G plus volume 1 issue 23

VOL 01 | ISSUE 23 | MAR 08 - MAR 14 , 2014

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Is building awareness enough ?

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G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Lead Story

One out of thirty

urban women are vulnerable to breast cancer Urban Kamrup district has an incidence of 22 cases out of one lakh

SHUBHOJIT ROY

T

here is no devious disease than the dreadfulness of cancer. It eats the patient gradually from the inside and makes him or her follow a depressing journey.

Cancer is never easy and only the one who suffers knows its curse fully. The causes of cancer are diverse, complex, and only partially understood even in modern times. Out of the many forms, the one cancer that is capturing lives of our women at a drastic rate worldwide is the breast cancer.

What is Breast cancer?

Breast cancer originates from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk.

The first sign of breast cancer often is a breast lump or an abnormal mammogram. Breast cancer stages range from early, curable breast cancer to metastatic breast cancer.

Facts and Figures Breast Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in urban women.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.

The risk of a breast cancer is one in 30 in urban India and one in 65 in rural India. These figures are due to failure in detection in early stages.

Breast Cancer was found in 22 per lakh of the women population in the Kamrup urban district.

Early detection can increase chances of cure in 80% of the cases.

In the last decade, breast cancer has overtaken cervical cancer as the most common cancer among women in major metropolitan cities.

Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women in their 20s.

According to Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Institute’s annual report 2012-13, a total of 221 breast cancer cases were reported with surviving patients amounting to 78.7% of the total patients registered for treatment recently.

Expert Insights

In a conversation with G Plus, Dr. A.C. Kataki, Director of Dr. B. Barooah Cancer Insitute (BBCI) said that late marriage, obesity, late childbirth, late menopause and lack of breastfeeding are some of the reasons for breast cancer. Dr. Kataki adds, “In India, patients are diagnosed with breast cancer mostly in their second or third stage. Women here neglect their own health and are more occupied with their household work and taking care of their family. They give less priority to their health which is why breast cancer is mostly detected in its later stages.”

Kataki further adds, “Creating awareness in the society is the single most important act to make people knowledgeable about the seriousness of cancer. Many women do not come forward for diagnosis in their early stages due to the stigma associated with breast cancer. It is important that survivors come forward too to help spread awareness.”

According to Dr. Mrinmoyee Baruah, Founder and Hon. Secretary of Deepsikha Cancer Care Foundation, “The main reason for the tremendous rise in breast cancer cases is the lack of knowledge. Many women are unaware on how to detect if they are suffering from cancer or not. Creating awareness about breast self-examination among women community is an absolute necessity.” Dr. Baruah tells G Plus that Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) is being performed as a pre-operative test to evaluate breast lump now-a-days. FNAC is cost effective and can prevent unnecessary surgery.

Warning signs

Survivor’s Story

It was May 2008, when Mrs. Swarna Jyoti Borbora of Sivsagar realised that she was suffering from the dreadfulness of breast cancer and it was already late for her as she was in her secondary stage. “When

The main reason for the tremendous rise in breast cancer cases is the lack of knowledge.

Many women are unaware on how to detect if they are suffering from cancer or not

I was first detected with cancer in mid-2008, it was very difficult for me to accept it. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the Dibrugarh medical after which I went to Mumbai for further treatment. My treatment lasted till December 2008 and it was a very difficult period for both me and my family.” Mrs. Borbora admits that her husband and family members were very supportive during her cancer phase which helped her to overcome the disease and recover completely. She says that support from family is very important to fight cancer as the patient has to go through very painful treatment and the possibility to loose mental stability is higher during the cancer phase.

Breast cancer precautions Maintain a healthy body weight (BMI less than 25) throughout your life Start or continue with your self-breast exam.

Minimize or avoid alcohol.

Consume as many fruits and vegetables as possible.

Minimize exposure to pharmacologic estrogens and xeno-estrogens Studies show that women who lactate [produce breast milk] a

minimum of two years have a significant decrease in breast cancer.

Obesity is a primary disease; most people do not realize this.

Obesity is typically a gateway to other diseases such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Maintain a positive mental outlook.

It is absolutely important for the women of our society to understand the seriousness of breast cancer. Breast cancer is not a shame or stigma. It is a disease like any other and is very much curable if detected early. Our society and culture needs to be more supportive towards women suffering from cancer and creating awareness is definitely the most important solution to win over cancer.

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G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Lead Story

Maternal mortality rate comes down in Assam

The overall MMR has come down in terms of numbers, but the state still has some distance to go to achieve the desired numbers RAHUL CHANDA

H

ealth minister Himanta Biswa Sarma last year said, though the state government has taken many steps to reduce the infant mortality rate in the state, it is still high compared to other parts of the country. The minister said malnutrition was the main reason for the high maternal mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) in the state. The health department is conducting inter-departmental meetings to find a way to reduce malnutrition and IMR, reported a daily. It’s a dream for every woman to become a mother once in a life time, but it is a fact that during every delivery, the woman has to undergo an ordeal.

IMR rate

IMR Status of Assam: Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

As per Annual Health Survey 2011-12, Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of Lower Assam Division (comprising Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Goalpara,

Assam 68 67 66 64 61 58 55 55

Darrang, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Kamrup, Nalbari) is 325 (2011-12) in comparison to 366 (2010-11) There is also a downfall in the number of infant deaths too, but there is not a big gap which is concerning.

The reasons

There are many reasons because of which maternal deaths happen during delivery. According to a doctor, there are three reasons on which people usually stress. The decision making time taken at home to decide where the delivery will happen, time taken for transportation of the patient and the time taken to start the treatment. The doctor said, “There is one main leading reason for maternal deaths and that is postpartum haemorrhage.”

Postpartum Haemorrhage Haemorrhage after delivery, or Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) is the loss of blood following a delivery resulting in hypovolemia or otherwise causing the patient to become symptomatic due to the blood loss.

Some practitioners measure PPH by a blood loss of greater than 500 ml of blood following vaginal delivery, or 1000 ml of blood following caesarean section. It is the most common cause of perinatal maternal death in the developed world and is a major cause of maternal morbidity worldwide. Methods of measuring blood loss associated with childbirth vary, complicating comparison of prevalence rates.

The surveys

Keeping in mind the fact that “Continuous monitoring of performance is the key of the success of any Programme”, National Rural Health Mission, Assam has entrusted Regional Resource Centre for North Eastern States (RRC-NE), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India to conduct “Coverage Evaluation Survey 2012-13”. Coverage Evaluation Survey is the yearly continuous process carried out by RRC-NE for monitoring the key maternal health & child health indicators of the State since 2007. The study was carried out (i) to assess the availability and utilisation of maternal health care services in the State, (ii) to assess the coverage of immunisation of children and (iii) to find out the progresses made from the last survey conducted for the year

Maternal Mortality Estimate 2010-12

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) came down to 57 (AHS 201112) compared to 60 (AHS 201011). Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of State recorded 347 (AHS 2011-12) compared to 381 (AHS 2010-11).

2011-12.

The study was taken up in twenty-five districts of Assam excluding Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao District.

Overall full immunisation coverage of children age 12-23 months in the state is 78.25 percent. This was found to be highest in Jorhat district (91%) followed by Dibrugarh (90%).

The lowest full immunization was found in Karimganj district with 65.8%. Further, another 8% of the children were fully immunized but were above 1 years of age.

The study shows that overall 97.2% of the mothers had registered for ANC. 78.2% of the mothers have reported that they have delivered at the health facility. It is heartening to note that more than 90% of the mothers have reported institutional delivery in Kamrup Rural, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Jorhat Districts. Of the total institutional delivery overall 13.8% of the mothers reported to have undergone C-Section. Overall there is 5.1% increase of institutional delivery during 2012-13 from 2011-12.

Similarly, the Sample Registration System (SRS) in India is the largest demographic survey in the world covering about 1.5 million households and 7.35 million populations. It has continued to be the main source of information on fertility and mortality indicators both at the state and national levels.

As per SRS 2012, Infant Mortality Rate of State is 55, Birth Rate 22.5, Death Rate 7.9.

As per as SRS report, Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of Assam is 328 (2010-12) compared to 390 (200709). Exact Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of Guwahati city is not available. However, as per Annual Health Survey 2011-12, Infant Mortality rate of Kamrup District is 42 (2011-12) compared to 46 (2010-11).

MMR Status of SOURCE: NHM Assam Year

Assam

SRS, 2001-03

490

SRS, 2004-06

480

SRS, 2007-08

390

AHS, 2010-11

381

AHS, 2011-12

347

SRS, 2010-12

328

The maternal mortality rate table describes that the number of deaths reported from 2001 to 2012 has somehow fallen down in the state.

Annual Health Survey 2011-12

The Annual Health Survey (AHS) was conceived during a meeting of the National Commission of Population held in 2005 under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister wherein it was decided that “there should be an Annual Health Survey of all districts which could be published / monitored and compared against benchmarks.”

The objective was to monitor the performance and outcome of various health interventions of the Government including those under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) at closer intervals through these benchmark indicators. As per Annual Health Survey 2011-12, Crude Birth Rate of the State has been recorded as 21.3 compared to 21.9 in 2010-11. Similarly, in AHS 2011-12, Crude Death Rate has been recorded as 7.1 compared to 7.2 in 2010-11. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) came down to 57 (AHS 2011-12) compared to 60 (AHS 201011). Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) of State recorded 347 (AHS 2011-12) compared to 381 (AHS 2010-11).

It is commendable that the MMR and IMR rates have decreased in the city and the state according to various surveys and researches, but the question remains as to how to sensitise and increase the awareness levels to the optimum level. We are not yet there, but surely it can be considered as a start.

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G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

G-View

AHRC registers 12 major cases of crime against women RAHUL CHANDA

The Assam Human Rights Commission tries to do its best to dole out justice against the cases registered.

T

he National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) last year expressed concern over the rise in crimes against women in Assam but described the situation as better on the issue of rights violations. The NHRC described the situation in the state better on the issue of human rights in comparison to other states in the country. Guwahati

Sl no.

Case no.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

302 416 528 545 570 669 712 789 806 809 879 958

became infamous nationally after the Beltola and GS Road molestation cases. Similarly, there are many such heinous crimes in the state which sometimes get reported and sometimes not. G Plus checks the cases registered by the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the prosecution status.

Cases registered by AHRC

District

Crime

Cachar Nagaon Kamrup Nagaon Kamrup Kamrup Sonitpur Kamrup Darang Sonitpur Darang Nalbari

Rape Torture by husband Indignity to women Sexual harassment Dowry Minor girl attacked Sexual harassment Sexual harassment Sexual harassment Rape Sexual harassment Dowry

The cases

The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) registered twelve major cases from 1st January 2012 to 5th March 2013. Out of the twelve cases, five have been disposed and rest of the cases are under further investigation.

According to highly placed sources in the AHRC department, the main problem, which the investigators face during investigation is that, the complainants do not turn up once the case is registered with the department.

The cases registered shows that sexual harassment is a major problem in the state as out of the twelve cases registered, five cases were sexual harassment cases. There are also two rape cases registered, one torture by husband, two dowry cases, one indignity to women and one attack on a minor girl. Five cases have been disposed and according to the disposal comment, it is observed that most of the cases get disposed by closing the cases without much scrutinised investigation and there is a reason for that.

The reason

According to highly placed sources in the AHRC department, the main problem, which the investigators face during investigation is that, the complainants do not turn up once the case is registered with the department. The source said, “Most of the cases are closed because the complainant after complaining do not turn up for hearing and do not submit the comments despite of several orders issued.” So once the comments from the complainant are not available, the case cannot move for-

ward and the case needs to be closed with the reason being that there was no comments from the complainant.

The victims usually go to the cops to file or register the cases, and once the case becomes a major issue, many NGOs or other bodies refer the cases to the AHRC. In some cases when there is inaction on the part of the police, the AHRC registers a case against the police as well for not acting appropriately. But whatever may be the case, the victim’s and the complainant’s comment is very vital for the investigation without which the investigation cannot be completed.

Many cases go unreported and even if reported, some are not acted upon while others have to undergo the age-old and clichéd time-consuming process of the Indian judiciary. How can the system be changed so that the investigation process becomes speedy enough? When will complainants act actively to get justice from the court of law? It is not that the law does not at all work, and with bodies like AHRC, getting justice is not that tough.

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G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

City

Bunch of lady drivers in the city A few professionally trained female drivers to hit the city streets with an aim to cater to all the lady citizens of the city.

G Plus Feature

F

or Shrimoti Bezbarua, life will take a new turn within a month’s time. She is going to do a job, which she never thought of doing in her wildest dreams. Bezbarua, who used to be a housemaid is now sitting behind the wheels on the streets of Guwahati to facilitate the needs of lady clients.

This is a brand new experience for the people in the city to have a female driver who is trained in martial arts to face odd situations. All thanks to Meghali Bora, proprietor of Meghna’s Driving Training Institute, which has been exclusively started for women to train 12 such girls to take up driving as a profession in their maiden attempt.

“I have come across several clients who prefer a lady driver especially with the situation getting worse day by day as far as safety and security for the women is concerned. Keeping that in mind, I had started this mission. It will also provide a decent way to earn money for many young and courageous girls,” Bora told G Plus after formally handing over the certificates to the girls in the city.

So far, private parties have booked all the drivers. The girls are expected to earn something between Rs 7000 to

Rs 10000 at the beginning. “We are extremely glad to announce that these 12 girls have already been booked by private parties for service. This will change the scenario in the state,” she added.

It was double delight for Bezbarua and her fellow drivers. “It’s a different feeling for us. We never thought that we will be able to drive on the streets of Guwahati and that too earn a living.

Thanks to Meghali madam for giving us this platform. I’m raring to hit the streets. I have already driven in the streets of city and I’m quite confident about it. My family initially hesitated about it but they too are happy now seeing my performance,” an excited Bezarua said.

Bezbarua, who hails from Goreswar of Kamrup (rural) used to be a housemaid in a family at Narengi in the city. “I think my life will take a new turn after this. I will have a decent life besides earning more money for me and my family,” Bezbarua said.

Dipali Rajkhowa, one of the pioneering female professional drivers, who acquired a professional driving license 24 years ago, encouraged the girls to take up the profession with pride.

“Time is changing and it feels great.

But always respect the profession and

“

I think my life will take a new turn after this. I will have a decent life besides earning more money for me and my family”

obey the norms set by the concerned department,” she told the newly trained drivers.

This development is also a bit unusual as 12 female drivers acquired the professional drivers licenses when hardly any female applicants have been found for several months in the Kamrup (Metro) District Transport office.

On the other hand, around 100 female applicants are to be found in a month in DTO. “It’s a very positive sign that these bunch of girls have come forward with the help of Meghali Bora. I hope it

will encourage many other girls to do so,” said DTO (license and registration) Gautam Das. Besides, Meghali Bora is waiting for her permit to launch ‘Megha Cabs’ which will cater only to the female passengers from different parts of city locations including the airport and the railway platform.

“Once we have the license, it will be a new chapter added not just to the city but across the region for exclusive service to the women,” Bora added.

SEX EDUCATION: Still not a part of city curriculum SHUBHOJIT ROY

Sex education is still not a norm in the Indian education system and barring a few individual initiatives by a few institutions, there is no specific system to teach the kids about sex. But with ever increasing rates of crimes against women, isn’t it high time that the authorities gave it some serious thought?

W

hat do we mean by ‘Sex Education’? The term Sex Ed, is used to portray education about the reproductive system, sexual interaction and other aspects of human sexual behaviour. It is the practice of gaining knowledge and developing mind-set as well as ideas about sex, sexual identity, relations, closeness, gender roles, contraception methods and prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD).

It is also an effective way to respect one’s partner, wife, husband and also a means to admire sexual preferences.

The misconception of the people that are generally kept under the wraps should be cleared and they should be convinced about the need for sex education in this rapidly changing era. It is important that youth should be familiar with the purpose of providing education in order to develop an open and

healthy approach towards sex and sexuality in order to assist them to make well-thought judgments.

But the question that may arise is how developed and open is our edu-

cation system towards sex education?

While speaking to Mr. Sanjib Das, NE Regional Officer of CBSE, we have found out that NCERT had implemented ‘Adolescent Education Programme’ in its course module in the year 2006- 07. “We do not have any specific subject on sex education in our course module at present but we have the Adolescent Education Programme

as an alternative which is supported by UNICEF. It will not be wise to implement sex education without any proper in-depth analysis as Indian society is culturally deep rooted”, says Mr. Das. He further adds that “Sex education is a very argumentative topic and a great deal of complexities may arise if implemented hastily. It’s not just a topic which is region based, sex education agenda is a generalised issue”.

Truth is that a preliminary investigation is definitely important prior to implementation of sex education in India. The western world too does not have an absolute agenda towards sex education and is subject to change from time to time and teenage pregnancy is a matter of concern for many western countries.

Shantikam Hazarika, Former Chairman of SEBA says that sex education can’t be generalised for all regions of Indian society. “You can’t imple-

ment the same sex education for rural areas as for urban areas. The subject is delicate and needs to be preached cautiously. We have to find out the answer to the question that whether the parent community is yet ready and acceptable towards implementation of sex education for their children?” asks Hazarika.

Some of the students from St. Mary’s and Don Bosco have said to have had sex education. However, the initiative was only taken by the school and was not regulated by their board.

It is understandable that the topic of sex education is debatable and requires a thorough research. Teaching kids about sex and sexuality demands a gentle, uninterrupted flow of accurate, age-appropriate info that should begin as early as possible. The participation of parent, caregivers, teacher and public health campaigns hold an influential importance towards the implementation of sex education.

6

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Politicking

EC declares poll dates, politicos pull up socks

Finally, it is on! With the declaration of the poll dates, the country is set to witness one of the most exciting elections this time.

The ticket race As the poll campaigns tunes up to the maximum frequency, all the political parties are planning their strategies in full confidence. The first chaos is the ticket race and for the Guwahati seat, Congress vicepresident Rahul Gandhi may have touted Guwahati ‘primaries’ as one of the most successful attempts of his new experiment for selecting party candidates, but Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi doesn’t clearly think so. Sources in the state unit said that Gogoi wants either Guwahati (East) MLA Captain Robin Bordoloi or state Congress chief Bhubaneswar Kalita to be given the party ticket from Guwahati so that they could wrest the prestigious constituency from the BJP. State Congress spokesperson Mehdi Alam Bora said, “It is not confirmed that Manas Borah will get the Congress ticket for the Guwahati seat, but there are possibilities that he might get the ticket as he won the primaries for the first time.” He further added that whatever be the decision, it is confirmed that Congress will again form the government in the Centre.

Similarly, for BJP there are two probable candidates. Present MP Bijoya Chakravorty and BJP IT genius Prodyut Bora. According to BJP sources, Prodyut has a good chance of getting the ticket as he is pretty close to the national wing of BJP.

RAHUL CHANDA

A

s the Election Commission (EC)recently announced the schedule for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, declaring that they will be held in nine phases from April 7, 2014 to May 12, 2014, the politicos suddenly have geared up for planning various strategies. It was also a surprise for many, as they were busy looking for alliance, political party tickets and increasing their vote banks, the EC declared the dates after which come a lot of codes and conducts.

Lok Sabha poll schedule The EC has announced the upcoming Lok Sabha elections dates from April 7th to May 12th 2014, and the results according to the EC, will be declared on May 16th. So, by May 17th we will have a new government in the Centre. The dates for all the states vary from phase to phase and in Assam the election coincides with the Rongali Bihu.

The Bihu factor Rongoli Bihu is the main festivals of Assam and as the dates of Lok Sabha elections are colliding with Bihu, many political parties are claiming not to be happy about the dates de-

STATE/UT Andhra Pradesh Assam Goa Haryana Jammu & Kashmir Kerala Maharashtra Meghalaya Nagaland Punjab Sikkim Tripura West Bengal Jharkhand Andaman & Nicobar Islands Dadra & Nagar Haveli

DATE April 30, May 7 April 7, 12, 24 April 17 April 10 April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7 April 10 April 10, 17, 24 April 9 April 9 April 30 April 12 April 7, 12 April 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12 April 10, 17, 24 April 10 April 30

clared. The Congress party has not yet reacted towards the dates and pretending to be happy saying that theelections will add colour to festivities.

The AGP is not at all happy with the dates as they feel that Bihu might bar many AGP supporters from visiting polling booths.

STATE/UT Arunachal Pradesh Bihar Gujarat Himachal Pradesh Karnataka Madhya Pradesh Manipur Mizoram Odisha Rajasthan Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh Chhattisgarh Uttarakhand Chandigarh Daman & Diu

DATE April 9 April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12 April 30 May 7 April 17 April 10, 17, 24 April 9, 17 April 9 April 10, 17 April 17, 24 April 24 April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12 April 10, 17, 24 May 7 April 10 April 30

The strategies Different parties are planning different poll campaigning strategies for the elections and are confident and claiming that they will win. AIUDF secretary Haidar Hussain Bora said, “We will contest in 10 seats out of 14 and till now we have not thought of any kind of alliance with any party. We will campaign through rallies and meeting but we will not use any kind of social media for our campaigning.” Similarly, Congress said it will not leave any stone unturned in campaigning and will use all kinds of modern amenities to campaign. The BJP has already tightened its belt for the polls and have started campaigning in full swing.

After the elections dates are out, people of not only Guwahati, but the entire country are enthusiastic of choosing the government and knowing who will come to the power again.

No matter the EC is the watchdog of this democratic movement of the country, still there are violence, corruption and politics during elections every time. Let’s wait and watch how fair the elections will be this time.

7

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Ghy seat might pit Bora vs Bora

Politicking

Guwahati as any other city in India is waiting for a new member of the parliament. With Manas Bora wining the primary election within the party, he is expected to contest the Guwahati MP seat if there is no dissidence or rift within the party.

Similarly, according to rumours and party insiders, Prodyut Bora is trying his best to contest for Guwahati seat inspite of Bijoya Chakravorty ruling the roost till now. G Plus outlines the structure of both the tentative candidates.

RAHUL CHANDA

Manas Bora DOB – 22nd February 1981 Married to Priyanka Bora on 23rd January 2007

Qualification

Prodyut Bora

English graduate from Cotton College in the year 2002 Law graduate from BRM Law College in the year 2005

Prodyut Bora, 40, is a Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Political Career

Qualification

Contested for Cotton College general secretary but lost State NSUI secretary State NSIU general secretary Assam Pradesh Youth Congress state general secretary for two terms Assam Lok Sabha president

Prodyut Bora had his early education in Jorhat and North Lakhimpur, where he studied at Carmel School and St Mary’s School respectively.

Thereafter he studied, successively, at the Rashtriya Indian Military (RIMC), Dehra Dun; Delhi Public School (DPS), Noida; St Stephen’s College, Delhi; and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad.

Political reasons Political reasons

Son of state social welfare minister Akon Bora, Manas Bora appeared for APSC and cleared preliminary exams but did not join service as he wanted to join politics and do something for the state. He got many job opportunities but did not work as he wanted to work for the grass root level people. As a Lok Sabha state president, Manas worked in almost all the constituency of the state and that’s how he became popular among all the sections of grassroot level people.

Recently a primary election happened in Congress to choose the MP candidate for 15 seats in India and Guwahati was one of them.

827 out of 1055 Congress members voted for their preferred candidate. With a vote of 409, Manas Bora was the winner in this election.

Bora was followed by Juri Sarma Bordoloi (215.5 votes) at second position, Pankaj Borbora (140 votes) at third position, Bobeeta Sarma (114.5 votes) in fourth position, Munmi Dutta (75 votes) in fifth position, Bolin Bordoloi (50 votes) in sixth position, and Anupam Bordoloi (11.5 votes) in seventh position.

Akon Bora factor

According to Manas Bora, people can take the factor of being a politician’s son or daughter in two ways. Firstly, one can take it as a blessing and secondly it can be a curse. He said, “Since my father is a politician and not a hereditary politician because before Akon Bora, there was no one else in the family who was a politician.

Since 1985, when Congress had a very bad time

in the state, I have seen the struggle since my childhood and was a part of it. I still remember the days when there was a social boycott, AGP people used to throw stones and sometimes even human wastes at our home. I at times studied in a very needy situation where we did not even have money to pay my school fees. So, I know the problems which people of Assam faced and we as a family too faced the same problem. I always wanted to be in politics as I couldn’t stop myself from being here as I know how Congress developed in Assam. I know the problems of Assam since my childhood.

I personally take it as a blessing because I am always there for Assam and I have never taken the lift, but always taken the stairs. My father is a mentor, guide and God to me and I will always go to him when I require him. I don’t want to remove my father’s name from my life.

Wherever he leaves, I will start from there.”

What will be the first change after becoming MP?

According to Manas, there is one major problem in Assam and in Guwahati, which is brain drain. All talented people from Assam go out to earn their living and they are hardly coming back because of unemployment in this region. If I have to change something, I will make sure there is no brain drain and the localities inspite of working outside, should think of returning back and working for their motherland.

In 2004 Prodyut started his political career in a support function, his first assignment being a member of BJP’s national media cell, the party’s in-house communication and PR unit.

According to Pradyut, elections are not the only reason to be in politics as by being in politics, one can work for the society in a major way rather than just thinking of getting a particular seat and being in power. Because of his interest in politics, Prodyut is the first IIM Ahmedabad graduate to join full-time politics.

Bora read English Literature at the undergraduate level, and thereafter worked with the start-up team of Biblio: A Review of Books, India’s leading literary and book-review journal.

He started his post-MBA career as a management consultant with Hewitt Associates, one of the world’s foremost consultancies, and then went on to become the VP (Business Development) of Digital Talkies, India’s first digital filmmaking company. He incubated a software company and ran it for 6 years, before joining politics full-time.

Political career

In 2007, he was elevated and appointed the National Convenor of BJP’s Information Technology (IT) Cell. The IT Cell was BJP’s newest organisational unit, and Bora was its first head. The IT Cell had 3 roles: (a) automate the party organisation; (b) attract IT professionals to the party; and (c) advise the party on IT Policy issues. With that mandate, Prodyut set up cells in 22 states across the country. He also automated the party using ‘open source’ software. It was an innovative experiment to create an entire organisational IT ecosystem using free and open source software, and Prodyut’s efforts became the subject of a case study by Linux magazine. In January 2010, Prodyut moved to Assam to take charge as State General Secretary of BJP’s Assam unit, and thereby began his grassroots political career. He had been out of Assam for 25 years (1985-2010) and it was a great challenge to lead the Party in a state where it has traditionally been a laggard. In the 2011 elections to the state legislature, Prodyut was pitted by his Party

to stand against Himanta Biswa Sarma, two-time legislator and minister, in the Jalukbari assembly constituency. Although he lost, Prodyut more than quadrupled his party’s vote share. In his personal capacity as a grassroot activist, Prodyut’s biggest achievement was that within a space of 3 years he could carve out a political space for himself in Assam.

What will be the first change after becoming MP?

According to Pradyut Bora, Guwahati has a major problem of internal flooding and is big time suffering from unplanned development. So, if he gets an opportunity to work for an issue at present in the city, it will be working for the internal flooding problem and also plan the development so that it develops in a systematic and a planned manner.

8

In The News

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

THE WEEK THAT WAS

Govt distributes free bicycles to city girls

U

nder the Chief Minister’s Special Scheme for Distribution of Free Ladies Bicycles to Girls Students of Class IX and X for the financial year 2013–14, 4828 numbers of free ladies bicycles were distributed on March 1st at Sorusojai Sport Complex by the Directorate of Secondary Education, Assam. The Bicycles were lifted by the respective heads of High Schools and Higher Secondary

Schools of Kamrup Metro numbering 74 numbers of Schools. Rs. 125.00 had been provided to each girl student as carrying charge for the bicycles. The programme was for Kamrup Metro alone as cycles will reach in other districts shortly. The programme was supervised by BL Sarma, Director of Secondary Education, Assam, and Inspector of Schools Kamrup Metro with other officials and staff.

Gauhati University radio raises community voices

A

new air programme, Luit Pratibha has been started from March 4th by Radio Luit, a community radio station, which was inaugurated three years ago by the Gauhati University (GU), to educate people about the culture and traditions of the communities in and around Guwahati. Over the last three years, Radio Luit has broadcasted a number of programmes on scientific temperament growth; issues related to health, legal matters and also highlighted the cultures of people residing around GU. And now they are ready with a new programme, Luit Pratibha, under a new mission. “Our staffs will visit schools,

colleges and villages around GU and record the performances of students and community members there and these recordings will be aired through Radio Luit,” said Kandarpa Das, director of Institute of Distance and Open Learning of GU, where the community radio station is located.

This initiative has been taken after completion of three years of establishment of Radio Luit. Under the initiative, the local communities living within a radius of about 15 km from the GU campus will be given the scope to broadcast their cultural and other performances that will highlight the glorious traditions of the communities.

City cop suspended New building for assaulting driver bylaws for ity police arrested one of its Guwahati enacted

T

he Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has said that permission for building construction will henceforth be given as per the provisions of the newly-enacted Guwahati Building Construction Regulation Byelaws 2014. According to the provision of new Building Byelaws, permission for construction shall be issued in two stages. Planning permit shall be accorded by Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) as per provisions of Master Plan and Zoning Regulations in force and relevant provisions of Act, rules and Building Byelaws. The new Guwahati Building Construction Regulation Byelaws, 2014, framed under Section 4(1) of the Guwahati Building Construction (Regulation) Act, 2010, is published in the official gazette.

The planning permit, along with three sets of drawings, shall be forwarded by GMDA to Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), urban local bodies and panchayats, as the case may be, with intimation to the applicant. There will be a time limit of 30 days.

C

members, a traffic constable of Jalukbari outpost, on charges of physically assaulting a bus driver on March 4, morning at Adabari area here. The incident occurred when traffic constable Dipen Sarma tried to stop a passenger bus, Pashupati from entering the city area at Adabari, which was coming to Machkhowa from Tezpur. As since March 3rd the traffic police have been diverting several long-distance buses to the ISBT in Garchuk, which run without permits to come to Machkhowa. The drivers were unhappy because of this.

Pashupati also did not have a permit.

When the traffic police asked the driver to stop the bus, he refused to obey. Instead, he kept driving the bus at a slow speed even though a traffic constable put himself in front of the bus to stop him. When the bus did not stop, the traffic police poked his stick through the driver’s window.

Unfortunately, it did hit below the driver’s eye and seriously injured him. Soon after the incident, public anger erupted and huge chaos occurred at the place and bus drivers blocked all roads in the area, including NH 37. The driver, Pramod Rajbongshi, was admitted to GMCH and was released after being administered first aid.

Swiss Cabs launched in Guwahati

A

new fleet of luxury cars rolled out on the city streets on March 3rd to provide people “maximum comfort at a minimum price. C K Jaiswal has introduced the concept of ‘Swiss Cabs’ in the city at Gauhati Town Club. Two city-based young entrepreneurs, Ankur Saikia and Vivek Sanganeria, have come forward with 10 Fiat Linea luxury sedans as part of their new service, which will be increased to 50 soon and to 150 in a year.

The luxury car service will be available at Rs 150 for the initial 8km and Rs 17 per subsequent kilometre. Drivers of the cabs will be provided with proper uniform besides providing insurance for the family. Ankur Saikia, the CEO of the venture, says Guwahati has only normal cabs and not luxurious cabs.

These cabs will provide a Tablet facility, newspaper, mineral water and wi-fi system for the customers. The car will be also equipped by GPS and GPRS

system for the tourists and commuters’ convenience. “Reliable, swift, secure and luxurious travel for city travellers is the main objective of our initiative.

Our aim is to evolve the way the Northeast moves,” said Vivek Sanganeria.

Apart from these lavish facilities for its customer it might prove as a boon for

the driver as well. As, a driver can make a particular cab his own after completing 5 year service to the company. This is a unique idea not only to create employment opportunity but also to allow drivers to become entrepreneurs. One can dial 9613131313 or log on to www. swisscabs.com to avail the service.

Public meeting on land rights held

T

o discuss the issue of land rights movement currently going on in the state and the government’s role in this regard, a public meeting was held at the Satyanath Bora Hall on March 2nd. The meeting was presided over by Upen Talukdar and Satyendra Prasad Deka, and was inaugurated by Nitya Bora. In his speech, Nitya Bora said, “Many farm-

ers and other people sacrificed their lives in land rights related movements in different parts of the country. The farmers in Assam are also fighting for their rights”. Bora further said, “The land rights movement spearheading by KMSS is not the movement of KMSS only, it has become common people’s movement.” Pranjal Bordoloi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)

signified a doubt of having conspiracy behind the late night arrest of Akhil Gogoi by the police. Other speakers like Prakash Mahanta, journalist; Arupjyoti Saikia, professor, IIT–Guwahati; Santanu Borthakur, advocate; Gauhati High Court; Sarat Phukan, professor, Gauhati University; and Haider Hussain, journalist also spoke on the occasion.

HC rejects bail pleas of top KMSS leaders

G

auhati High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of two senior KMSS leaders, namely the general secretary Kamal Medhi and joint publicity secretary Dharjya Konwar, on March 5 who are wanted by the police regarding the recent self-immolation case.

Advocate Bijon Mahajan had moved the anticipatory bail petitions on behalf of the duo. The single judge bench of Justice Indira Shah also called for the case diary in the self-immolation case by March 12. The court, however, granted interim pre-arrest bail to KMSS vice-president Amar Bezbaruah till March 12, because of his father’s ill health who is undergoing treatment in the ICU of GNRC Hospital. Dur-

ing the hearing, Mahajan said police was overzealous in registering the FIR lodged against Akhil Gogoi and his associates, while no action has been taken on the FIR lodged by the wife of Pranab Boro, who immolated himself near the secretariat on February 24, against chief minister Tarun Gogoi and revenue minister Prithibi Majhi. The public prosecutor Ziaul Kamar said the police investigation into the FIR lodged by Boro’s wife was in progress and appropriate action would be taken based on the outcome of the probe.

Meanwhile, on the basis of a FIR lodged by a sub-inspector of the city police, six members of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS), including its president Akhil Gogoi, was arrested from his Nizarapar residence by a team of police accompanied by magistrate Chinmoy Phukan on March 2 around 4 am in connection with the Pranab Boro self-immolation case.

Police also resorted to blank firing in the Lisubagan area when they went to arrest Deben Sarma, KMSS city committee president. The other members of the KMSS were arrest-

ed simultaneously; include Ibrahim Ali, Nurul Islam, Hareswar Kalita and Naren Baishya. Akhil Gogoi and his associates are facing charges under Section 306 and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code.

The advocate Bijon Mahajan and his associates, who appeared on behalf of Akhil Gogoi and his colleagues, reduced the police prayer of custody to four days and also directed that the accused be provided with home-cooked food, and medical treatment. Police also recovered a red car bearing registration number AS-01-AW 2011 in which Pranab Boro was reportedly dropped near the State Secretariat a few minutes before he set himself on fire, leading to his death in the GMCH. Boro, a KMSS activist, was staging a protest, demanding land pattas in hill and forest areas. Forensic experts were seen working on the vehicle to find traces of evidence. However, the police are yet to disclose the name of the person who owns the car. Senior SP (City) Anand Prakash Tiwari told media persons that primary investigation into the case has necessitated custodial interrogation of the accused.

9

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

HEDAYATPUR

Ward Watch

Theft and burglary is a problem in the area

Shubhojit Roy

Ward No

11

No. of voters

NA

Concentrated Region

P. D. Chaliha Road, Hedayatpur Sub Divison

11A/ 11B

Positive aspect

Friendliness

Major Issue

Theft

A

midst the bustling rush of vehicles and pedestrians who always have somewhere to go, Hedayatpur of Guwahati is one region where you might find that the city life somewhere stopped by and people actually have time for each other. The streets however are narrow with vehicles parked on the sides and children playing around them. Even though Hedayatpur lies in the central zone of the city, it is still somehow a little cut off from the noise and rush. The locality is almost the idle picture of a residential area with different communities living together. Some of the residents shared their views and life on what they feel about the locality with G plus.

Locality of Hedayatpur

Good place to be Akaas Ali, a selfemployed businessman of the locality says that the area is friendly and peaceful and no case of violence against women from the area has fallen on his ears till date. “The locality is friendly and God willing, we haven’t heard of any violence against the female gender till today. We have problems like water logging and street light facility, but then again, which area in Guwahati doesn’t?” admitted Ali. Well, to be true, most parts of the city does suffer from the frustration of water logging and a solution is not likely to come sooner, but looking at the positive side, Hedayatpur

does look friendly with child-safe by-lanes.

Load shedding and theft Moving on, we talked to Nazirul Islam who happens to be a Public health Engineer. Nazirul says, “I am mostly out for my work. I am here in the city on holidays, but my family stays here. I get to hear that the area goes through a lot of power cuts on daily basis and I stay concerned about theft and burglary. Well, the area has a little bit of negativity on the theft and burglary side”.

It’s not wise to judge an area on theft and burglary cases, but then Mr. Nazirul showed us the tampered iron grill gate which convinced us pretty sure of an attempted burglary.

The book keeper’s version Finally, we met this sweet little man named Dharma Deka who is a librarian cum care taker of CPI(M) party office in Hedayetpur.

While showing around his book store, he says, “Well, I am not from this area but yes, I know the locality well. I have

been taking care of this library and the party office since 1996. I hear quite a number of theft stories here.

Moreover, there is the issue of water logging too, which is bothering me already. I am concerned about the books inside the store, I can’t let monsoon destroy them.”

Well, it can’t be ignored that almost half the city is already complaining about water logging even before the monsoons have actually arrived. Only time will tell what the wrath of monsoon is going to bring in the coming months and how authorities are going to tackle with it.

10

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Society

WOMEN ON STAGE Over the years, the women of the theatre have been announcing their presence through their performances and their activities and the noise has just got louder in recent times.

SUBHRAJIT ROY

T

he cultural movement of Assam has witnessed the immense contributions of the women activists from its inception.

In the field of dramatics, actors, playwrights and directors, theatre activists have been regularly presenting plays across the country portraying the characters of different protagonists from either epic classics or issues related to present day women.

Noted theatre personality of state, Pakija Begum, recently staged the play ‘Joymati’ on March 5, 2014, at the Pragjyoti ITA in Guwahati under her ‘Ba Theatre.’ She said, “I am deeply inspired by the character of Joymati, because the character not only signifies womanhood, but also focuses on women empowerment. In the political turmoil of the Ahom Kingdom, Joymati’s courage and valour ignited the spark of women empowerment.

Though the prime focus of the play on Joymati is not the issue of women empowerment, but it gives me pleasure as women related issues are somehow connected in the play.”

Similarly, the Assamese adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Chitrangada’, staged recently at the Rabindra Bhawan urged about the same message of women empowerment.

It was directed by Abinash Sharma, adapted by Madhurima Barua Sen (ACS) and choreographed by Anjana Moyee Saikia. The plight of two more characters from Indian mythological epic, namely Draupadi and Sita were presented on stage several times by different actresses, among which the recent were by Dr. Jahanara Begum in the plays ‘Nathwati-Anathwat’ and ‘Bandini Baidehi’ respectively. Under the banner of J B Productions (Tezpur), through these two mono-acts, she tried to correlate the situation of present day women with those epic ladies. Among her several upcoming projects, Dr. Jahanara Begum is going to portray the epic character of Urmila in the near future.

“Though the number of women theatre activists in Assam is very less, be it playwright or director, quality productions are observed year by year.

In case of actors, once acting on stage was a hobby, which has now turned into a profession with the passage of time. Above all, the happy part is that the movement is progressing and the contribution of women is at par,” added Pakija Begum. In the same context Dr. Jahanara said, “The present situation of women’s theatre in Assam is very challenging. Not only in Assamese theatre, women related issues are being focused worldwide, as the moral duty of theatre is always to give reformatory message about the burning problems of the society.”

With the influence of literary works, several adaptations have been

witnessed on stage in recent times.

Another noted theatre personality, Bhagirathi, who is actively associated with children theatre, portrayed the situation of a widow in the play ‘Apeksha’, which is adapted from Mamoni Raisom Goswami’s ‘Datal Hathi Uwe Khowa Hawda’. Similarly, Anuradha Sharma Puzari’s ‘Shikaar’, acted by Pakija Begum urged about the concern of forest conservation.

Presentation of ‘Kamchan’, another masterpiece penned by the same writer, adapted by Utpal Dutta, directed

by Bidyut Chakraborty and produced

by Bornali Puzari started on March 7th and will continue till March 9th at the Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati.

Among the Tagore classics, Dr. Jah-

Seema Biswas in ‘Broken Images’

Pakija Begum in ‘Shikaar’

“

Though the number of women theatre activists in Assam is very less, be it playwright or director, quality productions are observed year by year”

anara Begum, presented the adaptation of ‘Malanacha’ on November 2013, whereas Pakija Begum is going to present ‘Shasti’ on March 9th at the Women Director’s Theatre Festival in Kolkata.

Among several adaptations, Girish Karnad’s famous Kannada play ‘Odakalu Bimba’, subsequently written in English as ‘A Heap of Broken Images’ has its vivid dimension.

In regards to Assamese presentation, both Dr. Jahanara Begum and Seema Biswas have portrayed the character of Manjula in their own styles in ‘Bhagna Pratibimba’ and ‘Broken Images’ respectively. In the directorial venture of Rabijita Gogoi, Seema Biswas was successful in keeping grip over the spectators’ mind with splendid dialogues and lively performances, till a captivating climax, where as Dr. Jahanara Begum brought the same in the simplest form. In recent times, Seema Biswas also enthralled the theatre lovers of Guwahati with her performance playing the Tagore

Dr. Jahanara Begum in ‘Bandini Baidehi’

characters, namely Kadambini and Mrinalini in ‘Jeevit Ya Mrit’ and ‘Streer Patra’ respectively.

A unique feature about the theatre industry in Assam is that several actresses on silver screen, who are actively associated with Mobile Theatre, have been observed to present plays under their own production houses.

Zerifa Wahid has already made her mark through highly appreciated plays namely, ‘Naagmandala’, ‘Purush’ and ‘Napoleon’. The new names to be mentioned in this context are Aimee Baruah and Barasha Rani Bishoya. On the other hand Prastuti Parashar, has successfully won the hearts of the spectators through her splendid performance in the Mobile Theatre play ‘Maharani’. In regards to the security concern of the female artists working in the various Mobile Theatre groups, Dr. Jahanara says, “The security of women today is a burning issue. I can’t think of it any differently for the women artists working in Mobile Theatres.” Pakija

Begum, who was once actively associated with the same said, “During my association with Mobile Theatre for as long as five years, I have neither personally facedy nor witnessed any such incident with my co-artists. But after 15 years, the picture is quite hazy to me as society has changed a lot and similarly, several changes have been brought in into the theatre industry as well. Above all I must say both the producers and the proprietors of the Mobile Theatre groups should give emphasis on the physical as well as mental security of the female artists working under them.”

On the final note in her Women’s Day message, Pakija Begum said, “Every woman should share her thoughts in the open environment and of her own will, with healthy body, mind and soul. A woman - a daughter, sister, wife or mother is a beautiful creation of God. We must respect this creation. Respect to women is offering respect to the humanity,” concluded Dr. Jahanara Begum.

11

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Business

Guwahati’s loss is Byrnihat’s gain

Celebrating two decades of womanhood

The financial hub of Northeast India, Guwahati, which had a roaring business of warehouses is fast losing it to Meghalaya’s Byrnihat. shambhavi

N

B

yrnihat, a town located in the close vicinity of Guwahati is reaping the benefits of Guwahati’s business expansion.

Gutkha distributing agencies are making beeline for a space in the Byrnihat after Assam government banned manufacturing, trade, advertisement, storage, distribution, Sale and Consumption of Zarda, Gutkha and Pan masala Containing Tobacco.

Sources in the industry said, “Byrnihat makes better sense as warehousing hub. Space in Guwahati for warehousing is very expensive and this indeed increases the cost.”

There are around 30 warehouses in Guwahati stocking tea. Besides, huge space is under the control of food grains, automobiles, electronic appliances and consumer durables.

Industry sources pointed out that stocking facilities requires land and infrastructure. “Getting land is a problem in Guwahati, so Byrnihat has an advantage.”

Gutkha agencies are finding Meghalaya safe to park their stocks.

Sources said, “We have shifted our bases to Meghalaya. The business is continuing as usual. Ban has not affected the trade as those in the habit of chewing tobacco have not changed overnight.”

Coke manufacturers have made Byrnihat their hub as it has one of the

highest manufacturing activities of the area. Developers are more keen to develop commercial properties and apartments and are not investing in warehousing in Guwahati.

Besides government investment in warehousing, private investors are not putting money in the sector.

Guwahati witnessed the second highest rise in prices of residential properties among major cities in India during the last quarter of 2013.

As per the National Housing Bank (NBH), a wholly-owned bank of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), residential housing prices in 16 cities across India have shown increase in the prices in the October-December quarter of 2013 over the previous (July-September) quarter.

The highest increase of 8 per cent was in Nagpur, with Guwahati a close second with a rise of 7.4 per cent.

The house price index, with a base year of 2007, stood at 160 in Guwahati in October-December quarter as against 149 in the previous quarter, as per the NHB. Residential property prices in Guwahati in the July-September quarter had risen by only 1.4 per cent, while it was in decline during the first two quarters of 2013. The index covered 26 major cities and has taken into account the price trends for residential properties in the different locations and zones in each city.

“

We have shifted our bases to Meghalaya.

The business is continuing as usual.

Ban has not affected the trade as those in the habit of chewing tobacco have not changed overnight”

Among other cities which showed a rising trend in prices during the December quarter were Pune (7.3 per cent), Surat (6.2 per cent), Patna (6.0 per cent), Hyderabad (5.7 per cent), Bhubaneshwar (4.7 per cent), Chennai (3.8 per cent), Bengaluru (3.7 per cent), Delhi (3.2 per cent), Ahmedabad (3.1 per cent), Faridabad (2.5 per cent), Indore (2.2 per cent), Bhopal (1.4 per cent), Raipur (1.3 per cent) and Dehradun (1.1 per cent).

The Assam government and Tea Board is coming up with a tea park in Chaygaon on the outskirts of Guwahati, which will have warehousing facility.

Similarly Food Corporation of India is increasing stock capacity in Guwahati. According to Union ministry for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Northeast India will have storage facilities of 5.4 lakh tones at an estimated cost of Rs 568 Crore.

North East presently has the storage capacity of 5.5 lakh tonnes.

Central warehousing Corporation (CWC) started functioning in Northeast India in the early sixties having a capacity of 1.02 lakh metric tonnes (MT) with occupancy of 90 percent.

CWC plans to undertake construction of additional storage capacity of 4,000 MT and 1280 MT at Sarbhog and Dhubri in Assam.

ineteen years and over three million Scooty on road, it is a milestone that TVS Motor Company can be proud of. Since the launch of the first TVS Scooty in 1993, a product dedicated entirely to women, the brand has been a classic case study for continuous refinement and consumer relevant product innovation. Periodic product upgrades, additional features and refinements have contributed largely to steady brand growth.

TVS Scooty Pep, a 75cc scooterette was launched in 2002 and this was followed up with a feature loaded Pep+ in 2005 and Scooty Streak in 2009. The brand has since won universal acclaim, including “Business World Design of the Year” in 2004.

Since inception, the brand vision for TVS Scooty has been to empower women and endow them with independence and self-sufficiency. The Scooty brand has had a consistent growth path in its nineteen-year history. The engine has grown from the lithe 60cc 2-stroke to the 4-stroke 90cc, engine.

The brand has been known for its futuristic styling and remains the most exciting two wheeler brand for young girls. In fact, it became the first brand in the world to offer customers a choice of 99 colors. Each color in its repertoire allowed consumers to express their unique style and personality.

TVS Motor Company, through the Scooty brand has conceptualized and executed several novel women centric programs. Its Women-On-Wheels Program that is being executed in 200 plus cities across the country through a specially trained field-force of over 750 personnel attached to company dealerships.

Currently, the brand is endorsed by leading Bollywood actor, Ms. Anushka Sharma. She has featured in several Scooty ads promoting the youthful and smart attitude of Scootygiri.

Today the Scooty portfolio includes the Scooty Pep+ and Scooty Streak. Available in vibrant color schemes, TVS Scooty continues to be a brand that young girls easily identify with. Not only this, TVS Scooty is India’s No. 1 mileage scooter.

12

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Special

Women’s safety

A CONCERN

SHUBHOJIT ROY

I

t is veracious that the thriving infrastructural development and food joints in Guwahati do not transform the city into a metro overnight. There are certain drawbacks which need to be taken care of with utmost attention for the city to emerge out as a fully grown metro.

But then again, we do not want a metro that has a shameful and dark side to it. There are metros we know which are not very safe for women. So, the issue that stands upright is how safe Guwahati is for women and how safe can we expect the city to be when it becomes a metro. To find out the answer, G plus did a research on the availability of services and products in the city that a woman can use for her own safety.

Pepper Spray

Mobile app

Even though Guwahati does not have any known dealer for pepper spray, but one can buy it online. However, Defence Research and Development Organisation in Tezpur has made a product named Capsispray in recent months. The product is a novel and eco-friendly non-lethal weapon based on Bhut Jolokia oleoresin.

The product has been developed to exploit the hotness and pungency of Bhut Jolokia for defence applications. Meanwhile in Guwahati, North East Girl Students’ Association and other organizations are acting prominently in creating awareness about the usage of other chemicals such as deodorant or insect killing spray for women’s self-defence.

With availability of the enormous android market and revolution of smart phone, numerous mobile apps have come to play in man’s everyday life. But some mobile apps are not just apps, they can also act as life saviors. Mobile apps such as ‘VithU’ are well designed to provide safety to women in times of jeopardy. VithU, is an emergency App that, at the click of the power button of your smartphone 2 times consecutively, begins sending out alert messages every 2 minutes to your contacts that you feed into the app as the designated receivers or guardians.

The message says “I am in danger. I need help.

Please follow my location.” The receiver will receive a link to your location every 2 minutes giving them your updated location. There are many other apps which a working woman or a girl can avail for her personal security.

App name

Developer

VithU

Star India Pvt. Ltd.

Nirbhaya: Be Fearless

SmartCloud Infotech

Fightback (for iPhone and iPad)

Chillingo Ltd.

Help Alert

Pioneer WebSystem Pvt Ltd

Martial Arts Training Even though martial arts can’t depict the reel world to a real world, but there is no doubt that the knowledge of martial arts can be a boon for self-defense, particularly in case of women and girls.

Munmi Dutta, President of North east Girl Students’ Association says that martial art is a very important factor for self-protection of women. “Giving importance to the martial arts, we launched a judo campaign in June 2013 for girls in Guwahati. We have around 150 to 200 girls learning judo in the different colleges of Guwahati”, says Munmi. Girls can take up martial arts training from various training institute and venues in Guwahati.

Institute

Contact No.

Elite Martial Arts Academy

+91- 8486 059 811

Wing Chun Martial Arts Association

+91- 9864 084 579

North East Girl Students Association

+91- 9435 143 235

Taekwondo Association of Assam

+91- 9954 325 775

Gauhati Town Club Taekwondo School

+91- 361 2737 844

Lachit Nagar Lachit Jyoti Kaete-do Training Academy

+91- 9508 845 370

Chinese Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy

+91- 8486 191 863

Dial 100 Assam’s Dial 100 emergency number is a computer aided dispatch system based on GIS/GPS that directs to police control room immediately for public to seek police assistance during emergency.

However, there is no exclusive emergency helpline number yet available for women in Assam, but one can definitely avail to Dial 100 in case of emergency for the time being.

Price (in `)

Product

Online dealer

Spike pepper spray

dealmandi.com 304.99

Chilli Guard pepper spray

chilliguard.com

200300

Cobra Magnum pepper spray

snapdeal.com

380

Knockout Pepper Spray combo

snapdeal.com

499

Midascare Bodyguard Pepper Spray

snapdeal.com

196

What Guwahati needs?

With ever-growing cases of violence against women in all parts of the country, some steps need to be taken urgently in Guwahati as well, along with all other parts of the nation. Awareness among society is one such very important aspect to deal with in the present scenario. Products such as pepper spray, stun gun should be available in market after initiation of proper legal regulation on how and when to use such products.

In order to facilitate an absolute crime free society against women, there are lots of areas of concern that needs total focus. It is important to have participation from both the government and the citizens to create a safer nation and only time will tell that how far are our people willing to go to do their part for a peaceful society.

13

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Feature

THE WONDER WOMEN

In a society earlier dominated mostly by men, it is not always easy to make it big for a woman. But here, we list down some of the ladies of the city, who have stood out and stood tall, making a difference not only to the social environment but womanhood as a whole.

Urmila Baruah is a sought after trainer in HR and organisational behaviour addressing diverse groups on various subjects such as emotional intelligence, assertiveness and leadership among others. Prior to starting her own consultancy, The Human Network, she was Senior Manager (LPG-Sales) in Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. She also teaches as a guest lecturer at the Department of MBA, Gauhati University.

“While women’s participation in the workforce has substantially gone up in recent years in Guwahati, it is still quite rare to see women at the top of their professions. Most of the time, I feel, it is the women themselves who place limitations upon their own abilities and aspirations. While teaching MBA students, I often come across women students who set limitations by creating mindsets about what kind of jobs they are willing to do. As a result they block out many opportunities to explore and, maybe, find their niche. On the occasion of Women’s Day, I would call upon the women to banish their limited mindsets, to open their minds to the large world of possibilities, to open their wings and soar.”

Urmila Baruah

Managing Partner, The Human Network

Established Fashion designer and an alumni of Pearl Academy of Fashion, New Delhi, she owns fashion brand KIRAMEKI , derived from Japanese word meaning shine. KIRAMEKI shelves designer wear for women and men and has dressed celebrities like Neha Dhupia, Dipannita Sharma, Joey Matthew, Yana Gupta, Achla Sachedev, Maureen Wadia and Parijat Chakraborty to name a few. Nandini won the Gladrags Mrs India 2007 2nd runner up and sub award best Bombay Dyeing Model at Mumbai. Thereafter did a few assignments with Myntra, Bombay Dyeing and Weekender etc.

“Designing is close to my heart and so I chose fashion designing over modelling.”

Nandini Baruva Fashion Designer

Being one of the youngest among equals, Tanushree Hazarika holds the advantage of having age on her side and that too, in the midst of a media evolution in the Northeast. Bursting into the scene with Eclectic Publications, she has taken Eclectic Northeast, a monthly English magazine, to newer and broader horizons. In a span of seven years, she has managed to stand out with her vision, work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit, constantly striving to connect Northeast to a national and international audience. Tanushree has also added interesting new ventures to the group and has hosted and promoted a variety of successful seminars, events and festivals across the region.

“Women need to think beyond just proving themselves and aim at winning as an individual first and then as a woman. Moreover, women in privileged positions need to work with lesser privileged ones and provide the required mentoring so that we can increase the number of empowered women.”

Jahnabi Phookan is the Director of Jungle Travels India and Assam Bengal Navigation Company with offices in Guwahati, Kolkata, Delhi and Cochin. Jungle Travels India is the pioneering travel company and the first IATA agent of the Northeast. The company will turn 25 years in 2014 end.

Assam Bengal Navigation is the pioneer which has put India to the international river cruising map with the first long distance river cruising in the country. Jahnabi has been an entrepreneur in the travel and tourism, river cruising and hospitality business for over two decades. She is passionate about Eco Tourism as the only sustainable model for the Northeast.

“Each of us have a responsibility towards our lesser privileged sisters.”

Jahnabi Phookan

Director, Jungle Travels

Tanushree Hazarika

Managing Director, Eclectic Group

She has always believed that her journey has just started and there is still a long way to go. She runs a fashion store called Gallery 2000. Her main achievement was to style the Mekhla Chadar in a new way.

“Women can only be empowered by making sure that they can earn money for what they need or want to spend in their life. Financial independence can bring empowerment according to me.”

A post-graduate in history from Delhi University and a graduate in law, also topping in Gauhati University in her B.A. Zerifa started her career in acting as a child actor by making her debut in the Assamese Feature film Abhimaan in 1990. Alongside her brilliant academic career, she managed to continue with her passion for acting and worked as a leading actor in numerous Assamese feature films, television serials, video films, music albums and TV commercials. A very young school going Zerifa played the leading heroine in films like Agnigarh, Atikram and Dhu. She played the lead heroine in Zubeen Garg’s Tumi Mor Mathu Mor and became known for playing characters which were modern and progressive in outlook. Some of her successful films include Seuji Dharani Dhuniya, Anya Ek Jatra, Gun Gun Gane Gane, Agnisakhi (for which she was awarded Best Actress by the Govt. of Assam), Nayak, Kadambari, Raag, Bandhan and Dwar.

“I feel that no women should adopt any shortcut and do nothing immoral to achieve their ambition. If others use shortcuts, people who do not want to also fall prey into wrong hands. People should be confident about their hard work and should not forget their moral values.”

Zerifa Wahid Actor

Payal Chadha Fashion Designer

Starting her career as a government employee, she was a member of Assam State Commission for Women. Later, she became the vice chairperson of the commission. She has recently resigned from the post as she is also the chairperson for Assam State Child Rights Commission.

“I think no women should think that they are weak and should be confident enough to fight any kind of discrimination in the society. The discrimination still prevails in the society and everyone should unite and combat the problem.”

Runumi Gogoi

Chairperson, Assam State Child Rights Commission

An MBA by education, Suruchi currently heads the HR function of SM Group, Guwahati. At SM Group, the key to their current success and future growth is the well being of their human capital. With this in the forefront they have undertaken various initiatives such as training, workshops, performance management planning and sessions etc. Suruchi is also an active member of FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) and Young Indians, Guwahati Chapter, where currently she is the Chair for the Learning vertical.

“The empowerment of women constitutes the empowerment of our entire society. Each one of us should be unstoppable, strong, fearless and wise to lead the change.”

Suruchi Agarwal

VP, Human Resource, SM Group

14

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Life

SINGLE PARENTING What Successful Women Do Right A ritu gupta

Being a single parent is no longer a taboo or a stigma and is being accepted as a normal family structure nowadays.

W

hen a child is brought up single-handedly either by a father or a mother, it is called single parenting. This could be due to the death of either of the parents or could be if they are divorced or if one of the parent is away. Be it destiny or choice, the reasons are many. The irony, of course, is that children in unhappy marriages, or in those with overly authoritative fathers, tend to have more issues than kids with single, but happy, parents.

Today, we are going to put more emphasis on how a woman manages a child single-handedly. In today’s competitive world, is it easy for a woman to bring up a child alone?

How do the working women cope with both where equal attention has to be given to work as well as to a child. Single parenting has become an accepted norm in many countries but in India, being a single parent is not a cakewalk and it is still not widely and readily accepted by our society.

There is some debate among experts as to what the important component of the family structure is centering around whether or not a complete family or the love and affection of the children’s parents is more important for the child. There are even some that argue that a single parent family is not even really a family.

On the contrary, lets check out some of the celebrities brought up single-handedly and doing well - President Obama was raised by his single mom and grandparents; President Clinton was brought up primarily by his mom and so was Yuvraj Singh who was also brought up solely by his mom. Looking at all of these success stories and many more unfold before my eyes is a proof that single parenthood is not only manageable, but an incredible gift.

SOME DO’s AND DONT’s FOR SINGLE MOTHERS • Stop worrying about whether your child is missing out on anything. Believe in yourself. Your confidence and positive attitude will be contagious.

• Don’t avoid “daddy stuff ”. It’s okay to read stories about all kinds of families to give your child a realistic perspective.

• Regardless of how you became a single mother, never make your son the “man of the house.” Correct others if they ask your son, “Are you taking good care of Mommy?” or “How does it feel being the man around the house?”

• Try not to have a negative attitude towards men. Find an

Health Tip

appropriate outlet to vent negative feelings.

• Point out the positive qualities in men you see daily, even the child’s father.

• Help your child learn about ‘guy stuff ’, but don’t fret. If something’s important to him, he’ll ask you or a man in his life.

• Help guide your son towards men who can teach him important life lessons.

• Make expressing your feelings an essential part of family life.

CHANGING MINDSET In today’s society, a lot of changes have come and people to some extent, have started accepting single parenting.

Earlier it was believed that if you are a single, independent woman, people think you have no right to live a life, but in today’s time, a good lifestyle and better job opportunities are advantages of being a single mom. Earlier, it was difficult to announce your single status as the first thing they would ask was ‘What does your husband do?’ And the moment they came to know she is a single parent they would go ‘Oh my god!’ However, this has now changed to ‘wow that’s good’.

PEER PRESURE AND ITS IMPACT ON YOUR CHILD Imagine your child on Parent’s Day at the school. Prepare yourself and your child for such situations. Talk about these problems. Never let such issues spoil your child’s fun and give the child an added ability to cope with uncomfortable questions from his friends. Tell the child to never hide the fact that he or she has a single parent. Of course, that does not mean that the child volunteers this information, but let the issue of single parenting not be a shameful secret. Or else, the child will turn hypersensitive and withdrawn. Never let your child develop any personality disorder. You should take the initiative from the initial years. As is said, attitude is everything. Therefore, if you don’t indulge in bouts of self-pity and depression, single parenting will not unsettle your child.

Ritu Gupta is a psychological counsellor dealing with people having individual, marital, job related and child related issues.

She also assists Dr. Deepak Goenka with infertility counselling.

Bhanumathi Narasimhan

s a woman on the path to success, we expect to feel a sense of achievement when we see that we have reached the top – wherewe wanted to be. We might wonder, how does it look from there? Will the world and people around you look more beautiful?

Will the journey to the top be pleasant and memorable?

For many women I have met, this journey has certainly not been easy. It is not always a journey of mutual support, collaboration, and friendliness. Instead, you have to be careful about who is conspiring to push you down. There are many challenges, not just due to gender bias, but also due to jealousy from other women. This kind of a journey can be very stressful and takes its toll on our body and mind.

Moreover, many women impose limitations on themselves, believing that they are not fully qualified, and often talk themselves out of achieving their potential.

So what do successful women do right? I believe that successful women are able to find their inner strength to make the most of opportunities –be it at the workplace or at home.The revered spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says that one who skillfully manages thechallenges that life posesis successful.

Here are some pointers • Commitment –One failure can lead to another success later.

We should not be deterred by failures, but learn from them.

• Time – It is not sufficient to just invest money to nurture or develop something. We have to giveit our time and attention.

• Setting an Example – A successful woman doesn’t just show you the way;she walks the talk.

• Teamwork – Making others feel involved; inspiring participation and contribution.

• Silence – Nurture quietude and calmness.

• Reflection –Setting aside time to sit quietly at the end of the day, looking back at all the day’s activities, seeing where we made a difference. Reminding ourselves of the successes, it can inspire us to do more.

A woman has to balance her work, family, relationships– all of these and more on the road to success. When you realize that you are multi-facetedand multi-dimensional, you know you can handle different roles in life. This realization dawns when you are in a calm

and serene state of mind – whichcan be achieved through meditation.

I find that meditation can help us be more productive. It is my experience that when you meditate, atask that would take four hours to do gets done in two hours. I believe it is necessary that wegive prime time to ourselves – torelax and rejuvenate, to realize that we have so much more potential that we think we do. Otherwise welimit our capabilities.

When you meditate, you realize the expansion within you –the limitlessness within you.Such an expanded awareness can help you perceive the connections between people and lead you to realize your purpose in this world. Connectedness andcommitment are a byproduct of meditation.Meditation brings us in touch with our inner source of strength. Sri Sri often says, “Success means strength, an unshakeable smile that nobody can take away, and courage that does not diminish.”

True success is when it extends to both the material and inner realms. It is not just about getting promoted at work, accumulating a lot of money, or appearing on magazine covers. Are you enjoying the little things in your life? Have you recently observed the glistening dewdrops in the grass? The birds chirping, the sparrows sippingwater, the Blue Jaysfeeding, the eagles circling overhead, the beautiful flowers. Have you cleaned your window pane, have you watered the small little plants in your garden?

Have you observed the lucky bamboo plant with two newleaves, enjoyed craftsmanshipof your carpet –all thebeautiful colors, made a new salad dressing, and experimented with your sandwich? I believe that living every moment to the fullest with an expanded awareness is a sign of a successful woman.

In a recent article, Warren Buffet, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway explained why women are key to America’s prosperity.I have always believed that a woman is the heart of the society – she brings families together, and has a multitude of talents and abilities to lead. A society that empowers women to succeed is a society on the path to prosperity.

The writer is the Chairperson of the International Women’s Conference, a meditation teacher and Director of Women and Child Welfare programs of The Art of Living Foundation.

Mail us at: life@g-plus.in

Always have your meals in a snack pattern at every 3-4 hours interval in order to avoid any indigestion and keep the body weight in control. According to recent guidelines, a male should consume 1700 cals & for women it is 1200 cals which may be divided into 5-6 meals a day.

15

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Health

WOMEN & HEART DISEASE Are You Protected?

The myths and the facts

decades.

Physical Activity

There are several myths about heart diseases in women and they could be putting a woman at risk. Some of the myths are as follows -

Lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for heart disease and as a group, women tend to be less active than men. Low levels of oestrogen after menopause pose a significant risk factor for developing heart disease in the smaller blood vessels (microvascular disease). Pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy can increase a woman’s long-term risk of high blood pressure and diabetes and increase the risk of development of heart disease in both the mother and in her children.

Myth 1:Heart disease is something that only men need to be concerned about.

Fact 1:Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 out of 3 deaths each year. That’s approximately one woman every minute! More women than men have died from heart disease since 1984.

Myth 2: Cancer is more deadly to women.

Fact 2: More women die from heart disease than from the next three causes of death combined including all forms of cancer.

Myth 3: Men and women have the same heart attack symptoms.

Fact 3: 64% of women who die suddenly of heart disease had no previous symptoms. It doesn’t affect all women alike, and the warning signs for women aren’t the same as in men.

Myth 4:There is nothing a woman can do about heart disease.

Fact 4: Making healthy changes in women’s lives may reduce their risk for heart disease as much as by 80%.

Myth 5: If you’re a young woman, you are safe from having a heart attack.

Fact 5: For younger women, the combination of birth control pills & smoking boosts heart risks by 20%.

What’s more, these facts are only the tip of the iceberg! The matters of the facts are - Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined.

Heart disease kills approximately one woman every minute. Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease. Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease. The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women and men. While one out of 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 out of 3 dies from heart disease.

Stress at work, a very competitive lifestyle, eating out and fast food, smoking and alcohol intake are increasing in women in India, especially in the 20 to 50 age group. The mortality rate among women suffering from heart diseases is also higher than that of men across the world, including India, because of lifestyle changes in metropolitan cities where women work graveyard (late) shifts and give in to smoking and drinking. The modern Indian woman is also subjected to excessive stress at home and at work.

Although female hormone Oestrogen provides partial protection from heart ailments to women until they attain menopause, overworking, under-resting and a higher level of frustration at work bring about greater aggression and take a toll on the quality of life.

Since arteries in women are narrower in India, risk factors have a bigger impact.

Heart attack symptoms for women:

Women often overlook symptoms and discomfort pertaining to heart

Dr.Bikash Rai Das, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon

diseases, and rarely consult an expert.

Even if they opt for consultation, compliance rate is comparatively poor among them. The most common heart attack symptom in women is some type of pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest. But it’s not always severe or even the most prominent symptom, particularly in women.

And, sometimes, women may have a heart attack without chest pains. Women are more likely than men to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as: Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort, Shortness of breath, Right arm pain, Nausea or vomiting, Sweating, Lightheadedness or dizziness, Unusual fatigue These symptoms can be more subtle than the obvious crushing chest pain often associated with heart attacks. Women may describe chest pain as pressure or tightness. This may be because women tend to have blockages not only in their main arteries but also in the smaller arteries that supply blood to the heart. If you experience these symptoms or think you’re having a heart attack, call for emergency medical help immediately.

Heart disease

Although the traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease — such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity — affect both women and men, other factors may play a bigger role in the development of heart disease in women. For example - Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease significantly more in women than in men. Metabolic syndrome — a combination of fat around your abdomen, high blood pressure,

Broken Heart Syndrome

Heart disease kills approximately one woman every minute. Ninety percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.

In many legends and fictional tales, characters die after suffering a devastating loss. Even in reality, people die from what appears to be a broken heart. Broken heart syndrome is commonly blamed for the death of a person whose spouse is already deceased, but the cause is not always so clear. The condition can be triggered by sudden emotional stress caused by a traumatic breakup or the death of a loved one. Women are also more likely than men to have this condition. In this recently recognised heart problem, extreme emotional stress can lead to severe (but often short-term) heart muscle failure. Broken heart syndrome is also called takotsubo disease. Doctors may misdiagnose broken heart syndrome as a heart attack because it has similar symptoms and test results.

high blood sugar and high triglycerides — has a greater impact on women than on men. Mental stress and depression affect women’s hearts more than men’s. Depression makes it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow recommended treatment.

What can women do to reduce their risk of heart disease?

Smoking

Kick the butt:

Smoking is a greater risk factor for heart disease in women than in men. As smoking is common among the new generation of younger Indian women, pre-menopausal smokers are thrice at risk of heart diseases than men. Many women use cigarette as an aid to control their weight because being thin is fashionable. But smoking reduces the HDL cholesterol which increases the risk of heart diseases.

Contraceptives

Younger women using oral contraceptive in India should refrain from smoking. In may 2008, a study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine in India on 33,000 deceased women addicted to smoking showed that most of them died or suffered from heart and lung-related respiratory, vascular or cancer diseases.

Smoking was associated with reduction in median survival of eight years for women, compared to six years for men in the country. The study also cited that the prevalence of smoking among women between 30 and 69 years in India rose fairly steadily from three percent to six percent over the

Scarily, 92 million out of India’s 285 million smokers don’t even know that it’s bad for their heart. Along with heart diseases, smoking is responsible for other diseases like cancer as well and affects almost every organ in the body. And if that’s still not enough impetus to quit smoking, consider the fact that second hand smoke kills 600,000 people every year out of which 100,000 are children and 87% of deaths due to second hand smoke are due to heart diseases.

Drink moderately

Alcohol’s effect on the heart is hotly debated. Excessive drinking is tied to various issues like obesity, high blood pressure and increased risk to heart disease. Binge drinking (drinking excessively in a short amount of time) too is linked to poor heart health.

Work up a sweat

Our current sedentary lifestyle has played a major part in the rise of heart diseases around the world. Lack of exercise leads to build-up of bad cholesterol which prevents the blood

from flowing freely and causes hypertension, heart attacks, etc. Exercising plays a very important role in our health. It helps reduce stress also by releasing feel good hormones called endorphins!

Sleep properly

It’s been suggested in jest that Thomas Edison’s light bulb is responsible for the current obesity pandemic.

While that would be stretching the truth a bit too much, the fact remains that our current work-play around the clock routine does have a hand in the various lifestyle diseases. Getting enough sleep is very important to keep heart disease at bay.

Reduce intake of saturated and trans-fats

They are basically two kinds of fats — saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats are present in food items like butter, red meat, dairy products, chocolates, etc., and are known to raise ‘LDL’ or bad cholesterol levels and most dieticians recommend limiting their intake. Trans-fats are unsaturated fats, which have the same effect.

Load up on unsaturated and omega 3 fatty acids

Unsaturated fats are of two types — mono-unsaturated (olive oil, nuts, peanut oil) and poly-unsaturated (sesame, cottonseed and soya bean oils). Both types of unsaturated fats are known to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and boost up good cholesterol levels. Many dieticians suggest switching to olive oil, rice bran oil or other healthier oils. Omega 3 fatty acids are poly-saturated fats which are considered essential because they can’t be manufactured by the human body.

Good sources include fish oils, milk compounds, flax seeds and nuts.

Take it easy

Taking it easy is imperative for your heart. Take up a hobby, play with your children or take up meditation — anything that will keep stress at bay.

Reduce salt and sugar intake, Load up on veggies and fruits

There’s compelling evidence to suggest that people who eat more greens and fruits significantly lower their bad cholesterol levels and this also improves their digestive system and metabolism allowing the body to function better.

Get regular check-ups

There is no alternative to being well informed. Get regular tests to check your cholesterol levels, blood pressure and the ECG test. Doctors suggest that one should start getting checked either after turning 30. People who experience symptoms like chest pain, irregular heartbeats, shortness of breath, dizziness or discomfort shouldn’t delay meeting a doc.

16

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Fashion

Femme Fashion

Let’s go filmy!

gargee baruah

Under the 60’s sun To the 21st Century’s fast paced run, Those sunny kisses, Floral dresses and the Hoity-toity glares staring down at men, Or in the glamorous parties, The wine touching her red, Crimson lips in a Monroe robe, The swaying hips, the sassy legs, The curvy buxom lady in tow, Her hair curly or short Or bald with the attitude she threw, Women have shaped fashion, She’s idolised in all her shades, Women and fashion, the inseparables!

I

n the hustle and bustle of the competitive race of human beings, there is a constant pressure mounting on the already loaded heads of women to look presentable. Being a woman, she is compelled to fulfil certain obligations and yes, she is the multi-tasking femme fatale of the modern day (yes, careful!). From shouldering household responsibilities to succumbing to or protesting against the societal norms and the role she is appointed to perform, from the biological monthly blues to fighting out the motherly woes during pregnancy, there is no end to the battle she fights and triumphs each day. Whatever the role she plays, be it of a home-maker or an office-goer, she just does not literally have the ten hands as the idol of Durga ma does but yes, the idol of Durga ma is symbolic of the present day woman.

The ugly truth is when one is working so much, there is also a dearth of time and effort to manage to look presentable every single day! Also, the challenge builds upon those loaded heads to attain the perfect body image. What is important is to shed off the idea of the image of the ‘perfect looking woman’ and simply be the best in what you already are. The idea of a ‘beautiful woman’ is nothing but patronised, moulded and culturally promoted as well as heightened by media hype and the glamour industry. There is no any such ‘ideal body type’ for women because it is only shaped by the male gaze, the forced consciousness of women long been practised by patriarchy.

However, trying to stay fit and thus, the individual notion of being beautiful is a different story. Staying fit and going skinny isn’t the same. You go skinny if you choose to without hampering your balanced diet and exercise routine but not in order to succumb to the pressure of a fashion industry.

Similarly, you try to achieve fitness which is important if you’re obese but does not mean you will start despising your own body type.

To look fashionable or/and beautiful, you start by falling in love with yourself first. G Plus celebrates the woman in you just the way you already are!

Films and fashion go hand in hand (almost) as films have always borrowed from fashion to light up the screen and fashion has used films as a medium to reach out to the masses. From the black and white magic of Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn to Marilyn Monroe days of blonde delights to the curvaceous Drew Barrymore, Kate Winslet to the sexy siren Megan Fox, women have played varying roles and portrayed multiple hues of fashion and have been celebrated in their curves as well as in skin and bones. In the stretch of our hundred years of Indian Cinema, there is no stone unturned in keeping up with the changing times of fashion. From the early days of spell- binding magic of Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nutan to the golden years of Indian cinema to the contemporary times, fashion has dazzled up the Bollywood brigade with the colours of Indian beauty. Women have wooed the audiences and have lit the screen with the changing trends, sometimes the corset figure and at other times, the buxom figure.

My recent picks!

Let’s not go too far and have a few examples from the B-town. There are women in Bollywood who have carved a niche for themselves by choosing not to be one amongst the crowd or the one after which the crowd follows (well, generally!). Yes, on the tip of my tongue are the names of Sonakshi Sinha and Vidya Balan. These women have been criticized enough for their fashion bloopers or at times for their choice of not catering to the popular fashion avatars of carrying a more toned or a trim figure.

However, you should see Vidya in her latest flick ‘Shaadi ke side effects’ in which she flaunts a backless black dress in the introductory song of the film with her sexy long curls and no, she’s of course not anywhere near being skinny but yet, so sensuous! Coming to Sonakshi Sinha, try catching up the episode of ‘Koffee with Karan’ in which Sonakshi Sinha and Shahid Kapoor are guests (Youtube it, maybe!). Sonakshi has definitely lost some weight but she’s again not anywhere near skinny and she sports a gorgeous sequined brown long dress with a thick dark-brown beltsmooth plated, being the focal point of attraction. She just carried the look with elegance to seraphic heights.

Fashion, women and literature

The morose song about fashion and women

Not only films, but even literature saw the amalgamation of fashion and the characters the writer unfurled in his/her books. From Alison’s transgression through her dressing sense in Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath to Shakespeare’s take on the androgynous fashion on the hype hinting at the then queen Elizabeth in As You Like It to the Victorian novels elevating the dress code of the Victorian women; to popular fiction with characters like Scarlett O’ Hara in Gone with the Wind, women have lived and re-lived through the characters distinctly created by male as well as female writers. Somewhere it is her petite figure and elite dressing sense (in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway) or somewhere it is the fullness of her body being celebrated. Either way, women and fashion have come a long way together. Films or/and books have established and analysed their relationship through the ages.

The most common blunder one gets to hear from a layman’s perspective is “Fashion?

There are more important things to do!” zzzzzz… However, they continue fancying gorgeous attires or trying to figure out what to wear before they go out, in front of the mirror!

My point is do not criticize something you don’t understand even if you are a die-hard Marx’s fan (even Marx didn’t come up with ‘Marxism’) because, it’s all inter-related (even the study of fashion and women) as you can see, entrenched deep into the study of cultural paradigm and the study of the evolution of a society.

The unconventional power-puff girls Although, we love to watch the beauties don their couture with grace and remember them as the fore-runners of fashion, (Lady Diana is unforgettable, Pippa Middleton, Victoria Beckham, etc.) we love to fall in love with the unconventional ladies who refuse to give in to stereotypical ideas about fashion and live their beauty in their own way, very much in fashion. Some of them are Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama; here, Shabana Azmi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Adhuna… you might add to the list.

Everyday is a ‘Happy Women’s Day’ anyway! Therefore, remember Julia Roberts as you Eat, Love and Pray this Women’s Day.

17

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Web Watch

Want to make free calls? Google's Project Ara expected in 2015

F

F

or those who do not mind the annoyance of advertisements right in the middle of a conversation, a team of engineers in Bangalore has a free voice calling service for any part of the world. Termed FreeKall, it brings voice-over-internet-like services to those without internet access.

The idea, which was thought up in the dorm of M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore, was launched as a service last Saturday.

Still in beta, or testing phase, nearly four lakh FreeKalls have been made so far.

The service, in some ways, is reminiscent of the trunk calls of the last century, except that the cloud infrastructure does the job instead of an operator. To make a FreeKall a user dials number 080-67683693

and the call is disconnected after just one ring. Following this, the system calls back the user, and an automated system prompts the user to dial the desired number. Lo and behold, the call is connected. The system can currently support 10,000 requests per second. If it goes beyond that, it will not be returned.

Although there are several applications that provide free calls, the 3G infrastructure in India is not robust enough to support calls at all time and all places. What FreeKall is doing is trying to tap into areas that services such as Skype and Viber are yet to penetrate.

By launching an app in about a quarter, the company is also looking to capture the smartphone market and minimise the number of steps to make a call.

PC that can be worn

or the first time after announcing Project Ara, Google showed how the build-it-yourself modular phone called the Project Ara smartphone, actually works. The demo was given by Google’s Paul Eremenko, head of Project Ara at Google, on Day 3 of the Launch Festival 2014 in San Francisco.

Google plans to launch the modular smartphone next year.

The company is holding its first Ara Developers’ Conference on April 15 and 16 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. The conference will be available online as well via live streaming.

Google aims to produce a phone that gives a user full power over hardware customization.

With a Project Ara phone, a user will be able to select customized components of a smartphone and clip them onto a base called an endoskeleton. Want more RAM?: Just unplug the old RAM and insert the larger one that you want.

Such a phone will give full customization options to users,

A speaker that automatically plays music of one’s choice

just like a PC, where one can assemble his or her own components.

Google plans to launch its own official Ara store for each module.

Post launch, it will be upto the third party manufacturers to decide the price of each component in case Google is not able to provide the components through the

store. The basic version of Ara will come with Wi-Fi and a way to boot into Android. The group working on the project, is also working on apps for the smartphone which will make ‘changing the modules’ easy for users. The modular phone will come in a mini (about 4”), medium (below 5”) and larger sizes.

Know the web better

Y

ou daily visit sites like google, Facebook, Twitter etc because they make your work easy and fast. Infact few sites like Google is so popular that some people think internet is equal to google .But there are many other less known sites that are really very helpful as they make our work fast, easy and reliable.

Here at G Plus we will dig the whole internet to show you such sites that are worth visiting.

PDFmyURL.com - If you want to get a PDF format of any given website or webpage PDFmyURL gets the job done in no time. It is useful for offline reading of the content of a site.

A A

tiny personal computer dubbed “Earclip-type Wearable PC” has been developed

by Japanese scientists that can be worn on the ear. The device can be controlled with facial expressions like a blink of an eye or the click of a tongue.

The device is being developed at the Hiroshima City university. It comes with a microchip and data storage. The 17-gram (0.59-ounce) wireless device supports Bluetooth and is equipped with a GPS, compass, gyro-sensor, barometer, battery, speaker and a microphone.

The wearable technology also comes equipped with infra-red sensors to monitor movements inside the user’s ear which helps it recognizing the facial expression that is being made.

The device can be used as a companion to a smartphone or MP3 allowing users to browse through menus with just a blink of an eye.

It could also be used in monitoring elderly relatives’ health and diet, and double as a hearing aid. The built-in accelerometer can detect if the user falls over which triggers a phone call to their relatives or an ambulance.

Researchers say that the device may be commercialized by April 2016.

Wearable technology is on the rise with Samsung, Huawei and others revealing new devices at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Gear smart watch will run on an open source OS Tizen. Motorola is also planning to launch a new smartwatch later this year.

ether, a new startup comprised of former Nokia, Apple, and Google employees is reportedly planning to launch its new 399 dollars Cone, a hardware for streaming music services.

With some unusual controls, the Cone is capable of connecting to home WI-FI and music connection of choice without the need for another device.

According to the Verge, Cone’s main interface is the speaker grill, which can be reached out and twisted to control what’s playing.

On slightly turning to the right, the hardware will start playing another track and to replay a track, simply twist it to the left.

Meanwhile, a computer or mobile device is required to set it up out of the box, but after that it runs on its own.

Gaana.com - This is the perfect site to listen songs online. The site offers a big collection of english, hindi and regional songs. Here you don’t need to download the song, you can play the song via the online player and also share the tracks with your friends.

160by2.com - 160by2 is a site that offers users to send free SMS in all over

India. If you don’t have SMS pack in your mobile then this site is very helpful. What makes it different from all other sites that offers the same is its speed. It delivers the messages fast,within a few seconds.

Calm.com - In this crazy digital world we live in, sometimes it’s necessary to step back and relax. Calm.com is a relaxation therapy website, gives the stressed-out masses a place to relax on the Internet. The website provides 2 and 10 minute guided relaxation sessions, accompanied by pleasing backgrounds and gentle music.

Indrajeet Bhuyan is a 16 year old tech blogger and security researcher. He is passionate about computers and believes in sharing knowledge and information . He uses his spare time helping people and companies secure themselves.

18

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Reviews Director: Noam Murro Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey

Total Siyapaa

Gulaab Gang Director: Soumik Sen Cast: Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla, Tannishtha Chatterjee

T

he movie is far less engaging than the first ’300.’ For starters, there’s a lot less of a wow factor with this stylized, all greenscreen look than there was in 2007. There’s also a lot less of the supernatural stuff – very little magic or mythical beasts. But the film, helmed by commercials director Noam Murro, doubles down on the one thing it has going for it: Eva Green. Born a Greek, but betrayed by them and raised by a Persian (actually, the Persian messenger that Leonidas kicks into the well in ’300,’) she eventually becomes King Darius’ fiercest warrior, handing him severed heads with a smile as he sits on his throne of skulls. (Hell, yeah!)

Darius is eventually killed at Marathon by Themistocles, who is theoretically the main character of this movie, but Sullivan Stapleton is so boring he’s hard to root for. In fact, any scene without Eva Green in it is something of a disappointment.

Anyway, Themistocles and Artemisia eventually go head to head and that, once you cut away all the intros and flashes to the other film (yes, Michael Fassbender shows up for a tenth of a second) this conflict is the heart of the movie. It’s a series of naval battles, some better shot than others, with a crazy-ass scene of hate sex right in the middle. What’s exciting is that Green’s Artemisia is very much in charge of this parley with Themistocles.

She has, as they say, agency, and some of that agency is demanding

to be serviced in a physical way.

Green chomps into this, and every other moment of screen time, with unmatched ferocity. Film purists may light their computers on fire to read it, but she reminded a bit of Elizabeth Taylor. Maybe because the swords and antiquity reminds of ‘Cleopatra,’ or maybe it’s just the eyes. Or, perhaps, Taylor’s placement is being reacted as a gay icon, and the fact that during one scene Green is seen wearing an outfit that is half-armor/half-ball gown and ALL FABULOUS. Most of the fight scenes look cool. Murro goes easy on Zack Snyder’s mid-clobber stop-start technique, but it and some of the side-scroller action make an appearance. So do the ribbons of stylized blood, though in 3D it looks more like tomato paste. The helmets and weapons and slowmotion lightning bolts ought to delight anyone who really dug the look of the first picture. Those wondering if Murro has a stamp of his own will have to wait til his next assignment. ’300: Rise of an Empire’ is probably a few years too late to make its full impact. Blame comics creator Frank Miller and his slow working method for that.

(Producer Zack Snyder should have forced his hand a little harder back when the iron was hot.) Still, compared to lifeless junk like the recent ‘Pompeii,’ it’s great to see a big, violent quasi-historical fantasy epic with such a polished sword.

Director: E. Niwas Cast: Ali Zafar; Yami Gautam; Anupam Kher, Kirron Kher

A

man (Ali Zafar), who is in London, fall in love with an Indian girl Asha (Yami Gautam) also in London and hopes to marry her. For this, Aman visits Asha’s parents’ house in India to seek their permission to marry her and try to impress the family there. Instead, all goes in vain when they discover that Aman is a Pakistani. Then, the series of unfortunate events befall a good-hearted, innocent, but helpless Pakistani boy leading to some of the funniest, chaotic and startling situations furher.

Cross-border romance and comedy is worth watch of the Total Siyapaa as per the movie review. Intelligent humour of Pakistan’s pop music prince Ali Zafar in the movie is applaudable and also in some scenes, as usual acting of potential Kiran Kher is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Performance of sensational Yami Gautam has thrilled and amazed everyone.

Versatile actress Yami has lit up on the silver screen with her rocking performance.

The movie created a lot of buzz on the blockbuster due to the hilarious performance of cast, extraordinary comedy, cross-border romance and Punjabi touch music. The movie scored good reviews as every scene of the movie made people to laugh and have fun. The ultimate comedy and fresh perspective of India-Pakistan love story made a big bang at the box-office.

Now Showing 300: Rise of an empire

Gulaab Gang

Queen

Apsara Cinema

2 PM, 8 PM

5 PM

11 AM

Total Siyapaa

Anuradha Cineplex

9 AM, 11:30 AM, 5 PM

2 PM

8 PM

Fun Cinemas

9 AM, 1:45 PM

5:45 PM

8:40 PM

3:40 PM

Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazar)

11 AM, 4:15 PM, 8:45 PM

11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 5:30 PM

6:45 PM, 8:15 PM

Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazar)

11 AM, 3:30 PM, 8 PM

11:30 AM, 5:30 PM, 8:15 PM

1:30 PM, 6 PM

Gold Cinema (Narengi)

11 AM, 5 PM

2 PM

8 PM

I

ndia for a very long time played a hub to those egoistic saints who believed women were born to raise children, being beaten, disrespected and live no life of their own.

With changing times, women have been empowered by laws, education and other helpful aspects that not only gave them the confidence to live life on their own terms but also cemented their foothold in a men-driven country.

Through ‘Gulab Gang’ director Anubhav Sinha beautifully showcased an insight on the lives the women of today’s times and

Queen

T

their struggle to stand up to those who are ready waiting to crush them beneath the age old mind-set.

Two contemporaries of their times Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla have come together for ‘Gulab Gang’, a story about two women played by Madhuri (Gulab Gang leader) and Juhi (politician), while the former believes the depraving condition of women could be changed with women empowerment, the latter thinks that a woman in power holds the key to up-liftment.

Director: Vikas Bahl Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Raj Kumar Yadav

witter is already afloat with praises for Kangana and we too don’t have anything extraordinary to say. She is SUPERB! She plays the perfect confused Punjabi girl who has hardly ever stepped out of her house without parental escorting. Her acting is flawless and the nuances she brings to her role are awe-inspiring. It is because of her acting that, even though there has been a tragic incident in her life, you don’t get to feel that at all throughout the film. You might want to sympathise with her but her confused state allows her to enjoy the given opportunity to the hilt and you too forget all about the misery.

Vikas Bahl’s vision has come to life far better than he could have ever imagined and it is not just because of Kangana. He is equally responsible for it and you would notice his brilliance in every second of the film.

Every shot has been pre-planned perfectly way before the movie began shooting. Each shot is perfect in its delivery and there are no loose endings. Every angle, every locale, every nuance has been mastered at the preproduction stage and then the filming was begun. The scenes are so well planned that even a ten second scene where Kangana and Lisa Haydon are

seen burping in the car, looks fantastic. And not just the planning, even the placing of the scenes are so perfect that the audience never needs to see a shot in sepia mode for knowing that it is a flashback sequence. The romance between the lead pair has been intermingled with the normal scenes in the form of flashback and you would fall in love with their exquisite positioning. The scene where Kangana gets drunk for the first time in Paris is so breathtakingly beautiful that you would just be numbed to your senses.

All of this is intertwined amidst some fabulous music by Amit Trivedi. Starting from London thumakda, Badra bahar and O gujariya, all the numbers are superbly composed and penned in order to take the story ahead.

It is impossible to not fall in love with Kangana’s performance as this is possibly her best performance till date. You would be glued to your seats till the last credits roll out, which by the way have been done in The Hangover style. You will get to see the parts you missed in the film by means of photographs and video snippets at the very end. In simple terms, Kangana’s acting prowess has proved that she is a ‘Queen forever’!

19

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Events

DATE

7days

Next VENUE

(L to R) Munna Ahmed, Sanjay Aditya Singh, Barsha Adtya Singh, Ananya Pachani, Tulika Hazarika, Mriganka hazarika

EVENT

6st - 8th March

Assam Engineering College

5 on 5 Football

6st - 8th March

Assam Engineering College

PyRoadies – small scale replica of MTv Roadies

8th March

Ambrosia, ITAG Plaza

Women’s Day Pamper Party (Buffet, DJ, Games for only ladies)

8th March

Ozone

Freedom! Celebrating girls independence

8th March

Terra Mayaa

Dualist Inquiry – Rock Infused Live Electronica

8th March

Club DMD

Twisted Bass Poison Mr. 909

8 March

Shraddhanjali Kanan

International Women’s Day

8th March

Shraddhanjali Kanan

The 1st Discovery Bikerni Ride

8th March

Terra Mayaa

The Thumb Print Conversations

9 March

Ozone

Break Up Party – A party for Numb Hearts

9th March

Pragjyoti Cultural Complex

Phaganio - Rajasthani lok geet and dance evening

9 March

Club Illusion

Colours of Life – Pre-Holi Bash

9th March

IIT Guwahati

Tata Crucible Campus Quiz

th

th

th

Want your event to be featured on this page? Just mail us at info@g-plus.in

(L to R) Shyamant Hazarika, Payal Oshan Goswami, Barsha Adtya Singh, Dhiraj Deka

Vasundhra Fashion Studio launch Date: 2nd February, Venue: Mother Teresa Road

20

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Your weekly dose of HOROSCOPE ARIES

Even big, bad, bold you needs a little support now and then — like at the beginning of this week. Since you’re usually so self-sufficient, you might have to ask. By Wednesday and Thursday, though, the stars send bountiful super energy right to you, and you’re probably ready to make a daring move (at work? In the love department? Maybe both?). Go for it! If you’re staying up late or partying on Friday and Saturday, be sure to make up for it with some healthy stuff, too. And on Sunday, use a little charm to get your desire.

TAURUS Home may be where the heart is at the beginning of the week, but communication’s favored now, too.

Get on the phone or online and share your feelings, and you’ll get very nice responses. You could encounter somebody as stubborn as you on Wednesday or Thursday; think what you can accomplish if you join forces instead of butting heads! On Friday and Saturday, you’re looking lucky, and the chance for romance is looking good.

Plan a great date or head out on the town with friends. On Sunday, excitement awaits in an unexpected place.

Find it!

GEMINI Being thrifty at the beginning of the week gives you a bit of a creative challenge, and it also gives you a little extra for a future plan or splurge. Make your own lunch and make your own fun. You’re quick with ideas and have the stamina to carry them out around Wednesday and Thursday. Progress abounds! On Friday and Saturday, watch out for some sort of interference — a misunderstanding, a busybody, something getting lost in the shuffle. Be clear and concise. Sunday’s stars send you extra sexiness now. Make the most of it!

TIMEPASS

LIBRA

CANCER You may want to nest or play it safe at the beginning of the week, but the stars are sending some not-to-bemissed possibilities your way. Welcome the new energy and make a new start.

On Wednesday or Thursday, it might be time for a splurge — you deserve a reward, don’t you? Plans go nicely on Friday and Saturday, and you’ve got the ability to make others feel understood and right at home, no matter where you are. Sunday brings a problem and an active, honest approach gets things going in the right direction.

LEO You have a catlike sixth sense at the beginning of the week, with the reflexive knowledge of how to approach people and situations.

You’ll definitely land on your feet now. Wednesday and Thursday look even better, with your personal heat turned up to sizzling. Energy, excitement, fun and fabulousness are there for the taking. Keep your expenditures to a minimum on Friday and Saturday; feed your mind instead of opening your wallet. On Sunday, the universe serves you sweetness, with a cherry on top. Revel in it.

VIRGO Turn those organizational abilities toward planning a social event or a great date at the beginning of the week — it’ll likely come together as the best thing ever. You may be the underdog in a certain situation on Wednesday or Thursday, but somebody’s pulling for you.

Figure out who, and get some tips and support. Friday and Saturday are great days to be you. With the stars on your side, you can get a ton done and also attract some attention via your extra sparkle. On Sunday, don’t commit. You’ll want to stick with ‘maybe’ on any big decisions — at least for today.

Just getting through your regular tasks may be tough at the beginning of the week, but getting upset about it won’t help. Keep at it, and look for better energy coming your way on Wednesday and Thursday. Now you’re making progress, and looking so good doing it that others might just ask you what your secret is. Will you tell? Social time’s favored on Friday and Saturday, as is some lazing about — that is, recharging those batteries. A couple of days of extra sexiness start on Sunday — what are you going to do to take advantage?

SCORPIO Dreams, intuition and other less-than-logical stuff figure prominently at the beginning of the week.

Heed your inner voice, and let your subconscious provide clues. Around Wednesday or Thursday, some realworld hassles require your attention; handling them calmly reduces the stress factor. Your karma gets a major boost if you step outside yourself and donate your time, money or expertise (or all three) to a good cause on Friday or Saturday. And on Sunday, be extra patient with everyone — including yourself.

CAPRICORN Conflict, opposition or limiting factors may come into play at the beginning of the week, and your response is everything. Use your powers of patience and flex your muscle of understanding.

Make a busy schedule and stick to it on Wednesday and Thursday — it could come in handy when you’re asked to do something you’d rather not do. Friday and Saturday find a goal or two definitely within reach, and not just when it comes to work, either. On Sunday, the vibe is good for kicking off a new project.

AQUARIUS Even if you’re off-balance at the beginning of the week, stick with your routine as much as possible. Going through the motions has a therapeutic effect. By Wednesday and Thursday, you can identify a contradiction, make a discovery and find a way to move forward that feels great. An interruption or delay could be a good thing now. You’re not so much judging books by their covers as speed-reading on Friday and Saturday; find out a lot in short order.

On Sunday, the stars send extra brains and curiosity your way.

SAGITTARIUS A deeper, more meaningful level can be reached at the beginning of the week, whether in a relationship or in your own outlook. Your core values are especially relevant now. You’re a winner on Wednesday and Thursday, if the stars have their say — and remember, you can’t win if you don’t play.

Take a chance (maybe in the realm of romance!). Beware of imbalances of power on Friday and Saturday; anyone who thinks they’re the boss of you could be problematic. You’re extra articulate and very tuned on on Sunday — speak up!

PISCES You’ve got the power of love on your side at the beginning of the week — platonic, romantic, altruistic and more. How will you use its mysterious forces? Wednesday or Thursday ask that you hone your concentration and be attentive to what’s around you. The most mundane things hold important keys now. You’re rather analytical on Friday and Saturday, which may take somebody by surprise.

Show your soft side, too. Sunday is all about sorting through old things to make way for new ones.

JUST FOR LAUGHs “Where’s the barber who worked on the next chair?” asked the old customer as he was getting a shave.

Hadn’t you heard about Bill? said the barber. It was a very sad case. He grew nervous and despondent over poor business, and one day when a customer said he didn’t care for

SUDOKU

a massage he suddenly went out of his mind and slashed the customer’s throat. He is in the asylum for the criminal insane now. Will you be having a massage, sir?

Sure, go ahead! said the customer.

Solutions (Last Issue)

Fun

21

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS G Plus will keep on publishing such relevant and useful information in this page in the coming issues.

Compiled by Rangman Das

GUPTA, ANJAYCREATIONS B K Kakoti Road Ulubari, Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 0361-2512212, 2527582

KONWAR, TOLAN CHANDRA SRB Road, Lachit Nagar Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 0361-2524323 KUMAR, RAJESH Design Group, KKB Road, Chenikuthi Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 0361-2665379

HARPAL SINGH ASSOCIATES Shankar Plaza, G S Road Guwahati – 781005 Phone No – 0361-2343179/80

3MAHANTA, DHRUBA JYOTI Christianbasti, Guwahati – 781005 Phone No – 0361-2340532

HAZARIKA, CHANDRALIKA 3B, Naujan Road, Uzanbazaar Guwahati – 781001 Phone No – 0361-2607207

MATHUR, KR RAJESH KKB Road, Chenikuthi Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 0361-2664081

INTERIORS Zoo Narengi Road Guwahati – 781021 Phone No – 0361-2410036

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KAUSHIK DAS & ASSOCIATES Rupali Path, Zoo Road Guwahati – 781024 Phone No – 0361-2454171

PHUKAN PANKAJ Anil Annexe B K K RoadUlubari Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 0361-2458249

KIRON DESIGNER GROUP Barthakur Mill Road Ulubari, Guwahati – 781007 Phone No – 94353-42262

Citypedia

EMERGENCY NUMBERS AMBULANCE Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251

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

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PHUKAN, ADIM M C Road Chenikuthi Guwahati – 781003 Phone No – 99543-35502

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ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171 OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118

Cinema Hall Anuradha Cineplex – 0361-2656968, 99545-44738 Fun Cinema (HUB)- 98648-00100, 98648-00200 Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar) – 98540-66166 Gold Cinema (Salasar) – 0361-2735367, 98540-77177 Gold Cinema (Narengi) – 88110-01898

22

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Money

Getting Higher Savings Rates?

Don’t Shift your Account

ROHIT SARAWGI Independent Financial Advisor

A

s soon as the Reserve Bank Of India freed the interest rates on saving bank accounts, many people quickly opened an account with a bank offering higher interest rates on savings bank account soon after the deregulation of rates.

These people are happy as they would now earn more interest on their savings account and they are also impressed with the bank’s various other services.

But, you have to consider more than the interest rate before shifting to a new bank.

It is not a great idea to keep a lot of money idle in a saving bank account even if you are earning little more than before as there are avenues that can provide superior returns.

A savings bank account is used for multiple purposes. Beside the interest you earn on the balance in your account, there are a number of transactions that take place through this account be it your salary credit, payment of utility bills, credit card bills, home loan equated monthly installments (EMIs), investment through systematic investment plans (SIPs) and so on. You need to consider all this before making a move.

A savings account is the entry point of a slightly complex relationship with a bank. Most account holders have an extra relationship beyond a basic savings bank account. They use multiple products from the same bank - credit card or home loans.

Most people use savings account to park funds to meet their regular payments. For example, post-date cheque or set up of an ECS mandate for home loan etc. or a standing instruction to debit the due amount on credit card on a particular date, for investments, an ECS mandate for Systematic Investment Plan (SIPs) to be debited from account. Stock trading account could be linked to this savings account. Dividends or the sale proceeds of the stocks is credited to this account. Similarly, there are various utility bills, like mobile bills, electricity bills and so on for which one would have set up instruction for payment to be made from this account.

Now, setting up these transactions is not easy. It involves a lot of paper work. Once you have decided to change your savings bank account, you have to go through the entire processes all over again. Assuming you have an average balance of Rs.1,00,000 in your savings account and get an extra 1% interest by shifting to a new bank, over a year, you will earn only Rs.1,000.

Is it enough for the trouble one may have to go through to get the savings account fully functional? It’s totally one’s call. One would not like to disturb these transactions for such a small benefits.

Following Points can be considered while opening a new bank account: - - - - - - -

Savings Account Interest Rates ATM Proximity Branch Network Net banking Facility Lockers Availability Fixed Deposit Rates Customer Care Centre – 24 x 7 availability by means of Toll Free no. or dedicated Customer Care Email Service - Various Charges on the services offered.

Finally to sum up, SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR DAY-TO-DAY EXPENSES

Savings Account is not meant for keeping all the excess money. One of the first steps in financial planning is to avoid keeping a large sum of money idle in a savings account. It is suggested that one should keep a limited amount in the savings account which will take care of about 20 – 25 days expenses. The excess amount can easily be transferred to a fixed deposit with the same bank that will fetch higher

interest rates or to any of the liquid mutual funds to get better returns.

PHYSICAL PROXIMITY

It is always comforting to know that, a branch is close by, that one can visit it for day to day transactions and there is someone to whom one can talk to if the need arises.

The range of services and quality could vary from one bank to another.

Not all banks may be able to offer the services as per one’s requirement.

Even if they offer the service, the quality may not be the same. Customers tend to avail these facilities from the bank where they have their main operative savings account.

Lastly, remember that the freeing of savings account rate may cut both ways. It might also happen that, the bank you are banking with raise saving bank rates, or the bank you are proposing to go with drops rate, that would defeat the very purpose of changing your account.

Don’t keep large sums in savings account even if rates are higher.

Don’t shift to another bank purely for a higher rate; always consider the services standards, charges before shifting.

If you are using your SB account to service EMIs, utility bills, SIP and so on, the process of shifting could be cumbersome.

Don’t keep large some idle in your savings account despite higher interest rates. It would be wiser to invest them in fixed deposits or liquid funds.

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23

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Is women’s reservation anti-feminist in nature?

Tui Mitra

Manjori Borkotoky Journalist

House wife

POINT

E

ven the presence of three women in the three top posts of the Parliament - Speaker Meira Kumar, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj could not help in the passage of the Women Reservation Bill on the 21st of February last. Feminists believe it to be an unfair deal.

They had been fighting for it since 1996! The 18-year-old journey had seen high drama, frayed tempers and wars of words as it hit many roadblocks. They believed it would be the epitome of Women Empowerment.

If we look back, we shall see that women representatives in the Constituent Assembly had initially rejected this bill. They felt it was unnecessary since the working of democracy in its normal course would surely ensure the representation of all sections of the Indian Society.

I am against reservation per se and I have my reasons.

Reservation can never be the best way to achieve the goal of empowerment. It just ends up being divisive, deepening the chasm between the different sections of the society.

Caste reservation and quota system have failed us so far, except on a few occasions, despite being in place for so long. Problems can never be solved by creating quotas. In fact, I believe it to be an insult to us, Indian women, as this bill makes us only look inferior to men!

We can proudly say that we are equal to men, rather better in certain areas! I have never been a victim of gender discrimination. If I am qualified and worthy of a job or a better designation, I have always been given that. Why choose our leaders on the basis of their gender? Is being a woman enough to represent women?

We also have to keep in mind moneypower and nepotism. Will this bill remedy that? Will the elected lady representative be any different from the existing legislators?

Women will surely make better parliamentarians. They maintain dignity and do not climb up the dais or hurl non-parliamentary abuses at the drop of a hat! But such reservations will only ignite groups with sparse representation in Parliament to start asking for quotas as well. Our constitution does not prohibit any law abiding eligible citizen from contesting in the polls. We do not need

G-Talk

COUNTERPOINT quotas in party tickets as well.

I wonder sometimes, if the bill is passed and if duty at the Siachen Glacier was made mandatory, would we allow our daughters to go for it?

Are they made that way? One famous feminist had stated that if women have to face the freezing cold and the shelling there as well, men would become redundant. Well, that could be a way of putting it. But then, if we don’t stand shoulder to shoulder, wouldn’t this entire ‘equality’ business be a sham?

Having said that, even I might be tempted to actually support it since a little bit extra, a little boost is always welcome! But on a more serious note, it will in fact be a step backwards and can safely be labelled ‘superfluous’.

We are equal to men, aren’t we?

“Reservation can never be the best way to achieve the goal of empowerment.

It just ends up being divisive, deepening the chasm between the different sections of the society. Caste reservation and quota system have failed us so far, except on a few occasions, despite being in place for so long”

W

omen in today’s world have come out of the barriers and limits that used to be prevalent in the world before.

The mere concept of ‘women’ doing only domestic activities and being confined to the boundary walls of the house has changed greatly. Though there are some exceptions, still today the example of a woman reaching the moon is cited.

Reservation for women, we can say is an opening towards the advancement of womanhood. Feminism claims equal rights to those of men, reservation is a step forwarded to women.

Reservation, all the way is giving scope to women and in every way working well. Say, girls who are aspiring to go for higher education from backward places where there is no proper educational institutions, can avail this opportunity and get admitted in the desired institution.

Same is the case with jobs. Again women willing to get engaged into a job for their individual financial stability, somewhere have the feeling of relaxation in their mind which narrows their chances in their applied or choice of job sector. Again, the relaxation of travelling fares given to the senior citizen are all such reser-

“Reservation for women, we can say is an opening towards the advancement of womanhood.

Feminism claims equal rights to those of men, reservation is a step forwarded to women” vations which cannot be in any way anti-feminist.

For me, feminism and reservation are both sides of the coin. Just as feminism says women are equal to men, meaning to say that women have the capacity and the potential to do the same as the men and thus, shouldn’t be underestimated or deprived. Similarly, reservation is tending towards this motive and implicating for its ultimate fulfilment.

We should not forget that 49% of our voters are women. Reservation is leading to the advancement of this 49% and the country as well.

People may think that feminists are against the reservation as they believe in equality, but according to me, in India, both the sexes can never be thought of as equal because of the mindsets people have.

Yes, it is true that with changing times women are getting noticed and becoming prominent in the various professional fields they are working in, but, there are still cases of sexual harassment, rape and other crime against women which makes the fairer sex scared to go out and compete with the dominant section of the society. Recently there was a case of defamation in a government office in Assam when a woman was promoted to a position and her colleagues started spreading indecent rumours about her that she submitted to her boss to get promoted to that position.

It is not the only example but whenever women do something good or are in a respectable position, people make gossips about her values. So, similarly in the world of dirty politics, reservation can help woman to come forward without being scared of getting exploited.

24

G PLUS MAR 08 - MAR 14, 2014

Catching Up

Headlining acts!

Cate Blanchett WHO’S SHE Catherine Élise “Cate” Blanchett is an Australian actress of screen and stage. She has received critical acclaim and many accolades throughout her career.

SO WHAT Cate Blanchett has officially swept awards season with yet another win for Best Actress at the 2014 Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Now what Oscar winner Cate Blanchett will be in Cincinnati soon to start shooting a new movie. Blanchett, who won her second Oscar for Blue Jasmine, will be among the big names involved in a movie called Carol.

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Marlice van Vuuren WHO’S SHE Marlice Elrethra van der Merwe, is a popular Namibian conservationist who grew up surrounded by animals on her parents’ farm in Namibia where for more than 30 years injured or orphaned animals have found refuge.

SO WHAT Marlice has been working with animals in film productions since the age of 13 and has worked on a number of well-known movies with various celebrities including Angelina Jolie.

Now what Marlice van Vuuren along with her husband Rudi van Vuuren is currently running the N/a’ankusê Foundation. They are together working on their mission to conserve the land, cultures and wildlife of Namibia and rescue species threatened by an ever-shrinking habitat.

and send it to 56677

Pam’s barefooted shopping No shoes? No problem! Pamela Anderson decided to keep her feet free of any footwear when she stepped out of her Range Rover to do a little shopping in Los Angeles. Sporting a short dress and a pair of shades, the 46-year-old star grabbed her handbag before making her way into the various shops on famed Melrose Avenue. Who knows? Maybe going shoeless simply reminds her of when she ran around the beach barefoot back in her Baywatch days.

pick of the week

What did I just hear?

They might have been out of action for quite some time in this format of the game, but India managed to hold to their second position in the Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings issued recently. Both India and third-placed South Africa have 123 points in their account, but the former just managed to pip the latter by a decimal point.

Massachusetts’ highest court ruled that it is not illegal to secretly photograph underneath a person’s clothing, a practice known as “upskirting”, prompting one prosecutor to call for a revision of state law. “A female passenger on a MBTA trolley who is wearing a skirt, dress, or the like covering these parts of her body is not a person who is ‘partially nude,’ no matter what is or is not underneath the skirt by way of underwear or other clothing,” wrote Justice Margot Botsford of the state Supreme Judicial Court.

Kamur of the week

Election code of conduct. The work speed of

government officials is already popular for being known as the slowest, and with Election Commission declaring Lok Sabha poll dates, the model code of conduct will make the government departments have an extra excuse for not working.

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