclaiming penalty of Rs. 300 have been pasted on the walls over the footpath where people used to regularly urinate. Such a step can also be taken for the entire city. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in
Food Security Act to be implemented in Assam Bipasa Saikia Kashyap
According to the Food Security Act: A total of 2.40 crore people will be benefited from the scheme The Act will cover both BPL and APL families 84% of the rural population and 60% of the urban population will get rice at a subsidized rate One eligible person will be entitled to receive 5 kgs of rice per month at subsidized prices of Rs. 3 per kg The Food Security Act is working to raise nutrition levels and reduce food shortage among a vast population in Assam
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he Food Security Act was launched in Assam on 24th December, 2015 by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. On the occasion he also stated that the State Government is working on more and more incentives to be offered to the beneficiaries of these acts and hopefully these too will be implemented soon. Tarun Gogoi launched the distribution of
food grains under National Food Security Act 2013, at an event at Garoimari in Kamrup to target the conditions of health and nutrition all over the State. “From 24th December, the Food Security Act will be implemented in Assam. From this scheme around 2.4 crore people will be benefited by receiving subsidized rice,” Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi stated. Taking a dig at
the Centre, he also stated that apparently the State government wanted to implement the Act from July last year. But the new government at the Centre introduced a mandatory clause of computerizing all the data which slowed the entire process. “This again proves that the central government is anti- poor and they are only for the rich people,” Gogoi said. Gaurav Gogoi, MP and Director Founder of Farm2Food Foundation, an organization that supports young agriculturists through training, market promotion and policy advocacy, stated that this is an important step taken for food and nutrition for poor in Assam given the rising cost of dal and vegetables. On the occasion, State Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Dr. Nazrul Islam, his Parliamentary Secretary, Bidya Singh Engleng and Parliamentary Secretary (Education), Rekibuddin Ahmed among other known figures were present. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
City
Kalyan deb
Railway to initiate series of evictions on encroached lands An eviction was carried out on Monday, 21st December at Railway Gate No. 10 in the Santipur area Those evicted alleged that no notice was served to them prior to the eviction; Railway official dismissed the same
Plantation and fencing to be placed in evicted areas in order to avoid re-settlement
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n a move to vacate illegally acquired railway land, the NFR (Northeast Frontier Railway) has launched a series of evictions around the city. The process will be carried out on all encroached lands that belong to the Railway department which will take measures to avoid re-settlement of encroachers in such areas. In a similar move that was carried out recently on 21st December last at Railway Gate No. 10 in the Santipur area, several households that were settled on the railway land were destroyed. However, those settled in the area alleged that the railway officials were partial while carrying out the eviction and had only evicted the eastern side of the land while the western part was left untouched. Those residing in the area also alleged that no prior notice was served before carrying out the drive. It can be noted that this was the third eviction carried out in the area in the past two years and those evicted have been living in the area for decades. “The railway officials came at around 12 noon when most of us were out on work. They were aware of the fact that during that particular time most people will not be home. The sudden drive did not give us a chance to vacate our homes and thus caused great loss of property. Moreover, only our part
of the land was evicted whereas no steps were taken on those who had encroached on the western part of the land,” a local who was evicted informed G Plus. “Besides, no prior notice was served before evicting the area. If the department deliberately takes such steps that threaten our very existence where will we go asking for help? We are neither economically stable nor do we have any other place to go. Several houses were demolished and property was destroyed during the process,” the evictee stated. They had also urged
the department to provide an alternative location to stay or they would have to spend the nights on streets. However, officials of NFR dismissed the evictees’ statement that no prior notice was served and rather stated that any kind of tension during such process is conventional. “Any kind of encroachment is not acceptable on railway land. However, people have already encroached on several areas in the city and the railway has to evict such encroachment and in the mean time we have issued notice to all the evicted areas prior to taking any
such step. We are initiating a drive where all the encroached places will be evicted within a short period of time,” said a Railway official. The official also stated that Railways is held responsible if any kind of mishap takes place in such areas and in order to avoid any such occurrences such areas near the railway tracks will have to be evicted. Apparently, after the very next day that the eviction was carried out in the Santipur area, people were seen re-settling and had already started fixing their damaged homes. On being asked by G Plus of a more permanent solution to avoid further encroachment railway officials informed that the evicted areas will be fenced and plantations will be carried out in such areas. “To begin with, we will fence the Santipur Gate No. 10 within a short time and 100 trees will be planted in the area in order to avoid any kind of further encroachment,” the official informed. Although, eviction is always an ugly occurrence, in order to maintain regulations, such processes are necessary. However, the ones who are affected by such processes are only the people of the poorer section of the society who can barely earn their daily livelihood and if thrown out of their homes, the streets will be the only destination left for them.
It was also alleged that the eviction team visited at around 12 noon when all the people were out on work and thus household properties of many were damaged during the eviction process Those evicted urged that they be provided with an alternative residing place prior to an eviction being carried out Railway officials stated that such kind of tension is conventional and informed that a series of evictions will be carried out on all encroached areas in the near future The Santipur Gate No. 10 area that was recently evicted will be fenced and 100 trees will be planted in the area to avoid further re-settlement kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Night city-bus service fails to meet the expectations of commuters The night city-bus service which was started in the month of October has failed to provide the service to the public and according to government officials the service is not much of a necessity as Guwahatians sleep early
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he night city-bus service which was started in October has not come up with effective results as the response from the public is not up to the expectations for which the service has to be stopped after a stipulated time. Speaking to G Plus, Managing Director of Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC), Ratul Baruah said, “The service has to be minimized as the public response is very less. Although Guwahati is slated as the metro of the State, people here sleep so early. In other cities people work till late in the night but here the roads are clear by 7-8 pm. Initially we started with 20 night buses. These have been reduced to 8 as the buses have to run without passengers leading to losses. The night buses run till 12 am but as we do not get passengers we have to stop the service by 7-8 pm as we cannot run the buses at a loss.” Baruah added, “It is very easy to say that buses should run even if the
The authority should not work for profit. Rather it should provide service to the public for safety and security. The night bus has also been started for the convenience of the public rather than to think of the profit and the project should be made successful. At the initial stage projects are started with enthusiasm but after a certain point of time it fails as the response from the public is less and also the concerned authority is also responsible for the failure,” as informed by an official source. Deputy Commissioner kamrup metra response is not good. But it is only from the revenue that we pay the employees and meet the other expenses like buying spares, oil and repairing works that need to be done and without profits we cannot meet these expenses. During the summer we get passengers till 9 pm but in winter we do not even get a single passenger after 7-8 pm.” The MD said that the people here are not aware of the services and the people do not come out of their homes in the evening during
the winter season. “Most of the people use private vehicles. We want to give the best services to the people but if the people do not want to accept the service we are helpless. In other states and cities people opt for public transport but here people use private vehicles for which the traffic flow is also increasing day by day,” said Baruah. Meanwhile, commenting on the other ASTC bus services in the city, Baruah said that the buses are safe for ladies and comfortable as well.
They also have CCTVs, panic buttons and a GPS system installed so that people can complain in case of any emergency. He said that people don’t want to travel in AC buses in the winter although the temperature can be adjusted. People do not understand the concept due to which such projects do not last long. Talking to G Plus, an official of DTO said, “We try to give moral support and once the service is started it necessarily has to be successful. The Deputy Commissioner of Kam-
City The night city-bus service has failed to come up with the desired results due to lack of late-night commuters The service which started with 20 buses has been reduced to 8 buses According to officials of ASTC the response from the public is not good for which the service has to be compromised
Juthika Baruah rup (M) has also instructed that the bus service should be continued although the passengers are less. As there are some people who work till late night they should be able to avail the service. And if the public do not get the service they should complain to the Secretary as he is the authority who would report if the buses are providing services or not.” The DC also said that “the authority should not work for profit. Rather it should provide service to the public for safety and security. The night bus has also been started for the convenience of the public rather than to think of the profit and the project should be made successful. At the initial stage projects are started with enthusiasm but after a certain point of time it fails as the response from the public is less and also the concerned authority is also responsible for the failure,” as informed by an official source. Another commuter Ranjan Das said, “The night bus service would have been helpful for people like us who travel in public transport and as I work in a private firm I have to stay late into the night in the office and it becomes difficult to go back home. We cannot hire an auto as they charge very high rates and when the night service was launched I felt it would be beneficial for people like us. But now it is seen that the night buses are not available after 7 pm.” A scheme of JNNURM has been launched under the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India and under the scheme 330 buses have been sanctioned for the city in which the Central Government’s assistance is 90% and 10% comes from the State Government fund. We received the first instalment of Rs. 54.99 crores from the Central Government and Rs. 6.11 crores from state government. But it seems that the huge amount sanctioned for the project went into a heavy loss. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
In Conversation
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stablished in 2011, Cotton College State University (CCSU) has 27 sanctioned departments out of which 26 have already been established with over 50 regular teachers and approximately 1300 students. The Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Dhruba J Saikia exclusively talks to G Plus and expresses how he wishes to see the University develop and cater to the society.
Could you tell us about your education and the experiences you have had before becoming the VC of Cotton College State University? I was born in Jorhat but I grew up in Shillong. My parents worked in Shillong, my father taught in St Anthony’s College and my mother taught in Sankardev College. I studied in St Edmund’s and all my schooling was done there. After completing my school education, I did my undergraduate and post graduate studies from Delhi University. After finishing my post graduation I had got a position at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research which has its headquarters in Mumbai. TIFR has various Centres and I worked at the Radio Astronomy Centre in Ooty for a couple of years before going to Bangalore to work at the TIFR Centre in the IISc campus. After this, I went abroad for several years to work at the Jodrell Bank Observatory of the University of Manchester, UK. I worked there for about three and half years and then I came back to the Pune campus of TIFR, which was just being established. Meanwhile our group had started this new centre, called the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, whose prime objective at that point was to build a very big radio telescope, which was the vision of Prof Govind Swarup. He was also my PhD supervisor with whom I worked for many years. Our group built the telescope which is operating now and is known as the Giant metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) which is one of the most powerful radio telescope across the world operating at low radio frequencies and is being used by astronomers across the globe. Except for sabbatical periods spent at CSIRO and UWA, Australia and a year at Queen’s University, Kingston in Canada, and short visits for academic work, I’ve spent most of my time at Pune after from coming back from Manchester. Then I came here in 2012 on deputation from TIFR to take up this position of Vice Chancellorship of Cotton College State University (CCSU). I am still on deputation from my parent institute.
So you were in various assignments and as now you are the vice chancellor, what do you think is the exact role of a VC? VC is to provide academic and administrative leadership to an educational institute, specifically to a university to try and build it up academically as well as have very good practices of a modern educational institution. I also believe that VCs have to be academically active
VCs have to be academically active rahul chanda
Prof. Dhruba J Saikia, Vice Chancellor, CCSU
and not be mere administrators. Unfortunately in our system VCs hardly teach or undertake serious academic work. So, I think we should get away from that and get into a mode where VCs are serious and active academics.
a student at a particular level is expected to know, you can put him as excellent. Sometimes 70% could be excellent and sometimes 90% could be excellent. It is a ten point system and marks really won’t matter very much because ultimately you get a grade point and depending on the credits of the course it gets weighted accordingly and the grade point average is calculated.
Do you teach these days? I teach a little bit because right now the university is starting from scratch, so I don’t get much time. However, this semester I taught a course called ‘History: a bigger picture’ which gave students a glimpse of the history of Universe, a history which is not just confined to kings and kingdoms, but the way the Universe evolved, a history of how life may have originated, and the way our planets formed.
As you became the VC in 2012, there were a lot of controversies, so what are the main challenges you faced? I think setting up a new university is anyway a challenge because the kinds of courses, the pedagogic and evaluation processes, and research goals and objectives all need detailed discussion and debate. The processes all need to evolve with time, to make it more effective for the children. If you look at our whole education system, the way we run our system of schools and colleges, a lot of it originated in the industrial revolution era several 100 years ago, with specific objectives. Today you need to actually have a lot of space for creative thinking and you need to encourage self learning techniques, you need to encourage the students to use modern tools available. The world has changed and we have to expose our students to the frontiers of knowledge, build up confidence in them, encourage them so that they really become not only leaders of the nation but leaders internationally as well in the fields that they choose to pursue. Putting new norms in place, new rules and regulations take a bit of time. So all these aspects are interesting as well as a challenge. Any change you wish to bring about is always a challenge.
Is it that after setting up of CCSU, Cotton College is no more under Gauhati University? We have to go by whatever policies the Government makes because it is a Government created and supported university. Today Cotton College is a constituent college of CCSU.
So as a new university how will CCSU be different from Gauhati University? What difference will it make to the
There was a controversy of property tussle between Cotton College and the university, is it resolved?
students?
be done.
The variety of disciplines and the opportunities which we can give to our students, is what we have to pay particular attention to. Not only the students but also the faculty. I don’t want to compare with any particular university but the amount of research output from most of our universities is very small. Today I think we have to be conscious of that, and try and encourage and facilitate front ranking research, and build up infrastructure to that end so that you really are working at the frontiers of knowledge, and contributing to society in many different ways. We are having a variety of programmes to try to expose our students to some of the leading academicians of the world and also the leading academics of the country, and also to fields which are less explored here in the northeast. In last two years we have been having summer schoosl in astronomy and astrophysics. Astronomy and astrophysics is one of the thrust areas of the country where lot of major facilities are coming up or have come up. Today with the summer schools which are happening some of the students have gone out and worked in many premier places during the summer and winter periods. We had a seminar recently on the frontiers of archaeology in the northeast because although the departments of archaeology have existed, the opportunity of work is immense and there is very little that has been done; so, a new department of Archaeology has been established in the university. We have been trying to develop linkages of our students with faculty and academics outside; it’s only through these networks that you get to know what is happening and also develop linkages so that tomorrow you may work together on problems and issues of common interest. There is a lot that we are doing but clearly a lot more needs to
All the universities have the similar format of curriculum, will CCSY set something different or it will also be the same? Curriculum is something which is not a static thing particularly because we are one university, one college. It is something which can evolve with time with inputs from other experts both locally and outside because nowadays we are using email or video conferencing frequently and we have tried to redesign our syllabuses both at undergraduate and post graduate levels. All our courses are broken up into lectures, tutorials and practical components so that even in humanities courses there is a practical component which could be doing some field work or in literature it could be studying something which is connected to what you are studying in your class or doing a small project on what you are studying by doing a literature survey, group discussion, etc.. So all these are structurally built into the curriculum.
Some of the Gauhati University students say that because they get very less marks it is tough for them to get into other institutes outside even if they pass the eligibility test, how is the marking system of CCSU? What UGC had recommended and what we have even started up before the UGC guidelines came out was a modern grading system. So the actual marks you score do not matter because what you do is you look at the distribution of marks, you try to understand at what level they know what they are suppose to know. So somebody who is extremely proficient and knows well what
That is for the government to settle or resolve because Cotton College is a Government college, the university is an autonomous institution supported by the Government of Assam. So as far as land and buildings are concerned, these are all public property and policies have to be set by the Government.
Will there be reservations for Cotton College students in the university? Gauhati University if you notice has several 100 colleges, and they have seats reserved for students from all these affiliated colleges. We will also have some seats set apart but how much exactly is for the executive council to take a final decision. But actually if you look at the number of Cotton College students at CCSU, a significant number get seats even without any reservation or quota.
There is a lot of politics in universities, as a VC how do you tackle teachers and students politics here? I would focus on academics and encourage each person individually as well as collectively to do good and I will not take sides with any group or any individual or political outfit. My entire focus is on teaching, research and academics.
You don’t face any political pressure as a VC? My focus is always on doing the best for my institution and that is what I will work on.
Tell us something about your hobbies and your family? I like gardening, I do reading, I do some amount of photography, I love nature-related activities and I like to cook. My wife works in IIT Mumbai, she is a Professor of sociology and anthropology. My children are in different places. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
11
Ward Watch
WARD NO
26
Concentrated area: Janakpur Path, Kahilipara Ward number: 26 Sub-division: 26 (c) Councillor: Manjula Kakoti Phone number: 8011149307 Area sabha member: Sureha Begum Phone number: 9864841300 Concerns: Poor road condition and lack of proper drainage
Locals express grave concern over deplorable condition of Janakpur Path G
uwahati moves on to be a Smart City soon but the problems of poor road condition, drainage system, water supply and flood are some of the serious concerns that remain to be addressed in its various localities. Prior to making Guwahati a Smart City, these are the foremost problems that need to be addressed. Several areas still remain in sub-standard state, people continue to live devoid of the few basic necessities and have been suffering year after year as the tax payers’ voice remains unheard. Janakpur Path in Kahilipara is one among several such areas that suffer from similar problems. Poor road condition and lack of proper drainage are the biggest concerns of the people of the area. Located adjacent to Kahilipara Road, Janakpur Path is situated near the office of the Director of Public Instruction, more commonly known as DPI, and has been in a deplorable condition for the past several years. For one passing through Kahilipara, the condition of Janakpur path might not catch one’s attention but a stroll down the area presents a drastic picture. The bumpy road condition and poor drainage system which is filled with filth certainly makes one have second thoughts of Guwahati ever becoming a Smart City in the near future. “The road has been in this condition for the past four to five years and no initiative has been taken so far for the construction of the road. The condition of the road is such that it
is not just difficult for vehicles to ply on the road but is also pedestrian’s nightmare. The sharp edges of the boulders that jut out of the surface make it difficult for all,” said Nilima Das, a resident of Janakpur Path. Apparently, the problem started after boulder stones were placed in order to repair and up-grade the road condition. However, the construction was left incomplete and has resulted in the present perilous condition of the road. “It was after a local body of the area approached the concerned department that the boulder stones were placed on the road after which no rollers were plied in order to make the road even. As a result, the soil had
worn off and the sharp edges of the stones were left sticking out over the entire stretch of the road. After several approaches had been made by the local body of the area, news came of a certain amount being sanctioned but nothing practical has materialized till date,” asserted Vishal Kumar, a local resident. “The improper drainage system has also led to the deplorable condition of the area. Water rushes down the Narakasur Hill and gets logged on the streets for several hours. There are parts of the area that face conditions similar to Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar and have remained overlooked,” Kumar added. Janakpur is a connecting area to
KALYAN DEB
Councillor’s say Talking to G Plus Councillor Manjula Kakoti echoed similar opinion on the condition of the area. The councillor stated that there are several parts in the Kahilipara area that suffer similar problems as Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar and needs to undergo major development. “Currently a project of installing street lights in the Kahilipara area is in process through which five numbers of street lights will be installed in the Janakpur Path,” the councillor informed. Meanwhile, the councillor also informed that the Janakpur Path has been listed for the FDR (Flood Disaster Restoration) fund and an amount of 20 lakh has been sanctioned for the area. “With the sanctioned amount the road in the area will be constructed, since the fund is not sufficient for constructing the drainage system as well, a kuccha drain will be constructed in the area up to Janakpur Chariali and is expected to be completed prior to the monsoons,” Kakoti stated. She also said that parts of the area have been sanctioned funds from various sources such as MLA fund and the road connecting Janakpur with Forensic is undergoing development with a fund of Rs. 1crore 15 lakhs. The councillor also mentioned that efforts are being made for sooner development of the area and the entire area is expected to be developed prior to the elections. several other localities. Parts of the road connect to the Forensic Laboratory in Kahilipara while other sublanes connect to Ganeshguri and Hatigaon as well. There are also several other lanes connected to the area such as Ajita Path and Mathura Path. Locals also stated that the cause of the deplorable condition of the area is also due to the apathetic attitude of some of the locals. “Many among the residents of the area are least concerned about the upkeep of the area. There are tenants in several residences who are not concerned about the cleanliness of the area. Some dump garbage on the drains itself and on several occasions I have seen plastic
bags full of garbage dumped by the road side which remain unattended and end up in the drains. Due to the same it causes blockage of the system and causes the water to overflow during rainfall,” Nilima Das informed. People have expressed concern over the upcoming monsoons and the trouble it causes due to the condition of the road. Many asserted that prior to construction of the road the drainage system needs to be improved or any effort made by the locals to improve the condition will go in vain. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
12
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Environment
Save the
Phantom
KALYAN DEB
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high incidence of leopards straying into Guwahati’s residential areas in search of prey or driven by space constraint has emerged as a disturbing phenomenon. In the recent past, a leopard was spotted at the head office of NF Railways at Maligaon which created panic among the office-goers. It is suspected that the animal had strayed into the area from the nearby hills. The leopard was tranquilized after several attempts. Meanwhile, witnesses stated that the leopard attacked a few persons even as the panic-stricken people tried to scare it away by throwing stones at it. The leopard had injured three persons and also sustained minor injuries itself in the process. With seven reserved forests and two wildlife sanctuaries, Guwahati has a high presence of wildlife for an urban area. Once a stronghold of the spotted big cat, Guwahati is no longer a safe zone for the animal. While there have been cases of leopards attacking people, actually it is leopards that have borne the brunt of the increasing man-animal conflict in the city. Areas such as Nilachal hills, Maligaon, Pandu, Sundarbari, etc. are most prone to such encounters. Three incidents of leopard sightings in different human settlements of Guwahati have been recorded this year so far. However, this number is nowhere close when it comes to outskirts of the city. While only three incidents of sightings has alarmed Guwahatians, leopard sighting is a regular occurrence in areas such Chandrapur.
The cause of leopard sightings Not in the very distant past the green belts of Guwahati city covering hills and plains were considered to be among the safest places and corridors for the big cats, which traditionally prefer to live near human habitations. Ten notified Reserve Forests in and around the city viz. South Kalapahar (70 hectares), Fatasil (670 hectares), Jalukbari (97.70 hectares), Gotanagar (175 hectares), Hengerabari (628 hectares), Sarania (7.99 hectares), Garhbhanga (18,860.58 hectares), Rani (4,370 hectares) Amsang (7,864 hectares) and Deepor Beel used to support plenty of space for flourishing of floral and faunal diversity. With the growth of the city, large parts of these notified reserve forest cover have been encroached by people migrating to the city for livelihood. While no official data is available, illegal logging and cutting down of the hills in the name of encroachment, an estimate of 13.60% which dates back to several years, has fallen in a bigger scale. Of the 7,023 hectares of hill land, 2,642 hectares fall under reserve forests of which
A project - Human-Leopard Conflict Mitigation through Community Participation in Guwahati Metro is being implemented by the Zoology Department of Gauhati University with the aim to sensitise local communities as well as all the stakeholders by organising awareness camps around the city concentrated towards spreading awareness about human-leopard conflicts.
a major part lies destroyed and degraded due to encroachment. Known for their unique camouflaging ability inside jungles, leopards have become frequently visible in these pockets mostly when sub-adults get separated from their mothers and search for new territories of their own along the corridors, or when adult females with cubs visit nearby human habitations for easy prey.
Panic on leopard sightings Though there is no official upto-date data available regarding the number of casualties from man-animal conflicts, cases of such conflicts come up very often. However, it’s the leopards, traditionally living in and around Guwahati city, that are now afraid to let out their territorial roar. The habitats of this big cat species are no longer their own, but have been usurped by humans. The leopards in the city are trying their best to avoid a situation of conflict and co-exist peacefully with the residents of a city that has been growing in the most unplanned and haphazard manner. Unfortunately, panic among city residents at the mere sight of a leopard, mostly triggered by wrong perception and wrong media projection of this peace-loving animal as a ferocious beast, is posing a grave threat to
its existence and coming in the way of a happy co-existence.
Awareness programs Wildlife experts have already pressed the alarm bell saying it is high time to draw up an immediate and strategic plan of action. While people in the city panic at leopard sightings the picture is completely different in the outskirts. Earlier this year the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) announced its collaboration with the Assam forest department to come up with a project to mitigate leopard-man conflict in and around Guwahati. The project - HumanLeopard Conflict Mitigation through Community Participation in Guwahati Metro – with the slogan ‘Save the Phantom’ is being implemented by the zoology department of Gauhati University and is being carried out by Anjan Sanhma and Mridul Bora, Scholars, Gauhati University and project advisor, Professor Prasanta Kumar Saikia. The project aims to sensitise local communities as well as all the stakeholders for better management of the conflict and also has been organising awareness camps around the city concentrated towards spreading awareness about the dos and don’ts during any such encounter. “We have carried out several
camps and interaction sessions in and around the city and have received diverse responses from the people of the city and those in the fringe areas. While people in the city get panic-stricken, those in fringe areas are well aware that leopards are not man-eaters and rather come looking for their livestock,” Mridul said. “The incidents of human leopard conflicts that take place in the city are nowhere comparable to those in fringe areas. Leopard sighting is a regular occurrence in fringe areas. During our interaction sessions we have come across people who have lost over 35 livestock in such encounters and rather look for revenge as loss of livestock hampers their livelihood,” Mridul added.
Mob control Mob control in incidents of human-leopard encounter is a major hurdle. People crowd around the cages in which the leopards are trapped and often shout in excitement causing severe psychological trauma to the trapped animal. This is of particular concern to nature lovers and animal rights activists. In the clamour following its capture, the horrified and nervous animal starts to hit the iron rods of the cage in fear, which causes serious injury to the brain, and eventually leads to the death of the animal
inside the zoo. While citizens create a shrill ruckus whenever a leopard is sighted, there has not been a single incident of leopards attacking a human being. They only hunt the stray dogs or unattended goats as prey. On just a single occasion in November last year, when a leopard was trapped in a cage in Gauhati University near Jalukbari Reserve Forest, the horrified animal attacked a forest official as the latter came very close to it. However, it was not a fatal incident. Leopards are territorial animals, live in contiguous habitat and need sufficient space. Although they prefer to live near human habitations, they do not disturb human life, and take away animals very rarely - only when there is an acute dearth of prey. Mridul Bora is of the opinion that an effective awareness drive for citizens would help improve the situation and make the city wildlife friendly. However, unless people are aware of the fact that leopards are not man-eaters the future of the big cat remains uncertain. Bora also elaborated on the incident that recently took place in the Head office of NF Railway, Maligaon. “The news spread immediately, creating panic and clamour among the locals. Since, I was present at the location of the incident I could see that it was getting more difficult to control the mob than tranquilising the leopard. People gathered around the cage in order to take photos. Forest officials had to take help of railway police to control the crowd,” recalls Bora. Many of those animals trapped and rehabilitated in the zoo eventually die of “traumatic injury.” Bora insists on protecting these corridors at any cost by making sufficient arrangements to avoid such unfortunate events. Far from having safeguards in place, the forest and environment department is yet to come out with a systematic survey to figure out the actual size and population of big cats and other wildlife species in the vicinity of the capital city. The department, however, is planning to carry out an extensive survey using camera traps. Meanwhile, a steering group has been formed for carrying out a ‘sign survey’ to know more about leopard concentration from basic indications. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
13
Sports
Despite some promising talents, future of Assam tennis remain uncertain
Kalyan deb
I
ndia is known to have produced players such as Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupati, Rohan Bopanna, Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza whose skills have been seen on the world stage. It is only Devvarman who traces his roots to Guwahati and who has made it to the Davis Cup team becoming the only player from Assam to have done so in more than three decades. Bidyut Goswami had represented India from 1973 to 1975. Other than that no player from the state has been able to make a mark on the international stage so far. However, the state has been able to produce several national champions in the past. Starting from the 60s till the 90s, the state has seen several tennis playing talents, but none who have been able to make a mark on the international scenario so far.
History of AATA and tennis in Assam The All Assam Tennis Association (AATA) was formed in the year 1962. While there were very few tennis enthusiasts in Assam, Hiranya Bhuyan along with a handful of like-minded people had formed the association. Bhuyan was also the first president of the association. Back in those days there was only one tennis tournament held in the state but with the development of the sport in Assam the state now organises ten ranking tournaments. After AATA came into being, the state has been able to produce several national champions. Bidyut Goswami who was the national champion in 1966-67 went on to represent India in the Tehran Asiad in 1974 and claimed the national singles championship again in 1979. Susan Das Chaudhuri again was the women’s national champion in 197172. As the sport kept developing Assam produced players who made their mark in the national scenario. Anirban Baruah, Rohan Saikia, Sukanya Choudhury, Anup Lahoti, Prasanta Das and Angshuman Dutta are among the luminaries to name a few.
Priyana Kalita
From a glorious past where players had represented the nation, the future of Assam tennis remains in the hands of the parents of the young tennis players focusing on conducting world-ranking tournaments in the AATA Tennis Complex in Chachal since it provides the home ground advantage to the local players and also reduces the cost of travelling abroad,” said Ankush Dutta, Secretary, AATA. Assam tennis got a boost in the same year when the International Tennis Federation (ITF) had granted the Chachal Tennis Complex a permanent Grade-V tournament venue status. The All Assam Tennis Association (AATA), boosted by this, got all set to host the ITF Juniors, a worldranking tournament. The complex, with six synthetic courts, created to
Growth of AATA Although the AATA was formed back in 1962, it was only in 2009 that the association gained the affiliation of All India Tennis Association (AITA). However, the association has been holding Super Series for under-16 boys and girls and Championship Series for under-18 players since 2008. The AATA has been organising world ranking tournaments and promising players from various parts of the country, along with those from Europe and Australia, have participated in these meets. “We have been
Parikshit Somani
host the 33rd National Games, was granted international venue status then itself. The AATA had also organised several rounds of advanced coaching camps under leading coaches of the country, including Nandan Bal, at the Chachal Complex. However, the complex, since its inception in 2008, has been maintained and is running with the fees collected from the students who come for coaching and from sponsors while organising tournaments. Besides, prior to holding the National Games the plot of land was allotted to AATA and an amount was sanctioned to build the courts besides
which no fund has been provided to the association so far.
Leading light in future Buoyed after being ranked number one in the under-16 category by the All-India Tennis Association (AITA), Assam tennis prodigy Parikshit Somani could well be the torchbearer of Assam tennis. According to the latest ranking list of AITA, Parikshit is also ranked fifth in the under-18 category and was declared Player of the Week in the under-16 category. Currently ranked 495th in the ITF world rankings, Parikshit had also made it to Raipur Rangers for Champions Tennis League 2015 and played alongside Somdev Devvarman. The feat came after the 15-yearold had a string of successes in the Fenesta Open Junior National Tennis Championship in New Delhi earlier this year where he became the runner-up in the under-16 singles, champion in the under-18 doubles and semi-finalist in the under-18 singles. Parikshit was also ranked number one in the under-12 and under-14 categories in 2012 and 2013 respectively. A trainee of Jorhat Tennis Club, Parikshit is the second Assam boy to top a national ranking after Rohan Saikia topped the under-14 and under-16 rankings in 1995 and 1997 respectively. Guwahati girl Priyana Kalita is also expected to make it to the International scenario in future as the 26th rank holder in U-18 and one of
the big hopes of the future of Assam tennis. Besides having claimed the U-16 girls’ doubles, the world’s 830th ranked player annexed double crown in the AITA Championship Series under-18 tennis tournament. However, the road ahead for both the youngsters is still to be traversed but having reached a milestone at so young an age, they exude promise. “The players of Assam have serious potential to make it to the national and international stage in future. However, the support has to come from the parents. Apart from Parikshit and Priyana, there are many others such as Anurag Buragohain who have the potential. The mindset of parents here are very education-oriented and sport holds lesser priority. The association, for its part, is trying its best to communicate with the parents but it is up to them to allow their wards to participate in tournaments that can provide them the deserved exposure. Unless the youngsters get the required exposure, the future remains uncertain,” Dutta informed. Besides Guwahati that has three major clubs viz. North East Tennis Foundation, AATA Complex and India Club, which train hundreds of players, smaller cities around the state are actively contributing towards the growth of tennis. Towns such as Duliajan and Dhemaji where the sport is rapidly growing, Station Club in Tezpur that has been recently revived tennis and many more are focused on the growth of tennis-playing youngsters around the state. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Snippets
G plus news
T
he controversy around artists performing Hindi numbers during the state’s Rongali Bihu celebrations sadly continues. From the elusive Paresh Baruah led militant outfits of ULFA (Independent) to various Bihu function organizers imposing restrictions on singers from singing hit Hindi tracks during the festivities, Rongali Bihu once again finds itself caught between debates. Last week, a day after the Saodou Asom Bihu Sanmilani Somonnoy Rokkhi Samity (SABSSRS), an umbrella body of the Bihu cultural function committees of the state, announced strict guidelines for the stage programs during Bihu, the ULFA (Independent) faction, on Tuesday, banned the performance of Hindi songs during the forthcoming Rongali Bihu festivities. The outfit has even gone into the extent of warning the artists and asked them not to perform even their own Bollywood hits or to face consequences. The outfit’s publicity secretary Arunudoi Asom, in an email statement said, “Performance of Hindi songs and dances during the Rongali Bihu celebration will be considered as an act against the traditional and rich Assamese culture and the outfit will take stern actions against violators.” Simiarly, SABSSRS chief secretary, Pranab Goswami, asked all the artists to wear decent and preferably traditional attires while performing in Bihu functions. “We want to keep the traditional and true essence of Bihu alive in its true form. The Sami-
Hindi songs this Bihu?
G plus news
H ti unanimously decided to end all the cultural functions by midnight. “All the stage programs across the state should wind up with the first Assamese year of Bohag (mid Aprilmid May),” said Goswami. Hindi song is a sure ‘No-no’, he added. Immediately, reacting sharply to the restrictions, state’s heartthrob Zubeen Garg said that he is not in favour of such norms. “An art is an expression
of freedom and such restrictions are like Talibanism. We love Assam and its culture and people. Let us work in our own way. Such banning can’t help the rich Assamese culture,” Zubeen’s Facebook post said. The singer composer even termed such action as a “Talibani exercise.” Earlier too, similar ULFA (I) diktats received sharp reactions from several artists. Defying such bans, Zubeen
No relief for
G plus news
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‘Navaratna’
he ‘Navaratna’ - the famed nine dissident Congress MLAs who recently joined the saffron camp following the footsteps of their mentor Himanta Biswa Sarma, found no relief on their disqualification from their legislature
Chetia walks under open sky after 18 years
posts. Former MLA of Jonai constituency, Pradan Baruah, recently moved the Gauhati high court praying for a “stay” on the Assam State Legislative Assembly Speaker Pranab Gogoi’s decision of disqualifying him. The former Jonai
legislator challenged the Speaker’s decision on the ground that once a member is expelled from the party, the party loses the right to invoke the provisions of anti-defection law against the expelled member. The Assam Pradesh Congress Commit-
even sang his Bollywood hit, Ya Ali, during his Bihu performance. “It’s so sad to see such kind of debates over art. Music has no boundary of language and territories. Assamese culture has been rich and will always be rich if we work in the right way to preserve and popularize it than to fight over Hindi songs,” viewed Richa and her friends.
tee (APCC) had expelled these MLAs from its primary memberships in November this year. Last week, the Speaker disqualified the nine rebel Congress MLAs who defected to the BJP last month. They were disqualified following nine separate petitions made by the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) chief whip, Nilamoni Sen Deka, saying that they had flouted the anti-defection act by joining another party. On Tuesday the court issued motion notice in the case. However no interim order was passed on the disqualification of the MLA’s so far. The HC will take up the matter on February 8. Meanwhile, state BJP leader, Himanta Biswa Sarma, engaged in a legal battle with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi when Sarma moved a Rs. 100-crore defamation case against Gogoi for making false allegations against him. He said that he had already moved a civil court of Kamrup. Gogoi recently made a statement against Sarma alleging his involvement in the Saradha ponzi case and Louis Berger case. Gogoi said he is ready for all such battles and will go to jail if proved guilty.
aving spent over 18 continuous years behind bars, ULFA founding general secretary, Anup Chetia alias Golap Baruah, walked out under the open sky from Guwahati Central Jail on Thursday after getting bails in all the four cases that he was arrested for. The militant leader wore a wide smile as he can now visit his native village and his own home almost after two decades of imprisonment. Both the Centre and State governments facilitated his bails by providing ‘No objection’ to the court’s decision to set him free on bail for the sake of peace talks. The Arabinda Rajkhowa led ULFA pro-talk faction that has been on a peace dialogue with both the Centre and State government will now be joined by Chetia as the faction is eying for the next round of peace talks in January 2016. Chetia, immediately after coming out of the jail here, vowed never to take up arms again. Seeking apology from the people of the state for all the ‘wrongdoings’ caused by ULFA over the years, he said, “I will be a part of the on-going tripartite talks between the ULFA, Central and Assam governments to resolve the insurgency issue.” However he too categorically hinted at reviewing the charter of demands, which does not contain the outfit’s primary demand for sovereignty. The 64-year-old Chetia, who was extradited by India from Bangladesh on November 11, was arrested by CBI in a murder case of 1986 the day after. He was granted bail by a district session court here on Wednesday. Chetia was arrested in Bangladesh on December 21, 1997 along with two accomplices, Lakshmi Prasad Goswami and Babul Sharma, for illegally entering the country, possessing forged Bangladeshi passports, an unauthorized satellite phone and illegal foreign currencies of countries like the US, Britain, Thailand, Spain and Belgium.
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
FOLK TALE With a difference
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ne of the major significances of a folk tale is that it always carries messages which hold true throughout ages. Though ironic descriptions are available for exemplifying the subject matter of the tale, sometimes it plays the role of socio-political satire which is relevant in the contemporary world. Metaphorically, the folktales illustrate the day-to-day contemporary activities which reflect the bitter reality of the society. With a view to present such reflections, Uttaran Social Welfare Society in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, had staged “Irikoti Mirikoti- The Butterfly Effect” (meta-narrative of a folktale) at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra Auditorum in Guwahati on December 23-24, 2015. Conceptualised and directed by Dr. Mrinal Jyoti Goswami, the play is based on the folk tale “Baagh Aru Kekura” (The Tiger and the Crab) from “Burhi Aaaiyer Xaadhu” by Laxminath Bezbaroa. The play was
staged as a tribute to Satyendra Nath Sarma, one of the literary icons of Assam, on his birth centenary. The original tale has two stories; the first one is “Baagh Aru Kekura” and the second one is “Rong Hingaa, Khong Hingaa Kune Baai” (Who plays the Horn Pipes of Joy and Anger). The director laid more emphasis on the second part of the story which
narrates the activities of a “Baaree Konwar” (Young Lad), who happens to be the owner of a wild herd of buffalos. He eventually becomes the future king of a kingdom with the grace of his colourful magical hair. He intermingles with the royalty and fulfils his desire of attaining power, keeping the issues and concerns of his fellow beings aside. Though he
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Art
Subhrajit Roy
announces that for the welfare of his fellow beings, he may stay at the palace by marrying the princess, this is nothing but a political gimmick. Riding on the confidence of the common masses, a representative may attain political power but in return, the masses are found to get nothing but false assurances, which is “politically correct” in India. The opportunistic nature of the Konwar leaves the common beings of his community in a stagnant, undeveloped situation, which is found very much relevant in the current political environment of Assam. Presented in Assamese and Gibberish, the play was throughout a satire with some punches of entertainment. As a visual treat to the eyes the light design of the play was appreciable. Another positive aspect of the presentation was its music, which was designed and arranged by Probin Kumar Saikia and Rashmirekha Saikia, along with the background score (majority of which is acoustic) by Manjit Nath. The choreography
part of the play had been handled by veteran N. Jadumani Singh, which included some moves of martial arts. So far as performance is concerned Bijit Kumar Das, who had enacted the feminine nature of the king, injected tremendous humour into the character. But as a whole, slip of dialogues by many actors could be observed. Coming to the directorial part, the director had experimented with the story pretty well. But so far as the script is concerned, the play was discrete in synchronization of scenes and thus lost its grip on the audiences’ mind frequently. The presentation style of the play was also commendable with appropriate properties used accordingly. But summarizing everything, the play needed more life as demanded by the plot. Technically sound, the play was to some extent successful in delivering the universal message it carried within, but required more mass attention as at certain sections the presentation sounded critical.
Weather report for the week SAT 26 December
SUN 27 December
MON 28 December
TUE 29 December
WED 30 December
THU 31 December
FRI 01 January
More sun than clouds.
Mostly sunny.
Mostly sunny.
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
10 / 21 °C
9 / 21 °C
8 / 21 °C
6 / 21 °C
6 / 21 °C
6 / 20 °C
9 / 22 °C
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
G Talk
Road Rationing E
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he world has long gone past the jet age. Along with the world, so has Guwahati. We are rushing at the unbelievable 3G and 4G speeds of the cyber age. Everything about our lives today is fast and furious. And yet, living is Guwahati often gives me the sneaking suspicion that I have been overtaken – overtaken by other cities in India, newer cities. I have often tried to analyse this feeling of mine and find reasons for the same. While everything about Guwahati is as modern as it can get – be it its communication infrastructure or its healthcare facilities on to its purchasing power, a few factors are definite reasons that has created a hindrance in its pace of progression. One is of course electricity and its erratic supply. While it is unthinkable for some cities in India to contend with power cuts, Guwahati continues to face the problem with a feeling of resignation. A recent statement by the power minister however, brings a sense of hope. Apparently, the state will have surplus power by 2016. I hope, like most other ministerial declarations, there is a “whole lot of truth here” as well. A surfeit and a surplus of everything is the need of the hour. But one area where a “slowdown” might just result in Guwahati picking up speed towards progress is its traffic. The snarls are unbelievable
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and getting worse by the day. I am not sure how much of a pollutant vehicle emissions are for Guwahati city, but it is an undeniable fact, that commuting is nothing short of a nightmare. New Delhi has resorted to road rationing as an answer to clean up its air. Guwahati might as well resort to the same to clear its path of progress. That there are a tad too many vehicles on the road needs breeds no argument. The observable fact is that, a lot of these vehicles, especially city buses, carry passengers far less than their capacity. The line of buses waiting at the designated stoppages with their handymen yelling their routes hoping to attract passengers, only succeed in clogging up the narrow streets of Guwahati severely slowing down commuting time. The call of the hour is road rationing and I am not saying that it has to be in Delhi style of odd and even numbered vehicles being on the roads on alternate days. Our District Administration has no other option but to wrack its brains, identify the crux of the problem and come up with some creative solutions. Without our version of road rationing, Guwahati, as a smart city, is doomed.
Swapnil Bharali Executive Editor
Social Media Performances
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Are stringent guidelines on bars and pubs the right way to bring down unruly public behaviour?
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he world matters to us as it is made up of us humans - the most intelligent among the species. That being the case, we need to know how to govern ourselves. In Guwahati though, we have a situation that is different. Apparently, normal human beings who dwell here during day time, slogging hard for an honest paisa, turn into unruly primates after a certain critical time of the evening. They consume lawfully available liquor-laden-liquids that somehow goad them to behave unlawfully – savagely in fact. And this strange behaviour of this nocturnal species makes them as ungovernable as the wildest of animals. In this unenviable situation, the District Administration is saddled with the serious issue of containing this ever-marauding entity. Stringent and more stringent guidelines are the order of the day. It is, after all, just not dealing with humans anymore. And it is not dealing with animals either. It is something in between that the District Administration just cannot seem to fathom and so it is faced with the situation where it desperately needs to dictate humans to remain humans after all. Given the repeated instances of unruly public behaviour in Guwahati, rules indeed need to be stringent or even a deterrent to liquor consumption. I wouldn’t mind even a fascistic diktat, ULFA style, which would work as a sedative for people who have the tendency to fly off the handle at the slightest provocation (like an inebriated girl) under the pretext of being drunk. As for responsible drinking? Forget it! There seem to be none in Guwahati who do so publicly. Each and every one seems to be a loafing drunkard!
Swapnil bharali
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an’s survival capacity is based on his ability to beat the odds stacked up against him. History is replete with situations where characters have managed to wriggle out of the toughest of situations placed before him. Placing stringent rules in front of the Guwahatian drinker would be just another small challenge to find all the loopholes to breach. The late-night loafer of Guwahati is basically looking for a warped sense of enjoyment to appease his warped sensibilities. A woman walking drunk on the city streets is one such. Two similar instances have taken place in virtually as many years and no one seems to have become any wiser. Arrests were made then, arrests have been made now. Guwahati hung its head in shame then, its modesty has been outraged again now. Over these three years, rules indeed have been made more stringent. The net result is again warped revelry. No, the answer is not stringent guidelines but a thorough overhaul of the mind-set of the pub visitors and the fence-sitters. Some lessons and education in moral science would perhaps be more effective. Some basic tweaks in upbringing is what is required. I am not trying to be funny but perhaps selling milk in the bars might just be the answer.
Rahul chanda
Sidharth Bedi Varma
ith the recent brick bashing of the Supreme Court in the Salman Khan ‘Hit and Run’ case where the star was acquitted of all charges on the grounds of ‘loopholes’ in the investigation, the number of internet ‘memes and trolls’ that popped up within seconds prove that people were waiting for the judgement not in terms of justice being served, but in terms of who’s post would gain maximum popularity, who’s tweets would be retweeted, who’s jokes would circulate most on WhatsApp? This ability of judging and summing up a long drawn judgement based on thorough study and discussion in the form of a ‘copy’ on the internet is why we have a shallow, spineless society. We are conditioned by TV and social media so much so that we no longer have a genuine perception of right or wrong, where we should intervene or step aside. We do not live in a utopian world where things are black or white, its grey. Salman Khan’s popularity in society is why he was a target on social media. And the case is same
with Narendra Modi and the National Anthem debacle in Russia. If you don’t know about it, don’t tell the world that you are ignorant. You might just be ostracized from the cyber society for not ‘keeping up with the pace of society’s judgement’. There has been so much discussion on Supreme Court’s inability to deliver justice to the poor family and that the SC has done a despicable job that people forgot to ask about Holiram Bordoloi’s death sentence being commuted to life imprisonment. Who is that you ask with all conviction and on social media? Well, ‘Holy-Ram’ was facing the rope for manslaughter; he burnt down a family of four, cut a man into pieces in front of an entire village, led a gang that dealt in immoral activities and yet, his mercy petition was accepted and not questioned on social media. Why is that? Is it because the decision was correct or because the case is based out of northeast and doesn’t merit national attention or is it because he is not a film star? You decide. And yes, applaud all other performances with “likes.”
Interactive Hello sir,
To the people who want to go out on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Please do so by all means. No one is against New Year celebrations. But please be responsible while on the rosds. Do not drink too much and drive. Remember that families are torn apart by accidents. Only one hwo has lost a near and dear one in an accident can understand the pain. In case you feel suicidal while driving after drinking, go and hit the nearest divider or lightpost or whatever :) Just do not hit other vehicles or people on the rods becuse they value their lives
Name withheld
Letter to the Editor Dear Sir,
Last week’s incident in Crystal Bar is another incident where we were witness to the growing intolerance among the city’s people. About three years back the city was witness to the horrific incident on GS Road where a young woman was molested after she came out of a local bar; the world around us expressed shock. Since then however there has been an increase in the growth of such incidents. The DA of Kamrup (M) has ordered strict rules and regulations that are to be followed regarding alcohol consumption in Guwahati city but are those steps simply enough? Moral policing has gone far and beyond and Guwahatians, who take the law into their own hands, are becoming an entity to jeer by the whole world. It is time the administration also laid out laws that make moral policing a criminal offence.
Sapna Sharma via email
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Is Himanta’s latest tirade against Gogoi a personal issue or an election propaganda?
Meet Meet Meet
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Cartoonist/Lawyer
Satyajit Chakrabarty
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imanta is shrewd enough to realise his present position in Assam politics. He is also aware of BJP’s current political fortunes. He was been relegated to interviews in his own channel and hence very smartly creates sensational situations to stay relevant. This ensures his shift back to Congress or others should BJP’s fortune go the Delhi or Bihar way which again is a very realistic possibility.
H
imanta is currently Assam’s sharpest politician. He understands best the multiethnic polity of Assam. This is most evident in the space he has created for himself in BJP in a very short time. However, my opinion is that he is not necessarily high on ethics; his “ends” are more important than the “means” adopted. The latest tirade by Himanta serves two purposes: it draws the CM and the Congress government away from focussing on their decent track record of peace and development since 2001 and secondly, it keeps the CM bogged down on “charges” like stifling meritocracy by side-lining HBS in his third term, encouraging dynastic politics vis-avis the rise of his son and the age-old narrative of the Ahom political class being intolerant of casteHindu politicians from lower Assam. With just 3 months left for the elections, the momentum is with the BJP.
Sumanta Deb
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either HBS nor TG are emotional neophytes in politics. They are seasoned politicians; even their tantrums, histrionics, stupid or bright remarks are all aimed at promoting their political future to the detriment of those who are impediments. I have been told that Saradha and Louis Berger are thorns in the flesh for HBS and he has probably arranged to join BJP to get reprieve. This is underscored by the fact that he has been named as a prime witness in Saradha case. On the other hand, BJP may try to inconvenience Congress by implicating its state president in that case. To counter that TG may launch investigations against HBS in Louis Berger case. To pre-empt that, HBS may have taken the libel case route to stall TG. All these are political moves into which personal aspirations and vested interests of the politicians blend. They are like poorly differentiated cancer cells where there is no clear line of demarcation.
Navanil Barua
Uttam Kumar Borthakur
ust a small question: If Himanta Biswa Sarma was corrupt while he was in the Congress government, isn’t Tarun Gogoi also morally responsible?
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Rupak Choudhury
Manoj Sharma
rothers, my opinion of Himanta Biswa Sarma is such that he might have to file another defamation case on me (this time worth more than 100 Crores) if I air them here.
In Focus
Priyanka Gogoi
Himanta Biswa Sarma in a press conference recently alleged that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is defaming him by saying that he is involved in Sharada and Louis Berger scams during his tenure as a Congress minister. Sarma has dared the chief minister to prove his allegations in court. With this, he added that he will file a civil defamation case of Rs. 100 crore against the chief minister for crass allegations. here is a saying: under democracy one party always devotes its energies in trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule and both commonly succeed and are right. This saying is very apt in the current scenario of Assam politics where reputation of heavyweights are at stake and our three-time CM and his once trusted lieutenant are constantly taking digs at each other before the assembly election next year. Rather than falling for the petty politics, if both the parties would have rather worked for the development of public in general there would have been no need for last minute (false) promises to woo voters spending crores in election campaigns. After 15 years of governance if one has to change the party to save his constituency and the ruling party is mulling over “mahagathbandhan” then obviously both have failed to deliver on their promises to general public.
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n amalgamation of skills, both artistic and technical including a talent for drawing, a cartoonist is one who puts a smile on our faces with one’s art. Beside the tools of pencil and paper, cartoonists are well adept at communication with wit and humour. There is no second opinion that many of us who browse through the pages of the newspaper are not finished if we have not seen the cartoon section. India is known to have produced several cartoonists who have made their mark. However, there are very few from the eastern part of the country among known faces. Among the very few, Guwahati’s own Priyanka Gogoi has made a move towards putting a smile on the people’s faces through her artistic work. Born in a typical Assamese family of four and both parents in government jobs, Priyanka is also blessed with a younger brother, Krishnashish. As mentioned by Priyanka, the younger brother is the star of the family who is an accomplished chess player and coder. Priyanka pursued her education from St. Mary’s, Guwahati and then went on to study science from Cotton College and later acquired an LLB degree from Bangalore University. She is currently pursuing LLM from ILS Law College, Pune. After pursuing her LLB, Priyanka worked as an in-house corporate lawyer in Bangalore and Mumbai for close to four years. She got married two years ago stated, “We chose each other because we love animation (for us, that is an important criteria for marriage, you see!).” Meanwhile, her passion for drawing rather than fading away with time, transpired as a hobby. She left her job in order to pursue her masters in law and thus started her Facebook page, “The Art World of Pho-Pho-Pho.” The page is a generous combination of colours and
simple line work that dishes out doodles which stand out among all negativity. She also recently started a comic strip called “Unsealed Container” on the same page. As stated by the artist, the strip is more caustic in approach and the general artworks are cute everyday happenings that anyone can relate to. “It’s not a profession; it’s more of a hobby. I have been fiddling around with different art mediums all my life. While taking a career break, I ventured into cartooning as a side-effect to joblessness. Cartooning also happens to be the best way to put my feelings across. It’s quick and it’s witty/cute and it brings smiles on faces,” said Priyanka, adding, “The Art World of Pho-Pho-Pho is where I unleash my madness on the world. Pho-pho-pho is a term that my grandmother uses… a lot! I think a lot of upper Assam households may be familiar with this term. It may translate into many different adjectives, say, Pho-pho-pho may mean phaltu/faltu, useless, someone who is boisterous but has no sense, a showoff. That, in short, is me!” Priyanka’s companionship with art began in the early years of her life. She was tutored in a fine arts school where she developed her skills and thus the result today is in front of us. Over the years, she has been in several publications and articles. Sharing her achievements with G Plus the cartoonist said, “I don’t remember the first award I won! That, I guess, shows my general stance towards awards. Participation does not necessarily have to end with winning. I do remember, however, that in my younger years (since 4th standard), I was tutored in a fine arts school in our locality and my mentors would regularly take me to various art competitions to participate. And by the time I went to high school, I had a shelf filled with memorabilia!” “You know, my highest achievement was not from an art competition. There are two achievements I distinctly remember. First is, when I was ranked first in the final year of art school. I was 14 years old and the oldest student in the class was 29 years old! See, art has nothing to do with age. The second was a side-effect of standing first in art class. Another local art school saw the results and wanted to enroll me as a teacher in their art school. They had absolutely no idea I was a 14 year old! That was my first job offer; sadly, my mother rejected it,” the artist added. “There is no particular message as such. But my effort is to make people smile. It started as a mental movement where I felt people are too serious and caught-up all the time. So, I draw everyday situations that resonate with others. It can be a small note asking people to be kind or to smile more or thank nature. Sometimes I draw situations that make you laugh at yourself. My artwork generally tends to be happy moments (say, nature or love) or cutely sarcastic. Many a times, I draw my thoughts or I portray situations that actually happened,” the artist concluded.
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Lifestyle
recipe of the week CHOCOLATE CAKE
VAASTU SHASTRA VAASTU ASPECTS OF GNB ROAD
Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas! May peace reign over the world and may your world be filled with happiness and love. But what’s Christmas without a cake?! Today I am sharing a simple but yummy chocolate cake recipe which you can make for your loved ones.
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f you have an electric hand beater, mix the sugar and butter till f luffy. Add the eggs one by one and the vanilla essence and milk. Sieve all the dry ingredients thrice and add to the egg mixture. Pre-heat the oven for ten minutes. Line an 8� cake tin with butter paper and pour the batter in. Bake for 25 min-
utes. Poke the cake in the middle with a skewer, if it comes out clean the cake is done! Remember not to over bake it, or else your cake will be very dry. Let it cool before you ice it with the frosted cocoa icing. Place the Kitkat chocolate all around the cake like a border and tie it with a red satin ribbon. MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE
FROSTED ICING
1 Cup sugar 1 Cup butter 4 Eggs 2 Tblspns milk 1 Tspn Vanilla essence 1 1/2 cups Flour 1/2 Cup cocoa 1 Tspn Baking Powder
1 Cup butter 2 Cups Icing sugar 2 Tblspns milk 2 Tblspns rum Kitkat chocolate for decoration
KULKUL RAHMAN Entrepreneur, mother and a passionate cook
his stretch is more or less straight from east to west. After New Guwahati up to Noonmati, the road takes a turn of about 20 degrees. This road touches two areas, a large one at north and a relatively smaller one at south up to the Railway track which is almost straight from Kamakhya Station to Noonmati. The houses and commercial establishments on the G N B Road face south and the residents must be careful in choosing their main entrances and water bodies. Those, who are facing exclusively south, can have their main entrances, i.e., gates or main doors exclusively at the south or southern southeast but NEVER southwest (southern). The fortunate few, who have a lane in front at east like the one going towards the Chandmari Police station from GNB Road, can have the luxury of their gate at Northeast or central east. These east facing houses do well provided their water bodies are in the right place as well. There are houses and shops on the eastern part of the road too. These establishments face west and they must have the main entrances at central west or western northwest. They can have their water sources at northeast, central north or central east. The Municipality rules of GMC require leaving of at least 10 to 15 feet in front of the road. This creates a problem for houses and shops situated at the northern side of GNB Road and eastern side of the by-lanes going towards north. Vaastu says that we should leave more vacant space towards the north and south in comparison to south and west. At least a few feet of extra vacant land should be left on the north or east in comparison to south and west.
yon gyan Have you ever been troubled by these questions?
I
am often asked this question by my patients who wonder whether their sexual life is normal. This begs the question as to what is normal and what defines normalcy in sex? To the best of my knowledge, I do not have a yardstick in terms of what is the normal frequency of
sex. In fact, there are no prescribed amount of times to cast them normal behaviour or abnormal behaviour. Sex is a physical pleasure and enjoyment between two mutually consenting partners. Do not start putting crosses on the calendar to count frequency and ruin the whole experience.
G N B ROAD FROM DIGHALIPUKHURI TO NEW GUWAHATI
To clap you need two hands. What is important is that there is mutual give and take between the partners for their needs which may be different from each other. Both partners need satisfaction. The more important thing is why the question is being asked? If this is because one of the partners is not satisfied you need
The south facing shops should have their cash counters at southwest facing east with the cash box on the right hand side. The west facing shops should have their cash counters at southwest facing north with the cash box on the left hand side. The hotels and restaurants must have their kitchens at southeast with the cooking done facing east. Alternately, the northwest can be considered but cooking must be done at the southeast corner facing east or at north but never at northeast. There should not be a toilet, kitchen and staircase or store room at northeast. The Karnachal Hill with the Nabagraha temple is north of the GNB Road. There are a lot of dwellings on this hillside with the northern side sloping towards Kharguli. The houses, which are situated at the southern foothills of this hill, will have a lot of troubles regarding finances. As the north is a feminine direction, the ladies living in this area will find health related problems wherever north is higher. Serious Vaastu remedial measures must be taken by the residents as Vaastu effects are permanent. The Guwahati Industrial area is located on the north side of the GNB Road with its main entrance from the southwest and it is hilly at the northern border. There is a steep fall in the slope towards the west which is the Barnachal area. So this Industrial Estate has never really taken off and the industries are not doing well barring a few who have taken Vaastu measures. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist
Is my sex life normal? I am having sex 3 times a week I am having sex once a week I am having sex once a fortnight I am having sex once a month professional help. Suffering in silence will cause spillage of discontentment to other aspects of your personal and professional life. Dr. Bhartia has returned to India after spending 12 years abroad. He is a specialist in diabetes, thyroid and sexual problems. He practises in Panbazar near Hari Sabha.
Dr. Mithun Bhartia MRCC UK, SECSM Amsterdam CCT Diabetes and Endocrinology UK advicesexologist@gmail.com
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
19
Lifestyle
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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO Cool Couture WINTER DRESSING
inter is here, but just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t have as much fun getting dressed as you did during the warmer months and let the cold weather addle your wardrobe brain! So this year, instead of forfeiting style for comfort, let me help you bundle up fashionably with these useful tips that will see you through the season.
KNOW HOW TO SHOP FOR FALL/WINTER Don’t shy away from buying clothes in bright and unusual colors. As long as you know that the colors can be recycled next fall, it’s worth the bet. Your most expensive winter essentials ought to be the pieces that
(much warmer than a pair of tights!). When it’s freezing outside, sometimes even the most dependable items in your closet (everything from ripped denims to cashmere sweaters) no longer cut it. This is when you have to find creative ways to layer under your clothes that no one will notice. You can, for instance, throw a pair of sheer stockings under a pair of ripped jeans or layer a form-fitting sweater over a long-sleeve T-shirt. And whip out the long johns you normally reserve for Shillong trips – sometimes during the winter they’ll come in just as handy for the walk to work!
you’re going to wear daily, such as a well-fitted overcoat in a stunning color or a pair of biker flat boots. For a place like Guwahati, where the temperature doesn’t drop to unbearable levels, spend most of your money on the accessories (belts, jewellery and bags), winterish details such as black lace and deep colors.
BECOME PRO
A
LAYERING
LET YOUR BOOTS DO ALL THE TALKING
There is a reason layering is such a big trend this season: it’s a massively practical way to dress when it’s really cold. So don’t be afraid to pile on the layers. A turtleneck, under a sweater, under a coat for instance, will definitely keep you warm. So will a dress or a skirt over a pair of well-cut pants
BLUE COLOUR LENSES AND MUSCLE STRENGTH
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hen it comes to increasing absolute muscle strength which raises the question, ‘how much can you bench press for one rep?’ or strength endurance which is, ‘how many reps you can get with a certain weight?’ the proper program is the first order of business. In addition to the proper training program for boosting strength, you also need to follow proper nutrition. Part of that nutrition program involves using supplements. Using the right ingredients in the right doses and at the right time of the day can make a significant difference in your muscle-strength gains. After training and nutrition/supplementations are sorted, another way that athletes look to increase their strength and performance is through gear. This does not refer to the slang for anabolic steroids. I am actually referring to the gear that you wear, like a bench shirt, knee wraps, wrist wraps, and even bite guards. Believe it or not, a recent study suggests the weirdest gear of all that may help increase your muscle strength. The answer, glasses with ‘blue lenses.’
POWER OF BLUE Researchers from Southampton Solvent University in UK had weight-trained subjects perform the leg press using their 25rep max weight until they reached muscle failure. They did this on three different occasions in the lab, each separated by a minimum of 72 hours. During one session, they wore wrap-around glasses with clear lenses. In another, they wore glasses with red lenses. In the last session, they wore glasses with blue lenses. The order in which the subjects wore the glasses was randomized, so that everyone did not wear the same lenses in the same order. This removed any chance of ‘learning’ from repeated sessions. The findings, published in a 2014 issue of The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, showed that when subjects wore the clear lenses, they completed 25 reps before reaching muscle failure. However, when they wore the blue lenses, they completed 29 reps before reaching muscle failure. The researchers also reported that the red lenses allowed subjects to complete 27 reps, but this was not statistically significant from the clear lenses.
Great winter style boils down to a great pair of boots. Finding a stylish boot is fairly easy, but finding a boot that is both stylish and functional is difficult. Got a great pair of over-the-knee boots? Show them off pairing them with a short dress. Have a killer ankle booties you want to envy your friends with? Pair them with cuffed jeans or a boho dress. Owner of a nonchalant suede flat slouch boots? Throw them on with just anything.
THE BELTED LOOK By the middle of winter it’s pretty inevitable that you’ll be fatigued when it comes to putting on your same old boring coat. Add new life to it simply by belting it. Cinching your waist with a vintage belt will make it seem almost brand new. The best news of all: this trick works will just about any coat style – yes, your puffers too! Not just restricted to coats, a belt wrapped around a loose knit sweater or a knit dress creates a dramatic and feminine silhouette, adding chic flair to it.
LEOPARD IS THE NEW DENIM How irritating it is when people affect an aloof fauxbafflement in the face of the modern world. Well, here’s another thing for them to get all prissy about. Animal prints, which used to be a kind of vampy, slutty, the don’s moll look (‘Mona darling’, for the uninitiated), is now mainstream chic. So much so that it’s not even seen as a pattern or a color any more – it has become as neutral as denim, to be worn with absolute anything although, the trick of the game is to know where to stop. Build your outfit around the print – mix navy with leopard, burgundy with snake and so on.
THE HAT TRICK Your first instinct in the winter is to splurge on a pair of boots or a coat, but we’re here to advise you to hunt high and low for the winter hat of your dreams. You’re going to be in that thing for a solid two months from here on out (not to mention it’ll be the first thing people will notice about you), so it should be something you love.
EXPERIMENT WITH SCARVES
BIBHU MONI SINGHA, Fitness Expert & Sports Nutritionist Gym Manager, Training & Nutrition Head, SFL Fitness, Guwahati
CONCLUSION Do I suggest that you run out and get blue- coloured lenses? No, but since 4 reps can make a big difference you can be sure that I will be testing it personally. Although the exact mechanism for this increase in strength has not been confirmed, researchers suggested that the blue lenses may have reduced the discom-
fort of training the muscle to failure, which could have allowed them to keep going for more reps. Other research has suggested that short wavelength colours, such as blue, have a calming effect. Some studies confirm that short wavelength colours reduce blood pressure, lower heart rate and rate of respiration (breath-
ing), and also increase oxygen saturation. In fact, the subjects in the study stated that the blue lenses provided a calming effect and they felt more focused and experienced less pain during the exercise. So you could give this theory a whirl when you go out shopping this Christmas and maybe you’ll see your workout in a new light.
One of the most versatile accessories, scarves can be worn in many more ways than simply wrapped around your neck, and winter is the perfect time to experiment. Be it a cozy knit scarf, a lush pashmina or our gift to the world, eri. Go retro with the scarf tied around your head, belt it on top of a jacket or tie it in a knot around your shoulders. Bundling up for wintry weather can make looking good a dangerously difficult task. But with these winter fashion hacks, there won’t be any room for emergencies.
Shyamant Hazarika Designer/Entrepreneur: ‘The Closet Case’
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Reviews Cast: Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley Director: J.J. Abrams
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tar Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens” is the film that J.J. Abrams was put on Earth to make, as evidenced by the “Star Wars” echoes in his hit series “Lost,” and the way he kept trying to turn “Star Trek” into “Star Wars.” These tendencies could seem cutesy or irritating elsewhere, but they make sense in an according-toHoyle “Star Wars” movie. This new one, set 30 years after the events of “Return of the Jedi,” is funny, touching, and surprisingly lightfooted. It boasts a lot of familiar elements, including Skywalker family mythology and another Death Star-type weapon, as well as self-aware lines about how things work in this series. The film ultimately runs up against the limitations of its
vie w o M vie Re
RUGBY 15
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hile Martin Johnson was managing the England rugby team, the press frequently criticised the total absence of flair in his side. Fear of failure, they suggested, was stifling England’s ambition. Considering this, Rugby 15 must have been belched into existence for the express purpose of tormenting Johnson. This is a game where any attack - no matter how creative, deft or fleet of foot - can be smothered with a single tackle. Because you’re smart, you’ll already have gathered that this is not the rugby game we’ve been waiting for. There’s little excuse for it being this poor. Despite apparent complexities, rugby is simpler than people think:
own nature: like the James Bond films, the “Star Wars” movies are pretty much obligated to revisit certain elements, to the point where they might feel played out even if they hadn’t been raided by other films, TV shows and books (including Harry Potter). But it’s still an exhilarating ride, filled with archetypal characters with plausible psychologies, melodramatic confrontations fueled by soaring emotions, and performances that can be described as good, period, rather than “good, for ‘Star Wars.’” And it’s a treat to see beloved older characters placed beside new ones in situations that respect Lucas’ myth-making but correct his flaws as a storyteller, including the default whiteness of his casts. Not
only have Abrams and his co-writers, Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt, centered the story on a young woman and a man of color (played respectively by Daisy Ridley and John Boyega), they’ve made them so compelling and quirky that the film never seems to be putting an up-todate wrapping on moldy clichés. Like all of the new characters, they seem to live and breathe. When they earn the respect of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) by improvising a solution to a technical problem, or grab a lightsaber and start swinging, the result is not merely a crowd-pleasing display of heroics; it’s an affirmation that a good movie with a good heart can serve as everyone’s mirror.
NOW SHOWING
Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738
Bajirao Mastani 2.30 PM Dilwale 9.30 AM & 5.30, 8.30 PM Star wars: the force awakens 12.00 PM
PVR Cinemas a numbers game based on territory, possession and space. The complicated bit happens at the breakdown, when a player is tackled and teams try to shove each other off the ball. It’s the defining element of Rugby Union. And it’s the bit that Rugby 15 gets monstrously wrong. Admittedly, the breakdown is violent, complex and contentious - like a crash of 20-stone barristers trying to claw open each other’s scrotums while arguing about technicalities but there’s a simple truth to it: it’s usually easier to keep the ball than it is to steal it. Unless a player is isolated, the impetus is with the attacking side. The opposite is true in Rugby 15. Once a tackle has been made, players take part
in a minigame centred around finding the sweet spot with the analogue stick. When the bar is green, you can win the ball legally; when it’s yellow, you risk infringement. At first it seems like a simple, sensible way of keeping things competitive. The problem is you have to press two buttons to win the ball when you’re in possession but only one when you’re defending. Even on the hardest setting, I stole the ball almost every time; as if I’d replaced my thumbs with the distilled living essence of Tackles McCaw. Conversely, even Manu Tuilagi has the ball-retention skills of a buttered pensioner. It makes for a game of chase-me-peewee hogwash that barely resembles the direct, attritional sport it’s based on.
Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009 Bajirao Mastani 3.25 PM Dilwale 10.00 AM, 6.25 & 9.20 PM Star wars: the force awakens 12.50 PM
Fun Cinemas
HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200 Bajirao Mastani 9.00 AM Dilwale 9.45 AM, 12.35 & 6.00 PM Star wars: the force awakens 3.30 PM
me Ga view Re
Apsara Cinema
Book:
Album:
Royalty
Our Impossible Love
Chris Brown
Durjoy Datta
Artist:
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amed after his daughter, and with an endearing portrait that features her on the front, Royalty nonetheless is designed more to please Brown’s devout fans than illustrate growth. It begins with a song titled “Back to Sleep,” a lullaby of sorts, but it’s definitely not for his daughter, and the majority of what follows is a qualitative step back from previous solo album X. Brown doubles down on his swashbuckling persona, boasting “I’m a champagnepourin’ n*gga, I like big asses and tits” and “You know I don’t
Ulubari 0361 2541335
Bajirao Mastani 5.15 PM Dilwale 10.45 AM, 2.00 & 8.00 PM
Author:
u Yo LD TEN SHOU LIS love ‘em, and you know I don’t cuff ‘em,” and imploring “Can I stick it in a little bit/Don’t be shy, just a little bit.” Second single “Zero,” a disco-funk throwback replete with talkbox, is as spiteful as anything else in the Chris Brown catalog, where the singer scoffs, “You think I’m thinkin’ ‘bout your ass?” There’s some irony in writing, recording, and releasing a song bragging about not thinking of an ex. With rare exception, Brown keeps it explicit, focused on flaunting. Some of the slow jams, like the Keith Sweat-referencing
“Who’s Gonna (Nobody)” and Jodeci-referencing “Proof,” are built on slinking productions that rate with the best of mid2010s pop-R&B. Brown has been behind so much X-rated material that, when he keeps it clean, as he does throughout “Make Love,” the effect is jarring. Did someone doctor the recording without Brown’s knowledge? Indeed, a more representative title for the album would have been that of the 13th track, “No Filter.” That phrase reflects his personality and perhaps his quality control.
GOLD Cinema
ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166
u Yo LD ad SHOU re
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racy Whitney - Sidney Sheldon’s most popular and enduring heroine - is back again in the sensational and gripping follow-up to Chasing Tomorrow. Once upon a time, Tracy Whitney was one of the best thieves in the business. Then she settled down, had a baby, and planned to spend the rest of her days quietly, living anonymously, devoted to her son. But tragic news has forced Tracy to face her greatest nightmare. Now, with
nothing left to protect, she returns to the hunt—and she’s more dangerous than ever. Tracy is not the only woman with a dark and dangerous past. The world faces a new terror threat from a group of global hackers intent on the collapse of capitalism and private wealth and the creation of a new world order. When this group turn to violence, with deadly effect, the mysterious woman pulling their strings becomes the CIA’s public enemy number one.
Bajirao Mastani 11.30 AM, 2.00, 5.30 & 8.00 PM Dilwale 11.00 AM, 2.30, 5.00 & 8.30 PM
GOLD Cinema
Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854066166 Bajirao Mastani 11.30 AM, 2.00, 5.30 & 8.00 PM Dilwale 11.00 AM, 2.30, 5.00 & 8.30 PM
GOLD Cinema
LG Towers, Narangi 8811001898 Bajirao Mastani 2.00 & 8.00 PM Dilwale 11.00 AM & 5.00 PM
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
21
Entertainment
Fusion album ‘Revival of Music’on the anvil
NEW SINGLE
GHOPOKKE PORI LOI…
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waraj Das, a singer who has risen in the ranks of popularity by sheer hard work and dedication, is not only blessed with a fabulous voice but backs it up with a solid technique and compelling stage presence. The concept of making singles has become more popular than making an album containing multiple tracks. Social networking sites like Reverbnation, Sound Cloud and Facebook have played a
major role in making these songs popular. Swaraj Das has recently released his new Assamese Bihu f lavored audio-video song titled ‘Ghopokke Pori Loi’ on Youtube and Social media platforms which was very well received by the Assamese music lovers. All the private music channels of Assam like Ramdhenu, Rengoni and Jonakk also featured the song. The song has been written, tuned and sung by Swaraj Das, musically com-
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posed by popular Assamese music director Dipkesh Borgahain and mixed and mastered by Palash Gogoi. The key roles in the video have been essayed by Utpal Das and Junjun. The video has been directed by Simple Gogoi and editing has been done by Moni Rajkonwar. Cinematography is done by Bitul Das, make-up by Ratul whereas costume is designed by Adityam.
KALYAN KUMAR KALITA
‘Dikchow Bonot Palash’
‘The Way of the Soul’
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antoshi Maa Production, one of the Assam’s popular production houses, is making a mark in the cultural field for its innovative and discerning works. Last year, under this banner, a full length Assamese commercial movie titled “The Face” produced by Barnali Hazarika, was released and well received by the Assamese film lovers. This time, the banner is all set to release a new fusion album titled “Revival of Music.” The album, rendered by young talented upcoming singer Nihal Das, contains seven songs of different f lavor and three languages Assamese, Hindi and English. Santoshi Maa Production, from its first day, tries to find out the young talents by giving them a platform in music industry as well as on big screen. Keeping this motto in mind, the production house is going to release Nihal Das’s first audio-video album, “Revival of Music.” The album, which will be released worldwide through MTV, is musically composed by Kuldeep Suman. All the songs are written and tuned by Raj Maur, Raktim, Aku, Kuldeep and Himangshu Kashyap and arranged by Bikash Baruah. Singer Nihal Das’s shared his feelings about the album saying that “Revival of Music” will be a new addition to the musical world where people will be able to get a new taste of music. He also said that each and every song is arranged differently so that the listeners will get a different kind of enjoyment. All the songs are already recorded at Stu-
ational award-winning director, Sanjib Sabhapandit, has an amazing zeal to deal with movies based on themes with intense human appeal and profound social relevance. In his movies, he depicts the issues of our times with creativity and passion. With an unerring eye for fresh and original stories that are off beat, Sabhapandit has just started filming his new project titled, “Dikchow Bonot Palash,” based on his own story and screenplay. The film was inaugurated with a naam at Majirgaon, Palashbari. Synopsis: The film narrates the past of an 85-year old man. The year is 1945, and the protagonist is a robust young man. An active participant in the freedom struggle, this strapping, energetic lad unexpectedly leaves for the hills of Nagaland from Sivasagar district. During his stay, he falls in love with a beautiful Naga girl. Their love is a two-way street where the girl also lends him money, without inhibitions. However, his involvement in the freedom struggle gets him arrested and thus the relationship ends. His love comes crashing down and its future looks bleak. Now at the age of 85, he is reminded of his love and hurt from the past. After he is released from jail, he gets appointed as the Satradhikar of a local Satra. The protagonist embarks on a journey to the Naga Hills in search of the girl he once loved. His sole purpose of taking the trip is to return the
dio Temptation and now shooting of the videos is being done at various beautiful locations of Guwahati, Cherrapunji, Darjeeling and Gangtok where popular Assamese film artistes like Gunjan Bhardwaj, Rimi Hazarika among others are taking part. The big screen’s talented actress Rimi Hazarika is working for the first time on video songs through this album. The shooting of all the songs is done by Prithviraj Dutta and the choreography is by Uday Shankar. The founder of Santoshi Maa Prodcution and producer of the album, Barnali Hazarika said that through this album she has tried to bring something new for the music lovers and the album will be released next year in a mega cultural event.
money he owed her. In a case of mistaken identity, he is kidnapped following which he meets a young girl who brings him food. What does this young girl discover? What fate awaits the old man? Produced under the banner of Canvascope, Dikchow Bonot Palash has been produced by Assam State Film (Finance and development) Corporation Ltd., Utpal Das and Rajkamal Bhuyan. The film is to be shot in locations like Palashbari, Rani, Mukkochang among other places. The movie will be cinematographed by Parashar Barua. Apart from a cast of seasoned artistes from Assam, the movie also will feature Nagamese artistes as well. The various artistes starring in Dikchow Bonot Palash are Kulada Kumar Bhattacharya, Chinmoy Chakraborty, Mala Goswami, Lolenna Ao, Aren Jamir, Bidyut Bikash Sarma, Biren Hazarika, Sajan Nayak, Alex Thomas, Hemen Das, Saumyadeep Dutta, Meena Engti, Dulal Sarma, Tezaswini Barua, Akeeb, Chikmik and Dimapur Hill Theatre troupe’s Bendong, among others. The film’s production and costume designer is Amrita Sabhapandit. The film will be edited by Saurav Dutta and the assistant directors are Dilip Dutta and Ashim Krishna Barua. The post-production is scheduled to be done in Mumbai. The film has been named “The Way of the Soul” in English.
KALYAN KUMAR KALITA
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G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
7
Events
Days
Events
December 26th to Januaru 01st
DEC 28 Shraddhanjali Kanan, Zoo Road AT 09:30 AM
RUN 4 FREEDOM WINTER JAM 2015
RED LIVE
DEC 31 Topaz AT 06:00 PM
Topaz New Years Celebration “Welcoming 2016” Café Copa, Anil Plaza, G.S Road AT 06.00 PM
Chapter 2016, GenNext, New years Celebration Terra Mayaa, Anil Plaza, G.S Road AT 08:00 PM
NEW YEARS EVE II 31st DECEMBER Aditi Singh Sharma performed for Guwahatians in a gig held at the Ganesh Mandir Indoor Stadium Field on the 20th December in an event was organised by Red FM. The Bollywood singer sang popular numbers and other songs to keep the crowd on their feet.
G PLUS DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Horoscope Aries You’ll enjoy easing into the holiday week with a chance to unwind. Even so, your ambitious streak may come to the fore as the Sun enters Capricorn. While you’re enjoying kisses under the mistletoe, you might also be calculating how to get that fabulous promotion. Christmas Day comes with a Full Moon that could encourage emotions out into the open. Be sure to have a box of tissues handy because the tears may flow.
You seem to be relishing the festive atmosphere, with plenty of opportunities for get-togethers with friends and family. If you’re holding an office party, this week could prove memorable regarding one or two encounters. But with Full Moon energy reaching a peak, try not to do anything you might regret later. December 25 could see you enjoying some downtime with your closest companions.
Support from others can give you a boost and enhance your social life. Although you’ll be eager to keep tabs on expenses during this holiday week, the Sun’s move into your travel and adventure sector heralds a time of opportunity and adventure. If you’ve been thinking of expanding your horizons, this is the time for it. There’s romantic potential on Thursday, so don’t turn down an unexpected invitation.
Cancer You seem to be busy on all fronts and enjoying every moment. Be sure to delegate some tasks so you have time to enjoy the holiday week. Relationships could come very much to the fore, with a Full Moon in your sign encouraging the free expression of feelings. December 25 could be quite emotional for many reasons but enjoyable anyway.
Virgo
Leo The desire to entertain and still fulfill all your responsibilities suggests it would be best if you paced yourself. A desire to splurge on holiday gifts could see you taking full advantage of last-minute bargains. On December 25, you’ll be ready to ease off the accelerator and leave some of the hard work to others.
With the holiday week now here, you will be in your element as you arrange events and get everyone organized. As Venus continues to dance through Scorpio, there’s a good chance to get closer to a special person or heat up the vibe with your sweetheart. You’ll be in full party mode as the Full Moon develops this week, and Christmas Day will bring out the best in you.
Scorpio
Libra
Although you may be busy with last-minute purchases, decorating the home, and getting things organized this holiday week, it’s also a time of spiritual renewal for you. It’s important to take time out for reflection, meditation, and any spiritual housecleaning that needs to be done, such as making amends. During this hectic week it seems you’ll be in demand, as the Full Moon puts you firmly in the spotlight.
You’ll be aware of the power of words and knowledge this week. This is an excellent time to get in touch with people you haven’t seen or heard from in a while. You may get a surprise call or even a visit from a long-lost family member or friend on December 25. In addition, this holiday week not only enhances passion but can also see you involved in projects that are demanding and exciting.
Capricorn
Sagittarius Don’t take too much upon yourself this week. You could do with a chance to kick back and enjoy yourself. As Mars continues to hike through your social sector there’s plenty to keep you busy so long as you take your mind off your work. However, the Full Moon on December 25 could bring emotions to the surface. Despite a few tantrums, there will also be plenty of laughter.
Vitality and energy return as the Sun dances into your sign on Monday. It’s time to celebrate being you and focus on the projects with special meaning. In addition, this week the Cancer Full Moon brings people together in the spirit of the season. Aside from one or two minor clashes, it looks like a great time when friends and extended family enjoy meeting up once again.
Pisces
Aquarius
Sudoku
Control your workday at the New Moon on December 11. You have the responsibility, authority, and expertise, so step into the spotlight and be the star. Have a shiny, bright, and fun Full Moon on December 25. It’s Christmas, but whatever your holiday, celebrate with the heart of a child. With the Moon opposing Pluto, something big and unexpected may happen, but you’ll put a humorous slant on it.
A Sudoku puzzle consists of 81 cells which are divided into nine columns, rows and regions. The task is now to place the numbers from 1 to 9 into the empty cells in such a way that in every row, column and 3×3 region each number appears only once.
last week solution
It’s time to ease off the accelerator and kick back as the Sun moves into a more secluded part of your chart. Although you may be busy exploring new options or closing exciting deals, you need to pace yourself and take the chance to recharge. This is particularly so around December 25, when it would be wise not to throw yourself into holiday preparations but delegate and take a back seat if possible.
Citypedia
AMBULANCE
Taurus
Gemini
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Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 Free Ambulance to GNRC Hospitals Toll Free: 1800-345-0011 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
BLOOD BANK
HOSPITALS
Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) B Baruah Cancer Institute (2472364/66) Brahmaputra Hospital Ltd (2451634/678) Chatribari Christian Hospital 0361-2600051, 92070-44374 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, 098641-03333 Dispur Hospital Reception 97070 20370 82539 99124 361-2235759 (Landline No. / Fax) Hayat Hospital
8011003110 GNRC Hospital 1800-345-0022 (Toll Free) GNRC Ambulance 1800-345-0011 (Toll Free)
24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) D Modern Medicos, Maligaon (9864366763) Candid 24x7, Panbazar (2604422) 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, LPG Booking (ivr System) 7670024365 Child line Guwahati 1098
GMC helpline number for garbage collection
RADIO TAXI SERVICES Prime Cabs 0361- 2222233 Green Cabs 0361-7151515 My Taxi 0361-2228888 Cherry Cabs 8876222288
Vigilance and anti corruption toll free number
8811007000
1800-345-3767 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 DEC 26, 2015 - JAN 01, 2016
Catching Up Most shared story of the week The inauguration of Taj Vivanta was a massive hit this week on the G Plus social media handle. Turns out, Guwahatians love the fact that they have their first five star hotel within the city that will add some glamour and glitz to Khanapara. With over 1.3K hits and around 80 shares, Vivanta’s inauguration was definitely the buzz of the week.
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Guwahati
GYAN
Did you know?
Assam State Museum
New
Chic
on the block
Nanky Baruah About Me
Hey there! I am Nanky Baruah from Guwahati. I am a simple girl who loves to make friends, meet new people and have a good time. I am a passionate dancer and I love to read books. I grew up watching shows like Femina Miss India, Miss Universe, Miss World among others and that’s when I think my passion for modelling erupted.
Mojo
I am a very positive person which I think comes from my parents. My positivity is one of the factors of why I know I will be very successful in life.
Route in the Woods
R
un by the state government the Assam State Museum has an impressive collection of antiques that dates back to pre-historic times. Located on the southern bank of Dighalipukhuri the museum was established by Assam Research Society in 1940 but was taken over by the state government in 1953.
Apart from collections comprising of metal, ivory paintings and ancient costumes the museum also incorporates the lifestyle of the Assamese community. The museum also consists of a library that was established in 1985 and is rich in stenographic collections and even the Asiatic society journals.
It’s been a year since I started my modelling career and I believe, whatever I have achieved is a stepping stone to what I want to do next. It keeps me going strong and I know that one day, I will make it to the big leagues.
Co-Ordinated by: Aryan Nath
Ka m u r of the week
T
he excess of parties, events and December revelries that brings in the happy hours but in turn, affects health adversely. Whatever did we do to incur nature’s wrath making it dictate that all that is delicious is bad for health? If only the December revelries were equally health conducive, this factor would not have been labelled as Kamur of the Week!
WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?
A
ccording to reports, a 40-year-old woman recently succumbed to injuries at Hyderabad after she was set on fire by her alcoholic husband for not cooking mutton curry properly. Shanker Rao C, allegedly poured kerosene on his wife Sulochana and set her ablaze at their house in Katedan area on the eveningInofAssociation December 20.
PIC OF THE with
WEEK
Spreading Warmth
Photo: Adib Zamali
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