G Plus Vol 3 Issue 25 by G Plus

Sex

in our city

“I am not aware of a cut off age to start and end masturbation.”

with Dr. Mithun bhartia

PG 18

Asset Watch

Simi Saikia

New Chic on the block

PG 08

Page 24

VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 25 APR 02 - APR 08 , 2016

PRICE `10

Ward watch

Ward no 31

Will Jalukbari vote for the same party or the same candidate?

FACE OFF!

The battle for Gauhati West

Habitual embezzler finally bites the dust

12 PG

05 Victims of Bishnupur fire to file case against CM if not compensated

Guwahati gears up for elections

Kamrup (M) administration expects PG 02 90% voter turnout

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Poll Special

Guwahati gears up for elections – Kamrup (M) administration expects 90% voter turnout

“Many voters without voter’s ID card maintain an opinion that they cannot cast their votes. This is a very wrong notion as once you are registered, you can cast your vote with or without an ID card,” Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

Chinmoy Prakash Phookan, Election Officer, Kamrup (M)

head of the assembly polls, both the districts of Kamrup are gearing up for a successful and well-organized election. Assam 2016 polls can only be a success if a huge majority of its population comes out to cast their votes. Assam has 1.98 crore voters out of which 93 lakhs are female voters. Apart from this, the district administration is also trying to attract first-time voters. In all, 6.76 lakhs voters will exercise their franchise for the first time in this election. To ensure a truly fair and successful election, the Kamrup District authorities have adopted SVEEP Systematic Voter Education and Electronic Participation to ensure strict awareness programs all over the city. The Kamrup District election authorities have been promoting these polls vigorously. Voter education seems to be the first and foremost agenda of election officials in the city and according to them, this year Kamrup (M) is expected to throw up a massive voter turn-out. With just a few days left to go, the district authorities are doing it all - from seeking out local celebrities like Barsha Rani Bishaya, who is the district elections brand ambassador, to putting out hoardings all over the city. Chinmoy Phookan, District Election Officer Kamrup (M) is very positive about Guwahati’s turnout. “We are making voter awareness our prime agenda and this year we are expecting a 90% voter turnout in Guwahati. We are reaching out to the

Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi taking part in awareness campaigns in Guwahati public in newer and more innovative ways and this has been a huge factor in the expected rise.” The Kamrup District authorities are handing out special slips as forms of invitation cards to Guwahatians. These invites are addressed to each person and contains the location of their polling booth where they can cast the vote. A lot of people miss out on the chance to cast their votes because they are unsure of where to go to cast their votes which was why the DA Kamrup (M) adopted this method. “This is a first time initiative

and it ensures a bigger reach,” Phookan stated. Another very impressive agendum taken up by the Kamrup District authorities is the deployment of flying squads - a fleet of about twelve GPS activated vehicles that have been making rounds all over Guwahati. They have been deployed so that they can keep a track on the politicos and their activities in Guwahati. Prior to elections, there have been many a time in the city when there was involvement of political parties to disrupt the peaceful conduct of elections. The controls re-

Voter Awareness floats in the city

main solely with the Election Officer and any case of disruption is looked into immediately. Other than the flying squads, the DA has also deployed various vans in and around the city that are promoting voter awareness in their own ways - like addressing the public one-to-one, addressing voters on streets, going to places where there is minimal reach of electronic media and verbally campaigning in such places. It is a wrong notion that people who do not have their voter IDs cannot cast their votes. A lot of people are thus left out from participating in our democracy based on a simple wrong notion. Once a person is registered to vote, he or she needn’t necessarily have their IDs on the day of voting. Mass media promotions are being done all over the city - the DA Kamrup (M) has come out with their own certified and censor board approved promotional films which are running before the screening of prime time movies in Guwahati. Social media campaigns have been up and running since October last. A Facebook page, “Kamrup Metro Votes” and a website called kamrupmetroelections. com have registered about sixty thousand voters. Guwahati is dotted with hot air balloons and voter awareness exhibitions with these last few days

left for it goes to polls. Other than voter awareness programs, the DA Kamrup is also ensuring that voters come to cast their votes and can do so without any hesitation. There will be eight all-women polling stations where all election officials - presiding officers, polling officers, micro observers and other staff including security personnel, will be women. The all-women polling stations have been set up in Boko, Chhaygaon, Hajo and Palasbari constituencies. Special training sessions have been conducted for the election personnel. The DA has also roped in NCC cadets as volunteers who will be stationed specially in the border area polling stations. There are 1,113 polling stations all over Kamrup (M) and special arrangements have been made in these polling booths for the physically challenged, senior citizens, pregnant and lactating mothers. In the 2011 Assembly elections, the voter turnout in Guwahati was just 65% of the total population. However, this shot up to a whopping 79% in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections. This year, the expected turn out is set at 90%. With simple campaigns like putting informative stickers on all household cylinders targeting housewives to gifting the first five voters a medallion as a token of appreciation from the DA Kamrup, can a 90% voter turnout be expected? All the four constituencies of Guwahati viz. Jalukbari, Dispur, Gauhati East and Gauhati West are going to polls on 11th April and according to recent reports, a majority of candidates from the four LACs are male members from registered but unrecognized parties. The youngest contestant from Kamrup is Sangita Das (26) from Dispur constituency, a CPI (M) candidate. The oldest is Subimal Biswas (70) in Gauhati West. According to the final electoral published this year the total number of voters in each constituency are - Jalukbari 1,80,826 voters, Dispur 3,53,979 voters, Gauhati (E) 2,13,950 voters and Gauhati (W) with 2,52,119 voters. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Crime

Rudra Prasad Sharma, a resident of BBC Colony in Adabari, had gone missing since the afternoon of 8th March He had returned from Darjeeling at 7 am the same day, left home again around 8 am and was last contacted at 12:30 pm On 21st March his family members were informed about the recovery of a body at GMCH which had some resemblance to Rudra Rajdeep Kumar and Bitu Giri, who had admitted Rudra to GMCH on the same day that he went missing, i.e. 8th March, did not provide any information about him to the hospital Relatives of Rudra have accused Rajdeep Kumar and Bitu Giri of murder and have expressed anomalies in the police department and investigation Police has apprehended the two and booked them under section 302 of IPC The police also informed during investigation it was found that Rudra had died of drug over dose A DNA test has been carried out on the exhumed body and the police are hopeful of its identity on getting the results

ven as a body was unearthed from Bhootnath on Sunday last, the same did not answer questions about the whereabouts of Rudra Prasad Sharma. This 23-year-old, who has been missing since 8th March, has not been traced till date and his body has not also been found to conclusively prove that he has died. It is alleged that Rudra had been murdered but due to the sluggish response of the police to the complaint the body has not been traced till date. The body which was exhumed on Sunday was unidentified and this fact was notified to Jalukbari police station by GMCH on 9th March. As informed by police, it was buried in the Bhootnath crematory ground on 12th March. On Sunday last the body

Exhumed body creates confusion in identification of missing youth Unearthed body does not match the description of a missing youth whose whereabouts are still unknown; two arrested was unearthed following information that the deceased had been admitted in GMCH earlier. However, relatives have rejected the exhumed body to be that of Rudra Prasad Sharma.

The Incident Rudra Prasad Sharma, a resident of BBC Colony in Adabari, had gone missing since the afternoon of 8th March. He had returned from Darjeeling at 7 am the same day and left home at around 8 am. It was at around 12:30 pm when he was last contacted and he informed that he was near Goushala and would be returning soon. Thereafter, following his apparent disappearance after he failed to return home, relatives of Rudra filed an FIR in Jalukbari police station. It was only a few days ago that the family members were informed about the recovery of a body at Bhootnath which bore resemblance to Rudra. It has come to light that one Rajdeep Kumar and Bitu Giri had admitted Rudra to GMCH on 8th March but did not provide any information about him to the hospital. The duo had mentioned that they found the body by the roadside in Maligaon and took it to GMCH at around 7:30 pm on the same day. Both of them turned out to be acquaintances of the deceased and knew his family members well. Apparently the duo had discussed about admitting Rudra in GMCH with some other friends and gradually the news came to the knowledge of Rudra’s family members. The family passed on the information to Jalukbari police station and the body was exhumed from Bhootnath crematory ground.

Identification and missing evidences It was informed that Rudra had several identification marks on his body including a tattoo on his left hand that said ‘DX.’ Moreover, Rudra was wearing camouflage trousers and a black T-shirt which matched with the body admitted in GMCH. However, these clothes did not match with those on the body that was exhumed

from Bhootnath. This is also the reason why that the relatives of Rudra rejected the exhumed body to be his. Meanwhile, Rudra’s wallet, mobile phone and watch were missing from the time he was admitted in GMCH. As informed by officials of Jalukbari police station, the body had started decomposing and no identification marks on the body could be seen. However, Rudra’s relatives mentioned that the body that was exhumed could be identified as only a part of the body had decomposed.

Allegations and anomalies Relatives of Rudra Prasad Sharma have accused the duo, Rajdeep Kumar and Bitu Giri, of murder and have expressed anomalies in the police department due to which a proper statement could not be produced from the two accused. “We have been visiting the police station every day since the day he has gone missing but even after getting news that an unidentified body has been recovered the police did not cross check with us if the body could be Rudra’s. It was only on 21st March that we got the news of him being admitted to GMCH and Jalukbari police station was informed of the same. Since the police had the knowledge, it was their responsibility to share

the information. It was only because of their apathetic behaviour that the details could not be unfolded,” asserted relatives of Rudra adding that the police have not been strict enough with the accused who are providing varying statements about the inci-

KALYAN DEB

dent every time. The relatives also mentioned that police had assured them of tracing his phone and finding more details but no such step has been taken so far. Meanwhile, police has apprehended Rajdeep Kumar and Bitu Giri and a case (number 237/16) has been registered under section 302 of IPC. “The body that was unearthed on Sunday had already decomposed and could not be identified with bare eyes and no identification marks were clearly visible,” mentioned officials of Jalukbari police station. The police also informed that during investigation it was found that Rudra had died of drug over dose and the two apprehended were involved with him and had admitted him to the hospital following the same. Although the DNA test result will unravel the mystery behind the body that was exhumed on Sunday, the apathetic behaviour of the police is apparent as the deceased’s family members were not informed about it. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Poll Special

rahul chanda

Will Jalukbari vote for the same party or the same candidate?

State political giant Himanta Biswa Sarma won the last three assembly elections on Congress tickets and this time he will contest from BJP while Congress has fielded a new face

nown as the bastion of Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Jalukbari constituency is all set to vote on 11th April but this time Himanta Biswa Sarma is contesting from BJP instead of Congress. Meanwhile, Congress has fielded a former student leader and businessman, Niren Deka, who is confident of winning the 2016 elections. Himanta Biswa Sarma has won the constituency seat since 2001 for three consecutive terms. Niren Deka is contesting for the first time and is the candidate from the Congress party. The voters are expected to decide who they will vote for by discerning between who actually had done the developmental works in the constituency – the party or its former candidate. G Plus nevertheless looks into the developmental works done in this constituency and the response of the public.

51 Jalukbari LAC This year there are 1,80,817 voters who will decide the fate of the candidates out of which 91,029 are male voters and 89,788 female voters. In 2006, 1,55,605 voters had voted in the assembly elections and in 2011, 1,67,926 people had voted. There are some areas in the constituency which fall under rural area and some under urban. There are three wards in the constituency being ward number 2, 3 and four. The areas which fall under the constituency are Sanpara, Bangsar Majalia, Bathan, Srihati, Sualkuchi Kaibartapara, Sualkuchi, Harmohan, Gandhamou, Kismat Bangsar, Roumari, Singimari, Alikash Bamunbari, Pacharia, Agyathuri, Dalibari Magalia, Dadara, Nowapara, Dhingarbari, Pandu, Hathat Colony, Maligaon, Feri ghat colony, Uttar Guwahati, Majgaon, Silakhakoi, Madhyam Khanda, Amingaon, Saraighat, Rudreswar, Abhaypur, Gouripur, Sila, Silakraibari, Athia-

bai, Bonmaja, Dhopatari, Changsari, Bhetamukh, Jalah, Haruchandra, Bamuni Gaon, Barchandra, Rangmahal, Khairapara, Simelibari, Uttar Mandakata, Sarubaka, Berbaka, Bar Nizara, Manik Nagar, Dirgheswari, Uttar Fulung, Fulung, Dakhin Lebha, Uttar Lenga, Satgaon, Barmura, Kumnagar, Mandakata, Salmara, Bezera, Khehenipara, Barmura, Bamuni Gaon, Alipub, Barpalaha, Khudrapalha, Agdola, Bhomolahati, Kamakhya and Gog. G Plus checks which party won the elections in the constituency in the past years. Looking at the past results, Himanta Biswa Sarma has won from the constituency on the last three occasions but he had contested from Congress. But as he is contesting from BJP this time the observers are wondering whether the shift will ensure his victory again. To check what development was done in last five years G Plus visited the constituency and talked to a few people.

Voters’ view The roads in the areas of the constituency looked decent but in the interior of Pandu there are some bylanes which are still undeveloped. A local woman, talking to G Plus said, “We don’t face much of a problem here but at night near Pandu port, behind the Railway SP office, some young boys gather during the evening. They are on alcohol every day, take drugs and anyone passing by becomes their victim of obscene and abusive comments. No one can do anything against them as they supposedly are on good terms with Himanta Biswa Sarma.” She also said that the roads in Pandu used to be in poor condition before but these days the flood problem has lessened after a new drainage system was constructed in the area. Similarly a resident of BBC colony

The winning candidates and parties in the constituency

Year 1967 1978 1983 1985 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011

Assembly Constituency Jalukbari Jalukbari Jalukbari Jalukbari Jalukbari Jalukbari Jalukbari Jalukbari Jalukbari

Winner Name S. Medhi Lakhyadhar Choudhury Shah Jalal Ali Bhrigu Kumar Phukan Bhrigu Kumar Phukan Bhrigu Kumar Phukan Himanta Biswa Sarma Himanta Biswa Sarma Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Party IND JNP INC IND NAGP AGP INC INC INC

(Railway Colony) in Adabari said that there are some empty quarters in the colony which are occupied by youths during the evening and they create lot of unruliness. According to the resident, the youths do not listen to anyone, take drugs there and supposedly are politically linked. A local resident in the North Guwahati area near the IIT, talking to G Plus, said that they don’t face much of a problem. But talking about the MLA’s performance he said that the areas adjacent to the Brahmaputra River could have been more developed and beautified to attract tourists. The resident said that since most of the areas in the Jalukbari constituency are near the river, the MLA could have thought out a strategy to maintain the areas in such a way that it can attract tourists which will also help the local youths get employment and further develop the constituency. The resident said that after Himanta became the MLA, the constituency is obviously developing but there was more which could have been done especially in the sector of generating employment for the youths. But one thing we noticed is that the people of the constituency are somehow content with the performance of the MLA and consider him as a tall leader. The resident also said that the people are happy with Himanta’s work and they will vote for him this time too. G Plus decided talk to Himanta Biswa Sarma to ask about the development done by him in the constituency.

Himanta’s associate As Himanta was very busy with the campaigning, we talked to one of his close associates who said that there were many developmental projects which were carried out in the Jalukbari constituency after Himanta became the MLA. The associate said that as soon as Himanta became the MLA, a water treatment plant was set up in Kamakhya in 2003. Also the JICA water supply project plant was set up in Amingaon and once the project is completed, the entire Jalukbari constituency will be the first to get drinking water 24/7. The associate said that Himanta, after talking to the NF Railway authorities, constructed a drainage system in the Pandu area after which the flood problem has lessened. Talking about roads the associate said that in entire Assam, only in Jalukbari constituency there are hardly any undeveloped roads left. There are many hospitals in the constituency and health services can be availed round

2011 Jalukbari elections result

Candidate

Party

Total votes

Atma Ram Deka

AIUDF

933

Pradyut Kumar Bora

BJP

16409

Manoj Saikia

AGP

14887

Himanta Biswa Sarma

INC

93812

Nathuni Das

836

Bimal Mochahary

AITC

1250

Naba Kumar Nath

IND

473

Prafulla Bharali

IND

495

Ramen Lahkar

IND

Total the clock. According to the associate, there are mini stadiums, swimming pool (at Bezara), indoor stadium at Amingaon and an auditorium at Baripara. On enquiring about the youngsters creating problems at night and claiming they are Himanta’s people, the associate said that Himanta Biswa Sarma is the most popular legislator in the entire state and he maintains relations with every household. He graces occasions in people’s homes. He goes when someone expires or when someone is getting married and does not deny anyone who seeks his help. So one should investigate whether the people taking his name really know him or not and should go to the police because as a legislator, he will never maintain relations with anti-social elements. Similarly the associate said that Himanta has also done a lot for Kamakhya by providing many amenities.

The main opponent Niren Deka from the Congress party looks like being the main opponent this time and G Plus talked

1037 130136 to him. Deka, talking to G Plus said, “There is not much problem in the constituency but there is a lot of corruption. Whatever developmental work Himanta did was done through his close associates in the constituency and the general public did not get much.” Deka further said that there are Himanta’s middlemen in the entire constituency who siphon off the maximum developmental funds and any work happening in the constituency is done by Himanta’s men. He said that only 20% people in the constituency are with Himanta. Deka is 100% confident that he will win the elections. G Plus presents a table of all who contested from Jalukbari in the last elections and the number of votes they got. So Himanta Biswa Sarma, on a Congress ticket, easily won last time but this time he is contesting from BJP and the results will show whether the voters of Jalukbari are party-centric or candidate-centric. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Habitual embezzler finally bites the dust

Following an embezzlement of Rs. 17 lakhs a conman was arrested by Dispur police KALYAN DEB Police apprehended one Riju Samanta on 29th March at around 7 pm on charges of fraud

Following the discovery of the embezzlement the firm owners provided him with the option of producing all the money before the company including the amount in the market. The company had also mentioned to him that unless the entire amount is accounted for Riju cannot join any other company or legal measures will be taken against him. Till the month of October, Riju had attended the office and went absconding since then. It was recently discovered that Riju had joined another firm in Maligaon on 12th March through which he could be traced.

Apparently Riju had embezzled an amount of Rs. 17 lakhs and went absconding with a laptop and SIM card which were provided by his firm Riju had been working as president of the marketing department at Sun Syndicate Pvt. Ltd. since 2013 It was in August, 2015 when anomalies in his dealings came to the notice of his employers Till October, 2015 Riju attended office but has been absconding since then He could be traced recently after he joined another firm in Maligaon on 12th March Following his arrest suspicions have risen about the actual identity of Riju It was also informed that Riju had been involved in similar fraudulence in the firms he had worked for in the past but escaped legal consequences

Background of Riju

ispur Police arrested one Riju Samanta on 29th March at around 7 pm on charges of fraud. He was arrested from Maligaon and has been sent to judicial custody. Riju has been booked under section 409/420 of IPC against case number 583/16 after a complaint was filed by Giasuddin Ahmed who was the employer of Riju. Riju had been working as President, Marketing in Sun Syndicate Builders Pvt. Ltd. since 2013 and embezzled an amount of Rs. 17 lakhs besides decamping with a laptop and a SIM card that was provided by the firm he was working in. Although the laptop was recovered from the accused, the embezzled amount has not been recovered yet. Meanwhile, Riju has admitted to having trace of an approximate amount of Rs. 6 lakhs of the total amount while the rest is still “in the market.”

Modus Operandi It was in early 2013 when Riju joined Sun Syndicate Builders Pvt. Ltd. and has been in charge of the

marketing department with the designation of President. It was in August 2015 when his fraudulence came to the notice of one of the directors of Sun Syndicate, Giasuddin Ahmed, when he was effecting cash transactions with one of the clients of the firm. “He was on a leave for around 15 days during that time. The firm was in dearth of certain raw materials and thereby certain irregularities came to my notice. I usually do not deal directly with the vendors or interfere in the functioning of the departments of the company. It was Riju who was looking after the marketing department and was in touch with the vendors. However, during the period when we required the raw materials, Riju was on leave and I had to deal with the vendor directly. I was informed by the vendors that he was transacting in cash with them which was against the company ethics as we pay only by cheque. Then we tracked down all the company accounts which brought to light the anomalies he was indulging in,” Ahmed stated to G Plus.

Riju Samanta, has been residing in Maligaon in a rented apartment and according to reports, his roots trace back to Kolkata. However, his true identification is now a concern and has created suspicion to his former employer as he had never furnished his original address proof to the firm till date. “Every time we asked him about a government identification and address proof he always produced one or the other excuse and since till then, there was no reason of suspicion about his work, we did not bother much. However, now that he has been exposed, we will soon be taking the required measures,” Ahmed informed. According to sources, prior to joining Sun Syndicate, Riju had been associated with several other firms from where he was sacked following anomalies in his functioning. His last firm, JK Foam in Jalpaiguri, had sacked him after just 6 months of his association with the firm. It was also informed that Riju had been involved in similar fraudulence in the firms he had worked in the past but no legal measures were taken again against him and he was rather terminated from his job in every instance. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

Crime

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Poll Special

Juthika Baruah

Third gender gets equal right to vote

Kamrup (M) has 32 transgender voters in the electoral rolls and they have equal rights but the government is still to provide them with job opportunities

he third gender voter in the Kamrup (M) demanded that they should be provided with job reservation and that they shouldn’t be neglected in the society. Voting is the constitutional right of the citizens and so is equal to the third gender and as they are a part of the society it is the responsibility of the Government to provide them a source of livelihood. According to the data of the Kamrup (M) electoral rolls, there are 32 third gender voters. Speaking to G Plus, one of the third gender voters, Shanti Kinkar said, “We cast our vote every time but it’s of no use as the government does not provide us with jobs or rather we are neglected in the society. If we have the right to vote then there must something that we should be benefitted from.” Shanti said, “We do vote to get something in return. People vote so that they can choose their right candidate in an expectation that they will do something for the people. We also vote to get the benefits but we are deprived off our rights. We are not being given job opportunities as we cannot do jobs with other people. There should be separate facilities for us so that we can earn our source

32 third gender voters in Kamrup (M) In 2014 Supreme Court recognised transgender as third gender Third gender demands job opportunities in lieu of their votes of livelihood.” She further said that they have their names in the electoral rolls and they do not face any problems while casting their vote but after the election the government does not extend any facilities to them. In 2014, the Supreme Court also recognised the transgender as the third gender and that eunuchs, apart from the binary gender, are treated as a third gender for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under the

constitution and the laws made by parliament and the state legislature. A bench of Supreme Court directed the centre and states to take steps to treat them as socially and educationally backward classes and extend reservation for admission in educational institutions and for public appointments. The bench said that recognition of transgender as a third gender is not a social or medical issue but a human rights issue. Transgenders are also citizens

of India. The spirit of the constitution is to provide equal opportunity to every citizen to grow and attain their potential, irrespective of caste, religion or gender. By virtue of this verdict, all identity documents, including a birth certificate, passport, ration card and driving licence would recognise the third gender. The bench said gender identification is essential. It is only with this recognition that many rights such as the right to vote, own property and

marry will be meaningful. Shanti also said that they have been given voter card, ration card and identity card but till date they are not being given the right to mix with the society and that they can’t work with other people for which they choose the only way of livelihood, i.e., by taking money from people through begging. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

SBI GMCH Branch looted in broad daylight; inside job suspected

In a case of bank robbery, Rs. 6 lakhs was looted from the SBI GMCH Branch in broad daylight in continuation of a series of cases related to bank and ATM thefts in the city Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

n what appears to be a clear case of negligence of bank authorities, Rs. 6 lakhs in cash was stolen from the State Bank of India, GMCH Branch at Bhangagarh on Wednesday last. According to the Bhangagarh Police Station where the case has been registered, four unknown people entered the cash counter area of the bank and while the bank staff was busying themselves with other responsibilities, the miscreants sneaked away with the money. According to Dhirendra Narayan Dev, OC, Bhangagarh Police Station, the incident was mostly the bank’s fault. “It seems to be a planned theft. According to CCTV footage, there were four men. We are trying to find

out if there were others involved, especially someone from the bank.” The thieves were dressed normally and were smart enough to blend in with the crowd, unnoticed by the security person stationed there. The police have ruled out any reason other than this being just a case of a simple robbery since the thieves were not armed. The incident took place at around 3 pm. Taking advantage of the crowd, the miscreants went inside the cash counter area of the bank where the theft happened. According to the police, three men cornered a bank staff who was on his way to collect the cash and distracted him. On seeing a crowd in the cash coun-

ter area, the staff member laid down the bag of money to shoo the people out. Seizing the opportunity, one of the men grabbed whatever he could from the top of the bag and sneaked out. “The banks need to me more careful and follow strict instructions. People should not be allowed beyond a certain point,” stressed OC Narayan Dev. “What we are trying to find out is if there is any involvement of anyone from the bank. We want to know why there were so many people in that cash counter area, or was that on purpose,” Dev stated.

bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

In The News

Victims of Bishnupur fire to file case against CM if not compensated

The victims allege that negligence of the fire service department caused the fire to spread burning the houses down to ashes; timely response by the department could have brought the fire under control Juthika Baruah

1000 people from 150 families affected in the fire 18-20 cylinders burst fanning the flames and spreading the fire Necessary relief will be provided by the government to the victims Victims will file case against CM if the government won’t provide them compensation Local NGO provided the victims with gratuity relief

he residents of Bishnupur who have lost their property in a devastating fire incident on Tuesday, 29th March will lodge a case against Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi if the government does not provide compensation to the victims. The fire broke out due to leakage of LPG cylinders leading to 18-20 cylinders bursting causing devastation. The incident caused loss of many properties and a population of 1000 from 150 families have been affected. “According to the instruction of the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M) to investigate into the incident, we have found that 150 families have been affected and as the area is very congested, the fire spread rapidly. It is due to the leakage of cylinders that the fire broke out and the

affected families will get the necessary relief. We have investigated the incident and all the details have been sent to the Government. The families who lost their properties will get the compensation,” said Lakhiminandan Saharia, Guwahati Revenue Circle Officer, while speaking to G Plus. Saharia further informed that gratuity relief of rice, dal, vegetables etc. was given to the victims on the day of

the incident by a local club and from the next day the government provided the relief. “The details of the monetary loss have been examined and the report will be given after seven days. We will provide the grant-in-aid after the report comes,” said Saharia. The victims alleged that the fire brigade reached a whole one hour after they were informed and the first vehicle came empty. It is due to the negli-

gence of the fire brigade that the fire spread to more houses. “I am a student of HS 1st year and I was set to appear for my last exam the next day. But the day before the exam all my documents got burnt for which I was not able to sit for my last exam. The first time we witnessed the fire was at 10.15 am and we immediately called the fire brigade but they didn’t respond. After threefour times when we repeatedly called

them they responded to the call and reached after 1 hour. They were playing volleyball instead of coming to the spot; we are very sure that they were playing as we heard the sound over the phone. The game was much more important to them than the lives of the people. It was due to their negligence that around 1000 people have lost their properties. Had they come on time the fire could have been brought under control and a maximum of two rooms would have been burnt instead of so many houses,” said one of the victims, Munna Chaurasia, while speaking to G Plus. The victim further stated that the government is responsible for such a huge loss as the staff of the fire service department which is under the state government is not well-trained and they are least bothered about their duties. “The election is nearby and the government only seeks votes but they don’t have any responsibility towards the public and it is for their sheer negligence that such types of incidents repeatedly take place. This time we want a change in the government as the present government has failed to provide facilities to the people. In other states, the government provides all the compensation for people’s losses in such incidents but our government does not have any such system. They only know how to fool people during the election time by giving false assurances,” said one of the victims. Chaurasia further said that if the government won’t provide them the compensation then they will take out a rally with all the students’ unions and that they will show their student power. He also said that one of the residents, Chandrama Chaurasia, has lost property worth Rs. 7 lakh and they want that he should get the full compensation. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

Weather report for the week SAT 02 April

SUN 03 April

MON 04 April

TUE 05 April

WED 06 April

THU 07 April

FRI 08 April

Sunny

Numerous showers

Heavy rain

Numerous showers

Sunny

16 / 27 °C

18 / 27 °C

21 / 32 °C

21 / 26 °C

18 / 29 °C

21 / 26 °C

21 / 34 °C

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Poll Special

Asset Watch G Plus presents the assets as declared by the most prominent contestants of Guwahati LAC viz. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Niren Deka (both Jalukbari), Akon Bora, Atul Bora (Dispur), Juri Sarma Bordoloi, Ramendra Narayan Kalita (Gauhati West) and Bobbeeta Sarma, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya (Gauhati East) in their official affidavits. Juthika Baruah

Jalukbari Constituency Niren Deka

Party Indian National Congress Spouse Dr. Diti Moni Gogoi Children Nabya Kashyap (Daughter) Duke Chandan (Son)

Assets

Himanta Biswa Sarma Party Bharatiya Janata Party Spouse Riniki Bhuyan Sarma Children Nandil Biswa Sarma (Son) Sukanya Sarma (Daughter)

Assets Description

Self

Spouse

Cash in Hand

Rs. 1,55,000

Rs. 85,000

Details of bank accounts (FDRs, Team Deposits and all other type of deposits including saving accounts), Deposits with Financial Institutions, Non- Banking Financial Companies and Cooperative Societies and the amount in each such deposits

Savings A/C in SBI Rs. 7,54,617 Standard Chartered Bank Rs. 7,86,603

Savings Bank A/C in Axis Bank Rs. 9,74,548 State Bank of India Rs. 17,017

Jewellery, bullion and valuable things (details of weight and value)

Gold weight180 gram Rs. 5,00,000

Gold ornaments weight 757 gram Rs. 22,70,500

Agricultural land

NIL

Niren Deka

Diti Moni Gogoi

Movable Asset

Rs. 15,534921.26

Rs. 2,35,594

Immovable Asset

Rs. 28,00,000

Rs. 1,50,000

Non Agricultural Land

NIL

Noonmati, RG Baruah Road, North Guwahati

Criminal Case

NIL

Residential Building

NIL

Agricultural Land

NIL

Noonmati, New Delhi, RG Baruah Road

Non-Agricultural Land

Saukuchi

NIL

Total of current market value of properties

NIL

Rs. 3, 50,00,000

Assets

Atul Bora Party Bharatiya Janata Party Geetarani Hazarika Bora Spouse Moharishi Pran Bora Children

Akon Bora Party- Spouse-

Description

Atul Bora

Geetarani Hazarika Bora

Moharishi Pran Bora

Cash in Hand

Rs. 3,50,000

Rs. 4,25,000

Rs. 20,000

Bank Deposits

Rs. 41,9,616

Rs. 341805

Vehicles

One Xilo and one Ambassador car

One Swift Dezire

Residential Building

One RCC building in Bamunimaidam

Assets Description

Akon Bora

Parul Bora

Movable Assets

Rs. 67,81,976

Rs. 67,25,440

Immovable Assets

Rs, 17,23,239

Rs. 51,00,000

Cases Pending

NIL

Agricultural Land

NIL

Non-Agricultural Land

NIL

Tokobari, Beltola

West Guwahati Constituency Ramendra Narayan Kalita Party Asom Gana Parishad Spouse Ajanta Chakravorty Children Ishan Kalita (Son)

Assets

Indian National Congress Parul Bora

Assets

Jury Sharma Bordoloi Party Indian National Congress Spouse Not Applicable Children Jigyasa Bordoloi (Daughter)

Description

Dr. Jury Sharma Bordoloi

Spouse

Cash in hand

Rs. 2,53,000

Not Applicable

Description

Self

Spouse

Dependent 1

Agricultural Land

NIL

Movable Assets

Rs. 47,96,508

Rs. 45,26,545

Rs. 14155

Residential building

M.C. Road, Barowari

Immovable Assets

Rs. 5,04,900

Rs. 1,432, 500

Movable Assets

Rs. 67,20.921

Rs. 4,34,734

East Guwahati Constituency Assets

Dispur Constituency

Description

Bobbeeta Sharma Party Indian National Congress Spouse Chinmoy Sharma Children Meghna Sharma (Daughter) Neha Sharma (Daughter)

Siddhartha Bhattacharya Party Bharatiya Janata Party Spouse Monalisa Bhattacharya Children- Gargi Bhattacharya (Daughter) Shreya Bhattacharya (Daughter)

Assets

Description

Self

Spouse

Dependent 1

Dependent 2

Cash in Hand

Rs. 83,6546.47

Rs. 1585616.58

Rs. 195608

Rs. 43080.03

Vehicles

Scorpio

NIL

Gross Total Value

Rs. 8066959.66

Rs. 10425285.37 Rs. 2304964.79

Rs. 1209378

Agricultural Land

NIL

Non-Agricultural Land GS Road, Ulubari

NIL

Commercial Building

GS Road, Ulubari

NIL

Residential Building

GS Road, Ulubari

NIL

Description

Self

Spouse

Meghna Sharma

Cash in Hand

Rs. 4,29,055

Rs. 11,83460

Rs. 3,08,997

Deposits in Bank

Rs. 22,92,881

Rs. 9,52,670

Rs. 1,84,903

Gross Total Value

Rs. 64,04,920

Rs. 1,67,41,938

Rs. 9,94,900

Agricultural Land

NIL

Non-Agricultural Land

NIL

Machkhowa, Lakhimpur

NIL

Commercial Building

NIL

Bamunimaidam

NIL

Residential Building

Kharghuli

NIL

NIL juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

GHC issues stay order on the replacement of share taxis

City

The share taxis, which were to be replaced within 31st March, have been given a stay order as the notification dated 4th March, 2014 is merely an executive instruction and not issued in the name of the Governor Juthika Baruah

he Gauhati High Court has given a stay order on the ban of plying of 10-15 year old share taxis (like trekkers) and city buses even as the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) had earlier issued orders to replace such old vehicles for the safety of the passengers. In a meeting held earlier by RTA and the District Administration, it was discussed that the deteriorating physical condition of most such old vehicles put the passengers’ safety at risk besides messing up the aesthetics of the city. Safety of other commuters and pedestrians is also threatened. The RTA had given a time period of 6 months from the date of the meeting - which was held in December 2013 which was later revised with the order that the age-old vehicles should be replaced within 31st March, 2016. The RTA and Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M) along with Guwahati Municipal Corporation Collector, City Traffic SP and DTO initiated that the new vehicles should compulsorily have GPS and the share taxis should be replaced with Tata Maximo and Tata Magic vehicles which had closed doors. Speaking to G Plus, Secretary of RTA (Permit), Kamrup (M), Asif Ahmed said, “The High Court has given a stay order and the date for the next hearing has been given in the fourth week of April. The age-old share-taxis and city buses create problems and it is risky for the passengers for which their replacement has been sought.” Considering traffic hazards, growth of vehicular traffic, to prevent road mishaps and provide adequate road safety to the school children and travelling public, the government feels it necessary to impose certain conditions attached to both Stage Carriage and Contract Carriage permits as resolved by the RTA Kamrup (Metro). Ahmed said that the permit of new vehicles have been stopped since 2009 as the number of passenger vehicles increased so much that it led to many difficulties especially accidents. “The city has witnessed huge numbers of vehicles and with the increasing vehicles the number of accidents is increasing. Therefore, the permits have been stopped since 2009 and only the renewal process is being continued,” said Ahmed. While talking about the prosecu-

GHC has given a stay order on the replacement of share taxis within the 31st March, 2016 deadline The next date of hearing has been pushed to the fourth week of April

Old trekkers lined up at a stand

Total nos of transport vehicles available in the district as per records of issuance of permits: Total nos of Category of vehicles Total nos of permit computerized for which permit issued issued manually permit

Total permits issued

Mini City Bus

1060

NIL

1060

Mini City Bus under ASTC Operation

NIL

Deluxe Express city bus I/C ASTC operation

192

NIL

192

10-seater share taxi within GMC area

1008

NIL

1008

10-seater Share Taxi outside GMC area

NIL

tion of vehicles for rash driving and of overloaded vehicles, Ahmed said that the enforcement team of Kamrup (M) is very active and overloaded vehicles are being pulled up but these cannot be stopped from plying on the roads. He said that the drivers themselves should be concerned. Actions are taken against them according to the act and they cannot go beyond the act. “We also impose fines but they don’t care and simply pay the penalty. They

pay the fine and then compete with other vehicles as to who can take more passengers. Until and unless they are not concerned for their own safety, the enforcement team can’t help it,” said Ahmed. Moreover, President of All Guwahati Share Taxi Coordination Committee, Sadak Ali said, “We will have to accept the decision of the High Court but we expect that the court will give a verdict which will save the

lives of the people associated with this business. More than 10,000 people are associated with this business as there are families of drivers and handymen as well and the owners, who at this stage of their lives, can’t think of taking up a job. The RTA asked us to replace the vehicles and if these are replaced, we will not get the requisite amount of vehicles as there are some people who cannot afford to buy a new vehicle.” Ali also questioned the RTA’s decision

Around 10,000 people are associated with the business on which their livelihoods depend of imposing ban old trekkers or share taxis and not the other commercial vehicles like Sumo, trucks, auto-vans etc. which are also creating the same problems. Senior counsel, Bhaskar Dev Konwar, drew the attention of the court to the fact that there were no materials placed before the RTA to justify taking such a drastic action of snatching away the livelihood of around 10,000 people who are involved directly or indirectly with the business. Konwar also said that the affected parties were also not heard by the authority before taking such a decision. “Even the notification dated 4th March, 2014 is an executive instruction and has not been issued in the name of the Governor. Therefore it cannot be termed as a policy decision of the Government under Article 166 of the Constitution. Further there is no cabinet approval of the state to the executive instruction. Assuming that the state government has the power to issue such a notification, it cannot be arbitrary or unreasonable and therefore can be reviewed judicially,” Konwar stated. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Poll Special

City witnessing ‘dirty politics’ for 2016 assembly polls

Juthika Baruah

With certain political workers promising chunks of votes to all candidates in exchange of favours, 2016 election campaign creates doubts in the minds of the loyal rank and file

he 2016 elections are just round the corner and the first phase of voting in Assam will take place on 4th April whereas Guwahati will vote in the second phase on 11th April. Political observers feel that in the history of assembly elections in Assam never ever has such an exciting contest been on the cards as the people hope to witness this year. From the day the elections dates were announced till today many changes were witnessed in the political spectrum of the state and a high voltage war of words was noticed across the state between different politicos. Talking about Guwahati, who will win the elections in the four constituencies, is literally a “million-dollar” question being pondered over by all Guwahatians at present. G Plus talked to people from the city and also took suggestions through social websites like Facebook to understand the mood of the voters.

The changes The day BJP released its manifesto (read Vision Document) the major change which the people of Assam witnessed was the shifting of allegiance of long time Congress member and leader Mehdi Alam Bora to BJP. Bora was the chief spokesperson of state Congress party and a diehard Congressman. Whatever the reason, Bora remains a good catch for the saffron party as he was very popular among the indigenous Assamese speaking Muslim people in the state. According to sources in the BJP, Bora is campaigning in upper Assam and also in Guwahati to make sure that the votes of the indigenous Assamese speaking Muslim people go to the BJP. Bora is from upper Assam and the indigenous Muslim people in the five districts of Assam are traditionally Congress supporters; in every district there are approximately 15,000 – 20,000 Assamese Muslim voters. So with Bora’s exit, Congress might lose these votes too. Similarly in Guwahati, there are approximately 35,000 to 40,000 Assamese Muslim votes which Bora is eying to convert to BJP as they are also traditional Congress supporters. Meanwhile, former Lok Sabha MP, Kirip Chaliha and ex-minister, Chittaranjan Patwari also resigned from the Congress expressing their displeasure over the functioning of

its leadership in the state. Chaliha is known to be close to chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s bête noire - BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma. Addressing a news conference recently Chaliha said that they have resigned from the primary membership of the party and sent their resignation letters to Assam PCC president, Anjan Dutta. Former Congress legislator Hiranya Bora and former Tezpur MP Iswar Prasanna Hazarika have lent their support to the duo. Bora had resigned from the party in June last itself accusing Dutta of insulting him and dishonouring his contribution to the party. Similarly the state also witnessed some changes in the BJP as the state BJP president and chief ministerial candidate, Sarbananda Sonowal, suspended many BJP members from the party for not following party discipline. Sources said that the BJP members, after the denial of tickets, were contesting independently which irked the party leadership and the suspension orders were announced. Now what about the Guwahati voters and who will they vote for?

Guwahati calculation G Plus asked a question to Guwahatians through Facebook as to who, among the two main candidates, should be the chief minister of Assam. We received 183 comments from which 155 people said that Sarbananda Sonowal should be the chief minister while 28 people preferred Tarun Gogoi again. This means that a mere 16% people wanted Tarun Gogoi back at the helm of affairs while 84% wanted a change. While this cannot be called a genuine survey under any circumstances and too small a sample size for a proper estimation, the mood of voters can nevertheless be gauged. Similarly, talking about two constituencies G Plus asked who should be the MLA in Gauhati East and Gauhati West. The options given for Gauhati East were Siddartha Bhattacharya and Bobbeeta Sharma. 70 people responded to the query of which 59 people said they would vote for Siddhartha Bhattacharya whereas 11 people said they will back Bobbeeta Sharma. For Gauhati West 27 people responded af-

ter being given a choice between Juri Sharma Bordoloi of Congress and Ramendra Narayan Kalita of AGP and 22 of these wanted Ramendra Narayan Kalita as the MLA. Observers feel that Himanta Biswa Sarma will not have a tough contest looking at the support that is seen backing him in a couple of rallies in Guwahati but the contest for the Dispur seat looks tough as the main contenders, Akon Bora and Atul Bora, are leaving no stone unturned to win. And now interestingly, the Congress candidates are somewhat apprehensive that someone or the other might be spying on their campaign moves.

The scare A highly placed source in the Congress party, talking to G Plus, said that the Congress candidates in Guwahati have been asked not to take calls on their phones directly as there might be a spying activity on them by some other party. A Congress worker working for Juri Sharma Bordoloi said that the close associates of the Con-

gress candidates also cannot be trusted as they might be planted as moles by other parties. The worker said that the mole provides all the information regarding the candidates, their campaign locations, their election related conversations and also who promised how many votes. During elections the candidates go around seeking votes in different areas and in every area there are some politically active people who promise them a certain number of votes in exchange for some favours like money or promise. The spy or mole passes the information and the same person from that area is contacted by the other political party with a better offer. The worker opined that the politics has been really dirty this time. Whatever the kind of activities taking place in the name of politics and elections, the results cannot be ascertained until and unless the last vote is counted on 19th May to culminate what will easily be the most exciting elections ever for the state.

juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Poll Special

Women’s wings keen to take up burning issues if given power

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

ith Assam going for polls soon, women’s wings of political parties are running their own campaigns to promote their own agenda. Each wing is working towards its own issues and pushing itself to be heard both within and in public. While these may look like gimmicks to many, all these wings are actually struggling to seek power for women in Guwahati. G Plus spoke to women representatives of a few regional political parties and tried to analyze their motives, agendas and most importantly themselves: are they the right kind of representation for Guwahati’s women?

I myself have seen how when some girl leaves her village home, her family members are drowned in concern and worry. I will continuously work for the safety of women especially in these bigger cities and voice their concerns at the right forums.

Nijara Chamua Mahila Morcha President, BJP, Guwahati

BJP has a very strong core group of women who are working relentlessly for the development of women not only in Guwahati but all over Assam. However, keeping Guwahati in mind, the first thing that I would say is if the BJP comes to power, I will assure you that we are going to work towards the safety of all. Over the years, the Congress government has made a mockery of the system and our children are no longer safe. There have been so many rapes and deaths of women and girl children, not only here but all over the state, so many have gone unaccounted for. Women from all over the northeast come to Guwahati seeking a livelihood and it is the duty of the government to safeguard them. If BJP comes to power, I am myself telling you that every girl, every woman will be able to roam on the streets in peace. Half the female population of Guwahati consists of working women who work late nights.The government insists on shooing women inside their homes after 7 in the evening. For this we have set up women committees all over Kamrup - small groups of self-helping women who also train and educate the men in their localities.

Shahnaz Yasmin Haque,

Pramila Rani Brahma

Nijara Chamua’s statement that women in Guwahati are not safe is foolish and ignorant. In cities like Bangalore and Delhi, there are so many hate crimes against women. But in Guwahati women are much safer. Of course now if you are coming back home at 12 o clock in the night after a rain dance, you are provoking people. Your safety depends on you. The way you dress and portray yourself affects the mindsets of people and this is what provokes them to do malicious things. I myself roam around the streets of Guwahati - of course I have a car - but I can tell you that in Guwahati safety is not a concern for women. If we win, we will continue focusing on women’s education - mandatory schooling of every girl child will be our priority. We will encourage skill development - many girl children in Guwahati are school dropouts. The APMC goes around the city promoting and spreading awareness campaigns all over - especially to these school drop outs who have some education but are unable to get appropriate jobs. For their sustainability we encourage them to work on other skills so that they are at least able to sustain themselves and are not a financial liability on anyone. We work with these women and help them to an extent that they can at least walk into a bank and apply for a loan if they want. We also help them in securing such loans and in this way their work grows. This is growth. What I am working for and what I assure you if we win is that Guwahati will strive to be a gender sensitive city. When it comes to the work front, Guwahati will be more and more women-oriented.

For years Guwahati has been the pit stop for any working class person and with time more and more women are coming to work in Guwahati and settle down here. I am from the Kokrajhar constituency and so many of our women have Guwahati their base. If our alliance wins, I myself will work on door-to-door campaigns to bring out young women who can take advantage of their education and seek for jobs in bigger cities instead of just getting married and settling down for a dependent life. So many young Bodo women are stuck in their homes just because they are not aware of the opportunities. I want to break that. Working for these women from the grassroots level and bringing them out is our biggest challenge and priority. We want to gather women from villages and we want to educate them in matters of politics. This in itself will lead them to awareness and empowerment. The next immediate concern for women in bigger cities like Guwahati is safety. I myself have seen how when some girl leaves her village home, her family members are drowned in concern and worry. I will continuously work for the safety of women especially in these bigger cities and voice their concerns at the right forums. The mentality of younger generations needs to undergo a transformation, a shift. This can happen only when there is a proper implementation of knowledge. A society cannot take up women’s issues and expect only women to work. How and who will that help? The crimes are being committed by males. Tell me first, who needs to be educated - the men or the women?

INC, President Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress

The other thing that I will ensure in Guwahati is the spread of small scale businesses for women. Women who are not working can also have their shot at economic independence. With the start-up schemes that were announced by the Modi government, women now actually can make a difference and it is easier in cities like Guwahati where there is such easy access to banks and other monetary means. I am from Amingaon and in my area I have visited over hundred households where people have formed self-help groups and such groups are striving towards establishing small scale industries, like pickle-making, textiles, etc.

“If you are rain dancing till 12 am in the night you are asking for it - you are provoking people to come and do bad things to you,” Shahnaz Yasmin Haque INC, President Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress

Bodoland’s People Front, MLA

Shaheen Hussain AIUDF, Central Committee, VP

The Ajmal Foundation for women is a trust that helps women from all over. Especially in Guwahati, we are working round the clock to provide better security and lifestyle opportunities to women. Education for all girl children - not only in the Kamrup district but all over the state is our most primary concern. All over the state we have around twenty schools functioning only for girl children in remote areas. We provide them computers and teach them how to use the internet and how to make it an effective tool for gathering information. Health is another sector I will promote - both mental and physical. I will bring proper pre-natal care to all mothers and make health counseling free and very accessible. I will make medical care free in small dispensaries so that expecting mothers can come without worry for check-ups. I will also distribute free medicines. Mental illnesses are connected with social stigmas and taboos where women suffer. I intend to take this matter up seriously. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Poll Special

Inspired

Who is your main competitor this time? Hemanta Talukdar or Ramendra Narayan Kalita? It is Ramendra Narayan Kalita of course as he is from the AGP-BJP alliance.

After Congress announced your name as Gauhati West candidate, there was a smear campaign projecting you as a party girl. Who do you think did that and what is your reaction to the issue?

rahul chanda

Juri Sharma Bordoloi

he Gauhati West constituency is likely to witness a tough contest as political veteran Ramendra Narayan Kalita is contesting from th Hemanta Talukdar, has decided to contest as an independent candidate after denial of a ticket by his party. Talking about parties, th five years. A former Youth Congress leader and ex- Khadi Board chairperson, Juri Sharma Bordoloi feels that she is from the new gen and clean and so voters will chose him. G Plus asks the same set of questions to both the contestants to help voters decide who might be th

I have no comments about it. I think senior people - fatherly figures like Hemanta Talukdar - are the people who have been giving statements against my lifestyle or something. They should know I am like their daughter. So it is sometimes very disheartening but in politics it happens. People do dirty politics. I don’t care about the smear campaign because I know what I am. I believe in working for the development of the people. These types of terms like party girl, etc. does not bother me as I know my personality and I don’t need any certificate from anybody. It is important that the voting public understands my true self.

get a portfolio in the cabinet, it will be the Grace of the Almighty and thereaft the leadership. I am not a highly ambitio person. I just want to be elected as an ML so that I can serve the people from with the system.

The MLAs are not transpare about the developmental funds they receive. Will you be transparent?

I have a proper strategy to keep mys above board in front of the people as w as the workers mainly because when MLA gets the fund they don’t give the be eficiary directly. Rather they are giving through some middle-men. I have a diff ent strategy for it. Every day I am meeti people and assuring them of many thin So if I give them benefits through vario schemes I will have a proper data of t beneficiaries so that it’s transparent.

Hemanta Talukdar is known as an MLA who used to sleep in the assembly. If you are elected how would you be different?

Why should the voters vote for you?

If you are talking about laziness, obviously I am a younger person coming from the new generation with new visions. If I win, I would not have time to sleep at night even for five hours. So I believe I will give my full time for public service and that is the reason for which I am here. I have a vision and I don’t know if Hemanta Talukdar ever had any vision for the constituency.

The voters have been seeing the sam people every time and despite all their a surances nothing is being done. Second the Congress government has done a of things for Assam and a fair number those things have not been completed implemented in Gauhati West. The re sons, whatever they may be, are known the people. Thirdly, they want a change a

Hemant

What are the problem areas in your constituency and what are the problems? The primary problem areas are Bhaskarnagar, Vishnupur, Lokhra and the hill areas of ward number 12. Water is the major problem there and even the roads. Primary infrastructural problem is what I need to address if I become the MLA. Basically the ground water problem comes from people boring tube-wells in areas like Hayat side, Lal Ganesh side, etc. The big apartments have deep tube wells and thereby the water level is getting depleted which is creating a lot of problems for people staying there. They have to buy water worth Rs. 200 per day which is not possible for the middle class people. So these are some issues that need to be addressed immediately. And in the other wards like Maligaon side, Garigaon side, the road and the drainage are the major problems. These are not issues which cannot be addressed. Rather it can be addressed within six or seven months after I become the MLA. I don’t think it will be a big problem for me to solve the issues. I just need to work with the proper department through a proper

channel.

In terms of essential services, what is lacking in your constituency? The networks of all the mobile phone services are very poor not only in my constituency but overall in Guwahati. My constituency goes up to the Ranee block Meghalaya border and there are big issues with the network connectivity. We need to think about it and talk with the private operators as well for bettering the connectivity there for the mobile network. Regarding electricity, Congress government has created a lot of infrastructure to give electricity. I don’t think it is a big problem there but yes, we have to continue with it and I will try my level best.

Please name five immediate changes the constituency will witness if you become the MLA? Firstly, there will be a proper channel of connectivity with the Congress workers which was lacking before at

the grass root level because they are the people who take the benefits from the government and deliver it to the public and they are the first public for me. As I have been working for fifteen years in the constituency I know the basic areas where I have to work. The issues I will focus on are employment generation not only through government but also through the private sector. I have a vision of bringing PPP model projects through which we can generate employment and fishery is also one of the big departments where I have to dip my hands in so that I can bring maximum benefits. I have to think about a bill for Deepor Beel which has to be raised immediately. For women and agriculture I have to take the agriculture department in my hands so that the barren lands lying just like that can grow crops. I have to think of some strategies. These are some major things which I will take up immediately.

After you become the MLA how do you plan to remain connected to the voters?

I will have my personal offices set up in our different political blocks. Ranee block area, which is the rural area of our constituency, will have an office set up as well. Two days at least in every week I will ensure that I sit in these offices for 2-3 hours so that people don’t have to come searching for me in Dispur or at my place. It is a costly matter for them. Also since they will send me as their representative, it is my duty to reach out to them. I will have offices in all the blocks so that I can set up a team and in my absence also my team can give me feedback. Now it is an electronic era and we don’t have to sit there to get the feedback. I need a proper system in place so that I get the feedback regularly.

After voting for you people will want you to represent them in the cabinet. So what portfolio will you ask for? I am very sorry I will not ask for any portfolio or ministry. Right now I just want to focus on public service and the first thing I am looking forward to is winning the election. After that if I

the probable

A supporter of Hemanta Talukdar ti West constituency, talking to G P Congress made a big mistake by no a ticket as he is the sitting MLA and enough to know who is facing what p constituency. The supporter said, “He dar has constructed our by-lane at Dh will vote for him. It doesn’t matter if an independent candidate.” A close associate of Talukdar, talk said that he has good terms with the Rani area and around 12,000 voters f has promised to vote for him. Simil many Hemanta loyalists in the cons will vote for him and he might just spoiler in the elections who might g gress candidate a really tough fight. according to many reports, after Co him a ticket he was found to be talkin about Jalukbari’s political giant and BJ anta Biswa Sarma. This has led polit to contemplate if there was some kind understanding between BJP and Hem Whatever the fact may be, the Gauh tion looks set to be a cracker of a cont

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Poll Special

Experienced

Ramendra Narayan kalita

he AGP-BJP alliance while the Congress has fielded the young and charming Juri Sharma Bordoloi. The incumbent Congress MLA, he contestwe feel, is mainly between the Congress and AGP as AGP is backed by BJP and Congress has ruled the constituency for the last neration and can solve all the issues efficiently while Kalita feels that he is experienced (being a 4-time MLA from the same constituency) heir best representative.

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king to G Plus, e people in the from that area larly, there are stituency who t be the game give the Con. Interestingly, ongress denied ng good things JP leader Himtical observers d of calculative manta Talukdar. hati West electest.

Male voters

1,27,682

Female voters

1,24,420

Definitely I will. I am a representative of people. I will have to maintain a good relationship with the people in my constituency. I will have to treat people with respect.

For women, I will have a proper office set up so that they will have all the information related to self-help groups. They will not have to go here and there searching for information and we will have proper coordination systems with the government so that we can bring the schemes for the self-help group right to their doorsteps. As unemployment is a big problem I will have many schemes for employment generation. These are the two things where I will put maximum time and energy so that it can be implemented.

r from GauhaPlus, said that ot giving him d experienced problem in the emanta Talukhupolia and we he contests as

2,52,102

After you become the MLA how do you plan to remain connected to the voters?

What steps will you take to empower the women and the youth in your constituency?

game changer

Total voters

For the people who are residing in my constituency, I will make sure that they do get land to settle. Within five years I will make sure that every house receives water. If BJP comes to power, I will emphasize on it and make sure that we are able to provide employment. Water logging issues will have to be solved for healthy life of residents. Flyovers over railway crossings are very important and as BJP is in power at the Centre, I will pressurise them to make flyovers from Machkhowa to Maligaon over every crossing.

Congress has presented that change by way of a new face which is me and I have come forward to give the best of everything possible for me. Whatever experience I have gathered in these years, I will give 100% service to the public and will be accessible at all times. So these are some of the issues where I think the public will vote for the new change. I am a woman and I have emotions which can relate to the womanly feelings. Women are the real voters and the main pillar of the family. Politically also the BJP has not been able to deliver what they promised in the last two years and AGP does not have its base. So it has tied up with a party like BJP. They are not confident of fighting alone.

ta Talukdar

54 Gauhati West LAC

After voting for you people will want you to represent them in the cabinet. What portfolio will you ask for? People do want their constituency representative to be in ministry. I will be happy with whatever ministry the chief minister feels I deserve.

Who is your main competitor this time, Hemanta Talukdar or Juri Sharma Bordoloi? According to what I have observed visiting the constituency and the unification of Rabha, Tiwa and BPF, our win is confirmed. In today’s scenario I would say it’s Hemanta Talukdar.

There was some smear campaign projecting Juri Sharma as a party girl. Who do you think did that and what is your reaction to that? I won’t be commenting on that. The people of the constituency will decide. What I feel is, if someone is planning to represent a constituency, his or her character must at least be good. And if there is a smear campaign going on, it is very unfortunate.

Hemanta Talukdar is known as an MLA who used to sleep in the assembly. If you are elected how would you be different? This is not the first time I am contesting. I have been MLA for 20 years and when I was in opposition I was not sleeping as Hemanta Talukdar was. I

have always raised issues of common people in the Assembly and have solved many of my constituency’s issues. I have played a vital role for my constituency.

What are the problem areas in your constituency and what are the problems? It is a very complex constituency. It has hills, plains, eight wards of the city and eight villages. Plus the AssamMeghalaya border also comes under my constituency. People of almost every community are there. There are lots of problems in the constituency many of which I did solve during my tenures as MLA. However, many are left and these are mainly road issues, water crises, electricity issues in a few parts. I have provided roads, water, schools in hilly and remote areas. The conflict between residents and elephants is a major issue. Herds of elephants come down and destroy the crops of the farmers. It is a major issue. Landslides are also a major issue as much as people residing in hilly areas with land pattas not being issued to them.

Please name five major changes people will witness if you are elected as an MLA?

The MLAs are not transparent about the developmental funds they receive. Will you be transparent? Absolutely! Things will remain 100% transparent.

Why should the voters vote for you? People have observed me for 20 years. If you ask the people of this constituency whether there are any allegations against me, there are none. I was minister for two tenures. I was also in opposition but no one can point and say that I am corrupt. People have faith in me. As I am not involved in any corruption matters, people have accepted me and they will vote for me.

What steps will you take to empower the women and the youth in your constituency? To make women economically independent I will take major steps so that they can earn their living. I am even thinking of helping them with the MLA fund provided to us.

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Heatlh

Head Injuries and Your Brain Part I

“No head injury is too severe to despair of, nor too trivial to ignore”

Hippocrates 400 BCE

lthough the brain is protected by tough bone (skull) and padding (membranes), it can still be injured. Head injuries that are severe enough to affect brain function are termed as Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs). Damage can range from mild to severe as the brain can affect everything you do. For treatment, one should contact a qualified neurosurgeon.

it can be cracked, dented and penetrated with enough force. Sharp bone fragments of the skull can then press into the brain causing bleeding into the brain. If after a person sustains a head trauma and bleeds from the ears or nose, a skull fracture should be suspected.

Bleeding in the Brain Bleeding inside the brain is a medical emergency. The blood, under pressure, has no place to drain so it often pools and forms a hematoma which can put pressure on the surrounding tissue and squeeze off the blood supply to parts of the brain. Signs of a hematoma include headaches, vomiting and loss or alteration in sensorium.

How Common Are Brain Injuries? Traumatic brain injuries are very common. Most TBIs occur due to road accidents happening in the city. According to the data available with the city traffic police, Guwahati witnessed 1,182 accidents in the year 2013 and 1,124 accidents in 2014. Among all the accidents reported, the maximum fatal accidents caused in the city and the vehicles responsible were trucks and motorcycles/ scooters. Guwahati reported 49 fatal accidents in 2013 and 61 in 2014 by motorcycles/scooters which caused 57 deaths in 2013 and 69 deaths in 2014. The highest risk groups are young adults. About 75% of all traumatic brain injuries are mild concussions. The four major causes of traumatic brain injuries are falls (28%), vehicle crashes (20%), object striking the head (19%), and assaults (11%).

Mild vs. Severe TBI’s A concussion is considered a milder form of a traumatic brain injury by most clinicians in which mostly the recovery is quick. However, if the person suffers a severe concussion, he may be unconscious for a long time period. Other types of TBIs are a contusion, which is a bruise on the brain that can cause swelling, and a hematoma, is bleeding in the brain that collects and forms a clot. A skull fracture is another type of head injury that can affect the brain. Sometimes with a fracture, pieces of bone can cut into the brain and cause bleeding and other types of injury.

What is a Concussion? The picture illustrates how a blow to one side of the head throws your brain back toward the opposite side thus damaging both sides of the brain. This leads to a concussion, the most common type of traumatic brain injury that can cause mild or serious symptoms. The majority of concussions cause minor or no obvi-

Bump on the Head

ous lasting damage if the brain is allowed time to heal.

How Do You Know It’s a Concussion? Signs of a concussion occur after the traumatic brain injury and may include one or more of the following:

• Confusion • Depression • Dizziness or balance problems • Double or fuzzy vision • Feeling foggy or groggy • Feeling sluggish or tired • Headache • Memory loss • Nausea • Sensitivity to light or noise • Sleep disturbance • Trouble concentrating • Trouble remembering Indications that a head injury is more serious than a concussion and requires emergency treatment in-

clude:

• Changes in size of pupils • Clear or bloody fluid draining from the nose, mouth or ears • Convulsions • Changes in blood pressure • Injury to face and surroundings • Fracture in the skull or face • Impaired hearing, smell, taste or vision • Inability to move one or more limbs • Irritability • Loss of consciousness • Breathing irregularities • Restlessness, clumsiness or lack of coordination • Severe headache • Slurred speech or blurred vision • Stiff and painful neck

• Vomiting or nausea • Sudden worsening of symptoms after initial improvement • Swelling at the site of the injury Healing After a Concussion Recovery from a concussion is like healing of any other part of the body. You should give it good rest and follow your doctor’s instructions until the recovery process is complete.

How your brain can get injured? Blows/ jerks to the head like in road accidents, tripping over things, a heavy object falling on the head most often cause brain injury. It may also be associated with injuries to the face and cervical spine. A head injury does not always mean that there is also a brain injury. Consult a neurosurgeon to know about the type of head injury.

Skull Fractures Although the skull is like a helmet that protects the brain tissues,

When children, especially toddlers learn how to walk, they frequently fall and bump their heads. Most of these bumps don’t cause brain injuries. However, if the child does not stop crying, is vomiting, can’t move around normally and says their head and/ or neck hurts or is difficult to wake up, the child needs to be evaluated by a doctor.

Bike Safety If your child rides a bicycle or motorcycle, make sure they wear a well-fitted helmet and are aware of the rules of the road. A lot of bike accident cases are witnessed during festivals like Puja & Diwali in which children aged 12-18 years are the patients. It is shocking that how parents allow their teenage children to ride a bike that too without helmets.

Head Injuries from Sports Using a helmet and up-to-date equipment offers some protection and may reduce the incidence of sports-related traumatic brain injuries.

Cars Safety Car accidents are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries. Preventive measures like buckling seatbelts and air bags can reduce both the incidence and severity of injuries.

Dr. Naba Kumar Barman, Neurosurgeon, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Amingaon, Guwahati

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Ward Watch

WARD NO

Concentrated area Nabajyoti Nagar, Panjabari Ward number 31 Sub-division 31(c) Councillor Swapan Das Phone number 9864067152 G Plus Photo

Area sabha member Punam Haloi Phone number 9706571123

Fight for basic amenities a daily saga for Nabajyoti Nagar residents

ocated near the cultural institution of Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra and the artisans’ village known as Shilpagram, Nabajyoti Nagar is an area that houses over 150 families and can be reached through the lane adjacent to Kalakshetra. It is basically a ring road circling around the Kalakshetra and connecting the Panjabari Road again. It also connects the Veterinary College located in Khanapara going through a dense foliage of trees. Being surrounded by flora and fauna the area provides a suitable environment for people to take walks. The habitation of the area dates back to over three decades and now has settlements of people belonging to various religious and ethnic backgrounds. Although the entire stretch is known as Nabajyoti Nagar, it is also named as Madhabdev path. In 2003, during a general meeting of the Unnayan Samiti which was supervised by Gautam Sharma, then secretary of the Kalakshetra, it was suggested that since the area is located closest to the cultural institution and Madhavdev was a student of the medieval poet-playwright Sankardeva, the area should be named after him. Thus, the main lane was named Madhavdev Path. The area underwent development in 2004 when the entire ring road was constructed along with a proper drainage system. The developmental work was concluded in 2005-06 but soon the condition started deteriorating and the road’s topping started wearing off.

to as Mising Village (Mising Gaon). The area which belongs to the forest department has now been encroached by several houses. People started coming in by 2005 but then most could not take shelter for a long time as the part of the area did not have a proper route of communication. However, since 2007, a large part of the area has been inhabited by the people and now it has taken the form of a village. During the process of establishment, a clash also took place with the veterinary college as part of the college’s land was also encroached. Although the establishment of the village has not created any concern among the locals, it has certainly hampered the ecology of the area as several trees were cut down and could never be re-grown. It has been informed that most of the residents of the village are from Majuli and Dhemaji and have taken shelter in the area after floods hit their respective native places.

Peeves of the people The developmental work of this ring road circumventing the Kalakshetra was concluded in 2005-06 but the road soon started deteriorating and the topping of the road stared wearing off. Even after several sustained efforts, the locals failed to catch the attention of the authorities to repair the road. It is due to the water that rushes down from the hillocks surrounding the area that the road started wearing off. After every bout of rainfall the road gets covered with a thick layer of mud soon after the water drains out. The mud covered road is the bigger concern for the residents of the area as the constructed road can no longer be used and the boundary wall of the drainage system remains the only option for the pedestrians to commute through the area. However, in order to relieve the locals of the situation, the councillor of the area has come forward and has assured the

elections and the entire problem was explained to him. After several requests, a bore-well was provided that provides water to all the households in the area. However, it was only the bore-well that was provided and not the connections to the residences. So we have a vehicle that provides doorto-door water supply at a fair price of Rs. 100 for 750 litres,” stated Khairul Haque Saikia, secretary of the Unnayan Samiti. Security is another concern for the locals of the area as the road that goes via Shilpagram remains deserted most of the day. In the past it had also become the hub of notorious activities of miscreants as the area is devoid of any street-lights. However, locals took the initiative of taking the matter of security in their own hands. “Since the people started to get involved in security matters, unsavoury incidents have reduced. It must be said that the people of the area are very alert about their security. However, a proper solution can be reached if a few street lights are installed in the area surrounding the Kalakshetra. There are many which are not in working condition and requires the attention of the authorities,” Saikia informed.

Councillour’s Say

The village establishment The area which lies adjacent to the Panjabari hill now has an established village which the locals refer

people of cleaning the drainage system on a regular basis. The same will prevent any kind of water-logging in the lane and help the water flowing downhill to drain away. Drinking water is another major issue that the locals of the area have been struggling with. Most residents initially relied on wells and handpump-wells as their source of their drinking water. The problem is not age-old but started when the 33rd National Games was held in the city. During the event, large bore-wells installed in the Kalakshetra resulted in wells of the residents of the surrounding area drying up. Following the same, the Unnayan Samiti with the consent of the locals, restricted the installation of any further bore-wells in the residences. However, it did not help in resolving the problem. It was then decided that the residents can install bore-wells but it should happen collectively and one bore-well will be shared by four households. “After several failed efforts by the Unnayan Samiti and the locals, we approached the local MLA and urged him to provide us with a solution to the problem of drinking water. He was also invited to the area during the last assembly

KALYAN DEB

The illegal settlement in Panjabari hills

Although the residents complained of the road not being renovated ever since it had under gone construction, the councillor mentioned that several efforts are being made to keep the road in a healthy condition. It was also stated that the private buses that remain parked on the front part of the road is a major reason for its deterioration. “The locals must complain to the bus owners rather than letting the vehicles to be parked in front of the gate as it will solve a major portion of the problem,” stated Swapan Das, councillor of ward number 31. On the problem of street lights the councillor stated, “I personally approached each household with the application forms for the Project Jyoti scheme but none of the residents responded until the last day for submitting the application.” While the Unnayan Samiti has been actively participating in the developmental activities of the area, from the looks of it and the councillor’s views, it appears that due to the lack of coordination between the locals and the authorities, any progress of the area in the near future remains clouded. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

G Talk

Winds of change Over the past two years, has E

ood work just isn’t enough these days. It needs to be showcased. Any reasonably cognizant Assamese mind, however cynical it might be, would conform to the fact that there has been good work done over the past 15 years. From those socially restrictive days of 2001-02, when even the turn of the millennium was so mutely celebrated and when the people from the business community thought 10 times before purchasing a car so as not to be conspicuous in the society and thereby attract unwarranted attention (of social envy and of militants), the development today is palpably immense. And so is the peace along with it. The undeniable credit obviously goes to Tarun Gogoi and his team. Yes, even the severely cynical will agree that the development and progress on all fronts of the Assamese society is there to be seen. And yet today, there seems to be wafting in a desire for change. From overhearing loud conversations at the DC Court premises among the animated middle-class who visit there for work to social meetings and conversations among friends and families onto the redoubtable social media like Facebook and Whatsapp, the BJP, to all appearances, seems to be closing in on the finishing line faster than the Congress Party and this, mind you, is the home-straight. At least, in Guwahati! Reliable information received by us at G Plus is steadily pointing to a defeatist mentality setting in within the Congress Party and unfortunately, this mentality is manifesting itself

right at the top. Tarun Gogoi seems decidedly ruffled, totally disbelieving of anyone but his inexperienced son so far as matters pertaining to the party’s campaign is concerned. The party itself seems to hobbling in disunity with its leader Rahul Gandhi hardly being a unifying or a confidence-generating factor and the departure of the master strategist, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has been virtually back-breaking. Effectively, the campaign and its visibility that had started on a stunning note has lost its lustre turning unimaginative and has totally failed to showcase the huge development and peace that the government had managed to usher in. Senior leaders like Kirip Chaliha, Hiranya Bora, Chittaranjan Patowary and Iswar Prasanna Hazarika (former MP) have made a beeline for the exit gate of the party. In the midst of all this, Tarun Gogoi has chosen to repeatedly attack Modi rather than Sarbananda Sonowal. These occurrences are not auguring well at all for the party which had turned the face of Assam over the last 15 years. And yet the fact remains that creating a situation where a mass leader of Himanta’s calibre had to throw caution to the winds so far as his political career was concerned with the perceived threat posed by Gaurav Gogoi’s entry might be the proverbial straw that will eventually break the Congress’s back. Yes! The winds of change are blowing hard today!

Swapnil Bharali Executive Editor

Victims of happiness

SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

e all know what big fanatics we are when it comes to cricket and supporting team India. Everyone is quick to snap at the TV screen and shout what kind of delivery or stroke should have been played or in fact decide who should be on the team roster. And of course keeping cricket at the centre, Virat Kohli’s outstanding performance deserves all the applause he can get even though India crashed out of the World Cup semi-finals. Addressing the issue at hand, internet trolls as usual rolled out their big guns and started taking pot shots at Virat’s ex-flame, Anushka Sharma, for something she was not even responsible for. One of the memes that emerged after Kohli’s performance against Australia read, ‘Thanks Anushka for giving us our Kohli back’ which of course signifies how their relationship was affecting his performance on the field. While cricket has been more of a religion in this country, is tormenting celebrities the way to go? I can recall Sania Mirza being subject to worse after the India-Pakistan match where a meme read ‘Sania is confused whether she should be happy

for India or cry for Pakistan.’ So much has been said about tolerance and it turns out that we as a nation choose to victimize people who are not even responsible for the outcome of certain events. We have become a nation incapable of celebrating the happy moments without targeting or victimizing someone, even if that means we display a warped sense of humour which seems to tread the fringes of sadism. To put it metaphorically, there always has to be someone on the end of the barrel of our celebratory gunfire who should be hurt for us to increase our ecstasy over a happy event. This obviously should never be the case. And of course the brash and brazen side of Virat Kohli stays on and off the pitch. He sent out an Instagram post titled ‘Shame’ where he defended Anushka and asked people to be compassionate. Chivalry isn’t dead; it has just been layered by insufferable internet trolls and seeming educated goons (who can read and write in English) and sometimes the adequately mannered Virats permeate the layers and do what they do best - hit the ball out of the park!

the Indian election scenario become more party-centric than candidate-centric?

he essence of democracy is voting for “hopefully” the right candidate. In India, this is even more relevant. While the candidate-centric voting characteristics of the modern Indian voter started with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election, the 2014 Lok Sabha election itself was largely party-centric with the BJP sweeping the polls riding on the aura of just its prime ministerial candidate. This was popularly termed the Modi wave and is today a matter of raging debate of whether that wave is still surging. In between were the state elections of Delhi and Bihar and presently elections in Assam are due. An impartial observation would corroborate the fact that the Delhi and Bihar voters voted for the party and resultantly, we have a school drop-out as a deputy chief minister. Also, the AAP clean-swept the Delhi elections irrespective of the quality of candidates that they fielded where even the BJP’s chief ministerial hopeful and a tall leader in her own right, Kiran Bedi, came a cropper. Of course, her switching of allegiance at the last moment worked badly against her projecting her as an opportunistic upstart who was only keen to grab power. As for Bihar, keeping the BJP out of power was the only criteria of a mahagathbandhan being formed with old, proven adversaries joining hands and compromising terribly with ideologies. In Assam, the case does not look to being any different this time. As for the wave that I was talking about earlier, while it seemed to be on the wane for a while, I am having this sneaking feeling that the Congress Party’s campaign peaked a trifle to early, the consequence of which is a small BJP wave that seems to be developing. While it remains to be seen which way the elections will meander, it is a fact today voting in India remains largely party-centric.

Swapnil Bharali

andidate-centric voting depends on the bastions or strongholds of the respective candidates. A sweeping statement cannot be made that voting today is party-centric per se. No it is not. If Himanta Biswa Sarma is an example and he is expected to win from Jalukbari hands down, it is because of his worthy candidature. While his win is only an expectation and a reasonable one at that, Prafulla Mahanta is a case in point. While AGP has been in tatters over the last two-three elections, Mahanta has held on to his bastion of Barhampur without fail and too much struggle. Also, the recent exercise of the Congress Party putting up new candidates in Guwahati viz. Bobbeeta Sharma and Juri Sarma Bordoloi is another pointer to the fact that voting today is candidate-centric and the grand old party cannot hope to win the elections on the strength of its image alone. That non-performing candidates like Robin Bordoloi and Hemanta Talukdar have given this image a bad beating is beside the point here. And talking about Hemanta Talukdar, it has been reliably learnt that the dissident former Congress leader has his set of loyalists in his constituency and might well give the other candidates a run for their money. However, it is often the candidature of a true leader that makes voting party-centric. But in such cases, the interpretation cannot be made that voting has essentially been party-centric. The 2014 elections or the Manik Sarkar tenure of Tripura are relevant to this argument. The sheer leadership qualities of Narendra Modi and Manik Sarkar and their images as the “right candidate” have led voters to vote for their respective parties. The faith in both the leaders has remained supreme in these two instances, the rest of the candidates be damned! Voting for the candidate gives the correct representation of people and that is a fact.

Koushik Hazarika

Interactive

arelessness in the city seems to be a common norm these days. After the massive fire that broke out in Fancy Bazar last November, you would think that people would be more careful. Bishnupur near Fatasil Ambari was another area that was witness to a tragedy and this was all due to the negligence of the fire safety department. The first fire truck reached the spot almost an hour after the first cylinder blast and that too was empty! According to residents, if the fire brigade would have reached on time, the fire would have apparently done very minimal damage. Around thirty houses were burnt and about hundred and fifty families were affected and all because of the callousness of the fire safety department. There were no human casualties but is the District Administration waiting for some? Why is Guwahati playing with fire? Name Withheld

via email

Letter to the Editor Fill up the blank To draw a metaphor and also to provoke some thought on excesses being bad, can I put forward the following comparison? It is an open secret that too much intake of sugar makes one diabetic and too much food consumption without any exercises leads to obesity. Likewise too much freedom of speech without any accountability leads to………………. Dear readers, please fill up the blanks with most appropriate words. Waiting in anticipation!

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury Via email

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

In Focus

While ruling out a foregone conclusion for the first time ever, what factors are the voters of Assam considering in terms of exercising their franchise? In the context of the upcoming Assembly elections, we hosted a public opinion exercise on who will be the next Chief Minister of Assam. Here is Guwahati’s opinion on the political scenario of the state.

Islam Ul Mohid

Bishaldip Paul

f you want Muslim Bangladeshi free state then please cast your vote for BJP because BJP is going to give the Hindu Bangladeshi permanent Indian citizenship and would settle them in Assam. And yeah “Ami oxomia nhow dukhiya” is soon going to change to “Amra Assamor bangali, amra kobo bangali.” Just as Assamese have no tangible presence in Silchar, it will not be long before the whole of Assam will be in a similar state.

eople who vote need to understand between choosing the lesser evil here. Both have a very bad record. But the biggest fact is that since BJP has come to power at the centre, not a single department of growth and development has been on a positive note. Everything is down, rate of rupees against dollar, pound, fuel prices are up, real estate is down, exports is down etc. Communal violence is up, crimes against women and children are up, prices of essential commodities are up. So far our prime minister spent his first year in foreign trips and selfies and neither is the environment getting cleaner or getting greener. This has to be an educated decision and people have to be wise and not just follow a herd mentality. The fate of a cleaner, greener, corruption free and safer Assam is in your hands.

either a fan of Gogoi nor a corrupt congress supporter. But still a corrupt government will govern much better than a communal, mass murderering, Hindu right wing party. I’ll cast my vote for the Congress. Do we need a repeat of Hyderabad University in Assam? Do we want police brutality on students? Do we want male police groping female students? Do we need another Saurav Bora losing his life to so called democrats? Vote wisely!

emocracy has turned out to be a politics of blame game, one political party criticizing the other. None of the political party till date have done anything real and worthy for the development of our country. Some are busy making false promises while others are busy making black money and some citizens are sitting hand in hand hoping someone will bring back the kala dhan and distribute it equally among all of us. The British left us divided - Hindus and Muslims and now we fight among ourselves. Some of us have never learnt Indian history nor did we bother to know that once upon a time Bangladesh, Burma and Pakistan as a whole was the actual INDIA. And the funniest one: there are some fools who know that India is the 4th superpower but worry that Assam will be taken over by Bangladesh!

Rajiv Beri

Riyaz Ahmed

e always vote to form a better government but what happens next is also well known to us. The ministers shall kill our hopes and make themselves rich. For 15 years Congress ruled us and their ministers are well-todo now. So this time let’s make someone else rich for our lives and problems shall remain the same. ostly RSS bhakts are participating in this poll. So don’t expect any meaningful result. Polls don’t have any value. In Tamil Nadu, in one such poll, I saw 35% people voting for BJP while the ground reality is that BJP may not be able to open its account.

don’t have any voting right in Assam. I have spent two years in Assam. As far I am concerned I must say that in that last few decades the government of Assam did just one thing, i.e. introducing Bangladeshi for votes. It is high time for the people of Assam to make a choice between a government which has made Assam an underdeveloped state or a government which till now is corruption free. And those who are talking about Gujarat riots, mind you, Supreme Court has officially said that Modi was not involved. And if you want to say Supreme Court has given wrong judgement then God bless you all. Forget about Gujarat riots what about the 2012 Assam riots? Change is always necessary in these situations.

Sunny Borah

Abhash Mishra

Dhrubajyoti Kalita

have noticed that all the Muslim community people are with Tarun Gogoi because they know that if BJP comes they have to fear....

Ankit Agarwal

rue and I am afraid such things are already taking place. I have seen a BJP party member who wants the Gujarat riots to happen again. But still a change is needed and I know such things are impossible here.

ains are with BJP.... This time we will be casting our vote for development.... BJP rocks, Congress sucks ...

Amit K. Jain

he communal caste card is impossible to play in Assam. Heck! We don’t even give a damn about this as long as we speak the same language.

Junait Ahmed

Saurav Bhattacharjee

Tanay Basak

Rajesh Talukdar

f Assamese people don’t want to make Assam a Bangladesh, please vote for BJP.

Reminds me of the old Assamese adage ‘Jeye Lanka Jai, Xiye Raavan Hoi’ (Whoever visits Lanka becomes Raavan).

Meet

Nishant Bordoloi Fitness expert

n the busy lifestyle of Guwahati keeping fit is of utmost concern for a large section of the population. While the city is flooded with gyms and fitness centres, the last thing you want to do is take fitness advice from someone who you are not confident about. Bad fitness advice can have a serious and lasting adverse impact on your body. This is where fitness expert Nishant Bordoloi makes a difference. Nishant is the owner and brain behind Studio Fitness for health advice and workout tips. He approaches fitness from a scientific perspective with a holistic eye, simultaneously promoting safe and healthy exercises while debunking common and dangerous myths. A former cricketer, DJ by passion and a fitness expert, Nishant’s advice is followed by many in the field of sports and fitness. A former Ranji player for Assam, Nishant is a qualified strength & conditioning coach from the National Cricket Academy, BCCI and Australian Strength & Conditioning Association, Australia. Nishant is also the strength & conditioning coach of the Delhi Ranji team. Born in December 1977 in Guwahati, Nishant started his schooling from Holy Child and then went on to St. Edmunds in Shillong but soon shifted back to Guwahati to continue his education here. He precisely remembers the day (being 17th September, 1984) when he walked into the Nehru Stadium and started taking coaching at the Guwahati Cricket Coaching Centre under the guidance of Nawab Ali. “It was my elder brother Simanta who initiated me to cricket but it was coach Nawab Ali who helped me progress in my career. However, it was tennis that I started my career with but soon realised my love for cricket,” Nishant mentioned in a conversation with G Plus. He made his debut for the state at a mere age of 11 when he represented Assam in CK Nayudu Trophy in 1989 in Lucknow and never looked back. Throughout the span of twenty years he represented the state in several tournaments including captaining the state’s Ranji Trophy team. He had also made it to the U-19 world cup squad of India in 1992 but unfortunately the tour did not materialize. Although Nishant did not let it hold him back and with the belief that he had in himself he went on to be a shining star of the Assam team. Soon after he retired from cricket he decided to take up fitness training as a career option and underwent training in UK and Australia. Over the years Nishant has trained several sporting icons - players like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Parwinder Awana, Yuvraj Singh among several others. He started Studio Fitness on 1st June, 2013 to carry his passion forward. Starting with just 2 people his studio now has over 100 people coming in every day. Nishant is also known for his ability to impart special exercises to people who have been prescribed bed-rest by doctors. “It is about incorporating knowledge into human anatomy and physiology. I just try to rationalize how the human body works, why it feels pain and rectify the problem accordingly. People who were bedridden and who were told that they were physically dysfunctional are now

working-out, carrying their gym-bag and lifting weights. But it does not happen overnight,” Nishanta said adding, “I believe that no one is a patient but rather have limited abilities. I start from scratch and gradually take them off medicines. I think it is the knowledge of the human body as in physiology. I try to update myself with the problems of people and make them believe in themselves encouraging them to come out of the trauma of not being able to walk.” Nishant’s notion of fitness is being constantly functional in any intensity. Thus, rather than making his trainees lift weights, he believes in intensity training. “Body building is a sport but when one is talking about fitness one should be able to run, sprint, swim, climb or play any sport which is my whole idea of training,” the trainer informed. The avid music lover and traveller that Nishant is, he is also a very passionate DJ. He also stated that had not it been cricket he would have been a career DJ. The self taught DJ started with playing cassettes in parties and gradually, with the knack of understanding beats, he started mixing his own music. Nishant got married on 30th April 2004 to Riya and is blessed with a son named Siddhant. He looks to continue with his fitness programmes and provide quality training. “This gym is my passion and I derive the greatest happiness when I can cure somebody. When somebody walks out of here more confident and feeling good, it is my biggest earning - more than the money. Money will come and go but when people suggest to others that this guy can cure you, that is my biggest earning,” Nishant concluded.

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Lifestyle

Sex

VAASTU SHASTRA

in our city

VAASTU ASPECTS OF

I am a boy who will turn 18 shortly which means that I will attain legal adulthood. While I am mentally mature enough to tackle my school work competently, I feel I have certain shortcomings in dealing with my friends and striking new relationships. I have not had my first ejaculation yet and so I do not masturbate like my friends do. Do I have a physical problem? Is it too late in life not to have ejaculated even once? Is my behavioral immaturity attributed to this?

Congratulations on approaching a seeming adulthood! There are a lot of questions entwined in your query. Perhaps you are going through a lot of emotional turmoil. So let me ease out every question you have asked. Mental maturity does not imply only school work. If you are average plus in your studies, it may not necessarily mean that you should have good communication tools. It is difficult to understand what you mean by shortcomings. We are all not painted by the same brush and have the same stripes. Some people are shyer and some people are extroverts by nature. Being introvert does not mean that you are not capable of maintaining a relationship. You may take more time to open up which, in some ways is good, as you may be able to gauge better whether you can have a long term meaningful relationship with somebody rather than a 20-20 match. It is however a big shame that some schools and parents alike in Guwahati still focus more on academic grades. I feel an overall personality development is far more im-

portant to prepare the next generation for the battle of life. Why the focus on the first ejaculation? Is it the sign of maturity? Do people start masturbating after the first ejaculation? To clarify, if you masturbate generally (but not necessarily) you may ejaculate. The first ejaculation does not necessarily mean you start masturbating. I am not aware of a cut off age to start and end masturbation. Have people/family commented that you have an odd behaviour? Not being able to strike a new relationship generally does not mean that you have ejaculatory problems. I feel you have far more questions than the ones you have mentioned and may need professional help. Get your family doctor to refer to an expert if needed.

Dr. Mithun Bhartia is an expert in Diabetes, Thyroid and Sexual matters. He has returned from England after 12 years. His clinic is in Panbazar near Hari Sabha. Send your queries to advicesexologist@ gmail.com

JAPORIGOG AREA

his is a big residential area in east Guwahati which extends from the state zoo up to Hengrabari where the headquarters of the Public Health Engineering and the Health Department are located. The RG Baruah Road lies on the west/southwest part of the Japorigog area. The northern northeast portion of the Japorigog area is covered by hills and the southern part is lower in comparison. The residents in the southern and western part of Japorigog suffer perennially from artificial f loods as the water from the high northern side inundates most of the drains. The main drain along the RGB Road carrying the rain and the waste water f lows from south to north towards the refinery drain along its western border. There are two main roads in Japorigog. One runs along the state zoo and along the Assam State Electricity Board office and the other from Ganeshguri Chariali towards east, both meeting at the Japorigog Chariali. The residential area along the road from Ganeshguri via Nayanpur, which runs from west to east, is very thickly populated and there are a lot of small shops along the road. The shops and residences facing north are blessed provided they keep their main entrances from the northeast and not from the northern northwest. The residences and shops on the northern part of the road must have their main entrances at central south or southern southeast. In both cases, the source of water, i.e., well or bore-well must be kept at northeast, east or north only. The septic tank can be at northern northwest, central north or central east.

Smoke House & Skewers The sublime version of the good ol’ burger!

f you are looking for a direct route to happiness via a Burger, this is the place. Every other item on the menu is secondary. It is a small eatery on B. Baruah Road, near the Gauhati Club rotary. With bright Tuscany walls decorated with doodles, the interior is peppy, functional and comfortable with 4 tables. While you wait to be served, you can browse through a range of books piled at one corner. What a nice change to be able to pick

up and leaf through a few paperbacks! As the name suggests, the eatery specializes in smoked meat and has its own smoking oven within the

premises. This small happy place is the muse of a young foodie, Raju Bora. If you are lucky to have him around, your burger may get fixed by him with love and adoration.

The main road from the RG Baruah Road along the state zoo is not a straight one and it twists and turns all along the border wall of the zoo towards southeast up to the ASEB office. This has resulted in truncation of the northeast for the shops and houses located on the southern side of the road. They must take utmost care to correct their northeast. There are several by-lanes going towards south from the state zoo side which are more or less running from north to south. The residents along both sides of these lanes will do well to place their main entrances and water bodies as per Vaastu. But it is seen that many households have neglected the Vaastu aspect and are facing the effects accordingly. From the state electricity board area (housing the transformers and the distribution grid), there are several multi-storeyed buildings along the road. As the internal individual layouts are not available, their Vaastu could not be assessed. The state zoo is hilly towards the northeast and east. Some parts of the Japorigog area at north are at the foothills of the state zoo. Because of the hill at north, they are bound to face financial problems and trouble for the womenfolk if proper Vaastu measures are not taken.

The buger is juicy; the melting cheese, crisp lettuce and balanced mayo makes it a dream. All the f lavours come together well. My only grouse, ‘’Can you please add a coleslaw or a few fries on the side?” The superb burger would be just sublime. I also ordered a Fish & Chips. Honestly, I would rethink about ordering that again. Although the fish was cooked well, f laky and opaque inside; the coating was a letdown. It was soggy and it tasted quite bland. The portion was large with two decent fillets of fish and the fries along with it. But, it lacked f lavor and came without a dip! A spot of mustard, mayo or tartar sauce and a slice of lime are essential. The Salads were scrumptious. It was very well put together; fresh lettuce, herbs with chicken or smoked

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist

pork - take your pick. The dressing was house made so the taste was divine; it felt light and delicious, not greasy on the palate at all. I could see customers buying smoked pork by the kilo. So, give it a try. The skewers are good, skip the wraps here. Smoke House Skewer is an honest attempt to bring good food, in a peppy ambience with the right taste. It has a small but well curated menu that is easy on the pocket. Everything is priced between Rs. 100 to Rs. 450. Good place! Kashmiri Nath Foodie, owner at XOXO cupcakes, food blogger, recipe developer and expert on Assamese cuisine

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Lifestyle

Cool Couture

When Boutiques of India comes to Guwahati

n incredible exhibition that left us mesmerized! ‘Boutiques of India’ on 28th & 29th March at The Contour Hotel was a razzle dazzle fest. Back in all its glory, the 17th edition of Boutiques of India was held here in the city. Being the first one of the lot from 2016, it held special significance. The conceptualizer and organiser, Sanjay Agarwal, has succeeded in getting fresh works to the scene. He started from Indore and other small towns like Raipur, Patna,Lucknow, etc. and now Boutiques of India has completed 115 shows all over the country. Sanjay says, “The response I get from Guwahati is amazing. People look forward to the event and come from various places like Meghalaya, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Jorhat for the exhibition.” The exhibition showcased lifestyle products, jewellery, shoes, bags and designer outfits. As the name suggests, ‘Boutiques of India’ is an exhibition that also addresses aspects like luxury, modernism and femininity in the boutiques all over the country. With around 58 stalls from different enthusiasts, the event was host to various collections under one roof. Each stall had

its own major seller. Personally, as I got my hands on them I couldn’t stop playing dress up. This way I can let you in on a little secret. A bigger, better and fancier Boutiques of India is coming back in June this year. My personal favourite from the exhibition was a deep red coloured dress crafted in fine raw silk embedded

with stones and sequins from ‘The Pink Mirror’of Kolkata. The stall displayed wedding attires on the luxurious end. Another jewellery stall, ‘The Bling Girl’ fascinated me. Their designs are versatile and can be paired with both western and Indian wear. They’ve got dainty chandelier earrings, chunky studs, sleek straight lines and even a small cluster of traditional wear including jhumkas and the likes. Though we did take photos in the exhibition, none of these do justice to the actual sight of the garments and the jewellery. Might I suggest that you take out some time to visit the exhibition next time? Inside Scoop: BOI is soon going international starting with the neighbouring Asian countries! Sonika Ajmera Fashion Epitomist

INTRODUCTION: Micronutrients confer with organic compounds (vitamins) and inorganic compounds (minerals)which are needed by our body for correct functioning and maintenance. Because of the growing analysis and awareness of the relation between diet and physical exertion for improved performance, individuals have become quite aware of the correct intake of vitamins that consist of every type of water and fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D,Vitamin Eamong other minerals which also include metallic elements likeiron, manganese, zinc etc. The role of micronutrients for manufacturing energy from food throughout physical activity additionally has made sports nutritionistsactively engaged about the value of these nutrients. The food content of vitamins and minerals is tiny and is measured in micrograms (µg) to milligrams (mg) as compared to macro nutrients like protein, carbohydrates and fats which our body can consume above hundreds of

Best version of

yourself

invite you to respect the most valuable thing in this world: TIME. Time happens to be the only thing one has no control over. You can control your health, your physical appearance, your income, your mood, but not time. How effectively you use your time daily will either make or break your future. Successful people are great at making the most of their time. They clearly understand the opportunity cost associated with wasting time. They don’t manage their time well because they are successful; they are successful because they manage their time well. Successful people control their own time while unsuccessful people let others control their time. The fight is between leading a planned and organized day versus leading a day full of randomness. Achieving success in life is mainly attributed to how focused you are in managing your time like a pro and reach your life’s goals. The enemy between you and effective time management is procrastination. Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried. Here are a few tips on how you can beat procrastination, wasting daily time and manage your time much more effectively. After all, the quality of your time management will ultimately decide the quality of your life:

1. Think long term: Successful people plan for 3 generations; average people plan for Saturday nights. Once you

[IOM] 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005). The suggested Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) is a reference that meets the wants of 98% of the healthy individuals. Adequate Intake (AI) refers to the levels of consumption that is meant just to stop inadequacy of nutrients.

MICRONUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS:

CONCLUSION:

The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI’s) are recommendations which stop biological process inadequacy and which may cause deficiency, impaired health and affect the performance of the body (Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board,

RDA is calculated from information derived from rigorous scientific studies. However, AI is derived from a less complete analysis. Before wrapping it up let’s have a glance at a number of the details to be noticed-

2. Goal Setting: Set clear and definite goals and a deadline to achieve them. Invest your time in doing only those things that will take you one step closer to your goals. And I don’t think reading celebrity gossip magazines qualify for this investment. 3. One at a time: Take up one thing at a time from your ToDo list and focus only on that task. Do not let your mind wander to different things. That reduces efficiency and would result in you investing more time in getting the same amount of work done. 4. Let go of all distractions: Studies have shown that humans tend to get distracted every 11 minutes. This has drastically reduced because of the influx of smartphones, social media notifications, television and other things. I suggest you unplug for 90 minutes and work undistracted during that time and then take a short 10-minute break and repeat to get the most out of your time. Ordinary people think of merely spending time; great people think of investing it.

Madhur Jayne A practicing chartered accountant and a certified nutritionist. He is the co-founder of a coaching centre for chartered accountancy and commerce students. He is a life coach and trains people on subjects like time, health, lifestyle and people management. Visit www.madhurjayne.com for more details.

IMPORTANCE OF MICRONUTRITIENTS grams. Micronutrients exert potent biological effects as elements of proteins. During this, micronutrients change the advanced reactions to utilize the mechanical energy from food so as to fuel the biological processes that take place throughout physical training and recovery.

shift your focus from short term to long term, you will realize that most of your day is spent on short term gains.

Vitamins and minerals cannot be created by the body and so should be consumed in foods and beverages. The contents of vitamins and minerals in food are tiny (micrograms to milligrams) as compared to proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Subclinical defences of vitamins and minerals will occur in physically active people. Vitamins and mineral supplements aren’t necessary for an athlete, bodybuilder or person concerned in

strength training if he or she is sure of the diet being followed. Howeverdieticiansor sports nutritionists could advocate it to general people or athletes if they’re on a really low calorie diet or for different special dietary wants or needs or Set Fitness Goals.

A WORD OF CAUTION: Too much of nutrition and mineral consumption can also cause abnormal condition, which are engineered from the residues of harmful vitamins within the body specially the fat soluble vitamins.Thus caution ought to be taken and it is necessary to take recommendations from a professional Nutritionist or a qualified Sports Nutritionist before taking any supplement.

BIBHU MONI SINGHA, Fitness Expert & Sports Nutritionist Gym Manager, Training & Nutrition Head, SFL Fitness, Guwahati

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Reviews Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Director: R. Balki

K vie Mo view Re

ia (Kareena Kapoor) is an aggressive and aspiring corporate big shot, having a grand vision to be the CEO of a company. She is always super busy and believes in being an independent woman, not to be shadowed by men. Contrary to her, we have Kabir (Arjun Kapoor) who is a son of a reputed businessman in Delhi. Kabir is a topper of IIM-B but has no interest in business or his father’s monetary legacy. He is fond of his late mother and wants to be like her, managing daily household activities which he thinks are equally important as working in the office. Kabir also doesn’t believe in wasting his life in the name of career. So now, Ki and Ka first meet at some random place and click instantly. They start liking each other and even decide to marry. After some heavy arguments, the couple agrees that Kabir

NOW SHOWING

will do all the household work which he always wanted to and Kia will follow her corporate dream. But, on the course of this gender role reversal, there are harsh hurdles awaiting. Societal views, perception of people, personal battles and misunderstandings will show whether the couple can stand true to their intentions. The major reason of Ki And Ka’s disappointment is the script. The story starts off very well, depicting the views of both Kabir and Kia but their love connection has been shown hurriedly. However, their married life and adjustments for each other are narrated spontaneously, making the first half entertaining yet curious. What troubled me is that when the story had the best chance to show the debate of gender role reversal during the house party scene, it completely missed it. This could have

been the core moment of the movie but the script degraded it big time. The 2nd half of the film just goes haywire. All the hard work that was put in to build the plot gets washed away with a senseless chaos. Understand this, when a man is doing a woman’s job and vice versa, society and the people around you will always criticise and protest first. The story has never shown that criticism and debate. Only the family members are shown doing it. Additionally, even the office members don’t enquire much about Kia’s husband and when they get to know about his household work, they act like this is a regular stuff. Instead of focusing on the crux, the story emphasizes on Ki and Ka’s personal battles and jealousy. Such an amazing concept but the script failed to justify its beauty.

than what he is capable of. A little bit like all of us, and telling us that we can own the world only if we could be bothered to strive and believe. In this profound moral lesson for kids and parents alike, where do dumplings figure? You heard us mention Po loves his food but his relationship with dumplings is on a much deeper level – he uses them as training incentive and ammunition. His adopted dad, the goose Mr Ping (James Hong), uses them as filial reinforcers and his biological father, Li (Bryan Cranston), teaches him that a panda never uses chopsticks while eating dumplings.For why eat one dumpling with chopsticks when you can shovel down four with your paws? I challenge you not to crave

food when you are bombarded by so many pretty visuals of the same. I could not, I caved. The film offers entertainment for children while being substantive enough to keep the parents engaged. What it is not, is fresh. It offers everything we have come to expect from the franchise without breaking any new ground. The sense of wonder that we associated with the first two films is missing this time round. And that is disappointing coming from a film whose tagline is, “Be the best you can.” For those who are asking, this film doesn’t live up to the high standards set by the first two parts but still manages to stay endearing and fun, like a giant panda hug. Go for it and take your parents along!

Batman V Superman 9.00 AM, 12.00, 3.00, 6.00 & 9.00 PM Rocky Handsome 11.00 AM, 4.15 & 9.30 PM Kapoor & sons 1.30 & 6.45 PM

Fun Cinemas HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200

vie Mo view Re

KI and Ka 10.15 AM, 2.45 & 8.45 PM Kung fu panda 3 12.45 PM Batman V Superman 5.15 PM

Apsara Cinema Ulubari 0361 2541335

KI and Ka 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

It’s Not Right... But it’s Okay

Album:

GOLD Cinema ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166

Author:

Grapefruit

Anuj Tiwari

Kapoor & sons 11.30 AM & 5.30 PM Rocky Handsome 2.30 & 8.30 PM KI and Ka 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

Artist:

aving released a fascinating if rambling set of experimental pop called Bowler Hat Soup for his debut at age 18, Kiran Leonard follows up a little over two years later with even more challenging, impulsive-sounding indie rock on Grapefruit. While the debut claimed over 20 instruments in rotation, all played by its creator, here Leonard shares the workload with several guests, including a traditional string quartet, though there’s little conven-

u Yo OULDN SH ISTE L

tional about the performances or the songs. To drive that point home, the musician introduced the album with the 16-minute lead single “Pink Fruit,” a meandering but instinctively dramatic epic that moves through segments of garage rock, woodwind-embellished chamber pop, and multiple flavors of classic art rock, at times dotted with spoken word samples. It’s all delivered with a loose, reckless feel. A moody cross between, say, Of Montreal, Dirty Projectors

u Yo OULD SH read (a noted influence), and Richard Hell, Grapefruit is -- title aside -- full of vim and audacity. The more standard-length “Caiaphas in Fetters,” whose title is likely a reference to comments a mentally unstable Friedrich Nietzsche made in letters while he was dying from pneumonia, is an acoustic guitar-and-strings chamber piece underneath Leonard’s volatile, intentionally imperfect vocals. In contrast, “Öndör Gongor” is nearly eight minutes of shape-shifting math rock.

KI and Ka 9.30 AM, 5.30 & 8.30 PM Kung fu panda 3 11.45 AM Batman V Superman 2.30 PM

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009

Book:

Kiran Leonard

Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738

PVR Cinemas

Cast: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Bryan Cranston, JK Simmons Director: Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Yuh Nelson hat was my first reaction after watching Kung Fu Panda 3 with its A-list voice cast (Angelina Jolie, Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, JK Simmons, Dustin Hoffman blah blah), visual splendour, stunning 3D effects and the bumbling world saviour Po? That I wanted dumplings, and noodles, and soup. But mostly dumplings. For those who came in late, Kung Fu Panda 3 is the third coming of Po, a food-loving panda who is destined to become the dragon warrior but simply can’t believe it. No sir, three films down and he is still to come to terms with it. This is his charm and his impediment – others have seen his greatness but he wants to stick to what he can do rather

Anuradha Cineplex

‘

...if we have a past that we aren’t particularly proud of, it doesn’t mean that we can’t have a promising future.’ Everyone has a past. But what if it becomes daunting baggage and spills over into the future? A fiercely independent, career-driven girl, Angira, has recently changed her Facebook status to ‘single in Mumbai’. While work has been her only priority, a twist of fate brings Ved - a strikingly handsome footballer,

GOLD Cinema the heart-throb of the college - into her life. He seems genuine and fun-loving, but based on past experiences, Angira knows better than to trust him. Despite their contrasting personalities, the two develop an unexpected bond - a link for which they are about to risk everything they have. A riveting tale about incorrigible lovers with a dark past, It’s Not Right…but It’s Okay is a true story about finding friendship and love again.

Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854077177

Kapoor & sons 2.30 & 8.30 PM Rocky Handsome 11.30 AM & 5.30 PM KI and Ka 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

GOLD Cinema

LG Towers, Narangi 8811001898 Rocky Handsome 2.00 PM KI and Ka 11.00 AM, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Entertainment

Monumohan Boruah’s ‘PARICHAY’ released

Audio Album released ‘Gitasreer Anubhab’

M A

n album of modern Assamese songs titled ‘Gitasreer Anubhab,’ containing 6 tracks of distinct style, was released recently. The album has been musically arranged by popular Assamese music directors Pranjal Prodip Bharali and Bikash Baruah. The album containing the tracks Aaji Bukure, Jeni Sao, Noware Bandhibo, Runjun, Poluwai Nibine and Jur Posowa have been rendered by Gitasree Borah, Zubeen Garg and Rintu Saikia. All the songs are written and tuned by Somiran Malay, Pankaj Sami, Hridayananda Saikia (Jon), Kalyan Kumar Kalita and Gitasree. Chorus vocals is by Puspanjali Mili, Dipshikha Bora and Shreemoyee Bordoloi whereas the musicians are Bikash Baruah, Pranjal Prodip Bharali, Bhaskarjyoti Saikia (Poita), Mriganka Goswami and Anubhab Kashyap. The songs are recorded and mixed by Pranjal Prodip Bharali at Studio Eden, Jorhat. The

album has been produced by Bigadhar Borah and Bina Hazarika Borah under the banner of BB Production. All the songs are written and have been carefully arranged to suit the ever changing tastes of Assamese music lovers. The audiences will definitely vibe with each song. Gitasree Borah, lead singer of the album, had started her journey in singing in 2007 and has undergone training with Guru Sibani Baruah Phukan in Munin Baruah Memorial Music College. She shared her feelings saying that it is a dream come true for her as she had always dreamt of releasing an album. Her parents also helped in fulfilling her dream. She hopes that the Assamese music lovers will accept her album and encourage her in her musical journey. During this Bihu season, ‘Gitasreer Anubhab’ will be a remarkable addition to the Assamese music world.

onumohan Boruah (Moon), 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. This promising singer cum composer has recently released a new Assamese modern song album titled ‘Parichay.’ The album, containing seven songs of distinctive style, has been musically arranged by Trion Mahanta, Anupam Barua and Poran Borkatoky (Jojo). The first track of the album titled ‘Ei Akaakh’ is written and tuned by Monumohan, the second track ‘Kinu Aaji Aaji’ is written by Ranju Moni Mahanta, tuned by Trion Mahanta, the third track ‘Tumi Aaji Kuwa’ is written by Sushanta Mon Moran, tuned by Monumohan, the fourth track ‘Jag Bujiya

Re’ is written and tuned by Monumohan, the fifth track ‘Ashruxikta Soku Jur’ is written and tuned by Monumohan, the sixth track ‘Tumi Jana Jana Tumi’ is written by Geet Priyam, tuned by Trion Mahanta, and the last one titled ‘Dur Jana Na Tum’ is written and tuned by Monumohan. All the songs are beautifully rendered by Monumohan Boruah with co-singers Pranati Nath Borah, Dhanjita Das and Jugmasman Borah. The songs have been recorded at Digital Dreams Studio, Mumbai by Trishanku P. Dutta, Odb Studio, Guwahati by Udipta Gogoi, D Chimes Studio, Guwahati by Durlav Shankar Bordoloi and Anamika Studio, Guwahati by Pinkal Pratyush Boruah, and mixed and mastered by Bhupesh Saikia at Odb Studio, Guwahati and Bhaskar Sarma at Rudra Digital Studio, Mumbai. The

Nabarun’s new single SAGOLI

abarun Borkotoky, a very promising singer from the Assamese music industry, is popularly known for his two massive hit albums, ‘Ninad’ and ‘Khamseng.’ This singer has recently released a new single track titled ‘Sagoli’ which has been very well received by the Assamese music lovers. The song has been written and tuned by Nabarun

album has been produced by Bani Kanta Boruah under the banner of Bani Production. Monumohan Boruah, son of Bani Kanta Boruah and Junmoni Boruah, started singing at a very young age, underwent training in Indian classical music under Sir Paran Ranjan Baruah, and learnt sound recording and technology at Auditek School of Media Arts under the guidance of Bhupen Uzir and Santa Uzir. He was involved with the cultural world last year through his first solo folk album titled ‘Rongabeli’ – the rising sun, where he had written and tuned four songs out of six. Two songs of this album titled ‘Collegiya Suwali’ rendered by Priyanka Bharali and ‘Sui Saang Saang’ were highly appreciated by the Assamese music lovers. The singer, despite knowing that the audio album market is not reliable at present, has released this album with a lot of hope and courage. The singer has shared his feelings about this album saying that, without going with the flow of the current trend, he has tried to give the Assamese listeners some new taste of music through this album. The listeners also will enjoy the songs and will realize this. That’s why he has appealed to the Assamese music lovers to listen to the songs and encourage him in his musical journey. ‘Parichay’ will definitely be a distinctive addition to the Assamese music world. himself and the music is by Bijoy Sankar Das. The song has been rendered by Nabarun and Bipul Chetiya Phukon and mixing is by Diganta Bordoloi. The song has been made using some new concepts and trends for which it has received high appreciation. The song has become equally popular on various social networking sites also. Singer Nabarun has shared his feelings about the song saying that the song is based on some comic situations that everyone has faced in love. He also added that at present he is busy with his new single ‘Teze Teze’ written by Somiran Malay, tuned by Nabarun and the music of which is by Jinti Dutta. It is worth mentioning that Jinti is popularly known as the guitarist in Papon’s band. The song will be mixed and mastered by Ibson Lal Baruah at Mumbai. According to the singer, the song will be released before Durga Puja. He has also prepared a song on prostitutes which will be written by Ibson Lal Baruah and the tune and music will be done by Poran Borkotoky. According to him, this song will make a positive impact on the society. Nabarun has performed in various Bihu functions held all over Assam in the past and this time also he is preparing to participate in various Bihu functions to be held in different places of Assam.

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Citypedia

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Horoscope Aries If you want to get your work completed in a timely manner, you’ll need to concentrate, and this could be easier said than done. You may be distracted by new ideas, opportunities, knowledge, or the Internet. However, you’d be better off tackling your responsibilities than pushing them to one side, simply because other people are relying on you and your image could suffer if you don’t.

Taurus You’ll need to make up your mind whether you want something or you don’t. Powerful influences showing up at this time could see you hesitating, which may prove fatal. If you’re at all uncertain, let your instincts be your guide. However, trusting your intuition may not be as easy as it should be. In that case, confiding in a trusted friend may be your best alternative.

Cancer

Gemini There’s a very sociable quality to the week ahead, with plenty of opportunities for mixing and mingling. And you might find yourself involved in both formal and informal events. Even so, your connections with others should be charged with a lot of energy, encouraging you to swap business ideas, make bold plans, or perhaps enjoy a little romance.

How will you know if you’re making the right decision this week? It’s possible you may not! It’s said that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Bearing that in mind, you’ll need to get involved personally before you can make an informed decision. Even so, there’s a tendency right now to mistrust your instincts. If this is true, the next best thing is to look at the results you’re getting.

Virgo

Leo You may be enthralled by all kinds of adventures and opportunities. Even so, try not to get too carried away. With Mars in Aries and your zone of travel and exploration, sticking to one plan or idea may not be easy because boredom could set in fairly quickly. However, if you’re to get anywhere at all, you’ll need to make a decision and abide by it.

This could be a time of plain speaking, when you’re unlikely to beat around the bush. This week’s energies could see you being a little bit harsh with someone, particularly if you feel you’ve been wronged in any way. Nevertheless, the more sensitive qualities of Venus and Neptune in Pisces enable you to put yourself in their shoes, if you’re willing.

Scorpio

Libra

This can be an exciting time for your relationships, with new ideas and opportunities helping to enhance your bond. There will be a lot to talk about in the days ahead, and some of it could be a bit uncomfortable, particularly midweek. It’s important that you stand your ground. Don’t feel you have to cooperate if you don’t want to.

Money matters may not have been easy for some time, particularly with Saturn encouraging you to be more responsible for your finances. You may have found it necessary to cut back and recycle certain items rather than buy new. Nevertheless, this week brings opportunities for more work, whether temporary or long-term.

Capricorn

Sagittarius It may be difficult to stay on track regarding your commitments, particularly when there’s so much to do and so many places to go. You could be lured by adventure or perhaps the thrill of a new romance or an opportunity to go to a place you’ve long wanted to visit. However, it is possible to fulfill your responsibilities and enjoy yourself if you’re prepared to think outside the box.

You may find it difficult to reconcile your hopes and plans with those of family members. While you may have opted to let them have their way, a part you could feel a bit resentful. The coming days and weeks can be excellent for letting go of emotional baggage that might prevent you from getting the most out of a heartfelt talk.

Pisces

Aquarius

Sudoku

You’re geared up to make progress now and in the weeks ahead. And even though Saturn is currently retrograde at the top of your chart, your ambitious side is very much in the fore. Although your best-laid plans may be delayed, don’t put them off altogether. Spurred on by Mars, this is the time to explore new possibilities and make those vital connections that could help you achieve your dream. 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

Collaborating on plans and projects can give you a great feeling of being part of a team, and that’s something you find very exciting. There’s plenty going on this week that you’ll want to be involved in. However, if you’re discussing sensitive issues, it helps to tread with care. Aside from this, you can make plenty of progress this week so long as you’re willing to cooperate.

AMBULANCE

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

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

DJ TANIA ROMANOVA at XS

Events

Days

Events

April 2nd to April 8th

APR 2 Cafe Copa AT 7:00 PM

CLIFTTON CLUB NIGHTS DJ PULSE Party Scenes at XS: The Place to Be

Guest DJ Tania Romanova sets the scene on fire

As the return of one self made supreme talented DJ/Producer/ Music Composer/Live Mixer from the Northeast. Who has been stomping the Bangalore dance music scenes across all the club. Xs, Anil Plaza AT 8:00 PM

STARLAB (DIGITAL OM PRODUCTIONS) This Saturday, Phenomenally talented Master Blaster, “STARLAB”

APR 3 Decathlon Azara AT 5:00 PM

‘Boutiques of India’ exhibition at Hotel Contour

Decathlon Azara Guwahati, proudly invites you to our mega sports event of the year, “April Sports Fever ‘16”. This is the first time that we will be hosting a mega sports event.

APR 6 Gauhati University, AT 3:30 PM

Solo Singing Competion of Communika. Registration underway

Synchisis, the annual fest of GMCH at the college Auditorioum

Momo Ghar celebrates Momo Day on the occasion of their 23rd Anniversary

G PLUS MAR 26 - APR 01, 2016

Catching Up Most shared story of the week While the fans at G Plus this week have been politically active and engaging, city lad Swapnanil Talukdar’s creation of a ‘Page Turning Device’ created a buzz with over 140 shares and 780 likes. Innovator Swapnanil Talukdar is a 1st year student of Girijananda Institute of Management and Technology. facebook.com/guwahatiplus twitter.com/guwahatiplus

Guwahati

GYAN

Did you know?

Ambikanath Borah Library / Satyanath Borah Hall

New

Chic

on the block

Simi Saikia About Me

Hey there, I’m Simi Saikia. Born in Tinsukia, I moved to Guwahati for my higher studies. I had an affinity for modelling since my childhood. I started my modelling career with Pink Villa Beauty Pageant in 2014. After being awarded the ‘Miss Personality’ title I’ve walked the ramp in many shows and I have done several conceptual and designer shoots in Guwahati.

Mojo

I always felt that the glamour industry was my calling. I have worked as a choreographer, groomer and a stylist for various designers. I’m not just looking for a career but I feel my passion in this field is what will make me successful in the same.

Route in the Woods

ocated at Md. Tayabulla Road on the east bank of Dighalipukhuri, the Ambikanath Borah Library and Satyanath Borah Hall were built in the memories of the father and grandfather respectively. It was in 1999 that the library and the hall were founded by Bishwanath Borah and was inaugurated by Lakhyadhar Choudhury. The foundation stone was laid by a trust run

by the family members known as BKJS Borah trust that is also responsible for the functioning of the library and the hall. The library has over 7000 books and is mainly focused on Assamese literature. It is open to one and all. The hall hosts meetings and exhibitions. The library is maintained through the fund collected from the fees when the hall is rented out.

Ka m u r of the week

ecently BJP leader Smriti Irani addressed a public gathering at Lal Ganesh near the Ganesh Temple. Lack of space made people gather on the road. The meeting was held at around 7 pm which is peak traffic hour. The traffic jam was huge and even Irani’s convoy was stuck after the meeting. To the political parties: find better places for wooing your voters; don’t be kamurs.

Given my interest in this field, I have a clear view of where I want to take my career and certainly, the path I’m heading down is something I am passionate about and I would like to see myself as one of the topmost models in the country.

PHOTOGRAPHY by Nisar Ahmed Design by Panchi bora

PIC OF THE

WEEK

WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?

ssam Pradesh Mahila Congress president, Shahnaz Yasmin Haque talking to G Plus said, “If you are rain dancing till 12 am in the night you are asking for it. You are provoking people to come and do bad things to you.” The president was answering a question on women safety in Guwahati and she honestly feels women are safe in Guwahati.

In Association with The last laugh... or not!

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