@guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com
Inside
Volume 05 | Issue 08 Dec 23 - Dec 29, 2017 Price `10
Lack of sewage treatment plants in city prime reason for Brahmaputra contamination
»
PG 02
City temples refuse to perform interreligion marriages
File photo of Kamakhya Temple
Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
T
he temples in Guwahati are not allowing conduct of inter-religion marriages making things difficult for Hindu grooms or brides who opt for a Hindu ritual marriage if the partner is from a different religion. The case, however, was not the same 10 years ago. A Hindu Brahmin groom who wants to marry a Baptist Christian girl said, “As it is an interreligion marriage, we are getting married in a church despite wanting to get married in a temple,” adding that none of the city temples allowed him to get married to a Christian girl by following Hindu rituals. On the contrary, a city-based married couple (Hindu husband and Christian wife) informed that they were married in Kamakhya Temple in 2007 without any restrictions. A source in the
Kamakhya Devalaya Committee said, “Interreligion marriages have never happened in the past and is not allowed,” adding that even inter-caste marriages are not allowed in the temple. When informed that an interreligion marriage did take place in Kamakhya Temple in 2007, the source said that there is no such record and whoever got married might have hidden their identity. Similarly, a priest of Basistha Temple, Satish Sarma said, “We don’t allow inter-religion marriages in our temple.” Talking about other options, the manager of Sukreswar Temple, Khargeswar Sarma said, “For inter-religion marriages people should approach the office of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) at Ulubari,” adding that Bajrang Dal arranges such kinds of marriages with the observance of
Continued ON page » 3
City ropeway to start functioning from Feb 2019
Guzzling Ghy downs over 1 crore litres of liquor till Oct 2017
»
»
PG 06
PG 09
2
Lead Story
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Lack of sewage treatment plants in city prime reason for Brahmaputra contamination Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in
G
uwahati is battling several water contamination related woes thereby polluting the lifeline of Assam - the Brahmaputra River - on a regular basis. This is mainly due to lack of a scientific sewage treatment plant in the city. The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) had suggested building a sewage treatment plant in the city way back in 2008, which has seen no progress so far. “We had filed a report back in 2008 to the state government to open up a sewage treatment plant in the city after conducting a toxicity test. The water of Brahmaputra River near the city was not fit for drinking. The city has grown exponentially over the decade both in terms of population and industries. The toxicity too has more than doubled. A sewage treatment plant is the need of the hour,” Gokul Bhuyan, Senior Environmental Engineer, of PCBA told G Plus. The city has a network of natural drainage system that carries the sewage of the entire city which ultimately
T
falls untreated at two points – Bharalumukh and Chandrapur – on the Brahmaputra River. One such natural drain is the Bahini River that originates in Meghalaya’s Khasi Hills, enters Guwahati on its south-eastern side and flows through densely populated areas like Basistha, Rukminigaon, Mathura Nagar, Dispur, Ganeshguri and along the RG Baruah Road and then meets a major water channel near the state zoo becoming the Bharalu River and joining the Red River (Brahmaputra) at Bharalumukh. Another major water stream originates from Deepor Beel and passing along the National Highway falls into the Silsako Beel and then ultimately falls into the Brahmaputra at the Chandrapur area. “Both the channels are highly polluted. These channels don’t have any aquatic life form along the stream. Even within a kilometre upstream of its outlet into the Brahmaputra, there is no life form,” PCBA said. The Chief Environmental Scientist of PCBA, Rafiqua Ahmed said, “The bacteriological oxygen demand (BOD) level is much higher in the lower streams of the river and its tributaries. If the contamination level rises
Part of the Bharalu River: Unimaginable contamination | G Plus Photo over the next decade, the Brahmaputra will become another Ganga.” The BOD measures the quality of river water, especially the population of coliform bacteria or diseasecausing bacteria per 100 ml of water. “These bacteria are found
Demand for sewage treatment plant grows shriller
wenty nine year old Krishna Devi, a homemaker who lives near Fancy Bazar, is concerned about the health of her 14 month old daughter after he developed rashes on his body by bathing in contaminated water. “We used to get water directly from the river. Even though we boiled the water meant for drinking, I used to bathe my then 6-month-old daughter with the river water. But we had to stop after she developed rashes,” Devi said. Such kind of contamination would not have been the case if there was a sewage treatment plant, Devi said. She is not the only victim as several residents living on
File photo of a sewage treatment plant the banks of the Brahmaputra in the city, are facing similar water-related contamination. Pappu Kumar, a washerman (dhobi) who lives at Fancy Bazar said, “At times, the dredgers clear the floating plastic
and other wastes. The water, however, still remains polluted. It still stinks and the area near the Bharalu River is still very dirty. This is the scenario along the entire stretch from Bharalumukh, where the rivulet meets the Brahmaputra, till the Sukreshwar Ghat.” When contacted, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) however said that even though the river water is not potable, the supply water provided by GMC is good enough to drink. After the recent rise in turbidity in the Brahmaputra River, the Public Health Laboratory had conducted a study and found the GMC supplied water fit for drinking. However, only 30% of the city gets GMC water. n
in sewage. The standard norm for total coliform is 5,000 most probable number (MPN) per 100 ml while for faecal coliform it is 2,500 MPN. The Brahmaputra has shown a rising trend in BOD levels in the last eight years,” Ahmed said. “There are a few plants set up by Oil India Limited
(OIL) and Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) but no other in the entire state. The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change has been asking the state government to set up a sewage treatment plant on numerous occasions but the government has paid no heed,” n Ahmed said.
The long pending project
T
he Guwahati Jal Board had prepared a detailed project report of sewage treatment plants in the city back in 2008, but these haven’t seen the light of the day yet. According to the DPR, Guwahati was divided into three main sewerage catchments: one on the north side of the Brahmaputra River and two on the south, the latter comprising roughly the water supply west zone and the central and east water supply zones. The Asian Development Bank financed the facility that will augment the water supply and sewerage services in the south-eastern zone extending to over 15 municipal wards. “The sewerage and sanitation improvement sub-project will address the incremental waste water generated by channelling
those through trunk sewers, treatment plants, sewer networks, pumping stations and maintenance equipment,” a source in the Guwahati Jal Board said. The source said that the project is under process and currently the pipe laying works are going. “After laying the pipes, we will mull on setting up the sewage treatment plant. It is a massive project and it’s linked with the important water projects that have been delayed due to several reasons,” the source said. It needs to be mentioned that the entire water supply project that promises to bring an end to Guwahati’s water supply shortage has faced inordinate delays that remain beyond the comprehension of the citizenry with no explanation from the government. n
Lead Story
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
3
City temples refuse to perform... Continued from page » 1 certain rituals. Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of VHP.
A
Zila Samjujak of Bajrang Dal Guwahati, Deepjyoti Sharma said, “A number of city temple committees told us that many girls come for inter-religion
marriages which cannot be organised in temples,” adding that the Bajrang Dal has informed the temple committees to forward such persons to
them. Sharma said, “All the temples are associated with Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).” Sharma added that Bajrang
Dal organises such marriages where the people of the other religion are converted to Hinduism through the Ghar Wapsi process. n
Around 15 Ghar Wapsis in Ghy this year
round 15 people were converted to Hinduism in Guwahati till 22nd November 2017 through Ghar Wapsi process, revealed Bajrang Dal. Zila Samjujak of Bajrang Dal Guwahati, Deepjyoti Sharma said, “In 2017, we did around 15 Ghar Wapsis and since 2012 till date (22nd November 2017) 55 girls were brought back to Hinduism through Ghar Wapsi.” According to Sharma, Bajrang Dal feels that every human in India is a Hindu and during the ancient eras, people converted to Islam or Christianity for various reasons. Sharma said, “If people want
File photo of Bajrang activists protesting in the city to return to their original religion by marrying a Hindu person or by converting into Hinduism, it is known
as Ghar Wapsi.” If a girl from a different religion doesn’t accept Hinduism, her marriage to a Hindu boy is not accepted by Bajrang Dal. Sharma said, “We don’t allow any Hindu youth to go with any other religion.” Without getting married to a Hindu people can come into Hinduism through prayaschitta. Deepjyoti said, “Following a different religion is a sin. So getting rid of the sin is prayaschitta which follows some Vedic norms.” Bajrang Dal has priests who conduct such rituals of Ghar Wapsi. In 2016, three city families were converted to Hinduism (one Christian family and two Muslim families). n
yy yy yy yy
yy yy yy
4
In The News
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Corporal punishment case: ‘Teachers threatened us to change version,’ claim students Three teachers of a govt school have been accused in corporal punishment case of which the NCPCR has taken cognizance. However, in a new turn of events, students have claimed they were threatened to change their version in an undertaking. Activists say this is a scary trend and are pushing for law against corporal punishment Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in
T
he case of corporal punishment in a government school in the city, which drew the attention of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), saw an unexpected turn of events during the past week. Two girl students of Bamunimaidam Sarkari Nimna Buniyadi Vidyalaya, of which three teachers have been accused of repeated corporal punishment, claimed that they were threatened to write undertakings stating that the teachers did not beat them and only made them understand verbally whenever they made a mistake. Talking to G Plus, one of the girls who were allegedly made to write the undertaking said that a school teacher came to their houses and called them to school on December 18. She said that on reaching the school, they found an “unknown man” in the school with their teachers. “He threatened us to write that the teachers do not use any physical punishment in the school and only verbally
explain to us when we do something wrong. We were scared and wrote what we were told,” said the 13-year-old student. She added that they were asked to write in Assamese by their teachers. The other girl described the man as being “tall, bespectacled, buck-toothed with big eyes.” The students informed that till a few months ago, the teachers used to beat them with rulers. However, instances of corporal punishment got reduced after the complaint was filed. On the other hand, the District Elementary Education Officer of Kamrup (Metro), Buli Gogoi, denied having any knowledge about the incident. The NCPCR took cognisance of the matter after a complaint was filed in March this year against three teachers of the school. A city-based child rights activist, Miguel Das Queah, had filed the first complaint in the case in September 2016 to the state education minister and to the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR). However, no action was taken by the authorities. Further, Queah said that in March this
Need to educate teachers on child rights: Authorities
C
hild protection authorities in the state feel that all school teachers need to be educated on laws related to the welfare of children. Former Chairperson of the ASCPCR, Rumini Gogoi said, “Teachers should be provided training about child rights. A majority of them are not aware about the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Right to Education Act (RTE).” She also mentioned that corporal punishment still continues unchecked in many schools and a majority of cases often go unreported. Another official working
in the field of child rights said that the education department should converge with the social welfare department to combat various forms of child abuse. The age-old concept of children being seen as objects of control has to end, he said. When a complaint was filed with the ASCPCR in December last year, the then chairperson, Rumini Gogoi, had visited the school and had reprimanded the teachers. “I had held a meeting with the principal and teachers but as per my knowledge, corporal punishment continued in the school even after that,” she said. n
Bamunimaidam Sarkari Nimno Buniyadi Vidyalaya | G Plus Photo year, two girl students came to his office and told him that they did not want to attend school because teachers used to beat them. He then wrote a letter to the NCPCR which took cognisance of the matter and asked for a report in the case from the state
education department. Further, the national panel had also sent a reminder to the state elementary education department earlier this month seeking a report within 10 days. “This trend of threatening children is very scary. We still
yy
yy
yy
yy
yy
E
don’t know who the person was who threatened the children but there are strong chances that the accused teachers are trying to save themselves from facing punishment,” said Queah.
Govt yet to submit report to NCPCR
ven after two reminders from the NCPCR, the state government is yet to submit its report to the national panel. In its most recent reminder to the department of elementary education, the NCPCR stated that it will be compelled to serve a summon to the department in case of non-compliance of its order. The District Elementary Education Officer, Buli Gogoi, said that they are still conducting an inquiry into the matter. On the other hand, the SCPCR which was also supposed to have received a report in the
case is also awaiting it. “We have not received any information till now. As soon as we receive the report, we will immediately intervene,” said SCPCR Chairperson, Sunita Changkakoti. Activists are also pushing for a law against corporal punishment. The Corporal Punishment for Educational Institutions (Prohibition) Bill was presented before the state assembly in 2010 but it could not be passed due to the opposition from some teachers’ associations. Given the situation and concerns, it is imperative that government acts soon. n
City
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
5
Assam booksellers call four day state-wide strike Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in
T
he All Assam Publishers and Book Sellers Association (AAPBSA) has called for a four day state-wide strike against the state government’s decision to publish and distribute school textbooks free of cost to government school students. The association has also decided not to participate in the ongoing Guwahati Book Fair in which they usually put up around 70 stalls consisting of books from different publications. The strike, which began on December 20, will continue till December 23. A majority of the shops at Panbazar - which is the book hub of the city - remained shut during the ongoing strike. Members of AAPBSA said that they have submitted a memorandum against the government’s decision to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the state Education Minister
Book publishers stage demonstration against the state government’s decision to distribute free text book to the students | G Plus Photo Himanta Biswa Sarma. There are close to 5,000 textbook publishers and booksellers in the state. “We will be badly affected by the decision as we anyway do not make enough profits. There are more than 4,000 people employed in the business in Guwahati who will be affected by the decision,” said President of AAPBSA, Ajit Kumar Barman. He added that whatever profit they make is used to print
books and novels in Assamese. “So this will, in turn, have an effect on Assamese literature as we will have to stop publishing these books.” The book publishers and sellers feel that instead of providing free textbooks to all, the government should provide them to only those students belonging to the families living below the poverty line. “There are a lot of students who come from well-off families
City under strict 24/7 security vigil for NRC Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
A
s the publication date of the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) is nearing, the city police have tightened the security across the city and especially at the NRC headquarters located at Bhangagarh. Commissioner of Police, Kamrup (Metro), Hiren Chandra Nath said, “The NRC headquarter is under strict security vigil 24/7,” adding that from 21st December 2017 even the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been deployed in and around the NRC headquarters. Talking about the city, a police source said that even the city is under strict security cov-
er with frequent checking and frisking everywhere. The source said, “There are three sections that the city police are working on,” adding that the security of the NRC headquarters, located at Bhangagarh, has been given top priority. The source revealed that the security of the Nagarik Seva Kendras (NSKs) and the verification teams are the second area of duty for the police. Thirdly, as Guwahati is the capital, after the NRC is published, it might witness a number of agitations which usually take place in the city. So, the police are also prepared for the law and order situation, the source claimed. The sensitive zones in the city have been identified and security personnel have been deployed accordingly.
The Commissioner of Police said that even though the sensitive zones have been identified, law and order incidents might occur at places which are not considered as sensitive zones. So the police are prepared for any kind of situation anywhere in the city. A special team from the Union Home Ministry led by Rajiv Gauba, Secretary, Home Affairs took stalk of the security scenario in Guwahati and Assam on Friday. The team held a meeting in the presence of Director General of Police (DGP), Mukesh Sahay and Additional DGP (Special Branch), Pallab Bhattacharya, to check the security update scenario in the city and Assam. The team also met the other security forces to discuss the security scenario. n
and would not benefit from the government’s decision. Only those who are truly in need of the free textbooks should be identified and should be given the books,” said a member of the AAPBSA. The booksellers also will sit on a day-long hunger strike on December 23 at Panbazar. They said that the government did not pay any heed to their concerns as they haven’t received any response from the state education department. They said they will hold a committee meeting during the next week to decide on the future course of action. Vishal Sarma, a student and city resident, said that even though people are facing some problems due to the strike of booksellers, many publishers earn their livelihood by selling books and the government should spare a thought for them. On the contrary, another resident, Sunita Majumdar, felt that the booksellers are causing an inconvenience for people in the name of this strike. “Every child has a right to education and
this move by the government is commendable. The booksellers should not cause hindrance to this,” she said. n
yy
yy
yy yy
yy
yy
6
City
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
City ropeway to start functioning from Feb 2019 Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
T
he long pending Guwahati passenger ropeway project connecting the northern and southern banks of the city will be completed by February 2019. A source in Guwahati Metropolitan Developmental Authority (GMDA) said, “The construction work of the new Foundation Well Number 2 is almost complete and the trial run of the ropeway will start from February 2019.” The project was scheduled to have been commissioned in May, 2011, but work was stopped by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in February, 2011. Permission for tilt rectification of Foundation Well Number 2 (Pillar T-2) was not given at Urvashi Island. The GMDA got the permission in 2015 but with the condition of relocating the pillar (T-2) beyond 300 metres of the Urvashi Island. Accordingly, the pillar has
A under-construction pillar of the rope-way project | G Plus Photo been constructed at the south The distance of the ropeway Govinda temple. There will be bank (near Kamrup Metro Depwill be 1.8 kilometres with the two cabins with a passenger uty Commissioner’s office), and south bank station inside the carrying capacity of 30 persons construction work for the othforest campus near Kamrup in each. er four pillars has almost been Metro Deputy Commissioner’s In 2008, Samir Damodor completed, the GMDA source office and the north bank staRopeways Pvt Ltd was awarded added. tion at a hillock behind Doul the construction work on turn-
Extra Rs 28 crores to be invested in the project
T
he ropeway project was assigned to Guwahati Metropolitan Developmental Authority (GMDA) in 2006 with an estimated budget of Rs 27.73 crores but an extra Rs 28 crores will be required to complete the project. The estimated budget of the project has increased from Rs 27.73 crores to Rs 55.73 crores. GMDA had, till 2011, spent Rs 22 crores in the project. A GMDA source said, “By November, 2011 imported equipments worth Rs 7.5 crores had arrived,” adding that around Rs 22 crores was spent till then in constructing the foundations of the pillars including the now discarded Well Number 2 (old pillar T-2).
Explaining the need for the extra budget, the source said that since the work resumed in 2016, Rs 12.24 crores was used for construction of pillars with the new increased height which is 600 meters now. Earlier the height of the ropeway was estimated at 400 meters. And Rs 3.12 crores was used to procure additional ropeway components, the source claimed. He also explained that in the initial estimated budget, the expenses for development of the stations were not estimated. Therefore, a good amount of money would be required for construction of roads, parking lots and other station development requirements, the source explained. n
key design and execution basis and the same agency has been continuing the work. The GMDA source said that though the permission to continue with the ropeway project was received from the Centre in 2015, the then state government did not immediately sanction the funds. After the new government came to power, the project was put on the priority list, he added. The source also said that during the monsoon season it was difficult to continue with the work as the water level of the river remained high causing delays. The ropeway project was earlier assigned to GMDA in 2006. RITES Limited, a Govt. of India enterprise which is an engineering consultancy company specializing in the field of transport infrastructure, prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) in 2006. The foundation stone of the project was laid on 4th December, 2009. The ropeway was stalled in February, 2011 but work resumed in 2016. n
The Ropeway Timeline The ropeway project was assigned to GMDA in 2006 with an administrative sanction of Rs 27.73 crores GMDA was asked to engage IIT-Guwahati or RITES Ltd as consultant for preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and for project management services RITES Ltd prepared a DPR in 2006 The alignment, as finalized, would pass over Umananda Island connecting the south bank inside Forest Campus near the DC Office to the north bank at the hillock behind the Doul Gobinda Temple with due consideration of the heritage status of Urvasi and Umananda islands In 2008, M/s Samir Damodor Ropeways Pvt Ltd was awarded the construction work on turnkey design & execution basis
The foundation stone of the above project was laid on 4th December, 2009 by the then Chief Minister of Assam and construction started thereafter The ropeway was scheduled to be commissioned by May, 2011, but could not be carried forward because of stoppage of work by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in February, 2011 which disallowed permission for the tilt rectification of Well Foundation No-2 from Urvashi Island citing introduction of new ASI Act, 2010 By November, 2011 all imported equipments worth Rs7.5 crores had arrived An amount of Rs 22 crores was spent till then 72% of work was completed till February, 2011 A proposal was submitted for NOC by GMDA on 15 July 2014 to the competent authority National Monuments
Authority (NMA) rejected the NOC application they received through the competent authority on 13th October 2014 Competent authority informed GMDA that the application was rejected on 31st October 2014 In April 2015, NMA granted permission to GMDA to go ahead with the project GMDA approached the then Congress government for additional funds to resume the work on the project but failed to get any response The new government, after taking charge, put the project on the priority list An additional Rs 28 crores will be required to complete the project in all aspects The construction of all the foundation pillars are almost complete The trial run is to start by February 2019
In The News
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
7
Treatment through Yoga to begin soon in 100 Yoga centres Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in
yy
T
he Assam government has decided to take recourse to Yoga as a treatment for various diseases through qualified instructors. Health and Family Welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the people of Assam would be able to receive “Targeted Yogic Therapy” with a view to cure common diseases. The minister inaugurated 100 Yoga centres from Guwahati on December 19. This will be the first-of-its-kind service in Assam. The government has partnered with 14 NGOs to provide Yoga instructors in these centres. “Yoga has preventive as well as curative value. We will gradually convert all Yoga centres into clinics. These centres will also have the responsibility to improve the overall health standards of the block,” said Sarma. He added that the Yoga centres would help in holistic development of the citizens where they will be tutored about different asanas to keep diseases at bay.
P
yy
yy
yy
yy Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma centrally inaugurates 100 Yoga centres in 100 Development Blocks of the state Under Project Phase at Administrative Staff College in Guwahati | G Plus Photo While presenting the annual budget for 2016-17, Sarma, who is also the state finance minister, had announced that yoga centres would be established in different blocks and villages of the state to instil better health habits among the citizens of Assam with active partnership
with the student community and NGOs working in this field. A total of 100 yoga centres will be opened under the first phase of the Assam Yoga Project undertaken by the state government. These centres will be set up in 100 development blocks covering all the districts of the
state. During the yoga centre inauguration programme, Sarma also conducted video conferencing with deputy commissioners and other administrative officials of all districts. He asked them individually to ensure proper working of the yoga
centres in their districts and to organise a ceremonial inauguration programme to make the locals aware about the facility. Officials informed that classes would be conducted in two slots in yoga centres, during the morning as well as n evening.
Govt wants to take Yoga to grassroots level
rincipal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Samir Kumar Sinha, said that the primary motive behind this initiative was to take yoga to the grassroots level, especially in semi-urban and rural areas. “We want to mobilise and popularise yoga in a big way in Assam. These yoga centres will work for dissemination
and popularisation of yoga in all the villages at the block level. We want to encourage more participation from women and weaker sections of society,” said Sinha. Apart from yoga classes, regular symposiums and discussions will also be held on health related issues, according to officials. Further, district-level
committees have also been formed in order to supervise the functioning of yoga centres. These committees comprise the block development officers (BDOs) along with other district officials and district nodal officers from the department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH). Officials said that to run the
yoga centres, Rs 5 lakhs per yoga centre would be given as grants every year to the district level committees. Sarma said that additional Rs 50,000 would be provided to each centre for conducting programmes related to popularisation of yoga. Health authorities said that by next year, yoga centres will come up in all 228 blocks of the
state. The performance of NGOs responsible to carry out yoga classes in the centres will be reviewed and the services of non-performing NGOs will be discontinued, said officials. The Health Minister also said that the state will get two independent Ayurvedic hospitals, one of which will be inaugurated in Golaghat on December 23. n
Weather report for the week Guwahati
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
26°/15° C
26°/15° C
26°/14° C
26°/13° C
26°/13° C
26°/13° C
SATURDAY Partly Cloudy
23°/15° C
8
Ward Watch
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
‘Low-prevalence’ Beltola reeling under Dengue menace In Ward Watch this week, G Plus checks out the undue number of dengue patients that have been afflicted in the officially certified low-prevalent Beltola Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in
E
ven though the National Health Mission (NHM) declared Beltola in Ward No 28 as one of the low dengue-prevalence areas, the residents complained of high incidences of the mosquito-borne disease in the locality. “Every week, at least one or two persons in the locality are identified to be suffering from dengue fever induced complications,” Dwipen Deka, a tea stall owner near the Beltola Tiniali, said. Ward No 28 was ranked 23rd out of the 31 wards under Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) wards by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVDCP) under Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), of NHM. Ward No 11 that includes Uzan Bazar topped the list. “At least five to six flats in the residential complexes have had their family members infected by dengue. We are taking every precautionary measure
Drippings from ACs are is of the main reasons of water stagnating thereby increasing dengue mosquito population | G Plus Photo to check possible areas of dengue mosquito breeding but still it could not be contained,” Sunil Pegu, security guard of a residential complex in Lakhimi Nagar at Beltola, said. Being one of the most urbane parts of the city, Beltola,
otherwise, is poised for high threat from dengue, which according to a study by the same agency tends to show high prevalence in urban areas. “Logically, Beltola is supposed to have high incidences of dengue. The
Residents allege lack of regular fogging
R
esidents of Beltola alfumigation probably aggravates Fogging in the region was leged that the disease the problem more than solving so less that a few residents and could have been conit. They just fumigate on the apartment societies had also trolled if there hired private pest control were regular fogging exagencies to fumigate their ercises conducted by the residences. Concentrated Area: government. “We have put on nets Beltola (28B) “We did not see much on the windows and fogging here. Last Auhave also tried driving Ward No: 28 gust, it was done once mosquitoes out through Population of the Ward: or twice by the GMC but fumes of herbs and on the main roads only. coconut peels, but those 33,000 They did not go to the indid not help much. So, Voter Population: teriors. It did not seem to the apartment society have much impact as the decided to fumigate the 21,800 number of mosquitoes in entire area. It helped Population of Beltola: 7,750 the area did not seem to for a few days, but the Ward Councillor: Bhagya Ram Terong go down,” Amal Chandra mosquitoes seemed to Kataki, a resident of Belcome back after a week. tola, said. We are doing it on a weekly The residents complained roads and the drains and miss basis,” a resident in Palms that they have seen fogging only out the houses. When fumigated Enclave residential complex, thrice in their locality. on the roads, the mosquitoes said. Another resident, Sailen happen to move towards our The fogging done by GMC Medhi said, “The GMC houses.” hardly suffices. n
dengue fever mosquitoes breed in clear or fresh water. In urban areas, water dripping from airconditioners and stagnating on the ground below is one of the most ideal breeding grounds for these mosquitoes. This is the same reason why Kamrup Metro
has the highest prevalence of the disease among all the districts in the state,” Nanda Chakraborty, District Medical Officer of NVDCP, said. As of December 17 this year, Kamrup (Metro) recorded the highest numbers of dengue incidences - 3,857 cases out of 5,008 cases in the state. Assam ranks 9th in the nation in this aspect; Tamil Nadu tops the list with 22,630 cases and 52 deaths. “However, the NHM only records those cases in which a patient is admitted to the hospital. If caught at early stages, dengue can be treated. This might be a probability that people might have treated the disease when the early symptoms showed up and so, did not show up in our records,” Chakraborty added. The early symptoms of the disease that include high fever, headache, rash and muscle and joint pain, are identical to that of influenza due to which people tend to neglect taking dengue tests. In advanced stages there is serious bleeding and shock which can be life threatening. Two persons died of the n disease this year.
Ward No 28 (that includes Beltola) was ranked 23rd out of the 31 wards by the NVDCP under Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), of NHM.
Fogging not the solution: Councillor
M
ore than regular fogging, the councillor of Ward No 28, Bhagya Ram Terong, vouched for raising awareness and community involvement. “With the resources that the GMC has, regular fogging is not possible and even if it were done, it won’t be able to eliminate the disease. People need to be more aware of it and they should be capable of treating it when the early symptoms starts showing. That is more important,” Terong,
the GMC councillor from the opposition Congress party, said. He said that since the area is not a high dengue prevalence zone, focus for fogging is more in the other wards. “We have asked them to conduct several fogging exercises, but they have other wards where the disease is more chronic. I cannot argue with that,” Terong added. He also encouraged the residents to take precautionary measures to check mosquito breeding in their localities. n
Concern
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
9
CoP elated at huge improvement in police-public relations in 2017 Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
T
he Commissioner of Police, Kamrup (Metro) has opined that public response towards the police has been overwhelming in 2017. Commissioner of Police, Hiren Chandra Nath said, “I had always appealed to the public to be just law-abiding citizens and their response was overwhelming this year,” adding that many international events had been organised in the city and there had been no crime reported during the
D
File photo of Commissioner of Police Hiren Nath
Not much police infrastructure development this year eveloping the city police infrastructure is not in the hands of Commissioner of
Police. Commissioner of Police, Kamrup (Metro), Hiren Chandra Nath said, “Infrastructure development depends on the police headquarters and the state government,” adding that his responsibility is to better the policing system. Infrastructure comes later. On enquiring what were his achievements this year in terms of police infrastructure
development, the commissioner could not reveal much but said that land for the Geetanagar police station had been finalised. He said that the Geetanagar police station now stood on its own land which was not the case earlier. He stated that he is trying his best to improve the infrastructure. For example, all city police vehicles used to be hired for many years, but he has ensured that the hired vehicles are changed every year. He said that he had asked the cab companies to provide sedans for the police
and 30 sedan cars have been introduced in the city. Nath also said that there will be many barracks constructed for the police personnel soon. The officers do not have their own offices. Nath said that very soon all the DCPs and ACPs will have their own offices. He further claimed that the Jalukbari and the Odalbakhra police outposts will soon be converted into police stations. E-challan system will also be introduced very soon, according to him. n
events. Events like Namami Brahmaputra, Ambubachi, Indian Super league (ISL), International T20 cricket match, FIFA World Cup Under-17 and International World Women’s Boxing were big challenges for the police. Yet, no untoward incident took place during the events, he said. Regarding the stone-pelting incident on the Australian cricket team bus post the T20 India VS Australia cricket match, the Police Commissioner said, “We cannot stop crimes but the case has been solved and the culprits are behind
bars.” According to the city police chief, the police-public relationship has improved and people are very cooperative with the police. Regarding corruption the Commissioner said, “Corruption has drastically decreased in the Police Commissionerate,” adding that corruption by police is hardly heard of in Guwahati these days. The public is conscious about their rights and duties these days and have helped the police to maintain peace in the city, he opined. n
Nath feels city crime scenario has improved this year
A
ccording to the observations made by the Commissioner of Police, the crime scenario has improved in Guwahati in 2017. Commissioner of Police, Kamrup (Metro), Hiren Chandra Nath said, “Heinous crime has come down in the city,” adding that there was not even a single incident of eve-teasing reported this year. Nath said that in the past eveteasing cases used to be reported mostly from GS Road and RG Baruah Road but with increased police patrolling the incidents have decreased. Talking about solving crime
cases, the police commissioner said that all the sensational kidnapping cases were solved. He said, “95% kidnapped and trafficked victims were recovered safely.” Crime against women on streets has drastically decreased, he claimed. Talking about traffic related violations the commissioner said that 4,000 licenses were seized this year and around 200 licenses were suspended for violating various traffic norms. Revenue generated by the traffic department from fines increased and around Rs 4 crores was recovered as fines n this year.
Guzzling Ghy downs over 1 crore litres of liquor till Oct 2017 Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
S
howing an increasing trend in the liquor consumption habit in the city, the data procured from the Kamrup Metro Excise Superintendent’s office reveals that the city, from 1st January till 30th October 2017, consumed 1,08,90,662.822 bulk litres of liquor. A source in the excise department said, “There is an increasing trend in the habit of consumption,” adding that in 2016 -17 (April to March) the city consumed 1,11,29,780 bulk
litres whereas this year, within only 10 months, the consumption of the city reached almost the same amount that was consumed in the whole of last year. One “full” bottle contains 750 ml and in one case there are 12 bottles. One case is measured as 9 bulk litres which is 9 litres. This year, with calculations for the financial year, the source revealed that the city consumed 78,37,425 bulk litres in just 7 months (April to October). So far as beer and Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) is concerned, the data reveals that the city has more IMFL consumers than beer consumers. Between January and October 2017, Guwahati consumed
34,11,850.872 bulk litres of beer whereas the IMFL consumption is more than double this figure. 74,78,811.95 bulk litres of IMFL was consumed till October this year. Similarly, in past years also, the IMFL consumption was more in the city. There are around 450 wine shops and bars in the city and the city had witnessed a chaos in the initial days of June 2015
when the price of liquor was hiked since 1st June, 2015. Even though the liquor prices were hiked the consumption habit of the people did not change. The Congress government, prior to 2014, had implemented a rule in which bars and wine shops were kept closed on the first and last days of every month (also popularly known as dry days). Also, the wine shops and bars could open only at 2
pm. After forming the government, BJP found that various illegal businesses had begun to flourish because of this excise rule and the state was losing revenue. The excise rules were changed and bars and wine shops were allowed to open at 11 am. Also the wine shops and bars were allowed to be kept open every day which meant that dry days were abolished. n
Liquor consumption data of Guwahati April to March
IMFL (in litres)
Beer (in litres)
Total (in litres)
2015-16
7908052
3216690
11124742
2016-17
7972513
3157267
11129780
2017 -18 (April to October)
5053739
2783685
7837424
10
Snippets
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Grand pre-Christmas celebrations at Don Bosco School
D
on Bosco School, Panbazar celebrated pre-Christmas in a grand manner in its Mama Margaret Auditorium on 22nd December 2017 as the school closed for its winter break. As part of its programme students of all the four houses of the school presented a tableau depicting the life of Jesus Christ. Principal of the school, Fr. Sebastian Mathew, urged all to imbibe the true spirit of Christmas. Fr. Mathew said, “The theme of the function was to celebrate the festival with joy and harmony so that the students could inculcate the true spirit of Christmas.” Mathew said that all the students, teachers and the school staff celebrated the festival without any discrimination of caste, creed and religion so that
Principal of Don Bosco School, Panbazar, Fr. Sebastian Matthews during the pre-Christmas celebrations | G Plus Photo the students can learn to live united and transform the society accordingly. Christmas cake was distributed to all the students, teachers and staff of the school. After the function the students thronged the principal’s
office to extend their Christmas and New Year greetings as the school will reopen only in the first week of January after the winter break. The vote of thanks was delivered by Vice Principal Fr. Pradeep Ekka. n
Baked Turkey Delight at Yo! China during Christmas & New Year
Y
o! China is gearing up for its Christmas and New Year celebrations with special turkey dishes for the first time. Backed with specially curated dishes
by Chef Prem Rai, Yo! China will present an appetizing Turkey Delight from 24th December, 2017 to 1st January, 2018. The bar-cum-restaurant is also presenting special dis-
counts on drinks to accompany the wide variety of oriental dishes offered on the restaurant’s menu. Yo! China won the tag of Guwahati’s Best Oriental Cuisine restaurant at the Guwahati Food Awards this year. One would be able to order a baked turkey (whole) with butter rice and sauteed veggies, Turkey Sizzler or Sliced Turkey with Barbecue Sauce. All the turkey dishes will be accompanied by 2 glasses of red wine (at a special rate) making Christmas and New Year Celebrations unique and a must-visit experience,” says Shaurav A Chowdhury, General Manager at KARINI that operates Yo! China. n
Massive traffic jams likely on Saraighat Bridge for one month
C
itizens commuting over the old Saraighat Bridge are likely to face massive traffic jams for almost one month. The bridge which is reportedly damaged at various parts will undergo construction. The construction work has been taken up by the Northeast Frontier Railways starting
Wednesday. The construction work led to massive traffic jam on the bridge for several hours on Wednesday. From personal vehicles to ambulances, several hundred vehicles were stuck in the jam for hours. According to officials, it will take about one month for the entire construction work to be completed. n
Regional authors shine in Sahitya Akademi Awards
A
ssamese novelist Jayanta Madhab Bora and Bodo writer Rita Boro have been chosen for the Sahitya Akademi Awards 2017 for their novels ‘Moriahola’ and ‘Thwisam’ respectively. Rajen Toijamba of Manipur has been chosen for the award for his short story collection. Babul Tamuly has been among the awardees in the translation category for his Assamese rendering (Eti Koli Duti Paat) of Mulk Raj Anand’s classic ‘Two Leaves and a Bud’. Gobinda Basumatary has won the award for his Bodo translation (Gaddar) of Krisan Chander’s acclaimed work by the same name. Ranjita Biswas has been chosen for the award for her English translation (Written in Tears) of the
Assamese collection of selected short stories and novella by Arupa Patangia Kalita. Naorem Bidyasagar Singha of Manipur has also been among the awardees for his translation (Manimahesh) of Umaprasad Mukhopadhyay’s Bengali travelogue ‘Manimahesh’. The Sahitya Akademi Yuva Purashkar awardees include Pritam Baruah and Bijit Gwra Ramchiary – both for poetry and Mamang Dai for her English novel, ‘The Black Hill.’ Sahitya Akademi announced its annual Sahitya Akademi Awards in 24 languages on December 21, Thursday. Seven books of novel, five of poetry, five of short stories, five of literary criticism and one of play and essays have won the Sahitya n Akademi Awards 2017.
Assamese photographer makes it to TIME’s Top 100 Photos of 2017
A
photograph captured by Guwahati based photographer, Anupam Nath, has been selected for TIME’s Top 100 photographs of 2017. The brilliant photo by Nath, captured at Panbari village, near Chandrapur shows villagers offering flowers to a wild tusk, lying dead in a field. The photograph was clicked on 2nd November 2017. Speaking to G Plus, Anupam Nath said, “The photograph was very random for me. The moment when human beings offered flowers to a dead body was very thought provoking
and emotional. I saw a giant body lying dead on the field and human beings offering flowers at one part of the body of that dead animal. So, I thought of capturing that part of the animal only, rather than the whole animal. Sharing his excitement about the achievement, Nath said, “It’s a big thing to get a small photograph published in TIME. I am very happy to see my capture getting a position among thousands of brilliant photographs.” Anupam Nath works as a photographer at Associated Press. n
Snippets
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Guwahati airport to be upgraded for international flights
A
ssam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said that his government is committed to upgrade the Guwahati Airport as an international airport, connecting at least nine nations of the ASEAN. Sonowal was speaking at a road show in Bengaluru to attract investors to participate in the upcoming Global Investors’ Summit (GIS) in his state on February 3 and 4 next year. “We aim to turn Guwahati airport into an international
airport mainly connecting South East Asia. Expansion work for the current airport has already begun and work on the new terminal will begin soon,” he said. “We are looking forward to enhancing the coverage of UDAN putting Guwahati as the hub and cover South East Asian and ASEAN countries,” he added. These nine nations include Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Singapore said Sonowal adding that the Assam government has collaborated with Singapore to set up a skill development centre
in Assam. Making a strong pitch for investment in his state during the event to woo investors, the Assam Chief Minister said that the government has relaxed many norms. Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls the north-eastern states ‘Ashta Lakshmi.’ “Last year alone, we succeeded in getting investment of Rs. 6,500 crores. The new Act East policy and reforms have given vibrancy to the industrial scenario of Assam,” he added. He appealed to members of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry to make use of “Advantage Assam,” the global investor summit in February 2018. “This will be the first-of-its kind for the entire northeast region. The vision is to create an economic development model that links India with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and ASEAN nations,” the Chief Minister of n Assam added.
NF Railway drafts proposal of Rs 325 crores to upgrade railway safety
N
ortheast Frontier Railway (NFR) has tabled a proposal before the Railway Board for upgrading safety infrastructure at an estimated cost of Rs 325 crores. The proposal, for the year 2018-19, comprises 28 safety works including the improvement of running rooms in 30 stations for an estimated cost of Rs 71 crores and training centres at 13 stations at a cost of Rs 94 crores. The proposal also suggests extensions of platforms at 18 stations at a cost of Rs 45 crores and foot over-bridges at 30 stations for Rs 105 crores. There is also a plan of Rs 10 crores to replace, among
R
other equipments, the LED signals and batteries. "Our focus on safety has so far yielded positive results. The number of derailments came down from four to
one last year. No accidents at level crossings or cases of fire hazards were reported," NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer, Pranav Jyoti Sharma said. n
Principal of KV Khanapara arrested for taking bribe
ajesh Dhawan, Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya Khanapara (KVK), Guwahati has been arrested by CBI while taking bribe. CBI spokesperson talking to G Plus said, “He was on our radar for quite some time. He has been arrested for taking mon-
ey from contractors regarding a few infrastructural works in the school.” CBI got involved because KVK is a central school. Dhawan joined the school on 31st Dec 2015 and had been in charge of the position of Principal ever since. n
11
Assamese designer to dress Hollywood celebrity for Cannes Film Festival 2018
G
uwahati’s ace fashion designer, Sanjukta Dutta, has been selected to design dresses for one Hollywood celebrity for Cannes Film Festival 2018 Red Carpet event. The designer has signed a contract with Cannes officially confirming that she will design dresses for celebrities for the most coveted film festival in the world. Sanjukta, who has always given her efforts to take Assam Silk to the international platform, is excited and grateful for the recognition. She plans to design ‘gowns’ made of Muga Silk for the celebrities as gowns are the most recognised and accept-
ed dress in the festival. The celebrity she would design for will be confirmed in March 2018. Speaking to G Plus, the designer said, “I have a few design shows lined up for the coming days. I want to wrap those first and plan my design for the Cannes Film Festival. I am glad and happy to promote Assam Silk on a global podium.” Sanjukta Dutta has earlier designed beautiful attires for popular Bollywood celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Zareen Khan, Preity Zinta and many other renowned celebrities from different industries. Cannes Film Festival will be held in May 2018. n
12
Concern
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Romeos at large: Eve-teasing rears its ugly face at Athgaon Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in
P
assing by the Paanch Ali in the Athgaon area of the city has become nightmare for women due to rampant eve-teasing by youths during and after the late evening hours. Residents complained that every night, some youths gather at the Paanch Ali, which remains fairly dark due to lack of adequate streetlights, and pass comments on female passers-by. Karan Jain (name changed on request), a resident of the area, said that he had witnessed one of the youths trying to
S
harass a girl. “The girl, who was apparently returning from tuition at around 8:30 pm was passing by the Paanch Ali area where a group of youths were chatting sitting on their parked motorbikes. When she passed by, a few of them passed lewd remarks. As if that was not enough, one of them walked towards her and tried to touch her hand. That’s when she ran,” Jain said adding, “This has become a routine affair in the area.” Five roads coming from different directions meet at the Paanch Ali, making it one of the most important junctions and almost impossible to avoid for those who are travelling
towards or from Athgaon. “Being a bit far from the main arterial MG Road, the shops tend to shut down by 8:30 - 9 pm.
Here, the roads are mostly lit by shops as there are very few working streetlights. This has made the area a safe haven for
these youths. However, for the residents, the road is difficult to avoid,” Tushar Sisodia, another resident, said. The residents, however, said that the youths belong to “influential families” and fearing repercussions, they have not taken the issue to the police. When contacted, Fancy Bazar police said, “We do not see any incidences of eve-teasing when we make our rounds of patrolling. It is true that youths gather around there after 7 or 8:30 pm. But we cannot arrest them or do anything about it until a formal complaint is reported. It is within their rights to talk to each other on the road without obstructing traffic.” n
Public glare on tuition centres operating late at night
ecurity becomes a bigger threat from the eve teasers because the area is treaded by students returning from tuition centres operating late at night, residents said. There at least four to five tuition centres, all of which give lessons on commerce subjects and
preparations for Chartered Accountancy and CAT admissions, in the vicinity and their classes go on till as late as 9:30 pm. “Guwahati is a much safer city than some others in the country, but letting our children return this late at night from tuition centres is not safe by any city norms. But the tuitions are im-
portant for their careers and so we cannot do anything about it. Had the centres shut down a bit earlier, we would have been relieved,” Kishan Kumar, a parent said. Another parent, Khushbu Agarwal said, “Such kind of activities (eve teasing) leaves a prolonged impact on the adolescents.
Even if they face such experiences, they don’t share it with their parents due to embarrassment. My daughter’s tuition was in the vicinity and that’s why she used to go alone. Lately, I have noticed my daughter returning from her classes fairly annoyed. Now, her elder brother accompanies her.” When G Plus contacted
Sameer Thakur who runs one of the tuition centre there, he said, “Most of the classes wind up by 8:30 pm, but there are a few specialised courses which last till 9:30 pm. We provide coaching on a lot of subjects and it is not possible to cram all those within a day without extending the hours a bit late.” n
Assam IMA members oppose NMC Bill Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in
T
he Assam Chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has vehemently opposed the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill, recently cleared by the central government, which seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) as the key body to regulate medical education in the country. The members of the Assam Chapter of MCI said that the union government should retract the bill as it contains a number of provisions which are neither in the interest of the medical students nor of the doctors. “We strongly oppose the Bill; the Union government should rethink the clauses which can potentially pose a problem for the medical fraternity as a whole,” said vice president of IMA Assam Chapter, Dr Satyajit Borah. The bill mentions a mandatory ‘exit examination’ for MBBS graduates to ensure they
possess the required knowledge and skills to practise medicine. They will only be given a license to practise if they qualify in the test. Borah added that the exit test for MBBS graduates is one of the clauses which they are protesting. The IMA feels that the test is “unnecessary”. Members said that students spend five long years studying for MBBS and if they do not qualify in the test,
yy
yy yy
yy yy
the time, money and effort of the students, their parents and the government for educating students for MBBS in government colleges, stand wasted. “As it is, the state as well as the country is facing a dearth of doctors and the exit test will further compound the problem,” said an official. According to sources, the doctor-patient ratio in the state is much higher than the national average. Currently, there is
one doctor per more than two thousand patients in Assam whereas, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) norms, there should be one doctor per one thousand patients. Further, the scenario is worse in villages and other remote parts of the state as fresh graduates are reluctant to be posted in villages. State secretary of IMA, Atul Kalita, said that in accordance with the country-wide opposition of IMA to the NMC Bill, the Assam state chapter of IMA has also submitted a declaration to the central IMA committee, which in turn, has written an open letter to the Prime Minister. Further, the state IMA members also feel that with the implementation of the Bill, the government could have more influence over the body since the commission will have a few government-nominated members. “We want a democratic body which will be able to work with the best interest of everyone in mind. We used to elect our own
representatives and want it to continue,” said Kalita. After implementation of the Bill, medical colleges will be able to begin new post-graduate courses on their own, and do not have to seek permission from the National Medical Commission.
IMA to begin ‘Goodwill Mission’ in Assam
With a view to improve the overall health scenario of Assam, the state chapter of IMA is going to begin a ‘goodwill mission’ across the state. The members said that under this, the IMA will take measures to build a rapport between the patients and doctors and all the other stakeholders. “People need to work together from all corners in order to make the health services better and more accessible for everyone. We will hold deliberations between patients, doctors and government officials to provide best possible healthcare services even in the villages,” said an IMA member. n
Governance
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
13
City Muslim community welcomes Triple Talaq bill Nehal Jain
M
embers of the Muslim community of Guwahati have welcomed the recently passed Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which seeks to make instant triple talaq (Talaq-e-biddat), illegal and a punishable offence. A majority of them feel that the bill must get passed in the parliament and a strict law must come into enforcement. Speaking to G Plus, Baharun Saikia, an advocate of Gauhati High Court, informed that she has herself been a victim of male chauvinism. Married in 1999, Saikia received two Talaqnamas in 2009, stating that her husband wanted to divorce her because she didn’t go by the Sharia. Being a liberal and educated woman, she knew the law and her rights. So she filed a case against her husband in the Gauhati High Court. The case had remained pending in the High Court until the Supreme Court’s judgement was announced and all cases of Triple Talaq became
null and void. Speaking on the Muslim Women Bill she said, “I appreciate the move and think it is imperative that the bill gets passed in the parliamentary session. Once the bill is passed, the law will become fair for women as the men who practice triple talaq will not be able to declare talaq without proper reasoning.” While some say that the bill interferes with the personal law of the Muslim community, the Muslim community of Guwahati seems to be largely in favour of the decision. Muslim women of Guwahati have rejoiced at the passing of the bill. “Talaq-e-biddat was never in favour of the women community. If it gets banned, Muslim men will not be able to misuse the law for their own benefit and we’ll be provided with allowance in the form of maintenance which was not the case earlier,” said a woman on the condition of anonymity. Further, Irfanullah Nizami, a businessman of Guwahati, said, “Only those who do not know the Muslim laws properly give instant triple talaq. Saying ‘talaq’ three times at a go does not mean
File photo of Supreme Court of India that the couple has been divorced. After declaring talaq for the first time, one must give a chance to the marriage. If things do not work out the first time, one can declare a second talaq and again try to improve the relationship. Now, after staying together a couple more months and still not seeing a future, one can declare
the third and final talaq. Only after that can the couple part ways, according to the Muslim law.” He further informed that triple talaq is not very prevalent in Guwahati, but it is practiced more in the villages and remote areas. “The bill should come into effect at the earliest. I feel that
the punishments proposed in the bill are justifiable. According to the community law also, a wife is accustomed to getting maintenance from her husband. And if the law is passed that the husband will be jailed and liable to fine, he shall fear before unjustly declaring triple talaq,” n he pointed out.
Misuse remains an apprehension
T
he proposed bill has provisions for imprisonment and fines for anyone invoking it. It also deals with subsistence allowance to a Muslim woman and her children from the estranged man as well as custodial rights of minor children. The parliament is likely to debate on ‘Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill’ during the winter session. Earlier, on August 22, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict on Triple Talaq or Talaq-e-biddat, striking it down as unconstitutional by 3-2 majority. However, some feel that the proposed Bill comes with certain loopholes and can be prone to misuse. Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, a senior advocate at the Gauhati High Court told G Plus,
“Sometimes, women misuse the law to harass their husbands and in-laws. And that is my only problem with such women-centric laws. But if the law that comes into effect can avoid such lacunas and be all inclusive, I will welcome the law.” He further added, “It is true that the personal law of the Muslim community was unable to remove the evils of society and thus the need for a constitutional law arose. So, it’ll be the duty of the Muslim society to make sure that the law is abided by.” The Gauhati High Court as well as the Family Court has seen cases of misuse of the practice of Triple Talaq. While most such incidences go unreported, there are some women who gather the courage to approach the court and file a case against their spouses. In a recent case registered
at the Family Court, a woman reported that she’d gone to her father’s house for some time and when she returned, her husband had already married another woman claiming that he’d sent a letter addressed to her announcing talaq. In another case registered nine months ago, a woman had been sent an e-mail by the husband that carried an announcement for their talaq. Speaking to G Plus about the loopholes in the proposed bill, Advocate Baharun Saikia said, “The only loophole I notice in the Bill is the women community’s demand for the child’s custody. A kid belongs to both parents and they must both have complete rights to fight for the custody of the child and for visitation rights. And if the child is a major, above 18 years of age, he/she must be allowed to decide who they want to stay with.” n
Divorce cases doubled in the past four years in Kamrup (M)
B
etween January 1 and December 15, 2017, a total of 1,104 divorce cases have been registered at the Family Court, among which maximum cases are that of contested divorce. The numbers are expected to exceed 1,200 by the end of the year. Advocate Nazrul Saikia, practicing at the Family
Court, also revealed that these numbers have gone up drastically over the years. While in 2014, a total of 600 divorce cases and around 400 maintenance cases were registered at the Family Court, the numbers went up in 2015 to 777 and 500 respectively, and then in 2015, the total number of divorce cases crossed 1000, with 620 maintenance cases. n
14 E
H
G Talk D
I
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017 T
O
R
I
A
L
Undeserving smart cities?
aving remained confined within the cocoon called Guwahati harbouring dreams of living in a city that is about to turn smart, I had the occasion of recently visiting another city holding a similar status – Pune. In fact, both Guwahati and Pune found themselves on the same first list of cities that would be made smart - shortly. Not much to my surprise, I found certain similarities between the two cities so stark that I am beginning to wonder whether just improvement of infrastructure and other elements, as envisaged by the government, would be enough at all to make the cities smart or whether it required an indepth introspection and steps thereafter to change the behavioural psyche of the citizens. From the superficial understanding of Pune that I managed to gather in my brief stay there, two differences however stood out. One is that Pune has somehow managed to solve its water supply problem. Unprecedented growth of real estate has not, it seems, thrown a challenge to the water supply authorities and each apartment block thrives with no complaints on water insufficiency. The other is the
basic progressiveness of the city which is a busy hub of business activities (deep into the night) which gives the feeling that Guwahati continues to be comparatively laid back despite its recently acquired fast pace of life. The cause of concern, when it comes to both cities acquiring the smart characteristics that are shortly going to be thrust upon them, are the similarities - the certain lack of belonging that the citizens hold towards their living space. Undisciplined dispersal of garbage and the lack of concern thereof are reflective of this mindset. The utter deficiency in traffic sense (to the extent of vehicles cutting across from the left most lane to take U-turns and expecting the oncoming traffic to apply their brakes) and the pathological instinct to jump red lights in the mad rush to be the first display a lack of willingness to be better and more considerate citizens. Just two of the many such examples one can think of! It is all very well for the government to provide the tangible sops but inadequate cerebral sensitization towards the government’s overtures, I am afraid, will render the smart projects as failures. Swapnil Bharali Editor
One date to set them free “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.” – JL Nehru
A
t midnight on 31st of December, the fate of illegal migrants in Assam will be sealed. The skewered demographics in the state of Assam will finally show a real picture. The long standing answer to the question, ‘How many Indians and how many illegal citizens live in Assam?’ will be revealed. The entire run up to the NRC has been a tedious journey. The exercise has seen a series of delays and deadlines that started with the Assam Movement which led to the loss of more than 850 lives. Governments, both at the Centre and the State, could never put a figure to the unnatural population explosion in Assam, which came in from Bangladesh and which rampantly used resources and misused government subsidies and schemes that were not meant for it. It is unclear what is going to happen after the first draft of the NRC is published. Who all are ‘illegal’, what are they liable for and what is their future? These questions will circulate instantly. Yes, one cannot ignore the raging chaos that will ensue in the subsequent week. And yes, it is going to be a ‘human demonetization’ of sorts; people will discontinue being ‘legal.’ The NRC coordinator’s statement, that he ‘will stand by the findings, but won’t divulge numbers,’ is as reassuring as it is concerning - reassuring because the government believes in its work and concerning because, well, it believe in its work. Here’s hoping that the NRC can be challenged with actual structure and not by an arbitrary power. SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA
Awesome Assam or Advantage Assam?
T
wo months ago, I was delighted to receive a YouTube link to the Awesome Assam campaign video featuring Priyanka Chopra; the campaign is an attempt to attract tourists to Assam. I was delighted more so by the fact it was shown to me by Shobhana, a Maharashtrian friend in Pune and not a fellow Assamese even as I like to think that I have quite a few Assamese friends. Later I spoke with Shobhana, who was pretty impressed with the video, and we discussed taking a joint trip with our respective families to Assam. The video seems to have delivered on its promise, at least in part; it has reached out to potential tourists. Unlike Sobhana’s pointer to the Awesome Assam campaign, it was FICCI that educated me about the parallel Advantage Assam campaign, which appears to be an attempt to attract investments into the state. I received an email from FICCI about a roadshow in Mumbai promoting the upcoming investors’ summit in Guwahati. I made two calls thereafter, first to Shobhana asking her if she would like to join me for the roadshow in Mumbai. “What will I do there? It’s not for me, but for the big investors,” she said. She has otherwise been running a very successful product and services design consultancy for two decades now. The second call was to FICCI, the industry partner. Amongst other things, I enquired about touristy things one can do, on the sidelines of the summit. They seemed uncertain about this. So now, Shobhana is interested in ‘seeing Assam’ but cannot relate to the Advantage Assam campaign. FICCI is interested in ‘securing investments’ for Assam, but seems ignorant about what is so awesome about Assam when it comes to tourism. Quite clearly, there is a major disconnect between the two parallel campaigns. What does one make of this
insight? Is there an opportunity to explore from this disconnect? Opportunities lead to ideas which lead to solutions. What is it that one is trying to solve really? More cashflow for Assam, right? Either through tourism or through other investments. So what if one campaign were to leverage from the other’s strengths and vice versa? Assam is indeed awesome; its tourism potential is huge. If run well, the Awesome Assam campaign will do its job of getting more tourists into the state. It will be successful if it manag-
A pertinent observation raised by the author on the disconnect between the two parallel campaigns that are both designed to generate cash inflow to the state es to deliver what the end user, aka the tourist, wants. What could he or she want? Reliable information, a sense of safety & security and of course the supporting hard and soft infrastructure. The Advantage Assam campaign, along with the roadshows, must be doing its bit in building a positive image of the state. Is a positive image enough though, to secure desired investments? The print ads do not talk anything unique about Assam that investors can gain from, except the tagline “India’s expressway to ASEAN.” If you replace a few things in it like the Chief Minister, the advert could very well be representative of West Bengal or another state. Big or small, any purchase made, is usually because of a USP (unique selling proposition). One may argue that the print ads are simply brand building exercises and if that is so, it is all the more important to showcase the USP. The government running the Awesome Assam campaign substantiates the fact that tourism is an USP.
rJNU, the breeding ground
J
O p i n i on Parthajeet Sarma
So, why not build upon the campaigns’ inherent strengths? Let us use the Awesome Assam campaign to quickly build a friendly, positive image of the state through tourism. Go beyond the campaign gloss and build a tangible tourism infrastructure, ensuring that tourists go back happy and send more tourists back. And more…. propelling Assam towards being a top choice amongst domestic and foreign tourists. Once we are down this path, we then go aggressive with the Advantage Assam campaign. Sprinkle touristy things around future investors’ summits and allied events. Successful tourism campaigns lead to building of world-class infrastructure. Such infrastructure attracts and encourages investment in ancillary and non-ancillary areas. Thailand is a good example of having successfully done this. It used tourism to build worldclass infrastructure and later used this as a draw for investors to invest into manufacturing and services. Intangible sops like ‘red carpet welcome’, ‘single window clearance’ and good policy are not enough. For image building at a stage level, tangible changes need to complement attractive policy. Let us draw from the strengths of both the campaigns and leverage from each other. If one is spending money to get money, let us try and get investments into tourism and allied industries first. If Assam aspires to be India’s gateway to ASEAN, let us first get close to building soft and hard infrastructure similar to ASEAN countries. One can do this by working on one’s strengths first, within one’s comfort zones. Investments into other areas will flow naturally n thereafter. Parthajeet Sarma, a Chevening scholar from Oxford Univ, is a Mumbai based innovation consultant. More information at www.parthajeet.com.
Letter to the Editor
awaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a premier educational institution of the country supposed to produce some top brains of country, is sadly earning the notorious distinction of producing some unwanted anti-national elements. The university derives subsidy from the central government to impart top class education to its students. But if one goes by the recent news generating from the university campus, it is a matter to worry. These anti-nationals have polluted the entire atmosphere of the campus by staging rallies and seminars in support of criminals like Yakub Menon, Afzal Guru etc in full view of the nation. The most recent development in the campus was where senior BJP leader Dr Subramanium Swamy was barred from attending and delivering his address at the very last minute even though he was invited by communist leader Prakash Karat. It is high time that the authority concerned takes stern steps to eradicate such anti-national elements or else have to derecognise the said university for the sake of the nation. Dr Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati
In Focus
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Ashmita Chaliha
G
Badminton Player
uwahati’s young badminton player, Ashmita Chaliha, strides across two opposing worlds — the academic and the athletic. Balancing her passion for sports and with her regular schooling, this young player fits the face of an icon for the new generation. Born and brought up in Guwahati, Ashmita did her schooling from Maria’s Public School, Guwahati, till the 10th standard. She is currently pursuing her higher secondary from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and will appear for her 12th board exams in March 2018. Apart from sports and academics, Ashmita is an outgoing person who loves to travel, listen to music and spend time on social media. This young prodigy started playing badminton at the early age of six and has been thoroughly engaged in training and practice ever since. Talking to G Plus about the importance of sports in her life, Ashmita said, “Sports are an integral part of my life and I just can’t do without it. Although I play badminton for a career, it also
helps me relax and unwind.” Ashmita, who started playing badminton out of passion, decided to pursue it as a career when she started winning tournaments in the state and national levels. It was then that a sense of professionalism set in. But she did face a lot of challenges and obstacles in her journey. “I had to face quite a lot of difficulties while choosing my sport as a profession as it attracted heavy expenses in travelling as well as in participating in tournaments. Moreover, due to my practice and the tournaments, I had little time to concentrate on studies. Since I got very little support from sports organizations or the government, my parents had to manage everything on their own,” she recalled. Even now, she finds difficulty in balancing academics along with her passion for badminton. But she catches up on her studies in between the tournaments and travelling and her dedication keeps her going.
Ashmita informed G Plus about the common challenges faced by the people from Assam who want to pursue a career in the field of sports and said, “The biggest challenge of being a sportsperson in Assam is that most people here do not perceive sports as a career option since more focus
is given on studies. Often, we see brilliant players sacrificing sports for the sake of academics.” “Moving on to sports, I did face a lot of difficulties in the beginning of my career as I did not get any financial support from the state. And although we had coaches, there was hardly any exposure for
trainings. However, things have improved now. We have coaches coming from Indonesia in the Assam Badminton Academy where I am presently practicing,” she added. Having participated in and won many national as well as international championships, Ashmita says that representing her land at such platforms gives her utmost pleasure. “It is an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment to have represented and brought laurels to the state/country,” she said. Ashmita has accomplished a lot in a very short span of time. This year, she participated in and won many tournaments, including the 42nd Junior National Badminton Championship where she won a silver medal in the junior mixed team, Inter State Badminton Championship (North East Zone) where she won the first position in the Women’s Singles event, All India Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament where she secured the second runner-up in the U-19 Girls’ Singles category, and the 1st South Asian Regional Badminton Tournament held in Guwahati where she was declared the winner of the mixed team event.
15
She also participated in the BWF World Junior Championship 2017 in Indonesia where she represented India. Currently, Ashmita is really excited about the upcoming Premier Badminton League (PBL) to be held in Guwahati. She also wishes to represent her country at the Olympics in the near future. Talking about her inspiration, Ashmita told G Plus, “I idealize Lee Chong Wei for his noteworthy career in badminton. His remarkable game has given me inspiration and passion for the game. Apart from him, my father is my biggest inspiration in life. His innumerable sacrifices, along with his constant dedication and unwavering faith in me, have always been my driving force.” She also pointed out that her mother and sister have always encouraged her to do better and have played the role of critics in her life, pointing out her weak points to bring perfection of out her. Her only advice to the people of Assam who aspire to do big in the field of sports is, “Take up sports as a career in life if you want to pursue your true calling because there is no better feeling than being an asset to your country and bringing laurels to it, thereby gaining respect and recognition.”
The protests staged by the All Assam Book Sellers’ Association against the Govt’s decision to publish all school books free of cost evoked mixed response from the Guwahati public. Below are some responses showing support and opposition Binod Sharma We people reside in Guwahati where people have good earning but what about the villagers who can’t even afford to go to school? School books don’t cost much and the people who are in this business still earn from college books which are priced very high as compared to school books. Shame on people for carrying out such a stupid protest! It’s a good great initiative by the government and I support it. Pankaj Das A very good decision by the government because every child should have the right to education and nobody should be spared if they try to create any obstacle between a child and his right to education. Don’t give any heed to these protests. These people are protesting because their profits will get reduced. The government needs to think about the larger interests of the society. Poor kids need education so that they have the conscience between good and bad. Bimal Mahato Firstly, according to government school terms, all the books and notebooks were meant to be free or low cost. The sellers should have been aware of this; after all the sellers have full right to sell private publishers’ books to students. India being a developing country should look towards literacy development from ground level and even the sellers should join hands with the government. It’s definitely a great decision and the sellers should think about literacy among people first. Moreover they can earn their bread by switching their business if they really think sale of books worth the price of Rs 22, Rs 35, or Rs 49 would destroy their regular earnings.
Manash Pratim Bharadwaj Already people are choosing online modes to buy books over offline mode and almost all the NCERT books are freely downloadable and distributable. Book sellers going on strike isn’t going to impact anyone except themselves. They should think wisely before doing any kind of protest.
Lukumoni Patar Great and good decision by the government and it will really help the poor students whose family cannot afford books for education. I want to request all the books sellers not to come up with such kind of protests. Keeping the rural perspective in mind, it will benefit the students in rural areas. Also as humans we should sometimes also think for the benefit of the other people. Ricky Unique II The government should see both the sides. There are a lot of vendors whose daily bread and butter is the book stall. If people don’t have money to buy books then I think there won’t be so much of rush at Royal Global, DPS, Sarla Birla and other such schools. Give to those schools that deserve them; providing it free of cost at these high profile schools won’t cost their image as there will be all rich students. Publishing all school books free of cost is definitely going to affect the book sellers. It’s not a great decision. Lots of rich students are there who are still studying in government schools taking lots of benefits. Instead they should conduct some sort of meeting where they can actually gauge the annual income of the family of a student. And according to that they should distribute those free published books. Don’t only think government school students are poor, parents fall into big debts to send their wards to private schools.
16
Feature
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
From being a small town boy to an acclaimed chef: Catching up with Atul Lahkar Chandrika Das
A
chef extraordinaire who has brought the graceful Assamese cuisine at par with other cuisines on the international platform, Atul Lahkar continues to forge ahead with new ideas and creative ventures. Food for Atul Lahkar has always been an emotion; so much that for him, it is the bridge that unites one with every form of love. Born to an economically backward family in Tezpur, Atul Lahkar was one of 8 siblings who had faced hardships in many phases of life, since childhood. He completed his studies in Tezpur by 1990. Affected by the rebel groups of Tezpur, he decided to leave his hometown and begin a new life in Guwahati in 1992. While stepping out on a journey that would change his destiny and identity forever, he only had some potatoes and rice handed to him by his mother; this is a memory he holds close to his heart. His love for food
towards food, he went and asked his mother what Assamese food actually was. He was not surprised when his mother instantly replied, “Tenga-khaaraaloo pitika.” That was when he decided to explore the plethora of Assamese traditional recipes, handpicked and meticulously chosen from all over the state; there has been no looking back ever since. He started his journey from Barpeta, following which he travelled across villages of Assam, stayed and learnt the food habits of nearly all the communities of the state and produced more than 400 traditional recipes. His desire to understand food and food habits has taken him to such corners of the state that one can only imagine of. “Food for me is my only love. I romanticise with food. It pains me when I see people so drawn towards western food and not interested in Assamese cuisine. Be it birthdays or weddings, it is strange how we do not prefer to put up an Assamese menu, although it is rich in all aspects,” shares Lahkar.
Atul Lahkar trying ethnic food at Joon Beel
took a major turn in 1994 when he had to take his elder sister for treatment to Chennai. In all the hard days and financial struggles, what remained intact was his passion for food. Recalling his days in Chennai, he shared that his interest in food was made firm after he witnessed a vendor religiously cooking and feeding Biryani to his customers, everyday, from morning to evening. Soon after returning from Chennai, driven by his passion (which he mistook for curiosity)
mela
He not only cooks soulful delicacies, but weaves tales out of recipes and vice versa. Recipes such as “Ronga Mota Kukura, Xandoh Guri Posola” (a dish made of chicken combined with rice powder), and “Baahe Borahe, Haahe Kumuraye, Juti Logai Khai Tengai Maase” (Pork with bamboo shoot, Duck with gourd, and fish with something sour) are rich authentic slogans taken from tales which he has drawn from our ancestors of Tiwa, Ahom and many other tribes.
The artiste with rich culinary skills is personally attached to herbs such as Kalmou Xaak, Manimuni, Dhekia Xaak, Bhedailota Xaak, Thekera Tenga, etc and tries to curate those into stimulating recipes. Fast forward to the year 2000, he started his first culinary school called ‘The Ultimate Kitchen’ at Rajgarh. Meanwhile, he started to make his presence on national television too. In 2005, he was offered to be the official cook of Delicacy,
If you cannot feel while eating, you cannot cook.”
cafe. Cutting apart the mainstream identity of all these Assamese Jalpaan, the chef also plans to introduce Sweet Tekeli Pitha with tea, and Salted Tekeli Pitha combined with a bowl of meat. “For me,
terrace in the apartment that he lives in. His terrace is nothing short of a mini farm, where he plants his own herbs, organic plants and spices. A walk around his terrace and balcony could leave any visitor awestruck and give a fair idea about the obsession with food that he has. He takes pride in showing his garden to people and calls it his ‘perfect
Atul Lahkar Ganeshguri. From designing the first ever authentic Assamese menu to introducing the culture of Khorikaa meat, that was the stepping stone for Atul Lahkar. His next two ventures Khorikaa and Heritage Khorikaa have become the most sought after places in Guwahati when it comes to Assamese cuisine. Over the years, Atul Lahkar has mastered the art of indigenous Assamese cuisines and herbs, to produce thoughtful delicacies. A traditional Assamese platter at Khorikaa includes rice, lentils, leafy vegetable, khaar, non-veg curry (fish or meat), and kheer. The more recipes he produces, the more he learns to experiment with Assamese ingredients. Chef Lahkar has worked with internationally acclaimed chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Sanjeev Kapoor and Vinit Bhatiya amongst many others. Café Heritage Khorika, the latest venture of Atul Lahkar, is a by-product of his seamless efforts to take Assamese cuisine outside the typical notion of ‘Khaar, Tenga, and Aaloo Pitika’. The cafe brings authentic Assamese dishes in a soothing ambience that has good music and a library under one roof. While people of Assam go crazy for Axomiya Jalpaan during the month of Magh, his new venture is the go-to place for anyone who is looking forward to a lazy conversation over tea and Laru/Pitha. One can get Ghila Pitha, Narikol Pitha, Til Pitha and Narikol Laru at his new
every month is a month of Bihu. I don’t want the people of Assam companion.’ to wait for Magh to enjoy Laaru Atul Lahkar is an artist and Pitha,” expressed Chef of rich values; he has risen Lahkar. from scratch and is self-taught. The person who is so During a time in this fast dexterous with his culinary moving world, when everyone capacities believes in accepting the otherwise shares a very simple food habit. His personal favourites are Joha rice dish teamed with fish curry. As much as he values the food on his plate, he values the plating style Pork cooked with rice flour - Traditional rec ipe by Atul Lahkar too. For him, taste without beauty leaves a void and beauty without taste is modern, this person holds vague; the two go hand in hand strong to his roots. He thrives to for him. Sharing a quick tip for make an identity for Assam, the our readers, he said, “The best kind that hardly one thought and simplest way is to keep your could be possible. His tireless plate clean, with less elements, efforts, limitless creativity and colours of which contrast with fine recipes can only be tried, each other.” tasted and appreciated with n The chef owns his personal awe.
Trotter
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Driverless Delhi metro train crashes into wall
A
driverless train being tested on Delhi Metro’s soon-to-open Magenta Line crashed through a wall on Wednesday. The incident took place at 3.40 pm at the Kalindi Kunj depot. Nobody was reported injured in the crash which allegedly took place because the train’s brakes were disengaged. However, startling pictures of the train quickly went viral on Twitter where people soon began to turn them
into memes. PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Kalkaji Mandir-Botanical Garden stretch of the Magenta line, which is to run between Delhi and Noida. The Delhi Metro has blamed the crash on “human error and negligence” and has ordered a high-level inquiry. “A trial train was moved from the workshop without testing the brake system as a result
of which, while the train was moving up the ramp for washing, it rolled back and hit the adjacent boundary wall,” the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said in a statement. The brakes should have been tested by the maintenance staff before the train left the shed. “It appears this was not done. The person who took charge of the train did not check the brake. Without the brakes, the train rolled back when it was being taken on a washing ramp,” the statement said. Delhi Metro’s Managing Director, Mangu Singh, said operations on the Magenta Line were “absolutely safe,” with a high level of automation. “Today’s incident was a manual error during maintenance and has nothing to do with the trials or passenger safety during future operations,” said Mr Singh. (Source: timesofindia)
Drunk man drives Maruti Omni ambulance home, leaves Audi car in hospital
A
highly drunk, Chennai-based businessman arrived home driving an ambulance after having left his Audi outside a hospital. He drove a Maruti Omni and reached home, 13 km away from the hospital. He didn’t even realise the peculiar deed until he reached home. On suspicion of theft, hospital staff lodged a complaint at
the police station. Police started investigating. “Just then a man
drove the ambulance into the hospital and profusely apologised saying his boss, a businessman, had mistakenly driven it home,” said a police officer. The businessman came to the hospital to drop his friend, suffering from injuries and by mistake drove the ambulance home. He realised his mistake only when asked about his Audi at home. (Source: indiatimes)
Man with 19-inch penis can’t work because he can’t fit into work uniforms
A
man who is believed to have the world’s largest penis has been registered as disabled because he can’t wear uniforms or kneel. Roberto Esquivel Cabrera’s penis measures 19 inches, reaching his knees. The 55-yearold from Saltillo, Mexico, has dangled weights off his penis for his entire life to increase its size and there was talk of him going into porn at one point. However, he’s now receiving benefits to help him live while he tries to find a solution to his problem. He said, “I cannot wear a uniform like everybody in the com-
panies and also I cannot get on my knees. I cannot run fast and so the companies think badly of me. They say that they will call me, but they never do.” He hit the headlines when he smashed the unofficial world record held by US actor Jonah Falcon, whose penis was 9.5 inches flaccid and 13.5 inches when erect. Yet despite being super-endowed, the 54-year-old’s penis has caused him a number of health problems, including frequent urinary tract infections because not all his urine escapes his foreskin. He’s also unable to sleep on his front and
has to put his penis, which has to be wrapped in bandages, on its own pillow so he’s not in discomfort at night. Despite all these issues, he refuses to have a penile reduction, as per his doctor’s recommendation, as he wants his ‘gift’ to be recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records. He said, “I would like to be in the Guinness Book of Records but they don’t recognise this record. I am famous because I have the biggest penis in the world. I am happy with my penis. I know nobody has the size I have.” (Source: metro.co)
17
Photo of woman finishing her exam while in labour goes viral
I
f you thought your finals were tough, meet Nayzia Thomas. The new mum has gone viral on social media for a photograph that shows her writing her finals from a hospital bed as she prepares to give birth. Recently, Nayzia shared a picture clicked by her mother which shows her typing away at her laptop as she prepares to deliver. Nayzia studies psychology at Johnson County Community College in Kansas City, US, and she stayed in college until she was 39 weeks pregnant. Her inspiring picture has
gone viral with over 1.3 lakh ‘likes’ and over 27,000 retweets on Twitter. “I was writing a research paper for psychology over the Dissociative Identity Disorder,” Nayzia said. “It wasn’t due until the end of the week but my goal was to try to have everything done before,” she said. On December 12, after successfully completing her paper, Nayzia gave birth to a baby boy, Anthony Johnson. And like the boss that she is, the new mum is finishing the semester with impressive grades. (Source: independent.co.uk)
No need to dress for dinner at this Parisian restaurant for nudists
P
aris’ hottest new restaurant is attracting lots of attention from patrons who like to have a little skin in the game. It’s called O’Naturel, and it caters to nudists who care more about fine food than fine clothing. The restaurant holds about 40 diners per seating, each of whom has to disrobe in what Fox News calls an “everything-check room” before sitting at their tables. To avoid lookie-loos, the restaurant is on a residential street. In addition, the curtains are kept closed and there’s an inte-
rior blackout curtain to ensure diners’ privacy when the door opens. So far, nudists are enjoying the naked dining, though Yves Leclerc, president of the French Naturist Federation, admitted that going buff in a bistro was “a little surreal.” Still, Leclerc is excited to bare all in the City of Light. “It’s like when we’re on holiday, but it’s even better,” he said. There are some rules: No phones or cameras in the dining area, and no exhibitionism or disrespectful sexual behaviour. O’Naturel is the brainchild of twin brothers Mike and Stephane Saada, who were inspired by other naked restaurants around the world. Although some might think being naked at a restaurant would be titillating, Mike Saada insists to Agence France-Presse, “Nudity doesn’t have to mean sexuality.” (Source: huffingtonpost)
Reviews
18
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sajjad Delfrooz, Angad Bedi, etc Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
W
vie Mo view Re
Tiger Zinda Hai
ith Tiger Zinda Hai, Salman Khan is back — as the central part of an engaging action film that has its emotions and patriotic sense in the right place. As a sequel to Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger Zinda Hai picks up where it left off, plot wise. RAW is forced to seek their superhero, as the situation at Iraq gets out of hand: 40 nurses (25 Indian and 15 Pakistani) get trapped in a hospital, and need immediate help. In comes Tiger (Salman) to rescue the innocent from the claws of an aggressive baddie. Salman Khan, undoubtedly, is the centrifugal force of the
film, never losing a single opportunity to throw around his Hulk-like image and own the screen. On the other hand, Katrina Kaif, in a rather straight-faced role, doesn’t have much to do other than being a part of the proceedings. But it would be accurate to say that she does turn in a surprise in ‘Tera Noor’, one of the best moments in the film. Watch Tiger Zinda Hai if you’re a fan of large-scale action entertainers, with probably just the right amount of logic. Salman Khan has well and truly arrived (again) with a potential blockbuster that has enough to keep you pinned. n
B
there are several scenes that will make you chuckle, especially the dance off between the bulls and haughty horses, which evokes claps. Lupe (Kate McKinnon), the calming goat, who constantly eggs Ferdinand to fight despite his reluctance, is a memorable character, thanks to her witty one liners. With the holiday season coming up, animated films are bound to make an appearance in cinema halls. Ferdinand is a fun film that doesn't just put a smile on your face, it also has a message — you don't have to do things just because others expect you to. Go on, take your kids for this one — you certainly won't get bored. n
Gadget Review
Aqua Jazz
A
qua Mobiles, a lesser known brand in the mobile market, has expanded its smartphone range with the launch of the Aqua Jazz. The entry-level offering comes as one of the most affordable dual camera-toting smartphones in its segment. The Aqua Jazz has been priced competitively at Rs 5,999, and is being offered in black and gold hues.
gives a premium note to the smartphone by protecting the screen from accidental scratches on a day to day usage. Similar to other smartphones in this segment, the company has kept to the basic design with a premium metal finish. On the back, the phone rocks a dual-rear facing camera which is rarely found at this price range. In addition to that is a fingerprint sensor and an LED flash.
Display
Specifications
The smartphone does offer a 16:9 aspect ratio touch panel with 720p HD resolution spread across 5.0-inch (vertically). The display is protected by 2.5D curved tempered glass on the top, which
The phone is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, mated to 1GB of RAM. The storage capacity on board is 16GB, which can be further increased by inserting a microSD card. The
AM 02:30 PM 05:35 PM 09:00 PM
Christian Basti 09435025808 Tiger Zinda Hai 08:30 AM 09:00 AM 09:30 AM 10:00 AM 12:30 PM
Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771
01:00 PM 01:30 PM 02:40 PM 04:00
Tiger Zinda Hai 08:30
PM 04:30 PM 05:15 PM 05:55 PM
AM 10:00 AM 11:30 AM 01:00
07:30 PM 08:00 PM 08:30 PM
PM 02:40 PM 04:15 PM 05:45
Fukrey Returns 11:45 AM
PM 07:30 PM 09:00 PM
Star Wars: The Last Jedi 09:10 PM
Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar
Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati
Cast: Daisy Russell Peters, Donald Sutherland, Paul Feig, Chris O Dowd, etc Director: Carlos Saldanha
ased on Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson’s 1936 children’s book ‘The Story of Ferdinand’, this gently subversive Madrid-set feature follows an adorable, flower-sniffing bull named Ferdinand. Ferdinand is a lover, not a fighter - despite being built and bred for the bullfighting ring. Voiced by another gentle giant, American pro-wrestler John Cena, he bolts from a breeder's ranch in Spain and is taken in by the daughter of a flower farmer, with whom he lives an idyllic existence until a misunderstanding leads him back to the bullfighting ring. The animation is cute and
Cinepolis
0361 2656968 Tiger Zinda Hai 10:30 AM
09854066166 Tiger Zinda Hai 10:30 AM 10:45 AM 01:45 PM 02:00 PM 05:00 PM 05:15 PM 08:15 PM 08:30 PM
01:45 PM 05:00 PM 08:15 PM
Gold Cinema PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009
Lakhtokia 0361 2735367 Tiger Zinda Hai 10:30 AM 10:45
Tiger Zinda Hai 09:00 AM 10:00
AM 01:45 PM 02:00 PM 05:00
AM 12:25 PM 01:25 PM 03:50
PM 05:15 PM 08:15 PM 08:30 PM
PM 04:50 PM 07:15 PM 08:15 PM
Apsara Cinema
vie Mo view Re Ferdinand
Galleria Cinemas HUB 09706989143 Tiger Zinda Hai 08:30 AM 11:30
Paltan Bazaar 0361 2541335 Tiger Zinda Hai 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM
connectivity features include 4G LTE, dual-SIM slots, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. A 2,800mAh battery completes the list of its specifications. The operating system on the device is based on Android Nougat 7.0 operating system. Like most of the entry-level smartphones, do not expect a software update what so ever.
Camera The Aqua Jazz smartphone offers a 13-megapixel primary shooter at the rear, accompanied by a 0.3-megapixel secondary shooter. For selfies and video calling, it has been equipped with a 5-megapixel snapper. The device sports a metal finish and a front-facing LED flash unit for the selfie camera. Accessories and availability Out of the box, the device is accompanied by a standard charging brick, a pair of head-
phones and a tempered glass screen protector. The phone is available through major e-commerce websites and offline retailers.
Verdict Given that the smartphone is priced in the budget market seg-
ment, we have yet another dual camera phone that will compete with the others in the entry-level market with similar specifications. For the most part, the smartphone is expected to offer unsurpassed performance but, the smartphone might not offer much in terms of multitasking. n
Entertainment
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Musical heart-throb Papon’s exclusive tête-à-tête with G Plus Master Class 2017 was hosted by the witty and quirky Neil Bhoopalam with Angaraag Papon Mahanta - a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and singer hailing from As-
Image Source: papon.in
S
ignature Startup Masterclass kicked off its second edition in Guwahati on an inspiring note with popular singer Papon who shared his journey with the audience at Vivanta by Taj on Saturday, December 16. Following one’s passion to do something different from the ordinary requires a substantial amount of dedication and courage. Signature Startup Masterclass offers a unique opportunity to those who want to follow their passions and make a mark for themselves. Signature Startup Masterclass 2 is being conducted across 14 cities with speakers like Benny Dayal, Rajkummar Rao, Boman Irani, Radhika Apte, Huma Qureshi, Arshad Warsi, Rana Daggubati and Richa Chadha among others who have moved away from a conventional career path and stood out owing to the success they have soaked while doing what they love. The Guwahati edition of
sam gracing the stage and sharing his ‘passion to paycheck’ story. Papon recounted his journey from pursuing English literature to becoming one of the most soulful voices of the country. “I initially pursued English Literature to become a teacher, thinking I’d get enough summer and winter holidays to practice music. Then I started out as an architect and almost went in that direction but now I am happy that I took the decision of pursuing music,” he said. The audience also experienced a live performance by the singer apart from networking with like-minded people.
The multi-talented musician spoke exclusively to G Plus in a candid interview and also engaged in a rapid fire round!
Who has been your inspiration as a musician? My parents are my biggest inspiration in life. Most of my childhood has gone by sleeping
in studios or waiting in green rooms. I’ve learnt a lot of things from them, unknowingly. Apart from that, nature inspires me to make music. Assam’s scenic beauty is matchless and there is nothing more peaceful than sitting on the hills in Assam, watching the days go by.”
Tell us about your experience being a coach of The Voice India Kid? It is a very different experience and I’ve been enjoying it a lot. In the show, everything is really spontaneous so I’m only being me - maybe wearing better clothes and more colourful jackets.
What do you have to say about the platforms available for musicians today? In today’s day and age, platforms are many. When I started off, there were many challenges and too few platforms. Festivals like NH7 and YouTube weren’t there. I think more than platform, it’s about how interested and keen you are to bring in something new. One has to learn to understand the right opportunities, grab them and work hard to achieve one’s dreams.
What are your plans for the coming year? What can the audience expect? 2017 has been a really good year for me. I’m hoping 2018 will be even better. There are a lot of projects in the pipeline currently. I’m collaborating with international producers and working on International Sound
Space. Then there’s a Ghazal album that is in process (it is an attempt to bring back the genre), and there are some Bollywood projects as well.
What do you think about the initiative of Signature Startup Masterclass? It is a very humbling experience to be on board with Masterclass. There are times when you do not know where you’re headed but in the end, if you persevere and work towards it, you will end up on the right path on which you’re supposed to be. Nobody is born great, our deeds make us great. People only see us (celebrities) as the person that we’ve become and the glamour surrounding us. Little do they know about our journey and how we’ve achieved all the success. I hope everyone here goes back home inspired to chase their dreams and create their own realities.
Now, for the Rapid Fire, we have some quick questions…
Who are your favourite music artists? My parents are my all time favourite music artists. There isn’t one but many artists that I love listening to including Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Pink Floyd and Sting.
What’s your favourite music genre? I do not have one particular favourite music genre. Folk, blues, semi classical, jazz. I feel
What is Ankit Tiwari’s Old Connection with Assam?
T
he very popular Indian playback singer and music director Ankit Tiwari was in Guwahati and he was both happy and excited about his maiden professional visit to the city. In an exclusive interview with G Plus, where he got all candid, the singer shared about his musical journey, and spoke about the song that’s closes to his heart. Ankit Tiwari, who rose to fame with his songs ‘Sunn Raha Hai Na Tu’ and ‘Teri Galiyan’ comes from a family that shares a musical background. He was
influenced and inspired by his mom who is a devotional singer. The singer after landing in Guwahati, visited the Kamakhya Temple, and was spellbound by the divinity that the place holds. The beautiful chilling weather added to his wonderful experience of visiting the city, he said. Although this is his first professional visit to the city, the artist shares an old connection with Assam, which also involves many of his co-workers. Ankit had earlier worked with Dhrubajyoti Phukan for the
music of ‘Aashiqui 2’, and many other music artists for various works from time to time, and termed it ‘a beautiful state.’ Ankit started his musical career as the Production Head of a radio station from where he learnt to produce music of his own. He also said that his tenure with the radio station was when he learnt music mixing. Speaking about his emotional connection with the two hits of his life, he said, “Both the songs ‘Sunn Raha Hai Na Tu’ and ‘Teri Gailyan’ play important roles in my life. But ‘Sunn
Rahai Hai Na Tu’ is closer to my heart. People might not know my face, but that person will always know Ankit Tiwari for this particular song. And this was the first hit of my life. First is always first, you see.” The artist has recently made his featuring debut in his non-film production ‘Badtameez’ where he has worked as a composer, singer and an actor, along with Sonal Chauhan. Ankit Tiwari plans to release his next non
19
By Nehal Jain
that the genre thing is now gone - there’s only good music and bad music.
If you could change 3 things about Guwahati, what would they be? Infrastructure, better communication with the rest of the word and cleanliness are the first things that come to my mind.
What are your favourite hangout places in the city? I like to spend time at a friend’s cafe, By The Way and hang out with my friends at their place.
Which artist would you like to collaborate with? There are too many artists that I’ve already collaborated with and even more that I wish to collaborate with in the near future. But if I had to choose, I’d say Kygo and Shreya Ghoshal. Who is the one actor you would love to do playback singing for? There are very few recent actors with a baritone (gehri awaaz), but from the yesteryears, I’d love to give my voice to Amitabh Bachchan.
Tell us about your favourite fan moment? Once, a girl made a tattoo of my name on her neck. That had been my favourite fan moment until recently on my birthday, a Nagaon boy, Keshab Das, made a 8 feet tall painting that looks exactly like me. It amazed me! n
Das By Chandrika film production in December itself, and he also has some big music work for movies lined up for the next year. n
20
Fun
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Horoscope of the week Although Mars in Scorpio inclines you to look after your health, you’re also eager to get your finances in order. It’s time to consolidate debts, organize payment plans, and get up to speed with your money goals. The big news is that Saturn moves into Capricorn and your sector of shared resources on December 19. As a result, you might decide to become more responsible about your financial affairs and determine to get your money to work harder for you, especially over coming months.
As the focus shifts to your partnership sector this week, interactions could become more frequent. You may find yourself needing to negotiate with others concerning ideas or key opportunities. With three planets moving into Capricorn and this same sector - Saturn, the sun, and lovely Venus - your relationships may take on a more detached focus, and you may become very aware of your loyalties. This is also the time to work at making one partnership more fun and exciting.
Though you’re very exuberant and charismatic, you might be eager to work behind the scenes to get everything organized for the holidays. There’s much to do, and you’ll be at the center of the action. This focus deepens as Saturn moves into Capricorn and your zone of work, health, and lifestyle this week, along with the sun and luscious Venus. You might be questioning your job, particularly if it isn’t very satisfying. It could be time to find work that aligns with your life’s purpose.
You may have things to do at work, but in essence you’ve already decided to chill and enjoy the pleasures of the coming holidays. A fresh focus on your sector of relaxation and creativity suggests that you may be busy entertaining children, making gifts, and having a ball. Romance could be high on your agenda, too, if you’re solo. Saturn enters this sector on December 19, moving from your home sector to your recreational zone, which might come as something of a relief.
It’s to your action stations this week, as the focus on your family sector suggests you’ll be busy organizing, entertaining, and making everything as perfect as possible for your guests. With Mars in your money zone, don’t forget to pamper yourself with a spa session or evening out with pals. Saturn makes a break this week, moving into your domestic zone. Over the coming months, this could coincide with structural projects in your home or greater responsibilities in this area.
You’ll be busy keeping in touch, socializing, and enjoying holiday get-togethers, giving you a chance to reconnect with friends old and new. This week could see the focus shift dramatically, putting the emphasis on interactions and setting purposeful goals that involve networking. However, the biggest news may be that Saturn leaves your money sector and enters this zone. Some of the financial pressure that has been apparent may now begin to ease, which is all to the good.
There are a number of shifts taking place this week as three planets enter Capricorn and your sector of personal finances and values. Perhaps the most important is sobering Saturn. Over the next couple of years or so, you’ll become more serious about making money and using your resources wisely. You could also decide to pare back on unnecessary expenses. However, with the sun and lovely Venus also moving in, this can be an excellent time to look for some last-minute bargains.
It’s a big week! Saturn moves into your sign on Tuesday, which means you’ll take your goals and plans more seriously from here on out. And it’s likely you’ll achieve a lot more in the process. But there are also two more planets entering this sector, the sun and luscious Venus. Over the coming week, you may find yourself at the center of any holiday activities, organizing everything and making sure everyone is happy. And your social life continues to sparkle in a wonderful way.
You’re fired up and raring to go as Mars encourages you to go full throttle regarding your goals and ambitions. But this may conflict with subtler promptings enticing you to relax. Finding a balance is the ideal way to handle this. The movement of three planets into your spiritual sector suggests that it’s time to relax and refuel. Saturn enters this zone on Tuesday, ushering in a long period of spiritual seeking and meditation. Certain aspects of your life may slowly draw to a close.
Things sparkle for you socially, with a very exciting week ahead. You’ll be in your element enjoying parties, holiday kisses, and time spent with good friends. Saturn leaves your career sector for your social zone. The pressure is off, bringing with it a sense of relief. You’ll be able to look back over the past year or so with pride at all you’ve achieved. With the sun and Venus also moving into this same sector, it’s time to enjoy the party.
curio-city Lilywhites’?
2
What popular product was created by Theodore Tobler, a Berne
3
If it is a Riesling in Germany and Cava in Spain, what is it in France?
4
Who or what were first raised as the Cachar Levy in 1835?
5
Which popular song was
resident in 1908?
curio-city composed by Franz Xaver
Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in 1818?
6
Identify the popular name of this world famous painting
and the painter? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications
Garfield by Jim Davis
6 3 9 2 3 4 5 42 1 97 3 8 4 5 76 8 57 3 84 7 8 9 8 3 2 4 21 9 21 5 1 2 8 31 6 6 9 3 2 Daily Sudoku: Thu 21-Dec-2017 2 1 4
7 7
2 6hard
Daily Sudoku: Wed 13-Dec-2017
last week solution 6 8 2 3 7 52 73 47 9 5 6 8 5 1 3 7 3 9 5 8 1 2 14 59 76 4 3 7 8 26 42 84 1 9 7 8 9 4 3 9 6 3 2 5 6 9 43 21 65 8 1 1 4 2 5 6 7 3 5 6 2 8 4 89 16 93 7 Daily 5 Sudoku: 7 Thu 8 21-Dec-2017 2 1
1 42 64 8
9 18 42 76
4 63 97 52
5 81 26 39
16 57 35 57 64 21 25 83 79 9 31 88
93 18 47 74
73 25 16 52 3 9 4 6hard
Daily Sudoku: Wed 13-Dec-2017
medium
http://www.dailysudoku.com/
1. Tottenham Hotspurs 2. Toblerone, the popular chocolate nougat 3. Champagne, types of sparkling wines 4. Assam Rifles, the oldest central paramilitary force of the country 5. The very popular Christmas Carol ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ 6. The Nightwatch by Rembrandt Van Rijn
1
Which popular football club’s players are nicknamed ‘The
Sudoku
(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2017. All rights reserved. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.
If you’ve been thinking of getting away from it all, the coming week could see you jetting off to sunnier climes. A desire for a break can encourage you to go away for a weekend or longer trip. As Saturn edges into Capricorn on December 19, it might prompt you to consider taking a course or class. You’ll be serious about gaining new knowledge and adopting beliefs that can help you improve as a person. You’re about to embark on a journey of discovery.
(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2017. All rights reserved. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.
The focus shifts to career and planning. Even though the holiday week is almost here, your thoughts may be elsewhere. This is the time to jot down inspired ideas that can help you achieve key ambitions in 2018. This phase could be made even more intense because sobering Saturn enters Capricorn and this same zone on December 19, which can see you becoming even more ambitious. With lovely Venus also moving in on December 24, a little charm can go a long way.
http://www.dailysudoku.com/
Word of the week Apopemptic adjective [ap-uh-pemp-tik] Pertaining to leave-taking or departing; valedictory.
Crossword Across
Down
1 North American marmot (9) 8 Type of ski lift (1-3) 9 Of the second power (9) 10 Electric power cord (4) 13 Star (5) 15 Unnatural lack of colour (6) 16 Slender (6) 17 Fidel or Raúl (6) 19 Engagement (6) 20 Monastery superior (5) 21 Consider (4) 24 Storey between stories (9) 25 Employed (4) 26 Assign (9)
2 Burden (4) 3 Differently decorated lower part of an inside wall (4) 4 Warming device (6) 5 Leaves used as onion-flavoured seasoning (6) 6 Essential part of a piece of music (9) 7 J Rees-Mogg or N Farage, for example (9) 11 Not quite all there? (6,3) 12 Drunk (9) 13 Reptile (found in Cabinet Office Briefing Room A?) (5) 14 Sound from the fold (5) 18 Protest (6) 19 Pub (6) 22 Door handle (4) 23 1 (nautical) mph (4)
Last week’s solution
Lifestyle
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
B
usy life means more time and more energy. A way out of constant stress and fatigue and just sitting on your desk, all you have to say is- May - I Meditate! Meditation is that which gives you deep rest. It is an activity in which the practitioner just sits and allows the mind to dissolve. In Art of Living, meditation is a simplified activity which can easily be practiced by all. Meditation is not concentration, it is de-concentration. The rest in meditation is deeper than the deepest sleep that you can ever have. When the mind becomes free from agitation, is calm and serene and at peace, meditation happens. The benefits of meditation are manifold. It is an essential practice for mental hygiene. A calm mind, good concentration, clarity of perception, improvement in communication, blossoming of skills and talents, an unshakeable inner strength, healing, the ability to connect to an inner source of energy, relaxation, rejuvenation, and good luck are all natural results of meditating regularly.
Meditation: May - I Meditate Meditation has some variations: In today’s world where stress catches on faster than the eye can see or the mind can perceive, meditation is no more a luxury. It is a necessity. To be unconditionally happy and to have peace of mind, we need to tap into the power of meditation.
How to meditate: Choose a clean, distraction-free spot or room in your home, though you can do it sitting in your chair at the office during lunch-hour, too! If it is at home, it is better not to use this space for any other activity. Ensure the lighting is soothing and the ventilation sufficient – and the noise-levels under control. You can listen to guided meditations, but it is better to start with a group. Meditate at the same time every day, so it becomes a sustainable routine. Early morning is an optimal time. Don’t overdo it. Start by meditating for 10-15 min-
Fashion trends to leave behind in 2017
T
he year 2017 will end in just a week and although January is the month for New Year’s resolutions, the truth is that the change for 2018 begins now! When it comes to fashion, the trends are ever changing, but then there are some that stick around for way longer than they should have. It’s about time that you rid yourself of these fashion habits that are as bad as the boy who never called you back. The easier way to achieve the ‘New Year, new you’ fabulousness is to simply drop the old habits that hold you back. Here are a few of them: Wearing Tight Clothes to Look Slimmer Extra skinny jeans would only suffocate you and keep you in discomfort all day. In fact, it de-em- phasizes your curves as they are suppressed in a forced fabric. Just because something looks good on
21
the hanger, doesn’t mean it’ll look good on you. Buying More for No Reason There’s always going to be a party to attend or a vacation to go to, a friend’s birthday or your neighbour’s wedding. These everyday reasons aren’t good enough to burn a hole in your pocket and flood your closet with one-time wears. Princess crowns Unless you’re in the target demographic for Frozen, put the princess crowns down already! Be it floral, pearl or crystal – the princess crowns have stuck around for much longer than they should have. Tiny Sunglasses By far the most ridiculous trend that was followed in 2017 – tiny sunglasses. What’s the point of wearing sunglasses, if they hardly even cover your eyes?! Also, tiny sunglasses only look good on one type of face – millennial model. Following Every Trend, because it’s Out There! Always remember - following the herd, never led you anywhere.
utes. Keep a timer Shut up the cell phone. Tell your family you are on Do Not Disturb mode for a short spell of time, till your meditation is over. And, please, wear comfortable clothes, preferably of natural fabric.
unconscious – and give us the sense of comfort and stability that every human being craves. It helps us meet life’s ups and downs with centeredness, confidence and resourcefulness. Importantly, it
Importance of meditation: Meditation is food for the soul: it nourishes the universal values of compassion, caring and sharing, responsibility, non-violence and peacefulness. It helps us bond with others. These are important values to guide us and make us accept all of mankind as our family: more so in times when the world is being fragmented. Human-kind has an innate tendency to look for a joy that does not diminish, and meditation fulfills this important need. Even when everything is going fine for us we often find ourselves being restless. Meditation can relax our stress – conscious and
gives us resilience so that we can not only can we remain unshaken by storms of emotions that come in everyone’s lives, but also get back on track sooner. Meditation is the greatest grief-counselor ever.
Advantages of meditation: Today’s levels of stress makes
meditation a no-brainer: it helps us achieve that all-important work-life balance, enhances mental clarity and decision-making skills and nurtures trust, creativity, innovation and intuition. It also helps improve our relationships. We develop a pleasant, sociable personality, and are able to accept people as they are. These are important skills in any sphere, more so at the, workplace, where teamwork is crucial. It gives a deep sense of health and well-being as, regularly practiced, the mind, body and spirit benefit immensely. The deep rest it offers makes us more dynamic in activity. If you are one of those who find forgiveness difficult, then regular meditation is just the ticket for you! shri shri ravi shankar
Founder- Art of Living Foundation.
10 Vaastu and Feng Shui rules to celebrate Christmas
V
aastu can be applied anywhere, irrespective of religion or language. The balance of the basic five elements is all that matters and Feng Shui also says the same thing. With Christmas and the New Year just around the corner, it is celebration time all over the world. To make the festivities more fruitful and successful, some rules are to be followed: 1. Decorate your home with garlands and lights in U-shape so that they appear to be smiling. Decorate at eye-level to lift the vibe of the room and the mood of those in it. 2. To add positive vibes, include elements like candles, fireplace, bright Christmas lights and fiery gold and red decorations. These will beautify the home and bring positivity. 3. Fire represents the energy of sun and life. A balanced fire element in your home will bring joy, excitement and strong energies. Use the colour red with most moderation in children’s rooms, and freely in the living room, the dining room and the kitchen. If bonfires are lit, have them at southeast or south.
4. Christmas trees are inseparable items in Christmas. Place it at east, north or southeast but never near the main entrance. Hang only those items which you and your family members like. Decorating the tree with bright lights augurs well.
5. Candles bring the energy of purification and inspiration. They also burn negative energy. They warm up the energy and help release daily stress. Candles also bring a creative and vibrant quality of energy to any space. Candles are best used in the south, southwest, southeast and the centre of your home. 6. Put a picture of your family and friends with you in a wooden frame. Wood is associated with
family and friends. Place them in the lobby to welcome closeness, intimacy and joy. Essence of pine or eucalyptus can cleanse an atmosphere of negative energy. Cloves and bayberry create calm and harmony. And putting cloves in oranges and placing them in the kitchen or dining room encourages abundance, money and joy. 7. Place a money plant or bamboo tree in the middle of northeast direction of your home. It helps you not only financially, but also creates a positive aura. 8. Light a red coloured lamp in the south direction of your room every day for 2 to 3 hours in the evening. It keeps away negative energies from you and also provides warmth in winters. 9. Use salt lamp in the south direction of the house and burn camphor every day. This will clean the atmosphere of your home. 10. Plant a tree of jade in your drawing room. This brings luck and prosperity. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.
22
Buzz
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Gauhati Town Club wins inter club meet
A
The prize winners pose with their trophies along with the organizers at the India Club courts
nirbaan Das and Ashish Agarwalla of Gauhati Town Club won the One–Day Inter-Club Tennis Meet – 2017 title defeating Kalyan K Das and Rajeeb Bora of India Club 8-5 in the finals played at the India Club courts on December 17. The meet was organized by India Club, Guwahati, a pre-
mier tennis club of the country. Altogether 20 pairs of players representing India Club, Police Club, Gauhati Club, Gauhati Town Club, Guwahati Gymkhana Club, NF Railway Officers’ Club, IAS Colony Club and Chachal Club took part in the tournament. At the closing prize distribution ceremony, Shankar Dut-
ta Lahkar, Progoti Bora, Anupam Chowdhury, Kalyan Sahu, D’com Bhuyan, Binod Das and Nazim Nesar Ahmed gave away the prizes. Kalyan Sahu, Joint Secretary (Tennis), India Club offered the vote of thanks to all present at the meet. The meet was a first of its kind and evoked huge enthusiasm. n
42nd Junior National Badminton Championship concludes in Guwahati
A
ryaman Tandon of Air India and Akarshi Kashyap of Chattisgarh registered comprehensive victories to run away with the top honours in the Under-19 Boys’ & Girls’ singles competition respectively in the 42nd Junior National Badminton Championships held at the Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium,
Guwahati on Monday. In the Under-17 Boys’ singles event, third seeded Maisnam Meiraba of Manipur won the title with an easy 21-13, 21-10 win over third seeded Amit Rathore of Madhya Pradesh. In the Under-17 Girls’ singles event, Akarshi Kashyap again won the title 21-23, 21-17, 21-12. Other categories were Under 17 Boys’ doubles, Under 17 Girls’ doubles, Under 17 Mixed doubles, Under 19 Girls’ doubles, Under 19 Boys’ doubles and Under 19 Mixed doubles. As a token of appreciation, Assam Badminton Association rewarded the winners in the singles category with Maruti Cars, a first of its kind in the Nationals. In the closing ceremony, State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Kumar Waii were present along with other guests and gave away the prizes. n
Cultural program steals the show at Assam youngsters shine CA National Conference in city at AITA Championship Series at Haryana
T
he National Conference of Chartered Accountants 2017 was inaugurated at
the Pragjyoti ITA Centre by Jagdish Mukhi, the Governor of Assam on 15th December 2017 in the presence of CA. Nilesh
S. Vikamsey, the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India amidst a gathering of almost 1000 delegates from across India. The Conference was followed by a cultural evening at Hotel Vishwaratna, Guawahti where members of the institute performed comic plays, songs, dance and played games. Vital issues of the current economy, taxation and financial governance concerning the masses at large were discussed during the conference. n
‘Rethinking Gender History’ released
R
ethinking Gender History: Essays from Northeast India and Beyond, edited by Manorama Sharma and published by DVS Publishers, Guwahati was released at a function at Guwahati Press Club on Monday, December 18. The book is
a collection of essays dealing with the gender history of North East India. The essays in the collection have been written by scholars from different universities of the North East. Noted intellectual and critic Dr Hiren Gohain, Prof Nandita Dutta, Prof Meeta Deka, along with other dignitaries were present at the function. n
K
risti Boro of Assam stormed into the finals of Girls Singles U-16 and U-18 categories at the AITA Championship Series
Tennis Tournament being held at Gurgaon, Haryana. In the U-16 age group, Kristi beat Rhythm Aswal of Delhi 6-3, 6-4. In the U-18 age group, Kristi upset top seed Ritu Rai 6-3, 6-0. In the boys U-18 singles, Udit Gogoi of Assam beat Kanisk Pal 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-finals to reach the finals. It may be mentioned that Udit Gogoi lifted the boys U-16 singles title in the AITA Super Series Tennis Tournament held at Madurai last week. In the finals, Udit defeated Iqbal Md Khan from Hyderabad in a gruelling three setter 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. n
Glittering annual function of city school
M
aharishi Vidya Mandir Public School,
Kalipur organised Annual Day Celebration at Pragjyoti ITA Centre for Performing Arts in Guwahati on
Monday, December 18. Students of the school performed plays, sang songs and danced to showcase their talent to the teachers, parents and others present during the occasion. n
Events
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Event - Signature Startup Masterclass Date - December 16, Saturday Venue - Vivanta by Taj
23rd Dec to 29th Dec December 22-January 1 Winter Carnival 10 Day Music Festival NYX, Hotel Palacio
Signature Startup Masterclass kicked off its second edition in Guwahati on an inspiring note at Vivanta by Taj on Saturday, December 16. The event was hosted by the witty and quirky Neil Bhoopalam with Angaraag Papon Mahanta gracing the stage and sharing his ‘passion to paycheck’ story. The audience also experienced a live performance by the singer, apart from networking with like-minded people.
December 24-25 Christmas Brunch Vivanta by Taj December 23, Saturday Hip Hop Night ft. Steve-Jupiter-Laksh Terra Mayaa 8PM onwards December 23, Saturday Desi Swag with Peprico Underdoggs 8PM onwards
Event – Ankit Tiwari LIVE ft. Bhoomi Trivedi Date – December 16, Saturday Venue – Sarusajai Stadium
December 23, Saturday Sickflip - Christmas Special NYX, Hotel Palacio 8PM onwards
A Live in Concert was organised in Guwahati with Bollywood singing sensation Ankit Tiwari featuring Bhoomi Trivedi. The maestros performed their hit numbers and took the audience on a beautiful musical journey.
Picture
Credits
23
December 23, Saturday Go Deep - Lawn Edition Arian Woods, Sonapur 5PM onwards December 23, Saturday EL Classico - Real Madrid vs. Barcelona Underdoggs 5:30 onwards
- Dhanir am Kali
ta
December 23, Saturday Jingle Mingle X-Mas Carnival Don Bosco School 12PM onwards
Event - North East Dream Dance Workshop Date - December 10-15 Venue - Nehru Stadium
December 23-24 Children’s Christmas Carnival Skylark Public School campus, Maligaon 10:30AM onwards
The Wild Ripperz Crew Official and other dancing sensations of the nation, including Rajasmita Kar, Om Chetri and Manan Sachdeva visited Guwahati for the North East Dream Dance Workshop conducted by Nirmal Tamang and Pradip Gurung. The final event, Dance Dil Se, was held on Sunday, December 17 with celebrated dance choreographer Remo D’souza.
December 24, Sunday X-Mas Eve party ft. Dharmalogy NYX, Hotel Palacio 5PM onwards December 24, Sunday Jingle Nite Terra Mayaa 7PM onwards Event – Pre-Christmas Cake mixing Date- December 20, Wednesday Venue – Hotel Shoolin Grand
Event - Guwahati International Guitar Festival Date - December 19, Tuesday Venue - Assam State Museum The Indian Guitar Festival and Alliance Française du Bengale in association with the Directors of Museums, Government of Assam organised the Guwahati International Guitar Festival at the Assam State Museum on Tuesday. The festival featured international artists like Johannes Moller from Sweden, a progressive musician who has sought to homogenise global influences into a single artistic statement and Le Maestrio from France, a band of three individual guitarists - Pierre Louyriac, Pierre Bernon and Symon Savignoni.
Warming up for the holiday season, Cafe D Kalita Spectrum in collaboration with Jolly Roger celebrated pre Christmas cake mixing with head chef Rajkamal Bora at Hotel Shoolin Grand.France, a band of three individual guitarists - Pierre Louyriac, Pierre Bernon and Symon Savignoni. Event: Bullzeye Date: December 16, Saturday Venue: Terra Mayaa
Event: Acoustic Night ft. Mahasweta Date: December 15, Friday Venue: Terra Mayaa
December 24, Sunday On the edge of Christmas ft. DJ Jennifer Madiza 5PM onwards December 24, Sunday Pre Christmas Party Topaz 7PM onwards December 24, Sunday Jingle All The Way feat VOODOO Child India Club December 25, Monday X-Mas special Accoustic night ft. NYI Terra Mayaa 8PM onwards
24
Catching Up
G PLUS | DEC 23 - dec 29, 2017
Most shared story of the week
A
ssam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the state government is committed to upgrade the Guwahati Airport as an international airport connecting at least nine ASEAN nations.
2.2K
277
facebook.com/guwahatiplus twitter.com/guwahatiplus
Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Janambhumi Press (P) Ltd., Kalapahar, Guwahati and Published at 4A, Royale Arcade, Ulubari, Guwahati - 781007, Editor: Swapnil Bharali. Phone: 0361 2522444, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641