BIRYANI CENTRE
If you are a die-hard Biriyani fan, hunting some great eateries inside the city, then the Biryani Centre is a destination for you.
PG 17
Anushka Sharma
CRACKER PRICES GO UP
PG 06
Following her upcoming movie which already created a lot of hype in the media, the actor looks all set to spark controversy once again!
Continued on PG 23
VOLUME 02 | ISSUE 2 OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
PRICE `10
PG 13
CITY WITNESSES
ILLEGAL UNDERGROUND
WATER S A L E
Dearth of underground water in some areas of the city has led unscrupulous people to exploit the situation by selling underground water without any treatment, illegally.
Page 03
-DURGA BORO
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G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
In The News
THE NEW FACE OF TERRORISM gplus news
T
he recent arrest of six persons from various parts of Barpeta district followed by arrests of three other men in Dhubri district has unearthed the blue print of Islamic extremism in Assam. The six though were nabbed and then remanded to police custody for two weeks for their involvement in the Burdwan bomb blast during the Durga Puja celebrations in West Bengal, but their arrest has clearly proved how the fundamentalist outfits have started to spread their tentacles in the state. In the Burdwan blast, two suspected militants - Shakil Ahmed and Sovan Mandal, belonging to Bangladesh based outfit, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), were killed and another Hasan Saheb was injured. Police recovered a huge numbers of watch dials, SIM cards and other tools required to make improvised explosive devices, were seized from the house where the blast occurred. Four persons, including two women, were arrested in West Bengal in the case too. Although Assam police has not commented on the three persons arrested from Dhubri but they clearly admitted that the six from Barpeta were identified as Rofikul Islam (39), Siraj Ali Khan (53), Saiful Islam (20), Jaharuddin (60), Gulam Usmani (23) and Sarbez Ali (35). “We are yet to establish specific links between the six Jammat-ul Mujahideen Bangaldesh (JMB) members and the al Qaeda,” said a Special Bureau official. Assam police said, “Preliminary investigation reveals that this is a part of the module operating under the patronisation of Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) that was
“Preliminary investigation reveals that this is a part of the module operating under the patronisation of Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) that was involved in IED blast that took place in Burdwan on October 2nd.” Assam police involved in IED blast that took place in Burdwan on October 2nd. One of the arrested person Shaikhul Islam alias Abdulla is one of the important members of the module operating in Assam, and associate of Shakil Ahmed alias Shamin, a JMB activist who died in that incident of IED blast.” Police claimed that Shaikhul received training in Jehad in Simulia madrassa of Burdwan and also in another Madrassa in Murshidabad. “Instruction was given to Shaikhul Islam to remain as sleeper cell and to look for potential Muslim youth for motivation for Jehad. Deceased Shakil Ahmed used to visit Barpeta under the cover of garment business for motivating Muslim people in the name of Pan-Islamism. Investigation is on to identify those members of module and to arrest them,” said Assam police official. Already, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered an FIR in the bomb blast case after Centre decided to hand over the probe to
the agency. The NIA officials are also quizzing the arrestee. The NIA, currently looking into the JMB money trail that started in Sylhet and Rajshahi and reached Bengal through Barpeta in Assam, claimed it was a well-coordinated operation with the foot-soldiers rarely getting to know how the other sub-units were operating. “At least three recruits of JMB Bengal module had travelled 1,000 km to Assam to collect the money. They would then take a train to Malda and then a bus to Behrampore in Murshidabad before changing another bus to Beldanga where Kausar would take over and take the cash to Simulia and Khagragarh in Burdwan,” said an NIA source in Kolkata. The NIA wants to ascertain if the South India based Ansar-ul-Tauhid that uses Bengal as a corridor had to do anything with some of the explosives making their way back to India. Its mentor, Abdul Kader Sulatan Amar, based in the middle-east is known to divert funds to Bangladesh. The consignments to Bangladesh would be smuggled out from a madrassa near Lalgola in Murshidabad. This is the same institute that was frequented by Shafikul Islam from Barapeta in Assam and trained in Jihadi activities. The Assam police have also started an investigation of its own into the matter and asked a ADG level assessment on the growth of Islamic terrorism in the state. “This was the first instance when Assam police could hold of JMB outfit’s presence in the state. We fear that they have recruited more youths of the state in the name of Jihad. The BTAD violence of 2012 has exposed Assam to such militancy recently,” said a senior Assam police official.
SPECIAL INTELLIGENCE WING
gplus news
T
he state government has decided to create a special branch as a separate autonomous organisation for effective intelligence gathering with a dedicated cadre of intelligence officers. The wing will be known as ‘Research and Analysis Centre.’ The decision was taken by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi during a meeting of the State Security Commission recently at his official residence at Kahanapara. “The ‘Research and Analysis Centre’ with multi-disciplinary experts for analysing the socio-economic and cultural developments by
The ‘Research and Analysis Centre’ with multidisciplinary experts for analysing the socio-economic and cultural developments by collating information from all possible sources,” collating information from all possible sources,” said an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Sources in the home department added that the decision was taken in the aftermath of intelligence wings revealing the uprising of Islamic fundamentalist elements in the state. Recently, six linkmen of Jammat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh were nabbed by the Assam police in connection to the Burdwan bomb blast who confessed that several Muslim youths from the state have been trained at a Madrassa in West Bengal on Jihadi ideology. The state government has also decided to chalk out steps to separate law and order from investigation department in Assam police.
DC investigates GMCH morgue
D
eputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M) Dr M Angamuthu visited the Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) recently to examine the situation of the morgue and several other matters of the hospital. On his visit, GMCH superintendent Dr Ramen Talukdar informed Angamuthu about the requirement of a cold room for keeping the decomposed bodies and also mentioned the necessity of traffic control in front of the hospital premises and the passage by the mortuary as well. The Deputy Commissioner told the PWD authorities for instant removal of the wastages and other unused remaining from the hospital premises for the construction of a cold room. He also surveyed the road and ordered the responsible officials to take essential measures for reconstruction of the road.
NFR introduces new fare system
A
new dynamic fare system in three long distance trains has been introduced by the Northeast Frontier Railway headquarters at Maligaon. A senior NFR official said, the dynamic fare system is applicable only on bookings done through Internet. He also mentioned that in Internet 50 percent of the Tatkal tickets are available and PRS sells the remaining 50 percent. The 15930/15929 Dibrugarh-Chennai Egmore-Dibrugarh Express, the 15646/15645 Guwahati-Lokmanya Tilak-Guwahati Express and the 12516/12515 Guwahati-TrivandrumGuwahati Express are the three trains where this new dynamic fare system in Tatkal tickets is being introduced. Very soon this new system will also be introduce to the 12510/12509 Guwahati-Bangalore-Guwahati Express and the 12501/02 Poorvottar Sampark Kranti Express.
AGP finding ways to regain power
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two-day political convention was held by AGP at the ITA Maskhuwa. The convention was organised with the motive of reviving the party which has lost its popularity among the people. Inaugurating the convention, prominent literature Homen Borgohain said, may be this is the last chance for AGP to regain the people’s trust and asked the party workers to find out the reason for the party’s alienation from the people. Brindaban Goswami, Thaneswar Boro, Phani Bhusan Choudhury, Keshab Mahanta, Kamalakanta Kalita, Ramendra Narayan Kalita and several important leaders of the party were present in the meeting. Speaking on the occasion former, Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta publicly admitted that there may have been mistakes made by the party in the past and also said that the infighting between the top leaders is one of the reasons for party’s defeat in the election polls. The second day of the convention had session on topic “An action plan to revitalise the AGP” in the presence of writer Hiren Gohain, former president of Asam Sahitya Sabha Kanak Sen Deka and several other prominent people. The convention finally concluded by receiving suggestions from citizens.
SBI donates school bus to CFG
T
he State Bank of India has donated a TATA Marco Polo school bus to the Don Bosco Society for their project ‘Child Friendly Guwahati’ (CFG), a civil society campaign for the rights of marginalised children in the city of Guwahati. The bus has been given for providing transportation to the poor and underprivileged children of slum areas who are given free basic education to prepare and bring them back into formal schools. The vision of the campaign is to make Guwahati more child-friendly. At present there are 1450 children in 36 Child Friendly Guwahati (CFG) centres. The bus will also be utilised for multipurpose uses like taking the children for computer literacy programme, educational tour for the children, other co-curricular and cultural activities, group activities, etc.
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
3
Lead Story RAHUL CHANDA
W
hen the water level data of January 2014 was compared to January 2013, the analysis shows that in general, there is a fall in the water level in almost all parts of the state. About 38% of the wells analysed show rise in the water level and 61% wells are showing fall in water level. 2 % wells show no change in water level. Out of the 38%, around 34% of the wells have shown a rise in 0-2 m range. Out of the 61 % wells that fall in the category, about 54 % of the wells have shown fall in 0-2 m range. Maximum rise in water level has been recorded as 5.92 m, and talking about Guwahati, the city is witnessing a rise in the use of ground water for various purposes and cumulatively, the ground water level is going down. The authorities do keep an eye on the use of underground water, but still there are people in the city who are using the ground water without any limit control on it and also breaking all legal norms and regulation.
Water bottling plant
According to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), there are no drinking water bottling plants inside the Guwahati city area, whereas there are some plants in the city outskirts like North Guwahati, Pamohi, Sonapur and Chandrapur. According to CGWB officials, it is not that people
CITY WITNESSES ILLEGAL UNDERGROUND WATER SALE cannot set up a plant in the city area, but if applied for, proper scrutiny will be done to allow permissions to set up a plant in the city area. But, till now they have not received any such application and neither has the local urban body, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation issued any such trading license. There are many criteria, which need to be fulfilled to get an NOC (no objection certificate) from CGWB. Any industrial business where water is the primary raw material, an NOC is required from the CGWB to set up the business. But as in some pockets of the city, there is a dearth of underground water, proper scrutiny by the CGWB can only be decided where a plant can be set up. The investor has to get a CGWB NOC, trading license from the urban local body, entrepreneurs memorandum from the industries and commerce department and also an NOC from the pollution control board. Then, the underground water can be used after proper treatment to be sold in proper drinking water bottles. According to a company that sets up water plants, the approximate cost of setting up a drinking water plant is `17 lakhs. The company, when contacted by
us as investors, informed us that all the paper work would be handled by them if the entire contract to set up the plant was awarded to them. They also claimed that the paper work would not be an issue as they have all the requisite ‘influence.’ According to the CGWB, sale of untreated underground water is totally illegal and if reported or detected, the authorities can prosecute. But shockingly, there are some places in the city where underground water is being sold illegally.
Illegal underground water sale
As there is a dearth of underground water in some areas of the city and because there is insufficient supply of underground water, some people have decided to exploit the situation by selling underground water without any treatment, illegally. We moved around the city and discovered that there are several places in the Kumarpara area, where people openly sell underground water, filling it in tanks. When we went to the people running the business as customers and asked them about the maximum
amount of water they could provide daily, they replied, “The capacity of one tank is 750 litres which can be easily carried by an auto van, so, we can provide you whatever quantity you require.” They added that one tank of water costs `200 if it is to be supplied in the vicinity and `300 to be supplied anywhere else in the city. Enquiring if they have any license for such business, the seller Tapan Das said, “I have been selling water since the last five years and have never required any license. The police and the authorities know that there is a scarcity of water, so it is a sort of social work which we are doing.” The sellers extract underground water using boring tube well and sell it without any treatment which is illegal. The authorities need to do more to keep a check on the use of underground water, as there is already a dearth in the city. Meanwhile, GMDA’s water supply project that has been going on for quite a few years, but the completion deadline is yet to be met. Unless and until there is sufficient water supply, people will keep selling underground water illegally claiming it to be a social work. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
In The News
PHARMA COUNCIL CANCELS 734 LICENSES mrinmoyee hazarika
A
midst arguments going on between the drug dealers and the government, the Assam Pharmacy Council (APC), the regulatory body of pharmacists in the state has announced that it has cancelled registration of 734 pharmacists across the state. Terming those pharmacists as ‘fake’, the president of APC, Anil Kumar Sharma said that the government is considering taking action against those who have fraudulently registered themselves as pharmacists. “Under section 32(2) of Pharmacy act, 1948, registration of pharmacists can be done only by the persons who have passed diploma or degree in pharmacy from a recognised institution. But, here in Assam various people without having the necessary qualifications have managed to register themselves as pharmacists and as per the directive of the Gauhati High Court, the APC has started verifying the registered pharmacists and cancelled the names of 734 pharmacists. They will never be able to practice as pharmacists,” Anil Kumar Sharma, president of APC said. According to APC, currently, there are around 10000 registered pharmacists across the state, of which 3000 are fake. The Council has already verified the registration of 1600 pharmacists and cancelled the registration of 734 pharmacists and the names of the rest of the fake pharmacists will be deleted over a period of time. Kamrup (M) district has about 900 retailers and Kamrup (R) around 280. “A verification committee has been constituted to do the required work including verifying the registered pharmacists. It has been found that a large number of pharmacists had managed to get the registration from APC before 2008 through fraudulent means. How they managed to registered themselves too is a matter of concern and the government has been looking into it,” Sharma said. On the other hand, the members
“The APC has authoritatively cancelled the registration of the pharmacists in the state. As per the directive of the Gauhati High Court, APC will have to organise personal hearings of the pharmacists before cancelling their registration. But, the council has cancelled the registration of the pharmacists without even listening to them”
of the Assam Drug Dealers Association have been accusing APC for unlawfully discarding the registration of the pharmacists. “The APC has authoritatively cancelled the registration of the pharmacists in the state. As per the directive of the Gauhati High Court, APC will have to organise personal hearings of the pharmacists before cancelling their registration. But, the council has cancelled the registration of the pharmacists without even listening
to them,” representatives of Assam Drug Dealers Association accused. Denying the accusation made by the drug dealers, the president of AMC said, “We have sent notices to all of the registered pharmacists for personal hearings. But, they never showed up for the hearings. Some of them have even mentioned wrong addresses of communication, because of which they do not get necessary information on time.” The representative of All Assam
Pharmacists Service Association has mentioned that most of the pharmacists are found to be not complying with the norms such as having the required space, refrigeration and do not wear aprons. The council said that legal hurdles, lack of awareness and delay in taking action are some of the challenges it is facing. “There is a lack of awareness among the people about adverse drug reaction. People do not know the effects of having wrong medicine. The person attending the pharmacy should have knowledge about different drugs while dispensing medicine to their customers or patients. But it is seen that many fake pharmacists are involved in such services without possessing the required qualifications. During verification, it has been found that some of the people involved in the profession do not have the required qualification,” Paban Chandra Das, general secretary, All Assam Pharmacists’ Association said. mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in
Career guidance seminar to be held on higher studies abroad
S
anta Monica Study Abroad, South India based study abroad consultants is organizing a free career guidance seminar at Town Club premises on October 19th, 2014 from 10:30 am onwards. The main focus of the seminar will be guiding the aspiring students and their parents regarding the relevance and benefit of overseas education and providing them insight on job-oriented courses and costs, scholarships, bank loans, visa process, permanent residency prospects, family migration to Canada, Australia, etc. The Directors of Santa
Monica Study Abroad, will preside over the seminar. More and more Indian students and their parents have been looking out for global opportunities to brighten their lives with a foreign degree. As the educational leaders themselves are convinced that it may take at least another ten years for India to showcase any major changes in its education system, hence the rush for higher studies abroad has only been swelling in all parts of our country in the last five years. But, this trend is in a slow pace in the North-
Eastern India. While some students and their parents might not have realized the value of an international qualification, those few from this region who ventured to pursue their higher studies abroad were not successful in realizing their dreams due to lack of knowledge or misguidance by deceitful agents. Students and guardians willing to participate in this seminar may send an SMS ‘REGISTER ME’ to 8011953344 or call 8011932233, 8011953344 to reserve their seats.
Autonomous Intelligence Unit to fight terrorism
W
ith the rise in terror activities in the recent times, the Assam Government has set up a new intelligence unit “Research and Analysis Centre” with a special group of intelligence officers. The recent threats from the jihadi groups have made the State Government to form this special organisation to take control of the state’s security. This separate intelligence unit is going to analyze the cultural and socio economic developments by gathering information by various sources like police reports, media and Internet and update weekly reports to the State Government. A security meeting of the State Security Commission headed by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was held at the Chief Minister’s official residence regarding this separate intelligence unit.
Shishu Sarothi gets new staff quarter
S
ubham Planners Limited, the real estate developer of Guwahati, constructed and donated one Staff Quarter within the premises of Shishu Sarothi, Centre of rehabilitation and training for multiple disability, as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility in the city of Guwahati. The Staff Quarter was inaugurated by Kailash C. Lohia (Chairman, Subham Planners Limited) in the presence of Meera Kagti (founder Director of Shishu Sarothi), Shri Santosh Banka (Principle Architect of Subham Planners Limited), Arman Ali (Executive Director of Shishu Sarothi), and other senior functionaries of Subham Planners Limited and children’s of Shishu Sarothi. Shishu Sarothi has been reaching out to many children of Northeast India since 1987. It engages itself in education and rehabilitation, training and employment, besides protection of rights of persons with disabilities and has over years successfully transformed the lives of many in the region.
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G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
City
CRACKER PRICES GO UP But these prices can be availed only from wholesale dealers and the small time crackers sellers who sell only during Diwali with special administration permission might sell the crackers in a different price.
RAHUL CHANDA
U
nder the provisions of the Environment Protection Act, the Assam government, in view of the Diwali festival, has issued instructions for prevention of the problem of probable sound and air pollution. It was mentioned in the instructions that the production and sale of firecrackers having sound, more than the prescribed standard should be banned. It goes without saying that Diwali is synonymous with crackers, but with prices of crackers sky-rocketing, buyers seem to be a little disappointed. Even then, there is already a rush at the stalls in the city for buying crackers. With only a week remaining, G Plus checks the city Diwali market situation.
Small sellers
Crackers
A cracker whole seller in the Fancy Bazaar said, “Last year we did a business of Rs 5 lakhs and this year we expect to do a business of `6 to 7 lakhs.” The whole seller also informed that they do not buy the Barpeta crackers as most of the distributors dealing with Barpeta crackers are not registered. They get the crackers from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, which are distributed by registered dealers. Some of the wholesale prices of crackers this year are:-
Chilli Bomb `7 per packet
Rocket `10 to `20 (depending on the size)
Flowerpot (anar, kolgos) Sparklers (Phuljhari) `6 to `15 per piece (depending `5 to `20 per packet (depending on on the size) the size and colour) Ground chakkar Chocolate bomb `2 to `10 (depending on the size) `20 per packet
To sell crackers during Diwali, some people acquire a special licence from the district administration only during Diwali every year. This year, the administration has issued strict orders regarding sale and purchase of crackers. According to the district administration, no fireworks licence will be issued without proper police verification. The licence shall be issued only after careful consideration of police verification report of character and antecedent of the applicant. No licence for sale or use of high sounding crackers such as fire crackers generating noise level exceeding 125 db shall be permitted. No clandestinely imported fireworks can be sold. Applicants are to submit a proof of their nationality. No fireworks shall be used at any time in silent zones and no fireworks shall be used between 10 PM to 6 AM. The fireworks licence shall be valid for a period from 22 October to 24 October (three days) only and will be issued affixing a photocopy of the licensee in the licence after realising the fees as per existing rules and procedures. All the petitions seeking licence must
reach Deputy Commissioner’s office latest by 22nd October and no petition after that would be entertained.
Lights
Diwali is the festival of lights and every year the entire city is decorated with lights during Diwali. The electric shops these days sell various types of lights for Diwali. Some of the lights and there rates available in the market are
Tuni lights
Strip lights
LED lights
Laser light
`20 (5 metres) `60 (10 metres)
Electric diya
`150 (25 pieces)
LED ball
`100 (1 piece)
`260 (5 metres) `650 (1 piece)
Net light
`70 (1 piece)
LED chakri `125 (1 piece)
Sabir Tagala, an electric shop owner in Fancy Bazaar area said, “Last year we did a business of `60 thousand and this year we are expecting to do a business of `80 thousand. Our everyday sale during the Diwali season is somewhere around `10 to `15 thousand. So, with crackers and lights everywhere the city is all set to celebrate Diwali, but it can be better celebrated if people follow the rules formed by authorities and do not trouble others for self joy.
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G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
City
Gold sale to go up this Dhanteras
T
he jewellery traders of the city are expecting good business this Diwali and Dhanteras, as the price of gold has come down from last year. The price of the yellow metal had gone up substantially over the years till 2013. In the year 2009, an amount of 10 gram of gold was around Rs 12,000 and after a gap of just four years, in 2013, the cost had gone upto Rs 32,000 for the same. But, this year the situation is a bit better, and as of 17th October 2014, the price of gold was Rs 26600. Although, the Assamese society at large does not have the tradition of buying gold or other metals during dhanteras, since it is a festival primarily observed by the people in northern India to mark the occasion of welcoming the goddess of Lakshmi to their respective homes. But gradually, over the years, sections of Assamese people too started observing it by buying a piece of gold on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras.
The craze
“Though, dhanteras is not a part and parcel of our society, we have been buying gold in the form of jewellery or coin, even the smallest quantity, on this particular day. This time I am sure to buy gold, because, the price of the gold has come down,” Deepika Nath, a homemaker of the city mentioned. Another city-based corporate professional Divya Chabra said, “Since I belong to a business community, we have a tradition in our family to buy gold every Dhanteras. We have the belief that gold brings luck and prosperity to the family. This time the prices has come down and we are sure to buy more.”
The traders
Vikash Soni, CEO, L Gopal and Sons, one of the leading jewellery traders of the city said, “We are expecting people will buy more this Dhanteras as the prices are less than last year. It is just the start of the season and so we are waiting for Dhanteras which is on 21st October.” Similarly various city based gold traders too are expecting a good sale this time. “It may be that the gold prices are a bit low this year, but it doesn’t mean that the sale will increase, as now it is month end and people have already spent a lot in many festivals like Puja and Eid,” said another gold trader who feels it might not be good business this year.
CELEBRATING DIWALI ON THE STREETS MRINMOYEE HAZARIKA
N
o one can deny the importance of lights, candles and other illuminations during the festive season of Diwali. Although electronic lights and candles of different size and shape have flooded the markets of the city, the very old forms of earthen lamps still have a place in the hearts of the people. The shape and size of the earthen lamps have also gone through a lot of changes; the only thing, which seems to have remain unchanged is the size of the pockets of those who have been making the lamps. Subsequently, the retailers who have been associated with the business of selling earthen lamps for ages too remain unchanged. Till date, they are selling earthen lamps on the footpaths, without even having the shade of a makeshift stall. One such retailer, Moni Das, who originally hails from Palashbari has been vending earthen lamps and flower tubs on the footpath near Maligaon area for nearly forty years and still finds it hard to meet her day’s end. “It has been almost forty years since we started doing business at this place. My father also did it at this
very same place, but our financial condition has not seen any changes,” Moni Das told G Plus. Das, who is a mother of two also stated, “It is very tough to sit even under the umbrella in a hot day on a pavement. But, we have to deal with it since we do not have any other option to make our living.” She also said that the high cost of production has affected the business. Since, there are no potters in the city, the retailers here in Guwahati have to ferry their products from Goalpara district or Vijay nagar, located on the outskirts of Guwahati. Because of the rise in the cost of production, the producers have raised their prices too and with no option left, the retailers will have to buy the products at higher costs. “Earlier, we used to buy 100 pieces of earthen lamps at the cost of Rs 15-20. Now, we have to pay Rs 40 for the same volume of product. Therefore, we have raised the retail price, but, the customers are always reluctant to pay the right price,” Moni Das highlighted. Another trader, who did not wish to be named and selling earthen lamps at the same place with Moni
“Earlier, we used to buy 100 pieces of earthen lamps at the cost of `15-20. Now, we have to pay `40 for the same volume of product. Therefore, we have raised the retail price, but, the customers are always reluctant to pay the right price,” Moni Das
Das said, “Sometimes, we earn Rs 100 or 200 or 1000 and sometimes we get nothing. But, it is true that Diwali brings a good season for us and sometimes we make up to Rs 15000 during the days of Diwali. But, yet we have to struggle a lot to earn that money.” The colleague of Moni Das who has brought up six children on her own since her husband Sribhushan Prajapati died a few years back. “After my husband and father-in-law, I have inherited the business and now my sons are helping me with it.” She also pointed out that the shipments for her business came from Kolkata along with Goalpara and Vijay nagar. “Some other retailers in the city
also take bulk stocks from us in order to sell it in their stores during diwali. The stylish earthen lamps, which come from Kolkata costs around Rs 10-20 per piece” There are a few other people like Moni Das and her colleague doing business on the streets of the city, but have never had the taste of festival who are too busy in meeting their day-to-day needs. Who will think about them? The government, the voluntary organisations or the nagging customers who do not hesitate to buy fancy electronic lights at fixed prices, but bargain with the poor traders while buying earthen lamps. mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in
According to researchers, couples that are either too similar or too different are not likely to last very long.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the toughest phones Apple has made so far – they may bend, but they won’t break easily.
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
7
City
DEVELOPMENT OF BRAHMAPUTRA RIVERSIDE IS A MUST Dhiren Baruah
President, Save Guwahati Build Guwahati
I
, on behalf of the Save Guwahati Build Guwahati offer my sincere thanks to the citizens of Guwahati for their wholehearted support in raising our voice on various socio-civic and environmental issues before the, State and other authorities. On various occasions, we have put forward suggestions in the first interactive session for preparation of the Guwahati Master Plan held in the city in the later part of 2006. Today there is an ample scope to develop the entire Brahmaputra riverside for the cause of the citizens of Guwahati. The entire area in between the Mahatma Gandhi Road and the river Brahmaputra can be converted and developed as large green areas establishing parks, playgrounds for children, jogging tracts, walk-ways and recreational grounds. The Dr. N. K. Choudhury Expert Committee Report of 2002 recommended to the State Government against granting permission for construction of multi-storeyed buildings in some specific areas including the area earmarked for infrastructure of civic amenities in the Master Plan and Zoning the Regulations for Guwahati. Further, the said recommendations prohibit giving net permission for construction of any build in the areas between Raj Bhawan and Kamakhya Hill. After such recommendation, the State Government should initiate steps to develop the entire riverside area for the better interest of city and its people. Today, citizens need to maintain the riverside areas as the best greenery of the city which can act as a green-lung area, enabling it to tackle the rising pollution levels. Every citizen needs development and urbanisation but not at the cost of citizen’s health and ecological balance. Environmental scientists have said that increased growth of population
puts tremendous pressure on a city’s air, water and land. It ultimately causes atmospheric pollution. The river Brahmaputra flows from the east to the west on the northern boundary of the city. It is a fact that the natural atmosphere on the northern part of the railway tract is different from the atmosphere of the southern part of the said tract in the city area. Running through the city, the rail tract works like a divider of the city’s atmosphere. The maximum atmospheric temperature changes uniformly from 27 degree Celsius to 28.5 degree Celsius from the northern part of the rail tract near to the river bank throughout the year. Such a change is not maintaining uniformity in the other parts of the city. On the other hand, minimum temperature changes from 21.5 degree Celsius 22.5 degree Celsius near the river bank. Such a change is not uniform in other parts of the city. The difference of daily temperature is more on the riverside than the other parts of the city. During monsoon, maximum air flows to the city from the north-east corridor. But, during this period the area between the rail tract and the river bank gets air directly from the river Brahmaputra. In post monsoon period air comes to the major portion of the city from the eastern side. In the same period area between the river bank and rail tract receives air from the Brahmaputra riverside. The city’s rain is also very much dependent on the river Brahmaputra. After developing public space on the Brahmaputra riverside, it can easily be converted into a high-quality
recreational area for the citizens to improve their quality of life. It is a fact that the office buildings and residential bungalows which are standing on the bank of the river in the heart of the city since British period are preventing beautiful river views and obstructing river breeze into the city area. After independence, all these buildings and bungalows are being occupied by different government officials and institutions for their use. Today, most of these bungalows and buildings have become very old, which need immediate renovation and reconstruction. In recent times, various authorities tried to construct office and residential building on Brahmaputra riverside. Already some bungalows were constructed in the residential compound of the Superintendant of Police of undivided Kamrup district. Deputy Commissioner’s two-storied office building has been added with more floors; the State Bank of India constructed their multi-storied building in a small strip of land by dismantling the Assamtype treasury office; multi-storied buildings of a hotel, Rotary club and other offices also came up in the available strips of land on the Brahmaputra riverside in the recent past. Some important institutions also started their construction on the available portion of land near to the bank of the river. Finding no other alternative, our forum, along with five other organisations approached the Supreme Court of India by way of filing a writ petition to seek justice in the matter relating to the violation of city Master Plan and the Brahmaputra riverside issues. When we are aware that the mighty river Brahmaputra plays an important
SPLURGE URGE
role in the atmosphere of the Guwahati city, and if the river-bank becomes the sole area for construction of multi-storied buildings, then the river bank will no longer remain as a river-bank and it will further damage the natural atmosphere of the city. Today we feel that by taking proper steps the whole riverside area can be converted into a world-class paradise. Proper planning and management of Brahmaputra riverside can produce a new city space which can contribute clean air, cooling shades, space for recreation assuring quality life for the citizens. A public space of high quality will always be appropriated by the people. A good space should be provided to the citizens for walking, jogging, playing etc, by restricting vehicular traffic. All concerned authorities as well as the public must take measures to keep traffic off from such public places to make them healthy, attractively and lively. I would like to inform you that on various occasions we have discussed with the State Chief minister and the Guwahati Development Department Minister about the issue relating to preservation and development of the entire stretch of land in between Mahatma Gandhi road and the river Brahmaputra. This public demand is not a new one. Already, the city Master Plan has earmarked the riverside area as a children’s park and a recreational ground. Before shifting the capital from Shillong to Dispur in 1972, large tracts of open spaces whcih included green-hills, wetlands, and natural water bodies were available. Even the river banks were also free from human habitation. Due to availability of ample open space in the city area till the time of shifting the capital, nobody could think of the environmental degradation of the city today. Because of depletion of most of the public and private open spaces due to encroachment and construction of huge multi-storied building in the name of development, there has been a noticeable environmental degradation. In many ways, such unplanned growth has made
various localities of the city unhygienic and unfit for human habitation. We are aware that the Central Government has selected the capital city of Guwahati as one of the sixty three cities of the country to avail the benefit under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The Union Urban Development Ministry has cleared an estimated sum of Rs 3174 crore for infrastructure development of the city. We hope that utilising such funds, the State Government will develop the city from all respects and be able to provide better living conditions for its citizen. The great cities around the world are today reclaiming their riverfronts and capitalising in powerful ways to make bonds stronger between the people and their rivers. These developments initiated by different countries are ushering in hope for the human society for having better environment to improve their quality of life. Today scientists warn that until and unless destruction activities are stopped, great danger is fast approaching to halt the progress of human civilisation very soon. Under such an alarming situation, it becomes the duty of every citizen to take steps to preserve and develop the nature-gifted properties like rivers and their surroundings, greenhills, forests, wetlands, natural waterbodies etc. We are aware that scientists from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies had warned that 2005 was the warmest year on record since the end of the last major Ice Age nearly 12,000 years ago. Man-made greenhouse gases have warmed the earth by 0.6 degree Celsius over the past three decades. A warmer world will be extremely harsh on biodiversity, agriculture, plants, animals and obviously human life. Already many countries of the world launched an international climate agenda to save Mother Earth from further deterioration of its climate. As such, both policy makers and citizens have a duty to evolve measures to preserve and develop all natural resources like rivers, wetlands, green-hills, forests etc to save Mother Earth from getting warmer, for the interests of all the living creatures.
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G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Ward Watch
Ward number 8 Population 30000 (approx) | Voters 20000 (approx)
DRAINS REMAIN UNCOVERED ON BR PHUKAN ROAD, KUMARPARA RAHUL CHANDA
Concentrated area – BR Phukan Road Population – 1500 (approx) Voters – 900 (approx) Falls under sub division – 8B Population – 10000 (approx) Voters – 6000 (approx) Councilor’s name – Sunita Bhilwaria Phone number – 9435706657
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he road from the Kumarpara Paanchali to the AT Road Chariali is known as BR Phukan Road and it is adjacent to Kumarpara, Aathgaon and AT Road. There is also a railway crossing in the road which is popularly known as Gate number 7. Although it is not considered as a commercial area, the road has almost become a business zone as it is surrounded by all the commercial areas of the city. Moreover, many business establishments are gradually mushrooming on that road. The people in the road live peacefully, but some problems are slowly coming up and starting to become a pain for the residents.
The problems
There are drains in the road but they are uncovered and are not cleaned regularly creating very unhygienic conditions. It is said that in
MAJOR ISSUES • Poor roads • No street lights • Uncovered drains • Chain snatching • Dearth of drinking water
I make sure that GMC people come and clean the drains instantly so that the people of the area do not suffer. I cannot cover the drains at present as there are no funds” councilor Sunita Bhilwaria the entire Kumarpara area, only the BR Phukan Road gets submerged due to urban floods and this is totally due to a poor drainage system. The councilor of the ward Sunita Bhilwaria said, “The drainage system of the road is pretty poor and these days whenever there is flash flood in the area, I make sure that GMC people come and clean the drains instantly so that the people of the area do not suffer. I cannot
cover the drains at present as there are no funds, but, Guwahati MP Bijoya Chakravorty has promised us that she will allot some funds for city development and I have already submitted the names of some roads which need to be repaired. There are 15 roads and some of the names are FA Road, BR Phukan Road, KRB Road, Laxmi path, Baltin Karkhana and Adarsh Nagar, which require immediate repairs. I have
submitted the names but don’t know when the funds will be allotted.”
Other problems
According to some local residents, the road also witnesses major traffic chaos as most of the old houses built in the area did not follow any building by-laws and have extended structures which has resulted in lack of parking place in their own houses. Thus, they park their vehicles on the roads, which increases the traffic chaos. The street lights too do not work and this encourages crimes like chain snatching during the nights. The councillor said, “I am shocked that after I became the councillor of the area, I have repaired the street lights thrice and it stays fine without getting damaged for only about a week. I have also reported the problem to the GMC people and they keep saying that even they are not being able to understand the problem.”
Some residents also complained that the supply water is not sufficient for any household. The councillor informed that the supply water pipe has a leakage somewhere near the Pan Bazaar area, and the water board is trying to solve the problem. But they are eagerly waiting for the new GMDA water supply project to get completed as this might solve the problem. There is also dearth of underground water in the area and according to the local residents; some people are illegally selling underground water. The road is surrounded by all commercial areas and therefore, the BR Phukan Road is gradually moving towards becoming a commercial zone. The councillor sounds enthusiastic but the coming days will explain how much work she will be able to do for the area. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
9
Art
Utsriji
A Collection of Art Subhrajit Roy
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teenage girl, donning a torn shabby frock has several injury marks all over her body. Her eyes, filled with fear, anger and have tear drops welling
from them. The condition of a rape victim or an abused girl can be visualised from this painting titled ‘Childhood’ by Bikash Kumar Patra. One of the burning issues of
the Indian society where women are facing the wrath of such evil acts, the painting utters a strong voice against this. A masterpiece of such an artwork is exhibited in the ongoing National Level Painting, Sculpture and Graphics Exhibition cum Sale organised by Utsriji (Satsang Artist Forum), Deoghar, Jharkhand in
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t is quite amazing when a new comer emerges in a profound way to prove his/her existence among many stalwarts in a particular field. Moreover, if his/her attempt attracts the mind of both the common masses as well as the intellects, such attempts bring more enthusiasm to that particular person. Recently, such an example was observed at the Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati, when eminent dramatist Arun Sarma applauded happily in the packed auditorium after enjoying the performance of Kismat Bano in the character of Helen Adams Keller. Based on the autobiography ‘The Story of My Life’, the play ‘Helen’ in Assamese was staged on September 21, 2014. Produced under the banner of ‘Wings Theatre’, the play was scripted, designed, directed and acted by Kismat Bano in the title role. Helen, being blind and deaf, has been an inspiration for many. She was the first deaf and blind person to earn a Graduation in Arts. Later on she projected herself in front of the world as an author, a lecturer as well as a
association with the Directorate of Cututal Affairs, Govt. of Assam at the State Art Gallery, Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati. The exhibition was inaugurated by His Excellency, the Governor of Assam Sjt. Janaki Ballav Pattanaik on October 12, 2014 along with the Firsy Lady. The other guests who attended the function were Eminent Artist Sjt. Nilpaban Baruah, Sculptor Sjt. Biren Singha, renowned Health Scientist Dr. Harsha Bhattacharya and Assam Public Service Commission Chairmen Sjt. Rakesh Paul. The exhibition showcased over fifty painting and sculpted art pieces. In a sculpture by Suvendu Mondal, the Chief Artist of the Forum, a metallic man was seen stitching his own body with copper wire portraying an act of self-reliability. In a painting, Suvendu has portrayed the painful condition of a child whose hands were tied with a chain depicting the heinous crime of child labour can be interpreted from this. The condition of ageing can be visualised from a painting where seven wooden pillars of different sizes show the different stages of life. A sculpture also shows the face of a singer along with a mouthpiece and headphones. The ecstasy of love can be seen in
HELEN An Inspiration Subhrajit Roy political activist. But her childhood was trapped in the darkness of destiny as she was kept isolated from many things just because of her inability to see and talk. Helen’s life took the first turning point when Annie Sullivan, a young Irish lady who was also blind became her teacher. She undertook the responsibility to teach and train Helen, although Helen’s father was in full denial to hand over his daughter to another blind lady. But Annie could see the talent in Helen which needed some grooming to establish herself in life. She started to teach Helen the names of different things through the sense of touch. Her training also included the basic knowledge of courtesy and etiquette what her parents could not deliver to her. Thus Annie decided to keep Helen
away from her parents to avoid their pampering influence. As decided, Helen got accommodated at Annie’s home for two weeks and within this she learnt many things for her well being. When the period was over Annie asked for another week to make Helen more capable. But following her slow progress Helen’s father refused to provide more time. Within all these Helen became violent and her outburst could be observed at the dining table, which made Annie to drag herself to
the pump at the lawn and forced her to fill a bucket from which she spilled the water. As water poured all over her hand, surprisingly she could utter w-a-t-e-r and that miracle became another turning point in her life. Such an inspirational story which got ornamented with the thoughts and action of Kismat drew the attention of the spectators. As a common thought this story can be termed as a piece of victory over disability. But Kismat as director found it as a story of courage and dream and she explained the fact
a painting by Rabin Bar while Prayshi Deb portrays the beauty of a lady in Black & White. In another painting titled ‘Sakti’ a butterfly flies over the chest of a lady in Red. Udayan Saha has created ‘Mahishasuramardini’ in the form of modern art. On the other hand, in the painting titled ‘Environmental Destroy’ Amlan Kumar has presented the wrath of urbanization due to which animals lack grazing land. To portray the act the of addiction, a painting consisting of a tiger, a goat, a sparrow over the tiger, two squirrels over a heap of grapes, two glasses of wine and an electric bulb, exactly what can be observed in a beer bar. The painting delivers the message that over a glass of wine, every human behaves the same irrespective of his status. Similarly, the graphic art ‘Holiday Night’ by Rajesh Behera shows the situation of youth crimes. Among all these atrocities the exhibition caters the need of piece by paintings showing minstrels, vaishnavaites and Lord Buddha. Above this, Bikash Kumar Patra, makes the world aware about the never-ending process of attainting knowledge through his painting ‘Way of Knowledge’ where a lock is hanging in vacuum.
with the deepest desire of Helen. The teacher-student bonding between the two was designed in such a way that both sweet and turbulent moments supported the plot. The play also got a vibrant look through the light design by Shiromoni Bhuyan. Apart from a small Assamese music piece, all the music used as background score suited the play properly, which was designed by Rajib Medhi. The script of the play needs a revision as mismatch of dialects were strongly observed. But keeping these entire points aside the acting by Kismat in the lead and Gargi Dutta as Annie won the audiences’ heart. As Helen is an inspiration to the differently able people in the world, Kismat can be termed as an inspiration for the new comers in the field of dramatics. Her play not only projected her acting talent, but also gave a thought on the message that power of positivity can overcome any hurdle.
Weather report for the week SAT 18 October
SUN 19 October
MON 20 October
TUE 21 October
WED 22 October
THU 23 October
FRI 24 October
Haze
Morning clouds
Haze
Haze
Haze
Mostly sunny
Mostly sunny
18 / 31 °C
19 / 31 °C
19 / 31 °C
19 / 31 °C
18 / 31 °C
18 / 30 °C
17 / 32 °C
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G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Life
The lacuna within
ritu gupta gritu21@yahoo.com
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ometimes we feel lost and wonder why we are here? We feel lonely and don’t know what to do. Among so many people, we feel like strangers trying to run away from them. These kind of feelings debilitates us from within. We start feeling depressed. The lacuna within us makes us very anxious. It keeps tugging at our heart. Life becomes empty and we don’t know what to do. Overcoming emptiness is not easy. If this is happening then you have to understand that you are lacking
Love yourself. • Don’t depend on others for your happiness. • Heal your pain from within and this is only possible if you let go all the bitterness from within. God created you and He doesn’t want you to feel empty. He wants you to have a full and wonderful life. He wants your purpose in life to match with what His purpose is for you, and when they are in sync, there is no room for emptiness. There is only one cause of emptiness and that is the lack of love. It is not a lack of someone else’s love. It is simply that you are not able to love yourself. The moment you start loving yourself, that emptiness is filled up and you no longer feel the same. You are responsible for your something. You need to find out happiness. No one else can make you the causes that are making you feel feel happy. Therefore, the key to a empty. Even when you feel like that, successful practice is to have a proper always remember there is someone waiting for you to help you out of this set of expectations. Instead of expecting emptiness. You need to have those eyes certain results, it is better to simply expect to see. That someone is your inner self. yourself to be fully immersed in the process of learning. Life is a journey not a destination . How to overcome emptiness: Today, choose to heal yourself from • It is very important to carry a within. Forgive everyone and start loving smile on your face. • The positivity on you face will help yourself from within. Once you do this, you will feel better and the emptiness you overcome all your problems within would be filled with love. from within.
Tirus & Hoodoo tinat ATIFA MASOOD Tirus was taking his afternoon nap when his red and black mobile phone with the red blinker beeped consistently waking him up from his reverie. It sounded like a distress signal, he thought. Someone was desperately trying to contact him. He swung himself off his little yellow bed and picked up his phone. At first, he thought it was some sort of argument over the phone and then suddenly he heard an old woman say, “Give the phone to me… let me explain what is happening.” “Tirus, please come soon…we are in deep trouble.” And then the phone went blank. And as usual, Tirus got dressed in his red tee-shirt, a pair of jeans and a khaki coloured half jacket, put his air-guns into the holster in his belt and his sword in an opening at the back of his tee, which his mother had specially stitched for him, put on his red helmet with a dark full mask visor and off he went. It was a warm day and his red bike kicked off quite a lot of dust on the way. Tirus so wished there would be some rain. Little beads of sweat appeared on his forehead as he raced through the path leading into a small patch of thick forest. At the end of the woods, the path
• Lend your hands to someone who really needs it. It will give you peace from within. • There is misery everywhere but you need to know your purpose of your being in this world.
opened to a clearing which overlooked a village. The little village with several thatched houses was actually in a valley surrounded by a low range of hills. Tirus raced down the hilly pathway trimmed with wild shrubs, leaving a trail of smoke behind him. He was greeted by the flailing hands of an old woman in a mekhela-sador by the side of the road. She looked pretty breathless! Tirus braked and got down from his bike. He put a hand around the old lady’s shoulder and asked, “Aita, what is wrong?” “Tirus, we are being troubled by a huge winged monster. It just comes and swoops up everything it can get hold of. Its roar creates a lot of fear amongst the villagers. What do we do now? Please help us.” Aita spoke in one breath. “Wait. Wait. Aita, you will have to tell me a lot of things. Where does this monster come from? When does it come? What does it look like? Please tell me everything.” Aita looked quite stricken. “It is going to appear any moment now! It is grey in colour, with patches of brown. And some people from the village say it flies in from the hills, there!” She pointed a finger towards the undulating ranges to the west of the village. Tirus squinted and put up his left hand to shade his eyes from the hazy glare of the setting sun. “Alright, I will take care now that I am here. You don’t worry, Aita. Where is Koka?” Asking this, he led her by the shoulder into her clean little compound which was surrounded by tall betel nut trees, coconut, banana and fruit trees of different varieties. Koka is a lean short old man with chubby cheeks, wrinkled forehead, wearing a dhoti
with mud marks on it and a fading vest with patches of ‘blue’ cloth whitener. Seeing Tirus, he got up from where he was cutting firewood, smiled from ear to ear and ran to him with open arms. “We are so happy to see you! Come, come, sit here!” He pushed a murra towards Tirus. Koka started telling Tirus about how the winged thing has been scaring everyone in the village. He is now scared that one day it will be the turn of his family. He rested his chin in the crook of his right palm and looked at Tirus in despair. Tirus kept assuring Koka that he will take care of everything while Aita got him some narikol laru, til pitha and a steaming cup of tea. The sun was slowly setting over the horizon and the sky was turning golden yellow. Suddenly, a breeze slightly stronger than usual blew from the west. Tirus noticed that the birds had stopped twittering and there was not a single person on the village streets. The sky loomed with dark clouds and Tirus could feel drops of rain on his forehead. All of a sudden, with a loud clap of wings and a spine-chilling howl, a huge ‘thing’ appeared in the western sky. Tirus looked up and saw something greyish brown in colour. It flew over his head and disappeared over the trees near the hills. The village became totally empty and there was a pall of gloom all around. Tirus took out his sword, which suddenly lit up a golden yellow and blinked red at the base of the handle. One look at the signal and Tirus knew the position of the ‘thing’ in the trees. He crouched and slowly moved to where he had last seen the ‘grey thing’ disappear. He tried to look through the foliage and was taken aback seeing a pair of round eyes looking back at him. (to be continued......)
Diwali: Light the lamp of love in every heart
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or an oil lamp to burn, the wick has to be in the oil yet out of it too. If the wick is drowned, it cannot bring light. Life is like the wick of the lamp, you have to be in the world yet remain untouched by it. If you are drowned in the materialism of the world, you cannot bring joy and knowledge in your life. By being in the world, yet not drowning in its worldly aspect, we can be the light of joy and knowledge. Diwali is the celebration of the light of wisdom. It celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. Lights are lit on this day not just to decorate homes, but also to communicate this profound message about life. - Light the lamp of wisdom and love in every heart and bring a radiant smile on every face. Every human being has some good qualities. And every lamp that you light is symbolic of this. Some people have forbearance, some have love, strength, generosity; others have the ability to unite people. The latent values in you are like a lamp. Don’t be satisfied with lighting just one lamp; light a thousand, for, you need to light many lights to dispel the darkness of ignorance. By lighting the lamp of wisdom in you and acquiring knowledge, you awaken all the facets of your being. When they are lit and awakened, it is Diwali. Another profound symbolism is in the firecrackers. In life, you often become like a firecracker, waiting to explode with your pent-up emotions, frustration and anger. When you keep suppressing your emotions, cravings, aversions, hatred, it is bound to reach a bursting point. Bursting crackers is a psychological exercise created by the ancient people to release bottled-up emotions. When you see an explosion outside, you feel similar sensations within you as well. Along with the explosion, there is so much light. So when you let go of these emotions, then serenity dawns. Unless and until the pent-up emotions in you clear, you cannot experience the newness in you. Diwali means to be in the present, so drop the regrets of the past and the worries of the future and live in the moment. The sweets and exchange of gifts symbolize the dispelling of the bitterness of the past and renewal of friendship for the times to come. Any celebration is incomplete without the spirit of seva (service).; Whatever we have received from the Divine we should share it with others – for, it is in giving that we receive. That is true celebration. Celebration also means dissolving all differences and basking in the glory of the atman. Happiness and wisdom have to spread in society and that can happen when all come together and celebrate in knowledge. Diwali is a celebration to forget the bickering and negativities that have happened through the year. It is a time when you throw light on the wisdom you have gained and welcome a new beginning. When true wisdom dawns, it gives rise to celebration. Often in celebrations, you tend to lose focus or awareness. To maintain awareness, the ancient rishis brought sacredness and puja (rituals) to every celebration. For the same reason, Diwali is also the time for pujas. The spiritual aspects of Diwali add depth to the celebrations. Any celebration has to be spiritual, since a celebration without spirituality has no depth. For the one who is not in knowledge, Diwali comes only once a year, but for the wise, Diwali is every moment and every day. This Diwali, celebrate with knowledge and take a sankalpa (vow) to serve humanity. Light the lamp of love in your heart; the lamp of abundance in your home; the lamp of compassion to serve others; the lamp of Knowledge to dispel the darkness of ignorance and the lamp of gratitude for the abundance that the Divine has bestowed on us.
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
11
Health
Give it to the baby
gplus feature
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Eyeing the eye
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Breastfeed and immunise Studies show that breastfeeding and staying up to date with your baby’s immunisations help to build your baby’s immune system. So giving your baby the vaccines on time and exclusively breastfeeding for first six months are a good place to start to keep the baby healthy.
Amblyopia (lazy eye) In an infant or a child, the brain will not tolerate double images and will shut down the vision in the weaker eye. This involuntary loss of vision is called “lazy eye” or amblyopia. Here’s another way to say it: Amblyopia is a healthy eye that does not see. Only infants and children develop amblyopia; and the vision loss can be reversed with therapy if the contributing eye problem is corrected during childhood. Amblyopia is a serious problem for your children. So long as the underlying eye problem remains untreated, the vision in the weaker eye does not develop fully. Lazy eye can also result from other eye problems, such as ptosis (drooping of the eye lid) or a significant refractive error in one eye. If detected early amblyopia can be corrected with patching and/or eye drops applied to the better eye forcing the weaker eye to recover useful function.
hen the weather changes, it is usually the time when adults often suffer with viral or bacterial infections, there are a few simple steps you can take to help prevent your baby from getting sick as well.
Dress for the weather Dress your baby appropriately, especially when you are planning to be out for a couple of hours. It is best to dress your baby in layers so that you can remove or add layers to keep your baby comfortable through the day. Bathe your baby safely It is easy for your baby to catch a chill when having the daily bath or massage. Follow these simple steps to prevent this:• Keep the temperature in the bedroom and bathroom the same. If this is not possible, choose the room that is most comfortable and do the bathing and massage there. This might mean you need to give your baby a bath in a tub in the bedroom near a heater for a few weeks. If you prefer not to get your bedroom floor wet, you can set up a safe changing table in the bathroom for massages. The key is to avoid exposing your baby to sudden temperature differences. • Make sure there are no drafts or gusts of cold air while you are massaging or bathing your baby. • Find a time of day when your baby is least likely to feel cold and try to give a bath then. This might not always be possible though, so if you do have to bathe your baby when it is very cold, heat the room up to a comfortable temperature before undressing her.
The easiest way for your baby to get sick is by catching the bug from an infected person around. Illnesses can be passed on from one person to the next through mucus, most often by sneezing or coughing.
any people experience problems with their eyes, some of which develop or worsen as they get older. But knowing the problems on time can help take proper care of it which will bar complications. Some of the common eye problems are:-
• If it doesn’t get very cold where you are, be sure to dress your baby before turning on the fan, air conditioner or cooler. Make sure to dry the hair thoroughly as well. Also, protect the baby from the direct blast of cold air. Give your baby a balanced diet If your baby is already on solids, make sure that she has well-balanced meals. A good diet can give the vitamins and minerals the baby needs to help fight infections. It’s even more important to make sure your baby gets enough vitamins and minerals if the kid is a fussy eater or is on a restricted diet. Pay attention to hygiene The easiest way for your baby to get sick is by catching the bug from an infected person around. Illnesses can be passed on from one person to the next through mucus, most often by sneezing or coughing. If you are ill, the antibodies in your breast milk will help keep your baby healthy. But the baby can be exposed to viruses and bacteria from others. If infected mucus remains on a toy at a doctor’s waiting room or on someone’s hands as they feed your baby for example, the kid can get sick. Here are a few steps to help prevent this:• Make sure that people handling your baby wash their hands properly. • Bring your own toys or books when you take your baby to the doctor for immunisations. • Keep your baby away from crowded places as far as possible. • If your baby goes to a crèche or day care, ask the supervising adult to discourage sick children from attending. In some places, the ayahs check the temperature of all the children coming and send home
Presbyopia This is the loss of the ability to see close objects or small print clearly. It is a normal process that happens slowly over a lifetime, but you may not notice any change until after age of 40. Presbyopia is often corrected with reading glasses. Bifocal glasses permit the wearer to see objects clearly, both near and distant. Floaters These are tiny spots or specks that float across the field of vision. Most people notice them in well-lit rooms or outdoors on a bright day. Floaters are often considered normal, but can sometimes indicate a more serious eye problem. These include conditions such as a retinal detachment, especially if floaters are accompanied by light flashes, or any reduction in your field
any child with a fever. This is done to prevent all other children attending the same creche from getting sick as well. • Also, look out for any mould build-up, especially in poorly ventilated and damp areas of your home. • Despite your best efforts to protect your little one from any illness, your baby will get sick once in a while, though perhaps not as often as if you didn’t take any precautions at all. But getting sick is part of growing up and is the way that your baby’s immune system will learn to fight off infections in the future. Make sure you know when to take your baby to the doctor and how to treat the most common infections such as the common cold, fever, and flu.
HEALTH TIP Drink a glass of water 10 minutes before you sit down to eat. Water will naturally make you feel fuller so you don’t have to eat as much food. Quite often we confuse our feelings of hunger with that of first so have a glass of water first and see how you feel
of vision, like a curtain falling over the eye. If you notice a sudden change in the type or number of spots or flashes you see, seek medical advice as soon as possible Dry eyes This happens when tear glands cannot make enough tears or produce poor quality tears. Dry eyes can be uncomfortable, causing itching, burning or, rarely, some loss of vision. Your doctor or eye specialist may suggest using a humidifier in your home, special eye drops that simulate real tears, or plugs that are placed in tear ducts to decrease tear drainage. Surgery may be needed in more serious cases of dry eyes. Tearing Having too many tears can come from being sensitive to light, wind or temperature changes. Protecting your eyes by shielding them or wearing sunglasses can sometimes solve the problem. Tearing may also mean that you have a more serious problem, such as an eye infection or a blocked tear duct. Your doctor or eye specialist can offer advice about treatment for these conditions.
12
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Sports
Aditya Gogoi
F
GHY WINNER AS ISL GETS UNDERWAY
inally the grand occasion of football began and Guwahati too participated in it in a grand way. Just after the inaugural night of the Indian Super League (ISL), the city witnessed a new era of Indian football with a spectacular win of the city’s very own North East United FC. Besides the team, the Guwahati crowd was the other winner in the match as the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium was jam-packed. The atmosphere was great as the people cheered for football and NEUFC. As always it was Sachin Tendulkar, owner of the Kerala Blasters FC, who drew the highest cheer as the former Indian icon, was given a standing ovation in the stadium. Team NEUFC co-owner John Abraham was also overwhelmed with the response of the crowd in Guwahati. On Monday, no one could have had a better script than this as the NEUFC tamed the Kerala Blasters with the help of Koke’s goal in front of a roaring home crowd. “It’s been amazing! Everyone who has come here has gone back saying ‘My God! What is the Northeast about?’ We’ve got the best pitch, the best scenic beauty at the back and the most fantastic audience. And not to forget, that we have the best players as well. We love our players, we love our boys. And trust me, the young kids playing at the age of 18-19... Give them three years and they’ll be taking on anyone,” John said after the match in team website.
“It’s been amazing! Everyone who has come here has gone back saying ‘My God! What is the North-east about?’ We’ve got the best pitch, the best scenic beauty at the back and the most fantastic audience. And not to forget, that we have the best players as well. We love our players, we love our boys. And trust me, the young kids playing at the age of 18-19... Give them three years and they’ll be taking on anyone,” JOHN ABRAHAM
So far, the Guwahati crowds have been regarded as the best in various social networking sites across the country. The tickets are selling like hotcakes. Many had to return empty-handed as the tickets were sold out much before the scheduled time.
NEUFC KID DREAMS OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL Aditya Gogoi
Y
ou might just mistake him to be a fan of many European players who are with the North East United FC in the ground. The kid is Alen Deory, the youngest member of NEUFC. Probably, he is the youngest to play in the Indian Super League (ISL). After a promising start as a youngster, the city is now ready to nurture his dream of playing in the European league and for him this is the best platform to realise his ambition. The 18 year old who had to undergo tremendous hardships due to poverty is all set to grab every opportunity at the moment. “Since my childhood, I have always dreamt of playing in the European league and this is what my father wished as well. This is a great opportunity for all of us to perform and grow in our careers. As the ISL will be watched globally, it will give
“Our team is a combination of great players – both off and on the field. They are very friendly and would rectify your mistakes in a very friendly way. I’m quite enjoying the atmosphere, Alen Deory
us great mileage. I will try to give my best and hopefully my dream will be realised someday,” Alen who represented India at various age group teams said. Alen who is yet to play in the ISL believed that staying cool during the time of shooting will help the players of his team in getting more success. He is also thankful to his teammates for their positive gestures. “Our team is a combination of great players – both off and on the field. They are very friendly and would rectify your mistakes in a very friendly way. I’m quite enjoying the atmosphere,” he added. Remembering his initial days, an emotional Alen said that his father, an auto rickshaw driver, used to bring boots and other stuff from others to make him play. “My father did everything to
help me play football when I was a kid. I would love to make his dreams come true as well,” he added. Alen has also been able to impress his colleagues and the manager as well so far, by his brilliance. He even scored a hattrick during a practice match against a local team. “The kid is a great enthusiast. I wish him to excel in the matches. It will be great if players like him excel for the upliftment of football in the country. He is getting better day by day. He has a bright future,” said manager Ricki Herbert. While, British forward James Keene said that Alen works hard and is willing to learn new things. Alen got an opportunity to undergo training in USA in 2010 for nine months after he represented India under-13 in 2009. After that, he was the second Indian player to attend a special coaching camp in Australia.
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
13
Sports
A
ssam’s Durga Boro, who almost stole the show on the very first match of the Indian Super League (ISL) in Guwahati with a spectacular shot against Kerala Blasters FC, said that it is the best opportunity for the Indian players to make their mark. One of the main strikers of North East United FC, who once gave up his lucrative job to continue playing professional football, is all set to give his best in the ISL. An injury that was speculated to have sidelined him for at least a few matches, has turned out to be speculation as he featured against Atletico de Kolkata on Thursday night. Talking to G Plus, the 27 year old player said that it’s time that the Indian youngsters learn as much as they can from their foreign colleagues. “I was always ready to take risks in my life. One thing that I was sure about was that I have come out to play professional football and I would do anything for it. Now, I’m looking ahead to perform and leave a mark,” one of the most prolific strikers of the state said. Durga Boro gave up an OIL job to play for Churchil Brothers SC in 2009. “It’s a fantastic platform for all of us, especially the youngsters of the region to learn as much as we can from our seniors. The players from Europe and others have a different style of playing. Besides some of them are World Cuppers, so it’s time we learn from them and develop our own game,” Boro who was born and brought up in a remote place of Kokrajhar, said. On February 6, 2014 he signed for Shillong Lajong FC on loan from Mumbai Tigers as the club was shutdown. So far, he has scored one goal in six appearances for the Shillong club. Durga whose first major tournament was the Subroto Cup in 1999 also said that NEUFC will give their
I was always ready to take risks in my life. One thing that I was sure about was that I have come out to play professional football and I would do anything for it. Now, I’m looking ahead to perform and leave a mark,”
-DURGA BORO
best in the ISL which starts from October 12. “Every team seems to be in good shape but we will also give our best to be at the top. We have a good blend of youngsters and experienced players from abroad. Losing or winning is a part of the game but we want to give the best for our fans,” Boro added.
As Boro hails from a small town in the state, he is also thrilled at the expectations of his friends and parents. “My parents were present during our first match against the Kerala Blasters. My friends too were pretty excited when they came to know that I will be playing for the NEUFC,” said a smiling Boro.
14
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Feature
hot hatches
Upcoming & new launches for the Indian Automobile Market If you are looking to upgrade your car or looking to ditch that trusty twowheeler for a four wheeled one, then this year you will be spoilt for choice. With a number of new models along with upgraded versions of older cars hitting the showrooms, you can go for whatever suits your taste.
The latest pair of cars from the Indian car maker, the Zest and Bolt showcase a radical change in design philosophy. The new Tata Bolt seeks to be a far more premium offering and with its updated design, the Bolt just might be able to shed the commercial vehicle image that the Indica possessed. Building on its new ConnectNext, DriveNext and DesignNext design methodologies, the new Bolt makes use of high quality materials and a more contemporary design to compete against the likes of the Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i20.
COMING SOON
The last few months have not been very exciting for Hero. With better looking/performing bikes overshadowing their share of the market, only the loyal few have been
Maruti Suzuki introduced the current Swift in India in August 2011, a year after it was launched in Europe. In Europe, Suzuki introduced the Swift facelift last year with minor cosmetic changes such as a new body color and an LED-infused foglamp cluster. This description could define the Indian Swift facelift’s exterior Engine options are expected to be no different – 1.2 K Series petrol engine that delivers 87 PS @ 6,000 rpm and 114 NM of torque @ 4,000 rpm with a fuel efficiency of 18.6 kmpl and a 1.3L DDiS engine from Fiat which generates 75 PS of power at 4,000 rpm and 190 NM of torque @ 2,000 rpm, with a fuel efficiency of 22.9 kmpl. Maruti is developing an in-house diesel engine and is placing its bets on AMT picking up in other segments. While its wildly speculative to consider these as probables on the Swift facelift, it wouldn’t be something Maruti hasn’t mulled over.
First showcased at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, the next generation Honda Jazz is all set to make its Indian debut early next year. While the previous generation Jazz offered immense space, superb driving dynamics and stylish exteriors, the hatchback was priced well above its competitors. As a result, the car failed to take off in the Indian market and Honda had to eventually shelve to Jazz. Hopefully, Honda may work on pricing the hatch just right to compete with cars such as the i20 and Polo. With the introduction of a diesel engine, the Jazz just might displace Hyundai from its top spot.
That’s right folks, acclaimed Japanese car maker Mitsubishi seeks to re-enter the Indian car market with three new cars. The first of which being the Mirage hatchback. As with most Mitsubishi cars, the Mirage has been designed keeping the driver in mind. As a result, the car may not look as good as the others in its range, but expect the Mirage to be unparalleled in terms of driving dynamics. The current gen Mirage has been on sale for quite some time now, hopefully, Mitsubishi may introduce a few interior and exterior updates to the India bound variant.
HERO HX250R MARUTI SUZUKI CIAZ holding on their CBZ’s and Karizma’s. The fresh makeover introduced on the Xtreme & the ZMR have also failed to impress the masses. However the HX250R is here the stir things a bit. Its a big deal for Hero as it’ll be the first 250cc machine from the auto maker. More importantly, it’ll also be built from scratch, right here on Indian soil. Designed in association with Eric Buell Racing (just like the Hero Karizma ZMR), the bike runs on a 249cc fuel injected single cylinder unit - Engines Engineering and AVL have been involved in its development. The engine churns out 30PS, puts out a maximum torque of 26Nm and comes linked with a six-speed manual transmission. Expected to launch around November the HX will be priced around 1.6-1.8 lakhs
Launch of the Maruti Ciaz is expected sometime in the first half of October. For now, we have managed to get details about the features that every variant is going to get. The Maruti Ciaz is powered by Ertiga’s 91bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine and 89bhp 1.3-litre Fiat-sourced diesel engine. The petrol motor comes with a five-speed manual or a fourspeed automatic gearbox, while the diesel variant gets only a five-speed manual gearbox. The Ciaz comes in four trims each for the petrol and diesel models. The petrol Ciaz will be available in VXi, VXi+, ZXi and
NEWLY LAUNCHED
ZXi+ trims and the diesel in VDi, VDi+, ZDi and ZDi+ trims. The optional four-speed automatic gearbox will be available on the VXi+ and ZXi trims. The base VXi and VDi variants get features like projector headlamps, front and rear armrests, keyless entry, audio system with USB, aux-in and card reader, fabric upholstery, and electrically-adjustable wing mirrors with indicators, among others. When launched, Ciaz will go up against segment rivals like Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Skoda Rapid and the Volkswagen Vento. The price will start from Rs 8 lakhs onwards.
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
15
Feature UPCOMING
HANDSETS
watchOUT
TO WATCH OUT
KTM RC 200 vs YAMAHA FZ 2.0
As for the bikes, the situation is very similar as most of the manufacturers have launched new models for the festive season. Whether you go for power, style or mileage, you should manage to get what you need.
XIOMI Mi4 YAMAH FZ 2.0
KTM RC 200 Engine
199.5 cc
Max Power
149 cc
25 PS
12.9 PS
19.2 Nm
12.8 Nm
Transmission
6 speed
5 speed
Fuel Capacity
9.5 ltrs
12 ltrs
Max Torque
Weight
137.5 kgs
Price
Mi4 is the latest flagship from the Chinese Giant Xiomi. Featuring a 5in IPS full HD display & powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5 Ghz, the device will be competing against the new iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S5
131.5 kgs
1.6 lakhs
76,250
BUDGET
SHOOTOUT ANDROID ONE vs MOTO E
Recently announced Android One phones from Spice, Karbonn & Micromax created a lot of stir in the budget segment. The phones look a lot similar to the Moto E sold by Motorola, which incidentally is a Google-owned company. In fact, the Moto E is the toughest competitor that Android One phones face. All three Android One phones have similar hardware and software so we can pit any of them against the Moto E. Here is a quick comparision for the phones to help you decide your pick.
ONEPLUS ONE Known as the flagship-killer, this phone has everything you will ever need, and more! A Snapdragon 801 chipset & 3 Gigs of RAM, this one has it all. Supposedly the company has confirmed its India launch in a couple of months and we can expect the pricing to be around 24k.
Spice Dream UNO
ANDROID ONE 4.5” FWVGA display, Cortex A7 1.3 GHz Quad-Core processor, 1GB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable up to 32GB), 2x micro SIM, Front and rear facing cameras (2MP & 5MP)
Moto E
Karbonn Sparkle V
MOTO E 4.3”display protected by Gorilla Glass 2, Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 1.2 Ghz Quad-Core processor,1GB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable up to 32GB), Single micro SIM, 5 MP primary rear camera,
Micromax Canvas A1
JOLLA Probably what NOKIA would have been today without MICROSOFT. An outdated Snapdragon 400 powers this device. With 1GB of RAM, Adreno 305 and a qHD display, it surely doesn’t look very promising but Jolla claims to redefine the smartphone experience. The smartphone is available on snapdeal.com at a price of `16499
16
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Food
GO SOUTH
Nothing can beat the exhilarating feeling of accomplishing a perfectly cooked home meal that we seek in speciality restaurants and today let’s experiment the making of traditional Idili-Sambhar-Chutney breakfast right in our kitchen. The requirements or ingrediants may not be regularly or traditionally used inside our kitchens but they are readily available in the markets of Guwahati.
sanjukta dutta (Food enthusiast)
Prep Time: 7-8 Hours. Cook Time: 2030 Minutes For the Idlis: (we will require) A lot of people told me uncountable methods of making soft idlis, but the following recipe I picked up from the internet is the most effective and works in all circumstances (either making idlis in the microwave or using the traditional idli steamer). This one is the most tried and tested method in my kitchen • 1 cup regular rice (I use ijong rampal) • 1 cup parboiled rice • ½ cup urad dal skinned spilt • ¼ cup poha/flattened rice/chira • ¼ tsp methi seeds/fenugreek seeds • water as required • salt • ghee/oil to apply to the idli moulds Instructions 1. Wash both the rice and urad dal. 2. Soak the rice and poha/chira in water for 4-5 hours. 3. Soak the urad dal with methi seeds separately for 4-5 hours. 4. Drain the soaked urad dal. 5. Grind the urad dal, methi seed with water till you get a smooth, risen and a fluffy batter. 6. Grind the rice to make a smooth batter. 7. Mix both the batters together in a large bowl or pan. Add a packet of fruit salt/eno and mix well. 8. Cover and let the batter ferment for 6-7 hours (Can be left Overnight) 9. After the fermentation process is over, the batter will become double in size and rise. 10. Gently mix the batter and water can be added to reach the desired consistency. 11. Grease the idli moulds with ghee or oil. 12. Pour the batter in the moulds steam the idlis in a pressure cooker or steamer. 13. If using pressure cooker remove the vent weight. Whistle steamfor 10 minutes or till they are done 14. If you are using the microwave, then greese the microwave idli maker and microwave it for 3 minutes or till they are done. 15. Serve the idlis with piping hot Sambhar and Cocunut Chutney. Now that we have made the Idlis, we can also make the spicy Sambhar and the chutney and relish it along with our friends and family.
Coconut Chutney SAMBHAR (The spice and the level of heat can be controlled) Prep Time: 30 Minutes. Cook Time: 20 minutes • 1 cup tuvar dal/pigeon pea lentils • 1 to 1.5 cups, cleaned and chopped vegetables - okra, french beans, potatoes, shallots or onions, small round brinjals, tomatoes, ash gourd, drum sticks, carrots (any seasonal vegetables) • 1 tbsp tamarind/imli soaked in ½ cup water. (Can be purchased from any vegetable or fruit vendor across Guwahati) • 1 to 1.5 tbsp sambar powder. (Again readily available in the market) • ½ tsp turmeric/haldi powder • a pinch of asafoetida/hing • 2.5 to 3 cups water for pressure cooking the dal • 2 cups water to be added later • salt as required For the tempering of sambhar • 2 to 3 dry red chillies • 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai • 12 to 15 curry leaves Instructions 1. First soak the tamarind in warm water for 30 mins. 2. Rinse the dal in water well. 3. Pressure cook the daal for about 4-5 whistles or till the time the daal is
mushy and soft. 4. Once the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid. 5. Now add the chopped veggies, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt. Add 2 cup water and stir well. 6. Pressure cook again for 1 whistle on medium flame. Once the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid. 7. Add the sambhar powder and tamarind pulp (removing the seeds if there are any). If the consistency of sambhar is thick, then add some water. 8. Keep the cooker on the stove and then simmer the sambhar for 10-12 minutes on a low flame. 9. Keep on stirring at intervals so that the dal does not stick to the bottom. Switch off and keep the sambar covered. 10. In a small pan, heat oil and crackle the mustard seeds first. 11. Then add red chillies and curry leaves. 12. Fry till the red chilies change colour, pour the whole tempering in the steaming hot sambhar. Close with a lid so that the flavours infuse for about 5-6 minutes. 13. Later stir and then serve the vegetable sambhar with the idlis that we have prepared.
(As simple as it can be and very tasty) All we need is a coconut, black skin removed, a bunch or two of coriander leaves, salt and some water (I use the coconut water that I reserve for such use). Grind all the ingrediants to make chutney like consistency. Once done, all it requires is the tempering or the chauk. For that we require is a few mustard seeds that should be crackled in a pan, add 2 dry red chillies and a few curry leaves. Now add the coconut chutney into it and stir well. The chutney is ready as an accompaniment for the idlis and sambhar. Relish it as a breakfast or any other meal.
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
17
Hangout
BIRYANI CENTRE gplus feature
I
f you are a die-hard fan of Biryani, but cannot find a place that lives up to your taste inside the city of Guwahati, then the Biryani Centre is a destination for you. As the name suggests, the joint, located at Maligaon offers a range of Biryani, much similar to the taste of the ones you find in Hyderabad, that too at a reasonable price. The place, comprising of two floors might look small from outside, but it has a capacity of feeding more than forty people at once. “We have renovated this place around three years back. Earlier, the building served as an army canteen and we are still supplying food and food materials to various army cantonments located at Lakhimpur and Tezpur etc. The response from the people across the city and state is very good,” Abdul Zafar, manager at Biryani Centre told G Plus. The centre offers all kinds of Biryani including vegetable, chicken, mutton and egg. It offers its special ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’ on Sundays
Price Biryani - Rs 300 (approx) per two persons
“We have two chefs from Kolkata who cook and supervise the kitchen. We take bookings over phone and sometimes, on Sundays, we become so overburdened that we have to make our customers wait” only, because of the special attention it needs while preparation. But, soon, it will start offering Hyderabadi Biryani on Fridays as well. “We have two chefs from Kolkata who cook and supervise the kitchen. We take bookings over phone and sometimes, on Sundays, we become so overburdened that we
have to make our customers wait,” Zafar said. Overwhelmed by the response the centre has been getting, the management has decided to set up another centre in the Zoo road area. “We have recently opened a centre near Guwahati Commerce College at Zoo road area and the crowd
Roti and gravy - Rs 100 (approx) per two persons thronging there is double the size of the Maligaon centre,” Zafar said. Apart from the wide range of biryanis found in Biryani centre, it also has desserts like phirni and shahee tukra among others. Besides, the centre has other food items including Chinese and other Indian dishes.
Address Biryani centre at Maligaon, near Jalukbari police station and Zoo raod, near Gauhati commerce college
18
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Reviews
You SHOULD LISTEN
GAME REVIEW
Y Cast: Anupam Kher, Purushotam Narayan Joshi, Neha Dhupia, Jayaprabha Director: Ravindra Gautam
P
urushotam Narayan Joshi played by Anupam Kher is an honest man who lives with dignity all his life. Amidst his simple and honest life, he has hardly received the honour and respect, which he deserved, and at one point of time, he is even ridiculed and humiliated for no big reason. Taking this as a challenge, he demands his two sons to get him the world biggest and the ultimate sign of respect called Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami or the 21 Gun Salute. His two sons – Subhash Joshi (Divyendu Sharma) and Shekhar Joshi (Manu Joshi) pledge to their father that they would make his dream come true. Therefore, amidst all fun, humour and thrill, you see these sons leaving no stone unturned to make their father’s wish come true. However, with all their efforts, will these sons are able to succeed or not would be interesting to catch in the movie. Anurradha Prasad, again is a new man in the job of director since Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami is his debut directorial project. Though he has ample amount of experience in smaller screens, however, the two screens (small and silver) differ in many ways. Hence, if you look this man in this spectrum, he may not be called as an odd man out either for this task. He has tried to keep the tone and flow of the movie consistent by adding all the elements like laughter, thrill and fun apart from showcasing the father and son relationship nicely in the movie. Therefore, by and large, he was good in his debut directorial assignment and would certainly be counted later in the bigwigs of B Town provided he gets the opportunity to make such movies.
Now, let us talk about the actors in the movie. Talking about Divyendu Sharma, he is ironically a man with great talents but little bit exposed in the industry. Yes, the roles he is assigned, he sees to it that he does justice to the same. You can find Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami to be a political satire wherein a man with all his integrity is not honoured and appreciated by his bosses and other at the higher level. And such movies have been applauded in the past be it the case of of Kya Dilli Kya Lahore, Phas Gaya Re Obama or Bhoothnath Returns. So, if you are keen to catch up a satire with humour, fun and lots of thrill, this movie can be a must watch for you. Or else if you just want to enjoy plain humor want to get the glimpse of Liquid, catching up this movie is not a bad deal. Considering a good and different plot with power packed performance of the lead actors in the movie, the rating of 3.5 can justify.
Styx: Master of Shadows
ou’re hugging the corner of the wall, watching the two guards walk toward you as you remain hidden under a cloak of darkness. As they walk past a chest, your trap is sprung and one of them is killed. Without hesitation, you throw a knife at the one remaining guard, killing him before he can raise an alarm. Everything is going according to plan, so you attempt to leap up off the balcony to another platform, but the stilted way in which you jump makes you fall short of your goal. You fall to the ground, alerting a couple of guards. You time your parries in an attempt to duel with one, but the other shoots you with a crossbow and you die instantly. Such is the experience of playing
I
Haider
NOW SHOWING Bang Bang Dracula Untold (H) Daily at 9, 11AM & 8 PM
Fun Cinemas
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Daily at 2 PM Daily at 8.30 PM
J
hené Aiko’s songs are intimate conversations, which have flourished since the release of her 2011 mixtape Sailing Soul(s). Her vocals are lithe enough to seduce, while her sharp lyricism and wordplay are tools to knife through a man’s crap. On Aiko’s major label debut, Souled Out, the cuts run deep, searing with spite and indifference. Often, she’s calling a love interest out on his missteps. Even more, she looks inward, chronicling her wearisome romantic history. The bulk of the 12-song set is delivered in a quiet fashion, in the way the emotionless speak when their well’s run dry. Souled Out is an insular album, not meant to spill from nightclub speakers or queued up on playlists at house parties. It’s ‘party of one’ music to overthink with and lines to quote when angry at a significant other--the soundtrack for hard times.
Cast: Adil Hussain, Jaya Seal, Badal Das Director: Prabin Hazarika
t was a wish of Bhabendra Nath Saikia to see his story on reels and today no one would have been happier than him. All thanks to Prabin Hazarika to realise his dream through the reel version of ‘Sringkhal’. Somebody in the crowd rightly said that making a film on Bhabendra Nath Saikia’s story is tough business but Hazarika with his dedicated work has made it look so simple. Starting from our very own Adil Hussain to comeback lady Jaya Seal, everybody has done justice to the roles given to them. Even veteran Badal Das was very natural at the sets. The location in a village Garukhuti in a remote area of
Apsara Cinema Anuradha Cineplex
Styx: Master of Shadows, a stealth game that occasionally hits the right notes before making you forget about them thanks to bad AI, sub-par combat, repetitious environments, and occasionally frustrating controls. The plot of Styx serves as something of a prequel to another Focus Home Interactive game, Of Orcs and Men, but playing that game is in no way required to understand this one. Styx, the world’s first goblin, wants to steal a treasure that’s precious to the elves for reasons that he can’t quite remember. The story falls victim to many clichés, including the selective amnesia trope, and while a couple of twists in the plot try to add some excitement, Styx’s journey as a thief and assassin isn’t wholly satisfying.
Shrinkhal
NOW SHOWING Shingkhal
Artist: Jhene Aiko
Bachchan
Sex Tape
Sipajhar depicts the scene, which Bhabendra Nath Saikia must have thought while he was writing the story. On many occasions, people would complain that Assamese films are getting worse due to lack of funds. But this film would prove that concept wrong. Yes, a good film can be made with limited budget as well. The story is still relevant in the present times. The suffering of a widow in the society is well depicted here. This is the time when people would suffer just for the sake ‘somebody will say something’ in the society. The film has also mocked the defects of our society in a very subtle way.
Aeroplane VS Volcano
Spark
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Daily at 5.30 & 8.30PM
Daily at 2 & 5 PM
(H) Daily at 5 PM Daily at 10.30AM & 5.20PM
Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazar)
Daily at 11.30AM, 2.30, 5.30 & 8.30PM
Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar)
Daily at 11AM, 2, 5 & 8 PM
Gold Cinema (Narengi)
Daily at 11AM, 2, 5 & 8 PM
Daily at 3.20 PM
Daily at 1.20 PM
Daily at 2.30 PM
Telebooking numbers: Anuradha Cineplex; 03612656968, 9954544738, Fun Cinemas: 9864800100, 9864800200, Gold Cinema (Fancy Bazaar): 03612735367, 9854077177, Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar): 9854066166, Gold Cinema (Narengi): 8811001898
19
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Smart e-cigarette to make you pay for every puff
T
obacco giant Philip Morris has envisaged an e-cigarette which can connect to the internet, allowing users to “buy” puffing time online, in daily, weekly or monthly chunks. E-cigarette smokers would be forced to “pay as you puff ” after Morris patented a device which tracks every inhalation, the Independent reported.
The digital functionality would allow recording and uploading of smoking behavior information, something that could prove useful in the drive to kick the habit, as well as in clinical trials. However, Morris also identified the commercial potential of selling smoking “credits”. The patent submission said an accompanying mobile app could monitor when a user
is about to run short of nicotinerelated products and “automatically pre-order additional smoking articles”. Philip Morris suggested that its proposition was an altruistic initiative, with the device also able to connect users with an “approved support-group internet site for assistance with smoking cessation.”
Facebook creates ‘Safety Check’ tool for disasters
F
acebook is launching a tool that lets users notify friends and family that they are safe during or after natural disasters. The tool, called ‘Safety Check,’ will be available worldwide to the social network’s 1.32 billion users on computers and mobile devices. This includes the basic “feature” phones many people still use to access Facebook, especially in developing countries. People already use Facebook to tell people they are OK after earthquakes and other disasters but Facebook says the Safety Check tool will make it easier. It grew out of a disaster message board that Facebook engineers created in 2011 following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
they are in an area affected by a natural disaster, Safety Check will send them a notification asking if they’re safe. If they say yes, their Facebook friends will be notified. There’s no option to say no. Users can also mark their friends as safe, but the friends have to approve it.
Once users activate the tool, it will determine their location using the city they have listed in their profile, the last location they’ve shared or the city where they are using the internet. If
Events
Google terms Lollipop its most ‘ambitious release ever’
Submitted by Indrajeet Bhuyan
W
hat’s in a name? Well, when it comes to Google’s Android 5.0 “L” mobile OS upgrade, quite a lot. We’ve had licorice, lemonade and lemon meringue pie as possibilities, but the company has now confirmed it’s going with the long-rumoured Lollipop moniker. Calling it “our largest, most ambitious release on Android,” Google detailed much of the Android 5.0 Lollipop’s features this summer at Google I/O. The name was released alongside the Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 9 tablet, both of which will launch with the new software.
Google’s biggest phone so far, Nexus 6 packs 6” QHD screen
Full mobile number portability to be rolled out by March 31?
T
he telecom department (DoT) has reportedly set March 31, 2015 for implementation of full mobile number portability (MNP) across the country. This means subscriber of any circle can switch operator in other circles while retaining their numbers. Pan India MNP has been one of the important elements of the National Telecom Policy announced in 2012. However, back and forth between the telecom regulatory authority and telecom department delayed the roll out of pan-India mobile number portability. The industry had been waiting for a clearer guidelines on this after the new government
steps in. Interestingly, mobile operators have shown willingness to implement the pan India mobile number portability. In an interaction with Digit, GSM operators body COAI’s Director General Rajeev S Mathews had said: “We support the objectives of NTP-2012 and are committed to working with the Regulator and DoT on implementing these in a customer and industry friendly manner. National MNP is part of the NTP-2012 objectives and we look forward to working with the DoT, if they accept the TRAI recommendations.”
G
oogle has announced the Nexus 6, and it’s built by Motorola. The phone is the biggest Google has put out yet and packs a whopping 6-inch Quad HD display, a 13MP camera, and dual front-facing stereo speakers, all built into a brushed aluminium body. The phone runs on a 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, and comes in 32GB and 64GB storage variants. The battery is also a biggy at 3,220mAh, and we expect it’ll need it. The phone is essentially an inflated Moto X when you look at the design, which is no bad thing. We just hope you like your handsets big.
Search And Watch Movies On YouTube With Zero Dollar Movies
Tasty treat It also comes running Android 5.0 Lollipop (yes, that name is now confirmed) which launches today also on the Nexus 9 tablet. Lollipop introduces a new power-saving feature that will supposedly juice out an extra 90 minutes of power. Google says the Lollipop update will hit the Nexus 5, 7, 10 and Google Play edition devices “in the coming weeks”. The Nexus 6 will go up for preorder in late October, and will be available in stores in November.
Y
ouTube is the most popular video sharing website. It is used by millions of people daily where they watch video daily. Not only music videos, YouTube also has hundreds of full length movies but it is hard to search in millions of videos. If you are only interested in movies, try http:// zerodollarmovies.com/ developed by popular Indian blogger Amit Agarwal. Zero Dollar Movies is a collection of full leangth movies uploaded on YouTube. Zero Dollar Movies has collection of 15,000+ movies organized by years or release. So, you can easily search movies of your interest. You can also search movies by language including (English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu). At the top right side, you see a select box. Use this to filter movies by release year and language. It has Instant search features which starts searching as you start typing your search query. In video search results, you can see the red and green bars below the videos thumbnails. It indicates the ratio of likes to dislikes. You can use the rating to decide whether to watch video or not. If Red has winning, you may skip the video.
Indrajeet Bhuyan is a 16 year old tech blogger and security researcher. He is passionate about computers and believes in sharing knowledge and information . He uses his spare time helping people and companies secure themselves. fb.me/ indrajeet.bhuyan
20
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
G-Talk
Do we need a political campaign to keep our surroundings clean? Rajiv Kumar Jha
Madan Rajan
Social Worker
Academician
POINT
O
ne might feel that we do not need any political support or campaign to keep our surroundings clean. But, at the same time, we should not forget that political support is needed if we want to build a strong and developed nation. It is only possible under the leadership of a good government irrespective of the political parties which form government both at the centre or the state. But, the affect will be adverse if we get weak and corrupt political leaders, because in a democracy the relation between the government and political parties is very close. If we look at the recent cleanliness campaign started by the Prime Minister of India, we will see that the intention of the drive is good. Even the former government had claimed that the drive was originally started by them. It shows that even after more than sixty years of independence, we still live in filthy condition and the governments formed after independence are trying to create a clean environment to live in. But, till date it has not been transformed into a reality. It will only happen if we cooperate with the government. Because, the government alone cannot do anything, if the citizens do not support them – be it in the case of keeping the environment clean or maintaining peace and harmony of the society. In this regard, we can also say the if there is no need for a political push to achieve something, then there will be no need for constitutional provi-
COUNTERPOINT
If we look at the recent cleanliness campaign started by the Prime Minister of India, we will see that the intention of the drive is good. Even the former government had claimed that the drive was originally started by them.
sions like acts to protect people and convict the criminals. In this case, both the government and the laws are there to safeguard the people from evils. But, it does not mean that people will do whatever they want and like to do, since there are government and laws to protect them. The citizens of the country should not take any steps, which could damage the image of the country and all the citizens know it very well. But, even after that, they seem to forget it. The people are very keen to keep their own houses clean but the same people keep littering the roads where they travel every day. There comes the need of an authority to control the behaviours of the citizens. The way we need traffic rules to guide the drivers and pedestrians on road, we need the guidance of the government or political parties to keep monitoring the masses.
T
he trend of politicising an issue is an old one in India. Both the colonial and post-independence era have seen politicisation of issues in the country. The British colonisers had induced the idea of caste politics into the government, which might be recognised as the starting point of politicising an issue India. After that, there are a slew of issues, which have been politicised over time. It is a country where if a girl gets raped, all political parties rush to the girl and compete before the media how much they (political parties) care about their own girls. But, the pet ‘gundas’ of such parties do not think twice before threatening the girls and women of their own society with rape. Now, the prime minister has started a campaign to keep our surroundings clean. There is no doubt that it is definitely a good initiative, but it is also time to ask questions of ourselves. Had
Right after the Prime Minister started the cleanliness campaign, various Congress leaders who was in power before, shouted that it was actually a campaign started by their government. It shows that a political party never appreciates an issue engineered or supported by its opposition. They only want to take credit for themselves without thinking about the greater interest of the society.
we been keeping our homes, officer, roads clean, would there be any need of such campaigns? It is certainly the duty and responsibility of each and every citizen of the country to keep their surroundings clean. But no one is least bothered about it and the political parties are taking advantage of it. I am saying it again that the recent campaign started by the prime minister is undoubtedly a good one, but ultimately he too belongs to a political party, which has its own agendas and the party in power use all possible means to woo the voters which reflect in its activity and the members who hold important government portfolios. So, why should we give a chance to the political parties? Although, all the issues are not bad, yet, political parties always try to use it for their own benefit. Because, right after the Prime Minister started the cleanliness campaign, various Congress leaders who was in power before, shouted that it was actually a campaign started by their government. It shows that a political party never appreciates an issue engineered or supported by its opposition. They only want to take credit for themselves without thinking about the greater interest of the society. Therefore, it is the duty of the citizens not to give any reason to the political parties to take advantage of. Rather, the citizen should be more vigilant in checking the government from corruption, in which they grossly involve whether in the name of a campaign or a scheme.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Sir, While the State Government is seen taking measures to upgrade the transportation system and related safety measures in the city, the government seems to have forgotten the importance and usage of fare meters in autorickshaws. Every day, we get to see that the public are getting involved in fights with the autorickshaw drivers for fare. In spite of the notice issued by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) of Kamrup district to install fare meters in the autorickshaws, we hardly see any autos running by the fares. The auto rickshaw drivers have completely ignored the notice by RTA and still plying their vehicles on road without installing or using the fare meters. They always raise the issue of price rise in petrol and diesel, but, will they ever agree to cut fare or run on meter, whenever there is fall in the price of the fuel. The government seems to have overlooked this issue and not getting strict with the autorickshaw owners. Although there are so many developments going on around the city in all aspects, yet the plight of the general public has failed to catch the eye of the concerned authority. Sir, I would like to mention about an article published in your paper (on 20th Sept, 2014) on the miserable condition of the historic Northbrook Gate. It was really a very important and necessary topic to be brought into light. The Northbrook Gate also known as the Gateway of Assam, which holds great significance in itself, which is in a sad state now. The negligence of the government can be seen at its heights when one stands in front of the historic gate made during the British period. The impact of the news in your paper is seen finally as the State Government is going to take up step for the restoration of the Northbrook Gate from November. Even though it is late, yet it is an appreciable step taken from the State Government. There are various such issues and topics which need to be given immediate attention and the media has a very important role to play in drawing attention of the government for betterment of the society and nation.
Pranab Barman Patharkuwari
Kangkan Majumdar Hengrabari
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
21
Citypedia
AMBULANCE
Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251
BLOOD BANK
Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Ganga Blood Bank 2454742, 2455029 Lion’s Club of Ghy Central 2546611 Marwari Yuva Manch 2546470, 2547251 Saharia’s Path Lab (24 hours) 2458594
HOSPITALS Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) B Baruah Cancer Institute (2472364/66) Brahmaputra Hospital Ltd (2451634/678) Chatribari Christian Hospital 0361-2600051, 9207044374 Downtown Hospital 2331003, 9864079366, 9435012669 Guwahati Medical College (2529457, 2529561) Guwahati Medical College Emergency (2263444)
International Hospital 0361-7135005 Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (2541477, 2543998) Marwari Hospital & Research Centre 0361-2602738/39 Marwari Maternity Hospital 0361-2541202/01 Nemcare Hospital 0361-2528587, 2455906, 2457344
Pratiksha Hospital 0361-2337260, 2337183/84 Basistha Military Hospital (2304617/0351) Railway Central Hospital Casuality (2671025) Redcross Hospital (2665114) Sri Sankardeva Netralaya 0361-2233444, 2228879, 2228921 TB Hospital (2540193) Wintrobe Hospital 0361-2519860, 98647-77986 GNRC Hospital 0361 2227702 GNRC Life First Ambulance 9401194011
24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) DEAD BODY CARRYING VAN GLP Social Circle 2737373, 9435047046 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 GGUMTA 98640-16740 ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171
OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118
RADIO TAXI SERVICES Prime Cabs 0361- 2222233 Green Cabs 0361-7151515 My Taxi 0361-2228888 Cherry Cabs 8876222288
Cinema Hall Anuradha Cineplex – 0361-2656968, 99545-44738 Fun Cinema (HUB)- 98648-00100, 98648-00200 Gold Cinema (Paltan Bazaar) – 98540-66166 Gold Cinema (Salasar) – 0361-2735367, 98540-77177 Gold Cinema (Narengi) – 88110-01898
police station SP, Kamrup District: Ph- 2540278 DGP Control Room: Ph- 2540242 SB Control Room: Ph-2261511 Police Control Room: Ph-2540138, 2540113 Azara PS: Ph2840287 Basista PS: Ph-2302158 Bharalumukh PS: Ph- 2540137, 2731199 Borjhar PS: Ph-2840351 Chandmari PS: Ph- 2660204 Chandrapur PS: Ph-2788237, 2785237 Dispur PS: Ph-2261510 Fancybazar PS: Ph- 2540285
Fatasil Ambari PS: Ph-2471412 Geetanagar PS: Ph-2417323 Hatigaon: Ph-2562383 Jalukbari PS: Ph-2570587 Jalukbari Out Post: Ph-2570522 Jorabat: Ph-2896853 Khanapara: Ph- 2281501 Khetri PS: Ph-2787699, 2787220 Latasil PS: Ph-2540136 Noonmati PS: Ph- 2550281 North Guwahati PS: Ph-2690255 Paltanbazar PS: Ph-2540126 Panbazar PS: Ph-2540106 Pragjyotishpur Ps: Ph-2785237 Women PS Panbazar: Ph-2524627
22
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Fun
Your weekly dose of Aries Your go-getter energy’s at odds with the stuff coming from the stars at the beginning of the week. Take a passive approach, rather than an aggressive one (and definitely avoid a passive-aggressive tactic!). And don’t worry, because Thursday and Friday bring opportunities for all sorts of pioneering, and even passion! You’re extra-convincing now — work that additional charm! As for the weekend, various pitfalls may be in your cosmic path — you’ll once again want to tread lightly. Calm stuff around the house or physical activities outside may be a better bet than big social plans.
Leo You’re less extravagant and less extroverted than usual at the beginning of the week, and while it’s less exciting, it’s an excellent state for saving and sorting through things. Give a certain plan a necessary update now. On Thursday and Friday, friends and fun and fabulousness are back with a vengeance, and hotter, sweeter stuff’s in the stars, too. Make a romantic move — they’ll love it (and you!). Family matters grab your attention this weekend, as do lessons learned and memories both bad and good. Slow down, get in touch (with them and yourself) and think things through.
Sagittarius Your boss may be on the opposite of your greatest-hits list at the beginning of the week — and if a significant other, friend or your mother is acting bossy, you’re not loving them right now, either. Use a little tact; this, too, shall pass, so let it do that without any lasting damage. All is better than well on Thursday and Friday — people love you, and it looks like you’re loving life. Choosing among all the good stuff should be your biggest problem. As for the weekend, something needs contemplation and resolution. Give it due time and consideration.
SUDOKU
TIMEPASS
Taurus
HOROSCOPE
Gemini
Fun times and affectionate friends (or more-than-friends) are in your personal stars at the beginning of the week. Don’t work late, and don’t wait for the weekend! Around Thursday and Friday, your health matters even more than usual. Yes, you’ll want to work out, but you don’t want an injury from overdoing it. Be sure to pace yourself or partner up with someone who helps you keep things slow and steady. It’s your emotional state that’s highlighted this weekend, and it could be less than stable. Watch for having a short fuse, but be sure to enjoy the passion the universe is sending!
Virgo
Cancer
Check in with your mentor, your mom or other VIPs in your life at the beginning of the week. The stars say somebody’s got a piece of very useful advice for you; getting it may hinge on asking the right questions (or a lot of them!), though. On Thursday and Friday, you’re extra smart, which everyone knows equals extra sexy! How about some intelligence-enhancing dates? Take a certain someone to a lecture, or if you’re single, hit the galleries, a museum mixer or some other hotbed of fellow brainiacs. As for the weekend, you’ll do best if you slow your pace — burnout of one sort or another is a distinct possibility.
Your domestic side’s in full effect at the beginning of the week. Don’t be surprised if you go into an out-of-season spring-cleaning frenzy at home, reorganize your workspace in helpful new ways or even spend lots of time cleaning out your inbox. (Don’t forget to back up those files, too!) On Thursday and Friday, your idea and someone else’s may be at odds; the challenge is not to take it too personally. Work toward common ground instead of being touchy about turf. As for the weekend, sometimes you can be overcautious, but this time you’re right to hesitate. Wait for something that’s on your mind.
Libra
You’re getting plenty of gold stars if the stars have their way as the week begins. Good effort expended at work, on relationships or toward your community is more than its own reward — enjoy the sweet stuff! On Thursday and Friday, you’re either acting on impulse or overthinking something — or doing a bit of both. Consult someone you trust (like your mentor, mom or best friend) before making any major commitments. As for the weekend, you’ve got big ideas, big plans and the expectations to match. The first two are great, but reel in what you’re hoping to get out of them for best results.
Capricorn
Scorpio
Schedule one-on-ones, at work and personally, at the beginning of the week; your listening ear and excellent perception make you an extremely valuable partner now. Find a way to jog your own memory, too. On Thursday and Friday, partnerships of the more amorous variety are in the stars! If you’re coupled up, plan an amazing, aesthetically pleasing date; if you’re single, love may be found among art or music. As for the weekend, it really is the thought that counts, especially when compared to mere material things.
You’re a person with a plan at the beginning of the week, or you should be — the stars smile on whatever you put together. Preparation, far from a waste of energy, is time well spent! On Thursday or Friday, a certain choice may have you throwing your hands up in the air, and not because you just don’t care — it may be a big deal. Try quieting your headspace and your actual space, and let your true feelings well up from inside. As for the weekend, don’t expect quiet at all — expect applause, fireworks and parties. You’re hot, and it’s totally obvious.
Aquarius
If there are facts to be found as the week begins, you do the digging — and very likely enjoy the process as much as the results. Get someone else involved — maybe a research assistant? — for additional fun. On Thursday and Friday, don’t bet the farm or up the ante without some serious risk assessment. At work or in your personal life, the status quo might be best for the moment. You’re better equipped for making a decision when the weekend comes, both because of some helpful introspection and cosmic intervention — the latter may be in the form of advice from a friend.
Butter chicken
Pisces
Somebody may be insisting that they understand what you’re saying (or typing, or texting) at the beginning of the week, but if you’re still skeptical, heed your instincts. You can’t be too careful or too clear now. On Thursday and Friday, your attitude determines your altitude; the latter can be up sky-high and have you all starry-eyed if you purposely make the former warmer. Greet everyone you meet with genuine affection, and the universe will love you right back. As for the weekend, the instinct to nest may be strong, but you’ll actually thrive on the energy of others. Plan for a mix of the two.
You’re usually so accepting, but as the week begins, you’re looking at everyone and everything with a very critical eye. It’s a good thing and likely to be very productive, but do be tactful about sharing your sharp findings. Money’s likely to be a big deal around Thursday and Friday, and you should be neither a borrower nor a lender. Work out a budget and help a friend do the same, rather than handing out money or a loan. As for the weekend, trust is a must. If you’re not feeling it, own up to it; if you are, things can definitely go far.
Ingredients 1. 2 eggs, beaten 2. 1 cup crushed buttery round cracker crumbs 3. 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 4. ground black pepper to taste 5. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 6. 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 2. Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls. Mix cracker crumbs with garlic salt and
pepper. Dip chicken in the eggs, then dredge in the crumb mixture to coat. 3. Arrange coated chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place pieces of butter
around the chicken. 4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
JUST FOR LAUGHs One day a Professor was talking about marriage in the class. Professor: What kind of Wife would you like Pappu? Pappu: I would want a wife like the moon. Professor: Wow !!! What a choice... So you want her to be Cool & Calm like the moon? Pappu: No, no... Professor: Oh, so you want her to be Round and white? Pappu: No, no... Professor: Oh, so you want her to be Fair and Beautiful like the moon? Pappu: No, no... I want her to be Exactly like The MOON. Just Arrive at Night and Disappear in the Morning. Professor fainted...
Solution (Last Issue)
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
23
Catching Up
I can’t do ISHQ VISHK again! Actor Shahid Kapoor, who stole millions of hearts with his chocolate boy looks and charm in his debut film ISHQ VISHK back in 2003, feels that he is too old to portray the character of Rajiv Mathur again in the sequel of the film. “I am too outgrown to be a part of ISHQ VISHK sequel. And also I am not aware of this (sequel) hence it would be wrong for me to talk about it. But if he (Ken Ghosh) is making it, then I wish him all the best. He did a great job with first one and I hope he does a better job with second one and gives some more newcomers the opportunity in the industry. But I can’t do ISHQ VISHQ again,” declares Shahid.
Man finds a dead mouse in his McDonald’s coffee A man in Canada claims he had a bit of a shock when he finished his usual coffee from McDonald’s before work. Supposedly he took off the lid to get the last sip of coffee but was surprised to see a dead mouse inside. McDonald’s saying the company took allegations of cleanliness and sanitation very seriously. However the healt authorities found “no evidence of pests”
Anushka Sharma to spark controversy again?
A
fter Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma is all set to shock the audiences by posing in a transistor, as she gears up to unveil her first look from PK. Anushka got on to a micro-blogging site and posted about the same. “Mujhe tukur tukur dekhna hai? Toh pehle isse dekho: While Aamir stunned the audience with his first look in PK poster, one curiously awaits to know Anushka Sharma’s look. Stay tuned!
Valeriya hates being compared to Madonna
what did i just hear Despite the defeat in the Lok Sabha election, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi does not believe that the party has gone down at all. Partymen need “passion and enthusiasm’’ and it will bounce back again, he said in an interaction with Panjab University students on recently.
Russia’s Valeriya, who is known as Russian Madonna, has revealed that she and the iconic US star are different in every single way and so she wants to draw a line under those comparisons. The mumof-six, who has sold 100 million albums worldwide, said that she always thinks twice when she does something on stage because she has her children and she doesn’t want them to be ashamed of her. Valeriya added that the female singers should be sexy, should not cross the line as she does not accept it.
Nicole documents her relationship in her new album Nicole Scherzinger’s new album ‘Big Fat Lie’ documents her “on-off” love relationship with Lewis Hamilton. The 36-year-old singer said that soon to be released album was very “personal” for her, as it’s a reflection of how she have felt over the past couple of years. Sometimes love makes people feel amazing, it makes them feel like “I need you and you need me” but sometimes it’s like her song ‘Run,’ when people have to run from their own
fears and somebody that’s getting on their nerves, she further added. The former X Factor judge also mentioned that she turned to music because she was feeling alone and it taught her a lot
24
G PLUS OCT 18 - OCT 24, 2014
Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd., Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati and Published at H/No. 34, K. C. Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati - 781008, Editor: Koushik Hazarika. Phone: 0361 2737737, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641