Vol 5 issue 1 by G Plus

@guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

Volume 05 | Issue 01 Oct 28 - Nov 03, 2017 Price `10

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

ALSO READ

PG 02

PG 12-13

SGBG opposes MG Road walking zone decision

@guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

Volume 05 | Issue 01 Oct 28 - Nov 03, 2017 Price `10

Cancellation of FIFA Semis irks football fans After the Ghana-Mali match was marred by heavy rain, FIFA shifted the venue to Kolkata which raised the question about a match that was ‘denied’

Helicopter being pressed into service to dry the ground | G Plus Photo

Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he discontentment among the football fans over the shifting of the FIFA Under-17 semi final fixture between Brazil and England from Guwahati to Kolkata led to filing of a complaint at the Basistha police station. Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad (TAYP), a youths’ organisation, filed the complaint alleging Cappi, who is also heading the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the tournament, of “swindling” money and “conspiring” with “Kolkata Lobby” to take the match there. “If we consider that an average ticket cost Rs 150 and the stadium had 27,000 seats, then a total of Rs 40.5 lakh was raised through ticket. Even if we consider 60 per cent of the tickets were refunded, then also, they are left with Rs 16.2

lakh which I a big amount,” Dharma Kanta Gogoi, general secretary, of TAYP. Following the pitch debacle during the MaliGhana quarter-final match on October 21, in which, clogged pipes led to waterlogging on the pitch, the semi-final was cancelled. The Ghana team, after being handed a 1-2 defeat, had said that the players could not play “properly” due to water logging in the field. The Brazil team that beat Germany 2-1 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on October 22, had also arrived in Guwahati on October 23, but returned the next day after the venue was shifted. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) had announced that the tickets would be refunded from the counters at the Sarusajai stadium on October 24 and25. n Continued on page 6

Guwahati Theatre Festival 2017

PG 17

Abnormal rainfall in October High carbon footprint of Guwahati

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Lead Story

‘Whimsical’ walking zone decision harasses citizens, administration The announcement, made only 24 hours earlier, created a chaotic situation for many throwing traffic movement out of gear Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he government’s decision on converting MG Road into a walking zone on Sundays was unplanned causing harassment as much to the citizens as to the city authorities. BJP councillor of Ward No 9, Rajkumar Tewari, talking to G Plus said, “I don’t oppose the move but things were not planned turning out to be harassment for many.” He said that the plan was just announced on Saturday and the timing was expected to be from 4 pm to 10 pm on Sunday, but the vehicles coming from Kachari side and Maligaon side were diverted from 1 pm. A source in the district administration said that on Saturday last, during a press conference, the decision was

announced by the GDD Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and later the officials had to run from pillar to post arranging the walk. The administration had to clean the entire stretch with the help of GMC and even had to arrange some musicians to perform during the walk. DCP Traffic, Amanjeet Kaur said, “We came to know about it only two days earlier that it is a government decision.” But she also said that as it was a Sunday the traffic was quite thin and after two-three Sundays things will be more settled. The Hem Baruah Road is in a pathetic condition with many potholes creating a slow movement of the diverted traffic. The DCP agreed and said that the road should be repaired or else the diverted traffic movement will not be smooth. n

The general public enjoying their walk on MG Road last Sunday | G Plus Photo

SGBG opposes MG Road walking zone decision

File photo of Ajoy Dutta, president of SGBG

fter the government converted a stretch of the Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road from Sukreshwar Temple to Bharalumukh along the bank of Brahmaputra River into a walking zone on Sundays between 4 pm and 10 pm starting 22nd October 2017, NGO Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG) slammed the government for the move. Vice President of the body, Ajoy Dutta said, “It is an unprepared and illtimed decision of the government.” Dutta said that the government does not know what the condition

of Guwahati is and they have no connection with the city. HB Road, from where the traffic coming from Kachari was diverted via Pan Bazar and Fancy Bazar, has become narrower by the day because of the construction works done on the footpaths last year. The footpaths are also occupied by street vendors who keep bribing the unscrupulous officers. Dutta questioned how it was possible to divert a 4-lane traffic onto a single lane road? Dutta expressed that a few years ago the road between the Judge’s

Field and Church Field (Lakhinath Bezbaruah Road) was also blocked to create an underground parking lot and a food court over that. That was the direct road connecting the railway station with the MG Road. But with an unplanned decision of the government, the entire traffic system of the city was disturbed, opined Dutta. He said now the huge army vehicles have to ply on HB Road disturbing the students of Handique Girls’ College and Cotton College. Meanwhile, contradicting the views of SGBG, former president of the body and present Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) chairman, Dhiren Baruah, backed the move of the government but requested the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, to make the stretch a one-way zone. Baruah firstly said that people require a walking zone to enjoy the view of the Brahmaputra but meanwhile they should not face problems. So the traffic coming from Kachari side can use one side of the MG Road, and the vehicles coming from Maligaon side can be diverted to AT Road. n

River bank infrastructure not prepared for a walking zone, feel many

any people from Fancy Bazar people approved of the move but also accused the government of not developing the infrastructure before announcing it as a tourism spot. Councillor of Ward No 9, Rajkumar Tewari, said that if the government wanted to provide a beautiful view and environment to the pedestrians, the river beautification work should have been at least completed three months prior to the experiment. He said that the bank of the entire stretch looks dirty as it is not regularly cleaned and there is not even proper infrastructure for the visitors. He said, “I don’t know what Congress did but we (BJP) are here for the last one and a half years and should have at least developed the place before announcing it as a walking zone. Talking about solutions, SGBG vice president, Ajoy Dutta said that if the government wants people to enjoy the view of the Brahmaputra, let them open the stretch of land between the river and the road from Sukleswar Ghat to Bharalumukh. He said that the government should break

down the wall and make it similar to Mumbai’s Marine Drive, and should make a green patch from Sukleswar Ghat to Bharalumukh. He also said that if a walking zone is important even the old Fancy Bazar jail can be converted into a walking zone by adding only a few walking tracks with rest remaining the same. No parking lot or any construction is required there, according to him. Dutta said that some plots of land on the banks are occupied by floating restaurants and some by parks which are not properly used. So everything should be connected and made into a walking zone. Many residents of Fancy Bazar were also of the view that government should have upgraded the infrastructure before announcing it as a walking zone and the Hem Baruah Road should be repaired. Also, the encroachers should be evicted so that the road is not narrow for traffic movement. People have also opined that southern side of MG Road could be used for vehicles coming from Kachari side and the other side could be a No Entry. n

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

City

Guwahati petrol pumps face adulteration slur

“Oil’s” Not Well With Guwahati Petrol Pumps | G Plus Photo

ollowing the earlier controversies of petrol pumps selling adulterated fuel, Satyanarayan Service Station, a petrol pump located at Gotanagar, was at the end of public fury. A passenger, who refuelled his vehicle on Tuesday, 24th October at this particular station, alleged that soon after his vehicle started malfunctioning. On checking the engine of the vehicle, the concerned person found bubble like substances oozing from the fuel chamber. After verification, it was confirmed that the oil in the

vehicle tank was adulterated to a large extent. Agitated car owners protested in front of the petrol pump on Wednesday. They also demanded that the government should adopt proper measures against such petrol pumps that have been cheating the customers of the city. It has also been alleged by several customers that lately, petrol pumps in the city have started to refuse selling oil to customers in bottles. Customers suspect that this could expose the adulteration of the fuel easily. n

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Governance

Citizenship of 17.4 lakh people proven Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he citizenship of around 17.4 lakh people has been verified out of a total of about 47 lakh applicants whose

The High Court had refused residency certificates issued by gram panchayats for the NRC update. The order was subsequently challenged by the All Minority Students Union (AMSU) and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

panchayat documents have been rejected by Guwahati High Court. National Register of Citizens (NRC) state coordinator Prateek Hajela revealed that 29 lakh rejected documents were pending for the time being.

Hajela asks genuine citizens not to panic

Both the organisations have submitted a special leave petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court. The next hearing on 15th November 2017 is expected to lead to a judgment on the 29 lakh applications. Hajela added that the

verification of all the documents had been almost complete. There 11.5 lakhs applicants from Guwahati out of a total of 3.29 crore from the entire state. He refused to reveal the number of people whose name would not figure in the final list. n

Police prepared for NRC, claims DGP

DGP of Assam, Mukesh Sahay, addressing media | G Plus Photo

NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela (L); File photo of NRC work in progress (R)

eople whose names do not figure in the NRC will have a chance to claim their citizenship if they had entered Assam before 24th March 1971 – the cut-off date specified in the Assam Accord. Hajela informed, “It is a draft list and not final. If a genuine citizen’s name does not appear in the list, he can submit his claim which will be examined. The final list will be published only after this process is completed. He specified a timeframe of approximately

six months for completion of the process. Hajela explained that after the draft list is published and claims and objections are received, the genuine citizens would be explained why their names did not appear in the list. He said the people whose names do not appear in the final list can approach the Foreigner’s Tribunal for raising objections. Meanwhile All Assam Students Union Advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said that he as

full faith on the Supreme Court which is observing the NRC updating process and if any illegal Bangladeshi’s name appears in the list it can be objected and objection for the same could be filed. Bhattacharya said, “If any illegal Bangladeshi migrant’s name appears in the list anyone can file an objection.” He further said that AASU has appealed to the government that the verification process should be thoroughly verified so that illegal Bangladeshi names do not enter the list. n

midst fear of a minority backlash when the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) is published in Assam, the state Director General of Police (DGP) Mukesh Sahay claimed that the police is prepared for any kind of law and order situation. Sahay said that a detailed plan for prevention of disturbances would be chalked out before the draft NRC is published in consultation with the home ministry. The state government has already sought central paramilitary forces from the Centre to be deployed in the

state. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a public meeting in upper Assam recently said that certain forces were trying to create confusion and fear psychosis among the people, and the government would ensure that all genuine citizens are included in the NRC . Assam Public Works (APW) president Abhijeet Sharma said that the central and the state government will tackle the law and order situation and said, “The government should shoot the people at sight disrupting the NRC process.” n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Sunny

Storm

Sunny

30°/19° C

28°/19° C

27°/18° C

28°/18° C

28°/17° C

28°/18° C

SATURDAY Sunny

30°/19° C

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

City

City girl wins national ranking TT title

ity girl Trisha Gogoi made Assam proud by winning the Sub Junior Girls title in the National Ranking Table Tennis Championship. In the final match played at Siliguri on Thursday, Trisha outplayed Delhi girl Lakshita Narang 4-1 (11-6, 11-7, 13-11, 6-11, 11-7). Earlier, in the quarter final, she defeated Vanshita Bhargav of Delhi 3-1 and in the semi final Trisha got the better of current India number one Munmun Kundu of West Bengal 4-1. The Assam Table Tennis AssociationpresidentRakibulHussain, along with Secretary Tridib Duvarah and all the members of the association congratulated Trisha for winning a national- level title after a long time. Trisha has also been selected to represent the country in the upcoming ITTF World Junior Circuit Indian Junior and Cadet Open Table Tennis Championships to be held at Greater Noida from October 28 to November 1.

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

In The News

Cancellation of FIFA Semis irks football fans Continued from page 1

Fans Sniff ‘Kolkata Conspiracy’

ootball fans, who had been football heads that could impact awaiting the semi-finals, Assam’s bid to hold international blamed the “Kolkata lobby matches in the future,” he said. Dharma Kanta Gogoi, general within FIFA” for shifting the match. Many of them were of the opinion secretary of Tai Ahom Yuba that the match could have been held Parishad, who had filed the in Guwahati after the rains stopped complaint in the police station and threatened to take legal on October 23 mornings. actions, said, “A It had rained A conspiracy has conspiracy has profusely been hatched. It is during the been hatched. It always said that match between is always said that football is like a Mali and Ghana religion here. We on October on 21 football is like a religion were happy that and continued here. We were happy that one semifinal to rain the next one semifinal match was match was day and stopped allotted here, but on October 23 allotted here, but there there are several morning are several lobbies active lobbies active “It did not inside the FIFA and the inside the FIFA rain the next and the moment two days, and moment they saw the they saw the match could opportunity, they took the opportunity, they have been chance to take away the took the chance played easily to take away on 25th as the match from here.” the match from field had dried here.” already. Yet, Dharma Kanta Gogoi, General Guwahati, the match was Secretary of Tai Ahom Yuba Parishad one of the six shifted. It seems venues for the they were looking for an excuse to shift the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, was matches, and the rain gave them riding high on enthusiasm since that opportunity,” Animesh Das, the ticketing lines were opened. 27, a football fan from Hengerabari The venue had the fastest sale in the first second and third phase of alleged. In the same vein, a resident of ticketing. One of the biggest reason Ulubari Arun Saikia, 31, appeared attributing to this, is the fact that visibly upset with the local football had been lingua franca of authorities for ‘not doing enough’ all the states in Northeast since late to prevent FIFA from shifting the 18th century when Missionaries match. “Along with Guwahati, made its entrance and introduced it rained in Kolkata too. But the the game here and Guwahati being Kolkata lobby within the football the gateway to northeast was bound fraternity was perhaps too strong. to receive a lot of football fans from This is a conspiracy of the Indian neighbouring states. n

A moment of action in the match between Ghana and Mali that was affected by rain | G Plus Photo

Blame game among departments

hile the officials of the sports department washed their hands off the pitch debacle immediately, the difference in the statements between FIFA and the Brazil team coach have raised doubts over the actual reason for shifting the venue. Pabitra Ram Khaund, Assam’s director of sports, said the state government took care only of the infrastructure around the pitch according to FIFA specifications. “The pitch was allotted to them (FIFA) in May. They did not discuss the plans with us and we did not ask them. So we are not in a position to say what exactly they did with the pitch,” said Khaund. A source in the FIFA, however, said he was not aware of the 11-year-old “obsolete” drainage

system under the pitch and he did not predict such heavy rain in the month of October. Announcing the decision to shift the match from Guwahati to Kolkata on October 22, FIFA had said that the Brazil team was “unwilling” to play in the Sarusajai pitch after the Ghana complained of water logging in the field. There were also rumours that Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal met with the Brazil team to convince them to change their decision. However, on October 24, after the Brazil team left Guwahati and held a press conference in Kolkata, the team coach Carlos Amadeu said, “We don’t have the power to choose a venue or influence FIFA. We would have liked to play there in Guwahati as well, as the crowd there too

was welcoming. But, when we got there, we were informed that the match would be shifted to Kolkata.” Following this comment, when G Plus on October 25 contacted FIFA, the LOC said, the decision was taken to ensure the “quality of the game”. “The pitch was damaged and not good enough to ensure the safety of the players and the quality of the game. And avoiding injury to the players seems to have been a good reason to us for shifting the match from here,” the official said. The changing comments have however raised doubts on the transparency of FIFA and the procedure associated with finalising and changing the venue of the matches. n

Extremely low turn-out for ticket refund!

People waiting in line for the refund of their semifinal tickets | G Plus Photo

ontrary to expectation, only 1520 per cent of the ticket holders have claimed the refund. FIFA’s local organising committee (LOC) had fixed Tuesday and Wednesday for refunding customers who had purchased tickets in cash. But only about 500, mostly those in the vicinity of the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, turned up to claim their money from a counter at the inter-state bus terminal nearby. “The complimentary tickets aside, most of the 35,000 tickets were purchased online. Of the 10% purchased in cash, some 700 claimed refund,” a member of the LOC said. Most of the tickets were category 2 (for the stadium’s east stand) priced

Rs 400 each and category 3 (north and south stands) priced Rs 200. The category 1 tickets for the west stand were priced Rs 800, but almost all were complimentary. The LOC got a few enquiries about FIFA’s offer for Guwahati ticket holders to attend the match in Kolkata by carrying their online proof of purchase, but ‘no one has taken the offer yet’. “The stadium, on the outskirts of the city, is about 15-16 km from the heart of the city. Getting back Rs 200 by spending as much on fuel will be penny wise pound foolish,” Paragmoni Das, a resident of the forest gate locality, said. And there were many others from outstation destinations. Nepha

Wangsa, general secretary of Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union, had driven all the way from Itanagar, the state capital, to purchase about 25 match tickets from the counter in September when the ticketing lines for the semi-final match were opened. He said, “The students were very excited about this match and they had raised the cost of the ticket and my fare to travel to Guwahati. They were more than happy when they came to know that the clash was between Guwahati and Kolkata. They are very disheartened now. It is not even viable for me to come all the way from Itanagar again for the refund. Money is gone, but that is not the issue. Issue is that a lot of dreams were broken too.” n

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

City

The garbage menace: Residents troubled by irregular garbage collection

Unregulated garbage collection in Guwahati | File Photo

Saumya Mishra

ack of coordination between the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the NGOstaskedforsolidwastecollection has created a range of problems for local residents in Rupnagar. Residents of ward number 17 of Rupnagar alleged that door-todoor waste collection has been very irregular in their locality. Worse, it is now almost a month since the heaps have been cleared. With no option, residents have begun to dump the waste on the roadside of the main street. “We are facing a lot of problems with garbage collection. People dump their waste in front of our house on the road. We have also complained over the phone to the GMC twice but haven’t received

any response from them yet,” said Nirmali Rai Pathak, a shopkeeper and resident of Rupnagar. Another local residing at Sri Sri Vishnu Path in Rupnagar, Dolly Sarma, said that without any other choice, she has been dumping the piled-up garbage in a corner of her own house’s compound. “There is a strong stench in and around our house. This also raises the risk of contracting various diseases,” she said, adding that during the rains, indiscriminate littering on the roads was clogging up drains causing further trouble. Sarma said that the residents sometimes spot the municipal van in their locality and rush to dump their waste in the van. “Before this, doorto-door collection was fairly regular from our locality and we did not face such issues,” she added. Ward number 17 covers a large

area and consists of a total of 6262 houses. The civic body has leased out the responsibility of primary garbage collection and street sweeping in all 31 wards to different NGOs. New tenders were issued in August this year after the term of the previously working NGOs had expired. The NGOs chosen after the fresh tenders assumed charge from the beginning of September. Poor waste collection and disposal practises in the city will also reflect poorly on the Swachh Bharat Mission as well as the Smart City project-- for which Guwahati has qualified. As per the guidelines, there should be one trailer auto tipper van per 750 households and one push-cart per 300 houses. However, currently Naba Pradipta NGO, which is responsible for ward 17, grossly lacks the resources and manpower. It had only one auto van and four pushcarts for garbage collection till now. They just recently obtained another auto van on Wednesday. The NGO is only equipped to cover 2700 households as against the

required 6262, which is less than half of the total households in ward 17. Further, it has a total manpower of 14 people who work in shifts. GMC officials blamed the NGO for not acquiring proper resources. The technical officer responsible for overlooking the primary collection of the ward, Pallabi Gohain, said that she has repeatedly asked Naba Pradipta officials to increase their manpower and to acquire more push-carts. “We have already issued a penalty to the NGO. They only have four push carts against the required eight in the ward. If they still do not abide by our instructions then the GMC will take necessary action,” said Gohain. Executive engineer at GMC, Gautam Das, said that there were some procedural delays in handing over the auto van to the NGO which was finally done on Wednesday. On the other hand, Ratul Kalita of Naba Pradipta NGO said that they are thinking of increasing the number of push carts in the ward. He, however, claimed that

Total households in ward 17

6262

NGO responsible: Naba

Pradipta

Guidelines say that there should be 1 trailer auto tipper van per 750 households and 1

push-cart per 300 houses

The NGO grossly lacks resources,

it has only 2 auto van and 4 push-carts for garbage collection till now. It is only equipped to cover less than half of total households

(2700 households as against the required 6262) It has a total manpower of 14 people who work in shifts. NGO workers were going from door-to-door between 5.30 and 6.00 am for collecting solid waste but residents do not open the door early in the morning. n

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Feature

Where is our Good Old Guwahati? G Plus talks to a sprinkling of ‘old-timers’ and tries to reignite the charm that the city of Guwahati once held and offered to its denizens

Beautiful Guwahati - photo by Hirak Baishya

Chandrika Das

rom Pragjyotishpur to Guwahati to becoming the gateway to the Northeast, the City of Eastern Light has seen many a transformation. As much as the city has transformed, it has also held its roots and significance as it branched and expanded into becoming the metropolis that we so dearly call “Home.” A few years ago, on a winter morning, standing on the terrace of my home, I remember looking at the lush green hills beyond the silver partition of the fog and I first witnessed a sense of wonder. “Such a beauty this city is,” I sighed. But this home of mine is fast changing. The skyline today is undergoing dramatic change, within the city, and beyond the blue river. Today, my heart grows heavy over what I see. My beloved Guwahati is fast losing its crown of beauty. To be sure, there are good things too: starting from schools and food, to race relations, public safety, and social manners. The city certainly is wealthier and richer than what I remember when I was a little younger. Guwahati is credited as being the melting point of Northeast India. It’s a hub for individuals to

immerse themselves in various cultures and open their minds and hearts to brand new exciting elements. With people from all over the state and the other seven sisters flocking here in search of better opportunities, there has been a population explosion of sorts. Although this has created issues in the maintenance of civic amenities; it has also accounted for the growth of business in the city. As I set to time travel and discover things that we have lost in the quest of modernization, I look back and try recollecting what Guwahati, my home of yesteryears, was. Guwahati in the early 70s and 80s was ‘silent.’ The salient features of the city were the vacant streets, college addas over tea at Dighalipukhuri, a picturesque view of the neverending Brahmaputra River from Kharghuli, love that bound the people of the neighbourhoods and celebrations that were not covered with plastic beauty. Panbazar, which is one of the fastest growing localities of the city today, was very different years ago. Nestled in the heart of the city, the locality was clean, green and slow moving. Manjumala Das, a long-time resident of Panbazar and retired professor of Handique Girls’

College, shared her experience of witnessing the place turn from a quaint to a noisy one and gave a fair description of the evolution. Being a resident of the area since 1963, she has seen it all in front of her eyes. Unlike the high rise apartments today, the houses of the people there in the 60s and 70s were small, adorned with a garden in front. No residence was an exception. The relationships between the neighbourhood families were simple and strong at the same time. “Families used to know each other. During time of need and illness, neighbours served each other with special food items. Today we don’t know who our next door neighbours are,” she said. While sharing the memory she quoted, “This was our good old Assamese society.” The charming Assamese neighbourhood of Panbazar is lost today amidst the crowd of people from different regions and languages. The soothing silence of the old days is today dominated by noise and clatter. There was a sense of freedom and peace in the hearts of the residents. People had a sense of responsibility towards their neighbourhood, as much they had towards their residence. Contrary to people’s fascination towards loud environment, people back

then loved tranquillity. Between the history, art, lifestyle and people, Guwahati is arguably the capital of the Northeast. Everyone in this city is trying to establish themselves, while trying to carry the traditions and the lifestyles on which they were raised. Paltanbazar was always a commercial nerve centre of Guwahati. Yet, during the late 70s and early 80s, the place had a sleepy feel. The main reasons of its importance to the city were the location of the Indian Airlines city office, the Guwahati Railway Station and the ASTC bus station headquarters within the locality. Things suddenly changed when private bus services like Blue Hills, Green Valley and Network Travels started operating night bus services from the locality. This changed Paltan Bazar forever giving rise to anti-social elements, crime and prostitution. The traffic increased manifold making it severely congested. A long time resident of Paltanbazar, Chitta Bharali while sharing his experience about the locality’s transformation, said, “I remember one 5 storey building that had a different hotel on each floor. It still exists I think. Suddenly, it became evident to me that my patriarchal property was no long a suitable residence and I had to relocate with my family to another part of Guwahati. However, one thing good that happened was that real estate prices shot up in the area like crazy and small plots went for crores of rupees.” Today, Paltan Bazar is a bustling madness of trade activity and cannot support bus operations and these have long been shifted out. The culture of Guwahati is not just culture, rather individuals

formatting to an “ideal” in hopes of potentially fulfilling their dreams. Memories are strange things. Sometimes it could be as trivial as a smell. And that’s exactly what shapes the old Guwahati memory for Dhruba Hazarika, and IAS officer, and a long-time resident of Hengrabari. “The beautiful Brahmaputra had once emanated a foul smell. And that smell which spread along the ghats of the river, continued for many years. But a gentleman, JP Rajkhowa, who was also a remarkable DC, made efforts to clean the ghats and gifted the city the beauty of river Brahmaputra, that we endearingly hold close. Guwahatians owe him,” he said. Being a student of Gauhati University, Hazarika certainly had emotional attachments with the vast stretches of roads of Jalukbari, which were beautified with the blood red Krishnasura flowers. In the chapters of the old Guwahati, there were no girls who rode a two-wheeler. Boys of the university ruled the city streets with their 350 cc Bullet bikes, and one could make out whose bike passed by from its sound. The silence in the backdrop was so prevailing. Animals, starting from elephants to leopards, were a common sight. “We would go around fishing, stroll along the sparkling paddy fields, swim in ponds. Guwahati was not such a materialistic city when we were young. The greenery was fascinating, traffic was smooth, people were laid back and hardly had competition. This is my old Guwahati for me,” shared Hazarika. The lost essences of the Guwahatians represent the general lost qualities of Guwahati. Probably that is why the old Guwahatians relate back to what is left behind, sometimes, even long for an allure that seems to be missing within the young generation that weren’t brought up during that age. The charm somehow seems elusive today and this is not because of the glib seductions of nostalgia. We Guwahatians live in a dynamic city, rapidly changing, always evolving and forever growing, sometimes for the better, sometimes not. The city’s enduring slogan could be: Go, fall in love with it, my dear. n

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Centre Spread

Mother Courage and Her Children Director: Quasar Thakore Padamsee Starring: Arundhati Nag, Abhishek Gopalkrishnan, among others Time & Date: 1st Nov, 7 PM

Guwahati Theatre Festival

Mother Courage and Her Children is perhaps the most well known example of what Bertolt Brecht called ‘Epic Theatre’ that came as a reaction against naturalist narrative drama. It is among the most performed of Brecht’s plays, and has been earlier done in various Indian languages. It is a play that critiques war and indicts the profiteering that is often rampant in war zones. Quasar Thakore Padamsee’s production tries to retain the original German flavor of the play, with the grande dame of Indian theatre, Arundhati Nag in the lead. Their tag-line is ironic – ‘Everybody loves a good war’.

The Gentlemen’s Club Director: Puja Sarup, Sheena Khalid, Rachel D’souza And Vikram Phukan Starring: Puja Sarup, Sheena Khalid, Rachel D’souza, among others Time & Date: 3rd Nov, 7 PM Puja Sarup and Sheena Khalid’s group titled Patchwork Ensemble humorously maps gender roles, underground drag clubs, the underpinnings of power and masculinity in The Gentlmen’s Club aka Tape. It pays tribute to the star of the yesteryears, Shammi Kapoor, with women swooning all over him and references to that golden era of Hindi cinema. A mixed group of crossdressed women in performance reveal some gritty truths through dance, music and masquerade.

About the Event G Plus brings to Guwahati 5 absorbing plays in its second edition of Guwahati Theatre Festival to be held at the Pragjyoti ITA auditorium at Machkhowa between 1st November and 5th November. The forthcoming event has become the talk of the town with artists like Arundhati Nag, Shabana Azmi, Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Rajat Kapoor among a many others set to perform. We provide the first glimpse of what can be expected from each play. Needless to say, it will be wholesome theatrical entertainment that Guwahati city has come to look forward to as part of its annual entertainment calendar.

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Centre Spread

What’s Done, Is Done

Let’s Play

Director: Rajat Kapoor Starring: Vinay Pathak, Maya Sarao , Sarika, among others Time & Date: 4th Nov, 7 PM Last year we had Hamlet, the Clown Prince; this year it is Macbeth in What’s Done is Done by Rajat Kapoor’s Cinematograph. This series is perhaps one of the most significant contemporary reimaginings of Shakespeare’s plays in the world, through the deployment of clowns, multiple-accented English and gibberish. If you are familiar with Macbeth, you know all about the three witches – be prepared to be surprised at who the witches will turn into, in this play.

Piya Behrupiya Director: Atul Kumar Starring: Girish Sharma, Rahul Sharma, Geetanjali Kulkarni, among others Time & Date: 5th Nov, 7 PM Piya Behrupia is the desi version of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Transforming the European setting into an Indian nautanki, with its song, dance and gags in Hindi of various kinds, this is one of the most innovative and well received versions of the Bard’s comedy in recent times, and has received standing ovations from audiences as diverse as those at the Globe theatre to those at Chicago. This is one outstanding example of successful intercultural theatre.

Broken Images Director: Alyque Padamsee Starring: Shabana Azmi Time & Date: 2nd Nov, 7 PM Broken Images is a solo, and set in modern times, unlike Girish Karnad’s usual oeuvre where he concerns himself with mythology and history. The play is an exploration of identity, set in contemporary times: the era of technology, the media and celebrity. A play of this sort requires both a virtuoso actor, and perfect staging. This play scores big on both these fronts, with the lead played by Shabana Azmi, and direction by Alyque Padamsee.

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Anniversary Special

Another year of G Plus

Vol 4 Issue 01 After TRAI failed to punish the mobile service providers for shoddy service, irked users of the city seriously considered moving the court for redemption. G Plus talked to the customers and the company authorities to understand if the quality of cell phone services had improved over the last year and if customers were a happier lot.

Vol 4 Issue 04 “No malls can take parking fees from customers” said DCP (Traffic), Amanjeet Kaur during an exclusive conversation with G Plus. She further explained the motive of the experiments and the changes that the city would witness.

Vol 4 Issue 12 Metropolis, the city’s biggest winter festival, created controversy this year. Even after obtaining all necessary permissions to conduct the event at Nehru Park, organisers were stopped by GMDA on the final day of the event on allegations of violating norms.

Vol 4 Issue 21 After the BJP led state government roped in Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra as the brand ambassador of the state tourism and launched the logo of the campaign ‘Awesome Assam’ the tourism department got embroiled in a series of controversies.

Look back on the news that we broke

Vol 4 Issue 02 A story on how Guwahati wastes 18 hours a day at rail level crossings. The TVUs of all the city rail level-crossings suggested that the crossings had since long required road over bridges to avoid the traffic congestion but the State Government had not bothered to take any action.

Vol 4 Issue 06 G Plus, in one of its initiatives, did a detailed check on the major GMDA projects that had been delayed. The new CEO however claimed that all pending projects would be completed soon; the city on the other hand felt that the projects would never be completed.

Vol 4 Issue 15 Jaitley’s Budget drew mixed response from Guwahatians Guwahatians offered mixed views on the budget with some lauding it, while others felt it was just an “old dish” served in a new plate.

Vol 4 Issue 24 Namami Brahmaputra, the largest river festival of the nation, managed to grab the attention of the people. IAS Officer Ashutosh Agnihotri and IPS officer AP Tiwari doggedly fought the elements, setbacks and pitfalls to put up a stellar show.

Vol 4 Issue 03 The Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 ban announcement was a shocking move to say the least and along with the rest of the country, Guwahati faced the brunt of it too. G Plus checked out the various scenarios that the city faced in the aftermath of the single biggest drive against black money.

Vol 4 Issue 11 The green cover around the city is getting lost fast as the hills along Assam-Meghalaya border are being razed. This was a story on forest products being smuggled illegally by suppliers in cahoots with the police stations and forest department.

Vol 4 Issue 19 The fate of Guwahati’s garbage G Plus, in one of its exclusive surveys, paid a visit to Paschim Boragaon which is the location of the city’s dump yard to understand how Guwahati’s 500 MT of daily garbage is being managed by the GMC.

Vol 4 Issue 40 Guwahati gradually turning into a CRIME Capital with incidents of rape, attempt to murder for dowry, daylight robbery, fraud and so on, the city remained vulnerable to crimes

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Anniversary Special

Testimonials

G Plus, over the years, has grown along with the city. With the responsibility of being a publication, come hopes and aspirations of many ‘Guwahatians.’ Here are some words of words of encouragement from prominent citizens and public figures who celebrate four years of the city’s own English Weekly.

In the four years, G Plus has touched upon several issues. Dedicated to the service of the readers, of the community, of the state and of the nation, they have a noble mission to carry out and that is representing the socio-economic and political life of our society and strengthening the democratic process. My best wishes to G Plus family and may your stature grow.

I would like to extend my warmest regards and congratulations to G Plus for completing 4 glorious years of publication. I personally thank G Plus having covered almost all the programmes conducted by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation. Initiatives like Ward Talks and the resultant feedback from the citizens helps Guwahati Municipal Corporation in easing problems for Guwahati. May this organisation never exhaust of dedicating to the mission of providing genuine news to the readers.

Sarbananda Sonowal Chief Minister, Assam

Mrigen Sarania Mayor, GMC

As G Plus is completing 4 years I wish the entire team, all the very best for the future.

Mukesh Sahay DGP, Assam

Hearty congratulations to G Plus on completion of 4 years of meaningful existence. I wish all the best to each and everyone connected to G Plus grand success in the days to come.

Hiren Nath

Commissioner of Police

I congratulate G Plus for completing 4 successful years and wish them all the best for raising vital Guwahati issues in the future.

Anand Prakash Tiwari Congratulations to G Plus on completing 4 years of publication. It has done a wonderful job in concentrating on citystories. Besides, they also deserve to be commended for coming up with events like the Guwahati Theatre Festival, the Guwahati Food Awards and Ward Talks. These events have given the city some much needed character besides making the city’s social calendar more worthwhile.

Babita Rajkhowa

Director, The Assam Tribune

MD, Assam Transport Development Corporation

This paper has become the heart and soul of the city. With its online outreach and through the printed publication, the house has been bringing up issues that are pertinent to the city had strived make it a better place. Kudos to the entire team of G Plus on completing four years!

M. Angamuthu

Ashutosh Agnihotri

Commissioner and Secretary, Sports and Youth Welfare, Transport & Industry and Commerce

I am happy to know that G Plus is completing 4 years. During these 4 years G Plus has been able to highlight some of very important issues relating to Guwahati. G Plus understands the representation of facts. I wish G Plus all the very best for the future.

I have been associated very closely with G Plus and I must say that the media house has helped in bringing Guwahatians closer to one another. G Plus is a milestone in the life of modern Guwahati. It not only highlights the important news in the city, but also keeps it updated with the events and what’s happening where. With initiatives like Guwahati Theatre Festival and Guwahati Food Awards, we enjoyed something creative. I congratulate G Plus for successfully stepping into their 5th year. The young and progressive minded team of G Plus has made it possible for the media house to rise at par with national media.

Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M)

Kopil Bora Actor

Mrinal Talukdar Senior Journalist

In the mayhem of media in Assam, G Plus is a welcome break giving modern Guwahatians what they need. It has spread positive vibes and has shown tremendous character. Besides conventional news stories, Ward Talks by G Plus has gone where the conventional journalism has not. Be it Beatrix turning 25 or to the NDTV food duo’s visit, G Plus has been trendy and highly readable. I wish G Plus all the success.

I want to congratulate the entire team of G Plus for their big day! In such a short span of time, they have reached to such great heights, connecting with such a huge crowd and have made it to the top. You guys are amazing! My association with G Plus will not stop in the days to come. Kudos to the amazing team of G Plus!

Miguel Das Queah

Child Rights Activist, Founder, UTSAH Child Rights Organization

Since its inception, I have had a very special connection with G Plus. All my campaigns on child empowerment would have been incomplete without the support from their entire team of journalists. G Plus has always helped bring some of the crucial narratives of children that are often unheard to the frontline. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the entire team for helping me in the progressive realization of justice for children of the city. My week remains unfolded without getting a glimpse of the latest issue of my favourite city tabloid.

Yankee Parashar Actress

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Trotter

Laundry day terror: campus pooper keeps defecating in washing machines

“S

omeone is putting poop in our washing machines”- a peculiar problem is haunting the students and administration at the Southern Illinois University, US.Making ‘laundry day’ all the more dreadful, a “serial pooper” has been defecating on clothes

left inside washing machines in a hostel laundry room. The incidents began last year. Students say after initial complaints, maintenance had cleaned the washing machine. But the “serial pooper” struck again. Since then, there have been eight complaints in total of

students finding faecal matter on their clothes in the Abbott Hall dormitory of the university.”Now I’m terrified to wash my clothes in Abbott. I was really upset about it, but I’m just wondering who’s doing this pooping,” Khiyah Ransom, a student living in Abbott Hall told.The dormpooper reportedly ‘drops the bomb’ when students leave their washed clothes unattended in the machine for too long. The university is now counselling students about ‘responsible living’ and respecting each other’s property, the communications officer said. The “serial pooper”, who remains at large, joins the disgraced list of defecators - like the Colorado jogger who won’t stop pooping on family’s lawn. (Source: ndtv)

Rail ministry’s “utterly, butterly” reply to Amul

ot all business deals are discussed in stuffy, corporate boardrooms. Some happen in the virtual world on Twitter with 140 characters as displayed by dairy cooperative Amul and Ministry of Railways. Recently, Amul came up with a business proposition for Ministry of Railways - on Twitter. The dairy company reached out to the ministry and expressed their interest in using Indian Railways’ refrigerated parcel vans to transport their ‘utterly butterly’ butter across India. The ministry promptly replied asking for contact details of their team. But surprising everyone on Twitter, rail ministry borrowed Amul butter’s famous tagline in an epic

tweet that was a hit on Twitter. The Indian Railways extensively uses Twitter to address passenger woes. But this could perhaps be the first time the national transporter has received a business proposition on the microblogging site. Twitter applauded Indian Railways for displaying impeccable sense of humour.

Indian Railways launched its refrigerated van service a few years ago with an aim to facilitate the transportation of perishable commodities such as fruits, vegetables, frozen meats/poultry and chocolates, but most of the vans were lying defunct, according to a ministry official. However, this service does exist on specific routes. “We would certainly like to capture this traffic. Let us see what can be done,” the official reacted to the virtual business proposition.The official added that the South Western Railway has some refrigerated vans, they can be repaired and used by the Railways to assist Amul. (Source: Indian Express)

Woman trades packet of sauce for a Volkswagen car

woman from Michigan, USA, managed to trade her packet of McDonald’s Szechuan sauce for a Volkswagen car. About a couple of weeks ago,McDonald’s released a limited edition Szechuan sauce, which shot to popularity after being featured in an episode of the sci-fi cartoon series ‘Rick and Morty’. One diehard ‘Rick and Morty’ fan actually exchanged his car for a packet of the sauce that 23-year-old Rachel Marie managed to get hold

of.

The 23-year-old graphic designer, a huge fan of ‘Rick and

Morty’, waited in line for hours to get her hands on the super rare packet of sauce - which, incidentally, managed to cause a mob frenzy in California.Rachel Marie then posted a picture of the limited edition sauce on a Facebook group where another fan offered his early 2000s Volkswagen Golf Mk4.A Facebook post by Justin Chiat, detailing the whole exchange in screenshots, has garnered over 4,000 shares. (Source: Huffington Post)

Lucky 6-year-old was ‘pilot’ for a day

viation geeks, this sixyear-old just lived out your dream by becoming an Etihad Airways ‘pilot’ for a day. A video documenting his experience is viral on the internet and has been viewed over 21 million times and counting on Facebook. Young Adam became an Internet sensation after a video of him displaying his aviation knowledge went viral. According to Etihad Airways, Adam surprised many after giving detailed procedural accounts of the aircraft operating systems and demonstrating a “deep” understanding of emergency procedures. The source of his knowledge was YouTube videos. An impressed flight captain SamerYakhlef filmed Adam in the cockpit and posted the video online

with permission from his family. Soon, the video gained millions of views. Touched by his “devotion to aviation,” Etihad Airways invited Adam to their training centre where he was given a speciallymade uniform and underwent pilot training - including sessions in the Airbus A380 simulator. Since being posted two weeks ago, the video has been viewed over 21 million times and shared over three lakh times. “This kid deserves to become a true Etihad Airways Captain in the future! Please give him a chance, Etihad! Please,” begs one person on Facebook.Adam says his dream is to become a captain of an A380 Airbus. We have a feeling that this dream will turn into reality easily. (Source: worldvibe)

Man dies in bizarre ‘human steaming’ stunt

Malaysian Taoist medium has died while performing a “human steaming” stunt which involved him sitting on top of a bubbling wok covered by a giant metal lid. Lim Ba, 68, suffered a heart attack and burns after attempting to perform the elaborate ritual during a Taoist festival at a Chinese temple. Devotees witnessing the event, which involved Lim sitting on a wooden platform balanced on top of the bubbling wok, heard banging noises emanating from the metal lid after about half an hour. Local police chief Mohd Ismail Ibrahim told that the crowd,

includingthevictim’sson,“sawthelid moving and as soon as it was opened, they found the victim unconscious”. He was pronounced dead at the scene in the Kuala Sanglang temple in northern Kedah state.Lim had reportedly been performing the stunt for 10 years and food such as sweet corn and buns would usually be steamed alongside him. The last performance was part of the Taoist ‘Nine Emperor Gods Festival’, although his family had objected to Lim carrying it out as he had undergone heart surgery last year.”My father went through a heart operation last year. I didn’t think this ceremony would be his last,” Lim’s son Lim Kang Huai told. It is not unusual for acts depicting immense physical strength and endurance to be performed at festivals in multi-ethnic Malaysia, such as walking over glass shards. Ethnic Chinese make up a quarter of Malaysia’s 31 million inhabitants, with the majority of them following Taoism -- a philosophical and religious belief system rooted in Chinese customs or Buddhism. (Source: ndtv)

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

City

Abnormal rainfall in October Guwahati received unusually heavy rainfall in the third week of October that has raised questions about the adverse impact of climate change on the city

ormal life was thrown out of gear after the city experienced a heavy downpour quite irregular for October. Climate experts opine

that these are indicators of the degrading ecosystem in the city and its adverse consequences. The city received sporadic rains in the first and second weeks

‘Warning bells have started ringing’

he irregular rainfall pattern, experts opine, has been caused due to the changing pattern of monsoon – the seasonal wind of cumulus clouds billowing from south west to northeast that causes 80 per cent rainfall in Northeast. Major rainfall occurs twice in Northeast – rainstorm coupled with thunder showers during AprilMay as part of the Kal Boishakhi hurricane which is caused due to the formation of depressions in the air pressure over the Bay of Bengal and prolonged downpour during July-August when the Southwest Monsoon arrives. “This year, however, the depression and the Cyclone were stronger than other years and wreaked more havoc. It is because the heat near the equator is rising due to global warming causing, heavy depressions. The intensity is expected to rise over the coming years,” H.P. Sarma, head of the department of Environment Science in Gauhati University said. The Cyclone Mora that originated from Bay of Bengal this May had caused more than 201 deaths in Bangladesh, eastern region of India and Sri Lanka and had caused extensive damage to

property. Even though Guwahati did not face the adverse effect, several houses in Barak Valley and Lower Assam were damaged. According to Parthojyoti Das, an environmental scientist of Aaranyak, the phenomenon might have an impact on the already grim flood scenario of Assam where almost 40 per cent land cover is inundated under water at least twice a year – during April-May and JulyAugust. “It is not just the irregularity in timing that is a concern but, the non-uniformity in distribution of rainfall at different places too. This year, the upper Assam received most of the rain, while the lower region did not. Hence, the flood affected areas will receive more floods while other parts will remain drier,” Das added. Arup Misra, director of Assam State Technology and Environment Council said that Guwahati could soon begin to experience the effects. “Most of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra are located east of Guwahati and the city is located at the downstream. It is just a question of time before the city faces the brunt of irregular distribution of rainfall and flooding,” Misra said. n

of this month and then on the 21st it received a downpour of 24.3 mm that lasted for more than 48 hours. There was a flash-flood like situation in the low lying areas of

the city. “Average rainfall in Guwahati till September was 161.55 mm which is much higher than that of the last year’s average of 130.47 mm. There has been irregular pattern in the rainfall distribution,” Sanjay O’neil Shaw, director of the Borjhar-based Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), the northeast wing of the Indian Meteorological Department that monitors the climate

development told the G Plus. He said that unlike last year, high rainfall was distributed in each month. Rainfall is generally at its peak in the city for five months from April to August. He added that despite the heavy rainfall, the average temperature in the region has remained high than the rest of the year. n

Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

High carbon footprint of Guwahati

to increase it. It is not known if the project had been successful in achieving the objective. Gokul Bhuyan, senior environmental engineer of PCBA, said, “Other Rainfall in 2016 Rainfall in 2017 indexes of pollution are still in the safe side, but the 21.3 0.0 suspended particles, that are emitted from vehicles 4.5 10.4 is alarmingly rising in the 32.1 62.5 city. Guwahati already has a high index of such 293.5 301.3 particles due to the sand 296.2 168.2 bars in the coastal areas.” Baruah, however, feel 377 345 that a change in lifestyle 293.1 375.8 in the Guwahatians may bring the change. emits carbon monoxide August 102.6 203.9 “The city cannot and suspended particle 67.7 148.4 avoid the problems matters, which increases September that might rise due to the heat index of the city,” green cover fails to do so,” Baruah global warming, but we can bring Baruah said. the pollution in the city down if He said that the difference can explained. According to a report of the we change our lifestyle. Instead of be vividly felt if one travels from the city to the outskirts such as Rani Pollution Control Board, Assam purchasing more cars, we must also or towards Panikhaiti. He claimed (PCBA), the green cover of the city is use cycles like in China. We should that the Borjhar-based RMC might less than 25 per cent which is less than be very judicious in using our air conditioners. And, if we plant a tree have shown a 161.55 mm rainfall the UNESCO standard of 33 per cent. The Assam State Disaster in every house, I don’t think green in the city, but the actual rainfall is much lesser. “The RMC measures Management Authority had in 2015 coverage will be an issue. With these the rainfall at Borjhar which is in conducted a survey to identify the small steps, we can help the city outskirts of Guwahati. It receives wards in the city with a low green avoid the fluctuating climate to some more rainfall than it does in the cover and had started a project extent,” suggested Baruah. n uwahati, besides being at the receiving end of climate change, is also a cause for it, said Ranjan K Baruah, an environmentalist under the banner of Northeast Months Dialogue Forum. “The rapid January deforestation in the city’s outskirt and the rampant February usage of automobiles and air conditioners has March raised the city’s carbon April footprint high. The air conditioners provide cold May air inside, but release the June hot air in the atmosphere. The automobile we drive July

densely populated areas of the city. Greeneries attract the low floating clouds such as Cumulus and Cirrus clouds. The city which has a scant

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

G Talk E

The cart before the horse

he abruptness of Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s decision did not strike me hard until I realized the seriousness of its impact on the vehicle driving population of the city. In 24 hours flat the minister flexed his political muscles by shutting down the arterial MG Road to create a walking zone for people to saunter and gaze at the extremely unkempt banks of the majestic Brahmaputra River. Be that as it may, the move was welcomed by the walking janta which did not care to even pass a thought at the plight of the hapless motorists who were caught unawares within the haphazardness of infrastructure-challenged Pan Bazar, Fancy Bazar and AT Road. I truly wonder how many people managed to catch their flights that day. The impact of the decision and persistence with its implementation Sunday after Sunday is sure to prove irksome to the busy working population of Guwahati. This is because of the poor condition of the alternative routes as also their narrowness compared to the wide MG Road. Beyond this, is the very important location of the city’s premier

auditorium – the Pragjyoti ITA – at Machkhowa reaching which, without a vehicle, would prove to be very cumbersome. And so, organizers would think twice before ever organizing a show on Sunday resulting in great losses to the cultural scenario of the city. As termed on social media, this is another case of the “tughlaqism” that the current government seems to revel in. I had the occasion to talk to a very senior official at the traffic department just to understand why the cart is placed before the horse every time and the answer did not surprise me. Apparently, this is the way India works. We have no time, way too much population and decisions cannot be planned and executed but simply and instantly thrust with no thought about its consequences on the various stakeholders. And so, the MG Road “bandh” is simply another case in point to appease the masses disrupting the plans that others might have, even if it means huge monetary losses to them. It gives an uneasy feeling! Swapnil Bharali Editor

Guwahati in A Year

t has been a fabulous learning experience for Guwahati this year. We have been an unenthusiastic lot for a long time now, but this year Guwahati demanded the attention it deserved. This gateway to Northeast India, right from surviving DeMo, has started working to promote Assam’s tourism as an industry. In our efforts to make Assam awesome, we also celebrated the river with Namami Brahmaputra, the reason why Assam boasts of a rich ecosystem. Though some of the promises seemed far-fetched, Guwahati seems excited about a metro rail system and a twin tower in the city. Some exercises that also caught public attention included renaming the roads in the city and having dress codes at Janata Bhawan. But to a Guwahatian, GS Road will always be GS Road. Thereafter, Guwahati had the experience of a lifetime, like a student getting a shot at advanced classes. We played host to the FIFA U 17 World Cup matches and the T-20 cricket match. Although both the events made headlines for different reasons, they helped us gauge our ability as a city, to host something of this magnitude. The city of course got a cosmetic upgrade when political parties were celebrating anniversaries and so did we. This year we’ve launched a cool new website at www.guwahatiplus.com with everything in place and more technology being integrated each day. Speaking of cosmetic, you cannot ignore the GTPs cool blue look. And yes, Assam reeled under floods. There were some fantastic photos that captured that national media’s attention, and this time, we didn’t care for it. SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

Can the Rohingya be a threat to Guwahati?

here are three categories of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who were evicted from Myanmar. The first wave came in 1978 and refugees from this batch have settled in different parts of Bangladesh and the world. A small group among this that has settled in Saudi Arabia has been the motivating force behind the militancy in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.The second group was forced out of Myanmar in 1992 and a majority from among this has either mingled with the population in Bangladesh or migrated to other countries.The third and fourth groups arrived in Bangladesh in 2012 and 2017 respectively, the latter batch being the largest among all the previous that were forced to leave their homes in Myanmar. The Rohingya speak the dialect similar to Chittagong in Bangladesh which is quite dissimilar from the different versions of Bengali spoken either in West Bengal or Bangladesh. Even a resident of Dhaka or Kolkata would find it difficult to understand thislanguage.Therefore,ifaRohingya were to sneak into Guwahati, he or she could be easily identified since most of the Bangladeshi migrants in Assam speak either the dialects of Mymensingh or Sylhet. However, as

O pinion

Rajeev Bhattacharyya

for greener pastures. It must be noted that the registration process of the refugees has been tardy and there are reports that the migrants have already begun to move out of the camps.So if a section of the Rohingya enters India surreptitiously like other Bangladesh migrants, it could be difficult to apprehend them and deport them.Bangladesh has never accepted that its citizens have been migrating to India over the past few decades. The biggest danger, of course, comes from the ignorance of the Hindu fundamentalist outfits and their current policies on the non-Muslim migrants from the neighbouring countries.They are yet to realise that the Rohingya with links to jihadi outfits can assume Hindu names and sneak into India.If apprehended, they can always offer thealibithattheyhadbeenpersecuted and driven out of their homes by Muslims.The Indian government does not have the resources to confirm if theyare speaking the truth.As it seems, the Rohingya are pawns in a larger strategic game that undoubtedly involves Pakistan. Who knows, many of them might have already infiltrated in disguise to different parts of the country including Guwahati. n

this correspondent found out during a fieldwork among the Rohingya in Bangladesh recently, the previous groups of this community that had migrated to Bangladesh had picked up the Bengali dialects quite well.It would be difficult for an Assamese or a non-Bengali to recognise who is a Rohingya and who is not. Although the efforts of the Bangladesh government and international humanitarian agencies to assist the refugees deserve appreciation, the condition at the camps leaves much to be desired.

The Rohingya speak the dialect similar to Chittagong in Bangladesh which is quite dissimilar from the different versions of Bengali spoken either in West Bengal or Bangladesh. Even a resident of Dhaka or Kolkata would find it difficult to understand this language.” Myanmar has said that it would allow the evicted migrants to return after verification, but it is extremely doubtful if all the displaced persons would actually return to their homes in Rakhine.In such a scenario, it is butnatural that there would be attempts to move out of these camps

Publisher’s Note

uwahati Plus (fondly, G Plus) is an idea that was envisaged to be the mirror of our beloved city when we commenced printing in 2013. Over the last 4 years, moving with the times and changes in the city, we at G Plus have taken our role beyond reporting stories and issues to actively participating in various city-building initiatives. We have supported various startups in telling their stories and to college festivals that have grown by leaps and bounds. We shared stories from the power corridors and from the underprivileged nooks. We have created platforms for local voices and talents alike. We started Ward Talks - an award winning initiative - to discuss, raise and solve ward-level civic issues by involving various administrative and political stakeholders with citizen groups. This has created a massive impact. We also initiated Campus Talks to inspire young minds by engaging them with accomplished individuals of society for a larger cause. The last 4 years have seen the city’s foodscape grow manifold; cafes and restaurants have sprouted in

every corner of the city driving us to establish the Guwahati Food Awards – today the most coveted recognition for the local food and beverage industry after its 3 successful editions. Cities the world over are recognised by the festivals that they host and their intimacy with art and culture. Guwahati is bestowed with such heritage as well and it was about time we brought in world- class theatrics and drama to the city. G Plus introduced the Guwahati Theatre Festival which saw convergence of all artistic minds and connoisseurs alike to witness globally acclaimed theatre performances right in their own city. G Plus has grown with the city in the last four years and has now become a driving force in its development in most aspects. All this is because we share our love for the city with over one lakh people that we reach every week through our print editions and over a million through our social media channels. G Plus is dedicated to the people of Guwahati and its development. The G Plus team is elated to see the

response of fellow city-zens and their participation in contributing to our news desk, readership and the tremendous following and viewership that has been developed on our digital platforms making G Plus truly owned by the people of the city. A new advanced mobile optimised website has been launched. The website at www. guwahatiplus.com has a very user-friendly interface that allows the visitors to quickly read news briefs on their mobiles and swipe to another without any effort. Users can rate, comment and share news on the website very easily. The website also facilitates provision to report a news from citizens encouraging citizen journalism. At this milestone of 4 years, we thank our readers, advertisers, news contributors and all other associates for all your love, support and blessings to G Plus and continue to seek your engagement to enable us to remain the foremost changebearer of the city.

Sunit Jain Founding Director & Publisher

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

In Focus

Nellie Ahmed Tanweer Entrepreneur, Educationist

orn into a family of tea planters and having the illustrious poet and philosopher Late Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika for her grandfather, Nellie Ahmed Tanweer completed her schooling in Pine Mount School, Shillong. She did her higher studies in Guwahati and then opted to undergo training in the Montessori system of teaching in Kolkata following her mother’s advice. “I had a keen interest to follow a career path that would not only

empower me as an individual but also bring light to the new generation and thus I chose to pursue a career in Montessori Training,” Nellie informed G Plus. Waybackin1988,Nellieembarked on a journey when Maria Montessori House of Children kicked off with just a single child. The school, within a very short span of time, graduated to Maria’s Public School. Today, after 27 years of its establishment, the school imparts holistic education to

2000 plus children with the unique vision of Nellie, ‘Learning Beyond the Classroom.’ Talking about her vision and aspiration for the children, Nellie said, “I want all our children to excel in life, not just academically but to have an independent understanding of one’s dream and achieve their goal. I wish to see them as ambassadors of peace, love and build a prosperous nation.” “Soon, I’d like to expand and build a university in our region to impart world class education for technical studies,” she further added. Nellie has been involved with community service ever since she started her school. Besides her prompt action in times of need upon occurrence of natural calamities, she also maintains a regular interaction with schools in her vicinity, especially the under privileged section of the society through her ‘Community Connection’ programme. Maria’s Public School also has an inclusive education wing for the differentlyabled students. In recognition of her initiative and effort in many spheres of education in North East India, Nellie Ahmed Tanweer has been bestowed with various honours

by different organizations. Nellie has been conferred with coveted awards like Rajiv Gandhi Shiromoni Award in 2012, Best Entrepreneur Award in Northeast India by FICCE in 2012, the NEDFi Award 2015 for her entrepreneurial initiative in the Northeast region, ‘Be The ChangeStree Udhyami Award’ by the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) in 2016, Woman Achiever’s Award for Education by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2016, and the Most Influential Leader by White Swan Awards for Excellence in Education in 2016. To add to these accolades, the former Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, has also acknowledged her initiative towards the differently-abled students. Nellie, talking to G Plus about the present scenario of education in Assam said, “I’d have to say that there is still a gap between government run institutes and private schools in terms of infrastructure. Curriculum is the same everywhere, but sanitation, availability of clean water, safety measures aren’t alike.” In spite of certain problematic areas, the educationist says that Assam is at par with the rest of the country in terms of quality of education as students from the region are going global and doing well in their respective fields all over the world, not just in India. She further informed us about the difference in education that she sees today, compared to her own days in school, and said, “During my school

days, things weren’t as aggressive as it is now. Sure we had to keep up with scores and academics but we were encouraged to stay close to nature. Gardening and housekeeping was a part of school curriculum; that is not the trend now. There is more competition and struggle for marks than all-round development among students. Thankfully, at Maria’s Public School, I have been able to instil that enthusiasm for nature and we have pollination garden and butterflies flying in our campus.” She also added that she’s not in favour of children using social media because while it is a good platform to express one’s views and opinions, a lot of its content is unfiltered. Not everything we read on the internet is true and a lot of it comes from unreliable sources. Not only is Nellie involved in the field of education, her interests also lie in income generation projects for the underprivileged women in her handloom industry and in the school. She is proud to be upholding the rich heritage of handloom by empowering the underprivileged women with a platform to earn their livelihood with dignity in her weaving unit. To all the women who aspire to become entrepreneurs, Nellie has a word of advice, “I’d just like to say –think big, be relentless, don’t be afraid of falling, wake up and chase your dreams. Do not let your gender come in the way of your goal, because women are at par with men. And if you wish, nothing can stop you.”

Does the public support the decision to turn MG Road into a walking Zone? MG Road from Sukreshwar Temple point to Bharalu is likely to be turned into a ‘Walking Zone’ from 4 PM to 10 PM every Sunday, for people to enjoy the beauty of Brahmaputra river front. Manish Tandon I don’t support this as there are three parks in that area for walking. Why is the administration trying to make silly traffic jams. Even Chandmari flyover has been made a walking zone. Chandmari field as well as Shradhajalli is therefore for such activities. It isbetter toconstruct proper drains, roads and footpath that will help our city develop.

Santanu Kashyap I don’t think it’s a good idea. There are three parksin that area, so the government should develop the park and convert itinto a walking zone like Gangtok. Guwahati already has unbearable traffic problem and blocking a major road doesn’t make any sense. If the government has real will to make a walking zone, it should create it and show us that it really cares for us.

Devarun Chaki Good initiative, Hope our honourable city development Minister HimantaBiswaSarma comes up with a plan to repair the roads on which our vehicles ply. Just two days of continuous rain and we can see numerous potholes all along the roads. Many accidents happen due to this problem but our ministers have turned a blind eye to this coming with ideas that are not going to benefit anyone.

Krishnakamal Barman This looks more of a business initiative than an initiative taken for the benefit of general public. I’m sure in the coming months this area will be filled with roadside vendors, chat houses, and all types of street businesses. Slowly the place will turn into a “chaupati”, with heaps of garbage and pollution of the Brahmaputra .The government should keep in mind the purpose i.e “walking zone”.

Nayan Manna Improve the existing infrastructure rather than coming up with these hair brained ideas. AT road is already super jam packed, ambulances get stuck; normal commuters are stuck for hours there. Blocking MG road so that people can get a good view of the Brahmaputra is preposterous. Why don’t the city authorities improve the banks of the river and let people walk and enjoy rather than blocking the main roads or make the parks free for public. What happened to those projects announced by the PM to improve the river banks and develop them into tourist attractions?

Abhay Roy I mean seriously? I have a humble request to the government; if you can’t change the system, don’t try to do such kind of things. Also, are Nehru park and Bharalumukh park meantfor dating? Parks already exist at Bharalumukh for people who want to enjoy walking in the evening.They should work for the poor rather than taking up such initiatives. People will respect the government more if they just try to make 500m of proper road in a village.

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Review Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Smita Tambe, Kumud Mishra, Adarsh Gourav Director: Atanu Mukherjee

vie Mo view Re Rukh

irector Atanu Mukherjee’s Rukh challenges existing norms and our sensibilities as we get confused in our attempt to fit this suspense drama in a bracket. It might look like a typical whodunit in the beginning, but you realise within minutes that Rukh is more about fighting the inner demons than those outside. Rukh revolves around Dhruv Mathur, played by Adarsh Gourav, who returns from his boarding school after a long gap of three years after learning about his father’s demise. He is taken aback by how silent, and not shocked, his mother (played by Smita Tambe) and father’s associates as if they had seen the tragedy

coming. Though he did not share the best relationship with his father, he cannot help get to the bottom of the unresolved case and discovers unbelievable aspects of his father’s life along the way. Rukh has been planned like a book. Somebody is taking us along on a journey. We are with them, but we don’t know these characters, and we also know that we all have secrets. Actually, we believe what we want to believe. It’s a rare, mature thriller that delivers the goods and keeps you engrossed. Don’t let this small film slip under the radar, because this will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. n

Cast: Richa Chadha, Kalki Koechlin, Arslan Goni Director: Howard Rosemeyer

wo young women are unexpected partners in a touching coming of age tale: this must have been the intention of ‘Jia Aur Jia’. The premise is not wildly original but still attractive enough. There’s something about a couple of strangers having to figure out the bends in the road ahead as well each other, which can be very engaging. But the execution is so haphazard and so amateurish that you’re left wondering: how do these movies get made? Is there no Bollywood version of checking-forquality before the flick gets slung out? Koechlin plays Jia Garewal,

owner of a small bakery in Panchgani. Ms Garewal is on a tight budget and hooks up online with a banker called Jia Raghupati Venkatram (Richa Chadda) to split the cost of a Europe sojourn. It is clear from the word go that Ms Venkatram is nursing a tragic past. Be that as it may, she is at first exasperated and then gradually charmed by the crazy creature in her company who lives life with such abandon while she herself is so stiff-necked. It does not take a genius to guess that we will at some point discover that Garewal has a secret too. Jia Aur Jia is about two strangers meeting, and how one of them changes the other’s life forever. n

vie Mo view Re

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Tech Review

Google announces ‘Pay with Google’ feature

oogle has finally launched its 'Pay with Google' feature, which was announced back in May. The new feature is available for Android users and ensures that your online payment and buying experience is fast, secure and hasslefree. The search and software giant introduced this new feature to ensure that users don’t have to waste their time in juggling with payment data everytimetheyneedtopaysomething using their phone.

How does it work? The use of the "pay with Google" option is simple. You will be shown a list of payment cards saved in your Google account. You then just tap the card you want to use to pay. Google then conveys this information along

with your shipping address to the seller who then deals with the rest of the transaction. The best part about this system is that it works across a multitude of websites and Android apps so the users don’t have to worry about findingtheirdetailsafterstoringthem securely. ‘Pay with Google’ will work across apps like Google Play, Chrome, Android Pay or even YouTube. ‘Pay with Google’ sends your payment information and shipping address from your account to the merchant who is supplying the product. The merchant then gets the payment information and processes it just like any other purchase data. Users can pay for trips, shopping or takeout food restaurants with the help of ‘Pay with Google’ and Google

has added a list of establishments that support this new way of making payments.

You will be able to use any card you have on file. These include any saved to your Google Account by products such

as Google Play, You Tube, Chrome or Android Pay. The new "pay with Google" option will have the advantage of linking all the different payment options you have into a single interface. This will allow retailers to implement payment with just a few lines of code. The payment

system is made possible by the new Google Payment API. Pali Bhat, Vice President of Payments at Google said: “Payments is a key capability of the user’s Google account. Our goal is to enable users to pay with their Google account across devices, platforms and interfaces.” n

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Entertainment

‘The Black Cat’ shines at international film fest

“T

he Black Cat,” a short film produced and directed by Mumbai-based Bhargav Saikia, who otherwise hails from Biswanath Chariali, won the Best Cinematography Award and also received an honourable mention in the Best

Fantasy/Sci-Fi category at the summer edition of Asians on Film Festival of Shorts held in the USA. A witch, a broom and a cat Assamese filmmaker Bhargav Saikia’s adaptation of Ruskin Bond’s “The Black Cat,” starring Tom Alter and Shernaz Patel has

all these necessary elements of a spooky fantasy tale. Black Cat is based on the original story penned by eminent English author Ruskin Bond and the script has been written by Saikia. Alter, who passed away recently, is in the role of Bond as the protagonist. The short 22-minute film in English will also be screened in the competition segment at the main festival in January, 2018 in K Town, Los Angeles, USA. Two earlier films, Kafiron Ka Namaj and Awakenings, by Bhargav Saikia, also received accolades at several international film festivals. He’s currently working on three projects that are in different stages of development - a feature film in Hindi, a web series and an Assamese feature film - exciting and challenging concepts in the fantasy-horror genres. n

Shankar Borua’s ‘The Curiosity Shop’ to release this November

filmmaking style reflected in a non-linear narrative with multiple timelines. n

ndependent filmmaker Shankar Borua’s widely anticipated new film, The Curiosity Shop, opens in movie theatres across Assam on November 3, 2017. The film stars Upamanyu Boruwa, Debasmita Borgohain (as Hope, the adopted daughter in the movie), Anupjyoti Choudhury, Krishna Sarma, Ribhu Ranjan Baruah, Stuti Choudhury, Imtinaro Longkumer, Bidisha Kashyap, Sumi Borah, Satya Doley, and Bhargavjyoti Bora, among others. The Curiosity Shop is an unusual narrative with very pertinent and potent thematic considerations that centre on the adoption of a girl child as well as the abuse of women, particularly within the family, unknown to the world outside. The tagline of the film says it all, “A father, a daughter, and a bookstore…The Curiosity Shop.” Accompanying the motion

picture is American singer Heather Christie’s rendition of a blues track written by Shankar Borua himself, a highlight of The Curiosity Shop. In writer-director Shankar Borua’s words, “The Curiosity Shop is an intricately woven narrative that exhorts us to adopt a girl child, asks us to pause and pay tribute to the American Baptist missionaries who saved the Assamese language from fading into oblivion, mesmerizes us with a colourful Mising Oinitom (Bihu) and eulogizes the beauty and grace of Sattriya, the 500-year old dance form inextricably linked to Assamese identity.” In a conversation, Borua further said, “The Curiosity Shop is my humble gift to the people of Assam. I will be most gratified if folks take ownership of the movie and proudly consider it as their own cultural property.” The people of Assam will once again get an opportunity to experience Borua’s signature

‘Mary Kom’ punching to glory on Assam’s mobile theatre arena throughout the state, usually in August and continue till April. This year, Abahan Theatre’s marquee play is based on the Olympic boxing medallist Mary Kom. Written by Abhijit Bhattacharya, popular Assamese actor Prastuti Parashar portrays the role of the champion pugilist from Manipur in the play.

very evening, ‘Mary Kom’ enters the ring on Assam’s mobile theatre arena and mesmerises the audience with her power punches and her riveting story. The ongoing season of the indigenous Assamese Bhramyaman or mobile theatre circuit kicked off on August 9 at Patshala in Barpeta District with the staging of ‘Mary Kom’ by Abahon Theatre, an iconic mobile theatre company of the state. The season will continue till April 13 next year across Assam. Every year, more than 30 theatre companies embark on a journey

Abahan Theatre producer, Krishna Roy said the response to the play has been tremendous and going by the fact that the villagers know very little of Mary Kom, it is rewarding. About 1,500-1,600 people have been turning up for each show, he said. “In spite of not knowing much about Mary Kom, it is really encouraging to see villagers come out in large numbers to watch the play. Mary Kom’s story is about simplicity, grit and determination. People find it very inspiring and could relate it to theirs,” Roy informed. Among other companies, Bhagyadevi Theatre is celebrating 50 years of its inception, while Hengool Theatre is showcasing plays such as ‘Boliya Draupadi’, ‘Ei Sohoror Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Mafia Aru Xoondori’. n

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Fun Horoscope of the week The week ahead could make a few demands on you even though you’re already eager to make progress. Thoughts of the approaching holiday season could coincide with a decision to get organized and perhaps make your gifts. At work, the current situation might need revamping, especially if old methods no longer cut the mustard. A few changes could transform things for the better. Finally, romance looks very promising, whether you’re spoken for or newly in love.

Your desire to have fun could snowball, giving you a lot more to do. If you can come up with a strategy to help you both work and enjoy life, you might get even more done. The chance of a lucrative deal might be too good to miss even if it is an informal offer. Despite all the hard work, don’t neglect the chance to enjoy yourself. Indeed, make it a priority and you’ll feel rejuvenated and more upbeat in general.

One desire could be so strong that it fills your mind and senses, particularly early in the week when you may wonder what hit you. Perhaps you should follow it up, because you might get more than you expect. The focus on your home zone could lead you to wonder about the motives of certain family members. A heart-to-heart chat might be a lot better than harboring unnecessary suspicions. Finally, gorgeous Venus in Libra can be helpful for negotiation and romantic sweet talk.

It may seem like you could miss out on a golden opportunity if you don’t hurry. However, if you’re excited about the many possibilities open to you, as the current alignment suggests, perhaps you should consider eliminating projects or activities that no longer hold much appeal. Doing so means you’ll be able to make the most of any new options that come your way. In addition, taking that bit of extra care of your finances can also be beneficial.

The continued focus on your home sector suggests that if you’re tired and wired, you should cut back on activities so you can relax and recharge. You might also find it both nurturing and healing to pay attention to your creative muse. If you want to learn a new craft or musical instrument, this is the time to go for it. It could become your preferred way to unwind in the future. With Venus in Libra, this is your chance to revel in being you.

Chatty Mercury’s presence in your sign encourages you to look a little deeper into the situations and circumstances around you. Indeed, over the week ahead you may be puzzled or outright confused by a relationship that at once fascinates and slightly frightens you. Come Thursday, a powerful blend of energies involving expansive Jupiter could see you taking charge of the situation once and for all. This may be exactly what you need to help you feel more positive.

You’re in a phase when you’d benefit from unwinding and recharging. After eleven months of activity, the twelfth should be dedicated to meditating on your progress and your goals for the coming twelve months. It’s also an opportunity to release feelings and situations that drain your energy. If you can do this now, you’ll make the best possible use of your recuperation period. With luscious Venus dancing in your social sector, it’s an excellent time for collaboration and teamwork.

With Saturn in your spiritual sector, this is a chance to clear out any baggage you’ve accumulated in recent years. We’re talking about a deep clean rather than a superficial dust and vacuum. While you’ve likely been at this on and off over the past couple years, there’s no time like the present to continue. It’s the perfect time to make amends, clear away emotional clutter, and enhance vitality. Convivial Venus in Libra suggests one or two career deals could be moneymakers.

The dynamic that’s responsible for all the hard work you’ve done lately is still very much in focus. There’s a chance that a golden opportunity could come your way that adds to your workload but is too good to miss. While you’re quite the canny operator and not easily fooled, be sure from midweek that everything’s in order by checking the details and fine print. Lovely Venus in Libra suggests you’ll be eager to make concessions even if it means compromising a little.

It may come as no surprise that one association is red hot right now, particularly early in the week, when a Scorpio connection hints at fire between the sheets. You’ll also find you learn a lot from others, especially when it comes to monitoring your reactions to key situations. The people around you can teach you much about what’s important to you and where you might need to change your attitude. Luscious Venus in Libra hints at the potential for lucrative deals.

EutremaJaponicumor Japanese horseradish is better known by which name?

Which Indian National Park, declared a tiger reserve as late as in 2006, has the highest density of tigers in the world, one per 5 km with an absolute count of 118?

3 4

What is the Malayali word for ‘jingling earrings’?

‘For one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world’-is the motto of which monastic organisation of India?

By what name is Maurice Micklewhite better known to the world?

curio-city

Identify this beauty of the yesteryears

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

Luann by Greg Evans

2 3

9 5 6

9 2

6 6 2 7 8 1 3 4 9 5 42 3 9 6 2 79 4 7 6 6 1 7 4 3 1 4 5 1 4 5 1 92 5 5

8 5 7 9 2

19 31 6

Daily Sudoku: Tue 24-Oct-2017 Daily Sudoku: Tue 17-Oct-2017

last week solution 4 6 7 2 3 98 27 83 19 71 54 19 36 92 47 65 31 42 86 28 27 83 95 61 52 11 74 58 37 95 32 96 19 54 63 76 58 61 43 84 83 45 27 78 19 Daily 9Sudoku: 2 Tue424-Oct-2017 5 6

5 64 85 13 79 46 28 92 31 7

1 2 5 1 2 4 7 8 4 9 6 7 8 5 3 6 9 3

8 54 36 99

9 63 87 75

63 41 22 38 17 54 71 92 45 26 8 medium 1

Daily Sudoku: Tue 17-Oct-2017

hard

http://www.dailysudoku.com/ http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. Wasabi, the popular Japanese condiment 2. Kaziranga National Park 3. JimmikiKammal, the malayali song which went viral recently. It is said to be the new Kolaveri Di and was also featured recently in The Jimmy Kimmel Show. 4. Ramkrishna Mission. 5. The British film icon Michael Caine. 6. Pramila (Esther Victoria Abrahams), the first Miss India

curio-city

Sudoku

This week’s focus is very much geared toward productivity and plain old hard work. The difference is that you seem quite passionate about your involvement and eager to see results. A romance could unexpectedly spring up with someone who shares your enjoyment of a certain subject or craft. You might need to make a radical decision that brings about a positive change in your life. Lovely Venus in your health zone could motivate you to exercise more to be as fit as possible.

There’s a lot going on in one of the more mysterious areas of your chart, where the current lineup could enhance intimacy and perhaps encourage you to explore unusual and exciting ways to please your sweetheart. Being open and vulnerable could be very good for you. It’s also an opportunity to let go of buried resentment and so experience feelings of lightness and peace. Career matters also get a boost, but you’ll need to be cautious around money matters this week.

Word of the week Cruciverbalist noun [kroo-suh-vur-buh-list] A designer or aficionado of crossword puzzles

Crossword Across

1 Forswear (6) 4 Goal (6) 8 Sum up (5) 9 Ancient Egyptian ruler (7) 10 Sorrow (7) 11 Representative (5) 12 Why? (9) 17 Trifling (5) 19 Marine mammal, the male having a spiral ivory tusk (7) 21 County town with a castle, seat of the Dukes of Northumberland (7) 22 Boast (5) 23 Pilgrim’s destination (6) 24 Grasp tightly (6)

Down

1 Newly (6) 2 Bird of the crow family (7) 3 Indian monetary unit (5) 5 Swaggering show of boldness (7) 6 Dodge (5) 7 South Pacific island, associated with Robert Louis Stevenson (6) 9 Doctor Zhivago author (9) 13 Heavenly (7) 14 Use up (7) 15 Asparagus shoots (6) 16 Irregularly shaped spot (6) 18 Pavarotti, for example (5) 20 Competitor (5)

Last week’s solution

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Buzz

Monalisa Saikia bestowed Dainik Asam Literary Award

he Dainik Asam Literary Award for 2016 was conferred on noted writer Monalisa Saikia for her novel “Shankhaninad” at a function held at the Kanaklal Baruah Auditorium of the Assam State Museum, Guwahati. The award carried a citation, a memento and a cash prize of Rs 50,000. Shankhaninad, a novel set in the backdrop of the Assam Movement and its impact, was selected for the award by a two-tier jury comprising eminent litterateurs and literary critics of Assam. In her acceptance speech, Monalisa Saikia shared with

the audience her personal experiences that brought her to the world of writing. “I have lived in my stories and all the characters of my stories and novels are real,” she said, adding, “Assam is a land of stories. Today we all speak about the magic realism and Latin America. Back home, we have masterpieces like “Burhi Aair Sadhu” that spin together mythical elements and realistic fiction.” While speaking as the chief guest on the occasion, eminent litterateur, Dr Nagen Saikia said, “Free flow of thoughts and a close connection with the characters

the writer creates is a must for any creative piece to strike a chord with its readers. Creative literature cannot come up with pre-conceived notions and without going deep within one’s own heart. The writer need not be told about what to write. Unless something stirs up the writer from within, an authentic piece cannot be created.” Giving an overview of the contemporary Assamese novel, noted literary critic Arindam Barkataki said that issues like the Assam Movement, rapid globalisation, high-handedness of political agenda over social reality and growing consciousness among tribal communities have their impacts on the new-age novels and their plots. Prominent litterateur and Editor of Gariyoshi, Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora, while presiding over the meeting, said Assam has no dearth of subjects, but for writing novels, a strong connection with the society is needed along with presentation of facts. Earlier, Munin Bayon, Executive Editor of the Dainik Asam, delivered the welcome speech. n

Assam leg of Paryatan Parv concluded

he Ministry of Tourism, on 5th October, kick-started ‘Paryatan Parv’, a 20-day programme organised with the aim of drawing attention on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All.” Taking ‘Tourism for All’ as its central theme with focus on the benefits of tourism and showcasing the cultural diversity of the State, the Assam leg of Paryatan Parv came to an end on 24th October along with the rest of the country. Paryatan Parv was designed as a countrywide celebration by the Union Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with other central ministries and state governments mainly targeting large-scale participation of general public and industry stakeholders. Paryatan Parv was celebrated by hosting a number of events in the past 20 days and the closing ceremony showcased ethnic and Indian cuisine, tourism-related information and handloom and handicraft of the region. The two-day closing ceremony of the Paryatan Parv started at

the Brindaban Garden under the aegis of India Tourism, Guwahati, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in association with Ministry of DoNER, Assam Tourism and Federation of Industry and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER). Speaking as the chief guest of today’s event, Vice Chairman of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC), Nabadeep Kalita, said Assam has great tourist potential with its rich cultural diversity, wildlife, flora and fauna and also the spiritual content. “The Union government has also extended its help towards two tourism circuits - the heritage circuit and wildlife circuit and the Assam government is also planning big for promoting Assam Tourism across the globe,” he added. As per government data, in 2015-16, a total of 56,42,950 domestic tourists and 26,320 foreign tourists visited Assam. In

the past decade, domestic tourist visits recorded an average annual growth of 15.3% and foreign tourist visits registered 8.2% growth in the State. Assam Tourism is looking ahead to make a mark on the world arena by leveraging the identity of global celebrity, Priyanka Chopra, as its brand ambassador and also with a new tourism policy with attractive perks for film industry and other tourism-related industries. n

CM Sonowal presents Tirthanath Sarma Award

oted Assamese litterateur and critic, Dr Malini Goswami, was presented with the Pandit Tirthanath Sarma-Nirmala Devi Memorial Award by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a programme held at the District Library, Guwahati on Monday. The award, instituted by the Pandit Tirthanath SarmaNirmala Devi Memorial Trust, carries a memorial, a citation, a gamocha and a cash reward of Rs 50,000. The award ceremony was organised by the Trust in association with Vivekananda Kendra. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sonowal underlined the contributions of

Dr Malini Goswami in the growth of Assamese literature and in the field of research. He expressed hope that the award would inspire her more to continue with her literary and creative pursuits unabated. The programme was attended by a host of dignitaries including distinguished writer Dr Nagen Saikia, chairman of Vivekananda Kendra Assam Region, Deepak Kumar Borthakur, senior journalist Dhirendra Nath Chakravartty, MLA Rituparna Baruah, and retired Judge Mukundakam Sarma. Renowned scholar of Sanskrit literature, Dr Ashok Kumar Goswami, presided over the award presentation ceremony. n

Students of the Cotton University taking out a procession during the election campaign ahead of Cotton University Student’s Union Election in Guwahati on Wednesday. The first Election of Cotton University will be held on 30th October 2017.

People buying Puja items on the eve of Chhath Puja in Guwahati ahead of the festival.

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Buzz

Opposition parties to observe Black Day on November 8

ith the major opposition parties in the country gearing up to observe November 8, the anniversary of demonetisation, as ‘Black Day’, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) today said the decision taken by the Centre last year was an unwise move which has plunged the Indian economy into a deep crisis. APCC Vice President, Pradyut Bordoloi, said the Narendra Modiled government betrayed the people of India by making false promises in the days following demonetisation. “All those lies have now been exposed. The government claimed that all problems arising out of demonetisation will be over within 2-3 months and the economy will bounce back. Instead, the country is now witnessing a massive economic crisis,” he said. Debabrata Saikia, leader of opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly said, “November 8, when demonetisation was announced, is the greatest economic blunder of the country, repercussion of which, the citizens are still facing. We will observe this day as a black day in all the panchayats, blocks, districts and states. Guwahati will have a public meeting in which

representatives from all the wings of the party will attend.” The Congress has upped the ante opposing the incumbent BJP post demonetisation and had formed several wings of the party comprising those who were “affected” by demonetisation such as All India Professional Congress, All India Unorganised Workers’ Congress and the All India Fishermen Congress. “There are grievances among the people and Congress, seated at the opposition seat, should voice those. We are an old party and we have an ideology that had put the country in the path of progress for so long. We are teaming up with professionals and other sections of people to bring more progressiveness in the party,” Saikia added. Aminul Islam, General Secretary of All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), which has 13 seats in the assembly, too backed the Congress and said, “November 8 of 2016 is indeed a black day for India. BJP might try to package it as the greatest ever reform but it has made several thousand jobless and have prompted a downward economic growth trajectory. Our party will also have its separate curriculum to mark this day.” n

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE ::::::::::: NALBARI. ADVERTISEMENT Dated: Nalbari, the 25th of October, 2017 Applications are invited from the eligible candidates, who are citizens of India as defined in Article 5 and 6 of the Constitution of India, in Standard Form as published in Part-IX of the Assam Gazette with self attested copies of all testimonials in support of age, education qualification, caste, experience if any, along with 3(three) copies of recent passport sized photographs for filling up the following posts under the establishment of District & Sessions Judge, Nalbari.

Name of Post

No.of Posts

Peon

Assam Tourism ad film to hit TV screens on November 1

o ensure that Assam gets etched on the global tourism map, with a list of reasons why one should have it on their bucket list when planning vacations or travels, Assam Tourism has launched its new multimedia campaign with its brand ambassador, Priyanka Chopra. Shot extensively across Assam, the film captures the beauty of the state along with its diverse and rich culture. The central theme of the latest ‘Awesome Assam’ campaign video featuring the ‘Quantico’ star is “Once you visit Assam, it stays with you forever.” It is depicted through the actress recalling her time in the state and getting carried away with the memories. The campaign was unveiled by Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Tourism, at a recent press conference held in Guwahati. As of now, only one film has been released on YouTube; the

ad film will hit TV screens on November 1, 2017. A total of six films will be launched in a span of oneand-a-half months. The campaign launch has been strategically timed keeping in mind the upcoming tourist season. The ad film has been conceived and conceptualized by a sevenmember team from the two agencies - Yaap and Crayons. The films have been written by Rondeep Gogoi (senior creative director, Crayons), and directed by Arun Gopalan and Ken Rolston of Storytellers. Speaking about the campaign, Shouvik Roy, senior partner, Yaap, who is heading the project, said to Afaqs, “Priyanka (Chopra) was signed by Assam almost a year ago as having a celebrity to promote a state has always helped historically. With this campaign, we are eyeing global tourists and global tourism. That’s why we thought Priyanka Chopra to be most suitable.” n

Driver

Required Qualification Class VIII passed

Class VIII passed with valid Transport Driving Licence

Selection Criteria Written test and Vivavoce Driving test and VivaVoce.

Category Unreserved

Unreserved

Scale of Pay with grade Pay 12000-37500+ G.P 3900(PB-4) 14000-49000 + G.P 5000 (PE-2)



Applications must indicate prominently the name of the post applied for on the right hand corner of the envelope containing the application.  Applications must reach to the undersigned during office hours on or before 30.11.2017.  Candidates must not in less than 18 years or more than 43 years of age as on 01.01.2017. In appropriate cases, relaxation of age will be admissible as per the existing rules of the government of Assam.  Candidates must have passed Class VIII.  One self- addressed envelope of 5cm x 11cm affixing postal stamp of Rs. 5/- (Five) is to be enclosed with the application along with the mobile number, if any.  Candidates intending to apply for different posts shall submit separate applications for each post.  Applicants those who are already in service should submit their applications through proper channel with No Objection Certificate from his /her employer.  The applicants who will apply for the post of Peon and whose applications are found in order will be called for Written Test to be held at a place and date to be notified in due time, after which the qualifying candidates in the written test will be further called for VICE-Voce.  the applicant who will apply for the post of driver and whose application are found in order will be called for driving test, after which the qualifying candidates in the Driving test will be further called for Vice-Voce. The date, time and venue of the driving test will be notified in the due time.  No TA/DA will be admissible to the candidates for appearing in the written test/Driving test/Interview.  Incomplete applications will be rejected without assigning any reason. No application will be accepted after the last date of submission of applications.  Eligible candidates will be called through call letters for appearing in the Written test and Driving Test. The Date, Time and venue of both the tests will be mentioned in the call letters and notified in the official NOTICE BOARD of this office in the due time, and the same shall also be uploaded in the official website www.nalbarijudiciary.gov.in.  The applications should be addressed to the District & Sessions Judge, Nalbari. Sd/District & Sessions Judge Nalbari janasanyog 1859/17

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G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

City

Shopping malls suffer as residents remain apprehensive about mall culture People are reluctant to embrace the mall culture in Guwahati; this has meant that malls are reeling into losses and are eventually shutting down Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

hoppinginGuwahatiistheperfect thing to do if one wants to keep a pieceofthecityaftertheirvacation comes to an end and the best place for

shop hopping is to visit the shopping malls which offer different forms of entertainment under the same roof. These range from shopping

to watching a movie to enjoying delectable food in the food courts. But Guwahati residents are not lucky enough to have all this fun as the

shopping malls shut down after a certain period of time here due their reluctance in embracing the mall culture, according to sources. n

High rental and low footfalls a cause for closure of shopping malls

Shops up for rent at a city mall | G Plus Photo

uwahati is among the Tier-II and Tier-III cities in the country where mall-based retailers are moving in on account of high rentals and low footfalls in major metros. According to Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) shopping malls are increasingly losing shine in big cities as they are under pressure of high rentals whereas the footfall is low. One-third of retail tenants at the shopping malls in large cities are shifting to Tier-II and III cities. As per ASSOCHAM estimates, more than 500 malls came up in the country over the last two years but 75-80 per cent of the spaces in these malls lie vacant, as is the case with Guwahati and most of the malls in the city have been shut down as the mall owner cannot repay the rental. “The three major core benefits for the retailer-tenants to move to smaller cities are lower operational costs, comparatively lesser competition and the novelty values still left in these areas where even the nearby rural

population is thronging the air-conditioned halls and getting the taste of comfortable shopping,” said a member of ASSOCHAM. “High cost of operation, economic slowdown and wearing down of the novelty values has all combined to reduce the number of footfalls in the malls in big cities. One of the main reasons for the high rentals in big city malls is the exorbitant land prices and high development costs. Thus, in the foreseeable future, making such malls profitable ventures will remain a challenge,” the member added. The ASSOCHAM members said that in Tier-II and Tier-III cities there is greater scope for growth and larger chunks of land are available at lower costs as compared to the metros. The shopping trends in metro cities have influenced the consumer behaviour in Tier-II and Tier-III cities that are now witnessing a major shift from conventional trader-run stand-alone shops to larger format retail malls.

G PLUS | OCT 28 - NOV 03, 2017

Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Janambhumi Press (P) Ltd., Kalapahar, Guwahati and Published at 4A, Royale Arcade, Ulubari, Guwahati - 781007, Editor: Swapnil Bharali. Phone: 0361 2522444, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641