G Plus Vol 3 Issue 28

Sex

“It is difficult to ascertain in our city whether you are having consensual sex or committing rape.� with Dr. Mithun bhartia

PG 18

Lack of space delays the allocation of vending zones in the city

PG 10

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G PLUS APR 23 - APR 29, 2016

Anjali Khanikar New Chic on the block

Page 24

VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 28 APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

PRICE `10

Should Guwahati ban surge pricing as well?

App-based taxi services use dynamic pricing model during to balance out the demand and supply; ignorant customers are irked and government is yet to find a solution

PG

02

PG

06 21-year-old relieved from being labelled

traitor

Baby trading PG

05 nexus alleged at GMCH

Ward no 13 PG

14

Islampur

PG

04

Guwahati railway station vulnerable to crimes & terror activities

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Lead Story

Should Guwahati ban surge pricing as well?

App-based taxi services use dynamic pricing model during to balance out the demand and supply; ignorant customers are irked and government is yet to find a solution rahul chanda

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o more ridiculous surge prices of 4 or 5 times on Ola and Uber. At least not in Bengaluru and Delhi! The Karnataka government’s decision to regulate app-based taxi services recently came with new restrictions on how much services like Ola and Uber can raise tariffs based on demand. This may even provide a template for action in other states, like Delhi, where Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has promised strict action against app-based services. Talking about Guwahati, the app-based services like Ola and Uber are gradually becoming popular and people are downloading such apps for easy availability of public transport. But recently, talking to G Plus, some customers said that they are also irked with the surge pricing system and the commuters faced such issues majorly during the recently concluded assembly elections, Bihu and during rainfalls and thunder storms. G Plus checks if surge pricing is important for such services and if the state government should ban such practices.

The customers A Tezpur-based army doctor, who had come to Guwahati to spend his month-long leave for Bihu, talking to G Plus said, “A year back when I was in Delhi, I used to avail the services of Uber. This time when I came to Guwahati I was informed that the city also had these services and so I started booking Uber cabs for commuting in the city. During elections and Bihu however, I faced a major problem in that whenever I asked for a cab, the app showed that the prices are surged. I would sometimes wait for the surge pricing to end but it began to seem that the surge pricing time would not get over. Taking an auto was cheaper to me than wait-

ing for the Uber surge pricing to end.� The doctor further said that sometimes the surge price showed 4 times more than the normal price which was way too much.

Similarly,

Surge pricing by app-based taxi services irks city customers Transport department yet to formulate a strategy to regulate such services Service providers say such a pricing is required to balance the demand and supply Delhi and Karnataka ban surge pricing but service providers say they are in talks with the respective governments

many

Drivers say surge pricing is important during some occasions Delhi faces taxi crisis after surge pricing is banned taxi users talking to G Plus expressed that app-based taxi services in Guwahati like Ola and Uber increase the prices saying the prices are surged mostly during the time when there is an abnormally high public demand for taxis. A customer, Nita Nath of Lal Ganesh area, said that she underwent a very different experience in that whenever she booked a cab from Maligaon to Lal Ganesh, she was normally charged between Rs. 125 to Rs. 150. During Bihu however, she was charged around Rs. 350.

She is unaware of how surge pricing works but said that while booking she saw an option which showed the surge price. So with Delhi and Karnataka banning surge pricing what will Assam government do?

The authorities Transport is one department in the state which always fails to enforce orders. It has been ages that the transport department, despite a Gauhati High Court order, has not mandated fare meter reading on auto-rickshaws yet. Also, the vehicles on the roads are still seen without HSRP number plates. So what steps they would take on the surge pricing issue is a big question. At the beginning of 2015, J Balaji (IAS) was placed as the commissioner of the department and according to reports he did come up with many strategies to enforce regularization of public vehicles in the city and the state. Ironically, he was transferred just three months af-

ter his appointment as, according to sources, he had dismantled many a nexus within the department. Many politicos were also involved in the nexus and so the decision was taken that he should be transferred out or else the corrupt practices in the department would get blocked. He was transferred out and the present commissioner of excise, Shamsher Singh, joined as the commissioner of transport. Interestingly, very recently, even he was replaced and Monalisa Goswami is now the new commissioner of transport. So within a year, if two IAS officers are shifted from one department, how the department can function efficiently only the state government can explain. As regards the issue of surge pricing by app-based taxi services, we tried to find some of-

Uber charges Base Fare: Rs. 40 + Per Kilometre: Rs. 7 + Per Minute: Re. 1 When prices are surged it can be double, triple of four times the normal fare but commuters can know about the fare in advance

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

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Lead Story ficial of the transport department who could throw some on the matter but everyone wanted to pass the buck to someone else. Finally, a highly placed source in the department, talking to G Plus, said that such services are not regulated by the transport department in any manner and the higher officials are planning to formulate a strategy so that such services can also be regulated and the government can keep a check on the service providers.

The source said that the vehicles associated with Uber or Ola have their individual permits and action can be taken only if the cab driver violates the taxi permit norms. But regarding app-based services, the transport department cannot take any action at present because it is not registered under them and the department has no idea how they function. So it is shocking that such a big service is running in the city without the authorities being aware of their modus operandi.

But if Delhi government can ban such a pricing system why can’t Assam? G Plus thought of talking to the service providers and asking why they were using such a pricing strategy which might call for another ban in Assam.

The service providers General Manager of Uber East, Ashwin Dias, talking to G Plus said, “Uber is a technology-based company that connects riders with taxi providers through a mobile application. We do not own any of the cars that operate on our platform. Across India, Uber has always partnered ex-

G Plus photo

clusively with commercially licensed and insured driver-partners who are required to go through multiple verifications as part of government mandated transport licensing processes.

We maintain digital records of these documents for all our driver-partners.” He also said that surge or dynamic pricing kicks in when demand is higher than supply in a particular

area. He said, “Our goal at Uber is to ensure you can push a button and always get a ride within minutes whatever the weather and during the busiest nights of the year, including festivals like Bihu when drivers are in short supply. And thanks to our dynamic pricing model, that’s possible. Dynamic pricing helps us ensure low wait times for riders and keeps

Uber reliable. Dynamic pricing is not unique to us. Airlines and hotels and even the Indian Railways are more expensive during the festive season.”

He said that Uber’s algorithms monitor demand and supply in real time all over a city. When the systems notice an increase in wait times (because there aren’t enough drivers nearby), surge pricing automatically kicks in.

This has two effects: people who are not in a hurry wait until the price falls—reducing demand; and drivers who are nearby go to that neighborhood to get the higher fares—increasing supply. As a result, the number of people wanting a ride and the number of available drivers start to balance out, ensuring that wait times do not increase. The majority of the money generated due to higher fares goes to the driver-partners. Uber uses fare multipliers—1.5X the standard fare, 2X, and so on to balance supply and demand. The system updates the multiplier every five minutes to adjust the fares corresponding to the latest conditions. If wait times continue to rise, the multiplier rises; when wait times fall, the multiplier falls. To ensure that any fare increase is accurate and effective, Uber divides cities into zones called “geofences.” He also said Uber provides an “estimate your fare” feature so that riders can always check the price in advance. But when surge pricing kicks in, Uber is extra careful to ensure that riders know how much more they will be charged. He also said that when there is an emergency in a city and a lot of people are trying to leave an area quickly, surge pricing

may kick in automatically to respond to the spike in demand. Uber’s teams on the ground turn off surge pricing quickly in the event of a public emergency, such as a fire or a terrorist attack. On enquiring that just as Delhi has recently banned surge pricing, what if it is banned in Guwahati, Dias said, “In Delhi, we have banned surge pricing temporarily. Dynamic pricing helps ensure people have access to a reliable ride within minutes. We are in talks with the authorities and we hope to work with the government to keep Delhi moving especially during this time when the citizens need us the most.” Some Uber drivers, talking to G Plus, said surge pricing is important as it is a way to do business because there are times when all public transport in the city like trekkers, autos and other taxis charge high fares because of scarcity of vehicles. So at that time if Uber provides service, the Uber cab drivers also have the right to earn some extra money. According to some Delhi people, since surge pricing is banned, the commuters mostly do not get any available Uber cabs when they require one.

Whether surge pricing is important or not is for the government decide but for the time being people are using app-based services in Guwahati which is not regulated by the government. The government needs to evolve an idea by which the service providers do not incur losses while the prices are kept in check as well.

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Concern

KALYAN DEB

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he Guwahati railway station, which is one of the busiest railway stations in the region, has been vulnerable to criminal/terrorist acts for almost a month now with the luggage scanner being out of order all these days. It is a matter of serious concern as the railway station, which has footfall in the thousands every day, is proving to be a lifeline for miscreants to transport illegal articles such as drugs and explosives.

With the scanner being out of order for almost a month it provides miscreants an opportunity to amplify their activities. The railway station also has a history of nabbing such miscreants.

While several cases of attempts to transport drugs to or from Guwahati through the railway station have come to light earlier an incident in which a huge quantity of gelatin sticks and cordex wires were recovered from an unclaimed bag by the GRPF at Guwahati Railway Station is a case in point.

The incident took place when the city was hosting the 19th National Youth Festival where nearly 5000 youths from across the country congregated to showcase their talents in the field of art and culture. The bag was recovered during routine patrolling and it contained 106 gelatin sticks and six wire rolls. It was lying unclaimed at Platform No. 3 and caught the attention of the patrolling security personnel. Following the incident, security measures were intensified in the railway station and the city. However, the irony remains that it takes a near miss or a major mishap to take place to work as an eye-opener for the railway authorities and such incidents only raise questions about security in the railways. While RPF and GRP claimed that frisking of passengers and luggage is carried out, sources said the security check is inadequate because of deficiency in technology.

Tumbling block of the security officials Due to the scanner being out of order it gives a free pass to anyone to enter the railway platforms without getting their luggage examined. The concern reaches its peak during the rush hours, i.e., just before the departure of a train as hordes of passengers rush into the station. “The scanner machine that has been out of order since 2nd April stands as a major hurdle in maintaining the security scenario in the railway station. There are personnel of RPF (Railway Protection Force), RPSF (Railway Protection Special Force) and CRPF (Central Reserved Police Force) including sniffer dogs, scanner machines on both ends of the railway station and CCTv cameras that help us in the process. However, with the scanner machines being out of order it prevents us from checking

Guwahati railway station vulnerable to crimes & terror activities The scanner machine at Guwahati Railway Station has remain out of order since 2nd April Despite several applications being forwarded to NF Railway, no steps have been taken so far to rectify the problem

defunt scanner at guwahati railway station

With the luggage scanning machine remaining out of order security maintenance stands compromised leaving scope for major criminal activity the luggage of each and every passenger. Since it is humanly not possible to check each piece of luggage, especially during rush hours, we keep an eye on any suspicious person and randomly check luggage,” an on-duty RPF official stated to G Plus.

It was also informed that the scanner that costs around Rs.75,000 had maxed out its warranty period and is

under the maintenance at the Signal and Telecommunication Department.

The scanner was installed through a global tender process which included installations at several railway stations in the region. After the warranty period, the company that installed the scanner is not liable for any kind of damage and the scanner’s functioning becomes the responsibility of the rail-

Recent incident at the Guwahati railway station Recently, a TTE (Travel Ticket Examiner) was attacked by a mob demanding refund of money from the TTE. He was accused of issuing tickets to passengers even after the relevant train had departed. The TTE, Pankaj Rathi, was attacked by the mob seeking refund of their money. He was also accused of taking bribes from the passengers.

Throwing light on the incident, chief station master Paresh Kalita, informed G Plus that the passengers were issued general class tickets through which they could board any train to their desired destination. “It was due to a certain miscommunication that the incident took place. The passengers were travelling to Chennai and bought general class tickets. Since there is no train number mentioned in the tickets, one can board any train within a time span of twenty four hours. The mob was also unaware of the fact that they could take any alternate train to Chennai. It took a while to make them understand about the alternatives. Later, I even stopped issuing general tickets to Chennai for a few hours so that these people could get seats,” Kalita stated to G Plus.

way authorities. However, even after several applications have been sent, no steps have been taken so far.

Meanwhile, when contacted, officials of NF Railway informed that the threat perception is very serious and the railways are more concerned than anyone else. “It is due to the AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) which has not been done yet. The replacement or repair of the scanner machine requires a lot of paperwork across different departments.

As of now the concerned department is aware of the problem and is working on the same,” stated Jayanta Sarma, PRO, NF Railway.

“It has only been two years since the scanner machine has been installed and a scanner machine is not the only security protocol but only a part of the protocol. With the scanner being out of order, we are working towards rectifying the problem. However, it does not jeopardize the security of the railway station as it is only a part of the security management of the station. There are several RPF personnel and officials of other forces who are monitoring the station round the clock,” Sarma added

With the scanner machine out of order checking of luggage is restricted to only suspicious-looking people According to NFR officials the paperwork required for replacement or repair of the scanner machine is time consuming and the concerned department is working towards rectifying the problem It was also informed that the breakdown of the scanner machine does not jeopardize the security scenario to a great extent as there are several RPF personnel and officials of other forces deployed in the station kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

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Concern

Baby trading

nexus alleged at GMCH

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

GMCH allegedly involved in child trafficking nexus Male child born to minor rape victim was traded for a female child Office of Registrar of Births and Deaths confirms the birth of a male child CID starts probe into the matter, some response awaited by next week

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n what might be an alleged nexus of child trafficking that is happening right inside the Guwahati Medical College Hospital, the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) came out with solid facts that the GMCH is involved directly or indirectly in the crime. On 25th April last, the ASCPCR filed a case with the Crime Branch, Ulubari, airing suspicions of a possible nexus that might be involved in cases of child trafficking.

According to the ASCPCR, in 2013, a minor (name withheld) rape victim from Nagaon, was handed over by the NGO, Seven Sisters, to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. The minor was pregnant at the time and had to undergo complex medical procedures.

At the time of delivery, the doctors confirmed the sex of the child to be male. The doctors even brought the child to the mother minutes after the delivery which was done through surgery. She too confirms the sex of the child to be male. However, following complex procedures and considering the state of her mental health, the mother was transferred to the Psychiatry Ward of the GMCH for counseling. She was kept there under observation and upon her being declared fit was discharged after a few days. Both the child and the mother were sent back to the NGO. However, the child that the hospital returned was a female. In a recorded statement by the NGO, they confirmed that the sex of the child handed to them was female. What made matters worse is that the GMCH also released a birth certificate of the child stating that the sex of the child was female. Serious questions

Guwahati who filed a case with the CID. ASCPCR chairperson, Runumi Gogoi, gave a firsthand report to G Plus and also made public the letter of enquiry filed to the Additional Director General of Police (CID), Ulubari.

“Such cases have happened earlier as well and this is a matter of grave concern. Everything happened at GMCH and the mix-up took place at the time between her delivery and her prolonged stay in the psychiatric ward.

The perpetrators usually target vulnerable victims like in this case. A young mother, a rape victim survivor and a minor – perhaps they thought that such cases would go unnoticed. This does not even end here.

I am not even sure Copy of the ASCPCR’s enquiry letter to the CID that the parents who were handed over the male child are aware that that the child is were raised that even led to the questioning not theirs. There might be a whole nexus of of the minor’s mental state who however dogbaby trading here. We have handed over the gedly stuck to her statement that she had givreport to the CID in Ulubari and we hope the en birth to a “normal and healthy baby boy.” people are soon brought to justice. A simple The issue was then taken up by the DNA of the female child will trace the police Missionaries of Charity, Seven Sisters who to her original parents and that can make a submitted a report with the Child Welfare huge headway into the case.” According to Committee, Nagaon. The CWC, following her, initially there were a few doubts in the procedure and a recorded statement of the case when there was just the mother’s word mother, filed for clarification with the Office involved that she was shown a male child of the Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths, on delivery as she is a traumatized minor.

Assam. The Case No. CWC(N)2/2012-13 was However all such doubts have been erased then taken up by the Office of the Registrar now that the Registrar of Birth Certificates of Births and Death in Hengrabari, Guwahati. confirms the birth of a male child. “We canThe department started an enquiry and finalnot give the child for adoption either till her ly confirmed the mistake on their part. The identification is known. She is now residing statement given by the Director of Health in the SOS Village of Nagaon and is well Services reads as - “On scrutiny it has been looked after.” The identity of this girl child is found that as per record reveals, the sex of not known yet and she is living a life of uncerthe child is “MALE” which was wrongly intainty because of the callousness of the city’s serted in the Birth Certificate as “Female” biggest and most reputed medical Institution. due to oversight of the concerned individu“We hope there is a fast-paced enquiry as this al.” The Office has now asked for the handois the life of a child we are talking about. The ver of the old birth certificate and has agreed report was filed on Monday last and a reply is to issue another Birth Certificate by Provision due by the coming week,” Gogoi said. of Section 15 of Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 related to the correction and cancelation of entries. This matter was then bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in taken to the ASCPCR in Jayanagar, Six Mile,

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

In The News

21-year-old spared from being branded

traitor

Some unidentified person sticks a Pakistani flag on the bike of a Sharabbhatti resident who thereafter had to appear before the police even as people took photos and made videos of the bike and the matter got aired on some news channels

rahul chanda

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in his hand and narrated the whole story.

ecently there was quite a hue and cry in Guwahati when a Pakistani flag was seen on a two-wheeler belonging to a resident of Sharabhatti. The issue went viral on social media and the young bike owner was on the verge of getting labelled as a traitor. Good sense prevailed finally and he was not arrested by the police while an inquiry is still on. Who was responsible for sticking the Pakistani flag on the bike?

Is it a crime if anyone brandishes a flag of a different country? What are the sections in which a person can be booked in such an eventuality?

G Plus talked to all stake-holders to find out what actually happened.

The police

The incident On 24 April, G Plus received news that someone in the Sharabbhatti area was “roaming around” with a Pakistani flag sticking on his two-wheeler. The photographs and video collected by some people showed a motorbike parked opposite Arya Vidyapeeth College with a Pakistani flag fastened to its handle. Some electronic media also aired the news in the evening raising more questions on the incident.

After the electronic media telecast the news the police started hunting for the bike owner and according to sources in the police, the in-charge of the Birubari police outpost was searching for the bike owner till late into the night after which even the Paltan Bazar police joined the hunt.

Interestingly, the next morning there were reports that the owner of the bike was arrested and later released on bail. The G Plus team went to the Arya Vidyapeeth College area and started inquiring. A local shopkeeper, talking to G Plus, said that th

on Sunday (24th April) there were a group of people who were photographing and video graphing a bike parked there which had a small flag fastened to its handle. It looked distinctly like a Pakistani flag but for the fact that the crescent was facing downwards. The shopkeeper also said that later the owner of the bike came with a lady and took away the flag along with them. G Plus tried to contact the owner of the Pulsar bike (AS 01 –BE -6634) but he was not available and instead talked to his family members.

The innocence The family members of the bike owner, Vicky Prasad, said that they were very disturbed with the incident as their entire family was patriotic and could even die for the country. One of the family members said

G Plus photo

that on Sunday, Vicky came home to have lunch and because there was less traffic that day near Arya Vidyapeeth College, he parked the bike there as their house was just behind the college. As he was having his food some of his friends from the locality came and informed that some people had gathered around his bike and were taking photographs because it had a Pakistani flag on it. Vicky and his mother rushed to the spot and removed the small flag which was on the bike. Vicky’s mother brought the flag with her and Vicky had no idea who put the flag on his bike. Vicky wanted to immediately go to the police and inform them of the incident but got busy with work as he works with a private firm and has to work even on Sundays. At night, after seeing the news, Vicky panicked and early the next morning reached Birubari police outpost with the flag

A source in the police said that Vicky was not arrested but on 25th April he appeared before the police early in the morning and deposited the flag. The police source said that no case was registered as the police in such cases first try to know the motive and according to initial investigations Vicky was unaware about who put the flag on his bike. The police are still investigating the case but the police sources said that the flag appeared to be one of the many flags which were used by the Pakistani players during South Asian Games. The source said that some of the Pakistani players might have just left the flag behind somewhere and someone might have just picked it up and put it on the bike as a prank. But the police are trying to find out who did it and how the flag was put on Vicky’s bike. Enquiring whether such an act is a crime or not the police source said that the motive has to be known. If the motive is to incite violence then that is a crime and the person can be booked on sedition charges under section 124 (A) and 153 (B) under the IPC. The source said that in this case the suspect was unaware about the flag. The incident drew many opinions and comments on social media and some people questioned what would have happened had the bike owner been a Muslim. In such an eventuality, would the law enforcing body have allowed that person also to walk free without slapping any charges on him? Whatever the fact of the matter is, 21-year-old Vicky Prasad is shocked by the incident and is thankful that till now he has not been labelled as a traitor.

21-year-old Vicky Prasad parks his bike at Sharabbhatti and goes home to have lunch Some of his friends come and inform him that some people are taking pictures of his bike Vicky and his mother rush to the bike and see a Pakistani flag fastened to the handle The mother removes the flag and returns home The news goes viral on social media and police start hunting for Vicky Vicky appears before the police the next morning and narrates the story of his innocence Police allow him to walk free but investigation is still on to find who put the flag The incident creates a lot of hue and cry and becomes a subject of discussion on social media People are wondering what would have been the consequences had Vicky been a Muslim rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

7

Governance

State govt ignores Centre’s notification on pictorial warnings on tobacco products

G Plus News

With the Centre mandating 85% pictorial warning on tobacco packets, the state government fails to enforce the same

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he Union Health Ministry’s notification to enforce the new 85% pictorial warning on tobacco packets has fallen on deaf ears with the state government mechanism doing nothing to implement the same even after weeks have passed since the new rule came into force. As per the new pictorial warning rule, 85% area of a packet of tobacco has to be covered with pictorial warnings and must be visibly displayed on both sides of all the tobacco packets from 1st April, 2016. But what is the scenario in Assam?

The situation April is drawing to a close but the tobacco companies are still using the same old packaging with no action seen from the law enforcing agencies in Assam against the tobacco companies, retailers and distributors.

While states like Maharashtra, Bihar and Goa are implementing the Central Government’s orders, they have seized tobacco products worth crores of rupees from erring agencies.

Joint Secretary to Government of India, Health & FW Ministry, KC Samria, through a letter dated 1st April, 2016 to the Chief Secretaries of

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uwahati Round Table 235, under Round Table India, has yet again taken up an initiative to help the underprivileged children of the society. On Tuesday, the Table announced a first of its kind Hinglish Comedy Show – The Funny Rascals – to be held at ITA Machkhowa on 8th May. The charity fund-raising programme will be held with an initiative for building the infrastructure of Shankardev Shishu Niketan in Dadara, near Hajo.

For the show, Guwahati Round Table 235 will be hosting noted comedians Nitin Rivaldo and Appurv Gupta, who are widely popular for Hinglish stand-up comedy acts.

Stand-up comedy is a comic style in which a comedian performs in front of live audience, usually speaking directly to them. “The stand-up comedy scene in India is rapidly growing.

We thought about bringing it for the first time to the northeast for a noble cause. The proceeds from the show will help us undertake the Phase 2 of the Shankardev Shishu Vidya Niketan, Dadara project,” said Rajat Sureka, Chairman of Guwahati Round Table

all the State Governments including Assam, has requested the respective Governments to implement the new pictorial warning rule. On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has expressed his ignorance about the new rule and has assured that he will ask the concerned departments to act once he goes through the notification.

The new rule The new pictorial warning rule came into force following the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2014 was enacted in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 7, Section 8, Sub- Section (2) of Section 9, Section 10 and Section 31 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COPTA), vide G.S.R. No. 727(E) dated 15.10.2014 and the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 7, 8, 9, 10 and Section 31, on 24th September 2015 vide GSR No. 739(E) issued a notification for en-

forcement of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2014, from 1st April, 2016.

The companies Tobacco companies have expressed their strong resentment in following the new packaging rule and said it is too harsh a rule to follow. It is to be mentioned that around 30 court cases are pending in the Supreme Court of India and

other courts of Karnataka and Rajasthan pertaining to the new pictorial warning rule filed both by the tobacco and anti-tobacco lobby. It is proven that tobacco is the main cause of cancer. As per Global Adult Tobacco Survey, 2010, tobacco consumption kills about 10 lakh people every year in India. In Assam, 30 lakh people consume cigarettes and bidis and 71 lakh people consume smokeless tobacco. According to experts from Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, one-third of these will die of heart

G Plus Photo

diseases and pulmonary cancers.

According to sources in the health department, the state government officials are giving excuses that the Centre’s decision has not been implemented because of reasons like elections, model code of conduct etc., but it is strange that even after the elections are over, the order has not been enforced yet.

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

Comedians to help build school for the underprivileged

Comedians Nitin Rivaldo and Appurv Gupta to perform at fund raising event

G Plus News Service

(L-R) Deepak Jain, Manish Singhal, Rajat Sureka and Prakash Gupta at the press conference by Guwahati Round Table 235 235. Guwahati Round Table 235, with its present 20 members, adopted the school in Dadara under Round Table India’s flagship “Freedom Through Education” project. The Table aims to

redevelop around 10,500 sq. ft. of the said school and on 7th February this year, bhoomipujan for the development of Phase 1 (around 2,000 sq. ft.) was done.

The show, to be held at ITA, Machkhowa on Sunday, 8th May, 5 pm onwards, will see around 800 guests participating to help in the building of the school infrastructure. Performing

in the evening will be stand-up comedian Nitin Rivaldo who has done around 500 shows across the country and is a famous Hinglish comedian in the college festival circuit. He will be joined by Appurv Gupta who was called India’s leading Hinglish comedian by Comedy Central besides being listed in Forbes India Celebrity 100 Nominees List for 2015.

“The show is being organized to raise funds to build a school for the under-privileged children. We will utilize the funds to build classrooms at Shankardev Shishu Vidya Niketan, Dadara and we are happy to announce that many people are helping us in this initiative,” said Manish Singhal, Fund raising Convenor of Guwahati Round Table 235.

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

City

Diversion of Bahini River key to Nabin Nagar water-logging crisis

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

The Nabin Nagar locality of Zoo Road has been facing a water-logging crisis for over ten years now. Each year during monsoons, the locality is entirely submerged making the lives of the people miserable. The Bahini River that meets the Bharalu River brings in the entire garbage of the city to this locality which is the root cause of water logging.

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abin Nagar on Zoo Road is a premium residential area of the city that is notorious for its monsoonal water-logging problems. Each year, during monsoons, this part of the city remains submerged under water and for years now, the residents have been victims of flash floods, water blockades and water stagnancy. They have been vigilantly approaching the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority. However, lax attitude and incompetence on the part of the city’s administration, has delayed the much needed process of diversion of the Bahini River before it merges with the Bharalu River that is the main reason for the water-logging crisis in the area.

As of now, the flood water that accumulates in the Nabin Nagar area is being pumped out using high-powered pumping machines. However, according to Dwip Baruah, President of the Nabin Nagar Welfare Society, this is not the solution. “Pumping out the accumulated water can be the second or temporary solution but a flow of gravity is very much needed to let out the excess water. This is why we need diversions.” One way to achieve this is to dig and deepen the Bharalu River around the Zoo Road area so it would be able to hold more water. However, due to the gird walls of the Bharalu being very weak, this initiative was dropped. In the process, a few gird walls of the river were also broken. The water retaining

capacity of the river was thus not increased. The administration had also once dug a few portions of the river.

While digging, however, the silt was collected and kept on the sides. This proved to be meaningless as just after a few spells of rain, the collected silt was washed back adding to the water blockades.

There seems to be a choice of obvious solutions to tackle the water logging problem in Nabin nagar, but due to one reason or another, work has not even been initiated. Just as the construction of the city’s highway from the city is bound to give rise to congestion, the same is the case with the drainage. The conflu-

bharalu river

ence of the Bahini-Bharalu needs to be diverted. Currently, this confluence is also causing all the garbage from one corner of the city to flow through the center, causing massive blockades. To tackle this issue, the Assam Infrastructure Investment Plan Department of the GMDA was initiated. This plan had two phases and the second phase was devoted to the Bahini Diversion. The entire plan was supported by the Asian Development Bank and a sum of Rs. 413 crores was sanctioned by them for this in 2013. However, Assam Infrastructure Department’s inability to finish the first project caused the ADB to put the funds on hold. “We

Bahini river

have had talks with the administration regarding their pace of work, but this was the final result. Without the evidence of work, even the banks are not sanctioned to release funds,” Baruah stated. The residents had even written to the Union Water Ministry which responded within a few days and ordered an enquiry. Uma Bharti’s office has ordered the GMDA to send details of the Bahini Diversion.

Another reason for the water logging in Nabin Nagar is the accumulated flood water in Chandmari. There is a 10-12 feet wide boxed shaped drain in Chandmari that is the root cause of the entire flood in the adjacent Anil Nagar as it is the main route of the Chandmari drainage to flow into Anil Nagar. Diversion here is very much necessary as the southern part of the drain that would have helped in the flow of water, is almost nonexistent now. The northern side of the drain requires massive augmentation.

More than 50% of the water from the Chandmari drain as a result, flows directly to Anil Nagar. The administration should mend the southern part of the drain so that the drainage from Chandmari can instead flow into the Sola Beel.

“One example is the naamghar area in Nabin Nagar where the access water collected remains stagnant and cannot flow out because there are no connecting drains. This water flows out from Anil Nagar but becomes stagnant near the naamghar where it becomes a breeding ground for

mosquitoes. There are no connecting tertiary drains. We have already approached the GMC and the PWD and mapped out where we need diversions and culverts for the water to flow out. We have also approached an engineer, Faizul Rehman, to talk to the administration, but we await immediate results. The Nabin Nagar locality is so lovely. We have to stop the flow of water from other points.

It’s not that there are no options for the water to be pumped out – there is Deepor Beel, there is the Sola Beel, the Bor Sola and the Xoru Sola Beel – where all the extra water can be pumped out to. If the administration can increase the draining capacity of water, it can be an answer to the entire flood situation in Guwahati.

It is a simple thing. Augmentation of Bharalu is very necessary and it is enough to sustain the extra flood water that is accumulated in the Zoo Road area. The administration has to make sure that the water from outside is not collected here. Instead they should make diversions for the outside water to go someplace else,” said Baruah.

Given the forthcoming torrential monsoonal rains, and with hardly any concrete work done towards solution of the water-logging problems, the residents of Nabin Nagar are bracing up again for sleepless nights and their water-logging woes. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

9

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

City

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

T

Super chaos in the Supermarket vicinity

he intersection at Last Gate which serves as the connecting point between the Secretariat, Ganeshguri and Beltola is one of the most important junctions of the city with the MLA residential quarters situated nearby. Over the years, this stretch of land has been an experimental ground for the administration as they continue to break and fix the road much to the inconvenience of the people. More than a year ago, the administration undertook a project which led to the widening of the road to help traffic flow. We have a report.

Right in the heart of the city just few kilometers from the Central Secretariat, is the important and busy road that turns and leads to Beltola via Basisthapur. The road serves as the main connection to Beltola which is one of the major residential and commercial hubs of the city and for many months, the piece of land is in tatters.

The administration recently allowed permission for the bend of the Last Gate-Basisthapur Road to be widened for better management and flow of traffic. Till a few years ago, this road was just a narrow street that saw massive traffic blocks at that particular point. Also, since this point serves as an intersection between Ganesghguri, Supermarket and Beltola Road, there is usually a high congregation of vehicles at all times. “Despite it being an intersection, there is very poor management of traffic. Traffic constables are deployed here only some times. The problem grew which is why the decision was taken to take a part of the PWD land and merge it with the main road. If it is widened, the traffic flow is comparatively well managed,” according to a PWD official whose office is situated at the very spot. The land that has been used to carve out the road is actually PWD property that never served any fruitful purpose. In the absence of a proper demarcation of a boundary, this piece of unattended land soon gave

way for an auto rickshaw stand which took up more than half of the space, adding to the traffic chaos.

Adjacent to this is the entrance gate of the MLA quarters which is also under construction. According to a security guard who is deployed there, this is being done because this being the entry point of the MLA hostel, there is a lot of crowd every day and it is very difficult to manage the crowd. “A mandatory check of each person who goes in is necessary and we only have one gate that is operated manually. We do not even have check posts or station rooms and we have to maintain vigil on the street itself all throughout the summers.” Apparently, this move was also pushed by the administration to straighten the main road that connects Ganeshguri to the Secretariat.

Resultantly right now, there is

Work in stand still at last gate point

middle of this stretch of road where a bus stops every other minute. There is a huge activity of people here due to the bus stoppage that has led to the growth of a small scale business hub on that narrow turn. “All these are not permissible and we try to move them away every time we spot them but they keep coming back.” stated Kakoti. According to her, apparently the auto rickshaw stand that was in place here before the widening of the road was undertaken was also illegal. According to the councilor, construction problems “Despite it being emanate here because an intersection, there is a rift between the there is very poor Centre and the state government and thus there management is a hitch in the flow of of traffic. Traffic funds.

“Construction constables are on this part goes on evdeployed here eryday and under the only some times. pretext of widening this stretch, almost every The problem alternate day there are grew which is huge construction vehiwhy the decision cles doing nothing,” statthe affected area at last gate point was taken to ed the exasperated PWD construction being carried out on ministration once take a part of the official. “Maybe it serves in the interest of these both sides and it is becoming a cause thought would be PWD land and people that construction of massive harassment for the peo- suitable and benefimerge it with here takes a long time.” ple. It has been more than a year that cial for the people. the main road.

The ward councilor construction for this part of the road However, broader If it is widened, was however oblivious was undertaken and yet it has not the space, higher of the amount of funds maintenance been completed. The entire stretch the the traffic flow of land is broken and during mon- and the administrais comparatively released for the project.

“I am not aware of the soons, the leftover sand and stones tion’s lack of manwell managed” total sum of money that turn into mud and muck. The con- agement capacities has been released for the tinuous pressure of many vehicles at has resulted in the the same time, on the exact same spot formation of three humungous pot- project but I can assure you that conhas resulted in the level of the now holes that the people have just come struction will be over in a short time partially kuchcha road not matching to accept as part of the sidewalk. It and the road will be open to the pubwith the road level. After just a few has been over ten years that these lic. Bad weather and a little shortage days of the administration making the have not been fixed. To make matters of funds had put the work on hold but road operational, they had to block it worse, there is a bus stop right on the now work has resumed.” as there was no maintenance. While bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in speaking to G Plus, councilor of the ward (No. 21), Manjula Kakoti, said that construction has been mostly delayed due to the inconsistency of the contractors who are deployed to mend the road. “Often there is friction between the central and the state government which is why at times there is a problem with the division of funds. We actually were supposed to finish construction of the road before the elections but we were unable to do so. The work is usually taken up by contractors and most of them are private contractors. Some contractors work on running deals as in they are involved with the administration’s various projects for a long time. However, some of them are not given running deals and due to them not receiving enough funds, they stop work in between. This work has been resumed now, however. Also, the pace of work has slowed down due to the bad weather.”

The problem does not end here.

This road continues and merges with a very broad sidewalk that the ad-

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Governance

Lack of space delays vending zone allocation in the city Juthika Baruah

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he problem of street vendors of the city seems unlikely to end until vending zones are allotted to such vendors. Meanwhile, life for them continues to be a struggle as they carry on with their business moving from one place to the other even as the administration continues to carry out whimsical eviction drives.

The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has allotted three vending zones in Panbazaar, Bhangagarh and Six Mile which includes only around 200 vendors against 7,183 street vendors in the city. The Supreme Court has ordered that the vending zones should be allotted under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 two years ago but till date the city street vendors have not been allotted with any specific location and therefore they have to move from one place to another.

Talking to G Plus, President of Street Vendors’ Association of Assam, Nayan Rajbongshi said, “The three vending zones which have been allotted for accommodating the street vendors is not sufficient as there are 7,183 vendors of which only 200 vendors have been allotted space in the vending zones while the others have to roam here and there and even have to close their business sometimes as the administration evicts them all of a sudden. In Jalukbari area, the vendors have to face serious problems as the construction of the bridge is in process. Gammon, the contractor of the bridge, keeps creating problems for the vendors because they also have to continue with their construction work. Therefore, the vending zones need to be allotted as soon as possible so that the street vendors do not have to face such problems that jeopardize their livelihood. They go into heavy losses if they have to close their business even for half of the day.”

Rajbongshi further informed that identity cards have been issued to 115 vendors while the others are yet to get one. A sum of Rs. 200 has to be

street vendors at guwahati

Street vendors have to face problem every now and then as they get evicted by the administration even as the concerned department fails to allot vending zones deposited with the GMC for issue of the I-cards and a monthly fee will also have to be paid to the GMC after they are allotted space and a proper licence in the vending zones.

The Panbazaar area has been declared as a vending zone and therefore the vendors are allowed to sit on the footpath for business purpose. Hundreds of people come to have food on the roadside and as most of the office workers and college students prefer street food the vendors can’t be removed all of a sudden. Most of the people complain about the street vendors who create congestion disturb traffic flow and in some areas street vendors run their business to the great distress of the general commuters.

Earlier, the traffic police and officials of the transport department, health and PWD department along with the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M), in a meeting, took a decision to clear the pavements for free flow of traffic and also to make it easier for the pedestrians to pass by.

One of the commuters in Panbazar, Dulal Das, said that half of the streets are occupied by the street vendors and during the college and office hours it becomes very difficult to pass by. “On the one hand, the pavements are occupied by the street vendors and on the other hand, people park their vehicles on the road as space in the underground parking is insufficient.

The concerned authorities should take

action against it so that it becomes easy for the people to use the roads,” said Das. Speaking to G Plus, Municipal Secretary Devajit Baruah, said that there is no land for vending zones and due to the traffic problem the traffic department does not allow vending zones to be allotted in some areas for which the work of allotment has been delayed. “We have to search for proper places so that the traffic movement does not get affected and at the same time also have to see that we cannot allot a place where it is difficult for the people to access to that zone. As the street vendors comply with the only business, their purpose has to be fulfilled and the city is not that big where

we can find place for the vending zones,” said Baruah.

The administration also evicted the street vendors in the Ganeshguri area on Thursday and declared the stretch from Khanapara 9th mile to Ganesh Mandir as no-parking zone so that the traffic flow does not get hampered due to vending on the footpaths.

The Administration who allotted vending zones opposite GMCH tried to evict the vendors of the zone which creates a fearsome among the other vendors who have not yet received vending zones.

An official of GMC said that the Street Vending Act says that the vendors should be rehabilitated in the area where they run their business itself which is difficult to follow for the city as it is very congested. “A street vendor who is running his business in Ganeshguri can’t be rehabilitated to Six Mile but the problem is the vending zone can’t be allotted in some particular places as there is not enough space.

Some places have been identified so far but has not been decided because the traffic department also has to confirm the places from the point of view of traffic,” the official said.

The Act also says that the Town Vending Committee shall ensure that all existing street vendors, identified in the survey, are accommodated in the vending zones subject to a norm conforming to two and half per cent of the population of the ward or zone or town or city, as the case may be, in accordance with the plan for street vending and the holding capacity of the vending zones.

Certificate of vending to be issued to all street vendors and every street vendor, identified under the survey who has completed the age of fourteen years or such age as may be prescribed by the appropriate Government, shall be issued a certificate of vending by the Town Vending Committee, subject to such terms and conditions and within the period specified in the scheme including the restrictions specified in the plan for street vending. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN 01 May

MON 02 May

TUE 03 May

WED 04 May

THU 05 May

FRI 06 May

Passing showers

Numerous showers

Heavy rain

Numerous showers

More sun than clouds

More sun than clouds

20 / 32 °C

19 / 33 °C

20 / 34 °C

20 / 33 °C

22 / 34 °C

20 / 33 °C

SATURDAY

30 April

Thunderstorms

20 / 32 °C

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

11

Governance

98.09% field

verification of NRC completed till 25th April

The draft NRC will be published soon after the completion of the verification process and all delays in this regard have been Juthika Baruah attributed to the elections

98.09% field verification has been completed for NRC After the publication of the NRC, Adhaar card will be issued to the citizens 99% people have completed the NRC process The draft NRC, which has been delayed due to the election, will be published soon G Plus photo

9

8.09% of people in Kamrup (M) have completed the verification process of National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the people left out will be able to complete the process after the final publication of NRC. After the publication of NRC, citizens will also be provided with ADHAAR card which is at present stagnant. “It’s very difficult for the citizens to go outside without a national identity card and therefore the work of ADHAAR card was started so that each and every citizen could benefit from it. But now that the process of NRC is continuing, the work of ADHAAR card has been stopped and only after the publication of final NRC, the ADHAAR card will be is-

sued to the citizens,” said Mukta Nath Saikia, District officer of NRC, while speaking to G Plus.

While asking about whether the people that have been left out will have their names in the voters’ list, Saikia said that the NRC has no link with the voters’ enrolment. NRC will only have the list of names of the people who have been residing in the state since 1971 and the citizens have submitted NRC applications with relevant documents claiming to be Indian citizens living in the country since 1951 but allegations have also come that many people have submitted fake documents. “We have not received any fake documents in Kamrup (M) but there might have been such sub-

missions in other places which will be verified during the verification process,” said Saikia.

The register is being updated based on the NRC of 1951, and electoral rolls up to the midnight of March 24, 1971. If an applicant’s name is not there on either of these records, then he/she must submit documents that are a part of the list of admissible documents issued up to March 24, 1971.

The NRC authorities had a conference with all the deputy commissioners for the review meeting to accelerate the update process which has been delayed due to the assembly polls. It is due to the election that the update process has been halted for some days but now it has been

Report on Progress of Field Verification as on 25th April, 2016: Sl. No

Name of the Circle

Total applications received

Total households completed

Total %

1

Azara Revenue Circle

12707

12654

99.58

2

Chandrapur Revenue Circle

8964

8962

99.98

3

Dispur Revenue Circle

112075

110228

98.35

4

Guwahati Revenue Circle

100933

97767

96.86

5

Sonapur Revenue Circle

31509

31503

99.98

Grand Total

266188

261114

98.09

resumed and the draft NRC will be published soon, according to Saikia.

He further stated that the field verification has been continued and the verification is almost complete despite the online verification which will take another few days. “The manual tree format will be verified online which will detect the fake names of those who tried to enter their names taking the name of their forefathers.

Most of the senior officials will also now be able to devote time for the verification of the manual tree only after which the draft publication will be published,” added Saikia.

Saikia said that the deadline has not been fixed for a particular date but as soon as the verification process will get over it will be published. As the deadline was set for 31st March, 2016 earlier which had to be halted for the election, it will be completed soon now.

The state government is committed towards protecting the interests of the state and its people so that it can be ensured that a correct NRC could be published and the long pending problem of illegal Bangladeshis could be solved. Altogether 25,000 officials and workers are engaged in the verification process. The officers are working day and night to complete the verification process and accord-

ing to officials more people will be deployed if necessary to complete the process within the stipulated time.

There should not be any loophole in the NRC update exercise. It has to be fool-proof.

Saikia also informed that less than 2% people have not completed the process of NRC and they will be given a chance after the final publication of NRC and although after that if anyone would be left out, their names will be struck off from the NRC. The main objective of the NRC is to detect the illegal migrants but not to eliminate any names from the voters list.

It has also been demanded by a section of people that till an acceptable solution is reached, the people who had migrated to India after 1971 on religious grounds should be given shelter, rehabilitation and citizenship for the sake of humanity and civilization.

Saikia also said that in some cases where people stay outside the state or the people who migrate frequently from one place to another is found to be difficult to access for which their applications are not being able to be verified and also the people who reside outside the country are also difficult to access. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Snippets

Cases of kidney stone increase in last 5 years The food habits, lack of awareness and humidity are the reasons why kidney stone disease is increasing gradually since 5 years

Juthika Baruah

S

ociety for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) is organizing its 4th International Convention at IIT Guwahati from May 9-15, 2016.

The convention is aimed to be a heritage festival for the whole of northeast India and is expected to render a series of programmes by some of the most eminent artistes of the country.

It will be graced by a large number of dignitaries from across the country and delegates from abroad as well.

A regular day at the convention will begin with waking up at 3.30 am during the very special time called the ‘Brahma Mahurat’, doing ‘yog’ or meditation for three hours. Participants can choose from options like Naad Yog, Hath Yog, Dhrupad and Kutiyattam for this. This will be followed by the ‘Shram Dan’ with an idea to give back a cleaner place to the hosts than how they gave it to

Centre for Advanced Urology and Kidney Disease of Wintrobe Hospital observed kidney stone awareness week The age group of 20-40 years very susceptible to kidney stone diseases Life time risk of kidney stone disease is 1% to 15%

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ases of kidney stone are increasing in the north-eastern region as well as in the city due to the food habits of the people. Humidity is also one of the factors for the increase in kidney stone cases.

The Centre for Advanced Urology and Kidney Diseases in Wintrobe Hospital has observed a Kidney Stone Diseases Awareness Week from 25th to 29th April for the benefit of patients as most of the people are not aware of the disease and why the disease has increased over the last five years.

Speaking on the occasion of the awareness week, urologist Dr. Arup Kumar Nath, said that the main reason for the increase of the disease is due to the food habits as people of the region mostly consume non-vegetarian food. “Weather is also one of the reasons. As the humidity of the region is very high people sweat a lot and therefore people should drink at least 3-4 litres of water a day to avoid kidney stones,” said Dr. Nath. “People should also be conscious about

Cases of kidney stone increase in the last 5 years

their diet. Kidney stones may occur twice or thrice as we only remove the stones. In case of gall bladder stone we removed the entire gall bladder and there is no chance for it to recur but in the case of kidney stone one should be conscious of their diet or else the disease may recur,” he added.

The doctor further informed that people with diabetes and high blood pressure are at risk of having

kidney stone. A stone of less than 6 mm can be removed through medicine and there is a 50% chance of relapse. “Once the person gets operated for kidney stone they should not think that it will not relapse. Rather they should be more careful about their diet so that it does not relapse.

The age group from 20-40 years is very susceptible to the disease. Five years ago if there was one kidney

G Plus photo

stone case against 3-4 gall bladder cases, now it is seen that there are 2-3 kidney stone cases against one gall bladder case,” said Dr. Nath.

The centre for Advanced Urology & Kidney diseases of Wintrobe hospital therefore emphasized mostly on the disease and observed the kidney stone awareness week to prevent the disease. A free camp has also been organised at the hospital

premises wherein free dietary charts were distributed to create awareness among the people.

Kidney stones form when minerals or acid salts present in the urine crystallize. Most stones leave the body with passing of urine. Life time risk of kidney stone disease is 1% to 15% according to age, gender, race and geographical location.

The symptoms can vary from severe pain to no pain at all depending on stone characteristics such as the size, shape and location of the stone in the urinary tract.

The doctor suggested intake of vegetarian food and fruits like carrot, bitter gourd, juices, citrus fruits like lemon and oranges which make chances of stone formation lesser.

He also informed that the treatment for senior citizens, media persons, ex-army men, students and children are free of cost. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

4th International Convention of SPICMACAY to be held at IIT-G the participants. The participants will then learn classical and folk forms of music and dance, traditional crafts, literature, arts etc. from a celebrated Guru, who has mastered her skill in that particular art form, in a three hour long intensive workshop. There will be talks by eminent personalities, movie screenings and concerts in the afternoon. In the evening there will be classical music and dance concerts of some of the most distinguished artists like Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Vid Girija Devi, Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar, Begum Parveen Sultana, Vid Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Vidushi Sudha Raghunathan, Vid Malavika Sarukkai, Us Shahid Parvez, Pt. Rajan and Sajan Misra, Us Wasifuddin

Dagar and Vid TM Krishna. This will be supplemented by holistic food that provides the necessary support to the body, mind and soul in this wonderful journey.

On the penultimate day, participants will demonstrate what they have learnt from their Gurus on the stage. There will be an overnight concert which is the culmination of an intense experience created through five continuous performances of classical dance and music. On the last day, there will be trips to heritage sites like Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga National Park and Majuli islands, from which participants can select anyone trip.

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

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hasing a dream and transforming it into a success undergoes several hurdles. More so, if the dream is nurtured by a girl and that too in a conservative environment surrounded by religious taboos, the hurdles become more challenging. At certain points, the family may support her activities and fuel her passions to achieve the dream. But after a while, certain external factors tend to impede that same support structure. Within all these, there always shines a ray of hope which fuels and ignites the dreamer to struggle to the best of her ability and thereby attain a divine satisfaction.

The enactment of “Bano,” a Hindi play by “Wings Theatre” in collaboration with Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, at Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati on 23rd April last, narrated a similar story of an aspiring dramatist, Bano. Based on the legendary dialogue, “Among my three daughters, who loves me the most?” from William Shakespeare’s play “King Lear,” the play “Bano” presented the universality and relevance of such masterpieces in contemporary times.

The story begins with Bano in a rehearsal of “King Lear” for her upcoming project. Her rehearsals face obstruction with the arrival of Maulavi Chacha at their home who tries to divert her attention towards the religious scriptures.

Bano, who a lively dreamer finds her happiness and satisfaction in dramatics and so, does not heed the words of Maulavi Chacha. In the play, King Lear wanted to divide his realm among his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia, on the condition that the largest share would go to the one who loved him the most. A similar situation arises at Bano’s home as her mother expresses a desire to know how much her three daughters love her. Like Goneril and Regan, the two elder sisters of Bano give flattering answers to impress their mother. Bano, like Cordelia, however remains silent and refuses to give a reply. Finally, she says that no language or words can express her love for her mother. Her love for mother is incomparable as she loves her as a daughter should love. Though honest in her expression, her reply remains unsuccessful in winning her mother’s heart. Just as Cordelia’s honest reply had enraged King Lear which made him disinherit her, Bano’s sincerity in not being flattering like her sisters infuriates her mother enough to agree to a marriage

All about chasing a dream

Art

Subhrajit Roy

proposal for Bano as suggested by her son-in–law. Bano requests her mother to refuse the proposal because her play “King Lear” is in progress and she has only three months in her hand, but her mother refuses to listen.

As luck and situation had forced Cordelia to leave her father’s kingdom, Bano too gets married and starts a new life. The only factor which supports her in taking the biggest decision of her life is that the groom is apparently a lover of theatre as a big portrait of Shakespeare visible in his bed room, indicates his love for dramatics. Bano remains hopeful that she can continue her dream project after marriage as well. But from the very first night of her married love, she comes across the dual face of her husband. She undergoes severe mental and physical trauma as the psychopathic nature of her husband creates bigger challenges every day towards realization of

her dream. After being divorced by her husband, she faces another shocking revelation when Maulavi Chacha expresses his willingness to marry her as his third wife. But keeping all such crazy hurdles aside, she follows the path of divinity to achieve the success in her dream.

From the staging of the very first play “Helen,” “Wings Theatre” in general and Kismat Bano in particular have created a buzz in the dramatic scene of the region. For the last one and a half years the play “Helen” has travelled throughout the various prestigious theatre festivals in the country and garnered nationwide appreciation. Eloquently presented and with elegance in her performance, Kismat has created a benchmark for herself which has honoured her with many awards recently.

Like “Helen,” “Bano” was also scripted, designed, acted and directed by Kismat

herself and she has proved herself with her portrayals of emotions, perseverance of rehearsals, techniques of monoacts as well as delivery of a subjective message through the presentation.

The young brigade of theatre enthusiasts include Kismat as the protagonist, Ashfaque (Maulavi Chacha), Gargee Dutta (Mother), Rikita Singhi and Sana Bano (the two elder sisters), Raj Dutta (brother-in-law), Avkash Kumar Jain (husband), Rupjyoti Deka (live puppet), Somnath Das (supporting artist) and Chiranjeev Koch (Sufi dancer).

Gargee brought some shades of maturity and seriousness in her role, whereas Ashfaque brought some moments of humour on stage. As many of the other actors were first timers on stage, it left a lot of room for improvement. Although the language incorporated in the script included mostly Urdu and Arabic, usage of certain pure Hindi words could

have been avoided. Certain dialogues in the play received good applause because of their universal appeal.

The presentation had limited but effective properties without any fixed set design, which were well supported by the light design by Kaushik Borbora.

The symbolic representation of Bano’s life after marriage, a revolving doll with her masked face can be visible on stage. Background score by Roktutpol Bharadwaj created a humming environment in the auditorium, especially during the climax scene when Bano proceeded towards divinity through the path of Sufism. With the essence of sound and light effects the climax scene became a signature one. Over all it was a heart rending presentation which told the story of every aspiring individual for whom struggle for chasing a dream and subsequent obstacles become silly in comparison to one’s will power.

Lucky draw of Vinayak Furnishings held successfully First prize claimed by Pranjal Deka of Guwahati

A Pranjal deka, who won the car in the ‘shop & win’ contest recieving the prize from binit bothra.

lucky draw by Vinayak Furnishings of GS Road was held last Sunday evening amidst a cultural function. The first prize in the lucky draw was bagged by Pranjal Deka of Guwahati who won a car. This draw also had 20 consolation prizes which were won by several people from all over the northeast besides people from Guwahati. The owner of Vinayak Furnishings, Bajrang Bothra, said that keeping the Bihu season in mind, lucky draw coupons were issued to all customers who made purchases of more than Rs. 5,000 since 1st March last. The draw was slated to be held during the Bihu festival but due to the elections, the date of the draw was revised and fixed for 24th April, 2016. The first prize of the draw was won by Pranjal Deka of Guwahati. It is worth mentioning that the lucky draw was held to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Vinayak Furnishings. A cheque of Rs 11,000 was also donated to Shishu Saarathi and the draw was picked by the children of the shelter home.

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Ward Watch

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Concentrated area Islampur Ward number 13 Sub-division 13(a) Councillor Nipon Kumar Kalita

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Phone number 9864173209 Area sabha member Sontara Choudhury Phone number 9954860904

Heritage sites, archaic buildings co-exist with lack of civic supplies in Islampur A

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s the name suggests, the area of Islampur houses a majority of indigenous Muslim residents of the city. The area is surrounded by several landmarks such as the RG Baruah Sports Complex, Hotel Landmark, Haji Musafirkhana, Islampur Idgah and a mosque that is undergoing facelift. During Eid, a festive atmosphere prevails in the locality. The Idgah witness a huge assembly of devotees as thousands throng to offer special Eid prayers.

The Musafirkhana was constructed as a resting place for the pilgrims travelling to Masjid al-Haram on Haj in Mecca. The year of inception of the Musafirkhana was 1962. Another significant building in the area is the Assam Markazul Uloom (Islampur Madrassa). As one enters the Asom Markazul Ulum madrassa, students can be seen busy reading texts from the Holy Quran. The atmosphere is akin to any school, the only difference being that the students sit on the floor reciting verses. This madrassa teaches traditional lessons of Quran but it also ensures that students get non-religious education. Hence subjects such as English, Assamese and even computer education are part of the regular curriculum.

Besides the heritage sites, Islampur is best known for the crowded buildings which used to provide tax free entertainment back in the days when Nehru Stadium used to host international cricket matches. Also, sports lovers from Guwahati would also take the Islampur Road to enter Nehru Stadium, especially when the Bordoloi trophy tournament was under way. The stadium’s gates number nine and ten are on this road. Islampur can be reached from GNB Road as well by through Gandhi Basti and

taking a right turn from the first tiniali which is a busy market place. The west end of the area connects with B Baruah Road through a diversion that borders the RG Baruah sports complex. While one side of the diversion connects through a road that has the Idgah and the Haji Musafirkhana, the other road connects through a Punjabi Colony. However, this part of the diversion welcomes one with an overpowering stink emanating from the garbage dumped on the partially constructed roadside which also currently has some long-stacked construction material. With the open drains, poor sanitation and unhygienic environment, the slum dwellers have learnt to live with all this and more. Similar is the scenario in the Punjabi Colony of the area.

The area has around 1000 residences of the indigenous population of the city and is one of the first set-

tlements of the city. Needless to say, people have been living in distress for several years. Starting from flood, poorly constructed road and drinking water, residents of the area have been suffering from such problems for years. The root cause of the flood problem is due to rainwater running downstream from Sarania Hills and Chandmari which passes and inundates the area for several hours before clearing out. “During heavy rainfall the area remains flooded for around four to five hours and only clears our after it stops raining. Since the water rushes downhill it comes with immense force and makes it a tough situation for us to face until it stops raining. The problem kept growing with increasing settlements in the area. Earlier, most parts of the area were paddy fields and the rainwater would divert to those fields but as more buildings were constructed

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Councillor’s Say

As informed by the councillor, the old machinery is the root cause of scarcity of drinking water and the matter has been forwarded to Jal Board.

“The pipeline was installed to meet the requirement of around one lakh people but over the years, the number has multiplied several times. Meanwhile, maintenance work has been carried out in some parts of the area and a meeting has been organized where the severity of the problem was discussed and the extent it might reach in the following months. We are also trying to take required measures and the matter will be taken up to higher authorities to find a concrete solution,” informed councillor, Nipon Kumar Kalita. On the problem of flood situation the councillor stated that silt is a major problem and additional labours are required for carrying out the de-silting process, that has been approved by the GMC. “Earlier, the water flowing down from Gandhi Mandap was diverted to Gandhi Basti which only added to the problem of flood. Although we have informed the same to PWD and have blocked the diverted route, the de-silting process will ease the problems of the people,” the councillor informed.

the problem kept magnifying,” stated Majibur Rahman, a local resident and secretary, Islampur Yuva Sangha. He added, “During heavy rainfall the water rises to knee level. The breadth of the drainage system is not adequate given the quantity of water that rushes through the area. The water even floods several houses of the area as they are at a lower level.”

The residents of the area also suffer from scarcity of drinking water.

However, unlike other parts of the city where the problem is faced due to lack of water supply, Islampur, despite having water supply connections, suffer from the scarcity. “After complaining to the authorities it was informed that the scarcity is caused as the connections are way too old. It was decades ago when the connections were provided and on account of overuse it is not being able to supply the adequate amount of water. The water is only provided for around an hour at

9 am. The pressure is so low that it fails to meet our requirements. Those households that have larger number of people have to frequently buy their share of drinking water,” stated Ganga Upadhyay, a resident of the area.

“Although a new connection was provided last year the problem could not be resolved. The GMCH, in a drive, also seized several water pumps but the move could not bring a solution either,” Upadhyay added.

Locals also expressed dissatisfaction over the poorly constructed road near the Punjabi Colony that connects with B Baruah Road. Only the mid-portion of the road was constructed while the sides were left untouched. It was informed that the construction material has remained dumped from prior to the election but the process has not been finished ever since. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

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Concern

Sluggish investigation delays dead body identifications

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here has been a sharp rise in the recovery of unidentified dead bodies from parts of the city in the recent past and is an indicator of the demise of people under suspicious conditions. This is a matter of concern. In many such cases the cause of death remains unexplained. Post-mortem reports are the only recourse to find the answers in such conditions as the same throws light on the cause of death. While post-mortem is an important part of investigating any such case, there are several other procedures that follow with the recovery of a body.

Guwahati has seen a trail of bodies being recovered from various parts which indicate several reasons of death such as suicide, rape and murder, etc. Some of these cases raised serious concern and curiosity among people. The discovery of the charred body of a 22 year old girl who was raped and murdered by three and recovered from a deserted hut in Jyotikuchi as also a male body that was unearthed from Bhootnath attempts to solve a missing case of a 23 year old were some of the cases that caught the attention of the media. However, there have been several similar cases that have taken place in the past few months. Some of these recovered bodies might coincide with missing cases due to which the police department has a system in place to deal with such incidents. Meanwhile, it also raises a question whether the police is actively utilising the system to cross-check the recovered dead bodies with missing reports.

Past incidents 23 year old Rudra Prasad Sharma went missing on 8th March and could not be traced. It was alleged that Rudra was murdered but due to police’s sluggish response to the complaint the body could not be traced.

Around the same time, the Jalukbari police station was notified by GMCH on 9th March of the death of an unidentified youth and as informed by police the body of this youth was buried in the Bhootnath cremation ground on 12th March. The body was exhumed from Bhootnath cremation ground on 27th March to see if it matched that of Rudra Prasad Sarma.

Meanwhile, relatives of Rudra Prasad Sharma had expressed anomalies in

the police department due to which the body of the youth could not be traced. “Even after repeated visits to the police station since the day he had gone missing the police did not cross check the information of an unidentified body being recovered with us.

It was only on 21st March that we got the news of him being admitted to GMCH and the same was informed to Jalukbari police station. Since the police had the knowledge so it was their responsibility to share the information. It was only because of their apathetic behaviour that the details could not be clarified,” Rudra’s relatives asserted.

Another incident of recovery of an unidentified body made it to the headlines when an incinerated body of a 16 year old girl was found in a deserted hut in Hill-view lane in Jyotikuchi. On informing other police stations about the recovery of the body a glitch took place when a hawker from Hajo claimed the victim as his daughter with a fair degree of certainty. Police soon visited Hajo to carry out further investigations. The confusion took place as the daughter of the hawker had been missing since 5th March and he expressed suspicion that she had fled to Guwwahati.

Meanwhile, a phone call cleared the dust off and the missing girl was later

recovered from Athgaon area of the city whereas the identification of the charred body still remains a mystery.

It was suspected that the victim could have been raped before she was set ablaze.

Police proceedings Louis Aind, DCP Crime, informed G Plus that in cases of recovery of unidentified dead bodies and missing cases, the police follow two procedures. The first one is getting the news published in different media such as news channels, newspapers and radio thereby obtaining maximum coverage. In the second procedure a wireless message is sent to the police stations of all districts.

“On receiving the wireless message, every police station cross-checks the descriptions of the recovered body with the missing cases filed in their area and gradually informs the concerned family members if the details match with any case. In such a process although the news helps to reach the people in the urban areas, in rural outskirts, where there is no television or newspaper, it sometimes fails to reach the masses. So, even if a person is missing and a dead body is recovered the information might not reach the family members of the missing

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person,” informed Louis Aind, DCP Crime. “As per legal provisions a dead body can only be preserved only for 72 hours during which the body is kept in the morgue but after that the body has to be disposed. So, all we get is 72 hours’ time for the body to be claimed,” he added.

“The incident of Rudra Prasad Sharma was filed as a missing case and it was only after cross-checking with other police stations that the buried body in Bhootnath was unearthed. Moreover, each police officer is overloaded with several cases and if one has too much work on hand to finish within a limited period of time, the quality of work suffers. At times the police have to work according to priority of the cases they are assigned for due to which other cases take time. It is not just in Guwahati but police departments all over face manpower shortages. However, if dereliction of duty is found then one will certainly be punished and a complainant can take the police to task and lodge a complaint to the commissioner of police,” the DCP informed.

The post-mortem procedure Post-mortem is one of the vital steps in investigating an incident

and it plays a major role in cases of recovered dead bodies as it helps in identifying a body and also unearths any possibility of criminal activity.

The police send the bodies to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for post-mortem to rule out foul play and develop a report on the cause of death. If the report rules out foul play, the police wait for police stations of other districts to connect with the incident according to the given descriptions. If the report is inconclusive, a part of the viscera – vital body parts such as bone marrow – is sent to the Directorate of Forensic Science for analysis.

In the forensic department, the viscus is checked for poison. In cases of drowning, the post-mortem states if the person died because of drowning or if the body was dumped in the water after the person was killed. In the case of a person found hanging, the viscera report will prove if the person was killed and then hung to make it appear like a suicide. In case the viscera report points to any foul play, a murder case is registered and investigations begins. However, while talking to several police officials it was found that the delay in submitting of autopsy reports is a major reason for delay in investigation. Police officials informed that in several cases it takes more than a month to acquire the report. “We have to keep pursuing with the GMCH so that the report is issued as soon as possible.

It is also mentioned in the application given while handing over the body that ‘report expected as soon as possible’ but the doctors say that they remain busy due to which the submission gets delayed. At times the policemen also have to pay the ward-boys to carry the amputated dead bodies from their own pockets as there is no provision for official payments in these situations,” stated a city police official. “There is no system in place which makes it mandatory to submit post-mortem reports within a certain number of days. So, problems of shortage of doctors and other anomalies apart, the entire procedure get stretched,” the official added. However, doctors of the postmortem department dismissed any such lethargic behaviour in submitting the reports until the cases have to be forwarded to the forensic department. “Usually we submit the postmortem reports within a week or less and then it is up to the police to collect the reports. While the reports of other cases are submitted on time, cases such as poisoning and drug overdose have to be forwarded to the forensic department. It might take even a year when matters or cases go to the forensic department as cases from the entire state come to them,” stated a doctor of the post-mortem department of GMCH. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

G Talk

Squabble over the tainted E

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routine bore in the pre-election and post-election days is the trading of charges between political parties over several issues and bones of contention. So uncreative and unflattering are these mud-slinging games that one often wonders if these people are at all cerebrally fit to be our leaders. And yet, one also recalls with a great deal of despondency Sir Winston Churchill’s famous utterance: A country gets the politicians it deserves! Are we Indians truly saddled with what we deserve? Or are we truly respectful of ourselves and believe that we deserve better in terms of the leaders that we can choose from and elect in our great democracy?

The current volley ball match among the two main political parties of the state, the Congress and the BJP, involves a ball that has “tainted candidates with criminal backgrounds” painted all over it. Giving various hues and nuances to the issue, the two parties are engaged in brazen bickering over something that both are equally guilty of. I will take just two cases in point. Abdul Kalam Rasheed Alam of the Congress, contesting from Goalpara East constituency has cases related to murder pending against him.

Kushal Dowari of the BJP, contesting from a constituency of Upper Assam is no better. Now, what is the blame game all about between these two parties except to make fools of themselves?

Let them be assured that the voter is no longer a fool anymore and our democracy has evolved to the extent that

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Abe Lincoln will be proud of. I am at least thankful that Guwahati was not thrust with tainted leaders by other parties although the reputations of some of the candidates give us sneaking doubts at times. But what is truly a matter of concern is the plight of those voters who have to actually make a choice between voting for a criminal, mainly due to party allegiance and voting for the cleaner candidate against their political ideologies.

In this respect, I would vouch for a fine piece of legislation that has brought to the voter the option of NOTA. Given that criminals or people with criminal backgrounds have no place in mainstream society unless and until their reputation is given a clean chit by the competent court, it is up to the voter to express their clear opinion that they are not satisfied with the choice of candidates thrust upon them by the high and mighty parties. Pressing the NOTA button in large numbers will carry the strong message to the party that the voters are just not satisfied with the quality of candidates nominated by it. Eventually, just to win elections, the parties will be forced to groom and choose better and cleaner people who can represent it.

As for us, we will have the pleasant experience of not wanting to trash the newspapers that carry the nonsense of squabbling over the tainted on its front pages.

Swapnil Bharali Executive Editor

The Crusaders of the East

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Should Guwahati seriously contemplate implementing the odd-even traffic formula?

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stitch in time saves nine. The one factor that is very unsavoury about the city of Guwahati is its traffic.

Chaotic, unregulated, undisciplined and thoroughly congested, the city currently can easily be deemed to be the motorists’ nightmare. In this scenario, and while the situation is still quite under control, it is time for an out-of-the-box thought to be implemented. While Delhi is experimenting with the formula purely for its pollution problems, Guwahati, with its narrow streets and umpteen parking problems, can certainly try it out as a futuristic experiment giving its public transport system a chance to prove itself and improve upon the present conditions. I don’t see why, with all the Ubers and Olas, the private and government buses plying with reassuring regularity, an exercise of easing out the traffic cannot be undertaken. The very idea that half the traffic of Guwahati would vanish from the roads if the odd-even formula is enforced gives a feeling of freedom and liberty from the current confining atmosphere of the ceaseless peak time rush. Further, looking at the immediate future, the impending metro/mono rail construction will only add to the madness of the traffic and reaching on time might require a 2-hour headstart at every instance. The administration has shown lot intent of late about implementing certain matters like the incorporation of Assamese on the signage and hoardings, etc. What I would suggest is the initiation of the rule during some defined peak hours from say, 10 am to 8 pm. Also, a vice-grip on regulating the private and public transportation system, where there would be no issues of surge-pricing and other such irritants, would ensure that the Guwahatian commuter would have no problems in going about his work as smoothly as can be imagined.

Swapnil Bharali

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ith the current infrastructure of the city, this is an outlandish proposition. Guwahati is a fast-paced metropolis where its citizens hardly have the time to take care of their personal needs. Robbing them of their right to commute on their own would necessarily throttle their lives. Delhi has been experimenting with the formula to combat the capital’s pollution levels. Guwahati is much cleaner and greener in comparison. Further, given the totally unregulated public transport system where the auto-rickshaws do not ply on meters or adhere to a fare chart and the recent surge pricing that the app-based cab services are indulging in, the Guwahatian commuter will be left fending for themselves with an apathetic administration that totally lacks teeth in enforcing a sense of regularization to the system. Implementation of this formula is possible in cities which have a strong and conducive public transport system where the public prefers to commute using the system rather than to take out their own cars.

Guwahati sadly still has a long way to go before it can be deemed to be having a reliable public transport system.

However, with the worrying addition to the number of vehicles on the roads of the city, the administration needs to wake up fast to the reality of the situation and devise ways of bettering the public transport facilities so that such vehicles reach all the nooks and corners of the city. A feeling of comfort in taking a public transport rather than one’s own vehicle is what will determine the easing up of traffic of Guwahati and without such a system in place, any drastic measures or implementation of outlandish formulas will spell disaster for the city’s hard working population.

Rahul Chanda

SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

ow would you feel if I told you that starting now, you have no opinion? From now on, I shall opine for you, from what is right to what is wrong, what you need to eat, what to wear, where to go and where not to. Not the best feeling right? Well this is exactly what seems to be been happening everywhere. Take a look around and tell me that ‘Freedom of Expression’ has not been curbed. Right from the press, electronic media and the digital scape everything is being monitored. And there exists a relentless yapping crusade where the opinionated have become louder shoving ‘the right way’ down everyone’s throats and the voiceless have just chosen to stay true.

Take a look around and you’ll find crusaders everywhere - some with a cause, some just to gain mileage. Starting from the enforcement of a language in a State to political factions like the MNS and RSS ensuring that ‘gau mata’ must not be butchered on to “You must not be seen in public with your girlfriend,” they reserve the right to thrash the living daylights out of you. As I mentioned, we do not lack mouthpieces; we lack genuine issues. These fac-

tions have taken to public brutality justifying it all along.

Outside India, we see that the condition is same across many countries. Let’s take the Middle East for example. The various countries in the region are facing internal and external aggression with the internal demand that “We must not reflect USA” when it comes to ideologies because we have our own culture and traditions to preserve. When the two ideologies collide, it results in violence which is all these countries have been reporting about in the past decade.

The problem is that people in these eastern countries including India aspire to be westernized, not modernized. In such a conflict of ideology, how do you expect compliance from the public? These crusaders choose to curb something so elementary like Article 19-22 of the constitution and fail to understand that they exist only because our democracy allows their presence. Do they need to be reminded of what happened in Egypt, Yugoslavia and Kuwait among other countries?

Maybe India needs its own ‘Colour Revolution,’ that is saffron, without the agenda of the saffron parties.

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egular arrest of new Jihadi groups and members in Assam shows how the successive governments allowed Jihadi terrorist roots to grow in Assam. Shouldn’t we be worried about their penetration in the state? The recent issue where a youth was arrested for sticking a Pakistani Flag on his bike is a case in point. Our state has usually ignored such things because they were never highlighted I feel. But this intense sensationalism of everything by media houses is another danger to us. I love this city and state and wouldn’t want it to turn into a UP, Bihar or Gujarat.

Name Withheld

Letter to the Editor Cat out of the bag Dear Sir,

Finally as expected, albeit a bit late, the cat is out of the bag of KMSS. The self-styled firebrand krishak leader Akhil Gogoi is caught in no man’s land. With the resignation of Kamal Medhi and a few associates from the organization a few weeks back, the peasants’ body led by Akhil Gogoi received some serious body blows. The resigning bunch made some sensational revelations against their onetime boss Akhil Gogoi’s style of functioning and how he used the organization all these years to fulfill his personal requirements. But interestingly, Akhil Gogoi, who has a habit of calling press conferences for deriding his targets, did not came personally before the media to defend himself. He instead chose to send one of his disciples from KMSS to counteract the serious charges leveled against him by his former colleagues. One thing is certain that everything is not well within the KMSS. The public wanted some clarifications from this pseudo peasant leader but till this day he has kept quiet refusing to come before the media. One feels that the self-proclaimed messiah of farmers is caught in the wrong foot. Till now only the cat is out of the bag but time will tell what more is yet in it. Waiting in anticipation!

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury Ambari, Guwahati

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

17

In Focus

Was Papon justified in showing his irritation towards the electronic media during his performance?

The popular singer was recently caught ranting on camera about the media to which the fraterniy did not react lightly. They demanded an apology from the singer and the situation soon became a PR nightmare.

While some citizens felt that Papon only spoke out what the general public felt towards media, there were others who wished he exercised more restraint and not misutilise his position as a celebrity.

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am neither a fan of Papon nor of Zubeen but being a fan of music, I fully supports his irritation. He is a human being after all and he was just carrying on his usual performance. They (media persons) are not allowed inside an operation theatre when a doctor is operating or inside a warzone. INDIA IS A FREE COUNTRY AND HE HAS HIS OWN RIGHTS IF HE IS IRRITATED.

aponwas absolutely correct that day. Now-adays electronic media only wants TRP. As a result, they are misleading the society in many ways. “Spread Love, You will Get Love.” That’s what Papon said. But the electronic media is spreading only the negative activities of our society. I must say that they are totally manipulating people what Papon has said in a good sense.

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apon was correct in doing what he did. The situation could have turned worse and the police did not look like being able to tackle the situation. Further, it is just not wise to unleash a lathi charge during Bihu.

Binod Gogoi

ell, I am a big fan of Papon (not Zubeen hater). Being a Papon fan doesn’t necessarily mean that the person hates Zubeen. Apart from the fact that I am a big fan of Papon, I am not happy with Papon’s reaction towards the electronic media. Firstly, one need not interfere in one’s professional matter. The use of the words ‘toi’&’tohot’ is limited for only near and close ones as far my knowledge goes and that too not in a public place. The reason is, that day,Papon was there as an artist and the other as a media person. Just like Papon has his own prestige and reputation as an artist, the other too carries a reputation in his society as a media person.

hat Papon said was the truth but his way and tone used wasn’t appreciated by many including me. He has no right to order or impose his thoughts on others including media but he can surely request them. Going by the tone he used, didn’t sound like a request to me. Having said that, and being a musician and a citizen, I would also like to request all media houses to help the society through constructive criticism. Sensationalism and cheap tricks are not appreciated in a cultured society anymore.

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veryone is irritated by the local channels. Papon is just another human being who got irritated. In our minds we curse the channels all the time. He just had the courage to express his opinion at a public platform and seized the right moment to do it.

Milton Alam

Meet

Meghali Das Entrepreneur

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orn in Golaghat and having spent her childhood in sericulture farms Meghali Das has always been attached to handlooms and handicrafts.

However, her association with the art was somewhat subconscious. It was because of her father Late Chandra Barua, who worked in the sericulture department that Meghali got the opportunity to grow up amidst the greenery whereby she was a first-hand witness to the process of how thread is made and the loppers are raised. Thus, she was inclined to try her hand at embroidery and create related art works of her own and also work towards uplifting the art. However, Meghali is better known or rather famous for her association with the cosmetic product giant, Avon.

As a housewife she had no intention of getting into entrepreneurship.

But destiny played its part and took her to a high platform where she earned laurels. Meghali did her schooling from St. Mary’s and went on to pursue higher education from Handique Girls’ College after getting married to businessman Swapan Das. She was a happy housewife until she crossed paths with a friend who was also an Avon representative. The meeting worked as the launch pad of a career of 19 years and counting and Meghali currently holds the title of Gold Executive President.

The mother of one became impressed with the idea of being an entrepreneur and decided to join the US-based company. She has come a long way since then.

Being associated with Avon gave her the opportunity to meet women from different parts of the region and help them in empowering themselves and also fulfil their economic destinies. Meghali’s journey began with a mere handful of women and over the years she has built a strong network of 10,000 professionals under her supervision. Meghali’s work has also earned her the deserved recognition as for ten years she was awarded the Avon Global Hall of Fame, New York and number one independent sales manager.

She will also be recognised in the Avon Night of Stars to be held in Delhi on the coming 6th and 7th May. Being associated with Avon also gave her the opportunity to visit different parts of the world such as Australia, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Paris, Switzerland and Dubai in gestures of gratitude from the company for her work.

Meghali is a pleasant personality and her story is also an inspiration for thousands of other women who want to be financially independent and make a difference to their own lives.

“Being associated with Avon has changed my life and it is because of the company that I got offers to work with different institutes. I get to meet people, share my knowledge and teach them at the same time. I strongly believe in empowerment of women which also motivates me. As it is we are a matrilineal society so it is easier to make people understand. Moreover, it is like a microfinance company as we don’t need any start-up money while at the same time it also provides an opportunity to earn some extra

money which contributes to the household,” Meghali stated.

However, reaching the position that she is in today was only after a tough journey. In the process of balancing her career and responsibilities towards her family, Meghali also had to stay away from home for long stretches. There was also an incident where she was ambushed by dacoits in Lumding after which she was also asked to stop working but the support of her family and association with thousands of people from the region gave her the confidence and guts to go on.

Besides being associated with Avon, Megali also freelances for grooming and personality development and has worked with several corporate houses, air hostess academies and other educational and commercial organisations. She is also the secretary of North East India Fashion and Design Council which works on promoting the rich handloom and handicraft of northeast and constituted several events in various parts of the country. One such event was “Celebrating Assam” that was held in Bangkok in March 2015 and in the same year, in another event in Dubai, three designers from the northeast were promoted. Similar events were also organised in Las Vegas and Dubai. She is also the owner of Needle Craft which involves artefacts made of embroidery. Expressing displeasure over the dying art of embroidery Meghali asserted, “It is a dying art and I really wish to revive it with the association of a few other women. We were taught such art in school where we had a subject known as needle craft but these days no such subject exists. It is a sad thing that the new generation is not aware of such art. Meghali also expressed her desire to work for the weavers to make a name for themselves in handloom. She is also keen about gardening, flower arrangements and during her leisure time she enjoys playing scrabble with friends online.

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Lifestyle

GANESHGURI AREA

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am a 39 year old married man and I live in an apartment in the Zoo Road area. I have a neighbour in the same building whose husband is frequently on tour and we have gradually become intimate friends. We have had sex on many occasions but I have noticed that I always have to force myself on her.

During the act however, it is quite plain that she enjoys it. Does this amount to rape on my part? Should we continue as I find it very enjoyable? We do it without a condom and she apparently takes care of the contraception aspect with IPills.

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i, it is difficult to ascertain whether you are having consensual sex or committing an act of rape. It appears that you are having a broad-minded friendship with your friend in a “nostrings-attached” relationship.

What did you mean by “forcing myself on her?” If you meant that you were having sex with her without her consent then this could amount to rape. No woman can enjoy rape because she endures a lot of physical and psychological pain during and after rape. In one of my previous articles I had explained the Indian Penal Code on rape

VAASTU SHASTRA THE VAASTU OF THE

in detail.However if you feel that she is teasing you and likes you to take the active role it is a different matter For goodness sake why are you not using condom? Hope you are not allergic to latex! You are subjecting the lady to hormone i-pills while you could wear the rubber easily. This will protect you from both sexual transmitted diseases and pregnancy.

Sex is between two people and both partners should enjoy it.Stop just thinking about yourself and ask her the question. This will also clear the air whether she wants to have sex with you or not.

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

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his is one of the busiest commercial localities in Guwahati after Fancy Bazar and Paltanbazar. It was a sleepy area in the 1960s and shot to prominence after the capital was shifted to Dispur from Shillong in the 1970s. Clothes and food items, hardware, fruits/vegetables, fish and meat markets are all in this place besides several hotels and hospitals.

Today, we will take into consideration only about 1 square kilometre of area from the Ganesh Mandir to RG Baruah Road point and from the IOCL Petrol Pump to the end of the Ganeshguri f lyover.

The RP Road runs from south to north from the Ganesh Mandir(near the MLA hostel) to the f lyover. The Gopal Bodo Government Higher Secondary School is just in front of the main Ganeshguri vegetable and fish market with its main entrance facing west. The school was set up in 1959 and has an empty place in the front, i.e., the west. There is also some vacant area at south for playground purposes (its main playground is at the Kachari Basti Road near Dispur College). For any educational institution to do well there must be empty areas to the east and the north. Having a water body is even better. The school has its toilet block placed at east and northeast. That is why this school has never produced good results and there are no good inputs either.

The western part of the RP Road has a variety of shops facing east and they are naturally blessed as far as Vaastu is concerned.

There are some clothes markets near the traffic junction which are also doing reasonably well.

The shop owners on the opposite side of RP Road must take precaution while placing the

Bread crumbs are small particles of dry bread used for breading or crumbing foods, topping casseroles, thickening stews, adding inexpensive bulk to meat loaves and similar foods, and making a crisp and crunchy covering for fried foods. Pumpkin slices taste great when deep fried with a coating of bread crumbs. For that matter potatoes, onion slices, and a few other vegetables also come out well when fried this way.

Here are some health benefits of pumpkins. Pumpkin is a rich source of vitamin A. It is one of the best-known sources of the antioxidant betacarotene. The potassium contained within pumpkins can have a positive effect on blood pressure. The antioxidants and vitamins contained within pumpkins could prevent degenerative damage to the eyes.

cashbox and items. They must face north and sit at the southwest corner with the cash box placed at the left hand side.

The G S Road runs from Dispur side towards Ulubari from southeast to northwest.

The Dispur Hospitals and Dispur Polyclinic are on the northeast side of G S Road and both are doing very good business. The Dispur Hospitals has two entrances from north and the east. The cash counters and the pharmacies are facing northeast. The operation theatres and the ICUs are placed in the northern northeast. The major paying cabins are placed at southwest and north-eastern wing. The owner and the directors sit at southwest in the ground f loor facing north having complete control over the establishment.

The markets and shops facing the northeast(i.e., the f lyover) are generally doing well despite the bomb blasts by terrorists a few years ago. There are numerous shops selling medicine, sweets, watches, optical items, bags, etc. on the eastern side of G S Road which are doing brisk business. The owner/manager must face north and sit in the southern corner as the shops are facing southwest. The entrance should be kept from the western side of the shop.

If you notice, you will see that the cornermost shop near the Ganeshguri f lyover is not doing well and it is closed down. It is because the shop is rounded with missing northeast and northwest corners!

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

recipe of the week CRUMB FRIED PUMPKIN

Ingredients

6 thin slices of pumpkin 1 egg Salt to taste

PROCESS

Sex

in our city

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eat the egg and mix the salt and flour. Coat the pumpkin slices with this mixture and then coat with the bread crumbs. Heat oil in a wok or non-stick pan.

Fry the pumpkin slices till they are golden brown and come out soft when pricked with a fork.

1 teaspoon of flour 1 cup bread crumbs Refined oil for deep frying KULKUL RAHMAN Entrepreneur, mother and a passionate cook

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

19

Lifestyle

Cool Couture

Best version of

yourself

Finding happiness in a bottle of

H

ave you been feeling a little down lately? Maybe it’s the weather. The rainy days that we’ve had might just touch off a mild case of seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that experts say generally appears during late fall or early winter, when sunshine is scarce. For serious cases, treatment includes light therapy, medications and psychotherapy. But for those of us who are just having a gloomy day or two, there are beauty products that claim to elevate mood. One of them is a perfume, composed of just the right fragrant notes.

The inability of our language to fully capture the nuances of scents can be very frustrating. We associate scents with something – a place, a memory, a flavor – but most people struggle to describe smell on its own terms.

Every woman knows that if she wears quality perfume she can conquer and make everlasting impression on people. A perfume helps us discover ourselves and make us feel wanted.

While I love dressing up; I relish the chance to dress purely for comfort.

What I don’t set aside is a glamorous perfume. A few drops can create the ambience you seek, make you travel in time, or in my case, give an instantdose of glamour.

When I’m looking for a

Perfume

glamorous perfume in this context, I want something not just elegant and alluring but also fun. One of the best in this category is Daisy Dream

by Marc Jacobs, a very interesting fragrance and already a major success of 2016.

While we’re talking about big and opulent perfumes, I should mention Bvlgari Rose Essentielle By Bvlgari , Lady Million by PacoRabanne, and Tom Ford White Patchouli by Tom Ford. All three offer lots of glamour via different fragrance

CORPORATE

FITNESS & weLLNESS

I

have over a decade of expertise in training and grooming specialists for the fitness and health industry that currently offersand in fact focuses on CORPORATE FITNESS & WELLNESS PROGRAMS. With our working hours so hectic, we must find time to incorporate some sort of a workout regimen in our daily lives to save ourselves from the woes of health issues like diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, joint pains and more.

WELLNESS & FITNESS AT THE WORKPLACE Firms and offices lay low in terms of productivity which is attributable to absence of workers caused by chronic diseases and ailments. This could be prevented through a mixture of healthyeating, physical activity and

measures to boost personal health and wellbeing.

The workplace is a very important space in our lives because a worker’s pay has come to be associatedwith the increase in working hours. Although it must be noted that the health assessment for an everyday worker will go a long way in informing the employer and employee regarding the possible health risks and thereby taking care of each other which leads to increased productivity.

Wellness Programs profit both worker and employer: EMPLOYER ADVANTAGES • Improves performance and productivity and reduces absence of employees due to sickness and absence

families: floral oriental, white floral and classical oriental.

One essential rule to keep in mind is that the perfume we wear must be chosen according to the time of the day.

The perfume for day (for work, shopping, outdoor parties, school) and evening fragrance (for special events, dinner, clubs, theatre) have amplitudes of difference and we must choose carefully. Morning calls for floral and fresh perfumes while the night calls for harder and sharp notes that could include Cinnamon and Cardamom.

In Guwahati, SohumEmporio, Hub and Pantaloons have a variety of perfumes to choose from. The salespeople were actually helpful when I added a new D&G to my collection.

Sonika Ajmera Fashion Epitomist

• Improves image and seen as socially accountable EMPLOYEE ADVANTAGES: • Cuts health care prices • Improves motivation and morale.

A World Heart Federation survey shows that 9 out of 10 Indian workers believe that employers are chargeable formaking a healthy work environment. (Source: FICCI-PWC WELLNESS REPORT 2011) Programs have to address • Regular worksite fitness & wellness workshops on the new trends of Fitness.

• Educating people regarding the right nutrition requirement.

• Postural analysis of the workers in the workplace which leads to chronic back pain and cervical spondylisis.

POSITIBEAUTY – THE BEAUTY OF BEING POSITIVE

W

ith the influx of gadgets and other time wasters, sports these days have taken a back seat.

There was a time when you would see kids running around and indulging in sporting activity in your locality after school hours or during holidays.

Those days are gone. If you have been wondering why the ball never shatters your window pane these days it is because the budding SachinTendulkars are busy surfing the internet; they are showing off their cricketing skills on the play station.

The entertainment of the internet and smartphones and the comfort of playing video games have won over the minds of the youngsters. The job routine and busy schedules of the adults have made them ignore sports for their children completely.

But are we aware of what we’re losing by ignoring sports? Do we know why sports can be a game changer for us? Do we know what we will become if smartphones and video games, televisions and too much work continue to keep us away from sporting activities?

Sports helps you stay in shape, teaches you how to organize your time, be disciplined, boost friendships, and build relationships with your peers and adults. Sports is among the few activities where you can learn positive core values, engage in healthy risktaking, and learn life-lessons in a safe environment.

According to studies, India will

be the global diabetes capital by 2050 if the problems of abdominal and lower limb obesity and metabolic syndrome are not arrested in time.

Children do not fall into the category of being bracketed as obese because they are considered “healthy” and not fat. But what we fail to realize is that this cute fat can develop into obesity very soon and can be very dangerous for your child.

It’s high time that parents realize the adverse effect of their child’s habits and lifestyle. Excessive television watching, internet surfing and smartphone usage among young children has been linked to negative impacts on early brain development and lifelong physical health.

The same is quite true for adults as well. More and more adults are quitting sports because of their daily routine and their stress levels. They fail to realize how sports can be an excellent stress buster, a perfect alternative for the gym and an easier way of staying fit and energetic.

The role of physical activity, games, and sports should be emphasized, and facilities should be provided for outdoor games in schools, colleges, offices and neighborhoods.

I invite you to make a team in your school, locality or your office and start by taking up any sport once every week. Be it cricket, football, swimming or just cycling invite more and more people to join you.

Stay healthy, stay energetic.

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.

Why there is a need for worker health management • A worker has to be healthy and fit to deliver prolific results • Diseases will result in absence, lack of concentration and reduced work output What clients need • Customized FITNESS ASSESMENT • Annual health checkupfor workers • Wellness programs for company • CPR & AED coaching to handle medical emergencies.

The lives of white collar staff are filled with stress and health usually takes a backseat while career is put to the fourth gear. Once folks are happy at work, they’re healthier and happier in lifekeeping in mind that poor health eventually affects productivity.

This is why company specific

programs are designed, which supply necessary care packages for workers and even their families which ensure their wellbeing.

Corporate upbeat began within the western countries but has now made headway into India similarly attributable to the soaring pressure at workplace and outstanding performance expected fromevery individual every day. These wellness programs have proven to be a wonderful form of life enhancement.

“That is why I always believe in the saying where there is a will there is always a way. If somebody is really serious about working out one can even exercise in their workplace.”

BIBHUrespective MONI SINGHA, P.G.D. Fitness & Nutrition Gym Manager Training & Nutrition Head, SFL Fitness Gym & MMA CMPPT & WTPS IFBB, Madrid, SPAIN Fitness Expert & Sports Nutritionist, Life Member IAHF, Life Member & Regional Director, IAPEN Life Member, NSI, Member ACSM, U.S.A. www.bibhuuniversalfitness.com

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Reviews

NOW SHOWING

Cast: Tiger Shroff, Shraddha Kapoor Director: Sabbir Khan

W

e are told Ronny (Tiger Shroff) is a rebel. Don’t ask why! His father, in order to get him disciplined sends him off to Kerala at his friend’s martial arts academy.

Naturally, he is much of a rulebreaker there.

On his journey to the academy, Ronny meets the over-chirpy, talking to the clouds kind of girl Sia (Shraddha Kapoor). She is an upcoming actress in her father’s (Sunil Grover) film. Boy-meetsgirl, exchange a few words and are in love!

Wait a second, there is also a villain. Raghav (Sudheer Babu) too is in love with Sia or more like obssesed with her.

Will Ronny and Sia’s love survive amidst Raghav’s nasty plans is what the story is all about.

After Heropanti, Tiger Shroff waited two years for his second film and I wonder what he found in this script.

Baaghi cannot be called a ro-

vie w o M vie Re

mantic action drama. It is merely action without reason drama.

It comes with a cliched script of a one-sided love becoming the thorn in a rosy affair. What is weird is, the inclusion of the whole Karate kid style training angle in it.

To start off, the script fails to establish its characters properly. Ronny does not have any background, he is just a rebel.

Sia seems to be smoking some substances which may cause her character to have a ‘happy-golucky’ nature all through the day.

She is irritably chirpy!

Sia’s character keeps repeating a line ‘Tu bohot aage jayega’ but unfortunately we cannot say the same about our lead or even the story in this case.

Comic elements are inserted via Sunil Grover and Sanjay Mishra’s characters. They are cringeworthy in most cases and give you only a few chuckles.

The first half is extremely

quick in the first fifteen minutes itself. That may be the case because by the second half, there is no story to tell, only action to showcase. The writers even forget to give dialogues for the second half as Ronny has to fight it out with Raghav’s men for 10 floors! Who needs dialogues for that? Besides, we already know the end, so the makers put in zero efforts to change that!

Tiger Shroff de-grades with his second film. He was much better in his debut Heropanti.

His weakness as an actor mainly reflects in the emotional scenes, as far as the action goes, he completely kills it.

Shraddha Kapoor does a la Ek Villain. She over-acts even when she is just batting her eyelid. In spite of that, she is one of the key selling points of the film and for that she should have been utilized more. Her limited action sequences are certainly worth a mention!

T

Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738

Baaghi 11.00 AM, 2.00 & 5.15 PM Borhxaranya (Assamese) 8.15 PM

PVR Cinemas

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009

Better late than never

he game opens with a few images of how the character got there. The main character was on a boat within a coffin when he is thrown off the boat where he eventually floats to the shore of the island where he must find out how to survive. I kinda expected to be playing as Tom Hanks and be hanging out with Wilson on the beach.

As the main character you’re dropped off on the shore of a deserted island with a backpack that is coincidentally empty. You must search the island for different supplies such as food, a water source, fire, weapons, and other various objects that you can craft into other useful items. This initially was quite frustrating because with the lack of context, it is confusing as to what

Anuradha Cineplex

your purpose is on this island. Not to mention, you start off with nothing and need to quickly find a quick way to quench your thirst and find food.

According to reviews, in each new game you may spawn differently allowing for the character to find items at different times. When I was initially dropped off, I had a coconut, a bottle of water, and a melon fruit. Apparently some scenarios people started with or found a knife and or a lighter (I wish I was that guy). Along with having to fend for yourself on food and water, the player must find shelter and defend themselves against weather and animals. Despite being what looks like a tropical island, there are misplaced brown bears, deers, and alligators on the island that provide

me Ga view e R

a food source as well as clues to the mystery of the island that you have been stranded on.

As you progress through the game, you will find more clues, a number of body bags, abandoned structures, and other discoveries that potentially should help solve the mystery of the island and ideally get you off said island. I’ve logged nearly an hour and I’ve only managed to figure out how to make a fire, some shelter, and get food and water.

Hunting is a bit tricky with the thirdperson interface and the animals are few and far between right now. While I assume the mystery will continue to be solved, I get the feeling that the game may be a lot of walking and finding tidbits of information while playing Man vs. Wild.

The Jungle Book 11.00 AM, 3.55, & 6.05 PM Fan 1.10 PM Baaghi 10.40 AM, 1.20, 6.10 & 9.00 PM Borhxaranya (Assamese) 4.00 PM 10 Cloverfield lane (a) 8.50 PM

Fun Cinemas HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200

FAN 12.45 & 5.35 PM Baaghi 10.00 AM, 2.30 & 5.30 PM The Jungle Book 12.40 PM

Apsara Cinema

Album:

She Swiped Right into My Heart

Lemonade

Artist:

Beyoncé

B

eyoncé’s sixth album loomed once “Formation” and its video were issued ahead of the superstar’s Super Bowl 50 half-time performance. Two months and a couple weeks later, it appeared as a culturally seismic visual album. Loaded with layers of meaning and references, and experienced en masse through its televised premiere, Lemonade honored black sisterhood with the presence of Warsan Shire, Ser-

Ulubari 0361 2541335

Book:

Baaghi 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

Author:

u Yo LD TEN SHOU LIS

ena Williams, and the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner.

Subsequently given audio-only release, its title comes from a popular proverb given extra personal relevance by Beyoncé’s grandmother-in-law, whose citation is heard here during a crucial moment in the sequence. Mrs. KnowlesCarter indeed turns her own lemons into Lemonade. She uses the platform to demand contrition from her adulter-

GOLD Cinema

Sudeep Nagarkar

ous partner, assert her excellence, reflect upon the bonds with the men in her life, and their relationships with other women, and wonders if her trust can be earned back.

The cathartic and wounded moments here resonate in a manner matched by few, if any, of Beyoncé’s contemporaries. She sometimes eclipses herself in terms of raw emotion, as on the throttling Jack White encounter “Don’t Hurt Yourself.”

ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166

Baaghi 11.00, 11.30 AM, 2.00, 2.30, 5.00, 8.00 & 8.30 PM Borhxaranya (Assamese) 5.30 PM

u Yo LD HOU S read If you’ve never had friends, you’ve never really lived Geet, one of the most unpopular girls in college, is best friends with the beautiful and soughtafter Shibani. To win the popularity vote, Geet takes the help of college hottie Rudra, who agrees to act as her ‘boyfriend’—he sees an opportunity to get closer to Shibani. Little does

GOLD Cinema he know that Shibani has been harbouring feelings for someone else all along.

As misunderstandings and jealousies take centre stage, Geet must make a decision that will affect not just her own life, but also those of her loved ones. She Swiped Right into My Heart is a story about love—gained and lost—and the healing power of friendship.

Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854077177

Baaghi 11.00, 11.30 AM, 2.00, 2.30, 5.00, 5.30, 8.00 & 8.30 PM

GOLD Cinema

LG Towers, Narangi 8811001898 Baaghi 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Padmanav Bordoloi’s

Dihing Disang Dimoru

N

oted singer and composer Padmanav Bordoloi of Indian Idol and SaReGaMaPa fame, released his first Bihu xuriya and folk fusion album Dihing Disang Dimoru at the Guwahati Press Club. ​The album was released by noted actress Zerifa Wahid, ​veteran musicians Anima Choudhury and ​​JP Das among other dignitaries.

Speaking to the media at the launch, singer and composer Padmanav Bordoloi said, “Ever since I began singing, I have continuously been flooded with requests from my fans to compose a Bihu xuriya album. So this album is a dedication to all those people who have maintained their trust on me and supported me all through the journey.”

Dihing Disang Dimoru is Bordoloi’s first folk fusion audio visual album which consists of six audio songs with four of the songs already being shot into videos. The title track Dihing Disang Dimoru is a melodious, beautifully picturised Bihu xuriya song.

Dihing Disang Dimoru is Padmanav

A

n Assamese feature film titled ‘Ulka’ is under production under the banner of Eastern Green Pictures production.

Ulka is an Assamese language film based on a fictionalized story of a real incident. The genre of the film can be considered as satirical comedy, wherein certain incidents deliver important realizations. Life incidents of hostel life and the lives of the hostellers being intertwined with others comprise a major part of the storyline. The aim of the production team is to create a pure content rich entertainment feature for the Assamese film industry and thereby set a standard for cinematic quality that can achieved at home in Northeast.

The film will be directed by Pranab Vivek and produced by Bhaskar Upadhyaya under the banner of Eastern Green Pictures. The Story/Script has been written by Manas Sagra.

Bordoloi’s first Bihu xuriya composition and has already won accolades from music lovers and has become one of the most popular Bihu xuriya songs of 2016.

The second song Fule Monumuha is a catchy Bihu xuriya song penned

by Bihu Samrat Biman Baruah. Biman Baruah, the composer said, “When Padmanav requested me to compose a song for his album; I took a couple of days to work on it. I wanted the song to gel beautifully with Padmanav’s voice.

When I heard the recorded version of the song, I was beyond delighted since he did complete justice to my composition.”

The third song ‘Rumjhum’ is a fusion song which has a classical fusion flavor and makes it different from other songs of the album. Composed by Jiten Basumatary, the song mesmerized many a music lovers.

The fourth song O Bulu Roi Ja is a composition of legendary folk artist Bonkonwar Anandiram Das. The song is a tribute from Padmanav to the great musician. The fifth song Taal Milile is a

peppy Assamese modern composition

by Diganta Bharati. The sixth and final song Bogakoi Dhuniya is a beautiful composition by Chandan portraying brother-sisterly love.

Videos of song Dihing Disang Dimoru, Rumjhum, O Bulu Roi Ja and Bogakoi Dhuniya have already been released and have been appreciated by music lovers throughout Assam.

The audio visual album Dihing Disang Dimoru is a true and honest musical effort combining Assamese Folk and Classical Fusion in a modern and peppy way with its roots and essence maintained in an authentic manner.

Padmanav was the first Assamese to become a finalist in Indian Idol 2007, and later went on to become a finalist in SaReGaMaPa 2013. He is a powerhouse of talent; a singer, performer, songwriter, music composer and an anchor, that’s how diversely talented Padmanav Bordoloi is. Padmanav Bordoloi’s first Hindi composition ‘Teri Jo Baatein Hain’, earned him the nomination for GIMA Award this year.

21

Entertainment

Puspalata Mili’s ‘Jonak’ released

P

romising singer Puspalata Mili recently released her new Bihu audio-video album titled ‘Jonak’.

The album was formally released by ‘Jonak’s’ music director and director of ‘Rhythm of Dance’, Baghchung, Bapi Saikia, Studio Eden’s director, Pranjal Pradip Bharali, director of Institution for Culture and Rural Development (I-CARD), K.A. Thomas, Principal of Bosco Institute, Dr. Jerry Thomas and IAS, Additional Divisional Commissioner, Roshnee Aparijita Karati at a function in the city. Puspalata was showered with praises for her new venture.

The album contains five tracks that have been written and tuned

by Puspalata Mili, Pankaj Sami and Somiran Malay. The album has been musically arranged by Pranjal Pradip Bharali and the musicians are Rabin Borah and Bikash Baruah. The album containing the tracks Kidore Bujao, Jonakore Ratitu, Gogona Aaroni, O Jaan and O Pilinga have been rendered

by Puspalata Mili, Rintu Saikia and Mousam Gogoi supported by Gitasree Borah, Bhupen Doley, Shreemoyee Bordoloi and Rupak Dutta. The video of three songs have been released which have been choreographed by

Sarat Bappi Saikia. The camerawork and editing has been done by Kailash Duara. The key roles in the videos have been essayed by Mausumi Kardong, Pratib Phukan, Leena Gogoi among others.

Puspalata Mili, after completing her master’s degree in Communication and Journalism is presently working as a Media Manager of Institution for Culture and Rural Development (I-CARD) NGO. Though she never took any professional training in singing, she undertook this venture out of sheer passion and interest. ‘Jonak’ is her fourth venture. Before this, she released two devotional albums titled ‘Maa Mariyamar Jopomala’ and ‘Mor Notun Aagya’ and one Mising oinitom titled ‘Eddi Ayeede’.

She has also been associated equally in the field of direction, videography and editing and directed two short films titled ‘Sapat’ and ‘Amak Xikhya Laage’, one documentary named ‘Missing- The Target’ and also worked as a videographer and editor for several documentaries like ‘Daaini’, ‘Joutuk’ etc. The singer hopes that the Assamese music lovers will accept her album and her work will be appreciated.

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

‘Ulka’ promises to set a new benchmark in the Industry Amiya Ranjan Das is the Director of Photography and Ibson Lal Baruah is the Music Director. The Executive Producer is Meghraj Timsina and Manas Sagra and Bhaskar Upadhyaya are Associate Directors.

The theme song of Ulka has been sung by the heartthrob of the Assamese film industry Angaraag Papon Mahanta.

The Cast includes award winning actor Rupam Chetia. Minu Bania,

Siddhartha Sharma and Ruma Kalita are also in the lead star cast. Famed veteran actor Nipon Goswami and Baharul Islam would make guest appearances in the movie. Other cast includes Pangkaj Mahanta, Amit Kumar Bora, Alismita Goswami, Arindam Bora, Hemanga Hazarika, Apurba Malakar and Tapas Borah. Famed Actor from Karbi cinema industry PleaseStone Engti is also part of the star cast.

22

G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Citypedia

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Horoscope Mercury turns retrograde in your sector of personal finances on Thursday, so be particularly mindful when purchasing anything online or anything expensive. Keep receipts and other important details just in case. Venus enters Taurus on Friday, making your money zone an area of interest. Although you might be tempted to splurge, it would be better to opt for small luxuries rather than one big blowout.

Gemini As your personal planet Mercury enters its retrograde phase in your spiritual sector, you can use this opportunity to connect with yourself more deeply. This phase can be particularly useful for keeping a dream diary. The more acquainted you become with the messages from your subconscious mind, the better you’ll be able to understand the guidance they offer.

Leo Just as you’re hitting your stride regarding a career move, Mercury turns retrograde in your professional sector. This doesn’t mean you should drop everything and wait until it turns direct again. Do what you have to, but bear in mind that your original plans could change in the weeks ahead. You’ll easily navigate this phase if you can go with the flow.

Libra

You’ll need to take extra care when closing deals, discussing important issues, handling business affairs, or dealing with shared resources during this time. As Mercury enters its retrograde phase, you’ll be ideally placed to tackle debt issues and improve your financial standing as much as you can. This isn’t the best time to take out a loan or incur debt, particularly if it serves no real purpose.

Sagittarius Although you may be eager to lose weight and get as toned and fit as possible, this may not easy in practice. The temptation to indulge could interfere with your plans. But you may be able to overcome such hurdles if you enlist the services of a personal trainer or coach.

Still, the urge to overeat could be almost impossible to resist once Venus dances into Taurus later in the week.

Aquarius Friends and family you haven’t seen in a while may turn up on your doorstep as Mercury enters its retrograde phase in your home and family sector. However, as Venus dances in later in the week, you’ll very much enjoy the chance to entertain guests. At the same time, this is a good opportunity to kick back and nurture yourself. You’ve been exceptionally busy lately and your body and brain need this time to relax and recharge.

Sudoku

Taurus Personal projects and plans could be delayed as the planet of talk and thought turns retrograde on Thursday. But you only need to worry about this if you’re about to commit to a major project or plan.

The small stuff will take care of itself. If possible, hold off signing important documents until after May 22. If you can’t, go ahead, but know that changes to your original plans are likely.

Cancer A reunion may be in the cards this week or in the next three weeks.

Mercury retrograde in your social sector suggests that old friends may be in touch or an ex or old flame may come back into your life.

This can be an opportunity to talk over old times or seek healing regarding a difficult breakup. You might find that you get on much better this time.

Virgo As Mercury begins its backward dance on Thursday, you may particularly notice its influence if you’re traveling or on vacation. It would be helpful to have a checklist ready before you set off and make sure you’ve packed everything you need. Despite your preparations, be ready for a few unexpected detours along the way.

Scorpio Relationships seem to be a major focus for you at this time. However, you also need to take extra care when interacting with others as Mercury turns retrograde on Thursday. This can be an opportunity to connect with old friends and enjoy a reunion, but there’s also the potential for misunderstandings. Just be aware of this as you go about your daily business.

Capricorn Mercury enters its retrograde phase in your leisure sector, so you could be tempted to take up a hobby or pastime that you enjoyed as a child. Rather than bring on a feeling of nostalgia, it could have real relevance to the person you are today. You may find that it ignites your sense of joy and creativity. Venus glides into this same sector, so it’s time to indulge your senses.

Pisces If you’re inspired to study, write, teach, or network with like-minded others, you’re very much in tune with the present planetary picture.

No matter what your interests, this is the time to go for it. However, it’s important not to have too many expectations as Mercury turns retrograde. If you find that an activity isn’t for you, drop it and try something else. Romance could play a big part in your life in the weeks ahead, so enjoy it!

A Sudoku puzzle consists of 81 cells which are divided into nine columns, rows and regions. The task is now to place the numbers from 1 to 9 into the empty cells in such a way that in every row, column and 3×3 region each number appears only once. last week solution

Aries

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 APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

23

Event Venue XS the place to be

DJ Kamya at Terra Mayaa

‘Malini’ was a play staged at Rabindra Bhawan on 25th and 26th April. The play was based on saving the environment and stopping deforestation.

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G PLUS APR 30 - MAY 06, 2016

Catching Up Most shared story of the week G Plus, tracking the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s twitter feed was the first to report that Guwahati Railway Station will be WiFi enabled by the end of April including Patna and Sealdah stations. This post generated a massive buzz with 629 reactions and 80 shares facebook.com/guwahatiplus

Guwahati

twitter.com/guwahatiplus

GYAN

Did you know?

Guwahati Tea Auction Centre

New

Chic

on the block

Anjali khanikar About Me

Hey there! I am Anjali. I am a resident of Guwahati and I’m pursuing civil engineering. I started my career in the field of acting and I’ve been associated with the fashion industry since 2014. During this time I have been associated in several videos with people like Utpal Das, Gunjan and director Simpol Gogoi.

I love to act, dance and I am a total shopaholic.

As a model, I have been published in various magazines like Maya, Bindu, Ramdhenu. I won the NEBCUS Media Best Assam Beauty Award 2016.

Mojo

W

ith Assam having the largest concentration of tea plantations in the world, the establishment of the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) had a great impact on the business scenario of Guwahati City. Located in Dispur, the centre was established on 25th September, 1970. It accounts for nearly 55% of India’s total tea trade and about 80% of the country’s export. The membership of GTAC

presently stands at around 900 which include tea estates, buyers, brokers and warehouses. The procedure of auction is conducted as per Guwahati Tea Auction Centre Rules and the directives from the tea board. The establishment of the auction centre has not only extended help to the tea producers of Assam but also provided scope of employment and has been a major source of income to the state government.

The positivity I receive from everyone around me the accolades I’ve earned is a major reason why I feel I am set for a career in this field.

Route in the Woods

It’s simple, I have already entered the Assamese film industry and I hope I have taken the correct path.

Ka m u r of the week

L

ate night thunder storms and resultant power cuts are a major kamur for Guwahatians. There seems to be no let-up as the the late night shrieks of the skies seem to be happening with alarming regularity. Also every time there is a thunder storm the local cable services stops till the weather gets cleared. And the same happens with the satellite dishes. All the disruptions put together are proving to be a big kamur for Guwahatians.

WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?

W

In Association with

ith the Indian Olympic Association approaching the likes of Salman Khan (filmstar), Sachin Tendulkar (cricketer), A.R. Rahman (musician) - people who have no connection to the Olympic Games or movement whatsoever - to be ambassadors of the country at the Rio Games, Ramesh Srivats made an interesting suggestion to approach Bappi Lahiri which might inspire the players to bring back some GOLD!!!

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Phone: 0361 2737737, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641