G plus volume 1 issue 31 by G Plus

VOL 01 | ISSUE 31 | MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

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FUTURE TENSE

PG 03

With hardly two weeks to go for the results to be declared, all the political parties and their candidates are awaiting the final results, which will make or break their fates. G Plus talks to the major player to grab the pulse and expectations.

HERITAGE BUILDING FIRE REEKS OF CONSPIRACY PG 02

The recent fire in Lakhtokia which gutted an age old building of the city has raised serious doubts about the commitment and ability of the authorities in maintaining historically significant sites.

Kate Middleton Catching Up, Pg 24

THE HEAT IS ON PG 14 PG No

Cook it up the chinese way Ward watch @

MG PATH

Ward No 19 PG No

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Lead Story

HERITAGE BUILDING FIRE REEKS OF CONSPIRACY

RAHUL CHANDA

he ancestral home of India’s former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and one of the city’s heritage buildings was completely gutted along with several other houses at Lakhtokia on 27th April. Once upon a time, this was the meeting place of several big wigs of the country including the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru even before the time of independence. Now though, only silence prevails in the area amidst the echoes of cries of the neighbours after the building was gutted by fire. With the devastating fire turning the two storied wooden building at Danish road in the busy Lakhtokia area in to ashes, a chapter in the history of Assam was erased. The building which had eight bedrooms was constructed in 1911 and the complete construction of the house was completed in 1938. It was the city’s first double storeyed building. G Plus digs into the cause of the incident and analyses the reason behind.

The recent fire in Lakhtokia which gutted an age old building of the city has raised serious doubts about the commitment and ability of the authorities in maintaining historically significant sites.

The incident

According to the eye witness to the incident, Shahnaz Rasul, the granddaughter of Ikram Rasul who constructed the building and was also one of the brothers of the former President, there are some bamboo huts behind the main heritage building, constructed by some illegal residents who stay there without following any safety norms for some years now. Shahnaz informed, “I and my family occupy the last part of the house. On that fateful day, at 2.18 am, my brother started shouting fire; I opened my window and saw that the fire had started from the Bhoral house. The roof of the Bhoral house was ablaze and the inferno was huge. Most interestingly, nobody from the bamboo huts shouted that there was a fire. The fire started to grow and it slowly engulfed the entire area. We rushed downstairs as we were facing problems in breathing because of the smoke. After some time, the fire brigade vehicles came in and there were three fire control vehicles in all. Although one went back as it was not ready, the other two started dousing the fire in the bamboo huts, but slowly the two vehicles started running out of water and so they too had to return. Subsequently, the fire engulfed the main heritage building and within a few minutes the heritage building came down in a heap of ashes.

The cause

According to Shahnaz, two people were staying in the Bhoral house without taking anyone’s permission. At night they were drinking with a candle burning for light. They got drunk and slept off and somehow when they realised that there was fire, without shouting or trying to douse the fire, they started running out in their undergarments. A vegetable vendor named Kalu, who had occupied the place illegally and allowed the boys to stay there, knows the two boys. As the Bhoral house (where the bamboo houses were constructed

and the two boys were staying in one of them) is within the property of the heritage building, we asked Shahnaz why they allowed the illegal occupants to stay there. To this Shahnaz said, “We have tried many a time to remove them but they use foul language and do not listen to us. We even registered complaints in the Pan Bazaar police station but the police never acted upon it.” We asked her to provide us the complaint or FIR number but she informed us that all the records were burnt in the fire. It is to be said that apart from the two storeyed wooden building, there were around 48 houses made of wood and bamboo which were constructed in the same property of the heritage building. Now the question is how were the people able to settle down in the property without the consent of the property owners?

The other side

According to some neighbours, the entire property of the heritage building belongs to five families, who used to reside in the main heritage building before. Three families have shifted to other places while two families still stay here and Shahnaz Rasul is one of those family members. We talked to some of the affected victims who were staying in the bamboo houses in the property.

Faruk Ahmed is the owner of Rajdhani Book Binding, which is in the same heritage building property. The shop is well-constructed and he pays a rent of `2700 per month to one of the property owners Eva Rasul, mother of Shahnaz Rasul. Similarly, talking about the bamboo huts, a pipe labour Shahjahan Ali pays a rent of `700 to Javed Ali, and has been residing in one of the bamboo huts for the last 8 to 10 years. Javed Ali is another property owner who does not reside in the heritage building. Another labour Guljar

Ali also resides in one of the bamboo huts since last 15 years and pays a rent of `1000 every month. Now, as described by the property owners, the people living in the bamboo huts are illegal occupants in the property and their only motive is to capture the property. But according to the people living there, they are paying rent and staying there and have no intentions of capturing the land.

Cop speak

According to the city SSP, the investigations are on to find out the exact cause of the fire. Highly placed sources in the police said that till date, there were no complaints received from the property owners to vacate the illegal settlers and property cases are anyway dealt by the revenue department or the magistrate. The district adminis-

tration has already announced a probe into the complexity of the people living in the property. How illegal occupants can stay in the property where even the owners are staying is strange. Were there really any complaints registered, and if yes, why did the police not take any action? The family members smell conspiracy in the entire fire incident and only the investigation results by the cops can solve the mystery. According to the family members, there was no initiative taken by the government until now to help them maintain the heritage building. Just announcing a historic place as a heritage site is not the only responsibility of the authorities and proper care has to be taken to maintain that status!

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

G-View

FUTURE TENSE

Mrinmoyee Hazarika

ight now is the perfect time to wait and watch. As tensions rise among all the political parties and their aspirants, the wait until the 16th of May will probably be one of the longest waits for them. With their fates being already sealed, literally in those inanimate EVMs, the animated lives of all the politicians involved in the fray will surely change after the results – be it for the good or for the bad. Months and years of hard work and perspiration carried out on parts of all the different political parties are right now locked down in those sleek electronic boxes, called the EVMs under apparent watertight security where no one is supposed to enter till the time of counting. In the meantime, the political air of the country is in no mood to calm down with the leaders of the political parties getting involved in newer and fresher controversies and spats every day, especially the bitter war of words between the Congress and the BJP, which has reached to all new heights. Add to that the recent unwanted attention of Pakistan to the Indian elections, this year’s elections seriously seem to be the most significant democratic event that modern India has ever seen. Like all other states, Assam too has its own fair share of contribution to make and with 14 seats to fight for in the Lok Sabha, speculation is rife among not only political observers, but the parties themselves. With an impressive voter turnout this time, the politicos are not sure what to expect from the results and all are waiting with bated breath. Taking all these into consideration, G Plus managed to have a chat with the representatives of some of the political parties of the state and tried to gauge their expectations in the final outcome of the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls and although most of them have numbers in mind, there is still a palpable tension in the air that is evident when they speak.

Monoram Gogoi

Rupam Goswami

Spokesperson, BJP 1. We will win in 6 to 9 seats in Assam – Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Nagaon, Guwahati, Mangaldoi, Diphu and Silchar. 2. We have already had the Nagaon, Guwahati, Mangaldoi and Silchar LS seats and this time there is a chance of winning the Barpeta and Dhubri seats along with the other 9 seats as expected by us. 3. Reasons for our victory – a) The people of the state have voted this time b) The polling percentage has increased. Guwahati itself has witnessed a voter turnout of 78% which is surprising and pointing towards an anti-institutional mindset. c) This time, we have been able to get votes from the tea tribe communities of upper Assam. d) It is speculated that the minority votes will be divided in Dhubri LS seat and taking this chance, we might be able to win in Dhubri. e) This time, everybody has voted for a change 4. Everyone in the state, whether the urban or rural people are in the grip of the Modi wave and the BJP will be getting absolute majority in the centre and form government under the prime minister Narendra Modi.

Prafulla Mahanta,

President, AGP and two time chief minister of Assam from the same party 1. We have fielded strong candidates in all the constituencies of Assam and out of the 14, we are expecting to win in 12 of those constituencies. 2. The situation is still cloudy. If tempering of votes do not happen, as happened in the case of Jalukbari, we will be able to win a good number of seats. 3. Voter’s outlook is an important aspect in all the constituencies and to know the results, we all have to wait till May 16. 4. The party losing some of its leaders and members before the elections has definitely affected AGP, but not in a big way. Everybody has their own agendas. Though, losing party people has certainly created an impact on the party. 5. It is for sure that a change will be coming in the centre. But without the help of the regional parties no one can form government in Delhi.

AAP candidate from Jorhat and a senior journalist 1. This is the first time AAP has debuted in the general election and the campaigning was good in Jorhat and Guwahti and to some extent in Kaliabor LS constituency. 2. First of all, we wanted to let the people know what AAP is, what they want to do and how they are different from the other parties. 3. AAP did not give ticket to anyone with criminal records. 4. We targeted the voters who cast ‘conscience vote’. Because most of the conscious citizens do not go out and cast their votes in the absence of suitable candidates projected by different political parties. We wanted to give those voters an option to vote. 5. It is tough to say that how many seats will be secured by AAP in Assam and we will not announce such statements. 6. We will be coming into competition in Guwahati and Jorhat LS seats. 7. No one will get absolute majority in the centre and there will be a coalition government. 8. If AAP gets 15+ seats in the elections, then it will play a crucial role in forming the government in Delhi. 9. Our target was to become a national party. Any political party which has a minimum of 4 MPs and shares 6% of votes in 4 states has the benchmark of becoming a national party and in this general election we are optimistic of that.

Mehdi Alam Bora

Spokesperson, Congress 1. The Congress will get 8 to 11 seats in Assam, but, it is hard to categorise the number constituency-wise. 2. But, maximum number of seats will be coming from upper Assam 3. Because, Congress already has 78 MLAs and the area of upper Assam has always been a stronghold for the party. 4. Congress has a chance to win in the Guwahati LS seat. Because, the votes will be divided between AGP and BJP in the Guwahati LS seat which will ultimately help the Congress to win.

As it is evident from these statements, no single party is absolutely sure of their share of the spoils but the BJP sound a tad more confident than the other players. Whether the ‘Modi wave’ will come into play is still a big question but with the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate attending several rallies in the state, there seems to be positive mood in the BJP camp of the state. Whatever happens, this will surely go down as one of the biggest elections in the history of Independent India.

mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

In The News

GHY BREAKS PAST MAX TEMP RECORDS IN APRIL An unprecedented rise in the temperature has caused quite some concern as the state might have to face dry spells resulting in lesser agricultural turnout.

rahul chanda

ecently the Kamrup (M) district administration directed the schools to remain closed due to the scorching summer heat and it seems like the hot season this year, has come to the region quite early, as it is only April and temperature has already touched 40 degrees! Anyone can brag about the weather conditions not being favourable these days because of global warming, without even knowing what exactly ‘global warming’ means. But there are always reasons behind any change in nature and temperature. G Plus discusses the scenario with weather experts to find out more about the approaching days.

40.1°C

37.2°C

39.0°C

39.4°C

39.8°C

39.2°C

35.0°C

38.0°C 36.8°C

35.8°C

Temperature in °C

BROKEN RECORD 1999

40.6°C

20 15 10 5 0

Month of April

18th

19th

20th

21th

22th

23th

24th

25th

26th

27th

28th

17th April

2000 2001 2002 2003

GUWAHATI RECORDED

40.1°C

The reasons

During this period, dry westerly wind prevailed in the lower levels 2005 of the atmosphere, which increased the temperature. The monsoon sea2006 sons are divided into four parts, 2007 pre-monsoon season- March to May, 2008 monsoon season – July to September, post-monsoon season – October 2009 to December, winters – January to 2010 February. During the pre-monsoon 2011 season, the Northeast region has usual characteristics of witnessing 2012 a lot of thunder storm activities, but 2013 this time as the westerly winds were 21st April 24th April blowing in the region coming from 2014 the central part of the India, the wind was dry and therefore it barred the GUWAHATI thunder storm activities RECORDED for quite a long time. When wind comes from the Bay GUWAHATI RECORDED of Bengal side, it carries a RECORDS THE SAME lot of humidity in it which TEMPERATURE IN GUWAHATI BREAKS ALL APRIL do not increases the temRECORDS OF MAXIMUM perature as much as the dry TEMPERATURE IN THE MONTH OF APRIL winds do, therefore in the month of April itself, the temperature reached more than 40. According to the Director of the Regional Metrological Centre, Sanjeev Shaw, for the last few days the temperature of Guwahati was recorded at about more than 5°C from normal. For example, on the 28th of April, the maximum temperature in Recently, Assam chief minister Guwahati was recorded at 35.5°C, Tarun Gogoi had portrayed himself which on any normal day, the tem- to be quite worried about the scanty perature would have been 30.5°C at rainfall scenario and reviewed the the maximum. situation. Gogoi asked the depart-

2004

HIGHEST EVER RECORDED MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE IN THE MONTH OF APRIL ON 21 APRIL 1999

40.1°C

40.6°C

The drought scare

“Assam has gone down drastically in comparison with the past. So, if there is scanty of rainfall there will be a majorly negative impact on the state’s crop production” ments concerned to come up with both short and long-term measures to mitigate the situation. The CM asked the Department of Agriculture to draw a contingency plan if the situation arising out of scanty rainfall persists in the state. He also asked the power department to take immediate measures to improve the power scenario by procuring power from other sources. The CM also asked the department of irrigation and the public health engineering to take necessary steps to deal with the situation arising because of scanty of rainfall. Gogoi has also asked the chief secretary Jitesh Khosla to monitor the situation and to brief him at regular intervals.

The expert view The climate is changing by every passing day and the reason for that, no matter how clichéd it sounds is global warming. Assam Agriculture University Assistant Professor Basanta Kumar Borah said, “Because of global warming there is always an impact on the weather and the

crops totally depend on the weather conditions. Previously, Assam never used to face a drought like situation, but these days, crops in Assam face both drought like situation and also floods. Certain crops require some exact amount of temperature to grow and if the temperature is reduced or increased, then automatically, there will be an impact on the growth of that particular crop. For example, rice is one of the major agriculturalcrop of the state. Rice these days faces both floods and drought in the state and therefore the production of rice in Assam has gone down drastically in comparison with the past. So, if there is scanty of rainfall there will be a majorly negative impact on the state’s crop production.” He further explained that in Assam there is less variety of rice and it cannot resist drought or floods. Borah also explained that one major negative effect of global warming is increase in the sea level because of which there are natural calamities like Tsunami happening every now and then across the world.

Will Assam face a drought? According to the Regional Metrological Centre, their observation says that the thunder storm activities, which was missing since March has again started in the region. The westerly dry winds blowing in the region from the central India did increase the temperature for a few days, but recently it was observed that the thunder storms which happens during the premonsoon season, has started and the city has received some showers too. The prolonged dry spell in the state has cast its dark shadow in the agriculture sector and the tea gardens have been severely affected due to the drought like condition. The production of tea has gone down drastically according to state tea brokers. Many areas are facing problems in getting drinking water as well because the underground water in many city areas has dried up and people have to buy or get drinking water from water sources, which are far away from their houses. So, how will be the summers dealt with? With the impact of modernisation, the weather condition will obviously get affected, but will the authorities be able to combat nature’s fury?

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

In The News

CITY IIT BREAKS INTO TOP 100 IIT Guwahati recently reached a landmark by becoming one of the top 100 varsities in the world.

Shubhojit Roy

he Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) has been ranked among the top 100 young dynamic universities across the globe. The ranking was made only among less than 50 year old universities - which is universities that were founded on or after 1964. The Times Higher Education 100 under 50 university rankings has placed India’s lone entry IIT-Guwahati at 87th. It is the 1st time that India has joined the top 100 under 50 list.

Criteria for Ranking

However, the Times Higher Education has not disclosed the criteria verbally on which the ranking is based, but the official webpage of Times Higher Education highlights 13 performance indicators grouped into 5 areas for ranking a varsity globally. The 13 performance indicators grouped into five areas are:

Teaching

The learning environment (worth 30 per cent of the overall ranking score)

Research

Volume, income and reputation (worth 30 per cent)

Citations

Research influence (worth 30 per cent)

Industry income

Innovation (worth 2.5 per cent)

International outlook Staff, students and research (worth 7.5 per cent)

Moreover, the universities are excluded from the rankings if they do not teach undergraduates.

Expert’s Desk

While speaking to G Plus, Prof. Gautam Biswas, Director of IITG, expressed his delight on being a part of the top 100 international and No. 1 national under 50 universities. He said, “The ranking is based on numerous parameters such as research publications, citation of those

publications, quality of those publications, teaching-learning process, involvement of foreign students and faculty members and various others.” He also expressed his desire of achieving higher ranking for the varsity in the coming years and praised about the research publications of IIT-G. “If the ranking was based on research publications, we would have attained a much higher ranking. The number of research publications is very high and the qualities of publications are excellent. I must also mention here that my predecessors, Prof. D.N. Buragohain and Prof. Gautam Barua, did set up the stage for a truly world class University,” said Biswas.

“The ranking is based on numerous parameters such as research publications, citation of those publications, quality of those publications, teaching-learning process, involvement of foreign students and faculty’s and various others.”

Field Specifics Electronics and Electrical Engineering

able contributions in developing Nanomaterials for Theranostics.

In the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, faculty members have made remarkable impact in the areas of Electrical Drives, Power Electronics and Smart Grids. They are participating in a project of Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Limited. Another group has been interacting with DRDO and trying to develop high power Microwave Tubes. ISRO is in process of setting up a Space Engineering Centre for Students in the campus.

The Biotechnology Department has been able to set up a very active collaboration with Gifu University, Japan in the area of Plant-Biology. Another group has made its presence felt through the development of Bio electrodes for Biofuel Cell applications. Noteworthy activities are also visible in development of new generation Cancer Gene Therapy Vectors.

Dept of Chemistry

Nanotechnology

The Department of Chemistry is the most prolific in terms of making several noteworthy publications in typically top-tier journals. They have excellent publications in all three areas, Physical, Inorganic and Organic. They have made remark-

Dept of Biotechnology

Nanotechnology is one area where the interdisciplinary research groups have been able to create several Micro and Nanodevices that are ready for technology transfer.

Mechanical Engineering Dept

The Faculty members in Mechanical Engineering have been able to create efficient Biomass reactors pertaining to energy conversion process. In addition, they have developed combustors using the principles of circulating f luidized-bed. Development of energy efficient Porous Burners is another significant achievement. They have been making a significant contribution in the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics and a generalized program-paradigm is being created for multipurpose use of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC). The Gifu University, Japan is collaborating with Mechanical Engineering Department in advanced Manufacturing Processes.

Student Voice

Namrata Das, a 1st year Chemical Engineering student at IIT-G was all excited about the university’s landmark achievement. “It feels great obviously to be in one of the top colleges; and I am sure that in coming times, it will bag the top position,” said Namrata. She further added, “I am sure that like my mom and dad, several other parents are also so proud of their child studying here in IIT-G.” Debmalya Chakrabarty, a PhD Student, Johns Hopkins University, USA told G Plus over phone, “When I was working as a Research Assistant for EMST (Electro Medical and Speech Technology) Lab, Dept of Electrical Engineering in IIT-G in the year 2011-12, I was sure that research field of IIT-G was one of the best in the country. Research is one of the important criteria for being a top university. I was privileged enough to work under the guidance of Dr. S.R.M. Prasanna who is one of the best speech researchers in India.” Debmalaya also added that the overall environment at IIT-G is dynamic and the professors are very helpful. The IIT-G, which is undoubtedly one of the premier educational institutions of the country, is also acclaimed internationally now. Also known for the invention of the rupee symbol by one of the faculty members of IIT-G, it is evident that the varsity is at its peak elevation presently.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

In The News

THE WEEK THAT WAS

Protest against medicine company

he Asomiya Yuva Mancha has protested against the medicine company Mankind after a recent case of contamination was found in one of their medicine bottles. The incident took place on April 20 when a man bought a bottle of the T–98 medicine which is meant for children when they fell sick. Upon opening the bottle, it was found that the medicine solution was contaminated with pests and other such

Licences of five blood banks cancelled

he licences of five blood banks has been cancelled by the Assam Government for not complying with the guidelines that direct safe blood transfusion, said an affidavit submitted by the state government before the Gauhati High court on April 25. The HC had taken suo motu cognizance after five persons were administered HIV positive blood at Mangaldoi Civil Hospital in Assam’s Darrang district in June last year. The Assam Government has inspected all the blood banks in the state. Five blood banks were found to have breached the guidelines of the National Blood Transfusion Council. Hence, the state government has suspended the licences of these blood banks. “Of the 66 blood banks in Assam, 61 blood banks need minute modifications and we have asked them to do the needful within a month. The HC has directed the state to file a fresh status report on these blood banks at the next hearing,” said additional advocate general, Debojit Saikia. “The state government has decided to give identity cards to donors. CCTVs and modern equipment will be installed in all the blood banks. The state government has also decided to make a separate ‘blood transfusion department’ in Assam,” he added.

unhygienic things. A complaint was filed by the family against Mankind over the matter but the company did not reply. The Asomiya Yuva Mancha under its City Committee President Bijoy Shankar Borbora and General Secretary Pankaj Gogoi held the protest after the family contacted them over the matter. The protest was held in front of the offices of Mankind’s Guwahati distributors, Model Pharma and Seema Traders.

multilingual knowledge portal namely ‘Vikaspedia’ has been developed as part of a national-level initiative, India Development Gateway (InDG), dedicated to providing information-knowledge. Vikaspedia portal, emphasizing on key areas of social development, provides responsive and credible information related to six sectors - agriculture, health, education, energy, social welfare and e-governance. It is currently available in five languages including Assamese. This portal frame-

work provides an opportunity for collaborative content creation through volunteerism and public participation. InDG is an initiative of Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India and is executed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Hyderabad. Dr Pradip Kumar Sarmah, executive director of the Centre for Rural Development (CRD), has appealed to all the people of Assam to regis-

ter themselves as content contributors and write relevant, need-based and demand-driven information based on true facts and figures so as to benefit a larger audience. “One can also share content based on one’s knowledge and experience that is latest and authenticated. Write-ups should be in simple and easy-to-understand manner and acknowledge the source of information. The beauty of the portal is uniquely designed to share all the information in Assamese Unicode,” Dr Sarmah said.

First girder span of Bogibeel Bridge launched

n a bid to improve the connectivity between the north and south banks of the Brahmaputra river, the first 125-metre fully welded girder span of the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge was inaugurated on April 25 at the construction site of NF Railway, by Subodh Kumar Jain, Member, Engineering, Railway Board. The bridge is of immense strategic importance and will improve the accessibility to Arunachal Pradesh and other remote parts of the region. The Bogibeel Bridge will have a total of 39 welded girders of 125-metre span and two shore spans of 32.75 m. The bridge will be the first of its kind in

India with fully welded superstructure. This bridge upon completion will comprise double-line railway tracks at the lower deck and a threelane road on the upper deck. The foundation stone for the 4.94-km-

Person caught with bomb making materials

man was arrested along with materials that are used for making bombs by the police at the Guwahati Railway Station on April 27. Ryder Bhutia, an alleged gun carrier, was arrested at the railway station after Railway Police conducted a checking of all bags and baggage on the platform. Apparently, they received a tip off about the matter from their sources. Police recovered a total of 200 detonators and 204 gelatine sticks from Bhutia, who hails from Darjeeling and was

Most wanted militant leader arrested

wanted militant leader from the United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) outfit was arrested from the city’s Beltola area late in the night of April 28. Police stated that Tensang Sangma alias Nisan, a Sergeant Major of the outfit, was hiding in the locality at a house along with two girls when the police arrested him after getting a tip off from their sources. It was also stated that Sangma had been injured in a recent police encounter in Meghalaya and was

Govt launches multilingual knowledge portal

in Beltola to get medical treatment. Commenting on the matter, City Police SSP Anand Prakash Tiwari stated that Sangma has got several cases lodged against him in various police stations in Meghalaya and is one of the most wanted militant leaders in the state. He also added that a case was lodged against the militant leader at a police station in Goalpara. In this context, Sangma was handed over to the police authorities of Goalpara for further questioning.

disguised as army personnel. The weapons were being brought in from Shillong and it is being suspected that the arms were to be delivered to Maoist militants. It is not yet clear as to where he was planning to travel from Guwahati railway station. The police have arrested him and are interrogating him for other clues. A case has been registered against him though police are currently tight lipped over whether he is a just a gun carrier or is directly associated with any particular militant outfit.

long bridge was laid in the year 2002 and is targeted to be completed by December 2016 at an estimated cost of `5,000 crore. The girder launching ceremony was attended by RS Virdi, General Manager, Northeast Fron-

tier Railway and RK Singh, General Manager, Construction, Northeast Frontier Railway, besides other senior officials from the Railway Board, NF Railway HQ and the construction organisation

18th minority welfare annual meet held

he 18th Annual General Meeting of the Minority Welfare Society (MWS) was held with a daylong programme in Guwahati on April 27. Abdul Waris Chowdhury, General Secretary of MWS, presented the Annual Report of the Society for the year 2013. During the year 2013, MWS organised several programmes for felicitation of outstanding students belonging to the community, hosted an iftar party during the month of Ramzan and assisted about 25 unemployed persons extending them microfinance to the tune of `5 lakh for taking up productive enterprise. Chowdhury also informed that during the year in question, MWS organised felicitation functions for senior citizens – separately for both men and women. The Society donated an aggregate amount of `1.38 lakh to 18 needy students and ailing patients to enable them to pursue their courses and take care of medical treatment respectively.

Hero Motocorp carries out cleanliness drive

s a social responsibility initiative, Hero Motocorp Limited carried out a cleanliness drive in different localities of the city spreading a clean Guwahati message to the denizens. Led by Hero Motocorp Guwahati dealer Brijmohan Hero, the Hero team identified the localities filled with garbage which is cause to many diseases during the summers. The

activity was majorly conducted to urge the people to keep their city clean by not throwing garbage on roads and to dump the garbage in the designated nearby places near their homes. The drive was carried out at places like Batalian Gate, Lal Ganesh, Fatashil, Silpukhri, Zoo Road, Dhiren Para, Ganeshguri and Geeta Mandir from 21st April 2014 to 30th April 2014.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Politicking

RE-POLLING OVER PEACEFULLY BORNIJORA WITENESSES MORE THAN 90% TURNOUT

G Plus feature

inally, it was over and successfully so after holding the entire state in a tensed grip. Rigging almost stole the limelight of the Lok Sabha polls in Assam as people came out to cast their votes for the second time within a week at Bornijora LP School polling booth under Jalukbari assembly segment. After a local television news channel exposed the video footage of a person with a VDP (village defence party) ID card ‘heling’ the voters to vote for a particular party, all the political parties have accused the Congress and its senior leader Himanta Biswa Sarma. Re-polling finally went off peacefully in the Bornijora LP School polling booth on Monday even as BJP workers staged a protest in front of the Raj Bhavan against the rigging in the polling booth. In Monday’s repolling, the booth recorded a 90.14% turnout. Voting took place under tight security, with both security personnel and Election Commission officials being present. EC officials allowed only voters to come near the polling booth.

The polling was held from 7 am to 5 pm after a re-poll was ordered following the arrest of six persons, including four poll officials, for allegedly influencing voting at the booth on April 24. A police case was filed against the six at the Baihata police station after DY 365, a local news channel beamed footage showing a person brandishing a VDP (village defence party) ID card and repeatedly pressing the EVM button for the other voters. The video clip also showed that neither polling officials nor polling agents protested against this. Those arrested included presiding officer Paresh Hazarika, polling officials Rakhal Chandra Choudhury, Abhoy Nath Bezbarua and Rupam Malakar, videographer Bidyut Saikia and VDP volunteer Bimal Boro, a release from the additional CEO’s office stated. The six have been remanded to judicial custody by a local court. Meanwhile, the BJP called the Congress the ‘murderer of democracy’, and sought the governor’s inter-

“

We want the governor’s intervention so that democracy can be rescued from Congress’s grasp. The party has already murdered democracy. The governor is the guardian of democracy and we request him to use his office to safeguard democracy in the state” vention in ‘rescuing democracy’. “We want the governor’s intervention so that democracy can be rescued from Congress’s grasp. The party has already murdered democracy. The governor is the guardian of democracy and we request him to use his office to safeguard democracy in the state,” said BJP spokesperson Adip Kumar Phukan, while submitting a memorandum to Governor JB Patnaik. The BJP also urged the EC to place video footage from all polling booths

in the public domain to find out if other such incidents of rigging had taken place. The party, which staged protests across the state in district headquarters, demanded security for the videographer who revealed that rigging had taken place in the Bornijora LP School polling booth. “We demand protection for the videographer and his family, as Congress workers might harm him. The EC should encourage other videographers to share such incriminating

footage. They should be awarded,” Phukan said. The nine-point memorandum also talks about compensation for the security official who was killed on the poll day while performing his duty. “We demand appropriate compensation for all the victims who suffered during the Kokrajhar election, particularly for the security official who was killed,” he said. Besides, suspecting foul play, BJP urged the EC to adopt strict measures to keep EVMs in strong rooms. Other political parties too have condemned the incident. AGP president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta expressed his dissatisfaction at the work of Election Commission. BJP went on record to accuse the EC for favouring the Congress ministers. They also accused that the Congress has tried illegal means to gather votes across the state. The Congress, however, said that no one can accuse the party till the investigation report is made public.

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G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

City

City bus-queue shelters to see the light of day?

mrinmoyee hazarika

With Guwahati undergoing numerous cosmetic changes in the last few years, the Bus-Queue shelters are another such addition to its visual landscape. But all does not seem well as the implementation agencies of these shelters have found out.

inally, the city folks have got convenient sheds to wait for their buses to arrive, but, at the cost of the trouble undertaken by the agencies which are being entrusted with constructing these sheds. Last year, the GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) had called for a bid to revamp 44 Bus-QueueShelters in different parts of Guwahati. Following which, five advertising agencies (Outreach advertising private limited, Gitanjali advertising, Priya communications, Prodigy communications and Kushal Konwar) were assigned to complete the task of construction of the bus shelters under the PPP (Public Private Partnership) mode. However, while carrying out their jobs, the agencies have had to face a great deal of trouble from the local public and moreover, the lack of support from the authorities worsened the situation even more. The representatives of the private parties involved in the project have alleged that in most of the places the owners of the business or private establishments do not want to spare the space before their establishments to construct the bus shelters. “We have constructed the bus shelters at the places as notified by the transport department and sometimes it coincides with the space lying in front a shop, a school or other establishments. Subsequently, the owner of such establishments object the construction of the bus shelter in front of that place and with no choice left, we have to shift the bus shelter to a vacant space located to the right or left of the original space,” an agency insider, involved with the project told G Plus, on the condition of anonymity.

The inside source also expressed discontent over the indifferent attitude of the authorities in sorting the problem out. “In many places, we have had to indulge in unnecessary spars with the locals, sometimes with the PWD or traffic police department also and when we went to the issuing authority of the project which is GMC, they just send us off to solve the problem on our own.” With an aim to give the city a modern look and provide convenience to the commuters, the GMC plans to reconstruct 100 bus stops and 44 in the first phase. In the first phase, a few busy roads including GS road and RG Baruah roads have been chosen. According to the mandates of the project, the selected firms will rebuild the bus stops giving them an all-new look and the firms will transfer these

revamped bus stops to the GMC authorities after maintaining them for five years. The engaged private agencies are allowed to make an investment of `5 lac in each of the bus shelters and will get the right to display advertisements on the shelters. But, even after making an investment on their own, unwanted hindrances from the locals as well as the authorities have contributed in delaying the completion of work. “The Lack of single window clearance for such PPP projects causes delay in execution. Although, we as private partner make the investments, we still have to move around from desks to departments for implementing and completing the projects on time,” Jayanta Nath of Outreach advertising lamented. While contacting the officials of

“The Lack of single window clearance for such PPP projects causes delay in execution. Although, we as private partner make the investments, we still have to move around from desks to departments for implementing and completing the projects on time”

the GMC, they have acknowledged that they have received complaints of clashes between the concessionaries and the locals and they are looking into it. “We have received complaints on the troubles faced by the concessionaries and we are looking into it. However, it is not a serious problem. It is true that in some places, the new bus shelters have had to shift towards right or left from its original place, as the bus stoppage had been notified by the transport department a long time back and since there was no specific demarcation, some business activities grew around it,” GMC collector Arup Pathak told G Plus. He also stated that because of the complains received by the owner of TN tower, the bus shelter located in front of ‘Vishal mega mart’ at Paltan bazaar had to be eliminated. “Looking into the legitimacy of the problem, we take such actions as taken in the case of TN tower,” Arup Pathak said. In contrast to the view of the private agencies involved in the Bus-Queue-shelter project, Pathak further said that GMC had taken up the work after necessary consultation with other concerned departments like PWD, traffic department, APDCL and therefore, the private parties do not have to worry about implementing the project smoothly. According to the data available with the private agencies, till date, the construction of 24 Bus-Queueshelters has been completed in the city and the GMC collector has assured of completing the whole project within a month’s time.

mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

PROBLEMS GALORE ON

MG PATH

Ward Watch shubhojit roy

The lane also houses the residence of APCC President Bhubaneshwar Kalita

Major Issues

Roads, Water logging problems

Sub Division

19A/ 19B/ 19C

Concentrated Region MG Path, Christian Basti

No. of voters

21,000 (approx.)

Ward No

he MG Path of Guwahati is an area in Christian Basti of GS Road that lies in the heart of the city, suffers from dilapidated road condition and water logging problems. The road adjacent to the Sohum Store at Christian Basti also boasts of having the residence of Bhubaneshwar Kalita, APCC President, who is one among the many influential people of the Guwahati city. In order to find out the problems pertaining to the area, G Plus went ahead and talked to some of the residents.

Accident caused by Water logging Sapna Sethia, a housewife, who has been staying in the locality for over 9 years has lambasted the authorities saying that her husband has been through an accident due to the water logged streets. “When the roads are filled with water, its hard to know if there is a drain or a big pot hole beneath your feet. My husband fractured his knees three years back because of water logged streets, and the authorities are to be blamed,” alleged Sapna. She further added that nobody listens to the complaints too.

Cash for Drinking water It was found out that most of the people in the locality buy drinking water from the tankers and there is

no drinking water supply. Sumi Sharma, a resident living in the area for past 20 years old G Plus that “There is no availability of drinking water and we need to buy water from the tankers.” She further stressed on the fact that the drains are not being cleaned and during rainfall, all the drain water overflows onto the road along with rain water.

Floating city “During rainy season, half the city is under water. Its not just MG Path or any other road, the entire city becomes a floating city,” said Shankar Das of the Royal tent house who has been running his business for the last 10 to 12 years. Shankar also said that there is no garbage collection from the GMC in the locality, however there is a dumping bin on the main road, “but no collection is being done from the locality,” informed Das.

Councilor Speaks While speaking to the councilor of Ward No- 19, Ranjit Barman, G Plus was made aware that all the problems of the locality and the work will be started only after the elections are over. Ranjit Barman said over phone to this G Plus correspondent, “Yes, the MG Path area of Christian Basti falls under my ward. No! there is no work going on and all the work will start only after elections. The government has not provided us any funds to start any fresh work.” It is sad to know that even after being in such a central part of the city, the MG Path lies in such troublesome condition. Even though the councilor has said that the work to fix the area will start after elections, but only time will tell what visible changes are going to take place.

shubhojit.roy@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Society

a spiritual high

BHIMASHANKAR JYOTIRLINGA Considered to be one of the holy ‘Jyotirlingas’ the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is silently tucked away into a corner of the city, away from the maddening crown.

Shubhojit Roy

What is a Jyotirlinga? A Jyotirlinga signifies the lord Shiva. ‘Jyoti’ means radiance whereas the ‘linga’ represents the ‘mark or sign’ of lord Shiva. There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India out of which one is in the Dakini hill, situated on the outskirts of the Guwahati city. The scripture about the Jyotirlinga is illustrative in the ‘MahashivaPuran’ and its existence in the Dakini hills of Kamrup is better known as Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.

The History According to the legends, once a demon called Bhima lived with his mother Karkati in the dense forests of Dakini. It is said that Bhima was so cruel that everyone was scared of him. But what tormented Bhima was his curiosity regarding his own existence. One day, Bhima urged his mother to tell him who his father was and why had he abandoned them in the wilderness of the forest. His mother revealed that he was the son of Kumbhakarna, the younger brother of the mighty King Ravana - the King of Lanka. Bhima’s mother Karkati also told him that Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Rama annihilated Kumbhakarna. This infuriated Bhima and he vowed to avenge Lord Vishnu. Bhima performed severe penance to please Lord Brahma. The compassionate creator was pleased by the dedicated devotee and granted him immense prowess. With so much power, Bhima began to cause havoc in the three worlds. He defeated King Indra and conquered the heavens. He also defeated a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva –Kamrupeshwar, the king of Kamrup and put him along with his subjects in the dungeons of Dakini forest. All this angered the Gods and they along with Lord Brahma beseeched Lord Shiva to come for their rescue to which Lord Shiva agreed. Tyrant Bhima asked Kamrupeshwar to worship him instead of Lord Shiva. When Kamrupeshwar refused, Bhima raised his sword to strike the Shiva Linga that was set up by Kamrupeshwar in Dakini forest. But as soon as he raised his sword, Lord Shiva appeared before him in full magnificence. Then the terrible war began. Holy sage Narad appeared and requested Lord Shiva to put an end to this war. It was then that Lord Shiva reduced the evil demon to ashes and thus concluded the saga of tyranny. All the Gods and the holy sages present there requested Lord Shiva to make

“

this place his abode. Lord Shiva thus manifested himself in the form of the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga.

If the temple is constructed, the region will attract commercialism and there will be many shops around the temple, which will destroy the natural beauty of the area”

Green shrine or Concrete temple From some time now, there has been a clash going on between several groups in regards to a conflicting decision - should a concrete temple be constructed or should the shrine be left alone to flourish in its natural habitat surrounded by the greenery. Dhiren Ingti, High Priest at Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Guwahati told G Plus that there are many people who have shown their interest to construct a temple at Jyotirlinga. “Many people have come with huge funds to construct a temple in the premise, but I have however been pressurising to let the holy place be surrounded by the natural beauty. Also, as the area falls under Forest Reserve, I have been able to keep the donors at bay. If the temple is constructed, the region will attract commercialism and there will be many shops around the temple, which will destroy the natural beauty of the area,” explained Ingti.

Menace

Funding According to Ingti, most of the funding is received from the temple visitors in the form of donations and there is no specific average amount received based on a regular basis. Ingti mentioned that, “The Archeological survey of India has shown interest in turning the place into a tourist spot, but I am cynical about the thought. Though it will generate revenues for the area and will help in maintaining the area, but there might also be destruction of nature which I am against.”

While the shrine is a place of worship, the secluded atmosphere also brings in unwanted elements into the vicinity of the Jyotirlinga. Quite a few people come to the place to indulge in alcoholic and drug induced practices and since the area is away from too much attention, the perpetrators frequent the place and make it a regular haunt. This is not only anti-social but also increases chances of criminal intents and activities.

Miraculous Powers? While at the site of the shrine, the high priest also narrated a fantastic story of miracle to G Plus. He said, “I was always a believer of the almighty, but never too much of a believer of the

miracles that we read in fairy tales. I was proved wrong only recently when Assamese singer Luna Bharali and her husband who were childless for a long time received twins with the blessings from Lord Shiva at Jyotirlinga.” With huge trees and natural beauty surrounding all across the Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga of Dakini forest, the landscape is definitely a treat to the eye and also an escape from the hustle of the city and transcends into a land of divine peace. But the question that may arise is will the holy place retain its natural beauty in the coming years or will it fade away into obscurity? Should human intervention in conserving and preserving it be allowed at the risk of commercialisation or should it be left alone to its fate?

rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Society

Traditional medicine on deathbed Bezera, on the outskirts of Guwahati is no longer famous for the Bez or the traditional medical practitioner, who are slowly fading away into oblivion due to lack of legacy and willing practitioners. arup saikia

hey are locally termed as Bez, the traditional medical practitioners, a profession that is dying a slow death and is on the verge of becoming history soon. Catching up with one such medical practitioner, 83 year-old-Bhaban Bez who is ironically only one left in the profession in sleepy Khehenipara village of Bezera situated at a distance of 35 kilometres from Guwahati. The Bezera area was once popular for the quality of Bez it produced and it was considered as a nerve centre of traditional medicine practice. This correspondent finds out that the legacy carried on by Bhaban’s fore fathers now has no takers to carry it forward. “I had stepped into this profession when I was 25 years old, taking forward the legacy of my maternal grandfather, Hariram Ojah, who was

a renowned medical practitioner during that time. But ironically the charm of serving the people through this profession does not attract the young minds now-a-days,” Bez recollected. Bez who has cured many people suffering from the dreaded pox and other venereal diseases is banking on his second son Pitambar Bez to take over reins of the dying empire of traditional medicine of their village. “I am banking on my second son, a small time businessman as he has the liberty to spare time to carry on the legacy unlike my other sons who are employed in nationalised banks and the kind of job profile they have will not allow them to step into this trying profession,” the octogenarian doctor remarked. When this reporter asked for Pitambar’s comment in this regard,

Bhaban Bez with his prized collection of traditional medicines

“

Most of the Bez in our area have opted for other profession out of fear for their lives after a spate of witch hunting claimed

he however, showed his reluctance to step into the profession considering the amount of dedication one needs to put in to be successful. “Most of the Bez in our area have opted for other profession out of fear for their lives after a spate of witch hunting claimed the lives of several traditional medical practitioners in different parts of the State. With the advent of advanced technology in medical science and misjudgement of a person in differentiating a quack and a real locally available medicine practitioner like my father has left the young contender to leave the profession like myself with no other option other than choosing an alternate profession for survival,” Pitamber rued. According to the locals, the name Bezera (Bez+Era) literally means a place filed by Bez, historically Bez or traditional medical practitioners made a colony in the area to the study the subject and later on moved to other areas to practice the subject. However, some of their descendents remained in the area and in years to come made Bezera a nerve centre of traditional medicine practice.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Bazaar

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE BUYING A TYRE

shubhojit roy

So you know about the Pirelli Calendar but not about their tyres. We thought as much and so we try to give you a lowdown on what to look for when you want to revamp those sexy wheels of yours.

n a world heavily dominated by vehicles where automobile companies and banks are offering mouthwatering EMI opportunities, it is not much of a problem to own your first SUV or a sedan. But with varied road conditions, it is important to take good care of your vehicle, especially the tires. Most of us have a very little or no information on tires before buying it, we usually rely on the suggestions made by the retailer. The factors that one needs to be aware of before buying a tyre are as follows:

ISI marking

ISI marking is important because it defines the standard of the product and signifies that the tyre is safe for use. The Indian govt has made it mandatory for tires to have an ISI mark since recent years. So, if the tyre of your vehicle does not have an ISI mark, it is time to talk to your dealer.

NSD (Non- skid depth): Measured by NSD gauge to find the depth of rubber of the tyre M+S: Mud + Snow meant for all extreme road conditions The tyre hub is spread over in Guwahati along its length and breadth but some of the famous tyre dealing stores can be found in 6 Mile, Machkhowa and Adabari among others. Coming to the price of tyres, the range can be extensively varied due to the availability of numerous tyre manufacturing companies out in the market. With availability of products from overseas manufacturing companies such as Hankook, Yokohama or Pirelli, the market has only got bigger and the competition tougher. However, we have tried to provide an estimation of tyre price for our readers upon some research. Vehicles

Apollo Tyre Price (approx.)

Hyundai i10 All Series

`2750 - `3000

Ford Figo All Series

`3700 - ` 4000 `3650

`4600 - `5250

`3750 - `4700

`4300 - `4400

`4300 - `4750

Honda Amaze All Series

`3800 - `4000

`4700 - `5250

`3750 - `4400

`4300

Load Index

Load index on a passenger car tyre is a numerical code signifying the maximum load each tyre can carry. If the load index code on your tyre reads 60, it means it can carry a weight of 250 kg. Similarly, if the load index reads 108 for example, the tyre load capacity is 1000 kg.

Speed Rating

The speed rating symbol on a tyre resembles the maximum speed at which the tyre can carry a load corresponding to its load index. It is denoted by the letter ‘A’ with a digit or by any single digit. For example, if your tyre speed rating is denoted by ‘L’, the maximum speed allowed for the tyre is 120 km/h. Similarly, if the speed rating is denoted by ‘V’, the maximum speed allowed is 240 km/h.

Other factors

HT/AT-M: meant for highway terrain and all terrain and mud

Ceat Tyre Price (approx.) -

`3650

Bridgestone Tyre Goodyear Tyre Hankook Tyre Price Price (approx.) Price (approx.) (approx.) `3650 - `3900

`2800 - `3200

Yokohoma Tyre Price (approx.)

`3400

Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire Z Series

`3600 - `3800

`3900

`4700 - `5000

`3900 - `4300

`4400 - `4500

`4350- `5000

Toyota Innova

`5000

`5250

`5500 - `6500

`5000 - `5600

`5300

`5600- `6400

Renault Duster

`7600- `8750

`8000 - `8800

`9250

If you ask me, which tyre company is better, for example a Hankook tyre or Yokohoma or any other, I wouldn’t be able to give you a direct answer. I can only tell you which tyre will be good for your car by knowing the roads where your car runs mostly.

Yogesh Goyal of Sartyres, a proud retailer of tyre and other automobile products in Guwahati says that it is not easy to differentiate tyre prices of one company from another as the prices always vary based on the product’s performance, aesthetic look and branding. “If you ask me, which tyre company is better, for example a Hankook tyre or Yokohoma or any other, I wouldn’t be able to give you a direct answer. I can only tell you which tyre will be good for your

car by knowing the roads where your car runs mostly. I can tell you that this particular tyre will run better on such road than that particular tyre, and my suggestions will be based on user testimonials, from the feedback of the drivers who has used this particular tyre on such type of roads. But I couldn’t tell you which company is better than the other”, says Yogesh.

mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Business

ON THE BOIL AGAIN Potato and onion prices on the rise again

The Bogibeel Bridge

shambhavi

f you were thinking that your monthly kitchen budget is settled for now, it is time to rethink as potatoes prices have started moving northward and the traders fear that for the entire year, from now onward, the prices will keep on sky rocketing. Onions too have already become and will continue to be dearer as both potato and onion production has witnessed crop loss. Some quarters blamed the sudden increase in the prices of these commodities to the general election where traders resort to hoarding and price rise. Guwahati is the hub for the potato and onion traders of the entire seven states of Northeast India. Currently, North Bengal is supplying a major portion of the potatoes to the State. Due to a fall in the demand as well as most of the local markets of state doing a direct purchase from the source, potatoes are coming to the State by road, adding to the transportation cost.

Fall in potato production in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh during the peak season also contributed to the price rise. Vinod Surana, secretary of the Guwahati Potato Onion Merchants’ Association said, “About 80 percent of potatoes coming to Guwahati presently are from West Bengal. Due to unfavourable weather conditions there is a sharp fall in the production of potatoes in the producing areas of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.”

The added pressure on West Bengal is tremendous to fulfil the potato requirement of the country. There will be further increase in the prices. “There is report which states that onion crop is damaged in Nashik. We are relying heavily now on crop from Bihar or there will manifold increase in the prices of onion.” The Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asked the administration to take immediate steps to control price rise of

essential commodities, including rice and pulses. He also directed the administration to launch a crackdown on black marketers for trying to cash in on the situation and creating artificial scarcity. Gogoi also directed the Food and Civil Supplies Department to monitor the situation closely and to report abnormal increase in prices of essential commodities to the administration for necessary action.

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he national project of the Bogibeel Bridge in Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh, which will connect North and South banks of mighty Brahmaputra River is likely to be completed by December 2016 at an estimated cost of Rs 5000 Crores. The project, which has severed several time and cost limits has however gathered momentum with the launch of the first 125-meter fully-welded girder span recently. According to the railways, the bridge will be the first of its kind in India with a fully welded superstructure. This bridge, upon completion will comprise of double line railway track at the lower deck and three-lane road on the upper deck. The launching of the superstructure is being done by incremental method of launching and the weight of each girder is approximately 2000 metric tones (MT). The foundation stone for the 4.94 km long bridge was laid in the year 2002. It is expected that upon its completion, the Bogibeel Bridge will dramatically improve the connectivity between Upper Assam and adjoining Arunachal Pradesh.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Health

THE Beware HEAT IS ON of Heat-Stroke Dr.Bikash Rai Das, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon

nder the impact of dry westerly winds blowing from the Gangetic plains, the mercury is rising in the NE region and according to meteorological department, it is assumed that the hot weather condition will persist in the region for the next couple of days. With the mercury rising to 39.4 degree Celsius on Monday, the highest April temperature in a decade, life has become difficult in Guwahati. Monday’s temperature was 8 degree Celsius more than the normal temperature, according to the official records. The excruciating weather is making life miserable for the people. Children, the elderly, and patients of heart disease, blood pressure and diabetes need to take adequate precautions as they are more vulnerable to suffer from heat-stroke. Heat changes the complete haemodynamics of the body. Patients with high blood pressure and kidney problems are especially prone to severe damage if proper precautions are not taken. People working in open sun, like labourers, are extremely prone to heat stroke and must be warned to be very careful. Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury and is a medical emergency. Heat stroke can be fatal in many cases because it happens so quickly - there is not much time to react. Heat stroke often occurs as a progression from milder heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat syncope (fainting), and heat exhaustion. But it can strike even if we have no previous signs of heat injury. Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures - usually in combination with dehydration -which leads to failure of the body’s temperature control system. The medical definition of heat stroke is a core body temperature greater than 105 degrees Fahrenheit, with complications involving the central nervous system that occur after exposure to high temperatures. Other common symptoms include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness or coma.

How does Heat-stroke occur?

Suppose, even if it is 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the human body will still try to stay at 98.6 degrees F, which is the normal body temperature. The only way to stay at 98.6 is to sweat. By letting out the moisture on the skin and letting it evaporate, our body can cool itself very effectively and keep its temperature in the proper

include: Throbbing headache, Dizziness and light-headedness, Lack of sweating despite the heat, Red, hot, and dry skin, Muscle weakness or cramps, Nausea and vomiting, Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak, Rapid shallow breathing, Behavioural changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering, Seizures or Unconsciousness

First Aid for Heat Stroke

range. Sweat works really well as long as there is plenty of water in our body - it takes water to manufacture sweat. If we run out of water, sweat stops and our body rapidly overheats. It is extremely easy to run out of water - our body can produce 0.5 gallons (2 liters) of sweat every hour in a hot environment. Unless we are drinking water at the same rate, we will dehydrate and then stop sweating. Our internal thirst meter of our body often is not sensitive enough when we need that much water (and it has been said that by the time we feel thirsty, we’re already dehydrated), so we have to keep drinking regardless of how thirsty we feel. The other thing which can lead to heat stroke is very high humidity, which keeps sweat from evaporating. In either case- be it the lack of sweat or the inability to evaporate it - the core body temperature can rise very quickly if it is hot outside. Once the core gets to 106 degrees F, it is a serious problem. Heat stroke can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal organs. Although heat stroke mainly affects people over age of 50, it can also take a toll on healthy young adults.

What will happen if you are struck by a heat-stroke?

The hallmark of heat stroke is a core body temperature above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Fainting may be the first sign. Other symptoms may

Health Tip

If you suspect that someone has a heat stroke, immediately call the hospital & transport the person to a hospital. Any delay seeking medical help can be fatal. While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, initiate first aid. Move the person to an air-conditioned environment - or at least a cool, shady area -- and remove any unnecessary clothing. If possible, take the person’s core body temperature and initiate first aid to cool it to 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. If no thermometers are available, don’t hesitate to initiate first aid. You may also try these cooling strategies: Fan air over the patient while wetting his or her skin with water from a sponge or garden hose. Apply ice packs to the patient’s armpits, groin, neck, and back. Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to the skin, cooling them may reduce body temperature. Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of cool water, or an ice bath. After you’ve recovered from heat stroke, you’ll probably be more sensitive to high temperatures during the following week. So it’s best to avoid hot weather and heavy exercise until your doctor tells you that it’s safe to resume your normal activities.

Plenty of Liquid

It is said that the most important way of beating heat in summers is to drink a glass of water early in the morning. It’s the best medicine to combat the summer conditions.

Preventions

There are other ways to keep summers at bay as well. Before venturing out in the sun, one should wear goggles or sunglasses and wear a cap on one’s head. These would help in maintaining a normal body temperature in summers. One can also use an umbrella . To prevent heat strokes, one should consume a lot of water.

Things that help

Average consumption of water can be around eight to ten glasses

Wearing of proper footwear is important to prevent any kind of injuries to the knees because the whole body’s weight is born by the knees and lower legs.

It is said that the most important way of beating heat in summers is to drink a glass of water early in the morning. It’s the best medicine to combat the summer conditions. but more than that is a boon. Not only water, juices too are beneficial in summers. Pineapple juice, apple juice, litchi juice , mango juice and banana shake are some of the products that one can have. When it comes too fruits one can have all but in average propor-

tion. Water melon can be consumed in good quantity as it contains more than ninety per cent water which is good for the body. Other so called “ready to eat” and “cool fruits” like cucumber and grapes help in balancing the body temperature. Another way to keep oneself cool is to apply good talcum powder before going out in sun and before one goes to bed at night. Talcum powder serves as a good anti-allergic product and prevent heat rashes from appearing. But the best method of all is to take a bath as many times as one can. Morning, evening bath can do wonders in such conditions. So, next time when you go out in the sun, don’t forget to take a water bottle & flaunt your cool shades. It not only will make you look uber cool but will also keep you cool.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Life

STAGNANT POND

Success Is An Attitude, Not A Phenomenon

Do not let your life become a stagnant pond and change for the better to realise the beauty ritu gupta

ew things in life are so uninvited like a stagnant pond, which is closed in upon itself. It only develops odour and becomes the root of all kind of diseases. Some people have also turned their lives into a stagnant pond where they have enclosed themselves without any opening. No love comes into them or goes out of them. They totally live for themselves and they have lost all the hope and happiness that life has to offer. They consider themselves to be a total failure and have given up. STEPS TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES • Surround yourself with a few positive people: people who would boost your morale and make you positive. It will help you strengthen yourself. • Support from the family: Such type of people silently yearn for love and care. So if we can put a little effort to work out they will show some good changes to bring

about a change in them. • Change in lifestyle: Such people generally give up on life and start depending on alcohol, drugs and tobacco. Helping them and educating them about it can help them come out of it. • Starting afresh: Let bygones be bygones. Leaving the past behind and starting fresh, aiming higher and planning your today and tomorrow can help you change. To every situation, there is a link. People who have become like a stagnant pond also have a reason to be so. Either they have faced a lot of failures in life which they have not been able to handle or they may not have got enough love and warmth from their near and dear ones. They must have been bullied in life making them lose their confidence. Reasons are many but we have to understand that it is totally in our hands to handle situations. Some give up and they are the ones who become

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.

Random Learning! T irus, my 6 year old, asks me a lot of questions. Questions, which make me actually sit up and think. Every time he asks me a question, it’s like I am bound to put on my thinking cap and just pray to God that I have a logical answer! And it is very interesting about what he thinks! The questions come most often when we are watching television together and the anchor or the newsreader says a word, which Tirus has never heard before or maybe had heard it but stored it to ask me later. So, this time Tirus, while riding his cycle around the house asked me, “Mom, what is the meaning of duty?” I got him close to me and gave him a kiss on the head. I sat down on the cane chair in the veranda and pulled Tirus onto my lap and hugged him close. Tirus insisted I tell him and so I started. “Duty is responsibility.” “What is responsibility?” he asked. “Responsibility is something that we have to do in spite of everything. We have to complete the task that is given to us.” So, I went about and explained what my duty is right now towards him. “My duty now is to love you, take care of you, feed you, send you to a good school, teach you good manners, let you do the things you love; all in all, make you a very good human being.” Tirus looks cute when he thinks and his eyelashes curled up when he rolled his eyes and looked away in a contemplative mood. He was thinking. He shot

back at me again, “So Mom, what is my duty?” with a lot of stress on the word ‘my’. “Kiddo, your duties are to study, eat healthy food, be good to others and love everyone. When you go to a bigger school, your duties will be to study harder, respect your teachers and elders, show concern for the environment and love everyone. When you become a little older and start working, you will have a lot of duties towards the society, your state, your country, the world, which will include safe-guarding women and children.” Tirus listened wide-eyed all the time, soaking in what I was saying. “Mom, all this is pretty simple,” he said. “I know I can do it.” All said and done, I have told Tirus about his duties. But what have I done all these years? What is that one special thing that I have done for the society? Have I gone to any lengths to make my city a better place to live in? Have I done anything to makes the lives of the lesser privileged a little better? I had thought of a home for the under-privileged but what have I done so far to make that happen? What about the garbage? Have I even taken some action to clean up the streets? And then, how can I even think of blaming the government for not cleaning up the streets? It is I, who has made a mess; thrown garbage all over and then what right do I have to blame someone else for it?

stagnant while some fight their way out. Life is how we make it. The best way to sort out problems is by remembering a time in your past when you broke out of your routine and did something different. The experience was so refreshing that you must have wondered why you had not done something like that before. Relations also play a very important role in making a person. Childhood is the best and the most important phase in life where you are preparing your child for tomorrow’s battle. A lot of stagnation also occurs in one’s life if you have not had a good childhood. Each experience of life are linked together to make a person in you. Love is an emotion . If you have never felt it then you can never pour it out. Have a realistic view about life and following the path will help you fight against all odds. A gentle and realistic way to face ourselves will enable us to end our day with a feeling of peace and thankfulness.

life@g-plus.in

What have I done for my country? I say I am an Indian but what Indianness have I shown so far? And what about the environment and the world? Who’s going to take care of the world? Isn’t it my bound duty to make the world a better place to live in? But what have I done so far? Nothing! Only lip-service! There were these voices, which constantly whispered inside my head and I was going berserk trying to pacify them, but to no avail. I can quieten them only after I have done something significant; my duty as a citizen of the world. And every day, this frustration, this urge, this need is getting the better of me. Tirus, apart from his studies, helps me around the house. How responsible! Being a little child, he knows his duties well but what about me? Isn’t it already too late? Am I not being totally irresponsible - towards my society, my state, my country and the world. One thing I know for sure! I am not asleep. So, what is it that I need to get me started. Am I waiting for that moment in time when someone is going to say, “It’s too late now! Nothing can be done anymore!” So Tirus has now shown me the way. I am already getting started. Thank you my dearest son, you have shown me the importance of doing my duties and I better do them fast! Mine are not simple, like you say your duties are!

tinat ATIFA MASOOD

he sign of success is a smile. The number of smiles that one has in their day-to-day life indicates how successful one is. You may have a big bank balance, a lot of money. But, if you can’t smile, if you are tensed, upset and angry, would you call such a person successful? Someone who is unfriendly, tensed, worried, can’t sleep, can’t even eat because of cholesterol, diabetes; would you call him a successful person? Often, people spend half of their health to gain their wealth. Then they spend half their wealth, to gain back their health (which does not come). This is not a sign of success. To me, a sign of success is confidence. Even if you lose everything, if you have confidence, then you can recreate everything again, and that is success. There are ample of examples. There are businessmen, who rose to the top, and with one uncalculated movement, they lost it all. They came way down, and still, they built their businesses again. You can see this in the Sindhi community; they were living in Karachi with such comforts. Similarly, the Kashmiri pundits in the valley had huge bungalows, apple gardens, saffron gardens; suddenly, they had to leave everything. The same with the Asian migrants from Uganda, they had nothing when they left the country. Generations together lived in Uganda, and owned big factories. One fine morning, they had to leave the country with one suitcase. I met a Gujarati gentleman in London. This man had a huge television factory, about 15 to 20 years ago, in Uganda. He had many Rolls Royce cars, and lived a very comfortable life. One morning, the Asians were asked to leave the country. With just one suitcase, they arrived in London, as refugees. This man and his wife, in their fifties, were selling hot dogs on the streets. He said, ‘Gurudev, we have never worked so hard.’ Look at this! Now this successful businessman rose again to be an industrialist there. Once you have the zeal, you can gain back the wealth. The same situation occurred for the Sindhi community. They were rendered as homeless refugees in India after the partition. Today, the Sindhi’s are governing and managing all the wealth, wherever they are. The same with the Kashmiri pundits; they were rendered homeless. Many of them who had the zeal to do business came to Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, and started something.

Success is an attitude, it is not a phenomenon.

When you agree to be bogged down, that is the sign of failure. Resist getting bogged down. Just like a candle. You light a candle and turn it upside down, the flame always goes up, and it never goes down. In the same way, if we can have the enthusiasm to say, ‘I can make it, I can rebuild my business’; that is what I would consider a sign of success. His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Vox Pop

APPLAUSE

BRICKBATS? G PLUS FEATURE

he attacks on renowned musicians like Angaraag Mahanta and Zubeen Garg during Bihu functions have raised some serious questions. Angaraag Mahanta had sustained some injuries after some miscreants pelted stone at him during a Bihu function in Dhemaji. Similarly, Zubeen Garg too was humiliated recently for singing his own Hindi songs at a Bihu function in Bharalumukh. But how rightful or unlawful is the the general public in humiliating a musician or artist? G Plus took a survey to find out what Guwahatians thinks about such verbal and physical attacks made on the musicians of the land.

Jenny Borkakoty

Student, Gauhati University

Sritam Sarkar Cosultant, SAP India

It is very shameful that Bihu is in the news for such reasons. I do not have much to say, only that if you cannot respect a musician, you do not deserve a musician in your function. If musicians of such high caliber can’t get respect in their own home, there is nothing more shameful than that.

This is totally inhumane. Assamese people are not saving the culture by doing all this but rather doing the opposite. Artists achieve their status by sheer hard work and struggle. It’s wrong if you want to show that you are a true Assamese and then ban English medium schools, ban Bollywood movies, ban fashion wears and everything which is not Assamese. Make the state proud by making the state clean from all wrong doings, and not by hitting artists. They are our assets.

Hengul Dutta

Project Manager, Trend MMS Well, I would like to paraphrase my comment by tweaking the words of Harvey Dent, ‘You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a dinosaur’. You either can evolve through hard times or you can perish.

Pronoyjeet Saikia Secretary, HOPE NGO

I think it’s high time people of Assam to start treating their musicians and artists in a better way because they are the ones who provide a silver lining of mass happiness amidst the chaotic situations of Assam. They spread smiles and so they should receive smiles and not stones!

Saidul Khan, Journalist

Well, if the people of Assam can’t celebrate art, they shouldn’t be coming for the functions. Bihu is a time of merriment and spreading love, not for pelting stones at singers who perform on stage. Zubeen and Papon da have reached the heights of Bollywood acclamation as worldclass singers; they will definitely sing their own songs. Bihu has also attained traditional modernity and it’s not celebrated the same way it was celebrated 50 years back. People have no right to humiliate musicians in such ways.

Deena Baruah

Environmental Engineer, URS Corp. When a musician climbs up to a stage, it is the organisers’ responsibility to take care of the safety and protection of the artist. What happens in Bihu functions is that after consuming too much of alcohol, some people lose control and so, create such ruckus. The organisers should be very careful towards the protection of the artists from now on and if any Bihu ground does not want any Hindi song to be performed, the organisers should clearly mention the clause beforehand to the artist.

Miguel Das Queah Child Rights Activist

I believe violence in the name of cultural policing is the worst kind of human folly. Artists like Papon and Zubeen have been ambassadors of Assam’s cultural canvass nationally, as well as internationally. It is indeed unfortunate that they should have been most uncharitably targeted in the name of cultural preservation. The Assamese society has been known for its rich heritage, tolerance and hospitality and we do not need a loony constabulary as handmaidens of cultural morality. These so called “chowkidars of culture” should be thrown to where they rightly belong - the dustbin of history. I sincerely hope we are able to discard such regressive thoughts from our collective conscience and strive towards building an Assam that is proud of its tolerant yet vibrant cultural heritage.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Events

Mr Rajkumar Chandranathan, Additional Deputy General of Police, Kamrup (Metro), addressing the guests and children of Shishu Sarothi on the occasion of its 27th Foundation Day celebration.

Mr Ashutosh Agnihotri, DC Kamrup (Metro) reciting a poetry in his own words on the occasion of the 27th Foundation Day of Shishu Sarothi.

27th Foundation Day of Shishu Sarothi Judge B P Kotoky and Judge Ujjal Bhuyan of the Guwahati High Court appreciating the painting exhibition at Shishu Sarothi on the occasion of its 27th Foundation Day celebration.

Mr Ashutosh Agnihotri, DC Kamrup (Metro) expressing his solidarity for the 27th Foundation Day of Shishu Sarothi.

Date: 1st May Venue: Shishu Sarothi

Arvind Sudarshan, General Manager, Marketing Naturals with Assamese Actor Kapil Bora, Dipankar Bhattcharjee, Anurekha Misra and Nilanjan

Arvind Sudarshan, General Manager, Marketing Naturals with runner up of Mega Miss North East 2014 Archana Barman and Mega Mr Norh East 2014 Siddharth Boro

DATE

EVENT

3 May

Terra Mayaa

Starteq

3rd May

Shraddhanjali Kanan

Flash’14

4th May

Shraddhanjali Kanan

Talent Fest

4 May

Ozone

Summer Glasses Party

4 May

RIST Campus, 9 Mile

Stunt Show by Stunt Infected at Esplendidez’14

8th May

Lamb Road, Uzanbazar

Assam Tribune EduFair’14

8th May

Ozone

Metal Mayhem VI

th th

Date: 2nd May, Venue: Royal Arcade

7days

Next VENUE

Assamese Actor Kapil Bora inaugurating naturals, Guwahati with Arvind Sudarshan, General Manager, Marketing Naturals, , Anurekha Misra and Nilanjan

Naturals launches first salon at Guwahati

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

Confluence Date: 1st May, Venue: GMC Auditorium

Classical dancer Menaka P.P Borah performing at the event

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Reviews

PURANI JEANS AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2 W

Director: Marc Webb Cast: Andrew Garfield, Dane DeHaan, Jamie Fox, Emma Stone

henever there’s a story based on friendship, it takes us on a trip down the memory lane of our good old school days where friendship mattered the most. Director Tanushree Chatterjee Basu’s ‘ Purani Jeans’ is based on on this theme of friendship. Starring Tanuj Virwani, Aditya Seal and Izabelle Leite, ‘Purani Jeans’ is the story of a young boy who returns to his hometown and reconnects with his old friends to rediscover the bonds of friendship and love. And they get to experience the different shades of friendship. The music has been composed by Ram Sampath and Sona Mohapatra’s mesmerising voice in ‘Dil Aaj Kal’ leaves you spell-bounded. As this is Rati Agnihotri’s son Tanuj Virwani’s second movie, a lot

Director: Tanushree Chatterjee Basu Cast: Tanuj Virwani, Izabelle

Leite, Aditya Seal

is expected from the good-looking actor, as he couldn’t wow his fans in his first movie. Cine-goers are also looking forward to see Aditya Seal, who was last seen as a teenager in

Manisha Koirala starrer ‘Ek choti si love story’. Will this movie have a dream run at the box-office or will it turn out to be just another run-ofthe-mill project?

BRICK MANSION Director: Camille Delamarre Cast: Paul Walker, RZA, Robert Mailet

t’s hard to keep the amazing coming, but somehow, Marc Webb manages it yet again, two years after The Amazing SpiderMan and not so many years later that people have forgotten Tobey Maguire doing those same tricks with more or less the same material. The primary reason is Andrew Garfield, who brings good looks and innocent charm, goofy spunk and enough heart, as well as dollops of romance, to give us a Spider-Man more close to our times, when being nerdy is not nearly as bad. His superhero is as much of a misfit to begin with but more comfortable when he makes the transition. Maguire was never allowed that privilege. Plus, The Amazing SpiderMan 2 comes with two villains with just enough character and enough acting abilities to make the contest worthwhile. Foxx stars as Max, who works in the electrical division of Oscorp, which we know is the big bad corporation of this comic world. With a balding head, carefully gelled down hair to cover the pate, thick glasses and ill-fitting clothes, he is a pushover, ignored and mocked by his superior and colleagues. Max’s best memory is being saved by SpiderMan one day on the road, and being addressed by him kindly.

The other villain is Harry Osborn, the heir to the Oscorp empire and Spider-Man or Peter Parker’s childhood friend who is dying of an inherited disease and believes his hope is an experiment Peter’s late father was working on. Played by DeHaan, Harry is an unstable element, looking vulnerable and venomous at the same time. Max transitions into the electricity-fuelled Electro and Harry into a crazed maniac over action that Webb carefully orchestrates to keep us interested. In fact, the director nails this aspect right at the beginning when he enacts Peter’s parents’ death in a plane crash, bringing in a fair amount of suspense. You just wish Max’s handwringing over his sorry state didn’t get tiresomely repetitive. While real-life couple Garfield and Stone — as Peter’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy — again sizzle on screen, she is among the characters The Amazing Spider-Man 2 does least justice to. She is given ponderous dialogue and placed in incongruous circumstances, from which she never emerges without a helping hand. Webb also over stretches Garfield’s welcome, dragging the film well past two hours and giving a teaser to the intended sequel before coming to a, literally, clanking halt.

he latest in a long line of trashy action thrillers spearheaded by French producer extraordinaire Luc Besson, Camille Delamarre’s Brick Mansions (2014) - an American remake of 2004 parkourdriven French adrenaline-pumper District B13 - is just about as mindless as they come. It’s essentially a collection of shoddily edited action sequences, underpinned by a monotonous narrative that has no purpose,

let alone moral heart to reward viewers’ waning attention. The late Paul Walker, who tragically died last November, stars as protagonist Damien Collier, an undercover cop who accepts an assignment to infiltrate an infamous and high-risk housing complex deep within a fictional Detroit. With the help of escaped convict Lino (David Belle), Damien sets out to locate Tremaine Alexander (Wu-Tang Clansman RZA), a ruthless crime lord who’s harbouring a neutron bomb with enough power to destroy the whole of Detroit. Far more interesting in depicting the art of parkour than in manufacturing a plausible and absorbing narrative, Brick Mansions is a tedious watch, exacerbated by bad characterisations and dialogue that are ludicrously bad, even by the low standards typically found within action films. And, instead of making up for the failures elsewhere, the action sequences are below par, offering up

no drive whatsoever. It’s not that the chases, which take place on foot and in cars, aren’t in their basic respect thrilling, but more that Delamarre’s direction is rough and frustratingly hasty. Time and time again throughout Brick Mansion’s necessarily short runtime a new set-piece will seemingly have already begun before the previous one has had time to soak in. It leaves a lot to the actors to atone for and sadly, despite Walker’s natural charisma and Belle’s obvious skills at parkour, it all proves too much. As difficult as it is to be too harsh on Walker’s final completed feature before his untimely death late last year, there’s little of merit within Delamarre’s Brick Mansions to potentially compliment. It’s at its best a by-the-numbers thriller that represents exactly what Besson’s career has become: one senseless, uninspired, unrealistic actioner after another.

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G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Flipkart launches ‘same day guarantee’ delivery service for select cities

lipkart has intensified competition in the online shopping segment with its new “same-day guarantee” scheme. Flipkart’s same day delivery service is currently available for 10 cities - Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Kolkata, Manesar, Navi Mumbai and Thane. The same day guarantee service is available for an additional charge of Rs. 140 per item (introductory price). It’s worth pointing out here Flipkart’s new service is a limited period offer and is valid for items between April 28 to April 30 (orders placed before 12pm). According to Flipkart, the order would be delivered by 9 PM on the date promised during checkout. Flipkart also notes: “If Flipkart is not able to deliver the item in the Guaranteed promise time, you get the product for free (upto `5000) as part of our money-back Guarantee. For Cash-on-Delivery orders, the shipment value will be collected as part of the order, but will be automatically refunded to your Wallet within 24 hours in case of delay from our side.” Here’s how you can avail Flipkart’s same-day delivery service:

With competition heating up in the online shopping segment, ecommerce websites are under pressure to improve their services as well as come up with attractive offers – a trend that will certainly benefit the customers. That said, same day delivery concept is already a huge hit in the West. However in India, there are several challenges such as creating a robust network, managing logistics, customer service and more.

Check Pending Request On Facebook

nline friendship. How cool is that? Do we always send friend requests in social networking site only to the ones we know personally? Mutual friendship, common school, common college, common working place etc also become some factors while sending friend requests online to unknown persons. It is easy to send friend requests but is it the same while accepting a request from strangers? When the number of pending requests increases there is a chance of getting blocked. So how do we tackle that? Here I am going to share a trick by which you can check the pending friend request on facebook. The best thing about the trick is that once you know the person who have not accepted your friend request then you can cancel the friend request so that you don’t get blocked by Facebook for having a lot of friend request.

Steps to check pending friend request 1. Log in to your facebook Account. 2. Go to the link below to check your pending friend request. http://tinyurl.com/pendingreq 3. Now you can see pending requests which you have sent to others. 4. Now hover your cursor on “Friend Request Sent” and cancel a request which you want. Now you will never get blocked again for having lots of pending friend request. 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. fb.me/indrajeet.bhuyan

Web Watch

Mobile Gamepad

App that turns your smartphone into game controller for PC

ow, you have a mobile app that turns your Android smartphone into a gamepad for a Windows computer. The app, called Mobile Gamepad, has been created by a XDA Forum Member blueqnx and is available via Google Play store. Once installed, the mobile app turns your device into a motion sensing and customizable gamepad. The app provides a virtual D-pad and siz buttons - square, triangle, circle, cross, pause, and start. You can map the virtual buttons to any key on the keyboard and assign to various profiles. Mobile Gamepad uses accelerometer in your Android smartphone to enable gamers motion control. To do this, simply enable motion mode, and place your finger where the D-Pad once was. You can use the app to start PC games from the smartphone as well. Other features of the app include support swipe over controls for easy usage not just clicking, device volume buttons to control windows volume. You can download the Mobile Gamepad app for free via Google Play store. You can find out more details about the application on this thread on XDA Developers.

Skype takes on Google Hangouts, makes group video calling free

kype has set its ‘group calling’ feature free on Mac, Windows and Xbox One. According to TechCrunch, Skype introduced group video calling in 2010, but the feature has been a premium service for paying customers since it exited beta. The reason behind this step is the increasing competition Skype is facing from other services such as Google Hangouts, which offered free group calling for free ever since it launched. At present, the free group video support is limited to Mac, Windows and Xbox One, but Skype assures users that the support will extend to other platforms soon.

TDSAT strikes down ban on intra-circle 3G roaming

n a major relief to top telecom operators - Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea - telecom tribunal TDSAT allowed them to offer 3G roaming beyond their licensed circles, disallowing a government ban on the move, while also quashing `1,200 Crore penalties slapped on them. TDSAT, which was hearing petitions filed by the operators against the restriction as well as the penalties, said the roaming agreements between the operators are in compliance with regulations and would help the government realize higher revenues. “We find and hold that the intracircle 3G roaming arrangement does not

violate any provision of the UAS (Unified Access Services) licence... and it is not open to the government to prohibit the petitioners from carrying out the services in terms of agreements,” the TDSAT bench, headed by chairman Justice Aftab Alam, said in its order. The order is likely to see the operators not only get roaming facility but also vie for 3G subscribers in those circles despite not having spectrum. “We welcome the order and this will allow telcos to not only offer seamless roaming but also take new customers,” said Rajan Mathews, director-general of GSM lobby group COAI. The Department of Telecom (DoT), which had disallowed the move in December 2011 and subsequently imposed penalties on the telcos, is likely to challenge the TDSAT judgment in the Supreme Court. The TDSAT order said the prohibition on roaming is against “national interest” and will impact government earnings. The order also dubbed regulator Trai’s support to the ban as an “erroneous stand” and said there is no reason to believe that the measure will affect the exchequer’s collections.

Mozilla Firefox 29 arrives with new UI design, sync and customisation features

ozilla has released its first major interface refresh for Firefox this week, making more than 1,300 changes to the browser. The update brings a cross-browser Sync feature, rounded tabs and a customisable graphical menu. Firefox’s new design has a sleek look with rounded tabs making it easier for users to focus on their Web content. The tabs look sleeker and helps users navigate the Web faster. The Firefox menu has been moved to the right corner of the toolbar and puts all your browser controls in one place. The update also brings a “Customise” tool that transforms Firefox into a customisation mode where users can add or move any feature, service or addon. The update also allows users to create bookmarks with a single click and manage them from one place. Another new feature is the Firefox Sync service that lets you access browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, saved passwords and form data across your computers and

mobile Android devices. According to NetMarktShare, Firefox is currently the third most used browser after IE and Chrome. “People are using the Web differently than they used to,” said Johnathan Nightingale, Mozilla’s vice president of Firefox, “and we need to give them a richer set of tools for customising the way that they experience the Web.”

The new Mozilla update comes days after Microsoft reported a security flaw in its Internet Explorer browser that could allow hackers to access users personal information. The bug affects IE versions 6 through 11 and was found by Microsoft’s security company FireEye. The company admits that the flaw leaves around 56 percent of the browser market vulnerable to attack.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

G-Talk

Will India ever be able to get rid of communal politics? Rachna Bhatrai

Champak Gogoi Bank Employee

Social Activist

POINT

n what is probably the Election Commission’s first initiative to regulate “malicious content” on social media during Lok Sabha elections, the poll watchdog has asked video-sharing site Youtube to remove a controversial video featuring Aam Aadmi Party leader Shazia Ilmi in which she is seen asking Muslims to be more “communal” while casting their votes in the 2014 elections. Politics is the practice and theory of influencing other people on a civic or individual level. More narrowly, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance — organised control over a human community, particularly a state. So, as India is known for its secularism, the constitution is made in such a way that the politics in the country too, follows all secular rules and discipline. India being the largest democracy in the world boasts of people from various tribes, religion and ethnicity. There is history of many communal riots in the country, but it is also a fact that in every state of the country, people from different religions live together peacefully. Critics of Indian politics might predict that Indian politics will always revolve around communal politics, but I think that as the world is changing with modern thoughts ruling specially the youths who are considered to be the future of every country, communalism is gradually fading out. Any government in power is also compelled to follow the constitution and try and see that any politics taking place in the country should be secular. There are many examples of politicians coming under the scanner for practising communal politics. To cite some examples we can talk about Varun Gandhi who made a hate speech during the 2009 elections in Philibit against Muslims and was under the government scanner. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh politician Akbaruddin Owaisi was also put behind the bars for making hate speeches

COUNTERPOINT Critics of Indian politics might predict that Indian politics will always revolve around communal politics, but I think that as the world is changing with modern thoughts ruling specially the youths who are considered to be the future of every country, communalism is gradually fading out. against Hindus. Political parties like Congress are rumoured to be pro-Muslims and Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) is seen as pro-Hindus, but it is the true that Congress alone with Muslim votes cannot form a government, and even BJP, only with Hindu votes can never even dream about reaching Delhi. Every political party is trying its best to woo voters from all the religions and tribes and no political party, at present can even dare to be a communal party, as India’s secular behaviour will never allow the politicos to be communal. If any party is communal by ideologies, it has to at least pretend that it’s secular. So, communal politics according to me is gradually fading out of the country, and if it has not yet reached the black surface of the screen, within few years it will somehow be seen as dark.

ndia is a country that recognises the phrase ‘secular’ only in book and not in practical life. The politics of communalism in India started way back during the British era and till date it has been scrunching the Indian society like an Octopus. The caste and creed ridden Indian ‘secular’ society gets enraged with a little pinch in the name of religion and the political parties are seen to have prepared their ‘manifestos’ before elections, targeting people based on their caste, creed and religion. In a recent article written by veteran columnist Kuldip Nayar, he had expressed that BJP did not mention the word secular anywhere in its par-

The political parties try to take advantage of such division among the voters and the ordinary people remain ignorant of such conspiracies and end up getting themselves involved in hatred and betrayal.

ty manifesto before the LS Polls. Similarly, the Congress has faced allegations that it has been trying to appease the Muslim voters along with the tea tribe communities in the case of Assam. The other regional and national parties too have tried to project themselves as friends to some particular religion in some way or other and the air becomes even more electric during the days of election. The political parties try to take advantage of such division among the voters and the ordinary people remain ignorant of such conspiracies and end up getting themselves involved in hatred and betrayal. This election too is not different in that regard. Because of the communal statements made by leaders like Azam Khan, Amit Shah and others, the Election commission (EC) has banned them from participating in the election campaign. In Assam too, Himanta Biswa Sharma received a notice from the EC for making communal statements. The latest example of such grave incidents of communal violence is the incident at Kokrajhar happened that last Thursday, where more than 10 people were murdered by some miscreants a day after BPF leader Pramila Rani Brahma made a statement that the minorities living in BTAD did not cast votes in favour of the BPF. Such activities are not at all welcome in a modern day society. Assam, which has a long history of political and societal harmony, too has not been spared from the ever expanding claws of communalism. And, the situation is such that there is hardly any chance that the country will ever be able to rise above such nasty, cheap and notorious politics of communalism. The political parties and the leaders will not let it vanish and keep the flames of hate burning in the future too for their own selfish benefits.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Food

Cook it up the chinese way |

Sanjukta Dutta food enthusiast

STEP 2: In a wok, add oil and let it

hinese Food is extremely popular and loved by Indians irrespective of age, hence the popularity. With numerous Chinese Restaurants thriving in the city is another testimony to the fact how well loved this cuisine is. My folks love their noodles, fried rice, chilli chicken and I started learning this type of cooking and stated serving them right at home. My first Chinese cooking lessons came from a friend, who had spent quite some time in China and lived in Malaysia with a cook from Chinese origin. Sharing today with you all are some Chinese dishes and their variations, in case you fall in the Vegan category.

LETS GET STARTED with a basic sauce and this can be preserved for later use. For this, you will require: • Coarsely grind equal amount of ginger, garlic and dry red chillies • Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok and add a few drops of sesame oil (for that Smokey flavour). • Put off the gas as soon as the oil heats and add the ground ginger, garlic and red chilli paste to it. • Add about 1 tablespoon of vinegar for preservation. • You can add about 2 tablespoon of tomato puree to adjust the thickness of this sauce (optional)

heat. Now we add the prepared balls one by one and fry them till they become golden brown. Keep them aside and let it cool.

FRIED RICE (Veg and Non-Veg)

• Heat oil in a wok (broad mouth and deep bottom), add about 2 tablespoon of ginger cut into thin strips (julienne) and 2 tablespoon of chopped garlic. Keep stirring. • Add about ½ cup of white wine and soon after this add chopped onion and light soy-sauce (2 tea spoons) and sauté it for some time. • Add your favourite vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, mushrooms). • Sauté them for about 3-4 minutes and at this stage add a pinch of ajinomoto. • Add bell-pepper (yellow, green and red) for the colour and flavour too. Add Chinese cabbage and stir it for sometime more. • Add boiled rice (I use the aijong rampal variety), salt and pepper to taste.

Variation for Egg Fried Rice

• Add Spring Onions into the boiled rice. • Fry the eggs and keep the done eggs aside. Follow the above steps and just before the final stir, add the eggs and mix well. • You can choose to add about 2 tablespoon of the Basic Sauce that has been mentioned above before serving it HOT.

• Add 2 tablespoon of cornflour and some warm water (to avoid lumps) and prepare a solution. • As soon as the vegetables are tender (not cooked, but crunchy) add cabbage, some spinach and a pinch of ajinomoto into the pan. • Add the cornflour solution and form a thick gravy. Add salt, pepper to taste and serve it along with the Fried Rice. Non Veg Variation to the above recipe

STIR FRIED MIXED VEGETABLES (Veg and Non-Veg variation)

• In a Wok, heat some oil, add chopped beans, cubed carrots and button mushrooms, sliced onions, bell pepper, and 2 tablespoon of the basic sauce. Sauté it for 3-4 minutes.

• Add small pieces of Fried Chicken here and add 1 tablespoon of soya sauce to the vegetables or just capsicum and onions. • Add the corn flour solution and keep a tab on the required gravy consistency. • Add salt so that the colour of the vegetables is retained.

PRAWN BALLS IN CHILLI-GARLIC SAUCE STEP 1: For the Prawn Balls: 300 Gms of prawns, cleaned, de-veined, and washed. Put them in the mixergrinder and run it till they become coarse paste (NOTE: we do don’t want it to become a paste). Now take out the grounded prawn into a mixing bowl. Here add 3 tablespoon of cornflour, salt and pepper for seasoning, and add chopped onions (1 large onion) and mix it together. Make small balls out of the mixture and keep it aside.

STEP 3: In the same wok, add some

more oil (if required), add chopped onions (1 large oinion) and fry till its translucent. Now we add about 3 tablespoon of Chilli-Garlic Sauce (I prefer the Lee-Kum-Kee brands) and keep stirring in medium heat. Now we take about 2 tablespoon of the Basic Sauce we made at the begining and add it in the wok and stir for a minute or two. Add some warm water with half tablespoon of cornflour mixed in the water to form thick gravy. As the gravy starts simmering, we add the prawn balls into it and cook for 2-3 minutes. Your Chinese Lunch/Dinner is ready right at home. Enjoy and Happy Eating.

Information:

The basic Sauces that one may require to make Chinese food at home are: • Chilli-Garlic Sauce. Black Pepper Sauce, Spicy Black Bean Sauce, Light Soy Sauce etc. I prefer the Lee Kum Kee Brand and they are available at Quick Shoppe of the NRL petrol pump at Zoo-Road, Hub in G.S Road. • The Vegetables mentioned are available at Big Bazar and sometimes even the local vegetable vendors stock them. You can reach me at ‘dsanjukta@ gmail.com’ for any queries and feedback.

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Fun

Your weekly dose of HOROSCOPE

Monday and Tuesday are all about your family. Whatever you wanted to get to at the beginning of the week, if it isn’t related to family, forget about it. (Although you might get some chores done around the house.) Wednesday and Thursday, try as you might to at last get some work done, you’re sidetracked by your love life. (But what a wonderful thing to be sidetracked by, right?) The advantage of being distracted by your love life is that it fills you with tons of energy, which will be useful Friday, Saturday and Sunday which is, strangely enough, when you finally get some work done.

TAURUS On Monday and Tuesday, you’re speaking your mind and getting a great response. People light up when you say something they aren’t expecting. They realize they’re in the middle of an actual conversation. It’s startling. You surprise people in small ways like this all week. Remember, it takes confidence to really talk with people. However, a little too much confidence sometimes looks like pomposity watch for that Wednesday and Thursday. Friday through Sunday is everything you could hope for in a weekend. It’s an array of colors and lights and love.

GEMINI Moodiness is a dominant theme Monday and Tuesday you’re moody, and so are the people around you. There’s a sense that there isn’t enough good stuff to go around, and people are fighting over what’s left. But none of this is real. It’s a perception thing. Wednesday and Thursday you more or less see the light: New ideas come to you, you spark a few debates and you make headway on a big project. (And all of those moody people from Monday and Tuesday? Ha! Look at you now!) Friday through Sunday you have about a billion things to get done. Chop, chop!

CANCER

SUDOKU

LIBRA

Someone asks you what you want on Monday or Tuesday, and almost without knowing it, you tell them everything. Hopes and dreams and all that. Somehow in the telling, all the things that once seemed so far away from you seem, well, closer than ever. Achievable, even. Wednesday and Thursday, you continue to think about the future this way, your perfect future. You carry the thought with you like a possession. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are more rooted in the here and now. They are great days in a minor chord.

LEO You’re sensitive on Monday and Tuesday — a lot more sensitive than usual. So when someone tells you something and you almost physically react — well, that’s what’s up. That said, no one else can tell. You have such command, such a polished way with things, that people register absolutely no change in your disposition. Wednesday and Thursday, this unbelievable finesse is the subject of much discussion among others. Apparently you have fans. How flattering! Friday through Sunday, you keep to yourself a bit more than usual, but you have a lot of gears turning. Great things are coming.

VIRGO You derive your energy from other people Monday and Tuesday. Someone walks into a room for what it’s worth, women figure prominently in the stars and something about your conversational chemistry wakes you up. Wednesday and Thursday, you need to be as woken up as possible. Madness is transpiring and you’ll need to be flexible to survive it. (And avoid the martyr thing, too: When you make it out unscathed, don’t brag about your valor.) But all this is just the preamble to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Great days? Yes. You’re beaming.

You’d love to keep your head down and focus on Monday and Tuesday, but you have all these feelings swimming around in you, all these distractions. Find something small and beautiful to focus on. If you’re at work, go buy a little plant and put it on your desk. Somehow this sort of thing works. Wednesday and Thursday, what works is seeing good friends, people who inspire you to conversational greatness and who can see that there’s something you want to talk about. They convince you to open up. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you’re the perceptive one, getting others to talk.

SCORPIO As much as you’d like to be in control, you’re not controlling the reins on Monday and Tuesday. So you might as well put your feet up and enjoy the ride. Right? And while you’re at it, let someone else choose where to eat lunch. Wednesday and Thursday, you almost have the urge to put your foot down and demand that something go the way you want it to you may even feel like standing up to your boss. But, really, don’t. That would just come across as all ego. And remember how comfortable it is with your feet up? Friday, Saturday and Sunday are great days in a subtle way. Your friends are excellent.

SAGITTARIUS It’s okay that you’re not on the same page as everyone else on Monday and Tuesday. Follow where your own mood takes you and you’ll stumble onto something wonderful, some idea that no one else could think of. Wednesday and Thursday, you stumble onto more wonderful things, although these things are actually things for example, upgraded seats on an airplane or a 20-dollar bill you find on the ground. Yay! You have some luck at this time. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you have the urge to speed ahead. But what’s the hurry? Relax. Enjoy the walk.

JUST FOR LAUGHs

There is a medical distinction between Guts and Balls. We have all heard of people having Guts or having Balls. But do you really know the difference between them? In an effort to keep you informed, here are the definitions: GUTS: Is arriving home late after a night out with the guys, being met by your wife with a broom, and having the Guts to ask: “Are you still cleaning, or are you flying somewhere?”

CAPRICORN Take things one at a time on Monday and Tuesday. Change is in the air, and you’re not opposed to change sometimes you really like the idea, actually. But it’s a process. Plus, it’s way more fun to experience life as it unfolds. That said, what unfolds on Wednesday and Thursday is hardly fun. File it under ‘challenging.’ (Sometimes challenges are fun, but not this time.) The real fun happens on Friday. And also Saturday. Plus, Sunday. It’s a great weekend: You get a bunch done, you catch up with someone long-distance and you develop a new obsession (a good one).

AQUARIUS Monday and Tuesday are challenging, no doubt about it. But try not to let the challenges bring you down. Challenges are fun! Sure, when it’s real life and not a game, feelings get added to the mix, but that just makes things more interesting. Wednesday and Thursday, you feel strongly about something, and someone else strongly disagrees. What ends up happening is the joint discovery of a brilliant middle ground, something neither of you would have found if not for the other. This accomplishment makes you long (this weekend) for another challenge.

PISCES Monday and Tuesday are awesome. Romance is in the air, and so is a little music. Is that in your head? Is that piped in from somewhere? Whatever the case, you feel like you’re in a movie about someone who’s happy. You’re light on your feet. Wednesday and Thursday, you’re brought back to the real world by someone who insists on waving their hand in front of your face. You’re such a romantic, imagining your life with you-know-who while there’s work to be done. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, relationships romantic and platonic are in the stars. Help a pal out.

BALLS: Is coming home late after a night out with the guys, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the butt and having the Balls to say: “You’re next, Baby.” I hope this clears up any confusion on the definitions. However there is No difference in the outcome. Both are fatal.

Solutions (Last Issue)

ARIES

TIMEPASS

G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

COURIER

EMERGENCY NUMBERS AMBULANCE

G Plus will keep on publishing such relevant and useful information in this page in the coming issues. Compiled by Mautapa Dhar

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Citypedia

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BLOOD BANK

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G PLUS MAY 03 - MAY 09, 2014

Catching Up

Headlining acts!

Bobak Ferdowsi WHO’S HE Bobak Ferdowsi is an American systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He served on the Cassini– Huygens and Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity mission. SO WHAT Ferdowsi gained brief media fame in August 2012, when he wore an unusual mohawk hairstyle during the Curiosity landing. It unexpectedly became an iconic image of the event with coverage in the news and social media, U.S. President Obama even commented on the popularity of “Mohawk Guy”. Now what Ferdowsi took part in Obama’s State of the Union address, where he was seated in First Lady Michelle Obama’s box “to highlight President Barack Obama’s call for more visas for skilled immigrants in the fields of math, science and engineering.” Ferdowsi will participate as a panelist in September for the conference at Hawaiicon festival.

To subscribe type GPLUS and send it to 56677

Kate Middleton WHO’S SHE Kate Middleton or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; is the wife of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Catherine grew up in Chapel Row, a village near Newbury, Berkshire, England. SO WHAT Catherine has had a major impact upon British fashion which has been termed the “Kate Middleton effect”, and in 2012 was selected as one of The 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine. Now what After three years of walking down the aisle, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are celebrating their three years of marriage bliss with their first born Prince George. This will be the first time that the pair is going to celebrate their anniversary with George since last year the couple were on their royal duties during their anniversary.

Curious case of Amanda Seyfried; follows tweets about herself Actress Amanda Seyfried says that she likes to search her own name on social networking site Twitter to see what people write about her. The 28-year-old, who is dating actor Justin Long, comes across both sweet and sour messages from fans and critics respectively on Twitter. “You can’t take yourself too seriously if you don’t wanna die. Sometimes I read the feed on Twitter where people are talking about me. I was scrolling one day, and there was something really sweet, like, ‘Amanda heart heart’ and a picture of me,” said Seyfried.

pick of the week Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries’ Dilip Shanghvi has been named in the list of Asia’s top ten wealthiest selfmade billionaires, topped by Hong Kong business tycoon Li Ka-Shing, according to Wealth-X. Mr Shanghvi, ranked seventh, is the only Indian on the list with a net worth of $3.5 billion (Rs. 20,100 crore), while Li Ka-Shing topped the chart with a fortune of $29.4 billion (Rs. 176,400 crore).

‘Time Travel’ murder mystery It was a real-life mystery that could have come straight from the pages of a modern-day detective novel. A woman had been brutally murdered in London and biological material had been found under her fingernails, possibly indicating that she might have scratched her attacker just before she died. A sample of the material was analysed and results compared with the National DNA database and quickly came back with a positive match. The problem was, the “hit” identified a woman who had herself been murdered - a full three weeks before the death of her alleged “victim”.The killings had taken place in different areas of the capital and were being investigated by separate teams of detectives. The investigation is still underway.

With help from pig tissue, people regrow muscle Badly injured patients regrew lost muscle after researchers implanted sheets of tissue from pigs. The experimental treatment worked well for three of five volunteers and showed some benefit in a fourth, researchers report in the April 30 Science Translational Medicine.“This is five patients, and that’s not huge. But it’s a benchmark,” says George Christ, a physiologist at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., who wasn’t involved in this study.

What did I just hear? Actor Rakhi Sawant has taken umbrage at BJP leader Uma Bharti “comparing” the Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to her. She said in a tweet, “Please do not try to involve me in your politics and do not compare me to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. I am a common woman.”Uma Bharati had said, “Rakhi Sawant too speaks a lot but it does not mean anything.” She was responding to a question on the focused attack that Priyanka Vadra has launched on the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.”

Kamur of the week

POLL EXCUSE: Offices, departments,

organisations and everything else that you can think off cite just one excuse - “Let the elections get over as we are very busy with it.” No work gets done and everyone has perpetually decided to put everything off till the 16th of May, the day of the election results.

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