G Plus Vol 7 Issue 1 by G Plus

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Volume 07 | Issue 01 Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019 Price `10

INSIDE

Guwahatians defrauded while using UPI based GooglePay for transactions

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Unending saga of Guwahati Metro: Rs 6.85 Cr wasted on DPR preparation G Plus News @guwahatiplus

he ambitious Guwahati Metro Rail Project is in a state of inertia and appears to be moving nowhere. Since the announcement in 2016, time and again in the last three years, noises are made by politicians about the project but on ground it has not moved an inch beyond some repeated paper work. Just a week back, industries minister Chandra Mohan Patowary added a new twist to the unending saga

years down the line. Till date, an amount of Rs 6.85 crores has been spent only on setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) and preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR), Comprehensive Plan Mobility (CMP), Alternative Analysis of the project by a third party. Adding to that is the additional Rs 60-70 lakhs that was spent in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the project on February 29, 2016 by the previous Congress government. Former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was in such a hurry to gift the metro to Guwahatians that he went ahead with the

The foundation stone of the MRTS project laid by former CM Tarun Gogoi at Khanapara just before his third term ended by adding another route: Kamakhya-Narengi. But the moot point: a project that was envisioned by our political masters in 2012-13 state annual budget has not been able to come out of the paper web cycle six

In Conversation with E. Sreedharan, Metro Man of India

project without getting the Centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approval which is mandatory for starting any metro project anywhere in the country. cONTINUED ON Page 03

Diwali Special

Lead Story

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Guwahatians defrauded while using UPI based GooglePay for transactions Fraudsters have been using new tactics using Unified Payments Interface (UPI) applications such as GooglePay to steal money. Three cases have been reported in Guwahati, while five people have fallen prey to such theft. Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

yber criminals have found a new way to trap people, hack into their accounts and dupe them off their money. A relatively new kind of cyber theft via UPI (Unified Payments Interface) applications is coming to light in Guwahati. The rising

In total, five citizens from different parts of Guwahati have fallen prey to such cyber thefts and the common application used has been confirmed to be GooglePay. popularity of such applications is giving way for newer ways of crime using cyber space. A senior official of the crime branch has confirmed that thefts of this nature have been reported in the city in the past week. While two such cases have been registered at the Paltan Bazar police station, another case of the

same nature has been registered at the Dispur police station. In total, five citizens from different parts of Guwahati have fallen prey to such cyber thefts and the common application used has been confirmed to be GooglePay. In one of the cases registered at Paltan Bazar police station, a total of three Guwahatians have been defrauded in similar ways. The victims had made their booking on Blue Dart and due to some error/delay in the delivery; they called the customer care number provided on Google. However, the number belonged to cyber criminals who succeeded in duping two of these three individuals of Rs 12,500 and Rs 9,500 respectively. A case (1202/19) was thus registered under Section 406/419/420/379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) added with Section 66 of the IT Act. In the remaining two cases, victims were defrauded after they called the customer care number provided in Google under the name of Bajaj Dealers in Guwahati. While one victim was duped off Rs 50,000, another was duped off Rs 45,000. “I request the citizens to be aware and not fall into such traps. Before transacting via any online or mobile based application, try to know all its features in order to avoid being duped,” expressed

Representative Image Deepak Kumar, Commissioner, Guwahati City Police. Police are currently investigating with the help of cyber cell and are trying to nab the culprits.

Modus Operandi:

Cyber criminals have updated their contact numbers on Google. When Vikas Pandey tried to search for customer care number of Bajaj Dealers in Guwahati on google.com, he found a fake number and called that number.

Pandey wished to book a bike and was thus enquiring about the process. The fraudster informed him that he only had to fill an online form and pay Rs 5 for booking, after which he could collect the bike from the showroom. The fraudster then sent the man a link to be clicked on his phone. As soon as he clicked on the link, filled in the necessary details and made a payment of Rs 5 via GooglePay, the man found that Rs 9,999 was transferred from his

bank account, which was linked with GooglePay, five times at a go. He then registered a case (1220/19) at Paltan Bazar police station. It should be noted that the link provided by such fraudsters is generated by them to take all the necessary information from the victim. Once the customers make the payment via Google Pay, criminals use the URL of the customers and their phone number to loot into their bank accounts.

Assam: Cyber crimes on the rise The state of Assam has seen a drastic rise in crimes over the years, especially in the capital city. The latest annual crime data, “Crime in India-2017”, released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Monday revealed that Assam recorded a sharply higher number of cybercrimes in comparison to other states of the northeast, with a total of 1,120 reported cases in 2017. According to the report, sexual exploitation and personal revenge have been noted as

the two most focused motives behind cyber attacks in Assam. Statistics given by the state CID on this front depicts the enormity of the menace. According to a highly placed source in the CID, Assam witnessed 696 cybercrimerelated cases in 2016, and the number almost doubled to 1,120 in 2017. The number of such cases kept rising, and it was 1,517 in 2018. Cybercrime-related cases in just six months till June in 2019 are 1,106. “The prime reason behind

such a sharp rise in cybercrimes in Assam is that the state – particularly Guwahati — is the hub of many sectors like medical, education, finance, industry etc in the region,” informed the source. Hackers, according to sources, continue to evolve newer tactics with the advent of newer technologies. Unlike other cities and countries where bigger institutions like banks are the main targets of fraudsters, in Assam, individuals are targeted more often.

Representative Image

Cover Story

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Unending saga of Guwahati Metro: Rs 6.85 Cr wasted on DPR preparation

have no idea when the actual work will start. We are reviewing the project and only the minister can tell you when it will happen on the ground,” a senior government official involved with the Guwahati Metro Project told G Plus on the condition of anonymity. Proposed to be implemented by the Special Purpose Vehicle, Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited, the Rs 1,820 crore project was initially planned to be completed in phases after getting necessary loan approvals from the Centre and other funding agencies. The previous Congress government went ahead without the foundation stone laying ceremony and without getting any loan approvals. Similarly, after the BJP came to power in 2016, the first thing the new government did with the project was to ask for a review of the earlier DPR and delay the process further. And then came the new Metro Rail Policy in 2017, which provided for rigorous assessment of new metro proposals and proposed an independent third party assessment by agencies to be identified by the government like the Institute of Urban Transport and other such centres of excellence.

It makes a shift from the present “Financial Internal Rate of Return of 8 per cent to Economic Internal Rate of Return of 14%” for approving metro projects, in line with global practices and mandates transit oriented development (TOD) to promote compact and dense urban development along metro corridors. States are required to adopt innovative mechanisms to mobilize resources for financing metro projects. The three options for availing central assistance include: public private partnership (PPP) with central assistance under the viability gap funding scheme of the ministry of finance; grant by centre under which 10% of the project cost will be given as lump sum central assistance and 50:50 equity sharing model between central and state governments. Under all these options, private participation, however, is mandatory. “There is no study of the traffic movement in Guwahati. And under new conditions of the centre assessment part has become much tougher. It needs strong political will and the right people to push ahead with the project. Otherwise the project will be in a state of limbo forever,” senior official said.

Status Report on Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS), Guwahati (1) The Feasibility report for Guwahati MRTS was completed by RITES in March, 2015 for total corridor length of 203 kms in three phases and completed DPR (Phase-I) for total length of 62.95 kms in January, 2016. The state cabinet, on 22/02/2016, has approved DPR (Phase-I) for MRTS and stateowned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) namely Guwahati Metro Rail Corporation Limited to carry forward the implementation of railbased MRTS for Guwahati city. Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Phase-I is prepared for total length 61.4 kms. Phase-I will have 4 corridors: Corridor-1: Dharapur– Narangi (Elevated) = 22.6 kms Corridor-2: MG Road to Khanapara (Underground) = = 10.0 kms Corridor-3: Jalukbari to Khanapara (Elevated) = 19.4 kms Corridor-4: ISBT to Paltan Bazar (Elevated) = 9.4 kms (2) The DPR was sent to union ministry of urban development (MoUD) in May, 2016. The MoUD has advised the state government to resubmit the proposal along with an updated Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP). The Guwahati CMP was prepared in 2009. (3) The state cabinet, in January 2017, suggested some changes and asked GMDA to recast of DPR (Phase-I) for Rail based MRTS. The government instructed GMDA to prepare DPR for additional metro corridors from Dharapur to Guwahati Airport and Jalukbari to North Guwahati. (4) In the meanwhile the government of India has adopted Metro Rail Policy, 2017 and advised the states to submit MRTS proposals accordingly. As per the new policy the project DPR requires Alternative Analysis (AA). In case of Guwahati, a CMP is

also required. (5) On approval of government of Assam, RITES has been awarded the preparation of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan and Alternative Analysis Report for Guwahati on nomination basis for the CMP @ Rs 1.25 crores (excluding taxes) and AA reports @ Rs 35.00 lakhs (excluding taxes). The timeline for CMP is 4 months and AA report is 2 months. RITES’s present scope for the CMP study is for the proposed delineated Guwahati Metropolitan Region of 3,450 sq kms. (6) During the review meeting of the presentation of the inception report of the CMP, held on 03/12/2018 under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Guwahati Development Department (GDD), RITES was enquired by Principal Secretary, GDD about the inclusion of traffic impact study from Assam State Capital Region Development Authority (ASCRDA) region in the present scope of CMP and also to submit proposal and cost implications for the study. The ASCRDA area is approximately 6,100 sq kms covering five districts namely Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup, Nalbari, Darrang and Morigaon. RITES informed that since the traffic study for the CMP is for the Guwahati Metro Region the inclusion of the traffic impact study from ASCRDA area can be done at very reasonable rate and time. (7) RITES submitted the time addition of about one month in study duration and cost implications would be additional fee of Rs 25 lakhs. (8) RITES now have been informed to continue their preparation of CMP & AA as per earlier scope of work and not to include ASCRDA area. (9) RITES have submitted the interim report of CMP & selection criteria of AA.

City

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

In the name of Diwali

Robust gambling in city hotels & clubs G Plus News @guwahatiplus

ecently, the police busted a gambling den and arrested 58 people who were allegedly playing the casino from a hotel room in south Delhi’s Ghitorni area ahead of Diwali. This obviously begs the question: so what is the gambling situation in Guwahati? Especially during Diwali festival or leading up to it? Needless to say, it is an open secret that Guwahatians, elite or otherwise, take to gambling big time in the city’s plush hotels and private clubs where stakes run high even as the liquor flows. A prominent city-based businessman, talking to G Plus, under condition of anonymity said, “The gamblers have been busy since last week and this bout of gambling will continue till 29th October (Tuesday).” The businessman who is from Fancy Bazar area revealed that most of the hotels provide rooms for gambling during Diwali as the hotels earn a lot from such temporary gambling tables. “The games start in the evening at around 7 pm to 8 pm and continue till the wee hours of the next day - 4 am to 5 am. During the entire night the gamblers order

food and liquor from the hotel and offer huge tips to the hotel staff,” added the businessman. Another businessman and a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member, Rajkumar Tiwari, talking to G Plus said, “There are some people who play cards as a Diwali ritual. But gradually for many it has become a source of earning huge amounts of money. Needless to say, some also lose big time.” He expressed that the gamblers locate a place where they can sit, eat, drink and gamble which is easier in the city’s hotels and clubs, Therefore, the hotels and clubs are frequented by those who hold interest in gambling during Diwali. Another source said that the boards in hotels starts with Rs 1,000 (blind) and Rs 2000 (seen), but gradually the stakes rise to Rs 10,000 blind and Rs 20,000 seen. So anyone winning one hand or board earns around Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs in one go. “Last year during Diwali one gambler from AT Road had won Rs 1.5 crores,” said the source. A G Plus team also visited some hotels in the city to enquire if they do rent out rooms for gambling. The hotels denied the same but a source said that the rooms are given for gambling only to patrons who are known to the hotel owners or managers. Wondering if gambling during

Representative Image of a gambling table Diwali remains an illegal activity of pastime, G Plus talked to the officer-in-charge of Paltan Bazar Police station. It was understood that gambling is illegal all year round and Diwali is no exception. The officer said, “We will carry out drives against illegal gambling in hotels.” But another businessman

Former Assam DGP Khagen Sharma dead

ormer Director General of Police (DGP), Assam, Khagen Sharma, breathed his last at 7.25 pm on 25th October at Sun Valley Hospital in Guwahati. As per media reports, Sharma was undergoing treatment for the last two days in Sun Valley Hospital. Sharma leaves behind his wife Bandanaa Sarma and son Trinayan Sarma. Khagen Sharma was seriously ill since the last few months. He was a 1982 batch IPS officer,

who retired on 30th November 2015 after which Mukesh Sahay became the DGP. DGP Khagen Sharma was credited for bringing United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) as well as NDFB (Ranjan Daimary faction) to the peace talks table during his tenure. It may be mentioned that during Sharma’s tenure as the ADGP (SB), on 24 January, 2012, at least 668 militants belonging to

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Get the G Plus app nine militant outfits of the state laid down their arms before the former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in Guwahati.

said that it is quite impossible for the police to act against such illegal activities as influential and powerful people gamble in such hotels and clubs. Prominent businessmen, bureaucrats and even politicians indulge in gambling during Diwali and the hotel management keeps such activities very secret.

Assam state cabinet approves 25% hike in bus fare

he Assam state cabinet, on October 21, approved a 25 percent increase in bus fares. It is to be mentioned that earlier, the All Assam Motor Transport Association (AAMTA) announced to increase the fares to 40 percent owing to the hike in fuel prices. However, later the association and the state government arrived at a compromise which saw bus fares to be increased by 25 percent from the current price. The new fare is yet to be disclosed by the association as per the routes. On October 3, the All Assam Motor Transport Association (AAMTA) called for a 24-hour Chakka Bandh to fulfil their demands.

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Talking about the various gambling games, it is mostly Teen Patti (or Flash) that is played in the hotels and clubs. The practice of gambling during Diwali is rather traditional and it began with the celestial game of dice. But over time, it has made way for card games, particularly Teen Patti and Rummy.

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Concern

122 new born babies dead at JMCH in last 3 months, 27 in past week G Plus News @guwahatiplus

ithin a span of three months, 122 new born babies died at Jorhat Medical College Hospital (JMCH) in upper Assam which includes 27 in the past one week raising questions about the quality of treatment in the government

to admission of too many pregnant women in the hospital in the recent period. It may be mentioned here that in 2018, during the month of November, 15 new born babies died in the same hospital which created a lot of hue and cry in the state. The Congress MLA from Mariani said that he has information

File photo of the JMCH medical college. According to hospital authorities, starting from October 1 to October 20, 45 infants died in the hospital. However, hospital authorities don’t term the death rate as something abnormal and said that the doctors and nurses per patient is adequate and the mortality rate is high due

that more than 35 infants died in the past one week and that the hospital authorities are hiding the actual figures. Even the senior hospital authorities have not given any reason for such high death rate of infants.

Northeast India’s 1st Early Childhood Education Conference and Pinnacle Education Awards 2019 held in Guwahati

n October 20, 2019, a crowd of over 200 came together at NEDFI HOUSE Auditorium to attend Northeast India’s 1st Early Childhood Education Conference and Pinnacle Education Awards 2019, organized by the Early Childhood Development Forum (ECDF) (an initiative of the DN Acharya Foundation for Children and Women Welfare), with the theme “The future is today, creating next generation doers.” Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya and Dr. Dnyaneshwar Manohar Mulay, Member at the Human Rights Commission were the Chief Guest and Guest of Honour for the event.

Crime

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

While crime in India decreases overall, Assam sees sharp increase in multiple categories Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

he National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs recently released their ‘Crime in India 2017.’ Based on the report, India as

a whole has seen a decline in the crime rate. A total of 50,07,044 cognizable crimes comprising 30,62,579 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 19,44,465 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were registered in 2017, showing an increase of 3.6% in registration of cases over 2016 (48,31,515 cases).

During 2017, registration of cases under IPC have increased by 2.9% and SLL crimes by 4.8% over 2016 and percentage share of IPC was 61.2% while percentage share of SLL cases was 38.8% of total cognizable crimes during 2017. Further, majority of cases under crimes against women out of total IPC crimes against women

were registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives’ (33.2%) followed by ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (27.3%), ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (21.0%) and ‘Rape’ (10.3%). And in percentage terms, major crime heads under ‘Crime Against Children’ during 2017 were

kidnapping & abduction (42.0%) and cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (25.3%) including child rape. A total of 3,55,994 notes having face value of Rs. 28,10,19,294 were seized under Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) during 2017.

Assam becoming increasingly unsafe However, while the scenario in India has improved, Assam has been rated as one of the worst performing in multiple categories and is thus, becoming increasingly unsafe. According to the report, Assam recorded the highest crime rate

in all northeastern states in both Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special Acts & Locals Laws (SSL) crimes and has also seen an increase for the same over the years. In 2015, it recorded 1,07,465 cases; in 2016, it recorded 1,07,014 cases and in 2017, 1,09,952 cases.

Number of cases recorded Year 2015 2016 2017

Number of cases recorded 1,07,465 1,07,014 1,09,952

the most in the whole country. In this category, Delhi ranked first at 27.6 Representative Image percent and tied with Chattisgarh at 3.6 Haryana ranked third at 15.7 percent (incidents per one lakh percent. population) whereas the all India In cases of ‘Murder & Culpable crime rate stands at 2.5 percent. Homicide,’ Assam came in third, In cases of ‘Robbery and Dacoity,’ Assam ranked fifth at Assam: Kidnapping & Abduction (2nd Ranking 3.8 percent, following Delhi (14.4), Countrywide) Maharashtra (5.8), Odisha (5.8) and Karnataka (3.9). The all India State Ranking All India Ranking rate for this category stands at 2.7 percent. 23.9 7.4 In cases of ‘Sexual Assault,’ Assam ranked seventh with a 22.2 percent rate, ahead of Jammu & Assam: Murder & Culpable Homicide (3rd Kashmir and Telangana. The all India percent rate is 13.8. Ranking Countrywide) In cases of ‘Sexual Harassment,’ State Ranking All India Ranking Assam ranked 10th at 0.7 percent rate with the all India rate 3.6 2.5 being 1.2.

Assam has topped the list in the ‘Cruelty by husband/relatives’ category with a 60.9 percent rate, leaving behind places such as Delhi (27.9), Haryana (26) and Uttar Pradesh (12). It should be noted that Assam recorded a rate four times higher than the all India rate which stands at 16.8. Further, in cases of ‘Kidnapping & Abduction,’ Assam ranked second at 23.9 percent, with the all India crime rate being 7.4 percent. According to the report, the situation in Assam has worsened

Cruelty by husband/relatives (1st Ranking Countrywide) State/UT Crime Rate Assam 60.9 Delhi

27.9

Uttar Pradesh

Weather report for the week Guwahati

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SATURDAY Rain

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G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Anniversary Special

On the occasion of the 6th anniversary of G Plus, our well-wishers wrote to us and offered their congratulations. The choicest of among these are carried here. “G Plus has been disseminating information and covering all aspects of life in Guwahati like cultural, social, political, bureaucratic, sports, lifestyle etc , which is no mean achievement. In last six years it has created a niche for itself. I wish the team a very great future.”

Ashutosh Agnihotri, Commissioner & Secretary, Home & Political “G Plus is keeping the trend of weekly papers alive in Guwahati. Unlike any other newspaper, it’s an analytical paper that puts emphasis on various pertaining issues. The detailed crime, politics and administrative reports are very informative and helpful, both for the public as well as the police administration. My regards to the young team of journalists at G Plus who are very creative and are doing a great job! Congratulations and all the very best to team G Plus for successfully completing 6 years.

Deepak Kumar, Commissioner of Police, Guwahati (Metro)

“On my return to Assam, 2 years ago, I was quite amazed at the quality of Guwahati’s own digital platform - G Plus and the excellent work being done on it. Collaborating with them on issues which affect society, particularly to sensitise the citizenry, has been a pleasant and fruitful experience. I wish their youthful team many more successful years in the future!

Harmeet Singh, ADGP (S, A, M&L/V&AC), Assam

“The G Plus team is very enthusiastic and consists of young energetic journalists who have helped the transgender community put forward their voices. Such journalism is the need of the hour.

Swati Bidhan Baruah, Transgender Rights Activist

“It gives me immense pleasure to know that G Plus has completed 6 years. It is unbelievable that in this whole time, G Plus has specially catered to the needs of the modern Guwahatian which is growing speedily. It is the only paper which is catering to Guwahatins only. Congrats!”

Mrinal Talukdar, Senior journalist

“I was Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Guwahati when G Plus was launched in 2013 and its 2019 now. In last 6 years the publication has developed with raising various issues from time to time. I am glad G Plus has completed 6 years by disseminating matured content and I wish the maturity will further keep developing. I wish the team a very great success.”

Anand Prakash Tiwari, MD, Skill Development & ASTC

“I extend my best wishes to G Plus for completing 6 years. It has always covered the relevant socio-economic-political issues in depth and objective analysis by G Plus is commendable.”

Virendra Mittal, Transport Commissioner & MD, AIDC

“Congratulations on entering your 7th year. G Plus has been faithfully presenting the news as it comes by. Wishing success and glory in the coming years.”

Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, CMD, Pride East Entertainment

“Congratulations for wonderfully completing 6 years. G Plus has been serving the society beautifully by means of news, information and entertainment. Guwahati Food Awards is one of the most celebrated award functions which motivate the local food outlets to work better. They have also taken up several creative initiatives like Campus Talks. The young team is enthusiastic about their work and comes up with new ideas and thoughts, making G Plus a growing brand.

Nishita Goswami, Actor “First of all, I’d like to congratulate the entire team of G Plus. They have been doing great service to the city by focusing on the problems Guwahatians are facing, along with highlighting the achievements of the citizens and positive aspects of the city. As a theatre artist, I’m really thankful to G Plus for hosting the Guwahati Theatre Festival, which is unique to the region and has been growing every year. The Guwahati Food Awards is another amazing initiative of the organization that all foodies wait for throughout the year.

Kopil Bora, Actor

Poll

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

POLL | Does Guwahati really need a Metro Rail? And if so what could be the possible routes? Gyandeep Singha Yes Definitely Metro Is Indeed Needed Here in Ghy. The Possible Routes Can Be From 1 - LGBI Airport To Khanapara 2 - LGBI to Narangi Nilutpal: We do need! Possible routes: KhanaparaUniversity-Airport, North Guwahati-University, University-PaltanBazarChandmari-Narengi (doubtful route), Chandmari-Khanapara. Siddharth Borooah Narengi to Airport Rupsikha: Yes, it will save a lot of time plus will reduce traffic issues to some extend Madhurima: I think starting a metro is a very nice idea and it’s very necessary especially for the areas like isbt ,airport and as city bus is not available at 7-8. It’s a very nice idea Sourav Mallick: Guwahati need to work on its parking and flash flood first after that metro Roop: Guwahati can accommodate metro rail by reducing the bad city bus service but keeping the small mazik/ tracker service. It will really benefit to control the road traffic and passengers can be satisfied. Best route - Narengi to Airport, Khanapara to Jalukbari, panbazar to GMC. Arnab Chanda North Guwahati Any part of GS Road, beltola, Maligaon, ulubari, Narengi. Rehaan Mazid In place of metro I think a monorail could prove to be a better choice as it occupies less space.

Aditya Pran Changkakati Should be connecting the outer link roads. Sarusajai, ISBT, DTO Office, these places needs to be more connected to the city. Ayan Choudhury Axomot metro d laaab ni bcz shikoror pik saba ne tamulor jotetote paba so better no need Prawaal We need metro’s, 6/8 lane highways/expressway, in between jalukbari to bhorolu one flyover, and every other things which could make ghy the most beautiful city. Suraj K Tiwary When metro work starts today it will be operational after 10 to 15 yr by then traffic load will increase much more than today. So futuristic point of view! Metro is much needed for a smart city. Shakti: Guwahati needs better roads not metro rails. Government should spend that money in widening the roads of the city. Kaushik Yes because population is increasing in a large no here I’m ghy day by day. The best possible route is from narengi to Jalukbari via all major city stoppage. 2nd possible route must touch the gs road stoppage Anusmita I don’t think so. Guwahati have already much transportation. Sanjay Chowdhury Despite infrastructural development is

an essence. I don’t think metro right now is a good option. So it’s a “BIG NO”. Many people will lose jobs and that will lead to more chaos in lives of people and the expenditure which will be needed for such construction is huge given that the distance of travel is less in guwahati and parts of it. Rather the government should propose cycling lanes and uplift usage of cycle or e-vehicles where people can commute in numbers. Rimiksha Saikia The places that take 2 hours to reach by city bus (we all know how fast they are) would be reached in not more than 20 mins by metro. The buses consume so much time even though the distance is not that much. Furthermore, it will be a step towards reducing air pollution and increasing sustainability. Khushal By looking around the traffic these days, yes, Guwahati definitely need metro rail or something of that sort. Because the density is increasing day by day and I wouldn’t be wrong if I say that traffic has increased exponentially since the last year or so. About the routes! probably a line from Khanapara to Jalukbari via six mile, dispur, paltan Bazar, AT road. Another line from lokhra converging to dispur via beltola. Another line would be from Hatigaon to chandmari via ganeshguri extending to Narengi. Also a line from Lal Ganesh converging to paltan Bazar via sarabhatti. Melo Biate Chandmari to Airport and Noonmati to Chandmari. In this way, it covers the colleges, school n office areas.

Raj Chhetry Yes but plan it completely like Bangalore metro. If the take much time to make that metro, then what’s the use!? Construction process should be as such that it doesn’t waste anyone’s time by creating more traffic on roads Subham Ray Metro is really a great idea and if it is made it’ll be connecting the main areas but what about the city bus drivers who would lose their jobs and many more. Although no a large no of these people will lose but still a good amount of people will. And if it happens the govt will increase the bus fare so will the trekker and tempo drivers. Joydeep Nath Yes! It’s time for upgrade. With the increase in populating vehicles and urbanization the city needs the demand for metro rail. Routes should be made in such a way that it can form a loop around the perimeter of the city. Ramiz r Choudhury It needs good roads. Bigger, better and good management needed. Guwahati is an unplanned city. Future prospects should be planned accordingly. Nath Satabdi I think whole assam should be connected with metro rail with proper planning. Which will help connect all parts of assam with its capital and that is going to be boom for all kinds of development in our state better connectivity opens up many opportunities. Bedanta Not at all, places with

degrading infrastructure, bad quality of roads, open foothpaths, etc. does not really require metro. Instead wasting money on metro we need to improve infrastructure, roads etc. Jyotitarun M Ghy is a very small city there is no point of metro we need flash flood solutions, better roads & traffic management, parking spaces, open n green parks & drinking water supply to all parts of the city... metro is just a eyewash & diversion tactics & will be sheer wastage of public money. Sushant: Yes definitely we need one. As travelling in a bus is a hectic now a days and stuck in jam is another headache. Metro will make everything easier and faster with no delays and jams and hectic travelling. It will also help in reducing a lot of private vehicles on road means less traffic less pollution. Yeah we need metro joining all the major points of the city including Airport, GS Road, Khanapara, Zoo Road, Narangi, ISBT, and all areas around them. Albina Phonglo YES! We need that and I hope after that people really start using the metro instead of using their personal vehicle , Instead of planning and thinking of reducing city bus service . I understand it is more comfortable to go on ones ‘own personal vehicle but we need to think about sustainable generation and the traffic will gradually decrease if we start using public transport service wherever and whenever possible. I know it needs proper planning and it will take time. n

City

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Actress Barsha Rani Bishaya accuses local fashion curator of offering indecent proposal G Plus News @guwahatiplus

ssamese actor Barsha Rani Bishaya took to social media to express her outrage after a lady fashion curator approached her with an ‘indecent proposal’ on October 19. According to the actress’s Facebook post, she stated that a ‘filthy rich’ North Indian businessman from Assam, who deals in electronics, admires her a lot and wanted to arrange a foreign trip for her. On October 20, Bishaya went live on Facebook and said, “This is not

a publicity stunt done by me. This was a warning to the person who asked me for an indecent proposal. I don’t want any personal publicity as everyone knows me from my childhood.” “If we are speaking about ‘Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao,’ all of us women should stand together and fight for this,” she added. The actress further added that she was aware of the deeds of the lady fashion curator for a long time, but now that she has been a victim of such an incident, she thought it best to bring this out in the public. In addition, she said that the reason for not disclosing the identity of the lady is because the latter used to study with the actress’s aunt in school and out of

respect, she had not disclosed it. Also, earlier she had helped the actress in fashion related events a lot. The second reason for not disclosing her name was because that lady is a mother of a child and her child is unknown to her deeds. Hence, she does not want to hurt the child. In her Facebook post, Bishaya had also written, “She called me last night but I missed her call, so

Barsha Rani Bishaya

SMIT to organise inter-school/college quiz

ikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT) is organizing an inter-school/ junior college quiz competition on 1st November, 2019 at Pragjyoti ITA centre, Machkhowa, Guwahati. A large number of teams are going to take part in the event. Teams from Assam and neighbouring states will take part in the event. It will be a day long programme from 09:30 AM till 05:30 PM comprising two rounds, i.e., preliminary and final. After the preliminary round, six successful teams are going to play the final round. All the finalist teams are going to be awarded. Prizes worth Rs. 1 lakh in total are to be distributed among the participants. During the closing ceremony on the same day, which will be held from 04:00 PM until 05:30 PM, three distinguished persons, who have dedicated their lives to the cause of education and literary works are going to be felicitated. Further, details about the competition may be obtained from http://www.quiz. smitcampus.in. Organizers have invited interested participants and audience to visit ITA Machkhowa Center on 1st November 2019, and to participate and witness the quiz cum felicitation programme.

reverted back today. This smart lady tells me that her phone handset is having some problems so she would call me on WhatsApp. She wanted to play it safe. First, she tells me what a struggle it is to arrange sponsors for a show and might have to give up the fashion industry. Then, eventually comes out her shrewd part. She tells me that a North Indian filthy rich

businessman of Assam who deals in electronics admires me a lot n wants to offer me a foreign trip. A fit of rage ran through my head to toe. Had I had a gun I would have shot her right in the middle of her forehead. And hit that bustard hard on his private part. This is what I have been hearing that she offers girls to her clients to settle the deals.”

News This Week A quick round up of the news that mattered during the past week

BSNL, MTNL to merge; govt announces Rs 15,000 Cr for revival

The Union Cabinet approved the merging of staterun telecom operators BSNL and MTNL on October 23. Based on reports, this merger will provide an “attractive” VRS package for the employees. The government will raise Rs 15,000 crores in sovereign bonds for the revival of the companies and give them 4G spectrum on an administrative basis. Further, the assets of BSNL and MTNL, which are worth Rs 38,000 crores, will be monetised.

World’s highest battlefield Siachen now open for tourists

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on October 21, announced that the Siachen area is now open for tourists and tourism. “Ladakh has tremendous potential in Tourism... From Siachen Base Camp to Kumar Post, the entire area has been opened for tourism purposes,” he tweeted from his official Twitter account. The Siachen Glacier, which is a part of Ladakh, is the highest battlefield in the world. It is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas, is at an elevation of 5,400 m and covers an area of 700 km².

Indian army hits terror camp across LoC, kills 5 Pak soldiers

Five Pakistani Army men were killed by the Indian Army on October 20, in Tangdhar sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir. However, two Indian Army personnel also lost their lives in Pakistani firing. Reportedly, Indian Army launched an attack on terrorist camps situated inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) opposite the Tangdhar sector. According to a statement by the Indian Army, “Indian forces cause heavy damages and casualty to Pakistan after two Indian soldiers and one civilian were killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistan Army in Tangdhar sector (Jammu & Kashmir) today.”

HRD Ministry issues guidelines to set up kitchen gardens at schools

In a notification, the Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ministry has issued guidelines for developing and maintaining a kitchen garden in all the schools situated in both rural and urban areas across the states. The HRD Ministry has sent the instructions to the chief secretaries and the education secretaries of all the states for the School Nutrition Gardens and issued the directive to the states. According to the guidelines, seeds, saplings, organic manure, training and technical assistance for setting up the kitchen garden can be obtained by getting into tie-ups with agencies like Krishi Vigyan Kendras, the Department of Agriculture/Horticulture, Food and Nutrition Board, state agriculture universities and the forest department.

Girls can now take admission in Sainik schools

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the proposal for admission of girls in Sainik schools with effect from academic session 2021-22. “The decision is in line with the objective of the government towards greater inclusiveness, gender equality, enabling greater participation of women in armed forces and strengthening the motto of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ propagated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said a defence ministry statement. Earlier, a pilot project was undertaken by the defence ministry two years ago for admitting female students in Sainik School Chhingchhip in Mizoram.

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

5. Kiren Rijiju felicitates female boxers with cash prize post World Boxing Championship

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju felicitated Indian female boxers on October 19 for their brilliant performance at the Women’s World Boxing Championship held in UlaUde, Russia where India won a total of four medals - one silver and three bronze. Manju Rani, who won a silver medal, was awarded a cash price of Rs 14 lakhs, while the bronze medalists, Mary Kom, Jamuna Boro and Lovlina Borgohain were given Rs 8 lakhs each. “Four medals have been a record for India. It has brought a revolution for Indian boxing history as well as it has inspired other arenas also,” said Rijiju in a statement.

Individuals excluded from NRC to know reason for exclusion in November

Individuals left out of Assam’s final National Register of Citizens (NRC) will know the reasons for their exclusion in November, after which they will be able to file appeals in the foreigners’ tribunals (FT) in the state. In a report published, a senior official said that the process “will be wrapped up in November this year and the process of moving to the foreigners’ tribunals will start.” Those individuals who have been left out of the NRC will be able to approach the FT to argue their case to attain citizenship by providing supporting documents. The appeals will have to be filed within 120 days of getting their rejection letters.

Uttarakhand govt bans manufacture, sale of gutka and pan masala

The Uttarakhand government has put a total ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of gutka and pan masala in the state for a year. The order said, “Food Safety and Standards Authority of India prohibits the use of tobacco and nicotine as an ingredient in any product meant for human consumption, but it has been found that gutka, pan masala and several other similar products being sold under different names continue to have a high content of them as components.” It is to be mentioned that Uttarakhand has become the fourth state to impose such a ban this year after Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

IIT-Bombay tops QS India University Rankings 2020 for the second time

According to the QS India University Rankings 2020 IITBombay topped the rankings for the second consecutive year, followed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru and IIT-Delhi among the 100 best institutes in the country. The rankings include higher education, public, private or deemed universities. The methodology used eight indicators to determine the institutions’ rankings. These indicators include academic reputation (30 pc), employer reputation (20 pc), faculty-student ratio (20 pc), the proportion of staff with a PhD (10 pc), papers per faculty from Scopus database (10 pc), citations per paper from Scopus database (5 pc), the proportion of international students (2.5 pc ) and the proportion of international faculty (2.5 pc).

Indians do not require visa to visit Brazil anymore

President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, announced on October 24 that the visiting Indian and Chinese tourists or business people will not require a visa to visit the country anymore. Bolsonaro came to power on 1st January 2019 and made it a strategy to reduce visa requirements from a number of developed countries. He made this announcement during his official visit to China. It is to be noted that this is the first time that he had expanded this policy towards the developing countries. The government of Brazil has ended visa requirements for tourists and business people from other countries like United States, Canada, Japan and Australia.

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Caught red-handed: Forensic doctor accepts bribe for post mortem report at GMCH G Plus News @guwahatiplus

forensic medicine assistant professor at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Dr. Manoj Baishya, was caught redhanded by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau of Assam Police while accepting a bribe from the family of a deceased patient today, October 22. The aforementioned patient, Rameswar Prasad of Dispur Last Gate, was admitted to the hospital after he fell in his bathroom. Prasad died on September 19 at the hospital. Following his death, a post mortem report was created that stated that he died because of high blood pressure as he was taking a lot of non-vegetarian food and alcohol. However, his family maintained that this could not be the case as he is a pure vegetarian.

Thus, they went to get the full report and met with Baishya who asked them to first pay a bribe of Rs. 50,000. When the family informed the assistant professor that they do not have such a huge amount of money, Baishya Dr Manoj Baishya (R) being questioned by the police asked for Rs. 12,000. incident and the authorities However, reportedly, they caught Baishya red-handed settled on Rs. 8000 to get the while accepting the bribe full post mortem report. from Prasadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family. Meanwhile, the family An interrogation is informed the Vigilance and currently ongoing in the Anti-Corruption Bureau matter. of Assam Police about the

City

Guest Column

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Post Puja: Environment and the law O ne of the greatest physicists that the world has ever witnessed was Sir Issac Newton. Many of us have a presumption that the theories established by this genius are applicable only in the world of physics. But the

by implementing strict rules and regulations in order to protect the environment. In fact, if we speak of India, the Government of India’s recent decree to ban usage of single-use plastic products has indeed come as a welcome step. However, we need to

environment protection. The garbage that gets accumulated in and around the Puja pandals, which includes plastic products as well, are hardly disposed off properly by the organizing committee, and that means the waste products stay there untouched most of

hygienic, especially after the Puja ended. Furthermore, another aspect that cannot be ignored at all is the relation of water pollution with Durga Puja. The artificially colored idols of the Goddesses that are directly immersed in the rivers along with other wastes

take into our consideration the probability of certain scenes that might appear in front of us in the upcoming weeks. The nation of India is currently celebrating the spiritual and the festive season of autumn and autumn brings with it the celebration of Durga Puja, which is organized with great enthusiasm mainly in the states of West Bengal and Assam. Durga Puja though is an emotion for many Bengali and Assamese people, but the activities done by the burgess during Durga Puja, are equally detrimental to the process of

the time, thus polluting that particular place in due course of time. Therefore, these scenes directly reflect the fact that a section of people give a blind eye to the legislations passed by the government to protect the environment, and this particular attitude of that section of people, indeed irritates the solicitous denizens. Nevertheless, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) had planned and taken some exemplary steps in this regard, in order to keep the environment neat, clean and

including plastics, directly paints the sad picture of water pollution. And even after the Government’s decision to ban single-use plastic products, if plastics, bottles and polythene float over the surface of the rivers, especially after the immersion process, then the government should indeed be stricter in its approach of completely banning single-use plastic products. Moreover, in a recent survey conducted by Swachh Surveksan, Guwahati has been placed in 303rd position out of the 425 cleanest cities of

Durga Puja though is an emotion for many Bengali and Assamese people, but the activities done by the burgess during Durga Puja, are equally detrimental to the process of environment protection. truth is his laws have a major impact even on the functioning of the society we reside in. During his lifetime, Newton established many theories, and among these, Newton’s Laws of Motion are known to almost one and all. And it was Newton who said, “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” In fact, the above mentioned particular theory has already been applied by thousands, while solving physics equations. But in the modern era, this theory has once again been in relevance - this time in terms of the causal effect of human activities upon the environment, degrading it to a great extent. And that escalating rate of degradation is now impacting human beings and other species with life threatening impact situations. The matter of fact is that if we carefully analyze, we would notice that the menace of environmental pollution has been grabbing the headlines since many years, but the sad news is that there has not been any significant improvement in the process of revamping the environment, thus creating a major imbalance. However, stepping into the 21st century, some concerned citizens’ mindset has undergone a positive and much needed change as a result of which, they have now raised their concerns over preventing the environment from getting degraded further. And the government too has complied

GUEST COLUMN

Bishaldeep Kakati the nation, while Dibrugarh and Silchar were placed on 415th position and 423rd position respectively. So this data proves that our cities are filthy and unhealthy, which of course is the result of immoral human activities. Moreover, according to another data (published by G Plus), it was revealed that Guwahati itself generated 500 tonnes of garbage each day, but during Durga Puja celebrations, over 100 tonnes of extra garbage on an average get generated each day. Therefore, if these are not properly disposed of, then we can simply imagine the aftermath. However the current scenario demands an immediate change. The well known fact is that the Government of India, over the years, has passed many laws to protect the environment. Acts like The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, The Environment Protection Act 1986 etc have already been passed, but somewhere down the line, these Acts have not only failed to make people follow the rules and regulations, but also to inculcate within them a bit of civic sense. Therefore it becomes necessary for the government to be strict in this regard, and hence the authorities should directly impose fine or penalties or other prescribed punishment upon those, who violate the provisions of these acts. Further it also becomes essential for the government to amend these Acts from time to time, in order to cope up with the needs and necessities. Nevertheless, Durga Puja is still an emotion for many. However, people should also try to understand the fact that Durga Puja can only be celebrated if the environment remains suitable for humans to reside in. In fact, for the environment to survive, people must not destroy it at any cost, and thus in the process, they should also give due importance to the laws set by the government. Therefore a combination of laws and regulations along with the shift to the concept of ‘sustainable development’ can work wonders in the process of protection of the environment.

In Conversation

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

In Conversation with E. Sreedharan, Metro Man of India G Plus News @guwahatiplus

onsidered a treasure trove of information on the Metro and railways, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan, known as the Metro Man, credited with designing and implementing the swiftest metro network in the country in Delhi, talks exclusively to G Plus on the possibilities of Guwahati Metro. At the age of 88, he is in charge of the 24-km Kochi Metro. He is consultant to the UP government for the Lucknow, Kanpur and Meerut metros. Likewise, he is the consultant to the J&K government for the light metros in Jammu and Srinagar.

Is the Delhi Metro model a feasible idea for a city like Guwahati which has a population of around 20 lakhs?

If the population of Guwahati has reached 20 lakhs, it is the right time to plan for a Metro system. Getting approval for the Metro and for its implementation, at least 5 to 6 years are required. But, Metros are highly capital intensive and cannot be

financially justified. It can only be justified based on social benefits.

Being an active seismic zone, are underground Metro routes possible?

The Metro need not be underground always. Whether underground or overhead, Metros can be designed to resist seismic intensity. Japan is situated in seismic zone but all big cities of Japan have Metros.

Are there any cost effective alternatives to Metro Rail available for cities like Guwahati where passenger traffic may not be as high as Delhi?

It is true Metro Rail is a very costly affair. Conventionally it costs Rs 250 crores per km for elevated corridor and Rs 450 crores for underground network. Cheaper options like Bus Rapid Transit, Light Rapid Transit, and tramways have lower passenger capacities. Roads would have to be widened for them and this is equally expensive. Most Metros make the mistake of fixing high fares for generating quick revenue. Metro is a

social service and should not be guided by business considerations alone. The Metro network must cover most city areas. Ridership will increase only if Metro stations are within half a kilometre of commuter destinations.

Can Sky Bus Metro a viable and alternative option in smaller cities like Guwahati?

If you are referring to buses plying on elevated viaducts as sky bus, it is certainly an option. However, transport capacity of such a system will be very low. Light Metro will be a better alternative.

According to you what should be the shortest and longest distance between two Metro stations and why?

The distance between 2 stations of a Metro system depends upon ridership from the locality. In thickly populated areas, distance between stations can be 0.8 to 1 km. Where the population density is less, the distance can be 1.5 to 2 kms.

G Talk E

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019 I

Lessening the Diwali pollution

s we go to press with a fresh volume of G Plus today (this edition is Vol 7 Issue 1), it is on the celebratory occasion of Diwali. Six years of covering and uncovering Guwahati and offering readers news and reading material has been a challenging task but a heady and delightful experience at the same time. It has been a steady but certain growth in followers on our digital channels and I feel elated to convey that our website gets 3-5 million hits on an average every month. Well, with Diwali on the anvil and ahead of the same, Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M), Biswajit Pegu, has issued an order based on Supreme Court guidelines on celebrating Diwali in a sedate manner with the specific aim to ensure safety and reduce noise and air pollution. Yes, the environment is getting more and more fragile and its preservation is of paramount importance. And so, given the restrictions of bursting crackers which will be allowed only between 8 pm and 10 pm with sound levels of firecrackers contained to the decibel limit of 125db, we need to extend our cooperation with the full faith and understanding that these orders will hold us in

good stead and such muted Diwali celebrations can also be most enjoyable. Moreover, bursting of crackers on public roads, market places, near hospitals, mosques and other places of public congregation has also been prohibited and this is a worthy step given that in isolated localities of the city, bursting crackers on roads while there is a moving traffic always seemed to be the “cool” thing to do even if the same put motorists and two-wheeler riders at risk of injury. What however needs to be ingrained in our system is the realisation that celebrating Diwali with wanton bursting of crackers is only detrimental to us and does not improve our plight in any manner. Rather than follow an order initiated by the district administration, it is our holy duty towards our own future generations to take steps in the right direction towards conserving our environment and keep it as free from pollution as possible. The administration can do only so much as issue an order; enforcing it is a different ball game and it is in this enforcement that we can play our part. Wishing a Happy Diwali! Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

What’s a good decision?

he government kept busy this week and made some announcements that seem to have upset some people. For one, people think that the 25% hike in bus fares is unwarranted considering the poor condition of public transportation. Fares were also hiked by 40% a few years ago which seems to have led to some confusion of the final percentage of hike. The RTA should quickly clarify the entire hike and implement it uniformly to avoid any further harassment. Additionally, the government also announced the implementation of the two-child policy and decided that people with more than two children will not be eligible for government jobs after January 1, 2021. While population control is extremely important, the policy has raised a few questions about its effectiveness. Over the past years, China’s various “child policies” have failed, leaving its gender ration skewered and negatively affecting the demographic dividend of the country. While population control is an important aspect, it is uncertain whether a two-child policy for government jobs is the most effective way to do so. While there are a few months left, this year has been eventful in terms of announcements. One in particular was the introduction of a traditional “dress code” for state government employees, which apparently induced “feelings of enthusiasm” among officers. While good decisions are always welcome, it is important to stop while you’re ahead. This is a lesson the government is yet to pick up on and just because it sounded good in a closed room, it is not always advisable to announce it to the public. Work out the chinks, clear the confusion, and then release your Krakens!

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Humanity in peril sans nature’s scavengers

he northeast forms a complex geomorphology with vast flood plains, valleys, hills and ridges of varying elevations, wetlands and swamp areas with presence of a large number of avifaunal diversity. The mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries have been serving as the winter visiting ground to many migratory birds ever since history to the present day. Years back, before urbanization of towns and cities sprawled in the states of northeast, villages had the privilege to observe huge flocks of birds which are now considered

Assam, Cambodia and some parts of Southeast Asia. Sources claim that the fivefoot-tall birds with military bearing have disappeared from most of these countries, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) of “Nature’s Red list of Threatened Species” estimates that a population between 1200 and 1800 survive with a number of only 226 of these birds remaining in the state of Assam. Once loathed and described as a prodigy of “ugliness,” the Greater Adjutant Storks now happen to be the pride and vanity of the state of Assam.

to be as some of the rarest bird species on the planet and are vulnerable to getting endangered. With the rapid growth of urban sprawl in the northeast region of India, geographical prospects of lands have been drastically changing, with the emergence of small towns and cities leading to clearance of forests, terrestrial grasslands, swamps and wetlands leading to climate change. Modernization and development of towns and cities might have brought revolutionary changes and made living a lot easier. But at the same time it is also leading to disappearance of the threatened species, the Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos dubius) also known as Hargila in Assamese, which was once found abundantly in large numbers in the state of

Assam is also a host to six endangered species of vultures of which 99% of the population of three of the already endangered bird species belonging to the scavenging family, the whitebacked vulture, slender-billed vulture and king vulture have already been lost and disappeared from the wild; the remaining which are also on the verge of extinction. The primary culprit identified for drastic decline of vultures was identified as the diclofenac – a veterinary NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) – which is used as painkiller in cattle. Almost three to four decades back, the vulture species were still found in plenty near towns, villages, open areas and scrubby jungles having their population

rSanitary pad vending machines in Universities

O pinion Nili Daimary

scattered amid tall trees. Today these scavenging birds are hardly seen at the places where they were seen in large numbers. Being nature’s most efficient scavengers, vultures help in the disposition of carcasses when animals die by consuming them. They also have the ability to digest disease-causing bacteria in rotting flesh. They help earth’s nutrient to cycle by releasing the organic matter to the soil. Vultures have an important role to play in the ecosystem preventing outbreaks and limiting the spread of infectious diseases like anthrax, foot and mouth disease and rabies that can be transmitted from animal to animal or animals to humans. The survival of vulture is crucial to the health of the planet and survival of all life on earth. As carrion eaters the scavenging bird species like the Greater Adjutant Stork and Vultures play a significant role in keeping the environment clean and are an important part and parcel of the ecosystem. Each species of living organism plays a unique role in the ecosystem. The health of an ecosystem is maintained by its plants and animals. When species become endangered, it is a sign of an ecosystem’s imbalance. This balance is difficult to maintain: the loss of one species often triggers the loss of others. When ecosystems fail, it is our own health which is at risk. Any threat to bio-diversity possesses immense threat to the survival and, well being of mankind. As individuals we can make a difference by learning about and raising awareness about the endangered species in our area, and across the world. However, a sustainable way to do that is to get involved as volunteers, partnering with governments and organizations on existing projects.

Letter to the Editor

I would like to draw attention to the current negligence shown by universities towards sanitary pads. It is a basic commodity that the government and the system have neglected. Initiative should be taken and vending machines should be put up in colleges and universities. “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” should be more than just a slogan. Her health should also be an aspect looked upon. And more light should be bought by the government in the direction of the sanitary practices which should be facilitated. Recently, the runner up at the Miss Kohima beauty pageant was asked what she would tell PM Narendra Modi if she was invited for a chat with him. In response she said she would ask him to ‘focus more on women, instead of cows’. This answer attracted a huge amount of people. This shows how women empowerment is talked about vigorously but is lacking in practice. And it has to process globally for empowering women. Karishma Kayum, Royal Global University, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Starting 2021, no government jobs for people with more than 2 children

According to a report by The Indian Express, Assam’s average family size is 5.5, which is above the national average. Its maternal mortality ratio is the worst amongst all states at 300 as per the sample registration survey (SRS), 2013. The state’s infant mortality rate is also considerably high with 54 (SRS, 2013). In under-5 child mortality rate also, Assam tops the chart amongst the states with 73 per 1,000 births against the national average of 49 (SRS, 2013). Guwahatians gave a mixed reaction to the news and expressed their views on G Plus’s social media channels. “It would be better to restrict eligibility to government free schemes like health and education or other schemes to two children only. More than two should be at parents’ cost not on taxpayers,” said Manjyoti Chario, a resident of Guwahati. Another resident mentioned, “This is a good attempt to control the population eruptions in the country. People should not find politics in it, nor treat it otherwise.” Subhashree Ghosh stated,

he Assam Cabinet on Monday, October 2,1 announced that people with more than two children will not be eligible for government jobs after January 1, 2021. According to a report by The Hindustan Times, an official statement from chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s public relations cell stated that “those having more than two children will not be considered for government jobs with effect from January 1, 2021 as per the small family norm.” In September 2017, the Assam Assembly had passed the ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’ that specified that job candidates with two children only would be eligible for government employment and the existing government staff were to strictly follow the two children family norm. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting that also adopted a new land policy, which will give three bighas of agricultural land to landless indigenous people and half a bigha for constructing a house.

“First stop the population growth menace in certain sensitive areas, among the illiterates and the poor section of the society. The educated people are already aware of these things.” While another resident,

Jackchand Brahma said, “This is not the fault of children who have more than one brother or sister. If you want to punish, punish parents. You cannot just make rules and stop the rights of those who have more than one sibling.

If you want to control population make surveys and target those areas where population is increasing at high rate. Develop education system on that area. It will take time but ... this type of rule is not the solution for sure.”

A Forensic Medicine Assistant Professor at GMCH, Dr. Manoj Baishya, was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe from the family of a deceased patient. The news threw up some indignant comments on the digital channels of G Plus Jacob Mathews

Disgusting and disgrace to the medical profession. So sad that the value of human life is weighted in currency donated. Extremely stringent law to curb corruption must be introduced and the current government must enforce. Sadly the people in power are the most corrupted. Still no action against those as they are in power. One needs a lot of courage to come up with such action. I hope strict action is taken against this doctor and his license gets cancelled.

Upasana Das

He is not only a corrupt person but also a molester. He should be punished well and barred from all medical practice. He was appointed as a doctor in our college and misused his position. Such things should be highlighted by media so that people gets to know what kind of people are working in government organisations.

Rupam B

Doctor’s business is booming and no slowdown is seen in distant future also. Shameless people who loot people are nothing new. Doctors can prescribe generic medicines also but they don’t just because they want more money, foreign travel etc. Many more cases will come if properly investigated as this guy was unlucky being caught by the official. Definitely this guy is not alone in this business.

Mahil Hasnu

Everywhere corruption! Doctors are to heal/cure patients. They are the only hope for many patients out there. Strict action must be taken by the cops so that these types of cases won’t happen anywhere in India. Himanta Biswa Sarma should personally look into this matter and strict action should be taken so that from next time people would think twice before committing such crimes.

Ajit Roy

Common business in Paltan Bazar Police Station, hospital, and all-India corrupted rank 1 place DTO near ISBT and the electricity board. Not even a single paper moves from one desk to other without some ‘kharcha pani’. I hope people will understand what I mean.

Dibarun Roy Choudhury

Now I don’t see any doctors protesting. Shameless doctors earning from the dead and then when you want security. Doctors get beaten for their own unruly and shameless behaviour. They deserve this. .

DK Ironman

I hope some raids take place in B. Borooah Cancer Institute as well in Guwahati. Lots of bribe cases will come out there too. I hope the respective authorities take action.

Buzz

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Guwahati boy bags runnerup title at Asian Tennis Championship

ed Aditya Kalita of Pulin Das-India Club Tennis Academy, Guwahati bagged the runner-up title at the Boy’s Singles in the prestigious Asian Tennis

Championship held in Nepal’s Pokhra from October 14 to 18, 2019. Kalita competed in the Under-14 category and lost the final match to Aki Zuben Rawat

of Nepal by 2-6, 6-4, 4-6. He annexed double crowns in the Championship Series-7 in the Boy’s 14 years category played at Haryana’s Karnal from October 6 to October 10, 2019.

Assam players selected for quarters of U-17 girls’ National Football Championship

layers from Assam were selected for the quarterfinal stage of the ongoing U-17 girls’ National School Games Football Championship held in Ajmer, Rajasthan.

In a pre-quarterfinal match held on Wednesday, October 23, the players from Assam defeated Bihar 2-0. Assam’s Maidanshri Narzary and Simy Gogoi scored one goal each in

the 17th and 40th minute respectively. Earlier, the players from Assam had defeated Odisha 3-0 and Karnataka 11-0 in the group league matches on Tuesday, October 22.

Quiz Camp 2019 held at ADTU

ssam Down Town University organized the mega finals of the 2nd edition of Quiz Camp 2019 on Saturday, October 19. A total of 143 teams participated in the regional rounds which were held in Mangaldoi, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Guwahati, Barpeta, Nalbari, Lakhimpur and Tezpur. The six winning teams from the regional rounds participated in the finals of the event. The teams were from Anandaram Borooah

Academy Pathsala, Mangaldoi Town Girls HS School, Nalanda Public School Nalbari, Gurukul Grammar School Guwahati, Don Bosco School Tezpur and Niranjan School Dibrugarh. Nalanda Public School Nalbari won the competition and received a cash prize of Rs. 20, 000. Students from Gurukul Grammer School Guwahati were the runners-up, followed by Anandaram Borooah Academy Pathsala who won a cash prize of Rs. 10000 and Rs. 5000 respectively.

City school students felicitated for Regional Level National Safety Science Quiz Competition 2019

uwahati’s NPS International School on Thursday, October 24, felicitated the winners of the Regional Level National Safety Science Quiz Competition 2019 which was held on October 21. The competition was organised by National Safety Science Campaign (NSSC). Aritra Paul and Anurag Barua of 10th standard both secured

the second prize, received a certificate and a cheque of Rs. 10,000 each. Safety Science Quiz Competition is a national level quiz competition which aims to have an immense educational and experimental impact. The competition generally revolves around theme of safety science in everyday life.

Feature

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Jahnu Barua: One of the most important proponents of modern Assamese cinema

Ambar Chatterjee

Legendary filmmaker Jahnu Barua celebrated his 67th birthday on 18th October last. His next Assamese feature film Bhoga Khirikee is due for its theatrical release in January next. The author pays a personal tribute to the great man. • 1995: Watching the “correct” wrong film The large poster stand in front of the hall had a poster which read “Xagoroloi Bahu dur” (It’s a Long Way to the Sea). Apparently, I had miss-read the schedule in the newspaper and pulled my brother into watching an Assamese film which in those days was not on the top of our list. However, we had committed ourselves too much to the viewing to abandon it. Within moments of its beginning, the film had completely engulfed our senses. I was transfixed at the lyrical visual storytelling of Jahnu Barua which even appealed to a student of the 2nd standard that I was then. I was so engrossed in the life and human struggle of the protagonist, Powal played by Bishnu Kharghoria and

grandchild, whom he loved more than life itself, chose to take the bridge instead of riding with him on the boat. Jahnu Barua successfully bridges the gap between the screen and the audience, and makes them a party to the protagonist and his grandchild’s life. In doing so, he creates a motion picture that appealed to one and all, transcending the borders of language and milieu.

• 2007: “The Catastrophe” at the Film Appreciation course

The year was 2007 and I was attending a four-day film appreciation course. The rule for the fest was that every evening, after the day’s discussions, classes and screenings, they would show a

an easy one and we had to face a lot of grilling from our teachers throughout that day. Hence I was looking for some light entertainer instead of the heavy hearted “Halodhiya Sorai Bao Dhan Khaye” which I had assumed it to be. I had no idea what it was about though. Once again, I was in the spell of Jahnu Barua, a feat that he had pulled off in 1995 on a kid who went in to watch a masala potboiler. The simplicity of the tale, the overt casualness of the protagonist who was a simpleton and had to risk everything he has to try and safeguard a piece of land, was just heart wrenching for me. The film took me from one emotional roller-coaster to another and I couldn’t help but feel choked as I sat through scene after scene of warm emotional content. Jahnu Barua in this film

shops in Lakhtokia. It was during one of these shopping expeditions that I suddenly found a whole lot of Jahnu Barua films available on DVDs. Not to mention, I bought as many as I could find and the most prized possession of them all was Bandhon. Here was a film that was applauded by one and all, but one that I didn’t get a chance to watch in theaters. Here was a film that started as a comedy and remains that way till atleast the interval. The chemistry between Bishnu Kharghoria and Bina Patangia playing an aged couple is an amusing affair. How snoring becomes an issue of conflict between a couple was hilarious to watch. The film then changes mood as the story shifts to Mumbai where the couple arrives, looking for their

how dwindling shows at cinema houses and lack of support from the government are the primary causes for the degradation of Assamese cinema. However, the fact of the matter is that the primary cause for degradation is the ever dwindling standard of Assamese cinema and what it believes is entertainment. Barua has almost always worked with shoestring budgets, chose unconventional and not so massy subjects and kept his films free from jingoism and cheap thrills. Still, his films have always entertained and enthralled. He has set examples of how we can take simple subjects that are rooted in reality and then treat them in a cinematic manner to extract wonderful

The chemistry between Bishnu Kharghoria and Bina Patangia playing an aged couple is an amusing affair. How snoring becomes an issue of conflict between a couple was hilarious to watch.

his grandson, that I didn’t realize when I started taking sides with the old man. The protagonist earned his living by ferrying people across a river in his boat. That was his lone source of income. I was pained when a bridge was completed across the river and it was apparent that the protagonist would lose his earnings. But, what hit me the most was the scene when his own

film by a master and that would be followed by a panel discussion. On the third day of the fest, they showed Jahnu Barua’s “Halodhiya Sorai Bao Dhan Khaye.” Years had passed since my tryst with ‘Xagoroloi Bahu dur’ and in these years, I had again forgotten the genius of the man and was once again, being skeptical about the screening. Moreover, the day of the screening wasn’t particularly

transcends genres by creating an essential drama that at many levels is so laced with thrills and tension that you can very easily call it a thriller. What will happen to the protagonist remains a surprise till the very end. Again, he makes wonderful use of the actors at hand and makes them perform beyond all expectations. Like his previous film, “Halodhiya Sorai Bao Dhan Khaye” is visually stunning. The essence of rural Assamese life is brought out beautifully and it is done in a very cinematic manner. After this screening, I had re-discovered Jahnu Barua’s cinema for a second time. What’s amusing is to note the fact that “Halodhiya Sorai Bao Dhan Khaye” is christened as “The Catastrophe” in its English avatar.

• 2015: The thin line between comedy and tragedy

I buy my monthly stock of films from the wholesale DVD and VCD

missing grandchild. From here on, it becomes an emotional rollercoaster that will make you go limp on your knees many times. Through this film, Barua proved his mantle yet again and successfully portrayed how we can have a comedy metamorph into a tragedy without hurting the basic effects of both the ingredients within a runtime of two hours. There are few films that I have seen achieve such a feat with such ease and finesse. 2017: Why Jahnu Barua is one of the most important proponents of modern Assamese cinema Through the above mentioned trysts with Jahnu Barua’s works, I have come to not only respect the man, but also appreciate his cinematic sense. I have practically grown with his films as the timelines mentioned above would suggest. His films are exactly what the Assamese film industry needs right now. A lot has been said about

result. Devoid of glitz, glam, fast cuts and editing tweaks, his films are unadulterated and pristine pieces of filmmaking which I dare say can be compared to the auteurs like Fellini, De Sica, Truffaut and our very own, Satyajit Ray. His films show every sign of the neo-realistic style of film-making and reflect every quality that is at the heart of this style. But sadly enough, the master has been silent over the years. As he mentioned in his speech at a film festival, one has to see his films for him to be able to make them. It’s indeed a heartbreaking statement to hear from a man who has practically revolutionized Assamese film industry and has shaped the understanding of cinema of people like myself who have been watching his films since childhood. I have been skeptical of his works more than once but I have given his cinema a chance. I believe that’s something we all need to do or else we are poised to lose one of the greatest proponents of Assamese cinema.

Review

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Starring: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Kumar Singh, Sara Arjun Director: Tushar Hiranandani

Saand Ki Aankh

elmed by Tushar Hiranandani, scripted by Balwinder Singh Janjua, co-produced by Anurag Kashyap, edited by Devendra Murdeshwar and lensed by Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, Saand Ki Aankh is a uncompromisingly womencentric film made by a team composed predominantly of men. But that isn’t the only reason why it is a bit of a marvel. More important, it shows up overheated Bollywood dramas about women battling gender prejudice as well as bloated biopics that seek to celebrate female mould-breakers. To be sure, Saand Ki Aankh is a conventional underdog drama. It isn’t the most subtle sports film you have ever seen nor is it the most crisply cut. Portions of the

film could have been easily done away with without undermining the impact of its substance and message. But Saand Ki Aankh is of a timbre that instantly sets it apart from run-of-the-mill feminist stories. The film blends dollops of infectious vitality with occasional thought-inducing pauses to narrate a rousing true story of two pathbreaking grandmothers who, two decades ago in the boondocks of Uttar Pradesh, dared to break free from the shackles of patriarchy and rise to prominence in a male-dominated sport. Like its plucky sexagenarian protagonists, Saand Ki Aankh shoots straight and sharp. It has a pointed quality that saws off most of the rough edges that such sagas coming out of Mumbai and other

Redmi 8 The Redmi 8 also feels extremely highquality, with loads of attention paid to small details, and no rough edges anywhere.

Design:

The Redmi 8 is available in three colours – Onyx Black, Sapphire Blue, and Ruby Red. We love the rich, deep jewel tone which clearly isn’t just a surfacelevel coating. There are no unnecessary gimmicks here with gradients, patterns, or textures. The back of this phone is glossy but not slippery. It’s surprisingly resilient against fingerprints but you’ll want to use a case to prevent small abrasions and scratches. It’s curved just right at the edges and corners to make usage comfortable. The two cameras and fingerprint sensor are in a black vertical strip down the middle of the rear. This strip is flush with

the rest of the phone, unlike the protruding equivalent on the Redmi Note 8 for Rs. 9,999 Pro. The fingerprint sensor is small, but reasonably within reach. The Redmi 8 doesn’t rock from side to side when used flat on a table.

Specifications and Software: While the exterior of this phone is impressive, Xiaomi’s choice of components on the inside raises a few questions. We have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor, which is a bit of a downgrade compared to the Snapdragon 632 used in the Redmi 7. Both these processors were launched at the same time

Indian film production centres tend to acquire because they work with convenient binaries and facile divides to squeeze highpitched drama out of the clash between daunting societal odds and irrepressible individual dreams, and between the might of the persecutor and the doggedness of the suppressed. Not everything that Saand Ki Aankh serves up hits bull’s-eye, but taken as a whole the film comes close enough to the mark to be regarded as a success. We may carp about Bhumi Pednekar and TaapseePannu being cast as 60-something women, but it is undeniable that the two actresses give their respective roles their best shot and come up with performances that cannot be faulted for lack of effort. Chandro and Prakashi’s story would have been dismissed as too fanciful if it hadn’t happened in real life. The screenwriter and the debutant director - nothing that Hiranandani, writer of slapstick comedies such as Housefull, the Masti series and the Dhamaal series, has done so far could have prepared us for Saand Ki Aankh do a great job of tapping into the tangible dimensions of the tale and blending it with dramatic flourishes and passages that play to the gallery, most of which work. Barring a slip here and a blip there, Saand Ki Aankh is never less than credible while being true to the impulse to craft an entertaining real-life chronicle. More than your money’s worth, it is a film that delivers food for thought and emotional stimulation in one go. (Review from Times of India) last year, so Xiaomi hasn’t even gone with a newer chip that might have been substantially more efficient. Interestingly, this is the same chip that powers the entry-level Redmi 8A (Review) and even the Redmi 7A₹ 5,230 (Review). It has four ARM Cortex-A53 cores running at up to 1.45GHz and another four at 1.95GHz and integrated Adreno 505 graphics. There are many more similarities between the Redmi 8 and the Redmi 8A. The two share the same screen specifications — 6.22-inch 720x1520-pixel IPS panels rated to handle 70.8 percent of the NTSC colour gamut. Both phones also have 5000mAh batteries and support 18W charging, and Xiaomi supplies 10W chargers in both models’ retail boxes. Another nice touch is that you can use FM radio

Cinepolis, Christian Basti 09435025808

PVR Cinemas, Dona Planet 08800900009

Housefull 4

08:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:20 AM,

09:00 AM, 12:10 PM, 03:30

01:15 PM, 02:35 PM, 04:30 PM,

PM, 05:55 PM, 09:05 PM

05:50 PM, 07:45 PM, 09:05 PM

Made In China

Ratnakar (Assamese)

09:30 AM, 06:40 PM

09:50 AM, 03:25 PM, 06:05 PM

Saand Ki Aankh

Made In China Tap (English)

12:20 PM

10:10 AM, 12:45 PM,

Ratnakar (Assamese)

06:30 PM, 09:25 PM

03:20 PM, 09:30 PM

Saand Ki Aankh 12:10 PM, 08:45 PM Joker (English) 03:40 PM

Anuradha Cineplex, Noonmati 0361 2656968 Ratnakar (Assamese) 10:00 AM, 03:15 PM, 08:30 PM Housefull 4 12:30 PM, 05:45 PM

PVR Cinemas, CITY CENTRE 0124 470 8100 Housefull 4 08:00 AM, 09:00 AM, 09:30 AM, 11:10 AM, 12:10 PM, 02:20 PM, 03:20 PM, 05:30 PM, 06:30 PM, 08:40 PM, 09:40 PM Ratnakar (Assamese) 09:00 AM, 02:15 PM, 04:50 PM, 07:25 PM, 10:00 PM Saand Ki Aankh

Grande Cines, Paltan Bazar 09854017771

09:05 AM, 03:00 PM, 09:15 PM Made In China

Housefull 4

11:25 AM, 03:20 PM,

10:00 AM, 01:00 PM, 03:00

06:10 PM, 09:00 PM

PM, 06:00 PM, 09:00 PM

Joker (English)

Made In China

12:15 PM

10:30 AM, 03:45 PM

Maleficent: Mistress

Ratnakar (Assamese)

of Evil (English, 3D)

12:45 PM, 06:30 PM

12:40 PM

Saand Ki Aankh

The Sky Is Pink

08:45 PM

06:10 PM without plugging a headset in to act as an antenna. While the Redmi 8A tops out at 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, the Redmi 8 gets that much in its base variant with an option that steps up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Interestingly, Xiaomi is selling only this variant at a discount as an introductory offer, and it’s what we’re reviewing today. MicroSD cards of up to 512GB are supported. Both phones have 12-megapixel f/1.8 primary rear cameras and 8-megapixel f/2 front cameras, though the Redmi 8 also has a depth sensor on the rear.

Verdict:

With the Redmi 8, Xiaomi is sidestepping raw performance and focusing on quality-of-life features as well as design. The intention seems to be to establish a firm distinction between the Redmi models and their Redmi Note siblings which are a step or two up the price ladder. (Review from NDTV Gadget)

Trotter

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Mysuru man takes mother on pilgrimage on scooter

he story of a Mysuru man who took his 70-year-old mother on a pilgrimage covering 48,100 kilometers on his scooter has struck a chord with the internet, including businessman Anand Mahindra. D Krishna Kumar’s incredible story was shared by Manoj Kumar, CEO of Naandi Foundation, on Twitter. According to the video shared by Manoj Kumar, D Krishna Kumar quit his job to travel with his mother on his 20-year-old Bajaj Chetak scooter. Reason? His mother, Choodarathna, was living alone in Mysuru, Karnataka, and told him she wanted to see Hampi. “In the joint family system, my mother’s role was confined to the kitchen until the death of my father,” Kumar, 39, said. “I decided that my mother deserves

not only quality time from her only son, but also a dignified life for all the sacrifices she has made.” Kumar decided to take his mother, who had hardly stepped out of her town, on a unique pilgrimage across India. According to a post, Kumar has travelled for seven months with his mother riding the pillion on his scooter. He quit his job to take his mother on the pilgrimage in

Chandigarh traffic cop sings Daler Mehndi number on ‘no parking’, singer responds

Chandigarh cop’s version of Daler Mehndi’s hit song ‘Bolo Ta Ra Ra’ has impressed many, including the singer himself. A video going viral online shows the cop delivering a unique lesson on traffic rules with new lyrics set to the music of the hit 1995 song. According to a daily, the video features ASI Bhupinder Singh, whose singing has made him an internet star overnight. In the video, which appeared online a few days ago, he holds a microphone and sings in Punjabi, warning commuters to not park on the road. He appears to be standing on the side of a road as he directs people into the parking area, all the while singing about the repercussions of parking at the wrong spot. His catchy ‘No Parking’ song has created a huge buzz on social media. Mehndi himself shared the video on Instagram and Twitter,

saying he was glad that his music was being used to inspire people to follow rules. “I am glad that my music is used by traffic police to inspire people to follow rules,” wrote Mehndi. “Happiness Means Daler Mehndi. Celebration Means Daler Mehndi.” The video has been viewed thousands of times since it was shared online three days ago by Daler Mehndi, and people can’t stop raving about Singh’s ‘No Parking’ song. “Hahahaha this is too good,” wrote a person on Twitter. “Epic,” said one on Instagram, while another added “This is just brilliant.” (Source: ndtv)

January last year, and the two have together covered many holy places in India. They stayed in mutts instead of hotels and carried essentials on their scooter during this unique journey. The touching story of D Krishna Kumar and his mother caught the attention of Anand Mahindra, who took to twitter offering to gift him a car. “A beautiful story. About the love for a mother but also about the love for a country...” wrote Mahindra. “If you can connect him to me, I’d like to personally gift him a Mahindra KUV 100 NXT so he can drive his mother in a car on their next journey.” Mahindra’s post has been widely appreciated on the micro blogging website, collecting over 4,000 ‘likes’ within hours. (Source: ndtv)

Boy, 2, dies after dad ‘spent £130,000 donated for treatment on prostitutes, drink and drugs’

toddler who suffered from a rare disease has died following allegations that his father spent all the money raised for him on partying at hotels with prostitutes. Joao Miguel Alves suffered from spinal muscular atrophy but lost his fight for life on October 17. His dad Mateus Henrique Leroy Alves, 37, was found in a luxury hotel where he had been staying for two months after his wife Karine Rodrigues reported him to police. He is alleged to have spent the cash on designer clothes, watches, drugs, sex workers and alcohol. Mateus and Karine had started a fundraising campaign for Joao as they faced £70,000 bills for each dose of the drug Spinraza which prevented the boy’s disease from advancing. The government of Brazil had agreed to pay for Joao’s first three treatments and he got his

first dose of the drug in August. Within a year they raised almost £200,000 after their hometown of Conselheiro Lafaiete, south eastern Brazil, held a marathon. But by May this year Mateus had planned to ditch his wife and son, telling Karine that he was going off to train as a security guard. The couple kept money for Joao in four bank accounts and Mateus had access to two of them. However, his wife became suspicious after seeing large withdrawals and bank transfers, but Mateus has now told police who arrested him at a beachfront hotel that he was a victim of extortion. The investigation continues. (Source: metro.co.uk)

Fun Jayashree Bose These predictions are based on the month of birth, and are about an individual’s work environment, parents and extended family.

You will have a good week. 26th and 31st October will be great days to schedule important meetings and share your ideas with your seniors. On 27th October, you could have a fall out with a superior or someone at work. Avoid drinking with your superiors or extended family on 27th October. 30th October will be a slow day for you.

A great week ahead. Avoid making any promises on 28th October as you will have to live up to them. 27th, 30th October and 1st November will be great days to connect with your seniors and share your ideas with them. Host a Sunday brunch/coffee on 27th October and host your important meetings on 30th October and 1st November.

It will be a good week for you. 26th, 28th and 29th October will be great days to connect with seniors and share ideas with them, you could host your important meetings on these dates. You could have issues with seniors or extended family on 27th October, don’t get into a confrontation. On 30th October, be careful while dealing with the opposite gender.

This will be a great week for you. 26th, 27th and 30th October will be great days to share your ideas with seniors and host important meetings. 27th October will be ideal to catch up with extended family or work mates. On 28th and 31st October, you could have issues at work with seniors or clients, avoid getting into a confrontation.

Certified Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, date selection consultant & author, www.facebook.com/geoprinciples

The first half of the week will be slow for you; the second half will be good. For good results, host your meetings, share your ideas with superiors and network with business associates on 28th, 29th and 31st October. Avoid any Saturday meetings on 26th October. Avoid over planning for 1st November as it will be a slow day. This week will be good for you. 26th, 27th and 31st October will be excellent days to schedule important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. On 27th October, maybe you could meet up with your seniors for a Sunday brunch or coffee. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with your seniors on 29th October as you are bound to have disagreements.

You will have a good week ahead. 29th October and 1st November will be great days to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. Watch your words and actions on 30th and 31st October, you could have disagreements at work.

29th October will be an ideal day to host your important meetings and share ideas with your seniors. On 28th and 31st October, avoid making any promises as you will have to live up to them. On 30th October, you will be betrayed by someone you trusted, avoid sharing your secrets with anyone. On 31st October, avoid getting into disagreements.

You will have issues at work, with superiors or clients on 29th October, try not to get into a confrontation. 30th October will be a great day to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on this day. Avoid hosting any meetings on 1st November, things will not go according to plan.

Watch your words and actions on 27th October as you could create your own problems. On 28th October, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors. On 30th October, you could have a fall out with someone from work. 31st October will be a great day to share your ideas with seniors and host your important meetings.

Watch yourself on 31st October, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. You could have disagreements with your senior or work associate, nota day to schedule important meetings. On 27th October, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors. 28th October will be a slow day for you.

On 26thOctober, you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. Be careful with your words and actions on 29th October as you will create your own problems. 29th will be a slow day for you. On 1st November, you will feel good but you will face obstacles and hinderances.

numinous knackered

For Whom the Bell Tolls

curio-city

Dilbert By Scott Adams

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Abbey Road

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

easy

What is the name of this dessert which derives its name from French for “a flash of lightning” as it is supposed to be eaten in a flash?

Daily Sudoku: Fri 18-Oct-2019

Patanjali

38 65

1 75 66 13 8 very hard 2 9 4 8

Who is the current Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology?

63 59 34

7 4 4 9 3 1

9 54

46 34 91 28 77 51 22

Via Dolorosa or the sorrowful way

The winding route from Antonia Fortress, west to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a distance of about 600 metres is a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage believed to be the path that Jesus walked on the way to his crucifixion. What is the evocative name?

2 1 5 5 26 72 6 9 47 93 7 6 18 87 3 8 82 19 5

Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee, the co-winner of Nobel Prize in

last week solution

7 6 3 4 8 13 88 91 79 34 56 45 22 11 68 97 24 49 32 15 39 16 77 53 42 82 51 65 28 97 28 33 14 66 51 64 99 58 87 76 45 72 83 94 29 Daily Sudoku: Thu 24-Oct-2019 1 7 6 5 3

Which famous Sanskrit saint wrote the Yoga Sutras, the cardinal text of Yoga?

easy

Word of of the the week week Word

Economics in 2019

Daily Sudoku: Fri 18-Oct-2019

Sharing its name with the eleventh and last recorded album of The Beatles, which famous road lies in St. John’s Woods, City of Westminster London?

Eclair

2 1 5 9 6 3 1 79 5 1 6 8 5 2 7 2 9 2 3 18 6 1 5 9 9 7 3 2 8 1 65 8 4 6 34 2 51 9 4 5 7 5 3 4 8 7 1 3 2 4 7 8 9 75 6 Daily Sudoku: Thu 24-Oct-2019 very hard 1 2 9 8

Which famous Ernest Hemingway novel, also made into a movie, derives its name from a line from the Meditations XVII from the book Devotions by John Donne?

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curio-city 1.

Sudoku

Horoscope of the week

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

adjective [noo-muh-nuhs, adjective [nak-erd] nyoo-] British Slang. spiritual or supernatural. exhausted; very tired

Crossword Across

Down

1 Loosely woven cloth from Scotland (6,5) 9 Impromptu (9) 10 Animal (with nine nine tails?) (3) 11 Himalayan country (5) 13 Excellent — shining bright? (7) 14 On ship (6) 15 Purist (6) 18 Arctic deer — a Rio cub (anag) (7) 20 Best possible (5) 21 See 23 22 Fling (9) 24 Fifth book of the Bible

2 Fit (3) 3 Person whose speech is not well organised (7) 4 Married partner (6) 5 In which position? (5) 6 Acquit — clear (9) 7 Entertainment area with coin- operated machines (5,6) 8 Narrator (11) 12 TV show (9) 16 Issue (7) 17 Male domestic servant (6) 19 Bathroom basin (5) 23, 21 UK resident who the tax man accepts as having their "true" home elsewhere (abbr) (3-3)

Last week’s solution

Fiction

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Dinner with Gerald Durrell I had got married earlier that year in February 1978 and was settling down to a happy married life adjusting to the sharing of my time, work and hobbies with my new life partner, Reena, and enjoying the little ups and downs. My regimented and strict timings had to give way to show my wife around, meet friends and attend parties and dinners. Apart from that, I was fortunate that she did not mind coming out with me on my camps and spontaneous picnics to the quaint places that I had discovered which were suitable for taking her along. Those were the real sunny days of a new life journey and it was exhilarating. Yes, we were lucky that the old saying opposites attract is true. I did like the great outdoors simply because it had nurtured my psyche and made me feel grounded to realise that this wonderful creation must have a reason for our existence; on the other hand she was kind, generous with a great sense of humour and we were eager to build our own little world together. Slowly, the set routine and yardsticks of running the house as a bachelor changed. First, our weekly marketing money was doubled to two hundred rupees, but this burgeoned to around three hundred rupees after a few months. This was simply because we had more guests to entertain and I learnt about the numerous liquids and concoctions ladies had to use unlike men. We began visiting Tezpur once a month for the special marketing trips though I saw to it that some pending official tasks were also combined with these outings. Then we also started to visit the other tea clubs in the vicinity, which at times entailed overnight halts at a good friend’s bungalow. Getting tips from some ladies, Reena wanted to rear a few cows, layer chickens for the eggs and of course a planned kitchen garden with seeds brought from Sutton’s in Kolkata. We could order the various flower and vegetable seeds by post and it was delivered by VPP (Value Payable Post) to our post office in Halem. This was the closest we had then to the online

shopping delivery portals we have now like Amazon, Flipkart etc. My wife had some close friends in Arunachal Pradesh who had studied with her in school in Dibrugarh and a few were in politics and stayed in the new capital at Itanagar. This city was started in 1974 and we tea planters got quite excited as we imagined a hill station like Shillong would come up. We hoped that there would be a night life there and we looked forward to visiting Itanagar. In the couple of years it had started the official buildings had come up with colony housing for the legislators and the Governor. Naharlagun became its business hub and in Itanagar itself there were hardly any restaurants or hotels; in fact better facilities were there in Banderdewa on the highway bordering Assam. So we were all quite disappointed. Then when Reena asked me to take her to Itanagar I was hesitant and told her not to expect anything much. It was about a two and half hour drive from our garden and I thought about the possibility of finding some new hunting and fishing places through her contacts. I did like meeting her friends as they were all very hospitable and welcoming and I also got some useful references to places in the Subansiri and Siang river areas. The distances, though short on paper, were very time consuming due to the bad road connectivity and the perpetual fear of landslides. But I did make some lifelong friends with a few of them. I personally knew some Nishi chiefs and as Itanagar was built in their lands they also had a sizable representation in the government. Later on tribal leaders from Monpa, Khamti, Galo and Apatani tribes emerged and came to power making it indeed a very vibrant young state. It has probably some of the best mountainous locations and views which are slowly opening up to visitors from all over the world. One day in the month of August, we received a letter from the Senior Manager in Dufflaghur Tea Estate to join them for dinner and to meet Mr. Gerald Durrell,

the famous author of the book “My Family and Other Animals” which I had read and enjoyed thoroughly. He was also a British naturalist, zookeeper and later went on to become a TV presenter. He had also written some other books and I was a bit hesitant as I wanted to find out more about him. The Senior Manager was also our relative from my mother’s side. He used to often call me in the winter months to take him and his special company guests for duck shoots and also angling on the nearby Boroi River. I was very fond of him and I often went to discuss some of my work problems with him and he did offer good advice and was helpful to me whenever I needed it. In turn I remember going out with him often and also spent some lovely times with him fishing on the Boroi River especially on overnight trips. He had a wealth of experience and I learnt a lot from him. In fact he had also taken my eldest brother under his tutelage and continued this with me. I owe a lot to him for his help and mentoring. That evening there was only Mr. Durrell, another senior couple from the Behali tea garden and Reena and me, along with our hosts. I was a bit apprehensive as I did a bit of hunting whereas he was a renowned conservationist but we got along very well as he wanted to hear my stories of the Nishi tribes whom I knew quite intimately. It also helped that I had read his book and I could ask him some questions. We were quite surprised to find out that he was born in India in 1925 in Jamshedpur although his love of animals began when he

was a boy living on the Greek island of Corfu. He was in his prime when we met him having travelled extensively and seen a bit of the world. Definitely much more than the motley gathering that evening on a humid August night, listening spell bound to his stories of Africa, Indonesia and from beetles to huge grizzly bears. The whiskey flowing that evening was a top scotch of the time which name I forget now, helped us all to mellow. Mr. Durrell started a discourse on snakes and my wife mentioned her great fear and abhorrence of these reptiles when he revealed his gastronomic and culinary skills. He told her that snakes make great tasty meals and soon he got some paper and pencil and wrote down a recipe for cooking a snake. I think she still has that slip with her but she has not got down to trying out the recipe and I doubt she ever will. It was a rare and

memorable evening which is etched in my mind and I rue the ease of not having mobiles then to have kept a photo or two of our meeting. In 1983 Gerald Malcolm Durrell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his wildlife conservation work.

Ranjan Kumar Choudhury ranjanchou@hotmail.com

On reflection I do remember having met quite a number of interesting people in that very bungalow who were sent there by the directors of the company to get a firsthand experience of tea garden life from various parts of the world. It is a fact as with all senior officers with years under their belt in one industry tend to talk only of their trade and business. They seem to have lost interest in all other things outside the periphery of their work. In order to get out of the monotony of the work like tea which is a monoculture plantation activity it was indeed necessary to have a lot of other interests and hobbies. Getting to

meet well travelled people does help in opening up ones minds and views on life in general. My meeting with Gerald Durrell imbued in me a sense of adventure so that I would have stories to remember and tell, not just acquire things and stuff to show.

Lifestyle

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Vaastu and Diwali D

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

iwali this year is on 27 October, 2019. Since it is on the night of new moon (amavasya) in the month of Kartik, the worship of Goddess Lakshmi has great significance. Since Lakshmiji likes cleanliness, the house must be cleaned before Diwali. She does not like to enter a dirty place. According to astrology and Vaastu Shastra, broken and unused items should be thrown out or disposed before Diwali. Following are some that should be disposed. • Any kind of broken glass, mirrors or window panes must be replaced or thrown out as they are inauspicious. • If you have any electrical gadgets lying at home which are not in working condition, dispose them immediately. Defunct electrical items bring th

bad luck. • Broken or chipped statues of deities should not be kept. Remove them at your earliest. • Ensure that your terrace or roof is clean. Lots of people have the tendency to keep unused stuff on the rooftop. It is believed that goddess Lakshmi descends form the top via the terrace and then the main door. • The clock is a symbol of progress. There should not be any clock in the house which is not in running condition. It should be removed. • Broken furniture brings bad luck. They should be repaired or replaced immediately. • We all have old shoes or chappals which we are not wearing anymore. Throw them out this Diwali. They bring bad effects of Saturn. • Do not use broken utensils. If you have any such utensil which you are not using any longer, then dispose them as they generate negative energy

responsible for quarrels among family members.

Vaastu: Aspects of the northeast

The northeastern states of India comprise roughly 8% of the size of the country, having a population of almost 4% of India. Almost all the states of the northeast have the lowest GDP in the country with Assam having the highest which is ranked 19th in the country. While the literacy rate is pretty high, industrially and businesswise, the northeast is very backward. Let us analyse the northeast from the point of Vaastu. We know that the northeast part must be open, lower and lighter. The entire northeast region is an extension of the Himalayan range and surrounded by high hills from Sikkim to Mizoram and Meghalaya. This has blocked the growth and development of the hill states.

Assam is a valley surrounded by the hill states which has the mighty river Brahmaputra flowing in the middle. It flows from the northeast to west and finally towards the southwest into Bay of Bengal. This is totally anti- Vaastu and it has been one of the causes of unrest and turmoil in this region. The next big river Barak is a 900 km (560 miles) long river, flowing through the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Assam from the northeast part in India and into the Bay of Bengal via Bangladesh at

Niramish Mangshso Shimu Dutta

uring Kali Puja, there is a ritual in many families to cook mutton without onion and garlic, and this traditional Bengali recipe follows the same custom.

Ingredients: •Mutton: 1 kg Yogurt: 1 cup Vinegar: 1 tbsp urmeric: As required Chilli powder: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp Coconut paste: 1 and a 1/2 tbsp Tomato puree: 2 tbsp Ginger paste: 1 and a 1/2 tbs Potatoes: 4-5 big pieces Green chillies: 4-5 Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp Mustard oil: As required Salt to taste

Method:

Marinade the mutton with vinegar, mustard oil, yogurt, salt, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, ginger paste 1/2 tsp and keep for at least three to four hours. Now, pour oil in the kadhai, add garam masala, cumin, bay leaves and all garam masala ingredients. Then, add the marinated mutton and the other

spices and stir fry for some time.

Feathered breathing The birds, they lie...not a chirp true at noon,

Cook for around forty minutes. Once the mutton is almost cooked, add the potatoes, add water if required.

They converse, planning chaos at

Now, cook for some time until the potato and mutton is ready.

I believe that sent conversation went

Once cooked, transfer into a dish and garnish with dhania leaves, green chillies and serve with rice.

wealthy as you are?

afternoon A wily one sat on that tree yonder true through Could you spare me some change, But these roads are made of dreamy laid down tar! I await a signal that shows me the birds Where you and I, we gather in true

Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 and a 1/2 tbsp

herds

Coriander powder: 1 tbsp

Cumin powder: 1 tbsp

southwest. According to Vaastu, water should flow from south or west towards, northeast, east or north. Building high and heavy dams on the northeastern part of Brahmaputra is not going to help the cause either. Perhaps, this is why our region will never see peace and law & order. The shape of the northeastern region also has to be considered. It has missing corners at southwest, northwest and southeast which are not good according to Vaastu. n

I breathe only to be told that I live In memory of that wandered, lived lawn

Nutmeg powder: 2 pinch

Feathered dreams seldom find life

Garam masala: 1/2 tsp

in living

Cardamom (black) whole: 1

What else do we have to end life

Cardamom (green): 5

Touch my heart and see that you

Cinnamon: 1 stick, broken

It has been long, at last I find you

Cloves: 3-4 Bay leaves: 3

giving? belong here near...

Arunav Barua

Entertainment

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

Rima Das’s short film ‘For Each Other’ premieres at PYIFF

wo-time national award-winning director Rima Das’s short film For Each Other premiered at the renowned Pingyao International Film Festival in China on Thursday, October 17. The film is based on the universal theme of ‘neighbours’ and is part of the five-film anthology made by accomplished filmmakers from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Das’s film narrates the story of Malti, an earnest shopkeeper and Ramen, a flamboyant tempo driver. Together, they act as a bridge between the quaint neighbourhood in Assam and the outside world. The story lies in what happens when this comfortable arrangement is

Assam filmmaker’s documentary wins ‘Best Short Film’ in Belgium

Adil Hussain starrer Indie film selected for screening at Estonian Film Festival

R disrupted. Das took to her Twitter handle and wrote, “Delighted that my short film ‘For Each Other,’ part of the ‘Neighbors’ anthology is premiering at Pingyao IFF

ssam filmmaker Dhritiman Kakati’s short documentary film, The Man Who Speaks Nature has won the ‘Best Short Film’ award in the Professional Films Competition category of the 25th edition of Festival International Nature Namur, held in Belgium from October 11 to October 20, 2019. The competition was held at the Acinapolis movie theatre in Namur. Each year, more than 35,000 spectators and visitors from all walks of life witness the event. It holds three international competitions - photos, home movies and professional films - and it is now placed among the five biggest European events of the kind. The 2019 competition received 774 films from 82 different countries in the professional films category. Kakati’s movie provides a glimpse into the life and work of Manoj Gogoi, a conservationist based in Kaziranga who has dedicated his life towards the rescue and rehabilitation of snakes and birds in particular.

today. This is even more special as my favorite filmmaker @ Jia_Zhangke is the Executive Producer of the films. My best wishes to my fellow #BRICS filmmakers.”

enowned actor Adil Hussain starrer Khasi film Lorni – The Flaneur has been selected for screening at the first feature competition of the cutting-edge Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival of Estonia. The film is the debut feature film directed by Meghalaya filmmaker Wanphrang Diengdoh and is the only Indian film selected for the competition. The film depicts the story of Shem, an out-of-

work self-styled detective, who is assigned the task of investigating the disappearance of objects “of great cultural value for the Khasis” from a household. Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is the only festival in Northern Europe with a FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association) accreditation for holding an International Competitive Feature Film Programme. The festival will be held from November 15 to December 1.

Catching Up

G PLUS | Oct 26 - Nov 01, 2019

PIC OF THE