The Nahid fatwa: Controversy, cover-up or diversion? PG 02
VOLUME 04 | ISSUE 21 MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017 PRICE `10
Is tourism campaign in safe hands now?
Rahul Chanda
Screenshot of the controversial creative that surfaced on social media
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fter the BJP-led state government roped in Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra as the brand ambassador of the state tourism and launched the logo of the campaign “Awesome Assam,” the tourism department has been embroiled in a series of controversies. Very recently, the erstwhile managing director of Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) was transferred and a new team of officials has taken charge of the corporation with a new chairman
in place as well. What were these controversies? Who was responsible for designing the campaigns which drew such severe criticism? Why was the MD transferred? With a new team taking charge is the campaign in safe hands now? G Plus takes a look.
The campaign The state government decided to change the perception of the state in the minds of tourists and came up with the “Awesome Assam” campaign to boost Continued on page 10
In Conversation with Jadav Payeng Celebrating World Forestry Day on 21st March
PG 12
New Chick on the Block Aishwarya Rajput PG 24
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Lead Story
The Nahid fatwa: Controversy, cover-up or diversion?
Kalyan Deb
The purported fatwa is actually a two-month old crumpled piece of pamphlet bearing a very logical appeal to desist from musical celebrations at a particular venue in Lanka, Hojai District so as to avoid inebriated ruckus that vitiates the atmosphere
ia (Islamic canonical law based on the teachings of the Koran and the traditions of the Prophet) which undeniably created an outrage enough outrage for even national
gorically mention that the programme scheduled on 25th March at Udali Sonai Bibi College in Lanka in Hojai District, where Afreen was scheduled to perform, was “against the Sharia,” it does not as much as even mention her name. The leaflet, which is headlined “Gohari” (meaning appeal), asks people not to attend the event on 25th March. “If anti-Sharia acts like musical nights are held on grounds surrounded by masjids, idgahs, madrassas and graveyards, our future generations will attract the wrath of Allah,” it reads. The leaflet concludes saying, “We humbly request you to restrain not only yourself from attending such an event but also encourage others to do the same.” The 46 signatories of the pamphlet include office bearers of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama and teachers from various madrassas around the state. Afreen too only got to know about the “fatwa”, when a few media people phoned her father on the night when the leaflet came under the spotlight. The controversy
news channels to take notice and Assam’s chief minister to tweet condemning the fatwa and assuring the young woman of his government’s commitment to protect her freedom of speech and safety. It was misreported that some 46 Muslim clerics have issued a warning against the singer who shot to fame by clinching the second position in one of the most revered musical reality shows of the country. According to reports, Assam Police was also looking to investigate an Islamic State (IS) angle to the episode. The primary evidence of the supposed fatwa is a leaflet signed by 46 Muslim men which was distributed in the districts of Hojai and Nagaon. While the leaflet does cate-
has, however, left the singer highly perturbed. Talking to G Plus, the secretary of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama, Maulvi Fazlul Karim Qasimi, stressed that no fatwa has been issued in this case and it is only the work of a few media persons who had spread the misinformation. “It is the venue that has been questioned in the appeal as it was in close proximity to religious and educational institutes. There have been instances of people creating a ruckus during similar shows in the past. It is irrespective of caste or religion that we have made the appeal and it is against the flaunting of western culture under the tag of cultural night that we are not willing to accept. The appeal
The fatwa leaflet (L); file photo of Nahid Afreen
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hat happens when a medium that people are dependent on for information makes a massive blunder and in the process ends up entangling a celebrity minor in a controversy that has no authenticity whatsoever? Misinformation is something that spreads like wildfire and the proverbial herd mentality sets in. It happens much faster through modern media especially when the same media plays its part in leading the herd. We have all come across the term fatwa but never has it created so much of curiosity in Assam. What is a fatwa? What does fatwa mean?
Let’s understand fatwa The word ‘fatwa’ has become well known around the world. People often hear that a Muslim cleric or scholar has issued a fatwa. In some cases, this word has been associated with very negative connotations such as a death sentence on a person or a severe punishment. The word fatwa has been popularized by media outlets that are on the lookout for sensational stories so as to capture the largest possible audience for that moment. In its pursuit of ratings, the media needs to find an enemy that they can por-
tray as evil and vicious because such stories trigger fear in viewers and captures their interest enough to follow and keep following the sensational piece of news on the media. In Arabic, fatwa literally means “opinion.” Muslim scholars are expected to issue their fatwa based on religious evidence, rather than their personal prejudices. Therefore, fatwa is sometimes regarded as a religious ruling.
The misreporting In a recent incident, an “appeal” was misinterpreted to be a fatwa and in the process smeared the dignity of a singer who has earned a huge name for herself through sheer talent that can never be discounted in any manner. Nahid Afreen is a wunderkind by all standards. The 16 year old has not only earned her place in mainstream Bollywood but has also brought laurels to her family and her native land. Not to forget that the much talented singer who happens to be only a 10th grader has also won numerous awards across the nation for her prowess. However, in the very recent past, “news” broke out of a fatwa being issued against her to stop singing as it was against the Shar-
simply states that people might as well avoid the event since there have been instances of people getting drunk and vitiating the atmosphere in the past,” the Maulvi said.
The possible cover-up Amidst the fatwa controversy it remained unnoticed that the appeal which made it to the spotlight just a few days ago was actually issued around two months back. Such was the impact of the fatwa controversy that it managed to draw the attention of the chief minister who, on a social medium said, “We strongly condemn putting restrictions on performance by young talented singer Nahid Afrin by some organisations. Freedom of artists is essence of democracy. Spoke to Nahid and reiterated our Govt’s commitment to provide safety and security to artists.” The chief minister’s statement only brings to surface the irony that the supreme leader of the state has been vocal about a misinformation without even enquiring about the authenticity of the news - that too, at a time when the state is facing issues which require his intervention the most. While days after the Silapathar incident where the kingpin is still absconding, an age-old leaflet is being touted, used and moulded in such a way that it has managed to divert people’s attention from the AASU office ransacking incident. “It is not now that the appeal was issued but around two months ago. While the chief minister and other ministers came forward and made statements against the created controversy why were they mum about the Silapathar incident? There are several parties involved in creating the controversy and their only motive is to cover-up the much more serious issues going on in the state,” Qasimi said. With so many things happening at the same time there is little doubt that Nahid’s young shoulders have been used to fire the bullets of controversy. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Case registered in fake fertiliser scam
Rahul Chanda
ported that if the report proved the suspicions, the related people will be arrested and a case also will be registered. So what is the status now?
The current status
Spraying of fertiliser| File photo
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ast week G Plus reported that the CID, after getting some information that the waste products of some factories in Jagiroad area are picked up and packaged in bags and thereafter branded as agriculture fertilisers, raided a factory in Changsari owned by one Snehashish Bora. The CID team recovered 650 bags of suspected fake fertilisers from there. The bags contained the fertilisers had the label of North East Agro Tech Pvt Ltd.
The CID team seized the suspected fake fertilisers but did not register any case or arrest anyone. The CID source had said that the owner of North East Agro Tech Pvt Ltd is also the owner of the city’s popular cinema theatre, Anuradha Cineplex. The source said that no case was registered then as the police had to be sure that the fertiliser was indeed fake. The recovered suspected fake fertiliser was sent to forensic laboratories. G Plus had re-
A highly placed source, talking to G Plus, said that recently the CID had got back the reports from the forensic laboratories which state that the fertilisers sent for tests are indeed fake, hence making it clear that there exists a huge scam in the business of supplying fertilisers to the government. The source said that a case has been registered in the CID but the source refused to take names of the people against whom the case has been registered. The source said that very soon the media and the people of Assam will come to know about the fake fertiliser scam but the CID presently is trying to collect some more evidence so that whoever is involved does not get away easily. The source said that whoever is involved
in the scam will be questioned and anyone found guilty will be booked according to the law. The source said that actually a contract supply order of Rs 61 lakhs was issued to North East Agro Tech Pvt Ltd to supply fertilisers to the government (Seed Corporation of India) which would be thereafter distributed to the farmers. The farmers, expecting good crop production, use the fertilisers in farming but if the fertilisers are fake it is a matter of cheating perpetrated on the poor farmers. The source said that the CID team is collecting evidence from all angles and has even asked the Seed Corporation not to distribute the bags of fertilisers so far received to the farmers. The source said that as the reports prove that the fertilisers are fake it is a big scam and many big shots will be in the police net after the investigation is over and all the evidences are collected accordingly. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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Crime
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Governance
Pre-monsoon de-siltation work to be completed by March 31
Juthika Baruah
The ongoing de-siltation work is scheduled to end by 31st March and maintenance of drains will be continued till October; GDD Minister said city’s artificial floods do not have permanent solution
De-siltation work in progress at a Guwahati sewerage | G Plus Photo
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rtificial floods have always been a huge irritant in the city and to give relief to the citizens, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has started the de-siltation process which is actually a 3-year package that was started in 2014. The de-siltation project which was a package for the years 201415, 2015-16 and 2016-17 entailing 30 contractors will end on coming 31st March. After cleaning of the drains maintenance will be continued till October. “There are about 300 major drains and five major channels namely Bharalu, Mora Bharalu, Bahini, Basistha and Lakhimijan where the cleaning process has been undertaken to maintain free flow of water during the monsoon season,” said an official source of GMC while speaking to G Plus. A brief, smart shower of about half an hour is enough to inundate busy streets like GS Road, RG Baruah Road, GNB Road and the lanes connected to it - especially the Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar areas. These localities have always been dogged with artificial floods. Therefore the concerned departments this year have tried their best to make the city flood free or rather to drain out the excess rainwater in a short span of time.
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To check the problem of water logging, the de-siltation project worth Rs 38 crores, kicked off from 1st November 2014 and covered more than 2,000 drains of Guwahati. The drains of lanes and by-lanes of the city are under the GMC’s jurisdiction, whereas the major drains are the responsibility of the Water Resource Department and the drains of the major roads are cleaned and repaired by the Public Works Department. The work is moni-
tored under a four-tier inspection process initiated by ward committees, magistrates deputed by the DC, NGOs engaged by the district administration and officials of the GMC. It has been informed by the official that for small drains departmental labour of around 300 have been working to clean the drains on a regular basis. Talking about the waste that remains near the road, the official said that the waste cannot be carried away immediately as it remains wet. Such waste turns dry and is carried away within 48 hours. As the Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar areas are much more vulnerable to artificial floods, the GMC has constructed a new sump in Anil Nagar and the pumping capacity has been increased so that the water does not clog up for long. An RCC drain, executed by GMDA, is being constructed along the NH-37 and it will be completed before the monsoon of 2017. Though the need of a comprehensive storm water drainage facility was long felt for Guwahati city, which witnesses massive inundation during the monsoons, a permanent remedial measure was lacking to mitigate the urban flood problem of the city. As natural water exit channels
– Bharalu, Mora Bharalu, Bahini and Basistha rivulets take the additional burden of storm water, the drainage system often collapses due to heavy siltation, illegal encroachment, garbage dumping, etc. The PWD department has also constructed drains near PIBCO in Rukminigaon so that the excess rainwater cannot flow into the Bharalu River and the drain will carry the water separately. “The drains constructed within house compounds were directly linked with the river in Anil Nagar for which the flood water comes back when it pumped out. This time separate drains have been constructed for the residences so that the accumulated compound water can be drained out to the new drain without it flowing into the river. The pump capacity will also be increased at Bharalu Sluice Gate,” the official informed. Other long term measures to be introduced in the city include a comprehensive drainage project in greater Guwahati, including pumping stations, silt pits, development of water bodies apart from gradient drainage network to tackle the storm water flooding of Guwahati city. A new sewerage system, comprehensive wetland development and comprehensive garbage management mechanism will also be introduced to deal with the water-logging problem of the city. The work on cleaning of the culverts is underway and since the initiation of the de-siltation project it has been seen that the water flow in the drains has become swifter. In order to provide relief to people of the area affected by artificial flooding in these areas - more severely in Anil Nagar since the early eighties - the water resource department constructed guard walls on both sides of Bharalu River with arrangement of pumping in 2007-08 but the capacity of the pumps was inadequate. In September 2015, national and state disaster relief forces had to be deployed in Anil Nagar and electricity was cut off for 3 days plunging the entire area into darkness. In the same year, on demand of the people more pumps were installed and inefficient sump wells, which on account of accumulation of
debris prevented the pumps from working smoothly, have also been modified. In the State assembly on Tuesday, GDD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that tackling the city’s artificial flood problem was impossible. Speaking at the assembly, he said, “100% solution to Guwahati’s artificial flooding was impossible.” He also said that the first and second wave of rainfalls could be tackled; however, the mud from hills in the third spell clogs the city’s drains.
Number of vehicales used for de-siltation:
PC 200 PC130
5 Nos 3 Nos
PC70 (Bars mounted excavator)
4
PC 50 (Bars mounted excavator)
9
PC 20 (Bars mounted excavator)
1
Dumper
30
juthika.baruah@g-plus.in
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Water scarcity spawns illegal ground water extraction, sale
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City
Rahul Chanda
With the GMDA water supply project still remaining a “pipedream� the scarcity of water has raised an illegal underground water racket severely depleting the ground water levels in the process
Illegal auto-van water carriers in Guwahati | G Plus photo
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ccording to sources in the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), water level data analysis shows that in general there is a fall in ground water level in almost all parts of the state. While about 61% of the wells analysed are showing fall in water level, about 38% of the wells are showing a rise. 2% wells showed no change in water level. Of the 38% wells showing rise, 34% have shown a rise in the 0-2 mtr range. Out of the 61 % wells in the fallen category, about 54 % of the wells have shown a fall in the 0-2 mtr range. Maximum rise in water level has been recorded at 5.92 m. In the Guwahati scenario, the city is witnessing a sharp rise in the use of ground water for various purposes, and cumulatively, the ground water level is going down. The authorities do keep an eye on the use of underground water, but there are people in the city who are using the ground water limitlessly. In many areas it has been observed that underground water is being sold after sourcing it up through bore-wells. Is this legal? As it is turning out to be a lucrative business for many to make huge money do they require any trade license? Do the bodies like CGWB issue any kind of NOC to the people who are doing such business? G Plus looks into the scenario.
The business A city-based advocate and a resident of Bhootnath area, Avi-
nash Rai, talking to G Plus said that in his area, his neighbour has two bore-wells near his compound gate and this neighbour sells water throughout the day to people. This water is transported by auto vans. He said that 100 to 150 auto vans transport water throughout the day. This essentially means that around 15,000 litres of water is extracted everyday because of which the arsenic level of the underground water is rising and this has become an issue. He also says because of the autos, which start operations from 5.30 am, there is severe noise pollution in the area. Similarly, as there is dearth of underground water in some city areas and also because there is no sufficient supply of underground water, some people have decided to cash in on the situation by selling underground water without any treatment. We moved around the city and discovered that there are many areas where people openly sell underground water filling it in tanks. We went to the people running the business and asked them what is the maximum amount of water they can provide in one day and they said that the capacity of one tank is 750 litres which can be easily carried by an auto van. So, they can provide whatever quantity is required. An underground water seller in Rupnagar area added that one tank of water costs Rs 250 if it is to be supplied within close proximity of the source. The charge for supplying anywhere
in the city is Rs 350. On enquiring if they have any license for such business, the seller said that he has been selling water since the last five years and never required any license. The police and the authorities know that there is a scarcity of water. Hence, it is a variety of social work that he is doing. There are many such water sellers located in Kumarpara, Fancy Bazar area, Christanbasti (most people in the area are facing the problem of water scarcity as underground water level is decreasing drastically in the area according to local residents), Lal Ganesh, Sixmile and Bhangagarh among many other places in the city. But now the question that remains: is the business of water selling legal?
The authorities For any business in the city, people require trade license from the urban local body. A G Plus team visited Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) where a highly placed source talking to G Plus said that no such license has been issued to anyone till date. The source said that underground
water related business requires an NOC from the CGWB and only they can provide a clarification on whether there is any rule or provision of allowing people to sell underground water. But at times the GMC receives complaints about such incidents. After probing, it is found that the business is illegal and accordingly, the department seizes the errant bore-wells and stops the business. The source said that the GMC cannot keep tracking people who are doing such business as water is the main source of sustenance for human life. But whenever there is a complaint the department acts accordingly. According to CGWB sources, sale of untreated underground water is absolutely illegal and if brought to notice the authorities can prosecute. The underground water can be used after proper treatment and be sold in proper drinking water bottles. But in such an eventuality, such a business will turn into a bottling plant and the source also said that for bottling plants NOCs are required from the department which is is-
sued after proper scrutiny. But in Guwahati city there have been no such NOCs issued till date, which means there is no bottling plant and whatever underground water is being sold is untreated which is illegal. The source said that any business where water is the primary raw material an NOC is required from the CGWB to set up the business. But as in some pockets of the city, there is huge dearth of underground water proper scrutiny by the CGWB can only decide where business with underground raw water can be set up or not. Till date no such NOC has been issued. All things considered, the sellers might be claiming that they are doing social work by selling underground water but technically the business is illegal. Interestingly, the business is growing and the authorities are not taking any action. The GMDA water supply project still remains a dream and only after its completion might the issue might get resolved. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
In The News
Government schools to be assessed through Gunotsav from April 4
Juthika Baruah
708 schools to be assessed in Kamrup (M) and the schools with low grades will be improved so as to provide quality education to the students done on the lines of CCE which is a system of keeping continuous track of the growth and development of a child in respect of curricular and co-curricular activities. Major constraints regarding implementation of CCE are as follows: Lack of clarity amongst most of the teachers regarding the philosophy of CCE and implementation of the same in true spirit Teachers view that CCE cannot be implemented properly as it is complex to understand and implement and more so in schools having high enrolment Remedial measures are ad-hoc if any but mostly not taken
is identified. Necessary course correction based on the performance of the child is therefore not happening in most of the schools Gunotsav will be held from Class II-VIII, a report card will be prepared and accordingly the schools that are lagging behind on all fronts will be improved. Moreover, most of the schools do not have extracurricular activities in school and most of the sports posts are lying vacant. While the chief minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, assured that the city and the state of Assam will be made a hub of sports the question arises as to how the chief minister will make
No. of schools to be covered in Kamrup (M) Kshitish Ch. Pegu, ADC, Kamrup (Metro) elaborating on Gunotsav | G Plus photo
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n the backdrop of the Right to Education Act, 2009, the National Curriculum Frame Work 2005 and the National Policy on Education 1986 it has been made imperative for the stakeholders of education to assess and ensure quality education especially in the lower primary and upper primary schools of the state. With this end in view, it has also become imperative for all to track the continuation of the education up to elementary level, make a holistic diagnosis of performance of the school, ensure greater participation of the stakeholders, generate awareness among the functionaries, decrease the dropout rate, and increase teachers’ accountability. Gunotsav was first introduced in Gujarat and the state of Assam has also taken the decision to initiate similar kinds of assessment from the academic year 2017. The Gunotsav will be held in eight districts in the first phase viz. Barpeta, Chirang, Dibrugarh, Hailakandi, Kamrup (M), Lakhimpur, Morigaon and West Karbi Anglong from
4th April to 7th April, 2017. “In the previous years, such initiative had not been taken for the schools and therefore the performance of both the students and the teachers have never been evaluated. The evaluation will help the schools to achieve good grades; if a school gets Grade D then the areas where the school is lagging behind will be examined and special attention will be given and accordingly care will be taken to upgrade it to Grade A or B,” said Kshitish Ch. Pegu, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M).
Objective of Gunotsav To assess each child as mandated under CCE to identify learning gaps To indicate learning gaps and to design effective strategies to meet these gaps To ensure learning enhancement and achievement of learning outcomes by all children at elementary level To assess the perfor-
mance of schools in areas viz. scholastic, co-scholastic, availability and utilization of infrastructure and community participation etc. To ensure greater participation of all stakeholders starting from teachers, students, administrators, communities and enhance accountability among them for quality education To support the school and education system to improve the quality education and ensure better functioning of schools The RTE Act prescribes Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE) of child, understanding of knowledge and his or her ability to apply the same. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005 proposed examination reforms to reduce stress on children and make evaluation comprehensive and regular. The National Policy on Education, 1986 has also states that CCE should incorporate both scholastic and non-scholastic aspects of evaluation spread over the total span of instructional time. The present evaluation system is being
Name of Block
Category wise total number of School LP
ME
MV
Composite
Total
Guwahati Dimoria Total
310 222 532
70 33 103
11 0 11
65 7 72
446 262 708
Number of Liaison officers, external evaluators and nodal teachers Name of Block Dimoria
Total No of Liaison Officers 22
Total No of External Evaluator 88
Total No of Teacher 262
Guwahati
42
169
446
Total
64
257
708
Number of students to be assessed Name of Block
Total No of Student LP
ME
MV
Composite
Total
Dimoria Guwahati
310 32788
70 9019
11 1571
65 9273
456 52651
even after identification of learning gaps of children after evaluation Record keeping, which is one of the major components of CCE, is viewed by majority of teachers as a burden As the whole process of evaluation is internal, it is difficult to ensure whether proper assessment of learning outcomes of children is done and learning gap
DC Kamrup (M) and team inspect Deepor Beel
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ith the monsoon fast approaching, flooding is now a concern that the administration is looking to tackle early on. To prevent the same, DC Kamrup (Metro) Dr M Angamuthu along with Addl. Deputy Commissioner Pulak Mahanta, and other officials visited Depor Beel and
its adjoining areas on Thursday morning and inspected the illegal encroachment and extraction of sand and soil. The team led by the DC started the inspection from the side of Assam Engineering College, Jalukbari up to the fringe area of Tetelia. Illegal encroachment of Dee-
the city a hub of sports when most of the schools do not have a sports faculty and students do not get scope to learn sports or be trained in sports. There are many students who have hidden talents but due to lack of facilities in school, they do not get the opportunity to exhibit their talent. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in
G Plus News por Beel has been a cause of concern for the administration for a very long time. The DC saw some illegal encroachments and loose soil dumped over the natural channels of water which has blocked its natural flow. This has been a reason for the flooding of the national highway and may cause artificial
flood in the city too. The DC has ordered the officials of concerned departments to take stern action against this and additionally has asked the Revenue & Forest Department to undertake a thorough survey of the entire Deepor Beel and to clear the entire blockage on natural channels.
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
7
Concern
Textbook distribution delayed due to non-availability of paper
Juthika Baruah
According to the education minister, TDC students are likely to get free textbooks from 2019
A protest rally in Guwahati demanding free textbooks | G Plus photo
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he first three months of the new academic year of the school have gone wasted as the state government delayed in distributing textbooks. The main reason for this delay was that there was no printing paper in the Jagiroad paper mill. The academic year of the government schools, which should have started in January, has been delayed by three months. Who will be responsible if the syllabus is not covered and completed on time? Since 2012, textbooks have been distributed on time but this year it has been delayed by two-three months due to non-availability of printing paper.
has come for Class IX and X and ASTPPC has distributed 1.01 crore books which is 93.5%. Rs. 70 crores has been funded for printing and distribution of books for Class I-VIII and Rs. 35 crores for Class IX-X,” said a highly placed official of ASTPPC, while speaking to G Plus.
The distribution “Most vernacular schools have remained closed from 17th February till the second week of March as they are designated centres for the Matriculation ex-
regular classes are expected to be held only from the third week of March,” the source said. According to the official of the Corporation, books have returned from some districts as it has exceeded the number that is required there. According to the academic calendar released by Dispur, there will be around 260 days of classes in the schools for the year. “The first phase of distribution has been completed. Only some schools are left in some districts where distribution will take place soon. This year distribution of textbooks has been delayed as there is lack of printing paper in Jagiroad. The party which was not able to supply the paper on time had to be changed. New parties had to be taken for the contract and therefore the process got delayed,” said the Director of Directorate of Secondary Education, Phanindra Jidung. Although the government had assured that the textbooks would be distributed by December, 2016 it has been delayed by three months. This was a part of the education scheme that endeavoured to ensure that the textbooks reached on time before the commencement of the new
schools, all model schools under Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhijan (RMSA) and all non-provincialized schools receiving financial incentives at any point of time.
The authorities As per the notification issued by the Secondary Education Department, the Assam State Textbook Production and Publication Corporation Limited will be the agency entrusted for printing and distribution of free textbooks. The Director of Secondary Education is designated as the State Nodal Officer for implementation of the scheme at the Directorate level while the inspectors of school will be the district nodal officers for implementation of the scheme in the respective districts, the statement said. To supervise the implementation of the scheme there shall be a state-level committee with Principal Secretary of Education Department as Chairman and Secretary of Secondary Education Department as Member Secretary. To monitor the receipt and distribution of free textbooks, a district-level committee with Dep-
The requirement The year 2017-18 has a requirement of 2.17 crores books to be printed by the Assam State Textbook Production and Publication Corporation (ASTPPC) for Classes I to VIII. Of this, 2.16 crores have been printed which is 99.30%. The state government has also decided to provide textbooks for Class IX and X from the academic year 2017-18 as it aims to increase the enrolment in state-funded schools and reduce school dropout rates. “This year, a requirement of 1.08 crore books for printing
aminations. We had assured that within that time students will receive textbooks and by 25th February almost all the schools had received the textbooks of the main subjects like Maths, Science, English, Social Studies etc. Only some books of MIL and Spoken English are yet to reach the schools and these will be distributed soon. So
session on 1st January. Noting the target groups of the scheme are all students studying in classes 9 and 10 irrespective of their parents’ income, a press statement said that the scheme will cover all government/provincialized (government-funded) high and higher secondary schools, all tea garden schools, local body
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uty Commissioner as Chairman, Inspector of Schools as Member Secretary and two principals are nominated by the Deputy Commissioner as members according to the statement.
The hitches However, All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) also warned to file a
writ petition to High Court under Article 226A seeking proper educational rights in the state seeking to ensure the fundamental right to education under Article 21A of the Constitution of India. They said that Bodo medium has been deprived from proper educational rights in the state due to negligence of the state government. ABSU demanded that the state government take stern steps to ensure proper supply of books. It has been alleged that in most of the books that have been supplied errors were found in printing including books of mathematics,
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Hindi etc. They also alleged that the state government has been discriminating the Bodo medium schools and demanded the government to provide proper recruiting opportunity to the Bodo medium schools in the state.
The future The education minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a statement said that from 2019, books are likely to be distributed among degree students as well. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Health
30-45% of adult population suffers from insomnia worldwide
Juthika Baruah
Obstructive Sleep Apnea affects approximately 4% of the adult population which impacts a person’s health and well-being
Dr. Rakesh Pariwal addressing a press conference on World Sleep Day
D
o you snore while sleeping? And do you think snoring is a disease which might affect a person’s health? Snoring is very common among a lot of people but that it could be an indicator of an underlying disease is almost unknown. Dr. Rakesh Periwal speaks about the disease on the occasion of World Sleep Day which is celebrated on 17th March every year. Different themes are adopted each year; this year the theme is ‘Sleep Soundly, Nurture Life.’ World Sleep Day is an annual event to raise awareness on sleep disorders and the burden that they place on society. Most sleep disorders are preventable or treatable; yet less than one third of sufferers seek professional help. Sleep problems constitute a global epidemic that threatens health and quality
of life for up to 45% of the world’s population. “People who do not have a good sleep suffer from different diseases like cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, diabetes etc. and one of the major risks is that people with sleep disorders meet with many accidents as they feel sleepy while driving and lose control,” said Dr. Periwal. According to Dr. Periwal, one who repeatedly snores and stops breathing should immediately consult a doctor. The risk factor is more among the people above the age of 40. “Poor sleep is strongly linked to weight gain and people with poor quality of sleep can gain weight becoming obese. Good sleep can improve concentration and productivity and poor sleep also leads to depression,” said Dr. Periwal. While answering a query on
whether people who sleep after a meal is any kind of symptom, the doctor replied that sleeping after a meal during daytime is not a disease but people who sleep while travelling, watching television, waiting in a lounge etc. carry symptoms of disease and they should consult a doctor. Sleep apnea causes daytime sleepiness and fatigue and this is a pervasive and common disorder that affects 4% of men and 2% of women. Importance of sound, restorative sleep Good quality and restorative sleep is essential for day-today functioning. Studies suggest that sleep quality rather than quantity has a greater impact on quality of life and daytime functioning
Healthy sleep in children will improve the child’s overall wellness and development Poor quality sleep has a greater negative impact on health, well-being and satisfaction with life than the quantity of sleep a person gets Quality sleep is responsible for alertness, improved functioning the following day and better quality of life Dr. Periwal also stressed on Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) which significantly impacts health and well-being. The drop in oxygen that occurs when breathing stops due to OSA puts a strain on the heart and can lead to a number of serious health conditions. Directly or indirectly, disrupted sleep can have a negative effect on family life and relationships by affecting a person’s mood and the way in which they are able to perform daily activities and in social interactions. Extent of the epidemic 35% of people do not feel that they get enough sleep, impacting both their physical and mental health Obstructive Sleep Apnea affects approximately 4% of the adult population and if it is not properly managed, OSA can have a significant impact on a person’s health and well-being Restless leg syndrome is a common disorder and occurs to 3-10% of the population although the number of people affected and the severity of the condition differs between countries People who have OSA stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. OSA is caused by the blockage of the upper airway. The col-
lapse of the airway may be due to factors such as a large tongue, extra tissue or decreased muscle tone holding the airway open Each breathing pause can last from 10 seconds to more than a minute and is accompanied by a drop in oxygen associated with each occurrence. The event may occur to 5 to 50 times or more each hour. This puts a strain on the heart and can lead to a number of serious health conditions In northern India, the prevalence of OSA and OSA syndrome is 13.7% and it is an independent risk factor for hypertension and other cardiovascular ailments whereas, in children, OSA may be the underlying cause of neuropsychological disturbances. Paediatric sleep apnea is typically associated with adenotonsillar hypertrophy. As the people in northeast and Assam do not consult doctors for these type of diseases it cannot be quantified as to what percentage of people are suffering from this disease. As the people are not aware of this disease here in Assam they take snoring lightly and think that it is basically common and normal phenomenon among people. Insomnia affects between 3045% of the adult population and primary insomnia (insomnia with no underlying condition) affects 1-10% of the general population, increasing up to 25% in the elderly. Studies have shown that people with insomnia suffer from more symptoms of anxiety and depression than people without insomnia. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in
Weather report for the week Guwahati
SUN
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Partly Cloudy
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Partly Cloudy
27° / 18° C
24° / 17° C
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27° / 18° C
29° / 20° C
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SATURDAY
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Two minors rescued from suspected traffickers
I
n a shocking incident, two minor girls were rescued from the hands of suspected traffickers in Guwahati with police arresting four people in relation
to the incident. On 15th March, a missing complaint was registered in Satgaon police station stating that two minor girls, one a 17-year-old and the other 14 years old, had not returned home since morning. Later, police recovered them from an apartment in Hatigaon and also arrested four people.
The incident On 15th March, two minors
residing in Batahghuli, left their homes saying that they were going for a party in the morning. They informed their respective parents that they would return soon. When, till late night, they did not return the parents lodged a complaint with the Satgaon police and the police immediately started searching for the minors. The police started collecting information about the girls from their friends and some police sources informed them that the girls were in an apartment in Hatigaon. The police raided Shiv Shakti Enclave located at Banphool Path, Hatigaon at 1.10 am and found both the girls with three male adults namely Dikuraj Nath, Subham Jalan and Bidyut
State Govt to invest Rs. 2 Cr for development of each police station in Assam G Plus News
Pathak. All three of them were around 21 years old. Dikuraj’s mother, Bhagyashree Devi, 48 years old, was also present.
The arrest Satgaon police, talking to G Plus, said that they found all of them under the influence of alcohol but the girls were not as drunk as the boys were. The mother of Dikuraj was also under the influence of alcohol. Police said that they also recovered some tickets to Bangaluru which meant that some of them were slated to travel to Bangaluru the next day. Police arrested the three men and Bhagyashree on the suspicion that they were planning to traffic both the minors to Bangaluru. Mean-
Snippets
Juthika Baruah
while, the police is investigating the case to find more evidence and is also awaiting medical reports which will state whether the minors were sexually exploited or not. The police said that a case has been registered under section 366A but if the medical reports say that the minors were sexually exploited then POCSO will be also added in the sections. All four arrested accused are in judicial custody now. Meanwhile, the police also said that Dikuraj was known to one of the girls but the other two boys were not known to them. Also, the mother of Dikuraj was arrested as she knew everything and did not allow the minors to return home.
ADVERTISEMENT Application in standard form as prescribed in the Assam Gazette in Part-IX are invited in sealed envelope from the intending eligible candidates who are bonafide citizen of India vide Article -5 to 8 of the Constitution of India for filling up of the following Vacant under the office of the Chief Inspector of Boilers, Assam, Lalmati, Guwahati-29. SI.No
Name of Posts
Scale of pay
Total No. of Vacancy
Educational and other Qualification
1.
Junior Assistant
Rs.5200/- Rs.20,200/-+GP+ Other allowances as admissible.
3(Three) UR, l(One) ST(H) 1(One) Person with Disability (PwD)
1.A candidate must possess a Bachelor Degree from a University/ Institute recognized by Govt. of Assam or any examination declared equivalent by the Government. 2 . Must possess computer skills for handling data and text on computer including computer typing both English and Assamese.
Age as on 01.01.2017 18 Yrs-38 Yrs. Relaxation as shall be given to reserved category as per rule in force.
Terms and conditions:1)
T
he Assam government has decided to invest Rs 2 crore in each police station across the state with the aim to modernize infrastructure in police stations and make them well equipped in dealing with new-age crimes. In the initiative to develop the police stations, the state government would consider on dealing with cases related to drug abuse, cyber crimes etc. The government has also said that efforts will be made to improve the signalling procedures of various places across the state including Guwahati. The government has also announced the implementation of ‘Mission Moitri’, a time-bound system reform programme for the overall improvement of police stations in the state. Under this mission, the state government will invest an amount of Rs 2 crores for the overall development of police
stations that will also include internet connectivity and basic tools that could be used to detect cyber crimes in all police stations of the state within the next financial year. Along with these, police personnel will be trained to improve their soft skills and responsiveness to deal with the rising number of crimes. An amount of Rs 125 crores has been proposed in the state budget 2017-18 under ‘Mission Moitri’ which would cover 63 police stations in Assam. To reduce road accidents in urban areas of the state, the government will lay greater emphasis on proper regulation of traffic and improved signalling system in 99 urban areas. In the next financial year, traffic signalling system is expected to be improved in Guwahati, Silchar, Diphu, Dhubri, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, Jorhat and Tezpur.
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The application in prescribed format must be accompanied and by the followinga) Copies of all certificates / mark sheets in support of educational qualification other qualificatio n, age, caste and valid employment exchange Registration card. b) Two copies of self- attested r ecent passport size colour photograph. c) A self -addressed envelope (size 22 x 10 cm) affixing postal stamp of Rs.5 only. d) Original Copy of Treasury Challan showing deposit of application Fee under the Head of Account "0230- Labour & Employment, 103-Fees for Inspection of Steam Boilers" Fee for i. ii. iii.
2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8)
General -Rs.250/- ( Rupees Two hundr ed fifty) only. SC/ST/ OBC- Rs 150/- (Rupees One Hundred and Fifty) only. Candidate having BPL. Certificate- NIL.
The last date of receipt of application is 22.03.2017. No application will be entertained after 5.00 P.M. of the last date fixed. The incomplete application will be rejected without giving any information to the c andidate. The applicants will have to appear all the test at their own expenses. A valid and readily accessible E-mail ID of the candidates must be mentioned in the application form. No responsibility shall be taken for loss or late delivery of the application and / or call letter by the authority. Date and place of written test, computer proficiency test , Type writing shall be communicated to the Eligible candidates in due time. The candidates should submit/send their application to the office of the Chief Inspector of Boilers Assam. Lalmati, Guwahati -29. Sd/- Chief Inspector of Boilers, Assam Lalmati, Guwahati -29. Janasanyag/2555/16
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Governance
Continued from page 1
Is tourism campaign in safe hands now?
After controversies revolving around the Awesome Assam campaign, ATDC now has a new team with a new MD and Chairman who want to “hit the ground with speed and transparency”
Awesome Assam logo being launched by state tourism minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma | File photo
tourism in all sectors - wildlife, spirituality, tea, golf, adventure, leisure, monsoon, film, and so on. The campaign, with the logo, was launched in September, 2016. Soon after, the logo came in for sharp criticism from many creative professionals and according to media reports the logo was termed as a very crude representation of Assam “full of technical faults.” Firstly, the rhino in the logo looked more like a cow or a buffalo. Then the rhino was rendered less significant than the tea leaves. The typography was very weak and not legible instantly. The ‘M’ looked more like ‘N’ and tended to read as ‘Assan’ and not ‘Assam’. Similarly, people started questioning the creative efficiency of the tourism department even as the department countered that the essence of creative works varies from individual to individual depending on the interpretation. All said and done, Priyanka Chopra was roped in and she visited Guwahati in the month of December 2016.
The brand ambassador When Priyanka visited the city, the ATDC invited a number of guests to Hotel Radisson Blu and even the media was eagerly waiting for a glimpse of the actor who arrived and announced that she will be the face of Assam Tourism and will promote Assam globally. Priyanka said that she finds connection with northeast India having travelled on many occasions to Manipur during the making of the biopic Mary Kom. Regarding her busy schedule she
said that she had honoured all her commitments and spaced out things accordingly and she will not let anyone down. The government received mixed response on the decision of selecting Priyanka Chopra as the brand ambassador with some people appreciating the move and some questioning the cost involved and Assam’s benefit from the decision. People awaited the campaigns which were expected to be prepared by the tourism department and very recently an advertisement in the in-flight magazines of various airlines went viral with people slamming the government for a pathetic piece of creative work.
The pathetic advertisement The first advertisement of Assam Tourism featuring its brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra was slammed by all and sundry as a piece of pathetic creative work after the much-hyped launch of the celebrity brand ambassador. The advertisement, which was released for in-flight magazines of a few airlines, has a picture of Priyanka and a rhino in the backdrop with the tagline ‘Naturally wild, kyunki yeh Assam hai!!’ raising questions on the tourism department’s ability to project the wildlife of Assam in the correct manner. The advertisement, now viral on social media, was slammed for starting the much-hyped campaign - supposed to be expensive and featuring a celebrity - without adequate background research. But why did it happen? Who designed such a
campaign? G Plus visited ATDC to talk to the then Managing Director, Anurag Singh. On 6th March, Anurag Singh, talking to G Plus, said that he does not want to comment anything on the controversy and the government will release its statement if required. On being asked which agency was responsible for the pathetic advertisement and what the tendering process was, he refused to comment anything and asked us to talk to the tourism department who might be able to throw better light. G Plus visited the directorate of tourism where the sources said that everything was handled by Anurag Singh and they have no idea about anything as they had not been kept in the loop. Interestingly, sources informed G Plus the very same day that Anurag Singh had been transferred out and a new MD will join the corporation soon. A higher official of tourism department, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that Anurag Singh was transferred because of the advertisement controversy and Square Brand Communication of Delhi was the agency which designed the creative. Singh was thus transferred and soon enough G Plus received information that the new MD Kausar J Hilaly has taken over. Meanwhile, BJP leader Jayanta Mallah Baruah was also appointment as the chairman of the corporation. So is the campaign in safe hands now?
The new team G Plus talked exclusively to the new MD Kausar J Hilaly
who, regarding the controversial advertisement, said that controversies are a matter of interpretation while stressing that the creative could have perhaps been better. On being asked what the new team’s plan is he said, “We would like to hit the ground with speed and transparency.” He said that for the corporation the most important thing is the increase in inflow of tourists to the state; revenues come second. He said that as there is a new team in place with the very efficient Jayanta Mallah Baruah as the chairman there are many plans of the department and very soon people will see the change. Talking about some major plans he said that all existing infrastructure will be upgraded. There will be a new film tourism strategy in place. After a month, the National Geographic Channel will make a documentary on the state that will be sponsored by the tourism department. The new team is working on many scripts and the videos will be shot on the best scripts. He said that whatever publicity and promotion will be done, will happen only after discussions with experts; absolutely the best people will be hired. On being asked if the same agency will design the campaigns he said that whatever has been done so far was by an agency which had a oneyear agreement with the directorate of tourism and as the contract has come to an end, new agencies will be hired through proper tendering process. Even the existing agency can compete when the tender is floated if they fulfil the criteria, but he stressed that absolutely the best people will be hired. Hilaly said that the best of script and designs will be done keeping in mind the sensibilities of the people of Assam. He also said that as he has just joined, all the details about the budget of the campaign and other financial aspects will be transparently made available to G Plus. He said that the chairman is very dynamic and supportive and the people will see a decent campaign which will certainly attract tourists. Hilaly sounded confident and it quite seems like the Awesome Assam campaign is in safe hands now. The coming days will hopefully prove it.
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Voice of the voiceless World Puppetry Day, 21 March st
W
orld Puppetry Day celebrates an art that is as old as the history of communication within humankind which is just as relevant today. Every culture and communication has its own history. The art of puppetry is as grand and glorious a tradition that includes all genres of stories, transcends languages, and unites the world in a way that is truly unique and powerful. Like every year, even this year the world will listen to what the puppets will say on 21st March – a day that is celebrated across the world as World Puppetry Day. Folk drama is an indissoluble part of traditional communication. The identity of a community is always reflected by its language, cultural performances, and regional inheritance. Puppetry is one such inheritance that has played a vital role as an agent of communication since time immemorial. Puppets are for entertainment, for sending out social messages, for giving voice to the voiceless and also for therapy. The ancient art of puppetry is finding ever new forms, not just in India, but across the world as artists hone their act to keep up with the changing times. At present the culture of puppetry is divided into four genres in our country – Shadow Puppetry, Rope Puppetry, Hand Puppetry, and Stick Puppetry. The former two have been prevailing in Indian as well as Assamese society since ancient times while the latter two forms have evolved in recent times. Considering the significance of the role that puppetry has played
in conveying messages to mass audiences, the pundits and the researchers of ancient India have termed India as the birth place of puppetry as an art form. Rope Puppetry for the first time came into existence in Rajasthan, and its importance is still prevalent in many parts of the state. With time, the art form had spread to different parts of the nation including Assam. Currently, Rope Puppetry continues to be an important art form in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, and Karnataka.
who could not conceive a baby also conducted rituals of puppet shows based on religious stories to seek blessings from the audiences. In Assam, this form is known by other names too than just puppetry, such as Boti Putola, Tatek Naat, Putola Bhaona etc. Although this art has begun to perish from
between the people and the performers. The artist, who handles the movements of the puppets and makes them dance as the story proceeds, is known as Baazigar. The Baazigar holds the puppets with a black string, and carries a Pepa made of jute or bamboo flakes to give a voice-over to the puppets. On the other hand, the Sutradhar relays the songs and poems and narrates the script on which the puppets perform. Archana Kalita of Cultural Department, Rabindra Bhawan says, “There is so much history related to this art form which our generation should know. People hardly know that this art form could be so much more than just entertainment. The messages that these handmade puppets convey are easy to understand and leave an impact for life. It is amazing to see and be a part of this whole art culture. It is very important for the new generation to come forward and carry this tradition ahead. Modernism is good, but carrying the identity that has led to this modernism is always incredible.” This art form of prehistoric era has been facing major hurdles for survival within the rapidly evolv-
A glimpse of puppet shows in Assam The mention of the significance of puppetry in Kalika Puran during the 10th-11th century proves that puppetry has been a part of Assamese culture since the 10th century. The journey that this art form has traversed through the centuries is indeed notable. The artists of the rural villages of Assam have played a major role in keeping this art alive. During the Pre-Vaishnav Era, this art form was an irreplaceable property in transmitting religious and social messages. The mythological stories which are the grassroots of Indian culture were represented in artistic forms with the help of puppets to the villagers. It was believed that stories transmitted through these hand crafted puppets were easily understood by the people who were insulated from any form of education. It was also believed that conducting rituals of puppet marriage chased away bad omens from the society. During the ancient times, couples
the urban society, it is still considered to be an easy medium of mass communication in the rural places. This art form which is primarily based on movements and gestures made with hands requires open spaces for performance. For the convenience of people, a standard dais size has to be approximately two and a half feet above the ground, and nearly eight to nine feet wide. Conventional puppet shows do not make use of electrical lights but earthen lamps lit on either side of the stage. A team for a puppet show consists of seven to nine members. A Sutradhar, who is the narrator of the whole story, is the link
ing city life. The central and the state governments have taken major steps to help the art form in adapting the technicali-
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Feature
Chandrika Das ties of the modern age. The state government, from time to time, has arranged for workshops in and across the state and made arrangements for the artists of Assam to perform in other parts of the country mainly to promote the culture and language of the state.
Global traditions In its simplest essence, puppetry is a form of storytelling, which is why it is so easily relatable to human beings given the ability of imagination, fantasy and creation of ideas in the minds of humans. Almost all countries have their own history of puppetry in its rich cultural bouquet, be it the Turkish tradition of shadow play named Karagöz and Hacivat, which was widespread throughout the Ottoman empire, or the Pupi Siciliani (Sicilian puppets), which are large marionettes dressed in knightly armour and were part of the traditional form of popular theatre in Sicily in the early 1800s.
The way ahead With its new found status as an art form that can be used for more than just entertainment, is puppetry poised for greater things? Is it ready to meet the challenges in the increasingly competitive entertainment options available today? Will lifeless materials be able to stir the feelings in the heart of people, when people are already occupied in this tech savvy world? On this World Puppetry Day, the hope is to see puppetry live and grow as long as humans continue to tell stories, their imagination finding a way into the hearts of the audiences and giving rise to voices that were suppressed and silenced.
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
In Conversation
Forest Man of Assam
Jadav Payeng
Celebrating World Forestry Day on 21st March Kalyan Deb
“There are numerous children who take admission in schools every year. If each student plants a tree within the premise of their school and takes care of it for the next five years, such steps will bring the much needed change in the world,” says the Forest Man of Assam like Arunachal Pradesh, China, etc. and took shelter here. But due to subsequent lack of water and green cover the snakes faced an unfortunate death. The same year before the month of June I saw around 12 snakes die and after monsoon was over the scorching heat of the sun killed around 23 more snakes as they could not find shelter. This shook me to the core and I sought to find a solution.
What is the background of the land where the forest has been created? File photo of “The Forest Man” Jadav Payeng
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young lad of 14 or 15, just for the love of trees, ended up creating a oneof-its-kind masterpiece giving a habitat to numerous animals and birds. His work is not hidden from anyone and he is a rock star in his own right. Jadav Payeng is commonly known as the Forest Man of India. The well deserved fame that he got did not come overnight but took three decades of selfless, committed hard work and tenacity that had no expectations in return. The teenager set out all alone in April 1979 to plant life on the tough terrain of the eroded island near Kokilamukh of Jorhat that was covered with sand and silt. He sowed the seeds and shoots and ended up creating 1,360 acres of pure jungle. For almost three decades, off everyone’s radar, without support or subsidies, without fear or favour, the Forest Man continued to expand the forest. The fruits of his labour are now being savoured around the world.
Today, this jungle is called Molai Forest, named after Jadav “Molai” Payeng, the man who made this possible singlehandedly. His forest has several thousand trees. Bamboo covers an area of over 300 hectares. A herd of around 100 elephants regularly visits the forest every year and generally stays for around six months. While the entire planet will be celebrating World Forestry Day on 21st March, G Plus tries to spread the message of the Forest Man himself and get some insights of his great life.
What was the particular incident that triggered the wish to create a forest all by yourself? The history Kokilamukh dates back to 19th century where the battle between British and Mughals took place. Devastation occurred between 1965 and 1970 when floods ravaged the village eroding everything - not just houses of people but the railway
tracks and the shipyard. During a flood in 1979, hundreds of snakes, reptiles and silt came floating to the area from places
The area was turned into a dry piece of land covered with sand. It was very difficult to grow trees and I was dependent on nature. People suggested to me to plant the longest existing grass in the world. I could not initially un-
derstand that they were referring to bamboo. I started with fifty bamboo plants and as suggested by people I placed a pot on top of each plant that would continuously drip water to the soil. I would pour water on the pot every five days and that is how the green cover kept increasing. I was also very selective about the trees as not all of them grow on sand and gradually, as more seeds sprouted from the trees, it gave birth to more trees. In thirty years the trees formed the forest.
Who was the first person that noticed your work and spread the word? When did he do it? It was 2007-08. Jitu Kalita, a Jorhat-based journalist who writes a column on nature in Prantik, an Assamese magazine,
Jadav Payeng has been honoured on several occasions 22nd April 2012 - honoured at a public function arranged by the School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Sudhir Kumar Sopory named Jadav Payeng as “Forest Man of India” in the same function In October 2013, he was honoured at Indian Institute of Forest Management during their annual event Coalescence In September 2102, he was among 900 specialists who assembled at the seventh global conference of the International Forum for Sustainable Development at Evian in France On 17th June, 2014 the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar felicitated Jadav Payeng on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD). In July, 2012 he was felicitated by Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam Azad In 2015, he was honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
13
In Conversation stumbled upon me when he was stalking birds in the area. While he was clicking pictures of birds here, an elderly person directed him towards me and told him that there is a person called Molai and there are several birds in his forest. It was then that he found himself inside the forest. It was Kalita who mentored me towards the international platform and gradually several media houses from all over the world came here and wrote about me, made documentaries and presented my work to the world.
Although you are known for your work not many are aware about how you spend your day and earn your livelihood. I have none that I can call my support system. I earn through nature and give back to nature. I have some cows and buffalos and from 3 am I get engaged with them. I sell milk and the forest sustains the rest of my family’s requirements. After a brief rest and meal, from around 9 am for the rest of the day I am engaged with the forest collecting saplings and plantations. That is what
keeps me busy.
If given a chance which place would you like to turn into a forest? The place does not matter. I would love to plant saplings anywhere in the world. But there are several technicalities involved. You cannot plant a tree any time of the year. You have to work according to nature.
What would be your steps if you are given the forest and environment ministry? In today’s educational system the subject of environmental science is only confined to books and children hardly have any practical knowledge. It is necessary to initiate environmental education which is the only way to preserve the eco-system of our earth. So, environmental education has to be given preference because one person alone cannot increase the green cover of the world but we can if we all come together. The children have to be imparted this knowledge. My thinking is if 100 children are taught about the environment, 10 of them will
National Health Mission’s MAA launched in city
M
AA - Mother’s Absolute Affection, a programme of National Health Mission, Assam has been launched in city to promote and popularize Infant Young Child Feeding (IYCF) among the community at GMCH Auditorium in the presence of Dr. AC Baishya, Executive Director, NHM; Barnali Sharma, District Development Commissioner cum ADC (Health); Dr. Narayan Sarma, Child Health Consultant; Dr. Zaman, Maternal Health Consultant, NHM; Dr. Sridhar, Health Officer, UNICEF, Sikha Borthakur, BCC Expert, Dr. Ganesh Saikia, Joint Director of Health Services, and many UNICEF and state officials along with members of Mahila Arugya Samiti members, ANM, ASHA Workers, Link Workers and
sure become aware and they will spread the message to 10 others. Soon the awareness will spread across the world. There are numerous children who take admission in schools each year and if each student plants a tree within the premises of their school and takes care of it and protect it for the next five years, such steps will bring the much needed change in the world.
After you who will carry on with your legacy? I have planned to turn it into a community forest where the neighbouring villages will take care and preserve the forest and its animals. Meanwhile, I do not use the money I have received from the various awards bestowed on me including the one I received from former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Sir. Rather, I have appointed five persons to look after the forest with the money. I was once told by the Dean of Jawaharlal Nehru University that rather than attending big meetings I should interact with children from schools and colleges. So, the travelling keeps me busy at times.
Meanwhile, my personnel inform the forest department whenever a rhino is sighted and also keeps an eye on any tree-cutting taking place. Moreover, Sanctuary Asia has assured that they will provide us with 5 bullock carts, 5 horse carts and 20 bicycles. I have also urged the administration to repair the road that will keep tourists from facing any kind of trouble and will also make the forest the first one in the world to be completely insulated from urbanisation.
You have spoken at several international platforms. Please share a few words about your experiences. When I first visited Jitu Kalita’s office I told him that the trees have given me clothes, the birds have taken me across seven seas and it all happened for a reason. When I was invited to Paris, I was asked to plant a sapling. Then people from around the world, irrespective of their caste, race and religion came forward and gave soil to the plant. I saw some people were praying while some were crying and it started to driz-
Tarun Gogoi issues scathing remarks on BJP
G Plus News
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District Health Society of Kamrup Metro District. A total 1,200 participants attended the launching programme. Speaking about the objectives of the programme, Dr. Narayan Sarma, Child Health Consultant informed that the MAA programme is basically organized to popularize breast feeding among the mothers. Dr. Baishya, requested all the grassroot level workers to promote the MAA programme at community level emphasizing basically on breast feeding. Mrs. Sikha Borthakur, BCC Expert, elaborating on the programme, informed all the health workers to work on early initiation of breast feeding, exclusive breast feeding up to 6 months, complimentary feeding.
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n a press meet on Wednesday, Former CM Tarun Gogoi slammed the BJP in light of the recent political events including the Manipur and Goa polls. The Congress leader started by disapproving the fatwa issued on Nahid Afrin. “The fatwa issued on Nahid Afrin is really bad and this trend is a bad sign for the public,” said Gogoi. The Silapathar incident, which has the entire state in an outrage and agitated, was a security lapse according to Gogoi. “How is it possible that Subodh Biswas possibly escaped the State in a boat? When there are route ways out of this country using waterways, security should have been intensified at those points.” The Congress has demanded a ju-
dicial enquiry for the Subodh Biswas incident. The former CM also slammed the BJP by alleging the rampant use of black money in the Manipur and Goa elections. “The use of black money in the Manipur and Goa elections is what got BJP to power,” alleged the veteran leader. Making open declarations about ‘horse-trading’, the leader alleged that BJP won the elections because of horse-trading but did it secretly. “We were also involved in horse-trading in 2009. However, we did it openly, not secretly and cowering like BJP,” alleged the leader. “I am a politician, so we were openly involved in horse-trading. But the BJP preaches the Gita and then does horse-trading which is shameful,” added Gogoi citing double standards. Furthermore, Gogoi added that the construction of a multi-specialty Hospital in Sivasagar as part of ONGC’s CSR initiative is laced with political motive as its construction has allegedly been given to an RSS affiliated group.
zle. That was the moment I felt that the awareness has spread and we will be able survive in a new world. It made me feel that planting saplings has given me immense knowledge and opportunities to meet people from all over the world. So that is the purpose of my existence and I should keep working towards it.
What is your message to the people on the occasion of World Forestry Day? The world that we live in can only survive if the trees exist. We can’t live without trees. So I request people from all around to plant trees. This message is not confined to our nation but goes to people across borders. Germany is the only nation that has a leading position internationally with its environmental technology industry particularly in the fields of air pollution control, noise mitigation and recycling. But it is the need of the hour for the 700 crore people across the world to come together and start planting trees for a better world. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
State song ‘O Mur Apunar Dex’ now available in original form
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G Plus News
s an initiative to bring the state song ‘O Mur Apunar Dex’ written by Roxoraj Lakshminath Bezbaroa in its originality, Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) has recorded the song in its original tune at Jyoti Chitraban on Thursday. The recording of the song will be distributed to the students of all schools in CDs to ensure that the children learn the state song in the correct form from a very young age. Speaking about the initiative, Chairman of ASCPCR said that they have initiated the move in response to the wrong lyrics and tune that most people associate with the song. According to him, a state song is a matter of pride for the whole state and any sort of mistake with the song hurts the sentiments of the people of entire Assam. The Commission on Wednesday also wrote to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal seeking help to popularize the song that has recently been recorded and sung by Anamika Das, Sharmishtha Dihidar, Rupam Das, Bhargabi Gogoi, Chayanika Majumdar, Simi Roy, Kuldip Kalita, Irfan Izaz, and Rajib Roshan.
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Photo Feature
THE ‘HOLI’GANS OF GUWAHATI Guwahati was drenched in colours as the festival of Holi got the city’s spirits high and colourful. Kids, the first ones to start playing and the last ones to go home!
It’s a frisky affair! Colour me more! Guwahatians endlessly celebrate this two day festival smearing each other with colours
Holika Dahan celebrated at Fancy Bazaar with massive fervour
As if the orders were ‘Shoot at Sight!’
The Customary Holi Selfie!
A scene from the Holi celebrations at Fancy Bazaar
The Holi-Devil!
Because it is customary to splash people driving on the roads
But the Holi spirit never dies! People across all ages get excited for the Festival of Colours!
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
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Sports
Himalayan Games dream crashes for Guwahati
Kalyan Deb
The much anticipated Himalayan Games have come under a cloud of uncertainty with the event being postponed indefinitely. It has also raised doubts on the possibility of the event taking place at all or anytime soon with several other events already lined up for the year after the announcement apart from forming the council body. It could also be learnt that a meeting was supposed to take place among the members of the council body on 4th March but the same did not materialize for reasons unknown and the event awaited the final stamp of assent by the appointed members. “Following the announcement of the Games it was planned that by 1st March we would start working towards holding the Games but due to the meeting not taking place it was considered that the Games should be postponed,” the official added.
Falling short of another milestone
Prashant Shukla CEO of 1st Himalayan Region Games-2017 addressing in a press conference regarding at TRP Indoor Stadium
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n February last, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had announced the dates of the 1st edition of the Himalayan Games meet and the venues. It was decided that five neighbouring nations viz. Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Afghanistan and Bhutan besides host nation India, will participate in the meet. The event was scheduled to be held in Guwahati from 21st April to 30th April, 2017.
The plan It is definitely the success of the 12th South Asian Games held here early last year that has opened the gates of opportunities for Guwahati to be made the venue for yet another multi-discipline international sports extravaganza when the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had announced that the
city will be the host to the first ever ten-day extravaganza - Himalayan Region Games. Guwahati was awarded the Games at the time of the South Asian Games itself when chief minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, happened to be the union sports minister and the chairman of the SAG organising committee. The city had earlier hosted the 33rd National Games in 2007 as the first-ever multi-discipline mega event. The Assam government had also moved the external affairs ministry for permission to accommodate countries like Laos and Singapore in the Games.
The uncertainty The indefinite postponement of the event also directs towards the possibility of the event not
taking place anytime soon as Guwahati will also be hosting one of the biggest football extravaganzas, the U-17 FIFA World Cup, to be held in October this year. Meanwhile, it was also informed that the prime reason for the postponement of the event was shortage of preparation. Talking to G Plus, a top official of the organizing committee said, “The event has been indefinitely postponed as there was shortage of time for preparation for the event. There was a little bit of delay in the commencement of the preparations and now it is impossible to organize the event with such less time left. Meanwhile, following the announcement no further steps were taken towards the organising the event.” The source also added that no preparations could be undertaken
Venue for U-17 FIFA WC final likely to be decided on March 27
G Plus News
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he venue for the final of the U-17 World Cup is likely to be decided once the final round of FIFA inspection starting 22nd March is close to completion. A FIFA delegation, led by Head of Events, Jaime Yarza, will visit India from 21st to 27th March for the final inspection of the facilities in the six cit-
ies which will host matches of the U-17 Football World Cup coming October. The team will land in New Delhi on 21st March and inspect the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium there as also the training grounds the next day. Thereafter, the team will be in Goa, before proceeding to Kochi (24th March), Mumbai
(25th March), Guwahati (26th March) and Kolkata (27th March). All the stadiums at the six venues have been revamped for the youth showpiece to be held from 6th to 28th October. The six cities will also have four training grounds each. The draw of the tournament will be held on 7th July, 2017.
Guwahati has become a popular sporting host in the country of late and has hosted a number of major events including the South Asian Games in 2016 and the National Games a few years earlier. The U-17 FIFA World Cup is next in the line. However, the indefinite postponement of the Himalayan Games is a disheartening episode for several sportspersons, especially those from the north-eastern region as much also for the sports crazy citizenry of Guwahati. The Games would have provided an excellent opportunity where sportspersons from all the Himalayan states of the nation would have been provided with a platform to showcase their prowess in sports - especially in disciplines such as archery, boxing, football, etc. Giving details about the event in a press conference held in the city earlier it was informed that about 1,000 sportspersons, both men and women, from five Him-
alayan nations will participate in 10 disciplines. It was announced that the Games will be conducted jointly by the government of India and the government of Assam involving sports disciplines such as archery, athletics, boxing, fencing, football, judo, kho-kho, squash, table tennis and weightlifting for which the venues were also finalised. RG Baruah sports complex was decided as the venue for athletics, table-tennis, squash and judo, while Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium at Sarusajai was decided as the venue for boxing and fencing. The venue for weightlifting was finalised at Bhogeswari Phukanani Indoor Stadium, archery at Maulana Md Tayabulla Hockey Stadium, kho-kho at Tepesia Sports Complex in Sonapur and football at Sports Authority of India ground and Nehru Stadium. The Indian team would comprise sportspersons from states like Assam, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim among others which fall under the Himalayan region. The IOA had appointed its executive member and secretary general of the Table Tennis Federation of India, Dhanraj Choudhary, as the Chairman of the Games Technical Conduct Committee and additional controller general of defence accounts, Prashant Sukul, as the Chief Executive Officer of the organising committee. The event was likely to be initiated with an estimated budget of around Rs 30 crores. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Fun Horoscope of the week
The presence of Mercury and Venus in a sensitive area of your chart could encourage you to take a closer look at your financial situation and get your money working harder for you. At the same time, this blend of energies can be excellent for enhancing your love life. There may be a freshness and spontaneity about the intimate moments you spend together. If you haven’t had much quality time, the cosmos hints that a vacation could be just the ticket.
Your love life could be especially spicy at this time, with a lovely blend of energies just perfect for enjoying some great social occasions and romantic outings. The cosmos also encourages you to explore your senses in more detail, especially if your focus has been on mental pursuits. Take the time to get a sensuous massage or some spa treatments that will help you relax into the present moment. If you experience any difficulties this week, simply let them float away.
The focus on your lifestyle sector could encourage you to consider how productive you are and whether changing your routine might help. This can also relate to your overall energy level and encourage you to let go of any tasks or activities that don’t really serve you. The same goes for your diet or exercise routine. You may be aware of certain changes that could improve your health immeasurably. Getting out and just having fun can also be a wonderful tonic.
This can be an excellent week for finances and work and job progress if you play your cards right. You can now confidently pursue those deals reassured that things will work out in your favor as long as you know what you want. An honest and down-to-earth approach can achieve much. Artistic and musical influences may be strong now, too. Attending a cultural event could leave you feeling very upbeat. If you need a little downtime, take it.
If an ongoing issue won’t go away, you might need to give it more time. A friend may come to the rescue with a fresh perspective that reassures you and gives you confidence about the future. A sociable blend of energies may enhance business options and romantic possibilities, too. You can have the best of both worlds if you want it this week. Even so, with the Sun making an edgy angle to Saturn, being firm can keep someone from taking advantage of you.
The week ahead has some very sociable qualities, and the more you put into arranging activities and connecting with others, the more fun it can be. However, you could encounter some resistance from someone in authority, and this may be a call to discuss a key issue. A tentative approach may well pave the way for a compromise that can work well for both of you. Regarding money, you may become aware of an opportunity that can help your cash flow.
A friendly gesture or delightful opportunity could boost your enthusiasm this week. Career indicators hint that a goal or plan could take longer than you anticipated to come to fruition, but it will happen if you can be patient. In addition, a focus on the element of water hints that you should avoid wasting time on regret. If you need to talk something over with someone, have a heart-to-heart chat and you’ll quickly feel better.
Picture Perfect
Q
Connect these superstars, besides being movie actors
4 3
5
9 7 5 3 74 6 1 1
6 5
9 5
96 7 4 5 8 3 59 62 1 4 6 2 3 5 8 6 3 1 2 4 7 8
1 6 8
Daily Sudoku: Wed 8-Mar-2017
1 4 9 2
Daily Sudoku: Thu 16-Mar-2017
2 4 9 7 6 13 85 48 27 51
8 6 3 2 7 5 4 16 53 97 29
1 7 5 4 2 8 8 97 61 36 42
3 6 5 8 2 1 9 8 9 2 1 2 75 4 97 3 44 5 63 7
4 9 7 1 3 65 36 91 52 88
9 3 4 6 1 76 22 57 38 45
7 2 6 5 5 39 98 84 11 63
First Filmfare award winners in 1954. Dilip Kumar won Best Actor for Daag and Meena Kumari for Baiju Bawra.
Picture Perfect
1. Lady Chatterley’s lover. 2. Nandalal Bose 3. Feldspar 4. Crystal 5. Honor by Huawei
5 1 8 8 4 4 7 31 22 69 97
3 9 4 6 8 1 Daily Sudoku: Wed 8-Mar-2017 easy 5 9 4 3 8 2 1 7 6 2 3 1 9 6 7 8 http://www.dailysudoku.com Word of the week4 5 7 6 8 5 1 4 9 2 3
Cimmerian
Daily Sudoku: Thu 16-Mar-2017
curio-city
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Mercury’s move into your sector of exploration could make you curious to travel to a place you’ve never visited before. Pictures and online reviews may call out to you and be the reason you’re so eager to go ahead and book the trip. But you may have responsibilities connected to your career or business, and attending to these can be particularly fruitful at this time. A job well done may bring further options for a promotion or more and better clients.
3 6 4 7 8 9 2 6 7 9 33
7 2 4 9
(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.
Present influences could see you pushing ahead with a goal that requires charm as well as persistence. Now the cosmos can supply you with both, although the encouragement of your friends may be what persuades you to follow through. But there can be big dividends if you stick with your plan no matter how difficult is to do so. You could be very aware of the bigger picture, but the details are more important at this time.
Sudoku
(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.
As Mars moves more deeply into your spiritual sector, it could stir up feelings that have roots in the past. This is also the time to let go of any baggage that could be keeping you from expressing yourself or achieving your greatest ambitions. One way to do this could be through art or crafts, or by moving your body by dancing, swimming, jogging, or anything else that grounds you. These simple measures can help you feel so much better.
(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.
There are some things that you might prefer to keep secret at this time, so don’t feel guilty about doing so. Even if your best friends encourage you to spill the beans, there’s no reason why you should. You’ll know when you’re ready to update them, but until then silence can be golden. Even so, with Mars in your sign, your actions can speak louder than words. This suggests that you could give the game away even without meaning to.
last week solution
In many ways, the present blend of energies is excellent for manifesting your dreams, as you’re very much in touch with the subtler levels in which they exist. You also have the ability to plan ahead and take action to bring them into reality. If you can avoid becoming bored with an idea before it gets off the ground, something beautiful may blossom over the days and weeks ahead. On another note, a conversation could lead to a sizzling date night.
very hard
adjective [si-meer-ee-uh n] very dark; gloomy
http://www.dailysudoku.c
Crossword
curio-city 1
In the world of literature by what name is Oliver Mellors better known as ?
2
Which famous Bengali Painter illustrated the original constitution of India,written in 1946?
3
What is the most abundant mineral in Earth’s continental crust?
4
If you gift silver for the 25th anniversary and gold for the 50thanniversary,what do you gift for the 15th anniversary?
5
Which newly launched mobile brand has the tagline-For the Brave! Dr. Soubhadra Chakraborty (Quizmaster from Kolkata) This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications
Luann by Greg Evans
Across
Down
7 Breed of dog (4,7) 8 Concerning teeth (6) 9 Unlucky accident (6) 10 Red wine from Bordeaux (6) 12 Colour of the spectrum (6) 13 Can (3) 14 Cotton fabric (6) 16 Weighing machine (6) 18 Ta (6) 20 Tone of voice (6) 22 Cutting down expenses (11)
1 Woodwind instrument (4) 2 Northern Ireland (6) 3 Long dagger (8) 4 Baby carriage (4) 5 Failed to perceive (6) 6 Simple percussion instrument (8) 11 Tough (8) 12 Example (8) 15 Set alight (6) 17 Polar region (6) 19 Observed (4) 21 Nearly (4)
Last week’s solution
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
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Trotter
Twitter users volunteer to be Russia’s latest weapon in the information wars
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eople who signed up for Russian Embassy news and information were asked to permit automatic retweets to share positive news Some Twitter users are voluntarily handing control of their accounts to the UK’s Russian Embassy, which uses them to retweet the “most important” tweets of the Russian ambassador on a weekly basis. The programme, described by the embassy as the “Russian diplomatic online club”, is sold to its members as “a way for everybody interested in international policy and all things Russian to gain knowledge, get insights from top
diplomats and be part of fascinating networking, both online and off”. But its existence also adds to the weight of evidence that the nation engages in online “astroturfing”, using co-ordinated semi-automated accounts to create the appearance of widespread support for Russia and its allies. Technology magazine Motherboard first reported on the “club”, signing up for it with a new Twitter account. Shortly after, the account retweeted a tweet from the ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko, announcing his presence at the London Book Fair. As well as becoming willing Twitter bots, members of the dip-
lomatic club also receive a newsletter from the Russian Embassy in London, can “participate in regular competitions and prize draws”, and are “invited to a special reception at Ambassador’s London residence,” the embassy says. The existence and scale of Russia’s bot army is a matter of some contention. In February, during the runup to the Stoke-on-Trent by-election, a bot network was discovered to be spamming Twitter with messages opposing the election of Paul Nuttall, UKIP’s leader and parliamentary candidate in the constituency. The accounts, of which there were dozens, had previously tweeted nothing about British politics, instead sharing English-language propaganda about Russia’s invasion of Crimea. More widescale bot activity has been harder to prove, however. A study from the Oxford Internet Institute argued that “political bot activity reached an all-time high” in the run-up to the 2016 US election, with pro-Trump bots outnumbering pro-Clinton ones 5:1. But the study was criticised for its methodology, which failed to distinguish between automated bots and prolific tweeters. While much of the pro-Trump activity was thought to be linked back to support from Russia, it was difficult to prove. (Source: The Guardian)
McDonald’s blames compromised Twitter account after insulting Donald Trump
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resident Donald Trump was attacked on Twitter early Thursday by the world’s second largest fast food chain. McDonald’s, who has over 2 billion served and 150,000 Twitter followers, posted a message on their account that read: ‘@realDonaldTrump You are actually a disgusting excuse of a president and we would love to have @BarackObama back, also you have tony hands.’ The posting was removed an hour after it went up on the account, and the company later addressed the offensive tweet in a tweet. ‘Twitter notified us that our
account was compromised. We deleted the tweet, secured our account and are now investigating this,’ read a message posted to the McDonald’s Twitter page 86 minutes after the attack tweet was posted to the account. McDonald’s has not however offered any sort of public apology to President Trump, who is a big fan of the fast food chain and just last year provided the company with one of the best pieces of free press they have received in their history. On June 7, when President Trump achieved the 1237 delegates necessary to win the Republican primary, he celebrated
his victory by posting a photo of himself on his private plane eating a McDonald’s Big Mac and fries, with the golden arches of the company’s logo clearly visible on the packaging. That photo was viewed by millions around the world in the days that followed and included in most stories about President Trump’s once unimaginable win over the 16 other men and women who entered the primary. The tweet was also pinned by the alleged hacker, meaning that it sat on the top of McDonald’s social media page before it was taken down. In the brief time that it was up, the message was retweeted by over 1500 users of the social media site and liked by over 1600, with 137 people commenting on the attack. The tweet also managed to stay live on some iOS platforms well after it was removed from the account, and still appeared close to two hours after it went up on the page. (Source: Daily Mail)
Turkish Neo-Nazis hack University of Chicago Twitter account
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he University of Chicago was among hundreds of Twitter accounts taken over by hackers late Tuesday to spread neo-Nazi messages in Turkish. The U. of C.’s Twitter account was hacked just before midnight Tuesday and posted at least one tweet with swastikas and a message in Turkish supporting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s position in an ongoing diplomatic dispute with the Netherlands. Marielle Sainvilus, a spokeswoman for the university, said the account was compromised only briefly Tuesday night. “Those tweets have been taken down and the account has been secured,” Sainvilus said. “We thank the UChicago community for reporting this issue to Twitter and alerting our social media team.” It’s unclear whether the university’s account was compromised in a way similar to hundreds of others that posted the same message after hackers were able to take control
of the accounts through a flaw in the third-party application Twitter Counter, according to one report. It remains unclear what group was behind the larger takeover of Twitter accounts that included Forbes and other major companies. Twitter Counter said via Twitter that it is investigating the hack and its service temporarily has been blocked to determine whether it is the source of the hack. The company said it does not store users’ passwords or credit card information and that information was not at risk. If the university was part of that broader attack, it would mean it was not specifically targeted. But it would not be the first time the university has had to deal with neo-Nazis in the last week. The university is trying to press charges against a man allegedly posting neo-Nazi posters on campus on Thursday who was caught and let go by university police. (Source: DNAInfo)
A Zoo in the Czech Republic is sawing off their Rhinos’ horns
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f you’ve watched the news lately, you’ve probably heard about the brutal poaching of a white rhino at a French zoo last week. The Dvur Kralove zoo in the Czech Republic just made a controversial decision in light of the killing that has the same advocates who stop at nothing to save these creatures questioning the zoo’s methods, well-intentioned as they may be. Rhino horns often sell for a higher price on the black market than gold or hard drugs. The money they attract draws in poachers who want nothing more than to satisfy their greed, even if it means driving an endangered species over the edge. And because the attack in France has put zoo officials on high alert, those from the Czech zoo decided that they will remove the horns from all 21 of their rhinos with a chainsaw. The three calves
living on the premises will not undergo the procedure. Although the animals will be placed under anesthesia and a veterinarian will be involved, there’s something so sad about the fact that these rhinos have no choice in the matter. At a time when all rhinos’ lives are at risks, such notoriety could put a target on their backs. Still, it’s upsetting to know that they will wake up missing parts of their bodies that have evolved to keep themselves and their offspring safe. At a time when all rhinos’ lives are at risks, such notoriety could put a target on their backs. Still, it’s upsetting to know that they will wake up missing parts of their bodies that have evolved to keep themselves and their offspring safe. These are truly desperate times for rhinos and the people who strive to keep them safe. (Source: Viral Nova)
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
G Talk E
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ndian politics is funny business, you know. The latest fad of political parties finishing second at the polls and yet forming the government reminds me of a hilarious piece of parliamentary banter by the inimitable Late Pramod Mahajan as he explained the contours of Indian democracy to a thoroughly confused but eager-to-learn Chinese diplomat during an all-party delegation tour of China. “I am Pramod Mahajan,” he explained, adding, “I am a member of the Lok Sabha. I belong to the single largest party. And I am in opposition.” The Chinese, I believe, just stared. Pointing to Chintamani Panigrahi he said, “See him? He belongs to the second largest party in Parliament. He is outside the government, supporting the government.” The Chinese stare hardened I am sure. Pointing to a third political foe of his, Mahanjan said, “He belongs to the third largest party. He is inside the front but outside the government.” The Chinese stare had by now probably turned into a gape. And then pointing to Ramakant Khalap, Mahajan declared, “See him? He is the only member of his party in the Parliament and HE IS THE GOVERNMENT!” I can’t even imagine the look on the Chinese face; Mahajan also did not care to tell. The recent merry dance of democracy has left the Congress party sore and sulking, can’t really fathom why! Spokespersons galore have come on TV accusing the BJP of
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Replicate laws to secure indigenous land rights
Opinion
Mrinmoy Khataniar
everything – from horse-trading to EVM tampering, throwing up questions on morality in between. I mean, what is there to sulk about so piteously when history has its strange ways of repeating itself? Take the example of the Delhi 2013 elections where the Congress, despite being the third party with only 8 seats, lent unconditional support to second-placed AAP thereby forming the government. The Delhi elections, the Bihar mahagathbandhan win and the most recent Punjab victory did not elicit any EVM-tampering accusations; but having to relent and say “UP yours” to the BJP – mainly due to an eminently incompetent leadership – has. As I said, I find this selective amnesia quite funny – and the entire rigmarole hilarious! And today I am left wondering whether our dear RaGa is still sporting that effervescent smile that we saw plastered on his face even as mommy was delivering her concession speech. Mommy is supposedly abroad for treatment; I wonder what is wrong with her? Left to fend for himself, his indecisiveness was only to be expected. The problem is that the Congress party continues to live in complete denial of its huge leadership failing. The grave is becoming deeper and deeper. And oops! I am sorry about the title of this editorial. That’s a huge error. It should have read “Writing on the wall.” RaGa has to go! Swapnil Bharali Editor
In search of lost time
he Gauhati High Court scrapped another PIL that hoped to provide a separate time zone for the north-eastern states including Assam. Approximately, there is about 90 minutes of difference between sunrise in Guwahati and Mumbai and more than two hours of difference between the sunrise on the western and eastern ends of the country – a duration the northeast is hoping to make use of, but is constantly being denied. The question to be asked is what logical explanation does the court provide to dismiss the petition despite it being backed by the government and citizens? A uniform standard time for administrative convenience should be rebutted by, “Sir, one size does not fit all.” In 2006, a Planning Commission report too recommended two time zones, saying that it would lead to substantial energy saving and increase productivity hours especially with the ‘lahe lahe’ culture that we are proponents of; but then the central government rejected it. In the build up to the Assam elections, the newly elected BJP government did say that it would take up the issue of separate time zones with the central government. However, that has gained no traction either. The previous government, led by Tarun Gogoi also took up the issue and believed that daylight saving time would lead to improved productivity and the same was backed by Himanta Biswa Sarma and CM Sarbananda Sonowal. However, all of this support is not taking us anywhere and petitions are being rejected over and over. The question is whether will we move to the Supreme Court and be backed by the government or do we languish in darkness, however short or long it may be? Practising daylight saving is not only beneficial for productivity, labour, corporate culture and an improved nightlife but is also good for the environment where over 2.7 billion units of electricity can be saved every year, and this is just some 2007 data I’m presenting. Then what is the court waiting for? SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA
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ection 6A, incorporated by the amendment of the Citizenship Act, 1995 stated: (i) Persons entering India prior to 1-1-1966 and been a resident of Assam since then is deemed to be a citizen of India. (ii) Persons who entered India between 1-1-1966 and before 25-3-1971 and who are detected to be foreigners under the Foreigner’s Act will not have his name included in the voters’ list for 10 years from the date of detection. Given that as it may, vast tracts of government land and public grazing reserves (VGR) were systematically encroached by Bangladeshi immigrants; their names were included in the voters’ list, government schools, anganwadi centers, health centers, electricity lines, agricultural subsidies were extended to them at the behest of vested interests for political mileage, vote bank politics coupled with corruption by officers in revenue department and other government authorities. The foreigner became well equipped with documents to establish their citizenship. A perfect example is the 77,420 bighas of land encroached in Sipajhar constituency. The new BJP government has been conducting eviction drives on these very encroachers. In the process these encroachers are displaced but remain very much within Assam. In the process of declaring many persons as foreigners, judges in the foreigners’ tribunals have been hacked by people sympathetic to the illegal migrants. There is no definite mechanism for their deportation. On many occasions these foreigners come back and mingle with general population or just vanish to emerge with new identities. Corruption among revenue officials, political interference, inability of the government to act on time, etc. has increased the problem manifold.
r A true son of soil
The problem of illegal migration, however, has not caused any alarm in our neighbouring states. The only reason that can be deciphered is that they are protected by constitutional safe-guards granted to them by the Govt. of India. None can buy land or have rights over their land unless they are indigenous to the respective state. The proposition to grant citizenship to Hindu Bengalis by amending the Citizenship Act is totally contradictory to the stand that Govt. of India has raised from time to time since the statement made by Dr. Nagendra Singh representing India in 7th General Assembly at UNO, and totally disregarding the judicial pronouncement in IMDT (Sarbananda Sonowal V/S Union of India) on 12-7-2005 by the Supreme Court. Neither the central government nor the state government has
can only include citizens. Non-Citizens can be declared as foreigners. Declaring them as foreigners has to go through a judicial process. It will be easy for a foreigner in Assam to be a citizen because he only has to show that he came to Assam prior to 25-3-1971 whereas in other states he has to prove that he has been living there prior to 19-7-1948. The basis for granting proper land rights and government jobs only to Indians living in Assam on basis of 1951 NRC will bring out the difference between the genuine indigenous people of Assam and the illegal migrants who have secured Indian citizenship clandestinely. The policy and land rights can only be granted by framing of laws in the state assembly and the present Govt. of Assam, being in majority, can very well solve the problem to preserve the identity of indigenous people of
any clear cut policy to tackle the problem. The proposed announcement to include Hindu Bangladeshis cannot be only Assam’s burden; other states have to take it too. The new BJP state government has to be congratulated for the eviction of the encroached Kaziranga land which was becoming an irksome eyesore. The other eviction drives have produced mixed results. Nonetheless, the new government has made an endeavour to start somewhere, unlike the previous governments. But will such action ultimately protect the indigenous populace of Assam when lands continue to go into the hands of illegal migrants? The need of the hour is constitutional safeguards to the indigenous people of Assam as regards land rights and owning property on the basis of NRC of 1951 to show the linkage that will establish and define as to who is an indigenous person of Assam. NRC updation now
Assam by passing necessary laws in the assembly protecting land rights and government jobs for indigenous people. The question may be raised as to whether such discrimination can be allowed under the Constitution of India among its citizen. Yes, it can! if such protection can be extended to our neighbouring states (such laws exist in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well) to protect and preserve their language, culture, identity, indigenousness, why can’t the same laws be applied in Assam? The people who have already bought lands after 1951 will continue to enjoy their privileges but they cannot sell it to anyone other than the indigenous people of Assam after protection of land rights is extended. Thus, the present Govt. can do a lot for the indigenous people of Assam and live up to the “jati, mati, bheti” promise they made during their last election campaign.
Letter to the Editor
While the state of Uttar Pradesh was busy in all speculations with the election, a simple citizen of the state named Sartaj became an inspiration to many. Sartaj is the unfortunate father of a terrorist named Saifullah who had links with the dreaded ISIS and was shot dead by ATS in an encounter in Uttar Pradesh. When the police department went to the Sartaj’s place to hand over the dead body of his son the father refused to take the body saying, “a traitor cannot be my son.” Indeed people like Sartaj is of rarest breed in today’s world. Through your esteemed weekly I offer my salute to this true son of soil. When a few political parties are trying to divide the country on religious lines the gesture shown by Sartaj is an eye opener. No words can describe the wisdom displayed by Sartaj. Dr. Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati.
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
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Campus Talks
2nd Edition of ‘Campus Talks’ successfully held at B.Borooah College
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n a bid to encourage public speaking and to provide a platform for students across the city’s colleges, G Plus initiated ‘Campus Talks’ in the year 2016. The first edition of Campus Talks was held at Gauhati Commerce College, on 10th November, 2016. Following the footprints of the first edition, G Plus successfully conducted the second edition of Campus Talks at B. Borooah Col-
I believe the bill is very relevant. With this bill, the inequality between the rich and the poor will be met. The greater chunk of population in our country is poor. We should now actually spend above Rs 5 lakhs in our weddings so that a part of it goes as a helping hand for the needy. A girl or boy being poor should not be kept deprived from their dreams materializing.
Alakananda Ghatak, English Dept. I want to support the bill that has been passed. Our country is a republic. Our authorities have all the right to take a decision and introduce a bill for a change. Most of the people today take weddings as a celebration, a grand show, which has left a bad impact on our society, and divided it into rich and poor. The bill is still in a very nascent stage for us to pass an opinion or a judgement on it. I believe the motive of the bill is to restrict the unnecessary expenditure that has become a fashion in today’s weddings. I hope this will bring a change for good among the people of the society.
Abinash Boro, Philosophy Dept.
lege on 15th March last. The program witnessed participation of over 40 students. The idea of Campus Talks is to encourage students to voice their opinions about trending topics. Keeping this in mind, B. Borooah College was chosen to hold a debate on the bill that was recently raised in the Lok Sabha by MP Ranjeet Rajan that said, “If more than Rs 5 lakhs is spent on a wedding
I think the bill is totally irrelevant. Today, even the OBC and other such categories of people have a bar of Rs 7-8 lakhs for a wedding. Getting 10% would only inflate the dowry. India is already facing a lot of dowry issues and then we talk about giving 10% to a girl only. The bill is totally irrelevant in the face of feminism or gender equality. Why 10% only to a girl? Aren’t men poor? On top of that, why the 10% for just a wedding, and why not for a girl’s education?
ceremony, 10% of that wedding expenditure goes for the wedding of a poor girl.” While the bill ruffled quite a few feathers across the nation the topic drew mixed responses from the BBians with some terming it as an important law and others slamming it as “yet another unnecessary act of intrusion by the government.” We post the best opinions here.
I fully support the bill that has been passed in the Lok Sabha. I do not have a problem with families spending as much as they want on marriages. But we should not forget the fact that we live in a society. I believe these under-privileged people who do not get a shot at education could be helped with this bill to some extent. We all know that sharing increases our happiness. So I believe it’s a very good step. If we have Rs 5 lakhs to spend for a wedding, I think we can easily and happily give away 10% as contribution for a poor girl’s marriage.
Kuldeep Soren, B.Sc. scholar The bill that has been passed could be of great help to the parents of the poor families. Like every wealthy parent, parents belonging to economically weaker sections also have a desire to organise a proper wedding for their child. This bill could be of help to both the classes of people; the rich and the poor both get benefitted. Such initiatives should not be just the government’s effort, but an outlook of humankind as a whole.
Nandini Chakravorty, Zoology Dept.
The bill, rather than asking for 10% wedding expense, could have focussed on educating a girl child. There are parents from poor families who want to see their children being educated but can’t afford it. I think parents, rather than investing on the weddings of their children, should make their children eligible enough to take responsibilities for their own wedding expenses. This bill is heavily woman-oriented; it is like only men can take care of the expenditure and women needs to be taken care of.
People in India spend lavishly on weddings. But there are other factors which could have been taken into consideration too. Recently, a business tycoon who got his daughter married, arranged for a mass wedding along with her daughter’s marriage. So instead of incurring such huge expenditure on weddings all by ourselves, we can undertake 10% contribution to a poor girl’s marriage whose fathers, many a time, often need to sell their lands or borrow heavily to get their daughters married.
Priyanka Das, Economics Dept.
Sam Shidhwa Das, Economics
India is a country where everyone gives marriage the priority. India is not like America, where career is given priority. Secondly, India is full of corruption. I do not think the government will be able to keep an eye on individual marriage expenses in any way at all. Even after demonetization, corruption is still prevalent in the country.
Editor’s say
Nihasmita Talukdar, B.Sc. scholar
Manas Pratim Sarma, Economics Dept & Debating Secretary
I consider Campus Talks as a brilliant way to elicit opinion from the college-going educated youth. It is inspiring for me to see such active participation from the young people of the society. When voices come from one platform, it always transpires into something fruitful – a good strong chorus of opinions. We at G Plus are doing our bit to create a better, more opinionated society and I take pride in this.
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Review Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts
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ilmmaking doesn’t get more corporate than “Kong: Skull Island,” which scratches your monster-movie itch without ever once providing an injection of unpredictability or eccentricity that might confuse a single half-attentive moviegoer. It lacks neither fun nor polish, but it has the square tidiness of a compartmentalized fast-food meal. From its Chinese co-star (in this case, “The Great Wall” actress Tian Jing) who’s given little to do but spruce up international marquees to its post-credit sequence promising a fanboy-friendly franchise, “Kong: Skull Island” reflects far more ingenuity from the studio accountants than the screenwriters. Unlike most of its commercial brethren, however, this is a movie that presses the buttons it’s supposed to, even if it winds up being the kind of rousing entertainment you’ve forgotten about within 24 hours. The score gets more intense once they reach the island and incur the wrath of Kong, who swats the
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choppers out of the air like so many mosquitoes. This shrinks the ensemble down to the actors who get lines and stokes in Packard a desire for revenge for his fallen men. (Rambo-style, he even refers to killing Kong as “a war we get to win.”) The survivors are divided up, and the ones who get to keep their hair clean and perfectly-coiffed (Hiddleston, Larson, Mann, Hawkins, Jing) eventually cross paths with WWII vet Marlow (John C. Reilly), who explains that Kong needs to stay alive, since he’s the only protector that the island’s inhabitants have against some really nasty creatures. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (“The Kings of Summer”) moves the pieces from A to Z with skillful pacing, but the characters are pieces nonetheless. Still, he offers up a few memorable action sequences along the way: there’s a suspenseful showdown in a foggy boneyard, and the climactic giant-monster throwdown feels more tactile and perilous than any of the robot-on-robot skirmishes from the entire “Transformers” saga.
Cast: Amélie Eve, Gage Munroe, Megan Charpentier, Octavia Spencer, Radha Mitchell Director: Stuart Hazeldine
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here must have been redeeming qualities in William P. Young’s novel “The Shack” for it to become such a popular bestseller in 2007. Those traits have mostly gone missing in the film. Sam Worthington is Mackenzie Phillips, a family man whose faith is questioned when his youngest daughter Missy meets a tragic fate. Unable to cope, Mack is puzzled when he receives a letter from “Papa,” his wife’s nickname for God, beckoning him to his daughter’s last known location. Once there, Mack encounters three individuals, played by Octavia Spencer, Avraham Aviv Alush and Japanese model Sumire, all claiming to be almighty. With any movie, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is required, but this story expects you to go in having certain beliefs in order to accept any of it. Narrated by country singer Tim McGraw as Mack’s nosy but all-knowing neighbor, “The Shack” struggles to be more than a Lifetime movie with
Album The order of time By Valerie June
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ennessee singer-songwriter Valerie June’s second full-length album is steeped in old-time country and blues. On opening track “Long Lonely Road,” she sings of being taught of “The one way to save your soul,” but the songs on The Order of Time offer many paths to enlightenment: love, self-confidence, spirituality and combining all the above. Not to mention music. June seems to take herself seriously as a songwriter, and rightly so; her voice as a songwriter is as sure and distinct as her thickly accented soprano, or the elaborate dreadlocked hairdo that makes her look like a cross between
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better production values. It takes its sweet time to achieve anything beyond being a grueling snoozefest. The best assets director Stuart Hazeldine has to work with are beautiful locations used to create a sense of wonder both in Mack and the audience. But there’s only so far one can go into the realm of fantasy when all your characters do is talk, talk and more talk. At least one of the actors doing the talking is the always-welcome Oscar winner Spencer, but she plays a relatively small part in Mack’s journey. The film’s biggest faux pas is the casting of Worthington. Known from James Cameron’s “Avatar,” the actor never gets the audience invested enough in Mack’s struggle to forgive himself and others, especially when his Australian accent slips out during more emotional scenes. There’s an important message in the movie about finding forgiveness in oneself for matters beyond one’s control.
Medusa and Madame de Pompadour. On a track like “Love You Once Made,” she’s at once mournful and accusatory, feeling the pain of a lost love while uncompromisingly placing the blame. And then she’ll write a bluesy, hip-twitching rocker like “Shakedown,” which is the kind of song that, if recorded by the likes of Jack White or the Black Keys, would be so popular it’d be inescapable. The Order of Time is a work of experience, wry observation and mystical self-creation. June is no ingénue or girl-done-wrong; her persona as a creator is both spellbinding and well versed in the ways of the world.
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ight in the Woods, which arose from a successfully funded Kickstarter by the development studio Infinite Fall and Austin-based publisher Finji, bills itself as an adventure game. Players assume the role of Mae in this 90s-inspired 2D platformer, but perhaps what Alec Holowka, Scott Benson, and Bethany Hockenberry have made could be best described as a narrative-driven experience. Or a side-scrolling mystery. Or more of an occasional platformer with an always stunning soundtrack, courtesy of Holowka. If you dig around, you can even find a roguelike topdown dungeon crawler in there
Badrinath Ki Dulhania 09:30 AM 05:30 PM Moonlight 12:15 PM Beauty And The Beast 02:45 PM La La Land 08:30 PM gold mine 7d 10.00 AM haunted house 7d 01.00 PM 04.00 PM Forest Adventure & Aero Bike 7D 03.00 PM 07.00 PM
PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009
Badrinath Ki Dulhania 09:45 AM 03:30 PM 06:25 PM 08:30 PM Beauty And The Beast 10:30 AM 03:45 PM 09:15 PM Logan 12:35 PM Kong: Skull Island 01:10 PM Trapped 06:20 PM
Galleria Cinemas HUB 097069 89143
Badrinath Ki Dulhania 10:30 AM 06:00 PM Beauty And The Beast 01:00 PM Kong: Skull Island 03:35 PM Machine 09:00 PM
Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771
Game Night in the woods Platform PC
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Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 03612656968
Badrinath Ki Dulhania 10:00 AM 03:30 PM 06:15 PM 09:00 PM Beauty And The Beast 10:30 AM 05:30 PM Logan 12:45 PM Trapped 01:00 PM Kong: Skull Island 03:00 PM Aa Gaya Hero 08:00 PM
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(thanks to Adam Saltsman, of endless-runner Canabalt). Night in the Woods is a lot of things at once, and to boil it down to any one of them would not do it justice. It is a patchwork collection of melancholic narrative, anarchic vandalism, and bass-playing. It is brilliant. While slow in patches when it deviates from its core strengths, or occasionally fiddly in its mini-games, the game is buoyed by its dialogue, warm and charming art style, and Holowka’s soundtrack (available to purchase on his Bandcamp), which keeps even the occasionally clunky platforming from feeling too tedious.
Apsara Cinema Paltan Bazar 0361 2541335
Machine 11:00 AM 05:00 PM Badrinath Ki Dulhania 02:00 PM Aa Gaya Hero 08:00 PM
Pragjyoti Cinema Maligaon 0361 2570777
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Badrinath Ki Dulhania 11:00 AM 02:00 PM 05:00 PM 08:00 PM Machine 11:15 AM 02:15 PM 05:15 PM Aa Gaya Hero 08:15 PM
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
21
Lifestyle
The Key To Being Happy
VAASTU SHASTRA
THE AQUARIUM FOR PROSPERITY
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ood, good! Good to be a joker, than to be too serious. Have fun in the world. The short time we’ll be on this planet we should make ourselves happy and others happy. What is there to brood over? And if you feel things are insufficient - people can keep feeling insufficiency throughout their life. You know, even billionaires feel insufficient because they have big debt. You have a billion dollars, and then you put that into some factory or industry to multiply it. In order to do that you borrow more money. And then it all goes on, and you feel so burdened with so much of loan on your head. You come to square one. So it is very strange. People who do not have anything, sometimes, they look much more happier than the billionaires on this planet. Billionaires are burdened I tell you, really burdened and afraid. Many of them are under such pressure. I’m not saying that you should remain a poor person, or anything like that. No, I want you to understand that you must de-link your happiness with your status, with your wealth,
with your post or with your position. Happiness has nothing to do with your position in society, your position in the world, your position in your company, or wherever you are. Happiness should be de-linked from all that. You should make it a habit to be conKasturi BorKotoKi Kasturi isIt’s a palette artist and that’s tent and happy. justknife a habit, paints impressionist floral designs all. Unconsciously it gets into our mind, in oils. She hails from Guwahati. Blog: kasturiscanvas.blogspot.com so unconsciously we start being unhappy. Though there is no reason to be natHinto your subconunhappy, itKasHmiri has crept Foodie, owner at XOXO cupcakes, scious mind, “Oh I unhappy”. food blogger,am recipe developer andOr we expert on Assamese cuisine. keep complaining, “This is no good, that is no good, nothing is good, nothing is okay, I don’t like anything”. We need to KuLKuL raHmansort of negativibe cautiousEntrepreneur, about this mother and a ty. We needpassionate to guard cook.our mind and our consciousness from being swept away by this sort of negative tendency.
Hemanta Kumar sarmaH Engineer, Businessman, Advanced
(This is a twoHealer partand article. will conPranic Su Jok and Acupressure specialist. tinue in the next issue)
sHri sHri ravi sHanKar Founder- Art of Living Foundation.
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n aquarium is the best and most common water feature which can be installed easily in the house. Traditionally, Feng Shui recommends placing an aquarium in the southeast because water helps the growth of the wood element of the southeast. There should be nine gold, orange or red fish with one black fish. Some keep eight orange fish with one black fish. If there is a shortage of space, three gold or orange fish or multiples of three thereof with one black fish may be considered. The movement of fish helps in the circulation of the energy or chi. Installation of a pump to circulate the water and providing oxygen for the fish will also have very good effect. If nine coins are added to the aquarium, it will stimulate the metal element too. But caution should be taken so that the metal of the coin does not harm the fish. The following may be added in the aquarium to energize and stimulate all the five elements: The water in the aquarium for the water element Vibrant green plants or weeds for the wood element Coins for the metal element
Small pebbles or rocks for the earth element Red, orange or gold coloured fish to stimulate the fire element The north is the direction for the water element. It is also the sector of career as per the Ba Kasturi Gua principle in Feng Shui. So BorKotoKi Kasturi is aatpalette artistfor andcaplacing an aquarium northknife is good reer growth. paints impressionist floral designs in oils. She hails from Guwahati. The aquarium should be avoided Blog: kasturiscanvas.blogspot.com at south which is the direction of the fire element. That is why it should be avoided KasHmiri natH inside the kitchen. Foodie, owner at earth. XOXO cupcakes, Water also dissolves So, one food blogger, recipe developer and should not keep a water feature in expert on Assamese cuisine.the bedroom because the earth element of the bedroom helps in relationships which get adversely affected by the water element. The KuLKuL raHman bathroom already has plenty Entrepreneur, motherofandwater a element in it. Placing an aquarium here will be passionate cook. overdoing it.
sHri sHri ravi sHanKar Founder- Art of Living Foundation.
When passion turns into profession
Exclusive interview with Chef Snehasis Sinha, Hotel Palacio
“Food is an art, and there are just so many ways you can frame an artistic story with food,” says Snehasis Sinha, Executive Chef of Hotel Palacio, Guwahati
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hef Snehasis Sinha, who comes from a very humble background, says that his profession as a chef is driven by his passion for food. Born and brought up
in Ghatshila, Snehasis has traversed a journey of 20 years in the food industry and swears by the love of food habits of every kind of Indian cuisine. Speaking about the food culture of the people of Guwahati, he says that food has always been an inspiration for all people and that is what makes people so innovative when it comes to food. Food is a vital element of life and nobody wants to be monotonous when it comes to food. Lately, with the two outlets, viz. Legacy and NYX, Snehasis has designed a new menu which will be launched by early April. The new menu of NYX, which is a nightclub, will have a wide range of snacks. The idea with the new menu is to give the people of Guwahati something to cherish about when it comes to snacks - a category which is not given much importance always. Most of the snacks in the new menu have been
inspired from global cuisines, which Snehasis believes, will be loved by the people of the city. Mezze Platter, Nachos, and the Prawn snacks are some of the items that really “drain well” as snacks in NYX. However, Snehasis says that the availability of ingredients needed for the dishes is one big problem in Guwahati. Even if the ingredients are procured, most of these are not of fresh quality. Most of the ingredients needed for a global cuisine have to be sourced either from Delhi or Kolkata, which becomes a challenge for those in the F&B industry. “With the growing trend of food culture, Guwahati will also witness a big change in the food industry. I see food joints like Pizza Hut and McDonalds flourishing in the coming days, as those are ready to serve
Hemanta Kumar sarmaH Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.
Chandrika Das the purpose of the food lovers in this busy world. Otherwise, people will always look to have soulful food,” says Snehasis. NYX and Legacy are currently in the process of providing Guwahati with food which is simple, divine, soulful and full of flavours. The dessert of Legacy is expected to be a big draw. The buffet menu that has been placed at
quite a reasonable price is the main highlight of Legacy. On Sundays, an elaborate brunch is laid out which comprises dishes from all cuisines. “I put my heart and soul while designing a menu. I keep in mind the people whom I am serving and their expectations with the food. Monte Carlo would be one dish in our new menu, which should not be missed,” says Snehasis.
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G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
Entertainment
Tanaya Gogoi’s carves a niche Local Kung Fu 2 seeks crowd funding for in musical world completion, aims to release in April KALYAN KUMAR KALITA
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ssam, as well as the northeast, has always been musically rich due to its talents in the various genres of music. Recently, Tanaya Gogoi shone in the Assamese musical world with her soulful voice. She was attracted to music from a very tender age and her first Bihu album “Bakhormoni 2016” was a massive hit among music lovers of Assam. Parallel to her singing, she was also known for writing and composing songs and a lot of her own songs, which were written, tuned and sung by herself, became popular among listeners. Among them, two highly downloaded songs on social networking sites are “Tanaya’s Papa” and “You are my peace.” Besides Assamese, she has also sung in other languages such as Hindi and English and her recently released
albums are “Xonowali Xopun” and “Bakhormoni 2017.” People loved the song “Maa Kasam” from the Bihu album “Bakhormoni 2017.” The song was beautifully rendered by Tanaya and Palash Gogoi. This song was able to get the nomination in the category of the year’s Best Bihu Song by popular socio-cultural organization NEBCUS, whereas for the song “Papa O Papa” Tanaya got the nomination in the category of Best Singer by the same organization. The organization will present these awards on 28th May, 2017 at Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati. Tanaya is also popular in the field of acting. She has essayed roles in the videos of most of her own songs. Each and every song or hers is mixed and mastered in Khruptang Music Studio, Sixmile, Guwahati. Tanaya has performed at various cultural shows held all over Assam, from Sadiya to Dhubri and entertained the listeners with her God-gifted voice. She is again ready to perform in the upcoming Bihu season. This time, she will entertain the Assamese music lovers by covering various popular songs and will also sing her originals.
G Plus News
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fter the grand success of Assamese cult classic Local Kung Fu, the makers are ready with the sequel of the film –Local Kung Fu 2. With Local Kung Fu 2, director Kenny Basumatary has adapted William Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors for the silver screen. To be released in April this year, the film has been shot in both Assamese and Hindi and is currently in the final stages of post-production. Interestingly, Local Kung Fu 2 will be the first ever sequel in Assamese cinema. Local Kung Fu, released in 2013, became a pop culture phenomenon in the Northeast as the
dialogues still find their way into regular conversations. “A hotel boy in Bamunimaidam told me once that even people in his village in Bihar have seen it,” says Bibhash Sinha. However, some financial hiccups have led to the delay in this project and now, to fund the post-production, Kenny Basumatary has now started a crowd-funding campaign on WishBerry. Crowdfunding is relatively new in India. The basic concept is to collect small amounts of money from many people instead of huge amounts from a few people. Noted filmmaker Bhaskar Hazarika’s
Kothanodi was an instance of a successful crowdfunding campaign which raised Rs 21 lakhs. The campaign aims to collect Rs 8 lakh for colour grading, music, dubbing and sound. “It costs a lot of money to properly make and release a film, which is why we are looking for funds,” says Utkal Hazowary who played Dulu da in the first Local Kung Fu. “Like the first film under the banner, this will also be a DIY (doit-yourself) film. Because of that the film could be completed at a relatively low cost. We are now depending on the crowd-funding campaign for the successful release of the film”, said producer Durlov Baruah. The campaign has picked pace and already collected Rs 2.86 lakhs from 139 backers. However, if the target of Rs 8 lakh isn’t achieved, all the money will be returned to the backers. “If that happens, we will be back at the same place as now, and we’ll probably have to postpone the release to August-September at least,” said director Kenny Basumatary.
A look back at Assamese Classics- A series of old movies for the readers with a story, its origin, its cast and its relevance to contemporaries.
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aluksola Borphukan was the Ahom en and their determination and paid ‘Joymoti Kuwori’. NB: The first Assamese actress Aideo Viceroy of Guwahati, who aspired to tribute to the supreme sacrifice of JoyHandique was born in the year 1915 and be a king. He plotted the assassina- moti. Joymoti was the first Assamese film. died on 17th December 2002. She retion of Swargadeo Sudoiphaa and eventually set upon the throne a stripling It was premiered on 10th March 1935 at mained unmarried for life as she referred aged fourteen, Sulikphaa or Loraa Roja, Rounack Theatre in Calcutta. Legends the co-actor as Bongohor Deo (name rewhile he himself essentially ruled the like, KL Sehgal, Pramathesh Barua, Prith- ferring husband) in the film. She also had kingdom. Fearing a challenge to his pow- viraj Kapoor and others were present at to spend her life in solitude as she was shunned or rejected by the soer, Borphukan began a purge of all princciety for having violated the es who were eligible for the throne. In Film: Joymoti - 1935 (B/W) cultural taboo. Aideo Handthis process Borphukan plotted severique never got a chance to al attempts to kill Gadadhar Singha or Produced By: Chitralekha Movietone, Tezpur watch the film in her lifetime. Gadapaani of the Tungkhungia clan of Screenplay, Dialogues, Music, Editing, Directhe Ahom kings. But Gadapaani mantion: Jyotiprasad Agarwala “Aji bor mongolor din. aged to escape because of the political Aji Axomor eta gourobor din. foresightedness of his wife Joymoti. Cinematography: Bhupal Shankar Mehta (Lahore) ‘Joymoti’ srimaan Jyoti bupar Laluksola Borphukan took Joyakhex sesta, oporixhim dhormoti into captivity and with the help Cast: Aideo Handique, Parashuram Barua, Samjyo aru dhanbyoyor phal. Teu of Gathi Hazarika, applied physical sul Huda, Phani Sarma and others prokritote ejon xilpi. Tarun Axtorture on her, to know Gadapaani’s omor Joymoti ekhon ujjal dapun. whereabouts. But she never disclosed it, withstood all the torture and died a the premier. On 20th March, 1935 it was Moi axa koru, jate oin prodexor loge loge heroic death. Gadapani came to know premiered at Kumar Bhaskar Natya Man- ei lagotial protisthan tue Axomot bhal koi about his wife’s arrest and came looking dir in Guwahati, which was known as xipai, jokaisukor Axom jate gutei Bharafor her only to find her dead. Joymoti Kamrup Natya Mandir then. Jyotiprasad tote nijor gaurav aru jatiota bilai furibo sacrificed her life for Aai Axomi and her Agarwala used mobile projection and pare” This was the inauguration speech of husband. This sacrifice of Joymoti ena- took the film to every nook and corner of bled her husband Gadapaani to rise in Assam as there was no movie theatre at Lakshminath Bezbarua on 10th March 1935, before the historic premier of the revolt and assume kingship making it an that time. The film ‘Joymoti’ was based on film “Joymoti” at Raunak Theatre, important part of Assam’s history. Calcutta. The film showed the power of wom- Rasaraj Lakshminath Bezbaroa’s play,
Mirza Arif Hazarika
G PLUS MAR 18 - MAR 24, 2017
23
Events
Rangoholi 2017 Venue: Dreamland Date: 12th-13th March Guwahati’s big Holi attraction at Dreamland was a blast with DJ Poison Mr. 909.
Venue: NYX, Hotel Palacio
Women’s Day Special Ladies Night and Acoustic Night at NYX
Naaz Sultana at the Acoustic Night special
A laughter riot and a packed house at ITA Machkhowa was the result of Vipul Goyal and Zakir Khan’s humongous fan base. Guwahati certainly needs its dose of laughter.
Comedy Connect 1.0 Venue: ITA Centre Machkhowa (15th March ‘17) Fans along with Vipul Goyal and Zakir Khan sharing a candid moment for the camera
Vipul Goyal of TVF Fame during his performance
Zakir Khan during his performance
Style O Graph’s Travelling Trunk: made in Bengal – a Girls’ Affair
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erra Mayaa was seen in a different avatar, last Thursday, when it hosted a trunk show, curated by Kolkata based fashion stylist and blogger, Ms. Chikky Goenka, called The Travelling Trunk. A burst of eclectic designs from some renowned designer labels of pret couture, kitschy evening wear, classical gowns, traditional yarns and weaves had waltzed into the resto-lounge, which has otherwise been known to host a wide range of entertainment and lifestyle events. ‘Fashionistas’ and zestful women, across various age groups were seen exploring the show; while there were some who chose to go solo and enjoy this retail therapy experience by themselves, it did look the perfect “girls’ affair” wherein they felt the fabric, discussed the collections’ story and tried their choice of apparels and accessories, in the company of their friends or family members, with the aid and inputs of Ms. Goenka. Terra Mayaa’s restaurant, ‘The Vista’ had also blended in Kolkata’s style street food, with puchkas, bhel&jhaal, steamy ghoogni or the paw bhaji, set out for the ladies, with kulfi & “soda shikanji” making it a complete experience. Speaking to Ms. Juhie Saboo, co- promoter, Terra Mayaa, she shared, “Trunk show is one amongst the various things that we had put down on our drawing board right at the inception of Terra Mayaa, at a stage when we didn’t even finalize the real estate for it. I am only glad that we have finally been able to put another tick on our must-do list and are hoping to do more and more for our city!” Spanning through the day, it was rather endearing to see a 1 year old girl, walk in fashionably dressed, with her mommy and also some septuagenarians soaking in the excitement with their girlfriends or family while we were rather thrilled to see a great-grand mommy in the company of her girls across the following 3 generations! While there were some who shopped to their hearts fill, others who merrily enjoyed the experience of trying these high- end labels and some more who gently dipped their toes, testing this all-new high- end experience - an exuberant scene altogether. We also heard one of the guests say, “This is really the 1st time that we are seeing women across communities coming together for an exhibition. It’s a really good feeling”
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Catching Up Most shared story of the week
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egistering a glorious achievement for Assam at a global stage, ace designer Kunal Kaushik bagged the award for the ‘Best Fashion Designer’ at Tiffany’s Fashion Week, Paris, for his unique and vibrant wardrobe collection made of Assam Silk.
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GYAN
Did you know?
Gauhati High Court
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he Gauhati High Court as of today emerged from the High Court of Assam. It was on 1st March, 1948 through the Assam High Court Order, 1948, that the the High Court of Assam was established with effect from 5th April, the same year, for the then Province of
Assam. Sir Harilal Kania, the then Chief Justice of India, came to preside over the inauguration of the High Court at the invitation of the then Governor of Assam Sir Akbar Hydari and the Premier of the Province Late Gopinath Bardoloi. Sir RF Lodge was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of Assam High Court on 5th April, 1948. The Assam High Court initially had its sittings at Shillong but shifted to Gauhati from 14th August, 1948. Later on, the Assam High Court came to be known as the High Court of Assam and Nagaland.
WHAT DID I JUST
Aishwarya Rajput New
Chick About Me
on the block
I am Aishwarya Rajput, a 17 year old girl from Guwahati. I completed my HSLC last year and am currently pursuing my HS. I am a simple and ambitious girl and I wish to contribute to my society through my endeavors. I have been into modelling since I was 15 years old. I won the 2nd Runners Up title in Needs Miss Perfect 10, 2016, and also bagged the subtitle of Miss Style Icon. I won the 2nd Runners Up title at Miss India Northeast 2016, where I also bagged the subtitle of Miss Photogenic. I was the 1st Runners Up at DY Calendar girl during 2017. Mojo My parents are my source of inspiration that keeps me going. They are the reason that inspires me to be a good person and give my best in my work. My dreams are big and I believe, with hard work and determination, I will achieve it all. Route in the Woods Karlie Kloss is my inspiration in the field of fashion and modelling. She is the one I follow the footprints of. I want to do good and make my own big name in the fashion industry. Photography by: Nawed Akhtar
HEAR?
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argeting the BJP which formed the government in Goa and Manipur, the former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi recently said, “We did it openly, but BJP did it secretly,” Gogoi said. “In the Rajya Sabha polls in 2009, two ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rockybul Hussain had done horse trading and it was done with my consent. We had done it openly. But why BJP, who always preached the Bhagawad Gita, do it secretly?” Gogoi questioned.
Kamur
of the week
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he city witnessed a lot of stirs this week which was fair bit irritating for Guwahatians as it affected the day-to-day work schedules of the people. The trade association bandh kept virtually all the commercial establishments shut for a day and business was affected. The district administration staff called for a strike and for two days, there was no file processed by the babus while people suffered.
Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd., Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati and Published at H/No. 34, K. C. Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati - 781008, Editor: Swapnil Bharali. Phone: 0361 2737737, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641