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Inside

Volume 05 | Issue 06 Dec 02 - Dec 08, 2017 Price `10

Only two commercial establishments demolished in Amchang eviction

PG 02

Kamrup Metro accounts for 35% of total HIV cases in state

PG 05

Possible but difficult for Guwahati to be a trade hub, feels Bertil Lintner

PG 12-13

Lead Story

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Only two commercial establishments demolished in Amchang eviction Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

hough the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup Metro M Angamuthu claimed on 28th November that the next day (29th November) only commercial structures will be targeted, only two commercial establishments were demolished on the third day. A source in the district administration said, “SM Cements and KD Cokes located at Jorabat were demolished on the third day.” Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary, situated in the state’s Kamrup District, was declared a wildlife sanctuary by the state government in 2004 by putting

together the Amchang Reserve Forest, South Amchang Reserve Forest and Khanapara Reserve Forest. Talking about the bias of the government towards commercial establishments, member of the Committee for Protection of Land Rights of Indigenous People of Assam, Ajoy Dutta said, “The team waited for three hours in the morning before starting the eviction drive against the commercial establishments in Jorabat.” He added that the team was waiting so that the businessmen could avail a stay order from the court. Dutta said that Amchang covers forest land from Khanapara to Panikhaiti including Jorabat, Sonapur and other adjacent areas and during the Con-

gress regime, Pradyut Bordoloi and other Congressmen allowed many business establishments to settle on the forest land from Khanapara to Sonapur. There are many coke ovens, cement factories, resorts and a private university established in the Amchang forest areas since a long time. Only the houses of indigenous people are targeted and not the commercial establishments, Dutta opined. A source in the district administration revealed that while demolishing the SM Cements factory at Jorabat, it was noticed in the backyard of the factory that the course of a small waterfall rivulet was altered and brought within the factory boundary so that the water requirements of the factory could be met. n

Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro), Dr M Angamuthu, addressing the media on December 1, said that the local people of Amchang will be identified and provided land for rehabilitation, all the students will be identified and immediate arrangements for their education will be provided. He said that he will ask the forest department to construct a permanent boundary wall and further added that strict action will be taken against the officers who allowed the encroachment.”

More than 700 families rendered homeless

All is lost, seems to be the conversation #Amchang | G Plus Photo

n the recently conducted eviction drive on 27th and 28 th November last in some parts of the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary, more than 700 families were rendered homeless. A source in the district administration said, “734 structures, mostly dwellings,

were demolished.” A local resident of the Janasimolu village, Tapan Kumar Das said, “The population of the area is 12,000 and around 720 families do not know where to go now.” The entire Botahguli area was most affected by the drive. Villages like Garo Bas-

ti, Janasimolu, Kailash Nagar, Nabajyoti Nagar and Bogorital were mainly targeted. The police had to resort to lathi charge and fired tear gas bullets at the residents to control the protest. Five local residents, two police personnel and a forest ranger were injured during the drive. Women and children wailed holding their belongings while the men tried, in vain, to block the excavators. The eviction teams, comprising personnel from various departments, with elephants and excavators, faced stiff resistance in many areas. 370 students of Janasimolu High School were irked with the government as their school was demolished in a fraction of minutes. The students were preparing for their exams slated next month. n

Assam forest department officials demolishing illegal construction of SM Cement Industries at Jorabat inside the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary | G Plus Photo

Forest dept clueless about area encroached in Amchang

resident of the wildlife NGO, Early Birds, Moloy Baruah, revealed that the Department of Environment & Forests was clueless about how much land had been encroached in the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary till 2013. Baruah said, “Early Birds had filed two RTIs, one in 2008 and one in 2013. The replies clearly revealed that the forest department had not demarcated the sanctuary and were providing baseless information.” To the reply of the RTI filed in 2008, the forest department said that 8.50 sq km forest land was encroached out of 70.64 sq km land under forests. In 2013, in reply to the same query, the forest department said 5.50 sq km was encroached. Baruah said that the forest department, between 2008 and

2013, did not carry out any eviction drive. So the figures provided were imaginary. Baruah said that according to the Wild Life Conservation Act 1972, the forest department is mandated to demarcate the forest area and check that the designated area is not encroached. Later, Early Birds wrote to the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court who, taking suo moto cognisance, registered a case and after 17 hearings ordered eviction on 2nd August 2017. The forest department had to demarcate the sanctuary under the supervision of Gauhati High Court. According to a forest department source the new demarcated map of the sanctuary reveals that there are 1,382 encroached settlements with a population of 7,000 people. n

Early Birds seeks high level inquiry into Amchang forest ‘scam’

aising questions about how so many people could encroach on the forest land, Early Birds asked the Chief Minister of Assam to order a high level probe to find out why the forest department had allowed encroachment in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. “The forest officials had taken money and allowed the commercial establishments to set up factories on the forest land,” said Early Birds president Moloy Baruah, adding it was a huge forest land scam where even politicians were involved. Baruah revealed that even the illegal settlers were brought in to the forest by politicians

like Bharat Narah and money was invested to construct RCC buildings. The survey was done by officials of forest and revenue to demarcate the sanctuary and the pillars were erected according to the convenience of the encroachers by taking money. A source in the district administration said that land papers shown by the illegal settlers during eviction were fake and created with the help of a nexus who had links in the forest department and the Dispur circle office. Many residents of Amchang claimed that they had purchased the land and have proper papers. n

In The News

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

283 teams to speed up NRC process in Ghy Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he verification process of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be executed by 238 teams in Kamrup (Metro) district. Kamrup Metro Deputy Commissioner, M Angamuthu said, “The teams will visit the households and clear all the doubts on the documents which were found confusing.” The development comes close on the heels of the Supreme Court’s rejection of the Centre’s plea to extend the deadline for the publication of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC). Sources in the district administration explained that some documents of applicants related to the mandatory requirement

of “family tree” were puzzling. “The doubts would be laid to rest and then submitted to the NRC.” A district administration source said that 1,033 additional personnel from various government offices have been taken for the NRC work. 104 government officials will be kept reserved as stand-by and used whenever required. The source said that the Supreme Court has imposed Article 144 to complete the NRC process on time in Assam which means that it is the highest priority. After house to house verification all the teams will have to write the report manually on basis of which it will be decided whether the names should be included in the list or not. Therefore this extra manpower is required, the source claimed. There are 11.5 lakh appli-

cants from Guwahati out of a total of 3.29 crores from the entire state. The source said that after the apex court’s order on 1st December, it has been decided by the administration to stall all other works and complete the NRC process before the deadline. The administration is expected to complete the verification process by 14th December. Subsequently, the names of the applicants would be sent to the NRC for publication in the draft list. The first draft list of NRC which will be published on or before 31st December will cover 2.37 crore applicants from the entire state after the ruling by the Supreme Court. NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela had informed the apex court that the draft NRC of 2 crore

Plea to extend NRC deadline was BJP’s politics: Cong

elcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to reject the Centre’s plea for extending the NRC publication

deadline, the Congress party said that the NDA government at the Centre wanted to play politics by delaying the work on the register.

State leader of Opposition, Debabrata Saikia said, “The BJP did not want to lose their vote banks before the panchayat n elections.”

people can be published by 31 December but he is yet to enumerate 37 lakh more people. He said he could publish the list by January 15 after further vetting. Hajela also informed the court that he was yet to com-

plete the verification of 29 lakh people who had submitted gaon panchayat certificates. The court has asked the coordinator to complete the process and publish the list but did not specify any time frame. n

Crime

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Police finally solves MP Jewellers robbery case Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he police have finally managed to solve the MP Jewellers robbery case and the accused arrested in the case have confessed to the crime. Officer-in-charge of Bhangagarh police station, Bipin Medhi said, “The four accused, brought to the police station, had stayed in Hotel Natun Kothali in Ganeshguri and planned the robbery.” Senjam Nongdrenkhombia, Lisham Ibungotoma Singh, Rajesh Singh and L Robinson Singh had stayed in the hotel at Ganeshguri and had targeted MP Jewellers after having surveyed all the city jewellery shops. In May 2017 they had come to Guwahati with arms and ammunition purchased from Dimapur and had stayed in the hotel at Ga-

neshguri for three days. The gang had hired a car (Tata Indica) and after robbing the jewellery shop parked the car at Guwahati railway station. Three of them (Senjam, Lisham and Rajesh) had fled to Nepal and L Robinson stayed on in the hotel for a day more. After Robinson realised that the police was investigating the incident in detail, he became apprehensive and fled to Manipur leaving his belongings in the hotel. All of them belonged to Manipur. In September 2017, Guwahati police tracked Robinson at Manipur and he was brought to Guwahati. Robinson has been in Guwahati Central Jail ever since. The other three accused tried to rob another MP Jewellers outlet at Siliguri in September, but were arrested by Bengal police. All four accused are on 6-day police custody in Guwahan ti now.

File photo of MP Jewellers showroom after the heist

All accused are former militants

he four arThe accused rested in the have confessed to MP Jewelthe police that they lers robbery had surrendered case are former five years back and rebels from a Mastarted robbing benipuri militant; the cause they did not police said that the have any other suraccused were well vival options. trained in handling The robbery arms and ammuniattempt at Siliguri tion. proved unfavouraA local police ble for them as the source said, “All accused, having the four accused run out of ammuare former rebels of nition, were caught the United National on the spot by the Liberation Front public. File photo of two of the robbers of MP Jewellers after their arrest in Siliguri (UNLF),” adding One of the arthat their modus as the CCTV footage of the robrested accused, L operandi was similar to militants. bery showed the accused looked Robinson, is also a known arms The police source said that thoroughly professional in cockdealer in Manipur and there are the accused were well trained in ing the guns and firing the bulcases registered against him unhandling arms and ammunition lets. der the Arms Act. n

Accused have many links in Guwahati

xplaining that the accused have many links in Guwahati the police said that it was easy to commit the crime for them as they were helped by the links in Guwahati. A police source said, “They had bribed the Railway parking workers when they parked the vehicle at Guwahati railway station.” The police, after the crime, had arrested two security guards of MP Jewellers, three railway parking workers and two officials of Hotel Natun Kothali in Geneshguri for helping the accused. All are in judicial custody. The police also questioned the owner of the vehicle which was hired by the accused. The police said that they were helped by all these people and had some criminally inclined Guwahatian’s backing in planning the

entire crime. The police are investigating the links closely now. On 9th May last, at around 6.45 pm, the four accused entered the MP Jewellers showroom located at Post Office, Srimanta Sankardev Path and looted jewellery worth Rs 3.5 crores. The robbers had arms and one of the four fired in the air thrice from a pistol to throw a scare into the people inside the shop. The robbers had broken the display counters with hammers, taken out the jewellery and put them in bags before easing themselves out of the showroom. Prior to this, the robbers had ordered the employees and customers to move to one side. Police feel that the entire incident could take place only if it was planned well and with the help of people who know Guwahati well. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Sunny

Partly Cloudy

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Partly Cloudy

27°/14° C

26°/15° C

27°/15° C

27°/16° C

26°/16° C

SATURDAY Sunny

27°/15° C

City

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Stinking toilets in govt offices paint a sorry picture G Plus conducted a reality check of the condition of a few toilets in government offices in Guwahati. At a time when the country is laying emphasis on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a majority of government offices in the city reveals an unhygienic picture Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

Office of Sales Tax, Kar Bhawan Situated in Ganeshguri, the Kar Bhawan has a large number of visitors every day but the toilets of the office remain in a deplorable state. The urinals in the men’s toilet have turned into spittoons in the absence of regular cleaning. An employee at the Sales Tax office admitted that the toilets were in a bad shape and the employees have been facing difficulty using them. He added that the office has only

one full-time sweeper who has been given the job of cleaning the toilets but he has been irregular in his duties. On the other hand, the official responsible for overlooking the upkeep of toilets, Simanta Bora, said that they have engaged two part-time cleaners in addition to the full-time sweeper. “A few days ago, there was a problem of running water in toilets but it is now being looked into by the Public Works Department (PWD) which maintains the office building. We try our best to maintain proper facilities,” said Bora. Officials say that they keep both the men’s and women’s

toilets on the ground floor locked to prevent outsiders from using and dirtying the toilets.

Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, Panjabari Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra is a cultural institution which showcases the cultural heritage of Assam and the Northeast, and it is frequented by hundreds of tourists on a regular basis. However, the stinking toilets in the campus have marred the overall aesthetics of Kalakshetra. “It is a beautiful place to visit in the city but more efforts should be made to main-

tain the washrooms. I could not enter the washroom because of the strong stench and water which was continuously flowing from the tap of the sink,” said a visitor, Nikhil Kumar. On the other hand, administrative official at Kalakshetra, Jaleshwar Barman, said that the toilets are cleaned twice a day and the institute has hired four sweepers for the same. He also blamed the increasing tourists for the improper condition of toilet facilities.

District Transport Office

Another office, the toilets of which remain in a pathetic

condition, is the District Transport Office (DTO) in Betkuchi. The office has 10 toilets in total but they lie in neglect with the apathy of authorities. Pankaj Das, an administrative official looking after the housekeeping at the DTO said that they currently using the services of two sweepers who work on daily wages. “The situation will become better when permanent or even contractual cleaners are finalised by the higher authorities who are yet to take a decision,” said Das. Medical experts say that dirty toilets are a breeding ground for bacteria which can cause infections. Doctors advise that toilets should be kept clean and dry as much as possible. The toilet seats also harbour germs and should be wiped before every use in order to prevent any chances of disease.

An office with a difference

Pathetic Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra | G Plus Photo

Beyond imagination: DTO | G Plus Photo

Revolting: Kar Bhawan or the Sales Tax office at Ganeshguri | G Plus Photo

A welcome difference but room for improvement: ODCH, Housefed Complex

Located in Beltola, this office is the Regional Office of the Development Commissioner for Handicrafts (ODCH) under the Central Ministry of Textiles. It sets an example of cleanliness with clean and hygienic toilet premises. Even though they have employed three sweepers for cleaning the toilets as well as the office, officials say that they sometimes even clean the washrooms themselves whenever the need arises. Talking to G Plus, Regional Director at ODCH, Niralaxmi Palai, said that they take extra measures to ensure that their toilets and the entire office premises are well-maintained. “Toilets in offices reflect the general attitude of the workers and staff. It also gives an overall impression to outsiders and so they should be maintained the way we like to keep our toilets at home,” she said adding that they have fixed orders for various toilet and floor cleaners every month. Officials say that users need to be conscientious while using washrooms and display a general sense of care for other users. n

Ward Watch

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Uzan Bazar records highest incidences of dengue In Ward Watch this week, G Plus checks out the possible reasons behind the large number of dengue cases that have hit the city’s oldest residential area Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

zan Bazar has the highest prevalence of dengue in the city. The locality has recorded at least 243 out of a total of 3,857 cases recorded in the Kamrup (Metro) district this year. The National Vector Borne

Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) had identified eight wards including Uzan Bazar in Ward No 11, in the Gauhati East legislative assembly constituency as a high endemic zone for dengue. “The Uzan Bazar area (11A) has the highest concentration of dengue incidences with 243 cases while, Bamunimaidam, Noonmati, Geeta Nagar and Narengi

follows with over 100 cases respectively. However, there has not been any deaths due to the disease,” Nanda Chakraborty, District Medical Officer of NVBDCP, the vector-borne disease monitoring department under Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), of National Health Mission (NHM), told G Plus. Kamrup Metro has the highest prevalence of the mosqui-

Fish market a probable reason for high dengue prevalence

to-borne disease last year as well as this year. It had crossed the 4000 cases mark last year. Besides, Wards 23, 27, 03, 24, 16, 18 and 10 that includes localities like Bamunimaidam, Jyoti Nagar, Lalmati, Noonmati, Happy Villa, Jorpukhuri, Rest Camp Colony, Geeta Nagar, Narengi, Ulubari, part of Lachit Nagar, Panbazar, and parts of Fancy Bazaar, are within the endemic zone.

Uzan Bazar, is one of the oldest residential localities of the city. It has prominent establishments such as Gauhati High Court, Deputy Commissioner’s residence and Brahmaputra State Guest House which is also the Chief Minister’s official residence. The area also has one of the major fish markets in the city, which the NVBDCP believes is a primary cause for the disease. n

Concentrated Area: Uzan Bazar (11A) Ward No: 11 Population of the Ward: 11,940 Voter Population: 9,700 Population of Uzan Bazar: 6,800 Ward Councillor: Dipa Hazarika

Councillor bids for proper drainage

tagnant water in the fish market is a breeding ground for the mosquito responsible for the spread of dengue. The yellow fever mosquito (Aedes Aegypti), that mainly spreads dengue fever along with Chikungunya, Zika fever, Mayaro and yellow fever breeds in stagnant water. But unlike the anopheles (malaria-carrying mosquito), the mosquito carrying the dengue virus sucks blood during the day. “We suspect that the stagnant water that is left behind every day by the fish sellers in the fish market is the reason for the prevalence of this disease in this area. Dengue mosquitoes breed in such fresh water,”

File photo of Uzanbazar Fish Market said Chakraborty adding, “Also, along the sandbars of the Brahmaputra and Uzan Bazar, there are several pockets where water drains down from the fish market and gets stagnant. We found those areas breeding with dengue mosquitoes,” Locals said that the dengue prevalence is highest on the other side of the market which are residential areas. “Barring only three houses in my neighbourhood, at least one member of every house has been detected with the disease. Similar is the scenario in almost all the houses on this stretch. The fish market remains swarming with mosquitoes at night,” Jagadish Kalita, a senior resident at Uzan Bazar said.

It may be mentioned that the Sati Radhika Santi Udyan, an amusement park, lies right above the market. “Even at the day time, mosquitoes can be seen in the bushes inside the park. After the rise in dengue numbers in the city, very few people turn up here during the dry season when it is said the dengue threat is at its peak,” Parimal Barman, a security guard in the park said. “The problem with the disease is that it is untreatable. We can only treat the symptoms, but not the disease. It appears to be like a normal flu in the early stages, but if treated in the early stage, it is not a threat to life,” Dr Arun Mahanta, a resident of Lamb Road said. n

Open drain at Uzanbazar fish market | G Plus Photo

ore than the anti-dengue measures, the area needs a better drainage for the Uzan Bazar market to fight the disease, Councillor Dipa Hazarika said. “Fogging only covers a particular area, for a certain period of time. Several cases of dengue were also reported from places which were fumigated. We need a proper drainage and an awareness drive among the citizens to battle the disease,” Hazarika, who represents the Congress in the council, said. “If the market water gets channelized directly into the

Brahmaputra and the water coming down from the hills flow through shut drains, we can bring down the number of people getting infected with dengue,” Hazarika added. She said that she had made the same request several times in the council meeting but was paid no heed. Meanwhile, residents complained about lack of fogging. “We paid Rs 200 from each household and got our area fumigated. This actually should have been done by the GMC,” Prasanta Baruah, a resident of Uzan Bazar said. n

In The News

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Assam records highest number of unrecovered abduction victims Even though Assam had a 93% dip in human trafficking cases, an unprecedented rise in unrecovered abduction victims, cases of abduction and missing person reports raise questions if trafficking has actually dropped Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

ssam has recorded the highest number of untraceable abducted persons last year among all the states in the country. The latest annual report of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) revealed that a total of 13,413 victims – 2,444 males and 10,969 females – who were abducted last year have not been traced yet. Assam is followed by Madhya Pradesh with 8,872 and Rajasthan with 4,880 persons suspected to have been abducted. Director General of Police, Assam, Mukesh Sahay said, “Cases of kidnapping have increased, but kidnapping for the cause of ransom has declined considerably. Most of these are marriage related cases in

which the girl or the boy elopes and then when found, these are not reported back. We will look into this sector more closely.” The report which was released on November 30 by the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, also revealed that cases of kidnapping in the state have increased by 27% from 4,824 cases in 2014. Another police official explained that the gap has been caused due to “lack of coordination” with the police of the other north-eastern states. “Most of the kidnapping and abduction cases reported are that of adults. These are mostly cases of elopement than abduction. In most of the cases the victims have been taken to the neighbouring states. It is difficult for us to rescue the victims from those states since it depends on coordination with their police,” he said.

As many as 6,126 cases were children who have been kidnapped including 534 males and 917 females which place Assam in the sixth position after Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. Assam has 7% of all the cases in the reported in the country according to the report. The report pointed out that Assam has shown improvement in terms of the overall crime scenario than last year with a decrease of 0.4% in various cases registered under Indian Panel Code (IPC) and Special Local Laws (SLL) in 2016 than the previous year. In 2016, the state recorded 1,07,014 cases while in 2015 it recorded 1,07,465 cases. Assam ranked 15th among all the states and contributed 2.2% of the total crimes (48,31,515 cases) in the country.

Types of criminal cases

Assam ranking

Indian Panel Code (IPC) crimes

14th

Special Local Laws (SLL) crimes

20th

Total Arrests

14th

Cases of murder

11th

Crimes against women

6th

Crimes against children

8th

Juveniles In Conflict With Law

17th

Economic offences

8th

Crime committed by foreigners

19th

Cyber crimes

5th

Crimes against schedule tribes

25th

Environment related offences

6th

“For the first time in 12 years, there has been a drop in crimes in the state. Even though it is marginal, this is a

positive sign. There are a few areas where it has increased too and we will be closely monn itoring them,” Sahay said.

NGOs claim spurt in human trafficking

everal NGOs engaged with the rescue and rehabilitation of trafficked victims argued that the rise in kidnapping and abduction cases is an indication of the increasing trend in human trafficking in the state. The NCRB report recorded a dip of 93% in the trafficking

cases from 1,317 in 2015 to only 91 in 2016, which the NGOs are finding difficult to believe. “Assam ranked highest in terms of human trafficking and contributed more than 35% of the total trafficking cases in the country last year. The figures dropping drastically within a year are very hard to digest.

GMC collects over Rs 1.16 crores as advt tax in record time

source in the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) revealed that GMC has, for the first time, collected a huge amount of revenue from outdoor advertising agencies in the year 2017. The source said, “In the month of November, GMC collected Rs 1,16,13,180 as tax revenue from outdoor advertising agencies.” It was at the initiative of the new collector, Loni Borpatra Gohain under the guidance of GMC Commissioner Monalisa Goswami, that the revenue collection has improved, the source claimed. Gohain heads the hoardings branch of GMC and joined in July

when the collection used to be around Rs 18,000. Gohain along with the Commissioner decided to streamline the system and from the month of September demand slips were sent to the agencies. The tax defaulters were also slapped with a 20% fine. The source said that the officials met with all the genuine advertising agencies and asked them to pay their taxes on time. Many agencies have complied and supported the urban local body. In October, GMC collected Rs 49,43,700 as hoardings tax, which increased to more than Rs 1.16 crores in November. n

There is a possibility that the trafficking cases were recorded as that of kidnapping or missing person reports,” said Digambar Narzary, chairperson of Nedan Foundation that operates a helpline number for trafficking related cases here said. The NCRB recorded a 36% rise in missing person’s cases

from 3,382 in 2015 to 4,600 in 2016. Out of the missing persons, 57.6% have not been recovered yet. Monisha Behl, a female rights activist and a founder member of Northeast Network, which focuses on community work with women and children in northeast said, “Trafficking

mostly happens in the backward places where it is hard to gather evidence and establish that the cases fall in the category of trafficking. Often the FIRs are reported as that of abduction or that the person went missing. So, it can be said that trafficking happened, but it was misreported.” n

Only 829 authorised hoardings in Guwahati Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

evealing that all unauthorised hoardings will be removed in the city, a GMC source said that there are only 829 authorised hoardings. The source said, “A survey is being carried out to identify

all the unauthorised hoardings.” Everyday around 700 unauthorised banners/kiosks are removed from the streets of Guwahati and all the unauthorised hoardings will be pulled down after the survey is completed. To obtain permission of authorised hoardings from the GMC, the agencies have to

provide building safety certificates, electricity permissions for lit hoardings etc. But it has been noticed that many hoardings in the city are unauthorised and installed without any permission. Strict action will be taken against advertising agencies which have installed more hoardings than permitted, the source said. n

New hoardings policy in pipeline

or the beautification of the city, the GMC is preparing the Guwahati Outdoor Advertising Policy which will provide permissions for hoardings to the agencies keeping the aesthetics of the city on priority. A GMC source said, “As

there is a proposal to make GS Road a no hoardings zone, new permissions to install hoardings on GS Road are not issued now.” The source claimed the proposal regarding GS Road has been raised to beautify the city. Therefore the offi-

cials of the GMC are preparing a new outdoor advertising policy which will be notified soon. The policy will ensure that the hoardings are placed in such a way that the city does not look chaotic because of the hoardings. n

Health

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Kamrup Metro accounts for 35% of total HIV cases in state Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

amrup (Metro) makes up 35% of total HIV cases in the state which is the highest among all districts in the state.

As per the latest data released by Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS), there are a total of 4,901 HIV positive people in the district as on October 31, 2017. Close on the heels is Cachar district with 3,201 HIV positive cases, which makes for 23% of state-

wide cases. Officials said that the high incidence of HIV cases in Kamrup (Metro) is due to the rate of detection which has increased over the past few years. They added that another factor behind the high number of cases here is that people from all

World AIDS Day programmes held across the state

Students of Regional College of Paramedical Health Sciences taking out an awareness rally on the occasion of World AIDS Day (Dec 1) in Guwahati | G Plus Photo

orld AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1 and the theme for World AIDS Day 2017 was “Increasing impact through transparency, accountability and partnerships.” To mark the occasion in Guwahati, an awareness rally was organised at 8:30 am from the ASACS office premises in Khanapara to Srimanta Sankardev

Kalakshetra, Panjabari. This was followed by a state level community meeting at Sri Sri Madhabdev International Auditorium. Different stakeholders including volunteer organisations, students of nursing colleges and government authorities participated in the event. Further, in different districts, HIV/AIDS awareness meetings were held by the dis-

ASACS to conduct HIV survey among pregnant women

ssam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) authorities said that they will also conduct a survey among pregnant women in January next year in order to determine the prevalence of HIV in expectant mothers. For this, the officials will focus on ante natal clinics (ANC) to understand the scenario on the ground and to find out the “drivers of the epidemic” via whom the disease is transmitted to others. Further, as part of their continuous intervention programmes,

ASACS has been conducting screening of several groups of people across Assam. These include persons belonging to the High Risk Groups (HRG) such as long distance truckers (LDT) and migrant labours. ASACS officials informed that they cover several areas which have a close proximity to highways. Additionally, authorities said that since these programmes were conducted, several Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases have come to the fore.

trict health societies. The Principal Secretary of the state health and family welfare department, Samir Sinha, said that plans have been firmed up to remove the social stigma attached to the disease. “We will use this occasion (World AIDS Day) to create awareness among some targeted sections in the populace,” he added. As per the AIDS data released by officials, more than 35 lakh people in the state have been screened for HIV in the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC). Out of these, 13,946 have been detected as HIV positive. Further, Assam saw an estimated 928 new HIV infection cases in 2015, according to National AIDS Control Association (NACO) Technical Report 2015. Additionally, assistant director of targeted intervention at ASACS, Dipshikha Talukdar Haloi informed that mother to child transmission in the state was earlier high at 26% which has reduced to 4% after various interventions undertaken by the state. n “We have found more than 30 HIV positive cases among long distance truckers and more than 20 people with HIV among migrant labourers,” said assistant director of targeted intervention at ASACS, Dipshikha Talukdar Haloi. Although Assam is a state with comparatively low HIV/AIDS prevalence, the authorities feel that regular screening and large-scale awareness are needed to keep a check on the disease. Assam recently also became the first state in the country to begin intervention programmes for women living in correctional homes. Officials said that under this, they would conduct HIV screening of the population.

over the state come to Guwahati for screening at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH). The data shows that HIV prevalence is concentrated in the high-risk group populations of female sex workers (FSW), injecting drug users

(IDU) and men having sex with men (MSM). According to the HIV Sentinel Surveillance data of 2017, Long Distance Truckers (LDT) and Single Male Migrants (SMM) are considered to have a possible role in the spread of the disease. n

People with HIV to get faster diagnosis of viral load

etection of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases in Guwahati will be faster with the Viral Load Machine (VLM) expected to be set up by Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) by March next year in Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH). Currently, in the absence of the VLM in the state, test samples are sent to Kolkata from where the reports are received after many days.

The testing of viral load in HIV positive persons also helps in planning their treatment consisting of the antiretroviral therapy (ART). The viral load test is conducted as soon as a person is diagnosed with HIV. “We have obtained the license and are now in the process of ensuring that necessary standards are maintained to make the machine functional at the GMCH,” said ASACS Project n Director, Varnali Deka.

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Those found positive will be given antiretroviral therapy (ART) to keep the virus in suppression and they will also be provided counselling about different aspects of the disease including ways to combat AIDS. ASACS signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the state social welfare department and the prisons headquarters, for carrying out HIV interventions in women’s correctional homes and prisons respectively. According to officials, there is a continuous influx of women in the correctional homes which house inmates who are destitute, sex workers, those who have been

abandoned by their families or who have been apprehended for their misdemeanours. In January this year, free medicines and counselling for HIV positive inmates was started as a pilot project in the Guwahati Central Jail. This was supported by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), and was funded by Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of Project Sunrise. Under this, they send mobile Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) van, provided by NACO, to the jail premises for testing of inmates. This will now be upgraded to Facility Integrated ICTC services (FICTC) in the prisons. n

In The News

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Fate of door-to-door natural gas still uncertain Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he much awaited piped gas lines to the houses and industries in the city is still a fair bit away from becoming a reality despite the launch of a project by Duliajan Numaligarh Pipeline Ltd (DNPL) to lay pipelines from Numaligarh to Barauni (in Bihar) via Guwahati. “On June 15, 2007, it was decided that the DNP Ltd was supposed to lay underground pipelines from Duliajan to Guwahati. However, the laying of pipes was done only up to Numaligarh in Golaghat District. We’re now going to lay underground pipes along a 750 kilometre-stretch from Numaligarh to Barauni via Guwahati so as to supply piped gas door-to-door to every household in the cities along the pipeline. We also have a plan for ‘city gas distribution’ in Guwahati,”

Rupam Goswami, chairperson of DNP Ltd said. When completed, the project will be a breather to the city’s current fuel scenario which is running on a deficit supply. A source in the Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL) said the demand for natural gas in its operational area (Guwahati) far exceeds the existing supply. “It was identified that there is an additional demand of at least 13 million metric standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd) in Assam. The company currently handles about 5.5 mmscmd of natural gas,” the source said. The pipeline will have a capacity of 15 mmscmd and will source gas from Barauni that receives gas from the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) owned refinery at Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh. Goswami said that the project will also propel industrial growth in Guwahati and entire Assam.

We’re going to lay underground pipes along a 750 kilometre-stretch from Numaligarh to Barauni via Guwahati so as to supply piped gas door-to-door to every household in the cities along the pipeline.” Rupam Goswami, Chairperson, DNP Ltd. Rupam Goswami, Chairman, DNP Ltd addressing a press conference | G Plus Photo “If gas is made available, the demand will increase as new potential consumers are setting up units as part of the government of Assam’s efforts to stimulate industrial growth. As there has been no significant new gas finds

Part of a bigger plan

he project is part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s ambitious Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for northeast region - a 6,900 km pipeline network that would connect Sitwe (Myanmar) and Chittagong (Bangladesh) with most north-eastern states, Siliguri and Durgapur. The Assam project was proposed in June this year by the Assam Gas Company Ltd (AGCL), a state government enterprise, by submitting an ‘expression of interest’ to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), the downstream regulator, to lay, build and operate the pipeline from Barauni in Bihar to Guwahati via Bongaigaon. The foundation for the project was laid a decade ago in 2007 when the DNP Ltd was formed in 2007 with 40% equity stake from Numaligarh Refinery Limited, and 60% equity participation by the Assam Gas Company Ltd (AGCL). The company was registered on June 15 with its operational headquarters at AGCL, Duliajan. Prior to that, in 2004, the AGCL conceived the project of transportation of natural gas from Duliajan to Numaligarh for NRL and Oil India Limited (OIL) signed an agreement with NRL

to supply gas from Madhuban at Duliajan to NRL in 2005. GAIL, on the other hand, is building a 2,620-km gas pipeline from Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh to Haldia in West Bengal, Bokaro in Jharkhand, Dhamra in Odisha and Barauni in Bihar. The pipeline will have the capacity to transport 16 mmscmd of gas, which is expected to be received from multiple sources including liquefied natural gas or LNG from import terminals at Dahej, Dabhol and Dhamra, and coal bed methane field of Reliance Industries in Madhya Pradesh. “The company is fully capable of mobilising resources, has the necessary experience and expertise and has the support of the government of Assam at the highest levels to execute the project. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has shown a lot of enthusiasm to complete the project in the state. Our company has managed to make a profit of nearly Rs 1 crore last year. We are targeting a growth of 100% in the next six months,” Goswami said. However, the completion of the project is still uncertain as it is staring at two major hurdles – laying pipelines over the Brahmaputra River and through the Kaziranga National Park. n

in the north-eastern region, it is necessary to bring in gas from outside the region,” the company said. Through the project, gas will not only go from Assam to Bihar but will come from the rest of the country to this region

as well. “Work on the project has already been started by DNPL and a pilot feasibility report is being prepared. This will be followed by a detailed feasibility report and work on the pipelines will start soon after,” Goswami said.

NGT might play spoilsport

he Duliajan Numaligarh Pipeline Ltd cited that the 750-km natural gas pipeline project will have to be stopped if the National Green Tribunal (NGT) does not provide clearance to lay pipes inside the Kaziranga National Park. The park, which is a protected zone for the one-horned rhino and bars any construction or settlement within it, is an unavoidable part along the route from Numaligarh to Barauni in

Bihar. “In the next month, we will file a written request to the NGT urging to allow laying the pipelines and assuring that it won’t affect the flora and fauna within the park. If we make a detour around the park, the cost incurred will exceed the projects’ profit margin to a great extent,” DNPL Chairperson Goswami said. He further said that the company cannot afford an additional cost especially when the pipelines will be laid over the Brahmaputra River and that will be a very costly affair. “We cannot cross the river by attaching the pipelines with the bridges as this would add extra weight to the bridges and pose risks of collapse. We will have to lay it underground or put it on pillars high enough to

avoid impediments to navigation,” Goswami added. Meanwhile, rendering the pipeline unfeasible, the IOC, in a market study, revealed that switch to natural gas may not be economical due to the high transportation cost. Its report observed, “The tariff for northeast customers would be very high and may not be affordable until a single unified tariff comes into force. In the case of unified tariff, there would be a marginal increase for northeast customers because of the capital expenditure involved for the pipeline if implemented by GAIL. However, if another entity implements the pipeline (which in this case is DNPL), the tariff would add to the uniform tariff and make the same unaffordable for customers.” n

‘OI’ (Original Inhabitants) not to be used anywhere: SC

he Supreme Court of India on Wednesday directed NRC Coordinator Prateek Hajela not to use the term ‘OI’ (Original Inhabitants) anywhere henceforth during the NRC updation process. ‘Family tree’ of 4 lakh ap-

plicants is not matching, NRC coordinator informed the apex court. The decisions on 2 crore applicants have been taken according to Hajela, whereas 1.3 crore decisions are yet to be taken. The coordinator informed

the court that there are issues of identity mismatch of nearly 37 lakh applicants. 27 lakh people in Assam applied for NRC by producing gram panchayat documents and 10,000 applicants provided ration cards as identity proof. n

In The News

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Guwahati to host 6th International Tourism Mart Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

he sixth edition of International Tourism Mart (ITM) will be organised in Guwahati from December 5 to 7 with a view to promote trade and tourism in Assam and the northeast. The IMT will see participation of foreign delegates from at least 29 countries including China, Germany, USA, UK, Fiji, Singapore, Thailand, Spain, South Korea and Japan among others. The event will focus on developing trade and tourism ties among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and the northeast region

with the point of view of international tourism. It will bring together entrepreneurs and those interested in developing business partnerships, from all northeast states under one roof. Several deliberations and panel discussions will also take place between buyer and seller communities within the course of the three days to attract international as well as domestic investors and other stakeholders. The event will be inaugurated by the Governor of Assam, Jagdish Mukhi on December 5 at Vivanta by Taj. Other dignitaries who will be present during the occasion include Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of

File photo of a tourism mart event held earlier State (Tourism) KJ Alphons and Union Secretary Rashmi Verma among others. A senior official in the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) said that

Assamese woman specially acknowledged by Ivanka Trump

vanka Trump, the eldest daughter of the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, is presently in India to attend the 8th Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2018 in Hyderabad. While addressing the meet, Ivanka specifically mentioned three women entrepreneurs in the audience who represented “the vision, the ambition, and the grit of every entrepreneur.” One of them is Rajlakshmi Borthakur, an Assamese business woman based out of Bengaluru. Rajlakshmi Borthakur is the CEO and Founder of TerraBlue XT. Borthakur was felicitated by Ivanka Trump at the Global

Entrepreneurs Summit for her invention T-Jay, a digital glove, which can predict epilepsy attacks and helps track the patient. “When her son began having seizures at a young age, she decided to create her own solution to better monitor his health. Now her company, TerraBlue, aims to make specialty healthcare accessible. Rajlakshmi, your courage and determination are truly remarkable,” Ivanka said at GES. For her creation, Borthakur was earlier felicitated at Digital India Challenge in 2016. Interestingly, she is also recognised as one of the 12 women transforming India by the UN as well as NITI Aayog. (Sources)

Guwahati boy creating buzz with his unique pencil carving art

nish Kr Kashyap is a 21 year old pencil carver from Guwahati. This Cotton University student has been converting pencil leads into amazing pieces of art which are worth watching. Anish initially started with carving chalks about a decade ago, but it was in 2016 when he came across Salavat Fidai, a Russian sculptor’s works, that he got inspired to carve pencils.

Talking to G Plus about his inspiration, Anish said, “When I came across Salavat Fidai’s works, I was moved with his art form. He carved pencil leads, which are way too small and fragile to make structures. I first attempted pencil carving in the beginning of 2017 and it was a failure.” During his recent visit to G Plus, Anish also carved the letter ‘G’ especially for G Plus. “It took me a lot of practice to be able to finally carve my name without breaking it – this happened in June, 2017,” he further added. Anish informed G Plus that it usually takes him around 5-6 hours to carve a name while it takes days to carve sculptures. What is notable about this young artist is the fact that he’s self taught and really good at his work. n

this year, the department will also be promoting eco tourism and nature tourism since Assam has a vast potential in this field which can be further explored and developed. Government authorities feel that another tourist potential area which can be developed in the state is water sports and adven-

ture sports. The official added that home-stays are also becoming popular among tourists in Assam with a large number of visitors opting for them and

preferring to stay with the local owners of the house and trying out local delicacies. “A majority of foreign tourists are interested in village tourism and in nature tourism which the government is hoping to promote this time during the International Tourism Mart,” he said. Authorities said that one-toone business sessions will also be organised during the ITM. Additionally, the programme will include presentations by different state governments on various tourist destinations in the state. According to officials, the ITM is being organised during the tourist season in order to attract more foreign tourists in the region. n

ASSAM FOREST NOTICE “RECRUITMENT OF 90 POSTS OF CONSTABLE OF SPECIAL TIGER PROTECTION FORCE (SPECIAL RHINO PROTECTION FORCE — SRPF) IN PURSUANCE OF THE ADVERTISEMENT PUBLISHED ON 30-06-2017” IT IS FOR THE GENERAL INFORMATION OF THE CANDIDATES THOSE WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR THE POSTS OF CONSTABLE UNDER NEWLY CREATED SPECIAL TIGER PROTECTION FORCE (SPECIAL TIGER RHINO PROTECTION FORCE-SRPF) FOR KAZIRANGA TIGER RESERVE (KTR) IN RESPONSE TO THE ADVERTISEMENT ISSUED ON 30-06-2017, AS PER ADVERTISEMENT 2.5 MARKS ARE EARMARKED AGAINST (B) 1 i.e. EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND SPECIAL SKILLS. HENCE, IT IS CLARIFIED THAT THE BREAK UP OF 2.5 MARKS WILL BE AS UNDER: 1. Activities on anti-depredation/ croprotection from wild animals (Certified by Range Officer and countersigned the DFO concerned).

1/2 Mark

2. Animal Rescue (Certified by Range Officer and countersigned the DFO concerned). 1/2 Mark 3 Working as member of VDP/ EDCs (for VDP, Certificate from OC and for EDC, Certificate from RCS concerned) 1/2 Mark 4. Working with NGO or as individual in the field of wildlife conservation 86 awareness (in case of member of NGO, certificate on letter head of the concerned NGO and for individual certificate. front RO/DF0).

1/2 Mark

5. Voluntary assistance to forest authority in controlling wildlife offence/crimes (Certificate by Range Officer and countersigned the DFO concerned).

1/2 Mark

ANY CANDIDATES, WHO IS HAVING ABOVE DOCUMENTS OR PEFORMED DUTIES AS ABOVE, MUST BRING WITH HIM/HER THE CERTIFICATE(S) AT THE TIME OF PST/PET SO AS TO AWARD ENTITLED MARKS. CHAIRMAN, STATE LEVEL POLICE RECRUITMENT BOARD, ASSAM REHAB ARI, GUWAHATI Janasanyog 2158/17

In Conversation

G PLUS | DEC 02

Possible but difficult for Guwahati to be a trade hub, feels Bertil Lintner Journalist, author and strategic consultant Bertil Lintner has been writing about Asia for nearly four decades and feels that Guwahati has changed and developed. However, he feels it would be difficult for the government to turn the city into an international trade hub. Lintner talked exclusively to G Plus to explain what the state requires to be a trade hub and much more. Rahul Chanda & Avishek Sengupta

What changes have you noticed in Guwahati since late 1970s? It is a new city now. In 1970s it was a very sleepy place, not much traffic, most of the buildings as far as I remember were red bricked and life moved at a very slow pace. Now it is a booming city. It’s development has been mind boggling.

The Assam government is thinking of making Guwahati a trade hub for all the ASEAN countries. Do you think it is possible? If so, what could be the strategy according to you? Yes, it is possible, but difficult. Firstly, the infrastructure has to be improved. Roads, railways, airways should be going to Myanmar, and Myanmar would be the gateway for India to South East Asia. There has to be regular flights to destinations beyond the sub-continent. If you are talking about trade, you will have to find out what you are going to trade. What kind of goods will be exported and what will be imported. Those items are limited here. From Myanmar it is mainly beans and pulses and from Assam probably textiles, clothes and medicines. But the real challenge is to establish proper trade channels along the borders. For instance, China has a major Stilwell Road, gas and oil pipelines and high-speed trains to Myanmar which enables smooth trading between the two countries. India too requires similar infrastructure. But in Manipur, there is a market (Ibama market), which is flooded with Chinese goods that find its way through Myanmar. So, the market is there.

What do you think about the Act East Policy? How is Myanmar reacting to the policy? Well, the thing about the Act East Policy is to develop infrastructure in this (northeast)

part of the nation. Now, there are only three routes to reach Myanmar from India. The old Stilwell Road, which is in very bad shape and then you have the Moreh in Manipur and Champa in Mizoram. The terrain in Champa is very difficult and not at all viable for trade, which leaves us with Moreh in Manipur. Manipur is difficult in terms of building infrastructure because the local contractors would not come to work with the 20 different revolutionary outfits in play. So, unless the government solves these issues, the infrastructure will not be developed and the Act East Policy cannot be implemented.

There are only three routes to reach Myanmar from India. The old Stilwell Road, which is in very bad shape and then you have the Moreh in Manipur and Champa in Mizoram. The terrain in Champa is very difficult and not at all viable for trade, which leaves us with Moreh in Manipur. Manipur is difficult for building infrastructure because of the 20 different revolutionary outfits in play. Are there any prospects for Assam in terms of tourism from the South-East Asian countries? Yes there are and I can think of a lot of aspects in developing the same. If I recall properly, there was a to and fro flight between Assam and Thailand with the hope that Thai tourists would visit this part in search of links of their ancestors and descendents in Assam. But that failed because Thai people are not all that

keen for history. What the governments in the Northeast can tap into is adventure tourism. White water rafting, trekking, fishing and several more tourist activities are yet untapped in this region. The governments are organising quite a number of festivals here to attract tourism and project the culture of this region, but these are not attracting many foreign tourists. Moreover, most of these happen once or twice a year and we can’t expect the tourists to match their schedules accordingly.

You are known as an expert in conflict reporting. Do you think Assam and Northeast will ever be free of militancy? What is the solution according to you? We must first look at the level of violence in this part of the country. In the 70’s it (insurgency) wasn’t that much. Well, in Nagaland and Mizoram, it was; in Manipur, it was just starting.

1980s and 90s can be termed as the worst decades. It was then that we saw the rise of militancy in Assam which affected the life of the people in the entire region. Then an accord was struck at Mizoram, but Nagaland, Manipur and Assam remained same. Today, the situation has improved in terms of security and peace policies. The worst state still remains Manipur, which will remain the same for a long time, but Assam’s condition has

changed significantly. ULFA-I still remains a force to be reckoned with, but their base is in Myanmar. From there they do cross-border raids, in Manipur and Nagaland, but have never managed to reach Assam.

It is a known fact that most of the rebel groups of Northeast have formed bases in Myanmar. Why do you think it is difficult for both the countries – India and Myanmar – to oust these rebel groups? Is Myanmar government providing shelter to these rebel groups? The Myanmar government isn’t providing shelter; they are just turning a blind eye to them because they have other more pressing agenda in their kitty. The Kachin Army is demanding for a Kachin state and more recent is the pressing crisis of the Rakhine state. Rakhine state consists of not only Rohingiyas, but a lot of Buddhists who call themselves the Arakhine

In Conversation

2 - dec 08, 2017 Buddhist Army. They don’t (Myanmar Army) care about the ULFA-I or NSCN – Khaplang or the Manipuri insurgent groups. Both the countries had talks over this issue, but no action. That is only because it is not their priority. They are involved with their own internal security threats. They had joint operations with the Indian Army, but no result. There were coordinated operations too, but no result yet. Once, the Indian Army went inside Myanmar to launch a strike too, but could not pass the border areas.

Are there any immediate threats of Rohingya refugees entering India? A few of the refugees have entered India in Hyderabad, Jammu and Delhi. How they got there nobody knows, but they did. However, it is very possible that a bulk of these refugees will enter India through the northeast. This is the most logical argument. I mean, Bangladesh is one of the most populated countries and the Rohingiyas don’t have anywhere else to go. The only reasonably sparsely populated areas of Bangladesh are the Chittagong hills but the native hill tribes will not allow the Rohingiyas to settle there. So, the only way out is here.

There were hundreds and thousands of refugees coming into Bangladesh and they are trying hard to survive. But I will not be surprised if they try to move from Bangladesh in the next one year because there is nothing to survive there. The camps are like cities with almost a million people. They have no work and nothing to eat besides smuggling people from here and there. Logically, they would try to move on. Now, besides their dialect of Chittagong, there isn’t much difference from people living here. So, if they live in Bangladesh and learn the Bengali and then come here, who can differentiate them from the local lot?

Talking about the image of India, do you think after 2014 when BJP came to power, the image has improved? Hard for me to say, but the profile of India has changed in terms of being very outward looking. Modi had been an active traveller which is making progress. It spoke substance about this nation when he (Modi) challenged China and formed allies with Japan. Look at the Dokhlam dispute. China didn’t really need that at all. But what is more important is that India very quickly reacted

Bertil Lintner’s published works Outrage: Burma’s Struggle for Democracy - 1989 The rise and fall of the Communist Party of Burma - 1990 Burma in Revolt - 1994 Land of Jade: A journey from India through Northern Burma to China - 1996 Burma in Revolt: How Burma Became The World’s Biggest Heroin Producer - 1998 Blood Brothers: Crime, Business and Politics in Asia - 2002 Blood Brothers: The Criminal Underworld of Asia - 2003 Great Leader, Dear Leader - 2005 Merchants of Madness - 2009 Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s struggle with Democracy - 2011 Great Game East: India, China and the struggle for Asia’s most volatile frontier - 2012 World. Wide. Web. - 2012 The Kachin: Lords of Burma’s Northern Frontier - 2014 China’s India War: Collision Course on the Roof of the World - 2017

(L-R) Consultant Editor Rajeev Bhattacharyya, Editor Swapnil Bharali, Bertil Lintner and Publisher Sunit Jain during the author’s visit to G Plus

to that crisis and found its way out too. It was a hard approach to the problem, but the question is would anything else have worked? There always is diplomacy, but I don’t think it could be a solution to crisis as such.

India coming out of the One Belt One Road, what kind of impact would it have on the country’s economy? India is developing very fast. In fact, it is one of the fastest growing countries in the world and it is bound to have an effect. In terms of economic influence, political influence to some extent, but most importantly regional influence, India has managed to gain a great extent on those (influences). China is talking about its One Belt one Road project and the historic Silk route and these are very exciting in terms of economic interest. But the last

time China had ever ventured on the Indian Ocean was in the 15th century.

Can you speak a bit about your upcoming new book ‘China’s War with India’ and give us a sneak peak on it? The publishers are trying to make it India’s China War, but I am trying to prove them wrong as it is actually China’s India War. But, my next book is going to be about the Indian Ocean and you will know about the clash of interests between the different countries. It was an explorer called Zheng Ho, who was a Muslim eunuch from Younun who travelled all over South Asia into Africa and with his fleet of junk and returned with elephants, zebras and other animals which the Chinese never saw. Then came the Ming dynasty which concentrated more on riverine navy, then the exploration and that was

the end of Chinese venture on Indian Ocean until now. Now that China is venturing on Indian Ocean, it means a clash of interest with America, India, Australia and France. France controls 2.5 million square kilometres of trade in Indian Ocean. This is something I am going to write about in my next book. n

It is very possible that a bulk of the Rohingya refugees will enter India through the northeast. This is the most logical argument. I mean, Bangladesh is one of the most populated countries and the Rohingiyas don’t have anywhere else to go.

G Talk

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017 T

Bertil’s protégés

o most Assamese, Myanmar (formerly Burma) has remained a country behind the iron curtain – mysterious, military-ruled, off-the-limits with a very unsavoury history of hostility towards Assam. Not always has the country been seen in good light especially as it has been the proven safe haven for the militant groups of the northeast including ULFA. However, with the recent ushering of democracy into the country and an elected representative heading it, corporate incursions by Indian MNCs have been quite in the news. After all, the growth potential is tremendous and Myanmar has a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the world – in all fields including its fourth estate. G Plus was happy to have as its guests 13 young journalists from Myanmar who were in Guwahati on a study tour. I refer to them as Bertil’s protégés; they accompanied the iconic writer Bertil Lintner on his recent trip to Guwahati. There were intelligent questions galore from the young journos; most of the questions pertained to the business or non-editorial side of a publication. Sustaining a publication without government patronage fasci-

nated them as did the aspect of revenue generation from advertisements. Apparently, the most prominent newspapers in Myanmar – two in Burmese and one in English were essentially government mouthpieces where freedom of expression was still fairly clamped down despite their democratic dispensation. The military junta still had a strong say on what can be written and published; liberal use of the currently disturbing term “Rohingya” is prohibited! If written at all, it needs to be explained as “Bengali Muslims from Rakhine District” within brackets. The other aspect that fascinated them was the propulsion of digital media as a format of news dissemination. A fair number of them were comfortable conversing in English; one of them had an almost American accent. But what caught my attention was the sparkle in their eyes, the energy in their voices and the clear conscience in them that showed their desire to change their country for the better. All of them were home-educated, most in the University of Yangon that carried a fee tag of a mere $500 per semester. But their commitment to improve all this shone through. Swapnil Bharali Editor

Protect nature, but at what cost?

ne of the biggest news in the past week has been the eviction of residents at Amchang Reserve Forest and this exercise stands as a testament to the Government’s poor planning and the lack of foresight. Approximately 10 sq km of Amchang’s 78.64 sq km area has been encroached by people and this has happened over a period of over two decades. For all these 25-30 years, the government has collected electricity bills, khazana for the land, recognized the panchayat, constructed LP Schools, built houses under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), made toilets, put up transformers and telecom poles for the residents at Amchang. However, the main question is, why is it that after decades of pouring blood, sweat and money into a piece of land that I call ‘home’, the government decides to call it encroachment? The main problem is that indigenous families had to pay the price for the administration’s shoddy planning. Taking the case of the houses built under IAY; these houses were bulldozed in minutes. However, these are the same houses that they claim as 'growth figures’ had elections been near and at the same time, distributed chump change to woo their voters while setting up a polling booth in the said ‘encroached’ area. The hoardings would’ve read, "X nos. of homes, built under IAY" and then, they would gloat. I do not deny the seriousness of man-animal conflict in the state, but how does the government break down 30 year old houses, which they sanctioned themselves and then at the same time grant the construction of the Ramdev’s Patanjali at Tezpur in an Elephant Corridor? The hills, rivers and wetlands are the lifeline of the city and not limited to Amchang alone. They need to be protected, but at what cost? SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

Demonetisation – a rational stock-taking

t the outset I would like to clarify that I am no expert in economics nor pretend to be one. But being a neurosurgeon with socio political connects, I can claim to offer an educated person’s perspective. And I venture to state that PM Modi’s demonetisation move is nothing short of a disaster. Let me qualify my statement with reasons. If I recall right (as would all of us) the reason given when this exercise was announced was to obliterate black money from the economy; black money was supposedly being hoarded in high value notes (HVN). When cash in circulation began to deluge the banks, the embarrassed government kept changing its reasons: eradicating counterfeit currency, terror funds, ushering in a cashless economy etc. Today, nearly all cash, especially the HVN, has come back to the banks. Did the black money holders have prior information of the exercise or is it that all cash in circulation is not black or unaccounted money? No significant volume of counterfeit currency appeared. Stone pelting or terror acts did not reduce. In fact recently, Kashmiri Hurriyat leaders were arrested for receiving terror money. As for ushering in a cashless economy, normal cash transactions are pretty much back. Never has the world seen such an exercise with so many and such frequent change of goal posts. Where did the government go wrong? Firstly, it embarked on an exercise without any defined goal. The government neither had anything prepared to face the consequences, nor was aware of ground realities. What are the ground realities? 93% of rural centres in In-

dia have no banking facilities and depend either on mobile banking facilities or banking institutions located far away. A meagre 3% of the rural population has access to any form of internet which again is of low quality. In such a scenario, it was perhaps too ambitious to believe Jan Dhan Yojana accounts will be the magic wand. In fact, one can take an educated guess that a lot of these JDY accounts were used for black to white conversions (or was that the main intent?). The rural and semi urban economy took the hardest hit as a result. Demonetisation led to lack of liquid cash. Producers and traders had no customers. They were either forced to sell at distressed prices or not sell at all. Consumers suffered as producers could not get their produce to markets and

Benefits like direct transfer, increase in EPF, ESIC etc could have happened without demonetisation. In fact, a lot of issues happening after demonetisation are forcefully linked to it without any rhyme or reason traders did not have the means to buy. Not only farm produce, the small and medium industry suffered too for lack of cash inflow and lack of buyers. The snowball effect was palpable. Sale of luxury items like cars, two-wheelers and consumer goods fell. Real estate suffered the most not because people did not have black money to deposit but also due to general setback to the economy. Thus, no one was spared of its devastation. Jobs were lost, no new jobs got created. For a government which promised 1 million jobs a year, this was a sheer disaster. Beyond this, let us recall the 100 plus deaths, serpentine queues at ATMs, low denomination bundles offered by banks, government, corporate and private enterprise grinding to halt, long queues at banks to deposit demonetized currency, poor infrastructure for cashless transactions – the nightmare remains

r Don’t politicize Nagalim

O pinion Dr. Navanil Barua

fresh indeed. In short, the government simply failed to understand the traditional informality of the Indian economy. It was long postulated that because of the informal cash economy, Indians had the traditional strength and resilience which took even the worst economic slowdown of the 1990s head-on. The government mistook informal economy for illegal economy. Terror thrives not only on cash but on drugs, rhino horns, gold, contraband etc. Demonetisation can hardly affect these factors. After a year now, the rationalizations presented by the bhakts and pro-Modi experts are nothing but laughable; the most bizarre assertion is that BJP won most elections after demonetisation. Strange logic as no election was contested as a referendum to demonetisation only. Congress used to win most elections till 2014. Did this necessarily mean that people endorsed its corruptions till then? So now the tax base has widened. More people filing IT returns doesn’t mean more tax payers. Most of the new assesses file either nil returns or low taxes – a fact proved by no proportionate increase in the income tax collections. Did we require demonetisation for this? What about the sheer cost of printing new currency and destroying old notes? It’s a severe dent on RBI’s contribution to the government. Shell companies were detected on basis of investigations, not currency changes. Other benefits like direct transfer, increase in EPF, ESIC etc could have happened without demonetisation. In fact, a lot of issues happening after demonetisation are forcefully linked to it without any rhyme or reason. Let’s just be honest to ourselves in accepting the fact that if demonetisation was done with good intent, it was an exercise without a thought out goal, on a totally unprepared system, with a very unprofessional attitude. If it was a publicity stunt, it has backfired badly. And if the intent was to convert black money of friends to white at whatever cost to the nation, then I consider it as the most successful fraud ever. n

Letter to the Editor

he Nagalim issue is currently one of the burning issues of the state. People residing along the border of Nagaland are already bearing the brunt of the issue. Congress meanwhile is trying their level best to politicize the whole issue to derive political mileage. Recently former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and APCC chief Ripun Bora led a Congress delegation that went close to the Nagaland boundary and held a few meetings and rallies. But the octogenarian leader has totally forgotten his failure to solve the few decades long vexed problem. While he was Chief Minister of Assam, Nagaland too was ruled by his party and to top the matter his party was also in power at the Centre. At that time he had the best opportunity to lay the issue to rest forever. Now people like Tarun Gogoi, Ripun Bora, Rupjyoti Kurmi, etc are shedding crocodile tears only to fool people for their political benefits. One thing to remind to leaders mentioned above is that one can fool a few people for some time but not all the people all the time. Lanu Dutta Chowdhury, GNB Road, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Nitoo Das

Poet, birder, caricaturist

est known for her poetry, Nitoo Das is a multifaceted personality hailing from Guwahati. She’s currently a teacher of English Literature at Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. Her poems have appeared in national and international publications including Tehelka, Muse India and Poetry International Web among others. Nitoo did her schooling from St. Mary’s Convent, Guwahati and went to Cotton College for higher secondary education and graduation with BA in English Honours. She then shifted to New Delhi to pursue MA in English from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), from where she also completed her M. Phil. and Ph.D. Talking to G Plus about her childhood, Nitoo recalls, “My home, near the Brahmaputra, was an unceasing mark in my life. Still is. When the Assam Agitation began, I was seven years old. The river was forever flooded with corpses. The anxieties of those days still return in nightmares.” Nitoo had always wanted to

pursue a career in education. As a child, she used to ‘teach’ the wooden pillars at her friend’s house. In school and college, she met some very exciting educators – from whom she used to learn both inside and outside the classroom – who inspired her to be like them. Nitoo wrote her first poem at the tender age of 9. It was a tragic poem about a “poor, church mouse.” Speaking about her journey as a poet, she said, “My journey has not been linear. My first love was prose: short stories and essays. They’re forms that speak to me even now. When I came to JNU, I gave up the other genres and wrote only poetry for a brief while. All my prose was reserved for research. And then, for almost a decade, I stopped writing altogether. That was a strange phase of my life. In 2003, I was granted leave from work to complete my Ph.D. During this year, I got back to poetry with a vengeance.” Her roots and her preoccupation with the natural world are manifested in her writings. The poems draw from the language

and culture she grew up in and largely revolve around the everyday objects of life. She proudly wears the feminist tag in her life as well as in her poetry. Talking about Boki, the first collection of her poetry, Nitoo informed G Plus, “The title, Boki, was taken from my poem ‘Doiboki’. In this poem, a woman’s name breaks up into pieces, turns into a taunt, a song. In Assamese, “to bok” means to mutter meaninglessly, almost crazily. Boki worked with these multiple layers: poetry as naming, as voice, as uncontrollable speech.” Her second book of poems, Cyborg Proverbs, arrived nine years later. It carries forward similar ideas with a significant component on travel, birding and bird photography. Nitoo is also a self-taught photographer. While she was always interested in birds, she started photographing them only a decade ago. She’s gotten too involved with issues of representation ever since. “Because my poetry also deals with concerns of framing, magnification, post processing, etc, bird-watching

became important for my writing,” she said, striking the similarity between her poems and bird-watching. When asked about her favourite birding moment, Nitoo said, “A recent birding moment that I find meaningful happened during my fourth trip to Ladakh in June this year. It was very early in the morning on the banks of the Tso Kar, where I had gone hoping for a sighting of Black-necked Cranes. Except for the Kiangs that dotted the landscape, I was all alone. After a three and a half kilometre walk from our camp, I did see a family of the Blacknecked Cranes and I managed to click a few hazy images from afar because I was afraid my approach would scare them away. The IUCN status of this crane is ‘vulnerable’. So, it was a rare sighting!” Her other interests include caricatures, comic books, fractals, horror films, studies of online communities, her exam-thread superhero, Tagman, and translation from Assamese to English. Taking about her interest in caricature, Nitoo informed G Plus, “For me, drawing is primordial. I can imagine my ancestors poring over tree bark, preparing indigo, wondering about greens. I have drawn all my life, but nowadays, it’s something that happens mostly inside my mind. I don’t

have the time/energy to translate the images of my mind onto paper. I let them stay within.” “The idea of caricature seeps into the way I understand poetry. Distortion and warping design a lot of what I write,” she further adds. She is also interested in the relationship between poetry and the internet. “The internet gives people a way to articulate their ‘writerly’ capacities and perhaps they have understood that self-publication is a powerful new-age tool. Many a time, mainstream publishing houses do not give poetry the attention it deserves. However, several online journals have created a much-needed space for writers now,” Nitoo pointed out.

Is the administration’s eviction at Amchang Reserve Forest without rehabilitation arrangements justified? Sushmita Nath Yes, I support the move. Eviction is not a one day process, it is a long process. Bohut bosor dhori case soli thake (Cases carry on for long years). The encroachers of Amchang knew that they have illegally occupied forest land and they should find another place for their homes. It’s their fault that they didn’t vacate the area sooner. And why should the government think about their rehabilitation? They are encroachers and not victims of natural calamity.

Devapradatta Nath These are our own people; our own brothers and sisters. This is unjustified. Right at the start of the winter amidst rain and at the end of the month when people have least finances in their hands, they have been thrown out to die. Had it been a flood, didn’t these people deserve relief? Forget about rehabilitation, where is relief? Prakash Rupani I strongly condemn the eviction drive by the state government. Lakhs and lakhs of Bangladeshis are living illegally in the state but this government is again performing like Congress, TMC and communist parties – anti-Hindu, anti-national. Fed up of such actions! Duxad Maina I can only say that injustice always happens with the poor. What was the government doing when people were building their houses in the forest area? Even the politicians went to beg for votes in all those areas. Earlier, Amchang was not a forest area. All political parties are the same. They can only use their power on common people.

Total Voters

2000

Maharnav Bhuyan How much will you think about humans? It’s time we think about animals too. Being a superior species we can at least shout and cry to express our agony when we lose illegal occupation of land that belongs to animals; alas they can’t even express their agony over losing their habitats. Currently 73.82% of Assam’s territory can be legally inhabited by humans. Only 27% is allotted for animals. This earth belongs to everyone. We must have some respect towards it.

Snippets

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Skill training & placement institute inaugurated

Riniki Bhuyan Sarma (3rd R) and Swapnil Bharali (4th R) with the founders of Trig Empowering Institute

he Trig Empowering Institute – an institute imparting professional certificate courses in aviation, hospitality and corporate culture – was inaugurated at its premises at RG Baruah

Road, opposite Gauhati Commerce College on 26th November last. The institute was inaugurated by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, Managing Director of Pride East Entertainments Pvt. Ltd. and Swapnil Bharali, editor-in-chief

of G Plus, Guwahati’s premier English weekly tabloid. The institute has been opened with a vision to empower the youth of the northeast with the right career opportunities and inculcate in them the skills that are required to excel in these fields. The entrepreneurs behind the institute are Shyamango Protim Kashyap, Founder, Raghav Bora and Rituraj Khaund, Directors. Speaking on the idea behind bringing this institute to Guwahati, Kashyap said, “This institute will offer its specially designed courses at the lowest fees in the industry. Further, due to our long stint in the field in New Delhi, we have developed a solid placement cell that will put in an honest effort in providing jobs to the certificate holders from this region with the top companies.” n

Brain Jam Quiz to be held on December 3

he 12th edition of the mega quizzing event, Brain Jam National Quiz, will be held at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital’s auditorium on December 3. The quizzing programme will be conducted by noted quizmaster, Barry O’Brien. The theme of the quiz is “Apna Desh Ko Jano” (Know Your Country). The intention is to disseminate information about unity in diversity of India. On December 3 the prelim-

inary rounds will start from 3 pm onwards while the finale would start by 5 pm. Quiz enthusiasts across the region eagerly look forward to this mega quiz show in the city. Brain Jam has witnessed a steady increase in the number of contestants and participation of audience. Brain Jam is the celebration of quest for knowledge and the organizers assure that this year the event will live up to its lofty standards. n

15-day free training program organised

District Administration to take stern action against onion sellers

n view of recent price rise of onion, as per the direction of Dr M Angamuthu, Deputy Commissioner Kamrup (M), a review meeting on stock and prices of onion was held on Thursday at the DC’s Office. The meeting was chaired by Addl. Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M). The leading onion merchants of Guwahati, Vinod Jain and Rajendra Kumar Surana, informed that the wholesaler can release a price range of Rs 4,800 to Rs 5,000 per quintal as wholesale price considering the present trend of

onion price. The merchant also informed that this unprecedent-

ed and abnormal price rise is due to the poor production of onions at sources, particularly in Nasik. The district administration directed the onion merchants to load maximum quantity of onion to make it available in Guwahati market so that no artificial scarcity occurs. Regular monitoring is being carried out by the area officer to verify purchase memos of onion and in case of sale of onion at an exorbitant price, strict action will be taken against the seller. n

Mirabai Chanu from NE India wins gold at World Weightlifting Championship

irabai Chanu has become the first Indian in over two decades to claim a gold medal at the World Weightlifting

Championship in Anaheim, USA. Chanu, who is employed with the Indian Railways, lifted 85 kgs in Snatch and 109 kgs

in Clean & Jerk to total an impressive 194 kgs in the Women’s 48 kg, in the process setting a new national record. Seeing the tri-colour from the podium, tears of joy rolled down her cheeks, as Chanu picked up a rare honour for an Indian at the marquee event. Chanu’s outing in Anaheim was very different from the way things panned out in Rio last year when she put up a disappointing performance as she could not get an overall total in women’s 48 kg after failing to lift the weight in any of her three attempts in the Clean & Jerk section. In a field of 12 lifters at the Rio Games, she was one of two lifters who did not finish her event. n

15-day free training program on aviation, hospitality and personality development for 100 students who have passed HS and are below the age of 26 is being organized by a citybased institute. With the aim of providing solution to the unemployment, Fly Wings, based at Zoo Road, Guwahati, has initiated a free training program to train 100 unemployed people from all over the northeast for 15 days. The main objective of this training program is to help the unemployed youth devel-

op their skills and fulfill the requirements of the present service industry. This program will also help them to channelize their skills and knowledge in the right direction to build a better tomorrow and live with dignity and respect with a decent job. Through this training program, Fly Wings seeks to create and promote career awareness in the field of service industry. The highlight of this training will be: grooming, interview skills, customer service, knowledge of aviation, hospitality & tourism industry, etc. n

State Govt takes responsibility to train Ankushita for her future endeavours

he state government has taken the responsibility to train the AIBA Youth Women’s World Championship gold medal winner Ankushita Boro from Assam for all her future endeavours. State Sports Minister Naba

Kumar Doley announced this during a press meet held at Guwahati on Tuesday. The Government has also announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakhs for the player. n

Trotter

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Donkeys jailed for 4 days in Uttar Pradesh

n Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun District, convicts of a different kind walked out of the Urai Jail on Monday - a herd of eight donkeys. Their crime was a costly one

for they destroyed expensive plants outside the jail compound. The four-legged criminals had to spend four days behind bars for their offence. The plants reportedly cost jail authorities

several lakhs of rupees. “These donkeys had destroyed some very expensive plants which our senior officer had arranged for planting inside jail and despite warnings the owner let loose his animals here so we detained the donkeys,” jail head constable RK Mishra told news agency ANI. The Uttar Pradesh police clarified today that it had no role to play in the detention; prison officials were responsible. A local politician submitted the bail amount for the offenders after which the offenders were allowed to walk out. The concerned owner waited as the donkeys walked out. “I came here to get my donkeys released. Eight of them were locked up for four days,” owner Kamlesh said. n

Two American tourists fined in Thailand for ‘belfie’ at temple

hai authorities have fined two American tourists for public indecency for posing for a “butt selfie” in front of a famous Buddhist temple, police said on Wednesday. The two, who police identified as Joseph Dasilva, 38, and Travis Dasilva, 36, were arrested late on Tuesday at an airport in the capital, Bangkok. They were each fined 5,000 Baht ($154) for baring their buttocks for a picture taken last week at Bangkok’s Wat Arun, or Temple of the Dawn. “The two American citizens have admitted taking the picture,” district police Chief Jaruphat Thongkomol told. While Thailand has a reputation for racy night life, the predominantly Buddhist country is deeply conservative and revealing clothing is frowned upon while public nudity is considered offensive.

The two men had an Instagram account called “traveling_ butts” which showcased similar selfies taken at tourists sites around the world. The account had more than 14,000 followers but on Wednesday it was deleted. Jaruphat said the two would also be fined for a similar pic-

ture taken at another temple in Bangkok. They were being held at an immigration detention centre while police considered a possible violation of Thailand’s Computer Crime Act, as the photograph was uploaded online, n Jaruphat said.

Zomato’s latest ad campaign is viral, but not everyone’s loving it

ndian restaurant search and discovery service Zomato has been turning heads with its latest outdoor ad campaign. Throughout the Delhi

and the National Capital Region, residents can now witness enormous witty hoardings with Bollywood puns, pop culture references and hilarious rhymes. The ad campaign with its funny creatives has gone viral on social media, but not everyone seems to have taken a liking to it. One particular ad by Zomato has sparked mixed reactions online. Commentator and author Suhel Seth took to Twitter to call out Zomato for what he terms a 'shameful' ad. He even tagged

Information & Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani as well as the Advertising Standards Council of India in the tweet. Zomato's co-founder, Pankaj Chaddah, immediately apologised for the ad saying that the company will take it down. However, many on the microblogging site have urged Mr Seth to look for the humour in the hoarding. In fact, many have even praised Zomato for the ad and its tongue-in-cheek humour. n

‘Baahubali’ was the real winner at this NBA basketball game

number of school children recently took over the basketball court during a National Basketball Association (NBA) game in Orlando, Florida and danced to ‘Saahore Baahubali’ from the super-hit film series Baahubali. A short video posted on Facebook and Twitter by NBA India shows young girls in bright yellow lehengas and sparkling cholis show off their dance moves. Joining them were young boys doing their best to channel Prabhas’ strong and majestic Baahubali. Each step was perfectly choreographed. “Orlando gets treated to some CRAZY DESI VIBES,” writes the NBA in a caption accompanying the video. After getting uploaded on Facebook on November 21, the video has been watched over

796,000 times and shared over 1000 times. At just over a minute long, the video is a huge hit on social media. “Awesome! I want all of America to find out about Baahubali! I’m a diehard fan of Baahubali and Prabhas,” gushes one person on Twitter. “Wow! It’s amazing,” comments another. “Wow! Time for Baahubali 3 sir,” tweets a third, tagging the film’s director SS Rajamouli. It has been over two years since the first of SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali series released. Baahubali: The Beginning was released in 2015 and its sequel, Baahubali: The Conclusion hit screens in April this year. The two-part epic drama set the box office in India and abroad on fire making history each time. n

Flipping lids! Chinese barber offers eyelid shaves

hinese street barber Xiong Gaowu deftly scrapes a straight razor along the inside of his customer’s eyelid. “You should be gentle, very, very gentle,” said Xiong, who performs traditional eyelid shaves at his roadside location in Chengdu, the capital of the south-western province of Sichuan. Customers swear by the practice of “blade wash eyes”, as it is known in Mandarin, saying they trust Xiong’s skill with the blade. Xiong, 62, said he learned the technique in the 1980s and serves up to eight customers a

week, charging 80 yuan ($12) per shave. “It was difficult at the beginning but it became a piece of cake afterwards,” he said. The technique appears to unblock moisturizing sebaceous glands along the rim of the eyelid, said Qu Chao, an opthalmologist who works at a nearby hospital in Chengdu. “Patients will feel their eyes are dry and uncomfortable when the glands are blocked,” she said. “When he is shaving, it is most likely that he is shaving the openings of these glands.” She said there was a risk of infection if the equipment was not sterilized. “If he can properly sterilize the tools that he uses, I can still see there is a space for this technique to survive,” Qu said. While customers insisted their eyes felt better after a shave, onlookers cringed at the sight of Xiong wielding his razor. n

Reviews

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Cast: Kapil Sharma, Ishita Dutta, Monica Gill, Kumud Mishra, Rajesh Sharma, etc Director: Rajiv Dhingra

vie Mo view Re Firangi

ew celebrities can squander public rapport and then rebuild it. While actor-comedian Kapil Sharma may have blown away his kudos earlier this year with his infamous fight with Sunil Grover, he is now on his way to win back his fans’ support. Set in 1921 preindependent India, Firangi, limited budget period film, is a languid love story served with a pinch of patriotism.

The film oozes the charm of the village life in the beginning and Kapil’s earthy humour, his absolute biggest strength, drives it forward. The songs are beautiful and the Punjabi tunes bring the rustic sweetness of a pine entwine splendidly with the film’s theme. Ishita Dutta plays the village belle that Kapil falls in love with and plays the role to saccharine

perfection. Edward Sonnenblick and Anjan Srivastav (as Gandhi bhakt) look logical and put in some effort to their characters. They try to infuse some method to the unending madness. While the premise of the film may seem too simplified a representation for a traumatic episode in the country’s history, Firangi proves to be an entertaining film if you decide to ignore that. n

Cast: Arbaaz Khan, Sunny Leone, Aarya Babbar, Gauhar Khan, etc Director: Raajeev Walia

unny Leone and Arbaaz Khan starrer Tera Intezaar is a sentimental spine chiller which brings back the Khan in a lead part after quite a while. The film is an account of a much-enamored couple whose life goes upside down after Veer otherwise known as Arbaaz disappears and Sunny who plays the part of Veer’s sweetheart Raunak starts

searching for him frantically. Dotted with one forgettable song after another, mostly depicting Veer and Rounak’s love story, Tera Intezaar is based on a story by Anwar Khan, with screenplay, editing and direction by Rajeev Walia. Arya Babbar is on his own trip and performing in a different movie genre altogether. Sunny Leone works hard to show she’s got acting skills in a film where the

only performer who can trump her is Sudha Chandran. The chemistry between Leone and Khan is as palpable as an ice cube on a frozen lake. If you last till the end of this messy mystery, then be prepared for a twist in the tale. From performing planchette to listening to conversations via paintings, Tera Intezaar can entertain you at many levels. Just don’t n doze off.

Gadget Launch

XIAOMI Mi Mix 2 launched in City

iaomi India launches Mi Mix 2 smartphone in Guwahati at Northeast’s first Mi exclusive store Tech-Zone. Xiaomi’s first premium-segment smartphone is now available at retail stores across Guwahati. The smartphone is priced at Rs.36,499 and features a bezel-less 5.99 inch screen. It also packs a powerful Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor and comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. It has been designed by world renowned designer Philippe Stark. Kamal Futuristic Technol-

ogy Pvt Ltd, the distributor for Xiaomi smartphones in Guwahati, was present at the launch. Pankaj Surana, Director of Kamal Futuristic Technology Pvt Ltd while launching the phone said, “With this launch we are looking to garner sizable market in the premium phone segment. We are eyeing to be number one selling mobile phone in the high end segment. Presently we are placed at number two in high end mobile segment.” As per IDC report for Q3 2017, Xiaomi India shipped 9.2 million units and commands

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808 Murder on the Orient Express 10:10 AM 05:55 PM Firangi 10:15 AM 01:30 PM 03:25 PM 04:45 PM 08:00 PM Tumhari Sulu 11:30 AM 03:00 PM Tera Intezaar 12:40 PM 08:25 PM Thor: Ragnarok 12:40 PM Titanic 02:20 PM Coco 06:10 PM Justice League 06:40 PM 09:15 PM Avatar 08:45 PM

Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 0361 2656968 Firangi 11:00 AM 05:30 PM Tera Intezaar 02:15 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Firangi 09:45 AM 06:15

vie Mo view Re

PM 08:50 PM Geostorm 10:30 AM 03:45 PM Coco 01:00 PM Tera Intezaar 01:00 PM Tumhari Sulu 03:20 PM Justice League 06:15 PM Murder on the Orient Express 09:30 PM

HUB 09706989143 Firangi 10:30 AM 02:00 PM 05:15 PM 08:45 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 Tera Intezaar 10:30 AM 03:15 PM Firangi 10:45 AM 02:00 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM Justice League 12:45 PM 08:15 PM Tumhari Sulu 05:30 PM

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166 Firangi 11:00 AM 11:15 AM 02:15 PM 05:15 PM 08:15 PM Tera Intezaar 02:00 PM 08:00 PM Sonar Baran Pakhi 05:00 PM

Gold Cinema Lakhtokia 0361 2735367 Firangi 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 02:15 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM 08:15 PM Tera Intezaar 11:15 AM 05:15 PM

Apsara Cinema Paltan Bazaar 0361 2541335 Tera Intezaar 11:00 AM

Tera Intezaar

a 23.5% market share. Its latest model Mix 2 has made a great impact in the trade. It is the most fantastic product till date and clearly it can be said that “minimal bezels, maximal views.” Debabrata Nath, owner of Tech-Zone, said “We are privileged to host the launch event of the smartphone. Xiaomi India has earned a special place in the hearts of Indian mobile users and the Mix 2 is another milestone the company has achieved in its efforts to offer the best products at an affordable price. I am proud to associate with such a quality brand and hope we can offer a great experience to Mi fans all over the city and beyond.” Xiaomi India is currently the number one smartphone brand in the top 50 cities of India, according to a recent survey done by the IDC. About Tech-Zone: TechZone is an exclusive Mi smartphone and accessories retail

Galleria Cinemas

outlet situated at Silpukhuri, Guwahati. The shop offers a themed experience to Mi fans all over the city and has quick-

Firangi 02:00 PM 05:00 PM

ly established itself as one of the prime destinations for getting the latest Mi products in the city. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Young Guwahati composer’s song released on Sony Rox

ishab Jain, a young music composer hailing from Guwahati, has recently released his first composition ‘Tu Woh Aadat’. Composed entirely by Rishab, the heart touching song has been written and sung by young artist Sanskriti Shankar and produced by Indian Music Lab. The song was first aired on Sony Rox on 21st November and is also available on YouTube. Born and brought up in Guwahati, Rishab has studied in different parts of the country. He did his schooling partially from Happy Child High School, Guwahati and partially from BRCM Public School, Haryana. He then went on to LK Singhania Education Centre, Rajasthan for Higher Secondary and then to AAT Media College, Mumbai to study Sound Engineering and Media Production. Currently, Rishab is pursuing graduation from Bhartiyar University, Coimbatore and working at Indian Music Lab, Mumbai as a production executive. “I always wanted to study in boarding schools across India. I’m lucky to have parents who’re extremely supportive and always let me fulfil my dreams. Every school

I went to gave me immense exposure and helped mould me into the person I’m today,” informs Rishab about his experience of studying in various parts of the country. At a very young age, Rishab started playing the guitar. He used to be a part of the school choir, performed in orchestras and took part in various annual functions and inter-school music competitions. A teacher once advised him to pursue his hobby as a profession and that’s what Rishab did – he went on to pursue formal training in sound engineering and music production. Talking to G Plus about choosing music as a career, Rishab said, “I have always found peace in music and I am grateful that it is what I have decided on doing professionally. I am a firm believer of the fact that if we love what we do, it will never feel like ‘work’.” Talking about his debut song, Rishab said, “’Tu Woh Aadat’ is a dynamic song that can be enjoyed by people from all age groups. Every single line of the song is deeply meaningful and I tried to do complete justice to the lyrics. As a debutant, ‘Tu Woh Aadat’ was more of a learning experience for me than just a composition.” He further informed us that there are many more projects in the pipeline that he’s working on. Rishab first joined the Indian Music Lab as an intern when he had just graduated out of AAT Media College. There, he underwent intense training, polishing and

grooming. It was there that he was exposed to working on live set ups. Working under the guidance of renowned artist Anthony Rohit Manjrekar and his team, he got motivated to compose a beautiful song like ‘Tu Woh Aadat’. On the professional front, Rishab says that he wished to work with musicians and singers who come from the same school of thought as he does and thrive to work with original and authentic music. He specially wishes to work with fresh young talents as himself. Talking about his strength and weakness, Rishab says, “According to me, my biggest strength is determination and unfathomable belief I hold in myself. And I feel that my only weakness is what I am yet to learn because there’s so much more to learn in this field to excel.” He

ADDA Short Film Festival Begins in City

iving short filmmaking and screening in Assam a new direction through its ‘By the Road Film Fests’, the ADDA Short Film Festival enters its 14th edition this year. The fest will be held at Shilpgram, Panjabari on December 2 and 3. This year, the festival will witness contributory participation of films from New York (Cultures of Resistance), Bangladesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, the North East and various places of Assam. “The fest that started in 2004 as the first open air screening of short films, a less popular concept at that time, has grown from strength to strength over the years,” said Amardeep Gogoi, president of ADDA. The 14th ADDA Short Film Festival will be formally inaugurated on December 2 at 4.30 pm by noted cine critic Bhuban Lahkar, even though the event

will commence at 10 am with a ‘Walk for Cinema’ from Shilpgram. The walk will cover a short route around the Kalakshetra premises as a symbolic gesture of brotherhood amongst all film lovers. It is also supposed to help make the annual festivals dedicated to films and film craft a success. “The two-day annual festival is the result of a decade-long passionate journey of a bunch of friends, promoting and propagating the short film form of art among the masses, making ADDA the first ever short film festival in the North-east region

of India, promoting new movie makers, exchange of knowledge, information, ideas, and culture between the North East and the rest of India,” Gogoi added. The festival will have multi-screening facilities, along with numerous activities like symposium, workshop, photography competition, quiz for the students, mukoli mancha – an open forum discussion for all interested – and various other activities. The competing films were adjudged by a three-member jury comprising film director Sanjeev Hazarika, journalist and film critic Manoj Borpujari and film-maker Bhaskar Das. The film competition screening was done on November 28. From the total 50 entries, the jury meticulously sorted out and selected 15 best films under seven different categories. The film screening on December 2 will commence with the award winning film “Aaba” by Amar Kaushik, recipient of the Best Short Film at the Berlin Film Festival 2017. n

says that his biggest inspiration in life is his father, Ranjay Jain, who has always supported his decisions and helped him do better in life. But, from the music industry, he says he’s been inspired by various artists, “My inspirations range from the legend RD Burman for ruling the Indian Music Industry to Hans Zimmer for composing background scores that give the listeners goose bumps.”

By Nehal Jain

33 artistes chosen for Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar

angeet Natak

Akademi – the National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama and the apex body of performing arts in the country – has selected 33 artistes of the country (including one joint award) who have made a mark as young talents in their respective fields of performing arts for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2016. The Yuva Puraskar will be presented at a special ceremony to be presided over by Assam Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi, Shekhar Sen at a ceremony to be held at Srimanta Sankaradeva International Auditorium, Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Panjabari on November 27. “The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, conferred to ar-

tistes below the age of 40 years, was introduced in 2006 with the objective of identifying and encouraging outstanding young talents in diverse cultural fields of performing arts, giving them national recognition early in their life, so that they may work with greater commitment and dedication in their chosen fields,” Sen said at a press conference. The awards will be bestowed in the fields of music, dance, theatre traditional/folk/tribal music and puppetry. There will also be presentation of plays by the recipients of the Yuva Puraskar at Sankaradeva Kalakshetra and Rang Bhawan, Maligaon, between November 28 and November 30. The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar carries purse money of Rs 25,000, an Angavastram and a plaque. n

Fun

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Horoscope of the week You might sense that something needs to change, but the start of the week may not be the time to act. There could be a lot of resistance to letting something go and allowing new opportunities or ideas to take its place. Later in the week, you’ll find it easier to release whatever has been holding you back. In addition, Venus, your guide planet, will enter your financial zone on Friday, encouraging you to get your money to work harder for you.

Don’t take it personally if someone seems somewhat aloof at the start of the week. They could be busy with their own projects and plans and will likely have time to spare once they’re done. Things become lighter and easier when Venus enters your sector of relating at the end of the week, bringing the opportunity to smooth over any difficulties and compromise where necessary. Chatty Mercury, your guide planet, turns retrograde on Saturday, so it might be wise to complete your holiday preparations early.

You could be under a lot of pressure early in the week. But rather than get frustrated, relax and go with the flow. Otherwise, you could find that the more you try to force the pace, the less you accomplish. Life get easier later in the week. With flamboyant Jupiter aligning with dreamy Neptune, you could have some wonderful plans, but getting a second opinion would be a valuable and necessary reality check. Sunday’s full moon encourages you to take time out for self-care.

Don’t be too hard on yourself if a creative project doesn’t go as planned. You could be critical early on, when there’s likely no need to be. But as the week proceeds, the idea of relaxing and enjoying life could take hold. The move of Venus into your leisure sector on Friday could encourage you to get out and enjoy romantic breaks or lighthearted dates. The full moon could intensify feelings on Sunday, however, so thinking before you speak can help avoid later regrets.

Try not to set yourself too many impossible tasks early on, as you could find it hard to live up to your expectations. If you’re realistic, you can accomplish a lot. As the week proceeds, your focus could turn to more lighthearted activities. With Venus entering your domestic sector, it’s time to engage in a little pampering and self-care, especially if you’ve been busy with holiday plans. Mercury, your guide planet, turns retrograde on Saturday, so getting holiday tasks completed early might be helpful.

The start of the week might see you engaged with mental tasks that could be quite demanding. However, you’ll feel much better once they’re done. Luscious Venus, your guide planet, enters your sector of communication on Friday, suggesting that much can be accomplished with a little charm. You might prefer to adopt a more independent stance in an ongoing relationship, and this could influence activities from Friday through the weekend. The full moon on Sunday could remind you of what you’re missing.

You could feel a little cash strapped at the start of the week, but this is a temporary phase. If you plan for it, you might avoid too many difficulties. As the week gathers pace, Venus enters your money zone, which could see you splurging rather than saving, especially on small luxuries. The weekend could be rather special and very romantic as flamboyant Jupiter aligns with dreamy Neptune. If you have a special date planned, it should be a time to remember.

Give yourself a break and try to be less demanding of yourself, especially at the week’s start. While it’s good to focus on getting things done, high expectations can be daunting. Lowering them might enable you to accomplish more. As luscious Venus dances into your sign on Friday, you might feel more inclined to socialize and reach out. Charity work might also appeal, as well as assisting those who can’t help themselves. Mercury’s retrograde phase, starting Saturday, could spell delays at a critical time.

You could be doing a lot of thinking early in the week, and this might lead to a decision that has been some time in the making. Once it’s made, you should feel very relieved. In general, the cosmos is encouraging you to relax and reflect wherever possible. When delectable Venus enters a more private sector on Friday, this subtle influence will encourage you to enhance your relationship with yourself and your spiritual side. Friends could be rather idealistic, but this may complement your mood.

You might need to make a tough decision related to a friendship or social group at the week’s start. There’s no point in putting it off, as you’ll only be delaying the inevitable. Do what you must and you’ll feel much more relaxed for the rest of the week. With feisty Mars opposing restless Uranus on Friday, a desire to do your own thing could see you adopting a more independent course. Mercury turns retrograde on Saturday, so try to finish important tasks before then.

The week’s start could see you grappling with certain responsibilities. You might not want to, but it’s better to do them to the best of your ability and get them out of the way. The rest of the week can then unfold at a pleasant pace. Expansive Jupiter aligns with ethereal Neptune in Pisces over the weekend, and this could coincide with discovering a philosophy or set of beliefs that you find very attractive. There’s a good chance you’ll want to learn more.

Which sportsperson’s autobiography is titled “A Shot in the Dark?”

Wazwan is the traditional cuisine and style of eating of which state?

Which north-eastern dead ball expert is nicknamed ‘David Beckham of the Northeast’?

8 7

8 54

6 4 1 6 5 1 57 6 7 9 5 1 6 4 9 4 2 6 7 7 4 9 39 3 4 4 8 6 6 7 7 6 8 3 Daily Sudoku: 6 Thu 30-Nov-2017 8

Daily Sudoku: Thu 23-Nov-2017

2 9 4 7 6 3 8 81 79 64 9 3 2 5 3 1 6 5 3 1 2 4 5 4 46 88 57 6 9 7 5 63 22 79 1 6 2 98 14 31 4 8 4 9 75 57 86 3 2 7 3 5 2 1 3 4 9 8 9 7 14 61 28 5 Daily 9 Sudoku: 6 Thu 2 30-Nov-2017 8 3

1 25 78 97

5 71 47 23

8 54 96 12

3 62 89 31

13 88 69 32 96 75 84 39 21 46 62 87

44 57 16 95

69 54 33 28 5 1 4 medium 7

Daily Sudoku: Thu 23-Nov-2017

hard

Word of the week Torporific adjective [tawr-puh-rif-ik]

Causing sluggish inactivity or inertia.

curio-city

Which bestselling book has the by line ‘From Independence to the Global Information Age’?

Pic clue: Identify this famous Jain Temple of India?

Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Dilbert by Scott Adams

last week solution

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. Tuntun 2. Abhinav Bindra 3. Jammu & Kashmir 4. Boithang Haokip 5. ‘India Unbound’ by Gurcharan Das 6. Dilwara Temple, Mount Abu

By what name did the singer Uma Devi become famous in Bollywood?

2 9

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

curio-city 1

Sudoku

Try to get things organized at the start of the week, because you could be less inclined to plan by the end of it. Dealing with a deadline? Working at it on Monday can enable you to complete it easily. Things may flow more freely as lovely Venus enters Sagittarius, encouraging you to go in search of a love adventure and exotic fun. The full moon on Sunday could heighten feelings, so go easy to avoid doing or saying something you might later regret.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Old and unreliable car (6) 4 Incriminated by false evidence (6) 9 Venetian boat (7) 10 White — jewel (5) 11 Amphitheatre’s central space (5) 12 Substance used to build honeycombs (7) 13 Physical beauty (11) 18 Painting with pigment laid on thick (7) 20 TV sound (5) 22 ER, say? (5) 23 Blood relatives (7) 24 Man once employed as a harem guard (6) 25 Thoroughly acquainted with — served (anag) (6)

1 Big cat of tropical America (6) 2 Thrust (5) 3 Unimaginative (7) 5 Indian money unit (5) 6 Made a catty comment? (7) 7 Palatial and opulent (2,4) 8 Nonsense poem in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass (11) 14 Indefinitely many (7) 15 Person under instruction (7) 16 Cream soup made with shellfish (6) 17 Exhausted — under the influence of drugs (6) 19 Kind of boom (5) 21 Worthless material (5)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Love and Beauty

hat are the signs of love? When you love someone you see nothing wrong in them. Even if you see a fault in them, you justify it in some way saying, “Everyone does that; it is normal.” You think you have not done enough for them and the more you do, the more you want to do for them. They are always on your mind. Ordinary things become extraordinary. When you love someone, you want to see them happy always and you want them to have the best. Love and beauty go hand in hand. If something is beautiful, you cannot but love it. When you love this creation, you see it as beautiful. When you are tired of this creation, you find it ugly. That is why to appreciate beauty, first you must understand love. The understanding I am speaking about is not merely intellectual, but looking into all points. Usually when we love something, we want to possess it. If you appreciate a painting, you want to buy it and keep it in your home. You find a beautiful garment, and al-

though you know you will wear it only a couple of times, you buy it and put it in the closet. You have known only one way of loving -- love it, possess it and forget it. When you try to possess love, you rob it of its beauty, and then that same love gives you pain. Whoever you love, you try to dictate terms to them. In a very subtle way you try to rule them. And whatever you try to control turns ugly. You have never loved someone and not tried to possess them. It begins in childhood. When the second baby comes, the first baby wants all the attention. “Why did you bring this baby home? Give it away.” Many children say, “You belong to me and me alone.” It is a deep samskara, a deep impression, this fear of losing our place in the heart of someone we love. First comes attraction. When it becomes a little difficult to attain whatever you are attracted to, then you start loving it. Have you noticed this? If you simply get whatever you are attracted to -- just like that, quickly -- you do not develop love for it. A longing must arise. That leads to love. But love brings the fear of loss. Yet, a love which has the fear of loss does not blossom. It leads you to other ugly sensations and feelings. Jealousy comes. There

4 tips for healthy eating in winters

rom seasonal vegetables to hearty soups, stay nourished this winter with some easy to follow advice. With the colder winter weather come coughs, colds and the flu season, plus, for some of us, winter weight gain. It’s an important time to make sure you stay on top of your diet and keep yourself well nourished. Sticking to a healthy diet won’t prevent you from picking up winter illnesses, but it can help maintain your immune system to better protect you. And should you fall ill, a nutritious diet can help speed up your recovery. Here are some great tips to help you make sure you stay healthy during the winter months.

You can swap cold water for water at room temperature, to which you add some lime or lemon slices, or you can increase your daily intake of herbal teas, which come in a great range of flavours and will help you get enough fluid inside you while keeping you warm at the same time.

1. Soup it up

Having to get out of a nice warm bed in the dark is not most people’s idea of a good start to the day, so the temptation is often to have an extra half hour in bed and skip breakfast! However, eating a healthy breakfast is one of the most important things when watching your weight, so make sure you get nutrients inside you to keep you going through the morning. Porridge oats, made with low-fat milk, are a great way to eat a healthy breakfast. You could add banana and raisins, dried apricots, or plums poached with cinnamon.

Soups are the kings of winter when it comes to nutritious foods. Use fresh vegetables and canned legumes, lean chicken or beef to make great pots of soup. These ingredients won’t be high in calories but the fibre content will keep you feeling full for longer.

2. Keep drinking water When it’s cold outside, you may not want to down large glasses of iced water like you would do in summer, but it is important to keep your fluid intake at a good level.

3. Watch your portion sizes Winter is often the time when we eat as much for comfort as for nutrition, so don’t fall into the trap of having seconds, or eating more than you need to. To avoid eating too much try to eat your meals at the table with the family, turn off the TV, use smaller plates, and reserve half your dinner plate for vegetables.

4. Make time for breakfast

is someone you love very much -- a friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend -- but his or her attention is on someone else. See what is happening in your stomach -- it is churning. You try all sorts of gimmicks to deny what is happening within you. Much ugliness arises because there is fear of loss. You never love something that is big, that is enormous because you have not yet become enormous yourself. And as long as you stay very small, there is no joy, there is no happiness, and there is no peace. Joy is expansion, becoming big in your heart. This can only happen in a situation where you are very much in love, but you cannot possess what you love. Have you thought about why you love someone? Is it because

VAASTU SHASTRA

of their qualities or is it because of a sense of kinship or intimacy? You can love someone for their qualities and not have a sense of intimacy. This type of love gives rise to competition and jealousy. If love is based on the qualities of a person, that love is not stable. After some time the qualities change and the love becomes shaky. However, if you love someone because they belong to you, then that love remains for lifetimes. Loving someone because they belong to you, great or otherwise, is unconditional love. Love that is centered becomes bliss. And when there is so much love you take total responsibility for any misunderstanding. For a moment you may express

dismay on the surface. But when you do not feel the dismay in your heart, you arrive at a perfect understanding. You are in a state where all problems and all differences slide away and only love shines through. In the world, people love you because you give them comfort. If you are demanding proof of their love, are you giving them comfort? If someone doubts your love and you have to constantly prove it, this becomes a heavy burden on you. Your nature is to shed burden, so when love is questioned, you don’t feel comfortable. Therefore, do not ask for proof that the other person loves you. Love needs no proof. Actions, words cannot prove the love. Spiritual practices, knowledge of the Self, service and satsang (coming together in celebration) help to create a sense of belonging. When love springs from a sense of belongingness, then the action or qualities do not overshadow the love. Neither qualities nor actions can be perfect all the time. Only love and a feeling of kinship can be perfect. shri shri ravi shankar

Founder- Art of Living Foundation.

Vaastu rules for married couples

e have to go through a lot of stress and tension nowadays because of so many factors. On an average, a person spends twelve hours in the house and almost eight hours in the bedroom. For a non working spouse it is 24 hours. The energy of a place acts continuously on the residents irrespective of other factors. If it is lacking in something or if the energy pattern is negative, the people staying in the house are bound to suffer. Since a married couple is the prime force of a family, it is important that they live in a harmonious atmosphere with proper Vaastu. So some rules and Dos and Don’ts should be followed by them.

Never place the bed near the windows. There must be a solid wall behind the bed. Never sleep on a dirty pillow or bed sheet. The bed cover and sheets should be changed frequently to bring faith and love between couples. A double bed should not have two mattresses. It brings separation. The dressing table should be avoided in the bedroom as it has a mirror. Married people should not sleep on a very old bed. It should be replaced. Needless to say, torn or worn out bed sheets, etc. should be immediately replaced. The colour of the walls should not be faded or dirty. They should be painted once in three-four years or as per requirement. The walls of the bedroom should not have

any cracks. They should be repaired soon otherwise there may be regular conflict between the husband and the wife. There should not be any water tap or aquarium in the bedroom. It is bad for relationships. If drinking water is required at night the same should be kept at northeast. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

Buzz

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

AIMT annual event witnesses wide gamut of discussions, seminars

national seminar-cum-academic discussion on “Exodus of Rohingyas from Rakhine State of Myanmar: Implications for Assam” was organised as part of CONVENSTER 2K17, a two-day annual flagship event of the Department of Mass Communication of Asian Institute of Management & Technology (AIMT) that took place on November 24-25 at the college premises. Coming down heavily on both Centre and the state governments for their alleged laid-back attitude in tackling issues related to immigration, senior journalist and consulting editor of G Plus, Rajeev Bhattacharyya has said that the entire government machinery in the country is running on contingency plans. “Governments, both at Centre and state, are running on contingency plans. No government has any clear cut policies to tackle issues like illegal immigration in Assam,” Bhattacharyya said while delivering his speech as the guest speaker. Bhattacharyya, who visited Myanmar as a journalist to take stock of the situation coming out of the Rohingyas issue recently, also shared some ground-zero reports in this regard. Interacting with students, he also shared the possible implications of exodus of Rohingyas with reference to militancy in the northeast. Participating in the seminar, senior journalist Mrinal Taluk-

dar expressed hope over the ongoing process in completion of NRC. “Every major stake holder of the immigration movement is getting benefits from the issue. Only the common people are passing sleepless nights in this regard. It’s time for all of us to support the NRC process and try hard to get an error-free NRC,” he said. BJP leader Mira Borthakur, RSS activist Ranjib Sharma, social activist Tinat Atifa Masood and social thinker Prof Ismail Hussain also spoke during the programme. Meanwhile, Vivek Borah and Kaustove Moni Kakoty were selected as the winners of Young Journalist Award 2017. Borah won the award in print category for his story on witch hunting, which appeared on Purvanchal Prahari while Kakoty won the award in electronic section for his heart-touching story on the devastation of flood caused by Ranganadi River in Lakhimpur District which appeared on Pratidin Time. Participating in a talk show,

G Plus Campus Talks, on “Mobile Theatre in Assam,” leading actress and theatre personality Zerifa Wahid, on Friday, stressed on the improvement of mobile theatre movement in the state. “It’s always great to be associated with mobile theatre in the state,” she said, while elaborating on various challenges faced by the mobile theatre groups of the state. “Each and every student should try to be associated with this industry, at least they should try to see theatres in life,” she added. Earlier on Friday, principal of the college Dr Niren Deka inaugurated the programme. Various competitions like Pictogram 2017, a photo exhibition and contest, Monologue, Quiz and Anchoring etc., were organised as a part of the event. In Pictogram, over 150 entries were received from students of various parts of the state which was held on four themes, namely Social Responsibility, Fashion, Vintage and Portrait. The winners of the photography competitions are Aboyob Bhuyan (Social Responsibility), Khanjan Baruah (Vintage), Priyangshu Paul (Fashion) and Kaushik Bhattacharjee (Portrait). In the quiz section, a team comprising Antariksh Barma and Anurag Borgohain won the first prize. Gaurab Gautam Saha and Runjun Borah won first prizes in monologue and quiz competitions respectively. n

Lecture on particle physics held

he Physics Acadetheoretical physicist Peter my of North East Higgs in 1964 and subse(PANE), a platform quently discovered by ATfor research scholLAS and CMS experiments ars and Physics enthusiasts at the Large Hadron Colof the northeast, organised lider (LHC) in July 2012. a lecture titled ‘The Enigma He explained how of Mass’ on Tuesday, as per about 80% of the mass of a press release. The lecture, the universe is made up organised in association of dark matter, the all-perwith the Department of vading mystery substance Physics, Handique Girls’ Colwhich is invisible to the lege, was delivered by Prof human eyes. Amitava Raychaudhuri, He elucidated how a Prof. Amitava Raychaudhuri delivering the PANE lecture the recipient of the Shanmysterious property of ti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in ation of masses of fundamental space known as dark energy 1997 and Professor Emeritus in subatomic particles. causes the universe to expand Calcutta University. He explained how masses of faster and faster. In his lecture, Prof RaychaudW and Z bosons and all the funEarlier, Dr Utpal Dutta, Prinhuri discussed the enigma of the damental particles can be genercipal of the College, addressed origin of masses of fundamental ated by the spontaneous breakthe audience. Dr Anuradha Das particles like quark and leptons, ing of electroweak symmetry, Purakayastha, the HoD of Physwhich are the basic building augmented by Higgs mechanism. ics of Handique Girls’ College, blocks of all matters in the uniProf Raychaudhuri said how welcomed the audience. verse. such a breakdown of spontaneThis was followed by the adIn a lucid manner, he exous symmetry in Glashow-Weindress of Dr Bipul Bhuyan, genplained the standard model of berg-Salam Theory requires eral secretary, PANE. Mukesh particle physics and elaborated the existence of a new particle, Sahay, Assam Police DGP, also how symmetries play a vital role called the Higgs boson, which attended the occasion as an inin solving the mystery of generwas first predicted by British vited guest. n

MP Ramen Deka lays foundation stone for school

n 26th November last, Member of Parliament (MP) from Mangaldoi, Ramen Deka, laid the foundation stone for building six classroom blocks in order to provide quality education for the needy and underprivileged children in Natun Fatasil High School (NFHS)—a provincialised school under the state government. This project has been undertaken by the Round Table India— Guwahati Chapter Table 240, as part of their continuous efforts for development of society. A Bhoomi Pujan was performed during the occasion which was graced by several dignitaries. Some of them included director of Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), Babulal Sarma, Secretary AHSEC Kamal Jyoti Gogoi, ACS Krishna Baruah, Area Chairman Round Table India (RTI), Area 14, Vikram Sing-

hania, Area Secretary Treasurer RTI Area 14 Ravi Jain, Chairman Round Table 240 Kishan Agrawal and Principal NFHS Purabi Das Kalita. According to officials, the estimated cost of building the classroom block with furniture will be Rs 50 lakhs. The amount is being raised through Round Table Trust and volunteering donors. According to project chairman Shubham Saraogi, this initiative will help in educating around 300 students who currently remain deprived of higher education due to lack of classrooms in the existing school set up. Round Table 240 has undertaken other social initiatives like toilet block formation in Maligaon High School, child abuse awareness camps, blood donation camps, cataract and diabetic check up and Swachh Bharat initiatives among others. n

Lachit Borphukan to be included in school curriculum

h ief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced on Friday, November 24 that a chapter on the life and accomplishments of Lachit Borphukan, the 17th century warrior of Assam would be included in the school curriculum soon. Speaking as chief guest in the Lachit Divas celebration organized by Cultural Affairs Department at Brahmaputra riverfront at Fancy Bazar in the city, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal informed said that the young generation must

be taught about the great son of the soil. The Ahom General had led from the front in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 to stop the Mughals from con-

quering the region. “Lachit Borphukan is one of the best examples of heroism and patriotism in world history. People across the country and especially the youth must know of his heroic deeds and how he fought for his motherland even when he was severely ill. The youth must emulate his ideals and get inspired by his vision and patriotism,” CM Sonowal said. n

Events

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Event Shaky Saturday Date November 25, Saturday Venue Dunkin Oza

23 2nd Dec to 8th Dec

December 2, Saturday Hip-Hop Ride (Glow party) 7PM onwards NYX, Hotel Palacio December 2, Saturday White Sensation DJ Ishani 7PM onwards Terra Mayaa

Event DRIFT LIVE Date November 23, Thursday Venue Dunkin Oza

December 2, Saturday 14th Adda Short Film Festival 10AM onwards Shipgram December 2, Saturday French Rock Bands (Colt Silvers and Last Train) 7PM onwards Cafe Hendrix December 3, Sunday

Event Evolution Pre-party with ‘STARLAB’ Date November 25, Saturday Venue Terra Mayaa

Evolution 4.0 ft Skazi 2PM onwards Residency Resort December 5-7 6th International Tourist Mart 8AM-8PM Vivanta by Taj

Zublee Foundation organises Organowalk On the occasion of the 8th Indian Organ Donation Day, Zublee Foundation organized ‘Organowalk’ starting from GMCH Auditorium Campus to Ganeshguri and back via GS Road. Through this initiative, Zublee Foundation intends to mobilise the masses towards supporting the cause of organ donation for its greater effectiveness and successful implementation. Inaugurated by Padmashree Dr Sarbeshwar Sahariah, the walk witnessed participation of more than 200 people from various walks of life including noted film personality Diganta Hazarika, singer Parveen Ahmed, Dr Anup Kumar Barman, Director, Medical Education, Mukul Chandra Gogoi, Secretary, Health, Dr Rajesh Das, noted cardiologist, Dibyajyoti Khaund, Circle Head, Aircel, Assam, among others. Many young students also took part in the Organothon.

Catching Up

G PLUS | DEC 02 - dec 08, 2017

Poll of the Week

Kalyani Rajkhowa

Do you think that Guwahati has seen improvements such as better roads and infrastructure after hosting international events such as FIFA U-17 World Cup and AIBA World Boxing Championship? 61%

Yes

39%

1200

Total number of respondents

GYAN

Did you know?

Anundo Ram Barooah Boys’ Hostel New

Chick on the block

About Me Greetings to all the readers of G Plus. I am Kalyani, 23 year old resident of Guwahati. I am currently preparing for my MBA. I have been associated with modelling since 3 years now. I have won the title of 2nd Runners Up at Mr & Miss Candid 2017, Best Figure Title Holder at Mr & Miss Candid 2017, and Best Confident Title Holder at Mr & Miss Doipatkai 2017.

nundo Ram Barooah (ARB) Boys’ Hostel, located in Panbazar is known to be the first hostel for boys. The hostel, before being rechristened in the memory of the renowned Sanskrit scholar and India's fifth ICS, Anundo Ram Barooah (1850-89) in 1985, was known as Hindu Third Mess or simply Third Mess. Many of the residents of this hostel went on

Kamur

to earn distinction in various fields. The hostel consisting of 33 rooms has facilities for various outdoor and indoor games. There have been 18 hostel superintendents from 19202015. Noted educationists like Phanidhar Dutta, Rajanikanta Deva Sarma and Rajani Kanta Chakrabarty served as Superintendents of this century old hostel.

Mojo I consider Sushmita Sen to be role model. I try to follow her footsteps and learn from her. Route in Woods I am planning to take part in Miss Universe Diva and India’s Next Top Model. I have already enrolled for my grooming and fitness classes. Photography by - Unique Borah Costume by - Sai Jansai

of the week

inter is coming, but is not there yet. Guwahatians are no doubt enjoying this long transit period from sultry summer to chilling winter – last weeks of September to the first week of December – when the temperature is just right and the flare of the Sun is mellow. But, the dilemma of what to wear or not to wear in the winter is probably the biggest Kamur for city’s fashionistas. Carry a sweater or jacket anyway.

WHAT DID I JUST

PIC OF THE

WEEK

the

HEAR?

eteran actor turned MP Kiron Kher on the Safdarjung gang rape case in which a 22-year-old girl was raped by five persons in an auto-rickshaw: “I would like to say to the girl that when there were already three men in the auto, you should not have boarded on it. I am saying this to protect the girls.” Huh???

Salvaging lost treasures | G Plus Photo

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