G Plus Volume 1 Issue 3 by G Plus

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VOLUME 02 | ISSUE 3 OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

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GHY WATER HAS ARSENIC AND FLUORIDE Ignorance on the part of the people and a lackadaisical attitude shown by the government has led to the people of Guwahati drinking contaminated water year after year.

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G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Lead Story

GHY WATER HAS ARSENIC AND FLUORIDE

Mrinmoyee Hazarika

Above all, in various water-testing camps organised in different parts of the city, it has been found that the underground water of Guwahati has considerable amounts of deadly chemicals arsenic and fluoride and the worst part is that, the people living in that area are drinking the same polluted water. “Out of ninety water samples that were tested at Bonda, Lalganesh and Gotanagar areas, presence of arsenic has been found in five of the samples and fluoride in nine of them. There was no arsenic found in the Gotanagar area but, the major concern is that people living in those areas have been drinking the contaminated water without having the slightest doubt of its quality. They never thought of running any quality test on it,” Dr Mahidhar Pathak, CEO, Environmental Research and Evaluation Centre (EREC), the only NABL accredited water testing laboratory who was in charge of the water testing camps told G Plus. Out of the 1864 water samples that were collected in Bonda, Lalganesh and Gotanagar, 90 samples were examined to check the presence of arsenic and fluoride. Out of those 90 samples, the presence of arsenic was found in three and two samples in Bonda and Lalganesh respectively. Similarly, fluoride has been found in four, three and two samples in Bonda, Lalganesh and Gotanagar area respectively. He also highlighted that ignorance among the people is playing a vital role in it. “People are drinking underground water right after filtering it in a water filter but they do not have any idea what are they drinking! The simple process of filtration cannot remove arsenic or fluoride from the water. People have been drinking the contaminated water as potable water for years and this can cause various ailments and diseases,” Pathak said. The water testing camps have been organised by ‘Antodaya’ a cell of BJP on every Sunday, except during the season of Durga Puja, at various localities of Guwahati. So far, eight camps have been organised in the Rukminigaon, Gitanagar, Lachitnagar, Fatasil, Bonda, Lalganesh, Gotanagar and Panjabari area and the organisers are going to set up another twelve such camps in the other parts of the city. They are not taking any charges for running the test. “We will submit the results of the

Fluoride can cause stomach, nail and brain damage, weakening of bone, dental fluorosis and memory loss. It is also capable of reducing the longevity of human lives. Arsenic also increases the risk of cancer in human body. Besides, it can damage skin, lungs, bladder, kidney, liver and the reproductive system. various water testing camps held in the city to the district administration and demand that they take necessary action on it. After Guwahati, we are planning to expand the programme to other parts of the state as well,” Jayanta Bhuyan, convenor, Antodaya cell (BJP), Kamrup district said. In the first such water testing camp organised at the Rukminigaon on July 27th of the current year, it was found that the turbidity or cloudiness of water in that area was above the permissible limit. “In the first four camps held at the Rukminigaon, Gitanagar, Lachitnagar and Fatasil areas, we had not conducted any tests to identify the presence of arsenic and fluoride in water. But in order to examine the level of PH, TDS, turbidity, hardness and iron other tests have been conducted. All the tests have confirmed that the level of turbidity or cloudiness of water and the presence of other particles tested in water is above the permissible limit in all the areas,” Pathak, added. Mentioning the affects of fluoride and arsenic on human body, Patak said, “Fluoride can cause stomach, nail and brain damage, weakening of bone, dental fluorosis and memory loss. It is also capable of reducing the longevity of human lives. Arsenic also increases the risk of cancer in human body. Besides, it can damage skin, lungs, bladder, kidney, liver and the reproductive system,”

Camp location

Total no of samples

TDS

turbidity

harness

iron

arsenic

fluoride

Rukminigaon

382

7+_2.2

356

4.3

320

0.35

Not done

Gitanagar

576

7+_2.3

328

3.8

310

0.44

Not done

Lachitnagar

195

7+-1.8

337

3.9

380

0.33

Not done

Fatasil

466

7+_2.0

418

7.4

350

0.45

Not done

Bonda

756

7+_3.2

522

5.8

410

0.51

0.40%

0.53%

Lalganesh

578

7+_2.8

460

5.25

380

0.68

0.35%

0.52%

Gotanagar

530

7+_1.7

385

3.15

340

0.32

0.37%

Parameter

Bonda

Lalganesh

Gotanagar

Total no of tests

Arsenic

Fluoride

Maximum permissible limit (as per IS 10500: 2012) for PH: 6.5-8.5, hardness: 200 mg/L, TDS: 500 mg/L, turbidity: 1.0 NTU, iron: 0.30 mg/L, arsenic (As): 0.01 mg/L and fluoride: 1.0 mg/L

Fresh water in the world is only 2.5% of the total water available on this planet.

mrinmoyee.hazarika@g-plus.in

The Ganges river in India is one the most polluted in the world. It contain sewage, trash, food, and animal remains.

According to UNICEF, more than 3000 children die everyday globally due to consumption of contaminated water.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

G-View

ILLEGAL COAL TRANSPORT CREATES CITY COAL SYNDICATE RAHUL CHANDA

n September 11, at around 9.30 AM, the Meghalaya police detained one person Bison Syih who was the owner of a coal quarry carrying out extraction of coal along with four labourers employed by him . These four labourers namely Booden Kara, Arjun Pradhan, Tan Moin Ray and Kumar Tamang were extracting coal from a quarry at Khliehriat in East Jaintia Hills, in complete violation of the order issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). This was reported in a regional daily. Similarly, rampant violations of the NGT ban on transportation of coal have been reported across the state. On September 11 around 8 pm, Police detained two trucks (AS-01EC-5749 & AS-01-EC-2179) driven by Jindra Kumar Jyrwa and Dinesh Rani, respectively, transporting coal at Laitmawsiang under Mawngap Police Outpost in East Khasi Hills in violation of the same order. Police have seized both the trucks and arrested the drivers. Earlier on September 10, while on vehicle checking duty, Police detected one coal-laden truck (ML05D-7902) driven by Spendingson L Mawlong at Mairang Mission in West Khasi Hills. Police arrested the driver and the owner of the vehicle, one Synshar Nonglang and also seized the truck. From the following cases, it is clear that in spite of the NGT ban, coal is being extracted from the Jaintia Hillsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mines and transported across the country illegally. This

The trucks after crossing the main Meghalaya check gates at Seven Mile, Umling and Byrnihat enter Guwahati through Jorabat. Because of the media and presence of environmental activists, some of the unscrupulous cops make sure that the trucks enter at a time when it is not noticed by too many. The trucks carrying illegal coal from Jaintia Hills come and gather near Byrnihat, where there is the main Meghalaya exit gate. phenomenon has given birth to a newly formed coal syndicate in the city of Guwahati.

The coal syndicate An interim order passed on 17th April by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) went largely unnoticed, except in the state of Meghalaya. The NGT order placed a blanket ban on the mining and transport of coal in the northeastern state, which has an

estimated 600 million tonnes of coal reserves. Nearly a month later, on 9th May, the Meghalaya government finally announced that it was going to implement the order. The state DGP had already issued an order for compliance on the 25th April and in one stroke, an industry worth hundreds of crores of rupees annually and providing direct and indirect employment to thousands of people was brought to a halt. The business in Guwahati was also

affected largely but shockingly it has introduced a whole new nexus between the coal dealers, middlemen and the police. All major coal depots of the northeast is located in a stretch in the Beltola area. According to sources, many truckers are violating the NGT ban in the Jaintia Hills by loading coal at midnight and diverting the trucks from Shangpung to Lanka in Assam via Garampani to arrive at Beltola, Guwahati. Some trucks also enter Guwahati through the GS Road crossing the main check gate at Byrnihat.

The nexus According to highly placed sources in the Beltola area, the Jorabat police and the Bashishtha police check the incoming trucks from Meghalaya and as they know there is a mining ban in Meghalaya, the coal trucks that come from the Jaintia Hills do not follow the norms and the ban implemented by the NGT and Meghalaya government. The trucks after crossing the main Meghalaya check gates at Seven Mile, Umling and Byrnihat enter Guwahati through Jorabat. Because of the media and presence of environmental activists, some of the unscrupulous cops make sure that the trucks enter at a time when it is not noticed by too many. The trucks carrying illegal coal from Jaintia Hills come and gather near Byrnihat, where there is the main Meghalaya exit gate. The sales

check gate and the a few members of Meghalaya police are also in the know and allow the trucksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; exit. The Jorabat police then allow the trucks to reach Beltola where there are main coal depots and the Basishtha Police allow the trucks to dump the coal in the depots. For many years, there have been many middlemen who deal with the trucks and the coal dealers in Beltola. Now, out of the 400 middlemen, around 20 are earning through these illegal coal brought in. These few middlemen take down the truck numbers and ask the unscrupulous cops to allow entry. Apparently, an amount of Rs 7500 is charged per truck to enter. The number of the trucks are provided two days before they reach Byrnihat. The trucks then dump the coal at coal depots with the help of the same middlemen and then the coal becomes legal, ready to be supplied across the country. As the Assam government did not receive any notice from the NGT or ministry of mining, the police and the tax department can always claim that they cannot take any legal action against the trucks bringing in coal disobeying the NGT guidelines, but, morally the police are somehow taking advantage of the scenario and government is losing the revenue. The formed syndicate is gradually becoming very powerful and is also lining up only a few pockets. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

In The News

SARITA’S FAMILY STILL TO GET JUSTICE

G PLUS NEWS

he state government has ordered to expedite the investigation in the sensational murder case of Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH) doctor Sarita Tashniwal. It has also decided to set up a fast track court for taking the case to its logical conclusion. The government decision came almost five months later when she was allegedly killed by her fellow colleague Dipmoni Saikia and the hospital’s ward boy Kiru Mech on May 9. However, both the accused managed to get bail as the CID who was investigating the case had failed to submit the chargesheet within the stipulated time frame of three months. “Commissioner & Secretary, Political, Prateek Hajela will conduct an inquiry into the alleged lapses in investigating and filing

The murder was believed to have taken place between 5am and 7am on May 9, but the police collected CCTV footage in the evening between 5pm and 7pm. It was irrelevant for the investigation. Sushil Toshniwal, Sarita’s brother

of the chargesheet in the Dr. Sarita Tashniwal murder case,” said the government order. The case was handed over to CID in May after preliminary investigation by Dibrugarh police and it was supposed to file the

chargesheet in the case in August. However, the investigation agency finally submitted the charge sheet in the case on September 30 at a lower court in Dibrugarh naming both Dipmoni and Kiru Mech as prime accused.

“Samples collected from Sarita’s nail scrub and a strand of hair was sent for DNA tests to the FSL and it took a lot of time to get the reports,” said a CID official. The deceased doctor’s family members demanded that the evidences need to be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in Delhi. Sarita’s mother Krishna Devi said she wants justice done and the culprits not be allowed to go scotfree due to lapses in investigation. Dissatisfied with the slow and inconclusive investigation, Sushil Toshniwal, Sarita’s brother told media, “The murder was believed to have taken place between 5am and 7am on May 9, but the police collected CCTV footage in the evening between 5pm and 7pm. It was irrelevant for the investigation.”

COPS SMELL ‘MURDER’ IN APS OFFICER’S DEATH

G PLUS NEWS

IICA organises seminar on CSR

corporate social responsibility seminar was organized by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) at Guwahati. An informative session on CSR provisions of the new companies Act, 2013 was delivered by Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, DG & CEO, IICA followed by an interactive and feedback session at the event. Assam Government officials, media persons, large number of entrepreneurs, officials of IICA and many distinguished persons attended the seminar.

GRP seizes gold

he Government Railway Police (GRP) seized a large quantity of gold at the Guwahati Railway Station on 20th October. GRP said, the accused carrying the gold was coming from Manipur in Kamrup Express and going to New Jalphaiguri. He was arrested based on some secret information and is under interrogation by GRP. The estimated value of the seized gold is said to be of Rs 57, 23, 705 in the market.

Homage to martyr policemen

he mystery of Assam civil servant Monikut Pathak’s death took a different turn with city police arresting two persons in connection to an incident of huge money transfer from the decease’s bank account. Police investigation has now shifted its focus to a possible murder angle in the case. On September 11, Pathak was found dead inside his bedroom at his residence in the Hatigaon area. The room was locked from outside. Later, inquest report confirmed that he died on September 3. “The post mortem report said that he died of a heart attack but we are unsure whether his

The lady is one of the main accused. We doubt that she must have medicated him wrongly and that led to his death. Another man also helped her and we are looking for him too

heart attack was normal or he was wrongly medicated under a plot. Our suspicion was aroused when we found that a sum of Rs 1.20 lakh was transferred from his bank account on September 9, a few days after his death,” said city senior Superintendent of police, AP Tiwari recently. The SSP said that the police here have nabbed one Utpal Boro from the Ganeshguri area along with the laptop and golden ornaments which went missing from Pathak’s house since his death. “We have also arrested Pranjit Das from the Noonmati area to whose account the money from Pathak’s account was transferred.

We are now looking for the person who did the transfer,” he added. Police investigation revealed that Pathak was with a woman on the night he died. The woman was a frequent visitor to his house for at least two years. “The lady is one of the main accused. We doubt that she must have medicated him wrongly and that led to his death. Another man also helped her and we are looking for him too,” said a police official. The civil servant, who lived with his father, Ramesh Pathak, in a four-storeyed building in the Lakhiminagar area of Hatigaon, went missing for almost a week, before he was found dead.

long with different states of the country Assam Police also organized the Police Commemoration Day at the 4th Assam Battalion premises at Kahilipara, to remember and pay homage to the martyrs who laid down their lives while performing their duty. Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla and Director General of police Khagen Sharma were present in the event and paid their heartily respect to the brave policemen of the state who sacrificed their lives for their motherland. Homage was paid to the police personnel who laid down their lives at the altar of duty during the period of 01-09013 to 31-08-014.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

In The News

851

Innovation centres for child scientist

SCHOOL BUSES UNDER SCANNER

RAHUL CHANDA

naugurating the 22nd State-level Children’s Science Congress at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said, Assam Government will set up innovation centres for child scientist in each district of the state. 261 science projects were displayed by the child scientist from across the state at the event. All together 400 participants took part in the event including child scientist and their teachers. Innovation centre for the senior scientist will also be set up in Guwahati to facilitate the work and ideas of the scientists from the state, Gogoi further said.

Senior citizens seek special police force

meeting was held by the Guwahati Senior Citizen’s Association (GSCA) on Saturday to discuss the ongoing physical harassments on the youths of NE in various parts of the country, especially in the capital of the country. The association discussed about the continuous failure of the local police in providing protection to the NE youths staying in several parts of the country. In the meeting suggestion was put forward to set up a separate police force consisting of youths from the region to provide protection to the North Eastern people staying in Delhi. The special police force will be financially aided by the north eastern states and will operate under the command of Delhi police. Several other problems related to the city were also discussed at the meeting.

n unfortunate accident took place at Hatigaon in front of the Hatigaon High School recently, when a school bus of Maharishi Vidya Mandir School ran over a student of class XI, Sunny who died on the spot. The deceased was returning home on his Activa after dropping his sister at the Little Flower School. The driver of the school bus was arrested by the police and was later found to be in an inebriated state. This kind of incident is not new in the city but still the Government and the School authorities have not taken necessary measures to avoid such accidents. The Regional Transport Authority (RTA), headed by the Deputy Commissioner Kamrup (M) Dr M. Angamuthu met on 17th October and has decided to scrutinise the entire city traffic scenario.

It has been observed that the bus stops in the city are not uniform and some stoppages are too frequent and so, the RTA has also formed a sub-committee to verify all stoppages and suggest measure to make them uniform. So, the recent stoppages might be changed after the scrutiny as now the traffic congestion increases because of random bus stoppages on the city roads.

School bus scanner

There are around 851 school buses in the city of Guwahati and to find out if they are all following the norms or not, is a major task, which the authorities have decided to take up and complete within one month. The RTA has directed the DTO to do a survey of all the city school buses and find out if they are following all the norms as directed by the Supreme Court. There are three types of school buses - school owned, agency owned and private buses carrying schoolchildren. The Supreme Court had set specific guidelines for plying of school buses that included fitting of horizontal grills on windows of the vehicles. As per the guidelines, all such vehicles must have a first-aid box and the doors of the bus should be fitted with reliable locks. There must be an attendant from the school in the bus. The speed of the vehicles has already been fixed at 40KM

per hour and a driver in violation of the speed limit will first be issued notices while a second offence would attract cancellation of the driving licence. The drivers driving the school buses should at least have a minimum experience of 5 years in driving. Similarly, the buses need to fulfil all the fitness norms. The DTO within the next one month will check all the city school buses and submit a report to the RTA, which will then further decide the future plan of action. According to some parents, there should also be female attendants in the school buses as many parents want their girl child to be taken care by lady attendants.

Other traffic strategies

The authorities have also decided to put up attractive sign boards in the city soon to help tourists. The Guwaha-

ti Municipal Corporation (GMC) under the Guwahati Master Plan will carry out the programme in two phases. The sign boards will guide tourists visiting the city and will be written both in English and Assamese. All major places of importance will be marked by these new boards. The entire project will be carried out in private-public partnership mode and already several private parties have been selected for the job.

Bus stoppages

Fitness

The RTA has also decided to check the fitness of the buses so that the old buses plying on the roads can be replaced by new buses. According to sources, by January, 400 new buses will be added to the city and all will be 35 seaters. The long buses will start plying to far areas like Azara and Sonapur only. All the old buses and trekkers will have to stop plying on city roads. The RTA has decided to improve the city traffic scenario by various ways and has also set deadlines for the scrutiny, but, the question is will the scrutiny be effective enough? If the old vehicles are barred from the roads, will the owners get any compensation? Are all the present norms for school buses enough for the safety of the children? rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

City witnesses 11 fire incidents

any fire incidents took place in the city during Diwali. Fire broke out in around 11 places in the city during the festival. Fortunately there were no casualties reported in the incidents. Lachit Nagar, Pllatan Bazar, Six Mile, Amingaon and Pandu are some of the place among others where the fire incidents occurred. According to sources in the fire department, maximum fire incidents occurred because of the irresponsible use of fire crackers. People were not careful using fire crackers which resulted in occurrence of fire. But, there was no major fire incident reported.

Dacoity in Bishnupur

ith everyday criminal activities occurring around the city, another dacoity incident took place when a group of 1520 dacoits committed dacoity in the Bishnupur area of Guwahati city. The dacoits entered the house of Rajkumar Mahato, H No.52 and not only looted many valuables but also physically attacked the house members. Police is investigating the case and the group is not yet being identified.

Bhogali Jalpan introduced traditional gift hamper

hogali Jalpan, a brand of Bhogali Food Products Pvt. Ltd, introduced a special gift hamper during Diwali. The gift hamper comprised of popular products of Bhogali Jalpan which served as an ideal gift for the traditional Assamese food lovers. Launching the gift hamper Ajit Sarmah Baruah, Director, Bhogali Food Products Pvt. Ltd, said, “As the Diwali gifting tradition is coming up across the country in all communities, we thought of introducing the traditional Assamese food as a gift hamper for this special occasion. The public have accepted all our products very well till now and we hope they will welcome this hamper too.” The gift hamper costing Rs 100 consisted of five traditional earthen lamps and two packets of Bhogali Jalpan’s popular ready to eat Jalpan.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

In The News

NGO HAILS NEW PICTORIAL WARNING ON TOBACCO PACKS

Dhanteras marks huge sale

G PLUS FEATURE

85% surface area of tobacco package to devote for statutory warning

he Voluntary Health Association of Assam (VHAA), a premier non-profit organisation of Assam has welcomed the announcement made by Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister in Delhi recently on the new pictorial health warnings for tobacco products. A notification dated October 15, 2014 was issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) requiring tobacco manufacturing companies to devote at least 85 percent of the surface areas of all tobacco products on both sides to graphically and literally represent the statutory warning. As per the notification issued by the MoHFW, beginning April 1, 2015 every tobacco product will carry on both sides, pictorial depiction of throat cancer and a message in English, Hindi or any Indian language. The notification states that the specified health warning shall cover at least eighty-five (85%) of the principal display area of the package of which sixty (60%) shall cover pictorial health warning and twentyfive (25%) shall cover textual health warning and shall be positioned in the top edge of the package and in the same direction as the information on the principal display area. It will be interesting to note how the Assam Government enforces this notification issued by the MoHFW as it has been observed that markets in the State, mainly in capital city Guwahati are flooded with imported cigarette packs bearing no pictorial specified health warnings. “We extend our heartiest congratulations to Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan for taking this landmark decision, which will go a long way in saving millions of lives. The Pack Warnings

H in India will now cover 85% of the principal display area (i.e. front and back panels) of tobacco packs,” said Executive Secretary of VHAA Ruchira Neog. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India constituted an Expert Group for Development of Pictorial Health Warnings for tobacco products with representation from MoHFW, WHO India, BIoomberg Initiative partners, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) and experts. The committee members supported the decision to design/ develop pack warnings and fieldtest them for their efficacy. WHO Country Office for India assisted in the development of a set of 10 options for the revised pack warnings for both smoking and smokeless forms based on inputs from the Expert Committee. The committee members shortlisted 6 option each for both smoking and smokeless forms of tobacco. Dummy packs were developed for cigarettes, bidis and chewing tobacco packs and these were field tested among both users and non-users. Based on the findings of the study the revised pack warnings were finalized by the expert

As per the notification issued by the MoHFW, beginning April 1, 2015 every tobacco product will carry on both sides, pictorial depiction of throat cancer and a message in English, Hindi or any Indian language committee formed by MOHFW. Dr Harsh Vardhan said graphic health warnings using a mixture of pictures and words are part and parcel of every country’s policy on cigarette marketing. “Many studies have established that the inclusion of larger and more noticeable health warnings on packages significantly impact life expectancy rates and lead to savings on medical costs,” the Union Health Minister was quoted during the announcement made in Delhi on Wednesday. A gazette notification amending the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008 was issued on Wednesday. According to Section 20.(1)

of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules, 2008 Any person who produces or manufactures cigarettes or tobacco products, which do not contain, either on the package or on their label, the specified warning and the nicotine and tar contents, shall in the case of first conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both, and for the second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and with fine which nay extend to ten thousand rupees. 20.(2): Any person who sells or distributes cigarettes or tobacco products which do not contain either on the package or on their label, the specified warning and the nicotine and tar contents shall in the case of first conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both, and, for the second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years and with fine which may extend to three thousand rupees.

Hundreds of gamblers GNRC visited Maharashtra arrested in Guwahati health officials

uring Diwali, gambling takes place in nook and corner of the city. The City police was stringent this time towards this kind of roadside gambling. In the last two weeks around hundreds of gamblers were arrested from different parts of the city. City SSP AP Tiwari said, “Instructions to all the police stations are sent to stay alert towards this illicit gambling. People believe gambling is a part of Diwali so it is not possible to sop it completely but this time we are trying to control it. During this Diwali the city police have raided many gambling counters and arrested many people associated with gambling.”

he GNRC medical at North Guwahati was recently visited by the Directorate of Health Services, Maharashtra. The GNRC medical recently received a reputable grant from World Bank for the medical’s inclusive healthcare model and GNRC Medireach the mobile hospitality unit of GNRC. This achievement of GNRC medical grabbed the attention of the officials of Directorate of Health Services, Maharashtra. The group from Maharashtra comprised of senior officers from Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojna, Mumbai and Directorate of Health Services, Maharashtra visited GNRC to study the model in detail.

undreds of people thronged jewellery shops in the city on Tuesday on the occasion of Dhanteras. This north Indian tradition of buying metals on Dhanteras has also caught up in Assam. A huge rush of people was seen in the city jewellery and utensils shops from the early hours on this special day. Jewellery shops also offered discounts to maximize sales. The rate of Gold in Guwahati was Rs 26,600 per 10 grams and Rs 41,000 per kg of silver on the occasion of Dhanteras. The popular items sold were gold/silver coins and silver utensils. Along with the ornaments shops the kitchen marts also did a huge business on the day of Dhanteras.

India’s leading study abroad consultant in city

anta Monica Study Abroad announced the opening of their first branch in Northeast at Silpukhri. Based in South India, Santa Monica Study Abroad is the leading study abroad consultant in India. It is an authorized representative of more than 200 foreign colleges and universities in more than 10 countries. A free career guidance seminar was organized for the ambitious students and their parents regarding the benefits of studying abroad by Santa Monica Study Abroad. Speaking on the occasion Director of Santa Monica Study Abroad shared his thoughts and also elaborated on the necessity of a globally recognized qualification in today’s globalised world. The students of the region are excited with the coming of this leading study abroad consultant to northeast.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

In The News

Happy Diwali! Not for all

G PLUS FEATURE

o matter what anyone says, a few city traders screamed Happy Diwali this year as it was a grand one for them, but for some traders it was not all well in Guwahati. From crackers to jewellery to sweets, people thronged all these joints to buy gifts, crackers and jewellery to celebrate the Diwali festival with a lot of fervour and joy. But some traders kept complaining that the sales were just average.

Jewellery

The jewellery traders of the city said that it was a good business this Diwali and especially on dhanteras, as the price of gold has come down from last year. The price of the yellow metal had gone substantially up 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 up to Rs 32,000 for the same. But, this year the situation is a bit better which attracted the buyers, and as of Diwali, the price of gold was Rs 26600 per 10 gram. Similarly, the silver this year was priced at Rs 41000 per kilo. L Gopal CEO Vikash Soni said, “There was an increase in the number of customers but the sale value was not high as maximum people were buying products of low range. People mainly bought gold items made of less than 15 to 10 grams gold.” He also added that the increase in the number of customers is a good sign as previously only people

from the north used to buy jewellery during dhanteras, but now even the local Assamese people buy jewellery.

Crackers

The cracker market also witnessed good business this year in spite of cracker prices going up. According to a cracker trader based in Fancy Bazaar, last year he did a business of Rs 5 lakhs whereas this year he did a business of Rs 7 lakhs. He said, “Though the cracker prices have gone up, there is an increase in the population who use fire crackers. These days’ people from all religion buy crackers during Diwali. The amount of bursting crackers has also gone up as people these days purchase crackers in huge quantity without worrying about the price.” He added may be the standard of

I was not able to earn any profit. Whatever crackers sold was just worth the amount invested. I expected a lot but now I am a bit disappointed living has gone up and people can afford more, which is good news for the business. There are also some cracker traders who complained that the sale has dipped as the prices has gone up. A cracker trader said, “I was not able to earn any profit. Whatever crackers sold was just worth the amount invested. I expected a lot but now I am a bit disappointed.”

Sweets

Diwali marks a huge sale of sweets, as a ritual, people gift sweets to their close ones. There are various types of sweets and chocolates available and the sweet shops are thronged by customers during Diwali. Manager of a prominent sweet shop Govindam, Mahavir Sarma said, “Mostly Kaju items have a huge demand during Diwali as it is dry and can be easily carried to the relatives’ places.” He added that kaju items were priced at Rs 400 to Rs 500 per kilo. There are other ingredients like coconut, ghee, dry fruits which are used in the preparation which decides the price of any sweet. He also said that there is an increase in the number of customers because of an increase in the population which adds up to the gain.

Another sweet shop owner said that as milk is costly now, people do not buy sweets in huge quantity and they prefer buying chocolates rather.

Traditional diyas

Market for traditional clay diyas is wore a gloomy look this Diwali as more people are opting for cheap electric lamps. While minimum price of a set of 25 electric diyas in Guwahati is Rs 90, clay lamps are available for Rs 50-200 per 100 pieces. Decorative diyas, which are bigger in size, are dearer. Moreover, earthen lamps cannot be reused. So, whatever may be the business but the trend of celebration is changing and people are spending more during festivals. It was a good Diwali overall for atleast some traders, specially the jewellery traders.

TRUCK OWNERS ALLEGE IILEGAL TAX INCREASING COMMODITY PRICES T

he Truck owners association alleges that due to the illegal tax collection at various locations in lower Assam the price of essential commodities have increased in the state. Lower Assam Truck Owner’s Association (LATOA) said that the truck drivers are being harassed every day and money is being collected illegally. The LATOA has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard requesting his intervention. The office bearers of the body said that though the government’s toll fee is Rs eight per truck, the lessee at various gates in the entrance of the state have been collecting around Rs 200 per truck. “So, the outcome is obvious. When the trucks have to pay such

huge amount of money at various gates at the entrance to the state, the prices of the essential commodities go up like that. The state government has been misleading the people of the state for their own profit. This is very unfortunate,” said Masaud K Hannan, advisor of LATOA. Replying to an RTI, the chief en-

gineer’s office of the Public Works Department said that toll fee rates are Rs 3, Rs 4 and Rs 8 for car, commercial vehicles and trucks respectively. The LATOA also alleged that a huge part of the money collected at these areas is shared among some of the ministers of the state. Citing the example of Gangadhar

bridge on the national highway 31 in Golokganj, Hannan said that the state government has collected money amounting to several crores from that bridge by the means of Toll Fee. “We are in deep trouble as the lessee has been harassing our truck drivers demanding money. We cannot seen any solution to this. We have also

written to the PM Narendra Modi. We hope that the Prime Minister’s intervention will bring a solution to this serious problem,” Hannan added. They have also vowed to carry out strikes if the state government does not take any immediate steps to stop this collection from the trucks.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

City

GUWAHATI FLOODS Abuse of wetlands main reason, say environmentalists Syeda Ambia Zahan

uwahati, the city once famous for its natural wetlands, streams, rivers and green hills has faced devastating flash floods thrice this year so far. The main reason for this is the abuse of wetlands says environmentalists. “The main natural drainage system of Guwahati consists of the rivers Basistha, Bahini, Bharalu, Mora Baralu and Khanajan besides a number of other smaller streams most of them being seasonal. All these rivers and streams have been choked with solid waste from domestic sources and contaminated with pollutants from liquid effluent from municipal and industrial sources,” Says Dr Partha Das, Water, Climate and Hazard Programme Head of Floods in Aaranyak, a wildlife organisation of Northeast, based in Guwahati, Assam. Deepor Beel, one of the largest wetlands in Assam is one of the sad examples of how a fresh water reservoir and rich ecosystem can be destroyed by chaotic urbanisation. The wetland had a perennial water spread area of about 10.1 km2, which extended up to 40.1 km2 during floods. But encroachment has reduced it to 4 kilometres only. Because of the decrease of water volume as well as encroachment, the wetland has lost its water storage capacity. “Another aspect of the natural mechanism of moderating floods is the crucial role played by the several wetlands like the Silsako beel, Borsola beel, Deepar beel and a number of other smaller patches of marshy land scattered throughout the city. These wetlands used to be connected to the natural channels where the water generated by rainfall flowing through the channels or surface run-off flowing from the hills would gather and get absorbed. This naturally provided mechanism of flood moderation has been disturbed since the channels connected to the wetlands have undergone physical degradation and death due to factors like encroachment, siltation and garbage dumping. As a result they cannot discharge the water to the wetlands,” says Das. Garbage disposal in a wetland or bird sanctuary is gross violation of the wildlife protection Act 1972. But most of the wetlands are being used as dumping zones post 2000. Every day, hundreds of truckloads of ur-

The ultimate results of such abuse of drains and wetlands in the city are the devastating flooding that is produced frequently about 2 to 3 times every monsoon season by heavy showers. Add to this situation the pollution that is occurring to the water of the channels and the wetlands, the city actually reels under a pool of dirty and filthy water during every episode of flood. Dr Partha JYOTI Das, Water, Climate and Hazard Programme Head of Floods in Aaranyak ban waste of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, including out-of-date medicines and pesticides are dumped in the Boragaon area located at the periphery of the Deepor beel, which have rapidly decreased the capacity of the wetland as a water storage basin. Not only this, the wastes have contaminated the water body that has led to the death of flora and fauna. The encroachment around Deepor Beel aggravates the flood problems

that occur in Guwahati city during rainy days. The Basistha and Kalmani rivers and local monsoon run-off area water come from the city by different channels. For the good health of the wetland, the role of Khanajan channel is very crucial. But recently, the Khanajan channel has been affected by encroachment, which adversely affects the wetland. The water of the wetland, which acts as a biological filter as well as a natural storm-water

reservoir during the monsoon season for the Guwahati city stated to be the only major storage water basin for the city’s drainage. “The ultimate results of such abuse of drains and wetlands in the city are the devastating flooding that is produced frequently about 2 to 3 times every monsoon season by heavy showers. Add to this situation the pollution that is occurring to the water of the channels and the wet-

lands, the city actually reels under a pool of dirty and filthy water during every episode of flood.” says Partha Jyoti Das. The vital roles played by the urban water-bodies in flood moderation and groundwater recharge have been completely underestimated, unaccounted and overlooked for the last twenty years, resulting in the death of more than 40 people this year in the flash floods of Guwahati.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

City

State zoo to come up with new safety plan Mrinmoyee Hazarika

eeping in view the safety and security of the visitors at the State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, the zoo authorities have come up with a contingency plan to take action in case of any emergency. The plan includes measures to be taken up during situations like natural Accidents in state zoo calamities, earthquake, water scarcity, Cases No of cases Year accidents caused by both the captive Suicide 2 Not found animals and the visitors. “We have some safety equipments Attempt to suicide 1 Not found and measures of our own. But after the Mauled by captive tiger 1 2007 incident that happened in the Delhi Zoo where a visitor was killed by a captive tiger inside its enclosure, the CenZoo captives in the last 3 years tral Zoo Authority had directed us to Mammals Birds Reptiles Total look into the safety Year issue of the visitors Species Population Species Population Species Population Species Population intently. Therefore, we have prepared 2011 46 505 43 278 30 112 119 895 a contingency plan 2012 44 500 42 283 30 120 116 903 to handle any situations like natural ca2013 42 529 58 363 32 126 132 1080 lamities, earthquake and accidents inside the zoo, which will Details of visitors and revenue collected in the be submitted to the last five years PCCF (Principal Total revenue from all No of tourists Revenue from tourists Chief Conservator sources Year of Forests) soon,” Indian Foreigner Total Zoo DFO Chandan 2011-12 602797 276 603073 6874380 7423873 Bora told G Plus. The DFO also 2012-13 53560 258 573818 5138900 6983454 mentioned that the 2013-14 760280 217 760497 18766240 21076245 plan also includes requirement of safety equipments like Death of captive animals in the last 3 years small size JCB or No of death Bobcat, wireless netYear Total stock Total death work, siren, public Mammals birds reptiles address system and 2011-12 895 22 20 3 45 rope ladder. An esChandan Bora Zoo DFO timated amount of 2012-13 903 31 3 0 34 Rs 10 lakh will be 2013-14 1018 25 20 1 46 needed to realise the plan. Breeding captive in the last 3 calendar year “We had a Mammals Birds Reptiles Total meeting with the staff members workYear ing here and constituted a committee to Species Population Species Population Species Population Species Population handle any kind of emergencies inside 2011 14 33 2 4 nil nil 16 37 the zoo. All the zoo staff including the 2012 (upto March’13) 7 17 nil nil nil nil 7 17 engineers and doctors are in the committee, which is headed by the ACF of 2013 10 27 2 3 nil nil 12 30 the zoo. All the staff have been instructed to follow a standard chain of command during an emergency. We will also closely work with the fire department for the purpose. There is plan to prepared to address any kind of emer- enclosure to rescue a person if he/she two cases of suicides and an attempted tre located here in Bashistha. So far, no install CCTV cameras inside the zoo,” gencies,” Chandan Bora said. accidently falls into it,” the zoo DFO case of suicide inside the state zoo, lo- other zoos in the world have kept PigBora stated. my hogs within their premises. Other Regarding the existing safety mea- highlighted. cated in Guwahati. In the meantime, he also stated sures and equipments available with Although, the state zoo has not At present, personnel from the As- animals like Sangai, Hyena, Jackal and that the possibility of sudden and un- the state zoo, Bora said, “Currently, we witnessed many accidents, it is not free sam Forest Protection Force have been Emu etc will also be inducted into the toward incidents cannot be ruled out have tranquilising guns, anti-venom from witnessing any misfortunes. The looking after the security scenario of state zoo soon with the help of the ceninside a zoo where carnivorous animals medicines and so on with us which year 2007 had seen a dreadful death the zoo. Besides, a total number of 148 tral zoo authority,” live, though in enclosed barriers. At present, 50 enclosures (with sub could be used in case of emergency. of a visitor caused by a captive tiger. In staff members including animal keep“There is always a risk of emer- Tranquilising guns are not easy to use that case, a person named Jai Prakash ers are employed in the zoo. enclosure, quarantine totalling 62 nos) gencies in a zoo. Most of the time, the for a victim who accidently falls in an Bezbaruah, hailing from the Sibsagar Regarding other initiatives tak- exist in the state zoo for housing the accidents have been caused by carniv- animal enclosure. Therefore, we have district of Assam was mauled by a tiger en up by the zoo, Chandan Bora said, animals. Currently, there are 529 mamorous animals and sometimes by other already placed orders for rope lad- while he was trying to take picture of “Next month, we will bring two pigmy mals, 363 birds, 126 reptiles in the zoo. animals too. Therefore, we have to be ders, which could be thrown into an it. Long before that incident, there were hogs from the pigmy hog breeding cen-

“Next month, we will bring two pigmy hogs from the pigmy hog breeding centre located here in Bashistha. So far, no other zoos in the world have kept Pigmy hogs within their premises. Other animals like Sangai, Hyena, Jackal and Emu etc will also be inducted into the state zoo soon with the help of the central zoo authority”

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

In Conversation

Abdul Gani

We are lagging far behind”

You are here after a long gap. How difficult or easy was it for you to play the role of a widow in ‘Sringkhal’?

It was a bit difficult for me to portray that character as I was born and brought up in urban areas. This is a truly village character. I have played a number of characters of village women in Orissa, Chennai or even in Kolkata but I have never done any character like this in Assam. Although it looks difficult, being trained at National School of Drama (NSD), we were taught how to build characters. So, I could get inside the character. I had to follow every detail – starting from the walking style to the way of talking. Finally it happened and I’m happy and hopeful.

You have worked in different places and under various directors in Bengal, Mumbai and even in the South. What is the difference you have felt here in Assam?

-Jaya Seal

fter working in many movies in West Bengal, Mumbai and also in South India, she is back again to the place where she was born. This time Jaya Seal is playing the role of Ambika, a widow, in the recently released film ‘Sringkhal’ directed by Prabin Hazarika. The film is financed by the Assam State Film Finance and Development Corporation. Shringkhal is based on a story of iconic cultural figure Bhabendra Nath Saikia on the contemporary social system and the sufferings of a woman. The film also stars internationally acclaimed actor Adil Hussain. In an interview Jaya Seal shares her experience with the film and about her future plans.

I would say working with somebody like Adil Hussain is a learning experience for me. He is not just a great actor but also a teacher of acting

Of course, there are differences. To be honest, the main difference is the lack of professionalism here among the filmmakers and everybody besides the financial strength. We are lagging far behind. We need to compromise on a lot of things unlike the filmmakers from Mumbai or even in South. We could have made better movies here but on many occasions, we do not have the facility to experiment with shots. We do not have that much fund to do that. In professionalism too, our technicians, costume designers and everybody needs to be better if we really want to compete at the national level.

In spite of that, you seem to be extremely hopeful of Assamese films, which are hardly watched by people these days. You even mentioned that the Assamese viewers have missed a lot in recent times. Can you elaborate?

The viewers have obviously missed some quality films in recent past. Films like ‘Adhyay,’ which is really a great movie that represents the current Assamese society and its sufferings. People have missed it. The satisfaction of having artistic pleasure is being missed by the people who have not seen it. Even ‘Raag’ is a fantastic film. We keep on watching Hindi films but we skip the Assamese ones.

Here in ‘Sringkhal’ you have coactors like Adil Hussain who has already left his mark in the international level. Your thoughts on working with him.

I would say working with somebody like Adil Hussain is a learning experience for me. He is not just a great actor but also a teacher of acting. I quite enjoyed working with him and learnt many things. It was indeed a very satisfying project for me.

Director Prabin Hazarika has already done a series on the same story earlier on Doordarshan. How was it to act under him.

I would like to thank Prabin da for giving me the role to play. I’m honoured to play the role as everybody here knows about Bhabendra Nath Saikia and his works. It’s fantastic. I hope the viewers will justify my work on the screen. Moreover, Prabin da is extremely sincere with his work and he would monitor every detail of the scene in a very minute way. He is very clear with his concept so it is helpful for us as well.

Two reasons why people should watch ‘Sringkhal’...

Well, firstly, this is a very simple film. There are very few films, which are so simple yet very real. It’s like ‘Halodhiya Soraye Baodhaan Khai’. There is a flavour of Iranian films. Besides, we all have worked hard and

tried our best and so this is a positive side to the film.

Your upcoming projects?

Presently I’m busy with Anirban Chakraborty’s ‘I Witness’ which is again a film dealing with women issues of the preset society. The interesting thing is that the character, which I’m playing in the movie has an Assam background. So I’m enjoying it to the fullest. As of now, my area of concentration is Assam and Bengal. Besides, I have a few dancing assignments in between and drama.

You are married to an artist who is widely respected and popular as well. How it is to be with him?

Bickram (Ghosh) has been extremely positive and helpful towards me. He supports and encourages me in my work. We also share our work and scripts, which also helps us to understand each others’ work.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Politicking

ASSAM CABINET RESHUFFLE LIKELY CM SHELTERS IN DELHI

Syeda Ambia Zahan

he first ever reshuffle of the 19-member Cabinet Ministry of Assam Government since the third term of the ruling Congress that started from 2011, is likely to happen soon. Assam CM Tarun Gogoi is going to induct a few new faces into the ministry and drop ministers from the cabinet. It is learnt that those who having been holding one particular department for more than five years and whose performances’ are not up to the mark would be sacked from the ministry soon. . The reshuffle will take place within Oct 26 after CM Tarun Gogoi’s meeting with High Command Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. Gogoi had flown to Delhi on 24th Oct. The cabinet reshuffle has been necessitated due to the two year long dissidence within the ruling Congress. Two powerful ministers - Himanta Biswa Sarma (holding the Health and Education and Assam Accord portfolios) and Ardhendu Dey (holding the Irrigation & Soil Conservation portfolio) had resigned in the Month of July. This happened after Delhi decided to continue with CM Gogoi’s captaincy in the state despite the disagreement of a portion of rebel MLAs and Ministers to keep

Gogoi in the CM’s post. Following this, Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Welfare of Minorities Nazrul Islam was temporarily allocated the additional portfolio of Health and Family Welfare. Agriculture, Horticulture, Food Processing and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka had been allocated two additional portfolios, Irrigation and Soil Conservation earlier held by Ardhendu Dey. CM Gogoi had also dropped the Border Affairs and Cooperation Minister Siddeque Ahmed for his anti-Gogoi stand and for accompanying Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to the Raj

Bhawan to submit his resignation to Governor J B Patnaik in July. Notably, after the Bodoland Peoples’ Front severed ties with the Congress government last June, the Transport and Tourism portfolio, held by Chandan Brahma of Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF), was also lying vacant. The ministers who may face the axe are most likely the Planning and Development minister Prithvi Majhi, Veterinary and Aminal Husbandry Minister Khor Sing Ingti and Social Welfare Minster Akon Bora. All these Ministers have been holding ministerial posts from 2011. Sources in the ministry say that Tribal leader Prithvi Majhi will be replaced

The ministry reshuffle will happen within this month. I am going to Delhi day after tomorrow. After coming back, it will take place, Tarun Gogoi Chief Minister, Assam

by another tribal leader of the same community Etuwa Munda. Likewise, Khor Sing Igti will be replaced by the same community leader Bidya Singh Engleng. Both the ministers belong to the Karbi Community. As per sources, Bhupen Bora, AICC Secretary will be inducted in the place of Akon Bora. Gogoi is likely to include at least two new faces — Chandan Sarkar and Arun Phukan — and may choose from two out of the three old war horses i.e. Sarat Borkotoky, Anjan Dutta and Abdul Muhib Mazumdar. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has said, “The ministry reshuffle will happen within this month. I am going to Delhi day after tomorrow. After coming back, it will take place,” Gogoi today also said there would be no immediate change in the Assam PCC leadership. Senior MLA Anjan Dutta is among those eyeing the post of PCC president. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhubaneswar Kalita said the Chief Minister will take into account the performance of his ministers while reorganising his ministry.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Ward Watch

Ward number 14

Population 30000 (approx) | Voters 20000 (approx)

. . NS ROAD Chabipull Bilpaar

DOES NOT BELONG IN A CITY RAHUL CHANDA

Concentrated area – NS Road Population – 1500 (approx) Voters – 900 (approx) Falls under sub division – 14B Population – 10000 (approx) Voters – 6000 (approx) Councilor’s name – Ashima Bordoloi Phone number – 9435010647 “We will not vote for the present councillor as after taking up the post, she did not do anything for this road. The road condition is pathetic and the students studying in our school face a lot of problems reaching every morning,” said a school teacher of Aryabhatt Higher Secondary School located at the NS Road, Chabipull, Bilpaar. As a part of our weekly survey of various wards, this week we visited the NS Road, which is situated in the Chabipul area through which people can reach Vijaya Bank at Rehabari. The road though does not look at all like it is in a city.

NS Road

Adjacent to the Sola Bil (pond), the NS Road, starts from Chabipull and ends at the Vijaya Bank, Rehabari. The pond gets cleaned once every few years by the pollution department,

Major issues • Poor roads • No street lights • Poor drainage system • Chain snatching • Dearth of drinking water

“The condition of the road is very pathetic and no work has been done there yet. I have managed some money for the repair work but it is not enough so the entire road cannot be repaired now” councilor ASHIMA BORDOLOI but as there is a wholesale fish market behind it, the waste of the market gets disposed in the pond which pollutes the water inviting a lot of diseases. According to the local residents, the condition of the road has been pathetic since ages and it is very difficult to commute through the road, especially by the children. There are many warehouses located on the road, due to

which many heavy vehicles enter the road, making the road condition more pathetic. The residents are very irked at the councillor as according to them, the councillor did not do anything for the road and will never get votes again.

Other issues

Not even a single streetlight on the road is working, which makes

the road very risky during the nights. There are many cases of chain snatching and theft reported in the past in the area. A local resident said, “Once my daughter was coming from office at night and a few people started following her. As our house is located a bit inside the road, she has to walk from Chabipul for around one kilometre. The guys followed her and she was so scared that she started shouting, but before anyone could reach, one man snatched her chain and vanished. The local people tried to catch the man but because the road was not well lit, the thief managed to get away.” Similarly, the local residents have many stories of crime during the night. There is also a problem of traffic chaos as in spite of the poor road, many people try to reach Rehabari from NS Road, but they somehow end up in a jam as the road becomes very narrow at the end.

The councilor

Ashima Bordoloi, the councillor of ward number 14 asked us not to cover the road now as this is the only road where no work has been done yet. She said, “The condition of the road is very pathetic and no work has been done there yet. I have managed some money for the repair work but it is not enough so the entire road cannot be repaired now. I have already informed the GMC authorities about the scenario of the road, but till the funds area allotted, the road cannot be repaired.” The councillor says that scarcity of funds is the main reason for the pathetic condition of the road. But, is that the only approach of developing an area or is there any alternative solution that the councillor needs to think of? rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Society

Don Bosco organises first ever T

teachers’ convention

he first ever Don Bosco Teachers’ Convention organised by Don Bosco School Excellence Mission (DBSEM) concluded at the Don Bosco School, Panbazar, Guwahati on the afternoon of October 18, 2014. More than 800 teachers including principals, vice principals and headmistresses of around 30 Don Bosco schools of Lower Assam and Garo Hills took part in the day-long convention that included a host of interactive activities like lively sessions with power point presentations by renowned Salesian educationalists, cultural songs and dances, fun and games, etc. The convention was formally declared open in the morning with the hoisting of the convention flag by 96-year-old nonagenarian Italian Salesian Fr. Porcu Mario at the school basketball court. The programme then shifted to the school auditorium where a galaxy of distinguished personalities like MGVK Bhanu, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Home and Political Department, Prof. Dhruba Jyoti Saikia, Vice Chancellor, Cotton College State University, Fr. VM Thomas, Salesian Provincial, Guwahati Province, Fr. Johnson Parackal, Director, DBSEM, Fr. Joseph Thelekkatt, Programme Coordinator, DBSEM, Fr. Sebastian Mathew, Principal, Don Bosco School, Guwahati among others graced the occasion. The lighting of the ceremonial lamp by the dignitaries was soon followed by showering of flowers upon the statue of Saint John Bosco, the great 19th century Italian Roman Catholic priest. In his speech, Fr. VM Thomas welcomed all the participants and hoped that they would take happy memories back home from the convention. Bhanu in his speech re-

The convention was being organised primarily to motivate and enthuse the teachers to embrace change and equip themselves to meet the educational challenges of the 21st century called his association with the Don Bosco Society vis-à-vis Christian missionaries and lauded their untiring and selfless dedication. Prof. Saikia too spoke of the Salesian method of education where individuals go on to contribute to the society. The convention then proceeded with the power point sessions by Fr. VM Thomas who spoke on “The change of paradigm in education”, Fr. PD Johnny, Principal, Don Bosco College, Tura, Meghalaya who spoke on “Don Bosco’s method of education” and Fr. CT Lukose, founder Director, Snehalaya who spoke on “Child rights issues and Salesian schools.” This was then fol-

lowed by some live music and dance where some of the host as well as participating school teachers sang a few melodious numbers to regale the crowd, followed by some fun and games like breaking the pot by participating school principals, tug of war among various school teachers, etc. at the school football ground. This was followed by a cultural show

from participating schools showcasing the various ethnic cultures of the Northeast. The convention finally came to an end with the lowering of the convention flag and the formal declaration of the closing of the convention by Fr. VM Thomas. The convention was being organised primarily to motivate and enthuse the teachers to embrace change and

equip themselves to meet the educational challenges of the 21st century. Father Sebastian Mathew, Principal, Don Bosco, Pan Bazaar said, “This is the first of its kind convention ever organized by Don Bosco for improving the education distributing process.”

GHY ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATION WINS INTL CONTEST Syeda Ambia Zahan

conservation project for the restoration of important habitats for the Gangetic Dolphin (Xihu), mooted by Aaranyak, a Guwahati based Environmental Organisation has won an international online public voting competition. Aaranyak’s Dolphin conservation project bagged the 1st position with 4736 votes, while UK’s Shark conservation project was 2nd with 3947 votes. Peru’s Manta Ray project got managed the 3rd position with 3681 votes. The competition was organised by the European Outdoor Conservation Association - a Switzerland based non-profit association. Shortlisted from 86 projects initially, this Dolphin conservation project was one of the seven from

six countries in the Nature category. The online voting in all categories was open from 22nd September to 6th November, where a total of 36,100 votes were counted with the highest 19,735 votes in Nature category, 7686 votes in Outdoor category and 8689 votes in Alpine category. Aaranyak’s Dolphin project not only received the highest votes in Nature category but was also able to secured the highest votes among all the 3 categories of projects. Through this project, Aaranyak plans to do habitat restoration activities in 30 most important dolphin habitats covering a 100 km river stretch of the Brahmaputra River in association with local communities. These restoration activities include

river cleaning, prevention of domestic garbage dump to the river, prevention of oil and grease dump to the river by the motor boats and ferries, prevention of riparian vegetation destruction and regular cleanliness monitoring by local communities. All these activities will not only help the about 600 endangered Gangetic dolphins inhabiting the Brahmaputras, but also the other associated aquatic animals living in those river stretches as well as the livelihood of river side people, which altogether will lead into the Mission Clean Brahmaputra. This project will be led by Dr. Abdul Wakid, Head of Aaranyak’s Gangetic Dolphin Research and Conservation Initiative. Thousands of fans of Aaranyak

and Dolphins across the globe voted for this project. More significantly, two famous artists from Assam, Angaraag Mahanta and Joi Barua appealed to the public to vote for the cause. Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (UK), Awley (France), Ocean Park Conservation Foundation (Hongkong), Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (UK), David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (UK), Wildlife1 (USA) etc. supported the cause. Thousands of people across Assam voted for the project with active association from all the members of Aaranyak. It is worth mentioning that currently, there are around 600 Gangetic dolphins in the Brahmaputra river system within Assam. Aara-

nyak through its Gangetic Dolphin Research and Conservation Initiative, led by Dr. Abdul Wakid, has been conducting conservation activities for last 10 years, for which the population of the species has been increasing from initial 250 in 2005 to 635 in 2012. These dolphins have been facing severe threats from poaching, accidental killing and habitat degradation. Although Aaranyak has undertaken activities to reduce/prevent poaching and accidental killing, which reduced dolphin mortalities in Brahmaputra by 70% in last 7 years, however, this is the first time that effort is going to take place to reduce habitat degradation for the species in Brahmaputra through this project.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Life

Best relations are the ones, you never expected to be in ritu gupta gritu21@yahoo.com

ometimes it’s so difficult to keep the strings of relationships intact. It takes ages to build one and a second to break it. It’s just the art of handling. Every relationship will experience conflict. It is but natural. Often and especially when we’ve been swallowing whatever it is that’s bothering us, we’ll end up simmering with so much anger that one day we just can’t take it. That’s when, despite our best efforts, our emotions take over and everything comes out in an explosion of feelings. It’s natural to get heated up but again we must give ourselves time to cool down and stop playing the blame game. As individuals, we are all very different from each other - our likes, our temperaments and our way of looking at things. What might not be important for you would seem the world to me. Respecting each other’s likes is very important in building

up a good relationship. Sometimes, crying instead of screaming helps to build a stronger bond with each other. It’s better to be happy than to be right. Many a times in the process of just proving we are right we hurt many relations... no man is perfect and no relations can be totally perfect but accepting a relation with all the imperfections and handling it properly can make things work better. Many problems crop up due to poor communication. Have you ever known a relationship that didn’t have problems? It might have been one of yours or someone else’s, like a friend’s that you watched from the sidelines. Even the best relationships have problems (even if you are unaware of them). They can be frustrating, cause a lot of tension, and if left unchecked can build to even bigger problems. So how do you handle problems in a relationship? • Accepting the fact that there is a problem in a relationship helps to fix it up. Try to analyse it.

• The next step should be to talk it out without splurging out anger. • A relationship problem cannot be solved if both sides are not willing. • Give yourself time. • Don’t make matters more complicated. If something bothers you, don’t let it go in the hopes that things will get better over time. You should always voice your concerns at the time that they happen. By letting things go, the problems could continue or get worse. Your partner may be unaware that there are problems. By communicating, both of you will always know what the other is feeling. Above all it is very important to devote time to a relationship. This does not mean that you become obsessive about your relationship and don’t give each other space to breathe but if you devote quality time with each other you will have less problems.

Tirus and hoodoo

Continued from Part 1

tinat ATIFA MASOOD

uddenly, this huge ‘thing’ came right through the bushes, made a sweep at Tirus and toppled him. Tirus fell on his back. But he sprung back to his feet, steadied himself and picked up his sword once again. All of a sudden, a loud wail came from one of the village compounds. Tirus rushed to where this sound was coming from. A woman was flailing her hands upwards, pointing frantically towards the sky. “What’s the matter?” Tirus asked. The woman, in between her wails told Tirus that one of her goats has been taken away by the hoodoo. In the meantime, Tirus heard the beating of drums and saw a huge crowd of people approaching him. They had fire brands in their hands and some of them were clapping their hands, while shouting incoherently at the top of their voices. They stopped near Tirus. Kokai, a lean man in his early 40s was leading the group of villagers. “This hoodoo is creating havoc for all of us, day in and day out! We have to do something about it.” “Are you sure it is a hoodoo? Are they this large? Hmmm! Anyway, what are your plans Kokai?” Tirus asked. “This hoodoo is different. It is large enough to carry away small babies as well,” Kokai replied. “We will have to tackle it in a different way.” “Well, let me handle this, Kokai. We shouldn’t create unrest in the village. The women and children will get scared.” Tirus said. Soon after a bit of haggling with the other villagers, Kokai managed to finally persuade them to return to their homes so that Tirus could come up with a plan in peace. There was an uneasy calm as darkness descended on the village. Tirus, Kokai and two other village elders decided to sit down and sketch out a plan as to how to deal with

this hoodoo. So, all four of them sat down on the small wooden bench near the chowk and talked at length. Kokai suggested that they should all go up to the mountain recess and attack the hoodoo’s resting place. But that would mean that some of the villagers might get injured, one of the elders said. It wouldn’t be good to put anyone’s life in danger. “I suggest that I go up there on my own and have a tete-a-tete with this Mr. Hoodoo. Let me ask why exactly he is creating all this menace.” Tirus said. “But you shouldn’t go alone. It might try to harm you,” Kokai said, looking very concerned. “Let me see how I do this. I am sure it’ll not attack me straightaway,” Tirus said and got up from where he was sitting. Tirus started his red bike and bade Kokai and the village elders to go back to their homes while he took a ride into the hills. The three men watched as Tirus sped into the west in a cloud of dust. Deep within their hearts each of them prayed for his safe return. In the meantime, Tirus had reached the bottom of the hill which led up to the hoodoo’s dwelling. He parked his bike and slowly went up the hill, crouching while holding his sword with him. The red light at the base of the sword glowed indicating that he was very close to where the hoodoo was now resting. He was careful not to make any noise lest he disturbs the huge bird. However, as soon as he reached a tree a couple of yards away from the mouth of the cave, he heard a low spine-chilling ‘howl’. He slid behind a rock, peered at where the hoodoo was now picking into a piece of flesh with his sharp beak. Tirus took out his sword and the hoodoo as if sensing the presence of an intruder, looked up sharply. It was at this moment that Tirus jumped in front of the huge bird and

held on to his sword defensively. The hoodoo’s eyes gleamed and it stepped back, flapping its wings wildly. Tirus put up his left hand to gesture to the bird that he came in peace and not to kill it. The hoodoo too seemed to understand that Tirus didn’t intend any harm. It seemed to calm down for a while. Tirus too put his sword down and slowly sat down on a small bald grey stone. Tirus still had his left hand raised as he slowly lowered himself. The hoodoo’s eyes again gleamed and it shot a furtive look at Tirus. In the meantime, Tirus put his sword on the ground and had folded his hands. “Why are you creating so much mayhem in the village?” Tirus asked. “I have nothing to eat. When I am hungry, I need to eat something, don’t I?” the hoodoo shot back, its eyes hard now. “Yes, I know that, but I am sure that you have enough in the forest to take care of your hunger pangs?” “Enough?” “Yes, enough. There are moles, birds, snakes and the like. So, why do you need to pick up goats from the village? The villagers are facing a lot of problems for that.” “Really? So who will take care of my problem?” “What seems to be your problem? You are the one who is creating a lot of confusion amongst those...those poor hapless people down there. Every day, you pick up some domestic animal or the other and simply fly away!” All this while, the hoodoo listened patiently, looking up at Tirus once in a while. All of a sudden, it got up and flapped his wings once again. Tirus stepped backed, anticipating an attack by the hoodoo. (to be continued...)

AC for the mind Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

editation is AC for the mind absolute comfort. Everybody wants comfort but we don’t know how to be absolutely comfortable. I won’t go into the benefits of meditation. You can find out from Google. There are greater minds that have done a lot of research on meditation that is available there. But we will explore the 5 methods for a successful meditation. First way is through yoga and physical exercise. When our body does certain postures, with a certain rhythm, it brings some tiredness and then the mind slips into meditation. If you are very active or too well rested, you cannot meditate. But in a state where the body has the right amount of tiredness, yet still not that tired; in that very delicate balance, your whole system slips into meditation. Second is through prana or through breath. Through breathing techniques and pranayama the mind becomes quiet and still and you can slip into meditation effortlessly. The third is through any sensory pleasure –sight, sound, taste, smell or touch. The world is made up different combinations of the five elements- earth, water, air, fire and ether. Eyes are connected with the fire element, smell with earth element, taste with water element, sound with ether element and touch with air element. And you can go through any one of the senses to transcend them and become one in a very deep meditative state. Being 100% engrossed in a particular sensory object brings you to a state of meditation. On a free day, just lie down and keep looking at the sky, or when you are completely engrossed in hearing some music, a moment comes when the mind becomes still, there are no thoughts and you don’t know where you are, but you know you are, and yet you have no boundaries. An experience of the center everywhere and circumference nowhere. Any wonderment or astonishment also leads you to that state. Whenever a ‘Wow!’ arises in you, there is no mind, there are no thoughts, but you just are. That leads you to meditation. The fourth way is through emotions. Through

both positive and negative emotions you can get into meditation. When you feel utterly hopeless or very angry, you say, ‘I give up!’ It means, ‘This is it. I can’t take it anymore.’ During those moments, if you don’t slip into frustration or depression or violence, you will find that there is a moment where there is no mindedness. The mind stands still. Then the fifth is through the intellect, knowledge, awareness. This is called Jnana Yoga. You just sit and know that this body is made up of billions of cells. Something happens to you, something gets stimulated. Someone gets into a space museum or watches a movie about the universe, something happens deep inside; something triggers. You can’t just immediately come out of such an experience and yell at somebody. It becomes almost impossible because the context of life immediately changes when you become aware of the magnanimity of the universe- Who are you? What are you? Where are you? How are you in reference to the unfathomable, infinite universe? Some shift happens within you. Meditation is being very natural, being at home with yourself and with everything else in the universe. You just need to know how to deeply relax. If you are on a massage table, what do you do? You just let the masseur take care of you. The masseur does the job and you do nothing. It is the same in meditation. You do nothing, let nature take care of you. Let go of any effort because whatever we gain through effort is material and is limited. Effort is the language of the material world. If you don’t put effort, you can’t make money or build a home, you can’t study and gain good marks. It does not happen by just sitting and thinking. Everything in the material plane requires you to put effort. But to attain something spiritual, just the reverse mechanism is needed – no effort! A few moments of sitting and making no effort at all whatsoever. For the spiritual plane, all effort should be let go of, and then you gain something which is bigger. www.artofliving.org (714 words)

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Health

How to know if a Are you an lump is cancerous insomniac?

Not every lump is worth worrying about. But if not paid attention it can be a cause of concern. We’ll help you know when to relax.

Thyroid nodules

How they feel hard, and they don’t hurt or move? You would find one in the lower half of the neck. The cause of thyroid nodules is not known. After verifying that yours is benign, your doctor might simply monitor you. If you have additional thyroid symptoms, however, treating the underlying disorder with medication or with radioactive iodine can shrink the lump.

Cysts

How they feel like a soft grape. They are often tender to the touch. These fluid-filled sacs are common in breasts and the genital area. Breast cysts tend to wax and wane with your cycle; if you have one that persists longer than a month, request an ultrasound or a fine-needle aspiration. Should you find a soft genital bump, it’s likely that a blocked oil duct has caused an epidermoid cyst. If it is sensitive, apply warm, moist compresses and antibiotic cream. No pain? Leave it alone.

Lipomas

How they feel like a squishy ball of tissue that moves easily. These fat deposits show up mostly on the legs, trunk and arms. Lipomas tend to run in families. Unless they are painful or impinge on a nerve or blood vessel, your doctor can keep an eye on them; otherwise, they can be surgically removed.

Fibroadenomas

How they feel similar to a smooth, rubbery ball that moves easily within the breast tissue. The cause is not known, but they are particularly common in women in their 20s and 30s. Your doctor might immediately suggest a biopsy or a fine-needle aspiration to confirm the diagnosis. Afterward, most can be left as it is. But if a fibroadenoma is large or happens to make you feel anxious, your doctor can remove it.

Swollen lymph nodes

How they feel soft, rubbery, movable and sometimes tender. You have lymph nodes in your armpits and neck (especially under your jaw, behind your ears and at the base of your skull), as well as in the groin. Swollen nodes are usually due to a bacterial or

viral infection. The swelling should subside within three weeks of kicking the bug. If it doesn’t, call your doctor for a quick check.

Ganglion cysts

The feeling is firm or slightly spongy. These painless, immovable cysts can form on the top of the foot, the top of the wrist and the back of the hand. They can be as small as a pea or as large as a plum. Ganglia tend to develop after an injury. They contain synovial fluid, which lubricates tendons and joints. If yours isn’t causing discomfort, it can often be ignored and may disappear. Ganglia that limit movement or cause numbness, however, should be drained or removed.

Lump 911: When to see a doctor fast? There’s no easy way to tell if a lump is cancerous from the outside, but there are some red flags. If you experience any of the following, make an appointment pronto: • A hard, immovable lump that isn’t tender • Any bump in the breast or genital area that persists longer than a few weeks • A growth that seems to be enlarging rapidly.

nsomnia is one of the most common healthcare problems across the world, affecting men and women of all ages. The definition of Insomnia is rather simple. It refers to the inability to stay asleep or fall asleep. People are prone to suffering from various types of insomnia. The most common type is short-term or Acute Insomnia that tends to recede within a few days itself or with some over-the-counter medications or minor changes in lifestyle. Some symptoms of Insomnia include:

thing similar to the feeling of malaise when we are sick. This daytime sleepiness or a feeling of drowsiness can take a serious toll on the workplace and social performance of the individual. The sufferer is bound to feel sluggish, unable to think clearly and perform simple physical tasks with alertness. This is often referred to as “feeling feverish” or “being tired all the time”.

Staying awake instead of sleeping

With the most basic amount of sleep missing from daily schedule, an individual is likely to become more irritable. Such folks are highly vulnerable to bouts of anger, anxiety and depression. Their behaviour can become rather abnormal. They might develop a serious deficit in their ability to recall or pay attention.

The most basic symptom of insomnia is the inability to fall asleep. Most insomniacs keep trying various kinds of self-remedies to help them fall asleep. It is fairly common to hear insomniacs opine that a quick shot of alcohol in any form “helps them sleep at night”. Some insomniacs have trouble going to sleep and some tend to wake up too early and others tend to sleep in small bouts, each lasting a few minutes. The most troublesome form of insomnia is among insomniacs who are almost devoid of sleep for days.

Waking-up exhausted It is a medically-established fact that without a proper night’s sleep, most people cannot feel refreshed. In the absence of sufficient sleep, the entire range of metabolic processes within the body suffers. This leads to a typical kind of feeling upon waking-up that is quite similar to having a hangover or light-headedness.

Daytime laziness The most visible symptom of insomnia is an overall sense of lethargy. This condition is some-

Increased irritability & mood swings

Chronic insomnia symptoms When insomnia symptoms are not diagnosed and treated early, they lead to serious complications. These symptoms are far worse than the ones discussed above. For instance, the patient might become permanently depressed. This doesn’t refer to seasonal or primary, short-term depression but a medical condition where the uptake of neurotransmitters in the brain is impaired. This kind of depression can be resolved via medical treatment including psychological counselling, psychiatric help or cognitive therapy only. An insomniac is prone to having lower energy levels throughout the day which in turn leads to lower metabolic rate. This in turn fuels the body’s weight-gaining tendencies, leading to obesity, particularly abdominal weight gain.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Sports

DELIGHT THE FC GOA WONDERKID ISL STARS GUWAHATI HOLICHARAN NARZARY

ADITYA GOGOI

ne of the most promising footballers in the country, the FC Goa prodigy Holicharan Narzary has no intentions of taking things lightly in the days to come. Despite not being able to play in front of the home crowd against the Northeast United FC on Sunday at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Narzary has no regrets and is determined to give his best in upcoming matches of the Indian Super League. Earlier, Narzary was adjudged the ISL emerging player of the match in their first match against Chennaiyin FC. However, he did not feature in their second match against Northeast United FC but Brazilian legend and coach of the FC Goa side did speak highly about the potential of the young footballer from Assam at the post-match conference. Speaking to G Plus, the lad from Kokrajhar narrated about his journey so far as well as on the various aspects surrounding the Indian Super League. On being asked whether he was disappointed at not being given a chance to play in front of his home crowd, Narzary said, “I didn’t feel bad, after all it’s a team game and I don’t regret on not getting a chance to perform in front of my own crowd. The supporters must have been disappointed but that’s how it goes. My team played well and ended up with a draw. So I don’t have that much of a disappointment.” The FC Goa side is being coached by the Brazilian legend Zico who is often regarded as the “White Pelé”. “It has been a great experience to train under the guidance of such a great footballer and coach along with the foreign players who have been very much co-operative. He comes up with different tips and suggestions which has been a great learning experience for me as well as the other players,” said Narzary. Regarding his football journey, the 20-year-old forward recalls it saying, “I was from Sports Authority of India, Kokrajhar where I played for a while under the guidance of Pradip Brahma before being selected for the Assam Under-16 side. That was the start, I believe, as after that, I went on to represent India Under-16 and then I made it into the India Under-19 side. I signed a

I was from Sports Authority of India, Kokrajhar where I played for a while under the guidance of Pradip Brahma before being selected for the Assam Under-16 side. That was the start, I believe, as after that, I went on to represent India Under-16

three-year contract with the Pailan Arrows side and that was how I went on to play in the I-League and came into limelight. I was roped in by Dempo last year.” Asked whether the family has stood by his side, Narzary credits his mother and his grandfather for their overwhelming support. “My mother and my grandfather have been the biggest supports along with whole family. They have always been motivating and especially it is my mother, who has toiled hard for me. Looking at the hardships faced by my mother, it boosts my determination to perform even better,” Narzary added.

G Plus FeaturE

orth East United FC’s home ground – the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium -- has so far hosted three spectacular and high voltage matches of the Indian Super League. Though the home team could manage to win just one game while sharing points in another and losing one, the major victory was the game itself. The roaring crowd of the northeast were another winner during the last 10 days or so in Guwahati. India being far below in the FIFA ranking, nobody would have thought in their wildest dreams that players like Luis Garcia or Robert Pires or even Joan Capdevila would be playing in Guwahati. But that is a reality today. Joan Capdevila: North East United FC’s marquee player Capdevila is 36 but seems to be one of the fittest players of the team. A solid rock defender, he has so far over the course of 15 La Liga seasons amassed totals of 410 games and also scored 36 goals. He played for Deportivo and Villarreal where from his defensive position he often contributed in the scoring department. A Spanish international with 60 caps, Capdevila represented the national team in the 2010 World Cup and went on to win the cup besides winning two European Championships, winning one tournament in each competition. Rangman Das has this to say on Capdevila: It’s great to watch Capdevila and others play here in Guwahati. They have really upgraded the standard of the game. I was really overwhelmed to watch Capdevila’s style of play. It’s a bit difficult to express my feelings in words. He is a well deserved marquee player for us. He is experienced and still in best shape to play. David James: The former English goalkeeper is third on the list of all-time Premier League appearances, having played in 536 games at the top-level. James also holds the Premier League record for most clean sheets, with 173. He played in 53 matches for England national team between 1997 and 2010, which included the Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup. He represented some of the best team in European league including Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City and Portsmouth. He is also widely known for

his different charity works. At 44, guarding the goal post is not a joke but this charismatic gloves-man is ready to re-create his magic. Mustaf Rahman has this to say on David James: We had heard of him when we were growing up watching football on television. He was one of the best goalkeepers of England. I never thought that I would get to watch him here in Guwahati. Though he is 44, he is doing his job quite nicely. That’s where his professionalism lies. I feel that I’m lucky to watch him play.” Luis García: The marquee player for Athletico de Kolkata Luis Garcia, a Spaniard, has won a number of major leagues in the European circuit. The 36-year-old creative midfielder has the ability to kick with both feet and has a good aerial game, despite a small frame. He represented Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in Spain. He also appeared for Liverpool. Besides, Garcia also represented the Spain national team in the 2006 world cup. So far, he has scored 133 goals. Pranjal Sharma on watching Garcia play in Guwahati: Luis Garcia is a top quality player who has proved himself at the highest level. A player of his quality is an asset for ISL. The way he controls the midfield is something that is awe-inspiring. Playing with young Indian footballers will definitely help the players to adapt and learn from the maestro. It’s more than a dream to have him here like this. Robert Pirès: The FC Goa marquee player Robert Pires was a legend in Arsenal. The Arsenal fans have voted him to be the 6th greatest player of the club’s history. He won three FA Cups and two Premier League titles including the club’s unbeaten season of 2003–04 for the Gunners. The former France international was a proud member of the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000 winning teams. He earned 79 caps between 1996 and 2004 for his country. Kausav Baruah says: He is a true legend, a superstar. Even after crossing the age of 40, he has the ability to play the entire 90 minutes. Watching him play at the Indira Gandhi stadium was a treat for my eyes. We have grown up watching stars like him television. Now, it’s a reality.

Weather report for the week SAT 25 October

SUN 26 October

MON 27 October

TUE 28 October

WED 29 October

THU 30 October

FRI 31 October

Scattered clouds.

Morning clouds

Mostly sunny.

More sun than clouds.

Mostly sunny.

Mostly sunny

More sun than clouds.

19 / 29 °C

19 / 24 °C

17 / 28 °C

16 / 29 °C

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

ASSAM FILMMAKER’S DEBUT MOVIE SET FOR NATIONAL RELEASE

Entertainment

OFFICIAL PK TRAILER RELEASED

G PLUS FEATURE

ssam filmmaker Bhargav Saikia’s first film ‘Kaafiron Ki Namaaz’ is all set to be released after winning laurels across the globe. ‘Kaafiron Ki Namaaz’, an independent Hindi feature film directed by Ram Ramesh Sharma and produced by Bhargav Saikia under his film production company Lorien Motion Pictures, will be presented and released by Bohra Bros and Sunil Jain early in 2015. “We are extremely happy that our film is going to be released soon. We are thankful to Bohra Bros and Sunil Jain for their interest in our film,” Saikia said. Bohra Bros has so far been associated with popular films like Gangs of Wasseypur, Shahid, Shaitan, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster and Tanu Weds Manu. Kaafiron Ki Namaaz is the debut feature film for both Bhargav Saikia, as the film’s producer, and Ram Ramesh Sharma, as the film’s writer and director. “It’s a great film and we are looking for a 2015 release. Trailers will be out soon,” Alok Arbind Singh, associate producer at Bohra Bros, said. The film has been screened at several international film festivals so far, including the prestigious Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea and the International Film Festival of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Besides, the film has won four awards at this year’s Ladakh Interna-

Kaafiron Ki Namaaz revolves around the story of three men an army officer who was court-martialed recently, a writer and his camera assistant. What begins as a dramatic discussion between the army officer and the writer in an old, abandoned hotel in Kashmir soon turns into a chilling meeting raising some pertinent issues. tional Film Festival for Best Feature Film, Best Debut Director, Best Screenplay and Best Actor. The jury at the Ladakh headed by veteran filmmaker Govind Nihalani, praised the film for its gripping, powerful narrative and interesting storytelling format. Kaafiron Ki Namaaz revolves around the story of three men - an army officer who was court-martialed recently, a writer and his camera assistant. What begins as a dramatic discussion between the army officer and the writer in an old, abandoned hotel in Kashmir soon turns into a chilling meeting raising some pertinent issues.

Emraan Hashmi says no to Sunny Leone

he actor, who was shooting for the Bhatts’ Hamari Adhuri Kahaani in Dubai, has flown back into the city to work on a promotional song for his upcoming film, Ungli. The makers had zeroed in on Sunny Leone to be featured alongside him in the item number. However, when Emraan Hashmi learnt about it, he apparently refused to share screen space with the former adult entertainer. A unit member says, “We have been working on the promotional song for a long time now. The production team (Dharma) held several rounds of discussion

and unanimously decided that Sunny Leone be approached for the song. She is popular and fit the bill. But, when Emraan, who has taking great interest in the concept and casting of the song, got to know about it, he refused to be in the same frame with Sunny.” Sources said the actor did not want to have any association with an adult star. A source says, “Emraan has had an image makeover in Bollywood and he is willing to stick to it. So, eventually, we had to get some international models for the shoot.” Neither the film spokesperson nor Emraan were available for comment.

Othello selected in Indian Panorama 2014

“

Othello (We too have our Othellos)’ the Assamese Feature Film produced by Manabendra Adhikary under the banner of Artha Films has been selected for Indian Panorama in New Delhi. This the only Assamese Film selected for Indian Panorama 2014. Othello is the first production of Manabendra Adhikary and it has come within the 26 selected movies. The key roles of the movie are played by Arun Nath, Runu Devi, Arup Baishya and Jupitara Bhuyan. The screenplay is written by Ranjit Kumar Sarma and background score is by Tarali Sarma. The film is cinematographed by Nahid Ahmed and colour correction is done by Diganta Khaund and sound mixing was done by Dipak Dutta. The film ‘Othello’ has already been awarded the best screenplay award in Indian Cine Film Festivel, Mumbai and selected in Indian Showcase by Jagaran Film Festivel, Mumbai last 27 September, 2014, where Manabendra Adhikary was honored by the festival committee in an award ceremony.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Reviews

You SHOULD LISTEN

GAME REVIEW

Shadow Warrior

I MOVIE REVIEW Director: Farah Khan Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood, Jackie Shroff, Vivaan Shah

appy New Year is an ultimate recipe, which needs to be gulped with immense pleasure. One thing, which is clear and is quite obvious that had it not been the king of entertainment Shah Rukh Khan, the movie would not have been that easier to standby. But it’s not that Shah Rukh Khan is all over whom Farah Khan entirely depends on. The director’s offering carries that essence, which quite fulfils our requirement of getting entertained with other few reasons. Robbery has been an integral plot found recently in most of our Khans’ movies. After Aamir Khan in Dhoom 3, Salman Khan in Kick, not to forget Hrithik Roshan in Bang Bang and now it’s Shah Rukh Khan in Happy New Year. Uncomparatively, Happy New Year has different situation and different approach to make that robbery happen. Charlie (Shah Rukh Khan) builds up a team for World dance Championship in Dubai. We come across Nandu Bhide (Abhishek Bachchan), Mohini Joshi (Deepika Padukone), Jagmohan Prakash (Sonu Sood), Temhton Irani (Boman Irani), Rohan Singh (Vivaan Shah) with their unusual qualities. They team up together but their unsuccessful attempt brings them to a jackpot, which needs to be looted and is owned by Charan Grover (Jackie Shroff). So, will they be successful? That you would have to find it out yourself.

What one could expect from Farah Khan in Happy New Year is the element of surprises, which keeps popping up every second sequence and that helps in sidelining the illogical things, however there aren’t many this time. The jokes are cynical and satirical and also allow its characters to self mock, a little stupid but enough to bring smiles on our faces. Despite its three hours long drama, the movie rarely bores you with these two romancing while Abhishek, Boman, Sonu and Vivaan giving an impeccable contribution in fun. The action sequences have been worked upon and once set it is deemed to give you goosebumps. Deepika Padukone yet again proves that she could fit in any role given and is here to stay for long. Abhishek Bachchan in comedy roles is getting perfection. We have seen him in Bol Bachchan and in this too he gives a good performance. Boman Irani plays his part well. Sonu Sood with a combo of brilliant physic and acting, gives a great performance. Debutant Vivaan Shah doesn’t let himself go overshadowed by the likes of big actors standing with him. He is good. Music by VIshal-Shekhar is brilliant. Songs like Lovely, Indiawaale, Mawaa Laage have already created massive buzz on the music charts and in the movie those alongside others are a treat to watch.

Artist: Slipknot

f you like a good male genitalia joke, Shadow Warrior won’t leave you hard up. After all, the main character’s name is Lo Wang; it would be criminal if the game didn’t make a few obvious gags. Not that the contents of a man’s underpants are the only subject Shadow Warrior touches on for humorous effect. Farts (“Silent but deadly, indeed”), hipsters (“You should move to Portland and start a band”), and plenty of other topics provide humorous fodder, and goofy fortune cookies you find scattered about the game’s spacious levels also get in on the act. “You don’t need a parachute to skydive. You need a parachute to skydive twice.” Thank you, fortune cookie, for the sage

advice. Shadow Warrior’s juvenile humor is in keeping with its forebear. This first-person shooter is a remakeslash-reimagining of a 1997 game that took many of its cues from Duke Nukem 3D, and while most of the remake’s jokes are new, the puerile spirit remains. The script tosses in some casual racial humor and a number of cringe-worthy Asian characterizations, but unlike Duke’s return in Duke Nukem Forever, Lo Wang’s reappearance isn’t a sad and outdated one. Shadow Warrior wears its dumb jokes lightly, peppering the high-octane action with immature quips but tackling the demonic soap opera of a story with straight-faced sincerity.

You SHOULD Read

nce upon a time, there was a Bihari boy called Madhav. He fell in love with a rich girl from Delhi called Riya. Madhav didnt speak English well. Riya did. Madhav wanted a relationship. Riya didn’t. Riya just wanted friendship. Madhav didn’t. Riya suggested a compromise. She agreed to be his half-girlfriend. Chetan Bhagat, the IIT-IIM graduate who is not famous for being an IIT-IIM graduate, has been writing for years, and his books have sold like hot cakes. We have been treated to Five Point Someone, One Night at a Call Centre, The Three Mistakes of My Life, 2 States and Revolution 2020. The less known non-fiction book ‘What Young India Wants’ is also out in the market. Now, we get Half Girlfriend. There has already been some

hile even a cursory listen to Slipknot’s back catalog makes it clear the band are no strangers to working out their inner turmoil and pain through their music, never has that idea been so abundantly clear as it is on their fifth outing, .5: The Gray Chapter. Combining the punishing, pummeling metal of the band’s early work with the more melodic focus of their later years, While Jordison will certainly be missed, the band’s mysterious new drummer, whose identity the band have done their damndest not to reveal, slots in marvelously, seamlessly acclimating to the band’s suddenly shifting tempos and styles. Listening to the album, it’s clear that even though Slipknot aren’t over the loss of a dear friend and colleague, they’re able to channel their grief into a productive album, allowing them to continue moving forward while paying tribute to a fallen comrade with one of the strongest albums of their career. feminist outrage over the crudeness of the title, but as we begin to read we find out that Bhagat simply repeats his standard settings - a college, a common activity (in this case, basketball) and a girl. Additionally, Madhav is a country bumpkin in Half Girlfriend, which means his diffidence quotient is even higher, and the difficulty of his task greater. He hails from Bihar, the most reviled of Indian states, and stereotypically the most backward. He meets and falls in love with a beautiful Delhi girl. Delhi girls, by definition, are all beautiful, fair and wear short clothes. Bihari boys are closet chauvinists who freak out when denied sex, and hurl choice, crass abuse in Bhojpuri. Thus, Bhagat manages to reinforce another stereotype about India and Indians.

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G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Tech Watch

Air India launches mobile app, Twitter account

Air India has launched a new mobile App to make bookings quicker and easier while on the move. The airlines has also announced a new account @airindiain on the micro blogging site Twitter to address customer queries. The Air India mobile app allows users to book tickets, manage the booking, check-in for a flight, look up fare details and also make special

Philips Aurora i966 with 5.5-inch QHD display, 3GB RAM unveiled

hilips has introduced a new smartphone featuring QHD display and fingerprint sensor. Called Aurora i966, the new Philips smartphone has a 5.5-inch Quad HD display with 2.5D arc glass and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The Philips Aurora i966 runs YunOS 3.0 OS based on Android and is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC) processor along with 3GB RAM. The smartphone sports 20.7MP rear camera with LED Flash, Sony IMX220 Exmor RS BSI sensor, f/1.8 aperture and 8MP front-facing camera. The new Philips smartphone has 32 GB internal storage. Connectivity options include 4G LTE / 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS. It is powered by a 3000 mAh battery. Philips has launched the Aurora i966 in China for 3699 Yuan, which is roughly Rs. 37,000. The new Philips phone will be competing against the likes of LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that come with QHD display. The fingerprint sensor feature helps Philips compete against the likes of Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One Max.

requests for meals and wheelchair. The app has been launched for Android OS and will be extended to iOS soon. Air India which already has a Facebook page and has also announced a Twitter account to handle customer queries. Presence on social networking site will help Air India widen its reach further. The airlines has created a backend team dedicated to handling its

Twitter account. India has over 15.3 million Twitter users, with 73.3% of these in the age group of 15-25 years and approx 14.9% are in the age group of 26-35 years. Air India will be the sixth Indian airline to take to Twitter. Jet Airways (India) Ltd has about 55,000 Twitter followers, SpiceJet Ltd has about 17,000, and IndiGo has 14,000 followers approximately.

LG G Watch price plunges to `6,849

LG’s first Android Wear-powered smartwatch, G Watch is now available online at prices as low as Rs 6,849. A seller on Amazon.in started selling the G Watch at Rs 8,426 last week and now the smartwatch is selling at an even lower price of Rs 6,849 on the same marketplace. The LG G Watch is also selling at Rs 6,992 on Snapdeal. LG G Watch was listed on the Google Play Store in India at a price of Rs 14,999, in June. The watch was launched globally at $229 but received a $50 price cut in September. LG G Watch sports a 1.65-inch IPS LCD(280x280p) display. It is also powered by a 1.2 GHz Processor and 512MB RAM, and comes with 4GB internal storage. It has a 400mAh battery. LG G Watch comes with changeable straps, accelerometer, gyroscope and compass, and is dust and water resistant(IP67).

Apple issues security warning for iCloud

pple has issues a new security warning to its iCloud online storage service users amid reports of a concerted effort to steal passwords and other data from people who use the popular service in China. According to reports, some Chinese internet users have begun seeing warnings that indicate they had been diverted to an unauthorized website when they attempted to sign into their iCloud accounts. Security experts call it a “man in the middle” attack, this allows a third party to copy and steal the passwords that users enter when they think they are signing into Apple’s service. The passwords can be used by hackers to collect other data from the users’ accounts. Source: iCloud may have been hacked by Chinese government Apple declined to comment on

here was plenty of debate over what the new version of Android would be called, with “Lemon Meringue” and even the controversial “Licorice” said to have been in the running at various points.

Material world

Android Lollipop is the biggest change to Android in some time, finally bumping Google’s OS up a full integer to version 5.0.

Notifications

Notifications have been significantly overhauled in Android Lollipop.

the allegations but has updated its technical support page to provide advice on how to protect against such attacks. Apple’s post did not mention China or provide any details on the attacks. However, the post stated that Apple’s own servers have not been compromised. Apple stated in a blog post on its support website, “We’re aware of intermittent organized network attacks using insecure certificates to obtain user information, and we take this very seriously.”

Apple warns that iCloud users should never enter their iCloud password if they get warnings about invalid digital certificates when visiting www.icloud.com. The blog post also mentions procedures which users can use to verify they are connected to Apple’s legitimate site when using various browsers. Apple warned iCloud users, “If users get an invalid certificate warning in their browser while visiting www. icloud.com, they should pay attention to the warning and not proceed.”

How to shop smarter online to get best prices, discounts

any websites over the last few years have played around with providing Indian customers with everything they could ever want including bargains. The early eBay India user would remember the highly publicised auctions that inevitable went nowhere and didn’t really satisfy the urge for a fairly (or unfairly) won bargain. Indian consumers are culturally drawn to getting under the radar when it comes to list prices and the Internet

Android Lollipop vs Android KitKat: What’s the difference?

Connectivity and APIs With Android Lollipop Google is making connectivity a big focus — not just between different handsets, but among different classes of device as well. For example Android TV is now built right into Android Lollipop, helping you easily navigate big screens with smartwatch voice commands, phone gestures, and more.

Safe and sound

Android Lollipop has some new security features as well, like the ability to set geographical “safe zones” where your device won’t require a PIN to unlock.

Performance

doesn’t always seem to cooperate. But that’s only because shopping smarter online is quite different from shopping in the streets. The tricks, tips and tools for really making the most from your

online shopping excursion can easily be learnt and applied. These methods and suggestions will not only help you have a fun shopping experience but also save you bundles of cash in the long run.

Google has reportedly also put a lot of work into making Android Lollipop run better under the hood. KitKat’s optional runtime ART is now the standard for Android Lollipop, and Google says it will help make Lollipop run faster, more efficiently and with less hiccups.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Food

Ahoy WintersDuck Curry

sanjukta dutta

Something special about winter season is the food that we eat and more special is the fact that the market is filled with winter specials that are otherwise not available during the summer season

(Assamese Style)

(Food enthusiast)

Ingredients 1. Duck – cleaned, smoked, washed and cut into small pieces 2. Ginger and Garlic crushed – about 1 tablespoon 3. Onions (2 medium size) – thinly sliced 4. Green Chiilies (as per your requirement) chopped 5. Salt and Pepper for seasoning 6. Turmeric – as per requirement. 7. Bay leaves- a few (about 3) 8. Whole coriander seeds and whole fenel seeds (sauf)- about one handful of each 9. Mustard Oil for cooking (could be replaced with refined oil) 10. Ash Gourd (kumura)and Potatoes – cut in cubes (optional)

Procedure • Roast the whole coriander seeds and fenel seeds in a tava for sometime or till they appear crisp and give out the aroma. Now, set it aside to cool and run it in a mixer grinder to make a powder of it. (This is the only masala I use apart from some turmeric powder while making duck curries)

• Take a good amount (about 3 tablespoon) of the fennel and coriander masala and add it into the duck and mix it well.

• Now, in a kadhai (cooking pan), add some mustard oil and let it heat. As it heats up, add the bay leaves and the onions and fry till the onions appear golden. Adding, the ginger garlic paste we continue stirring. Now adding the green chilies we also add in the washed duck pieces.

• Now, once the duck is about 70% done, we can add the ash gourd (kumura) and the potatoes. Mix them properly and cover it with the lid.

• Now, add salt, pepper and turmeric powder to it and continue frying for sometime or till the time the duck is properly mixed with rest of the ingredients.

• Cover the kadhai with a lid and allow it cook for sometime. Keep a tab on the duck so as it doesn’t get burnt or stick to the kadhai from time to time

• Once done, you can either chose to keep it dry or add some warm water into it to make a gravy out of it. • Serve it with steamed rice or can be an excellent starters if you chose to eat this in a dry form.

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

G-Talk

Will Gogoi be able to form a government in the state again? BedATRAYEE NATH

MASUM AHMED

Homemaker

Corporate Professional

POINT

t is very tough to predict anything in politics. Keeping in view the aggression shown by the BJP in the general elections held recently in Maharashtra and Haryana, one might assume that the party will sweep all the coming elections to follow including Assam, where the assembly elections are due in 2016. Or least, it will not give any space to other political parties specially Congress in the next few years to come. But, if we look at the overall scenario in Assam, where minority and tea tribe voters have always acted as a decisive factor in the elections, it would remain a difficult task for BJP even now. Although the saffron party has taken a commanding victory in the last general elections, everyone following the politics or election of politics of the state know that it only happened because of the ‘Modi wave’, blowing at that time. How long will one person be consistent in wooing the voters? Most of the local leaders of BJP had least contribution to it. Moreover, the state Congress was devastated with dissidence and the party had to pay the price for it in the last general elections. But, since the Chief Minister had been able to knock it down after the election debacle which the Congress faced in its ‘stronghold’ of more than years, it brings a ray of hope for the party to win in the next assembly elections. At the same time, there is no doubt that the party has to take up some reformatory measures like restructuring itself if it wants to smile

COUNTERPOINT

The Chief Minister was seen making announcements to woo the voters every now and then. But, the other members of the party will have to back him up and the party should focus more on new things in a rapidly changing world to catch the attention of the voters. the last smile in the next election. Apart from few BJP leaders of the state, most of the leaders have not been able to make any impact on the people in general and the voters in particular. If the current Tarun Gogoi led Congress government will be able to take benefit of it, then the party will be able to remain in power. The Chief Minister was seen making announcements to woo the voters every now and then. But, the other members of the party will have to back him up and the party should focus more on new things in a rapidly changing world to catch the attention of the voters. But, as I said earlier that nothing can be predicted in the game of politics, we will have to wait and watch to see the direction of the wind or which way it blows.

The recent election results in the Maharashtra and Haryana preceded by the general elections present clear evidence that, at least for now, there is no place for any other political party in the country, except for BJP. The state of Assam too has witnessed a bright future for the BJP in the last elections. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had an important role in giving a taste of victory to the party workers in Assam, but one has to admit the people want change. After being handed over the key to power to the Congress party for a long time, the people of the state seem ready to give the chance to try out a new player, which they prove in the last general elections. Now, all the BJP needs to do is

After the performance displayed by the BJP in Assam in the last general elections, the local party leaders are seen to be active. If they can live up to the trust of the local public, then it would be very hard for Congress to remain in power in future

deliver its promises, which it made in the last general elections to show the party’s willpower and determination as soon as possible. If it will be able to do that, then the party will undoubtedly be forming the next government in the state. The last general elections too, shows a rift in the minority votes and the minority votes got divided between the AIUDF and Congress. Besides, a considerable size of the tea tribe votes in upper Assam was gone to the BJP in the last general elections. If both these trends continue, this would definitely help the party in forming the next government in Assam. The way BJP advanced in both the general and assembly elections held in other states, it will only be a matter of time till it brings all other remaining seats under its fold. Besides, a large chunk of young voters have become impressed with the ‘Modi magic’ and they have also started acting as a decisive factor in the election. After the performance displayed by the BJP in Assam in the last general elections, the local party leaders are seen to be active. If they can live up to the trust of the local public, then it would be very hard for Congress to remain in power in future. Further, scams like Saradha, corruption and dissidence among the Congress leaders have left the party devastated in the last election and there is hardly any chance that it would be able to get rid of it. No matter whatever promise the Chief Minister of the state make to the people.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Sir, Diwali the festival of lights is over for the year and so is the business of the traditional firecracker makers in Assam’s Barpeta district and many earthen lamp makers around the state. These traditional industries are slowly losing their place in modern day Guwahati. People no longer tend to buy earthen lamps or local crackers and opt for the imported lights and crackers. The local artisans involved in these businesses are losing market and this is creating a problem for their livelihood as well. The government is seen to be taking up measures to stop the buying & selling of imported crackers and lights but the shops in the city were still seen full of those during Diwali. It is not only the responsibility of the government to protect these traditional local industries but the responsibility of the people of Assam as well. The people have to buy local items keeping in track with modernisation and only then can these local industries could be preserved. Now it is high time to help these local artisans to survive the tough competition. It is believed by many that Diwali and gambling are synonymous to each other and so It is believed that playing cards on this day brings goodwill and prosperity to their lives. But today this whole concept has turned into a money making business for many. Playing cards in Diwali has become commercialised everywhere. Not only on the day of Diwali but gambling starts in the city 10 days ahead of that. Small and big gambling counters come up in all parts of the city. The city police are always seen taking inadequate measures to stop this illegal gambling. Though officers at higher level were strict this time and many gamblers were arrested from the city during Diwali, the constables and lower rung officers were still seen collecting money from the gamblers illegally instead of stopping the game. These two separate ways of performing duty by the city police is really not appreciable. The illicit gambling in the city is increasing year after year and the administration needs to be stringent at all the levels to control this illegal gambling.

Mrinmoy Das Panjabari

Lakhinandan Baruah (Beltola, Survey)

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Fun

Your weekly dose of Aries This week brings lots of creativity and energy for doing different things for you, says Ganesha. The time is also favorable for all leisure activities and entertainment. A romantic relation may bring benefits for you, dear Aries. All creative things will attract you this week. What makes you go towards creativity is the easy money coming from it. Ganesha foresees success for you.

Leo This week brings forth your loving and caring nature, predicts Ganesha. You will make every possible effort to reach out to people in need, dear Leo. You may also attend a marriage or reception ceremony this week. At work front, partnerships are indicated. You are also likely to hear wedding bells. Ganesha showers his blessings on you this week, dear Leo.

Sagittarius This week brings the importance of people for you, because your progress in life depends upon them, notes Ganesha. At work front, partnerships will be equally important. You will try to get the cooperation of your colleagues and boss this week, dear Sagittarius. Ganesha advises you to take some time out to relax and get a full body check up done, dear Sagittarius.

SUDOKU

TIMEPASS

Taurus This week brings good times for you, predicts Ganesha. You will pay attention to both your career as well as leisure activities, which in return will fetch you the money you need for entertainment. You will come out as a party animal this week. However, your main focus will be on your family. Ganesha sees new avenues opening for you, dear Taurus.

Virgo This week brings forth your skills of handling different people, says Ganesha. A lot of interaction is definitely on the cards for you this week, dear Virgo. Relations are likely to develop with people who are really very important in your life. All your work will get finished smoothly and with ease. Ganesha foresees your focus on both your personal as well as professional life.

Capricorn This week brings an increase in confidence level for you, notes Ganesha. You will try your level to reach out to both people and places this week, dear Capricorn. This way you will be able to build some long lasting relationships, which will be beneficial for you in the future. Ganesha foresees you displaying a caring and sharing attitude towards your near and dear ones.

HOROSCOPE

Gemini

Cancer

This week brings your interaction with your superiors, circle of friends, family and colleagues, says Ganesha. Environmental and social issues will occupy your mind this week, dear Gemini. Take care of your health, as that might create some problems for you in the future. You have to win the support and cooperation of your near and dear ones, advises Ganesha.

This week brings new ventures for you, predicts Ganesha. You will get success in all the tasks that you take up this week. Money and funds will remain the focus of your attention this week, dear Cancer. You are also likely to pack your bags and set out on a voyage. This can either be for work or pleasure. Everything best is lying ahead fro you this week, says Ganesha.something that’s on your mind.

Libra

Scorpio

This week brings resolution and decisiveness for you, predicts Ganesha. Arts, theatre and music will give you immense pleasure this week, dear Libra. Fun and enjoyment at parties are also on the cards for you. You are also likely to spend some high-quality time with children. Try to develop a balance between your work and pleasure dear Libra, cautions Ganesha.

YThis week brings a considerable decline in all your worries, predicts Ganesha. All your tensions regarding money matters are likely to decrease this week, dear Scorpio. A rise in income is also on the cards for you. You will keep yourself busy in socializing activities and parties. However, Ganesha advises you not to neglect your family in the process, dear Scorpio.

Aquarius

Pisces

This week brings your search for knowledge and deeper truths of life, says Ganesha. You are likely to build new relations and contacts for this search, dear Aquarius. Life long bonds will be your top priority this week. You are likely to attend a marriage of someone close or may enter the matrimonial bliss yourself. Ganesha showers his blessings on you, dear Aquarius.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

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. As for the weekend, trust is a must. If you’re not feeling it, own up to it.

Ingredients 1. 2 cups white sugar 2. 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3. 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 4. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 5. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 6. 1 teaspoon salt 7. 2 eggs 8. 1 cup milk 9. 1/2 cup vegetable oil 10. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans. 2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, bak-

ing soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

JUST FOR LAUGHs Wife: “How would you describe me?” Husband: “ABCDEFGHIJK.” Wife: “What does that mean?” Husband: “Adorable, beautiful, cute, delightful, elegant, fashionable, gorgeous, and hot.” Wife: “Aw, thank you, but what about IJK?” Husband: “I’m just kidding!”

Teacher: “Kids,what does the chicken give you?” Student: “Meat!” Teacher: “Very good! Now what does the pig give you?” Student: “Bacon!” Teacher: “Great! And what does the fat cow give you?” Student: “Homework!”

Solution (Last Issue)

G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

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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

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G PLUS OCT 25 - OCT 31, 2014

Catching Up

Parineeti Chopra finds Ranveer Singh’s bald look hot

anveer Singh has shaved his head for his role in “Bajirao Mastani” and his “Kill Dil” co-star Parineeti Chopra is raving about his bald look. “He is looking hot in his new look. There are very few men who look good when they are bald. I saw him after he shaved his head and he is looking awesome. I think ‘Bajirao...’ is going to be one of his best films,” said Parineeti. As far as Parineeti’s own look is concerned, she is mostly seen as a girlnext-door in her films. She has yet to don a bikini. When asked about the same, she said: “When I have the body for it and when I am in my right shape, then I will wear a bikini. Right now I am not the fittest. I am getting on to it.”

Amisha does a sultry and curvaceous photoshoot for The Man

MIT students’ invention turns bananas into keyboard

wo students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have managed to develop a banana piano. Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum, both 32, were looking for a way of turning everyday objects into touchpads. They have developed a kit called MakeyMakey, that can turn fruit, animals and

even humans into keyboards. Mr Rosenbaum told the BBC the idea behind the kit was to enable people to “see the world around them as a construction kit.” The basic kit contains a USB cable and a bespoke circuit board with alligator clips attached to it. The circuit board is programmed to replace a standard computer keyboard.

Sydney Opera House lights up for Diwali

he Sydney Opera House was lit up in a vibrant orange colour to celebrate Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. According to a statement released by the Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural New South Wales, the Opera House was lit in Diwali colours for one night only until Tuesday midnight. The lighting was done on the sidelines of a Diwali event hosted by NSW Premier Mike Baird

misha always remain in news by whatever mean, she tried to mark her come back item song in “Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic” but didn’t get more, here is her second attempt to get noticed. She looks fab in the photoshoot, moreover , she wants to play a role Gundi (Gangstar) as shared by her

and Minister for Citizenship and Communities Victor Dominello. Baird and Dominello were joined by Multicultural NSW Chair and prominent member of the Indian community, Hari Harinath, on the occasion. “This is the first time the Opera House has been lit up in celebration of Diwali, the festival of light celebrated by the global Hindu community,” Baird said.

Boxer Laishram Sarita Devi, her coaches suspended by AIBA for refusing Asian Games medal

he International Boxing Association or AIBA on Wednesday suspended pugilist Laishram Sarita Devi and two others for protesting against the controversial loss to a South Korean competitor at the Incheon Asian Games earlier this month. Refusing to wear the bronze medal around her neck, Sarita had tearfully accepted the medal in her hand and then gave it to silver medalist Ji Na Park of host South Korea, amid loud boos by the Indians present at the ceremony at Incheon. Sarita was declared the loser after her semifinal bout against Park despite dominating the bout. The Indian team had lodged a protest against the decision, which was rejected by the International Boxing Association. The 32-year-old boxer, who won the silver at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year, later told reporters that she would continue to compete as she wants to set an example for future boxers.

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