Gplus volume 1 Issue 5 by G Plus

VOL 1 | ISSUE 5 | NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

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VOL 1 | ISSUE 5 | NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

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Priyanka Chopra

Catching Up, Pg 24

Guess who?

Diabetes and Heart Disease A double-edged sword

PG 04

PRICE RISE DIMS DIWALI LIGHTS Rising prices and disparity lowers festive spirit of the city

PG 12 Wassup @

WARD

NO 13

PG 19 G PLUS

PG 06

THE FEAR PSYCHOSIS Is the city always under a terror cloud?

OPINION

PG 11

ASSAM GOVT BENT ON RUINING ONLINE SHOPPERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BLISS

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G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Lead Story

PRICE RISE DIMS DIWALI LIGHTS Mrinmoyee Hazarika

Rising prices and disparity lowers festive spirit of the city

t is price rise versus the festival mood. This diwali, the price rise of crackers is going to bring about a lull in the festive zeal. Whereas, traders easily pass on this burden of price rise onto the common man and the helpless citizens face the brunt of the price rise problem. Apart from the religious beliefs and rituals being observed during the festival, crackers or the fireworks play a pivotal role in the celebration of Diwali and hence the potential of a huge cracker market is clearly visible across the state. Till now, there is no proper assessment of the exact volume of the cracker market of the state as a whole and Guwahati, in particular. However, looking at the use of crackers by both children and adults, during the festival of lights, it can be easily figured that the amount of business done by the traders will be in tens of crores. In the meantime, the rising price has affected the consumers more than the traders. Earlier, we used to hear the crackers right after Lakshmi Puja till the end of Diwali but this has died down in the last few years.

Price rise effect The impact of the price rise of essential commodities has also been seen in other sectors. Apart from the local cracker industries mainly located at Barpeta

Sale/purchase and use of high sound producing bomb/explosives/ crackers etc generating noise level exceeding 125 db, 145db is prohibited Use of fireworks or fire crackers from 10 pm to 6 am is prohibited Use of fire crackers at any time in silence zone that is area cmprising not less than 100 meters around hospitals, educational institutions, courts, religious places or any other area is declared by the competent authority is prohibited

and Nagaon districts of the state, crackers are mainly supplied to the city from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, which is the hub of the cracker industry of the country. The wholesale markets of the city situated in Fancy bazaar are being filled up with varieties of crackers mainly from Sivakasi. “This time the prices of the crackers have risen up to 10% than the previous year and therefore we have to buy lesser volume from the manufacturers from outside the state. Every year, we invest an amount of Rs 10 to 15 lakhs in the business during the time of Diwali,” a wholesale trader in Fancy bazaar told G Plus. On the other hand, the rising price has affected the pockets of the consumers more than that of the

traders. Though the traders have brought in less volume of crackers, they are churning out their share of profit from the investment. “For the last couple of years, we have been buying fireworks just two days before Diwali. But, earlier we used to stock it right from Durga Puja and burst them till the end of Diwali. Because of the hike in the prices of the crackers, we cannot afford to purchase more volumes and have to remain satisfied with whatever amount of crackers we can afford,” Manjt Bhuyan, a local resident said. Another city resident, Utpal Bhuyan said, “Nowadays, you will not get to buy a packet of ‘kalgos’ or ‘chocolate bomb’ or any other fireworks for less than Rs 100. The prices of other crackers like

‘fuljhari’, ‘jolokia bomb’ too have gone up. I have spent around Rs 1500 to buy a few packets of crackers for my kids. I cannot afford to buy more than that.” The wholesale price of a packet of ‘Jugmug’ is Rs 12 and the retail price of the same in the markets of Guwahati is Rs 25 to 30. Likewise, the wholesale price of a packet of ‘jolokia’ bomb is Rs 6 and the retail price is Rs 15. The wholesale prices of a packet of ‘kalgas’ and ‘sokori’ are Rs 60 to 70 and retail price of these two are Rs 120 to 150.

The business talk At a time when the citizens’ pockets are shrinking, the traders of the city are still turning good profits out of the cracker business.

“We have been involved with the retail cracker business for the last couple of years and every year, we make an investment of nearly Rs one lakh for it. The profit margin is very high in this business and like other traders, we charge 3 to 4 times more from our customers,” Amarjyoti Bora, a local dealer told G Plus. He also mentioned that he purchases the crackers for his shop from Nagaon district, since there is more variety to be found than at the shops of the local wholesalers. “There are different types of crackers found in the local production units of Nagaon. The fancy crackers which are available in Nagaon for around Rs 5000, gets sold in Guwahati for Rs 8000 or 10,000 in the markets of Guwahati.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Lead Story

Similarly, a large packet of ‘jolokia bomb’ which we purchase in Nagaon for Rs 35 to 40, gets sold for Rs 150 to 200 in the markets of Guwahati,” Bora said. Another local retailer of the city has mentioned that even the small roadside stalls seen during Diwali makes a minimum investment of Rs 1 lakh. “Investing a lakh in crackers is nothing. Even the small temporary roadside stalls, which we see during the Diwali, make investments between Rs 80,000 to 1 lakh because the margin of profit is very high in this business. Besides, the administration has banned high decibel crackers, but these are being sold secretly due to the demand of the public. Some are even doing business without having proper licenses,” the trader mentioned. Till 30th October, the local administration had issued 900 licenses to the retailers, which will remain valid from the 1st to 3rd of November. Last year, it issued 1000 such licences to the retailers of the city. “According to the government

The district admin has formed a task force in four areas of the city - Dispur, Pandu, Chandmari and Panbazar to confront any untoward situation during the days of diwali.

norms, the retailers can store a 100 kilo of crackers at their shops. Currently, there are 9 wholesale traders of firecrackers in the city,” sources at district administration told G Plus. Meanwhile, when the markets of the city are flooded with crackers produced outside the state, the indigenous cracker industry located mainly at Barpeta, a place more popular for its effects than sound, is facing a tough time. The growing aversion towards the fireworks coupled with the onslaught of fireworks made in Sivakasi and China has rendered the famous Barpeta fireworks stripped

of its fire. Once, these fireworks had a substantial market in foreign countries like Nepal and other Indian states like Delhi, Punjab and Mumbai. In Assam, the Barpeta fireworks ruled the roost during Diwali and marriage seasons. But, now the market has gone down. A fireworks maker of Barpeta said, “Fireworks were discontinued during the Assam agitation and ever since then, the licenses of many fireworks manufacturers have not been renewed. There are nearly 500 families who depended on the earnings from the fireworks sale”

There is no doubt that the cracker business has been bringing prosperity to the traders of the city, both wholesale and retail and still continues to grow during the festive season of Diwali. But, the rising price coupled with other factors has affected the consumers as well as the indigenous cracker industry. It is high time that the authority intervene so that the problem of high fluctuation in the cost of crackers is arrested immediately. After all, the very purpose of celebrating the festival of lights is to bring smile to the faces of the common people.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

G-View

THE FEAR PSYCHOSIS Is the city always under a terror cloud?

RAHUL CHANDA

The bomb scare

The 2008 Assam bombings occurred on the 30th of October, before noon in Guwahati city and the surrounding areas of western As-

“We have become kind of adjusted to bomb scares in Assam. I would like to tell the police that checking all the vehicles only before 15 August and 26 January will not ensure safety for Guwahatians. If they are only ensuring safety during certain days and occasions, the city is not safe, but if they are vigil round the clock every day, then only the people can feel safe.

sam. Reports indicated that as many as eighteen bombs went off, causing at least 77 deaths and 470 injuries. Even this year, the anti-talks NDFB (Sangbijit) faction triggered serial blasts in Assam on the Independence Day injuring one person in Kokrajhar district where it exploded two grenades and another one in neighbouring Chirang district. In a city, which is considered as a gateway to the northeast, bomb scare is something which is real and haunts everyone, every day. Gauhati High Court advocate Baharun Saikia said, “We have be-

“

ith the haunting memories of the 2008 serial blasts still lingering around, a sense of security has always managed to raise doubts in the collective consciousness of Guwahatians. Just like always, during any festival or occasion, along with the festivities, the city is also gripped by a sense of fear caused by the uncertainty of a possible terror attack. If we recall, there was a preindependence day blast in the city, where at least 15 persons were injured; two of them seriously, in a grenade blast on 28th July at the busy Paltan Bazar area. The blast, suspected to be a handiwork of the banned Ulfa (I) faction, took place when the police were checking vehicles near the station. The injured included two police home guard personnel. If something such as this can happen at the heart of the city every now and then, how secure is the scenario?

come kind of adjusted to bomb scares in Assam. I would like to tell the police that checking all the vehicles only before 15 August and 26 January will not ensure safety for Guwahatians. If they are only ensuring safety during certain days and occasions, the city is not safe, but if they are vigil round the clock every day, then only the people can feel safe.” She further added that on 30th October 2008, she was lucky that she did not go to the court but one of her colleagues was killed near the CJM court. Saikia requested the Assam government to install CCTV

cameras across the city, which will help the police to cope up with the criminals. A city based housewife Deepali Nath is always worried about her children and husband when they are outside. She said, “My children study in Guwahati Public School and every day they have to go through Ganeshguri. I feel very scared as you never know what will happen in Guwahati.” She further stated that it is scary to move around and shop in the city as the traffic is uncontrolled and if places like Paltan Bazar and Ganeshguri are targeted by bombers, there is no place where they can feel safe. Every 30th October after 2008, candles are lit across the city to show respect towards the victims of the 2008 serial blasts but the irony is that the man responsible for those blasts is roaming freely on bail and even being shielded by the government. It might be true that to ensure peace, various factions have to have talks with the government, but isn’t the peace talk policy encouraging the anti-talk rebels to kill more people and finally surrender to spend a nice and even luxurious life later?

Recent crude bomb detection In a major breakthrough for the Assam police, three crude bombs were detected and disposed from a Guwahati bound bus coming from Mangaldai. The passenger bus, which was carrying at least 60 passengers, was coming from Udalguri town in Udalguri district and was scheduled to reach the Machkhowa bus stand at around 2 p.m. on 24th October. Although no one was arrested, police suspect that two women were carrying the bombs. It was a major breakthrough no doubt, but here too, a question arises that in spite of having so many checkpoints a bomb did make its way into the city.

Cop speak

Speaking exclusively to G Plus, the Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) S.N. Singh agreed that bomb threat remains a reality in Assam because the state still has certain extrem-

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

G-View

Political threat

As there were some serial blasts in Patna when BJP’s Narendra Modi had to address a rally, one wonders what would happen if something like that happened in Guwahati as the Lok Sabha elections are approaching, and there will be many

Though they have been weakened considerably, factions like ULFA(I), NDFB (Sangbijit), RNLF and also the Garo outfits are still active. The bomb threat remains but the stress and tension which was there 10 years ago is no longer there.

“

ist organisations, which are active. He said, “Though they have been weakened considerably, factions like ULFA(I), NDFB (Sangbijit), RNLF and also the Garo outfits are still active. The bomb threat remains but the stress and tension which was there 10 years ago is no longer there.” On being asked about the most active and powerful group in Assam, the IGP said, “NDFB (Sangbijit) faction is very active, especially in four districts of BTAD and Sonitpur bordering Udalguri.” When asked about the brain behind crude bombs, which were detected in the Guwahati bound bus, he said, “People have been caught, Deepak Rabha is caught. He further stated that Drishti Rajkhowa stays in Garo Hills, for obvious reasons that he is safe there. He is married to a Garo girl, so, he has marriage alliance with the Garos. The Rabha organisations and the mishing organisations draw support from ULFA, as Garo people do not support them.” IGP Singh further discussed about the Maoist threat in Assam. He revealed, “It is also a real threat. Two and half years back, the Maoists tried to become active and in an encounter, five Maoist cadres were killed in Sadiya. It started since 1966-67. Two boys from Goalpara, Aklanta Rabha and Suraj Rabha rose in the ranks. The former one is in the politburo of the Maoist faction. The Maoists presence is also there in districts like Golaghat, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. They are not very active now, but presence is there.”

rallies here too! Reacting to this, the IGP said, “We have a system in place which was maybe not there in Bihar. I assure you that we are prepared for any such incident. Recently when the President came, we knew the places he was expected to visit and mounted security measures in place accordingly. If you remember in Patna, there were 30 police personnel at the gate of the rally and people were moving in and out without any checking, which is a security lapse. Here we have so many factions and we are always prepared.”

Azara alleged rape and murder case

The mysterious death of two young women whose bodies, were found near the rail track on the outskirts of the city and close to Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi international airport, resulted in a stir by the localities demanding to kill the driver and the people nabbed in the case. People claimed it is a rape case without any investigations being completed. The IGP said, “The Azara case is a crime and in Assam everything becomes issue of identity. Two

girls went to someone’s house and then while dropping the girls, the driver tried to dodge a check post because he was drunk and took a rural road which he was not familiar with. There, they met with an accident. We are waiting for the post mortem report for further investigations.” But the irony of the situation is that the post mortem takes a lot of time. On 31st October, Azara Police Constable Mr. Baruah said that they had not received the post mortem till then, whereas sources from the GMC expressed that reports do not take too long and it is the police who do not go and collect it. In a city which is inhabited by people from all races, castes and creeds, security is a concern, but the police too cannot be blamed entirely and even they are trying their best to bar all the crimes and threats which the citizens might have to face. It is a case of highlighting the one bomb that did go off and ignoring the 20 that were detected and diffused. There are security mechanisms in place, but in a place like Assam and Guwahati, the threat of terrorism is also real. So, when will citizens feel safe enough so that they are not scared when their children, husband or dear ones are out of home?

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

City

VOX POP

CHANGES –

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.

rom the last year or so, I have been feeling that the music scenario in the city has undergone a drastic change. When I came back from Delhi in 2010, I saw numerous changes in every aspect of the city! A friend of mine, who is a local resident, had invited me over for a jam session and on reaching, I saw many teenagers playing along with their seniors. They were doing hardcore metal numbers of bands like Messhuga, Cradle of Filth and Diimu Borgir and somehow I couldn;t help but feel that things had really changed! 17-22 year old guys nowadays metal music to classic rock and even the girls too have srated getting hooked on to it. At the same time, many event organisers started jumping on to this bandwagon and started to encourage such gigs and also gave out prizes to contest winners! Eventually, many new clubs, discotheques and pubs also started a platform where they could perform acoustics sets. Many new bands are now emerging in numbers in Guwahati and they can now think of making some moolah as well. Talking about changes, I guess I also need to mention here that back in 2007, a few FM stations were also launched and they too started playing local music! Moreover people in today’s time, cone an easily upload and download the songs to YouTube and Facebook, Reverbnation, Souncloud and others. Thanks to the netizens, local music is now accessible to everyone, which was not possible before. Also, thanks to the technologists, who are launching new phones and social applications almost every day, where people can text, send pictures, share videos and songs. However, here I also want to convey a message to people who are gradually carried away by technology! No doubt, some changes are necessary but others are adversely affecting the society. In case of music, young people get carried away by a fad without knowing much about it and they would rather play loud music with meaningful lyrics and finally end up in band with no direction. Due to the hype, guys are getting glued to their mobile phones rather than spending time studying and gaining knowledge. And due to the manpower and science, things like bikes, cars, laptops, computers and mobile phones are easily available at cheap rates, which make people more lethargic and detached! A man knows how to drive a car but doesn’t know to use dipper at night. A man doesn’t bother to throw garbage at a proper place but knows to upload a picture on facebook. A man knows to charge his mobile phone but doesn’t care to save electricity and water! A man knows how to update his status but doesn’t care to stand up when our National Anthem is played! These are the common things I come across everyday but then isn’t it time we spend some time to ponder?

CITIZEN JOURNALIST

Gaurav Saikia

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Is it time for Gogoi to hang up his boots?

person is said to have become old enough to retire when his/her child is considered suitable enough to fit into their shoes. Is that what has happened to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who has been reigning over the state of Assam for the last decade? He has seen both glorious and disastrous days. But lately, the man has been leaving tell-tale signs about him wanting to leave the limelight and make way for the younger blood to take over. Old age has been considered as one of the primal reasons for this move and it seems as more than a welcome move for the state at large as the great lion takes a break from his reigning glory and enjoys luxuries of a tenure well served and the perks that come along with it. Let’s hear what Guwahatians had to say about such a move.

Raju Hazarika, Lecturer

It is actually, time for Tarun Gogoi to retire from his post and also provide opportunity to his most eligible successor to replace him. Today, there are other leaders in the congress party who have the leadership qualities to take ahead the Assam’s development and also in the next elections; if the opposition party come to power then they too have some potential leaders who have the qualities to take charge of his post.

Siddharth Chakravarty, Audit Assistant

Tarun Gogoi should retire from his post after the next election so that his successors get fair chance to prove their talent and compete for the post of Chief Minister. Moreover, if he is thinking that his health will further not permit him to hold office then it is completely his decision and with a poor health condition it would also become difficult for him to govern as the Chief Minister.

Kundan Kumar Keshri, Accounts Officer

The age is never a factor if one wants to work with a full heart. Tarun Gogoi can work until his strong will power permits him to perform his duties and if the present political and economic situation demands his service then he can work, irrespective of the age factor.

Kaustab Chakraborty, Joint Secretary, Spicmacay

It is not necessary that Tarun Gogoi will have to retire because of his growing age, as age in politics, is never a factor. He should stay because it is under him that the development process has gained the momentum and in fact, the situation is better than the previous government. So, if suddenly he retires from his duties, there might be a situation where the development process can undergo a phase of irregularity.

Anupam Gogoi, Area Executive, ITC

Tarun Gogoi as a leader and as an individual is undoubtedly guiding the government with his best effort but the congress as a political party is finding it difficult to prove their capabilities thus making Assam’s future a vulnerable one. Moreover, we also do not have quality leaders in the opposition who could prove as a better option than him. So, it is not the time for him to retire as a politician but congress as the state’s ruling party should be replaced for a healthy future of Assam.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

City

BANDHS: A BANE

MRINMOYEE HAZARIKA

lthough the ‘bandh’ culture is condemned by all quarters of the society, various organisations including the political parties always seem to be in a race to declare them. The inconvenience of the common citizen is of least importance when these mindless bandhs are called for. Irrespective of the reasons for the calling off a bandh, there is no doubt that such random interruptions have caused losses to the daily routine of the city. The people, including the business community as well as the weaker sections of the society like daily wage earners, are severely affected by the sudden shutdown of their source of livelihood, even if it happens just for a day.

Bad for the society?

A few months ago, the OIL CMD had been targeted by the local organisations when he mentioned that the industry had incurred a considerable amount of loss due to the bandhs called upon by various organisations in the state. Even if later, post the severe verbal attacks on him, the CMD withdrew his statement, the truth is that the industries as well as the common people, face enormous difficulties because of the bandhs in the state. “Bandhs cause trouble not only to the business class, but also to the society at large. The traders of the state incur a cost of around Rs 1,000 crore if they have to shut down their businesses for a day. The traders in turn pass on this loss

Every time there is Bandh, it violates the fundamental right of a citizen. to the general public. Thus every time after a bandh, the common people have to bear the cost of its losses,” the president of the Assam Chambers of Commerce, Rupam Goswami told G Plus. Goswami also considers it as one of the major reasons for the price hike across the country. “Because of the sudden bandhs called at any time, the prices of various commodities have gone up. It is a nationwide phenomenon, but the state of Assam has witnessed more frequent bandhs than the rest of the country. Therefore, the people of Assam have had to face the problem of price rise at a worse level than the other parts of the country,” he added. Another avenue, which incurs losses during the periods of bandh is the public transportation system. Both the public and private bus services of the state get effected badly by these sudden bandhs. “Our monthly turnover is more than Rs 6 crore from the government owned bus services spanning across the state. If we have to stop our services for a day, we incur a loss of around Rs 20 lakhs, which is not a small amount. Likewise, we earn an amount of nearly half a crore per month from the city bus services operating in Guwahati. During the time of a bandh we incur a loss of more than Rs 4.5 lacs per day from this avenue too,” general secretary, State Transport Workers Association, Khurshid Alam told G Plus. Currently, there are 300 government owned city buses plying on the roads of the

Guwahati. The situation is same with the owners of private city bus services too. The bus owners face a loss of nearly Rs 1000 per day if they are not able to ply their buses on the roads. “We have to pay the costs of insurance, road tax, permit tax etc in advance, plus, we cannot deny the payments of the drivers as well as the handymen in case of the buses not running on road. There is no way that we can make up for the losses that we incur during a bandh. Besides, due to the increasing traffic, we are able to complete only six trips a day. Whereas, earlier we did eight round trips a day,” secretary, Guwahati Transport As-

sociation, Pradip Das lamented. Most importantly, the small children and young students who are considered as the future of the nation are being deprived of their education during such bandhs, which will ultimately affect their futures.

Way around

The whole state or some parts of the state come to a standstill whenever there is a bandh. Two years ago, the Gauhati High Court had first declared bandhs illegal and unconstitutional in line with a 1997 ruling by the Supreme Court that had upheld a Kerala High Court order declaring bandhs unlawful. The Gauhati High Court

said bandhs violate the fundamental rights of citizens. Yet bandhs are being called on a regular basis across the state. According to a report, there were 75 days of bandhs in Assam in 2005. A report by the Federation of Commerce and Industries in the North Eastern Region in 2005 had indicated that a day’s bandh in Assam costs the state exchequer an amount of Rs.41.14 crore. It is high time for the organisations of the state to consider an alternative way of demonstration, where all sections of the society can willingly take part in the process without hindering the natural growth of the socio economic conditions.

CAE asks govt to resolve flying club revival jam RAHUL CHANDA

n 27th January 2011, the government had taken a decision that there is no point to continue with the club anymore. According to the College of Aeronautical Engineering authorities, some unscrupulous

person convinced the government then that Guwahati is a high traffic zone; hence Assam Flying club cannot run at Guwahati. Assam chief minister TarunGogoi and Sports and Youth Welfare Commissioner and Secretary Ajay Tewari did not

like the decision much. Now, with the initiative of College of Aeronautical Engineering and some previous flying club members, Assam Flying Club Revival Committee was formed, which also had discussion with the

chief minister and the state sports minister Ajit Singh. TarunGogoi directed the sports minister that the grounded Flying Club should start working within three months. G Plus recently did a story on privatisation of Guwahati Airport. The Airport Authority Employees Union is repeatedly protesting the privatisation move and if the Guwahati Airport gets privatised than even the plan of reviving the flying club can further get affected as the private authorities will not give any subsidy in the rent and other requirements to run the club. Therefore, chief trustee of College of Aeronautical Engineering, BS Lahkar gave a press conference at the press club on 31st October 2013, asking the government to speed up the process of revival

before the airport gets privatised. He said, “I thank the Chief Minister,Sports and Youth Welfare Commissioner and Secretary Ajay Tewari, Airport Director Ashok Kumar Verma and all the members of revival committee for backing the revival plan. I am also in talks with BPF chief HagramaMohilary and state transport minister Chandan Brahma to provide an air strip based in Tamulpur for the Flying Club which can be also used for flying.” He further stated that approximately 90 to 94 flights land and take off from Guwahati Airport, so it is not a busy port. It takes 3 to 5 minutes for an aircraft to fly or land, so, if planned properly the Flying Club can easily start working without disturbing the air traffic.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Society

FEVER PITCH AAYS works to promote football across the region

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” GARGEE BARUAH

very little contribution counts and thus, forms a better society. But when there is a race for success everywhere, there is also a loss of balanced mind and soul. No wonder humanity is racing towards hollowness. So, in order to survive and be the fittest in this race (as Darwin propounded), a discipline is required, because unless there is discipline one would eventually be doomed when failure of physical health takes over material success in the world. Sports and games helps one achieve a balanced mind, body and soul. It is a recreational activity, which is compulsory for all youngsters to engage in since it helps develop a rounded personality which again supports Darwin’s theory of ‘Survival of the fittest’. Here, G Plus catches a glimpse of the Assam Association of Youth Soccer and their activities. The association, which was founded in 2009 was the brainchild of Ranajit Mahanta and strives to promote the game of football in the region and build better sportsmen by providing them the required opportunity. The association aims to make the game of football popular in the region, help and provide sufficient structure and equipments to the youth of the region, organise tournaments and festivals to reunite the youth for this game, protect the interest of the members and raise funds for the game.

AAYS founded in 2009. First 5 a side tournament organized by AAYS on June 2009. Second 5 a side tournament organized by AAYS on August 2009. Hosted Guwahati soccer festival for AAYS player members in Dec 2010. Promotion of Indian football team playing in Asian cup 2011. Vodafone 1 vs. 1 challenge on April 2011 Assam Rhino FC founded on June 2011 ARFC club trials. 108 players registered for the trials in 2011. Ranajit Mahanta acquires FA Level 1 in 2011.

The irony of passion.

When passion can be turned into a career, what else does one need! However, the fairytale that one is led to believe through one’s childhood comes under a lot of external and internal threats once one steps outside the protective cocoon of childhood. The society does not let the individual become one with those dreams woven during childhood. One becomes a laughing stock at his own home. Nevertheless, there are exceptions, which encourage you to follow passion. One such person is Ranajit Mahanta, founder of AAYS. A national level player himself, he started pro-

moting the game in the region at the age of 19. What led Ranajit Mahanta to choose to develop the game and not take it forward as a player? “I wanted to play football and never thought of taking it up as a career. A few years ago, I was playing in Delhi and got severely injured. It kept me out for nine months and I left Mayo College and returned to Guwahati, my hometown. After I came back, I realised that we do not have any sports facilities out here in schools except for cricket. I was still enjoying playing football but it was not the same anymore.

No fields, no opportunities and no coach. There is so much talent out here but no proper direction. That was when I thought of getting into coaching.”

Vision of AAYS

1) To provide a platform to per form in a higher level. 2) Encourage girls interested in playing soccer. 3) Participation of members in YSL tournaments for both boys and girls. 4) Soccer league organised by AAYS each year. 5) Students get to participate in national and international training camps organized by PIFA each year. 6) Classes for individual skill development to create a character in each player. 7) Safety of the players during training camps. 8) To protect the interest of our members. 9) Provide counselling and funds to members who are interested in taking up soccer as a career.

Strategies that AAYS takes up

AAYS’ first step is to approach schools and make them understand about the project’s aims because it believes that schools are the best medium to reach out to the youth of this region. They are also open to any volunteering from

ARFC visited Delhi and Rajasthan for a friendly soccer tour from 10th to 16th August 2012. Frolic Sports café inaugurated on October 12, 2013. Frolic Sports café is a commercial part of AAYS which has been anticipated by sport lovers of Assam. Frolic sports café offers Motion sensor gaming through PS3, snacks bar, live sports on big screen, snooker, pool and table tennis. It also offers a mini gym.

the corporate sector to extend any support to the organisation. Media too, is a key factor towards promoting the project known and taking the message to every nook and corner of this region. AAYS has held press meets as well for this purpose and the association received a warm response. Ranajit Mahanta, who is also a certified coach feels that Assam lacks facilities suitable for its players and due to this, AAYS has come up to meet the requirements of the young players. AAYS, he says, is the only academy here which organises tournaments every year. There is no scope for under- 14 and under -16 boys and the only tournaments they get are the district level ones. It is initiatives such as these which still make us believe and create a better world. It is tough to think that someone would deliver unconditional service in present times but that is what AAYS is doing.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Business

ASSAM GOVT BENT ON RUINING ONLINE SHOPPER’S BLISS SHAMBHAVI

ith the online shopping sector widening and turning out to be moneyspinner, the Assam government is finding ways and means to tax the sector. The government is working on the law to tax the online shopping transactions. Assam has proposed to tap new revenue sources and has proposed to bring online shopping under the tax net. The chief minister, Tarun Gogoi said , “Those who are purchasing online are affluent people so they should not mind paying VAT on the items purchased. Huge online purchase is going on.” The state government will study the USA and Australia model to find out as to how those states have implemented taxing from online transaction. The size of online shopping industry of the region is

between Rs 75 Crores to Rs 100 Crores. Myntra.com conducted a study recently that highlighted the growing prominence of online shopping among the youth in Guwahati. This study ranked Guwahati 11th among the top 15 cities in India for online shopping. In the top bracket were Delhi NCR, Bangalore and Mumbai. The portal, which has done a business of Rs 400 Crores in the last fiscal year is eyeing a turnover of Rs 800 Crores. Northeast India accounts for Rs 10 Crores of the company’s business and the company is targeting around Rs 25 Crore business in this fiscal year from the region. Ashutosh Lawania, Co-founder, Myntra said, “Presently these

items are duty paid. We are not aware about Assam government’s proposal. This move to tax the sector state wise will not be in the interest of the industry. ” The Industry feels this will be counterproductive and will unnecessary burden the consumer. The online sector is growing and

it is not desirable at this juncture to tax the sector. The biggest user of this sector is youth. Even the Myntra study revealed that Myntra. com receives around 350 - 400 orders per day from Assam.

NRL SIGNS MOU JINDAL COMES TO GHY

umaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) inked two MOUs, one with the Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL) for import of Crude Oil & LPG and another with the Cement Corporation of India (CCI) for setting up a power plant. According to NRL, a tripartite MOU was inked in New Delhi between the Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL), NRL & Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) for carrying out a techno-commercial feasibility study to put up 6 MMTPA (million metric tonnes per annum) Bulk Crude Oil Import facilities by NRL. This also includes 1 MMTPA Bulk LPG Import facilities by BPCL (to meet the market demand in Eastern India) at Dhamra Port in Odisha in

the country’s East Coast. NRL has signed an MOU with CCI. It proposed to enter into a strategic tie-up between the two companies whereby 3,60,000 tonnes per annum of Raw Petroleum Coke (RPC), likely to be generated at Numaligarh Refinery after its proposed capacity expansion, would be used for generation of power. According to the MOU, a power plant (75 Mega Watt) is proposed to be set up at Bokajan in Assam considering the availability of fuel grade RPC from Numaligarh Refinery and limestone available near Bokajan. The Fly Ash & Gypsum generated in the combustion process are proposed to be utilised in manufacturing of cement.

indal Steel and Power Ltd. (JSPL) have announced its foray into the steel retail segment with the launch of a new retail brand in Guwahati. This product which is a steel item used for building construction has been launched under the brand name of ‘Jindal Panther TMT Rebars’. V.K Mehta, Director sales and marketing, JSPL who was in Guwahati said, “ Presently we are selling around 1000 tonnes of Rebars in Northeast and across the country it will be around 20,000 tones,” The reinforced bar segment of Northeast India is close to Rs 200 Crore. He added that the size of the Northeastern market

is 40,000 tonnes per month and JSPL is looking to target 5000 tonnes of reinforced bars. Rohit Choudhri, Associate Vice president (marketing) of JSPL said, “Presently we have 3 distributors and 50 dealers in the region, which we want to expand. We will add another 75 dealers and cover different areas of the region.” JSPL is producing 1.4 million tonnes of rebars. In the next couple of years, this capacity will be enhanced by at least three times. The company is also coming up with a warehouse in Guwahati spread across 2 acres.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Health

Diabetes and Heart Disease A double-edged sword Dr. Bikash Rai Das, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, GNRC Hospitals, Dispur

nstead of sons bringing their fathers for heart check-up as it was 15 years ago, in two out of 10 patients today, the father brings his son for a check-up. More young people have diabetes today. If the father turned diabetic at 60, the son would become diabetic at 50 and the grandson would develop the condition much earlier because of changing lifestyles. People who have diabetes are more susceptible to heart attacks. These heart attacks may frequently go unnoticed in diabetics. Heart disease may occur at an earlier age in diabetics than among others and the rate of heart attack is the same for both men and women with diabetes. Diabetes confers a substantially greater risk (3-4-fold higher) of heart attack and cardiac death among Indians than in Europeans.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism (the way our bodies use digested food for energy). Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the body’s main source of fuel. After digestion, glucose enters the bloodstream. Then glucose goes to cells throughout the body where it is used for energy. However, a hormone called insulin must be present to allow glucose to enter the cells. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach. In people, who do not have diabetes, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into the cells. However, diabetes develops when the pancreas does not make enough insulin, or the cells in the muscles, liver, and fat do not use insulin properly, or both. As a result, the amount of glucose in the blood increases while the cells are starved of energy. Over time, high blood glucose levels damage nerves and blood vessels, leading to complications such as heart disease, the leading causes of death among people with diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes can eventually lead to other health problems as well, such as stroke, vision loss, kidney failure, and amputations.

What is the connection between diabetes and heart disease?

If one has diabetes, one is at least twice as likely as someone who does not have diabetes to have heart disease. People with diabetes also tend to develop heart disease at an earlier age than other people. If one is middle-aged and have type 2 diabetes, some studies suggest that one’s chance of having a heart attack is as high as someone without diabetes who has already had one heart attack. Women who have not gone through menopause usually have less risk of heart disease than men of the same age. But women of all ages with diabetes have an increased risk of heart disease because diabetes cancels out the protective effects of being a woman in her child-bearing years. People with diabetes who have already had one heart attack run an even greater risk of having a second one. In addition, heart attacks in people with diabetes are more serious and more likely to result in death. High blood glucose levels over time can lead to increased deposits of fatty materials on the insides of the blood vessel walls. These deposits may affect blood flow, increasing the chance of clogging and hardening of blood vessels (atherosclerosis).

What are the risk factors for heart disease in people with diabetes?

Diabetes itself is a risk factor for heart disease. Also, many people with diabetes have other conditions that increase their chance of developing heart disease. These conditions are called risk factors. One risk factor for heart disease is having a family history of heart disease. If one or more members of one’s family had a heart attack at an early age (before age 55 for men or 65 for women), one may be at increased risk. One can’t change whether heart disease runs in one’s family, but one

can take steps to control the other risk factors for heart disease listed here:

Central obesity:

Central obesity means carrying extra weight around the waist, as opposed to the hips. A waist measurement of more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women means one have central obesity. One’s risk of heart disease is higher because abdominal fat can increase the production of LDL (bad) cholesterol, the type of blood fat that can be deposited on the inside of blood vessel walls.

Abnormal blood fat (cholesterol) levels:

LDL cholesterol can build up inside one’s blood vessels, leading to narrowing and hardening of one’s arteries-the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Arteries can then become blocked. Therefore, high levels of LDL cholesterol raise one’s risk of getting heart disease. Triglycerides are another type of blood fat that can raise one’s risk of heart disease when the levels are high. HDL (good) cholesterol removes deposits from inside one’s blood vessels and takes them to the liver for removal. Low levels of HDL cholesterol increase one’s risk for heart disease.

High blood pressure:

If one has high blood pressure, also called hypertension, one’s heart must work harder to pump blood. High blood pressure can strain the heart, damage blood vessels, and increase one’s risk of heart attack, stroke, eye problems, and kidney problems.

Smoking:

Smoking doubles one’s risk of getting heart disease. Stopping smoking is especially important for people with diabetes because both smoking and diabetes narrow blood vessels. Smoking also increases the risk of other longterm complications, such as eye problems. In addition, smoking can damage the blood vessels in one’s legs and increase the risk of amputation.

What can one do to prevent or delay heart disease?

Even if one is at high risk for heart disease, one can help keep one’s heart and blood vessels healthy. One can do so by taking the following steps:

Diet that is “heart-healthy.”

Foods high in fiber may help lower blood cholesterol. Oatmeal, whole-grain breads and cereals, beans and peas, fruits, and vegetables are all good sources of fiber.

Cut down on saturated fat

It raises one’s blood cholesterol level. Saturated fat is found in meats, poultry skin, butter, dairy products with fat, shortening, lard, and tropical oils such as palm and coconut oil. Cholesterol is found in meat, dairy products, and eggs. We have to keep the amount of trans-fat in our diet to a minimum. It’s a type of fat in foods that raises blood cholesterol. Limit one’s intake of crackers, cookies, snack foods, commercially prepared baked goods, cake mixes, microwave popcorn, fried foods, salad dressings, and other foods made with oil. Check for trans-fat in the Nutrition Facts section on the food package.

Points to Remember

Controlling the ABCs of diabetes-A1C (blood glucose), blood pressure, and cholesterol-can cut one’s risk of heart disease and stroke. Choosing foods wisely, quitting smoking, and taking medications (if needed) can all help lower one’s risk of heart disease and stroke. If someone has any warning signs of a heart attack or a stroke, get medical care immediately-don’t delay. Early treatment of heart attack and stroke in a hospital emergency room can reduce damage to the heart.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

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G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Reviews

Krrish 3

A wanna be Hollywood film attempt Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Vivek Oberoi and Kangana Ranaut Director: Rakesh Roshan

Guwahati remembers the legend Venue : GTC Auditorium on 20th Oct’ 13 Play : Shaheed Bhagat Singh Script : Vivek Jalan Actors : Unmilan Kalita, Vivek Jalan Direction : Manik Roy

“M

xactly a decade back, even Rakesh Roshan would’ve never envisaged that Koi Mil Gaya [2003] would cover such a long and prosperous distance, regaling audiences and winning hearts across the globe. The gargantuan success of Koi Mil Gaya encouraged the Roshans to create one of the most lucrative franchises in India, resulting in Krrish [2006], and now Krrish-3 [2013]. In retrospect, the franchise only got bigger with the passage of time. The scale, the budget, the characters and everything seems like a giant leap than the predecessor. Superheroes have been around in Hindi cinema for decades, but huge technology jumps have made ‘Krrish 3’ the slickest of them all, special effects-wise. The rest of it is marred by tackiness. When Krrish is doing his derring-do stunts, we watch, even if we’ve seen Superman do this 30 years ago. But when he delivers maudlin dialogue about fathers and mothers and bravery, we are pulled back to the ground with a thud, with the superhero the Roshans made. Hrithik is the perfect choice amongst the Bollywood superstar lot to do this role. With his superbly articulated chest, each muscle moving and shiny and oiled, Krrish doesn’t even need a mask and a cape. But the ensemble is eye-catching, and we ignore his immaculately-styled long hair, flying in the wind, when he is whizzing about rescuing little boys. Roshan Jr is as likeable and earnest as he usually is, but can’t rise above the mothballed treatment. Roshan Sr, who has written and directed, should have given the superhero more to do. But he gets stuck in bringing the backstory forward. The soppy but sweet `Koi Mil Gaya’s ( 2003) socially challenged but brilliant Rohit begets Krishna, who finds his super-powers in ‘Krrish’ ( 2006). Both the ageing Rohit and Krishna star in `’Krrish 3’, and both roles are played by Hrithik. Priyanka, playing Krishna’s TV reporter wife, has to look on admiringly as Hrithik does his standard dance number. He is still as dextrous, but the dancing has no zing, and the songs are terrible. All is hunky dory, with Krrish doing his superhero stuff, rescuing a damaged aircraft ( there are no seat belts around the screaming passengers : should we care, or does anything go if it is a superhero film? ). And then Kaal ( Oberoi, kitted out in pale pancake and snarls), with the help of his coldly beautiful creation Kaya ( Ranaut, fancy-plaited and slitty-eyed) and a few other `human-aliens’, rears up in his den in some snowy mountains in an unspecified spot. And begins his plans of decimating the human race. At which point I stopped asking for even slim logic to connect the ‘maanwars’, Kaal’s word for his man and animal creatures, and scientists doing hocus pocus in labs and chattering about viruses and antidotes and so on. I kept trying to ignore the blatant brands promotion that ‘Krrish 3’ turns into. I stopped hoping that Roshan Sr would abandon his old-style filmmaking to bring us something dazzlingly new. I was left with a few truly spectacular scenes—full marks to the SFX team-- in which Krrish leapfrogs across the sky. This is where some kids ( and adults) may clap and cheer. The rest of it is the usual old `ma-pitaji ‘ mush-fest. And oh yes, there is sure to be a Krrish 4. Or given that there was no 2 between the original Krrish and this third instalment, maybe that will be 5. Whatever, I’m not holding my breath. If you want to, all the very best!

era Naam Sardar Bhagat Singh hai.” This was the line uttered by the turban clad Vivek Jalan. The audience in the packed GTC Auditorium could not have been more enthralled. From his childhood up to his hanging, the play effectively portrayed all the critical events of the legendary revolutionary’s life. Unmilan Kalita as the child Bhagat singh did a splendid job and delivered his dialogues perfectly. But it was Vivek Jalan who stole the show and went into the skin of the character, displaying marvelous acts of courage and rebellion. He moved, he stood still, he smirked, he cried, but his eyes emoted best when they had to reflect revolution and exasperation. I had known him to be a dynamic chartered accountant but now, here I was observing his brilliant execution of the angst that the legendary felt during each moment of his life since childhood. In the play, his revolutionary thoughts seemed to be talking to the viewers’ innermost selves. It seemed to tell them that the time has come for us to act in unison, instead of complaining. It seemed to implore to them that respect must be paid to his sacrifice and larger than life thoughts so that his dream of a better and changed India can come true. BY ANUJ BAJAJ

The White Horse Venue : GTC Auditorium on 20th Oct’ 13 Play : The White Horse Anchor : Vivek Jalan Actors : Srishti Sharma, Anindita Sarma, Roopchanda Hazarika, Chandan Thakuria, Dhruba Hazarika, Barkha Baruah, Maharishi Kashyap, Ziun Ahmed. Concept & Direction : Manik Roy

his participatory theatrical play on the struggles, pains, pressures and happiness of the teenagers had a wonderfully laid out concept of audience involvement. They could share their views and talk to the characters and presenters. Guwahati saw history being made as this unique concept had not been implemented before. The play opened with the playfulness of the children, their childish rivalries and took us through our sweet memories of our childhood. But it all lasted for a few minutes as it then moved on to sarcastically reveal the numerous shades of a teenager’s life. From being compared with their peers to spending each moment seeing directionless dreams to handling societies’ & parents’ ever critical views on their actions and goals, the characters smartly shadowed each situation with their impressive acts. The varied content of the three stories threw situations at the audience to debate on. No story carried an ending as the tales of the teenagers are truly indefinite. The play focused hard on the subject of “Percentage Pressure” on the present age teens, the burden of parents’ expectations that kills the child in each youngster and the roads of extreme frustration that they have to resort to at the end. In one brilliantly executed situation of a frustrated youngster feeling like caged inside a box of burdens, Actor Maharishi excelled and weaved the defining moment of the play. One could actually feel the sweat and the tension that rose as he felt the box being more tightly packed, only to be rescued of this moment of madness by his seven understanding friends. Each of the characters came alive as all the actors did an applauding job. Hailing from non-hindi speaking backgrounds, all the actors learnt the Technical side of Hindi continuously for one week before the play. The play was very well received by the audience and they formed an unanimous view that a parent must not form a critical view of their children rather lend them a friend’s hand and motivate them to be a better human while they are on a quest to realize their dream. BY ANUJ BAJAJ

NOW

SHOWING Krrish 3

Anuradha CinePLEX

APSARA Cinema

FUN CINEMAS

Daily at 10.45 AM, 2.00, 5.15, 8.30 PM

Daily at 10.45 AM, 2.00, 5.00, 8.00 PM

Daily at 9.00 AM, 11.50, 2.40, 5.30 & 8.30 PM

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Fashion

Men & Jackets

GARGEE BARUAH

Ah, the killer! The slim-fi td fectly work enim jacket is tailo r-made fo e r th line. It ma d-out body. It enha nces your at perkes you lo ok taller a shoulder the crowd n . The best part of this d stand out among wear it to ja fo ck etc. It is o rmal events, casua et is that you can lh ne whether y jacket that gives y ang-outs, parties ou ou wear it storm a p to work o the perfect look arty! Read r you are y re the girls d rool at you to make the heads ady to turn and ? For casual wear, team fitted brow it up wit n give it a b cotton pants and h the funky wellsh ea wear, just ch or an evening ap oes and a hat to put on you peal. As a r black) and w formal those form ell-tailored formal pan P.S: This ja al cket is eno shoes (black again). ts (in ug ing should be “keep it h. So, the rest of yo ur clothsimple, sill y!”.

up and over you ntion c n a c I st one. the atte the hotte o grab all hot“Hi, I am armer. I can als look and I look y hen uw n w o a y ) t e r e v o k ti a m I can sp superla . rd e isw p rc ro su a c n o is n am a in the ce there a bike. I amsels are in s (s e id st r -e e test nd gm ules whe n wearin cket the perso , I love being Herc e to say? This ja o m ls r a fo d ft n a sist at is le me! Now, wh ! around.” elf. Self-obsessed the best. Excuse o s r it e fo r s w fo s or ird talks h jean or harem to carry it up wit ts n m a a p e r T e : P.S guts leath have the ngs, say black Did you , go for it if you of heavy metal so s id ll r e e ra b w W o d ? ll n stuff ir a e a fo messy ha ing, and you’r the look the one with the ear it with anyth s an e !W and you’r cks and a tattoo and the pair of je lo t d a a h re y d o d b an ow ith the c it! maybe, w boy shoes. I like w o c e th d an

uilted jackets are any day better as they look nice and beat out the cold too. Adventurous ones who are ever ready to experiment with looks and can easily carry the look should go for bright colours like red and green. Also, red half- sleeved quilted jacket looks good on guys who sport their bike-riding rage too. These jackets are easily available in any showroom and Puma has a fine collection of it. Such jackets are warm enough to be worn in hill- stations or for adventure trips as well. The warm and long coat gives the sophis-

The metro-sexual appeal

This is another blessing in disguise as it can be teamed up with formal as well as casual trousers. This is all sophistication and elegance. If you’re blessed with good looks, or you’re an inborn charmer, this will make you the perfect metrosexual man. Another important factor about this jacket is that it is recommended if you have an average or good physique.

The hunk

Warm up!

The autumn-winter collection is here. To bring out the best in you, G Plus brings some help into your closet.

Some of the retail outlets in Guwahati Pantaloons D T Towers, Near Downtown Hospital, G S Road, Guwahati - 781007 Call: (0361) 2229091 Westside Christian Basti, G S Road, G S Road, Guwahati - 781005 9678614541 (0361) 2343940 Sohum Emporio Swagata Square ABC, Opposite Times of India, Below S Rajiv Bhawan, G S Road, GUWAHATI - 781005 (0361) 2466336, 4634634

The charmer imple keep it s this to s e k li who owd, l person ne among the cr hort or o o c e th If you’re anage to be the o if you’re tall or s k. If o m er and yet, u. Doesn’t matt nages to fit the lo you. o a y to r m e t r fo e o ’s k e c m ja on dd e halo lean, this , it will a burly or harmer already the angel with th c a ry, you are on’t wor air of boring, d cket’s talents! ith the p nes ja If you’re w e p th u f o it ou eo m assures y casual. So, tea ages or with th r lly fo ta t o e s T : lo c .S P r g at you ith. jeans lyin friendly affair w a e v a h u yo

Attitude This o n cizes y e is simple a our de n perfec meano d yet, classy t u . body c attitude to c r. However, It romantiarry it an car it requ r it’s no b t a na y it. It is a d ecause, not ires a v e everyThis is y blue nim ja c a unders light-blue one which i ket and no, denim s ubiq tand it uitous at all! s value jacket . I a from ‘Th wouldn’t w if you care a nd you will a b n o t e u t D t o evil we f s for the ars Pra ound like M ashion b da’ tho ir P.S: If etter. u gh but anda y , it’s all AMAZ ou have th is I a pair NG! This jac in your clo of casu ket can set, yo al pals. A u are nd if y shorts and be teamed u p with shoes ou wan of trou or s t roon c ers, wear da to team it u even chaprk- co otton p p with lo ants an a u d brow red ones lik pair e man shoe s.

Sohum Shoppe Mega Plaza, Christian Basti, G S Road, G S Road, Guwahati - 781005 (0361) 2340326, 2341237, 2341326, 2341327, 2341328

ticated office guy look and no wonder many Hollywood stars had sported the look on films. It is always a jacket you can rely upon. However, the look of the jacket is one thing whereas, it is advisable to be worn in the latter half of December when it is ‘cold’ in Guwahati in the proper sense of the word. Leather jackets will always be in fashion. They team up well with a funky pair of jeans and shoes. A leather jacket is definitely a must-have! There is a wide range of jackets to choose from as the stores are full of fresh garments

waiting to be plucked by the fashion hoppers in Guwahati. Guwahatians do not need to depend on just few retail hubs because there is street-side stalls too, loaded with attractive winter wear for men. Paltan Bazar has a host of such shops. People who like to wear the street collection can head straight now because, the street has a funky collection. Most of the good ones arrive from Thailand. There are the ‘bhutiya’ markets which imply the garments being imported from Bhutan. Also, there is individual line up of shops in Ganeshguri, Commerce, Fancy Bazar to

experience variety in shop- hopping and I bet, the shopaholics will rush to these destinations as always. Fashion is all about making you feel good about yourself and is not to be mistaken with ‘utility’. If you’re not concerned about fashion, wear whatever makes you happy. Most people do not follow fashion but, manage to strike a chord with the ambience because they love what they wear and they flaunt that infectious smile. Thus, no matter what you wear, just remember to wear happiness!

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Bazaar

Diwali De-light!

Havell’s Home Décor Range Price list ARISTO Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for incandescent frosted candle lamp upto 60W/ 8W TU retrofit CFL. Price: Rs. 1600.00 VENZA Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for incandescent frosted candle lamp upto 60W/ 8W TU retrofit CFL. Price: Rs. 1600.00

GARGEE BARUAH

CUBO 1 Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for BI-Pin halogen lamp upto 60W. Price: Rs. 1450.00

he city is all set to dazzle in the festivity of Diwali. Diwali, as we know is the festival of lights and this is the time when our homes are decorated with all the beauty there is. People decorate the interiors as well as the exteriors with a variety of lights. The point of Diwali is, the more the merrier! Homes are filled with the fullness of all the brightness there could be. No wonder, why even adults behave like awe- struck kids when it’s Diwali. When the entire city is lit with the mirth of the festival, why not take a sneak peek at the decorative lights that can create the perfect ambience at your home this Diwali!

All that glitters (The Decorative Lights) Good things come in small packages.

CUBO 2 Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for BI-Pin halogen lamp upto 2x60W. Price: Rs. 2900.00

Hang’em High

Hanging lamps are preferred the most as told by a salesman. They are antique and come in so many forms and designs. The hanging lamps come in designs as conical shaped and bronze, black or copper coloured, striped with traditional (from China) patterns, balloon shaped which commonly comes in red or yellow. Brand: Home Lights Hanging blue/yellow/green t-light lanternRs. 239.00 Antique hanging natural t-light lantern- Rs. 477.00

Coloured decorative crystal light which come in different shades like green and purple, which is more of a showpiece look pretty as well as befitting the Diwali environment. Its size makes it fit almost anywhere and can be the centre of attraction when placed atop the centre table in the living room. Price ranges from `1000.00. Store: Light zone Place: Ganeshguri Lamps are exquisite and represent sophistication. While the sizes of lamps vary, they are graceful and a perfect home décor. The tall sleek lamp-post bent towards the head where the lamp is radiating its glow, is a muse. This lamp is an artefact that adds an artistic dimension to the room. Store: D’ Light Place: Bora Service Lanterns are classy as they have an ancient look. Crystal lantern turquoise-hued, with iron holding and handle is a unique one. They also come in crystal lanterns stuffed with red wiry fillings inside. Lanterns come in a variety of designs and are also a favourite among other lights. They steal the show and are beyond comparison as the lantern is a most favoured interior decoration especially when the interior setting is such that it demands subtlety and a touch of classic. However, they are rare to find and therefore, mostly ordered This is the grandest and the most gorbeforehand as told by an interior decorator, Mrs. geous of all lights and is a show- stopPankhee Bhattacharya. per. A large hall looks empty without the bunch of lights in a chandelier hanging in the centre from the ceiling. The crystal chandelier has a variety of designs with each fragment carved with uniformity Brand: Home Lights as well as uniqueness in its uniform patterns Brown decorative lantern- ` 600.00 and completion. The chandelier lights are suitBright green lantern- ` 1,200.00 ed for grand occasions mostly. Brand: Basement Bazaar Store: D’ Light Gel lantern- ` 250.00 Place: Bora Service Brand: Dazzle Décor

Aladdin ka Chiraag aka The Magic Lamp

Lantern

Chandelier lights

Tutor lantern- ` 8,599.00 Sainsbury lantern- ` 7,899.00

TAURUS Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for incandescent frosted candle lamp upto 60W. Price: Rs. 1600.00 LIBRA Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for incandescent frosted candle lamp upto 2x60W. Price: Rs. 3200.00 PETAL 1 Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for incandescent frosted candle lamp upto 1x60W. Price: Rs. 1600.00 PETAL 2 Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for incandescent frosted candle lamp upto 2x60W. Price: Rs. 3200.00 MONARCH Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for incandescent frosted candle lamp upto 2x60W. Price: Rs. 1600.00 WOODSTER Decorative wall mounting fixture with opal glass diffuser suitable for BI-Pin Halogen lamp upto 60W. Price: Rs. 1800.00

Prettiness and Elegance D’ Light in Bora Service is a popular store in Guwahati. It has a variety of home decorative lights in almost every size and shape. The collection of decorative lights found here, are basically abound with elegance. Havells, Philips, Bajaj electricals’ products are mostly found here. Lightzone in Ganeshguri, on the other hand stands tall in the prettiness of its artefacts. The products found here are different from the above mentioned store as Light-zone has more of a collection of decorative lights from different small brands and also, from Chinese brands. It houses a unique collection of lights which is also most suitable for home decoration during the festival of Diwali.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Web Watch

Aakash 4 tablet launching in January 2014

Captain America The Winter Soldier trailer crosses 17 million hits in one week. Set to release April next year.

‘Li-fi’ via LED light bulb data speed breakthrough

fter much deliberation, the Union HRD ministry has given the go ahead to its ambitious Aakash 4 project, and a cabinet note seeking permission for the production of the low-cost tablet is expected soon. Under this proposal, HRD plans to procure over 22 lakh tablets at a cost of Rs. 330 crore through Directorate General of Supplies (DGS&D), ministry sources said. In the first phase of the scheme, Aakash 4 tablets will be given to engineering institutes which will be directly bought from vendors empanelled by the DGS&D. The tablet, estimated at USD 35 per piece, will be provided to students at a subsidised rate. Sources at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology have said the new tablet will be

out by January next year. The CAG in September had slammed the HRD Ministry for the shortcomings in the Aakash tablet project, raising questions over “arbitrary” selection of IITRajasthan to launch the scheme. The public auditor had observed that the ministry decided to launch Aakash through the IIT-Rajasthan without ascertaining their capacity to undertake the work which adversely affected the project delivery. The development of the tablet has since been shifted from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Jodhpur, to IIT Bombay. The new version of the tablet will allow students to read and compose in Hindi, Kannad, Punjabi, Gujarati, Tamil, Malayalam, Manipur etc along with audio-video chat facility.

Disney develops way to ‘feel’ touchscreen images

isney researchers have found a way for people to “feel” the texture of objects seen on a flat touchscreen. The technique involves sending tiny vibrations through the display that let people “feel” the shallow bumps, ridges and edges of an object. The vibrations fooled fingers into believing they were touching a textured surface, said the Disney researchers.

K researchers say they have achieved data transmission speeds of 10Gbit/s via “li-fi” - wireless internet connectivity using light. The researchers used a micro-LED light bulb to transmit 3.5 Gbit/s via each of the three primary colours - red, green, blue - that make up white light which means over 10Gbit/s is possible. Li-fi is an emerging technology that could see specialised LED lights bulbs providing low-cost wireless internet connectivity almost everywhere. The research, known as the ultra-parallel visible light communications project, is a joint venture between the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews, Strathclyde, Oxford, and Cambridge and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The tiny micro-LED bulbs, developed by the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, allow streams of light to be beamed in parallel, each multiplying the amount of data that can be transmitted at any one time.

Gmail, Yahoo may be banned in government offices by year-end

‘GTA V’ will be on PCs soon, says Intel man

t may have launched first on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but it’ll be on PC soon enough and would have been there sooner if it were not for a big money deal. That’s according to Chris Silva, the Director of Marketing for Intel’s Premium Notebooks division. “With Grand Theft Auto, I don’t think it’ll be console exclusive very long,” he said, speaking to PC Gamer at a developer forum.” But that’s what happens when you have a brand new launch with two companies that have lots of money trying to make sure they have content. Somebody paid a lot of money to make sure that title was exclusive was his bullish contention, implying that a PC conversion was stalled in the interests of Microsoft and Sony -- though Rockstar and 2K Games also benefit where players buy once on console and again on PC.

ary of cybersnooping, the government could ban e-mail services such as Gmail and Yahoo for official communications by December this year in a move to safeguard its critical and sensitive data. The government is expected to route all its official communication through the official website NIC’s email service. The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) is drafting a policy on e-mail usage for government offices and departments and the policy is almost ready. The department is now taking views from other ministries on it.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Ward Watch

GMC snubs Natun Sarania woes PRATIK DHAR

Ward No.

Gandhi Basti area Silpukhuri area Lachit Nagar area South Sarania area Ulubari area Pub Sarania area South Sarania area Part of Rajgarh area Gandhi Mandap area

Natun Sarania (Hill Side)

Landmark – Near Kali Mandir, Gandhi Basti TOTAL RESIDENCE: 150-200 (approx.) ELIGIBLE VOTERS: 400-500 (approx.)

ast week, after the ward watch on ward no. 21, this time our investigation has jumped off to ‘Natun Sarania’ (Hill Side) of ward no. 13. For a long time the people of this area have gone through endless problems on a daily basis and the GMC election after a 10 year old hiatus showed a ray of hope to the residents with every candidates belting out slogans of change and betterment. But have such promises been kept in this part of the ward? Let’s hear the verdict of the populace at large about what they think has changed and what still needs a thorough follow up.

Resident’s View Dr. Sunanda Kumar Choudhury, Retd. Director (Adult Education) Councilors and the Ward Commissioners have never made a proper visit in this area in last 25 years. They never came and enquired about the problems of the residents all these years. So, how could we expect sudden developments? There are illegal settlers in the hill areas who with the occupancy rights have built unplanned houses by excavating the soil that has resulted in severe erosion. The scavenging work too, is done by the Janakalyan Samiti as most of the time the GMC representatives are absent from the scene. The matter was referred to GMC office located in Chandmari Old University Colony but it was all in vain. Moreover, there is no proper water supply though GMC is contemplating to provide water for 24 hours. An Incident – Recently, a carcass of a cow was found lying in the locality but surprisingly, it was not removed and was there for the entire day. Dr. Choudhury’s Suggestion – Covering of drains must be done to avoid every possibility of accidents. Sufficient fogging is also an immediate need and the connecting bye-lanes of the 6th byelane area should also be renovated.

Arundhati Talukdar, Associate Professor

The GMC Councilor do makes his presence after regular intervals but it has to be more frequent, but more often Natun Sarania (Hill Side) Janakalyan Samiti is working on the issues that need immediate attention. There are certain pockets of the ward that require instant cleaning despite the fact that elections got over four months ago. This area is practically semi-hilly and the residents who are dwelling on a little higher ground have no proper sanitation system, creating difficulties for us as our drainage system often gets blocked by the excessive water flow. Talukdar’s Suggestion – Use of plastic bag has to be banned because there are some people who dispose their garbage on roads instead of giving them to the garbage collecting agents.

Member Speak Councilor’s Version

Akshay Kumar Talukdar, President Natun Sarania (Hill Side) Janakalyan Samiti

The stretch from Natun Sarania (part 2) to Prachin Ganesh Mandir is 400 metres and the initial project was to cover this entire stretch but till date, only 200 metres have been renovated in a one year span of time. Another diversion that connects to Pub-Sarania Main Road has seen renovation work of only 100 metres, with another 200 metres yet to be completed. The drains that have been constructed till now have no covers. Street lights are maintained by us as we have received no help from the government, ASEB and other organisations. We also conduct frequent cleaning drives with the support of the other members and the locals.

Kabindra Nath Deka, Treasurer

Natun Sarania (Hillside) Janakalyan Samiti Our Councilor visits quite often and after informing him about the situation of the drains, he managed to clean them some time back. He also expressed his desire to work for this locality and promised to complete the pending developmental works as soon as GMC receives the fund. But the other growing concern is the severe shortage of water that we are witnessing everyday. Though the area have the service of GMC water supply but the force of water is very low. Apart from that, there is another pipeline connection from the Gandhi Mandap reservoir to the north side of the Sarania hill which is completely inactive.

Nipan Kumar Kalita

Councilor, Ward no. 13 Undoubtedly, a lot of families are residing in the hills of Natun Sarania. Though most of the land is under the forest belt or are government land but the residents are residing there for many decades. So, if the government scheme to allot the families a plot of 1 katha, 5 lecha land each is initiated, then only GMC would be able to construct the required drains which are not possible before that. Regarding fogging, we are taking every step to ensure precautions against dengue. Even three days back 8 fogging machines were allotted for carrying out the fogging drive in Gandhi Basti, Islampur, and South Sarania area. Also, in the GMC Councilors and GMC Commissioner monthly meetings, we raised the demand for lighting the street lights of main roads in different part of the city before the Puja and accordingly in my ward, the Lachit Nagar lane and the bye-lanes from 1 to 9 were immedialtly illuminated and within another month street lights in Pub Sarania, South Sarania, Lalmati Tiniali and Gandhi Basti Tiniali will be repaired and replaced as per the plan.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Your weekly dose of HOROSCOPE ARIES All you will be able to think about at the beginning of the week is your financial situation — how much cash do you have on hand, how much stuff you have around the house that could be easily liquidated — but you really don’t have to get so drastic about it. Just stay the course and don’t spend much money this week and you should be fine. Perseverance is a major theme for you right now, and it is an important thing to keep in mind when it comes to your family, too (even when things get tense and emotional, as they might this weekend).

TAURUS On Monday you wake up with a lot of energy — at last! Now get out into the world! Meet strangers and make plans and look fabulous! No one is more ready for romance than you are. Unfortunately, on Thursday, you’re going to have no time to think about your love life, what with all the stuff you have going on at work. But this weekend, you’ll go to a party with some friends (and if you don’t have a party to go to this weekend, start looking for one now) and you’ll have an unbelievably good time. Plus, you might meet someone.

GEMINI Last week was last week. This week’s totally different. Suddenly you feel like you’re in a kind of magical maze, full of strange obstacles and weird messages along the way. Stick to your intuition and pay no heed to anything that tries to convince you to steer off the main path. By midweek, you’ll have found the doorway out into the real world again, and you’ll be so relieved to be back in familiar territory. Toward the end of the week, you’re going to spend a lot of time chatting with friends and you’re going to start thinking hard about future plans.

CANCER Someone you know is in the mood to throw a dinner party, but they’re just a little shy about initiating it on Monday. Tell them that you’ll be in charge of the guest list. You like to bring people together and it’s one of the many things you’re quite good at. Sure, it’s kind of crazy to throw a little get-together at the last minute, but this whole week is going to be about spontaneity. More and more you find yourself breaking out of the shell that has been holding you back lately, and the new you feels so good. This weekend, be assertive. Go after what you want. .

LEO

It’s Monday and your career is on top of the list. Lately you’ve been having trouble with the boss, but by midweek you find a way to deal with the situation. In any case, it’s just work, and it will all blow over soon enough. And even though your week will start off haltingly, the second half of the week will more than make up for the first. Thursday and Friday you’ll be surrounded by friends, and the weekend will be relaxing and warm.

VIRGO Travel has been on the back of your mind lately, but suddenly it’s all you can think about on Monday. The idea of going somewhere faraway is intensely appealing, and it would be good for you in ways you couldn’t possibly realize. Even if you don’t have the resources to plan a major trip right now, plan a minor one, possibly for midweek or week’s end. Plan a trip to another town nearby for dinner. Be inventive. This week is all about meeting new people and doing new things. The more of that kind of stuff you do, the better, especially over the weekend. People love having you around.

TIMEPASS

LIBRA The world is a beautiful place, especially at the week’s outset. Even in winter, nature has a way of putting its best foot forward. There’s just something in the air, some signal from the physical world that you should pay attention to all the life that’s going on around you, especially midweek. In general, you will sail through your days in a kind of magic cloud of energy. It’ll be fun, but when the weekend rolls around, you’ll feel a little limp from all that high feeling. Take a day or two at home to rest and recharge.

SCORPIO The important thing in any relationship — romantic or otherwise — is to remain open-minded, especially on Monday. It’s crucial to remember that you’re both in this together, and that for it to work out you both need to be getting something out of it. And that, of course, requires compromise. (You know all this. But sometimes revisiting the basics can be helpful.) Midweek, someone is going to try to get you to agree to a business deal that just seems shaky — and it is — and over the weekend you’re going to be so relieved you didn’t go for it. A lot of good stuff is coming your way.

SAGITTARIUS Monday is all about the small things. In fact, the next couple days are going to be all about the small things. As you well know, sometimes it’s the little stuff that matters most in the end. You have your eye on the big picture, and you know every step it’s going to take to get there. By week’s end, though, everyone else around you wants to stand around and talk about their ideas. That’s perfectly valid, but it’s also a tad frustrating. If you find yourself the solo sailor of the ship over the weekend, don’t let it get you down. People are standing by to help you

CAPRICORN The intersection between fun and romance is a great place to be on Monday. You always knew you wanted to fall for someone who knew how to have a good time, but you never knew exactly how good it would feel. Let this special person know just what you’re thinking by midweek. Communication is a central theme, especially toward the end of the week. For too long you’ve bitten your tongue around a certain flighty friend, and you just don’t have time for that any more. Thankfully, over the weekend you’ll find yourself surrounded by people who really know how to connect with others.

AQUARIUS It’s funny when you randomly start thinking about your relatives for no particular reason. Your family life is certainly interesting, and there is a lot to learn from what your parents and your parents’ parents have been through, especially at the start of the week. The more you discover about them, the more you find you have in common with them — even with those relatives you never met. But expect all that to slip your mind instantly later in the week: A sizzling affair on Thursday or Friday completely rocks your world. You’ll have to take the weekend to figure out what this new development means.

PISCES On Monday or Tuesday, you may want to cancel whatever dinner plans you have, stay at home and make something for yourself. It may sound like a small thing, but that kind of attention to yourself and your house is crucial during times like these. Toward midweek, expect the pressures at work or in the family — whatever it is that currently has you tearing your hair out — to achieve a kind of frenzied pitch. It’s going to be exhausting, but you will survive it like a champ. This weekend, blissfully, you’ll be completely distracted by romance.

JUST FOR LAUGHs If animals have Facebook..... these are most likely to be their Status Updates! Cockroach: Managed to skip from some one’s foot step.. Man, I lead a dangerous lifestyle! Cat: My 7th child is asking who is her dad. What shall I tell her? I don’t even remember... Mosquito: I am HIV positive... this is all due to wrong sucking. Pig: Oh gosh they throw the gossips that I am spreading flu...WTF!!! Chicken: If tomorrow there’s no status update from my side, means I’m

SUDOKU

being served at KFC. It was rush hour, and when the bus finally arrived, it was packed. I tried to force my way on, but no one would budge, although there was more than ample room in the back. Then.... the bus driver took over. “Excuse me, Ladies and Gentlemen,” he shouted. “Will all the beautiful, smart people please move to the back of the bus, and all the ugly stupid people stay up front.”

Solutions (Last Issue)

Fun

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Travel

Crackling Diwali Destinations G Plus feature

ike any other festival, Guwahatians are always enthusiastic to celebrate Diwali too, in the same fervor and joy. As, people from all race, caste and religion engulf the city; there are people who for a change, like to go out of the station during festive seasons and celebrate the festival. Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of the most popular festivals in India. The festival, which is a global fiesta of lights and sounds, ties people of all the religions, castes and communities together. So, this Diwali, we let you know about some places where people can plan their trips and celebrate with a change.

Delhi

Diwali in Delhi starts from Dussehra itself. Visit any market place and you will find banners and placards everywhere. The major commercial centres of Delhi get packed with shoppers and shopping offers. People start to splurge on new dresses, gifts, fruits, sweets and

firecrackers for the preparation of Dhanteras and the Diwali. On the day of Diwali, you will come across several temporary stages hosting the “Ramlila”, a dramatic depiction of the life of Lord Ram, culminating with the 10-days battle between Ram and Ravan

Varanasi

A remarkable place to celebrate Diwali is Uttar Pradesh. The state wears a colourful look throughout

the festival of lights. If you have to choose one place in UP, then pick Varanasi - “the holy city of India.” On Diwali evening, the 50 odd Ghats of Varanasi are illuminated with thousands of diyas (i.e. earthen lamps) transforming the proverbial “city of lights” into mesmerizing reality.

Jaipur

One of the cherished moments of your life will be to have a slice of Pink City’s version of Diwali. The city, a popular tourist destination for the westerners, is decorated in all the available colours found in a dreamer’s palette. If you explore the highly embellished markets, you will find at least 2000 different varieties of earthen lamps in the form of deities, birds, and animals. Handicrafts, firecrackers, gift items, and local traditional clothes also flood the marts during Diwali. Each year, notably, a contest is held to award the best-decorated market.

Kolkata,

“Shyama Puja” or “Kali Puja” is Kolkata’s answer to Diwali. The date

of the puja coincides with Diwali. According to the Hindu mythology, “Kali” is treated as the “Shakti” (i.e. the goddess of Power). During the puja, which generally takes place at midnight, people try to appease the goddess with live offering of lamb or buffalo. The “prasad” (i.e. food offered to the deity) is then shared among the devotees. A day prior to the puja, little candles, diyas, and small-decorated electric bulbs, light up the “city of joy.” On the day of the puja, firecrackers cover the sky displaying a fascinating array of fireworks.

Amritsar

The Golden Temple of Amritsar is draped with brightly lit diyas on the Diwali evening making it an extravagant spectacle for the onlookers. The reflection of the diyas on the water creates a truly magical environment. The planning of the festival starts, however, weeks in advance. Each house is decorated with leaves, flowers and other pretty items with rangolis (i.e. a popular art form done with powder and colours) featuring on the entrance.

All the locals prepare various sweets and dishes to share them with friends, relatives, neighbours and community. The Diwali night sees spectacular fireworks lighting up the night sky.

Sivakasi,

70 km south of Madurai in Virudhunagar district, you will come across this bustling industrial town, nicknamed as “Kutty Japan” (i.e. meaning “Little Japan” in Tamil.) This lively little industrial town is known to provide the logistics support to the fireworks that take place all over the country! About 90% of India’s fireworks solutions, which are mainly showcased on Diwali, come from the factories of Sivakasi. There are some more places, which can be good Diwali celebration destinations, but for the time being these are some spots, which can add to the list of best Diwali celebration. Get your tickets done and zoom in to burst crackers in different environment taking a break from the routine celebration in the city. Happy Diwali.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

G-Talk

Will the alliance of NE regional parties make an impact in the LS polls? Durga Das Boro

AGP General Secretary

Masum Yusuf Ahmed

Corporate professional

POINT

COUNTERPOINT

t is the first time in the history of the northeast that a large number of regional parties have come together and formed a front. It will send a positive message to the voters and our party workers. In the context of colonial approach of the central government and deprivation, the relevancy of regional politics will increase through the formation of this front and this will have a very good impact in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Northeast region is facing many common problems which the states of this region has to face, so, there should be a united effort to raise these problems at the national level and combat together to find the solution to the problems. There is a political initiative at the national level to unite anti-congress and secular political forces to facilitate an alternative government. This front is primarily going to demand, for the entire region, solutions on the international border problem, illegal migration problem and infiltration of Bangladeshis into the region. The front will also demand to cancel the agreement immediately with Bangladesh to hand over a large chunk of area from the Northeastern region. The Indian government has violated the rights of the state and acted arbitrarily against the principle of sovereign government. So, we think, due to the people’s problem submitted by the Northeast front, it is very much a public concern. It will also be very helpful in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Eleven regional political parties formed the North East Regional Political Front (NERPF) to press the Centre to solve the common and vital issues of the region. This front will include all major regional parties—AGP, Nagaland People’s Front (NPF), Mizo National Front (MNF), Sikkim Democratic Front, Manipur State Congress Party (MSCP) and several other parties from Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. The front has also left its doors open for other regional forces to join in. It has to be said that the regional parties know the region better and if they contest united, then the front will surely have a big role to play in forming the new central government.

This front is primarily going to demand, for the entire region, solutions on the international border problem, illegal migration problem and infiltration of Bangladeshis into the region. The front will also demand to cancel the agreement immediately with Bangladesh to hand over a large chunk of area from the Northeastern region.

he general elections in the northeast will see a new face with the formation of a new alliance. The ten regional parties that have formed an alliance in the form of Northeast Regional Political Front aims, to bring regional issues into national focus. However the very future of this alliance deciding the outcome of polls will largely depend on a single factor-the novelty of the coalition. The alliance includes some good leaders as its leads, namely Prafulla Mahanta and the Nagaland cheif Minister Nephiu Rio. It has also taken up some important resolutions. Alliances can hugely effect the outcome of any election. The Congress, which had won the assembly elections with a thumping majority to retain power in Assam in the 2009 polls, would not have even got a single majority, had the AGP formed a pre election alliance with the BJP. Nevertheless the fundamental blow to the stability of the alliance might come from the fact that the AGP, a core party of the alliance, had been, in the year 2009, in alliance with the BJP, a party which was strongly opposed by most of the other parties of the alliance. Past alliance turning into rival parties have a tendency in causing further instability, as is evident in history. Another difficulty to the alliance might come from the fact that the elections are due within the first year of its existence and it has to battle with highly stable parties like the BJP and the Congress. This will have important ramifications in the organisational and political nature of the alliance. General elections is a crucial test for any alliance and demands tightened discipline. The alliance currently has some moribund parties, which will have to increase their enthusiasm before hoping for any positive results in the upcoming elections. The media too will play an important role in bringing about the success of the alliance. Any antipathy of the media will lead to crashing outcome of a potentially unstable organisation. Discipline, media outlook and a hardcore political agenda will thus be vital for the success of the alliance. Unless the alliance displays these characteristics, it might be premature to assume that it will be the kingmaker in the upcoming general elections especially since the elections will occur within the first year of existence of the alliance and the two big players are enjoying powerful central leadership.

Another difficulty to the alliance might come from the fact that the elections are due within the first year of its existence and it has to battle with highly stable parties like the BJP and the Congress. This will have important ramifications in the organisational and political nature of the alliance. General elections is a crucial test for any alliance and demands tightened discipline.

G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Citypedia

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G PLUS NOV 02 - NOV 08, 2013

Catching up

Headlining acts!

What did I just hear?

Priyanka Chopra WHO’S SHE?

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Priyanka Chopra was born on July 18 in 1982 and is an Indian film actress and singer and was the winner of the Miss World pageant of 2000.

pick of the week

SO WHAT?

She has won several awards including a National Film Award for Best Actress and four Filmfare Awards for Best Female Debut, Best Performance in a Negative Role, Best Actress and Critics Award for Best Actress.

Chinese boy jumps to death on teacher’s order

The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), ‘Mangalyan’, would be launched onboard PSLV C25 on November 5 at 14:36 hours from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. A decision on the launch date was to be taken on October 19 but postponed because of the bad weather in the South Pacific Ocean.

Kamur of the week

NOW WHAT?

The actress recently did a photo shoot for the brand Guess, which was orchestrated by Canadian musician and photographer Bryan Adams. The photo shoot happened in Los Angeles, US as she looked stunningly gorgeous in Guess’ signature hair style, cat eyeliner and beautiful outfits while shooting with Bryan for the ad campaign.

Self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, currently lodged in a jail in Gujarat, has once again lost a petition seeking to restrain the media from reporting on sexual assault allegations against him. The 75-year-old had moved the court to stop two TV channels from airing allegedly slanderous reports about him saying they were projecting him as a “Dracula who drank children’s blood.”

A 10-year-old Chinese boy jumped 30 floors to his death after failing to write a self-criticism letter demanded by his teacher. The fifth-grade primary school student had been ordered to write a 1,000-character apology by his teacher for talking in class. The educator allegedly told him to jump out of a building after he failed to complete the task.

Diwali crackers on public roads. Diwali is a festival of lights and bursting crackers is a tradition. But it becomes scary and irritating, when people start bursting the crackers on roads used for everyday commuting. It is difficult and dangerous for the cars, bikes as well as pedestrians. Some retards actually enjoy seeing people getting hurt and panic.

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