G Plus Vol 3 Issue 32 by G Plus

Sex

in our city

“ Virat Kohli does not hit score a hundred on ever y innings. Do not put undue pressure on yourself. ”

with Dr. Mithun bhartia

PG 18

Kamakhya Devalaya’s electoral roll to be released on June 20

PG 10

G PLUS APR 23 - APR 29, 2016

Arihant Nahar

New BLOKE on the block

Page 24

VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 32 MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

PRICE `10

Eight MLAs yet to join Sonowal’s team of 18

Ward watch

15 Ward no 13 City in need of a helpline number for human animal conflict

02 BJP’s former state president Siddhartha Bhattacharya might not be speaking in the public about his anger but his move of not attending the oath taking ceremony raises questions about why he was not inducted in the first list of ministers who took oath with Sonowal

08 Murky wheel deals at LGBI airport; taxi syndicate under scanner

Daily bread causes terror among city consumers

Will the new government provide a ray of hope to the residents of Adinggiri?

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Lead Story

Eight MLAs yet to join Sonowal’s team of 18 BJP’s former state president Siddhartha Bhattacharya might not be speaking in the public about his anger but his move of not attending the oath taking ceremony raises questions about why he was not inducted in the first list of ministers who took oath with Sonowal

Rahul chanda

inally Sarbananda Sonowal and 10 other MLAs took oath as Chief Minister and cabinet ministers respectively in the Assam government forming the first ever BJP led government in the state. Though the BJP led alliance won 86 seats, there are only 10 ministers till date in the cabinet selected by Sonowal which makes it 11. So will these 11 ministers handle the government or will there be any more additions? How many more will join Sonowal’s team? The people who are allotted with ministries, will they be able to do justice to the work assigned to them?

Who will run the government? In the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other prominent politicians from across the country, 11 ministers took oath on May 24th. But according to sources in the BJP, eight more MLAs will be inducted into the cabinet soon, taking the strength up to 19, including the Chief Minister. But why 19 when there are around 28 departments in the Assam government. Speaking to G Plus, a senior journalist who is also a political observer said on condition of anonymity that there are always too many departments allotted to one minister, which increase the work load and in the end people are not able to perform. The observer also said that if someone is a tribal he/she gets allotted a department related to tribal development and if someone is a doctor he gets the health ministry. The chief minister in Assam always keeps important departments like home with him as if no other MLA would be able handle such a department. The observer said the system needs to be changed as it is all about the power game. Everyone is power hungry and the new chief minister also tactfully inducted ministers representing people from across Assam, while he kept important departments with him also wooing the man of the match of BJP’s victory Himanta Biswa Sarma by giving him finance and other departments which were allotted to him in the past. On those grounds, G Plus spoke to former chief secretary HN Das who said that eight more ministers will be inducted as according to the Act of the Parliament, there are a fixed number of ministers who can be there in a state government and according to that Act, Assam can have 18 ministers and one chief minister. Das also said that it could have been better if one person

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could have handled one department but the Act makes it impossible.

How will the new ministers perform? Sonowal’s now close companion Himanta Biswa Sarma (47), a former Congress leader who was appointed the BJP’s campaign committee convenor within a few months of his joining the party, is said to be the most successful health and education minister Assam ever had. Sarma, a PhD in political science who also holds a Law degree, had piloted the country’s first programme of gifting laptops to over three lakh students securing 60 per cent and above in the state board Class X between 2002 and 2015. Assam also witnessed establishment of several new universities, medical and engineering colleges during his tenure, apart from seeing a free and fair recruitment of school teachers. As health minister on the other hand he had introduced several new schemes targeted at reducing the alarming IMR and MMR in the state. Another old hand in the Sonowal cabinet is Chandra Mohan Patowari (58), who had earlier served as a health

minister (1985-87) and agriculture minister (1996-2001) in the previous AGP governments. Patowari, a former AGP president who joined the BJP in 2014, also holds the distinction of ensuring for the first time surplus production of rice in Assam in 1999-2001. Senior Bodo People’s Front (BPF) leader and five-time MLA from Kokrajhar (East), Pramila Rani Brahma (65) too had served as an agriculture minister (2011-14) in the Congress-BPF government. The other BPF member in the Sonowal cabinet is Rihan Daimary (54) who had served as a public health minister in the Cong-BPF government in 2006-11. The two AGP members who have found place in Sonowal’s BJP-led government – Atul Bora and Keshab Mahanta – however are veteran politicians, but had never been ministers. While both, like Sonowal, are also former presidents of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Mahanta (56) also holds the record of having defeated Tarun Gogoi in Kaliabor in the 1996 LokSabha elections. Currently Bora and Mahanta are president and working president respectively of the AGP. Interestingly, the remaining four members of the Sonowal cabinet – Ranjit Dutta, Parimal Suklabaidya,

Pallab Lochan Das and Naba Kumar Doley – who are all BJP members, were members of the state assembly in the past too, but had not served as ministers. Among them again, while Doley was elected in 2011 on an AGP ticket, Das was a Congress MLA in 2011.

Why was Siddhartha Bhattacharya not inducted?

Gauhati East MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya is the man behind prising Himanta away from Congress, which is said to be the game changing move for the saffron party for 2016 assembly elections. Bhattacharya did not go to the oath taking ceremony on 24th May which raised many questions. Was he miffed at Sonowal for not inducting him in the list of cabinet ministers. According to sources in the BJP, it is entirely Sonowal’s decision and he inducted ministers representing all the areas of Assam. As Himanta is from Guwahati, Sonowal did not want to induct Siddhartha as even he is from Guwahati. Some even say that both are Brahmins which again might be another reason. According to sources in the BJP, the high command might

also think of making him the president again, but in an interview to a television channel, Bhattacharya made it clear that he will not become the party president anymore in the state. He also mentioned that if the calculations which are mentioned above are true, then it is sad as because of caste and area, the deserving candidates cannot be stopped from working for the people. Bhattacharya told the news channel that he is not irked and whatever the decision it would be for the good of the people and if he is offered a cabinet berth now, he will ask his voters if he should take it up or not. He might deny but it looks like Bhattacharya has been sidelined by Himanta and Sonowal but sources also say that his name might be there in the list of eight ministers who are yet to be inducted. The probable candidates who will be there in the ministry are Hiten Goswami, Tapan Gogoi, Chandan Brahma, Atul Bora Sr, Prasanta Phukan, Aminul Islam Laskar, Sidhartha Bhattacharya and Suman Haripriya. Whoever be the ministers and whatever the departments they head, the challenge ahead is how developed the state will be after five years. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Lead Story

Guwahati records lowest pass percentage in CBSE Guwahati has managed to make an unwanted mark in having the lowest number of students passing the CBSE XIIth Board exams, one of the most important high school leaving exams conducted in the country. It has fallen behind cities like Patna and Allahabad to be a city with the lowest recorded pass percentage

ccording to the Central Board of Secondary Education’s latest statistics, Guwahati and Dehradun are two cities to have achieved the lowest pass percentage in this year’s Class XII Board Exams. In total, Guwahati recorded a pass percentage of 68.24%. However, the overall pass percentage of the students of the Guwahati Zone of CBSE, including all the eight NE states was 71.34% which is a little higher than last year’s pass percentage of 70.38. Aaccording to officials of the CBSE regional office in Guwahati, the students of the northeast have fared marginally better in this year’s exams than in 2015 with a pass percentage of 71.34. The overall pass percentage of the Guwahati zone of CBSE that includes eight northeastern states, including Sikkim , was 70.38 last year. Guwahati’s percentage of students passing this exam is lower than even Patna’s which remain at a 75.29 percent. Patna recorded the city with the third low-

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

est pass percentage followed by Allahabad in UP with a percentage of 75.93. 82.51% girls and 71.2% boys passed the exam in Patna and 82.82% girls and 72.10% boys passed in Allahabad. According to the CBSE regional office in Guwahati, there has been a level of steadiness and uniformity in the margin of the pass percentage of students of the Guwahati zone this year, but there is a whole lot of room for students to perform. In Guwahati, the students of the Kendriya Vidyalayas outshone all other institutions. Not only that, the KVs and the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) in the entire NE region too made a mark of having high pass percentages. While the KVs maintained a pass percentage of 93.9% the students of the JNVs outshone with a pass percentage of 92.79. Last year, the Navodaya Vidyalayas in the Guwahati zone set the bar for the highest number of students passing the CBSE XII exams with the total coming

to 94.3%. In the Guwahati zone, it has become regulatory for girls to outshine boys every year. This year, 74.55% of girls passed the CBSE exams and 68.28% of boys cleared the bar. Last year, it was 73% for girls versus 68% boys for the same. The Private schools in the city recorded a pass percentage of 73.67. According to CBSE officials, the overall percentage of the Guwahati zone came down because of the low pass percentage of government schools of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. The national pass percentage this year was recorded at 83.05 and Thiruvananthapuram made it to the list of having the biggest pass percentage with 97.61% students clearing the exam. Thiruvananthapuram was followed by Chennai with a pass percentage of 92.63% and Delhi with 87.01 percent. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Murky wheel deals at LGBI airport; taxi syndicate under scanner

Buzz

KALYAN DEB

he taxis that ply to and from the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport came into the radar of the Kamrup (M) District Administration. Following suspicions of a syndicate being sustained amongst the taxi owners, the Kamrup Metro district administration constituted a committee of high officials to check on the activities of the syndicate and submit its report within 15 days. A joint order has been issued by Dr M Angamuthu, DC Kamrup (M) who is also the District Magistrate of Kamrup Metro and the Chairman of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in order to bring the same into effect. “A district-level committee is hereby constituted to check the taxi syndicate flourishing at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati. The committee is to make a detailed study of the issue and submit its report within 15 days,” mentioned the order dated 17th May last. MN Saikia, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup Metro, will be the chairman of the committee and Sharmistha Bora, Assistant Commissioner of Kamrup Metro, will be its convener. The committee will have the Managing Director of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), the Director of Airports Authority of India, LGBI, the DCP of Guwahati West District, DCP (Traffic) Panbazar, Circle Officer of Azara Revenue Circle, one representative each from the CISF, DTO (R&L) of Kamrup Metro, DTO (Enforcement) of Kamrup Metro, and the DTO and the Secretary of RTA of Kamrup Metro as its other members. “It has come to our notice that there is an unauthorised taxi organisation which is running a syndicate in and around the LGBI Airport, which has caused immense difficulties to the passengers. Such taxis are not registered with the airport authority and also create nuisance for other taxis. Such taxis neither pay any revenue to the airport nor do they follow the norms. This type of taxi syndicate harasses the passengers, causing safety concern and hampers the smooth running of the airport,” Sharmistha Bora, Assistant Commissioner of Kamrup Metro stated to G Plus. Meanwhile, Patricia Mukhim, Editor, The Shillong Times talking to G Plus mentioned that the taxi drivers hassle passengers who walk out of the airport. “There are so

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many men who would jump on to any passenger who walks out of the airport. The situation is really unsafe as it makes passengers extremely uncomfortable and the drivers should not be allowed to come so close to the airport entrance,” Mukhim informed. Mukhim recently shared a post on Facebook mentioning anomalies by men in khaki near the airport. Her post mentioned that people in uniform who are stationed at the airport target tourist taxis and outstation taxis and harass them until their palms are greased. On asking the district admin-

istration about the same it was informed that required measures will be taken following an investigation. “Several no parking boards were illicitly placed around the airport but were removed by the airport authority and as the team will visit the airport we are certain to get more details about any anomalies going on there,” Bora informed. Meanwhile, talking to taxi associations that carry out their service in the airport it was informed that there were several independent taxi drivers who wait in the airport and pester the passengers the moment they walk out. Guwahati has three

registered airport taxi associations viz. Greater Guwahati Local Taxi Association, Greater Guwahati Tourist Taxi Association and Guwahati Tourist Taxi Association. “There are several drivers who are not authorised with any association and they are the most unruly ones. The taxis of the registered associations follow a disciplined routine and sequences whereby their vehicles offer their services in queue format with the first arrival getting the first chance to offer service. In contrast, the unauthorized taxi drivers enter the airport premises at random basis and irritate the passengers and many a times, even the

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passengers complain about their disorderly behaviour,” the members of taxi associations collectively stated to G Plus. They also point out situations where private vehicle drivers come in to drop their employers and on their way back pick up passengers at minimal charges which hampers the business of the taxi drivers. “The committee has been formed for a reason. It has come to notice several times that the drivers of private vehicles wait in the parking lot and ask locals to get them passengers. These middlemen fix a certain fare with the passengers and take a share of the fare. Since the drivers of private vehicles do not have any expenses, they agree to go for the minimal illegitimate fare. These are the kind of anomalies that occur in the airport. Even the police are involved in such anomalies and allow the private vehicles to ply,” asserted the taxi drivers. The airport authority issues receipts to the private vehicles which mention a particular time limit for the cars to be parked in the airport during which no fees are levied whereas the commercial taxies are charged Rs. 60 as parking fees. This amount is charged only if the taxies leave the airport premise with passengers. However, if the taxies leave without any passenger no amount is charged for parking. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Concern

fter Maggi, it was the turn of the daily consumed bread to come under the scanner. Recently, bread was about to be banned for a few days in the city on the account of it containing harmful chemicals. The Food Safety Department and Kamrup Metro District Administration is now inspecting bread samples as Centre for Science and Environment said that bread manufacturers use cancer-causing chemicals. The Kamrup (M) district administration has asked the district’s food safety officers to collect samples of bread and test them and accordingly the Food Safety department has collected nine samples of bread from different bakeries. “Samples from top brands of Guwahati like Repose, Holsom, Homa, Diamond Bakery, Sheikh Brothers, Domino’s Pizza and others have been collected for testing. We are inspecting the items to check whether they use the potassium bromate and potassium iodate which is said to be found in the bread. The chemicals are used to keep the bread fresh for longer periods but it is not scientifically proven that it causes cancer,” said Kamrup (M) Food Safety Officer Samiran Baruah while speaking to G Plus. Baruah said that there is a permissible limit to use the chemicals and when it exceeds it may be harmful to people. The samples have been sent to the public health laboratory for analysis and only after the report comes in, the food safety department will be able to take further action against the manufacturers. Potassium bromate, classified as Category 2B carcinogen is banned in most countries and potassium iodate which contributes to thyroid related diseases was said to be found in bread. Reports say potassium bromate gives bread its whitened look and is also used as a flour improver, which means it helps in strengthening the dough and enhancing its elasticity. Potassium iodate is used as a source for iodising common salt. The Factory Manager of Repose, Jiban Konwar said that the chemicals which are said to be found in the bread are normally not used by the manufacturers in Assam. “It was in May, 2015 that the Science and Environment

Daily bread causes terror among city consumers

The Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi found that bread manufacturers use potassium bromate and iodate while Juthika Baruah manufacturing bread. department found such chemicals in breads in New Delhi. According to Food Safety Act, there is a permissible limit to use the chemicals, which is followed by the manufacturers here in the city and other parts of the state. It doesn’t cause cancer and the news that has been published, has created panic amongst the people,” said Konwar. The Food Safety Act, contaminants, naturally occurring toxic substances, heavy metals, etc. states that no article of food shall contain any contaminant, naturally occurring toxic substances or toxins or hormone or heavy metals in excess of such quantities as may be specified by regulations. Article 21 which includes Pesticides, veterinary drugs residues, antibiotic residues and microbiological counts states that no article of food shall contain insecticides or pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, antibiotic residues, solvent residues, pharmacological active substances and micro-biological counts in excess of such tolerance limit as may be specified by regulations. No insecticide shall be used directly on article of food except fumigants registered and approved under the Insecticides Act, 1968 (46 of 1968). ‘Pesticide residue’ means any specified substance in food resulting from the use of a pesticide and includes any derivatives of a pesticide, such as conversion products, metabolites, reaction products and impurities considered to be of toxicological significance and also includes such residues coming into food from environment. ‘Residues of veterinary drugs’ include the parent compounds or their metabolites or both in any edible portion of any animal product and include residues of associated impurities of the veterinary drugs concerned. The Central Health Minister J.P. Nadda instructed to ban potassium bromate as food additive asserting that

Food Safety department has collected samples from nine bakeries Potassium bromate and iodate found in bread The chemicals are used to preserve longevity of the bread 84 percent of the 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads including pav and buns contain these chemicals G Plus photo

it will take appropriate action if reports find that the cancer causing chemicals are to be found in the top brands of bread. According to the study of Centre for Science and Environment, nearly 84 percent of the 38 commonly available brands of pre-packaged breads including pav and buns tested for potassium bromate and potassium iodate are banned in many countries as they are listed as hazardous for public health. Partner of Holsom Bread, Kamal Sikaria said that they do not use the chemicals and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has not banned the item as no notification has come from the government. The samples have been sent to laboratories and until and unless any report comes in, the people do not have to panic. He said that the Central Health Minister

has also said that if required notification is sent to the manufacturers after the report comes in. Sikaria said that now that the market of bread has gone down after the publication of the news and people are unsure about its safety, only 20% of bread has been manufactured. The samples of one of the reputed bakeries Sheikh Brothers has also been collected and while talking to G Plus, owner of the Bakery, Sheikh Shoaib Hussain said that they have never used such chemicals and the procedure of making bread has remained since they started producing. “The chemicals are used for the longevity of the bread and the bakery who wants to keep it for 7-10 days, use such chemicals. Breads containing such chemicals smell like medicine during consumption. Our bread has the validity of only two days and we

instruct the customers to consume it within those two days. As we do not use such chemicals the bread becomes unfit for consumption after two days and we dispose the remaining bread immediately. There are many manufacturers who use such chemicals,” said Hussain. The Sheikh Brothers use flour, Sugar, margarine instead of refined oil, milk, yeast, salt and vanilla powder which is the natural process of making bread without using such chemicals. But there are manufacturers who use potassium bromate and iodate for the longevity of the bread. The CSE in their study found that this additive is also found in pizzas, ready to eat pizza bread as well as in burger buns. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Crime

Juthika Baruah

Will the new government provide a ray of hope to the residents of Adinggiri?

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The Adinggiri area in Maligaon seems to be the most backward of places with almost no roads and people have to walk barefoot with shoes in their hands Roads of Adinggiri remain unconstructed No water supply by GMC The hospital has not been constructed although a plot was allotted 4 years back

ith the formation of the new government people seem to have come up with new hopes and aspirations and it is no different for the people of Adinggiri, a very underdeveloped place in the hilly areas of Maligaon. The area is so underdeveloped that it becomes difficult for the people connect with the city people. The former MLA of West Guwa-

hati Hemanta Talukdar had laid the foundation stone to construct the roads which kept the people hoping for an entire year. The road is still unconstructed and the condition is such that people have to walk barefoot as the red soil sticks to the shoes and sandals. Even the school going children have to take their shoes in their hands and walk. People of the area have been living in a city only in name as the condition is deplorable. One of the residents, Jolita Deka while speaking to G Plus said, “We have been living here for 26 years but the area has not developed and every time the government has assured us that the roads would be constructed, it has failed to fulfil the promises they made during the elections. This time too the candidates visited the place and ask us to cast votes in their favour. We voted for a change and now that the new government has taken charge, we expect that the new MLA will bring an end to the problems and undertake developmental work for the convenience of the people.” Guwahati is named in the first smart city list but does the existence of such an area justify its selection. Is it possible that such a region in the vicinity of Guwahati be so underdeveloped. The people have raised

questions and the developments which have not happened for so long is on the wish list of the residents here. They expect that the BJP government will not fail them and live up to their expectations. Babu Das who owns a shop in the area said that the government has neglected these areas and people have had to face many problems as the residents do not get any kind of facilities from the government. “We are living in a city but people won’t

believe that such a place exists in the middle of the city – a place where there is no road at all. Earlier, even the pathway was absent but as the population increased, the people made their own pathway by cutting the hills. There is a population of about 30000 in the area but still the area has not been developed. If Guwahati is made into a smart city then does this area signify the importance of a smart city or does the area not fall under a city? The government

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has also assured us of constructing a hospital but it has been four years and nothing has been done for it. The health department has asked the government to come up with a plot so that they can construct the hospital and accordingly the plot has been allotted but the hospital has not yet started. If people fall sick, they will have to die here as the condition of the roads is such that even an ambulance does not want to come to the place,” said Das. The pipeline of GMC had been set up 3 years ago but there is no water supply and people have to use water from wells. Construction of one of the roads has been sanctioned but no work has been done. “The contractor does not even visit the place. We cast our vote every time with an expectation that something will be done by the MLA for the benefit of the people but all our efforts go in vain. Children have to face difficulties especially during the rainy season when the roads become slippery and most of the children suffer fractured hands and legs while going to school as they slip and fall on their way due to the muddy roads,” said one of the residents. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Guwahati ranks rd 3 in child abuse cases in the state

With development being the buzzword in the city, it is shocking to see Guwahati ranked high in the list of child abuse incidents.

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

ith the POSCO ( Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012 in place, more and more people in the State are becoming aware about the crime of sexual offences committed against children and according to an ASCPCR (Assam State Commission For Protection Of Child Rights) report, the number of such registered cases this year all over the State was 618. Guwahati ranked third with a total of 41 cases of sexual abuse to children. Since this is a newly instated act, there is much to achieve in the matter, reckons the Criminal Investigative Department. Guwahati city ranks third after Dibrugarh and Morigaon in cases of sexual abuse recorded against children as per the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The POSCO Act is a special law brought in to protect anyone below the age of eighteen from the offences of sexual assault, harassment and pornography. In such cases, there is a judiciary that works in the interest of the child. This body works by adopting child friendly mechanisms for reporting, recording of evidence, investigation and the speedy trial of such offences through designated Special courts. According to the annual report released by the ASCPCR, as many as 68 cases were recorded in Dibrugarh followed by Morigaon with 53. Guwahati city recorded 41 cases of children who were exploited sexually just this year. Kamrup(Rural) recorded twenty three cases under the act. According to statistics, most of the districts had a double digit figure of the number of cases registered. The POSCO Act casts a legal duty on a person who has the knowledge of a child being abused sexually, to immediately report to the authorities, upon gaining information. On failing to do so, the concerned person may be jailed or fined. POSCO works with the police of each district to investigate cases of sexual abuse against children. The district police’s role in this can also extend to providing special care to the child like medical arrangements and placing the child in a shelter home if the need arises. They are also required to bring the matter to the Child

p o t S

also end up in parts of the country where child marriage still prevails,” stated R. Chandranathan, ADGP, CID, who is also spearheading the entire trafficking scenario in Assam. According to him, the figures represent a very minimal number of such cases happening all over the State. “Most of these cases go unreported as we have very limited people who are tracking such cases.” According to him, as this is a fairly new act, not many are aware of it, either. According to the POSCO Act, the abused child is entitled to a professional counsellor while reporting such matters. The act ensures strict and stringent guidelines as to how the child in question has to be interviewed keeping in mind the situations. The child maintains the right to be questioned in a neutral environment where the child feels safe and secure before proceeding with authorities. Also, it is mandated by the act that such cases be handed by professional child psychologists. However, most children do not have the access to professionals according to the CID. “For most of my cases, the only counsellors we have are my lady officer sand constables. They work on field during the day and when there is time, they help me with such cases but that is not enough. They are not trained counsellors, however best they may try. At the end, they are all cops,” stated Chandranathan. According to reports of the Anti Human Trafficking Units, most children trafficked outside the State are taken through Guwahati to be sold in other parts of the State. As per the ASCPCR stats, Sonitpur recorded a total of thirty six cases followed by Sivsagar with thirty five and Dhubri with a total of 30 registered cases. According to officials of the ASCPCR, even though the lesser privileged of the society are becoming more aware of the POSCO Act, there is a long way to go. “Earlier, social repercussions on the child and the stigma attached inhibited them from filing police complaints. However, this trend is now slowly shifting.”

Child se u Ab Welfare Committee in each district within twenty four hours of the occurrence of the incident, who is obliged to make arrangements for the safety and security of the child. However, ironically according to the ASCPCR, in majority of the cases registered, the accused was usually a person known to the child, like a neighbour or a relative. Surprisingly, districts like Hojai and Majuli recorded the minimum number of such cases recorded both having just one such case recorded under the act this year. Districts like Udalguri(11) and Chirang (6), too recorded very small number of such registered cases. There might be a slight shift of pattern here for someone who thinks that these are the total figures for sexual offences against children here. According to the Criminal Investigation Department, both Udalguri and Chirang are hubs when it comes to the trafficking of children, mostly girls from Guwahati to North Indian states. “There is a slight change in the current nexus of child trafficking. Now-a-days, most of the girls trafficked are trafficked to the North India where they are used as domestic help. We have tackled many such cases where the children were sexually assaulted one way or the other in such circles. Most of the children trafficked from here

bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

City

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Environment

KALYAN DEB

City in need of a helpline number for human animal conflict

Where people’s only call for help is the police during conflicts with leopard and elephants, a helpline number of the forest department is an immediate requirement

he shrinking forest cover has not only taken a toll on Assam but several incident in the recent past has indicates that Guwahati can also be categorised under the conflicted areas. Conflicts with leopards and elephant herds have witnessed a sharp rise with huge losses on both sides. It is a known fact that areas such as Nilachal hills, Maligaon, Pandu, Sundarbari, etc. are most prone to leopard encounters whereas Bonda, Amsing, Rani, Garbhanga, Panikheti are prone to elephant conflicts. Recently it was also learnt several areas in Lokhra too have been witness to such incidents. Conflicts with wild big cats create panic among the people resulting in a number of these animals being killed by mobs. Elephants too raid densely populated areas and farmland, damaging crops, homes and have even cause injury and fatalities. Although the shrinking forest cover has been the sole reason behind the escalation of such conflicts, a lot also rests upon the shoulders of the forest department to help deal with such conflicts. Beside, conflicts with the jumbos and big cats, snakes such as the checkered keelback, cobras, kraits and rat snakes are commonly seen. It has been observed that from March onwards, the reptiles are seen in large numbers in houses in various parts of the city. Although not all snakes encountered are poisonous but such situations certainly do create panic situations. While a few wait for the snakes to move out, most people usually try to kill the textured reptiles. However, in such situations, the police is the first number that people dial but the city, as well as the sate, lack a rapid rescue team who can deal with such situations. In order to minimise any kind of injury or loss of life the first initiative has to be the implementation of a helpline number which will make the people accessible to a rapid response team and trained officials who can tackle such situations. Over the years several NGOs have come forward for the protection and conservation of wildlife in and the surrounding areas of Guwahati. Meanwhile, several individuals have also come forward with projects aimed at sensitising local communities as well as all the stakeholders for better management of the man-animal conflict. Mridul Bora, leopard researcher, Kaziranga Wildlife Soci-

ety had initiated several awareness camps in the conflicted areas with the slogan ‘Save the Phantom’ under the zoology department of Gauhati University. “During our awareness camps we had received different perspectives from the people. It was found that the indigenous people in such conflicted areas are aware that the leopards are not man-eaters. However, those who have started residing there only for the past 10 to 15 years, are not aware and a panic situation happens mostly among them. We need wildlife and

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Helpline numbers

Contact People For Animals in case of injured animals

9435013328 GMC for removal of dead bodies of animals

8811007000

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awareness is a major part to conserve it. Since 2004 a slow but gradual transformation has come among the people. While earlier animals were killed by the mob after a conflict takes place, now people are aware enough to at least inform the police. Among recent incidents a leopard fell into a well in the Kamal Nagar area near Bhangagarh and while interacting with the people, it was found that they were aware that leopard came looking for easy prey but were also unaware of who to inform about the situation,” said Mridul Bora, leopard researcher, Kaziranga Wildlife Society. “In such cases police can only help in controlling the mob and at times they go beyond their duty although it is not their judicial duty. Many wildlife conservators have appealed for a helpline number and a concrete cell is required to help in such situations. For a full-fledged conflict management, a helpline number along with a well-equipped rescue team who are trained in stress management, is very essential. During our camps we try to make people aware that they should at least try to inform the police rather than killing the animal. The result has been satisfactory in and around the city over the years,” the researcher informed. Bibhuti Lahkar, division head, Elephant Research and Conservation Initiative, Aranyak echoed similar

views saying that, “If we look back at the history of Guwahati, around 15 years ago there were several animals found around the city but due to the destruction of their habitat, be it leopards or elephants, the animals take to the streets. A conflict takes place as a result of the competition to acquire resources and space. Carnivores can survive on any weaker being but elephants are fond of sugarcane which attracts them to the tribal belts where country liquor is manufactured. Since the corridors have been blocked the elephants enter human habitats that once belonged to the wild animals. In case of conflicts, the major problem that we see is the involvement of the mob. Had there been a rapid response team who could talk to the people and isolate them from the conflicted areas, it would have been much easier to minimise any kind of damage.” Sangeeta Goswami, chairperson, People for Animals, Assam, stated that the conflict can only be resolved if the forest areas are evicted and the wild are given back their natural habitat. “It is the grandmother who leads a herd of elephants and the only reason for such conflicts is that their natural habitat has been intruded by human. Since they are not being able to find their required quantity of food, it is natural for them to enter human habitat,” the animal activist mentioned. It can be stated a 24*7 helpline number was put in place in 2012 which is no longer in existence. Moreover a helpline number has been demanded by several environmentalists over the years however, nothing seems to have materialised so far. Similar to the wild animals that have been deprived of their habitat, there are several stray animals that get killed in unfortunate accidents. Animals, mostly stray dogs and cats rot to death for several days after an accident and remaining unattended to. Areas such as G.S. Road, Bhetapara, Hatigaon, Panbazar and Azra are areas where such accidents are commonplace. People For Animals has the only shelter home for animals in northeast. The NGO also takes the responsibility for treating animals who meet with accidents. Meanwhile, GMC has also put a helpline number in place for the removal of the bodies of animals off the streets. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Concern

A Whiff of Saffron in the city T

he RSS, a twice banned organization and an organization that has been linked to the killing of Mahatma Gandhi, serves as the biggest wing of the new government in Assam. The RSS ideologies are completely separate from the Constitutional ideologies of India and they work under the sole wing of Hindutva. However, there has been a lot of voluntary, community based work imparted by the RSS that has been a key reason for the BJP’s win in the State. Most of the voluntary work is carried out by the RSS workers who call themselves sanghis. Most of the sanghis in Guwahati reside in Keshav Dham, a small locality in Paltanbazar in Guwahati. This also serves as the HQs of the RSS in the city and as I entered, I could see the waves of saffron movement right from the gate. The entire space is a neat building block coloured in shades of saffron and adorned with photographs of earlier RSS leaders. Sanghis, dressed in stark white dhoti kurtas contrasting the big saffron teeka on their foreheads no one can miss, roam the grounds. At any time of the day, it is not uncommon to see a rich gentleman with a swanky car in this part of the otherwise shabby neighbourhood. I met up with the Office Secretary, Kanu Ram Deka, a sanghi himself and congratulated him on the BJP win. He began by saying how they are not inclined towards any political party. “Whatever the government is, we will continue to work.” However, as we sat down for a longer conversation, his notion quickly overturned. “We are hoping for the development of this city and we are striving towards it. There is a missing sense of morality in the city and we aim to restore that,” said Deka. The Guwahati centre of the RSS is also a training ground for the Hari Kathars. The Hari Kathar was a plan initiated by the RSS to impart teachings about ‘nature’ and forests. According to their ideology ‘people living in forests need to be improvised on their knowledge of ancient lords and culture.’ According to Deka, the people who are seeking this training from Keshav Dham divide their work into two segments – mental and physical. “Every morning, we train and train others in the physical and mental development of our sevaks. For mental upliftment of each and every member, we concentrate on reading ancient texts. For the physical development, we focus on exercises and yoga. The exercises are very hardcore that also includes training in weaponry. We train our sevaks to fight with staffs and sticks.” The Keshav Dham in Guwahati is one of the five centres of the RSS in the entire nation to impart such education, the

A visit to Keshav Dham in the Paltanbazar area of the city helps one to gaze into the RSS way of life in the state. Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

others being in Ayodhya (UP), Vrindavan (UP), Puri (Orrissa) and Nadiad (Gujarat). Each and every sevak from these institutes who complete the training process, is duty bound to preach the Bhagwat Gita. According to Deka, apart from the training, they are also involved in community work in and around Guwahati. “We are a part of the Seva Committee and we have centres that are encouraging the small scale industries, like weaving centres and centres for taator xaal that help women of deprived communities financially and economically. We help these women sell their products at the best market prices. We also impart free healthcare to many communities in the city, that includes giving away free medicines and medical services. We follow and try to adhere to a lot of values that fall under the Hindutva identity, one of which is community building through service.” According to him, the past tenure of the Congress government has completely drained the administration’s economy. “Recently, there was a surge in prices of everyday commodities in Guwahati and that was only due to the administration’s failure. Most trucks that come from Bengal carrying these everyday items are not allowed to pass many points without paying what you can call is the gunda tax,” Deka asserted. According to him, drivers have to pay a sum of six thousand per truck to cops who otherwise stall their movement and this is the prime reason of price surge. To gain more perspective, we also spoke to Arjun (name changed), a keen sanghi of the RSS in Guwahati. There is a lot of grassroot level work that is being induced by the RSS in Assam, according to Arjun.

“The RSS is an organization that is not under the influence of any political party. We are sixty five separate organisations nationwide which are all under the wing of the RSS – the Akhil Bharti Vidya Parishad, the Sewa Samity, Sevika Samity, Prasar Bharti and even the BJP is all managed under one wing and that is the RSS.” Arjun openly claimed that the Prasar Bharti now is an organization directly under the RSS. This issue, just last year raised heated debates when the Prasar Bharti, an autonomous body was re-arranged with the Modi government and most members selected as the Board of directors were ardent BJP fans and RSS loyalists. Sheshadri Chari, one of the Board Directors was the earlier editor of RSS’s online weekly journal ‘Organiser’ that claims to “fulfil the expectations for correct guidance in all current affairs.” The other director, Shashi Shekhar headed the BJP’s mission 272+ social media campaign for the 2014 Parliamentary election to ensure the BJP led NDA win in Lok Sabha. Another member, Jalota has been a hardcore member of the BJP since 2004. According to Arjun, the RSS is also going to add many more of community based workers all over Assam. “In all, we have one lakh fifty thousand students who currently have access to free primary education. Earlier the hold of the BJP at the grassroot level wasn’t that strong. Apart from the seven thousand volunteers, we just had the pracharaks (preachers) and the vistaraks (the announcers). These schools educate children in Indian values – Bharat Mata and mantras are preached here. The value of nationalism is being advocated. We also train these children in physical activities.” Not argu-

ably, members of the RSS in the state do indulge in community work and there have been visible effects. RSS members impart a lot of training for the economically backward sections in the state like skill development. “The Yuva Bikash Sangh is another wing of the RSS that is involved in extensive skill development. They teach things like roller driving, so that later they can go on and seek employment,” Arjun stated. Other than that, the RSS is also involved in providing relief work during natural calamities. “We collect funds and we give it to the needy in terms of community relief work during natural

tragedies, like earthquakes, floods etc.” However, when it came to talking about changes, the RSS sevak was prompt to discuss the earlier government’s failure to curb the issue of infiltration in the State. According to Arjun, “We will now make sure that this is sorted and only the Indian nationals remain on Indian soil. We will also make sure that this problem will be contained once and for all and that in the years to come there will be no infiltration of Bangladeshis on Indian soil. We will also revive the IMDT Act and ensure that the NRC is updated.” The Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal ) (IMDT) Act was an Act of the Parliament of India enacted in 1983 by the Indira Gandhi government which was struck down by the Supreme Court of India in 2005 stating that the Act “has created the biggest hurdle and is the main impediment or barrier in the identification and deportation of illegal migrants.” It is a widely accepted fact now that RSS did play a influential role in helping the BJP to come to power for the first time in Assam but what remains to be seen is how much of a role they play in the running of the state. The RSS has a reputation of being self styled ‘moral protectors’ of the cultural ethos of India and in a state and region which is relatively less conservative and reserved than the rest of India, it will be interesting to see how they adapt to the new environs. Disclaimer – All views and opinions mentioned in this article are the writer’s own and are not that of the publication. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Juthika Baruah

Governance

Kamakhya Devalaya’s electoral roll to be released on June 20

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The draft electoral roll comprising of the names of the Bordeuris and Devotees eligible to take part in the electoral process was published on May 16

he Kamrup (M) district administration has instructed the Kamakhya Devalaya Parisalana Committee to prepare the electoral rolls which are to be released on June 20. The draft electoral roll comprising of the names of Bordeuris and devotees who are eligible to take part in the election process was released on May 16 at the Kamakhya Devalaya’s Dolois’ office and at the office of the Revenue Circle officer. In 2012, the election of the Assam State Acquisition of Lands Belonging to Religious or Charitable Institutions of Public Nature (Election of Managing Committee of

Sri Sri Kamakhya Devalaya) Rules 2012 was declared. The rules had been objected to and in 2015, the Supreme Court passed an order to form a new committee of Religious Secular Management under Section 25 of the 1959 Government of Assam Act. The Doloi of the Kamakhya Temple, Kabindra Sarma said that the committee will be formed for land acquisition and as there is a separate committee for the temple, the new committee will be formed only for the purpose of land acquisition. The process for inclusion of new names, deletion of names and cor-

rection of names, besides raising of claims and objections, started today and will continue till June 6. The claims and objections will be disposed of between June 7 and 15 and the final electoral list will be out on June 20 as per rules laid down in The Assam State Acquisition of Lands Belonging to Religious or Charitable Institutions of Public Nature (Election of Managing Committee of Sri Sri Ma Kamakhya Temple) Rules, 2012. The Diety of Shri Shri Kamakhya is one of the most venerated Goddesses. The main Kamakhya temple and the subsidiary temples in and around the three Hills of Ni-

lachal are collectively known under the general name of “Kamakhya”. It may be mentioned that the subsidiary temples are also known in Assamese as ‘Nanan Devalayas.’ The families of the priests of the main temple call themselves ‘Bordeuris,’ the families of the priests of the subsidiary temples are known as ‘Deuris’ and the head priest is called the ‘Doloi’. ‘Shebait’ means and includes all the community of persons who are directly connected to the performance of any kind of duty associated with the temple complex and thus, includes the Bordeuris, Deuris and other Brahmin and non Brahmin persons directly connect-

ed to the performance of any kind of duty associated with the temple complex. Though the Electoral College under Section 25A of the Act for the post of ex-officio Secretary to the managing committee is to be constituted under the said provision of the Act includes Deuris/Bordeuris, the said Rules had illegally excluded the Deuris. Thus as stated above, Section 25A of the said Act is confined to ‘control over the matter of utilization of annuity and verification of proper maintenance of the institution.’ juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN 29 May

MON 30 May

TUE 31 May

WED 01 June

THU 02 June

FRI 03 June

Isolated tstroms

Passing showers

Numerous showers

Rain

Mostly clouds

21 / 32 °C

22 / 21 °C

23 / 33 °C

24 / 33 °C

23 / 36 °C

SATURDAY

28 May

More clouds

21 / 31 °C

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Snippets

Guwahati main transit point for Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

human trafficking

Three girls were rescued by the RPF on suspected charges of Human trafficking alongside Kamal Mahanand

Women and girl children, mostly from conflict affected areas in Assam, are trafficked to the northern states of the country where there is a ‘market’ for all forms of bonded human labour. According to investigations, the Guwahati railway station is main the linkage that facilitates this nexus. Just last week, three trafficked girls were apprehended by the railway police and were handed over to the NF railways. G Plus reports.

ccording to the Criminal Investigation Department, a total of 567 cases of human trafficking have been registered in the state since 2011. These are just the registered cases. This year till February, a total of 68 women have been trafficked from the state. The shocking scenario according to the CID is that Guwahati is the gateway not only for the state but for the entire NE and it serves as a transit point of human trafficking. Just this week, three girls aged 18 and 20 were apprehended by the Railway Police Force, Guwahati at the Guwahati Railway Station on charges of suspected human trafficking. The three girls were taken away from their places of residence by one name Kamal Mahanand who admitted to the crimes. Mahanand has also been apprehended by the cops and has been handed over to the Guwahati Railway

Police, NF Railway. Investigations are currently underway. Flesh trade is a serious offence according to the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India and Article 23 (1) states that “traffic in human beings and other similar forms of forced labour are prohibited and any contravention of this provision shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.” The trade in human beings also evokes a major part of the IPC, the most significant sections being section 366 (A) and 366 (B) which makes the procuring of a child below 18 from one part of India to another punishable. By the same provision illegal international infiltration of a girl below the age of 21 is also punishable. Sec. 374 makes compelling any person to labour against his will punishable. According to R. Chandranathan, CID, ADGP, Guwahati is the main

port of the NE which connects the people in the rest of the country who are involved in trafficking. “There is a shift in the market and now-a-days, most girl children are trafficked as domestic helps in bigger cities in other parts of the country. There is a ‘market’ there and it is growing.” Traffickers are now trading in girls from the most interior parts of the state and according to CID investigations, they are mostly trafficked to Siliguri, Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, Haryana, Punjab and Bihar. According to official reports, “Trafficking for sexual exploitation now show a shift of purpose. Victims are trafficked for other purposes like domestic help, forced labour, etc.” This is in strict prohibition of the Bonded Labour Abolition Act, 1976 which makes any form of “advance,” “agreed,” “bonded debt,” and “bonded labour system” a criminal offence. Most of the women and children

trafficked from the State are from the interior most places which have alarming levels of poverty like Udalguri, South Salmara, etc. “In places like Guwahati, the administration is quite strict and not many from here are trafficked. However, the only problem still is the Guwahati railway. The railway tracks serve as the gateway of trafficking in the entire NE and this is the only route. Most of the rescued victims are usually caught here,” said Chandranathan. Most of the trafficked women are brought in from the Char and Adivashi areas. The victims are usually children from refugee camps of internally displaced persons due to ethnic conflicts or natural calamities. The biggest and the most vulnerable targets of traffickers are children from the worst of socio-economic conditions. Cases have been reported where girl children were sold off for meager sums of money. According to reports, the modus operandi is that the victims are most often introduced into the racket by persons they know or trust. They are often lured with promises of marriage, better education and jobs. In smaller areas, there are unorganized recruitment agencies which often help in locating or identifying children to be trafficked for domestic help, prostitution and forced labour in most north Indian states. These agencies often go unnoticed because they have a method of operating where they gain the trust of the victims’ families. These traffickers ensure occasional visits of the victims to their families which lead to gaining the trust of the family members. This is usually often seen in the case of children trafficked for

bonded labour. Instances of victims being sold off for marriage purposes in north India reflect the trend of trafficking to supplement the decreasing gender ratio in those parts of the country, according to CID reports. In Assam alone, there have been a recorded number of 567 of human trafficking, from 2011 to February 2016. According to CID officials who are playing the key role in combating this flesh trade, there is a serious lack of manpower which is why the implementation of strict laws is not happening at the micro levels. Desensitization of this issue is one major reason why there has been a sharp increase of trafficking cases from 54 in 2011 to 170 in 2015. Instances have occurred where most rescued victims have been trafficked again due to the absence of proper counselors to handle such cases. “Trafficked victims are not criminals and they need proper counseling, depending on the intensity of their trauma and that is a lengthy, painstaking procedure. Here we only have our lady constable staff and our lady officers who are handling such victims,” stated Chandranathan. Alongside this, the unavailability of NGOs and any such social organizations working in this sector in rural areas, lack of validated data and information on trafficking and co-ordination problems amongst law enforcing agencies, health and social welfare departments are major hurdles when it comes to battling the issue of flesh trade in the state. According to the CID, which gives top priority to controlling human trafficking, 10 Anti Human Trafficking Units have been created under the MHA guidelines at Kamrup (at CID, HQ), GRP, Sonitpur, Dhubri, Cachar, Kokrajhar, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Goalpara and North Lakhimpur. Other than that, there are 26 functioning Juvenile Justice Boards, Child Welfare Committees in Assam and 7 government sanctioned Observation and Shelter homes in the state. This stands in direct contrast to the numbers which only shows a sharp rise in human trafficking in Assam. Trafficking can come to an end in the state completely only when the implementation is done thoroughly at the crucial micro levels: investigations of crimes against women should be prioritized at the Police Station/Thana level, optimum vigilance in railway stations and bus stops which are currently the biggest transits giving leeway to human trafficking. Also prompt enquiry and verification to ascertain incidents of trafficking from those kidnapping, abduction and missing entries are the key ways to ensure maximum implementation of anti trafficking policies. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Buzz

Sonowal leads oath taking ceremony with the collective hopes of a state on his shoulders

Juthika Baruah

he newly elected CM of the State Sarbananda Sonowal, on the 24th evening took oath as the new leader whilst promising the people of the state to fight corruption and infiltration in Assam. While thanking a huge gathering from all over Assam, at the College of Veterinary Science playground, Khanapara, he also ensured that the new government would ensure social security and balanced economic growth. “It was in the interest of development that the people have voted us to power by a historic mandate. We are committed to live up to the hopes and aspirations of the people,” Sonowal said. “I am confident that the people will extend their cooperation to the new Government and also give their suggestions. The new government will frame its policy in the best interests of the diverse and great Assamese society and I will leave no stone unturned to make Assam one of the top States in the country.” Sonowal’s swearing ceremony was attended by the CMs of many states, including Rajasthan CM Vasundra Raje, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Gujarat CM Anandi Ben Patel, Chattisgarh CM Raman Singh, Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fednavis, Goa CM Laxmikant Parsekar, Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Arunachal CM Kalikho Pul, Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal and

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Nagaland CM Tr Zeliang who encouraged the newly elected government with their presence. The swearing in ceremony of the first BJP led alliance Ministry in Assam was also attended by CM Narendra Modi who took to stage and addressed the huge gathering of Assamese people. “The Centre and State will work handin-hand to speed up the pace of development. Assam can be a huge potential state and is in all its capacities to be an inspiration to other States of the country. With Sonowal in charge as the CM,

I am confident that he will take this state to newer and bigger heights and that he will not leave anything behind to achieve the feat.” Modi stressed that his government firmly believes in the existence of a co-operative federalism and thus the States are given top priority. He also said that the centre, by its entire means, will work in accordance with Assam and that there would be no limitations on their part. Promoting the Act East Policy, Modi also asserted on the importance of maintaining a balanced functioning economy in As-

sam with the rest of the States of NE and the entire nation. “The Act East Policy is a step towards that mission.” Governor P B Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy. Apart from Sonowal, Himanta Biswa Sarma (BJP), Atul Bora (AJP) Pramila Rani Brahma (BPF), Parimal Suklabaidya (BJP), Chandra Mohan Patowary (BJP), Keshab Mahanta (AGP), Ranjit Dutta (BJP), Rihon Daimary (BPF) were also sworn in as legislators. Those administered oath of office and secrecy as the Ministers of State (in-

dependent charge) were Naba Kumar Doley and Pallav Lochan Das. BJP national president Amit Shah, former deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, a host of Union Ministers, including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu besides senior Ministers like M Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Ram Vilas Paswan, Jitendra Singh and Anant Kumar were among the other dignitaries present. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

GMDA official nabbed on NDFB(S) graft charges couple held in City

orruption in Guwahati Metropolitan Development Agency (GMDA) surfaced once again on Thursday as Assam police vigilance and anti-corruption wing arrested an assistant executive engineer Pradip Barman on alleged graft charges. He was caught red handed while taking Rs. 10,000 for the allotment of permission for a construction here in the city. The anti-corruption branch registered a case against Barman under several sections of Prevention of Corruption Act relating to public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act and public servant who commits criminal misconduct. A senior official of the vigilance wing said, “We received a complaint against him and set up the trap. At around 1 pm, an anti-corruption police sleuth reached the GMDA office in plain clothes along with the complainant who was asked to pay the first installment of total Rs 50,000 demanded by him. As soon as Barman received the bribe, the sleuth caught him red handed.” The anti-corruption team smeared the currency notes with a chemical call phe-

nolphthalein powder to detect the finger prints of Barman, sources said. Barman however defied the charges saying, “He gave me the money and I took it. It was my mistake that I took the money but I did not demand anything.” Corruption in GMDA hit the international news when several officials of the department were named in multi crore Louis Berger scam. The CID is still inves-

tigating the matter and awaiting the details of the names of the tainted officials from a New Jersey justice department. The US based construction management firm, Louis Berger International Inc, was charged with paying over 6 crore in bribes for projects in Goa and Guwahati. Louis Berger has already admitted to violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Law.

ispur police arrested a couple on Thursday from city’s Shivanagar hills at Panjabari area for having nexus to the banned militant outfit of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit) faction. The couple-Khanin Swargiari and Roushmi Boro were identified as cadres of the rebel outfit and confessed to having links with top leaders of the banned militant organization. Police said that the couple was involved in several extortion cases in the city too. “Khanin has previous criminal records and the couple has managed to extort large sums of money since 2013 for the outfit,” police added. The couple was believed to be providing shelter and passing information about various police activities to NDFB(S) linkmen. Intelligence sources said that many of the Bodo rebels had fled from their hideouts after the security forces last year launched massive counter terrorism operations against the Bodo rebels in AssamBhutan, Assam-Arunachal Pradesh borders where they were camping earlier. The Centre has already decided not to come into terms with prescribed outfits involved in the killing of innocents.

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

In The News

G Plus Feature

Public Mandate Huge expectations

s the BJP led NDA government completed its two years in the centre on 26th May the celebration could not be more lavish with the party coming to power in Assam for the first time ever. With the new government in place, much has been said by the newly appointed cabinet and even bigger are the expectations of the people of the State. While the saffron party, leading the alliance, won 60 seats, its allies Asom Gana Parishad and Bodo Peoples’ Front (BPF) bagged 14 and 12 seats respectively, which was a collosal triumph for the party that came into power for the first time in the state. However, the expectations of the people will be even higher as several issues remain unresolved.

Illegal immigration The fear of the Bangladeshi migrant is not a new phenomenon in northeast India. Assam along with Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura share very long borders with Bangladesh. Many election campaigns have been fought and won on stoking of fear and hatred of a foreign population that’s bent on destroying and taking over communities. The reality is that every political party wants to cash in on the illegal immigration issue by taking it up as political opportunity and attract voters in the time of elections. From the Assam Movement or Assam Agitation (1979-1985) which was a popular movement against undocumented immigrants in Assam several bodies protested and

presented demonstrations to compel the government to identify and expel illegal immigrants. A product of the student movement against foreigners, Sonowal steered the BJP to victory in the elections, and his party had made infiltration one of the major issues in the poll campaign. Listing two priorities for the new Government in Assam, the newly appointed chief minister mentioned about sealing of the border with Bangladesh in two years and early completion of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as a priority of the new government.

Rhino Poaching In a time when India is promoting conservation of wildlife and forests, Assam despite being in continuous lime light, the identity of Assam, the one-horned rhino is still in danger. Like illegal immigration, rhino poaching is another important factor that the newly formed government cannot turn a blind eye to. Rhino poaching is one of the major environmental issues in Assam and is still continuing in Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park and other natural parks of the state. In Assam the one horn rhino accounts to almost to two-thirds of the one-horned-rhino population in the world but with the increase in the number of killings, the number keeps decreasing. Adding to the shame, two rhinos were killed during the visit of the royal family of Britain. Poaching is the single most reason for the decline in numbers of the rhino as a rhino horn is worth almost Rs one crore in the

international market. It is since 2008 that incidents of poaching have gone up drastically. According to reports, from just three rhinos killed in 2008, the number rose to 28 in 2015. So far, around 200 rhinos have been killed in the past 15 years. It was also alleged that 160 rhinos have been killed in the Kaziranga National Park during the three terms of Congress rule in Assam and BJP would take all possible measures to protect the endangered animal. Enhanced patrolling, strengthening intelligence and enforcing the law will be critical to the success of the fight against wildlife trade. What is needed is an integrated and multi-pronged strategy involving trained manpower, intelligence gathering, hard crackdown on poachers and wildlife smugglers and their conviction, strict enforcement wildlife laws and reducing forest fringe inhabitants’ dependence on forests.

Flood management and power projects There has been a war of words between the Congress government in the State and the BJP government at the Centre over provision of flood relief prior to the assembly elections. In the last few days, heavy rainfall and flood water destroyed crops across several thousand hectares. Thousands of houses were destroyed and families were displaced. These people have now been housing in temporary relief camps. According to an official release by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA),

nearly one lakh people were affected in Jorhat, Sivasagar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Cachar and Charaideo districts in the recent flooding. The reports note that currently, Burhidihing and Desang Naglamuraga rivers were flowing above the danger mark in Sivasagar. Leaders from various political parties were making headlines with their politically aggressive quotes and their parties were too busy campaigning in the state which led to the victims being completely ignored and they have not issued any official statement on the status of Assam floods. The flood control activities in Assam started mainly after the announcement of National Water Policy. Subsequently, an ‘Outlined plan for flood control in Assam’ along with various comprehensive plans was prepared and the priority areas which need immediate attention were identified. Till date, steps have been taken up primarily for the general development of the rural sector and for the protection of major townships in both the Brahmaputra and Barak valley. Schemes have also been taken up to relieve the drainage congestion in the cities and other important areas. Till date only Immediate and short-term measures are implemented but no long-term measures have been seen so far to mitigate the flood and erosion problems of the state.

Employment The Economy of Assam is largely agriculture based with more than 60% of the population

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being engaged in it. The scope for employment in Agriculture is of course very limited. People have always moved outside the state and Guwahati in search of better job opportunities. This has deprived the state from a lot of entrepreneurs and businesses. It is necessary to understand that job growth or development will not just take place merely on the injection of funds from the centre. There is a lot of potential in the region that travels outside in search of a better future. Youth employment remains to be addressed especially for the educated and graduate class. There also has been wastage of the NGREGA scheme which guarantees 100 days of employment but Assam averages only 25 days of employment.

Investment and Entrepreneurship There is an evident lack of an entrepreneur friendly environment in the state. Investments must be driven and nurtured in the state because that would trigger more job growths and opportunities in the region. Assam as a whole is yet to foster an investment and entrepreneurship friendly climate. The entire structure for MSME growth is missing. All the major investment driven projects are riddled with political corruption and bureaucratic red-tapism. The new government at all costs must fill this void and investors and entrepreneurs must be encouraged.

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Art

Basanta Nixaar Xapon REMEMBERING SHAKESPEARE Subhrajit Roy

he plot is set up somewhere at Rangpur Tea Estate in Assam. Mr. Saikia, Senior Manager of the estate is fully objecting the marriage of his daughter Ishani to her beloved Raktim. He makes up his mind to tie her knot with his subordinate Diganta. Diganta rejects the love of Himadri, following his superior’s proposal. This obviously makes Himadri upset with Ishani. This leads Ishani to act against her father’s wishes and she agrees to Raktim’s proposal to elope. This decision makes Diganta and Himadri to follow the other two leading to a chain of events. All of them finally get deviated from their actual path and reach a magical jungle. In a different plot, the workers of the Tea Estate enact a play on the celebratory occasion of estate’s young owner Suranjana’s marriage and accordingly Jugnu and his mates start their rehearsals. Upon not finding a proper place for rehearsal the entire troop marches towards the magical jungle. In the magical jungle, King Aniruddha and Queen Tilottama are estranged. The shadow of hatred takes away the focus from their love for each other, followed by seeking out revenge. To punish Tilottama for her disobedience, Aniruddha ordered his servant ghost Beeru to bring the magical flower and apply a magical potion made from the flower to the eyelids of the jungle queen. The speciality of the flower called ‘Love in idleness’ was that it turned from white to purple when struck by

Cupid’s arrow and when the concoction was applied to the eyelids of a person who was asleep, the person, upon waking up fell in love with the first living thing he/she saw. With this the King wanted to make Tilottama fall in love with an animal which would fulfil his purpose of revenge. These three parallel events get combined to form one plot when Beeru applies the juice of the flower to the eyes of Raktim and Diganta and this creates confusion among the couples. Similarly, the ghost turns Jugnu into a donkey and makes Tilottama fall in love with him by adopting the same process. All of these get observed and enjoyed by Aniruddha. But when everything starts going out of control, he orders Beeru to bring everything back to normalcy and all

the couples get back their beloved in the end. This satire was enacted at Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati by the artists of “Anubhav - The Actors Guild” on May 18, 2016. Based on William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, director Jyoti Narayan Nath has made it an Assamese adaption titled “Basanta Nixaar Xapon” and presented it on the occasion of the 400th death anniversary of the great playwright. The play was presented in association with and by the students of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Studies in Performing Arts, Dibrugarh University. The characters of the original play were divided into three categories, namely “The Athenians”, “The fairies” and “The mechanicals”. The

director has categorised the characters accordingly and brought out the element of humour. The biggest punch line of the presentation was addressing the Donkey-headed Jugnu as “Gadho” by Tilottama. The usage of local dialect of Tea Tribes by Jugnu in a drunkard’s tone tried to bring humour to certain plots. To discuss about the performance, Biraj Chutia who played the character of ghost Beeru, made the audience standstill, by his movements not only on stage but throughout the auditorium. The makeup and costume on Beeru suited his character extremely well. The aerial movements of Bijit Borgohain in the role of Aniruddha were also commendable. The exchange of energy between Biraj and Bijit and subsequent jumps on stage

proved the perfection of their rehearsals. Though Jugal Chutia wanted to add some humour by enacting the character of Jugnu it all seemed technically weak. To be specific, the characters of “The mechanicals” proved to be the weakest in comparison to the rest in the presentation. On the other hand the presence of Ponkhi Kashyap added some glamour to the play. The characterisations were well supported by the costume design of Dorothi Bharadwaj. From the directorial front also the portions devoted to “The Mechanicals” made the presentation low at the climax. Upto the reunion of couples, the play reaches a great high and could’ve ended there. As the original script demanded, the play moved on without yielding satisfactory result. Keeping this weakness aside, it is to be mentioned that Jyoti Narayan Nath’s plays have always been enriched with effective chromatic design. The sequences in this presentation were also supported well by the appropriate light design by the director himself. The background score of the play by Roktutpol Bharadwaj required more dominance during the comedy sequences. The human trees installed on stage and a rope which helped Aniruddha to climb and Tilottama to swing and sleep made the set design effective. The swinging sequence of jungle king and queen after their reunion became the signature. To sum up it is to be mentioned that more comedy elements were required in the play.

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Ward Watch

WARD NO

Concentrated area Phool Gali Ward number 10 Sub-division 10(a) Councillor Mrigen Sarania Phone number 9864043462 Area Sabha Member Tariq Hussain Phone number 9864413000

G Plus photo

KALYAN DEB

Historic Phool Galli literally down in the dumps

The popular flower lane of the city reeks of garbage and has been in such a state since ages despite being located in the heart of the city. KALYAN DEB

ancy Bazaar is the biggest commercial hub of the city surrounded by localities such as Panbazar and Lakhtokia, places that have several landmark establishments. From earliest the settlements dating back to almost two centuries, the area has been popular as a commercial area rather than residential with only a few existing timber buildings lending some sense of life into the area. Most of these came up in the early part of the 20th century, while other being even older than that going back to the 19th century. The significance of Fancy Bazaar kept growing with the expansion of the Guwahati on all directions and as of today there are establishments that can cater to any kind of needs to the people from the Guwahati including tourists from different parts of the country and the world.

Phool Galli/Danish Road A significant landmark of the area is the way to the MG Road, the lane most commonly known as the Phool Gali which is actually an extension of the Danish Road. There are around 30 shops that cater to Guwahati’s requirement of flowers for all occasions. They come in a myriad variety of colours, shapes

and sizes - from roses, marigolds, lilies and several exotic ones to seasonal flowers such as foxtail orchids during Bohag Bihu - can be seen in the stalls. Unlike other business establishments, the rush hours of the flower traders begin with sunrise i.e. as early as 4am and lasts till 10pm. It was learnt that most of the traders are from Hajo and travel to and fro along with their daily quota of flowers. The establishment of the shops date back to around three decades and over the years have managed to attract almost all the customers of the city looking for floral ornamentation. However, Diwali and the wedding season is the time when their business peaks, while the month of May is the worst time of the year. Moreover, during the peak season, most of the traders have to stay back in the city as the shops remain open till midnight.

Irks of the people The name of the lane was derived from the multitude of flower shops dotting the entire area. However, as one enters the lane expecting fragrances of the flowers, what hits the olfactory sense is the stench of garbage and filth. As one moves past the floral shops the splendour of the road gets convoluted when one sees a road that is used as a garbage dump.

Along with the parking space allotted by GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) on one side of the road, the condition of the lane is deplorable. The local people cannot recall the last time it was repaired. “The road was constructed around twenty years ago and before that, it was in an even worse condition. There were stones and it was near impossible for vehicles to ply on it. What we see now is a much better version; hopefully we will soon see an even better picture. The condition is due to the huge amount of garbage that is dumped here. Most people rather than using the garbage bin, dump all the waste by the road side,” stated a flower trader. G Plus learnt that a large pile of garbage is dumped on the road everyday by the nearby food stalls and other establishments. Due to this, the garbage trucks have to stop over at the area twice a day which, in turn adds to the sad condition of the road. Just close to the garbage dump is a public toilet that was constructed by the Lions Club of Guwahati around three years ago. However, people can be seen urinating all around the sidewalk instead of the public toilet. A local also pointed out negligence in the maintenance of the toilet. “In the initial days, the toilet was functional and was used by all but after a certain point of time the men’s urinal was discontinued.

However the women’s toilet is still functional and people are charged up to Rs. 5 against its use. When the toilet was first set up, the urinal was free for use but later on it was discontinued. We have complained against the same but no action has been taken yet,” asserted a local of the area.

Connectivity The road connects to areas such as Panbazar, Lakhtokia and the busy market place of Fancy Bazaar on S

Road. On its exit towards the left is the historic Guwahati Baptist Church — the oldest Baptist church in the Northeast that further leads to Panbazar. Straight ahead is the Khubchand point that leads to Jail Road and Dr. J C Das Road. The road also has a link road that connects with SS Road via Urvashi Cinema Hall which remains crowded with buyers for most parts of the day. Meanwhile, being located in the commercial hub a facelift and much needed rectification of the urinal could certainly improve the area.

Councillor’s Say

Due to the construction of the public toilet on the sidewalk and over the drainage system, the fate of the toilet depends upon the usage and necessity of the people. “Although the toilet is there, most of the time people are seen urinating on the footpath. There were several complaints from the locals and the garbage that is dumped near the toilet, adds to the filthy condition. It was brought to our notice that the maintenance of the toilet is not done and it has transformed to a source of earning money. Thus the importance of the toilet will be decided after consulting with the people,” stated Mrigen Sarania, councillor, ward number 10. “Since there was a deficiency of fund, it has been a major hurdle. With the new government, it is expected that the area will be developed soon. It has been estimated that for the development of the road, an amount of Rs 30 lakhs is required. Until the amount is sanctioned, the area will be used as a garbage collecting zone and only after we receive the requisite funds, will the road be constructed with autoclaved aerated concrete blocks,” the councillor added. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

G Talk

SMART VOTERS CALL FOR SMARTER GOVERNMENT

he vegetable vendor, the panwallah, the part-time maid, the gardener, the security guard, the office boy, the sidekick of your regular mechanic and anybody else you can practically think of – this time, everyone was aware about the elections. However far-fetched and unrealistic it might sound, the truth is that Assam probably had not experienced such awareness in polling in its history. Of course the polls of 1985, when the AGP came to power was another revolutionary election that Assam had seen, but this time the awareness and concern was unreasonably high. The high point of this was when our driver started speculating about which MLAs would get ministerial berths in the cabinet! Is all this for real? Of course, for the people of a state to be so knowledgeable and concerned is great sign of progress and a reason to be proud of. But that said, it was unprecedented to say the least. Apart from all the political campaigns that managed to creep into every voter’s consciousness, the awareness campaign and initiatives have been laudable. This year’s polls have been looked upon by the administration as an opportunity to hammer in the importance of voting into the common public. This was done with the help of a slew of campaigns and drives initiated to encourage people to come out and vote. The NRC update process too has played no small part in making sure

that the voters come out in large but it still does not explain the fact that majority of the voters even knew the names of the candidates they were voting for! Has the multi-directional attack from media finally resulted in something positive? If technology is to be believed, then yes, it has. The massive barrage that people received from all sides multiplied by the digital arsenal, have played a significant role in creating this sudden enlightenment among the voters of Assam. The limited awareness that was normally evident in the younger voters and the lower strata of the society, had given way to a heightened level of electoral knowledge. And if conspiracy theories are to be believed, this does not bode well for a government. With smart phones making people smarter voters, the questions and voices will be raised. This change is obviously for the good but isn’t that an added level of pressure on the shoulders of the new government. With so many expectations and hope, the job just got tougher for Sarba and company. People will not take it lying down, they will want answers and demand work. This should sound out the new powers in place to hit the ground running or they might just have the ground pulled from beneath their feet!

Koushik Hazarika Editor

Addressing the Leakages

SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

eading several articles and compilations by eminent economists and policy makers I’ve always noticed that their thrust has always been on improving delivery mechanism, asset creation and on removing the middle-man culture. This is in relation to Raghuram Rajan, the esteemed RBI Governor making a statement about how our system breeds corruption that essentially stems from a loophole in our delivery mechanism. Metaphorically speaking, when there are a lot of doors to travel through, it is much easier to get lost. There are a lot of schemes put in place for the upliftment of the poor and burdened class of the society and yet, there seems to be no significant change in the in living standards and improvement of public services. As analysed by most, this is because of how the public delivery mechanism is riddled with red tapism and unaddressed leakages. Instead of delivering finished products and the spoon-to-mouth culture, there needs to be empowerment of this burdened class in terms of Direct Benefit schemes (DBT). This gives them the choice to use the resources allotted to them according to their convenience. Added to this, the market at the lower level must be opened to competition. The purchaser can not only buy according to his convenience but also think of money

as a resource that needs to be saved and invested. Investment could also include healthcare and medication, schooling and saving in the bank accounts opened up under PMJDY. After all, what good is a bank account that does not see savings? The competition at the lower level will ensure that Government established PDS will no longer be the only source of purchase and thereby lead to competitive pricing and lower the inflationary pressure in the villages. Another thing that always gets added to these discussions is that the money that is being pumped in the villages must lead to the creation of a community asset. Almost 70% of India lives in village clusters. There are many areas that are yet to receive basic necessities like PHC, Electricity and schooling among others and yet the labour from these villages under the NREGA scheme are being utilized for construction of roads and buildings in the urbanized areas. Instead, the focus should be on utilizing this labour on creating assets like community ponds, PHCs, housing in the villages and more. There must be a white paper agenda for the Government in power and in the states so that the utilization of resources is optimized rather than just pumping money into the villages in hopes of building a better tomorrow.

Is the same government at the centre and state beneficial for Assam or will this make no difference at all? Assam had its own territory of benefits till it had the same Government at the State and Centre. After a tenure of 15 years, the Congress Government in Assam lost to the opposition party, Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party at the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The whopping number of votes that called for the phenomenal victory of BJP however, has greater advantage for the people of the State. It is always a good aspect to have the same political party at the state and centre. The same advantage holds true if the State Government and city municipal corporations are from the same party. If the political hierarchy in all the levels remains same, there is always less conflict. Now that there is a sync within the political parties in the State and Centre, planning for development would take place with better coordination. Further, releasing of funds would never be an issue. Having same political party at both the levels help in better execution of schemes. To make an example, while Assam had Congress at the State and BJP at the centre, executing the program of model schools in the villages of Assam became a failure. This program however is expected to take a turn for good, now that same political parties stands at both the levels. States are smaller fragments of a nation. If both are led by same political parties, it’s obvious that the political sentiments call for better adjustments, coordination and overall development. With this scenario at the State of Assam, the people are expected to be benefited on all the long delayed development plans that took years to materialize.

Chandrika Das

The overwhelming victory of the BJP in Assam is what the party has been waiting for. The mammoth margin of seats in the election result clearly directs that the entire state is yearning for change in the government. However what cannot be unseen is that the newly formed government mostly consists of leaders who do not have any experience in the ministry. Having the same government in the centre and state might come in handy, but at the same time the proper utilisation of funds and resources by the new cabinet ministers will be doubtful. Allies of the new government, AGP was brought to power prior to the fifteen year long tenure of the Congress government but due to anomalies and failure in delivering promises, the government toppled. Until 2014 the scenario was similar since the party at the centre and state were the same but how much development did we actually see? There was continuous flow of funds and still several issues such as flood, rhino killing and employment to name a few remained unresolved. Meanwhile, it only led to the growth of anomalies and corruption. After BJP swept APCC off their feet in 2014, the Modi government had started monitoring on funds released for the state and had asked for the utilisation certificate from the Gogoi regime. If things are to be seen from the perspective of an optimist, there were chances that corruption in Assam could be brought down. But, here we roll back to 2004 when there was same government in centre and state.

Kalyan deb

Interactive

he past government had launched several buses with the vision to make public transportation more convenient. But it only shot back as the attitude of the private bus drivers went from bad to worse. The race of buses to get more passengers is still on, whereas after reaching a stoppage the buses turn into an immovable rock. It is only until the passengers start banging and yelling at the driver and the conductor that the bus starts moving. Neither do the bus drivers acknowledge the traffic officials on duty. Can there be a stricter rule and enforceable undertaking on the unruly bus drivers?

name witheld

Dear Sir,

Letter to the Editor

I must congratulate you on commendable effort to constantly cover news on Guwahati and its developments. You have a very important role to play as a responsible media house and help the citizens get their rightful services from the government. The onus is even greater now with the new Government in place and you have to make sure that the newly elected MLAs of the city stay on their toes all the time and serve the public. It is only initially that people must voice out there demands as these minsters tend to get complacent with time and think themselves above the law. You must make sure that you voice out the aspirations of Guwahati as you have done in the past and continue to do so in the future.

janardhan Bor0 via email

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Here is what Guwahati has to say to the new Chief Minister of Assam

Sajjad Tabreez

Sumant Kumar

e need jobs. The main problem is that we do not have that many companies due to which we have to move out of our state. Development will be followed by increasing employment in the state. I sincerely hope that Guwahati will be in the league of metro cities in India and the people of Assam should be known like people of every other state and not as outsiders. The land of Sworgodeu Sukapha should shine in every way. We as a community have always stood united against all odds and I hope in the years to come we will walk hand in hand for a beautiful and developed Assam.

o begin with please act strongly against the illegal syndicates, corrupt police officers, bureaucrats, district administration and other intermediate officers who are hand in glove with these criminals. Such people have made the lives of the urban poor and lower middle class a living hell. It is easy for a CM to take action which the former CM didn’t during his 15 years of term. Let no one be spared, from top to bottom and take actions against such dishonest government officials before people blame the MLAs and ministers.

Mosfique Ali

ir, Congratulations! We have lots of expectations. Real democracy has come to Assam at last. It’s people verdict. Future of your government, your party, and Assam now depends on your leadership. We know your work in near future will not be so easy but, we have the confidence that under your strong and conscious leadership you will be able to overcome the various obstacles and bring glory to the state. However, be careful of the opportunists.

lease bring real development in the state not concrete jungle or too much of industrialisation. Resources available should reach out to the common man. Environment should be the first priority and in the name of development it should not be compromised. We wish for real development in Assam. Please do not allow Kaziranga, Pobitora, Manas to deteriorate any further. Save the Rhinos, tea gardens and the tea industry. We wish you all the very best.

Manoj Majoka

he main reasons why IT companies don’t come to Assam is because of terrorism. There are numerous Assam Bandhs in 365 days which is an attitude that does not bode well with private companies. All these must be addressed and the employment scenario must be addressed.

Jayanta Jyoti

Jenny Sarma

anufacturing, IT, Tea Auction Centre, Agriculture growth, Infrastructure, usage of water route, Dual rail track must be top priority. Politics should ensure the overall welfare of state and overall growth environment. Corruption must also be tackled.

Santosh Nath

t is an urgent requirement for ambulances to be provided preference at any time for travelling within the city.

Uddhab Das

orpuzari I am sure you will keep true to all your commitments. We are eagerly waiting to see a different scenario of developed Assam which can be an example for other states in India and abroad too. We are with you in this march. All the best!

Trishna Sharma

ince you mentioned that the CM’s convoy will also stop at traffic signals and the also decided to cut down the number of vehicles of the Chief Minister’s convoy, the decision will be welcomed by the people. We want the ministers to stay as common man so that we feel secure.

ongrats Sir, I hope we can contribute something towards a better and greener Guwahati. I would urge you to take the 1st step in converting the diesel passenger vehicles within the city to CNG. It is disheartening to see children coming out from a government run school engulfed by the black fumes of city buses.

Rajiv Chakravorty

e do not expect miracles although we need it. We are not expecting massive changes within months, just need real effective changes.

Debashree Bhuyan

lease take some serious action against the corrupt APSC department. Don’t sell those prestigious jobs and instead ask the meritorious students to join the government.

Sumon Bhowmik

In Focus

Meet

Dr. N.K. Dutta Academician and Entrepreneur

r. N.K. Dutta is an entrepreneur and an educationist by profession. After completing his Masters from Delhi University he came back to his native place and started his career as an educationist based on his instinct that he loved to provide knowledge to the young and curious minds of the students. Dr. Dutta completed his schooling from Tuensang Govt. High School, in Nagaland and graduated from Cotton College is the founder the Miles Bronson Residential School. Dr. Dutta established the school back in 1987 with only 17 students in a rented house at Jyotinagar. “After a year, there was a surge in the number of students and I needed more space. I wanted to shift the school but there was no one who would give out an area for a school stating that it would spoil the building and its surroundings. I was blessed to get a rented house in Beltola from Benudhar Borgohain who understood that it would be for a good cause” said Dr. Dutta. He completed his Pre-Degree (Arts) from Cotton College and Bachelor’s and Master degree in History from Kirorimal College, Delhi and did his Ph. D from Tilak Maharashtra University, Pune and presently, he is selected to pursue the Doctorate of Education program by the Exeter University, UK. Dr. Dutta also completed his LL.B out of sheer enthusiasm but he never practiced and chose to start his own business. After completing his Masters, he started working in a tea garden but he was never really enthused with the work there. He then made up his mind that he would start a boarding school. During his academic career, he saw that students in Delhi University who came from reputed boarding schools had a well rounded personality and had a lot of exposure and knowledge about various things and were active across all fields. This is what set his mind to establish a boarding school in Assam for the students here. “Everyone cannot be a doctor or an engineer but it is very important that a child should be groomed with exceptional qualities. In my personal experience, students who studied from boarding schools had such qualities and were also actively engaged in sports. To provide such wholesome opportunities, I started the MBRS here in Guwahati so that children could get the best facilities. What started as a small set up, now has a humongous campus of 83 bighas of land which makes it one of the largest in schools in Assam,” shared Dr. Dutta proudly. Initially, it started functioning with two buildings but this has now extended to include nine buildings, all under lease or rent. The student capacity increased remarkably during 1990-2002 and now there are 500 boarders in MBRS from all over the country. The school also has students from Bhutan, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries. Many community service programs have been taken up by the school. Dr. Dutta received the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Silver Award on 19th November, 2005. He has also been

selected for the prestigious Project Zero Classroom Programme by the Principal’s Centre, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Boston, USA in July 2015. He has also been awarded the Best District Principal Award (2015) conferred upon him by the Science Olympiad Foundation for exemplary performance by Bronsonians in the Science Olympiad examination. Dr. Dutta has been awarded the Educational Leadership Award 2010 by the Educational Leadership International Roundtable Conference, Lucknow on 4th August. He has also been conferred the 2nd North East Excellence Award in the large Entrepreneur Category by the Indian Chamber of Commerce for contribution in the field of Education. As he loved to spend time with the children and to guide them properly, he spent most of his time in the school. “The parents just provided for the admission and gave the fees, but it was my responsibility to look after them and if anything were to go wrong I will personally be responsible. Therefore, I keep an eye on each and every student. My wife tells me that people have only one or two children but I have 500, which is a great feeling of responsibility altogether.” A coffee table book will also be published by an institute of Bangalore where 20 schools have been selected for the new millennium and MBRS is the only school from the North East to be published there. Dr. Dutta also cracked the preliminary examinations of the Indian Administrative Services but after his father took voluntary retirement he had to come back home as he had the responsibility of three sisters and to fend for an entire household which led him to working in a tea garden. Dr. Dutta’s spouse Nandini Dutta is also an entrepreneur and is running the Akash Insititute, a coaching centre for medical and engineering aspirants. Apart from his professional life, he also loves to read and always carries a bag of books with him when travelling.

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Lifestyle

Sex

VAASTU SHASTRA

VAASTU OF KAHILIPARA

in our city

’m a young 23 year old guy who is yet to have sex. I tried it one time but I was unable to perform. I could not get an erection. I’m scared that I might have erectile dysfunction. Is it possible to foresee this and take some action?

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

t is the Lychee season and there is no better dessert to make than something flavoured with this luscious fruit. Panna Cotta (Italian: ‘cooked cream’) is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatine. The cream may be aromatized with rum, coffee, vanilla or other flavours. I personally like to flavour Panna Cotta with the juice and the pulp of home-grown Lychees from Tezpur. These Lychees are famous all over India. If you want to use the fat juicy variety that is available in Lesu Pukhuri, Tezpur, then you will have to book them at least six months in advance. They mostly land up on the dining tables of the who’s who of India.

his is a big residential area with commercial establishments on both sides along the main road from Ganeshguri to Fatasil. The road to Kahilipara starts from Ganesh Mandir at Ganeshguri towards west with several turns towards south before bifurcating near the ASEB power Station to Odalbakra finally joining the Lokhra Road at Fatasil (Battalion Gate). Because of the zigzag nature of the road, the vaastu also changes for the houses and shops on both sides of the road. The Kalapahar hills lie on the northern side of the road. So the residents living near the foothills must be careful in planning their houses. Those, who have slopes going up towards North, must try to minimise the same or take some vaastu remedies. They will face financial problems and trouble for the womenfolk. They should take utmost care to keep their east side lower to offset some of the defect. The houses or shops on the southern side of the Kahilipara road are generally lower than the road because that area

was predominantly agricultural fields once. This is one of the reasons why the commercial establishments never flourished like G S Road, R G B Road or G N B Road because of the ill effects of the hill at north. However, the residential areas in Jatia, Bhagaduttapur, etc. which are situated at south of the Kahilipara main road, are on plain level and they have to follow normal vaastu patterns. Those who fail to adhere to vaastu norms are suffering. For example, there is a PhagulaRabha High School at Jatia which is inside a lane going south. The school is built along the eastern border and has a big open space at west. This school is hardly known to Guwahatians and it does not have any good results to show though it gets Government aid. There are several Government Organisations like the Directorate of Technical Education, The Chitrabon Film Studio, State Forensic Laboratory, Office of the SP, Special Branch, 4th Assam Police Battalion etc. on both sides ofKahilipara road. The State Film studio is not doing well at all

despite having a good infrastructure because it is situated on the foothills ofKalapahar Hill. Its main entrance is from southern southwest and it has vacant areas at south. The famous Hayat Hospital is at the southeastern bend of the Kahilipara road. Its main entrance is from North and it has vacant space at Northeast and Northwest(parking area). This hospital is famous for Heart speciality besides Neurology and kidney ailments. But as there is a transformer at North, they may find it tough to cut down expenses. Now several multi storeyed complexes have come up along the main road as well as interior areas of Bhagaduttapur and Jatia. The residents of these flats have to follow individual vaastu for each unit separately.

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

recipe of the week

LYCHEE PANNA COTTA Ingredients

2 tablespoons gelatine 4 tablespoons of water 2 cups of fresh Lychee juice 2 cups of Amul cream 1 tablespoon of sugar Pomegranate seeds and Lychee chunks for decorating. Panna Cotta is made by simmering cream, sugar and fruit juice or milk and then mixing it with gelatine to set.

PROCESS

f you have weakness in your hands and legs you go to a Neurologist. If you have chest pains you go to a Cardiologist. And in this case, if your problem persists, you could have organic causes including hormonal imbalance and you may wish to see a specialist, a sexologist. Let me clarify that erectile dysfunction is actually something that has direct relation to the functioning of the body. Let me explain to you the artery diameters in our body. Our carotid arteries are 5-7 mm wide and its blockage results in stroke. Our coronary arteries are of 3-4 mm and its blockage results in a heart attack. Our penile arteries are of 1-2 mm and its blockage results in erectile dysfunction. You are just 23 and I doubt you’d make a possible case for erectile dysfunction because suffering from ED is followed by heart attack 4-5 years down the line. If you feel you have felt your chest trouble you, a cardiac evaluation would be recommended for you. Here’s my take, Virat Kohli does not hit score a hundred on every innings. Do not put undue pressure on yourself. Failure can beget failure. The more you put pressure the more it can cause problems. Stress can activate the sympathetic nervous system which can reduce blood f low to your penis and you could become a spectator of your own failure with the “going --going – gone.” My personal advice, take a chill pill and give it a few more shots.

et two tablespoons of gelatine in four tablespoons of water. Puree two cups of de-seeded lychees and sieve to extract the juice. In a pan, add two cups of cream, one tablespoons of sugar and the juice. When it starts to simmer, take it off from the fire and add the gelatine. Keep stirring till the gelatine melts. Cool the mixture, pour into your choice of dessert dish or ramekin or glass and freeze for one hour. Decorate with your imagination.

KULKUL RAHMAN Entrepreneur, mother and a passionate cook

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

FLAVOUR of the

SEASON

Lifestyle

Cool Couture nourishment.The normal shampoo routine doesn’t work. Using a conditioner is must because shampooing your hair takes out all the moisture from it but conditioner is what puts the moisture right back in. Using hair products according to your hair type is of utmost importance, even if it is a hairstyling product. You can use hairstyling waxes to give different textures to your bun or you can use different hairstyling creams to give your bun different levels of shine. Man bun requires patience because not everybody’s hair grows out as quickly as anticipated. It can take up to 8 months to a year for the hair to grow enough to fit into a man bun. Despite being an easy style to pull off, there are a few common mistakes that should be duly noted: • • • • •

ou’ve seen them on all of Hollywood’s big hitters from Chris Hemsworth to Brad Pitt, and now they are everywhere; even in our beloved Guwahati city. I am talking about the most trending hairstyle – Man Bun. When it comes to men’s hairstyles, man bun is officially the hottest trend of the year. The roots of man bun run deep. First there was Lord Shiva and Buddha, then the Samurais, then the Sumo wrestlers and now it’s a common sight. The man bun has been escalating in popularity since 2013. Leonardo DiCaprio, David Beckham, Shahrukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar and many more were seen in this very alluring hairstyle. Man bun has been scrutinized for a long time but slowly it is being accepted both as formal and informal attire. This new hairstyle has been challenging stereotypes everywhere. Man buns are of many types –Full Man Bun, Low Man Bun, Top Knot, The Pineapple, The Undercut, etc. and the great thing about this hairstyle is that it suits everyone regardless of face shape and style. Sporting a man bun is not rocket science and is in fact quiet simple. All you need is a hair-tie or elastic band and long hair (read: not too long). However, maintaining it is not easy. Good man bunneeds proper hair care and hair

Having greasy, dirty or unkempt hair Being careless or hurried when tying a bun Pulling hair too tight Overusing product so that hair looks shiny and slick Trying to tie a bun with hair that’s too short

A proper man bun should look well-groomed but not excessively styled. You definitely don’t want to look like a garbage bag that is tied! Aim for a natural appearance that complements your personality, and don’t obsess too much about tying a perfect bun. In time, you’ll find the style and technique that works best.

TOP 10

FITNESS TRENDS

OF 2016

ust like the latest trends of fashion come and go, the same holds true in the field of fitness. Being a fitness expert I think it is my duty and job to inform and make people aware about the latest trends of the Fitness Industry. It will be helpful for an individual to make the right choices before joining the right gym or health club. This annual survey was done by ACSM which is the largest sports medicine and exercisescience organization in the world. With more than 50,000 members and certified professionals worldwide, ACSM is dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and

sports medicine. Now in its tenth year, the survey was completed by more than 2,800 health and fitness professionals worldwide. Forty potential trends were given as choices and the top 20 were ranked and published by ACSM. The full list of top 20 trends is available in the article “Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2016: 10th Anniversary Edition” published in the November/December issue of ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. But we will be discussing the “TOP TEN LATEST FITNESS TRENDS OF 2016” only for our convenience. 1. Wearable Technology 2. Body Weight Training 3. High-Intensity Interval Training

Akshita Sharma

(HIIT) 4. Strength Training 5. Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals 6. Personal Training 7. Functional Fitness 8. Fitness Programs for Older Adults 9. Exercise and Weight Loss 10. Yoga 11. Group Personal Training 12. Worksite Health Promotion 13. Wellness Coaching 14. Outdoor Activities 15. Sport-specific Training 16. Flexibility and Mobility Rollers 17. Smart Phone Exercise App 18. Circuit Training 19. Core Training 20. Outcome Measurements The top 10 fitness trends for 2016 are: Wearable Technology: Includes fitness trackers, smart watches, heart rate monitors, and GPS tracking devices. Body Weight Training: Body weight training uses minimal equipment making it more affordable. Not limited to just push-ups and pullups, this trend allows people to get “back to the basics” with fitness. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): HIIT involves short bursts of activity followed by a short period of rest or recovery. These exercise programs are usually performed in less than 30 minutes. Strength Training: Strength

Best version of

yourself

Avoid Decision Fatigue

ave you ever wondered why some top notch people wear the same clothes or the same coloured clothes every day? Have you ever wondered why some of them eat simple and similar kind of food on a regular basis? It’s got something to do with a phenomenon known as “decision fatigue.” Some also call it the power of simplicity but I believe they are more or less the same. Decision fatigue refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual, after a long session of decision making. An average brain has more than 40,000 thoughts per day. Decision fatigue happens when your brain has to make too many decisions throughout the day, most of them being not so important, like ‘what to wear,’ ‘what to eat,’ ‘what to read,’ ‘which route to take,’ etc. Many people who have achieved gargantuan success in their lives try to avoid making such petty decisions so as to save all the mental energy they have to make bigger decisions. They know that they have to make significant decisions every day and so the removal of even one, like, choosing clothes in the morning, leaves them with more mental space and better productivity throughout the day. Making fewer decisions in turn also saves time, causes less stress, like what to wear - especially for women - sometimes saves money and gives you a hasslefree life. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, chooses to wear a grey T-Shirt every day. Barack Obama wears either a blue or a grey suit every day. Steve Jobs wore jeans, black turtleneck and sneakers on most working days. Narendra Modi says that he loves to live simple, eat simple and dress simple. After all, when you know that your decisions are going to affect a billion people, you cannot afford to have to choose between petty things. In case, you’re wondering why you should be concerned about all this, remember that to become monumentally successful, you need to inculcate the habits of the most successful people. You need to become the best version of yourself. You need to free your mind from all of these insignificant things. I’m not suggesting that you become a robot and wear the same clothes every day, eat the same food every day; I’m suggesting that you start being aware of all those decisions you make that add no value to your life, that do not take you closer to your goals and then try and minimize those decisions. Madhur Jayne A practicing chartered accountant and a certified nutritionist. He is the cofounder 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.

training remains a central emphasis for many health clubs. Incorporating strength training is an essential part of a complete exercise program for all physical activity levels and genders. (The other essential components are aerobic exercise and flexibility.) Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals: Given the large number of organizations offering health and fitness certifications, it’s important that consumers choose professionals certified through programs that are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and personal trainers should have a valid university degree in Exercise Physiology recognised by a University. Personal Training: More and more students are majoring in Kinesiology, which indicates that they are preparing themselves for careers in the various fields of health and fitness that involves personal training also. Education, training and proper credentialing for personal trainers have become increasingly important to the health and fitness facilities that employ them. Functional Fitness: This is a trend towards using strength training to improve balance and ease our daily living. Functional fitness and special fitness programs for older adults are closely related. Fitness Programs for Older Adults: As the baby boom generation ages into retirement, some of these

people have more discretionary money than their younger counterparts. Therefore, many health and fitness professionals are taking the time to create age-appropriate fitness programs to keep older adults healthy and active. Exercise and Weight Loss: In addition to nutrition, exercise is a key component of a proper weight loss program. Health and fitness professionals who provide weight loss programs are increasingly incorporating regular exercise and calorie restriction for better weight control in their clients. Yoga: Based on ancient tradition, yoga utilizes a series of specific bodily postures practiced for health and relaxation. This includes Power Yoga, Yogalates, Bikram, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kripalu, Anurara, Kundalini, Sivananda and others. (Source: acsm.org) TRAIN SMART & GAIN GREAT RESULTS. For further Workout Programs & Diet follow me on Facebook or log on to my website – www.bibhuuniversalfitness. com. You can also watch my videos on my YouTube channel. BIBHU 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

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Review Cast: Radhika Apte, Satyadeep Mishra, Ankur Vikal Director: Pavan Kripalani

ehak Deo (Radhika Apte) is a highly skilled artist. After a terrifying incident of sexual assault, Mehak develops agoraphobia, the fear of public spaces. To cope with her fear, she starts to stay with her sister who seeks help from a psychologist. Being holed up in the house for months and because of her panic attacks becoming a problem for her sister, Mehak is unconsciously moved out to another apartment by her close friend Shaan (Satyadeep Mishra). If Mehak’s mental state is already any less difficult, the new apartment has its own set of mysteries too. The girl who owns the apartment has been missing and Mehak soon starts to believe that she is dead and has been killed. Strange things happen with Mehak and it is kept ambiguous if it is her mind playing the tricks until the climax. Pavan Kripalani is a genius to have worked on a script like Phobia. Right from the film’s concept of throwing light on the concept of

vie Mo view Re

phobia and building it into a fine thriller is a difficult job. The tight screenplay of the film keeps the audiences riveted to the screens right from the word go. The first half is terrifying and he manages to leave the viewers confused as the lines between the film being a psychological thriller or a supernatural one are thinned. In the second half, one particularly finds content missing and it’s mainly the performance that keeps the film afloat. Also, the plot has its haphazard moments in the second half as it rushes to reach a conclusion that many may not understand. There are also intentionally comic elements added in the plot that come as a relief after a scary build up. Characters are brilliantly written and especially the sidekicks such as Manu, the strange neighbour and Nikki also the young college-going neighbour. They are blended in the story at crucial points and keep the story moving

ahead. Bollywood rarely touches such genres and hence this film has a sense of an achievement for even attempting such a subject. Plenty of spine-chilling moments come and go all through the film, making it quite difficult for the weak-hearted. Radhika Apte has been on a roll. After many minor roles that made an impact, she gets a biggie this time. As the protagonist struggling to deal with herself, Apte pulls off a mammoth of an act. She seems so convincing that for moments one even finds oneself relating to her situation and completely pulled into the story. She excels in scenes of her going through the panic attacks. Satyadeep Mishra fits the bill perfectly as Shaan, the friend and lover of Mehak. His natural act gives his character the right touch of realism. Yashaswani and Ankur Vikal make up for a strong supporting cast.

Cast: Kalki Koechlin, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajat Kapoor Director: Anu Menon

ara (Kalki Koechlin) and Rajat (Arjun Mathur) are newly weds whose life seems picture perfect until Rajat meets with a deadly car accident. With a severe head injury, Rajat goes into coma, leaving his wife Tara with some big decisions of their future. In Cochin’s state of the art hospital, Tara meets Shiv (Naseeruddin Shah), whose wife too, is in a comatose state since eight months. After a marriage spanning over 40 years, Shiv is determined to wait for his wife to get back to life. The two strangers soon befriend each other and try to make the best of their lives by helping one another. Anu Menon’s Waiting is subtly poignant and extremely witty when it comes to the script. With comic elements used in the form of irony, one instantly realises how clever the script

is. Generation gap is quite aptly portrayed between the two lead characters. So, while Shiv is a professor and is well-read on medical journals, he has no clue what Twitter is. Tara on the other hand, is a spunky girl whose reaction to Shiv’s 40 year marriage is ‘Fu*k’. What gives this story a touch of realism, is the character detailing. How Shiv whom Tara considers ‘Zen’ is also vulnerable and tends to lose his cool when it comes to facing the ultimate reality of life & death. The supporting characters too, are built with great intelligence, so on one hand you have a Doctor who knows he is not God but he often has to step into God’s shoes for his patients. Also Girish, who is Rajat’s office colleague is a goofy character but ex-

tremely real. Particular scenes such as the one where Shiv explains to Tara the different stages that her grief will go through over time are brilliantly written. There is a minor detour to the story with Shiv’s character revealing a secret in the second half and that is enough to convey to the viewers why the man desperately wants his wife to gain consciousness. Overall, the script’s light nature keeps you hooked to the screen. Kalki Koechlin wins you over with her highly expressive performance. She slips into Tara’s character with much ease. Naseeruddin Shah does a great job as the otherwise calm Shiv, who is internally broken. He makes the film look easy on the eyes with the graceful act.

Game view Re

Veerappan 11.15 AM The angry bird movie 9.30 AM, 1.45 & 3.45 PM Phobia 8.30 PM Prakton (Bengali) 5.45 PM

PVR Cinemas

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009 X-men: apocalypse 1.00 & 5.45 PM Sarbjit 6.05 PM The angry bird movie 11.00 AM, 3.45 & 8.30 PM Phobia 1.40 & 8.45 PM Waiting (A) 3.55 PM Veerappan 11.10 AM

Fun Cinemas HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200

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Veerapan 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

GOLD Cinema

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Book:

Artist:

Secretly Yours

Dierks Bentley

Author:

Vikrant Khanna

u Yo LD N HOU S ISTE L

Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738

ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166

Black

and straighter than its predecessors. Call it maturation as much as a shift in aesthetics. Now 40, Bentley doesn’t spend as much time raising the roof as he once did, preferring slow grooves and smoky textures. When he gets loose, it’s in a measured fashion: “Somewhere on a Beach” and “Roses and a Time Machine,” tacit sequels to “Drunk on a Plane,” march to a beat so deliberate that revelry seems like an afterthought, even when Dierks sings about “edumacation.” Only when he brings Trombone Shorty in for

Anuradha Cineplex

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Album:

n the album art of Black, his eighth album, Dierks Bentley appears in a seemingly foreign atmosphere for the country singer: the stylish, sexy streets of a city at night. This change in setting -- previously, Bentley has been seeing picking on a porch, grinning in an alley, staring into the sunset, and chilling with a dog -- doesn’t necessarily suggest a leap into crossover country-pop, but there’s little question that the sultry gloss of Black is a consolidation of 2014’s Riser, a record slicker

NOW SHOWING

a cameo on “Mardi Gras” does the pace actually quicken, but Black is intentionally bereft of such carefree moments. Alternating impeccable midtempo anthems and soft ballads -the latter including duets with Maren Morris (“I’ll Be the Moon”) and Elle King (“Different for Girls”) -- Black winds up gelling into gently pulsing AAA-country. It’s mood music, sometimes playing as smooth as a seduction but better suited for moments of introspection when you’re surrounded by a crowd and need to isolate.

GOLD Cinema Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854077177

u Yo LD HOU S read

veryone has secrets . . . but is hers the most shocking? Orphaned at birth, seventeen-year-old Sahil has always blamed himself for his parents’ death. He has little interest in life until he meets the enigmatic Anya in a chance encounter during the Shimla fest. Soon he falls head over heels in love with her, but Anya doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. An accident leaves him

in a coma and when he wakes up he makes a startling discovery-he can read minds! Now he can find out what goes on in Anya’s mind and maybe, just maybe, make her fall in love with him. But is Anya all she seems? Or is she hiding something? Deliciously plotted, full of morbid secrets and startling revelations, Secretly Yours will make you question what you see and who you trust.

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GOLD Cinema

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G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Entertainment

Facebook Samannay MTG Awards 2016 presented

n today’s age, there is a tendency among the youth to get addicted to drugs as well as misusing popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. On the other hand, some cultural lovers of the current generation have shown interest towards the development of Assamese Art and Culture. With their help, a mobile theatre group has made a Facebook page named ‘Facebook Samannay Mobile Theatre Group’. This group is presently working for the upliftment of the Mobile Theatre, one of the top most cultural industries of Assam. This popular Facebook page is meant to promote Assamese Mobile Theatre. This group presented the ‘Facebook Samannay MTG Award 2016’ for the first time on 21st May and was held at the District Library, Guwahati. The award ceremony was hosted by senior journalist Manoranjan Kalita. The awards were presented in the memory of various cultural activists of Assam who fought hard for the Assamese culture. It was categorized into 13 different sections and the selection was done through voting. The ‘Prasanta Hazarika and Ila Kakati Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award’ was awarded to Bhabesh Baruah for his contribution in the field of Mobile Theatre. After receiving the award, the veteran

actor said that if he is still alive, it is because of the love and respect of the Assamese people and that is why he can’t retire from acting though he has decided to do it many times. He also added that, only the blood of youth will keep this culture alive. On the other hand, three special people named Parama Kalita, Haren Das and Khagen Sharma was presented the ‘Chakradhar Deka – Rabin Neog Memorial Award’ for their contribution in the field of Assamese Mobile Theatre. The other categories and awardees were: ‘Mahendra Borthak-

ur Memorial Award’ for best drama - ‘Ramleela’, ‘Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia Memorial’ for best story Mor Facebookot Tumi, ‘Mahananda Sharma Memorial’ for best actor Prasenjit Borah, ‘Aaidew Xandikoy Memorial’ for best actress - Kabita Chutia, ‘Maya Barman Memorial’ for best actor in comic role - Madhav Dutta, ‘Xarbesar Rajbongshi Memorial’ for best actor in negative role - Nirmal Dutta and Parag Sharma, ‘Sada Lahkar Memorial’ for best team of theatre - Theatre Bhagyadevi, ‘Sarat Majumdar Memorial’

Sankarjyoti Rajkhowa goes mainstream

ankarjyoti Rajkhowa - an extraordinary villain of the Assamese Mobile Theatre has made quite the reputation for himself by portraying characters loved by the audience. A huge audience gathers for his shows. People revealed that his performance on stage brings something new to the field ev-

erytime. His performances often get discussed by the audience and the crowd. He was popular for his role in the play ‘Boliya Krishna’, written by Rajdweep and staged at Hengool Theatre last year. The story-teller and the director together designed his character so uniquely from others that it was quite memorable for the Mobile Theatre

lovers. Sankarjyoti debuted into this industry in 2012-13 through Hengool Theatre and in that year his role in Abhijit Bhattacharya’s drama ‘Bijoya Dashami’ was highly appreciated by the people of Assam. After that, he took a break for a year and came back to the Mobile Theatre and made his entry through Hengool Theatre and

for best producer - Pankaj Hazarika, ‘Bishnu Prasad Rabha Memorial’ for best choreographer – Ratul Das, ‘Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Memorial’ for best music – Tarali Sharma, ‘Aaidya Sharma (Guruji) Memorial’ for best art-direction – Paplu, ‘Best Action Director’ – Pradhan Deuri, ‘Best Actor Newcomer’ – Sankar Rajkhowa and ‘Best Actress (Newcomer)’ – Kasturi Phukan. On this occasion, the annual mouthpiece of the group titled ‘Samannay’ which was conceptualized and edited by cine-journalist Kalyan Kumar Kalita, was released by renowned director and story teller of Assamese Mobile Theatre Abhijit Bhattacharya and the editor himself. The award ceremony was graced by Najrul Islam, Subodh Majumdar, Dulumoni Das, Swagata Baruah, Munmi Kalita, Chinmoy Kotoky, Binoy Deka, Jeffry Bakshi, Jogesh Kashyap, Frenkey Baruah, Gunjan Choudhury, Mitul Balaji, Anjanjyoti Bez, Niranjan Das, Hemanga Raj, Jayanta Jiwan Baruah, Spandan Gogoi, Kamal Rewati, Simanta Kashyap and many other popular actor-actress, directors and story-tellers of Assamese cultural industry. The group’s work was highly appreciated by the audiences present at the Award Ceremony. The ‘Facebook Samannay Mobile Theatre Group’, which had organized the Facebook Samannay MTG Awards for the first time, has decided to continue it as an annual event.

played three different characters for three different plays, namely ‘Boliya Krishna’ by Rajdweep, ‘Chambalor Majnu’ by Abhijit Bhattacharya and ‘Jooj’ by Binoy Saikia. But his role in the drama ‘Boliya Krishna’ left the viewers delighted. The actor shared his feeling by saying that he feels very happy that his role has been appreciated by the people and he also gave due credit to the storyteller - Rajdweep and director of this play as well as the producer of Hengool Theatre, Sankalpajit Hazarika. For his outstanding role in ‘Boliya Krishna’, he recently got the ‘Facebook Samannay M.T.G. Award 2016’ presented by a Mobile Theatre related popular Facebook group called the ‘Facebook Samannay Mobile Theatre Group’. He also added that, for the next 2016-17 seasons, he has already been signed for Hengool Theatre. For the upcoming seasons, Hengool is going to stage three plays namely, ‘Bekar Bahubali’ and ‘Bonoriya’ written by Rajdweep and ‘Darar Gari’ by Mridul Chutia. People are now eagerly waiting to see Sankarjyoti’s role in all of these plays. The preparations have already begun and Hengool will again bring some a new flavor and techniques in the plays for the next season.

Bikash Sharma releases new single

‘Jegat Lagi Jai’

singer is not the one who has entered into the recording studio and recited the lyrics according to the composition, but the one who has felt the lyrics and lent his voice from the bottom of his heart. Most of the newcomers lack this quality and that’s why the standard of songs being recently recorded have degraded. However some of the newcomers are dedicated and passionate about music and have presented some soulful songs to the Assamese listeners. Though it’s a good sign that the newcomers have shown an interest in producing such singles, but if they fail to hold potential, then it will be harmful for the Assamese music industry as well as for art and culture. Bikash Sharma, a promising singer, has recently released his first single ‘Jegat Lagi Jai’. Bikash, although not a professional musician, dabbles in music to fulfill his dream of becoming a popular singer of the Assamese music industry. The lyrics of the song ‘Jegat Lagi Jai’, which showcases the attitude and sentiments of a young man, was written by the cine-journalist Kalyan Kumar Kalita. The lyricist has shared his feelings in this song by saying that in the case of love, the girls are always more serious than the boys, so every time when they meet the girl forces the boy to do things that strikes his mind – which is the main theme of the song. The song was composed by Hrituv Hazarika and musically arranged by Palash Gogoi. The entire song comes to life in its beautiful rendering by Bikash Sharma. According to the singer, the video of the song will release soon. He also added that, his second single titled ‘Urania Mon’ will also hit the markets soon in both audio and video format. Bikash hopes that Assamese music lovers will accept his song ‘Jegat Lagi Jai’ and encourage him in his musical journey.

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Citypedia Taurus

Gemini

Lovely Venus leaves your sign for Gemini and your personal financial sector on Tuesday, where it could encourage you to indulge your love of shopping. As it also links to Mars, you might be lusting after a certain item you’re determined to buy (whether you have the money or not). Also, you could experience difficulties concerning a romantic relationship.

You could decide to change your image this week when delectable Venus eases into your sign and entices you to think about a makeover. Perhaps you’ll opt for a different hair color or be determined to revamp your closet. An awkward tie between Jupiter and Saturn on Thursday could bring to a head a key issue concerning family or a partner.

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

If you’ve been having problems with your boss or someone else at work, this week’s blend of energies could see you eager to resolve it once and for all. It might be possible to compromise, but it’s also likely that now that Jupiter is direct the worst is over and things will get better.

Libra

Your social sector lights up as Venus sashays into Gemini to join the Sun. This is one of the better times for dating, romancing, and generally enjoying life. However, Tuesday could also bring powerful forces into play as Venus ties with fervent Mars. If you’re on a date or encounter someone you feel attracted to, try to go easy. With Mars spinning backward, things may not turn out as you hope.

Scorpio

Get ready to charm the socks off a boss or superior or smile sweetly and persuade someone in authority to let you off the hook. Venus in the topmost sector of your chart lends you extra charisma, making it easier to get your way. Even so, an awkward connection between Jupiter and Saturn hints that you may feel restrained by responsibilities at home.

Sagittarius

As Venus dances into Gemini on Tuesday, you may be seeking a love adventure or eager to explore far horizons and encounter new people. Anything exotic, fresh, and different might appeal to you and could encompass tastes in food, clothes, and anything you purchase. Once Mars dips back into Scorpio and your sector of finances, you’ll have a second chance to get your accounts in order and sort out any debt.

Your sector of shared assets, intimacy, and transformation takes on a positive hue as Venus joins the Sun in this sector. Beware though, as powerful desires could see you splurging or falling in lust with someone on a moment’s notice. Think of the consequences before you do anything you might regret later. Mars zips back into your sign on Friday, which can mean that emotional issues you thought were finished might not be.

Those love vibes may be loud and clear when Venus dances into your sector of relating on Tuesday and brings a schmoozy quality to your romantic life. It’s just as helpful for closing deals and organizing business meetings. However, with a potent blend of energies coming to a head on Thursday, you might feel as though your progress is being blocked.

With a focus on your lifestyle sector, you could be motivated to tweak your health routines. Venus moves into this sector on Tuesday, so you may need to push yourself to exercise daily or stick to that diet. What you really need is confidence and belief in yourself, even if it’s been shaken lately. Jupiter is now forging ahead, so you’ll find that you become a lot more self-assured and better able to handle problems and take on challenges.

Could love be in the air? Maybe. Anything is possible with Venus dancing into your romantic sector on Tuesday. And if you’ve been out of the dating loop for some time, this can be an opportunity to get back into it and enjoy mixing and mingling with new people. The emphasis is on lighthearted, fun liaisons that you should thoroughly enjoy. As of Friday, Mars zips back into your career sector to encourage you to complete any unfinished business.

You might be in the mood to try some redecorating and generally get your place looking shipshape. With Venus easing into your sector of family and home, this could be an opportunity to beautify your environment and make it cozier. With Mars backing into Scorpio and your travel and adventure zone on Friday, you might need to address an issue you thought was over and done with. It isn’t. Now you’ll have a second chance to finally resolve it.

Capricorn

GUWAHATI

Aquarius

Pisces

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Sudoku

police station

last week solution

Aries

With Venus joining the Sun in Gemini, it’s time to get out and network with key people. And you could even find yourself attracted to someone on the spur of the moment. Go easy, though. Because Mars is currently retrograde, it could turn out to be an on-and-off relationship. You’ll also find that an emotional or financial issue could resurface as Mars backs into Scorpio on Friday.

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.

Comissioner of Police: 0361-2540278 DCP, Traffic: 0361-2731847 DCP, (Central): 94350-49599 DCP, (East): - 94350-83103 DCP, (West): - 94350-27744 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

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)

About Sudoko

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

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

GMC helpline number for garbage collection

8811007000

Hospital

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)

Vigilance and anti corruption toll free number

1800-345-3767

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

DJ Nishan at XS-The Place to be

Event

Days

Events

May 28h to June 3th

MAY 28 TERRA MAYAa TIME: 07:30 PM

Bolly Commercial night

Hastakshar art gallery launched at at Vivanta by Taj

XS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Place to be TIME: 8.00 PM

Big Commercial night with DJ ESHA Cafe Copa TIME: 7.00 PM

House party Commercial night

MAY 29 Hotel Palacio TIME: 5.00 PM

Alchemy Sunsets at Nxy Dreamland Amusement park TIME: 03:00 PM

Summer9teen pool party

Sundowner - at Hotel Palacio

G PLUS MAY 28 - JUN 03, 2016

Catching Up Most shared story of the week The declaration by the newly appointed Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal was what went viral this week on G Plus. By viral we mean breaking all records. with over 2000 shares and 8.2K likes. Sarbananda’s declaration that he will not be staying at Koinadhora and will not use beacons along with a long line of convoys was widely appreciated by the entire State. People could not resist the urge to share and throw in a comment about what they expect from the new CM. facebook.com/guwahatiplus twitter.com/guwahatiplus

New

Bloke on the block

Arihant Nahar About Me

Hello people! I am Arihant Nahar. I was born and brought up in Guwahati and currently, I am studying in Pune. I am an aspiring model and an actor. I am a management student and I am pursuing my bachelors from Pune. Besides modelling, I have a keen interest in photography, and travelling.

Mojo

I strongly believe in staying fit and for that I hit the gym regularly. For now I have started off as a fashion blogger and my blogpage is thewhitebeard. wordpress.com . The next step or plan is to participate in various contests by next year, after I’ve groomed myself efficiently. Losing has never been an option.

Route in the Woods

PIC OF THE ‘Poriborton’ Photo: Adib Zamali

I have always wanted to become a trendsetter in this field and I hope to achieve my dreams. My inspiration has always been my favourite actor Shahrukh Khan and I have always admired him because of his struggle and success.

WEEK

Guwahati

GYAN

Did you know?

Basistha Temple

A In Association with

prominent destination in the religious tourism circuit, the temple has been attracting a lot of devotees from across the country due to its historical and mythological charm. Located in the south-east corner of Guwahati and on bank of the Basistha river, the history of the temple dates back to the Vedic age. According to legend the ashram was founded by the great saint Basistha (Vasishtha). A Shiva Mandir was first constructed by the Ahom King Rajeswar Singha, who also

gifted 835 Bighas of land along with for the sake of the Ashram. Placed at the base of a hill, where Basistha river passes over boulders creating different waterfalls which seems to originate within the hills in Meghalaya, and flow further to become the Basistha, Bahini and Bharalu rivers which flow through the city The temple includes different buildings and carries different Ganesha statues on the outer walls. Its serene natural beauty and location attracted many picnickers to this spot.

Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd., Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati and Published at H/No. 34, K. C. Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati - 781008, Editor: Koushik Hazarika. Phone: 0361 2737737, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641