G Plus Vol 4 Issue 03

It’s a perfect 10 - the story behind counterfeit coins

In conversation - Louis Aind, DCP Crime

PG 04

PG 08

VOLUME 04 | ISSUE 03 NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

PRICE `10

PG

02

City markets severely hit by big note ban PG

07

APSC scam to strip many officers off their powers

G PLUS APR 23 - APR 29, 2016 Vaastu - Points to be ‘noted’

PG 18

11

2

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Lead Story

Rahul Chanda

City markets severely hit by big note ban While the Prime Minister’s move has drawn mixed response, these initial days has seen a sharp dip in the city’s businesses even as the income tax department gears up to start raiding black money hoarders

City markets severely hit by de-legalization of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes Guwahatians, including senior citizens, throng banks for exchanging notes Chartered accountants have turned out to be the VVIPs as black money holders are seeking them out for possible solutions Income tax department prepared to conduct as many raids as required in Guwahati Builders, bureaucrats and politicians to be most affected by the move Jewellers ask for PAN card on purchases Congress says the poor people will face problems

T

he Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes are no more legal tender according to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new strategy to combat the menace of black money. It was a shocking move to say the least and along with the rest of the country, people of Guwahati are facing the brunt of it. The various markets in Guwahati have been affected.

Many questions have been raised in the city and across the society the move has been welcomed with people willing to face their share of inconvenience. G Plus checks out the various scenarios that the city might face in the aftermath of the single biggest drive against black money.

The Accountants The announcement seems to have made the city’s chartered accountants the busiest of the lot. G Plus sought to contact a few and managed to literally corner one chartered accountant who agreed to take some time out to talk under conditions of anonymity. His opinion was that the northeast is famous for its parallel economy and people in Guwahati are more used to cash transactions. So the move will initially certainly affect the markets here but will fall into place sooner than later. He said that people have two types of cash

People queue outside sbi SOUTH GUWAHATI branch TO EXCHANGE THE OLD NOTES FOR NEW ONES | surajit Sharma/G Plus

– ‘kachha’ and ‘pakka.’ In various business deals, a certain percentage of the monetary exchange takes place in kachha (which means without proper documents like receipts etc., and in cash) and a certain amount is in pakka (payments in cheques or cash with proper receipts for which a tax component is factored in).

The accountant said that after the announcement of de-legalizing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, people will take time to assess the pakka and kachha cash that they have.

Once they deposit the cash into their bank accounts people will have to show their income source in their returns which should justify the deposits. If the deposited amount is huge then the queries from the tax department are bound to come.

In any case, depositing huge amounts of black money into banks will be a hurdle. The CA said that the city basically has two types of business people.

One clears their taxes, maintain a clear account every year and do business legally. The other does not pay tax regularly, have poor returns and tries to find out ways to invest their black money in avenues which can turn the money “white.” The latter lot will face problems because their hoarded cash of high denominations will becomes useless pieces of paper

According to latest media reports, the government has asked all jewellery stores across the country to send CCTV camera footage from the night of November 8 onwards.

Reports suggest that the directive has come from the office of the revenue secretary and it, along with the Income Tax department, will take action against errant jewellers. IT sleuths will look for customer movement since 8 pm on 8th November focusing on how many people came to a particular shop, whether a person made multiple trips to a particular or several jewellery shops, and if different members of the same family went jewellery shopping.

According to sources in the IT department many places will be raided soon in Guwahati.

shortly. They might want to believe that CAs might have some solution to the quandary and so it looks like a busy time ahead for CAs.

Markets Jewellery

Since there was a rumour about people purchasing jewellery to use the high denomination notes, a G Plus team visited the jewellery market in Guwahati.

Talking to many big brands and outlets, it came to light that high denomination notes are not being accepted. A manager at Tanishq said that their company has issued a notification to the effect. Moreover, any purchase with a swipe of card need to be backed up with PAN card or ID proof. He said that on 9th and 10th November, sales had fallen drastically and while some customers did come to purchase jewellery with high denomination notes, they were declined. Interestingly, the price of gold also came down; on 9th November the cost of 1 gram gold was Rs 3,140 and on 10th it came down to Rs 3,036. From the local jewellers in Fancy Bazar and Pan Bazar area it was known that they were generally not accepting high denomination notes. However, the owner of MK Jewellers said, “If you buy something for Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000, I will accept Rs 500 or Rs 1,000 notes but nothing beyond that.” On being asked the reason, he said that exchanging the notes will be a problem as the government has put a limit on the amount that can be exchanged.

However, conflicting reports from other sources have come in whereby certain people have invested their unaccounted cash in gold biscuits and other jewellery against high denomination notes in a purported to attempt to show the same in adjustments, etc. in their books of account and other monthly returns that they file.

Real Estate A prominent real estate consultant, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that some city builders who made it a ritual to accept a portion of the money in unaccounted cash will surely face problems. Builders have often devalued a piece of real estate to evade taxes and such people have tons of cash stashed away. Moreover, many builders also never had to disclose their cash transactions in material procurement (like sand, chips etc. which still fall in the bracket of unregulated business). The recent move has made things amply clear that from now onwards the alert signals are on cash transactions may be done at one’s own peril. “Keep your accounts clear and above board because questions might be raised by the authorities,” said the consultant. The consultant observed that the real estate industry in the city will see a

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

3

Lead Story further dip with many flats already lying unsold. With this move it is obvious that many existing deals will be scrapped. Conflicting reports have come in here as well about a rush of cash investment in flats with certain builders. Reports remain unconfirmed though.

Other businesses G Plus team visited the busy Fancy Bazar area to know how the business community was feeling about the move. Mr A Rajeeb, owner of Pick Me said on the evening of 10th November, “We have been just opening the shop, having lunch and closing it in the evening because of dearth of customers since yesterday. There have been some purchases made with cards and that’s it.” On declining to accept high denomination notes, owner of Tanuja in Fancy Bazar, Anil Israni said, “Everybody wants to be safe. Government instructions are very clear. These notes are not legal tender anymore and can only be exchanged at banks. So we are not accepting them. I don’t know how the move is going to help in future but for these initial days we are suffering.”

Similarly, some shopping malls in

the city also gave a general opinion that business has taken a serious tumble over the first two days.

A fruit seller in Fancy Bazar said, “The whole day I didn’t do any business because there were no customers and early in the morning, while opening the shop, I accepted a Rs 500 note because we just do not decline the first sale of the day.” Another infuriated fruit seller said, “I am accepting Rs 500 but for that I will give fruits worth Rs 300 only. Against a Rs 1,000 note I will give Rs 500 worth of fruits.” He also said that he is willing to take the risk as he has no other option as fruits and vegetables being perishable commodities. Similarly, business was very poor for the vendors in the GMC vegetable market in Fancy Bazar till 11th November.

The Banks On 10th November the banks were open at 10 am but except for SBI, the other banks were not able to start exchanging notes that early in the morning. SBI, according to sources, airlifted notes from Kolkata but the other banks had to get it from the local RBI. So it took time for the other banks to start

exchanging cash. Also long queues were seen in banks in the initial days with even senior citizens not spared from the rush. Everyone customer had to carry a PAN card and had to fill up the KYC form.

Axis Bank received customers till 6 pm. Some nationalised banks finished their stocks of the Rs 100 notes before the evening itself. If that was a ruse to go home early or a serious cash shortage it is difficult to say. According to bank officials people now can withdraw only Rs 10,000 from banks and Rs 2,000 from ATMs for the next few days until things fall into place.

Black money scrutiny A highly placed source in the income tax department talking to G Plus said that the department is all set to start raids on the premises of people with questionable assets. The source also said that it’s not as though only deposits of Rs 2.5 lakhs and above will be scrutinized, but any amount deposited can be questioned. It’s just that the income source should be made clear by the depositor. The source said that for long now the government has been asking to declare the assets, and if people have not

demonetized notes of 500 AND 1000 DENOMINATIONS | file photo

paid heed, they might as well face the music now. The source said that as soon as monies are deposited in accounts, reports will be sent to the government and the income tax department and accordingly raids, if necessary, will be conducted in Guwahati. The source also said that the department is prepared to raid any number of bank customers’ homes and claimed that the black market will totally vanish hereafter.

City to get Rs 5000 Cr elevated rail tracks after G Plus report

GPLUS NEWS

G

Plus on 5th November, in its Volume 4 Issue 2, carried a report that Guwahatians waste 18 hours a day at the railway level crossings in the city. The report mentioned that the TVUs (Train Vehicular Unit) of all the city rail level crossings suggest that the crossings have since long required road over bridges to avoid traffic congestion but subsequent state governments of the past has never bothered to take any action. It is pertinent to reiterate that after a period of ten years of construction of the tracks, the construction of over-bridges at level crossings require 50% investment from the state government. There are 8 level crossings between Kamakhya railway station and Guwahati railway station and 13 between Kamakya and Narengi. A gate closes approximately for 13 minutes every time a train passes and on an average 82 trains pass through a level crossing every day. So commuters get only 6 hours per day to commute and 18 hours are wasted at the crossings. G

railway gate no. 4 fancy bazaar at 3 pm | surajit Sharma/G Plus

Plus suggested that there should be either over-the-track bridges at the crossings or the tracks

should be elevated.

Sources in the NFR said that the G Plus report was forward-

ed to the union railway ministry and while announcing a slew of steps for rapid and wide scale

With the markets getting affected initially, black money hoarders may be given a chilling warning that the tax department can conduct raids sooner than later. A Congress spokesperson meanwhile said that the poor people will be affected as they do not have bank accounts. Let’s see who will become poorer or wealthier in the coming days. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

development of rail connectivity in the northeastern region, the minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, on Thursday, announced a Rs. 5000 crore joint venture with the state government to construct four elevated railway tracks between Kamakhya and New Guwahati to eliminate 12 level crossing gates in Guwahati city. The minister made the announcement while laying the foundation stone for the project of doubling of railway line from New Bongaigaon to Kamakhya via Goalpara Town and the doubling of railway line from Digaru to Hojai at a function held at the RPF Parade Ground at Maligaon on Thursday. Prabhu said that construction of the elevated tracks connecting Kamakhya and New Guwahati would decongest city roads, free up railway land and enable railways to develop Guwahati station as a commercial hub. He also said that the new projects would keep provisions for connectivity with the proposed metro.

While thanking the railway minister for his initiatives in the development of rail network in the northeast, the chief minister Sarbanada Sonowal emphasized on speedy completion of all railway projects in the state.

He also requested the railway minister to take up construction of a railway line such that every district headquarters of the state is connected. The chief minister also requested Prabhu to initiate steps involving railways for skill development of the youth of the region.

4

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

In The News

It’s a perfect 10!

Kalyan deb

Coinage denominations of Rs 10 rejected by public with rumours of these being counterfeit Mass rejection of Rs 10 coin believed to be counterfeit Since its release in 2009 several versions of the coin has been introduced The difference in the number of petals adding to the confusion Modifications were made in 2011 when the number of petals were changed from 15 to 10 among other changes • Rs 10 bi-metallic commemorative coins have also been released as Tri Centenary of Gurta-Gaddi in 2008, Homi Bhabha Birth Centenary in 2009, RBI Platinum Jubilee in 2010 and on 60 Years of Parliament’s first sitting in 2012.

• It was in 2009 that the coins based on the theme, ‘Unity in Diversity’

and ‘Connectivity and Information technology’, were released. The coin depicts 15 petals above the numeric 10 • In 2011, the same theme

W

hile the ban on denominations of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 has been applauded amidst all the chaos that has taken place in trying to procure denominations of Rs 100 there is an altogether different conflict currently going on. This particular skirmish is surfacing is among those who are trying to carry out transactions with the Rs 10 coins.

Rumours had it that counterfeit coins in two varying designs had flooded the market. Many opined said that RBI had phased out the coins and those remaining in circulation were fake.

A shopkeeper in the city said that nobody accepts Rs 10 coins as they are believed to be fake.

Similar opinions were expressed by a passenger travelling on a city bus who said that the conductor is not accepting the coins fearing that counterfeit coins have flooded the market. At the same time, passengers would not accept Rs 10 coins saying that they aren’t valid.

In the same vein, a bus conductor said that there is news that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will soon phase out the coins.

Background Rs 10 coins were the first bimetallic coins issued in India, and because of a certain controversy in its design and being minted in only one mint, most of the coinage never found its way into circulation. India’s much awaited first ever bimetallic Rs 10 coin was released in 2005 under the theme “Unity in Diversity.” But, due to its controversial design resembling a cross, it was criticised and was not minted in large numbers. Another reason for its availability being scarce was that it was minted only in Kolkata, the location of one of the four mints in India. Coin dealers and the public who got this coin hoarded it and it never properly came into circulation.

It is available for sale on some auction websites, but the price of this coin is very high in comparison to its denomination due to the vague number of issued

oLD AND NEW TEN RUPEE COINS | surajit sharma/g plus |surajit sharma/G Plus

coins. Some coin sellers claim that this coin is a limited edition.

However, official information is not yet available on the number of mintage. A press release from Reserve Bank of India mentioned that there will be two themes of 10 rupee coins: “Unity in Diversity” and “Connectivity and Information technology.”

From 2008, coins based on the second theme, “Connectivity and Information technology,” were also released. The coin has 15 petals above the numeral 10. From 2011, the same theme was continued with a slight change in design showing 10 petals instead of the earlier 15 and the introduction of the new Rupee symbol. Now it is being minted in all four mints, which are Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Noida.

The responsibility for coinage comes under the Coinage Act, 1906 which is amended from time to time. The designing and minting of coins in various denomi-

nations is the responsibility of the government of India but are issued for circulation only through the Reserve Bank by terms of the RBI Act. The confusion of real and fake According to specifications by the Reserve Bank of India, the Rs 10 coin should be “bimetallic,” circular, with a diameter of 27 mm and a weight of 7.71 gm. Since the Rs 10 coin’s launch in 2009, several versions have been released, but these parameters have remained the same. In one of the versions of the Rs 10 coin, the reverse side has 10 petals with the rupee symbol and the numeral 10 written below whereas on some of the coins, the reverse side has 15 petals. This has resulted in creating confusion.

According to rumours spread through social and several other media the coins with 15 petals are termed as fake. However, sources

Design of the Rs 10 coins

in RBI Guwahati have a different story to tell altogether and dismissed that any counterfeit coin has been circulated in the market.

“There is no truth in counterfeit Rs 10 coins being circulated in the market. The expense of minting a Rs 10 itself is Rs 7 which does not justify any logical reasoning behind taking such a risk as to create counterfeits. Since 2011 coins are maintained by the government of India and there were several modifications made in the coins introduced in the same year.

Instead of 15 there are 10 petals in the coins introduced in 2011 along with several other changes. Moreover, RBI Guwahati has not come across any counterfeit coin till date. The rumour began from north India which gradually spread to this region. It has also notified that banks refusing to accept the coins are liable to penalty,” an RBI official stated to G Plus.

“It is not legitimate news that RBI will phase out the Rs 10 coins.

These are mere rumours that are being spread through social and other media,” the official added. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

was continued but with a slight modification

Shape and outside diameter

Weight

Outer ring metal composition

Centre piece metal composition

showing 10 petals instead

of the earlier 15 and the introduction of the new Rupee symbol

Circular

7.71gms

Aluminium Bronze

Cupro Nickel

27 millimetres

(Outer ring:

Copper

92%

Copper 75%

(Bi-metallic)

4.45gms. and

Aluminium

6%

Nickel 25%

Centrepiece:

Nickel

2%

3.26gms.)

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

5

Concern

Cleaner Diwali ensures lesser pollution for the city this year

Juthika Baruah

As per the monitoring level of PCBA, pollution caused by Diwali this year was found to be less than the previous years

T

he district administration’s initiative of imposing Section 144 in certain areas during Diwali yielded positive results as the pollution level in the city was relatively less compared to last year.

Diwali, being the festival of lights, is the brightest festival and is marked by illumination of homes. However, the accompanying firecrackers pollute the environment with noise and smoke and this also affects health. Particularly, the smoke of fireworks that consists mainly of fine toxic dusts and chemicals can cause real danger to human health.

The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) had measured air pollution at its head office at Bamunimaidam, Pragjyotish College, Bharalumukh, ITI building, Khanapara, Central Diary, Gauhati University Campus and IASST Campus, Boragaon.

Speaking to G Plus, an official of PCBA said, “The pollution hazards such as toxic smoke causes a lot of discomfort in breathing and also irritates the eyes causing tears and redness. Sometimes the sound makes the ears go numb and also causes deafness. Thus, monitoring of ambient air and noise during Diwali may help in accessing the impacts of fireworks connected to Diwali celebration on ambient air and noise as well as in raising awareness about its effects on human health.”

The official said that the man-

FIREWORKS IN GHY SKY | surajit sharma/g plus

ufacturing of the firecrackers should be banned in order to stop the air and noise pollution. PCBA is monitoring the air and noise pollution as per the monitoring protocol provided by the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi.

The average value of SO2 in 2015 was found to be in the range of 6.00 to 8.30 ugm-3 before Diwali. This increased to 12.20 to 14.90 ugm-3 on the day of Diwali which was much lower than the prescribed national standard of 80 ugm-3. The SO2 in 2016 on the day of Diwali was 8 ugm-3 while NO2 was 20 and PM10 was 125.

The average value of NO2 was found to be 11.70 to 13.10 ugm3 before the day of Diwali which

increased to 18.10 to 21.20 ugm-3 on the day of Diwali in 2014.

In 2014 and 2015 the noise level was measured at the two locations of Panbazar which is said to be the silent zone and Ganeshguri, the commercial zone. The average value of noise level at Panbazar before Diwali and during Diwali in 2015 shows an increase over 2014, i.e., from 61.4 db(A) to 61.7 db(A) and 64.2 db(A) to 82.3 db(A) respectively but at the station of Ganeshguri, it showed a decrease from 76.8 db(A) to 68.2db(A) and 86.5db(A) to 74.2db(A) respectively. It is significant that ambient noise level is found higher than the prescribed standard for silent and commer-

cial zones on all the occasions, i.e., during and before Diwali.

At Panbazar, the average noise level, measured on hourly basis from 6 pm to 12 am, was in the range of 89.3 dB (decibel) and 94.1 dB. The noise level had reached 105 dB between 9 pm and 10 pm. Permissible noise limit for firecrackers is 125 dB. Ganeshguri was quieter compared to last year. The average noise level was in the range 65.1 dB and 74.2 dB, the highest (94.9 dB) noted between 8 pm and 9 pm.

It was also mentioned by the official that this time the people have followed the instructions of the administration to mark the

This year the city was less polluted during Diwali than previous years This year the city was less polluted during Diwali than previous years The air pollution was measured at six locations viz. the head office of PCBA, Bharalumukh, ITI building, Khanapara, Gauhati University campus and IASST Campus at Boragaon. day as one of respect to the victims who lost their lives in 30th October serial blasts by not bursting firecrackers.

The concentration of SO2 and NO2 in the ambient air in the city during the days of Diwali in 2014 and 2015 were found to be higher than the pre-Diwali days.

Again the concentration of SO2 and NO2 during the days of Diwali in 2015 increased from the days of Diwali in 2014. However, the increases of SO2 and NO2 were well within the prescribed national standard which was also maintained in 2016.

PM10 value for the city also increased during the days of Diwali from the pre-Diwali days in 2014 and 2015. The average value of PM10 during Diwali days of 2014 and 2015 were 199.88 and 156.43 respectively and the PM10 in 2016 during Diwali was 100. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

6

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

City

ADDA film festival scheduled on 10th and 11th December Gplus News

Into its 12th year ADDA film festival has invited films from across the country with emphasis on mobile camera movies this year to encourage the youth short feature film, documentaries, animation film and mobile film.

The short feature film will be of 15 minutes’ duration, documentaries of 30 minutes, animation film 15 minutes and mobile films will be of 5 minutes.

The entry fees for the mobile films are Rs. 300 while that of the others is Rs. 500. Moreover, best films of each category will be awarded with citation and cash of Rs. 10,000 for short feature film, Rs. 8,000 for documentary, Rs. 6,000 for animation and Rs. 3,000 for mobile camera movies. Interested participants can pay the money into State Bank of India, Geetanagar Branch on account no 30248699365 and the receipt along with the film should be sent to House No. 11, Janki Path, Ganeshguri Chariali, Guwahati-6.

“We are glad that we have been able to continue our process.

When we started, the scenario was not that encouraging but today at least 10 such festivals are organized across the city. And

Tweet!? #BlackMoney #IndiaFightsCorruption The Twitterati collective getting creative on #BlackMoney and #IndiaFightsCorruption

ADDA FILM FESTIVAL MEMBER ADDRESSING THE MEDIA | SURAJIT SHARMA/G PLUS

many new filmmakers have come up with their creations,” said Amardeep Gogoi, one of the members of the organising committee.

The organizers have also invited the filmmakers to submit their films for the festival and there will be a two-day workshop on makeup. It has always been said that local make-up artists are not up to expectations here in the state for which the workshop is being conducted and artists from Bollywood have been invited to participate in the workshop.

Films from abroad have also been invited and participants from across the state can par-

ticipate in the film festival. The organising committee has also urged the government to support the festival financially so that the festival can be organised more systematically. “Due to financial issues we cannot invite films from outside as we cannot afford the expenses and therefore we have requested the state government to support the festival with financial help. If we could invite films from outside ideas could be exchanged with the filmmakers so that the filmmakers from Assam could also get knowledge in making better movies,” said Phukan.

Nazrana Bhagu Insan @ ‫ ‏‬nazrana_bhagu News channels had prepared for Clinton and Trump Modi ji came out of syllabus. Hats off to MODI #BlackMoney Gaurav Kulkarni @ ‫ ‏‬9auravk #Samsung isn’t the only one recalling Notes this year! #ModiFightsCorruption #BlackMoney Tarek Fatah @ ‫‏‬ TarekFatah BREAKING: All ‘KittyParties’ in India have been cancelled until further notice. ImmyAunties, please take note. #Currency #BlackMoney Varsha Singh @ ‫‏‬ varshasinghmcx Hillary to Trump: Today,the world will just be talking about us. Modi: Note Today. #BlackMoney #IndiaFightsCorruption Kamlesh Sharma @ ‫‏‬ krazzykam Modi. .the only chaiwala on earth who can wake up a billion people without chai Sorabh Pant @ ‫‏‬ hankypanty BMW, Jaguar sales in Gurgaon, Ludhiana will hit the roof tonight. Last chance to use #BlackMoney for papa to give beta undeserved swag.

Archie @ ‫ ‏‬Archu243 #RobertVadra suddenly finds himself with excess of Toilet paper, thinking of selling to kabadiwala and recovering some amount #BlackMoney

Janasanyog/504/16

T

he ADDA short film festival will be held on 10th and 11th December, 2016.

The festival was started way back in 2004 in order to promote short films in Assam and to provide a platform to the local filmmakers.

This year the organizers will introduce films shot on mobile camera for the first time. “The films shot on mobile cameras are very popular in different parts of the country and world as well but in Assam this is the first time that we will introduce such films. We want to take good movies to the masses - especially the youth who are very keen to make short films,” said Rajib Phukan, president of the festival organising committee.

Phukan said that the festival, which is a two-day event, is the only film festival that is being screened under the open sky and selected short films and documentaries will also be screened during the festival. The films will be screened in four categories viz.

What the

Prashanth Rangaswamy @ ‫ ‏‬itisprashanth Many producers, Politicians, Business Magnets will be suffering a mild heart attack at this moment! #Blackmoney #1000rupeesIllegal

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

7

In The News

APSC scam to strip many officers off their powers

Rahul Chanda

With the Assam police trying its best to crack the entire APSC job scam nexus, KMSS demands CBI inquiry as they feel a police probe may get influenced On 27th October Naba Kanti Patir was arrested on a complaint filed by a dental surgeon that he had promised to give her a job through the APSC for a bribe of Rs 10 lakhs Samedur Rahman’s PSO, Mabud Ali Choudhury, was subsequently arrested Interrogation of Patir and phone conversations about money transactions between Patir and the APSC chairman revealed strong evidences about a big racket involving Rakesh Paul and Samedur Rahman Paul was picked up from his office before his arrest and according to sources he has disclosed the names of politicians, government officials and film personnel involved in the APSC recruitment racket APSC member Samedur Rahman was arrested on Wednesday Police sources said more arrests are likely KMSS demand CBI enquiry An ex chief secretary says it will be a long drawn work to get Paul out of the job People want the government to change the entire recruitment process The fallout of the APSC chairman’s arrest to rip off many APS, ACS officers off their powers

T

he Assam state cabinet recently resolved a proposal to be moved to the state Governor for suspension of Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul on charges of alleged corruption in the organisation. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting under the leadership of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. As per legal provisions under Article 31, only the President can remove

a person from the chairman’s post of any state PSC or the UPSC after making a reference to the Supreme Court for misbehaviour or any other reason as recommended by the state cabinet.

According to Dibrugarh SP Gautam Bora, four arrests have been made in the case. The police investigation is on and if required further arrests also will be made. But what is the fallout of the chairman’s arrest? How many more people might be arrested? Will the Assam police be able to arrest all the APS and ACS officers who were appointed through graft? G Plus looks into the entire incident and talks to some experts to know what could be the possible fallout of the alleged scam.

The scam It is interesting how the racket in APSC worked and how corruption ruled a competitive exam like APSC. Rakesh Paul was a notary prior to his appointment as member and then chairman of APSC. According to highly placed sources in the police, Paul’s brother Rajib has a printing press that was used to print the duplicate answer scripts with the APSC logo on it. Police said that as per law APSC examination answer scripts can only be printed at the government press. Examinations for those applying for APSC civil services and other posts used to be held in exchange of huge amounts of money and the cash-for-job examinees wrote their exams in Rajib’s printing press, in a 5 star hotel in the city and some private apartments as evidenced by the recovery of answer scripts from those places. The examinees were provided duplicate answer scripts and books to write afresh their answers to replace their original answer scripts, the police said, adding these had been sent for forensic examination, and the police are awaiting the reports. A retired IPS officer talking to G Plus said that the chairman used to take Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 25 lakhs for one post and if the candidate was related to some bureaucrat or other influential persons, a ‘concessional rate’ of Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 15 lakhs was charged. APSC has been mired in controversies with allegations of corruption in selection and appointment of Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS), Education Service, allied services and all gazetted posts for exchange of huge amounts of money. Because of pressure from the opposition former chief minister Tarun Gogoi had, in July last year, set up an inquiry commission headed by a retired judge to probe the al-

leged irregularities. A month before this the Gogoi government, after receiving five specific complaints from examinees, had ordered a probe by an additional chief secretary into the alleged irregularities in the results of civil services examinations. KMSS also filed a PIL in Gauhati High Court and the court ordered a probe.

But Paul challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court, and according to KMSS members, the next hearing of the case is on 21st November. But what is the fallout and what will happen now?

The fallout According to former chief secretary HN Das, there will be complete stoppage in the recruitment process in APSC. He said, “There will be a long drawn process in getting Mr Paul out of the job because the government has to write to the President and an enquiry will be conducted.”

He said the enquiry will have to prove the charges. Talking about the APS and ACS officers who might be involved in bribery a source in the vigilance department said that everything depends on the investigation and how the police would probe the case. The source said that the CID is assisting the Dibrugarh police to probe the case and evidences will determine whether the other officers will be held or not. A retired IPS officer talking to G Plus said that there are three charges against the chairman – bribery, anomaly in conducting the exams and acquiring disproportionate assets. The officer said that the entire system has to be changed and the government should revamp and reform the process because there is already a nexus which exists in the constitutional body of APSC. The officer said that the police should investigate the case thoroughly and find out who all gave money for job because they are also equally

criminals like Rakesh Paul. The government should identify all of them and suspend them and if someone is a beneficiary, he should at least be given an opportunity to again sit for the exam. The names of all the officers should be published and there should be some kind of social boycott, because unless the society discards such officers who got job because of money the system will not be improved as the judicial system will take a long time, court cases being a lengthy process. Another police officer said that it will be tough to prove the charges against APS and ACS officers as questions like when were they inducted, who was the chairman then, who took the money, who were involved in the bribery, etc. which will be very difficult to answer.

KMSS general secretary, Bhasko De Saikia, talking to G Plus said, “We demand a CBI enquiry as in Assam Police there may be many officers who were favoured by the disgraced APSC officer. So people might be influenced.” He said that KMSS has been fighting for the cause since a long time and as the main culprit has been arrested there will be many officers who will be identified and arrested if the

probe is carried out by CBI. So the APSC scam will unearth many facts soon but in the meanwhile the process seems to be very lengthy and the aspiring officers will have to suffer because of the time which will be required to complete the investigation.

The arrests Assam Public Service Commission member Samedur Rahman was arrested on Wednesday from Rangia near Guwahati on charges of corruption in the organisation as the state government had formed a Special Supervisory Team (SST) to monitor the ongoing probe. Rahman’s name came to light in connection with the cash-for-job scam when his personal security officer Mabud Ali Choudhury was arrested, based on arrested Dibrugarh Town Planning engineer Naba Kanta Patir’s statement. On October 27, Patir was arrested on a complaint filed by a dental surgeon that he had promised to give her a job through the APSC for a bribe of Rs 10 lakhs. Based on Patir’s statement during interrogation, Choudhury was arrested the next day. Interrogation of Patir and Rahman and phone conversations about money transactions between Patir and the APSC chairman revealed strong evidences about a big racket involving Rakesh Paul and Rahman. Paul was picked up from his office and according to sources he has disclosed the names of politicians, government officials and film personnel involved in the APSC recruitment racket. It is a huge nexus and many arrests are yet to be made. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

8

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

In Conversation

“Our job is to ensure that human conflict doesn’t deteriorate”

Louis Aind, DCP Crime

rahul chanda

APS turned IPS officer, Louis Aind, comes from a very humble background and feels doing something for someone gives him happiness. He exclusively talks to G Plus about the reasons for the increase in the crime rate in Guwahati and also talks about solutions to the issue Please give us a detailed background of yourself, your education and your career so far.

“

I

We have a long way to go not only for the city police but for most of the states in India. But when I go to a national level meeting or training, I feel proud of Assam Police. The other police look at us with respect as we are one of the top police forces in India.

“

come from a village called Purani Garage under Ghaigaon outpost which is presently under Biswanath District. I completed my schooling from a local Assamese school, joined Darang College for PU and graduated from St. Anthony’s College, Shillong in 1985. In between, I did a film appreciation course from FTII, Pune. This was during the Assam Agitation when there hardly used to be any classes. In Darrang College, I was fortunate to get a studious environment; some were hard-working South Indians and I followed their method of constant studying and hard work. I was able to secure first division. After graduation, I taught in Don Bosco School, Tezpur for two years. Thereafter, the first competitive exam that I seriously prepared for was the SSC exams under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. I topped from the northeast as a transmission executive in All India Radio, Guwahati. I worked there for little over four years. I always found myself attracted to the uniform. I studied for the APSC competitive exams with all diligence and became a 1993 batch APS officer. It was hard work in the true sense.

From a 3rd division pass-out in matriculation, I became a 1st division holder and it was satisfying.

to coax me to study anymore because I had learnt a valuable lesson. Today I feel grateful to those guys who had laughed at me.

What caused that transformation – from 3rd diviWhat are the major profiles sion to 1st division? you have had?

After passing school there was an incident. We were all sitting down and filling up the forms in the hostel for arts, commerce or science. I wanted to take commerce, but the hostel superintendent told me, “Louis, you will do better in arts.” He didn’t tell me directly that I was no good but the rest of the guys all laughed because they understood. I felt humiliated to the point of breaking into tears.

I wrote a letter to my mother telling her that she would never have

As a DCP what are the changes in the department which you are planning to bring in?

Look, every profile is a major profile. It is how you look at it. I have been mostly in three levels -Deputy SP, Additional SP and SP. I have served with the chief minister as the security in-charge. I felt the responsibility was given to me because my department thought I had something in terms of my training and personality. I have done two commando courses - one was with the NSG full course, and the second with the Punjab Police second commando course. Prior

to that I was the best outdoor cadet and was given a trophy by the then chief minister Late Hiteswar Saikia. These perhaps qualified me for the job in those extremist-laden days. After the chief minister stint I was a DSP in Panbazar. I was promoted as Additional SP and sent to Dhubri as Additional SP (Border). Additional SP (Border) primarily means looking into the aspect of illegal migration. So it was an important post despite the fact that it came with a lot of difficulties in accommodation, mobility and remoteness of location. My first district posting was in Golaghat. The second, longer 3-year stint was in Goalpara as SP. Prior to the present posting I was in the SB as an SP for three years.

It was a post where I had to keep

a low profile, mingle with people and keep an ear to the ground.

That gave me a different kick. And now, since the last eight months, I have been here.

So after eight months in Crime Branch - Guwahati what are the main problems which you are facing?

First of all, manpower. Secondly, I would say infrastructure.

And thirdly, the lack of really trained personnel – high tech guys - to look into the cyber crime aspects. We are making do with whatever we have. If I was a policy maker I would create a totally different cadre altogether within Assam Police which would be the cyber cadre.

My experience is that different people have different capacities. If you have a hundred guys under you, who work for you, work for the state, I would want them to be connected to each other like a computer network rather than working individually. I work the other way round. I let everybody work. This is very subjective matter and if you ask me professionally what to change, then I would want to change the mindset resulting from a lot of training and interaction.

What is the present crime scenario of Guwahati?

According to the CID’s compilation of data for the whole state, it is increasing. CID recently had a meeting with my officers and said there is an increase in the registration of the cases. Now, while a lot of people will take that as something negative, I would take that as something positive. It is positive because people are coming to report to you. Earlier people used to go to the thana and cases were often not registered. Effectively, the crime ratio may have seemed to be going down but only on paper.

You were losing out on people’s faith which meant you were not going to get information. People feel that there’s no point going to the police. When you allow people to come with whatever issue they have and you are upfront about what you can manage and what you can’t, they feel better. They also know that police is not God. Who is a policeman? A policeman is part of the public but with a uniform, that’s all. And who is public?

The public is also police but without a uniform.

What are the new trends of crime which you are witnessing in Guwahati?

The crime you see of late is primarily to do with social media - misuse of social media and technology primarily. That’s the

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

9

In Conversation reason we need guys who are well-trained. Now, he might be an MCA and would not work on the salary of a constable. But creation of a separate cadre with possibilities of climbing up the ladder would be attractive to him. People don’t only work for money, they also want recognition.

Why aren’t all cases in Guwahati handled and solved like the Adrishi kidnapping case?

Everything should get priority but that doesn’t happen in reality.

But which are the cases you think have not been solved with earnestness? I think most of the sensational and heinous cases that the Crime Branch looks into, I would say 90% of those I have already solved.

What exactly are the kinds of cases that the Crime Branch handles?

Any case which could become a sensation. Say, a theft in the house of a minister. The colour immediately changes, and we are asked to get involved along with the concerned thana guys. Many cases have been solved before the Adrishi case. We had the fake CBI case, fake IPS case, Simon House case. Recently, there was a case where a 20 year old girl was supposedly kidnapped during the day at around 12.50 and we were informed in the evening at around 7 because they thought that the girl

must have gone off on her own and she happened to come from a reasonably well-known family. From 7 pm, we worked and studied the scenario till 11. We got inputs that the girl could be somewhere close to Kaziranga. We moved the same night and found the girl. So it was even shorter than the Adrishi case.

It didn’t go out as news because we didn’t want to. Apparently, they didn’t want to file an FIR against the boy because the girl had gone on her own. So if an FIR would have been filed implicating the boy as a kidnapper, then it would have made headlines. We didn’t look at taking any credit as the girl was a daughter and a sister to someone.

We give importance to all the cases but this doesn’t mean that we will be able to solve it all. It has never been possible for any police anywhere in the world. Study says conflict is a part of human development. Our job is to ensure that it doesn’t deteriorate.

more weapons you have show you have less peace. Miscreants become who they are not because there is police but because of their issues which police cannot provide for. We come in between because we are the arm of the state.

More the militarization, less the peace - that is what most people don’t understand.

What is the status of artificial intelligence of the city police?

Forensic reports arrive very late. How do you propose for speedier forensic work?

We have a long way to go not only for the city police but for most of the states in India. But when I go to a national level meeting or training, I feel proud of Assam Police. The other police look at us with respect as we are one of the top police forces in India. But I feel the police should be less and less armed. Rather they should be more armed with other skills. The

It is one of the bottlenecks or challenges that we face, but it’s not that we are not doing anything about it. We send the exhibits to Kolkata. It takes time to get the report because they have exhibits from all over the northeast. But I have been told that the government is already looking into the aspect of modernizing and revamping the infrastructure which

is high because there are a lot of people coming for better opportunities. Not all get the opportunities though. Also technology like the cell phone is used for wrong reasons. Technology is not bad; it is the use of it that makes it good or bad. In one word it is economic disparity that makes the crime rate go up. Policing is basically a temporary solution to a permanent problem. When a thief is caught and sent to jail are we doing enough to reform him? No.

is not running so well.

Do you face any kinds of problem because the local police do not preserve the crime scene properly in Guwahati?

Yes we do but despite that we have been doing pretty well as a police force. It’s true that a lot more needs to be done in terms of change of mindset and training.

Training is happening but we need more. In Guwahati the biggest challenge is the number of cases a police official has at his disposal.

An SI has an average of 80 cases to solve. Is it possible for a human being to manage and go into all these cases in addition to rest of his work?

What are the social threats because of which crime figures might rise in Guwahati?

In any metro the crime rate

What about the city drug scenario as recently many drives were carried out against drug abuse?

It has lessened to some extent but it hasn’t been solved. It is a permanent problem to which we have temporary solutions. Are we helping the person who is into drugs?

Just catching a guy and putting him behind bars neither solves the problem for him nor the society.

There are other stake holders who are doing their bit. The police are doing its bit. We need to do more.

What are your hobbies?

Social work and travel. I am happy when I do something for somebody. I want to solve cultural and structural conflicts. I have opened a coaching class in my village since 2012, given away two kathas of land to the people. There are more than 60 children now. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

10

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Snippets

Gplus News

Asian Development Bank gives Rs. 320 cr. loan to improve Assam’s power distribution system

T

he Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) on Tuesday signed a $48 million (Rs 320-crore) loan to help Assam state continue its drive to improve access to efficient and reliable power.

This is the second loan of the $300 million multi tranche-financing facility for the Assam Power Sector Investment Program that was approved by the ADB Board in July 2014. The project will help Assam to enhance the capacity and efficiency of its power distribution system to improve electricity services for end users.

The first tranche loan of $50 million was signed in February 2015.

“Increased access to a reliable

Gplus News

and modern power supply for remote communities can help meet

growing demand. This loan will help strengthen the state’s distri-

bution system, improve energy efficiency, and reduce technical and commercial losses,” said M. Teresa Kho, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, who signed the loan agreement on behalf of ADB. “Given that a sustainable power supply is critical for facilitating growth and creating employment opportunities, this project will help Assam attract investment and tap its economic potential, in addition to reducing power outages,” said Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions) in the Ministry of Finance, who signed the agreement for the Government of India. Z. Rahman Ahmed, Secretary (Power) Government of Assam, signed the loan agreement

3791 dengue cases reported in Kamrup (M)

G

MC will implement civic bye-laws and will also prepare action plan from next year to curb the menace of mosquito breeding to control the epidemic disease.

Positive cases of dengue in Kamrup (M) are increasing alarmingly with the number of cases rising up to 3791 till Wednesday.

Deaths have been reported in the city.

Concerned about the rising scenario of dengue cases, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) had convened a meeting with the health department, PHE, transport to discuss the dengue outbreak and to control the menace. It has also been decided in the meeting that an action plan will be prepared which will be implemented from next year.

GMC officials also said that a set of civic bylaws will be im-

plemented from next year which will aim at reducing the sources of mosquito breeding.

It was in 2013 that Kamrup (M) witnessed the highest num-

ber of dengue cases with 4121 out of which two people died. This was followed by 41 cases in 2014 and 933 cases in 2015. “The city has four zones namely the Cap-

ital zone (Dispur), South Zone (Dhirenpara), West Zone (Pandu FRU) and East Zone (East Guwahati State Dispensary) and out of the four zones South zone is mostly affected; the highly affected areas under the zone are Lal Ganesh, Odalbakra, Kalapahar, Pahartoli and Fatasil Ambari. In the capital zone the areas like Kahilipara, Sarusajai, Gorolia, Nalapara and 8th mile are affected while in east zone Noonmati area is affected with one reported dead from the area,” said Dr. PC Hazarika, Epidemiologist, IDSP, Kamrup (M) while speaking to G Plus.

Hazarika said that there are three types of dengue- general dengue, dengue shock syndrome and dengue hemorrhagic and the one who died in Noonmati is out of dengue shock syndrome. In Dengue hemorrhagic when the platelet comes down less than 50000, the

on behalf of the state government along with Puru Gupta, Managing Director, Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd. (APDCL).

The project, which is expected to be completed by December 2019, will help APDCL add substation capacity, expand and improve the medium-voltage network, reduce system losses by 3%, and enhance energy efficiency through the renovation and modernization of existing 33/11 KV substations. Part of the loan will be used to strengthen the institutional capacity of APDCL through setting up independent meter testing laboratories and load dispatch centres and installing a centralized uniform billing system for 1.2 million customers.

The loan of $48 million from ADB’s ordinary capital resources makes up 80% of the total project cost of almost $60 million, with the Government of Assam providing counterpart finance of $12 million. The loan has a 25-year term, including a five-year grace period with an annual interest rate determined in accordance with ADB’s LIBOR-based lending facility. patient might reach the danger level and have to lose his life. “There is no vaccine for dengue and the treatment is supportive as the dengue patient is prescribed medicines for fever, headache, pneumonia etc.,” said Dr. Hazarika. He said that the cases of dengue are more in the urban area than in rural as the dengue mosquito breed in clean water.

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes opt for breeding in tyres while the Aedes albopictus prefers breeding in open battery boxes. Open dumping of solid waste material is common in the city and this contributes towards increased breeding of mosquitoes. Discarded earthenware, paper cups and glass bottles are other sources of mosquito’s larvae.

Hazarika said, “The people residing in the hills are mostly affected as they preserve rain water and use it for household purpose as there is no water supply. If they are asked not to use the rain water they get angry as they do not get proper water. They do not even cover the preserved water in which the mosquitoes lay eggs which is harmful.

A larva is formed and after seven days it turned into mosquito. We asked them to purify the water after seven days so that it cannot affect them.”

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN 06 Nov

MON 07 Nov

TUE 08 Nov

WED 09 Nov

THU 10 Nov

FRI 11 Nov

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

24 / 19 °C

26 / 17 °C

28 / 17 °C

33 / 21 °C

33 21 °C

31 / 20 °C

SATURDAY

05 November

Isolated T-Storms

29 / 22 °C

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

AFSPA extended in Assam by 6 months

T

union civil aviation minister inaugurating hastakshar art gallery at lgbi airport

I

n view of the extra ordinary circumstances, as a result of latest change of rules consequent upon demobilization of Rs. 500/- & Rs. 1000/- denominations by the Union of India from midnight of 08-11-2016, the railway stations have declared that they are neither in a position to offer refund at the station itself nor are they well equipped with money from RBI. Here’s what needs to be done in case you need to claim your refund from the railway. (i) No cash refunds will be made available at the railway station. Instead, passengers claiming refund would be given a deposit slip(s) by the station. This deposit slip(s) may be used by the passenger for refund claim; (ii) All refunds will be dealt with by the refund section of Commercial Department of NF Railway/HQ/Maligaon (by Ms. S.R. Roy, Dy.CCM/Claims: 9957550954 & D. H. Sarkar, ACM/CR: 9957550967); (iii) While claiming refund, do give your bank details (Account No., IFSC Code) to facilitate refund through RTGS as issued by GoI. (iv) In case you need a refund of more than Rs. 50,000/-, the passenger has to submit a copy of their PAN Card.

City school hosts Tiger Fest

Gplus News

O

stakshar art gallery at lgbi airport

n 10th November, 2016, Royal Global School hosted the annual Tiger Fest organized by The Kids For Tigers, an initiative of Sanctuary Asia and Aircel.

Snippets

Gplus News

he controversial AFSPA has been extended by six months in entire Assam and the 20 km-wide belt in Meghalaya bordering the state with the Centre declaring that the “disturbed area” status, which has been in force since 1990, will continue. In a gazette notification, the Home Ministry said the law and order situation in Assam has continued to be a matter of concern due to the violent incidents by underground outfits and during January-September 2016, different militant groups were involved in 66 incidents of violence in Assam which resulted in killing of 29 people.

“The militant outfits operating in the area have been making constant efforts to regroup and

Here’s how to get your Railway ticket refund

The theme for the Tiger Festival this year is ‘Back to Nature’ and the school had a host of naturalists and conservationists from different countries coming to interact with the students. Sanctuary Asia Founder Editor Mr. Bittu Sahgal was the Chief Facilitator of the Tiger Fest.

The other activities included a ‘Conservation Quiz’ and an ‘Art in Conservation,’ exhibition of some of the finest artistic interpretations of nature conservation from the modern era. A ‘film festival’ of conservation documentaries to acquaint the participants with a global perspective on conservation issues was one of the highlights of the Tiger Fest.

Mr. Abhijit Rabha, PCCF, KAAC was the chief guest for the occasion. Besides, other environmentalists and conservationists like Mr. Andy Merk, a German wildlife photographer and conservationist based in Thailand, Ms. Lailani Fouad, a French national working with elephants in Thailand, Mr. Karunakara Reddy, Chairman & MD, SMAAT India, and Pradeep Karuturi, coordinator, Walk for Water also attend the Tiger Fest and participated in the panel discussions on “Wildlife Crime & Control” and “Water Crisis.”

11

re-strengthen and intensified their efforts for recruitment/infiltration of new cadres into the state while indulging in coercive extortion targeting businessmen, tea garden owners, contractors, commercial vehicles, timber smugglers, transporters and even government officials and politicians.

“United National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia (UNLFW) had been formed in April, 2015, and two of its constituents viz. ULFA(I) and NDFB(S) have been desperately making efforts to perpetrate demonstrative acts of violence and during the current year and they have been responsible for 57% of the incidents of violence and 84% of the deaths in the state,” the notification, issued

by Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry Satyendra Garg, said.

NDFB(S) militants shot dead 14 civilians and injured 19 others in a busy local market on the outskirts of Kokrajhar town on August

5, 2016, while ULFA (I) cadres also shot dead two Hindi-speaking persons in Tinsukia District and orchestrated five and two IED explosions in Tinsukia and Charaideo Districts, respectively, on August 12, 2016.

“Now, therefore, the entire state of Assam and the 20 km wide belt in the State of Meghalaya bordering Assam shall continue to be ‘disturbed area’ under Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 up to six months beyond November 3, 2016, unless withdrawn earlier,” it said.

The central government had first imposed the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act — AFSPA — in Assam by declaring the entire state as “disturbed area” on November 27, 1990 when insurgency led by ULFA was at its peak. The then Prafulla Kumar Mahanta-led AGP government was subsequently dismissed by the centre and the President’s rule was imposed.

12

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Special Feature

Nurturing the innocent

Ronmi Bora

C

hildren’s Day is recognized on various days in many places around the world to honour children globally.

ORIGIN OF CHILDREN’S DAY • Children’s Day was first started on the second Sunday of June in 1856 by the Reverend Dr. Charles Leonard, pastor of the Universalist Church of the Redeemer in Chelsea, Mass.

• The first country to practice or observe children’s day is Vatican City.

• Universal Children’s Day is constituted on 20th November which was first proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1954. It was established to encourage all countries to institute a day in order to promote the welfare of children all over the world.

• Since 1950, the International Day for Protection of Children is observed in many countries as Children’s Day on 1st June.

• In India, the birthday of its first Prime Minister of Independent India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, is celebrated as Children’s Day every year, on November 14. He was fondly called Chacha Nehru; he was extremely fond of children and considered them to be the nation’s future.

On occasion of Children’s Day, Dr. Nimi Borgohain, Chief Clinical Psychologist at GNRC Hospital Dispur, also a member of Indian Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Vasavi Acharya Bora, Educationist and Founder of Inner i Foundation Pvt. Ltd. (IIFPL), Tender

‘Every child is a different kind of flower, and all together, they make this world a beautiful garden.’

Petals, Faculty TISS, Early Child Development shares about child psychology with G Plus.

“Child psychology or development is about biological, emotional and psychological changes occurring from birth to the adolescence period. One should know the difference between growth and development,” said Dr. Nimi in a conversation with G Plus.

Growth refers to physical changes in a child’s size, height, weight, body shape etc. and development refers to the continuous progress of a child’s knowledge.

There are stages of development in which some specific tasks can be performed by a child at a specific age. The stages of development are closely related with one another. Those developmental milestones are gross motor and

fine motor development, speech and language development, social and emotional development and cognitive development. Delay in any area during development may cause difficulties in later stages.

That is why understanding child development is of paramount important for parents as well as teachers.

Dr. Nimi further added, “A child’s behaviour is shaped by the environment an individual is brought up in. As a parent or teacher one should try to understand the behaviour shown by the child. Child psychology is closely related to the healthy development of a child. A stable, safe and nurturing environment will have a healthy and positive influence on a child’s development. Teachers should be trained or given expo-

Is Internet fading innocence?

Izaaz Ahmed

and also melts away your beads of sweat into flashes of smile.

However, having said that, don’t you think that it’s imperative enough to evaluate this phenomenon with respect to the kids?

Has it ever got you wondering if the children have been left a tad too bare to the harmful side of Internet?

SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS

‘M

y kid knows Facebook inside out,’ declares the mother of a 9 year old kid to her neighbour, her face radiating a deep sense of pride. ‘Well, that seems to be the norm these days. Even my child is an expert,’ retorted the neighbour, not in a mood to let her son be dwarfed. Conversations

such as this are trite in today’s times - an age propelled by an all-pervasive force called ‘Internet.’ Like a tornado that soaks up everything it falls upon, this powerful agent, too, has taken everybody in its fold. Technically speaking, in a fast-changing and competitive world, it is Internet that helps you keep pace,

Empty playgrounds, deafening silence at home and thinly-crowded book fairs – all these leave little to one’s imagination.

Innocence is very important for a child, for it allows them to imbibe several life-lessons without harbouring any biased outlook.

It also makes them receptive, and keeps them from going astray. In a world obsessed with duplicity and moral-degrada-

sure about child psychology. In today’s changing scenario a child should be given a proper environment, their emotional needs should be understood and a good learning environment should be provided so that at a later stage they can handle things better.”

According to Vasavi Acharya Bora, an educationist having expertise in nurturing tiny tots from their tender age, “Children live in their own world of creative imagination that enable them to dream and forge ahead with hope and renewed enthusiasm in spite of the setbacks they meet. They look at each day in a new way and hence have no qualms, no fears; they are like the birds flying in the sky.”

Most of us, as adults, who in due course, outgrow the child inside us, tend to remove our child tion, it’s the purity in a kid that stands out amidst the darkness like a beacon. However, this innocence is dwindling away with the onslaught of online information coming their way, weighing them down with various intricacies which are not age-appropriate.

Furthermore, so enchanting the virtual world of Internet has become for them that they’ve gleefully shunned themselves out of the real flesh-and-blood world and do not fancy the idea of playing outdoors. Fascination now stems from 100 likes will on the Facebook profile picture.

FLIP SIDE Internet has got two faces.

While one of them is injurious, the other can be remedial for the children. There are many websites that act as a treasure trove of knowledge and strive towards educating the readers for free.

Even Twitter and Facebook, as much addictive as they might be,

from the beautiful world they dwell in and ask them to focus in the practicality of the day-to-day life. They are made to compete, pressurized, compared with others and so on. People often think this is necessary to prepare them for a world they eventually grow up to face which is plagued with cut-throat competition and is basically a rat race. But is this the right thing to do?

Children are like flowers growing wild in the garden, each one exhibiting its own uniqueness. They have the capability to bloom and spread their fragrances around provided they are nurtured in an environment of love, initiation, positive reinforcement and right guidance. As Vasavi has been in their world for so long, she is able to recognize that each child displays his/her own unique abilities and we cannot stereotype them or mould them into a single type cast. We need to facilitate them into the path of self discovery. Children should be encouraged to pursue their interests so that they develop confidence and foster a positive self image. When they are exposed to criticism, comparison and the likes, their self esteem is crushed and is replaced by self doubt. This in turn affects their lives in negative ways.

Einstein rightly said, “If a fish is judged by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”.

“Let us allow our children to discover their genius and not mar their priceless childhood with extrinsic pressure to reach unattainable goals. This Children’s Day the best gift we can give our children is their pristine childhood,” concluded Vasavi.

To conclude, the most important gift an adult can give to a child is the “gift of time.” ronmibora@gmail.com

are also disseminators of current affairs, and can be really instrumental in keeping the children up-to-date.

STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE No one can pronounce the internet unsafe for children as it all boils down to finding the right balance and holding onto it. The trick lies in establishing a harmony between the children’s offline and online mode. They should not be given a free hand to use the Internet till the time they develop a sense of right and wrong. Until then, their actions should be monitored by the guardians. Though it’s perfectly okay to dote on one’s children, it can be fatal not to give due importance to their upbringing.

It’s only natural for the kids to get captivated by the razzle-dazzle of the Internet, but it’s the elders who have to act on foresight, and steer them into the right direction.

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

13

Ward Watch

Tardy JICA work leaves Kharguli in shambles

Kalyan Deb

Concentrated Area: Kharguli

WARD NO

12

Ward Number: 12 Sub-division: 12(a) Councillor: Balendra Bharali Phone no. 9435016462

THE DEPLORABLE CONDITION OF THE KHARGULI ROAD | SURAJIT SHARMA/G PLUS

Y

et again the GMDA/JICA led water supply work has created a troublesome situation for a locality of the city.

Around 200 meters of an already narrow lane of the Kharguli area has been ploughed out. Barring a few inches of the complete breadth of the road several manholes have been created due to the ongoing water supply project. Moreover, heaps of soil and other construction materials have been piled up on one side covering a major part of the road creating several difficulties for commuters of the area. Honking cars stuck in traffic on a road covered with a cloud of dust are some of the peeves of the locals and commuters of the area.

The residents’ plight The process began on 22nd September last; pipelines were to be installed on a 900-metre stretch. However, the initiation of the project has been a matter of distress for the locals. Known as Mali Bagan, the area has remained carpeted by a layer of dust and subjected to severe traffic congestion during peak hours for over a month now.

“Prior to the installation of the pipeline the condition of the road was very good. But with the ongoing project the condition

|surajit sharma/G Plus

has worsened with the entire stretch being ploughed out. It is impossible to walk on the road due to the dust emanating let alone wait there for some time.

For a shopkeeper like me, I have to face the challenge of sitting in this dust bowl which is not just unhygienic but is also damaging my goods,” said Krishna Das, a local resident.

It was also mentioned that the condition of this road significantly deteriorated after excavators were deployed which also damaged the existing water pipe lines. “It has been almost two months that we have been deprived of water supply.

It has caused several damages including breakage in the existing GMC water supply pipeline.

We have also informed the concerned officials but they choose to remain mum about addressing the problem,” Seema Pandey, a resident of Mali Bagan in the Kharguli area stated to G Plus.

“On several occasions we tried to mend the damage at our own expense but the plumbers refused to intercede as the pipelines belong to the municipal department. There are around 200 residences around this particular area that have been suffering from severe scarcity of water for the past two months,” the resident added.

The contractor’s story On the first phase of the water supply project one side of the road was initiated and concluded just over a year ago. Meanwhile, the latest project is being carried out under the supervision of IVRCL which is an infrastructure public limited company and under the same a project of installing pipelines is being carried out on a 900-metre stretch in the Kharguli area.

“There have been several challenges that came my way during the installation of pipelines. The project was initiated

around 45 days ago and I had a target to cover 710 metres within one month but could only complete around 200 metres since 22nd September. Rather than the project, the petty expenses such as repairing the damages in pipelines have cost me more. Meanwhile, there is no co-operation from the locals of the area,” said Ankur Handique, the contractor in charge of the project in the Kharguli area.

Handique also mentioned that there have been instances when the locals have misbehaved and even tried to manhandle some of the labourers. “It is due to such unruly behaviour that makes working in the area more difficult. On several occasions the labourers have refused to continue with the work,” the contractor said adding, “Another challenge that we had to face is the existing pipelines. Since those were installed several years ago the pipes have either rusted or suffered damage due to the use of excavators. Similar incidents have happened in several other parts of the city. We spent the past twenty days simply fixing the old pipes and no installation of new pipes could be carried out.”

Meanwhile, the fact that only 200 of a total of 900 metres have been covered in over a month, the end of the sufferings of the people seems nowhere near.

TRAFFIC MOVEMENT IMPEDED BY ENSUING WATER SUPPLY PROJECT | SURAJIT SHARMA/G PLUS

Topography of the locality A locality situated on south bank of Brahmaputra River, Kharguli is a riverside residential area with hilly terrain on one side and sloping land on the other. The term ‘Kharguli’ is derived from gunpowder that was found after the Saraighat battle between the Ahoms and the Mughals in the 17th century. It is said that the smell of gunpowder hung in the air for several days after the war.

The area of Kharguli has its significance as it is one of the oldest inhabited localities of the city. The area is also known among the people of the state as the location of the entire shooting of the first Assamese feature film ‘Joymoti.’

The settlement of residents took place only after the establishment of Assam Tannery by the East India Company. During the initial days the area had ten to fifteen residences since the business of the tannery was carried out from Kharguli. However, the scenario soon transformed with the settlement of several other residences.

Being situated on the river bank the area is also eco-sensible and provides a calm and cosy atmosphere to live in. The area has pristine hillocks overlooking the river that which have the residences of some renowned people of the society such as Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Jayanta Madhab, Nirupama Borgohain, Rajesh Himatsingka, among several others. Kharguli also houses several institutions and landmarks such as the judge’s training centre, governor’s house and the Don Bosco Institute of Management (DBIM). However, despite being of such prominence, Khraguli lacks some of the basic amenities such as drinking water and public transport. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

14

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Special Feature

Teaching: Then and Now

chandrika das

“Teaching is not about information. It’s about having an honest intellectual relationship with your students.” – Paul Lockhart

I

s teaching evolving? What do children today feel about their teachers? How was teaching back then different? Is social media bringing the big difference? On the occasion of upcoming Chidlren’s Day, G Plus brings an exclusive feature on the evolving scenario of teaching and the mindsets of students.

Rubi Thakur (Retd. teacher, Faculty Higher Secondary School) “Children are like soft mud.

Whatever you mould them into, they will take only that shape.”

Children today know things ahead of their age. Maybe the digital world is the reason that they know things, which we did

Durba Dutta (Royal Global Institutions) “There is no substitute to being financially independent for female.

A country can prosper only when the women in the country are prosperous.”

When I started my teaching profession, social media had no role to play in the lives of the students. For them, teachers were like parents. They were much more obedient and much more disciplined. Now, the scenario has changed. They have easy access to Google, and the knowledge world.

But that has also brought a gap in the academic scenario. They are more into objective pattern of writing and getting away from the descriptive pattern of writing. This, I think is the loophole. Students are

not know back then. Back in our time, we learnt things only from our parents and elders. Nowadays, children talk everything openly in front of their parents. Children should learn certain things from their own experience, because that lesson stays with you forever. Teachers are respectable people of the society. And if a child makes fun of their teachers at home, the parents should know where to stop them. Children are like soft mud, whatever shape you mould them into, they will take that shape. I want the child to go in the right way, so I should scold him or her. That isn’t a crime.

Today, parents seek every minute update while their child is at school. There is a lack of trust on the teachers. If they are in a co-ed school, the mother should teach her about certain very delicate sexual matters that tend to attract them when they reach a certain age group. I think even media is playing the wrong role in this regard. There is no need of putting a half naked girl’s image to advertise a deo. In my career of 22 years, I met many children. And no children are bad; it’s just that the environment have changed. Learning is a lifetime experience. If students learn from teachers, we also learn from children.

devoting more into Facebook and Google. These students I teach are the people who have moral values. I take pride in my students.

Education is a tri-polar process.

For the success of a student, we require the cooperation of the guardian and the student. But the problem with today’s generation is that parents are too protective.

Considering the growing issue of sexual abuse or child abuse, I believe sex education or counseling should be an important part of the syllabus. Education should not be imaged as a taboo, not by teachers, not by parents. My message to the female students – You need to be economically independent. There is no substitute to economic independence. A country can prosper only when the women in the country are prosperous.

Dr. Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri (Professor, Gauhati University) “As you grow into adults, dreams will turn into passion, and if your passion is your work, there is nothing like it.”

Talking in terms of academics, education or teaching, few years down the line, was broad-based.

Earlier, it was annual without a semester happening. Now, after the semester system, we are heading towards a very Americanized form of education. All the smarter kids in the block know how to

keep things to themselves. And that’s a reality. Maybe I keep this opinion because I deal with students of such an age group. During the first semester, they tend to hesitate a bit and stay closed. But once their confidence builds up, it becomes easier to interact. I do not support any sort of corporal punishment for students. We are not living in a tyrannical regime.

There are always strategies to deal with students. Being a mother, I would like to say that every mother has a strong role to play in leading her child ahead. Be it a son or a daughter, mothers should teach a child about a wrong touch and a right touch. More than anything, I believe it’s the parents who need to enlighten their child about what is ‘private.’ Another important thing is the conversation you have with your children. The communication should never break down, not with parents, but also teachers.

On the occasion of Children’s Day, I would only like to tell my students that if you have dreams, just follow it. As you grow into adults, dreams will turn into passion, and if your passion is your work, there is nothing like it.

Patanjali to generate 5000 manpower in Assam

C

hief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Patanjali Herbal and Mega Food Processing Park at Balipara in Sonitpur District.

Patanjali Ayurved, the FMCG venture promoted by Yoga guru Ramdev, will hire around 5000 people at its upcoming Rs 1,300-crore facility in Assam by the end of this fiscal year.

“The unit will give direct employment to 5,000 people and benefit one lakh farmers.

The complete profit from the Food Park will be dedicated for the welfare of Assam by setting up school and skill development centres in each district. This Balipara unit of Patanjali will produce Rs 20,000 crores annual production with an annual production capacity of around 12 lakh MT. We target to speed up our construction so as to open the Park formally on February 15, 2017.

Stating the moment as historic, Sonowal claimed Patanjali Food Park would be the biggest project ever to be set up in Assam.

Narendra Modi to be the next mascot of ‘Incredible India’

P Moushumi Saharia (Ex Faculty, St. Mary’s Guwahati) “Marks and positions matter, but the world will know you from the kind of person you are. If you are a good human being, the sky is the limit for you.”

The education scenario has not changed much in comparison to our times, but the burden today has surely gone up. One thing I notice among today’s children is that, they do not know what is happening in their surroundings.

When we were students, we used read to Enid Blyton. But now students would rather sleep and wake up with gadgets. Of course, there are exceptions. I believe if a parent gives too much freedom to a child, it backfires. Back then parents were ready to accept that children could be wrong, but today shockingly parents are blindly trusting and pampering their child. I come across certain teachers who tend to be over-friendly. No doubt it helps in understanding problems

of the students, but it also dilutes the barrier between the students and teachers and that is where the problems start. When a child reaches the age group of 12-14, they experience major hormonal changes. They are eager to know about these. Today’s generation is overly active and excited by that time frame. It has become a must that one needs to have a boyfriend or girlfriend by that age, or else you do not belong to the group. Parents and teachers both should know how to play with the emotions of the children while handling an issue. School life is a delicate time frame and teachers should know how to tackle things smartly without leaving any impression of fear in their mind. On the occasion of Children’s Day, I’d advice my students and all children to be a good human being.

Of course, marks and positions matter, but the world will know you from the kind of person you are. If you are a good human being, the sky is the limit for you.

rime Minister Narendra Modi is set to be the mascot of the “Incredible India” campaign with the Tourism Ministry finally deciding to do away with plans to rope in any Bollywood stars. Earlier names of megastar Amitabh Bachchan and actress Priyanka Chopra were doing rounds for the campaign aimed at promoting India as a favourite tourist destination abroad, after actor Aamir Khan’s ouster as the campaign’s brand ambassador.

No Bollywood actor will be engaged for the campaign aimed at attracting foreign travellers. Instead, video footages of Modi during the last two-and-a-half years, where he has talked about tourism in India and abroad, will be used for the campaign, a senior ministry official said.

Reportedly, the Tourism Ministry is “working on selecting the footage” at present for the campaign which is likely to get released in the next 40-45 days, as the ‘tourism season’ of India marks its timeline from November end. The process of selecting the agency which will carry out the campaign, is under process.

15

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Trotter

The U.S Presidential elections in numbers

Gplus News

US President elect Donald Trump got the better of candidate Hillary Clinton, but what made up the numbers? How did this come to be and who is to take blame or credit for that matter.

Voter turnout rate 55.6 % Number of electoral votes for Hillary Clinton - 228

65 % 65 %

13.4 % Not interested

hillary clinton

52 %

0.2 % 2.6 %

42 %

Asian

Black

White

65 +

Female

8%

Hispanic

29 % 29 %

Male

Asian

43 %

6% Registration problem

11.3 % Other

58 %

52 % 53 % No college degree

37 %

Hispanic

65 +

Female

14.9 % Illness or disability

17.5 % Too busy conflicting schedule

2.7 % Inconvenient polling place

88 %

Black

45 %

41 %

Male

No college degree

College Graduates

44 %

White

54 %

52 %

Top Reasons Cited for Not Voting

College Graduates

2016 Voter Demographic Results

Donald Trump - 279

2.6 % Forgot

12.9 % Did not like candidates or campaign issues 8.8 % Out of town

donald trump

Statistic Sources & References Sources: U.S Census Bureau : Voting and Registration

Bad Weather Transportation problems

7% Don’t know

After cigarettes, Hookah smoking Facebook and Twitter bubble to be monitored: WHO impacts elections Gplus News

of age has increased from 26 per cent to 45 per cent in the last one decade. Health experts said that at least 40 per cent of school-going students get into smoking waterpipes to quench their desire for smoking cigarettes, thinking that the lower tobacco content in hookahs will not harm their health.

For the reduction of tobacco consumption, India moves to 3rd spot in pictorial tobacco warning and Nepal has the largest warnings in the world

A

iming to curb consumption of tobacco among the youth at an early stage, the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has urged its 180 member nations to monitor waterpipe (Indian hookah) tobacco use through a national surveillance system to cover all age groups. Strengthening the policies against tobacco consumption, FCTC is discussing banning the flavours in waterpipe tobacco products.

“To strictly include waterpipe use in the ban of tobacco use in public places as per article 18 of the convention and the guidelines, which talks about protection of the environment and the health of persons,” said a decision statement accessed only by IANS. Recent studies have concluded that in India the percentage of students who begin waterpipe smoking before 10 years

“Cigarette package warnings are a highly cost-effective way to increase awareness of the negative health effects of smoking and to reduce tobacco use. Picture-based warnings convey a more powerful message than a text-only warning, and larger ones increase impact” Seema Gupta, Director, Tobacco Control, Voluntary Health Association of India.

with pictorial warnings covering 90% of package.

North Carolina State University.

In addition, the new photo-sharing data provides a snapshot of the values of millennials, a key demographic group for future land use decisions as well as provides an exciting alternative to smallscale social surveys, which are expensive and laborious to administer, the researchers said.

Gplus News

A h e a d l i n e t h at s u r fac e d p o s t US p r e z e l e c t i o n S

I

n the aftermath of the U.S. Presidential election, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at Techonomy16 to address concerns that the company didn’t do enough to stop the proliferation of fake news on News Feed. Zuckerberg insisted that more can always be done to improve the quality of the News Feed experience, but that Facebook could not have influenced the outcome of the election. “Personally, I think the idea that fake news on Facebook, of which it’s a very small amount of the content, influenced the election in any way is a pretty crazy idea,” Zuckerberg said.

Rather than placing blame on the accessibility of facts, he pointed to content engagement as the problem. Zuckerberg noted that Trump’s posts got more engagement than Clinton’s on Facebook.

Facebook research shows that nearly everyone on the platform is connected with at-least someone that has opposing ideological beliefs. The real question for Zuckerberg is how to influence the way people react when they see a post they disagree. The key is to stop them from brushing it under the rug.

Forget about Snapchat and set aside YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. For all the bluster over the last year about which social media network would dominate the election, 2016 was no different from years past: This election was another Twitter moment. From the first presidential debate in September until Monday morning, a staggering one billion-plus election-related posts raced across the

Donald Trump Dead From A Fatal HEART ATTACK! Fans have already taken to social media to express their emotions with hash tags #RIPTRUMP #TRUMPRIP #TRUMP4EVER.

network.

In the digital age, your campaign must have strong online presence—and that means more than just an email account and website.

By using Facebook, President Obama was able to connect with voters during the 2012 election cycle, in swing states who lacked listed phone numbers. According a survey released in 2012, 22% of registered voters used a social media site —such as Facebook or Twitter—to let others know how they voted. 30% reported that they were encouraged to vote for either President Obama or Governor Romney by friends and family on a social networking site, and 20 percent used a social networking site to encourage others to vote. Average voters are using online social networks to influence their friends and family on political matters. Facebook even has the option for you to let people know that you voted—and you can even pick who you voted for.

The idea that a well managed social media campaign can turn out a high volume vote can’t be dismissed due to the fact that individuals who saw that their friends voted/who they voted for were actually more likely to vote.

16

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

G Talk

E

I

D

I

T

O

R

I

A

L

The identity problem

am facing an uncanny situation.

It is my disability to predict anything correctly these days. I have faltered on more than one occasion over the past year when my reasonably well informed intellect let me down. The latest, Hillaryously, is the Trump card played by Donald across the yonder seas. Oh yes, I couldn’t predict Brexit correctly either nor did I get the TaGo thumping right in May last. And so, I have reasons to believe that for all the media-fed intellect that I have cultivated, while considering myself reasonably well informed by reading newspapers and watching television news, I am inclined to believe that the ground situation is whole lot different than what I have perceived it to be.

In each of the above cases though there is a distinct factor that has influenced the final outcome of things.

And while I, as an Assamese, had been equally influenced by this same factor once upon a time in 1979 through 1985 (not that I am not nowadays), I am positive that it is this factor called ‘identity’ that has influenced the results of each of the above events. Immigrants and foreigners – hordes of them – create a distinct sense of unease to everyone.

If we were influenced into launching our resentment through the historic Assam agitation, Britain hasn’t acted any differently through their historic Brexit. Nor have the Americans in the latest round of humanity seeking to protect their identity against “foreigners.” To even think that pitching the most vital election campaign of the world on the rhetoric of identity and garbing the same with a fear

psychosis that was contained in Trump’s election speeches, it is a wonder that the word ‘immigrant’ stands no chance of acceptance among the ‘indigenous’ societies today.

The problem though is that the immigrant is a better worker in most countries around the world simply because he or she works for survival. A case in point would be our indigenous Bohag Bihu extending to over a month of celebrations for us Assamese even as the immigrant farmer starts tilling the land thereby giving himself a month’s head start. In Britain and America things are no different where the immigrant is the hardest worker working at lower wages thereby upsetting the indigenous applecart. The heart burn becomes complete when the feeling sinks in that the immigrant is set to usurp the indigenous territory and that’s when strange outcomes take place. Our last state elections saw the Congress being shown the door purely because we Assamese were alarmed that our identity was at stake and we needed to protect it. Brexit was the same and the American elections seek to make America great again. The small point I am seeking to make is that America has always been a land of immigrants and it is they who have made the country great – if at all.

Assam is no different and while it is not so great yet, it cannot do without its immigrants. Now is that a problem or not?

Swapnil Bharali Editor

Accepting the ‘change’

H

ailed as a move that requires “b**** of steel,” the decommissioning of the old 500 and 1000 Rupee notes has been met with a lot of reactions, not necessarily all positive. It is not the step that is being questioned, but rather the impact of it on various sectors.

India is largely composed of the unorganized sector (70%), which generates about 50% of the country’s GDP. The changes, when put in place, were met with panic and the government and the RBI both echoed that panic won’t help.

It is great that the government is proactively combating black money, while simultaneously tackling issues like plugging loopholes in delivery, terrorism and meeting infrastructural deficit. However, a transition is what was needed.

There will only be a negligible impact in bringing down black money as RBI records claim that black money constituted only 20% of India’s GDP in 2015. The real players have already chosen to diversify their holdings by buying gold, precious metal, real estate among other things which are far safer than holding actual cash.

The inconvenience that comes to the common man is more at the grassroots. The hoarded cash will affect what economists refer to as ‘domestic savings,’ the money that is in the rural areas, the money that was a ‘safety net’ for women

in villages, the money that was kept because rural areas do not have banks to facilitate deposits and transactions. There is a clear inadequacy of infrastructure that was needed to be met before this step was taken. Although, hoarded money in rural areas has received a lot of flak by economists for not being circulated in the economy, hard cash has always been an item people could ‘bank’ upon instead of real banks.

An example, would be a village in Amethi (I know, clichéd Congress reference) that does not even have proper banks, let alone ATM facilities or post offices within distances that could be easily traversed, would be facing the brunt of this decision. We were intimated via SMS that it would take 72 hours until things would seem normal, and then we are told that it will take 10 days until normalcy returns.

Although the dissemination of information was brilliant and fast, and everyone knew by the time the announcement was made, the reverb was to be better judged.

ATMs ran out of cash, banks ran out of change and people ran out of patience. Of course, let’s not dissect this too much. In case this is successful in combating black money, I will certainly applaud the same.

SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS – THE AFTERMATH

I

t was a beautiful Wednesday morning in the heartland of America, one day after the American presidential elections. The skies were clear, the orange leaves on the trees sparkled in the sunlight and a cool and gentle breeze blew in from the North. As I drove to work at around 6:30 in the morning through the deserted streets of my Midwestern town, I observed squirrels scampering up trees and birds hopping from branch to branch as they gathered up food to prepare themselves for the long winter that lay ahead. These creatures of God did not have a single worry in their tiny brains other than a primal necessity to forage. I envied the carefree lives that these animals led, which was so drastically different from the worrisome human life that I was born to live. To add to the daily stress of living a hectic modern life, events that were beyond my control had upended the political environment in which this country operated. A demagogue by the name of Trump had been elected by a majority of the voting population to steer the course of this nation for the next four years, beginning on January 20, 2017.

Powerful forces that are difficult to define had created an atmosphere where the same population that had voted to elect the first black president in this nation’s history, not once but twice, now chose to elect a boorish individual born into money with absolutely no political experience into the nation’s highest office.

His slogan of “Make America Great Again” somehow fed into the visceral emotions of a large segment of the population that carried the perception that this nation was on a downward trajectory from its position of preeminence in the world. 59.6 million people bought into Trump’s message of fear and despair! One cannot discount the fact that half of this country’s voting adults opted to overlook this man’s insults, taunts, fear-mongering and history of sexual abuse against women and open the door for him to enter one of the most powerful political positions in the world.

One would think that desperate living conditions existed in the United States for such an unbelievable event to occur. Perhaps the economy was in ruins. Or maybe, the environment was horribly polluted due to the policies

Jumping through hoops

Opinion

Arnav Mahant

of the last administration. But as I drove through the clean, swept streets of my town and gently eased my car onto the highway at 112 kmph, I marveled at the efficiency that surrounded my life as an ordinary citizen of this nation.

The unemployment rate was at an all-time low in probably 15 to 20 years. Most people had access to healthcare through a populist health-insurance policy pushed through by the administration of Barack Obama, derisively known by his opponents as “Obamacare”.

There were no power cuts. Petrol prices were incredibly low. Roads, bridges and airports were clean and modern. Food was plentiful and cheap. Communications of every type connected the population to every corner of the globe.

So, what was the cause behind this incredible frustration permeating through the American public that caused this almost unthinkable event to occur?

A wise man had told me several years ago that the more one possesses, the more one is led to believe that he or she possesses nothing. This country of unlimited material abundance bought the message from the purveyor of fear that despite possessing a quality of life that was the envy of most of the world, the American way of life was under assault from “illegal immigrants” from Mexico and Central America, Chinese skullduggery, stagnation from the political gridlock in Washington and the spread of Islamic terrorism from the Middle East and elsewhere. During the 1930s, one of America’s most revered presidents, Franklin Roosevelt, declared in his inaugural address to the nation that “……….we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” In the America of 2016, this prosperous nation has reversed course and bought into the message of fear that was screamed at them from the pulpits, shaking loose latent hatreds and fears about outside influences that were intent on destroying the much-ballyhooed American way of life.

The driving question in everyone’s minds is…what lies ahead?

Many changes can be expected in this little corner of America that I live in. The biggest cause of concern for our middle-class family is health-care coverage. America’s health-care system is one of the most expensive in the world and a two-day stay in a hospital can

cost upward of $10,000. Going without health-insurance is an open invitation to opening the door to financial ruin but buying health-insurance prior to the Obama administration was next to impossible for anyone suffering from a “pre-existing” condition. Most people in America obtain health-insurance through their employer but if one was unfortunate enough to not be employed or self-employed or working for an employer who did not offer health-insurance to its employees, purchasing health-insurance was prohibitively expensive.

This left millions of people without health-care insurance. The Obama administration, with help from Congress, pushed through a law called the Affordable Care Act. This made health-insurance available to almost 20 million people who in the past could not afford health-insurance but conservative voters detested the Act because it caused taxes to increase slightly. These are the same people who depend on many different government-sponsored programs. Donald Trump and his Republican Party colleagues are poised to pull away this safety-net from many of us without offering us anything in return. Studentloan programs, immigration reform, foreign relations…they are all issues that can be impacted negatively by this newly elected President and the legislature.

I firmly believe that one should never worry about issues that one cannot control. I cannot control what this new government will do but I can only hope that decency and compassion will prevail once the hot-air rhetoric of campaigning has settled down.

The world likewise hopes for the same. We wait, with our fingers crossed tightly.

Arnav Mahant is an NRI based in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He is a teacher of Mathematics in high school and an astute political observer and analyst arnabmahanta02@gmail.com

Guwahati Adda

A: So this black money crackdown has everyone going crazy about how to make kala dhan white.

B: Dude, I know like a ton of ways to get this done. Real estate is the next big thing, for the next two months, I’m telling you! Apne bhai ka flat sale karvaya bhai maine. Builders are having a gala time. Yeh log ka chaandi ho gaya hai.

C: Bro wtf? Kya bol rahe ho yaar? Which builder will accept purana notes?

B: Arrey wahi toh, tum log nahi jaante. These guys are clearing their dues, and no one says no to Lakshmi, don’t you know?

A: Bhai, mera karva de?

C: Dude, mera labour log seedha refused to accept the payment man. Even they know Lakshmi got swag.

B: Property, gold, silver, everything is being sold at unregulated prices. Total robbery this is turning into. Yes, the ones facing problems are the poor people who saved cash for a rainy day, but I don’t know man, galat hua unke saath.

C: You don’t know anything man; it’s not as easy as accepting ghuus. Think, bigger, more complex procedure has been put in place.

D, E, F... Z: Har Har Modi!

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Is the absorption of Hindu Bangladeshi migrants in Assam a good humanitarian act by the government?

Conducting a series of College debates, G Plus intends to reach out to various colleges in the city to hear the youth speak out on the burning issues across the state and nation.

17

In Focus

Meet

Parthajeet and Sibani Sarma Entrepreneur duo

Venue: Gauhati Commerce College Date: 10th November, 2016 It is quite apparent that just like the previous congress governments, the BJP-led Assam government has also started the same conspiracy to build up and secure their vote bank.

The BJP led Assam government is clearly acting like a most obedient subordinate of central government and its policy of preparing Assam as a breeding ground and a grazing field for Hindu Bangladeshis. Our CM, Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal, was the president of AASU earlier and then was a politician engaging in regionalism with the AGP. Being an AASU leader and an AGP member he had always maintained his stand for an immigrant-free Assam. But now, he is in tune with the central government’s call for Hindu Bangladeshi absorption. With this step Assam will go backward with its overall socio-economic condition.

Prior to the Lok Sabha elections, Narendra Modi had promised that he would make the country free of illegal migrants.

But he has taken a complete U-turn after BJP formed the government in Assam. As far as Assam is concerned, it just cannot absorb any more foreign nationals under any circumstances – be it Hindu or any other community. The pressure of absorption of Hindu Bangladeshis will create huge unemployment in the state. It will create tremendous language and cultural problems too. And it needs mention here should this step be taken and the act implemented, it will lead to large-scale deforestation and destruction of habitat. Humanitarian act or whatever, this cannot be permitted ever.

When the government of India has failed to provide sufficient support to flood affected citizens of Assam, when Assam is struggling with the huge burden of unemployment issues, if government of India now makes it legal for migration of Hindus from Bangladesh it will be a curse on the whole socio-economic condition of Assam.

As India is called HINDUSTAN, I don’t feel bad if Govt. of India offers shelter for insecure Hindus residing in Bangladesh on humanitarian ground. Humanity is always at a greater position than religion. But if there’s no proper policy for this establishment, then the same migrant people can create a big issues on the employment front. At the same time, language can be a factor. In Assam, Assamese is the official language. Unfortunately though, in many places of Assam, Bengali has become the major language. If a huge volume of Hindu Bengalis from Bangladesh migrate to Assam, it can be a serious issue in this regard. Lastly, if the government of India is so keen to help persecuted minorities in Bangladesh, it may well take the Sri Lanka route of pressurizing the Bangladesh government and stopping such persecutions. The same had been done with the Sri Lankan Tamils. But using Assam for a dumping ground on this pretext is certainly not an acceptable solution.

With a deep understanding of the construction industry the couple are on a venture of a different kind that is set to be a boon the construction industry of the country. Originally from Guwahati, currently settled in Mumbai, the work of Parthajeet Sarma and Sibani Chakravarty Sarma has brought substantial change in how construction activities can be perceived and implemented.

Parthajeet started his architectural practice after attaining a degree from Sir JJ College of Architecture in Mumbai and followed it up with an MBA. He worked with a few MNCs before starting out on his own.

His venture called iDream Design created innovative designs and has worked on creating workplaces for various corporate houses across India. Parthajeet is also a Chevening fellow of Oxford University and not only acts as consultant to organisations at strategic levels, but spends ample time on internal R&D efforts, which has led to award winning products and services in the construction industry.

Meanwhile Sibani, who is also an alumnus of Sir JJ College of Architecture, breathed life to a platform called Gallopper that helps in bringing perceptive changes by sharing of stories and innovative ideas.

Today Gallopper, through its initiatives such as Gallopper Talks, has held several workshops around the country and with the help of social media, provides a platform for collaboration and networking among academia, civil society organisations and professionals from disciplines such as architecture, engineering and construction management.

“The idea was to create a transparency in the industry. Throughout the history of the building and construction industry, people have used hearsay and their personal networks to make informed decisions. Our mission at Gallopper has been to make the industry more accountable and trigger an image makeover by bringing together significant people from the industry, holding discussions and sharing ideas,” said Sibani, co-founder of Gallopper. “We have come across several examples of people who have been working for several years but were known only in their social circuit.

Through Gallopper, that social circuit has broadened manifold,” Sibani added.

The duo had very different answers when asked about their influences and the reason behind being associated with construction industry. For Sibani the inclination came from her family. Her father was a civil engineer and several people in her immediate circle were working around the same business. After completing her schooling in Shillong, Sibani went on to pursue her graduation in architecture

that was followed by an MBA. She also worked in the banking sector and stuck to the job for three years in order to provide the financial support to the family while Parthajeet could follow his dream of starting his own venture. Later Sibani joined hands with iDream and gradually Gallopper came to life.

Meanwhile, Parthajeet never planned the way things have turned out for him. The results did not come easy and the duo had to face their own share of struggle. To begin with the duo did not want to stick to conventional architecture. Parthajeet, after working for a few MNCs, decided launch iDream in 2003 as a pre-design consultancy company.

“Technology has touched lives of people in developed nations and to a large extent in countries like India and innovation remains the key if one wishes to survive in such competitive markets. On the other hand, parts of countries like India have also remained backward because innovative technology has not reached these parts or are over budget which provides a big opportunity for entrepreneurs to use ground breaking innovation, based on technology and uplift such parts of India,” Parthajeet stated.

His innovative work in off-site manufacturing in housing has won Parthajeet awards like the ET Power of Ideas, Sankalp Award and others. iDream has been associated with several venture capital funds, organisations such as MetLife, Tata AIG. iDream was also instrumental is boosting Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, as a cricketing venue by designing the facilities at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.

In his other avatar, where he revived his passion for writing, Parthajeet has penned down his thoughts in his maiden outing ‘Smart Phones, Dumb People?’ in 2011.

Parthajeet loved writing from his school days. He was an active writer contributing to school magazines and newspapers, but somewhere along the way his writing skills were left on the back-burner once he took up a professional course and later started working. Through the book Parthajeet brought up the dichotomy of the world we live in – where many of our lives are ruled by smartphones and internet while there are also millions who go without easy access to basics like water and electricity. The entrepreneur has lined up another book titled ‘The Rich Labourer’ that is expected to hit the shelves soon.

Parthajeet believes that holding seminars and workshops helps in opening up the mind but by putting the same in the format of the book will root the ideas in a more prominent manner.

18

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Lifestyle

VAASTU SHASTRA Points to be ‘noted’

Paint your life’s canvas

A

rt is an escape and every canvas, an escapade!

What is the best thing about being an artist? Doesn’t matter if you are a big, small, famous or an unaccepted artist; the very fact that you get to do your own thing on a piece of blank canvas could be the most liberating experience for you!

Can you imagine the freedom?

You get to unleash your own creation, using your own combination of colours and churn out a finished product which is completely your own. Not for nothing did Oscar Wilde say, “Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.”

Most painters either paint from life or paint from imagination. There are many these days who also paint from reference photographs. One of the most interesting ways to paint is “Painting En Plein Air” or painting in the outdoors.

I have some very interesting experiences while painting en plein air. I live in the city of Mumbai which is a very interesting combination of places, nature and architecture. Every scene cries out to me and beckons me to capture it on canvas. I

started my plein air painting sessions on Sundays, when my daughter was quite young. Come Sunday morning and I would pack off to Powai lake, a beautiful lake right in the suburbs, which stands out calmly juxtaposed against bustling traffic and the humdrum of Mumbai life. I would take my daughter and her friends to the lake with some painter friends of mine and we would all paint scenes from the lake with the backdrop of hills and hotels on the other shores.

After the painting session ended, we would head to a nearby breakfast place and have a hearty breakfast as we compared notes. There would be a lot of excitement from Saturday night, as we packed our bags and easels. I have moved on to my floral paintings eventually but still do not mind a plein air sketch or two.

The lake has a small garden with a promenade and the guard initially looked at us suspiciously but very soon as we began to frequent the place with our Sunday visits, he started getting involved with our paintings. The Powailake reminds me of the Dighalipukhuri lake in Guwahati, which is incidentally the place I spent early years of my childhood in. Next time I go to Guwahati, I will make a dash to the lake to capture it on my canvas.

A plein air session usually has great mutual lessons from fellow artists, with bonding and discussions about methods, tools and exhibitions!It is also a way to be with nature or soak in the sun. So what about painting your own canvas too!

Why don’t you buy a sketch book and a pencil and head out to the nearest place you would want to capture?

P

rime Minister Narendra Modi made a master stroke recently in a bid to eradicate black money and counterfeit notes when he suddenly announced that `500 and `2000 notes will no longer be considered legal tender. Barring some inconvenience to the public, the move has been hailed as a strong step to tackle black money .The new notes being launched will be green and Magenta in colour and according to Feng Shui experts, these colours are very good for the economy. The 500 note will be green in colour and features (intaglio printing of Mahatma Gandhi portrait, Ashoka Pillar emblem, bleed lines, circle with `500 in the right, and the identification mark) which enable the visually impaired person to identify the denomination. The new denominations of `2000 also have a motif of Mangalayan on the reverse, depicting the country’s first venture into the interplanetary space.

The 500: Green is known as the colour of balance and harmony and this is exactly what money should bring in your life. Green is also known as the colour of growth and while money helps you grow, you should always be careful with

it. Green is also an emotional and positive colour. Green brings happiness with it and so does money!

However, one should be careful about using too much of green (read: money). Green is also a colour that likes to give back to people and do charity. So money should not always be used for your

own purpose only. It should also be given back to people because green is also a generous colour.

The Law of Karma says that you get back many fold what you give.

Green also signifies judgement and clarity. Green as a colour also promotes love and it brings people closer. Green the also the color of prosperity and abundance and the US Greenbucks i.e. the Dollar has already proved it.

The 2000: The `2,000 note

recipe of the week BHAZBHATTA

This is traditional Kashmiri dish, is a convenient one course meal that can be stirred up quite easily. An absolutely aromatic and delicious rice preparation and does not use either onion or garlic. So, it makes a great vegetarian option. A great choice when one is feeling lazy to cook an elaborate meal, serve it with accompanying meat dishes and it turns into a great party option. I generally serve this with Raita, pickles and papad. The liberal use of spices and ginger makes this a gorgeous dish. Give it a try!

PROCESS 1. Deep fry the potatoes and cauliflower florets till light golden brown.

2. Heat ghee in a pan. Add the cumin seeds, cloves and allow it to splutter.

3. Add bay leaves, peppers, cinnamon and cardamoms. Simmer for a minute.

4. Add drained rice and stir gently with spatula for a minute.

5. Then add all the other ingredients except water.

6. Stir gently for a minute. (at this point transfer all to a slow cooker - cover with water and cook on high for 1 hour.. change setting of slow cooker to low and cook for another 10 minutes) else follow steps below 7. Add 3 cups hot water. Bring to a boil.

8. Check taste of water for salt and chillies.

9. Simmer covered till rice is cooked and water evaporates.

10. Each grain should be separate.

11. Serve hot with raita & pickle & papad

will be launched in magenta colour. This colour and its shades being the colour of Laxmi will be very good and auspicious for the economy. This colour helps get more recognition in life. Just like money, the more money you have, the more people will recognize you! According to Feng Shui, the purple and magenta colour makes you more successful at whatever you do. The colour purple helps you earn more money in life. So, the more you have those `2000 notes, the more you will earn in life; a little obvious but try and understand. The colour purple is also good for all businesses. This colour brings peace and wisdom and the new currency should

bring good luck and happiness in life, provided one uses it well.

Purple will also create new opportunities in life as well as good luck.

Here’s hoping you don’t start hoarding these because nothing auspicious will come out of that. Good luck!

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

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 cup - Basmati Rice 2 - Medium potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 cup - Small Cauliflower florets 1/2 cup - Shelled peas 1 tsp ginger, juliennes 2 - Bay Leaves 2 - Cloves 1 inch Cinnamon stick 2 - Cardamoms 4 to 5 - Whole black peppers 1/2 tsp - Ginger powder 1/2 tsp - White cumin seeds 1/2 tsp - Black cumin seeds 1 tsp - Garam Masala 1/2 tsp - Red Chilli powder 2 tbsp - Oil or Ghee 3 cups - Water Salt to taste Kashmiri Nath Foodie, owner at XOXO cupcakes, food blogger, recipe developer and expert on Assamese cuisine

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

19

Lifestyle THE LIFE BAKERY - by Madhur Jain

Why we need to stop watching news on TV

I

t’s a well known fact that we are what we put into our head. We become what we see, read, listen to. I’ve made it a point to go through the news early morning every day. It’s so much easier to take in so much without giving too much time to it; thanks to a ton of satellite news channel (They fly around you like satellites until you give them what they want).

But of late, news has just been bad news; all of it. All the channels are inherently attracted to bad and negative news. Fair enough, if that’s what’s giving them maximum TRP. It reveals an interesting fact about humans.

Every second of every day, our brain is bombarded by way too much data than we can possible process and because nothing is more important to our survival than survival of all our visual data and auditory data; in the temporal lobe called the Amygdala.

The Amygdala is our danger detector. It’s our early warning system. It literally combs through all of the sensory input looking for any kind of a danger on putting in on high alert and it evolved during an era of human evolution that was of the immediate type, the tiger in the bush. The amygdala literally calls our attention to all the negative stories and if you see a thousand stories you’re going to focus on the negative ones and the media takes advantage of

this and you know the old saw if it bleeds it leads.

I found a very simple method of checking this tendency of getting attracted to negative news and that’s by avoiding TV news channels. Not news, just channels. I now prefer reading them instead, because I can choose what I should read and what I shouldn’t – what’s worth my time? With channels, I have to see what they want me to see, that’s not the case with reading them.

I need not even subscribe to a newspaper; I can always use my phone for it.

“Inshort” is that news app, I’ve fallen in love with. It gives you short and crisp news not demanding much of your time.

We can also follow news channels on social media and get control over filtering what we don’t like.

So guys; reclaim your Amygdala and don’t bother if someone you don’t possibly know gets shot in New Delhi for just raising his voice.

Madhur Jain

Madhur Jain is the founder, author and podcaster at The Life Bakery. The Life Bakery is focused on sharing life hacks, tech and tools to make life awesome. Visit www. thelifebakery.com

A

Classic or Controversial: Sunglasses will continue to trend!

T

he fall 2016 accessory trends can never be complete without the addition of the eyewear. Women who add these to their ensemble, look more composed, confident or to put it colloquially, “cooler.”

It adds a dab of sophistication to a look, a touch of chic to the style you wish to portray. A woman in sunglasses becomes infinitely more attractive with the eyewear, catching the gaze of all who pass by.

We’ve scoured the biggest trends of the season, to find a multitude of frames you can’t fail to fall in love with. From Gucci’s fabulous rhinestone sunnies to the classic Ray-Ban Reflectors,

Testosterone, resistance training and protein

Introduction: study was done to investigate the effects of Whey Protein Isolate [WPI] on a group of men suffering from low testosterone levels.

The subjects were mainly from urban areas. The main purpose of the study was to prevent low testosterone levels in men through proper nutrition & exercise. As we all know testosterone is male androgenic hormone which is very important for leading a healthy life. Men have much higher levels of testosterone than women. The production of testosterone increases during puberty and starts to decrease after age 30.

For each year over age 30, the level of testosterone in men starts to slowly dip at a rate of around 1 percent per year. A decrease in testosterone level is a natural result of aging. Some of the symptoms of low testosterone levels are: 1. Low sex drive 2. Low sperm production 3. Lesser muscle mass/strength 4.Lower body increase in fat distribution 5. Reduced bone density 6. Reduced red blood cell production Because testosterone affects so many functions, its decrease can bring about significant physical and emotional changes.

Physical changes Testosterone helps increase muscle mass, leads to body hair, and contributes to an overall masculine form. Decreases in testosterone can lead to physical changes including the following: 1. Increased body fat 2.Decreased strength/mass of muscles 3. Fragile bones 4. Decreased body hair 5. Swelling/tenderness in the breast tissue 6. Hot flushes 7. Increased fatigue 8. Effects on cholesterol metabolism Sleep disturbances Despite that fact that it can cause lower energy levels, low testosterone can also cause insomnia and other changes in your sleep patterns.

Sonika Ajmera Fashion Blogger

Testosterone replacement therapy may contribute to, or cause sleep apnea. This is a serious problem that causes your breathing to stop and start repeatedly while asleep. It can greatly disrupt your sleep in the process.On the other hand, changes in the body that occur as a result of sleep apnea can lead to low testosterone levels. Even without the presence of sleep apnea there is a strong correlation between low testosterone and a decrease in the hours of sleep. It is unclear why it happens.

Emotional changes In addition to causing physical changes, having low levels of testosterone can affect you on an emotional level. The condition can lead to feelings of sadness or depression. It can also degrade your overall sense of well-being. Some people have trouble with memory and concentration and experience lowered motivation and self-confidence.

Results: After an 8 week trial, blood samples were collected from the subjects the next day and a blood test was done to analyse the changes in total testosterone and was found to be raised from 226ng/dl to 320ng/dl.

Conclusion: This helped demonstrante that 8 weeks of supplementation with whey protein isolate in combination with hypertrophy specific resistance training does appear to increase serum testosterone in men which may help people suffering with androgen deficiency.

BIBHU MONI SINGHA,

Gym Manager Training & Nutrition Head, SFL Fitness Gym & MMA 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.

Cool Couture

the trick without too much challenge. In terms of style, these sunglasses act as the best recognizable accessories and make you more recognizable by enhancing your overall look. we guarantee there is something for everyone: from classic to totally crazy.

Oversized Sunglasses are a must

This is the theme that you should take care to follow best.

While you might like tiny glasses, it is the oversized that’s ruling 2016. Trust me, this is going to continue later into the winter as well.

Reflective Lenses

One interesting trend seen is the reflective lens on an eyewear which looks almost like a mirror. Shaped like Neo’s sunglasses (a blast from the past taking us to the days of the Matrix movies in theatres), this was one of the most craved for looks in the past decade.

The Hexagonal

Feeling adventurous? Then these hexagonal beauties will do

a touch of glam for anyone.

Th e Ro s e - Ti n t e d Kooky

Yes, yes to the pink! Yes to the purple! Yes to everything. Like an extreme, reworked version of the cat eye, these are sure to get you noticed.

The Blue

It seems to be the hottest trend of the season. Would you like to pick blue mirror sunglasses? These sunglasses are at the frontline of fashion today. It’s a style that looks cool as it can add

Stay stylish, always!

20

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Reviews Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Prachi Desai, Shashank Arora Director: Shujaat Saudagar

A

ditya (Farhan Akhtar) seeks redemption.

A freak incident disturbs him deeply. Unable to let go, he moves to Meghalaya for some soul-searching and immerses himself in humanitarian causes. Back in Mumbai, Joe (Arjun Rampal) now owns a posh club and judges a reality show. He is rich but numbed by succumbing to mediocrity.

KD (Purab Kohli) still hopes to reunite with the two once again and make music someday. While most sequels are remakes of the original, credit goes to Shujaat Saudagar for showcasing a new chapter in the lives of the members of ‘Magik’, the Rock band that caught our fancy eight years ago. The cult musical drama swayed the aficionados of Hindi film songs, luring them to rock music. Abhishek Kapoor’s fresh take on friendship tugged at your heartstrings with its effort-

vie Mo view Re

less storytelling and legit conflicts between characters and within themselves. He didn’t tell you what you should be feeling about the protagonists, allowing you to interpret their vulnerabilities and distinct personalities. Thus, you could relate to a Joe Mascarenhas, who is forced to compromise on his values and sensibilities to ensure he puts food on the table. Shujaat takes the camaraderie between Aditya, KD and Joe forward, this time adding the dilemma of Jiah (Shraddha Kapoor) to their existing set of traumas. While the gorgeous actress is a welcome addition to the group and renders a fine performance, her track seems forced and out of place.

Overall, acting is one of the highlights of the film with Farhan, Purab and Arjun in particular, being extremely effective. Marc Koninckx’s cinematography is remarkable and deserves a spe-

cial mention as well. On the flip side, Prachi Desai continues to play the ‘undemanding’ wife, who yearns for the companionship of her regret-prone husband. Shashank Arora, who was terrific in Titli, gets nothing significant to do here either.

Also, the script is a major downer. It is way too contrived, directionless and morose to hold your interest. With no strong conflict point to hold it all together, the story goes haywire. The narration tries too hard to manipulate your feelings and spoon-feed emotions by explaining the unsaid thoughts of the characters, depriving you the joy of discovering it for yourself. The music is shockingly weak. Barring the Usha Uthup track, it is not a patch on the former’s iconic tracks. Having said that, we are still open to a third instalment, provided Magik finds a valid reason to reunite.

Cast: Kimberly Elise, Omar Epps, Danny Glover, John Michael Higgins, Romany Malco Director: David E. Talbert

T

he film depicts a family coming together for the holidays soon after their beloved matriarch has died.

Widower Walter Meyers (Danny Glover), a well-off, retired automotive engineer, hosts the gathering at his comfortable home in Birmingham, Alabama. (Having apparently failed the audition, the city is instead played by Atlanta).

It’s not a lump of coal in your stocking, but “Almost Christmas” feels re-gifted from a slew of holiday movies that came before it.

It’s one of those movies where everything goes wrong right up until it goes right, so you know someone’s going to get locked out of the house, someone’s going to fall off the roof, and, at the end, a feeling of togetherness will prevail and your heart will feel like it’s been warmed by a mug of

cocoa.

At least that’s the hope. Danny Glover is the patriarch of a Birmingham, Alabama, family celebrating its first Christmas since his wife died. Besides the stilllingering grief, everyone’s got an issue to overcome: Christian (Romany Malco) is a politician who works too much; Lonnie (J.B. Smoove) is a philanderer; Evan (Jessie Usher) is addicted to painkillers; Rachel (Gabrielle Union) is emotionally walled off and refuses to communicate with her sister Cheryl (Kimberly Elise).

Writer-director David E. Talbert keeps putting the family into situations that heighten their conflicts: A contentious family dinner, a supposedly friendly game of football. Though he does let them come together during a living room dance party.

It’s as predictable as your

aunt’s holiday stuffing, but the cast finds some places to open up the material. Smoove is elastic as a slick-talking ex-basketball player, and Mo’Nique, as the deceased’s sister, rides a comic vibe that has its own weather pattern.

“Almost Christmas” is strictly a formula affair, but in her most high profile role since winning an Oscar for “Precious,” Mo’Nique delivers a holiday treat. The attendees include Cheryl (Kimberly Elise), Walter’s oldest daughter; her sister Rachel (Gabrielle Union), with whom she has a contentious relationship; oldest son Christian (Romany Malco), an ambitious politician running for Congress; and much younger son Evan (Jessie T. Usher), who’s becoming hooked on painkillers while recuperating from a recent sports injury.

S

no unifying aesthetic--it’s merely a collection of pop songs. This is hardly a bad thing. Sting often has undervalued his skills as a craftsman, so hearing him deliver 10 sharply crafted songs is appealing. Playing with a studio band featuring drummer Josh Freese and guitarist Lyle Workman, Sting manages to work up a head of steam on occasion—”I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” opens the album with an insistent pulse, “Petrol Head” evokes memories of “Synchronicity II”—but he spends as much time delivering tunes with a delicate touch. Much of the last half of the record

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009 Rock On 2 03:20 PM 05:55 PM 09:05 PM ae dil hai mushkil 06.15 PM 08.35 PM Doctor Strange O3.30 PM

GOLD Cinema ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166

u Yo ULD O SH play

Rock On 2 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM Dongri Ka Raja 11:30 AM Ae Dil Hai Mushkil 02:30 PM Shivaay 08:30 PM

u Yo ULD O AY H S PL

A

PVR Cinemas

Rock On 2 05:40 PM 08:45 PM

Xbox One

is devoted to introspection but unlike the fussy Sacred Love, the ballads here benefit from a brighter, open production and a singer/ songwriter who feels invested in sculpting his melodies with the same care that he gives his lyrics. Sting sifts through familiar territory with songs of protest sitting alongside songs of yearning and love and it all adds up to record that’s simultaneously unassuming and revealing: through its modest nature, 57th & 9th stands as testaments to Sting’s inherent gifts as a songwriter and recordmaker.

gold mine 7d 10.00 AM Rock On 2 11.30 PM 02.30 PM 08.30 PM haunted house 7d 01.00 PM 04.00 PM SHIVAAY 02.00 PM Forest Adventure & Aero Bike (7D) 03.00 PM 07.00 PM

HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200

Platform:

By: Sting

Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738

Galleria Cinemas

Game:Dishonored 2

ALBUM: 57th & 9th

ting seemed to tire of pop songs sometime early in the 21st century, wandering away from the format after 2003’s wellmannered Sacred Love.

Over the next 13 years, he entertained his esoteric interests—he collaborated on a classical album, he rearranged his old tunes for an orchestra, he reunited the Police, he wrote a musical—before he returned to pop/rock with 2016’s 57th & 9th. The fact that he named this comeback album after the intersection he crossed on his way to the studio speaks to the workmanlike aspect of 57th & 9th: there is no grand concept,

vie Mo view Re

Anuradha Cineplex

rkane Studios’ 2012 freshman entry of Dishonored took many by surprise. It was a game that combined firstperson combat, stealthy play-as-you-wish gameplay, supernatural abilities, beautiful artwork and a cohesive story to rocket it to the top of many game of the year lists. It’s almost unfathomable that a sequel could usurp the original, but that’s just what the developers have done with Dishonored 2.

They did it by building on to the systems of the first game, giving players the freedom to once again play the game

as they see fit in this oftbeautiful, sometimes dreadful world, while also offering two distinct characters to tackle the campaign with while continuing the intriguing stories of Corvo Attano and Emily Kaldwin. It’s been 15 years since the events of the first game. Kaldwin has taken her slain mother’s title of Empress, and while she’s seemingly ruled in peace for some time, the game thrusts you into a new conflict at its onset. The “Crown Killer” is on the loose, making it look as if Kaldwin and Attano are offing anyone that poses a threat to the throne.

GOLD Cinema Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854077177

Rock On 2 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM Dongri Ka Raja 08:30 AM Ae Dil Hai Mushkil 11:30 PM Shivaay 05:30 PM

GOLD Cinema

LG Towers, Narangi 8811001898 Rock On 2 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

21

Entertainment

Assamese film ‘Pratyahbaan’ selected for DIFF

N

ipon Dholua’s ‘Pratyahbaan’ has been selected for screening at the 5th Delhi International Film Festival (DIFF) which will be held in New Delhi from December 3 to 9. Like his earlier films, which tackle the tough social issues of the day, this film, cited for its socially relevant narrative, has been made with an aim to generate public awareness regarding physical and mental disability. The activistfilmmaker always believed that art should serve the interests of those striving for equality and fairness. His other films like ‘Me and My Sister’ and ‘Morisika’ too have raised issues confronting the modern society.

Besides writing its script and dialogues, Dholua has also produced the film under his flagship banner – NBDK Production. In its endeavor to promote and propagate Assamese cinema, the members of the production team led by Dholua, in a significant move, recently traversed the villages and remote areas that have no cinemas around, covering several districts, screening his three films and promos of upcoming Assamese films on the mobile cinema theatre for locals. The uninterrupted journey flagged off by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Ranjit Das, that set in motion on August 26, took the team, complete with a mobile cinema projector along with assorted equipments, to Merapani,

gPLUS fEATURE

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

Kachmari, Forkatting among other such far flung places located in the Golaghat district, before moving to Bokaghat, Kaziranga, Kuthori, Jakhalabondha, Koliabor, Samguri, Raha, Jagiroad, in addition to various parts of Guwahati, in the course of ten days. The team has also pledged to donate the proceeds collected from the event towards the Artist’s Fund.

In an unusual and appreciative move, NBDK Production held screenings of two Assamese movies – ‘Pratyahbaan’ and ‘Lokabandhoo’ at the city’s Central Jail, where over 1200 inmates enjoyed the shows, on October 2, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. After receiving the green signal from the Home Ministry, the production team went ahead, complete with a screen and projector, and other paraphernalia, to exhibit the films, which has in a way served the production’s primary purpose – raising social awareness in addition to providing entertainment to the convicts,

who have really lauded the effort.

‘Lokabandhoo’, the biopic on the life and works of legendary Assamese physician, freedom fighter and philanthropist Dr. Bhubaneswar Barooah, directed

by Dhiraj Kashyap and produced by noted homeopathic doctor Dilip Ghoshal, was screened for the male convicts at the jail, while Dholua’s ‘Pratyahbaan’ was screened for the female inmates.

As part of its mission, ‘Pratyahbaan’ was recently shown to a group of physically and mentally challenged students at a school called Destination located at Kahilipara in Guwahati. Like the character in ‘Pratyahbaan’, it directly dispels many of the myths and misconceptions regarding people with disability.

The whole initiative by NBDK Production has been appreciated by many in the film industry.

The production also plans to do screenings in old aged homes and orphanages.

Bolchobi – A Gauhati University initiative

and academic expertise. “We are a voluntary, nonprofit organization within the university interested in organizing academic as well as non-academic activities relating to film appreciation, and hope to motivate students, research scholars, colleagues from academic as well as administrative departments and other members of the university community to value, discuss, archive, enjoy and learn from films from across the world,” said one of the organizers of Bolchobi.

B

Adil Hussain starrer ‘Hotel Salvation’ selected for Dubai Film Festival

olchobi, an initiative under Gauhati University Film Forum is a space where the members seek to meaningfully engage with cinema through film screenings, dialogue with filmmakers and workshops among other activities.

The group brings to the university, community meaningful cinema in various languages and genres, local, national and international, both feature and documentary, full length or short, classic as well as contemporary, from acclaimed directors and young aspirants on a regular basis.

Members of the forum share a common passion for good cinema, along with some technical

A

dil Hussain starrer Hotel Salvation has been shortlisted for screening in the Dubai Film Festival.

Apart from noted actor Hussain, the film also stars Lalit Behl, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Palomi Ghosh, Navnindra Behl, and Anil K Rastogi.

Synopsis: The story revolves around an ominous dream experienced

by Dayanand Kumar which convinces the 77-year-old that his end could be near. He takes the news to his son Rajiv, knowing he wants to breathe his last in the holy city of Varanasi and end the cycle of rebirth, by attaining salvation.

Being the dutiful son he is, Rajiv is left with no choice but to drop everything and make the journey with his stubborn father. Daya and

Rajiv check into Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation) in Varanasi, a guesthouse devoted to people who want to die there. But as the days go by, Rajiv struggles to juggle his responsibilities back home, while Daya starts to bloom in the hotel.

Rajiv gives his father a shot at salvation but as family bonds are tested, he finds himself torn, and not knowing what he must do to keep his life together.

About the Director The film is by Shubhashish Bhutiani, learnt filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

His thesis film Kush, premiered at the 70th Venice Film Festival where it won the “Orizzonti Prize for Best Short Film.” Kush was also shortlisted at the 2014 Academy Awards and has won over 25 awards from all over the world.

22

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Citypedia Horoscope of the week

Cancer

Relax and enjoy activities happening around you. Initial days of week will keep you happy and contented with everything happening around you. Good news is on the anvil that will pep up your week.

Your family will render cooperation letting you focus on opportunity elsewhere. Your financial position will remain satisfactory but will not match up luxuries that you are eyeing. Review and revise your investment plans to make most of the economic situation. Look after your health, taking great care of cleanliness around you. Take all possible preventive measures lest you will fall ill.

Libra

Don’t feel disheartened by the testing and troubles concerning your professional area. Manage your new task with great deal of accuracy to maintain the trust at your workplace. You might also exaggerate your concerns. Students may get disappointed with their grades. Work hard and do not allow lady luck to go far away from you. Do not remain ignorant of the importance events happening around you. You all might splurge both travel and outings to spend the weekend blissfully. This is a lucky time to earn extra money.

Capricorn

You might have to shell out extra money due to some unexpected expense coming up. A partner might behave in a very odd manner. Be willing to listen first before evaluating. Financially it will be an extremely beneficial week. Don’t put off the important tasks in hand. Some of you may go overseas, and initiate the new beginning in their career. Health will remain generally fine baring few minor ailments like headache, cough or cold. You must exercise your patience in certain delicate and emotional matters.

GUWAHATI

People in job will have a certain sense of dissatisfaction and look for new opportunities elsewhere. Just remain patient as things will improve soon. Curb your desire to spend recklessly or your budget may go haywire. A friend of yours may come forward to seek your help. Friends will be supportive and helpful this week. Your health might require your attention during the first half of the week. Better take care of your diet as well as routine. Talking idealistically, blend your good deeds with personal pleasure that you wish and want.

Leo

People in job will have a certain sense of dissatisfaction and look for new opportunities elsewhere. Just remain patient as things will improve soon. Curb your desire to spend recklessly or your budget may go haywire. A friend of yours may come forward to seek your help. Friends will be supportive and helpful this week. Your health might require your attention during the first half of the week. Better take care of your diet as well as routine. Talking idealistically, blend your good deeds with personal pleasure that you wish and want.

Scorpio

You don’t have to be obstinate, rather keep the avenues of communication open to get through your strategy. Stars indicate that there are rewarding times ahead for you. Just exercise patience to get all that you deserve. Students will do exceptionally well in their examinations. Small problems will sop up lots of your time and resources. Instead of wasting your resources find some creative solution to come out of jinxed solutionDo not speculation in the stock market as chances of losses are foreseen.

Aquarius

Keep your work focused on precise definite aims and seek your friends support. Act with discretion but without risking or losing the opportunity. Give careful thought before signing any document.

You’ll have plenty of good opportunity this week to resolve your personal agenda. Spending will be on higher side. This week will open up some lucrative opportunities with attractive financial possibilities. The loan that was being tried to obtain will get disbursed this week. Health wise, it is a week of disorders concerning eye infection or dental problems.

Your relationship may be slightly upset with family members and friends. You may buy new property or vehicle during this week. You will spend extravagantly over household things. It is good week for students and those preparing for any sort of exams. Your relatives will ditch you causing loss of wealth. This week is going to produce some troubles at work place. Troubles in personal life are also foreseen. There are lots of chances you may get injured during this week so be careful while driving or even while walking on road.

Virgo

Demonstrate confidence in your great ideas and let them exude positive impacts on others. This week is good time for making new contacts as your future will greatly depend on these. Those looking for new opportunities can expect a good chance concerning their career. Your familial demands will keep you occupied throughout the week. Job opportunities, salary increment, promotions are in store this week. Celebrations with your family and friends will bring great enjoyment. Just beware from splurging or you’ll feel pinch for many weeks.

Sagittarius

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

DEAD BODY CARRYING VAN GLP Social Circle 2737373, 9435047046 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 GGUMTA 98640-16740 OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118, LPG Booking (ivr System) 7670024365 Child line Guwahati 1098

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171

BLOOD BANK

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

AMBULANCE

Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 Free Ambulance to GNRC Hospitals Toll Free: 1800-345-0011









 















 

 











































































































 









  

 



        







      











  

ek

y We Ever

Win Wrist watch



  

  





  

  

  Beware of an unfriendly person who is very inventive. He or she   might interfere in a work matter concerning you straightforwardly.

Students will achieve laurels in sports, games and competitions.   Do not lose temper over trivial matters. Be patient with everyone   around. Do not jump to conclusions and make guesses. The responsibility of an important assignment might come your way. Health will remain good for most part this week. Those who had been suf- Complete it fering from fever or headaches will get relief.

Take a photo

























  

  





  

 

 



































        

   

Pisces

WhatsApp to 8486002320 or Inbox to G Plus on Facebook with Issue date Entries with correct answers get selected Your all problems will be sort out this week. Promotion or incre- One lucky winner wins a Wrist Watch from IO Plus and G Plus ment is on the anvil for the people in service. You will have a good Winner’s name to be announced in the next issue

understanding with your seniors. Business men will get new deals and contracts. Money will simply pour in from all avenues. Family wise it is a very fortunate week as you will enjoy most of the happiness and comforts. Stars foretell that this week is going to be a little complicated for you. It bring along with it heavy and sudden expenditures for you. Be careful and do not speculate recklessly.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS 24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) D Modern Medicos, Maligaon (9864366763) Candid 24x7, Panbazar (2604422)



last week solution

In matters of health there is an exciting chance to begin a new exercise and fitness routine. Socially and romantically, this could be a terrific week. Guests from afar may visit you, and you may have a really sweet time entertaining them. Possibly, this week, you may change your investments or make new contractual arrangements.

Career wise, you seem to be making progress. You should be patient with your subordinates and listen to what your boss has to say to you this week.

Sudoku

Gemini

Taurus

Aries

police station

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)

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 NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

23

Events

7

Days

Events

Nov 12th to Nov 18th

Tis’ the Christmas fervour The Vivanta by Taj, Guwahati heralded the start of the festive season and Christmas celebrations by the traditional soaking of dry fruits in liquor. The event was held at the Taj poolside, graced

by John Abraham and the entire NEUFC team.

Traditionally, fruits are soaked 45 days in advance of Christmas.

Some of the fruits used are prune, apricots, dates, figs, walnuts, cashew, almonds, raisins, along with mixed spices – such as cinnamon, star anise and ginger. The liquor used for soaking are Brandy, whisky gin, rum and will constitute in the making of Christmas delicacies such as Plum cakes, Christmas pudding, mince pie, walnut stolen bread, brioche etc.

Sunday Gig | Light Fog Urban Mantra, 13th Nov, 7 PM

Bolly Bytes Jawed Khan 12th Nov, 8 PM, Terra Mayaa

Edward Maya at Underdoggs The Romanian DJ, musician, producer, performer and composer put the stage on fire at Underdoggs as Guwahati witnessed one of the most popular EDM artists around the globe.

Photo: Underdoggs | Facebook

Ara and the Megaminds 12th Nov, 7 PM Urban Mantra

DJ Reeshav (Mumbai) 12th November.

Underdoggs Sports Bar & Grill. 6PM

24

G PLUS NOV 12 - NOV 18, 2016

Catching Up

PIC OF THE

Most shared story of the week

WEEK 1.1 K 195 The past 72 hours have been absolutely chaotic for the entire country and Guwahatians adding to the frenzy, went crazy when Government announced the decommissioning of 500 and 1000 Rupee notes on 9th Nov (midnight). Hoards of people queued up outside their nearest ATMs and the Dispur SBI ATM saw a queue that stretched out to the road. facebook.com/guwahatiplus

twitter.com/guwahatiplus

Guwahati

GYAN

T

Did you know?

Narakasura Hill

he legend of Narakasura is important in the history of Assam, particularly Kamarup, since Narakasura is cited as the progenitor of many dynasties that ruled Kamarupa in historical times.

The hill, situated to the south of Guwahati, is named after him and is popularly known as GMCH hill. The hill is also associated with the Hindu belief of the Shakti Goddess and place of worship of Goddess Kamakhya. Narakasura and his kingdom, Pragjyotisha, find mention in both the Mahabharata and the Ramayana in the sections which were written before 500 BC. The Naraka legend gets the most extensive elaboration in the Upapurana called Kalika Purana (10th century), which was composed in Assam itself.

The dawn of a new era| Photo: Surajit Sharma

WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?

C

ongress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Friday took people by surprise when he arrived at an SBI bank on Parliament Street in New Delhi and stood in a queue to get the demonetized currency notes exchanged. He said, “I have come here to get Rs 4,000 exchanged. I want to stand in the queue...people are suffering, neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor owners of big media houses would understand it,� he said.

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: Swapnil Bharali.

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